Dragons

We stare down
Toward the bottom
Of the floating mountains

We start flying
Screaming
Barely touching the roots of the mountains
With our freezing toes

When we laugh
We can’t hear it
I think there is no end
When will we stop?

Looking down
Beauty flies below me
Getting scared I peer down
Off my dragons wing

Black
Pitch black
My dragon suddenly swoops up
Almost making me tumble into the cold black darkness

Then we start back up

Chloe

Jacob's Dragons Paragraph

I sit upon my emerald dragon,

laughing and screaming as he soars through the sky.

He climbs higher into the sky

and then dives down.

I scream, happy and scared at the same time,

as the ground rushes up to meet us.

At the last second he pulls up.

I get off, dizzy and disoriented

and then collapse in the soft grass.

I was home.

"Fly" By Josha

We fell
Me and my Dragon
In a steep dive
Towards Earth

I screamed
With delight
Looking down
Over Dragon's Wing

My Dragon's scales
Sparkling
Like the Sun's
Rays of light

We touched down
On Earth
I was home

better Dragons poem by Liam

We stare down,

the world trade center below.

Suddenly I feel like I'm getting closer.

Superman dropped me from the open sky,

Superman fled to get me the speed that you walk.

I was screaming, I was sure I was going to die.

Superman caught me just in time,

I was going to crash in to the western tower.

Luckily I had hope, and that very little hope

came true.

I was alive.

Rosie's dragon paragraph

I sat upon my pet dragon

he flew through the sky

swooping up and down

we went up

looking dow at the sandbox

then up through the fluffy clouds

and back down to feel the soft grass between my toes

we landed and I dismounted

I fell to the ground

and burst into hysteria

Rachel's Dragon paragraph

I stared down the fiery pit

full of dragons of all color's

from the sand box.

I stick my hand in to feel a dragon

It bites my hand

I scream.

Another kid comes up to me and says:

"You know it's not nice to scream at the sand box"

I tell him: "come look this hole is full of Dragons!"

We hold hands and jump into the pit to explore a whole new world.

Dragons

We stare down
to the endless bottom
from the sandbox.

I zoom down,
shrieking at the top of my lungs,
as our toes
brush the fresh, green, cold grass.

When we finally hit the ground
we burst with laughter
and we fly
back to the sandbox.
We are dragons,
on top of the world.

Dragons

I’m soaring in the sky the wind is crashing in my face. I see a beach the sand looks like a piece of art work. I land on the sand, my feet sink into the sand, the sand is warm like feeling a hot chocolate mug right after the hot chocolate was made. I start laughing for no reason and I keep laughing and laughing and laughing. Finally it was time to go home and I look around and soared up in to the air.

- Shayla

Hana's "dragons" paragraph

We stare down,

from the swings,

towards the gritty, cold sand, in the sandbox.

I jumped off the swings. Now on the floor.

Running across the fine, wet grass.

My narrow, tiny-toes brushing against ground.

I dash back to the swings.

Again, flying high, feeling the sun beaming on me.

With my dragon wings.

Landing back on the bottom.

Singing, dancing, laughing.

Then, we swing back to the sky.

Smelling the wondrous fresh air.

On top of the world.

Being a dragon.

Yaakov's " Dragons" Paragraph

We stared down

from the highest slide

towards the sandbox.

Our dragons so high

in the air.

All of a sudden,

we felt a brush

of cold air come towards

our faces.

We stared down

and then shot down

like a bolt of

lightning.

We all landed faces

first into the sandbox.

We all started to

burst out into laughter

as we all lay there.

Who knew children

could be so silly?

Leor's draft of "Dragons"

I stared down toward the sandbox from the top of my Dragon. Suddenly I felt a rush of cool air blowing hair around my face. As Dragon swooped downward toward the ground I screamed at the top of my lungs until my face got red. I felt my toes skim through the soft, lush grass as I flew upward holding tight onto the wings of Dragon. When I woke up in the meadow and recalled this dream I stood up, held out my arms and ran up the hill flapping my arms just like Dragon wings.

Dragons

We stare down to the bottom of the hill
From the sandbox, we stare

We start to run down
Tumble, slip, roll, we run
Scream, jump, fly, with joy

Toes skimming the ground
Hearts hammering
Arms pumping
Grass crunching

Bursts of laughter fill the air
Heavy breathing fills our heads
Screaming kids all around

We start back up
Up the great hill
Flapping our wings
Our dragon wings

Jamie Jacobs

The Dragons

"Roar" "Roar" Jack and I yell. We are pretending to be dragons flying over the high rooftops.
We stare down seeing all the little cars and people looking like they are toys.
Jack starts screaming like a trumpet. Then I follow like a flute.
We spin and spin then fall down onto the grass!
We start laughing our heads off,then we go up,
up and away again!
It feels good to fly!

Adi's Draft of "Dragons"

Dragons

I stare down
toward the bottom
from the top of the sandy hill.

I jump off the hill
with the wind pressing against my face.

I begin screaming,
at the top of my lungs.

The straps are tight against my body,
I feel like I’m in an elevator
falling down, and down, and down,
and it never stops.

My feet barely touching the water,
But when I stop
I hit the grass.

At the bottom I laugh
sitting on the grass,
feeling like a dragon
flying back up.


- Adi Rosenkrantz 6B

Dragons

We stare down toward the deep bottom of the grainy sand box.

I start sprinting, screaming at the top of my lungs with great joy.

Our toes are skimming the top of the grass. The cherry blossoms all around.

As I reach the top of the teeter totter I feel as if I'm at the top of the world flying.

The wind blowing through my hair feels outstanding. I wish I could stay up at the top forever.

-Isobel

Adi's Book Talk About the Book 'Elsewhere'

Book Talk

Book: ‘Elsewhere’
Author: Gabrielle Zevin

My hook:

Elizabeth Marie Hall died at the age of fifteen (almost sixteen) when a car ran over her. She doesn’t know that she died, because she doesn’t remember anything about the crash. When she wakes up she finds her self on a bank bed in a small white room with another girl that she doesn’t know. Thandi, the girl on the bottom bank, lived in DC for about sixteen years until she got shot in the head. The girls introduce themselves and get to know each other. They soon realize they are on a boat, ‘but where to?’ they wonder.

Elsewhere is the place where people go to after they die. There you don’t get older but you get younger. When you are a baby you get sent back to earth in a river with all the other babies and start a new life. In the beginning Liz (her nick-name) thought it was all a dream but soon she realizes that this is real life, or as she says real death. She meets lots of people in her adventure in Elsewhere. Some that knew her but she didn’t know them, some that she knew but they didn’t know her, and some that just met and had no clue about each other.

On Elsewhere Liz is sure that it is impossible to fall in love, have fun, and get on with your life without being depressed. With the help of her friends, Liz soon realizes that nothing is impossible.


