Zazoo

Texts:
Whale Talk- Chris Crutcher
Samurai's Garden- Gail Tsukiyama
Tuck Everlasting- Natalie Babbitt

Statement:
The poetry interspersed sheds valuable light onto the relationship between Zazoo and Grand-Pierre, especially because some of the poems were written only by G-P, some together, and some only by Z. We see through the poetry how Z has grown up and become separate, although obviously still attached, from G-P.

Question:
What is the significance of the Duchess (the wife of the Doubtful Duke) having, like Zazoo, a cat that decided not to roam? Zazoo's sad grey cat provides her with solace, but what is the purpose of introducing another cat? Does this personally affect Zazoo? Especially when it comes from someone so unexpected?

Zazoo

The Sound of Music by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Night by Elie Wiesel
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Statement:
I loved the style of writing that this book was written with. The imagery that Mr. Mosher uses keeps the book stimulating and highly visual.

Question:
Throughout the novel we deal with the theme of openness and truth. However I find that the taboos or what is kept hidden is switched from what people normally open up about. For example, Zazoo is comfortable and open expressing her thoughts on her "doudones" and sex with the male figures in her life, yet is hesitant to hear the stories of their past. Why would Mr. Mosher do this?


Ashley Haugen

Zazoo

Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf
The Castle of Crossed Destinies, by Italo Calvino
A House Like a Lotus, by Madeline L'Engle

I liked the variety of methods we are given to learn about Zazoo's life. Rather than feeling as though Zazoo was reciting her story to me in a linear fashion, different bits of her history were revealed as they came to mind. Readers learn about her life through her poetry, her thoughts, and her conversations with Marius, Uncle Felix, Grand-Pierre, and Juliette.

I have recently become critical of first-person narratives (wondering why this story is being told), and when I first started reading Zazoo, I didn't expect to like it for that reason. However, the story-telling felt natural. Did the variety of story-telling methods work for others? Would it have been stronger with a third-person limited or omniscient narrator? (I'm undecided.)

Becky Andert

Zazoo

Books:
Speak by L.H. Anderson
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama

Question:
Is it strange at all that no person in the town takes special note of Zazoo's situation? I feel like with Grande Pierre's failing health, and she being only thirteen years old, that special precautions would be in line for her well being. I was surprised that not even Monsieur Klien did not even think of special arrangements for if Grande Pierre were to die.

Comment:
I really love that Zazoo is not extremely caught up in the drama most thirteen year olds are caught up in. She is still dealing with boys, fights with best friends, school and a grandfather with wavering health, but she is so very mature about it all. She still is more concerned with the beauty and poetry that surrounds her. She does not dwell on these things nearly as much as I did at that age and I admire her.

Zazoo

Books:
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia Maclachlan

Statement:

The weaving of poetic verse and history is alluring. It's fun to see historical fiction written for someone other than elementary school and adult audiences. Many teen fiction pieces are fantasy/science fiction or 'normal' drama in set in stereotypical high schools-Mosher's book is refreshing.

Question(s):

How far does Grand Pierre decline? What effect does Grand Pierre's declining condition have on Zazoo? She seems to cope well, but is there something she's hiding from the reader? Do Zazoo and Marius repair/continue/develop their relationship?

Zazoo

Related Texts:
The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Star Girl by Jerri Spinelli

Comment:
I felt like Mosher did an excellent job of re-telling history. I'm not that big of a history fan. When I read historical things, I usually don't comprehend anything I read. Zazoo kept my interest throughout the whole book. I actually enjoyed learning from this book. I think this book would be an excellent book to use in the classroom.

Question:
I really liked how Mosher arranged the chapters. Why did Mosher feel the need to arrange the book and chapters like this? Also, I had a hard time figuring out if the book was Zazoo's journal? At times it seemed like the book could be a journal, but at other times it feels like it is being narrated.

Holly Bohlen

Zazoo

The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

The poetry and history in the story make it a really good addition to any classroom. The history is well researched and the inclusion of poetry makes the book very well rounded.

I really love how Mosher titled and formatted the chapters. The titles were all very mysterious and starting chapters in the middle of pages was definitely an original idea. Why did he choose to do it that way?

Paige

Zazoo

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Statement: I love how Zazoo is so free-spirited and does fun things that make me smile. Like right in the beginning when she was swimming by her little boat. Those precious moments make the book that much better.

Question: Grand Pierre was such a significance in this book. I often wondered how this book might have been written differently if he he wouldn't have started to lose his "mind." Would he have even more things to tell? More input to make in decisions?

-Alex Brakke

Zazoo

3 Texts:
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Night by Elie Wiesel
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Question:
Why did the author decide to do the chapters the way he did, by starting them in the middle of pages, not on new pages?

Statement:
I really liked how the author brought in World War II from the French perspective in this book. In schools in America, kids usually only learn about WW II from the American perspective, or the Holocaust from Anne Frank.

Jessica Johnson

Zazoo

Related Texts:
1. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. A Step from Heaven by An Na

Question:
How did things end up for the characters? Did Grand Pierre's condition keep getting worse? Did Zazoo and Marius/Felix and Simone end up together?

Statement:
I really liked the relationship between Zazoo and Grand Pierre. He dropped everything to take care of her when she was a young child, and now she is returning the favor and taking care of him in his old age.

Amber

Cosmicomics

-The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen
-The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
-Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me by Eric Carle

Comment: I enjoyed reading short stories. These reminded me of grown-up versions of fables. The into comments to each story on scientific law created realism to the mystical. My favorite was The Dinosaurs

Question: Is there any reason why The Form of Space and The Light Years didn't introduce Qfwfq within their first sentence (following the pattern of the other stories)?

Lynn

Zazoo

Related Texts
1. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
2. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
3. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Statement:
I really liked that all the characters in the novel were innately good people, but they all had flaws (like “the sour with the sweet”). This definitely makes the novel more realistic and applicable to adolescents.

Question:
This novel portrays heroism both positively and negatively. How will Zazoo influence readers’ definitions of a hero?

--Emily Allex

Zazoo

The Things They Carried- Tim O'brien
Number the Stars-Lois Lowry
Night- Elie Wiesel

I thought Mosher did a good job trying to capture the feeling of love for two generations at a time. It was interesting to see the beginning of a love story, as well as the end of another. However, Zazoo and Marius seemed way too mature for their age. Zazoo was only going on fourteen and she was handling her grandfather's declince with ease. It does send a good message to the readers though.

Was the oatmeal significant? I know why they had so much oatmeal, but why do you think Mosher chose oatmeal as a motif?

Kevin Matuseski

Zazoo

3 Texts-
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Anne Frank and Me by Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Chreech

Statement-
I had a hard time staying with this book, I felt that it was not as exciting as I thought it would be (from reading the back of the book...). However, I did like the use of poetry and letters as means of communication, it seemed that Grand-Pierre and Zazoo could truthfully speak to each other through the use poetry.

Question-
Do you feel that adolescents could really relate to Zazoo and her mission to find the truth out about Grand-Pierre and Monsieur Klein? In other words, the whole idea of adolescents not knowing the whole story because adults try to hide things that they (the adults) see as too mature for the adolescents? Or do you feel that adolescents do not have that problem at the present times?

-Amy Culver

Zazoo

Books:
-To Kill A Mockingbird: Haper Lee
-The Last Silk Dress: Ann Rinaldi
-Walk Two Moons: Sharon Creech

Statement:
I really liked how there were so many different themes running throughout this novel and it really worked to make a complex story that would appeal to almost any reader. There were also aspects of each theme that I was able to relate to easily.

Question:
There is a constant theme of young love and the development of relationships. Does this appeal to young readers or do they see it as kind of unrealistic?

Ashley Martin

Zazoo

Related Texts:
Tangled Threads: A Hmong Girl's Story by Pegi Deitz Shea
The Last Silk Dress by Ann Rinaldi
Breaking Rank by Kristen Randle

I enjoyed how the reader is able to piece aspects of this novel together. Specific details mentioned through the retelling of history become reoccurring items later on. The pieces are slowly revealed as the complete picture is established.

Poetry is reoccurring throughout this text. It not only enables Zazoo and Grand Pierre to share their thoughts and feelings, but are eventually shared and impact each character. How do the themes within the poetry help shape this novel?

Sarah

Zazoo

-Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
-The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
-The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge

Comment: This book has a lot going on within it (growing old, family, young love, war, death, etc), making it applicable to many adolescent's lives. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of war and taking the "sour with the sweet" in life. Every character had personal flaws and that made the story so much more real to me.

Question: Young love is a theme that we see throughout all of the main characters. As college readers, do we interpret this love to be true love? How might we get a different reading from this than someone the same age as Zazoo?

