Anna+C


 * September 29, 2010**
 * When I started reading the chapter "__Harlem__", Walter started it off saying how he remembered it being the first place he actually called "home". He also mentioned the earliest memory he had which was when a woman picked him up on Sunday mornings to take him to Sunday school, the woman had about ten children with her and they used to walk down the streets holding hands singing "Jesus Loves Me". Then Walter was talking more about how he used to dance in the streets, get pennies thrown at him, and he used to take the money he got and buy his favorite treat icy-pops! One day Walter had to go the hospital because he had to many icy-pops. Walter asked mama for a nickel or quarter to go buy more icy-pops and she said "later". Walter threatened her and said he would go brake the watch she got for Gerry. So he did. He got a spanking with the belt for it. In the end of the chapter Walter talked about going to his aunts house and how he and a few other boys would go beat up some Jewish boys because they knew the Jewish boys would hit back unless they cornered them into the right spot where know one could see.**


 * September 30, 2010**
 * In chapter three "__Lets Hear it For First Grade__" at the beginning Walter was saying how he got moved to second grade because he was on a second grade reading level. But his first grade teacher didn’t really approve of it because she thought that Walter had terrible speaking skills. Also, Walter was saying how he slapped a kid in the face and got sent to the principle's office, as usual. Walter's punishment was writing the same sentence over and over again five-hundred times. Walter had told us how it wasn’t fair and how he had moved to another town. Walter also described the sights of where he moved. Walter introduced us to a woman named Mrs. Dodson. Walter calls her the "Wicked Witch of West Harlem because she supposedly ruins his life. Then Walter mentioned how he was band from having his gun he always used to play with, and how he got band from reading comic books. But Walter read the comic books anyway by sneaking them when mama was at work.**


 * October 5, 2010 __Bad Boy__**
 * When I first started reading chapter 5 Walter was telling us mostly about his life. He was saying how some people called him Walter Myers or Walter Dean. Then he introduced us to a man named George Myers, his wife Tommy, and their son Mickey. Later in the chapter Walter was talking about how him and some other people hung a man named Richard in a church basement. Walter said when he started school he became a “sports fanatic” in baseball. When Walter was in school the teacher often chose Walter to read aloud in front of the entire class. A kid named Jonny laughed at Walter because of the way he spoke when he read. Walter took a book and flung it at Jonny. Mrs. Conway screamed at Walter for throwing a book in her classroom! For the rest of the morning Walter was put in the closet. Walter kept up the same behavior for the past week with throwing papers/books around the room and hitting on kids. Mrs. Conway was fed up with Walter’s behavior so she band him from the rest of school activities in the classroom and other classroom projects. He wasn’t aloud to participate until his mother came in to see Mrs. Conway. One afternoon Mrs. Conway walked to the back of the class where Walter was seated and caught him reading a comic book. Mrs. Conway snatched it out of Walters hands and tarred it up. Then she took a book off the shelf and gave him a “real” book to read instead. Walter seemed to enjoy the book very much! When Walter was done reading the book Mrs. Conway asked him questions about it and if he liked it. Come to conclusion Walter seemed to like Mrs. Conway more than he imagined he would. When Walter got his report card he was very happy because it was the best report card he had ever gotten, so he rushed home to show it to mama!**


