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The reason I chose this book is because my sister watched the Netflix series of this book and she really enjoyed it. I haven't seen the Netflix series, but I did read the sample on Amazon and was intrigued. I've wanted to read it since and then watch the Netflix show after I do.

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I chose "The Secret Life of Bees". When I read, it is nice to make a list, but more often I read what the world places before me. I did a big book shop with my mom, and this book presented itself. I know it kind of falls into the category of "white kid learns about racism secondhand", but I loved "The Help", and this seems like a YA version.

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I found this book on TeachingBooks that was provided in the section on Canvas. I chose it because ultimately I have seen this book before on ads and through other classes. I have not read it yet but I have always been intrigued by the storyline. I have a big passion for fighting against police brutality, especially given the recent massive exposure of it all through George Floyd's murder and just previous police brutality among black communities in general. I read the Hate U Give and was glued into it only 4 pages in. I think this will have the same effect.

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I chose to read The Hate U Give for our choice reading this semester. I have kept telling myself I would read this book multiple times, but I've never gotten to it yet, so it'll be good for me to read it for this class :) -Emma

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I chose A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney. I originally found this book a few years ago because it's an Alice in Wonderland retelling, and I've been trying to read as many as I can find, particularly because I want to write one of my own. I chose to use it because, in addition to your more typical fantasy elements, the story has some examinations of race and racism. The main character, Alice, is black, and some of the monsters she fights (called Nightmares) are fueled by police brutality.

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I found this book while perusing through the shopping resources links; while on Buzzfeed, I found a list that contained this novel. Thoroughly enjoying horror, thriller, and mystery stories this one struck a chord with me. So, I investigated further and found the plot sounded exciting and contains themes that will be relatable to many teens. It's also set within a haunted house, and those are particularly popular in current media, especially among junior high and high school-aged students. Therefore I believe that it’s the perfect book for me to get started with!

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How I found it:
I get a lot of emails from Barnes and Noble (I'm a member because I buy too much manga from them, smh), and while checking out their recent book haul sale, I got sucked into browsing the YA section. There, I came across this book and was struck by the title and cover. So naturally, I investigated.

Why I chose it:
Following my book audit, I'm especially eager to seek out books with more racial and LBGT diversity but also books written by more diverse authors. Cemetary Boys is written by a trans, Latinx author about a trans, Latinx boy. What's more, it's about ghosts. The summary caught my interest, and, based on the information I've dug up, I don't think I could find a book more aligned with my current interests.

Summary:

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave.

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave."

[Source: Aiden Thomas' Website]

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I've been working my way through Rainbow Rowell's novels for a while now and have been absolutely adoring her Simon Snow series. This is the latest book in the series, and I planned on picking it up anyways, so I figured why not use it for class as well?
'Any way the wind blows' is the final book in a series that follows the protagonist, Simon Snow, as he tries to re-discover who he is and where he wants to be in the world after he fails the path of 'the chosen one'. As he straddles his identity between a world of magic and a normalcy, he also struggles with his relationship with his magically-raised friends and boyfriend Basil (Baz). All whilte surviving onslaughts of attacks from an immense variety of magical creatures and races. Its a series that captures a lot of the conflicts in human emotions and I like to describe it to friends as the Harry Potter that I wished I'd gotten as a child.

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Hey, my name is David Spinu. I use he/him pronouns. I was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, so I've only been living in WA for 3 years now. Although I'm always told that my persona doesn't give this impression off to people, I am a huge nerd. I have been playing World of Warcraft and watching anime since I was about six years old. That being said, I also love the outdoors, hiking, working out, and playing sports just as much as I enjoy my computer screen. I don't know if it says much about me, but my favorite song is "Pink Matter" by Frank Ocean.

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I have chosen to read “A Song Below Water”. This book has diverse main characters, deals with sexism and racism, located in Portland, and a beautiful combination of modern mythology. I discovered this book using Fort Vancouver Regional Library’s Sampler feature. The local librarian took my preferences and found a winner!

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Rhythm and poetry.

It was the acronym that raised me.

They can go toe-to-toe with poets

With performances amazing.

Any time I’m at my lowest

I always know that they will save me.

Because time and time again

It was that rappers that would raise me.

Choose between committing a crime

or killing with rhyme

By spilling venomous thoughts

That reside in my mind.

The ones I’m holding underwater

But they somehow survive.

The ones that come up as a nightmare

That will haunt me for life.

The ones that are vocalizing lies

Until I’m barely alive.

