#EXCEPT stacy? has so much potential. why. how does he feel about it.

[notbecauseofvictories]

Apropos of nothing, a mutual once suggested a series where the unnamed narrator of rock ballad "Stacy's Mom" slowly seduces every member of Stacy's family. I would like it on the record that I still think about that.

[total-ass]

leonard does not deserve nearly the amount of hate that he gets. i’m tired of seeing leonard slander every day in the tag, i’m tired of seeing my king in the bottom of every tier list. i’ve seen him put below characters like amy and beth and stephanie who literally ruined every scene they were in. on what planet is leonard worse then an abuser or a fujoshi?

leonard has a lot of great things about him. for starters he’s one of the few nerdy characters that’s doesn’t wear glasses which is important...in a way. this fandom has an apparent “thing” for nerds with characters like noah and cody and harold and being popular. and yet, canonically nerdy characters like sam or leonard get little to no appreciation. it’s like this fandoms only interpretation of a nerd is conventionally attractive/white/skinny person oh, so you like nerds so much until they don’t look like they’re straight out of a tiktok house?

people say that he’s useless and annoying, ok and? the majority of total drama characters are useless and annoying. only 4-5 characters a season ever actually try to win. total drama fans are more forgiving on white characters being useless and annoying compared to their melaninated counterparts because they see the “”potential”” in them. that’s why people are so quick to stan staci or ezekial for...existing? but never consider characters like b or beardo or justin or leonard.

leonard was robbed twice in a row because fresh thinks poc are disposable unless thier arc revolves around the mustiest white boy imaginable. leonard had just as much potential as ezekiel and yet no one talks about it because this fandom actively ignores characters that aren’t white. ridonculous race was at least a few months after pahkitew iirc? they could of shown how much he’s matured since then, they could of given him a real motivation to win, they could of expanded his relationship with tammy; are they dating, are they just close friends? does one attempt to keep the other grounded in reality? how does the rest of the cast react to them? they could of had a character arc about realizing they don’t actually have powers and how to grow from there but since they weren’t a toxic couple with a comphet plot line, fresh immediately disposed of them. and no one cares because leonard isn’t cody-colored.

i’m not saying leonard should of won pahkitew or ridonculous race by any means, i’m not sure the world is ready for that much leonard, (personally i am but i know most total drama fans are cowards) but, you can’t act like it’s not a little suspicious that characters like him, katie, b and beardo were all first boots (with leonard being first boot twice) while the rest of the people of color that made it past the 5th episode were forced into the worst “”romance”” plotlines imaginable. (except for maybe dj, but he still got dealt really shitty plots for no reason >:/) if leonard had hooked up with sugar or if tammy was white i guarantee that fresh would of kept him around much longer.

i know only 5 people actually care for pahkitew but jesus, the lack of leonard art is appalling. leonard easily had one of the cutest designs in the show. i genuinely want to kiss him on the lips, he’s so adorable. that lanky man must truely be a wizard, cause he cast a spell on my heart, i can see what sugar saw in him. however, the only characters people are interested in drawing from the pahkitew cast are jasmine, shawn, sammy, scarlett and um...dave :/ (im not trying to shit on anyones favorite character but like..dave? the incel? ,,.really? :/) and surprise, surprise, 90 percent of that jasmine and dave art is ship art, with a white person. shocker :/. why does no one ship leonard and dave or something? this fandom loves shipping characters that hate each other so much. oh wait i know why, cause this fandom is repulsed by things that don’t involve white twinks. that’s why crack ships like dundie are universally praised to this day while iconic ships like notie are forgotten. (only real ones remember 2008 notie smh)

now for the record, i’m not saying hating leonard automatically makes you racist. i’ve seen a lot of people come in here and claim that not liking dave or sierra or cameron or whatever poc makes you inherently racist. while [white] total drama fans tend to use more explicitly derogatory language in regards to characters of color they don’t like (ex: the way gwanon talks about courtney vs. the way they talk about duncan despite hating both of them) but the difference between leonard and those other people is that leonard is actually well written and doesn’t suck. he only had positive qualities. leonard literally did nothing wrong and he gets so much hate for what??leonard didn’t actively hurt anyone, leonard didn’t commit any crimes, leonard didn’t fetishize someone’s mental illness. so i can’t help but side eye people that say hate leonard..it feels like they simply hate to see a nerdy black non binary wizard winning.

anyway, leonard deserves the entire world and i’m tired of people not recognizing it. so leonard antis ask yourself, why do you hate leonard so much? he’s just a funny wizard boy. and before you ask, yes i sent this is in as my college application.

[pluviophile-bookworm]

AWAE 2x9 rewatch: thoughts and reactions

This review is dedicated to Dalila Bela, who turns 19 today. Happy birthday!

After a long wait, there she is at last - Muriel Stacy, decorating her new home with potato stamps. What a lovely way to show she is a kindred spirit. She’s basically like an older Anne. 

Marilla and Anne utter the same words upon passing Miss Stacy, who is cycling in the opposite direction at top speed - ‘My heavens!’ - except their intonations are so different. Marilla is shocked at the sight of the unconventional-looking stranger, while Anne is in awe of her, and especially the fact that she’s wearing trousers. I don’t think the women of Avonlea, be they progressive mothers or not, won’t be so fascinated with her, though.

And again, Miss Stacy acts exactly like an older Anne, going on and on about potatoes and tardiness and motorbikes before she’s even caught a breath. I can’t wait for Anne to finally meet her. And that concludes the cold open. 

I don’t care what Prissy and Josie, or their mothers, say about Miss Stacy- I’m with Anne on this one. They shouldn’t judge their new teacher before they’ve met her up close. She’ll warm her way into their hearts, I’m sure. I actually know it for a fact.

I simply cannot believe Billy brought a gun to school and is openly proclaiming he’s about to kill an animal, a living being, with it. And it’s not just any animal - it’s the fox, Anne’s fox. What has it done to him that he’s so personally violent towards it?

Again, Gilbert alone is the voice of reason (unlike season 3 Gilbert, who is the most confused individual I’ve ever seen and has the eyebrows to prove it). ‘There’s no fox here, so how about you put the gun away?’ It’s as if he speaks for me. 

Who does Billy think he is, calling his teacher ‘little lady’? He’s lucky she’s not Phillips, otherwise he wouldn’t get away with such disrespectful behaviour. 

Once again Anne uses the exact same words as someone else, but with a different intonation. Prim and proper Tillie’s ‘Oh my goodness!’ is one of disapproval (which she’s not to blame for, that’s probably just what her parents have taught her), while Anne’s is an expression of pure admiration and fascination. [Side note: Let’s put things into perspective, though - what would you think if your new teacher showed up to school with no bra on, on her first day at that? I don’t really know what to think of corsets anymore, so I’m not sure how to take this. You tell me.]

What, now Matthew and Jerry, two of my favourite AWAE men, want to catch the fox too? I understand it’s stealing people’s chickens, but hey, a fox must eat too, and it’s not like it can get its food in another way.

What’s happening to Bash? Is farm life not his speed? I’m worried about him, I hope he’s alright. 

For this next scene, the introductions, I’ll insert a note from when I first watched this episode. I notice I’ve been doing that a lot lately, but well, it seems I’ve got quite a lot of first impression notes on this season written down, so why not make them public now, here where it’s appropriate? Here goes:

And, just as I was fascinated, things got dramatically bad. Anne wouldn’t stop saying quite private things about everyone who spoke, and Miss Stacy reprimanded her for spreading gossip, resulting in her being unable to come up with words to describe herself (the method used for introductions was everyone would use words starting with their initials to describe themselves. I really wanted to know what Anne would have said about herself, as nobody else seemed to struggle much with the exercise (although I myself always do when asked to do it).

Alright, now I’d like to add something to this. When Ruby describes herself as ‘romantic’ and looked for a G word for ‘Gillis’, I could swear she thought of a certain young man right to her left - heck, she even looked at him before quickly blurting out ‘girl’. Well, yeah, she is a girl. But she’s also defining herself through Gilbert too much. I hope she knows how much potential she has beyond him. Besides, he only has eyes for Anne. I wish we’d got another season so we could see how far Ruby and Moody go. I liked them, but we saw too little of them together. #renewannewithane

Ok, but... it was like Miss Stacy just finished Anne’s sentence. ‘Ruby has a crush on...’ ‘Gilbert Blythe?’ Well, yes, but that’s not what we’re talking about. See, I’m noticing details I did not deem significant enough to note down the first time around. This is what rewatches are for. 

Rachel Lynde needs Marilla’s help. That’s a first. Oh, well, it’s rumours, what else. She’s against Miss Stacy. I really don’t like her right now. 

No, seriously, what is happening to Bash?

Of course, what the mothers of Avonlea fail to see is that, female or not, trousers or nor, corset or not, Miss Stacy is much more capable of teaching the young minds of Avonlea school than her predecessor. Or at least she’s much more willing to educate them properly. Of course she’ll tutor Gilbert. And Anne will soon find her way into her good graces. I hope. Nay, I know it. 

‘Appalling, stupid, clueless...’ this is what I hoped wouldn’t happen, but it happened anyway. Now Anne is beating herself up for the scrape she got into by complete accident. Gosh, I hope someone can fix this.

From my old notes:  And again, Cole knows how to fix things, and he does so, brilliantly I would say. Also, with the way he goes out into the nature, raises his hands and shouts out “Come to me, Muse!”, I can totally see him being a pagan... and who’s to say he’s not? I mean, Anne has the makings of one too, remember the Beltane ritual in season 3?

Rachel’s only job seems to be to stick her nose in other people’s business. She has no right to go around asking about Muriel’s marital status and whether she wants to be an old maid. But as anyone who’s watched the full series knows, this will be carried over into season 3.

Seriously, Rachel right now reminds me of Anne earlier with all the gossip, and I see now why she (Anne) made such a bad impression on Miss Stacy. Unfortunately, she (Miss Stacy) cannot assign Rachel Lynde an essay.

Anne’s mind is all taken over by the fox... so much that she’s fallen asleep over her papers... and now, disaster after disaster lead to a small fire, which grows into a bigger fire. If Anne’s essay burns in it, I’ll literally cry. I know a thing or two about lost work. Why, half of this very post I had to write a second time after my computer decided to restart the page with the unsaved draft open. But hey, this is not about me. 

So I guess they’ve figuratively and literally forced Miss Stacy into a corset. That’s sad. But I see she’s not giving up on her unique identity.

Oh, great, now the found brothers are fighting. I guess it turns out Bash’s problem is he’s inexperienced in farming and he needs help, but Gilbert is pursuing his own future now and doesn’t seem to care all that much. I feel bad for Bash. But we know Gilbert will stay at least another year and Bash will figure farming out by the time he has to leave. 

Ah, I see Anne is feigning sickness so as not to go back to Miss Stacy after yesterday’s fiasco. Well, I’d do the same if I were her, but I’m not quite sure that’s the best solution to the problem at hand. Marilla’s suggestion seems much better to me. Going together so Anne has someone to vouch for her... reasonable and concerned like a true mother.

I see Bash is trying to figure out horse-riding on his own. It looks tough. But he can manage it. 

It’s a shame Jerry won’t help Anne with the trap... but well, he was promised good money, and his large family is so poor... the ends sort of justify the means here. Still, Matthew is not in the right to plan on skinning the fox for money. 