Lynn

Zazoo

3 books:
To Kill a Mokingbird by Harper Lee
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Chreech
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

Question:
Characters communicate in many different ways in this text. They write poetry, letters, talk, and some characters choose not to speak to one another. Which do you feel is the most powerful form of communication in the text? Will adolescents relate to these forms of communication and learn which one works best for them?

Comments:
Zazoo writes about a gray in her poetry. It is unclear in the text who this gray cat is but in the last poem the reader finds out that the cat is Grand Pierre. The last stanza talks about how the the girl cat besides him, which is Zazoo, will always remember the times they shared together and that they will never be apart becuase he will always be in her heart. Grand Pierre is very important to Zazoo and that explains why the gray cat is an important symbol throughout the text.


Mary Ellen Korby

Harry Potter

The Power of Print in Harry Potter

One of the ever present and yet more secondary aspects of the Harry Potter series is the wizarding newspaper, The Daily Prophet, and the reporters who work for it such as Rita Skeeter. However, the stories printed in the Prophet, and the character of the journalists working for this paper, are often the greatest source of irritation for me when reading the books. It is not only the fact that the newspaper often prints articles that the reader knows are false or embellished, it is the fact that so many subscribers believe these stories that galls. For instance, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when the government and the newspaper have turned against Harry and write stories into which they occasionally slip in phrases like “a tale worthy of Harry Potter” and “let’s hope he [whoever is injured in the report] doesn’t have a scar on his forehead or we’ll be asked to worship him next.” These stories come out in which Harry is made to look like a villain because of an occurrence that happened when he was a baby and his parents were killed and he himself almost died, and people believe it. It’s hard to fathom anyone taking sides against a boy for something completely beyond his control and that took away the only family he would ever have, but never be able to know; and yet people do in the book.

Another particularly annoying aspect of the Prophet is a certain staff member on payroll there, Rita Skeeter. The reader of the HP series is first introduced to Skeeter in the fourth book when she is sent to Hogwarts to report on the Triwizard tournament. From the very start the reader is aware that her methods of obtaining her stories, as well as the content of the articles themselves are very suspect. Even as Rita is interviewing Harry for the first time both the reader and Harry read that her Quick-Quotes Quill is jotting down a tale far different than the one Harry is actually telling her. Even though the content of Rita Skeeter’s articles is quite suspect, her readers, even those who know Harry personally such as Mrs. Weasley, buy into her fabrications. But this particular habit of stretching the truth when it comes to Harry’s life is not the real reason that I loathe Rita Skeeter. No, it is her articles on Hagrid and Dumbledore in books four and seven respectively that make me boil with rage every time I see her name on the paper.

During the time that Rita Skeeter is at Hogwarts, she becomes friendly with the Slytherins who are only too willing to give her a story, even if it is false. For example, the piece Rita Skeeter writes about Hagrid being a terrifying and bloodthirsty half-giant teacher menacing his students has only two true facts in it. Hagrid is a half-giant and he teaches at Hogwarts. Other than that the story is completely ridiculous, as anyone who actually knows Hagrid can attest to the fact that he is a very kind and gentle person. Rita Skeeter displays the same bigotry and lack of decency towards Hagrid that Dolores Umbridge does in book five when she conducts her “evaluation” of him. I put the word evaluation in quotation marks because I really feel that Umbridge’s assessment of Hagrid’s teaching was merely an exercise of cruelty and prejudice against someone different than herself. In my mind, Rita Skeeter printing her article about Hagrid is no different than Umbridge, and they both make me sick when I read about them and their intolerant ways. Even knowing the fact that Rita Skeeter had to stop reporting for a time because Hermione threatened to tell the Ministry of Magic that she was an unregistered Animagus and that she wrote the article of Harry’s story about fighting Voldemort, I have no sympathy for her, especially when she takes advantage of the fact that the Ministry is fighting a battle against Voldemort and trying to prevent innocent people from dying to go back to reporting because she thinks that they won’t have time to worry about an unregistered Animagus. Rita Skeeter plays on the fact that the Ministry is too busy preventing more deaths from occurring to worry about her, which if you ask me, is pretty unconscionable of her. But then Rita Skeeter isn’t really decent person at all in my opinion. And The Daily Prophet flips back and forth so often between supporting Harry and calling him a liar that the reader shouldn’t put much stock in what it says, even if the sometimes misguided subscribers do in the text.

Harry Potter

Tom Butala
Eng 141
Downs-Miers
9 May 2008
Diversity in the Harry Potter Series
I 1About a week or so ago, a friend of mine sent me a link to an article written by science fiction author Orson Scott Card about Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. 2The article was a commentary on a lawsuit that Rowling and her associates are currently pursuing over a guidebook to Harry Potter that may or may not infringe on Rowling’s intellectual property, crossing the line between citation and plagiarism. 3Card is known to be a bit of card, and in his article he calls the lawsuit spurious, saying that if Rowling can sue over a guidebook, then he should be able to sue Rowling for writing a book about a young boy of extraordinary talent who engages in airborne competition, and defeats a foe that threatens the survival of the entire human race with the guidance of a legendary teacher, love, and a little help from his friends.
II 1My initial reaction was that Card was off his rocker, and was maybe a little bitter over the success of Rowling’s books compared to his own, but now that the flames have died down, I see that he actually missed a parallel between his Ender series and the Harry Potters. 2Both series deal with themes of diversity and tolerance. 3In Speaker for the Dead¸ the sequel to Ender’s Game, Valentine Wiggin has written a Hierarchy of Alienness that classifies the other on a scale that goes from resident of a foreign country to alien race that is completely unable to communicate with the human race. 4The three books that follow Ender’s Game are spent trying to determine whether humans are able to coexist with the “Piggy” and “Bugger” races.
III 1In Harry Potter, Rowling explores this topic in a much different way. 2Her villain, the dark wizard Lord Voldemort has an Adolf Hitler-like obsession with blood purity. 3In Rowling’s Wizarding World, there has been some amount of interbreeding with non-wizards (called muggles), which allows for magical ability to act like a bit like genes. 4Sometimes a person born into a magical family will not have magical powers, and on the flipside, a person with magical abilities can be born into a muggle family. This causes problems in the wizarding world, as some wizards, including Voldemort and his followers place a lot of emphasis on being pure-blooded and think that muggle-born and half-blood wizards are second-class citizens. 5Voldemort in particular thinks that these people should all be destroyed. 6These wizards also believe that any pure-blood family that interbreeds with muggles or non-human magical species are traitors, and worse than the muggle-born. 7This aspect of the story serves as a metaphor for race relationships in our own world.
IV 1Rowling takes this aspect further as she expands the series by introducing the reader to a number of non-human magical species. 2She introduces us to house elves, giants, centaurs, goblins, werewolves and many other groups. 3While the giants and centaurs seem to be allowed to exist like American Indians on reservations, house elves are very much a slave race. 4The mention of a Goblin Uprising also suggests that they are not as free as humans are.
V 1While much of the wizarding world objects to these creatures and species, it is shown that Hogwarts is a place free of prejudice based on blood-purity or and species. 2Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is shown giving teaching positions to a werewolf, a centaur, a half-giant. 3It is significant that these controversial persons are often more reliable and trustworthy than their human counterparts.

Harry Potter

Dimitri Diamanti
Precis. 5/9/08
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Muggles Vs. Wizards

I 1 One aspect of Harry Potter that has always annoyed me has been the wizarding world’s portrayal of muggles as sort of child like figures with quaint and illogical ways of doing things. 2 Especially with how easy everything seems to be for wizards. With a simple wave of the wand and some choice words just about anything seems possible. 3 There are of course exceptions to this rule of some of the more difficult spells and potions. 4 But really there is little or no thinking really involved. 5 This ignorance reminds me of human understanding when it was just skin deep, when we used to understand that things happened that if an object is thrown into the air it will come back down. 6 We knew enough to exist, and enough to make certain use of these laws but until fairly recently we never understood them much.

II 1 In Harry Potter I see almost no understanding of the nature of magic at all, it simply exists and that is good enough for the wizards. 2 You may say that it is possible that there is this knowledge and inquiry out there, that we just aren’t privy to it as readers. 3 The reason I think otherwise is that Harry, Ron, and Hermione have just spent six years in a facility that is supposed to be the magical equivalent to a world class boarding school. 4 Even in my public school with its underfunded classes, teachers on the verge of nervous breakdowns, and uninterested beauraucrates I was still being taught some rather complicated physics and chemistry. 5 I was still being explained Einstein’s theory of relativity and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. 6 And yet here in Hogwarts, this school of schools, still we hear not a whisper of why magic exists and what it is.

