Reader's Journal Fiction

#24                                                 Reader’s Journal                                      2/13/12

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

             I am currently reading Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. The genre of this book is Historical Fiction. Historical fiction is not a subgenre that I favor but was really good so far! It is fiction that is set in the past, 50 or more years ago. Also, in this genre, some places and events may be true but some elements may be unrealistic.

            There were many strategies I used before, during, and after reading this book. Before reading, I read reviews that other readers wrote to decided if the book was worth reading.  Also, I made predictions on what I thought the book the book was going to be about  from the cover and title. Because of the illustration and the title on the front cover, I was able to predict the book was going to be about a spreading fever. While reading I kept track of all literary elements I identified on a sticky note, so that it would be easier to keep track and write my readers journal at the end. Also, I used my prior knowledge on the Fever times in history to understand the point and position the book was trying to convey. After reading, I asked myself questions, so that I would target the answers next time I read. Also, I critiqued and discussed the book with myself so that I can reflect on the book and write my readers journal.

A quote from the book that sparked my interest was located on the kindle (don’t know page number.)

“We should send along something for the family,” suggested Eliza. “Her mother is in no condition to cook. Mattie could take a ham over,” “No,” Mother said quickly. She set the coffee mug on the table with a thump. “I don’t want her near there, not with a sickness in the air. Besides, she hasn’t played with Polly for years. The girl was our servant, not a friend.”

I chose this quote because it really made me realize how hard it was to live during those times. When I read this quote I couldn’t imagine how hard it was to sacrifice your best friend by just not doing anything about her death and just forget her from your life. This quote has significance to the book because it is what starts the rising action, when the fever illness started to spread through the air.

            So far, the main character and protagonist of this book is Mattie. Even though she is round and dynamic, I haven’t come to know her and her characterization so well yet. Though, Mattie is very courageous and friendly. Also, because I didn’t read so much of the book yet, I don’t know much about each character and their characteristics, even thought they are protagonists. Other main protagonist characters are Mattie’s mother, her grandfather, and Eliza, known as her servant and cook. The only foil character so far is Polly, who dies first from the fever.

Not knowing so much of the plot structure yet, I have only read through the exposition and the rising action. The exposition was just as the basic. Mattie started off in her bed, explaining the weather, and each character she came across. The rising action begins when Polly, known as Mattie’s friend and servant dies suddenly, not known how, until it is realized that there is an illness spread in the air, called the fever. So far, the conflict is external, and does not classify as character vs. self, character vs. character, society, nature, or supernatural, being an illness.

The setting of this story mostly takes place in a house that is above Mattie’s family’s coffee house, and the actual coffee house. The time frame is clearly during the time of 1793. The weather conditions were mentioned to be simmering hot, during the august month. The social conditions are that there is a Fever illness spreading through the air, causing everyone to hide themselves from all others.

The author’s purpose is to entertain the reader with a fictional story of an event that actually occurred. The author’s perspective is objective (unbiased) because the author does not show her feelings and opinions in his writing. The point of view of the book is in first person because the author uses words like I, me, and my in her writing. Since I haven’t finished reading the book, I don’t know the theme, motif, or moral yet. The pattern of organization time order because after each event, or day, it would mention the day and exact time of the event at the top of the page. The tone of this book is to feel a sense of suspense and the mood I felt was to feel frightened and imaginable.

            Since I only started the book, I didn’t locate any figurative language sentences located in this book.

All in all, so far this book was great! I recommend this book any other teen or adult because this book fits as a “just right” structure for ages similar to mine (teen).  Since I’m not done reading the book yet, I rate it a eight out of ten because it was really good but I may never know how it will end up in the end of the book at this point. Clearly you should give this book a chance!

Love,

 Joelle Ben-Nissan

Reader's Journal Non-Fiction

#23                                                 Reader’s Journal                                      2/6/12

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

            This week I finished From A Name to A Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography by Alter Wiener. The genre of this book is Autobiography. Autobiography is a subgenre, which falls under non-fiction; it is when a person writes a story about his or her life. In this case, Alter Wiener writes about his bitter experiences as a Holocaust survivor.

