Blog Feed

1. Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Collins, 1979. Print.

This source is one of the first books that came to mind when I began thinking of recipes to pull. While there isn’t a specific recipe that can be pulled, I have lots of ideas for things involving different kinds of fruit. This is also a great book to use because it is widely known and very popular among kids. Hopefully this will help make the book interesting and attainable to kids of many ages, as it will be a familiar story. I will have to be a little bit creative when it comes to creating a recipe, but I’m sure that I’ll be able to use all the fruit mentioned in an interesting way.

2. Carroll, Lewis, John Tenniel, and Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ; &, Through the

Looking-glass. New York, NY: Bantam Dell, 2006. Print.

This book is one of my all-time favorite stories. Not only that, but because of the animated film it is widely known and loved. While not so many kids will have read the book, they will still know the story and that makes it ideal. I’m hoping that including elements of this story in my cookbook will make kids more interested in reading the novel, which is one of my favorites. I am also hoping that this can bridge the gap between younger children and older children, which is another goal of my project.

3. Custer, Delores. Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food For the Camera. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print.

At first when I found this source, I didn’t think it would have much meaning for my project. As I continued reading, however, I realized how wrong I was. This book is beautifully put together, and gave me a lot of information about photographing food. This was something I hadn’t thought much about, but of course pictures of the finished product need to be included in my cookbook. I was able to take down some extremely helpful notes on food photography, that I’m sure I will reference when I get to that stage. I was not able to buy the book, but thankfully found it in Barnes and Noble to take notes from. I hope to find it in the library so I can check it out closer to the time that I’ll be taking pictures.

4. Forest, Heather, and Susan Gaber. Stone Soup. Little Rock, AR: August House LittleFolk, 1998. Print.

This was the first book that I thought of when I decided on this topic. Not only do I love the story- a sweet tale that teaches about the importance of sharing- but I have always been intrigued by ‘stone’ soup. I have since discovered that ‘stone’ soup is just vegetable soup, which was slightly disappointing but I am excited to make it nonetheless. This is the first recipe that I will find or create, and I am excited to think about which elements of the story to pull out when designing the book. I do hope that I am able to locate my copy of this book, but I’m sure it will be in the library should I need to check it out.

5. Gilletz, Norene. "The Right Way to Write Recipes." The Right Way to Write Recipes by Norene Gilletz. Blacksun, 2011. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.

This source gives great detail on how to effectively write recipes. Writing the recipes was one of the things that I was worried about with this project, as it was something I had never done before. I had never heard of this author before, so I did a little research to make sure she knew what she was talking about. Gilletz has no less than nine cookbooks out, and is one of the top-selling cookbook authors. She is also a food consultant and a cooking instructor. I have no doubt that she knows what it takes to write recipes, and I found her tips both easy to follow and extremely helpful. I have no doubt I will be referencing this webpage often!

6. Jacob, Dianne. Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Lifelong, 2010. Print.

This was the first book that came to me in my search for how to write a good cookbook. This book came along with great reviews and recommendations, and I knew it was one I had to check out. Dianne Jacob is both a book editor and cookbook author, so I was pretty willing to trust her ideas. I was able to pull out several simple tips for writing good cookbooks, and I look forward to applying them when I get to this point in my project.

7. Marshall, James. George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Print.

I wasn’t familiar with this book before researching for this project. It came recommended by several families that I know and work for with young children, so I knew I had to look into it. I know there’s some great recipes I can pull out from these books, and I’m excited to begin the process of creating and experimenting with cooking. I do not own this book, but I was able to borrow it from a family that I work for. I do think this will be a good book to include for the younger children.

8. Numeroff, Laura Joffe., and Felicia Bond. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. New York: Laura Geringer, 2007. Print.

This source is an obvious choice when thinking of children’s books that highlight food. Cookies are always delicious, and I definitely they’re necessary for a children’s cookbook. Not only are cookies loved by children, but the book is as well. It’s a hugely popular book, and I think kids will be excited to see it included in the cookbook. I know that there are other books in this ‘series’ as well, such as If You Give a Pig a Pancake, or If You Give a Moose a Muffin, and I am considering incorporating those as well. I’m not sure if I will do that, but it is a possibility.

