Never Give Up

Author's Note: We were told to write a theme essay on a book we had recently read. I decided to choose the book Where the Red Fern Grows because I liked the themes that it had throughout it. Pay attention to how I relate the story to my life and other things in the world.

"You can't just sit back and watch the world change, it matters what you've got to say. There's no one else who can stand in your place, so come on it's never too late." The lyrics that Hannah Montana sings in her song "Make Some Noise" relates to the main character in the book Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. In this book, Billy demonstrates determination, sacrifice and the love of his family which helps him overcome different events and grow to be be a young man.

Bethany Hamilton was close to being a pro- teenage surfer and had lost her arm due to a shark accident. She was pretty much at her peak moment right then and there, and she didn't want to give up surfing just because she had a handicap. Surfing was Bethany's passion and she didn't want to do anything else, so she decided to try surfing again after she was recovered. The first couple of times, she didn't succeed and was almost ready to throw it down the drain, but a little voice inside her head kept telling her to push forward. Just like Bethany Hamilton was determined to surf like nothing had ever changed, Billy Coleman desperately wanted a pair of hunting dogs. Dogs that could help his family out by making money by the raccoon they killed. He has troubles with this though, because his father always says, "No son, those pups are just too expensive". At one point in time, Billy hears of a pup for sale at his grandpa's store down the road and checks it out. By the time he had gotten there, the Pritchard’s, his enemies, had already beaten him to it. This got him discouraged until he saw a piece of newspaper lying on the ground. One of the ads caught his attention, so he reads on. Little did he know that the tiny little ad in his hands would change his perspective on his crummy day. As he walked on home, he continued to look at the article and saw that there were 2 red hounds for sale: $25 each. Billy knew what he had to do: he wanted to purchase the dogs of his dreams that he has forever been longing to have.  He comes to a conclusion that the only way he's going to get that money is if he works, so that is exactly what he starts to do. That boy was so determined, he eventually managed to earn enough money with many long and hard hours of work. 

In the midst of Billy being determined to find his dogs, he has a tight bond with his family. Even when he is on his way to buy his dogs, he goes out of his way to be generous towards his family. He buys candy for his sisters, Alice and Sarah, a pair of new blue jean overalls for his dad, and enough fabric for his mother to make many new dresses. Billy also goes through a hard decision in "the hunt". He has two choices, to go save his grandpa from rolling down the hill in the storm, or to keep hunting to win the trophy. Most people would keep hunting for the prize, but being the caring person he is, Marty puts his bow down and goes to help his hurting grandpa. After the hunt is over, Billy is taken by surprise when he is awarded the winner of the hunt instead of the man who got the most animals. The man who had won gave up his own trophy because in his mind, Billy really had won because of his loyalty he showed toward his family. This reminds me of my parents and how they gave up the luxuries of life to spend more time with my siblings and I. They never had a brand new car and wouldn't think twice about sending us to day cares. Instead, they would take us on trips, bring us bike riding and take us with them to have picnics in the park.

Not only does Billy have a tight bond with his family, but he has a tight bond with his dogs as well. in chapter 20, Big Dan builds up the courage to stand in front of the mountain lion and risk his life for his friends, Little Ann and his owner, Billy. In result, the mountain lion ends up killing Old Dan, but Little Ann and Billy remain alive. This reminds me of something that just recently happened in Brookfield down by a local nail salon. A man came to the salon and was about to shoot his daughter who worked at the salon. They  just so happened to be in a fight so that had made terms even worse. The man was about to fire when another lady who worked with the daughter at the salon came and took the bullet. She sacrificed her own life so that her friend could live. Near the end, after suffering without her best friend, Little Ann refuses to eat. She can't bear the fact that he is gone, and she decides she can't live without him. Marty found her the next morning lying there, no heartbeat right by Old Dan's grave. He cried and cried but knew he had to move on. Billy made a decision that the best thing to do was bury her right by Old Dan. After a couple days, his family was getting ready to move to a different city, but Billy wanted to say bye to his best friends once more. He tries to hold his tears in, but he can't help the blurriness that he now saw. He let the tears drop down, until he saw something unusual and he rapidly wiped his tears away. Right smack-dab in front of him was a red fern the grew right in between the two dog's graves which represented something very sacred. Billy realized that not many people get to experience something as amazing as this, it's a rarity. 

