(B6 Q4) Red Thread Sisters

     In the story Wen finally gets to go live with the family that talked to her for a while before adopting her, but she leaves Shu Ling behind. Wen feels horrible leaving her behind knowing Shu Ling has been there since the beginning. Wen was shifted to Boston, not knowing what she was getting into. Wen is trying her best to learn English, to communicate and get around to show how she loves them is almost impossible. But there is the worst part, knowing Shu Ling is left alone.
     Before Wen left, she made a promise to Shu Ling. Wen promised to find her friend a family of her own, but promises aren't always so easy to keep... That makes me feel sad in a way due to a promise trying to be kept for her friends best. Times running out... Wen looks on Shu Lings webpage and sees she's still without a family. That's a problem because there's only three weeks left. If in three weeks, Shu Ling doesn't have a family the promise is broken.. Would this ruin their friendship?

(B5 Q4) Red Thread Sisters

     Wen is the main character in the story, she is 11 years old. Wen was looking for her best friend named "Shu Ling." They both live in an Chinese orphanage. Wen only wanted one thing, to be adopted. She spent most of her life in the orphanage. Wen found Shu Ling in a dusty place, surrounded by a gully filled with trash. They talked and Wen had to let something out. Wen said "Zai jian." "Good-bye I have to go now." Shu Ling swung "Your new family? They're all here?" "Just like the photo?" "Like the photo." Wen replied.
     The way I feel about this is like this is a good thing for Wen because her lucky day has came. But Wen will miss her best friend, the only one she can call "family." She moved with her family to a small city called Boston, in the state of Massachusetts. I feel bad for Shu Ling because I can imagine how I'd feel if I were in an orphanage with a really good friend and she gets taken by a family, I'd feel bad, sad, upset. One gets taken in a home, while one stays behind.

Would We Be Killed?

I know that the American Indians were pushed aside in society in a few ways. The white people took actions to make the inner American Indian culture out of them. One thing they did was to make them only speak english. Thats taking away the language from their culture. Thats a part of them being American Indian. They also forced kids to attend the boarding schools if they didn't agree the police got involved. In the article it says, "parents were no longer asked to send their children—they were forced. Those who refused were threatened with arrest." This shows how they had no choice because in the eyes of the white people they were treated like nothing important. Like if their choices don't matter. 

The point in Shanice Britton's essay is that she wanted to show how she don't hide who she is. She shows her American Indian by wearing her beadwork, jewelry, and eating deer meat. She talked about where she lived, how she lived, and the 2 ceremonies her family celebrates. She wants to the readers to know that her Native American living today is just as normal as it is for other people and how they accept their culture. In the article it says, "Sometimes my classmates will tell me that I talk differently, because I’ll say something in slang “from the rez.” But that’s OK—it’s part of who I am. I’m not trying to hide that. In fact, I often wear my beadwork jewelry proudly around campus." That shows that how with others questioning she won't hide who she is. She is proud of who she is and won't hide it for others please.

(B3 and 4- 4Q) Letters To My Mother Teresa Cárdenas

     The book I am reading is about a young girl that was sent to live with her aunt and cousins. She was sent to live with them due to her mother passing away. She writes letter to her beloveded mother to show she was once and still loved. To also keep her mother somehow alive, and to remember her mother was once deeply loved. In the letters she writes to "Mamita" about how she's feeling each day. Mainly pouring out her grief and her struggles with racism.
     The first writing to her mother talked about Mamita being seen in her dreams. She described how she seen and what Mamita was doing. "A lovely red ribbon was braided into your ponytail. You were running from one end of the sky to the other pulling a kite made of clouds." She also described how Mamita's mood looked like. "You weren't happy, but there you were, running and skipping like a nine year old." Both texts from the writing show how alive that dream felt.
     Another writing I read talked about how her grandmother and tia believe she has brought them bad luck. Grandma and Tia Catalina has made her bathe in some strange smelling herbs as she describes it. "They've put some strange smelling herbs in my room. I also have to bathe in them, and put sweetwood bark and perfume in the water. The scent is okay, but the barks sticks to my skin and turns it the color of ash." This text shows how they reacted to the "bad luck" that was shared in the house they lived in.

(B2 4Q) Student Narcc

     One day an incident occurred to Matt (a member of the group) at midnight. His best friend Kevin is out to look for a suspect as he is secretly being a narc. He switches schools to become closer to find the suspect known as "Candyman." But the question is, will he be successful at that? Kevin got to move a step closer, into the car with Dawn and the guys. Dawn introduced him to her "cousin" which was a step away from Candyman. Dugan planted a bug device to the car of Dawn to trace where she'd be going. Dugan gave Kevin a mic to hide under his collar. Kevin forgot to wear it the night Dawn had called him to go with her to her cousin. Dugan knew something was up and she showed up on time of the shooting.
      I disliked the ending of this book because it's ending was bad. I think if they were to add at least another chapter to the ending it would have been good. They sorta just jumped to conclusion a bit too fast. The book did have me wanting to read more. I do suggest this book if you wanna know any outcomes of ecstasy or if you know somebody that does that.
   

(B1 4Q) Student Narc

     The book I am reading is called "Student Narc." This book is about a group of guys called "the guys" that hung out together all the time. They always went to parties together and over adventures. One day an incident occurred to Matt (a member of the group) at midnight. His best friend Kevin is out to look for a suspect as he is secretly being a narc. He switches schools to become closer to find the suspect known as "Candyman." But the question is, will he be successful at that? 

     The problem in the story is that Matt was found dead on the street the night of the party. The death was caused by a highly overdose on drugged pills. I know this because on page 4 it says, "...Matt took a huge dose of E after the party." "...It could have been cut with anything, and maybe that's what killed him." This shows that him taking the pill and overdosing most likely caused his death and now is creating Kevin to become a lowkey narc to get close to this guy named "Candyman" that gave Matt the pills. Kevin transferred schools to get closer to Candyman. But as he tries to become close to this girl named "Dawn," she pushes him away. Kevin is just going to be taking small steps to get what he wants. To find Candyman and get back at him for the death of his best friend Matt. 

Life and Death

Living in a different house with different people in charge just made the rules stricter. But Wes did find his ways around them. Joy sent Wes to Valley Forge Military Academy in rural Wayne, Pennsylvania. But once again Wes found himself dropped into an alien world. During his first four days at that school, Wes ran away five times. He was caught and dragged back to school on his fifth attempt. To get his head straight, Wes's colonel offered him a five minute phone call. He called his mother and pleaded to go home.
     I believe that the of the book "Life and Death" is that even though your fed up, you got to keep your head up to succeed. I think it's that because I know they had a rough life time but they still managed to get through their rough times to succeed. Some people will just give up and don't try. But he as much as he didn't wanna listen to his mom and behave in the program he was in, he still did.