Quarter 4 Choice Book Report

Part 1

I read the book Scat by Carl Hiaasen.  The main character in this book is Nick Waters.  He lives in the sunny and beautiful Naples, Florida.  Nick’s best friend is Marta and they both attend Truman… They both have the “meanest” teacher in the whole school, Mrs. Starch.  Nick’s father is in the National Guard and overseas. I think three characteristics that would describe Nick Waters is caring, sneaky, and courageous.

I think Nick is courageous because when he is concerned about where Mrs. Starch is and what happened to her, he sneaks into her house. I think that is a VERY courageous and brave move, although it may not be the smartest.  Another courageous and brave action made by Nick is when he is in the Black Vine Swamp and he climbs a tree to bring a baby panther back to its mother.  While climbing the tall tree, he slips and breaks his arm. He didn’t quite fall to the ground though.  He knew that returning the lost baby panther to its mother was very important and crucial because the cub wasn’t able to live on its own.  Because of this, Nick fights to keep climbing to the top of the tree.  When he completes his mission, he falls from the tree and black’s-out on the surface of the swamp land.

Another characteristic I would describe Nick as is caring.  He cared SO much about the baby panther.  He wanted it to survive because the panther was an endangered species with only about 60-100 of the cats left.  Nick also cared about the laws.  When Nick finds out that the Red Diamond Energy Corporation is working on illegal property, he wants to help stop this act.  A major thing that Nick cared about was his teacher, Mrs. Starch.  Mrs. Starch wasn’t Nick’s favorite teacher in the world, but because she was never seen after going into an arson fire, he wanted to find out where she was and make sure she was okay.  He went to BIG extremes to make sure she was alive.

                Sneaky is another characteristic that would describe Nick Waters.  Nick sneaks into Mrs. Starch’s house.  He was smart to look around for a key, which he found, rather than breaking in.  I also thought Nick was sneaky because he would sneak out into the Black Vine Swamp with Marta and Twilly, without the community and citizens of Naples knowing.  They weren’t supposed to be on the state and other people’s property.

                I think Nick was very brave, courageous, caring, sneaky, and concerned.  I don’t think Nick ever wanted to break the law or hurt anyone or anything.  Nick Waters just wanted to save the endangered species of the panther.

                         

Quarter 3 Choice Book Report

Part 1



I read the book Something Like Fate.  The author of this book is Susane Colasanti.  The main character’s name is Lani.  She is a high school student in New Jersey. She has dazzling blue eyes. She also has a scar on her forehead from the “accident” which she hides with her bangs. She also is brave and caring. Since Lani loves helping the environment, I would also characterize her as being “green”.

 She loves everything about being “green”. She recycles as much as possible, is in “green” clubs at school, and more! Lani is in a club at school called Our World. The main goal of the club is to help the earth’s environment be healthier and cleaner.  She advises everyone to throw anything they are able to in the recycling bin at lunch time.  Her parents have jobs having to do with the environment, so she believes that it is impossible for her not to want to be a part of that kind of life.  She believes that it is part of her “fate” to want to help the environment.

            Another characteristic I would describe Lani as is that she is caring.  She cares about how everybody is feeling and doesn’t want to offend anyone in any sort of way.  But at one part in the book, she makes a mistake. She lets out a secret about Blake. When the whole school finds out, which doesn’t take long, she feels very bad. Blake has mixed emotions about the whole incident. He is mad, sad, depressed, relieved, and many more.  Lani really cares about his feelings and regrets the mistake she made. Another example of when Lani is caring is when she likes her best friend’s, Erin, boyfriend, Jason. She really wants to see him and hang out with him, but she knows it would be wrong of her to be with him when Erin and Jason are in a relationship.  She cares so much about how Erin would feel if she went out with him while they were still in a relationship.

            The third characteristic that describes Lani is brave.  She overcame her biggest fear! Lani was so scared of swimming because of the “accident” years ago.  Jason, Lani’s friend, is a life guard. He is determined to teach Lani to swim. At the moment, Lani is afraid of lakes and pools.  She doesn’t like to be submerged in water.  When Jason tries to teach Lani, she becomes VERY brave because she goes into the lake a ways in.  She is very nervous, but stays calm.  Another reason I chose brave as a characteristic that describes Lani is because when she is getting teased at school, she is brave.  She stands up to the people that are mean to her.

            I the three characteristics that I thought described Lani the most were that she is caring, brave, and loves being “green”.

Part 2



The book Something Like Fate has many conflicts.  Lani, the main character, ends up facing most of the conflicts too.

