LiamW

Liam's reading comments for the 2010-2011 school year!

Miles 6.7.11 WOW!!!!! That is all I can say to that great advice. GREAT job!!!

Thanks for all the thoughtful suggestions, Liam. I see fifteen good ideas here, with some explanations, so I am awarding your team 20 house points!
 * Mr. Shaw 6.6.11**

Lily 6.5.11 Wow!!!! You wrote A LOT of ideas! I think the 12th 2nd 1st and 9th ideas was really smart! This is my advice to you for next year fourth graders... 1. In fifth grade we have different names for subjects. P&P is math, AP is Social Studies, ROL is literacy, Word Up is spelling and grammar, and Write Now is writing. 2. For A.P simulations brace yourself, because most of the time you don't win unless you are a Patriot or Neutralist. 3. If you read an hour most days, your house points will go up fast. I know that because I read an hour most days and my house team won this year because of our reading house points (even though the year has not ended yet, it is obvious that my team will win because if the second place team wins this week, we will still have one more star on our house point chart.). 4. During the Holocaust unit, get ready to take good notes if you are in the GTE class. 5. Follow good character to get good behavior marks on your report card. 6. If you get a teacher who starts your Oops Slip amount over every month, consider yourself lucky, because you can forget some responsibility sometimes after the summer. 7. Sing LOUD if you want to do good in the Spring Sing, because you would not believe how quiet we were during rehersals. 8. Make sure if you are in the highest math group that you have an idea of how an algebraic equation is solved. 9. NEVER annoy a teacher, they're trying to teach you but you would be a distraction in their eyes. 10. The fifth grade map tests are only a little harder than the fourth grade ones, but in the spring they should be a breeze because you are more educated. 11. Get a good score on the CogAT test and Elm Place will have a good place for you. 12. Dread Oobleck Day in the ABC countdown if you are afraid of messes (and if you have Oobleck day) because it can get very messy. 13. Make sure that the teachers have taught you well last year, because you'll need to keep up with the rest of the class and not paying attention in class last year isn't an excuse. 14. Study hard for tests based on basic education that you have studied for in the past period of time. 15. If your teacher gives you coupons for things like singing a song in class or skipping a spelling page, use it or else you won't get any value. I have read many books this year, but the one that has stood out most to me was **The Lost Hero** by Rick Riordan. The things that have stood out to me were the suspense of meeting an oversized Cyclops in a muumuu, or being pulled out of confusion after a Roman life. The most meaningful book that I have read this year though was Number the Stars because it meant a lot that Annemarie saved Ellen from the Holocaust camps and how so many people risked their lives to help the Jews.
 * Liam 6/5/11**
 * Liam 5/29/11**

Tyler 5.22.11 I liked that poem! It was funny and it rhymed. Great job!

Will 5/21/11 That was a great poem Liam I liked how you rhymed everything at the end.

Joni and Miles, you were both correct, except for Miles, (#4's answer was Prince Caspian and Peter). For this week's entry, I will write a poem. (A funny poem).
 * Liam 5/21/11**

__A Funny Poem__ I fell asleep after eating beans, My brother ate beans too, My dog ate many of those beans, Everyones' stomach hurt, boo hoo. 1. Jason 2. A child who has one mortal parent and one god parent 3. Hagrid 4. Prince Caspian and Peter 5. Rick Riordan
 * Joni 5.21.11**

Miles 5.16.11 1 Jason 2 a kid who is half God half human 3 Hagrid 4 ? 5 Rick Rordian Great entry Liam it was a good idea to do trivia i hope i win honor.

Very clever, Liam! I am hoping that someone will find all of the answers and win your fabulous prize. :-) Hint to game players: choose "find" from the Edit menu (or type "command-F") to help you search through Liam's page for the answers.
 * Mr. Shaw 5.15.11**

This week, I will do a trivia question set about past wiki entries. There will be five entries and whoever gets them all right wins a prize, honor, and nothing else. 1. Which character from __The Lost Hero__ did I consider to be the most heroic. 2. What are demigods? 3. Who gives Dudley Dursley a pigs tail in __Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?__ 4. Who are two important characters in the fourth Narnia book? 5. Can you list one of my favorite authors?
 * Liam 5/14/11**

Liam 5/8/11 Right now I am (re)reading A Whole Nother Story. I have not written a wiki entry based on it before, so it is still original to my wiki page. The book is about a man named Ethan Cheeseman and his three polite, attractive, relatively odor free, and sadly friendless (throughout most of the book) children. Ethan's wife had died after an evil weapons/kitchen appliance company killed her after having a man who worked there named Mr. 5 fake as her doctor. She had been taking medications after the appointment, and once she died, Mr. Cheeseman flushed her medicine, but that ended up in the family dog gaining psychic powers. Soon after, Mr. Cheeseman and his children assumed fake names and ran from the government agents El Kyoo and Aitch Dee, superspy Pavel Dushenko and his primate friend Leon, and Plexiglass evildoers Misters 5,88,?(I don't remember), and 201. The children and Mr. Cheeseman run into circus folk, a poetic cowboy, and their enemies in this fascinating book.

Will 5/8/11 Wow Liam you wrote a lot about the life of a Union Soldier. Since your in my group I know that you have been writing a lot of information down on the life of a soldier.

Jacob 5/1/11 Wow you must have been researching for a long time.