Gosh, things are heating up between Shirbert. Anne seems to be all the more determined to find and develop her vocation now that Gilbert is working on his. And he doesn’t seem to care much about her feelings right now, being so busy studying and all. But I wonder how this whole thing really makes him feel. 

Hey, there are the potato light bulbs! The first science lessons Miss Stacy teaches the class. And they never forget it. How inspiring!

Hey, I just realised something. In her ramble in the cold open, Miss Stacy mentioned that you can use potatoes for a lot of purposes... well, here’s the second one she demonstrates in this episode. Stamps and... lighting a bulb.

Marilla, who took up Miss Stacy’s offer to stay and observe, seems to be a new supporter of the young teacher. See? If people only gave her a chance and saw what she does and how she does it, she might soon be a hit in town. But no, some choose to condemn her instead, as if she’s ever done them wrong. Just like the fox. Except the fox stole some chickens. Miss Stacy is perfectly innocent. 

And... poor clumsy Moody had to ruin everything just as Rachel and the ProgressiveTM mothers came in. Too bad. But hey, it’s him who recalled this very first lesson later on when they were graduating, isn’t it? 

Hey, Bash has gone to see Mary. Things are getting serious. I guess.

Alas, the mothers are not too pleased with how the lesson turned out. Luckily, Marilla was there to see the whole thing from beginning to end and can support Miss Stacy in front of the rest of the women. And it seems Gilbert and Anne are ready to step in and defend her as well. On their second day with her. That speaks volumes. 

Oh, so he’s visiting Mary to talk about Gilbert. But he also talks about himself and his idea to go deep into farming. His story is truly an inspiring one. And also, he’s staying with Mary for supper. As I said, things are getting serious. 

Anne decided to show Miss Stacy the story clubhouse... nice. But she’s made another blunder in doing so. She’s forgotten Cole is hiding there from his parents. And now they’ll force him into farming again... as my younger self said when I saw this for the first time, ‘this episode is one of the most devastatingly dramatic ones of this series – ever. What a way to lead up to the season finale’. I think that says it all. 

Ah, yes, nobody told Gilbert that Bash wouldn’t be home for supper this evening. Too bad... now he’ll think Bash has run away on him. Meanwhile, Bash is having a good time with Mary. But there’s no way for Gilbert to know that. How unfortunate. 

One shot, one gunshot and... wait, it seems the fox has not been killed yet. But the poor clubhouse... Billy is the worst person in this series, hands down. I can’t even. I’m crying. Real tears. Right now.

See, Anne’s blunder was not telling Miss Stacy about Cole. After all, she swore her to secrecy. But it was a blunder nonetheless because Miss Stacy takes her duty as a teacher more seriously than her promise to Anne. If only she’d known the full story... Cole might have been saved. 

Miss Stacy riding with Harmon Andrews... I wonder what Rachel, aka the Avonlea yellow pages, will make of that. 

‘Sometimes you just have to use your imagination.’ This is powerful because it comes from Marilla. Also, perhaps this is the hidden sense of humour that L.M.Montgomery talked about in the book, which I’m currently rereading. 

I can’t, I just can’t. Now Cole feels betrayed by Anne, and Anne is devastated about the clubhouse.... and the women of Avonlea are against Miss Stacy, and Matthew disappointed Anne... can nobody be happy in this episode? It’s truly tragical and devastating. I should not have opted for rewatching it right before going to bed, on a school night at that. How will I sleep now?

Gosh, Cole really has had it now. I’m not saying Billy Andrews did not deserve it (he did and he does), but violence is never the answer. Still, I guess it’s justified now. Too bad it will probably lead to even more trouble for Cole. See, even he’s scared of what he’s done. He surely didn’t mean for it to go that far. And to the creators - this is no way to end an episode.

Let’s sum up: we meet Miss Stacy; intonation matters; the fox is in danger; Billy the bully has a weapon now - how bad can things get?; Bash struggles with farming; Anne accidentally makes a bad impression on a kindred spirit; appalling, stupid, clueless; ‘Come to me, Muse!’; Rachel Lynde sticks her nose into things that are not her business - what else is new; potato light bulbs; Bash visits Mary; the clubhouse is destroyed; Anne accidentally betrays Cole, leading to dramatic consequences; a disastrous ending to a devastating episode.

[nightshade-zoe]

Thoughts while rewatching 3x07

Sorry for the long post

Also I’m incapable of rewatching up through the first scene with Josie but

-I am glad there’s no time jump. I understand why everyone would criticize Anne but I’m tired of her constantly being put down despite having the best of intentions. Also it bothers me the dynamic between Ms. Stacy and Gilbert was “why couldn’t you talk some sense into her” Though at the same time she knows they have a deep connection. ***I realize now she meant “you” as in the class.

-I appreciate that Anne stood her ground against Marilla. Also that Marilla had a moment where she considered what Anne was saying. It reminded me of Marilla when Anne first goes to school and she’s wishing she’d had choices.

-FUCK JOSIE’S PARENTS

-The character growth of Prissy was excellent. She was a beautiful combination of biting retorts and cool logic. You can see her words have an impact both on her mother and Billy so I’m looking forward to seeing how that plays out in later episodes.

-I am a bit confused on why Anne made Josie’s situation worse aside from embarrassing her further. Because Jane already said her reputation was ruined and the engagement was off last episode so it’s not like Anne’s article caused either of those two things. Yes, being used as a scapegoat would hurt, but the fact Gilbert attacked her for “ruining a girl’s life” seems like much. It was Billy who did that. I am still so incensed Gilbert never apologized even if he technically realizes it was Billy who started this.

-I appreciate that Diana and Anne’s friendship is where they can call each other out. It’s an interesting parallel though that when Diana is angry with Anne, Anne heeds her advice. Yet later, when Anne calls Diana out for her treatment of Jerry, Diana just defends herself.

-Josie has a right to be angry. I understand that it’s a realistic dynamic where two girls are sort of friends but one can be mean however it’s unacceptable to me people keep expecting Anne to make things right and be nice with Josie who apparently has been calling Anne trash still. It’s not okay and I’m not okay with how not even Diana has stopped this.

-It would’ve been more powerful if Anne had said “Gilbert, I did try to talk to everyone about it yesterday but you shut me down” instead of attacking him for believing in equality because that was his mistake. He also never actually admits this mistake. It’s an interesting point though about how him bartering for a parcel of land given we didn’t see Gilbert and Winnie interact at the fair really. We saw Winnie’s father offer Gilbert connections to the Sorbonne.

-“before this room spontaneously combusts” cough foreshadowing

-Okay I’m glad for this Ms. Stacy/Anne dynamic. It was a beautiful balance of commending and explaining where Anne went wrong. I did really think Anne was going to mention Josie called her trash though. Side note, I know Anne is banned from the paper and the press is gone but I have a suspicion we will see one more article from her that will actually be impactful.

-It was incredibly poignant to have Mrs. Lynde who most of the time never shuts up and who criticized Anne as soon as she saw the article begin to feel the impact and necessity of the words. Also they focused on the cigar so much like wow props to that foreshadowing.

-Good pop culture reference here with Frankenstein. Diana was rather cruel but it’s been foreshadowed in her initial recoil at the hay on Jerry’s jacket and how she used Jerry’s family, despite their poverty, as an adventure she could slip on for size. I don’t think she’s being malicious though just sighs Jerry’s face. I also think they’re trying to depict unintentional toxicity in relationships and/or being physically attracted to someone but not having feelings.

-YES MS. STACY GO OFF. Also Matthew is the most unproblematic male ever. Also I love how it’s being framed as a learning experience for Marilla too.

-also “what’s next? An ode to cigars?” Cough cough foreshadowing

-I’m super upset on Anne’s behalf but I’m also glad this screaming isn’t for anything as dire as was predicted. Also the poetic justice of her using something Billy destroyed to defend the voiceless. W.R.I.T.

-Um excuse me Moody. Also good on Gilbert for realizing who the actually villain in this story is. I appreciate how this scene is done, showing the importance of male allies while also giving the credit and words to Anne. Also that rather than looking at the article is a whole, Gilbert is taking bits of it that are easier for everyone to swallow and realize they don’t disagree with.

-It is frustrating though he won them over with well reasoned logic but the same couldn’t be said for Prissy.

-I love the parallel of the girls rushing up to Anne and Gilbert smiling. She totally knows he defended her. Also I stan Ruby saying she knows her mind best and also glaring at Moody to agree with jeez

-Ruby saying oh good/Anne having a plan reminds me of Ruby going but you’re NEVER out of plans and also Anne knowing how to save Ms. Stacy.

-Also the music while Gilbert is speaking is the same as when Ms. Stacy defended herself at the town hall.

-The barn scene clowned us butttt Gilbert you’ve got a paint can in front of you. Why do you have to lean over Anne ;)

-Anne said both parties must have feelings and Diana looks stressed hmmm I think they’re going for having physical attraction vs feelings towards someone

-Once again Josie calls Anne trash but this was very well said by Anne. It’s also interesting she says that only you can define your self worth when we saw her last episode question whether anyone could ever love her and this episode question whether her best friend looked down on her :-/

-Josie is totally going to the protest though.

-JERRY AND ANNE . . . Oh no. I love that Anne is really looking out for him. The dialogue is confusing because Anne’s like you have a girl?? And it’s not till later Jerry is like “wait she didn’t tell you”

-I love love love the parallel of Josie taking off her hair ribbons with last season when we first saw them.

-Billy is so abusive like he’s trying to frame this as I still like you despite what you did and just come back to me and everything will be okay. Good on Josie for rejecting him. He clearly took to heart what Prissy said about him having power but not that he’s the one at fault.

-I stan supportive Matthew always always always saying they should let Anne be happy and live a full life and reach her full potential

-Oof the Dianne fight. Once again objects have a lot power. “If you were my friend you would understand” feels like “if I could take it all back I would”

-I’m getting the feeling Diana is just very physically attracted to Jerry and is confused because she thinks that physical attraction and feelings should be the same but aren’t in her case which Anne doesn’t get because she thinks the same way. Anne was right to call her out on her behavior towards Jerry but also/probably will eventually hear Diana’s side of the story. Also yikes at her thinking Diana is going to ditch her.

-I feel like one of my issues with this season of AWAE is that they’re trying to present a ton of relatable teenage experiences but they all get colored by Anne’s past trauma and struggles with self-worth. Fighting with her mother isn’t just a small disagreement, it’s her struggling to remember/figure out if she was/is loved. Having a crush becomes, I just wanted to believe someone could love me that way. Fighting with her best friend is, I’m an orphan who will never be good enough for her. But the fact that her experiences are being tinted this way is never addressed by her or anyone on the show.

-On that note the way Diana says “here we go again Anne Shirley and her tragical tale of woe” bothers me. Has this been an issue before? Is Diana just upset because she feels she has valid problems too, which is very true? Does she not believe Anne? She says “a true story at last”. I never got the sense Anne talked much or at all about her childhood to Diana.

-This is too painful to watch but also they are both so dramatic both when blowing kisses goodbye and fighting that I wouldn’t be shocked if it blows over next episode. I absolutely fought with my best friend like this when I was sixteen only for both of us to call each other sobbing in apology two days later.

-Prissy ❤️❤️ You can see her mother is thinking about what she’s saying. Also I know Jane is under huge backlash right now but I think it’s important that this was included as it’s a perspective a lot of women, even in those that I know, that intelligence and feminism aren’t connected and sometimes those who are privileged can’t see why sexism is an issue

-Gilbert: “just a suggestion not telling you what to do” seemed like a growth in his understanding of Anne

-I loved the little moment between Prissy and Anne showing how they’ve evolved. It was Anne who originally started the scandal about Prissy but they’ve both matured so much and united and ahhh it’s perfect.

