For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
If you've read other books by this same author, how does this one compare? (You don't need to decide which one is better, although you can.)
Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analyze a relationship between two different characters. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fictional book by J.K. Rowling. This novel follows a boy, Harry Potter, who discovers that he is a wizard. He enrolls in a school that teaches magic.There, he has mysteries to solve.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling is a book for children as well as teens. The simple explanation: it's about magic. However, I have to use CDs and CMs so here goes. "'He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.'" If adults read this quote, they would immediately think that this book is so immature and there are no such things as witches and wizards. That would be the end of it. However, younger people might have more interest in this magical world. It is easier for them to get sucked into this book. This novel helps youngsters get away from the cruel reality of the world and into a magical one.
The cover wouldn't appeal to adults. People are told not to judge a book by its cover, but they still do. The cover shows a boy riding on a broomstick who is trying to catch a golden ball. In the background, there is a unicorn on a field and a three headed dog inside a gigantic castle. This type of illustration would appeal more to the younger generation.
I would recommend this book to youth if I wasn't too lazy and uninterested to do so. It's useful if you want to pass time(whether it be in a waiting room or in a boring class). The beginning isn't slow and it doesn't have problems when introducing ideas. New ideas just blend into the plot and are not out of place. There is nothing that is too bloody to give children nightmares as this is not a horror book. The vocabulary is not overly advanced. A fifth grader could probably understand this book. The book is not too short or too long(only 309 pages). As a result, the plot is complete without dragging the story out too long to the point where a reader may fall asleep after reading several hundred pages. However if you are looking for action, this book would not satisfy you. The main character has not learned enough magic yet to engage in major duels. It is more of a detective novel because the main characters try to find a culprit.
The other books written by J.K. Rowling that I have read are all in the Harry Potter series.I believe this book is relatively short compared to all those other Harry Potter novels. However, this one is just as good if not better than most of the other books in the series. They have similar styles too. What makes the novels so alike?
To provide an example, I will use a quote from the book. "It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls..."(Rowling, 307). In the whole series, Harry does crazy stuff that normal people don't do and goes on a lot of adventures. Obviously, Rowling designed this character to be like this. There is also a consistent style in the plot that the author utilizes. Before the school year, Harry stays with the Dudleys. Then the plot always starts with mysteries that are unlocked piece by piece as the year goes on. In the end, the action often involves the defense against the dark arts teacher who opposes Harry (it is said that the job is cursed). The old teacher is always gone the next year. Finally, Harry goes back to live with the Dudleys (except in the last book).
Like I said before, this one is short compared to the other books in the series (only 309 pages). The fifth book in the series is over 700 pages long! There is not as much spell usage because the main character has not learned enough to use them. In later books, Harry will use more spells. This is the only book where house points are a big deal. Hogwarts is split into four houses and whichever house has the most points by the end of the year wins the trophy. However in later books, house points are not as significant. If I had to say which book was the best in the series, I would say it was the fourth one. That one was better than this one, but I still like the one I'm reading, not to take anything away from this one.
A character I would like to look at is Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. To start with, his personality is very calm. He doesn't become angry and never panics in the face of danger. He seems like a very cheerful man from what Harry says. In addition, he is very knowledgable . He knows everything that is going on in his school as well as the world. He knows that Voldemort, the villian, will strike again. Dumbledore can also be very affirmative and threatening. He bluntly warns that a section of the school is forbidden and that absolutely no one can go there. He also is rumored to be the only one Voldemort fears. He is a powerful wizard and he is praised by supporters and students. Dumbledore is so famous that he has his own trading card and is offered a job as a minister. His relationship to Harry is a friendly one. He offers Harry a spot in Hogwarts. However there are few interactions between Dumbledore and Harry in the novel. He doesn't consciously look after Harry even though he knows he is the one who can defeat Voldemort. It seems like a one way relationship in which only Harry is interested in what Dumbledore is doing. This may be because he is so busy all the time.
To recap, I think this book is good. I believe that it doesn't contain a whole lot of action, but it is just a precursor to the next books in the series. It's fictional so the intended audience are the children and teens. It's interesting to see how Dumbledore and Harry interact in this and later books. You should read this novel.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
second blog post prewrite 4/13
The other books written by J.K. Rowling that I have read are all in the Harry Potter series.I believe this book is relatively short compared to all those other Harry Potter novels. However, this one is just as good if not better than most of the other books in the series. They have similar styles too. What makes the novels so alike?
To provide an example, I will use a quote from the book. "It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls..."(Rowling, 307). In the whole series, Harry does crazy stuff that normal people don't do and goes on a lot of adventures. Obviously, Rowling designed this character to be like this. There is also a consistent style in the plot that the author utilizes. Before the school year, Harry stays with the Dudleys. Then the plot always starts with mysteries that are unlocked piece by piece as the year goes on. In the end, the action often involves the defense against the dark arts teacher who opposes Harry (it is said that the job is cursed). The old teacher is always gone the next year. Finally, Harry goes back to live with the Dudleys (except in the last book).
Like I said before, this one is short compared to the other books in the series (only 309 pages). The fifth book in the series is over 700 pages long! There is not as much spell usage because the main character has not learned enough to use them. In later books, Harry will use more spells. This is the only book where house points are a big deal. Hogwarts is split into four houses and whichever house has the most points by the end of the year wins the trophy. However in later books, house points are not as significant. If I had to say which book was the best in the series, I would say it was the fourth one. That one was better than this one, but I still like the one I'm reading, not to take anything away from this one.
