Readers Journal - fiction

#2                                                 Readers Journal                                                9/07/11                                                                                                                                    Dear,Mrs.Zrihen,                                                                                                                                    I just finished an amazing book called The Most Beautiful Place in the World by Ann Cameron. I would have never guessed that a simple book like this would be so interesting and descriptive. One passage that really stood out mean was:                                                                                                                                                            A lot of kids don’t go to school because their parents want them to work. The law is, they are supposed to go to school until they are twelve. But the school doesn’t really have space for everyone, so nobody makes them go. (page. 24)                                                                                                                                                                                                            I picked this passage because this passage describes how small the town is because the passage says that the school doesn’t really have space for everyone. This passage is sagnificent to the text because this passage shows the readers that the laws in Guatemala was not very strict because the laws required children to go to school until they were twelve but nobody went to school because their parents needed them to work and nobody really made them go to school. I used many strategies before, during, and after I read this book. One strategy that I used before I read this book was to skim and scan the book for text features. Another strategy that I used before reading this book was to make predictions. Based on the synopsis of this book I predict that this book is about a boy named Juan who lives in a small town and has to work instead of going to school because his grandmother and him are poor. One strategy that I used while I was reading this book was to ask questions. One question that I want to now is were did this story take place. Another during reading strategy that I used was to reread confussing parts of the book so when I read it again maybe I would comprehend what that part of the book meant. One strategy that I used after I read this book was to identify the authors purpose. The authors purpose for writing this book was to entertain and share. Another after reading strategy was to reread the parts of the book that I enjoyed the most.                                                                                                                                                 I was able to find many literary elements in this book. The genre of this book is realistic fiction because this story can happen in real life. There were a few characters in this book. The main character of this book is Juan. Juan is a seven and a half year old boy, brown skinned, who shines shoes for work. His motive is to go to school. Juan is the protagonist of this book and he is a round and dynamic character. Another main character of this story is Juan’s grandmother. His grandmother is a confident, hard working women who takes care of Juan. Her motive was to take care of Juan and make money. She is the protagonist of this story and she is a round and dynamic character. Juan’s mother is a eighteen year old who is poor and abandoned Juan at her mothers place to start a new life with another guy. Her motive was to start a new life and get money because she was really poor. She is the antagonist of this book and she is a round and dynamic character. The last character that was presented in this book was Juan’s father who was the caretaker of a rich mans house until he left Juan and his mother and went to the capital. His motive was t o go out at nights with his friends to have fun. He is a foil character and he is a flat and static character. The main setting of were this story took place was San Pablo, Guatemala. There was not a specific date. The weather conditions in this book were hot. The social conditions were very poor.                                                                                     I found this plot structure interesting. The exposition of this book was when the author introduced all of the characters and were the book took place. The rising action of this book is when Juan’s father left them and went to the capital. The climax of this book was when Juan’s mother abandoned him to marry a guy she met on the street. The falling action was when Juan had no were to go and started to cry. The resolution of this book was when Juan’s grandmother  took him in and took care of him. The main proplem was that Juan’s father and mother abandoned him. This prplem is external and the conflict in this book were man vs. man. The tone of this book was sad and happy at the end of the story. The mood of this book is unhappy and happy. the theme of this book is never give up. The moral of this book is no matter what has happened in your life never give up. This book is told in first person. The pattern of organization of this book is chronological. The authors perspective was subjective. Unfortunately I was not able to find any figurative launguage.                                                                                                                                                             All in all I really enjoyed reading this book, I would rate this book a eight out of ten. I recommend this book to boys and girls the ages of 10-12. I look forward  to read more of Ann Cameron’s novels.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Sincerely,                                                                                                                                             Roxanne Fine

Reader's Journal -Fiction

#3                                                 readers’ journal                                                8/06/11                                                                                                                                                            Dear Mrs. Zrihen,                                                                                                                                   

     I just finished a book called Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. This book was amazing it really touched my heart. A passage that really stood out to me was:

“ Sadako was puzzled. “ But how can that paper bird make me well?”                                                                                                                                                              “ Don’t you remember that old story about the crane?” Chizuko asked. “It’s supposed to live for a thousand years. If a sick person folds one thousand paper cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her healthy again. ”She handed the crane to Sadako. “ Here’s your first one.”                                                                                                                                                     Sadako’s eyes filled with tears. How kind of Chizuko to bring a good luck charm! Especially when her friend doesn’t really believe in such things. Sadako took the golden crane and made a wish.  

             I picked this passage because it is very significant to the passage. This passage is very significant to the text because it shows the readers how much Sadako’s friend cares and the emotion of Sadako and her friend. 