Until my pen hits the paper

And it finally dies.

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Hello everyone, my name is Flaffy! (he/him)
I really like when people play with words, so when people cringe at puns I'm usually laughing. In my eyes, they are the highest form of entertainment.
I do a lot of writing for entertainment purposes in my free time. I overanalyze video games and sometimes create video essays with my findings on YouTube. One of my best videos is a video called "Why Children Should Play Minecraft" where I break down the educational value of the game.
One of my favorite things I've written is an analysis of similar themes between novels and video games. The video game "The Last of Us" was hugely inspired by a book by Cormac McCarthy called "The Road." I used this to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different forms of media. Basically, I found a loophole that let me play video games for my final paper at Clark.

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I Was Raised By…

Large sets of families

Step-grandparents are

Real Grandparents,

The sweet smell of Grandmas sugar cookies

Wednesday night Survivor

Family camp trips playing it

Bring us together briefly,

That’s all we need

Summers spent in the water

Or surrounded by dirt

Winters surrounded by movies,

Hot chocolate and snacks

Arguments that end in

Laughter

Or

Tears

Living like an only child

With two siblings

Both over a decade

Older

Three dopey, fluffy, funny

Dogs.

Two goofy, sweet, conniving

Cats

Six loud, singing, flying

Birds.

These are the pets that

Surrounded me

The ones I will

Always remember

I was raised by

My parents

High school sweethearts

Who are still figuring it out.

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Oh dear Abigail...I think I accidentally deleted your poem. I'm so sorry.  Can you repost it?

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Oh dear Abigail...I think I accidentally deleted your poem. I'm so sorry.  Can you repost it?

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Decided to switch my book and determined to read this one! As a Filipino, I am very, very ecstatic to see a Filipino American protagonist and delving into the Philippines' current issues along side potentially learning cultural stuff and getting very excited if I detect any usage of Tagalog!

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I left, questing for answers
The Journey sent me Guides

Some showed me what they carried:
Bread
Cheese
Unwavering Courage
Hope

One showed me the power of
tears
the realness of
grief
and the healing that comes when the
two are combined

One was gone too soon.

Some lingered longer than I thought was necessary
I was wrong

One told tales of
Wise fools
the shapes of
Kindness
the meanings of
Love

One taught me to be curious.
Another taught me to be cautious
of things I do not understand

One said I should be kind to others
for life is unkind

One believed in being Kind
to yourself
perfection takes time

Still another showed me
without  a single word spoken
that I could be
Strong

Each brought with them
Laughter and Tears
Anger and Anxiety

Not one was perfect
all played their parts
Perfectly

I am wiser for their Guidance
the Road marches on

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Strong winds and deep seas

I was raised by strong winds and deep seas.

My family split by two separate phenomenons.

The women in my family can move mountains and shatter skies.

I come from great strength and wisdom with the expense of a fragile heart.

The deep oceans that engulf the souls in the women before me make for long holding caves that never end.

I was raised with roots deep into the earth where I can find my heritage.

I was raised by long hair and bare feet holding the ground.

I was raised to hold nothing back and yet bring everything forward.

My childhood consisted of minding my manners and doing as I was told and in return I would hold the wind with reigns.

I was brought up with love and light through warm snuggles and cinnamon apples popping in a oil slicked pan.

To blossom is all I’ve ever known.

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Here is my kitty! His name is Blue and he’s my baby. 

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Hello! My name is Kaylor Augér, something you may not know about me is that my last name is French so you pronounce it like “O-shjay”  like OJ but blurred together. I also did ballet for seven years. My pronouns are she/her. Below are some pictures that represent my life!

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note: I've got an amazing mom too! I've just been feeling particularly grateful towards my dad recently :) Also, this is quite rough.

My father's love:
I was raised by

A kind of love

Where hugs were numberless

And ‘I love you’s’ always on the tip

Of his lips

The kind of love

Full of the healthy kind of no’s

(“No, it’s not right to cheat someone, Emma.”

“No Emma, we have all we need.”)

But so many more yes’s

(“Yes, I’ll sing you to sleep,”

“I would LOVE to watch a Barbie movie with you, Emma.”

“Yes, I’ll practice volleyball with you.”

“Of course I’ll read Harry Potter to you.”)

