Thursday, May 19, 2011

Writing prompt


Daily Writing Prompts

How do family and friends influence our coming of age?

        Kids at school act differently depending on where they are and who they are with. They are two different people when they are with either their friends or family. With you friends, you want to fit in and just have fun with everything. You aren't afraid to act strange, and be weird because it's just your friends who are the same as you. But when you are with your parent, you act in a certain way. You can't  say just anything in front of your parents.
        At school, you deal with different problems with friends. Friendship issues always gets in the way of things. Maybe, your two best friends are fighting and you don't know what to do. Or maybe, you are in the middle of an argument with a close friend and you fear that they will be mad at you forever.
        At home, your family drives you crazy. You have certain responsibilities that you take care of. You may not realize it but, all of those things that you do now will affect your adult life. Things like taking out the garbage, or washing the dishes are just training.

Response: Story of a Girl


Deanna Lambert is an outcast at school, who deals with bullies, has family problems, and just wishes she could take back her past like many other in the world.
         In my book, "Story of a girl", by, "Sara Zarr", Deanna Lambert was caught up in her so called love life. At thirteen years old, she was dating Tommy Webber. A guy who was almost out of high school, apparently was the boyfriend  of an eight grade girl. Without thinking, Deanna disappears with Tommy. One day, she got caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing in the back of Tommy's car with Tommy.
          For a eight grade girl's reputation to be ruined, all you need is a scandalous moment, and a school full of people who love to gossip. The secret was between Deanna, Tommy, and Deanna's father. But of course, secrets like those find their way out to the world to haunt you. If a 17 year old is caught in the back seat of a car fooling around with a 13 year old girl, you can't expect people to forget about such a thing.
           At that age, everything seems so difficult. You feel misunderstood, and you feel like you life will end. At some point in your life, you will feel insecure whether it's about you facial features, body, or just your self in general. Some people deal with middle school drama, but some just get caught up in the situation. There are also people, like Deanna Lambert who, believe they can accept it. But, Deanna has all of these feelings. She's holding in everything going on in her life. The bullying, the gossiping, the hatred, the past, family, school, work, and Tommy, will eventually get to her and she will open up with a scream.
         "This is the thing: Pacifica is a stupid small town with only one real high school, where everyone else knows everyone else's business and the rumored never stop until some other kid is dumb enough to do something that makes a better story. But my story had the honor of holding the top spot over two years running. I mean, a senior getting caught with his pants down on top of an eighth grade girl, by the girl's father was pretty hard to beat" basically, Deanna accepts here that, that is what happened and can not take it back. She expects people to not talk to her, and probably thinks that, that is how her life was supposed to be like. I think this because, she doesn't exactly complain or directly wishes she was somebody else. She just deals with things, and her life goes on.
         Deanna faces her ex boyfriend daily. The guy that changed her life, stands by her everyday, playfully taunting her while making pizzas. Deanna's bravery stands out here. Instead of crying, she stands up for her self, and show that she has moved on. I believe that she does this because, she does not want to show any weakness torwards Tommy or anyone else. "Tommy leaned on the cash register and watched me. "You're not even going to say hi to me, Dee Dee?", his voice shot through me. It's amazing, the things your body will do just when you don't want them to: heart speeding up, fingers aching." Deanna doesn't want to admit that she is actually scared.
         Deanna's character relates to the lives of lots of 16 year old girls in the world. High school and middle school girls, suffer through the pressure to be perfect. Popularity is something that girls would kill for, but what exactly does it mean to be popular? It seems like if you are popular, you have lots of friends and you are loved by everyone. But, popular means something different in some other people's perspective. People see popular as, being pretty, having lots of stuff, dressing in a certain way, and talking to certain people. I think this is because of what people see in the media. People watch movies like, "Mean girls", and see that popular people are mean so that's how they have to be. But that's not at all what being popular has to be all about.
          All of this is normal but in the end, most of the middle/high school drama  won't mean anything to you when you are an adult. The desire to be popular is something that you leave behind as you grow older because you learn that it doesn't matter at all. Respect on the other hand, is something that all people deserves.
            

