Daniel+W.



1. Book Title: Payback Time

2. Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

3. Author: Carl Deuker

4. Date of Publication: 2010

5. Write a brief summary of the book you read without giving away the ending! (4 pts.)

Dan True (known by his high school as Mitch, in reference to the Michelin Man because of his short stature yet large frame) is a newspaper reporter for his high school with aspirations of becoming one of the best. But to do that, he needs to find that “great story.” That story lands in his lap at the beginning of football season his senior year when he and Kimi, his cute photographer sidekick, notice Angel Marichal, a transfer from Houston, practicing at amazing levels. But the coach rarely plays him. How can a player this good sit on the bench? What was his past like? Where did he come from? To find out, Mitch and Kimi develop plans to find information on Angel. When they sneak into the main office to find Angel’s records, the mystery deepens. As they learn more and more about Angel, the more they realize they might be getting into something much bigger than they expected.

6. What did you like about the book? What did you dislike? (4 pts.)

I really liked the book. It’s a sports book that doesn’t really talk much about sports. And I like there wasn’t dozens of pages devoted to one game. I caught myself trying to only skim the parts about the football games so I could get back to the plot. The mystery of the whole situation made me keep turning pages way past my bedtime. The book was well-detailed without being overly lengthy. The small little stories weaved into the main plot (Mitch trying to lose weight, relationship with parents, trying to impress Kimi) were very nice, but I wasn’t sure if they added anything to the story. I didn’t care much for the ending; I thought it was too abrupt and didn’t satisfy me nearly as well as the rest of the book, kind of anti-climatic.

7. Write three essential (higher level thinking) questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. These should be questions that require students to dig into the reading to support their answers. One of the three can be a higher level thinking project or activity(6 pts).

1. The end of the book, Kimi and Mitch realize that they’ll never know if the guys in the black Honda Civic were out to get Angel. What do you think? Support your answer with evidence from the book.

2. On page 132, Mitch’s dad says, “The logic part is useless. People have never been and never will be logical.” Pick two points in the book that would either prove or disprove that statement.

3. Create football playing cards. Students will create five 2½” x 3½” football cards. Each card will have a picture of a different character from the book. On the back, students will put a description of the character, important events from the book involving the character, and two important character quotes from the book. Size of cards may need to be bigger to fit all information.

Mitch's Fakebook page is @http://www.classtools.net/fb/99/92UD8h



Book Title (1 pt.): Runner

Genre: (Adventure-Survival or Mystery) (1 pt): After reading the two sets of qualities, it seems Runner would be more Adventure-Survival, but I see hints of mystery in there as well.

Author (1 pt.): Carl Deuker

Date of Publication (1 pt): 2005

Write three essential (higher level thinking) questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. (6 pts)

1. Throughout the book, Chance seemed to make a lot of bad choices (doing the runs, not going to people for help, etc.). Do you think Chance ever made a good decision on his own in the book? Give evidence from the book to support your answer. 2. Compare Chance’s relationship with his dad and his relationship with Melissa. Which one would be harder to maintain? Why do you think this? 3. In the end, Chance has a few choices to make on where he wants to take his life. Do you think Chance made the right choice? Why or why not? What choice would you make? Why?

Comprehension Activity: (15 pts).

The main character (or one of the main characters in your novel) and provide an explanation for choosing each. Avoid making all obvious choices, but instead, get creative and think outside the box!

Artifact #1 - Sailboat I chose this because... I know it might be an obvious choice, but the idea works so well. On several occasions, Chance talks about how the boat can be calm and he's able to sleep easy or the seas can be rough and swish the boat back and forth. Most of the time, the winds and water made the boat toss back and forth, much like Chance's internal battle to either do the right or wrong thing.

Artifact #2 - A chameleon I chose this because... Much of the time, Chance wants to be invisible, not seen by anyone else. In class, during his runs; he doesn't want to become part of the spotlight. The whole story, Chance hopes people don't recognize or acknowledge him.

