833 Reading Responses discussion

Write down your focus question and the area of improvement on which you were focusing at the top of your response.

Write your response as a SINGLE PARAGRAPH that contains:

• Claim statement: Provides the claim, the topic of the question, and important text information, such as the title, author, and genre of my text?

• Context: Provide background of what is happening in the text so my reader understands what I’m talking about? Did I say what was happening at the time of the quote/evidence?

• Textual Evidence: Find the most relevant piece of evidence that proves my claim and include the page number.

• Analysis: Explain how your quote supports your claim (consider including strategies such as contrast, cause and effect (explaining the importance of effect, "What is this quote really getting at?", etc).

• Conclusion: Restate your claim and example in a different way.

Question: What motivates your character?
what I focused on is : analysis
In the Fictional novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon is about a boy who finds his neighbor’s dog dead in his neighbor’s backyard and wants to find out who killed this dog and what happened. What motivates him to find the killer is his love for animals like his pet rat toby. In this novel the main character is named Christopher and he has a disability called autism and he finds this dog dead and the dog’s name is wellington and is trying to find out who killed this dog. Christopher says “I like dogs. You always know what they are thinking. It has four moods. Happy, sad, cross and concentrating. Also dog are faithful they do not tell lies because they cannot talk” (4). This makes me think that Christopher was motivated because he likes dogs which he says he does in the first line of the quote and on the other lines he shows that dogs aren’t really complex which is why he likes them. This is why he wanted to find Wellingtons killer. The love of dogs that Christopher has motivates him by showing that he likes dogs and wants to help the dog like when was hugging the dog “I had been hugging the dog for 4 minutes when I heard screaming”. Which shows that it didn’t matter that the dog was dead he would still hold it because he liked dogs. Liking dogs effects Christopher by making him get in trouble by the police after they found him holding the dog. What motivates Christopher is his love of dogs for finding the killer of the dog.

Question: Identify significant moments in the text. Why are they significant?
Area of Improvement: Analysis to try and add cause and effect
In the memoir, The Privilege of Youth by David Pelzer, an important moment that happens in the text is when David fears the worst when Dan Brazell is dead because Dan was a very close friend to him. He died because he was a shooter at a school shooting. It’s also the same school David’s son goes to. He is ok, but David can’t breathe. He rushes out of Chicago to pay his condolences to the Brazell family. David states on page 64, “’Oh my God, Oh my God, I’m going out the next flight out of Chicago. I need to see the Brazell’s. Oh Lord, this is happening to fast,’ I said to my wife.” This moment is significant because it shows how David cares about Dan and how worried he is about him. He is showing that he is willing to leave his job in Chicago to go to his funeral. Dan is like a godfather to him. Therefore, David fears the worst when Dan is killed.

Question: What is the purpose of the secondary characters.

Focus: Improving my analysis

In a fantasy Novel, Wolf Island, by Darren Shan, the purpose of the secondary character is to protect the pieces of the Kah-gash. Throughout the book, Beranabus and his allies are collecting pieces of the Kah-gash.Once collect Beranabus wants to use the Kah-gash to destroy Demonata universe. However, it is not that easy. The demons of Demonata universe found out his idea of destroying their universe and started to collect the pieces of the Kah-gash too. The demons will interrupt/steal the pieces of Kah-gash from Beranabus. Beranabus was not willing to give them up so he has to protect them. In page 15 one of the pieces of Kah-gash is a girl named Bec and he protects her as much as possible as stated” he’s ultra protective of his little Bec”He would cast spells to the demons, protect the people with the Kah-gash and kill whoever tries to steal them. At one point he was willing to give up his life to protect them. Beranabus one of the most important secondary character in the book has the purpose of protecting the Kah-gash and collecting them.