Growing Up


What does it mean to grow up?
        Growing up means, leaving behind your childhood.  As you grow older, you let go of things you wouldn't think you would let go of.  Eventually, a little girl will loose interest in her barbie, and move on to wearing actual make-up and electronics like iPods and cellphones. When you are 12, you slowly break out of your shell and explore the world. You are so close to teen hood which is where you earn your independence.  Your father no longer holds your hand and takes you to the park.
         At 13 years old, you feel grown up. You feel ready to take control, and you have ideas and plans for what you want to do. You discover your personal style, and learn new things. But before you know it, you are off to high school, then college. In a flash, you are in the adult world.  You have left behind your life as a child. There are no more cliques or, homework assignments to focus on or be apart of. You have entered the world of adults.
         The adult world, was what confused children the most. Adult hood seemed so glamorous though. You got to own things, leave the house by your self whenever, and you got to drink fancy looking drinks that kids couldn't drink. Adults didn't even need money, they had magical cards that did anything for you.
         But as you grow up, you slowly begin to face reality. You soon realize that the fabulous life you imagined, was not exactly what you expected. You have new problems, more responsibilities, and your parents won't be there for you all the time. You take care of yourself. 

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Responses to student blogs

Kate M.

Kate's writing is very elaborated and just well written. I was moved by Kate's incident poem. I love the way she started it. "I saw it all like a movie". I like how she started off her poem with a simile. The rest of her poem was very emotional, but I wasn't sure what the poem was actually about though. But I actually think that, the fact that I don't understand what it means, makes the poem even better. It's almost like the poem itself has a secret, and hides it from the reader. Kate's writing was very smooth, and descriptive. I really liked it, Kate is a great writer. :)

Astrid A.

Astrid's writing is very detailed, and organized. I really enjoyed her Mother to son response. She pointed out what this poem really means, and shows what parts of the poem are most important. Astrid even quoted the poem, and gave her own interpretation on what each line meant. Something else that I admire about this entry is that, Astrid ends the post with a quote from the poem. And since the mother to son poem was mainly about a mother trying to motivate her son into going further in life, it was nice how Astrid ended the post with, "Life has been hard for me, but I never gave up on it, I kept on going, and so should you, because waiting for your problems to solve themselves will only make things worse. Just keep on living your life." Good job Astrid, you are cool! :)


Gabby G.


Gabby is a smooth and descriptive writer. Her poem called, "New friends", really stood out to me. When I read it, I felt like I knew exactly what she was saying through her writing and I felt that I had been in the same situation myself. Gabby's poem represents an issue that is seen everyday. It basically shows social pressure, and how people change themselves to get the acceptance of others and try to fit in. Gabby's poem has meaning and was wonderfully written. Hurray, this was great Gabby! :)



Independent reading book response: Falling in love with English boys

Thesis Question: How are things in the past connected to things in modern day life?    
      My book involves do different girls who happen to both be named Katherine. The book shows both perspectives, of each girl, and expresses the difference of the time period between both girls. As I read this book, I tried spotting things like, how London has changed since Katherine Percival's time. I found similarities that I thought to be oddly close. These similarities aren't necessarily about London's change in time, but they are more about their social lives and/or how a teenaged girl adjusts to new things. Basically, I scanned the book for the behavior of both girls. People in the past connect to people in the present whether it's by blood relation, or by common interests, life styles, etc.
      Since the title is, "Falling in love with english boys", obviously, there will be romance in the book. Kat and Cat both dealt wanting to fall in love with the right guy, keeping/meeting new friends, and being curious about the world. There is a historical aspect through Katherine's writing.
      "Falling in love with english boys", was written by, Melissa Jansen. This book was about a girl named Cat who, was dragged to London, England by her mother who, is conducting research at a british museum about a girl named, Mary Percival who was an infamous poet from Britain. Cat felt stranded and lonely while being in London. Sure, she could shop on Oxford street when ever she felt like it but, she just can't enjoy herself without her best friends to chat with, and her ex-boyfriend to tease.
          When Cat gets her hands on Katherine Percival's (Mary Percival's daughter) diary, Cat's mother almost forces her to read it. Cat soon learns that she has a lot in common with this Katherine girl. They both have the same name, same lifestyle and fall in love with some one in England.
          Through out Cat's adventure in London, she meets some interesting british girls, shops in new stores, learns new words/terms, and along the way meets the amazing, William Percival. Will happens to be a descendent of Katherine, the writer of the diary Cat has been reading. Will is the perfect guy. He's handsome, sweet, and polite. (I'm not even going to lie, I even fell for Will even though he's just a character from the book, hehehe)
          I must say that, I love reading books like these. I tend to enjoy clever, romantic, fun books that take place in England. But, I think something that interested me the most about this book was, the fact that Cat is from America. She came from America, all the way to England. What a transition!  I've never been to England but, I could almost imagine my self in Cat's shoes. When she first arrived she probably had that feeling where, she was so nervous that, she tried to hide that nervousness by acting like she doesn't care about anything or she's only interested in going back home. But, how amazing would it be to be able to travel far from home!
          I honestly didn't love the character of Cat. She wasn't awful but, I felt that she complained way too much. For almost the first half of the book, all she talked about was how boring her life was and how much she wanted to go back home to her friends. But yet, she's in London and eventually finds a sweet british guy. William on the other hand, was simply lovely. He was just adorable, and understood Cat.
          Overall, this book was enjoyable. "Falling in love with english boys", is the perfect book to read just for fun. You will adore some of the characters, and will feel like you are in London yourself. Something unique about this book was that, it was written from two perspectives. The way this book was written is in two formats, diary entries, and blog posts. Obviously, Cat is the one who is blogging and Katherine is the one who is writing though. This book was the perfect book for me, and I seriously recommend this book to people who enjoy clever romances that possibly take place in England.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Forward: Fashion

