The Drummer Boy of Shiloh draft by Alicea Mendez 805

               The Drummer Boy of Shiloh is about a boy in a war. He doesn't feel like he belongs there until the General talks to him and tells him that he does belong in the war.
               In the beginning, Joby is laying on the floor with his drum, counting the many shadows passing through the campsight. He starts to think about things like: he doesn't belong in the war, he only has "a drum, two sticks, and no shield,". This shows that Joby feels out of place and that he feels useless and that he is there with no protection from the harm that he can receive.
              Thats when the General walks up to him and notices the emotion that Joby is showing.The general starts to talk to Joby, talking about the war. He then begins to tell him that Joby does have meaning to the war. That Joby is "the heart of the war" and that what he does matters too. Joby then realizes that what the General is telling him is right. He does matter and that what he does also has an impact on the war too. This shows that Joby is realizing that he really isn't out of place.
              At the end, Joby is feeling happy again. He is feeling confident in himself, feeling like he has the power to change what happens in the war. In the story, it says that "he smiled, falling asleep with the drum at his side". This shows that what the General told Joby changed the way Joby thought about himself.
             I think the theme Ray Bradbury wanted the reader to know is "Don't doubt youself: you are who you are". I think that this is the theme because in the beginning, Joby felt useless, but after the pep talk with the General, he felt confident.
            The author shows us this by describing to us the way he felt throughtout the story. Ray also shows us that by giving us a mental picture of the scene that is happening. Ray gives us the scene and the reader would really feel like they are really there with Joby and the General in the war. The reader would feel like they are really experiencing the dialogue in real life.

crash reader's response by alicea mendez 805

           The latest book that I have just finished reading is called "Crash" by Nicole Williams. Starting off, this book is REALLY good. Its about a girl named Lucy Larson. She is a ballet dancer who has the dream of making it into Julliard to study to become a professional dancer. There's only one problem: Jude Ryder.
           Jude Ryder is what you would call a Bad Boy. He's been arrested more times than he can count (literally...), has slept with almost all of the women in the entire state (figuratively), and is the most feared person in all of SouthPointe High School. Anyone and everyone in the entire school does not get on Jude's bad side unless they want to get put into ICU at the hospital.
          What happens is plain and simple: Lucy sees Jude, Jude sees Lucy, they both fall in love with each other but they don't show it. Since Lucy also sees Jude as a brother, they became friends for the simple fact that Lucy doesn't have a brother. Anymore......
          Lucy's brother, John Larson, was shot and killed by a bullet meant for their father, Wyatt Larson, a man who had a big heart and a large sense of work ethic. Until his heart shriveled 3 sizes after losing his only son. Lucy lost her only brother, her only best friend, and her whole entire heart, until she started taking up dancing in which she stopped mourning the loss of her brother in order to continue with life.
        With Jude Larson, it's like she has her brother back, only he is much more stronger and protective.
The only consequence that comes with hanging with him is that she now has a new reputation, which is,by the way, not a good reputation to have.
        This book's theme is that even though there may be some bumps in the road or you have had rough patches with the person you love, you always stick with the person through those times in your relationship. The reason this is the theme is because Jude had a rough childhood and is having a tough time as a teenager, and Lucy has stood by him from the day they became friends, and then when they became a couple, encouraging him to forget what happened in the past even though he really can't forget. For example, in the story, Jude tells Lucy that "I'm worthless piece of $# !% and that, with the life I'm living and my with the history I have, I'm like a cancer that you can't get rid of" and that "You need to stay away from me", but Lucy always tells him that "you need to stop living in the past because you can't change anything about it. You can only change what you do now in the present". And because of these conversations, they always end up having a mini-argument where Jude tells Lucy to leave him alone since he's no good and Lucy never listens to him, telling him that she loves him for who he is, not for what he has done.
      This book can teach readers that if you love someone, you love them for who they are and not where they have been. Anyone who likes high school romance with a little bit of comedy will LOVE Crash!!!!
Hope you readers enjoy this book too!!!!! See you around!!!
      
                                                                                               -Alicea >:-D

house at the end of the street reader's response-alicea mendez

       The book I've read this summer is called 'The House At the End of the Street'(By the way, I didn't cheat by watching the movie first). This book is technically about a girl who moves to a new town, meets new people and, well, is trying to adjust to a new life. The girl's name is Elissa. She moved to a new house, which her mom could afford because the house was really cheap. But the only reason the house was cheap was because there is secret behind it. The house next to it had a gruesome story behind it. There was a family that lived there, and their daughter, Carrie-Anne had an accident in which she suffered severe head trauma. The months that followed have taken all of the lively happiness out of the house. Until one night, when Carrie-Anne brutally murdered her parents and ran off into the woods behind the house.
       Ever since then, no one ever moved into the neighboring house, fearing that Carrie-Anne would come for them. Elissa and her mom don't know the whole story: they just know that the family was killed by their daughter. And that the girl's brother, Ryan, still lives in the house to this day. Rumor around the neighborhood says that Ryan is demented in the head and that he needs help. But Elissa decides to meet this guy and find out the real story...
      After being kicked out of a party for something that was not her fault, she decides to walk home by herself when Ryan notices her and gives her a lift home. After talking for a little while, Elissa goes home and Ryan goes into the basement with a tray of food...
     He opens a secret door revealing a room fitted for a little girl. He sets the tray down and turns around to find Carrie-Anne behind him. He tells her to leave Elissa and her mom alone.
    Soon after, Elissa and Ryan become boyfriend and girlfriend. They hang out a lot, which gets her mom upset since she doesn't trust Ryan.
   I don't want to reveal what happens in the middle and the end because this is such a good book and I don't want to spoil it for anyone who would like to read the book(or see the movie if you don't want to "waste time reading the book"), but all I'm going to say is this: don't judge the characters by their cover. what happens will surprise you!
   If you decide to read the book instead of watching the movie, you are smart for doing so: the book is way better than the movie, well, being that I haven't seen the movie. YET!!!!! hahaha. well, hope you enjoy this really awesometastic book!!!!!! Love you all!!!

                                                                                                           -Alicea >:-P