Cough Syrup--Young the Giant

        There were many poetic devices in this song.  The first one I noticed was, "A wet world aches for a beat of a drum".  This one was an example of personification.  The song also has symbolism, like when it say, "I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down" or "The fishes in the sea are staring at me".  Another device was, "If I could find a way to see this straight I'd run away", and I thought it could maybe be a narrative.  It kind of tells a story, because it says there's a chance that he'd run away.  It could also be a simile I suppose, because it compares his problems to being so overwhelming that he'd run away.  The last one states, "Coming up out of the blue", and it is an idiom.
        This guy feels lonely, because he probably broke up with his girl friend.  His heart aches for her just like the wet world is aching for a beat from a drum.  He wants to get back together with his girl friend, but he's waiting for her to want him back.  Just like he's waiting for the cough syrup to come down.  Later in the song it looks like he's beginning to live a new live and forget about his old girl friend.  He decides to find something or someone better.  He's "Coming up out of the blue".  He's forgetting the past and finding a cure for himself instead of waiting to see if his old girl friend will do anything.

Life is a Highway--Rascal Flatts

        I got four poetic devices from this poem.  The main one, "Life is a highway", is a metaphor because its referring life to how a highway works.  Another device in the song was, "There's a world outside every darkened door".  This line of the song was alliteration.  There was also an example of allusion in the song.  The line goes "The Khyber Pass to Vancouver's Peak".  The last one was, "There's no load I can't hold", and it is a Hyperbole because you can't really hold just anything.
       I think that in this song the guy is saying that there's so much for us out in the world for us.  That's what he means when he says life is a highway.  On a highway you don't have as much limitations as on other roads.  In our lives we can and need to reach the best of our potential because we have the freedom to.  Just like you have more freedom on a highway (for example you drive faster).
       I also think he's saying that you should enjoy life.  Be positive and happy, just like you may enjoy your freedom to drive faster on a highway.

Candy Shop Wars by Brandon Mull

       In this book I liked how Brandon Mull really thought things out and made everything a bit more realistic.  For example, Mrs. White (the owner of the candy shop) asked Trevor, Summer, Pigeon, and Nate to go and collect beetle eggs.  When they return with the eggs she checks them under a microscope to make sure the had really done the job.
       Brandon also took time to think other things through.  He thought thought about what it would be like to be a fifth grader again.  In his book he mentions how Nate wants to build a fort out of the left over boxes after moving.  I thought that was dumb at first.  I thought why would a kid want to build a box fort, that seemed so kiddish.  Then I thought when I was that age I probably liked to do that too.  We don't always remember what we liked to do when we were a certain age.  That's why we should keep journals.
       Brandon also has had some creative ideas in the book so far.  One thing he has is candy that can give you magical powers.  I remember, that when I was a little girl I also dreamed of having candy that had magical powers.  I would sometimes use real candy and pretend that when I ate it I had a certain super power.
       The other thing that makes the book interesting is that there's this guy, named John Dart, who has been cursed.  His curse is that what ever he purposely does to someone else happens to him.  For example, if he knocks someone out he falls unconscious.  John is a detective and so it makes you wonder how he can take out the bad guys.
       However, this book isn't as interesting as some of the other ones that Brandon Mulls wrote.  There's not as much action as in his other stories.
       Not a whole lot has happened yet.  The characters are still gets getting started on their journey.  At the beginning it gets boring when Nate is talking about to his mom.
       I thought it was awful when he kept thinking and saying  how nerdy and dumb Pigeon seemed.  I thought he was being judgmental, but I suppose we all do that a lot.  Its hard not to do, and something we really need to word on.
        I learned that you can learn lessons from the simplest of books.  Even if the book meant for entertainment and not learning.
     

Martin Luther King writing post two

            I learned Martin Luther King traveled from place to place giving his freedom  speeches.  King was always sleep deprived, and always working hard to show that everyone is equal.  He also received many death threats.
            Back in those days the white people bombed the African Americans churches, and one time King's house was bombed.  Unfortunately his wife and child were in the house when it was bombed.  Luckily his family was okay after being bombed.
             There was also a time when a crazy woman came up to Martin Luther King Jr.  She stabbed him in the chest and he was taken to a hospital.  The doctors told King that had he even sneezed he would have perished.  It was good that King made a recovery.
          One man who didn't like King, tapped into his personal life, and was always watching him.  He even listened to what King talked about on the phone all the time.  King was always watched twenty four seven.
          Later three men went missing while inspecting a church that had been bombed.  Two of the men were white and one was an African American.  The men were found dead.
           In the end King was shot while he was standing outside looking out over the railing outside his apartment.
          I think that Martin Luther King fulfilled his purpose in gaining freedom for the African Americans.  he was respecting by many and there were also many who were greatly inspired by his words.  After his death his son took over in gaining the equality they wanted and then equality soon came.  Think about it,  why would they have Martin Luther King day if King hadn't had such a great influence in the lives of many?  If he got his own holiday then that proves how much he put in to help bring equality to America.  King was a great man, and he used all his energy to help others.  Its important to put all your effort into something, that way you can accomplish a lot.  Its also important to never give up, just like King didn't.  If you do these things you can influence the world for the better.  Our world would be a much better place if everyone put all there effort into good things that can help benefit others.

