Sunday, June 21, 2015

ELA End of Year Letter MaxF 811

         Dear Class 811 and Ms. Galang

          I've learned a lot  in ELA this year, but there were two activities I liked in particular. The final play for Romeo and Juliet was fun to act out, as well as use the props. I guess I like doing plays and stuff like that. It was also interesting seeing the movie and how it differed from the book, such as the scene where Paris was killed wasn't in. Some parts also seemed to go faster than other parts. The modern remake of the movie was hilarious because of how corny and cheesy it is, with the old lyrics and a mid-late 1900's theme. The words are really outdated, so its kind of weird in this modern setting. Another thing I found fun was writing haikus in the poetry unit. I like haikus because they have a format of syllables and lines, which makes it easier and harder for me. I also do like them because they are short, only 3 lines.
          Some hopes for the future of writing is that for tests we can do them digitally instead of on paper. It would mean that teachers wouldn't have to grade tests, There would be somewhat less potential for cheating, and for me at least, it is much faster and hurts my hand a lot less. I feel like a technological upgrade is required to keep with the times. Sadly, money is blocking this possibility from becoming true. However, it may become reality someday.

Sincerely, Max

Thursday, February 12, 2015

ELA Reading Response MaxF 811


           3000 years later, on a world called Trondheim, Ender Wiggin sits in his home, or at least what had been his home for the last few months. The third book in the series Ender’s Game (the fifth book is second) is about after he has been searching for a home for the hive queen, part of an alien race the humanity thinks was destroyed. Little does Ender know, 1 voyage is about to change his life forever. Ender has acquired a gift that gives him the power to understand human desires. However, he is not all-powerful with his gift.
            In the beginning of the story, Ender is living on Trondheim when he gets a report from his friend that someone called for a Speaker for the Dead, and while he had rejected two calls, he had to accept this one because he found so much of himself in her. Her parents died of a terrible disease, and were planning to be sainted. Her godfather also died, as a result of an alien tradition, which does not have positive effects on humans. So Ender went on a 22-year journey, leaving behind his only kin alive, to speak for this girl. ‘“You’ll go, then”’ Jane whispered. He went for two reasons, one to release the hive queen, and secondly to speak for the girl who called him. The girl who is called Novinha has influence over Ender, even while he is 22 light years away, and she is about 20 years younger. Ender became a Speaker for the Dead to detach himself from humanity, and he still hasn’t reattached himself.
            22 years later, Ender arrives on Lusitania, although it’s only been a couple of months for him. Since this is a colony, he only has unrestricted access to a tiny part of Lusitania due to the almost quarantine. He finds the family Novinha has created, however it is not a happy family. Their father died 3 weeks ago from a genetic disease. He was not the best father, always shouting at his family, and beating up his wife. “This man is unknotting the nets of my family, and stringing us together whole again; but in the process he will find my secrets.” Speakers for the Dead tell the truth, and usually do nothing to soften the blows. Ender is gaining respect in her family, and is making Novinha fearful of him. Ender is figuring out all of the secrets rather fast, and Novinha doesn’t like it. He is slowly piecing together her past, a very painful and dark past.
            At the speaking, all of Novinha’s behaviors come into place in the puzzle, which is the reason why her husband was beating her. Her husband had a disease that on the onset of puberty, replaces glands with fatty tissues. The disease rendered him completely sterile, but his family had six children. Her lifelong friend Libo, her godfather’s son, is whom she had children with. However, one of Novinha’s sons, Miro, climbed the electrified fence, and managed to get over it, in extreme pain. Ender convinces the government to tear down the fence, all to get to Miro. "Your the shepherd, come to save your lost sheep" Because Miro is helpless, and might die, the fence goes down and the Lusitanian colony rebels against Starways Congress. They risk having the planet blown up to help one citizen and save him.
            The power to change and have great influence over someone can be very tentative, and erratic. While Ender did cause a lot of pain, he healed Novinha’s family. He even became their father. In the end, Ender and Novinha’s family got what they wanted, and maybe even a little bit more.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Authors Note MaxF 811


