Room 227’s Blog

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Archive for May, 2009


Authors Mike & Laura Wade Write to Us!

I was introduced to the And Then It Happened series of books (particularly geared towards boys, but everyone loves them!) by my librarian, Mrs. Hibbert at the school I worked at in Ontario, Canada.  Students fell in love with the books and our school was very lucky to have Mike Wade visit our school!  After moving to Thailand, I took the few books I had of the series and read them aloud to my Gr.5 class at International School Bangkok.  They, too, have fallen in love with the books.  There are obviously no boundaries when it comes to laughing and enjoying learning about the crazy adventures of Gordon, Paulo and the main character, whose name has yet to be revealed.
The Gr.5 students wrote a letter to authors Mike & Laura Wade telling a little bit about life in Thailand and asked several questions.  Below are the questions the students asked, and Mike and Laura’s reply. What an exciting opportunity to engage with authors we have come to enjoy.  Write on!
(FYI:  It also turns out that Laura Wade worked with my dad in my home town in the 1990s!  What a small world.)
Dear Grade 5 class in Room 227!
Thanks very much for your email.  Life in Thailand sounds very interesting and quite a bit different from life here in Canada.  I wouldn’t mind the weather, though!  No snow I’m guessing.
So, to answer your questions, here goes!
Question:  In the And Then It Happened Series, who is “I”?
Answer:    The main character “I” doesn’t actually have a name.  Mike wrote the first short story, which became Chapter 2, Opening Day, in Book 1.  When I read it, I noticed that he had given names to the other two boys, but not to the narrator.  He just kept saying “I” and “me”.  I thought this was kind of neat and decided that we should write the whole book (and series) and never give the narrator a name.  It’s different, and it drives some readers crazy.  Sometimes we have to be creative and word our sentences in just the right manner in order to avoid having to give the narrator a name.  For example, when the teacher calls on him, or when he is getting in trouble by the police, the principal or his parents, they can never call him by name.  Maybe in the very last story of the very last book we will reveal his name (or HER name!!)
Question:   Whatever happened to the butcher booger-man?
Answer:     I’m so glad you asked about the butcher, because it gave me a great idea.  I think we should do a return of the boogerman.  He could come back as another character, like a supply teacher maybe, and the kids could figure out who he is eventually and run him out of town again.  But as far as I know, the boogerman has moved to another town and is dishing out his “daily specials” at another butcher shop!
Question:  Are the characters based on real people?
Answer: None of the characters are based on real people, except for Uncle Ivan.  The way he is described in The Naked Parrot is fashioned almost completely after Mike himself, right down to the dirty truck.
Question:   Are you planning on writing more books in the series?
Answer: We are currently working on Book 9 and we want to take the series to at least 10 books.  I would also like to write a Book 0 (or a prequel) and call it And Then It Happened:  When We Were Little.  It would be about how the boys met in Kindergarten and what they were like at 4 or 5 years of age.  I think it could be fun.  Also, we have thought of writing another one called And Then It Happened:  All Grown Up.  Wouldn’t you love to see how Gordon turns out?  We have thought up some good occupations for him, like maybe a psychiatrist or a school principal, possibly even a criminal lawyer.
Question:   What/Who are your inspirations?
Answer:    I don’t think anyone really inspired us initially.  Mike has a great sense of humour, and I wanted to write books for boys because as a school librarian and I realized about 12 years ago that there weren’t that many series for boys (there are lots more today).  That’s what got us started, and now, our main inspiration comes from students who read our books and tell us that they laugh out loud when reading them.  That is the best inspiration there is.
Question:   Would you ever want to visit Thailand as a guest author to talk to students at ISB?
Answer:    We would love to visit Thailand for an author visit, and what a great vacation we could have.  The farthest Mike has travelled so far is to Surrey, BC.  (We live in Ontario).
Question:   What is your favorite story in the series?
Answer:   I think my favourite story is Attack of the Scarecrow (in book 3) and Mike’s is Summer Camp in Book 1.  He still laughs at the story of the bear and the rabbit every time!!
Question:   Who were your favorite authors as a child?
Answer:    Mike’s favourite author was Farley Mowat (Lost in the Barrens) and mine was not actually a single author, but a series of authors who wrote the Trixie Belden books under a pseudonym.
Question:    What is your favorite food?
Answer:        I think my favourite food is shrimp (roasted with garlic and butter) and Mike’s is lobster.
Question:  Do you like Thai food?
Answer: We love Thai food, or at least what they call Thai food here in Canada.  I imagine it’s a bit different in Thailand.  There used to be this great Thai restaurant right around the corner from us and we always went there on special occasions.
Question:   Do you have any pets?
Answer:    We have a spaniel/poodle mixed dog named Chloe.  She is all black and weighs 18 pounds.  We’ve had her for 15 years and she is 18 years old.  Still going strong but slowing down.  We used to have a cat named Felix, but she died in September at the age of 16.  She was a beautiful grey tabby.
Question:   How long have you both worked together?
Answer:    We started writing together in 1997.  Wow, that’s 12 years.
Question:  How long does it take you to write a book?
Answer:      How long does it take to write a book?  Too long!!  It shouldn’t take us so long, but because of Mike’s busy schedule (he will be visiting almost 300 schools this school year), we are very slow writers.  If we counted it in actual hours, it wouldn’t be that long, but since we have to spread it out, it takes about a year from start to finished product.
Answer:
Question:   Do you have any children?
Answer:    We don’t have any children.
Question: Have you written other books besides And Then It Happened?
Answer:   We have written nothing else besides And Then It Happened.
Question:    If you really have/had a pet turkey, did you roast it?
Answer:    We didn’t really have a pet turkey, but Mike is a hunter, so roasting a pet turkey is not out of the question.  For the record, I am a vegetarian and would never eat a pet turkey :)
I think that about covers it.  We would like to send you all a Fart Chart (from a story I don’t believe you’ve read yet, but it’s on our website so maybe you have).  We will autograph them, too.  I’m not sure if I have your address, so can you please send it to us and we’ll get the Fart Charts in the mail.  We’d love to see some photos, too.
Thanks for writing, and have a great summer, everyone!
Mike and Laura Wade

