(Outside Reading #6) Persepolis

I just finished the book Persepolis today and overall I thought it was an okay book. It sure was confusing at times and the conflict between the iraqis and the iranians. The little girl has to go through many troubles though in her world. She hears many stories of the past and the heros in her life. She is forced to wear a vail over her head or else she will be shot. Personally I am very glad that I am not in her position because I like being able to wear whatever I want. I think her life would be filled with terror at times and I love how America is so free. It's sad that some people still have to live that way today but hopefully soon those rules will not take place any longer.

(Outside Reading #5) In the Time of the Butterflies Ch. 12

In the last chapter of In the Time of the Butterflies, Minerva is the narrator. She and her sister Patria are released from prison to come home finally. She begins having a hard time at home though, she feels as though she is not the same as she was before she went to jail. She misses her old life. The men were still in prisons but Minerva never gave up on them. Dede always told the girls not to go and visit their husbands because the road to the prison was very dangerous. One da a storm was brewing and the girls were off, and that was the end. The girls ended up dying on their trip to the prison that day. I think it was a very good ending to the book because it kind of leaves you hanging but I still think there should have been a little more description about their deaths. I think the book was very pleasant over all made me see life in a whole new perspective.

(Outside Reading #4) In the TIme of the Butterflies Ch 5 and 6

I just read the 5th and 6th chapter in my book that I chose to read for our project, In the Time of the Butterflies. I learned that Dede had feelings for Minerva's husband, Lio, from the moment she saw him. She truly loved him more than her own husband, Jaimito. When Jaimito proposed to Dede in the car, they also found Lio hiding in the back seat. Lio asked Dede to give a letter to Minerva but instead she decided to read it before hand. The letter was asking Minerva to leave the country with him, so Dede burnt the letter in order to protect her sister. In some ways I would be happy if my sister did that, because it could potentially have saved my life. But then again, it would make me angry that she burnt it with out me even knowing about it or where Lio even went. 

In the 6th chapter Minerva meets her dad's other side of the family that he has been involved with. She also finds 4 letters from Lio in her dad's closet and gets very angry. She ran into her fathers ford while he was at his other family's house because of her anger. Their entire family went to a party that their dad was invited to and Trujillo was there, hitting on Minerva. When he wouldn't stop, she slapped him across the face and their family left immediately. I would do the exact same as Minerva because Trujillo had no right to treat her like that. It was very rude to treat her the way he did.

(Outside Reading #3) Book: Private

After Reed's encounter with the Billings girls, Thomas Pearson came up to her. He gave her an old bus token and told her it was his old luck charm but he not longer needed it so he thought to give it to her. At this point Reed has a major crush on Thomas. After school, Reed heads to the soccer fields with the team. When they go out to scrimmage, she steals the ball from Noel (main girl of the Billings girls) and Noel packed it on the ground. Reed expected her to be furious with her but instead she acted almost impressed. On her way home to her dorm, Ariana popped out from nowhere and began talking to Reed. The two started talking and it ended by Ariana asking Reed to sit with them at breakfast which made really excited. At breakfast the next morning, Reed realized that the Billings girls didn't want to become her friend so much as they wanted her to be their slave. They ordered her around and to get their food.

I would think if a boy gave me something after just meeting him, that there was something there. I think it was very cute of Thomas to give her that because that's not something many guys would be able to do. After school at soccer practice, I'm happy that Reed showed Noel a little of who's boss because someone has to take the queen down every once and a while. I'm glad Noel handled it well, I would have expected her to do just as Reed thought, get furious. Now during breakfast the next day I don't think it was right for the Billings girls to do that to Reed but I feel like there's something more that they want.

(Outside Reading #2) Book: Private

Reed actually begins school and meets her first teacher. Let's just say she doesn't get off on the best terms since she back talks when the teacher accuses her answer to be wrong. But in truth, he tricked her and tried to make her look bad on her first day in front of the entire class. After that, she was convinced he could do no better and she hated him. When he called her to his desk after class, he asked her to catch up with all the other students by reading 8 books that the other students had by the end of the week. At lunch, Reed had an encounter with the Billings girls. They came up to her and called her their "peeping tom" since Ariana had seen her staring at them in the window.

First of all, if I were in Reed's place during class, I would be furious with my teacher. I think that is really wrong of teachers to make fun of students on purpose. I believe all of it is cruel and unnecessary. Reed knows she doesn't need to read those 8 books to catch up so I wouldn't if I were her. On the subject of the Billings girls, I guess I would be a little weirded out if I saw some random girl looking at me through a window but I don't think they should have been that rude about it. They seem like they always are like that, and very stuck-up. But Reed really wants to fit in, and be a Billings girl.

(Outside Reading #1) Book: Private

I just started reading a book called Private by Kate Brian. The book so far is about a girl named Reed Brennan that is a sophmore at a new school called Easton Academy. Easton Academy is a very expensive school but the truth is, Reed Brennan is searching for a new life, new friends, a new start. She was a tomboy in her old town and had to deal with her pill-popping mother. She moves in and meets her roommate Constance Talbot. She is a real talker, blabs all the time, all about herself. She also meets a boy named Thomas Pearson who ran into her in the hallway. They made small talk and he complimented her on many things. On her first day at lunch, Reed meets the Billings girls-the girls that live in the Billings dorm. The Billings dorm is where all the top-class students stay. The captains and only upperclassman that are "special" get to live there. Right away Reed has a dream that she wants to be a Billing's girl. She believes that will solve all her problems. 

If I was in Reed's situation, first of all i'd be very intimidated by all the people there and I doubt right away I would want to be a Billings girl. The Billings girls seem stuck up and mean but thats just the vibe I get after reading information about them in the book. It's weird because she always used to be a tomboy at her old school so it's interesting that she wants to change and become a Billings girl right away. I'm very excited to read this book though and I've heard from many people that it's one of their favorites. I guess we'll have to see if Reed actually becomes a Billings girl and what she does to try to get in their group.

(Outside Reading #13) War

For the topic "war" I found an article about an iranian group that claims that Iraqi forces have been beaten an abused them as Iraqis try to keep the Iranians from a camp on their land. People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran has lived at the camp for 24 years and now all of a sudden are trying to be kicked off. The Iranians have turned to the U.S. in need for support but the U.S. considers the People's Mujahedin Organization a terrorist group. The Iraqi government has made a decision to finally close the camp. The group also sided with Saddam Heussaine in the 1980s and fought beside the Iraqis against Iran in the Iran-Iraq war. I almost feel bad for the group. They aren't receiving any help from outside sources and have just been kicked off their land. I support the U.S.'s decision on not helping them if they may be a threat to our country. I'm surprised they have turned to us to help them out, I think they should have gone elsewhere. 

"Iranians at Iraq camp allege abuse." Cable News Network. 15 March 2009. CNN.com. 15 March 2009. <http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/03/16/iran.iraq.us/index.html?iref=newssearch>.