Group Discussions Page

 

This is the page where you will post the products of your group discussion. The posting will be made by the Discussion Leader. Each member of each group will have 2 or 3 opportunities (depending on your group size) to work as the Discussion Leader.

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To post, start by pressing "Edit" at the top of the page --> enter your login information, if you are asked --> use the mouse to highlight the text to be changed, and type over it --> when finished, click "Save" at the bottom of the page, and you're done.

 

You may also add colour, underlines, bold, italics, or even links to other sites, if you wish.

 

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #1

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 - Colt (page 1, para 4)

     noun.

     A young male horse. 

 

2 - Sheepishness (page 3, para 4)

     noun.

     Embarrassed or bashful.

 

3 - Strained (page 3, para 4)

     adjective.

     Containing tones that are not natural or spontaneous.

 

4 - Carol (page 5, para 9)

     noun.

     A song, especially of joy.

 

5 - Trench (page 11, para 3)

     noun.

     A long, narrow excavation in the ground used as shelter from enemy fire or attack

 

 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

"It was. They found the brothers two days later. I was there when they brought in the bodies. They weren't Joey and Francis any more, not the Joey and Francis I had met. They were just bodies. Dead bodies. The first ones I had ever seen. And they were ugly and greenish, and slimy and cold. They looked so puffy and bloated. I stayed back from getting too close because I figured they had to smell. Dead fish smell after a while, and these somehow looked like dead fish."

 

- Page 6, Paragraph 5

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

Buddy Williams

 

Buddy Williams is an individualistic young boy and the protagonist of the story "Summer Wild". The readers learn many elements of Buddy's mannerism and personality through the first person point of view, which shows how buddy sees the world. Buddy seems quite intelligent for his age, as he continually thinks before he speaks. He wisely chooses to not fight the older boys, because he knows he cannot win. Also, Buddy is very adventurous. As the older boys suggest paddling out further into the water, Buddy is interested right away. This shows that he is not afraid to undertake risks to explore the world, or is in other words, brave. However, Buddy does not go, because he knows the potential consequences of his actions. Buddy, overall, is friendly and open, and has an appreciation of nature. Surprisingly though, he is secretly very introverted. Buddy suffers much from guilt after seeing the dead bodies, and chooses to lock his knowledge of the older brothers in his heart, like a wheel of rotting cheese.

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

 

Discussion Summary

 

Jesse Zhang

 

In our discussion, we talked about many elements of the story. It was brought up that the themes of the story so far could be family, friendship, and guilt. Aside from the horrifying discovery of the bodies, not much action happened in this chapter. We all agree that the discovery could be a possible inciting action, and that it is very unusual for the inciting action to be so early. We think that the setting of the story so far seemed very inappropriate for the tragic event that transpired. The peaceful, almost friendly seeming environment shockingly caused two deaths. The passage we picked seems extremely significant because it is the darkest phase of the chapter. We think that it is a possible foreshadowing of later deaths.

 

Through indirect presentation, we learn much about Buddy Williams. We came to the same opinion in that while Buddy seems friendly and adventurous on the outside, his thought patterns could be described as precocious. We think that normal twelve year old children do not have the ability to think so deeply and maturely about the cause and effect of events and of possible consequences. Also, it seems Buddy is unnaturally introverted, as he continually wades in his guilt and locks his secret tightly. We also believe that, although only one chapter has passed, Buddy is a dynamic character. The deep guilt he holds seems like a potential catalyst to change his personality fundamentally. We believe that tell-tale signs of change in Buddy's behaviour will soon appear.

 

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #2

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 - Prairie (Page 18 Para 1)

     Noun

     A flat wide area of land in N America and Canada, without many trees and originally covered with grass. 

2 - Pond (Page 19 Para 2)

     Noun

     A small area of still water, especially one that is artificial. 

3 - Puny (Page 19 Para 5)

     Adj

     Not very impressive and important. 

4 -Lure ( Page 19 Para 5)

    Noun

    A thing that is used to attract fish or animals, So that they can be caught. 

5 -Cottage (Page 18 Para 2)

    Noun

    A small, modest house at a lake, mountain resort, owned or reted as a vacation home. 

 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

"Pearl !" he bellowed as loundly as I have ever heard him. "Where do you thin you're going? Get back in here right now, young lady, or I will come down off this roof and tan your rear end !"

(Page 24 para 8) 

 

 

Older kids were different. They always needed to find out how far they could go. The danger was that, with one step too far, they would slide off the drop, a hundred-foot underwater cliff that had swallowed up too many people. I knew enough to stay away from it, partly because  I thought i was smart , and mostly after what had happened to Joey and Francis. There was also the tanning I got from Gramp that left his handprint on my behind the first and only time he caught me sneaking out too far---kind of like Pearl had done.

