Closed for the Season

Reader’s Journal #13

Dear  Mrs. Zrihen,                                                                                                      11/22/11

            I am currently reading Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn.  I think this is a scary book.  Two strategies I used before reading this book were reading the synopsis which told me the setting of the book and a little bite about the book.  Also I predicted that this book would be about a haunted house because I used text features like the picture.  Two strategies I used while reading were rereading parts I didn’t understand and they helped me better understand.  I reread some parts with pronouns because sometimes I would know who is talking.  Also, I visualized what the Magic Forest looked like and it helped me understand the setting better.  Two strategies I used after were writing a readers journal to share what the book is about and to show that I understand the book.  Also, I was able to answer my prediction and I was wrong because it’s not about a haunted house is about a magical forest even though there is a creepy house in the magical forest.

The quote that stood out to me the most was “Danny Phelps is my number-one enemy” said Arthur.  The significance and reason why I picked this quote is because it tells me that Danny is the antagonist (page 42). 

The genre of this book is mystery, fiction.  I know it’s a mystery because it says it on the cover.  The protagonists of this story are Logan and Arthur (round).  The antagonist is Danny and his friends (flat, antagonist) (it doesn’t say Danny’s friends’ name).   Johnny is the lawn mower and pizza delivery man (flat, foil).  Arthur’s grandma and Logan’s parents are supporting characters (flat).  And last, Mrs. Donaldson the murdered lady (flat, foil).  The setting is Richmond, Virginia.  The weather is rainy and sunny in the morning.  The social conditions are middle class.  The problem is that Logan and Arthur are in a dangerous forest and it is external.  The problem is men vs. nature. 

(The plot structure (I’m half way done with the book so I’m only in the climax) the beginning of the story explains the characters.  Then the rising action is that Logan and Arthur go to the Magic Forests because Arthur makes Logan go.  Now they are in the forest and Logan is scared and I need to read more to know what happens next.

The tone and mood of this passage is scary and sad because the murderer might kill someone else and sad because some people are sad that Mrs. Donaldson was murdered.  A moral I learned was don’t go into dangerous places.  The point of view is first person because it said my, me, and I.  The author’s purpose is to entertain.  The pattern of organization is chronological order because some clues in the story are the next thing.  The author is subjective because it’s only talking about the protagonists’ point of view not the antagonist and the author is biased because the author isn’t against anything.  When I was reading the story I found similes, metaphors, and onomonopea.  This book is similar to the book The Old Willis Place (by the same author) because both books are scary.  I would rate this book a nine, one being the lowest and ten being the highest.  I rated this book a nine because it used too many pronouns which caused me to get lost and have to reread the part I didn’t understand. 

Sincerely,

Erika Alban