Cynthia’s Comments (group member since May 22, 2014)

Cynthia’s comments from the Reading Rams Summer I, 2014 group.

Jenna wrote: "I wonder why the author chose to write this story in the perspective of Winnie when the Tuck's perspective would be so much more insightful. Do you think it was to give the readers a chance to thin..."

I can understand why the author chose Winnie's point of view. The book would have been huge if she followed the Tucks throughout their eighty plus years of life. I also feel that Winnie's point of view lends itself to a plethora of discussion topics that might not have been there if it was written from a different perspective. I personally would love to see the author write a follow up story about Winnie's journey, but it would also be interesting to read the story from the Tucks' perspective as well.

I have seen the movie Tuck Everlasting a couple of times, and I was convinced that I had read the book before, but I do not believe I have. When I initially began reading this book, I was a little annoyed by the pretentious language used by the author. It was almost as if she tried to take the most simple of sentences and turn it into something barely understandable. “Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone.” When I first read it, I thought to myself, “What is she even talking about?” I skimmed through the long-winded description of the woods. I could barely read it through all of my eye rolling. However, when Winnie finally meets Jesse Tuck the language ceased to bother me. In fact, it became almost magical. I love how she described the Tuck’s house, especially when Winnie describes the chairs in the parlor as “strangers at a party, ignoring each other.” It creates a brilliantly vivid picture in my mind. I went back and tried to re-read the beginning to see if it was just my brain not wanting to process the high level of academic writing, but it was still difficult to get through. I am not sure why I felt such a change after the Tuck’s introduction, but there is definitely something that changes for me that allows me to enjoy the heightened language.
In the end, I truly enjoyed this story. I am generally the type of person who enjoys the book version over the movie, but I can say that I appreciated the fact that Winnie was older in the movie. It was a little disconcerting for a seventeen-year-old boy to be talking about marriage with a ten-year-old girl. What I love most about this novel is the amount of authentic discussions that can develop from this novel. I am curious as to why Winnie never drank the water. At the end of the final chapter, it seems that Winnie has every intention of going back to the spring and living forever. What changed her mind? What happened to her? Did she forget about Jesse? Did she feel guilty that she never found Jesse? There are so many more questions that I could ask. I would have loved for the author to write another novel about Winnie’s life after her encounter with the Tucks. Many other discussions can arise from this novel as well. What would it be like to live forever? Would you want to? Was this secret important enough for Mae to kill someone? Is there ever a justification for killing someone? The discussion topics are endless, but more importantly, I feel that the discussions will be perpetrated by the students rather than led by the teacher!

Shanay wrote: "I bought "Because of Winn-Dixie" last year because I wanted to read it to my 5th grade class. After being reassigned as a primary grade teacher I somewhat forgot about reading the book. I never rea..."

I loved how you mentioned that Winn-Dixie brought together a group of people who might not otherwise have gotten a chance to know each other. It is amazing the connection that animals can create among people. The love that each character had for Winn-Dixie brought tears to my eyes at several points during the story. I loved how they did everything they could to take care of that precious creature.

V. wrote: "The entrance of Winn-Dixie into Opal’s life seems to have opened so many doors for her. She met lots of people who became good friends. As we learn more about each of them, they are real people w..."

I love the point you made about Winn-Dixie opening doors for Opal. I feel like the character of Winn-Dixie was simply an expansion of Opal. She was able to make friends because she had the security of Winn-Dixie by her side. Each character that was introduced and loved by Opal was a character that taught Opal, and the reader, a valuable lesson. It was a great read.

V. wrote: "Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery – I like a good mystery, but I steer clear of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. The art on the cover is more like the latter so I wasn’t sure I would like reading ..."

I did not realize that "Take good care of my baby" was a song, but that line makes so much more sense now, so thank you! I agree that Chester's main goal was to protect his family, he just went a little overboard with his methods. Chester was such a great character and provided much entertainment for the readers.

Jenna wrote: "This book really did it's best to tug at your heart strings! Anyone else not planning a circus trip for awhile? Applegate did a fantastic job of giving these animals a voice and a raw and realistic..."

