A Note from Mrs. Wallace

If you are visiting this blog for the first time this week (procrastinators) or for the 100th time this summer (over-achievers), you may notice there are 7 blog topics per book and 3 topics comparing the two novels.  This means 17 total blog post topics.  Your assignment is to post a response on 6 of these by Monday, August 26th which means you can choose the questions you are most interested in answering.

In addition, your essay should compare and contrast the two novels.  You may use the questions on the blog to shape your essay, but you do not need to answer these questions.

Good luck, enjoy these last few days of summer and please let me know if you have any questions.
Mrs. Wallace

Compare and Contrast- Post #3

Every novel has at least one theme or lesson which it aims for its readers to grasp.  What are the lessons to be learned from the characters in Hope was Here and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes?  Are there similarities in the themes of these two books and the way each author attempts to convey that lesson? Explain.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes- #7

This novel brings up the question whether or not it is better to know or not to know.
Which do you prefer? Think about Sarah Byrnes’s life and then your own, would you prefer to
know the truth about everything, or to just let what information may hurt you stay unknown?

Hope was Here- Post #7

Hope has a tradition of writing her name in all the places she has been so people know that "Hope was Here."  Throughout the novel this is one of many ways that people express or feel hope.  List some specific ways that hope is conveyed in the novel (through food, music, people, etc.).  Share your own story of a time you knew hope was here.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes -Post #6

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes has been challenged and even banned in school and public
libraries around the country. Why does this book elicit such a strong response? Do you
think it is right for one person or group of people to attempt to dictate what an entire
community is allowed to read?

Hope Was Here- Post #6

Waitressing is a metaphor for life in the novel.  Explain what lessons Hope learns or teaches about being a good waitress and how those translate into being a good person.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes- Post #5

Which of the characters in this book present a “false face” to the world? How do their words and actions differ from who they really are?  Why do you think people are inclined to put on a "false face"?

Hope was Here- Post #5

Toward the end of the book, G.T. and Hope cut a branch from one tree and graft it onto another, allowing the two to merge and grow together as one. How is this natural process symbolic of the way that Hope's life has merged with the friends she's made in Mulhoney?  What other symbols are woven into this story?

Compare and Contrast- Post #2

Both Hope and Eric are dynamic character which means they change throughout the novel.  Explain how each character change and what you think causes them to change.  Are the change they go through similar or different?  Explain.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes- Post #4

Author Chris Crutcher dedicates this book "for all those who finally stand up or themselves." Which characters learn to stand up for themselves? What has to happen to get them there?

Hope was Here - Post #4

Describe Hope's relationship with her mother? Does her attitude toward her mother change throughout the story? Show examples of the good things her mother does for her, as well as the things that frustrate Hope.

Compare and Contrast- Post #1

Both novels are told using a first person point of view.  Discuss the similarities that occur in the novels because of this point of view.  Also discuss the differences between the two narrators and how this shapes the details of each novel.  Use examples to support your ideas.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes- Post #3

Sarah’s scars are an outward sign of tremendous pain and suffering, both physical and emotional. But her classmates, for the most part, are not sympathetic to her plight. Why do you think people turn a blind eye to the suffering of others?  Are there other characters who have inward scars?  Are these easier to hide or ignore? Explain.

Hope was Here- Post #3

Writing seems to be very important to Hope - she writes poems, keeps a diary, and writes letters, even ones she doesn't send. Explain why you think writing is so important to her. Use specifics to support your response.  Can you relate to Hope?  When you write about an event, what does the act of writing compel you to do?

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes- Post #2

Eric and Sarah Byrnes call their underground newspaper Crispy Pork Rinds, a name which had personal significance for them and which Eric later finds himself explaining to Ms. Barker, the school secretary.  Explain the significane of the the title.

If you and your best friend/s were to create and underground newspaper, what would you name it? What three school issues would you address in your paper’s first edition? Why?

Hope Was Here - Post #2

No political parties are mentioned in the novel. Why do you think I did this? Would mentioning Democrats, Republicans, or Independents have changed the story?  If you had to guess what political party G.T. is a member of what would you guess and why?

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes- Post #1

Eric mentions that when people ask “What went wrong?” with him, they usually attribute the “problem” (his weight) to his mother’s spoiling her son as a means of compensating for his father’s absence. Why do you think people ask what went wrong when they see an overweight person? How much control do you think parents have over how much their kids eat (or whether they smoke, et cetera)? If you have children, will you consider it your responsibility to keep them slender?

Hope Was Here- Post #1

Explain why Hope is a more fitting name than Tulip. Summarize the ways in which Hope tries to live up to her name.  If you had to choose a new name that better reflected your personality, what would you choose and why?

New Posts Coming Soon!!!

If you are checking the website so you can start posting for the summer reading -RELAX!!!  It is the first day of summer break.  Ride your bike, go to the beach, take a nap, but don't worry I will be posting the first blog questions sometime next week.  Happy Reading.  Mrs. Wallace

Favorite Novel from GMS

As we begin the Advanced English 8 journey together, I want to learn more about you as a student.  Please tell me about the best novel you read in middle school.  This can be a novel you read for a class or on your own.

In your response, include the novel's title and author and give specific details about the novel and what you enjoyed about it.  This will also be a great resource if you are looking for books to add to your summer reading list. Please post by May 28th.

Welcome

Hello Advanced English 8 Students!  

I am very excited about the upcoming school year and having YOU in Advanced English 8!

This site is a place for you to share your thoughts on the characters, themes and events in the books that we’re reading.  It’s also a place for you to post questions for either Mrs. Wallace or your classmates.  Chances are that if you have a question, someone else has the same one!

It’s time to get started on summer reading.  Throughout the summer, you will be asked to post 3 comments on EACH of the books we are reading (that’s 6 posts total!).  I’m looking forward to reading each post, and you will enjoy reading the comments of your classmates!

Each post should be one paragraph (5-8 sentences) long.  Refer to your summer reading assignment sheet for specific directions for each post.

HAPPY READING!! (And blogging) 
Mrs. Wallace