(Page 31 Para 1) 

"Enter your passage here between the quotation marks."

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

Nan

 

Nan is old fishioned because she uses many archaic medicines to heal(ie, peppermint water for sickness ). I also realize that Nan is old because she has trouble climbing the hill from chapter one. She is very strict because she always yells at children to tell them what to do is right; for example, she says" Buddy, now stay out of the sun ! I don't want you getting another burn. You now how easily you turn red".(P22) Another one is, "Settle down, there's still lots to be done before we can relax. We have to get the car emptied in a hurry. Except for me, all the adults are heading back right away, so I want everyone to pitch in and get things into the cottage quickly.Okay?".(P21) I think Nan is highly likely a static character. Static and round.

 

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

 

Discussion Summary

 

 

Edison Shi

 

In our discussion, We talked what we think about chapter two after reading it and bravely predicted what's going to happen in the following chapters. Everyone seemed to have the same idea that Chapter two doesn't have too much horrible things happened. There was one thing we all noticed that the Sister left her little sister alone and stepped into the lake very far away and we thought it means something. It may tell us that something dangerous is going to happen and someone will die again. Jesse was saying that he found a forshadowing in chapter two. "There was also the tanning I got from Gramp that left his handprint on my behind the first and only time he caught me sneaking out too far---kind of like Pearl had done." He said that this sentence tells him the little sister will die. Candy thought there is a situational irony in chapter two. Pearl goes into the lake very far and it is different from her imagination. She thought no one will go to the lake so far after two boys died in the lake because of the drop. Jesse also thought that the cottage is very important because it has talked many times. Teren thought the cottage is important too because it is where they live and play. Things happen around the cottage. At the end, we talked about Nan. We thought Nan is strict and she is a important character in chapter two. Nan seems to be a strict person to all the children because she tells and teaches them all the time.

 

The discussion was a great one because everyone in the group learn something from the others. We had the same idea about someone will die in the following chapters and it might the little girl. We had the same opinion in that Nan is a static and round character.  

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #3

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 -squirming ( page34, para1)
     verb
     Moving quickly back and forth
 

2-panicky (page34, para2 )
     adjective
    Comes from noun "panic "
 

3 -screech( page 34  para 3)
     noun
     A high-pitched noise resembling a human cry. 

 

4 -rustle (page38  para2)
     noun

     A real onomatopoeia. the sound of leaves in the wind. 

 

5 -jerk (page39 para5)
     verb
    A quick, sudden movement of the bod 

 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

"It's sure a nice day," I called out to Nan. "I think I'll go fishing off the rock at the end of the cliffs today.Will you make me a lunch, please?" I figured I'd give frog hunting a rest for a while.
"Only if you don't go any farther than the rock or bother the people on the Reserve," she said back. "And, only if you promise to saty off the cliffs."
(pg35  paragraph5 and 6)

 

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:
 
 Buddy Williams
 

 Buddy is a boy with different characteristics.
He can be boyish, and play with frogs, or pick up snakes.On the other hand, he can also be sensitive, and likes to sit down and write a dairy. Buddy is also a humorous boy, for example, he tells us that Nan likes to end her  lectures with a quiz, which is very cute. Moreover,he also respects his grandparents, and listens to their commands carefully.For instance, he promises to Nan that he won’t go swimming.Lastly, Buddy has good family morals: when he curses out loud, he quickly looks around to see if anyone had heard him.

 

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

Discussion Summary

 

 Candy Tang 

 

 

My group talked about Chapter Three today, discussed  the most interesting part, and we also made some predictions.
We think the most interesting part is when Buddy saw the giant Jackfish. Firstly,  Jesses says it is a connection to the previous plot regarding the death of Joey and Francis.Buddy  thinks the two boys’ bodies “looked like dead fish.” In addition,the giant fish represents death in his mind. This is a fish that he thinks could kill him. “He might pick at my bones if he got me down into his world,or like he could have done to Joey and Francis.”  Moreover, Teren and I are all agree that meeting this jack fish also implies his inability to forget his inner guilt. Buddy thinks this fish is coming to get him perhaps because of his guilty feeling of keeping the secret about his friend’s death. Furthermore, our group finds that Buddy has a rich imagination. “He might not notice me, and might not rear up out of his world to scoop me off the rock and take me into some deep underwater cave in the middle of the lake where he would tear my body to shreds.Maybe he wouldn’t crunch my bones into little pieces with his jagged teeth and let his children feed off what was left.” 
Edison who picked the passage thinks it is an example of foreshadowing. We predicted that Buddy will be in danger in the following chapters, since he might enter the Indian Reserve or go near the cliffs. We also predicted that the Jackfish will play an important role later in the book ,and keep reminding him of  his guilt.

