Reading Response- April 22nd, 2010

I have recently finished reading a book called The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian written by Sherman Alexie. This book was very interesting because this author actually was an ordinary skinny Spokane Indian boy living in the rez (reservation) and he writes about his personal life experiences and created it into a book. Junior was just an ordinary boy living in the rez and then moving into an all-white school for a better education. Although he is picked, teased, issued with serious medical problems and is considered a traitor to the tribe, he is determined to go to Reardan-the all-white school- and in the school, finds a strength inside him that he never knew about. He auditions for the basketball team and surprisingly gets in because the coach believes in him. In a basketball season, Junior then has to face the rez team which looks so betrayed, in the contrary, throwing stones at Junior. This book made me feel happy when Junior found his victory after going through a lot of pain and sad when he was teased and vomited with his disease of cerebral spinal fluid inside his skull. I can relate to him because I've remembered times when I felt like nobody liked me at all. I admit, I wasn't as brave as Junior or Arnold Spirit (his Reardan name) through times such as these, but I could sense the feelings he was having which helped me understand the book. I think this was a just right book because I could feel what Junior was feeling with my experiences and I could understand the plot perfectly.

I think the two most influential characters are Junior and Rowdy, Juniors best friend. Junior is a skinny, uncool guy and Rowdy is a tough, hardcore kind of guy. Even though their differences, they were still best friends. A punch in the face was a sign of love to them. They were different kind of people but had a feeling deep in their gut's which made the best of friends. In the beginning of the story, Junior as I said is the nerdy guy trying to join the basketball team in Reardan (yeah, right!). Towards the end, he proves himself to be brave, best player in the basketball team but most of all, just wants to be good ol' pals with Rowdy again who hates him too ever since he left the rez. It's amazing to read how different the Indians and the American's were. The Spokane tribe was a crazy half drunken tribe and attending at least 42 funerals in an entire 13 years was no big thing. Yes they were crazy, but they had love. A love they had for each other in the tribe. They show it very differently and they're proud of it. Rowdy changed because in the beginning he was tough and a bit mean, typical Rowdy, but at the end of the book he forgave Junior which was a major event.

The problem of the story is solved by Rowdy and Junior becoming best buds again. Also Junior forgets about her sister dying in an accident in another country. He was proud to be an "explorer of the world"- going to Reardan and facing all the challenges. In truth, I really don't know what I would change about the book because everything fits in nicely. Even though this is pretty minor, I would not include the smart and intelligent guy in Reardan as Junior's friend because he didn't act as any major character in the book and wouldn't have made a difference if he wasn't included in the book.

When I closed the book, I didn't feel worried or scared for Junior, I felt proud for what decisions and choices he had made.

Freedom Crossing- March 10,2010

Yesterday, I finished reading a Civil War book called Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark. This book made me feel so emotional because slaves were treated so badly. This book really grabbed my attention because it was very interesting. I can connect with Laura (the main character of the book) because she had to take a really big risk and if something went wrong, they could end up in illegal trouble with the police. Well, I haven't made that much of trouble, but Laura did it for the good. Sometimes, even without people knowing that I'm doing something good I get in trouble because I'm doing it for the good- I hope I make sense. I think this is a just right book for me because I could comprehend what was being mentioned in the book and also I was really into it. There were a few challenging words but not many which made me able to read the book fluently.

Laura changed the most in the story. Before Martin (young boy slave-12) was helped by Joel Todd and Laura's brother into her house, Laura was pretty much against slaves because her aunt and uncle hated slaves so she disliked-not hated- but disliked black people. At the end of the story, she ends up helping Martin to escape to Tryon's Folley a house that is part of the Underground Railroad because of how she slowly feels really bad for Martin and other slaves. Some of the things that helped change Laura's mind were: Reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin" which really moved her; her brother persuading her to help Martin escape and last but not least, inside, she knew it was the right thing to do.

The problem of the story was resolved by faith and trust. Joel Todd had sent her a note giving hints that slaves were in Tryon's Folly- this was the note.

