Andrea+C-+Nichole+Mulvey

=Student: Andrea Cartright= Adult: Nichole Mulvey Book Title: Becoming Me =Hi Andrea,= I think now you see why I finished reading the whole book quickly! I wanted to know what was going to happen! The book had a positive message and Caitlin really stuck to her word. If you look in the back of the book, it shows the other books by Meloday Carlson and gives clues to what happens as Caitlin gets older and what happens with Josh. Don't read it if you don't want it to be spoiled though! My jaw just dropped when the school shooting occurred. I cannot imagine the loss of a life like that. It was amazing how they could come together and find support in each other. It shows how important church, family and faith can be to get you through tough times. I was very fortunate that I never had so many horrible things to deal with at that young of an age. Of course, when you do go through what feels like tough times, it can seem like a bigger deal than it is. I think this book is good for any junior high or high school girl to read. I agree that the content is a little mature for younger kids and they may not understand how hard peer pressure and staying true to yourself can be. It really puts your life into perspective and reminds you to be grateful for all that you have, even when things don't seem to go the way you want them to. I really wanted Josh to figure out what he wanted from his faith and Caitlin. I was hoping they could work it out, as he seems like a nice guy and has good intentions, but he just hasn't decided to act on it. I felt really bad for Beanie, and I hope that Steph and Caitlin's family can be a good guide in the decisions she will have to make. It makes a good point in the book that you never know how one bad decision can change our life forever. When you are young, it is hard to remember that and keep that perspective. It is also hard to go against peer pressure. I don't know if I would have given up the prom - that is a huge deal when you are in highschool! I wouldn't have changed the ending either. I want Caitlin to continue on her path and stay confident in her decisions, as she is doing such a good job so far. I want to know more about each of their lives and what God's plans are for each of the characters. I have to go to a meeting, so I will finish my partner chat tomorrow. Enjoy the weather! Nichole

