A Time For Evron

Retell: This story is about a boy named Matthew and his talking dog, Evron. They deal with many things that involve love, loss racism, and other things that are problems in our lives. Evron helps Matthew’s friends and him through situation that the kids cannot talk to their friends or family. For example, when Matthew had a crush on Nadja, or when Matthew’s friends made fun of Richard. This book has a lot of mottos!

Relate: When Evron helps Matt’s friends, it’s like me when I help my friends through friendship problems, and sometimes when they’re sad, I try to cheer them up. I also help them when they need my help, the exact same way Evron helps. When Matthew and his pals laugh, or just relax and think about life – just like me and Caroline when we play. I can make big relations!

Reflect: I wonder if Evron stayed at the planet, or if Matthew came back. Will they know more when they come back? Will everyone be happy to see them? I wonder if Nadja missed Matthew, or even if they are still more than just friends. I think this book has lots of ideas, and it is very good for readers.

Walk Two Moons

Retell: In this story, a girl named Sal wants to find her mother, who has mysteriously disappeared Idaho. She tells her grandparents on the way what had happened to her and Phoebe, her friend, and says her story falls behind Phoebe's. In her tale, Phoebe's mother disappears, leaving behind only notes. Phoebe and Sal meet a “lunatic” and suspects that he murdered Phoebe's mom. Sal, meanwhile, also tells her story about her mother gone too, so both girls set out to find their parents. This story is a book that has mystery, loss, love and sorrow. It gives me a feeling that I want to be Sal and experience all she's been through, from her mother disappearing to her grandma dying.

Relate: I can relate that when Salamanca was telling her story, it's like when I often tell my friends times that make me sad or happy, such as going to Florida or receiving a cool magnetic pencil case. The alternating expressions I use are related to Sal's, and the constant questions and comments my friends make are like her grandparents. I felt sad when her grandma died, just like when I felt sad when Ihad to leave Kingslake P.S. I tell many tales, though none are long as Sal's!

Reflect: Why did Sal's mom leave? Why didn't she take Sal? Why did she not leave a note? These questions make me wonder even more, so that I want to read all the books Sharon's ever written. I wonder if Sal and Ben will always be friends, or if everyone will be happy. Will Salamanca's (Sal's) mom come back? And if she does, I hope every one in this book (or the next) will be kind and joyful to the end.

The End

Respect

Respect is important in this world because if no one showed respect, the world would be dirty, and everyone would be sad. Respect simply means taking care of the earth, environment and others. The sign for respect could be the peace sign or the white dove.

Some ways we can show respect are:
1. Pick up garbage, and put them in the garbage can.
2. Don’t pollute the environment.
3. Respect other people, or no put downs. (For example, if someone has glasses, and everyone is laughing, you should say “Do you want to be my friend?”, and not laugh at him/her.)

If no one showed respect, every one would be mean and selfish. If nobody in this world demonstrated respect, not only will the earth be polluted, the people on it unhappy, but also wars may start. In these wars many people get killed just because no one shows respect. I think respect is a very important trait, because we need our earth to live, and if we don’t protect it, we may die.

Respect is really important, so I hope from this essay you will understand how important respect is, and how much we need it to survive.

Little Woman

Little Women

Retell: This book is about 4 sisters: Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy. Jo is a pretty and fun girl of 15, who doesn't want to grow up. Meg is a pretty, elegant and plump girl of 16, who likes richness. Beth is a fragile girl of 13, who is very sweet and shy, and loves music. Amy is a quite girl of 11, who likes to draw. This story tells about how they live while their father is away and the events that happened, such as Beth being sick or meeting Laurie.

Relate: The 4 sisters are like me and my friends. I'm Jo because I like to read, and I am sporty and active. Caroline is Meg, because she likes to give lectures and is pretty, and she also has a good sense of fashion. Michelle is Beth, because she's quite and pretty, and every one likes her. Tiffany is Amy, because she likes to draw, and is quite. All in all, I can relate a lot.

