So, we've made it. One week down. Exhausted? I am. But, I'm happy to be back.
For this thread, please think about the characters in your IR book. Who stands out? Why do you feel connected to him, her, it (for you sci-fi lovers)?
In SKIM, the graphic novel I'm reading, the title character reminds me of the teenage angst I felt during high school. Actually, my high school experience was pretty wonderful. More angst - continual angst - actually happened later, in college, which contradicts the "American experience." However, I'm glad that's over! This is not to say that I don't have pull-the-comforter-over-my-head days, days when my limbs are so heavy, my head and heart achy, well, you know the rest....
Anyway, the intensity of Skim's pain makes me breathe more deeply to rinse her sadness from my soul... from the reminder of how tough growing up can be. Skim, though, reminds me to be more understanding and patient of those with a tsumami overhead.
O.k., enough bleakness for now.
Please post by Monday, September 20th.
And, remember to post a profile picture if haven't already done so.
Thanks, pumpkins.
Enjoy your weekend.
Ms. D
P.S.
ReplyDeleteHere's how you create italics:
1. Type:
text
"Text" means the title of your book, for
example, or whatever word you'd like
italicized.
Here's how you create boldface:
1. Type:
text
You know what text means....
O.k., give it a whirl for this weekend's posting.
Thanks.
Thanks to Olivia thinking outside of the box, here's are directions to create italics and boldface, just don't type in the spaces:
ReplyDeleteTo create italics:
text
To create boldface:
text
Hope this works!
O.k., we tried. Now we'll try quotes, just don't type them in....
ReplyDelete< em > text
< strong > text < /strong >
Let's see....
OMG! What happened to the second half of the italics command?
ReplyDeleteO.k., type this without the spaces:
< em > text < /em >
Thanks for your patience.
The Management.
Hi Mrs.Drance. I am reading Breathless by Jessica Warman. So far it is very good. The main character, Katie, has many family problems. They have all grown apart as they have grown up. Her brother has gone to many different hospitals and none seem to help. She copes with this by connecting with him whenever she can. Unfortunately, their connecting is smoking and drinking together. This is the whole reason her brother has gone to the hospital so many times. Her family problems help you connect to her. You can understand how she is feeling. The book is out of her point of view which allows you to know exactly how she is feeling about certain things. She is a very easy character to have sympathy for and to connect to.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteSo I had originally told you that I would be reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo , but it seems that my copy of the book is missing so instead I am reading My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. In the beginning of the book I was introduced to the main character, a girl named Lucy, who goes to a small school. She had an older sister named Dana who died when she overdosed on drugs. Ever since Dana's death Lucy has been trying to make a name for herself so people don't automatically think of her as "Dana's sister."
I feel like I can connect to Lucy because she goes to a small school and Babylon is a small school. I also connect with her when she talks about her longing to break out and become her own person.
So far this book is very good and easy to connect with and I look forward to reading more of it.
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI finished reading the book Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. I thought it was a very good book. The main characters name is Caitlin, she has many personal problems. Her boyfriend abuses her, which she doesn't speak out about, and her older sister ran away from home. The main charachter of this book connects to the main character of another book I read entitle Just Listen also by Sarah Dessen. The main character in each book has been abused. Also each character has an older sister who`s actions have affected them.
Megan and Delaney...great that you are understanding, identifying or sympathizing with "your" protagonists.
ReplyDeleteDelaney, I grew up on a place like Babylon where there were only three schools in its district. There was also a catholic school, St. Mary's. Anyway, it was difficult to break out of whatever image you created for yourself when you were young or break free from the groups you were associated with, just like Lucy in My Name is Memory .
Megan, this book reminds me of the movie with Ann Hathaway when she goes home to her sister's wedding. Yes, that's it; the move is called Rachel's Wedding . The sisters are like night and day, but I really felt bad to see how hard Ann's character (I forgot her name) struggled with trying to stay sober and trying to be seen other than the family problem, which seems to connect somewhat to your book, Delaney.
BTW, Megs, pumpkin, instead of saying, "this book is out of her point of view," we say, "the book is told from her point point of view." Also, pick one "thing" with which you identify re: the main character. Let me know in another mini-post.
Thanks for posting, girls! Your responses were a pleasure to read.
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Drance
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am reading Unbelievable by Sara Shepard. In this story there are four main characters who stand out. Their names are Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily. The lives of these girls are all very different. I like this because I feel like there is something in each of their lives that I can connect to.
