A Boy Named Sue by Shel Silverstein
Well, my daddy left home when I was three,and he didn't leave much to Ma and me,just this old guitar and a bottle of booze.Now I don't blame him because he run and hid,but the meanest thing that he ever did wasbefore he left he went and named me Sue.Well, he must have thought it was quite a joke,and it got lots of laughs from a lot of folks,it seems I had to fight my whole life through.Some gal would giggle and I'd get redand some guy would laugh and I'd bust his head,I tell you, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue.Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean.My fist got hard and my wits got keen.Roamed from town to town to hide my shame,but I made me a vow to the moon and the stars,I'd search the honky tonks and bars and killthat man that gave me that awful name.But it was Gatlinburg in mid July and I hadjust hit town and my throat was dry.I'd thought i'd stop and have myself a brew.At an old saloon in a street of mudand at a table dealing stud sat the dirty,mangy dog that named me Sue.Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dadfrom a worn-out picture that my mother hadand I knew the scar on his cheek and his evil eye.He was big and bent and gray and oldand I looked at him and my blood ran cold,and I said, "My name is Sue. How do you do?Now you're gonna die." Yeah, that's what I told him.Well, I hit him right between the eyes and he went downbut to my surprise he came up with a knifeand cut off a piece of my ear. But I busted a chairright across his teeth. And we crashed throughthe wall and into the street kicking and a-gougingin the mud and the blood and the beer.I tell you I've fought tougher men but I really can't remember when.He kicked like a mule and bit like a crocodile.I heard him laughin' and then I heard him cussin',he went for his gun and I pulled mine first.He stood there looking at me and I saw him smile.And he said, "Son, this world is rough and ifa man's gonna make it, he's gotta be toughand I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along.So I gave you that name and I said 'Goodbye'.I knew you'd have to get tough or die. And it'sthat name that helped to make you strong."Yeah, he said, "Now you have just fought onehelluva fight, and I know you hate me and you'vegot the right to kill me now and I wouldn't blame youif you do. But you ought to thank mebefore I die for the gravel in your guts and the spitin your eye because I'm the nut that named you Sue."Yeah, what could I do? What could I do?I got all choked up and I threw down my gun,called him pa and he called me a son,and I came away with a different point of viewand I think about him now and then.Every time I tried, every time I win and if Iever have a son I think I am gonna name him Bill or George - anything but Sue.
This is the poem I have enjoyed and read.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Book Review 2
The return, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is the sequel to Gary Paulsen, Hatchet.
This book sets two years after the first book.
After that incident, he was famous and was well known, the press followed him wherever he went and he went to college through his father's money and some help from his mother.
Three men then turned up, they were from a survival school and they wanted Brian to return to the wild and teach them the skills he had used.
He agreed and set off with Derek, a psychologist and upon arrival, Brian instructed him to leave all the things that would later tempt them when they went hungry. There, Brian taught Derek the nesccesary things that was needed to be found and the items that needed to be set up.
When Derek gets hit by lightning and falls into a coma, it was up to Brian to find a way to get help with only a map, a knife and his brain at his disposal. With a radio that was fried by lightning, the only possible way to get help is to travel 6 kilometres in water to reach a trading post where help can be found.
This book sets two years after the first book.
After that incident, he was famous and was well known, the press followed him wherever he went and he went to college through his father's money and some help from his mother.
Three men then turned up, they were from a survival school and they wanted Brian to return to the wild and teach them the skills he had used.
He agreed and set off with Derek, a psychologist and upon arrival, Brian instructed him to leave all the things that would later tempt them when they went hungry. There, Brian taught Derek the nesccesary things that was needed to be found and the items that needed to be set up.
When Derek gets hit by lightning and falls into a coma, it was up to Brian to find a way to get help with only a map, a knife and his brain at his disposal. With a radio that was fried by lightning, the only possible way to get help is to travel 6 kilometres in water to reach a trading post where help can be found.
Book Review 1
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is about this boy, Brian Robeson, whose parents were divorced.
