Blog Response #2
Choose a character from your book. How do you envision this character? Use your words to describe how this character looks, acts, and behaves. Also, discuss the impact this character has had on the story up to this point. Would you be friends with this character, or would you avoid him/her? Why? What role does this character play in your book? If this character was not in the book, would the book change? Why or why not?? (Remember to give specific details and a complete blog entry, and don't forget to comment on two other blog entries! Happy Blogging! :)
A character from Running Loose that I can envision is Boomer. Boomer seems to be a tall jock with black hair that has family troubles from his dad on the daily. He acts with a god complex. The impact he's made on the main character Louie is that he has caused him distress through hitting him in the face and making a dirty play leading Louie to quit football. In person I would avoid this person because he seems to only do what is in his best interest. I think he plays the antagonist because he is causing Louie the main character the most problems. If he was not in the book Louie would still be out for football but would not have anyone to strive to beat.
ReplyDeleteI would also avoid a kid like Boomer, he is a hothead and just not a guy you want to hang around. For him to agree with taking out the other teams player shows why his character is not liked in the book.
DeleteI would also try to avoid a kid like boomer. Boomer seems like he thinks he is better than other people and seems to push people down. Especially since he pushed Louie to quit football.
DeleteIf I had to describe Boomer I would say the same things. He made Louie quit football which is a sport he worked so hard for and did a lot of training. Everybody in their life knows a Boomer and always try to avoid and annoy that kid at school and outside of school. That dirty play that he did to that black kid at the game truly shows how terrible of a person he is
DeleteI also wouldn't want to associate myself with Boomer. He's the type of guy that only does what's good for him and is never helping a different character. I think if Boomer wasn't real the whole situation with Louie wouldn't have happened and he would still be on the team.
DeleteIn person I also would avoid Boomer. Not only does the majority of the people at Trout Highschool and the football team not like him but he does multiple things to Louie such as making him the reason why he can't play the only sport he enjoys anymore but is not the type of guy you would want to associate yourself with, and is not a good leader or person
DeleteMy character is going to be Mr. Byrnes. In the story Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Mr. Byrnes is obviously Sarah's dad and we find out that he is the biggest part in Sarah's life. Not in a good way. Mr. Byrnes was the one to scar Sarah mentally, physically, and emotionally. Mr. Byrnes is by far the worst character in the story he is a drunk and has some anger issues because of the fact that he is going to threaten Sarah to burn the rest of her body or skin her and Eric because he could not find Sarah at the time because she went to find her mom with Mrs. Lemry. Honestly he is a coward of a person and cannot own up to his doings. Hopefully Sarah can get her help she needs. Also I would love for Mr. Byrnes to go to jail. P.S. I hope I didn't spoil the book for you!
ReplyDeletesounds like mr. byrnes is cool
DeleteHe sounds like a jerk and the Sarah would be better off without him in her life.
DeleteI wish to see Mr. Byrnes go to jail as well. I think Sarah deserves some justice. I also agree that Mr. Byrnes is a coward and that he cannot own up to the things he has done. I hope Sarah gets the life she deserves.
DeleteI also want to see Mr. Byrnes go to jail for all his wrong doings. He seems to act all high and mighty but the second his wrong doings are exposed he loses all of his pride.
DeleteI must say I agree and now that I have read the rest of the book, I rather enjoyed the ending although I think he should've gone a little more in depth with how Mr. Brynes was punished.
DeleteDale Thornton is a character I imagined to be 6'3 and 210 pounds with long black hair. Ever since this guy was introduced I knew he was going to be a problem. I mean when he met the main protagonists themselves he beat one and scared the crap out of the other. But aside that he really gave the protagonists some sort of bravery. I think if he wasn't in the book things would change big time. For example, the characters development, they would be the same people without Dale's beating therefore no progress in the story.
ReplyDeletedale sounds like a huge guy 210 he could definitely mess someone up. sounds like this guy is a brave due with some problems. would you be friends with him
DeleteI totally agree with this if Dale was not in the story the story line would totally be messed up. But also, I imagine him to be a big guy towering above everyone else just as you mentioned.
DeleteI think my favorite part of the book is how Dale went from just being the bully to being something more important.
DeleteI thought that dale was still a smaller guy and did not change from middle school. And I agree that without dale there would be a lot of changes like they wouldnt have made their newspaper
DeleteThe character that I chose to talk about is Louie. He is an average teenager who struggles with all types of problems but always overcomes them through his integrity. Louie is the main character in the book, and he is a big contributor to his 8-man football team. I personally would be friends with Louie because I think he's a trustworthy character. Louie shows good qualities when he decides to quit the team, after his coach calls out for a player to take out an African American kid on the other team. This shows that Louie does his best to do what is right!
ReplyDeleteLouie is a cool character glad you choices him. sounds like this guy has a lot of problems. you could help him out with his problems if you were friends with him
DeleteThat is a perfect way and awesome way you describe Louie. I like how you say he is a average teenager who struggles with problems but always overcomes them. Which is so true. That is great of him to quit the team cause he knows that the coach wanted to play dirty and when they did he did what was right and called them out for t
DeletePerfect way to describe Louie. I think he would also be a trustworthy friend because he's always thinking about others before himself. I think your like Louie because you make the right decisions about things you are passionate about.
DeleteLouie really shows his hard work and dedication in the book, to his friends and team. The only time he turns his head on the team is when he feels wronged. he would be a fantastic friend and wouldn't leave your side if he believed what you were fighting for.
DeleteDillon. I imagine he'd be a little taller than me (i don't recall if his height was stated in the book) maybe around 5'10-5'11, with hair cut short. With how he's described in the story, he'd wear pretty casual clothes: jeans, t-shirts, etc. He's pretty confident, a little overzealous at times. Dillon hasn't had too much impact on the overall plot up until pretty recently, where he convinced Jen to tell him about the sexual abuse she's suffering through, and he will likely impact the plot through his response to that. I would probably not interact with him much, because most of his life seems to revolve around sports and the two girls he's interested in, and he doesn't seem to have any friends outside of that, he even uses other girls to satiate his sexual needs to a degree, its a little scummy. Dillon is meant to be a main character, but he honestly feels more like a side character. If he wasn't in the book, it would change because Jen wouldn't have her confidante, but he could be easily replaced by a different character. I truly feel that Jen should have been the focus of the story, rather than Dillon and his confusion around relationships.
