Current Event #3

Date:12/15/2011

Name: Alan Alvarez

Current Events Journal

Title: Animal shelter’s behavior experts face life and death decisions for animals

Author:  John Owens

Source: The Miami Herald

The topic of the article is: Animals

The main idea of the article is: How a dog’s future on being adopted depends on a series of evaluations and the way animals react to them.

(implied/stated): It is stated in the first paragraph

The author’s purpose for writing this article is to : Inform the reader on how the dog trainer evaluates them, and if they don’t pass will be “put to sleep’’.

The author’s perspective in this article is objective/subjective (biased) .Objective because they are giving examples of what is happening during the evaluation.

The pattern of organization of the article is cause and effect

The reason the author chose this pattern for the article is because they are giving you the problem and consequences.

The text features include the quotations that help by showing me how the person being interviewed answers the question and how the feel about the situation.

This article is about (a summary in your own words) the system that is used in some of the shelters in Chicago to determine the fate of many dogs and cats awaiting  for adoption. The author is explaining how unfair this system is because they may be killing a lot of animals that can be easily adopted just because, the animals didn’t pass the evaluation test.

The significance (importance) to know and to understand that some animals act different when they are placed in a environment that they are not used to.

What I learned from this article is that they are some steps to determine the fate of the animal in a shelter and that animals go through plenty of behavior test.

What I liked about this article that he explained some scenarios that would tie in to what he is talking about.

What I did not like about it I didn’t find anything wrong with it

Who should read this article and why people that are advocated for animals and that they want to save their life.

This article reminds me of (text-to-self) The day that my friend went to the Humane society to get a puppy.

(text-to-text) this reminds me of the book Marley and Me.

(text-to-world) in around the world a lot of places where animals are mistreated.

New vocabulary I learned

Word Context Clues Meaning

1. euthanized- those who fail are put to death- kill painlessly

2. Advocacy- we understand the stress that they are under- speaking or writing in favor

3.Unreliable- are not praised- not to be dependent on; irresponsible.

readers journal#14

Readers Journal#14                                                     04/12/2011

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

I have finished The battle of the Labyrinth  by Rick Riordan. The strategies I used after reading this book were recalling all the important events in the chapters, looking for key details to support the main idea and then I looked at a summary to see if I missed anything important or if I covered everything.

The genre of this book is a fantasy because it contains the majority of the key factors a mythology book would have like Titans, Gods, Cyclopses, etc. The characteristics of the three main characters which are Percy Jackson , Grover, and Annabeth.  Percy is a round character with a dynamic personality. His motive is to stop Luke which is the antagonist, from escaping the labyrinth and preventing his army from raiding the camp he lives in called camp half blood. The setting is in New York. The time is modern time. The weather conditions are usually underground in the labyrinth and it is very hot there. The social conditions are ranged from communications with half bloods to encounters with monsters.

The main issue Percy has to encounter is the solution to end Luke’s reign of terror in the camp. It is both internal and external. It is both Character vs self and society because Percy has to decide on certain decisions that may effect the camp and his life. The tone of this book is action. The mood is Humor, but most of the time it is serious because of the plot. I can not conclude the moral if this book but I think it is to look past evil and to go for the prize no matter how bad the situation is. The point of view is through the narration because Percy never speaks in first person, The pattern of organization is chronological order.

The response starters I have for this book are #2 I wonder what family means to Percy Jackson. #13 I like the way the Author didn’t pay too much attention on the humor but more of the story. I rate this book a 9/10 because it is a fun filled fantasy that anyone can enjoy.

From your student,

Alan Alvarez

Reader's Journal#13 The Battle Of The Labyrinth

     Readers Journal #13

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

The book I am reading is called The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. The strategies I used were reading the synopsis and reading a review from Amazon and then I found important detail and I wrote them down in a piece of paper for in case if I forget of important detail.