Brian hated the word divorce as it meant fights, lawyers and yelling at each other. When the papers were signed, it was decided that Brian would live with his mother and during the summer or the winter holidays, he would stay at his dad's.
He took a plane on this fateful day, heading for his father's place and would be involved in a plane accident as the pilot had a heart attack. The plane was a small Cessna plane and it crashed into the Canadian wilderness.
Alone in the Canadian forest woth nothing other than his tattered windbreaker and his HATCHET, he survives using his wits, determination, resourcefulness and courage in this forest full of rare animals and plants that may even turn out to be inedible.
He survives for a total of fifty four days in the forest and a pilot found him through the emergency transmitter that Brian had activated by accident.
This is a Newberry Honor Book, ALA Best book for Young Adults, ALA Notable Children's Book and a winner of multiple state awards.
Brian hated the word divorce as it meant fights, lawyers and yelling at each other. When the papers were signed, it was decided that Brian would live with his mother and during the summer or the winter holidays, he would stay at his dad's.
He took a plane on this fateful day, heading for his father's place and would be involved in a plane accident as the pilot had a heart attack. The plane was a small Cessna plane and it crashed into the Canadian wilderness.
Alone in the Canadian forest woth nothing other than his tattered windbreaker and his HATCHET, he survives using his wits, determination, resourcefulness and courage in this forest full of rare animals and plants that may even turn out to be inedible.
He survives for a total of fifty four days in the forest and a pilot found him through the emergency transmitter that Brian had activated by accident.
This is a Newberry Honor Book, ALA Best book for Young Adults, ALA Notable Children's Book and a winner of multiple state awards.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
My weekend
The weekend was a nice one, starting with gruelling tuition sessions on Saturday, it was a full working day for me as I struggled to keep myself awake due to the exteme boredness of the sessions. Science, English and Maths, these three subjects can be fun and equally tiring. Sunday was more relaxing as I did tennis in the morning and the afternoon, adding to some heavy work load from tuition.
VBTS review
We were studying a book by the name of Village By The Sea by Anita Desai. It was about how the protagonist, Hari and his family lived through the hardships of life. There were mainly thirteen chapters in the book and we also did a play on chapter 10.
There were five main themes in the book and they were, Rural and Urban india, Family, Benefactors, Change and Adaptation and Poverty and Wealth.
There were twenty main characters in the book, some were Hari and Lila's benefactors while others were the ones who threatened them.
The book described and showed the true face of how the poor have to survive, through the book, we can see many things that we are not able to go through during our everyday lives.
There were five main themes in the book and they were, Rural and Urban india, Family, Benefactors, Change and Adaptation and Poverty and Wealth.
There were twenty main characters in the book, some were Hari and Lila's benefactors while others were the ones who threatened them.
The book described and showed the true face of how the poor have to survive, through the book, we can see many things that we are not able to go through during our everyday lives.
The book that inpsired my parents
There wasn't really a book that inspired them but I remember my mother telling me about a fascinating book she read, it was called Animal Farm, a book we were about to discuss later in the year.
She told me that Animal Farm was indeed an interesting book and she was studying it when she was a student. She said that the school had used the book as an literature piece and they were supposed to study it.
Later, the teacher would then test them on the things in the book, it is similar to what we are doing now.
She told me that Animal Farm was indeed an interesting book and she was studying it when she was a student. She said that the school had used the book as an literature piece and they were supposed to study it.
Later, the teacher would then test them on the things in the book, it is similar to what we are doing now.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Summary of my reading habits
Hi everyone, it is me again, in reference to Mr S blog on reading habits, I will be going to We read .com to create my own account and I will post my top ten books of all time with some book reviews.
My reading Habits are in fact qiute perculiar, I really do not like a particular type of book, as long as it is interesting and easy to understand, or, maybe contains loads of literature, you will probably see me picking up this book reading this intently.
So I would not go into details on what books I like but if you are interested, find the link at the bottom of my blog entitled my reading habits, click it and you find your screenc directed to we read.com at the front page of my account
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