Hunger Games: Week of 12/16/13

Pages: 1-20                                         SPOILER ALERT!

Prompt: Explain the story, and what you know so far. 

     Though I didn't read a whole lot this week, I can still summarize what has happened so far. I recently finished my last book and am just starting this new one!

     Katniss Everdeen, (the main character) wakes up on the day of the reaping. The reaping is when two people, a boy and a girl, from each of the 12 districts in the community the book is set in, ages 12 to 18 are selected randomly to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are when people from each district fight to death, to win a year supply of food for their families because starvation is a major problem that is going on in the community and for another reason I will bring up later. Primrose, (Katniss's sister) is still asleep, and Katniss quickly leaves the house to go hunting. Though hunting is forbidden in the community, Katniss and her best friend Gale, climb over a tall fence and into the woods to hunt for more food for their families! Both do not come from money, and are the main caretakers in their families, so it seems necessary that they sneak out  and get extra food. Sometimes, for extra money, Katniss and Gale will sell to the meat that they've hunted to the Peacekeepers in the HOB for extra money.

     Katniss gets to Gale and they discuss how it would be so great to just run away from their crazy society, but realize that they can't just leave their families! They fish, talk, and stop back at the district's black market to trade for bread and salt. They then stop by the Mayor's house to bring his daughter, Madge, strawberries. Katniss is friends with Madge at school. Madge was dressed for the reaping, and just seeing her, Gale began to feel upset about the whole idea of a Hunger Games in the first place. They talked about how at age 12, your name is only put in the drawing once, at 13, it's entered twice, and so on and so forth until you're 18. Though, you have the choice of putting your name in multiple times so that you can receive Tesserae. Tesserae is a year supply of grains and oil for one person, and considering how poor some people were, they really needed those extra portions! Katniss, at age 16, would have her name entered 20 times, and Gale, at age 18, would have his name entered 42 times. Though Prim (Katniss's sister) would not enter, because her family didn't want her any more at risk of being chosen than she already was. When they were finished talking, Katniss returned home, and began to prepare for the reaping.

    Prim and Katniss were finally ready, and they walked into town square nervous, and uneasy. In the square that day, the mayor would provide a speech about the history of the Hunger Games. The mayor talked about how droughts, storms, rising seas, and other natural problems, caused North America to basically dissolve, and the country of Panem rose up in it's place. The country was formed of a capitol and 13 districts, but the districts eventually rebelled. The capitol defeated the districts with 13 being so badly defeated, that it ceased to exist. Because of this, the capitol holds the Hunger Games; to remind the districts of their powerlessness against them.  After the Mayor gives his speech, Haymitch Abernathy (one of the two tributes from district 12 to ever win the Hunger Games, and the only one still alive) comes onto the stage. He is drunk, and hugs Effie Trinket (a person who escorts the district 12 tributes to the Hunger Games training and arena.) Soon after, Effie Trinket draws the name of the girl who will be representing district 12 in the 74th annual Hunger Games, and she chooses Primrose Everdeen. That's where I left off, and although I've already read this book, I am still excited to read the rest, and jog my memory about what happens!

     

Son: Week of 12/9/13

Pages: 311-394
Prompt: Describe a character that you would like to meet (which doesn’t mean that you

think you would like the character, but that you think the character would be

interesting). List 4 questions that you would ask.

     I think that a character I would like to meet would be Claire. I would like to meet her because she has gone through so much throughout her life, and I think it would be interesting to hear her story directly from her, nobody else retelling it! I wonder so many things about her, and I think that if I had to choose, there would actually be four main questions I would ask her (not just because the prompt says to list four questions.) I kind of wish Claire could like literally come to life so I could ask her these questions, but I think it would also be cool to ask Lois Lowry, the Author, and see what she would say if she were Claire. I mean, she did create Claire, so I think it would be interesting if I could ask Lowry these questions, I really do wonder what she would say!

     The first question I would ask Claire would be, what was it like switching from your community, to elsewhere? Was it scary for you? What was it like seeing color for the first time? I know from the story that Claire did not like birds at first because she was afraid of them, but I wonder if there were any other animals that she was also really afraid of in elsewhere. They never really talked about having real, live animals in their community, so I'm sure all of the animals were very new for her! I also wonder if she missed her family once she left. She seemed to be ok for the most part, but then again she had already been away from her family for quite some time since she had received her job, and I'm sure that the drive to find her son was stronger than the drive to see or be reunited with her family. From how she describes them, they didn't seem like they had been close since before she left for her job, so she was probably ok. So, that's the first main thing I would ask, what was it like switching from your community to elsewhere? 

