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The book I chose to read is titled ‘The Westing Game’. The author of this book is Ellen Raskin. It was published in 1978 by Penguin Books USA.

The genre of the story is mystery. I think it is a mystery because it is about tracking down a murderer. The book was turned into a movie in 1979.

I inferred that the setting of the story took place in the late 20th century. Where it took place was in Michigan. Specifically, it took place in the Sunset Towers near Lake Michigan, in the hospital, and in the Westing House library. I would not like to live in the setting of this book, because it is spooky.

In this story, there isn’t really a main character because it is about 16 people trying to track down a murderer. Yet, there is one character who brings the story together, Turtle Wexler, also known as Tabitha Ruth, and Alice.

Turtle is about thirteen years old. Her mother describes her as “not the prettiest child”. Turtle has a long braid which is often pulled. Later in the book her hair is cut short. Turtle’s hobby is kicking people in the shins.

The other characters in this book are Jake Wexler, Angela Wexler, Grace Wexler (also known as Gracie Windkloppel), Berthe Erica Crow, Flora Baumbach, Doug Hoo, James Hoo, Sun Lin Hoo, Christos Theodorakis, Theo Theodorakis, Denton Deere, Josie Jo Ford, Alexander Mcsouthers, Otis Amber, and Sydelle Pulaski. Berthe, Sydelle, Flora, Otis, and Alexander are all lonely people. When they get a free apartment in the Sunset Towers, they make friends with the rest of the sixteen people. Denton and Jake are doctors. Denton and Angela are engaged. Josie Jo Ford is a judge. Theo is studying to go to college. Theo is also the elder brother of the crippled stuttering Christos. Doug is the mile star of the state. Sun Lin is a Chinese cook who owns the restaurant on the fifth floor. James is a businessman. And Angela is the pretty daughter of Grace Wexler. Grace is, in her opinion, a decorator.
The characters I liked were Turtle Wexler, Sun Lin Hoo, Doug Hoo, and Christos Theodorakis. I like Turtle because she has a sense of humor. Sun Lin Hoo is also funny because she does not speak English well and often makes hilarious mistakes. I like Doug Hoo because he proved his father wrong; he isn’t a loser. And I like Christos Theodorakis because he did not give up on his disease being cured. I do not like the rest of the characters because they are arrogant. Sam Westing did the wrong thing pretending he was dead. I also think that Josie Jo Ford, Sydelle Pulaski, and Berthe Erica Crow could have done a better job trying to fit in.
Sixteen random people, and their families if they had any, were given a free apartment in the Sunset Towers. The Sunset Towers are located near Sam Westing’s house. One day, the sixteen people received a postcard saying they are invited to attend the funeral of Sam Westing. At the funeral they are told that they are all heirs, destined to receive his money, if they can find out who killed him. He also mentions in his will that his life was taken by one of the sixteen people. They are partnered into eight pairs, each pair given a set of clues. They try to figure out what their clues mean. Three of them are almost killed, and many valuable items were stolen, but by who? Some even tried to steal the clues of others. Some suspects are Otis Amber, Berthe Erica Crow, and James Hoo. After a long period of time, they are called to gather once more in the Westing House. No one gives the correct answer. All of a sudden, Alexander Mcsouthers falls to the floor. He is not dead, but taken to hospital. Berthe Erica Crow filled the flask he was drinking from with something, but what? She is taken to jail, and then shortly released, and proclaimed innocent. Turtle Wexler figures out that Berthe is married to Sam Westing and that Westing is disguised as Alexander Mcsouthers, and under many other names. Alexander was drinking medicine, accidently the wrong dose. Life went on though. Christos is cured. Angela gets a degree, Doug wins two gold Olympic medals, and some neighbors die.
The problem in the book was that the killer of Sam Westing was unknown. I think that Turtle wanted to find the killer, because she wanted to prove to her mother that she is smart since her mother did not think highly of her. She tried very hard in doing so, and in the end succeeded.

From this story, I learned that some people like to make life difficult for themselves and for others. When Sam Westing complicated life for himself and sixteen innocent people, he caused injury and death.

The moral of this book is to be perseverant, and not give up. Although some characters gave up, most didn’t. The lesson in life taught in this book is to not make life complicated by lying.

I liked this story very much because it is filled with action, humor, and suspense. The book gives you the valuable chance of trying to solve the mystery yourself. I also liked it because the clues are really smart, well hidden, and camouflaged.

My brother drank Tabasco sauce
He did it; I don’t know why
He sat staring at it on the table
Then I heard him scream and cry

My brother drank Tabasco sauce
The stuff I wouldn’t like to taste
After the incident
He cooled his mouth with toothpaste

My brother drank Tabasco sauce
Maybe he was dared
As soon as he finished drinking
His ears steamed and his eyes flared

My brother drank Tabasco sauce
His eyes were as red as fire
He dunked his head in a tub filled with ice
As his temperature rose higher

My brother drank Tabasco sauce
The whole bottle down his throat
The moment the last drop fell in
He bleated like a goat

My brother drank Tabasco sauce
The reason remains a mystery
This event was remembered for a couple of years But now his silliness is history

Note: My brother did not actually do this

Warm reassuring hands
Grasped my shoulders
I do not understand
What do they want to do?

