Welcome to the new school year, Bulldogs! I will use this blog to communicate to you what we did in class, what he homework is, and when it's due. We will also use it as a space to share ideas about course content.
Freshmen: Today we got a basic introduction to the course and one another. Your homework tonight is to read for 20 minutes from your book (remember to bring it to class tomorrow) and to get your disclosure signed. Bring it to class tomorrow. Also, click on "comment", sign in and respond to the following prompt: Describe something from the summer reading that you found interesting. Your response should be about a paragraph long, and I would like it if you read other freshmen students' responses and addressed their ideas. Please sign your response with first name, last initial, grade in school, and period (e.g. Frank J., freshman, period 2).
Sophomores: Today we got a basic introduction to the course and the notion of belief statements and personal belief. Reflect back on the summer reading and identify a personal belief held by one of the characters. Click on "comment" and respond to the following prompt: Describe a personal belief held by one of the characters from our summer reading. In your response, identify the character and text you are referring to, and feel free to respond to what other students have said, but do not just agree with or paraphrase their ideas - your response should add to our understanding of that character and his or her personal belief. Please sign your response with first name, last initial, grade in school, and period (e.g. Sally M., sophomore, period 8). Also, bring back your signed disclosure tomorrow, and be sure to have a copy of Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor for class this week.
CNF: Today we got a basic introduction to the course and the primary theme we will examine this semester. Get your disclosure signed and bring it to class tomorrow.
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Of course it has been almost three months science I have read "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" but I am going to try to remember as much as possible because it was my favorite book that I read this summer. Edgar holds a place in my heart because the trait that I link to him is integrity. Edgar always tries to do the right thing for himself, his family and the dogs. He shows integrity not just in the face of others like Claude, his uncle, but for himself too. He is a man of his word on multiple occasions throughout the book. Like when his dad died at the end of part one, Edgar had to step up and work harder with the dogs and around the house. I found this trait present a lot throughout the book.
Ryan M., sophomore, period 2
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", Antonio Jose Bolivar holds many admirable beliefs. One of my favorites is his passionate care for nature. Antonio loves the jungle around him and he even occasionally finds it better than people. He finds what he calls "total freedom" when he is in a natural setting. Although circumstances end up forcing him to put himself up agaisnt nature, in the form of a raging female ocelot. Though he is forced to kill this creature, he instantly regrets it, and he throws the gun into the river. His ardent love of nature made Antonio an inspiring character.
Logan S, Sophomore, period 2
Antonio Jose Bolivar was a very memorable character from "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories". Many challenges with which he is faced in the book challenge his personal beliefs, but he tries his best to maintain them. Many of them stem entirely from his friends in the Shuar tribe, but he also develops a few of his own. When the mayor puts a price on the head of the ocelot in the Amazonia forest, the old man finds it very difficult in the end to bring himself to kill it. Even when he did, he was ashamed of himself for using a firearm. He often feels connected to the forest and nature, and this often leads him to make choices that others would not often make. His connection and relation to the forest and all the animals in it often influence his decisions, and thus are representative of a personal belief which is present throughout Luis Sepúlveda's work.
Hunter C., Sophomore, Period 1
In the book "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" , the character Edgar Sawtelle presents many admirable traits. Edgar constantly cares for the others around him and is aware of their thoughts or opinions. A personal belief that he held was the importance of listening and reflecting off of others ideas. Since Edgar was born mute, he has to listen and follow along very closely. Due to this disability, his personal beliefs are displayed by the ways he can detect what people are saying. Throughout the book his personal belief about listening and caring for others is shown by him with his dogs, his dad, his uncle, and his mom. Listening was a very valid part of the book, for example when his father dies. Edgar only knows how to train the dogs from what he comprehended from his father in the past. Although he has this disability, he uses it to his advantage and gains so much knowledge from this large impact in his life.
Isabella D., Sophomore, period 1
Antonio Bolivar from the novel "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" is a perfect example of a man who sticks to his beliefs. Throughout the first few chapters, he joins the Shuar tribe and shares in the rituals and guidelines that they established long ago. And even as he knows the he will never be a true member of society, he continues to honor and respect their traditions. However, when he dishonors the tribe by killing a white man with a firearm instead of a blowgun, he is cast out and is prohibited from coming back. And although Antonio did screw up on his beliefs, the narrative describes how he never got over the incident, proving that he does indeed care about and respect his personal beliefs.
Billy Riley, Sophomore, Period 1
One thing that I found interesting about death coming up the hill is that through all that Ashe has been through he still loved his family and his new little sister. Also when I read the part about Ashes little sister being half black and half white I found that very interesting because at that time, interracial couples, let alone children, weren't as commonly heard of, and since Ashes mom was with his father All those years, a man who was old fashioned and liked things to be "normal" that intrigued me as well.
Ozzie V, Freshmen, Period 4
In the book "I Am Malala", I found it interesting about how simple their lives they live in Pakistan. They seem to prefer to have boys rather than girls. However, Malala is a lucky girl in many ways. For example, her father opened a school and she was allowed to learn without discrimination because she is a girl. Her family supported and nurtured her education, as well as her two brothers. Her father grew up with a speech impediment, but overcame his disability by memorizing his speeches that he would recite at competitions. It seemed in the beginning Malala's grandfather was not as proud of her father as he was of her Uncles. However, he started to win speech competitions and gained respect from his father. It just reiterated to me to work with hard work and determination I should be able to accomplish my personal goals.
Ethan F., Freshmen, Period 4
In the book "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle", Claude's beliefs are almost polar opposites to Edgar's. One of the main differences between the two's beliefs are that while Edgar is all about the good of his family and everyone around him, Claude believes solely in personal gain. He was willing to kill members of his family and manipulate good people into doing horrible things purely for the sake of getting what he wants. Glen Papineau only did what he did because of the manipulation Claude used on him. For the entire book, Claude does some of the most grisly, shameful things imaginable simply because he wanted something. He let that belief shape his entire life.