     The second question I would ask would be what was it like to go through all of that intense training to be able to climb the ledge? I'm a dancer, and I know what it's like to push myself to the limit, whether it's while I'm dancing, or while we're doing stamina exercises. We have to do 1,000 jump ropes every class, but I'm sure it's not as tough as what Claire had to do! She had to carry sacks of rocks up and down hills and small mountains, and I think that would be extremely difficult! I don't know how anyone would be able to push themselves to do exercise of that extent, I would probably be too lazy to even attempt that feat, let alone do it enough where it became easy for me. So, I would definitely ask Claire what her training was like to be able to climb the ledge.

     The third question I would ask Claire would be, what was it like when the Trademaster turned you into an old lady? I mean, did it feel like your body was going through a transformation? Did you begin to feel the effects right away? Were you expecting what actually happened, or did you expect the Trademaster to simply take away your nice skin, and make it wrinkly? Were you disappointed that all the strengthening you did to your young body was now gone and you had become weak? Were you expecting it all to ware off in a couple of days? Did you ever even expect the Trademaster to come up with that kind of trade for you? I mean turning into an old lady all of a sudden through magic is pretty questionable, and I'm sure if I'm wondering these many things, Claire was probably wondering 1,000 more things! So, I would definitely ask Claire what it was like when the Trademaster turned her into an old lady/took away her youth away from her.

     The fourth and final question I would ask Claire would be, what was it like, seeing Gabe for the first time in so many years? Were you shocked at how much he'd grown? Were you ecstatic that all of your training and traveling had paid off? Were you scared to approach him, because you were afraid he wouldn't believe that you were his mother? Did you feel overjoyed when you saw how much he had matured? Were you nervous that you would never be as close to him as you had been in your old community? Were you feeling all of these things as you saw him for the first time? I am definitely interested in what Claire's answer would be to this question! So, those were the four questions that I would ask Claire if I got the chance, and why I would like to meet her if I got the chance!

Son: Week of 12/2/13

Pages: 266-310
Prompt: Draw an interpretation of what you just read.

     I would say that we are at a very sad and confusing time in the book, so this is how I would interpret it. I drew the broken heart because Claire's heart is beginning to break. She came to this new elsewhere is search of her son Gabe. This was a search that had been long awaited. Though, the only way she would be able to see Gabe, was if she traded her youth to the Trademaster, which she did. Now that she's here though, she is too nervous to approach Gabriel, and quietly watches him as he participates in his daily activities. She is afraid that if she approaches him, that he will not be pleased, and not love her as much as she loves him. Also, Gabe is building his own ship to take in search of Claire, his birth mother. She is nervous that he will take off looking for her, before she has the courage to approach him. Her heart will truly be broken, if she can never tell her son she loves him, or if her son tells or shows to her that he doesn't love her.

     I drew the thunder storm because, I personally feel that thunder storms can be a bit scary, and Clare just found out some pretty scary news. She had just visited a doctor, and the doctor gave her the news that she probably will not live for much longer. She has about 2 or 3 years left, and that's a scary thought, to know that you will be dying soon. She's kind of at a "stormy" part of her life right now, so that's why I drew a thunder storm type interpretation.

     The last thing I drew was a sea of question marks, and my interpretation of Claire after her youth has been stolen from her walking through it. She is kind of drowning in a sea of questions, and thoughts, and she simply doesn't know what to do! Should she approach Gabriel or possibly Jonas? Should she accept that she's going to die soon? Should she go back to where she came from? Should she go back to Einer and Alys? Should she try and beg for her youth back? Should she simply do nothing at all? She has so many things going through her mind, and I could imagine that she would be confused as well as stressed! So, that is how I interpreted what I just read, and I hope things get better and work out for Claire in the end!

Son: Week of 11/25/13

Pages: 94-266
Prompt: Summarize what you've read.

     I have just finished the second "story" in the book "Son", and I have to say, a lot has happened!

