SOL #4 Thanksgiving

I wait in the kitchen

I wait in the kitchen and hop up and down

I wait in the kitchen and hop up and down until I think I hear the doorbell

I wait in the kitchen and hop up and down until I think I hear the doorbell

I don't

I run from the kitchen

I run from the kitchen and into the living room

I run from the kitchen and into the living room and hop up and down

I run from the kitchen and into the living room and hop up and down until I think I hear the doorbell

I don't

I slide into the entryway

I slide into the entryway from the living room

I slide into the entryway from the living room and hop up and down

I slide into the entryway from the living room and hop up and down until I think I hear the doorbell

I don't

I quietly walk back to the kitchen

I quietly walk back to the kitchen from the entryway 

I quietly walk back to the kitchen from the entryway and I sit on the counter

 I quietly walk back to the kitchen from the entryway and I sit on the counter and then....

The Doorbell Rings

"Hi!"

Lord Of The Flies By William Golding

This was a book about a group of British boys who were abandoned on an island. They were being sipped away from England, and their plane was bombed. The boys are ages 5-12 and have to learn to survive. Ralph, the elected chief blew a conch shell to bring the boys together.  They make a society, but they don't have everything go the way they want. These boys are stuck with not only the challenge of survival, but also making their own society.

My favorite character was a boy named Simon. He wasn't quite a main character, but he was a big impact on their little society. I felt like he was the only one of the boys that actually knew what he was doing. He was a bit more adventurous than the other boys and wanted to survive. He was a part of the society, but was also on his own.

The book has a few "bad" words in it, but otherwise it is ok.

TBR:

1. A Long Sleep
2. Silent Boy - Grace
3. The Secret Life Of Bees - Talia

SOL # 3 (I know.... there was a three, but really it was 2, again...)

 I walked in the huge double doors and was swallowed by people. All ages, colors, sizes. Different, hair, heights, clothes. I stuck close to the one familiar jacket I knew. People behind tables were holding out objects of all sizes, shapes, and color. One person shoved a small, oval green object that I quickly stuck into my pocket. The red carpet was getting slowly squished under the many pairs of shoes walking over it. I see the familiar jacket head in to a dark door labeled: door 1. I follow the jacket in and a, walking down a steep matching carpet of red, at least a hundred seat greeting me. I am ushered in between the seats quickly following the beam of light leading to a seat next to the familiar jacket. "Are You Ready Denver?" called a voice belonging to a man on a tall stage in front of everyone. "Are You Ready For Warren Miller's Never Turning Back?" The lights clicked of and the lot of us cheered. The ski and board season was about to start. 

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Catherine is 12 and she would do anything to have a normal life. Her little brother, David, has autism and Catherine is stuck teaching him the ways of the world. She teaches him rules that range from don't pull your pants down in public to no toys in the fish tank. She feels like he controls her life and she can't do her own thing. When a new girl arrives next door, Catherine lets her hopes up, but the girl next door is really weirded out by David. Then when Catherine meets Jason a mute boy in a wheelchair that goes to David's same Occupational therapy they become close friends.  Catherine struggles to figure out what to do about David, but doesn't realize she needs to realize that David won't change and he loves him anyway.

I like this book because it was really interesting to learn about Autism and how people are effected by it. Catherine has a really interesting story. She struggles to figure out how she should deal with David and live her life. She realizes that though it might be impossible to stop being embarrassed about David, but that doesn't mean he should be a huge effect to her life. There is no bad content.

My favorite character was Catherine because she told the story in a very interesting way and I share some of her interests. It was cool to hear her frustration from her, not from anyone else. I also liked how she made rules and each chapter has a different rule for a title.

