Alice and Wonderland--Not for Me

Well, I loved the topic that we discussed the first couple weeks of class. The fairy tale section of the class was awesome and I found it so interesting. But sadly, this section of class with Alice and Wonderland just doesn't do it for me. It is nothing personal, but I have never been very fond of the story. As a kid it used to scare me. That queen of hearts was pretty intense, and I guess I just never liked the story since. I have heard the story over and over and I thought overtime I might like it, but nothing has changed. It doesn't make sense to me and I just don't like the plot. Sometimes I even get the feeling that the story is a metaphor for drugs. I was doing some background reading on the story and I came across multiple websites all begging the question of whether or not the story had some drug related aspects. It seems to me that certain aspects of the story do involve the use of drugs, though I am still not completely convinced. There have been questions raised at whether or not Alice's adventures were related to the "trip" on drugs. I don't know if it is true, but it certainly seems like it could be.

Fantasy- The Art of the Imagination

It is neat to think about how many genres of books we have to choose from. Some of the most popular are fiction, non- fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy. Personally, I am a frequent reader of fiction and fantasy. It is like we discussed in class, fantasy is the key to unlocking the imagination and that is something that I am very good at. I love to get lost in a good book. Its like I tune the rest of the world out and I am in the book. Sometimes if it is a really good book, I will laugh out loud, or even cry. Yes this is embarassing, but I assure you I am not alone. That is what a good book will do to you- if you let it. You have to be willing to let yourself believe in the unbelievable though, which is why I think realists find fantasy and fiction so hard to grasp. Like I said, my favorite genres are fiction and fantasy, and sometimes I don't understand how people don't like these genres. They are so creative and imaginative. Throughout my childhood, my imagination was a constant friend to me and still is to this day. Without it, I never would have gotten into reading books. In fact, the book that got me into reading was Harry Potter. Like many other readers of my generation, I was hit with the Potter Extravaganza. Ever since I read those books, I have fallen in love with reading. So I guess thank you J.K. Rowling, fantasy, and fiction books for allowing my imagination to grow over the years.

The Snowman

I went home this weekend and I was able to catch up on some reading. I have kind of forgotten how much I love to read. I think recently I have been getting in touch with my artsy side. Its not just reading that I have been doing, but painting and playing my piano. While I was on a roll reading I decided to add another children's book to my list. The latest book that I have read is The Snowman. I was thinking about Christmas and how much I miss it, and then I remembered this book. I used to love this book as a child and I used to always imagine how cool it would have been to have a talking snowman as a friend. Naturally Frosty the Snowman is an excellent example of having a snowman as a friend, but this snowman in the book is different because in the end he melts and doesn't come back. There are very little words in the book which make it pretty cool because it lets me imagine what the dialogue would be. There need to be more book like this.

All Girls Are Princesses....

Right now I am sitting with my mom watching A Little Princess. I never noticed but this movie is kind of like a version of Cinderella. After discussing the different characteristics of the Cinderella plot in class a few weeks ago, I was able to see similarities between this movie and Cinderella that I was never able to see before. Basically, in the movie the heroine is Sara Crewe (Cinderella). In the beginning, Sara is a wealthy, beautiful girl who lives with her father. This is where we see the absent mother. Shortly into the movie her father leaves for war and she is left at an all girls private school with a cruel headmistress, Mrs. Minchin (the evil stepmother). Now, the father is absent. We then learn that her father is killed in battle soon after and she loses everything- money, clothes, valuables, and friends. She is forced to live as a servant in the school. Much like Cinderella, she is well mannered and does her chores without complain. Some of the girls at the school give her a hard time and to me they seem like evil step sisters. Now, even though there is no handsome prince waiting for Sara, he is present in the character of her father. In the end, it is discovered that he really did not die, and Sara is reunited with him. This makes for a true happily ever after! I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a version of Cinderella, but it contains many aspects of the versions we read in class.