III 1 The wizards seem to have a convenient source of power, much like the sun, and yet they have no ‘why’. 2 I think this wizardly complacency is the true division between muggles and wizards and not actual magic ability. 3 Wizards seem to have blind power and muggles seem to have inquisitiveness. 4 In my mind the pearls of wisdom are a far loftier goal than merely the baubles of power. 5 And all the while wizards treat muggles as children, with somewhat intriguing but ultimately pointless ways of doing things. 6 As if they were somehow creating magic substitutes with technology. 7 Ironically if history has taught us anything, magic is humanities explanation for things we don’t comprehend. 8 And if this definition is at all accurate, I would say that the wizards who put their faith in that they don’t understand are the real fools.

Harry Potter comments

Throughout J.K. Rowling’s entertaining and enlightening series of wizardly adventures, the characters of the Harry Potter series develop into diverse and intriguing characters. Each individual character becomes more intelligent and interesting to follow as the series progresses, and they also develop deeply rooted relationships with each other. From the experimental and innovative first book to the dramatic finale in book seven, Rowling stretches her immense skill at character development to its limit.

Harry Potter, the protagonist and most developed character of the series undergoes immense changes both sociologically and physically. The first book shows Harry on his eleventh birthday, still living with the abusive Dursley family that houses him in a cupboard under the stairs. Harry is at this point in the series timid, shy, and submissive. Though he frequently argues with his Aunt and particularly his uncle, Harry has trouble standing up for himself. His solution to most of the problems he faces is simply to retreat to solitude. As he is faced with more and more complicated and dangerous situations, however, Harry becomes very assertive and confident in his abilities. By the end of the first novel, readers see Harry facing and overcoming traps set by the professors of Hogwarts. He uses his skills at flying to snatch a particularly wily key and eventually faces Voldemort himself. This effect is continued throughout the seven book series until Harry, now 17, can confidently duel Voldemort with the lives of all of his loved ones on the line.

Harry’s closest companions in the series are Ronald Weasly and Hermione Granger. Both of these characters also undergo significant change in each consequent book. Ron, the child of a wizarding family, is at first awestruck by Harry’s fame. Hermione, a muggle born, is less star-struck by Harry, but both she and Ron quickly attach to him. Together, the three make up a tight knit group of friends. At the beginning of the series, Ron and Hermione do not seem like complete characters when compared to Harry; neither of their back-stories are unfolded and their emotions seem one dimensional. Towards the middle of the series, Ron and Hermione are more emotional and individual characters. They start to have subplots of their own, like Ron’s extended argument with Harry in book four, and Hermione’s exploits with the time-turner in book three. By the end of the series, it does not seem like Harry is the center of the group, but more that three individual characters have met and become close friends.

Some characters remain undeveloped, even though readers slowly learn more about them. Sirius, for example, is a character that readers meet in book three. At first, readers know nothing about him. Slowly, his character is unfolded through brief scenes from his past and from personal experiences with Harry and the other characters. The character of Sirius remains undeveloped, though. At his death in book five, Sirius is still ruled by the fierce independence and rebelliousness that he always has been. His death is one example of a character that readers become more familiar with, but remains unchanged by Rowling as the series progresses.

The Harry Potter series has captured the attention of readers across the world. As each book is read by people of all ages across the globe, each reader can see the intricate unfolding of characters that Rowling does so well. Character development is one of Rowling’s strongest suits, and she plays it well in all seven of her epically famous novels. Without a doubt, the Harry Potter series will live long beyond the adolescent magic fad simply because it is the best written and most developed set of stories that the genre has seen in recent years.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words (comments on Harry Potter)

The problem that I have struggled with through the Harry Potter series has been only a small annoyance. For the most part, I have loved the series. Like many fans, I anxiously awaited the upcoming books and had discussions on end with others about where we predicted the story to be going. The process of analyzing the plot for hints toward future endeavors propelled me into a new dimension of enjoyment with the series. You see, I had become so invested in the characters that I felt that I somewhat knew them. If an action were to take place that I felt caused dissonance between the character I knew and what was happening in the book, I would try to find ways that Rolling could explain why things were the way they were and have it all make sense again.

Another very pleasurable thing about the stories were the multiple layers of conflict that appeared in each book. Not only could I follow the story of Harry and Voldemort but I could project hopes onto Neville, wonder when Ron and Hermione were finally going share their feelings for each other, ponder which side Snape was really on, cheer on Luna as she becomes accepted by others, and many other things.

My problem comes in, not with Rowlings writing, but with the illustrations to the US versions of the book. Unlike many readers, I can not bring myself to read chapter titles before I read a book. I sometimes will even stop reading the synopsis given on the back just because I feel saddened that some of the excitement is given away to me too easily. Many of the Harry Potter books contain images that overtly, in my eyes, tell the reader what is going to happen in crucial parts of the book. The best example of this would be found in The Prisoner of Azkaban. The cover includes Harry and Hermione riding on Buckbeak. When Buckbeak is introduced only Harry rides on the animal. Then the hippogriff is taken away until the very end of the book. This indicates that the animal will make a final appearance with Harry and Hermione saving the day. On the title page, Sirius Black is looking forlorn with Scabbers at the window. Scabbers’ identity or prerogatives are not questioned until the end of the book as well. This indicates to the reader that Sirius and Crookshanks may not be the only shady characters within the story. It also shows that Sirius and the rat have some sort of connection.

I understand that these books are targeted at children and that these pictures ease tension that might be built up. They aid in doing a literary analysis of the plot while in the process of reading the book by providing contextual hints. The pictures are also helpful, with a quick glance, to remind readers what has happened in previous books that they have read (much like reading the back cover’s synopsis). In other words, it works for some people, but not for me. I will purposely take the jacket covers off the books while I am in the process of reading them as well as skip over the title pages so that I can’t make premature assumptions of the book. This helps me to take in and enjoy to the fullest the written words of Rowling, instead of jumping to conclusions before I get through the first chapter.

-Lynn

Comments on Harry Potter

When I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I thought Harry Potter was a real stand up individual: at the age of eleven, he went from being alone to having tightly knit group of friends, smashed the school Quidditch records, and fought off a troll. Oh, and he also defeated the world’s most powerful dark wizard. Not once during all the challenges Harry faced during his first year at Hogwarts did he say “I deserve this” or “I did this, isn’t that just fantastic!” All Harry wanted was to be accepted for who he is and to be left alone. After all, it can’t be easy to be born famous.

Later in the series, Harry hits his teenage years running with a full-on mood swing that lasts for far, far too long. This is especially noticeable in book #5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Starting almost immediately, Harry blames Ron and Hermione for his troubles. As the series progresses, Harry and his friends seem to have more and more fights. Harry becomes more self absorbed, saying that no one knows what it feels like to face Voldemort, and that he was cable of handling that threat by himself he has a right to be included in the meetings of the Order of the Phoenix.

This does not sound like the Harry Potter people around the world grow to love in The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets. That Harry would have accepted the fact that he was the only one who could have defeated Lord Voldemort and that it had to be done, hold the thanks. I suppose the fact that as the series progresses more and more pressure is put on Harry et al to save the wizarding and muggle worlds from evil, and that is why they are so on edge with each other. However, saving the world (or at least the inhabitants of Hogwarts) has been par for the course for Harry and his pals since the series started.

No one likes to read a book with an ornery main character; the Umbridges, the Malfoys, and the Voldemorts of a book are who we are supposed to cringe at, not the main character. After reading the first few chapters of The Order of the Phoenix, I was ready to choke Harry if he said he was entitled to something one more time. That is not how a likeable character acts.

Why do these mood swings and petty bickering bother me so much? Probably because that’s actually how normal teenagers put in abnormal situations would react. Rowling wrote about teenage angst, and she got it right.

Harry Potter and the Mystery of Magical Accidents

I am not easily annoyed with anything Harry Potter related.  In fact, my normal tendency is to defend any issue someone else has with it; however, one thing that I have always wanted answered more thoroughly is why some objects are easily fixed with a reparo charm and others are simply accepted as broken.

A few examples of this are when Harry's glasses are broken, when Ron's wand breaks,when Harry's broom is crushed by the Whomping Willow, and when Harry switches the appearance of Potions text books.  One of our first encounters with Hermione in the first book is when she repairs Harry's glasses on the Hogwarts Express.  They have been broken in half by Dudley and repaired with a slim piece of tape.  The charm works successfully here.  In the second book, Harry and Ron crash the magic flying car into the Whomping Willow.  In the process of getting beaten down by the tree and the impact of the car, Ron's wand breaks in half.  Here it is accepted that his wand is broken.  No one attempts to fix it.  In the third book, Harry's broom blows into the Whomping Willow as he falls from the sky as a result of a dementor attack.  Again, his broom is accepted as a broken object and he has to get a new one.  In book 6, Harry repairs the Half-Blood Princes Potions textbook to look like a new copy that he received from the publishers so that he can keep the helpful instructions that are helping achieve his outstanding marks in Potions.  He also uses a charm to damage the new copy.