            A quote that really sparked me interest was located in the very beginning chapters of the book (kindle)

“In the death chambers, once the doors were locked, the victims had only a few minutes to live, but some had the physical and moral strength to scratch the following phrases into the walls, ‘Gedenkt unz,’ ‘Zychru otanu,’ ‘Pamietaj nas,’ ‘Ne felejes el bennunket’---remember us, remember the Nazi’s cruelty”

I chose this quote because it is what really hooked me and gave me an extreme chill feeling through my spine! It really sickened me on how severe the holocaust really was! The significance of this quote is that at it showed how much hatred people felt towards the Holocaust and Nazis’. Also, while dying, all that was going through their mind was for us to always remember what the Nazis’ did and how much they suffered.

            I used various strategies before, during and after reading this book. Before reading, I thought about all the information I already know from my background knowledge on the Holocaust and its causes. Also, I reread my past readers journal to review where I left off in the book and what I was aiming to find out. While reading, I kept track of literary elements that I missed or needed to change from my past notes. Also, I created mental images in my head during some parts of the book so that I had a great visualization to what I was reading. After reading, I compare and contrasted the books information with things I already knew about the topic. Also, I wrote down my reader’s journal and reviewed it by checking my validity and accuracy.

            The topic of this book is on a Holocaust Survivor and the main idea is stated, for those who understand the meaning of the title: “From A Name to A Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography”. By reading the title of the book, I can immediately configure that it focuses on a Holocaust survivor’s story. Three supporting details I found that support the main idea are: “A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography”,” The sole purpose of writing my autobiography is to share with the readers my bitter experiences which I hope that in so doing will help them to understand the scope of what had happened during the Holocaust”, “Every Holocaust survivor has a story. I have a deep sense of having a mission to share my life story.”

Even though it wouldn’t be necessary to change the title of the book, another title I would give it is: “A Tragedy That Must Never Be Forgotten.” I would give it this title because I think it really would get others attentions on wondering what the tragedy is. Also, even though it does not mention that it is on the holocaust or an autobiography, it summarizes what Alter and others believe in and want to accomplish.

            The essential message of the book is to combat racism and prejudice whenever it appears, and with whomever it threatens. The cause and effect of this book is that if you and others always remember the holocaust and what it has done, the effect would be on it never happening again. A compare and contrast relationship I was able to make is between Alter Wiener and myself. We both are Jewish, and believe in the ending of racism and prejudice. Also, we will both never forget about the holocaust and what it has caused. Alter Wiener and I are different because he has survived and been through the holocaust, and I have not.

            I was able to identify five different text features in the book, and their impact on the text. They were:

-The title and headings, which gave the reader a hint on what the topic is.

-The subtitles explained the main ideas.

-The quotations helped me view what other people said, from their perspectives.

-The table of contents helped me locate chapters in the book, while seeing their title and how long each chapter is.

- Italicized and bold words helped me track down important and useful lines in the text.

The author’s purpose is to share with readers his personal bitter experiences in the holocaust. The author’s perspective is subjective and biased because the author gives many of his personal opinions and beliefs in the text. The point of view is written in first person because the author uses words like: I, my, etc. The pattern of organization is flashback because the author starts explaining and then goes back to the actual event.

Sadly, this book did not have any figurative language because it just shared the author’s experiences in a very accurate way.

While reading, I was able to identify five new vocabulary words and their meanings, which are:

-Perennial: long lasting.

The sentence is: “I anticipate the same from my written words-some words are nothing but tears about my perennial pain.” I identified this word by using context clue number five.

-Oblivion: being unaware/unconscious.

The sentence is: “Many memories vanished into oblivion and other memories are hard to bring out from dark cages.” I identified this word by using context clue number five.

-Odyssey: adventurous journey.

The sentence is: “It is about my tribulations during the Holocaust and its ensuing odyssey.” I identified this word by using context clue number five.

-Amid: Surrounded by.

The sentence is: “While training amid the sea of tombstones, I had creepy thoughts that someday one of the tombstones would bear my name.” I identified this word by using context clue number five.