-even when he was tired

The kind of love full of hope

And nudging me to that potential

Cultivating curiosity and

Celebrating small successes

The kind of love

That leaves wrinkles before they should be-

A testament to late nights waiting for me to get home

Early mornings prodding me out of bed,

Of the pain of watching a child fall down

A dangerous path

The kind of love

Where even when I screwed up

And went against every single thing I was taught

When anger and disappointment was all I deserved

Instead I found a warm, steady hug

As I cried

The kind of

gentle,

steadfast

love

That gives and gives

And asks nothing in return

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I was raised by
the changing of channels
Disney to
Nickelodeon to the
3am George Lopez Show for the nights I was sick

Raised by
Standing ovations and blinding lights
Musicals to
Monologues to
Thousands of lines
Teaching me how to read a room and how to read others

I was raised by
The switching of stations on my radio
Classical to
80s rock to
Kpop to
Show-tunes
Lyrics making me feel less alone

Raised by
The playbook
Teammates to
Friends to
Winning to
Learning how to lose
And to persevere

I was raised by my interests

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A picture taken at the Camas Public Library. I've spent many, many hours here. Libraries are my happy place :)

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Hi my name is Emma Kudrik, although often my name pops up in Canvas and email as Emma Fredrickson (I got married two semesters ago and although I changed my name in the WSU records, some things still have my maiden name). I use she/her pronouns.

I would have always expected myself to be a dog kind of person, but my husband and I have surprisingly turned into cat people. We have three cats, all of them siblings but from different litters. One is a all black cat named Loki, and the other two are tabbies named Pickle and Rosie :)

I know that this is from a super commonly quoted poem, but I always love this line from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann ..."Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here."
There's so many other great lines from the poem, and if you haven't read it you really should :)

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I was raised by the concept of love
A mother and father that was barely present, two sisters who were forced to carry burdens so early in life
I was raised by the concept of love
Not literally

I was raised by the insatiable curiosity of what love was
Heart - thrumming, stomach fluttering type of love
Heart - wrenching, grieving for days type of love
Familial love, platonic love, romantic love, I wanted to discover it all
Because in my youth, I was unable to experience it at all

Instead I was raised by nightly visits in the hospital
A cold - chilling type of love that crafted shackles on my body
A love so cold, it was unbearable

I was raised by the craving for love
Tough love, absent love, false love
I desired for a love so warm, so fleeting
Nestled deeply into the bind of love, came the love for crafts, books, writing, and soon - myself and those who grew closer to me, including family

I was raised with love,
The love that hits so deeply that it hurt.

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The only thing consistent is family.

My mother, who works

Hard to keep us

Together and strengthen

Our bonds

My father, who works equally

Hard to provide to the

Point his back aches and

His mood is bitter.

My younger brother, whose

Smarts and interests align

With my own, if not

Succeeds me.

My older brother, whose

Sharp in wit but

Prefers brawn over brain.

Setting change.

A house I hardly remember

With kids I never

See. There is plastic and

Confusion in these years.

Setting change.

A cul de sac of cement and

Grass. Friendly neighbors and

Kids. Friendships that last until

Setting change.

Brick pillars welcome us as the

River is in view. Lights of the city across the

Way. A steep backyard with boulders and

Woodchips. A room shared split in

Two. A resident elder who’s sweet when

Setting change.

A small town gray and bitter with a

Salty breeze. A sanctuary from the

Wind minutes away. Trees that tower and

Grass that brittles. A large house redone and

Called our own. Kids bitter as the

air, pointing fingers. Years and years we

stayed until

Setting change.

Back we return to this alien world. Older brother is

Gone to start his life. I start high school and

Feel myself running dry. We’re cramped in a small

Space, the world limited, in disarray.

Setting change.

Closer to the water now, a larger home but

Still cramped and crazed. We were safe until

We were not. Danger across the

Way. Anger and hatred for sins not of

Our own doing.

Setting change.

A bigger home now, reflecting the

Trees and grass of before. Lacking

Salt and the air is fresh. Younger brother is

gone, off to start his life. I remain.

The only thing consistent is family.

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Hello everyone. I am Victoria. I also go by Tori for short.
I go by she/her
I was a DTC Major but turned it into a minor to pursue an English teaching degree. I hope to teach high school-level kids. I continue to work on art digitally through character designs and I'm working on teaching myself how to make comics.
"History is written by the victors" -Unknown/Winston Churchill
I've always liked this quote since it speaks true to me. History is malleable and varies depending on who tells it. Always look at more than one perspective before coming to your own conclusions. Understanding is the backbone of peace and humanity.

