c17pm

Here are some of the state symbols of New Jersey. (Such as state bird; state dance; state bug; state tree.) If you want to see some more, click here.

STATE BIRD: Eastern Goldfinch

STATE FLOWER: Common Violet

STATE TREE: Red Oak

STATE BUG (YES, THERE IS ONE): Honey bee

STATE ANIMAL: Equus cabullus, aka, a type of horse

STATE SHELL (INTERESTING HOW THERE IS ONE): Knobbed whelk

STATE DINOSAUR (SHOCKING, RIGHT?): The hadrosaurus fossil (obviously it couldn’t be a living breathing dinosaur)

These are some of the New Jersey State Symbols and you can see more at the link. (Shown at beginning.)

1: When You Reach Me.

This is a really good, really mysterious book. It’s written by Rebecca Stead (google Rebecca Stead when you reach me) and it takes place in 1979. The main character is a girl named Miranda, and there is a lo going on in her life. First, her mom is going on the show $20,000 Pyramid,then Richard, Miranda’s mom’s friend who is quizzing her so she can win $20,000 Pyramid, asks her to marry him, then her best friend Sal stops being her best friend. So Miranda becomes friends with Collin and Anne Marie. Then, one day, Miranda starts getting notes from a mysterious, unidentified person. The person tells Miranda that he needs her to write a letter, so he can ’save her friends life and possibly his own.’

Some parts are a little confusing (personally, I think only a genius would get it) like when Marcus (if you’ve read the book, Miranda first calls him ‘The Kid Who Punched Sal’) talks to her about the book she’s reading, A Wrinkle in Time, and Marcus is saying that if they came back 5 minutes before they left they would see themselves leave.

It’s really mystifying and not as obvious as some ‘mystery’ books. In fact, I don’t think you would ever know who it was just by guessing. Unfortunately, if you do not have an advanced readers copy, you won’t be able to actually read the book until July.

When it comes out though, I suggest you read it right away.

My partner (c17jl) and I have finished writing our scenes, and so we have started drawing most of our illustrations. Like I said before, we are doing Who Stole the Tarts? and Alice’s Evidence. Since we have done a whole lot of illustrations, I scanned some of them in. A lot of them have the King and Queen in it, because they talk a lot in the two chapters. The White Rabbit is in there, and so is the Mad Hatter (who I made a bunny and then c17jl got mad at me.) Also, the Duchess’s cook and the dormouse is there.

Most of the drawings take place in the courtroom, except for the last scene, where Alice wakes up from her dream. So far, most of the really good drawings are by c17jl. He made the Duchess’s cook look like a ball of dough (aka, really fat.)

We are also watching a movie during lunch called Dream Child. It’s about Alice as a old woman, and she is being haunted by Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carrol.) She has a imaginary  companion named Lucy and they are going to America from England. As soon as they get there they get mobbed by reporters who want to have Alice be in their newspaper. Then one of the news reporters fall in love with Lucy (I think.) So he takes her to this dance while Alice is sleeping, but during her dream she gets haunted by Lewis Carrol. Then, when she wakes up, she gets haunted by the Mad Hatter and the March Hare and the Dormouse. They all got really old along with Alice so they are really wrinkly and scary and ugly. That’s about how far we got.

If you want to see c17jl’s post about this, click here.

We  had a homework assignment which was to read the Green Book, which is about this family that is leaving Earth because it was destroyed and they are being taken to the planet Shine. The main character is a girl named Pattie.