So far for my Civil War study, I have learned so far that the life of a Union Solider is hard. Many men said goodbye to their familes before leaving them for four years, and had no idea of the horror that would come to face them. The seventh regiment of soliders marched to Washington DC and many were killed in the battle of Bull Run. Both citizens of the Union and the Confederate States (they seperated as two countries during the Civil War) commented over the battle and said how horrible it was. The Union Army lost more lives, and many drowned in a lake. Also, if one person stole from a wounded or dead companion solider, their heads would be shaved and they would be marked as a traitor. Also, they would be seperated from the rest of the soliders. People to become famous were in the Union Army, such as Gen. George Custer and the oldest Union Solider enrolled in the whole war. The Union Army weapons were more advanced than confederate weapons, and during large battles there were many tents where nurses treated wounds and kept wounded soliders healthy. One of the strategies used in battle were firing from trenches, and Union Army uniforms were blue, while Confederate Army uniforms were gray. At the beginning of the war, the Confederates were winning because of devastating battles such as the Battle of Bull Run. The Union started winning the war at the Battle of Gettysburg. Lives of soliders(my sub-topic) were grief filled and dangerous, but during camp they took refuge and enjoyed themselves a little bit, unless grieving for soliders lost.
 * Liam 4/27/11**

Liam 4/22/11 The text in The Circuit says that the parrot and the cat were very unusual friends, because they did not try to avoid each other. The parrot had a fit because the cat was one of his best friends and did not like it when the neighbors came without it. Now I will play a game for my free choice week. It is __Guess that Book.__ In which book out of seven in the series, does Prince Rillian, Son of Caspian the tenth avenge his mother's death by killing the serpent form of the lady who killed his mother and had enslaved him with sorcery. To make this easier, I will give you all seven book titles, and you can guess out of these titles. 1.The Magician's Nephew 2.The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 3.The Horse and his Boy 4.Prince Caspian 5.The Voyage of the //Dawn Treader// 6.The Silver Chair 7.The Last Battle

Tyler 4/17/11 Great causes and effects! Why did the parrot like the cat though usually it seems like birds stay away from cats? Keep reading battle books!

william 4/17/11 Good cause and effect but why does the parrot have a fit was it because of the cat?

This week, I am reading __The Circuit__ by Fransisco Jiminez. It is about a boy who illegally crossed the border from Mexico into the US with his many siblings and his parents. One cause and effect in this book was when the main character's parrot throws fits when their neighbors come without their cat (They live in neighborhoods of tents). One day, the neighbors came without their cat, and the parrot throws such a fit that the main character's father kills it. That led to everyone in the main character's family crying and him running away and locking himself in a shed and not coming out after an hour. Another cause and effect in this book is when the cause was their village had poor conditions(They lived in Mexico) and the effect was illegally crossing into America. That effect was also a second cause because they were tried to be taken away by //La Migra//(what they call immigration officers). Those are some cause and effect situations in __The Circuit__
 * Liam 4/15/11**

Will 4/5/11 Liam I also wrote about Percy I think he is really a big hero to me and I guess you too. I am on the last book of the series, but almost done.

4.5.11 miles Liam I think you did a great job I completely agree. It is really well written too.

Jacob 4/5/11 I like that series. I think you are right Percy is a hero.

In the book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Percy Jackson is a hero. One reason that he is a hero is that he goes on quests to save either the mortal world or the Olympian(Greek god's)World. He is a demigod, mortals who are half god half mortal, but he does not just save the half god or half human part of him, he tries to save both. Percy is also brave. He is willing to battle monsters such as the Minotaur and the titan Kronos(Cronus for mortal Greeks) even though it is possible that he could fall to his death any time. Also, he has very powerful allies such as Chiron the centuar(His former Greek teacher), The saytr Grover(who is also Percy's friend), Annabeth(another demigod who is also Percy's friend), Tyson the cyclops(Percy's half-brother), and all the demigods at Camp Half-Blood(And more!). Another reason is that he is a great fighter who valliantly can knock the sword out of an enemy's hand. Percy also has dyslexia and ADHD, so he keeps getting kicked out of schools every year, but on the battlefield with his friends, he would selflessly risk his life to save them. This is why Percy Jackson is the hero in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
 * Liam 3/25/11**

Will 3/20/11 Nice Story Liam!!!! I really liked all of the action in the short story.

Jacob 3/20/11 Nice passage Liam. I really like the begining sentences. They make the story sound scary.

Sebastian 3/19/11
That was a very creative story! I like how you said that the world was going to end due to too many nuclear bombs.( I don't actually mean it).

William 3/19/2011 That was good, suspensful, funny short story. I liked how you talked about a nuclar war in 2029 (witch might be possible)

Mr. Shaw 3.18.11 Great start, Liam! Two suggestions for you: use a font color that shows up darker on the page, and organize this into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the action a little more easily. Readers get "bogged down" in long paragraphs.

For this week, I will write a short story(it IS free choice week).
 * Liam 3/17/11**

