Writting Assignment 1, My First Crush

Ashley Brown

Matt Thomas

Language Arts 9

Due: 3/31/08

First Crush

Everyone’s had a first crush. Whether it was in kindergarten or middle school you’ve had one. Mine was in the fourth grade, and his name was Nick. He lived in my neighborhood and went to my school. We were friends, but not even really good friends. I don’t really know why I liked him in the first place, but I still did.

We rode the bus together and I normally sat behind him with my best-friend-forever, Vanessa. The day I told her that I liked him she said that she liked his best friend, George, sitting in front of us too, and she wanted me to talk to him so that she could talk to his friend. I freaked out, and said that I didn’t want to. We fought about me going to talk to him, and me not wanting to until we got to school and finally she pushed me into him. I said hi and he said hi back, then I walked, well ran away. That was the first time that I was really, really, really nervous around him. I had horrible butterflies at lunch when I saw him, and on the ride home I made Vanessa sit further back with me. For the next few days I kept trying to talk to him, but everything single time I tried I just got to nervous and couldn’t think of what to say, so most of the time we sat smiling awkwardly at each other. Then one day I told Vanessa to go sit without me and I decided to talk to him. I walked up to him and he was sitting alone, because George was sick, and I told him that I like him, and that I thought he was nice and stuff like that. And on the ride home I sat next to him and we held hands. I think Shakespeare said best what I was thinking that afternoon. “O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do” (act one, scene).

The next day it was raining all day, really hard, so we didn’t go outside for recess like normal so I thought a lot about what had happened the day before. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what had happened the day before. I saw him walking to the bus, but I saw something else in front of him, a giant puddle. I was so mad for some reason, I know now I really had no reason to be mad. I think mostly I was just frustrated with myself that I never could find anything to say. I couldn’t even make out the right word for how mad I was. I was fluster and worried and didn’t know what to do. So I stared at the puddle because I was already in front of him. And right when he was walking past the puddle I ran and jumped into it. It splashed everywhere, it was fantastic. He was completely soaked in it. My pants were wet all the up the leg too, but it was ok, the look on his face when got onto the bus. He was shocked and soaked when he took his regular seat next to friend.

When I sat next to Vanessa she looked just as shocked as him and she asked “What was that for?”

And the only words I could find were “He just wouldn’t kiss me.”

Book Report 2, Touching Spirit Bear

Ashley Brown

Matt Thomas

Language Art 9

Due: 4/15/07

Touching Spirit Bear

Touching Spirit Bear is an almost heartbreaking tale about Cole Matthews, a trouble teenager, who is full of anger. After he beats Peter Driscal, a classmate, he is awaiting trial when his Parole officer, Garvey, talks to him about Circle Justice. Circle Justice is a program for teenagers who are fighting with the law. If the members of Circle Justice agree that the offender is willing to change they will let them go and help out the community. They aren’t so sure about Cole because he has offended the law so many times that they think he can’t change. He lies his way through everything because even being stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere is better then jail time. And that’s exactly what he ends up getting an island in the middle of Alaska.

Once Cole meets up with Edwin, a Native American tribe leader, and Garvey on the island he is left alone for the day. Cole burns down the cabin built for him and he tries to escape but tide won’t let him, so he waits and then sees a Spirit Bear, a great white bear hardly ever seen, and is attack, because he attacks it. After being left for dead and going through his own mind, he sees the Spirit Bear again. He is not afraid of it just lonely and dying, he doesn’t try to harm it. As it stands over him he reaches up and touches its matted coat. Cole loses the use of his left arm and it is hard for him to walk. He talks to Circle Justice again and only Edwin saves him. Once he returns to the island he is different, but his anger remains. He learns to deal with anger, but also the consequences of life. Like in the beginning of the book when Edwin said “Nobody’s going to baby-sit you out here. If you eat you’ll live. If not, you’ll die. This land can provide for you for you or kill you.” But everything that happens makes him really think about his life. Even though he had and abusive father, and a mother that ignores him he is able to move on, forgive and forget.

I think this book is an amazing read. Ben Mikaelsen really knows how to write, and how to put together a story. In this book it seems like time can stop or drag on just they way Cole is feeling it. It is a book I recommend you read.

