Jennifer's+Reading+Log

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__Week 1__
Date: 2/8 Title: The Phantom Tollbooth Author: Norton Juster Page 9 to 28 Quote: " ' Anything as long as it's nothing, and everything as long as it isn't anything,' " Reaction: That is confusing. So, does that that mean you can do what ever or what. Because, you can do everything as long as it isn't anything and anything as long it's nothing. You're basically saying that you can do everything as long as it isn't nothing so it's like you have to do something at all times... technically. Still not clear. Date: 2/9 Page 29 to 51 Quote: " ' Besides... one word is as good as another - so why not use them all? ' " Reaction: I think he has a point but on the other hand he doesn't. It would be easy just use all the words, and not needing to choose a correct one, but it would get tiring. Having to remember all the words and also having to remember their synonyms?! It's hard enough to remember the words themselves! Date: 2/10 Page 52 to 69 Quote: " ' For always remember that while it is wrong to use to few, it is often far worse to use too many.' " Reaction: I think this is a good quote because you want to say enough to be understood but you don't want to say so much that you're over explaining yourself. People want to hear your thoughts and opinions, but no one likes a chatter-box!

Date: 2/11 Page 70 to 93 Quote: " ' So, you see, the way we see things depends on a great deal on where you look at them from.' " Reaction: That reminds me of when I was on a plane on the way to Houston and when I look out of the window I saw these circles. I thought they were part of a power plant or something but when I asked the co-co pilot he told me that he thought it was part of a farm. I wanted to believe him because he is the co-pilot but I couldn't. No way that circles can be part of a farm.

Date: 2/12 Page 94 to 109 Quote: " ' You see what a dull place the world would be without colour? ' " Reaction: I wouldn't be able to imagine the world without colour, I mean black and white T.V. shows to me are not really considered colorless. I can't even think about the world being a giant coloring book. I mean coloring books are like flat out boring and just wouldn't be able to keep that image in my mind. Not possible.

__Week 2__
Date: 2/15 Title: The Phantom Tollbooth Author: Norton Juster Page 110 to 122 Quote: " ' Of course not...that's what makes it so difficult to cure. I only treat illnesses that don't exist: that way if I can't cure them, there is no harm done --- just one of the precautions of the trade. ' " Reaction: I don't get it. If an illness doesn't exist how can know cure them. You can't do something to something that doesn't exist. It just doesn't make any sense. And how is that possible, you cure the illness, and it's gone; you can't cure the illness, nothing happens. I mean something has to happen.

Date: 2/16 Page 123 to 135 Quote: " ' ... for if we listen to them carefully they can sometimes tell us thing far better than words.' " Reaction: I agree with the Soundkeeper I think sounds can sometimes tell us thing better than words. Because, lets say we're trying to describe...the sound of crunching chips. It would be a little difficult to describe, so therefore you would have to hear it for yourself to really understand it.

Date: 2/17 Page 136 to 155 Quote: " ' If you want sense, you'll have to make it yourself.' " Reaction: I think this is a great quote because it is absolutely true. To have sense you have to... make it yourself? You know, now that I think about it, it's kind of confusing. Isn't sense something you get? I mean you don't make sense, but you do, but, but. AHHH!!! So confusing.....

Date: 2/18 Page 156 to 170 Quote: " ' You know that it's there, but you just don't know where -- but just because you can never reach it doesn't mean that it's not worth looking for.' " Reaction: I think the first part of this quote really describes Infinity. Where as the second part is baloney, why in the world would you waste your time looking for something knowing that you will never reach it. Of course, it's not worth looking for!! Just a bunch of baloney.

Date: 2/19 Page 171 to 189 Quote: " ' For there's always something to do to keep you from what you really should be doing...' " Reaction: That reminds me of the time I need to pick up the mail for a neighbor. She had something important coming in the mail, and wanted me to call her as soon as it arrived. I didn't have time to go check daily because it was Christmas week, and I had too much on my schedule. When she came back, I hadn't checked her mail even once. Lucky for me, the mail hadn't come in yet.