-Marilla waving the handkerchief is beautiful. Also the little glance Ruby and Tilly give each other when Anne mentions Diana won’t be joining them.

-THIS MUSIC IS MY FAVORITE MUSIC IN THE SERIES. It’s the hot air balloon music except layered with more instruments.

-I called the freedom of speech AHHHH Good on Josie for taking a stand. Anne smiling at Gilbert reminds me once again of the time they saved Ms. Stacy

-The minister only tries to take boards from the girls.

-That photograph is absolutely going to come back.

-I love the growth of Rachel and Marilla. Rachel crying because this has an impact on her. That proud look matthew gives Marilla for speaking up.

-Also like how did Gilbert rip that paper so perfectly it’s so hard.

-the last frame of this scene is the cigar smoking guy really why didn’t I see this coming the first time

-I love that they have Prissy and Josie talking.

-Also while I perpetually wish we’d seen more of Muriel/Anne that hug was everything.

-Ah I’d missed Gilbert staring longingly at Anne. While he clearly has feelings this season there haven’t been any moments of him just watching her in awe.

-where is this music on the porch from I’ve heard it before someone help

-the spelling. The throwback. The glances of longing. THE MOONLIGHT. The realization they work together well and care about each other deeply and have run out of “misunderstandings”

-Anne did nothing wrong here, as far as she knows, he’s dating Winnie. BUT I am glad we have finally visibly seen Gilbert looking conflicted about there being two girls. And he couldn’t drink his tea.

-They really stole the printing press. I guess the title was “a strong effort of the spirit of good” which fails both in Frankenstein and I guess now also here

-the music overlay is the same as when Anne comes back from Charlottetown terrified of the grifters and grabs marillas hand in 2x03

-really they burned the schoolhouse? Do we have time for this?

[kaypeace21]

Important things we learned from the ST prequel novel “Suspicious Minds”

What we learned about powers

The ‘potential’ to have powers is (generally) hereditary, however only under certain conditions will these powers manifest (psychological trauma, drugs, or certain psychological conditioning/experimentation is usually how it’s done). If this isn’t done, generally, if any powers still develop they are very weak. An example being Ken who was born with powers along with some of his other family members.

-“I am psychic, always have been ... My family always believed in this stuff... “

-“ He got feelings. Certainty would lodge itself in his chest. He had dreams with snatches of reality mixed in. Flashes of intuition. These came unpredictably—which he always thought was funny—and so he was never surprised if an inkling showed up. Or if it didn’t.” 

-“ I get feelings, sometimes fully formed thoughts, that I have a deep sense are true.”

( Hmm...this intuition-thing sounds very similar to how Joyce insisted she knew Will was alive despite seeing his fake-body.)

The younger the child is when experimented or tortured, the more likely they are to yield stronger powers. Even if the same trauma was done on an adult the results would be weaker and would be dependent on that particular stimulus. Alice could only see visions of the future with lsd and electroshock therapy, Terry had what’d you’d call “perfect recall” (which only happened with lsd)- diving into her memories and remembering them perfectly. While El can channel her powers without such things. 

-“Rare enough these days, especially in adult subjects...potential”

-“His theory had always been that exceptional abilities could be encouraged under the right conditions. But he’d always had to work with available subjects, none of them clean slates. This child—he could start encouraging the development of this child’s abilities now. In utero. Every day of her life. He’d make sure she was special”

There is a high correlation between above average intelligence and having “potential” (i.e capability to develop powers). In the book, Brenner almost used the terms interchangeably”.  

- “genius IQ, potential…limitless.” (El’s ‘potential’ was described as ‘extreme’)

-Terri is described as “above average intelligence”, and “brimming with potential” by Brenner.

-One of Brenner’s nicknames for Kali is “smart girl”.

-Terry’s questioned her roommate Stacy (who got out of the experiment) saying “How she’d fooled anyone into thinking she had average intelligence was beyond Terry—Stacey was obviously the smartest of all.”

-also in other outside cannon material Will is said to be the smartest of all the boys... hmmm...

How the void works

Terry after getting pregnant (temporarily) gains her baby Jane’s/El’s power to tap into the ‘void’. In relation to seeing normal people in the void, Terry learned they will not notice you observing and eavesdropping on them, and they cannot hear or see you (according to the book) ... so we can probably assume they also cannot touch other psychics without fading away, as well (like in the show). 

But the void is different if you try this on another psychic, she accidentally summons Kali- and finds out it’s a way for other psychics and only other psychics to have a private place to talk to one another- without anyone realizing. So yep, Will is psychic- the fact Will could touch, see, hear, and talk to El in the void wasn’t a coincidence! Debate over! XD”

More Proof Will has powers

He can communicate with other psychics using the void (in s1) . If powers are genetic (Joyce probably has Clairvoyance like Ken). And in the show, Joyce’s and Terry’s aunts were both described as “crazy” -which is probably not a coincidence. Also he’s the smartest of all the boys and described by Mr Clarke as  “great student.”

In relation to the adults (with powers) both the Xmen and Lord of the Rings were used in reference to them, multiple times. Will’s password for Castle Byers is “Rhadagast”, a character in Lord of the Rings. And in the 1st ep of the series, before Will goes missing , he asks Dustin for his X-men comic- later in reference to El ,Dustin asks “Do you think El was born with her powers like the X-men?” And when Mike says El is “channeling him (Will)”. Dustin says “like professor x”. clearly hinting that they were both born with powers, like the X-men.

Dr Brenner says there are very few people in the world with ‘potential’- ie the ability to develop powers under certain conditions. He encouraged the numbered-children to draw since it would increase the chances of developing powers. This is why we see a picture that El drew on her bedroom wall in s1. And who else really likes to draw- Will?

-“Art the psychologist here claimed, was vitally important for the creative children. Eight was definitely creative.” (Eight at this time, was the most powerful psychic ever, since El wasn’t born yet.)

when experimenting on the adults, they would take monthly blood tests and monitor their blood pressures. In s2 ep 1 they did the same thing to Will. They drew Will’s blood and put it in a vial ,monitored his blood pressure, and like El, recorded his brainwaves.

 Ken who was born with powers, is not heterosexual. And since many believe Will is queer it’s probably not a coincidence. Plus Will is referenced  to as a “cleric” and a “wizard”. And as a joke his friend says about him, “what wizardry is this?”

Dr Brenner tells a story about an experiment that involves killing rabbits. In the show “Papa” tries to force El to kill a cat. While Lonnie, Will’s dad, forced Jonathan to kill a rabbit, the first time he learned to shoot a gun. And since Will knows how to shoot a gun in s1e1, we can infer he was also forced to kill a rabbit/animal by a father figure-so it’s probably a parallel.

Both Alice and Terry when using their powers had hallucinations of a rainbow, Kali also formed a visual-allusion of sunflowers and a rainbow (implying all 3 have seen this rainbow, as well, when using their powers). And when Will was very young- he drew that ‘rainbow ship’.

-Terri: “Spots bloomed behind her eyelids. Every color ... as the sunlight turned to rainbows” ( p44-45), “The rainbow stayed with Terry for a long while, but eventually it faded and in its place: darkness. A pit.”(p. 48).  “streaks of rainbow appeared (p47)”, “Wavy rainbows seemed to radiate from her hand even once she stilled it. (p. 88). “Her eyelids drifted shut, rainbows and sparks flying behind them. (p. 89). 

-Alice (who sees visions of the future) : “Snarling, snapping monsters, rainbow lights playing in the air around them (p. 121).

-Kali: “field of yellow sunflowers grew up around them. A rainbow arcing over the golden tops.” (p. 139).  “He noticed she’d drawn up there, a rainbow with her colored pencils. Maybe he’d suggest that for the playroom” (the rainbow room we see in s2) (p. 298) 

Interesting things we learned about Kali

- Kali at 5 years old, was the strongest of all 10 numbers- who were called the Indigo children (who are in a separate experiment than the adults, like Terry).

- Brenner purposely isolated her from other people. “Eight wasn’t allowed to know there were other children here. They were all ordinary so far. He worried they’d infect her.” (what a sicko- he did that to El too). He says about Kali “Child shows gifts that require isolation from those who might weaken her…Constantly asks for family and to be called by given name…Has stopped asking for her mother…”

- Brenner put her through sleep deprivation, for 13 hours, when she tried to keep a secret from him.

- In another scene after Kali reveals another secret to Brenner, Terry finds her on the bed “bathed in sweat, soaked through her gown” and “sobbing” “tightly gripping the sheets”. What did Brenner do here... am I reading too much into this? I feel like I missed a page or... y’know maybe he’s even more of a monster than I thought. They never explain this? And I’m still not sure how to interpret it 0-0

-Kali loved Terry (El’s mom) and the other adults even saying “I love you”, and referring to them as “family”. And Kali makes a hallucination in order to help them escape, they promise to come back and free her. So in s2 ep7 the “family” that Kali referred to that Dr. Brenner/the government killed was them.

Dr Brenner probably has powers 

- Ken who was born with powers describes it as a gut feeling of something that will occur or a belief he knows is true.

-Brenner can simply look at a person and his gut feeling tells him whether or not they have ‘potential’ to develop powers or not. It isn’t always correct but the vast majority of the time it is. He does this throughout the whole novel to everyone he meets.

“male, 5′8″, 180 pounds, white, average intelligence, potential…fulfilled by sitting in a guard booth checking IDs”

“Rare enough these days, especially in adult subjects. The way she’d sensed an opportunity and shown up suggested potential...Potential. She was bursting with it.” (about Terri)

“Such lost potential is always sad. There’s so little of it in the world.”(about Alice)

“Funny that his ID contained some of the information Brenner would have wanted if he were looking at himself: male, 6′1″, 195 pounds, white. The rest: genius IQ, potential…limitless.”

What we learned about the Mindflayer

-Well, I was right about the mindflayer having fire powers -so Will will probably get electro-pyrokinesis (along with other powers) like the comic and show hinted at, link here and here. 

Alice who sees visions of the future describes the mindflayer as “A monstrous vortex of fire and energy and darkness, tentacles reaching and growing. Growing so big they could eat the sky. Its mouth had a glowing fire of destruction inside it… (p. 243). 

[mrsspidermanmaryjanewatsonparker]

“While they're depicted as happy and in love, there are a lot of details that don't make sense.”

Oh boy I can’t wait to hear this from the pinnacle of comic book journalism that is Screenrant....

20 EVERYTHING ABOUT "ONE MORE DAY"

 Okay fair enough

 19 THEY HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON

 Sense of humour. Study different forms of science. Science and acting are both about making sense of life. Troubled childhoods. Living double lives. Living with guilt over relegating on responsibilities which hurt your family. Immense inner strength. Oh and btw having shit in common isn’t the be all and end all of romantic relationships so shut up.

 “It's possible for two people to love each other and not have much in common. ”

 That’s what I said.

 “At some point, however, a couple needs to have something to build a relationship on.”

 And they did see above and add in being one another’s friends, confidants and support group.

 “Peter Parker and Mary Jane couldn't be further apart from each other in almost every single way. He's a science geek with a weird sense of humor and no social skills.”

 Also heroic, also gult ridden, also responsible, also inner strength, also working class, also lost a parent, also lived a double life....like MJ.