Book Report 1, The Blood Red Horse

Ashley Brown

Matt Thomas

Language Art 9

March 25, 2008

Blood Red Horse

The Blood Red Horse is a fantastically engaging book that starts out about a girl named Eleanor, two boys named William and Gavin, and their Father, Sir Thomas de Granville, about their life in Hartslove, England in 1185. But after getting a few chapters into the book you find out that it’s really about a smaller glowing red horse named Hosanna, and how it seems to affect everyone that knows him. After Hosanna is almost killed and sent to the abbey, then returned to William then prepared to be a war horse for the Holy Wars, which mainly in chapter seven, it switches for a chapter about a young boy named Kamil.

I think Kamil is one reason I really love this book. He is personality my favorite character by far, because his past is different and it effects every aspects of his character. He lives in the Holy Lands as the sultan’s, Saladin, successor since he was orphaned when he was nine years old, five years before. Kamil has sought revenge for his parents murderer, the with the tear drop birth mark on his face. But when it was time that he could Kamil for some reason was unable to take the knights blood. After a few chapters when William, Gavin, and Sir Thomas had sent out for the Holy Lands, Kamil becomes their enemy, and when William loses Hosanna to him he plays a major part in the book. I think at the very end of the book, at the end of the War when he becomes a friend the William is when you see the truest part of him.

I loved the way that Hosanna was the symbolism put behind most of the book. He represented the right thing to do when unjust was happened all around. Like when the soldiers where executing the Muslim prisoners at Acre and Hosanna wouldn’t move and let William join in the battle. I think Hosanna also represents that bloodshed is wrong because Kamil says to the sultan “Have you noticed how the color of blood clashes with the red horse’s coat?” But mainly I think Hosanna represents that no matter who takes care of him, that person is worthy and human no matter what they have done.

The one thing that I didn’t like about the book was the ending. After they return home to Hartslove, without their father, King Richard is captured in a Spanish prison. Constable Piers de Scabious who is supposed to look after the castle and Ellie in Sir Thomas’ absence is horribly ruining Ellie’s reputation so she will marry him and he can have her land, and Gavin is a knight with his sword arm.

Overall it was an amazing book with great details and storyline. That definitely leaves room for more of the story to be told in the second book “Green Jasper”. I love the fact that it is a very controversial book and talks about things that some others teenage books would touch with a ten foot pole. I love it and enjoy K. M. Grant’s writing skills.

Response Paper 7, A message

            I have a message that some people won’t understand, and some people won’t like.  I know that this idea, or the fact that may be thrown out a window my some and be looked up to by others. But the thing I know the most is that it needs to be said because I feel that not a lot of people feel of think about this the way that I do.

            My subject in fact is my ideals and almost my moral code. I in fact am a vegetarian, and I can’t practice my beliefs because of my family thinks that it’s not the right way to live. And they think that it will make me ill. But the fact is it makes my sick to my stomach, every time that I shallow meat, whatever it may be.

            The fact that it was breathing, that it had fur or hair, it even had a brain. It was alive, it had somewhat of a life, even if that was just to die, and it was still alive. We wouldn’t kill a stupid person just to because they were dumb, because the fact that they are a human. Cows, pigs, and chicken aren’t the brightest animal, yes, but we made them that way. So they wouldn’t run away near death, or so that all they would think was eat, walk, stand, breathe. But if we ever did that to humans, it would consider cruel and inhumane and wrong to the greatest extent. And we are just animals in the very core, but for some reason we think that we are better then everything else that walks this earth.

            We are beginning to make the animal kingdom very off balance, because of the things we devourer, and the things we are continuing to do to the environment and all that belongs in it. It may not be a well known fact but humans are contributing to the breakage in the environment, and I find it very depressing that we are doing nothing to stop it.

            It scares me to think that we aren’t being careful with what we have, I mean we only get one chance to do it right, one chance to make sure that the Earth is in perfect condition when we die. I think that we are taking for grant it everything that we have, and took and threw away everything that we had. We need to stop this tread of down hill movement, because if we don’t the cons will be unbearable later in time. It will be unbearable for future generations.

            So over all I think it is just bad, and I would love to change the world on my own, but I know that I can’t. So I will wait for people to follow me, follow my example. And I hope that it will happen for me and my future.

