Monday, November 4, 2013

Finial blog reflection



        
          I think my character post is my best post because I used strong evidence to support my idea of how the character developed. I also summarized some of the book in the beginning so you would have an idea of what was going on. On the rubric it says you need to show how a character develops over the course of the text, so here is one thing I said in my blog that shows how Samantha developed over time. "Punctual to a fault, I've never understood the expression I lost track of time. I've never lost track of anything, not my cell phone, not my homework, not my work schedule, certainly not time. But this night, I do" (Fitzpatrick 100). This quotes shows that she did something that she never did before. She stayed out past crew few and she never did that until this night with Jase." Also on the rubric it says how the character interacts with others so in my blog I said, "I hand Pasty a bottle of juice, prompting a crunchy-granola-looking woman in Birkenstocks to say, "That baby is much too old for a bottle. She should be on a sippy cup by now." Who are these people, and why do they think their own opinions are only right ones? "Don't you ever just want to kill them, or at least swear at them?" I ask in a undertone, steering the cart away from the crabby sippy-cup woman, with Harry and George clinging to either side like spider monkeys. "Of course." Mrs. Garrett shrugs. "But what kind of example would that be?" (Fitzpatrick 107). This shows Samantha's interaction between her and Mrs. Garrett. They were in the store and everyone kept making comments about how she parents but she ignored them and went on but Samantha wasn't use to that because her mom would never allow that." Another thing on the rubric is how the character advance the plot and this is one thing I said in my blog, "Samantha keeps the book going because there is always new problems popping up. Like how she doesn't like whom her mom is dating. Or how her mom doesn't know about Jase and her babysitting. "Clay Tucker is a real mover and shaker," she says now. "I can't believe he's taking time for my little campaign." I return the strawberries to the fridge, then root around my smoothie with my spoon, looking for more prices of fruit that escaped the blender. "How'd he wind up in Stony Bay?" Did he bring a wife with him? A hometown honey? "He bought his parents a summer house on Seashell Island... Then be read about my race and couldn't help wanting to get involved." With the campaign? Or it's mom? Maybe he's some kind of secret agent, looking for ways to discredit her. But that would never work. She haven't got any skeletons in the closet" (Fitzpatrick 77). This quote shows how she doesn't like her mom's boyfriend which is one of the main problems in the story but she doesn't want to tell her mom because she doesn't know how to and doesn't want to hurt her."

             One thing I struggled with through blogging is posting twice a week. I know that we somehow have to show you that we are reading but I think that was one of the harder things to do. Another thing I thought was hard was quoting the book because when I read I don't mark things down and then when it comes to writing the blog you know you read it you just don't know where it is. One strength I had through blogging is commenting on other people's blogs because I thought it was cool to see what other classmates were reading. Another strength was always answering the questions on the rubric.


Chatacters My Life Next Door

The main character in My Life Next Door is Samantha. She isn't your average teenager. She has a mom who is a politcan and is running. She has a sister who is at Marther's Vineyard with her boyfriend for the summer and her dad left when she was still in her mom's stomach. Her mom says they are not aloud to speak or even look at the neighbors next door. But, one night that all changes. She meets Jase and starts talking to him and starts liking him. Her mom doesn't know that she has been seeing him. And that Samantha is babysitting for all the seven kids. Before Samantha meet Jase she would never get home after crew few. "Punctual to a fault, I've never understood the expression I lost track of time. I've never lost track of anything, not my cell phone, not my homework, not my work schedule, certainly not time. But this night, I do" (Fitzpatrick 100). This quotes shows that she did something that she never did before. Se stayed out past crew few and she never did that until this night with Jase. "I hand Pasty a bottle of juice, prompting a crunchy-granola-looking woman in Birkenstocks to say, "that baby is much too old for a bottle. She should be on a sippy cup by now." Who are these people, and why do they think their own opinions are only right ones? "Don't you ever just want to kill them, or at least swear at them?" I ask in a undertone, steering the cart away from the crabby sippy-cup woman, with Harry and George clinging to either side like spider monkeys. "Of coarse." Mrs. Garrett shurgs. "But what kind of example would that be?" (Fitzpatrick 107). This shows Samantha's interaction between her and Mrs.Garrett. They were in the store and everyone kept making comments about how she parents but she ignored them and went on but Samantha wasn't  use to that because her mom would never allow that. Samantha keeps the book going because there is always new problems popping up. Like how she doesn't like who her mom is dating. Or how her mom doesn't know about Jase and her babysitting. "Clay Tucker is a real mover and shaker," she says now. "I can't believe he's taking time for my little campaign." I return the strawberries to the fridge, then root around my smoothie with my spoon, looking for more prices of fruit that escaped the blender. "How'd he wind up in Stony Bay?" Did he bring a wife with him? A hometown honey? "He bought his parents a summer house on Seashell Island... Then be read about my race and couldn't help wanting to get involved." With the campaign? Or it's mom? Maybe he's some kind of secret agent, looking for ways to discredit her. But that would never work. She haven't got any skeletons in the closet" (Fitzpatrick 77). This quote shows how she doesn't like her mom's boyfriend which is one of the main problems in the story but she doesn't want to tell her mom because she doesn't know how to and doesn't want to hurt her.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

My Life Next Door

In My Life Next Door Samantha has a best friend and her brother works with Sam at the community center. Sam kinda helped him get the job but he is always doing drugs and asking for money and ask for help. But he always shows up late and isn't in uniform. So when Samantha's boss comes and finds him he gets all mad and wants to fire him. Sam is like no, no but he does it anyway. I would think that if you are trying to pull your life together and get a job you wouldn't just flirt with the girls and actually wear your uniform but that seems to not be the case. I would just think he would appreciate it more then he does.

