40 Book Challenge 2/23/15

The Boy in the Wooden box

By Leon Leyson 

Prompt:
- Describe what was either believable or unbelievable about your reading. Defend your opinion.
- Do any of the characters feeling change as you’ve read? Explain why or why not.

Pages: 0-74

     As I was reading The Boy in the Wooden Box I thought that it was unbelievable how they treated Jewish people. Through the whole time I was reading I was always thinking "how could human beings be so mean to other human beings, just because of their race?" I never really understood the point of basing people on their religion, I thought it was really stupid. Just made no sense at all to me.

    In the book German soldiers were to beat Jews if they just saw them walking down the street, and the worst part is because it was for the heck of it. There was also new laws like Jews were had to be wearing arm bands, saying that they were Jewish. Jewish people were also fired from their jobs, but not because they were bad workers, but because they were Jewish. I think it is unbelievable how our World used to judge people based on their religion. The Boy in the Wooden Box has shown me that more in depth.

Leon Leyson above

     The main character, well actually the author, Leon does change his feelings during his childhood a lot. In the beginning he portrays his feelings about German people, and that they are negative from his experiences. Then just in the next twenty pages his thoughts differ from the beginning, a lot. He gets more negative, by saying all the bad stuff they did to the Jewish people. I personally agree that what the Germans did was horrible. He would also go against what the Germans said to do. Like he would sit on a park bench, Jews were not supposed to do that. He never got caught because he did not look or dress Jewish.

I commented on Sebastian, Sammie, and Omar's Blog.

Global Collaboration Reflection

PROMPT:

What was your level of global awareness before entering 7th grade? How have your collaborations and projects with your Indian and Swedish pen pals changed your level of global awareness? How has your perspective on other cultures changed through your collaboration? What has been the most interesting/shocking/funny thing you have learned so far?

MY RESPONSE:

     My level of global awareness before entering 7th grade was minimum. I didn't typically read articles about the world, our country, etc. I usually read what I was supposed to read for Battle of the Books and other homework assignment. Now as a successful 7th grader I feel that I like reading articles about the World as a whole now. When I say "as a whole" I mean that I don't just focus on one topic, I read a wide variation of different articles for the Article of the Week. I read the articles because I have to, but in my spare time I read the newspaper to just know what is happening in this world of ours. In 6th grade I wasn't aware of what was happening in our world.

     My collaborations and projects with my Swedish and Indian pen pals has changed my level of global awareness because I've learned the differences and similarities between me and them. I have always thought that people from different countries think differently,enjoy different hobbies, like different music, etc., but now I see that is not true, we have differences and similarities. For instance, my Swedish pen pal and I have similarities, we both celebrate Christmas, New Years and Santa comes on Christmas Eve. On the other hand, I have also seen difference between us, like for their New Years they do not have any special traditions, but my family has traditions like everyone must eat eight grapes, and each grape stands for a wish for the new year.

     My perspective on other countries changed throughout the collaboration because I know a little more about different cultures and traditions. I have gained knowledge from the Swedish and Indian pen pals, from their traditions, culture, sports, hobbies, school, and etc. I now do not think that if your culture isn't my culture it means there isn’t any similarities. but there will also be differences. No matter what culture you are we are all the same in our own different ways.

     The most interesting thing I have learned so far was how polite my Indian pen pal is. She would say “give my regards to your family” and be very nice. I've also noticed from everyone else's pen pals that they are also as polite. I infer that in India they must be very polite, and it is part of their culture.

40 Book Challenge 2/16/15

One Came Home

by Amy Timberlake 

Prompt:
-Describe the most important event. Give some reasons why you think it is the most important event.
-List at least some problems the characters faced? Describe the problems in depth. Which was the most life changing? Explain

Pages: 108 - FINISHED BOOK

WARNING: SOME SPOILERS

     The most important event in One Came Home was when Agatha had left her family and town to leave all the stress that had happened. Agatha left because her sister, Georgie, saw Agatha kiss Billy McCabe, when Agatha was supposed to get married to Ben Olmestead. When Georgie actually saw the kiss she "snitched" on her own sister and told Mr. Olmestead that Agatha had kissed Billy. That is why Agatha left. I thought this was the most important even in the story because otherwise Agatha wouldn't have gotten killed, Georgie wouldn't have proposed marriage to Billy, Georgie and Billy wouldn't of almost gotten killed, and the book wouldn't of been written. It was mostly the most important even because Georgie went on the adventure with Billy and she faced many problems along the way.

