May 4th, 2010 Tracker

Tracker by Gary Paulsen was a very interesting book. It started off very interesting. But in the same time it was just repeating what he had said so many times. Like John my grandfather was dying but I had no clue. When I heard he had died I felt very sad so I think I know what it feels like to have your grandfather dying. This was a just right book for me because I didn't have any difficulties on understanding the book.

John first thought that death was nothing. He used to go with his grandfather to go hunting each year and they will always get a deer. John didn't care about it until his grandfather was going through the process of dying. This year when he has to go hunting by himself he doesn't go to kill the deer. He goes to touch the deer. He thinks that if he touches the deer his grandfather will not die. In the end he is successful on touching the deer but he realizes that touching the deer was no use.

The problem was that he had to go hunting by himself. It was resolved by him able to come back home but instead of getting a deer he touched the deer. When John came back home I was very happy because he was able to see his grandfather before he died. What I would change is that I wouldn't repeat so many things that he already wrote. I think the author's message was that everybody's life will be up some day because John couldn't believe his grandfather was dying. Also it can be before someone dies you should impress them because in the book it showed that his grandfather thought it was amazing how John touched the dear.

Blog Entry Reading Response Thursday April 22, 2010

Margaret Haddix really got me glued to the book when she wrote Among the Betrayed. This book made me want to read more because of tasks, suspense and some betrayal. I really was nervous when Alia, Matthias, Percy and Nina were escaping because if they were caught they will be killed. I have had been really nervous sometimes that some one might catch me playing my games when I'm not supposed to so I think I know how Nina and her gang felt like. This was a just right book because I knew what the book was about and had no difficulty on any understanding of words

Nina was one really bad character at first. She only thought about herself and didn't care about others. Like when Mr. Talbot offered her a deal to be free but will have to betray others she was very glad. She was very selfish because she never gave the food that she got to the people she had to betray. When she got a key to free herself and the others instead of going by herself she chose to help the others too. When Mr. Talbot tracked her down she warned the others instead of saving her own life. It turned out to be that it was a test to see whether Nina was bad or good. Mr. Talbot turned from evil to good again as he was treating Nina very badly at first but later on treated her like Luke. Mr. Talbot was the person who gave beatings to her and kept on pushing her around. But after the test Mr. Talbot knew that Nina was good so he treated Nina nicely.

The problem was that Nina and her friends were in jail. They were innocent though. But then they were freed. I was really glad that they were free because now they didn't have to spend their miserable life in jail for the rest of the life. Mr. Talbot kind of helped Nina, Percy, Matthias and Alia escape by letting Nina get the keys. I would change the part when the guard was poisoned because he wasn't really poisoned. I think they should of made him unconscious for while because then the ambulance would know he was pretending. The author's message was probably not to betray people because Nina was suppose to betray Percy, Matthias and Alia but she didn't so I think it is not to betray other people.

Civil War Reading Response March 1oth, 2o1o

Abraham's Battle by Sara Harrell Banks really was very interesting book. I first thought that Abraham was President Abraham Lincoln but he is actually a free slave. I had a connection with Lamar when he was carried on an ambulance. I have been on an ambulance and when I am on the ambulance I felt really nervous so I think Lamar must of felt nervous and wondering if he was going to be alive or not. This was a just right book for me because I understood most of the things about the book and have a good memory of that book.

Abraham changed from not trusting Lamar to great friends with Lamar. In the beginning he was always careful of what he was telling Lamar because he was a Confederate soldier. Then Lamar is invited for a picnic in the hills. Lamar appreciated Abraham for giving him food. Lamar leaves and heads back to Confederate camp. Now Abraham trusts Lamar and they are friends. During the war of Gettysburg Abraham spots Lamar on the ground wounded. Abraham was scared to send him to the Confederate hospital so he brought him to the Union hospital. Lamar later died in peace.

The problem in this book was the Confederate army having a war with the Union army at Gettysburg. The problem was resolved by the war ending. I was not happy about this ending because a lot of people died because of this war. If I would change something in the book I will change the part where the person comes in Ladysmith's house and that person is anatomist to that they find out later on because I was very curious who he was. I think the authors message was fight for what you believe because Lamar was only fighting for the south while Abraham fought for freedom, what he believed in.

Literature Circle Response Absolutely Normal Chaos-March 1th, 2010

I really enjoyed reading the book Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech. This book made me interested because it had a lot of information on her friends and how she felt about them. She expressed her feeling in her journal and wrote everything that had happened. Like Mary Lou I have been sometimes really annoyed by my friend not acting like he usually is or not telling me something that he/she said they will. Also sometimes I have no patience and want to find out the secret they have. This is why I knew how Mary Lou felt when Beth Ann didn't act like herself because of truly-Diviiiiiine- Derek. And also when Carl Ray didn't tell Mary Lou who his real father is. I think this is a just right book because I have no diffulclty on understanding the book.

Carl Ray was very quite at first and never talked on the first day, but he talked to Maggie. He only says Don't rightly know at the beginning and nod. He suddenly started to talk a lot when Mr. Furtz died. He worked for his shop and later on told Mary Lou that Mr. Furtz was his real father. Carl Ray also recevied a lot of money from Mr. Furtz and also a ring from him. He later on got injured in a car accident. At the end he went back to his orginal home althugh he was offered to live with the Furtz's. I think what made him change was Mr. Furtz's sudden death. Mary Lou really hated Alex Cheevey and Carl Ray at first, but then she really started to like Alex Cheevey. He comes to Mary Lou's street to meet the Murphy family but Alex tells her that he made up the Murphy's so he can hang out with her. Mary Lou turns into something like Beth Ann calling Alex all the time. She also starts like Carl Ray because he starts to tell her secrets and always drives her where she wants go. When Carl Ray and Mary Lou went to visit Carl Ray's family Carl Ray let Mary Lou go back to her house one day earlier.

I think the problem was Mr. Furtz dieing. The problem was resolved by Carl Ray not being too sad and going back to his house and living with his other father Uncle Carl Joe. The other thing is that Mrs. Furtz was relieved that Carl Ray told her about that he was Mr. Furtz's son and had gotten the ring from Mr. Furtz and didn't get too sad about Mr. Furtz's death. I would change the part when he tells Beth Ann that he is moving back to his house. I would change it by first telling Mary Lou's family and then going to Beth Ann's to tell her. I think authors message is do not judge people too early. Like at first Mary Lou really hates Carl Ray because he doesn't do any work, but when Mary Lou goes to ole Carl Ray's house she never was able to make up her bed because of Carl Ray's sisters but Carl Ray must of not been able to make up her bed too because of Mary Lou doing it for him. And in the end she starts to like Carl Ray.