Sunday, July 3, 2016
Throw Back Thursday
I find this TBT post to be one of the harder ones to write. As a child, I never really read the historical fiction genre so I can't reanalyze a text I once read. The historical fiction genre is also very unique and also unlike any of the genres we have already discussed. I will say however, it is a genre with many merits. It is a fantastic way to make serious or important events in history more accessible to children. It also give the reader a glimpse into a a time and place they wouldn't be able to experience otherwise. The Magic Treehouse series was the closest thing to the books we read in class. While they were more fictional than "Esperanza Rising" and "Little House on the Prairie", they did teach children about historical events.
Commonplace Quoten - Esperanza Rising
"Esperanza smiled and reached over and gently pulled the yarn, unraveling the uneven stitches. Then she looked into Isabel's trusting eyes and said, 'Do not ever be afraid to start over'" (253).
This quote was significant because it brought Esperanza's journey full circle. She has gone from the role of child and student to mentor and teacher. She is no longer lost, she has found a strength and beauty within herself that she is now ready to pass that down.
This quote was significant because it brought Esperanza's journey full circle. She has gone from the role of child and student to mentor and teacher. She is no longer lost, she has found a strength and beauty within herself that she is now ready to pass that down.
Commonplace Quote - Little House on the Praire
"Laura swallowed hard, to keep from crying. She knew it was shameful to cry, but there was crying inside her." (24).
This quote is one of the many that describe the restraints put on Laura and her sister. Throughout the book there are examples of this internal conflict Laura has. It was not acceptable to show sadness or cry. It doesn't really go into specific on why this was unacceptable, but I am assuming it was mostly to do with being able to detach emotionally in order to ensure survival.
This quote is one of the many that describe the restraints put on Laura and her sister. Throughout the book there are examples of this internal conflict Laura has. It was not acceptable to show sadness or cry. It doesn't really go into specific on why this was unacceptable, but I am assuming it was mostly to do with being able to detach emotionally in order to ensure survival.
Notable Moment - Esperanza Rising
The moment that stuck out to me in "Esperanza Rising" occurred quickly after Esperanza and her mother arrived in California. Their journey from Mexico was one that was both physically and emotionally draining. Throughout the trip, Esperanza was resisting her new identity. She could not understand or accept her new role in society. So once she got to the farm many people made fun of her and her lack of knowledge about every day tasks. So after a small pep talk, Esperanza decided to ignore those who doubt her and focus on learning her work. The notable moment of her picking up the broom and asking for help to learn reflects Esperanza's humble yet determined spirit.
Wordless Wednesday - Esperanza Rising
http://picturethis.museumca.org/pictures/imperial-valley-%E2%80%93-people-camps
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Commonplace Quote - Mrs. Frisby
"Had we, then, no use in the world?" (160)
The rats are trying to find their place in the world. They are different and don't quite fit in anywhere. They are looked down on by society because of what they are seen as, rats, yet they are more than that. They have to find their place and value within themselves and not worry about what society thinks of them. Representative of many struggles kids and even adults go through.
The rats are trying to find their place in the world. They are different and don't quite fit in anywhere. They are looked down on by society because of what they are seen as, rats, yet they are more than that. They have to find their place and value within themselves and not worry about what society thinks of them. Representative of many struggles kids and even adults go through.
Commonplace Quote - Mrs. Frisby
"Mrs. Frisby was afraid. Then she thought of Timothy...she told herself she had no choice. If there is a chance the owl might be able to help me, I must go" (43).
This quote is reflective of the theme of sacrifice and bravery that is portrayed throughout the book. We talked in class about how the characters, Mrs. Frisby in particular, display incredible bravery and sacrifice. The fact that despite her fears, Mrs. Frisby continues her journey shows how far her lover pushes her and can push all of us.
This quote is reflective of the theme of sacrifice and bravery that is portrayed throughout the book. We talked in class about how the characters, Mrs. Frisby in particular, display incredible bravery and sacrifice. The fact that despite her fears, Mrs. Frisby continues her journey shows how far her lover pushes her and can push all of us.
