Entry #4: Summer Reading Project 2014

This particular novel is actually sequel to the first one called Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children. These books always caught my eye because I always find an interest in creepy fictional books. I also really enjoyed The Series Of Unfotunate Events Stories with an author of the Pen name Lemony Snicket. When I went to the book store I was walking around when I saw these books. I couldn't help but instantly want to pick it up and read it. So, when I read the back of the book I knew I had to buy it. Both the first book and the sequel to it. There were a few personal connections with me and this novel. The main one I focused on was how you never know what is going to happen in the future. Sometimes not even 20 minutes from where we are right now in this moment. Jacob and his peculiar friends always found themselves lost throughout all they are going through, never knowing where they will end in their crazy lives. I always catch myself daydreaming, "What does the future have in store for me?" Even though Ransom Riggs' novels are becoming very popular for many people, I think there are a handful of people that would actually grasp, and enjoy what Ransom is writing about. Like I said you will have to be the kind of person that likes creepy, yet very fictional stories, and in that case you have found your book.

Entry #3: Summer Reading Project 2014

"I heard a plane threading the clouds high above us and let my oars drag, neck craning up, arrested by a vision of our little armada from such a height: this world I had chosen, and everything I had in it, and all our precious, peculiar lives, contained in three splinters of wood adrift upon the vast, unblinking eye of the sea. Mercy." (page. 17, Hollow City, Ransom Riggs ) I chose this context of my story because personally I think the author Ransom was trying to hook the reader to read further and further into the story. I chose a context that was closer to the beginning of the book because in a lot of stories there are contexts that hook readers ether near the beginning or the end of the read to hook you into the next book which is the case in this story since there is a third book coming out hopefully soon. In this context Jacob Portman, (a peculiar) is talking to us about the beginning of his journey after the end of a very scary one in the first book Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children. He has no idea what lies ahead, and what obstacles people (or things) may throw at him, but in this context all he can think of is the water, the boat, and his new family beside him. Jacob wants us (the readers) to go on this adventure with him, and I did. All I can say was it was a very memorable adventure. I was hooked.

The Creepy, yet beautiful Ocean Jacob and his peculiar friends were
rowing on,

Entry #2: Summer Reading Project 2014

In my story Hollow City  there are many different characters that want/desire something. The peculiar children want and desire a home, to feel safe, to not be caught but at the same time to be known. There are two main characters that I would like to mainly talk about though. First Jacob Portman, he figured out he was peculiar from the help of his grandpa and his peculiar friends. At home Jacob was quiet and what we call "nerdy". As I finished the first book and reading the second, I realized Jacob wanted triumph he wanted to be remembered but more than that he wanted to help his new peculiar family that were in need. And then the other peculiar child Emma Bloom, she however was not as lucky as Jacob she had to discover her peculiar power herself feeling very alone and not only alone but brought up in a home with abusive parents who would hide her away and lock her up because of her powers. She has similar desires as Jacob. She mainly wants people to know she is a good person whether or not she likes them. And like any girl, she wants love. She and Jacob have a relationship as she did with Jacobs grandfather, but that is a long story I will not get into. There are many themes I was starting to notice in my story, one that if you really want something you can make it work out if you put your head to it. Also, always go with your gut feeling in life if you feel that it is the right thing to do. The main theme that I noticed in this story is, when you feel lost in life and about yourself you should do whatever it takes to figure out what you are set out to do. My book is sructured by chapters and by parts. There are two main parts to this story. Part One and Part Two.

Jacob Portman looking off into the distance trying
to figure out where he will go next in life with the
his Peculiar family.

Emma Bloom showing her  powers of being able
to make a fire with her bare hands.

Entry #1: Summer Reading Project 2014

The story I'm  reading is called Hollow City. The second book in the series of Ransom Riggs' novels. It was a very interesting story. There are two main characters in my story. A young "peculiar" boy named  Jacob Portman and a young "peculiar" girl named Emma Bloom. The setting varies in this story. Mainly because the peculiar children go through time loops which puts them through many different periods in time. Ether in the far past or present time now. Many conflicts arise in this story that the peculiars (children) need to worry about, but there is one big one in general. Their head leader Miss Peregrine has been changed into a bird, and time is running out before she stays this way forever. The children have to overcome many obstacles such as not being found out about their peculiar abilities by the "normal" humans, being caught by viscous beasts that are called (Hollows or Hallowgasts), and moving fast enough so that time does not run out! My predictions for this story is that the children will overcome all of these obstacles to get their leader back before its too late. What mainly makes me think this is how smart the kids are and how much they have overcome already. I have a lot of questions for the author of how he came up with this topic. Have you ever gotten creeped out from reading your own story? This story is so "peculiar", which makes it very hard to relate it to other works. One series that it does remind me of a lot is The Series Of Unfortunate Events, by the author of  Daniel Handler with the pen name of Lemony Snicket.  Hollow City is A great read and I would suggest it to many readers if you like Peculiar Stories.

The front cover of Hollow City 

Final Blogging Assesment

     1) The specific words and phrases that demonstrated my voice is when I say: " Can he maintain being the hero for the sake of his best friends who have now become his family, or will his insecurities take a turn for the worst?"  I think this shows my personality as a writer because it shows what kind of ways I like to usemy voice and not only that but I think it helps engage the readers to read more.

