Part 6: Final Review

Summary/ Review:
We Bought A Zoo by Benjamin Me was an outstanding book. It was such an amazing book about a father and his kids started a new, crazy journey together. The story displayed true dedication and desire. It has taught me to chase after me dreams, no matter how hard they may seem. Benjamin Mee has really motivated me in doing things I thought I couldn't accomplish. This book was very uplifting and was such a delight to read. I would definitely recommend this book because the story is so amazing and the topic is interesting to read about. I think everyone who reads this book would learn a great moral. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did.
This project was a bit challenging at first, but once I got the hang of blogging, it was easier to complete. I actually enjoyed this project, but I thought that it was difficult to read a section in a week, especially if it was a big book. Summarizing all the content was very hard. Also, the sources were difficult to find for the last couple blogs because the book has the same theme and there weren't enough relevant sites to continue to put in your blogs. Overall, I have learned a lot during this project like how to blog, improving my reflection skills, finding things to support my writing, etc.. This project has been a great learning experience.

Five Interesting Facts:
1. There are two hundred animals at the Dartmoor Zoo.

2. The Dartmoor Zoo is three acres of land.

3. 90,000 people visit the Dartmoor Zoo every year.

4. $75,445 was spent on the repair of the zoo.

5. The movie was filmed in CA, but the really Dartmoor Zoo is located in Devon, England.

Part 5: Opening Day

Summary:

The final section of We Bought A Zoo includes the finishing touches on the park and the big opening day. One thing that was much needed was operations on the animals to prevent them from breeding; they did not have a license to breed animals at the zoo yet. This was a very dangerous procedure, but this task was dealt with very carefully and all went well. Several animals got other operations done, such as root canals and nail trimmings. Another task that had to be finished was the kitchen.  It took a few days but by the time the workers were completely done, the restaurant look amazing. The last thing needed for the park to open was the inspection to hopeful get a license to open the the public. This stressful day came quickly. The process was long and nerve racking. Everyone was on there best behavior and hoping for the best. The Dartmoor Zoological Park passed and was ready for opening day! This came faster than most expected, but the day went smoothly and all staff was showered with complements on the transformation of the zoo. The first couple days were a success, but the rainy weather stopped the customers from pouring in. The park was empty for awhile, but when a T.V. show came out on the zoo, the customers started flowing once again and the Dartmoor Zoo was a success.

Review:
I thought that this last section was amazing! It really showed the characters drive, inspiration, and passion for the zoo and the animals. This was truly a life changing story and I recommend anyone read it. The last part make the reader feel so happy and excited for the Mee family. They deserve their success after all the hard work they have put into the zoo and I am really proud of all of their accomplishments. It really shows that you can make something great out of something that started as nothing. After reading this book, I would love to make a trip the the Dartmoor Zoological Park and visit  such an amazing park.

Focus: Think about the opening of the zoo and relate it to a time of accomplishment in your life
 One of the days that my team attended cheer camp, my stunt group was trying to master a really difficult stunt. It had been shone to us the day before and we had been working really hard to get it. We were constantly changing things that would make it work. We got advice from our coaches and other cheerleaders who could already do it. We always practice when we could and we were all determined to make this stunt hit. We all motivated and pushed each other.  It was a lot easier to practice knowing you had your whole stunt group on your side, helping you get through the struggle. We were all working together to achieve the same goal and that united us even more. Eventually the stunt hit and we were so excited that we were able to complete the stunt strong and steady. Mostly importantly, we got to do it together and share our success with the rest of the team in our future cheer routines.

Part 4: Preparation for Inspection

Summary:

This week's section starts with the recovery of Katherine's death and getting back into the crazy challenges of the zoo. Benjamin has to resume his role and only again deal with all the problems coming into the zoo. There is not one thing that doesn't remind him of his lovely Katherine. The main problem the zoo is faced with is the restaurant. Nothing works and everything has to be replaced. More difficult decisions are thrown his way when the zoo has to get rid of two jaguars. They find a great zoo to take and care for them, but when they arrive, the employees are doubtful of the knowledge of the new keepers they are leaving their animals with. They bring two old wooden crates to carry the big, strong cats in. The first jaguar makes it in the van okay, but the thrill really starts when the next cats is taken. The second jaguar starts to gnaw through the mesh of the crate and they have to think fast. They quickly find a sheet metal and slide it through, blocking the broken wired mesh. The next transfer they have to make is the female tiger. While moving this dangerous cat, who was put to sleep with a dart gun, she wakes up. This scares everyone, but she is darted once more and is put back into a sleepy daze and is able to be lifted to continue the journey to the van that will take her to a different zoo. The endless list of duties continues when they have to find a place to keep the monkeys so they can repair their enclosure, which is also successfully accomplished. With all of this on Benjamin's plate, he barley has time to breath. 

