Students in Mr. Graham's Fall '09 class can click on the comment button below to share thoughts about their “End-of-Childhood” Independent Reading Project books. Make sure you include your first name and last initial, as well as the period you are in Mr. Graham's class.
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18 comments:
Steven A period 6
So far i kinda like the book,the boy,his brother,and his friends start to see what war really is and it is not a pretty site.Also there father is with a stepmother that the brothers really dont like and whenever the brothers try to talk to there dad the stepmother is always in there way.Also they learned a new thing called rap and hip-hop.
Elijah B. Period 6 entry 1
As soon as the book began it has reached a depth of fear, hope, and destruction. When the kids start going back to their village and see people bleeding and fleaing their home town they realize that if they go back to their village they will be one of the bloody people that come running back. They decide not to go back where they cam from but to the village behind them, to safety. They talk of going back but the militia comes and sets up posts and keeps The village safe from rebels and the kids decide also not to go back
So far the book A long way gone is a very interesting book. The book explains how a boy and his friends and family have to make money and survive in the poverty of there village. The boys family tries to help refugees and take them into there home but they just are to stubborn to come in and most of the neighbors of the family scold them for doing this. But why would the other families get mad over this, all of the families should try to help refugees and be a good part in society.
The boy, his brother junior and there friend Talloi set out on a journey to try to go to the village of Mattru Jong and try to meet up with friends and also try to make some money. On the way there they stop at there grandmothers house and rest there for a while. After walking for hours they finally reach the village and meet up with old friends. But they don't realize that they are in serious danger. The kids see that rebels are attacking the village and they need to get out of there as soon as possible. They all make it out okay but this book really interesting and really has much action in it which makes it such a good book because you have no clue as of what will happen. This book is teaching me that there are kids in the world who have it way harder and they have way more pressure on there shoulders than ours.
The book A Long Way Gone keeps getting better and better. The book is exciting and keeps getting me interested on what will happen next. So the boy is in the forest with his brother and friend and he searched for some food. While he is looking he encounters some enormous pigs that will kill him. He tries to climb a tree but when he climbs back down they chase him for a long time. After the boys make it out of the forest. Than they meet up with four other boys and try to make it to a safe village with food. They are questioned by the villagers because they think that they are kid rebels.
They must have been very scared because if they said one wrong answer they could have been killed by the villagers. Also while the kids are in the village with there host, the woman wakes them up and tells them that they the villagers are going to try to attack them.
So this would be a horrible way to live your life because basically in where they live, not everyone is accepted because there are so many tribes and so many different religions.
Rajiv Mishra Period: 6
So far, this book is very exciting. At first, the book seemed boring only because it was introducing the characters and the setting but as it began to be much clear that this wasn't your average town. This book relates and has a lot to do with the culture that is personified in the book, the way each of the kids keep their spirits strong and how the characters in the book react to conflicts.
Rajiv Mishra Period: 6
Wow, so much chaos, blood, death, piety, remorse..This book has gone from a level from which it seemed to be a boring story to an all-out blood thristy saga about a young boy who must make himself a warrior along with a few other boys who have been forced from their every day lives to live in fear. My only question is that, why didn't the man tell the boys what his name was when he kept them in the hut?
Elijah b.
So far this book is great! There was so much that happened and is soon to come. When they get captured all I think about is what's gonna happen next to them and every time they go to that village to get money for food I start getting images of all if this like I'm in what is happening in the book. I feel bad because they kids might not wheather their families are alive or not and they have to worry about themselves and getting food and other materials for survival
Steven A Period 6 Entry 2
The book gets alot better. There is so much that happens.The blood,the nightmares,trying to run away,trying to find money to get food.the kids are living a life they wish never happened and having to try to there families if they are still alive.