 “Meanwhile, MJ is an aspiring model/actress, except for when she's a super successful model/actress.”

 Everyone knows model/actress = a personality right.

 “In recent years, she's shown a more entrepreneurial side, but that still involved opening a nightclub, the sort of place where Peter doesn't fit in at all. They say opposites attract, but there comes a point where that just becomes nonsensical.”

 Yes there is but that point is well beyond the ways in which Peter and MJ are opposite to one another because their traits often balance one another out.

 18 THEY GOT TOGETHER WAY TOO SOON AFTER GWEN'S DEMISE

 They got together almost 2 years after Gwen died shut up.

 “Time in comic books is a funny thing. The Marvel Universe has a sliding timescale, meaning that it's hard to peg down when stories took place in relation to each other. The time that passes in the real world means nothing. That being said, Peter and MJ started dating way too soon after Gwen Stacy's demise.”

 Canonically its still 2 years so shut up.

 “She lost her life in Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973) by Gerry Conway and Gil Kane. By the end of the next issue, the seeds were being planted for them to get together. They didn't immediately start dating, but Peter seemed to get over his "one, true love" suspiciously fast”

 2 years isn’t too fast and she wasn’t his one true love. Nobody has a one true love.

 17 SHE FLIP-FLOPS ON PETE'S LIFE AS SPIDER-MAN

This list is about stuff that doesn’t make sense. Anybody dating a superhero is probably going to flip flop over their own or their loved ones’ lives being potentially endangered by super powered serial killers.

 “Look, dating a superhero must be hard. Nobody can blame someone for not wanting to deal with it, or trying to convince a loved one not to risk their life. Also, it can make having a social life impossible. It's understandably frustrating, but at some point, enough is enough.

It seems like Mary Jane can't make up her mind about Peter's life as Spider-Man.”

 Obviously she can because she chose to date him, chose to marry him and stayed with him all the time sans stories where she was written as OOC.

 She both likes it and dislikes it which makes her compelling and its realistic too. She doesn’t HAVE to make up her mind definitively and every day stay on track with liking or hating it because people flip flop over shit all the time.

 Shit Spider-Man himself flip flops about BEING SPIDER-MAN!

 “Sometimes she's fully supportive, while other times she wants him to quit. ”

Gee its almost like something as dangerous as a superhero’s life would have lots of factors that impact how you feel depending upon what side of the bed you got up from.

 Also she never wanted him to quit outside of when she was OOC. She only once wanted him to remain retired when she was heavily pregnant.

 “Considering that she knew Peter was Spider-Man before she even met him, it's time for her to figure out her feelings and make a decision. ”

 a)                  She did, hence they married

b)                  She doesn’t need to make a decision YOU the individual reader want her to but realistically the character for her own sake doesn’t have to

 “They both know he's not going to give up being a hero, so it's time to be grown ups.”

 16 THEIR ENGAGEMENT WAS SUPER QUICK

In the history of mankind there have been quicker engagements.

Shit STAN LEE got married super quick, he married his wife Joan of 60 something years literally the day she got divorced.

“In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987) by David Michelinie, Jim Shooter, and Paul Ryan, Peter Parker married Mary Jane. Behind the scenes, this occurred because Stan Lee wanted Spider-Man to get married in the newspaper comic strip that he was writing at the time. Marvel liked the idea, and decided to have them get married in the comics as well.

The problem was that they were broken up at the time. So, the writers had to quickly bring her back, rekindle the romance, have Peter propose, and then get married.”

 This is total fucking bullshit.

Mary Jane had been a mainstay in the titles for over 4 years before the wedding, being the most recurring character sans Spider-Man himself.

Moreover broken up isn’t strictly accurate, Peter and Mj years prior to their wedding had been effectively dating whilst being in denial about it to one another or publicly.

Their romance and love was always there they just weren’t being honest about it until Peter proposed.

Yeah the proposal-wedding was a few issues, but the romantic tension and relationship had been years in the making.

“Anyone that's ever planned a real wedding knows how unrealistic this whole timeline was.”

Yeah unless you were having a quick wedding at city hall with a small ceremony and there was a time skip before and during the final part of the story where they tie the knot.

15 DO THEY HAVE A BABY OR NOT?

“The second Clone Saga that ran during the mid '90s had one of the most confusing endings ever written. Basically, the writers needed to finish Ben Reilly's storyline while also tying up all of Peter's loose ends to make it possible for Peter to become Spider-Man again. One of these plot threads was the fact that Mary Jane was pregnant.

The editors felt that Spider-Man being a dad would age him, so they suggested that Mary Jane not have the baby, after all. However, it was also heavily implied at the time that Norman Osborn had the baby taken away. This storyline was teased for a few years, before ultimately being forgotten about.”

This list is about things that do not make sense. This list is not about things that are merely unresolved.

14 WHY DOES PETER STILL USE THE BLACK SUIT?

“In Amazing Spider-Man #299 (1988) by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, Venom made his frightening first appearance. Mary Jane thought she saw Peter wearing his black costume, until a mouth formed and turned into a horrific smile. Venom didn't hurt Mary Jane, but the experience was still pretty traumatic for her.

After Spidey defeated the villain, Mary Jane asked him to stop wearing the black costume. This made sense, and Peter happily obliged. Except, he keeps bringing the costume back from time to time.”

 Yeah and it’s justified each time.

He brought it back in the 1990s during McFarlane’s run because he needed something stealthy and he discussed this with MJ.

He brought part of it back in the Clone Saga because he had nothing else to wear but it wasn’t the whole suit.

He brought it back during the Mackie run with Larsen because again he had nothing else to wear and MJ was presumed dead at the time anyway.

He wore it again in Back in Black at a time where he wasn’t wearing it in front of MJ and wanted to send a message to criminals that he was now going to be a more violent and scary fucker (it worked).

He wore it again in Brand New Day when he was impersonating Venom and he and MJ were broken up.

He wore it again in ASM #800 when he needed the power boost from the symbiote to beat Red Goblin.

And all this aside, MJ got over her fear of Venom anyway.

So rather than making no sense each individual instance actually did add up.

“Sometimes there's a specific reason, other times he just seems to feel like wearing it. He knows it scares his wife, but apparently Peter likes the way it looks too much to care.”

Not true as I just explained. Peter himself doesn’t even LIKE the suit anymore.

13 HOW SUCCESSFUL IS HER CAREER?

“Not everyone is a fan of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship. While many fans love her, some feel that it's weird for Peter Parker to be married to a supermodel. That can be a valid complaint, but the problem is that Mary Jane has had one of the most inconsistent careers ever.

She's constantly moving between being a struggling model, a highly sought after model, a soap opera actress, and even giving up on show business completely multiple times. It's understandable for careers to have ups and downs, but it seems like the writers can't even decide if she's famous or not.”

Because a model and actresses career and fame can’t fluctuate right?

 12 THEY'VE BOTH DEALT WITH TOO MANY STALKERS

WTF is too many exactly when one of you is a famous-semi-famous actress and model and the other is a superhero?

Like shit dude, there are people, a lot of them women, who aren’t famous and can have stalkers.

“In the late '90s, Marvel's first attempt to undo Spider-Man's marriage resulted in Mary Jane getting on a plane which then exploded mid-flight.”

Technically that was not their first attempt.

“For the next year or so, everyone believed she had passed away. Instead, she had been snatched away by a deranged stalker, who caused the explosion so that no one would look for her.

Before that, Mary Jane had to deal with Jonathan Ceaser, who attempted to take her away several times in the early '90s.”

 OP misspelled ‘once’ as ‘several times’.

 “Even Peter had to deal with his ex girlfriend, Felicia Hardy, dating Flash Thompson just so she could be near him during that same time period. ”

That isn’t a stalker.

“People really need to give these two their privacy.”

 Again...not a thing that doesn’t make sense which is the point of the article.

 11 THEY BREAK UP CONSTANTLY

constantly

Dictionary result for constantly

/ˈkɒnst(ə)ntli/

adverb

1.    continuously over a period of time; always.

 Hmmmmmm...doesn’t seem to add up with breaking up:

 For the first time in the late 1970s.

Again in Spider-Man vs. Wolverine.

Trial separating (which isn’t a proper break up) in 2001.

Seperating for real in OMD/OMIT

Breaking up again in Superior when it wasn’t even the real Spider-Man. And no her dumping him again twice doesn’t count.

 Gee, four break ups across 40+ years = constantly apparently.

 “Comic books can't just rely on action, they also need to have drama. One of the most common places writers create drama is in the hero's relationships. It's probably very hard to date a superhero, and it's understandable that not everyone would want to sign up for that ride. At some point, however, enough is enough.”

 I’m not saying I’m innocent of lazily repeating the same words and phrases over and over again, but I also don’t get paid to write for a big website.

 Also, wtf does enough’s enough even mean?

They broke up a few times, one due to genuine issues, once because of a misunderstanding, once because MJ wasn’t well and Peter was OOC (which doesn’t count) and every other time also because they were both OOC.

 “It's hard to feel bad for them when Peter and Mary Jane break up, because they do it all the time. He's always focusing on saving people, she's constantly moving to another part of the country to work on her career. When Mephisto forced them to break-up, he could've just waited a few months and gotten the same result.”

Again all the time and constantly does not = 4 times across 40 years.

Also that wasn’t Mephisto’s endgame but whatever.

10 HOW DID SHE NOT NOTICE OTTO'S MIND IN PETER'S BODY

Hey look, the secod legitimate point on this list. The answer was because bad writing.

9 HOW DO THEY AFFORD THEIR APARTMENTS?

“A common complaint across various forms of fiction is that characters always seem to be able to afford apartments that they shouldn't be able to. For Spider-Man and Mary Jane, however, it's pretty bad. Of course, there are times when Mary Jane's career is going very well, which explains how they can afford a nice apartment.

For the most part, however, Peter is a struggling photographer and she's a struggling model. Somehow, they are consistently able to afford apartments with giant skylights. ”

 If this happens across most fiction in ways which aren’t more egregious than anything else (because Joey and Chandler’s apartment is egregious given their jobs) then it’s not worth mentioning on this list.

“Seriously, Tony Stark would struggle to afford some of the places they've lived in over the years.”

He really wouldn’t.

8 PETER WAS SUPER SHALLOW ABOUT MEETING HER

First off he wasn’t super shallow, he was as shallow as you would expect any teenager to be in that situation.

Also, a teenager being shallow. Thats certainly something that doesn’t make sense and belongs on a list entirely about shit that makes no sense.

“In the early stories, Peter could be kind of shallow. Granted, he was a teenager, but he always just seemed interested in dating the prettiest girls. ”

Ugh...no he didn’t. He asked out 3 young women who were all relatively attractive but none of whom were like compared to Hollywood starlets of the era. There was something of an implication that Betty Brant, his high school love, was not as attractive as the more glamorous Liz Allan whom he typically rebuffed in favour of Betty.

Also if we’re playing the ‘its super shallow to just date the hottest people you can’ then Peter and MJ were no worse than one another at those ages.

“Considering that he was always getting bullied and picked on, he should've been more understanding.”

a)        Being bullied and picked on isn’t innately going to make you more understanding of anybody

b)        Understanding of who? Who was he being inconsiderate towards exactly? He asked out two girls he was attracted to, attraction being an involuntary thing in the first place. He presumed his elderly not hip aunt who described MJ as being a good house wife was going to pick someone unattractive or boring, especially considering that if she was going to be set up with him she probably couldn’t get a date with anyone else. Meaning in his teenage head she must be unattractive

“Then, when he found out that she was beautiful, he was suddenly interested. ”

 My God how dare characters as teens be shallow and flawed. It makes no seeeeeeense!

