Post your connections to the book. These may be connections to: your own life (text to life)
To happenings at school or in the neighborhood or in the newspaper (text to world)
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8 comments:
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Test- Great Book
Yes, it really was a great book. An easy, but interesting read at the same time. I know most of the students I've had come from single parent homes where usually the mother or grandmother is the mother figure but the father is not around and they do not have many, if any, male figures in their lives. I think kids in this situation would really relate to the close relationship Rivers had with his mother and uncle. I also think they would connect with the feeling of anger and resentment that Rivers felt towards his father for most of the book.
This was a great book and an easy read. I think that a lot of students could relate to/empathize with River and his situation. I must admit that it was very hard for me to read the part when Uncle Daddy was in the ICU. This past February my father was admitted to the hospital. He was on life support in the ICU for three weeks. He is doing well now, but I got very emotional while reading this part. All my past anxieties and fears came flooding back and I knew exactly how River felt.
I also got emotional when Uncle Daddy was in the ICU. When Rivers made the hand cup to give him a drink, I started to cry. I think many children could connect to the material in this book. Children with stepfathers, sick family members, drug abuse, etc. However, I do think it could give children a false hope, since everything turned out for the best at the end.
I can connect to this story because my father did almost the exact same thing that Rivers father did. My parents married young and had 3 children by the age of 25. After getting out of the army my dad worked as a sheet metal worker. My father could not handle the overwhelming responsibility, he began to drink. Then one day he up and left. He left my mom with 3 young children to care for by herself. My mom did remarry. But, I never was close to my stepdad, like Rivers was with his Uncle Daddy. Especially, because when I was about 13, my stepdad up and left too. He loaded all his belonging into a uhaul one day while I was at school. When I came home he was gone. He eventually did come back, and I do have a good relantionship with my stepfather now. But, learning to trust again is hard, so I could identify with the feelings Rivers had when his dad came back.
I agree about the emotions you felt when Uncle Daddy was in the hospital. It was very emotional. I think that part in particular would click with a lot of kids as it did with you girls.
I absolutely loved this book. I honestly could not put it down. What a great read. I think many adolescent students would be able to identify with Rivers character in the sense that he was just a regular kid raised by a single mom and his uncle. There are many students who attend the school where I teach who are being raised by a single parent. Many times these single parents who tend to be primarily moms will come to meetings and explain how they are trying to mange raising their child/children while going to work and in some cases going back to school. Students tend to be very sensitive about having a single parent. During Father's Day teachers will explain to the students that they can make a gift for their uncle or a grandfather or a good friend of the family so he/she doesn't feel left out. Kids would definitely be able to identify with the feelings of anger and resentment that Rivers feels when his father comes back. It definitely wouldn't be an easy situation for anyone to go through. I was really scared to read on while Uncle Daddy was sick in the hospital. I was so glad that he survived the heart attack. I was also glad that the family was able to merge together in such a tough time. Rivers was finally able to feel comfortable enough to bond with his dad even though he had all those feelings of anger. What a great ending to the story.
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