nandrade's Blog

My Life as a Book

The book I read this term is called My Life as a Book, written by Janet Tashjian and the cartoons illustrated by Jake Tashjian.  The book is about this curious kid named Derek, he lives in LA.  He just gets out of school and is on his summer vacation when he finds a news paper article in his attic on a girl that drowned on Martha’s Vineyard saving a little boy in the water.  When Derek asks his mom why she had it she took it from him and didn’t  say any thing to him.  Derek begged and begged his mom to tell him about it because he was very interested in what happened that day on Martha’s Vineyard.  He did research and anything he could do to find more information on the topic.  Finally Derek’s mom told him about the news paper article and about half way through his summer he asked his mom if they could take a vacation to Massachusetts to visit his grandmother and go to the beach were the girl in the article drowned(her name was Susan James).  When they are in Massachusetts they visit grandma then go to meet Susan James’s mother to talk, but on the way to there they stop at a jewelry store and they find out that the owner was Susan James’s best friend and that she was with her at the beach when she drowned.  While they were at the jewelry they discovered some interesting facts on what happened on that day on the beach.  Then they find more information talking to Susan James’s mother.  When they arrive home Derek thanks his parents for taking him on the vacation and that was the end of the book.

By: Narcizo Andrade  

The book i read was about the Alamo.  The Alamo was were a war took place in 1836 the Alamo is located in present day San Antonio, Texas.  The official commander of the Alamo was a man named James Neill.  Santa Anna’s (the president of Mexico at the time), army  arrived at the Alamo on February, 1836.  Many of the defenders of Texas believed in independence for the state of Texas but their leaders from Mexico hadn’t declared it yet.  The highest profile defender of the Alamo was Davy Crockett, unfortunately he did not survive the battle. When Santa Anna’s men attacked the Alamo they attacked it all directions surrounding the Alamo.  The war that took place at the Alamo started on February 23, 1836 and the war ended on March 6, 1836.  Many Texans and Mexican nationals referred to be called Tejanos.  200 people is the estimation of the number of people who died defending the Alamo.  When the war that took place at Alamo was over there were a few people that surrendered, the people that surrendered were defending the Alamo and Santa Anna killed all of the people who surrendered even though there were a only a few people who did.  Santa Anna and the Mexican Army won the battle that took place at Alamo but the Texans put up a great fight 600 men Mexican soldiers died during the war and only 200 Texan soldiers so the shows the Texans were out numbered and had no reinforcements to come and battle the Mexican reinforcements. I think tat if the Texans had reinforcements they would have won the war.  That is what happened in my book about the war that took place at Alamo.

          The Hunger Games

          The Hunger Games was the best book I have ever read except for the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  The book is about this girl named Katniss that lives in Panem specifically district 12, the country is split up into 12 districts.  There is this thing called the reaping that is done every year it is when a boy and a girl through the age of 12 and 18 get their names picked.  The reason of the reaping is to pick the names for the Hunger Games, the Hunger  Games is when you are put in an arena with all of the other 2 tributes from all of the districts to pretty much fight to death.  Only one person can win or both people from the same districts can win the Hunger Games.  Katniss’s father died in a coal mine explosion so she takes care of her little sister Prim and since her mom went crazy her too. Katniss loves to hunt and her friend Gale does too they hunt together since Gale’s dad died too so they are both the one in charge at their home.  It is illegal to go outside of the gate surrounding the district.  Katniss is 16, Prim is 12, and Gale is 18 so they all have to attend the reaping when it is time. When it is time for the reaping something really exciting happens.  Read the book for some awesome surprises and ways of survival.

          I LOVED THE BOOK THE HUNGER GAMES!!!  It was by far the best book I have ever read, I am definitely going to read the second book. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

By: Narcizo Andrade