To Kill A Mockingbird Journal Eight

Journal #8

Chapters 25-27

Perspective of Judge Taylor

I was aroused from my slumber by Mrs. Taylor, who had come home to see me collapsed in my chair, my hand resting protectively over the butt of my gun and the writings of Bob Taylor strewn across my lap. She was erratic, poor Mrs. Taylor had came back from church and had been scared out of her mind at the sight. I was comforting her when she asked me what had gotten me to take out the gun that we keep in the house, only for protection.

I had been reading up on the work of Bob Taylor, an author of which I was completely immersed in when a repetitive scratching noise was irritating enough to distracted me from my studies. After absentmindedly hushing Ann Taylor and the noise sustained, I went around to the rear of the house, looking for efforts to silence it. Ann Taylor at my side, I walked along to the back porch to let her out and found the screen door swinging open. From the corner of my eye I had seen a shadow dash by the edge of the house, but as I was too old to chase after I took no pursuit; instead grabbing my gun should it have come again.

Although the obscure shadow and the scratching noise was nothing but a worry for a "suspicious old man", as Mrs. Taylor had said, it still made me feel cautious enough to take precautions. I was on my guard more often and had even taken measures to bolt the doors at night. Especially after Tom Robinson's case, many a black man could have some malicious feelings for me. I had nothing to do with the verdict, although I knew the outcome was inevitable, even with Atticus on the case.

Although I have no evidence against him, Bob Ewell could have also been the suspicious shadow. He has been giving me a certain look every time I pass him on the street. I do not know why he would have anything against me, although Bob has outwardly expressed his feelings against Atticus. The idea is improbable though.

I am going to pick up where I left off on the writings of Bob Taylor. Hopefuly there will be no further trouble.

To Kill a Mockingbird Journal Seven

Journal #7

Chapters 18-21

Choice B

Tell how the characters respond to the jury's verdict.

Jem

After the jury reached the verdict that Tom Robinson was guilty, Jem was obviously the most impacted by their decision. Immediately after Atticus left the building he started sobbing subsequently. Atticus knew they would lose and that Jem would feel bad that they lost because he told them to take as long as they needed to eat dinner, but the jury didn't make a decision until it was 11pm. Jem was the most disappointed because he was very certain that the defendant would win and was, out of Scout and Dill, almost as dedicated to the case as Atticus was.

Aunt Alexandra

Although Aunt Alexandra expressed her sympathy towards Atticus, she was more concerned that Scout and Jem and Dill went to the case. She felt that they were too young to be witness to a rape case. But you could tell that she was also sorry about the result because when she first saw Atticus that night she subtly said, "I'm sorry, brother." She never called Atticus brother before and so that meant that she was deeply sympathetic.

Dill

Dill, although he was also concerned and disappointed about the results, did not understand the case as well as Dill or Scout, and had to continue to ask Jem what was going on, or what did that mean, during the case. I think that he was more concerned because his friends were, but in reality Atticus was not his father and Maycomb was not his hometown.

Miss Maudie

Miss Maudie did not go to the case but when she called over Scout, Dill, and Jem, she knew that Jem needed an extra boost so she gave him a bigger piece of cake. She also had faith in the community, more than Jem did. When Jem said he the illusions he had about Maycomb had been shattered because the verdict was a result of the prejudice jury, Miss Maudie mentions that there were people who tried to help, such as Judge Taylor who appointed Atticus as the defending lawyer because he knew that he would have the most chance of winning.

Bob Ewell

Even though the jury voted Tom Robinson guilty Bob Ewell was still angry because Atticus revealed everything about him; he told the public about his personal life, how he abuses his children, that he was a drunk pauper. Most of Maycomb was in the courtroom, and if anyone did not go they would have found out, so the whole town knew about everything he did and the predicaments he lived in, which was why he spit on Atticus.

To kill a Mockingbird Journal Six

Journal #6

Chapters 16 - 17

Option C

How do you think the story would have changed if Scout and Jem had a mother present in their lives? Would it change for the better or for the worse?