 * October 6, 2010**
 * In the chapter "__Mr. Irwin Lasher__" the author was telling us what types of people usually walked up and down the streets of Harlem. Also, in the begining the author was describing what most of Harlem looked like, and some cool events or activites were going on in Harlem. Then Walter was saying how, he usually loved playing ball, how he was interested in girls, and how he started likeing to read books. Then Walter was saying how him and "his boys" were making fun of some girls doing excersizes in the gym while they were playing ball. When Walter met his teacher Mr. Irwin on the first day of school he said Walter was put in his class because he had a history of beating up his teachers and other students. One day in the school year Walter's class was walking up the stairs and Walter was pretending to kick Mr. Irwin in the butt, and at one moment Mr. Irwin paused while walking up the stairs and Walter really kicked him in the butt. Then for a consequence Mr. Irwin said to Walter he was going to go home with a Walter and speak with his mother. But when Mr. Irwin went to see Walter's mother Walter didnt get a beating or anything! Later in the chapter Walter was aaying how black people were not able to ask for ride froma taxi cab. So one day when Walter was with his friend he thought it would be fun if he jumped on the back of the cab and rode on the bumper. When Walter jumped off the back on the cab he got scraped badly! When Walter's dad got home he halled Walter down for dinner. Walter was moaing for the whole night so at one point his dad asked him what was wrong. At first Walter said his leg was hurting. Then his father said for him to drop his pants. So Walter did as he was told. Walter's father so all the scrapes on Walter's legs. His father asked hoe that had happend. But Walter knew he couldnt tell his father he had jumped on the back of a taxi cab. So Walter blurted out that his mama had done it to him! When Walter's father heard that he was screaming and yelling at mama saying to never touch Walter like that again! Mama and Walter hadnt talked for several weeks. Then one day they finally decided to speak to each other. Also, one day Walter had jumped off the top of a roof and when he landed on the ground his heels hit it very hard! But Walter knew he could not tell his father that his mother had done it to him, again! Years later Walter found out that the heels of his feet were seriously fractured!**


 * October 8, 2010**
 * As I started reading the chapter “__I am not the center of the universe__” Walter was first telling us about some activities or sports that he is physically good at. Then he was telling us about what types of books he likes to read and where he likes to read them. In the middle of the chapter Walter was telling his mom that for his birthday he would like a glove, for baseball. When it was nighttime, the night before Walters’ birthday he went to bed and was thinking about things he might get for his birthday. Maybe a bat, a glove, a ball, or even all three! The morning on Walters’ birthday his mama woke him up early and told him his Uncle Lee had gotten killed the night before. I felt sort of bad for Walter because he seemed like he was really looking forward to his birthday and to see which types of gifts he got from his family. After, when everyone got dressed him, his mom, and his dad got in the car and drove to the Bronx where Walters aunt had moved to. When Walters father saw Uncle Lee laying in the hospital bed he started crying his eyes out, and was very devastated. After Uncle Lee’s funeral Walter and his parents drove back to Harlem. For the entire year that Uncle Lee had been killed Walters father was sad and depressed, and he never really left the house as much as he used to. At school Walter was put into a “special class” where there was only smart kids in that class. Later in the year Walter started to have a better interest in girls. Also, around the end of the year when Walters father became less depressed and they started going back to their normal lives.**


 * October 12, 2010**
 * As I started to read the chapter "__A Writer Observes__" Walter was first telling us about things he usually did around Harlem. Also, he was describing the scenery as he walked up and down the streets of Harlem. Then Walter introduced more people to the book. He told us things he liked about those people, what he disliked, and the things the people did. Also, in the chapter walter mentioned that he really liked to take in the sights of the scenery around him, just like a natural talented writer did. Then Walter was telling us what black people were aloud to do and what they werent aloud to do. Walter told us that one day him and other people were goofing off and rode the bus which they werent supposed to and a police office caught them so they got several consequenses. Also, one day during the year an irish kid named Eddie asked Erik if he wanted to go to his party and he would be able to bring anyone he wanted to. Erik agreed and right in front of Eddie he asked Walter to go to the party with him. Walter agreed to Erik's invite. But Eddie dissaproved of it. Later on Eddie told Erik he couldnt bring Walter to the party because he wasnt white. Erik told Walter he should go and beat the heck out of Eddie but walter aid he was more hurt than he was mad. At this point of the book I felt really bad for Walter beacuse someone told him he couldnt do something just because of his skin color.**


