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- Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree
68 comments:
I am glad that the mother went over to sort things out with Rufus, because I don,t think Rufus was going to be talking to Kenny for a while. It's the sort of thing you would imagine a Mom to do for their kid, use their adult knowledge to help our tiny little heads out of tight spots.
Another thing I've noticed is that the author uses the same expression a lot, like "A mile a minute", or "You might as well have tied me to a tree and said"ready, aim, fire!". I'm pretty sure that that's intentional, because if it wasn't, an editor would have picked up on it. I guess it's just the way Kenny speaks.
Yes, Pigwidgeon. Kenny does use those phrases a lot, and I think that is very good writing on Christopher Paul Curtis's part, having his characters have a catch phrase. A lot of people have one, so that really made Kenny realistic.
For instance, I'm surprised you didn't bring this up; Homer's signature "Dow,” One thing I don't understand is the dinosaur wars. I suppose we all did stuff like that but how? Younger kids are usually more creative but how do you know that an atomic bomb destroys 30 dinosaurs and that a hand grenade destroys 20? Do they roll a dice or guess by the type of dinosaur?
I assumed that they throw rocks or something, and that the bigger rocks tend to kill more dinosaurs. I don't know for sure, but that's how I interpreted it.
But dinosaurs? Army men would seem more official but maybe because of the civil war and the bad stuff that happened down in the south he chose dinosaurs. I don't know, but that is my guess.
I think that the author may have used dinos instead of soldiers for a little diversity. Soldiers are often used in other books, so Christopher Paul Curtis was probably trying to mix it up a little.
My brother thought that it was because "Kenny didn't want to face the harshness of the world so soon and because dinosaurs were a while ago it doesn't seem like that ever was a reality." I don't quite understand that because it would have more to do with the author, not Kenny.
I played the genius boxing game and I am a math champion as Einstein. My motto, float like a butterfly, sting like that annoying math problem that you have to stay in all recess to figure out. I am the greatest. I am the champion of the world.
Flout like a butterfly sting like an anoiing math problem. What a cool motto. I'm not so sure that you will rule the world with that motto. What if an other genius comes along and your math problem does not sting like a math problem?
Christopher Paul Curtis could have put in the dinos becaouse he could have collected toy dinosaurs when he was a kid. I think the dinosaurs were a good change from the army men. What I don't get is why Christopher Paul Curtis had Byron kissing his reflection. Would a sixth grader really do that in below zero tempature?
Kidderkizvaagaan, I think that the author made Byron kissing his reflection because he wanted to tell the readers that Byron was arrogant and that he thought that he was the most beautiful person in the world. It would show you why Byron beat up his brother also. Because Byron didn't think that Kenny was worth anything compared to himself. I'm don't know if this was the impression M.R. Curtis wanted to make, but I'm pretty sure it was.
I think it is really funny that Byron got his lips stuck to a mirror of the "Brown Bomber".I would be soo frustrated if that happened[it would not] ,but he seams like a funny man.Byron tries to look cool in front of his friends except for the one time in chapter three I believe it was when he stood up for his younger when Buphead was teasing Kenny because of his lazzy eye.
I wonder what the mother did to convince Rufus it was a honest mistake.Well whatever she did I am glad they did.I would have to say Rufus is my favorite character so far.I like that Kenney uses those phrases.But some times they just get annoying.
I am glade Kenny found a new friend or a person to play with. It is mean how RJ would steal his dinosaurs.
No one want to be friends with someone like that.
I also thought it was funny when Byron's lips got stuck.
I think that Byron was just being bigheaded. You teenagers sometimes try and act all cool so he thought that he was really cool. I guess he is "cool" because in the book it describes him as a god of the school. But since he thinks he is great he did that because he is in love with himself. Not really but just he thinks he is the most beautiful thing in the world.
Sorry Pigwidgeon, I left the blog and I was in the middle of writng so I didn't see your post. My fault.
I am interested in the fact that the Mom got involved with the friendship issue AND, more surprising to me, was how secretly glad Kenny was about it. As a mother, I tend to stay out of those things, and just sort of support and encourage from the sidelines. Except, of course, if it gets out of hand.
I was also intrigued by Kenny's idea that he had a "saver" and that Rufus would be that saviour because he would take the Kenny's place as victim. Interesting connection to religion, I thought.
And the kissing the mirror thing? I thought that was hysterical. I loved the way the Mom and Dad reacted to it so differently - I have an image of the Dad standing there suppressing his laughter and of Byron's runny nose and stuck lips - ick. Good description though.