What the pilgrims have to do with Pattie and the Green Book is that they have a lot in common. For example, they both travel to unknown places (Shine, America) and have to create a life for themselves there. Also, both groups didn’t have much money. They both left places that had bad living conditions. (Earth was destroyed, there was a plague in England.) They had to start their city from scratch. Lastly, their travel conditions were really bad. There wasn’t enough space on the Mayflower or the rocket ship, they weren’t allowed many things to bring with them, and their supplies were low and limited. But there were also differences between the pilgrims and Pattie and the other characters from the Green Book. For intstance, the Green Book is based on what the author thinks will happen in the future and the pilgrims are a true event from the past. Also, the pilgrims chose to leave England but Pattie and the others were forced to leave Earth and go to Shine. The pilgrims had it harder in America, they all had to work, even children but at Shine the children got to play. And the final thing was the huge difference in the time it took to get to Shine and America. The pilgrims had a journey that lasted 66 days, but Pattie and the other people from the Green Book had a 4 year journey! But the pilgrims also suffered while the people from Shine did not.

So those are the similarites and differences my class came up with between pilgrims and the people from the Green Book.

We are making Alice in Wonderland comics and we did lot of things in preparation for it. The first thing we did was read the annotated version of Alice in Wonderland.The annotated version shows you where some of Lewis Carroll’s inspiration came from. We watched a video from a series called 1900 house. It was about a family that lived like you would in the 1900’s in a 1900 house. Mrs. Edinger read the original versions of some poems Lewis Carroll had tweaked like ‘You are old Father William,’ and the one that the duchess sings about spanking her baby boy when he sneezes.

Then we started studying comics. At the library we all had to check out (at least) one comic book or graphic novel. We read comics to find out more abut making them. Then later we chose our favorite chapters that we wanted to make into comic formation. Almost everybody got their first choice, except for two people. Mrs. Edinger gave us partners to work with for the chapter(s) and my partner is c17jl. We are working on our scenes (ten per chapter) on our two chapters, Who Stole the Tarts and Alice’s Evidence.

My Buddy KA has six siblings some brothers some sisters. This experience for me has been super exciting and I think this experience for my buddy has been the same. The daffodil planting bulbs at Ishon Park for our buddy’s school was so fun! We planted 600 bulbs in one day, I could not believe that we could plant 600 bulbs in a day but we really did! New Orleans is a really cool place full of jazz and sometimes The Blues, they’ve had some hurricanes in the past

The most recent hurricane was called hurricane Ike.

This post was written by my buddy.

This is a picture of me and my buddy.