Even though ‘Elsewhere’ is an odd book, and is a very rare topic to write about, I liked it. I think that this book is mostly for girls from the age of 11-13 grades 6-8. Boys can read this book too, but I think that they won’t enjoy it much. I recommend it to students that like: romance, reality, fantasy, who can deal with a bit of sadness in a story, and a tad of adventure.

You can find the book Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin in the public library, chapters, and in kidsbooks.

-Adi Rosenkrantz 6B

Homework

1. Page 21 Communicating Skills

2. Binder check

3. Re-write "Dragons" using clearer and more descriptive writing so your readers can understand it better than "Meg's" poem. Post it and label it: "Dragons".

All due Monday

Homework

-Glossary Test Tomorrow

(Any five previous words; you should ace it!)

If you have some time, I'm sure your classmates would appreciate some comments on their work. There is some excellent work here!

Writers united!

Almost ready to write...

sensory image paragraph

Sensory Image Paragraph

It was a normal school night, I was in my room doing my math homework. Suddenly, my window burst open and the heavy cold wind flew into my room screeching. I heard screaming coming from downstairs. I ran out of my room as fast as I could! My heart was beating as fast as ever. I ran down the cold wooden floors. Running as fast as I could down the stairs, I slipped on the second last stair and fell face first onto the hard marble floor. My mind began to swirl and I fell into what seemed like a deep sleep…

“WAKE UP!!” My sister yelled as she shoved me to get up.

My mind was a blur, I had no idea what was going on. All I heard was the howling of the wind, and my sisters voice. Just then, the floor shook. First, a little bit, then it got to the point where I heard the sound of the wine glasses shattering onto the ground.

“Carly, get outside!” I heard my dad say.

From outside I heard cries of,

“EARTHQUAKE!”

It was FREEZING outside! I was still in my school clothes, and I had nothing else. My nose was killing. I wanted to turn back, but it was too late, my house was burning down.

Bubbles

Bubbles

I was on my way home from the courthouse were I had interviewed for a position as first assistant to the judge. I wasn’t at all sure that the judge was impressed by my presentation. I knew I was going to be quite miserable if a whole year of preparation wasn’t going to be good enough to get the job. To make things absolutely worse it was raining on the way back home. Mind you, I’m not talking about a drizzle, I’m talking about rain with a capital R! By the time I came home I was soaked and chilled to the bone. This promised to become one miserable day. I slammed the door behind me, took off my coat, kicked out my brand new but by now solidly ruined leather shoes and ran straight up stairs to the bathroom to take a boiling hot bubble bath! I needed some seriously warm relaxation at the end of this day. Just when I was ready to step into my perfect pinky pink bubbles the phone rang. “Oh darn”, I had to run downstairs to answer the slim black phone on my kitchen counter. Maybe it’s the court. Maybe I got the job! Barely dressed and out of breath I picked up the screaming phone. “Hello….?” “Oh, hi mom.” She always knew when were the best times to call me. “Mom, can I call you back later?”

“Honey, listen to this. The dog just peed on me. He knocked over my china to the floor were it laid there, shattered. The cat scratched the walls including my antique painting from the seventeen hundreds. The bird just flew out of its cage and right into the house next door, you know the one were Lola lives, this horrible lady who never mows her lawn. A coyote ate our bunny and your father is late for dinner again! The doctor told me that I should have an operation for my veins, but with these terrible headaches I can’t take the pressure of going to a hospital. You know your brother hasn’t called me for three days. You know he was never like that before he married that no good wife of his.”

“Mom, how’s the weather in Miami?”

“It’s sunny but I shouldn’t complain, really.”

“Well, thanks for asking, but here it has been raining cats and dogs the whole day! It’s raining so hard, it almost feels as if it were raining inside the house.” Wait a second… raining inside the house? THE BATHTUB!!!

Polished Sensory Image Paragraph

This year my birthday is very different. Last year in the the afternoon of my birthday there was a giant earthquake in Port-au-Prince Haiti were I lived. I still remember the rumbling and roaring as the earth shook while mine and many others houses collapsed. I was buried under about 1000 pounds of hard cement. My heart was pounding like a runner who has just won the world cup. I kept focused on two things I must survive and where is the rest of my family?

-By Barbie

Shayla's sensory paragraph

The Incident

I was lying on my bed looking at two of my favourite outfits, my magenta top with black and pick jeans and my don’t bother me I’m busy tee with brown sweat pants that say the same thing on the back. Then I heard some people screaming and pouring water down our street. I ran down stairs I slipped in a puddle. My mom yelled at me and my sister too go to the attic with are favourite thing and some cloths in one bag. After that I went to the attic with my younger sister Selena. The attic was disgusting and had spider webs all over. I didn't know what was happening till my dad was home from work extra early I ask my dad what was happening he didn't answer. But when my mom got up the stairs with my favourite snack that she only give me on special occasions. She told me that there is a flood and a boat is coming too get us we heard sirens and we look outside there was a police boat it look like a police car but it was a boat. The police guy told us to slowly climb down the roof and get into the boat I was first my roof was super slippery the brown looked like black. But I did it I was in the boat next it was Selena’s turn she was supper scared so a police guy had to help her down next it was my parent and our bags. Finally we were in the boat they took us to a dock we went on a Cruise. The Cruise was super nice they had a smoothie bar and ice cream bar all for free. The Oreo coffee crisp dark chocolate ice cream was to die for. We finally docked after fifteen day on the boat we were in Germany. We had to start are life all over.

You know when you are soaking wet and cold and you just want to get home and have a nice warm bath on a horrible, gloomy and wet day. Well I had to sit on a 19 hour flight like that, just me and my sister no change of clothes. Here's how it happened. It was the end of summer but it felt like the middle of autumn, we were on the way to the airport for our trip to Australia and running low on gas. Clonk clonk, clonk clonk was the sound of the car. We only were 10 minutes away from the airport then suddenly the car broke down, there was black smoke everywhere blinding us we couldn't even find the way out. Mum called a tow truck and a taxi, but it was to late we had to be at the airport in 20 minutes but the cab would take 30 minutes to arrive. We thought if we ran we could make it so we grabbed our luggage and dashed to the airport. We were 2 minutes away when i collapsed in a huge puddle of mud it was disgusting, but we were all drenched I didn't want to get any wetter so I got up and pushed it to my last extent. When we finally made it every one was starring at us but it didn't feel like us it felt like they were starring only at me, They were! were was my mum were was my sister. Well it turns out my mum took my sister to get changed as usual they forgot about me and by the time they got back I had no time to get changed, comet think of it we barely made the plane so i had to dream about finally landing in sunny Australia, well i would IF I COULD SLEEP!-Gabe