In this heartfelt story, a boy named Billy Coleman becomes more mature and grown up when he expresses his determination, love of his family, and sacrifice. He goes through many different hurdles in his life such as the scare with his grandpa falling down a hill in the midst of a thunderstorm, having a scare with a mountain lion, and losing his two best friends. Billy had a tight bond with his dogs that only he could understand, and was blessed with the time he was able to have with them. After all, a dog really is a man's best friend. 

Getting to Know Someone

Author's Note: This piece is an alternate ending/ prediction to the story Buried Treasure in the series 315. It shows what I think will happen to the two characters and how they eventually become great friends.

In the story Buried Treasure, I think that the end of the story is going to result in Clarence having a talk with Cody who changes his perspective on life. I have a feeling that when Cody finally finds out the story about old Clarence, he will become good friends with him and go to visit him everyday. I have this feeling because old men are usually very kind and wise once you get to know them. Eventually, Cody will ask about the golden hook just because the city has always wondered. Although, he will be taken back by the answer he receives from the elder. In the beginning, Clarence won't accept the food that Cody brings him because of some anger he still has towards the city. After time though, he will begin to accept the food and be grateful for Cody, his best friend. Clarence would get lonely in the woods everyday and when Cody comes, he will realize just how much he missed having someone to talk to and be there for him. 

Transforming into a Different Person

Author's Note: This piece is one way to express character analysis. It shows how Bella changes dramatically in the series of the Twilight books. She becomes a different person when she falls in love with a vampire. Bella develops a whole new perspective on the rainy city of Forks when she meets this boy named Edward. After being an angry, sad girl, in the beginning, she transforms to being happy and content to conclude the end.

Bella

Quiet, Clumsy, smart

Daughter of Charlie and Renee

Edward, Jacob, Charlie

nervous, confused, angry

Has a near death experience with a vampire, almost gets kidnapped, becomes trapped with someone who wants to kill her

falls in love

Wants to become a vampire, wants to live forever with Edward

Forks, Washington

Swan


Bella

Strong, Smart, Protective, Elegant

Daughter of Charlie and Renee, Mother of Renesme, Wife of Edward

Edward, Charlie, Renesme

Thirst for blood, happiness, compassionate

Losing her family, having to fight against the Volturri, giving Renesme up because Jacob was destined to be with her

Who discovered it was much easier to be around Edward when she was finally a vampire, found out that it was possible to have a baby with Edward while she was still human

Wanted to experience being a vampire, wanted to live forever with Edward, wanted to have a child

Forks, Washington

Cullen


Bella Swan reminds me of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. They both change dramatically, from not wanting to do with anyone to having to eventually get to know people they were surrounded by. Katniss had to connect with the other tributes so she could survive: Bella had to make friends at her new school. They also were both involved in a love triangle, with two other guys falling in love with them.  These two girls discover that all they had to be was slightly more friendly to everyone and overcome their shyness to make the friends that they were certain would last.

Katniss

Stubborn, shy, smart, independent

Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen (Names not mentioned in book)

Prim, Gale, Her Mother

Bravery, Courage, Leadership, Love

Losing her sister, Not surviving, Fear that her mother would ignore her sister like she had ignored her when her father had died

Discovered that being friendly could go a long way, found out that Peeta had liked her ever since she was little

District 12(Location not mentioned)

Everdeen



Katniss

Friendly, Proud, Dependent

Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen, Mother of Willow and Rye, Wife of Peeta

Peeta, Prim, Willow, Rye

Love, Friendship, Trustworthiness

Fear of losing Gale if she went to marry Peeta

Figured out that she was better suited for Peeta than for Gale because Gale was always negative about things and that's not what she liked, figured out she actually did love Peeta

District 12

Mellark

"What would you tell America's founding fathers?"

Author's Note: This is piece I based off of the writing prompt," What would you tell America's founding fathers?" for the Patriot's Pen essay. Notice my higher level in word choice and A and B transitions throughout it.

In some moments, I wonder how it was during the time of the founding fathers. If I was alive during that time, what would I say to them? What kind of morals and way of life do they live? During the busy lives of us Americans, we tend to push aside the honor that the founding fathers truly deserve.

