Dear...

Dear Ms. Vallejo,

I recommend this book to you because it is a very interesting and vivid book. I wasn't bored for one second and even though I don't know if you are into vampires I would still recommend it to you because it kept me very entertained every night. This book is for you if you like romances and vampire books or if you like an interesting book that keeps your imagination alive. The author if this book added many details to it so it seemed very vivid and life-like to me. While I was reading I could not put the book down like when Bella turns into a vampire herself I could not stop reading. Also in the beginning of the book is very descriptive and I was very interested in it since the beginning. Since I would read right before I went to bed I would find myself sleeping until late just because I could not put down the book for a second! As I continued reading the book I seemed more drawn in when the vampires and werewolves had to unite to protect Renesmee, Bella's baby girl. How the book is written also draws you in. it draws you in because the author uses many details and figurative language to make the story come alive. For example when Bella gave birth every single detail was extremely descriptive. For me when I read this every single page or chapter would come alive in my mind and it would be as if I wasn’t only reading the book but as if I was witnessing it happen in the very moment. It took me to a whole other world where vampires and werewolves existed. For the time I was reading this book all I could wait for was getting home and reading the next chapter or know what happened next. However when I finished reading it, I realized it was the last book of the series and I was upset because I would no longer have that fantasy world I was so into. Every day I would read this book I would find myself more and more drawn in. With each page I would wonder what each individual character thought or felt and I would then imagine myself in their position so that kind of made it a lot more interesting for me and it made my imagination expand a bit more. Even after the book was finished I still kept imagining how their lives could have been like after and what would have happened if their child had been killed. I’d always wonder what might have been the outcome of those events and how it would change their life. Over all Breaking Dawn was a very good book to read and I would definitely recommend it to you.

                                                                                                                                           Sincerely,

                                                                                                                                Cristina Alonso

Breaking Dawn

As I drove down the road with the new car that Edward had given me as a condition for him changing me, I noticed people turn back and stare. I still couldn’t believe I was engaged to him and that I would soon be one of them. Even though I was in love with Edward I did really love Jacob and hadn’t meant to hurt him. In my head I still thought inviting him would only make everything worse. Edward had told him we were engaged and even though in the beginning I was upset in the end I knew he only did it because he knew I cared for Jake and I wouldn’t want to hurt him. He hadn’t spoken to me since. As I kept thinking about everything that had happened a man asked me about my car and if he could take a picture with it, I had no problem so I agreed. Then I left to face my father. I was terrified and even though I wasn’t sure if Edward was I was still extremely nervous and I didn’t know how Charlie would react. I expected him to dome to the conclusion that I am pregnant or he will be so furious that he’d try to kill Edward. After we told him he agreed that we get married but he told me I had to tell Renee and when I did she quickly reacted normally and even excited and she said she had assumed that we had been engaged for a while.

For the next couple of weeks Alice was organizing everything for the wedding. She came over to my house many times for the dress fitting and the tux fitting for Charlie. Even though he wasn’t crazy about wearing a tux there was no saying no to Alice. Alice was the perfect wedding planner but she kept asking me what I wanted I kept telling her to choose and that I would most likely love it anyways. Who knows how many people she decided to invite to the wedding but I knew she would invite as many people as she could.

When the big day came along, I was really nervous and I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Then both Alice and Rosalie took me inside the house to get ready. As I sat there Rosalie and Alice took turns with my hair and face, fixing what they could even though I thought that they were wasting their time because I still wouldn’t look as beautiful as them. Renee walked into the room and seemed really excited and she kept complimenting Alice and Rosalie on their work. She told me that I was beautiful and I felt as if we were both going to cry but I didn’t want to because I knew Alice had worked hard on everything and I didn’t want to mess up the makeup.

