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Make sure to watch the movie, in stores now.

The journey of living, loving, and letting go; The Death and Life Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood.

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud is a story that will make you laugh, cry, and sometimes smile. The book is all about living in the present and letting go of the past even though it may be hard. The story is full of twists, turns, and unexpected surprises.

The Masque of the Red Death Symbolism

“The Masque of the Red Death” Symbolism

When you hear the word black, what do you think of? Do you think of the ending of something, like death? Black is the symbol of death, it also means darkness. Death is the last stage in life. Death will always be here. People may think that it is possible to buy there way out of death; the truth is it is not possible to run, hide, or stop death.

            In the story, “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, there is a prince who believes he can buy his way out of the red death. So he walls him and his friends in and all the villagers out, who have the red death. While they are walled in the prince has a ball. The ball takes place in seven rooms. Each room has a different color, blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, and black. These seven colors symbolize the stages of life. The very last room, the black room, is a very dark place that no one dares to go in because it reminds them of the red death. In the black room there is also a ebony clock and every time it clangs the people stop for a minute like something bad is coming and when they realize everything is ok they go back to what they were doing. The clock’s clangs symbolize that one stage of life is over and the next one is beginning. The clock clangs seven times and on the seventh clang, that means death. Right before the seventh clang “death” comes in the form of a person. The prince tried to kill “death” for invading his ball, but one look at “death” and he dies, as did all the others, on the seventh clang of the clock, while trying to catch the murder of their king.

            Death is sad but everyone experiences a death at one point in their life. I have experienced numerous deaths in my life. Deaths make people very sad, it makes them cry, lose control of themselves, and sometimes feel lost. One death I have experienced shows that you cannot buy your way out of death, like the prince in the story thought. This death was the death of my great grandmother. Most people have never met their great grandparents, but I have met both, my great grandfather and great grandmother on my father’s side. When my great grandfather died I was upset but not that upset because I was younger at the time and never really knew him. When my great grandmother died I was so upset. I could not stop crying (That is what happens to most people who experience a death, they usually cry a lot like I did.) Her death was so unexpected because she was doing so well and was very healthy. We all go to the doctor to get checked up on to see if we are healthy and well but that does not stop us from dying. This shows that you cannot run, hide, or buy your way out of death.

O. Henry

O. Henry:

·         O. Henry was the pen name used by William Sydney Porter.

·         "O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings."

·         William Sydney Porter was born on September 11, 1862 in North Carolina and died on June 5, 1910 in New York.

·         "O. Henry's stories are famous for their witty narration and surprise endings, which are often referred to as an "O. Henry ending.”

·         "He was called the American answer to Guy de Maupassant."

·         "Both authors wrote twist endings, but O. Henry stories were much more playful and optimistic. "

·         Most of O. Henry's stories are set in his own time, the early years of the 20th century.

·        "Many take place in New York City and deal for the most part with ordinary people: clerks, policemen, and waitresses."

·         "O. Henry's work provides one of the best examples of catching the entire flavor of an age written in the English language."

·         "The Four Million was his first collection of stories."

·         His most famous stories are: “The Gift of the Magi”, “The Ransom of Red Chief”, “The Cop and the Anthem and “A Retrieved Reformation.”

Cite I got information and picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Henry

Edgar Allan Poe



http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edgar_Allan_Poe_2.jpg 



Edgar Allan Poe:

1. Edgar Allan Poe's birthdate is Janurary 19, 1809 in Boston. He's death date is October 7, 1849.
2. Some tragic things that happened to Poe was the death of his mother, father, brother, wife, and poverty.
3. Some theories that are thought for Poe's death are beating, epilepsy, dipsomania, heart, and toxic disorder.
4. Poe called Richmand, Virginia his home 
5.  The famous military academy that Poe got expelled from was the United States Military Academy.
6.  Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm. She was not yet fourteen.
7. I think that she was too young to marry and I also think it's worng to marry your cousin.
8. "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat" were written in 1843.
9. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is the first modern detective story.
10. "The Raven was published Janurary 1845.