Ms. Baker
I would like to know a little more about Joetta. It seems at the moment like she is just a typical little sister who is sort of ignorant (in a good way) and doesn't want anything bad to happen to anyone she loves. We saw this most clearly when Byron was stuck to the car. She started crying. I think may have been for two reasons; one, she is too young to understand the irony of the situation, and two, she honestly thought he was going to die or something.
Most of the other characters have already developed strong personalities, and I am sure that the emergence of Joetta isn't fart behind.
Daphne it's LJ not RJ. The part I thought was funny was when the dad said, and I quote "Wilona, how far do you think I'd get driving down the streat with this little clown attached to the mirror? What am I supposed to do, have him run beside the car all the way down to the emergency room?" I cracked up when I read that, I mean can you imagine somebody driving down the streat with a boy attached to the mirror running beside? It's pretty funny. Ernie that is one of the funniest/wierdest mottos I have ever read.:) Don't you think since the mother pulled Byron's head off the mirror his lips would start bleeding badly?
Phat man, don't you mean "far" then "fart"? :)
I can not believe that LJ stole the "Radioactive Dinosaurs"all of them!I would tell my mom if one of my friends stole my dinosaurs.The good thing it that my dinos have never made a un expected vacation to another house, as far as I know.
Well actually they did, when Kenny went over to apologize to Rufus. He said it was Rufus' turn to be the Americans. Rufus then turned him away. But the dinosaurs went to someone "trust worthy," because he knew that Rufus would never try and steal the dinosaurs. He wouldn't want to because they were real friends. LJ and Kenny weren't real friends but Rufus and Kenny were. They enjoyed the same stuff such as the dinosaurs, which LJ also enjoyed but he just played with them to steal them. He had no interest in being friends with Kenny.
Oh, I thought that you meant Kenny's dinosaurs. My fault, again.
I think this book is really interesting because it's funny, and it's something that really happened. I think it's good that Kenny got a friend, even though he almost lost one. It makes me laugh the way Rufus talks... ( hi-ya'l ).
It might sound wierd when someone says "Hi-ya'l" but they can't help loose the twang. IT must be wierd living with a gap in between your teeth.In the book, when they go to school it souds like it's in the summer time insted of the winter time. In the begining of the book it's in the winter time.
I personally would like to know a bit more about rufus' family. We know a small amount about cody, but nothing about the parents, or the family's background; where they came from and their history. Why did they move to Flint. Was it just one of those normal "have to" kinds of moves where your company is moving and you have to follow? Or is it something a bit more interesting...?
My catchphrase is "yo, add-ition!" perhaps Ernie and I should have a heavyweght title fight. We'll call it "The Thrilla in Moretown-ila.
I think the book is funny but in chapter 3 it started to sound like The Revealers. Such as: Rufus, Cody and Kenny get bullied gust like Elliot, Russle and Katalina. I know this book is about black history but it does have some connections to modern days.
I find the story very intresting with the charters like rufus he has a weird asksant and he dosen,t
have many clothes to wear and he know how to fire a gun.
erine maybe the author picked dinosaurs because soldiers are just plain.But dinosaurs are more different.Dino's can be different colors,different sizes to.That is only my guess.erine I think Byron would be the god of the school if he wasn't so big and strong.I think kids are just afraid of him.But there is usually one guy in a book that is mean but turns nicer.
Daphne - I agree with you. I started to think that same thing - and then I thought about how all "true" things are kind of timeless - things like bullying, to be sure, but also things like courage overcoming fear and people learning about themselves by learning more about other people. I also think that authors have their audience in mind when they write books and middle school kids deal with a lot of bullying. I still hear kids using the word "retard" or "retarded" and that is a word that used to be used for people who have Down's Syndrome - not OK to "tease" using that word, but that is the same sort of thing that happened when I was a kid, or when your parents or grandparents were kids.
I also wanted to say that I like the way the two brothers, Rufus and Cody, stick together. I am glad the author chose for Rufus to have a brother and not be just a lone picked on kid.
Spider pig, when Byron got his lips stuck, that is funny, but also at the same time that would really really hurt.I like how Cody and Rufus stay together and how they both share pants. if I only had two pairs of pants, and I asked my sister to share, she would say, "Are you kidding me? no way! god Nora, you are so annoying. You have your own pants." i also think it is pretty cool how Kenny can read really fast and when he is reading too fast he turns the book upside own. i think it was mean and rotten of LJ to be such a trickster king. I all ready know that this is going to be really good book.
I think that Kenny knows a lot of people, some steel from him but some are very nice.Kenny gets picked on quite a bit but says he thinks that some people look not very cool,funny or very smart. Kenny is a pretty smart kid even though people say that he is stupid but they should get to know the person before they say any thing like that to get them mad or gellus.