For example, Emily is a swimmer and Spencer plays field hockey. I do both of these sports. Hanna can be very insecure at times and is fighting with her best friend. I think that everyone can relate to that at some point in their lives. There is not much I can personally relate to in Aria’s life but I think that others may have a lot in common with her. The way the author writes each chapter from a different girls’ point of view really helps you to relate to each girl and it helps you understand what each of them are going through better.
-Kerry
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI'm reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky after I had a whole bunch of friends recommend it to me. So far I like it, but I get kind of frustrated with it at times because of the way it's written.
The main character, "Charlie," is somewhat relate-able for some people, I guess, but he seems like an innocent, ignorant little kid even though he's fifteen. However, he goes through "normal" teenage feelings like embarrassment, confusion, happiness, etc., which makes some situations that he goes through relate-able. Plus, the book is written in the first-person, making it easier to step into Charlie's situation and try to understand what he's feeling.
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. The book is writted from different points of views in different chapters. There are many main characters. Anna is sueing her parents to the right to her own body, even if it means that her sister Kate could die. Kate suffers from leukemia, and Anna was specifically born to donate her body parts, like cells and bone marrow, to keep Kate alive. Jesse, the older brother, is neglected and left alone.
Since I just started the book, I'm not very far into it. So far I cannot relate to Anna in anyway. I can only imagine how hard her life must be that she is willing to sue her parents. I couldn't even imagine being in her position. Would I want to protect myself, like she's doing? Or would I just keep supporting Kate even though I'm hurting myself.
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI just started reading LOCK AND KEY by Sarah Dessen. The protagonist in this book is a young girl named Ruby. She has recently been abandoned by her mother and is determined to make it on her own, especially when she is send to live with her long-lost sister in an entirely different world. At this point in the book, Ruby doesn't want any part of her sister's luxurious lifestyle.
Since I have just started it is difficult for me to relate to the hardships Ruby has experienced, I can only sympathize. Her life was filled of poverty and the effects of her mother's bad choices; while I have never experienced anything like that.
Sorry Mrs. Drance i just had to put the title in caps because it didn't show up when i tried to do it in italics.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am currently reading THE BLIND SIDE by Michael Lewis. My goal was to read 75 pages and I reached that goal this weekend. In this book the main character Michael Oher is forced to live in poverty until a good friend of his gets him into one of the best private schools in the state.
So far I've had no real connections to Michael except I can only visualize the amount of difficult times he has encountered in his life. For example the time when he and his brother were split apart from his mother at the age of 7 and not even knowing he wouldn't see them again for another 10 years. Or even knowing that you only have to pairs of clothes to wear for 365 days through summer and winter. I think Michael is one of the strongest people I've heard about
-Ken Rende
Mrs Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am reading SCHOOLBOY JOHNSON, by John R. Tunis. In some ways, this book is very easy for me to relate to the main character Speedy Mason, and in others it is not. Speedy is a professional baseball player who is old for baseball and is facing the challenges of an aging man still trying to play competitively. He gets sent down to the minors and brought back up multiple times. His team never really backed him up and he only threw once in a while, throwing him off of his game. As a pitcher myself, I can relate to Speedy on how it feels not pitching in a regular pattern and how stiff your arm can feel. I can also relate to how it feels when your team doesn't make plays to back you up. However, Speedy battles through it and does it with a great mind-set the whole time.
From,
Matt
Hi Mrs. Drance. I am reading THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. My book takes place sometime in the future where North America has been turned into a country called Panem.It is run by "The Capital". The protagonist, Katniss, has to fend for her mother and younger sister because her mother is unable to, and her father died in a mining accident many years ago. Each year The Capital holds an event called the Hunger Games where two teenagers from each district are sent to The Capital to fight to the death. This is suppose to remind the people of Panem that if they revolted The Capital could easily destroy them. When Katniss' sister is choosen to compete in the Hunger Games, Katniss quickly takes her place, and is sent to The Capital along with another boy, Peeta.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really able to relate to this book because I don't have to fend for my family nor have I ever had to compete to the death along with 23 other people. I do really enjoy the book though.
Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am reading THE BROKER by John Grisham. The protagonist Joel Backman is serving time for an unknown crime. So far Grisham describes that Blackman was involved in the attempted selling of a high-tech satellite. After he serves six years in prison he is granted a presidential pardon and released. He is transferred to Italy under a new name and CIA supervision. So far I can't relate to him because I haven't spent time in prison however I spent two weeks in Italy over the summer.
