Reading Connections

Text to Text: 

          I found a text to text connection between the book Thirteen Reasons Why and the book My Sister's Keeper.  In the book My Sister's Keeper at a very young age Kate Fitzgerald was diagnosed with leukemia.  At first Kate really didn't think anything of it.  Yes, of course she was being looked at differently and people were judging her because she had lost all of her hair.  Although, Kate just put that behind her and lived her life as if she was cancer free.  Once, Kate gets older she comes to realize that her leukemia is tearing her family apart.  Kate soon feels that she is the reason her family is falling to pieces.  Kate now knows the cancer is not only killing her, but it is killing the rest of her family too.  She then wishes death upon herself; Kate wants to die.  (For more on this book read my other blog posts) 

          In the book Thirteen Reasons Why Hannah was being bullied.  She was being bulling in many ways and by many people.  The kids that were messing with Hannah had taken it way too far and they would not leave her alone.  Hannah was strung over and also wished to die, like Kate.  Hannah had, had enough and committed suicide.  Why didn't Hannah ask for help?  Why didn't Kate try to pull her family back together?  Did either of these two girls even try to save themselves?  Is death really the answer to every situation?

Text to World:

          The book Thirteen Reasons Why relates to the world of teenagers and bullying.  Did you know 30% of teenagers in the United States have been involved in bullying?  I predict these bulling statistics will always occur and be an issue because there will always be people in the world that are cruel to others.  As much as I wish bulling didn't exist I know it will always be an issue of discussion.  Data is suggesting that bullying is very common in the life of a teenager.  Hannah in the novel Thirteen Reasons Why  was fifteen years old and was also being bullied.  The bullying Hannah was experiencing was so severe that she committed suicide.  Teenagers in the world today also can become very depressed which can lead to suicide.  Teenagers today as well as Hannah Baker are dying from the wrath of their peers.     

Bullying Statistics     

Text to Self: 

       The book I have just recently finished, Thirteen Reasons Why, believe it or not can relate to my life.  I have experienced others being bullied and I have also been bullied.  Bullying is a very crucial topic and I wish it didn't exist.  I don't enjoy to be bullied and it really hurts my feelings.  You could come to a conclusion that Hannah Baker and I have both gotten our feelings hurt from bullies.  I have been bullied just like Hannah was bullied in the story Thirteen Reasons Why.  Why do people bully me?  Why do people bully others?  Why did people bully Hannah?  One reason I think people bully others is because of jealousy.  The kids in the novel may have bullied Hannah because they were jealous of her.  She was pretty and rich.  Some people think that if you bring someone else down then it will make you have more power.  I wish bullying didn't exist and I am pretty sure Hannah would agree with me.  

The Interlopers

Out of all the short stories we read in class my favorite was The Interlopers by Saki.  I really liked this short story because it was written very well.  There was a lot of description and you could very easily picture the rivalry of these two families.  Based off of the description the author gives you, you can picture the setting of the story.  You are able to feel and see the story.  I also really liked this short story because it had a well thought out conflict.  I really liked how the story was planned out.  The conflict was very well written and really helped create a well-rounded short story.  Another reason why I really enjoyed this short story is because you wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen and which side was going to come to the rescue first.  The author did a great job of keeping you hooked.  This book was also had a great theme.  The theme of this short story was ‘Don’t judge someone based on past experiences or history, wait until you get to know them yourself.’  This theme was not only placed very well into the story but this also can apply to people today.  If you decide to read this story it would be a great experience for you to learn from. If you like short stories that are very easily comprehendible that will keep you hooked with a good plot this would be a great reading for you!   

Big Nate; not so great!

          I am going to review the book Big Nate Out Loud by: Lincoln Peirce.  When my seven year old brother was reading this book to me I was a little confused.  I was asking myself why his second grade teacher would allow him to read this cartoon book for his personal reading.  On every single page of this book there is a cartoon box with four squares.  In each box there is an average of five words.  I am puzzled as to what educational purpose this book solves.  I really don't understand what learning this is going to do for him. 