-Lamenting: Expression of sorrow

The sentence is: “I have been lamenting for years the fact that I could not yet enough love from my mother, due to her untimely death.” Just like all other words, I identified this word by using context clue number five.

        A source I used to check the validity and accuracy was: My background knowledge on the holocaust.

            While reading, I was able to make many connections. A text-to-self connection I made with the book was that both Alter Wiener and myself are Jewish and would try our very best to spread the word on what happened in the holocaust. Another connection I was able to make was a text-to-text connection. I can relate this book to any other Holocaust related novel because they are all set on the same topic and setting. The last connection I made was to the world. I can relate this book to the world because even though there are still many holocaust survivors, people all around the world still forget or never believed that this event happened in the past and for this reason, it is mandatory for everyone to spread the word about the existence of this event.

            All in all, this book was great! I rate it a nine out of ten because I was interested and hooked throughout the entire time with the help of the authors vivid experiences! I recommend it to everyone and anyone of all ages, especially to the people who don’t really believe in the Holocausts existence. Clearly, you should really give this book a chance!

            Love,

Joelle Ben-Nissan

Reader's Journal Non-Fiction

#22                                                 Reader’s Journal                                      1/30/12

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,

            This week I read From A Name to A Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography by Alter Wiener. The genre of this book is Autobiography. Autobiography is a subgenre, which falls under non-fiction; it is when a person writes a story about his or her life. In this case, Alter Wiener writes about his bitter experiences as a Holocaust survivor.

            A quote that really sparked me interest was located in the very beginning chapters of the book (kindle)

“In my view, it is very important to expose the causes of the Nazi crimes and ensure that such causes are readily recognizable. In that fashion, if the seeds of genocide ever begin to appear, they can be identified and eradicated before they ripen. Only then can we feel secure that genocide will never happen again. Hitler’s ideology and evil will have no future.”

I chose this quote because it is what really caught my attention. It gave me a true feeling, where the author spoke to my heart and showed me how important it really was to remember this tragedy of the past. Also, the significance of this quote is that it is the rising action of the book and that it informs readers the causes of forgetting the past.

            I used various strategies before, during and after reading this book. Before reading, I thought about all the information I already know from my background knowledge on the Holocaust and its causes. Also, because the vocabulary was a little challenging, I made sure this book was “Just Right” for me. While reading, I wrote and kept track of writing important information on my sticky notes, in order to do my readers journal. Also, I created mental images in my head during some parts of the book so that I had a great visualization to what I was reading. After reading, I compare and contrasted the books information with things I already knew about the topic. Also, I gathered information about all the literary elements in my mind to complete my reader’s journal and better understand the book.

            The topic of this book is on a Holocaust Survivor and the main idea is stated, for those who understand the meaning of the title: “From A Name to A Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography”. By reading the title of the book, I can immediately configure that it focuses on a Holocaust survivor’s story. Three supporting details I found that support the main idea are: “A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography”,” The sole purpose of writing my autobiography is to share with the readers my bitter experiences which I hope that in so doing will help them to understand the scope of what had happened during the Holocaust”, “Every Holocaust survivor has a story. I have a deep sense of having a mission to share my life story.”

Even though it wouldn’t be necessary to change the title of the book, another title I would give it is: “A Tragedy That Must Never Be Forgotten.” I would give it this title because I think it really would get others attentions on wondering what the tragedy is. Also, even though it does not mention that it is on the holocaust or an autobiography, it summarizes what Alter and others believe in and want to accomplish.

            The essential message of the book is to combat racism and prejudice whenever it appears, and with whomever it threatens. The cause and effect of this book is that if you and others always remember the holocaust and what it has done, the effect would be on it never happening again. A compare and contrast relationship I was able to make is between Alter Wiener and myself. We both are Jewish, and believe in the ending of racism and prejudice. Also, we will both never forget about the holocaust and what it has caused. Alter Wiener and I are different because he has survived and been through the holocaust, and I have not.

            I was able to identify five different text features in the book, and their impact on the text. They were:

-The title and headings, which gave the reader a hint on what the topic is.