Elijah Bond period 6 entry 3
yet through all the blood shed and tears that come from what is going on in the book so far they discover the ocean and they say that they found the one thing that remained with true and natural beauty from the midst of mayhem. when they approached a village they thought the rebels had came but then fishermen came and took everything away from them by force and made them walk with no shoes on scorching sand. when they met a stranger he helped them with their feet which were demolished and gave them shelter. this signifies that you basically cant give up and have to keep going to find shelter no matter the outcome
Elijah Bond period 6 entry 3
when ishmael first starts talking to esther he thinks not to trust anyone and that he likes being alone and that it is easier to survive. i think he is wrong because being alone is never good and that friends will always be there if you need help.when ishmael told his story of how he got the bullet wounds it made me realize that there are far worse things then dying and that is suffering and overhearing that you are going to die. when he was done with the story he got mad that he told esther and that she said its not his fault. he threw the walkman radio at her and got up and left. he is very sensitive about his past and doesnt want anyone to know.he has bad dreams about what happened and will always have from the trauma he went through
Elijah Bond period 6 entry 4
when ishmael first starts talking to esther he thinks not to trust anyone and that he likes being alone and that it is easier to survive. i think he is wrong because being alone is never good and that friends will always be there if you need help.when ishmael told his story of how he got the bullet wounds it made me realize that there are far worse things then dying and that is suffering and overhearing that you are going to die. when he was done with the story he got mad that he told esther and that she said its not his fault. he threw the walkman radio at her and got up and left. he is very sensitive about his past and doesnt want anyone to know.he has bad dreams about what happened and will always have from the trauma he went through
Elijah Bond period 6 entry 5
The end of the book tells the grief that ishmael went through in the war years of losing lots and gaining little. This book is really good and i hope lots of people read it and hear the story of this boy and what he went though.the worst part for me was when his uncle died and i can make a connection to that. when my mom went to take care of her dying father my beloved grandpa, they we turning him over and he died in the midst of that. i miss him for i have seen him only once and basically the same happened for my mom and little cousin as they were taking care of my grandpa. this book tells a great story and it makes you appreciate the things you have.
Eduardo Tobias entry 1
In the beganing of the book as the kids start going back to their village and see people bleeding and fleaing their home town they realize that if they go back to their village they will be one of the bloody people that come running back. They decide not to go back where they cam from but to the village behind them, to safety. They talk of going back but the militia comes and sets up posts and keeps The village safe from rebels and the kids decide also not to go back. The book is very suspensful.
Entry 2
In the book the boy and his brother head to the village to try to make some money.Before they go they stopped by there gandmothers house and then meet up with some friends from the village. They soon relized they were in serious danger.
Entry 3
When they leave they trave to restwith his friend. The look for fire wood when they encoundter pigs that want to hurt his brother. They meet up with more people that supply much food. They think the kids are rebels so they would ask them questions just to make sure. This book is really fasinating because you dont no whats going to happen next.
Entry4
When answering the questions they were frightend because if they messed up once if they were right they would be killed. This book is very sad to see rebeles killing there own people.So much death and blood they come across.No one should live this way and i am are very fortunate because i dont have to live this way.
Entry 5
This book was a really good book.I highly recommend this book. In the end ishmael was talking about the tings he experence in the war.He ha gained a lot of knowdge and learned much I felt really sad when hes uncle passed away. I look foward in reading the book again.
This book is leaving me with all kinds of ideas so far. So Ishmael and his friends go to the forest to try to look for some wood for a fire. A long the way they meet these kids. The kids look suspicious and Ishmael and his friends as they questions to make them prove that there not rebels. Also Ishamel and his friends just keep walking and go to a village where there think has been terrorised by the rebels. They ask a man with a fishing rod about what has happend and he ends up taking everything that they own. This shows that you can never trust a stranger.
Lastly while Gasemu ( a friend of Ishmael) started screaming on the other side of the village, all the kids race towards him and see many dead bodies all over the place. Even though they couldn't help him atleast the kids cared enough to not run away but to go help there friend who was in need. So this book shows much maturity.
