The 6th Grade Nickname Game

PLOT SUMMARY I read the book The 6th Grade Nickname Game. This book is about two boys, one named Wiley and one named Jeff. Wiley and Jeff are like brothers. They spend a lot of time at each others houses. They are the "nicknamers in the school" because they like to give almost everyone a nickname. On the first day of school, a new girl comes to school named Cassandra. Cassandra has a passion for the wild life. Wiley and Jeff are both attracted to Cassandra and they both want to be her boyfriend. Since they both like her, they start having a fight over Cassandra. They both use propaganda to make themselves look good and the other look bad. Wiley and Jeff find out that Cassandra doesn't like either one of them. She likes a guy named Iceman. Iceman was an unpopular and boring boy who became popular only after Wiley and Jeff gave him a cool nickname. Once Wiley and Jeff know that Cassandra does not like either of them, they both apologize and things are back to the way they used to be.

CHARACTERS Wiley and Jeff are the two main characters in my book. I think that Wiley and Jeff are both backstabbers because when they both liked Cassandra, they both were show offs and they acted in a mean way toward each other. They both made Cassandra think the other one did something bad.

MY THOUGHTS I thought the book was very clever because not many people are able to make up nicknames. It was also an interesting twist when Wiley and Jeff named Iceman and he then became popular and even stole their girl. I would recommend this book to a person who enjoys silly books.

7 READING STRATEGIES One of the seven reading strategies I used was mental images. For example, when Cassandra walked into Mr. Huge's classroom for the first time, I pictured her spinning into the room making her spider web dress lift up. Her bright orange hair floating while she was spinning. I also picture Wiley and Jeff with their mouth's wide open because they have a crush on her.

AUTHOR My author is Gordon Korman . I have never read any other books by this author, but I thought he was very funny and silly. I also thought Gordon described scenes very well. I could use mental images very easily that way.

Somewhere in the Darkness

I read the book called Somewhere in the Darkness. This book is about a boy named Jimmy. Jimmy is living with his grandmother named mama jean, when his real dad named Crab comes to his house to take Jimmy to live with him in Chicago. Jimmy had never met his dad before because he had just gotten out of prison for killing someone, so Jimmy was a little afraid of him. Jimmy does not want to leave mama jean, but mama jean makes him go. On the trip to Chicago, it was really awkward and quiet because they did not know each other, but by the end of the trip they loosened up a little. During the car ride Crab admits to Jimmy that he escaped from jail and did not actually get released, like he told Jimmy he did. In the end of the book Crab gets caught by the cops and has to go back to jail where he dies. This book is basically about Jimmy and Crabs relationship.

Jimmy is a nice kid. He is quiet and sometimes funny. I liked the way Jimmy acted towards mama jean. He would always call her mam and he would have a lot of respect towards her. The thing I would change about Jimmy is that when mama jean went to work sometimes Jimmy wouldn't go to school, but mama jean thought he went. So, I would make him less sneaky.

Crab is a tough and rough person on the outside, but a nice and gentle person on the inside. In the future for Crab I don't think he should go to heaven or hell. I think he should go to heaven for comforting his son and letting his son meet his dad. But I think he should go to hell for stealing all of that money from other people. I am also not sure if he actually killed anyone. If there was a place in between heaven and hell that is where he should go.

I did not like this book very much because the author presented the book was very slowly. He added in a lot of things that did not need to be mentioned in the story. I was just sort of bored with it after about 70 pages.

One of the 7 reading strategies that I used was determine importance. I used it a lot in this book because the author added a lot of unneeded details that sometimes did not even make any sense to me.

Another Book by Walter Dean Myers that I read is called Monster. It is about a boy named Steve that was blamed for a crime that he did not commit. I liked how the author included flashbacks of Steve's life. The flashbacks helped me to tell what Steves life was like back at home.

Tears of a Tiger

I read the book called Tears of a Tiger. This book is about a boy named Andy Jackson. Andy was driving drunk when he had a serious car accident. Andy and the two people in the back seat named BJ Carson and Tyrone Mills got out of the accident with only a few bruises and burns. However, the person in the passenger seat named Robbie Washington died in the accident. Andy feels like it was his fault. He was the driver and he crashed the car and is living with the guilt of killing a friend.