Notable Moment - The Amazing Maurice
"To be a leader you have to learn to shout! But after you've learned to shout, you have to learn not to!" - Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice and His educated Rodents
This was probably my favorite scene of the book. It struck a chord with me. I have spent the last four years in Corps of Cadets here at A&M and have learned so much. This quote summarizes one of the most valuable lessons I have learned. There are so many people who try to lead through fear. Who think that just because they are the loudest, they are the most respected. That is not the case. As a freshmen, you are forced to yell and scream and learn how to project yourself. Sophomore year, you are the ones teaching how to yell by well, yelling. Then finally during your junior and senior year, you learn that you have to influence people through other avenues other than yelling. You have to inspire, not strike fear. I love this quote. The world needs leaders who know how to yell, but understand that it is not always the answer.
This was probably my favorite scene of the book. It struck a chord with me. I have spent the last four years in Corps of Cadets here at A&M and have learned so much. This quote summarizes one of the most valuable lessons I have learned. There are so many people who try to lead through fear. Who think that just because they are the loudest, they are the most respected. That is not the case. As a freshmen, you are forced to yell and scream and learn how to project yourself. Sophomore year, you are the ones teaching how to yell by well, yelling. Then finally during your junior and senior year, you learn that you have to influence people through other avenues other than yelling. You have to inspire, not strike fear. I love this quote. The world needs leaders who know how to yell, but understand that it is not always the answer.
Throwback Thursday
Last week we spoke about fairy tales and their place in literature. We discussed whether or not they should be taken seriously as works that critique society and have more of a purpose than to entertain. In previous blog posts I discussed how I believed they did function in all of the roles aforementioned. This theme of social critique hit a chord with the books that were assigned this week. More accurately, it resonates with "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents". This concept hit me when I read the following quote, "' Listen, Peaches, trickery is what humans are all about,' said the voice of Maurice. 'They're so keen on tricking one another all the time that they elect governments to do it for them.'" I also think this book is being used as a medium to critique society, because as we also discussed, children are able to relate to animals in literature. This is because of the similar power restraints they live under.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Commonplace Quote - "The Selfish Giant"
This quote comes from Oscar Wilde's, "The Selfish Giant". "'It is your garden now, little children,' said the Giant and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall. And when the people were going to market at twelve o'clock they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen."
This quote shows the transformative power of generosity and love.The Giant goes from being selfish and lonely to generous and happy. This quote suggests the Wilde is appealing the audience asking them to be more generous with their possessions and in turn they will be truly happy.
This quote shows the transformative power of generosity and love.The Giant goes from being selfish and lonely to generous and happy. This quote suggests the Wilde is appealing the audience asking them to be more generous with their possessions and in turn they will be truly happy.
Commonplace Quote - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit"
"Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the bit fir-tree"
This quote communicates the spirit of Peter Rabbit and the spirit of the book. This quote depicts the never give up attitude this book teaches its young readers.
Notable Moment 2 - The Happy Prince
The best representation of the themes and functions of fairy tales can be seen in Oscar Wilde's, "The Happy Prince". This whole work is a critique on the greed and selfishness in the hierarchy of society and the redemptive qualities of love and selflessness. It is a perfect example of how fairy tales not only function as a source of entertainment, but as a a social criticism. The moment of the story that ties the story together and teaches the main lesson of love for all, is when God asks for the two most precious items in the town. The angel brings back the heart of the Happy Prince and the sparrow that labored tirelessly.
Throw Back Thursday - Fairy Tales
I don't think I fully appreciated the wide variety of fairy tales there actually are. Up until last week, I never thought of a fair tales as more than an unrealistic bed time story that really has no basis in reality. After this section however, I have realized that fairy tales have multiple functions. Some are used to inspire, some to entertain, and others to criticize certain aspects of their society. I am not sure if it was because of the minimal variety in the types of fairy tales I used to read that I didn't see the range of functionality or I was just to young to recognize their purpose. Either way, I am sorry I missed out. I would like to continue looking into the fairy tales that focus on raising awareness of social issues and critiquing them. More specifically, I will continue to look into the works of Oscar Wilde and Hans Christian Andersen.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Commonplace Quote
This quote is from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, "And Max, the King of al wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all".
