Reading Response #3

10/4/2015

We've learned some powerful action verbs for deep thinking about our reading. I would like you to try using some of them on your own to help you think more deeply about a part of your independent reading book. Here is the list:

This Week's Prompt:

Choose 2-3 reading action verbs from the list above and use them to write about your independent reading book.
Here are some topics you could write about using the action verbs:

A character's actions
A character's personality
A character's change over time
A setting in the story
A plot twist
A message the author wants to get across

I look forward to reading your deep thoughts about your independent reading!

79 Comments

Whitney

10/5/2015 07:38:33 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball,
I am reading The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. The reading action verb I chose is summarizing. The main character is Charlotte Doyle, who comes from a very proper family. When Charlotte goes on a ship to meet her family in America, she is dismayed to find out that she is the only girl on the ship. She goes on to hear about plots of murder from the crew and captain. The captain seems like a gentleman until Charlotte sees his true colors. This is a story of suspense and action, and I highly recommend it.
Thanks!
Sincerely.
Whitney

Whitney

10/6/2015 07:11:11 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball,
Sorry about that last one. The other action verb I am going to use is compare. I am going to compare it to the Hunger Games. I am going to stretch it a bit. President Snow and Captain Jaggery both seem refined in the beginning, but when put under pressure, they show that they are bloodthirsty. Scary!

Whitney

10/6/2015 07:11:56 pm

Sorry! Sincerely,
Whitney

Ms. Kimball

10/6/2015 08:29:44 pm

Dear Whitney,

Thank you for writing about your reading using TWO action verbs.

Your summary does a nice job focusing on the big ideas. It makes the story intriguing. Consider adding a detail about when the story takes place. The time period affects how we perceive the characters and action. For example, traveling on a ship to America is very different today than it was in the 1600s, which is also very different than traveling in the 1800s.

I am curious about your comparison between President Snow and Captain Jaggery. You say that they "both seem refined in the beginning, but when put under pressure, they show that they are bloodthirsty." What type of pressure were they each put under? Could you explain what do you mean by "bloodthirsty?"

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Whitney

10/15/2015 08:50:31 pm

Dear Ms.Kimball,
by bloodthirsty, I mean merciless. He treats the crew like animals and works the to the bone. And when I said pressure, I mean that the crew hates him and are trying to rebel. When the crew starts to rebel, he ha to do WHATEVER it takes to keep them in line.
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Whitney

Julia

10/6/2015 04:04:22 pm

Hi class! I have been reading the book The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. One reading action verb that I am going use is Predict. One prediction I have is that at the end of the book, Ivan will be set free. I am predicting this because a lady named Maya keeps coming to the Big Top Mall. I am predicting that possibly she is from a zoo or an animal reserve? She could be there to take Ivan to the zoo or animal reserve that she works for. Another reading action verb that I am going to use is compare. I am comparing Ivan and Julia. First, they are both artists. They love to draw and paint. Julia got Ivan into art, and now it is both of their biggest passions. Also, they both have a very open minds. They both have huge imaginations and big dreams. Julia dreams to be an artist and Ivan dreams to meet another gorilla.
Sincerely,
Julia

Ms. Kimball

10/6/2015 08:38:19 pm

Dear Julia,

Excellent job supporting your prediction and your comparison with evidence. I liked how you found multiple ways Ivan and Julia are similar. That must be why they "get" each other so well. When I read The One and Only Ivan, I also thought Ivan and Julia were similar because they both were somewhat isolated from their "kind." What I mean is, Ivan is trapped in his domain without any contact with other gorillas. Julia is stuck in an empty mall while her father works and she doesn't get to hang out with other kids her age. They both seemed lonely. I read the book a long time ago, so I could be wrong, but do you think that is true at all?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Julia

10/7/2015 01:27:04 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
I think that you are correct; They both seem lonely because they are isolated from their kind, but I also think that they have each other. In fact, Julia is Ivan's closest friend. But Ivan has Ruby and Bob, so he might not be so lonely. In the story, Julia never once mentions that she has other friends, and sometimes she comes off as a "Weird" kid, so she might be very lonely! Julia and Ivan are each others friends, but maybe they have other friends (Ivan) or maybe they don't (Julia)! So, to wrap it up, I think you were correct by saying that Julia and Ivan could be lonely.
Sincerely,
Julia

