Suzie

LIFE AS WE KNEW IT​  By: Susan Beth Pfeffer 

Reviews from Critics: > "This novel goes far beyond the expectations of a sci-fi novel, and the reader will not be disappointed in the ending."
 * **Children's Literature-**

> Starred Review. "Each page is filled with events both wearying and terrifying and infused with honest emotions. Pfeffer brings cataclysmic tragedy very close."
 * **Booklist: Ilene Cooper** -


 * **Greater Victoria Public Library Book Picks for Teens- **
 * "It was kind of like a car crash I couldn't stop looking at." **

You Tube Video- media type="youtube" key="bzFWuqWBeq0" height="554" width="824" align="center"

I chose this You Tube video for my Wikispace because i thought it was perfect for my book; Life as we knew it. The video shows a a lot of things that happened in the book. The first was, of course, when the asteroid hitting the moon and causing it to move closer into orbit to the earth. Once that happened, Tsunami's were flowing into the cities and killing millions of people. Hawaii was completely submerged under water. Volcanic eruptions also occured; the smoke released from them and into the atmosphere prevented the sunlight to get past it, therefore, farmers could not produce food and people were unable to survive from starvation. There was also the dramatic change in the weather, having people die from heat stroke of 100+ degrees fahrenheit and those recieveing frostbite from the freezing cold of negative 20+ degrees fahrenheit. I think it is important for people to be cautious and know what could happen to us if were are not careful with our earth. I hope this video was as influencial to you as it was to me.

Pictures-



I chose this picture of a family because whether you realize it or not, family is all you have. Sure you have your friends now, but when your starving with no food; are your friends going to feed you or their family? I know i would choose my family.....You'd be surprised how in the book, the family would sacrifice things, so at least one would be able so survive if something happened to the others. Because of this trajedy, the family got closer to each other than they ever were before, they mature and are much braver than the beginning of this book. They learned not to care over silly things like computers, ipods, or cell phones, but about each other. I love my family very much and know that they will always be there for me. I am extremely fortunate to have them, and very grateful. Do me a favor and take the time to think about it; how well do you know your family and what they would do for you? Would you feed your friends or family first? Are you grateful for the family you have?



I chose this general picture of food because i thought it was one of the most important topics in my book. Whenever you run out of food at home, you go to the store. But in my book the world is ending and food is hard to get. Crops are unable to grow because of the lache of sunlight caused by the volcanic eruptions. People are only able to survive off what they have, and when the food is done, you are too. The main character of the story and her family would eat one meal a day. Pretty soon they only ate every couple of days to be able to ration out their food and make it last. If it came down to you, would you be able to eat every once in a while so your brothers and sisters could eat? How about eating less so the younger ones can still eat a decent amount? I don't know if i could ever be like the characters in this book; sacrificing themselves and what they had for their loved ones. We are so lucky to not have to worry about how much food there is and if we will have to go without eating. I never really thought about these things until I read this book.

Memorable Passages-

<span style="color: #36eef7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">"Mom!" I yelled. "It was just some chocolate chips." <span style="color: #36eef7; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"I was saving them for Matt's birthday," she said. "I'm not going to tell him why he isn't getting any dessert on his birthday. I don't expect you to tell him, either. But you've eaten enough for four people, so you're going to skip your next four meals. Maybe then you'll understand how important food really is."
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">I chose this quote because I thought it was very important to the book. Right before this quote, Miranda was upset that she was eating only two meals a day and how Johnny was eating three. She thought it was unfair and then went to the pantry. Finding the chocolate chips, she got mad at her mom for only letting her eat canned vegtables,etc, so she ate the cookies. Her mom caught her and told her to finish the bag. She was upset with Miranda for being so selfish when no one else was eating more than they were given and now she had no dessert for Matt's birthday, so as a punishment she wouldn't eat for two days. I put this hear because even though Miranda's mother yelled at her for eating the cookies, i know it hurt her not to be able to let her eat what she wanted. No loving mother wants to say "you can't eat for two days", but will if that means survival for their family. I'm just glad that Johnny and Matt don't know about Miranda eating the cookies because they would be extremely upset with her, and look at her differently than they do today.

<span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">" I wonder if I'll ever have to decide which is worse, life as we're living or no life at all."
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">When i first read this quote i felt so bad for all the people in this book. They have no electricity, telephone connections, gas for their cars, or food. All hope was lost and when Miranda lived each of these days she thought "which is worse, life as were living or no life at all." I could never live the way they did and still think that i was better off than others. Was i really? Did other people have food, or electricity when i didn't? I don't know for a fact that i could live though that, i'd probably be the first one dead. But what i do know is in times like those i still have my family there with me and try to pull through with. Miranda was lucky to have her mother who would sacrifice feeding herself for her children; her older brother Matt, whom has always had an answer to keep her going and never give up on herself; along with her little brother Johnny who was grown up a lot and become the man he is today, stepping up to take care of his older sister and mother. A family like this is irraplacable.....I would know, mine's just as wonderful!!!

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">"I ran to the garage and got my bike. I've never biked as fast as I did to the hospital. But when i got there, they wouldn't let me in, even when I explained there'd been an accident and we were friends with Peter. All the guard would do was take my message."
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Before this quote, Miranda's mother tripped in the living room and twisted her ankle. She couldn't get up and was stuck while Miranda got her bike and rode over to the hospital. It was so packed and they wouldn't let her in. She tried to explain that she had her mother stuck at home alone hurt and needed Peter desperarely. The guard didn't care. He was to guard the door and that was that. Miranda begged but i guess that just amused him, she sat and waited for three hours when Matt came in and they let him in. This quote is important because even though Miranda's mother was hurt, the guards wouldn't let her in because the hospital had enough people as it was. It's aweful to think that the hospital is there to help people but didn't let Miranda get someone to help her mother. I would have felt like i failed my mom who was home alone, and that it was up to my brother to do something right. Like she couldn't count on me no matter how hard i tried.