All of these instances result in a broken object that is either fixed right away or accepted as broken and unfixable.  For a while I thought that the reason for this could be that objects that were created with the use of magic could not be repaired; however, I would consider the Potions text book a magical object.  Almost all of the books referred to in the series have magical qualities:  the screaming books in the restricted section, the diary of Tom Riddle, and the Monster book of Monsters.  It perplexes me how the Hogwarts students know this unspoken rule about the repair of magical objects, especially since several times throughout the series I get irritated with the characters when I thought the objects could be so easily repaired to only find out later that they couldn't.

Zazoo

Three Texts:
1)The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
2) East of the Mountains by David Guterson
3) Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

Comment: I really enjoyed this book. I only picked it up twice and it was finished. The integration of Poetry with text was really interesting and I enjoyed it. With the writer's use of imagery and tone, I felt I could see everything that was happening in the novel. The poetry, however, I feel was probably my favorite part as well as discovering new things about the characters through the stories they told. I liked hearing a little more of her cat poem throughout the story instead of saying the whole poem at once, because it made it that much better at the end and pulled the whole story together.

Question: The idea of "the cat" was brought up many times in the book: Zazoo's lonely gray cat, the cat who left the Duchess, and the cat in the poem that Grand-Pierre wrote. What is Mosher's reasoning for making this idea of the cat so important in the novel? Is it the same cat, the ghost of Isabelle, watching over them all?

Age in Harry Potter-(precis)

One thing that intrigues me about the Harry Potter series is the extreme age difference of the characters. When Harry and his friends are accepted into Hogwarts they are 11 years old and their journey continues year by year until in the final novel they are 17. This didn’t bother me, because it was like they were growing up with me. By the time I started reading the books, I was about the same age as Harry and his friends.
The thing that did throw me off balance was when I realized the extreme age of the adult wizards in the series. The fact didn’t occur to me until I had reread the series a few times, but I now realize that the majority of the adult wizards are actually quite old. For example, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, we are introduced to the diary of Tom Riddle who was a student at Hogwarts the last time the Chamber of Secrets had been opened 50 years before the time during which the book takes place. Through the diary Riddle shows Harry how he captured the culprit and during this memory we discover that Dumbledore was already a teacher and already quite old. Since we don’t know exactly how old Dumbledore was, let’s say he had to be at least 18 to be a teacher and 50 years later he would be 68. We know Dumbledore was already older so when the second book takes place he was well over 70 and possibly older than 80. I don’t have any grandparents, but I know some people that age at my church and I can’t imagine any of them doing anything that Dumbledore did.
Also, from the second book, we discover that Tom Riddle becomes Voldemort and when he created the diary he was 16 years old. The episode in the Chamber takes place 50 years later making Voldemort about 66. Harry is 12 in book 2 meaning that Voldemort had tried to kill him 11 years earlier when he was roughly 55 years of age. I think this is the part that bothered me the most because my parents are 58 and 59 years old and I cannot picture either of them running around with a wand trying to kill babies.
This does make me think of the Disney movie The Sword in the Stone, with Merlin being ancient and Arthur being quite young, so maybe all experienced witches and wizards are supposed to be old. However, Merlin was from a different time period and his story isn’t being told as if he were alive today whereas the story of Harry and the others is only about 10 years older than the present time (Nearly-Headless Nick says he died on October 31, 1492, and celebrates his 500th death-day in book 2 which would mean it took place in about 1992 causing the series to end in roughly 1998). Was Rowling trying to play off of a Merlin theme with the character of Dumbledore or was it merely a coincidence that the two characters seem so alike? And why did she make the villain of the story so old?
Perhaps I’m over-reacting or perhaps I don’t understand this because I’m not a witch, but once I started thinking about this I couldn’t stop. It was very intriguing and a lot of fun attempting to figure out the ages of different characters at the time they performed different tasks. This just goes to show that you can learn something new every time you read a book, even if you have reread it many, many times.

Ad Lit Outside Text (Mandy)

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards (1935-)
Publication year: 1971
This text dealt with the issues many teens faces regarding loneliness, the desire for more and wanting to belong. It is a story of a ten year-old orphan girl, Mandy, who is feeling lonely. She decides to go wandering in the meadows and the country and she stumbles across a cottage. She decides to make this her own cottage and keeps it a secret from the head of the orphanage and everyone else she knows. She begins to lie and steal things for her cottage. The only person that ever finds out about her cottage is her friend, Sue, who happens to follow her without Mandy's permission. Mandy becomes ill and after a challenging journey to her cottage, she becomes very ill and cannot make it back to the cottage. Eventually, Sue tells the elders where she may be and Mandy is rescued by the owner of the land. After recovering at his house, she falls in love with the family there and does not want to go back to the orphanage, which she must do after some time. She becomes sad again, but a month or so past and the family asks her to be part of their family. She now knows that what she needed to be happy was to share love and she decides to give the cottage to the rest of the orphanage girls to show them what it feels like. It is a charming story that shows adolescents how to deal with loneliness, wanting to belong, and the desire for more.

Krista :)

Ad Lit Outside Text (Gathering Blue)

I read Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. This is one of the companion novels to the well know book The Giver (the 3rd book in the trilogy is Messenger). Gathering Blue was published in 2000. Lowry was born in 1937. She write mostly children's and young adolescent literature. Her most recent book was Gooney the Fabulous.

Gathering Blue was a delightful read and fulfilled my expectations, knowing it was part of The Giver trilogy. The book follows Kira, an orphaned girl with a crippled leg who is disliked in her community because of these two factors. People argue that she should be cast out of the community to die in the woods. Her miraculous talent to understand and create art through weaving saves her and gives her purpose within society. As she learns more about her art, she learns more about herself and the truths of her community. All is not what it seems. In the end, everyone appears to Kira to be broken in some way or another. Can she gather blue (the color of peace) to change the history of her people?

This book works to question our societal norms of socioeconomic class, discrimination of diversity and our reactions to pain. I would recommend it for grades 5-7, with the understanding that any age group can pull meaningful lessons from this book.

Lynn

The Little While Horse

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

Statement:

I think this book is very interesting because even though there is a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ side that the problems between the two sides end up being solved diplomatically. I feel that most every fantasy novel involves a power struggle between good and evil and is resolved by a war, not diplomatic measures.

Question:

What do you think the effect of the blunt gender stereotypes and religious content is on adolescent readers? Especially when many of you see this book being read by the younger side of the spectrum, who may have less of a sophisticated way of processing the content.

Nick

Outside Text

Night by Elie Wiesel

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Dawn by Elie Wiesel
Survival In Auschwitz by Primo Levi

Eliezer and his family were uprooted during the Holocaust, placed in a concentration camp and forced to survive the most inhuman genocide know to man. Through the fight to survive Eliezer was desensitized and lost his most sacred connection to God. The book details Eliezer’s life within a concentration camp and his struggle to find a meaning to live.

This book was a gripping story of survival which brought many tough situations which most adolescent youth would not encounter, but many adolescent readers find a connection with Eliezer because he is their same age. For that reason I would suggest this book to all adolescent readers because it portrays a lesson which the youth can learn from.

Dain Clausen

The Little White Horse

Related Texts:
Secret Garden by Frances Hodgeson Burnett
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Statement:
Overall I enjoyed this book including the adventure and innocence it possessed. I found it interesting that while Maria and Robin were scared of the dark men, their plan was to merely talk to them and convince them to be good.

Question:
Did you feel that is was a bit out of place the Maria and Robin were to marry right away and and is it appropriate to command Maria never to quarrel with anyone? Aren't arguments healthy at times?

Sarah

Outside Text

Story Time by Edward Bloor
Harcourt, Inc. 2004

The story unfolds as Kate, an eighth grader, and her Uncle George, a sixth grader, experiment with George’s new flying device for Peter Pan. Both George and Kate receive an invitation to attend Whittaker Magnet School for the coming school year, the best preparatory school in the nation. George, receiving a perfect score on his entrance exam and known for his brilliance, is ecstatic for the opportunity, while Kate does everything she can to decline. Once the school year starts, Whittaker is much different than anyone expects with a nationally celebrated test based curriculum, the ruling Whittaker-Austin family, and mysterious occurrences. Kate and George seek to solve the mystery as Pogo, the librarian who speaks in rhymes, provides the necessary clues to discover the truth behind the so called demon and numerous murders.

