Lovely Bones- Winter Break

        I recently started to read, "Lovely Bones" So far I have found it very interesting. It starts off with a girl named, Susie. She explained how she was murdered at the age of 14 in 1973. It tells how she is now in heaven and met a girl named Holly. Holly doesn't really talk much. They also met Franny. Franny is like the mother in heaven. She helps with the problems that Susie was having. Susie wants to go back to earth. Im sure that Holly does too. I didn't read much, but I know this will be a good book.

        I think this book is fiction/realistic fiction. Like people can be murdered at the age of 14, too. Just all the rest of the stuff is fake. Like, Susie, her family, Mr. Harvey, Holly, and Franny. For example, it has problems that a real 'teen' girl would have. Like her first kiss, being with someone her friend said he was 'freak-a-delic' and how he would help her cheat off of him in algebra. I cant wait to read more from this book.

Anne Frank

       So last night, I finished Anne Frank. It was a very good book. At the end of the book, Anne was saying how she had pushed her father more, and more away. She was saying how, her father has been busy keeping up with everyone in the 'Secret Annex' and doesn't have as much time than he did before. She was also explaining how her and Peter talked and said they were a 'couple' Then when Anne told her father, he said it was fine, because Anne believed that, Peter would not hurt her. A few days later, Otto, told Anne that he changed his mind. That he believed that they, Anne and Peter, shouldn't spend as much time together, as they usually do.

       One of the reading strategies that I use, is to read line by line, then if I dont get something, I read the paragraph before. Like how on page, 106 (3rd paragraph), Anne said how Peter comes back from the warehouse. I got a bit confused and when I read the paragraph before, it said how Peter goes down to the warehouse and gets the key and Boche. This strategy came in handy a few times through out the book.

Anne Frank

            For the past 2 weeks I have been reading 'The Diary of Anne Frank' The Diary of Anne Frank is a book of many emotion. Frustration, anger, sadness, happiness, and maybe a little love. We all know the story. A 13 year old girl, who goes into hiding with her family, and 'friends' But do we know the story behind that. The story where Anne, tells us about what it actually feels like to be locked up, for being judged. Almost all of Anne's life, she was adored her dad. He was her hero. But when they get into the 'Secret Annex' they suddenly drift apart. This 'Secret Annex' has made everyone realize what people are like. There is love, loss, and fighting.

           So I am very close to finishing my book. 8 pages actually. I realized that Anne realized that she took her life, before she went into hiding, for granted. The 2 years that they were in the 'Secret Annex' was very hectic. There were people that were, being mean, snotty, uptight, annoying and that was just Mrs. Van Daan. Around pages 150-200, Anne and Peter start to hang out a lot. They spend a lot of time together and Anne's parents think that she shouldn't spend so much time with Peter as much. Ignoring their wishes, Anne and Peter, spend MORE time together and end up kissing. There is a lot more to say but I think that, Anne and Peter kissing, was the climax of the book.

The Diary of Anne Frank

          To be honest, the beginning of the book was a bit boring. It started out pretty slow. I mean Anne did say, at the beginning of the book that it's just a 'normal' school girls diary, but when more conflict arises when moved up to the 'Secret Annex' it started to get more interesting. Like how her and Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan always bicker. Or how her and her father get along so well, and Anne and get mum don't get along very well. I think that as the story went along, Anne grew more mature. At the beginning of the book she mainly talked about the small conflict she had at first, but then she started to talk about politics and what she thinks about, everything that is happening.

         For this paragraph, I decided to do Contrast and Contradictions. I decided to talk about what happened between Mr. Dussel and Anne. Mr. Dussel was acting very strange, then he did when he first came. What had happened is, that Anne asked for the desk, in their room(that they share), longer than she usually has it. Now see, when Mr. Dussel first came to the 'Secret Annex' he was pretty sweet, and cared about others feelings. When Anne had asked for the desk longer, he had given her attitude and said that he has 'grown-up' work to do, and not write in a 'stupid' little diary. At this time, Anne got very frustrated and very enraged. When he said his, her exact thoughts were,"In a minute I'll give him such a smack in the face that he'll fly up to the ceiling together with his lies" Obviously she didn't do that, but with the signpost, Contrast and Contradictions, she wasn't 'thinking' nor acting like she usually does.  

Holocaust; Upstander, or Bystander

                I think that people watched the holocaust happen because they knew that Hitler had a lot of power. They knew that Hitler can harm them, their families, and (maybe even) their friends. This was a hard time for everybody. For the jews, for the upstanders, and even the bystanders. Do you think that the upstanders want to just sit around. They might of known that this wasn't good and maybe didn't want to put anyone they love in harm. I think that some people wants to help, but didn't choose to. I think that the courage upstanders had to stand up against the Nazis and Hitler, was impeccable. When people stood up against Hitler, and the Nazis, it also meant to take a risk. A risk that could risk their life, their families life, and your loved ones lives. It is hard to think that happened to the upstanders that were caught and sent to a concentration camp or just shot, dead, right their and then. I am pretty sure I would have been bystander. I do not have enough courage or bravery to stand up against such powerful forces. Its not like I would help the Nazis either. I would be neutral. I wouldn't go against the Nazis, but I wouldn't stand up for them, or support them. Some people might say they would have helped and be an upstander, but if they really were in that situation, they probably wouldn't have been an upstander. I recently started the book 'The Diary of Anne Frank' In a few of the pages she talked about politics and what she thought of it. I learned a lot from the past few weeks of learning about the holocaust. It taught me a lot too.