It was one of those dark gloomy days, where the sun was obscured by clouds and it looked like it was going to pour in five minutes, but didn't. I was out there, just walking along the path, but nobody could see me for I needed to stay in secrecy. I walked along the path trying to remember who I was and why I was there, because it all was slipping away from me somehow. I did not know who I was or why I was walking down that path, but I felt that I should walk down it, and the most queer feeling came over me once on the path that I should stay in secrecy, but I never knew where that feeling originated. I saw many teenagers sauntering over to the trail, who all looked like they were in high-school or college. The bushes nearby harbored me while they passed me, all with a sullen countanance. They conversed with eachother for a long time, and I waited impatiently until their somewhat aggressive conversation came to an end and they left. I then continued, not knowing that the feelings inside of me were not mine, but artificial feelings. I came to a crossing, but I could not see which path lead to where. They were both equally worn, but before I could choose which one to walk on, two men entirely dressed in coats as red as cherries walked to me from each. "Is this the one?" one man said to the other. The other said "Patience Rangoon, we just have to give him the survey and it will reveal if he is.". Rangoon said to me, "Hello child. We are outright ashamed if our conversation has bothered you, we just have never had a guest for so long." Now my senses came back to me, and I noticed my surroundings. For the past quarter of a mile or so, they had put signs saying 'Danger, do not walk here!'. I must have gone right past the signs. So far out of the other man and Rangoon, I would have preferred the former. Each man gave me a set of questions and said that I must answer them, then all questions of mine would be answered. They asked me questions like what I remembered walking down that path and if any rememberance came over me in that period of time walking down the path. I said that I could not remember anything except that I was walking down the path at that time and that no rememberance came over me at all except my knowledge of the human language and how to walk. It turned out that I passed both tests. I could now ask questions. "Who are you?" I wondered aloud. Rangoon replied "Child, we are the red-suited bretheren, we do not bring children here for the fun of it, we collect children to make a device that will one day save this world. Our names are Rangoon and Ridley.". I then asked what guided me along that path to come there. They stated that the device that needed children wasn't the only device they made and that they made a mind control device to lure children in. I then asked what the path was. It was really a path through time. The teenage gang that I saw was actually me and a group of my friends in the future. The 'Danger!' signs were the signs in front of the government center where we sabotaged and got arrested for it. I was the only one who was not there at that point, but I accidentally brought up the idea. So in 2029, many gangsters and criminals destroying stuff in government laboratories. But my former friends went too far. They joined together with a band of criminals and stole a nuclear bomb and planned to launch it at the White House. I needed to stop this maddness so I wrote a letter to the president warning him that the criminals wrecking government labs were going to launch a nuclear bomb at the White House, he stepped out of the White House with everyone in it, though right after the nuclear bomb was fired and the White House was nothing but rubble and fifty-five people were injured. A civil war started. At this split in the path where I was standing was the point where the war ended and the world came to an end because of too many nuclear bombs being fired. The machine was at a crossroad between the two paths, and my friends were all hooked up to it. Ridley came closer to me and said that if I went in, the world would always be the same, but if I didn't, life as I knew it came to an end, but not that I would return to it. All my friends were in pain, and I asked angrily "What did you do to them?!". Their memories were being erased and so were the bad influences that they left in the past. I couldn't let this happen. These friends were the only good kids at school that I knew before they went bad. I saw a switch on the machine with three labels, "Mind Destroying", "Control of Persons in Machine", and "Danger!". It was on "Mind Destroying". Ridley moved the switch to "Control of Persons in Machine". My friends which I could now remember their names, Jimmy James, Peter Pencil, Ellison Eli, and Tyson Chicken Nugget were now headed toward me, under control of a remote in Rangoon's hands. I dodged their flailing hands trying to intercept my body as I lunged toward the remote. The remote was soon forced out of Rangoon's hands, and then it was airborne for one second until it hit the switch. Oh, and lucky us, it made the switch go into the danger position. Suddenly, Rangoon and Ridley vanished with their machine, and in front of us was nothing, no light, just an endless abyss of darkness. My friends all tottered around until all of them lay in their own seperate crumpled heap. I suddenly saw my name projected across the darkness, bright and clear it read, "Rogidley Oon did this!" It turned out that Rangoon and Ridley were the two halves of myself as an adult. I soon heard a voice. "This boy---he has created a new world, our world." I heard scraping footsteps. Then the voice said, "You know what we do with our leaders who are not one of us boys? We devour 'em!" I then heard a sound that was not one that could possibly be made from one of these horrid creatures. "Beep-beep!---Beep-beep!". "Honey, it's time to wake up!" came from downstairs. "THANK YOU!" I exclaimed. I could still hear the rain patting down on the windows.

**Joni 3.8.11** Great job, Liam! I thought that it was a good idea to make a table (or chart) to organize what you wrote. I like how you wrote thoughtful similarities and differences about the two characters that you picked. I also like how you told us when things happened. (Ex: In the 4th chapter...)

A book that I will not have much difficulty on comparing the characters is __Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone__ by J.K Rowling (I have read this book multiple times). Two characters in this book are Harry Potter and Dudley Dursley.
 * Liam 3/8/11**

I liked how you didn't just compared Prince Caspian and Peter but I liked how you told us about what is happening in the book to!
 * Comparison || Contrastion || Author Evidence ||  ||   ||
 * Both boys live under the same roof and are cared for by Vernon and Petunia Dursley || Dudley is treated better, while Harry is not. || The author says that in the beginning of the book, Harry lived in a cupboard under the stairs while Dudley has 2 bedrooms ||  ||   ||
 * Both boys are fed and taken care of by Vernon and Petunia Dursley(Harry's aunt and uncle and Dudley's parents). || Dudley is pampered and fed so much that he is piglike. Also, their relation to Vernon and Petunia is different. || In the 4th chapter, Rubeus Hagrid gave Dudley a pigs tail and said that not much of him needed improving to look like a real pig. ||  ||   ||
 * Both boys (for Dudley only in this book) have a trace of magic on them. || Harry's is a cursed(but helpful) lightning scar caused by a powerful dark wizard who killed his parents, but Dudley's is a pigtail that Rubeus Hagrid put on him in the 4th chapter. || Read the book and you'll find plenty of evidence of Harry's scar, and the pigs tail appears in the 4th chapter. ||  ||   ||
 * Giuliana 3\3\11**
 * Giuliana 3\3\11**
 * Giuliana 3\3\11**
 * Giuliana 3\3\11**
 * Giuliana 3\3\11**
 * Giuliana 3\3\11**