     It started out with Jonas (a character from the giver) running away with baby Gabe to elsewhere. Claire sees this, and wants to be able to keep her baby, even though she is technically not allowed to, so she climbs onto the ship to elsewhere that stops in her community once a year, and they set sail. Claire was going through so many things, that she seemed very ill, and the people on the ship weren't sure if she was going to live, but she did! She made many new friends on the ship too! She met Tall Andras, who seemed to be in love with Claire, though when he found out she had already given birth and was "touched" he lost interest. She also met Alys, who she was very fond of. Alys took care of Claire before she was well enough to do things on her own, and took care of others with sicknesses too! Also when Claire came aboard, she met Bethan, who played with her two other little friends! They would have tea parties and search for twigs and leaves and sticks to create things for their tea parties. Bethan's mother was Bryn, who gave birth to a baby girl, and twin baby boys. Alys, took care of Bryn when she was in labor. 

     When Claire was aboard the ship, and on new land with her new friends, she learned many things. She learned about colors, and animals, and seasons, and weddings! She had no clue what any of those things were, and some of them made her quite uncomfortable! She really did not like animals, or creepy crawly bugs! She absolutely hated the beetles! Though, she really liked the whole concept of colors, and how the colors could set the mood of things, and she really enjoyed the life they brought to things. This was the first time in the story where they even talked about how people in Claire's society didn't see, nor know what colors were! She also liked the feeling of snow and rain, because she had never experienced them before!

     When Bryn (Bethan's mother) eventually went into labor, and prepared to give birth to her new baby girl, Claire was scared and nervous but she didn't know why. She had been forgetting things all along her journey, and she couldn't remember the horrible experience she had, had with her first birth. When Alys began to help Bryn give birth, Claire was acting normal, and seemed fine as she helped Alys out. Though, when the baby was out, Alys took out a knife, and Clare flipped out! She didn't want Alys to cut open Bryn, but Alys explained that she would only be cutting the cord that connected the baby to Bryn. After Claire was more calm, she explained to Alys the horrible experience she had with giving birth, and how she had been cut open and though it must have been painful, she didn't know it, because she had taken a special medicine. The scar that was left though, was painful to look at, or think about. She later told Bryn about her experience, though, word got out, and soon everyone knew that she had once given birth, and lost her child.

     After remembering more about her birth, she remembered the whole reason that she was on the ship in the first place, because she wanted to find her baby who had been taken away from her. One day she talked to a man named Einar. She told Einar that she wanted to find her child, and he told her that she could find him, if she climbed over the ledge, and she was willing to do anything to be able to get over it, and to be able to see him again. So, Einar started training her, to be able to climb over, for he once tried to as well. Claire strengthened her legs, arms, feet, and hands, until she knew she was strong enough to make it over. She set off, and climbed and was careful not to fall, or lose her steadiness, because she knew that one wrong step, could mean death. She overcame obstacles until she was at the top of the ledge, where Einar told her that she would meet a man in a black cloak who would help her if she gave him a favor in return. When he approached her, she told him that she would like to have her baby, and told him that she really didn't have anything for him in return, but he said that she did, and she believed him. He said that in turn for him giving Claire her baby, she would have to give him her youth. She agreed, and as she stated that she agreed, she began to feel weak, her body seemed to shrink and shrivel up, and her hair turned to gray! 

     So, that's where I left off, and it was a really big cliff hanger in my opinion! I can't wait to see what happens next!

Son: Week of 11/18/13

Pages: 1-93
Prompt: What have you learned from what you've read?

     There is one major thing that I've learned from what I've read so far, and that is to be thankful for what I have, and the type of society I live in! Son is set in a dystopian society where everything is much different from our society today! For one, you are assigned a job when you are 12 years old! This really makes me appreciate that I can go to school for 16 years of my life, and can start work when I'm ready! Rather than having to be ready to work, in a job that you may not even like, or appreciate, at an extremely young age! I'm very glad that I have more time to prepare for a job, and that I can actually choose the job that I would like to have when I get older. Also, some people don't even get a well respected job! I can't imagine being a birth mother where all you would do is reproduce children! It's not respected, and it's also very scary to have to be giving birth around the age of 12 and 13! So, that's one reason that this book has taught me to be thankful for the type of society I live in, and that I don't have to be ready to go to work at such a young age!