        Fashion plays a huge role in society. Depending on just a setting, fashions of an environment can differ from another. As humans advance, artistically talented people with potential introduce new ways of dressing and beautiful new artworks that are somewhat wearable.
       The subject of fashion is so complex. Being original, and wowing your audience takes years of training and experience. Every designer has a story, and of course starts somewhere in order to become a well-known fashion designer in this world.
       I appreciate fashion. It has always been my dream to be apart of the fashion industry, and live up to fashion legends such as, Vivienne Westwood, or Alexander McQueen. Having a mother, who illustrates fashion, is a delight! I grew up surrounded by visual arts, and watching both my parents create art. I was born with a strong, artistic vision. And so, my inspiration began there.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Poetry Project: 1st Draft

Simply a dress

Exquisite.
1930's silk,
Covered with sequined flowers.

French designer's
Original.
Jean Patou.

First worn by
A beautiful
Young
Actress.

People starred,
People complimented,
People were jealous.
It was simply a dress.

Little black dress

In every
Woman's survival kit,
There is
A little black dress.

So simple yet so elegant,
A sensational
Black
Raw
Silk
Little black dress.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

My Papa's Waltz: By: Theodore Roethke

My Papa's Waltz
 

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt

           When I first read this poem, I had the idea that the author was trying to express the theme of child abuse through his poetry. I believed that the author purposely wrote this poem in a way that seemed calm, but had a darker story behind it that he wanted you to think more deeply about.
           But after reading the poem again and again, I realized that the author was being literal about the, "Waltz". "The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy.", This whole time, I thought that the author was implying that, the father in the poem was drunk. But if you really think about it, there is no proof that the father is drunk.
           "We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother's countenance could not un-frown itself", This whole time, I thought that this meant that the father was still drunk and without realizing, he destroyed the kitchen.
           I believe that this poem is basically just about a father and son, waltzing around the house. They are just playing around. The father is so clumsy that, he knocks down a bunch of pans accidently. although the father didn't mean to, the other probably was upset simply about the mess. The father isn't the best dancer which probably explains why he had missed so many steps while dancing. So, this poem could be about two things. A father and son, playfully waltzing around their home, or a drunk father who abuses his own son without realizing it.



Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Narrative Poem: Fashion Illustration

I sketched.
Non stop, my hand maneuvered
around the white sheet,
creating shapes, and
smooth contour lines.
I was in the zone.

It was almost like a dream,
so simple yet so complex.
I heard voices,
demanding my presence down stairs.
I ignored them all,
too busy to leave behind what I have already
accomplished.

The final touches.
It was divine.
It was complete.
I pin it up to the bare wall,
to watch it from a distance.
Another piece in my collection.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

An Incident

The loud rays of the sun, softened.
I watched how to sky darkened,
from a sweet baby blue,
to a pure,
deep, dark blue.

