My Book Talk

My Book Talk:

Name: 2016

Humanities

What are the components of a thorough, concise BOOK TALK?

Directions: When creating a book talk, use this helpful template to organize your ideas. Simply fill in what you’d like to say in the space below for each section.

Grabber:

When you were little did you ever want to be a pirate and find buried treasure? Well you are not alone, so did Jim Hawkins, the son of a poor tavern owner back in the 1700s. Jim’s life changed forever thanks to a retired pirate that showed up at the family’s tavern. This all happens in “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1883, and still one of the most famous adventure stories ever.

Plot Summary:

One of the interesting features of this book is that you can already tell how it ends after reading the very first sentence but it still is entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat through the entire book. Jim Hawkins is hired by Billy Bones, the former pirate staying at his family’s inn called the Admiral Benbow, to look out for his old crewmates. Billy Bones is described as, “A tall, strong, heavy, nut brown man; his tarry pig-tail falling over the shoulders of his soiled blue coat; his hands ragged and scarred, with black, broken nails, and the sabre cut across one cheek, a dirty, livid white.” (Ch. 1, Treasure Island) After Billy Bones is killed by his former crewmates, who have sneaked past his lookouts, Jim looks through the sailor’s possessions and finds a treasure map in his sea chest. Jim brings it to Squire Trelawney, a rich gentleman who owns a large estate near the Admiral Benbow, and the town’s doctor, Dr. Livesey. They plan a trip to sea to find the treasure indicated on the map. When they get to the island where the treasure is located, there is a mutiny led by the ship’s cook, Long John Silver, who turns the honest shiphands into pirates. The lives of the squire, Doctor, and a marooned sailor found on the island all depend on Jim. Throughout the book, the idea of treasure and the greed it inspires plague the minds of both the pirates and the honest men. All but Jim.

Reading Strategy (with textual evidence)

This book is practically one giant conflict, a conflict that is all about power. He who hold the treasure map is esentialy the bulleye for each of these treasure hungry pirates. The book starts with the conflict of Billy Bones and and his retired crew mates. Billy Bones was a high ranking pirate and was feared by most sailors. But he goes to stay at the Hawkins’ tavern and is then attacked by past crew mates and ends up dead. This is the reason that Jim found the treasure map, which leads to the second conflict over power. When the crew sets sail in an effort to find the bounty on treasure island, the ship’s cook, Long John Silver, starts a mutiny and takes over the ship. And the only honest men are the doctor, the squire, the captain, the squires servants and most important, Jim Hawkins. Jim Hawkins has to perservier and survive in the face of mutanice pirates. “Through all this snearing talk I was made to feel the threat of death that overhung me, and my cheeks burned and my heart beat painfully in my breast… ‘Well,’ says I, growing a bit bolder, ‘ if I’m to chose, I declare I have a right to know what’s what, and why you are here, and where my friends are.’” page 399 of Treasure Island. This shows how even though Jim is scared and in a terrible situation he is able to stick up for himself and look danger in the eye. All the men including pirates and honest men rely on Jim and his wits, to get them out of the pickle they are in.

Recommendation:

If you have enjoyed reading books with children as protagonists in adult situations, like Tom Sawyer, Alex Rider or CHERUB, then I highly recommend this book. The main character, Jim Hawkins, is a boy around the age of twelve or thirteen, who is faced with many challenges where his decisions and actions drive the story’s plot and affect the lives of the other grown-up characters. Also, if you are someone who likes pirate movies, like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Princess Bride or even Peter Pan, then you will be able to relate to this book because it is action-packed and you can almost see it playing through your head like a movie as you read it. The memorable characters, exciting action and classic story of good versus evil make Treasure Island one of the best-loved adventure stories of all time. Just to put it out there this a book that will especially appeal to readers that like challenging vocabulary and traditional pirate vernacular.

