How does the author make you feel like you are actually inside the story? (The Hideout) 8-16-15

Prompt:  How does the author make you feel like you are actually inside the story?

Date:  8-16-15

          Peg Kehret, like any other successful author, is really good with descriptive writing and adjectives.  This is shown in the book on page 13 when Kehret is describing the train crash that Jeremy was in.  The book says, "Crash!  The noise of the impact filled Jeremy's ears, momentarily blocking out all other sounds.  Jeremy fell sideways out of his seat, landing in the aisle.  His backpack came down on top of him.  The lights inside the train went out.  The din of disaster surrounded him:  glass shattered, wood splintered, pieces of metal clanged against one another.  The whistle was silent.  Inside the dark car, people screamed.  A baby cried."  While reading this one paragraph of the book, I was able to picture complete, solid chaos.  The author did a great job of showing readers what the crash was supposed to be like.

          Another thing that helped me personally picture Jeremy's journey, was the fact that I've been camping several times before, and could relate with Jeremy's experiences in the woods on his own.  Someone from deep Chicago who is used to the city life might not be able to picture Jeremy's trip just as well as someone who goes on regular campouts out in the country.

          Peg Kehret's descriptive writing, combined with readers' imaginative and colorful minds can create the perfect mental setting of a story.  Also, the great thing about Kehret, and many other authors' writing is that people with not so imaginative minds can still see the scene that Kehret is trying to set, because of her advanced writing.  I strongly recommend this book to readers who've enjoyed the outdoors before, and who are looking for an adventure to follow.

Discuss the pros and cons of independence at a teenage level. (The Hideout) 8-16-15

Prompt:  Discuss the pros and cons of independence at a teenage level.

Date:  8-16-15

          Most people have heard the term, "With independence comes responsibility."  Many children beg their parents for more independence and freedom, but don't realize what the other side of the deal is.  Someone with independence must be trusted to make good decisions without as much outside advice.  That's why it's important to find the right balance of independence for any kid.

          The reason I chose this prompt is because of how big of a role independence plays in the story.  Jeremy, the main character decides to try to live on his own for a long period of time.  A lot of kids don't realize how huge certain decisions can be, and they need help making some of them.  Therefore, independence at Jeremy's age can be dangerous or risky in enlarged amounts.  However, independence is a great way to prepare teenagers for adulthood and to slowly expose them to self reliance in the real world.

          Even as an adult, independence should still be carefully managed.  At an older age, adults know how to take care of themselves, but definitely still should take advice from others, and listen to other ideas.  Team building, and collaborative experiences, mean nothing with pure independence and self reliance.  Companies, teams, and groups of people need to work together to become truly successful, and the qualities of a good leader are being able to work well with others, and listen to their ideas.

Why do you think the author chose to write about the topic of their book? (Abduction) 8-16-15

Prompt:  Why do you think the author chose to write about the topic of their book?

Date:  8-16-15

          It's pretty common for an author to write about something that happened to them as a child, or something that really affected their lives as a child.  Peg Kehret has written two books about a kidnapping experience that I know of, and there could possibly be more.  If you asked me what influenced Kehret to write about this topic I wouldn't be able to tell you.  However, I would be able to make a couple of guesses.

          It is probable that the author didn't personally get kidnapped as a child, but maybe witnessed a kidnapping or similar event.  It is even more likely that the topic is one that has always interested her, or one that she often heard her parents talk about, or saw on the news.  In most cases, an author doesn't just write about something they've never heard of or thought about.  Another book of hers that I've read and will be blogging on, is "Hideout."  It's about a boy named Jeremy whose parents were killed in a terrorist shooting at a mall.  As you can see, the topics of her book are somewhat similar, and most likely were built of a specific experience of Kehret's childhood.

          If I turned out to become an author, I'm pretty sure I would write about something that interested me, or a topic that I could easily relate to.  Edgar Allen Poe is a internationally known poet, who wrote poetry about his dark and depressing childhood.  Events and experiences that happen to a person through both their childhood and adulthood are what make up their personalities.  Someone who is really interested in computer programming, will probably not write about an experience as a pro football player.  While reading books from well known authors, I've often realized that the author's personality can reflect on the personality of their character.

         

Can you relate to, and understand the main character's thoughts and decisions in your book? (Abduction) 8-16-15

Prompt:  Can you relate to, and understand the main character's thoughts and decisions in your book?

Date:  8-16-15

          One of the books that I finished over the summer, was one called "Abduction."  This book is about a girl named Bonnie who ends up having to unravel the mystery of the kidnapping of her younger brother Matt.  Throughout this novel, she has to make several decisions that could possibly mean the difference between life and death for herself, and her brother as well.  With this blog, I plan to break down Bonnie's thoughts and decisions to see what I would have done in a certain situation in comparison to Bonnie.

          An example of a situation where Bonnie had to make an extremely important decision, was when Bonnie sees Denny Thurman, (Matt's kidnapper) and Matt heading down an escalator at a Mariners game, and has a very short amount of time to decide whether she should call the police, or chase after them.  The book quotes, "She had only a moment to decide:  run to a phone and call the police - or follow Matt and Denny down the escalator."  In my opinion, calling the police is most likely the best decision in this scenario, and many others similar to it.  However, my natural instinct would be to immediately run for my younger sibling and do whatever I could to get him away from the kidnapper, and that would be hard to overcome.  Later in the book, Bonnie reflects on her final decision and how everything might've played out differently if she hadn't done what she did.  I'm not going to quote her though, as to not spoil the story for future readers.

            After Bonnie and Matt escaped from Denny at a restaurant, they had to choose whether to hide or run, and that decision did affect how the rest of the story played out.  Personally, I would hide, considering I would have a younger child who would most definitely slow us down, and have us caught.  Again, I'm not going to actually quote the book so I don't spoil the story.

          Decisions are very important in life, even the ones that aren't nearly as big as some of the choices in the book.  They're also interesting to think about and to analyze the consequences of them.  Therefore, make sure you carefully think out every decision you make, if you have the time.