Historical fiction stories ...*are written to portray a time period *convey information about a specific time period or historical event *contain a lot of setting details *contain characters who are either imaginary or who have actually lived during the time period *introduce readers to themes that occur in our history: such as war, famine, and migration.
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Students, please use the following links to choose an historical fiction book to read this month:
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/kids-historical-fictionhttp://www.tc.edu/rwp/booklist/lists/4.2%20HistoricalFictionFINAL.pdf
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Reading BlogTask:
Find a text quote that shows how the setting affects the story.
Write about how the historical setting is important to the story, and how the historical setting affects the theme of the story.
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Be sure to:Start with title, author
Include your setting text quote
Write about how the setting affects the story****Write about how the setting affects the theme
Show your thinking - not retelling
Crystal clear editing!************************************************************************************
We are further into the sixth grade reading workshop, so my expectations are increasing. Remember that a good reading response takes planning.
Book: the cay
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Theodore Taylor
In the book the cay a boy named Philip on an island with his family. The family lives in an abounded fort. At the time there was a war between the allies and the axes. Philips family has to leave the island but the father and the brother stay. Philip and his mother go on a small ship called the “halo” after a day the halo gets torpedoed and it starts to go under his mom says “ get your leather jacket and you sweater” he goes to the deck hand and hand with his mother one crew mate grabbed his mother and put her on a lifeboat. Then another grabbed Philip and put him on a different lifeboat. Philip gets on the boat next to a Negro he remembered his mother say “they are different, and they live differently.”
My thinking …
I think that Philip is going to get used to timothy and he and his mother will unite. I also think that when they unite his mother will not approve of timothy and get angry ant Philip. After Philip tells his mother about what timothy did for him and the mother will understand.
The Second Mrs. Giaconda
ReplyDeleteE.L Konigsburg
The book The Second Mrs. Giaconda is about Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. This novel discusses why he created this painting, why he worked so hard on it, why it took him three years to finish, and who exactly it was he painted? In the story it’s not just E.L Konigsburg talking and telling you facts about Leonardo da Vinci, it’s about his life before he started the Mona Lisa and all of the people who were faithful to him.
MY THINKING
The setting in The Second Mrs. Giaconda is in Milan, Italy. It is important to the story because it shows you that Leonardo was more than a famous and talented artist, he was someone who loved everybody and was interested in people’s opinions, even if they were not famous duchesses or dukes. The historical setting of any story is always very important. To create a setting of a book is to create its entire environment and that will affect how the characters react to one another, and the environment created for them. My favorite part of the story is when Salai meets Beatrice and they fall in love almost instantly. “Isabella will keep a lean tongue,” Salai asked. “She over works it.” Duchess Beatrice laughed, her whole mouth open, her tongue and teeth covered with wet anise cookie, there was no one more alive to beauty than Beatrice, and there was no one more alive to Beatrice than Salai. That is my favorite text quote because that’s when the reader really understands what Salai and Beatrice has.
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
ReplyDeleteIn the book Fever 1793 by Laurie Hasle Anderson, it has an enormous setting and theme to the book. The book takes place in Philadelphia during the outbreak of the Yellow Fever, in 1793. Thousands of people died during the outbreak. Many people suffered and it was very contagious. The only good part of the fever was that once you had it, you could not get it again. In the book, Matilda’s (Mattie) mom gets the yellow fever and sends Mattie to a farm. While on her way Mattie gets the fever and is taken to a hospital. Instead of thinking about getting better, in the beginning of her stay, she thinks about the hospital that she is in and the bad things she has heard about it.
The historical setting is important to the story because, the author really brings you into the story and makes you feel the pain of 1793. Even though I did not know anything about 1793, but I now feel like I know so much. One part of the book that really told you how much people suffered was when Mattie was in the hospital. “They told of terror: patients who had tried to jump out of windows when the fever robbed their reason, screams that pierced the night, people who were buried alive, parents praying to die after burying all their children.” I think this is important because, it tells how many people suffered and how bad they suffered, even if it was their family who had the fever, not them. It tells you how devastating it was to be in Philadelphia in 1793. Also if this had happened today we could have cured it right away, but since it was a long time ago, we did not have any medicine or great doctors.
