“You can’t stay Young Forever, so Treasure it while You Can.”

Authors Note: This story is going to be about the similarities and differences between a young girl who is 18 who is from my independent novel, "It's not Summer Without You," named Isabella/Bella and the main Charter Sam in, “My Brother Sam is Dead, “and how they both experienced lose of innocence.

All kids want to become older and be adults, and all adults wish they were younger. Instead of kids living the life when their younger they do everything possible to act older. For instance in the novel, “It’s not Summer without you,” by Jenny Han, A 18 year old girl named Isabella wants to get married to a boy she has known forever, losing her innocence. Yet she barley can afford the wedding and her mom will not come, to prove that her idea was crazy. Also from my historical fiction novel, “My brother Sam is Dead,” the character Sam lost his innocence by to going off to war to be a American instead of what he truly is a Englishman. His father does not approve because he is only 16.What these characters need to realize is childhood is only so long, enjoy it well you can.

To begin the resemblances to the characters is they both lost their innocence in their teenage years. Both Sam and Belly both went against their parents’ judgment because they thought they were old enough. Even though they both went against their parents in beginning they ended up coming through in the end. For Sam he came home to his father and apologized for stealing his gun and returned it. For Isabella in, “It’s not Summer Without You,” she decided not to get married and waited till it could be more special and she could afford more things and most of all till she got older.

On the other hand there are also many differences. For example in, “My brother Sam is Dead,” Sam in the end dies and he is only 16 years old. As for Isabella in, “ It’s not Summer Without You,:” she was older then Sam and a bit more mature, and she decided that getting married at 18 wasn’t the best idea especially when she was in love with somebody else.

Results of these similarities and differences were Sam from, “My brother Sam is Dead,” was he came back to his home returning the gun to his father, to the result of dying trying to steal back his family cow, that had been stolen by thief's.The results for Isabella in, “It’s not Summer Without you,” is she ended up making the more grownup decision and got married later to a person she truly was in love with.

In conclusion both of these characters realize they were still children and needed to figure out how to make grownup decisions. They learn how important their childhood really was, and learned that being an adult doesn’t just come to you at a certain age, it’s a process that requires responsibility and making the hard decisions.

“For Every Action there’s an Opposite Reaction”

In every story there is a climax, for example in the story, "My brother Sam is Dead," the climax is when Sam steals the bayonet from his father and uses it in war. The climax of the story is typically is the most intense, exciting, or important point of something. Why I believe that Sam stealing his father’s bayonet was the climax is because after that happened was when all of the excitement happened, and when things in the story started to go wrong.

The cause of Sam stealing the gun leads to his Fathers disappointment and anger. His father was certainly not pleased he stole something he considered a prized possession. At first Sam thought he was part of the family and he could take it if he wanted. At first he didn’t care if his father was mad, he was supposedly a, "man", now and wanted to be a free American, even though he was only 16. Back then, people were forced to grow up faster and it was even normal for people to be married for when there 15 or even younger. Yet Sam's father would not allow the idiotic mistakes his son was making, as he would say," he's just a child."

Later Sam realizes the effects of his decisions, the guilt finally got to him. Sam realized that he wasn’t one to steal or fight for something that he knew wasn’t right. When Sam realized that he decided he needed to return what was rightly fully his fathers, and apologize. This is when Sam started to grow up, and make manly decisions. When he comes home he finds there is conflict, but Sam did not died on the battle field he died on the same grounds from where he was raised, by being shot by soldiers, for a crime he didn’t commit. After reading this book the one word that came to my mind is, “karma.” Karma is when you do something bad it comes back to bite you. Everything that happened to Sam was all the effects of Sam stealing his father’s gun. For every action Sam made there was an opposite reaction, which in the end lead to death.

“The heart of the quote, “stay gold Ponyboy stay gold.”

Authors Note: This story is going to be about the meaning of, “stay gold Ponyboy stay gold.” Also what the quote relates to and the true deep symbolism behind it.

In the hospital casually talking to his buddy Johnny, as if nothing was wrong. When truly there was something wrong, Johnny was dying, and he couldn’t do anything to help him, he felt powerless. Taking all of the breath Johnny had left, he murmured, “Stay gold Ponyboy stay gold.” When I read this I was confused, I thought what have I read that is similar and what did Johnny mean?
After Johnny had passed away, the lasts words that he said to Ponyboy defiantly stuck. It was soon to be all he thought about, “Stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold,” those words constantly replayed in his mind over and over. This quote resembles the quote on page 69 in the book, “The Outsidrs”, were it said “nothing stays gold forever”, which is from the famous novel, “Go with the Wing.” Which in the book Jonny and Ponybony while they ran away they read, “Go with the wind”, together to pass the time.
During the time they were away together a bond grew stronger between them. They we’re becoming all each other had, and they had made sacrifices that brought them so much closer, Ponyboy bleached his hair and cut it just for him. Johnny killed somebody and Ponyboy still ran away with him, he could have just easily ditched him.
Yet he didn’t that’s why when Johnny died and said, “Stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold,” is pretty much wishing Ponyboy luck with the rest of his life. Johnny used his last few seconds, his last few breaths, to his best bud Ponyboy. He knew the police officers wanted to take Ponyboy away from his family, and that he was hurt in the fire too just not as severe as his injuries.
Which brings me to my conclusion, the meaning behind, “Stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold.” The meaning was overall saying his last good buys and to wish him the best. Ponyboy was one of the closet things Johnny had to family. That simple quote Johnny will remember forever as well as his best friend Johnny.