     2) I use diction in syntax in my blog post as well. An example of diction is when i say the word "insecurities". This is an example of informal diction, which incororated evidence. The example of syntax that I used in my blog post is, "He doesn't think he has it in him to do it." I used this piece showing how I use short sentences. I think these both help enhance my voice because it engages the reader as well as incorpoating better "voice".

Important Chapter Line

I think a very memorable line from the book Hollow City is, "We Rowed until our arms ached and our shoulders knotted." (Chapter 1, Page 20) I see this line as very important for various reasons. These peculiars have come such a far way. They have overcome many obstacles, which there are many more to come, and I think each and every one of them have become stronger individuals. This line shows that how much it hurts and how much they want to stop, they aren't going to until they achieved what they went on this journey for. The plot develops from this line in many different ways. One I think it makes them stronger, and two It helps them reach destinations that they need to be at. So in my opinion this line was very significant to me.

Symbolizing The Characters

In my story Hollow City, There are a total of 12 Peculiars. Including the newest addition, Jacob Portman. Each peculiar has a secret talent. A symbol for Jacob Portman(main character/peculiar), would be binoculars because he can see/sense hollowgast from very far away. Emma Bloom's Symbol (Peculiar), would be fire because she can make fire between her bare hands Bronwyn Bruntley (peculiar),would symbolize a muscle because she can lift very strong objects. Millard Nullings(peculiar), would sybolize air because you can not see him (unless he is wearing clothes, or you want him to). Olive (peculiar), would resemble an airplane because she flies in the air unless you hold her down with a rope. Horrace Somnusson (peculiar), would resemble sleeping, because he suffers from premonitory visions/dreams. Enoch O'Connor (peculiar), would resemble a heart, because he brings dead things back to life with other things hearts. Hugh Apiston (peculiar), would resemble a bee, because he commands and protects the many bees that live in his stomach. Claire Densmore (peculiar), would resemble a mouth, because she has an extra one on the back of her head. Fiona Frauenfeld (peculiar), would resemble a garden because she has a talent for making plants grow. Alma LeFay Peregrine (peculiar/head mistress), would resemble a bird because she can shape shift from a human to a peregrine(bird).

Ransom Riggs

Ransom Riggs is A very interesting person in my opinion. I found out that he was born and lived on a 200 year farm. He mainly got the idea from his books by the collection of photographs. In his first story which is called, Miss . Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children, Riggs got his photographs from  vernacular photographs. Closely related to vernacular photography is found photography, which in one sense refers to the recovery of a lost, unclaimed, or discarded vernacular photograph or snapshot. Found photos are often found at flea markets, thrift and secondhand stores, yard sales, estate and tag sales, in dumpsters and trash cans, between the pages of books, or on streets and sidewalks when you are walking. I think that this is very interesting and cool! His second story Hollow city came about by the photography by Harper Collins. I think that Ransom Riggs is an amazing writer who should write more stories.

Character Change

The main character in the second story out of two book by Ransom Riggs named  Hollow City, is Jacob Portman. He started off as a 16 year old teen who was very insecure and not quote on quote "popular" Back home that is . In the first book Miss. Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children, Jacob overcomes many obstacles and learns who he is as a person with the help of his peculiar friends. Now Jacob in the second story (Hollow City) still brings insecurities with him because of the fear that he can not save his friends. He thinks they expect him to be the hero.  He doesn't think he has it in him to do it. A very strong courageous thing that Jacob did was use his peculiar powers to fight off the Hollowgast (an evil creature trying to kill peculiars). This in the end saved him and all of his friends. Jacob has become a stronger, more mature, and courageous person in my opinion. Can he maintain being the hero for the sake of his best friends who have now become his family, or will his insecurities take a turn for the worst?

Why I Chose My Book

I chose Hollow City for many reasons. I have a lot of interest in mysteries and mysterious books in general, I love feeling like I am in the book experiencing what they are.  I picked this book and the second I did that I knew it consisted of all the things I love in a book. I flipped through the pages and just by the pictures I knew I would love it. I also knew it had these kind of pictures because of the first book. Within just a couple chapters of Hollow City i was hooked, i couldn't put the book down. I have to know what is going to happen to the main character Jacob Portman! I love books that hook me and I felt as if i was Jacob Portman on his remarkable journey with his peculiar friends!

Text-to-Self

In my book Hollow City by Ransom Riggs, I can make a text-to-self connection of being unsure and very scared. My main character in the story is Jacob Portman, he is a teenage boy who has left his family for a group of peculiar children. He thought  that leaving his parents was the best choice for his well being. But was his choice wrong or right? I can relate to this because i have gotten the feeling many times of being unsure about a decision and being worried or scared it it was right or wrong. The only difference between me and Jacob Portman is that his dilemma is to a whole different extent than mine. He has alot more to be frightened and unsure about. If you would like to know whether or not Jacob Portman made the the right choice for his destiny, then I would suggest reading Hollow City.

Independent Reading Post (My predictions) 1/6/14

The story I am reading is called Three Little Words. This book is a memoir which also means it is a true story. I have many predictions that I think is going to take place in the near future. The main character in my story is Ashley Rhodes-Courter a young orphan. She has been to many different orphanages and has had to see and deal with a lot more than a youngin should have to see or deal with. All of these different hardships leaves Ashley confused of the actual person that she is. Throughout this story Ashley has to try to find herself. My prediction is that Ashley will find who she is and overcome all of her hardships.