Sensory Paragraph

On a gloomy and sinister day I was strolling towards the busy city square when I felt a light drizzle upon my head. I ignored it and raced to the large, long brick bridge that joined my street to the city square. The drizzle got heavier and a sudden burst of water came down, I heard a distant rumble and saw the lightning. All of the sudden, the bridge started to tremble. My heart leaped and I gasped in horror as I saw a few bricks fall into the water with a loud splash. I felt the ground shaking, I knew I was trapped. Without thinking twice I plunged into the glacial water. As I grasped for breath I swam to the edge of the river, where the water was shallow. There I shivered and listened to the frightened people running in panic, Their hasty footsteps on the nearby streets made a click clack sound on the pavement. I gazed at the bridge as it collapsed into the water. All that remained on the surface of the water where bricks, and one or two dead bodies buried under the ruins. I had never witnessed an earthquake and storm before, it was more horrifying that I could have ever imagined. My clothes and my hair where damp, I covered my head in my hands and started to sob. The rain, thunder and lightning had abruptly ceased and I was left weeping and sniffing alone. After this disaster, the last thing I expected came, the sun had come out. It's rays shone on me and I rose from my spot.-Salome

Sensory Image Paragraph

Sensory Image Paragraph

By Nadav

I was hiking in the humid, lush, tropical rain forest of Costa Rica. I caught a glimpse of a vibrant orange, sky blue, and lime-green coloured toucan with an elegantly curved beak. I gazed at its spectrum of shades until it flew away into the forest canopy. It reminded me of Fruit Loops cereal and mouth began to water. Though the toucan was silent, my surroundings were far from quiet. Birds chirped to each other, and raindrops fell hard on the soggy plants. The wetness dripped down the hood of my rain poncho echoing in my ears.

Sensory Immage Paragraph

BOOM! BOOM! CRASH! BOOM! I wake up into a sudden flood of darkness. The first thing that jumps to my mind is: EARTHQUAKE! and I keep screaming that until I hear my mom yell back to me that its only a thunder storm. I calm myself down and try to fall back asleep, but that seems impossible. I just cant stop hearing: pit pat pit pat.. BOOM! BOOM! I can even smell the fresh smell of rain, and feel the wet touch of it on my arm, and the taste of it in my mouth, the watery taste. That's impossible! But it isn't, not if you have a leek in your roof! So I try and try to fall back asleep, rolling on my uncomfortably wet mattress. I suddenly see a flash of bright light, then another: BOOM! BOOM! CRASH! BOOM! Then suddenly, out of no where, the pouring stops, the thunder stops, and so does the lightning. I decide I might as well go back to sleep, but I can't get those annoying booming sounds out of my head. BOOM! Maybe it's not over after all!

Oren's sensory image paragraph

Drip,drop I'm sitting at home next to the fire place all cold. I am all a lone but my dog and the sound of the TV. I just curl up in to a ball all scared that the thunder will struck me and my dog. I can barley stand up and get the phone, cause i am so scared. I was praying that day that my mom would be home safe soon.

Josha's Sensony Image Paragraph

I remember the time I went to the beach with my mum. The waves were crashing so hard anyone would think that God was angry and taking it out on the waves. The sky was gray. I remember my mum wearing her favourite coat and yellow hat. We stayed for a little while but all too quickly the cold seeped into our bones and we had to leave. Then the rain started. I love the rain, especially on the beach because I can feel the wet sand between my toes. I remember the sound of the engine in our car pumping up as we drove away.

Sensory Image Paragraph

I will always remember that day. It was a normal day. Me and my family were hiking and it was raining. There was also thunder and occasionally a flash of lightning. I remember a taste of true fear that day. We had stopped for lunch and since I was done I went over to the icy little creek. I remember the soft green moss. Everything by the creek was so peaceful. Until I saw its huge, hulking shape. It was crouched over a bloody figure not 300 meters away. I began to step away, but a dry twig snapped. The creature looked up. I recognized it's lean shape. Recognized it as a cougar. To this day I still remember when it looked into my eyes. I will never forget those cold, hard, black eyes. My gaze dropped from its eyes to its bloodstained mouth. I tried so hard not to look on the ground. I didn't want to see its victim. I still looked. I screamed. Beneath the cougar, there were the bodies of my friends, family, everyone I knew and cared about.... The cougar opened its mouth, let out a roar and leapt for my throat. Suddenly I woke up in my bed. I calmed myself by letting myself look at my sky-blue ceiling. Just a dream I told myself. Just a dream. Before I drifted off, I swore I heard something roar. The same roar that to this day, I cannot forget.

Ashley's sensory image

All the sudden a huge flash of lightning filled the sky and then a roaring noise fled through the plane. I was on my way to Toronto with my friends, Isobel and Gabi for my birthday,so far we were NOT having a good time. It started to poor.Then it started to get really windy, everyone on board was very frightened considering how high we were.
I saw a part of the wing fly off and im sure most people on the plane were aware that, that had just happened and we were all going to die in the next little while. But we didnt something happened just before we crashed!

The Giant Wave

It was a terribly windy night in Kauai. I was out for dinner with my family and I was eating Hawaiian pizza with pineapple and no ham. After we paid we went to the suite and got ready for bed at 10:30. At 1 am my sisters and I heard the waves getting louder and louder. We looked out the window and saw a humongous wave. It was as tall as our hotel. We woke our parents up and told them to look out the window. We all ran to the window and my parents fainted in shock. I called the front desk and told them about the huge wave. The man was shocked too and he called everyone to warn them about the wave. We all packed our bags quickly as did all the guests at the hotel. The waves were smashing and crashing over the beach and I heard children crying and screaming. We got on the bus and rushed to the airport. Everybody got on the plane and we flew back to Vancouver safely.

Really good paragraph

A Really Good Paragraph

Every night at camp, when we were exhausted from playing monopoly, we all fell down in a big pile on the floor of our cabin. We laughed and laughed, because it was so much fun. Then, after we calmed down, we were suddenly famished. Our counselor was furious that our cabin was always awake after lights out, but hopefully we could get her to let us eat the chips that we weren’t supposed to have at camp.

Rina

sensory image paragraph

I remember the day my dad took me to the beach , the beach was called ''Halo Beach''.

We walked to the beach on a saturday morning and arrived at 11:30 AM .

All of a sudden I see all these signs saying "Beware big waves " then there was another one saying "Big sharcks".I was scared to walk in but then i couldnt see my dad anymore .I started shivering and thinking what should I do next then i felt a big pinch then I didnt need to think anymore i was already in the stomache of a whale.

My Sensory Image Paragraphs

There was a huge, raging storm. The cold rain felt like it was slapping me in the face. The piercing noise from the thunder and flashing light from the lightening sent goose bumps down my spine. We needed to get to land. We needed to get somewhere safe. The boat was quickly filling up with water. My worst fears came to life; the boat tipped over shooting my entire family into the frigid water, leaving them to get swept away by the sea.