Oh... and I totally agree with you Pigwidgeon. Kenny uses thoughs phrases a lot. I think the way Rufus talks makes him unique in a way. Because if Rufus talked regular it wouldn't be as funny. I think it's funny how Momma bundles Kenny and Joey up before school. Good thing my mom isn't like that, I only put on a sweat shirt on in the morning. This morning I had on capris and a sweat shirt with a vest. My mom doesn't care.
p.s.
Have you noticed that I havn't used caps lock?????????????????
P.s.s.
Told you.
Amazing Huh........ :0
For a second when Mr.Bling said the motto from the book I thoght that he was going to say mahammad ali's motto float like a butterfly sting like a bee! but I guess not.It also makes me laugh when rufus talk's in his accent.
I would also like to hear a little more about Loretta. Daphne, that was a grat connection you made with The Revealers and the Watsons go to Birmingham. I also would like to learn more about Rufu's family like why did they move. Midnight- I think that your right abouit the slang. Whenever we come back from Penn. My dad has a accent. By whats going on in the book so far, it doesn't seem like the Watosns will go to Birmingham.
Ernie you are so scientific! When I read things about dinosaurs I do not think of that! What I do think of is ; I don't even play with dinosaurs! At first I thought I would not like tis book but it turns out that is is starting to get fun and interesting. Before this i did not red non-fiction books very often. I am glad now. The mother is very specific about wearing lots of clothing. She wants her kids to be very warm.
My mom is protective but not that protective. I like that byron stoode up for Kenny when they were picking on him about his lazy eye. Rufus is older than Cody right, then wouldn't it be a little small and unconfterrable for Rufus to ware? And if cody is smaller then Rufus then wouldn't it be harder to walk in long pants? Daphne Good conaction I didn't even think of that. :)
I think that this is a good book and that it is going to get better. I cant wate for every one to get into the book.
I am not so sure I agree with you flanders I know that byron has a soft side to him but most teenagers are that way until they hit adulthood I know this because back in new york my brother and all his friends have acted the same since they where 13 know they are 16.
This story is geting very interresting because they are starting there trip to brimingham.
On there way to birmingham they find out about outhouses.But I can,t belive how byron aggude just because of a diffent type of bathroom. Also I,m curious about what those mountain look like to scare kenny.
I have noticed that dad changes into his southern accent every time he wants to make a joke or to make a dj's rhymme I am just wondering why he does that I guess he is trying to make the joke funnier by having an accent when he tells his jokes.
I thinnk that the parents have sense inside them but also harshness. I would really punish my kid if they had died their hair on no permission. but sending Byron all the way to Alabama? that would be a little far.
I think now in the book it is starting to be more about black history. I am glade they are sending Byron to Alabama, he is going learn a leson. He is going to get a tast of his oun medison.
I could understand how it is hard for the Watsons to get used to things as they are geting closer to Alabama.
I was wondering why the whole family is going to Alabama? Why doesn't one of the parents go?
I agree with you big t. I guess that is the only explenation fot that. It sounds right. Also I thnk that all the people in this book has a way of talking. Byron is "daddy cool." Kenny allways says; "ready aim fire." and what you said big t.
But remember sipleahoppetense that he didn't only dye his hair. He also, cuts school, starts fires with matches, joined a gang, and ran up the families' signing bill at Mitchell's. But the whole family is going to Birmingham, and they have to endure the drive also. And they will have to tolerate the 15-hour drive on the way back, too. Not to mention the 30 hours of driving on the way there and back when they pick Byron up.
To me, I find it hard to picture Joetta. I know the family is black but I just can't picture here like that. Also, the dad. Is he white or black? I think that he is of European descent but I'm not sure. A reason that I think this is because most people born in the north are of European descent and he lives in flint, Michigan. I don't Michigan is the most desirable place so that is my guess.
I cant beleve taking that big of a trip all the way from Flint to Birminghan.The longgest trip I have made is from V.T, to Vergenya. I dont think it would be scarry to be serowned by black mountains but I geuss to Kenny and Joey it is.
I find it interesting how the author describes those mountains. It's almost as if you are right there, you can see them so clearly in the mind's eye. and by the way Ernie, if you can't picture Joey, there's a picture on the back of the book that you can look at, and pictures of all of the family. The father is African-American, and my guess is that he convinced Momma to move up to Flint with him when they got married because he knew that racism was a lot less horrible up North than down South.