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #4

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 -startle ( page43 , para4 )

     verb

     to surprise somebody suddenly in away that slightly shocks or frightens them. 

2 -aleck ( page44 , para8 )

     noun 

     a stupid  person 

3 -cozy ( page51 , para7 )

     adjective 

     giving a feeling of  comfort, warmth, and relaxation.

4 -twitch ( page54 , para8 )

     verb

    give or cause to give a short, sudden jerking or convulsive movement.

5 -embarrassment ( page55 , para6 )

     noun

     a feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness.

 

 

Passage Picker 

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

"Enter your passage here between the quotation marks."

 

 " Now I thought I got it. Maybe he was saying that we didn't have to hurt living things just because we were bigger or smarter than they were. I already knew that Gramp felt that way, and I agreed with what he taught me, but the Indian kid was somehow saying it in a more important way."

 

 This paragraph is an example of an epiphany. Buddy learns an important life lesson which my contribute to his being of a dynamic character. Through this epiphany, Buddy becomes more mature. Furthermore, Buddy's future actions may be affected it. He may quit his habit of frog catching.

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

Name of Character here:  Joe Starblanket

 

Joe Starblanket is a cree Indian. He has a both handsome and peaceful face. Joe has taught Buddy a lot of things like fishing and being respectful to natural.

(ie, Why fight ? Playing with it's more fun. You get to fight it when you want to catch it and eat it. Watch.)

(ie,But if it's not for food,why caych it?) 

Joe also acts as a kind person to Buddy so far. He leads Buddy to his own house and shows him the inside of it. He tells Buddy that their family shares two horses and a wagon with his uncle family. Joe seems like willing to tell and share everything to Buddy. 

Joe Starblanket is a wise kid who knows and understand natural.

(ie, You've fed fish to a wild eagle? I'd love to see that!)

 

 

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

 

Discussion Summary

 

Group Leader (Teren Hu)

In our discussion, we talked about how Joe and Buddy met each other. They met outside of the Indian Reserve. In our opinion, the reason why Joe could meet Buddy is because the loneliness inside of Joe drove him outdoor. As he went outside, he saw Buddy was terrified by a jackfish. After they met each other, Joe started to teach Buddy how to fish. The motivation of Joe was telling Buddy to enjoy the fun of fishing without damage the environment and lives. Joe invited Buddy to visit his house and showed him the life Indian people have in the Indian Reserve. In Joe's mind, he would be glad to be friend with Buddy. At the end, Joe gone so fast, probably because Joe didn't want anyone else to see him be with a white man. 

At last, we thought Buddy should be sensitive when he talks to someone who has different culture with him because in this chapter, Buddy asked lots of stupid questions which may cause trouble.

 

 

 

 

 

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #5

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 - Mirage (Page 61 Para 6)

     Noun.

     An effect caused by hot air in deserts or on roads, that makes you thank you can see something. 

2 - Charm  (Page 69 Para 4)

     Noun.

     The power of pleasing or attracting people. 

3 - Muskrat (Page 70 Para 12)

     Noun.

     A North American water animal that has a strong smell and is hunted for its fur. 

4 - Hermit  (Page 70 Para 12)

     Noun.

     A person who, usually for religious reasons, lives in a very simple life alone and does not meet or talk to other people. 

5 - Scruffy  (Page 71 Para 6)

     Adj.

     Dirty or untidy. 

 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

"Yanking on it caused me to lose balance, and I slipped and fell, rear-end-over-tea-kettle, onto the bottom of the boat. The butt of the not-so-straight branch was tight to my stomach, and the other end was suddenly without its chunk of lumber."

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

Bernie

 

Bernie is a seemingly flat and static character introduced in Chapter 5 of the novel "Summer Wild". Through both direct and indirect presentation, it is possible for the readers to gather many possible traits belonging to this character. "Crazy" Bernie, as his nickname states, is probably different from the standard mold of character, and has his unique way of behaving. From the descriptions of Bernie, the readers learn that he is not very hygenic, and is likely used to the heat due to his clothing choice. He is also seemingly unschool, if the readers were to take his unrefined speech into thought. It is unlikely that Bernie will play a large role in the overall plot of "Summer Wild", although his strange personality is refreshing and interesting.

 

Stagecrafter

 

 

Details, illustrations, descriptors, etc., about the setting should be listed here, over top of this text.

