8/10/10

Dear Mr. Teres,

     The book I am reading is The School Story by Andrew Clements. In the book Natalie wants to get her book published by her mom without her mom knowing it is her and she changes her name to Cassandra Day. When I was reading I said a question in my head the question was I wonder if Mrs. Letha will publish the book? In the story Mrs. Letha is the boss of Natalie's mom and she is very mean and strict. I really think it would be fantastic for Natalie's book to get published because working on something really hard all means something and is definitely worth it. Also later in the book Natalie's friend Zoe sent the book to somebody else who works at Shipley Junior Books when the person got the book he read it and got attached to the story and he sent an e-mail out to Mrs. Letha and Natalie's mom. The e-mail said that he would like Hannah who was Natalie's mom to edit the book and that's when I was so happy for Natalie she was finally getting her book published.

     In my opinion, I think that Mrs. Letha can be nice sometimes if she tries hard and doesn' t get so angry with people and so frustrated. Inside of her I think she is pretty nice and just needs to worry about herself and not everybody else. I was at the end of the book and Natalie got a example of the book in the mail and Natalie got to see her story but not completely finished but still her book was published. At that point of the book I just couldn't stop reading it was so good and of course I was thrilled and so excited for Natalie. I wonder what would had happened if Natalie didn' t write a school story? That's why I in that book I think she worked really hard and she earned it.

     While I was reading a part before everybody was about to figure out who Cassandra Day was I thought of what Hannah's face was going to look like when Natalie was going to say that she is Cassandra Day. The face I pictured was surprised and shocked but very happy and cheerful because I know that her mom loves her. I think that is the kind of parent Hannah is and that is just what she would do for her daughter. Reading this book makes me so happy and excited and to me it means to always follow your dreams. Soon Natalie had her own book published by her mom. I think that is special, very special. I hope she keeps working hard because she is an author and is off to a pretty good start!

 

Sincerely,

Rachel 

  

8/24/10

 

Dear Mr. Teres,

     I am reading The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements and I think it is a very good book so far. The story is about a boy name Hart he lives with his mom, his dad, and his little sister Sarah. He goes to middle school and he is in sixth grade and he likes almost every subject but he hates chorus. When he was in chorus one day he was messing around with some rubber bands and he hit Mr. Meinert their teacher in chorus. He was very mad and had a big tantrum and Hart was sent down to the principals office. For that he had a consequence he had to stay for detention after school for two days.  The next day he was in chorus and everybody wanted to choose who was going to be the director for the holiday concert they voted and guess who got picked Hart. One day when Hart was having detention Mr. Meinert saw Hart and went up to him and they had a conversation about chorus. Mr. Meinert said that if he can report to the class that a student cannot handle being a director then we can get everthing worked out. That's how he became the director of the holiday concert. When I was reading that part I wondered if the classmates would listen to him or would they just goof off and not pay any attention? Also when Hart got chosen for the director I would have felt the same way I would have not even said a word. If I were in that situation I probably would have never solved it. 

     While reading the book I connected to the book, one time in my life I was stuck in the same situation as Hart everybody wanted me to do something and they were so tempted that I could not take it any more so I had to do it. When I am reading this book it is so good it is just as good as the other book that I read by the same author and I think the author is a wonderful writer. Andrew adds a lot of detail and really catches the readers attention or hooks the reader and makes me very happy with what I read. What I dislike about the book is well not that much, but I am more than half way through the book and I do not know how and what order they are going to put the concert in. When I figured that some people in chorus wanted to do a ballet dance then that really got my attention. I really wanted to get to the end of the the book when they are going to have the holiday concert. I wonder how they will get the concert together in only a certain amount of time? Will they ever start working in the gym and will they ever finish the rehearsals on time? While I was thinking about those questions I just could not wait till that concert because I knew it was going to be a special moment. I know that everybody is going to have a good time!