Review:
I thought this part of the book was very confusing. There was so many things happening constantly and I feel that it was not set up in an organized fashion. The content was good, but the order is something I would have definitely changed/ rearranged. Over all, despite the order, this section was gripping and entertaining. I love all the inner dialog and detail he includes. I would highly consider reading it again for better understanding of the text. 

Focus: Evaluate the Pros and Cons of the Zoo

Pros: The zoo is definitely Benjamin's passion. It is something he really enjoys despite all the challenges. Benjamin's love for animals is endless and the zoo is a great place for him to be. The zoo has been Benjamin's dream and he gets to live that dream with his family, which brings them all very close. The zoo also played a big part in helping the whole family get over Katherine's death. This was a very devastating thing to deal with, but the zoo responsibilities kept moving along and they had to jump back in it all.

Cons: The zoo causes so much stress. There are many requirements that have to be met in order to open a zoo. Money is a big issue for the Mee family. They spent everything they had on buying the zoo alone, they had no money to pay for the monthly costs of owning the property, caring for the animals, and paying the employees. Also, the zoo was very rundown to begin with and with no money, it's complicated and difficult to make all the repairs that are necessary. There have also been some animal escapes, which are very dangerous. Another problem they have is the old reputation of the zoo. They really have to work hard to fix the damaged reputation which puts a lot my pressure on Benjamin. 

Part 3: Zoo Life is Wild

Summary:
In this section of We Bought A Zoo, the characters get a real taste of zoo life/ challenges. On top of the stressful world of owning such a big responsibility, Katherine's brain tumors continues to get worst. Benjamin is first challenged with an escape of a big cat on the grounds. As Benjamin carries out his normal daily routine of endless phone calls, he finds out about this extremely dangerous situation and rushes to see what he can do. He finds out the cat has gone into a different enclosure which could cause harm to the other animals so they have to act quick. They decide to try to move the animals into separate smaller cages in the enclosure but one of the cages is broken. They rush to fix it but the cat is smart, he doesn't want to go into the small and dark cage. Benjamin is forced to stay up all night and check on the cat to make sure he doesn't climb the walls of the unfamiliar structure and escape again. The next morning, the cat is darted and taken back into his own enclosure. 

The weekly tumor appointments for Katherine get worst. They find out the tumors are spreading and realize she is going to pass away. Benjamin does everything he can to find new treatments and save his wife. In the middle of that stress and chaos, another animal has escaped. One of the wolves has ran off into town and Benjamin has to once again, put everything on hold to get this wolf back to the zoo safely and quickly. Fortunately for them, the wolf is on a farm and is easily darted and brought back. 

Now, Benjamin focuses only on spending time with his wife that gets worst daily. She looses her speech and ability to move while Benjamin takes her from doctor to doctor, willing to try any treatment to better his wife. Medicine after medicine fail the bring her back and she eventually passes. This is devastating to the whole family. They have to move on and continue the keep up of the zoo, but always  kept her in their hearts/ minds.

Review:
This section of the book was heartwarming, but also had its scares. I feel like it made the characters really come to life. You could really feel Benjamin's anxiety and sorrow. You could imagine the stress in the extremely challenging situations he faced. If it wasn't a hard decision about an animal, it was about different treatments for his wife. Just when you think its to difficult, Benjamin amazes you again by continuing to work hard and give up everything for his dreams. This book shows me that I can get through my problems if Benjamin can get through his tough challenges and losses. He is such a motivation and I completely enjoy reading his story because it shows me that any dream can be accomplished if you work really hard and stay focused.

Focus: Reflect on the death of Katherine and how it showed specific traits in each family member.
Despite the fact that I personally don't know Katherine, her death was really hard for me because she was an amazing mother and wife. She was so supportive of Benjamin's dreams and helped him as much as she could before things got really tough. She reminded me a lot of my mom because she worked so hard and did things that weren't her responsibility because she just wanted to help everyone. Her heart was so big and it was really sad to see her go through so much pain and eventually pas away. I was really rooting for her to fight through it and live, but the cancer was too strong. 

