Reading Response #17

5/8/2016

Great descriptions really make a story come to life! Great descriptions use precise details, figurative language, and/or interesting vocabulary to enhance a reader's experience with the text.

You can analyze descriptions in a number of ways. One way is to decide if the author means the description "literally" or "figuratively."

Literal: the author means exactly what he or she writes. For example, "A few cold drops of rain fell on the children's noses and their cheeks and their mouths. The sun faded behind a stir of mist. A wind blew cold around them." This is a great, precise description of the start of a rain storm. The author means exactly what he says.

Figurative: the words are used in a way that is different from the usual meaning. Figurative language creates a picture in your mind. For example, "The children pressed to each other like so many roses, so many weeds, intermixed, peering out for a look at the hidden sun." The author does not mean that the children are actually roses or weeds. This description makes you think of roses and weeds crowded together, then relate that to a crowd of children trying to see the sun.

This Week's Prompt:
Look through your independent reading for a great description of a setting, a character, or an action.

Quote the description accurately and provide background information about it.
Explain the meaning of the description and tell if the author means the words literally or figuratively.

I look forward to reading the great descriptions you choose! Bonus points if you find both a literal description and a figurative description!

63 Comments

Julia

5/9/2016 04:26:11 pm

Dear class,
I have just finished reading Paper Towns by John Green. In the book, Quentin finally finds Margo, after a very long search, and he is waking up in the morning. The description is from that part of the book is, "When I wake up, the dying light of the day makes everything seem to matter, from the yellowing sky to the stalks of grass above my head, waving in slow motion like a beauty queen." The first part of the sentence is literal, the light really does make everything matter to Quentin, but the part about the grass stalks waving like a beauty queen is figurative. The stalks are not actually waving like a beauty queen, but that is how it looks to Quentin.
Sincerely,
Julia

Ms. Kimball

5/10/2016 08:46:29 pm

Dear Julia,

Congrats on finishing your book! Great choice of a description. I imagine that light can't literally die, so that part sees a little figurative. "Fading" might have been a more literal description of the light. Why do you think the author chose the word "dying"?

Also, how do you imagine a beauty queen waves? Why in the world would the author choose to compare stalks of grass to a beauty queen?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Julia

5/18/2016 01:32:15 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
The author probably chose the word 'dying' because the light was fading away. The light probably looked very pale and faded to Quentin. Also, I think the author compared stalks of grass to beauty queens because they wave very slowly and gracefully, and the stalks must have been waving like that to make Quentin compare them to beauty queens.
Sincerely,
Julia

Liana

5/19/2016 05:03:02 pm

Dear Julia,
I love Paper Towns! John Green is one of my favorite authors. Your response was so good! I love the description you chose. It's really cool how there was a figurative description and a literal description in one sentence!

A question I have is, what would you think the stalks of grass remind you of? Would you think they look like a beauty queen like Quinten did? Another question I have is why was Quinten looking for Margo? I know I have already read this book, but for readers who might not have, they might be confused and need some more background information.

Sincerely,
Liana

Maggie

5/19/2016 09:13:08 pm

Dear Julia,
I loved your response! To many spoilers though. I just have one question. Why does the light make everything matter to Quentin?
From,
Maggie

Elizabeth

5/9/2016 05:07:53 pm

Dear Class,
I am currently reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth.

"Above me the lines between the tiles warp and twist into monstrous creatures. The scent of rotting flesh fills the air and I gag. The monstrous creatures take on a more definite shape- they are birds, crows, with beaks as long as my forearm and wings so dark they seem to swallow the light." In the story Tris (main character) is in enemy headquarters. She has been given a serum that overwhelms the brain with terror, and the brain cannot create new surroundings to overpower the serum. The enemy has injected Tris with the serum because they want information from someone that would die for her.

The author probably meant this figuratively because Tris has been afraid of being overwhelmed, found out, and taken over ever since she found out she is divergent. She found out about this fear through a recurring simulation where she is attacked and overwhelmed by crows. They peck at her, they shove their way into her mouth, and they come in a swarm of ugly, black wings. The author is reminding you of this fear and also (since the crows are worse) reminding you that Tris has one big enemy and that enemy is so close and dangerous that she could be killed right then and there.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Ms. Kimball

5/10/2016 08:53:36 pm

Dear Elizabeth,

Cool description! Since the description is out of context, it is hard for me to know if what the author describes is actually happening to Tris. Do the lines between the tiles actually warp and twist into monstrous creatures? Or is Tris just imagining it?