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yes, i had to put a picture of albedo from genshin impact somewhere

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〝 I am made of memories. 〞

I cherish this quote dearly. It comes from The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and that book alone, got me out of a reading block. I cherish this quote a lot because thinking about it, despite the biotic organisms that create us, we all bear different memories, different perspectives, and different lives but we are made of so much more. I hold memories close to me that even if one day, I forget them, I know I'm made of them. That alone also intensifies my love for art because the mind's capacity can only hold so much and can forget about the little things in life so art serves as an extension to never forget and to always remember. The same goes for literature. It's an extension of memories and we're made of them.

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The Husky's name is Lady and the Shiba Inu's name is Kuma!

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1. Hi! My name is Janine Magdalene Fernandez!
2. I go by she / her!
3. I guess an interesting fact about me is that I have dermatographia! It's a skin - writing disease where even the faintest of scratches will cause my skin to puff up in that same exact pattern. It's very fun drawing on myself and seeing it " come to life ". But I also adore writing, reading, and drawing! Currently obsessed with a game called Genshin Impact. Please recommend me books, I promise I will " eat " through them quickly.

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A black Toyota Sienna with
sticky leather seats and a
scalding
hot
seatbelt buckle...
Paul Simon and Freddie Mercury on cassette,
oracles of poetry and melody.

These drives were my Graceland
These drives were A Night at the Opera
The driver is three cancers.

Blood.
Breast.
Skin.

The driver is resilience
The driver is my hero,

my music teacher,
my hero,
my voice of reason, and at times
my reminder.

"I love you."

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A rusty Toyota 4-Runner with
An old Chocolate Lab riding shotgun
Pizza and french fry
smells baked into the upholstery
...intoxicating.
Led Zeppelin and Rush on CD,
masters of their instruments and styles.

This car was the House of the Holy
These drives were Moving Pictures
The driver is stoic.

Assertive.
Dry-witted.
Calm.

The driver is objective
The driver is my "what lies ahead,"

my music teacher,
my friend,
my voice of reason, and at times
my justification.

"It's your life, kid."

----------------------------------

I was raised

By metaphors that frame the inexplicable, capture emotions and tell a story.

By verses that just make you want to laugh, cry, dream, pursue and love.

and

By teachers that let me.

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My name is Mae Card. You wouldn't believe how often I have to spell that out.a
I'm she/her.
I love stories, but if I can experience them animated or written, all the better. Watching Infinity Wars kinda broke me from most live-action works; they cut a little too close for comfort.
I tend to avoid photos, I'm working on self-confidence issues.
Above is an excellent quote from one of my favorite creators.
Can't wait to get to know y'all!

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21 Amazingly Profound Quotes From Hayao Miyazaki

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1. Jocelyn/Joey
2.She/her
3. Played soccer for 16 years and I can’t do jumping jacks to save my life. I love to do theatre, singing, crafts, honestly anything artsy. And listening to classical music is my favorite as well as 80s rock:) Anime is also something I really like to watch.
4.“Life too short to be serious”-Jared padalecki. Life is already stressful and hard so I rather have as much fun as I can before I die.

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I was raised by the worlds around me

Living in my parent’s world

Structured for a certain way of life

Living in my mom’s world

Encrusted in perfection

Living in my dad’s world

Encrusted in fantasy whims

Living in my grandparents’ world

Teaching the meaning of nurture

Living in my sister’s world

Teaching the meaning of laughter

Living in my own world

Where I would learn to balance

I was raised by the world.

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Hi! My name is Cora. My perferred pronouns are she/hers. I've lived in Washington my whole life but really would like to see the world and travel. I am ambidextrous as well! I look forward to meeting all of you in class.

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I was molded by movement

I was molded by a time commitment

A lack of time

For mischief

I was molded by

A demand for obedience

Every movement dictated, instructed, corrected

I was molded by the shrill shrieks

Tummies tucked!

Chins up!

I was molded by stern shaping and demand for sacrifice

Told to remove the grimace in pain from my face

“It needs to look effortless”

My toes bled through my tights

I was molded by a strict love

A “no pain no gain” kind of love

A “you’ll thank me later” kind of love

I was molded by the satisfaction found in

Slow syrupy movement

In the passion of the moment

In finding the connection between music and movement

I was molded by the sacrifice it invoked

I was molded by movement

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This is my husband (Clay) and I in Hawaii for my brothers wedding.

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1- My name is Mattie, it isn't short for anything. I am named after my dad Matt.
2- She/Her
3- I'm pregnant with my first baby! My fur babies are in for a big surprise in February.
4- I shared a photo above that includes me and the person I love most!