Scout and Jem have grown up without their mother for as long as they can remember. Many motherly figures have stepped in to the role, such as Calpurnia, who eventually took up the authoritative position of tyrannical mother. Eventually Aunt Alexandra also willingly and complacently moved in with Scout, Jem, and Atticus because she felt that the children needed a motherly portrayal. While all of these women have contributed to Jem and Scout's childhood, we never know if it would have been different with their real mother. There are so many factors that contribute to how this plot plays out that if Jem and Scout's mother was not dead, the entire story could be different.

Certainly if Scout and Jem had a mother around they would grow up differently. This could affect their personalities as well. Scout, who is extremely fearless and not at all soft-spoken, would have become perhaps more amiable and temperate. Jem who takes interest in football and is drifting away from Scout as he matures, probably would be more close to his family. Jem also begrudges others fathers because his own seemed incompetent, and when Atticus does show his ability to shoot Jem becomes loyal to him and wants to be just like him. If Scout's mother were around, Scout might feel the same way about her and want to grow up just like her.

If all this were true, Scout would probably not hang out with Jem as much because their different personalities and interests. So far in the book, a lot would be encumbered by this, starting with the very first time they met Dill, because Scout would not be around and Dill would not fall in love with her, therefore not finding as much of a reason to visit Maycomb. Dill also got them into many adventures, starting with Boo Radley. I doubt Scout or Jem would have found such interest in the Radley house as Dill did, or even muster up enough courage to do so. The Radleys would have faded into obliviousness in Scout and Jem's minds. Scout would also not have guilted the mob at the county jailhouse into dispersing because she would have probably been too frightened of the crowd among her father.

Also, Calpurnia would never have been hired and therefore Scout and Jem might not have known as much acceptance of the African Americans, unlike the other people of Maycomb. Aunt Alexandera would have never had to come to make Scout more proper because she already would have a mother to do that.

Overall, I believe that having a mother would indeed change the story very much, because while Atticus would still have the case for Tom Robinson, Scout and Jem and Dill would not be there to make it interesting. Boo Radley would also never be introduced and pondered upon. This all would make the story very dull, so I think that having a mother would change the story for the worse. The author always has a reason for what they write.

To Kill A Mockingbird Journal Four

Journal #4

Chapters 10-11

Perspective of Jem

Journal,

I just can't stop thinking about that rifle in Atticus's hands, how he pulled the trigger with one fluid motion and the way that mad dog crumpled on the sidewalk. It was amazing how he swiftly he pulled the trigger and raised the gun to his shoulder, and without his glasses! Whenever me and Scout shoot it takes me ten minutes to aim. But Atticus just relaxed all over and the gun looked like a part of him. I had never even known he could shoot; the skill had been inconspicuous until now. I had thought that since he didn't like guns and rifles so much that he couldn't shoot from a foot away. But boy! That mad dog was a'most a street away! Miss Maudie told me he don't like guns because with him and his talent, he feels it gives him an unfair advantage over living creature. Scout tried to contradict her, but I knew Atticus was a gentleman and I r'spected him for it. I guess I'm a gentleman, just like him!

Me an' Scout were walkin' to go use up my birthday money the other day when we went past Ms. Dubose house. That cantankerous old bat started yellin' at us (as usual) but this time she started talking about Atticus. She started calling him names and giving us grief for how he was defending a Negro. When she went and said that I urged tell her off, but I held my tongue, trying to be a gentleman. But when she said Atticus was do better than the trash that he worked for, that really set me off. Coming back from town I grabbed Scout's new baton and started hacking her camellia bushes 'til they were nothing but twigs. After that I dragged Scout home and waited, in dread, for Atticus to come home. When the door slammed I heard him call my name with a voice so cold it could make ice cubes. I knew then that I was in more peril then than with Ms. Dubose and her CSA pistol. Atticus told be to go and apologize to her, and as a result I got sentenced to mendin' her bushes every Saturday and readin' to her for two hours each day for a whole month. As she lashed out my punishment I could do nothing but mumble inaudibly; if I opposed her Atticus would surely get my goat.

Now I will be in my own personal hell each day, tryin' to keep my calm inside that ratty old lady's house until summer. Hope I live that long.

