“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