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"Built in Stages" (My 'Raised by Women' modeled poem)

I was raised through

Night-shift hours
simple dinners

Line-up schedules and

Balance the children living

Lots of love (when there’s time)

Hard-working people.

Chasing down the joy

Keep it cheap, make it fun

“But now there’s another one

On the way”

Ever-growing crowd.

I was drowned in

Conflicted messages

Reality-facing

Fun-only mentalitied

“Don’t push yourself”

“Look out for the real world”

Floods of messages.

Playing peacekeeper

Too used to moving

Clinging to fraying strings

That hold us together

“Always put the kids first”

Barely treading water survival.

I rediscovered myself with

Indescribably different

Break down my walls

Piece-by-piece

Brand new people.

In a “No time to dawdle,

you know what you’re doing!”

Place of escape.

The online world,

Growing alongside me

Opening eyes

Telling me to tell them

Who I am.

Progressing faster,

Faster still

Our new generation.

Through introspection

Through acceptance

Through heartbreak

Through awakenings

I was built in stages

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Text for Poem:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VG-yvbVYfzViMfg3QDaTXTxeoBsVRFj9OAavkKexwJ0/edit?usp=drivesdk
- Paige

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I was raised by a small town
far away from the city life.
Cows
and horses
is all you see around.
Did a cow jumping over
the moon
made you smile?

Raised by borrowed crayons
by many classmates
just to
never
see them again.
Did a crayon
disapeared that day?

Raised by strange
Spanish phrases
too difficult to explain
"Sana sana colita de rana."
Did a frog with a tail and healing powers
made you feel better?

Raised by cartoons
during a weekend
when nothing mattered
more than just
watching a
good show.
Did you let those kids
watch TV with you or
reality was to much for you?

A small town far away
from the city

Did you enjoyed
being raised in a small town?

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I Was Raised By

I was raised by motivation.
Through go-getting parents.
A US citizenship earning,
English proficiency learning,
Three language-speaking mother.
Military serving,
Household preserving,
An I can build anything type of father.

I was raised by dedication.
College degree earning,
Child raising,
Full-time working,
Heavily family-oriented,
Best turn in that schoolwork,
Rise up in success,
Dedicated sort of parents.

I was raised by educators.
Non-blood related,
Help providing,
Preparing,
Advising,
Encouraging and invested,
Instilling knowledge;
Kind of educators.

I was raised by a mountainous environment.
Ground rising,
Climate varying,
Nature inspiring,
Desert and forest scaped,
Drought giving,
Cold winter bringing,
Varied kind of environment.

I was raised by all my surroundings.
By Aspirations,
Dreams,
Curiosity and creativity,
Overcoming challenges.
By time spent with friends.
And the creation of long-term human connections.

I was raised by all my surroundings.

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This was during Wasabicon in Portland, Oregon. I was so excited because I bought so many cute things and got to meet a cool person!

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I'm Cynthia Elizalde, I use she/her pronouns.

I lived in Mexico for about 10 years, so I speak Spanish pretty flueltly. I've been studying English for more than 5 years now. During my English learning time I got to know many people from different places of the world. This people introduced me to Anime, K-pop, interesting languages, and music.

I love Asian and Mexican food! I love pink and blue! I love plushies!

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Marriage. Too soon, too young, no bliss.

Baby. Panic, must finish high school, what’s to come?

Accident. He may not live, make plans to say goodbye.

Recovery. Scarred, but together as a family, for now.

Choice. Goodbye mom, too young to be a mother, the greatest gift you never gave.

Working. He is always working, food, shelter and clothing alone on his shoulders.
Alone. Homework, books, cartoons and cooking, waiting waiting for days end.

Bondo. The smell infiltrates everything he touches, I close my eyes and still feel it.

Paint. Watch the cans shake, my turn to spray, steady hand exhale slowly.
Stains. His hands never clean, no soap can wash off the colors of being.

Classics. Car shows, proud of dad, his work is on display as is his smile.

Friends. Walking town, climbing a tree, come over for a slumber party!

School. Achieving, gaining, growing and thriving.

Summer. Pool side, blackberry pie, swimming holes with hot river rocks and freezing toes.

Crickets. The sound of starry nights at the lake.
Camping. Marshmallow treats, lake fish, tree all around, tiny tent.

Driving. Always driving always smiling, here to there and nowhere.

