Reading Response Blog #22

3/15/2015

Summarizing is an important skill for all readers to know. When you summarize something, you focus on the Big Ideas and the main events. You tell about the beginning, middle, and end. Summarizing is very different from storytelling. Unlike storytelling, summarizing does not zoom in to the little details. Instead, you look at the big overall picture of what happened. However, you have to provide enough background information about the characters, setting, and plot so that readers can understand what the overall story is about.

This Week's Prompt:

Summarize the story so far in your independent reading. Focus on the main points and big ideas so that readers can get a sense of the overall story.

Try using "modifying clauses" in your summary. Modifying clauses, which are separated from the sentence by commas, add more detail about a person, place, or thing.

Another example of a modifying clause in action: Ms. Kimball, my fifth grade teacher, plays guitar.

I look forward to hearing about the stories that you all are reading!

89 Comments

Danny

3/16/2015 11:32:25 am

Danny 3/16/15
Blog 22

Summarize the story so far in your independent reading. Focus on the main points and big ideas so that readers can get a sense of the overall story.
*******************************************************************************
Dear ms. Kimball,

In my independent reading, I am reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.

It's about three demigods who have joined together to help save Hera, Queen of the gods, and stop an evil force who is threatened to conquer the world. The three teenage demigods Jason, Piper, and Leo set off on an adventure that will change there lives forever. With magic, romance, and secrets these three young kids take on storm sprits, necromancers, dragons and other odd creatures.
Right now I am at one of the best parts of the book. Jason finds someone he has been looking for, for a long time.

From,
Danny

Sam

3/17/2015 09:21:20 am

Dear Danny,
you left me hanging so good and I am dying to know. Who is this person that Jason has found?

Ms. Kimball

3/17/2015 01:43:43 pm

Dear Danny,

You wrote a very good overall summary without giving away much of the storyline. Although I agree with Sam -I'd love to know more about whom Jason found- I understand that may spoil the plot. Instead, I'll ask a different question. What kind of guy is Jason? Do you like him as a main character?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Danny

3/19/2015 01:34:47 am

Dear Ms.Kimball
Jason has a great personality he is adventurous, funny, nice, and seems like a good friend. But I don't like his hairstyle :(

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 07:32:13 am

Dear Danny,

How do you know what his hairstyle is?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:44:25 am

Hi Danny,
I also NEED to know who it is he found!!! You really gave us a cliff hanger. Also, what is a necromancer? Good summery!

From,
RHEONA

Yubin

3/18/2015 01:13:19 pm

Dear Danny,

This is an epic response! Is Hera in your story the same as Hera in the Ancient Greek Myth, who is the goddess of marriage, and the wife of Zeus?

Sincerely,
Yubin

Arim link

3/20/2015 01:42:02 am

Dear Danny

I like your beginning where you write down what the objective is and where you write the date and your name. I also want to know who the person is. I read the book and forgot.

From Arim

Forrest

3/22/2015 12:48:53 pm

Dear Danny,

That is the craziest part to stop at! I agree with Sam and Ms Kimball. I want to hear more! What do you mean "odd creatures?" Really liked the response!

From,

Forrest

Layla

3/16/2015 11:41:42 am

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I am reading Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez. Mari, one of the main characters, is from Mexico. But, her family crossed the border illegally. They all moved to North Carolina. But then, Mari's grandmother gets sick, so Mari's mom goes back to Mexico to take care of her. Soon the grandmother dies, and Mari's mom heads back to North Carolina. But, she mysteriously is gone for a long time. By this point, Mari's mom has been gone for a year, and Mari starts to worry. Then, her uncles decide to take a job on a farm in Vermont.
This is when Tyler comes into the story. Tyler's family situation is complicated. His grandfather, Gramps, had recently passed away, and the grandmother is very sad. For example, every time someone mentions Gramps, the grandma cries. This makes it hard for Tyler to talk to anyone about his feelings, for he loved his grandfather and is sad.
Then one day, Tyler's father has a terrible accident. If Tyler hadn't called 9-1-1, his father would have died. Now, that the father can no longer do the chores on the farm, Tyler's family is forced the Mexicans.
Now, two completely different people are put together. At first Tyler does not like Mari and her family because they are illegal, and thinks his family isn't being loyal to their country. But then, Tyler finds himself becoming friends with Mari. He teaches her about the constellations and the stars, and gets her interested, so that they are both enjoying looking through his telescope. That is where I have stopped reading.
From,
Layla

Olivia D.

3/17/2015 07:33:42 am

Dear Layla,

That seems like a great story! Nice job summarizing.
What accident does Tyler's father get into? Keep up the great work.

Sincerely,
Olivia D.

