Final+Reflections

Torey-  I liked reading Ernie's ark. It was a good book that was easy to follow along too. When I read parts of this book I feel like it relates to me. Other parts I’m confused. I understood most of the book it was just manly understanding there moods which was kinda difficult. When Monica Wood came to the school and started reading some passages and answering our questions it made understanding the parts I didn’t get easy. She made the book seem better. She made me change some opinions on a few chapters. She also told us how she had a tenth chapter, but It didn’t really go along with anything. I don’t really have a favorite character. If I had to choose one it would be Kenny Love. He’s my favorite character because his last name is ballin. Kenny is also a straight up rebel. Kenny Love is the man!

Cody 3 paragraphs on Ernie’s Ark. Well, it was off and on with me with this book their was some parts of the chapters that I liked and some I disliked so I kinda liked the book because it was telling me more about my community that I never new before. The story focused on other family’s not just one. It talked about marie’s battle with cancer. They retained right up on the strike from the first day to when it ended. Yes, when Monica Wood talked it changed my opinion because the kinda cleared up the chapters that I didn’t really get as we were reading. She also started talking about what the characters names where before she changed them. As she was talked more and more about mill strikes all over the place. She also told us about how the got the names of the places in the book and the names of the people in the book. She talked about how she got a chapter of her book taken’ out. My favorite character in the book is Timmy Little because, he is the one who really doesn’t care what people think or say and he crossed the picket line and he got beat up for crossing it.When is cat was killed he blamed dan for doing it. Timmy ended up moving from where he was living. When timmy crossed the picket line in was four months into it. Timmy was the youngest kid and never got to meet his dad because he died before.

Jackie

**1. Now that we are almost done reading Ernie's Ark, did you enjoy reading the book? Why or why not? Explain.** I enjoyed reading Ernie's Ark. This book is about is about people in a mill neighborhood and how they are affected by the mill being on strike. I liked how all of the characters seemed to be connected in some way, even though it wasn't always a direct connection. Some people worked in the mill together, some people had friends and family that worked in the mill, and some people had almost no connection at all, except for hearing about the mill from other people. They all fit together though, and each chapter kept you guessing about how each character had something to do with one another.

**2. After hearing Monica Wood talk about the book did it change your opinion of the book in any way? Why or why not? Explain.** After hearing Monica Wood talk about the book, it did not change my opinion of Ernie's Ark. I thought she would have a different point of view on the book and the characters. After she talked about the characters though, it was practically the same as what I thought about them. I thought she personally knew the characters in the book and so she wrote about them. I also thought that maybe she was one of the characters. In reality, she just made them up.

**3. Who is your favorite character? Explain.** My favorite character is Cindy Love because she reminds me of my mom. She runs her own business; a successful flower shop. She is a caring, loving woman that likes to help others. Cindy is having lots of trouble with her husband, and the only reason she is still there is because of Francine. She loves Francine very much, and knows that Francine needs her, because her own mother abandoned her when she was younger.

Lauren
 * Now that we are almost done reading the book Ernie’s Ark did you enjoy reading the book? why or why not? explain.**

I actually did enjoy reading Ernie’s Ark, It was interesting hearing about Ernie’s life as well as everyone else’s in the story. I like how each chapter had a different person talking. It was cool how everyone connected to each other in the story. How dan Little was married to Cindy Love and how Cindy’s step daughter sold the tickets to Ernie. It was interesting.


 * After hearing Monica Wood talk about the book did it change your opinion of the book in any way? why or why not? explain.**

Well in the beginning of the book it didn’t seem very interesting, but after the chapter That One Autumn I started to actually understand it and like it. When Monica Wood talked it made me like it even more because I understood it more! I liked when she told us where she got the characters names from. I don’t think it really change my opinion about the book but it deffinatly made me like it more.


 * Who is your favorite character? Explain**.

My favorite character was, Ernie. Ernie was my favorite character because he seemed kind of funny with his grumpy old man attitude. He doesn’t like it when kids go on his lawn with there bikes, and I have a neighbor up the road from my house and he does not like it when kids walking home from school go on his lawn on there bikes either. I thought Ernie and my neighbor kinda acted alike.

Ashley C. I did not enjoy reading Ernie’s Ark. I like reading true stories or sad books. It was interesting to see the different point of views. Also learning about each character and how they all related to the mill. There were some parts though that I didn’t understand. When Monica came in and told us a little about the story it did help me understand better.

I don’t think it changed my opinion on the book. I did like how she explained how she thought about writing about each character. That even she had her own favorite character. Also, when Monica Wood came to the school and told us about the book I still had the same prospective as I did when the class first starting reading it. Also I liked how Monica read one of her favorite parts of the story.