Artifact #3 - Betting lines in a newspaper I chose this because... the betting lines are those lines Las Vegas puts up when people gamble on games (like "the spread": eg. "Iowa vs Nebraska (-10)" means if you pick Nebraska, they have to win by more than ten for you to win. Much harder than just determining the straight-up winner). Just like people who use the betting lines, Chance is taking big risks throughout the whole book. The lines are ways to assess that risk and make it harder to determine what the right decision is. Chance had a difficult enough time coming up with his right decisions.

Artifact #4 - A carnival coin pusher game I chose this because... the games are the one where you try to put the quarter in a place where, when the board slides back to the group of quarters, the extra one you put down will help move the pile to the ledge and hopefully spill quarters over the end. In the book, Chance tries to push himself away from people, especially Melissa, in hopes that he can keep her safe.

Artifact #5 - A grandfather clock I chose this because... of Chance's routine throughout the book. Everyday was wake up, go to school, get the package. He was really mindful of the routine, especially toward the end when he thought people were watching him. The one day he broke routine and went home from school early (like if a grandfather clock doesn't chime on the hour), everyone else figured something was wrong.



1. Book Title: // Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children //

2. Genre: Fantasy

3. Author: Ransom Riggs

4. Date of Publication: 2011

5. Write a brief summary of the book you read without giving away the ending! Jacob Portman is a 15-year-old kid who once worshipped his grandfather, mostly because of all the incredible stories he told. But as Jacob got older, he began to question some of the stories. Jacob's grandfather, Abe, even showed him pictures to provide evidence. A girl levitating off the ground, a boy lifting a boulder above his head, an invisible man. All pictures that could be easily doctored...right? A horrific twist at the beginning of the book has Abe frantically calling Jacob at work. As Jacob gets to Abe's house, the place is ransacked. As he ventures to the woods outside, Jacob finds Abe all but dead. Abe's last words included, "Go to the island...find the bird. In the loop." As Jacob looks up, he swears he sees a monster, with tentacles coming out of his mouth. But as soon as he sees him, he's gone.

After Abe's death, Jacob finds things that further the mystery into his grandfather's past and his stories. He convinces his father to take him to an island off Great Britain, where Abe was an orphan before he went off to the war. The closer he gets to finding out about his grandfather's stories, the more in danger he becomes. But friends Jacob discovers along the way are there to help him...with their peculiar abilities.

6. What did you like about the book? What did you dislike? I came into this week never really getting into fantasy books. I always like to be grounded in reality. So it was difficult for me to get into the book. However after the first first chapter, I was infatuated with it. There was plenty of mystery surrounding the story that wanted me to keep reading long into the night. This was the first book in a long time (if not ever) that I had to stop every now and then to make sure my door was locked and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I've never had a sensation where creepiness and intrigue melded together so nicely. There was always something going on in the book and places that you could relate back to to catch what you missed. Also, this book contained about 40 pictures. In the end, you find that all the pictures are real and were found at flea markets and private collections. The way he was able to incorporate these pictures was awesome. Usually the pictures were incorporated in as characters looking at pictures of the past. I hate to have the author help me decide what characters and settings look like in my head, but it was woven in so nicely, that the visuals were very helpful.

I don't know if there was much I didn't like about this book. It was gripping, exciting, and I couldn't put it down. The only thing I worry about is that Riggs uses some hefty language here and there that I'm not sure younger readers would be able to comprehend well. Some of it was during dialog that helped illustrate the characters, but other times it was in the narration where younger young adults might need some help.

7. Write three essential (higher level thinking) questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book.

1. Which peculiar power do you think is the most helpful in the story? Why? Is this the one you would chose for yourself? Why or why not? 2. Before the very end of the book, Jacob makes his decision on whether he'll stay with the peculiars or go back to his regular life. Do you think it was the right choice? Would this have been your choice? Support your answer from evidence in the book. 3. In the book, the author connects some of the wights and hallowghasts to different points in history (WWII, Jeffrey Dahmer, etc). Research a point in history and make a similar connection. How would that event connect to what was described in the book? Create a story how this might have happened.

Comprehension Activity:

Write a newspaper article about someone or something that happened in the story. NOTE: this is NOT a book report! Review a few newspaper articles to get the "feel" of the format. What would the headline say? Was anyone interviewed for the story? Who are the sources of information? Are there quotes from characters? Be creative! (15 pts).

