The story Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, is about a boy who attends a film school, but is friends with members of gangs. He lives in a neighborhood that could be considered as unsafe with characters of questionable morals. In and around where he lives there are many gangs all of the blacks in the area are judged harshly. In this story the main character Steven is accused of being a part of a crime where a drugstore was robbed and the owner of the store gets shot and killed. Steve is arrested from his home based on the accusations of a man that he has never met and brought to jail awaiting trial. While he is in jail he decided to write out all of his experiences as if it were a screen play and make it into a movie so that what was happening to him did not seem as bad. Steven was accused of being the lookout man in the plan, to have been the one to go into the store to make sure it was clear with no other customers or cops. When he left the store he was supposed to give the other two men the all clear. Although in the trial there was never any real evidence implicating him into the incident, even the witness that was there did not recognize him or see him there. Because there was no real evidence they had to let Steve go and make him not guilty.
Although I did like the way that they author set the book up as if it were a screen play i would not do that for my own book.
The reason I choose this book as my mentor text is because the main character is very similar to my main character. Emily is caught in the middle of a murder trial of a man. In my story she is involved in the robbery of a convienent store and she is meant to be the lookout. It is her job to go into the store and make sure that no one else is there and to then give her boyfriend and his friends the all clear. Although she decides that it is immoral and backs out, but her friends go ahead with the plan and the manager gets shot. When she is on trial she goes through the same stages of panic that Steven did which has helped me in my writing for Emily's reaction once she gets to jail.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and suggest it to others to read, it was a good book and did not take me very long to read. It was nice and relaxing to enjoy over vacation, and a great mentor text for the story I am writing.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Interview with Sally Girouard!
Sally Girouard's Awesome Story!!
1. What is the moral you are trying to teach through your story?
A. I’m trying to teach that happiness is achieved by oneself and that’s it. No one else but yourself. I am trying to send the message that no matter how happy a person makes you, you cannot rely on them all the time. Unlock your own happiness in short.
2. How do your supportin characters support?
A. My supporting characters mainly set up the seen and help shed light on the moral of my story and my characters personalities.
3. What challenges do you characters face?
A. My character, Ann, not only faces the death of her her mother, but the struggle of finding herself and being herself even without her mother around. Her struggle is internal and overcomes her shyness, ironically, after the death of her mother.
4. What skills and resources do they use to over come them?
A. She uses her heart and mind and will power. She uses memories and examples her mother set for her. She also uses what inspires her to unlock her outgoing personaility..
5. Who is your antagonist? What do they do?
A. The antagonists are her brothers and father who in reaction to her mothers death go about their lives and try to pretend it never happened which was their way of copping. This interfered with Ann's
6. Where does your story take place?
It takes place in Boston.
7. When does your story take place?
I never put thought into that but ill say the 1990's.
8. Is there a love interest?
No, just a bond between mother and daughter
9. What ages are your characters?
Ann is 15 at the beginning of the story but 17 when her mother dies
10. Do you characters go to school?
Yes, she goes to high School. High school however is not her favorite place due to her self conscious and shy attitude.
11. Did you base your story off any real events?
Not directly, but similar, yes.
12. Are your character based off any real people?
You could say that, but not completely. Definitely some characteristics.
13. What age group is your book directed at?
I would say anywhere from 5th grade and older. It has a good lesson.
14. What form is your book?
It is a novel.
15. How do you start off your story?
I start off my story with a scene of Jane and her daughter in a car highlighting the bases of their relationship
16. What are your characters intentions?
My characters intentions are never negative. The intentions of my characters are to fill the hole in their lives and recover. The main goal is to overcome their loss.
17. Are there any big complications?
Yes the biggest one would be breast cancer... Then after that the struggle within to change for the better.
18. Where did you come up with the idea for your story?
I honestly don’t remember, i just was running ideas through my mind and this one was the one i was most passionate about.
19. What are your characters activites?
I don’t really understand how to answer this ....
20. Do they all become friends again?
No one reallt stops being friends. But yes Ann reconnects with her brothers and father.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Emily's Mistake
Introduction
“Emily, just drop it, ok?” My mother asks as she slams her fork down on the table, “Just drop it!”