ReplyDeleteI disagree I think Jen could not find someone like Dillon. Dillon is the only person Jen has and they have much in common. I feel the story would change drastically without Dillon
DeleteI think your description on Dillon is spot on. He does come off as a little overly confident, But I do think the book will change if he was replaced with someone else. If he was to be replaced with someone who is not as confident as he is , they might would have never asked Jen out or maintain a friendship with Stacy his brothers ex- girlfriend. I feel like Dillion character's actions and confidence is what keeps the plot going.
DeleteI agree, that discription is completely spot on. From what I've read so far, he doesn't have alot to the overall main plotline, but just maybe the author is waiting to a point to where Dillion is highly important. Saving his character for a more crusal role to play in this little masquerade so to speak. Most likely it's for another character, my theory it's for Jen. Though granted I couldd be wrong in that assumstion.
Deletethe character I choose to talk about is boomer the reason i chose this character is because in the start of the book boomer was with is girlfriend or whatever she is two him anyway the handy in the popcorn bucket was crazy. boomer always hit kid in football and put the kid on a stretcher. but boomers dad is really hard on him so that's were he get his toughness for him. I just like the character because he stands out so much in this book .
ReplyDeleteThat was a crazy surprise early on in the book. I am glad you could find a character to put interest into. Sounds like this character is pretty rough around the edges.
DeleteThat was indeed a radical scene in the book, this is something that Boomer would definitely do considering he is not the most respected character in the book. I wonder if Boomer's dad has an influence on the way Boomer acts. Since you said you enjoy Boomer's character, do you agree with him taking out the African American kid on the other team?
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DeleteI'm also reading stotan and i would avoid him, in stotan there's not a character that reminds me of him.
DeleteI agree that the scene where Boomer try's to hit Louie but ends up getting his hand stuck in Louie's car window and drives away was very hectic and was a surprise, but was happy Louie got away and wasn't beat up by Boomer. I also wonder if Boomer's dad has a affect on his personality as in the book they do not get along and his father is very rude to him.
DeleteBoomer is a great character who adds suspense and rivalry. I really enjoy when boomer and Louie are beefing because there are always enemies even on your own team. I wonder when boomer will realize they are going to be really good this season and finally squash the beef with Louie and go win a state championship.
DeleteThe character I am choosing is Virgil Byrnes. When I read about him I picture him as a tall skinny man. I picture that he has an unshaved patchy beard and has anger issues. I feel like when he walks past others everyone stares or is fearful of him and what he will do. Virgil has had a huge impact on his daughter Sarah Byrnes. She wouldn't be in the hospital right now if he wasn't around and did what he did to her. He has impacted Sarah's mom into leaving after he attempted to drown her. If he was not a character in the book a lot wouldn't happen. There wouldn't be a major problem anymore the huge issue of the book would be gone. There would still be troubles that that the characters face but nothing quite like this. I would most definitely not be friends with Virgil. I would be on edge all the time and be afraid to even say anything that might upset him. I'm sure that Sarah feels a similar type of way around him.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad that he is such a bad person.
DeleteThe character you wrote about seems a lot like Boomer in my book. They think they are the best out of everyone and nothin going to change it. I would also have to agree with you on if the character was not in the book there would be no major impact on the character making them so important.
DeleteI think Virgil is also a tall skinny man with a patchy beard. If I seen him walking down the street and knew what he did I would want to walk the other way. I also agree Virgil is a huge part of the story line and Sarah would not have the issues she has without him.
DeleteI imagine Sarahs dad to look just as how you described him. I think he would smell of cigarrete smoke or even alchohol. I also agree that without him the main mhyhstery would be gone and his charcher brings interest into the book.
DeleteI also pick Mr. Byrnes and I could never put a picture to his face but I love the way you just described Virgil and I also agree with Maddy and that smoke smell even though I am not sure about him actually smoking.
DeleteI imagined him almost exactly like you had said. Skinny and tall and with a patchy beard. Also I said the same thing about if he wasn't there Sarah wouldn't be in the hospital.
DeleteHe sound like a deadbeat. Honestly I don't get why people like him got a kid/kids.
DeleteThe character I chose to talk about is Dillon. Dillon seems to be a normal teenage rebel. He likes to push boundaries and will challenge anyone who tries to control him. Dillon is a tall very muscular, yet lean junior in high school. Even while dealing with the death of his brother, he seems to be the same kid as before the only difference he mentions in himself is that he has more drive and is harder to control now. I feel like I would be friends with Dillon maybe not close friends but possibly good acquaintances. If Dillon wasn't in the book there wouldn't really be a book because the story fallows him, and Jen's lives.
ReplyDeleteit does seem he would be a rebel with how you decribe him
DeleteDillion reminds me of a character in my book named Dale. He is a teenage rebel who also pushes people bounderies and also challenges anyone who tries to control him.
DeleteWhen I think of Dillon in your book I honestly think of Eric as a little bit of a rebel and how many times he has pushed Sarah and talked back to Mr. Byrnes and did a little to much. Also then grieving a little with his dad being gone for 18 years or grieving that Sarah has not talked to him yet at the start of the book. All while he gets out of control and tells Mr. Byrnes where Sarah is at knife point and loses a little of himself that one night. If Eric was not in the book Sarah would not have came as far as she is so far. So, I feel like we could connect Eric a lot nicer than I thought
DeleteI agree. Without Dillon there wouldn't be a book, without Dillon it would be a book only about Jen
DeleteI completely agree with you not being close with Dillon and feeling like you could be an acquaintance, Dillon just seems to be the type of person who keeps more to himself seeing how he won't participate in sports at his school.
DeletePreston is the character that is not Preston in the book but through Dillon's letters to Preston he becomes an even bigger character. I think that without Preston the book would be different. Even though Preston isn't with the characters we get little bits of information about him. Without Preston, Dillon wouldn't have any way to greave his death. Dillon would have no problems.
ReplyDeleteYep, I 100% agree with you. The book would have to focus around something completely different. But, I do believe Preston's soul purpose in this book is to help bring Dillon and Jennifer closer.