-The subtitles explained the main ideas.

-The quotations helped me view what other people said, from their perspectives.

-The table of contents helped me locate chapters in the book, while seeing their title and how long each chapter is.

- Italicized and bold words helped me track down important and useful lines in the text.

The author’s purpose is to share with readers his personal bitter experiences in the holocaust. The author’s perspective is subjective and biased because the author gives many of his personal opinions and beliefs in the text. The point of view is written in first person because the author uses words like: I, my, etc. unfortunately, I was not able to find the exact pattern of organization of this book, however, so far, it is cause and effect.

Sadly, this book did not have any figurative language because it just shared the author’s experiences in a very accurate way.

While reading, I was able to identify five new vocabulary words and their meanings, which are:

-Archival: a collection of historical documents.

The sentence is: “As the holocaust moves from a living memory into the archival past” .I identified this word by using context clue number five.

-Ideologists: many ideas.

The sentence is: “However, political and racial conflicts, religious fundamentals, and fanatical ideologists lead to a global crematorium.” I identified this word by using context clue number five.

-Perilous: danger/risk.

The sentence is: “We are living in a time when a perilous situation may turn catastrophic and engulf all of us.” I identified this word by using context clue number five.

-Endeavor: try hard to do something.

The sentence is: “I have seen that man’s genius is not limited to reaching new heights in every human endeavor.” I identified this word by using context clue number five.

-Intrinsic: belonging naturally, essential

The sentence is: “The Holocaust legacy has an intrinsic value as a warning for the future.” Just like all other words, I identified this word by using context clue number five.

        A source I used to check the validity and accuracy was: My background knowledge on the holocaust.

            While reading, I was able to make many connections. A text-to-self connection I made with the book was that both Alter Wiener and myself are Jewish and would try our very best to spread the word on what happened in the holocaust. Another connection I was able to make was a text-to-text connection. I can relate this book to any other Holocaust related novel because they are all set on the same topic and setting. The last connection I made was to the world. I can relate this book to the world because even though there are still many holocaust survivors, people all around the world still forget or never believed that this event happened in the past and for this reason, it is mandatory for everyone to spread the word about the existence of this event.

            All in all, even though I didn’t completely finish this book, it was amazing! So far, I rate it a ten out of ten because I had no negative thoughts while reading and was interested in being spoken to by the author throughout the entire time! I recommend it to everyone and anyone of all ages, especially to the people who don’t really believe on the Holocausts existence.

            Love,

Joelle Ben-Nissan

Current Events #7

 Date: 1/29/12

Name: Joelle Ben-Nissan

Title: Should the driving age be raised to 18?

Author: Representative John D'Amico and Alex Koroknay-Palicz

Source:  The New York Times Magazine (For teens)

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6-KvZPb1z30NzUyM2Y1MDItNjg2OS00OWYzLWFkNTQtZGJiOTNiMjBlM2Ex&hl=en_US&pli=1

·      The topic of the article is driving age.

The main idea of the article is (implied/stated): The main idea is stated because it is clearly said in the title of the article, being: “Should the driving age be raised to 18?”

·      The author’s purpose for writing this article is to persuade the readers why or why not the driving age should be changed.

·      The author’s perspective in this article is subjective (biased) because both authors state their personal beliefs and opinions in the text about whether or not the driving age should be raised.

·      The pattern of organization of the article is both argument and support and compare and contrast.

·      The reason why the author chose to write in a form of argument and support and compare and contrast is to show and demonstrate different opinions other people have on the argument.

·      The text features included in the article are the title, subtitle, and an example.

-The title helps by giving the readers a little hint on what the article is about.

-The subtitle helps by explaining the article and telling more about it.

-The example helps support the author’s argument.

·      Summary in my own words: This article is about the main reasons why or why not the driving age should be raised to 18 years old.

·      The significance of this article is that the reader the reader gets to view both sides of a major argument.