 “It turns out, Peter's type was "any girl that looks good, regardless of her interests or personality."”

 That’s true which is why he quickly began to turn away from MJ because he found her shallow and preferred Gwen who was seemingly not shallow...

 7 WHY DID SHE NEED TO BE SET UP WITH PETER IN THE FIRST PLACE?

...huh?

 “Every comic book fan knows the story of how Peter and MJ met. A recurring plot line in early Spider-Man stories was Aunt May constantly trying to set Peter up with her friend's niece. The two didn't actually meet until The Amazing Spider-Man #43 (1966) by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, when Peter opened the door and she said the iconic phrase "face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot!"”

 Wow...the degree of incompetence in this paragraph is truly impressive.

 First of all it was ASM #42 not #43...how do you fuck that up. More importantly it was with Lee and Romita Senior not Lee and Ditko. SERIOUSLY how do you fuck that up.

 “What's weird about this, however, is that Mary Jane was a beautiful and outgoing girl. Peter was busy being Spider-Man, and was considered a nerd by his peers, so it's understandable that he'd need help getting dates. Mary Jane, on the other hand, should have been doing just fine.”

 Lets ignore how this was explained in Parallel Lives a story which has a major plot point referenced by the article more than once.

...why is this presumption Mj NEEDED to be set up. Maybe she just agreed as a favour to her aunt.

6 HOW DID SHE KNOW TO SAY THE JACKPOT LINE?

Because she knew she was sexy and could tell by his reaction he didn’t realize that and was taken aback by it.

“Ok, this might seem like a nitpick,”

Why let that bother you now.

 “The famous scene where Peter and Mary Jane first meet plays out like this: Peter answers the door, and Mary Jane is standing and delivers the famous line. It's a memorable moment, but it also doesn't make any sense.

Mary Jane never met Peter before this.”

Not formally no, but yes she had and knew what he looked like.

“How did she know she was a "jackpot" for him? Maybe she wasn't his type?”

His reaction spelled it out for her.

“For all she knew, he could have answered the door and been very disappointed. Also, maybe he wouldn't care what she looked like? It was a pretty arrogant thing to say, looking back, and she's lucky it didn't backfire.”

 *rolls eyes* oh fuck off.

5 THE REASON SHE CALLS HIM TIGER MAKES NO SENSE

“For years, everyone focused on the "jackpot" part of Mary Jane's famous introduction, but apparently, Peter was focused on a different part. Apparently, he never understood why she called him "tiger," especially because the nickname stuck. In all honesty, it's a good question. Especially during those early years, Peter Parker was anything but a "tiger."

In the original Clone Saga that ran during 1975, Peter actually asked Mary Jane for the reason. It turns out, it's because he's not a tiger and she's just playfully teasing him. That's fine, except why did she say it the first time she met him? How did she know he wasn't a "tiger?"”

a)           Because she called everyone that

b)           Because Aunt May and Aunt Anna probably told her about him

 4 THEY DON'T EVEN TRY TO HIDE KNOWING EACH OTHER

Yeah they do.

 “Peter's never been great at keeping a secret identity.”

Yeah that is why hardly anyone knew it before Civil War...

 “His entire scheme is that he takes pictures of himself fighting crime as Spider-Man, and then pretends that he's just Spidey's photographer. He's basically telling everyone that he's connected to the wall-crawler in some way.”

Yet it worked so obviously he is good at hiding it.

 “Even worse, whenever Spider-Man runs into Mary Jane, they often blatantly talk to each other in public. They always forget to pretend that Mary Jane isn't supposed to know Spider-Man. ”

He talks to lots of people in public and MJ has the easy cover story of knowing/dating Spider-Man’s friend Peter Parker.

“That, or they go way over the top and really awkwardly state that they don't know each other.”

No they don’t.

“At some point, someone's going to notice Spidey flirting with Peter Parker's wife and put two and two together.”

Yet they never have so...

 3 HOW DID SHE FIGURE OUT HIS SECRET ID?

“As previously stated, Peter is kind of terrible at keeping a secret identity. ”

As previously stated no he isn’t

“Often times, Peter doesn't even get caught as Spider-Man, people just end up figuring it out.”

Again a lie from the author who didn’t even know Romita Senior isn’t Steve Ditko.

“For example, after dating Peter during the '70s and the '80s, Mary Jane broke up with him, moved away, and then came back to New York. ”

Actually they broke up in the 70s and began dating after she returned in the 80s.

“When she returned, she revealed that she had figured out his secret.

While that made sense, later stories contradicted this. It was eventually revealed that she saw Peter leaving his house dressed as Spider-Man the night Uncle Ben died. So, she didn't figure it out. Obviously, this was a retcon, but the result is that Mary Jane lied to Peter. She didn't figure anything out!”

a)           Seeing Peter Parker enter an abandoned house and Spider-Man emerge would count as figuring out his identity

b)           She never actually told him directly she figured it out like she was a goddam detective

2 THEY BOTH KEEP HANGING AROUND THEIR EXES

As do most comic book characters...

“Both Peter and Mary Jane had healthy dating lives before marrying one another. There's nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, it's strange how they're both constantly hanging around their exes. ”

Or refreshingly healthy...

“Peter still brings Black Cat around constantly, and he and Betty Brant are still very close.”

He dated Betty as a friggin teenager and the author reaffirms he doesn’t understand what constantly means.

“Meanwhile, Mary Jane dated Harry Osborn while they were both in college, and the relationship did not end well for him. Now, years later, everyone is always hanging out together and that's a little strange. Hanging around with your exes typically leads to disaster, and based on how many ex-boyfriends and girlfriends are around, Peter's Spidey-sense should be tingling.”

Or again healthy and an affirmation of a deep bonded friendship that goes beyond personal baggage from when they were young and dumb.

1 GWEN WAS MEANT TO BE PETER'S TRUE LOVE, NOT MJ

Again, not something that doesn’t make sense. In fact it makes less sense for Gwen to be his true love since they were not a great match and true loves are fairy tale bullshit.

 “The end of Gwen Stacy is one of the most defining moments in comic book history. Up until that point, the hero saved the girl. Part of what made this story so memorable was that Gwen Stacy was always meant to be Peter's one true love.”

As far as Stan Lee was concerned yes but not everyone else.

Also OTLs are bullshit.

“Her demise rocked his world, and he's still affected by it, even to this day.

That's understandable, but it also strains Peter's relationship with MJ. She's always been understanding, but how many times can she come across him crying over Gwen's picture in the attic before it starts to effect her.”

He has literally never ever done this ever.

“She's constantly being reminded that she might be Peter's second choice.

Again with the misuse of constantly and no she isn’t because Peter has told and shown her she isn’t second best more than once.

And again, not a thing that doesn’t make sense however you slice it.

You what really doesn’t make sense.

This person being paid for this garbage.

[shinneth]

Gem Ascension Tropes (Peridot-specific: I - K)

Reference:

Primary Peri Post ▼ Primary General Post ▼ Full Article

I Am What I Am: While technically in Chartreuse’s form in this moment, Steven’s (as Pink 2.0) intensive Epiphany Therapy towards the end of Chapter 8 of Act III revolves around Peridot’s inner turmoil and self-acceptance regarding her past life as a Manipulative Bastard, which has wracked her with endless guilt since her canon Heel-Face Turn. Said guilt turns out to be what is really inhibiting Peridot’s ability to fuse with Steven. Once it’s lifted when Peridot fully accepts herself, she not only finds that she and Steven can fuse after all, but together fulfill an ancient prophecy as the Diamond of Miracles.

I Gave My Word: Peridot promised herself and everyone else that she’d save everyone trapped on Homeworld and make sure they’re brought home to Earth, and remembering this often helps shake her out a mental funk she’s stuck in.

I Hate Past Me: A major internal issue for Peridot that only gets worse the further she progresses through Homeworld as former repressed memories of how horrible she was as a Homeworld Gem are inadvertently regained. White Diamond actively tortures Peridot by making her watch these memories in Act III, and this ends up weighing down so heavily on Peridot’s conscience that it inhibits her potential for fusion.

I Just Want to Be Special: Peridot is well aware she’s the weakest Crystal Gem, is one of the most common types of gems in existence (as well as the lowest-regarded kind in society) and is destined to be insignificant as an Era 2 gem who will never measure up to her friends. That hasn’t stopped her from going above and beyond to avert this even in her Homeworld days, and now being able to legitimately lead what’s left of the Crystal Gems is Peridot’s opportunity to really stand out and shine. However…

I Just Want to Be Normal: By Act III, it’s revealed Peridot is not only a Chosen One, but a one-of-a-kind Unwitting Test Subject that hasn’t been seen in several millennia. She becomes the first and only ascended gem, capable of being an ordinary gem and a Diamond simultaneously. This consequently makes her the only Era 2 gem with Era 1 capabilities, the only Diamond to be created from another gem, and then there’s her ridiculously powerful ability to conjure things by willing them into existence. All of this is thrown onto Peridot at once, who was determined not to let White Diamond compromise her identity… only to succumb to her fate following a Moment of Weakness. This trope is especially prevalent in Peridot at the very end of GA and all stories following it, as the consequences of her achievements in Act III force Peridot onto a pedestal she doesn’t feel ready for. Ironically, all of this is something Peridot would have been fully on board with prior to her Character Development.

I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Double Subverted with Pumpkin. Celadon Diamond – a fusion of Chartreuse Diamond and White Diamond – killed Pumpkin (while attempting to kill Greg, which he narrowly avoided). While Celadon used willpower (inherited from her Peridot/Chartreuse component) to do the deed, Peridot herself tried to do everything she could to make the fusion hold back. However, resigning to the fusion the way she had made Peridot’s influence on Celadon very limited; White was a much more dominant presence in the fusion, and her desire to kill Steven’s father overpowered Peridot’s resistance. It was only after this happened that Peridot managed to find a way to break the fusion, after several failed attempts. Had she been able to break the fusion earlier, all of this could have been avoided. While Peridot knows it wasn’t fully her fault that she lost Pumpkin, severely injured Greg, and destroyed the Crystal Gems’ spaceship, the fact remains that it was her power that caused this mess. Peridot failed to use her powers to save Pumpkin despite her efforts, and until Steven consoles her later in Act III, she laments that she could have spared Pumpkin, Greg, and their ship from this if only she had been strong enough to break or hold back the fusion. She also could have prevented this if she hadn’t fallen prey to White’s tactics earlier that rendered her emotionally vulnerable, which allowed the Celadon fusion to happen in the first place.

I Lied: Manipulative Bastard Peridot says this verbatim to 9FC in a flashback shown in Chapter 2 of Act III in regards to their friendship.

I Owe You My Life: Peridot wholeheartedly credits her life to Steven. It’s more than him simply liberating her from the oppressive Homeworld life where Individuality is Illegal and giving her a second chance when no one else would. Because he spent so much time teaching Peridot about Earth, as well as talking to her and enjoying life together, Peridot has very good reason to believe her “Great and Lovable” self would never have existed without him. She’s deeply grateful for it and makes sure Steven knows she feels that way several times in the story.