      Reading this book makes me think about when I was in kindergarten and I did a holiday concert, well it was actually a play. So when I was performing my part in the play, I was having so much fun.  I hope that the concert that they do is better then that and the students have a good time just like I did when I was performing. Without Hart, I do not know how they would perform the concert.  Mr. Meinert is a good teacher but Hart is a better director.  I think Hart is a creative, fun, weird, and cool person that you cannot resist having as your friend. Earlier in the story they were having chorus and everybody was talking and wanting to do what they wanted to do for the concert. Hart could not take it anymore so he started to yell because he did not like what was going on.  After that day nobody talked to him and nobody in chorus went near him. He was not very popular until he told them that they would vote and no matter how it turns out everbody would agree with the voting. When that was done everything was alright. Who knows if the concert is going to be good, we will just have to find out!

 

 

Sincerely, 

Rachel

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                        

9/8/10

 

Dear Mr. Teres,

     I just finished the book The Report Card by Andrew Clements and I really enjoyed the story. The book is about a girl named Nora Rowley and she is a very bright student ever since she was little she was very good at reading. At age two, she learned how to read books and she loves reading them. All along, all the way to fifth grade Nora had been keeping a secret to her family she did not tell them that she knew how to read or how smart she was. So all those years nobody knew how smart she was. Everybody thought she needed extra help in school until fifth grade. In fifth grade she got bad grades on purpose because Nora did not like how people thought that they were dumb or smart so she wanted to do something about that. Reading this book I could here people whispering when they heard that Nora was smart. I could smell the fresh pizza from the cafeteria. I could see the unhappy look on the principal's face when Nora got zeros on three tests and I could feel the sadness Nora had when she got bad grades on her report card. I could almost taste the trouble that would happen if Nora and her best friend Stephen performed their plan. I wonder why Nora didn't tell her parents that she knew how to read when she was little? Did she think that her parents were going to work her hard in school?

     Well I think that when Nora set up a plan, that she did not have to do that because if I were her I would have just told the principal that I did not like how people were thinking of themselves as smart or dumb just because they messed up on a test or just because they did a great job on the test. What I am trying to say is that you do not have to go through all this planning to change something that you think is wrong. When Nora got her report card and Stepen opened it and Nora saw that he had a frown on his face I knew that Nora got really bad grades and I felt so bad for Nora because when getting bad grades and your parents see it you get in big trouble. When Nora got three zeros on a test I predicted that next she will get in more trouble and the principal will tell her parents and Nora will be in a lot of trouble. Just like Nora, I agree that grades are important but people that do not think they are smart don't think that grades matter.  I am so glad that she did something about that. When I think of Nora I think of brave, couragous, responsible, kind, and thoughtful. I wonder why the librairian kept Nora's promise and did not tell the other teachers? I wonder what her brother and sister would think about Nora's behavior? I wonder what changed the principal's mind about her behavior? What would have happened if Nora didn't protest about grades?

     In the story I liked how the author described the characters thoughts and feelings and I liked at the end of every chapter the author kept me wondering. I liked how the chapters were not too short and not too long. I disliked how the author spent so much time in the book focusing on the meeting with all the teachers and Nora. Reading this book I have so many questions about the book because the author is so good at writing.  I really think that I will countinue to read his books. This book has so much detail, I just couldn't stop reading it and that is why I finished so fast.  It was a great book! If the author was going to continue to write the story I think that next her parents will apologize and they will be so happy that she changed something in the world. Standing up for your school is being very brave and it shows that you have a right to be at that school.  I hope some day I will do some thing brave, something like Nora did!

 

Sincerely,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Rachel

 

 

9/22/10

 

 

Dear Mr. Teres,

     I have just finished the book No Talking by Andrew Clements and it was a very interesting book. It started out with Dave (the main character) having to present his India project with his partner Lynsey Burgess and he does not like her at all. Dave had not been talking the whole day because when he was reading a book about his project he came across a person named Mahatma Gandhi. He read one part about Gandhi where it said that one day each week he would not talk he believed it would bring order to his mind.  That is why Dave was not talking for a day because he wanted to bring order to his mind. They did their project and Lynsey got so mad that he did not talk then he yelled at her. Then at lunch Dave came up with this brilliant idea. He told Lynsey that he wanted to have a contest boys against girls he said starting tomorrow at lunch we will not talk for two straight days and if a teacher calls on you, you can only say three words and the group that has tallied the most points of the other team wins. Dave wanted to prove that girls talk more than boys. What will happen? Who will win? Nobody knows but everybody is confident the contest is on!