 

Discussion Summary

 

Group Leader (Edison Shi)

 

  We first talked about the two best friends of Buddy, Mokey and Riel. Candy thought that Mokey is a good kid because he always listens to his mom and lets Buddy and Riel know his mother's expects of him. Monky always say,"Well, I told them I wasn't supposed to do that"!.(P62-P63), when his mom asks him why he did somthing that he is not allowed to do. The sentence tells us that he says this because he tries to make his mom feel better and tells her that he is still the good little kid to her. He wants his mom know that he is always tring not to do bad things, but other people makes him to do it. Everyone in this group thinks the nickname for Mortimer is funny and cute because it came when he was two and tried to stop his mom from smoking by screaming, "No 'mokey, no 'mokey!" Jesse thought Riel is a tough kid and he is also different from the other kid because he does not have a good family. "I suspected he was quiet because he got pushed around a lot by his three older brothers, and because his parents both drank and got mean."(P65)

 Second, I asked Candy why she chose the paragragh. She said she chose it because it is the climax of the whole chapter and it also represents the danger is coming for them. The paragraph is forshadowing that Buddy, Riel and Monky will be in a very dangerous situation. It leads her to the major event happen. In the end, We all thought that the man who saved them will do something bad to them. 

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #6

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 - Scow (page 77, para 1)

     noun.

     Any of various vessels having a flat bottomed rectangular hull

 

2 - Ransom (page 78, para 2)

     noun.

     The sum or price paid or demanded.

 

3 - Kerosene (page 80, para 4)

     noun.

     A mixture of liquid hydrocarbons obtained by distilling petroleum, bituminous shale, or the like.

 

4 - Memorable (page 83, para 2)

     adj.

     Noteworthy, impressive, celebrated.

 

5 - Batter (page 83, para 9)

     noun.

     Sticky, thick, liquid dough used to make pancakes.

 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

"I didn't understand why I felt the way I did about Helga. I knew a big part of it had to do with the way she looked, the way she smelled, and the sound of her voice. But there was something more too. Down deep, I wasn't stupid enough to really think she could be my girlfriend- though there were some thoughts I had of her that way. Maybe it was like what I had heard older guys call a "crush," though that still didn't explain the times I would wake up in my bed above the boathouse feeling really uncomfortable. I might have been thinking too much again."

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

Helga

 

Helga is an attractive and personable woman. She works at the Pariseau's general store with her husband Mr. Pariseau. Helga has a certain charm which causes Buddy, who is significantly younger than her, to fall madly in love with her. Helga is very sensitive, and this trait of her personality was revealed when she said "Now Riel, don't make fun of Buddy. If you and Mokey's birthdays were during the summer while you were here, I'd make both of you feel special too." She seems that Buddy was embarassed, and fixes the situation by making Riel blush too. It is highly likely that Helga is aware of the young boys' infatuation of her. This could be the reason she refuses to attend Buddy's birthday party. Furthermore, she keep the young boys happy by occasionally giving them free ice cream. However, it is very strange that Helga covered up for Mokey when Mrs. Stackhouse (Mokey's mother) quizzed her. This shows a side of her which may be dishonest. Overall, Helga seems to be a round and static character, and will probably have a significant role in the story.

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

 

Discussion Summary

 

Jesse Zhang

 

In our group discussion of Chapter 8, it was agreed that this chapter is unique in that there is no climax. It was also noted that the name of this chapter "My Birthday..." ended in a "..." This may have something to due with the lack of action. We believe this section functions as the exposition, and also that a large and significant event will occur soon. This chapter is relatively short, but however contains many surface details which may become critically important.

 

We noticed the appearance of the new, unnamed character and identified him as a possible antagonist. He has all the traits for such a role. Also, we think that this chapter is the beginning of the end of Buddy's childhood. He just turned 11, and is starting to become a man, in more ways than one. The passage we picked reflects this change- Buddy is starting to have feelings for the opposite sex, although he still does not quite understand why. His body is also becoming more mature- he discovered that certain parts of his body can become a certain way when he has certain thoughts about a certain topic. Our group also discussed Helga and came to the conclusion that she most likely knows Buddy's feelings for her. This is probably the reason she refused to attend his birthday party.

 

However, this chapter is not all pokes and giggles. We noticed a possible forshadowing at the end of the chapter. When Buddy, Riel, and Mokey finished eating the pomegranate, their shirts were covered in red juice. As they enter Buddy's home, Gramp and Nan were shocked. The red juice, possibly representing blood, smeared all over their clothing, could be a possible sign of a scary and dangerous event to come.

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #7

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 -scow (page 91, para3)
     noun

     any of various flat-bottomed boats with sloping ends.      