The theme of this book is to never give up. I think the historical setting affects the theme because, all through the book it would have been so easy for everyone to just give up on the people who were sick, but instead they never gave up hope. Mattie never gave up on her mom coming back and overcoming the fever. Also when Mattie’s grandfather died, she didn’t let it stop her
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
ReplyDeleteIn the book Fever 1793 by Laurie Hasle Anderson, it has an enormous setting and theme to the book. The book takes place in Philadelphia during the outbreak of the Yellow Fever, in 1793. Thousands of people died during the outbreak. Many people suffered and it was very contagious. The only good part of the fever was that once you had it, you could not get it again. In the book, Matilda’s (Mattie) mom gets the yellow fever and sends Mattie to a farm. While on her way Mattie gets the fever and is taken to a hospital. Instead of thinking about getting better, in the beginning of her stay, she thinks about the hospital that she is in and the bad things she has heard about it.
The historical setting is important to the story because, the author really brings you into the story and makes you feel the pain of 1793. Even though I did not know anything about 1793, but I now feel like I know so much. One part of the book that really told you how much people suffered was when Mattie was in the hospital. “They told of terror: patients who had tried to jump out of windows when the fever robbed their reason, screams that pierced the night, people who were buried alive, parents praying to die after burying all their children.” I think this is important because, it tells how many people suffered and how bad they suffered, even if it was their family who had the fever, not them. It tells you how devastating it was to be in Philadelphia in 1793. Also if this had happened today we could have cured it right away, but since it was a long time ago, we did not have any medicine or great doctors.
The theme of this book is to never give up. I think the historical setting affects the theme because, all through the book it would have been so easy for everyone to just give up on the people who were sick, but instead they never gave up hope. Mattie never gave up on her mom coming back and overcoming the fever. Also when Mattie’s grandfather died, she didn’t let it stop her.
Book: The Kin
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Peter Dickinson
In The Kin, the setting is in Africa around two-hundred thousand years ago. The historical setting is important because thousands of years ago people had to travel around to hunt and find food because farming hadn’t been invented yet. This is important because when the murdering strangers start attacking the old good places, which are the areas were the people live, the survivors could either hide in fear or travel out into the desert which was where the story starts. The historical setting is also important because it is how the author portrays the time period and how hard life was back then. I know this because in the story it says, “These others, they needed him. Without him they would die.” That shows that when Suth went back to the cave to rescue the kids he would have to work hard to keep them all safe, and it also shows how people had to struggle to survive.That is how the historical setting is important.
In the story the historical setting effects the theme because throughout the whole story the people are trying to find new good places and areas that are safe. The theme is also effected by the setting because the story shows how hard it was to survive back then and without the setting the story would show life being easy.That is how the historical setting effects the theme.
Lauren Munz #17
ReplyDeleteEsperanza Rising
Setting: Great Depression
By Pam Munoz Ryan
The book takes place in the 1930’s when the Great Depression happened. Esperanza is a rich, 13 year old girl who lives in a big house in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father is a landowner. Esperanza’s father got murdered by a bandit. To make matters worse, Esperanza’s 2 uncles named Tio (uncle) Luis and Tío Marco burned down her house so they could get all the money. Later, Esperanza’s Mama was forced to marry Tio Luis. Esperanza, Mama, Josefina, Hortensia, Miguel, Alfonso, all had to flee to California to work in a Labor Camp for picking crops.
Text Quote: Determined, Esperanza pressed her ear harder to the ground. “I can’t hear it!” She pounded the earth. “Let me hear it.” Tears burst from her eyes as if someone had squeezed an overripe orange.”
My Thinking about the text quote: I think when her Papa was around everything was right; she felt safe. I think this because she could hear the earth talking to her when her Papa was there. Now that she is at the camp in California and her father is gone, she is unable to hear the earth.
The setting is important to the story because… it defined what Esperanza and her family had to do to survive. The Great Depression affected all people, rich and poor. Esperanza learned to rise out of her old rich life and adjust to her new poor life.
The setting of the book affects the story because a lot of people were out of jobs because of the Great Depression. Many people had to join the labor camp in California to make money. The labor camp was a low paying camp for Mexican people.