The ocean was cold first.
I slowly entered the salty waters,
simply thinking about nothing.

I was alone.
I shut my eyes, ceasing to remember
things. I floated.
Still.

Distant from shore,
I tilted my head back to watch
the dimming sky.
I listened to waves, rushing back and forth.

My mind had became conscious,
I recollected me. I felt lost,
I was too far.

A sudden overwhelming fear,
took over me.
I had forgotten how to swim.
I fell beneath the ocean waters, feeling
the waves brushing
over me.

I kicked, and
kicked as water flowed into my mouth
and nose.
I was blind under deep blue ocean,
salt burned my eyes.

I felt my hands resting on the sand.
I was still living.
I opened my eyes to only darkness.
Turning back to the sea was almost
painful.

Incident: Poem

Eight, small
He
was no larger, in
size, or
shape,
or height

Even at youth,
Bold lessons are taught.
Not everyone will
delicately greet you,
and will be as
pleasant as
You are.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Poem On An Piece Of Art

She
Is anonymous.
Distant,
Silent,
Lost in a crowd.

She is like a boiling rock,
under the loud heat rays of the sun.
Strong,
Steady,
on the outside.
Insecure,
In hiding,
Inside.

What is she thinking right now?
People avoid her,
Or does she just avoid others herself.

She's so pale,
cold,
Where is she coming from?

The Starry Night


That does not keep me from having a terrible need of -- shall I say the word -- religion. Then
I go out at night to paint the stars.

--Vincent Van Gogh in a letter to his brother
By: Anne Sexton

The town does not exist
except where one black-haired tree slips
up like a drowned woman into the hot sky.
The town is silent. The night boils with eleven stars.
Oh starry starry night! This is how
I want to die.

It moves. They are all alive.
Even the moon bulges in its orange irons
to push children, like a god, from its eye.
The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.
Oh starry starry night! This is how
I want to die:

into that rushing beast of the night,
sucked up by that great dragon, to split
from my life with no flag,
no belly,
no cry.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh painted, “The Starry Night”, while in an asylum. The Starry night portrays a ray-less scenery with eleven illuminating stars in the night sky. Van Gogh balanced his painting with a combination of angry motions and serenity. While being in an asylum, his feelings must have been conflicted. Confused with his own emotions, he still imagined peacefulness and calmness in his mind.
Anne Sexton ingrains powerful themes such as, life and death in her poem. It seems that she is drawn to Van Gogh’s powerful sky, It is something that she consistently stresses in the poem. “The night boils with eleven stars. Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die”. Here, The writer gives away the main image of the poem. Without even seeing the actual painting, you can visualize the vibrant sky that Van Gogh had painted. “It moves. They are all alive. Even the moon bulges its orange irons to push children, like an god, from its eye”. Here, the writer shows how she sees both the stars and the moons. She believes that the moon and the stars in the painting are alive.
I noticed that the writer repeats the line, “Oh starry night! This is how I want to die”. I believe that Anne Sexton was trying to express her feelings toward death. The painting exposes a beautiful scenery, and I think that Anne Sexton thought that taking place in the painting and peacefully dieing there would bring her happiness. I am convinced that Van Gogh felt the same exact way. While being in an asylum, he probably wanted to be free. Painting was a way he could express his emotions. While being trapped in a small room, he painted. He imagined a scene where there were glowing stars in a deep blue sky. A bulging, yellow moon at the corner of the sky, and a peaceful town at bottom. I think that Van Gogh dreamed about being able to live like that. Vincent Van Gogh and Anne Sexton both expressed their emotions through some sort of art. Van Gogh used his paintings, and   Anne Sexton used her poetry. There are sure a lot of ways to interpret this poem. But, what was Anne Sexton trying to convey in her  poem? Is she trying to show that she wants to die? Or, is she trying to reveal her feelings towards, "The Starry Night" to readers, and show how beautiful the themes of painting are.  This poem, and the painting by Van Gogh or both very similar, even though one is literature    and the other is a painting. Any work of art can be interpreted in many ways.

What is Poetry?

Poetry is what defines your inner 
self,
an imaginative experience in the mind that can be
expressed
through 
music
love
friendship.
Poetry evokes a beautiful 
rhythm,
the nature of art and passion.
Poetry exposes the 
heart and the
shimmering light in hiding, beneath your skin.
Poetry brightens the dimmed corners of a room.
Poetry in unique.
Individuality.

