To kill a mockingbird

I Introduction/General Information about the Book


· Title: To kill a mockingbird


· Author: Harper Lee


· Type of Book (fantasy, humor, science fiction, mystery, biography, non-fiction): Fiction

II Characters


Main Character:

-Jean Louise "Scout" Finch

· Describe this character: (the conflicts and problems that the main character faced in the story)

-Scout is a little girl who likes different adventures in her life. She is an intelligent girl and she doesn't want to be a lady because she is surrounded by boys her whole childhood life. She believes that every person living in Maycomb is kind and loving. But when her father, Atticus Finch was the lawyer for Tom Robinson who is accused for raping Mayella Ewell, her faith was tested during the trial of the said case. She doesn't want her father to get hurt. In the latter part, She understood what being a lady really mean and soon she learned how to appreciate people and their doings.

· I can identify with the main character when:

-I can identify Scout when she is with her brother and she can be her true self. I can also identify her when she is asking people many questions because that it will help her take away her curiosity. I can also identify her when she misses Dill so much.

· Supporting Characters: (name at most three)

-Atticus Finch
-Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch
-Calpurnia

· Describe some details about each supporting character

-Atticus Finch is the father of Jem and Scout. His wife died when Scout was just about a year old. He is a lawyer and he defended Tom Robinson. He taught his children well and disciplined them.
-Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch is the brother of Scout. He is always their to support his family especially her little sister, Scout. He protects her from danger. He tells her what's right or wrong. He plays with Scout most of the time. He wants to be a football player.
-Calpurnia is the "black" cook of the Finch family. She also disciplined the children. She helps Scout to read and write. She also helps Scout and Jem understand "black" people and how they live.

III Setting


· Describe the time and place of the story:

-The story took place in Maycomb County which is in Alabama. Scout would describe it as boring. Only few people live there. The same families doing the same things for generation after generation. One of the families there is the Finch family.


· Comments about the setting (examples: setting makes story exciting, setting has an important effect on main character, setting is/is not exciting or new, setting increased my knowledge of something):

-The setting makes the story exciting because only few people live in their place so the people know each other so well. The setting also makes the story more exciting because it describes what people's houses are. For example, the house of the Radley's they say it's spooky and they never come out. That's why I'm intrigued by the descriptions. The setting affects the main character because this is where she lives and learn how to be a lady. The setting increased my knowledge about how people live in other places. The setting affects how people interact with each other.

IV Plot: The Action/Summary of What Happened in the Story

· Summary of the story (list up to 6 events that happened in the story; keep them in order):

-One day, Scout found a couple of pieces of gum stuck in a hole in the tree.She tells Jem about it, and soon they find other things hidden in the same place, including finely-carved soap figurines of Scout and Jem themselves. This lasts until the following fall, when they find that Mr. Nathan has filled in the knothole with cement. Then winter came,  Miss Maudie’s house catches on fire and burns to the ground.Scout and Jem was nervous because maybe the fire will burn their house but it didn't. While Scout was standing, someone put a blanket over her shoulders she didn't even knew about it. The person who put the blanket was Boo Radley. At school, Scout was teased by her classmates because her father, a lawyer, has taken on a new client, a "black" man named Tom Robinson. He was accused for raping Mayella Ewell. Christmas comes, and Scout and Jem get their dream gifts: a pair of air rifles. Atticus won’t teach them to shoot, but he tells them that if they must shoot at birds, they shouldn’t pick on mockingbirds, which don’t do anyone any harm. They only sing for the people. One evening Atticus goes out, and when the kids go looking for him they find him sitting in front of the jail where Tom is held. Cars went by and parked their cars. They want Atticus to move but he doesn't want to. Scout went to the men and she realizes that the men were a different group of men and they don't look friendly. But her innocent attempts at conversation deflect the men’s anger, and they leave without violence.The next day is Tom Robinson's trial, Atticus said to the children that they should stay home but they disobeyed AtticusSkyes so that their father won't see them. Scout and Miss Maudie followed and they heard that Tom Robinson was shot and he was dead. One night, Jem and Scout are on their way back home from the school’s Halloween pageant when they hear someone following them. Suddenly, they were attacked by men. Jem was severely injured. Atticus thinks that Jem killed Ewell and starts planning his legal defense. Tate eventually convinced Atticus that Jem did not kill anybody. When it was over, Scout returns home and snuggles up with Atticus, who reads aloud to her until she falls asleep.