August

10/6/2015 07:49:39 pm

Dear Class,

I am reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling.
The reading action verbs I am choosing are summarize and predict. The main character is Harry Potter. During the summer a elf named Dobby comes to Harry's home to warn Harry to not go to back to Hogwarts but Harry angoras that. So Dobby stops Harry's letters that his friends sent him. Dobby said if Harry is not going to promise not to go back to Hogwarts Dobby will crash the pudding that Harry's aunt made on to the floor. But Harry did not promise that he would not go to Hogwarts. So Dobby did what he said he would be and Harry's uncle came running into the kitchen and Dobby jumped into the closet and Harry's uncle said that Harry would be very well punish for doing that and then at that very moment a owl came swooping in through the widow and dropped a note and flow out. Harry's uncle made Harry read it out loud it said:
"Dear Mr. Potter
We have received intelligence that hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine. As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside of school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).
We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation o Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.
Enjoy your Holidays!
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk

Mafalda Hopkirk
IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE
Ministry of Magic"
Harry's uncle did not know that Harry was not aloud to use magic during the summer so Harry's uncle said that Harry was to be locked up in his room and if Harry tried to spell his self out Harry would d expelled from school. That is all I have read so far. I predict that Harry will go into the Chamber of Secrets because the book before it was called Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone and Harry found the Sorcerers Stone. Now the book is called Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, that I is why I think Harry will go into the Chamber of Secrets.

Sincerely,
August

Ms. Kimball

10/6/2015 08:42:35 pm

Dear August,

That is quite a long retelling of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Remember, a summary should just focus on the main ideas. It is supposed to be a "short version"! When writing a summary, you don't want to list all of the steps or specific details. You want to zoom out of the plot and present only the most important actions and characters.

Can you try summarizing that section of HP again?

Also, what do you think will be IN the Chamber of Secrets?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

August

10/7/2015 02:00:45 pm

Dear Class,
I am reading the book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. During the summer a house elf named Dobby comes to warn Harry not to go back to Hogwarts. Dobby stop letters that people sent Harry. Dobby said if Harry does not promise Dobby will crush the pudding that Harry's aunt made. Harry did not promise that he would not go back to Hogwarts. So Dobby did what he said he would do a Harry's uncle came running and then a owl came swooping in and dropped a letter Harry's uncle told Harry to read it out loud and he did. To find out what the letter said read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

August

10/13/2015 04:44:28 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
Thank you for the advice. It helped me a lot.
Sincerely,
August

August

10/14/2015 07:51:09 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I do agree that my summary was cite long. The main ideas I think are
1. Dobby comes to Harry's house to warn Harry not to go back to Hogwarts.

2. Harry rides a flying car to Hogwarts.

3. Draco Malfoy becomes the Slytherin seeker.

4. Harry goes to a Deathly Party on Halloween

Those are the main ideas in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Sincerely,
August

Whitney

10/12/2015 08:15:53 am

Dear August,
I loved the chamber of secrets. How are you liking it? Isn't Dobby so cute? He's my favorite. How and who do you think opened the Chamber Of Secrets? And how do you think they will get in?
Loved your post!
Sincerely,
Whitney

Anthony

10/6/2015 09:03:47 pm

Dear class,
I have read a book called Warriors, Forest of secrets. One reading action verb I am going to use is compare. Thunderclan and Riverclan are both clans are very generous of what they have to share. Another action verb I am going to use is contrast. Every single cat in the forest has a different inner soul or battle scar. For example, some cats prefer to be noble leaders, others are fierce warriors, and others are protective and responsible medicine cats. In the next book, I infer that there will be many more interesting mysteries and battles over the clans and forest.
Your best
Anthony

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 07:34:58 pm

Dear Anthony,

When you say that Thunderclan and Riverclan are both, "very generous of what they have to share," what do you mean by that? Give a specific example. When you say something general about a character or group, always back it up with details from the story so your readers know what you're talking about.

