Reading Response #10 (Yay last one)

My Review of the Book- Part Three (May be Spoilers):      

Narration:

The narration was third-person and by the end of the book you find out it was narrated by THE DAD. /’o’\ So Shocking! (Please notice my sarcasm). The narration was okay but at times it got too descriptive at too many times which can make it a chore to read at times. A lot of the things he writes can really be summed up and would make it flow much more better.One part that made me really tiring to read was the part where the bullies were chasing Turk. At some times the descriptions were a good thing like at the part where Sydney and Turk went through the washing machine but at some places it got too much.  He uses a lot of “As you know...” Or “As you may have known before...” And says something that the readers have obviously known before and it just can makes it tiring to read and disrupts the flow. It’s feels like he doesn’t trust the reader.

Overall it told the story well but it got a bit annoying at parts. Sometimes I feel like I do some of these a lot in my writing too.  I’d give it a 2.5/5.

Themes:

The book had a lot of good themes. I’ve already had a response on the theme of the book so I won’t write much about it. It had a lot of good themes like standing up for yourself, honesty, expressing and communicating your feeling and just relationships in general. I think that it expressed it very well in the story and had a good message for the intended audience. I would give it a 5/5

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In conclusion, it’s a fun and quirky book that is entertaining and cute. I may seem like I was annoyed by the book and didn’t enjoy it, but I really did like it. It does get more and more interesting as you get into it and sometimes you can’t put the book down. The first time I read this was a year ago at school and I remember reading this during silent reading, I was really into it and didn’t notice that silent reading was finished and that everybody moved on to work. As soon as it was recess I brought it outside to read and finished it. I found it really enjoyable. I think that since I’m a bit older, it was my second time reading this and I was paying attention more to the words and stuff for reading responses I may have found more flaws but I did still enjoy it nonetheless. It  it was nominated for The Moonbeam Award and The Silver Birch Award.

I would give the book about a 3.75/5 or 4/5 .

Reading Response #9

My Review of the Book- Part Two (May be Spoilers):

Characters:

The main protagonists are siblings Sydney and Turk. I’ve talked about their personalities in previous responses but I’ll give you a brief description. Sydney is the extroverted and stubborn redhead. (I find that a lot of girls with red hair in books are usually stubborn) While Turk is more introverted and quiet. Usually books have a more extroverted  and adventurous person and a more timid and introverted person. Though unlike a lot of them, they get along really well together.

I like the character development with Sydney and Turk and how they aren't completely 2D. You can see that there is more to them then their extro or introversion and that they make mistakes and aren’t perfect. You can see the difference to how both of them react to different situations. I like how their relationship and character changes throughout the story, at the beginning Sydney is more expressive and outspoken and is in charge of the plans and stuff, while Turk is the opposite but by the end it’s the opposite.

The secondary characters are interesting but they are a bit more flat. For example, the only thing we know about Shep is that he is a crazy homeless man that whistles a lot and helps Sydney and Turk. We don’t know anything about how he got to the Royal Woods, his family or anything of his life story. He doesn’t express very many different emotions except that he is always kind of goofy, which really isn’t an emotion. We know Kumar is an illegal immigrant from India working at several jobs a day to feed his family back home. We know that Kumar watches out for the kids at the end Kumar was the one that brought the family back together, risking some of his jobs. He seems to perfect to me and that he is just a Guardian Angel. The antagonists are mostly the people that live in the Royal Woods, like the bullies, Bob and Barb Buick, Dee-Dee etc. And they are all pretty much angry, boring rich people. I wish the secondary characters were a bit more 3D.

Overall a ⅘ for the characters.

Reading Response #8

My Review of the Book- Part One (May be Spoilers):

I enjoyed reading the book. It’s quirky, entertaining and engaging. I’ve explained what the book is about in my last Reading Responses so I won’t really go into much detail.  

Plot/Story:

I’m just pretty much copying and pasting and adding a bit to what I wrote in my 2nd Reading Resp. Sydney and her little brother Turk leave their sad home after their mother has died to find happiness on their aunt and uncle's farm they visited before without their father knowing. They discover the farm is gone and in it’s place are new houses in a subdivision called "The Royal Woods'. They meet a unique homeless man named Shep who can’t stop whistling, and a man named Kumar after they pay him to use the car wash to bathe themselves. They are determined to stay here and make a living than to surrender and return home. They embark on many adventures including a chicken that rides ponies, a magic golf putter and more.  In the end everything turned out fine, Sydney and Turk found their dad at the train station looking for them with Uncle Frank and Aunt Lily. Apparently Kumar called their father and told them what was happening. Sydney and Turk got their visit to their Aunt and Uncle's farm house that was a several miles south for a visit. And everything ended happily ever after.