Social Issue Reading Reflection: Walk Two Moons

The book “Walk Two Moons” it is mainly about a girl named Sal who’s mom disappeared. Also, a girl named Phoebe’s mom disappeared. Phoebe’s mom comes back to Phoebe though but Sal’s mom does not. One night when Gram was in the hospital from a snake bite, Gramps sent Sal off in a car to drive around and do stuff while he stayed at the hospital with his wife. At around midnight, Sal was at a cliff driving around it until the cops caught her. She was listening to a story about a bus wreck that had gone over the cliff. Then the cops told her that her mom had been in that bus accident and had not lived. There was only one surviver and that was someone she knew. Then they told her that the surviver had been holding her mom’s hand and had been the last one with her.

Some of my thinking on this book is One of the ideas I thought of is when Sal keeps thinking of her mother and imagining she will come back. My thinking on that is that Sal must not be giving up on her mom.I think she is still hoping her mother will come back some day and Sal will finally become happy.

Another one of my thinking is that when Gram got bitten by the snake and she was hurt really badly and had to go to the doctor, that must make Sal really sad because her mother is gone and missing and now her Grandmother has just been bitten by a snake and has found out she has to go to the hospital to try to live. That must be the worst part in Sal’s life because as far as she knows 2 of her closer family members a re about to die.

One more of my thinkings was when Phoebe kept receiving messeges at her doorstep by a stranger and the messeges include random things like Never judge a man ntil you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins. I would be a little bit freaked out because if someone is leaving mysterious messeges at your door and you don’t know who is leaving them, that would be kind of scary.

I think the social issue of this book is loss, and death. I think these are the only ones because Sal’s mom was a HUGE loss to Sal and for most of the time she was a death because of the bus crash she was in. Also, Phoebe’s mom was a loss to Phoebe and a little to Sal because she wasn’t with Phoebe anymore and so Phoebe always had something missing to her. That part would be her mom. However Phoebe had her mother come back. So those are the social issues in the book that stuck out to me.

I think Walk Two Moons was an interesting book to read.

Hatchet by Daniela

Hatchet is a story about a boy named Brian who survied a plane crash. He  ends up all alone in a island in need of food, water, and shelter. All he has for protection is a hatchet. Brian has to be brave to survive by himself. I liked how the author narrated the plane crash. It created a movie in my mind, it was like i was there when it happened. Also, I liked how the author described how Brian faced hard problems, for example when he tells the times Brian was starving. I think the ending could have been better. It  was expected that he will  get rescued at the end of the book.  I think the social issue in the book is survival and loneliness. The story makes me think it is  hard to live alone with no one to look after you, especially if you are a child. I recommend this book to everyone because I enjoyed reading it.

While No One Was Watching By Daniela

While No One Was Watching is a story of 3 kids who have to be taken care of by their aunt while their dad goes away for the summer. But when their aunt disappered one night the 3 kids have to take care of each other. They are alone; they need money and food. This was a  story filled with suspense. One of the things I liked is that each chapter was from a different character’s point of view but they told the same story. I also liked how the author describes how worried and scared the kids were. I think the social issue in this book is loneliness and survival. People should read this book because it shows that this can happen in the world. Sometimes it does not matter how old you are you can still feel lonely. Also when you are lonely and have to survive you may end up doing things that you would never do and are dangerous. For example stealing.I enjoyed reading this book.

