Akimbo and the Lions- December, 14th, 2009

The name of the book I have just read is Akimbo and the Lion by Alexander McCall Smith.
This book made me feel nervous at some points because there was a time in the book that Akimbo's father went out to look at the lion trap to see if it worked and they caught the lion I got scared and I thought that the lion would attack Akimbo's father but he came back holding a little lion cub. This book also made me feel sorry in the middle of the beginning because as Akimbo and his father set up the trap to capture the lion they put a goat in the trap. I also felt sorry for the goat because I knew he would get eaten. In another part of the story I was laughing and feeling fun and joyful because there was a part in the book after Akimbo took in the lion cub. He fed him played with him until he grew into a teenage lion. but one day the lion cub followed Akimbo to his school and when his class was going to finish and recess started Akimbo heard someone scream lion so Akimbo went outside and went to Simba (the lion) while his teacher was yelling get away from the lion. This really made me laugh just to picture a bunch of people running around screaming while the lion did nothing except stare it was a very funny picture in my head. A connection to my life from the book is that Akimbo loved his lion but as the lion grew old they couldn't keep him so they had to part this happened to me My dog had six puppies but we had to give them away and really didn't want to part with them. This connection made me feel Akimbo's pain about letting go of Simba. This is a just right book for me because I can really understand it but sometimes I have to really think but I know it is helping me improve in reading.

There are to big chracters in this book and they are Simba and Akimbo. I'll talk about both of them. Simba is a lion who is quite strange that is what I think because usually lions go aroung attacking people but Simba was tame and he didn't scratch anyone. I first thought because well Akimbo raised this Lion not to hurt people but when he went to Akimbo's school he didn't go around trying to smell people see if he knows them but he didn't do that he merely walked into the school grounds and walked to Akimbo I find that a strange thing in a lion. Another thing that is strange about Simba is that he is a lion who doesn't remember his owner after 2-3 months. For example in the book a few months after Akimbo set Simba free in the wild his father took him to camp which was not very far from the place they realesed Simba, Akimbo woke up early to admire the scenery then he went to the river and found a pride of lions drinking then he saw a lion. He knew within his bones it was Simba he cried "Simba" but the lions already left. I think Simba remembered him faintly but not fully that is why he left. Simba didn't change very much except in the end when he couldn't remember Akimbo. The other big character in the book is Akimbo. He is brave and he isn't afraid of animals such as crocidiles lions snakes and many others. I think he isn't afraid of these animals because he was raised to love all animals not to hate ugly ones not to adore beautiful ones he was raised to admire all animals. I admire Akimbo because he loves animals and he doesn't care if they hurt him or if their type hurts people like the way he loved Simba even though he was growing up to be a lion. Akimbo loves to go out with his father and explore different kinds of animals discover new things so I also think he is a boy who is eager to learn more. An example is when his father told him he was going to capture a lion and he would set it out somewhere else not to hurt the cattle, Akimbo started pleading to come along and promised to help make the trap. Even though he had to make the trap in the blazing sun he was he eager to keep learning. I'm not sure what Akimbo wants to be when he grows up I think he'll decide to run the game resort. Akimbo changed in this book because first he cared about animas and he let them go free but in this book he has a hard time trying to leave Simba. He also changed in a way of letting animals go I think he changed because he learned how all animalds have to go back to they're family to the jungle.

The proble of this story was resolved when Akimbo and his father captured Simba and his mother stopped attacking the cattle. I felt good about the resolution and when the mother of Simba stopped attacking cattle and also when simba was back into the wild. The thing that I would like to change in the book would be that Simba was back in the wild then he saw a lioness and reconized it was his mother that would make Akimbo know that he was not the only one who loved Simba and he belonged with his family. I think the authers message was some things can be known as mean and cruel but when you get to know them they can be nice and friendly. I liked the way Mr. Smith gave this message in the form of a lion it was a thing that I enjoyed. Thank you for reading my book report hope you enjoyed it and start the book Akimbo and the Lions.

The Sign of the Beaver -December, 1th, 2009

Matt watched as his father went into the forest, to pick up the rest of his family . He was left alone with the cabin, the responsibility of the cabin. Matt was in charge of his fathers rifle. Matt started to hunt for food always leaving the door open. One day while Matt as hunting for food he came back to find all of his food gone. He was hungry, desperate for food and he did find a bee hive but got stung so badly he didn't know what happened when he fell of the tree. He woke up to see a dark friendly face looking down on him and a boy Matt's age standing tall looking at Matt like filth , he obviously knew that Matt was a white man and Matt knew that he was . The man's name was Sackness he made a deal with Matt to teach his grandson Attean how to read English.

The months passed as the days passed and the hours past as Attean became the teacher and Matt became the student. Attean taught Matt how to survive without sugar and flour. Attean did take Matt to his village, Matt met a lot of people including Attean's grandmother. She first thought of Matt like filth but she soon got to know Matt and treated him better. Unfortunately Attean's tribe was leaving for the Winter and wasn't coming back.

Matt waited as he grew he waited. The day he heard someone outside he rushed to greet his family and hugged them.