Finding Neverland

So today I decided that I am going to discuss one of my favorite movies, Finding Neverland. I know that the next section we will be studying in class is fantasy, so I thought this would be very appropriate. The movie is really well made and the acting is quite fantastic considering that most of the major characters are children. Still it has some well known actors in it such as Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, and Dustin Hoffman. Johnny Depp plays his part really well and his broad spectrum of acting styles never ceases to amaze me. We have seem him as a man with scissor hands, a pirate of the Carribean, a murdering barber, and now as the author of a beloved children's story, Peter Pan. His acting is superb and makes me love him all the more! The story is basically about James Barrie who meets a single mother, Sylvia Davies, and spends a summer with her and her 3 boys. Throughout the duration of the movie Mr. Barrie records their excperiences together and turns them into a play known as Peter Pan. Everytime I watch this movie I get so inspired and it makes me want to go to some fancy theatre and see a real play. At times I pity James Barrie as his innocent time spent with the children is called into question. James responds to this by saying, "You find a glimmer of happiness in this world, there's always someone who wants to destroy it." It is truly unfortunate that because of what some men have done to children in the past, stereotypes are placed on all men, and thus the descent ones in this world are forced to suffer for the mistakes of others. As you can see, some of the topics in this movie are a bit fit for a child and while it is directed at a younger audience, the movie was also made for an older audience as well.

The Chronicles of Narnia and the Bible

As I said in one of my earlier posts, The Chronicles of Narnia is a book with tremendous religious allusions. I am going to point out some of them. A few of these are quite obvious, however there are some that are slightly tricky. I would just like to discuss two of the characters- Aslan and Edmund. The most obvious character of the two with an allusion to the Bible is Aslan, the lion. Aslan represents Jesus, which can easily be seen when Aslan is put to death and dies for the mistakes, or sins, of Edmund. He, like Jesus, then conquered death and rose from the dead, triumphing over evil and living on forever. He is the one who leads Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy and guides them along their journey. Now, lets talk about Edmund. To me, Edmund seems to represent mankind. He is decieved, makes some mistakes which should cost him his life, and yet does not have to pay for them because Aslan (Jesus) took his place instead. It never ceases to amaze me how much God loves us. I mean He sent His son to suffer an aweful death just so that we wouldn't have to. Aslan gives Edmund the greatest gift, which is life, and takes his place to die in the hands of the White Witch (Satan). We can never repay the debt we owe Jesus, but all he wants from us it to love Him, and love others, and I think that is pretty cool.

New World

I was listening to my ipod yesterday and I happened to come across one song in particular which stuck out to me. The song is called New World by Toby Mac. As I was listening to the words I noticed they are all about the Chronicles of Narnia. Since that was my outside reading book this week I thought that the song would be pretty relevant to talk about! Here are some of the lyrics:
No one believed her
No one imagined it was true
No one could see her winter haven coming into view
She says she's seen the land beyond
She said she's walked her Babylon
She felt the cold beneath her feet
And time stood still where the winter won't sleep (where the winter won't sleep)

Chorus
I've seen a new world...like nothing before... just step through the door right
Into a new world...Into Narnia
I've seen a new world...like nothing before... just step through the door right
Into a new world...Into Narnia

All hope was fading...a darkness far beyond their might
But love came crusading on the wings of healing sacrifice
He gave them something to believe
Came back in all His majesty
He conquered evil through His love and handed them the land they were dreaming of
Now, like I said in the previous post, The Chronicles of Narnia were written with a general Biblical allusion behind them. This artist, Toby Mac, is a Christian music artist and I think it is pretty cool that he made the book kind into a song. You should download this song if you haven't because it's awesome!

The Chronicles of Narnia

My outside reading book for this week was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I read this book when I was little and I immediately fell in love with it. This is one of those books that you can get lost in and feel like you have really entered into another world. I get so angry everytime I read about the part when Edmund converses with the White Witch and how that leads to Aslan's downfall. I think that I cry everytime the White Witch kills him. However, it is a children's book and if you were to read it for the first time now it might seem a bit childish. My brothers often compare it to the Lord of The Rings triliogy. In my opinion The Lord of The Rings just blows this book away as well as the movies do too. But that is probably because Narnia was written for children and The Lord of The Rings was certainly not. Still, I can't help but notice some similarities between the two and after doing some research I found the the authors of both series, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, were really good friends. They both wrote their famous series based on Christianity and the Bible, which I find very fascinating. If you are looking for a book full of adventure, comedy, and a triumph over evil, then this is definitly your book!