I agree that this novel did truly tug at my heart strings. I think what I loved the most was discovering that the character of Ivan was based on an actual gorilla in the Atlanta zoo. I have never been a big circus fan anyway, but between this novel and Water for Elephants I have no interest in ever seeing one.

The One and Only Ivan is a splendidly written novel. I loved everything about it, from the concept behind the story to the way in which the author writes the story. I found it interesting how the author placed the words on each page; it almost appeared to have the format of a poem. This is another great example of how the voice can influence the message of the story. This novel is exquisitely written and so touching. The relationship between Ruby and Ivan is heartwarming to watch unfold through the course of the story. The characters are easy to love and I was quickly drawn into caring about their well-being and their future.
The author grasped my curiosity with the first page, “I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It’s not as easy as it looks.” So simple, yet so powerful! I was utterly intrigued by the format of this novel. It appeared to be a relatively lengthy book, and I was slightly concerned that it would take me a while to get through it. I was pleasantly surprised to see that each page had few words. As I continued to read the story, I realized the author formatted the novel as an homage to the character of Ivan. I felt like I was getting a glimpse into Ivan’s personal thought. My favorite page in the book was the page entitled “outside at last”. It contains twelve one-word sentences describing what he is seeing for the first time. I could feel how overwhelmed he was and how excited by the last three sentences, “Mine. Mine. Mine.” This is a brilliantly executed story.
I purchased the collector’s edition of the novel which included a letter from the author. In this letter the author explains that though The One and Only Ivan is a work of fiction, it is based in truth. In 1993, she read an article about a gorilla living in a circus-themed mall in Washington State. She wanted to tell Ivan’s story because the image of young Ivan being ripped from his home and transported to America to live in a tiny cage in a mall haunted her. The collector’s edition also includes a letter from the zookeeper who took care of Ivan in his final eighteen years living at a zoo in Atlanta. I thoroughly relished the opportunity to read this beautiful letter from someone who had such an remarkable bond with this magnificent animal. It made the novel even more enjoyable knowing that it had its basis in fact.

Shanay wrote: "This was my first time reading Bunnicula. The title of the story and the book cover had me worried. I thought "oh goodness here's a story about a vampire bunny." As I began reading it, it seemed mo..."

I also loved Chester's imagination. I think that is what made him such a great foil! You cannot tell if it was his imagination that made him see all these "signs" that Bunnicula was a vampire, or if it was the truth!

Jennifer wrote: "I have not ever read this book. I liked it. Papa has placed an ad in the newspaper for a wife. He realizes that his children need a mother figure in their lives and he needs companionship. I wo..."

Though I was not a fan of this book, I do recognize that Sarah was a strong and courageous woman. I appreciated the fact that she wanted to learn how to drive the carriage and helped Papa out on the farm. You put it beautifully when you stated that she "may have been plain and tall, but she was strong and committed."

Surprisingly, I adored this book. It was a surprise to me that I liked this book because I was initially reluctant to read it. I must admit that I have never read this book, or any other Kate DiCamillo novel, so I am not sure where the reluctance came from. My thought process was that this was a book about a girl and a dog, sounds boring. However, once I started to read it I was entranced. At the very beginning of the book, there is a paragraph that compares Opal’s father to a turtle “hiding inside its shell, inside thinking about things and never sticking its head out into the world.” This one quote sounded so profound. The charming artistry of the words drew me into the story. I began using flags to mark all of the quotes that touched me. By the end of the novel I had seven quotes marked. I am an avid dog-person. I have two of my own, and the description of Winn-Dixie reminded me so much of my dog Elvis. I admired the character of Winn-Dixie. He is the driving force behind the story and all of his actions are done out of unintentional and unconditional love. He influenced the lives of so many characters in the story by being a creature who loves without prejudice. That is the great thing about dogs. They do not judge you on your past but rather the person you are at that very moment. The character of Gloria Dump says it best when she tells Opal, “you can’t always judge people by the things they done. You got to judge them by what they are doing now.” This is such an insightful statement and an achingly beautiful way to express the theme of this novel. I stepped into the lives of the characters and glimpsed the ability of community to help overcome sorrows and the joy in finding new friends to walk through life with you. The magnificent one-sided conversations and the vibrant interactions between Opal and Winn-Dixie were heartbreakingly gentle and moving. Opal connected to Winn-Dixie quickly and deeply. She identified with his plight and used his situation to understand and come to terms with her own. I am so glad that I had the chance to read this book. It was a pleasant surprise and I look forward to experiencing many more surprises as we journey through these fifteen books this summer.

