Caley’s Comments (group member since Jan 25, 2010)

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

i dont know much about endangered species but ive always beenfascinated with the killer white whale ( i think that's the name) but they are incredible.
i am most fascinated with the way roy finds such incredible confidence to take a stand (a very active stand) despite the fact that he was considered an outsider at first. mostbooks also focous on the lack of parents, but i think this book does a good job on incoroprating the family with roys life! a nice change of pace!

Posting your answers to the discussion questions at the bottom of the "Innings Worksheet" (in email) is a great opportunity to share your thoughts before class! we will have a fun activity planned- so the more discussion yall do ahead of time the more time we will have to "play ball."

"Your MONKEY DAEMON represents a nature that is admired, detail-oriented, and full of curiosity. Some people might call you self-absorbed. You like to plan ahead, and hone your various talents to perfection"

first, I HATE MONKEYS... second i dont want to be self centered! apparently i have some things i need to work on to score a better fitting daemon..... ill get back to you

I thought I would enjoy reading American Born Chinese, as I am always attracted to the gossip magazines with only pictures and a few words. To this day, I make my mom buy me an Archie comic book every time she goes to the grocery store. So, I bought this graphic novel new, thinking I would enjoy it just as much. However, the Monkey Kingdom mixed in with the Jin's every day high school problems really just reminded me of a bad cartoon network episode. I'm sure there's something to be said about the heirarchy of the King Monkey's power juxtaposed with Jin's struggle to fit in, but the graphics were so distracting for me i found myself giving up and putting the book away several times. i think it's a book that you need to sit down and read all at once, that way- when the book ends and the stories tie together the reader has a more "ahaaa" moment rather than just an "okay thank god this is over" moment.
Distracting pages i hated: 82 and 83 , 150-159 ... okay well just about anything with fighting monkeys.
i'll stick to archie, betty, and veronica i suppose...

1. I believe that both Witness and The Arrival would count as historical fiction as their main focuses are issues that are integral parts of our past. Although the books differ in many ways they are common in the fact that their themes are a part of our past and issues that are important for readers to understand in a historical context on an individual level.
2. Soft Historical History for both because both have real instances of history but the way they are presented and the characters that are experiencing the instances are not.
3. Although issues of racism and immigration aren't occuring at the level they occur in these books, i think they can be better understood if the students discuss themes such as where they feel accepted or what they consider to be home, and what they feel like either separates or brings them together with friends whether it be gender, race, or where they are from.
4. They would both be great used as "segway" books that lead into a unit or lesson plan. in my history class now we learn every unit told as a story, and before each lesson the teacher points to a book or historical document that he reads parts aloud to us. this is helpful to put the issues into real perspectives.

you should- it was very hard for me to pick up because of the topic, but the way the author addressed the topic with such sharp, to the point language was incredible. it made me be able to look at a personal experience through the eyes of a young adult- which is sometimes the best way to look at certain situations! she seems childish at times, but i think her honesty and view of the world is so honest and really allows the reader to trust and have faith in her.

i dont know if we are supposed to be commenting on here- im a little technologically challenged but i just finished and WOW. are we supposed to be discussing because i want toooo!