I thought I had died. When I finally noticed I was somehow still alive, I opened my eyes but my pupils were still dilated and all I could see was the faintest outline of a person. A person? Yes! I was saved! My family was alive – they saved me. When my vision finally cleared up, I realized I was terribly wrong. It wasn’t someone from my family, as I had hoped. I stared in disbelief at the person or should I say, being. This was no ordinary person. It had the head and body of a fish and the legs of a human. It was standing over me and, honestly, I thought it was going to eat me. Then the fish creature whispered in a horse, rigid voice, “Hey sleeping beauty.” I just sat there in shock. My eyes bulged and my mouth dropped at the sight that was before me.

Sensory Paragraph

I walked through the mucky water on the beach. It was pouring rain, and I felt chilled to the bone. Then the thunder started, I could taste my own fear. The water dripped down my face, and I could feel as it got into my eyes and started to feel like getting a terrible burn and then smothering it in disinfectant. I heard great crashes and smashes, but finally I made it home. As soon as I got inside our green front door I felt safe. I was so cold I went straight upstairs and ran myself a bath. Soon after I was sitting there thinking of all that had happened that day, with the warm waters trickling between my toes and making me so warm and cozy, then I smelt it. It was my mothers world famous cake, I got so excited for I knew that soon I would get to taste a piece of the soft spongy cake.

A Really Good paragraph

Every evening in the heart of night at camp, when we where completely exhausted and dead tired from running around and playing gaga all day, we would all collapse in a tangled, jumbled up mess on the dirty, underwear-smelly floor of are mouldy green cabin. We would roar with laughter and burst out screaming. We had a blast. Then we would gradually mellow down, then all of a sudden we would be desperate for food, and we would beg and beg our counsellors for a meal, but they wouldn’t fork over anything, not even a crumb. Our counsellors would steam with anger and go bananas because we always made such a fuss about how we weren’t tired, and didn’t want to go to bed. Eventually they surrendered and we got are way. We got to stay up all night, eat chips, popcorn, cookies… We didn’t care that it was forbidden at camp, we were livin’ for the moment!

Josha's really good paragraph

There was not one night at camp when we were not totally exhausted from all the games and physical activities. Every night we would collapse in a heap on the floor of our cabin and laugh so hard we would cry. We all had so much fun. It was only after the laughter subsided that we would begin to feel ravenous with hunger. Our poor counselor was quite upset with us for consistently staying awake after lights out. Tonight was no exception but we did not lose hope. Somehow we would convince her that it was in the true spirit of a camp experience to let us eat chips and all manner of junk food!

Sensory Image Paragraph

All I could hear was the crashing sound of the splashing waves hitting the dock. The bolting thunder never stopped but it did get louder, loud enough for my ears to explode. Then my heart started pounding just like a drum . I was sitting there on the delicate sand on my silky smooth white blanket with my head looking straight up at dark clouds. I felt like I was floating on a cloud in the dark sky. Then I started running and I sure was I was going to stop but then I heard my mom calling my name over and over. Then I ran back to her in the damp weather in an exhilarated speed. Then we raced together to the car to get home for dinner.

Yaakov's Sensory Image Paragraph

CLAP!!!!!!!!!! I didn't know what I was hearing. BOOM!!!!!!!!!! Everything started to shake. The ground rumbled. Everything was spinning out of control. I couldn't find anyone. I couldn't see. All I could do was stand there. But if you know me, I'm the kind of person that doesn't give up so easily. The wind began to blow even harder than before. Was this really true. Can this actually be happening. Then I thought I have found myself in the middle of Hurricane Katrina.

An Average Night at Summer Camp

Most nights at camp, when we were so exhausted from playing, we would all faint into a big heap on the floor, while we were all breathing heavily grasping for air. Our counselor would start scolding us because we ate foods that we weren't supposed to eat at camp. She would get furious at us for being awake after lights out. Counselors are so temperamental. Anyway, in my mind, there are two meanings for the word CAMP. Counselors hAve Mental Problems. Cool Amazing Magnificent Perfect.

Sensory image paragraph

As the plan was taking off the runway, I could hear the noisy, crackling sound, bouncing of the wings of the airplane. All I could focus on was the sound and the taste of my minty fresh stride gum. The sound kept getting louder and louder, every minute! Then I knew it, the plane was going down, fast. My heart was racing and I was sweating like bullets, it felt like I was taking an exam and forget all the answers. But then, it just got worse. I could smell the smoke and feel the fire burning my hand!! No longer the obnoxious airplane noise, was bugging me, it was the hollow feeling in my stomach, telling me that I may not see anyone ever again…
By: hana

Noga`s Sensory Image Paragraph

There I was. In the middle of the night. My sister snoring like a chainsaw and my mother watching t.v. I could hear her weeping (because she was watching a romantic movie) extremely quietly because she did not want to wake us up. My dad was not home.There was a big thunder storm outside and I could not fall asleep! I lay in my bed as scared as a five year old. I wanted to cry so hard! Thunder then comes lightning, what will I do next? I look out the window then smell something burning. What could it be? I run to my mom and hug her she stops the move and says "I will get your sister, you get out of the house. I smell something burning"
So here I am in the middle of the night outside in the freezing cold rain, in my pink pajamas, my dark brown sweater and my black boots waiting for my mom and my sister.

carly: really good paragraph

Every night at camp, when we were completely exhausted from swimming in the lake, my cabin and I would all collapse onto the cement ground of our cabin in a pile. We would all burst out in laughter from our hilarious day. Then, after we were all breathless and calmed down, we would be awfully starving. Our grumpy counselor would be quite disappointed that our cabin was always awake after lights were supposed to be out, but hopefully we could get her to laugh it off and let us eat the chips and candy we weren’t allowed to have at camp.

Leor's Sensory Image Paragraph

Suddenly the wind changed, a storm was coming. The thunder crashed, casting an eerie echo, soon after it the bright yellow lightning danced in the sky. Rain started falling as I tasted the sweet water on my tongue. I had to get home before it got worse. I ran home as fast as my legs could take me. My parents were waiting for me, worried sick, at the door. I rushed up to my room, got in bed, and covered myself with the warm, soft blanket. As I watched the waves crash violently onto shore and the dark clouds cover the grey sky like a rough blanket I thought to myself: I am safe.

Sensory Image Paragraph

I will always remember that spring day, it was sunny with wind so strong it stung my face. I was walking on the beach with my mom,brother Isaac and my dad. It was so windy we had to go get back in our shiny silver mini van before we even started playing. After I got back home I put on my velvety soft slipper's and started helping mom and Isaac make chicken noodle soup I loved the aroma I couldn't wait to eat it, but before I did I made sure that I put my dolly Anna in her card board house up on the top bunk of my bunk bed I lover Anna so much. Then I went to eat I was just about to eat it when all of a sudden There was a loud whooshing sound I ran to look out the window to see nothing but blue my mom ran and pulled me back and yelled every one follow me and we all ran to a shelter before the tsunami hit us. The shelter was cold the walls were rough to the touch and the floor was dirty I begged my mom as I was in tears to let me go get Anna but she said it wasn't safe. finally after 3 hours the all clear alarm went off we got out to find almost every thing in our house torn apart ever thing except my bunk bed with Anna sitting up perfectly not even scratched.