Finally I was at the aisle and I was very anxious to be next to Edward. For that time that I was away from him I felt different and anxious to see him again. I tried walking faster down the aisle but thankfully it was pretty short and it didn’t take long for me to find myself standing next to Edward and as he took my hand I felt as if this would be the beginning of our life together. We exchanged vows and as I looked into his golden eyes I couldn’t believe that this beautiful creature was now all mines. Afterwards we shared a tender kiss and then went back to his house for the rest of the celebration. Everyone was congratulating us and even though I was extremely happy I kept thinking about Jake in the back of my head. Then suddenly Edward told me he had a surprise for me and he took me to a dark shadowy part and then I heard a husky familiar voice. It was Jacob and as I buried myself in his arms I heard Edward leave, giving me a great gift – this moment with Jacob. As we danced so carelessly under the dark night I felt really glad that he decided to come and now I had everyone I love with me on the most important day of my life!

My wedding day went by pretty quickly and soon it was time for the honeymoon. I was really curious where Edward had planned on taking me. Then we went on many flights and when we were finally there he told me we were at an island called Isle Esme and that it had been a gift to Esme from Carlisle. I thought to myself who would give an island as a gift but I didn’t say anything because I was very happy to be here and it was beautiful. It was just perfect. As he carried me through the threshold as he had said he would do, I was suddenly surprised for how far we have gotten and that tonight we would finally make love to each other. Making love to him was like being in heaven but when I had woken up the next day I was sort of sore and I saw him looking as if he had done something wrong. He had ripped up a pillow. The next couple of nights were the same; we’d make love if I could seduce him even though he was afraid of hurting me.

One morning I woke up, threw up and started thinking. I hadn’t gotten my period and now I was getting morning sickness, moody, and sleepy. Could it be possible? I thought to myself a little more and then I told Edward, he asked Carlisle and he said it could be possible I was pregnant. Edward wanted me to get rid of the baby because it would harm me to keep it but I refused and so we decided I would have to be changed at that time or else I would die. We rushed back home and in weeks my belly grew. When Jacob found out he was devastated but for some reason he and I could not be without each other for that time. Soon I had to give birth but then that meant I had to be changed. The birth itself was excruciating but then the change was a little worse. When I woke up I was really thirsty and I felt a sharp burning pain in my throat. The first thing I thought of was my baby, Renesmee. Then I found out Jacob had imprinted on her, I was furious but then I understood he could not control it. My baby was a half vampire and Edward said that the Volturi would not approve of her and try to kill her because they had thought it was a newborn vampire child.

We all gathered – vampires and werewolves – and decided we’d fight against the Volturi if necessary but that we would not let them kill Nessie. When the Volturi came they seemed pretty calm and confident about the whole thing. I was a little nervous as I stood next to Jacob in wolf form and Renesmee on top of him. However I felt secure knowing that at least she and Jake would be safe no matter what happened. In the end we convinced the Volturi to let Nessie live and we lived forever the happiest we could ever be.

                                                                                                                                1,241 words

Test Taking Strategies

1. Create flashcards and other things to help you study before the test
2. Read the questions first
3. Take your time
4. If you get stuck on a question skip it then come back to it
5. Focus on your test even if everyone else is done

There are many ways to prepare for the CST’s. One of the ways I like to prepare is by reviewing and learning as much as I can before the test. I like to do this because that way I get as much new information as I can instead of going over things I already know. This often works when I really know the past information well. If I do not know the past information then I also go over that as well as try to learn more that may also be on the test. For example I would one week I would learn something new that could possibly be on the test then the next week review would I had learned before. Also I would go over standards I didn’t do so well on the benchmarks so I could know it when it comes up on the CST’s.  At times I think this works better if you review everything you learned one week before the test so it could be fresh in your head.

                Another way I would prepare for the CST’s is by creating flashcards, review questions, and going through old tests. By doing this I am going over both what I didn’t understand and what I did. If I didn’t understand a certain standard then I’d first go over my past tests and check in what standards I didn’t do well on. Second, I’d create flashcards for those standards so I could better understand it and so I could actually understand the question if it came up on the test. I’d also get together with some of my friends to review a couple days before the test. We’d each quiz each other on the subjects we are each struggling with then we’d go over everything just to be sure we covered every little thing. One week before the CST’s I think I would go over as much as I could but not too much. I think that if I go through too much, when the CST’s come there is going to be too much in my head that I’ll forget under pressure. As a result, I think that if I follow everything that I plan on do I should do fine on the CST’s.