<p>It’s actually by S.E. Hinton. It’s an amazing book, there’s this one paragraph towards the end that drives me to tears every time.</p>
<p>I just don’t like reading aloud because it’s slow. Did I mention we’re not allowed to read ahead (AKA they want to keep the fast readers held back)?</p>
<p>Sorry for venting, you guys. I just really hate that class. English used to be my favorite subject before I got her as a teacher, now I hate it. I remember when we were looking at future career options, she mentioned that what she really wanted to be was a teacher for the blind, but the organization she was in put her with kids who had learning disabilities instead, and she didn’t like it, so she just became a mainstream teacher. I think she should have tried to get a job doing what she wanted originally, I think she would be excellent at it.</p>
<p>oh, oops, thinking about a different book. not allowed to read ahead? thats awful! the teacher does decide how much u like a class, which is not good sometimes. i feel bad for you! hopefully next year english will be better. wat schools are you applying to?</p>
<p>I studied the outsiders in 6th grade outside the US. It was a great book, I’d like to reread it now that I’ve lived in the US. I studied the Giver in 5th and The Hobbit in 7th but we just studied them in 8th grade here. I believe they studied the thunder book last year when I wasn’t here at my school. Right now we’re studying Out Of the Dust. WE have to ead it by tommorow but I havn’t started yet but it’s all in free verse poetry.</p>
<p>you read the giver in 5th? in the public high school i would go to they study it in like 10th or 11th! i thought the giver was good, but the Hobbit was a little boring and drawn out</p>
<p>I mistranslated the years it was 6th sorry. I get my american years mixed up sometimes/ I was in the "Gifted Stream " where they basically take the top 10 kids in the grade and teach the curriculum 1-3 grades ahead. They assume you’ll stay in it till you graduate. It actually screwed me up because I don’t know lots of 5th/6th grade math and stuff but almost everything I’m doing now I’ve already learnt.</p>
<p>okay, it sounds like the “gifted stream” was overall pretty good but had a few flaws. at my elementary school there was no gifted program : (</p>
<p>It was great acually… The way the system worked I was actually in my first year of high school in 6th grade because theres no middle school. Just 6 years of HS. It’s annooying though because I know a decent amount of geometry but I would struggle through Math 6. It’s not really the giftted thing really it’s the changing curriculums all the time.</p>
<p>No gifted stream for me, either. Just a few optional “fun” classes some advanced kids get to take.</p>
<p>I studied the Giver earlier this year, though I read it in 5th grade. I sent an email to Lois Lowry and asked her if she meant for it to have so many similarities to the bible (that was an awesome class discussion). Apparently she didn’t want it to have similarities to any one religion, she wanted it to apply to everyone.</p>
<p>I haven’t read the Hobbit yet, it just doesn’t seem all that interesting to me, though I know I should read as it IS a classic.</p>
<p>thats cool that u sent an email to the author! she wanted it to apply to everyone…interesting take when writing a book. determining who would want to read the book</p>
<p>Yeah The Hobbit is good but the LOTRs can be a bit hard to get through. I liked them but a lot of people don’t and I get why! I’m not in any gifted classes right now. Just regular public school in ordinary classes lol.</p>
<p>I saw she welcomes emails on her website. I thought about emailing her but then didn’t… I emailed an author and we talked for ages actually, we got on well. You wouldn’t know the author because she isn’t an amercan/British one.</p>
<p>what do u mean by lotrs?</p>
<p>I love emailing authors <3 It’s actually surprising how many respond. I also think I read somewhere that if you send Lois Lowry your copy of one of her books and return postage/envelope, she’ll sign it for you and send it back. Then again, that’s just what I heard. Her website probably has more information <em>too lazy to check right now</em></p>
<p>Bookluver, I think she’s referring to Lord of the Rings, of which Hobbit is the first book (feel free to correct me on this, I could be wrong) of.</p>
<p>SSRS</p>
<p>I have to go to school and take a test, ewwww</p>
<p>oh okay, yea. i didnt read any of the others but i saw the first movie. yea corresponding/meeting with authors is fun. i wrote a letter to ann m martin, met tomie depaola, and met wendy mass.</p>
<p>I’ve meet several authors as well (scans brain for one you guys would know, ie. is published in the US). I’ve meet Garth Nix! He was cool</p>
<p>okay, neat. u live outside the us?</p>
<p>I live in the US right now but I havn’t for long. Books in the US are so cheap /dreamy look/</p>
<p>okay. yea, there are tons of great books i didnt know about until i went across the atlantic.</p>
<p>I love looking at the prices on old books. 45 cents! For a book! I know that’s basically equivalent to what it would be now, but it’s still so pretty to see on the back.</p>
<p>Or maybe I’m just strange?</p>