From,
Matt Z
Hi Mrs. Drance
ReplyDeleteI recently finished reading Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card. The book was written to fill the gap that occurred between the first two installments of the series. As such, it is very easy to make connections between the characters of this novel and those of the other novels in the series.
However, despite the fact that the protagonist is a boy of fifteen years, I found it very difficult to relate to him. He has no real interests or hobbies, and because of his astonishing intellect, the ways he copes with problems, as well as the problems themselves, are entirely unique. In spite of this, it was still an enthralling read.
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI've just started reading At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks. So far I really don't feel any connections to the main character, Jeremy Marsh. However I do feel that he may be making the wrong decision in moving all the way down south from New York City. He doesn't seem exactly happy with his decision, but he also seems to be denying his boredom and unhappiness. The book also isn't very interesting or intriguing so far, and I hope that soon I will start to connect more, and enjoy reading it.
-Kayla
Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am reading the book WILDFIRE by Richard Ford. The protagonist in this book is a 16 year old boy named Joe Brinson. So far the beginning of the book is describing a hard time in the families life where his father loses his job and his parents marriage is shaky. So far in the book I'm not really able to relate to Joe. Some of his main thoughts so far are about brushfires to the West of his town and of his father, a golf teacher at local golf clubs and country clubs, and how he loses his job. So far this is a great book.
Hey, guys, can't wait to talk to you tonight
ReplyDeleteabout Snow in August .
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteSince the book I'm reading is an autobiography, it really only focuses on one character, the author, Kelly Slater. The title is For The Love and it is very inspiring. The portion of the book I have read so far is very inspirational as it describes his love for surfing and his fans. He talks about his childhood and the hard times he endured, all the way up until his professional surfing career. I can relate to him in many ways in regards to the surfing aspect of the book because many of the things that he says about surfing, I feel the same way about. For example, he talks about surfing being a vent from events that occur in your life. I feel the same way about this and feel that whenever I go surf I'm automatically happier. Alright thats it for now.
----Kyle
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am reading the book The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins mwho is persuaded to go on a journey with thirteen dwarves and the wizard gandalf. They travel through many places, some safe some not and encounter many misfortunes. The variety of what the travelers come upon on their trip is the only real connection i can make to the book. The experiences they have are so different from each other they can relate to the human experience every day. For now that is what I have taken from this book.
-Alec
Hey Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI have changed my book to Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury. It is a compelling story of a Japanese American teenager named Eddy Okubo set during the time of WWII. Eddy is torn between the decision to join the American army or fulfill his fathers dream of going back to his homeland in Japan and go to college. It is comparable too Michael Devlin and his problem in Snow in August . Along with Michael, he has two decisions although this time the wrong decision may be the right one. Meaning, the country he was born in, USA, needs his help more than his father needs him to keep his honor.
- Jimmy
Hi Mrs. Drance! Sorry I posted after 7, I didn't get home until now. Anyway, my book is still MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN by Jonathon Lethem. It is a fascinating story about Lionel Essrog, an orphaned man with Tourette's Syndrome. After working for Frank Minna, a detective/limo driver/leader of a packing agency who just died, with three other men for over 15 years, he is left with no clue what to do with his life.
ReplyDeleteI can't really relate to Lionel or the situations he has been in, at least so far I haven't been able to. He is crazy, but so interesting! I have met a few people with Tourette's Syndrome though, so I can make a connection between those people and Lionel.
I'm sorry I didn't put the title of the book in italics, it wasn't working on my computer!
ReplyDeleteMrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am reading the novel WARTIME LIES by Louis Begley. The novel is a well-written piece that takes place during the Holocaust period. Maciek is a troubled boy with many family problems including the absence of his mother. However, it is evident from the beginning that his more lavishing single aunt, Tania, is always there for him. Tania, although described as having a sharp tongue, takes the place of his mother and "brings him up." The novel is good so far but it is not one of my favorites. Even though, I can relate to some family troubles Maciek faces, the genre of this novel doesn't appeal to me which makes it harder to continue reading.
Lizzy, I wonder if Sarah Dressen's writing is autobiographical...could you check to see if she states anywhere that she has been a victim of abuse? Get back to me. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteKerry...wow...all those connections! Do you feel more attached, so to speak, to this book?
Mary, great wonderings, and good job being sympathetic. This book was a great read and so amazing that one child was "grown" to support the other's life...AMAZINGLY DIFFICULT to accept.
