Can you relate?

When I'm reading a book, the most important element to me is character development.  I want deeply developed characters that I can relate to and almost become friends with.  It's really important to me to have this element in a story or I find myself losing interest quickly.  this is one reason I love this year's Summer Sizzlers.

In The BFG both the BFG himself and Sophie are strongly developed characters.  I can visualize them and I feel like I'm in their heads.  I especially love the BFG's bumbling language.  It's so endearing, sweet and funny.  It definitely helps develop his character, too.  Roald Dahl was a master at character, wasn't he?  Think back to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, The Twits, James and the giant Peach.  A master, I tell you, a master.

In Old Yeller I feel like I really know Travis, even though he lived a long time ago in a way different situation than I do.  I love his strong loyalty to his family and, later, to his dog.  And of course I love the dog.  And here's the thing, I'm not really even a dog person that much.  I'm a cat person.  But really, you can't help but love Old Yeller, right?  I think it's pretty interesting how an author can get you to love an animal.  animals can't even talk.  How do they do it?

I think both characters in Flipped, Bryce and Juli, are really well developed, and I think that is in large pat due to the format of the novel.  Alternating chapters has become much more popular in the last several years than it ever used to be.  In some ways I like it because you can really follow a character's progression, thoughts, actions, etc. intensely.  On the other hand, Just when you really get going with one character, it's usually time to do the switch off, and that can be  little frustrating when you want to get back to character A but it's character B's turn.  I find it does make me read faster, though!  Do you like the alternating characters style?

Which characters do you really connect with in these books or others?  Leave a comment to let us know!

Old Yeller - review

Click HERE to find an excellent blog entry about Old Yeller.  It begins with an exciting excerpt, then has a short synopsis and review.

If you were going to pick an excerpt to draw readers in, which section of the book might you choose?  Why?

(Thanks to Mrs. Gilman from CCMS for the pic!)

Our Summer Sizzlers!

Welcome to Sizzling Summer Reading!  

Just a quick recap of the program for everyone. Everyone reads TWO books and does ONE assignment.

Check your school's page to see if you have a specific book you have to read HERE.

Click HERE if you need a copy of the assignment (there are two to choose from and you can do either one).

Summer Sizzlers are books we think everyone would love.  For sixth grade we've chosen The BFG by Roald Dahl, the story of a big, friendly giant who together with sweet, smart Sophie hatches a plan to rid the world of the evil giants who eat human beans.  The seventh grade Summer Sizzler is Old Yeller, the adventurous story of a boy and his dog set in Texas in the 1800s.  And our eighth grade Summer Sizzler is Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen. This "he said - she said" story is told in alternating chapters by a boy narrator (Bryce) and a girl narrator (Juli).

We hope you will find some awesome books to read this summer.  We'll look forward to hearing about them!  Post a comment with YOUR favorite book!