Adi's Sensory Image Paragraph

It was a freezing winter day, and by night there was thunder and lightning. I was only four years-old, and miserably frightened. Alone in my family's cabin in northern Canada, and I was hiding under the worm think blankets of my bed. I heard the waves crushing onto the beach sounding like thunder. Then the rain started, it was raining buckets outside, and it sounded like nails were dropping on the ground and into the roof. The winds came very strongly like giant is blowing on the town. Crash! Boom! The big old tree next to our cabin fell on top of it! I felt the strong wind on my face as I came out of the blankets. The winds were too strong I could not handle them, and then I fell done.

sensory image paragraph

A killer whale was rushing to save its new baby. It was getting chased be a tiger shark, when freezing water went in my face. It was like a sword stabbing through my eye ball. I was in a lighthouse hearing the thunder crashing on earth. Somehow the glass broke with a high wave. A small Tsunami with disgusting rotten seaweed all over the place was happening in front of my eyes. The thunder was like Greece going to war in ancient times, and it was very scary. A wave broke the lighthouse, and I went down with it to the Pacific ocean. I was drowning, but the mom and baby whale who survived the shark attack suddenly coming to pick me up to a shallow area. My eyes opened ten minutes later, I was alive. Its a miracle.

Jamie's Polished Sensory Image Paragraph

Finally! The airplane is taking off, I’m going to Israel. The deafening noise of the engines was making my teeth rattle in my head and my seat vibrates, I felt as if there was an earthquake made just for me! Suddenly, the airplane tipped and dived, there was a huge grey storm cloud right ahead of us! It looked like a big puffy pompom, but very solid. After I got a glimpse of the cloud, I didn’t see any more, just the ground coming, very fast, up towards us.
The thing that woke me up was the foul smell of burning rubber and metal. I could see bubble forming in the paint that was cracking. I couldn’t believe it, I was the only one there! Where did everyone go?
I sat up sweating, my heart pounding in my chest like a hammer on nails. I was stuck in a large cocoon and couldn’t get out. I wasn’t on the airplane anymore but I was still hearing the noise, what was going on? Finally I understood, it was just a dream! It was the rumbling of the storm that made me think of an airplane, I also felt the vibrations because, well, there was an earthquake! I just woke up from a nightmare, only to find myself in another one!

Gil's polished sensory paragraph

I hear the super strong waves in the water. I felt the freezing cold water on my face and on my finger. When I tasted the water. it tasted HORRIBLE. I asked my dad if we could go for ice cream when we got there the ice cream smelled like HEAVEN. When I saw the chocolate and vanilla ice cream I fell to the solid cold ground and fainted. It just smelled so good. I was so happy I made my dad buy every single one of them. Then I tasted all of the flavors. Then I fainted again.

Polished Sensory Image Paragraph

I went to swim in the ocean with my friends. We suddenly heard thunder. It started pouring rain. All I could think about twas getting back to land. The sound of the running water and thunder was driving me insane. I couldn’t find Ashley or Hana. I couldn’t see anybody. The salt in the water was getting in my mouth. The waves were crashing down on me, my legs were numb. I couldn’t move. I was slowly sinking. Why didn’t I tell my mom where I went?

Homework

-Polished sensory image paragraph based on the sounds on this Youtube video: Click Here

(Due Thursday)

Izzy's Excellent Paragraph

Every night at camp, when we were completely exhausted from playing our favorite game, we would all tumble onto the floor laughing. We laughed so hard our stomachs hurt, and we would end up crying from all the giggling. Some of us would even pee our pants! That’s what I call fun! After the laughing fest, we would eventually calm down and before long we would find ourselves ravenously hungry. Of course, our counselor wasn't too happy with us because our cabin would continuously stay up after lights out. We tried to cheer her up (or even bribe her), so she would let us sneak in junk food. As long as we shared our treats with her, we were successful.

Leor wrote a story! (Bonus)

Mr. Linden’s Library
Or as I like to call it “The book”

My life is horrible. Absolutely horrible.
Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself,
my name is Kate, I’m 15 years old and……I hate my life. So, when I found this weird book which apparently has magical and dangerous powers beyond my imagination, I thought maybe it would take me far, far away from my home where I could start a new life without anyone to bother me or tell me what to do like back home.

It was a nice afternoon when I decided to go to the library to get a book for my history project. It was also an excuse to get out of the house. Anyways I was going through all the history books when suddenly I spotted a very odd looking book, it had some kind of weird symbol on it and when I picked it up from the shelf, almost as if he had been watching me this whole time, the librarian (who is later on known as Mr. Linden, I only know this because the name of the library is Mr. Linden’s library so it only makes sense that his name would be Mr. Linden.) was standing beside me.
“Don’t touch that book” he said firmly
“Why?” I replied rudely
“Because,” he explained “That book is not an ordinary book….”
“Oh well that’s surprising” I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes.
He continued as if I hadn’t said anything.
“It has extraordinary powers, powers beyond imaginable, but very dangerous powers” He said still wearing that stern look on his face.
“Like what?’ I asked, but by the time I turned my head to ask him he disappeared.
So, taking advantage of the fact that he left, I shoved the book into my bag and ran as fast as I could out of the library, I just had to know what was in there.

When I got home I bolted up the stairs into my room, slammed the door shut behind me and started reading. I read, and read, and read, until finally at 12:00 am, I fell asleep with the book still open on my bed. When I woke up, I wasn’t sure what time it was, I wasn’t sure if it was today or yesterday, and if the book was all a nightmare, but when I sat upright on my bed and saw the book, I immediately understood what was happening.


Weird green branches twisted out of the book, as if they were about to grab me. I thought of a fairy tale I once heard about a boy climbing up a beanstalk, at least I think it was something like that.
I remembered how the beanstalk took the boy into another world, far away from his home. I wondered if these branches would take me anywhere. Nah, I thought, the branches probably just fell onto the book from the tree in our backyard. But when the branches started twisting and grew even longer I knew these were no ordinary branches and that something very weird was going on.


I wasn’t scared like other children probably would be, with my dull life; it was about time that something exciting would happen. Just then I remembered another book I once read about a girl who gets sucked into the world of a book and has to fight her way back to earth, I wondered if that would happen to me. I tugged on the branches and suddenly the world around me started fading. I felt a sharp pain in my arm. My head got numb and I fell into a deep unconscious slumber……….
I woke up to a very strange sound and when I opened my eyes I immediately and definitely knew that I was not at home……

Seth's RGP

Every night at camp, when we were insanely tired out from playing soccer during the day, we would collapse on top of each other in our spacious cabin. We would laugh hysterically for a long time. It was more fun than I could have imagined. Then, after we calmed down, hunger suddenly over took us. Our counsellor was furious that we were awake after he had turned the lights off, but we would always try to calm him down. We would then beg, plead and try to make him let us eat chips and other sweets that we were not allowed to have at camp.