Zach S., Sophomore, Period 1
In "The Once and Future King", King Arthur held true to his belief of justice. In the pursue of his dream of justice, Arthur established the round table. Arthur's system sought to crush the theory of Ruling by Might. The purpose of the Knights were to oppose those who had ruled over their domain with a tyrannical force. The Knights sought after other who were dominating their servants with force and treating those under them poorly. In pursuit of Arthur's passion, he established a new form of trial. The innocence was originally determined with a trial by combat, but with Arthur's newer system was trial by Jury, which was significantly more balanced.
Raymond Y., Sophomore, Period 1
In "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle", Claude holds the belief of greed and regard only for himself. He thinks of no one else when he preforms an action other than himself. When he kills Gar, he thinks of nothing but self gain because he wanted Trudy as his wife. Then, when he is trying to cover up his tracks in the end, he thinks only of what Trudy will see when he goes into the barn to kill Edgar. His thought process is that because all he wants to do is keep Trudy's affection.
Anthony (Tony) R., Sophomore, P.2
Wart also known as King Arthur from the book "The once and future King" is a man whose personal belief is to show great leadership and generosity. He wanted to do what was right at all time, for example, when his wife cheated on him with another guy named Lancelot instead of killing her right away he talk to the priest who told him to burn her for committing adultery. He showed great leadership by being the King of England and used it correctly to make them more powerful and help people, instead of abusing it. Although many people have died during war, he later realize that war is bad and people should be spreading peace and joy.
Chris James, Sophomore, Period 1
In "I am Malala" I found it interesting how the Taliban affected their lives. How every night she had trouble going to sleep because of the gun shots she would hear. How the Taliban just left bodies in the street for them to see. Even when they had to leave their homes to go to a different city. Then the suicide bombing there were, causing them to live in fear and never now what's going to happen.
Carter C., Freshman, Period 7
In "The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle" Edgar is a caring person. He believes that his family and dogs come first before anything, even school. Edgar can't see himself leaving his home and dogs behind. In his mind nothing could be better than working with his family and dogs. When Edgar's Father dies he stays with his mother and helps as much as he can with the dogs. When he feels that his uncle Claude is guilty of killing his father he does everything he can to prove Claude's guilt and to protect his family. Edgar puts his family and dogs before everything else in his life.
Maria W, Sophomore Period 2
In the book "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" Antonio lives by a very particular set of beliefs with the Shuar tribe. He follows these beliefs, and respects them even though he was not apart of the tribe. These beliefs all came about because of the struggles he went through before he met Shuar. But these beliefs formed because of the hardships he endured. The fact that him and his wife were not able to have kids, and he became a widower strengthened his personal beliefs. Even though he dishonored his beliefs, it was very clear that he continued to follow them for entirety of the book.
Tess M. Sophomore Period 1
In "The Once and Future King", King Arthur's belief in a nonviolent and peaceful reign lead to a fruitful success of a kingdom. His belief system originated from his childhood, where he transformed into multiple different animals who lived placid lifestyles that rarely involved slaughter of the same species; the only time there was forms of violence as horrible as war, was when the Wart transformed into an ant. The ants thought in a very mechanical, non emotional way, where they attacked foreign ants if boundaries were crossed. This resembles human slaughter and possession of land. However, his belief in the loyalty in friendship with Lancelot leads to the end of Arthur's life and reign.
Long P. Sophomore, Period 1
In T.H. White's, "The Once and Future King", the Wart possesses numerous valuable traits and beliefs. In the future, the Wart becomes a legendary hero as the King of England. However, in order to become the King he must be trained by the great wizard, Merlyn. Merlyn teaches the Wart important lessons about people's beliefs and values. The Wart is a suitable student for Merlyn due to his belief in the ambition to learn. The Wart's ambition to learn about the ideology and principles of others will benefit him once he is King of England. His belief in the desire to learn, accompanied by sociability will guide him to become a great king as well as a historical figure.
Mirabella E., Sophomore, Period 2
In the old man who deadline stories Anthony Jose Boliviar sticks to his beliefs the most. He believes in the perseverance of the natural world and is becomes very upset when settlers destroy nature. His belief of preserving nature led him to live with the native Indian tribe who shared in his belief of preservation of the environment and his dislike of the settlers. Another example of his dedication to his beliefs is his reluctance to kill animals, like the jaguar. He has other beliefs too, which he sticks to faithfully, even when it could be to his disadvantage.
In "I Am Malala" I found it strange how the Taliban was making the civilization devolve and becoming barbaric. The Taliban was putting fear in to every one so no one would try to stop them for destroying school and killing people. They also started to corrupt the government which let the Taliban to do anything if they said it was for Allah. The started to destroy school for girl and encourage girls to not learn with took away all their power. The Taliban was recruiting a lot young adults to join the Taliban and lied to them that they would be better people and go to heaven.
Tommaso N, Pascucci Period 4
The book "Death Coming Up the Hill" is about a seventeen year old boy named Ashe. He lives with his racist dad and unracist mother. The problem is Ashe's parents fight alot. Ashe's parants had him at a very young age and Ashe's dad is mad at his mom because he said she ruined his football career. There are a couple things I found very interesting about this book. The fisrt thing was how the author compared Ashe's parants fighting to the fighting in Vietnam. When war is going on there are wars being fought in people's own homes. Another thing was when Ashes mother cheated on his dad with an African American man and had a baby. This shocked me because back in 1968 this was not acceptable. It appears that other students found this interesting as well. This caused rage in his father and effected his whole family.
Nick W., 9th Period 7
In the story "I am Malala" the government did not try to do anything against people that said it violated the Qur'an. One Taliban member killed a teacher working at a girls school in Pakistan claiming it went against the Qur'an. People said that he did a good deed by getting rid of him and even claimed that he was a Saint. Once the conflict was over in the valley the government said that the Taliban had been chased out of Pakistan, but yet there was still school bombings and education workers being shot. The Taliban could even go so far as to do public whippings. One girl was with her uncle but was not covering her face so the Taliban started to publicly whip her. Her uncle was one of the people to hold her down.