Category: Humanities, Rosen, Seventh | LEAVE A COMMENT

April 6

An African In New York

My Piece:

Name: Gus Dotson March 2017

Humanities Africans in NY: Creative Narrative Assignment

The Dancing King

I remember the boat, the smells, the scent of death and rotting feces. I saw friends and enemies die in their shackles around me. I remember when those phantoms first came to our country. I remember when I first saw one of the dreaded fire sticks that could shoot a rock faster than a bow could shoot an arrow. I wish I could forget, but I will never forget the sight of sickly looking men with sticks that shot fire killing my poppa. I remember the blood spraying onto me. I remember the way my father charged them with his axe and fought to save my mother and me. I shall never forget watching from that death trap of a ship as my beloved Guinea beach disappeared. Often on Pinkster I will first visit the beach here on Long Island because, although it is not like the beach in my beloved Guinea, it still has that connection to my home and my soul that was left when those white men got me.

I have an okay life on Long Island. My master, Frederick DeVoo is a butcher and owns a 20 acre farm. My master sees that I am loyal and smart and he has been kind to me. He gives me decent food and a day off every six weeks unless there is a holiday, in which case I get that for my day off. I have been owned by him since I was thirteen. My momma lived and worked here with me until a year or two ago when she died. Lately my master Mr. DeVoo has taken to having me dance in front of his stall in the markets so as to attract buyers. The other slaves will sometimes hold dancing competitions in the markets on holidays and the winner will get a pie or some money. I am quite a good dancer thanks to my momma. I’m said to be so good that folks in the market call me “The Dancing King”. I am famous with people of all races that go to the market. I Feel as though I have triumphed over my master for he does not beat me but is kind and lets me live as a human rather than as chattel. Many of the other slaves in the market are treated like animals by their owners. My name is Jack DeVoo the king of the beach and dancing

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March 7

Crusible Comparative Essay

One of our classes main projects in humanities has been essay writing and the finer points involved in a high quality essay. We have learned the basic components and how to work them into nicer sounding words. Our fist essay in this form was about the first book we read that year. This essay is about the most recent book we have read called The Crusible by Aurthur miller.

Here is the essay split into the basic components:

Outline for Crucible/McCarthy Comparative Essay

Theme: scapegoating
Paragraph #1: Introductory Paragraph (GIT)

Grabber Statement (G):

Just because of the color of your skin or your beliefs you can be marginalized by those in power and blamed for things you didn’t do.

Introduction of Theme (I):

Throughout history people have been scapegoated and marginalized because of their gender, their race or their beliefs. People in power wish to have an unblemished reputation so they blame minority’s for their problems.

Thesis Statement (T):

Throughout history people in power have scapegoated minorities and blamed them for their problems. Often times they were blamed because of their beliefs or because of the color of their skin.
_________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph #2: Crucible Thematic Connection

Topic Sentence (T):

In the Crucible by Arthur Miller when people are scapegoated they immediately put the blame on others because they don’t want the spotlight on themselves and wish to escape the oppression that is shed on them.

Explanatory Sentence (E):

What this means is that one person will blame someone for something they didn’t do because they are trying to redirect the blame onto someone else. Tituba does this to other poor, disempowered women in the play.

Evidence (E):

“And I look—and there was Goody Good and Goody Osburn,” (Miller, p. 63–65).

Analysis (A):

This shows that when one person is scapegoated they will scapegoat others so they can step out of the spotlight.This cycle of blame continues because of the fear that is created by the people in power.

Concluding/ Transition (C):
It is said that history repeats itself and I believe this because in the 1950s, about 258 years after the Salem witch trials there was an event very similar
__________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph #3: McCarthy/Red Scare Thematic Connection

Topic Sentence (T):
During the Red Scare, as in the salem witch hunts, many people were wrongfully scapegoated and blamed by rich or powerful people for things that they hadn’t done because of their country of origin or because of their beliefs.

Explanatory Sentence (E):
This means that a person would be blamed for committing a crime, because they are part of a minority group, even though they hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

Evidence (E):
There were many corrupt government officials that supported these actions, “J. Edgar Hoover… rounded up hundreds of russian immigrants… many of them had done nothing wrong.”

Analysis (A):
What this means is that these russians were rounded up and punished even though they hadn’t done anything wrong. These acts of discrimination have been going on for an unimaginably long time and range from racism to sexism and beyond.