          Another problem I had found with this book was that it was pointless.  This cartoon book really had no purpose.  I found it to be very random.  It goes from talking about setting trends to talking about Nate's grade on a math test.  This book also has a lot of words that are un-comprehendible for children at the young age.  The word choice used was set at a very high level, yet the overall randomness and picture drawings don't really mix well.  With the given words it seems as if an older child would be reading this book, but with all of the pictures going on you would think it would be for someone of the young age. 

          I would definitely not recommend this book to older kids.  The book overall is just not very reasonable.  I also would probably not recommend this book to younger children.  This book is not going to help improve their reading skills and there are many words they will not understand or be able to read.  This then causes the children to become confused and not understand the overall point of the scene.  This book is probably not a great choice for you and I would personally not recommend it. 

             

My Predictions

I really like the book Thirteen Reasons Why.  I especially like this book because it is starting to pick up.  Although throughout the whole book it was very interesting and I have really enjoyed the beginning of the story.  Now, I am very excited to keep reading because the novel has finally gotten to Clay’s tape.  I am thrilled to find out what part Clay had in Hannah’s death. 

I really am puzzled about what Clay did.  From his point of view it seems as if he has done nothing wrong, but from Hannah’s perspective will she see otherwise?  I don’t really have any prediction about what Clay did.  According to the way Jay Asher writes, Clay has been nothing but nice to Hannah.  I am really curious to find out what she sees wrong in him. 

          Although I am very excited to find out what happens on Clay’s tape I am also a little disappointed.  I was surprised Clay’s tape was not the one at the very end.  I was thinking that Clay would be introduced as a reason of Hannah’s death as the last tape.  Now I am curious as to how the author, Jay Asher is going to end the story.  I did not predict correctly because Clay’s name has appeared and the story has not come to an end.  Now I am thinking the book will become boring after Clay’s tape.  I am not sure what the author is going to talk about and how he is going to keep the readers hooked, now that he has already allowed Clay’s name to appear.  I feel as if the end of this book will fall to a compete end, and it will become completely boring because there will be no hook as to where Clay’s name will appear.  The whole book you are waiting and waiting for Clay’s name to be announced and the buildup keeps on becoming larger.  When you reach a new tape you are so excited to find out if this will be Clay’s tape.  After Clay’s name appears three fourths of the way through the book you are going to have no buildup or anything to hope for because you will have already know what part Clay had in Hannah’s death.  I am very curious to find out if Jay Asher can pull this story to a complete end that will keep me hooked.  

How does marijuana affect you?

I read an article on CNN.com called Fighting marijuana... or reality? 

Who is allowing people to hold position of this drug? 

          According to Mr. Frum's predication "half of the states may soon allow the sale of marijuana to almost anybody determined to buy it".  I disagree with what the states may soon allow.  I believe it is a bad idea for people to be allowed to have this drug in their position.  When under the influence of marijuana you don't act like yourself.  This drug is very harmful to your body and may cause you to do things you will regret.  Using this drug has caused many accidents so to prevent things from happening unexpectedly marijuana should be illegal in all of the states.  People should not be allowed to hold position of this drug.    

Why is this drug not becoming illegal in some states? 

          The risk of marijuana is very comparable to when drivers have a blood alcohol level of .05%.  To be arrested for a DUI the level must be at least a .08%.  When a person is under the influence of marijuana that means they would still be quote on quote "legal".          

How are people being affected? 

          In states where this drug is illegal people are going out of their way to find a way to buy marijuana.  Then, allowing themselves to be caught under the influence under it.  Smoking marijuana can also be very harmful to the human body and causes chronic muscle spasms that are known to be very painful.  Also, smoking marijuana can be very harmful to the user's lungs.      

When and where should this drug be allowed? 

          Marijuana can also have a positive effect.  I think that this drug should be allowed in hospitals and emergency rooms for the necessary needs.  In some cases marijuana can be very helpful up to the point of helping someone live.  Marijuana will always be a problem of the future because it is a plant and plants are the necessities of human living. 