     One problem the main character had to face was facing a crazy animal attack. Georgie was just on her donkey, Long Ears, and then out of nowhere a cougar comes out towards them. Georgie then tries to shoot the cougar but then drops the gun, and Georgie knows that if she gets of her donkey to get it the cougar would prance at her right away. She decided to throw everything she had in her saddlebag, napkins, plates, glasses, a book, and etc. She misses all the times, so she screams out "BILLY," and he comes on his horse and shoots, but misses, the cougar still runs away. Billy McCabe saved Georgie's life.

     Another problem that Georgie had to face was when she and Billy were in a gun fight. Two men came looking for them because they knew that Georgie had money, so those two men came to their resting place and while Georgie was in the woods Billy was being tied up by those two men. So Georgie gets her gun out and shoots the smaller guys thumb off, and then they start shooting back at her. They then leave with what they needed.

I commented on Jeremiah, Justin, and Jared's Blog.

Poetry Response

40 Book Challenge 2/9/15

One Came Home

by Amy Timberlake 

Prompt: -Describe the setting – when and where what you are reading takes place.

             -Describe the main characters.

Pages: 1-108

     The setting of One Came Home is in 19th century Wisconsin. The place were the story starts to take place in is Placid, Wisconsin. The book entitles that Wisconsin is a frontier states back in the 1870s. The main character Georgina actually travels high and low to find her sister, Agatha. She passes through Dog Hollow, The Smoke River, Wisconsin River, and Miller Road. To go find Agatha, and she faces challenges to so if she is still alive. Throughout the book Georgina travels a lot, she does not primarily stay in one place.

     One of the main characters is Georgina Burkhardt, but everyone calls her Georgie. She is 13 years old and is the little sister of Agatha Burkhardt, who has recently died. From what I read I see Georgie as a young girl that speaks what she thinks, is loving, outgoing, and has perseverance. In the story the author states that Georgie doesn't tell her parents she is leaving, she writes them a note, but she must go without them to find her sister Agatha, she will not rest until she finds her alive or until she has confirmed her death.

    Another main character is Billy McCabe. He is 19 years old and he wanted to marry Agatha. His appearance was he had a square chin, blue eyes, muscular, long legs, and a very nice smile, that is how Georgie describes him in the book. I see him as a very nice, thoughtful, funny, and giving character in the book. As soon as he knows Georgie is going to go find Agatha he actually goes with her to find Agatha, the person he loves. He lends Georgie a horse and helps her in the journey to find Agatha and is very caring to Georgina. Billy is a character that will be there for Georgina.

I commented on Mia, Lillian, and Joseph's Blog.

Book Talk 2/4/15

My Video

Transcript

    Hey! I'm Evie and I'm going to talk about my book called The Zebra Forest. The author of the book is Adina Rishe Gewirtz and the genre is realistic fiction.

     The setting of The Zebra Forest is in a small two-floor house that is surrounded by a "Zebra" like forest, the forest is called that because of how the trees look, some are black and others are white. The closest building to the house is a prison, and besides the prison they have no other neighbors.

     The main character of the story is Annie B., and the book is in her perspective. She is in 6th grade and has brown hair. She is the more modest and mature person in the book. Other characters include Andrew Snow Jr. also known as Rew, he is the little brother that really does not like his father. Then there is Andrew Snow who is the father of Annie and Rew, he is an escaped prisoner. Also there is grandma and she is the one that takes care of Andrew's children in the house.

     The main plot/conflict in the novel is that Annie and Rew thought their father was dead and actually the grandma lied. The dad then escapes the prison and keeps them hostage in their own house. The mood was more of a sad then it turned a little more happy throughout the book.

     I really would recommend this book, I liked the description of everything and also the conflicts that Annie had to go through. What I remember most about my book was that the dad had killed a man that was with his cheating wife. You should go get out this book to actually get a feeling about loss, forgiveness, and to always love your family no matter what.

I commented on Siari, Mia, Amelia, Abdiel, and Sebastian's Blog.