I gave her a puzzling glance, “Why? I am just trying to help with the situation.”
“I think you’ve helped enough, we wouldn’t even be in this situation if it wasn’t for you.”
“It wasn’t my fault! I wasn’t even really a part of it. I know that I made a mistake trusting Ryan, but what else do you want from me? I’ve spent every second trying to apologize and make this right, but nothing I do seems to be enough for you.”
She takes in a deep breath and sighs, “You cannot just fix everything with a simple apology Emily, you hurt a lot of people, and you betrayed both your father and I. How are we supposed to trust you after that?”
I quickly dropped the subject and looked back down at my plate, this way she wouldn’t be able to see the tears that were quickly forming in my eyes. I took another bite of my mashed potatoes, but they were beginning to lose taste.
Silence echoed throughout the room, I could tell that neither of us know how to approach the conversation from here.
I tried to calm down quickly so that she wouldn’t see that she upset me again, I know that she has been doing her best around me lately.
“Now just listen, the worst is behind us now” she said slowly, peering across the table at me, “All we have to do from this point on is just learn to deal with the consequences of what has happened.”
“What do you think I have been trying to do? What else could I possibly do to prove to you that I have accepted the consequences of what I did and have been trying to move past it? I have done nothing but apologize and try to help fix this mess, but every time I try either you or Dad get mad at me and we always end up in a worse place than where we started!”
If that even is possible, but I can’t blame her. I’ve been trying to do everything I can to gain her forgiveness and acceptance again. Although, after you have to watch your daughter go through trial for I understand that it takes some time before you can look at them the same again.
The Convientent Store (One year previous)
I stumbled into the store, physically shaking in my shoes. I knew that if we were going to successfully get away with this than I would have to calm down and act as if this were normal. I quickly put on my best fake smile, pretending that today was no different from any other.
I walked to the back of the store to look at the drinks. All I had to do was get something to distract the store manager. Without even looking I reached into the freezer and grabbed out the first bottle that my hand came in contact with. I pulled out a Fruit Punch Arizona, funny, that was Ryan’s favorite drink. Maybe that was an encouraging sign to prove that this was all going to work out and there is nothing for me to worry about. We had been over this plan it seemed like a million times, it seemed flawless, but then again isn’t that what everyone thinks before their plans fail.
I slowly walked up through the snack isle, passing the Bugles and Doritos, after taking a left at the Beef Jerky I approached the front counter. I stand at the counter looking around, so far no one is in sight. Taking a quick glance out the window I double check that Ryan’s blue van was still there, I feel reassured when I see it still sitting just one space outside the front door, I can see Sam through the drivers side window, sitting as solid as a rock, but ready to leave at any given moment.
“Hello, are you all set?” I turn back around as the store manager looks at me waiting for a response.
He is an older man, maybe around fifty-five, a plump man, he was wearing a stripped blue shirt with a pen in the pocket, with a nametag, “Harold”. I just stop and stare at the man, now all I can see in my neighbor Harold Thomas, the sweetest man I’ve ever met. I slowly began to walk away from the counter.
“Was there something else that you wanted?” He gives me a puzzling look.
“Yeah, I think that I am going to go get a candy bar or something.” I turn around and head straight for the candy isle.
As I pass the door Ryan catches my eye, giving me a quizzical glance, I can tell he is unsure of what I was doing. This wasn’t part of the plan, I was supposed to stay at the counter until he and Jamie came in.
I turned down the second isle just as they started walking in, while avoiding eye contact I turned around, pretending to look at a package of Mike n’ Ikes, stared up at the counter.
What happened next, it’s hard for me to remember, it is more like a blur.
Ryan stepped forward to the counter, first checking around him making sure no other customers were approaching, then he turned back to the counter, “Give me all the money this place has got.”
