Discuss Your Book Here
When writing about your book,
Reminder of dates: By Monday, February 11th, PLEASE record your book title. By February 15th, you MUST respond to the first three dates on the rubric: 1/31, 2/8 and 2/15. If you are having trouble with the gabcast, you can resopnd on the blog. Either way, I am expecting that you are producing the responses that have been outliend in the timeline according to the rubric.
Mrs. Jacobs said,
February 10, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Well done to many of you. I want to remind you that when you call Gabcast, please state your name and the date. I received several responses from anonymous callers. I’ll see if I can attempt to have you match them up for me.
Someone left a recording for Penny from Heaven, but did not leave their name. Your comment was that the theme is to look for the best in a situation. You went on to describe that the family was very poor, but didn’t get any further than that. If this is your gabcast, please let me know so I can give you credit for it.
Connor – did you leave another response on Wringer? There was no name, but just that the person was calling in to record for Week 2 – let me know.
Overall, I am very pleased by the higher order thinking I’m seeing you produce. Your understanding of the theme of the story, and the relationship between the setting, plot, and characters is very encouraging.
Just to clarify – the protagonist is the “hero” character, and the antagonist is the “villain character”. In The Princess Academy, there is an antagonist. Kelsey, I believe it was you who said there didn’t appear to be an antagonist in this story. Look at the characters again and analyze their motives. See if you can’t find one that fits the profile of the “villain” – and a villain takes many forms.
Nice job – keep the work coming, and I will be posting, with the help of Ms. Capazolli, a score-keeping page, so you can keep track of my response to your responses.
Mrs. J
Kelsey said,
February 28, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Hey this book is great you should really read it!(Princess Academy) I wanted to read it last year but it was always checked out so I never got a chance to! I’m already done with it, in fact I was done after the first week!
It’s about a girl named Miri who goes to this princess academy (Thus the name) and all these actiony things happen to her as she tries to become academy princess and meet the prince. The prince choses a bride and the bride and family get to live in his palace! But Miri feels her hart torn in 2 directions she loves a her friend Petter but she wants her family to live in a palace and actually be good for something.
Read and find out what happens to Miri. Who does the prince chose?
I’d recommend this book to girls.
Nathaniel P. said,
March 13, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Maniac Magee:
I would recomend this book to everyone becuz it is a good book
tahreem a said,
March 13, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I,m going to read The Princess Academy. I haven’t gotten far enough into the book to decide if I like it or not.
Mrs. Jacobs said,
March 13, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I will extend the date for the independent novel project until March 31st. Please, if you have having any difficulty, you need to let me know immediately. Your best best is to contact me by email at jjacobs@hannasd.org.
Thanks!
Jillian P. said,
March 13, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Hi, this is Jillian Procope, I am responding to week three for Penny From Heaven:
For the protagonist, the inferences that I can make are that the protagonist (Penny) doesn’t like her mom’s new boyfriend, who just so happens to be Mr. Mulligan, the milkman. I think this because, while they (Penny, her mom, and Mulligan) are sitting around the radio, Mr. Mulligan gets on Penny’s nerves by talking during a baseball game. So when she tells him to be quiet, her mom yells at her, and she runs out of the house to her Uncle’s car.
I think that the antagonist in the story is – in a way – her mom. Because, her mom doesn’t like Penny going to visit her deceased father’s family. And also because just all of a sudden, she starts to date Mr. Mulligan.
This says a lot about her character in the way that, she probably hasn’t gotten over her husbands death so much that she has distanced herself from his family. But she has gotten over him enough that she can start dating. Which says that she might care about her own needs after the death, but she doesn’t care enough about Penny’s needs after the death by letting her see her family.
Taylor Trinh said,
March 17, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Dear Ms. Jacobs,
I have read the whole book for “Olive’s Ocean”, but i still don’t get what to do. Could you please explain the directions as to how to do it? That would be a big help.
Thanks☺,
Taylor Trinh
Levi P. said,
March 27, 2008 at 12:21 am
The theme in Out of the Dust is to not give up when life gets rough. The setting relates to the theme because it makes Billy Jo’s life hard, but she adjusts and holds on, like when her mother is burnt, she doesn’t freak out like most people would. She stays calm and rational, until her mother and baby brother pass away.
Levi P. said,
March 27, 2008 at 12:26 am
The protagonist is Billy Jo. The setting supports her by giving her challenges. I think that the antagonist is the setting, the Dust Bowl. It causes most of the problems for Billy Jo and makes her become used to a hard life so that the loss of her mother isn’t as hard on her. It’s a great bokk and recommend it to people who need inspiration, or just want to read about the Dust Bowl in Western America.
Levi P. said,
March 27, 2008 at 12:37 am
The inferences I’ve thought of about Billy Jo are that she is strong because she lives with the pain of not having a mother(which isn’t very fun, I would know) and having burnt up hands. Also I think she is influential because she plays piano even while being wounded, and gets second prize at a talent show. I think it is unfair that anyone should have to live in the dust bowl. The setting is dark and evil because it causes strife and to some, famine. The setting has it’s own personality because of the way the story was written in such a deep, moving way done only by great authors, such as Karen Hesse.
Levi P. said,
March 27, 2008 at 12:54 am
The connections I have made to this book are that I know how it feels to not have a mother. Me and my dad have to live like Billy Jo and her dad. Also I know how it feels to be injured and not be able to do something we take for granted. I couldn’t walk and she can’t use her hands. Billy Jo likes going to school and so do I. We also both like music, but I like to sing and she likes to play piano. Also, she likes to think to herself and not tell others about her problems like I do.
The more I read this book, the more I get into it. I’m glad you made us do this project, Mrs. Jacobs.
jjacobs1 said,
March 28, 2008 at 11:49 am
Levi,
I’m not sure why your comments haven’t posted – although they still might. I’ll keep trying. Regardless, your comments are wonderful – you are really thinking and making those connections and inferences. I don’t think you knew what this book was about before you chose it, but isn’t it amazing how much this book has paralleled your own life’s experiences? When I read the book, I also made connections, although somewhat different than yours. I am a pianist, as is my sister. I couldn’t imagine sustaining an injury that would prevent me from playing the piano. Also, at the time I was reading the book, my husband passed away, leaving me with two teenage daughters, who like you, now have one parent who is both mother and father – so, I can really relate.
Levi, if you really got into this book and the whole setting of the dust bowl (great observation by the way, about the dust bowl being the antagonist!!), you might want to try reading a classic about the dust bowl called “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. It’s a powerful, powerful book about a family, loss, hope, and how life finds a way regardless of the obstacles put in our paths.
Congratulations on an excellent series of responses.
Mrs. Jacobs
Mrs. Jacobs said,
March 28, 2008 at 11:50 am
See, they did appear!
Mrs. Jacobs
Mrs. Jacobs said,
March 31, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Hi C.S.I. (your new logo name) students – formerly known as the 6th Grade Gifted!
Well, tonight at 10:00 is the last that you can post any final responses to your independent technology/book project. I’ve recorded some final instructions on Gabcast as well.
This project will count for yhour 4th quarter grade. I’ll be letting you know, after PSSA, when we will meet next. Many of you did an absolutely outstanding job, and some of you seriously need to work on time management and getting assignments completed on time!
Best of luck on your PSSAs!
Mrs. Jacobs
Mrs. Cap said,
April 4, 2008 at 3:19 pm
CSI that is so cool!! What a great name and design. Now we can make T-shirts!!!
Keep on blogging!!!