The Whipping Boy- Summary

Prince Horace was a brat. So everyone called him prince brat, but obviously behind his back. Jemmy was a whipping boy, he was everything prince brat wasn't he was smart and knew how to write unlike prince brat who took lessons everyday but didn't learn anything. Prince brat barely had any brains, so in the middle of the night he asked Jemmy to come with him. The two boys took a horse and ventured into the dark forest. In the middle of their trip in the forest they get caught by two cutthroats by the names of Hold-Your- Nose-Billy and Cutwater. The two men took Jemmy and Prince brat into their hut. The two cutthroats knew that a Prince could write and Prince brat couldn't so they thought of Jemmy as the Prince. Jemmy eventually formed a plan so they could escape and they did. They both wandered in the carnival, until Jemmy saw sign which was saying that their was a price on Jemmy's head. Jemmy felt betrayed so he ran down into the sewers where he was raised and abandoned Prince brat, but Prince brat followed Jemmy and they stuck together until they heard to familiar voices. Cutwater and Hold-Your-Nose-Billy. The two boys ran through the sewers to get away from them. The two boys managed to escape, but Prince brat betrayed Jemmy and handed him in- or that is what Jemmy thought. Prince brat talked to his father about the two boys running away. When the two big doors opened the King told Jemmy he was safe under the princes protection only if Prince brat did his lessons.

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Stage Fright- November 17th, 2009

The book I have been reading at home was Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Stage Fright by Meg Cabot. This book made me feel excited because in this book the main character, Allie has been practicing the main role of a school play and she's practically memorized her lines so I got excited to see if she would get the main role, but then I got unhappy because her friend got the main role instead of Allie getting the main role so she got stuck being an evil queen. I have a connection from real life, last year we were doing a play called 'The incredible journey of Harriet Ham burger' I auditioned for the part of Stephine the tongue because it had a lot of lines, but I got a different part a part with very little lines the uvula. I did eventually get happy with my part because it was a very important part of the digestive system just like Allie. This helped me understand the book better because I started to feel Allie's disappointment in not getting the part. This is a just right book for me because I can summarize it well also I understand it very well.

The two characters I want to talk about are Cheyenne O'Malley and Allie Finkle. The two of them change through out the book in almost the same way, but they do change in a different way. In the beginning of the book Allie started out being happy about the audition for the play and was preparing and memorising her parts. When she got to school and auditioned she was still happy until her teacher told her she didn't get the part then her whole mood changed to sad and grumpy. But as her uncle explained to her that every role is important she began to get happy about her part and acted perfectly at the performance. So basicly Allie changed from being grumpy about her part and changed to loving her part and understanding that every role is important. Cheyenne starts out just like Allie happy and knowing not hoping to get the main role. She also gets dissapointed and shocked when she didn't get the main role. So from then on Cheyenne acts terribly because she didn't get the main part, but when it come's to the performance for the parents Cheyenne acts perfectly. Cheyenne changes by learning that all roles are important, just like Allie. But I do know one thing that will never change inbetween Cheyenne and Allie is that they will never be friends they will always be enemies, but if it does change and they become friends I know all readers will be surprised. What made them change was the fact that they both wanted to do a good job for their parents.

The problem of the story was resolved when Allie's Uncle taught her that all roles are important. I think that this changed Allie's entire mood of the play, she first thought that all roles are unimportant even the evil person in the play, she thought that everybody would hate her and boo to her and tease her about her part, but since her Uncle taught her she now knew that all roles in a play are important other wise you couldn't have a play with one person missing. What I would change in the book is that Allie and Cheyenne stay enimies. I would change this because I always think pepople shouldn't hate each other. I also think that its mean for people to envy others and make other people jealous like Cheyenne. I would also change the fact that Allie is very weak when she loses the part because she does cry. I think the authors message is that every one is important. Some people think they're more superior than someone else when they're in the same rank.
Thank you hope you liked my lit letter.

Diary of a Wimpy kid: Dog Days

The book I have just finished reading was "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" by Jeff Kinney. This book made me feel happy and light-hearted because this book was a humorous book. At one point in the book it made me scared for a second but then I found it funny. The book also makes me feel surprised at the tricks the boy (Greg Heffly) does in the book. I have a connection from an event that happened to me last summer when I got my dogs I loved them a lot but then they started to annoy me.

The characters that changed a lot in this book were Greg and his little brother Manny. Greg changed in this book because in the beginning of the book he wasn't out side playing games he was inside the house playing video games but towards the end of the book Greg went out side to the town pool and he got involved in more sports. Greg's little brother Manny kept acting like a baby throughout the series because in the middle of this book Greg, Rodrick Greg's older brother and Manny went to a pet store to buy pets everyone bought fish and Manny bought fish food and when they got home they found that Manny ate half of the pack. In the middle of the book I also found many unresponsible but at the end of this book Manny had changed by growing up and doing things by himself.

The resolution to the book was that Greg finds the summer holidays fun and pledges to go outside more in the summer holidays I don't find this a good ending because usually Jeff Kinney usually ends his books in a way where Greg comes back to the point where he stays in the house again. What I would want to change in the book is that Greg should love his dog instead of finding it annoying. The authors message in this book is love your family the way your family loves you back.

Book Bytes October 2009

Here is my book talk video.