Even if she is imagining it, I think most of the description is actually literal, believe it or not! It sounds like this serum makes people have some pretty frightening hallucinations. I felt that one part of what Tris "sees" is figurative. Can you guess which part I'm thinking of and why I think it is figurative?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Elizabeth

5/18/2016 12:38:17 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I don't think the tiles are actually warping and twisting into monstrous birds. I think that under the influence of the serum Tris's brain is totally controlled by terror and to do that there needs to be something to be afraid of. Her brain must have created the image to fuel her fear. I don't think Tris is completely imagining the because the serum is supposed to inflict terror.

I suppose you are right about it being figurative because this is coming from her point of view while she is in the hallucination. I think the part of the hallucination that is figurative is where Tris is describing the crow's wings. She says the wings are so dark they seem to swallow the light. Crow's wings can't actually swallow light, they can make a shadow by passing under light, but they cannot swallow light.

Thank you Ms. Kimball for the feedback!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Trisha

5/10/2016 06:17:35 pm

Dear Class,
I'm reading the book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. In the scene, Harry Potter, the main character, and his friends Ron and Hermione are walking to his first class of divination, which is like reading the future or reading minds. They stop by to as a painting for directions, because paintings in the wizard world can talk. This describes the horse in the portrait walking and how it looks. "A fat, dapple-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly." This means a fat dark-gray horse slowly walked onto the grass and was eating casually.
Sincerely,
Trisha

Ms. Kimball

5/10/2016 08:57:07 pm

Dear Trisha,

The description you chose is rather amusing. Do you think it is literal or figurative? Why?

Since Harry Potter is a fantasy story, the author has to make sure her descriptions are believable so that readers accept the magical world it all takes place in. Can you find another description of something magical that the author described very "realistically"?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Trisha

5/18/2016 01:48:02 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball,
Thank you for the feedback. I think the description is literal because the horse actually looks that way. A realistic description of magic I found was " The old scar ,which was shaped like a bolt of lightning, was burning beneath his fingers as though someone had just pressed a white hot wire to his skin."
Sincerely,
Trisha

Liana

5/11/2016 04:06:16 pm

Dear class,
I am recently started reading Saving Mr.Terupt by Rob Buyea. It is about 7 friends who are starting junior high. Things aren't going so well though. First of all, they don't have Mr.Terupt, their favorite teacher, this year, and they're very disappointed about that. They also split apart because of a party, and they thought things that were mislead. A description that I found that was figurative was, "taking what you thought you had and throwing it away like it was nothing. Being downright cold-hearted." This doesn't literally mean that your heart is cold like ice or a freezer. It means that you're mean, and you don't have a nice heart, and maybe you don't care about anyone else. A description of something that is not figurative is, "My locker was old, like most everything at the junior high, and desperately needed a paint job, but I like it." This actually means that the locker was old, and the paint was probably peeling off and fading.
Sincerely,
Liana

Ms. Kimball

5/16/2016 08:28:07 pm

Dear Liana,

Great job finding both a figurative description and a literal description! You are on target with you explanation of both. Even the description about throwing your life away is figurative. No one can literally throw their life in the trash.

I noticed you're reading "Holes" now (one of my all time favorite books), so I assume you have finished Saving Mr. Terupt. Congratulations! How do you like the descriptions in "Holes" so far?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Liana

5/18/2016 03:47:10 pm

Dear Ms.kimball,
Thank you for your compliments! I have finished Mr.Terupt and now I am enjoying Holes. It is so good and I love the change in perspectives. I feel like this book is different from others in a way, and the way the author wrote it is so unique. For example, when they are in Stanley, the main character's perspective, he might be digging the holes, and they might suddenly jump to Kate Burlow, the schoolteachers's perspective, and I think that is really cool. So I agree with you. Holes is one of my all time favorite books too. But, to answer your question, I do like the descriptions in Holes. One of them was, "There had been three scratch marks down his cheek. Two of the marks had faded, but the middle scratch must have been the deepest, because it still remained. It was a jagged purple line running from below his eye to below his mouth, like a tatto of a scar." These sentences are not figurative, and they literally mean that Mr.Sir, the person who got injured, has a really bad scar and it looks very bad. Also, did you notice the good use of commas in these sentences? I think that they really make the sentenses flow smoothly.
Sincerely,
Liana