Question: What patterns do you notice about your character and what do they reveal? I needed to work on my analysis.
In the realistic fiction novel Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, by David Lubar, the patterns i noticed about the main character was that he had low self esteem in many places throughout the book. This reveals that he does not think highly of himself and does not believe that he can achieve his goals.
"Julia must have thought i was a total loser. And I guess she was pretty much right. I'd spent a whole year hung up on a girl who would never be interested in me. "
The protagonist, Scott Hudson, has just started high school and does not like how it's going. He has been threatened and stolen from by upperclassmen, and he wants to find a way to make his crush feel the same way about him. His biggest obstacle is trying to live up to his older brother, who was very popular during his high school years. In this quote he shows low self esteem by saying that he was a total loser based on what he assumed that his crush, Julia, thought of him. He also assumed that she was not interested in him.
The patterns that are displayed by the character are that he shows that he has low self esteem throughout the book, and this reveals that he doesn't believe in himself and assumes he is not worth of being popular in his school.

What patterns occur in the book?

In the fantasy novel Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge, the theme don’t trust people easily is demonstrated through the patterns in the book. The character Triss throughout the book has been experiencing strange things that occur in her family and outside. Ever since she woke up from her accident, she herself felt like she was an unknown stranger no matter how much her parents consoled her and tried to help her recover her memory. Her sister Penn, who hates her more than anything, was not much of a big help either. The patterns were such as her ending up in the woods in her sleep, her porcelain doll Angelina snapping at her, Violet when she stopped yelling at Triss’s father once she glanced at Triss, and Penn’s odd behavior around her. However, when Triss was trying to save Penn in one moment of the book, Penn had abandoned her and left Triss alone, slowly getting trapped into the vines of the a tree. “‘Penn! Don’t leave!’. It was no use. Penn had run off into the mist, and the vines of the trees were slowly capturing Triss. Ready for her death, Triss screamed in response, for trusting those who had just now betrayed her,” (153). As a result of listening to the tailor who had told her to run after Penn, even though he himself was a stranger, Triss had now ended up digging her own grave. Compared to normal people, we tend to trust people with sugarcoated words very easily. Just like Triss had with the tailor who had seemed decent with his fun treats and cake for Triss, but at the end he ended up being part of a conspiracy. The theme of don’t trust people easily is demonstrated through the patterns in the book.

Question: How has the character’s background impacted him/her?
Focus: Analysis
In Sarah Beth Pfeffer’s science fiction novel, The Dead and the Gone, the main character, Alex’s background of religion impacted him by making him question his own judgement. Alex lives in New York in an apartment, everything was still mundane for an average teenager. Suddenly the moon was knocked towards Earth and everything humans took for granted became scarce and gone. Life has changed drastically since then. Having the ability to access food, may mean a lot to each survivor and can extend their life. Alex states “Was it stealing? Was it sin? Alex thought it might be both. But Christ couldn’t want them to starve when there was food available”, (112). As a result, compared to the thoughts before the moon was pushed towards Earth, it has changed drastically. Rather than questioning sin only, when life was still normal, now, it would involve stealing as well because they need to do whatever they can to continue living. The cause of the catastrophe had a great impact towards humans drawing out their abilities to survive. However, in order to survive, people need to do things that they never would have done before.

Question: What motivates my character?


In the fantasy novel, Bloodlines, written by Richelle Mead, the main character Sydney is motivated by her love for what she does and her tattoo. The tattoo she has is forces her to be loyal to the Alchemists and not make any mistakes. She has made a mistake in the past causing her tattoo to not be inked therefore not letting her have magic. Now, her father and the rest if the Alchemists are deciding to re-ink her or put in her sister. Sydney knows that her sister isn’t ready to get inked and owned by them. She says, “The Alchemist cause might be a good one, but once you’re in it, they own you.” Being owned by Alchemist basically means that they will control your every action, judge your every move and Sydney is motivated to do that because her tattoo is the thing that makes her have magic and be a Alchemist. She is basically forced to be loyal and everything, but her tattoo is the one thing that makes everything like that. Therefore, my character Sydney is motivated by the tattoo on her face.