 * 5 Facts about chapter 10**
 * **Walter was telling us about how many people in Harlem were poor and how they couldnt afford alot of things they wanted.**
 * **Walter's "pap" arrived at their house but he didnt like it very much.**
 * **When Walter first arrived at his new highschool he found out it was an all boys school.**
 * **Walter was getting poor grades at his first year of Sluyvesant highschool beacuse he never really studied.**
 * **Walter was telling us how he was like obsessed with the Dodgers team.**
 * **When Walter saw his brother Mickey while walking to school with him they heard an old lady screaming "he got my purse!" so Mickey went running after the man that had the old womans purse and got it back for her.**


 * Observation**
 * As i was looking outside i saw and heard airplanes flying above me. Also, i saw a few of my neighbors outside walking their children, mowing their lawns, and fixing their gardens. I could see the squirrels running up and down trees making the chesnuts and leaves fall to the ground. Above my head i can see a clear blue sky with clouds drifting from side to side. Across from me i can see the mountains as the sun starts to drift away behind them.These are some things i saw or noticed as I looked out side of my window.**


 * October 19, 2010**
 * In chapter 11 "__The Garment Center__" Walter was saying how most of the other kids in his school were talking about the different colleges they wanted to go to and what are some things that they might of wanted to do. Walter never really thought about going to college or anything like that so he didnt really know what he was going to do when he got out of hugh school. After, the chapter just started talking about like different things other people did in harlem for work. Also, walter had finally gotten a job, but then a white boy replaced him. So walter was now out of a job.**


 * October 21 2010**
 * In chapter 12 "__God and Dylan Thomas__" Walter was first in the councelors office. The councelor was asking Walter "what do you do with yourself all day?", but Walter never gave the councelora response he just thought of some responses in his mind that he didnt really want to share aloud with the councelor. Later Walter was talking about different types of sports he was interested in and sports he was good at. Then when Walter was walking in the park he saw a man witha chain arguing with another man. So Walter went alon and helped the man that was not wearing the chain fight the other guy that was wearing the chain. After the "fight" Walter and the man started to walk through the park and the man told Walter that his name was Frank Hall. When Walter asked Frank Hall why the fight had started Frank Hall had said because the man with the chain was trying to rob him but when the man with the chain found out that Frank didnt have any money they started to fight with eachother. Then later in the story Walter said that since he really liked to read and write poems people thought he was homosexual because boys around Harlem werent really supposed to do that type of stuff. Then at the end of the chapter Walter said that he was going to stop going to school again!.. Wonder Why?!**


 * October 21, 2010**
 * When Walter started the chapter "__Marks on Paper__" he first started talking about school and how he was doing very poorly with his grades, and assignments. Then Walter said that his English teacher was having conferences with the students including Walter indivisually about what they were reading. When Walter's teacher conferenced with him he recommended about 4 books that he thought would be good for Walter to read. Walter wasnt to sure of the books his teacher recommended but he decided just to try them out anyway. As i kept on reading the chapter, Walter just kept talking about the different books he was reading and what they were about. Walter also mentioned that in school he had taken a french class. Walter said that he only took the french class beacuase he wanted to leanr how to read Balzac's poems which were written in french.**


 * October 25, 2010**
 * In chapter 14 "__The Stranger__" Walter was talking to some man and he told Walter that if he kept on missing days off from school he would be eligable for a Juvenile Facility. As the man and Walter were speaking to eachother Walter looked down at his shoes and thoughts of suicicde flickered through his mind. Then Walter was talking to Frank about himself and just started telling us a mini "life story" about Frank, and things that had happend to him. Frank was telling Walter that he used to drink beer alot and got addicted to it. When Walter told Frank that he had never draken beer, Frank made sure that Walter never would. I think Frank made sure that Walter would never start to drink beer and become addicted to it like he did because I think that Frank actually sort of started to care a little bit for Walter. Also, I think that Frank was trying to keep Walter out of any type of trouble that he might of gotten into. Then at one point in the chapter Walter and Mama werent getting along very well so Walter was jusr randomly thinking about moving in with Frank since he was just to angry with mama at that point. But then Walter was thinking of how him and frank were very different and didnt have that much in common. Walter really like to read, but Frank did not. Also, Walter was saying that at home him Mama, and his dad never really interacted with eachother it was as if they were three completely different people living in the same house. So Walter kind of wanted to get away from that. But I think that if Walter went to go move in with Frank thenit would probably be the same kind of living just as it was at home with Walter's parents. These are somke things that happend and that I read about in chapter 14.**


