#1   To This Day By Shayne Koyczan


To This Day, by Shayne Koyczan is about what it is like to be different, in school. In his poem he talked about himself and two of his friends, who were all bullied for being different. We all have heard the nursery rhyme that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." "As if broken bones hurt more than the names we got called." Shayne showed that words can hurt more that any broken bones. One aspect of this poem is a simile. He wrote that "kids used to say she looked like a wrong answer that someone tried to erase but couldn't quite get the job done." It also reflects the name calling and how mean kids can be. The theme is "if you can't see anything beautiful about yourself get a better mirror, look a little closer, stare a little longer because there is something inside you that made you keep trying despite every one who told you to quit." I liked this poem because it made me think there is hope for change.






#2    So You Want To Be A Writer By Charles Bukowski


    So You Want To Be A Writer, by Charles Bukowski is about more than being a writer. It applies to everything in life. If you can't be yourself, if you can't freely express your thoughts, unless you can be spontaneous, "unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket...don't do it." Personification is used when the author says "the libraries of the world have yawned themselves to sleep over your kind." In a repetitive manner the poet is effectively telling us what not to do. I liked the poem because of its message. Lots of people try many things until they find the one they are really good at.




#3 Brave Seventh Grade Viking Warrior By Taylor Mali


Brave Seventh Grade Viking Warrior, by Taylor Mali has a definite theme showing clearly that kids really do care. Tony is a seventh grade boy fighting cancer. He is returning to school after being absent for one month. Due to his loss of hair "the other 12 boys shaved their heads in solidarity." When he passed away, the other 12 boys burned the miniature Viking ship that they had all worked together on in class. Taylor Mali used simile when he wrote "and you must all work together like warriors." I liked the way the poem was written in a positive way. It could have been very depressing with the passing of the boy. In a symbolic gesture the boys honored him like a Viking warrior.

                                             The Test!

At 7:45 on a Monday morning I walked into school. I was sitting in the hallway waiting for everyone to show up. Someone near by asked if I was ready for the test. "Oh, no the test is today" what am I going to do. I had totally forgotten. when I stepped into the classroom I closed my eyes wishing I was anywhere but there. My Grandparents would ground me for a month if I failed this test. After sitting down, I flipped over the test and read the first question. No answer came to me, not one at all. Hearing the click of pens and the sound of paper being flipped over, I panicked. I wrote down the first thing that came to my mind. Could I possibly pass? The chair was pressing into my back. Finally, I got to the last Page of the test. An essay! There were only 15 minutes left to finish. I must have read the question 20 times before I started to write. The bell rang but looking down I had only written three and a half sentences. Leaving the room there was a sick feeling in my stomach. Passing wasn't a possibility. Next time I will be ready! I should have studied!!!

Collage application

                                                        Collage application

I have done a lot of things in my life.
I have read every book in the world eight times, I have memorized every song in the universe, I have seen every movie ever made and I play Sims. I traveled time and space with The Doctor, hunted ghosts with the Winchester's, killed vampires with Buffy and I can watch six hours of Netflix. I have swam every ocean, skied every run, made reading into an Olympic sport and rode my bike.
I solved crimes with Sherlock, solved problems with Einstein, solved the mystery of the Mona Lisa and I solved a cross word puzzle.
But I have never been to collage.
Zhara McLeod

                       As I shuffled into the classroom, I knew that Mr. Van Camp would never believe me. I looked at my scuffed shoes and mumbled, "My homework is not done, Sir. I do have a good excuse though."

                 "This is not the first time your homework has not been completed. Perhaps," Mr. Van Camp suggested, "it's time to speak with your parents."

"Please, you have no idea what will happen to me if you phone my home," I moaned. It looked as if he was going to fall for my story.

 "Well, let's hear your excuse. It better be good."

              “My family just got a new puppy,” I started to say.

               “Please don’t try to tell me that your dog ate your homework,” remarked Mr. Van Camp.

       

                “It didn’t eat my homework it hid it somewhere in the forest behind my house.”

                 “That is one of the worst excuses that I have ever heard”

Is He Bluffing?

            The story "Bluffing" by Gail Helgason is about Liam and Gabriella who are going on hike to talk about their house. They get to the lake and are attacked by a bear. Liam is telling the truth because he is the type of person to try to get a bear to attack him instead of his girlfriend. You can see this when on their hike he had “French bread, a wedge of camembert, and chocolate-covered almonds.” “to celebrate” he said.

     

      She is wearing a flower print shirt with a necklace that is made of silver. Her skin is wrinkled with age. The smoke from her cigarette drifts away from her like a cloud. Her earing are the same pink from the flowers of her shirt