Layla

3/18/2015 11:26:26 am

Dear Olivia D.,
Return to Sender is a great story! Tyler's father gets run over by a tractor, as far as I understood.
From,
Layla

Layla

3/17/2015 09:04:54 am

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I meant to say that Mari's uncles AND father decided to take a job on a farm in Vermont in the last sentence of the first paragraph.
From,
Layla

Ms. Kimball

3/17/2015 01:50:14 pm

Dear Layla,

Great summary! I've always wanted to read "Return to Sender," so I'm grateful that I got to hear what it's about from you. After Tyler's father had an accident, you said, "Tyler's family is forced the Mexicans." Did you mean, Tyler's family is forced to hire the Mexicans (Mari's family)? I'm guessing Tyler's family is patriotic and believes in following the laws. Was Tyler mean to Mari at all when she first arrived on their farm? What made him start to give her a chance to be his friend?

Very clear and detailed summary, Layla!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Layla

3/18/2015 11:31:34 am

Dear Ms. Kimball,
Great questions! I did mean to say Tyler's family is forced to hire the Mexicans. Also, Tyler at first wasn't very open to the idea of hiring illegal immigrants, so he wasn't nice to Mari and her sisters. But then later, he finds out that Mari is a kind and interesting person, and feels bad for being unkind to her.
From,
Layla

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:49:09 am

Hi Ms.Kimball and Layla,
Ms.Kimball! You stole those words right from my mouth i had the same questions as you did. Layla, Great summery! It makes me want to read the book. It is a book you would recommend to other people?

From,
RHEONA

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 07:34:09 am

Dear Layla,

Thank you for clarifying! This sounds like such an interesting story. The concept sounds somewhat related to Mango Street!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Julia

3/16/2015 12:09:47 pm

Dear Class,

The book I am currently reading is called, Operation Redwood, by S. Terrell French. Julian, a twelve year old boy, is staying with his "evil" aunt and uncle while his mom is on her dream vacation in China. While Julian is snooping around his uncle, who is very wealthy's, office, he finds two emails that upset him. I don't want to spoil this book, but these mysterious emails, give Julian the motive to take a BIG risk. Julian has some bumps along the road, but will he succeed in this risky journey?

Sincerely,
Julia

Layla

3/17/2015 09:02:20 am

Dear Julia,
Great job summarizing your book! Do you think that Julian deserved to be upset? Why are Julian's aunt and uncle "evil"?
From,
Layla

Julia

3/18/2015 01:00:24 pm

Dear Layla,

I definitely think Julian had a right to be upset, not only did the emails insult him, but also his father, who is now dead. His aunt and uncle are evil because they do not like him very much, and they want to send him away to math camp. Thanks for your response!

Sincerely,
Julia

Ms. Kimball

3/17/2015 01:53:27 pm

Dear Julia,

I wanted to read "Operation Redwood" too. I liked the cover art on the book! I have the same question as Layla asked. Also, you said, "While Julian is snooping around his uncle, who is very wealthy's, office." What did you mean by that?

I'm very curious about this "BIG risk" Julian is going to take, but I know if you tell me what it is, you'll spoil the plot. Good job enticing people to read the book.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Julia

3/18/2015 01:03:22 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,

I meant that he was snooping around in his uncles office. Also, his uncle is very wealthy.
Thanks for responding!

Yours Truly,
Julia

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:55:18 am

Hi Julia,
Wow! Great summery! I have a few questions though. The emails that his "evil" uncle got, does Julian know who they are from? Also, why does he think that his uncle and aunt are evil? My last question is, what happened to the dad. You did not mention the dad so i am curios!

From,
RHEONA

Julia

3/18/2015 01:09:38 pm

Dear Rheona,

Julian knows the name of the person who sent one of the emails. I answered your second and question in my response to Layla so you can look there (you too Ms. Kimball). For your last question, Julian's dad, who is also his uncles brother, died in a motorcycle accident when Julian was young. Thanks for your response!

From,
Julia

Sage P

3/19/2015 12:57:16 pm

Dear Julia,
I just started reading that book, but I haven't got very far yet! I loved your response! One thing that I thought you did really well was not giving much detail than anyone needed to know in the book. Great response!
From,
Sage P.

Alec

3/17/2015 06:28:54 am

Dear Class,
The story I'm reading is called City of Orphans by Avi. So far, a boy named Maks, a "World" newspaper boy, is in trouble because a teenager named Bruno is trying to steal his money for no apparent reason. He runs to an alleyway and finds a rugged girl on the floor. He cries for help
and the girl stands straight up and whacks the Plug Ugly Gang. (Bruno is the leader of the gang.) Maks thanks the girl and brings her to Maks’s house and let’s her eat food for thanks. That’s my summary. (I just started the book so there’s not much to say.)

