The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

I just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.  I really liked this book because the heroine, Flavia de Luce- is so freakin' cool.  You can read more about Flavia (a fictional character) and her adventures here (yes, even fictional characters now have blogs).  Flavia is tormented by her older siblings, and she is also genius-level smart, which, of course, makes her both weird and interesting.  But, like all geniuses, she sometimes gets ahead of herself and makes the requisite rookie  mistakes.  But I like that she is so into chemistry- especially poison- I respect characters that dedicate themselves to odd areas of study and it's fun to see a girl in science (and one that excels at it).  Also, she lives in this crumbling, ancient British manor house, she rides her bike around the rural fields and towns of England, and she concocts her own hot cross buns on the fly.  Thus, she's a totally original girl and deserves to have her own series (which she does, you can find her other books here).  Finally, as the ultimate mark of awesomeness, she was created by a guy who wrote an entire non-fiction book on his hypothesis that Sherlock Holmes actually was a FEMALE character and totally angered most of the Holmesian fan community in the 80's and 90's (now, that's an idea I could totally get behind).  So, this book is not only a wonderful mystery, but actually made me wonder why it had been so long since I had read a mystery (I used to love them in high school).  Maybe because Alan Bradley took so long to perfect and publish this delectably diabolical heroine!

How to Tell a True War Story...

According to the chapter of the same title from O'Brien's book, what are some elements that are necessary to tell "a true war story"? Do you still believe that the stories he tells in this chapter are literally true? Or does he take some "authorial license" with them, like he has with other stories in this book? Please post a 100-word comment on my page, and make sure you read other students' responses.

Elroy's thoughts

Post a comment on whether or not you think Elroy Berdahl wanted "O'Brien" to run away or go back home and face life as a soldier. Support your position with evidence from the book (you could use quotes, if they make your argument stronger). Now, rewrite the second half of chapter 4 from Elroy Berdahl's perspective. Express what you think he thinks about "O'Brien" the young man coming and staying with him for 6 days. Use what you read in the chapter as a jumping-off point. What do we, as the audience, know about Elroy? Do you think he wanted "O'Brien" to run away or go back and serve as a soldier? In your re-write, make it clear that you have evidence for Elroy's thoughts, actions, and feelings. Your re-write should be a minimum of 500 words long. It is due on Friday.

Soldiers and High School students- similar? different?

I just finished reading an article on Birmingham High in the SF Valley and how they are trying to help students stay in school. It started me thinking about several aspects of high school life, and how it is similar to a soldier's life. Firstly, you must be prepared, including bringing the right materials and the right attitude to school (or war). Secondly, who you are connected with influences your success- your friends will drag you down or lift you up. Thirdly, how hard you work along the way will make a difference to the outcome and to how far you go, which is also true in the military. Yet there are, of course, contrasts. I would like you to complete the following: 1) Read the article here: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-dropout9dec09,0,7516387.story?page=1&track=crosspromo&coll=la-headlines-frontpage 2) Think about what contributes to success at school, both from the student's perspective and from the school's perspective. Then, think about what contributes to success in a war. How can you categorize success from a student's standpoint, and how can you characterize success from a warrior's perspective? Jot down your thoughts on this in preparation to write. 3) Compare and contrast your school experience with the war experience we are reading about. I understand that high school is probably not as full of physical danger, but think abstractly- what are some "dangers" you and your friends have faced? How is Lincoln like a "minefield" in a war? How is it different? Consider these questions, and write a 250-word response (about 3/4 of a page) that shows thoughtfulness and points out similarities and differences. It is due by the end of the period, either posted to my blog as a comment or printed out on Microsoft Word.

Reflection on The Things They Carried- Chapters 1 and 2

If you did not get a chance to before, view the Iraq photoessay on the Time magazine website. You can find it by clicking on the link to the left, then clicking on "view full photoessay" at the end of the article. Watch the entire presentation, then record your thoughts. I'd like to hear your comparison/contrast of the Iraq war to the Vietnam war. Also, is it valid to compare the two in the first place? Finally, in your response, consider the difference in mediums- we are reading a book based on what soldiers "carried", but we can also watch a slideshow with photographs depicting similar events. What are the differences between the two representations? What are the different or similar effects of each medium? Which would you say is more powerful and why? Your response should be posted as a comment and should be a minimum of 500 words. It is due at the end of class today. Please show thoughtfulness and creativity in your responses.

Thoughts on the author- Tim O'Brien

"Forty-three years old, and the war occurred half a lifetime ago, and yet the remembering makes it now. And sometimes remembering will lead to a story, which makes it forever. That's what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story." ~Tim O'Brien What do you think about this? How is this expressed in the first chapter of the book, The Things They Carried? Write about this for 15 minutes, and post your results as a comment. If that doesn't work, then print out your response and turn it in by the end of the period.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

I ate too much...the stomachache on Saturday communicated to me how truly over-indulgent this holiday becomes. Other than that, 3 crazy days and nights filled with family- fun! It was nice to come back and enjoy my solitude, while examining and agonizing over the family foibles. Now, it's back to getting up early (at least for three weeks) and enjoying what my students have to share about their T-giving breaks!

Expo Comp Essay test on Jonathan Swift

Okay, here's the test. We have read and discussed "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift. I would like you to answer the following questions: 1) What satirical techniques does Swift use to create his "proposal"? Please name at least two, use quotes to support your ideas, and describe the effect of these techniques. How do they help us to know that he is not seriously proposing that we eat babies? 2) There was some fallout after Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal." Using the internet as your research tool, describe how Swift was viewed by his countrymen after this essay was published. 3) In your opinion, using supporting examples based on your own experience and research, is satire an effective writing tool to change the world? Does it constitute subversive writing? Make sure you expand and support your answer. Think of it as a persuasive piece- you are trying to persuade me to agree with you.