(1) Sarah Dessen’s Saint Anything is a realistic fiction book that tells the story of a teenager who transfers schools and finally discovers how it feels to be visible after not feeling as important compared to her brother in jail. (2) The book opens with Sydney, the protagonist, and her family watching her brother, Peyton, get sentenced to jail after hitting a kid named David Ibarra, who was damaged severely, due to drunk driving. (3) Since the taxes and fees from Peyton’s jail time were expensive, Sydney feels the need to attend Jackson High School, a school with a lower tuition fee than her old school, and ends up eating at a pizza place with friendly workers, eventually becoming close friends with them. (4) Layla, the daughter of the owner at the pizza …show more content…
place, ends up inviting Sydney to a party, which was when Sydney met Layla’s mother, who has multiple sclerosis, found out that Mac, Layla’s brother, was in a band, and at last, finally felt like she was visible after being invisible at home for a long time. (5) One day, Sydney looks upset, so Layla speaks to her, which was when Sydney told Layla what was going on in her life and the guilt she felt for Peyton over David Ibarra, the kid Peyton drove into, and Layla understood because her sister was a drug addict and had to go to a rehab, which lead to Sydney sleeping over at Layla’s house due to how close they bonded, and Sydney speaking to Mac after only glancing at him for a long time. (6) Eventually, Layla and Sydney decide to start delivering pizzas, which was how Layla met her boyfriend and starting leaving Sydney out of many events, leaving Sydney to deliver pizza with Mac for a while and grow close to him, which was how they got into a relationship that was kept as a secret. (7) A month or so later, Mac’s band needed to use a studio to record a demo of themselves, so Sydney allows them to use her brother’s because her parents were away, but unfortunately didn’t last too long because her parents ended up coming home earlier than expected, and that was when Layla found out that Sydney and Mac were actually dating after Sydney’s guardian shouted out that Sydney and Mac were kissing in the parking lot.
(8) For Sydney’s punishment, she ended up having to go to Kiger center, an academic program, but here, Sydney finally got to speak to Layla and apologize for keeping it from her, but just then, Layla had to go to the hospital because her mother was in grave danger. (9) Sydney ended up going to the hospital at midnight after a scandalous act of her guardian's, met the Chathams there, which was when Sydney’s mother came but surprisingly didn’t punish her and finally let her talk, which led to a less stricter punishment, so Sydney went back to her life, and soon enough, confronted David Ibarra to say what she’s been holding back for a long time. (10) Saint Anything, by Sarah Dessen, is a book about the importance of friendships, family, and most of all, the concept that no one is
invisible.
In John Hubner’s 2005 book, Last Chance in Texas, readers are given insight into the fundamental curriculum that is embedded at Giddings State School. The book is divided into two parts, it begins by giving the point of view of the boy’s at Giddings and then shifts to the girl’s perspective. A significant chapter in the girl’s portion is chapter twelve, in which Hubner centers on Candace, a subject of the book. Readers learn her life and crime story and are able to understand the effects Giddings has had on her life and also how she, herself, affected the campus life. Chapter twelve not only further develops Candace as an individual, but also introduces more depth into the Special Services Committee.
This novel is based in various High Schools in New York City. One of the main characters Paul, just moved to New York from Saskatoon, Alberta. This novel takes place in the mid 1980’s. At this high school, Don Carey High, none of the students or teachers care about anything that goes on within the school. They have no team spirit at all, there are no teams or clubs because no one shows interest.
She had a usually day for her first day to school she was fed a usually unhealthy oatmeal with brown sugar with brand new clothes as well. The mother believed that her first appearances to school would be important. They lived on the street 1227 New Jersey Avenue where the school Seaton Elementary all the way across from where they live. Church Mt. Carmel Baptist her mother church is just across from the school. The mother of the daughter always told her that she would attend the primary school across from her church even when she was not born yet. A woman at the Entrance said “wrong school, that we should be at Walker-Jones”. The mother said that she wants her to attend this school and demands a reason why she cannot go to that school. She sees that her mother only wants her to appear at that elementary. Mt. Carmel Baptist is the mother church and she would feel separate from her connection to god if she does not have her attend to the school. T...
First, Junior confronts the dreariness of the Wellpinit school system by deciding to transfer to the Reardan school system. Junior initiates this decision when he throws a book across the room upon discovering his mother’s name inscribed inside the cover. His outburst signifies Junior’s recognition of Wellpinit’s misery and desire to achieve. This ambition drives his decisions throughout the novel and defines his unique character. In addition, Junior discloses his decision to his parents with fearlessness and trepidation. Junior confesses, “I want to transfer schools... I want to transfer to Reardan” (Alexie 45). Junior’s bluntness highlights his fearless personality and validates his ability to confront his problems and tasks head-on. In complex situations, Junior possesses the skills to navigate his future. Finally, Junior’s ability to overcome problems appears in his ability to navigate his way to Reardan each day for school. With the uncertainty of gas money in his family, Junior often finds himself walking or hitchhiking to the school, however
The novel Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler is a beautifully thought out book that follows the complicated life of seventeen-year-old Ian Bedloe as he seeks forgiveness for his sins both from himself and from God. Ian blamed himself for causing his older brother, Danny’s suicide and his guilt slowly ate away at him until he was drawn into the Church of Second Chance. By this time, Ian was in college and both Danny’s daughter and step-children were orphaned and being taken care of by his elderly parents. So Reverend Emmett, the pastor of Ian’s newfound church, decided that the only way Ian could find forgiveness from God and from himself was to quit college and offer up all his time to raise Danny’s children. The plot spans the time frame of about 25 years, in which time Ian and the three children slowly mature and become very developed, intricate characters, and the story takes place in the city of Baltimore through the years 1965 to 1990. Anne Tyler spins a very believable tale, using a writing style that easily reminds the reader how quickly life goes by.
