The Trouble with Tuck

     When I was rereading this book, I noticed that there is a trend with the books I have chosen. They involve animals. The subject of animals is very prominent in many children's books because they can relate to them or know what they are, especially dogs and cats. If you have these animals in your books, children usually will be very intrigued because it makes them think of their own pets. Pets seemed to be a topic that many children chose to write about it when we visited the writing workshops.
     In this book by Theodore Taylor, Tuck is a dog who is suffering from losing his eye sight. At first, his owners do not realize that is what happening, but they eventually catch on. The main character, a 13 year old girl named Helen, is very disheartened when she learns this about Tuck. She feels an empty feeling in her stomach. This made me think about when one of my dogs was starting to lose his eye sight. I was young, about 7 years old, when it happened with my dog and I still remember that feeling Helen is feeling. She wants to believe that nothing is wrong, but she cannot ignore what she is seeing. He is running into things and not acting like he used to.
     Kids really love to talk about their pets and it is a good way to get them to open up. I never realized how many books I read about animals when I was little. Also, they are the ones I want to revisit as an adult. It just goes to show that when we relate to something, we are more likely to remember it.
   

Scooby-Doo! and the Rowdy Rodeo

    I decided that I should switch it up this week and read something more light-hearted and innocent. I love reading books that make you think and feel deeply, but sometimes it is nice to read something that is not as serious and that takes you back to your childhood. This is exactly what this book did for me! Scooby-Doo! is a classic to me no matter what form it is in. I loved the tv show, movies, and books when I was younger.
     I vividly remember buying this book from my school book fair in fourth grade. When I bought it, I was so excited to read it and share it with my brothers even though they probably were not interested. This book reminded me of the book fair and how much I used to look forward to it. When I saw all of the books at the Young Author's Conference, it made me so happy because I knew that some kids were feeling exactly the way I felt when I was younger.
     When I started rereading this book, I realized how great the author really was at getting the character's personalities across. In this particular book, the gang is going to a rodeo and they are discussing how to yodel. In true Scooby fashion, he says "Rodel-rady-rodel-rady-rodel-rady-hee-roooooo!" The author made sure to make Scooby sound just like he did in the movies and tv show. The author, James Gelsey, also made Shaggy sound like himself by saying, " Like, excuse me, Mr. Pokey, but is there a snack bar around?" Shaggy always used to say "like" so much, almost as much as we do now. I think that it is great that the author allows us to make a connection between the character's personalities in the books and in the tv shows. There is definitely not a disconnect. Along the way, this book has illustrations that also makes the author think of the tv show and really picture the characters.
    This book is a great read if you are looking for something comical and easy to read. Sometimes we need a break from the heavy stuff and this gave me the break I needed.

Hey, Kiddo

From looking at the cover of this novel, I figured that this book would make me very emotional. And of course, it did. This graphic novel covered topics such as addiction, abandonment, fitting in, and finding a parent you have never met before. With these topics, I believe that a lot of young children, teens, and even adults can relate to this book in some capacity. I love how vulnerable the author is and how he puts his childhood on display for others to see in hopes that it could help someone.
     As I was reading, I felt that the main character, Jarrett, had so many emotions in him and did not have a way to express them. He had been through so many traumatic things at such a young age. When things happen this young, there has to be an effect on them. He was living in a dangerous environment with his mother and I think that he had no idea.  He was mad when he was separated from his mother. He now lived with his grandma and grandpa. Of course, he did not understand why he could not live with his mother and see her because he was so little. He just wanted his mom. It makes me sad to think about how he had to go through something like this.
     In the book, Jarrett is graduating 8th grade and they have a dinner before the graduation. At first, Jarrett told his grandparents that none of his friends parents were going, so they did not have to go. In reality, Jarrett was embarrassed to bring his grandparents instead of the usual mom and dad. His grandparents were hurt and Jarrett eventually asked them to go. When they got there, Jarrett was surprised by the amount of single-parents, divorced parents, and grandparents were there. This made me think of how many students come from households that are not seen as typical. The word family means more than just mom, dad, brother, or sister. It is unique to every person. This is important to keep in mind when thinking of our students. We will need to be in contact with the children's guardians and we need to treat them all as equally important.
     I was very skeptical about this book because it is a graphic novel. To my surprise, this novel was easy to read and easy to follow. The way that the author illustrates the book is amazing and really allows you to see it right in front of you. The author even included real hand-written notes from his mother, which made this story even more real and heart wrenching. This novel was a great read and gave us a glimpse into the author's life.