The literal elements I found in this book. The genre was fantasy because it is on Greek myths and that has Pegasus, Cyclopes, Gods, etc., The characters are Percy Jackson, Grover, Annabeth, and plenty others.  The protagonists are Percy Jackson, Grover, Annabeth, and the people who live at Camp Half Blood. The antagonists are Kronos, the lord of time, and Luke the son of Hermes the messenger to the gods. The setting is in New York and they go to Mt. Saint Helen to fight the titan. The time is modern. The weather conditions got into a sunny day into a storm when the monsters come and he has to fight them.  The social conditions are sheltered to Camp Half Blood because if they communicate with each other the enemies can get the signal.

The mood is intense because a lot of action is involved and the theme is Greek Myths. The point of view is through the narrator who is unknown from what I know of and the pattern of organization is in chorological order. The author’s purpose is to entertain.

The response starter I used was #28 Why did I pick up this book? because it was recommended to me by a friend. The book so far is a 9 out of 10 because anyone can enjoy it even if you don’t read books.

From your student,

Alan Alvarez

Readers Journal # 12 Inside the helmet Life as a Sunday afternoon warrior

Readers Journal#12     

                                                                                                               11-13-11

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

The book I’m reading is Inside the Helmet Life as a Sunday Afternoon Warrior By pro football player Michael Strahan. The Quote that I stood out from the rest was this one “ I stand on our sideline, sing a couple of bars of the national anthem, say a prayer to god and then scan the Indianapolis Colts sideline for my target----Colts All-World quarterback Peyton Manning. I absolutely and utterly despise playing quarterbacks like Peyton. Hate it. I stand there and stare at the man, the face of the NFL. I’m there for one reason that night. To try to knock the snot out of the face of the NFL.” I like this quote that is on page 1 of this book because it tells you what a defensive football player objective is to do. It also describes the rivalry between The New York Giants and the Indianapolis Colts because brothers Eli and Peyton are on different teams but same position. Quarterback.

The topic was on Football. The main idea of this book is what Michael Strahan went through in his career as a football player. Its stated because he talks all about his football. Another title I think this book would have would be My NFL journey The end of a chapter of my life because IT explains all the things he saw in the NFL. The supporting details I found were when he played against NFL’s greatest like Peyton Manning, Donovan Mcnabb, Tom Brady, and others.


 Another supporting detail would be the games he experiences and the atmosphere in different fields. The essential message I can infer is that all players have their own individual story to what they see and feel in the NFL and here is Michael Strahan’s point of view.  The cause was Mike Strahan getting his hat tugged off and hit in the throat. The effect was Strahan Hitting the player in the face causing a 2 game suspension. The author’s purpose was to entertain the readers about his experiences and to inform because of the fun and dangers of the NFL. When I looked up Michael Strahan was rated 99 in the best NFL players of all time. Also he was the NFL Alumni Pass rusher of the year in 2003 and a member of the Ring of Honor for the New York Giants .

 From Your Student,

Alan Alvarez

Current Event #2

·         A legacy of service: Three generations of Pines family have served in Military

·         Perry Stein

·         The Miami Herald

·         Military Service

·         How a dynasty of war veteran’s story was explained

·         To inform the reader about a generation of military families in Pines

·         Subjective because he is explaining about the military family

·         The text features are picture so you can find an idea, captions, Title.

·         This article is about Bolivar Perez Rios and his generation of family that has some sort of connection of military services weather it be World War II or Iraq. 

·         The significance of this article is how people who fight for our lives daily get this kind of recognition on veterans day which is for soldiers that served the army or still serve it today

·         To grasp a better idea of what veterans day is all about and not just to spend it as a free day of school but to look past it.

·         The respect that was given to this family that lives in Pembrook Pines, Florida

·         There wasn’t really anything I disliked about this article but I didn’t like how he didn’t elaborate more on the family.

·         I think anyone should read this because it gives a spotlight on the American veterans and what they have don to protect my family and I and many others.

·         This reminds me of my cousin that was in the army but not in they war

·         This reminds me of my history book I read every now and then

·         This relates to the world by the wars that go on every physically or mentally.