Concluding/ Transition (C):

Thought the problem of scapegoating was prominent during the Red Scare it is still very clear today and is reflected a lot in our new president’s actions.

__________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph #4: Modern Day Witch Hunt Thematic Connection

Topic Sentence (T):
Due to the recent election, the United States Of America has elected a president that has scapegoated people that are of latin american descent because he wishes to have, as Arthur Miller says, an “all white name”.

Explanatory Sentence (E):
Trump doesn’t value diversity and difference and wishes to seem all good and flawless.
Evidence (E):
Tumpo has cracked down on law enforcement in a racist way, “… It translates to the unwarranted and illegal targeting of people because of their race, because of their language, because of the color of their skin.”

Analysis (A):
This quote shows that ICE officers are racially profiling and unfairly arresting people based on the color of their skin or the language they are speaking. It is a fact that many of the people they are arresting are from countries in latin america because people of Latin american descent tend to have different colored skin (NOT all but some). The ICE officers are less diligent on european immigrants or immigrants will lighter skin.

Concluding/ Transition (C):
Scapegoating is like a plague in our society and is terrible and unfair thing.
__________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph #5: Concluding Paragraph (ROC)

Reflection on Thesis (R):

Scapegoating has always been a problem and will always be one because people wish to be perfect and when they screw up they wish to have someone else to blame

Overview of Main Points (O):

No matter if it was two hundred years ago during the Salem witch trials, if it was during the red scare and McCarthy era or if it was yesterday it is still a problem and is very unfair.

Concluding Idea (C):
Imagine if you were blamed for murder and treason because of the color of your skin? Imagine being marginalized because of your beliefs or because of your gender? Would you like it? I think not.

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January 11

Colonial Research Paper

Here are the comments I got on this paper via my teacher Matthew Rosen:

Here is the Essay:

They Are Everywhere:
Weapons in Colonial America
Gus Dotson Colonial Research Paper
Humanities 2016

They owned them, they used them, and they needed them to survive. Weapons were the only hope for the colonists in early America. Each of the three cultures, the Africans, the Native Americans and the English, had different weapons fitted to their purpose. The English had their muskets and heavy artillery, the Native Americans had their bows and tomahawks, and the Africans had their knives and axes. Without weapons the Jamestown colonists would not have survived. They were important to all classes because there was a weapon for every task and a weapon for every colonist from the gentry to the enslaved.

Heavy artillery was important to English and European battles because it would weaken an enemy’s fort or base and would terrify soldiers fighting for the other side. “Although the cannon would fire at a platoon, it wasn’t the best for killing many men at once, so it was actually used mainly to scare the other side because it would kill maybe two people but, while killing them, their guts would spray everywhere, plus once you saw those two get hit, you knew you might be next. Even if you didn’t get hit, it still gave you even more incentive to run.” (Historical Interpreter, Yorktown Battlefield) This explanation highlights that, while the heavy artillery was good for damaging forts, it was often used to make the other side’s troops unsteady and ready to run. The most terrifying aspects of artillery fire were its extraordinarily loud sound, and the charges traveling at high speeds that would shred human flesh when they made impact.

Cannons were used by soldiers and colonists and had many different uses in the battles of Colonial America. For example, field cannons were used sometimes just to scare the other troops by sending a large ball at a high speed directly toward the other platoons, or they would use grapeshot (essentially a round of giant buck shot) to take out large groups of troops from a short range. English and Colonial American soldiers would use garrison cannons from within ships or forts to damage opposing structures and to destroy opposing artillery. “Field Cannon -flat trajectory, Elevating screw raises barrel. Large wheels give mobility on battlefield… Garrison Cannon -flat trajectory, Elevation wedge raises barrel. Small cast iron wheels give limited mobility in fort. Ships carriage has wooden wheels…” (The Colonial Soldier, C. Keith Wilbur). This operational manual excerpt shows that even though they are both cannons, the garrison was used as more of a counter, which was important if the other side was coming with a mortar (which launched an exploding projectile at a high trajectory) or Howitzer (similar to the mortar, but sent its projectile on a longer distance). Field cannons were used to really damage the other side and get into the fight, which made them a key element of military strategy. Cannons were a large type of artillery because they cover a range of uses but there are a few other types of heavy artillery, too.