Julia

5/19/2016 04:33:05 pm

Dear Liana,
I loved your response! It was detailed, thorough and clear! Great job! One question I have is, in your explanation for the first description, you said, "and maybe you don't care about anyone else". Where did you find the evidence of that? I was confused because there was no evidence of being careless towards others. Consider clarifying that. Thanks! Great job, Liana!
Sincerely,
Julia

Anthony

5/11/2016 04:09:21 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
I am reading a book called A Corner of the Universe. The author is describing Hattie's uncle, Adam. " He is dressed in a pale green short sleeved, button cotton shirt with a bright red bow tie, neatly pressed wool pants, and sneakers with white socks. The white socks are just right for the sneaker, but not all right for the pants, which I think are part of a winter suit. Last night Adam's hair, which is nice and wavy, was neatly parted to one side. This morning he has parted it straight down the middle and slacked it flat with some Brylcreem."
Nana has dressed Adam with these clothes, and in think it is important because fashion to Nana means a lot to her.

I think that the author meant it literally because when you're describing someone's clothing, it didn't use the word "like" or "as if" because that would mean a metaphor was being used. But all of the describing can actually happen, so I think it is literally.
I am really enjoying this book.

Sincerely,
Anthony

Ms. Kimball

5/16/2016 08:38:49 pm

Dear Anthony,

I love the description you chose! It is so precisely detailed. Good job recognizing that the description is very literal. You are very correct to look for clue words such as "like" or "as" when searching for figurative language.

I found it interesting that you connected this very detailed description of Adam to Nana caring so much about his fashion. In the description, the author wrote, "The white socks are just right for the sneaker, but not all right for the pants, which I think are part of a winter suit." When I read that, it sounded as though Adam was a bit mismatched in his outfit. Why do you think the author included that detail?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Anthony

5/17/2016 04:30:06 pm

Dear Ms K
Thanks for the feedback. I think it was interesting the author put in a piece of clothing that didn't math the outfit. I think that she put this detail in the writing because Adam is the kind of guy that doesn't like to listen to his Mom and Dad, so I think he put on these "winter pants" because Adam thought it would good with it. The author said before that Adam was very picky. It isn't all the time that Adam is very picky.
Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Anthony

Emily

5/19/2016 05:52:53 pm

Dear Anothony,
Cool response!! I like how you literally said what Adam was wearing. I know you ment to say litteral instead of litteral but it's fine. Just remember to reread. One Q I have is why would Adams hair be parted differently did he change it to what ?
Nice response.
Emily

Whitney

5/11/2016 08:51:06 pm

Dear Class,
I just finished "A Time to Dance" by Padma Venkatraman. It is about a dancer from India who loses her leg in a bus accident. The story goes on to tell how she gets over the depression of losing a leg and her journey of trying to dance again. The description I chose is "My throat hurts as if a thorn is stuck in it and I ignore him." This is a strange description, because it could be figurative OR literal. Figurative because a thorn is not literally stuck in her throat, but literal because it says "...as if a thorn was stuck in it....". It doesn't say it's stuck in her throat, she says it's as if it was stuck. So I can't decide. What do you think? Thanks for your feedback!!
Sincerely,
Whitney

Ms. Kimball

5/16/2016 08:44:45 pm

Dear Whitney,

I am curious as to why you couldn't decide whether or not the description was literal of figurative. Remember, literal means that the author means exactly what he/she writes. Could the narrator actually have a thorn stuck in her throat? The words "like" or "as" signal that a certain type of figurative language is at work. Remember what it is called??

Also, what is going on at that point in the story where the narrator decides to "ignore him"? Who is "him" and how is he related to her feeling thorny in her throat?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Whitney

5/19/2016 08:20:19 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
Thank you for clarifying that. Is that other word called personification? Also, "him" is a very rude man asking about her fake leg. It feels like a thorn because it hurts when he plainly asks about it. Thanks for responding!
Sincerely,
Whitney

Ryan

5/12/2016 04:35:08 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I am reading "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" and found an interesting example of figurative language. In the book it states, "x-rays were so benign that shoe stores installed special machines that used them to measure foot sizes, sending penetrating rays up through the soles of your feet and right out the top of your head". This is an example of figurative language because the x-rays didn't literally send a beam through your feet and out through your head. This is a description that is exaggerated and not an example of what would literally happen. A real x-ray would have no impact whatsoever. However, the figurative language in this book makes it more entertaining and fun to read and creates a picture in your mind of a magical glow.