From, Alec

Ms. Kimball

3/17/2015 01:58:09 pm

Dear Alec,

Avi is such a great writer. I hope you like the book so far. When you say Maks is a '"World' newspaper boy," what do you mean? Is he a special type of newspaper delivery boy? Also, why was the girl on the "floor"? (Maybe "ground" might have sounded more realistic for an alleyway). Was she pretending to be hurt so she could trick Bruno?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Alec

3/19/2015 01:40:19 am

Dear Ms. Kimball,
Maks is working for a newspaper company called "The World". He is not a special newspaper boy. The girl was on the ground because she was sleeping. She wasn't trying to act hurt so she could trick Bruno. She never met Bruno so she won't really understand.

From, Alec

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:57:21 am

Hi Alec,
Great summery! Really descriptive yet it was not to descriptive for a summery!

From,
RHEONA

Alec

3/19/2015 01:36:00 am

Rheona,
Thank you for the reply! I feel happy when someone replies to me.

From, Alec

Mikey

3/17/2015 06:58:12 am

Dear Ms.Kimball,
I will summarize the Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander. A sixth grader named Mac, a school problem solver, is trying to get rid of a bully named Staples who pays kids to lose in sports events and he makes huge bets against them. Staples kidnaps Mac and brings him out into a huge field and threatens him a lot, but then his friends come and save him. That is all I have read so far, but I am almost done with the book. I am really excited to finish the book.
Sincerely,
Mikey

Sam

3/18/2015 10:21:58 am

Dear Mikey,
the fourth stall is a book I've been planning to read for a long time.
A question I have is how are some of the ways that make Chris a problem solver, what are his ways?

Sincerely,
Sam

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:58:53 am

hi Mikey
Is that all that happened in most of the book? Also, are you going to read the next books in the series also?

From,
RHEONA

Ms. Kimball

3/18/2015 02:24:49 pm

Dear Mikey,

I liked how you used a modifying clause to describe Mac as a school problem solver. Good job! Staples sounds like a sinister kid. What does he do to threaten Mac? Also, I have a similar question to Rheona. You said, "That is all I have read so far, but I am almost done with the book." Is that really all that happened in the entire book? I know that there is so much more to the story!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Olivia D.

3/17/2015 07:28:18 am

Dear Class,

I am going to summarize a book that I recently finished titled, "Trouble with May Amelia".
It is about a twelve year old girl with six brothers who grows up on a farm. Her father believes girls are useless and treats May Amelia awfully. May Amelia's father later on makes a deal with a mischevious person and their whole family ends up with no money!
May Amelia's father blames this incident on Amelia and sends her to go live with his brother. I'm won't tell you anything else but lets just say it's a miracle. I definitly recommend this book it's really great.

Sincerely,
Olivia D.

Rheona

3/18/2015 12:00:50 pm

Hi Olivia,
I just would like to say, I have seen and read about you reading a lot or really great books! Also, Who is the mother? Do you know anything about her?

From,
RHEONA

Olivia D.

3/19/2015 01:00:37 pm

Dear Rheona,

May Amelia's mother is'nt a main part in the book. The mother works as a doctor and she is usually doing the right things as May Amelia's father put's it.

Sincerely,
Olivia D.

Ms. Kimball

3/18/2015 02:29:43 pm

Dear Olivia,

We missed you today!

That's sad how May Amelia's father treats his daughter. I'm curious to hear what kind of deal the father made. Why did he feel he could blame its failure on May Amelia? I like your word choice with "mischievous." It's a good way to summarize what is probably a complicated part of the plot.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Olivia D.

3/19/2015 01:04:58 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball

The father made a deal that he would give the person his whole farm in exchange for 25,000$ which back then in their times was considered rich. Also the family speaks the language finn and so May Amelia was the only one who could speak english aswell as finn.May Amelia's father used her as a human translater and he blamed her because he felt it was her fault since she translated.
I hope I answered your questions.
Sincerely,
Olivia

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 07:36:31 am

Dear Olivia,

Thank you so much for elaborating. The fact that May Amelia had to be a translator for the deal makes a big difference. I can see why the father wanted to blame her. What an interesting plot detail.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Sam

3/17/2015 09:04:05 am

Dear Ms Kimball,
I have started the first book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Harry is described as a skinny boy with jet black hair, whose parents died in a car crash when he was a little kid. He lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley, who have everything they could ever want. Harry, treated badly by the family, hides his emotions to not get in trouble with the family. In the section that I'm at in the book, Harry has just started receiving multiple letters from Hogwarts. I can't wait to read more and find out what happens with all the letters.