Miguel L. Antola, period 4
One of King Arthur's most demonstrated beliefs in "The Once and Future King" is equality and justice among all his subjects. In the beginning, when Arthur first becomes king of England, he struggles with the concept of right against might. He starts to notice that while Knights are supposed to be people of honor and chivalry, they have slipped into the custom of abusing their power to show strength. King Arthur rejects the idea of Knights miss using their power so he forms the round table. The idea of the round table is to collect all Knights who use their power to do right and slowly eliminate the tyrants who hold control over the people with iron fists. He also eliminates the process in which innocence is decided by trial of combat and created the jury to try the accused. This processes was much fairer. Arthurs changes also lead to his downfall.
Abigail, R., Sophomore, period 2
In "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" Edgar I think shows his beliefs the most. Edgar was a very caring person who cared for just about everyone, but his family and dogs always came first. Since he was born mute he really had to listen to people and understand where they were coming from and never let anyone mess with his family. When Edgar started to realize Claude was the reason of his father's death, he decided to figure it out, for the sake of his family business. It was pretty brave of him to leave his family and run away from home, living in the woods. He put his own life at risk to save his mom and his dogs.
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", Antonio Jose Bolivar showed quite a few admirable beliefs. The most noteworthy of which would be his concept of honor. At the end, after he finishes his showdown with the ocelot, he does not feel good for saving the lives of future victims, nor does he feel proud that he avenged those mauled by it, but instead he feels bad, as he killed it with a gun, and not having bested it in equal combat.
Kyle W., Sophomore, Period 1
In T.H. White's, "The Once and Future King" King Arthur has many beliefs that come about during his life. I think one of the most powerful of these is the belief that violence, especially war, will not solve his and his people's problems. King Arthur's kingdom became successful because of this belief. At first Arthur had a hard time differentiating the rights and wrongs of war but with the help of Merlyn and his magical trials Arthur finally understood the good nonviolence brought to his kingdom. I think this led to another one of his beliefs which was to be honorable in all that he did. Due to these beliefs during King Arthur's reign, Arthur and his kingdom became very successful.
The book death coming up a hill was in fact very interesting to me because there was just a spark that I am malala just didn't seem to have not that it wasn't a good book but just the other one was so different compared to anything I have read. the first thing that sparked at me was as soon as I opened the book because the book was written in a whole different way it was set up in a way which you would read a poem which is different. Something else I liked was the story itself because here's this boy that was born with two totally different parents one that is against war and the other not so much. The thing that's hard about this is that well there your parents and who would want to draw the line between the people you love the most. I pretty sure I wouldn't enjoyed and I would totally feel guilty like he does , but I also think I would know my choice for sure. In the end of his journey he does make a choice for the person he loves , and he still might of have died but he also did die for a good cause serving his country. I also agree on what some of my fellow classmates have said about how the mom was wrong when she had an affair with another man while still being married , but I also feel where she is coming from but I certainly think that there where other ways to solve things then the way she did.
Angelica R., Freshman ,Period 7
In the book "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski Edgar has many beliefs that cannot always be expressed in the way he wants them to be perceived. Though his beliefs are fuzzy and misunderstood to some of the other characters in the novel, they are clear to reader. Edgar from the beginning of the book shows the belief in working hard. This is shown through his commitment to the kennel, helping his parents the best he can, and of course, his immediate desire to learn to sign. He is interested in learning how to sign from a young age because it is the only way he will be able to communicate, showing that Edgar is determined and believes in himself. This belief that is held through the novel shows that Edgar wants to succeed and will work and practice until he does. The same belief is seen when Edgar believes that Claude has murdered his father. He basically just hypothesized that Claude was the cause of his father death because of some hallucinogenic 'dreams' and clues that could point to murder or just plain coincidence. Edgar is determined to find the answer and uses his belief and hard work to solve the mystery. Though the book ends tragically Edgar's belief is carried on with the hard work ethics used in his mother and the dogs everyday life.
Chloe Lloyd., Sophomore, Period 1
In the book, "Death Coming Up the Hill" it was interesting to me that seventeen year old Ashe, who lives with his racist, almost dogmatic father and his very peace-passionate mother who fight about almost everything in Ashe's life. It was interesting to me that an idea of either peace or war for a country can drive two people who have a family to hate each other so much, just because of this idea. I believe that this idea, this true passion for one side or view of something is the same passion that fueled Malala's story. The passion her and her father had for the idea that girls should have the same rights as boys, to get the same education. The same passion that the Talaban had, just for the opposite side of the argument, which drove them to in the end, shoot Malala. I believe that this idea and passion is the reason that make people do things they may or may not regret, but it is the fuel that drives people to act in the name of a cause, and it is demonstrated in both of the books we read this summer.
Tristan Brockbank, Freshman, Period 7.
In T.H. White's "The Once and Future King", King Arthur sticks to his set of beliefs. He believes that there is hope for England, and that it is possible to revert England to a just country. King Arthur believes that everyone has good in them, and he chooses to see the best in people, even to the point where he foolishly overlooks his wife's affair with his best friend. Arthur believes that battles should be held on a even playing ground, and he never cheats his way to victory. Arthur was also generous and believed that peace is better than war. He fought for peace and never had his knights fight unless it was necessary. One of Arthur's main beliefs was that there were better ways to govern a kingdom than with force. King Arthur always pays attention to the opinions of others, and when faced with a decision, he makes the choice that will make the most people happy. Arthur has a firm set of beliefs and holds to them throughout the book.
Chelsea H., Sophomore, Period 1
In the book, "I Am Malala" I found it very interesting how Malala would talk more about how her father as he grew up, what he did, and why he was so important to her. I understand that she looked up to him a lot and how they shared very many similarities such as praying and political views, but this book is called "I Am Malala" not "I Am Malala"s Father.
