My Blog Reflection

My blog post ( http://nazsreadingblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/evermore-why-you-should-read-it.html) is my best and favorite post because in it I exemplified my ability to analyze complex characters and I've analyzed the development of the theme. I worked hard on it and tried to use the rubrics for it. In my post, I talked about several different aspects of the book which is important to do because you need to keep the reader interested. My teacher, Mrs. Noble, has given me great tips and advice for my blog posts and I have best demonstrated it in that post. I also have added pictures and have had more then 2 paragraphs of text which is pretty important to do. I have described the plot so that people know what it's about but at the same time I didn't give a lot away to spoil it for the reader.

My goals for next trimester are to make sure to understand the text that I am reading because sometimes you can glance through the pages without really understanding and reading the book. My goals for writing are to use all of the tools of writing( imagery, similes, metaphors, personification, etc.) and also to really think about what I will write and what I will talk about. It's important to also read and comprehend the book from the p.o.v of the author, the characters, and of course the reader. I've struggled a lot with keeping up with my reading and posts every week because being in high school is very time consuming but at the same time you need to manage your time wisely. I've overcome this struggle by making time for each class and making sure I get everything done and also I've made school my number one priority. One strength that I had while blogging was that I can write and explain my view and feelings about a subject or a book and make my posts look interesting to want to read. (I've done choice 1 & 2)

R.L Stine: The New Girl

I have just finished reading the novel, The New Girl, by R.L Stine and I love it just like all of his other books. I first wanted to read this book because R.L Stine was one of my favorite authors when growing up and it was one that I haven't read before. The book is set in present time around fall time in the high school Shadyside High. When Cory Brooks, the main character, lays eyes on the new girl for the first time he is lost in her light blue eyes and can't get her out of his mind. Cory Brooks finally finds out who the new girl is and her name is Anna Corwin. Anna has light blonde hair, pale as a ghost skin, beautiful light blue eyes and always wears dresses. Cory just can't get over how much she likes this girl. Later, he finds out that she lives on Fear Street. That's a street that is said to be really scary and dangerous and Cory is surprised that she lives there. Anna for some reason keeps disappearing, and Cory finds out she is dead. It is up to Cory and his friends to find out the secret behind Anna.





The thing that I love about R.L Stine is his writing style. First he develops two or three main characters and several secondary characters. Then, he keeps the plot moving at a steady pace and he knows his audience so he knows whats interesting and what's not. He will make the reader think one thing will happen and then do something else to trick us. Then, he outlines the book so that the plot makes sense. Finally, he always has an exciting and satisfying ending.

How he writes (quote by R.L Stine):

"I think of the titles first. I think I work backwards from most authors. Most authors get an idea for a story and they start to write it, and then later they think of a title. But I think of the title first and then the title sort of leads me to the story. ...I know the ending, so then I know I can always get there. I plan out every book first before I write a word. I do a chapter-by-chapter outline of every book. So before I start to write, I know everything that’s going to happen in the book. I have it all planned, and then I can just enjoy the writing. I’ve done all the hard part. I’ve done the thinking before I start to write." - from an interview with The Author Hour.

We Beat The Street

This is a remarkable true story about 3 doctors who wrote this book because they wanted to show everybody that obstacles can be overcome and how struggles can lead to success. I think this book is very inspirational because it shows the power of friendship and of positive peer pressure. As kids, Drs. Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins grew up in the tough city of Newark, New Jersey. They had to struggle against gang violence, drug use, peer pressure, and the challenges of being young and african-american. 

The story starts out by first telling the back stories of each of the three main characters who would later become doctors. The first character that you read about is Sampson. The book tells about his first experience with doctors and hospitals when he was just a little kid. When he was just six years old, he broke his foot and had to go to the hospital to get a cast. Then the book starts to talk about Rameck. Now he never had an accident or an incident that required him to go to the hospital, he kind of doesn’t realize his dream of becoming a doctor until he goes and sees an orientation for medical and dental school with Sampson and the third main character George. There Rameck realizes that he should become a doctor and decides to chase after his dream with the assistance of his two best friends. The book then finally starts to talk the third and final character of the story, George. George wants to become a dentist. He first decides upon this profession when he had to go see the dentist when he was just a little kid. He had to get braces and was very excited. One of the reasons he wanted to become a dentist was because of the dentist that he had. George really liked him and this dentist had a great influence on George. Then the story starts to talk about each of their own lives, including family, school, and friends. Each of them came from a troubled area and had a tough childhood. They each had their own personal family problems and also had money problems that made their family lives harder. Each of them did not think they would go to college because of the fact that college costs money and they did not think that they had enough money to get that far in life. Another thing that held Rameck, George, and Sampson back were each of their own personal groups of friends. All of their friends seemed to be more harmful then helpful, always getting them in trouble, whether it is from drugs, violence, crime, or with the police. Their friends were definitely a negative influence. Then it talks about their schooling and how each of them met and started to hang out with one another. The book talks about how they stood by each other and helped one another out throughout their lives. I would recommend that you read it.