Below is the URL of where I read this article.   http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/12/opinion/nathan-pot-legalization/index.html?hpt=us_mid  

Book Recommendation

Do you ever regret anything you’ve ever done?  I wonder if Hannah regrets the choice she made about ending her life.  Did she really have that many things not going the way she had wanted them to?  Was it really worth taking that risk?  She was just fifteen years old.  Why did she end her life so early on?  Hasn’t she always wanted to grow up, graduate from high school, go to college, get married, and live the life of her dreams?

I would definitely recommend Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher!  This story has a great plot line that will keep you on your toes.  When reading this book you will never want to put it down.  You are always wondering what is going to happen next.  You are always wondering when Clay’s name is going to appear on the tapes.  You want to keep reading and figure out the reasons as to what caused Hannah to commit suicide.    

This book is great because the story is told from many characters point of views.  You can understand what Clay is feeling while reading the tapes and thinking about Hannah.  Also, you can really feel what Hannah is going through by listening to the tapes she has left behind.  You can very well understand how Hannah is feeling and why she did really not want to continue her life.  With the description and detail the author, Jay Asher has used the story is vividly repainted in your mind.  You, the reader feel like you are living the life of Clay Jenson.  Feeling regret while listening to the tapes, wishing there was some way you could have saved the girl of your dreams.  

 You should read this book is you want know why Hannah ended her life so soon.  This book would be great for anyone who likes to question decisions others have made.  I would recommend this book to people who don’t really make good decisions and don’t really enjoy life.  This book would be a great learning experience in which you could learn from other people’s mistakes.  I would recommend this book for girls because it has a lot of drama.  If you like stories that are a little depressing this would be the book for you!  

The Choice is Yours

          The book I'm reading for my independent reading novel is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.  I am over half way done with the book on page 202 of 336.  The theme of this book is that everyone is responsible for their actions.  You are your own person and you make your own choices.  Hopefully the choices you make are the right choices for you.  The choices you make are your decisions, not anyone else's therefore; you are responsible for all of your actions. 

          This novel has a great theme and could really inspire people to make good choices.  Hannah didn't make a very good decision, and her decision cost her, her life.  Hannah could have chosen to live but instead she made a decision that hurt many more people than just her.  She could have asked for help.  When she was being watched she could have told her parents or someone important to her.  When people were taking away her confidence in her peer communications class Hannah could have told the teacher.  Hannah knew who it was but instead she didn't speak up and she let her peers win.  Hannah had the right to change who she was.  Although, she didn't take that opportunity.  Hannah had the right to be happy.  Instead, she just got hung up on the little things and never really realized how great her life was.  Hannah always had the choice to change her life, but she never took that chance. 

          In the novel Thirteen Reasons Why the protagonist, Hannah has decided to commit suicide.  Before Hannah decides that she is better off somewhere else other than this earth she makes cassette tapes.  On these tapes there are the reasons as to why she killed herself.  These thirteen tapes with Hannah's reasoning arrive on the doorstep of Clay Matthew's house one day after school.  Clay is very confused and hesitant when he comes home to this package.  Putting his feelings aside Clay listens to the first cassette tape.  When Hannah introduces herself Clay suddenly is hit with memories.  Clay remembers Hannah and he knows that she committed suicide.  Clay realizes that each of these tapes has someone's name written all over it and somewhere he would find his name.  One of the first things recorded on these tapes was, "When you're done listening to all thirteen sides- because there are thirteen sides to every story- rewind the tapes, put them back in the box, and pass them on to whoever follows your little tale.  And you, lucky number thirteen, you can take the tapes straight to hell" (Asher 20).  Where will Clay find his name?  Which tape will be the fault of Clay Matthew's?  What did Clay do to make Hannah want to kill herself?  

        This video is a clip that is very inspirational, as well as motivational.  This video clip relates to the theme of Thirteen Reasons Why because it informs you about the choices you have in life.  These choices are up to you, and you are the one responsible for your actions.  Make the right decisions based on what your brain is telling you, the choice is up to you.