DeleteMy character is Preston, the brother of the main character in Chinese Handcuffs. I can envision this character as a crippled frail man he has no legs due to a motorcycle accident, and has being doing cocaine to cope with the stress of life. These two combined had a severe impact on how he looks and acts. He also gives into peer pressure as he was encouraged by his fellow gang members to commit a rather horrific crime, while he did not put up much of a fight while high on drugs and other influences. Preston gives motivation to this book, as his brother Dillion is training for a triathlon and being the only brother they had quite a close bond so without him dillion would more than likely be on a different path, a little bit throughout the book Preston had a second thoughts about his life and decided he had to much and in the end took his own life.
ReplyDeleteI agree that preston has went through a whole lot and it did cause him to end up doing a lot of bad things witch also caused him a lot of problems which made things harder for him and led him to letting go and taking his own life.
DeleteA character from the book Chinese Handcuffs that I can envision very well is Jennifer Lawless. Jennifer is described in the book to have Shoulder-length blonde hair, long legs, strong body, and nearing six feet in height. From the way she talks and her whole demeanor in the book I view Jennifer as a strong independent teen who carries herself very well. Jennifer has a very strong impact on this book because just like Dillon, Jen has a very dark secret. I personally think Jen's role in this book is to help heal Dillon from his past trauma. Knowing what I do now, about Jennifer, I would enjoy being friends. The reason I would be drawn to her is because I know someone personally who has experienced a similar trauma and the satisfaction of helping a friend get over such a blockade in their life is such a nice feeling.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Jen is a very strong and independent girl. Her and Dillion both share some dark secrets that they don't share but like as you said I also think they will end up healing each other and opening up to each other.
DeleteI agree, Jennifier is a strong and independent. Her and Dillion have a lot they hold for each other I hope they share these secrets to make them closer.
DeleteI also think Jennifer is a very independent girl, I feel like she can help Dillon find ways to help cope with his trauma like she did and help him. She seems like an important character that is going to help Dillon's Character development later on in the book so she seems really useful to the book.
DeleteI do agree with this although, I think as we go along this book she will take different actions and act like a completely different person if she becomes friends with dillion and if he opens up to Jennifer this might take her personal trauma to another level.
DeleteI do agree with her being strong and independent but i have the feeling that is why she has gotten it the prodicuments that she has because she tend to keep to herself because no one believes her as well as what she was once told to keep secrets.
DeleteThe character I am choosing is Sarah Brynes which is a pretty main charcter. The book already told us about the scars that cover her face and hands but I imagine her as a bruntte girl with glasses and maybe 5'5, average height. When Eric goes back to the past before she became mute, she acts like a tough girl, always standing up for her friend Eric, but now she acts quiet and no longer speaks. Before she behaved like a normal teeneager, daring, and mystevious. Sarah had a big impact on this book because she is who everyones worried about. She plays the mystsery role. If Sarah was no longer a charcter in this book, the book would definately change because the main focus is trying to find out what happened to her.
ReplyDeletethat's a very good depiction of what Sarah Byrnes would look like
DeleteI agree that sarah plays a big role in the story and she has changed a lot from the past from being super tough to not saying a word or anything.
DeleteSarah is a great character to pick because she has such a huge impact on the book.I agree that there would no longer be any mystery if Sarah was no longer present. The book would just be very boring and plain. I am really enjoying all the twists and intense scenes in the book. It makes me want to keep reading I hope you are enjoying the book so far Madelyn!
DeleteSarah is a great choice of a character as she is the main thing driving the story of the book. I agree that without Sarah the story would lose all sense of mystery and would become a boring and plain book with no twists.
DeleteI'm choosing Sarah Byrnes from Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. i think the Chater looks all scared up, i also imagined she does have normal looking skin from al the burns. Shes very strong and can stand up for herself. Sarah impacts almost everything but mainly eric. i wouldn't be friends with her because she seems very mean and rude. if the chater wasn't in the book eric would be bullied a lot more because she stands up for him a lot.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Sarah can be very callous and rude and would probably rub people the wrong way. She also seems to be purposely keeping people away from her.
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ReplyDeleteNortie actually sounds like a really nice kid i'm not gonna lie, i would probably be friends with him and try to learn more about swimming because i only have seen michael phelps do that and he is crazy at that stuff i don't know what the hell he's doing
DeleteI agree that Nortie would act timid because of his traumatizing past but I also think he has great confidence in himself for working in a childcare center. Most guys would not be willing to spend all day with a bunch of kids,
DeleteI 100% agree with your description of Nortie maybe acting timid because of his traumatizing past with his dad and everything that happened with his brother as well. But i think his past also pushes him to do more and sympathize with people because he has been through something so terrible.
DeleteThe character I am choosing is carter from Running loose. I can imagine him being 5'10 and 170 pounds. He is truly a good person who cares for his friends. He is always there for Louie when boomer is acting like a moron. He never gets upset or angry he just keeps his cool and goes with the flow with everything. In real life I would definitely be friends with Carter cause he is a good person to be around. If carter was not in the book I feel like a lot more problems and tension would be between boomer and Louie. Carter is one of those friends you need when times are tough and things get stressful and he can always find the positive and good in it.
ReplyDeleteCarter sounds like a really nice guy I would be friends with him too.
Deletesounds like a great book and carter sounds like the main character. and that is a great thing that he is sticking up for his buddy, i would be hiss friend aswell.
DeleteCarter really does act as a barrier between Louie and Boomer. The only thing is I bet he is taller, his character just seems like a tall, strong young man. without him and helping Louie I bet he wouldn't make the starting roster when the season started. Carter would be a great friend and very dedicated to help you reach your goals
DeleteCarter is a good friend for sticking up for Louie when Boomer gets out of his place
DeleteA character that I can envision easily is Nortie. He seems like a weaker kid he is smaller than the rest of his friends and he doesn't act as strong or as confident as the rest of the boys in the book but he actually is the strongest one out of all of them. He complains the most about the swimming drills but he still puts in the most effort and is still one of the best swimmers. He also has one of the hardest lives of the boys and he doesn't really act like it at all he doesn't want them to take pity on him because he has had a rough life and lives in a hard home situation. Nortie has one of the biggest impacts on the story so far I think because he has had the most interesting story and has been the character that has been talked about the most and the story wouldn't be anywhere close to the same without him.