 
 2- peddling (page93, para3)

      noun 
      the act of selling goods for a living.

 

3-shrug (page97,  para8)

     verb
     a gesture involving the shoulders.

4- tormentor (page97, para11)
    noun
    someone who torments.

5- dizzy (page98, para 1) 
    adjective 
    having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling.

 

 

 

Passage Picker

 

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

    "For some reason, Dan went back to the cottage and left Pearl, Maisie, Billy and me alone. Billy was perched on the prow in front of the windshield,holding on to the silver bow cleat.  He wasn't wearing a life jacket.
    I was standing in front of  the motor at the back of the boat when I lunged forward with one foot on the side of the boat to do a racing dive. As I came up, pearl and Maisie were screaming that Billy had fallen overboard. The jerking caused by my dive had made him lose his balance and fall in."
(pg93 paragraph 1 and 2 )

 

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

Uncle Dan 

 

Uncle Dan is a negative  character in the book.
He is selfish because he doesn’t let his boat  be used for fishing which is  a great  passion for his extended family. Buddy thinks that  Uncle Dan doesn’t want his family to make the boat dirty. He is also irresponsible because he leaves all the children behind including his son Billy, when he was supposed to stay near the boat.  When Buddy tells Nan that Billy fell in the water, Nan gets upset because she knows Dan wasn’t there.This leads  to some childish behavior from Uncle Dan. It seems that Dan wants to have revenge for the trouble that Buddy caused. He bullies Buddy into doing a dangerous water skiing jump. Last but not least, Uncle Dan is materialistic. He owns the latest Mercury which was loaded with all the toys and whistles.

 

 

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

 

Discussion Summary

 

Candy Tang 

 

    During our group discussion,  we talked about the plot of the chapter. We  decided that there are two dramatic arcs in Chapter 7. Teren and I  agree that one of these arcs is the part where Buddy is doing the water skiing jump and gets a bad injury. It really reveals Dan’s character. This is the second time that the protagonist encounters trouble. Edison also suggested that the second dramatic arc is when Buddy receives his grandfathers’ gift because it represents that he wants Buddy to become a real man. Jesse said the most interesting part is in the end of the chapter when Buddy saw a dark shadow in the water as he is swimming. The slack jaw seems to have returned and he is hunting Buddy again.
     As we discussed questions, Jesse reminded us that Uncle Dan seems to want to be a more important person in the life of Buddy’s community. He wants everyone to be jealous of him.  I also asked my group what is the inner thinking of Buddy before he attempts that ski jump and whether this is more dangerous than the last danger. They all thought that Buddy is nervous but excited, and this trouble is less dangerous than before, because last time he was hopeless and alone whereas this time Uncle Dan is with him.
      We found three literary devices in this chapter. Firstly, Buddy meets a Dilemma when he is forced to decide whether to go water ski jumping or not. If he does,he could be very hurt. If he doesn’t, Uncle Dan will tease him. Secondly, we see foreshadowing when Billy isn’t wearing a life jacket while sitting in the boat. It hints at the possibility that Billy will be in danger. The third device is symbolism. When the grandfather gives Buddy a gun as the gift, the gun here symbolizes Buddy’s transition from childhood to adult.

 

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #8

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 -Newfangled ( page 114, para 5 )

   adj. 

   gratuitously new  

2 -marksmanship ( page 119, para 6 )

   noun

   skill in shooting  

3 -somersault( page 125, para 3 )

   noun

   an acrobatic feat in which the feel roll over the head and return.

4 -giddy ( page 121, para 6 )

   adj.

   lacking seriousness 

5 -coyote( page 121, para 3 )

   noun

   small wolf native to western North America. 

 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

"Enter your passage here between the quotation marks."

 

 " I saw that Riel was danging in space, his chest and belly pressed to the sandy dirt of the cliff face. What I didn't realize right away was that Mokey was also perched on a root that was sticking out of the cliff. It grew from the cliff wall and then looped around to go back into it. It was pretty thick too, but there was no way of knowing how long it would hold Mokey's weight. Both guys had somehow gotten rid of the chokecherries that were in their mouths." 