Partner Chat: I enjoyed this book a lot too. It was easy to read and flowed well. There were some things that really suprised me and I like that - it wasn't too predictable, and in a good way, it keep me wondering what would happen next. It sounds like you will be having a fun and exciting last month of junior high. You are getting to take so many cool trips! I am glad you enjoyed Chicago. It is a really neat place and has so many things to see and do. Six Flags and Holiday World - I hope you like roller coasters. I always LOVED them when I was younger. I haven't been to an amusement park for a few years, so I guess I would still enjoy it. My family and I used to go to Holiday World every summer when I was younger. I will probably take my kids there in a few years too. Are you taking a vacation with your family this summer? Are you getting ready to wrap up your track season yet? I can't remember how long that lasts. When I was in junior high I was a sprinter too and did high jump. When I got to highschool, I threw discuss and shot and did middle races, like the 300 meter hurdles. It was always a lot of fun and most of my friends were in track, so that was great. Good luck with your meet coming up. Just believe in yourself and in the talents you have! I know it is hard to be confident, but everyone has strengths and weaknesses, even as adults. Like you said, it takes some practice to accomplish your goals. It is not easy for anybody, even though it seems easy for some people. Deep down, we all have things we are nervouse about or doubts about how good we are. The truth is, you have to focus on being proud of yourself. Just work on improving against your own goals. There will always be someone who is faster, stronger, smarter, prettier, more confident, etc., but that doesn't matter as long as you work on your abilities and strive to improve. I think this book is a good example of that message too. Have fun and talk to you next week! Nichole = = = Adult: Nichole Mulvey = Student: Andrea Cartright Book Title: //Becoming Me// Pages Read: 172-248 Hey Nichole: I think this week’s reading was definitely the best ever! I am so glad for Caitlin and her decisions and many of the others’ also. I can’t wait to read on in her second book to see what will happen next. My heart literally dropped when I read that Clay had gotten shot. I almost cried. He had changed everyone’s life before and after his death. But Tony did make a good replacement for his brother. But I am definitely sure that it wasn’t the same. I thought that it was a good idea that the youth group got together and prayed and grieved together. It made them get through the loss together. I have gone through a loss that was hard on our family but we got through it together and it brought us closer with each other. That’s what happened with Caitlin and her family and even her youth group family. She could talk to some of those people about things that she had never dreamed about talking about before Clay’s death. Caitlin and Josh probably did the right thing by breaking up and just be friends because they were not having the right type of relationship. Sometimes they were taking it too far. It was really surprising that Caitlin gave up prom but she knew what she felt and didn’t want to use Josh just to go to a silly dance. That was definitely not what I thought was going to happen. I really can’t relate to Caitlin and Josh because I haven’t ever been in a really serious relationship or really any. But just by what it sounds like, Caitlin did the right thing. Beanie and Zach are having a really hard time getting through what has happened to them in just one night. They definitely did go way toooo far, but I really don’t know if they are happy together. Zach has a very awesome future ahead of him. I really hope that Beanie’s pregnancy doesn’t affect Zach’s future to get the scholarship that he is bound to have. I really can’t relate to this and glad I can’t. This sounds like a really hard situation to get through and I don’t want this to happen to any of my friends or me. Poor Beanie doesn’t have anyone except God and Caitlin to get her through all of this. Well I guess Steph is also a big help. I really did enjoy this book. I liked it because I can see that life can be extremely worse. This book also shows that believing in God can change your whole life around. I think every girl would like this book. I really don’t think that any boy would like this book but you never know. This book is sort of in the mature range, but it isn’t too bad. No girl younger that seventh should read this book. The theme of this book would be that you should trust God to be in your life. You should also help others get through tough times. This is an example of Caitlin helping Beanie get through Clay’s death and her pregnancy. But her pregnancy isn’t quite over with yet. But I am sure that Caitlin will be a big part in getting her through it. You should always think that your life is not bad and live it to the fullest because you never know what will show up the next day. At the end of this book I really wanted to know what happened to Beanie and Zach and the baby but I really hope that it is in the next book. I also wanted to know if Caitlin kept her commitment but I am sure she did. I really don’t think that I would change the ending at all. This ending was awesome and I am really glad that it wasn’t a sad ending or an ending that you just get left hanging. It was just right. Partner Chat: I really liked this book. I didn’t know if it would be a very good book but I proved that wrong when I read it. I plan on reading more of Melody Carlson’s books. I just love the way she writes. It is just so suspenseful and just great I don’t know how to explain it. Track is going great. I have a track meet tonight and on Thursday I think. Tomorrows is going to be awesome because I get to see my St Anthony friends from cross country. I haven’t got to see her since volleyball and I didn’t get to talk to her that day either so it will be exciting. I really love those meets that the other girls are friendly and will talk to you while waiting for the events because you don’t see like you are so lonely. In track I throw shot put and I run the 4x200 meter relay and the 200 meter run. I am more a sprinter. What did you do when you were in track?? I also wish that I would have more confidence in myself. But I am working on it and hope that I can get it fixed. I think that many people are the same way because they always have doubts in there selves and they end up doing just fine even though they did have doubts. So I think if we didn’t have doubts in ourselves, then we could do really well. It’s just a problem that can be fixed if you believe in yourself. The band trip to Chicago was amazing. I hope I will get to go back sometime. This Friday we are going to Six Flags for an eighth trip and I am looking forward to it. Then next Friday I am going to Holiday World with the student council and I’m sure that it will be amazing also. I just have so many things to look forward to in the next couple of weeks. I also wanted to tell you Happy Anniversary!!!! Hope you had a great time. But I am sure you did!!!!