This text is a satire of the national education system and challenges the idea of the meaning of a quality education. It explores the dangers of books and a test based achievement system so students have a greater understanding of the systems they are a part of through symbolism.

Sarah

Outside Text

Almost a Woman, by Esmeralda Santiago
Vintage Books: New York, 1999

This memoir by Esmeralda Santiago follows the life of a Puerto Rican immigrant through her first seven years in the United States. Esmeralda lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family. Through a variety of experiences - learning English, dates and proposals from men she is and isn't interested in, and acceptance to the Performing Arts High School - Esmeralda transforms from a shy thirteen year old Puerto Rican, to a confident and talented twenty-one year old woman.

Like most successful adolescent literature, Santiago focuses on the differences she senses between herself and her peers. While she addresses the obvious differences (she is Puerto Rican, she doesn't speak any English when she immigrates to the US, she has ten siblings), the text is still appealing to youth because she addresses universal truths. She refutes the additional responsibility she is given as the oldest child, she has power struggles with her mom and often craves more freedom than she is given, and she experiences a range of unusual encounters with men (some romantic, some lustful, some uncomfortable). While her experiences are not universal, the feelings and motives behind them are those shared by a majority of adolescent girls.

-Becky Andert

Outside Text

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

related texts:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

This book deals with the pressure that is put on adolescents during their senior year. Anderson describes the different pressures that are put on teens, such as applying to colleges and getting good grades. It also addresses the end of senior year when no one wants to do their work. Another issue that is brought up in the book is acceptance. It sends the message to teens that they shouldn't judge people before they get to know them.

Catalyst is about a girl named Kate. Kate is a senior in high school and is one of the last ones to recieve her acceptance letter from MIT, the only college she applied to. Kate never bothered to tell anyone else that she only applied to one school. When Kate finds out she didn' get in, she is faced with the pressure of having to tell her father and friends. Other unexpected things happen in Kate's life that seems to make her life spin out of control. At the end Kate learns a big life lesson.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It would be the perfect book for a junior or senior in high school.

Holly Bohlen

The Little White Horse

Texts:
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams

Statement:
Like Anne, Maria had some character flaws that were minor, but pointed out to her as potential hindrances to her life's goals. Anne struggled with her abilities to discern her own feelings about men, while Maria struggles to control her vanity. Both young women work to control their tempers, a side of them depicted very little in the novels.

Question:
Maria was fascinated with the idea of seeing the sea. How did this wish to see the ocean affect her stay with Sir Benjamin? Does the water represent something, as often happens in other texts? What does it mean that her first close encounter with the body of water is in a dangerous situation?

Wizards at War

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

I enjoyed this book; however, I was left feeling confused about what happened on the moon at the end of the book.  I don't know it that was because I read it fast or what.  I feel like a little more foreshadowing in this book would strengthen it's weaker points a lot.

How is the success of Ponch and the success of Memeki related?  Was it because they both changed their stories?

The Little White Horse

Harry Potter Series—J.K. Rowling
Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis
The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

This book did not interest me; however I can see how young adolescent girls could connect with the independence which Maria Merryweather had to face as an orphan.

Did the fact that Maria was an orphan create more connections with 13 year old girls or did it cause the reading to become more of a fairy tale?

Outside Text

The Giver: Lois Lowry (1937-present)
Published in 1993 by Houghton Mifflin Company

This is a science fiction book that deals with another world in my understanding. The whole book is based mainly on the life of a boy named Jonas who gets a special assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve. He is to be the receiver of memory and only one other person has that assignment in the town. It is here where Jonas learns the horrible truths about the society in which he lives in.

This book is extremely well read and has many controversial topics embedded in its pages. Some issues that are looked at include growing up and fitting into societal standards, feeling left out and other topics of inclusion as well as some issues about moral choices. Some controversial topics in this novel include euthanasia, suicide, and infanticide.

Ashley Martin

Outside Text

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Published in 2007 by Viking
Anderson has been writing since 1992

This text deals with many adolescent issues such as popularity, being a loser, breaking the law, sex, depression, family issues, and much more. If there was one concern that was present through out the book it would be social status in high school. Since there are many different topics that are presented in this book it is very relateable to the adolescent audience reads it.

This book is about a senior in high school named Tyler. Over the summer he got in trouble with the law because he vandelized the school to make people think he was no longer a loser. When he got back to school he attracted the prettiest girl in school. No one liked the idea of a loser dating a popular girl. After a party Tyler was accused of taking nude photos of Bethany, the popular girl. Even though he had nothing to do with it he was the number one suspect. For the next couple days Tyler's family life starts to go bad and he becomes depressed. He feels like the only way out is to kill himself. When he is about to pull the trigger he realizes that ending his life is not the solution. He decides to start his life over and begins to realize that being popular is not the most important thing in life.


Mary Ellen Korby

The Little White Horse

Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

Statement:
I honestly did not like this book at all. It seemed so childish and so much fantasy that it made me dislike it. I mean, obviously I like books such as Harry Potter and Narnia books, but maybe books like this really don't intrigue me.

Question:
Do adolescents really get into fantasy like this? I know kids love Narnia and Harry Potter, but this book seems more for very young kids.

Wizards at War

Related Texts:

So You Want to be a Wizard - Diane Duane

The Once and Future King - T.H. White

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

I realize that I am in the minority, but I have really enjoyed the last couple books. I thought that there were several parallels that could be drawn between Wizards at War and Native Tongue, the most apparent being that Memeki was waiting for a word that would cause/inspire her to become the Hesper, thus changing the shape of the universe and the balance between good and evil, while the women of the Lines created a language that changed them and the world around them.

There were several instances in the novel where characters (Memeki, Ronan, Sker'ret, Ponch, etc) were faced with a choice between embracing their destiny and becoming more, or turning away and remaining who they have always been. How do Duane's ideas about destiny and becoming compared to those presented in Giant's Star and Grass? Does Duane's concept of destiny and choice help to define what is good and what is evil in the novel?

Outside Text

All-American Girl by: Meg Cabot (1967-present)
Published in July of 2003 by HarperCollins Publishers

This novel is the first of two novels about the main character Samantha Madison who is the middle, usually forgotten, child of her family who is also the "black sheep" of the family. She gets in trouble for failing German because she spends class time drawing celebrity drawings for her classmates, so as punishment her parents enroll her in an art class where she meets a cute boy named, David. One day when Sam decides to skip her art class, she ends up saving the Presidents from a assassin. By saving the President, Sam instantly becomes a national hero and very popular, but Sam does not want this. Along with all of this fame, the she meets the presidents family and it turns out that his son is David from Sam's art class. To make matters even more embarrassing, Sam is appointed Teen Ambassador for the UN, and has to deal with political matters along with love troubles with David. By the end of the novel Sam has to realize what she really wants before its too late.

I'm not going to tell the ending, because I think it ruins books...

This novel deals with many adolescent issues such as the "in-crowd," popularity, teen angst, some political issues, staying turn to yourself lessons, and first loves.

-Amy Culver

Wizards at War

A Wizard of EarthSea - Ursula K. LeGuin
Wizards of Skyhall - J.R. King
Children of Rhatlan - Jonathan Fesmire

Coming in the seventh book I found myself a little frustrated by references in the text to events that had happened in previous books that I didn't know about, but I really enjoyed this book and found many of the ideas in the book such as the twychild and avatars very unique and interesting.

How well did you feel the science of the book was explained, and how well did you follow it in connection with the magic of the wizards?

The Little White Horse

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling


I found this book to an interesting read however not very stimulating. It was a classic fairytale where everything falls very neatly into place and everyone lives Happily Ever After. I don't think adolescents would find this book as interesting as other books that are similar such as the Chronicles of Narnia.

This book is highly sexist with very negative conotations towards women. Do you think the protaganist Maria overcomes the sexism and defies it, or is she docile and accepting? How much of this is just a product of time?




Ashley Haugen

The Little White Horse

3 Texts
Chronicles of Narnia By: C.S. Lewis
The Hobbit By: J.R.R. Tolkien
Harry Potter Series by: J.K. Rowling

Statement:
I really did not enjoy this book at all. I felt that even though the writer must have put a lot of thought into every sentence she wrote, but it was too much detail for me and took away from the book.

Question:
Would older adolescents really be able to relate themselves to this book, or is it meant for younger adolescents?

-Amy Culver

Wizards at War

-Harry Potter series by J K Rowling
-The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende and Ralph Manheim
-Saving the World by James Patterson

Comment: I liked that this book dealt with multiple teen issues without drawing a line of good and bad between adults and teens.