Shanay wrote: "Freckle Juice was such a cute book. It reminded me of a time when I wanted freckles as a child and hair passed my behind. I would pray every night that God would give me long hair and freckles!
I d..."

Shanay- I, like you and V, have also always wanted to change my appearance. I have naturally curly hair. It didn't get truly curly until I hit puberty. I spent the next several years trying to deal with fixing my hair. I had to learn how to take care of it and how to style it. Every single time I would complain my mother would tell me, "People pay tons of money to have hair like yours." Any time I complained about anything about my appearance, that would be the first thing out of her mouth. I heard it a million times. She also told me that I looked exactly like she had always wanted to look. Rather it was true or not, it definitely helped me to accept and appreciate the way I look! Now that I know how to style and take care of my curly hair, I love it...most days.

I have not read Bunnicula in years, and I had forgotten how great it is. As a child, I was a huge fan of mysteries, and this is definitely a mystery novel. I love how the authors created the story from the perspective of the family dog. Harold’s voice is that of a young child. He questions vocabulary, idioms, and Chester’s motives. It is a creative way to answer questions for the audience without simply defining new vocabulary or writing too much exposition to get the reader caught up on characters. I remember loving this book when I was younger, but as I read it again, I do not remember much about it. It made me laugh aloud on many occasions, and it had the best scene defining homophones that I have ever read. Chester reads a book that tells him that in order to kill a vampire; you pound a sharp stake into his heart. The description of Chester laying a steak over poor Bunnicula and trying to pound it into his heart was hysterical. I could picture the ridiculousness of this scene in my head and it made me audibly laugh! This small scene can launch a brilliant discussion on homophones; what they mean, how they are used, differences in spellings.
This is another great story that highlights the pitfalls of prejudice. I believe that even young students can recognize the mistakes Chester made in his rush to judge Bunnicula. This brilliantly written novel is a fun way to introduce vocabulary and the concept of prejudice to young students. The mystery aspect of this novel entices the reader to continue with the story in hopes of discovering Bunnicula’s true nature. Harold’s innocent and humorous voice keeps the reader entertained and his innocence teaches the reader vocabulary concepts as well as answers questions pivotal to the story. The character of Chester is a great foil to the theme of prejudice and the snares that we allow ourselves to fall into when we judge someone before knowing him or her. I also found the end of the story, where the authors make fun of the stereotypical therapy sessions as is evidenced by Chester’s comment “And in order to truly communicate, Harold, you have to really be in touch with yourself. Are you in touch with yourself, Harold?” Another moment that made me laugh aloud. Great book, amazing read!

Shanay wrote: "This book is always a good read. I enjoyed it that much better this time around. I still find it funny that Papa put an ad in the paper for a wife and to have someone respond is bizarre. Then again..."

Shanay- I agree that the ad for a wife was bizarre. Depending on the age of the students reading the book, it might cause quite a discussion. It is not something most children would understand or relate to, and some background knowledge would definitely need to be built. I liked that Sarah was a strong female character, but I liked little else about this book. Part of it could be because I am reading it as an adult, rather than a child. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it.

