Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quinonez #1

After finishing reading The Giver, I finished reading Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quinonez. This book is very interesting. It is about Spanish guy named Chino. Chino lives in Spanish Harlem, or as they call El Barrio. Everyone in El Barrio are considered failures, but Chino and his wife Blanca go to college. They're having a baby, so Blanca is trying to get done with college soon, and she keeps pressuring Chino to finish to. The only thing in her way is Sapo, Chino's best friend. They have been friends ever since elementary school, but as they got older, they drifted apart. Now Chino's in Hunter College, and his best friend Sapo is selling drugs. Then one day Sapo comes to Chinos house, and tells him that a man named Willie Bodega wants to see him. Chino didn't know this guy from a hole in the wall, but to him, any friend of Sapo, is a friend of his. That was that, and they were on their way to see this guy named Willie Bodega.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver was a good book. At first I didn't like it, but when I settled into it, it became interesting.I enjoyed the end of the book. At the end Jonas and the Giver devised a plan for Jonas to run away. They both agreed it would be the right thing to do. On the night Jonas was scheduled to run away, something went terribly wrong, Jonas had learned at supper, that Gabriel was going to be released. When he heard that he decided that he was going to bring little Gabriel along for the journey. The left at night. Jonas was supposed to sneak over to the Annex where he would sleep, but now since he had Gabriel, he had to make a run for it. The journey was hard for them. They traveled only at night, because he knew that other communities would be on the lookout for them. Sometimes they would hear planes and get scared.

The Giver by Lois Lowry Chapters 13-14

I'm still reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. Today I read chapters 13 and 14. I found them to very interesting because of what I know from the previous chapters. These chapters were about Jonas's training. It begans with Jonas telling the Giver that he doesn't like the fact that people are not able to make their own choices. Then the Giver explained to him that if everyone got to make their own choices, then their community would be in chaos. That's when they agreed that Sameness was right in this situation. After awhile Jonas began to get restless. He wanted to see if he could give memories to some of the people in his everyday life. When him and Asher were walking, and saw some flowers, Jonas put his hand on Asher's shoulder to try to give him the memory of color. But nothing happened. Also he accidentally transmitted a memory to Gabriel, the baby who was a guest in their dwelling, because when he rubbed the child to try and quiet him down, he was thinking of the memory. Just like that it has vanished. Later on in chapter 14 the Giver transmitted some bad memories to Jonas. When the memory was gone, Jonas was complaning. He was mad that only him and the Giver had to hold all these painful memories. That's when the Giver reminded him why their job, was so special.

The Giver by Lois Lowry Chapters 11-12

I'm still reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. Recently I finished reading chapters 11 and 12. These chapters were very interesting. They were about Jonas being selected as The Receiver of Memory. At first Jonas was ashamed because he did not know what that job meant. Then when he saw everyone in the audience with shock and awe on their faces, he came to the conclusion that it was an important job. Also, when he read the rules and directions for this job, he was shocked. The Receiver of Memory could do just about anything, they could lie, ask any questions, and did not have to apply for release. The next day after school Jonas reported to the Annex room, to begin training with The Giver. The first day in training the Giver gave Jonas the memory of snow and sledding. When Jonas received the memory he was thrilled, he loved the sledding in the snow. He also wandered why snow was no longer in the community. Then Jonas received the memory of sunshine. When he received this memory he felt good, the sunshine as it was described was warm, and relaxing. That's when Jonas asked The Giver why everyone said that this job would be very painful. The Giver responded by transmitting the memory of sunburn. After Jonas experienced this he realized what they meant by pain, and he told The Giver he was ready to receive whatever pain he had to. The next day in training Jonas asked The Giver a question about something he kept seeing. He said he saw something. It had happened when he and his friend Asher were throwing apples, when he first received his assignment, and when he looked at Fiona's hair when she walking through the door of the House of the Old. The Giver said he had a feeling Jonas would began experiencing this. He told Jonas to lay on the bed and remeber the memory of snow. But The Giver told Jonas to do it himself. At first Jonas was puzzled, but when he closed his eyes he was at the top of the hill, on the sled and smiling. The Giver then explained that Jonas was beginning to see the color red. He explained to Jonas that the community once consisted of red and many other colors, but they were relinquished because of the choice of Sameness. Then the Gigver said that he would later transmit the memory of a rainbow to Jonas.