One of the books that I am reading this week is __The Chronicles of Narnia; Book Four: Prince Caspian__ by C.S Lewis. Two important characters in this book are Prince Caspian and Peter, the ex High King of Narnia. Both Caspian and Peter are royal, but Peter was not made king by being a heir to the previous king. Caspian's uncle was king, even though Caspian's father was king before him, and his uncle had no children so that he could be in line for the throne.(In the book, other things happen to shape this and tear it apart, but I don't want to spoil the book.) Also, both Caspian and Peter are associated with Narnia. Peter was a Narnian, but even though Caspian was a Telemarine, who were the race that overthrew Peter and his sibilings(the other King and Queens) when they were Kings and Queens(Peter and his sibilings lived in our world and after leaving Narnia and staying away for one year, many years had passed in Narnian time), but Caspian still wanted to know about Old Narnia and respected the creatures who were driven out of Narnia and executed. (Everything in the parethesees is what the author says and makes clear.) I'd have to say that my favorite Dr. Seuss book is 'And To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street', but I like how 'Horton Hatches the Egg' and 'Horton Hears a Who' show that you should always be loyal and respectful of other living things.
 * Liam 3/2/11**

**Liam 2/26/11**
This week, I have been reading two books, __Going Home__ by Nicholosa Mohr, and __Big Nate: In a Class By Himself__ by Lincoln Peirce. This week, I will write about __Big Nate: In a Class By Himself__. This book is about a sixth grade boy named Nate. Nate likes to rank things, such as favorite junk foods (Cheez Doodles at the top, rice cakes at the bottom.) He also gives facts about the other characters in the book throughout the book. (i.e: Dad Fact: One year, Dad gave out rice cakes for Halloween. It was also the year our house got egged. Connect the dots Dad.) In a couple of days, Nate has multiple adventures, such as the risk of going to summer school, trying to get out of taking a test, and getting a fortune that says 'You will surpass all others' (which he did, but I will not tell you how because it would spoil the book). After getting this fortune, when Nate tries to surpass all others, everything just gets worse. He also has a reputation for making funny nicknames for teachers (his homeroom teacher Mrs. Godfrey has 20) and is one of the largest troublemakers that you would ever see. That is the overall description of __Big Nate: In a Class By Himself.__ One book that I love is __Tom Sawyer__ by Mark Twain. It is a very interesting story about a young orphaned boy who is brought up in a small town and his aunt. Here are the reasons that I love it. 1) There is lots of adventure in this book, such as the time Tom and Huck Finn (Tom's best friend) saw three outlaws meet in the graveyard where one of the outlaws got killed by another, who is one of the boy's greatest fears throughout the book. 2) The author uses challenging vocabulary which is very difficult to figure out, but if you want to challenge yourself, see if you can understand the book without knowing some of the words. It is very difficult, at some points I got lost, but it is a noble pursuit. 3) The book is long. It is good because once you start, you will never want to stop. It took me about a month to read it, but it was worth it because I wanted it to last for a year, and I wanted to know if Tom would have any more future adventures. 4) This book has mixed genres. One chapter, it is realistic fiction, and the next it is adventure or suspense, and the next chapter it could even be fantasy. An author that I really like is Rick Riordan, but there are many more authors that I like (i.e, Mark Twain, J.K Rowling, R.L. Stine, C.S Lewis, Lois Lowry, etc.). Rick Riordan is such a great author because... 1) Many of his books feature fantasy adventure(i.e. Percy Jackson series) and are action packed. 2) Once you start a book that was written by Rick Riordan, you feel like you can't put it down. 3) At the end of some of his books (i.e Percy Jackson #2, The Lost Hero), he does a cliffhanger for his readers to imagine before reading the next book. Then, you can't wait to find out what happens in the next book. 4) His books vary in character views. In the Percy Jackson series, he does it from first person view, but in the Lost Hero, he does it from third person view. To answer Mr. Shaw's questions, Yuki is ten, she is being persecuted because she is the same race as the people who bombed Pearl Harbor, and was taken away because of a senile decision by the government. Yuki is with her mother and brother Ken throughout most of the book. Good job, Liam. How old is Yuki? Why is Yuki being persecuted? Is she alone or does she have a family?
 * Danielle**
 * Good Job Liam.**
 * Liam 2/16/11**
 * Liam 2/16/11**
 * Mr. Shaw 2.16.11**

I liked how you compared them good job.
 * Giuliana 2\14\11**

Even though I am not in a Revolutionary War novel group, I can still compare the books that we are reading in GTE to the Holocaust unit. The book that is most easily compared to Number the Stars is Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida. The setting was not the same unless you count where the books start off, in the main character's comfortable home and peaceful life. In Number the Stars, Annemarie lives in Denmark, but the main character in Journey to Topaz lives on the west coast of the United States. The characters are the same in many ways, including their character and their love of their home. One of the differences is that Annemarie is an upstander and Yuki is one of the people who was prosecuted. Journey to Topaz also relates to the Holocaust, because the plot of Journey to Topaz is the herding of innocent Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, while the Holocaust is the herding of innocent Jewish people because of their beliefs and religion. The theme of both books is how people are taken away because of a paranoid government or a racist dictator, but you should try to be an upstander when something like this happens.
 * Liam 2/11/11**