I'm glad you're enjoying the Warriors series! I'm thinking you meant to "predict" what will be in the next book. You can't find "hidden meaning" in something you haven't read yet!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Anthony

10/14/2015 04:45:05 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
What i mean by that is when they have food, they
are always willing to share what they have to Thunderclan.
I also am reading the next book of the Warriors series, so I already knew what was happening in the next book. I will also
next time include some evidence from the book next time
I write something from the book.
Your advice really helped me on this
Sincerely
Anthony

Caitlin

10/6/2015 09:18:21 pm

Hello class,
When I was reading my book Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin, I was comparing the two main characters Rebecca and Jason when they were heading to the Storyboard convention. I was comparing that Jason didn't want to go to the convention because he didn't want Rebecca (his fake girlfriend) to see him because he thought she would only see him as autistic and not who he really is. Then Rebecca on the other hand is very excited to go to the convention and meet Jason and go to workshops together on how to be a better writer. I thought that they were feeling the opposite of each other. Even though Jason was afraid of going to the Storyboard Convention he went. Also when I was reading I was evaluting Jason decision to go to the convention it think this was a good idea because he could learn a lot about writing and other writers like him. I don't think that Jason should ever miss out on a opportunity like that only because he is afraid that some one will think he looks weird. Also Jason learned a lesson in this experience that it doesn't matter what people think of you it matters what you think of yourself.
Sincerely Caitlin,

Julia

10/9/2015 04:43:50 pm

Dear Caitlin,
This seems like a very interesting book! Jason and Rebecca seem like interesting characters. I have never read this book before, so I have some questions. Why did you say that Rebecca was his "Fake" girlfriend? Are they just pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend, or is it something else? Also, why do you think that Jason thinks that Rebecca will only see his autistic side and not his "real" side? Do other people see him that way? Anyway, great job on your reading response and I hope you will reply soon.
Sincerely,
Julia

Caitlin

10/12/2015 08:41:30 pm

Dear Julia and Miss. Kimball,
Jason calls Rebecca his girlfriend because at school he told his friends that he has a girlfriend. Also I think that Jason was worried that Rebecca would only see his autistic ways because most people look at Jason and walk away because they think he is weird and he thought Rebecca would only see how he looked on the outside and not want to talk to him.
Sincerely,
Caitlin

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 07:38:29 pm

Dear Caitlin,

It sounded like you were comparing Jason's feelings about the Storyboard Convention to Rebecca's feelings about it. It's good to be more specific when you state what you are comparing and contrasting.

I like how you evaluated Jason's decision to go to the convention. I agree it's important not to miss out on opportunities. I have the same questions as Julia has, so I will look forward to reading your response to her!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Emily

10/7/2015 12:06:14 pm

Hi class,
I am reading the book "An Elephant in the garden" The reading action verbs I am using Is predict and support. This book is about a little boy named karl, Karl's mom is a nurse that works at a hospital. When karl's mom works full day she brings karl with her. At the hospital there is a retire section which Karl goes to to talk to the people. At the retire section Karl loves one of the ladies because she tells him loads of stories. One of the stories is about when the lady was about 16 and she looked out her window and there standed a great elephant. Karl had to leave but couldn't wait for her to finish the story the next day.I am predicting that the lady will tell karl the story but without directions karl might go around tell everyone’
Sincerely
Emily

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 07:42:55 pm

Dear Emily,

You did a great job summarizing the story so far. You made it sound very intriguing, especially the part about the old lady seeing an elephant out of her window. I wonder where she was living when she was 16 in order to see an elephant! I always loved stories where young people visit with old people and learn life lessons from them.

When you predicted that, "the lady will tell karl the story but without directions karl might go around tell everyone," what do you mean? Is the story supposed to be a secret?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Emily

10/14/2015 06:23:50 pm

Dear Ms Kimball
The reason I said he might go around telling everyone is because he thinks it is cool that he met someone that once had a elephant in her garden so he might want to spread it but the old lady said not to.

