Blog #1 pages 1-27

The main character in my book, David, reminds me of myself because he recently lost his mother.  As he travels through his new daily life, small things remind him of his mom and things she used to do. As it has only been a few weeks since I lost my father, I too have these moments.  I think about him often and become paralyzed by how much I miss him.  The line in the first part of this story that resonates so much with me is when the narrator explains, " {F}or David believed that if he went a long enough time without breaking a rule-a year, five years, twenty- piling up a million obediences, a billion- sooner or later, somehow, somewhere, a debt would be paid, a score would be settled, and his mother would come back."  While I realize as a rationale adult there is nothing I can do to bring my dad back, sometimes I wonder what it would take to sacrifice to have one more conversation, one more hug, one more "I love you."  I suppose that is a normal part of the process, but I think as kids we always imagine our parents will be here until we are much older.  I still feel young (no jokes please) and to not have my dad here is tough.  In the story, David is very "stand-offish" and mean to the people around him due to his inner pain.  I wonder if I am becoming that person.  I hope not.  The people around me, including you, my students, mean a lot to me and have been the ones who helped me keep walking after an amazingly crappy year.  So while David and I have totally different stories, I can relate, and to me that is what makes reading so unique and personal... our connections.  Happy Reading :)  

Reading Blog Starters

Cat got your tounge? Writer's block? Can't think of anything to write about?  Use this list of starters to get your thoughts about the book flowing!

READER’S LOG STARTERS

When I started reading this book, I thought…..

I changed my mind about….because…

My favorite part of the book was…..because….

My favorite character was….because

I was confused by…..

I was surprised by….

I predict that…..

I liked the way the writer….

I didn’t like….because….

If I wrote this book, I would change….

This book reminded me of….

I would (wouldn’t) like to read another book by this writer because…

I would (wouldn’t) recommend this book to a friend because…

This book made me feel….

This book made me think….

This book made me realize…

While I was reading I pictured….(draw or write your response)

The most important thing about this book is…

I’d like to tell the writer….

I’d like to ask the writer…

If I were (name of character), I would (wouldn’t) be….because…

What happened in this book was very realistic (unrealistic) because…

My least favorite character was…because…

I admire (name of character) for…

One thing I’ve noticed about the author’s style is…

If I could be any character in this book, I would be…because…

I agree (disagree) with the writer about…

I think the title is a good (bad) choice for the book….because…

A better title for this book would be…because…

I would change the ending…

In my opinion the most important word (sentence, paragraph) in the book is….because…

(Name of character) reminds me of myself because…

(Name of character) reminds me of somebody I know because…

If I could talk to (name of character), I would say…

When I finished this book, I still wondered…

This book was similar to (different from) other books I’ve read….

This book was similar to (different from) other books by this writer…

I think the main thing the writer was trying to say was…

This book was better (worse) than the movie version because….

(Event in book) reminded me of something that happened to me….

I think the writer must be…because…

My Book: Eggs

I chose this book because Spinelli is one of my favorite authors.  Plus, I adore the cover art!

Starting the Independent Reading Project!

Today is day one of the reading project.  Together we will read books that interest us and complete several different activities using them!

Please choose a book that speaks to you and your life/interests. 
Be sure to get your parents to sign the permission slip!