At the beginning of the year I had set my goal to finish 12 books by the end.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Heat
Ella Minnow Pea
Period. 8
Fast Food Nation
The Graveyard Book
The Darkest Path
Ender’s Game
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Where Men Win Glory
Brave New World
The Dark Room
A Tale of Two Cities
Some books were harder to read than others because of the interest level I had in them Other times the text was just more complex than I was used to reading. Brave New World and A Tale of Two Cities were from different time periods so the way they were written was harder to understand because of this.
Ender’s Game and Where Men Win Glory were my favorite books to read this year. Both of these books sent different messages to me. They gave me lessons that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Where Men Win Glory, Pat Tillman’s story, taught me that doing the right thing is sometimes the hardest thing to do. His story was one that we all could respect. He left a dream job to join the military and fight for our country. Learning about his personal life, his life in the NFL, and his life in the military in so much detail is what made the book so entertaining for me. Ender’s Game taught me that we are capable of things we never would have imagined. Sometimes we are put in a position that we feel we can’t be successful in, but as long as we keep moving something great can come from the situation.
There were some books that I put down after initially picking them up. These books were ones that were harder to read. The texts were complex and required a lot of thinking to know what was happening in the book. I would read as far as I could into a book until it felt like more of a hassle to read than anything. This was usually a little more than a hundred pages into a book.
Book clubs this year were interesting. Discussing the books was interesting too because of the different perspectives that you could get from others. I think these groups helped me become a better writer because I was exposed to more writing styles. I enjoyed the Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close book club the most. The way the book was written had so many possible interpretations, especially with its parallel structure.
This year has definitely changed me. Because of my reading I think I have become more knowledgeable about things going on in the world. Where Men Win Glory interested me in what goes on in the world outside of America. Ender’s Game taught me to have more confidence in myself and understand that I can do things on my own. Now I feel as if I can go out and be myself instead of someone I know I’m not.
The Blog for Emilio Valadez 
Emilio, you’ve done so well this year. You came to class already a pretty confident reader and writer. It has been a pleasure watching you take ownership of your learning — and grow in your abilities to articulate yourself in your writing. I am proud of you!