Sincerely
Emily

Anthony

10/14/2015 04:48:23 pm

Dear Emily
What do you mean by there is a place where Karl goes to talk to retired people? Can you explain more. I liked how you explained the main part of the story
Sincerely
Anthony

Liana

10/7/2015 12:50:07 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I am almost done reading "Looking For Alaska by John Green. I am going to compare Alaska and the Colonel. They are both sneaky and tricky. Alaska and the Colonel like playing tricks and pranks on people. They both enjoy it a lot. I am also going to predict. I predict that something will happen to Alaska because towards the end of the book it said that Alaska wanted the Colonel and Pudge ( Alaska's friends) to distract the eagle (one of the teachers) so she could go somewhere. I also think something bad might happen because Alaska was crying a lot and she was saying " I always mess everything up!" I think that this shows Alaska was very upset and something bad might happen.

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 07:49:35 pm

Dear Liana,

Alaska and the Colonel sound like funny characters. I am wondering though, who are they? It would help if you provided a little background information on them so your readers can better understand your comparison. I would also love to know what kinds of pranks they play on people. I can imagine as you read you are evaluating their decisions to play pranks.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Liana

10/13/2015 06:40:11 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
Alaska and the Colonel are teenagers who got into a boarding school by scholarship. The Colonel's real name is Chip, but everybody calls him the Colonel as a nickname. Alaska's real name is Alaska and she got to choose her name for one of her birthdays because her parents couldn't decide. One of the pranks they did was they set off fireworks at school, and they also logged in to one of the teacher's accounts and said to someone's parents that they are getting bad grades. They did this because that person ( I forget his name) is mean to them at school. I think that they should not have done this because it just is not the right thing to do. They also did some more pranks, but this one was probobly the best and worst.
Sincerely,
Liana

Trisha

10/7/2015 03:31:59 pm

Dear class,
I think that Grover and Percy are the same and different in different ways. For example Grover is considerate about his school work while Percy is not so careful and considerate about his school work. Percy only cares about Grover his mom and himself. Grover is more caring to everybody. Some of the ways that they are the same is that Percy and Grover both try hard. They also are both adventurous too. For example Percy and Grover have to go on a journey to camp half blood. Grover turned into a half goat and half human like Creature. Percy cares about him so he has to Cary Grover the whole way because he needed medical help.
Sincerely,
Trisha

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 07:55:11 pm

Dear Trisha,

I am assuming Grover and Percy are from "Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief." Don't forget to tell your readers!

Grover and Percy sound like an interesting combination of characters. They must balance out each other's traits in many ways. When you say, "Percy and Grover both try hard," what are some things that they try hard at?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Trisha

10/13/2015 04:08:18 pm

Dear ms. Kimball,
Sorry! Yes the book I am reading is Percy Jackson and the Lightning theif by Rick Riordian. An example of how Percy and Grover both try hard is obviously survival. Also the fact that Percy has to hide his secret about being a half-blood. While Grover is half goat. Grover wears fake feet and a hat to cover up his hooves and horns. It makes it very challenging to live if monsters can sniff you out because of what or who you are.
Sincerely,
Trisha

Trisha

10/13/2015 04:29:46 pm

Dear ms.Kimball,
Percy and Grover both try hard because they are not all part human. Percy is a half blood so he has to try very hard to stay alive. While Grover has to keep his identity a secret since he is half goat. They both have to try hard to stay alive too, because monsters could sniff them out.
Sincerely,
Trisha

August

10/13/2015 06:38:34 pm

Dear Trisha,
What book are you talking about? Sounds scary with the word half blood.
Sincerely,
August

