Looking Back on 8th Grade

My favorite unit in reading this year was reading the historical fiction novels.  I really liked it because we got to read every other day.

My favorite book I read this year was the series Matched and Crossed.  They are fantasy books.  They is my favorite because they are placed in a "perfect" society and a girl breaks away from it all.

I want to make a shout out to Mr. Ramaeker.  I want to thank them for helping me on assignments that I didn't understand.  He is awesome because he is really nice and is almost never mad.

 Three things I did really well this year are reaching my A.R. goal every quarter, staying on the honor roll all year, and maintaining good grades.  Three things I need to improve upon are getting all my assignments done, not miss as many days of school, and study more for tests.

My advice to incoming 8th graders is to listen to your teachers, get all assignments turned in on time, and have fun.

The Boy Who Dared Book Review

I read The Boy Who Dared historical fiction novel in reading class.  I gave the novel 3.5 out of 5 stars.  I gave it 3.5 stars because it was intriguing. Also it was kind of confusing at times.  The Boy Who Dared is about a teenage boy who lived in World War 2. He is in prison but he keeps having flashbacks to when he was younger.  Helmuth didn't agree with the Nazis and what they were doing.  Helmuth and his friends find themselves breaking more than one law.  His memories lead up to when he was in prison.  I think that 6th, 7th , and 8th graders should read this novel.

Historical Fiction Journal Entry

Helmuth joined the Hitler youth group.
Helmuth's brother Gerhard went into the military.
Helmuth is in prison.

My Historical Fiction Novel: The Boy Who Dared

I am reading the historical fiction novel The Boy Who Dared.  The main character is Helmuth Hubener. The setting is Berlin, Germany.  The story is told in fist and third person point of view.  When it is in third person he is having a flashback, and it is in first person when he is in prison.
This novel is historical fiction because it has real events but has fictional characters.
I learned that even young kids supported Hitler and were in Hitler youth groups. I also learned that there were two schools; a public school and a Jewish school. Hitler was making German civilians boycott Jewish stores and goods.

Reichstag was a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany.  It was opened in 1984 and housed the Reichstag until 1933 when it was severely damaged in a fire.  It underwent reconstruction in 1990 and was finished in 1999.



                                                                                    Hitler---->

Schema I Used While Reading

Monitor and Revise Assessment

Monitor and revise means to pay attention to what your brain is thinking when you read and figure out whatever questions you have.   I monitor while reading by using sticky notes to write down what I was thinking.  I revise my reading by using context clues to figure words out that I don't know, I reread if I get lost, and I summarize each chapter after I am done.  By monitoring and revising my reading I can be a better reader because I  will better understand what I am reading.

What's in my tool box

When I am reading I ask myself questions about the book. Also if I am reading and I don't understand something I go back and reread it. If I don't know a word I ask my friends, teachers, use context clues, or I use a dictionary. I use connections with my reading.

Death Penalty

The Star Spangled Banner

I learned that The Star Spangled Banner was a poem with four verses. Later on they made the first verse into a song. The tune to The Star Spangled Banner is a popular British tune.  Francis Scott Key wrote the four verses. The original name of the poem was 'Defense of Fort McHenry'. It was written after the British stopped firing on Fort McHenry. Francis Scott Key went to get his friend Dr. Bean. They had to stay on the ship because the British were getting ready to attack.

Poetry connections to The Giver

Pain Pain Pain


Sometimes I am in so much pain. All I want to do is cry. And sometimes the pain is so bad. I just want to die. I would be better of dead. Then to have to bear the pain. So if you have pain. Then you can understand how I feel. That the pain I am in is very very real.


Susie Sunshine


 I think that this poem relates to Rosemary because she released herself because of the pain. It was just to much for her so she injected her arm to die and release the memories to the community.