All answers came from this website: http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php

Reflection:
The closest thing to learning about Poe is reading one or two stories of his in eitgth grade. It didn't really understand them and I still don't. I don't remember the titles of the stories but I thought he was a weird man for writing stories like he writes. He looks very creepy and mad or sad all the time.

The 2nd Quarter!

Welcome back! It's almost the beginning of the new quarter; my goals for this quarter are to get straight A's. We are just about to start our short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, and Shakespeare's love comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. We have already read one and I think these short stories won't be to difficult. I'm glad that they aren't going to be hard because i'm so good at the plot diagrams and things like that, but I love reading the stories.   



Homecoming



Head and Sports Injuries

Head and Sports Injuries

            Everyday athletes run down the field or court with just one thought on their mind, they’re going to win the game for their team, but then all of a sudden they’re on the ground in pain. When this happens to athletes they have no idea what happened to them. They should be more aware of sports injuries. Every year millions of kids go to the hospital because of sports (Brown); people who are involved or who have a child involved need to know what kinds of injuries can happen from the sports they play and how to prevent them.

            Too many athletes each year get hurt. Football, for an example, has fifteen percent of young players that get injured on the field every year. One third of those who get hurt badly miss practice for a week. Another example is baseball. Baseball is one of the most deadliest sports in the world. On average two people die a year from playing baseball. In 1990 about 140,000 baseball players had to go to the hospital, 18,000 of them had to do with facial injuries. A third example is basketball. About 460,000 young athletes visit the hospital because of basketball injuries (Brown). "About half of the 70 deaths that come from basketball came from 1998-'91 came in the 11-20 age group." (Brown, 18) “While most players bounce back, many don’t. At least 55 high school football players have died in the past 10 years. Almost as many baseball players age 5-14 were fatally injured since 1973, and about three dozen basketball players age 11-20 died in a recent three-year period. Many other kids have suffered paralyzing spinal injuries, especially in football, hockey and gymnastics.”(Brown, 1)

            There are many ways to prevent injuries that parents, athletes, and coaches don't know. Many experts give important tips to parents to reduce injuries. Some of these tips include: no playing hurt, certify coaches, avoid mismatches, bold changes in rules, make practice perfect, watch summer camps, not too young, check fields, question philosophy, and stay in shape. To make some sports safer people have created some new and improved equipment, but some of this new equipment makes athletes feel safer so they play rougher. This leads to more injuries (Brown). Many are questioning this new equipment. Because of injuries, doctors are very important. Many doctors say that most athletes who get injured just need a little ice and rest but most of them refuse to listen. This creates conflicts and later on affects the athletes’ life (Schmid). “The American College of Sports Medicine estimates that 50 percent of overuse injuries in youngsters can be prevented.” (Schmid)

            Athletes get injured because they are being pressured, don't know how to prevent injuries, don't listen, aren’t aware of how common they are, or other reasons unknown. "Youth sports have moved out of the sandlot and into a new era of sophistication. Training and competition are more intense. Championships and scholarships are at stake. Pressure from parents and peers is ever-present. Improved equipment has prevented some injuries, but has also inspired rougher play among kids who now feel armored and invulnerable." (Brown, 1-2) Many athletes say that they are being pressured by parents to stay in sports after being injured. This is something that happens a lot. Parents are too involved in their kid’s sport and want their kid to be the best that they don’t realize how much it affects their child’s life (Brown). A lot of times it’s because the athletes don’t listen. Some times doctors tell athletes that all they need is a little rest and ice but they refuse to listen so their injuries get worse. Athletes need to listen to their doctors more because this could help make their injury better and not cause consequences later on in life (Schmid). One other way is because of overuse. Many athletes overuse injuries and that leads to worse injuries; this may make the athlete unable to play for their sport and wait longer than if they rested. This shows that the athlete needs to listen (Brown, Schmid, and “High School Sports Injuries”). 

            Some critics believe that high schools should have better safety rules for sports. They also believe that after being injured you should wait a week or two until coming back to the sport they were playing. "Critics of high school athletics programs say that schools should take more safety measures such as having qualified athletic trainers and proper medical equipment on hand during all practices and games, they argue, and student athletes who have suffered serious injuries in the past should be discouraged from returning to sports. Where appropriate, state and local governments should pass legislation that forces schools to improve their safety regulations, critics say." (“High School Sports Injuries”, 2) "Defenders say focusing too much on the issue of injuries distracts from the fact that athletic participation benefits the vast majority of students, they contend." (High School Injuries”, 2) This may be true. The fact that we are focusing on safety may scare athletes away because they don’t want to get hurt, but it helps because this means less injuries.