A gentle pat on my back
Is coming from its palm
Now I know what they want to do
They want me to be calm

With the hands is where
I want to stay
But near the clear blue water
I want to be away

I didn't want to seem afraid
Because I was not
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath
A surprise was what I got

I floated at the surface;
The water was extraordinarily clear
Although the salt had scorched my eyes
The water was pure and mere

For helping and caring
For listening too
For tolerating and sharing
100 times
I’ll thank you

For patience and friendship
For empathy as well
For honesty and respectfulness
100 times
I’ll say that you’re swell

For not teasing or cheating
Or telling a lie
To be like you
100 times
I’ll try

2+2=4
Mesopotamians invented the wheel
Are all the facts
We learn at school
100% real?

What if 2+2 were vector numbers?
Then answer could be anything
What if what the archeologists found
Was just an oversized ring?

If you think of things this way
You’ll agree with me here:
All the facts we learn at school
Should be 100% clear

I woke up early, expecting an average day. I did not know what lay ahead. I got dressed and set out to the supermarket with my father. We took a taxi to the supermarket from where mother wanted us to buy food. A huge line was waiting at the cashier’s desk. Customer by customer, item by item, the cashier clicked the button on the sensor, the red light flickering. All of a sudden, the customers began to worriedly murmur. I felt an abrupt shudder pass through the ground, as if the floor was squirming, the way I would when I am tickled. Then I felt vibrations go through my bones, the way it would if I was listening to loud music. The store shook furiously, I imagined my father and I standing in a snow globe, and a person was shaking it as I fell to the ground. I pushed my father out of the way as a television set fell off the shelf. Everyone was screaming. “Jinshin! Jinshin! Earthquake! Earthquake!”. I did not know what to do. I asked my father. He said that we should leave the place. I did not think that was right but I followed him. Trees were collapsing and cars were tumbling down the road. I remembered the safety position and rolled up into a ball covering my head and opening my mouth. My father did the same. Five hours later, we found ourselves in buried in the ground, not so deep though. We cooperated and dug ourselves out. My fatherhad learned about earthquakes at school. He knew that they had aftershocks, but he could not remember what they were. “Aha! Tsunami!” He said almost crying. “Quickly! I will carry you, and I will run uphill.” He said. I jumped onto his back and he ran, I could tell, with all his might. He ran and ran until he was panting. I heard the sound of thunder. I was terribly afraid of thunder. But it wasn’t thunder. It was the wave. It roared and roared as it crashed on to my brother and I. My father caught onto a light pole, and told me to hold on too and hold my breath. I cried and so did he, but I did as he said. Water crashed and thrashed through the street. I held on to the light pole with all my strength and yet I was taken by the wave. I screamed and my father let go to come after me, I think. I felt safer as his hand caught my arm. I took a deep breath. My brother gestured for me to try to swim towards the side. I tried and tried but I could only move towards the left a little bit. The wave did us a favor, at the roundabout; it pushed us into the rubble and debris. Again, my father carried me and ran up hill. I had most of my energy so I told my father to put me down and let me run. He did not allow this. He ran on for a mile or so until he reached the highest point he could see. He dropped onto the ground and breathed heavily. A rescue helicopter hovered abovemy father forced me to stand up, wave my hand, and scream with him. We took of our yellow raincoats and flashed them in the air to grab the pilot’s attention. We didn’t do this easily because we both had broken arms. The helicopter hovered towards us and sent down a thick rope with a loop on the end. My father told me to go first. I went up first; it was nice to see how he cared about me. Then came his turn. He pulled the loop down his chest. The helicopter began to lift my father in. Up, up, up he went and so did his hopes. He was halfway through when he fell. He screamed as he hit the floor, hearing the snap of a breaking bone. “Aaah!” he screamed, thinking that the helicopter would give up. It flew away. I heard my father screaming at the pilot. Eventually the pilot listened. He sent down the loop and h pulled it down my chest this time with agonizing pain. I closed my eyes until he reached the helicopter. I sat happily next to my father and we flew away to a hospital.

So much depends upon
The moon
Glowing in the starlit night
Glowing proudly glowing bright

So much depends upon
The wind
Howling with the rain so deep
Singing loudly as I go to sleep

So much depends upon
An autumn leaf
As it lands on the ground
Swaying softly
Not a sound
Dancing slowly in the air
Admiring the unique colors
That they wear
Saying goodbye
To their mother
The tree
Saying goodbye
To the world they will no longer see

So much depends upon
A bolt of lightning
Clashing as the thunder cries
I sigh with relief
As the light it made dies

So much depends upon
A thrashing river
At the bank
The water crashes
The young salmon
Swim near the rocks
As the crab approaches
It dashes

So much depends upon
A kite
As slick as a plane
High in the atmosphere
It will soar
Until it begins to rain