In Benjamin, Katherine's death showed perseverance, love, and hard work. Even when he knew she wouldn't make it, he tried everything he possibly could do to keep her with him and the children for longer. He spent every second taking care of her and trying to find a method to cure her. His love for her really showed in this section.
In Ella, Katherine's death showed her innocences and child character. She loved her mom so much and it devastated her to hear she died. "As soon as she grasped the enormity of the concept, Ella burst into tears and climbed across the table to me. 'I don't want Mummy to be dead,' she said" (135).

Lastly, in Milo, Katherine's death showed his strength and maturity. He wanted to be strong for the family even though he was torn about the tragic news. "But Milo stayed where he was. I told him it was okay to cry, but he just became very still as he took it into himself, and he said;' I don't want to cry. I want to be strong for you Daddy'"(135).

Part 2: We Bought A Zoo

Dartmoor Park Logo

Summary:
We Bought A Zoo starts off with explaining Benjamin Mee's life before his family bought the zoo. The story begins in South France right between Nîmes and Avignon in Languedoc. The family had just settled in after moving from London and was rather excited about there new location. They were content in the small town and while Benjamin spent a lot of his time writing in the DIY (do it yourself) column for the newspaper, Katherine and the kids, Ella and Milo, continued to emerge themselves in village culture. In his spare time, Benjamin enjoyed finding all kinds of creatures with the kids. 
Katherine starts to complain about bad head aches and when they go to the hospital, the doctor tells them that she has a brain tumor. The surgeon is able to remove it, but unfortunately he says the tumor will return. From then on, they take their life one month at a time. When they think of moving, they come across a very interesting property, a zoo. They love it but the offer is rejected because of their inexperience with animals/ animal care. They understand but the thought of the zoo never leaves Benjamin's mind, so a year later, with a lot of hard work, dedication, and persuasion, the whole family works together to buy the zoo.

Map of Dartmoor Zoo

Review:

I love this book so far! This is such an amazing and motivating book that includes every step of Benjamin's journey. Although my family has never bought a zoo, I feel a connection to the characters and can relate to his hard work and devotion. The love and passion he shares for his loved ones and the zoo really shows his kind and giving character.  This book really make me want to find a way to help and give back to my community more often. Benjamin's story show me that you can alway get through all hard times with hope, strength, and perseverance. Benjamin never took no for an answer and found a way to accomplish his goals. 

Benjamin Mee at the set of We Bought A Zoo (the movie)

Focus: Author's Point of View and Purpose

This book is told by the owner of the zoo and the author himself, Benjamin Mee. I believe his purpose of writing this book was to not only share his story about the zoo, but the motivate his readers and show them that even when things get really tough and seem like they might not work out, to keep your eyes set on your goal and everything will fall into place. By telling his story, Benjamin aims to inspire and influence people to push for what they want in life. He want to show people that life has its challenges, but if you keep your head up and always be positive you can get through alright. "It had been an incredible journey to get there. A new beginning, it also marked the end of a very long and tortuous road, involving our whole family"(3). 

Part 1: The Paper Crane will Relieve the Pain

Summary

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr explains the story of a strong and dedicated young girl who is diagnosed with leukemia ten years after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the United States Air Force. The book begins with Sadako waking up on Peace Day; this is a day that honors the people who died due to the bomb attack. Sadako is very excited and rushes her family out the door because she cannot wait to attend the Peace Day festival and the race she has hopes of winning. She loves to run and is desperate to make the racing team at her junior high school. She wins the race and vows to practice everyday to get faster. She starts to notice that she is often dizzy after runs and is always tired, but keeps it a secret and hopes it will go away. One day she is running in the school yard and faints. She goes to the hospital with her family and finds out she has the terrible disease, leukemia. 

Atom Bomb in Hiroshima

Peace Day Parade 

Peace Day Festival

Paper Cranes

Review
This book is amazing! I love the topic of war because its very interesting and draws me in. It is something that many people are unfamiliar and love reading about. The theme of Japanese culture is fascinating to learn. It is filled with superstition and beliefs of balance and luck. The author did a great job with informing the reader of Sadako's inter thought and feelings. All though the book is extremely sad, I feel that it gives readers motivation and ambition. Sadako show a great amount of strength when, despite the circumstance, she says " I will get better...and someday I'll race like the wind"(56). She sets a standard to fight for what you want and desire. She has become one of my role models.


Focus
The focus the week was to read and ask questions about things that confused or interested you. These are some that I came up with:
- What makes luck so important in Japanese culture?
-  What how is Peace Day celebrated?
-  What are some good luck signs in Japanese culture?
-  What are the symptoms of cancer?
-  What is the story behind paper cranes?
- How do you fold a paper crane?

 Sources
Here are links the websites that will give you more information on Atom Bomb on Hiroshima and leukemia.