McCrary Elementary School Battle of the Books Blog
Hello, McCrary Elementary Battle of the Books competitors! I'm setting up this blog so that we can discuss the Battle of the Books books during the summer and the school year. Feel free to post any comments, questions, or thoughts about the different books on here. Just remember that this is a school blog and it is a public document. Make sure that your comments are thoughtful and appropriate! Happy reading!
-Ms. Salabak
I had already read this book for my Children's Literature class, but I was looking forward to reading it again. I really like the characters in this story. I especially like the grandmother and her constant positive attitude and willingness to accept people for who they are. The children in this book reminded me a little of the children in "How to Steal a Dog."
ReplyDeleteQuestions for discussion:
Why do you think the author chose to let Naomi tell the story instead of some other character or an outside person?
Why did Naomi think that Mr. Marble was the best person at Buena Vista Elementary School?
Naomi thinks it is good and bad that Skyla came back into their lives. What did she mean by this?
Naomi took Blanca to see Mr. Marble and then to the library to eat lunch. Naomi thought of it as a place where all the leftover kids came. What does Naomi mean by being a leftover kid?
At the end of the story, Mr. Marble tells Naomi she has grown from a mouse to a lioness. Describe some of the important changes that Naomi has undergone as a character.
I loved this book. I got in trouble for reading it at the dinner table! I'm sorry I havn't blogged yet I've been on vacation for a long time. To answer some of your questions is I think what Naiomi meant when she said that it was good and bad when Skyla came in to their lives is that some things are good and some things about her are bad. For example it is good that they got to to see their mother. If you think about it Naiomi and her brother would have never gotten to find their father and Naiomi would still be a mouse as Mr.Marble puts it, if their mother had never showed up. Some things that are bad is that the mother is phisically abusing them and she is making the son feel bad about his condition.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
DeleteI hope that you enjoyed your vacation and I'm so glad that you posted! I hope that we will all be able to use the blog more once the school year starts.
You have good examples of the good and the bad that comes with Skyla's reappearance in Naomi's life. Is there an example of something that happened in your life that was both good and bad? Do you think that the good of seeing Skyla again outweighed the bad for Naomi?
I'm glad you enjoyed the book- I hope that you enjoy some of the other books on the list just as much! Keep reading! : )
I do think that the good out waited the bad because if you think about it logically Naomi would have never met her father without her mom. I guess my gradmother re-marring was good and bad. I mean it is good that she is happy and won't be lonely. But I always feel kind of awkward around him.
DeleteYour grandmother is a great example. I moved to North Carolina and left my family in Ohio 8 years ago. This was both good and bad for me. I found a great job and have met lots of wonderful people here, but it is bad because I miss my family a lot. Many things happen to us that can be good and bad, so it is important that we try to focus on the positives. This is hard sometimes, though.
DeleteI understand hoe much you miss your family. My grandparents are scattered around the Country. 2 pairs live in Georgia and 1 pair lives in California! It is hard for us to focas on the positives in especially bad situations. I think that Naomi was the best person to tell this story from because it seemed that Naomi understood more than anyone. For example Owen thinks that Terri(Skyla) is a goddess and Gram is so harsh on her(for good reason too!)Plus Naomi was really the one in question about LA or their father or those kind of things.
DeleteNaomi feels like she doesn't fit into a group and neither do the other kids who are there. Like Naomi says that she doesn't fit in with the kids who talk about hair make-up and those kind of things. I think this book explains everybody's life at some point but without all the trama. I guess at one point in some peoples life they want to know who they are and how they fit in to the fabrik of life.