I’ve heard of this plot before where two siblings (The older one is usually a girl and the younger one is a boy) run away from home and escape to a new place where they have to try to survive. The first book that I can think off the top of my head that has a plot like this is “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E.L Konigsburg. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3980.From_the_Mixed_Up_Files_of_Mrs_Basil_E_Frankweiler)  Another plot that is used a lot is where one of the parents (usually the mom) dies and the other one is deppressed and can’t take care of their kids any more so the kid is on their own. The kid is usually feels really guilty and you can see how their personality changes. An example of this is ”A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius” by Stacey Matson. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22666866-a-year-in-the-life-of-a-total-and-complete-genius?from_search=true&search_version=service)

The plot is interesting but not completely original. It has a few plot holes like why didn’t Bob Buick check the house and find Sydney, Turk and Shep when you saw a family screaming and running out the door without a goodbye. I also find it really predictable and it was a bit obvious on how the story would end. I also don’t like how the story ends ‘happily ever after’. A lot of people find it satisfying but I wish it didn’t end with such a happy ending like how the dad was healed and perfect, I wish that there was still a small conflict between the characters is you know what I mean. I would give the plot a 3.5/5.  

Reading Response #7

A conflict in the story is when Bob and Barb Buick were trying to sell the house that Turk and Sydney were living in to the Crabstock family.  It started when Sydney over heard Bob and Barb talking to Mr. Crabstock about the house and why they should get it while caddying for them.

Quickly right after they finished their game of golf, Sydney told Turk and had to run to the house to retrieve their stuff. They were almost finished getting all their stuff when suddenly the front door opened and in walked the Crabstock family. Sydney and Turk took their stuff and hid down in the basement behind the furnace and crouched there, just listening to the family moving around the house above them, they could hear every word with the parents bickering and the bratty kids running and screaming around the house. Sydney found this situation all amusing while Turk didn’t.

The two kids were wrestling in a room upstairs so close to the air vent they could hear them breathe, and that is when Sydney got a idea “She cupped her hands around her mouth and made a low ghost-like moan directly into a vent. ‘Whhhooooooooooo...’” (p.159)The kids didn’t notice at first so she tried again and again.

“‘What is THAT?’ the kids cried together with utter terror.

“Sydney made her voice sound like a ghost in a horror movie.’i am the ghost of the vanishing farmer! You must leave this place at once! WHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!’” (p.159)

The kids started crying to their parents about a ghost. They of course didn’t believe them. The wife went in to investigate while Mr. Crabstock was scolding the children. Sydney moned the same thing in the vent again. “Whatever was making that sound, Doris Crabstock knew it wasn’t the wind. She had a powerful sense that there was some kind of presence in the house. (And as you know, she was right about that)”(p.161)

“It was pure fluke that Shep McParlain Jr, ,chose that very moment to drop by and visit Sydney and Turk. It was also a pure fluke that he just happened to be wearing a straw farmers hat and carrying a chicken.” (p.161), You can see where this is going. The family fled from the house with terror convinced that the house was haunted. They jumped in the car and sped off.

If Sydney and Turk were caught, they would probably be forced to call their dad and explain to everyone what happened or they could of been sent directly to an orphanage but I’m not so sure that is how it works.

Reading Response #6

The theme of the book is probably about family or friend relationships and honesty. One is about their relationship with their dad and how you need to talk and be honest with each other instead of running away.

  Another way they show the honesty theme is with Kumar. At first they lied to Kumar about where they are from and their dad but once they opened up to him, Kumar went online on a computer in the local library, and searched the names of the missing children on the computer, he found Sydney and Turk listed and made contact with their dad.

Reading Response #5:

Sydney and Turk’s To-do list (Note that this is just a guide and things may not go as planned):

• Wake up, brush teeth, get dressed etc.
• Meet Kumar at the mall to give us breakfast.
• Go to Shep’s place to eat and share breakfast… if he came back. (Save some of the food for lunch)
• Go to the `Rat River Golf and Country Club`, Sydney caddies for Bob and Barb Buick (Try to ask them about the farm) and Turk searches for golf balls to sell.
• Eat Lunch that Kumar gave at the club.
• Sydney goes back to caddie for Dr. Gamble and Turk searches for golf balls to sell.
• Meet Kumar at the Gas Bar to eat dinner. Bring Shep if he`s back.
• Go home, get ready for bed, sleep.