Sincerely,
Ryan

Ms. Kimball

5/16/2016 08:54:49 pm

Dear Ryan,

I like the description you chose! Not only is it funny that shoe stores of the past installed x-rays, but also it's intriguing that people thought it was a good idea. (Although clearly the narrator didn't!)

I mostly agree with you that it is a figurative description. My only hesitation is that x-rays ARE actual beams ...of radiation. Have you ever been to the dentist to get an x-ray of your teeth? Do they put this large, heavy pad on your belly to protect you from the x-rays? They do that to protect important parts of your body from the "penetrating rays." Nevertheless, I agree with you that the description feels exaggerated and the author wanted readers to visualize a "magical glow."

Does the author use exaggeration often in his descriptions?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Ryan

5/19/2016 07:05:18 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,

I have been to the dentist to get an x-ray but they have never put a pad over my stomach to protect me from the "penetrating rays". Perhaps they should have. However, in the past they have given me a mouth piece and told me to bite down. In the book, the author usually exaggerates his writing. As an example, it states, "the sound all but bounced off the clouds". The author didn't literally mean that the sound "bounced" off the clouds. Therefore it is another exaggeration. Thank you for your response.

Sincerely,
Ryan

Anthony

5/18/2016 03:41:52 pm

Dear Ryan,
Good job on the description. It was a really interesting description. I liked it a lot. Maybe you could have explained what is going on in the description. It would make it more clear for us to recognize. I have a question you. What is the author describing and why do you think the author put that little piece of information there?
Good Job though!
Sincerely,
Anthony

Tommy

5/12/2016 04:36:30 pm

Dear Mrs.Kimball,

I have just recently started the book, Marley And Me, written by John Grogan. The main characters, Jenny and John, a married couple, went to a farm in Western Michigan to buy a Yellow lab puppy, and chose a very excited one. Later in the book, they decided to name it Marley.

A description, from the book, that I found interesting is: "Something was crashing through the brush- and breathing very heavily. It sounded like what you might hear, in a slasher movie. And it was coming our way. We froze, staring into darkness. The sound grew louder and closer. Then in a flash the thing burst into the clearing and came charging in our direction, a big yellow blur."

This is figurative because the description does not tell you what the thing is, but it gives you hints about what it could be. The description revealed later on that it was actually Marley's dad.

Sincerely, Tommy

Ms. Kimball

5/17/2016 06:54:31 pm

Dear Tommy,

What a great description! It's very exciting and suspenseful. I like the author's word choices, such as "crashing," "froze," "burst," "charging," and "blur."

You wrote that the description is figurative. I agree that parts of it are, but your explanation doesn't match what figurative language is. I think you confused the definition of figurative language with foreshadowing, which hints at the future.

Reread the explanation before the prompt about what figurative language is versus literal language. Then, tell which parts of the description you think are figurative, and which are literal. For example, the author wrote, "Something was crashing through the brush- and breathing very heavily." I think that is literal. The author means exactly what he wrote, that there is something moving harshly in the bushes, breathing hard.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Tommy

5/19/2016 04:17:53 pm

Dear Mrs. Kimball,

Thank you for the complement. Also, thank you for the heads up about the literal part of the description. I think I interpreted it differently because I didn't say certain parts of the description were figurative and literal. I thought it was the whole description, not parts of it.

"Something was crashing through the brush- and breathing very heavily. It sounded like what you might hear, in a slasher movie. And it was coming our way. We froze, staring into darkness. The sound grew louder and closer. Then in a flash the thing burst into the clearing and came charging in our direction, a big yellow blur." Defiantly the first sentence was literal, but it did have some foreshadowing. It did not say what it was, yet. Also, a part that was figurative was that when it said "the thing" in the 5th sentence. It is not foreshadowing because it does not give you hints, and it is a thing, but Jenny and John do not know what quite yet.

Ryan

5/19/2016 08:07:32 am

Dear Tommy,
First, I would like to compliment you on your good grammar and punctuation. I like your description, however it seems to me that it may actually be literal but emphasized. What do you think?