DeleteIt was good that Skyla came back into their lives because now they actually have a mom that they can talk to every day. It is also good because now the grandmother doesn't have as much on her hands as before. It is bad that Sklya came back into their lives because Skyla drinks and is setting a bad example. It is also bad because Skyla pays attention to Naiomi and not her brother. She doesn't pay attention to Naiomi's brother because he has problems. Sklya thinks that that is a embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteMarion-
DeleteYou did a great job giving both advantages and disadvantages to Skyla's mom coming back into their lives. I can tell you put some thought into this. It was happy and sad when I read about Skyla's mom coming back- but I think it was more sad than happy. Do you think it was more good or more damaging when the mom came back? Why?
this is my favrite book ![truthfuly this time].i think the reson that niomi says that it is good and bad that skyla is back is that niomi has alwas wanted to meet her birth mother and the bad thing is that niomi found out that her mom has probems with drinking and is starting to drink again.also that skyla has a boyfriend and he is also drinking and also has tattos. i would not want a father with tattos and he destroyed one of niomi's soap carvings. 5 words: not my kind of father . love this book!
ReplyDeleteI loved so many of the books, I'm not sure I can even choose a favorite this year! So I understand why you have said that. :) You did a good job thinking about why Skyla's mom's return was both good and bad. I was so upset when her boyfriend destroyed the soap carving! Naomi worked so hard on that- I would have been very upset if that happened to me! What would you do if someone destroyed something that you worked that hard to make?
DeleteI would get really angry at the person no matter who it is! That would be horrible!
DeleteI havent finshed it yet but so far it is a great boook i love this book it so funny(:
ReplyDeletei haven't read much but by the way that you tell me about the book i can tell that this book is really interesting.
DeleteI think the author chose to let Naomi tell the story becasue she is the main charecter in the story everthing is mainly about Naomi.She thougth that Mr.Marble was the best person there because he was really nice to her. Naomi means that when her mother Skyla first came back she was really nice to Naomi and Owen but later in the book she started being mean to them like when she slaped Naomi on the face for saying she wasnt going to Las-Vagas with her and clive(:.
ReplyDeleteAutumn,
DeleteMuch better blog! Thank you! :)
How would the story have changed if Owen was telling it? I love Owen's character and wish that I could be more like him. I love that he doesn't care about what other people think about it. It made me SO sad (I cried) when he asked Naomi why the mom didn't want him. I wish that I could be as positive as Owen. Which character did you like the most?
I have read 8 of the books but i love this one the most it is so touching what they go through i dont how they do it(:
ReplyDeleteAutumn,
DeleteSeveral of these books were very sad. So many characters go through awful situations. These books made me grateful for what I have. Did you feel thankful after reading any of the Battle of the Books books? Which one and why?
i felt thankful for what i have after reading this book because i thought that they were the ones with less also known as the less fourtanite
Deletei think naomi knows mr.marble is a good person because he done some thing for. well i took a little gusse because i have'nt read almost the hole book yet but i m about to get to that part.fd
ReplyDeleteI love the way the author, Pam Munoz Ryan, uses figurative language. One of my favorites is when Naomi says finding out about her father and that he wanted her was "like a found piece of candy when you didn't even know you were craving something sweet." (p. 74) I would like to know if any of you students have an example of figurative language you really like.
ReplyDeletethey let her tell the story because she's the main character and it was the life she had and that's why they let her tell the story.
ReplyDeletei like this book because they have Hispanic words and it is really cool reading them but people think that Naomi is Mexican but she is really not.Gonzalo
ReplyDeletenaomi thoght that mr.Marble was the best because he let people eat in the libary and she like eatting there because its quite.TRhe author let Naomi tell the story because i almost about her life of what shes doing and like her grandma and own's dont talk alot.
ReplyDeleteNaomis life kind of reminds me of me life. It reminds me of my life because i live with my grandma too but not for the same reason,Being able to connect to the charecters in a book is helpfull while your reading because you are able to feel like your in the book with the charecters it also helps you understand the book more and understand what is going on with the charecters life.
ReplyDeleteI am just now reading the book for the third time. i am getting to know Naomi and Owen. Gram allways watches wheel of fourtune,Naomi likes to make a list out of everything!
ReplyDelete