The Giver by Lois Lowry Chapter 4

As you know I've been reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. On Sunday I read chapter four of the book. Chapter four is about Jonas meeting his friends Ashton and Fiona at the House of the Old. When Jonas gets there he greets the attendant at the front desk, and she tells him that Ashton and Fiona are in the bathing room and that he should go help. As instructed, Ashton reports to the bathing room. There Fiona and Ashton both greet him with warm hellos. After that, Jonas checks the list to see who's next. He calls Larissa, the Old that he will be bathing. He helps her in the tub and starts washing her up. As she Jonas washes her, Larissa tells him of the release celebration that went on earlier. When she told Jonas who it was he said he knew the person and that they were a good person. While Larissa is getting bathed she tells how wonderful the celebration was. Then they too talk more about Roberto, the elder that was released, life.

The Giver by Lois Lowry Chapter 3

The third chapter in The Giver is about Jonas's father bringing home the baby, that he was talking about in chapter three. When the baby arrives, the family looks at it and comment on how cute it is, especially Lily. That's when Lily said that she wanted to be a Birthmother. When Jonas's mom heard that she was outraged. She told Lily that Birthmothers were not considered a respected job. Another thing Jona's mom said was that after three births the Birthmothers worked as hard laborers for the rest of their lives. That's when the Jonas's father explained to Lily that if she liked children so much, then to volunteer at the Nurturing Center. Also during this chapter they talked about how announcements were made to the whole community but was only meant for one person indirectly. Like when Jonas accidentally took home an apple. Later that evening an announcement was made for people not to take snacks home, and Jonas and his parents knew it was for him.

The Giver by Lois Lowry Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Giver was mainly set in Jonas's home. During this chapter they talked about Jonas's Ceremony of 12's. Jonas gets the courage to tell his parents that he worries about the ceremony. His father explains to him that the committee will make the right decision when they pick his job. His father also talks about when he was kid. He tells Jonas about how he knew what he was going to be selected for, a Nurturer. He says all the people in the community knew he loved to volunteer with the kids. Jonas's mom talks about how when she was chosen to be on the Law and Justice Committe she enjoyed it. She said that she made knew friends that enjoyed the same things that she did, and that helped her a lot. Jonas's father also brung up the idea of him bringing a baby home to care for it. The committe allowed it and he brung the baby home.

The Giver by Lois Lowry Chapter 1

I recently started reading the book the giver by Lois Lowry. So far the book is a little confusing to me. I don't understand the concept of this place. I don't understand their place in society. the first chapter starts off with the boy Jonas getting frightened about December. He is frightened because December is the month when the Ceremony of twelves, which he will be, get their lifelong jobs in their community. he is nervous because he doesn't know what the committee will chose for him. Also, it tells how they were told to go inside because an irregular plane flew over the community. After they all let back out it was said that pilot in training who had flew over the community was going to be released. Then at dinner the family share their thoughts and feelings about their day.

The Lottery By Shirley Lackson

To me the story were very much alike. while reading the story I thought that the village was in the middle of nowhere and the people dressed in cloths. Another thing that I imagined from reading the story was the people. I didn't think that people would be Caucasians. Somethings that were alike from the story and the video was the characters and their lines. All the characters spoke thre same lines from the book. Another thing I caught onto was that when the kid were collecting the roks at the beginning of the story and video, they were supposed to be used for the stoning. Something that confused me, was the reason behind the stoning. I don't think that Ms. Jackson was clear or gave enough hints on what it was about. Also, to me Old Man Warner was an evil man. I say that because when people commented about other villages giving up the lottery he thought they a pack of fools. Overall I found the story and video to be very cruel.

The Outsiders Movie Review

The Outsiders was great movie, I really enjoyed it. I feel that the actors and actresses did a splendid job. Although I liked the movie, one thing I didn't like was that it was so emotional. to me, Ponboy, the main character, cried to much. Also in the book it makes it seem as if Two-Bit were much taller, but in the movie it wasn't. In the book, Ponyboy always said that he disliked Dally, but in the book it makes it seem as if their good buddies. I could go on about the movie, but Ms. Arlequin is rushing me to math.