Reflection on While No One Was Watching By: Kentaro

This story was about kids who steal something or do bad stuff so they can earn money and so they can live. But it is hard not to do bad stuff when you need to do it.

The social issue in this book is theft and living alone with only the kids. I said it is a theft because Earl and Wayne the big character in tikes to. His book and they steal a bike so they can have money. Each time they steal a bike I think their stupid. They can make 5 or 6 dollar each time. They steal bikes to own money because while these characters went to Aunt Lula’s house, Aunt Lula disappears so they needed to make money by their self. Earl had one little sister and one little brother so he needed to work for him to. I learned that it is hard to live without the adult because if you want live alone you need to do something bad to affect other people.

Also in this book there was a part that I thought it was burring. In this story there is a kid called Frankie that eats a lot. When Wayne and Earl go to ride the bike they didn’t let Frankie go on the bike because he is fat and he can’t keep up with them. In that part I thought it was kind of burring.

I wonder why this author wrote this story. I guess maybe he saw it on the TV or his friend was like this.

I think the author wanted to tell us the reader, that it is hard to live alone by no adults because nobody can feed you or earn money for you to live.

Erika’s Book Reflection “Anastasia at Your Serice” By Louis Lowry

This book is about a girl who named Anastasia , wanted to work, but for some reason, she had to be a maid. Then one day, she met with girl who is thirteen years old. Her name was Daphne. Then they a bag thing to Mrs.Bellingham, because they didn’t like her. She made Anastasia be a maid, and she gave a doll to Daphne on her birthday. But Mrs.Bellingham didn’t know their feelings. But Mrs.Bellingham decided to tell Daphne’s parents, so she told Daphne’s parents what Anastasia and she did. Then they got really mad, that made Daphne cry, because her parents never got mad at her even though she did a bad thing. So she promised that she won’t never, ever do bad things again. But at the end, they became good together.

I think the social issues in this book is humiliating and fairness. I will just talk about fairness. I think fairness is a social isssue in this book, because Mrs.Bellingham made Anastasia be a maid, even though she said she wants to be.

I think the author’s message is the even though you have a person that you don’t like, don’t do anything bad, because it is not good to do a things that is BAD.

City of Ember Reflection by Kayo

The book starts off as two builders discussing about instructions to escape out of the city after 200 years. They kept the instructions inside a box with a timed lock. The first mayor of Ember was given the box and after she dies it was passed onto the next mayor in charge and the next. Not one of them knew what was inside except the builders. One of the mayor in the other hand, stole the box from its hiding place hoping it would be something that could cure his coughing disease. He tried to open it but he was unsuccessful. Too bad he died before he was able to return it back to its hiding place. The box ended up stuck inside his closet year after year, forgotten forever. When 200 years came, the box secretly unlocked itself.

Why was the instructions kept as a secret? Why 200 years? Why was the instructions so important? I had a feeling something bad would happen to the city if no one discovers the instructions sooner or later. The prologue makes me want to find out more.

It was year 241. You can see, it was already past 200 years. As I continued to read, I discovered Ember was a city that was always pitch black even during the day. Only lamps around the city were able to brighten Ember a bit. The city was so old, even they would start flickering or shut down all of a sudden, and Ember would be filled with darkness.

I cannot imagine how frightening it would be not to be able to see in the dark especially when you’re outside on the streets. Of course I can’t since I never lived in a city like theirs. Why isn’t the mayor of Ember doing anything about it? He is suppose to be in charge of making the city a better place for the citizens of Ember. So far no one seems to protest about it.

The main character in the story are Lina and Doon. They are both 12 year old students assigned for jobs. Lina wanted to be messenger but instead she drew out pipe working. Doon draws out messenger and they both asked to switch jobs! In reality, I don’t think its suitable to have a job when you’re just 12. Wouldn’t that be child abuse when you have to work on pipe working?

It was assignment day, and the mayor payed a visit to their classroom to assign the students in the class jobs. He had a bag where students would draw out a paper inside and read what was written on the paper and that was their job. When Doon got messenger he was furious! He crumpled the piece of paper up and thew it on the ground. That is when I learned that Doon can’t control his temper very well. Neither was the mayor.

“Disgraceful,” he said, glaring at Doon. ” A childish display of temper! Students should be glad to work for their city. Ember will prosper of all…..citizens do their best.”

Suddenly Doon spoke up. “But Ember isn’t prospering!” he cried. “Everything is getting worse and worse! The blackouts!”

