Get Away From the Cold

Authors Note: This is a prediction piece on my expectations for my vacation to Florida next week.  

All sacrifices have payoffs; this will be especially true on the morning of February nineteenth.  My dad and I will get up at three in the morning for the long and exhausting journey to the vacation state of Florida. Every year My dad and I go to visit my grandparents in Florida during mid February. Between the sun, food, and golfing I’m sure to expect an amazing vacation.

Perhaps best known for the sun Florida is the ideal state for vacationers especially like my dad and I. On a perfect day its 80 degrees with no clouds. You can bask in the sunlight while enjoying the warmth of tropical weather. Overall when when most people go on vacation they expect perfect weather; thats exactly what I desire on my vacation.

Weather can affect a lot of things though including activities you do outside. In fact one of my grandparents favorite activities is golfing, and since last summer it’s one of my favorite sports as well. Hopefully I get to go golfing twice but I wouldn’t be surprised if I only get to go once.

Most activities build up quite a bit of hunger, and golf is no exception. For some unknown reason my grandparents eat out almost every night of the week. Last year in Florida we ate out every night of the week except one; this year I expect exactly the same. Perhaps my favorite food while on vacation is pizza at a fancy Italian restaurant. It is probably the best pizza I’ve ever had, and I love to have it every time I can.

Florida is one of my favorite places to be in the world. Every time I go it’s a blast, and always it should be one of the highlights of my year.  My grandparents are amazing and are some of the most generous people ever for giving my dad and I this opportunity for a ton of fun.

Point of Difference

Authors Note:This is my piece on the point of view of The Outsiders.  I showed the point of view of a different character that opposes Ponyboy to show how it could be different. 


The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton, was at times a depressing book, about a young boy, Ponyboy, who was trying to survive in the city. The Outsiders clearly makes the reader feel sorry for Ponyboy and makes the Socs look bad. This happens because it is written in Ponyboys view,  but that would all change if written in the point of view of Randy, a soc.

Gangs are clearly present in The Outsiders, the Greasers and the Socs. Greasers are usually dumb, poor, and their families are divided while the Socs are rich, smart and get whatever they want.  But when Johnny kills Bob, a soc, it triggers a spiral of events forcing Ponyboy and Johnny to run for their lives.  When they do escape they are forced to live in a church; as they return one day the church is on fire with innocent kids inside.  Johnny and Ponyboy were able to save the kids with the help of their friend Dally though not without injuries.

The Outsiders is written in Ponyboy’s point of view, and at the beginning of the book when Ponyboy gets beat up by Socs he sees them as bad people.  Then later at the drive-in theater, Ponyboy and Dally meet a girlfriend of a Soc, named Cherry. She tells them that the Socs aren’t bad people but Ponyboy doesn’t believe her. A while after that Johnny killed Bob, one of the leaders of the Socs.  Ponyboy then finally realized that the Socs are just innocent people. From then on Ponboy tries to get the Greasers and the Socs to agree with each other and not to fight.

If the book would’ve been written in Randy’s point of view the reader would’ve reacted much differently.  For instance at the drive-in theater Randy sees Ponyboy and Dally with his girlfriend, and thinks that they are trying to steal her.  After that Randy and Bob go to look for Ponyboy and Dally at the park late at night.  Instead they find Johnny and Ponyboy, but when they fight Johnny kills Bob.  Right then Randy realized that they could’ve killed Ponyboy and Johnny and the situation would’ve been flipped.  After that Ponyboy and Randy tried to work together to get the Greasers and the Socs to agree. 

Just because a book is written in one point of view doesn’t mean it can’t be interpreted in a different way.  This opinion is proved in The Outsiders because of Ponyboy’s and Randy’s reactions.  During the whole book there are two different sides against each other.  This is also  how it is in every book; even the book of life.

Support of Life

Authors Note: This is my theme piece on The Outsiders written by S.E. Hinton.  Needing support from a family member was easily noticeable in this beautifully written book.

What would you do if you had no family left? Most people would try to find someone that they can stick together with.  If you didn’t stick together it’s much  easier to get depressed. The need to be with the ones we care for and love the most is essential for our happiness is a theme clearly present in The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton. 

First, at the beginning of the book when Ponyboy gets beat up by the Socs if he didn’t have family and friends he would’ve been in even worse condition. Later when Johnny is caught for murder he and Ponyboy have to run away.  If they didn’t have help from Dally they probably been caught immediately.  These events matter once all the boys come together and can relate to each other. 

But sticking together can come in many ways, including family.  Darry, Ponyboy’s older brother, had to give up his education and his life to take care of his brothers when their parents died. Johnny on the other hand had no one watch over him. His mom was always drunk and his dad beats him. Problems like this is just another reason why the boys have to come together to help themselves.