"Defenders of high school athletics programs, on the other hand, maintain that sports help to keep students active and healthy. Sports can also promote self-confidence, socialization and team spirit, advocates stress."(“High School Sports Injuries”, 2) This is true. Teams become like a second family; the more they bond the better the team plays. "Some critics argue that certain sports, particularly football and wrestling, are excessively dangerous, and urge parents to bar their children from participating in them. Also, critics argue that high schools should train their athletes less rigorously in order to minimize the risk that students will sustain "overuse" injuries, which occur when athletes wear out parts of their bodies by practicing too hard and too often." (“High School Sports Injuries, 2)

            Sports can be very dangerous but you shouldn’t ban them. They build confidence and team spirit but injuries need to be talked about. Injuries are a serious matter that people need to be aware of (“High School Sports Injuries”). If athletes, parents, and coaches take the matter more seriously and listen to the tip that experts give injuries will occur less. It’s hard to get athletes, parents, and coaches to listen to what experts say that’s probably why there are so many injuries occurring.

                                                                                       

Cited Works

Brown, Curt. “Playing Hurt: Injuries in Youth Sports.” Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN).

Nov. 1 1992: 1S+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 15 Sep 2010.

"High School Sports Injuries." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies.

Facts On File News Services, 21 Dec. 2007. Web. 28 Sept. 2010.

Schmid, Pam. "Playing in Pain." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN). Jan. 15 2006: A1+. SIRS

Researcher. Web. 19 Sep 2010.

Gathering Info- Notes #3

Citation:

"High School Sports Injuries." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies.

Facts On File News Services, 21 Dec. 2007. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i1200680>.

·         Many health experts say that the raising popularity is a good thing but many other critics say that the injury risks faced might outweigh the benefits of playing sports.

·         Critics say the injury rates are too high so high schools aren’t taking enough precautions to keep students safe.

·         “They also note that the 2006 medical study covered just nine varieties of high school sports (there are more than 30 varieties in total) and only certain kinds of reported injuries; therefore, the actual number of injuries suffered by high school athletes is probably much higher than 1.4 million in a given year, they conclude.” (pg. 2)

·         “Concern over serious injuries and medical conditions among high school athletes has fueled a debate about high school sports programs and student safety.” (pg. 2)

·         Critics want schools to take more safety precautions like have qualified athletic trainers and proper medical equipment.

·         Critics also think that some sports like football and wrestling are excessively dangerous and they urge parents to bar their kids from participating in them.

·         On the side people say that sports keep kids healthy and active. They also promote self-confidence, team spirit, and socialization.

·          Many critics say that expose kids to excessive injury but few critics want to abolish school sports completely.

·         Instead of abolishing school sports they want to enforce new sport safety regulations, by law.

·         They also want to tone down high school training regimens and argue with students who had serious injuries too bare from returning to sports.

Gathering Info- Notes #2

Citation:

Brown, Curt. “Playing Hurt: Injuries in Youth Sports.” Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN).

Nov. 1 1992: 1S+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 15 Sep 2010.



http://www.brunswickosteopath.com/sportsinjuries.html

·         Every year sports are spending millions of kids to the hospital.

·         “Competition has intensified; knowledge, equipment and coaching haven’t kept pace.”(pg. 1)



·         Sports are the second leading cause for kids visiting the hospital; a third of all sport’s injuries now occur to kids under the age of 14.

·         “While most players bounce back, many don’t. At least 55 high school football players have died in the past 10 years. Almost as many baseball players age 5-14 were fatally injured since 1973, and about three dozen basketball players age 11-20 died in a recent three-year period. Many other kids have suffered paralyzing spinal injuries, especially in football, hockey and gymnastics.”(pg.1)



·         Damage, to bones, muscles, and tendons, from overtraining or too much competition is afflicting a large number of young athletes.