Reading Response #4:

Now I’m going to talk about Turk. He is another one of the main characters in the book. He is eight years old and he a lot the opposite of his big sister Sydney personality wise. Turk  looks up to her and listens and respects her. His real name is actually Curtis or Curt for short. When he was younger he used to put all his clothes backwards, so they started calling him Turk. Because it’s like Curt backwards.

Unlike his sister, Turk is much more shy and introverted. “Turk was somewhat a shy boy who didn’t like attracting attention to himself. Try as he might, he couldn’t quite get over his embarrassment at the odd looks they got from people who saw them.” (p.74) Turk has his own ideas but doesn’t always speak up about them. Making him caught up in Sydney’s ideas.  I feel like his personality type would be an ISFJ: (https://www.16personalities.com/isfj-strengths-and-weaknesses)

Reading Response #3:

I’m going to talk about Sydney, one of the main characters in the book. Sydney is an extroverted and adventurous 12 year old with bright red hair and green eyes. She has a little brother named Turk who she loves and cares deeply for but also sometimes puts him at risk with her crazy ideas, like riding on the bars between trains.

Sydney can be a very stubborn and determined. “...when she gets an idea in her head, no matter how bad that idea might be. She will almost certainly make that idea happen.”(p.16) Sydney also doesn’t mind being in the center of attention and doesn’t care about what other people think, she actually quite enjoys it.   

Sydney is also really good at making up stories and “little candy lies” on the spot. “Sydney was always strong and brave and pushing straight ahead, and she knew the thing to do next, no matter how big and difficult that thing was.” I feel like her personality type would be an ESTP. (https://www.16personalities.com/estp-strengths-and-weaknesses)  

Reading Response #2:

If you had to persuade someone else to read this book, what would you say? Without revealing the resolution (ending), write enough about this book to make someone else want to read it.  

The Royal Woods is a quirky and entertaining story, Sydney and her little brother Turk leave their sad home after their mother has died to find happiness on their aunt and uncle's farm they visited before without their father knowing. They discover the farm is gone and in it’s place are new houses in a subdivision called "The Royal Woods'. They meet a unique homeless man named Shep who can’t stop whistling, and a man named Kumar after they pay him to use the car wash to bathe themselves. Each page becomes more interesting and you can’t put this book down, you just need to know what happens next. It really is no wonder it was nominated for The Moonbeam Award and The Silver Birch Award.

Reading Response #1:

I’m reading the book The Royal Woods by Matt Duggan, which was nominated for The Moonbeam Award and The Silver Birch Award. If you want to know what is about, just read here: http://49thshelf.com/Books/T/The-Royal-Woods2

Anyway, I wanted to talk about the dad in the book. The dad is kind of, but not really the villain. I’m not far enough to tell who is the main villain. He is the one that drove Sydney and Turk to travel across the country between two boxcars on a train without any food, water or sleep. The dad hasn’t been in the book yet, but he has been mentioned a few times and so far described as sad and lonely. “After their mother died. their dad became very sad. In fact, he became so sad that he stopped doing all the things a dad is supposed to do for his children. There was hardly ever proper food to eat or clean clothes to wear, birthdays went by without parties or cakes, and they started the school year without fresh school supplies or new shoes. There wasn’t even a tree at Christmastime.”(p.49)

I think that the dad is suffering from depression. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of a loved one (His wife in this case), though natural, may increase the risk of depression. When people have depression, they are usually tired and don’t have the energy to do what they are supposed to do, like being a dad and taking care of his kids.

I’ve read many books that kind of have the same theme. One of the parents die (usually the mom, I noticed), and the other one gets really depressed where they can’t take care of their kids any more so the kid is on their own. They feel very miserable and feel like they are just some obstacle to them. One example of a book of the top of my head that is like this is ”A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius” by Stacey Matson, which Mrs.O’Hara read to us aloud last year.  

What I would've done in Sydney's case was probably tell someone I trusted about it and reach out for help. A grandparent, an uncle, a teacher or even see if I can call a depression hotline that may help. I may try to convince the dad to seek therapy or even just talk though I’m not sure he would listen, in the book it even said that he can’t even stand to look at them.

I can’t completely blame Sydney for what she did. She probably didn’t know or understand what he was going through. She thought that the reason their can’t even stand to look at them was because both Sydney and Turk resembled their mother. Especially Sydney with her red hair and green eyes. “She figured that if they weren’t there to remind him of their mother, her dad would stop being sad and he could get better. Leaving him alone would be doing him the biggest favour she could thank of. Or maybe Sydney was just plain mad at her dad. Maybe she just convinced herself that she was doing him a favour, when in fact what she was really trying to do by running away was to teach him a lesson. She’d show him that if he couldn’t be bothered to take care of them, they could just as easily get by without him.”

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