Kate

10/7/2015 07:51:18 pm

Dear Class,

Im am reading Lunch Money by Andrew Clement. I love this book. I got pretty far in the book but heres what happens, There is a boy named Greg Kenton. Greg is upses with money, and he will do any thing to get money, Greg at school would try to sell as much as he can to make money, but heres where it started. Greg was going to school and he was in the 5 grade and he left his lunch at home and Greg had 1 dollar and 2 quarters and a lunch costed 2 dollars he needed on more quarter. So he went to one class room of the teacher Mrs. McCormick
and Mrs. McCormick announced for the whole class to hear "Greg needs some lunch money can some one lend him 50 cents". Then Brain Clement gave Greg 2 quarters. Thats when Greg's little plan came alive. Greg was going to sell things for 2 quarter's so Greg sold things like troll toys and starburst but he got in trouble for both of those things. So then Greg had an idea. But it was the end of fifth grade so Greg planned out his idea over the summer to be ready for sixth grade. His idea was he was going to sell comic books. That was a smart idea because he gained 3 to 4 dollars every day. I predict that Greg will get a lot of money but then feel bad and give all the money to poor people.
Evidence to support my theory is that greg might have a change of heart and think of how selfish he was and then give the money to the people who need it most.

Sincerely,
Kate

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 08:09:15 pm

Dear Kate,

That is quite a detailed retelling of the story! Remember that a summary is "the short version, the main ideas." You don't have to recall specific details of the plot in order to get the main ideas across.

Greg sounds like a clever character. I was surprised by your prediction that he would have a change of heart and give away his money. The evidence you provided to support your prediction wasn't really evidence. It was a guess. Evidence has to be something specific from the text that causes you to think a certain way. If your prediction isn't based on evidence, then it may just be a wild guess! What do you think?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Trisha

10/13/2015 04:33:13 pm

Dear Kate,
Why do you think that Greg wants money so badly? Does he really want something? If so what? You did a very good job describing Greg. I can imagine what he is like.
Sincerely,
Trisha

Kate

10/12/2015 08:53:53 pm

Dear Miss Kimball,

I think that you are correct that my "evidence" to support my theory is
off. I think that Greg will have a change of heart and the reason I think that is because in a part of the book Greg asked him self " why do I even need money". So I predict that Greg might hand the money over to people who need it most.

Sincerely Kate

Henry

10/8/2015 02:36:56 pm

Hellow class.

Hi I have been reading a book called the Fourth Stall. It is about a kid named Mac and his best friend Vince that runs a business in the fourth bathroom stall. I predicted that Mac and Vince will have a lot of trouble finding someone brave enough to go up against Staples. I also traced Macs business procedure and payed close attention. And it lead me to infer that Mac and his partners are really smart.
Sincerely Henry

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 08:11:23 pm

Dear Henry,

I read a little bit of The Fourth Stall and thought it was a very clever idea to have a kid running a business in the bathroom. You mention "Staples." Who is he and why do Mac and Vince want someone to go up against him? Why don't they do it themselves?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

DeAngi

10/13/2015 08:14:44 pm

Dear Henry,

If you gotten far enough, why are they even doing this? Why would they even set a "operation'' in the forth stall? Otherwise I liked how you gone step by step. The only thing that I suggest is, focus on one topic but not to long. So for example explain ''Who is staples'' or maybe spread out the two Reading action verbs. For example you used the two reading action verbs at the end of your paragraph. Maybe you can ''spread it out a little.'' I hope you don't think that I am insulting you. I am suggesting these things.

Sincerely,
DeAngi

Henry

10/15/2015 02:20:04 pm

Dear Ms.K
To answer your question Staples is the bad guy and he is threatening to beat up this kid named Fred. And Fred hired Mac to protect him and he cant do it because they have a business to run. So Mac hires seventh graders to protect Fred.
Sincerely Henry

DeAngi

10/15/2015 05:30:34 pm

Ben

10/8/2015 04:44:01 pm

Hi class,
I am reading "The Name Of This Book Is Secret". For the last 5 chapters I've been "tracing" Cassandra's steps. I'll "explain" what has happened. Cass has demoted her partner and has gone to the Midnight Sun in disguise as one of the most know people called the skeleton sisters to try to get one of here class mates that was kidnapped and will try to get him back. I "predict" that the kid that Cass is trying to get won't be there and she will loose her disguise.