·         Parents have put more pressure on kids, new equipment has made kids rougher because they feel safer, championships and scholarships are at stake, and competition and training are more intense. “The consequences, experts say, have gone largely unnoticed.” (pg.2)

·         The starting age of playing time, uniforms, video camera footage, and attention of coaches and parents are getting younger and younger.  

·         “71 percent of baseball and softball injuries stem from sliding.” (pg.4)

·         “A soon to-be published Japanese study found that young pitchers who throw fewer than 300 skilled pitches a week have a much lower rate of elbow pain than those who throw more than 300 times. And a new film that graphically illustrates how tackling with one’s helmet can break necks was recently sent to every high school football coach in the nation to enhance awareness.” (pg.4)



·         Coaches need to help kids be safe because they are never going to come and say I may get hurt can you help me.

 

 

Gathering Info- Notes #1

  Schmid, Pam. "Playing in Pain." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN). Jan. 15 2006:

          A1+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 19 Sep 2010.



http://www.srortho.com/screeningclinic.html



·         Many adults say that overuse injuries are plaguing many teen athletes.

·         Sports injuries are occurring more often to kids as young as the age of 8 or 9.

·         “In 2003, more than3.5 million children younger than 15 required medical treatment for sports injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissions.”

·         In Minnesota four out of ten families have children that suffered from sports injuries; one-third missed school; one in ten parents cited injury as the reason their child quit a sport.

·          Doctors are saying that most injuries are for doing too much too soon and the repercussions can sometimes be permanent.

·         Some kids are pressured by parents or coaches to start a club sport early and specialize in a single sport.

·         Some 6 and 7 year olds have already chosen to play only one sport; some club and traveling teams overlap one another’s seasons; some club teams are asking kids to cram more games into longer seasons.

·         “Some kids opt to specialize--and resist taking time off--to earn a scholarship. But often it's others who drive the one-sport trend.” 

·         Doctors say that a little ice and rest can cure a nagging overuse injuries but kids, coaches, and parents don’t want to hear it.

·         In Minnesota a survey showed that knee injuries jumped 5.8 among girls and 2.8 among guys in a year.

·         Some ways to prevent injuries are limit practice nights, coaches should treat kids individually, kids should play a variety of sports, and coaches should look for injuries in kids.

Three Questions I Have for My Social Issue Project

1. What are the top five most dangerous sports?
2. What are the top ten ways to prevent sport injuries?
3. Why do people keep playing after they get hurt?

 

My Starting Research Topic for Head and Sport Injuries

Tennis Injury

Sports injuries are injuries that occur to athletes participating in sporting events. In many cases, these types of injuries are due to overuse of a part of the body when participating in a certain activity. For example, runner's knee is a painful condition generally associated with running, while tennis elbow is a form of repetitive stress injury at the elbow, although it does not often occur with tennis players. Other types of injuries can be caused by a hard contact with something. This can often cause a broken bone or torn ligament or tendon

Sports injury

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Injuries are a common occurrence in professional sports and most teams have a staff of Athletic Trainers and close connections to the medical community. Controversy has arisen at times when teams have made decisions that could threaten a players long-term health for short term gain.
Classification
Sports injuries can be broadly classified as either traumatic or overuse injuries. Traumatic injuries account for most injuries in contact sports such as Association football, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football, Gaelic football and American football because of the dynamic and high collision nature of these sports. These injuries range from bruises and muscle strains, to fractures and head injuries.
A bruise or contusion is damage to small blood vessels which causes bleeding within the tissues. A muscle strain is a small tear of muscle fibers and a ligament sprain is a small tear of ligament tissue. The body’s response to these sports injuries is the same in the initial five day period immediately following the traumatic incident - inflammation.
Signs and symptoms
Inflammation is characterized by pain, localized swelling, heat, redness and a loss of function
Mechanism
All of these traumatic injuries cause damage to the cells that make up the soft tissues. The dead and damaged cells release chemicals, which initiate an inflammatory response. Small blood vessels are damaged and opened up, producing bleeding within the tissue. In the body’s normal reaction, a small blood clot is formed in order to stop this bleeding and from this clot special cells (called fibroblasts) begin the healing process by laying down scar tissue.
The inflammatory stage is therefore the first phase of healing. However, too much of an inflammatory response in the early stage can mean that the healing process takes longer and a return to activity is delayed. The sports injury treatments are intended to minimize the inflammatory phase of an injury, so that the overall healing process is accelerated. intrinsic and extrinsic factors
Prevention
A warm-up program has been founded to decrease injuries in soccer.^[1] Many athletes will partake in HGH Treatment for Athletic Enhancement as a way to prevent injuries.^{[dubious – discuss]}
Injury can be minimalised by doing an effective warm up, this consists of a heart raiser to get your pulse up, followed by sport specific dynamic stretches (stretches whilst moving).
Using proper equipment is key in preventing injury.^[2] The NFL is conducting tests with new helmet designs that could reduce the number of head injuries in the league.^[3]
Doctors believe fatigue can be a contributing factor in sports injuries because it is more difficult for the body to protect itself when fatigued. Stopping an activity at the first sign of fatigue can prevent sports related injuries.^[4]
Treatment
Sports injuries can be treated and managed by using the P.R.I.C.E.R... DR. ABC, T.O.T.A.P.S and R.I.C.E regimes:

• P - Protect
• R - Rest
• I - Ice
• C - Compression
• E - Elevation
• R - Referral

• D - Danger
• R - Response
• A - Airway
• B - Breathing
• C - Circulation

• T - Talk
• O - Observe
• T - Touch
• A - Active movement
• P - Passive movement
• S - Skills test

• R-Rest
• I-Ice
• C-Compression
• E-Elevation

The primary inflammatory stage typically lasts around 5 days and all treatment during this time is designed to address the cardinal signs of inflammation – pain, swelling, redness, heat and a loss of function.
Compression sportswear is becoming very popular with both professional and amateur athletes. These garments are thought to both reduce the risk of muscle injury and speed up muscle recovery.
Although not proven some professional athletes use hyperbaric chambers to speed healing. Hines Ward of the Steelers sent his personal hyperbaric chamber,(similar to the one pictured), to his hotel to sleep in believing it would help heal his sprained medial collateral ligament he suffered in their playoff win against the Ravens. Hines went on to play in Super Bowl XLIII.
Knee Injuries and Recovery
The knee is a core tool for an athlete; it allows football and basketball players to run, cut, and jump. Baseball players use their knees to push off when they throw. The flexibility and rotational ability of a knee is what helps make some tennis players superstars. It’s difficult to return to competitive athletics after any serious injury, but knee injuries takes a lot longer to get over and often end a career. While having a good physical rehab process is very important, the athlete’s ability to overcome the mental hurdles that are created with a knee injury will determine whether or not he will be the same player that he was before the injury.
According to the Brown University Biology and Medicine Web site, athletes in contact sports are 10 times more likely to have a serious knee injury than in non-contact sports, with knee injuries accounting for approximately a quarter of the injuries and generally taking two to three times longer to recovery than injuries to other parts of the body^[5] Knee injuries are also increasing, “over the last 15 years, ankle sprains have decreased by 86% and tibia fractures by 88%, but knee ligament injuries have increased by 172%” ^[6].
Leg bones are connected to the kneecap by four strong ligaments: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL), Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), and Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL). The ACL provides stability and controls stress across the kneecap and keeps the knee from rotating too much or moving too far forward. Around 60% of ligament tears are ACL, most occurring in basketball, skiing, football and soccer. When an ACL tears it unravels like a rope and will not heal on its own. For competitive athletes treatment is almost always surgery. It normally takes 6 to 9 months to recovery from an ACL reconstruction surgery, at which point most athletes had returned to between 80% and 100% of their full level of previous play with about 90% returning to competition ^[7]. After the first ACL injury, there is a 5 to 15% risk of repeated injury ^[8]. MCL and LCL ligament tears are less frequent then ACL injuries accounting for about 25% with LCL injury being much less frequent than MCL injuries ^[9]. MCL injuries are normally caused when a significant force is applied to the side of the knee while the lower leg is held in a fixed position. The MCL is the only ligament that has enough of a blood supply to heal partial tears without surgery ^[10] PCL injuries account for between 3% and 20% of all tears ^[11]. Most often the cause is a blow to a bent leg. Because of the type of blow, PCL tears are often accompanied by ACL tears. While conservative treatment is still controversial in some sports for both PCL and MCL tears, it has proven to be as effective in returning an athlete back to his playing condition as has surgery ^[12]
If an athlete wants to play competitively ACL tears require reconstructive surgery. During surgery the old ACL is removed, a graft from the patellar tendon or the hamstring is prepared, holes are drilled in the tibia and femur and the graft is attached with screws to the bones. Surgery is followed by 6 to 9 months of rehabilitation. This rehabilitation is crucial to strengthen the areas surrounding the graft so that it does not fail. Athletes may accept that injuries are part of their lives and may know how to deal with physical rehabilitation, but few are prepared for the emotional pain, fear and anger that also result from injury. Athletes are used to being part of a team. When they are injured they are suddenly on their own. Their teammates will continue on but they now have a new job, physical and emotional rehabilitation of their bodies and much of the work will have to be accomplished on their own. In Sidelines, Psyched Up or Psyched Out? David Doermann describes a University of Utah pamphlet that is given to all student athletes to help them understand what to expect if they are injured. It describes the emotional process that happens when someone is injured as similar to the five stages of grief ^[13] The first stage is denial. Athletes by their very nature believe that they are superior physically and therefore do not accept the fact they can be injured. When an athlete realizes an injury is real his reaction may be to isolate and blame himself. Denial is followed by anger, particularly at himself for allowing the injury to occur. During the third stage the athlete tries to make bargains with coaches, trainers or God, such as if I spend 2 hours walking every day I can play again in 2 months.