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Deletei agree with you because he definitely isn't the strongest kid and pictured as the smallest. i also agree with you about his impact on the book. he has had the biggest impact so far.
DeleteI completely agree with you Streif.
DeleteI think he is also shown as the weaker kid but is the strongest mainly because of his past with his dad and his brother.
DeleteThe character I have choose is Jody Mueller, because of her shy and kind of in the shadows personality. I envision Jody to be about 5'6 120 lbs. A small person with brown hair. Up until this point I have thought of Jody as just being a side character and shy. Until she reveals a huge secret to Eric that makes her not as shy anymore and she sort of had to come out of her shell. I would totally be friends with Jody because seems like a good person and just because she made a bad decision doesn't mean she is a bad person. If Jody was not in this story line, I think the topic of abortion wouldn't come up and they wouldn't cover as touchy of topics and that just makes this book.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100%. I love how the author develops all of the characters and not just Eric and Sarah.
DeleteI thought the same about how readers don't receive information about Jody until mid way through the book. I would love to be friends with Jody too. I am so glad she stuck up for herself against Mark. She deserves way better than that jerk. I feel like all the characters in the book have some sort of struggle they are going through, and that the author Chris Crutcher didn't really make a boring character in Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes.
DeleteThe character I am choosing is Dale Thornton. Dale is not the main character, but he plays a very important role in the book. I imagine Dale to be tall around 6'2, with decent size build maybe 210 pounds. I would think he would have light brown shaggy hair, and some sort of scruffy beard. Dale plays an important role as the "bully" or the "tough guy" from when they were younger. But I think Dale has honestly been misunderstood. His dad never had his best interest in life, and I don't think anyone ever tried to help Dale. Personally, I wouldn't be best friends with Dale, but I certainly wouldn't want to be his friend at all. Dale plays a key role in this book; I think the story would be the same if he was not in it. The storyline would be totally messed up.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about Dale being misunderstood. With his father being abusive, it is no wonder why Dale was mean to other kids and put on such a tough front. I honestly feel bad for him because he actually seems like a nice person and just didn't have the opportunities to prove himself to society.
DeleteI'm choosing Nortie from Stotan, I think that Nortie is pretty fit kid who swims. he is one of the best swimmers on the team. he has had a good impact on the story because they talked about him a lot so far. Nortie has had a rough life, his dad beats him, so does his mom. his brother killed himself. so, he hasn't had a good like. I think if he wasn't in the book the book definitely be changed because they have put him in a lot.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, if Nortie was not in the book it would be a totally different book.
DeleteNortie is one of the biggest characters in the book and I agree that the book would definitely be a lot different if he wasn't a character in the book.
Deleteyes Nortie is the best swimmer but he also navigates his way to be the best even though all the hardships he had to face, he has been abused, lost friends, girlfriends, family including his brother, every hardship is the reason he is the best at everything he does.
DeleteIf Nortie was in the book, I probably would have given up on it.
DeleteThe character I chose from my book Stotan is Nortie. I envision Nortie as the runt of the group because he is quite different from the other characters. I think he is shorter and timid and seems like he is the weakest of the group but is secretly the strongest because of his past. I also envision him as a very strong and brave person though because he and his mom are both abused by his father. He is also a very loving and kind person because he works a daycare and takes care of younger kids and he protects his mom from his dad and takes the beatings himself. I think so far Nortie has had the biggest impact on the story because he really demonstrates that people can get through hard things and come out on the other side as a better person.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Nortie is almost like Jen in Chinese handcuffs, they both have experienced some trauma but still continue to be kind people and protect their families.
DeleteThe character I chose in my book is Walker. It doesn't really talk about walker in that much detail, but when I envision Walker I picture him as a good looking guy who has pretty big muscles. As I can see in the book Walker acts like a very good guy to everyone. Although he dislikes some people just like everyone else, he is always there for his friends when they need someone. He is also good at understanding people and how they feel. Walker behaves very mature and acts older than he really is. He shows this when he has to take care of his older brother and help him get out of stick situations. Walker hasn't had that big of an impact on the story so far. But he has definitely made the story go along a lot smother. If Walker was in my life I would be friends with him because I could go to him for advice and talk to him when I am having troubles. I believe that if Walker was not in the book it would be a lot different. Because he is a huge part of the swim team and is also a big part of Norties life, and everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI think Walker is an important character too because he is the narrator so that is obviously a very important role in the book and without him the story would change quite a bit because it wouldn't have its narrator and he helps to hold their friend group together.
ReplyDeleteThe character I am choosing is Dale Thornton from Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. I am imagining Dale as a tall, big guy. Probably around 6 ft., 220 lbs., and more muscular than fat. Dale is interesting because he started out as the bully and has developed to be helpful to Sarah and Eric by being there for both of them and staying friendly toward them. I do not think I would be friends with Dale just because I would not have given him a second chance like Sarah and Eric did. But I can appreciate what he adds to the book. The author added another layer to the story of Eric and Sarah by developing Dale's character throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your description of Dale. I think that Dale is one of the characters that you would know in school as a person to stay away from, but if you ran into a problem, he would be the one to stop whatever he was doing and help you. I also like that his character added another layer to the story.
DeleteI like the description of the height and weight, you can really get a feel on what he is like, let's say he is 5ft 6in and 150 lbs then he might act like a completely different person maybe because he was bullied for how he was built. This little bit of detail goes a long way with defining a character in a book.
DeleteI would also not want to be friends with Dale he is a bully that would keep me away and not give him a chance.
DeleteA character I can envision is definitely Carter. I can see Carter being in the 6-3 range for height and maybe around 215 just because it is said that he has the possibility of playing D-1 football and is constantly working out. Carter is a stand-up guy and is always making the right decisions and bringing people up instead off bringing them down. I would want to be friends with him because I think he is a good person to be around and helpful. If Carter wasn't in the book I think the team would stink and Boomer would cause a lot more havoc in the story.
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel that you connect with Carter? I wounder if you like Carter as a character because he has possibly some similarity's to you. Do you not like something about Carter?