“Family comes in all Shapes and Sizes”

Authors Note: This story is going to tell the importance of family and that family doesn’t always have to be blood related, they can just be people that care and love you.

I grew up in a family divorced ever since I was 6. When something that big happens to you so young, you start to really appreciate your family. Most people’s parents are divorced some people don’t even have one parent or any parents for that matter. In the book, “The Outsiders”, they don’t all have parents that are alive or care about them so their gang becomes their family. Even though there is no blood resemblance, anyone can be your family if the love and care for you.

What is family? In my eyes its people you can count on, and know that they will always be there for you. In the outsiders, one of the main characters, Johnny, even when he was dying he didn’t want to see his mother, he wanted to see his friends Ponyboy and Dally because he knew that they actually cared about him. Johnny didn’t grow up with loving parents, his farther beat him and his mother didn’t care, as for Ponyboy and Dally always had his back. Jonny’s true blood family didn’t even care at all, in the book he ran away, and his parents’ barley knew he was gone, but as for the gang, they were worried sick about him.

Pursuing this further family can come in any size, shape, or form. Although your blood related family will always be your family, it’s better to surround yourself with people who care. Everybody deserves a family, even if they aren’t blood.

“Seeing past the imperfections”

Authors Note: This story is going to be about an obese girl telling the reasons why some kids are considered normal and others not.

Wow, the nerve of some people, I thought to myself. Pointing out every little imperfection that makes me, me. Leaving me feeling as if I don’t belong, and as if I don’t matter enough to exist. My name is Mary, Mary Jane, I am 13 years old and on the verge of becoming obese. The few words that keep me going are, “Nobody’s Perfect.”

That quote brings me so much strength to feel better about whom I am. All of the people at school just know me as the fat girl. Not even one person has even tried to find out, the person I am on the inside. Just, because I’m not what the call, “Normal.” Everyday while walking down the halls of Jamestown jr. high I notice what makes people freaks or not normal, they are mostly: nerdy glasses, the wrong cloths, their skin color, and in my case my weight.

Pursuing this further, I recognize that the things that supposedly make people normal are all of the wrong reasons, which are: perfect skin, hair that falls just right, top brand clothing, and a big white smile to top it off. Why do things as pointless as this matter? Although I remember that things aren’t perfect with anyone. Sure some cases are worse than others but we are all humans, and we all have our imperfections.

Waking up to alarm clocks over bombs

Here I am waking up to a loud alarm clock, which is much better then waking up to a bomb, which are people from other countries alarm clocks. I’m so lucky I’m not one of them, I’m so lucky I get to wake up knowing I’m safe. People constantly complain about how America’s economy is crashing down and the environment is horrible, when people should realize they are very fortunate to live in a country as free as the United States of America.
Some pros about America related to other countries is, we don’t live under a dictator, we don’t all have to all have the same religion or beliefs, and the biggest one for me, “freedom of speech”. People in other countries don’t have these privileges. Such as in other countries people can go to jail for having different beliefs, as for us in America we can believe whatever we wish. They live under people call dictators, who try to control what they do, and what they believe. We in America are free to think what we want, and are not punished for it. For example in Pakistan people can go to jail for thinking differently from there dictator.
I’m proud to be an American, and always feel free and safe. I never have to live with any worry about what people think of me, or have to be ashamed of whom I am. In America they accept me for me, and don’t expect me to change for them. That includes religion, beliefs, and even looks, but I never have to be concerned, because we don’t live under a dictator, we don’t have people to control us. Were free, and get to wake up to out loud alarm clocks, over exploding bombs in our living room. I now and always will be proud of my country.

Argument Essay

Dear Mrs. Obama,

Do you know that adults around America constantly try to make kids have less fat and eat healthier? In schools all around the U.S. schools are trying they provide the healthy alternative. For example in our school it went from regular chocolate milk to fat free chocolate milk, which tastes horrible. Although fat free is probably healthier, the regular shouldn’t be banned, everybody deserves a little treat every once in a while.
Why I think this is because kids that are already healthy and exercise and such shouldn’t have to worry about the extra calories more that regular chocolate milk has compared to fat free. Plus the regular milk is has more vitamins then the low fat milk. I understand that many kids gain weight and sometimes can lead to obesity, but there should be both kinds of milk, and the kids that are bigger and overweight should be able to control themselves and go with the healthier choice.

People always try to point fingers at the people who make unhealthy food, when truly they should be pointing and themselves. Every human on this Earth has a little thing called self control, and that self control can lead them to make the right decision.
As small of a decision of choosing a fat free milk or a regular can also lead into something as big as a life choice. If kids don’t make the right decisions when their younger how do you expect them to make bigger one’s while there older. Sure kids need to be healthy, but a little sugar and fat every once in a while isn’t bad either.

With all of those reason I conclude with saying everyone deserves a regular milk instead of a fat free milk every once in a while. Everybody deserves a little treat; it could be from a salad to a sub or in my case low-fat chocolate milk to regular chocolate milk. If people eat healthy and have self control and make the right decisions there should be multiple choices in the lunchroom, healthy or unhealthy.

Sincerely,
Jordan T. Zimmerly