Jem Finch

To Kill A Mockingbird Journal Three

Journal #3

Chapters 8-9

Perspective of Francis

Journal,

Grandma has sent me to my room for makin' a mess at the table. I'm all right with that - it means I don't have to do dishes. Finally that girl has left our house and gone home to Maycomb County. She is so wild and fanatic it makes my head hurt. She gave me a black eye when she attacked me. I don't care, at least she got in trouble. Serves her right, she called me a whore-lady, and even though I don't know what it means I know it is bad. Grandma says that Uncle Atticus teaches her those words and doesn't do anything about it, that he can't be entrusted with children. I agree. It is bad enough that he lets them run wild and now he is goin' and defending an African American. Finches will never be able to walk the streets again, after he has gone and disgracin' the family.

I can not wait until mum and dad come and pick me up from Grandma's. The next time time they send me here I am debating whether to running away. Don't hear me wrong, staying at Grandma's is real nice and all, but I don't think I could stand to be acquainted with Scout again. Unfortunately I think that I might see her again all to soon for my liking.

After Scout got in trouble for smacking me, we went home and Uncle Jack went to go talk to Scout. When he came out, he gave me a look that Grandma and Mum give me when I am in trouble. That perplexes me and I wonder what he found out. I don't think I did anything wrong - Scout deserved everything that she got, and her father too. She is much too foolish. She thinks that her daddy is right to be defending that African American, and that she is going to marry that short boy, Dill. But the look that Uncle Jack gave me still bothers me.

Sincerely,

Francis

To Kill A Mockingbird Journal Two

Journal #2

Chapters 4-7

Perspective of Ms. Maudie Atkins

Dear Diary,

Today I found another patch of nut grass in my garden. The weed becomes worse and worse as the summer progresses. Now that school is out for the children I see Atticus's kids and their friend often, stopping by to get a squirt of milk from my cow or take a break from their endless string of activities. Most of the time I busy myself in my garden or watch them in the evening from the porch. Oftentimes I bake them a cake and watch them polish off the plate, listening to them quibbling with each other.

Lately I have been noticing Scout coming here more often and alone, without Jem and Dill. I try not to mention it to Scout, but I sense that she is teetering on the edge of their group. Those boys seem to be evading Scout, and so I let Scout sit with me while I garden or on the porch while twilight fades to darkness. Most of the times we are as silent as a snake slinking through the grass, but one evening Scout asked me, "Miss Maudie, do you think Boo Radley is still alive?" This surprised me for two reasons, the first being we almost never speak, and the second being that I didn't know anyone would think Arthur would be dead. I remember the poor child when he was much younger; he was such a sweet child but became of his harsh, foot-washing Baptist father. Now he is so holed up in that house and what with those numerous rumors about him being malignant hanging about, if he wasn't crazy then, he is now.

Just yesterday I was relaxing on the porch when I heard a roar that startled me so badly I thought that my heart would stop completely. I ran out to the street to see Nathan Radley with a shotgun held in his hand, staring hard at something running off in the bushes. He said he had just shot because he saw a Negro in his collard patch, although I have my suspicions that this "white Negro" is only a bunch of certain neighborhood children who came to the seen moments later, one without his pants. They shouldn't torture that man like that; the next time they sneak in there his brother won't be as kind to aim at the sky. But suspicions are suspicions, and if I go about telling them I will be as bad as Miss Stephanie Crawford.

Well, the sun is bright and I am going to get as much out of it as I can. Off to the garden.

Sincerely,

Maudie Atkins

To Kill A Mockingbird Journal One

To Kill A Mockingbird

Journal #1

Chapters 1-3

Perspective of Calpurnia

I don't know what I am to do with that girl. Always shooting her mouth of and not caring what comes out. That poor child, Walter, probably hadn't eaten a full meal that year. He had been comfortable at that table until Scout condescended him to drenching his meal in syrup. I had to drag her into the kitchen and give her a lesson on courtesy. I told her Walter was our company and it wasn't her position to be intimidating him and remarking on his ways like she was to be determining what was right and wrong. I knew she thought malevolent thoughts of me then, but disgracin' and embarrassin' him like that was not acceptable. After that I made her go and get her plate from the table, sending her out with a smack, to prevent her to doing any more damage to that boy's esteem.