Jessica, no worries...you posted! Listen, can you write down your connection between the main character and someone who you've experienced as having Tourettes? Give them a different name to protect their identity. Thanks.
Grace, hi! Thanks for letting me know that you DON'T like a book. Make a connection to a family trouble Maciek faces and something that you've read in another text, something out there in the world or in your own life, if it's not too uncomfortable. Change names if need be. Also any language that you just love how it sounds and want to use it, make sure to put it in quotation marks and cite it. Thanks, Grace...also see me if you need "italics" help.
Olivia, doll, could you pick an instance in the characters life to which you can relate? Share that on the blog. Of course, pick something that you feel comfortable discussing.
Jimmy, interesting book! Good connection. Is Michael's decision to be loyal to his "old" friends or his "new" one. Let me know. If not, enlighten me.
Ken, Michael sounds awesome. Good job using details from the book; they make your writing strong.
Alec, the journey that the hobbit takes engages those of us who love to travel on a mysterious journey. To make your writing stronger, pick a specific trip and write specifically at what the characters discover and connect that to a specific instance in the human experience. Good luck!
Kyle, good job at getting to the connection. I wish I could surf...!
Pat, I'm so glad that you're enjoying your book. If you can't pick an event to connect to that occurs in the character's life, then identify the emotion that arises as a result of the event in the book and describe the series of events surrounding this very same emotion, an emotion that you, too, have experienced.
Matt, excellent example. I clearly see how well you've connected with you book by your use of a specific example.
Kayla, see if you can connect to another character in the book. Then, get back to me. I hope your reading goes better.
Carolanne, good job sympathizing. Read what I wrote to Patrick to see if you can connect to any of the characters.
Brittney, thanks for you description of the story...so interesting! Do me a favor read the above notes and think of the strategies we talked about in class to connect better to your book. Thanks.
Chris, thanks so much for allowing me to use your post to teach the class about connecting. I look forward to seeing your specific example!
Emily and Kelly, looking forward to reading your posts.
Have a great rest of the day.
Your respones are due Thursday by 7:00.
Thanks,
Ms. D
Okay I will, thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs Drance,
ReplyDeleteI am reading The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. As I read I have noticed a connection between the two main characters; Allie and Noah, with the two main characters of The Titanic; Jack and Rose. Although Allie's parents try to interfere in her relationship with Noah, the reader knows they will end up together just because they are meant for each other. This is similar to the romance of Rose and Jack because Rose's father tries to prevent her from seeing Jack because of his social class. They are obviously in love and no meddling of parents will get in the way.
I hope the book will be as good as the movie.
-Emily
By the way, do I underline or italicize The Titanic.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance<
ReplyDeleteSorry it took so long, I got home half an hour ago.
I am reading The Glass Castle a memoir written by journalist, Jeannette Walls. She tells how her parents refused to conform to society's ideas of responsibility, leaving their children to fend for themselves for even the most basic of needs, such as food and shelter. It was very interesting to read about the measures the children took to survive, such as eating margarine when there was no other food for a week. As she grew older she started to question what had always been routine. This is similar to how Michael Devlin feels about what is happening in his life.
Hi, Emily and Kelly.
ReplyDeleteEm, you underline The Titanic, or put it in italics, because it is a "long" work. Good text to movie connection.
Kelly, The Glass Castle happens to be one of my all time favorites! I just bought her sequel Half Broke Horses and can't wait to read it. Would you like to borrow it?
Anyway, could you give me a specific example from Snow in August that shows Michael questioning? You're right; I just want to read what your thinking. You did a really good job of providing examples from The Glass Castle .
Thanks, Kelly.
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Drance
Hi again, Mrs. Drance. Well, in Motherless Brooklyn, some of Lionel's Tourettic tics include tapping people on the shoulder and blurting out nonsense words in tense or quiet situations. A person I know with Tourette's, who we can call Tim, doesn't have as severe of a case as Lionel, but he still has tics, like humming and fidgeting, or twitching, when he feels uncomfortable. Besides these things, he is completely normal and nice, just like Lionel, even though people who don't know them just think they're crazy. It makes me feel more empathy for him, because reading this book that's in the first person helps me see how people with Tourette's feel about people's reactions to their tics.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI think that because the characters are so relatable in Unbelievable it makes me enjoy the story a lot more. This story also reminds me of The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares because both stories are about four girls who were growing apart but they are brought together by something. In one story it is a pair of pants and in the other it is the murder of their best friend.