Cinderpaws
Once upon a time there was a family of cats who lived in a village of caves. The cats were called Newt, Toadette, Griselda, and Snowfur. Newt was Griselda and Toadette’s mother and Snowfur’s stepmother. Snowfur had just finished kitten-hood when her mother had fallen sick with a horrible cough and later died, so her father took another mate. Then he died and Snowfur was stuck with her step-family. Snowfur was very pretty because she had icy white fur, she was thin and sleek, and she had watery blue eyes. Newt hated Snowfur because she was MUCH prettier than black-furred, amber eyed, plump, snobby Toadette and pale sickly yellow-furred, lime green eyed Griselda. Newt had decided she and her daughters purpose in life was to make Snowfur miserable.
Snowfur had a horrible life living with her step-family. They would lounge on the soft leaves and moss Snowfur had found for beds while she did everything for them including hunting for their dinner, and being forced to serve them. Even worse, they had a nickname for her. Since she had to sleep on the floor by the ashes her white fur became a dirty gray and she never got the chance to wash it off so Newt, Griselda and Toadette called her Cinderpaws.
One day, while Cinderpaws was out hunting for dinner her ears pricked up at the sound of a mouse by the roots of a tree. Careful not to tread on her tail, and with soft pawsteps she managed to capture the mouse. But when she was about to bite it’s throat it cried out “I am a magic mouse and if you do not hurt me, I will repay you.”
Cinderpaws carefully guarded the mouse, in case it was lying and said, “How would you help me? You know nothing about me.”
“ Oh, but I do,” said the mouse cheerfully. “Call me Squeaky. In two days time around midday I will be there to help.”
Puzzled, Cinderpaws gave her consent, let Squeaky go, and looked for anything else her step-family could eat. But they had all heard her conversation with Squeaky and were safe in their holes and nests. Slowly, Cinderpaws slunk home, knowing the insults she was going to get.
“You fool!” Newt screamed angrily. “You let our dinner go! Or did you eat it?” she looked at Cinderpaws suspiciously.
“I wouldn’t put it past Cinderpaws,” Griselda said, smirking.
“But I’m hungry!” bawled Toadette.
“We will ask our neighbors to borrow a shrew or two,” said Newt, now calm. “But Cinderpaws gets none.”
“Serves you right, “ Griselda said, mockingly. “I suspect you’ll be eating ashes.”They paraded out of the cave. Cinderpaws sighed, and stretched out over the ashes. She was used to this treatment. Soon she fell asleep.
Two days later Cinderpaws was sitting out by the entrance cave, doing nothing because Newt had taken Griselda and Toadette out to the middle of the village. That was where important meetings were held. There was one going on right now, but Cinderpaws wasn’t allowed to come. It was early morning but Cinderpaws had already caught a sparrow and two mice. She lay down by the entrance and closed her eyes. It wasn’t long before she had to open them again. “Look at Cinderpaws, acting lazy,” jeered Toadette. “Well now she will have plenty to do,” Newt said, sniffing obnoxiously. “Really?” Cinderpaws asked, surprised. She’d already finished her usual chores. “Don’t question me,” snapped Newt. She was about to say more but Griselda interrupted eagerly,” The tribe leader’s son is going to mate! He wants a good hunter, and I’m a fantastic one. I’ll catch all the prey in the forest!” “Yeah, in a million moons.” Toadette teased her, “The soon-to-be tribe leader will want a cat like me!” “You’re too fat, Toadface,” retorted Griselda and they argued all the way into the cave’s main room. Newt stared sharply into Snowfur’s eyes. “You aren’t coming!” she snarled and stalked into the cave.
It was now midday and Newt, Toadette and Griselda had already headed off to register and start hunting. Snowfur knew they were never going to win as they were too loud and fat, plus they had no skills. But I could win, she thought sadly. And it was true, since Snowfur was the best hunter in the tribe.
Suddenly, she heard something skittering around by the entrance. Slowly, she slunk around so she could see the entrance in full view. To Snowfur’s surprise it was a mouse. A very familiar mouse. Squeaky! she thought excitedly. So Squeaky WAS going to keep her promise after all! “Where are you, kitty?” muttered Squeaky, scurrying all over. “I’m right here,” called Snowfur as Squeaky headed in a little deeper into the cave. “Oh, sorry,” said Squeaky and hurried over. “We have to hurry!” she continued, “the registrations will end in a few hours. I’ll have to work my magic quickly.”
Squeaky showed Snowfur what she held in her paws. It was a small bottle, filled with shining circles the color of gold. “My last one,” said Squeaky. “Now sprinkle this over your body and hold still for a few minutes.” Snowfur took the bottle and obeyed. She sparkled all over. “It’ll make you dazzle yet no prey will notice it,” explained Squeaky at Snowfur’s worried look. “What if Newt, Toadette and Griselda recognize me?” asked Snowfur. “Do you doubt my magic?” Squeaky asked angrily. “Because it won’t work if you do.” Then her face and voice brightened and she said, “Now off you go. I expect you know the way.” “Thanks, Squeaky,” Snowfur said, racing out the door. When she reached the tribe leader’s cave entrance she slowed, worriedly. What if Griselda saw her? She had sharp eyes. They would probably claw her later! Or kick her out! “But I can’t doubt her magic,” whispered Snowfur. Boldly, she stepped inside.