March 2, 2010- 38 Weeks till Summer Vacation

I have just finished reading our literature circle book called 38 Weeks Till Summer Vacation by Mona Kerby. I can relate to this book a lot because I'm in 5th grade and this takes place in 4th grade. In the beginning of this book, Nora Jean Sampson (main character) couldn't wait till 4th grade was over because of this bully named Jimmy Lee. Well, I'm the total opposite- I feel really excited and can't can't wait till the school year is over. We all deal with bullies so I know how Nora Jean felt when she was being bullied about her being so thin (not to mention, like a stick!). A lot of things in the book could make sense to me since we are only 1 year apart. This helped me comprehend what I was reading. I don't think this was a "Just Right" book for me because I found it fairly easy to read. Even my lit circle group thought it was very easy and wanted a book a little tougher. I want the next lit circle book I read to be a little bit more challenging because I kind of felt like I was reading a book WAY to easy to read. It was a nice book to read but it didn't have much description and I'm the type of person who likes to read books with lots of description.

The main people who changed were Jimmy Lee and Nora Jean. Like I said, In the beginning of the book, Nora Jean wanted the year to end as quickly as possible. At the end though, she enjoyed being in 4th grade and felt the opposite of what she felt at the beginning of the year. She also changed because she had a BFF (best friend forever) and a BF (best friend). She thought she was "best friends" with Thomasina- A very pretty girl who never ever got teased, she was also very popular. Thomasina was a little bossy but nevertheless, Nora Jean admired her. Nora Jeans best friend was Rosalie Chester who was always nice to her and everyone else. She was fat though that's why she got teased by Jimmy Lee. At the end of the book when Thomasina says "Help me carry my things. You can come back for your stuff later" Nora Jean said, "Do it yourself, Thomasina. I'm busy." Which just shows that she didn't care for Thomasina anymore. She also started liking school because Jimmy Lee was being nice to her and saved her life when she choked on pizza. Speaking of pizza, Jimmy Lee changed. As I told you, he used to be very mean and tease many people, but when his class had a pizza party and Nora Jean choked on her pizza, Jimmy Lee saved her life by pushing her stomach in and doing some precedure he saw in a magazine. He started being nice to everyone after that. But how did he suddenly become nice? That I don't know. It's a good question though.

The problem of the story was that Jimmy Lee kept making fun of Nora Jean and sometimes Rosalie and stole things from Nora Jean. She wanted to get back at him for all the mean things he had done to Rosalie and her. It got resolved by the pizza party (in the library) when Nora Jean choked and Jimmy Lee saved her and became nice to her. She was nice to him as well. I have a prediction: maybe Jimmy Lee had earlier problems in life which made him become a bully only because he felt bad for himself. I'm glad everything worked out between Nora Jean and Jimmy Lee at the end though. I think the authors message is to not bully others but just have fun.

Clean Break Reading Response/ December 14, 2009

I have just finished reading a book called Clean Break by Jacqueline Wilson. This book was very touching and very sweet. Sometime’s things can happen and you don’t expect them to. Em~ the main character was very nice trying to comfort her family even when she felt bad that her step dad moved out. I can relate to that because my friend comforted me when both of us felt bad about an argument with another friend. This connection made me understand what the author was trying to tell me and helped me understand the story. This is a Just Right book for me because I can comprehend the story and there were a few words that I didn’t know.

On Christmas eve, Frankie (Ems step dad) tries to make everyone as happy as possible before telling them he’s moving out. Em eavesdrops a conversation on the phone between Frankie and his other girlfriends saying that he’s going to move out soon. Everyone gets to know about it and is extremely sad. Vita and Maxie Frankies real children miss him and so does Em and her mom. Frankie visited but it was awkward for Ems mom when he did and he would take Em, Maxie and Vita out to carnivals. One day, Frankie takes them out without telling their mom (his wife) and Ems mom gets so worried she calls the police. They came back before the police found them and Ems mom says that they should have a clean break~ meaning not seeing each other again.

Months pass and Frankie misses them so much he comes back and they become one big happy family again because Ems mom misses him too. I think that the author should have made the book make more sense because people just don’t leave their house and then say sorry about it but still leave their house. I think the moral of the story is that don’t leave your family because you can always count on them and you love them more than anyone in the world.