If you happened to do a survey of how many people knew who the founding fathers were, only a couple people would say they knew. In my opinion, I feel that they need more recognition. After all, if they have schools, states and other things named after them, they must have done something pretty spectacular for our country. For example: the state of Washington and the capital of the United States named after George Washington, Jefferson City, Missouri named after Thomas Jefferson and many dollar bills with faces of the founding fathers on different ones.

How did the founding fathers help our country, you ask? Well a huge part of their history is  signing the Declaration of Independence. In result of them doing this, we gained freedom and were saved from being under Britain's control. We tend to overlook our freedom that we're blessed with.   It may be difficult to comprehend, but people are out fighting in wars, risking their lives so we can live in a free country.

One of the components that we should be grateful for is freedom, but another one is having such great presidents. Currently, we are undergoing an election for our next president who will lead our country. We have truly been blessed for having presidents that dedicate their lives to the United States. Even after the founding fathers and 200 years of presidents, we are still reaping the benefits of having a strong country with many resources.

We tend to overlook it, but the founding fathers really had an impact on our country that we need to start recognizing. They truly did a great job starting our country, going through all the hard work and dedication. I am proud to be an American and I am proud of my founding fathers who have protected and preserved our country. 

Cancer

Author's Note: This piece is a personal narrative about how my grandpa ends up getting diagnosed with cancer. Notice my more advanced word choice and voice.

Cancer is a hard thing to grasp. One moment you’re as healthy as can be and the next, you are in the intensive care taking 15 different medicines. The hard thing is, you can’t control it. It just comes and catches you off guard. Well one thing's for sure, this event that happened with my grandpa caught my attention and had the whole family puzzled.

This horrifying, uncontrollable disease hit my grandpa, Roger, faster than he could blink. He was just walking to the mailbox one day and all of a sudden he fell to the ground, experiencing an excruciating pain in his leg. Being the stubborn man that he was, he tried to delay letting my grandma know what had happened.

The pain ended up getting so bad, he had to go to the doctor. He was hoping they would say that it was only temporary pain, that it was harmless. Except when the nurse came out with the test results, she said ,"Sir, I'm sorry. I'm afraid you've been diagnosed with acute leukemia. It's one of the fastest spreading cancers we know. I'm not sure how much longer you have to live." Shock came over him like a massive tidal wave in the Atlantic Ocean. He couldn't believe his ears.

My family was notified a day later. We all were blown away. Catching my breath I exclaimed, "How could this happen, Mom?! He's the healthiest 80 year old I know!" "I'm not sure, sweetie", my mom said back to me sniffling. Before I knew it, we were off to the hospital to visit Grandpa Roger.

When I walked into his hospital room, I gasped. “That can’t be grandpa,” I said to my sister, Bethany. My grandpa sat on the bed with huge purple welts all over his body. He could barely open his drowsy eyes that would soon be falling into a deep sleep. My aunts and uncles surrounded him, each taking turns saying that we loved him. When it was my turn, I went up to his hospital bed and said, “I love you so much, grandpa.” Since he was on so many meds, I knew that he wouldn’t be able to say anything back.  Except faintly, I could hear him say, “ I love you too, Christina”. That made me start bawling because I knew I wasn’t ever going to see him alive again. It was time to say goodbye.

In the end, cancer took my grandpa’s life. It hurt me so much losing a loved one. Although, I learned an important life lesson: we can’t always take things for granted. Sometimes you have to stop everything you’re doing and realize what you already have in front of you.

Sometimes Volunteering Will Help

Author's Note: In this piece, I express the different cause and effects I see in the book called The Hunger Games and relate it to something in my own life.

In The Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers for her sister, Prim, in the reaping. She did this because she knew Prim wouldn't know how to survive due to it being her first year involved. Katniss also knew many survival skills because she was frequently in the woods hunting for food: she wasn’t sure how she was going to win, but she wanted to win for Prim. Survival is a strength that is required throughout this book and also in both my aunts lives.

This affected in Katniss having to participate in the Hunger Games, coming close to encounters of death. Volunteering for Prim also caused Katniss many battle scars, such as her injured leg that eventually healed. If Katniss hadn't volunteered for her younger sister,  Prim most likely would have been dead due to her lack of survival skills. It would have had a whole different, depressing effect on the story if an older sister didn't stand up for her younger sister.