Charlotte B, Freshman, Period 7
In Chris Crowe's book, "Death Coming Up The Hill", the thing i found most interesting was probably how strong-minded Ashe is. He's living in a house of very different parents who fight all the time. They are very different people living under the same roof who don't even love each other anymore and only got married for Ashes sake. Ashe has felt with his parents divorce and knowing he will probably not go to college, but he somehow still finds the courage and strength to do everything for his family. In all this chaos he finds a girl named Angela and thats what i think lifts him and and allows him to have all this courage during the war, in Vietnam and at home. I find Ashe so interesting because he's put up with very bad things in his life like learning when he was so young that his parents don't love each other and they only married for him. He is just such a strong character and i know that if i were to be through this or many of the kids in the world they would give up and go to the dark side and find everything bad. But Ashe finds the good things in life and try's not to focous on the bad things even if it is really hard sometimes and it seems like theres nothing good left in life, thats why i though Ashe was such an interesting character.
Claire Bruggers, Freshman, Period 4
In author David Wroblewski's book, "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle", the character Almondine believes in loyalty, which is expressed through her friendship with Edgar Sawtelle. Ultimately, she adds to the overall concept of devotion by staying by Edgar, and helping him cope with the stress of family, and whatever turmoil comes his way. This character, in particular, deems loyalty to be important when she steps in the middle of a dog fight to protect Edgar. For example, when Epi grabbed Edgar's arm in her muzzle, and wouldn't release it, Almondine shows her true allegiance. She wants to get "Epi off him, [and] off her boy" (Page 207), so she blinds Epi. Almondine's instinct to defend a friend proves her loyalty because not only does she face danger head on, but she is successful in protecting Edgar. In conclusion, Almondine believes in reliability, and will stop at nothing when a friend isn't happy, or is placed in a precarious situation.
Hailey M., Sophomore, Period 2
In the book "I am Malala" I found the struggle in her life, she and her father believed strongly in education and would stop at nothing not even the Taliban to educate the girls and all children in her village. This book showed me the struggle and fear in everyday life where she lived, but she kept strong and would still go to school and defy the Taliban. I found it amazing how even though they may live in this town with people still living with dirt as their floors they take education seriously where most students are caught up with the world and know 2-3 languages fluently. Malala and her father are great people throughout the book standing up for what they believe in even if it kills them.
Joseph T., Freshman, Period 4
Mr. Baird I have not read the books that were assigned for summer reading as I did not know I was going to be attending judge memorial until Friday August 14.
Gage Harris, Freshman, Period 4
In the novel, "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" by Luis Sepúlveda, the main character gains a new set of beliefs through experience. When protagonist Antonio Boliver's friend, Nushino, is killed by an enemy Gringo, he fails to properly avenge the death through traditional practice. From this point forward, Antonio is burdened by the newfound belief he had to learn so harshly. This is exemplified in the way that when Antonio is presented the opportunity to slaughter again, he chooses a blow dart over a western gun in order to take out a big cat beast. He would not have done this had he not found regret in his previous mistaken actions. It further serves proof that Antonio's beliefs on killing have turned more traditional by unfortunate happenings in that he feels much more peace after having executed the animal in the most rural and pure form, the way Nushino would have wanted.
Megan A., Sophomore, Period 1
When I was the reading the book "I am Malala", I saw and was interested in the fact that Malala was treated differently by her father, not in a negative way but in the way of being treated like a first born son. Malala's father was a humble man, who gave Malala the gift of education, which without it she could have never helped speak up against the Taliban and further the fight for women's rights to have an education in Pakistan. Malala's Father didn't just give the gift of education, but treated her with respect and compassion. The books main drive for people to read it was that one person would go as far as getting themselves killed to protect their values.
Salvador S., Freshman, Period 7
King Arthur from "The Once and Future King" believes that you should only use might if it is right. Even though he was one of the most powerful people at the time, Arthur believed in justice. If he wanted to, Arthur could have easily taken control of all of England, with strict laws and taxed, influenced by his greed. But instead, King Arthur wanted to make England a prosperous and peaceful place, so he refrained from war if possible, and was not influenced by the lust for power.
Sam S., Sophomore, Period 2
In "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski, Edgar has a clear set of beliefs to always do what is right by his family. Edgar grows up as only child with his parents as his closest friends. The trio lives on a farm in a small town and as Edgar gets older, the three of them rely heavily on each other as a team in order to support themselves financially. Especially after the death of his father, Edgar is constantly going out of his way to help his mother in every conceivable way. As family has always been the most important thing to Edgar, it is practically second nature for him to put his family first.
Emma J., Sophomore, Period 2
Cheryl W., Sophomore, Period 3
In the "Old Man Who Read Love Stories," Antonio Jose Bolivar had many personal beliefs that had dramatic effects on his life. Delores, his wife, and him lived in the mountains of Ecuador in a small village. He was a happy man with very little money. However when wife Dolores couldn't have a baby, the couple believed it was a great shame not having a child. Antonio, based on his beliefs chose to move from the mountains and into the jungle with his wife. Antonio and his wife were very ill-equipped and untrained. Dolores soon felt ill and died only two years after they had become pioneers in the jungle. Grief stricken and lost, Antonio carried on. A Shuar Indian tribe took pity on Antonio and taught him how to live in the forest. Antonio's beliefs on humanity and being immune to snake venom allow him to be excepted in the Shuar tribe. Antonio considers humanity to be a bunch of greedy, foolish idiots not worth of salvation. The only thing that seems worthy of redemption for him is love. That is the reason why he enjoys reading romantic novels.
Malala Yousafzai is an extremely brave girl who lived in the Swat District of Pakistan. In "I am Malala",she writes about how she would strongly stand up for female education, an idea that the Taliban were not too fond of. She continued her blogs and public speeches even after hearing about bombings by Taliban insurgents in nearby all girl schools. She believes that education should be a fundamental right in the very male dominated region where she resided. She even continues to speak up for female education after being shot twice while on a school bus. She did all this which is astonishing, especially considering she started standing up for female education when she was eleven and was shot when she was only sixteen. I believe this is meaningful because she was a girl in Taliban controlled Pakistan who was able to become so well known and outspoken that she became the youngest person to ever receive a Nobel Peace Prize.