Very often these bargains are unreasonable dreams. The competitive athlete will now move to a period of depression, feeling sorry for themselves, withdrawing or simply giving up. This stage particularly can put an athlete’s rehab off track. To be successful an athlete must finally get to the acceptance stage when he realizes that the only way to handle the injury is to focus on his physical rehab which could result in returning to competition. The factors that contribute the most to helping an athlete reach psychological acceptance and recovery are education, social support, psychological skill training and goal setting; traits that many athletes use in their pre-injury training ^[14]
Understanding an injury and their reaction to it helps athletes cope with the problems that naturally arrive along with the injury. Support and understanding of team mates, family and friends can also be a critical factor in recovery. Knowing and understanding how others have coped gives athletes mechanisms for starting to construct their own recoveries. While having social support that listens and appreciates the seriousness of an injury is necessary, too much sympathy from family or friends can impair the athlete’s acceptance level which can slow or derail the recovery process. A study done by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece concludes that “psychological intervention techniques can aid significantly to the rehabilitation process. In particular, the goal setting process seems to have positive clout in the athletic injury recovery, in the attitude of the injured athlete, in the successful confrontation of the injury, in the recovery of confidence and in the adherence to the rehabilitation program” ^[15]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_injuries

My Pen Pal Letter To the Main Character in Memoris of a Teenage Amnesiac

Dear Naomi Porter,
     My name is Emma I and I go to John Carroll High School in Bel Air, Maryland. I’m a freshman this year and have just started school. I am 14 years old and love to read. This summer I read your book, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin. In addition to reading your book, I also traveled to Ocean City, Maryland, and took a cruise to Bermuda. Well, let me tell you a little about myself. I have never had amnesia or fallen badly like you did.
     I have two siblings and my parents are not divorced. I have seven pets. We both go to high school, but I’m a freshman and you’re a senior. I don’t work on the school yearbook, but I am on the JV cheerleading team. I do have a best friend, but she’s not a guy.
     Well I loved your book and I’m glad everything worked out for you. It must have been hard for you to deal with all those problems while you had amnesia. I can’t imagine what it would be like if it happened to me. It also must have been nice to start over in high school and become a whole new person. Considering that I’m a freshman and it’s the first week of school, there’s no need for me to start over, or want to start over. I think it was right of you to become a new person instead of trying to figure out who you used to be. I think it was definitely easier for you to start over.
     I loved how the author set the story up. It made me want to read more. I think the author did a great job in explaining important events. I know I wouldn’t change anything and nothing was confusing. One of the reasons I love reading is because you can imagine the settings, characters, and voices. I felt like I was right there watching everything.
I have two questions. My first question is did you ever want to just punch something and wish this never happened to you? I bet it was all the time. I know it was super hard on you from reading the book. The one thing I noticed was you never mentioned that you just wanted to give up. My second question is why did you like James and why did you go to California for him? You knew James was trouble and going to California was just a stupid decision. Yes, teenagers have their moments, but running away to California to see your boyfriend was a real dumb move.
One thing that was always on my mind while I read the book was the lack of awareness about teenage amnesia. Amnesia was one of the main topics in this book. I think amnesia can be very harmful to some teenagers. One way to raise awareness about amnesia is to write and post blogs on the topic. In most of my classes, we are using blogs. They are fast, easy, and are read by a lot of people. Another way to raise awareness is to create a web site on teenage amnesia.
Well I hope you’re having a good life with your dad and step-mom. I hope to hear from you soon. Try to be more careful at night.
Sincerely,
Emma I