A Note on The Text

These days bullying is affecting many school children all around the world, and it comes in many different forms. Cyber bullying for example, is becoming more and more prominent. The effects of bullying are substantial, ranging from failing grades and drug use to suicides. Most student suicides are bullying related, in which the bully harasses the student so much that he wants to end his life. Studies performed at Yale University show that “bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide then non-victims”.
There are many things we can do however to prevent bullying, and its effects, by taking action if you witness bullying and tell an adult, and the person who was bullied should do the same. Other things you can do is hang out with a group of friends while in the hallways and going home, and for parents, pay close attention to their eating habits, and if they try to fake being sick. Kids who are bullied often don’t want to go to school, so faking sickness is a way out for them. Also if your kid has a sudden drop in his grades, it might also be a sign that he is being bullied. Other signs of bullying are “showing signs of depression, like ongoing sadness, withdrawal from others, losing interest in favorite activities…” as well as “Giving away favorite possessions and saying goodbye to people” or “engaging in dangerous or harmful activities”.
            The reason why I chose this topic was because of how widespread and detrimental bullying is to the child’s health. Now I have never been bullied, but I feet sympathy for the kids who are, and especially the kids who are considering to end their life. I can understand that most kids are bullied at least once during their school years, and the bullies don’t even know they’re doing it.
This story was written to encourage people to call out against bullying, and stop the bullying related suicides and trauma. I also want to help stop repeated and intentional bullying, which can lead to trauma and a higher chance of substance abuse. I want to motivate people to take action and wipe out bullying, and I hope you will if the time ever comes. Bullying is affecting more and more schoolchildren around the world, and we need to stop it.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Synthesis Page- Percy Jackson Heroes of Olympus- The Son of Neptune MaxF 811



ELA Synthesis Page

Critical Thinking Question- Who has the “power” in the text?
Book- Percy Jackson Heroes of Olympus- The Son of Neptune

Beginning
In the beginning of the story, Percy has had his memory wiped and sent to a Roman demigod camp. In this part, the person with power is Juno, who got him into the Roman camp, and then revealed herself as a goddess. “ “So Juno huh, does this mean I’ve passed your little test?”. Juno had the power here to influence Percy and stop him from uniting Romans and Greeks, resulting in Gaea winning.
Middle
During the middle of the story however, Gaea becomes the power player, or        Polybotes maybe with his massive army. Gaea is also whispering to them, trying to persuade them to walk away and abandon their quest. “The whole ravine was full of monsters-column after column marching south, so many and so close, Hazel was amazed they hadn’t heard her shouting”. Gaea has control of this army and is going to use it to destroy the Romans.
End
At the end, the trio returns with a bunch of awesome armor and a really cool staff, destroying the giants’ army, and saving Rome’s legacy. As the staff has godly power, “Thunder shook the valley. The eagle let loose a blinding flash, and a thousand tendrils of lightning exploded from its golden wings-”. They saved the day and became heroes of New Rome.

Archetypes

Percy, Hazel, Frank- Heroes- embarked on a dangerous quest and saved the day

Gaea/Giants- Shadow- tried to destroy the heroes many times as well as New Rome, but got defeated.

Hylla- Heroine- led reinforcement troops to help save New Rome
Reyna- Scapegoat- got the worst end of the heroes, no boyfriend, and lots of responsibility

Reflection

During the book, power is very fluent, never staying in one place for too long, building suspense until the very last moment when BAM, the heroes come to save the day. The book gives everyone a loose grip on all that power, giving that extra little kick to the book. This book is one of my favorite, and I can’t stop reading it.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Argument Essay- Should THe Hunger Games be Banned? MaxF 811