Response Paper 6, Photon The Farting Man

 

Ashley Brown

Matt Thomas

Language Arts 9

January 22 2008

Photon, The Farting Man

This is the story of the amazing man Photon who has a strange talent, being able to fart on command. Photon is completely immature with this power as he farts at everyone within 2 feet of him even when he doesn’t want to. This gets him into trouble. A lot. After farting at a fire and blowing the house up, along with over half the island, he was expelled from his home and had to find a new home and turn it into a stinky crater just like the last one. The only thing he was able to take with him was, well everything. He had left the island so stinky that nobody had dared to touch or even eat the food unless they absolutely had to. The people, still dizzy from the fumes of the explosion, sent him off with rotten tomatoes and dead chickens that were killed in the blast.

After a year of sailing he came to an island of wind and decided to live there, however when he arrived there he was nearly blown away by the strong winds. After regaining consciousness he found himself stranded on the island with no food or anything.

Photon was dazed and confused. He called out for people on the island, but no one replied to him. He was scared and confused and alone. He sighed in frustration, then he began to travel the island’s shore.

He skipped rocks and climbed trees, never venturing too far into the island’s massive jungle. He was very alone as soon as he returned to the place where he had set off it had been three days and two nights, and the nights seem to grow colder and colder as they went on. He fell to the sand exhausted, starving, and weak. He moaned and his stomach roared in furry. He looked out at the ocean and started to weep.

“Why me? Why did I ever gain this power? It has ruined me and soon it will be the end to me.” He wiped his tear and sighed once more.

It was silent for a long time, his mind wandered to what his old neighbors, and family would be doing now. But after many minutes of wandering his ears heard a sound, a slight cracking of sticks. It made him jump and fart for it terrified him. He quickly raced his eyes throughout his sight. He saw nothingness, even the moon was hiding now. But then he heard a louder crack, closer to him. He looked around once more, but this time it found a pair of brilliant golden eyes staring at him in fright. These eyes weren’t from a large cat, or from a small snake. No, these eyes were human. He was amazed and joyous once more.

“A human, a real living person. I can live, I really can,” His voice ran out followed by a chorus of farts.

The smile on his face was brighter then those eyes staring at him in confusion, and worry.

“You speak English? I thought you were a foreigner. We don’t like foreigners here much.” A quiet and gentle female voice finally spoke.

“Yes, oh yes. I do speak English. I am sorry to ask, but do you have food? You see I have been stranded here for three days and two days with out none, and I am to weak and tiresome to search anymore.”

He voice was still happy, just dryer and slowly dying with each word. Even his farts were slowly growing fainter and fainter each time the came.

The young native girl grabbed a hold of his hand and said “Oh, you poor thing. What has this cruel shore done to you? Follow me and we will get you something to eat.”

She reached for Photon’s hand, and lifted him up off the beach. They went into the forest, and he continued to grow more weary and tiresome. He was too tired to move or to fart, and soon dropped to the ground. He eyesight was dim, but his hearing was colorful and clear. He heard her scream as he fell to the ground, her heard the ground rustling as he was dragged into a cold, damp, stony place. A cave? Then everything grew dim, until it was black

His eyes burst open and he sat upright. He was dazed at the beauty of the stony walls the grace of the wooded furniture. Everything had a white mysterious glow about it. His eyes dimmed back down to normal size and he signed in sadness and frustration.

“What is wrong stranger? Do you feel alright? Are you still faint?” It a fair skinned girl. Her beauty was astonishing. She had gentle green eyes that seemed happy to greet him, and shinning red hair.

She walked towards a small wooden table and placed a little black tray, with mounds of fruit and meat. “You should really eat before you die again. It was hard enough to revive you the first time, and the doctor is running low on supplies so that would be a bad thing for you.” She laughed.

“I died? I really died?” He asked in astonishment.

She simply nodding, then pointed to that food, and walked calmly out of the room. Her dress just gliding as she walked.

He began to gorge himself with what was on the tray, the food was amazing and he felt it fall into his empty stomach leaving the taste all throughout his throat. He heard a small laugh from behind him. He shallowed quickly and turned around. It was the girl from before, he eyes still glowing golden.