9. Ostmann, Barbara Gibbs., and Jane L. Baker. The Recipe Writer's Handbook. New York: Wiley, 2001. Print.

This source is one that came up pretty quickly in my search for recipe-writing resources. While I’m not quite at this stage yet, I think it’s definitely helpful to have on hand for when I get there. I don’t know if writing the recipes will be difficult for me, but I am anticipating that it will be very different from the writing that I am used to. Because of this, I’m trying to pull together as many resources as I can for support when I begin this stage of my project. I have no doubt that I’ll be turning to this handbook often.

10. Walker, Barbara M. The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories. New York: Harper & Row, 1989. Print.

This resource is incredibly valuable, because it is very similar to the project that I’m creating. Instead of pooling together recipes from different children’s books, however, this cookbook focuses on the Little House in the Woods series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I loved this series, and this source is a great mentor text for me to check in with. I think it does a great job at incorporating the stories into the pages, making the book feel very authentic. This is something I definitely want to achieve with my own cookbook, so I’m sure I’ll be referring to this one often.

Works Cited

"Beyond the Cliché: How to Create Characters That Fascinate | Write to Done." Write to Done Beyond the Cliche How to Create Characters That Fascinate Comments. N.p., 06 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://writetodone.com/how-to-create-characters/>.

I chose writing a short novel as my capstone because I wanted to bring something new to the metaphorical literary gene pool; this source is all about cliche characters, and how to avoid them. Even though I am familiar with many tropes through my own reading experience, it was incredibly helpful to have some of them listed out along with ways to make sure my characters are unique. I believe this source is credible because the writer of the article is also the author of several books (whose genres range from young adult novels to historical fiction). She has also written a book on how to improve writing techniques.

Gerrold, David. Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy. Cincinnati, OH:

Writer's Digest, 2001. Print.

This book is aimed directly at science fiction and fantasy novel writers, but many of the tips and advice can carry over into other genres of literature. Worlds of Wonder is full of writing exercises that are fun and interesting to complete; I like the focus that the author puts on creating a sense of wonder in the reader, and how or where to draw inspiration from. He also brings up good points about the importance of consistency and how to make sure a story maintains its believability right from the start. This source is and will be incredibly useful to read through when I am in the process of writing.

Gingerich, Jon. "Five Plot Devices That Hurt Your Writing." LitReactor. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://litreactor.com/columns/five-plot-devices-that-hurt-your-writing>.

I am not used to writing plots - most of the writing I have done in the past five years has been academic essays and informative narratives. Now that I am dipping my toes into stories, which require a plot, this website is a good place to start familiarizes myself with what I should not do. Some of the things to avoid I already know I am susceptible to doing - such as the deus ex machina and writing too much of my personal experience in. The advice the site gives on not getting caught in these pitfalls is sound.

"The Golden Rules for a Good Plot | Scribendi.com." The Golden Rules for a Good Plot | Scribendi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.scribendi.com/advice/goldenrulesforagoodplot.en.html>.

This site is full of writing resources, mainly focused on logistics and how or when to get things done. This particular article elaborates on the process of making a good plot. It comes from the opinion that plot should be established before the story is written; someone writing a story should create a ‘skeleton’ or outline with the intention of staying on track when doing actual writing. This would be good for me to do because I often go on tangents when I write, which takes up time that could have been spent on editing or furthering my story and capstone.

."How to Write Dialogue That Works – Elements of a Story." How to Write Dialogue That Works – Elements of a Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-dialogue.html>.

Dialogue is one of the trickiest parts of any book; good dialogue fleshes out characters and gives insight into the world, but bad plot can turn a reader away from the story entirely. This website is concise and gives examples of both what not to do and what to emulate because it’s so good. I plan on having my cast of characters interact with each other extensively. Since this means I will have a quite a bit of dialogue, I want to make sure I am doing my story and characters credit and am not being melodramatic, boring, or unrealistic.

Kirkman, John, and Christopher Turk. Effective Writing: Improving Scientific, Technical and Business Communication. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Google Books. Google. Web. <http://books.google.com/books?id=JwN6AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT120&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

Effective Writing is an interesting book on a writer can create flow in their stories. Another noteworthy aspect of the book is that it also addresses charts and images, and how that can add to or detract from the reader’s understanding. Reminiscent of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, this book examines word choice, brevity versus colloquialisms, and how to write in an active (rather than passive) manner.  This is important for me because I write many of my academic (and especially scientific) essays in a passive voice to avoid making false generalizations and referring to myself; in a story, a passive voice doesn’t serve the purpose of getting the story across.

