STJ Readers! discussion

YOU GUYS! Let's get started!
Our first book, A Dog's Porpoise, is the first one up! This book has 20 chapters and Ms. Preus and I would like up to finish reading it by June 18th. So, in order to stay on track, aim to read about 7 chapters by Tuesday.
In this section, I want you to think about which character you identify most with as you read about their thoughts and experiences. This is called a text-to-self connection. Usually, when you state a TTS (text-to-self) connection, you start that statement with something like this: I connected most with ______ because of __________. Make sure you are detailed and specific! Use text evidence - which means to use direct statements/situations from the book!
If you have questions, don't hesitate to comment here with your question or email me or Ms. Preus! Now, READ! :)

What a fun and exciting story! I already finished the book, but I am anxious to share my thoughts and hear all your ideas about the story too!!

I connected most with Bangor because of his sense of curiosity. I am not one to sit around and let weird observations take its course. If I notice something strange or peculiar, I like to investigate the situation. I find this similar to Bangor's experience on page 46 and 47 when the "fur turtle" was in the water. "No it wasn't human. Too many legs, and a thrashing tail, to boot. But it wasn't anything Bangor had seen before, either." ... "But based on how the fur turtle was desperately treading water, he and Bangor had something in common that real turtles didn't: They both needed to be above water to breathe." Here we can see how Bangor wants to learn more about this mysterious creature. He is noticing similarities and differences. It is easy for me to relate with Bangor because I am constantly trying to learn more about ideas that I have not fully understood before or have no clue about. Did anyone have a similar connection?

You rock! What an insightful and thorough response! I can relate to your sense of curiosity! I think it's so valuable to be curious and want to do something with that curiosity! Luckily for us, we have SO many ways of finding answers - books, the internet, and/or experts! I tend to rely on the internet a LOT!

I have to agree with all those resources! It is so convenient to ease our curiosity with the internet right at our fingers!

Discussion #2!!!

What a fun story! I love seeing all of your progress with your reading. For this next section, I'd like us to read from chapters 8-13 and to think about inferences we can make throughout these chapters. An inference is a conclusion reached from evidence in the story and your own reasoning. Throughout what you have read so far, we can tell that "A Dog's Porpoise" is told in third person point of view. This means that there is a narrator. However, the narration gives us a sense of what these characters are thinking. Because we hear three characters thoughts, what inferences can you make in this story? Think about what we have learned from one character, and what is unknown to another character. Use evidence to support your claim. Let Mrs. Oldre and me know if you have any questions!

I connected most with Natalie because I love going on boat rides! I love just being cooled off by the splash of the waves, and feeling the breeze while we are going really fast!I also love the sound when a huge wave comes. I made this connection on page 17 where Natalie is on the boat, " Now that she was twelve, though, she knew a real wave... an ocean wave, the kind crashing below her now... didn't just make a cute little splash. It made a sound you could feel, beating off the side of a boat ad shuddering up you legs and all the way to your teeth. It wasn't a splash it was a whumph. Natalie thought it might be her favorite sound."

Elle,
What a great connection! I also think you relate to Natalie because of how loving you are to others! Reading about how caring, fun-spirited, and loving she is towards humans and animals alike definitely reminds me of your personality!

I connect most with Lars! He is adventurous, loving, a good listener, and just wants to be loved! On page 36 it says, "Lars had seen a lot of the world, and he had met a lot of people, and the one thing he know about people was that they were full of surprises...." I have also traveled a lot of the world and have come to love a lot of people - who I would now consider friends and family! It seems that Lars can relate to that feeling. He has been hurt by quite a few people, which sometimes happens in life, but he continues to try to see the best in all those he meets!

Awesome connections! I think it is so interesting how we, as readers, had all different ways of relating to the characters!

(I know I'm posting late, but better late than never.)

I connected with Natalie because she loves animals and tries to save them. We see this on pages 24-25 when it says, "Why couldn't Dad see how amazing Lars was? It has been apparent to Natalie from the first moment she'd spotted him last week, standing outside the Coveside Cafe, greeting the people who came out the front door... He was too loving for his own good. How could you not fall for a dog like that?"

This reminds me of how a stray orange cat wondered into our garage, refused to leave, loved to cuddle with me, and I immediately fell in love. He soon became part of our family, and he is now our pet Leeo.