Sincerely,
Sam

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:42:17 am

Hi Sam,
I was wondering if you like the book so far. The reason i ask is a few years ago i started that book and i didn't like it. I was thinking of reading again because i could have just been to young to understand or maybe my taste in books have changed but i would like to get your feed back on the book.

From,
RHEONA

Ms. Kimball

3/18/2015 02:32:02 pm

Dear Rheona,

I love how you excitedly respond to your classmates. Keep it up! But PLEASE make effort to use correct capitalization, especially with the word "I"!

Thanks!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Ms. Kimball

3/18/2015 02:37:16 pm

Dear Sam,

Great summary! And good use of modifying clauses to describe characters. Have you ever read a Harry Potter book before? It's one of my favorite series, so if you haven't, I'm so excited for you. You've got so much to look forward to. I like J.K. Rowling's writing style better than the style of some of the current popular writers, such as James Dashner and Veronica Roth. Let me know what you think!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Sam

3/19/2015 01:49:33 pm

Dear Ms. kimball,
I agree with you on how J.K. Rowling has a different style of writing then other popular writers. I think J.K. describes things that you would never have thought to been said in that way with great energy. She brings her writing to life in a special way that truly pulls in the reader. These are my thoughts on J.K. Rowling writing style.

Sincerely,
Sam

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 07:38:28 am

Dear Sam,

Thanks for replying, Sam. I like how you described J.K. Rowling's writing as having "great energy." I never thought of it that way. One word that always comes to my mind when I think about her writing is "whimsical." Look it up --it's a great word!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Marc

3/20/2015 01:36:40 am

Sam,
hey sam, have you seen the movies before? If not, what made you want to read the book? Also, how do you like the Harry as a character?

Sincerely,
Marc

Yubin

3/17/2015 01:06:46 pm

Dear Class,

I have read the book called “Ancient Greece and the Olympics” by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce. I am going to summarize chapter 2 of the book, whose title is, “Religion”. The Greeks worshiped twelve major gods. They thought gods lived on top of Olympus, the tallest mountain in Greece. People believed the gods punished them when they were angry. To make the gods happy, Greek people built temples for the gods, and honored them with offerings and prayers.

Out of the twelve gods, Zeus was the ruler. He was the god of the sky, clouds, and rain. Zeus’s wife was Hera, the goddess of marriage and married women. Zeus had a brother named Poseidon. He was the god of the seas. Aphrodite was born in the sea. She was the goddess of love and beauty. Zeus had a daughter named Athena, the goddess of wisdom and arts. Zeus was also the father of Apollo. He was the god of the sun, healing, music, and poetry.

Sincerely,
Yubin

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:38:30 am

Hi Yubin,
I an inferring that the book you are reading is a non-Fiction book about gods. D u like this topic? If so, I am reading a book on Egyptian gods. I think you will enjoy it because then you will know about many different kinds of gods and you could compare and contrast them. The book is called The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.

From,
RHEONA

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 07:55:15 am

Dear Yubin,

Great summary. I loved learning about the Greek Gods. I thought it was very interesting how the ancient Greeks gave such human characteristics to their gods. Which god do you find the most interesting to learn about?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Marc

3/18/2015 10:07:32 am

Class,
Yesterday, I started a new book called The Death Cure. It is the 3rd book in the maze runner series.

In my book, Thomas, the main character, was locked in a white room, as another one of WICKED'S evaluations. WICKED is a group, to help cure a deadly desiese, named the flare. And for WICKED to be able to cure the flare, they need to take blueprints from people who are immune to the flare. Since Thomas is immune to the desiese, they are evaluating him in the white room, however, Thomas is going crazy in the room, mostly by his own stench. After 26 days, an old man, with who Thomas has met before, comes into the room, and tells him all of the evaluations are over. However, Thomas does not believe this man, because WICKED has tortured him in the past, with the maze, and the scorch.

Thomas, later gets reunited with his friends, and plots his revenge on WICKED. Newt, a British boy, sadly, is not immune to the flare, so Thomas, has to think he their revenge should wait for a long time, until after WICKED has a cure for the flare. That is all I have read so far.

Sincerely,
Marc

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:32:33 am

Hi Marc,
I was wondering what the "Scorch"? I know that the 2nd book in the series is called the " Scorch Trails" Does that have anything to do with it?

From,
RHEONA

Marc

3/19/2015 01:31:16 am

Rheona,
the scorch, is where the sun demolished earth. The scorch is basically a desert, with a bunch of cranks, and cranks are people who have gone insane by the flare.

