With the Banned Book Project, what we had to do is pick a book that has been banned, and read it. during the project we had to choose a quote or passage that stuck with us and basically wright out thoughts about the passage. Also we had to create a bookmark that had the title and theme of the book we were reading and write down why it was banned. After we had done that, there was an optional exhibition at Barnes and Noble in Escondido, where we shared our creations and our books to friends and family. The following Friday we had to bring an item of food in relation to our banded book and we had one big potluck!

Simon vs the Homo sapiens Agenda: page 4

For a minute, I’m stupidly relieved. But then it hit me. “Show anyone?” I asked he blushes and fidgets with the hem of his sleeve. Something about his expression makes my stomach clench. “Did you--Did you take a screenshot or something?” “Well,” he says, “I wanted to talk to you about that.” “Sorry--you took a Fucking screenshot?” He purses his lips together and stares over my shoulder. “Anyways,” he says, “I know you're friends with Abby Suso, so I wanted to ask----”

I didn't expect the main plot to be written right off the bat. I mean there was no introduction to the main character, Simon Spier. I knew what the book was about because I watched the movie so I knew the basic introduction. Also the way its written kinda lets you feel the way that Simon does in that situation, which is Angry that he was being blackmailed, and scared for the person he is writing to which is blue. The way it was achieved like the different fount in text and some of the vocabulary used it sets the mood and the imagination about what is happening in that scene.

-Simon vs the homosapiens agenda: page 78-79

FROM: hourtohour.notetonote@gmail.com

TO: Bluegreen118@gmail.com

DATE: Nov 13 at 7:55PM

SUBJECT: Sweet tooth?

I can't imagine why you think that.

All right--I have a sneaking suspicion that that your not 100% committed to your Oreo diet. The guidelines are really pretty basic. No excuses. Breakfast is obviously an Oreo Granola bar or Oreo Pop-Tart. No, there not gross. Shut up. They’re amazing. Lunch should be Oreo pizza with an Oreo milkshake and those Oreo Truffles my mom makes (a.k.a the most delicious thing in the universe). Dinner is a deep-fried Oreo served on top of Oreo ice cream,and for a drink Oreo dissolved in milk. NO Water. Only Oreo Milk. Dessert can be Oreo straight up. Sounds reasonable? It for your health, Blue.

I swear to God, typing this is actually making me hungry.this totally used to happen to me when I was younger. Isn’t it funny the way you fantasize about junk food when you're a kid? It’s really all-consuming. I guess you have to obsess over something before you know about sex.

--Dr Jacques

When I read this I felt sick, but hungry at the same time. I mean there was sooo much menchanings of Oreo which sounds really good, but afterwards then it gets sickening to think about. Especially the fried-Oreo at first it sounds really good at first, but thinking about eating it everyday kinda makes me want to throw up. Even in Blues response he said that he had to pass up the fried-Oreo dinner because he ate one at a carnival before going on a Tilt-A-World and threw up afterwards adding to that sickening feeling. Aside from the Oreo thing I notice about how close Simon and Blue where getting just by emailing each other. At first it was just talking about how the found out that they where gay, then to Halloween costumes. Now they are talking as if they have been friends for years and years, it kinda left a warm fuzzy feeling brewing in the depth of my chest.

A Question i have is, how can people stand Oreo everyday?

Reading Response #3

-Simon Vs the homo sapiens agenda: Page 190

The first guys sign says, “ How you doin’ Simon” And the guy in the skirt’s sign says,“WHAT WHAT---IN THA BUTT’

the guys are Grinding and some other people peek through the doorway laughing. This one girl laughs so hard she’s clutching her stomach and someone says, “Stop y’all! Oh my God y’all so bad.” But she’s laughing, too.

It’s strange---I'm not even blushing. I feel like I'm watching this happen from a million miles away.

Then suddenly, Taylor freaking Metternich, of all people, runs down the steps at the side of the stage and down the aisle of the auditorium. And Abby is right behind her.

“Aww shit,” says the guy in the skirt and the other guy giggles. And then they haul ass out of the auditorium, letting the door shut.

Taylor and Abby burst through behind them and there’s this huge commotion of yelling and footsteps. Ms Albright runs after them and the rest of us just stand there. Except somehow I end up sitting on one of the platforms, squished in between two senior girls who have their arms around my shoulders.

I catch a glimpse of martin, and it looks like he’s been crumpled. His hands covering his face.

When I first read this, I thought that it was super funny, especially the part with the senior girls. But as I thought about it, it made me think how the reactions of the students was different than what id expect. Like, I expected the whole school to laugh and make fun of Simon accept his friend Abby. I expected Simon to be ashamed of being gay, and i expected him to run out of the room crying. But that didn't happen. It was the opposite. Instead you have Simon being supported, protected almost, from those who think it funny to humiliate someone. Also In the movie Simon is pretty much alone, when martin exposes his secret of being gay, so he has no friends a school to supports him. I think the version that the book gave us was much more heart warming then the movie. Knowing that people will support you, even if they don't know you are, is really conforming, and those act’s changes your perspective in the world.

Reading response #4

-Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda: page 275-277

His eyes flick toward me

And the rain makes a kind of curtain, which is probably for the best. Because all of a sudden, I’m leaning over the gear stick, and my hands are on his shoulders, and I’m trying to keep breathing. All I can see are Bram’s lips. Which fall gently open the moment I lean in to kiss him.

And I can’t even describe it. It’s stillness and pressure and rhythm and breathing. We can’t figure out our noses at first but then we do, and then I realize my eyes are still open. So I shut them. And his fingertips graze the nape of my neck, in constant quiet motion.

He pauses for a moment, and my eyes flutter for a moment, and he smiles, so I smile back. And then he leans in to kiss me again, sweet and feather-soft. And it’s almost too perfect. Almost too Disney. This can’t actually be me.

Ten minutes later we're holding hands eating Oreo mush, and it’s the perfect lunch. More Oreo then milk. And I would never would have remembered spoons, but he did. Of course.

“So what now?” I ask

“We should probably go back to school.”

“No, I mean us. I don't know what you want. I don’t know if your ready to be out ,” I say, but he taps along the creases in my palm with his thumb, it makes me lose focus.

His thumb stops tapping, and he looks at me, and then he twinds his fingers through mine. I lean back, tilting my head toward him. “I’m all in if you are,” he says “All in?” I say “Like what? Like boyfriend?”

“I mean yeah if that's what you want.”

“That’s what I want,” I say. My boyfriend. My brown eyed, grammar nerd, soccer star boyfriend. And i can't stop smiling. I mean, there are times when it’s actually more work not to smile.

When I read this, I myself could not stop smiling. The way everything was described you could only read it slowly to let what was happening and the mood really take effect. I have already read this part so many times at it the feeling get better each time. Also the movie ended with Simon meting with blue(or Bram now) at the Ferris wheel and all the mushy gushy stuff happens in the Ferris wheel. But in the book they do meat at the carnival just not the Ferris wheel, and all the mushy gushy stuff doesn't happen until 3 days after the carnival when bram and Simon ditched launch period to go get Oreo cereal. Then all of the romantic stuff happens. Reading Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, made me realize how different the movie Love Simon was, both were good. But i like the book so much better.