 
            As a tribute falls, a cannon sounds and a hover copter rushes to pick up the fallen body. This is the story of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Some adults want this story taken away, from younger kids and teenagers because it is “violent, sexually explicit, offensive”. They go on to say it is “anti-ethnic, anti family, insensitive, and satanic”. However, The Hunger Games should not be banned because a few parents don’t want their 14 year olds reading this book. Anyone who has read the Hunger Games knows the book is not sexually explicit. While the level of violence in the book is higher then most, the violent actions in the book are what empower the story. Without it, the impact of the story would be diminished. And finally, while the complaints were motivated to get the book banned, all of this started when the movie came out. The few parents who started weren’t paying attention to what their kids were reading, starting this whole snowball of complaints. The Hunger Games should not be banned just because it has some violence in it, and some claims for banning are not supported with evidence.
            Many parents and school board administrators have wanted to ban the Hunger Games because of “excessive violence”. However, it is hard to tone down the type of violence in this kind of story. It is very important in the storyline because the violent actions in this book hammer the image through, making this a very compelling and exhilarating book. The dystopian society plot is empowered by a somewhat large amount of violence, and no violence, no story. “The sheer scale of its brutal, disturbing violence should be shielded from younger children, and introduced only alongside careful conversations with parents. But that doesn’t mean the book should be banned outright.” (Weebly.com 1) However, I do agree with this, the book should probably not be introduced in elementary school, but maybe in 7th or 8th grade is an appropriate year. Outright banning however, is overreacting, and just because it’s violent does not mean that it will have a negative affect in a child’s learning and development. On the contrary, it can teach a child some more about the real world and some politics. The Hunger Games is a good book to read, and should not be banned just because it is violent.
            There has been a huge wave of complaints against the Hunger Games ever since the first movie came out. The fact that most parents can’t tell the difference between a movie and a book is somewhat disturbing. “Apparently parents and educators are too stupid to know the difference between a book and a movie.” The movie made the book recognizable, and so parents have wanted to ban this book ever since. Also, some of the claims are perverse. The Hunger Games being “sexually explicit” is ludicrous. There is maybe a paragraphs’ worth in the whole book that is slightly sexually explicit, as well as in the movie. This makes me think that the critics of the book are people who have never actually read the book or saw the movie, and are going off of one angry parent on a random social website. This may be the cause of most of the events that got this book on the challenged book list. The Hunger Games should not be banned just from a few angry comments on a social media website.
            There are many reasons why people want to ban the Hunger Games, but I don’t think that the book should be banned. It is an exhilarating book that deserves to be read by many. The story is very moving and is very popular. The Hunger Games is an inspiring book that can teach children about the real world.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Social Awareness Project MaxF


Max Feuerman                                                                                                          12-1-14
811

ELA Social Awareness Project



Overview- The social issues in our society today are numerous. The stresses of school for one, every day can be a battle just to learn. Democracy is also a strong topic. At this very moment, many people in Hong Kong are fighting for their democratic rights that China agreed to give them, and that people still hold on to the old ways of totalitarianism. Probably the most heated topic in the U.S. is racism. There is still income, justice, and working conditions inequality. For example, African Americans are 3 times more likely to be searched, cuffed, and arrested than whites. There are many issues still out today, and these only a few of the brightest.

Table of Contents



The problems of school- Page 1
A poem on Democracy- Page 2
The Topic of Racism- Page 3



The Daily Stress of School

            You finish with school just to come home, and do more schoolwork. What’s the point of having school end at 3:00 if you are still spending an hour to do homework? The purpose of homework is practicing what you learned it school, which is not bad necessarily, only when used in the wrong way it does not help your child’s education. Homework can also cause stress in kids, especially if they have a busy day and are worried about their grade, and received a lot of homework. Homework can also take away time you need to get a proper sleep, which is detrimental to the child’s ability to learn. Also, homework takes up time that kids would rather use for after school activities, getting enough exercise, or just hanging out with a friend. Homework may be contributing to the obesity epidemic because kids are not exercising enough.
Should homework be banned? Some parents think so. In Australia, one mom Sharny Kieser is challenging that homework should be banned, because it is preventing kids from exercising and contributing to obesity. The DOE and schools however, want homework as a method of practicing what you learned in class. Both of these arguments have pros and cons, and here are some solutions to meet partway. One possible solution to the stress of homework is is having teachers collaborate with each other about homework, so you don’t have every subject in the same day giving homework. Another way is what MS 51 was doing, having what’s called “0” period every day except Friday, where you could come in and get help on homework or a project before classes start, having this bit of breathing room can help take stress off of kids. These are two hopefully possible solutions to homework stress, and there are probably many more.



A poem on Democracy

They say democracy is key
To having a world happy and free
 But some have other plans
Those tight fisted rulers of the land
Are taking control
 Of the world the world they once loathed
And are killing civilians as they please
They put many risk
For their own little gain
And are still making many miserable today

I came up with this little poem based are on the article about the Hong Kong protestors and how China’s government is taking control of Hong Kong’s democratic government. China has kept their very strict totalitarian rule over the population of over 1 billion Chinese. They deny “basic freedoms” like freedom of speech, or freedom of religion. They will not let up, they believe that they have a right to everything, and are a very hot “melting pot”, or assimilator.