( page 123, para 2 )

 

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

Name of Character : Nan

 

  

 

  Nan has always being responsible for the safety of the two little girls ( Pearl and Maisie )，but since Nan has a lot of things to take care of every day around the house, therefore she wants Buddy take more responsible in the family. Nan thinks Buddy should act more like a big brother; furthermore, he should spend more time with his younger sister Pearl and cousin Maisie. As she said that "You know, Buddy, you could be a lot nicer to your little sister. And to Maisie too, for that matter.  At the very least, you don't need to fight with her." (Page 110, paragraph 10)
       In the chapter, Nan totally embodies her wisdom. When Buddy rejects Pearl for going fishing with him and his two friends, Nan is disappointed with Buddy's attitude toward Pearl. Therefore, Nan acts so “mean” to Buddy, and tells him that now he can understand how pearl feels. She further lets Buddy promise for giving his valuable time to his little sister and cousin. This shows that Nan really knows how to teach young kids to behave.

   

  

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

 

Discussion Summary

 

Group Leader Teren Hu

 

   During our discussion of chapter 8, two new members have joined in our group, which they helped a lot in the process.

   Firstly, we talk about why the passage picker is the second paragraph on page 123. We all agree that since the paragraph shows us an exciting image of Buddy with his friend Riel and Mokey encountering danger on the deep cliff that Nan always warns him about, it totally reflects their friendship. It is also one of the climaxes in the chapter. 

 

  Secondly, we think Nan is the key person who helps to promote the whole plot development in the story, because her thoughts and suggestions about Buddy assist him to become a more mature young man. 

 

  Thirdly, we discussed about Joe appearing in the chapter has served as a foreshadowing. We are able to predict Buddy will meet Joe again, and as Vernansa thinks that there is a special emotion between Buddy and Joe.

  

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #9 and #10

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 - Frantic (Page129 Para 2)

     Adj.

     Unable to control your emotions because you are extremely frightened or worried about something. 

2 - Groceries

     Noun.

     Food and other goods sold by a grocer or at a supermarket. 

3 - Intruder

     Noun.

     A person who is somewhere where they do not want. 

4 - Compromise

     Noun.

     An agreement made between two people or groups in which each side gives up some of the things they want so that both sides are happy at the end. 

5 - Pioneer

     Noun.

     A person who is the first to study and develop a particular area of knowledge, culture, etc, that other people then continue to develop. 

 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

"Without the slightest hesitation, Danielle picked up my BB gun off the ground, poked off the safety behind the trigger, snapped the gun up to her shoulder-just as i had taught her-and aimed it at Dennis'butt."

 "She nailed him right in the middle of his right cheek. It was kind of a kid's version of Duel In The Sun, after all." 

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

Danielle

 

Danielle is a beautiful girl. She has blonde hair and her voice was as pretty as a meadowlark's song. Danielle is younger than Dennis; but, she seems like more mature. When Dennis says, "The Dodgers are crap, The Yankees are going to kick their asses in the world series." (P136 Para 5) Daniselle says, "Watch your mouth, Dennis. If you could see just one of their games in Yankee stadium, you'd pull for my team." From these sentences, I can tell that Danielle is doing a better job than Dennis when communicates with each other. She knows how to say things out in a way that can make everyone feels comfortable. She knows what is the right thing to say. Danielle is being very friendly to Buddy's sisters. When pearl is not allowed to go to the farm with Danielle, Danielle says, "It's okay, pearl. We're coming back tomorrow night. You and Maisie and I can spend a lot of time together over the weekend, okay? " From these senterees I can tell that Danielle is willing to play with and talk to the little girls. She never thinks that they are too noise or too little to play with. Danielle has the patience with little kids. She is more likely to be a bigger sister to the little girls. However, don't let her angel face fool you because she has an "evil" in her mind. When Dennis shoots Buddy's butt with the BB gun, Danielle turns out to be very angry about Dennis. She thinks it is too much. Then, She does exactly the same thing to Dennis's butt. Danielle is a principled girl. She knows what are the right things to do and Which aren't allowed.

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

 

Discussion Summary

 

Group Leader (Edison Shi)

 

In our discussion, we talked about many elements of chapter 9 and chapter 10. We first talked about what is the most important information you get from chapter 9 and chapter 10? Candy said she didn't expect that Danielle actually shot Dennis's butt. She thought Danielle was a lovely girl and she was always being friendly. It shocked her a lot. Teren said that she noticed that Dennis is a mighty boy because he always attacks Buddy by saying bad things. Dennis likes to bully people. Jesse said  he realized that Buddy has to experience the consequence before folloing a rule. Buddy once got a shot when he was playing BB gun with his friends and he knows for sure that it was hurt; Therefore, he tells Dennis do not shoot when he sets up the cans. They need to follow the rules that Gramp taught them.

 

Then, we talked about why does Buddy love baseball? We all believed that Buddy loves baseball because of Gramp and there was no TV or computers; Therefore, baseball was the only thing to make the life better. Buddy loves the baseball team because the spirit the team has. The team always work hard and never give up. "Sometimes, though, it took me days to get over a loss."from this, we know that Buddy is a real big fan of baseball.