The Howitzer was very influential in battles that involved a bunker or large base. The reason Howitzers were effective in battles with a base, bunker, or fort, is because they could launch an explosive charge at a high and long trajectory into or onto an enemy structure. “Howitzer -high trajectory, Stubby trail gives greater height to projectile. Similar frame to the field cannon, but with shorter barrel and slightly more upward angle…” (The Colonial Soldier, C. Keith Wilbur). This reference shows that the Howitzer was good for damaging forts and bunkers because it was easily moved, so it could be brought into the battlefield. Its shorter, angled barrel launched an explosive charge high and far that would reach over walls and other blockades that would then then explode and damage people and the fort. Along with Howitzers, the mortar shot an explosive charge.

The mortar was most useful in battle when one force got close to the opposing side’s fort or bunker because the mortar had a very high trajectory but a short range. These features are what made the mortar good for its job. “Mortar -high trajectory, elevating wedge raises barrel. wooden bed is without wheels but easily carried. Mortar was used once close to the enemy fort or bunker…” (The Colonial Soldier, C. Keith Wilbur). This description of a mortar shows that the mortar had the perfect build and was used mainly for a stretch of the battle toward the end, when one side was closer to the other’s bunker or fort. While the artillery was important, it was mainly used by the Europeans; weapons like the tomahawk and bows and arrows were used in battle by the Native Americans.

The tomahawk was the most honorable way a kill a person in the Native American culture. “It was honorable to kill a person with a tomahawk because you had to look them in the eyes and test your strength against theirs.” (Powhatan Interpreter, Recreated Jamestown) This interview excerpt shows that the tomahawk required skill and strength to use it successfully. The tomahawk was not always the most practical way to kill the enemy, so the Powhatans and other tribes would also use bows and arrows while in battle to kill and wound many of the opposing force’s troops, and then go in for a tomahawk charge. The European equivalent to this weapon was the bayonet because once the opposing force was thinned by musket fire, the European soldiers would do a bayonet charge. Although the technologies were quite different, the battle tactics were quite similar. The native battles were short, whereas the European battles were quite long and sometimes lasted hours and hours. Slaves were rarely natives but the most common slave were black and their weapons were knives and axes. The only time slaves would use these weapons when they were either trying to run away or because their master wanted them to protect the plantation. While the Natives had their bows and tomahawks and the enslaved had their knives and axes, the English had their muskets and bayonets.

The musket was the main military long-barreled gun used by the Europeans and English. The musket was good for military use because it had more accuracy than a carbine (a very short musket) or a pistol, but was faster to load than a rifle. To be specific, it took three minutes to load a rifle when it took only 20 seconds to load a musket. Therefore, a musketeer could fire 3 shots in a minute, when a rifleman could not even fire one. Also, the musket was very good for close-quarters combat because it was heavy, which made it a very useful club because a soldier could get more momentum behind it than something that was light. Another asset of the musket was that it could take a bayonet, which was like a type of triangular knife that was only sharp on the very point. The bayonet would attach to the end of the musket and turn it into a spear to fend off an enemy charge by foot or by horseback. “The principal weapon in the Revolution was the smoothbore musket. The interior of the barrel was ungrooved, like that of a modern shotgun. It was also ideal because it only took 20 seconds to load, which was as fast as any muzzle loaded gun could be loaded…The bayonet was used to make a gun that had already been fired into a spear to fight off an enemy charge.” (Interview, Soldier Interpreter) This passage shows that the musket was really the ideal military long barreled gun and useful in almost all circumstances. Although small in size, the bayonet was quite important because without it the soldiers would have needed multiple large and unwieldy weapons at hand at once. But, with a bayonet, it was all in one piece and, unlike a spear or sword, didn’t require much attention during a battle. The primary drawback of the musket was its limited accuracy; therefore, the rifle was principally used for sharp shooting and hunting.