My favorite character would have to be, **Marie Whitten**. The reason she is my favorite because, with her battling with cancer and having to deal with the mill being on strike she is a strong woman. She has a Yorkie, named Pumpkin Pie and when she dies her husband Ernie, brings the dog for walks.

Oscar Now that we are almost done reading Ernies Ark, did you enjoy reading the book? Why or why not? Explain. I did not enjoy Ernies Ark because it did not activate my interests. I didn’t think it was that well written, only a collection of short, depressing stories. I know that it was about my area but I don’t feel any connection to the book. This book is of a genre of I don’t usually read or enjoy. I think that the book was dull and unimaginative. Many parts of the book weren’t written very well, they were just depressing.

After hearing Monica Wood talk about the book did it change your opinion of the book in any way? Why or why not? Explain. Hearing Monica Wood didn’t change my opinion of the book because I wasn’t very moved by her speech. I don’t want to be a writer when I grow up, and I can decide for my self if I like the book or not. I thought it was interesting to see her reasons and interpretation of the book but I still didn’t like it. I wouldn’t have read this book on my own and wouldn’t read it again. I like books with more action.

Who is your favorite character in Ernies Ark was Kenny because he doesn’t care what people think of him. He just wants to live in the woods and be a philosopher. His dad wants to force him to go to Harvard but he doesn’t take the opportunity because he wants to do what he wants, not what his dad wants. When his uncle dies he gets left a house in the woods. His dad wants to make him sell it to get money for Harvard. But he just wants to live in that house.

Hannah

**3 paragraphs.**

**1.) Now that we are almost done reading Ernie’s Ark did you enjoy reading the book? Why or Why not? Explain.** Ernie's Ark was an okay book, i didn’t really like ready those kind of books. Ernie's Ark wasn’t very thrilling too me, I like reading sad books more than any kind of books. I didn’t like how the book skipped stories like it would go from one place too another. (The setting changed to much) I have to say that it was an interesting book, but just not enough interesting things in the book for me too keep it. If I just picked it up on the shelf there is a good chance that I wouldn’t finished, but I think it was good too read with the class.

**2.) After hearing Monica Wood talk about the book did it change your opinion of the book in anyway? Why or why not? Explain.** When Monica Wood talked about Ernie’s Ark all by herself it didn’t really change my thought. If it changed my thought it would be from the characters not the book itself. The characters made me actually stay in the book, the way that they talked. Also in the beginning of the book it wasn’t very interesting I thought it was going to be the most boring thing in the world because who would want to learn about somebody building an ark. When Monica talked about her own book, it actually made me realize how much time she spent into making the book and her thoughts, and how she would think of a really good idea, or she thought it was amazing, and then had to throw it away because it wasn’t good enough, I think that she has a good life ahead of her, and she can accomplish anything that she steps forward of doing. So the thought of it all was that it actually did kind of change the way I thought about the book.

**3.)What is your favorite character?** My favorite character from Ernie’s Ark would be, Ernie. I liked how when he did one thing he would jump too the next but always finish it. When his wife died of cancer he didn’t want to do anything, he wanted too be by himself. To tell you the truth I don’t blame him. Ernie seemed very laid back like me, and funny. He did have a little bit of a grumpy man attitude, but so don’t we all sometimes. Ernie when he starts something he has an amazing idea. Who would have thought of building an ark? Ernie did, which i thought was amazing!!!! So Ernie is by far my favorite person in the whole book!

Nicole

Daniel

DaJeong In this book there are various people and various story. And that story gradually get together. It likes braid hair. And people who is in this book are characterful. Ernie is as angry man and Tracy is as crazy girl. And Marie likes something comfortable like cushion. McCoy is regardless (I felt like that). And this book has unique story like chapter 3. And assignment help me enjoy this book. Because that help me more understand this book. So I was enjoyed reading this book.

After hearing Monica Wood talk a book. When I think about Ernie's ark, cover of Ernie's ark and small dog come to mind. My opinion of the book is not changed that much. I just remember about " How she started writing this book, What she do to write a story" and about last chapter which is not exist in the book. And these things don't related with the book's story.

Ernie is my favorite character. He had dark days. But he thought out the ark and he made the ark with enthusiasm. When he went college with his ark and introduce his ark and installation, he was ignored. But he didn't stop making his ark, he started again! If i were him, I would stop. 'Though somethings wrong, I can start again.' I thought. Though he couldn't get prize, I get something mentally. I also want to do something with enthusiasm, and get something in mentally. So i like Ernie.

