#18 Reader’s Journal 1/03/12
Dear Mrs.Zrihen,
I just finished reading a book called Memories of Summer by Ruth White. This is a realistic fiction book because the plot and characters are realistic. A passage that really stood out to me was:
“Beginning the first of January, Summer went to see a psychiatrist every Tuesday and Friday morning at eleven o’clock. That was right when I went to Mr. Buell’s English class, and I would look at the clock on the wall and think of her, and wonder what she was saying to the doctor.
Was she talking about our life together way back there I n the bottom between the hills? Was the doctor seeing into that head of hers and figuring out what made her go mental? We had the same childhood. Did they know how come she had so much fear in her that I didn’t have? What was it that haunted her so? (pg.66)
I picked these passages because it is so significant to this book. These paragraphs are so sanifigent to this book because it shows how much Lyric cares about her sister, Summer and it also tells the reader’s what happened to Summer.
There are many strategies that I use when I read a book. One strategy that I used before reading this book was to read the summary of the book and see if it was appealing to me. I also skimmed and scanned the book to find text features that will help me understand what I was about to read. While I was reading, I asked myself questions and then I would answer my own questions.for example, I asked myself why did the author name the book Memories of Summer. Later I found out that the author called the book Memories of Summer because Summer is Lyrics sister and the book is telling the reader’s what Lyric remembers of her joyful sister before she became mentally ill. Another during reading strategy that I used was to make visual images in my mind so I can comprehend what was going on in the book. After I finished reading the book I reread the most important parts in the book and also I reread the parts that I enjoyed the most. Like when Summer started to show signs of paranoia and when Summer was having her 16th birthday party. The last strategy that I used after reading this book was to take a second and try to comprehend what happened in the book and then write a summary of the book.
I also thought about all the literary elements in this book. The genre of this book is realistic fiction because the plot characters and settings are believable. One of the major characters in this book is Lyric, a thirteen year old girl who is the youngest sibling in her family and looks up to her older sister, Summer. She is a round and dynamic character and she is the protagonist. Her motive is to learn from her sister and be there for her whenever she needs her. Another major character is Lyrics older sister, Summer, a 16 year old girl. Summer is a round and dynamic character and she is also the protagonist. Her motive in the beginning was to take care of her younger sister but then she had paranoia and became very ill. One other major character in this book is poppy, the father of Lyric and Summer. Poppy used to work in the mines but he quite and know he is trying to look for a job in a factory. Poppy is a flat and static character and he is a protagonist. Some foil characters are the psychiatrist, Mr. Buell, Yolanda, Gladys, Nadine, and Mrs. Gaspar. The story fist took place in a small county in Virginia in poppy’s house. Then the story took place in the mountains because Summer and Lyric always loved the calming effect the mountains had on then. After they went to the mountain they moved to a big business city in Flint, Michigan to find work and then to the apartment, school and psychiatrist. When they were in Virginia in the mountains and in poppy’s house it hot and clear skied but when the setting was in Flint, Michigan it was cold and foggy. When Lyric went to school the same time Summer was at the psychiatrist it was cold blurry. This book took place in the 1930’s through 1999.Everyone in Flint, Michigan was rich. The main conflict in the book was that Summer became mentally ill. This book is external. Some conflicts were man vs. man, man vs. self and man vs. nature. The tone of this book was depressed and thoughtful. The moods of this book were sad, hopeful, nervous, realistic and gloomy. The theme of this book is selflessness and sister ship. The moral of this book is be there fore your sister or family member when they truly need you the most. This book is told in first person. The pattern of organization is foreshadowing and the author’s purpose is to share and to entertain. The author’s perspective is subjective because the book is in Lyric’s point of view and you can see whom she likes and dislikes.
I was able to identify some figurative language when I was reading. ‘‘Poppy was always there like a rock.’’ That sentence is a simile because the sentence compared two different things by using like in it. “I wanted to go in and turn on the all by myself, “she said in her tiny voice. She sounded like a mouse squeaking.” This is also a simile because it’s comparing her voice to a squeaky mouse using the word like. “With my heart flying, I went running down the stairs again.” This sentence is a hyperbole because she is exaggerating that the fact that her heart is racing really fast. “ Her fingers fluttered like crippled birds.” This sentence is a simile because she is comparing the old ladies fingers to the fluttering of crippled birds with using the word like.
The plot structure of this book was very nice. The exposition in the story was when Summer, Lyric, and Poppy were introduced in the book and also when the book was explaining were Summer and Lyric were born and raised for most of there lives which was in Buchanan county, Virginia. The rising action was when Poppy, Summer and Lyric move to Flint, Michigan. The climax of the story is when Summer first shows signs of paranoia by curling up into a ball and not talk to anybody even her sister. The falling action is when Summer goes to see a psychiatrist and find out she has a disease called schizophrenia and she can not control herself. The resolution was to put Summer into a mental hospital for treatment so she can come back to reality. Summer will surely get better.
I really enjoyed this book. Even though it was scary and sad it was an awesome book . I recommend this book to 11-14 year old girls because it is about taking care of your sister when she needs you the most. I rate this book a ten out of ten stars.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Fine