I have never read Sarah, Plain, and Tall, but have heard so much about it. However, I was expecting something more. The story itself was slightly problematic, but the sentence structure is the main issue for me. I can see how this might be helpful for a new, or struggling, reader, but I did not enjoy the choppiness of the sentences. They were very short and at times, the description seemed to be random thoughts jotted down by the author. I know that this story may be an easy read for students who are struggling, but I do not appreciate the fact that it introduces very little high level vocabulary.
I was watching the movie “The Princess Bride” a few weeks ago. There is a point where a character goes on a rant and uses the word putrescence. I commented to my sister that this is the reason we have such great vocabularies. These are the types of words introduced to us through children’s movies. There seems to be movement to, in my opinion, dumb down the language in books, movies and television shows designed for children. It frustrates me in so many ways. How do you expect our children and students to have an expanded vocabulary without exposing them to words? Many people will argue that it is because they will not understand them. As a young child, I did not understand the meaning of putrescence, but I was able to infer the meaning through context clues. Did I know this vocabulary as a ten-year-old, no? However, since I was motivated to know the meaning of the word, I figured it out. If we expect our students to figure out the meaning, and we put them in a context where they are motivated to find it out, they will have a chance to utilize the strategies they have in their arsenal.
The character of Sarah is also an annoyance in this story. I am not sure if the author was trying to foreshadow, or teach us about Maine, but the amount of times Sarah says, “In Maine, …” was a little frustrating to me. As an adult, I am reading and thinking to myself, “Who cares about Maine? You have got these great kids who are excited to have you in their life and you are whining!” Also, she is the one that chose to move there in the first place! So, not one of my favorite books so far, but at least now I can say I have read it.

Shanay wrote: "This year my students read several books of Patricia Pollaco, Thank you Mr. Falker was one of them and each time they noticed how similar the drawings were. This story is no different, I could tell..."

Shanay- I agree that Patricia Polacco has a very distinct artistic style that is evident in every book she creates. Having read many of her other books, I know that art was an escape for her. A way for her to feel successful when she was utterly failing in everything else because of her dyslexia. She is able to create a stunning story within every picture she draws! I am so inspired by Patricia Polacco's journey and her courage to tell it in her books.

V. wrote: "This is the first book I have read by Patricia Polacco. I enjoyed it and will have to check out other books she has authored. It begins with the illustrations of both mothers sending their sons o..."

V.- I strongly encourage you to read Thank You, Mr. Falker and The Junkyard Wonders. These are my two favorite Patricia Polacco books. She is such an amazing story teller. I believe it is because she makes her books to personal. Just as in Pink and Say, Patricia uses her life experiences and stories to touch the lives of others. I have read Thank You, Mr. Falker at least twenty times, and I get teary eyed every single time!

V. wrote: "The background to the text in Smoky Night is full of texture and color which could be a visual representation of the chaos created by riots. Using matches as part of the texture before the story b..."

V.- I was mesmerized by the illustrations as well. The detail and texture that was created on each page was stunning. I loved how it connected to the story as well. I had never read this book before, but so far it has been one of the greatest treasures.

Cathy wrote: "I really like this book and I loved the illustrations. While reading this book I was reminded of the Rodney King incident and I wondered if this was where the writer got the idea. With each page I ..."

Cathy- I agree that this would be a great book to introduce the concept of prejudice and what it means. Even young children can grasp this concept and have probably felt it themselves. This would be a great book to open that topic of conversation with your students, no matter how young.

Jenna wrote: "This book is so cute! I agree that it demonstrates how books can transform us and transport us but I think it would also be fun to use this book with older students to gauge their knowledge of lite..."

Jenna- I like your idea of using this book as a discussion point for books that are similar. I believe that in older students, their love for reading starts to be eclipsed by a multitude of things. Allowing them to discuss with each other the idea of books, get excited about books with other students, and recommend books to each other might open the possibility that there are other children their age who enjoy reading as well.

V. wrote: "Judy Blume exposes several fallacies of the human race in her story for second graders, Freckle Juice. First of all, human beings always seem to desire what we can’t have. It wasn’t in Andrew’s ge..."

V.- I had the opposite reaction that you did. I didn't think that Mrs. Kelly affirmed their belief in themselves because at the end, Sharon is trying to sell her "secret formula" to Nicky. Andrew probably will not try to get freckles again, but not because he does not still want them, but because he was tricked by another student. That is how I interpreted the story.