I agree with Doon. He is speaking for himself. I don’t like what the mayor said though. I don’t understand why we should be glad for our job when we don’t have the freedom to pick what we want to do. Why do we even have to work for the city? I don’t think its fair. These things are suppose to be for the mayor to handle. I think he is so lazy!

The reason why Doon wanted to do pipe working was because he wanted to find a way to save Ember before it runs out of electricity. He even sneaked into the generator room bu he had no idea how it works or how to repair it.

Poppy, Lina’s little sister, discovers an old box in the closet in Lina and her grandmother’s apartment. By the time Lina could grab it out of Poppy, there was already chewed up pieces of paper torn apart.

This must be the instructions out of Ember I thought. How is Lina going to decipher the message when its all messed up? Why was the box in the closet? Her ancestor might use to be one of the mayor that stole the box a long time ago.

She tried asking some of her friends but they didn’t seem to care or know. Together Doon and Lina tried to work the message out. Before they could share their news to Ember, the mayor tries to ruin their plan and put them for prison. Doon and Lina have no choice but to escape out of the city with the instructions since the guards were after them. Before they left, Lina took Poppy with her.

I knew the mayor was a bad person! I can tell by his personality.

Lina, Poppy and Doon escaped from the mayor and the city in a small boat using the informations from the instructions to guide them out. They finally escaped above the ground. It was so different from Ember! There were actually lights coming from the sky!

They never knew that Ember was actually below them, underground. They wrote the instuctions and hoped Mrs. Murdo will find it. The ending was a cliffhanger.

The social issue in this story might be something concerning the environment, loss (since Lina’s grandmother died, leaving Mrs. Murdo to take care of Poppy and Lina.) and freedom. This makes me want to read the 2 sequel of the book.

Reflection on Pacific Crossing by Leo

The book I will be talking about is the book called pacific crossing by Gary Soto. This book is about a kid named Lincoln whose Mexican American, he went to Japan as a exchange student kind of thing to learn and study more of kempo.

me and my group tried to discuss what the social issue is in the book. The most possibility is racism because because when Lincoln first met the sensei( a women or men whose kind of like a teacher of certain martial arts.) He was bragging about his kempo level, but then when Lincoln actually took kempo classes, instead of treating Lincoln as in practice, and not punching, kicking too hard. But then when they were throwing bean-bags at each other, he got injured. We also think it’s racism because Lincoln was yet treated differently. Even though at his house Lincoln was treated like V.I.P, but at kempo class, the sensei was treating lincoln like a doll and she hits hard. Maybe when she is practicing with other Japanese people, she might not throw and hit as hard.

I think the japanese people are polite because when lincoln always punches his friend in arm, Mitsuo , literally his brother, thought that was bad because in Japan, you can’t do that.

I think the aurthor’s message is that even if your beliefs, religion is different, you can still be friends.

Social Issue By:Mary

My book name is while no one was watching by: Jane Lesie Conly. The main idea of the story is that the 3 kids are trying to figure out where there aunt is and all though that time 2 other kids are trying to find a stolen rabbit.

The social issue in this book is theft and abandonment. I have learned that this is happening in the world as we speak and that we can help these people.

Another important event was when the found there aunt and arrested her for abandoning the 3 kids.

I have no wonderings.

The author was trying to tell us that we can help them, and also I think she wanted use to understand this issue because not a lot of people will know it.

THE CITY OF EMBER Reflection By:Yuri

This book ‘The City of Ember’ is about a girl named Lina and a boy named Doon. When their city is about to run out of light, Doon and Lina finds an instruction that might save them from the darkness. But the mayor is blocking their way to save Ember, and they don’t know what it says on the instructions since most of the letters faded.

The social issue of this book is mostly about human population, because the people who started living in Ember first was moved to Ember so people won’t disappear from earth. And what ever is causing the humans to disappear from earth was not caused, the people of Ember wouldn’t have to suffer much. And because of the thing that was or is decreasing the human population the children of Ember doesn’t get to see or learn the things that we see or learn.

I think the author’s message is not to let the global warming get worst because the issue is about human population decreasing and maybe its decreasing because of global warming.

After I finished the book I still had questions in my mind and they were, what really made them live underground apart from my guess, Why didn’t the builders of Ember want them (the people of Ember)to know about the world up above? And why didn’t they bring any animals with them?

Thank you for reading my blog post. I highly recommend this book if you like reading about the affect of human knowledge. If you already read it, there are 3 sequels to this book. And they are ‘The People of Sparks’,'The Prophet of Yonwood’,and ‘The Diamond of Darkhold’

Happy Reading!