·      What I learned from this article is that between 1995 and 2004, there were 30,917 fatalities in accidents that involved 15-to-17-year-old drivers, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

·      What I liked about this article is that the author included two different sides of what people thought on the argument so that readers would be able to view more than one perspective.

·      What I did not like about the article is that the author didn’t include enough examples to support his argument.

·      I would recommend this article to anyone that wants the driving age to stay at the age of 16 or people who want the driving age to be raised to 18 years of age.

·      A text-to-self connection I made with the article is that I am really looking forward in driving when I’m 16 years old so I completely agree with Alex Koroknay-Palicz’s side of the argument.

·      A text-to-text connection I made was with the newspaper, when it writes about young teens getting into car accidents.

·      A text-to-world connection I made after reading this article was that many teens all around the world get their license at 16 years of age.

New vocabulary I learned:

Word	Context Clues	Meaning
1. Legislation	Context clue #5 (Inference/ Description) Because the sentence is: “That's why I introduced legislation to raise the driving age in Illinois from 16 to 18.” By this sentence, I inferred that legislation means a law.	laws
2. Fatalities	I used context clue #5 (Inference/ Description) because the sentence is: “Between 1995 and 2004, there were 30,917 fatalities in accidents that involved 15-to-17-year-old drivers, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.” By this sentence, I inferred that it is deaths because when I replaced the word with it, it is what most made sense.	Deaths
3. Mobility	I used context clue #5 (Inference/ Description) because the sentence is: “Cars are necessary for mobility in this country.” When I read this sentence, I inferred mobility meant to move.	The ability to move

Current Events #6

 Date: 1/22/12

Name: Joelle Ben-Nissan

Title: “I Have a Dream”

Author: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Source:  PBS

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/english/mlk_transcript.pdf

·      The topic of the article is freedom and equality.

The main idea of the article is (implied/stated): The main idea is implied because it is not clearly stated it in the article. It is that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted everyone, including very race and religion to live free and equal among themselves.

·      The author’s purpose for writing this article is to persuade the listeners to believe in equality and freedom.

·      The author’s perspective in this article is subjective (biased) because the author clearly states his personal dreams, beliefs, and opinions in the text.

·      The pattern of organization of the article is argument and support.

·      The reason why the author chose to write in a form of argument and support is so that readers can better understand the main point the author is trying to make.

·      The text features included in the article are the title, quotations marks, and a date.

-The title helps by giving the readers a little hint on what the article is about.

-The quotation marks help by showing valid conversation among people and it shows quotes that were written or said.

-The date helps by giving the readers a time frame of when his speech occurred.

·      Summary in my own words: This speech is about the way Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed and felt about freedom and equality within all men for the living future.

·      The significance of this article is that this speech led to an advance in equality. Even though we are not at a full equal state yet, we have defiantly improved and this speech is what brought us so far in equal and freedom rights.

·      What I learned from this article is that this speech was said on August 28, 1963.

·      What I liked about this article is that the author included all his dreams, beliefs, and opinions about what he wanted to fulfill.

·      What I did not like about the article is that the author included what the people said or did, like for example, “Yes” or “Applause” because it made it confusing to read.

·      I would recommend this article to everyone and anyone who believes in what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed so that they can really relate to it.

·      A text-to-self connection I made with the article is that I defiantly stand for what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed and would really what to fulfill it, just like he, and others did.

·      A text-to-text connection I made was to a time magazine we read in class about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his speech.

·      A text-to-world connection I made after reading this article was that people all around the world are still being treated unfairly and unequally. Although, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech made a huge difference in equal rights.

New vocabulary I learned:

Word	Context Clues	Meaning
1. Emancipation	Context clue #5 (Inference/ Description) Because the sentence is: “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” By this sentence, I inferred that Emancipation means to free someone from slavery because of the topic and the proclamation of it.	free someone from slavery
2. Proclamation	I used context clue #5 (Inference/ Description) because the sentence is: “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” By this sentence, I inferred that a Proclamation is an announcement.	An announcement
3. Invigorating	I used context clue #5 (Inference/ Description) because the sentence is: “This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.” When I read this sentence, I inferred invigorating meant bracing.	Bracing