"Story Lite Writers Software to Maximize Productivity." Story Lite Productivity Software for Writing and Editing. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.storylite.com/how-to-use-story-lite-software/short-story-stories-novella-writer/>.

While the website is essentially one large ad for writing software, this particular page calls out the difference in anecdotes, novellas, and full length stories. It gives examples of authors who wrote short stories before moving on to longer works of fiction, and also writers who started with short stories but then expanded them into full novels. In describing the distinction between anecdotes and short stories, it also describes what elements make either one good and enjoyable to read. The site also says the most compelling short stories deal with powerful themes, like ageing or love. I hadn’t thought of defining my stories in terms of themes, I think it would be interesting to do so.

"TARA K. HARPERWRITER'S WORKSHOP First Person or Third?" First Person or Third Person? N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.tarakharper.com/k_frstpr.htm>.

Before I start writing, I need to commit myself to a certain style of writing. At its core, this

means either first person, or third person. Both has merits; with first person, I have access to the thoughts and feelings of my main character, while with third person, I have more control over what the reader takes away from my population of characters as a whole. There are also detriments to both: for example, with first person, the narration is limited to the owner of the point of view. The point of view I choose will directly affect how i write my story.

"Voice in Writing: Developing a Unique Writing Voice." WritersDigestcom. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/voice-in-writing-developing-a-unique-writing-voice>.

This article explains the importance of developing a writing voice. I like that a writing voice isn’t described in terms of strength, but rather how true and distinct it is from other voices. I also like that the author took the time to contrast ‘writing voice’ from ‘style’, where voice is the the authors sensibilities and personality coming through. This is important in the foundation of my story, making sure I keep my voice and don’t ‘pick up’ other author’s traits accidentally. Keeping my voice consistent is also very important; since I will be writing in bursts, there might be some fluctuation in how I write.

Wending, Chuck. "The Zero-Fuckery Quick-Create Guide To Kick-Ass Characters (And All The Crazy Plot Stuff That Surrounds 'Em)."Terribleminds Chuck Wendig. N.p., 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/10/28/plot-and-character/>.

This article was written in an accessible, humorous way. The author disapproves of, and explains why he disapproves of, typical character mapping and character quizzes. Knowing what a character’s favorite color, or how tall they are, ultimately does nothing to develop their personality. Instead, Wending gives the reader a myriad of other exercises to do to help ground a particular character - like writing a 100 character bio for them. The article also explains where plot really comes from; not only is plot derived from conflict, but the character’s inability or unwillingness to address an issue affects the storyline greatly. Figuring out how a character relates to an event is important to establish before writing.

Other Sources

Burroway, Janet, Elizabeth Stuckey-French, and Ned Stuckey-French. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Cohen, Richard. Writer's Mind: Crafting Fiction. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1995. Print.

"What Makes a Good Story? Tips for Young Authors." What Makes a Good Story? (Tips for Young Authors). N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.aaronshep.com/youngauthor/elements.html>.

Good evening all

Did you know the government can cause harm to students?

Now go back to when you were in school and think about all those big benchmark exams. Bubbling in those twenty four questions deciding if it's A or B while your hands are aching. As I stand here in front of you all today, thinking back to when I was bubbling in Tamir Harper. Which is the only information they would ever know about me because there is know section where I can bubble in that I am A Philadelphia Youth Commissioner.  Now come back and imagine instead of those big benchmark exams, they are projects where you are able to collaborate with your peers and ask for help when needed. Project base means exactly what it says.

So now lets discuss an important topic for students, parents and educators everywhere. Know I'm not here to discuss funding in schools or why school sucks but I am here to discuss something that is equal to that. Which is Standardized Testing. Yes, Standardized testing is just as big as funding our schools or stopping bullying. But this affects everyone.

I begin advocating for youth once I became a student at Science Leadership Academy, a Philadelphia magnet school which focuses on Project Based Learning.  

Standardized test affect everyone even students that have low funding in their schools or getting bullied or students like myself that go to project based schools.

You are forced to sit in front of a test that measures how smart you are. How your teacher have been teaching through the year and your capabilities. Why? That's a question that I have been asking for about 6 years now. Why do I have to sit here in front of this test? I now know the answer. Do you?

Its to measure out how smart you are. Why? I don't know. Do you? I have been wanting to know this answer because this is not the only way the government can figure out how smart you are. Instead of sitting in front of a test how about they test your creativity by making you create an amazing project or by asking you to go teach a first grade class. There's other ways. These test does not do anything except make you feel as dumb as a rock and make you feel as though you were cheated out of an education which is not the case.