Racism

            Even after a lot of society’s’ efforts to get rid of racism, it is still prominent today. The arch on Grand Army Plaza is proof, even after centuries; the world still has not gotten over the fact of racism. On the right side of the arch opposite Prospect Park is the Union side of the war, and in the statue, an African American (kneeling next to the bottom next to the cannon), is one of
Income inequalities are still prominent, with the average U.S. citizen making around $50,000 a year, while African Americans make around $33,000 a year on average. The percentage of African Americans making under $15,000 dollars a year is 25%, while 27% make 15-35,000 dollars a year, this is all well below the poverty threshold. The unemployment rate is also significant, with around 11% of African Americans unemployed, while the U.S. rate is about 6%. African Americans are more likely to be in poverty than all other races. In families, about 24% of African Americans are in poverty while the global average poverty rate is about 12%.
Use of force by police is unfairly targeted at African Americans. They are 3 times more likely to be searched, handcuffed, and arrested. The police use deadly force more frequently to African Americans than whites, as shown in news reports. For example, 2 cases, one in Ferguson and one in Staten Island show the trend. In Ferguson, an African American who shoplifted cigarettes was shot 6 times and killed by an officer. The police officer nearest was told by his dispatcher that an African American teenager had robbed a store.  On Staten Island, an African American was killed with an illegal chokehold, after selling untaxed cigarettes. The man said he couldn’t breathe many times, before he suffocated. The witnesses also heard him, but they didn’t let up on him until he was dead The fire of racism still burns strong today, and will for a long time to come.





















Bibliography

<http://blackdemographics.com
http://www.news.com.au
www.nytimes.com

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Nonfiction Reading Response MaxF 811



              The battle for democracy still wages. This time however, it centers in Hong Kong, where China is taking away its right to free speech and press. The battle first started with only a couple hundred people. They blocked off a government building, and the police responded by arresting and assaulting several with pepper spray. They are trying to end the protests, and so far have been unsuccessful. The protestors have also tried to bring the U.S. in, which frustrated Obama. The students still are keeping up with their classes, but the "war" will be long. This issue of democratic freedom has a long and bloody road, and has no end in sight.
             The "Umbrella Revolution" is gaining momentum as more and more people join. The protestors have used umbrellas to guard against pepper spray, which is where the name came from.  China's oppressive government is what has sparked this revolution in-the-making. China still isn't backing down, since it is in a bad position. If they concede, the government will have to deal with more protests, and if they don't, there will be a lot of bloodshed that follows. The full cause on why this started, is because the residents of Hong Kong "see that China's rejection of full democracy is an insult to Hong Kong's special status". They keep a "tight lid on dissent" and deny the freedoms that we have today. They also control politics by jailing opponents, and they control what their citizens see on the internet with what some call "The Great Firewall of China". This is history repeating itself, over and over, just like the protest in Beijing in 1989. Except, this time they can't massacre the protestors, it would be very bad for China's reputation, and hard on the country. Tibet is also stirring, the early signs of protests to come. And even after all this, they still aren't letting up on the Hong Kong protesters. The Chinese are acting on the promise allowing them to elect a leader, but in 2017. And rather than open nominations, it'll be screened by biased judges, loyal to China and their assimilation of Hong Kong. The students are making provisions such as cell phone apps, as well as food and water, and don't leave messes behind on the protesting sights. The war for free speech has no solid negotiations so far, and probably won't for a while.
              The battle has been fought for free speech many times. First in Europe, than the U.S., and now Hong Kong has joined the list. The Chinese have weaseled their way into another revolutionary protest and the military can't solve it. The right to choose our leader is one that is valued highly among all. Corruption is common is the world, and democracies are a step closer to a non-corrupt political world. Hong Kong is making an important event, as defying China even with the pressure against it, and is sure to go down in history.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Museum of The City of New York



             The Museum of The City of New York gave me a new group of activists to see, bikers, and the methods they used seemed a little unconventional. What they did was dress up as clowns, while a "cop car" followed them. When they saw a car parked in the bike lane, they would ride up to it, and fake crashing into the car, while the "cop car" pulled up to the driver, and gave them a "ticket" "This could have been a real ticket" Says the "cop", and the car owners move their car. At first I didn't know what the clown suits were for, but during the discussion, we figured out they were used to attract attention to their cause, to gain support. I also like this method because it seems unconventional and innovative, a clever way of protesting. Also, clowns are supposed to be silly, so they fake things to get laughter, that may be where that dress as clowns idea came from. I wonder why the people decided to do this in the first place, they must have a pretty big reason why. Maybe they got hit, or hit parked cars before.
            Another thing about activists, is the darker side of the job. Being attacked, arrested, even killed. We saw what Martin Luther King jr had to go through, with police setting dogs to attack them, and blasting them with fire truck hoses. This sort of intolerance is still around today. In one peaceful biker march, police arrested several, and impounded the bikes, even using a power saw to cut the locks on the bikes. On another march, police set up orange netting for preemptive arrests, and arrested many of the protestors. What I don't understand fully is why, they weren't damaging property or people, although they were disrupting traffic, but that's a minor offense. Another thing is apparently they were "disturbing the peace", although from what I saw the video, the police were the ones doing that. I think they were overreacting to the protestors, but I don't know why they were.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Reading Response 1984 Max F



