Journal Four from Shaylee

The reading is overall going well but could be a bit better. The strengths I have for the books is that I am really interested in A Long Way Gone. I also can really understand the similies' and metaphors in A House on Mango Street. The weaknesses I have is that A Long Way Gone there is a lot going on so I often have to go back and read it a few times to understand it. In the House on Mango Street its sorta difficult to read and know whats going on. I'm not that interested in it, but its getting better. I like A Long Way Gone because its a good book. I didn't really like it at first but its hard to stop reading now.

A title I created was losing, farming, and the cassette tape and stranger that saved.

Ishmael and his friends were traveling until they got attacked and captured. A cassette tape fell out of his pocket and saved them. They farmed at Kamator for a long time, until they got attacked by rebels and that was the last time he saw Junior.

Cutlass – A short sword with a slightly curved blade.

The theme is that they keep running into trouble. Between getting attacked by people of other villages, rebels, or not having enough food. When they got attacked by the rebels Ishmael lost his brother and got separated from his friends. Beah writes on page 37 "People stopped trusting eachother, and every stranger became an enemy. Even people who knew you became extremely careful about how they related or spoke to you". It would be hard trying to survive when you couldn't trust and talk to the people around you.