            One of the main conflicts is that Erin and Jason are going out together.  Erin and Lani think they are going to be BFF’s for life because of what happened during the “accident”.  When Erin goes to camp that summer, Lani and Jason get to know each other. When Lani believes she is starting to like Jason, she tries to stay away from him because she doesn’t’ want to be a boyfriend stealer! But Lani can’t resist seeing Jason. When they start getting to know each other more, Jason and Lani realize that they have known each other for a long time!  I mean, they haven’t actually been friends or talked to each other, but when they were little, they used to play in the sandbox together at the park by the train tracks.  They think that they have so much in common and that they are prefect soul mates.  Lani feels horrible and guilty that she is seeing Jason when he and Erin are still in a relationship.  Eventually Jason writes a letter to Erin while she is at camp.  The letter says that he is breaking up with her because they don’t have that much in common and that the relationship isn’t working out.  When Erin gets back from camp and she finds out what has been going on all summer between Lani and Jason, she gets furious! She convinces the whole school that Lani is a boyfriend stealer and she is a bad person.  Erin is SO mad at Lani and doesn’t want to be friends with her anymore. She tells Lani that the only way she could forgive her, would be to stop seeing Jason. The major conflict in this situation was that Lani still wants to be friends with Erin, but she also wants to keep seeing Jason. She solves the conflict by deciding that someone else shouldn’t be able to make decisions for her. Lani thinks that it is her fate to be with Jason, or is it? Erin realizes that she shouldn’t be making decisions for Lani either and that Lani should be able to live her life the way she wants. This conflict is an internal conflict.

            Another conflict in the book was that Blake is gay, but no one knows except Lani.  Blake trusts her very much and believes in her that she will keep it a secret.  He doesn’t want to tell anyone because he knows his father would be VERY mad after he would find out. Also, because the kids at school would make fun of him.  When Lani lets out the secret, Blake is very mad.  The whole school finds out and the students make fun of Blake.  Lani tries to figure out a way to solve the mistake she made.  Eventually, Blake approaches Lani.  He tells her that he is relieved.  Now that everybody knows that he is gay, he doesn’t have to worry about telling his father in person because he has probably already heard that news by now. The major conflict in this situation was that Blake’s secret got out about being gay.  Lani resolves this conflict by apologizing to Blake for letting out his secret.  She tries to stand up for Blake when kids out making fun of him at school too. This conflict is an external conflict.

            If I were in either situation Lani was in, I think I would have handled them the same way.  Lani didn’t tell Erin that she was seeing/dating Jason while she was away at camp. I think if I were her, I would have written a letter to Erin and explain the situation and ask if that was ok with her.

            There were many conflicts in this book. The one’s I just named were the ones I thought were the most important/main conflicts that carried on throughout the book.

                                                                                                                                            

 Susane Colasanti

                                                      



Quarter 2 Choice Book Report

Part 1

I read the book Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita. The main characters name in the book is Samantha (Sam) Montgomery. She is a skinny, adventurous girl who would like to do something different during the summer. Sam is from

Carle Place

on Long Island. She wants to make this summer, the best one she has ever had! Sam decides to go to “Whispering Pines” camp to be a CIT leader. Sam meets a group of girls that are in her bunk. They all become great friends besides two of them. Sam is happy that she is actually making a different decision than her friend at home and being independent on how she is going to spend her summer. I also thing that Sam is an outgoing, caring and courageous person.

            Sam is a very caring person. I think this because she is willing to spend her summer working at camp and spending her time caring for a group of girls. She was devoted to doing a good job in caring for her bunk and being there when they need her. Another example of when Sam is caring is when she has to wake up early every morning to take her bunk mate to the nurse’s office. She does this because the little girl, Mackenzie, needs shots.

            Another characteristic I think Samantha has is outgoing. I think Sam is outgoing because she is excited to meet new friends and is very eager to see what camp life is all about! She ends up meeting some girls that are in her bunk.  The friends decide they want to secretly sneak out at night and record on tape about how camp life is going. They want to remember everything that happens that summer. Their group is called the “Sleepaway Girls.”

                          

 I think Sam is very courageous. I think that Sam is courageous because she sneaks out at night to pull a prank on Ashley and Gabby, Sam’s enemies. They put the girls clothes into a canoe and push it off onto the lake. Sam almost gets caught by a worker at the camp. Another example of Sam being courageous is when she sneaks out at night to film their “Sleepaway Girls” meeting. I think this shows that she is courageous because campers/CIT’s are not supposed to be out after camp hours. Also because Sam is not supposed to have electronics like a video camera at camp. She could be sent home for doing such actions.

I think Samantha Montgomery is caring, outgoing, and courageous. Sam is a great main character. I think I would get along really well with her personality and characteristics.