I had hoped that spending the summer with that proper boy, Dill, would have taught her a few manners. There for the summer he stayed with Ms. Rachel Haverford, his aunt. But the eccentric boy got Jem into running onto the Radley's property. Thank heavens he didn't get caught; those Radleys are a suspicious bunch, but what with all that gossip about them no one knows what to believe. Now that Dill has gone back to Mississippi I am hoping that Scout and Jem will mellow out as the school year progresses.

Unfortunately Scout's been having some trouble already. Smacked by the teacher and sent in the corner on the first day, I'm concerned for what she might get into the rest of the year. I overheard she and Mr. Atticus talking that evening. The teacher, Ms. Caroline, seems to be discouraging her from readin' and writin'. That irked me; the teacher has no right to be telling her not to read and write. Is it not the teacher who is to be teaching, not the one to be removing what children have learned? Here's to hopin' for that girl, and to hoping for the rest of that broken family.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Lit. Circle Post Four

What is the What

Sunday March 21

Page 521, Par 4

"We were thinking of of the kind of work we would do in the United States. We though of the school there, many of us imagining that we would, within weeks, be studying at American universities."

Significance: I think that this quote represents how hopeful they all are right before going to America; looking forward to education, jobs, homes and families. When I look at the position Achak is in currently I feel bad because he was working at a gym, still trying to finish college at age twenty-seven. Everyone leaving to America thought that they would receive immediate gratification and while a few did, many did not with Achak being one of them.

Personal Connection: I think that this relates to many things in everyday life, such as investing in stocks or insurance. While at first it may seem like your investment is pointless, when you get in a car crash or the stocks go up later on, you realize how beneficial it really was. Because Achak went to America instead of staying in America, he has achieved much more and will achieve much more.

Question: What is one experience that you benefitted in something that did not take effect immediately?

Page 531, Par 8

"-But we're no longer rain, I said, -We're no longer seeds. We're men. Now we can stand and decide. This is our first chance to choose our own unknown."

Significance: I think that this quote represents that the Lost Boys no longer have to follow someone else. Because they are going to America they can make their own decisions. Throughout his entire journey leaving Sudan he had been following people, being told what to do by the authorities at the numerous refugee camps. Now he and the rest of the Lost Boys have the opportunity to either be a seed for a new Sudan or go on to America to become successful.

Personal Connection: I can sympathize with Achak and the rest of the Lost Boys because I know about the privilege to make your own decisions. Because this is the first time that Achak has had control over his life, the pride of making his own decision was amplified.

Question: What is the What?

Lit. Circle Post Three

What is the What

Sunday, March 14



Page 349, Par. 2

“Even though we would soon cross the border into a country without war, this time I had no dreams of bowls of oranges. I knew that the world was the same everywhere, that there were only inconsequential variations between the suffering in one place and another.”

Significance: After arriving in Ethiopia, Achak realizes that the country is not so much different that Sudan and that William K’s visions were faulty. Now when he is walking to Kenya he does not let visions of a better life in the country intensify in his mind like he did when journeying to Ethiopia. I think that this shows that Achak has not only learned from experience but also how little hope he has. After being disappointed once he knows that he should not imagine things like it again because he will only be disheartened. I think that this is sad because he is only a boy. Children are supposed to dream but Achak, having his life turned upside down due to the civil war in Sudan, cannot because he know what will happen.

Personal Experience: Although I have not suffered as much disappointment as Achak has, I know that I, (and every other person) have indeed been disappointed. This gives me some insight to what Achak feels constantly, even if I only know a fraction of his disappointment.

Question: What is the most intense disappointment you have experience and how does it measure up to the disappointment Achak has faced?



Page 357, Par. 5

“God has a problem with me.”

Significance: I think that this sentence summarizes Achak’s experience throughout his journey leaving Sudan and coming to America. He went through so many horrific events that his life seems to be cursed. After having to be traumatized throughout his journey out of Sudan, when in America he still continues to have bad luck. Some examples are Tabitha dying and being robbed. It makes me feel bad for him, but I also realize that he has been lucky. There are countless others who did not even make it to Kakuma or even Pinyudo. Achak made it to America.

Personal Experience: I know that every person has felt sorry for him or herself at least once, so I know that Achak felt that the whole world was against him and that everything bad was happening to him. I can relate to how he felt because many times a sequence of bad things have happened to me and I felt like I was cursed. It is like in those cartoons where the character says that it can’t get any worse and then it starts to rain.