     I could taste the worrieness that the boys were thinking and I could hear the loud noises that the fifth graders were making in the cafeteria. I could feel Dave's body shaking when he did not know what three words to say and I could see the look on Mrs. Hiatt's face when she realized the loudest grade in the school was not talking at lunch. I could smell the trouble that Lynsey and her friends were going to do. I wonder why the teachers did not figure out the contest earlier? Some teachers were there at lunch when they were talking about the contest did the teachers not hear them? Was the lunch room too loud? I was really sad when Dave said more than three words and that caused a point for their team. Well I think the contest was not fair because when Mrs. Hiatt figured out what they were doing she had an assembly and she invited all the fifth grade students and the teachers of those classes she said that she wanted the contest to stop. Then I stopped reading and predicted what I thought was going to happen and my prediction was right. I predicted that some people would listen to her and some people wouldn't and I was right. That is why I did not think the contest was fair because of that and the people that did obey her which was alot of boys the other team counted the points. This book reminds me about real life like at soccer at school we play boys against girls and the girls always win. I wonder who will win?

     While reading the book there were a lot of parts in the book where the book was really good. I liked how the author used alot of detail and I liked how he spent so much detail on the contest and how he stays focused on one topic. I do not dislike anything about the book and I think it is very well written and he can really leave the reader excited about the story. Back to the story, do you want to know who won nobody did it was a dead tie and I really thought the girls were going to loose. I think everybody learned a lesson who read the book and Dave learned a lot. He and us learned that girls do not talk a lot and do not think that somebody else cannot do something that you can do everybody has a special talent!

 

Sincerely,

 

Rachel 

 

 

11/2/10

 

Dear Mr. Teres,

     I have just started reading the Wax Museum book Clara Schumann by Susanna Reich. So far it is about a young German girl that was born September 13, 1819.  Her father named her Clara because it meant bright or shining and he wanted his child to grow up and be one of the finest pianist in Leipzig.  She did not say a word until she was four years old.  She did not say a word as she had trouble speaking.  Some people thought that she was deaf or mentally retarded.  She decided that she would start playing the piano when she was five.  She started when she was five because her father thought she had no trouble hearing music.  Shortly after Clara started playing her mother had a talk with Clara's father about practice.  She thought that he was working her too hard and he was being very strict.  She could not take it anymore so she moved out of the house leaving her children.  Clara did not mind, she liked spending time with her father, she loved playing the piano.  Finally the day came and her father told her that she could perform in front of a lot of people at a concert.  She was very excited and she was overjoyed that she could perform.  I mean, wouldn't you be excited if you got to show a lot of people what you are best at or what your hobby is?  Doesn't it make you feel special?  In my opinion, I think that showing someone what you are good at is special because you get to see their reaction and you get to share something about you with another person.  I wonder why Fredrick (Clara's father) wanted her to be so successful in music?  Have a lot of people in her family been successful in music?  In my opinion, I think Fredrick just wanted to show off how great he is at teaching students to improve in playing the piano.  I think Fredrick is a little selffish and he cares a little bit more about himself than about Clara's career.  I wonder if Clara will ever quit playing the piano?

     I predict that after Clara is done with her concert that she will feel good and she will be happy that she was very courageous and now that she has performed in front of a lot of people she has confidence in herself that tells her that she is ready for bigger things.  Boy this makes me feel happy and excited for Clara because if she is not afraid at having hundreds of people staring at her playing different songs on the piano, then that means she is improving a bunch.  I am excited for her because she going to perform in her first concert and I know she is great and I think she has worked so hard that she deserves to have a chance to show people what her talent is.  I could picture the reaction on Clara's face when her dad told her she was going to perform in her first concert.  I could feel the gloomy and surprised feeling when her mother left her.  I could smell the fresh air of a baby being born and I could hear the graceful playing on the piano of a little girl. I could smell the crowded audience waiting for Clara to perform. This reminds me of when I had my first piano recital me and Clara had different feelings and thoughts. I was very nervous and if you felt me you would feel me shivering like a dog. Clara was excited to perform in front of a lot of people.  She was not worried a bit.  I wish I had as much confidence in myself as Clara had in herself. 

