So what were your overall impressions of the book? Did everything end up being wrapped up?
I enjoyed it, but everything happened in the end. I wanted to know Marcus's reaction to Miranda's letter, and more about how things turned out with her and Sal.
Miranda was awfully brave to hide Marcus from the police. Do you think you could have done such a good thing as a 12 year old?
What did you think of Sal's justifications for not wanting to hang out with Miranda? I'm glad they found a happy medium of hanging out together but not hanging out too much. Do you think they are typical kids that our students could relate too?
There are so many things to discuss in this last section! What did you think of Miranda and Richard's plan to send her mom to law school? To me that was as almost as good as them getting engaged!
The end of the book also left me with the question of wanting to know how Marcus would react to the letter.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that I could have been as brave as Miranda was at her young age. I think that I would have been more worried about getting myself into trouble, and I would have been too scared to get involved. Since Miranda's mom was familiar with this type of thing, it made me think that perhaps this was something that Miranda felt comfortable doing because she knew that she could call her mom for support. Since my parents do not have any of these connections, I do not think that I would have felt comfortable hiding Marcus from the police.
I definitely think that Sal and Miranda reached a happy medium about hanging out too much. The kid that I babysit is going through this phase right now with one of her friends. They used to be together every second of every day, but now they both realize that they need more friends than just each other to survive in the world. She often gives up when she comes home from school and her friend has other things to do and can't come over. Instead, I have tried to encourage her to invite other people over and become friends with more people. Adolescents are just seeking to fit in, and are developing social skills. When students expand their circle of friends, they are able to develop these critical social skills that will allow them to connect with others for the rest of their life.
I was completely surprised with Miranda and Richard's plan to send mom to law school! That is perfect and a great way to show students that even parents can continue their education.
After finishing the book I understood the story but I still think the book is weird. The book did come together in the end but I think there could be another book, or a prologue that wrapped it up even more. My feelings are still iffy about the book.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in Miranda's place, and knew everything she knew, I would hopefully be able to help Marcus out, but knowing myself I probably wouldn't have done what Miranda did. I would have stuck up for Marcus but I wouldn't have gone to the extremes that Miranda did. I respect Miranda for what she did and I think it added to her growth as a character.
I was glad Sal and Miranda found a compromise about hanging out. I understand where Sal was coming from, but I was still irritated with him and thought he should have just told Miranda how he felt. I think a lot of people go through the same feelings as Sal, and I went through the same thing with my best friend but we talked about it and worked things out, I didn't just shut her out.
I was completely surprised that Miranda and Richard planned to send her mom to law school, but I was very happy about that decision. I was also very happy that she won the money on the show, I was worried about that!
In the end, I really ended up liking this book. Like Ashley W. said, everything did seem to happen in the end so that made some of the beginning chapters boring and confusing. I thought the author did a great job of wrapping everything up at the end of the book. I love when authors tie everything together in the end, like Stead did with the two-dollar bills and the naked man running through the streets. Although I started out this book confused, I found myself thoroughly enjoying it by the end.
ReplyDeleteLike Hilary and Eve, I definitely do not think I would’ve been able to do such a brave thing as Miranda did by hiding Marcus from the police. Like Hilary said, Miranda’s connection to the world of lawyers through her mother may have helped her courage in this situation. I also think Miranda’s independence as a latchkey kid may have helped her out. She’s learned to deal with many difficult situations on her own, so possibly she felt a little more capable than the rest of us would have to deal with Marcus’s situation.
After Sal explained his point-of-view of the situation, I could definitely understand where he was coming from. When he explained how he had been alone the entire week that Miranda was out sick, it seemed clear to me that making new friends was a wise move for Sal to make. However, I do wish he had gone about it in a better way. I know he’s young and probably did not want to deal with a confrontation, but, like Eve, I think a lot of problems could have been avoided if he had told Miranda how he was feeling instead of just hinting at it. I think this is a situation many real students would be able to relate to so it could be a great discussion-starter in the classroom!
I was not completely surprised by Miranda and Richard’s idea to send her mom to law school. I noticed from the beginning that Miranda’s mom was very unhappy with her job, so I thought the prize money may go towards something like this to help her move out of her current job.