__Week 3__
Date: 2/22 Title: The Phantom Tollbooth Author: Norton Juster Page 190 to 201 Quote:" ' Whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else.' " Reaction: I think that Reason has a point, because I feel that it really is true. We always learn things for a reason and what we do affects everything else. Because of cause and effect, everything we do has a influence on something else. (Reason has some pretty good reasons)

Date: 2/23 Page 202 to END Quote: " ' So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible.' " Reaction: That is a really positive attitude, and I like this quote because it's true. You have to believe in yourself to know that you can do it. There really isn't anything that is impossible. Because I heard that anything is possible if you believe.

Date: 2/24 Title: Where I'd Like to Be Author: Frances O' Roark Dowell Page 1 to 23 Quote: " ' It makes me itchy to look at them side by side. ' " Reaction: I think this is a huge exaggeration. No one is going to be itchy looking at two buildings, I mean come on, do you really think that just because the buildings "don't match" is a really reasonable reason for an itch, seriously.

Date: 2/25 Page 24 to 46 Quote: " The very thought made me feel irritable up one side and down the other. " Reaction: This can be either a good thing or a bad thing. To Maddie it's a bad thing, but to me it's kind of a good thing. Shouldn't Maddie be glad that Murphy has a friend? And I think that's all that really matters...it's not like Logan was going to be her fiend too. It's a friend's friend, and I don't think Maddie sees it that way.

Date: 2/26 Page 47 to 62 Quote: " They can take the things you love and twist them around with a few words so that you can't bear to ever look at them again." Reaction: I get what Maddie is trying to say, and I absolutely agree with her. But doesn't she trust Murphy? I can tell that Murphy is really interested in Maddie's hobby, but Maddie seem to be a little insecure. Or maybe it's the fact that it's the middle of the night...who knows?

__Week 4__
Date: 3/1 Title: Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So Fabulous Life Author: Rachel Renee Russel Page 1 to 29 Quote: "...my attending a private school was going to be a 'stressful time of tremendous personal growth' Reaction: Nikki's mom is right, but I feel for Nikki, even though I have never attended a private school, from a reliable source (T.V), private schools are pretty different from regular schools. It would be very difficult for Nikki to try and fit in, especially if she couldn't in normal school. Her mom is right, it's will be stressful but she will grow because of it.

Date: 3/2 Page 30 to 61 Quote: " Then, suddenly, I had an epiphany and I TOTALLY understood what my grandma meant when she said, ' You can be a CHICKEN or a CHAMPION. The choice is yours.' " Reaction: I think I get what Nikki is trying to say too. She can either stand up to Mackenzie, and prove her power, or she can back down, and be a no one all the rest of her eighth grade life. The thing is...I still down get why Nikki would choose to back down. She's a great artist, and she had a chance to prove herself, but because of Mackenzie and her intimidation, she didn't have the strength to prove herself.

Date: 3/3 Page 62 to 86 Quote: " I couldn't believe I was actually going to Mackenzie's party! Soon I was going to have really cool friends and a social life." Reaction: I know that popularity and "cool" is a major thing in middle school, but so what? Isn't it fine to just have friends? Nikki now has Zoey and Chloe, and that should be enough! I dislike the fact that Nikki thinks true friendship and happiness happen only when you're popular! >:(

Date: 3/4 Page 87 to 118 Quote: " Despite how bad things went at lunch, I definitely feel better now. I guess maybe I don't hate this school quite as much anymore." Reaction: I hope Nikki feels lucky to have good friends and that's good for her. Nikki has two awesome friends that aren't popular and they were the ones that helped her (don't forget Brandon). Not Mackenzie or Jessica or whoever, my point is that popularity has it's ups and downs. And this was definitely the down.

Date: 3/5 Page 119 to 151 Quote: " I could deal with going on a boring field trip for National Library Week. But there was no way I was getting a tattoo to CELEBRATE going on a boring field trip for National Library Week." Reaction: First of all, not that I'm putting down libraries or anything, but going on a 5-day field trip (or as I like to call it vacation) to NEW YORK is worth doing something completely boring. Second of all, I agree with Nikki...are Chloe and Zoey out of they're MINDS???!!! Celebrating libraries...okay. Going to New York for a boring field trip...okay. Getting a TATTOO for all this...NO WAY!!!! I'm not in my right mind to think this is awesome. Especially if I'm like Nikki and are allergic to spray paint!!! Crazy people.......

