Independent Reading Blog

Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

Pages 1-50

1.)    Summary of what I read: The book starts out with a quick chapter that captures the reader’s attention with an action-packed scene of life in Furnace Penitentiary, the prison that the main character Alex Sawyer is sent to. Then the author proceeds to explain why he ended up there, his criminal past breaking into houses and stealing precious items just to sell for money. One thing led to another, and all of a sudden one day things go wrong. Alex and his friend were breaking into a supposedly abandoned house for the weekend when several mutated guards from Furnace called blacksuits jumped them. They took Alex and his friend Toby into a room and shot Toby, framing Alex for murder. He had nowhere to run, the police were already on their way. He was caught and convincted, and that is how he ended up in Furnace Penitentiary.

2.)    Important quote from the text: “When I think back to my life before it turned, I think about this day. I think about how things could have been different, if I’d just walked away” (Smith, 8). This is an interesting quote because everyone seems to think of what they could’ve and should’ve done after it’s too late. He realized that he had it coming to him and he knew that it would have to end sooner or later. It also makes you think, what if you had or hadn’t done something when you were younger? Where would you be today?

3.)    Connections to the text: I could connect to this part of the book with the fact that I am a teenager too. A lot of emotions that Alex feels, I can relate to. I am not a thief, nor a murderer, but I still am a teenager and am going to school just like he was. I’ve never been to a prison, but my uncle was in jail once and when he came out he did not look good. I remember him shaking for almost a month after he was out, and I never want to go there again.

Story Symposium Presentation

Our group consists of Chris Anderson, Sam Higginbotham, and Kyle Keehan. We were thinking about doing a talk show where someone would be “the author” of The Most Dangerous Game, someone would be “the director” of the movie The Most Dangerous Game, and someone being the talk show host. We will have to work hard and efficiently in and out of class in order for this presentation to work. We were planning that the author would explain the plot, main characters, setting, conflict, theme, ect. Then we would show a clip from the movie on youtube, and then get the director’s perspective on all of those things. He will then also point out the literary devices found in the story. Then the talk show host will finish things up saying how he thinks it relates to the human experience and why he thought it was a good story/movie. 

9/11

I was only 5 years old when 9/11 happened, so I don’t remember very much of it. Everything I've learned has come from others telling me about the tragedies that took place that day. It is truly sad knowing that someone would be willing to take their own lives along with countless others just to show that we aren't as invincible as we think we are. By crashing into those towers, it destroyed so many families, sometimes I wonder what it would've been like if it was mine. Our response was not much better though. Why enter a war when we know that we can’t win? Terrorists are always going to be around, no matter how hard we try. Also from what I remember, we weren't even hunting the right group of people. And I also believe that this was the main reason why we stereotype all people of the Muslim religion? One of my best friends is Muslim, and he’s one of the nicest people I know. That day will mark a place in our hearts and minds forever, as one of the most tragic experiences in U.S. history.

Choice #1

                At 5 years old, I thought I was a pretty well mannered child, as far as 5 year olds go. I loved being outside and playing with my brother. Anything that allowed me to run around and be a kid was the most entertaining thing in the world. Of course one has many flaws as a child just like any age. I absolutely hated losing at sports. For example when I played kickball with my brother and I got out several times, I would kick the ball really hard, being a poor sport about it. So some advice I would give to the 5 year old me would be to just relax and enjoy your childhood. You have a lot ahead of you, nothing is worth being mad over at such a young age.

                My 10 year old self was very book smart, but definitely not street smart yet. I excelled in most aspects of school, especially math. But I did not understand that having the ability to do things really only counted if you applied yourself. I was always afraid of being the outcast, so I did what the teachers told me, but I never really went that extra mile to reach my full potential. I’m still working on that today. The advice I would give to 10 year old me would be to just give it your all no matter what. If you have something going for you, keep working on it because you really never know how far you could go.

                One year ago, I was 14 almost 15 years old. This was a huge turning point in my life, entering high school, turning into a young adult, it puts a lot of stress on your shoulders. I think that I did a lot of growing up as a freshman, learning the ins and outs of life. The biggest piece of advice I would give to the 14 year old me is to just keep pushing, because no matter how hard it’s going to get, it will be worth it in the end. I went through a lot of ups and downs, but it’s always the times that you keep going even if you’re struggling that pay off in the end.

Author Bio

Hey everyone, my name is Chris and I’m a 15 year old high school student living in the cheese head state of Wisconsin. I have two older brothers, one also in high school and the other currently in the United States Navy. I am employed at a local Piggly Wiggly where I have been working for 2 years now. In my free time I enjoy playing many sports such as football, basketball, and baseball, and I play for my high school teams too. I love and support the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers. Some other interests I have are playing videogames such as Pokémon, Assassin’s Creed, and Borderlands to name a few. Thanks for taking your time to read this, hope you enjoy my blog!