              "1984" by George Orwell is about a rebel named Winston in a post World War II world. The time is one of depression, and oppression. The majority of the population is brainwashed, in which the Party and Big Brother are always right, and anything different is wrong. Essentially, it is a never-ending totalitarian government. This book also contains a lot of sex and torture and death, subjects adults think are inappropriate. 1984 is a mature book, meant for older kids. 1984 is inappropriate because of the sex in the book, and the bloodshed in the book.
             A lot of love scenes are in the book are described, and might be negative to the development of a child's mind. The first mention is in the beginning of the book when Winston decides to go "have fun" with a whore. After, he leaves and acts as if nothing had ever happened (Winston is divorced). Things heat up again when Julia falls on purpose, and gives Winston a note saying "I love you", and things start getting more dangerous. They meet at a secret hiding place, and make love to each other. They were making out for some hours before they stopped, and returned to their work place. Ever since then, they were meeting in random places carefully located, met and went to their next hideout, where in each meeting they would have sex. The amount of sex already mentioned is enough for some to ban kids from reading this book. "As soon as they arrived they would sprinkle everything with pepper bought on the black market, tear off their clothes, and make love with sweating bodies, then fall asleep...". This sort of thing is considered by many schools inappropriate, and it would be a bad influence on children. It can give kids the wrong ideas to this topic in the world, and this could end up hurting him in the real world, not to mention damaging his brain early on possibly. The book 1984 is inappropriate for kids because it involves a lot of sex scenes which can damage a child's understanding of the adult world.
            The bloodshed in 1984 I find gruesome. Between the rocket bombs killing hundreds, the Thought Police secretly arresting, killing, or making them an "unperson", and the wars taking hundreds of "war criminals" to be publicly executed, many can see why this book might be banned to kids. "Rocket bombs had been killing larger numbers of people than usual. One fell on a crowded theater in Stepney, burying hundreds. Another fell on a piece of waste which was used as a playground, and several dozen children were blown to bits." Not even children were untouched by the bloodshed, which really gets to parents. Not many books available to kids actually have young children dying, or people dying in general in a book. This book can show that are kids are in danger everywhere, and make them paranoid. If the paranoia gets out of control in the child, he might kill people on suspicion, or commit suicide. Nobody is safe from the murder. A couple of bombs were dropped very close to Winston, destroying a nearby building. Winston is even arrested and brought to the Ministry of Love, where he is beat up, starved, and tortured to insanity. He finally gives in when they make him experience his worst fear in "Room 101", which are rats. He betrays his lover, and is rehabilitated, and set free. They later meet, but the relationship between them is gone. They talk about what happened, about the betrayal and the treatment in prison. Winston was even waiting for them to shoot him later, "the long-hoped-for bullet was entering his brain", and he loves Big Brother now.
           An odd, but somewhat inappropriate thing in the book is simultaneously believing and not believing in something, a process known as doublethink. They use this process to control the people, this is how they make them believe that the Party and Big Brother are always right.
          1984 is a book that in many peoples eyes, is not meant for children to read. Winston's experiences with his lover, The prison known as The Ministry of Love,  This book contains potentially damaging content, that kids should not be able to read under 16.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Synthesis Page- Percy Jackson 5 Heroes of Olympus

Synthesis Page- Percy Jackson 5 Heroes of Olympus


One of the main characters

In the beginning, Leo is the reluctant hero
He jokes around and is not serious about many things, he is also annoying and he doesn’t fight things close up. For him it was important to joke a lot, especially when he wasn’t happy, to keep his friend’s spirits up

In the middle of the story, Leo changes into a more serious character
He learns more about his fate and his destiny, which is troubling to him. He starts a secret plan in which there is a terrible fate for one of the 7. This makes him sober up and formulate a plan that has the least casualties possible. 

At the end of the story, Leo changes again into the tragic hero
He sacrifices himself to destroy Gaea, the earth goddess, who is evil. He blows up Gaea with his dragon, while a comet of Imperial Gold soared towards him. He even made sure no one was near him so that no one else would die in the massive explosion. “This sounded exactly like the sneaked, twisted, annoying, noble thing Leo would do”.

Archetypes

Leo- The scapegoat/Trickster- In the end of the book, he sacrificed himself for the greater good of humanity to prevent the destruction of the world. The decision was made for him, decided by Fate itself. Even through all this he kept his sense of humor and being funny to others.