Gabi's RGP

Every night at camp, when we were totally exhausted from playing the game, which will never be spoken about in public, we all would collapse on the floor into a huge mountain of arms and legs in our tiny cabin. We would laugh hysterically until we could no more. After our eventful nights in the cabin we would get really hungry from all of that laughing. We were really lucky with our counselors because they let us do whatever we wanted and whenever we wanted they would let us get full on the yummiest and junkiest food that our parents for sure would never allow. I MISS CAMP!

Salome's RGP

Each night at camp, after being exhausted from a day of playing, we would all collapsed together on the rigid, wooden floor of our considerably large cabin. We enjoyed giggling and chuckling. Then, as we settled down, we were incredibly famished. Our counselor would be outraged that our cabin was alive after lights out, but occasionally we would be able to convince her to let us devour any unhealthy snacks of our choice. We were determined to make sure that she would let us stay awake as late as we wished.

Jacob's RGP

Every night at camp, when we were exhausted from swimming and basketball, our entire cabin would collapse on the cold, hard wooden floor of our cabin. Then someone would say something funny and everyone would burst out laughing. Our counselor just stood there, hands on hips, and waited for it to be over. When he finally decided to leave, we were famished. Quickly we all opened up our bags and took out chips, pop and other candies that were forbidden. This would happen every night. Get our counselor to go away and then feast on treats and junk food. The whole time we never got caught… Until tonight.

Maayan's Lead

"Pressure"


‘’Don’t do it’’, I heard a voice while I was sitting in my bed with the book wide open. It sounded like Mr. Linden. I looked all around me, but I didn’t see him. Was this a sign that I shouldn’t open the book. I opened the book anyways but nothing happened. My heart started pounding, my head started to feel heavy and I started to feel woozy because I didn’t know whether the voice I was hearing was in my head or was actually real. Before I could say a word I fell to the floor scared not knowing what to do next.

Really Good Paragraph

A SUMMER TO REMEMBER

Every night at Camp Hatikvah, when we were exhausted from swimming all day at the docks, our whole cabin would immediately collapse on the hard, frozen, dusty cabin floor into a big heap of arms, legs, and heads. Suddenly, someone would burst out laughing and then get the rest of us giggling, until no one could stop, it was a blast! Slowly we would tire ourselves out from laughing so hard, and the laughter would break out into starvation. Our counselors would be furious that we were constantly wade awake past midnight, so we would just hope that they would relax and possibly let us eat chips, candy, and pop, even though it was forbidden. Now that, was a summer to remember forever!

Joelle 6A

Really good paragraph

Almost every night at camp, my cabin would stay up very late and play a game called ‘would you rather’. Even though we were totally exhausted by our daily activities, we were still able to stay up laughing and laughing until we tumbled on to each other forming a big pile on the floor. At this time, the only thing that smelled more repulsive than the odour of our cabin washroom was the stench of us sweaty boys. Once we all calmed down, hunger would hit us. We were starving! We would wait until the counsellors returned to the cabin to beg them for food.
The counsellors were upset to find us awake and hungry. We wanted chips and candies; everything that we were not allowed at camp. After all the bets that we won against our staff, they owed it to us! These fun times were memories that would last forever.

My last night at summer camp

My last night at summer camp

Each day at camp we would go canoeing all around the lake. We had a beautiful view of the mountains, which to me looked like an image of the head of Mozart! By the time we got back to our cabin we were exhausted. Our cabin smelt like dirty socks. Our cabin for 6 was actually only built for 1 person! “Boom”! We all collapsed into a big heap of sweaty girls on the insect filled black floors. By the time we got up we didn’t realize that it was already our bedtime. So, we started a game of truth or dare. Suddenly our counselor heard us with her freakishly pointy ears. She pulled the door open with her hands, showing her long pink fingernails. She was just staring at us. We could tell she was about to burst! She turned out the lights and closed the door. We thought we were the luckiest kids for we had eaten chips without her seeing! Before we knew it, it was going to be our last night at camp!

Eleane

Adi's RGP

Every night at camp, when my cabin was exhausted from playing water basketball outside our cabin, we would all drop into a giant clump on the dusty old floor of our cabin. We would lie there and giggle to ourselves, it was lots of fun. After we were quiet, we would be starved. Our counselor would be very annoyed at us while we were eating rubbish snacks after lights out, when all the other cabins are asleep. We were always hoping we could get her to let us get away with it, and that she would let us munch the food in peace.

Rachel's really good paragraph

Rachel’s Really good paragraph

Every night at camp, when we were extremely exhausted from playing the game, we would all collapse into a pile arms legs and smiling faces on the cabin floor. We would laugh and laugh until we couldn’t breath. It was exceedingly fun. Then after we calmed down a bit, we would suddenly be famished. Our consular would be infuriated that our cabin was always awake after lights out, but hopefully we would get her to calm down enough to let us eat chips, junk food and stuff we really weren’t supposed to have at camp.

Barbie's Really Good Paragraph

Barbie's Really Good Paragraphh
Cabin 3 likes to party
By: Barbie

Every night at Camp Hatikvah, we are always exhausted because all day long we laugh, hang, and swim at the A, Y, and U docks. When we get back to cabin 3 we all collapse in a giant pile of tangling and twisting arms and legs. In the pile all we do is laugh and laugh. Our counselors, Daneet, Liz, and Ana get so mad. After we calm down our counselors tell us to go to bed but we are famished. Just then we get an idea, let’s go get food from the boys, even though it is past lights out. We quickly dress in black and run, the boys give us chips and candy, we are delighted and we run back to our cabin partying.

Leor's "Really Good" paragraph

At camp, evening is always the most exciting time.

After incredible and exhausting games of tag in the big breezy meadow near our cabin, we would all collapse in a heap of 13 screaming, shouting girls, arms and legs flinging in every direction! We would all burst out with laughter as chortles and chuckles filled our cabin- it was a blast!! After we would cool down a little we would suddenly become starving!! Our Counselors would get furious that our cabin was still awake after midnight; hopefully we would get them to relax so we could open a bag of the delicious, forbidden, junk food.

Noga's...

A Really Bad Paragraph

Every night at camp, when we were weary out from playing an enjoyable game, we would all collapse in a gigantic pile on the wooden floor of our cabin. We would just giggle until we fell down. It felt incredible!
Then, after we calm down we would be starving!
Our counselor would be furious that our cabin was the only cabin awake after midnight, but hopefully we could get her to relax and let us eat chips and sweets that we were not supposed to have eaten our camp till the last day.

Isobel's really good lead

Every evening at Camp Hatikvah we drive our counselors crazy! After our swim at the A dock we we are bouncing off the walls of our cabin, landing on the floor in a big knot of 10 shrieking girls. After our counselors left for the evening, we suddenly were famished with hunger! We snuck into our counsellors room and stole all the chocolate bars and sweet and sour candies! And peculiarly enough they never even noticed... or did they?