I can relate Prim and Katniss' situation to my own life. My Aunt Bonnie and my Aunt Jane are very close sisters that were inseparable. They would do lots of things together, until one day when something occurred to them that they hadn't been expecting. My Aunt Jane had been diagnosed with cancer and was only given a couple of months to live. Aunt Bonnie stood with Aunt Jane no matter what, even when she had hard times and didn't think she was going to live through the day. Aunt Jane also developed battle scars over the course of time during her cancer treatments.

Both of these examples show the dedication and the hardship that each sibling had to experience and express. Each encounter got more difficult as time went on: Prim, Katniss, Aunt Jane and Aunt Bonnie never gave up. They continued to push forward even when the pain was unbearable. This shows how strong one human being can be and how they can completely change their perspective when they set their mind to the outcome being positive.

Among the Hidden

Author's Note: This is a piece I wrote about the book Among the Hidden. Pay attention to how I show the conflict and resolution throughout the story. 

In Among the Hidden, it's against the law to have over two children because the society is going through a famine. Luke is a third child, so his parents have to break the law and keep him hidden away from the Population Police. Due to this so called "hide-and-seek", Luke hasn't been outside since he was a little kid. He runs into some encounters with the police, but he manages not to get caught by them. 

Since he can't do much else, Luke looks out a certain window every day, at the same time, with a view of his subdivision. He remembers seeing movement in his next door neighbor's window. To free his curiosity, he breaks into that house and discovers another third child, a girl named Jen. Turns out that her dad works for the Population Police, but is undercover trying to help third children. 

In the end, Luke decides to break free from his sheltered home. He builds up enough courage to step foot outside, to see what the real world is like without his normal routine. Luke goes from being a third child, to an impostor who outsmarts the society because of Jen’s dad who was able to create a fake I.D. for him. With the fake I.D., he is able to live the life like he isn't a third child. Instead, he lives the life of someone else and it's not as risky getting caught by the police when he's undercover. He has to say goodbye to his family, who is tough enough but the options that are at stake are gruesome: either he lives the life of someone else and hopes he doesn't get caught or he is always worrying he will be caught as a third child and be shot at any waking second.

Luke decides to take the safest route. He goes from being in a stuffy room while forgetting what the outdoors smells like to five course meals and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The fake I.D. that Jen's dad created for him was the handiest thing he could have done . It was a hard choice parting from his family, but it paid off for him in the end.

Book Ad: Twilight

Author's Note: This is a retelling piece about the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. 

A girl is sent to live with her dad in Forks, Washington, a rainy city. She desperately wants to move back with her mom in Arizona because it was such a dramatic change, until she meets a guy who saves her life from being crushed by a car in the school parking lot. She risks everything she has when she finally finds out who he really is and how difficult it will be for her to be around him.

"Life's a climb, but the view is great"

Author's Note: I chose to write a personal narrative because that's one type of writing that I need to work on. I also tried to connect the beginning and end sentences of each paragraph so the piece would flow better. This story gives you a glimpse of how life can be hard in certain points of time.

Some people say, "You never know what you got till it's gone". Except in reality, you always knew what you had, you just never thought you'd lose it. Whether its a big thing like losing a family member or a tiny thing like losing your favorite childhood toy, everyone in this world had to leave something important to them behind. Life isn’t meant to be easy, the hurdles in life are what makes you a stronger person.

Being a strong, independent human being takes a lot of effort. I am very fortunate to have such a tight bond with my siblings. They’re always there for me when I need them the most. Back in the day when I was younger, we went on so many family trips that it’s close to impossible to count them all. I used to think time would just pause right where I was, and I could play it back when I wanted to. Obviously life isn’t like that: instead time goes on. There were a lot of events that I had to overcome, but I had barely blinked before Nathan, my brother had proposed to his girlfriend and became engaged.

I remember the day my brother became a husband clear as can be. I walked down the aisle hooking arms with my future brother-in-law while the church medley played its cheerful tune. I saw my brother standing on the church steps looking sharp in his new white tux. He had series of emotions on his face, but I couldn’t wait to look at his expression when Shannon, his soon-to-be-bride, came down the aisle. I stood next to all the other bridesmaids waiting for the ushers to open the doors. Everything just paused for the slightest second, but then the doors burst open and Shannon came descending down the aisle in her beautiful, satin wedding dress. Nathan was full-out beaming, I could tell he was blown away.  He had tears of happiness flowing down his face. The whole bridal party started to choke up due to Nathan’s tears. “She looks gorgeous!” I said sniffling to Kristine, one of the bridesmaids. “I know!!” She answered with a smile on her face. They said their “I do”’s and soon the pastor said “You may now kiss the bride.” Nathan took Shannon in his hands and kissed her passionately. There were “awe”’s throughout the whole crowd of family members. Everyone thought they were the happiest two newly weds I had ever seen.