Dirt. Driving on bumpy roads to the fire lookout learning how to steer.

Grandma. Sigh of relief, rest at last, comfort to the highest degree.

Baking. Sweets and savories, stick to your bones, "Please come back for more."

Flower. Midnight walks to hop a fence just to catch their varying scents.

Friday. Movies, chicken, popcorn nights just dad and I all seems right.

Marriage. Again? Don’t we have it all already?

Addiction. Beer cans empty, laying around, who is this woman?

Anger. Dad, come home and help your wife she’s mean and making a mess of our life.

Sneaking. The wife sneaks out and buys more cans sneaking around with any man.

Lying. More cans, more men, blame the child who can't defend.
Caught. Spiraling down, can't speak, slurred speech, emotions boiling.

Bang. The shot rings out.

Suicide. Her drunken rage, dad slips in to blameful cage.

Slam. The chapter ends, graduation, now what to do?

Us. It can’t be just us, dad is lost, I can’t reach him so deep in remorse.

Boxes. Packed tight, filling the car, can't look back at the tear stains on his face.

Driving. Never stopping, crossing state lines, feelings build complexity, is this right?

New. Time to start again and pretend nothing happened.

College. School came easy, challenge myself harder, if I can do this I surely can do that.
Anxiety. Intrusive thoughts, controlling behavior, if I get this in order...

Burnout. Stop it all, I need to breathe, I need to think, I need to see.

Frogs. The sound of starless nights by the pond, not like crickets, not like home.

Children. Not mine, but mine nonetheless.

Goodbye. Never felt more bitter-sweet, pride and devastation holding hands.

Healing. Processing, becoming an adult, growing pains are a welcomed sight, learning I am not at fault.

Marriage. Not too young, not too soon, perfect fit, happy bliss.

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My name is Kira Podelco, and I use she/her pronouns. I moved to Washington from Pennsylvania around a year ago and have been slowly learning my way around since then.
One less spoken fact about me is that one of my favorite hobbies is canvassing, which is a specific type of sewing I learned from my great-grandmother. I make a lot of home-made coasters (a few shown in my photo), and even made a simple-designed tissue box for my mom's lighthouse themed decorating!

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Road tripping this summer to Yosemite, Monterey Bay, Redding and Grants Pass. This image is from Monterey Bay Aquarium.

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Hello all, my name is Michelle and I go by she/her[s].

My hidden talent is being the neighbor that tends to notices when someone is sick and will bring soup as well as the neighbor that kids and parents know that they can come to me for anything - snacks, band aids, and help with homework. Another hidden talent is a deep love for puns, pizza and Target.

I am a returning student at senior level after taking six years off. When I left WSUV in 2015, I was majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Science thrills me to my core, but the last six years have changed my trajectory. In my time off; I joyfully married my opposite, raised two foster children until they were adopted to their forever family, and started our own family. My children's ages are currently a new three year old whom has a language processing disorder and an eight month old whom seems to be convinced she is to be held at all moments of the day and night.

Most of the time you could find me in the standard Stay At Home Mom business suit a.k.a. leggings, old shirt, running shoes and hair in a bun while helping guide self expression with the most messy craft only a crazed mom could come up with. I find myself with one ear bud in soaking up as many podcasts and books as I can. My genres are ever evolving with the most recent reads being "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe and "American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics and the Birth of American CSI" by Kate Winkler Dawson. I have found a passion in being a Governerd thanks to Sharon McMahon.

My dream is to use this new degree to teach abroad in less privileged zones or to teach at a Title 1 school. I look forward to learning the craft of teaching along with all of you.

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I was raised by

I was raised by

Tired eyes

Burnt out

Heavy sighs

Yet every day before sunrise

“Good morning Class!”

Kind of Teachers.

Some young Tom Swayers

Some grizzled warriors

Babblin on like Aristotle

“Seize the day! And get off your phones!”

Sorta Teachers.

Some archeologists

Musicians

Some Artists

Militant wanderers

Begging for order

Poets penning paper

Red red red

Pirates

Fearless souls

Out for bounty

Ready to take on a classroom

The world

“Writing is the window to thinking”

Type of Teachers.

Some coffee

Some coffee

Some coffee

A break room that is never used

Editing correcting demonstrating

“Excuse yourself to the hallway Mr. Rhome”

Teachers.

Some see through the back of the head

Stay late every night

Advise giving

Mothers

Fathers

“I know you can do this, try again”

Sorta leaders.