Al Capone Shines My Shoes
ReplyDeleteGenre: Historical Fiction
By Gennifer Choldenko
Response by Jack
In Al Capone Shines My Shoes, the main character, Moose, is an almost 13 year old boy who lives on Alcatraz ( his father works as an electrician on the island) during the Great Depression. In the first book Moose had asked help from Al Capone to get his sister, who has autism (which in this case is a mental disability, it is also sometimes an ability) get into a special school, and sure enough she gets into the school. But then Moose gets a note in the laundry(the convicts do the laundry, its really true they really did, I’m not lying) saying your turn. Soon many little problems are happening and they finally lead up to a escape attempt!
My thinking…
I think that in the book some of the story needs the historical setting and some do not. Certain elements could not be in the story if it took place in modern times, such as certain characters, like Al Capone, but, the problem could take place in a modern environment. Al Capone could be a famous drug dealer, for instance, and Moose could be passing notes with him. And the friend troubles that Moose endures, could happen to any person in modern times. One big thing that couldn’t happen in modern times is how people are treated. Moose’s sister Natalie, who has Autism, is treated differently, she is treated like she is bad and weird by a certain grown up on Alcatraz. The person who thinks this is an officer named Darby Trixle . His brother , who I think had Autism too, was shut away, and Darby APPROVED of this! He shows his opinions in this quote:
“Moose, can I come in?” Darby Trixle wipes his feet on the mat and steps inside without waiting for my answer. “ Uh, Officer Trixle, sir, my parents aren’t here right now,” I say, but it is too late, he’s headed straight for our sofa.
“It’s you I want to have the conversation with. How’s she doin’? He eyes Natalie, who is still curled up on the floor.
“Fine, sir” I whisper.
“She ain’t fine, Moose. Now you look here. She ain’t no reflection on you. I want you to know that”
“Yes, sir,” I say, wishing he would just leave, but he settles in on the couch.
He pokes his chin in Natalie’s direction. “Happens in families sometimes. You think I don’t know how it is, but I do. I had me a brother wasn’t right in the head. But my folks they did the right thing. Put him away with his own kind. And we got a clean slate. He was happier for it, we all were. That’s the way to do it. Get a clean slate”
He waits for me to respond. “Yes sir,” I finally mutter.
“A Girl like her. She don’t belong. And this visiting back and forth.” He waggles his head. “Can’t have a pig half in the poke… you know what I’m saying?”. This is horrible, people with Autism today would be diagnosed and given PROPER treatment. Also, prisons were different, they were harsher and places to lock people away. Now, prisons are considered as places were people learn there lesson. So, it might have been more okay for someone to pass notes with a convict. So part of the plot would be somewhat puzzling if it took place in modern times. I think that the theme is very intertwined with the plot. But if the story was in modern times the theme could exist. If the book took place in modern times the theme wouldn’t be as understandable or enhanced as it would be in the historical setting.
AidanΩΩΩΩ
ReplyDeleteI just read the book Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen. This book is about a boy named Samuel who is living in 1776 during the revolutionary war in America. He is out hunting one day when he smells smoke coming from his frontier cabin village. He quickly runs to the village to find dead bodies and burned cabins. His cabin was destroyed but his parents were not killed. Instead the British who destroyed his home-town captured his parents and took them to New York City. At that time New York City was a teeming hollow of loyalists to King George the 3rd. Most everyone who wasn’t a complete loyalist hated the British. But Samuel takes the entire story to get his parents back. “He had not been there to protect his parents”.
MY THINKING
I think that this text quote and all of the other text quotes like it mean that Samuel had a strong relationship with his parents. He said that they just wanted to live remotely in the country and not in the city. He said that they didn’t want to be in a big city because it wasn’t their way of life. And now the British just take his parents away from him without him being there to protect them with a nice rifle. This quote shows that Samuel loved his parents enough to start on the journey of his life. His relationship with his parents was strong and in the end of the book, when they are reunited you can feel the overflowing joy and love that they feel for each other.
Title: Death of a princess
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Susan Geason
Background:
This book is about a beautician named Meryet. It takes place in ancient Egypt. She lives in the Mer-Wer near Princess Isis. One day Meryet goes to visit Isis and she is sick. A couple days later the princess dies. Meryet believes that Isis was poisoned and that Meryet would be a suspect of Isis’s death. This book is a mystery about who killed Princess Isis. Meryet and her friend Ahmose, who is a physician, figure out the mystery at the end of the book after an energetic monkey dies of the same poison as the princess. I will not inform you how the book ends but I will say that it is great. The poison is intended for someone other than Isis but I will not say who. There is a magical part in the book. Meryet finds a golden cat as soon as the princess gets sick and the cat disappears at the end of the book.