Francoise Nielly: Painting: Rebecca

Observations:
1.     Uses only black, whites, and a bit of red
2.     Looks like oil paint
3.     A painting of a women
4.     One of the artist’s only painting done in black and white
5.     Soft, rough, small big brush strokes
6.     Palette knife technique used
            Inferences:
1.     Maybe her work expresses how she sees others
2.     There must be a story behind why, “Rebecca”, is in black and white, and all the other paintings are very bright and colorful.
            Interpretations:
1.     Rebecca’s sad history/background
2.     Nielly uses unrealistic colors for her subject
3.     White can represent how pale, or cold Rebecca is as a person or physically
4.     Used a knife, rather then a brush to do this painting. Maybe the shows that Rebecca’s personality isn’t so soft and smooth
5.     possibly represent blood

          

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Author's Note

          Yes even during childhood, children are taught by society that what you look like matters. In my story, "We are all beautiful", Mina is only seven years old and feels pressured to fit in. She shows up at school one day with loads of make-up on, and a party dress, thinking she would impress everyone. Later though, she learned that she is beautiful and so is everyone else.
          Anorexia is a growing social issue, thousands are affected by it. Thin people are often portrayed as amazing, successful, and beautiful people. Take Barbie for example. Barbie is a a very un-proprtioned doll that leans torward the belief that, being thin, being object-oriented, and and being pretty simply equals happiness. Basically, that is the message that Barbie sends out to children, and also teens. Media in general, influences children. Every where you go, you find magazines filled with models that look absolutley gorgeous. These images, catch the eyes of children. Those models all look so, "perfect". When children see that, they feel that they also have to be perfect.  Lamb, a psychology professor at Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vt. says,"Girls are being taught very young that thin and sexy is the way they want to be when they grow up, so they'd better start working on that now,"
          My story is realistic fiction, but it's also based on real life issues, and a child's point of view torwards that issure. I feel that my story grew out of what I see everyday. In the end, Mina is a great role model for the children who read this book. Mina confronts the girls who tease her, and lets them know that everyone is beautiful.

Sources: http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=S44-4241-0-1602&artno=0000252708&type=ART

http://www.something-fishy.org/cultural/themedia.php

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Social Issue: Anorexia

Does the role media play in society, influence the development of eating disorders in women?

Yes. Even during childhood, children are taught by society that what you look like matters. As we all know, children and teens are surrounded by ads that promote weight loss systems and men/ women with incredibly thin bodies which are yet all superficial. All of these ads clearly state that being thin means being perfect, and beautiful.
Thin women are often portrayed as amazing, successful, and beautiful people while others are seen as lazy couch potatoes. Take Barbie for example. Barbie is an very un-proportioned doll that leans toward the belief that being thin, being object-oriented, and being beautiful simply equals happiness. children, and also teens are impressionable and seek to be like the role models surrounding them. Barbie is actually often blamed for the development of eating disorders and body image issues. In Barbie world, Barbie is perfect. When children see that, they feel that they also need to be perfect.
The media in society really influences teens and women. Every where you go, you find magazines with all these gorgeous models that are oh so very thin. These images often catch the eyes of young women and make these girls feel self conscious about their own body. This obsession about being thin gets to them. That, then results in starvation.
Ballet dancers, gymnasts and figure skaters are easy targets when it comes to eating disorders. Dancers are often faced with stress to be the best dancers out of all the other dancers, and want to perfect their performances. All of this stress often leads these dancer into body image problems. Their peers and instructors sometimes may pressure dancers to maintain a perfect image. With the stresses of competition, this just complicates everything. Heidi Guenther was a ballerina who died at age 22 in 1997. She was told that she was, "Too chunky", by a theater company. That led to her anorexia, and then one day collapsed.
In our society, anorexia is a growing social issue. Thousands are affected by anorexia.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Social Awareness project