Ever since she was a young girl. Jeannette had set high goals for herself. Since she was so advanced in school and genuinely enjoyed learning, it made sense that she would want to do big things with her life. Whether it was being a veterinarian or a geologist, her dreams extended far beyond her homes in little desert towns or Welch, West Virginia. However, because of her poverty-stricken home life, many people believed it didn’t seem likely that she would be so successful. One day, while living in Welch, Jeannette goes to the bar to drag her drunk father back home. A neighborhood man offers them a ride back to their house, and on the ride up he and Jeannette start a conversation about school. When Jeannette tells the man that she works so hard in school because of her dream careers, the man laughs saying, “for the daughter of the town drunk, you sure got big plans” (Walls 183). Immediately, Jeannette tells the man to stop the car and gets out, taking her father with her. This seems to be a defining moment in which Jeannette is first exposed to the idea that she is inferior to others. Although this man said what he did not mean to offend her, Jeannette is clearly very hurt by his comment. To the reader, it seems as if she had never thought that her family’s situation made her subordinate to those
The two short stories, “The Princess of Nebraska” and “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” by Yiyun Li, depict the lives of two people under Chinese communist control, trapped by the social restraints of their society in search of individual salvation. In “Princess of Nebraska”, a young girl (Sasha) struggles to find internal purpose and satisfaction within her life, feeling that the restraints of communist control keep her from achieving the sense of self she desires. She believes the United States is the solution to gaining her individual freedom and fantasizes the recreation of her identity and life. Similarly, “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” revolves around the same theme of social freedom vs the discovery of the individual self. Mr.Shi,
Rose Mary is a selfish woman and decides not to go to school some mornings because she does not feel up to it. Jeannette takes the initiative in making sure that her mother is prepared for school each morning because she knows how much her family needs money. Even though Rose Mary starts to go to school every day, she does not do her job properly and thus the family suffers financially again. When Maureen’s birthday approaches, Jeannette takes it upon herself to find a gift for her because she does not think their parents will be able to provide her with one. Jeannette says, “at times I felt like I was failing Maureen, like I wasn’t keeping my promise that I’d protect her - the promise I’d made to her when I held her on the way home from the hospital after she’d been born. I couldn’t get her what she needed most- hot
Jacopo del Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John is a characteristically iconographic tempera panel painting of Madonna, the Christ Child, and the infant St. John from the early renaissance, dating to the early 1480s. Sellaio was a Florentine painter under the apprenticeship of Sandro Botticelli, which reflects through his style and symbolism in the painting. In this work, he depicts a classically devotional scene filled with biblical symbolism. Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John expresses Mary’s loving role as Christ’s mother, the protective power and warmth of her maternal bond, and the significance of the birth of Christ.
The story began when La Vaughn was just fifteen. La Vaughn described her school life and her two best friends, Myrtle and Annie. Myrtle and Annie had been her friends all throughout her childhood, but now, it seemed that the three friends were drifting apart as their common interests changed. Both Myrtle and Annie had become very involved in a religious youth group that La Vaughn had no interest in joining. La Vaughn felt that the leaders in the religious ...
The story begins with Jodee’s description of how she was victimized in a 4th grade Catholic grammar school; coming to the defense of deaf children that were being treated cruelly. She supplied the school officials with names and was labeled a “tattletale.” No one would talk to her, recess was spent in anguish, and she would find garbage and spoiled food in her book bag. As she progressed into 5th grade some of the social atmosphere began to shift in subtle but profound ways. Being accepted into a clique was all that mattered. Instead of being admired for class participation, as in earlier years she was laughed at and labeled as “teacher’s pet.” She said the rules were simple “shun or be shunned—if you weren’t willing to go along with the crowd, you would become the reject.”
...hat she is capable of more than she herself knows and that there is still a big future for her and the village. Stacey is the beacon of her town that shows potential for change and the bridge that symbolizes the separation between these two places. Stacey crosses this bridge daily and in that ending, a lot is unsaid about what could happen. Stacey was a challenging character to explore, because her identity continues to confuse her, and in her discoveries, the reader begins to understand her slowly and why it is she struggles so much and her frustrations. In return, the readers can almost understand her pain because of it and the journey she had to take which didn’t lead to achieving her dreams because of the separation that the village and town focused so much on.
The thought of her brothers still being in her former home environment in Maine hurt her. She tried to think of a way to get at least one of her brothers, the sickly one, to come and be with her. She knew that her extended family was financially able to take in another child, and if she showed responsibility, there would be no problem (Wilson, 40). She found a vacant store, furnished it, and turned it into a school for children (Thinkquest, 5). At the age of seventeen, her grandmother sent her a correspondence, and requested her to come back to Boston with her brother (Thinkquest, 6).
In the first section of the book it starts off with a little girl named Tasha. Tasha is in the Fifth grade, and doesn’t really have many friends. It describes her dilemma with trying to fit in with all the other girls, and being “popular”, and trying to deal with a “Kid Snatcher”. The summer before school started she practiced at all the games the kid’s play, so she could be good, and be able to get them to like her. The girls at school are not very nice to her at all. Her struggle with being popular meets her up with Jashante, a held back Fifth ...
The main character in this story is Cassie Logan. She and her three brothers go through an extremely tough time in this story. They go through everything from racist driven petty things to the death of a friend. Cassie's age contributes a lot to this story. Since Cassie is about 10 years old she doesn't fully understand everything that happens and why they happen. This book is written in first person so the reader knows her thoughts and feelings, but not everyone else's. This provides a better grasp on Cassie's inner conflicts.