“So you like the food? You can take as much as you need on your way home.” She said

“Home why would I want to go home? I don’t want to go back there. They hate me, they can’t understand me.” He growled.

“But you must, you must go home. You would be hated anymore. They will love the gifts you bring on your new hand craved ship. They have missed you so.” She quickly replied.

“Come with me then, so I can have one true friend, no matter how much I fart.” He grabbed her hand.

“What? Fart? You’ve never farted in front of me?” She pulled away in confusion.

“Yes…. wait they’re gone… they are really gone. So will you come with me?” He stood up and held her.

“Yes! Of course anything for a friend.”

They got on the ship and sailed through the sea in the all it’s wonders. It was difficult but the made it home and they were greeted with joy. Mainly for the gold though.

 

 

Response Paper 5, Tim Burton, My Hero

Ashley Brown

Matt Thomas

Language Arts 9

January 14^th

 

My hero

            Hero is such a strong word, and it is has different meaning to almost every person. Some heroes aren’t real such as Batman or The Flash. But some heroes can be real life people can be some parents, a great friend, or maybe even a famous person. But what makes a hero a hero? Is it good hair, a smile, and the ability to save the world, or does it go much deeper than that? I think it does, or else we could have we would consider Bono a hero, which he may be, but not according to my own standards. I think that a real hero can stand up and fight for what they believe in, have people be able to depend upon them, and be caring about their homeland and the people that live in it. Maybe they could look the part too, but for the most part what they really need to make them truly a hero is the heroic attributes.

            As I said, it’s important that heroes have certain things that make them what they are. One of the most important of these things is to be trustworthy, to have people be able to trust and depend upon you. It’s so important to have that because how can anyone ever be saved if you aren’t there to save them? One thing that I think goes with that idea is caring about people, and what happens to them. And Heroes must be able to love mostly everyone so that you are willing to save them but. Even heroes have enemies, and so you can’t love your enemies but maybe the hero will try. After all that I think the last one that a hero should have would be to be able to get out of difficult situations. When the going gets tough the tough get going, and you have to be pretty tough to be a hero.

            The Odyssey has a very heroic main character, Odysseus. He has many attributes of a hero, some of these things I listed before, like caring about people, and being able to get out of difficult situations. But I think that he doesn’t have some things that I think a hero should have that I didn’t list before, such as being able to keep your morals even with the hardest pressures on them, or the physical things, I think he needs to look the part and I just can’t see that in him.

            I think that some unusual characters are great heroes and most people don’t even realize it. Personally, one of my greatest heroes and role models is Tim Burton. He has done so much for himself, fans, his crew, and possibly, at least part, of the world. I know he may have not saved them all from a burning building or giant sea snake. But it you think about it enough, he is a hero. Even though he just a regular person, he does amazing things. He has given the world a new outlook on both life, and death. Even though he may not fight monsters, he still has to do a different kind of fighting to keep his vision alive and he is able to keep his morals and beliefs alive when no one else seems to believe in them. Even though he is not your typical hero he is one of my greatest ones.

            I think that heroes need to care deeply about a lot of different people, be able to get out of really difficult and frustrating situations, but still be able to keep their morals and ideals alive. And maybe even look the part of a hero, too. I think that both Odysseus and Mr. Burton are great and amazing heroes in their own way. I think that they have many different and great qualities, but I think that I would rather have Tim Burton as my hero (or be his sidekick) then Odysseus because I don’t want to get into a fight with any gods or Cyclopes soon.

Response Paper 4, New Year’s Resolution

Ashley Brown

Matt Thomas

Language Arts 9

January 7^th, 2008

My New Year’s Resolution

      I am glad for the New Year because last year I had a bunch of problems and I am hoping to start fresh. I think one of my biggest problems I had was the fact that I am a big klutz, and have almost no coordination. I think that it is a big problem because one time in the beginning of the year I was ridding this brand new fire engine red racing bike around in the snow. Which could be a factor, but then I went to turn this corner around the back of an apartment when the bike ended up sliding out from under me, I landed on some glass and skid across the pavement. So I think that fact that I have amazingly horrible bad luck doesn’t not go well with bad coordination. I think there are a few ways that I can fix it, but mainly focusing on the little things that contribute to the bad coordination will help the most.