Local Museum Curator Found Dead
CAIRNHOLM - Martin Pagett was found dead Thursday night just off of Gannet's Point. Local fishermen found him as they were out on their rounds.

"I was up Gannet's Point reelin' in my nets. They was heavy as anything, which was odd since all's I generally catch out thatways is just tidy little nothings, shrimp and such," one unidentified fisherman said.

Pagett's whereabouts were questioned when he didn't open the local museum on Wednesday. Further speculation continued when Pagett did not go to the Priest Hole after work hours, as is his usual routine. After that, Kev ___, owner of the Priest Hole, sent out his wife to check on him. When she did not find Pagett at home, that's when the search party was sounded.

Questions still remain about the peculiar death of Pagett. For instance, Pagett was found in only undergarments and a robe. Also, Gannet's Point is quite far for Pagett to walk to during any point of the day.

But these questions will have to remain unanswered until authorities from the mainland are able to make it to Cairnholm. With the incoming storm, some predict continual rain and treacherous winds for days to come, boats are not allowed to enter or leave the docks. Many are worried about this chain of events. It has pushed some people on the island to go into volunteer lockdown by boarding up windows and doors. Others seem to be taking it in stride. Local owner of the Priest Hole, Kev stated, "There ain't been a murder on Cairnhold in a hundred years. Why would anyone want to kill old Martin, anyway? It don't make sense." Until that time, Pagett's body is being stored at the local fishmonger store, where it can be put on ice until the authorities can examine it.



1. Book Title: // Legend // 2. Genre: Science Fiction 3. Author: Marie Lu 4. Date of Publication: 2011

5. Write a brief summary of the book you read without giving away the ending! Set in the futuristic United States, the country is divided into two separate nations, the Republic (Western U.S.) and the Colonies (Eastern U.S.). In the Republic, not a day goes by without mention of the war effort against the Colonies. Children are required to take a series of tests (the trials), to determine where they will be placed to best help the Republic win against the Colonies. //Legend// revolves around two such children. Day is a 15-year-old kid with a lot more on his shoulders than most kids his age. Born into a poorer district, he decides to get away from his family in order to help provide without most of his family even knowing it. The things he has to do to accomplish this make him the Republic's most wanted, albeit unknown, criminal. When his brother comes down with the infamous plague, Day has to start taking more drastic measures. June is also a 15-year-old. Born into a family with high standing, she's the only person who knowingly has a perfect score in the trials. She's grown up to love her country and her brother. After her parents died in a car accident, her brother's the only one to take care of her. After June's brother dies, June is on a mission to find out who killed him. The most obvious suspect is the one the Republic has never been able to find, Day. As June gets closer and closer, more about her brother, her family, and the country are revealed. Who's to blame?

6. What did you like about the book? What did you dislike? I enjoyed the fast pace of this book. The action was nice. And there was enough suspense to think something might happen around each corner. At first, I was turned off with the way the book is written. Each chapter goes back and forth from Day's perspective to June's perspective. But it brought great insight and you could figure out what both characters were thinking throughout the story. And I thought each character was written well enough that it didn't look like the same writing. June's narrative was very distinct from Day's, which allowed me to sink more into the book and make it more believable for me. I don't know if the plot line was as engaging as I'd like. For me, it was somewhat predictable who was involved with what; the suspenseful part was what's the story behind it. Also, it seemed very //Hunger Games//-like. Which I can't decide if that's a good or bad thing. I kept comparing //Legend// to //The Hunger Games.// Futuristic U.S., nation at odds with each other, corrupt people at the top, lowly slum-folk the ones trying to make it right, new technology all over, but the characters decide to stay low-tech, fighting for survival. There are even Jumbotrons everywhere! I understand the need to create a similar book and play off the popularity of //The Hunger Games.// But I think there might be a lot of people out there that don't want to read the same story over and over. I can't decide if I'm one of those people. Even though I kept finding similarities and it may have distracted me from the reading, I'm looking forward to reading //Prodigy//, the sequel.