Hector L, Freshman, Period 7
In "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White, Lancelot doesn't seem to have any confidence in himself. He seems to believe that he isn't good enough and doesn't fit in with the others. He doesn't use his full potential in the book because of his low self-esteem. Eventually he overcomes his low self-esteem issue and shows his true talent of being a knight.
Hailey P.,Sophomore, Period 3
In David Wroblewski's novel, "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle", the character Almondine believes in total faithfulness to what she thinks is right. Throughout the novel, Almondine continues her devotion and fidelity towards Edgar. He goes through many rough times and Almondine is always there to support him. For example, when there is a dog fight, Almondine steps in to save Edgar because he is helpless. She doesn't want him hurt. Even though she is only introduced in the third chapter and is very confused as to what is going on, she still sticks to what most dogs are trained to have which is loyalty.
Emily G., Sophomore, Period 1
In "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski, Edgar shows many strong personal beliefs. The strongest is the care each member of his family gets, whether it be his mom and dad or his dogs. Edgar is always there, listening to the thoughts of others and absorbing the information. With Edgar's condition of being mute, he doesn't have much of a choice but to listen to the ones around him. Edgar then learns to use that to his advantage and doesn't let it keep him down. With the care and protection of his family at risk, Edgar decides to put matters into his own hands to save his mom and dogs. Even though there is an uncertainty of Edgar's safety, the thought of his family being safe comes first.
Veronica Start, Sophomore, Period 1
In T.H. White's novel, "The Once and Future King", Arthur strongly believes in justice. His belief in justice and fairness is represented by the round table. The round table represents fairness because all of the knights at the round table are all equal. There is no technical head of the table meaning that not one knight can gain status over another night.
Ceceli R.D., Sophomore, Period 2
In "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White, King Arthur promoted the idea of governing a peaceful and civilized society. King Arthur's concept of "might and right" reoccured throughout the novel; he believed that using force and initiating a war was not the only method to be taken while gaining control over England. He depended on justice and his fair mindedness to develop a promising future for England.
Kate K., Sophomore, Period 2
Antonio Jose Bolivar, from "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", believes in reading. It sounds a little silly probably, but he really loved reading. Antonio Jose Bolivar works hard on learning to read, and he keeps trying, too. He receives help from Dr. Rubicundo Loachamin and is able to attain more books. Throughout the story, but especially at the beginning, he refers to his love of reading and love stories. He even ends with mentioning the beautiful love stories. He believes in reading, and Antonio Jose Bolivar stays true to that.
Cicely F. Sophmore, Period 2
In the story, " The Old Man Who Read Love Stories," there is a perfect example of somebody who strongly believes in something and stays true to their beliefs. The main character, Antonio Bolivar, strongly believes in the Shuar culture. He knows that he is not one of them, but respects their morals and hopes to act like them. He dishonored their culture by shooting a man, but the rest of the story is about how he deals with it by going to kill the ocelot. You can tell that he still strongly believes in the Shuar culture because he goes on this quest to make up for dishonoring the people of the Shuar.
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" by Luis Sepulveda, Antonio Jose Bolivar personally believed love stories were his escape from the outside world and the tragedies that had occurred through his lifetime. His stories, however, were not the only love that helped him escape his life. His late wife, Dolores, seemed to be the love of his life, displayed clearly when the only photo of them together was nearly stolen and destroyed. He believed in love, and in the powerful effects of being intimate with someone and feeling their love being given back to you. I disagree. Love is a strong thing, and many people have fallen under its spell, but I believe one can truly lie without intimate love. Love from family and caring friends is another story; intimate love is scary and almost demanding. I'm very sure an escape can be found in this type of love; but unlike Jose, I believe there are other, more effective escapes.
Annie T., Sophomore, Period 2
This summer I read "I am malala", and one thing I find interesting about this book is how similar her life was to my parents. For example, she was crossed into a fight with terrorists and war. My parents grew during a civil war in South Sudan. I fell that they connect because of the times they went through and the locations they live in. My parents came from South Sudan which is near the Middle East.
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", Antonio Bolivar is one with his natural surroundings. He is always conscious about how he treats the environment, because of the time he spent with the Shuar. This is evident when compared to the behavior of people like the mayor, and the prospectors coming through the area. He knows how to survive, as well as live in harmony with the wildlife he encounters, while the less experienced characters such as the mayor wouldn't last a night in the jungle. Overall, Antonio's sensitivity towards the jungle helps him, and everything else in it.
Isaac G. Sophomore, Period 2
In Chris Crowe's novel "Death Coming Up The Hill" I found it interesting how the author wrote in only haiku poems. It made the book seem as if it were more fluid although it was not. This book was a very fascinating book that made the story of a very complicated war into a story that was simple to understand. The story had a lot of information in a way that was easy to comprehend but still not terribly boring. Along with the style of the writhing the story was quite interesting as well. It was captivating how the main character Asher stayed strong through all of the drama going on at his home life. He makes the best of what he had and saw the good intent of his parents living together for his well being. Asher pursued his daily life with two opposing forces on either side of him and stuck with his beliefs. He is a very good example of a strong human being that will do anything for his family and never give up. I was engrossed in this book although I do not typically read books of this genre I believe that this book had a very strong message and it was a very interesting book.
Ruby P, Freshman, Period 4
In "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," by David Wroblewski, Edgar had many beliefs. One is that he is very caring towards his family and the dogs. Since he was born being mute, he learns to be more independent. Since his parents had a hard time understand the emotions Edgar used, he is very committed to learning sign language to be able to communicate with his family. He is also very committed to the kennel from the beginning of the book by giving all the new dogs names and caring for them. Once his father dies, he helps his mother out with the kennel and anything that needed to be done. Edgar was a very caring person and always was determined to do something.