Very recently, I have read a book called **The 39 Clues #7: The Viper's Nest** by Peter Lerangis. It is about two kids who are named Amy and Dan Cahill. Dan and Amy's parents were murdered in a fire set by their relatives. The fire was set mainly because of the 39 Clues, powerful elements that when combined will make the beholder the most powerful person in the world. Their grandmother Grace had recorded a video inviting Dan and Amy to join the hunt for the 39 Clues shortly before she died. The video was shown at her funeral, and Dan and Amy, along with a few others chose to join the hunt. There are four branches of the Cahill family, Lucian, Tomas, Ekatrina, and Janus. Lucians are power beholders, Tomas are thickheaded warriors, Ekatrina are inventors, and Janus are musicians, poets, and artists. Oh, and there are Madrigals, the people who leave their branch and will stop at nothing to get all 39 Clues. The Madrigals have all of the resources and strength of all of the branches combined. Dan and Amy are the only people in the Cahill family who do not know which branch that they belong to. In this part of the story, they had just been saved by their former enemy Irina Spasky, but saving Dan and Amy, Irina lost her life. They are trapped on an island with their partly trusted uncle Allistair Oh. When their au pair Nellie Gomez arrives, Dan, Amy, Allistair, and Nellie are going toward South Africa in search of a clue revealed by a musical hint left by Irina Spasky. The song says something about marching to Pretoria, South Africa, and the Cahills look for a clue left by the Tomas branch which was revealed to them by one of Winston Churchill's poems(He was a Lucian). Danger lurks behind every corner for Dan and Amy in this novel. I recommend this to everyone who likes adventure and suspense novels. ** (5 HP) **
 * Liam 2/3/11**

Maddie G. 1/28/11 I love the cartoon movie of **//__ THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE __//**. I think you should see it. Also the next book series after Harry Potter I am reading is going to be Narnia.

I have just finished the second book in the Narnia series __The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe__ by C.S Lewis. It is about four children(Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) who are sent away to a proffessor's house because of the war that was raging on around them. There, Lucy had found a wardrobe and looked inside. It was full of fancy coats, but after a while she bumps into a pine tree and realizes that she is in a snowy wood. She meets a friendly faun in the forest named Mr. Tumnus who takes her into his cave. Later she finds out that the White Witch, the so-called queen of Narnia had forced him to take every child that he sees directly to her so that she can turn them to stone. Mr. Tumnus apologizes for all of the trouble that he has caused her and escorts her back to the wardrobe. Lucy rushes to find the others and tells them of her meeting of Mr. Tumnus, but the other three think that Lucy is having a childhood fantasy. A few days later, Edmund goes into the wardrobe and runs into the White Witch. She tempts him into joining her side by promising delicious food and him being the king. He returns to our world and lies about not being in Narnia. After being chased by the housekeeper who was not very fond of children, all four children go into the wardrobe and into the world of Narnia. After that, the children had fantastic adventures in Narnia such as saving their brother from becoming the White Witch's slave and meeting the lion Aslan. This book is told from a storytelling angle, and has lots of difficult vocabulary, but is very surmountable. Near the end it has some action sequences and suspense. It is like the movie in many ways, but the book is much less exaggerated. I recommend this book to the whole grade. ** (5 HP) ** For this wiki entry, I am focusing on the book **The Coastwatcher** by Elise Weston. (Spoiler Alert!) In the beginning (1943), thirteen year-old Hugh looks along the east coast, searching for German spies or attack ships. (He lives near the east coast). Then, Hugh sees a periscope which is attatched to a submarine controlled by Germans. A few days after, when fishing with a friend Abram, Hugh sees a cigarette pack. It had German characters on the front, so quickly he assumes that it is German and came from the submarine that he had seen. Next Hugh, his sister, and his cousin Tom decide to visit the 'Spook House', an old rotting house that nobody has lived in for years and scares most people living in the area that they live in. A few days after their 'Spook House' exploration, Hugh spots a raft while crabfishing with Abram. Near the raft was a black plastic bag which concealed a map of an area, proven to be foriegn because it used European metric measurments such as kilometer. Hugh assumes that both the raft and the map were both from the submarine. Finally, when Hugh's sister is sick, Hugh and his cousin Tom infiltrate the 'Spook House' and see Germans hiding there planning to infiltrate a navy base. In the end, the Germans are caught and convicted while Hugh and Tom are declared heroes.
 * Liam 1/26/10**
 * Liam 1/19/10**

Will 1/13/11 Wow Liam, you really wrote a lot. I liked how you explained everything and it is so neat and organized.

Maddie G. 1/12/11 I think you really told many things. Great Job Liam!


 * Molly 1.12.11**
 * Liam, like Joni, wow you wrote a lot! You out a lot of effort into it. Good job!**

**WOW!** You wrote a lot! I liked that you separated each idea into its own paragraph. Your last entry looks like you put a lot of effort into it. Great job, Liam!
 * Joni 1.12.11 **