Question: What is one time that you felt like you were cursed and that the world was against you?

Lit. Circles Post Two

What is the What

Sunday, March 7^th

Page 178, Par 1

“It continually amazed Phil, I think, how little we knew, and how he could not assume that we knew any of the things he took for granted. He explained the thermostat in the apartment, and how to write a check, and how to pay a bill, and which buses took you where.”

Significance: This quote was from when Achak was talking about how Phil, his sponsor, helped him adjust to his life in America. I think that it is amazing how much we take for granted in America, compared to everywhere else in the world. Achak knew very little of the many things that we use and do every day. It shows that Achak’s life before he came to America, although luxurious compared to others in Sudan, was still underprivileged contrasted to life in the US.

Character Judgment: I think that this quote also shows how generous Phil is and how close he is to Achak. Most sponsors don’t help as much as Phil does. Phil doesn’t only help Achak economically, but mentally as well. This quote shows that Phil helps Achak adjust to his life in America.

Question: What are some examples of how you take things for granted?

Page 208, Par 4

“It was us. It was nothing.”

Significance: The night before the group of Lost Boys saw lights in the distance. Thinking that it was tanks from the government the boys ran away. There were many consequences to this rash decision making. As may as a dozen boys were lost. Even Achak suffered from this; his leg got cut by barbed wire. When he gets back to the rest of the boys William K tells him that it was only a Land Rover. In the night, the boys panicked and let their imaginations get the best of them. I think this also shows how hard the journey to Ethiopia was for them, expecting armies and tanks at every turn.

Personal Experience: I can understand how the boys thought that the lights were a tank. At night they were all expecting something bad to happen so when they saw the lights they thought the worst and so the illusion of a tank came to mind. I know that I too would probably panic like they did.

Question: If the boys did not panic and run away, what do you think would have happened?

Lit. Circles Post One

What is the What

Sunday, February 28th

Page 7, Paragraph 1

Quote: “I have had the fortune of having seen more suffering than I have suffered myself, but nevertheless, I have been starved, I have been beaten with sticks, with rods, with brooms and stones and spears…”

Significance: This quote is from when Achak gets robbed and he is reflecting on his experiences. I think this quote portrays the hardships of the main character, Valentino Achak when he was traveling to America. It also shows that America has been difficult for him and that he misses his native country. Even though he had faced so many difficulties and seen so many people killed when leaving Sudan, he still misses Africa. I think this is because he didn’t really want to leave his home town – before the men from the government came and destroyed his village, Achak was happy living with his mother, father and siblings and did not have any desire to leave. I think he also misses his native country because he is uneasy about America and Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia was a land that he was familiar with and knew how to act there.

Character Judgment: When I read this paragraph I felt sorry for Achak because he was younger than me when he witnessed all of the monstrosities that he did. To me, his thought that he missed Africa was expected for someone who didn’t care to leave their home country.

Question: When have you ever felt homesick and how was it different from the way Achak felt?

Page 15-16, Paragraph 9-1

Quote: “There is a circle of perhaps three hundred Sudanese in the U.S. who keep in touch, me with them but more often them with me, and we do so in a way that might be considered excessive.”

Significance: This excerpt from What is the What is from when Achak is talking about how all of the Sudanese in America call him. This quote shows that, although Achak came to America years ago, he assimilated to the new community but still kept in touch with his old culture. As noted, he often gets calls from the many other Sudanese and Lost Boys in the United States. Much of his culture still lingers – one example being that he and his roommate continue to cook in the “Sudanese way”.

Personal Connection: I relate to this quote because I understand Achak’s need to stay connected to his old culture. I know that if I were to come to a strange place would find comfort in talking to people from my old country and cooking in the tradition of that culture. It is a good way to keep one’s culture while still melting in with the American culture.

Question: What are some examples of how everyday Americans relate to their heritage?

Lit. Circles

Independent Reading - Blog Post Four

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Name: Alli
Date: February 9th
Time: Two Hours
Pages: 159 - 276
Total Pages: 117

Question One: How did what you read today make you feel?