I think that part of the reason I have very bad coordination is that I don’t play many sports and I don’t get the exercise that many kids do normally get. I did think of that before, around the summer time I thought that maybe that doing tumbling, handstands and things like that may help with gaining balance. I tried it for a little bit and I did considerably well, for awhile. But then I got into the more advanced things. I was on this grassy hill it was pretty cold for a summer afternoon and I was stretching and I thought to myself “Hey I should try that walkover that I saw Rachel do.” And I went to the top of the hill and I started to do it. I thought I was actually going to make it too, but then I slipped the grass was still wet from the sprinklers and I ended up spraining my arm. I was just glad it didn’t break. Well I know that if tried a less dangerous sport it would help, because before I sprained my arm I did stopped tripping over my own feet for awhile. So I proposed that I should try a sport that will stretch me. I could start with yoga or something.

I figured out the hard way that putting myself in slightly dangerous situations makes my problem worse. I know this because one time when I was rock climbing, yes rock climbing, to get to this lake with this really beautiful, but kind of small waterfall The rope ended up slipping just a little bit and my foot of course slipped off the rock that it was on and I ended up scratching my arm, busing both my knees and spraining my wrist again for the third time that year. It was loads of fun. Anyway after that I figured it might be better if I didn’t deliberately put myself in that type of situations. even though I still went rocking climbing and things afterwards. But I learned to stop placing myself in between a rock and s sharp place, which helped me understand what I shouldn’t do.

I know that by adding my bad luck, not getting enough exercise and placing myself in dangerous situations is bad for me and my coordination. I know this because when you place yourself in dangerous situations with the proper exercise will get you hurt which is not going to help you regain coordination. Because you will try it once get hurt and nit want to retry it. Add bad luck you know you will get hurt. So by getting more exercise, not putting myself really dangerous situations that I am not trained, or well practiced enough to handle, and maybe getting a good luck charm should help in the end with my bad coordination.

 

Response Paper 3, Don’t Ban The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye is a story that speaks of situations that didn’t necessarily happen, but do happen to real people. It should be a considered a required book in many classrooms, but for many different reasons it is banned from most of them. I’m going to explain why I think this or you may never know why this book is such an amazing piece of literature.

            One reason many people are upset about this book is because there are that fights happen in this book. But critics are not looking at the causes of the fights. Holden Caulfied, the main character, does get in a few fights. I do admit that. But mostly his character is very passive. When these fights do occur, Holden is able to stand up for himself and be courageous. Like when Marice, the man who is in charge of the elevator, tells Holden that he owes him money and Holden believes he doesn’t, Holden is able to stand up for himself, even though he doesn’t win. Which is how it usually goes in real lifd. So it is easier to believe. Even though some people think that having fights in the book is a bad, it’s not, because it can help teach how to be courageous and stand up for what is right.

            Some people are a little bit uncomfortable to read about fighting. And The Catcher in the Rye tends to get that reaction that on many different subjects, like suicide, underage drinking and smoking, and sex. But talking about these things can help people be more knowledgeable, and have a better overall understanding. It’s makes things very difficult when someone is depressed and on the verge of suicide and no one can ever talk about it. My mother started feeling a little like that, when she was my age and her parents didn’t want to talk about it. So she got really depressed and she ended up going though a lot. After she was better and she had me and my brothers and sisters, she told us throughout our childhood about some of the things she had to go through, the good and the bad, so we knew what to do whenever we got stuck in those kinds of situations. I know it was hard for her to talk about, but in the end it has been better for me, knowing how to cope with theses taboo subjects. Most people say that talking about taboo subjects or reading about them is going to make people go out and do them, but not talking about them is going to just make people more curious. Being able to hear from a fictional character like Holden talk about them is good.

            The thing I think is the best about The Catcher in the Rye is that the author understands the minds of teenagers. Which is hard to do for most classic pieces of literature. I believe that J. D. Salinger knows what it going through the minds of many American teenagers, and has found a way to write it down so they understand. He has written about a realistic teenage character, you could read this book for five minutes and already believe that Holden Caulfield is a real character. He has complex good things and bad in his character. Take for example how he feels about women and girls. He thinks that some are dumb, some are pretty, and some you just can’t figure out. In real life, I’m sure that some or a lot of guys feel that way. I don’t know why some people think it is bad to have a flawed character. I think it is better and more believable to have flawed characters.