Sincerely,
Marc

Julia

3/18/2015 01:13:30 pm

Dear Marc,

I am also reading The Death Cure, but I have some questions anyway. First, what is the white room? Next, how does Thomas know the old man? Finally, what are the maze, and the scorch? Nice job on your response!

Sincerely,
Julia

Marc

3/19/2015 01:35:02 am

Julia,
the white room is an all white room for wicked to evaluate Thomas, to see what he would act like for being in there for 26 days. The old man, is the same man who put them in the scorch because, he works for WICKED. Finally, the maze and the scorch are both places where WICKED puts them, and evaluates them.

Sincerely,
Marc

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 07:52:09 am

Dear Marc,

Your story sounds very exciting and dramatic the way you described it. Julia asked some of my questions below, so thanks for answering those. This series is somewhat challenging to summarize if you use the specific words that the author uses in the book. Detailed modifying clauses are essential! For example, just calling "the flare" a "deadly disease" may not be enough. You may have to say, "...the flare, a deadly disease that causes people to go insane and try to each each other, is ravaging the world." Something like that.

I have a question for you. You wrote, "Newt, a British boy, sadly, is not immune to the flare, so Thomas, has to think he their revenge should wait for a long time, until after WICKED has a cure for the flare." What did you mean by that?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Marc

3/22/2015 01:24:21 pm

Ms. Kimball,
When I said "Newt, a British boy, sadly, is not immune to the flare, so Thomas, has to think he revenge," I think the "he" was just a typo. What I meant by it was, if Thomas wanted to wait for wicked to have the cure to the flare, or if they wanted to escape with Newt slowly dying of the flare.

Sincerely,
Marc

Nathan

3/18/2015 10:33:36 am

Dear class

I am going to summarize the last few chapters of the book Warriors, into the wild, By Erin hunter.

Warning: Spoilers!

Firepaw and the other apprentices went with Bluestar (the Thunder clan’s leader). To go see the moonstone. The moonstone gives the new leaders 9 lives or gives the leader a special dream. Bluestar had a dream that the clan was being attacked so they rushed back. When they got back Shadow clan and Thunder clan was fighting. The clan fought of Shadow clan but many were hurt. Then Spottedleaf (The clan’s medic) brang Lionheart’s dead body (the deputy of Thunder clan). Then the Shadow clan’s (old) medic, who was thrown out of the clan (her name is Yellow Fang) showed a lot of loyalty by protecting the kits in the fight, so she was invited to join the clan. Then the new deputy was chosen and it was Tigerclaw. Ravenpaw (another apprentice) said Bluestar should never have chosen Tigerclaw, but we do not know why yet.

Yours truly,
Nathan

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:27:10 am

Hi Nathan,
Thank you for putting in the "warning: Spoiler". If i was reading this book i would've vary much appreciated it. I have one pointer to give you, since we are working on modifying clauses, i think instead of saying "Bluestar (the Thunder clan’s leader)," i think you could've said "Bluestar, the Thunder Clan's leader..." Do you agree?

from,
RHEONA

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 08:02:27 am

Dear Nathan,

We've missed you! We hope to see you in school again soon.

Warriors is such an exciting series --complex, too. There are so many characters, rivalries, and clan rules that it can be challenging to keep track of it all at first. You mentioned so many of them in your summary. At the beginning of the scene you described, why did Firepaw and the apprentices go with Bluestar to the Moonstone in the first place? How does this scene influence the story as a whole? (It sounds pretty epic!)

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Forrest

3/18/2015 11:18:42 am

Dear Ms.Kimball,

I am going to summarize the second book in the series Mr.Terupt Falls Again. In this book there are many different characters. The easy going, friendly, and lovable Mr.Terupt is the kids 5th and 6th grade teacher. The kids include Peter, he is the prankster in the class and he is a very competitive person. He loves to make people laugh when something boring is happening. Jeffery, who is a great kid, never pulls pranks but he does sometimes fight with Peter. Luke, the smart one, always loves learning and loves books. Alexia, who was a very mean girl in the beginning of the first book is now nice because of Mr.Terupt’s truthfulness. In this book she is a very nice person and a great friend. Danielle is the person who used to get bullied and called names but since her friends are on her side she doesn't feel like she gets bullied. Anna is the quiet one, the one who feels she is the cause of her mother’s problems. Then there is Jessica, the book lover who is nice and always a true friend.

The kids and Mr.Terupt always have a great time and they are going to have a great year. They all love their classmates and will be friends forever. Where I left off they are going to a carnival. That left me wondering if they are going to have the time of their life?