DeleteThe character In my book is Jennifer or Jen for short. I imagine Jen as a tall, brunette, athletic girl. Jen is very strong and takes basketball seriously, she is the girl you would be afraid of while walking down the hallway. Jen seems like she is in control of her life and has everything figured out but she has secrets beyond anyone's knowledge. She is the girl that keeps going to make sure the people around her are okay, she puts people before herself. If I were to see Jen I would not mind hanging around her, she's nice and down to earth. I feel like without Jen in the story it would not show the connection between her and Dillion's lives, and would not show us the reality of how people put on a face to stay strong for others. Jen is a very important character in this story and one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. She is not a person to mess with and is my favorite in this book because she does basketball and seems like a good friend to have because she always wants to help Dillion out.
Deletemy character from the book STOTAN would be Nortie, who is fun loving and a mischievous guy. he has contagious energy and is always up for an adventure. Nortie impacts the book by brining humor and lightness to the group of friends. he helps them navigate through challenges with his positive attitude. if Nortie wasn't in the book, it would definitely be different. his presence adds a dynamic element to the story and his absence would leave a void. As for being friends with nortie , i think i would totally be friends with him! He sounds like someone who knows how to have a good time and bring joy to those around him no matter what he has gone through.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Nortie impacts the book heavily. There are many times when he is helping those around him, and I agree that he would be very fun to be around.
DeleteNortie is definitely a big part of this book. even if he is going through a hard time, it seems as if he brings his other friends closer. norite would be a great friend to have.
DeleteI also agree if Nortie wasn't in the book it would look a lot different because it seems like he is the only character they talk about in depth so far
DeleteI think Nortie brings the fun to the story but Walker is the one who holds everyone together. I think its interesting that each character comes from some kind of trauma. Loss of a brother, parents even abuse from parents.
DeleteThe character I chose to envision is Nortie. Nortie is a fit and strong man, and he puts the most effort into his swimming practices. He has a hard home life, I would say him and I are very similar in some ways. we both have a hard life; we both use our outside motivation, and it makes us better at what we do. He uses his motivation in the pool, and I use mine in the gym. The only thing people like us can do is push through it and use that motivation. It's the best thing for you.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Nortie seems like a fit strong man and his background makes him work harder and push himself further.
DeleteDerrick, i truly think that is awesome that you push through diversity everyday in life just like Nortie.I bet you find this book very interesting because you too both push through challenges everyday, whether its in the swimming pool or in the gym.
DeleteI must say I rather enjoy about how this post actually connects with the character and how you compare them to yourself. I think you went above and beyond with this post, very nice. I must say that this post now makes me want to read this book.
DeleteA character I can envision in my book Stotan is Lion. Lion is a bigger guy who is jacked. Walker describes him as being chiseled out of a marble block and calls him a destroyer. Nobody messes with him and he is also a very kind person. Lion helps bring the group together by motivating them and lifting their spirits. For example, when they were all sharing Stotan stories, he shared a funny one in order to bring everyone's spirits up. I would want to become friends with Lion as he seems like a kind and enjoyable person to be around, and if he was not in the book I feel like the group would not be as motivated and be as close as they are right now.
ReplyDeleteI think lion is a great friend to the group. I wish the book would talk more about him because he does seem like an interesting character. i hope we get to learn more about him.
DeleteLion seems like the type of person I'd be intimidated by at first glance. but by the way you describe his personality, the more I would get involved around him, the more I would start to like him and get less intimidated by him.
DeleteI agree with Lion being a motivation for the team because he's really strong and big. He helps keep the group together and sticks up for everybody. He's also very artistic and always sketching in his notebook. I feel like i would get along with Lion because we share creativity.
DeleteThe character I choose in my book is Jennifier Lawless. She is 16-year-old who has blond hair to her shoulders and is very tall near 6 feet which she plays basketball for her school. She has a strong body. I would describe Jennifier as a strong independent person who carries herself hard in pushing herself to gain stuff, but I also would say she is very shy and is very personal to herself like she is isolated, but in Dillion's mind she is beautiful. Her role in the book is to help her friend/ lover Dillion who holds many secrets as she holds secrets as well if she was not a character than Dillion would be lost not knowing who to talk too. I would be her friend because I feel I could help her with the trauma she faced and besides that I love basketball and would always play basketball with her.
ReplyDeleteI would also be her friend for the same reason, she seems like a really nice person but i for some reason don't think she would be to shy i cannot explain why. Other than that the only thing we did not really have similar was the hair color thats weird
DeleteI would also want to be friends with her since she is really competitive, and the competitiveness would make our friendship really strong in my opinion. I believe she is also a blond, i don't really see her with any other hair color, she is a strong character with everything that she went through with the sexual abuse and also having your grandpa dying right in front of here those events definitely made her stronger.
DeleteI haven't read Chinese Handcuffs, but It was one of my first choices on the first week of the trimester. I would like to be friends with her aswell because she seems like a really nice person to be around. I also like basketball and would like to play with her.
DeleteThe character I chose to envision is Carter from the book Running Loose. Carter spent his entire summer working out for football, and has a starting spot on the football team. Carter is a athlete who has a shot of playing D-1 college football, he is also a very fast runner and won the mile time trials against all the other football players in the beginning of the book. Carter impacts the story by being Louie best friend and is always there for Louie when problems arise and always knows the right thing to say, or the right decision to make in a situation. Carter is also a team leader and always make sure everyone is included and is there to stop any kind of conflict or fight that may happen. Carter is defiantly someone you would want as your from because he would always know the best thing to do, and be there for you as a good friend. If Carter wasn't in this book I think Louie would struggle more with his decisions and get into much more trouble by making the wrong decisions. I also think if Carter wasn't in the story the football team would suffer, AND Boomer would take over making Louie and others football season miserable.
ReplyDeleteI also chose Carter; I find him interesting because he is most likely to be a main character in the book because of his athletic accomplishments. Although Louie is the main character, I think Carter would be a great main character. He is also good character because he takes control of situations and is a leader he is also very friendly.
DeleteI pick Jennifer Lawless from Chinese Handcuffs, how i envision her is like 5'9 maybe 5'10, long brown hair, pretty strong too. I would describe her as someone who is strong willed and will always put in the extra work so she can be one of the best so she wants isolation so no one can get in her way while putting that work in. She has had an extreme impact as she is a literal main character and Dillon is attracted to Jen especially so it impacts him in a way because he wants to stay loyal to Preston's girlfriend Stacy. It would be cool to be friends with her because she is competitive and i am as well. She plays the role of a main character. The book would change if she was not in it because if it was all about Dillon i have a feeling the book would get a little bland at one point.
