Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Deep and Dark and Dangerous

Reader’s Journal #18
Dear Mrs. Zrihen,
        I just finished reading Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn.  This book was a cliffhanger because I couldn’t put this book down.  The strategies I used before reading were skim and scan.  For example, by reading the title and looking at the cover I already knew my mood.  The summary told me what the book was about.  And the hook made me want to read this book.  I also found more things but didn’t really help me, like, the title page, publication page, and dedication page.  The second strategy I used before reading was predict what this book was about based on the cover.  Prediction: I think this book would be about a ghost that died when she was alive because on the front cover there is a person that looks dead and at the bottom of the front cover it says a ghost story.  Two strategies I used while reading were reread parts I didn’t understand.  For example, the last eight lines on page seven.  I also visualized as I read.  Visualizing made the book seem like a movie and helped me better understand.  Strategies I used after reading was summarizing what the book were about which made writing my reader’s journal easier.  Another strategy I used was writing a reader’s journal to show people I understand what I am reading and tells people things about the book.
        The genre of this book is fantasy, fiction because it’s a ghost story.  The book takes place in Maine.  The weather condition is rainy.  I think the social conditions of this story are middle class.  The author’s point of view is first person because it has words such as I, my, etc.  The author’s purpose is to entertain.  The mood of this book is scary.  The tone is suspenseful.  Some figurative language I found is personifications, similes, metaphors, and hyperbole.  An example of personification is soon the mist swallowed her up, on page 40.  An example of simile is look at your hair-it’s almost as long as mine, on page 7.  An example of a metaphor is I’m just a bag of bones, on page 46.  And an example of a hyperbole is I’ve wanted to see it foe ages, on page 8.
        The quote I picked was said by Ali’s mom.  “The lake’s deep… and dark… and dangerous”  I picked this quote because this was Ali’s warning about the lake.  When Ali was at the lake for a while she realized her mom was right.  Ali decided to go to the lake because the thought her mom was overprotective.
        The characters in this book are Dulcie (Ali’s aunt), Clare Thornton (Ali’s mom), Ali (main character), Emma (Ali’s cousin), Staci (Ali’s best friend), Pete (Ali’s dad), Mr. Bear (Emma’s bear), Sissy (Emma’s “friend”), Erin (ice cream women), Jeanine (Erin’s mom), Chauncy (Ms. Trent’s dog), Ms. Trent (Dulcie’s friend), Teresa (girl that drowned), linda (Teresa’s older sister), Caroline Hogan (Ali’s classmate in third grade), and Edith (Sissy doll’s name).  the protagonist is Ali, the antagonist is Sissy, and I think Emma would be an antagonist and foil.  And the rest of the characters are foil.
        I would rate this book a 10 out of 10 because it was my favorite book and it was scary and I love scary books.
The plot structure is Ali looks through her grandmother’s boxes in the attic.  Ali finds a picture with her mom, aunt, and a girl torn out of the picture, and a lake in the background.  Ali asks her mom who is standing next to Dulcie and her mom said it was her.  Then Ali was more specific and asked her who is standing on the other side of you, and her mom said she doesn’t remember.  Dulcie wanted to fix the old cottage at the lake and needs Ali to babysit Emma.  Then they went to the lake.  Dulcie was painting the cottage for the first time when Emma met a girl named Sissy.  When Ali saw Sissy the first time, she knew by Sissy’s eyes and the look she gave to Ali, Sissy was a liar and was going to cause problems.  They asked her where she lived and pointed to Western Cove.  Then a few days later Emma started looking for her in Western Cove with Ali and didn’t find her.  Then a few days later, Sissy came back and the first thing Ali asked Sissy were do you live.  And this time she pointed the opposite way.  Then they started building a castle and Sissy kicked Emma’s castle down.  And Ali would scream at Sissy why she did that.  Then Sissy said why don’t you get in the lake and Sissy added on, don’t be such a scardy cat.  So she jumped in and when Emma went up to get air Sissy would push her back underwater.  Ali pulled Emma out of the water and she started crying.  Then Sissy said she was just playing around.  Sissy had a doll Emma loved.  Sissy told Emma to get in the canoe and showed her the doll and went in and Ali had to go in to because Emma would get out and wasn’t going to leave Emma with Sissy alone.  Then when they got to the place where Teresa died Sissy took the doll away and put it over the water so Emma can dive in.  Then the boat tipped over and Sissy went down and Emma started crying cause was going to drown.  Then Sissy said I can’t drown twice!!(Because Sissy is Teresa).  Then one day Sissy changed and they all became friends and Ali promised if she change she would make a funeral for her and that’s how it ended.  The conflict is man vs. supernatural and it’s external.
Sincerely,
Erika

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