     Clara is a good role model for people that worry a lot because she is a person that never is worried about anything.  There can be a few ways for you so you can stop being worried.  If you get worried a lot you can always look up to Clara.  I wonder what would happen if Clara was worried every time before she was going to perform in a concert?  Would that effect her playing the piano?  Going back to when she just started and how far she has improved, she has worked so hard that her hard work has payed off and now she can have fun and enjoy playing songs on the piano.  If she did not have to have the problem with her not uderstanding what she says and everybody else says then she would not had to work as hard playing the piano. She has a positive attitude and she never gives up on her dreams.  Clara and I do the same thing we work hard at playing the piano and we never give up!  I think everybody needs to have a positive attitude just like Clara.

 

Sincerely,

Rachel 

 

11/5/10

 

Mr. Madisons War Guided Reading Book

  

Connections

Just like the Americans blamed Britain for trouble with Shawnee my little sister blames me for doing things that I did not do. In this book a lot of people have fights sometimes I can get in fights with my sisters it is a big war between all of us.

 

Reactions

I felt furious and sad when the Leopard killed three Americans and wounded a lot of others. That made me sad because people died. It made me furious because I thought that was bad and mean.

 

Opinion

Well I think that the Americans did not have the right to be captured just because the Americans were not ready for the war. Well I think that Britain was furious when they heard that the Americans wanted to have another war because they just had a war with France and the Americans already had a war with Britain and they won and Britain probaly did not want to have another war with them and loose.

 

Prediction

I predict that after some people get kidnapped that next the Americans will get angry and they will want to fight back hard. I also predict that the Britain will get angry that they have to fight in the war and they will make a plan that will shutdown the Americans and the British will have a plan that will work and they will beat the Americans.

 

Questions

I wonder why America did not get the message from the British that they did not want to have a war? I wonder what I would have to do if I was one of the Americans that had to fight in the war? I wonder what the Americans could have said if they got the message from the British?

 

Vizulization

I could hear the British claiming they did not want war. I could smell the runny blood from the Americans.

11/12/10

 

Mr. Madison's War Guided Reading Book

 

 1. What were two reasons the United States decided to go to war with Britain?

James Madison wanted to push war with Britain. They wanted to have war with Britain because they already had war with them and the Americans won so the Americans wanted to have another war with them so they could beat them again.

2. What was Tecumseh's goal?

Temcumseh's goal was to ask different tribes if they wanted to join to defend the lands their lands.

3. Why did the United States fail to catch Canada?

They failed to capture Canada because they were angry at each other and they did not agree with each other. Some soldiers did not want to do it and if they did not work together then the plan would not work and it did not.

4. How did Andrew Jackson defeat the British at New Orleans?

He arranged forces on high ground between the Mississippi river and a large cypress swamp. Then he became president of the United States.

5. What do you think were the most  important consequences of the war of 1812 for the United States?

I think they were not focused and that effected how they were fighting.

 

 

Invaders Guided Reading Book

 

Connections

This book reminds me of when I first got stung by a bee and it hurt really bad bees remind me of invaders they sting and to me they are invaders.

Reactions

Boy this makes me feel weird because the mosquito's came on the ship and Hawaii has never had one single mosquito and they made me feel weird.

 

Opinions

In my opinion I think the book is about mosquito's and other animals and how they are invading Hawaii snd how the mosquito's are making a difference on the island.

 

Predictions

I predict that the Mexican people will not like the island and they will sail back to Mexico because of the birds, frogs, lizards, and much more.

 

Questions

I wonder how and why the mosquito's had to be on the ship? I wonder if it was a good or bad thing that the mosquito's came? I wonder how the animals reacted when the mosquito's came? I wonder why Hawaii did not have mosquito's before the mosquito's got there? What is the author's purpose of writing this book?

 

Vizulizations

I could imagine the swaying palm trees and sandy beaches. I could feel the bloodsucking of the flying mosquito's. I could smell the fresh ocean water.

 

Summary

This book is about Mexican people who come from Mexico to Hawaii on a ship. Before they came Hawaii had never had one mosquito but when the Mexican people came that changed. When they came on their ship they had some mosquito's on their ship and when they came they changed Hawaii. 