The rifle was not used extensively by the military, other than the sharp-shooters. Its biggest limitations were the three minutes it took to load and it’s light weight which made it bad for close-quarters fighting. Additionally it couldn’t take a bayonet, which meant that you couldn’t aggressively fend off a charge. But it was quite useful in shooting competitions, for snipers, and for hunters because in these positions accuracy mattered more than speed. “Rifles were not used by the military except when a marksman was used to slowly pick off the highest ranked officials on the field, because the rifle was too slow for formation fighting and couldn’t take a bayonet to stop a cavalry charge.” (Gunsmith, Colonial Williamsburg) This quote shows that although the rifle was used on rare occasions, the musket was still the best gun to be used in battle. Rifles were also highly customized so each caliber (which indicates the amount of powder and size of shot used to fire a bullet) was a bit different. As a result, soldiers couldn’t share ammunition when they ran out. While the rifle frequently had limited impact on the battle, muskets and heavy artillery were still more important. The range of choices was also important.

If the settlers hadn’t had superior weapons when they came to the new world, America might not have developed the way it did and might have ended up like the the Roanoke Colony, more commonly known as “The Lost Colony.” Even though the colonies weren’t always at war, weapons could also help them hunt, and many of the Native American tomahawks were also used for farming and building. And slaves used their tools for farming, and as weapons when needed. Weapons were so important during the colonial age that the founding fathers of the United States included the second amendment of the constitution which protects “…The right of the people to keep and bear Arms.” Although there are significant differences between our current society and the colonial period, this second amendment right, and what it means to different people, continues to affect the political debates across our country, including our recent presidential election.

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November 8

Giver Essay

Name: Gus Dotson Humanities

7th Grade The Giver

You Think You Know… But Do You? Knowledge And Ignorance In The Giver

Imagine a world with no color, no freedom, and no knowledge. This is The Giver by Lois Lowry. 12 year-old Jonas is turned into an outcast after he is assigned to be the new Receiver of Memory for his Community, the Receiver must contain these memories of the past so that he can be used to help with decisions in the future, and must decide what to do with the knowledge he has been given. For it is Jonas and only Jonas that must bear the knowledge of the past now that he is the Receiver. Jonas’ society is a dystopia because there is no freedom to know and understand the world and no true feeling.

In The Giver the characters are kept ignorant. In Jonas’s Community the Elders, who are the rulers of Jonas’s world, keep up the “utopia” by not letting the people know about the past or anything that might encourage them to come up with rebellious ideas. For example, Jonas didn’t know what color was until he had his sessions with the Giver, the past Receiver. Then when he tries to tell his friend, Asher, about color the kid just stares at him. “‘Asher,” Jonas said one morning, “look at those flowers very carefully.’… trying to transmit the color red to his friend, ‘What’s the matter’… ‘is something wrong’” (The Giver, 85). This shows that the people in Jonas’ community are kept so blind that they can’t even see color. This really shows that the elders want control over everything. Although the average community member is ignorant to many things, Jonas and the Giver are very knowledgeable because they hold all the memories for their community

The Giver and Jonas are the only non ignorant people in the community. This is because all the people except the Giver and Receiver don’t have the knowledge of memories. The Giver and Receiver must hold all these memories, both good and bad. While explaining to jonas about a receiver that died and lost all of the memories she had received the Giver says, “‘But it certainly made them aware of how they need a Receiver to contain all that pain. And knowledge,’” (The Giver, 89). This represents that while common people are ignorant and the Giver and the Receiver are very knowledgeable and needed because they know about the past which contains pain that others can not handle and their history. The theme of knowledge vs. ignorance is very important to the book because that is what creates the conflict between Jonas and the Elders because he the decisions that have been made by them.

Jonas’s society is a dystopia because ignorance and knowledge can’t just coexist without causing conflict. A society that has only one or two people with knowledge is weak because knowledge is power. To only give a few people power is creating a dictatorship, which is not a utopia. Life is like a giant web and if you take away the bad you will also end up taking away the good at the same time. To make a perfect world you need differences. Choice is what makes us humans and without it we would be more like robots and less like people. Would you want to live in a world where you couldn’t see color or feel emotion? Is being the same truly perfect or is it more important to have diversity? Could you possibly live without knowledge?