ReplyDeleteI mean I do believe she is a very strong character, but she definitely has a lot of trauma of what she went through and i think that's why she is so strong willed, and the isolation could also be because of the sexual abuse she was subjected to.
DeleteShe is a really cool character as she has a very interesting and different background. How do you think her background effects her while playing basketball or in general her personality. You don't mention any of the sexual abuse that she has been through and how you think she deals with it. I imagine that it is horrific. I wounder how she will overcome it.
DeleteThe character i choose to envision is Sarah Byrnes. I imagine her as a shorter chick with scars on her face and her hands and burn marks. She is described as a tough girl and she doesnt take shit from people. The role she plays is she is Eric's best friend and he cares a lot about her. Most of the story is about her and how she deals with her trauma from her dad. She plays a big role into how Eric acts and talks in class even when she is not there and how he acts around his other friends. I would probably not be friends with her because she seems like she is a bully and justifies it because of her scars. But i also feel like if i knew her i would probably be friends with her. If she was not in the book Eric would not have to worry about being fat and would be a good swimmer. Eric would definitely act a lot different because she is not there.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your envision of Sarah Byrnes. She may not look the toughest, but she has a strong personality. she also seems like the type of person to stay away from until you got to know them.
Deletei agree with you Nick based off your description Sarah does not sound like someone i would want to be around.
DeleteIn Chinese Handcuffs I chose Dillon, with how he is described in the book he wears somewhat casual clothes: jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes ect. He seems pretty confident, Dillon wasn't much into the plot and impacted anything until recently, where Jen tells him about the sexual abuse she was suffering through when she was little with her mom's boyfriends and dad. Most of his life more revolves around his sports and the girls he's interested in, he also seems to not have any friends. Dillon is meant to be a main character, but to me he he's more of a side character, mostly because this book so far has been about Jen then Dillon, the supposed main character. To me he could be easily replaced by a different character and i wouldn't even blink an eye.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with how you described Dillon, I imagine him the same way. I also agree with how you said he seems more like a side character at this point of the book, I want to know more about him and not Jennifer or Preston.
Deletethe character I choose in my book is Nortie. I think he is on the shorter side because if he was taller his dad probably wouldn't beat him. but I think he is also pretty jacked because walker said that Nortie is the best swimmer of them all. I think that Nortie is pretty scared of everything because he got very nervous about stotan week. Nortie has had a big impact on the story because without him, there wouldn't be much of a story in the first 50 pages of the book. I think me and Nortie would be in the same friend group. because it seems like he has a small friend group but isn't super popular. that why I think me and him would be friends. if he was not in the book I think the swim team would be very different and his friends wouldn't be as close with eachother
ReplyDeleteI agree that Nortie is on the shorter side and it makes sense about is dad beating him on why he might be short
DeleteI agree that Nortie was scared about stotan week, but I believe he could do way more when the day comes, he needs to get into gear.
DeleteThe book I have is Stotan and the character that could envision the most is Nortie. I think that Nortie is lean short guy and he is emotional. The reason I think he is emotional is because he was upset at himself about hitting that one kid at the daycare. The impact this character has so far is huge not only is he one of the best swimmers on the team but they have talked about him the most in the book and his environment at his house. I don't think I could see myself being friends with him because he makes things seem so complicated. If Nortie wasn't in the book I would think would be a bit more boring to be honest only because he has been talked about the most in the book so far.
ReplyDeleteI kind of agree with you with Nortie. When he told Walker that "it felt good" when he hit the kid, it had atoll towards Nortie. I can say that I would never be friends.
DeleteA character I envision is Sarah Byrnes. she seems like a not so strong girl who has a strong will. she may not be the toughest of the bunch, but she can hold her own when it comes down to it. If I were to imagine her appearance, I would imagine she's around 5'5 in height and decently skinny. I'd also have to imagine the scars on her face are pretty bad too. Sarah has made a huge impact on this story. even though half of the book doesn't talk about her, she still finds a way for people to be involved with her and her issues. for example, Eric drug Dale Thornton into her medical issues and we find out how she actually got those scars. This makes me think that if Sarah Byrnes was not included in this novel, it would not be a great book to read because of the lack of a storyline
ReplyDeleteThat is very interesting, because just like in the book Chinese Handcuffs, Preston (the brother that committed suicide), isn't around very long in the book. But for the time Preston is alive, he has the greatest impact on the book as a whole and all the characters.
Deleteyeah, for a charter that isn't even alive for any part of the book how dose he continue to change the plot and through curve balls at us. like the part where dillion spreads his ashes around the bar. yeah, he's not directly responsible but like damn what makes some one think to do that.
DeleteThe Character I chose is Jennifer Lawless from the book Chinese Handcuffs. Jen is a 16-year who plays on her schools all girl basketball team. She's athletic, tall with long hair and is the most talented on her team. Jennifer is also one of Dillon's the main protagonist's love interest, She too is struggling with the demons of her past and with that being said has caused her to put up emotional barriers between her true self and society. This comes to Jen as bitter sweet because due to this she has learned to incorporate this into her talent and lifestyle as a player for her basket ball team which makes her one of the best. But this also hurts her due to wanting to be with Dillon but doesn't know if she is ready to be in a physical and emotional relationship with him due to her emotional scars that both her father and step father had inflicted on her through sexual abuse. Up to this point in the book she has impacted the way Dillion separates an emotional relationship to a physical one. If she wasn't in the book this probably would have left Dillon in a state of desperation for a long time
ReplyDeleteI agree for the most part except form she isn't one of the best. she is the best or at least for now. my question is what do u think would happen with Dillion and Sydney if Jen wasn't there?
DeleteA character that I think is the most interesting is Eric from staying fat for Sarah Byrnes, he is the main character in the book he's a smart 14 year old a big boy who swims distance. And is pretty good so being a swimmer he is all ways loosening weight, yet he eats a lot to stay fat for a Sarah his bestfriend he says is big girl and ugly, And just friends yet base's all of his dictions and plans off how others think of her. I respect the loyalty to stay fat and not leave her being good friends, but a friendship that can be broken by not being fat is not a good friendship. His character is being a crutch for Sarah and be a good swimmer, does have bully trauma though. I would know him if he went to school here but not as friends.
