mockingbird
Kathryn Erskine
2010 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature
2010 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature
10-49/232
Summary
Caitlin went to school. Mrs. Brook asks her questions to help Caitlin feel okay, but Caitlin feels very uncomfortable with the questions. Caitlin answers I don't know every time. During a very tense conversation between Caitlin and Mrs. Brook, Mrs. Brook answers her phone. She once said that you have to look into people's eyes. Caitlin didn't like Mrs. Brook looking into her eyes, so she went under the desk. She looked up on the bottom of the desk. It was a raw wood, an unfinished wood. She touched it, it was like Devon's chest. Caitlin rubbed it and rubbed it until the wood splinter cut her finger. The blood spread into the wood. Caitlin rubbed the wood harder and harder to erase the blood, but it won't go away. Then, Caitlin feels Mrs. Brook calling her and felt her arm pulled away.
Dad talked to Caitlin about school, about her finger. Caitlin answered how her finger hurts and that actually finger and her head hurts. She started counting and went into her bed, leaving her dad's voice behind. It was Thursday six thirty. It was a Pizza day. Caitlin and dad wishes to have pizza with Devon, but they eat Pop- Tarts and salad with applesauce instead.
It was an another school day. Even though Devon said recess should be your favorite subject, Caitlin thinks it is the worst. Then she saw Josh pushing people off of the monkey bars again. Josh was in Caitlin's class, but he got put in another class because Josh's cousin was one of the school shooters at Devon's school and shot Devon. That's how Devon died. Caitlin felt warm tears filling her eyes. Then she saw Josh running toward William and knocks him down. Caitlin goes over to Josh trying to be helpful and remind him about people's Personal Space. Josh yells 'Ew' seeing Caitlin sucking on her sleeve, and calls her 'dog' and 'freak'. Caitlin says that you shouldn't get into someone's personal space. And if other person is in your personal space, you should say excuse me or sorry. Then Josh shouts, 'I don't have to! I didn't do anything wrong!' Caitlin says very slowly looking at Josh, 'Yes. You. Did.' Suddenly, Josh's face got red yelling that Devon's death is not his fault, even though Caitlin was talking about William's personal space.
I can't help it that your brother was shot!
I don't know why he's yelling at me.
It's not my fault!
I hate shouting. I'm starting to shake.
They tried to save him at the hospital! Josh yells.
I'm shaking my head now because I want him to stop.
But he doesn't. His Heart was hanging out and they couldn't close his chest up-
p.31
Thankfully, Emma shouted 'Shut up Josh!' with bunch of kids behind her. Caitlin was sucking on her sleeve, moaning.
Caitlin went to the library and started looking for books about Heart with the library card from her dad. Caitlin is a great reader. When she was in a kindergarten, she was above eighth-grade reading level. She thinks the books are the same. They don't change even if you close them and open them again, unlike humans. Caitlin kept looking for how long you can make a Heart work once it is shot. And this is all she found: A gunshot wound to the Heart is almost always fatal.
Another day of school, Mrs. Johnson finished explaining about a group project about animals you choose and now kids are writing some choices. Caitlin wrote Heart, and she doesn't want to do it on animal. Also, she wouldn't want to work in groups.
What's the value?
Making friends.
I already have friends.
Tell me about your friends.
My Dictionary. TV. Computer.
Mrs. Brook shakes her head. I'm talking about people and learning how to get along with others.
I know how. I leave them alone.
Not that way.
But that's what they always tell me- Leave me alone. Caitlin go away- so I'm listening. And I'm doing what they asked so I'm being nice.
p. 41-42
Caitlin ended up doing a group project on Heart and how it works and how a gunshot wound to the Heart makes it stop working, because that's what happened to Devon. When Caitlin just finished drawing the Heart and she was done, she brought it to dad. He reads it and his head drops. He swallows, he sniffs, until Caitlin say 'What's wrong with it?' He answers 'Nothing. It's-it's very well done. I...need to go take a shower. You can pick out a video and watch it.' Even though he only takes a shower in the morning. Caitlin hear her dad crying before the shower turns on.