From,

Forrest

Talia

3/19/2015 12:51:38 pm

*****************************Forrest,*******************************************
I don't understand the sentence you wrote: "The kids include Peter, he is the prankster in the class and he is a very competitive person."
Otherwise, I enjoyed your responce very much.
*******************************From, *******************************************
******************************Tallia*********************************************

Forrest

3/20/2015 01:36:49 am

Dear Talia,

When I said "The kids include" I am starting to to talk about all the kids. It is the start of a list.

From,

Forrest

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 08:08:33 am

Dear Forrest,

Great use of modifying clauses. You really helped me understand the characters by adding all of that extra detail.

It sounds like this year with Mr. Terupt is going perfectly. From your summary, there doesn't seem to be any real problems yet. Of course, we all know that stories HAVE to have problems, otherwise they would be boring. Based on the title of the book, I assume something bad will happen to Mr. Terupt. Have you discovered any tension in the book or a problem yet?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Forrest

3/22/2015 12:39:43 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,

The year is going perfectly and it sounds really fun! I think there is a little tension because they are going to do something really fun (the carnival) and in the last book the problem happened when something really fun was happening!

From,

Forrest

Rheona

3/18/2015 11:22:01 am

Hi Class,
I have started a new book called A Crooked Kind Of Perfect by Linda Urban. The book is about a girl, Zoe Elias .Zoe wants to become a famous pianist and go to Carnegie Hall, a hall where all the famous pianists preform. When her dad goes to buy a baby grad piano, he ends up buying Zoe an Organ! Then Zoe Participates in an annual Preform-O-Rama, a contest for Organ players, her cooked life might be just the perfect cooked she wanted all along.

From,
RHEONA

Alec

3/20/2015 10:21:34 am

Rheona,
Thanks for the response! Great summary! The book sounds very interesting. Hope you enjoy the book! Keep up the good work!!

From, Alec

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 08:04:32 am

Dear Rheona,

Great book! I hope you're enjoying it. When you wrote, "Then Zoe Participates in an annual Preform-O-Rama, a contest for Organ players, her cooked life might be just the perfect cooked she wanted all along," what did you mean? Also, was Zoe upset that her dad got her an organ instead of a piano?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Kaela

3/19/2015 11:40:30 am

Dear class,
I am reading currently The Swap, witch is by Megan Shull. So so far there is a girl named Ellie and a boy who is named Jack. At the beginning they are both about to start school ,Ellie 7th grade Jack 8th. They are both at the pool. Ellie is on one side of the pool with 2 other girls and Jack is on the other with a crowed of boys around him well he does flips into the pool. Ellie is with 2 girls one had moved there recently and the other Sassy use to be nice but now she is so mean one of her comments was for example, "There's just an incredibly awkward time in life were your nose is too big for your face, and you happen to be in it." And in the other corner is Jack the popular kid but he has older brothers who are very tough and an even tougher father. He trained all summer in the cage, a basement where they play fore hockey. So they meet up in the nurses office when Ellie over hears some bad stuff in the bathroom and fakes that shes having a (now i know this is will be a little weird but) period. Jack got into a fight with a bully and got a broken nose. So there in the nurses office and the new nurse says some weird thing suddenly there asleep and when they wake up they realized the have switched body's. That is as far as I got so thank you for reading.
Sincerely Kaela

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 08:13:18 am

Dear Kaela,

You gave a pretty detailed summary! Good job. The writing is missed some important punctuation, which made it very difficult to follow. Please reread to check for pauses that need periods before pressing submit.

The story sounds pretty interesting. I wasn't expecting anything "magical" to happen. Did the author give you any clues as to why or how Ellie and Jack swapped bodies? Was there anything mysterious in the nurses office?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Kaela

3/24/2015 11:01:12 am

Dear Ms.Kimball
I Am sorry about the punctuation arrors and befor they switched body's the weird nurse said some odd words. But other than that there was nothing in the nurses office that was odd except well, the nurse herself.😉
Sincerely Kaela

Arim link

3/19/2015 11:41:46 am

Dear Class,

So pretty much the summary is that Firepaw went into the forest, he got attacked by gray paw, Bleustar was imprest by his fighting and asked Firepaw if he wanted to join Thunderclan, Firepaw said yes. So Firepaw got trained and when he was good enough he got to go hunting alone. When he went hunting Firepaw got attacked by another cat. When the fight was over, Firepaw broke the Clan code, he ate before he fed the clan. Thats my summary of the book I'm reading.

From Arim

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 08:19:42 am

Dear Arim,

Try to start your responses with a topic sentence, such as, "I am reading the book 'Warriors' by Erin Hunter and it is very exciting." That helps your readers get into your writing and prepares them for what you are going to say. Also, you didn't use any modifying clauses, so I don't know who any of the characters or clans are, nor do I know the background story. You wrote list of actions that happened, and while it is exciting, it's not a summary. A summary focuses on the big ideas instead of the specific details.