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November 8

Giver Essay Template

Name: Gus Dotson Humanities

7th Grade The Giver

Outline for GIVER LITERARY ESSAY

Themes: Ignorance vs. Knowledge

Paragraph #1: Introductory Paragraph (GIT)

Grabber Statement (G):

Imagine a world with no color, no freedom, and no knowledge, this is The Giver by Lois Lowry

Introduce Plot Summary (I):

12 year old Jonas is turned into an outcast after he is assigned to be the new receiver and must decide what to do with the knowledge he has been given. For it is him and only him that must bear knowledge of the past.

Thesis Statement (T):

Jonas’ Society in a dystopia because there is no freedom to know and understand the world and no true feeling.

_________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph #2: Thematic Analysis

Topic Sentence (T):

In the Giver the characters are kept ignorant

Explanatory Sentence (E):

In the Community the elders keep up the utopia by not letting the people know about the past or anything that might encourage them to come up with rebellious ideas.

Evidence (E):

For example jonas didn’t know what color was until he had his sessions with the Giver, and then when he tries to tell his friend about color the kid just stares at him. “‘Asher,” Jonas said one morning, “look at those flowers very carefully.’… trying to transmit the color red to his friend.”

Analysis (A):

This shows that the people in Jonas’ community are so ignorant that they can’t even see color. This really shows that the elders want control over EVERYTHING.

Concluding/ Transition (C):

Although the average community member is ignorant to many things Jonas and the Giver are more knowledgeable than many people in our world today.

_____________________________________________________________

Paragraph #3: Thematic Analysis Continued

Topic Sentence (T):

The Giver and Jonas are the only non ignorant people in the community.

Explanatory Sentence (E):

The reason this is is because all the people except the Giver and Receiver, don’t know about the past so they can’t help others or themselves in the future. The giver and Receiver know about the past and that means there were things that happened in the past that they can use to help themselves or others in the future.

Evidence (E):

On page 89 of The Giver, the Giver says, “‘But it certainly made them aware of how they need a Receiver to contain all that pain. And knowledge.’”

Analysis (A):

This shows that the that the common people are ignorant but the giver and receiver are actually quite knowledgeable, and probably know more than many people in our world, because they know about the past.

Concluding/ Transition (C):

The theme of knowledge vs. ignorance is very important to the book because that is what creates the conflict.

Paragraph #4: Concluding Paragraph (ROC)

Restatement of Thesis (R):

Jonas’ society is a dystopia because ignorance and knowledge can’t coexist. A society that has only one or two people with knowledge is weak because knowledge is power. To only give a few people power you are creating a dictatorship.

Overview of Main Points (O):

Aspects of life are like a giant web, if you take away the bad you will also end up taking away the good at the same time. To make a perfect world you need difference. Choice is what makes us humans and without it we would be more like robots and less like people.

Concluding Sentence– Comparisons and Connections (C):

Would you want to live in a world where you didn’t see color or feel emotion? Would you want to not know you parents but have others that pretended to be them? Is being the same truly perfect or is difference more important to have difference?

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July 29

Summer Reading

These four books that I read befor leaving for camp on June 28. The reason that I read the first three is because I had read the first 2 books in the series and loved them. The way that I learned about the CHERUB book was because I had read the 7 other books in the series and have LOVED all the other books and this one didn’t least me down, same with the Brotherbands.

These three books above I have read in the past three days from getting back from camp. I had started reading “The Mysterious Benedict Society” but for no reason I just stopped reading it so I picked it up after camp and started from the beginning and loved it. As with all the CHERUB books I have read, I loved “The General” and just couldn’t stop reading I and finished it in one day. Another book that I read this week that I thoroughly enjoyed was a book called ” The Real Book About Cowboys”. The reason I chose to read this book was because every year I go and stay a a fully working cattle ranch and I really love it there so I wanted to know more about the history of cattle ranching and the history of the west.