Response:
In the last part of Elsewhere a lot happens. After Liz stops being depressed she gets an Avocation which involves dogs. Liz turns out to be very good at it and after her first day she meets Sadie who becomes her new dog. Liz becomes happy and friendly, interacting with her friends and family in Elsewhere. Reading this made me happy and excited for Liz because she was deprived of so much when she died and wasting away her time at the Observation Decks deprived her of even more.
Liz begins to enjoy her life on Elseewhere and gradually stops dwelling on her family still on Earth until she remembers her father's birthday. She remembers that she had bought a perfect sea green sweater months before with her own money. She wants to make sure he gets it because if she doesn't it will lie beneath the floorboards in her closet on Earth. I thought that this was a very sweet motion of Liz and would help her father cope with her death. Unfortunately to be able to do this Liz must make illegal Contact with Earth so she puts on her scuba gear and dives one mile to the Well. When she gets there she tries to make Contact with her brother, telling him where she hid the sweater but gets pulled out by by Owen Welles who is from the Elsewhere Bureau of Supernatural Crime and Contact. He enforces that no one makes Contact with the living and so when Liz watches her brother try to tell her dad where the sweater is she realizes that he had misheard her. Her father gets mad and thinks that Liz's brother was lying so he almost slaps him. Liz becomes heartbroken and I was disappointed as well because even though Liz tried to help her family it only turned out worse than before.
Owen (the detective) thinks that trying to give a sweater to her dad was a very unimportant cause, but when Liz leaves Owen dives down to the well to tell her brother the correct location of the sweater. He realizes that Liz wanted to move on and by stopping her from making the dive he hindered her from that process. Liz's brother gets the correct information to where the sweater is hidden and gives it to her dad.
Now suspended from his job Owen decides to tell Liz that her father received the sweater. Liz was very grateful and asked him to go to Thanksgiving dinner with Betty, Curtis, Thandi, and all of her friends. Liz and Owen's relationship kicks off and from there on they become close friends and eventually a couple. I thought that this was good for Liz because she needed a friend and Owen made her very happy, teaching her how to drive and even getting a dog as well.



Question Two: What has surprised you in this book?

Response:
One thing that surprised me was when Owen's wife, Emily, from Earth dies and arrives at Elsewhere. Owen chooses Emily over Liz leaving Liz heartbroken. When I read this I was surprised at the turn of events. It had a lot of results, one being Liz deciding to go back to Earth early, leaving her family and friends on Elsewhere. As she is making the journey to Earth along the River, Liz rethinks her decision and wants to go back, but despite her efforts to turn around she only sinks to the bottom of the Ocean.
In Elsewhere, Liz's family and friends are very concerned and go out to look for Liz. Liz sees them and uses all of her strength to swim to the surface, reunited with her family and friends. I believed this was a good decision because all of her friends and family back on Elsewhere would have missed her and she would have missed them, and even if she had gone back to Earth she would have never seen her family again.
Back in Elsewhere Owen chooses Liz over Emily and they become young together with their family and friends. When Liz is eight she receives a letter from her best friend on Earth, Zooey. She was going to get married and wanted to invite Liz to the wedding, so Owen, now the head of his department, suggests they dive down to the Well and make a toast. Unfortunately the toast is unsuccessful but Liz gets to talk to her brother. She had insisted that they could talk instead of getting anyone else and I thought that this was very nice for Liz so that she could see her family again and talk to her brother. I also thought that it was good because Liz never was able to say goodbye to them.
When Liz is retiring from her Avocation someone comes to meet her at her work. His name is Amadou Bonamy and he was the cabdriver who had hit Liz and caused her death. He had come to confess and ask for forgiveness from Liz. She forgives him immediately, saying that she knew he was a good man in the wrong place at the wrong time. While his appearance surprised me it also was a very nice ending. I though t was a good compromise, bringing back a memory from Earth but also allowing Liz to reflect back onto her time in Elsewhere.
Overall I thought that this book was very intriguing and I definitely will read it again. I loved the author's style of writing and enjoyed her idea of the afterlife. I hope that she will write more books and they will be just as good.

