Buck McHenry- December 15 2009

My reading response journal entry is on the book Buck McHenry by Alfred Slote. This book filled me with shock and made me surprised a lot. One of my text to self connections was when Mack Henry lied he was a famous baseball player like my friend who lied his dad was one. This book is good for me because it never confused me and is very interesting.

In this book, Aaron changed a lot. He used to be drowned in stress, and now is always up and out with his friends. His grandfather made him change by lying he was a famous negro league baseball player. This inspired to play baseball again and he joined Jason's new team. Jason also changed a lot. When Jason thought Mr. Henry was Buck McHenry, he was always very excited. But when he overheard a conversation and learned that Mr. Henry was only Mack Henry, he was just back to normal. He handled this news well, didn't get depressed and was still happy that Mr. Henry was going to be his new coach.

The real problem in this story was that everybody thought that Mack Henry was Buck McHenry. This rumor was spread almost to national television. It was resolved when there was a sports show about Mack Henry and it explained all of the confusion. Throughout this problem, Jason got a new baseball team and two new friends. If I could something about this book it would be that Jason got credit for everything that happened on the sports show. I think the author's message is to be yourself. While Mr. Henry was acting as Buck McHenry he felt guilty and depressed.

The Sign of the Bevear Summary December 4 2009

Matt is only 12 years old, yet with a huge responsibility. His family left him at the cabin alone. But in these days, kids usually knew how to survive on their own. He always feels like someone is watching him. He tries out his father's gun and soon gets used to it. But one day, a bear breaks into the cabin and eats all of his sugar. He goes out and finds a bee hive and tries to get honey. Not smart. He ends up soaked with a sprained ankle on the side of the stream. The Native Americans saved him. They gave him medicine and treated his ankle. Matt then knew they were watching him. A native named Saknis, began to make his grandson deliver Matt a daily need of food. It was part of an agreement. Matt would teach Attean ( Saknis's grandson) to read while the Natives would supply Matt with food. Matt and Attean usually went out hunting and Matt always learned knew things.

One day Matt was invited to have dinner with the Natives. It was amazing because that never happens. Soon after, Attean left to find his manatew. Matt was lonely. When Attean came back, Matt was asked to move with the Natives because Winter was coming. Matt still believed his family would come back. He kept thinking, but still believed in his family. So the Natives left, but Matt's family came back. It was back to normal.

The Whipping Boy December 3rd 2009

Prince Brat and Jemmy ran away from the castle. It was Prince Brat's idea. But during their voyage they were captured by two cutthroats, Cutwater and Billy. They made Jemmy write a note to the king for he had acted as the prince. The note explained how they had been captured and the cutthroats would trade for gold. Jemmy made a plan for Prince Brat to get back to the castle. Since the cutthroats thought that Prince Brat was the royal whipping boy he would be sent back to deliver the note and just stay at the castle. But Prince Brat did not want to go back to the castle. Jemmy and Prince Brat ran from the shack. They lost the two cutthroats in the forest. Jemmy and Prince Brat wandered along the forest and found a woman looking for her bear. She told them where the river was. A hot potato man in a wagon came by. Jemmy and Prince Brat were on their way to the fair. But soon they got pulled over by Billy and Cutwater. They whipped the Prince but he did not yell in pain. Out of nowhere, the bear called Petunia came in and chased the outlaws away.

Prince Brat and Jemmy went to the sewers. Same with Cutwater and Billy. The outlaws were not experienced in the sewers like Jemmy. Cutwater and Billy were easily chased out by a swarm of rats.

Lemmy and the prince went back to the castle and no longer was Prince Brat a brat. He was Prince Horace.

The Slippery Slope-November 16 2009

The Slippery Slope is the tenth book in the Series of Unfortunate Events. The author is Lemony Snicket. This book made me be really confused because of all of the mysteries and feel sad for the Baudelaires because their lives have really taken a tumble. My connection was to the book before this in the series when there was a fire just like in this book. Fires have always been there to destroy the Baudelaires beloved ones and places and this time, fire burnt down the V.F.D. Headquarters. This book uses new words for me but Lemony Snicket includes the definition of the word for that situation. (I learned the word optimistic in book three.)

Quigley Quagmire and Sunny Baudelaire really changed throughout this book. Quigley, who was thought to be dead actually had more hope and joy when he found the Baudelaires. He had been living with a Snow Scout Troupe and trying to find the mystery of V.F.D.. He was always bored and lonely until he finally met the Baudelaires in person. Quigley quickly became his old self again, exciting and joyful. But Sunny the 3 year old young girl (she claims she is not a baby anymore) on the other hand is with Count Olaf and his villanous friends on top of the mountain. She has to make meals for them which is ridiculous and sleeps in the trunk of Count Olaf's car. She changed from being no use for figuring out Olaf's traps and other mysteries but she can speak full sentences now and is using her young intelligence. She was able to trick the villians that she is a helpless baby so she could eavesdrop to get some important information. She also made some good food for her enemies.

The problem wasn't really resolved because they are still in despair and need a miracle but at least they were not captured by the villains. At the end the mountain's ice cracked and the 4 of them went down on a toboggan. But Quigley lost grip and fell off. The rushing water rerouted him but he is still alive. He said to meet up at the last safe place which Sunny found out is Hotel Denouement. If I change something something about this book I would make it that someone called the cops and they arrested the villains. Then there would be no problem at all.I think that the author's message is life will not always go your way and sometimes you will be very unlucky.

The Well - November 3rd, 2009

The book I am doing a reader's response journal on is The Well, by Mary Stolz. This book made me feel as if I was in the situation. It was very interesting and descriptive. It also made me feel bad for the Logan family because they had no rights just they are African-American. It also made me have a grudge against the Simms family because they lied just to get Hammer and David Logan in trouble.

I had a text to text connection from this book to the biography of Harriet Tubman. Just like in Harriet Tubman's biography, the white men were mean and cruel and always blamed everything on the African-Americans. This connection helped me understand why some of the white men were very cruel to the African-Americans.

The two characters that I think changed very much during the story are Charlie and Ed-Rose Simms. In the beginning and through most of the story, they thought they could do anything they wanted to do to David and Hammer, but at the end they got in a lot of trouble. That is how they changed. Why they changed is because they put a skunk in the Logan's well and their dad had them whipped so they never messed with David and Hammer again.

The big problem in the story was that Charlie and Ed-Rose weren't getting in trouble for things they did and instead David and Hammer were. The problem was solved when Charlie and Ed-Rose put a skunk in the Logan's well and David and Hammer said that the Simms boys did it and of course Charlie and Ed-Rose declined. Everyone finally believed David and Hammer and Charlie and Ed-Rose got in big trouble and could not go out and lie anymore. The solution made me feel very relieved because David and Hammer were not going to get in trouble for nothing anymore. I think the author's message is if you cause trouble, you'll be in trouble.

Book Bytes October 2009

Here is my book talk video.