The cave was full of cats of all ages: mothers with kittens, males looking for mates and vice versa, older cats wishing their kits good luck.
Snowfur looked around for the place where she could enter the contest. She soon saw it, but it wasn’t as long a line as she’d expected. Only three cats were there; Newt, Toadette, and Griselda. As usual, they were arguing. Snowfur hurried over trying to make sure they didn’t see her face.
The cat who was entering people was a dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. He looked at Snowfur and said simply, “Entering the contest?” Snowfur nodded in case Newt would recognize her voice. “Name, please,” he asked her and she stopped for a moment. What would she call herself?
Finally, she whispered to him to call her Cinderpaws. He nodded. Snowfur left the area in a rush. She bit into a thrush that had been placed in the party’s food area. As she swallowed, she saw the Tribe Leader’s son leap onto the stage. He had green eyes, and cinnamon colored fur. He announced, “The competition will start in 5 minutes. All hunters must bring back all they catch and they cannot steal other’s prey.” Half the cats in the room left, along with Snowfur, so they could get good places to hunt. She chose a spot by a waterfall, a peaceful place where a bit of prey might come. The Prince then came around, telling everyone to start. Snowfur immediately picked up the scent of a mouse by the roots of a tree. She swiped her claw at it and killed it instantly. As she tried to withdraw her claw, though, one of the talons tangled with the roots, and when she pulled on it, it came off painfully. It throbbed and Snowfur tried to ignore it. She went on hunting and caught a thrush, two more mice, a sparrow, and one vole. She could hear pawsteps, and assumed the Prince was coming to tell her it was over. She gathered her prey and headed back.
She passed the Prince as she headed back. He glanced at her once or twice but never spoke. When she returned to the cave she saw a few more hunters who were standing by their prey, waiting for the Prince. Snowfur settled in a corner and watched the other hunters. She saw Griselda in a corner. All she had was a baby mouse. Snowfur almost laughed when she saw Toadette. She didn’t have a single piece of prey! Finally the Prince returned. He looked at everyone’s prey. He didn’t know Snowfur’s name so he just said, “The snow white cat is the winner.” Looking upset, Newt told her daughters they were going home. Dismayed, Snowfur raced out the door, just as the Prince was going to ask her to be mates. He blinked, and decided he would look for her. She had to be somewhere in the village! He started to run after her, but he was easily outdistanced. The last he saw of her was that she was missing a talon.
Snowfur made it back in time to quickly wash off her glitter and look raggedy before her step-family. Silently, she thanked Squeaky for her first enjoyable evening since her parents had died. When the steps made it home, they talked about how much prey they had caught and how much time the prince had spent with them. It was easy for Snowfur to ignore them, knowing that it wasn’t true.
The next day, after Snowfur had just returned with the step’s breakfast when Griselda mumbled over her food and said, “ The prince found some cat’s talon and he thinks it belongs to the cat he loves. He’s coming around to every cave to see if any cat’s missing a talon.” “Why didn’t you say that earlier?” exclaimed Newt. “Stop eating and come with me!”
Taking advantage of the moment, Snowfur ate some of the mouse that hadn’t been claimed. She heard Toadette shriek, “Ow,ow,ow! That hurts!” Then Griselda screamed, “STOP!” When they returned, both of them were missing a talon.
Newt spent more than half of the day waiting for the prince to visit their cave. Cinderpaws was supposed to catch lunch, clean the cave AND make Griselda and Toadette look nice. But it wasn’t until after lunch that the prince visited their cave.
Cinderpaws was hunting for her lunch when he tried to fit the talon on Toadette and Griselda’s claws. Griselda went first but her claw was too skinny to fit. One look at Toadette’s wide claw and the prince skipped her entirely.
“Are there any other young cats here?” he asked, to make sure. “Oh, of course not!” giggled Griselda hysterically. “Yes there is,” said Cinderpaws as she entered the cave. She had just returned from hunting and had just dropped a thrush, three mice, a sparrow, and one vole. The prince was shocked. This cat looked just like the at who’d won the contest, she was missing a talon, and the prey she’d dropped was the same as the winning set from the contest! This had to be her, but to make sure the prince waited for her to sit down and then tried on the talon. It was a perfect fit! He asked her for her name and she replied, “Snowfur.” This time, the prince was able to ask her to be mates, and they were mated that same day.
A few months later Snowfur had a litter of kittens and their names were Cinnamon, Snowy, Whiskers, Furball, Tiger, and Goldy. Snowfur never forgot her step-family either, but they weren’t exactly happy memories. Even though Griselda and Toadette were never nice to her, Snowfur managed to get Griselda to be mated to the prince’s brother, and Toadette ended up with a friend of the prince’s, who happened to be an excellent hunter. Then she got Newt, Toadette, and Griselda a new cave because that cave was most definitely hers. Once they moved out of the cave, she changed it into a cave for her kittens. And they all lived happily ever after.
THE END