-Ben

Ryan

10/9/2015 08:46:49 am

Dear Ben,
I like the way you used the word "trace" by saying "Cass has demoted her partner and has gone to the Midnight Sun in disguise as one of the most known people called the skeleton sisters to try to get one of her classmates that was kidnapped and try to get him back." I think instead of saying kid, It would be more engaging if you use his name (Benjamin Blake).

Sincerely,
Ryan

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 08:13:43 pm

Dear Ben,

Fancy word: demoted! What does it mean?

Also, you predicted that "the kid that Cass is trying to get won't be there and she will loose [lose] her disguise." Why do you think this?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Ben

10/14/2015 04:01:22 pm

Dear Ms. K,
Demoted means that you kind of got mad at the person and you didn't want to work with them. The reason why I think this is that theres a pyramid behind the resort so see's going to look hard and then she will be caught by the owners that wanted the book that Cass had.

Sincerely,
Ben

Henry

10/13/2015 02:50:47 pm

Dear Ben
Hi Ben I liked your post. But I had a question... who is Cassandra and is Cass the same person as Cassandra? And also how did you get to that prediction? But other wise nice job on your post.
Sincerely,
Henry

Jansyn

10/13/2015 07:56:07 pm

Dear Ben

I didn't under stand when you said the skeleton sisters were to try to get 1 of her class mates that was kidnapped and will try get him back. What I did not under stand was I thought was they were trying to get a girl back because you said her then you said him so I got confused. Are the skeleton sisters skeleton.

Maggie

10/8/2015 05:04:20 pm

Dear Class,
I have just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A short summery of Harry potter is Harry, Ron, and Hermione go camping in the woods to get away from evil lord Voldemort's followers. They are looking for things called Horcruxes. Horcruxes are pieces of your soul that Keeps you alive. They get caught and almost killed. Then they all go to Hogwarts into a irey battle. Harry and Voldie fight and blank dies. A description of the battle of hogwarts is sparks flying for wads cries for help and blood. Hogwarts is burning down and no one knows what to do.Monsters are everywhere and people are deaths are occurring.
Cheers,
Maggie

Whitney

10/12/2015 08:18:38 am

Dear Maggie,
What does "sparks flying and wads cry for help and blood." mean?
????
Reply to me at my post.
Sincerely,
Whitney

Maggie

10/15/2015 08:25:38 am

Dear Whitney,
Oops! Spell check must have corrected me. I ment to say "sparks flying from wands and there are cries for help". Thanks for the Question!
From,
Maggie

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 08:18:02 pm

Dear Maggie,

Good job getting the main ideas across in your summary. Try not to give away the ending at all though by saying someone dies. Maybe you could say, "The two engage in a fierce battle that will determine the fate of the world."

Although I've read the book myself, I am wondering something: Why do Harry and crew go camping to escape Voldemort and his followers? Why don't they just go to the police or back to Hogwarts where their professors can protect them?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

DeAngi

10/8/2015 05:22:46 pm

Dear class,

I am using the most simple action verbs ( And the opposite of each other.) First thing first, I am using compare and contrast. I think that Cass and Max-Everest are similar ( Compare ) because they both have that connection that best friends make. What I mean is that they know what each other are thinking. Like the time when they knew that he wasn't allergic to chocolate but the doctors say he is allergic to 38+ different allergies. But they are also different (Contrast) because they fight a lot and split up ( But they always come back.) For example in the first book they had a argument about why something died and how it died

Sincerely,

DeAngi

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 08:22:25 pm

Dear DeAngi,

Good job trying to include specific evidence to support your thinking. Next time you use action verbs, try to use them within the sentence instead of separately in parentheses. You could say, "When I compare Cass and Max-Ernest, I find they are similar because they both..."

One thing I am wondering is: How does knowing Max-Ernest isn't allergic to chocolate demonstrate that Cass and Max-Ernest "know what each other are thinking," as you said?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

DeAngi

10/15/2015 06:16:24 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball

I will try to include the evidence in a flowing matter. Now that you say I don't know why I did that. One reason why I change my mind is because that sentence didn't really make sense. So I don't know what it means, but I hope I can figure it out.