Besides when Nathan cried , it didn’t really hit me until the end of the wedding when Bethany and I sat down by him. He gave us a big bear hug and said “You are my sisters, and even know that things are going to be a lot different now that I’m married, I want you guys to know that I love you.” After he said that, we all just lost it and starting bawling together. Under my breath I said “I love you too, Nathan.” I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. This day had actually come. Nathan would be moving out to Arizona now, so nothing would ever be the same.
 
Even though I knew nothing would ever be the same again, I remember a saying Hannah Montana said: life’s a climb, but the view’s great.This saying represents how Nathan and Shannon’s wedding was the view of the rose in a field of dandelions. However, him moving to Arizona right after his honeymoon was the ultimate climb. That day I learned that everything happens for a reason. There’s always an upside in every situation. You just have to look in between the lines.

Colorado

 Author's Note: This piece is for my writing circle group. We wrote about the 3 facts and a fiction, and I picked the fact about how I have a pet salamander.

  I was bored out of my mind as I sat in my packed van. My Dad was driving, staring off towards the traffic while my mother read a book that seemed to entertain her. My sister was in a deep sleep, occasionally mumbling random words that made no sense. She was probably sleep-talking. So that left me, stuck solving word searches and playing cards by myself. We were about 30 minutes from our destination. This had been a long and tiresome, 24 hour drive.

 I decided to look out the window to pass the time. I became mesmerized by the pitter-patter of the rain drops. It was consistent: never taking a break as it fell down. It almost seemed like the background music to a lullaby. As I day-dreamed, I fell into a calm sleep. Before I knew it, we had arrived, and I became very excited! We had finally made it to Colorado!

 I jumped out of the van faster than anyone imagined me capable of. I sprinted towards my brother and his girlfriend with my family slightly behind. We had this long group hug and there was silence for only a moment. But then, we all rambled on about the drive and how their experience has been down there before we arrived. It was all small-talk until my brother brought up this one story about something him and his girlfriend had found in the pool that they life-guarded for. They began explaining how one they were life-guarding, this guy said he thought he saw something unusual in the water. Some brave souls decided to take a closer look. They braced themselves for the worst, but it ended up being a small, harmless salamander! A tiger salamander to be exact. Nathan and Shannon decided to take the little fellow in. They rambled on about how they finally were allowed to keep it. Shannon had told us that the guy who originally found it named him Walter. The guy didn't want to keep it and wasn't able to take him home, so Shannon and Nathan took over. They didn't change his name because they felt the name suited him perfectly well.

They ended up showing us the salamander, and fed it moths. It was very vicious when it came to food. Although, it didn't hurt when he bit you because he doesn't have any teeth.

Nathan and Shannon wanted to take him home, but they couldn't because they were leaders at the camp in Colorado. So we ended up taking Walter home and put him in a fish aquarium. Now he has a brand new reptile aquarium and everything. We now feed him dry crickets and occasionally the wild moth if there's one around. He sometimes even eats pinky mice which we feed him on special occasions. He isn't very active during the day, his usual day is just burrowing in the soil. Other than that, he's a great pet and eats when he's fed!

Great America

 Author's Note: I wrote this piece in my writing circle. My writing topic was Great America. I worked on expanding my word choice.

I was happy that I got in line early because it was getting longer by the minute. I was terrified: the ride looked so scary and I couldn’t move my feet. It was like they were glued to the ground. I didn’t want to move, but the aggravated people tried to slide past me. As I neared the front of the line, I took a large gulp. I could see the first loop not too far away from me. It wasn’t long before I got in my seat ready for the ride. I was so distracted by the roller coaster, that I had forgotten to put my seat-belt on! The worker told me I had to fasten it, so I did as I was told. Before I knew it, we were on our way. I closed my eyes for a split second before realizing that this wasn’t so bad! We were just going up and up and up. All of sudden I remembered a saying my grandpa had told me, “If a hill goes up, it always goes down.” This was definitely something that related to that. I opened my eyes and took in the view that was overlooking the park: it was breathtaking. I had no idea something could be so high up! Barely after three seconds, my heart had skipped a beat. We were headed straight towards the ground. I couldn’t help myself, I screamed as loud as I was capable of. I noticed some others screaming along with me. We headed towards the second loop, and I saw some people putting their hands up in the air to make the ride more fun. I decided to try it. It felt like I was a bird, flying through the sky! A few moments later, and we were back to the station where the roller coaster had started. The ride had been so much fun that I hadn’t even noticed that it was over! I felt very accomplished. I had just ridden the tallest ride at Six Flags, Great America.