 

After reading chapter 9 and chapter 10. We learned that danielle is a mature girl. Dennis is just like a little boy who doesn't understand how things work ot in the real world. We all believed that Dennis is such an idoit. It seems like we had the same view as Buddy's at this point. 

 

 

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #11

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

1 -outrageous ( page 164, para 4 )

    adj.

    extremely unusual and slightly amassing or shocking.  

2 -partridge ( page 166, para 3 ）

    Noun

    a fat brown bird with a short tail which is shot for sport. 

3 -python ( page 170, para 3 )

    Noun

    a large tropical snake that kills animals for food by winding itself around them and crushing them. 

4 -cattail ( page 172, para 13 )

    Noun

    a tall, reed-like marsh plant with strap-like leaves and a dark brown, velvety cylindrical head of numerous tiny flowers.   

5 -trudge ( page 178, para 12 )

    Verb

    to walk with slow heavy step.

 

 

 

 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

 "Joe now twisted the knife he had stuck into me. "we believe that each of us in our family is a blessing given to all of us. I care for my family members. They are my equals and also my friends." Then he pulled the knife out. "To be friends, all we must do is give to each other. I think you will understand if you want to."

 It was so much more than the feeling I could get by figuring out the answer to an arithmetic problem. It was even a whole lot more than Joe teaching me how to cast sidearm and to play with fish. In a way, it was seeing ahead. Almost like seeing into the future. It was a chance for me to be better than I was. I knew I needed to be better.

 "I want to," I said to Joe. " (page 182, para 1-3)

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

 

Joe starblanket

 

Joe Starblanket is an athletic native boy, who is a very important friend to Buddy. He is calm, wise and also very helpful to Buddy because in the chapter Joe dopes out a quick method and forces himself into uncomfortable situations to help Buddy finding his sister ( page 175-177 ). He helps Buddy by knocks at doors and asks for Buddy’s sister, however he’s a victim of racism because white men had said something bad about native people and looked at him and others in his family when they laughed ( page 180, para 3-8 ). That means he gives a lot to Buddy. He knows how to take care and respect his family, so he use his words to let Buddy understand what family really is at the end of this chapter ( page 182, para 1-3 ) .‏

 

 

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

 

Discussion Summary

 

Teren Hu

 

   In our group discussion of Chapter 11, I ask my group members an interesting question. Why Buddy describe pearl’s laugh is outrageous? For the question, we see that pearl laughs at Buddy’s black eyes and she also laughs at the expense of others. However, no one can resist laughing with her. Therefore, we think Buddy wants to show pearl’s evil minds (page164, para4).

 

  Furthermore, we talk about Buddy and Nan’s fear when they realize Pearl got lost. We think that Pearl is too young to have any self-protection abilities. Buddy recalls his nightmare about Slackjaw eaten two brothers’ dead bodies (page170, para3), because he feels guilty about not telling the adults about he knows where the two brothers go, therefore, he’s afraid that Pearl might met a danger like that and eaten by Slakejaw, also this is one of the “foreshadowing” in this chapter. Nan and Buddy feel this way because they really care about Pearl as family.  

 

  In addition, we find a “empathy” (page172, last paragraph). When Nan asks two women, they look like they want to help Nan to search Pearl, because they know the feeling of losing their daughters or granddaughters.

 

  Next, we talk why Joe helps a lot(page175-177), we think Joe is very kind and friendly, also Buddy is very kind to him by not being racist, therefore he is glad to help Buddy. After that, one of our discussion group member begin to talk about most people who’s not well-educated tend to care people more than the people who are well-educated. We think this because they don’t think too much, however this doesn’t count, no result for this.

 

  At last, we talk about our passages that Candy finds. The passages we chose (page182, para1-3) is the end of the chapter, it shows that Buddy is already turn into a real teenager who can think things deeply, and he becomes more mature than before. He knows what kind of friend he wants, and knows that friendship should be meaningful instead of just playing around. Joe teaches him how to treat his family, it allows Buddy to understand, also us. The passages is a main “epiphany” of the chapter also the novel. As a result, after Pearl’s found, Buddy appears that he loves and cares Pearl so much, and he will be nicer to Pearl.