Before this (though it takes a long time for Peridot to remember this), Lapis is similarly credited simply due to coming in just in time before Peridot’s Near-Rape Experience with Jasper went any further than that. Lapis had no intention of saving Peridot; in fact, she was more than willing to let Peridot be subjected to the full extent of being violated for the sake of her own safety. However, Jasper was naturally more drawn to Lapis not only out of instinct, but lust/alleged “love” – meaning Lapis inadvertently took the bullet for Peridot anyway. Several times, at that, while the three were a team together. While the trauma surrounding the incident and Peridot’s own reprehensible behavior during this time were so overwhelming that they had to be fully repressed and nearly forgotten in order for Peridot to function properly after this, she never let herself forget that Lapis did save her from an incident that nearly erased her entire identity – which can be seen as her life being saved. This was the main reason why Peridot went out of her way to be accommodating for Lapis in canon, even at her own expense.

I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Played with. Peridot was fully prepared to be rejected by Steven when it came to the pursuit of a romantic relationship. No matter how jealous she was over her competition, Peridot valued her friendship with Steven far too much to jeopardize it over a selfish desire. She will gladly put Steven’s needs above her own every time. Thankfully for her, it never came to this.

I Will Only Slow You Down: Her rationale when she tells Steven and Garnet to Go on Without Me. White Diamond is just a couple of minutes away, which affords them no time to break the gate with brute force, while Peridot is too fatigued and injured to save herself. While she tries to smile at her friends without showing any tears or sorrow, that briefly fades when Peridot turns her head to hear White Diamond closing in. She resumes her smile when she looks back at Garnet and Steven, now more adamantly ordering them to leave her behind.

I Will Wait for You: Has this sentiment for Steven regarding her feelings for him, under the assumption that he may not be ready for that kind of relationship yet or if he’s with someone else entirely. Peridot’s got all the time in the world to wait for her turn. Luckily for her, she doesn’t have to wait too long.

I’m Having Soul Pains: When Peridot tries to do too much with her willpower in her base form, she will suffer this in the form of headaches, fatigue, and overall physical strain. This is due to her form not being a very good conductor for this kind of power; this kind of side-effect does not happen when performing the same feats (or greater) as Chartreuse Diamond. Only problem is that Peridot doesn’t exactly like to be Chartreuse unless she absolutely has to…

The Immodest Orgasm: It’d be more surprising if someone as naturally loud, expressive, and dramatic as Peridot didn’t behave this way. And sure enough, this is what happens in Chapter 2 of It’s a Birthday, Yes It Is.

Improvised Weapon: Even post-ascension, Peridot never gains an official weapon. Beforehand, she literally could not summon one from her gemstone due to her limitations as an Era 2 gem. Now charged with willpower, Peridot can summon pretty much any weapon she wants for the right situation, assuming she can decide on what to go with. Prior to this, Peridot improvised at least two weapons in a hammer (which she later gifted to an unarmed Connie) and a piece of metal scrap she was able to manipulate into whatever shape she wanted. Although it was mainly a mode of transport, Peridot also used a steel beam to ram into a pallid gem late in Act I.

Drop the Hammer: Though she used it very sparingly before giving it to Connie, Peridot did use the hammer to damage Yellow Diamond badly enough to stun her for the entire battle.

Indy Ploy: Peridot is forced to resort to this in Chapter 5 of This is Who I Am. 5XG is strangling the Light Steven in a separate dimension – consequently, Dark Steven (Peridot’s opponent) is unable to breathe due to his life being bound to his counterpart’s. Being isolated in a separate dimension makes Peridot unable to directly interfere with her counterpart’s efforts… except for one way: injuring herself. The problem is that 5XG is extremely resilient to damage, so Peridot has to inflict a severe injury on herself to have any hope of causing enough mutual damage to disrupt her dark self. With both Stevens moments away from being choked to death, Peridot has no choice but to go with her instincts, as there’s no time to think anything through. She knows it’s a bad idea to directly damage her own gemstone, but being bereft of options and not having the luxury of taking time to think this through leaves her with no choice. She stabs her own gemstone with a broken floor tile – this does force 5XG to stop, but now both Peridots are on death’s door. Luckily for them, Light Steven is merciful enough to heal the one who almost killed him while Dark Steven begrudgingly respects Peridot’s efforts to save his life and heals her to avoid feeling indebted. Ultimately, this insane plan helps end both deathmatches, as both Peridots are too injured to function while both Stevens are too fatigued to carry on, leading to a draw where both Steven and Peridot escape with their lives against all odds.

Inelegant Blubbering: Downplayed, but Peridot’s reunion with Steven in Act I includes sobbing into his chest, calling him every derogatory name she can think of, and punching his shoulder for each insult. Being that Peridot is severely injured, she’s not hurting Steven at all and it isn’t long before she fully devolves into this. Badly enough that the Crystal Gems need to split up and relocate, since Peridot’s cries are garnering unwanted attention.

Inferiority Superiority Complex: Still burdened with this, as Peridot can’t really escape being faced with constant limitations as the only Era 2 of the Crystal Gems… until she ascends, of course. But even then, she has limitations on her new powers unless she shifts into Chartreuse Diamond. She’s constantly self-conscious as a leader, and now that Peridot has regained her memories of her life as a Homeworld Gem, she has a lot of Old Shame moments that are hard for her to live down… especially when the Homeworld refugees constantly remind her of those times.

Insecure Love Interest: Downplayed, as this mostly applies to Peridot after she regains her memories about how awful she used to be during her pre-Earth life. It’s only hinted at in Act II; by Act III, Peridot also struggles with her identity as an Unwitting Test Subject that led to her betraying her friends early on. While it’s seemingly mended with Steven’s declaration of them being an Official Couple by Chapter 5, another problem arises in their inability to fuse. By Chapter 8, it’s revealed the primary cause of that was Peridot’s own guilt over her past crimes weighing her down to the point where she subconsciously believed she didn’t deserve to fuse with Steven.

Insistent Terminology: At the end of It’s a Birthday, Yes It Is, Steven points out the Department of Redundancy Department nature of Peridot’s GA-exclusive catchphrase, “stupid idiot”. Peridot’s response?

Peridot: “It’s not redundancy, clod. It’s emphasis.”

Steven: “I’m… not following.”

Peridot: “Some people can be stupid; others are idiots… but it takes a special kind of clod mentality to achieve the level of stupid idiot, Steven. When I say you’re a stupid idiot, I mean you’re an idiot even by idiot standards, get it?”

Insufferable Genius: Per canon, Peridot definitely has her moments of this, although she’s often prone to self-criticism in the story as well. Sometimes, she deliberately invokes this trope in an attempt to cover something up (usually an insecurity).

Internalized Categorism: Downplayed as time goes on; in Act II, she admits to envying Amethyst for being a gem made on Earth rather than Homeworld, as Peridot had grown to loathe being associated with her home planet in any way. Still, Peridot knows there’s nothing that can be done about it, and she soon no longer has the luxury of lamenting over such trivial details. But then, it’s revealed Peridot is part-Diamond in Act III – and this trope returns with a vengeance. Peridot learns to accept herself by the end of the primary GA series, but still isn’t really comfortable about embracing her Diamond heritage.

Involuntary Shapeshifting: Happens a couple of times. Most notably, she shifts into her Chartreuse Diamond form as she grieves over Pumpkin’s death that only makes her destructive reactions worse.

It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: For all the times Peridot wanted to stand out and be special, she didn’t get to enjoy even a second of it when it was revealed in Act III that she is a very unique Chosen One after all. While Peridot eventually has Steven to lean on to share her burdens with, the Post-GA stories exaggerate their woes as the new Era 3 operation looms over them, as they are the designated centerpieces for the operation, being the only diamonds left in existence at that point. Stories taking place after their project launches show that the burden of responsibility and work have weighed heavily upon the pair.

It’s All About Me: Heavily downplayed due to the high stakes and circumstances of Peridot’s goals in the story, but still has her moments of this. Played very straight regarding who Peridot used to be before she was assigned to monitor Earth.

It’s Personal: Messing with Steven automatically makes any matter personal for Peridot. After Act I, it becomes more personal as White Diamond directly messes with her life and compromises her identity that brings life-long consequences. Then Pumpkin gets brought into it, and… the results are not pretty.

Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She’s still full of herself, she’s still a brat, and she’s still prone to respond aggressively, but don’t ever question Peridot’s love for her friends, her loyalty towards her family, or what she’s willing to do or what she has to sacrifice to keep them out of harm’s way.

Jerkass Ball: Chapter 6 of Act III: after failing to fuse with Steven during their private time together, Peridot covers up her misery with this in order to function not only as a Crystal Gem, but a co-leader of the team, as well as avoid admitting her confirmed inability to fuse to the rest of her friends. However, this façade only makes it more apparent to the others that something is wrong with Peridot, who absolutely refuses to talk about it.

Jerkass Woobie: Peridot in a nutshell after her Near-Rape Experience with Jasper, but before her Heel-Face Turn when she aligned herself with the Crystal Gems.

Jumped at the Call: The moment she realizes Steven’s in trouble, Peridot not only does this, but is irked the others didn’t react like this and instead waited for her to reform before doing anything at all.

Karma Houdini: Until she met Jasper, Manipulative Bastard Peridot suffered no consequences whatsoever for her horrific behavior on Homeworld. She literally got away with murder on several occasions; even worse, often got rewarded for it. Peridot’s good fortune abruptly ran out once she was finally promoted and got on Yellow Pearl’s bad side; ever since her first encounter with Jasper, misfortune followed Peridot everywhere she went. Before long, she was finally suffering the consequences for her cruel ambitions.

5XF expresses that she has no desire to become “another 5XG” regarding her own despicable actions during Chapters 4 and 5 of This is Who I Am. Apparently “5XG” is a synonym for this trope now.

The Killer in Me: The Amnesiac variety, as Peridot is horrified and disgusted to remember how reprehensible she used to be once she reaches Homeworld, and how many lives were lost due to her actions, directly or otherwise.

The Klutz: Per canon, but also the reason why Gem Ascension didn’t end with Act I. Actually heavily downplayed in Act I after leaving Earth, specifically so it happening in Act I’s climax would be even more impactful and unexpected.

Knight, Knave, and Squire: The Squire to Bismuth’s Knight and Lapis’ Knave.

[momkiddies-blog]

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Read Aloud Books for 5th Grade

I’m continuing my read aloud book recommendations, this week is for 5th grade. (Fifth grade is ages 11-12.)  to teach things like reading strategies, literary devices, character arc, and more. Also, you can use the historical and realistic fiction books on this list to integrate with your current events and history subjects.

More Read Aloud Book Lists:

4th Grade 3rd Grade 2nd Grade 1st Grade

Read Aloud Books for 5th Grade

Realistic Read Alouds

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper Hands-down this is one of the best, most life-changing books you’ll ever read. Narrated by Melody, we learn what it’s like for her to be trapped in a body with cerebral palsy that doesn’t allow her to speak or take care of herself. No one except her parents thinks that she’s smart. But she is smart. And one day, she gets a chance to prove it with adaptive technology. Not only that, she qualifies to be on the school’s quiz team but the team isn’t as welcome as you might think. Heartbreaking. Real. Inspiring. Beautifully written.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling Aven Green is used to making up creative stories for why she doesn’t have any arms. Especially now in Arizona where her parents are the new managers a rundown theme park. She befriends a boy at school who, like her, feels different and isolated from the other kids. His name is Connor and he has Tourette Syndrome. Together, he, another new friend named Zion, and Aven investigate a mysterious storage shed at the theme park which leads them to Aven’s biological past. This story is about restorative friendship, facing your fears, and discovering your true potential. What’s more, the physical and mental diversity is shown with strength and compassion.