 

 

1/24/11

 

 

Dear Mr. Teres,

     I am reading Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes which is full of a lot of details and the       author hooks you to the book. The book is about the Pye family a family that cares for others and are very kind. The Pye family can not decide if they should get a dog or not. They have a cat and do not know if the cat and the dog would get along good together. Jerry Pye (who knows a lot about rocks) wants to get the dog really bad and Rachel Pye (who is the brother of Jerry) wants to too. The dog is only one dollar but Jerry does not know how to get the one dollar. He really wants to have a change in the Pye family and he thought getting a dog is a good idea. Soon Jerry gets the dog by dusting the pews in the church for a friend and the whole family loves the tiny active little pup. They called the dog Ginger because it looked like ginger and it acted like ginger so they called it ginger and everyone agreed with that name. Soon Jerry, Rachel, Dick Badger (a friend of Jerry), and Ginger set on mystery adventures together and were all happy because they had a wonderful pup named Ginger Pye.

     This book reminds me of when I read the books Encyclopedia Brown because those books are like mystery books and in the book Ginger Pye there is a mystery. This also reminds me of when I got a dog and I loved him so much he was adorable and I always remember naming him it was so much fun. Boy this story makes me feel happy because the Pye family gets a dog and I love dogs and getting a dog is just a happy and exciting moment. I wonder what Ginger Pye thinks of the family? Why doesn't Ginger like walking on a leash? I wonder why Ginger is so good at tricks and she is not good at walking on a leash? I predict that next in the book they will realize who is trying to steal Ginger and who is the strange footstepper. In my opinion I think Ginger is a very smart dog because he can do all sorts of tricks and is kind of like a guard dog to the family. I think the author did a good job putting a lot of detail and effort into the story and I think the author is very creative and really hooks the reader to the story right when you start reading the story. What I do not like about the book is that sometimes in the story there is too much details and information. Other wise it is a very enjoyable book and it is very exciting so far.

     I wonder what makes Ginger such a special dog? Why does everybody love him? This book reminds me of a movie I saw which was about an amazing dog that could do many terrific things. I wonder what would happen if the family got a new dog? Would Ginger be jealous just like the cat was jealous when they got Ginger? If I were Ginger I would be really jealous if the Pye family got another dog because I would be afraid that they would pay attention to the new dog and I would not get any attention. I predict that in the end of the story there is a happy ending and the Pye family countinues to love Ginger as a fantastic dog. I could see Dick Badger swimming up and down in the water. I could taste the delicious turkey for Thanksgiving. I could hear the chirping of different types of birds. I could feel the foot stepping behind me when they were walking home. I could smell the sweet candy Ginger was eating in the candy shop. This book gives me a lesson that tells me you should always take care of your dog and if you have two pets you should always give both of them enough attention. It also tells me that you should always be kind and generous like the Pye family and dogs sometimes are a handful but they are a lot of fun. In my opinion I think all pets are great but in someway dogs are a little bit more special. I cannot wait to finish this book!

 

Sincerely,

Rachel  

 

1/31/11

 

Dear Mr. Teres,

            I am reading Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli and it is very good so far. It is about a boy that had a mom and a dad but one day they were on a trolley and had a tragic accident and died then Maniac Magee (Jeffrey Lionel Magee) was an orphan. Soon Maniac Magee was living with his Aunt and Uncle, Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan. Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan did not like each other. In their house there was two of everything and they never shared anything. Maniac Magee was so mad because he was stuck with two people that do not like each other and every other night Maniac Magee would sit with a different person for dinner. One day Maniac Magee was performing a musical and there was only one auditorium so Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan had to sit on opposite sides of the auditorium. When Maniac Magee was performing a song in the musical, he noticed his aunt and uncle were separated.  He got really mad so he started to yell at them right in the middle of the song. He had a big tantrum and exited the auditorium then ran away. Maniac Magee knew he never wanted to go back to his aunt and uncle so he was off on his own wandering around the streets all by himself.       