Sincerely,
Ryan

Cordy

5/12/2016 07:09:15 pm

Dear class,
In my independent reading time I have been reading 'The Son Of Neptune'. This book has only literal descriptions, but a lot of them. The on I am going to describe is when Percy, son of Neptune God of the seas, Frank, son of Mars the God of war, and Hazel,daughter of Pluto the God of the underworld, all get on a little boat and Percy is describing the boat. " On board were two benches, some steel wool, an old cooler, and a mound of frayed rope with one end tied to the mooring. At the bottom of the boat, a plastic bag and two empty Coke cans floated in several inches of scummy water." I learned the name of the boat was 'PAX'.
Sincerely,
Cordy

Ms. Kimball

5/17/2016 06:59:49 pm

Dear Cordy,

Wow. That is a very literal yet detailed description. Even though I agree with you, I still would like you to explain how you are certain that the description is literal.

Also, are you sure you haven't run into any figurative descriptions? I've read some Rick Riordan books, and he often uses similes and metaphors (which are figurative language) to help him describe some of the crazy characters.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Cordy

5/19/2016 06:17:55 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball
I may have ran into some similes, but I did not notice because I was so raped up in the story. But I did skim though the pages to see. Also I may have to read some more to find them.
Sincerely,
Cordy

Trisha

5/18/2016 01:55:46 pm

Dear Cordy,
I like the description you chose! I like how you gave information about who the characters are. A question I have for you is, where are they going on the boat?
Sincerely,
Trisha

Cordy

5/19/2016 06:11:31 pm

Dear Trisha,
Percy, frank, and Hazel are all going to Alaska. But on the way they go to Mendocino then to talk with the Amazons. The Amazons are a group of, just girl, worriers and their first queen was Otrera how lived back in ancient times.
Sincerely,
Cordy

Whitney

5/19/2016 08:24:14 pm

Dear Cordy,
I loved how detailed your response was! One question that I have is, how can so many people fit on such a little boat? Great job!
Sincerely,
Whitney

Kate

5/19/2016 08:52:11 pm

Dear Cordy,

I like how you wrote about each person, it gave me a sense of how the person is. I agree with Mrs. Kimball you could have explained why the description is literal.

Sincerely, Kate

Maggie

5/12/2016 09:17:25 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I am reading Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.
In my book Percy has just gotten to a camp for people that are half god-half human. In this quote he is touring the camp. Here is the quote:
"Except for the fact the each had a large brass number above the doors ( odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks like a tiny factory. Number 4 had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass."
The part in which it says that he describes the houses is literal. But when it says that they look nothing alike, it's being literal.
Thanks for reading!
Maggie

Ms. Kimball

5/17/2016 07:02:51 pm

Dear Maggie,

Interesting description. You left me a bit confused though. Can you provide more background information on what's going on with these "houses"? I thought you said Percy was touring a camp.

Also, you wrote, "The part in which it says that he describes the houses is literal. But when it says that they look nothing alike, it's being literal." You said both parts are literal. Is that what you meant? Also, you didn't explain the meaning of those parts.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Maggie

5/19/2016 09:09:47 pm

Dear Ms.K,
Thank you for responding! To answer your first question, in a camp there are usually cabins, they call the houses cabins but there more like houses. To answer your second question yes it means there both being literal.
From,
Maggie

Elizabeth

5/18/2016 12:47:51 pm

Dear Maggie,
I loved Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I think the quote was a nice choice. I have some questions ( because I read this book a while ago), Why is Percy at the camp? How did Percy get to the camp? How are there half Gods-half humans?

I really liked you r response!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Ben

5/13/2016 06:33:36 pm

Dear class,
I just finished touch blue by Cynthia Lord. In the book this family adopts a foster child. The main character is judging him. For example she says that he his lips are "dry and sour. Also she says that he's as skinny as a spar. Now clearly the boy does not have sour lips or he's skinny as a spar cause that's Unheathy. This shows that the author, or the girl when she was thinking, used figurative language. I think she used figurative language by saying that the boy did not look like a boy that the girl had seen before. He's different. What the author makes you think of is that the boy has dry libs and he's very skinny like he's pore. This is why I think this is figurative language.
Sincerely,
Ben

Ms. Kimball

5/17/2016 07:09:25 pm

Dear Ben,

Cynthia Lord is also the author of "Rules!" Cool! I wonder if the "Rules" and "Touch Blue" have a similar style.