Sincerely,
DeAngi

Ryan

10/8/2015 06:37:28 pm

Dear Ms Kimball,
I am reading Scumble. I am going to use the word predict. I predict that Mesquite and Marisol are going to teach Ledger how to control his powers. I think this is going to happen because when Ledge, Marisol, and Mesquite were all eating breakfast, Marisol and Mesquite told Ledge that they were going to teach him how to control his powers. This made Ledge choke on his oatmeal because he hates Marisol and Mesquite. The second word I am going to use is analyze. I analyzed the situation why Ledge was very nervous. Ledge seemed nervous because he keeps strict rules from going to the bug house at his Uncle Antry's ranch and is fearful that he will blow it up.

Sincerely,
Ryan

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 08:38:43 pm

Dear Ryan,

Scumble sounds like a fun book to read! I will have to try the first book, Saavy.

When you make a prediction, try to think more deeply about what may actually happen and why. If characters actually say they are going to do something, your prediction should go beyond just what the characters say. For example, you said, "I predict that Mesquite and Marisol are going to teach Ledger how to control his powers," and your evidence was that they said they would. Make your prediction about HOW they will teach him. Also, it would help if you give a little more background on who Marisol and Mesquite are so your readers can follow your thinking more clearly.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Ryan

10/14/2015 06:42:00 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
Thank you for all your helpful comments. In the future I will give more descriptions so the readers can get a better image of the characters. I will also go beyond when making predictions.

Sincerely,
Ryan

Ben

10/14/2015 03:54:18 pm

Dear Ryan,
who is Mesquite, Marisol and Ledger. Also what do you mean by "teaching him how to control his Powers". I also know that you were reading The name of This Book Is Secret. Are you still reading it know. Scumble sounds like a good book and very interesting. I might read it.
Sincerely,
Ben

August

10/8/2015 06:38:04 pm

Dear Class,

During the summer a house elf named Dobby comes to Harry's house to warn Harry not to go back to Hogwarts but Harry does so Dobby makes a lot of trouble. When Harry goes back to Hogwarts Draco Malfoy became the Slytherin's Quidditch seeker.

Sincerely,
August

Emily

10/9/2015 05:13:28 pm

Dear Auggie
A slythering Quidditch seeker sounds super scary. Ouch Harry got in trouble that's bad. I can't wait to read that book
Sincerely
Emily

Caitlin

10/12/2015 08:47:00 pm

Dear August,
Why do you think that Harry refused to stay at his house and go to Hogwarts.
I really like your response because you used the names of the characters that you were talking about so it was very clear.
Sincerely,
Caitlin

cordy

10/8/2015 07:34:14 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
I am going to use compare and contrast. I think that Percy and Annabeth are very different ( contrast ) and very similar ( compare ) at the same time. Percy and Annabeth are the same ( compare ) in that they both have dyslexia and have a god or goddess parinte. The way they are different ( contrast ) is their parents strongly dislike each other and Annabeth is very smart and Percy is smart but not veary.

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 08:43:29 pm

Dear Cordy,

I am assuming you are talking about Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series. Don't forget to tell your readers that!

When you compare and contrast two characters, try to discuss things that they can control rather than things they can't control. For example, Percy and Annabeth can't control who their parents are or how their parents feel. You mentioned Percy and Annabeth both have dyslexia. How do they handle it? How do they behave differently with it?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

cordy

10/13/2015 08:45:04 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
Percy and Annabeth don't mind they have dyslexia. Their brains are weird for ancient Greek, so they read ancient Greek just fine. They also have ADHD because that's their battle reflex's.

Sincerely,
Cordy

Caitlin

10/12/2015 08:51:16 pm

Dear Cordy,
What is a goddess parinte. Also why do Percy and Annabeth's parents strongly dislike each other. I really like how you used the word veary and how you said if you were contrasting or comparing.
Sincerely,
Caitlin

cordy

10/13/2015 07:53:08 pm

Dear Caitlin,
A Goddess is a girl god. Percy and Annabeth's parents strongly dislike each other because they both wanted to be the God or Goddess of a city Percy's dad gave the city the gift of horses and Annabeths mom gave the gift of the olive tree. The city chose Athena (Annabeths mom) that's why the city is called ''Athens''.