 Part 2

I read the book Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita. I think the theme of this book is to be confident in yourself. I think this because Samantha Montgomery goes to camp and meets a guy she really likes. Sam is afraid to tell him that she likes him. She ends up telling him at the end of the book. Sam learns that he liked her the whole summer too and that she should have been confident and not shy. Another reason I think the theme of this book it be confident is when Samantha does the talent show. She is paired up with her worst enemy at camp, Ashley. Ashley wants to decide their act and wants to be the star of it. Sam is not ok with that and stands up to her enemy very confidently. Sam thinks that they should be equally represented in their act.

I think another theme of this book is to be yourself. At home, Sam would do whatever her best friend did. She did the activities like dance line or cheerleading, even though she would have rather done something else. This summer Sam decides to be herself and make the decisions to go to camp without her best friend. At the end of the book, Samantha is happy with her decision to be independent. Another reason I think this is because some of the people do not act like themselves. They act differently just to be popular. Samantha is herself and she finds some true friends. Her friends teach Sam to not be a people-pleaser all of the time. She can make some decisions on her own and not always do what others are doing. Samantha is happy that she learns the skill be herself.

I can connect to this theme because I do not always go with what others think. I try to be myself and make my own decisions. I can compare this theme to a personal experience. Once I had to make the choice to go out for the sport some of my friends were doing or to go out for a new sport I wanted to try. I decided to try something different and to be myself. 

I think the two themes of the book portray the meaning of the book. I believe that everyone should be confident in themselves and be themselves. Both of them are really great skills to have during life.  

       

                                                       
                                           

        

Quarter 1 Choice Book Report

Part 1

       I read the book The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler. The main character in the book is Penny Lane. She is a friendly, shy girl who wears black jeans, black chucks, and black T-shirts. She has her mousy-brown hair put into a low ponytail. She wears blue mascara and Burt’s Bees lip balm. Penny is from a big city in New York when she suddenly has to move to a small town called “Hog’s Hollow”. Her goal once she moves, is to fit in with all of the others in Hog’s Hollow. Penny is also very thoughtful, helpful, and creative!

       Penny is a very helpful person. I think she is helpful because she helps Mr. Fish and Marcus with the building of a giant structure of our solar system and planets. Mr. Fish decided to take on this big project because his wife died in a canoe accident. He loved her so very much. His wife loved astronomy and this project helped him connect to her after she passed away. Penny helped to comfort his family too. Another helpful thing that Penny did is that she helps her mother work at cupcake shop they own all day and night. She also works after school and on weekends! The shop is called “Cupcake Queen”! Her mother loves cupcakes and was the “Hog’s Hollow Queen” years ago, so that is how the shop got its name.

      Another characteristic that I think Penny has is creativity. I think Penny is creative because she comes up with designs for the cupcakes that she makes at the shop. It takes a lot of patience and creativeness to make such detailed cupcakes like she does. She works hours on making the cupcakes perfect so that the customers are happy! I think that Penny’s creativeness helps her mom to stay in business because all of the people in the town love the unique designs she portrays on her cupcakes. Another reason I think that Penny is creative is because she came up with a designs for T-shirts for the RPS (Rock Paper Scissors) club, and a float that will carry the “Hogs Hollow Queen” in the parade.

       I think Penny is very thoughtful. I think she is thoughtful because she helps Tally, her best friend, through tough times. Tally’s father never contacts her and she doesn’t know where he is. She is just staying with an aunt. Penny feels bad and brings her some cupcakes for her. They have “ARK”, a animal shelter that Tally supports, represented on them. Another example of Penny being thoughtful is when she brings cupcakes, that are very creative and detailed, to Marcus and his dad, Mr. Fish. She worked put a lot of time and effort into making the cupcakes.

      I think that Penny is thoughtful, creative, and helpful. I think that Penny is a great character and is good-hearted. I think that if everyone was thoughtful, creative, and helpful like Penny, the world would be a better place!

Part 2



       I liked the book The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler. There are many reasons I thought this book was interesting. A few main ones are because there was revenge, competition, creativeness, and described feelings.

      I liked the book The Cupcake Queen because there was revenge in the book. For example, Charity, Penny’s enemy, puts nasty things, like humongous raw fish, in Penny’s locker. Penny is super furious. Penny and Tally, her best friend, take revenge on Charity and her mean group of friends. Tally comes up with an idea to trick them into eating lard. She thinks it will work because they aren’t exactly the smartest group of people in the world. Charity ends up falling for the trick. She thinks that it will help her loose weight so she will look good when she competes for “Hog’s Hollow Queen”. I would recommend this book to you if you like exciting revenge!

