Storybook Favorites

Wow! A lot of these storybooks are so cool that I had a hard time believing that students like me wrote these. It was also really hard to pick which ones to post about, so I decided to post the ones I would like to base off of when I create my very own storybook later in the semester:

I saw a few storybooks that incorporated the diary format, with Diaries: Inside the Minds of History's Greatest Heroes being my favorite. First of all, the title is what made me think it would be pretty cool so I checked it out and the storybook ended up exceeding my expectations. I really like how smoothly the author used the archeology research professor and student theme to introduce the heroes' diaries as the stories. After I read the introduction I wanted to keep reading because of how the author mainly uses a dialogue instead of in monotonous third person. Finally this kind of storybook design looks like it would be easy and fun to create.

There were two stories that quickly caught my eye, The Insider to the Royals and Gossip Girl: The Dirt on Hawaii's Elite. As a Gossip Girl fan I really liked how the authors used that "insider" narrating style; definitely one I would like to consider for when I write my storybook. Although I am not really into the Hawaiian legends, the Gossip Girl format definitely made them interesting. On the other hand, I really enjoyed reading parts of The Insider to the Royals because I like Disney princesses.  My favorite part of the storybook was how the author made it look like a magazine article and how the "royals" were spotted doing this or that; I could imagine Cinderella being secretly followed by paparazzi.

Now the best for last. My very most favorite storybook was the Greek Game Show. Besides being about the Greek gods I thought it was very original and funny. I liked how the author wrote about his experience writing the storybook in his introduction and how he gives a critique on his own writing after each story (something that would help me a great deal if I decided to incorporate the same style for my storybook). The best part about his storybook was how well he gave life and emotion to each of the characters by giving them their own personalities. This was the only storybook I thoroughly read and laughed at.

Screen shot of Greek Game Show

Exploring The UnTextbook

Week 2: As a big fan of literary epic and Greek mythology, I would definitely like to start with the Homer's Iliad Unit. When I read the simple version as a kid I wondered about what would have been Helen's side of the story if we disregarded Aphrodite's promise to Paris; what would have made them decide to do something that they know would eventually cause chaos.

Week 3: When I saw the stories of Adam and Eve they quickly reminded me of a class I took last semester, History of Heaven and Hell. In the course we discussed about how the Bible suggests the presence of another entity besides God at the time of creation and how their punishment might not have been a punishment but instead a form of salvation. I think it would be pretty cool to approach these stories as if God were not the only supernatural being in this universe.

Week 4: The first thing I did when I entered the UnTextbook website was read the story of the day, The Wax Crocodile. I liked it so much that I would like to read the rest of the Ancient Egyptian and Stories Unit. The story was so magical that it would be nice to re-tell it from the chief scribe's wife's point of view, which might portray the scribe as the bad guy instead of the her being blamed as the adulterer.

Week 5: As I found The Life of Buddha Unit, I quickly knew that I would want to include this in my outline. In the History of Heaven and Hell course I learned a lot about St. Augustine's life. I know Buddha had a similar "awakening" as St. Augustine which made him completely turn to the hermit lifestyle. It would be nice to find out if they have any other similarities (and differences) in the way they applied their different faiths.

Rebuke of Adam and Eve by Domenichino.

I picked this image because it shows what seems to be Adam and Eve's punishment. However, as I stated earlier, this story could be approached differently, giving the creation of death a different purpose.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Beatriz and I am a senior majoring in Biochemistry/Pre-Med. Although Puerto Rico is the place I call "home," I was born in Oregon and lived in the continental US until I was nine years old. Also, I am only half Puerto Rican; I am also half Brazilian. In addition to speaking English, I grew up speaking Spanish and Portuguese. At the time, I hated how my parents practically forced me to speak their languages, but in the long run, I think it has been the best gift my parents have given to their children. I have two younger siblings. My sister just now started college and my brother is a senior in high school.

Personal photo from June 2013

The first thing I like to tell people is how much of a soccer freak I am. It is so bad that I do not mind waking up at 8:00AM for an HES soccer course here at OU. My favorite club team is Arsenal and I went to the World Cup in Brazil last summer. This summer I spent most of my time watching the Women's World Cup and went to the beach with my close friends.  In Puerto Rico, I live about 15 minutes from the beach, so going to the beach usually becomes part of everyone's daily summer routine when you live in a beach town. Some of my favorite hobbies include reading and people watching. I usually read for fun when I am not in school but I enjoy reading National Geographic during my free time. As for people watching, my friends and I like to come up with random stories about people walking nearby. Although I try not to watch much TV, my favorite shows include The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Grey's Anatomy. Finally, I am a very chill but straightforward girl who thinks being herself is the best way to go. I cannot wait to meet all of you throughout the semester!

My Favorite Places

I was born in Oregon to a Puerto Rican mother and a Brazilian father. Growing up in a multicultural household has provided me with a more direct exposure to my cultural heritage. Not only did I grow up speaking three different languages, but I have also traveled to or lived in my parents' hometowns. As it should be of no surprise to you now, my favorite places all lie somewhere in America, Brazil, and Puerto Rico.

Personal photo of my siblings and I at the World Cup in Brasilia, Brazil; photo from July 2014.

Every year for Thanksgiving my family would go on a ski trip to Colorado. I have skied for as long as I can remember and picked up snowboarding when I was fourteen. What I like the most about going to the Rockies is going to the highest peaks and sitting down to enjoy the view from the top of the world.

Personal photo taken at Winter Park, CO; photo from March 2013.

When I was nine years old my family moved to my mother's hometown, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Having lived there until after high school graduation was the best way to improve my Spanish and learn a great deal about part of who I am. I began to fall in love with the sea and made lifelong friendships in the small Caribbean island. Every time I go back the beach is always there to welcome me.

Personal photo of my best friend and I in La Parguera, Lajas, PR; photo from April 2010.

I visit my family in Brazil very often. My dad is from a city called Juiz de Fora in the state of Minas Gerais, just a little over two hours from Rio de Janeiro. Besides being considered an exotic country, Brazil is also known for its "Jogo Bonito" or "The Beautiful Game." As a true Brazilian, my father made sure his kids grew up playing soccer. I was raised to eat, sleep, and breathe soccer, which eventually turned me into a soccer freak. My favorite part about Brazil is being able to find so many people who share the same passion for football. 

Personal photo of my family before watching a World Cup match in Ouro Preto, Brazil; photo from June 2014.

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