Question: I had never heard of this series before. How popular is it? Who is reading it? Does it have a dedicated following? Does the Potter series detract from other adolescent scifi/fantasy series? What happened in previous books? Why this odd array of characters (ex a tree)?

Lynn

The Little White Horse

3 texts:
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Statement:
It took me a while to get into this book. It was hard to focus on the story and the characters at first.

Question:
This seems like it would be a book more for elementary or middle school students than for high school students. Does this seem right?

Jessica Johnson

The Little White Horse

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

"Humanity can be roughly divided into three sorts of people - those who find comfort in literature, those who find comfort in adornment, and those who find comfort in food..." (page 7). I agree with this, and - being a literary sap - thoroughly enjoyed the detail of the book. Books that have beauty starting at sentence-level (word choice, syntax, flow, etc.) intrigue me. I savor books in which every sentence is well-written, and when the plot is interesting as well, that's perfect.

I am curious about the poem at the start. Is it meant to be read as an epigraph? Is it written by Goudge? If it is, was the poem written to accompany the novel, or was the novel written to expand the idea of the poem?

The Little White Horse

The Secret Garden- Frances Hodgsen Burnett
Harry Potter Series -J.K. Rowling
Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis

I really enjoyed this book and the detail put into writing it. It seemed that Goudge carefully chose each word specifically to paint the scene for the reader; I felt as though I was in the setting of this book and I knew exactly how Goudge wanted me to see things.

I saw at the bottom of the book that J.K Rowling loved the book and I had looked up a few more things about the book and saw that it was one of the books that inspired her. I have not read any of the Harry Potter books, but I wonder if anything comes up in the books that draws parallels to this book or if there are any hidden references because it was such an inspiration?

The Little White Horse

Goosebumps series- RL Stine
The Red Pony- John Steinbeck
Bridge to Terabithia- Katherine Patterson

I was a fan of Maria's personality. At first, she was a little nervous about coming to her new town, but she adjusted nicely. She seemed to be the type of person that makes the best of things, and is optimistic. It seems to be a childhood thing. The fantastic elements of the story fit well with the childhood optimism because Maria was the only person that saw things like Robin, for example, and Miss Heliotrope represents someone who does not have this childhood innocense.


A few of the characters had very different names. I was wondering what the significance of each of them is? For example, is Digweed called that because he digs weeds from the garden?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
The Children of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston

Goudge's work is all about details. She describes everything vividly. I don't believe this is a good point though. Her attention to detail leaves the readers with little to imagine in the book, which is half the fun when reading for me.

This book is full of symbolism, which leads to the question... will adolescent readers be able to understand all of the symbolism in this book or will it just be a fantasy novel to them?

Paige

Wizards at War

Harry Potter series-J.K. Rowling
Pendragon series-D.J. MacHale
The Dark is Rising-Susan Cooper

I'm not sure how I feel about this book; it seems like a combination of Harry Potter and a few other series of books I've read, and I can't decide if that bothers me or not. One thing that did bother me, however, was the excessive stress on certain words when people were thinking or talking.

Even though I can't decide if I like this book or not, I am still intrigued and want to find out about things like: what's an ordeal? and how did Nita's mom die? etc. etc.

The Little White Horse

3 books:
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis


Statement:
It took me a long time to get into the book. Since it is set in the 1800's it is hard to relate to. I do like how the reader needs to use their imagination, which I feel is a very important quality to have in a novel.

Question:
I noticed that this book won the Carnegie Medal which is a book award for outstanding childrens books. Do you think that children (from the ages 9-12) would be able to relate to this book? Or is this book more suited for the adolescent age group? Should this book be catergorized as a children's book or an adolescent book?

Mary Ellen Korby

The Little White Horse

Related Texts:
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Statement:
I had a really hard time getting into the book. Usually I am able to read the book like I am a character in the book. This was also hard for me to read, because I like novels that are set in current time and find it hard to realte to novels in the past.

Question:
Because this novel is set in the 1800's, do you think adolescents would like the book? And also how does this book relate to adolescents?

Holly Bohlen

Wizards at War

Related Text:

So You Want to be a Wizard - Diane Duane

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

Kushiel's Avatar - Jacqueline Carey

I think that I am in the minority when I say that I have liked the past few books, including this one. I thought that there were a number of parallels that could be drawn between this novel and Native Tongue, the most apparent being that Memeki was waiting for a word that would allow/inspire her to become the Hesper, thus changing forever the nature of the universe and the battle between good and evil , and by creating a new language the Lines women changed their own reality into something that was barely recognizable. 

There were several instances in the novel where characters (Memeki, Ronan, Sker'ret, Roshaun, Ponch, etc) were asked to make a choice, either embrace their destiny, fulfill their responsibilities, be more, or turn away and keep the status quo. How does Duane's presentation of the ideas of choice, becoming, etc. compare to those presented in Giant's Star or Grass?

The Little White Horse

-The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
-A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett and U. C. Knoepflmacher
-A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Comment: I started this book believing that I wouldn't enjoy it and ended it thinking it was rather charming. I enjoyed how Goudge drew upon connections between women and the moon as well as how she addressed death. I noticed that J K Rowling holds this book in high regard and I wonder if there are any connections that she brought into the Potter series (ex Zachariah and Mrs Norris?).

Question: In what ways does this text play into stereotypical gender roles? In what ways does it transcend stereotypical gender roles?

Lynn

The Little White Horse

Related Texts:
-Chronicles of Narnia: C.S. Lewis
-The Secret Garden: Frances Hodgson Burnett
-A Little Princess: Frances Hodgson Brunett

Statement:
Although I do feel that this novel would appeal to a younger female audience, I found it kind of hard to find relevant and also it was hard to relate to and personally I found it kind of unbelievable. I do think that there were good elements of fiction involved and it was fairly well written, I just feel that for an older reader, they would not buy into the storyline.

Question:
What was the author trying to get across when she was finished writing the novel? I had a hard time pulling a main point or a lesson or anything from this novel.

Ashley Martin

The Little White Horse

Related Texts
1. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
2. Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge
3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Statement:
This novel is definitely targeted toward a younger female audience. With all the glitter, unicorns, and naiive optimism, few older adolescents will be able to relate to Maria.

Question:
I was confused by what Goudge is trying to accomplish with this novel. What message is she trying to send to readers?

--Emily Allex

The Little White Horse

3 books:
1. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgsen Burnett
2. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgsen Burnett
3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

Statement:
This wasn't one of my favorite books. I'm not really interested in fantasy books because there's nothing relatable to me. Maybe that's just my preference, but honestly I didn't enjoy this book.

Question:
How many adolescents are really captured by this type of book? I think one of the main readers adolescents read is to relate to someone or something. In this book, there is really nothing to relate to which leads me to believe many adolescents wouldn't read this book or at least not enjoy reading this book.

The Little White Horse

Texts: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Chronicles of Narnia of C.S. Lewis
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Statement: I really liked this book, and how much Maria changed from the slightly vein girl at the beginning to the noble, courageous proud girl at the end who did what was right no matter what. I thought one of the main lessons in this book was patience, both for Maria and the reader. It was frustrating to me that I still did not know the plot or the scheme after reading more than a third of the book. By the time I got to page 91 or 238, it was still in the "wow this new place is amazing and everything is working out perfect for Maria, and the whole world revolves around Maria." There was no challenge for her by that time. I felt I had to learn patience through her because as a reader, the author was not letting me know very much more information than the character, which I feel is kind of rare in literature.

Question: This story is very simple to me, and very fantastical. I really lost the age progression of this book because I am pretty sure Maria got married at age fourteen or something, and to her cousin. In any case, I still really enjoyed it. Do you think that this is a fantastical story that still captures the essence of a child? Although it is a bit magical, which many books are and do very well, will this particular book grab hold of readers and allow them to relate to the character/characters?

Native Tongue

The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood

House like a Lotus by Madaleine L'Engel

Sabriel by Garth Nix

I actually liked this book despite the graphic descriptions of the mutilated babies.  It had interesting plots, and the concept of language as a commodity never occurred to me.

In regards to the mutilated babies from the interface, do you think our society could ever reach a point where we disregard ethics to this extreme?  Could this be the author's way of raising the ethics of stem cell research and psychotropic drugs for children?

Outside Text

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman (1947-present). Published by Harper Collins in 2000. This book won the Printz Honor in 2001, along with 38 other awards and top book list picks.