I believe this quote can be applied to anyone at any stage in their life. We are always gunning for the next stages of life to come and tend to believe that the grass is greener at the other side, but sometimes we find that we shouldn't have moved so quickly. Thankfully for Max, he was able to return home when he realized he was happy and loved right where he was.
I believe this quote can be applied to anyone at any stage in their life. We are always gunning for the next stages of life to come and tend to believe that the grass is greener at the other side, but sometimes we find that we shouldn't have moved so quickly. Thankfully for Max, he was able to return home when he realized he was happy and loved right where he was.
Commonplace 1
This quote is from Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret, "The complicated machinery inside mu automaton can produce one hundred and fifty-eight different picture, and it can write, letter by letter, an entire book, twenty-six thousand one hundred and fifty-nine words. These words" (511).
This is the moment in books you hope to find. It is the moment when the story comes together and the hairs raise on the back of your neck. This quote shows how much appreciation and love Hugo has for Georges Melies and those who helped him along the way. This automaton was made to honor and thank them and make sure that their story is recorded and will not be lost to time.
This is the moment in books you hope to find. It is the moment when the story comes together and the hairs raise on the back of your neck. This quote shows how much appreciation and love Hugo has for Georges Melies and those who helped him along the way. This automaton was made to honor and thank them and make sure that their story is recorded and will not be lost to time.
Notable Moment 1
In Zita the Space Girl there are many reoccurring themes the reader can find. The main themes are taught by the main character, Zita. These include showing bravery, being accepting of other, working as a team. However, these are not the only lessons that can be learned. I came to this realization after one of the final scenes. It is the scene where Piper makes his return to help Zita and the others escape from their situation. He returns despite his previous actions and the despite the fact that he lost the faith of his new friends. His story is a story of redemption. After I realized this, I started looking at the other character and saw a common theme of redemption or defying labels. One, who was labeled as dangerous and hard to work with, proved through his actions that he was actually self sacrificing and loyal. Robot Randy was labeled as unreliable and had the capability to destroy the entire planet, but turned out to be the savior of the planet. These moments made me realize that the lessons were not only being taught by the main character Zita, but by all characters in the book. This broadens the intended audience by opening up more characters that children can relate to.
Throwback Thursday
There are many stylistic choices that go into creating a picture book or graphic novel. These range from the size of the boarders to the font of the text. As a child, I never paid much attention to these aspects. Looking back I may have felt the emotions these choices are intended to invoke in the reader, but I never noticed them. I think it would be very interesting to go back and look at my favorite picture books like Strega Nona and The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar and really analyze these deliberate choices. I think I would find new ways to appreciate the text and even the messages they may be trying to convey.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Friday, June 3, 2016
Book Meme
I would describe myself as formerly avid reader. As a young teen, I always had a book near me. As my time became more occupied with school and extracurriculars, I spent less time in books. One of my biggest regrets currently is letting my passion for reading take a back seat in my daily life. However, I am determined to reignite the passion!
My favorite type of books tend to be mystery novels. I love the suspense and complex plots that build through the pages then come to an exciting climax in the most unexpected ways. These types of books engage my mind and imagination. I also love a good romance novel every once in a while. Though they may be cheesy and mindless, they are always a fun escape.
The most recent novel I read was The Husband by Dean Koontz. This novel was about a husbands fight to save his kidnapped wife. It was the perfect combination of mystery, suspense, and even love. I highly recommend it. I also plan to reread the Series of Unfortunate Events books with my younger brothers this summer, they were my childhood favorite.
I am looking forward to reading Little House on the Prairie. My sister and I used to read the books when we were younger and we watched the TV series. The book holds many good memories for me. Below is a picture from the TV series.
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