But for one, Byron had told them that a redneck was going to eat them, which frightened them. Kenny and Joetta had recently learned that it was very dangerous to be black down in the south. Think of it this way. Mr. Bling just said that he wouldn't be scared. That is what you say now. But lets think back to the revealers when we talked about if you saw someone being bullied what would you do. An idea would pop into your mind, which would tell you to do the right thing. You might write that down. But than when you are actually in the situation would you really do. I guess that is what I am trying to say. Also, I think that Christopher Paul Curtis could have done a bit better job describing the mountains.
What I meant was that the mountains didn't seem described very well. I can picture them but he didn't use any description that I can remember.
The farthest road trip my parents brought me on was a drive from Vermont to Disney Land in Florda. Luckily were taking a plane this time.
I agree, I find it hard not to picture not only Joetta but the rest of the family. They just there from Europen decent.
The mom is really orinized and prepared for almost everything. Its a little scary.
Befor e I forget, Sipleahoppatense, you mean it "That would be a little unfair." instaed of "that would be a little far"
Ernie- On the cover of my copy of the book, there is a picture of two adults, both African-American, sitting on a couch. I made an educated guess and assumed that was Dad and Momma. Also, back then, it was very rare for two people of different races to be married, especially if one of them was from The South. I may be wrong, but I always assumed that the whole family had colored skin.
That sounds logical but why imitate Momma's could-have-been groom? I understand why someone from the south would emulate Bull Connor's voice but why the groom. It doesn't seem normal to imitate someone of your own color to be funny. I guess the Dad does get carried away sometimes. But I remember that the book said that the other possible groom played dirty by saying bad stuff about who was then, Daniel Watson. So it could be even. But then again, Momma said that almost nothing that Dad said was true.
I think that the mountains would be scare to them maybe becuause they never seen the mountains, or mountains not as big. If my kid cut shool, joined a gang, set army men on fire, and died his hair and straitened his hair I'd be pretty mad. If it was my sisters kid, she would have sent him strait to Bording school. I don't mind that he straitened his hair, it is the cost of it I'd be worried about, then I would shave his head.
I think the reason Byron and Kenny ran after Byron made the stories that the rednecks would eat them because he just wanted to scare Kenny but scared himself in the process.I also think Byron was trying to scare Kenny with something that would sound like the KKK possibly who knows what Byron was trying to do.
Whoops!I ment spider pig instae of Johnny.
I can,t wait till we get to the end of the book.This book is very intresting with the faimly getting closer to brimingham. I wounder want the last chapter will be like?
Since we talked about predicting I am going to do just that, predict. On their fishing trip Joetta is going to fall in and Byron will jump in and save her, but not immediately. Also, After Byron comes out of the water with Joetta he isn't going to look like he cares.
I don't think that only byron and kenny where scared of the mountains to me it seemed as though the whole family was trying to get out of there really quickly because they were scared out of ther minds also.
My grandparents live in Michigan,and it doesn't seem to bad up there.But I don't know what happens in the winter.But it is toasty warm in the summer.big t I know that all teenagers are not nice.But I meant in books.Take the revealer's for example ,Richie was mean and was a bully.But he turned out to be okay after all.
I was suprised that byron was upset with himself that he killed a bird with a cookie,that's not expected, but he was also suprised that he killed a bird. And also that kenny was not expected to hear
about that bird.
And the last thing is that I think that byron will get along with grandma sands or get in trouble and grandma sands wont tell mother or father.
Ernie- I think thae reason that Dad jokes about "Hambone" Henderson's accent is that it is human nature to want to put down someone who is after the same woman as you. As to the argument that Dad picks on him because he is of a different race, you are saying that people never pick on someone of there own color?
What I meant was that since the African-Americans have had to overcome so many obstacles to fight for equal rights there would never be any reason to put each other down because they are all fighting for the same cause. But here it is a bit different. Also I think they are both Aferican-Americans. And going back to the mountain discussion, I found that it describes that mountains as; "It looked like someone had crumpled up apitch-black blanket and dropped the Weird Watsons right in the middle of it." So yes I can imagine the mountains, but not in the greatest detail.
What I meant was that since the African-Americans have had to overcome so many obstacles to fight for equal rights there would never be any reason to put each other down because they are all fighting for the same cause. But here it is a bit different. Also I think they are both Aferican-Americans. And going back to the mountain discussion, I found that it describes that mountains as; "It looked like someone had crumpled up apitch-black blanket and dropped the Weird Watsons right in the middle of it." So yes I can imagine the mountains, but not in the greatest detail.
I don't know why that posted twice. It said that I had incorrectly typed the characters in the box below. But it posted any way. It normally doesn't do that.
I think this is going to be good for Byron. Because it seems like he likes Gramma Sans. And he actully listens to her. And he seems to like Alabama too. Even though Kenny dosn't! I wouldn't like to live down there, it's to HOT and I live in a rink!
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