Live Original pt. V

Chapter 9 - A Friend's a Friend Forever

1. Who are your best friends?
Meghan, Lauren, Hannah, Nicole, Shelbie

2. Think of three of the best friends you have and write down their best qualities or three reasons you are friends with them.
Meghan - She's so compassionate and caring. She never judges me. She's just like me!
Lauren - She's respectful and kind. She's easy to talk to. She's fun to be around.
Hannah - She's hilarious. She likes to have a good time. She's easy to talk to.

3. In your own words, why are jealousy, pride, and selfishness dangerous to a friendship?
Jealousy can destroy friendships because it's never fun to feel like you have to compete with a friend. It's better when you're on the same level. Pride is the same deal. You shouldn't feel like you're "better" than your friend. Friendships are equal partnerships. Selfishness...well who wants to be friends with someone who only wants to do what they want to do?

4. What are one or two things about yourself that you can work on if you want to be a better friend?
Jealousy and selfishness. I get jealous really easily and it's something I need to work on in general. Selfishness because I have a hard time listening to people. I want to be there for them but I always end up chiming in with how I feel or something.

Chapter 10 - Respect Relationships

1. Do you stand up for your brothers and sisters? Next time someone starts hating on one of your siblings, what can you do to support them and protect them?
I do what I can, but my brothers are both over 6'5" so they don't really get a lot of hate. ;)

2. Are you a person who keeps your commitments? How do you need to improve?
Not always. :/ I let my anxiety get the best of me sometimes and cancel on people. I should probably just go hang out with them. It's never as bad as I think.

3. Do you respect authority? In your own words, why is it important to do so?
Yes, definitely. I think to get respect, you need to give respect, and that goes even if you're talking to authority. They will not treat you right if you don't respect them, and they don't need to.

4. What is one thing you can do today to have a better relationship with yourself?
I really need to work on the negative self talk. I'm always down on myself when I should be loving myself how God loves me. <3

My Bookshelf

In the past, I've tried writing and posting a book review every time I finished a book.

Then, we hit a point where I was finishing a (couple) books every 1-3 days, so I decided if I wanted to be able to post anything else on my blog, that wasn't going to work anymore.

Here's what I decided instead.

I've seen multiple people do their book reviews this way.

However, they usually post once a month.

Now, I don't want a gigantic post every month that nobody will even read because it's so long, so as long as I've read some books, I plan on posting like this every two weeks or so. 

Here you have it -- Quick reviews for every book I've read since my last book review.

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When Will The Heaven Begin?
Ally Breedlove

When Will The Heaven Begin? by Ally Breedlove is a very touching story about her younger brother, Ben. Ben was born with a heart condition that threatens his life every single day. It tells of Ben growing up, the things he couldn't do and the things he had to do to try to keep his heart healthy. 

It tells about the time when Ben was 4 years old and had to be taken to the hospital, where he cheated death for the first time.

And finally, it tells about Christmas Day 2011, when Ben's soul finally entered Heaven as a final resting place. 

You may have seen Ben's Youtube video, asking us if we believe in angels and God. He did.

                                                I give this book a 5 star rating and would definitely recommend it to a             

                                                friend.

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Freedom Walkers
Russell Freedman

Freedom Walkers was a quick and easy read for me.

It's about the Montgomery Bus Boycott during the Civil Rights Movement. 

It tells us about the boycott using very descriptive words, direct quotes from those involved, and heartbreaking photographs of what was happening in Montgomery during this time. 

Easily understood, informational text.

3 stars - Only because this book isn't necessarily for entertainment and I'm not really a history buff. 

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Because They Marched
Russell Freedman

Can you tell what my middle schoolers were reading about the past few weeks?

Because They Marched is about the marches that the African American people had in Selma, Alabama in an effort to gain their right to vote. 

It begins by telling us about the teachers marching up to the courthouse and ends with the march to Montgomery, Alabama - which included Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, and finally the successful march. It gives us a look into the Voting Rights Act and the way that these people gained the very important right to vote.

This book also uses descriptive words, direct quotes from those   involved, and fantastic photographs to illustrate what really happened during this important time in American history. 

3 stars - Again, because I'm not really one for history. Personal opinion. 

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Happy to be Alive, Because
Chelsea Jacobs

Happy to be Alive, Because is the story of Avery. She's 17 years old when her mother (who also happens to be her best friend) passes away. 

After her mother dies, she finds travel plans in her mother's room for a trip to where she (the mom) grew up. In an attempt to run away from the pain she now faces at home, Avery takes the trip.

When she arrives at this cute little beach town, she soon meets three people who quickly become her best friends as if they've known each other their whole lives. 

Eventually, she learns a secret about one of them (a cute boy, love interest, to be exact.) which makes her question if running away really was the right choice. 

4 out of 5 stars - This story was a really good story. But I'm not really a fan of the ending. And not because I don't agree with what happens...it was just very abrupt. 

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There you have it!

More soon, in about 2 weeks?