I like how you explained the figurative language. Good job! I agree that it's probably unlikely that the boy has "sour" lips. How would the narrator know how his lips taste? I had to look up the definition of "spar." I found that it is a big pole. You're right that it would be awfully unhealthy for a human to be that skinny. Do you think the author was trying to imply that the boy is poor? What do you think she was trying to say about him by calling his lips "sour"?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Ben

5/18/2016 08:29:18 pm

Dear Ms K,
thanks so much for the feed back. I do think that they are pore because usually people that have money are not as skinny as a pole or I think what the sour lips meant was that he could be thirsty. Once again thanks for the feed back.
sincerely,
Ben

Jansyn

5/19/2016 10:19:39 pm

Dear Ben
That book sounds good and i might want to read it. i have 3 questions for you. The kid who was adopted had a name right, what us it. Question #2. Who is the main character. Question #3. Well it's not really a question just a comment. You made a couple of errors and mistakes in your words and stuff.
from
Jansyn

Kate

5/13/2016 07:16:50 pm

Dear Mrs. Kimball,

I am reading Boot Camp. What happens in the story is that a girl name Emma and her family are forced out of their house. Emma is a really good horse rider and is going to the championships for it. Emma has to deal with moving back into there old run down barn and house. I am going to right about a scene right before the championships. " The knots in my stomach tighten with each step I take. The butterflies in my stomach flutter. My heart pounds out of my chest." I think that the author is trying to show that Emma is really nervous for her show. I think that this is a figurative and literal description. Why I think that this description is figurative is the part "The butterflies in my stomach flutter" butterflies don't actually flutter in someones stomach. Also the part "My heart pounds out of my chest" is figurative because your heart can't pond out of your chest. Why I also think that this description is literal is because the part "The knots in my stomach tighten with each step I take" this is literal because someones stomach can feel tight on them.

Sinceraly, Kate

Ms. Kimball

5/17/2016 08:53:01 pm

Dear Kate,

Great choice of a description! I agree that no one can have butterflies in their stomach, not can their heart pound out of their chest. They would be very ill! I think that the description about the "knots" in the narrator's stomach is also figurative. Someone's stomach can't literally be in knots like shoelaces; they wouldn't be able to digest their food! What do you think?

What about the championship made Emma feel this way? Have you ever felt like Emma? What does it literally feel like?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Tommy

5/19/2016 04:22:09 pm

Dear Kate,

You described it very well. Also, like Mrs. Kimball said, I think that the knots that Emma was feeling was figurative, because she didn't literally have knots. What do you think?

Sincerely Tommy

Kate

5/19/2016 08:48:18 pm

Dear Mrs. Kimball,

The part about the knots just shows that Emma was just all nervous and her stomach was all tight. I haven't really felt like Emma because Emma is going into the championships. But if I was her I would be freaking out.

Caitlin

5/15/2016 08:52:59 am

Dear Class,
I found a great description from the book A Tangle Of Knots. In the story there is this boy named Will and he is always getting lost inside of his buildings walls with his pet ferret Sally. Here is a description of when Will is getting lost and getting into walls.

“Sir Will waited until he was sure the coast was clear before popping up out of the air vent on the storeroom floor. There was no way the Evil wizard would ever find him. Sir Will was to good at hiding. He zipped across the room until he reached the circular countertop in the center. There he found a pair of powder blue suit cases. Perfect.

The meaning of this description is that Will is trying to get away from the “Evil Wizard” (which is really the owner of the apartment building that he lives in).

In this description there is an example of literal writing and figurative writing. In the description it says “Sir Wil” that part is figurative because the author does not mean that Will is a knight, but she did that because the author was trying to make it sound like Will is in an actual big rescue. The part in the description where the author says “Evil Wizard”, the author did that to make it seem like the “Evil Wizard” was actually really bad and that “Sir Will” was saving everyone from the “Evil Wizard”.The part in the description that was literal was when the author described him hiding then popping out of the air vent and zipping across the room to a pair of powder blue suitcases.

Sincerely,
Caitlin

Ms. Kimball

5/17/2016 09:04:23 pm

Dear Caitlin,

Interesting description. I am curious what the plot of the story is. It can't just be about Will getting lost in walls. That would be boring after a while! What is the story really about? Who is this "Evil Wizard"?

I sounds like the description is mostly literal, except maybe the "zipped" part. A person can't actually zip across a room, unless they are using a zip line. Otherwise, it seems the author means exactly what she writes. The titles "Sir" and "Evil Wizard" are not really figurative language all by themselves. Figurative language would sound something like this: "He raised his hand up and flung it forward like an evil wizard casting a spell." See how I compared someone's hand movement to an evil wizard? The person wasn't literally an evil wizard.