See you for now, Andrea Cartright J

Nichole Mulvey Book Title: Becoming Me Pages Read: 88-171 Hi Andrea! I wrote this before I got your response today, so I answered some things from last week too. Here is my take on the characters so far: I would describe Caitlin as a searching soul. She isn’t sure where to turn or what to believe about Josh, her parents, school, etc. You were right about her going out with Josh again. He seems like a nice enough guy, but he is also searching and feeling the pressure to fit in and be popular. I am proud of Caitlin for confronting Josh, but I don’t think that is something I would have been able to do that when I was sixteen. I think it takes a lot to build enough confidence to be yourself around other people. I can relate to Caitlin too in trying to figure out how to fit in and still be true to who she is or wants to be. I went to a small school through eighth grade and then when I got to high school, I wasn’t sure how to act and really wanted to fit in. Figuring out how to deal with boys was also a challenge. It seemed like some girls knew how to act and deal with those situations right away. It took me longer to figure out how to balance everything – new school, new friends, sports, etc. I am glad she decided to go out for track. She is doing well and it gives her other ways to make friends and do something she enjoys. I was really shocked by the school shooting incident. I cannot even imagine how terrible that would be. Caitlin questions God’s role in that event. I can understand that and have had similar questions in things I have dealt with in my life. Caitlin is quick to see the positive side of that situation and I think that has to do with her building her relationship with God. She is a positive person and I like that about her. I would want to be friends with her. I think she would be able to remind me that I need to be myself and help me stay positive about things in my life. Partner Chat: I didn’t write this last week, so I want you to know that I really enjoyed the book. That is, I finished reading it this weekend. I was excited to find out what she was going to do about everything and just went ahead and read to the end! I am excited to hear what you think about everything that happens. I was really suprised by some of it. Reading about the track meets in the book made me think of you. How is track going? What events do you do? I remember how fun it was to go to the meets. I liked talking to the other girls and watching my friends do really well. I always got really nervous before my events though. Looking back, I wish that I had had more confidence in myself and my abilities. I am glad Caitlin and Beanie became friends again. It is always good to have at least one person who “gets” you. I don’t feel like I met my really good, true friends until I got to high school and college, though. I guess by that time, I had learned to be myself and let people accept (or not) me for who I was or how I acted. Having at least one good friend is so important to helping you get through tought times. I understand that high school seems intimidating now, but I met some really nice people through the activities I was involved in. When you have a common interest, it is easier to find other things that you both like too. Don’t get me wrong, I was really nervous about high school and all the older kids I would be around. The good news is, it all seems to work out (in other words, I survived). I think that Caitlin makes it seem easier to stay true to what you believe in than it really is. There is a lot of pressure when you are that age to do what others are doing and to act a certain way. It can be very hard sometimes and you are likely to make mistakes, but if you are nice to people and stand up for yourself when it matters, you will be fine. Does that make me sound old or what (lol)??? Anyway, I am enjoying the book and glad to be past that stage in my life where I am still searching for who I am. I feel for you and all the other kids who are like Caitlin, because we all go through it. It is nice to have a book like ours to remind us that we are not the only ones who feel that way sometimes. Have a good rest of the week and I am looking forward to hearing about what you think about the rest of the book too! The band trip sounds really fun. I have been to Chicago several times. There is a lot of neat stuff to do. I have never seen Blue Man Group, but I would like to. I don't have anything too exciting planned for the week ahead. It is my wedding anniversary this weekend, so I am hoping to go to Terre Haute and go out to eat and do some shopping to celebrate. Have fun in Chicago! Do you have any track meets coming up? Nichole Mulvey

Student: Andrea Cartright Book Title: //Becoming Me// Pages Read: 88-171

Hello Nichole: This weeks reading was where Caitlin got her a boyfriend, which was who I thought she would get, Josh. I think now that they have both accepted God, that they will do the right thing and not go too far in their relationship. That is just my opinion and I could be wrong on my thinking but that is what I am guessing. I really hope that they have accepted God because they really feel that way and not just because their friends did. Josh has changed because I think he has grown up. I also think that Caitlin has grown up by her decisions that she has made by herself. I don’t really know what to think of Jenny because she is kind of suspicious in my opinion. I think she is trying to scare Caitlin by telling her all these things about Josh because she wants him back. She is either trying to get Josh back or Caitlin back. The main character is Caitlin. She is the one that keeps the story moving by writing in her diary. She has had many problems that she has tried her best to fix and some she has succeeded in fixing but some she hasn’t yet. She reminds me of me. I say that because she and Beanie have a very good relationship as best friends and they can talk to each other about anything. That is the way my best friend and me are. I really like this trait and hope never to lose it. I don’t think that there are any traits that stand out very much that I would die to have. I like the traits I have the way they are and hope to not lose any of them. I think I would be a friend with Caitlin because she is the type of girl that seems outgoing and fun to be around. She would probably be the one that listens to my problems and helps me get through them.

Partner Chat I have really liked this book. I have wanted to read actually. Hope you have! I think that prom night will bring conflicts up when that night approaches because of the couples and possibly Jenny will try to do something or the other. That night just seems a little fishy for some reason because those big events in this book have always led to some kind of disaster. I also think that Zach and Beanie will get back in touch because I think Caitlin will try to help that out. Can’t wait to find out if my predictions are right! How has your week been going? Mine has been great and will get greater because we have our band trip on Thursday. We are going to Chicago to see the Blue Man Group, go to Navy Pier, and take a boat tour of Chicago. I am really looking forward to it. Counting down the hours! Is there anything exciting coming up in your week??

Hope you’re having fun reading, Andrea Cartright