 * October 25, 2010**
 * As I started reading the chapter "__Doctor Holiday__" Walter was just talking about school and how he was missing days of school on and off once again. Also, in the chapter Walter was talking about how he felt that he was very ugly and how he just wanted to hide somewhere away from everyone and everything but he couldnt because he was over six feet and he was just to tall to hide any where. I think that Walter was feeling bad for himself for no reason because there are alot of people in the world that are very tall just like Walter. Also, I think that Walter should have some more self confidence with things at school thinking that other people are smarter than him. Walter said that Mama couldnt help him with any of his problems because he didnt feel confortable telling her anything about what was going through his mind. I think that Walter should talk to someone about his problems because if he doesnt get help right away from people making fun of him and things like that then he might actually commit suicide. Also, in the chapter Walter was talking about mama and what she would do to him if he had told her that he had pains. These are some events that i read about in chapter fifteen "Doctor Holiday".**


 * October 26, 2010**
 * In chapter 16 "Being Black" at the begining Walter was still in Dr. Holidays office and when she asked him is he enjoyed being black he answered "yes, of course I do". Then throughout the chapter Walter was thinking about different meanings of what different things meant to him. For example, Walter wanted to find out what "being black" meant or what being a male really meant. Then Walter was telling us about things that black people werent aloud to do. Then at the end of the chapter Walter had like a flash back type of thing and repeated Dr. Holidays question in his mind. "Do u like being black"? Walter-"Yes, Of course I do". T think that Walter had this flash back because he wanted to give Dr. Holiday a different answer to her question she had asked him. I think that Walter might of wanted to give Dr. Holiday a different answer because after Walter thought of all the disadvantages that black people had he didnt really enjoy being black that much since they couldnt do everything that a single white person was able to do. These are some things that i read about in chapter sixteen.**


 * October 27, 2010**
 * As I started to read the chapter "1954" Walter said that most boys in his school had already sent out college applications and some already got accepted to tge colleges. Then Walter was talking about some sports things about the Dodgers. Walter said that he wanted to change the world he lived in that he felt had failed him. Dr. Holiday was trying to help Walter see his strengths and abilities to life. One day Dr. Holiday, asked Walter what he had been thinking about that day. Walter said that he had been thinking about himself dying in a battle. ThenDr. Holiday had asked mama if Walter had ever tried to kill himself or doing anything to harm anyone. Then Walter also said as the year was getting shorter he was having more and more anxiety feelings.Walter said that towards the end of the year it was becoming harder and harder for him to read.Then at the end of the chaoter im guessing Walter did know or realize that school had ended. So one day during the week he got his school books and supplies and started walking to school. When Walter got to the school the main doors and every other door around the building were all locked. Then a man came up behind Walter and asked "What are u doing here?" Walter repleid "I go to school here".But when the man told Walter that the school didnt open until September Walter stated towards home again and cried the entire way there. On his journey back home he kept saying to himslef "this is so far from what i really wanted to do with my life".**


 * October 29, 2010**
 * In chapter 19 which was the last chapter Walter was first talking about careers. He said that he didnt really want to use his writing skills for a job that he had gotten into. He didnt even really know what kind of career he wanted to get into. Then Walter was talking about the army and things that had been hapening lately with it. Also, he was talking about the different things the sargent people taught them there if they were in the army. Later in the chapter Walter remembered three words that one of his old teachers told him at school. The three words were "Never stop writing". Walter decided to take that advice an continue on writing poems. But he didnt really want to write them for money or anything like that, just for fun.. i guess. Ever since Walter started to write poems again he dreamed of having his poems in magazines. After weeks of waiting his dream finally came true. Then at the end of the chapter Walter became a succecful writer, and even started writing books for little children!**