Blog 10...The End Of The End

So...I finished "Does My head Look Big In This?". I really liked the book, until the end. I thought that this author was way to close to perfect for most of the book. She was funny, fresh, and yet at the samee time she was deep and could have a "serious" talk with the people reading the book. Plus, I thought the whole plot idea was great and super creative. I really thought that she could write a book about rocks, and make it interesting. Near the last five chapters of the book, I realized that she really should have written a shorter book. The four chapters before the very last chapter of the book, were all "fluff". I felt like I didn't want to finish the book. Until Leila ran away...

Amal's best friend from her old school, Leila, has a crazy mama. Her mom is always setting up marriages, and says women were only meant to cook and clean. Leila, being one of the smartest girls at her school, wants to be a lawyer. She just can't deal with the stress, and runs away... She finds out she really can deal with being an adult.

In the end of the story, Amal realizes it is the different, un-perfect, immigrants who are her friends and family and who have shaped who she is and who she will become.

So, Amal's character is finally shaping up to be who she will be as an adult.

Near the beginning of the book, Amal talks about Adam as her friend. Towards the middle of the book she finds out that Adam actually, despite her scarf, likes her and he tries to kiss her at his birthday party, but instead of following her heart she follows her head and her religion. Amal is a good friend to most people in the text except for those three stuck-up girls. At a venerable moment in the toilets, Amal runs into Tia, Claire and Rita, after a little ‘b****y’ talk about everything wrong with Amal. The relationship between these three girls and Amal is anything but friendly, as I explained last week. Eileen and Simone practically faint when they hear the story about Amal rejecting him. Simone has a story of her own though. Her and Josh finally made a date!!! EEP!!!!! Still a great book!

Commented on Seb's blog.

Tia and Rita. If I could USE a swear word to describe them I would. For right now, I'll just say that they are witches. You can imagine what I mean. Anyway, talk about giving a girl a hard time. Rita and Tia are already known as the "Popular group"...so you can imagine what they say when Amal walks in with her scarf. Eileen and Simone, Amal's best friends, also get a hard time. Since Simone is so concerned about her wait, Tia and Rita are always making fun of it. Those are only four of the colorful characters her class mates are. Josh, a nice jewish boy, is one of the only people who understands Amal's desicion, other than Simone and Eileen. He's popular, cute, and funny. Right now, the author is foreshadowing a relationship between him and Simone. The boy talked about most, though, is Adam. The way he's just a little of, but still SO CUTE. Basically, the couple of chapters I read this week, talked about them. I kinda wish that the author did more than describe characters, but it's still a fu book. It's light, yet such a deep subject. Still lovin' it.

I commented on Noah's blog. Segull.

Does My head look Big in This? Part Two

Where I last left you, Amal had just walked into school wearing the hijab, heading to the Principal's office, about to ask whether or not she was allowed to wear her hijab(or scarf) in school. Although, being a preteen myself, I'm thinking that Amal probably is more scared of what her classmates think than what her teacher's think. Suddenly, Amal starts talking about certain people in her class. First, she talks about how her friends Simone and Eileen will understand. Amal also notes that Josh may notice, a boy in her grade that is Jewish orthodox. Oh no!, she says(in her head), what about Adam?!?! I have a feeling that Adam just may come up in the story again...

When Amal steps into the office, the secretary is looking down, typing, asking Amal what she needs, as soon as Amal starts talking, and the secretary looks up, she spits out her coffee. When Amal goes into the Principal's office, she gets the same reaction. The principal starts asking why in the world would Amal want to ruin her life like this? Amal starts to get angry...she then says Did your father make you do this? Amal is furious...she says that no, her parents were against it. That was Amal's fatal mistake. Oh? says the principal. OK? I'll set up a confrence with them. Thank you, Amal. Now, Amal's ready to explode...

I really hope to find out more about the kids in Amal's class this week.

Still lovin' it.

P.S. I commented on Julia's blog.

Alright Ms. Pieterzak. I know, I know. I've just switched books. But, I just picked up a fantastic book, and I would like to share it with you. I promise I won't switch until I finish it.

Does my Head Look Big in This? Is a fantastic, quirky, modern novel about a regular teenage girl trying to get in touch with her Muslim roots. The hijab is a traditional scarf women wear on their head in the presence of men that aren't immediate family. Amal Abdel-Hakim decides to make a life changing decision: to wear the hijab.

Amal, although very different than most girls(the hijab being the difference), still has the same issues. Worries about parents, grades, and boys boys boys! Adam, a character in this hilarious novel, is her crush. Right now, the character hasn't spoken, only been talked about. Hopefully, he will speak soon!

The beginning of the novel is Amal thinking about wearing the hijab while working out, and watching "Friends". She talks about Jennifer Aniston wearing a hideous bridesmaid dress at her ex's wedding. She wants to run away and hide, but soon gets the guts to get up on stage and sing Copacabana. (By the way, I know every lyric to that song. Not Amal. Me.) Amal soon starts talking about how that gave her the guts to decide to where the hijab. Soon, she starts going over this though in her head. I like that she wanted to go over it. This gives her more of a teenager look. Most teenagers don't just say they are going to do something embarrassing, and just do it. Contemplating is hard, of course, so she goes to her parents. Amal's parents are not too strict, not too free-willing. They seem like good parents to me. Anyway, all though she expects a cheering squad, they don't seem too happy about the idea.

Well, of course, what your parents don't want, they're bound to get. Not that they are AGAINST it, necessarily, just, cautious. Amal spends an hour prepping for school after winter break, getting her hijab just right. As soon as she gets to school, she needs to go see then principal, to make sure it isn't against the rules of the "Snotty rich kid school" she goes to. I really like how this author made you like Amal, so you want her to be able to wear it. I really hope the principal allows it. I really enjoy this book. I hope the middle and end are just as good as the beginning.

P.S. I commented on Sarah Cannon's blog.

Wednesday Wars

Holling's life is "perfect." Well, from the outside at least. When you look inside, you realize that everything is a tick off. His sister is pretty much a hippie, his father only cares about his job, his mother is hiding the fact that she smokes, and his seventh grade teacher hates him! The Wednesday Wars is a light, comical, fun lookout on the life of a screwed up teenager, Holling Hoodhood. In the beginning of the book, Holling introduces his idea that his teacher wants to kill him. He then notes that all the kids in his class will be at either Ctachaism or Hebrew school on Wednesday after noons. Since Holling is neither Catholic nor Jewish, he will be the only student in his class that is in school from 1:45 to 3:00 on Wednesday afternoons. Holling has a feeling that his teacher is not so happy that she can't leave until three...

The first week is full of Shakespeare. Although Holling thinks that his teacher is trying to bore him too death, he finds Shakespeare to be okay, at best. I will report next week with more. Until then,

Jocelyn.

P.S. Sorry about the confusing change in books. I commented on Maille's blog.

Eclipse

Ok, so you're gunna think I'm a total cliche teenage girl, but I'm reading Twilight. Actually, I'm reading the third Twilight. Eclipse. So far, the book has been (I hate to admit it) but good. I really think that it's an original idea, although the media has kinda ruined it. There are so many vampire books, t.v. shows, and movies. Right now, I think that Stephenie Meyer has run out of plot ideas. I hope that the book picks up soon. Bella (the main character) is having internal conflicts between Jacob and Edward (two other main characters). I enjoy action in my books. Until then,

Jocelyn/