Caitlin starts picking. When she pulled out Bambi, she remembered when she was five years old and watching Bambi with Devon. Bambi's mom was shot dead. At that part, Devon kept saying 'She can't be dead.' And Caitlin would say 'She's DEAD Devon!' Devon started crying and saying, 'She's coming back! She has to come back!' Then Caitlin yelled at him, 'SHE'S DEAD AND SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK!'
My Thoughts
I don't know why and how, but instead of quotation marks, the author is using Italic writings. It makes you feel that you are in a dark endless space alone, and you hear the voices from the text echoing.
p. 11
The characters are very strong (by looking at the character study; "A strong and complex character study"- The Horn Book) which brings the reader into the book. Like when Caitlin didn't wanted to be touched or asked and when she rubbed her finger against the raw wood and bled.
p. 18
I hear so many sighs from Caitlin's dad. I wonder if the depression from her dad is affecting Caitlin. Like dogs, they become sad if their owner is sad.
p. 22
I hope Caitlin doesn't get hurt, because I think Josh is kind of a boy who just say things without thinking. Also, his cousin killed Devon.
p. 30
The author doesn't describes Caitlin's feelings to give reader a chance to go into the situation and see for ourselves and feel for ourselves how she feels.
p. 32
Now Caitlin is researching about Heart when shot by a gun, because Josh said that Devon's heart was hanging out and the doctors couldn't close his chest up...
p. 37
Caitlin's 'Making Friends Mind' is very wrong. Caitlin should open up her window inside her a little bit. She let go of all the sadness and be happy again.
p. 44
__________________________________________________________
* Writing the summary helps me a lot, because it makes you read and go through the book twice which helps you understand the book more. Also, writing down my thoughts during reading is hard, but helpful, because it makes you think again and dig more deep to make your thinking out on the paper in words.
Summary
Caitlin went to school. Mrs. Brook asks her questions to help Caitlin feel okay, but Caitlin feels very uncomfortable with the questions. Caitlin answers I don't know every time. During a very tense conversation between Caitlin and Mrs. Brook, Mrs. Brook answers her phone. She once said that you have to look into people's eyes. Caitlin didn't like Mrs. Brook looking into her eyes, so she went under the desk. She looked up on the bottom of the desk. It was a raw wood, an unfinished wood. She touched it, it was like Devon's chest. Caitlin rubbed it and rubbed it until the wood splinter cut her finger. The blood spread into the wood. Caitlin rubbed the wood harder and harder to erase the blood, but it won't go away. Then, Caitlin feels Mrs. Brook calling her and felt her arm pulled away.Dad talked to Caitlin about school, about her finger. Caitlin answered how her finger hurts and that actually finger and her head hurts. She started counting and went into her bed, leaving her dad's voice behind. It was Thursday six thirty. It was a Pizza day. Caitlin and dad wishes to have pizza with Devon, but they eat Pop- Tarts and salad with applesauce instead.
It was an another school day. Even though Devon said recess should be your favorite subject, Caitlin thinks it is the worst. Then she saw Josh pushing people off of the monkey bars again. Josh was in Caitlin's class, but he got put in another class because Josh's cousin was one of the school shooters at Devon's school and shot Devon. That's how Devon died. Caitlin felt warm tears filling her eyes. Then she saw Josh running toward William and knocks him down. Caitlin goes over to Josh trying to be helpful and remind him about people's Personal Space. Josh yells 'Ew' seeing Caitlin sucking on her sleeve, and calls her 'dog' and 'freak'. Caitlin says that you shouldn't get into someone's personal space. And if other person is in your personal space, you should say excuse me or sorry. Then Josh shouts, 'I don't have to! I didn't do anything wrong!' Caitlin says very slowly looking at Josh, 'Yes. You. Did.' Suddenly, Josh's face got red yelling that Devon's death is not his fault, even though Caitlin was talking about William's personal space.