Independent Reading - In Class Writing Response Explanation

The main goal to me traveling into Elsewhere was to give Liz advise. I first said that she couldn't come to the Observation Decks (ODs) to watch her old life. From reading the book I knew that she would become depressed by being obsessed with her old life for too long. I then said that she shouldn't go to the Well, which is where residents on Elsewhere can make Contact with the living, although it is illegal. Liz wanted to tell her family the name of the man who had run over her so that he would "pay". I told her that she shouldn't because it would have been a bad thing to do. The man who had run her over was a good man who couldn't have told the police that he did it because he was very poor and trying to support a family. I also told her to get an Avocation. An Avocation is basically like a job, but you are supposed to like it. Liz had an option to take up an Avocation that involved dogs, which she loved on Earth. I knew that she would find joy in it so I told her to accept it. Finally I told Liz to talk to her friends more because I knew they would help her out of her depression.

Independent Reading - In Class Writing Response

Choice 1 -
My magical powers sparkle and shimmer around me as I feel myself disintegrating into the ink of the book.

I awake to the sound of waves crashing onto the rocky shoreline. I open my eyes and am blinded by the brilliant blue sky above me. Standing up, I look around and find myself on a sandy spit of beach. A sheer cliff hung with moss towers above and I can make out the top of a lighthouse. A set of rickety wooden steps hangs onto the side of the cliff. Finding no where else to go, I carefully start making my up those steps. At the top I find myself on a rocky path leading to the old, white-washed lighthouse. Soft green green grass surrounds the tower and as I walk along the path I begin to recognize my surroundings. I realize that I am actually in my book, Elsewhere. I race my way to the tower and rush into the elevator. It seems like hours until I get to the top, and I burst out of the elevator, racing past Esther and to Binoculars #15. Sitting on the metal stool I see a girl with short blond hair wearing stained and dirty white PJs. "Liz!" I call. The girl does not look up from the binoculars in front of her. I race to her and shake her shoulders. She looks up at me. Her eyes are sunk into her skull and seem empty. "Who are you?" she asks, but her voice seems uninterested. "Liz", I say, "You can't be at the ODs anymore. Do you know how much you could be doing with your life?" She glares at me. "But this is death. There is no point of living if it is death". "No Liz, you don't understand! You can't be wasting away your time at the ODs! I know you want to go down to the Well, but you don't understand that if you do, you are no worse than the cabbie!!!" "How do you know what I am going to do?!" I pause. "Well, if I were to say I were from the future, I would be lying, and it would sound cheezy. But I do know you are going to do, and I have to get you to stop!" She stares at me with empty eyes. "I actually believe you. What do I have to do?" I smile. "First of all, come with me back to Betty's house."

As we walk back to her grandmother's house, I tell Liz where I had came from. "You see", I said, "I have magical sparkly powers which can transport me into a book. You are in a book, and I really good one, actually." "That's so wierd. I can't believe it, but I do. If that makes any sense." "It doesn't", I say, smiling. Then my face become serious. "But you have to do what I say." She looks at me with understanding, nodding. "First, no more ODs. I know a lot have people have told you to stop, and as I said before, they don't do any good. Next, buy some clothes. Those old PJs are yucky." She frowns, and I give an apologetic smile. Then, you should really get that Avocation. You know how much you like dogs, and you will really enjoy it. Trust me, I know", I say, thinking about what I had read. "You should really let people in too. Thandi, Betty, Curtis. They all want to help you and be your friend, but you don't let them." She nods, then nods again. I can tell that she will do what I had said, even if she doesn't know why. "Promise me you will", I say, just to make sure. "I promise." There is bittersweet feeling, and I am sad to leave. "I have to go now", I say, "but if you do even one of these things I know you will feel better."I wave goodbye as the air around me shimmers again. The last thing I see is Liz waving back at me. "Oh ya!", I shout, "One last thing. Remember your dad's sweater, and don't shout!!!" I know she will not know what I am talking about right now but when she comes to the time she will.

I appear on my bed, the book lying open besides me. I watch the black text slowly switch and I smile to myself.

Independent Reading - Blog Post Two

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Name: Alli

Date: February 1

Time: Two Hours

Pages: 1 - 159

Total Pages: 159

Question 1: What do you think about a particular character's actions? Was he/she right or wrong to do that?