As Ismael and his friends still search for food and shelter, Ishmael wonders how that if there is so many people with me, it will be hard to let them go and to even be killed so what am I going to do if another one of my friends die, will I have to go back and risk my life or do nothing. He relises that he can't help everyone and he has to think of himself before his friends. Ishmaels friend, Esther asks him whats wrong he just tells her that he thinks that one man can do better without a pack. I don't agree with this because if you are hurt. Who will be there for you in your time of need? Wouldn't Ishamel want support or just to maybe have backups?
I don't know how he is thinking because it is totally different when it comes to my life and his. If I was in his foot steps and had to help all of my friends in danger I would maybe think to myself if we learn to depend on other people, we will never depend on ourselfs. So this book shows so many good charicteristics and teaches that USUALLY one is greater than two, (thats just what I think.)
At the end of the book Ishmael gains so many good qualities. He learned that friendship is one of the most important things in life. But he also learned that if a person dies, he shouldn't blame himself, people have to die eventually. He learned this because his uncle dies towards the end of the book and Ishmal just thinks in his head about if he was there to take care of him, maybe he would still be alive. He has to learn to just live life in the moment. Ishmael also survives but some of his friends didn't and Ishmael wanted to go back and try to not let that happen. But he should just live in the moment. Also as the book goes, Ishamel progresses in leadership, smarts and even friendship.
Lastly the end of the book makes me appreciate what I have and to think that if I had his life I would have to be tough and not look back on anything. But Ishamel does look back which makes his life even harder. So this book is a great book which teaches people to not be gready and to not regret what has already happend just live in the moment and live your life.
Steven A period 6
entry 3
We were so hungry that it hurt to drink water and we felt cramps in our guts, It was as though something were eating the insides of our stomachs. Our lips became parched and our joints weakened and ached. I began to feel my ribs when i touched my sides.I thought this was a good part in the book becaue it tells that war hurts people and its something that can tear people apart
entry 4
A village we captured and turning into our bases as we went along and the forest that we slept in became my home. My squad was my family, my gun was my provider and protecter, and my rule was to kill or be killed.I though this paragraph said alot about him becuase he used to be a boy that just goin into hiphop and dance then turned over to a child killer that felt no pity for anyone.
entry 5
this book was really good it makes me think of the great things i have in my life. Well i think the story says alot about the people that were fighting for our country because they had to live there life without thinking about all the bad things they done to one another. But Ishamel doesnt look forward thats way he is living a much harder life then having to forget the past and is regrets and look forward to his future.
Rajiv M Period 6
Entry 4
When Ishmael is picked out from the rest of his squad along with a few others he hides a bayonet and a grenade as he does not know where he is going. This repersents him as a lonely boy who has the need to take care of himself and will do whatever he possibly can to do so. The blood shed, death of friends and comrades plays a true roll in a soldier's mind. Ishmael did a great job of explaining each and every passage throughout the book. When they reach the rehibilitation center, they realize that they must change in order to become "Citizen." They first act like rowdy 'hellrazors' and fight among each other just to feel as if they're "home" again. Ishmael began to understand that what he did was not his fault and that he must show these citizens that boy soliders are indeed a horrible and tragic breed of the new youth.
Entry 5
This book was a very amazing peice of literature that I have picked up in the years of my 'childhood.' Ishmael, a boy who's family has been killed, who's life has been taken to a differen't stage (one that no one should go through) is really just a boy who has been eaten up and spit out by society. Society, war, arguments, it could have all started off with two crazy idiotic leaders who didn't like each other because of the way they looked. The Rebels believed that they were figting for the freedom of Siera Leonne, but by killing your own kind? As This book repersents Ishmael as a lonely boy who has the need to take care of himself and will do whatever he possibly can to do so. The blood shed, death of friends and comrades plays a true roll in a soldier's mind. Ishmael did a great job of explaining each and every detail. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is willing to embark life's greatest saga's.
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