Always there

Every year

And even after

They will always be teaching

They will always be raising

Each and every one of us up.

We were raised by teachers.

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[Google Docs Version]

Audio Transcript for "Raised by Books":

I was raised by a bushy-haired witch

and disaster-prone wizards

who grew up along with me through books

that my mom threatened to take away

because I’d been reading all day

and hadn’t done my chores.

By a young “Silvertongue” girl

who could bring entire worlds to life

out of books just by reading aloud

while my own was propped on its side

under my bed covers and read

by the light of a flashlight.

By Littmus Lozenges, glass bottles

hanging from old willow trees,

and a dog named Winn-Dixie

who lived on the pages of a book

borrowed from school that taught me

melancholy only tastes half bad.

By a worn paperback that was home

to a band of pickpocketing children

that had me daydreaming about

one day visiting the City of Water,

riding in gondolas, and doing daring deeds

all on my own without anyone to stop me.

By a series of events, spread across

a series of thirteen books

experienced by three poor orphans,

whose lives could only be described as unfortunate

or less fortunate, or perhaps ill-fortuned,

not unlike Beatrice and her untimely death.

By a “I am so NOT a princess” New York teen

who wasn’t told she was royalty until ninth grade

and whose series became movies

that I still love today because teen-me

had the biggest crush on Chris Pine

and the lake scene was too dang cute

despite being a glaring abuse of creative liberty.

By a magic tree house and boxcar kids,

uglies, pretties and specials,

little girls named Ramona like my mom

or Junie as in “Juniper Beatrice Jones”

a lion, a witch, and a wardrobe,

and countless chronicled adventures.

I was raised by books.

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1-I'm Abigail Stone! I don't particularly like my first name, but I haven't really found one that I prefer more yet. I do go by Solstice sometimes with friends, so you guys can use that.
2-I use they/them.
3-I played the flute all through middle school and would have played it all through high school if we hadn't moved. My new band teacher sucked.
4- A quote that's really important to me is: "Stars shine brightest when the night is darkest."
And here's a link to a song that is a huge comfort to me: https://open.spotify.com/track/01dmH2IPkrLNWIMPNXlreE?si=1a2142fdb4fe4209
For those who are interested, here's a video that includes translations of the lyrics to English: https://youtu.be/dkJX95fuxak

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1. Danielle
2. She/her
3. I was a dancer for about 13 years! I took tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and ballet classes for most of my life!
4. Currently, I am trying to teach myself to live in the moment rather than be so worried about my future. It's good to be prepared, but it's more important to enjoy life.

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This book was recommended by students over and over again last Fall in JoJo's Grammar class and I'm excited for the excuse to finally read it.

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Hi! My name is Andrew Rhome. I go by he/him pronouns. I have worked in the Craft Brewing/ Beverage industry for 10 years now and have earned national and international awards for the products I have helped produce, including beer, cider and sparkling tea. My main role over the past 10 years has been Head Brewer/ OPS manager but I also consultant on the side and have worked with companies such as Sierra Nevada Brewing, Deschutes Brewing, Red Bull and GNC. I 'am currently helping a small organization in Yakima, WA expand its operation facility and product distribution. I can't decide on one song I love, but lately I can't go one day a week without listening to the band CHVRCHES; if anyone ever redid the Goonies I feel like CHVRCHES should write the soundtrack.

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My name is Andrea Manske.  I use she/her pronouns.
I was raised in a tiny town on the Mississippi River in Iowa. Our claim to fame was the maximum-security penitentiary and not much else.
I also have a dog who clearly does not like to pose for photos.
My favorite quote is: "Strange, how in some way one always has the impression of being fortunate, how some chance happening, perhaps infinitesimal, stops us crossing the threshold of despair and allows us to live." Primo Levi

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This photo was taken about a month ago at the Redwoods!

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1&2. My name is Jason, and I use he/him pronouns.

3. I moved to Vancouver this previous September from Alaska, after being stationed at Fort Wainwright for three years. I’m a sophomore and majoring in English and History; also, I plan on becoming a teacher! My main hobbies involve photography, video games, hiking, traveling, writing, watching movies, and reading. I also enjoy playing cards, mainly poker, and recently have gotten into thrifting! A random fact about me is that I’ve broken both of my wrists at the same time before, and I’ve had 3 surgeries in relation to those injuries. I enjoy socializing, and feel free to reach out to me if you want to game, hike, or whatever!