Why in the world would the author want to make Will seem like he was "saving everyone from the Evil Wizard," whom you said was just "the owner of the apartment building that he lives in"?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Caitlin

5/18/2016 08:57:08 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,

Thank you for your questions and feedback.
I agree with you when the author said zipped across the room that Will can not zip across the room without a zip line so it is figurative writing.

The story is actually about this girl named Cady and she can make perfect cakes for everybody and she is a orphan but then gets adopted by this guy. The rest of the story is about her life with him and other people's lives and their talents like Will. The evil wizard is the owner of the apartment building that Will lives in.

Will was saving everybody from the evil wizard because he is stealing people's belongings. For example, the evil wizard stole Wills moms hairpin that is very valuable to her.

Sincerely,
Caitlin

Emily

5/15/2016 12:28:34 pm

Dear Mrs kimball,
I am half way done with the book St dukes Forever Home. Afigurative part in the book I found was "Strudle bolted forwards to Jake as if Jake were a piece of bacon." The author dident mean Jake was a piece of bacon, the author meant Strudle bolted at Jake like Jake was a piece of bacon.
Emily

Ms. Kimball

5/18/2016 12:13:15 pm

Dear Emily,

You found a great simile in that description, which is definitely figurative language. Could you provide some background about the story? Who is Jake and who is Strudle? Why is Strudle "bolting" towards Jake?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Emily

5/19/2016 03:57:02 pm

Dear ms Kimball,
Strudel bolted to Jake because strudel had not seen him in 6 weeks. Strudel is a puppy Jake adopted from a animal shelter. Jake is the boy who adopted strudel. Jake was away on a vacation with his family while his friends were taking care of strudel.Thank you
sincerely,
Emily

Caitlin

5/18/2016 09:01:10 pm

Dear Emily,
Good response. One tip I have for you is to reread your work for spelling mistakes. Also why do you think Strudle bolted at Jake? I really like how you quoted the figurative language right from your quote so we knew what you were talking about. Nice job!
Sincerely,
Caitlin

August

5/19/2016 06:36:48 pm

Dear Emily,

I like the description you used. I think you could include some background of the story. Who is Jake? Why did the author say he was a piece of bacon?

Sincerely,
August

Jansyn

5/16/2016 10:08:41 pm

Dear class
I am reading Super Fudge. When I was reading my book I thought I found a good description. The book says "Another Fudge ! Just what this family needs". When the mane character, Peter the fifth grader, said that, he meant why do we have to have another child, Fudge the bad little brother, we already have one if we get another one it will be double the trouble. And I was in that problem I would say the same thing.
From
Jansyn

Ms. Kimball

5/18/2016 12:19:20 pm

Dear Jansyn,

Although your quote isn't really a description, I like how you explained it. A description "describes" something. Reread the prompt above. It says, "Great descriptions use precise details, figurative language, and/or interesting vocabulary to enhance a reader's experience with the text."

Can you find a description in your book and tell whether it's literal or figurative?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Jansyn

5/19/2016 10:25:14 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball
I like the good comments but i looked through the pages i read so far and i didn't find any good descriptions or any precise detail. Maybe at school if we have enough time we can try to find some stuff in my book.
From
Jansyn

DeAngi

5/18/2016 04:04:40 pm

Dear Janysn,

Wow, good use of modifying clauses. When you said, "Fudge the bad little brother," why did you say that? Why is he so bad? Was Fudge trying to kill Peter or was he trying to sabotage a homework project? My recommendation is, explain more background. I used to, and sometimes still do, just say something and explain it, but I don't tell why. By giving background information, (I think) you give the reader more understanding of the text. Other than that, I think you did great. I especially like the part when you said "And I was in that problem I would say the same thing."

Sincerely,

DeAngi
P.S I think you forgot a if.

Ben

5/18/2016 08:40:27 pm

Dear Jansyn,
great job. What I like was how you explained what you thought that the sentence meant. One thing you could do better is reading your text again. For example you said "mane" instead of main. What yours meant was that it was a growth of hair of a horse. Once again great job.
sincerely,
Ben

August

5/19/2016 06:15:29 pm

Dear Class,

I am reading Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix. There were many great descriptions and it was hard to chose, Harry had just got back to Hogwarts when he saw something else pulling the horseless carriages. "he would have called them horses, though there something reptilian about them too. They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring." J.K. Rowling, the author, literally meant what she was saying.

Sincerely,
August

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