Semantic Devices

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/aSGuest134079-1409033-semantic-devices/

Symbolism: All Summer in a Day

Tragedy: Storms- In this short story, there was a lot of thunder and rain storms. Clouds and rain make people feel groggy. To me, this usually means that something sad is going to happen. "It rained. It had been raining for seven years; thousands upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the other with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands."(p.1)

Tragedy: Overgrown garden- Since there's rain for seven years straight, there's an overgrown garden on Venus. This makes the people feel like they're trapped in where they live. "They stopped running and stood in the great jungle that covered Venus, that grew and never stopped growing, tumultuously, even as you watched it. It was a nest of octopi, clustering up great arms of flesh-like weed, wavering, flowering in this brief spring." (p. 3)

Romance: Colors- There's a lot of lighter colors in the jungle because there is no sun to make the willow trees green. This makes people feel like they have no life because they are stuck inside. "It was the color of rubber and ash, this jungle, from the many years without sun. It was the color of stones and white cheeses and ink, and it was the color of the moon." (p. 3)

Tragedy: Beneath stairs- The people on Venus have a home underground. They feel like they're trapped because they only get to see the sun once every 7 years. "The sun faded behind a stir of mist. A wind blew cold around them. They turned and started to walk back toward the underground house, their hands at their sides, their smiles vanishing away." (p. 4)

Tragedy: Lightning- There's a lot of storms and thunder on Venus. Lightning also occurs along with these. This makes people feel scared, because they have a chance of getting struck by lightning. "A boom of thunder startled them and like leaves before a new hurricane, they tumbled upon each other and ran. Lightning struck ten miles away, five miles away, a mile, a half mile." (p.4)

Tragedy: Closet- Margot was stuck in a closet while the sun was out. She felt alone, and forgotten. It was also dark which makes her feel sad. "They surged about her, caught her up and bore her, protesting, and then pleading, and then crying, back into a tunnel, a room, a closet, where they slammed and locked the door." (p. 3)

Tragedy: Colors- Colors can determine everybody's mood. When the sun came out, the sun made them feel happy! But when the sun disappeared, they became very sad. "The children pressed to each other like so many roses, so many weeds, intermixed, peering out for a look at the hidden sun." (p. 1)

Tragedy: Darkness- Darkness makes you lonely. It also makes you feel sad. The people in this story have to deal with darkness for all of their life. "The sky darkened into midnight in a flash. They stood in the doorway of the underground for a moment until it was raining hard." (p.4)

Honesty is the key

Authors Note: In this piece, I talk about the main characters, Jason, Catherine, and David, who learn  be honest and accept people for who they are. I worked on A B Transitions, restating what I was writing about in the last paragraph in the first part of the second. I did this by looking at the fusion page for help when I got stuck. 

Guilt, complicated, hidden, and weak are all signs of difficult encounters. It is important to overlook the “bad” outcomes and focus on the “good” outcomes. In the book Rules by Cynthia Lord, Catherine has a family that revolves around her brother, David, who has autism. She just wants to have a normal life, but that’s near to impossible when you have a brother with a disability. Over time, she learned to look beyond the negatives and focus on what the good outcomes are. Friendship grasps the characters in this story, allowing honesty and acceptance to take over.

Friendships aren’t planned, but they seem to happen over time. David went to OT (Occupational therapy) every week for speech lessons and physical exercise. His mom took him there and Catherine tagged along as well, bringing all of her coloring supplies. As she was waiting for David to be done, she decided to start a sketch. A boy named Jason Morehouse noticed the picture she was drawing and asked to see more of her pictures. To do this, they communicated through picture cards since Jason was unable to speak. “If you ever want me to make you more words,” I say, “just ask.” “Thank you,” Mrs. Morehouse says. adjusting her earring. “But there’s no need. These cards are part of a speech program we use, and it comes with a whole book of words. I can copy whatever he needs from there.” Jason shoots his mother a what? look. Yes. More. Picture. (pg. 47) Catherine and Jason could understand eachother, which lead them to being great friends.