Reader's Journal#11 Night---Memoir

Readers Journal#11

                                                                                                                11/7/11

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

     The book I currently finished reading is Night By Elie Wiesel.  The quote that  I like was a light on the other side of the tunnel, “ One day I was able to get up, after gathering all my strength. I wanted to see myself in the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto. From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed back at me.
The look in his eyes, as they stared into mine, has never left me.” I chose this quote because this is the last thing that he mentioned about the holocaust and the feelings he had about it. Also this means that he feels mentally dead although he is physically alive. He has those feelings because this reflects about what he has been through and how he feels about it. The strategies I used before reading were reading the reviews this book got on Barnes and Nobel, and getting a recommendation from Mrs. Zrihen and my mom.

     The genre of this book is non-fiction and a memoir because this was an event in Elie Wiesel’s life so that makes it a memoir and it is non-fiction because this was a real event in his life. The topic of this book is about the holocaust. The main idea is about the events Elie Wiesel witnessed in that daunting time. It is stated because it is in the time period of it, and the places he went to are the same ones that were hot spots in the holocaust. The three supporting details I have for the main idea are how he went to those places described in the book, another reason is about the holocaust because it’s the same trials of events that go on in the holocaust, another reason is his suffering that he endured. Night’s essential message to the readers is to inform about what events took place in the holocaust. The cause for the holocaust is because Adolph Hitler was against Jews, the effect is that he tried to wipe out all the Jews and that event started the Holocaust. The pattern of organization in this book was in chronological order due to the fact that he describes all the things that took place in this miserable event. The text features I found so far in this book were the font changes in the book form the text in to the chapter and the chapter title font. The point of view of this book was in first person because it’s a memoir and a memoir always comes from the author’s visual aid and the narrator is a character in the story. I went on websites like Spark notes to see if I did my quote right. I also looked if my facts about the holocaust were right so I can get to know more from this tragic event. The text to text connections I found in this book were similarities I found in books like Wattson’s go to Birmingham 1963 because black people were hurt physically and mentally just like the events in the holocaust. I didn’t really find any connections for text to self but I have friends that their grandmas and grandpas have been through the holocaust so they can relate to having that experiences told by their elders. The text to world features I found was easy to spot. A lot of people have seen, heard, and even been through attacks because of their Race, Gender, Religion, Etc,.  The tone that Elie Wiesel used to write this book was serious and bitter when he explained all the things he saw and went through.

     I wouldn’t change the title of this book because he couldn’t have put it any better than that. Night represents darkness, fear, and the unknown, and that’s the way he felt about the subject. The rating I give this book is a 10/10 because the spot on detail Elie Wiesel’s book Night, can give anyone a visual idea the things that he saw and experienced. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to know more about the history of the holocaust and what happened there.

From your student,

Alan Alvarez

Reader's Journal#10 The Celebrated Jumping Frog--- Short Story

Readers Journal#10

                                                                                                        11/6/11

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

I have finished The Celebrated Jumping Frog by Mark Twain. The strategies I used before reading were reading the reviews on websites like Amazon and Barnes and Nobel to see if the book was interesting to me, I also looked at the cover page for picture clues, read the title so I see if I can find a visualize what the story is going to be about. Another thing I used was to skim and scan to see if I can understand a random page. The strategies I used while reading were, visualizing the situation of the story in my head and looking for words that were not in my comprehension, and then looking them up on the dictionary to find it out. The figurative language in this book that I found was, Hyperbole, he uses exaggeration a handful of times in this story, to make the story more interesting and humorous to the readers.

The quote that caught my eye was “Well, thish-yer Smiley had a yaller one-eyed cow that didn’t have no tail, only just a short stump like a bannaner, and-” I chose this quote because it represents the way that “Hillbillys” used their slang in the 1800’s.