4. My favorite book of all time ironically is ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King, its theme goes well with the current pandemic we’re all experiencing. My taste in music has greatly evolved over the years from pretty much only liking rock/metal music to now enjoying several other genres in depth. A song I’ve been enjoying lately is ‘What The?!’ by 311 and off their album ‘Voyager’.

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My name is Aaron! I go by he/him pronouns.

I earned a Bachelors of Science in Commerce (Major in Accounting) from Santa Clara University in Spring 2019, and I proceeded to live in San Francisco and work in public accounting for roughly two years. As exciting as public accounting sounds, it was actually kind of a drag! I quit my job two months ago and decided to follow my passions for literature and teaching instead.

I'm a huge fan of jazz and hip-hop and have been playing jazz piano for roughly 10 years. I've played in multiple small combos and big bands and I earned a Minor in Music Theory and Composition at SCU. I absolutely LOVE communicating with people through music. If anyone wants to jam out, or even just talk about what you're listening to, please hit me up!

I also ran cross country and track at SCU! I still run frequently, though I'm definitely slower than I used to be. You might catch me trotting around campus every now and then.

A song I'm digging right now is "Molasses" from Hiatus Kaiyote's album Choose Your Weapon. This track was also sampled on Anderson .Paak's "Without You" off of his 2016 album Malibu.

Molasses: https://youtu.be/2Ynj2lBHV_0

Can't wait to learn and collaborate with you all!

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(My hair is shorter and blonder now. Apologies for any confusion this photo may cause.)

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I’m Natalie, and I use she/her pronouns. I got my first degree (B.A. in Digital Technology & Culture) in Fall 2016, but I’m back now to pursue teaching!

In my free time, I binge a lot of anime (currently watching: BNHA season 5, Dragon Ball, To Your Eternity, Fena: Pirate Princess, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom, Tokyo Revengers, Moonlit Fantasy, The Case Study of Vanitas, and Bloom Into You), do creative writing (mostly about supernatural things; I love vampires and ghosts), and read manga (currently reading: TBHK, The Girl from the Other Side, Vigilantes, and BNHA—JJK is next on the list). I’m generally introverted, but if you accidentally bring up one of my interests, good luck getting me to shut up about it.

Two additional things to get to know me by! I really love pink and pigs (pigs are my second favorite animal next to sharks)!! And a second thing, the song “Ulay, Oh” by How I Become the Bomb gives me extreme brainrot* because I am a hopeless romantic.

“Ulay, Oh” — Required viewing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4f4-9osaeg

*Brainrot

noun

“The inability to stop thinking about a certain topic, causing your brain to rot. This could often cause stress or anxiety for some people.”

(Definition from Urban Dictionary)

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Who else hates hearing their own voice?!

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1. Morgan
2. She/Her
3. I'm a multimedia artist/ woodworker in my free time
4. Next post is a photo of me and Jack, one of my two furbabies :)

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1. Paige
2. She/Her
3. Something most people don't know about me, and may not notice right away, is that I actually have one blue eye and one green eye.
4. One of the things I chose to share for this is a picture of one my kitties, Peaches (above). She loves attention and often reciprocates affection with licks. Many end with her leaving her tongue hanging out that I normally can never get a photo of. I suppose the second thing I'll share is that I recently took up drawing.

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1-All American Boys
2-I learned about this book from The Global Read Aloud. I chose it because I love books that have alternating narrators. I am reading it again because I'm going to use it with my sophomores this year.

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Posting Directions for Your YA Book You Decided on For Independent Choice Book Reading (not due until Sept. 14)

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Posting Directions for Your YA Book You Decided on For Independent Choice Book Reading (not due until Sept. 14)

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1-Post an image of the cover
2-Explain how you found it and why you chose it.

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Directions for Posting Raised by a Women 

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Directions for Posting Raised by a Women 

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Post an audio or video of your poem in your column. You may also want to post the words for people to see.

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Coming Soon

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1-Jodi
2-She/Her
3-I taught dance for 13 years
4-See next post for photo and above is a saying I love

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***REGISTER FOR PADLET SO YOUR NAME WILL SHOW UP ON POSTS. 🙂
1-Tell us your name
2-Tell us the pronoun(s) you use
3-Tell us something we wouldn't know about you (i.e. you can wiggle your ear, you've been to 38 states, you sleep with a fan, or whatever !)
4- Choose two of the following to help us get to know you: a photo (a great way for us to learn your name), or an image that would symbolize something about you, or a quote you love, or a meme you love, or a song you love, or another idea you have