V Theme

· What is the author trying to say in this story? Is there a moral to this story?

-The story tells that there is inequality in this world and we cannot avoid it. The author tell us that we should respect other people even though we don't have the same race or nationality. We should learn to love people without doubts.


· This book showed me/I learned from this story:

-I learned that families are important. This book helped me to be more caring to my family and friends. It also showed me how to respect other people.

· State a problem in the story and how it was solved

-When Scout had a problem with her classmates because her father was defending Tom Robinson. But Atticus said that Scout should not mind them at all because it doesn't matter who you're defending it's about the truth. So Scout decided to stop fighting her classmates for her father's honor.

VI Evaluation of the Book


· What are your thoughts about the book? (did you or didn’t you like it and why?)

-I liked the book very much because it really touched my heart. It helped me to remember my childhood days. This book proved that children really are curious and adventurous. I like it because it tells the readers how families are important and families should be united no matter what. I also learned that Atticus has unconditional love for his children. I am glad I read this book because it helped me to become a better daughter, sister and friend.

The Pearl

I Introduction/General Information about the Book


· Title: The Pearl


· Author: John Steinbeck


· Type of Book (fantasy, humor, science fiction, mystery, biography, non-fiction):  fiction

II Characters


Main Character: Kino


· Describe this character: (the conflicts and problems that the main character faced in the story)

Kino was really a strong and brave man because he really wants his family to survive from poverty. He was worried because his son, Coyotito was bitten by a scorpion and he needs to be treated soon. He was eager to fish for oysters in search for pearls. He found a huge pearl. Many people tried to steal it from him. Their family hid in the cave but his son was killed.

· I can identify with the main character when:

I can identify the main character when he is in a problem and he tries to solve it.

· Supporting Characters: (name at most three)

Juana
Coyotito
Juan Tomas


· Describe some details about each supporting character

-Juana is the wife of Kino. A very loveing wife and a caring mother. She supports Kino always.

-Coyotito is the only child of Kino and Juana. He was bitten by a scorpion and he died because of the gunshot of the people who followed them.

-Juan Tomas is the brother of Kino. Kino and his family stayed with them when their life was complicated.

III Setting


· Describe the time and place of the story:

The story took place in La Paz, Mexico. Kino and his family lived in a small shack.


· Comments about the setting (examples: setting makes story exciting, setting has an important effect on main character, setting is/is not exciting or new, setting increased my knowledge of something):

The setting has an important effect in the story because Kino and his family are in the lower class of society and are not wealthy by any means. They are experiencing poverty.

IV Plot: The Action/Summary of What Happened in the Story


· Summary of the story (list up to 6 events that happened in the story; keep them in order):

One day, Coyotito is stung on the shoulder by a poisonous scorpion. They went to the doctor but he refused to treat Coyotito because they don't have enough money to the doctor. The next afternoon, Kino decided to go fish for oysters he then finds a large oyster and found a giant pearl. But when the neighbors and all the people knew about the pearl, all of them wanted to get it. The same night, a thief attempts to steal the pearl and attacks Kino. They hid in the mountains so that the people will not get the pearl from them but they were followed by three people. Kino killed them all and all he heard was the cry of death, Coyotito was killed by the men. The two approach the gulf, and Kino, who now sees the image of Coyotito  and throws it into the ocean. 

V Theme


· What is the author trying to say in this story? Is there a moral to this story?

The story tries to tell the people that when you have something that is very precious to you like your family, you should care and love them. In the story, the pearl is the adversary because Kino and his family had a very hard time. It gave them problems and even the death of Kino's son, Coyotito. The moral to the story is that the pearl makes the people bad and they will do everything just to get it. People nowadays are materialistic.


· This book showed me/I learned from this story:

I learned that material things can really make a family life complicated. It should not be prioritized, the family members instead should be prioritized.


· State a problem in the story and how it was solved

I think the major problem is when the pearl came and because of it, Coyotito died. I think that the problem was not that solved entirely. It was solved because of the death of someone.


VI Evaluation of the Book


· What are your thoughts about the book? (did you or didn’t you like it and why?)

I liked the book because it portrays a family that is facing many trials. And every family should be able to endure it or else their family will be greatly affected. The father, Kino is a very caring man to his family and Juana is there to support him. I admire their family because they are still there for each other. The people are very materialistic, the would do anything for that pearl.