To provide an example, I will use a quote from the book. "It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls..."(Rowling, 307). In the whole series, Harry does crazy stuff that normal people don't do and goes on a lot of adventures. Obviously, Rowling designed this character to be like this. There is also a consistent style in the plot that the author utilizes. Before the school year, Harry stays with the Dudleys. Then the plot always starts with mysteries that are unlocked piece by piece as the year goes on. In the end, the action often involves the defense against the dark arts teacher who opposes Harry (it is said that the job is cursed). The old teacher is always gone the next year. Finally, Harry goes back to live with the Dudleys (except in the last book).
Like I said before, this one is short compared to the other books in the series (only 309 pages). The fifth book in the series is over 700 pages long! There is not as much spell usage because the main character has not learned enough to use them. In later books, Harry will use more spells. This is the only book where house points are a big deal. Hogwarts is split into four houses and whichever house has the most points by the end of the year wins the trophy. However in later books, house points are not as significant. If I had to say which book was the best in the series, I would say it was the fourth one. That one was better than this one, but I still like the one I'm reading, not to take anything away from this one.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
book review prewrite-1 question
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling is a book for children as well as teens. The simple explanation: it's about magic. However, I have to use CDs and CMs so here goes. "'He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.'" If adults read this quote, they would immediately think that this book is so immature and there are no such things as witches and wizards. That would be the end of it. However, younger people might have more interest in this magical world. It is easier for them to get sucked into this book. This novel helps youngsters get away from the cruel reality of the world and into a magical one.
The cover wouldn't appeal to adults. People are told not to judge a book by its cover, but they still do. The cover shows a boy riding on a broomstick who is trying to catch a golden ball. In the background, there is a unicorn on a field and a three headed dog inside a gigantic castle. This type of illustration would appeal more to the younger generation.
I would recommend this book to youth if I wasn't too lazy and uninterested to do so. It's useful if you want to pass time(whether it be in a waiting room or in a boring class). The beginning isn't slow and it doesn't have problems when introducing ideas. New ideas just blend into the plot and are not out of place. There is nothing that is too bloody to give children nightmares as this is not a horror book. The vocabulary is not overly advanced. A fifth grader could probably understand this book. The book is not too short or too long(only 309 pages). As a result, the plot is complete without dragging the story out too long to the point where a reader may fall asleep after reading several hundred pages. However if you are looking for action, this book would not satisfy you. The main character has not learned enough magic yet to engage in major duels. It is more of a detective novel because the main characters try to find a culprit.
The cover wouldn't appeal to adults. People are told not to judge a book by its cover, but they still do. The cover shows a boy riding on a broomstick who is trying to catch a golden ball. In the background, there is a unicorn on a field and a three headed dog inside a gigantic castle. This type of illustration would appeal more to the younger generation.
I would recommend this book to youth if I wasn't too lazy and uninterested to do so. It's useful if you want to pass time(whether it be in a waiting room or in a boring class). The beginning isn't slow and it doesn't have problems when introducing ideas. New ideas just blend into the plot and are not out of place. There is nothing that is too bloody to give children nightmares as this is not a horror book. The vocabulary is not overly advanced. A fifth grader could probably understand this book. The book is not too short or too long(only 309 pages). As a result, the plot is complete without dragging the story out too long to the point where a reader may fall asleep after reading several hundred pages. However if you are looking for action, this book would not satisfy you. The main character has not learned enough magic yet to engage in major duels. It is more of a detective novel because the main characters try to find a culprit.
Friday, April 1, 2011
reading through students' vignettes and finding a symbol
According to the American Century Dictionary, alcohol is a colorless volatile flammable liquid. Whenever I hear about alcohol, I think about beer, wine and drunk people. However, Alex, Meriam and Tony use alcohol in a different context. Nonetheless, all four of us (including me) cast alcohol in a negative light although the vignettes themselves do not necessarily have a sad ending.
Alex writes a vignette about the time he had to save money for his trip to Washington D.C. He recalls of a particularly interesting can donor who gives Alex trouble by handing him recyclables as well as trash to recycle. He did manage to save enough money through this recycling work and in the process made a new friend in an alcoholic. "I would always wonder if he was ok when I heard him on the phone because he seemed to always be impaired due to alcohol." Alex is obviously worried about this man. Alcohol has taken a toll on the man as he seems to be a bit mental as he can't tell the difference between what can and can't be recycled. At this point, it is too early to tell what exactly alcohol is supposed to symbolize. Some possibilities are that alcohol is an obstacle, insanity, etc.
This next vignette by Meriam is a little more intense (complete understatement). The main character tries to help Owen break his alcohol addiction. The last part gets confusing when some people named Witch and Troll fight the main character and Owen. "One night he gave me a black eye when I tried to help him because he had alcohol poisoning." Alcohol can make someone do crazy stuff when they are drunk. Violence can be an obvious side effect of drinking. By now, readers of this response should establish that alcohol can't be a good symbol. Possible answers for what alcohol might mean include insanity and chaos.
The last vignette is from Tony. On a more lighthearted note, it talks about how playing with fire is fun (don't really do this at home). "I used alcohol and a little Boric Acid to make green fire. I’ve burned myself many times too. One time I burned a piece of skin about a big as a penny off one of my fingers." This quote is different from the previous two in that it does not involve drinking it. However it still does damage. After reviewing the three quotes, I conclude that alcohol represents chaos. The problem arising from the chaos may range from tiny to large such as the recyclables being mixed with trash to someone receiving a punch in the eye.
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