-Isobel 6A

Drawing the Lead

Homework

Polished lead based on peer feedback with parent signature (Thurs)

Glossary test (five words) (Fri)

Homework

For Tuesday:

-polished narrative lead
-glossary test corrections
-two new multi-genre glossaries
-binder check including spiral writing notebook

Jacob's Leads

Mr. Linden’s Library
Beginning at the End
I had heard screaming in the house beside mine. Now I cautiously crept over to her house when I opened the door, I found her lying on her bed in a pool of blood. I could have sworn I saw something fly back into the book, like a ghost. I ran over to her. She grabbed my shirt and said in a hoarse voice “Get out of here. Hurry.” Suddenly her eyes widened I shook her but she wouldn’t move. Finally, in a haunted voice she whispered “Behind you…” I whipped around and tried to run, but it was to late. A black figure slid forward and whispered in my ear “No one can know that I exist, so you will share the same fate as your friend…. Death!”

Mr. Linden’s Library
Sound
When she opened the book, a dozen ghostly figures sprang out from the pages of the book and began screaming in their high-pitched voices, and circling her, preventing escape. As she watched, all of the figures grew long, white fangs. The screaming continued. Then the door opened and a figure clad in black ghosted into the room. He pulled back his black hood to reveal his bright, blooded eyes. Her last thought was “Vampire.”

Rosie's leads

Mr. Linden’s library

Action:

She woke up with ferns growing up her arm, teeth getting closer and closer to her face. She knew she had to do something, but what? He had warned her about this book, but she never thought it would come to this! Why? Why hadn’t she just listened? Just once?



Character Introduction:

I got this book from my father, it was called how to rule the world in less than one week. The book wasn’t just any book, but it was THE book. It had everything thing in it, it knew every word every scenario that could happen, everything, the best part was that everything that I had tried from the book actually worked! But again my book outsmarted me and noticed it didn’t need my help, it could rule the world all on it’s own. That’s when the problems started.

Eleane's Leads

Mr. Lindens library

Beginning at the end:

I was 8 years old when I died. The last words I murmured were. “The night has a thousand eyes, and the day but one; yet the light of the bright world dies with the dying sun. The mind has a thousand eyes, and the heart but one; yet the light of a whole life dies when love is done.” As these words came out of my mouth before I died, it was a mystery yet to be answered just as the mystery of how I died. Will they ever be answered who knows?

Sounds:

“Boom, crash, bang” I awoke as soon as the terror came out of the darkness. Something was coming towards me. The noises and shadows were coming right out of my book!

Isobel's Leads

Mr. Linden's Library

Sound

Bang Bang I knocked on her door, it was midnight. Nothing happened, it was silent just the sound of the wind blowing through the window. i knocked again Bang Bang Bang, but still nothing. I slowly opened the door, I suddenly ran to her bed, she wasn’t moving. Her beautiful face was now white as snow. I saw a book laying open on her bed, I picked it up, I fell down, the book was as powerful as that strange man said.

Beginning at the end

I was still, lying in a hospital bed, someone must of found us lying in Elizabeths dorm. But where was Elizabeth? “Elizabeth!” I yelled, but instead of Elizabeth, the librarian came. All he said was “I told her to leave the book alone!”

Barbie's Leads

Beginning at the End: My name is Mr. Linden I am 102 years old. It is almost time for me to die; hut before I die I need to tell someone the truth about me and Maggie Lee Rope. So, I was 45 years old not even middle aged, one day this woman walks into the library and picks the book WWMGMT: The Past. I tell her “don’t get that book” and she says “I don’t care I want this book fully excepting the casualties that follow.” All I am going to tell you is that Maggie was never seen alive again. I will tell you more but you have to read this book first.

Sincerely, Mr. Linden
P.s. Please enclose this in my will

Gabe's Lead

OWWWWWWW, what is this, this green thorny vine, digging in to my skin, like nailing 100 nails into your hand paying as much attention to the draconian pain, getting worse and worse every second, stabbing and swallowing you up, like a runaway convict on a killing spree, he kills you fast but slowly at the same time, like he wants to make you suffer but get it over with, think of that but triple the pain and a third the speed.

Ashley's Leads

I tried to grab onto something but it was pulling me down! I was thinking it was coming from the book but i figured that it was impossible, I looked down and thought to myself "It is possible". Who knew that a book could be so dangerous? I guess its sort of my fault for not listening to Mr linden!
Before I knew it I fell into a pile of sparkles.

I was sleeping when a plant grabbed my arm. I didn’t know how but it was coming out from in the middle of the book. I tried to grab onto the corner of my bed, but I couldn’t, I was just to far away! Just then I remembered what Mr. linden had said to me about this book, he said “never fall asleep when the book is open” but he didn’t tell me why.

Jamie's Lead

Oscar and Alphonse/Immediate suspense
Lilly was running away. It’s very simple, it wasn’t because she was unhappy, she was just sick of it, she was sick of being confined to her room, she was sick of the dull colours, and the dull food. It didn’t matter anyway, she wasn’t wanted and she knew it, it’s better for everyone if she wasn’t at the foster home anymore. So she ran, and ran and ran, she didn’t stop until her foot got stuck in The Hole. It wasn’t a particularly big hole and it wasn’t a particularly different hole but she knew it was special. While she started making it bigger she saw two caterpillars, they were different, just like the hole. They weren’t moving, just standing there, even when she picked them up, they just stood on her hand. As she was about to put them down they started to wiggle, then crawl and finally form a word, “HI”. They weren’t any ordinary caterpillars, she knew that.

Archie Smith, boy wonder/Dialogue
“Is he the one?” whispered Dinky.
“I can’t be sure” replied Fingo. “He doesn’t look very mighty, but he isn’t full grown, yet.”
“Well, I think he’s just perfect, look at him, so peaceful”
“Enough with the mushy stuff, let’s get back to business!” snapped Fingo.
“Oh, all right” Dinky said with a sigh.
Fingo grunted loudly while he climbed onto Archie’s bed, I suppose that’s what woke him up, and I suppose the reason he screamed was because, well, he woke up to a wrinkly mini man, or a pixie, but that’s the same thing isn’t it?
“Who are you, or, what are you!?” asked Archie.
“Sssshhhh” said Dinky “you have to come with us, we need you to save pixie world!”
“We’re depending on you!” said Fingo sternly.
“KNOCK KNOCK”
“Archie? What’s wrong?” asked Archie’s mom at the door.

Dara's Leads

Mr. Linden's Library

“Life is magical you are magical but this book is extra magical it has powers” those were the words that ran through my head. I could not stop them. As I woke up I hoped it was all a dream but it was not they would not stop. Then I heard a voice Mr Lindens voice, And as I got out of bed I disappeared.



