A Camp for a Day or Two

On this morning, this sunny morning a camp trip had been planned. We would go at 4.00 PM. We finally had our bags packed into the car. I read a book until a campsite appeared. Slowly we picked up our bags and started to our cabin. My dad found the way but the rest of us got lost. After 30 minutes of walking, we met dad and he led us to the cabin. After we were settled, we walked to the BB gun shooting and waited 30 minutes. When it was finally our turn, we put on safety goggles and picked up our BB guns. I loaded mine and found out all my 5 bullets were stuck inside with one more too. I got a different BB gun and did 5 shots. They all were very close but none made it in. We left the BB guns and walked to archery. While I was waiting I had an apple to pass time. When it was my turn, I didn’t know how to shoot so the coach taught me. I finally got the arrow in the target. When all six kids had finished, we picked up our arrows and put them back where they belonged. We left archery and went to dinner. After we were all filled up, I started to collect sticks for roasting marshmallows. I then played with a group of people around a fire. Soon I got bored and  went up to the cars, racing other people down the hills. Soon it was time for the campfire where we would roast marshmallows. Some kids did tiny skits in the light of the fire. One was really funny. What happened was that two friends thought they saw poop in Penn Station. They smelled the poop, felt the poop, saw the poop, and tasted the poop. Than one sure got me laughing. Finally it was time to roast marshmallows. I made one s, more and ate 2 marshmallows plain. Soon the fire was put out and people got ready for bed. I used the bathroom, changed my clothes, and straightened up my sleeping bag. In the morning, after breakfast, we packed up and left. I’ll never forget that trip, not ever, ever, ever.

An example of my campsite!!

A Wrinkle in Time book Review

A short introduction to A Wrinkle in Time

Meg Murry is a high school girl and when three other worldly creatures appear and sweep Meg and her brother Charles Wallace plus their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a mission to save Meg’s father, little do they know what they are getting into.

Conflict One

Meg’s Father is missing. Practically no one is involved except for one thing. That’s right, it’s not a person. The only thing involved is IT. IT is a brain preserved and it is trying to take over the world. IT captures Meg’s father. What happens in this conflict is that Meg’s father disappears and doesn’t come back because he is captured by IT. This happens on Camazotz where Meg’s

father is being held captive. It happens throughout the time he is on Camazotz. This conflict occurred because IT wants to take over the world and he especially wants Meg’s father because he is a brilliant scientist.

"Look, dope. Calvin shook her gently. I just want to get things straight, sort of sort out the fact from fiction. Your father's a physicist. That's a fact, yes? Yes. He's a Ph.D. several times over. Yes. Most of the time he works alone but some of the time he was at the Institute for Higher Learning in Princeton. Correct? Yes. Then he did some work for the government, didn't he? Yes. You take it from there. That's all I know. That's about all I know, too, Meg said. Maybe Mother knows more. I don't know. What he did was—well, it was what they call Classified. Top Secret, you mean? That's right. And you don't even have any idea what it was about? Meg shook her head. No. Not really. Just an idea because of where he was. Well, where?" Out in New Mexico for a while; we were with him there; and then he was in Florida at Cape Canaveral, and we were with him there, too. And then he was going to be traveling a lot, so we came here.
You'd always had this house? Yes. But we used to live in it just in the summer. And you don't know where your father was sent? No. At first we got lots of letters. Mother and Father always wrote each other every day. I think Mother still writes him every night. Every once in a while the postmistress makes some kind of a crack about all her letters. I suppose they think she's pursuing him or something, Calvin said, rather bitterly. They can't understand plain, ordinary love when they see it. Well, go on. What happened next? Nothing happened, Meg said. That's the trouble. Well, what about your father's letters? They just stopped coming. You haven't heard anything at all? No Meg said. Nothing. Her voice was heavy with misery.”(part of page 35 & the full page of 36 & part of page 37)

Conflict Two

IT wants to control people. The thing involved in making this conflict occur is IT and a human who works for IT; the Prime Coordinator . IT plans to control everyone in the world and starts by controlling everyone on his planet. What happens is that when you look into the Prime Coordinator’s eyes, IT takes you in and controls you. This conflict occurs on Camazotz and every time of IT’s life. Why this conflict occurs because IT is greedy and selfish and wants to be the ruler of everyone in the world.

This quote happens after Meg finds her dad and her dad realizes Charles Wallace is being controlled by IT.