-Kerry
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteIn my book The Hobbit, one journey that Bilbo and his companions take is to the house of elves in Rivendell. They are taking a rest from their journey because they are at the edge of the wild. This journey reminded me of my encounters in life, by going to new places and interacting with different people from different cultures.
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI have read several books written by Sarah Dessen, the only ones that contain abuse were the two I previously wrote about. I also looked on the internet and there were no websites that mentioned she was a victim of abuse in the past.
Hi Mrs.Drance,
ReplyDeleteI have never seen the movie you were talking about. If you remember the title let me know. One of the things you can really understand through Katie's description is her relationship with her dad. She feels as if he is the one who grew apart from her and he feels the opposite. One day he caught her smoking a cigarette and she felt his feelings for her change. She had said, "I remember a day when he looked at me and I felt, in his gaze, an impossible pressure to be something different"(Warman,19). This shows her feelings of his change towards her. You can tell that she wishes there relationship was better than it is and you can understand why.
Hey Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteIn The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie goes through a lot of situations to which one can relate. For example, Charlie says that his mother "chooses her battles carefully" (Chbosky 25). Coincidentally, "choose your battles" happens to be one of my mom's favorite sayings. I knew what Charlie's mom was talking about, and how Charlie felt once she said that to him, because I've experienced that and although it can be quite annoying to hear those words, it actually is very good advice.
-Olivia
P.S. Did I need to cite where I got that quote from or no?
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteOne specific challenge that Ender, the protagonist of the book I'm reading, has to face is dealing with a man who wants to kill him. Instead of asking for help or contacting the authorities, he asks the belligerent man to meet him in a dark, secluded alley. Ender then proceeds to talk calmly to a man who is beating him to death. However, right before the final blow is dealt, the would-be murderer stops, simply because Ender was so incredibly persuasive. Personally, I could never see myself doing anything like that, making Ender a difficult character to relate to.
Hey Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteOne thing Joe, the protagonist in my book, has been feeling is uncertainty of his future and how his family is gong to stay together. His father out of a job that was his passion and his mother now working as a swim instructor, Joe is wondering if his father will find a new job soon. Some times I find myself wondering about my future like Joe, uncertain of the person I will become in society. Identifying with Joe makes the book that much better. So far this is a fairly difficult book to relate to.
Patrick, what a profound observation you madem about yourself: thank you for sharing that with us.
ReplyDeleteChris, fantastic example. Your use of imagery created a clear picture of the scene and Ender's personality. Good job.
Liv, FABULOUS job quoting from the text. My dad AND mom would use the same expression.
Megan, really good job using a quote from the text to better explain your point! Keep it up.
Lizzy, thanks so much for enlightening me about Sarah Dressen. If I were to read one, which should I read? Thanks.
Alec, good job making the connection to Rivendell. Didn't Peter Jackson and his creative team do a great job creating the scenery for it in his Lord of the Rings movies? Anyway, you made half of a connection...go ahead and pick one travel experience in your life that most reminds you of Rivendell...then, you're done!
Thanks.
Jess, clear explanation of the main character in your book. There's someone very dear to me that is an awesome, generous man, has a great family who has tics, but his spirit, heart and soul overshadow the distractions.
Ok, so I still need to hear from Kelly, Kerry, Grace, Jimmy, Kayla, Carolanne, and Brittany.
Alec and Lizzy, I've asked you a third and final question. Please humor me.
All posts due by Sunday at 5:00. Remember, part of your blog grades is timeliness and keeping the conversation going with rich content.
Thanks and have a great weekend.
Ms. D
Hi Mrs Drance,
ReplyDeleteI would recommend the book The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. In my opinion, this book is by far the best one she has written and it's plot is more original than her other books.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance
ReplyDeleteAs I read further into the book LOCK AND KEY by Sarah Dessen I found that I could relate to Ruby's character better. When Ruby moves into her sister's home she has to go to a new school. She feels very out of place, kind of like an outsider. Although I was never "the new kid," I think everyone can relate to that uncomfortable feeling that the author describes.
P.S. the italics still don't work on my computer
Hey Mrs. Drance!
ReplyDeleteI recently stopped reading the novel Wartime Lies . However, I can still make a connection with Maciek. The protagonist, Maciek, is raised by his aunt but still has an absence in his heart left by his mother. I can personally understand the emptiness he feels that can't be filled even though his aunt treats him as a son.
I am now reading the novel At First Sight . This novel is much more appealing and I am enjoying it so far. It is a romantic comedy and is relatable to many books I've read in the past. I'll fill you in more as I "dive deeper" into the novel. I promise.