Gaea- The shadow- In the book, Gaea tries to kill the heroes at every step, sending hordes of monsters and other things to destroy them. She also wants the blood of 2 of the heroes, male and female, so she can awaken and destroy all of humanity.

Percy/Annabeth/Jason/Piper/Hazel/Frank/Leo- Superheroes- They set out on this voyage, which they knew was extremely dangerous, and they might not come back. They journeyed to the forbidden lands, roaming with monsters, fought gods and goddesses, and triumphed, though not without sacrifice. (although they fit in with their own kind)

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Of Mice and Men Reading Response MaxF



          George and Lennie, two adventurers trying to make a life living, are traveling around the US. They have a goal set in mind to make their living after getting money to purchase a plot of land. The story begins near a creek in which George and Lennie are resting. They are tired and set up camp for the night. Lennie keeps asking George about what there little plot of land is going to be like, and Lennie keeps his hopes up, and i think it is what solely keeps him determined to go on. Lennie isn't too bright, so he asks George the same questions over and over. While George gets annoyed at this, personally he likes having Lennie around and likes his company.
           George and Lennie have bonded a lot over their travels across the nation. Even when Lennie messes things up, they do things together. For example, one day when Lennie was in a town, he wanted to touch a girls dress, and when he tried to, the girl screamed "Rape!" and George and Lennie had to hide that day. They later left, and fled the village. I think this shows Georges liking to Lennie, because if he didn't like Lennie, he would have abandoned him a long time ago. George one day, while talking to one of his co-workers says, "No Lennie. I ain't mad. I never been mad, and I ain't now. That's a thing I wanted you to know." Even though George yelled and hit him some, he never abandoned Lennie, who in turn never abandoned George, always forgave him if he did something bad to him. One time George almost drowned Lennie, and Lennie apologized to George. Even though Lennie is huge, and an excellent physical worker, George is small and quick, Lennie never hit back. George, in a way is loyal to Lennie, because no matter how many times George said to remember it, he kept explaining to him about their future farm. George and Lennie are in a way the best of friends, and it may not seem like it, but they need each other for there to be good in their life.
         George never let Lennie out from under his protective wing. He was always there for Lennie and tried to protect him the best he could from getting hurt or killed. Lennie, who is the opposite of George, but like a magnet, opposites attract and they became friends. Of Mice And Men is an amazing book, while it may be short, it is very interesting and gripping. This book has that you could ever want out of a book.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Reading Response MaxF 811

Max Feuerman 811 Reading Response

            Enders Game by Orson Scott Card is about a young genius named Ender Wiggin who is picked by an organization called the I.F. (International Fleet) and goes to a military school at the age of 6. This book is a dystopian future in which we have discovered aliens. When he first gets to the school, the commander sets him into a group where he is isolated, and his journey begins. Ender endures many hardships in this portion of his life.
            Ender first has to endure bullying from another boy named Bernard after Graff, the principle sets him in "isolation", making the other boys pick on him. Ender keeps getting bullied, until he makes friends with one of Bernard's friends, Alai. However, as soon as he was able to cope with the situation, they advanced him early into an "army". At first he seemed useless, but was able to turn the tide of a game, although disobeying orders and getting punished by his commander before being traded to another army. He then joins an army and becomes part of the game, and he blossoms into a good soldier. After this, he was advanced even earlier to be made a commander, and is given no veterans. On top of that, he isn't allowed to trade with armies either. Ender is going through what may be the toughest part of this phase in his whole life. Even though his army is really good, he stops seeing the point in the game, the teachers are messing with it, and he gives up playing, only to be transferred early again. His life right now is torture, every time he gets familiar with one rule, like a wound, they put in another. "The game is over" Ender said to his army, a sign that he won't accept it anymore. when 1 soldier asked when practice is, he replied "Never again, as far as I am concerned", another sign of disobedience. Right now, Ender is feeling like a puppet to his school. Now, he goes to a new school, where he learns to command a fleet, also learning that the fate of the world will be on his shoulders, the pressure is on.
         This is the hardest part of Enders life, all of the abuse and isolation, was leading up to one moment in his life. He goes from being bullied in his squad, to early placement in an army. He then becomes a commander early and leads his army. he soon leaves his old school and joins the rank learning how to command a fleet. Will Ender be crushed under the pressure, or will he prevail and continue his life. This book shows the life of a special boy, ripped out of his childhood to save humanity.