“What is that?” I started to lose the feeling in my leg. Then my other leg and then my right arm. It was not cold outside in fact it was 30 degrees. Maybe it was the book. Mr linden had warned me about it. Maybe i should have worried and listened. Then I heard a voice, Mr lindens voice. As I tried harder then I ever have to get out of bed I disappeared.

Salome's Leads

Practicing the Lead

Oscar and Alphonse

1. Character Introduction.
Emma had never been out of her gloomy old house and never got company. Her biggest dream was to explore the wild and deep forest outside her yard; sadly she was too terrified to do so. But all of that changed when she met Oscar and Alphonse.

2. Suspense
I still remember the day I met them. It was a day like no other, but it changed my life forever.

3. Dialogue
"Emma, it is time for us to leave," Oscar said sorrowfully, he was looking at her straight in the eyes; she just had to understand.
"But I need you," She objected. Her voice was firm but a bit insecure.
"We’re sorry." Said Alphonse, climbing up Emma's finger and sitting on top of it.

Homework

1. Two multi-genre glossary entries from Fairy Tale vocabulary (Tues)

2. Binder checks

3. Reading lists: placed in front of binder and signed by parents (Tues)

Homework

-Reading lists emailed to agelmon@talmudtorah.com by Friday
-Complete your table of contents and number pages in writing notebook
-Binder Check (next Tuesday)
-Bingo prizes

Yaakov's Thoughts

Yaakov’s Thoughts

A) Amir
#7: I think that Amir’s quote means that even though it is a garden and gardens are beautiful, this was the community garden. This community garden didn’t only contain beautiful fruits and vegetables like pumpkins, radishes and eggplants, but it also became the home base to all different races and ethnicities of Cleveland. When all of the people in the garden became friends, Amir’s quote makes complete sense.

B) Florence
#5: In this book, when all of the people joined the garden, they all became part of their own small community. When Florence refers to all of the gardeners as “Seedfolks”, I am guessing that she giving a name to the small community of people in the garden in her own way.

#6: I'm guessing that Florence wrote this chapter at least one year after the event happened. My reason for thinking this is that when she says "that year", it means that at least a year past after the cold winter.

EItan's Thoughts

1- Amir’s age is around the 30 or 40
2- Amir’s ethnicity is Indian and lives in India
3- Amir’s contribution was learning about different nationality and make knew friends and make the garden a colorful place
4- Because when Amir is involved in the garden it reminded him like back home in India
5- Amir said that all Polish woman and men make cabbage and there rich and when someone here’s that they will fill hurt and start saying mean things about him
6- People think Royce is homeless and scary and a thief
7- Amir what’s the garden a better place and he wants to keep it safe and make it better.


1. Florence is 35 years old
2. Florence is black
3. Florence wants the garden to be safe and nobody to stealing
4. Florence wants to change her place and wants to plant in the garden
5. I think the author choose this title seed folks because all the characters had something to do with a garden
6. It reminds her of growing up in her country

Seth's Thoughts

Amir
7. I think that he means the greatest benefit was not how beautiful it was to the eye, but that its true beauty was how it was able to bring everyone together. It allowed people who would have otherwise not known each other to become friendly.

Florence
5. She means that “Seedfolks” are like our ancestors. They plant themselves somewhere, and the family grows and spreads out to many places. “Seedfolks” could also be people we are connected to. I think that the author chose this title because all the characters are each other’s “Seedfolks” through the garden.

Reminders

Thank you for all of the thoughtful contributions on Seedfolks!

If you are having any trouble finding information to answer your questions, you don't have to look very far.

All answers and the graphic organizers are due tomorrow in addition to the binder checks.

Barbie's Thoughts on Florence

5. What Florence means by the word seedfolks is that everyone had a different part in the garden despite the fact that they only had around two things in common; 1. They all had troubles and hardships. 2. They all helped out with the garden. I think the author choose this title because it in one word pretty much sums up what the whole book is about. They are all folks, and they all either plant seeds or protect seeds. I think it also kind of means love because they all love seeds or gardening and they all like each other as friends some people even feel that the garden is like family. The book is also about working together through whatever and I feel seedfolks the title describes everything that has to do with working together and love.

6. I think Florence wrote the chapter 2-3 years after the garden had started I think that the author purposely wrote the chapter of Florence like this to show that even after a few years the garden was still going strong. It also shoes that everyone is committed to something in their life they just have to find that something.

Liam's Thoughts

For question 7 in Amir's chapter. I think that the people are becoming a community, and becoming friends, and thats all because of the garden. For question 5 and 7 which are bonus on Florence chapter, I think that the answer for 5 is that the first seeds get planted and then more and more people come along and help. For 7 the answer is "the area of the garden now was just some soil a couple months ago, and became a believing community after a while, and Florence wrote this a week after Amir I think"

Rosie's Thoughts

blog bonus question about Amir:
I think that when Amir says "The gardens greatest benefit, I feel is not the relief to the eyes, but to make our eyes see the neighbors." I think he means that the garden is beautiful, but even better than that it brought all the neighbors and the community of Cleveland Heights together. During the book most of the characters became friends and help each other in all different ways. In all of the chapters other people are mentioned, people that the garden was planted for or in honor of, people that are part of the garden. With all those people involved many friendships and relationships that could last a lifetime were formed. The garden made everyone come together as a community and as a family, it also made them care more about the place they live, and the thing inside of it.

blog bonus questions about Florence:
5. I think when Florence said that her family were the seed folks what she meant was that a seed is the beginning of something so I think that she is taking the term seed and applying it to people. If I am right than seed folks means the fist people to do something. Her family “was the first black family in the whole County. My father called them our seedfolks because they were the first of our family there.”

I think that the author chose Seedfolks as the title of the book because they are the seeds of the garden setting an example and as Florence said “any of the people who started the garden on Gibb Street their seedfolks too” “I’m talking about the first year before there were spigots and hoses, and the tool shed, and the new soil. And before the landlords started charging more for apartments that look on the garden.” Things like this are also mentioned in some of the other chapters like in Nora’s chapter she says, “Pantomime was often required to get over language barriers. Yet we were all subject to the same weather and pests, the same neighborhood, and the same parental emotions toward our plants. I f we happened to miss two or three days, people stopped by on our return to ask about Mr. Myles’s health. We, like our seeds, were now planted in the garden.”

6. I think Florence wrote this chapter about 2 and a half years later in winter after because she says that first year which means that there already was a first year and then she says that months are passing fall, winter, spring, summer, fall and then winter. I think that now the winter is just over and Kim is coming to plant her Lima beans.

Yaakov's Thoughts...

I think that Amir’s quotation means that even though it is a garden and gardens are beautiful, this was the community garden.  This community garden didn’t only contain beautiful fruits and vegetables like pumpkins, radishes and eggplants, but it also became the home base to all different races and ethnicities of Cleveland.  When all of the people in the garden became friends, Amir’s quotation makes complete sense.