My thinking:
I think that the cat stayed with Meryet only to save her from the poison and help solve the mystery. I think this because the cat saved Meryet’s life at least twice over the course of the book. Also the cat somehow discovered and brought down a locked box of the poison in the living quarters of the person who did the poisoning. There was punishment for the person who the crime was done for and I think that it is unfair because it was a good person with a bad follower.
Setting and how it affects the story:
The setting is in ancient times so the people believed in using gods to heal people. Also since there were royal people where the story took place the characters were scared of going near them. My text quote is: “the wives and ladies-in-waiting were not allowed to venture outside the walls as Meryet did, or while away time in the markets of the nearby village.” This shows that because of the setting, Meryet was unlike the royal and important people because she could leave the Mer-Wer.
Book: The Cay
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Theodore Taylor
In the book The Cay a boy named Philip on an island, Curacao, with his family. (The family lives in an abounded fort.) At the time there was a war, World War II, between the Allies and the Axes. They were afraid that the Germans would bomb them. Philip’s family has to leave the island, but the father and the brother stay. Philip and his mother got on a small ship called the “Halo,” but after a day, the halo gets torpedoed. And it starts to go under. Philip is put on a lifeboat, next to a Negro named Timothy, another passenger on the ship. He remembered his mother say, “They are different, and they live differently.”
My thinking …
I think that Philip is going to get used to Timothy and he and his mother will unite. I also think that when they unite his mother will not approve of Timothy and get angry at Philip. After Philip tells his mother about what Timothy did for him and the mother will understand.
Aidan and Hannah V - what about the themes of your stories? Your blog should address how the setting develops and supports the theme. Mrs. Zabbia
ReplyDeleteSent by Margaret Peterson Haddix
ReplyDeleteThe book Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix is the second in The Missing series. This book is science fiction with a mix of historical fiction. There are four main characters, Jonah, Katherine, Chip and Alex. These four teenagers are sent back in time to the year 1483 to the Tower of London! This book has time travel as well as a real history lesson inside it. Two of the characters, Chip and Alex, are actually two princes from fifteenth century England who mysteriously disappear right before one of them was to be king of England!
This book is about characters traveling back in time. Chip, Jonah and Alex, three main characters, were taken out of present day and sent to 1483 in order to save their own lives. In the opening of the book, each boy was living in Ohio and having a normal 21st century life with cars, computers and Internet. Now they have ended up back in fifteenth century England. Chip and Alex soon discover that they are actually two English princes. They also find out their evil fifteenth century uncle, Richard, is taking throne and he is quite possibly the one who plotted to murder them!
When people travel back in time, they can change history. This is a problem and Chip, Jonah, and Alex have to be careful not to change anything. Katherine, Jonah’s sister, goes along to help. They are all stuck in 1483 trying to save the princes, Chip and Alex, from death. They all have to be very careful because if they change history, they could change history for everyone on Earth.
There is a quote on page 197 which says:
"But if you remove the element of time then you could be in all those places, in any order, even simultaneously. JB said, ‘To quote "Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.’ And if you mix up time travel it can seem like everything is happening at once."
In the book if history happens as it’s supposed to happen, Chip and Alex, two future Kings of England, will die. These characters face a huge problem. How do they save their fifteenth century lives without disturbing history?
The quote is telling the main characters that they can't mess up. If they mess up, history could change. History then would be messed up. For example, when the four main characters were hiding in a corner and guards came in. The four main characters were invisible but they still affected those around them. One guard was so close to Katherine that her hair nearly caught on fire. Chip had moved causing a breeze to pass by the guard making him think there were ghosts in the room. They were all terrified and ran from the room. Fortunately, this did not change history.
When Chip and Alex start hanging out with princesses, they start affecting time. They even did a high five to the fifteenth century princesses. The girls thought this was very strange. Just by interacting with the girls, Chip and Alex have altered time a bit. Chip and Alex learn they are going to need to stay in fifteenth century England for two years to see how time was changed!
There is a theme that runs through this book and it is friendship. From the beginning of the book these four kids are against some pretty powerful adults. The FBI is involved as well as some nasty guys who yanked Chip and Alex from fifteenth century England. The kids help one another and band together so Chip and Alex can stay alive.