Book Recommendation

One book that I think a lot of people should read is The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. It is an awesome book. I would give this book a 8 out of ten. It is about a teenage girl who goes and visits her dad for the summer with her little brother. She already didn't want to go but right when she gets there she gets in a fight with her dad and leaves. Her little brother hates seeing them fight so she agrees that she will try not to fight with him anymore. Well the book goes on and she meets this guy named Will. At first she thinks he is just some kind of summer guy who looks for some girls to hook up with but she comes to find out that he truly likes her. The summer goes on and one night her dad gets really, really sick and ends up in the hospital. She gets all mad at herself and her boyfriend Will because she thinks she spent her whole summer worrying about Will and not spending enough time with her dad. So she tells herself that she is going to stay when summer ends and help out her dad. Now you may be thinking oh I have seen the movie I don't need to read the book but actually the book is a lot better then the movie. It goes into way more detail and the ending is 1000 times better then the movie. But, I am not going to give away the ending so you are going to have to read to find out for yourself.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Theme and Summary of My Life Next Door


I think the theme of My Life Next Door is you never know who you may fall in love with. Samantha is your average teenager. She goes to school and is on the swim team. But her mom is into political stuff and her dad left her when she was a baby. She has a sister who left for the summer to go to The Vineyard. Her mom is dating a younger guy named Clay, who Samantha cannot stand. But they had a talk and I think she is starting to like him more. Sounds sort of like a regular family. Right? Well her mom does not like neighbors, and refuses Samantha to talk to them. She thinks that they are a huge family of seven and does not keep their yard up. But what her mom doesn't know is that Sam sits out and observes the Garrett's every move. One night she is sitting on her roof when Jase, one of the Garrett's sons, comes up and starts talking to her she thinks nothing of it until the next day Mrs.Garrett Samantha can start babysitting for them. Sam says yes. With her taking this babysitting job she becomes closer with Jase. So one night after babysitting Jase takes Sam to the beach thinking Sam's mom won't be home for awhile because she has been working late hours more lately. Sam is having a good time with Jase, kissing in the ocean and just messing around. Only did Sam know that it was way past curfew. Sam gets home and gets yelled at by her mom and gets grounded but then Clay comes in and says that everyone comes home late from curfew once in awhile. She goes upstairs to take a shower but actually Jase is on the roof so Sam starts talking to him. Her mom almost catches her. She keeps getting closer and closer to her mom finding out. Sam never knew she would fall in love with Jase and even her mom thinks nothing of it. Some quotes to support this are "Oh God. I leap back in through the window, so fast I smack the top of my forehead on the frame. Ow! "Were you talking to someone out there?" Mom, looking chic in a sleeveless black shirt and fitted white pants, has her arms folded, frowning. "I thought I heard voices." I try to keep the flush from flooding my face. Unsuccessfully. I'm blushing, and my lips are swollen. I could not possibly look more quietly. "Just calling hello to Mrs. Schmidt across the street," I say, "She was getting her mail." Incredibly, mom buys this. She's already distracted" (Fitzpatrick 121). This quote is when Samantha is on the roof talking to Jase when her mom hears some voices talking she thinks nothing of it and gets distracted right away. "He circles my belly button with that light finger. I turn my head, bury my lips in the worn cotton of his shirt" (Fitzpatrick 119). And this quote is when they are on the roof flirting with each other. So like I said I think the theme of My Life Next Door is you never know who you may fall in love with.

My Life Next Door

I liked how Samantha had a talk with her mom's boyfriend of him kissing another girl the other day. I think it was good for her to confront him about it because she kept holding it in. But when he said it was only an ex girlfriend from the past it kinda worried me because most people don't kiss their exs. I think he is more understanding then Samantha's mom but I don't think he would make a very good step dad because I think he is only being nice to her because he wants to make sure her mom likes him. He always keeps her late after work and Sam even said she is like never home now that she is dating him. He also seems like he is only in it for the politics.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Links and Displays My Life Next Door

 
I think Romeo and Juliet is a good text to text connection.



This is the cover of the book.
 
This is an Youtube video about what the book is about.
Another Youtube video about why she liked the book. She talks more about the characters.
This Youtube one is about just the overall view of why she likes the book.
My Life Next door=Very good article of good quotes that are used in the book.