Amelia Bedelia

Perhaps one of my favorite children's books of all time, Amelia Bedelia has always been a book that I have enjoyed to read since I was little and even now. The first time I read it I couldn't put it down and it still makes me laugh like it once did. It is pretty clever how Peggy Parish was able to create a character who took every command that was given to her literally. Amelia is just simply unique and takes the saying "The simplest phrase can have a thousand meanings" to heart. The way that she interprets everything is quite different from the way Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers interprets things. In the end the only thing that keeps her from getting fired is that she makes a mean lemon meringue pie, which I happen to love. I think that lemon meringue pie is amazing and I would gladly have Amelia Bedelia as my housekeeper if she made me some on a daily basis! Because I love lemon meringue pie so much, I am going to provide the recipe below! I hope you enjoy!
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1 9-inch refrigerated piecrust
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups granulated sugar
Kosher salt
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Bake the piecrust according to the package directions. Let cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 3/4 cups water. Place over medium-high heat and cook, whisking, until very thick. Add the lemon juice. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Return to medium heat and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes more. Pour through a strainer into a large bowl. Stir in the butter. Let cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into the prepared piecrust and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Heat broiler. Add the egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon the meringue over the chilled filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border of filling exposed. Broil until browned, about 1 minute. Serve immediately. (Because the eggs in this recipe aren't cooked, there's a risk of food-borne illness.)

Ever After

I am so excited to be able to watch the movie Ever After in class. This just so happens to be one of my favorite movies along with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pride and Prejudice, and Never Been Kissed. I have never been a huge Drew Berrymore fan but I think that she does an awesome job in Ever After. Maybe it is the acting or mabye it is the writing. The Cinderella character portrayed in the movie is smart, which is what I like most about her. She is also brave and outspoken, and a bit of a rebel. I love how the prince falls for her because at first she is not head over heels for him, like many of the other courtiers. She captures the prince with her wits and her passion for life. I think this movie is well made and it is romantic- which is good because I am all about the romance. I wish I could be like Danielle, and have a guy fall for me not because of looks, but because I was smart and passionate for life. She leads a life of passion and conviction which is how I would love to live life too.

Which Disney Princess Am I?

Dignified and hard working. With a gentle and soft-spoken manner you have something many people don' center>
<>Which'>http://www.greatestjournal.com/quiz.bml?Q=16354">Which Disney Princess Are You?

So after taking the quiz I found that I am Cinderella. This is kind of strange because usually when I take these quizzes I am Belle. After reading those versions of Cinderella in our class last week, Cinderella is the last princess I want to be. She seemed so helpless and much like a doll. I don't consider myself to be like that at all. The only things Cinderella and I share are that she got the man of her dream (I would like to find the man of my dreams), and she is patient(I am very patient which is good since I am going to be a kindergarden teacher).
If I could choose any princess to be I would definitly choose Belle. I think that she is so smart and I love that she enjoys reading. She is not your typical Disney princess. The only thing that she has that I don't is wit. I'm not very clever in that aspect but other than that I would consider us to be more alike than Cinderella. Maybe I just have qualities of multiple princesses which wouldn't be bad at all!

http://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2008.02/0320/03203840.436.html

My post today is a crossword puzzle that I just made up. That is a link above is for. It's actually quite simple but it is fun! Sitting making this puzzle was really fun considering the fact that I am a huge fairy tale/Disney fan. I love watching Disney movies and I love to get lost in reading a fairy tale everyonce in a while! That's about it! I'll write back soon!

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have already read it once before but because it is so good I had to re-read it. I started reading Harry Potter in 5th grade so I am one of those fans who was with Harry in the beginning and remained a loyal fan until the end. This is the last book of the Harry Potter series and it is by far my favorite. Despite how long the last couple of books have been, I have managed to read them all within a day or two. This book is one of those cant-put-it-down books. I would only stop to read when I got hungry. I tried to read it slowly because I knew once I was done reading it, my journey with Harry Potter would end. For those of you who haven't read and of the Harry Potter books, this isn't the kind of series that you can jump in on anytime, you have to start reading from the beginning or else you won't connect with the characters. This last book was very dark and when I would read it by myself at night sometimes I would get kind of scared! I would recommend the Harry Potter books to anyone, they are well written and they are the reason I got into reading books!