The genre of this story is a short story because it is a work of fiction that can be read in one setting, generally makes one major conflict. The setting is in Calaveras County, California. The time this book was taken place was in 1849, and the weather conditions were not confirmed but my guess is that it was sunny because a lot of the bets he makes are taken place outside and he was a gold miner and conditions to do that is for it to be sunny. The moral is to never put money where your mouth is because things can change in a heartbeat and that hit the main character very hard in a funny way. The tone in this book is humorous because there is a funny chain of events that come in the story. The point of view is in the narrators. The main characters in the story are Jim Smiley, his frog Daniel Webster and the “feller”. Jim is a flat and static. He is flat because he was always a betting person from the beginning of the story to the end of it, so he remains the same. The exposition of the work appears at the beginning of the book where the characters and the setting are described. The rising action starts when he bets with the “feller” that tricked him when he put BB gun pellets into his frog’s throat and made him lose the bet. In the climax, he discovers what happened to his frog Daniel Webster. In that event effected the outcome of the story. The falling action starts when Jim tries to hunt down the “Feller” that ripped him off and ran away with his money.

The response starter I used was that I predicted that “I predict that_________” He was going to lose a bet sooner or later.

The rate that I would give this book would have to be a 8 out of 10 because of its humor and how the moral the stories. Its sort of hard to read because Mark Twain used a lot of slang from the 1800’s that we don’t use anymore.

Your student,

Alan Alvarez

Reader's Journal#9 The adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Dear Mrs. Zrihen

The book I am reading is The adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The quote that had been in my interest the most was on page 24. It said “ The king was saved from the scandal. But my friend had been fooled by a very unusual woman: Irene Adler.” The reason I chose this quote was due to the fact that it is so odd for a detective like Sherlock Holmes. Also this quote relates to the story and who was behind the whole scandal. The strategies I used before reading were reading the synopsis so I could comprehend about the topic of a short story. The second strategy I used was reading a review from Amazon and Barnes & Nobel bookstore website.

The genres of this book are Short Story, Mystery, and Fiction. The characters are Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, The king of Bohemia, Irene Adler, and Mr. Norton. Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Watson are round and dynamic characters. The reason that I believe that their round and dynamic is because the story is circulating around those two. You get an idea about being in a case with Sherlock Holmes and Watson and a very clear one. The protagonists are Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Watson, and the king of Bohemia. The antagonist were Irene Adler and Mr. Norton.

The setting is in England. The time was in 1888, the weather was in the night. The social conditions are all over the place because Sherlock get some of his info from his partners from places like Philadelphia, USA.  The main issue was about Sherlock Holmes getting a note that addresses him about a man who will talk to him. When he sees the man his alias is Count Von Kramm who claims to be a Bohemian nobleman. Sherlock sees through his disguise and he spills the beans and says that he is the Bohemian king. He asks for help after he cheats on his wife and she will blackmail him and ruin his reputation. He finds her and hires his helpers to try to fake assault her. He pretends to be a priest and tries to “help” her. He tells Mr. Watson to scream Fire! As loud as he can. When he does that he puts a smoke bomb and tries to steal the thing that will ruin the king’s reputation, A picture of them in their engagement. That picture alone can tarnish his marriage and reputation. The character vs self corresponds with how he has to find the picture to clear up the scandal.

From your student,

Alan Alvarez 801

Readers Journal#7 Travels with Charley

Dear Mrs. Zrihen

I have just finished reading this amazing book! The book went far beyond my original expectations. The genre of “Travels with Charley In search of America” is a Non-Fiction and a Travelogue literature book. It’s non-fiction because all his writing is about real people, places, and events, and he records his experiences while touring America.

The characters in this book are John Steinbeck, his dog Charley , and his truck Rocinante. All of them have their own special personality. The figurative language that he used was personification. This novel was narrated in first-person point of view. The narrator is a character in the work, narrating the actions as he perceives it. He is comparing and contrasting all the states that he visits and he states all the different places have their different and unique pace. Like for example the amazing mountains, the valleys, the canyons, etc.  The cause and effect relationship in the text appears a lot but I personally think the fact that Steinbeck encountered a racial problem between the Black people and the White people. This book was written in the early 1960’s where America was affected by the segregation up south.