 

 

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Readings

This post was derived from discussion around the following chapter:

 

Chapter #12

 

Word Wizard

The following words and their definitions were selected by the Word Wizard and discussed by the group:

 

 

1-squirm ( page 184, paragraph 2 )
verb
the act of wiggling

 

2- rumbling(page 185, paragraph 3)
adjective
continuous full and low-pitched throbbing sound

 

3- magpie (page185, paragraph6 )
noun
long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call

 

4-allowance ( page 188, paragraph 5 )
noun
an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)

 

5- nighthawk ( page 193, paragraph 1)
noun
nightbirds
 

Passage Picker

The following passage was selected by the Passage Picker and discussed by the group:

 

"My heart sank a little when I saw that Joe wasn't on the beach in the bay. Since no one else was there either, Gramp, true to his word, made us go back to the rock, where we sat and ate. By the time we had tried another half an hour of fishing without any luck, we were losing light. We never got so much as a nibble, and Slackjaw never showed. So, we gave up and wandered back toward the cottage. For some reason, Nan never got mad at Gramp for being late like she did with me. We didn't even hurry."

 

Character Expert

As presented by the Character Expert and discussed by the group, the following are details related to an important character:

 

Pearl

 

Pearl, Buddy's sister, is a very cute seven year old girl. She has a nice tan and straight, brown hair. Because she looks so vastly different from Buddy, it is dubious whether or not she is Buddy's biological sister. However, Pearl is similar to Buddy in the way that she is very adventurous- maybe overly so. Sometimes she breaks the rules and can be inconsiderate of her guardians' feelings. Furthermore, it is also stated in the book that she takes pleasure in others' misfortune. Throughout the book, the readers slowly notice her development as she becomes more mature and curious, and possibly also rebellious. Pearl is a round and static character, and also functions as a catalyst to Buddy's personality change. She is very loved by her family, and in the books following Summer Wild, it is likely Pearl will become more and more involved in Buddy's adventures.

 

Stagecrafter

As presented by the Stagecrafter and discussed by the group, the following are details related to the setting in this section of the book:

 

Details, illustrations, descriptors, etc., about the setting should be listed here, over top of this text.

 

Discussion Summary

 

Group Leader:  Candy Tang

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, we finished our last discussion, which was also the most meaningful one. Our group members all had a wonderful performance and we thought that all characters in the book changed a lot from the beginning to the end.
      

Buddy, as the protagonist in the book, was a typical dynamic character. In the beginning, he was a little boy who was quite innocent, and sometimes was a little selfish. For example, in the past, since he didn’t want to waste his time taking care of his sister and cousin , he always refused to play with them. However, after yesterday’s discussion, we all thought that Buddy seemed to be more mature and selfless both emotionally and physically. For instance, at the beginning of the chapter, they saw images in clouds: “Pearl said the biggest one looked like Nan’s vanilla ice cream cone. I thought it looked more like a cauliflower without a stem” (page 183 para1). Teren pointed out that this simile showed that Buddy’s imagination was more insightful and beautiful compared to Pearl who could only think about ice cream.

  

Also, Edison discovered that Buddy’s friend Joe taught him many truths about friendship. He suggested that “Buddy had to be a real friend to Pearl, not just her bossy brother, and that meant that Buddy had to start doing right by her” (page 184, paragraph 7). Accrding to these truths, Buddy began to show more cares to Pearl. For example, he wanted to rebuild sandcastle for Pearl.

  

Secondly, we found the most interesting part in chapter 12. When Buddy was trying to introduce Joe to Gramp, Gramp gave a remarkable speech that not only affected Buddy, but also had a great impact on us.  For example, Gramp said:"It’s also important for you to realize that simply confessing after the fact doesn’t get you off the hook. What you did broke the trust you and I share, and trust is one of the most important values there is’ ” (page191, para 2). This metaphor showed that trust is a value in our life.

  

Then, we went on to our problem section. Our first problem was whether Pearl became more mature. Of course we all agreed that Pearl turned into a  mature girl:  “…actually, she was being unusually good around Nan and me. Maybe because she was feeling guilty about what she put us through when she wandered off...”. ( page 184, para 4 ) This quote was a good example to show that Pearl began to confess her mistake. Then, we argued whether Pearl’s family treated everyone equally. Edison and I agreed that the treatment was unfair, since Pearl’s birthday gifts were not as valuable as Buddy’s. However, Teren argued that the birthday gifts could not represent anything since Buddy’s birthday was an important change in his life. Moreover, we discussed some solutions to help Buddy’s concern about how to introduce Joe to his family.  We thought Buddy could share Joe’s good things with his family. Such as he taught Buddy how to fish, helped Buddy to find Pearl and taught Buddy the truth of friendship.

   

Last but not least, after reading the whole book, our group also made a conclusion that as members of our families, we have to be more responsible about our duties without just thinking about ourselves all the time. If all family members just considered themselves, then the family would collapse. We also learnt many things about nature and showed more respect to nature.