Now that these four are in fifteenth century England, they need to hide for two years before they can leave. Alex and Chip also face a big battle soon. Lots of things can go wrong. If Chip and Alex mess up they can change history for the whole world and they can die. The friendship theme continues as Katherine and Jonah take part in the battle too. Chip and Alex need to want to leave fifteenth century England and go back to the 21st century. The more time they spend in 1485, the attached they get to their fifteenth century selves.
Great reading responses, students. I like the way you are separating out your thinking. Ned, your blog is outstanding - your best this year:)
ReplyDeleteBook: the cay the real real one
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Theodore Taylor
In the book The Cay a boy named Philip on an island, Curacao, with his family. (The family lives in an abounded fort.) At the time there was a war, World War II, between the Allies and the Axes. They were afraid that the Germans would bomb them. Philip’s family has to leave the island, but the father and the brother stay. Philip and his mother got on a small ship called the “Halo,” but after a day, the halo gets torpedoed. And it starts to go under his mom says “get your leather jacket and you sweater” Philip is put on a lifeboat, next to a Negro Timothy, another passenger on the ship. He remembered his mother say “they are different, and they live differently.”
My thinking …
I think that Philip is going to get used to timothy and he and his mother will unite. I also think that when they unite his mother will not approve of timothy and get angry ant Philip. After Philip tells his mother about what timothy did for him and the mother will understand.
Day of the Blizzard
ReplyDeleteMarietta Moskin
“It wasn’t snow anymore, but tiny icicles, sharp particles that stung her forehead and her cheeks.”
The way the author described the blizzard in 1888 was outstanding. She gave a lot of details, just like the quote I chose. The setting effects the story because it really shows how the main character struggled getting through the horrible blizzard.
The setting effects the theme by showing how she was determined to get her mother’s brooch. She would go through anything to see her mother’s happiness when she returned.
MY THINKING
I think that the main character, Katie, really wanted to see her mother be happy, when she was at home sick. I think Katie wanted her mother to be really proud of her daughter for going on such a dangerous journey. And Finally, I think that Katie’s mother was more than ever happy to see that her daughter was home safe.
Title: Love You, Daddy
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Kate Hest
The book I read was Love You, Daddy. The book doesn’t actually tell what year it is but I think it’s in World War 2. The setting is in New York City. In this book Katie’s dad has to go to war. When he leaves her mother’s best friend from when her mother was little comes over. Then Katie’s mom asked her to live and she said yes because her husband was in the war to and she was pregnant. Katie’s mom’s best friends name was Louise. While Katie’s moms at work one day in a blizzard Louise water brakes and Katie has to take her to the hospital in the blizzard they couldn’t hail a cab so they had to walk at this moment Louise says “I need to get to the hospital now”. Louise has her baby in the hospital. A few weeks later a man comes to Katie’s apparent with bad news her dad died. Louise goes home with her husband. Kate’s mom falls in love with Louise’s brother Sam and they move to Texas. That’s how the story goes.
MY THINKING
I think when Louise Is giving birth to her baby Katie had to act like they adult even though she didn’t know it yet she was preparing herself for not having her real dad anymore. The way I think the setting is if it were in a place like croton. The hospital scene wouldn’t be so intense because they wouldn’t have to walk so many blocks through a blizzard. I think the message of the story is you can do anything even if someone you need help from is gone. The reason why I think this is because all through the story Katie was doing things on her own some of those things she needed an adults help with but she didn’t have anyway and she still was able to do those things. That’s all my thinking on the book “Love You, Daddy”.
Out Of The Dust
ReplyDeleteHistorical fiction
By Karen Hesse
I will give you a little summary about the book “Out Of The Dust”, In the book Billie Jo is a young girl and has only a mother and father. She found out her mother is pregnant with a boy. One day ma was in the kitchen as the flame from the stove caught on to her apron and caused her to get burned. Billie Jo picked up what she thought was a bucket of water turned out to be Kerosene. They had to take her to the hospital and she ended up dying after giving birth to her new born son. Pa’s sister was coming to the hospital to come and get the new born boy to take care of him but, by the time she came the new born had already died.