I can't help it that your brother was shot!
I don't know why he's yelling at me.
It's not my fault!
I hate shouting. I'm starting to shake.
They tried to save him at the hospital! Josh yells.
I'm shaking my head now because I want him to stop.
But he doesn't. His Heart was hanging out and they couldn't close his chest up-
p.31
Thankfully, Emma shouted 'Shut up Josh!' with bunch of kids behind her. Caitlin was sucking on her sleeve, moaning.
Caitlin went to the library and started looking for books about Heart with the library card from her dad. Caitlin is a great reader. When she was in a kindergarten, she was above eighth-grade reading level. She thinks the books are the same. They don't change even if you close them and open them again, unlike humans. Caitlin kept looking for how long you can make a Heart work once it is shot. And this is all she found: A gunshot wound to the Heart is almost always fatal.
Another day of school, Mrs. Johnson finished explaining about a group project about animals you choose and now kids are writing some choices. Caitlin wrote Heart, and she doesn't want to do it on animal. Also, she wouldn't want to work in groups.
What's the value?
Making friends.
I already have friends.
Tell me about your friends.
My Dictionary. TV. Computer.
Mrs. Brook shakes her head. I'm talking about people and learning how to get along with others.
I know how. I leave them alone.
Not that way.
But that's what they always tell me- Leave me alone. Caitlin go away- so I'm listening. And I'm doing what they asked so I'm being nice.
p. 41-42
Caitlin ended up doing a group project on Heart and how it works and how a gunshot wound to the Heart makes it stop working, because that's what happened to Devon. When Caitlin just finished drawing the Heart and she was done, she brought it to dad. He reads it and his head drops. He swallows, he sniffs, until Caitlin say 'What's wrong with it?' He answers 'Nothing. It's-it's very well done. I...need to go take a shower. You can pick out a video and watch it.' Even though he only takes a shower in the morning. Caitlin hear her dad crying before the shower turns on.
Caitlin starts picking. When she pulled out Bambi, she remembered when she was five years old and watching Bambi with Devon. Bambi's mom was shot dead. At that part, Devon kept saying 'She can't be dead.' And Caitlin would say 'She's DEAD Devon!' Devon started crying and saying, 'She's coming back! She has to come back!' Then Caitlin yelled at him, 'SHE'S DEAD AND SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK!'
My Thoughts
I don't know why and how, but instead of quotation marks, the author is using Italic writings. It makes you feel that you are in a dark endless space alone, and you hear the voices from the text echoing.
p. 11
The characters are very strong (by looking at the character study; "A strong and complex character study"- The Horn Book) which brings the reader into the book. Like when Caitlin didn't wanted to be touched or asked and when she rubbed her finger against the raw wood and bled.
p. 18
I hear so many sighs from Caitlin's dad. I wonder if the depression from her dad is affecting Caitlin. Like dogs, they become sad if their owner is sad.
p. 22
I hope Caitlin doesn't get hurt, because I think Josh is kind of a boy who just say things without thinking. Also, his cousin killed Devon.
p. 30
The author doesn't describes Caitlin's feelings to give reader a chance to go into the situation and see for ourselves and feel for ourselves how she feels.
p. 32
Now Caitlin is researching about Heart when shot by a gun, because Josh said that Devon's heart was hanging out and the doctors couldn't close his chest up...
p. 37
Caitlin's 'Making Friends Mind' is very wrong. Caitlin should open up her window inside her a little bit. She let go of all the sadness and be happy again.
p. 44
__________________________________________________________
* Writing the summary helps me a lot, because it makes you read and go through the book twice which helps you understand the book more. Also, writing down my thoughts during reading is hard, but helpful, because it makes you think again and dig more deep to make your thinking out on the paper in words.
Wow
ReplyDeleteThat's great