Samantha Prior

@Tara13028892 I thought the same but then once he was rescued, he was able to enjoy music again and it helped him. It was nice to see that he was able to enjoy something from his childhood again while also using it to heal and to be happy again. #285WLU10

#285WLU10 I found the beginning part where Ishmael describes playing with his friends and enjoying rap music to be really heart wrenching to me, because it shows how he was just a regular kid before he was pulled into the war.

"I wanted him to ask me if I was fine" (ch. 6). Despite Ishmael living through the war and continuously running for safety, he is still young and seeks comfort from his brother, who is unable to give it. It shows the harsh reality of war and its effects on children. #285WLU10

@Areejkhalid99 I agree! I have read Romantic period poetry at WLU and never quite understood it but I found Brown Girl Dreaming to be more understandable and approachable and it is more accessible for other readers, not just tweens. #285WLU9

I really liked how she was given her name. By calling her Jacqueline, her mom allowed her to have more choices. If she wanted to stand out, she could. If she wanted to blend in, she could. People would not really look twice unless she gave them a reason to. #285WLU9

@LaurenMawhEN285 I think it is important for Bod and tweens to know and learn that even if they make a mistake, the people who really love them will continue to love them. I think it helps tweens to realize that they still have someone to go to even when they mess up. #285WLU8

I liked how there is comedic relief found throughout the novel. There is the seriousness with people trying to kill Bod but there are moments when a character says something that helps lighten the mood a bit but still keep the action going. #285WLU8

@AdamEN285 I like your idea of the child dying as he is 'reborn' after being taken in by the ghosts. I noticed that before Bod was granted Freedom of the Graveyard, he was able to see and interact with the ghosts which set him apart from others as most are not able to. #285WLU7

One thing that stood out to me was how intelligent Scarlett and Bod were at the age of five when they encounter the 'indigo man' and how they realize that it is just a decoy meant to scare people away. I forgot for a moment that they were young as they seemed older. #285WLU7

@JacobLasby I agree with this because as a child I was not allowed to watch that much tv at home but when I visited family I would be allowed and I was still exposed to a lot of ads. Sometimes I would even be allowed to go on a cousin's computer and I would see ads then as well. #285WLU6

It’s easier to say limit a child’s exposure to marketing than actually put it into practice. I was raised without a tv for the majority of my childhood and still had lots of exposure to ads even without the commercials my peers experienced #285WLU6

When Linn said that "we are depriving children ... of middle childhood," it made me think about my own childhood and how deprived it was as there was more focus on looks and who was friends with who rather than just being a kid and having fun. #285WLU6

@SimranMannEN285 I think that this also shows tweens that adults will not always be able to do things for them or make decisions for them. I think it also shows tweens that they do not need to rely on someone else. #285WLU5

The back and forth of Ella's thoughts after Char's proposal shows how this meant more than disobeying any other order throughout the novel. Ella wanted to say no, for Char and the kingdom, to save them, making herself the hero of her own story. #285WLU5

@JacobLasby I really liked this as well and I also liked the way her mother only really gave her a command once and it was for Ella's safety and not against her. #285WLU4

I enjoy that no one puts Ella at fault for her curse. It’s almost treated as a disability as it’s something she’s had since birth and is a part of her. I especially like they way her mother was conscious of it and was careful with her words #285WLU4

When Mandy said that Ella's father was human because only humans could be as selfish as he is, it made me think about how humans are the "real monsters" in this text because they are the ones who take advantage of, are cruel, and pass judgement. #285WLU4

@EvanHutton3 In addition to this, I think that it shows that children are indeed intelligent (even though Violet is a genius inventor) and that sometimes adults do not give them credit for it. #285WLU3

I think the fact that Violet did not actually sign the marriage document in her own hand in the end generates an idealistic climax to the story which acts as a surprising revelation that leads into the conclusion. #285WLU3

Mr. Poe disregarding the children when they go to him for help after Klaus was hit stood out to me. Many children try to communicate with adults and are sometimes not taken seriously just because of their age so they may relate to the characters this way. #285WLU3

@mansijxswal I thought the same. She was punished for her spying and what she wrote about people in her notebook but by the end of the novel, after having one talk with Dr. Wagner and some time off from school, she was allowed to be the editor for a portion of the school paper. #285WLU2

I like the way we can see Harriet going through many different emotions and trying to figure out what they are on her own, such as how angry and spiteful Harriet became after everyone turned on her and how she dealt with those strong emotions. #285WLU2

@JacobLasby I found her honesty to be hilarious. I actually had to stop reading for a second and just take in her descriptions of people. It really lets you know that this story deals with eleven-year-olds who have no concept of what a filter is. #285WLU

I love how brutally honest Harriet describes the other characters. Really realistic to have a little kid with no filter whatsoever #285WLU1 #285WLU

Harriet using her imagination and creativity to passionately map the town be like: #285WLU

The first thing I noticed was Harriet's imagination and her creativity in the way she creates a town full of people and is able to map out the town in the mud and with tree roots. I found it interesting just how passionate she was about the game. #285WLU