Peyton P., Sophomore, Period 3
In "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White, King Arthur shows beliefs that are relevant due to the experiences he has had in his life. A major belief that Arthur carries on throughout the story is equality. When Arthur was young, he was unexperienced, but once Merlin mentored him, he was able to do great things. If Merlin had never believed in Arthur, because of who he was as a young boy, Arthur wouldn't have ended up so successful as the King. Arthur displays his belief in equality by creating the round table. He didn't want anyone to feel inferior to each other, so he used the round table as a way of telling them that they were all equally important, and no one was at the higher end.
Lindsay H., Sophomore, Period 1
This summer I read, "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," By David Wroblewski, Edgar believed in a number of honorable beliefs. One of my favorite and the one that I believe made the story interesting was his belief in justice. Throughout the book, you begin to see that Edgar is a very honest and intelligent boy. Once his Uncle Claude moves in after the death of his father Gar, you can start to see the tension form between Edgar and Claude. After realizing that the death of his father was suspicious, and seeing him in a vision Edgar begins to lose trust in Claude. Although he was faced with many challenges (running away from home, living in the forest, the tornado) he still wants to bring justice to his Father's death and prove to his Mother that Claude was responsible for Gar's death. This shows that Edgar has a determined will to justify his Father's death and perseveres through the many challenges that he overcomes. That is why I believe that is Edgar's best belief.
Koji NB, Sophmore, Period 1
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" by Luis Sepúlveda, the Mayor or commonly known as "Slimy Toad", had beliefs not entirely necessary or fitting for the environment and situations that specifically occurred in the novel. The mayor seemed to believe that he was at a higher status than the other characters because of his advantages in education and wealthiness. The mayor constantly implied his superiority over others, despite that he had little knowledge of the culture or how to survive in the jungle. Because of his lack of knowledge and arrogance, he was regularly ridiculed by the El Idilio people. He believed that having power was most important. His ignorance is regularly shown by how he refuses to listen to others, even when they are right which happens in many cases throughout the novel.
Avery Y., Sophomore, Period 2
In the novel "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle", the main character Edgar is strict in upholding several strong beliefs. The belief I observed to be most prominent throughout the book was his willfulness. Edgar grew up in the midst of isolation from living on a farm, being born mute and dedicating his time to his dogs. He hadn't but a second spent doing something that wasn't oriented around his isolated life. The impact of the horrific events he experienced made his situation only more burdening as a result. However Edgar willed himself daily to continue through the tremendous pain and the lingering guilt he unfairly assigned to himself. The kind of emotional trauma and distress Edgar was faced with is nearly impossible to manage without an incredible willingness to see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope in the seemingly hopeless. Whether he was consciously aware or not he most blatantly believed in being strong willed and portrayed it clearly through his action.
Hannah R, Sophomore, Period 2
In the book "I Am Malala" I found it interesting that the Taliban could do such horrible and inhumane things to people when their only reason to do so is because they are women and are going to school and not wearing the clothing the right way. Also, hurting or killing those who did not share the same beliefs as them or spoke out against them. I don't want to believe that the Taliban could decide to take an innocent life for no clear reason whenever they felt like it. I wonder if they believe that they are making their god and leaders happy? I wonder if they live with any regret after killing so easily. I do not believe that men are born evil, so I think that they are taught this from a very young age.
Isaac E., Freshman, Period 7
In “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle”, Claude exhibits his belief of greed. His ultimate, relentless desire to be as successful as Gar is clear evidence of his lack of consideration for the other characters. Claude will go to no end to get what he wants. He attempts to cover up his selfish motives, but they are revealed when he constantly participates in cruel manipulation and kills his own family. This crucial belief of greed forms Claude’s character throughout the story.
Beth L., Sophomore, Period 2
In "The Once and Future king" by T.H White, King Arthur believed in unity and community. Through the different learning experiences Merlin threw him into you can see throughout the novel the way Arthur's perception of the world changes. When he became a bird and learned to fly he understood that in the life of a bird there are no borders or separations of areas, and that shaped the way he thought by giving him a new idea of 'normal'. You then see he takes his learning experiences and when he is grown he makes the round table, where everyone is equal and treated the same. The round table was also meant to be made as a sort of protective group that would aim to bring peace. This is the idea Arthur spent his life trying to achieve, and he never gave up on it.
Mason O., Sophomore, Period 3
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", Josefina has gone through a lot in the book and believes that cruelty inst okay. From going through many painful things that the Major has done to her throughout the majority of the book, she eventual musters up the courage to escape and go to the one she loves. She believes that she needs to always look forward and to push yourself to a better life.
Jessica M. Sophomore, Period 3
In "The Old Man Who Reads Love Storys", the old man shows his belief that every life is valuable. He showed this in the end of the novel when he had to go out with the group and deal with the big cat that was roaming and hunting people. He showed his value by only killing when it is an absolute nessesity. He talked about the difference between for hunting for survival and hunting for sport and saying that the later is foolish of people to do. Finally he showed his belief by treating the animal almost like a human as far as emotionally showing his compastion when he saw why she was killing. He gave the animal respect and dignity because of his value.
Simon C per 2 sophomore
In "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle", Edgar shows a belief in protecting those that he holds close to his heart, from his late father to the dogs that he names. Being born mute, Edgar has a better perspective on what is going on around him, but it also means that he has a harder time protecting his loved ones because he can't come out and say how they are in trouble. This leads to high tension within the small family, especially between him and his uncle Claude, who Edgar believe killed his father. This belief that Edgar has makes him a morally strong person which I believe is something that all people should have and cherish.
Sara B. Sophomore, Period 3
What i found interesting for my summer reading '' Death coming up the hill" was. That the loved he showed for his mother and his sister he loved them so much he did somthing courageous for his family because he knew that was the only way for them to make it. Even though he might never come back, and see the people he loves and, do what he loves. The one word I think about when im reading this book is sacrifice. sometimes you have to do certain thing you might not want to but over all it can help you or somome else and, thats exactly what he did he sacrificed his life for his loved ones.
valencia A., Freshman, period 7
Antonio Bolivar in "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" had a passion for reading. He believed the love stories were his distraction from mourning his wife's death. They also gave him knowledge to the world outside his town of El Idilio, a place he had seen little of. Although he was illiterate, he pushed himself to read and understand the love stories. He tried to read other subjects such as math or history, but he quickly grew frustrated at being unable to understand them. Luis Sepulveda talks about Antonio's finding of his first love story on page 61, "And then, after working through almost the whole library, he found what he was really after." What he was really after was a love story called "Rosary." The book goes on to say he only needed five or six hours of sleep because reading was his top priority. Like Cicely Foley said, even though his long for love stories was mainly mentioned in the beginning of the book, Antonio also speaks of them in the end.