AIDS first started in the early 1970’s. It began in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, mainly Swaziland. AIDS was started by a chimpanzee native to West Africa. They were hunted, and the hunters would get infected from exposure to the chimpanzee’s blood. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The viruses that cause AIDS are HIV type 1 and HIV type 2. HIV types 1 and 2 are retro viruses. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV attack two types of WBC, T lymphocytes and macrographs. T lymphocytes are also known as T cells. They play a very important part in cell mediated immunity. CD4 lymphocytes, Cluster of Differentiation four also get infected because they assist the T lymphocytes. When the CD4 lymphocytes get infected, the body stops making B lymphocytes that have a large job in humoral immune response. HIV attaches to the CD4 molecules on the infected T lymphocyte. Macrographs are WBC with thin tissues. They are infected the same way as the T lymphocytes. The T lymphocytes and macrographs infect other WBC as they continue to multiply. While infected, the cells can no longer fight germs and diseases properly. After ten years of having HIV, the immune system will be fully weakened. A person is diagnosed of having AIDS if they have more than two hundred CD4 cells per micro liter of blood or if HIV antibodies are found in your blood. Tests for HIV type 1 became available in 1985. Tests for HIV type 2 became available in 1992. When the immune system is completely weakened, any disease, malignancy, or neurological disorder can take control, and kill the infected person. Symptoms of AIDS may last for a week of two. Some of the symptoms include mouth infections, diarrhea, fever, weight loss, weakness, chills, tiredness, memory loss, yeast infections, and swollen lymph nodes. More serious symptoms are encephalitis, meningitis, retinitis, pnuemocystis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, Pneumocystis carnii pneo, and esophagitis. Skin, lung, and gastrointestinal tumors may occur too.The three main drugs taken for AIDS are AZT, DDI, and 3TC. All of them may cause fatal side effects. 3TC is a nucleoside enzyme. A nucleoside enzyme blocks an enzyme which HIV needs to replicate. DDI, another drug for AIDS, is also known as dideoxyinosine or didanosine. DDI takes part of antiretroviral therapy. Antiretroviral therapy is the slowing down of HIV. The third major drug taken is AZT. AZT blocks HIV from growing in T lymphocytes. Thymus lymphocytes are also known as T cells, or T helper cells. They are the most important part of cell mediated immunity.
AIDS is contagious, and is spread by sharing hypodermic needles, and infected blood donation. Many people also catch HIV from un-cleaned dentist tools, used in infected people’s mouths. It can also be spread from a mother to her unborn child (fetus). HIV does not survive for more than forty-five seconds outside the human body so AIDS cannot spread by sharing food utensils with an infected person.
Interesting Facts
•A person with AIDS is called HIV positive.
•By 2009, sixty million people had AIDS.
•AIDS was discovered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
•AIDS is rated one of the top ten most deadly diseases.
•Most people get AIDS in between the ages thirteen and twenty.
•There was a case of AIDS where the HIV positive person was cured.

Bibliography
•Student Encyclopedia, Volume : A, pages 48,49,50
•The World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedia, Volume: A , pages 36,37
•The New Book of Knowledge, Volume: A , page 100b
•www. wikipedia.com

Some of the characteristic qualities I think a president should have are being generous and fair. A president should be as generous as possible to his people. He should make sure public schools, hospitals, or any other public place get their rightful share of money. How can hospitals give sick citizens medication or children be educated if the schools don’t have equipment? A president should be fair to all of the citizens, not concerning religion, race, wealth, skin color, or anything else. A president should treat everyone equally, and make sure everyone has the same rights.

A good president should be devoted to his work and innovative in his thinking. He should be devoted to his job because his job is being the leader of the country. If he isn’t devoted, wars would be going on all the time, the country would become poor, and everything would be chaotic. If the president is devoted to his work, the country would be at peace with its borders. He would find ways to make the country richer, and everything else would be in order. A positive thinking president should have innovative thinking for his country. For example, if I was the Lebanese president, my goal would be to repair old buildings that ruin views, and clean graffiti of off walls. Another good idea would be to make Lebanon a greener country by growing grass and trees in as many places as possible. A president should also have innovative thinking about his country being at peace with its borders.

A president should also let his citizens have freedom of speech, or even thinking what they want to think. He should accept and listen to their opinions. If he is to have disputes with anyone, he should try to make everyone pleased with the solution. If a president listens to other people’s opinions he can make the country, community, or anything else under his control better. Another thing that goes with freedom of speech is the acceptance of criticism. He should not jail whoever criticizes him. He should listen to what is displeasing them and consider changing it, making everyone happy.

One of the most important characteristic traits a president should have are respect and honesty. He should be honest and fulfill his promises to his country. For example, not this year or the year before, I have noticed that some student council representatives would make promises so unreasonable that they cannot be fulfilled. A president should not make unreasonable promises, and again I turn to student council for an example of a promise which is: “I promise to make recess longer.” A president should be respectful to his people so that they will respect him, and not regret voting for him. And last, a president should always feel with his people.