The supporting details that I found while reading were factual and sensory. The factual details I discovered were when he named all the states, parks, cities, and streets. Some examples of sensory details I found were when he described the places that he went to; like Arizona when he explained how abandoned and desolate the deserts were. The pattern of organization like I mentioned before is in chronological order due to the fact that everything was done in a specific time frame of 75 days all around America. How I connected the book to myself was by having the same urge to travel all around the United States and to know and experience knowing different people with different cultures and backgrounds. The connections I found to the world while reading this book is that you can do the same thing that Steinbeck did but in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, Etc.

The quote that I chose was “Even setting this down on paper has raised the weary, hopeless nausea in me again. It is not written to amuse. It does not amuse me.”, page 260. I think this quote reminded him of how he felt during the time of segregation and how he felt pity for those black people who were humans like him and they were treated like animals, like if they thought being black is a problem.

The rating I give this book is a 10-10 because from beginning to end it was spectacular and full of excitement. I recommend this book to anyone that like to read about adventures and those who like non-fiction.

From your student,

Alan Alvarez                                                                               

Current Event#1

Current Events Journal

Title: Will Steve Jobs’ Final vendetta haunt Google_

Author: AP Technology Writter Michael Liedtke

Source:  The Miami Herald

The topic of the article is:  Steve Jobs Death

The main idea of the article is: Will Google be affected by the passing of Steve Jobs(implied)

The author’s purpose for writing this article is to: To give the reader information about Steve Jobs and how much of an importance he was to Google

The author’s perspective in this article is objective/subjective (biased) because:

The pattern of organization of the article is: Chronological order (by date)

The reason the author chose this pattern for the article is: To explain how and why this events happend

The text features included in the article are: Title, Picture, A Caption , Font

This article is about:

The significance (importance) of this article is: The rivalry between the android phone an the Iphone and what can happen to both companies  

What I learned from this article is Google was “stealing” ideas from Steve Jobs and that got him upset.

What I liked about this article It didn’t really interest me much because I don’t really care for the android and iphone

What I did not like about it It wasn't in my interest

Who should read this article and why People that are fans of apple because this involves Steve Jobs and he was the founding father for Apple

This article reminds me of (text-to-self) when my friend was talking to someone about andriod and he said apple is better

Readers Journal#6 Travels with Charley

Dear Mrs. Zrihen

For the past four days I have had a hard time putting this amazing piece of literature down. At the beginning of the book I thought of what to expect from a critically acclaimed author, John Steinbeck who is famous for books like East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, Grapes of Wrath, and The Pearl to name some of his works. The strategy that I used while reading was prediction .  This helped me to tell beforehand what was going to happen to them during their adventures. In part three Steinbeck’s wife, Elaine, flew from the east to Chicago for a momentarily visit. That was good for Steinbeck because he was feeling lonely so she filled up that empty hotel room with joy and tranquility. Then he continued his journey to Illinois and then heading to Wisconsin. At this point, the way Steinbeck used his narrative to describe all the places amused me. I felt like I was actually with them in the book seeing the sights that he saw in marvel and amazement. If I were to give the book another title it would have to be “ The real Three Musketeers”  I would name it that because they represent Steinbeck, His French Poodle Charley, and his truck Rocinante, being together through all their adventures.

The message that I think Steinbeck is trying to explain to the readers is that you have to see things with your own eyes in order to get your opinion, like when people always criticize him for not going to a national landmark. It is like when you go to New York and someone asks you if you have visited the Statue of Liberty and you respond with “no” and say that you must be crazy!

While reading this book I found quite a few new words, I diverse between using the dictionary and applying the technique of context clues to comprehend their meaning. Like for example, when he wrote “I must confess to a laxness in the matter of National Parks. I haven’t visited many of them.” I used context clues to understand the word “laxness” when he said that he hasn’t visited many of them. So I understood that he doesn’t care about the national parks much. Another word I found was “escarpments rising into the clouds.” when I continue reading he said “a kind of natural Great Wall of China.” So I understood that “escarpments” has to do with something steep and big.