Can you tell about the big ideas of what you read?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Talia

3/19/2015 12:45:38 pm

Ms.Kimball,
I am reading the book Harriet The Spy. Harriet, a girl living in New York, wants to be a spy when she grows up and even now she has a whole spy route around her neighborhood. She writes down everything that she sees in her notebook. She spies on Mrs.Plumber, a rich lady who never gets out of bed, Little Joe, a boy who delivers for a grocery store and never seems to stop eating, the grocery store that he delivers for is also run by a family that Harriet spies on. Each person in the family has a different, interesting personality. Along the way through the book, Harriet spies on many more people. Watch out! She may be spying on you right now!
Talia

Kaela

3/20/2015 01:36:34 am

Dear Talia,
After your summery I now want to read the book. Could you tell me about one of the most important thing she found out. And did her friends- if she had any- ever help her spy on people. These are just a fue questions that might not be extremely important but I would like to know. I loved reading your blog response so thank you for writing bye!
Sincerely
Kaela

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 08:22:53 am

Dear Talia,

I like how you described the book so far. It sounds very amusing. Good job trying to use modifying clauses to add more details. One thing you didn't mention is why Harriet wants to be a spy. Is she just nosey or does she think it's important to protect the neighborhood? Also, I'm guessing she must get into some trouble. Has you read about any trouble Harriet has gotten herself into yet?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Talia

3/21/2015 11:19:59 am

Ms.Kimball,
Harriet doesn’t say why she wants to be a spy.
Harriet does get in trouble in part two of the book. She is playing a game with her friends when her notebook falls out of her hands and while she isn’t paying attention her classmates look in her notebook and see bad things that Harriet wrote about them. They all get really mad at Harriet, but by the end of the book, she makes up with Sport, her best friend.
Talia

Sage P

3/19/2015 12:54:42 pm

Dear Class,

I am going to summarize the book Every Soul a Star, the book I have been reading in class. The book is about three kids their names are, Bree, Jack, and Ally. Throughout the story the characters get their own chapters so you can know the perspective of that character, and what they thought on an event that happened in the story. In the beginning of the story the three kids are all in their separate normal lives, which are all different in different ways. The two kids, Bree and Jack, all got to Ally’s campground in some way. What I mean by that is, Jack was with this group that was going to the campground to see an eclipse and he ended up coming to the campground that Ally’s family owned. Bree had another way of getting to the campground too. When all of the kids got there they all became friends at different moments, and they were all there to watch an eclipse happen. Also in the story another Big Idea is, Ally’s family was moving from the campground,I can’t tell you anymore more than that or I will ruin the book for you.
From,
Sage P.

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 08:32:43 am

Dear Sage,

You told me that you finished the book --Congrats! I hope you enjoyed it. You didn't mention it in your summary, but is the campground scene you described at the beginning, middle, or end of the story? Also, I'm curious about something. You wrote, "the three kids are all in their separate normal lives, which are all different in different ways." How were their lives different from one another?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Sage P

3/22/2015 02:42:11 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball,
I know I didn't say that I finished the book, but I just finished it the day I wrote the response so I just didn't mention it. The part with all of the kids getting to the playground took place in the beginning of the story and the eclipse took place at the end of the story. I wrote they were all different in different ways because their lifestyles were so different, also each character had a different personality and their likes and dislikes were different too.
From,
Sage P.

Sage W.

3/19/2015 01:45:26 pm

Dear, Class
I just finished Champion and since its the third book in the series its hard to explain because you don’t have the background knowledge.
So I will summarize the first book. The U.S. is split into two parts the Republic and the Colonies. In the Republic the poor are treated horribly and the rich are treated perfectly. The one thing that can change who you are and where you live is the trials. The trials is a test you take at the age of ten. Day, Republics most wanted criminal, grew up in the lake sector, (The poor sector of L.A.) with his two brothers, his mom, and dad. But his dad is gone, and although Day knows he’s dead the book never says how he died. June on the other hand is the Republics perfect girl, she got the perfect score on her trials and finished college at age fifteen. But when Junes brother, Metias, is killed June must go to find the criminal.
June and Day then meet on the streets in one of the poor sectors during a skid fight (an illegal fight in which money is bet). June then sees that Day is actually a good guy. But she still wants to get back at Day for all of his crimes, especially her brothers death. When Day is captured many things go wrong and many secrets are spilled. I would tell you the rest but I don’t want to spoil the book.