Mia and her parents have struggled ever since moving to America from China. When her parents take a new live-in job at a motel, they end up working around the clock for very little pay. Mia helps out by working at the front desk. She befriends the weekly tenants and uses her English skills to write letters advocating other people in tough spots— like her uncle whose sweatshop boss has taken his passport and weekly, Hank, who needs a letter of recommendation to get a job. This book is more than a memorable coming-of-age immigrant story, it’s also about tolerance, determination, and diversity.

Okay, wow! This book is brilliantly written for so many reasons. First of all, because it addresses the very real issue of police violence against black children but it does not vilify or stereotype. Second of all, the author shows us the complexity of issues and the humanity of a police officer from the perspective of his daughter. After Jerome is unjustly shot, he becomes a ghost. Sarah, the police officer’s daughter, is the only one who can see and talk to him except for the other ghost boys who were also killed in racially motivated violence. It’s a well-written, fast-paced read about important current issues.

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty BOOKS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS – OCD My daughter and I love this book — it was her favorite of 2018. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl is a thoughtful coming-of-age story about a girl genius with OCD whose grandma wants her to go to public middle school for three reasons: to make a friend, read a non-math book, and join a school activity. Although she’s reluctant to go, Lucy finds friends and connects with a rescue dog for a school project. In short, it’s a well-written, heart-warming story that will change your perspective of mental illness and give you hope for humanity.

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson Harbor Me tackles very big issues including race, immigration, bullying, learning differences, friendship, and forgiveness. The story is about six diverse children with learning differences. They bond during a special group, kids-only time on Friday afternoons where they share their stories, many of which Haley records on a tape recorder. Even as she learns the others’ stories, Haley is reluctant to share how her own dad is in jail for the car accident killing her mother. Eventually, she shares and it’s beautiful to see how the other kids support her.

MORE Realistic Read Alouds

I can’t recommend this book enough!! Marsh writes a stunning novel about two young boys from very different backgrounds — one is a refugee from Syria while the other is an American who has just moved to Belgium. Interwoven in this timely, poignant story are the big issues of refugees, prejudice, fear, friendship, and kindness. To avoid the overcrowded refugee centers, Ahmed hides in the basement of the house where Max lives with his family. When he’s discovered by Max, the boys develop a friendship, enrolls in school, and continues hiding. And it works. But it can’t last forever. Because a local policeman suspects something…

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng Luminous and heartfelt, 11-year-old Alex Petroski’s story will grab your heart and expand it. His dream is to launch a rocket into space with his iPod of recordings about life on earth. The story is a transcription of what Alex records on the iPod such as his solo journey to the rocket convention, the interesting people he befriends on the way and there, his trip Las Vegas to find information about his deceased father, as well as his unique, innocent perspective that tries to make sense of the world.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander VERSE Basketball player and twin Josh narrates his life in quarters, just like the game he plays. He writes about missing his twin, Jordan who is distant now that he has a girlfriend, about getting in trouble when he hits Jordan in the face with a basketball, and about watching his father as his father’s heart fails. This is a relatable coming-of-age story. Plus, this sports-loving kids will love all the basketball.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio Both “a meditation on kindness” and not judging people by how they look on the outside, but by their character. Wonder helps us see compassion, empathy, and acceptance from a variety of character’s points of view. Auggie, a boy with a facial difference, starts public school for the first time in 5th grade. His experience, though often difficult, shows his inner strength. In the end, kindness wins over bullying!

Funny, sensitive, well-written, brilliantly paced, relatable, and poignant. The middle school assigns the worst teacher, Mr. Kermit, to the so-called worst kids –the class known as the unteachables. It’s clear to the students in this class that Mr. Kermit does not care even a little bit about teaching. Or disciplining. Or any of them. As we get to know the kids in this small class, something surprising happens. The teacher next door, the daughter of Mr. Kermit’s former fiance, gets Mr. Kermit to start caring. And that opens the doors to important classroom changes including the class’ unexpected and transformative field trips.

  Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen I can’t recommend this book enough — it will make kids think deeply. Angry at the world, 15-year old Cole beats a classmate into a coma and subsequent brain damage. To avoid the jail time, Cole agrees to spend a year by himself on an island in Alaska, thinking he’ll escape as soon as possible. But after Cole almost dies trying to escape, he decides to give the year-long process a chance. As readers experience Cole’s pain and anger, it makes his healing and transformation that much more powerful.

Amal’s life is turned upside down when she offends a regional Pakistani overlord. She is forced to leave her home and school in order to work for the overlord in his home as a servant — indefinitely. Amal finds her inner strength and fights back, freeing herself and the other household slaves. The author skillfully sets the scene of rural Pakistan making you feel transported. In addition, you’ll feel the injustice and cheer for Amal’s bravery.

Historical Fiction Read Alouds

The WAR That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Ada and her brother escape their mother’s abuse when the London children are evacuated during WWII and go to live with a grieving woman in a small country town. It’s difficult for both the woman and children to trust but slowly the trust grows and all three regain something lost — hope and love. “I slipped my hand into hers. A strange and unfamiliar feeling rand through me. It felt like the ocean, like sunlight, like horses. Like love. I searched my mind and found the name for it. Joy.” I can’t recommend this book enough, it just touched my heart at such a deep level. Furthermore, the sequel, The War I Finally Won, is also an incredible, beautiful story.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry Lowry does an excellent job at writing about WWII in a way that isn’t too scary or inappropriate for kids. Annemarie’s best friend hides Annemarie’s Jewish family. The tension is high as the Nazis are everywhere looking for Jews or Jewish sympathizers. It’s challenging to hide knowing that every day you could be caught and sent to a death camp. Finally, the family escapes to Sweden where they will be safe from the Nazis.

Refugee by Alan Gratz Wow. This book is an eye-opening, timely book. Follow three distinct, alternating stories about being displaced from your country, on the run, and in danger. First is a young Jewish boy who escapes from Nazi Germany on a ship to Cuba, only to be turned away from the Cuban port and sent back to Europe. Next is a Cuban girl in the 1990s who, with her family and neighbors, flees in a homemade raft to the United States at great peril. Finally, is a story about a Syrian boy whose home is bombed in a country at war. He and his family travel a great distance to find a country that will allow them shelter. Gatz skillfully connects all three stories with a satisfying, realistic conclusion.

Chains, Forge, Ashes (Seeds of America) by Laurie Halse Anderson Live the Civil War time period through the eyes of an African-American girl named Isabel and her friend, Cuzon. Enslaved, escaped, or enlisted, these two are determined survivors. The writing is amazing and the stories are captivating. I love and highly recommend these books; they’ll transport your students back into this time in U.S. history. Boxed Set Here.

Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban It would be hard as an author not to vilify this country for sending thousands of Japanese Americans to prison camps. But this author doesn’t. She just skillfully shares the evocative story of 10-year old Manami of Washington State, who is sent with her family to a dusty camp, leaving behind her beloved dog, Yujiin, and everything else her family owned. Devastated, Manami stops speaking. Her story is painful, sprinkled with hope, and all too real.

Sci-Fi Read Alouds

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle I’ve read this book aloud so many times — and every time it’s just as fantastic. (That doesn’t always happen with books.) A Wrinkle in Time is a remarkable, well-written adventure in space that deals with the overarching theme of good vs. evil. Meg and her brother, Charles Wallace, and friend, Calvin, set off to find her missing scientist father who disappeared while researching tesseracts. They’ll be helped by three wise creatures, be tempted by evil, and eventually find that good does triumph over evil.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien This is a classic, excellent Newbery winning book about highly intelligent lab rats and mice who escape from the lab and form their own community on a farm. When a field mouse named Mrs. Frisby encounters trouble with a sick son, she turns to the rats for help. That’s when she learns the truth about her husband’s previous life. In fact, this was always one of my fifth graders’ favorite read-aloud books.

DYSTOPIAN Set in a dystopian society, this Newbery medal winner grabs your attention and keeps it until the end. What is going on in this community? When Jonas is assigned his job as “Receiver of Memory” he learns just how much his hidden and controlled. Ultimately, he’ll have to decide just what he’ll do with this horrifying information. Not only is this a thought-provoking story, but it will also introduce your readers to dystopian fiction.

Welcome!

Download my “Can’t Put ‘Em Down” book lists for your kids ages 3 – 13.

Also, I’ll send you a bonus “23 Reasons to Read” printable poster!

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[maudesthoughts-blog]

Spiderman homecoming review **Spoiler Free** go see Spider-man homecoming 7.5/10 would recommend. Now if you wanna know why only 7.5 read on... Ok so first off this is 100% the best spider-man adaptation. Tom Holland bring the wittiness back in Peter Parker that we lost in The Amazing Spiderman and Spiderman 3. First off I am gonna state the obvious that the boy is fucking gorgeous. Multiple times I found myself falling in love with him. He is a phenomenal actor, I had previously seen him in How I Lived Now and Heart of The Sea. Those three roles are very different from one another but he still managed to portray the characters flawlessly. He brought the awkwardness and typical high school Peter Parker I know and loved. My favourite story arcs were always when he was younger and dealing with real world things like growing up. And for that fact I liked the fact that it was set in high school, it made it super relatable. It also brought a lot more charm to the movie. When watching superhero movies I find that it's sometimes difficult to relate the protagonist because they are this superhuman and let's be honest we won't suddenly find out we can fly or have the ability to control people's minds. On top of Parker I loved a lot of the other characters. This movie brings a lot more diversity into the MCU which I thought was necessary. Peter's best friend Ned is a standout. He is fanboy and awkward. He is so lovable. Everything he says and did was funny. I thought he definitely had some of the best lines. Another character I loved was Zendaya's Michelle or MJ. She doesn't wear makeup for the entire movie she is seen reading books and being sarcastic towards everyone. She also has a huge crush on Holland's character he just doesn't know it. One thing I didn't like was the fact that the love interest Liz was extremely bland and average. She was really smart which breaks the usual pretty girl stereotype and I enjoyed that aspect. But she was no Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) or Kristen Dunst (Mary Jane Watson). She was very forgettable. I wish they would've gone in the direction of Michelle's character being the love interest. This is definitely what's gonna happen in the sequel though and I am here for it. Another one of Peter's peers I liked was Tony Revolori's "Flash". He is technically a bully but you can tell that it's because he is jealous of Parker. I think there was potential for him to have better dialogue. I also thoroughly enjoyed Micheal Keaton's vulture. Vulture is a marvel villain that has never been portrayed on screen. I like that they went for a more unknown to screen villain. Don't get me wrong the vulture has a rich comic book history. My favourite run with him as the villain is the original Spider-Gwen arc. Keaton really made you feel for him. He was also really fucking scary. He didn't look silly and they didn't overdo it *cough cough* Electro ;). The biggest plot twist came from him. I can honestly say I wasn't expecting it. This technically isn't a character but the suit was also surprisingly really fun and enjoyable. I was really worried at first because it seemed very over the top but when you watch it in action it's very impressive and cool. I also like the assistant Karen who is giving me JARVIS flashbacks. I also really liked Tony and Happy's roles in Peter truly becoming Spiderman. The movie also had one of the best Marvel Soundtrack to date. It was hilarious the whole theatre was laughing but lacked in emotional moments that make good superhero movie. I enter MCU and DCU movies expecting that I will shed a tear or two because that makes the stories just that much better. With this movie though I didn't once even feel flustered or teary. For some this must be a good thing but for me what makes a movie exceptional is the fact that it makes me laugh and cry. Since it was set in high school there are also very awkward parts but they fit nicely with the plot. They're very realistic. This wasn't an origine story which was very refreshing. We follow widowed May who is as clueless as ever. But she's hot! I thought it was unnecessary for every male character to hit on her and it made me very uncomfortable. I found that this adaptation was a coming of age story for Peter. He has his powers but he needs to figure out what that means not only for spiderman but Peter Parker. The movie does have many problems though. First off the advertising. The movie was advertised with Donald Glover being a part of it. Sure he was in the movie but for about six minutes. I was expecting them to do so much more with his character cos his character was good. I realize now that they put him in the movie because people wanted him to play Miles Morales AKA black spiderman (look him up he's fucking great). The whole internet was very keen for him to play Spidey but he's a little too old to play a 15 year old. The fact that Peter was a 15 year old 10th grader was also a problem for me, Tom Holland looks young but he doesn't look 15. I think if they would've made him even a year older it would've improved my experience. Another thing is that some times Peter sounds extremely whiny and I guess it makes sense cause he's a teenager. I also would've liked to see more of Michelle's and Aunt May's character. Aunt May is a huge part of Peter's life, being her guardian and all, but she's barely there and if she is some male character mentions how hot she is. I liked that they revamped the character and made her quirky and also she dressed like a teenage girl which was a little off putting at first. Definitely don't go see this movie because of it's ground breaking visuals but the fight scenes and action scenes are well done. I saw it in IMAX 3D but you definitely can skip that. The 3D isn't as well utilized as I would've hoped. The actual IMAX is worth it just because of it's larger screen and the amplified sound made the experience a lot better. This is way longer than I wanted it to be but I have a lot of thoughts on this so here is most of them. If you have seen it though plz hmu because I wanna talk spoilers.