__Week 5__
Date: 3/8 Page 152 to 187 Quote: " What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson." Reaction: In general, I think this is a great quote. But saying this to what the girls are doing now? No. What does that have to do with ballet. I guess Zoey is saying that a confidence booster or something, but I don't think it would work real well. Especially for someone like Nikki.

Date: 3/9 Page 188 to 216 Quote: "...I'd rather suffer a slow and painful death by asphyxiation than be spotted riding an in the 'roachmobile' Reaction: First things first, what is asphyxiation?? It may be suffocation, but I think it also might be choking. Both of those things cause happen when you're face is in a bag, so which one is it. Now to the book....as I said before, Nikki can only think about popular, popular, popular, but I feel for Nikki. Okay I guess having a big giant roach on a truck is embarrassing, but who cares?! It's your dad's job and that's what helping put food on the table, but all you can think about is popular? Just....

Date: 3/10 Page 217 to 242 Quote: " And besides, Chloe and Zoey weren't actually lying. They were just over-embellishing some fabricated truths." Reaction: Okay, that is a clever way to explain lying. But, it's a way for Nikki to get some attention by showing off her skills, and it's giving Zoey and Chloe some attention too. The library can get new books, //and// for all three of the girls to get a shot at that trip. But...on the other hand Nikki has the right to quit. She working her butt off for Chloe and Zoey's benefit.

Date: 3/11 Page 243 to 275 Quote: " ...I see the talent! But, other than me, there's definitely no brains or beauty up in here! Reaction: That reminds me of when I needed to choose an activity for summer camp. I could either be in art or hunting. At first, I chose art...it was so boring! I switched to hunting because I thought it'd be more fun than making yarn wigs. I was awesome [ I caught fish, lizards, etc. :) ]. The reason I say this is because I had more talent on something I had never done before to something I thought I would have been good at. It really shows you can have even more talent than you have thought.

Date: 3/12 Page 276 to END Quote: " I'm sure he thought I was CRAZY. But, hey! I can only be myself right? " Reaction: This may seem strange, but I really like the last paragraph or sentence of a book. I feel that it really ties the whole book together. Not only tie it together, but it also sort of states the main point of the book and explains what the author is trying to achieve with the book. With saying that, I feel that Rachel Russell did a fantastic job writing this book, and made her point with this quote.

Date: 3/15 Title: Lizzie for President Author: Alice Alfonsi Page 1 to 30 Quote: " ' Isn't our son a little //old// to have an imaginary friend? ' " Reaction: In my defense, I don't think you're never too old to have an imaginary friend. I mean there's no limit to your imagination, right? If there's no limit why should you have to stop at a certain age? That's not fair! ( I guess it's a little immature)

Date: 3/16 Page 31 to 56 Quote: " If make believe is your game...then get ready to play it //my// way." Reaction: To be completely honest, I think this is a smart way, but not the right way. At first I thought Matt was a little immature, but now that I know the truth, that is wrong and you're taking a chance of losing your parents' trust.

Date: 3/17 Page 57 to 89 Quote: " ...who usually followed on this weird logic, was dubious on this one. " Reaction: What does dubious mean? I mean I could guess from context that its root word is doubt. But, I'm not a 100% sure about it. Any who, I agree with Lizzie and Miranda, that is kind of weird. I mean, come on what type of person would say that you tutor famous people just to get attention. I sure wouldn't!!

Date: 3/18 Page 90 to 116 Quote: " ' While you guys were //studying// stuff, we were //living// it." Reaction: I think this is a better way to learn than reading it out of a book. When you learn this way you can remember it better because the things (that Lizzie did) were memorable. (The thing is...can you remember them?)

Date: 3/19 Page 117 to END Quote: "...opened their eyes to new ways of learning, he'd obviously saved them from the perils of paradise." Reaction: I think this book's theme is "Don't judge a book by it's cover". The three friends find a teacher's ways are strange, but in the end they end up learning a lot. (To bad, they learned the wrong things!). I don't mean to be nosy but, it's so obvious when the enemy wins, something bad happens to them

__Week 7__
Date: 3/22 Title: Sent Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix Page 1 to 20 Quote: " ' I told you my whole life I'd felt out of place, like I didn't belong, like I belonged someplace else. Only, I guess it was some//place// and some//time// else...." Reaction: It may just be me, but I could already tell that this book is going to be full of excitement. Anyway, this is kind of confusing, yet I can relate to this. I mean you've gotta admit, having another identity can be really jaw-dropping especially if you don't know anything about the person who you are. Sometimes when I want to impress my friends I talk about think to which I have not a clue to who I'm talking about (most of the time I got them)!