As a student I have experienced all of those problems. As a middle school student I was one of the last students and the most frustrated student during the Standardized Test.

But know. The Government likes it there way. Did you know in the state of Pennsylvania you are required to pass Keystones in order to graduate high school? After the PA government decided to put this rule in effect The School District Of Philadelphia projects a forty three percent decrease in graduation in the school year of 2016-2017. Already the district graduation rate was only at sixty five percent. With that project it will decrease to twenty two percent.

Lets make a change. Lets not make our students go through this emotional journey. This is not fair this is not okay and change must be made to the laws of Standardized Testing.

A good friend of mine Seyni Ndaw once said. ¨I am more than a standardized test because... A test score does not determine my learning journey.¨ But once PA determined that High School students were not able to graduate without passing test. It defined her learning journey in a classroom.

Why are we making our students stress about a Standardized test? Why are we making students stop learning for five weeks just to do test prep? Why? We could be using those five weeks to prepare them for next year or maybe prepare them for life. But instead we cover classrooms up and make students feel like trash.

I want everyone here today to go and ask a youth how they feel about standardized testing. Go to your Mayor and Governor office to challenge them on different laws on Standardized Testing. Government officials I challenge each and everyone of you to sit in a classroom and take a standardized test.

- Testing does not define me, my goals or my creativity.

Previously I wrote about anti-semitism and anti-semitism in the world. Throughout the world Jews are being mistreated and persecuted for practicing their religion. Throughout the world there's  a lot of anti-semitism raging on. From Europe to the middle east people do not like Jews and our religion. Another issue about anti-semitism that I wrote about previously is that there is a lack of knowledge about Jews and anti-semitism in the world.  Due to this lack of knowledge the issue is not getting solved.

For my original research  I met with and interviewed a holocaust survivor, Rabbi Charlie Kraus. He is a Holocaust survivor who was sent so several camps at the age of 14. In

Rabbi Kraus with his two daughters 1975

1944 his father was taken away by German soldiers, he along with the rest of his family were sent to Auschwitz. He was there for a week and a half, in that time his mother, brother and grandparents were all sent away and killed. After Auschwitz he was sent to Dachau (another concentration camp.) After Dachau he was sent to Mühldorf where he stayed for the first time by himself. After Mühldorf he was sent to Kaufering. Typhus and starvation were rampant at the time and people were dying every day. In the interview Rabbi Kraus said the last concentration camp was the worst. He forgets the name of it but he said the things people would do for nourishment were unspeakable. He was in the last camp for a couple of months until he was put onto a train with thousands of other jews. While on the train American soldiers in plains above began to shoot down onto the German soldiers. The person sitting next to Rabbi Kraus was shot and killed instantly. While in this commotion Rabbi Kraus noticed the Nazis were nowhere to be found and he jumped off of the train. He ran into the woods and stayed there for several days. He then was found and taken to a hospital. The war had ended and the Nazi regime had been destroyed. He went back to his home town where he was reunited with his father. After Europe he went to the United States and became a rabbi. He was taught by a famous rabbi and teacher Abraham Joshua Heschel.  

Anti-semitism effects people. Rabbi Kraus was lucky and strong, he manages to keep a happy life and stays optimistic after everything he has been through. Others are not so lucky, many lost faith and could not continue living after all that they had seen and been through. My understanding of anti-semitism is now more personalized, I have heard an account of someone's experience in the Holocaust and feel closer to my faith. I am still left wondering, why Jews? Before the Holocaust Jews in Hungary were prominent members in society. They were lawyers and doctors and businessmen. Why were Jews picked out as the evil ones, as the evil religion. Not just during the Holocaust but throughout history. With the exile from Babylonia, the Crusades, Pogroms, the Inquisition and even in this country there were quotas to limit Jews in universities and in professions.  Jews have been persecuted wherever they went.

For my agent of change I would like to make a presentation and present to some of the classes at Greenfield Middle School. I want to inform people about this issue and get the word out in the world that Jews are being mistreated and persecuted. I hope students will get out of my presentation a new look on Judaism. Not as a religion that seems to be nonexistent or a religion to pity but a religion that has endured so much and still continues to thrive and be existent in the world. I want to show people that people who are anti-semitic often masc their beliefs behind being anti-Israel. I want to inform the world and make a difference.