Mr. Murry released Meg and knelt in front of the little boy. Charles, his voice was tender. Charles Wallace. What do you want? I'm your father, Charles. Look at me. The pale blue eyes seemed to focus on Mr. Murry's face. Hi, Pop, came an insolent voice. That isn't Charles! Meg cried. Oh, Father, Charles isn't like that. IT has him. Yes. Mr. Murry sounded tired. I see. He held his arms out. Charles. Come here." (part of page 116)

Conflict Three

Meg doubts herself too much and has a lack of self respect for herself. Who makes this conflict occur is actually Meg herself. She doubts herself throughout the book. What happens is that Meg thinks she can’t do something and then she performs poorly in it. This conflict occurs everywhere Meg is; in school, when on Camazotz. It occurs any time of the day. It happens because Meg doubts herself and deems herself incapable of doing what needs to happen.

This quote occurs after Meg gets back from school

“A delinquent, that's what I am, she thought grimly. —That's what they'll be saying next. Not Mother. But Them. Everybody Else. I wish Father— But it was still not possible to think about her father without the danger of tears. Only her mother could talk about him in a natural way, saying, When your father gets back—" (part of page 2)

This quote occurs after Meg decided to leave her attic bedroom

"Go back to sleep, Meg said. Just be glad you're a kitten and not a monster like me. She looked at herself in the wardrobe mirror and made a horrible face, bearing a mouthful of teeth covered with braces. Automatically she pushed her glasses into position, ran her fingers through her mouse-brown hair, so that it stood wildly on end, and let out a sigh almost as noisy as the wind.” (part of page 2)

Lesson learned from A Wrinkle in Time

It only matter about what your heart is like and what is on the inside, not how you look. I got this because Meg blames her looks for everything bad happening to her at the beginning of the story. However, learning that Calvin likes her looks Meg eventually realizes this lesson.

Writing Girl(WG)

A Wrinkle in Time cover page

Stargirl Book Review

Short Introduction to Stargirl

Stargirl Caraway has been home schooled her whole life, has a pet rat, wears strange dresses, and plays the ukulele. This is the first time Stargirl is going to a real school and her classmates don’t know what to think of her.

Conflict One

Stargirl is treated like an outsider by the students at her high school. The main person who made this conflict occur was Hillari Kimble. She spread bad things to other people about  Stargirl. She says Stargirl is a fake that the principal has put in just to spread school spirit. There is also a school show called the “Hot Seat.” By what Hillari says, one of the boys who runs “Hot Seat” is convinced to put Stargirl on it and expose her as a fake just for high ratings. The other boy, Leo Borlock becomes a main part of Stargirl’s life in the story. What happens in this conflict is that people ignore Stargirl, don’t talk to her, avoid her and say mean things behind her back. This conflict occurs in Mica Area High School which is the school Stargirl goes to. It occurs any time Stargirl is at school. The reason this issue is there is because Stargirl is accused of making the Electrons, the Mica Area High school basketball team lose. She is accused because she cheers for both teams not just Mica High.

This quote is in Leo’s perspective after he begins to hang out in school with Stargirl.

“And then one day I began to discover that we were more alone than I had dreamed. It was a Thursday. Normally on that day, after third period, Stargirl and I would pass each other on the second floor around the teacher's lounge. We would smile and say hi and continue on our way to our separate classes. On this day, impulsively, I fell in alongside her. How about an escort? I said. She grinned slyly. Anybody in mind? We touched little fingers and walked on. Her next class was on the first floor, so we went down the nearest stairway. We were walking side by side. That’s when I noticed. No one spoke to us. No one nodded to us. No one smiled at us. No one looked at us. A crowded stairway, and no shoulder, no sleeve brushed us. Students climbing the steps veered to the railing or wall. Except for Stargirl jabbering in my ear, the usual raucous chatter was absent. Mostly what I noticed were the eyes. Faces turned up from the steps below, but the eyes never connected with us. They went right on through us as if they were gamma rays. Or they nipped our ears and rattled off among the walls and other eyes. I had an urge to look down at myself, to make sure I was there.” (part of page 95 & 96)

Conflict Two

The students at Mica High only look at what is different about Stargirl and what they didn’t like; rather that looking at what is the same about Stargirl and what they did like. Practically everyone at Mica High was involved; other than Leo Borlock. What happened in this conflict is that people started to ignore the good stuff Stargirl did; such as pass out goodies to everyone on holidays and cheer for people who were doing something good. They started to look at the weird stuff about her; such as wearing strange dresses, having a pet rat, and playing the ukulele. This conflict occurred at Mica Area High School and at every time Stargirl was at school. The reason this conflict happened was because after it was accused that Stargirl made the basketball team lose, people started to think Stargirl was bad luck everywhere and to prove it, only pointed out the bad stuff about her.