Summer Reading

This summer I read Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by: Gabrielle Zevin for John Carroll. I had to complete some summer reading questions. This is what I wrote:

The Book:

1.Who is the main character and what is that character’s personality like? Type a complete sentence or two that include three different adjectives that describe your character.

A:The main character in the novel was a girl named Naomi Porte. Her personality changes throughout the story. Naomi is puzzled, alone, and confused while she has amnesia. She sometimes feels happiness, sadness, and anger as she finds out information she has forgotten.

2.Most good stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Type a complete sentence for each of these three parts that summarizes what happens.

A:In the beginning Naomi gets amnesia by falling down steps, she is confused and is trying to figure everything out. The middle of the story she is finding out information about herself, some information she dislikes other information she finds surprising. At the end of the novel, Naomi gets her memory back but, she has changed so much she decides not to go back to her old ways.

3.Think about the experiences that the main character has and the changes that she or he experiences by the end of the story. In a complete sentence or two, describe what you think the author is trying to say about life.

A:I think what the author is trying to say about life is that you have to be yourself; in this book Naomi wasn’t herself until after her memory was back. She realized that she hated the people she hung out with and that she just wasn’t being herself.


The Issues:

1.Explain how one of these issues affects the character(s) in the story. Write three complete sentences – either three different ways that one character is affected, or one way each that three different characters are affected.

A:One way Naomi is affected by memory loss is that for her it feels like she’s starting high school all over again. Another way Naomi is affected by memory loss is she doesn’t know anyone except her family and the kids that went to middle school with her which causes issues with her best friend (who she doesn’t remember at all). One other way Naomi was affected by memory loss is that she changes her whole personality.


2.In complete sentences, describe two specific events that make the book’s social issue(s) seem real and important. How does the author make a big issue immediate and personal?

A:One specific event that made the book’s social issues seem real and important is when she ran away to California to see her boyfriend. She thought her dad wouldn’t care but she realized he did. Another specific event that made the book’s social issues seem real and important is when she realized that she was hanging out with a bunch of people who hated her just so she could be popular. Her amnesia helped her figure out that she wasn’t being herself.

I will not tell you what grade I got on these questions but I will tell you it was a very good grade. I hope that you will read this book. I really liked it and hope to hear comments about what you think.

Emma I’s Unique Profile

My name is Emma I. I was born on July 16, 1996. I attended St. Margaret School for eleven years. I have two younger siblings; a twelve year old brother named Michael, and an eleven year old sister named Stephanie. My mom’s name is Tami and she is a biology professor at Harford Community College. My dad is Mike and he attended both St. Margaret School and John Carroll along with his two brothers. My dad is now a Hazmat Response Officer. I have seven pets, including a dog, two cats, a hamster, a snake, a lizard, and a chinchilla. This summer I went on a five day cruise to Bermuda with my family. My family and I love to travel and ski in the winter. For the past two years, I have helped my mom with the Special Olympics ski team. I love to draw and read. One of my favorite authors is Nicholas Sparks. I love the outdoors and camping and I play piano. This year I am on the John Carroll cheerleading team. My goals for this year are to be able to open my locker on the first try and to earn all A’s.