When Pa’s sister got to the hospital and after the new born died she pulled pa to the side to talk, she said to him “Billie Jo threw the pail” they said. “An accident,” they said under their words a finger pointed. The sister is trying to tell Pa that it was Billie Jo’s fault that ma and the baby died. I know Pa didn’t want to believe that his daughter caused the death of his wife and his new born baby that he didn’t even get a second with. Pa’s sister was right.
MY THINKING …………………… I think that Billie Jo was hoping to be the hero in that situation but turned out to be the bad guy, the reason why I think she was trying to be the hero is to save her mom and the baby and I think she really never feels love, if she had saved her mom then she would feel the love she has been wanting to feel for a long time, she also wanted to be rewarded for what she did. I hope that at the end of the book she gets the love she always wanted from her dad and ends up feeling loved. I think she will grow and learn to stop looking back at her past and starts looking about what’s in front of her.
Ed, Elizabeth, Leila, Juliana,
ReplyDeleteExcellent and well organized blogs. Great job showing your thinking.
Mrs. Zabbia
Title: Out of the Dust
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Karen Hesse
In the book Out of the dust there is a character named Billie Joe, and she loves playing the piano more than anything. She has a father but her mother died sadly when there was a fire in their house. Her mother’s apron caught on fire. So she ran outside with her apron still on fire so Billie Joe grabbed the bucket of what she thought was water, and threw it on her mother, only it turned out to be Kerosene. They rushed her to the hospital. Her mother had horrible burns all over her body “I can’t look at her. I can’t recognize her. She smells like scorched meat. Her body groaning there, it looks nothing like ma. It doesn’t even have a face.” Later that day her mother died giving birth to Billie Joe’s baby brother. And soon after their mother had died Billie Joe’s aunt came to pick up the baby to be raised by her, with her. When she got to the hospital the baby boy had already died. So their aunt left leaving them in the dust with nothing but each other.
MY THINKING
I think when Billie Joe said It doesn’t even have a face she felt like her ma wasn’t there anymore, she felt like that person wasn’t her ma, the one that she loved, the one that would always be there for her. After her ma-died things between her dad got weird they didn’t talk anymore, they didn’t have ma there to make them laugh together. I think they both missed her so much that they couldn’t talk about it, and without her ma there Billie Joe would never be able to talk to her father. I think at the end of the book there will be a dust storm the biggest one they’ve ever had, I think because of that dust storm somehow they will become closer because there house is destroyed and the have to fix the house together or maybe they might even move out of the dust.
“Haunting in Williamsburg” by Lou kassem
ReplyDeleteBack round 1
In the book “Haunting in Williamsburg” the setting means a lot to the story and theme. In the story there is a girl named Jayne. She has to go to Williamsburg to live with her aunt for the summer, while her mom and dad are in France for their job. Her aunt lives and works in colonel Williamsburg. Colonel Williamsburg is a place where people act like they are colonel people in a town. Her aunt lives in a house in colonel Williamsburg, but tourist are only aloud in the yard. Her aunt also otherwise than just living there is a doctor there too.
Back round 2
In the story Jayne lives in colonel Williamsburg and meets a ghost in her room named Sally. Sally fell in love with a boy named Colin and he said that he would come and get her and they would run away together. But Colin was on his way to her house when some soldiers came and stopped him. So he gave a note to a man that explained everything and told the man to give it to Sally. I do not know what the note says and the note is the only piece of info that would tell you why the solders stopped Colin. But on the way to Sally’s house the man got shot by Sally’s old husband. Sally was still at the house waiting for the boy. Her mother and father said that he would never come and that annoyed Sally so she promised to never leave the house until the Colin came. Of course he never came so Sally died in the house later of old age. Jayne in the story found the ghost of the man that got shot and brought the note to Sally, so Sally could rest in peace.
Setting
The setting means a lot to the story. Without the setting there would not be Sally the man or Colin. Plus she would have not been in Colonel Williamsburg and the story would not even be historical fiction. Also with Jayne in Colonel Williamsburg the story is really fun and joyful. Though like in tiger raising the story has a dark and a light. When she is in the grave yard with the man it is dark and dull. In the village it is peaceful and happy. That is why I think the setting is important and connected to the theme in Haunting in Williamsburg.
Maura Walsh
ReplyDeleteI am Number Four
By: Patticus Lore
Adventure
Note I did not finish the book!