ReplyDeleteMax, why do you think you and eric would not be friends at our school?
DeleteMax, I truly believe that me and eric would be friends just because we each share the same characteristics when it comes to school, he and i both like to share our opinions and don't care what other people think about us.
DeleteI think Walker is a good character even though he has some problems with his love life like having to choose between two girls that he is attracted to. Walker is a good friend to each person in his circle. He feels the emotions that his friends are experiencing. Walker listens before he responds and then helps his friend talk through solutions. As a friend, Walker comforted his buddy Nortie when Nortie slapped that kid at childcare. Walker holds the story together. Without Walker as a character, the many friends would be on an crazy path. Walker is there for each friend guiding them. Walker is always protecting his friends like when Nortie tells about his older brother’s suicide, Walker has other friends be on the watch for Nortie to make sure he is good.
ReplyDeleteMs. Lemry from Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes I envision to look like every other stereotypical English teacher. I think she wears a cardigan and converse because I picture her to be a bit younger and I think she would try to relate to her students more than other teachers. This can be seen through her teaching her class of Contemporary American Thought. I picture her to be slim and fit with long brown hair. I also picture her to have glasses. I think her attitude is stubborn but also mischievous. I think she likes when the student debates turn into arguments. She seems like an instigator, but you can also see that she has a deep passion for teaching and truly cares about her students. Ms. Lemry's class takes up a huge part of the book. Without her we would not see Eric pushing himself so hard during swim or the debates that take place during the book. If Ms. Lemry were taken out of the book, I don't think that the readers would see such a rivalry between characters.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I was thinking the same exact thing for how she looked. I also agree about the rivalry between the characters.
DeleteMs. Lemry is defiantly a basic English teacher who over the years of debate and swim has just turned into a cool teacher. Who allows things too go a bit too far at times "abortion debate, " but that kind of teaching is needed for true independent thinking. And critical thinking, then punishes the kids in swim.
DeleteA character my book that stood out to me is, Mr. Mauntz the vice principle at erics schools Mr Mauntz seems to be a very biased guy. Mauntz always seems to take the side of kids who look very good on paper but one on one are not the best students. They are very despicable and manipulative. For example mark Brittan a classmate of eric who is a very committed follower of Christ and has good moral values, but he seems to judges kids in his class who don't share the same values as him. Mr. Mauntz loves mark due to his strong values, and always seems to look away from the actions he does that aren't exactly equal to his moral values, he always seems to give mark more chances then a lot of other kids because he thinks mark is a better kid.
ReplyDeleteMr. Mauntz sounds like a teacher i would not want to have based off your description of him
DeleteThe character that i'm choosing from chinese is preston, preston is the brother of dillon he's not actually in the book the the letters his brother has had made it seem as if he was. hes was as some would say crippled he lost his legs in a motorcycle accident witch fully changed his life and how he ad to live it. with the challenged that he had to overcome being crippled it made is life very difficult and it ended driving him to the point where he took his own life.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are enjoying and that is so sad that has happened to that guy, that sounds really interesting and i actually wanted to read that book if i wasn't reading running loose.
DeleteI am choosing Carter from Running Loose. I envision him as a 6-foot 3-inch guy or a little taller. He kind of resembles someone who is bigger than life. He is a barrier between Louie and Boomer, protecting Louie while trying to keep Boomer in line and not hurt the team. If he was not int his book it would have multiple effects, one would be the quarterback for the team would not be a big hero-like guy, and two would be no one to keep Boomer in like. I would like to be friends with Carter.
ReplyDeleteI am choosing the character Lion from the book Stotan. I imagine Lion to be built and taller than the other characters. Lion pushes the other guys to work harder and is always trying to challenge himself. he stands up for what he believes in and looks out for his friends. He has been a strong pillar of support for the other characters and acts as a motivator when they dont want to do the work. If Lion was not in the book the characters would find the Stotan week a lot harder.
ReplyDeleteA character that i would pick from my book running loose is Boomer. I envision Boomer as a tall built guy with black hair. He acts stuck up and thinks he is better than everyone else and seems to get pleasure from giving people a hard time. I think Boomer had a big impact on how Louie is performing in football, Louie has been trying extra hard just to be better than Boomer. I would try to avoid Boomer if i could because it seems like the only decisions he makes are the ones that are best for him, he doesn't think about anyone but himself. If Boomer wasnt in the book i think Louie would still be out for footbal but i dont think he would be in the position he is not because he wouldnt have anyone to focus on beating
ReplyDeleteThe character I chose was boomer, I picture him as kind of the bully, he has a lot of problems at home with his dad. He's had a big impact in the book because he's always giving Louie a hard time let alone everybody. To be honest a lot of people wouldn't be friends with and I don't know if I would be either in the book I feel like boomer is the way he is because of how he was raised and I think that may be a reason on how he acts in the book. I think if boomer wasn't in the book it would be different I feel that boomer pushes Louie in a way because Louie is trying to prove he's better then boomer.
ReplyDeleteI chose the same one because he is making louis life pretty much marble over some stupid thing possible. Boomer is making a huge impact even on my life becuase we all need to watch out for people like him.
DeleteI chose boomer I imagine him as a guy that has a huge, big ego and thinks he's better than everyone else. I never really liked boomer I can just see him having a ripped 6 pack and a jerk to anyone that looks at him wrong. I feel that boomer is a dirty and nasty player and could get someone really injured if he keeps up what he's doing. I mean I font blame Louie for trying to do the right thing boomer should have not done that and that is the cheapest ways to win games.
ReplyDeleteThe character I choose was carter I find carter interesting because he's not a main character, but he seems. like he is he gets all the girls he is the leader of the football team in louis eyes carter is a big superstar that has the answers to every question and always helps Louie. if carter was not in this story there would be nobody to help lead Louie on who he is becoming carter helps Louie try to succeed also of carter isn't there then boomer thinks he is the best and would bully other underclassman and do anything to get his way instead of being a leader like carter.
