Jamie’s Comments (group member since Jan 18, 2010)

Jamie’s comments from the UNC Middle School Lit group.

"Well, it's simple to love someone," she said. "But it's hard to know when you need to say it out loud.""
this like many people was my absolute favorite quote in the book :)!
But...
the one I pulled out that I found very funny as this one...
"If I'm afraid of someone on the street, I'll turn to him (it's always a boy) and say, "Excuse me, do you happen to know what time it is?" This is my way of saying to the person, "I see you as a friend, and there is no need to hurt me or take my stuff. Also, I don't even have a watch and I am probably not worth mugging." So far, it's worked like gangbusters... And I've discovered that most people I'm afraid of are actually very friendly."

Before reading this book I have actually thought about this a lot. My family often travels to New York and I tend to find myself being very Miranda"ish" when encountering "scary" passerbyers.
After I realized this about myself I realized that not all people approach "scary stranger situations the same"
I think the way someone approaches a situation like this one say a lot about their personality. :)

also, did anyone else have a hard time when trying to listen to this book? Definitely learned I am not a auditory learner!

What endangered species would you be most passionate about saving?
There are many themes relevant to middle school children in this book which one do you feel is the most important and why?
examples include...
(Belonging, Bullying, Family, Values in Conflict, Friendship, and any other theme you feel appropriate)

I believe my "savvy" is the ability to connect with young children. I love volunteering at the hospital and making a difference in the lives of the children there! This "savvy" has led me to my career choice... pediatric nursing :)!

I have always liked this rule...
Be willing to learn!

I am really interested in discussing the anti-religion part of the book! Like a lot of people I did not remember the controversy surrounding it until I looked up things about the movie online. Also, I want to discuss the daemons I found this to be the most interesting part of the novel for me. Every time I met a character I wanted to know all about the daemon!

When I first looked at this book I wanted to throw it against the wall. My eyes jumped from frame to frame and ]because the pictures were so colorful and busy that I could not focus on the words. I am the type of person who enjoys reading every single word of every book so it stressed me out to feel like I was missing lots of important lines from the text and reading out of order. Once I got used to the disarray and semi chaotic reading arangment, after about 10 minutes into reading, I became more comfortable with the novel.
Eventually I began to rely on the pictures and the text to fully tell me the story. I now think without the pictures I would have been very confused separating and distinguishing between the characters.
Although I do not particularly like this book I did end up enjoying it a little more than I had thought. The take home message of the book is a very important one that I think could possible be the up most important lesson to root into the lives of middle school children, "IT IS OK TO BE YOU!"

I think it means that you cant jump to conclusions about someone without really taking the time to get to know where they are coming from. Many people in this book jumped to conclusions about others... Sal toward Miss Cadaver and Phoebe toward her mother and the random boys relationship. This books underlying theme for children to really take away was to not judge people right away until you clearly can tell where they are coming from.
Loved this book!!

Love Love Love this topic!! :)

Before I took the quiz I would also have said that I was a probably a Golden Retriever or a Panda Bear but the results were...

Your EAGLE DAEMON represents an unlikely combination of fierce pride and remarkable wisdom. Though widely admired, you can be very distant at times, and like to stay out of people's personal lives.

I dont know how much I agree with this but the quiz was fun and interesting!
cant wait for the discussion Thursday!

When I read this discussion the first thing that popped into my mind was how greatly knowledge can change the course of ones life. Pulling examples from The House of the Scorpion the first two things that come to mind is the children finding out about Matt. If the children had not encountered Matt then Matt would never have left his house and he would never have had to be confined. Also, the knowledge that Celia receives that El Patron is sick. This knowledge allows Celia to "save" Matt by poisoning him so his body parts are not healthy enough for use by El Patron. Knowledge and education are a crucial part of the outcome of ones life.

"That's the problem with winning right from the start, thought Ender. You lose friends." pg. 184

I found this quote interesting because I feel like it has relevance to everyday life. I also thought it was a very clever thing for a young boy to notice. Usually children do not gain this knowledge until much later in life if at all. Children usually want people to adore them and "accept" them first thing, therefore trying to make amazing impacts and first impressions. The knowledge that Ender possesses at just a small age amazes me and stuns me throughout this novel. I think this is why I was able to fall as in love with his character as I did!

1. Going off of my excitment for today (snow and sunshine) in one afternoon! I would have to be girl-who- LOVES- season changes. I love it when the season is just about to change it always gets me in happy spirits!
2. I LOVED Karana this time I read the book. The book for me was all about her this time instead of all about nature- what I thought it was when I read it as a middle schooler. I love watching her grow from her innocence into a woman of power all the while keeping her compassionate nature in check!

Witness
1. Yes, I feel like this book should be considered Historical Fiction. It is based on segregation, a historical time period that had ended about 20 years before the book was written.
2. I feel that Witness is definitely soft historical fiction. The characters and the events in the story do not mimic exact events from this time period. Instead the historical elements are fictional ideas that play off of racial issues.
3. The themes Witness portrays are segregation, racism, and perspective and voice.
4. I feel like the style in which this book is written is one of the most important elements of this book. I think this would be a fun way to introduce poems into a child's world because often times poems are not a favorite type of literature. Also, it would be a perfect book to link up with a social studies lesson on racism and segregation.

The Arrival
1.The Pictures in this novel are very real and Historically sound to the time period of immigration through Ellis Island. However, the reality of that time period is not fully expressed because the fanciful animals seem to take over the pages. Also, although this particular story deals with immigration into Ellis Island I feel like it could replicate the story of immigration to anywhere. Since immigration is still prominent the story is not more than 20 years removed from the theme.
2. I would say either just a fiction book or possibly a historical fantasy. The animals are the only thing that make the fanciful impact on the graphic novel though. I think I would classify this book as just a fiction book.
3. This book displays themes of immigration, separation, finding oneself, and I would say artistic themes.
4. This would be a really good book focusing on adjustment. Although immigration is very prevalent usually only one or two students will be able to directly identify with this idea. But many students can identify with having to adjust to a new situation- all alongside having to adjust to the new idea of reading a graphic novel.

When I read The Giver in middle school I remember I loved it! I also remember thinking how happy the ending was! This time around the ending caught me off guard. I was yearning to know more about how Jonas was able to interact with the outsiders? I felt like the book worked us up to the moment when Jonas would finally interact with outside or when the society he left behind would be struck with feelings. Instead of fulfilling this unanswered questions the book ends. I was very disappointed with having to think of the outcomes of the book on my own. This leads me to believe that when I was in middle school my mind was more creative and not immune to the world yet. Therefore, it was easier for me to accept and be happy with the understanding that I had to create the ending all on my own. This further lead me to wish I still had that innocence mindset of believing there is ALWAYS a happily ever after.