BP#4 This reminds me of....

Since the start of the year we have been examining different motifs and patterns developed in ancient stories and how these patterns are duplicated in our contemporary storytelling. These motifs and patterns help us to connect strongly to past and present stories. We have seen this week how J.K Rowling connects and synthesizes her knowledge of ancient stories and history with details from her own life to create the fictional world of Harry Potter. The 100+ million readers of the Harry Potter series have certainly shown us that this can be a powerful connection.

This week I want you to write a blog post where you discuss a part of your novel that reminds you of something else or connects in some way to a personal experience, what is going on in the world or another text (media, digital or written).

What I want you to do is make a personal, textual,

and/or worldly connection to the novel you are reading.

By discussing these connections you will be showing how you can synthesize (bring together unlike or like parts to make meaning) concepts and texts.

AS PROCESS:
If you are not familiar with the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, watch this movie trailer:

Then watch this interview with Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief. Listen carefully for insights into the connections he has made to the reality of his own life, and then presented as fiction in his award winning novel.

NOW COMPOSE YOUR POST:
To begin your entry, select a brief quotation (20-30 words) from the section of your book that connects you to some other experience. Be sure that you use "quotation marks" around the direct quotation, and that you provide a proper citation following the quote using the correct format (Author, Title Page) .

In the body of your entry make the connection you have made clear to your readers (max 100 words). Here you are to explain with specific details the type of connection you are making to your novel.

To get you started, think about how you would finish this paragraph:

The (character, event, place) reminds me of (a place, a real event, another person/character, another text, a real world situation) in the following ways . . . .

Here is a student sample:

"Illegal Fireworks Suspected in Church Blaze Pastor Injured

Wrightsville Beach, NC - A fire destroyed historic First Baptist Church on New Year's Eve, and investigators suspect illegal fireworks." ..... (Sparks, The Last Song 3)

One of the main events that happens in this book is the fire that burns down the church. It connects many of the other things that happen in the novel. Two teenage boys used illegal fireworks and were responsible for the fire. This reminds me of a newspaper article I read about two men in east Texas who were charged with intentionally setting fire to a church and were suspected in a string of similar blazes. The outbreak started with a fire set New Year's Day, which is also similar to the book because the fire in the novel was set New Years' Eve. This is one of the text - to - world connections I made while reading The Last Song.