Question: How has the character’s background impacted him/her?
In the realistic fiction novel, Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen, the protagonist Sydney’s background impacts her by causing her to be more courageous, no longer standing back and becoming the wallflower of the family, but someone who’s ready to set out and prove her worth to the world. Sydney Stanford always felt invisible to the world and was used to her older brother, Peyton, being the focus of the family’s attention. He was handsome, charming, and smart. But as he started high school, he began to make bad decisions such as drinking, shoplifting, and breaking into other’s property. Finally, after crippling a boy while drunk driving, he was put in prison, but yet he was still the apple to their parent’s eyes. Now Sydney’s alone and meets the warm, chaotic circle of the Chatham family, and finally feels like she’s being seen for the first time. Because of their friendliness and love, she builds up the courage to stand out. Sydney stated, “I’ve always been the other, the one not Peyton; I’d come to accept it. But finally, I’d met people who saw me differently. Now that I’d been real and first to someone, I never wanted to be invisible again,”(280-281). This moment showed how Sydney’s background impacted her because it showed all the troubles and problems she had to go through all because of her brother and sometimes her parents, as well. She always thought that it was okay to be second to her brother because she admired him too, but when he crippled a boy, everything changed for her. She transferred school and met the Chatham family. Drawn to their warm and friendly group, they showed her that she should be her own person instead of standing in her brother’s shadows. As a result of all their support, she finally realized that she never wanted to be invisible and pushed around ever again.

Question: What patterns do you notice about your character? What do they reveal?
Area of improvement: Analysis
In the realistic fiction book Blank by Trina St. Jean, the main character Jessica has gotten into an accident that causes her to forget many memories from her past. She hardly remembers her friends and family although she knows who they are and events from before the accident. When she tries to remember things from before the accident, she remembers little to nothing. However, throughout the book, she repeatedly never gives up trying to remember her past and stays positive in times of hardship. This reveals that Jessica is a determined girl and won’t give up easily. “I want to stay thinking positive, try not to dwell on the black hole that has sucked up my life” (173). Some people might give up trying to remember if they were in Jessica’s shoes and think about how the accident has turned their life upside down but Jessica didn’t really do that. She would sometimes think about giving up but she never did. She stayed positive and didn’t think about how the accident has ruined her life. She tried her very best to remember and make her life normal again. Had she not stayed positive, she wouldn't have gotten better and make her life normal again which is why her decision of not giving up is important. Therefore, in the book Blank by Trina St. Jean the main character Jessica shows a pattern of never giving up and staying positive in times of hardship which reveals that Jessica is a determined girl who doesn’t give up easily.

Question: What motivates my character?
Area of Improvement: Analysis to try and add cause and effect
In the memoir , Unbroken, written by Laura Hillenbrand, the protagonist Louie Zamperini is motivated by his thoughts of survival and the day the he will see his family again. After crash landing in the Pacific ocean during a rescue mission, Louie survives the crash with 2 other people. After a 47 day drift on a raft Louie finds himself in Japan, only to become a prisoner of war. He says "Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man's soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it..” Being a prisoner of war causes Louie to think more and more about survival because survival and dignity is like food, oxygen, and water all essential to us. Therefore survival and family motivates my character.

Question: How has the character's background impacted him/her?
Area of Inprovment : Analysis
In the realistic memoir, On the Court with Yao Ming, by Matt Christopher, the main character, Yao Ming's background impacted him to be a dedicated basketball star who inspires others to succeed in all expectations. Yao grew up outside the large city of Shanghai and thanks to a big part of his parents, shooting and dribbling was a more of a second nature to him. By the age of 14, Yao stood six feet tall and many Chinese basketball officials recognized his as a future star. A year later, Yao was seen by the coach of Los Angeles Lakers who later brought him to an All-American camp who brought on a buzz. On chapter three the narrator says, "When Yao arrived, few American coaches has ever heard of him. The few who had expected him to be slow and uncoordinated. No one thought that he could hold his own against the best high school players in America," (23). When Yao came to America, he wanted to achieve something new, but many people underestimated him because he was Chinese and not many people heard of him in America. He proved people wrong by working harder than anyone else and his parents supporting him by his side. Yao's having an advantage of other by his height, he grew up playing basketball because of his parents, and Yao working hard, caused him to be the fierce player that he is on the court. As a result, Yao's background impacted him to be a noble piece who never doubts himself and enjoys to show others his skills.

