Sentence 6

Novel: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Pg. 3

His Sentence: I can still see Hassan up on the tree, sunlight flickering through the leaves on his almost perfect round face, like a Chinese doll chiseled from hardwood: his flat, broad nose slanting, narrow eyes like bamboo leaves, eyes that looked, depending on the light, gold, green, even sapphire.

I was really able to feed off of the simile that he used in this sentenced. I could see a perfect little Chinese Doll, the only flaw being the cracked lip up to the nose (his clef lip). I am also able to really see the bamboo leaves for eyes that are different colors at different times. I could see the leaves changing colors like all leaves do during the summer. This may be a bit out there but the what I am getting from this is that the light to Hassan's eyes is like seasons to the colors of leaves. Such a beautiful description and such a beautiful thought.

My Sentence: Joshlyn could still see her lover in her mind, strenght radiating around the air in his proximit, like a radioactive star fallen to the earth: his thick, muscled body arching, full lips like juciy fruits, lips that curled, depending on the situation, up, down, crooked, and even and even forward.

Sentence 5

Novel: Blue Moon By Alyson Noel

pg.11

Her Sentence

I swallow hard and look at her, knowing exactly what she's after, hoping to kill two birds with one meal.

Commentary: The first thing that I noticed about this sentence was that she said, "kill two birds with one meal," aside from saying, "kill two birds with one stone," which made me giggle. I had to read the sentence twice to make sure that I read it right. Ever, the main character, is talking about her aunt who is afraid that Ever is not eating, and that Ever may not be with the right guy. So her aunt is wanting to take her and her boyfriend out to eat on the weekend, which will confirm or deny her worrisome feelings about Ever. I think I spot a gerund phrase in the middle of the sentence, I love gerund phrases and I love this whole sentence.

My Sentence

I run fast and look at death, knowing what he wants with me, catching another soul with one sweep of his scythe.

Sentence 4

Novel: Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

pg 26

His sentence:

He wanted revenge but felt little joy from this act.

Commentary: This sentence does not exactly sparkle to me, but as I was reading the sentence did make me stop and think about what was going on. The main character Cole had just burned down the only shelter on the isolated island he had been sentence to stay on for a year. He thought that in burning the shelter he would hurt those who put him there. When I read this sentence one thought came into my mind so strong I had to say it out loud in the middle of class...DUH! This sentence made me wish that I could walk up to this kid and put the palm of my hand in the middle of his force head and yell, "Why on earth would you think that would give you joy and revenge!?!?!?" Now that I have finished the novel I believe that the author did this on purpose to make the reader get mad, or laugh, different reactions for different people, in order to get the reader emotionally involved in the story.

My sentence:

She desired love but felt little fulfillment from the event.

Sentence 3

Novel: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins


Pg122



Her Sentence :

I imagine these things and I'm terrified, but let's face it: they've been lurking in the back of my brain anyway.



Commentary: In this passage Katniss is thinking about the Peacekeepers coming in and getting her and shooting her for something that she has recently done that might lead to a rebellion. These are just thoughts of course but she almost lives through them as she thinks about them. Collins could have made this sentence into two separate sentences, but she did not. I like the way this sounds better than the two simple sentences that she could have used. Using this wording shows Katniss's acceptance and despair that she is not as tough as she would like to be, and that the Capital does really scare the britches off of her. When she says "they've been lurking in the back of my brain anyway," I can just see a little thought creature crawling around on all fours. Great use of personification.



My Sentence:

I paint these landscapes and I am content, but let's face it: I have been wanting more in the bottom of my heart.

Sentence 2

Novel: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Pg 117

Her Sentence:
What a pair we were - fatherless, frightened, but fiercely committed, too, to keeping our families alive.

Commentary: I love this sentence. When I read this sentence I can feel emotions stir within me, and I feel like I better understand the character. Katniss is reflecting back on the beginning of her life with Gale and as I read I can feel the reminiscing simmering deep in my heart. Such sweet yet sorrowful memories. I noticed that instead of making to separate sentences with this one sentence she combined the two. Making the second half feel more like a thought to the reader, and to show that Katniss was in fact thinking and reliving memories. Collins also uses a type of consonance within this sentence. Katniss says, "fatherless, frightened, but fiercely committed..." This use of consonance beats the point home that life is hard, but the have to always tough through it. That is their only sane choice. The other is to starve and watch their family starve, and no one wants that. Collins show the reader that no matter how tough things in life may be there is always a way to make it though, and everyone has to be strong no matter what.

My Sentence: What an alliance we were - scattered, scorned, but savagely dedicated, also, to surviving this terrible game.

Sentence One

Her Sentence: Over the years the odors of liquor and vomit, boiled garbage and burned meat, unwashed clothes and mouse droppings have intermingled into a stench that brings tears to my eyes.








My Sentence: Through the years the scents of coffee and vanilla, boiled cinnamon and roasted barley, untainted love and lavenders petals have interlaced into an aroma that brings joy to my soul.

Commentary: With the sentence that Suzanne Collins has written, describing the house of Haymitch, there are many descriptive words and phrases that most everyone has experienced or heard about. Thus, it is hard not to wrinkle your nose along with Katniss when reading it. I could see the vomit, liquor, burnt meat, and mounds of mouse droppings all over the floor, and I could smell and almost taste the nasty rotten stench. I tried to take a more pleasant route with my sentence. =)

Book: Catching Fire


Page: 13


Paragraph: 3

A Whole New Mind: My Empathy Experience

I just finished the novel A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink and I found the whole novel to be very remarkable. I loved every line of every chapter and I intend on reading his other book Drive. In which he talks about what truly motivates us as human beings. While I was reading A Whole New Mind, I began to ask myself, “Do I think with the right side of my brain, the left side of my brain, or the both sides of my brain?” Daniel H. Pink provides many ways to encourage thinking with the right side of the brain.


One of the six aptitudes or “six senses” that Daniel discusses is empathy. As Pink states, “Empathy is the ability to imagine yourself in someone else’s position and to intuit what that person is feeling.” The first ideal that I learned at the beginning of the empathy chapter is that empathy and sympathy are two completely different actions. Sympathy is feeling bad for some one. Empathy is a deeper emotion, or action. When one feels with someone else, he or she is being empathic.


Ending the empathy chapter is an empathy portfolio, and in the portfolio, Pink lists ways to enhance, identify, or research empathy. I personal chose, out all the great ideas, to take the EQ test. The reason I chose the EQ test is because I was curious as to how empathic I am. This test measures a persons’ Empathy Quotient (EQ), and determines if you have a “female brain.” To be honest I was also interested in finding out if I had a what passed for a female brain just as much as I was to learn my empathy level. The EQ test was constructed by Simon Baron-Cohen, and is only a mere sixty questions long. The test only took me three minutes to take tops. Here is my result and all the possible results:


Your score: 59
0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20)33 - 52 = average (most women score about 47 and most men score about 42)
53 - 63 is above average
64 - 80 is very high
80 is maximum


I am very happy with my results, and I encourage everyone to try this little test. This test is located at this link: http://glennrowe.net/BaronCohen/EmpathyQuotient/EmpathyQuotient.aspx

Pink also tells of a test that will determine if you have a “male brain.” Simon Baron-Cohen made the “male brain” test along with the EQ test. The “male brain” test’s formal name is the SQ (systematizing quotient) test. Finding out how systematic my brain and I are sounds very appealing and enlightening. The link for the SQ test is as follows: http://glennrowe.net/BaronCohen/SystemizingQuotient/SystemizingQuotient.aspx