Right as Harold was about to call the police, Ryan opens his coat pocket to take out a gun. I see the fear settle in on Harold’s face, clearly he has never dealt with anything like this before, Harold stumbles back a few steps and glances around the store. At this point I had taken cover behind the display of M+M’s, next thing I know there is some kind of struggle, a few boxes filled with lighters, and tiny candies, fall to the floor. The next thing I hear I never expected, it was not part of the drill at all, this was not how today’s plan was supposed to play out. I hear Harold’s body hit the floor, the door slam, and the tires of that Blue van screech out of the parking lot. I slowly edge around the corner and peer over the front counter, a slight squeal leaves my lips before I fall to my knees on the floor.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
How the times have changed
26, 2011 FAA and EASA certified the Boeing 787 Dream liner. The FAA presented the U.S. Type Certificate, which verifies that the 787 has been tested and found to be in compliance with all federal regulations. A new step into the future of flight where computer systems have almost completely taken over the controls of the Boeing 787. Over the past hundred years flight technology has changed tremendously. Ranging from when the Wright brothers took their first flight on December 17, 1903, where there were little to no controls at all on the plane to help navigate. Up until the most recent Boeing 787, which was only approved for flight this year, which has a complete glass front, in which case the entire dashboard is a large computer.
In my recent visit to Purdue University’s aviation department I noticed how different the types of planes are for the average flyers. My first flight was this summer in a Cessna 152, a plane that was made in 1985, but highly popular in small airports, like the Plymouth Airport. The dashboard included several round instruments that let the pilot know what the altitude was, temperature, angle of accent, and a few other key things. Not very high tech compared to the planes that the aviation department at Purdue had. Where two years ago they acquired sixteen new Cirrus’s, which had the “glass fronts” quite similar to the ones on the newer jet planes. Both small planes made not too far apart are very different in the level of technology they have for pilots.
Purdue’s Aviation department realizes the rapid increase in the technology used in these planes and they use this information in preparing for how they run their flight program. Although they have sixteen new Cirrus’s they still keep a few Cessna’s and Piper’s so that training pilots will know what to do in their future professions. Whether this is in the new Boeing 787 with their glass fronts, which the new Cirrus’s would help with. Or if these new pilots got jobs at lower, regional businesses, as private pilots, where having the knowledge of how to fly the Cessna’s and Piper’s with the round dial instruments would help, because most smaller jets do not have the most updated glass fronts.
Purdue is advanced in this decision because most schools have either one or the other. They either have a flight force with all old planes, with the round dials and buttons. Or they have the newer planes, like the Cirrus’s with the new “glass front” style technology. Having one or the other as a learning basis can seriously set back a new pilot trying to get a job. This reason because they could either get a job for a small regional business, or as a private pilot, which have planes that use the older systems, but they could have gone to a school that only the newer planes and technology. In this case they would not know what to do. Also a new pilot could get a job for a more well known business, like Delta or Jet Blue, where they would be flying the newer modeled airplanes, like the new Boeing 787 with the “glass front”. Although if they were given an education in smaller planes with the older technology and round instruments then there would also be a lot of confusion and extra work that would have to be done to learn how the fly these different systems.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Perfect Match
In a compelling novel about how a family deals with and survives a tragic event, Jodi Picoult explores the boundaries of love and resilience in a family. In Perfect Match Nina Frost learns that her son has been sexually assaulted and deals with the entire process of helping to bring the person who did this to him to justice. Throughout the novel she pursues many suspects, ultimately leading her to bring the guilty one to justice. This process puts a very large strain on the family and the home life especially at one point, when her husband, the boy's father, becomes a suspect. There are many turning points in the story that tear at the fabric of the family. In the end though, the family catches the culprit and he is arrested and put away, although for the family that is not the end. Nina and her family have to then from that point learn how to move past this tragic event that ripped apart their family and learn to put it back together.
This relates with my story about a girl, Emily, who is twenty-two just out of college with Honors, got a job at the most prestigious paper in the city, but joins the wrong group of friends. While being pressured into robbing a convenient store, Emily is torn between the decisions, but in the end goes with them to fit in. After being caught, but let go, Emily and her family then have to learn how to move on from that and get to a point where they can all accept each other again.
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