Jeremy- Ernie’s Ark was not the most premier book I have ever read. It wasn’t my type of book it didn’t keep me entertained.I did learn somethings in the book like what a Pickett line is.I figured out it was a line with workers on strike. It wouldn’t be a book I would recommend to someone unless they like reading books that aren’t funny and have no action in it. After hearing Monica Woods my opinions didn’t change much.They kind of changed,because I understood how she put the book together.She also told us about the story of how she came up with the characters and story plots. I appreciated the characters more when she told us how she came up with them.On a scale to one to ten I will give this book a 6, and that is my opinion. My favorite character in the book would have to be Ernie. I chose Ernie because he was a guy who wanted to achieve things in life.For example he wanted to build an Ark for an installation contest.He had some troubles in the begging,but he managed to get around them. He was the type of guy who wasn’t ready to give up,even though his wife Marie was in the hospital.

Grace:

Over the month or so that I’ve been reading Ernie’s Ark, I think it’s really grown on me, and I’ve enjoyed reading it. Although I couldn’t really connect to the characters that were having difficulties due to the mill strike, I could connect to many other conflicts the characters were dealing with, such as suffering from cancer. Another reason I was keen of Ernie’s Ark was because I thought it was clever how the author stringed all of the characters together. Finally, I’ve enjoyed reading the book because I thought it was very unique that every chapter was told by a different character, and the point of view would often change as well.

Although the author, Monica Wood, came and told her thoughts and opinions on the book, mine remained the same. I think that my opinions didn’t change because once I have my mind set on something, such as thoughts on a book, they’re not usually up for change. However, after listening to Monica and hearing her mention how the last chapter was cut from the book, it made me very curious as to why it was removed, and what this mystery chapter was about. I hope that I can find the edited chapter on the internet so I could read it, and see if I enjoyed it as much as the other chapters in the book.

There are tons of characters in Ernie’s Ark, but I would have to say that Cindy Love really stood out to me, and easily became my favorite. Cindy Love was by far my favorite character for many reasons. One of these reasons is simply her name. //Cindy Love.// It just sounds so sweet and innocent, and almost rolls off the tongue. Another reason was because she was patient, as I mentioned in my slide show. Cindy was obviously kind and caring, because she tended and looked after Francine, regardless of the fact that Francine’s father was having an affair, and she wanted a divorce. I felt sympathy for this poor character, but at the same time I admired her for her dedication to the children. These are just some of the reasons Cindy Love was my favorite character.

Colby

Connor

Ernie’s ark paragraphs By Connor Kane 10/18/10 I enjoyed reading the book because it had a bunch of different stories. I also liked it because I got to learn what was it like for a job to go on strike. I also liked it because of Ernie building an ark. I learned that many stories can be in one book. I also learned that stories can be talked about over and over again. Monica Wood changed my opinion because she talked about the book and how she liked to write about books. She also talked about different roles in the book. She also changed my opinion about Ernie because he wasn’t supposed to build an ark. I learned more about the other characters. I learned that other characters have a main part in each chapter. My favorite character is Cindy Love. She adopted Francine. Francine’s father is Bruce Love. Cindy also helped Kenny Love when he needed it. I also liked her because she was a nice person.

Bryce

3 Paragraphs about Ernie’s Ark I did not enjoy reading the book, because it did not interest me. Ernie’s Ark is the kind of book that you have to love reading to find this book interesting. The type of book’s that interest me are fiction book’s and mystery books. After hearing Monica Wood talk about her book, I still did not change my opinion on the book. I still dislike the book it’s not because I new I wasn’t going to like it but it’s because it wasn’t all that interesting. Parts of the book did interest me a little but not often. My favorite character would have to be Trace Brighton. She is a very confusing woman but at the same time she’s also a very smart woman. She know’s that running away with her “boyfriend” isn’t the best desition but she also know’s that if she stayed home she would probably go insane.

Trevor

Ashley W.

Aighdan- Now that we are almost done reading Ernie’s Ark did you enjoy reading the book? Why or why not? Explain.

I did not enjoy reading this book because it was very depressing. Ernie worked and worked for his wife on a ark that was a plea to God to help her and she dies anyway. It was a good story though and I liked the style. I liked how they all had little connections to other parts in the book. I also loved the dog Julie for some reason. All in all though it was a very depressing book. That is why I did not enjoy reading this.

After hearing Monica Wood talk about the book did it change your opinion of the book in anyway? Why or why not? Explain.

No it didn’t change my opinion hearing her speak. She also pointed out some very depressing ideas. I did enjoy having her hear though. It was interesting hearing the words behind the book. She did not change my opinion on the book however.

Who is your favorite character? Explain.

My favorite character was the golden retriever Julie. She was the happiest someone in the book. She was a loyal pet to Dan Little and was the only scrap of self respect he could get. She was was a symbol love. That is why I liked the dog Julie.