Blog post # 5

Recently, I've read the Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins. The main idea that exsists in these books is that a long time ago, the world used to look like it does today, until a battle broke out. To show that the Government was completely in control, they seperated the land into thirteen districts, and Panem, where the Government, and the wealthy lived. Panem is a place much like today, in spots with no poverty; where as districts one to thirteen our places in the state of poverty, where food, shelter, work, water, and health care are scarce. To prove the Government, known as the Capitol, was in total control they bombed District 13 to show to the other disticts what the Capitol was capable of doing to the citizens if they stepped out of line. To also prove their strength, the Capitol hosts The Hunger Games each year. Basically, the Hunger Games is a tournament with two chosen children from each district, boy and girl, that go in a areana with all the other contestants and fight until death.
The evil power and authority the Capitol shows over their districts reminds me of the stories we here today in the news about third world countries and the unfair Government systems they possess. In the Hunger Games series, the Capitol kills children for entertainment, which can be very similar to unsettling stories we here about in different places around the world. Personally, I think that Canada's Government tries its best to make sure all citizens are safe, educated, fed, and housed. In some places in the world though, this is not the case. If Government is supposed to do all of these things, why are some government systems treating people so unfairly? People should be able to rely on their Government. For example, the Government in Afganistan has proved in the past to be a lot different from our Canadian Government. How do we know this? Well, there must be some differences as to how they are treating their people if Canadian troops have had to go in and take control over the country. So as you can see, the Government in this book isn't too far off from some of the ones we have in our World today. Or, I've just read from Amnesty International about child rights in Somalia, which reminded me of these books too. in the article it says,

"As a child in Somalia, you risk death all the time: you can be killed, recruited and sent to the frontline, punished by al-Shabab because you are caught listening to music or 'wearing the wrong clothes', be forced to fend for yourself because you have lost your parents or even die because you don’t have access to adequate medical care." (http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/children-in-somalia-facing-war-crimes)

This sounds entirely like The Hunger Games series and the world they live in. The world can be a terrible place depending on its rulers, so its are job to strive for a better one.

`

Blog # 4 A video that descirbes your main character.

I chose the Phineas and Ferb theme song for my video. I chose this to show the opposites between my video and main character, Char. My main character is always seeming to be unhappy with her life, where as Phineas and Ferb are always very cheery. Char has to choose out of three seemingly boring options to occupy her summer where as Phineas and Ferb are very creative with their summer, make something new each day to enjoy with their friends, and make their summer worthwile.

Blog post # 3

I just started reading a new book, called Grist, by Heather Waldorf. I'm on about the thirtieth page, and yet know alot about my main character, Char. This is the first book I've ever read where any charcter has the same nickname as myself, although Char's full name is Charlena where as mine is Charlotte. I know for a fact, Char is stubborn. At one point in the book, Char is called into her english teacher's, Mr Pollen, to discuss her grades. Char is an amazing writer, but does not reach to achieve what she truley can, which affects her marks. In the text Mr. Pollen is desperately trying to get Char to redo her assignment, because he knows she can do better, but she does not want to do so and over reacts. Referrig to the text on pages eight and nine of my book, it says this.

Mr Pollen thrust the assingment back at me. " I realize that classes are over, but my final grades won't be submitted until next Friday. You have a week to redeem yourself. Just slide the revised assignment through my mail slot at home."

"And what if I don't?'

"You'll get a C-minus. And that, Charles, won't be a mystery, it will be a tradgedy."

"That sir," I shouted, gesturing at my pathetic assignment, " is the best I can do!!"

From what I've learnt so far, sixteen year old Char, lost her mother when she was young, and she lives with her father. Her best friend, has gone to Australia for the summer, her dad will be away for the summer working out of town,so she's left with three options for her summer. Option one would be to go to be a summer camp counseler at a camp that doesn't pay their staff, option two would be to go spend the summer in Toronto with her father's plastic girlfriend, or her last option would be to go spend the summer at her Grandmother's cottage up on Lake Ringrose. None of these options tickle her fancy, so she has not  been the happiest person in the world lately. She is jealous of all the others her age who get to spend their time tanning by the pool.

I think Char will end up deciding on spending her summer with her Gradmother because she did not seem pleased in the slightest to go spend time with her father's girlfriend at all. Char referred to her as Botox Barb, making me think she doesn't have a liking to her. The second option would have been to go to be a summer counseler at a camp. She seemed to hate this idea more because she wouldn't get paid and she does not want to spend her summer babysitting whining children. Which leaves the final option of going to visit her Grandmother. I'm sure she'll be sour at first, because none of these option are how she intened to spend her summer, but once she gets settles at Lake Ringrose, I'm sure she'll enjoy the peace and quiet, and beautiful scenery.  I think this will effect Char because her whole summer (and the whole story) will now be about her going up to her Grandma's into a remote part of Canada and sending two months there. Obviously, the plot would get a little dry if all the story was about was Char visiting her Grandmother. So I think, Char will find something to do, or someone to preoccupy herself with that will cause suspense and drama within the text. From looking at the cover, and reading the back of the book, it seems as if when Char gets to the cottage, she'll go on a out trip. I think this partially because the cover of the book shows Char at the lake looking very nature like, with her hair all over the place, and she looks wild. From my own experience of going on a five day out trip, I know that you begin to look wild after the first two days. From the text on the back of the book, I can also infer from that she may be going on an outrip.

Blog #2 Two concise paragraphs about the book I'm reading

Currently, I am reading Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton. The main character in my book is Chanda. Chanda is a teenager, raising her two younger siblings in Bonang. Her father died in a mine explosion when she was young, and her mother died from AIDS. We find out that in the past, Chanda's mother was to marry an abusive man her family arranged her to. When her mother refused, her relatives believed she had set a curse over the family, so she moved away from Tiro and to Bonang where she married Chanda's father. When her mother developed AIDS and died, it left Chanda with a hard life, being a mother to her brother and sister, without any support from relatives. Chanda begins having nightmares where she is in Tiro, the main city close to her villiage where her relatives live. In the dreams, her mother's warning her to save her siblings from Maniki, a rebel with a large gang who robs and murders in the territory. The dreams begin to terrorize Chanda so she visits numerous possibilities as to why she's getting these dreams. She decides that the best way to settle her troubles is to visit Tiro, and mend her family feud.

Chanda, her brother, Soly, and their sister, Iris head out on the journey only to find when arriving, her family has set up yet another arranged marriage, for Chanda this time. When Chanda refuses, the family thinks Chanda has set another curse on them, and tries to send them off, back to Bonang. Meanwhile, Madiki and his rebel gang are said to be in the area, so the main road closes down, leaving no way for Chanda and her siblings to get back home. Chanda stays and awaits for the roads to reopen at the General Dealers while Iris and Soly go back to the family compound with their relatives. While they are separated, Mandiki strikes, and kidnaps many of the children in the village, including her brother and sister. It is up to Chanda now, to listen to her mother in her dreams, and go rescue Soly and Iris before it's too late. Her dreams were a warning to her ahead of time, to show her what would take place in the future.