The figurative language that Steinbeck used a lot in this novel is personification in which he gave human qualities to his dog Charley. One example that I can mention is when they went to visit Yellowstone National Park. When he entered the park, the forest ranger warned Steinbeck about how the bears don’t get along with the dogs, so the ranger recommended to put a leash on Charley. But Steinbeck replies telling him that his dog is unique and that he respects all the animals. Also he said “I suggest that the greatest danger to your bears will be pique at being ignored by Charley.” So he was giving Charley all the emotions and feelings that a human being can feel when being exposed to the unknown, like for Charley first time seeing a bear up front.

From your student,

Alan Alvarez 

Readers Journal#5 Travels with Charley

Dear Mrs.Zrihen

I am in Part 2 of the book “Travels with Charley in search of America” by John Steinbeck. The book is 277 pages long and it’s for 12^th graders reader level so it may take me a while to comprehend what Steinbeck is addressing to his readers. The genre of this book is traveling literature, which is when the author documents the experiences of a place for the pleasure of traveling. That goes on the category of Non-Fiction and autobiography. He is also using narrative writing because he is documenting the story himself and he is relating an event or series of events.

I believe the pattern of organization is in chronological order due to the fact that it explains how his journey started, how he prepared for it, where he went first, second, and so on, how he got there, etc. The plot in Part two is mostly about how he has seen the future develop in other cities like Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, etc., and how people used mobile homes more often than he has ever seen. He explains that people use it because if somebody does not like a place, they can just drive off from one place to another place. The Author’s purpose is to inform and to entertain.  Steinbeck is using real and factual details about what he went through in his journey throughout America and he explains all the different situations that he encountered. For example, when he was trying to go to Niagara Falls and the Border Patrol asked Steinbeck if Charley was vaccinated. He said he was vaccinated a long time ago and the officer gave him a hard time because if he didn’t have the paper to prove it he had to return to the United States. That situation gave him the impression that if you don’t have it in paper, they won’t trust you. Also describes how people’s attitude changes from one city to the next.

They were many quotes that interested me but the following quote stood out from the rest : “ When I face the desolate impossibility of writing five hundred pages a sick sense of failure falls on me and I know I can never do it. This happens every time. Then gradually I write one page and then another. One day’s work is all I can permit myself to contemplate and I eliminate the possibility of ever finishing.” I like this quote because it made me think about my everyday activities in school especially those that are so challenging and at the same time take a lot of time to accomplish. This quote gave me the inspiration to never give up no matter what the cause is, slowly but surely I will get the task done.  

From your student,

Alan Alvarez

Readers Journal#4 Travels with Charlie

Dear Mrs. Zrihen

I am currently in the beginning of the book titled “Travels with Charlie In search of America ” by John Steinbeck . The genre of this book is  nonfiction. The quote that I like the most was “When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man and the road away from here seems broad and straight and sweet.” I like this quote because it show that John Steinbeck ,who was nearing the end of his writing career was not going to stop him from venturing America before he dies .

The strategies I used before reading the book were reading the synopsis that got me hooked in already so after that I looked up reviews from different people and in the back of the book there are 2 reviews from the Boston Herald and the Chicago Tribune. Then I checked for any literary elements that I can spot out after reading the first 30 pages. The protagonist are the narrator ,who is the actual author and his dog Charley, a French poodle who he takes along with on the trip to travel all of America. The setting of the book is all around America but begins in his home in Sag Harbor Long Island, New York . The theme of this book is a Realistic Fiction. The weather condition is all over the place because he goes All over America. The mood is determined and happy and also successful. I have not yet found the social conditions but I am pretty sure he talks to somebody there.

The plot is that A man and his dog go to travel across all of America because he wants to do this before he dies. He travels in a trailer car named Rocinante after Don Quixote’s horse. Don Quixote was a written by Miguel de Cervantes. Some consider it the best book ever written. John Steinbeck agreed with that statement and that is why he called it that.