This quote happens after Stargirl wins the State Finals for the Oratorical Contest

“She won. As she had said she would. The silver plate they gave her twinkled like a starburst in a galaxy of flashing cameras. Two TV crews washed her in lights and interviewed her backstage. Strangers mobbed her, citizens of Phoenix gushing, telling her they had been coming to the contest for years and had never heard anything like it. Schoolchildren thrust programs in her face for autographs. Every parent wanted her for a daughter, every teacher for a student. She was so happy, she was so proud. She yelped and cried when she saw us. She hugged each of us in turn, and I thought she would squeeze the breath out of me.” (page 157)

This quote happens after Stargirl comes back to Mica High after winning the Oratorical Contest

“We swung around back to the parking lot and-yes-there was a car, and another car. And people, three of them, shading their eyes in the sun, watching us. Two of them were teachers. The other was a student, Dori Dilson. She stood apart from the teachers, alone in the black shimmering sea of asphalt. As we approached, she held up a sign, a huge cardboard sign bigger than a basketball backboard. She set the sign on edge and propped it up, erasing herself. The red painted letters said: WAY TO GO, SUSAN WE’RE PROUD OF YOU. The car stopped in front of it. All that was left to see of Dori Dilson were two sets of fingers holding the sides of the sign. We were close enough now to see that the sign was trembling, and I knew that behind it Dori was crying. There was no confetti, no kazoos. Nothing cheered, not even a mts of fingers holding the sides of the sign. We were close enough now to see that the sign was trembling, and I knew that behind it Dori was crying. There was no confetti, no kazoos. Nothing cheered, not even a mockingbird.” (part of page 159 & 160)

Conflict Three

Stargirl is encouraged to become normal so other people like her; even though she wants to stay herself. Leo actually makes this conflict occur because he gives Stargirl the idea to change herself so she can become popular. The only other friend of Stargirl’s; Dori Dilson, tells Stargirl not to change herself. What happens is that Stargirl changes back to her real name; Susan, stops bringing her rat to school, wears makeup and doesn’t wear weird dresses. This conflict once again occurred at Mica Area High School and when Stargirl changed herself to become normal. This occurs because Leo tells Stargirl if she wants anyone to like her, she had to become normal.

This quote happens when Leo tells Stargirl to become normal

“Forced to face her, forced to talk, I felt my gumption rising. Something’s gotta change, I said. That’s all I know. You mean like change clothes? Or change a tire? Should I change a tire on my bike? Would that do it? You’re not funny. You know what I mean.” (the end of page 133)

    This quote happens when Stargirl changes herself to become normal

“Coming out of the lunchroom, I heard laughter behind me. And then a voice, Stargirl’s: What do you have to do to get somebody’s attention around here? I turned, but it wasn’t her. The girl standing, grinning in front of me wore jeans and sandals, had burnt-red nails and lipstick, painted eyes, finger rings, toe rings, hoop earrings I could put my hand through, hair… I gawked as students swarmed past. She made a clownish grin. She was beginning to look vaguely familiar. Tentatively I whispered, Stargirl? She batted her chocolaty eyelashes. Sargirl? What kind of name is that? My name is Susan. And just like that, Stargirl was gone, replaced by Susan. Susan Julia Caraway. The girl she might have been all along.” (part of page 139)

Lesson Learned from this book

The lesson I took away from Stargirl is dare to be different. I got this from Stargirl doing all these strange things, such as playing the ukulele, carrying a pet rat and singing birthday songs to people she didn’t know.

B

Writing Girl(WG)

Stargirl cover page

Spring

Beautiful Trees

Green leaves

Blooming grass

Less trash

Warm air

People care

April showers

May flowers

Longer day

We can play

More sun

Lots of fun

Birds chirping

Animals lurking

Outside bright

Lots of light

Let out a cheer

Spring is here!

A Beautiful Spring Day