Courtney's+e-Journal

Chapters-1-5. Pages-11-38.
 * e-Journal-1-/26/01/11/ ﻿Hi Courtney, please complete your task assignment from Monday! You have a great start to your e-Journal thus far. Do you think the book should be banned? Why or why not? What can we learn from this novel? Things to think about... Thank you! Ms C :) **

My thoughts on The Shepherd’s Grand-daughter, so far are good. The book draws you in, and keeps you guessing. This is what I like in a book. Initially it discusses who the characters are, and what they are like. They mainly introduce Amani, which is the main character, and her grandfather Seedo. It shows and explains that they have a good, and close relationship, as well as their whole family. They live in Palestine and they do not have the best stability in their homes financially and they cook and grow and prepare most of their meals, so that it is cheaper for them and easier. But they do manage everyday, I am predicting that this will catch up with them, but maybe, and hopefully not. This book seems like a great reading book so far, and I am guessing I will like it even more when I continue reading it, and find out more about the characters and how their lives change, for the bad, and for the better. When I started reading the book, I was interested to find out why some school boards, and schools had banned this book from their libraries. I think I am finding out now while branching from chapter to chapter, and reading it, it involves a lot of struggle with their lives and difficulty. They struggle, but I am hoping it turns out for the better in their situation. I imagine that they will have many more struggles with their lives but eventually turn out better.

e-Journal-2-/28/01/11/ Chapters 5-8

This book from now and since I have started reading it has evolved and changed so much! When I began reading it I predicted it would be about the average life of a shepherd, and the family, but it has changed so quickly. I started seeing and noticing the struggles, and problems evolving while reading it. I felt bad for the characters when I realized their struggles and faits. Amani, with the shepherding, and choosing quickly on what to do. Seedo dying, and unhealthy, and reflecting on the family. It was hard for all the characters, they described them in the book as, sad, and confused. I read that Amani his granddaughter, was struggling very much. Financially the family is struggling, Amani was shrinking the flock of sheep down very much, in order to get money and be able to eat. So the book does seem bad and upsetting, but the good moments that are happening to these people are nice. They spend time together, eat together, sleep together, and work together. For example Amani bakes bread with Sitti, (Her Grandmother.) And she enjoys that, they both do even though Sitti is losing her memory. I am hoping everything works out for them and everything gets better, but I am also thinking that things may take a long time to change. One of the main problems they have right now is the news that they will shortly be invaded by the Israelis, and they all get into arguments about it, whether to fight back, or to let it roll out on it’s own. It’s a big decision and I am feeling worried for all of their safety.

Chapters 8-10

So the book has begun to get more peaceful. The characters aren't struggling as much, and everything seems okay. But there are also parts of the book where i think things may turn bad, or more intense. I am hoping that the characters figure out situations with what's going on, involving the Israel land, and settlers that are slowly threatening them. Amani has been taking the death of her grandfather Seedo painfully. I fell bad for her in her case with the struggles of emotion and her homeland. Hopefully somethings will become better. Amani has recently been loosing many of her sheep, she had to even sell some of the Ewe's, for money, which was very painful for her to do. I felt bad for her reading that, because i know it would be a horribly hard decision to make. Also in these chapters, (8-10) It really shows how much they are engaged with their family. They spend tons of time together, and that really builds on their relationships between each other. Some disagreements come from Ammo Hani, because he really shows what he thinks is right and what he thinks is wrong. But In the book it quoted from Amani, :"They needed his strength and fierceness.": That was when the were confronted by an officer. But i think with hard times it can bring their family to become more distant, but then again, it also brings them closer.

Chapters-9-15

Some parts are getting confusing because of all the commotion happening in the book. Amani is taking the sheep out alot, and she has a very healthy flock now. Sitti and Amani have been baking bread more often and everything seems good now. But there is more situations involving the settler's.