This short novel follows the life of Shawn McDaniel, a 14-year old boy with Cerebral Palsy. This condition leaves Shawn trapped inside his own head, as an intelligent boy able to remember everything he has ever seen, heard, or smelled, but incapable of brain function allowing him to communicate anything. Shawn's father left the family because he wasn't able to cope with the condition, and Shawn now believes that his father is planning to kill him. His father's sentiments are primarily expressed through his Pulitzer prize winning poem about Shawn. We walk with Shawn as he learns about life and family and how to cope with knowledge only in his head.

The text deals with ideas of family, love, and sacrifice, along with the trials of growing up being different.

Family Tree

Animal Farm- George Orwell

Wind in the Willows- Kenneth Grahame

The Narnia Series- C.S. Lewis

Comment: I really enjoyed the ideas behind this book, especially the ecological and environmental side. I enjoy the questions it provokes about current ethics pertaining to animals and intelligence.

Question: Do you think its realistic that the animals that eventually take over the world would also adopt such a similar and identifiable culture to medieval humans? (For instance sultans, and harems and such.)

Native Tongue

A Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Slave and the Free - Suzy McKee Charnas
Tarnsman of Gor - John Norman

The whole idea of Encodings and language in the book was a difficult one for me to grasp at first, but I though it was an interesting stylistic choice to have explanations of it in paragraphs at the beginning of the chapters.

Do you think the book would be as meaningful if it were men who were under the control of the women?

I Capture the Castle

Anne of the Island by Lucy Maude Montgomery
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I found this book hard to relate to. I didn't recognize any of the references in the book and I found the characters to be lacking emotionally at times. I thought the plot and message were relatable; it was just the composition that made it a hard read.

Given that the book is hard to follow for today's youth, what can teachers do to make this book an interesting read both in and out of the classroom?

Paige

I Caputre the Castle

Anne of the Island by Lucy Maude Montgomery

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

This book was difficult to read at first and took a long while before I got found the book enjoyable. In fact I think the rest of the book was very interesting once sifted though the background information.

As an adolescent reader I’m not sure that I would continue to read this book after the first section of the book. Do you think that all the background information that Cassandra presents and the early time period that this book is set would prevent adolescent readers from finishing this book?

Nick

I Capture the Castle

Books:
Emma, Jane Austen
Girl with a Pearl Earing, Tracy Chevalier
The Little White Horse, Elizabeth Goudge

Statement:
Cassandra's journaling is fun to explore. This sort of meta-writing experience was a challenge to engage. The non fairytale like ending was refreshing, if emotionally disappointing.

Question:

What can we learn about present reader's expectations with regards to the ending? Can we ever speculate on what prior reader's expectations for the ending might be?

I Capture the Castle

Related Texts:
Elizabeth, Elizabeth by Eileen Dunlap
Emma by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Statement:
I found the characters in this book very shallow, especially when Cassandra talked about emotions she ought to feel in various situations.

Question:
Did Cassandra grow throughout the book or does she remain static as life continued around her?

Sarah

Native Tongue

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets-J.K. Rowling
The Rivers of Zadaa-D.J. MacHale
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister-Gregory Maguire

I enjoyed this book; I liked the determination of the women to not be belittled by the men and still be independent human beings.

However, how could women have let this happen in the first place? Why didn't they fight for their rights so they wouldn't be taken away in the first place?

Anne of the Island- Lucy Maude Montgomery
The Secret Garden- Francis Hodgson Burnett
Wurthering Heights- Emily Bronte

Comment: I enjoyed Cassandra's character in this book; she was very mature and good-hearted, but I was sad that the story ended so unhappily; I was expecting her "fairytale" to come true.

Question: Did the author ever tell us why Cassandra's father actually stopped his writing?

Krista

Native Tongue

-The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
-The Judas Rose by Suzette Haden Elgin
-Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Comment: I enjoyed that nonverbals were paid as much attention to as verbals as a form of understood language.

Question: What was the purpose of having the leading women (Nazareth and Michaela) have such opposite physical appearances? It kind of reminded me of a Betty and Veronica type of stereotype.

Lynn

I Capture the Castle

Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte
Persuasion by- Jane Austen
Cinderella- Various Authors

I found it very difficult to connect with the book. The format did not work in my opinion, it did not intrigue me.

Would the book be improved if it was written as one continuous book instead of three separate books? Why did the 2003 movie fail? Is the audience of adolescent literature changing?

The Family Tree

The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkein

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

The plants taking over concept kind of scares me, but I usually think of this kind of take over happening with bugs.

Do you think the fact that the trees were affecting mostly the suburban areas is a message from Tepper that we need to live in cities or in rural areas?  If so, what do you think she has to say about the urban heat islands and their effect on the environment?

I Capture the Castle

Anne of the Island by Lucy Maude Montgomery
The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte


I enjoyed this book very much. The imagery and style of Dodi Smith was refreshing and the voice of Cassandra was humourous, clear and wise.

Are we given any clues in the beginning as to what really caused Mr. Mortmains writers block?




Ashley Haugen

I Capture The Castle

-Emma by Jane Austen
-Anne of the Island by Lucy Maude Montgomery
-Wurthering Heights by Emily Bronte


Comment: I thought it was funny and ironic that Cassandra was seen by others as young or someone who hasn't come of age when she played the most nurturing and mature role of the all characters.

Question: This is a simple question, but did anyone else expect a happier ending?

Lynn

I Capture the Castle

Anne Frank – The Diary of A Young Girl

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

Anne of the Island - L.M. Montgomery

I Capture the Castle was definately a different type of book with the way that it seemed Cassandra explained everything in the beginning. I got so much information at one time.

Why did the author choose to write the book this way by giving so much background right away? Is it a certain technique? Is she trying to give the reader a different view of reading?

I Capture the Castle

Books:
-Little Women: Louisa May Alcott
-Anne of the Island: L.M. Montgomery
-Emma: Jane Austen

Statement:
I found that I had to force myself to keep reading this book because it took me quite a while to get into it. I think the first notebook could have been set up a little differently in order to get the facts across and still keep the reader interested in what was happening.

Questions:
What do you think the reasoning was behind having three small books inside of a larger book? Is this more effective for adolescents than it is for adults?

Ashley Martin

I Capture the Castle

3 Texts:
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery

Statement:
It was really hard for me to get into this book. Until a while it, I had to force myself to keep reading.

Question:
Why did Smith choose to write this book as she did? As three small books in one? She could have written it as one long book.
-Jessica Johnson

I Capture the Castle

Texts:
The Castle of Crossed Destinies, by Italo Calvino
Species of Spaces and Other Pieces, by Georges Perec
For Your Eyes Only, by Joanne Rocklin

I am intrigued and impressed by Smith's choice to write this as a journal. Unlike some journals, I do not feel that my knowledge of characters is severely limited because of the narrator; rather, I think that Cassandra/Smith's use of flashbacks helps provide rounded insight into each person.

Through the novel, as Cassandra was reflecting on her writing, I frequently found myself asking the same questions of my own writing as she did of hers. I also have similar frustrations, weaknesses, and revelations with my writing as she did with hers. As writers, what can we learn about our own writing from reading meta-writing?

-Becky Andert

I Captured the Castle

3 texts:
-Persuasion by: Jane Austen
-Cold Sassy Tree by: Olive Ann Burns
-Jane Eyre by: Charlotte Bronte

Statement: I had a hard time getting through the first part of the book because of Cassandra's detailed explanations. It was not until the Cassandra and her family meet the Cottons that the story line became some what more interesting. I have to admit that I do not really care for Cassandra as being the narrator of the story.

Question: Do you think that adolescents of this era would be able to relate to the characters as much as the adolescents during the 1950's? Do you think that adolescents are worried about the future such as marriage and money?

-Amy Culver

I Capture the Castle

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Emma by Jane Austen

Statement
I really enjoyed how unpredictable the author made this book. It seemed that there were a lot of unexpected twists and he did a great job at keeping those from the reader.

Question
What was the purpose of all the details at the beginning of the book? It reminded me of when I used to read Redwall books in junior high and they would go into great lengths about the feasts...while my best friend loved details about food, I thought it was unnecessary and did not necessarily add to the content either. I felt this way at the beginning of this book and just wonder what the purpose was.

I Capture the Castle

3 Books:
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Tasha Tudor
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Statement:
The story is told through Cassandra's journals and while reading these journals we get to know her through her feelings and what she goes through. She is funny and loves life, making the reader fall in love with her character.


Question:
The book was first published in 1948 and then became unavailable. It was widely popular and evetually became reissued. Do you think it's popularity is due to the ablility to relate to adolescents or is it continuing to be loved by the generation who read it before?

