To Kill A Mocking Bird

Journal #3
Chapters 8-9
Perspective of Atticus

Dear Diary,

Today it started to snow. The only other time I can remember it snowing was in 1885. The kids love it. They asked me how to make a snowman, but I had no idea. Jem really is smart. He thought of a way to make a snowman and just started with the idea. He first went to go get more snow and get some earth too. After he made it, it almost looked like Mr.Avery. I told Jem he would have to change something on it so it did not look like Mr.Avery. After all of that it still looked good. Which I was unanimous with it.

Next day I wake up the kids because Miss Maudie's house is on fire. We rush over to help her. I tell the kids to go stand over near the Radley's house to stay safe. I help the firefighters with getting all the furniture out. Mr.Avery decides to go to the second floor a throw her mattress out of the window. Then when he tries to get out of there he gets stuck. but he made it in the end. When the fire is taken care of we go back home. I ask Scout where she got the blanket she had on from. Both Jem and Scout have no idea. I told them it was Bo who gave it to her. Boo is chameleon that is why they did not see him. After that Jem tells me the truth about everything they have been up to. Before work I go by and tell Miss Maudie what the kids told me. Surprisingly she was not grieving over her house. She was more happy about it because she said now she can have more garden space instead of a huge house.

Next we go up to Finch's Landing for Christmas. Scout tells me about people telling her about me defending a negro. Which I am doing because I will never live with myself if I didn't try. I tell Scout not to care about what people say. We go to the train station to meet up with my brother Jack. Uncle Jack brought my gift. I got Jem and Scout air riffles for Christmas. Scout keeps cussing and I think she might have picked it up from school. She tries to be nice to Francis but he is just a mean kid.

After Scout beats up Francis I have a talk with Jack. I hoped Scout evasion Francis. Scout is really getting tormented with Christmas. to We start to talk about the case. I tell him that I will lose because it is the Ewell's word against a Negros. I also told him how Scout and Jem will get a lot of flack from this case and how they have to be strong and to not care about what people say. I knew Scout was listening so when I give my point I tell her to get back to bed. I think she thought she was being sneaky about it, but I knew the whole time.

-Atticus Finch

To Kill A Mockingbird

Journal #2
Chapters 4-7
Perspective of Ms. Maudie Atkins

Dear Diary,

I just say Scout today. She went near the Radley's house and pulled something out of a tree. I am not sure what she pulled out of it but I hope it was hers because it is not nice to steal from other people. I keep seeing Scout, Jem, and Dill playing a new game. I think they are reenacting Arthur Radley's life story. One day I saw them act out a scene where Arthur stabbed his own father. I have to say it look real. I almost went to see if they really stabbed him, but from another angle he really swung and missed.

I have actually acquired a new friend. Atticus's daughter, Scout. She seems very interested with the Radley house. She asked me if I think Arthur is still alive. Which my reply was yes. Even though you stay indoors all the time does not mean you are dead.

Next day things got strange. I hear a gun shot and hurry over to the crowd in front of the Radley house. It seems Nathan Radley shot his gun to scare a negro away. But then the Finch children and Dill come running up looking all scared. The son of Atticus, Jem is missing pants.

After that day the kids keep on finding these little gifts in the tree. But Nathan was not happy and I saw him filling the hole with cement so the kids could not mess with it anymore.

Sincerely,
Maudie Atkins

To Kill a Mocking Bird

Journal #1
Chapters 1-3
Perspective of Jem

Sadly I break my arm. I was afraid I would not be able to play football anymore. People thought I was a little eccentric for only thinking about football. Scout and I start to think of our past in Maycomb. With our father Atticus only because our mother died two years after Scout was born.Scout and I found a new friend named Charles Barker Harris but we call him Dill for short. We told him the stories about Arthur Radley. Which made me feel very intimidated. Arthur Radley is indigenous to Maycomb. He lived there is whole life. We told him the time Arthur stabbed his father with scissors. What everyone calls him in Maycomb is Boo like a ghost. It Dill irked me because he seemed more interested in the house more then he was afraid of it.

The next day we go to school and I find Scout beating up a kid named Walter Cunningham. I made her stop. She told me she was beating him up because of lunch. The Cunningham's will not take anything from anyone if they can not pay it back. Instead of beating him up I decide to invite him to dinner with us. We all go to dinner and Walter and Atticus keep talking about crops. Scout gets called in by Calpurnia. Scout comes back but picks up her plate and goes back. I think she finished her dinner in there.

NAME Marea Shanks DATE February 18,2010
BOOK The Lightning Thief
AUTHOR Rick Riordan PAGES 148-242
TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 94

What in the book upsets you or bothers you? Why?

Something that bothered me in The Lightning Thief was the gods traveling. I wish the gods would stay in Greece to bring more of the Greek culture out instead of just bringing only one part of the culture. Also putting the Gods some where else then Greece is very weird to hear. Something strange that also happened is when the Percy gets the quest and that creepy mummified person.

Explain how the author creates suspense in this book.

The Author creates suspense by mentioning clues to what will happen. Like the three old ladies that cut the string, and they only show up when someone is going to die. Or when Percy gets the quest and the oracle says he will return what was stolen, lose something close to him, and someone will turn on him. It keeps raising more questions of what will happen.

Weekly Reading Response

NAME Marea Shanks DATE February 10, 2010
BOOK The Lightning Thief
AUTHOR Rick Riordan PAGES 81-148
TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 67

What has surprised you in the book? Why?

Something that surprised me in the book is when Percy is playing capture the flag and he goes into water he is more powerful. I also like the part right after that when a hellhound gets into camp. Which means someone asked for it to come in. So that means someone evil is in camp, someone who does not want Percy to survive. Then what surprised me was Percy getting the quest. I thought maybe he would be to young to go on a quest. But once they found out he was a god then they put him right on a quest.

Which character would you like (or not like) to be your friend? Why?

Some people I would like to have as my friends is Percy and Luke. I would want to be friends with Percy because he is a sweet guy and very interesting. He never has a boring moment and he likes to have fun. I would like to have Luke as my friend because he is like a big brother. He watches out for you and he will teach you sword fighting.

Weekly Reading Response

NAME Marea Shanks DATE February 4, 2010
BOOK The Lightning Thief
AUTHOR Rick Riordan PAGES 1-81
TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 81

What does this book remind you of in your own life? Why?

The Lightning Thief reminds me about several in life. The book does not show me a lot of my own life but some scenarios I have seen is Percy does not know who is real birth father is, just like many foster children do not know their birth parents some time. Also having strange friends like Percy and Grover, but your friend might not be half horse.
Their are tons of other examples like not knowing what will happen next. Percy runs into creatures without knowing when they will come.

Do you think you would read another book by this author? Why or why not?

I am very sure I am going to read another story by Rick Riordan. I was also of thinking of reading the rest of the series. I want to read other books by this other because I am a fan of Greek Mythology. This book was just the right fit for someone like me. The book is also not to fairytale. The author refers to real Greek history.

The Lovely Bones

The book I want to read is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I want to read The Lovely Bones because I do not know anyone else who has read the book. I also want to read the book before the movie comes out. I also love mystery stories.