      Another reason I thought this book was interesting is because there was a lot of competition between Charity and her “posse” against Penny and Tally. For example, once when Penny sees Charity with Marcus, the school “hottie“, she feels really sad because she really likes Marcus. Penny also felt very angry because Charity purposely was always hanging around with Marcus to make her feel jealous. Another example of competition in the book is when Tally and Charity compete for “Hog’s Hollow Queen”. They trick each other into doing different things to make each other look uglier for the “beauty” section. I would recommend this book to you if you like thrilling competition between characters.

      I liked this book because it also has parts in it where characters tell each other their feelings and troubles they are going through at the “present day”. For example, Penny’s parents split up and move away from each other. She expressed her feelings to Tally. Tally helped her get through Penny’s hard times and helped her to think positive. I would recommend this book to you if you like how characters express their feelings in books.

      Another reason I thought this book was interesting is because there is a lot of different creative aspects in it. For example, Penny has to create different creative, colorful kinds of cupcakes using her imagination. She also has to come up with a creative design for the float that will carry the “Hog’s Hollow Queen”. Penny’s design wins the contest and it comes to life for the parade. Another example of creativity is when Penny and Tally come up with a creative way to take revenge on Charity and her “posse”. I would recommend this book to you if you like creative aspects in books.

       I would recommend The Cupcake Queen to those people who like described feelings, revenge, competition, and creativeness in your book. I would also recommend this book to girls that are early teenagers because that is how old the main character is. I loved reading the book and hope you do too!

                                                                           

  

Memoir 2

        This past summer I went to Bayfield, Wisconsin. I went with my family. The Bayfield, WI area is known for its orchids, shopping, and sightseeing. The area is mostly well known for the Apostle Islands which are very close as well.

         One of the highlights on our trip was the Island Princess Cruise. The cruise was one big, red boat that takes you on a 55 mile tour around the Apostle Islands for about three hours. In all there is twenty-two islands. The islands are located on Lake Superior. Once my family boarded onto the cruise, we sat down in our red, leather seats and got our charged cameras ready to take pictures. Soon after, we sailed off on our way to the islands. I got bored quickly so I got some concessions on the boat. Once we got to the islands, they were so cool with the alluring shorelines! Each island had something unique about them.

         I thought the most interesting island was Devils Island. It had extensive sea caves. The rock on the edges of the majestic caves were beautiful with different colors of rock and unique textures on each one. In the caves there was clear, radiant, blue water. The water sparkled with every angle of light from the glistening sun. There was also a historic lighthouse on the island. The lighthouse was white and filled with eager people to see the view from inside.

        I took so many breathtaking pictures I can’t even count! It was inspiring and scenic! The beauty of the islands was extraordinary! My trip to Bayfield, Wisconsin was also very adventurous! I wouldn’t mind going back there someday and making more memories. I had a very good time exploring the Apostle Islands with my family.

Memoir 1

             On March 5, 1999 it was a beautiful spring day. I got up like every other day in the week and went to daycare by the St. Cloud Hospital. I didn’t realize at the beginning of the day that something big was going to happen.
           
            I knew that a sibling was on the way but I didn’t exactly know when the baby was going to be born. I was really excited and couldn’t wait! My day at daycare went well. Towards the end of the day I figured out that my sister, Hayley, was born! I really wanted to see her but it was too late at night for me and my parents said I would be able to see her tomorrow.
          
           Once I got to the hospital the next morning I was so eager to see her! I got into the hospital room and couldn’t believe my eyes that I actually had a baby sister. I was kind of confused that she was my sister and she was going to be coming home with me to the same house. I was really happy that I was her big sister and I took pride in that. I learned that her name was Hayley, but I couldn’t actually pronounce it right so I called her “Hay”.
        
          I started to get hungry so we went to go get some food in the cafeteria. I loved the food that they had in the hospital. Once we were done I went up to the room and went to see my little sister again. I showed “Hay” off to all of my family who came to see her. The next day at daycare I told all of my buddies that I had a new “baby sister”. My parents said I couldn’t stop talking about her for a long time.
        
         I am so happy when I found out that I had a baby sister! I was so proud and showed her off. I couldn’t wait for her to come home!

Introduction

      My name is Hannah. I have one sister named Hayley. I love to play soccer! I am on the soccer team this year at North. I have been in soccer for about 7 years. I enjoy it a lot! For NJH I was also on the basketball and track team. The events I did in track were the long jump, high jump, 1mile, and the 1/2 of a mile.

       I also play the violin and piano. I also was in dance for 9 years! I am also on a USAT team with Erin, Hannah, Amanda, and Kaitlynn. I am very busy as you can see!

     My family likes to go camping together. We have a camper and we go camping often. Other things I like to do is go to the cabin and go swimming.