TBR:

1. A Long Sleep
2. The Summer Of Letting Go
3. Eleanor and Park - Grace

SOL #3 Drowning

I hobble down back to the school and I soon see a golden light slip over my shoes. I turn my face up to the light and see the sun slide over the berm. The golden light slides up over my ankles and to my knees. The light snakes around me and I see my shadow grow. Shifting my feet I feel a clump of snow deep in the soul of my shoe. The light is waist deep now, I am starting to drown. I start to slip and slide down the rocks. More snow sinks into my shoe. The light is to my neck and I am full-on drowning. My shadow flicks around my bundled up body. I am drowning deep in the light. The fresh snow is only slightly disturbed by our footprints. I am warmed by the bright sun on my face. I continue to walk, slipping and yelping down the rocks. My foot sinks deep into a snow patch and my foot is soaked. Just like the rest of my body, my foot is drowned. But instead of sunlight, my foot is drowned in snow. A few clouds quickly fly to cover the sun. My body is drowned in a new substance: The cold. I smile where the sun was and head inside.

SOL #2

Staring out the window I see the thick snow falling. The snowflakes are so big that I can almost see their patterns. This reminds me of when I was little, in the backseat, in my little jacket with the fur hood, looking out the window, pretending I was an eskimo. I thought about how this weather must be  just like Alaska. I would want to open up the window and stick out my tongue. Fo-fur would just top my eyelashes. My jacket was brown and I stuck my hands into the furry pockets wishing I was in a dog sled. Thinking that maybe I would wake up and be in a dog-pulled sled.

Everyday, every winter I was an eskimo. I rarely had the same name. Once I got to school I never told my friends that I was an eskimo. It was my winter secret. 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Summary:

The Sinclairs are a family where no one is needy, and no one is wrong, or so they think. They also think that every summer that they spent on their private island will be perfect. One group of friends- the lairs: Candace (the main character), Mirren, Johnny, and Gat - get together each summer and have the best time. Then the accident happens to in summer 15. The next summer Candace does not return to the island, instead she goes to Europe with her Dad and a devastating head injury. Summer 17: nothing will ever be the same. Are the Sinclairs who they think they are?

Review:

I loved this book. I think the descriptions are fantastic and the story really comes alive. It is told by Candace, through summer 15, Europe, and her struggles to remember the accident. This book has a very surprise ending that fits together once Candace remembers. I had tears in my eyes finishing this book. Content Warning: a heavy amount of bad words, romance, drug addition. 

Favorite character:

My favorite character was Candace. I felt like I could relate to her, though I had never gone through anything like this before. The story really has this element that it wouldn't have had if Candace didn't tell the story. You get to hear her struggles with the head injury and pain medicine addition. She goes through life changing experiences, that you get to hear about through her thoughts as well as the dialog. 

TBR:

1. The Lord Of The Flies 
2. Unremembered
3. A Long Sleep

SOL #1: Boats and People

As we pull in to our garage, I hear a NPR news broadcast coming on. The woman starts to talk about how there are boats who wear flags of countries that they have never been to. They were not made there, and haven't been there, so why do they have the flag? It turns out that countries pay tips to boats to have them wear the flag. I jump out of the car and walk into our house. I start thinking about these boats who have some of their identity stolen. People assume that the boat is from the country which it's flag states. Then I began to think, do people walk around, like the boats, wearing different flags to fit in? I wondered how many people hide their self just so they can live with the people around them. This is weird, so brace yourself, people are a lot like boats. We go into waves, run into obstacles, and ride on the tide. As I sit down to eat my Noodles And Company dinner, I wonder am I one of these people?

The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone

Felicity is a 11 year old girl living in Britain during WWII. When her parents bring her to America to stay with her Uncle Gideon, they act as is nothing is weird between the families. Felicity is stuck in this house full of swirling secrets and very queer people. Soon she learns about this Captain Derek who is living behind locked doors. Then, the letters arrive. Felicity learns that the letters are from her parents, but they are also in code. The Romeo and Juliet code. I liked this book, though it really is a love it or hate it kind of book. The story is told from Felicity's perspective, and she has a very interesting way of telling the story. I don't love mystery books, but this one was amazing. It has references to what was happening right on the verge on America joining WWII. Content warning: if you are scared about hearing about WWII then don't read this. Also, this book goes into some detail about Polio. Other than that this book is ok. Enjoy! :)TBR:

1. Unremembered  

1. Breathing Underwater - Haley 

1. The Circle - Gavin

1. 1984 - Kam's book group