Mary M. Sophomore. Period 2
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" by Luis Sepulveda, Antonio's wife dies so which hit him really hard and made him lose his mind, he started drifting from other people in his village and that is where he finds the Shuar. After they are wiped out it is almost that he notices he has terrible luck. He feels like he has nothing. After he is forced to go with the mayor hunting, he knows he has to kill the Jaguar.
Oliver Oelsner., Sophmore, Period 1
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", one of the beliefs Antonio stuck to was working with the flow of nature. I really agree to this because we as human beings are part of nature, but we often loose ourselves in work and stress, when really it is much easier to take a deep breath and take a hike. By doing this, you're connecting with nature, where we humans are from, and forming a bond of trust with yourself. If you think about it, Antonio was the only one in the group who knew the most about the ocelot and where to go. There is even one part where he tells the mayor not to where rubber boots while on the expedition and the mayor doesn't listen to him, consequently leading the mayor to get stuck in a pile of goop. All because Antonio out of the whole group, spent the most time with nature, and going with the flow.
Mae J. Sophomore per. 2
The book, "Death Coming Up the Hill" really made me realize that, this is real life, this could happen to me. The fact that he was so afraid of getting drafted into the army, that he later did get drafted and was then killed there, after not being there very long. when the boy fell in love in high school with a blonde hippie from California, it really spoke to me and i felt like i was living it. The way the book finished was like getting a wooden steak to the heart. It just left me hanging with wonder, wondering what happened to the family...did the dad get the baby? what happened to the mother/dad?
Alex Carrillo per. 4 Freshmen
I am malala I think that the book has a lot of history and and I am glad that women would fight for there education
In the book "I am Malala" I found it interesting and amazing at the lengths these woman would go through just to get an education. Here in America, We are given an education without anybody trying to stop us from doing so. Even after she was almost killed, she kept fighting for what she truly believes is right and for womens right. She truly does deserve thr noble peace prize and anybody who tells you other than that is wrong. Malala is a very good example of what courageous person is.
Kok D. Freshman per.4
In the book "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," Edgar's dad has a strong belief that breeding dogs a certain way influences how they behave and how they respond to their owners. He inherited this belief from his father, and it is shown by how they both kept detailed records of every dog they ever raised.
In the book " I am Malala" it tells us how a girl can overcome the hardest obstacles in life. It shows us how privileged we are. We think of school as something we have to go to and those who can't go to school see as something they want to go to. Giving Malala the Nobel Peace Prize was a great decision because it showed the struggle that thousands of girls like Malala have to go through. It also brings attention to the situation so that we can help the people who have to endure what Malala endured.
I read the book, ''I Am Malala'', This book was very inspiratiional for many reasons. It really show the stuggle for educations and shows how many kids here are lucky to have an education. Malala really stood up for girls rights to have an education and not just being looked to as women that will just cook for their husbands and not ever have a education. If us as kids just had the attitude towards education and detirmination to overcome obstacles she had we would have alot of great people in our world.
Jalen T. Freshman Period 4
What I found interesting about "I am Malala" is that she stood up for women's education even when it threated her own saftey. What amazed me the most is when she continued to stand for women's education when she was shot. The fact that her parents supported her is inspirational. She also did it bravely during a time of war. She risked the lives of her family and her own she deserved everything she got.
In "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories", Antonio believes in the harmony of nature and man. He understands the need for them to coexist in order for there to be peace.
In his past, Antonio had been one with nature when the Shuar adopted him into their family. He learned many lessons about how to live in harmony with nature. He understands its power and he embraces it instead of fighting it. Antonio understands the balance in nature, how everything is connected. He lives his life in this way. He and nature get along.
Zoe G. Sophomore 3rd period
The book Once and Future king. Merlyn states to Arthur " only reason for war is to prevent another one from going to war". This is a I believe statement because he states it could be easier or way to prevent another war. It also is a really good I believe statement because he doesn't say it gonna happen he puts it in a easier way so we won't have another one.
I found very interesting how the author Chris Crowe in his book "Death coming up the hill" said the war wasn't only in Vietnam, but also in our own communities with racial discrmination and the fights between families. I also like how he tells the story in form of Haiku poems.
Caleb Castro, 9 grade, period 7
In the book "The Once and Futue King" Arthur believes in brotherhood. This is clearly seen when he finds out about Lancelot's affair. Although Lancelot is sleeping with his wife he knows Lancelot is his best knight and bestfriend and decides not to act on the situation. Although Lacelot did somthing wrong Arthur realized the inportance of brotherhood and did the right thing by forgiving him. Clearly Arthur exemplofrs brotherhood.
In the book "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" , the character Edgar Sawtelle presents many admirable traits. One of the many traits he presents is his love and compassion for the dogs. Edgar’s relationship that he has impacted on the lives and souls of the dogs goes deeper than what most people can understand because both Edgar and the dogs use nonverbal communications between each other. Edgar believes that he can think what the dogs are thinking.
Anthony Trujillo, Period 1
The book "Death Coming Up the Hill" showed a different perspective of the Vietnam war and the way it affected people at home. The author portrayed a relation between the people at home and the soldiers in Vietnam (i.e. Ashe working with a former marine who got out of Vietnam). He described a war at home between his parents with him stuck in the middle of it all. It seemed as though there was no way for Ashe to escape some sort of violence, mental or physical. He was stuck between his parents, and was almost certain to be drafted. While I don't necessarily believe the book's point of view, I still think the author did a great job portraying what was going on in both places.
