Blog Number Four.

The good, the bad and the ugly of school assigned texts.

There are many great books, but the worst part about reading, in my opinion, is when you are forced to read a book. In New Paltz High School, I will say that the english department does a fine job at choosing a selection of books with variety, and different themes. This year in AP Literature, the books assigned were pretty good, with a few exceptions ofcourse. I personally enjoyed reading Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Brighton Beach Memoirs. Both books were entertaining to me, and they weren't extremely complex. I'm the type of student who doesn't understand hidden messages, and deeper meanings in books very much. I like to read books that I can relate to, and books that entertain me. I like books that answer the question presented in the beginning. I don't like books that leave the reader confused, and without any type of answer. Unfortunately, students do not always get their way in school, and they are forced to read a work of literature for a grade, whether they like it or not. This year in AP Literature, my least favorite book was Heart of Darkness. I feel it was too complex for me, and all of the biblical allusions had me confused, because I am not deeply religious. The downfall of having to read books in a class that you don't particularly care for, is that you might not understand it as clearly as somebody else does, and when it counts as a grade, it is extremely important to understand. This has happened to me in my life before, and my grades have been affected by it. On the other hand, books that you have to read in school that you do enjoy make things so much easier. It's a great feeling to understand a book 100% and then go to school and take a test on it and have confidence. Although I don't mind some books that are mandatory to read in high school, I will always enjoy reading independently, because I will always have the choice of what interests me. Reading makes you stronger in all aspects of academics in my opinion, and to me, I would rather read books that I enjoy and understand, rather than books that make no sense to me and leave me confused. 

Blog Number Three.

What exactly makes a good book? It is hard to say because there are so many different themes in literature. I personally enjoy books that are darker, like mysteries, or horrors. I feel like once you start reading a book with intensity, you always want to know what will happen next which pushes you to read more, especially when sequels are introduced. Although I love suspense, I also enjoy softer more realistic books as well. I believe these types of books have better, more realistic themes. No matter what aperson is interested in, a "good book" has to have a good plot and setting. If a book is just about how someone went for a walk one sunny afternoon, it is very likely that no body will care to read that book, because it's boring, and nothing can be learned from it. I believe books should teach a lesson and contribute to a person's values or outlook on life. A good book should be addicting, making you never want to put itdown. Each page should have something new and interesting. I love to read, because reading brings you to a new place, and it will always be something to do. Tv's break, computers lose internet connection, but books are always available. So many good books have taught me lessons on life, and I've learned manners and proper grammar just from reading too. To be able to read something for fun, and also learn a great deal from it is something, in my opinion, that is really cool.

Blog Number Two.

Besides my parents, many other family members of mine have impacted my literacy. My sister, for example has always been the one person that I have looked up to. My sister and I are 8 years apart, so she was always able to help me with academics starting way back in kindergarden. My sister and I always had favorite books that we would read together. (In a Dark Dark Wood, mentioned in my first blog.) I remember always asking her how to pronounce complex words, and she would always teach me ways to remember rules for spelling. My sister taught me the "I before E, except after C," and the vowels "A,E,I,O,U, and sometimes Y." I also remember singing the alphabet with my sister a lot. I have specific memories that have stuck in my mind from the times that my sister helped me learn. I do believe that my sister, like my parents, has significally impacted my academic excellence in english. I believe that I was very lucky to have my sister around because she always pushed me to try my best and not give up on myself. My sister made me try harder in school, because I always wanted to be like her.  I appreciate my sister very much, and I do not think that I would understand many things both academically and morally without her influencing me. I can say that I was fortunate to have somebody always looking out for me, and although things have changed for the worse between my sister and my family right now, I thank her so much for all that she has taught me.

Blog Number One.

Throughout my life, literature has always been something I was interested in. Starting from birth, both my mother and my father read books to me, and without their enthusiasm and significant influence in my life, I would not be able to push myself in academics. Starting from "The Baby Blue Cat and the Whole Batch of Cookies" and leading up to "The Magic Tree House" series, it is because of my parents involvement in my early learning that I was excelled in school. I got the opportunity to skip a grade in elementary school because my reading level was above average. This is something that I am proud of because I know that this would not have happened if not for my parents always reading to me. By 3rd grade, I was at a 6th grade reading level, and although I was not the brightest in math and science, I was always an A+ student in english and history. I have never been a star when it comes to academics, but I thank my parents for all of their effort and time spent reading to me growing up, because it still has an impact on my reading and writing abilities today.
Growing up, I had many favorite books that taught me lessons and always made me laugh. A few favorites were, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," "In a Dark Dark Wood," and "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." It was through these specific books that i learned to, never over eat, never walk in the woods alone, or always have an umbrella handy :)
Although these books may not have the most valuble themes, they made me laugh when I was feeling down, helped me excel academically, and most importantly built a strong relationship between myself and my parents. When I think about literature, I look back on how it made my parents and I closer, and it's a good feeling to be able to count on my mom and dad.