Date: 3/23 Page 21 to 30 Quote: " ' We have a saying in time-travel circles, to explain the tracers....' Time knows how it's suppose to flow.' " Reaction: I'm having a little trouble understanding the concept. I mean, I get the saying, but it's just how is that suppose to explain the tracers. How is it that the people from the actual time aren't able to see the tracers, but Jonah and Katherine can. The saying doesn't explain much about tracers.

Date: 3/24 Page 40 to 63 Quote: "... I didn't think it mattered which one. I didn't care. But thinking with his brain... well, I could believe." Reaction: I think this is a good quote because it sort of explains how to look at something from someone point of view. I think, to me that can really change the attitude and selflessness of some people. (not giving names though) : P

Date: 3/25 Page 64 to 81 Quote: " //Because of us, none of that will happen,// Jonah thought dizzily. //Because of us, there is no proof of anything. The boys just vanished.//" Reaction: I'm a little confused. JB said that when someone's tracer dies it disappears...well, he sort of did. How is it Jonah's fault if what JB said was true? (after rereading that section...) Oh, I think I get it now. Because Jonah had pulled Chip out of his tracer, the tracer died. Where as in the original version, Chip would have died and his corpse would still be there. It's all clear now

Date: 3/26 Page 82 to 104 Quote: " '//Princes// '? Jonah thought. Not '//king and prince' ? What does that mean? "// Reaction: I know this isn't the world's most exciting quote, but I think there's a connection between this quote and what Chip is going to tell us in the next chapter. Maybe something happened during the coronation. There might also be a connection between Edward the IV's uncle and this Lord Rivers.

__Week 8__
Date: 4/5 Title: Sent Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix Page 105 to 128 Quote: " ' Long live the king! Long live Richard the Third! ' " Reaction: Whoa, whoa! What is Chip saying? I don't get it. Isn't Richard the Third, Chip's father? Why would Chip be calling his father those harsh words? Was he talking about the uncle that murdered him? But, isn't the uncle's name Gloucester though? This by all means is confusing.

Date: 4/6 Page 129 to 150 Quote: " ' It doesn't make sense,' Chip muttered. ' //What// doesn't make sense?' Jonah asked giving up on announcing his plan for the moment. ' It was just last night that someone tried to kill me, the real king,' Chip said. ' They didn't even succeed. There's no proof of it, anyway. So how could they be having Richard's coronation today?' " Reaction: Okay, so I was totally off, when I said Richard the Third was Chip's father; it just seemed that I have heard that name before in this book. Anyway, I'm not an expert on royalty but that doesn't seem like the right way to handle this. It's just, I don't think, is a sign of respect. I mean come on, 'oh, your old king is dead, so I'm gonna be your new king now:" "Okay. Yay, King Richard!" I mean you just don't trust anybody......
 * sorry the quote's kind of long.

Date: 4/7 Page 151 to 175 Quote: " Even in the original versions of time the prince and former king had survived " Reaction: I don't understand. I just don't understand. How could...I mean...it's just not possible. I mean the only thing that I can think of is that in the original version, during the time of the murder Chip and Alex weren't in the room. I mean I'm not even sure I'm just guessing because I just...just...I don't know......... Date: 4/8 Page 176 to 191 Quote: " //It's like mind control,// Jonah thought. //Any time they're near their tracers."// Reaction: This is just me, but I think you will agree with me. I don't think there's a problem with that. If I were in Chip and Alex's position, I would do the same thing. I mean, after thinking that you were dead and to see your mom and sisters crying like that, I would just go into the tracer and give them the news. I think Jonah is being a little selfish, he just wants to protect Chip and Alex just so that he can bring them back to the 21th century.

Date: 4/9 Page 192 to 208 Quote: " Then the man turned, his hand on the door, and Jonah could see his face. It was King Richard III." Reaction: Whoa, whoa, whoa!!! I thought we all said that Richard III was Shakespeare, and the new king was just Richard. I'm not sure because it was a while back (like Monday) that the public doesn't know about this yet. That they think Gloucester is Richard the III, when he is just Richard.