#1: Media: October 26th: "Nightmarish stories of mortgage modification woes" 
          Bank paper can really weigh people down. A home owner is trying to modify her mortgage to fax documents to a certain department. But the bank says, that she is not eligible and then says they now cannot find any modification request at all.
October 25th: "Health in the Media" 
          People with certain illnesses that run in their family should improve their health by eating more of something, or less of something else.
October 15th: "U.S will enforce marijuana laws, state vote aside"
          In Los Angeles, the department of justice is saying that they intend to prosecute marijuana laws in california aggressively even if state voters approve.
October 20th: "How to really end, "don't ask, don't tell"
          The, "Don't ask, don't tell", policy states that if you are gay, and you join the military, the people there are not allowed to ask if you are gay. But you are not allowed to say that your are gay or else, you will be kicked out.
October 27th: "Murderer executed in Arizona"
          The state of Arizona executed Jefferey Landrigan, after the supreme courts lifted court's injunction blocking the lethal injection. Landrigan, was convicted of murder in 1990.
#2: Observing my surroundings: Bullying, Racism, Sexism, Ageism.
Sexism: On the street, I constantly hear people saying sexist comments. Things like, "You can't watch that movie, your a girl!". Or, " You can play that video game, your a girl!". I seriously find that offensive and unfair. We (notice I underlined "we") are all equal. This goes for girls and boys. People don't realize but, sexism is also an issue for boys as well. People may say that the movie/book, "The notebook", is too, "girly", for guys, and that guys can't watch it because its a, "chick flick". This all comes down to social norms, and how certain things are expected from a girl, or a boy. Not all girls love or have to love the color pink. Not all boys have or have to have their pants down to their knees or like sports. 
#3: True story: Rebecca Grimsted, is a girl who lives on my block. On the bus in the mornings, Rebecca always offers her seat to old people, or pregnant people, or people with children. You don't really see that everyday. What Rebecca does may be small, but what she does still helps.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Entry# 8 Mother to Son

       The poem, "Mother to Son", by Langston Hughes, expresses the idea that life isn't always easy. You will face many obstacles but you will get to where you want to be even if getting what you want isn't easy. I think that the mother is almost warning her son about what will come up later on in his life. The lines, "I'se been a-climbin' on, and reachin' landin's, and turnin' corners, and sometimes goin' in the dark where there ain't been no light", mean that the mother has been through a lot. She has experienced things and has faced  obstacles. She's gone in different directions and changed her ways through out her journey. She's had her problems, but found a way to fix them. She's reached goals.
       "Life for me, ain't been no crystal stair", the mother says. Life obviously wasn't easy for her. The mother is trying to tell her son that, he must never give up. He must keeps going to reach his goals. If she's still climbin, then he can too.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Narnia: Appreciation

          I never meant to read this book....It was a class vote for read aloud, and it was either, "Bridge to Terebithia", or " The Chronicles of Narnia, the Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe". Obviously, Narnia won and I am glad. I immediatley became interested, and curious when I first started reading this book. What? Why is there a wardrobe? What's up with that?, I would think. The first page, quickly grabs you and almost forces you to read on. Narnia is open, and filled with adventure. I'd love to visit!! ;)
          C.S Lewis's story for how he came up with the fantasy world of Narnia is quite interesting.  All of these things tiny little things or ideas that you wouldn't think were important could come together to create a masterpiece. After his mother passed away, him and his brother were shipped off to a boarding school in England. There, is where the inspiration for Narnia had begun!
          I read, "The Chronicles of Narnia, the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", in the third grade. At first, It was just a read aloud book for the class. But after It was done, I wanted to read it again myself. I remember being obsessed with the character of Susan Pevensie. I always thought she was really cool, and wanted to be her for some reason. At the age of eight, I wouldn't think so deeply about a book......but, I connected Susan to myself since, we are both the older sister in the family.
          When I write, I don't really use any mentor texts or even try to get inspired. Usually, when I write, I make up all the characters randomly, or the entire story in general. My writing, could be more meaningful if I used more inspiration or maybe personal thoughts and ideas of mine. Like C.S Lewis, I could build up certain points in my life, and transform then into one big idea that can grow into bigger, and deeper thoughts.
          I appreciate the meaning of this book. When I had asked for my own copy of the book, I was given one fat, heavy book that had a picture of the white witch. It had the entire series of Narnia combined in one. I appreciate the adventure, and imagination through out it. I have to admit that, the story line motivates me to create my own fantasy world. I'm glad I read this book again.