Reflect: What became of the March sisters? Did they all marry? Did they eventually get what they wanted, or not? I wonder if they all had a good life, or if they were happy. I also wonder if they will have children, or if they continued to work hard and fulfill their dreams. I have a lot of thoughts on this book.

I am

I am

I am a kind and creative girl who likes to help others.

I wonder why I am what I am, and why I was born the way I was.

I hear the ocean roaring like a lion far away.

I see faces of ancestors in the clouds, and I wonder how it’d be like to be one of them.

I want to travel around the world and see new places I have never seen before.

I am a kind and creative girl who likes to help others.

I pretend I am an author, searching my mind for new ideas.

I feel the sun hugging me as I realize how good it feels to be alive.

I touch the soul of an unhappy polar bear.

I worry that all the animals and people on earth will be extinct.

I cry when another person is crying too.

I am a kind and creative girl who likes to help others.

I understand that I’m not perfect and can never be.

I say that everyone should have a chance to speak.

I dream every day of my life to be a heroine and do something I can be proud of.

I try to be optimistic and always look on the bright side.

I hope I will always have a life I can live for.

I am a kind and creative girl who likes to help others.

Doris Zhang

Freedom

Walk Two Moons

Retell: In this story, a girl named Sal wants to find her mother, who has mysteriously disappeared Idaho. She tells her grandparents on the way what had happened to her and Phoebe, her friend, and says her story falls behind Phoebe’s. In her tale, Phoebe’s mother disappears, leaving behind only notes. Phoebe and Sal meet a “lunatic” and suspects that he murdered Phoebe’s mom. Sal, meanwhile, also tells her story about her mother gone too, so both girls set out to find their parents. This story is a book that has mystery, loss, love and sorrow. It gives me a feeling that I want to be Sal and experience all she’s been through, from her mother disappearing to her grandma dying.

Relate: I can relate that when Salamanca was telling her story, it’s like when I often tell my friends times that make me sad or happy, such as going to Florida or receiving a cool magnetic pencil case. The alternating expressions I use are related to Sal’s, and the constant questions and comments my friends make are like her grandparents. I felt sad when her grandma died, just like when I felt sad when Ihad to leave Kingslake P.S. I tell many tales, though none are long as Sal’s!

Reflect: Why did Sal’s mom leave? Why didn’t she take Sal? Why did she not leave a note? These questions make me wonder even more, so that I want to read all the books Sharon’s ever written. I wonder if Sal and Ben will always be friends, or if everyone will be happy. Will Salamanca’s (Sal’s) mom come back? And if she does, I hope every one in this book (or the next) will be kind and joyful to the end.

Song of the lioness II

Retell
This story is about a young girl named Alanna who has wanted to be a knight all her life. In the forest, she found a Goddess Mother who told Alanna her three fears: The Ordeal of Knighthood, Love and Duke Roger of Conte. She survived the Ordeal of Knighthood and learned to love. She fought many battles to save her friends, though it risked her own life. She also, in the forest, found a mysterious cat named Faithful to whom she could speak. He guided her till her final battle with the Duke and Sorcerer of Conte. She must reveal who she really is to everybody, and defeats the Sorcerer.

Relate Text to Self
In this part of the book when the sneezes hot her, five at once, blinding her momentarily, is like when my friend Emily dared me to smell a dandelion, and I sneezed really badly. I think when Alanna said “I am not afraid!” is like me when I’m stubborn. It was when I was bored of piano, and though I didn’t say the same words, I felt the same way. That’s reason why I didn’t like piano. I really can relate in this book.

Reflect
I wonder in the last book will Alanna survive? Will she go back to Tortall and become a Princess Knight? This book is so interesting that it almost seems it will never end (with the expectation of two other books). Maybe she will survive and live in the kingdom. Now I understand her spirit and caring for others. My friends, particularly Emily, may say it describes me. What a great book!

P.S. You should read the whole series.

Doris