Andy is a 17 year old Afro American teenager. He is athletic and nice but sometimes he can get really depressed and cranky. Whenever some one mentions Robbie, Andy always gets depressed and doesn't want to talk to anybody.

Keisha is Andy's girlfriend. She is 17 and Afro American just like Andy. Keisha is smart and very caring. She is always there for Andy and anyone else that needs her help. Keisha and Andy have a close relationship. Andy is usually feeling sad about Robbie so Keisha always has to cheer him up.

I loved this book so much because this teaches such a good lesson. The lesson is to never drink and drive. In this book two people ended up dying. Robbie dies from the crash. Then Andy puts himself under so much pressure because of what he did to Rob. Andy finally cannot take it anymore and just shoots himself. This could happen to anybody if they drive drunk.

One of the 7 Reading Strategies I used in the book was Mental Images. I used mental images a lot to picture what the crash scene looked like. I pictured it on a highway at night time, with a rusty old car on fire smashed up against a wall. I picture BJ and Tyrone on top of the car smashing the windshield and trying to break it, but it wont brake. I picture Robbie screaming his head off saying, "Help me, please get me out of here."

I have never read any other Sharon M. Draper books. I like the way she Incorporated the kids English assignments so you could really tell what they were feeling about the whole situation with Robbie.

Monster

I read a book named Monster over the summer. This book is about a young black man named Steve Harmon. Steve might go to jail or prison because they think that he might be involved in a robbery and the killing of a store owner. Steve was not involved in the crime, even though the jury might think he is guilty. This guy named James King was the real killer but he is blaming it all on Steve. Steve is a good kid, but he is seen as a young hooligan by adults. He is very scared that the judge also thinks of him in a bad way. If the jury finds him guilty then he could be sentenced for life in prison!

Steve's lawyer is a woman named Mrs. O'Brien. Steve feels comfortable around her. He he can express his feelings to Mrs. O'Brien, but when it comes to the judge he is always scared like a mouse when a cat is chasing it. Whenever Steve is asked a question he jumbles up his words and sometimes the words do not even come out of his mouth because he is so nervous.

Steve always writes down word for word what anybody says in the courtroom. He does this because he says when this problem is all over and solved, he wants to make a movie out of his whole situation. He is on a movie club and he loves the idea of making his own movie, especially one about his trial.

Steve Harmon is a young, black sixteen year old boy. He is scrawny looking. He is a pretty nice kid and it seems that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is petrified of going to jail, especially since he did not commit the crime. Steve is a likable person and he is sensitive to what is going on. He is close to his mother and is hurt when she does not believe his story about the murder.

I think Steve will stay out of trouble in the future because he will be more aware of the consequences of his and other peoples actions. He is so relieved to not go to jail, that he will be careful to stay away from bad situations. I hope he becomes a movie maker.

Mrs. O'Brien is Steve's lawyer. She is a caring and compassionate person. Mrs. O'Brien tries hard to help Steve feel more comfortable about speaking in front of the judge. Mrs. O'Brien helped Steve deal with his scary feelings.

I think if I was in trouble like Steve, I would want someone like Mrs. O'Brien to be there to help me in the courthouse. She showed Steve respect even though he was just a young black hooligan according to others. She listened to him and made him feel like there was hope.

I enjoyed the book and liked reading about Steve and his life. I did not enjoy all of the details the author gave about the courthouse and his trial. I enjoyed the flashbacks about Steve's past when he was living at home.

The book was very life like. The author used a lot of details about the courtroom and the jail setting that it was easy to see vivid mental images of the characters and settings in
my mind.

I made connections to the story because I could relate to Steve and his emotions about going to jail. He was terrified and I think I would be too. He also showed courage by getting through all of the tough emotions and surviving the entire trial.

The book would have been more enjoyable if there was less information about the courtroom setting. It seemed to be more details than anyone needed. I would have fixed the book by cutting out a lot of the courtroom story line.

Monster was written by Walter Dean Myers. Mr Myers also wrote a book called Scorpions. This book is about a gang known as the Scorpions. The gang goes around terrorizing the school and the town.