Focus Question : What is a theme that your author is trying to portray? What are some moments or characters with the text that may develop the theme?

Focusing to improve on context and analysis.


The memoir "The Silver Star" by Jeannette Walls demonstrates the theme even if you're going through difficult times, you still have to do what is right. The theme was developed when the secondary characters impacted the protagonist with significant moments in the story. The book is about two girls, Bean Holladay, a 12 -year-old, and her sister, Liz, who is fifteen when they traveled alone all the way to Virginia and stayed in their Uncle Tinsley's mansion after their mother took off to New York for her job. Since the girls needed the money, they went to town and search for jobs, then they did office work for a business man named Jerry Maddox. While Maddox is a powerful man who does whatever he wants, the girls still took unreasonable orders for the sake of money. One day, Maddox lured Liz into his car and suddenly tried to rape her, who luckily ran away from him and safely arrived home. After hearing what happened to Liz, Bean was shocked and angry, she wanted to report this incident to the police, though Uncle Tinsley told the girls to pretend nothing ever happened because he knew they can't win against someone like Maddox since he always get away with stuff like this. After Uncle Tinsley's warning, Bean realize her father wouldn't sit around and do nothing after what happened, so she took Liz to a lawyer's office the next day and explained the incident. Bean spoke to the lawyer, "Because what Maddox did was wrong,' I said, 'and because then he'll be walking around laughing about how he got away with it. And he might do it again. We have to file charges'"(172). Even though most people are scared of Maddox because of his power, Bean went up against him after what he did to her sister, she wants to fight for what she believes is right. Liz getting hurt by Maddox influenced Bean to protect her sister and be determined to make Maddox pay for what he did no matter what obstacles come towards her. This is difficult since Bean is fighting up against a man who has control and power in the court, but she refuses to give up on doing what's right. In conclusion, Bean demonstrates the theme you have to do the right thing even if you are in difficult times throughout the book.

What motivates your character?
In the realistic fiction book Paper Towns by John Green, Quentin is motivated by a crush to go on a crazy adventure because he has feelings for this girl even though he does not know it yet. Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life–dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge–he follows. “‘ No felonies,’ I said.” This quote is showing how Quentin agreed to help Margo even though he knew that there would be felonies. He most likely agreed to do this because he likes Margo. Even though there is no mention of him liking Margo. Quentin is being motivated by his crush and will go on a crazy adventure for her.

Identify significant moments in the text. Why are they important? Evidence
In the nonfiction book, “The Inventors Time” by Dan Driscoll and James Zigarelli, an important moment in the book is when Thomas Alva Edison invents the lightbulb. In 1879, Edison invented a lightbulb that would change the way people lived. Although some did not believe in this and continued to use gas lamps but some did shift into using the light bulb. The text states, “But what will the big gas companies do?” (5). This invention was significant because the standard oil company had gained a monopoly due to its uses encompassing the gas lamp. The light bulb would then take over the gaslamp and could greatly affect their companies. Unlike the gaslamp, the light bulb never ran out like the gaslamp did and more people would stop buying from oil companies. Therefore, a significant moment in the text is when Edison creates the light bulb.

Question: Identify significant moments within the text. Why are the important?’

In Darren Shan’s horror fiction book, “Hell’s Heroes” a significant moment within the text is when Bec sides with Lord Loss and the Shadow. Bec McConn is a 1,600-year-old girl who is the memory of the Kah-Gash, which is a mythical weapon that has the potential to destroy the human universe or the demon universe. When the universe was first created it was a living thing that has tried to protect both universes but has failed due to the blood thirst of the Demonata. Due to the bloodthirstiness of the Demons, the Kah-Gash fractured into three different pieces which for the next several billion years moved between the two universes inhabiting various life forms. However, the three pieces were found in the same universe and time period inhabiting Kernel Fleck, Grubbs Grady, and Bec McConn. Kernel is the eye of the Kah-Gash and Grubbs is the trigger of the Kah-Gash. When all three pieces are combined it can perform feats of magic. When Bec was captured by Lord Loss, she found no purpose to keep fighting and decided to help the Demons. Grubbs says, “ ‘What have you done?’ I growl. ‘Have you pledged yourself to that foul hunk of rotting demon meat?’ ‘We can’t beat them,’ she sighs. ‘Everybody realizes that except you,’ ” (73). This is significant because Bec who once hated Demons is now helping the Demons get to their goal, which Bec once tried to prevent. Unlike Grubbs who still believes that they can win, Bec has already given up without even trying. This is drastically different from how she used to be sixteen hundred years ago when she was willing to fight until she died just so the world could keep on moving on. Not only is this a significant character change but it gives the Demonata a upper hand to winning this war. It might be a turning point in this billion year old war, and the Demons might annihilate the human universe. Nevertheless, a significant moment in the text was when Bec joined Lord Loss and the Shadow.