The theme of sticking together is also present in the Hunger Games.  When Katniss was in the hunger games she had to find someone to stay with to survive.  If she didn’t a stick together with Peeta she probably would’ve died immediately.  This is similar to The Outsiders because if Johnny and Ponyboy didn’t help each other at the church they would’ve died as well. 

For a book written in 1967 The Outsiders still has a major theme, having someone to support you.  Support is a key part of being happy in life, and should not be taken lightly.  Almost everyone in the world will say that happiness is the best emotion in life and is essential. 

The Hook of Danger

Author's Note: This is my prediction piece on the story of the golden hook. I hope this illustrates my understanding of creating an alternate ending.

Cody was about to melt the claw to pure gold when he noticed something.  On the piece of gold that gripped his arm the was a hidden note. The not read,"If you sell my gold you will make money but with a price."  Cody being his greedy self didn't care at all and went along with melting the hook. 

The next day when Cody went to town to sell the gold he thought about what is like to be haunted, but then he remembered ghosts aren't real.  When he got his $200 dollars from the jewelry vendor he started the walk back home.  Once he got back home he started having bad luck. First his campfire just goes out.  Next  he starts hearing mumbling voices in his head. Finally he starts seeing things. He couldn't take the pressure of being haunted.  When someone from town went to check on Cody he was gone. The mysterious and greedy Cody was never seen again.

Art of Change

Authors Note: This is character development piece about how Robert Langdon From The Da Vinci Code changes throughout the book.

Mark Brown did a beautiful job of having Robert Langdon, the main character, develop through the story of The Da Vinci Code.  The main storyline idea is that when an organization wants to get their hands on the holy grail. Of course Robert had to face mainly challenges along the way. Also he changed immensely throughout the book in many ways.

Self Doubt was just one feeling that was expressed was when  Robert got dragged into an investigation he could care less about.  It was even stated on page 27 that he thought about what he could be doing on a Sunday morning instead.   This feeling changed in Robert later once he had an option to stop, but he continued the adventure.

Although caring about something is important self doubt is even more necessary.  Towards the beginning of the book he feels like he can’t solve the puzzle.  During the end of the book expressed on page 395 he is solving mysteries left and right.  This affected the story because it seemed to progress faster at the end when Robert was solving problems quicker.

Both of these factors are important in the change of Robert throughout the story.  Self doubt changing in a character reminded me of the Alex Rider series.  Alex got introduced to being a spy after his uncle died.  At the beginning of the book Alex didn’t think he should be a spy, and didn’t believe in himself. Towards the end of the book and even into the next book Alex had a choice to stop being a spy.  When he chose to continue it demonstrated that he had enough confidence in himself.  This related to The Da Vinci Code in the fact that Robert was trying to solve the puzzles more than anybody at the end of the book.

Both of these reasons are examples of Robert Langdon changed as the book progressed.   In every book there is always characters changing and these were just a few of the many examples of how he changed.

Cause of Demons

Authors Note: This is my cause and effect piece. I hope that readers can learn that there is cause and effect in every book.

In the book Angels and Demons written by Dan Brown is a thrilling action packed story. A collage professor goes on an adventure to stop the Vatican from blowing up from an ancient organization.  This and more combine to make up an amazing story full of twists and turns.

First of all I believe that Max director for C.E.R.N., a multi million dollar company, caused Robert to see the branded body that caused the main rising actions of the story.  This helped form the rest of the story because  it attracted Robert to go to Rome and find the other bodies.

Another example of cause and effect is at the  end of the book Max gives Robert a disk that proves that Max is innocent.   That caused Robert to find out who the real villain was.  If Max didn’t give Robert the disk  the whole outcome of the book would have changed.

These causes reminded me an awful lot of Jack from Warrior Heir. Jack got caught in an adventure that was forced upon him when he was born with a heart disorder. This reminds me of Angels and Demons because everybody including Jack thinks that the white rose, and organization that wants war, is the enemy.  Later this  accusation turned around in their face.

In every book there is one or more cause and effects in it. In Angels and Demons there were many examples of cause and effect; I only looked into two of them though.  Looking at cause and effects in a book is really important while reading story.

Angel of writing

Author's Note: This is my retelling piece.  I hope that readers will understand that you should never judge a book by its title.

Angels and Demons written by Mark Brown is the a book for anybody. Following the murder of a scientist, a Harvard professor gets caught in an adventure involving an ancient brotherhood, the Illuminati. Clues lead them all around Rome trying to stop a ticking bomb and saving religious cardinals from certain death.