Creating Web Pages
This is an example of a ninth grader's response to books. Below is one of two Web pages that Anna created about books she had read in an independent reading project in June 2002. Click here to see another Web page that Anna created about books in February 2002: Book Ad.
Mirror Book and Window Book
My name is Anna and I am almost 15 years old. I came form Poland to the US 4 years ago. My friends would say I am moody, because some time, I am happy and other times I am angry or sad. I am also a very forgiving person, which sometimes isn’t such a good thing, because it ends getting me hurt. When I am really bored I like to read. Most of the time I read mystery books, but the books that have taught me the most are teen fiction and historical fiction.
Title/Author:
Walk Two Moons/Sharon Creech
Genre/Reading
Level: Teen Fiction/Challenging
Passage # 1 (pg.270)
“ They were strangers to each other when they got on that bus, but by the time
they got off, six days later, they were friends.”
Reaction:
This quote makes me think if that is really possible… is it possible to become
friends with someone and know him or her very well in just 6 days? I am not sure
if that is possible, because people always hide something and won’t tell you
the whole truth. I think it takes a long time to become really good friends with
someone and to know almost everything about them.
Passage # 2 (pg. 3)
“Each night as he waited to hear from
my mother, he chipped away the wall. On the night that we got the bad news- that
she’s was not returning…”
Reaction:
When I read this passage the thing that came to my mind was: What if this
happened to me? What if I my mom left my family and me and then I found out
she’s never coming back? My guess is I would feel alone, hurt, puzzled and
angry. I think I would blame myself and say my mom left, because I did something
wrong. And that’s about how the main character of this book felt. I don’t
know how I would deal with something like this if it would happen to me and it
makes me wonder how the character overcame it.
Title/author:
Red Scarf Girl/ Ji Li Jiang
Genre/Reading Level:
History Fiction/Challenging
Passage # 1 (pg.138)
Home I thought. Wasn’t a home a private
place? A place where the family could feel secure? How would strangers come and
search through our secrets? If Grandpa were a landlord, they would confiscate
all his things. But I was not a landlord. Why did they have to search through
all my things?”
Response:
Privacy… Isn’t privacy something everyone needs and everyone should have?
I don’ t think it should be ever taken away from anyone. When I read
this, right away I thought about communism in Poland. During communism, soldiers
could come into your house and take away your privacy. I wonder how Ji Li (the
main character of the book) felt when people came into her house and went
through all her personal things. I think it goes the same as teenager privacy,
and parents should respect that privacy.
Passage # 2 (pg. 207)
“ We were all overjoyed that Dad would
be coming home. Grandma was in tears and she could not stop thanking Allah for
his blessing. I hared steps on the stairs, and I thought it was Mom coming back
from the doctor. But when I turned around I saw Dad.”
Response:
This reminds me of the day I found out my dad was coming from the US to visit my
family and me in Poland. I was so happy. I hadn’t seen my dad for 8 years and
it was truly a great day. When I read Ji Li’s father is coming back to see his
family, I knew exactly how she felt. I think it’s not fair that her father was
held by the police, because he didn’t want to admit of doing something he
didn’t do. Sometimes when my parents or friends accuse me of doing something I
didn’t do it makes feel sad, because it seems if something bad ever happens,
it is always my fault.