7. Write three essential (higher level thinking) questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. (6 pts) 1. Take one of the chapters in the book that has both Day and June. How would the chapter look in the other person's point-of-view? Take events from the chapter and explain how the other character would react to those events, as well as emotions and thoughts it may provoke. Also consider writing a chapter using Tess's point-of-view. What might she sense, feel, or think during the book? 2. (Possible cross-curriculum with social studies) Use a current map of the United States and alter it to look like the two nations in // Legend //, the Republic and the Colonies. Include where you believe the boundary would occur, how high you believe the flood waters to rise, different states and cities on the map and their significance, paths Day (and June) talk about when leaving Los Angeles, as well as battlegrounds. What states are part of which nation? Why did you chose this boundary? Why do you believe this much of the U.S. is now flooded? Cite excerpts from the book to justify your decisions and use them to mark and label the areas of the map.

3. Explain why the Republic would hide Day's trial score. What might the Republic have seen in him to warrant such a reaction? What was their motive? What do you think the Republic thought would come out of this decision?

Comprehension Assignment Write a description of one character from the story. Then find four quotes from the story that support your description of the character. Make sure to cite the page numbers for each quote.

Metias is June's older brother in the book. Metias is the model officer in every single way: his physical appearance, his maturity, and his demeanor. Metias's appearance was evident when he first appears in the book. When he picks up June from her school, June notes that, "I can see some girls out in the hall stifling smiles behind their hands...Even with the door closed behind him, I can still hear the whispers and giggles from outside." (p. 14). Metias's dedication and service to his nation were noted throughout much of the book. At his funeral, Chian, the man who oversees all the Trials, couldn't stop talking about him. "I loved your brother very much, you know...He was destined to enter our squads...Megias was very attentive during the time I mentored him. Natural leader...A good boy...A great apprentice....Such a modest one. Always smarter than he thought he was." (p. 63-64).

Metias also has a dedication to his sister, June. Being the sole caretaker of her, it's obvious how much he cares for her. She describes his hart as "intelligent, stupid, stubborn, over-protective" (p. 49), but with the context around it, knowing they were all emotions built out of love. At the beginning of the book, he walks into the school office to pick up June after being suspended. His conversation starts as stern and parental, but soon turns back to a brother loving his sister. However through all of this, June notices that, "Metias's mouth tightens into a line, and a familiar, strained look appears in his eyes...Metias's eyes always hold that fear. He's afraid something might happen to me one day--like the car crash that took our parents. That fear never leaves his face." (p. 19). June also talks about what she remembers as a little kid, "Every other memory from my childhood--looking out into the auditorium as I receive an award, or having soup made for me when I'm sick, or being scolded, or tucked into bed--those are with Metias." (p. 20).

Metias's ability to hack into computers is also an important point of the book. June recalls a time where Metias said, "I can always hack into [the Republic's] database and wipe my record clean." (p. 36). Metias was so paranoid about technology, that's one of the reasons why he gives for keeping handwritten journals, "You can't trace or tag them online." (p. 45). Toward the end, when June has to find confidential and classified information, she has no problem "finding our way into the Trial databases with [Metias's] hacks." (p. 186). Also, when she finally finds the secret message, she's able to use the hack "that allows me to access the Internet," and then, "I put up the defenses and shells that my brother taught me." (p. 241). That along with a special way to access the information just for June makes for a stunning revelation to the story.



1. Book Title: // Between Shades of Gray // 2. Genre: Historical Fiction 3. Author: Ruta Sepetys 4. Date of Publication: 2011

5. Write a brief summary of the book you read without giving away the ending! A Golden Sower book next year and many feel unfortunately titled; //Between Shades of Gray// follows the treacherous story of Lina, a 15-year-old Lithuanian girl during World War II. At the beginning of the book, Lina and her family (father, mother, and younger brother) are taken from their home by the Russian NKVD. Then they were thrown into train cars, their father separate from the rest of the family. The book then recounts the six-week long trip to their work camp, the almost yearlong stay at their work camp, and then their move to another camp in Siberia. Without sustainable supplies to last the long Siberian winters, the Russain NKVD has basically led Lina and the dozens of other Lithuanians to their death.

