Journal 4 -Jessica

         Ruthie, a little girl, had no sisters and pets, but she had Jessica. Ruthie did everything and went everywhere with Jessica. For example, Ruthie read books and went to the playground with Jessica. Even though Ruthie’s parents said there was no Jessica, Ruthie believed there was. At the day when Ruthie was old enough to go the kindergarten, Jessica followed Ruthie as usual. In the kindergarten, Ruthie and Jessica stayed together, but they did not interact with other children. At that time, a girl came up to Ruthie and asked Ruthie to play together. She was Jessica. Finally, Ruthie and Jessica walked hand-in-hand.

• Theme: friendship

In the end of the story, Ruthie found a real friend finally instead of being alone with her invisible friend.

•  Conflict: protagonist against self 

Only Ruthie believed there was Jessica, however, she still felt lonely when she was in the kindergarten until she met a real Jessica.

         Every child had had an invisible friend in the childhood; especially they are the only child in the family. They may be so lonely that they image there was a friend who they can play with. What’s more, children even express the deeper feelings and emotions though this invisible friend. For instance, Ruthie did not want the parents to leave her alone, so she said Jessica wanted them to stay home. As for me, I have a younger sister and brother. It is a little hard for me to understand Ruthie’s feeling. If I did not have sisters and brothers, I will be  lonely so that I will pretend there was someone there to play with.

Journal 3 -Sleepless Beauty

        

          One day a cute little baby called little beauty was born with her parents’ love. Her parents loved her so much that they held a birthday party to welcome this little girl. As a result, they invited all their friends and relatives except the witch. However, the witch appeared during the party and shocked everyone. The witch got closer to the cradle and gave little beauty her present. The present was that everyone would fall asleep included little beauty for a whole hundred years. But the witch also mentioned that a rock star would wake the little beauty. Before little beauty’s fourteen, her parents threw out all things sharp. As little beauty grew up, she found that she could not use any knife, pin, and pencils. Finally, the witch appeared again on little beauty’ fourteen birthday. The witch asked little beauty to hold the pin and touch it. At this time, everyone and little beauty fell asleep. Next morning, little beauty woke up as usual because she set the alarm clock. They were awakened by the sound of the rock star from the alarm clock. At the end of the story, little beauty met the rock star and lived happily ever after.

l   Setting: backdrop setting

The first sentence in the story tells us its setting- one day I was born. The author did not give a very clear timing and place.

l   Conflict: protagonist against another

The conflict happened when the little beauty met the witch. The witch cursed the little beauty that she would sleep for a hundred years.

l   Word: rhyme word in the second and forth sentence

In each paragraph, the second sentence and forth sentence have the same rhyme. For example, “witch” are a rhyme for “hitch.”

 

l   Tone: surprise

At the end of the story, the little beauty did not sleep for many years. To our surprise, she was awakened by her alarm clock.

        The story was revised according to a classical fairytale. But the ending is different from the classical version. It is surprising and funny that all of characters woke up because of the alarm clock; instead of the prince charming’s kissing. But the prince and princess still lived happily ever after in this version. Besides, I think that the parents’ throwing all of thing sharp is over protection. They kept little beauty from dangerous things but they could not avoid a little girl’s curiosity. Little beauty still touched the pin, and she set the alarm clock. She solved the crisis by herself instead of waiting for a prince. In the end of the story, she still live happily ever after with her prince, who was the rock singer. 

Journal 2 -Madeline

     

  In the old house in Paris lived twelve little girls and Ms. Clavel. Twelve little girl walked, ate meals, brushed teeth, and slept in two lines. They smiled, frowned, and felt sad together. They left house in rain or shine. Among twelve girls, Madeline was the smallest and bravest one. She was not afraid of mice, tiger. One day Ms. Clavel found something wrong. It was Madeline that cried and cried. Madeline was diagnosed with appendix. Dr. Cohn sent Madeline to the hospital as quickly as possible when other girls were crying. After the operation, Madeline stayed in the hospital for ten days. In a nice morning, Ms. Clavel and eleven girls went to visit Madeline with solemn faces.  After they reached Madeline’s sickroom, all of the girls found that there were toys, candy, a dollhouse in the room. What’ more, they also found a scar on Madeline’s stomach surprisingly. In the night after eleven girls returning home, they stayed on their beds and began to cry. All of them wanted to went to hospital, too.

l   Setting: backdrop setting

In the beginning of the book, the setting is general: “in an old house in Paris that was covered with vines.”

l   Narrative point of view: omniscient narrator

In the book, the narrator tells what Madeline thought in the hospital and Ms. Clavel rushed to girls’ bedroom in a hurry.

l   Sentence: repeated rhythms with slightly variation in every three pages

Three pages a rhythm. For example: They left the house at half past nine in two straight lines. In rain or in shine.

        I have watched the cartoon version of Madeline when I was very little. After Emily introduced Madeline in the class, I found that my favorite cartoon came from a picture book. The Madeline in the TV was a brave, naughty, and energetic girl, so was her in the picture book. She was not afraid of tigers and mice, but she still cried when she felt hurt in her stomach because she was just a little girl. This is my favorite children’ literature since I was as childlike as Madeline.