“Slower Than the Rest” by Cynthia Rylant

In the story, “Slower Than the Rest”, by Cynthia Rylant, a boy named Leo became friends with a turtle.  Leo was considered slower than most kids his age because he learned a lot slower.  Leo and the turtle were great friends because they both moved slowly. 

 In the story, Cynthia Rylant was able to show readers how friends can make tough situations better. One way the story showed that friends can make situations better was when Leo felt bad about being taken out of his fourth grade classroom.  The story said, “He saw no way to be happy after that”, because Leo was so sad.  However, the story also said that, “Charlie took care of Leo’s happiness, and he did it by being congenial.”  Leo was sad because of his switch into another class, but Charlie made it much better for him.  Charlie being a nice turtle helped Leo to see the positive side of things.

Charlie also helped to make fifth grade better because Charlie was someone to talk to privately every day.  Since Leo thought Charlie was a wise turtle, the same way he thought older people were wise, Leo felt comfortable talking to Charlie.  A comforting friend to talk to always makes things better.  Leo knew that he could trust Charlie, and that made Leo feel much better about things.

Another key point from the story that showed friends make situations better is when Leo took Charlie to school.  School was not the best place for Leo, especially since he was held back in fourth grade.  When Leo took Charlie to school, Charlie helped Leo feel fast and confident for the first time in a long time.  By having Charlie help Leo through such tough times, Cynthia Rylant was able to show how friendship can make life better.

         Given these points, I learned from the story that friends can certainly help to make tough situations easier get through.  In the beginning of the story, Leo was a very sad boy because of his slowness.  By the end of the story, Leo was a lot happier because of his friendship with Charlie the turtle.  Charlie helped Leo to realize that he was not the only person slow at things.  Friendship is important because friends are always there for you when you need them to help make any situation better, or easier to deal with.  

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen is a beautiful book about a boy and his father who go owling. In the book, the boy is so excited to finally get to go owling with his dad. The boy is quiet, because he understands the importance of silence in finding owls. As the dad continues to owl call, they finally receive a response. The two come closer to the sound, and soon find the owl responding to them. The dad and the boy are very quiet, so as not to scare the owl off. The owl and the two stare at each other for a while, until the owl flies off. In the end the boy, even though he can now be loud, chooses to be as quiet as a “shadow” as he goes home, content with his visit with the owl. 

Author's use of language - similes and metaphors

Boy's relationship with his dad - special - looked up to dad

Boy's feeling about going owling

How the story would have been different if a different person (dad) or a narrator was telling the story

Check out some of the BEST WORK I've done so far this year!

1. What is Peace 
2. The Most Important Thing About Me 
3. Ollin Farms - What I learned
4. Genius Hour Research 

Girls First Ski Jump

The video made me think that you can't accomplish anything if you aren't willing to "jump".  The little girl was obviously very nervous to ski down the jump.  I know this because she kept saying, "You can do this."  I have never skied down a large hill like she did, but I have felt the same way that I inferred she was feeling before, scared to try something new.  For example, when I learned how to swim when I was 23 years old.  Going under water without holding my nose was terrifying.  I felt as proud as the girl did in the video when I finally went under water without holding my nose and without taking in so some much water that I felt like I was going to drown.    I didn't shout out, "I did it!", like she did, but I wanted to.  I think the message is...you can't accomplish anything unless you are willing to JUMP! 

Watch the video by clicking on this link. 

Link for Writing Conference/Small Group Reflection

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Thoughts about My Brother Dan's Delicious by Steven Layne

As a class, we recently read My Brother Dan's Delicious by Steven Layne.  In this book, the main character, Joey, has everything going for him: he's smart, he's finally eight (and a half), and his parents at last understand he's old enough to be left at home alone until his older brother, Dan, comes home. Joey soon realizes that his parents have announced to the whole world that he has been left home alone. Joey lets his imagination run wild and convinces himself that there is a monster in the house. He decides to appeal to the monsters hunger by persuading him that his older brother Dan is a more delicious choice.  When Dan finally comes home, Joey is so delighted he hugs him like he hasn't seen him in months.    

Joey is motivated to feed his brother to the monsters because without telling us directly Joey is terrified of being alone in his house.  I know this because throughout the story Joey checks each room and each closet for monsters.  As he checks each room, he shouts out, "My Brother Dan is Delicious.", to convince the monsters to eat Dan.  He also gives many reasons why eating his brother Dan is better than eating a small, smart, fast, candy eating eight year old.  Joey is motivated to feed his brother Dan to the monsters because he is scared to be home alone.

I know how Joey felt because once I was home alone too. I was scared because it was a thunderstorm and I had left the back door open.  I was feeling frightened similar to the way Joey was feeling, but not wanting to admit it.  Like Joey, I checked every room for possible invaders (or people).  I did not encourage the possible people in the house to eat my sister, but I did bang pots and pans to scare them away. Just like Joey, I was scared when I was home alone, which is

why I think he was really scared  of the monsters in his house even though he never admitted it.  
   

Thoughts about A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon is an interesting story about a girl who wants to fit in. She wants to fit in so much that she would do what people wanted her to do, even if that wasn't exactly who she was. For example she loved to eat lima beans, but because she knew most people thought they were gross she also pretended like she thought they were gross. One day, when she was figuring out what to wear to school that would impress everyone, something happened. Her skin turns into stripes! The story continues as she turns into whatever people say about her until she finally learns to be herself again. She "cures" herself by eating a handful of lima beans, the same beans that she pretended she didn't like.

I think the author’s message is that if you pretend to be what other people like or think you should be then you don't have control over your life anymore. Camilla begin to literally “fit in” throughout the story when her skin continue to change based on what people said.  What I personally took away from this book is to be who you really are. If people pick on you for it then they aren't really your friends. For example, when she kept becoming what everyone wanted her to become all the kids laughed and picked on her, but when she was herself in the end everyone accepted her.  True friends accept you no matter what you look like or like.