6. What did you like about the book? What did you dislike? This book was really difficult for me to read…and that’s not a bad thing. But it’s what I like and dislike about the book at the same time. The way Sepetys wrote gave the book more life than any other book I’ve read this semester. But it was so uncomfortable to read at the same time. It was like I didn’t want to know this went on, it’s that painful to hear what others experienced. The events themselves are painful enough and the struggle people went through is well documented. This adds beautifully to that. But on the same token, I think the graphicness of the novel will deter some readers.

There was a lot in the book that remains a mystery. I like some of it, but a lot of it make me want to know even more. For example, who is Lina's mother's contact? What really did happen to Papa or Andrius?

The analogies, metaphors, and similes that Sepetys used were really well written. It helped paint the picture so accurately in my head. Many times, her writing would highlight things about a setting or event that I wouldn’t have thought of and brought a richer experience to my reading of the book. The mother character was my favorite by far. Such a strong character.

I liked the epilogue and the author's note at the end as well. To see how much work went into writing this book and how realistic it actually is, I respected the book so much more. Also, most of the time when we read about WWII, we hear so much about Hitler and his evacuation of Jews and Poland. But you never really hear much about the Baltic States. I'll admit, I didn't know much about how WWII affected countries on the Eastern Bloc. And in that regard, that's what this book did for me. It took a point of history I didn't know much about and opened my eyes about it.

7. Write three essential (higher level thinking) questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book.

1. Imagine you’re a prisoner the kolkhoz. Write a letter to loved ones explaining your situation similar to that of Lina’s and your families. Remember, the NKVD will look through every piece of mail so you’ll have to write in code. Add another piece of paper as a key to the code you will use.

2. Compare/contrast Lina’s relationship with her mother, her younger brother, and Andrius. Which relationship do you feel was the most important to Lina? Why?

3. Do you think Lina is a static or dynamic character? Does she stay the same or change throughout the book? Use examples and quotes from the book to support your answer.

Comprehension Activity: Create a diary for your character using Power Point. I do not have Keynote on my computer; so if you use Keynote, make sure to save your project as a pdf so I can view it. Your diary must have a minimum of 8 entries (one entry per slide) and each entry should be a minimum of 6 sentences in length. You may add pictures, etc. to your diary. Make sure you also include a cover slide (your diary cover). Attach your power point to the wiki.



**Pages used:** 153-155
 * Book Used for Book Talk:** //Payback Time// by Carl Deuker


 * Link to Book Talk:** @http://youtu.be/NpCdmtMo6Xs

1. Book Title: // Master of Deceit: J. Edgar Hoover and America in the Age of Lies //

2. Genre: Biographical non-fiction

3. Author: Marc Aronson

4. Date of Publication: 2012

5. Write a brief summary of the book you read without giving away the ending! (4 pts.)

This book describes the life of J. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI for almost 40 years. Much of the book is about his time as the FBI’s front man and all the controversy that went along with him. Conspiracy, blackmail, back room dealings, all seem to be part of Hoover’s repertoire. The questionable ways that Hoover dealt with situations during his tenure are brought to light in this book.

6. What did you like about the book? What did you dislike? (4 pts).

Non-fiction is the genre that I’ve gravitated toward in the past. I love learning about history and real people. This book was no different. I’ve heard rumblings about Hoover’s tactics before, but was always still under the impression that the FBI was protecting for the good of the citizens of the U.S. It amazes me the things that can be done without anyone knowing (at least, at the time).

Another thing it did was bring communism into a deeper perspective for me. Maybe it was just because I’ve lived under American propaganda for my life, but I grew up knowing that nothing about communism was positive. The way the book was written, it showed how much Hoover wanted to debase communism in the U.S. But the author was also showing the affirmative sides of the platform, and how at its core, the ideals of communism don’t seem like an end all for the world. It was really an educational moment for me.

What I didn’t necessarily like was the obvious negative slant and the bias the author had against J. Edgar Hoover. I understand that the stories and accusations are factual based. The author is well educated based on his mini-bio in the back of the book and his notes section seems rather thorough. But to me, the way Aronson wrote set a tone that seemed that he hated Hoover with every fiber of his being. It seems that Aronson is using the book as his own platform to spit out his own political views, then and now. Instead of wanting to agree with him, as I think he was trying to do, the tone was such that I almost wanted to argue and go against the author, even if I agreed with some of the things he said.