In the book John Smith is not from earth. He is from the planet Lorien. Lorien was attacked by evil Mogadorians which forced them to leave the world and move to earth. Everybody that left Lorien was numbered one through nine. John is number four. They are all being killed in order by the Mogadorians. The Mogadorians so far have managed to kill one through three. So John is next. His "keeper" Henry and him are doing everything in their power to keep them from being noticed and possibly killed.
The text quote I choose was "In truth he is my keeper, or what would better be understood on earth as my guardian." I chose this text quote because it really explains what the whole series is about. These aliens that come to earth and they learn to adapt. But they still have to worry about aliens killing them. I believe this text quote is really important to this book because it also shows that even though they have been trying to adapt they will never be like humans because they are from a different planet.
My thinking also involves how this quote really shows how he is a kid just trying to fit in but he cannot because he is from a different planet. I think that he does not care that he is from a different planet besides the dangers. But he can't hide it. Deep down inside of him he wishes his true parents were here to tell his about the planet, he is from and how to save himself when the Mogadorians find him and attempt to kill him.
When My Name Was Keoko
ReplyDeleteWritten by Linda Sue Park
Blog by Jack
This book takes place in Korea during World War II. Korea is occupied by Japan. Japan enforces many unreasonable laws; the first (in the book) is forcing every single Korean to change their names to Japanese names! Soon more laws are enforced, harshly, and people disappear. And people aren’t always what they seem. Then one of the characters enlists in the Japanese army, and volunteers for a special mission. That special mission is a Kamikaze mission, or a suicide mission
I think the theme of this book is freedom of culture. Freedom is a thing that you don’t really think about unless it is taken from you, or you experience it for the first time in your life or the first time in many years, or if you don’t have it. In this book a culture is stomped down and forced to obey. Korea is the victim in this book. Japan tries to destroy Korea’s culture. Aside from the forced name change, they even outlaw a HAIRSTYLE because it is “too Korean.”
“I was only a small boy, but I remember well how proud he was the day he put the jade button in his topknot. The button meant that he had passed the examinations. He let me touch it once-to feel how smooth and round it was.” Uncle smiled, a sad smile, then shook his head. “Only a few weeks later the Japanese ordered all men to cut off their topknots and to wear their hair short, in the Japanese style. They said topknots were too Korean. Your grandfather would not do it. He had worked too hard for the jade button.”
The Japanese order that all rose of sharon trees are to be burnt and all cherry trees are to be planted along the roads. The rose of sharon tree is the symbol of Korea; The cherry tree is the symbol of Japan. The rose of sharon symbolizes Korea’s freedom and its culture. When the trees are burnt, one (at least) survives. It is kept indoors in a workshop. It loses leaves, and is damaged because of the Japanese. But people keep it and make sure it doesn’t get burnt, even though they themselves are in great danger. But the cherry trees thrive and live on, at the rose of sharon trees’ expense.
Freedom of culture is often overlooked but is essential in life. The author demonstrates this theme by telling the story of a people deprived of their culture masterfully and makes it very clear that freedom of culture is an essential thing.
Title: Fever 1973
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Laurie Halse Anderson
In the book, Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, the setting is very important. The setting takes place in Philadelphia during the yellow fever plague. Many people suffered during this contagious occurrence. In the story Matilda’s mom gets the yellow fever while out in the street. Matilda’s mom sends Matilda and her grandfather to a farm in a wagon. On their way to the farm, the grandpa gets the yellow fever and they are thrown off of the wagon buy the driver who wasn’t really happy about them coming on the ride anyway. Matilda and her grandfather they were on the side of the road. Matilda gets the yellow fever and passes out, and her grandfather got better and carried Matilda a long way to a hospital.
The historical setting is important to the story because the author makes you feel like you were there feeling the pain as well. This line shows how much people were suffering: “… It will have some flour in it, but the sawdust will stretch the wheat, make it go farther. When our stomach hurts enough, the tongue won’t mind the taste.” I think this is important because people suffered and they got and didn’t have any food so people who weren’t sick came around and gave the sick people bread with sawdust in it because they don’t have the food any more as well. This sentence shows how distressing it was to live in Philadelphia in 1793.
The theme of this book is to always think of the worst thing that could happen and then compare it with your problem and after you relies that you have life better than some people in unfortunate places.
Great reading responses!
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