     Another way this book has taught me to be thankful is how you are only really given one possession a year, sometimes not even one! Each year, you are given something special for turning a new year, and so does everyone else your age! For instance, one year you receive a bicycle, another, a haircut! I sometimes complain about the things that I have, and how I wish I had this and that, but the people in this story, don't even get nearly as many things and opportunities as I do, and they are still happy and grateful! They get only one major thing a year, when I am always receiving or getting myself something new! The people in the story have NOTHING compared to me! I need to realize really how grateful I should be for all of the things that I receive, because I could be getting something new once a year, and that's about it! I need to start realizing that others have so much less, and instead of wanting more, I need to appreciate what I already have. So, not only did this teach me to be thankful for what all that I have, but it also taught me to appreciate all that I have!

     One last way this book has taught me to be thankful is when they talk about how you are only limited to the things inside of your community, and you're not allowed to go "elsewhere." In our society today, we pretty much have the freedom to go wherever we want, do (in a respectable manner) whatever we want, and see whatever we want to see, no matter which community or state you live in! The people who live in this community are limited to so much, and they are not even allowed to go outside of the community border! I can see the World, experience new things, new places, new sights, but the people in the book cannot! If they left, they would be seriously punished, and chastised, but if we would like to leave our little home town to see what was beyond, we wouldn't be punished or chastised, we would be allowed, and sometimes even encouraged to see more! So, that has really shown me that I should be thankful for the type of World I live in, and that I am allowed to see and do what I want, rather than be limited to so much!

     So, overall the book has really taught me to be thankful for the type of World I live in, and the types of opportunities and things I am able to have and do!

Sparrow Road: Week of 11/11/13

Pages: 1- 40
Prompt: Summarize what you've already read. After reading this, what do you wonder?

     I just started reading this book, and I'm already so interested with the story! It's about a girl named Raine, and her Mother. They have just moved to Sparrow Road from Milwaukee. Raine lived with her Mother and Grandfather in Milwaukee, where her Mother worked as a waitress at a diner, and her Grandfather owned a convenience shop. Raine liked to spend long afternoons at her Grandfathers shop, eating popsicles, and watching Brewers games on a small T.V. in the back room. One day, all of a sudden her Mom told her they were moving to Sparrow Road, so she could have a job taking care of, and waiting on Artists who lived there for the summer to get peace and quiet to work. 
     
     When they arrived at Sparrow Road, Raine realized some specific rules that she had to begin following. There was no talking from dawn to dinner on Monday's through Saturday's. You could only talk on a regular basis on Sunday's. There was no T.V., radio, or video game of any type. Raine and her Mother would be living in a very small cottage together, and Raine was not allowed to interact in any way with the Artists. She was to keep to herself pretty much the whole summer. Though, one day, Raine's mother went grocery shopping, (considering she would be cooking meals for the Artists), and Raine was not allowed to go with. So, while her mother was away, Raine decided to try and get to know the Artists. When she met them, she told them that her mother was gone and she needed some people to keep her company, but the Artists didn't take it as that her mother was only out for the afternoon. They considered her an orphan like "the others." Raine was confused, but went along with it. She got a tour of the Artists house, from one of the Artists himself, (Diego) and they found something very mysterious. An orphanage, in the house! They were not sure what it was for, or why it was there, but it sure was creepy, and that's where I left off.

     After reading that, there are a lot of things I am wondering, but four things in specific. The first thing I am wondering is, where is Raine's Father? They never really discuss him, or give any clue that she ever really had a Father, but I wonder where he may be. I mean she had to have a Father at one point, right? Or, if she never had a Father, why? Another main thing that I am wondering is, why did Raine and her mother move to Sparrow Road? Well, why did Raine's MOTHER want to move to Sparrow Road? (Raine never actually wanted to move, she was very content in her home.) Her Mother had a job as a waitress, and was bringing money in, and there was really nothing bad about their living situation. They lived with Raine's Grandfather, and everyone seemed content, and it seemed out of the blue that Raine's Mother wanted to up and leave. So, that's one question that is really on my mind.