I think that I have improved in writing my wiki entries since September. I notice that I have had more extensive wiki entries after October, and the style of how I write has changed a little bit throughout the year. I notice that I have read a different book every week so far. There are many other patterns that I see, but the wiki entry might go on too long if I list all of them, so instead, I will do the other part of the assignment. I think that as a reader, I am finishing books more frequently this year than other years, and I am also increasing the amount of time that I read and how frequently I read. At the beginning of the year, I have finished books that are approximately 400 pages in a week, but now I am finishing books that long in approximately four days. As for the rate that I read, I read almost every day and have only not read for three or four days so far this year. I also notice that I read an hour almost every day in a month. Another way that has helped me become a better reader is writing about the book that I am reading every week on my wiki page. At the beginning of the year, I have thought that reading was one of the most entertaining things to do in the world. My opinion still hasn't changed. I don't just read every night to get it over with, I read because it is entertaining. Once I read a book, I feel like I am in the setting of the story, for example, I feel like I am in the halls of Hogwarts, or that I am on the grounds of Camp Half Blood, and I can see the characters and what is happening. Whenever I am pulled out of the fascinating world of books, it has been two hours since I have picked the book up and started reading. The most memorable book that I have read this year has probably been __The Lost Hero__ by Rick Riordan. The whole book is a whirlpool of mystery, suspense, and adventure. When the story starts and Jason is on the bus with Piper and Leo with no idea about himself or his past, you wonder, "What just happened? This book is too confusing." But if you keep reading you are thrown into an adventure with sky demons, Demigod children, the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus, and the mysterious disappearance of Hera, the Goddess of Marriage. If you want to know what is on my future reading list at the moment, ask someone on my battle team what books we still have to read. Apart from battle books, I want to read Sent, the People of the Sparks, the 39 Clues books 6-10(The ones I have not read), The Wright Three, the Goosebumps Horrorland series, and the next book in the Heroes of Olympus series, the Son of Neptune(which will not come out until later this year). Right now I am reading __The Black Stallion__ by Walter Farley. The main characters in this book are Alec Ramsay, a 8th grader or high school student(I do not know which) and the Black, a stallion 'unbroken' or untamed. The story starts off when Alec comes home from India alone on a steamer called //Drake.// The Black comes into the story when he is taken by a foreign man onto the boat in a cage, striking a man with its foot in fright. Alec starts coming out to see the black every night and gives him sugar. The Black seems to start growing a small relationship with the boy and lets him pet it. After approximately two weeks, //Drake// is shipwrecked by a storm at sea. The Black is released by Alec, and in return the stallion let Alec cling to him until they reached a desert island. As far as they know, the Black and Alec are the only ones who survived the shipwreck. On the island, Alec tries to tame the Black, and after the horse found Alec trustworthy they had many great adventures together, on and off of the island. This week I am going to 'give' a book for two people. I would give the book series **Bone** to Jacob, because it is very funny and it has interesting pictures, no reading required on some pages! I would give the book series **The 39 Clues** to Jake, because it has lots of suspense and mystery, and concluding from his wiki entries, he is enthusiastic in that genre. Here are two truths and a lie for the book __Ratfink.__
 * Liam 1/11/10**
 * How have you changed or grown as a reader? **
 * How do you feel about reading? Is it a bore and a chore, or a joy and more?**
 * Which book has been the most memorable to you? Why? **
 * What's on your future reading list? **
 * Liam 1/5/10**
 * Liam 12/14/10**
 * Liam 12/8/10**


 * 1) Logan has an embarrasing photo spread around if he does not betray his friend.
 * 2) Logan's grandpa is very forgetful.
 * 3) Logan's best friend is Emily Scott.

Try your best to figure out which one is the truth, and which one is a lie.

Nobody guessed? I must have made it too difficult. It is __The 39 Clues #4: Beyond the Grave.__ Next time I have to make it easier. The book I am choosing for book quiz week is... classified. In this book, a brother and a sister go around the world in a scavenger hunt for clues that united, sum up to a treasure beyond imagination. There are ten books in the book series this book is in, and this book is number four(the series also has collectible card packs and onnline games). Hint number three, the two siblings in this book avoid their relatives, because their family has four different branches in their family tree, and the four branches (Ekatrina, Lucian, Tomas, and Janus) have been feuding for centuries. Each branch has some historical figure from the past, because Benjamin Franklin was a Lucian, Mozart was a Janus, Napoleon Bonepart was a Lucian, Thomas Edison was an Ekatrina, and I have not found out any famous Tomas people except for a great warrior named Hideyoshi. In this book, the siblings go to Egypt to find a clue that was hidden by Ekatrina herself, and were led there by clues from their grandmother who died from cancer not long before they entered the race to find the clues. They also find a tour guide named Theo, and he shows them around Egypt in their search for the clue. This book is written by Jude Watson. You have told us a lot about Calder and Jason in your last two entries, but you are mostly describing plot events. I'm more interested in hearing about their traits and motives. Please be sure to read the wiki assignment carefully and try to respond to the questions that are being asked. Thanks!
 * Liam 12/5/10**
 * Liam 12/1/10**
 * Mr. Shaw 11.20.10**

Right now I am reading a book called Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett.The character I am focusing on is Calder Pillay. Calder works at a bookstore called Powells, because ever since his friend Tommy moved away, he had nothing to do, so he just made himself useful somewhere in the town. He also researches an artist named Vermeer, because he and his friend Petra keep seeing paintings made by Vermeer in dreams or in real life somewhere. He does it, because he feels that nothing is coincidental, and everything fit together, like a puzzle or a pattern. He reads a book called Lo! with Petra, and figures that it fits into the puzzle, because it is about mysterious events, and even though Vermeer is not mentioned in Lo! he thinks that it is a good resource for the unknown and the mysterious. One day, on the way to the Chicago Art Institute (which is not that far away from where Calder lives) a painting by Vermeer called A lady Writing is stolen, he finds himself in the middle of an art scandal, and tries to figure out how to solve the problem of the missing painting, because he feels that he is an important part of the puzzle. Calder tries to resolve his and Petra's problems as a motive, but can't until another part of the story that I will not give away. Those are Calder Pillay's traits and motives.
 * Liam 11/18/10 **

__ ** Liam 11/15/10 ** __ __ ** To answer Will's question, Piper does not get confused Jason does. Jason gets confused, because when he tries to remember something, he can't, because Hera wiped his memory, so therefore he is confused. I said that Piper dislikes the fact that Jason can't remember most of his past. ** __ __ **jacob11/14/10 Jason sounds like a very btave man. ** __

__ Will 11/11/10 __ __ Why does Piper always get confused? __

__ Lily11.11.10 __ __ You did a great jod explaining jason and the other people. The Lost Hero sounds like a good book. __

__Liam 11/10/10 __ I just finished reading a book called The Heroes of Olympus: Book One: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. The main character is a person named Jason, son of Zeus. Jason goes on an epic quest with his friends Piper(daughter of Aphrodite) and Leo(son of Hephasteus) that could save Hera, the queen of the Greek gods who Jason knows as Juno (Jason calls the Greek gods by their Roman names) and stop any kind of Civil War between demigods(see 9/30/10 entry for the definition of demigod) and at the same time, save the gods. Jason and his friends regret coming on the quest in the first place, because they almost got killed many times. Jason's motive for doing this was because Hera stole his memories, and he wants his memory back from her so that he can know who he is. Jason is confused all of the time when people ask him about something of his past, a fact that his friend Piper dislikes. Jason has almost died, just so he could get his memory back. Jason doesn't even know why he calls the gods by their Roman names. He has a very confused past.

jacob 11/7/10 Liam I agree with you the artifacts were like the ones in number the stars.

william 11/7/10 nice job talk about how peter saved many jews.