[pluviophile-bookworm]

Thoughts/ reaction to AWAE 3x8

I’m honestly afraid of what I might see in this episode. I have been crying almost all week at the mere thought of what last episode did to Anne and Diana and Jerry, and I’m 100% ready to get that all resolved - but I’m afraid it might not happen. Also, with the Shirbert on-off-on-off pattern that has been going on this season, my hopes aren’t very high for those two. Here’s hoping my worries are in vain.

Ka’kwet is back. Unfortunately, she’s not back, if you know what I mean. I hope she gets out of that place - the “White Man’s Burden School”, as I call it - sooner. 

That nun is not acting like a good Christian. Tragically, that is what people really were like - and in some places still are - to people of colour. This cold open is truly nightmarish. I’m starting to fear my worries were not in vain and that I, and the whole fandom as a community, have been set up for much more suffering than any one of us might have expected. 

Looks like Ka’kwet will be back after all. That girl’s really smart, but she’s been through a lot. I hope things might be better for her back at home. 

I see things are still awfully tense between Anne and Diana - and “tense” doesn’t even begin to describe it. I hope this hot mess is resolved by next week - at most. 

I should have been ready for the sight of the schoolhouse burnt to ashes. But I don’t think anything could have prepared me for Anne’s reaction to it. Now I’m crying. I know this is supposed to be a symbol for the end of their childhood or something, but it’s still as devastating as we feared it would be, and then some. 

Once again Miss Stacy proves that the world needs more teachers, nay, more people, like her. Managing to find a silver lining and turn the situation around when she was clearly just as devastated as anyone - that was a true heroic act if you ask me. 

Wait, where is Anne going?

But of course, she’s immediately holding accountable for the situation whoever she thinks should be held accountable - in this case, Rachel Lynde. Interestingly, she didn’t even know what happened. I mean, she was the only woman in a council of men who tried to speak for her fellow women, wasn’t she? Rachel did some good last episode and she is not at fault for that vile act of cowardice and whatever else Miss Stacy called it. 

How is Ka’kwet supposed to find her way back to Avonlea? Is she even going to get back home? I’m worried for my girl.

Everybody being just crammed at Miss Stacy’s is the type of atmosphere and environment that just calls for something bonding and intimate to happen... and Shirbert are there, sitting together, talking... this is like a direct continuation of the porch scene from last episode. I might be clowning, but I think the loop has been broken. Or we might be in for a bigger step backwards next time. I’m clowning. 

Bash’s mum seeing Delly warms my heart. We need more wholesome scenes and less suffering. But we’re probably not getting any of that.

Ok, Ruby really is over Gilbert, so much that it’s like she was never “under” him. The fact that she can now talk to Anne about him and Winnifred - right in his face, at that, is a huge step away from the years and years of crushing. Also, she’s totally right that a person can be studious and romantic at the same time. But I’m not sure our Gil here is the best example of it. 

I sense some parallels between the scene with the class at the Green Gables barn and this scene at Miss Stacy’s - teasing Gilbert about his “fiance” while Anne is listening reminds me painfully of the “does he have  a farm girl” comment about Jerry. And the Anne/ Diana parallel this creates is just pouring salt in the wound their fight gave me last week.

The framing in the next scene is beautiful and reminds me of Shirbert, but I think that’s the only beautiful and romantic thing about it. 

Jerry just won’t stop saying “I’m not good enough for you”, and, frankly, he shouldn’t. I just hoped he’d say more. What I really wanted from this episode was for him to give Diana a piece of his mind on the way she made him feel last episode. 

“Rude and aggressive”? Jerry? I don’t think so. I didn’t really blame Diana for the way she acted last time, but I do blame her for even thinking that. Is he not allowed to have his own feelings and express them? And what is wrong with telling Anne? If anything, it was wrong of both of them not to tell her sooner. She’s supposed to be Diana’s bosom friend and Jerry’s sister, for goodness’s sake! It shouldn’t have taken hurt feelings to finally let her in on the way things are; or rather were, as they’re certainly not anymore. I can’t believe I’m saying it. but maybe it’s for the better. Even if multiple hearts, including mine, got broken in the process. For something to be fixed, it first must be broken, some say. Then so be it. 

Aunt Jo is in Avonlea? Things just got better. And she wants Diana to take the Queens exam. I think she should, too. But it breaks my heart again that she’s apparently not brave enough to try and fulfil her potential. So she was bold enough to kiss Jerry at the fair, thus leading both him and herself on, but not to fight for her own future? I love her and I just can’t sit and watch her do that to herself. But why am I doing this to myself, then?

Mrs. LaCroix acting like a servant and calling Gilbert “Mr. Blythe, sir” was very awkward to watch - for me and Gilbert alike, it seems. But I sort of understand why she did that. Except it’s not making me feel better. It makes me feel worse, if anything. Because I knew she was acting that way because Gilbert is white and she’s not. And that’s not alright. That she’s lived in a society that thought that was alright, was wrong. I hope things get better.

“Uncle Gilby”... Bash has me rolling on the floor laughing once again. And Delphine is still the cutest - she can’t do much more than be cute yet, can she? But I hope she gets to hear a certain love confession about Anne soon. That is the wholesome content we need in these trying times.

Oh my, Ka’kwet, get off that rail! I feel like a worried young mother with this kid. One thing I sure am, and it’s worried. I hope she’ll be safe.

The contrast between the awkwardly stiff atmosphere at the Barry house and the high-level pressure of the class is starker than that between day and night. That’s poetic cinema alright.  

Wait, Diana’s doing it! Is my girl back? My girl’s back. I think. I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. 

So Gilbert never returned Anne’s pen? I can see why. But it put her in a really uncomfortable position. I’ve been there, and I don’t need to tell you what going into an important exam without the proper tools can do to a student’s psyche. But I know Anne knows better than to let that get to her in this very important moment. 

Last episode’s climax left a very big impression on both Rachel and Marilla, didn’t it now?

Are they trying to push Bash and Miss Stacy? I think it would be highly inappropriate. First of all because I don’t think Bash is ready to remarry at all - he might as well never be - and second of all because I don’t think Muriel Stacy of all women needs a man. And I ship her with Prissy now, but that’s another story. 

Now that’s another feeling I know all too well - finishing your exams and celebrating your freedom. And I’m glad Diana got to be part of that. I just hope she and Anne can make up soon. That’s pretty much all I can think of.

If Winnie loves Paris so much, let her go to Paris. She shouldn’t need a man for that. Certainly not one whose mind has been occupied by one girl since the day he first saw her. I ship Shirbert as much as the next person and then some, but I also don’t want Winnie’s heart to be broken at the end of all this. She’s a nice girl. She deserves better. Let her go to Paris. No need to drag Gilbert into this for too long. 

Let me tell you, Anne’s hair flying loose, lit by the fire, is pure  poetry. If I were Gilbert in that scene, I would propose on the spot. But we know that’s not happening. 

Anne’s not making any sense and if this were any other couple in a similar setting, this is where he would shut her up with a kiss... but I’m clowning, ain’t I?

“Will you marry me?” Shirbert, and the ring and the dictionary, and the parallels... I’m nearly speechless. Why can’t they just spit it out? Does Gilbert have to go through with the proposal for the final realisation to come?

And... here we are. Except - we’re really not. “My Aunt is visiting me”. That felt like a firm step back on Diana’s part. Will they ever make up? Or will I have to cry for another week straight at just the thought of everything that played out?

Leave it to Aunt Jo to dish out wisdom... hope she can help Anne in this situation, or else the entirety of Shirbert might be at stake. 

“Asked Anne”? You didn’t ask anything. You just made her more confused than ever and now she feels this great responsibility about her whole life and yours, too. You shouldn’t have made her feel that way. But I can’t blame you. You two are the two most confused individuals I’ve seen in a long time. But I love you both the way you are. And I know you’ll get there someday. 

“She said no”. Seriously, Blythe, were you and I listening to the same girl talk last night? Because I never heard her say no. Or yes. Or give any kind of cohesive answer to the big question you DIDN’T ASK!

Rachel and Marilla are really doing that, aren’t they? And Rachel all cool pouring water while serving one of the most delightfully ironic of ironic echoes I’ve ever seen... “No need to be hysterical”! Ha! #started from the bottom #now we’re here

My, my! Ka’kwet has been through quite the journey... but she’s finally home. Wonder what will happen when the “whites” find out, though. 

Goodness! Minnie May’s really had it, hasn’t she? Honestly, it was about time someone in that family said something about the lives they lead - it was time someone told it like it is, and... why did I actually expect it to be Minnie May? Why does this little girl have to do the grown-ups’ job? I guess it’s just the way of the world. I just hope this doesn’t end in disaster. 

Okay, I’ve been waiting for this all week, and it’s even more beautiful than I could have imagined. Far more beautiful.

Wow, that was some realisation! “I’m in love with Gilbert Blythe”. Took you long enough, Anne! Now go do something about it before it’s way too late. Gosh, we will be clowning so hard next week. 

To sum up what we saw in this episode: Ka’kwet finally escapes the “White Man’s Burden” school of nightmares and takes the long road home; lots of tension between Anne and Diana; the school is ashes and those responsible for it aren’t getting away; Gilbert thinks he’s sure about Winnifred; Derry is dead; lots of parallels, all heavy on Shirbert; Bash’s mum “knows her place” - or does she really?; Diana takes the exams with zero preparation (respect!); Rachel and Marilla tear down the patriarchy; Minnie May does the grown-ups’ job; DiAnne is back; Anne sets us all up for a lot of clowning.