- Grace
P.S. I hope this works!
Grace, thanks for your comments. I'm glad to see that you still made a connection to a book that you've abandoned, which at this point may have been just too much right now. Glad to hear that you're enjoying At First Sight .
ReplyDeleteAlso, just a reminder to everyone..."relatable" is NOT a word. We relate to something or someone. Gracie, and everyone, wipe this awkward "word" out of your minds and mouths!
Lizzie, good clear advice.
Carolanne, let's have you sit at the keyboard tomorrow to see what's "going on" with the italics. Also, while you were never the "new" kid, do you remember a time when someone "new" came to Babylon or any place where you had already been established? What happened? What do you remember? Then, write about the memory to make your connections deeper. While I'm glad to see that you've emotionally made a connection to the character, make your written connections deeper by describing your life experience(s) or those of others about which you've heard or read. Let me know if you "get" what I mean...thanks, doll.
Ok, waitin' for the rest of ya....
Ms. D
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteLast week I told you that I was having trouble connecting to the main character in my independent book At First Sight. However this week I tried to focus more on another character named Lexie, and in some ways, I found her easier to connect to. I understood what Lexie was feeling when she told Jeremy that she didn't hide certain things from him because she didn't trust him, but rather because they were things that weren't important to her anymore, and she just wanted to forget them altogether. I also get that she's under a lot of stress and pressure, and all of these accusations and fights aren't helping.
Kayla
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI tried to post a picture in the comment box, but that did not happen! Yes, I've considered posting what I've found re: Prague as part of the blog design, but I'd like to see what shots interest you. We'll figure it out....
ReplyDeleteKayla, great job working out a way to relate to your book! Good example, too. See you tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteTo begin, they did a great job in the movie creating the scenery. I guess the most I can relate this experience to, was when I went to Lafayette college for a three week summer camp. It was the same in the movie where they met new people and had to get along, just as it was for me in camp.
Hey Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteI think that eventually Michael will choose his new friend over old. Not because he has favorites but because Rabbi Hirsch is a father figure to him. They have a bond that him and his other neighborhood friends do not have.
Insightful observation, Jimmy. He does fill a gap. Besides, Jimmy and Sonny are biased and provincial...naive, too. Rabbi Hirsch, father figure or not, led a worldly, exciting life, just like the characters in Michael's comic books - characters that he imagine he becomes. And, comic books or not, Michael is a hero.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting.
Oh, by the way, it's "he and his other friends." Remind me to review object/subject pronoun usage in class.
Thanks, Jimmy.
Ms. D
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteThis week i am reading Page by Tamora Pierce. It is the second book in the Protector of the Small Quartet. Kel has been allowed to continue her training to be a knight. At the beginning of the book, Kel hires a maidservant. Lalasa is the niece of one of the palace servants and her uncle begs Kel to take her. He claims that Lalasa has been treated badly by some people and that she will be left alone if she has a proper mistress. With some trepidation, Kel accepts and hires Lalasa. On the very first day of training, Kel also adopts a ragtag dog who calls himself Jump. Through Daine, the Wildmage, Jump communicates that he wants to stay with Kel. Even though she does her best to leave him with Daine, he always manages to return. While she has been allowed to continue by Wyldon of Cavall, her stiff, old-fashioned training master, she's still not accepted by many of the male pages. Though she and her friends Neal, Merric, Cleon, and Owen continue to fight the hazing of the first years, the others appear to have lost interest. Kel wonders if she is the only one who really cares. Joren of Stone Mountain, once Kel's self-acclaimed archenemy, appears to have drastically changed. Ever since he became a squire, he has been civil, almost friendly to Kel and her friends. She does not trust this apparent change of heart at first, but as the years pass, she begins to think that she has nothing to worry about from him.
Wow, Kelly. Fantasy seems to be a favorite of yours. The series looks interesting! Lots of conflict, a variety of characters.... Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAlso, could you please scroll upwards. Please answer a question that I posted earlier. Thanks, Kelly. I bring in the book for you tomorrow.
Mrs. D
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteOne example of Michael questioning would be when he looks for information on Judaism in the encyclopedia. When he finds that Judaism came before Christianity, and that Jesus was jewish, he begins to wonder if the whole controversy about the Jews is wrong.
Great example. His thinking makes sense, though. BTW, the word "Jewish" is spelled with a capital "j". O.k., thanks, Kelly.
ReplyDeleteSee everyone next post.
Ms. D