I am reviewing (and comparing) Coraline the book to Coraline the movie. The book was written by Neil Gaiman, who also wrote the Newberry Award book The Graveyard Book. (If you read the Times, you will know about my teacher, Monica Edinger’s review on it.)

Here are some of the differences; in the book Coraline’s family don’t have a snow globe (which is really important), but in the movie they do. Another one is that in the movie the little Coraline-doll helps the other mother, but in the book there IS no Coraline-doll. Also, the garden doesn’t exist in the book, even though it does (and is important) in the movie.

It’s a very different book than what I usually read, but I still recommend it. Some parts of it are really freaky (especially in the movie where it’s all visual) and the other mother turns into a skeleton with clothes. The rats are the most scary thing in the movie for me, and then it’s the hand. That’s only because it isn’t attached to the other mother’s arm and also that it tries to get the key from Coraline when she tries to get rid of it. Also, in the movie there’s this boy named Wybie who helps Coraline throw the hand down the well. In the book, Coraline does it herself, since there’s no Wybie.

I definitely recommend this book (and movie)!!!!!

This is a post about my Amistad poem. The Amistad was a ship that took Sarah Margru Kinson (use link for more info) and Joseph Cinque from Cuba to another place in Cuba. I didn’t exactly remember that when I wrote my poem so I have to use poetic license. Poetic license is a right given to poets so they don’t have to make their poems 100% accurate. These were inspired by Monica Edinger and Elizabeth Alexander, who wrote a book entirely based on the Amistad Epic. My poem is about Margru on the Amistad thinking about home. You can see it at the bottom of this post.

It might be a little hard to read it. Sorry.

The book The King of Mulberry Street, by Donna Jo Napoli is a great historical fiction book, based on the life of her maternal grandfather. He came from Napoli on a cargo ship. His mother payed for his passage because she wanted him to have a better life in America. Also, Donna Jo Napoli’s grandfather was secretly Jewish. His only really important items were his shoes, which his mother bought for him the same day he took the cargo ship to America. Without his shoes, he might not have made it very far. That’s because people offered to buy his shoes, or hold them for him. The shoes got him to get Gaetano to be his friend and since Gaetano knew Mulberry Street really well, that worked out well for him. To make it very realistic, Donna Jo Napoli uses Italian words such as scugnizzi, margari, bastardo, taralli, and mio tesoro. Mio tesoro means my precious treasure and scugnizzi means urchins. Margari meas if only if that was true. The characters are ones you can really believe existed (especially Dom the main character). Also there are the Padroni, who pay for immigrant’s passage to America but in return, the immigrants have to work for them, until they pay back the passage money. In this story, Tin Pan Alley (who works for a padrone) helps Dom a lot in his business and when something happens to him in the end you can really believe how this is historical fiction because that probably wouldn’t happen in any fiction stories. Some of her believable dialoge is “My padrone doesn’t care how old someone is. He’ll beat anyone.” “Exactly. A padrone is the lowest of the low. My big brother is honorable.” (179) “That’s half of eighteen which is what I have left over after I pay my padrone. I’m not cheating you. You’d have to get a whole dollar to earn 10 cents.” “I told you, I can count.” “So your trying to cheat me now, is that it?” (102) Sounds like what someone would say if they were in that situation? Exactly. For people who want to know about how young immigrants who are all alone and how they survive and read a very exciting story I recommend The King of Mulberry Street.