            I used many strategies before, during and after I read this book. One strategy that I used before I read this book was to look at the title of the book and try to get an idea of what the book was going to be about. Another strategy that I used before reading this book was to skim and scam through the book to see if there was any text features in the book. One strategy that I used during reading the book was to visualize the most important and intense parts of the book. One other strategy that I used during reading the book was to look at the text features so that I would be able to understand what was going on in the book. One strategy that I used after I read this book was to think about what I just read and reflect on it. The last strategy that I used was to make inferences about Sadako and her family and friends.                                               

                        There are many fiction elements in this book. The genre of this book is realistic fiction because the characters plot and settings are believable. There are many characters in this book. The main character of this book is Sadako, an eleven-year-old young girl who loved to run. Sadako’s motive for creating paper cranes was to get cured of leukemia because she believed that if you make a thousand paper cranes then you become better and are cured from that horrible disease. Sadako is the protagonist of this story and she is a round and dynamic character. Another character in this book is Masahiro Sadako’s older brother, which is fourteen years old. Masahiro is a foil character and a flat and static character. One other foil character is Mitsue Sadako’s younger sister, which is nine years old. Mitsue is a flat and dynamic character. Another foil character in this book is Eiji Sadako’s younger brother, which is six years old. He is also a flat and dynamic character. Another character in this book is Sadako’s best friend, Chizuko. Chizuko is a foil character. Other foil characters in this book are Sadakos classmates, her teacher, her mother and her father. The main setting of where this book takes place is in Hiroshima, Japan. Other main setting of where this book takes place is in the hospital of Japan. Another setting of where this book takes place is at Sadako’s school and home. This book started to take place from 1943 to 1955 when the United States Air Force attempted to end World War II by dropping an atom bomb on Japan. The weather conditions of those settings were foggy, cloudy and clear. The social condition of Sadako and her family were not rich but not poor.                                                                                               The plot structure of this book I found very interesting. The exposition of this book is when Sadako, her family and here friends were introduced in the book and also when the book was explaining what day it was, where Sadako and her family lived, what Sadako was doing and what she loved to do. The rising action of this book was when Sadako, her friends and family all went to the park were everybody in Japan goes to show respect and remembrance for those who died when the atom bomb was dropped on there city. Every year on August sixth the people of Japan remember those who died of the atom bomb and that day is none as a memorial day. The climax of this story was when Sadako ran a race against other schools to represent her school and after she ran the race and won she became very dizzy for a long time but she thought it was from running so she didn’t think anything of it. A couple weeks later she ran to her school like she always does but this time she felt dizzy and sick and then she fell to the floor and became unconscious lucky for her her teacher saw her fall and rushed her to the hospital. After she went to the hospital her family found out that she had leukemia. The falling action of this book was when Sadakos friend visited her at the hospital and gave her a gift. The gift that Sadakos friend gave to her was a piece of gold paper and scissors so that Sadako can make a thousand paper cranes so that she will be granted one wish.The resolution in this book was when Sadako was trying to make a thousand paper cranes but could not finish making them because her hands really hurt and she became severely sick and soon later she died. The main conflict in this book was that Sadako got a disease called leukemia. This book is external. Most of the conflicts in this book were man vs. man and man vs. society. The tone of this book was thoughtful and depressed. The mode of this book was sad and scared. The theme of this book is survival and friendship. The moral of this story is to always have hope and never give up. This book is told in first person .The pattern of organization of this book is chronological order and the author’s purpose is to share and entertain. The author’s perspective is subjective because the book is in Sadako’s point of view and you can tell whom she likes and dislikes because it is written in the story.                                   

I was able to identify some’ figurative language when I was reading. “Masahiro began to talk about girls who ate like dragons.’’ That sentence is a simile because it compared girls to hungry dragons by using the word like. “ Sadako was sure that they would always be as close as two pine needles on the same twig.’’ That sentence is a simile because it’s comparing their friendship as close as pine needles on the same twig. “ Don’t be such a turtle!’’ That sentence is a metaphor because it is comparing how slow her friend to a turtle. “ Sadako thought the doves looked like spirits of the dead flying in to the freedom of the skies.’’ That sentence is a simile because it compares the doves to the spirits. “ Then the heat prickled my eyes like needles.’’ That sentence is a simile because it is comparing her prickled eyes to needles.                               

I really enjoyed this book even though it was sad. I recommend this book to eight through twelve year olds. I rate this book a ten out of ten because it was amazing!!!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Sincerely,                                                                                                                                                  Roxanne Fine