     Another thing that I'm really wondering is, why do the Artists think that Raine is an orphan, or a child without a Mother? Also, what do they mean when they say, "She doesn't have a mother, just like the others?" What others are there? When Raine and her Mother arrived, there were no other people there. It was later at night, and very dark, but there still was not a person to be seen. Also, there weren't other people around in the morning either, so I'm extremely curious about these "other children" the Artists are talking about, and why they think Raine is one of them. One final thing that I am wondering after I read this was, what is the orphanage in the Artists house there for? I'm really wondering if it may relate somehow to the children that the Artists are talking about. Why would homeless children come to Sparrow Road, and why would that even be an option? Was Sparrow Road used for something else either than a place for Artists to go when they wanted some peace and quiet, in the past? So, that is the story so far, and some things that I'm wondering after reading that!

Divergent: Week of 11/4/13

SPOILER ALERT!

Pages: 282-455
Prompt: Pretend you are famous reporter on TV. Write a story about what you’ve read

for the evening news.

     BREAKING NEWS! We have just received information that.. is that Erudite... and Dauntless?! Erudite and Dauntless are working together, to kill and hurt Abnegation members, mainly members of the council. They are all armed with weapons,specifically guns, and look as if they are.. sleepwalking! Lets get the scoop on what's really going on. Let's talk to this young girl over here! 

Reporter- "Hello there!"

Tris- "Um, hi."

Reporter- "So, may I ask your name?"

Tris- "It's Tris."

Reporter- "What a wonderful name! May I ask you what you witnessed, and what is going on here?"

Tris- "Sure... It all started only a few hours ago, when I was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of rustling footsteps, and the sound of tying shoes..."

     I looked across the room, and I watched as the other initiates in my faction, sleepily got ready to leave the dormitory. I was wondering where they might be going at this hour of the night, in the state they were in, so I threw my shoes on, and headed out the dormitory with them. I tried to look like the others, so lost, and dazed, because I knew there was something going on, and if I stood out, something bad could happen. I followed my fellow initiates out of the dormitory, out of the Dauntless compound, and onto a train. I tried to look out of the corners of my eyes to see if anyone else seemed like this, though no one did. Until I found one of my good friends, and someone who is very close to me, Tobias. He was not dazed, yet looked as if he was, so like me, he wouldn't get caught. I knew he was different, like me, but he hadn't admitted it to me yet. When we eventually got where we were going, I looked around and realized we were in Abnegation, my previous faction. I knew we had come to go to war against them, because of my prior knowledge to the situation. So, Tobias and I decided we needed to bolt; we needed to get somewhere safe and fast. I couldn't bare to kill or see my old friends, neighbors, and family in Abnegation.

     So, Tobias and I ran, that is, until we were caught by Erudite and Dauntless leaders, Jeanine, and Eric. They asked where we were going, and in panic we shot them with the weapons we had been given for battle, though we didn't kill them. As we ran away, I was shot in the shoulder, and eventually Tobias and I, were caught. We were brought to a room, where Jeanine and Eric reminded us of the injection that everyone had been given the previous day, which put them in this state. Though, since Tobias and I are Divergent, this injection did not have an affect on us. So, Tobias would get a newer and stronger injection, that would cause him to be like everyone else, and want to kill everyone in Abnegation, the "enemy." Though, I was not going to get this injection, but instead, I was going to die. They put me out, and the next thing I knew, I was in some sort of casing, that was beginning to fill with water. I wanted to break out, but it was no use, because the casing wouldn't budge, and I had to face the reality that I was going to die. Until someone came to break me out, which I later found out was my mother! My mother came to save me, and as we were escaping to safety, she was shot and killed, and now here I am, trying to stay safe, and talking to you.

Reporter- "So Tris, what are you going to do now?"

Tris- "Well, I need to be brave, and I need to stay strong. I know that this is what my mother would want. I am going to fight the Erudite and Dauntless leaders until things can be right, and I could fight them all my life, and it could make no difference, but I need to stand up for what I believe in and what I feel is right, and I don't feel that what Jeanine and Eric are doing, is in any way shape or form right! They killed my mother by creating this injection, and causing others to kill without their knowledge of killing someone, and this makes me sick!"

Reporter- "Well, your one brave woman Tris! I wish you good luck!"

Tris- "Thank you."

There you have it folks! Now, we don't have anymore information on this at the moment, but I promise that when we do, we will inform you about it! Stay safe.

                                                                         -Julia Swicionis, Abnegation Headquarters