First Official Task


 * Protagonist || The Protagonist is the Main Character and in our book the main Character's name is Amani. She has characteristics like.... Brave, Strong, Compassionate, Trustworthy, Loving, Caring, Considerate, and Intelligent. Amani shows many of these characteristics during the whole book. ||
 * <span style="color: #ff0018; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Antagonist || <span style="color: #ff0018; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">In the book the antagonists (The person who is against the main character) are the settlers, and the people who live on the Israel territory. They are building settlement's on their Palestine land, and act out violently and unfairly due to beliefs and inconsiderate behaviour. They are the main struggles that are through out the book. ||
 * <span style="color: #f94d0b; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Setting || <span style="color: #f94d0b; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The setting is where your story takes place and when. The story taks place in Palestine. And the exact years are unknown and we didn't get the chance to find out. The setting describes it as a wide-spread area, with a lucious olive garden, and a high peak called Seedo's Peak to them. It also describes the Firdoo's. Which is the place late in the book where Amani would take her flock of sheep, because there was no room on the peak, and it was nice and quiet and full of grass, and a creek. ||
 * <span style="color: #f94d0b; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Conflict || <span style="color: #f94d0b; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">There is a major conflict in the book that goes along the entire book, in the beginning it is in the background, but it shows more and more through out the book. The conflict is that Israel people are building and invading Palestine. They are building settlements, and highways, and are not allowing and Palestine people to go on their territory. They act violently and rudely, and do not care about the Palestine people. Because they have already expanded their land many other places. So this is what Amani's family stresses about through the book, because it is a huge conflict and problem <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">. ||
 * <span style="color: #d7d728; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Climax || <span style="color: #d7d728; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The climax in the book is very interesting, after a very emotional setting, and plot, the climax makes you think and almost feel how they are feeling because it is so emotional. I would say that the climax is the part when,They are forced out of their olive grove, and threatened to be killed if they enter again. Amani and her father go into get their olive bags, and almost get caught. They go to the trader, or place where you sell your olives. And then they return and a couple of Days later Aani leaves school, because she senses something is wrong, and then she discovers her sheep trapped out of their pen, her house and grandparent's house demolished. And when her father comes to try and help her, when she is panicking, they shoot her father, and he falls down, but you don't know if he has died or not. ||
 * <span style="color: #0cb041; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Resolution || <span style="color: #0cb041; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The Resolution is basically the solution in the book. After the struggles or adventures or the main process, the resolution, or solution comes in and fixes everything up, and it usually ends in a good way. In our book the resolution is tiny. It doesn't really emphasize what s, but it is there. ||
 * <span style="color: #0961d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Foreshadowing || <span style="color: #0961d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">An example of foreshadowing is predicting or guessing on what is going to happen next. In the book, the family is predicting or foreshadowing about whether or not Palestine would be invaded, and how long it would take. ||
 * <span style="color: #750aeb; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Similies || <span style="color: #750aeb; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Similies, is comparing two things, using the words like or as. ||
 * <span style="color: #750aeb; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Metaphors || <span style="color: #750aeb; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Metaphors is something being compared, without the use of the words like or as. ||
 * <span style="color: #750aeb; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Alliteration || <span style="color: #7a00ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Alliteration is a form of writing or speech, which uses the same first letter, for a string of words. For example: Well why would we want wool? ||

<span style="color: #ec0e48; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Tuesday February 22cnd 2011,

<span style="color: #ec0e48; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I have read the whole book so this is basicly and advance comment. <span style="color: #ec0e48; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">With the whole book and all about it and knowing I can see the side of wanting to ban it because it involves politics, violence, rights, serious threatening, abusive situations and life-risking struggles. Also a group of complaining parents who were "pro Israel" Said they were unhappy with how the book described everything about the Palestinian side, looking at the Israel side. That was then made into a big controversy. Now on the other hand i think the book is a major eye-opener, because this has gone on before. So i think people have a right to know, i didn't realize it was like that, sure i knew the basics but when you dig deep into the details and actual situations and risks it can be scary, and i felt horrible for the people in the book because they struggled all the way. So no i don't think the book should be banned at all if it has oh well, but for the schools that it hasn't been banned i would say let it go, and keep the book in the school library if people are curious they'll read it. One thing that i realized though is that the book doesn't really have a description on it, you would have to look it up online, and still you may not firn done, just people's thoughts and opinions. So If people think they just want to read a book, and they find this one, I don't think they would know what they had just started reading, because it deals with alot of things.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Tuesday February 22cnd 2011, <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Chapters 10-15,

