Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself
I got confused when I read a 'story'. In my book, Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, Sally is an imaginative girl that likes to make up stories. When the first story began, it confused me. I had no idea that the author was actually writing out the story that Sally made up in her head. As Sally lay in bed, the story began, and I wondered if the story had actually happened. In her story, Sally is a hero for escaping a crazy man that tries-and fails- to tie her up. She then becomes a famous detective and movie star. Until I realized it wasn't real, I was very confused. The story was nothing like Judy Blume(the author)'s usual writing style, and I had to go back and reread.
Milkweed
A word I didn't know was 'Jackboots'. A little boy living alone in the streets of Warsaw, Poland hears it: shouted, in fear "The Jackboots are coming!" I did not think, as the boy did, that this word meant feetless boots, but I soon learned the true meaning. As hundreds of shiny-booted Nazis march down the boulevard, ready to conquer, it became only to clear to me that the word 'Jackboots' means that this little book-world will never be the same. Learning this word was a bit of a challenge for me. They did not directly say " They're Nazis. Jackboots means Nazis." which would have been to easy. Instead, I used knowledge I had of that time period and part of the world. Another reason the word 'Jackboots' was confusing was because it was a silly, mocking name for a thing so serious, it was hard to connect the word to its meaning.
Posted by: alexandrap in: My entries
Modified on October 10, 2005 at 11:49 AM
Describe the Setting
My SSR book is called Sister Spider Knows All. It takes place in Tallahassee, Florida, in the present time. Much of the book is set in the house of the main character. You can always hear the TV, and the bugs buzzing just outside. It is a small, cluttered house that always smells like dust and cigarrette smoke, a musty, familiar smell. Chairs and tables are covered in craft supplies, and in the living room, a single, overstuffed recliner sits in front of the much-used television. Some of the book takes place in a flea market, where there are booths set up every few feet, all overflowing with miscellanous items, mostly old junk, but some goods, paintings, incense, jewelry, tires, even fresh fruit. It is always loud, a jumble of sales pitches and ordinary talking, even running footsteps over the concrete floor. This book is set in the lower class side of the city.
Posted by: alexandrap in: My entries
Modified on September 8, 2005 at 2:16 PM