ReplyDeleteA character from Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes I can envision is Mark Brittain. I envision Mark as a guy who is always arguing with people who aren't of the same religion as him and always wearing a rosemary and think's that everyone but him is destined for hell. Mark impacts the story by being a very overbearing boyfriend to a girl named Jody who appears to be the main love interest for the main character Eric. Without Mark in the story the dynamic of Jody and Eric would be entirely different. If Mark was real I would do my best to avoid him as he seems to be a very rude and self centered character.
ReplyDeleteThe character I choose is Virgil Byrnes. I imagine his as a skinny, tall man that kind of always looks dirty. Like he works on cars or something that is a messy job. I imagine him with khaki shorts and a plaid button up shirt with short sleeves. I imagine his hair to be brown, but he doesn't have much hair. So far, this character has been feared and not really talked about, but he is the whole reason his daughter is in the hospital. He is someone that I would avoid because of the decisions that he has made. This character is Sarahs father, and the book wouldn't be the same if he wasn't in the book. He's the reason Sarah is in the hospital and why Sarah went when she was younger. He is the main antagonist.
ReplyDeleteThe character that I choose from the book Chinese Handcuffs is the main character, Dillions brother, Preston. I choose Preston because so far in the book he is the character that has really stood out to me. When i envision him he is truly a rebel. When they mentioned story's from Preston's childhood in the book he is either getting into some kind of trouble or doing odd things like killing a cat and being ok with doing it. I envision Preston with shaggy, dirty, brown hair. I see him as a tall, slim stature. Preston does not have any empathy for other either it seems like he does not care about how he makes others feel. Preston plays a big role on who Dillion is as Preston was Dillions older brother. Also I am sure that when Preston committed suicide Infront of Dillion, that if effects Dillions mental state on the daily. I would defiantly not be friends with Preston as he seems to be a horrible influence on others. I am very interested on how Preston's death will effect Dillion throughout the rest of the book. If it wasn't for Preston Dillions life would not be anything near to how it is.
ReplyDeleteThe character from STOTAN! that I envision is Nortie. He can be a person who take a good care of his job, but that didn't go well for him, he has a girlfriend that he needs to get back to, he has an abusive dad, and he has to go to the STOTAN Week. He can be pain for complaining about STOTAN Week, but he was wonder on what it was about. I could say that he could do a lot, he can still do good things. I can say that he has a soft and hard spot of his personality.
ReplyDeleteThe character I chose to talk about is Jennifer Lawless. I envision her being around 5 ft 10 with blonde hair and brown eyes. Jennifer is extremely athletic and fit; she is both mentally and physically strong. Jennifer is a huge basketball player so I would imagine her in more athletic clothes like leggings, sweatpants, and sweatshirts. When I think of Jennifer, I think of her having a strong persona. She's the type of girl to build a wall around herself and not let others know how she is feeling or let anyone in. Jennifer wildly impacts the story because she is a person Dillon can really connect with and share his troubles with. She also impacts the book by her and Dillon falling for each other and sharing each other's traumas. If Jennifer was not in this book, then the plot would have been completely different, since most of the book is about her life as well as Dillon's. I personally feel like me and Jennifer could be friends because she's a very outgoing person and seems like a funny person. When she was talking to Dillon in the hospital their conversation flowed so nicely it just seemed like she would be a great person to confide in.
ReplyDeleteI chose the character Ryan from Chinese handcuffs. In my mind he looks like jack jack form the Incredibles. He was just a regular character up until a few pages ago where he went from Sydney sisters baby to the baby of Sydney herself. And as for the part if I could be friend with this little child. NO I could not I don’t like annoying children. And for the part of how would this story be different. I believe that Preston would be alive today if it weren’t for this kid because he killed him self the day after he found out about the kid. And this book would be about a girl getting didled by daddy. And a friend the is Horney over stuff animals.
ReplyDelete"In my mind he looks like jack jack from the Incredibles." Thats an absolutely halarious thought that I now cannot get out of my head.
DeleteJennifer Lawless in my opinion is quite the character. For starters, She seems to have a very low look upon herself. At very beginning of the book in chapter 1 or 2, Jen talks about a well trained competor named Renee Halfmoon, who is seeming like a complete equal to Jen in terms of athletics and sports. I just found it quite facisinating on how Jen's phycology enacts here, though granted I've always been in that kind of thing so it may just be a tiny detail there but it still intreged me nontheless.
ReplyDeleteI chose the character Dale Thornton from Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. At first I thought Dale was 6'3 and 200 pounds because he was described as a big dude that would bully other kids and got whatever he wanted because of how much bigger he was than the other kids. Now though I realize that he is around 5'11. The reason for that is because when he described as big it was in 8th grade. He was also much older because he was held back for many years. Then 3 years later Eric sees him again and says he hadn't grown since 8th grade, and that he was small. If he wasn't in the story the book would be a lot different. Dale is an antagonist who eventually becomes a friend. and over the summer becomes better friends with Sarah than Eric was. He was also a big help with Eric trying to figure some things in Sarah's past.
ReplyDeleteI must say I rather like how Dale turned out in this book, I feel like he was just really misunderstood at the start of the book.
DeleteI chose to describe the character Mautz from Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, He is described as 6 feet tall and 5 inches tall, weighing 235 pounds of pure muscle, but I must say I always envisioned him as being this short chihuahua like guy because he mostly is more of a background character later on who seems to just like to shove his beliefs in other people's faces and gets all angry if he isn't listened to and whenever he actually does something about it, it's always underhanded and kind of backstabby in my opinion. although his impact on the story is basically being the antagonist of what Eric and Sarah try to do at school, now if I knew him in real life, I would probably try to stay away from him because he is very religious and shoves that in people's face and I don't really like that. And in my opinion if he wasn't in the book I feel like it would actually be better because he just annoys me with what he does and I can never find an actual reason for anything he does.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that Mautz was that tall, i thought he was a normal guy but this makes more sense way kids are scared of his strong charter and super religious, who doesn't mind to voice his opinion on anything. I agree he is definitely one of the antagonists of the story always standing for Mark even when Mark is in the wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe character is chose to describe would be Nortie from the book Stotan! Nortie seems like a apprehensive kid who went through a lot growing up. He seems like he would be around 5'10 with short brown hair. He never had a good relationship with his parents, because he doesn't follow their monocultural ways. Nortie would often get beat by his father and by other kids throughout the book. I think i would get along with Nortie because he's a nice and respectful kid.
ReplyDelete