From your student,

Alan Alvarez

Readers Journal #3 Sea of Monsters

Dear Mrs.Zrihen
I recently finished finished Sea Of Monsters by Rick Riordan. My favorite passage in the book was ''The way he said my name sent a chill down my back.Nobody called me ''Perseus'' except those who knew my true identity.Friends....and enemies''. I like this passage because it shows that Percy is a demi-god which you will learn in the middle of the book. Also Perseus is the son of Poseidon in Greek myths.The genre is fantasy/mystery. Some of the strategies I used were reading the synopsis so I can understand what turn the book will take a good one or a bad one. After that I asked my self questions to predict how Percy Jackson character is going to develop. The literary elements in this book changed because the protagonists changed. It changed because Rick Riordan included Tyson, Percy's friend and later reavaled to be Half-Brother. Also the conflict is trying to find ''The Golden Fleece''. In order to do that you have to go to the sea of monsters.The setting of the book was in New York City,New York. Percy is a dynamic character because The author gave a good inside on Percy's life and his lifestyle and where he goes. The weather conditions varied according to the location.In New York it was good condition and in The sea of monsters it was eerie and had a big amount of fog. Percy Jackson lives in Camp Half Blood which was a gathering spot. Percy and his 3 friends Tyson which was a cyclops, Grover which was a goat and Annabeth which was the daughter of Athena. Also The author put out had to tell signs foreshadowing an event to happen in the third book.
  Sincerely, Alan Alvarez 801

Reader's Journal#2 28 Days Later

Dear Mrs.Zrihen
I have just started to read the book 28 Days Later by Alex Garland. A passage that hooked me in was ''War.War never changes. What we are going through is a prologue to this horrid chapter of world history.This virus is just like war.People killing people.''  I like this quote because  it symbolizes that the world has changed in that book but at the same time, it hasn't because people are killing people just like the wars that are going in the real world like USA and Afghanistan. The strategies I used before I read the book were reading the Synopsis to comprehend what I was going to read ahead of time. The genre is Realistic fiction/Horror. It is horror because it involve a  plague that has spread across the world  and has infested rage in to people brains. The characterization in this book took it's toll on all of the four of the main characters. In my opinion, They were all dynamic.Their motive is to survive and to find a cure to the rage virus and to find people that were not struck by the virus.The protagonist were Jim, Selena, Frank, And the youngest Hanna. There was only one foil named Mark. The setting is in Great Britain which was evacuated and has only 1 tenth of the regular English population.The time was around modern time like 2007.The weather conditions were Sunny but when they go to Manchester it starts to rain.The social conditions are very low due to the fact that there is a low chance in this book to meet a survivor that is willing to assist you let alone any survivor! It starts off with Jim who is a bicycle courier. he delivers a package and gets hit by a car. He wakes up in a hospital and it is deserted. He is walking when he finds infected chasing him when he gets saved my 2 people later confirmed as Selena and Mark. They go into an underground safe spot and sleep there. They go to Jim's house and find Jim's parents dead. They get chased and a zombie bites Mark.
Sincerely Alan Alvarez 801

Readers Journal # 1 Vlad The Impaler

I finished Vlad The Impaler By Enid A. Goldberg & Norman Itzkowitz. This was about Vlad Dracula who was born in 1431, In Sighhisora, Transylvania. His father's name was Vlad Dracul. Dracul Promised to protect the Holy Roman Empire and was a member of a secret organization called '' Order Of The Dragon''. However, Vlad Dracul was in trouble because, he was in a war with the Ottoman Empire. In a political deal, for his own freedom Vlad sacrificed two of his sons one of them being Vlad Dracula when he was 12 years old and his brother, Radu. Even though the two were imprisoned they were educated by Turkish tutors. Vlad and his brother found out that their father  and older brother had been slayed by Basarab Laiota . Vlad was looking for revenge and fought on the side of the Turkish and their army. he and his guards went on a killing spree that lasted for many years and killing many people in the process of this event. A king named Mathias Corvineus(an ally of his)was no a target on Vlad's palm of toture. He kept him as a prisoner for over 12 years! Not much is know about Vlad Dracula during this period of time but Vlad forced Mathias to join him on a mission to take back the Wallachian throne. A month later Vlad was killed in battle near a city called Bucharest in Turkey. Vlad got his nick name by killing his victims and drinking their blood.

From you'r student Alan Alvarez in 801