Sign of the Beaver/ December 1st 2009

Matt and his father arrive in the middle of a forest and build a cabin there. As soon as his father set's out to go get his other part of his family, Matt thinks he's all alone. Stupidly, Matt tries to get honey from a bee hive and get's stung all over his body but get's saved by an Indian grandfather named ''Saknis''. When Matt recovered, Saknis brought him to his grandson, Attean. Saknis wanted Attean to be able to read a white man's treaty. Matt would give the lesson's to read to Attean and in return Matt would be provided with food and shelter. Attean didn't like Matt much because he was a white boy. Matt would read "Robinson Crusoe" to Attean and Attean would get highly interested and would tell it to his tribe that night. Throughout the book, Attean and Matt teach each other things. Attean teaches Matt how to fish without getting little fish, get gum from a tree, how to clean the bark from a tree to make that a stick to stick a fish on it and cooking it in the forest without as Attean said "Without, white man's tool's". As both of them meet each other everday, they bond a friendship. Matt get's invited to the Indian tribe for a feast! In the end of the book, Attean find's his manitou so he can become a hunter. Saknis says, "You come with us, you are white brother to us" to Matt. Matt got so honered because he was called "White brother". But he refused to go with them because he needed to wait till his family came back. When Matt's family came, he told them all about the Indian's and when his father told him that they would have neibours Matt didn't really like the idea. That was a sign that he was starting to think like an Indian!

Whipping Boy

Whipping Boy

A simple whipping boy and a very bratty prince known as Jemmy and Prince Brat, escape the castle grounds into the real world full of kidnappers and dungy sewer rats. In the castle, Jemmy got whipped whenever Prince Brat got in trouble because it was forbidden to spank the heir to the throne. Prince Brat did not want to be treated so royaly and did not want to learn his ABC's therefore wanting to escap Jemmy did not want to be whipped also wanting to escape. They escape and find themselves kidnapped by Hold-Your-Nose Billy and Cutwater,the two horrible kidnappers. As Jemmy and Prince Brat try to escape them, they form a bond and work together, slowly foming a rather unusual friendship. Escaping the forest and running through the sewers was a tough task but they made it together, trusting each other. Finally, they reach back to the castle grounds leaving behind their huge adventure. The King was happy to see them and became very joyful- which was certainly, not like the king.

The Sisters Club- Reading Response Journal

The Sisters Club- November 16, 2009

 

I have just finished reading a book called The Sisters Club by Megan McDonald. I liked this book because of the message it brought up. This was a pleasant book to read and it was really powerful. I have a lot of connections with this book since I have a sister. My sister is quite different from the sisters in this book although they do have some connections. I think a lot of sisters around the world act like Alex- the oldest sister of the three. They’re really nice but when things at school start affecting their lives they act differently. I can relate with my sister about that for sure. This book is Just Right for me because I can understand it completely but I come across a few words I don’t know. I also liked the plot and could deeply go into the message of the book.

 

The three sisters Alex, Stevie and Joey have a sisters club. They do all kinds of fun stuff inside there and have meetings. But when Alex auditions for the play “Beauty and the Beast” and her mom gets a new job in a cooking show, things get crazy. Alex doesn’t let Joey and Stevie in her room anymore only practicing her lines because she so badly wants to be Beauty and kiss her crush Scott Howell- The Beast. Alex gets mad at Stevie for stealing her coat and soon It’s time for Alex’s play.

 

Halfway through the play, Alex breaks her leg after Joey say's “Break a Leg!” literally and so she asked Stevie to do the rest because Stevie had heard Alex reciting the lines so many times it was in her head now. Stevie ends up kissing Scott Towel- as she and Joey called him. Alex was happy and so was Stevie and Joey. Joey was the youngest so I thought she wasn’t very smart and embarrassed Alex a lot. Stevie is the main character and I think Stevie is like me. Alex was much like my sister but even more nicer. My favorite character was Alex because I really liked her personality. I think the message from this book is that your sisters are your best friends you could ever have and that you will always have fights with them, but you can always count on them!