What are you reading?
Happy summer Thunder and Lightning community! We have one question for you: what are you reading? Mrs. Rachuri finished Counting by 7s. Mrs. McCallihan finished Fish in a Tree. What about you? Here are some summaries from your community members.
The Tale of Despereaux
Kathleen
“You, my friend, are on a quest.” Despereaux went on this quest to save the princess and that is just one example of how Despereaux is spirited. Another is when he walks into the princess’ room because he hears music, and stays there even though Princess Pea and King Philip know he is there. A third is when the Mouse Council finds out about him in the human room, he stands tall (even though he’s unusually small for his age) and proud. The fourth and final one we’re going to hear here is when he goes on the quest to save the princess. The quote in the beginning is him talking to the Thread Master and asking for the thread. Despereaux went on the quest to save the princess not only because he was a spirited young mouse, but also because he loved her.
“Reader I am pleased to tell you that the princess was a kind person.” Princess wasn’t just a kind person she was a kind-hearted person. Take the time when Despereaux is in her room. Even though he’s distantly related to rats who killed Pea’s mother, she still let him stay. Or when Mig and Roscuro are taking her hostage she feels sorry for Mig because she wanted to be a princess so much. The last one related to the second is even though Roscuro is the same rat who killed her mother, she didn’t do anything to try and harm him. Like I said Pea wasn’t just a kind person, but a kind-hearted person and she doesn’t hold hold grudges even on people who killed someone she loved.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
“Ralph! You stay away from that telephone cord!” Ralph’s mother worries about him because Ralph is a reckless mouse. Take the time when he climbed up the telephone cord to get the motorcycle. He didn’t know how to start it so he tried going off the table (It didn’t work). Or the time when Ralph actually talked to Keith. Keith the human! That was a pretty reckless thing to do. The most reckless thing he did was getting the aspirin tablet for Keith. His father died carrying an aspirin in his cheek pouch. Ralph may be a reckless, but he can also be a responsible mouse too.
The Giver
Annie
The first book I read this summer was The Giver by Lois Lowry. The book is about a male named Jonas. Jonas lives in a world where there is a rule for just about everything. In Jonas’s community you’re given a job and a spouse. One job is birthmother. Birthmothers don’t get to live with the children they give birth to. Also you can only have two children if you apply for them, but they have to be different genders.
There is a ceremony for ages 1-12. The ceremony for 1’s is the naming ceremony, the ceremony for 9’s (which is my favorite ceremony) is when you’re given your first bike, but if you have a older sibling they’ll probably teach you because it’s a minor rule in the community. Jonas has a little sister named Lily. One of the last yet the most important ceremony is the ceremony of 12’s. This is the ceremony when you’re given the job that you will have. You start training for your job when 12.
Jonas’s assignment (job) is to go train with The Receiver of Memories.
The Receiver is the person who has memories of everything, good and bad.
I liked this book even if the ending is sad because Jonas finally understands pain and sacrifice.
The Tale of Despereaux
Shannon
There are definitely things I would do differently if I were in Despereaux’s shoes to not stick out and save my life. Despereaux’s siblings taught him to do certain things and not to do certain things. His sister Merlot said to eat the corner of a book but Despereaux read ONCE UPON A TIME. So Despereaux did not eat it because he thought it would ruin the story. If I was in his shoes I would have eaten the paper. Despereaux went against mice rules and talked to humans--and not just any humans, but the king and princess! I would have kept myself hidden. Despereaux had to say one thing not to end up in the dungeon but he said he’d rather go in the dungeon than lie. If I were in his shoes I would have lied to save my life. I like being on the safe side more than being on the risky side. Despereaux is on the risky side and that’s the difference between us.