Being good friends with someone requires a key component to maintain a healthy friendship, honesty. “I didn’t tell Kristi everything about you. I didn’t tell her about your wheelchair or your communication book. I didn’t know how she’d react. I should’ve because your my friend, but it just got harder and harder.” (pg.195) Catherine was afraid of what Kristi’s reaction would be when she told her that Jason has a disability. Catherine doesn’t want this to be a barrier in their friendship, so she avoids spilling the news to Kristi. She finally decided to tell her the day of the dance that Kristi invited her to.

In order to be accepted, honesty is the first step towards achievement. Before Catherine could accept Jason for who he is, she had to realize that there is nothing he can do about the condition he has. In fact, by the time I’m done, Together. has to go on the final page of his communication book. It sits by itself, a picture of the bench with two people sitting on it. Where? Wheelchair. Jason pulls his brows together. “I imagined you without it. Like in your dream where you can run. Want. Wheelchair. In. Picture. “I just thought ---” Take. It. Out. Jason looks away, frowning. (pg. 166) Catherine drew series of words for his card book, but the one picture on the word card seemed to upset him because only in a dream, could he run. Although, in real life, he got around using his wheelchair.

Honesty and acceptance are the two key qualities to a healthy friendship. Catherine was honest when she told Jason how she felt about Kristi and that she was scared to tell her the truth, which made Jason realize that Catherine was a truthful and loyal friend. Catherine told Kristi about Jason, along with excepting him for who he was, wheelchair or not. In the end, everyone learned an important lesson: you know when you have a true friend if they’re honest and accepting for who you are.

Use courage to overcome your fears

 Author's Note: In this piece, I talk about how the main characters, Edward and Bella, take courage to overcome their fears. I worked on sentence fluency and A B transitions. To do this, I looked at the transitions on the school fusion page.

Vicious, blood sucking, predator are all signs of an enemy, yet these characteristics cannot hold back the feelings of love. In the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Bella Swan falls in love with a guy that is dangerous to her kind: a vampire. Vampires hunt humans and can easily kill them within seconds. Although this would usually draw people away, Bella was attracted to the uniqueness of Edward Cullen. Edward had a different side to him which instantly caught Bella’s attention. Bella had enough courage to investigate who Edward was and why he acted so odd around her. As well, she had an occasional fear of him while being able to tell his emotions by the color of his eyes and experiencing some of his extreme and shocking outbreaks. Fear controls the actions of many people, but those who have courage and an unconditional love can express their feelings in any way that they desire.

Beauty and the Beast resemble the relationship between Edward and Bella. A vampire and human falling in love doesn’t necessarily sound like a perfect match. This unusual romance with a vampire loving a human may seem dangerous, but Edward does everything he can to protect Bella. When there was a group of males that were attacking Bella in Port Angeles, Edward quickly came to her rescue and saved her from them. (pg. 160) There was another incident when the evil vampire, James, was about to kill Bella and Edward shielded her from the sight of James by helping her escape him. (pg. 379) Edward and Bella know that their relationship will be difficult just like it says in the book, “’And so the lion fell in love with the lamb...,’ he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word. ‘What a stupid lamb.’ I sighed. ‘What a sick, masochistic lion’” (pg. 274) Their love for each other could only get stronger as time goes on, knowing that they were destined to be together.

In the midst of their relationship, Bella has enough courage to make it through. She takes many leaps of faith, sometimes knowing that her decision isn’t always right. For instance, Bella met James at a ballet studio she had danced at when she was younger, bringing nobody with her. Turns out James did not have her mother held captive; contradicting the tale he had told her over the phone, ultimately, this lead to trouble. (pg. 444) Bella also took the nerve to go to Edward’s house and meet his family. Not knowing what to expect from a house full of vampires. (pg. 322) As a result, the first time Edward’s family and Bella met, it went very well and they all seemed to like her.