Focus: What I wanted to improve on was my context. It was hard for me because I was reading a series, and it was hard to put all of the information from the books into a few sentences. In the end, I put the most important information that someone should know before reading my evidence and analysis.

Question:what motivates your character?
area of improvement: Claim
In Neal Shusterman’s fiction novel, Unwind, the main character Conner, is encouraged by his love for Risa. In 16 year old, Conner’s world, people can get unwinded, meaning that you get cut into pieces and is given to people who need these pieces to be able to properly function again. People who get unwinded are either, you committed a crime, if your parents doesn’t want you anymore and decides to sign you up for unwinding or that you were determined to be unwinded before you were born because you are seen as holy, or a tithe. Conner was decided to be unwinded by his parent, who couldn’t handle him acting up, Risa, a girl who was signed to be unwinded because she wasn’t talented enough and Lev was a tithe. Conner and Risa met and decided to run away and on the way, they had kidnapped Lev. They run away to be prevented from being unwinded and on the way, Lev gets separated from them. Conner, picking up a baby and telling everyone it’s his and Risa’s develops a connection with Risa. ‘”Every time he forces himself to think before acting, it's her voice in his head telling him to slow down. He wants to tell her, but she's always so busy in the medical jet—and you don't just go to somebody and say, "I'm a better person because you're in my head.” (p232) This demonstrates that Risa is the one helping turn him into a better person. Some of Conners actions are based on Risa. Without Risa, Conner would be different and wouldn’t really have much motivation. This shows how Shusterman depicts Conner’s love for Risa and how it motivates him.

What motivates your character?
Area of improvement- analysis
In the realistic fiction novel by Stephanie Kate Strohm It’s Not Me, It’s You, Avery wanted to see why her many past relationships have failed. After coming to the realization that her relationships could’ve failed for many reasons, it motivated her to move on and not focus on the past. Avery Johnson is 17 years old and is a 12th grader at San Anselmo Prep, she was known for her dating history specifically not being the one broken up with. When she gets dumped for the first time, the whole school hears about it, this influenced her to have her oral history assignment focus on her past relationships. After interviewing each of her past relationships, she realizes she shouldn’t focus on the past and what others think. She says “But did I regret any of them? Not for a minute. They’d all changed me and made me who I am today. I’d learned something from each of my ex-boyfriends,”(253). This realization really motivated her to think positively about the whole experiment, interviewing her ex boyfriends may not have given her the answer she had hope. Rather than focusing on the fact that she didn’t get an answer on why they failed, she moved on and thought about what they taught her. She cut off her hair because she wanted change, it’s a new beginning. She didn’t want to be remember because she had long blonde hair or was always in a relationship. This caused her to do something she never imagined, kiss Hutch. Even though the idea of this was to forget about guy and relationships, he was more than that to her and she wasn’t going to resist just because her other relationships have failed. She was motivated to make changes and experience meaningful thing, this project made her come to that realization.

Question: Identify significant moments within the text. Why are they important?