Liana

10/13/2015 08:21:14 pm

Dear Cordy,
Are Percy and Annabeth human? What book are you reading? Maybe you could add more detail for your reasons Annabeth and Percy are the same (compare) and different (contrast). I liked how you kept using compare and contrast in parenthesis so I did it too. I also like how you had some strong reasons Percy and Annabeth are the same and different, but you could also add some more detail.
Sincerely,
Liana

Kate

10/14/2015 03:45:22 pm

Dear cordy,

Are Annebeth and Percy friends? Also is it hard for Percy and Annbeth because they have dyslexia.

Sincerely Kate

Jansyn

10/8/2015 10:58:30 pm

Dear class

I've been reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Cheese Touch. The two action verbs I chose are predict and summarize. In the book, there is a piece of cheese that fell from a student's lunchbox and no one ever picked it up. If anyone touched it, they would have the "Cheese Touch". One of the characters, Rowley, was forced by the older kids in the town to take a bite of the cheese. All the kids made fun of Rowley but his friend Greg decided to step up and help his friend by saying that he was the one who bit the cheese to take the attention off Rowley. Even though the kids ran away from him because he had the cooties, Greg didn't care what the other kids thought. His only friend was Rowley. I predict at the end of the book that the cheese touch will eventually fade away. I think the other kids in the school will see how Greg defended his friend and wasn't afraid of the cheese or the older kids, and it will no longer be a fear to anyone.

Ms. Kimball

10/12/2015 08:50:20 pm

Dear Jansyn,

Make sure you are completing your responses on your own with minimal parent help.

I am inferring that the "Cheese Touch" is something awful that the kids at school made up. Can you explain what it is more specifically?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Jansyn

10/14/2015 08:42:38 pm

Dear Ms Kimball

The cheese touch is like the cooties but it is just cheese and it runs through the hole school. It is a peace of cheese under the basket ball hoop and it is green, blue, black and purple and it looks really nasty and I would never touch it.

Tommy

10/13/2015 06:39:48 pm

Dear Jansyn, good post.
I thought the cheese just "magically" got there. Also, what did you mean by "fade away"? What I liked was you FORMULATED the story story in my head. I could see how selfish but nice greg was being to Rowley.

From, Tommy

Tommy

10/12/2015 07:12:09 pm

Dear class,
In class, I am reading Wonder. One reading action verb I chose is describe. I am not that far, but the description so far is right now, is a kid named Auggie is going to a prep school and he just finished walking with Mr. Tushman, the principal. Now, he is going to take a tour with some other students that already go to the prep school. Another word I picked is predict. I predict Julian, one of the students, will be mellow throughout the story as it goes on. Also, all of the other students, including Julian, will be suspenseful and weird as Auggie makes his way through prep school.
From, Tommy.

Ms. Kimball

10/13/2015 08:18:37 pm

Dear Tommy,

I am glad you are liking Wonder. I hope you take it home and read it there too!

I am curious, why do you think Julian will be "mellow" throughout the story? Did he say something or act a certain way to make you think that?

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

Tommy

10/16/2015 04:59:09 pm

Dear Miss Kimball,

I actually changed my mind about Julian, after I realized how mean he is. Auggie is evan not hanging out with him. He is hanging out with agirl named Summer and Jack Will.

From, Tommy

Maggie

10/15/2015 08:37:56 am

Dear Tommy,
I thought you did a good job! But why was Auggie walking with Mr.Tushman? Can you make that more clear.
Thanks,
Maggie

Liana

10/15/2015 04:24:56 pm

Dear Ms. Kimball,
This does not have to do with your blog, but I was wondering how I should make a graph for the science report.
Sincerely,
Liana

Ms. Kimball

10/15/2015 09:46:35 pm

Hi Liana,

You only make a graph if it is "applicable" to the experiment. Since we didn't collect any numbers, just observations, a graph is not appropriate for this experiment. Hope you get this in time!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball

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