            In the end The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is an amazing tale that it bound to bring many types of readers and should not be banned from any classroom or library.

Response Paper 2, My favorite pet, Oreo

Oreo – My Favorite Pet

My favorite pet that I ever had was my dog Oreo. She was such a damn cute dog, she really was. I don’t even know why, though. She was such a moron, and really annoying too. I really mean it, too. One time, she I wasn’t even playing with her or anything and she just decided to jump on me and start biting my shoulder. My dad didn’t like her that much though, probably because she bit me a lot. But, it wasn’t even his dog. I mean he just didn’t even have to pay attention to her so why should he care? Anyway. he kept acting phony as hell, you know, saying stuff like, “I know that you like that dog, but we should just get rid of her.” And after the millionth time my mom started to get really pissed off that my dad kept bringing it up. So they had a little tiff. Well, it probably was a full on fight. But I don’t remember it that well

My parents got in fights a lot, pissing me that hell off whenever they get in really big fights. Mainly because it’s around a bunch an eavesdropping bastards in restaurants and stuff, who come up to me after the fight and say “What happened? Why are your parents so mad?”, “It’s a bad influence on you.” And my personal favorite, “I am so sorry.” I mean, what the hell? Why should you be sorry for me? How about you stop listening to me and my family’s problems? If you were really sorry, you wouldn’t listen. Just a bunch phony as hell eavesdropping bastards.

I hate that, but I hated the fact that everyone knew about my damn dog, about my problems. That is what drove me crazy is that everyone knew that my parents were fighting over my dog. But after the next few fights the dog had to go. I was pissed and depressed as hell. I mean I was only eight and you take away my dog.

Well she was a damn cute dog anyway, I missed her for awhile. But then I got a cat and that’s another story.

Response Paper 1, Andy Goldsworthy- An Artist, A Genius, A Man

Andy Goldsworthy- An Artist, A Genius, A Man

            Andy Goldsworthy is a very brilliant and creative genius. He is a master of art, and a man who is almost consumed in the world’s natural life. He is an artist that creates his art not for himself or for anyone else to ponder, but only for it to be given to the world. He is amazed and astounded by the rivers, trees, beaches, and flowers. And when he wanders, he would end up in these breathtaking places that I don’t think he even meant to find. He could use anything and everything to create art. It seems that even the things that normally I wouldn’t take a second glance at are full of beauty and art of their own, and when you take the time you can create something extraordinary with anything.

            Andy Goldsworthy was not only incredible with his art but with his words. He said a few things like “When you shake someone’s hand you take your glove off. I want that connection that you get.” And when he was talking about end to the life of his sculptures he said “It doesn’t feel like destruction, I feel it’s being taken to another plane”. When I really got to thinking about it everything he was talking about was so unbelievably true.

             I think that he interest me and I love his art work is because he is such a deep thinker, and he observers so much nature. But what interests me the most is how he interprets the world in all its glory and all of its chaos. Because even when he was at home with so much happening around him he can concentrate his art. He knows that he needs to be near people, but that most of the time he is drawn to nature, trying to be as close to it as he can, both emotionally and physically.

            I am positive that I have had the same struggles with my own art. When I draw, first I have to study and take the time to understand what I can and can’t do with certain objects and people. Andy Goldsworthy has to work with the material and maybe change his original plan, like with the stone pinecone on the beach. He tried and it collapsed, so he tried again and it collapsed, then as the tide was coming in he says “With each time I have tried to create this I learn a little more about the stone, and I get further and further with the more knowledge I gain of the stone. I will have to wait until tomorrow to finish.” Then he finally did complete it. There have been a few times where I would try to draw a person and the proportions were off, so I would try again, and it would still look wrong. So I would stop and think about the set up and what else I could draw in the foreground that might help it look better. After that I would try again. In the end it would look better. Even though my drawings could never be as good as Goldsworthy’s art it is kind of the same process.

            So Andy Goldsworthy is a man of perseverance, and a man of nature. He understands the creative process and what is needed to make beautiful art.