In the fantasy novel Demon Apocalypse of The Demonata series by Darren Shan, a significant moment in the book is when Beranabus, a powerful magician, discovers the three missing pieces of the Kah-Gash as the life forms of Grubbs, Bec, and Kernel. The Kah-Gash is the last hope for humanity’s survival as demons are growing and ravaging around our planet to desperately kill humans. It is a mythical weapon that can perform amazing feats of magic for multiple uses. War has been taken place after Lord Loss and demon armies have invaded for revenge and destroying everything in sight. Beranabus sates, “ ’ The Kah-Gash reserved time because the world faced annihilation and there was no other way ... But it was a massive, perilous undertaking. (185) ’ ” After becoming the Kah-Gash, it gave them a second chance to fix the damage and stop the war from happening by travelling back in time. Rather than everyone dying from the massive amounts of demoniac torture and the extinction of humans, Grubbs, Bec, and Kernel who have the desire to kill demons no matter what based on past experiences are given hope to prevent this disaster. Therefore, a significant moment from the book is when the Kah-Gash is finally formed to save everyone from demon attacks.
I would like to improve on stopping my use of repeating some words and phrases constantly. Like some things can’t be paraphrased and so it’s hard for me to find something to replace it. Also, I want to work on making my analysis better because I don’t really make some connections to other moments in the text and sometimes I don’t answer the question.

Question: What important decisions impacted the protagonist significantly?
Focus: Analysis
In the dystopian fiction novel Unwind by Neal Shusterman, a set of protagonists make important decisions that either strengthen the team or hurt them. The protagonists Conner, Risa and Lev are faced with the destiny of being unwound, which is the procedure and act of taking all of one child’s organs to be transplanted into other donors. Connor, being unwound because he’s uncontrollable, Risa because she’s not talented enough and Lev, a tithe who was born and raised just to be unwounded. Before the day they were to be unwound, Connor and Risa run away and soon get in contact with Lev. After the fiasco, they attract the police and are forced to run away. Soon Lev betrays the police to turn Conner and Risa in. “From where she stands she can easily see Risa, and she points Risa out to the cop. The cop instantly pulls out his radio to inform the other officers.”(87) After Lev betrays Conner and Risa and calling the police, before he could regret it, Risa caught the police’s attention. This will provide a threat to Risa and Conner in their runaway mission. This also makes it so that they leave Lev behind so Lev will most likely be unwounded. Lev is not only hurting himself but he has also dragged down Risa and Conner even though they have helped him. To sum it up, Lev betraying the team was a big decision and very significant and it brought the team down.

What patterns occur in the book and how do they connect to the theme? I focused on analysis.
In David Levithan's realistic fiction novel, Boy Meets Boy, a pattern that is shown throughout this novel is same gender relationships. The theme of it's okay to be gay or lesbian and don't let anyone tell you who you should or shouldn't love connects to this pattern. The author expresses this connection through communication and actions between characters.　　
　　One way David Levithan expresses the connection between the theme of it’s okay to be gay or lesbian, and don’t let anyone tell you who you should or shouldn’t love and the pattern of multiple relationships with same gender is through communication between the characters. The characters in this book communicate a lot to each other and trust each other and so they are openly gay or lesbian. People can try to make them feel bad but they ignore them and follow what they feel. Paul states, “I think they’re always a little confused about who’s my boyfriend and who is just a friend that happened to be a boy,” (60.) Paul has relationships with many boys and people know that but they don’t know who is his boyfriend and sometimes mix them up. This is not a matter of them bullying Paul but trying to understand Paul. Paul takes pride in who he is. People can try to embarrass him and try to make him feel bad for who he loves but Paul doesn't listen to them and he follows what he believes,
　　Another reason how David Levithan expresses the connection between the theme of it’s okay to be gay or lesbian, and don’t let anyone tell you who you should or shouldn’t love and the pattern of multiple relationships with same gender is through actions between the characters. Paul and his group of friends will do stuff to express there love for the same gender. They do this to let the other person know they feelings towards them. Paul claims, “ I met this new guy. I asked him for his name. He answered back, ’Noah,’ we both held hands and we knew what was going to happen,” (34.) Paul holds Noah’s hand in this part telling him that he loves him. What this means is that this will be a start a great relationship. Noah accepts Paul.
　　In conclusion, in David Levithan’s realistic fiction book, Boy Meets Boy, there are a group of friends that are open;y gay or lesbian and don’t care what others say to them. They are proud of who they are and because pf that they are highly respected. A pattern shown throughout the text is multiple relationships with same gender. The theme of it’s okay to be gay or lesbian and don’t let anyone tell you who you should or shouldn’t love connects to this pattern. David expresses this connection through the characters respect toward each other when communicating and also through their actions. If you have ever been in a same gender relationship or know someone like that, have people ever doubted you or that person. Did that person follow his dreams did what he wanted or listened to other people?

