Choices

Ishmael has had to make some tough decisions already in his young life. He had to decide if he should risk his life and return home to find his family. Every day he has to decide if he should continue to hang with his five friends. He will have to make many more decisions.

What has a been a difficult choice for you to make? Have you ever had to make a very difficult one? How did you choose? Was it the right choice?

Do you think Ishmael has made good choices so far? If you knew people were afraid of small groups of boys and would possibly kill you, would the benefits of being with your friends (and brother) be worth the risk?

Rap Music

Today we touched briefly on Ishmael's brush with death and how Rap music saved him (in a sense). You will see later how Ishmael continues to be helped out by his affinity for Rap music.

What type of music do you listen to? What do you like/dislike about certain types of music? When do you listen? How does music affect you? Are you particularly drawn to a song? Which song and why? Speak here about anything you want in regards to music and your life.

Predictions

I'd like to hear some predictions about where this book will go. I've read the book a few times, and so I can't make predictions anymore, but I'd still like to hear yours. Here is a spot for you brave souls who want to guess what might happen.

a long way gone

Here's a spot to share some thoughts (without the pressure of speaking up in class) on the beginning of the book. What do you think so far?

The first and second time I read this book, I was mortified by the graphicness. I thought about how much those images must have affected Beah in order for him to be able to recall such detail years after all of this happened. He ssems to remember in in such vivid detail the sights he saw and sounds he heard. He even sometimes talks about the smell. I had to keep reminding myself that he was only 12 at the time.

Book Ending

Originally I didn't like the ending of the novel. I thought it was a little too "perfect" with Andy being caught red-handed by the laCrosse team. I liked that Melinda was vindicated, but again, I thought it worked out a little too perfectly to be real. What are some of your thoughts about the ending of the novel? Did you like it? Not like it? Why or why not?

Movie Speak

We've just begun the movie Speak. Some of the details are a little different in the movie, than they are in the book. The movie was made for Lifetime, a TV channel directed at women. What do you notice about the movie that has been changed, perhaps to fit the new Target Audience?

Stress

Mr. Freeman believes the answer to all problems is art. Melinda draws her tree with lightening striking it. This is symbolic. Something awful has happened to Melinda. She will use art to help her. We will see her tree grow and develop, and we will see Melinda grow and develop. What is a stress reliever for you? What helps you work thru problems?