     In my opinion, I think Maniac Magee is a very helpful and courageous person because in one chapter Maniac gets bullied by a black kid named Mars Bar and he was wondering why Jeffrey was on the East Side. I think if I was him I would be scared of that black kid because I knew I would be in the wrong place so I would be in a panic attack. I predict next in the story he will go find Amanda Beale and return the book and tell her that it was an accident that one of the pages fell out and he was very sorry. I wonder how Jeffrey Magee is going to return the book to Amanda without being spotted by Mars Bar?  I wonder what would happen if he did get caught? Would he get bullied and hurt? I wonder if later on in the story Maniac Magee will figure that the house he saved Arnold was a house that was not could to be at and was scary? Boy this story makes me feel courageous and it means that I should never give up. It makes me feel courageous because Maniac proves that people can be courageous and I should never give up on anything. When Maniac got bullied it reminds me of something I saw on the news that this kid was being bullied around at school. I think it is bad that people are getting bullied today. In my opinion he was called a Maniac because nobody knew his name and he was doing crazy things like walking on the railroads, going to the East Side, and walking into strangers houses.

Just like Maniac, I would be very happy if I got to be in a family that was very kind,  generous, and would treat me like a regular family member. I think this could be a good change for Maniac if they let him stay there for a while he could actually be in a real family again. I could taste the delicious candy bar Mars Bar took a bite of. I could feel the angriness Maniac felt when he was screaming at Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan the musical at school. I could smell the spaghetti Maniac ate at the Pickwell’s house one day. I could hear the yelling of McNab at the Little League Baseball Field. I could see the commotion of Amanda and Maniac deciding if Maniac should have the book. I like this book because it has a lot of detail and exciting adventurous things. I am glad it won the John Newberry Medal because this book sure deserves it! The author is very enthusiastic and can hook the reader to the book. This book has been very exciting and I cannot wait to find out what is going to happen next!

 

Sincerely,

           Rachel   

     

 

2/14/11

 

Dear Mr. Teres,

            I am reading the Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis and is a very enjoyable book so far. It is about the Watson family who live in Michigan. Daniel (Daddy), Wilona (Momma), Byron (older brother), Kenneth (or Kenny), and Joeatta or Joey (little sister) are a remarkable family. Everybody calls the Watsons the Weird Watsons because whenever somebody sees them they are always doing crazy things. The Watsons do not seem to care what people say because they know that they cannot listen to what people say because that is their opinion. The Watsons do not really enjoy Michigan at least that is what Momma thinks. She is from Alabama and she is not used to the cold weather she makes sure every day before school all of her children are nice and warm so they do not get cold or sick. She always blamed Daddy for making her come all the way up from Alabama. Daddy is a caring man that enjoys being around his children. Byron is a sixth grader and is not afraid of anything; he stands up and fights for what is his. Sometimes he can get a little carried away and not listen and be a trouble maker. Kenny is a fourth grader and is the main character of the story. Kenny is a bright young student that loves to read and listen to music; also he loves to pick on his big brother Byron. Joey is a courageous kindergartener and does not like seeing her brothers fight or get punished, she always like to make things okay. The Watsons are a very different family than other families but they can always help you out.

     

      In my opinion I think Kenny is a little a lot happy that his brother is going to be in Alabama for the whole summer but I still think in the inside he is going to miss him. I think he will miss him a little bit because Kenny loves picking on him and seeing him get in trouble. I think Kenny will miss how fun his brother is and he will realize that having a brother is nice and is always somebody to keep you company. I wonder why Momma misses Grandma Sands so much? I wonder where Byron gets all his courage from? I predict that next in the story Byron is going to start to like Grandma Sands because she treats him well and they become good friends. Boy this makes me feel angry when Kenny gets bullied by Larry Dunn. It makes me mad because if I were Kenny I would feel hurt on the inside but I would still try to be tough on the outside to prove that I would never give up. This story reminds me of me of Maniac Magee because just like Maniac Kenny does so crazy things too. This also reminds me of a play we just saw called Freedom Train. In Freedom Train it is hard to find a job and there are slaves and in The Watsons Go to Birmingham the period of time is like Freedom Train, it is hard to find a job there are blacks separated from whites.  I also predict that something surprising will happen back in Michigan and excitement will fill the Watson’s house and they cannot wait to tell Byron. Boy this book makes me feel happy for Daddy and Momma because Byron is out in Alabama for the whole summer and Daddy, Momma, Kenny, and Joey all do not have to worry about him getting punished or hurt in front of their eyes. The Watsons must feel relieved and happy like I am.  