Response: As I said in my last post, Liz was depressed and obsessed with watching her former life on Earth, never attempting to start fresh in Elsewhere. As she watches her family and friends through the binoculars on the Observation Decks, she tries to find the cab that hit her and caused her death. When she finds out the name of the cabbie, she wants to tell her family who it was so that they have to go to jail. "They should pay", she had said. To tell her family, she has to make Contact with them, which is strictly forbidden in Elsewhere. I thought that these were both bad decisions. The man who had hit Liz probably had a good reason for not stopping. From what Liz had learned from watching him, the cab driver seemed like a good man who wouldn't have hit Liz and not come back, without a good reason. But But before Liz tries to make Contact with her family, she watches the man once more. She sees him with his son who had gotten sick at school. He then offers to drive his son home, putting his family before his job. Liz then realizes that she could never turn him in. I think that this is the best decision she makes in the book, and leads to even better outcomes. From this Liz stops being depressed by getting an Avocation, making friends and getting a dog.

Question 2: What was one of your favorite lines (or sentences) in what you read today? Copy it down and tell why you liked it.

Response: In the park, Liz meets a dog who gives her some advise. "'My advise to you is to stop being lonely and stop hating it here. That always works for me," says the dog. "Oh, and be happy! It's easier to be happy happy than to be sad. Being sad takes a lot of hard work. It's exhausting."'

I especially liked this line because although this dog's message sounded cute, there is a much bigger importance to what it had said. I thought this was important but simple message for Liz. She is being depressed, and although I am sympathetic to her, she can decide whether or not she is happy or sad. No one is making her be depressed besides herself. Liz said she was lonely, but id she became closer to Betty, Curtis, Thandi, and everyone else who had tried to help her and be her friend, she would be lonely. She also said that she hated it in Elsewhere, but no one made her hate Elsewhere. If she had a better outlook on life and took this dog's advise, she wouldn't be depressed and lonely. It is all up to her if she wants to change, and in my opinion she should. It would make her feel better and benefit her in many ways.

Independent Reading - Blog Post One

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Name: Alli

Date: January 27

Time: Two Hours

Pages: 1 - 159

Total Pages: 159

Question One: What does this book make you wonder about? Why?

Responce: The book that I am reading is called Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin. In this book Liz, the main character, dies in a bicycle accident and finds herself in a parallel world known to its inhabitants as Elsewhere. Elsewhere is where a person goes when they die, so most of the residents are old. Liz, who was fifteen when she died, becomes cut off from her family and friends back on Earth and not allowed to make Contact with them. Now she must age backwards until she is a baby and can be sent back to Earth. But Liz will never turn sixteen, never get her driver's license, never go to prom or get married and will never be able to see her family again.

This book makes me wonder about what will happen after death. Elsewhere gives us a hint to what could happen, but there are still many possibilities. Unlike Liz, I wouldn't mind dying and coming to Elsewhere, as long as I wasn't young like her. It seems like a second life where there is no work or school and you could possibly see your family and friends again (if they die as well). This book also makes me wonder if I would act the same way Liz does in Elsewhere. Throughout the beginning of the novel Liz is depressed and does not interact with others. Although at some points Liz seems unreasonable, when I really think about it and out myself in her position, I realize I would have acted the same way.

Question Two: What advice would you give to a particular character?

Responce: Liz's grandmother, Betty, is also going through some difficult times with Liz. Becuase she is the only dead relative Liz has, Betty willingly toook Liz in to care and provide for her Betty trys to help Liz out of depression but does not succeed at first. If I were to give Betty some advise, I would tell her not to worry, but not to worry but to keep a close eye on Liz in case she were to do something recklees. I would tell her tell her to get Liz involved in other activities so that she does not become too focused and unhealthily obsesse with her past life. I would finally tell Betty that nothing is her fault and that she is doing the best that she can to help Liz.

The Book I Would Like to Read

Book: Elsewhere

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Why I Would Like to Read This Book:

I would like to read this book because I have read a book by this author before and enjoyed it very much. I hope that I will enjoy Elsewhere just as much. I also want to read this book because when I read the summary of the book it caught my attention and wasn't like any other books I have read. My friend recommended it to me and said it was very good, too.