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Times are getting tough, they are losing money, and Amani's mother may have to sell her piano for money, which is something serious, and they are not having and enjoying as much food. Amani's flock is decreasing in size, which is sad for the family, and her, and her sheep. She has to make many decisions such as which sheep to sell, where to graze the sheep, and which places are sfaest from the wolf, which hasn't had many problems with her and the flock, but has shown up many times. Also she has to decide when is best to take them out, and when to do other things. Personally i don't think i would be able to do all that she does like having to choose which sheep to sell, and give away, i wouldn't be able to decide, i would become too attached with them. So i couldn't be a shepherd like her unless i just had sheep for the opportunity, and the fact of having sheep, i wouldn't be selling or giving them away. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Also in these chapters it describes how indepth they are now with the involvement of the possible invaison towards them and their land. This is where it starts to increase with thoughts of the struggles that are on the way and are going to much more difficult and emotional towards the whole family. I was feeling very worried for them and was making predictions like, how close the problems were to come, and how extreme they would be.

March 31st 2011, Chapters 16-18,

Currently in the book The Invasion is happening, the family is struggling, and the worries are up. Amani's flock has decreased in size, but the action is stopping. The settler's have helped themselves to their land, violently and unpleasant. Amani's mother's mother is ill and she has left to see her, Omar is at University, and Amani feels alone and empty. Times are almostt at the toughest and the Family is in harsh pressure.

The Cold War

The Cold War was the name given to a relationship between the democratic nations lead by the U.S.A, and the Communist Nations lead by the Soviet Union after the end of World War Two. Around 1945 it all started over mistrust. The main reason of the Cold War was to dominate, or over power because the whole time it was a struggle for power. It was given it's name because it was a war mainly of arms building and advancing in leadership.

In 1945 The Cold War caused some serious problems for some. The Americans feared they would be attacked by the communists, Russia feared the Americans would create the Atomic Bomb, and use it badly, Russia trying to spread worl-wide communisim, and Russia fearing America would attack. The Cold War was said to be a half century of military building up, preparing and getting ready.

Both sides, both U.S.A, and the Soviet Union wanted to avoid direct military action because they both feared the Nuclear Destruction, that could happen. Though the whole situation included explosive situations that could of became open war. The Cold War was more along the lines of Political not Military. It also fell short of the characteristics of a real war, it was said to be a hostile intention between the military-political alliances of both sides. Both sides agreed that it was not a real war.

Both sides disagreed with eachother about the The U.S.A didn't like the way The Soviet Union was handling Germany when it was divided into four sections. They also didn't like their communist ways that they showed so boldly. The Cold War was basicly a result of a clash between Communism, and Capitalism.

No one really knew what to do, so they acted out violently, thinking that was the only way to go. This lead to the Cold War. The use of Nuclear weapons also played a major part in this whole event. The U.S.A, and Soviet Union were scared about the use of Nuclear weapons, and bombs such as that. Since it was newlt developed no one really knew the dangers to the situation of using explosives, and how to handle them. This brought disagreement, because both sides tought they were fit to take care of them, when really it was just a new thing.

Events that took place during the Cold War ecspesially the Berlin Wall, made an impact on things. When the war lead to the Berlin Wall being destroyed and leaving such a mess, it ended the war. There was such a level of destruction that took place, and needed repairing, when the Berloin wall crashed down, it effected the whole world.

The Cold War was an unfortunate event, because of all that took place and happened. Although it was a true eye-opener to people of the effects of power, it effected everyone and will be remembered.