     I wonder why Byron has to lie so much to get Joey from not doing something? I wonder why Kenny does not tell Joey that he is lying?  I could hear the noise that the bomb made when it damaged the church in Birmingham. I could feel the squared toes of the creature (Wool Pooh) on Kenny’s back. I could smell the greased bacon that was made for breakfast. I could see look on Larry Dunn’s face that he was never going to cry, he was going to fight. I could taste the smoke coming from the bathroom when Byron was lighting matches. I could not imagine almost being drowned like Kenny was. I would give up and stop trying to break free from the creature. Kenny did not give up and I think that he is a good person for not giving up. I think Byron is happy to be in Alabama. He seems like he enjoys the weather, fresh air, and the outdoors. I think being at Alabama could be a new thing for him and he can learn what it is like there. In my opinion I think that Kenny should start helping people just like Byron helps him.  I think that if he helps like Byron then his parents recognize that Byron is a good role model and his parents will realize that he is behaved well.  I predict that at the end of the book everything will be happy and Byron will behave well. The Watson family will still be called the Weird Watsons but they will always feel different inside!

 

Sincerely,

Rachel  

 

  

                                                                                               

 5/16/11

 

CROP-QV

 

This reminds me of my friend that moved from New York down to North Carolina and she was a huge soccer fan. There was a quote that said “for Mom the move from Texas to Florida was a military operation” and it was on page 7. There was another quote that described how Paul was a soccer fan. The quote was “I am a soccer player” and it was on page 26.

This story makes me happy and joyful because even though he didn’t want to move he still got to be at school and he got to play soccer. The quote was “we have an excellent soccer program—a boys’ team and a girls’ team” it was on page 26.

 

Well in my opinion I think Paul’s brother (Erik) is a pretty good football player and I think he might be known as the greatest player to kick a 47 yard field goal. The quote was “Erik, of course didn’t need to try out, but he was there anyway” it was on page 27.

 

I predict that when Paul’s brother plays football he will brag to his brother how good he is and that everybody likes him and nobody likes Paul. The quote was “he averaged nine points a game last year and he was only a junior” on page 28.

 

I wonder if Paul will be the only good player on his soccer team that shows the effort to win? The quote was “they weren’t very good and not one of them seemed to know how to kick” and it was on page 31.

 

I could hear the pouring down rain and the lightning. The quote was “we climbed inside the car just as the first big drops of rain rapped against the roof” on page 15. I could see the smoke in the air by Paul’s house. The quote was “you don’t got a fire, just a bunch of smoke” on page 15. I could taste the beautiful fresh tomatoes. The quote was “we past mile after mile of green overflow with tomatoes, onions, and watermelons” on page 7. I could feel the lightning about to take action. The quote was “we made it inside just as the first bolts of lightning cracked around us” on page 24. I could smell the squishy wet field. The quote was “the field was now completely flooded, like a rice paddy” on page 27.

5/17/11

 

This reminds me of the severe thunderstorms we had and how lightning was destroying land and animals. The quote was “there was a crack, and a flash and he went flying through the air” on page 49.

 

This story makes me feel proud because Paul can stop powerful shots from people that are really good at soccer. The quote was “I felt it smack against my right wrist” on page 48.

In my opinion I think Joey is a friend that cares about Paul because he is new. The quote was “Joey said he runs every night at sixth-thirty and I could meet him at the guardhouse if I wanted” on page 43.

 

I predict that Joey will enjoy having Paul on his soccer team. The quote was “I ran with Joey and about thirty other guys around the field” on page 47.

 

I wonder if Joey likes being a fullback just because you can knock other people down? I wonder if there are any other reasons? The quote was “then I’m going out for fullback” on page 45.

 

I could visualize the boy with the long black curly hair. The quote was “I saw a big guy—big for a soccer player—with long curly black hair” on page 46. I could hear the blabbering of the big soccer players. The quote was “Yow! It came it came from Mars” on page 47. I could almost taste the bags of groceries. The quote was “we were unloading her station wagon carrying bags of groceries from the garage into the kitchen” on page 49. I could smell the laughter and funny business the eighth grader s were performing. The quote was “the eighth graders laughed from the rude comments they gave be” on page 48. I could feel the Coaches voice loud and raspy. The quote was “when he spoke, it was in a raspy voice” on page 46.