Question:What is a moment that reveals something important about your protagonist?

In Darren Shan’s fantasy novel, Wolf Island, the protagonist, Grubbs Grady, makes an important decision that reveals something important about him. Grubbs Grady is a 15 year-old magician, capable of doing things that a regular person can only imagine of doing. He lives in a world that is manifested by demons trying to cross over to our world. Demons can only cross if a window between worlds is open or if there is a tunnel connecting the two worlds, thankfully. Magicians are people who can tap into their magical potential and use it to protect themselves against demons. Beranabus, who is a magician, noticed that Grubbs was a magician and wanted to recruit him to help defeat demons and stop demons from crossing. Grubbs’ experience with demons hasn’t been a pleasant one, the first time he saw a demon was when his parents were murdered. As a result, it isn’t surprising when Grubbs said no to Beranabus. However, the next time Beranabus asks him, he faces his responsibility, buthesitantly goes with Beranabus. This is a quote that takes place when Grubbs entered the demon universe to face his destiny; “I take a breath, hold it, then willingly step forward with him to face my destiny in the universe of all things foul and demonic” (200). Despite being scared after all that the demons had done to him, Grubbs did what he had to do. Grubbs could have declined Beranabus’ request and lead a semi-normal life, but he did the right thing. This shows that Grubbs will not run away from his responsibility when it is needed. He didn’t have to go with Beranabus, he could have been a coward and stayed where it was warm and safe. In conclusion, this is a moment that reveals something important about my protagonist.

Focus: The area of focus that I choose to improve on was my context. I felt like I was saying too much in my context. I wanted to work on shortening it a bit, but still providing all of the necessary information that the reader needs to know. In the end, I didn't really change much, but I shortened it a little.

In the historical fiction, The Ruins of Gorlan, from the Ranger's Apprentice series, one of the main protagonist, Halt made an important decision by recruiting a young orphan named Will. This is a very important choice because Will is going to be the next main protagonists in the following books. In the 11th book in this series, it stated that another reason to why Halt recruited Will to be his apprentice was because Will's dad sacrifices himself to save Halt from some mutant soldiers in a war and Will's mother sacrificed her life to save Halt from a group of bandit. So, in return Halt promised to look after Will like the father that he never had. However, Will was told that his father died in battle ( which was true), and his mother died of childbirth. Therefore, Halt was worried that Will would hate him for not telling Will about his parents. That was what makes the history of this series interesting. With out the sacrifices of Will's parents, then Will would have been a farmer instead of the elite ranger his is now. In the end of that chapter Will asked " to see my mother's grave" as he took in the truth and blamed his mother's death on the bandits, not Halt.

Question: What motivates your character?
Improvement focus: Evidence

In the fantasy book, Savvy by Ingrid Law, thirteen-year-old Mibs and her family seem like the ordinary happy family, except for their savvies. On their thirteenth birthdays, the Beaumonts get savvies, or special powers. When the book first introduces the book, Mibs was about to have her thirteenth birthday and joining her brothers. Right before her birthday, however, Mibs's father got into an accident and he lands in a coma. On the morning of her thirteenth birthday, though, Mibs thinks she might have gotten the best present of all: a savvy that can save her dad. She goes on a journey with her two brothers and two friends to her dad's hospital. Along the way, she learns that her Savvy is not to be able to bring something back to life, but to read the thoughts of anyone with ink. When they get to the hospital, Mibs is able to get her father to wake up and out of his coma. In the end, Mibs learned of not only her Savvy, but also when it comes to herself, there's more beneath the surface than she had thought. "Momma didn't realize that I'd already taken on the world and won. I'd grown used to all the voices inside my head and knew which ones to pay attention to and which ones to ignore." (339)