Ms. Kimball

3/21/2015 08:28:39 am

Dear Sage,

Great job using modifying clauses to add clear details to your summary. Even though the book is complicated, you did a nice job distilling it down to it's basic parts. I found your summary pretty easy yet interesting to follow. You also used a number of transition phrases, prepositions, and subordinating conjunctions to connect all of the information. Just remember to add commas to separate clauses.

I have a question for you. How did June relate her brother's death to Day? You wrote, "But she still wants to get back at Day for all of his crimes, especially her brothers death." Was he involved? What were some of his crimes?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Sage W.

3/24/2015 10:42:06 am

Dear Ms.Kimball,

Day was at the hospital when Metias died. Day is actually a good person though and even though he's a criminal not one of his crimes involve someone dying. The thing is the Republic actually killed Metias because he was getting close to finding out the secrets of the Republic. Day, did throw a knife but he knew it wouldn't kill Metias. Once Days knife was there it was easy for the country to frame their most wanted criminal.

Sofia

3/20/2015 11:11:54 am

Right now, I'm reading My Best Friend's Brother. The main character, who's name is Hope, goes to her best friend Heather's house. What she doesn't expect, is to see Heather's brothers, who have shamelessly bullied Hope since she was young. Hope was able to avoid Heather's brothers, mostly because they went to college. But now they're back. Heather's brothers Matthew (Matt) and Nathan (Nate), are twins, and are the brothers that bullied Hope. On the other hand, Heather also has a brother named Dean, who has an open crush on Hope, but is too young for Hope. In the latest chapter, Class,
I learned that despite bullying her all the time, Matt actually has a crush on Hope. And Hope, despite Matt always bullying her, has a crush on Matt. But she overheard that Matt liked someone when he was talking to Nate, Dean, and Heather. What she didn't know, though, was that Matt was talking about her. So thats my summary of My Best Friends Brother.
Sofia

Ms. Kimball

3/23/2015 12:08:50 pm

Dear Sofia,

You have some serious social drama in your story! What made Hope like Matt despite him bullying her? Was it all a misunderstanding or does Hope just have bad judgement? Also, I'm curious how close Heather and Hope are as best friends.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Sofia

3/25/2015 12:05:48 pm

Ms.Kimball,
Actually, in my story, it doesn't say how Heather and Hope met, just that they had known eachother since they were young. They couldn't have met from school, since they went to different schools, so maybe a family friend? Also, I mixed up the twins! Matt is Nate's twin, and Nate likes Hope. Eeek! It also doesn't say why Hope likes Nate, but she's very confused as to why she likes Nate, and it's sometimes funny to hear her talk about it in her perspective.

Amy

3/21/2015 12:48:53 pm

Dear Class,
In my book Savvy there is this twelve girl named Mississippi but she goes by Mibs. Mibs's dad got in a car accident and is in the hospital. But the closet hospital is far away. Rocket, Mibs's 17 year old brother, and her mom go to visit the dad while he is in a coma. It was now Mibs's 13 year old birthday. This is a special family so on their 13 birthday they get a savvy which is like a super power. Rockets savvy Is electricity and Fish's, Mib's 14 year old brother, has a storm savvy so when ever he feels deep emotion he creates a storm. Mibs has to go to her father because she thinks her savvy is waking people up. Mibs has one last brother named samson but he is only 7 so he doesn't have a savvy yet.
The kids sneak on a delivery bus that says to Salina, The place where Mibs father is. All the kids get on the bus, but two more kids get on the bus. Will junior is 14 years old and thinks that Mibs and her family are special and different. Bobbi Is will's older sister and is 16 years old. Bobbi likes rocket. All the kids hide on the bus because they see the delivery man walking towards the bus. Mibs looks through the window on the bus and sees that they are heading away from Salina not towards it. I don't want to give away the book because it is a really good book and I do recommend it.
Sincerely,
Amy

Ms. Kimball

3/23/2015 12:14:40 pm

Dear Amy,

This sounds like a very fun book. I'm glad you're enjoying it! I wish I had a "savvy"!
I have some questions for you:
What is a "twelve girl"?
What is a "closet hospital"?
Who is the "delivery man" and why would kids hide from him?
Are Will Junior and Bobbi friends of the family?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Amy

3/24/2015 12:22:09 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball,
I'm sorry I ment a twelve year old girl and the closest hospital. The delivery man Is driving the truck and soon we find out his name is Lester. The kids hide from Lester because they weren't supposed to be on the bus. Bobbi and Will junior are kids that the family see at church they go
To on Sundays. If you don't know what church is it is a place where you talk to God.
Sincerely,
Amy

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Student Work
for
Ms. Kimball's Grade 5 At Underwood, 2014-2015

Relive the greatness of this unforgettable group of students, my fabulous fifth grade class from Underwood Elementary School in Newton.