Liam 11/4/10 <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">For the book groups, I have read Number the Stars. It is a great book about WW2 and the German occupation of Denmark. We have also went to the Illinois Holocaust Museum this last Monday. In Number the Stars, I most admired Peter Neilsen, because his help saved many Jewish Danes from the Nazis. At the museum, I could find a ton of similarities between the Holocaust and Number the Stars. One example is that I saw tons of exhibits about Jewish artifacts, and how some of the Jewish were taken away from their homes to go to a concentration camps. I could also see that many families, not unlike the Johansens, had been harmed by German forces. That is just the general idea of it. There were lots of similarities, like survivor stories, and the movie about everything that the small part of the Permanent Exhibit we visited was about.

Kayla 11-3-10
I don't really know what the Goose bumps are but that is a good Halloween book.

I love the Goosebumps series! they are so creative. Thast why i love Halloween! good jod!

 * <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffa600; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Liam 10/26/10 **
 * ** There are a lot of scary books that I would reccomend for the class, but my number one favorite scary stories series is Goosebumps __by R.L Stine. It is amazing how he can make you visualise the many deathtraps and suspenseful sequences in just words. My favorite is called__ Say Cheese and Die, __one of the most suspenseful in the whole group of Goosebumps books. In Say Chese and Die, there is a twelve year old boy named Greg Banks who decides to take some time to go into an old condemned house. Bad choice Greg. In the house he finds an old fashioned camera. He takes a picture of his friend, and then the picture shows something bad happening to the friend. It happened for real approximately one minute later. After that it is complete pandemonium when Greg and his friends try to keep the camera away from the wrong hands. Worse than that, they have to resist against the temptation to use the camera themselves.__

__**Mr. Shaw 10.25.10**__ __Good thinking, Liam! I like how you compared these two books, which would seem to have very little in common.__

__<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Liam 10/19/10** __

__<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Right now I have just finished a book called** __Knucklehead__ by Jon Scizeska. I can only think of two match-ups with Number the Stars, because Number the Stars is historical fiction, and Knucklehead is an autobiography about Jon Scizeska. One match up is in both books, there is a lot of talk about war, because in Number the Stars, WW2 is going on, and in Knucklehead, the author and his brother collect models of different WW2 and Air Force planes, and later light them on fire and see sparks fly from them. The other simularity is the injuries. In Number the Stars (Spoiler Alert) the mom breaks her ankle, and in Knucklehead, the mom is a nurse, and can treat the injuries that happen every day, along with one of the younger brothers cracking his collar bone playing slaughter-ball (slaughter-ball is a more violent version of football). And if I had to do a third, in both books, there is an importance in religion, in Knucklehead, the author goes to a catholic school run by nuns from first to ninth grade, and in Number the Stars, the Jews were taken away from Denmark, because of the simple fact that they followed that religion. Other than that, the two books have nothing alike at all, even though they are equally long in length.
 * Liam 10/12/10**

<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #00ff00; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I am reading a book called Schooled by Gordon Korman. It is about a boy named Capricorn (Cap) Anderson. Cap is a thirteen year old boy who is homeschooled by his hippie grandmother Rain. His problem is that while picking plums, Rain falls from a tree, and Cap has to go to school at Claverage (C-Average) middle school. The most popular kids apply him to be 8th grade president, the most humiliating thing that could happen to any C-Average middle school student. He also has to put up with Sophie, his part-time guardian's daughter, who absolutely hates Cap. Cap looks like a thirteen year-old hippie, with long brown hair, (which is always covered with spitballs) and always wears hippie t-shirts with the peace sign on them. I think that Cap is a good kid who is unfairly humiliated by bullies and popular kids. He should have had more friends. My favorite part of the book is when Cap decides to give Sophie driving lessons. Cap's main goal in life is to make C-Average middle school a peaceful place. To solve his problem, Cap just puts up with it.

It was a little hard to follow your character description, since you tried to describe more than one. Next time, please focus on one character only. I'm still not clear about Bonnie. Is she Matt's sister? How old is she? Was she kidnapped too?
 * Mr. Shaw 10.12.10**

Lexi 10/6/10 Great details. I like how you described his hobbie pulling on his earlobe, I think that is very funny.

<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #00ff00; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Liam 10/5/10 <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #00ff00; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I just finished reading a book called //**Abduction**// by Peg Kehret. The main character in my book is either Matt or Bonnie Sholter. Matt has blond hair, and the author does not describe him that much, and one of his favorite hobbies is pulling on his earlobe. Bonnie is kind of like a girl version of Matt, except that she doesn't pull on her earlobe, and isn't a kindergartener. Their problem is that Matt's father comes to abduct Matt out of his kindergarten classrom, but of course not directly. After getting Matt into his car, luring him by telling him that his dog Pookie needed to go to the hospital. Instead of taking Pookie to the vet, he dumps Pookie off at the park, and takes Matt. While Bonnie was sick with worry, the abductor tries to use Matt to steal money from his rich cousin or sister. I think that Matt and Bonnie Sholter are two very intelligent kids who can find their way out of a situation. I won't tell you any more, because I've spoiled too much already.