August, 29, 2016

These three books I read over the past two weeks while at the beach. The first that I read was “Tuck Everlasting”. It is a book about a girl that lives a very protected life until she decides to run away one day. When she runs away she meet many people and learns many things in a world she had heard of but never been in. I also annotated this book. The next book that I read was Robert Louis stevensons “Treasure Island”. This is a book about a young boy who goes on a sea voyage but there is a mutiny and he and the top men have to escape a group of treasure hungry pirates. I had started this book a while ago but didn’t finish it so I restarted it and LOVED it. The third book that I read was Trenton Lee Stewart’s “Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey” the second book in the Mysterious Bennedict Society series. In this book Mr. Benedict is captured and Kate, Renyie, Sticky and Constance, must save him from his evil twin. All three of these books where wonder ful and I would recommend them to anyone.

I couldn’t tell if I was supposed to post my annotations on Tuck Everlasting so I’m just going to post them. The way that I did my anotations was that I wrote a caption then I did two post-it’s as evidence.

One thing that really struck me about this book was how well the characters fit together, and how subtle but obvious was the good versus evil theme. The way the characters fit into the good versus evil theme is that the “good” guys are more welcoming, while the “bad” guys give off a slimy aura. The way angels supposedly give off a good feeling, these guys give off a bad feeling. Also the bad guys mainly show up in the grey and dark or shadowy times of day like early morning or late evening or night.

Post-it’s:

on p.21 the man in the yellow suit is waiting outside the house all night which is creepy and makes me think he might have bad intentions.
on p.29 Jesse tries to prevent Winnie from drinking the water because he knows what will happen if she does and he wants to help her have a choice whether to be stuck with eternal life or death eventually.

One aspect of the book that interests me is how realistic the characters are. It is as if you could know them yourself and have interactions with them on a daily basis.

Post-it’s:

On p.55 Miles says “We just jumped in, with our clothes on. Too hot and tired to shed’em.” This reminds me of when I go swimming in the pond near my house.
On p.44 it says “Jesse went whooping and jumping down the stream.” I can imagine doing this myself.

Another feature of the book was the fact that the setting was so real that I could imagine sitting in the woods there, swimming in the lake or even just sitting eating dinner. The town mentioned in this book reminds me of so many other towns I have been to or seen.

Post-it’s:

On page 85 the author talks about the lake at the Tucks’ house and it reminds me of my neighbor’s pond. The placement of it and the fact that it is peaceful and doesn’t feel overused but is just there for people who think of it to use it.
from page 50-53 the author describes the Tucks’ house and it reminds me of my friend Conrad’s house. It isn’t too small or too big. It feels like a loved home, not any kind of showcase. It is t dirty or messy, but it definitely has a little bit of clutter that makes it feel like a lot of living goes on there.

I appreciated how the author showed, without saying it directly, that although at first you might wish to live forever, that living forever might not be as good as it seems. The way she does this is by subtly having the characters state the bad about living forever while also mentioning some good aspects so as not to deliver it full force.

Post-it’s (for this section I made a pro and con list about living forever instead of post-it’s. My list has page numbers)

Pros:

On page 38 Jesse didn’t die when he fell out of the tree and landed on his neck. Immortality saved him from an accidental death.

On page 39 Pa didn’t die when he got bitten by a snake. Pro because without Pa the family would not run as well as it does.

Cons

Page 39- “Friends thought they had used black magic” Con because they could be accused of crimes they didn’t commit.

Page 39- Mileses wife thought he had sold his soul to the devil and so she ran off with the children and Miles never saw them again. Con because he loved his children and had not sold his soul to the devil, but still suffered the consequences of these losses.

This book I read while in the car back from the beach. It was a quick and easy read but well written and quite funny. It is filled with wit and humor and although one might think a story of its length is non important it was worth ever minute I spent reading it.

I would say I have loved every single book that I have read this summer and hope to read even more as it continues.

Category: Classes, Grade, Humanities, Rosen, Seventh, Summer Learning | LEAVE A COMMENT