The Avatar Battle book two by Chad Morris: reading report two

         In this book I didn't like how not much seemed to be happening in it.  The characters spend a lot of there time working on solving a question their grandpa had given them.  I thought that they should have probably been more focused on how to stop the evil villain, Muns.  Throughout the book the characters were caught pondering about the question, or worrying about Muns revenge he had on them.  Muns also sent them videos that were probably meant to make the characters afraid.  The videos gave the characters an idea that he was going to attack again, and he also compared himself attacking to a game of chess.  He said that a famous chess player was playing a game of chess with another man.  He let the man capture all his important chess pieces before he made his major moves.  The man then took over the game and played checkmate on the other man.  I thought it was kind of stupid how Muns kind of told his evil plan.  Muns attacked a couple of times, but only with small attacks.  That was how you knew that something big was coming.  So you'd think that the characters would be a bit more concerned than they were.  Maybe it was because the characters didn't know what to do to defend themselves because they didn't know what Muns would do.  Even so, the author didn't get that across very well.
          I still thought that the book had many good surprises.  It was interesting to learn the secret about Dr. Mackleprank, but I'm not going to tell you just in case you read the book.  It was a good book overall, and out of five stars I'd probably rate it a three point seventy five.  It's a book that I'd recommend, but not as much as I'd recommend Fable Haven.
           I also thought some of the classes they had in the school were kind of funny.  I mean the author makes it sound cool, but it seemed kind of dumb in a way.  For example one of the classes was a class where you could control avatar, an animal avatar.  In this class who learned how to control robot animals in their natural habitats that they had recreated for the robots.  So you got to learn how to be a animal and about the animal.  Which I thought was strange.  I mean who'd want to learn how to be an animal?
           The second book hints that there will be a third book.  I know it sounds like I really disliked this book, but I really did like it. There was just a lot I noticed that was not well explained. I'll look forward to the third book coming out.

The Avatar Battle book two by Chad Morris

          This story begins with the characters of the book worrying.  Worrying about when Mins (an evil man who kidnapped Abby and Derick's grandpa in the first book, and he also endangered the lives of their parents) would return for his revenge.  Around lunch time Abby, Derick, and their friend Carol each receive a message from Min on their rings.  Note that this book takes place in a time with more advanced technology and a ring can be used like a phone, computer, email, etc.  The message avows that they shouldn't be helping, and that the adults should handle their problems.  Also in Abby's message Mins asks her to give him the keys to a time machine.  He claims that if she gives him the three keys he will let her choose a date in time, so that he can fix the tragedy (like the titanic).
          Abby's grandpa asserts that without tragedies we couldn't learn from our mistakes and we'd just make more problems by changing time.  It would also prevent certain people from existing anymore and new ones appearing, because people would have different families.
          Mins uses a device of his to break through the time machine's shield for a few seconds to send two of his men in.  Luckily they are stopped before they change anything in time.  Though the characters believe their battle's over I don't think it is.  I predict that Mins used that plan as a distraction and that they were supposed to capture his assistants.  I think that he has an even bigger plan, one that will almost destroy time and ruin lives.
         Chad Morris writes with pretty simple words.  The book isn't really easy of hard to read.  I don't think much of his writing, and he keeps his book interesting for the most part.  Although it would be even better if he made it more intense or used big words, like Brandon Mull.  Though it can be nice to have something different from other fiction books.

Martin Luther King Jr.

             Every year America celebrates a special day, Martin Luther King Jr day.  Martin Luther King Jr  was an African American man who stood up for the African Americans when they were being treated unfair, unequal.  He gave many speeches about how everyone is equal, and how no one should be treated unfairly.
             Unfortunately he and others were still treated wrong.  Later, the African Americans were treated correctly, and we made this holiday to honor him.