,

Giuliana 10/4/10 Ow Liam, I had a hard time reading your wiki I think you picked the wrong shade of green! <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">﻿Liam 9/30/10 <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This week I am reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Three: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordian. It is about a boy named Percy Jackson who came to recuit two half bloods to join Camp Half blood, so they can fight as demigods ( half god, half human). During this, they fight the Manticore, and loses their friend Annabeth. He and his friend Thalia, along with Grover,(the saytr/Percy's friend) and two hunters of Artemis to rescue Annabeth and Artemis, goddess of the hunt, who were both kept in a mysterious place on a mountain. I think it is very interesting, because there are lots of descriptive sentences and paragraphs that clearly make you think that it is TV in your head. I reccomend that the whole grade should read this series. Giuliana 9/25/10 Thanks for putting a map key human beans. Hehhaha so funny ha. Lily 9/22/10 HaHa! That sounds like a really funny book! You did a good job describing it. I want to read that book.  human beans so funny.

<span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Liam 9/21/10 <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Map key 'human beans' = human beingsThis week I am reading <span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The BFG <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">﻿ by Roald Dahl. It is about a girl named Sophie who gets pulled out of her dormitry window at night by a giant called the BFG, the Big Friendly Giant. The BFG takes her out of London, and to Giant Country, where giants live. The BFG tells Sophie about what he does for a living, and keeps her away frome the other giants who eat 'human beans' for dinner. The BFG is the only giant who doesn't eat people. The other giant's names are THE FLESHLUMPEATER, THE BONECRUNCHER, THE MANHUGGER, THE CHILDCHEWER, THE MEATDRIPPER, THE GIZZARDGULPER, THE MAIDMASHER, THE BLOODBOTTLER, and THE BUTCHER BOY. Sophie and the BFG try to capture the other giants, and bring them to justice, meaning stopping them from eating 'human beans'. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Extra challenge;Word: Whisked,Sentence: Sophie, crouching underneath the blanket, felt strong fingers grasping hold of her, and then then she was lifted up from her bed, blanket and all, and whisked out of the window.Definiton: To move with a rapid, sweeping stroke.Liam 9/14/10 <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Right now I am reading a book called
 * <span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Percy Jackson and the Olympians-The Lightning Theif **by Rick Riordan. It is about a boy named Percy who comes to a summer camp called Camp Half Blood to learn how to fight monsters from ancient Greek Mythology. At Camp Half Blood, Percy meets a girl named Annabeth who is the daughter of Athena. He also learns that his best friend Grover is really a saytr, half goat, half human. It also turns out that Percy is the son of Posiedon, the sea god. The conflict of the book is that Zeus thinks that Percy has stolen his most powerful weapon, the master bolt, and demands that it be returned by the summer solstice. Zeus' brother Hades wants to start a war, so he's sending his monsters against Percy to get the bolt from percy, even though he doesn't have it. I could tell that this book had won lots of awards the minute I read the first three pages. I think this is a very interesting book, and it is full of descriptive battle sequences, and suspense. A good book for anyone who likes adventure or suspense novels.

<span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Liam 9/8/10 <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Mr. Shaw, what I meant when I said that the HP books were the same as the movie, is that they are both equally enjoyable to me. I would agree with you when you said that the movie and the books are different. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">﻿Liam 9/7/10 <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Right now I am reading a book called <span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffff00; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Ordinary Boy, The Return of Meteor Boy <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">. The conflict is when hippies called the Commune for Justice and an old hero decide to steal metal cones from Ordinary Boy's Uncle Fluster so they, and the evil Professor Brain Drain can blast everyone in Superopolis into the past, so that Superopolis can be destroyed by the meteor that created it. I think it is a very interesting book. It relates to Rope Burn because at the beginning, they have gym class. The only difference is that they played dodgeball in Ordinary Boy, and all the kids also have powers in my book. Thanks, Liam, for telling us a little about **Harry Potter**. (By the way, I don't agree with you that the H.P. movies and books are the same.) You also did a good job of describing your reading habits. You have earned 3 house points for your efforts!
 * Mr. Shaw 9.6.10**

<span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Liam 9/5/10 <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">To answer Will's question, the movies are just the same as the books, not better or worse. will 8/31/10 I have seen a couple of the harry potter movies but I've never read any of the books are they better or worse than the movie? <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Liam 8/31/10 <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">To answer both Mr. Shaw and Kayla's questions, It is the last book of the series, and I have read the rest of the Harry Potter books. For Kayla, the movie hasn't come out yet. Well, Liam, you didn't waste any time getting started! I'm glad to hear that you enjoy reading. Have you read all of the other books in the Harry Potter series? Is this the last one in the series?
 * Mr. Shaw 8/29/10**

Kayla 8/27/10 Sounds like a cool book and have you seen the movie because I think it will be different from the book. Liam 8/27/10﻿ <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #008000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Right now I am reading a book called **<span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows **. It is about a wizard who comes of age, which is seventeen in the wizarding world, and is trying to bring a dark wizard named Voldemort down. Right now I am at the part where the wizards are very close to bringing the villan to justice. As for my reading habits, I read a lot, my favorite things to do with free time are reading, reading, and video games (you can tell how much I love it, because I mentioned it twice). I am a very fluent reader, and I read at a medium pace. In one minute, I can read two or three pages. I like to read adventure novels, and horror novels. Examples of the books I read are books like Goosebumps, Harry Potter, classics like Peter Pan and Tom Sawyer, and the Percy Jackson series. I also like comedy too, funny poems, and kids books, (I get to read them a lot, because I have a little brother). My favorite author is probably either R.L Stine or J.K Rowlings. I hope the wiki will be a fun opportunity for me to learn, and see what other people are reading.