Edward and Bella had to face their fears, just like Bella was afraid to meet a house full of vampires. They both have to overcome worries that tend to grasp them, but they try their best to push it aside. For example, there are times when Bella is afraid of Edward. Instead, she forces herself to believe her instincts that Edward will do no such harm to her. In addition, Edward is afraid that something will happen to Bella, even when he is present. However, Edward’s fear subsides because the love he has for Bella is inescapable. Yet, there is still one fear that both Edward and Bella share which is the thought of losing each other. That would be very challenging for both of them, especially knowing that Bella won’t live forever. Even though Bella wanted Edward to change her so they could live together forever, Edward still claimed he could never do such a thing.

Bella and Edward’s relationship is complicated at points but they still make it through the rough patches no matter what it takes. They overthrow their fears with the love they have for one another. It takes courage to be in a relationship like theirs. In conclusion, people can express their feelings in any way that they want to. As long as they have the courage and unconditional love, they can conquer the fears that control their actions.

Ready or not, here I come!

 Author's Note: In this piece, it tells you my opinion on how third children and how they should be able to exist. It makes you think of how much you wouldn't be able to do if you were a shadow child.

Imagine what life would be like if you couldn’t do the things that everyone else is able to do.  Having to hide out in your home, the windows closed, blinds shut, and the radio off. This is exactly how the main character, Luke’s life is in Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Among the Hidden grabs the reader’s attention by stating that third children should have the right to live, just like their two other siblings.

Luke thought that he was the only person that had to hide from the population police. Although, later in the book, that all changed when he met a girl named Jen. She was the only person he could trust with his secrets because she was a third child as well. Jen made a huge impact on his life.

I’m the fourth child in my family. If this law was really true, with the population police and all, my sister and I would not be alive today. My parents would only have 2 children, my two brothers. They would be empty-nesters because my brother, Nathan is married and my other brother Ben, is 24 and ready to move out of the house. My sister, Bethany and I would be illegal children, we would have to move to a different home and live with strangers.  No longer would I be Christina Heinritz, nor would my sister be Bethany. We would have to become imposters.

Third children should have the right to live with their family, have their same name, and be able to exist. I don’t think it’s fair for the illegals because it’s isn’t their fault. Even if it’s crowded in their neighborhood, and they’re limited on food, they should still be able to live. Their family should provide food depending on the amount of people in the family.   

Shadow children should be able to live, no matter what the circumstances. Life can be unfair sometimes, but always know that there is some sunlight in your cloudy sky. Even if there isn’t enough food on the table, or if the houses are close together, third children should have the right to be alive. People should take for granted of what they’re allowed to do, because the children who are illegal are missing out on everything that you go through in your daily life.

Live your life!

 Author's note: These lyrics gave me an inspiring thought about life.


Lyrics: We live, we love - Superchick
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

As I write these lyrics down, it reminds me of this one quote that really explains the song: ,”Yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a mystery. Today is a gift, that’s why we call it the present.”  When you think about it, life really is a gift. Everyone was born for a reason and you want to live your life to the fullest. Why waste your life away doing things that you don’t want to accomplish? Instead, live each day like it was your last. Do everything that you desire to.

Zebras have different Stripes

Author's Note: Have you ever wondered how everything seems alike but is actually different? Well, by reading this, you can see my opinion on the differences of this world.

Isn’t it crazy how nothing in this world is alike? Take the stripes for a zebra as an example. No zebra has the exact same stripes. Sort of relating to how you are your own person. You have the ability to be yourself and be proud of it. You’re able to remind yourself that no one is like you.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if everyone in the whole world was the same? If they did the same things at the same time? Life would be so boring if everyone was identical. Everybody would be a spitting image of the person beside them. All the animals of the world would roam around at similar times searching for alike foods. 

Twins tend to be spitting images. Especially identical twins. Except what does a “spitting image” mean? Well it means something is clearly similar or alike to something else. As an example, someone would say ,” You’re a spitting image of ‘so and so’!” while comparing you to another person. Just remind yourself to be you, because everyone else is taken.

Who's calling?

 Author's: In my writing circle we picked out a sentence and had to improvise from there so here is what I wrote:

You come home and check your phone messages. You look at third one and freeze. Why is the earth starting to shake? It’s trembling beneath my feet!!!! The message on the phone plays back and is telling me to stay calm. How can I stay calm if the ground is splitting in two?? What in the world can I do in this situation? All of a sudden, I fall down, down, down... into the deep black hole.