Journal Four from Kaylee

I would say my reading so far in this class has not been too bad. I am a decent active reader, but I find myself highlighting too much or not enough in some chapters. I sometimes have a difficult time trying to figure out what is worth highlighting and what should be left alone I usually highlight as I go though. I have found it to be easier to write the characters names down in the beginning. I feel as if that gives me a little insight about who is going to be in the chapter. I love The House on Mango Street.  This book is so fun and very humorous in my opinion. The funny aspect is the strength. The weakness of this book is the fact that I find it hard to understand the true meaning or story behind it. What is it leading up too? Why are some of the chapters even included? It is kind of hard to understand what the book is even suppose to mean, but it is interesting.

I honestly do not like A Long Way Gone. It is WAY to repetitive. All it is about is a group of boys going to a new village every so often where they run into a tragic incident and that makes them leave that village and continue onto ANOTHER journey. They even have been captured twice and both times their cassette tape has saved them. It's so boring too me. I wish I could get into it. Its a descriptive book though. The way everything is described is pretty cool and can make you feel as if you are there. A survival skill I have learned is to persevere no matter what, and that is exactly what the boys do. And have done the whole book. They make sure to fight everything out and continue their journey without losing too much hope, so staying faithful and hopeful could be a survival skill also in a sense.   

Journal Four by: Alisha

So far my reading is going well. I’m not use to writing in my book at all so sometimes I forget I’m even supposed to. When I do I just underline something that stands out to me or that I can somehow relate to. When I have questions about something that is said I usually circle it. Mostly what I do in my book is kind of write a summary at the end of each chapter that way I can look back at what I think were the most important facts but then later on I can go back through the chapter and underline where the important details came from.

I think the most important survival skill is confidence and courage. Throughout all the readings I feel like Beah has made it through the hard times by being positive and still having hop that he is going to find his family. In chapter 11 where Beah writes “My eyes followed the brown dusty path that continued down the hill to the thick forest.” It just shows how excited Beah is to get to the village and see his parents.

Journal 4 by Ash

Journal Four

        So far my reading is coming along haphazardly, i usually end up reading late at night, and i mean 2 in the morning. This is partially due to my inability to have a normal sleep schedule, not in part due to any medical reason, more due to a vast of various things and personal hobbies that eat up my day, I can't complain though, i do this to myself. I do like to read books slowly in order to let the stories sink in, and yet I don't take the time to go through and highlight things. At most I will mark names of people, I have a hard time recalling them.

        Currently i favor A Long Way Gone far above A House on Mango Street. This is due to Beah's drama and story line, combined with an actual struggle and graphic storytelling it is exciting at times and actually inspires emotions for the character. I can't get into Cisneros nearly as well, there's is not nearly enough drama or conflict of a solid story to build up and get me to read the next chapter.





      one of the most important survival skills i see in Beah, throughout his story, is his ability to keep moving i think it is very under looked and unappreciated. life is movement. "we ran for hours,deeper into the forest. the path fad ended, but we kept running until the sky swallowed the sun and gave birth to the moon". this is just one of the many times throughout the book where Beah is forced to flee and survives.

     

Journal 4 by Hannah

So far my reading is going okay. I have a hard time writing stuff in the margins. I know it helps when I'm looking back trying to remember things, but its hard for me to pay attention to the reading when I'm also trying to focus on what I should write down. I really like A Long Way Gone, it keeps me on my toes and I'm more interested in reading it. A House on Mango Street loses me sometimes. I get kind of confused here and there and I'm not really sure how everything relates to each other.

I think one important survival skill to have is hope. Many times throughout the book many of the characters rely on hope to keep them moving forward. At on point Beah was reflecting back on  a memory of when his father use to tell him "If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die." (Beah 54).

Journal Four: Ciara

Ciara Workman

English 1109 10:30 AM

2/7/17

As a whole I feel like my reading is going pretty well. My active reading has improved tremendously in both of the books we are reading. I read a chapter all the way through and when I am finished I skim over the pages to highlight/ make a mental note of things that stuck out to me. On the first page of every chapter especially in “A Long Way Gone” I write a list of the main events that occurred during that specific sequence. Both books are great reads but if I had to choose a favorite it would have to be “A Long Way Gone” because I can relate more to the lessons that are subliminally taught as the book goes on. I also appreciate how the events are in chronological order versus randomly placed stories. Although “The House On Mango Street” is a fun book to read I can not stand how each chapter is a different story with a different theme.
One important survival skill I have noticed in "A Long Way Gone" is that no matter what is happening you have to do what is necessary without panicking. I feel like this skill was developed pretty early on for the young boy.  This skill is utilized when Gasemu becomes shot while trying to flee the rebels attack. As Beah points out, Musa couldn't bear the sight of blood any longer. He fainted. Alhaji and I took Gasemu's shirt off and tied it around his side to contain the blood.  Instead of fainting like his friend did Ishmael and his friend did what they had to in order to try and save Gasemu's life.

Journal 4 by Kyle

 Hello everyone ! So I would say I am active but not as active as i should we all have our strengths and weaknesses. On of my strengths are that Once I start reading and stay focused i can normally be in the book like there is no tomorrow ! I'm also very good at pointing out certain plot points and creative titles I would like to say.

 My weaknesses are just not being responsible enough to read and I will forget to read the assignment. Then I will come to class and be so out of it from missing the reading or active topics that should have been wrote down in the book.



I Between the two books of Cisneros and Beah I think I prefer A long way gone better. I like cisneros writing its great, But just seems a little cheesy to me. I like the serious tone in a long way gone and the lessons we can learn from it. A long way gone is a great book so far. Cisneros is kinda confusing but Mr.Lohre said it will all come together in the end.

One important survival skill I noticed or was described in the book on page 47. Beah writes "I was already at the top of the branches and plucking coconuts" (Beah 47). when I read that it tells me that Ishmael is learning to survive and kinda revert back to the hunter gatherer stage and hes able to find himself food. Hes learning simple things to adapt and overcome hunger and find nutrition.

Journal 4 By Cole

     The class readings are going very well. I have seen much improvement in my active reading from the start of the semester. I am able to pick up on the key parts of both stories, and it has allowed me to read much more effectively. I have a few weaknesses in both of the readings. In Cisneros, I think that the chapters are too short. These short chapters often make it difficult to grasp exactly what Cisneros is writing about. Out of both of the readings, I prefer A Long Way Gone. I have found it to be much more interesting and has definitely been the most exciting.

     The war in A Long Way Gone has completely changed the way of living, and the survival skills that are used are more important than ever. In chapter 11, Gasemu had been shot while running away. He was losing blood quickly and fainted. "Alhaji and I took Gasemu's shirt off and tied it around his side to contain his blood" (Beah 98). They then continued to carried him as they went on their way. Although he did not make it, Beah had done everything he could to save him. They knew exactly what to do when Gasemu was injured.