Mary Ellen Korby

I Capture the Castle

Related Texts
1. The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
2. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
3. Emma by Jane Austen

Statement:
I wasn’t able to find the message Smith is trying to send readers with this book. I thought a lot of the detail was unnecessary and the characters' sub-plots were disjointed (Rose’s engagement and the father’s writing). The overall intention of the novel was unclear.

Question:
The movie version of I Capture the Castle (released in December 2003) received poor reviews. Does this show a lack of interest in the novel among the modern adolescent population?

--Emily Allex

I Capture the Castle

Related Texts:
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Heartburn by Nora Ephron

Statement:
At first, it was really hard to get into the book. There was alot of detail given about the castle and Cassandra's life; which at times I found confusing. I also felt the book skipped around at times.

Question:
This book seems like it is directed toward a more mature audience, because it is set in an older time period. What age of adolesents would this book be directed towards?

I Capture the Castle

Rip Van Winkle- Washington Irving
Cinderella- Various Authors
The Diary of Anne Frank


I thought the genious of Cassandra's father was humorous. He would spend so much time thinking of what to write in his book, and how to write it, that most of his life would pass him by. To me it just did not seem worth it. He would neglect his kids and treat his wife poorly just so he could create a work of literature that, in my opinion, probably was not that great.

I noticed the book was published in 1948. I was wondering about Stephen, and how he was portrayed in the book. I feel like Stephen usually got the shaft in the book, and I do not know why that is? Did the portrayal of this servent represent real life servents in 1948? What is the reason Dobie Smith did not have Cassandra and Stephen end up together? On a side note: I wanted them to.

Kevin Matuseski

I Capture the Castle

3 texts:
1. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
2. Heidi by Johanna Spyri
3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Statement:
I found the character of Cassandra's father to be very interesting. We never knew much about him, other than he was a writer that now refuses to write and now spends most of his time locked in a room alone. I was very curious about him throughout the whole story.

Question:
I was wondering if we ever knew Cassandra's age? I never noticed it in the text(I may have missed it) but was always wondering how old she was. Everyone refers to her as a child, yet she is so responsible and seems to be almost in the "head" of the house position.

Native Tongue

Related Texts:

The Guild Of Xenolinguists - Sheila Finch

DragonSong - Anne McCaffrey

The Judas Rose - Suzette Haden Elgin

I liked this book a lot. That being said, I spent a lot of time being extremely angry at the men in the story. I don't think that there was a decent guy in the entire story, unless they were to old to be anything but grandfatherly. I did think that the idea that the misunderstandings between men and women were related to the inadequacies of language to describe the concepts that women think about.

Do you think that the premise is plausible? Would it be possible for the vote, the right to own property, etc. to be taken away after it has been given and held for over a half a century? Woud the people being disenfranchised really let it happen?

I Capture the Castle

Texts:
Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Statement:
Cassandra must spend copious amounts of time writing. Unless her shorthand makes writing much faster, the amount of writing she does would tie up a large amount of her time.

Question:
Does Cassandra's writing help her with the growth we see throughout the novel? Would she grow and learn as much without that vehicle for her thoughts? Will that pattern of growth change as she moves into writing for other audiences, or did this journal provide all the growth she needed for this stage of her life?

The Family Tree

Related texts:

Winnie the Pooh?

Comment:

Although I suspected it in the beginning, I was still surprised when Tepper revealed what the people from 3,000 years in the future really looked like.  I was more surprised when I found out that the umminha were humans.

Question:

Is Tepper a vegan?  Does she expect that animals will start talking to us?

The Family Tree

-The Visitor by Sheri Tepper
-The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende and Ralph Manheim
-Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card

Comment: I found the cannibalism sections to carry a lot of irony. The pig ate eggs for breakfast. Come on, in most cases she would be next to those eggs. I think if you're going to go all the way and say that the eating other beings is disgusting, you should just go full fledged anti-animal products from the moment they are introduced as animals. Otherwise it looks like a convenient gloss over the ethics of the matter.

Question: Do you think Tepper is able to catch a wider audience by separating out the stories in the beginning? In other words, do some readers get into Dora's story more than the animals'?

Lynn

The Family Tree

Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Clan Ground - Clare Bell
Animal Farm - George Orwell

I found this book a little hard to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it. However, the whole revelation about talking animals definitely surprised me and made me go over the part of the book I had just read and think about it differently.


How well do you think the author dealt with the issue of the science that created the talking animals?

The Freedom Writers

Texts:

The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank

A Million Little Pieces - James Frey

Whale Falk – Chris Crutcher

Statement:
I loved how Ms. G was the type of teacher who really cared about her students and educating them on life, happiness and more. She found the way to get them to change and understand that they don't have to go to the gang life.

Question:
Since Ms. G concentrated so much on her students, I wonder how her life and the students' life would be different if she would have been more of a "normal" teacher who sometimes doesn 't go that indepth with their students.?

The Family Tree

Animal Farm - George Orwell
White - Ted Dekker
The Visitor - Sheri Tepper


I grew to like this novel the more I read it. The future setting of The Family Tree seemed to be a basic variation of other fantasy worlds; I found Grass' setting (planet) to be more interesting and was surprised at how much more I enjoyed Grass because of that. Also, I appreciated the message of The Family Tree, but it got to be pretty preachy when they started talking about eating human babies and how it was no big deal. Overall, this book was interesting and pretty fun to read.

Question: I may have just missed the explanation, so I apologize if this was answered... how were the animals able to know of Inglitch, etc., but did not think of the humans as being intelligent?

Freedom Writers' Diary

Books:

Diary of a Young Girl- Anne Frank
Stolen Voices: Young People's War Stories-Olara A. Otunno
The Pursuit of Happyness (film), directed by Gabriele Muccino

Statement:

The students' writings are really tragic in many ways. However, it is heartening to read about the growth/maturity these students have to face these difficulties. Life will not always be a struggle and it's good to know that-yay hope!

Question:

Ms. G is a unique teacher in the light of her great belief in her students, but shouldn't this sentiment be true in all teachers? What kinds of messages are sent when comparing a teacher who has visible impact on students versus a teacher who may have the same kind of effect on students but isn't recognized by it. Does our society value one teacher over the other?

The Family Tree

Related Texts:

Fool's Errand - Robin Hobb

The Company Of Glass - Valery Leith

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

The idea of plants gently pushing back at humanity was interesting, and would probably be a good thing if it actually happened. I also thought it was funny that the Weelians were originally from Washington, D.C.

Was it a surprise when it was revealed that Izzy and Nassif and the others were not human? How did this revelation change how you interpreted what had already happened in the story? Did you guess that the Weelians were human?

The Family Tree

Darkhenge-Catherine Fisher
Dark Water-D.J. MacHale
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone

I really enjoyed this book. It was a real mystery and kept me wondering what was going to happen next, even though the more I read the more I realized I should have known what was going to happen next. My mind assumed things and when I realized I was wrong I was completely caught off guard.

What do you think Tepper was trying to accomplish by making the 'heroes' mostly animals? How did this contrast with making people like the Wheelians be the desendants of politicians (hence their sickly nature)?

Freedom Writers Diary

Texts:

Adios Barbie-ed by Ophira Edut
Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year: Esmé Raji Codell
Save the Last Dance- (film) directed by Thomas Carter

Statement:
Aside from her ingenuity in finding texts her students could relate to, Ms. G's biggest step in making a difference was not taking the luxury of giving up on them. For so many students who had constantly felt abandoned, having some semblance of constancy in their lives made all the difference.

Question:
Ms. G refers back to her student Sharoud a number of times. What did he mean to her? If he hadn't managed to be impacted at least somewhat in her years of student teaching, would she have had the ability to stay around for the next few years?

The Freedom Writers

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne FIsher Staples
Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Statement:
I am inspired by the message that each of the Freedom Writers took to heart: that one individual is all it takes to make change. As a child we grow up hearing that "you can make a difference," but we cease to hear that record as we age. It is like a breath of fresh air to hear other older kids who truly believe that they can make a difference. We all should be reminded that we have a power to create change.

Question:
How was the Freedom Writers community affected by their stories? Did anything change? Where are the Freedom Writers today?




Ashley Haugen

Freedom Writers

-Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
-Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life In Wartime by Zlata Filipovic
-Teach With Your Heart: Lessons I Learned From The Freedom Writers by Erin Gruwell

Comment: I love that this book wasn't edited. It brings such a real quality to my reading experience. It gives me such insight into what the actual situation was like, social and educationally (grammar) within room 203. It also gives me such hope for the future.

Question: I am always so amazed at field trips, speakers, events, etc that Ms Gruwell is able to pull together. Is this a high standard for teachers who expect to have a balanced life?

Lynn Moore