7. Write three essential (higher level thinking) questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. (6 pts)
 * 1) 1. (Before reading the book) Write down what you know about communism: what you’ve heard, learned, or perceived about the political ideal. After reading the book, how was the author’s description of it different than yours? If it’s different, did he convince you? Why or why not?
 * 2) 2. Take one of the negative events that was described in the book. Make a news article that puts a positive spin on Hoover and the FBI a la Walter Winchell.
 * 3) 3. Based on what you’ve read about Hoover and his questionable antics, do you think he could get away with those things today? Why or why not?



1. Book Title: // The Arrow Finds It’s Mark: A Book of Found Poems //

2. Genre: Poetry

3. Author: Georgia Heard

4. Date of Publication: 2012

5. Write a brief summary of the book you read without giving away the ending! If you are writing about a collection of stories or poems, you need to talk specifically about 2-3 of the selections in the book. (4 pts.) In // The Arrow Finds It’s Mark: A Book of Found Poems, // Georgia Heard puts together a compilation of texts that fellow poets have found and made poetic. She argues, “To find a poem within the copious amount of text that we encounter every day is the ultimate test of a poet’s skill.” (I beg to differ). Poets were to find text that already exists and try to mold that text into what could be considered poetry. They found them in a myriad of places, such as Facebook and Twitter accounts, newspapers articles, magazines, instruction manuals, etc. One that interested me was titled, “They Don’t Want Speeding Tickets So...”. All the text said was:

red squirrels drive slowly

The text came from a sign in Northern England. I liked it because the title the poet created was what gave it its double meaning. Probably the cleverest one out of the book.

The other poem that interested me was one called “Just Listen to the Elders”. It was from an interview with a Cherokee chief. It was probably the most poetic one of the book. When other “poems” were trying to be formed, this one seemed like the most natural. I could see the Cherokee member talking in the interview and hearing it, even in prose, would sound so poetic.

6. What did you like about the book? What did you dislike? (4 pts.). I liked the idea of the book. I’ve had similar ideas (most recently, taking all the student notes I confiscate and someday making a book. I have roughly 50 now.), and it’s creative in that regard. But I don’t think the actual product lived up to what it could’ve been. I think the idea can fly, but it also seemed like Heard called a bunch of friends, told them to look in their utility drawer and read off something. Some were good, but some were pretty bland. My least favorite read this semester.

7. Write three essential (higher level thinking) questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book. This week, I want you to write questions strictly //for discussion// here – not project ideas (you’ll see why below). (6 pts)

--What’s more difficult: to create something from nothing or to transform something already made to something different? Why? Examples?

--(Probably before I introduce the premise of the book, show them a poem example) Would you consider this poetry? Why or why not?

--(After using one of the poems, possibly “Places I’d Love to Van Gogh Someday”) Does changing the format of the text and giving it meter/rhythm give the text a deeper meaning? What is that meaning?

8. How can you see this book being used in the curriculum? For what grade level would it be most appropriate? Give a specific example of how you as a teacher might use the book as part of the taught curriculum. What specifically would you use it to teach and what would you have students do with it? (7 pts.)

I think this book, in its simplicity, would be a great poetry unit starter for upper elementary – middle school level kids (maybe even high school, but probably a stretch). I think the discussion about “what makes poetry?” would be a great conversation to have at the beginning.

I picked this book because I teach a slam poetry unit in my class. As a middle school teacher whose curriculum/objectives are oral presentation based, I’m more concerned about getting kids to perform at this point, rather than their writing. A problem I come up against is that kids have this idea that poetry has to be deep, lengthy, with tons of feeling. And I want to show them that poetry comes in all forms. So I would probably use it by printing off some of the poems and having kids practice a “coffeehouse performance.” Try to squeeze out every last bit of emotion from one of those poems. I think it would be hilarious for a lot of the kids and it would help me fulfill my objective to get them to play around with tone of voice, pacing, volume, etc.