The book "I Am Malala", showed the courageousness of a young woman named Malala Yousafzai. When the Taliban entered the Pakistan's Swat Valley and threatened the rights of the Pakistani women, Malala, a fifteen year old, stood up for them. I found it very interesting that she did this despite all the Taliban threats to her and her family. Even after she was shot in the head for doing so, she persevered. She went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize and to write "I Am Malala". I thought this book was very moving and beautifully written and I admire Malala's bravery.
Anthony Richardson, Freshman, Period 4
The Book "I am Malala", showed how one person can make a big difference with a lot of passion and hard work. Malala is an inspiration to girls or even guys who are to scared to speak up for what they think is right. Malala is a brave girl who had a lot of obstacles to go through and although it's not 100% finished she did her best. I say Malala is brave because when the Taliban came into her valley demanding women to follow specific rules, she didn't which cause her and her family to receive threats also for specking against them. Despite these threats she continued not follow the rules displayed by the Taliban and spoke more and more. The greatest road bump was when she was shot, but that didn't even stop her. She ended up receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and published her first book. I look up to Malala and hope to one day meet her.
Rebecca Akec, Freshmen, Period 4
Sorry this is late, I thought we were supposed to write our response on paper and I forgot to turn it in.
Anyway, in the book "Death Coming Up the Hill" by Chris Crowe, the main character Ashe has to worry about being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, his parents fighting, keeping a good relationship with his girlfriend, school, and he is preparing to become an older brother. Before reading the book, I thought my life was stressful but not compared to Ashe's.
Matt Cotter, Freshmen, Period 4
Sorry this is late, I thought we were supposed to write our response on paper and I forgot to turn it in.
Anyway, in the book "Death Coming Up the Hill" by Chris Crowe, the main character Ashe has to worry about being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, his parents fighting, keeping a good relationship with his girlfriend, school, and he is preparing to become an older brother. Before reading the book, I thought my life was stressful but not compared to Ashe's.
Matt Cotter, Freshmen, Period 4
In the book "Death Coming Up The Hill," I like how the main character Ashe relates the war he's having to face at home to the actual war. Ashe is terrified of being sent into war but he's having to fight a war in his home. At a very important point in the book Ashe has to choose whether he should live with his father who will put him through college which will keep him from being sent into the war, or live with his mother and sister who he loves so much but risk being sent into war. I also like how Ashe is willing to go into war being he loves his mother and sister so much. I admire his willingness to risk his own life for them.
Sophia Patillo, Freshman, Period 7
"Death Coming Up the Hill" was my favorite summer reading during the break. I guess I liked it because it seemed like real life, like how people have to deal with hard decisions everyday. Ashe, the boy in the story has a mean, racist dad and a mom who's a hippy, but wonderful. I dislike that she had an affair with someone, but I'm glad that Ashe took Rosa "the baby" into his life. He loves his mom and sister so much that he makes the hard decision to go to Vietnam for them. This book helped me see that there are nasty people in this world "his dad" and there are good people in this world like his mom and Angela. I also got a better idea about how scary war is and how sad and lonely it makes him. War has always scared me and this story made me even more scared about it.
Kate Silcox, Freshman, Period 7
Meet the women fighting on the front lines of an American war
Weman fighter would not be able to join the army or do things that men could. The mart needed troops to fight in Afghanistan so the recruited women. The women form north Caralina decided to join to they could tell men that women can do anything men could.the girl that is taking. Has a lot of had gesture and body language, and she is exited the be talking about her speech
Sorry Mr. Baird for the late response, but the website finally started working. Over summer, i really liked reading "Death Coming Up The Hill." I found it interesting, because the main character Ashe is portrayed near the same age as me, and i felt almost like i was there with him. This was also during Vietnam, and to imagine a person near my age, going into the military, is just scary. I also found it interesting that this book was written in haiku to acknowledge all of the lives lost in Vietnam.
Sorry my response is late I had trouble finding the website until a few days ago. In "I Am Malala" I thought the culture was really interesting. In Pakistan if a brother is killed in an accident or on purpose by a different family the family of the dead brother or relative has the right to kill a relative of the other family. This basically makes murder legal and the government does't even seem to care. I thought at first that that must have been normal a long time ago then I realized this book takes place in 2008-2010. Its just crazy that that practice is still carried out today. This detail just really stuck out to me so I thought I would right about it instead of saying something like "she is so brave" like everyone else. I am still impressed with Malala's actions but I wanted to write about something different. I thought the book overall was a little repetitive but other than that it was interesting to read.
Djivan Black
Period 7
In this summer,I have read /I AM MALALA/With this book, I realized that a brave, and knowledge, advanced thinking, dare to resist evil girl. I think she has such good quality with her family environment, parents whose guidance has a great relationship. Her father was not angry because it is a girl, not a woman like Pakistanis despise the same time. Instead, her father taught her to become a strong and independent girl, teach her knowledge.
Xuan Han
period7
In this summer,I have read /I AM MALALA/With this book, I realized that a brave, and knowledge, advanced thinking, dare to resist evil girl. I think she has such good quality with her family environment, parents whose guidance has a great relationship. Her father was not angry because it is a girl, not a woman like Pakistanis despise the same time. Instead, her father taught her to become a strong and independent girl, teach her knowledge.
Xuan Han
period7
I read the book "I am Malala". It was about the girl Malala who has a huge dream. I love Malala because of her kindness and her strong will--to let all girls have the chance to go to school. Girls in Pakistan are unlucky, they don't have the chance to learn. Malala was lucky, she got the chance to go to school. But she wanted not only her but also every girls in Pakistan have the chance to go to school and have the chance to learn. Her strong will really moves me. And her kindness too: when nobody wanted to give the beggar food, even though Malala was poor, but she gave her. Her kindness and will move me a lot. I don't have that a huge will as she did, but I'll try my best to insist on doing something. When I make it, my will come true, just like Malala.
Mandy Z. Period 7 Freshman
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