The book The Sledding Hill is a very good book for young adults to be reading. It combines many of the key topics that are a part of young adult literature.
Over all I thought The Sledding Hill was and okay book. There were some parts that I thought were funny. And the characters were somewhat easy to relate to. But I really didn’t like the second half of the book as much as the first half. It seemed like nothing really new was added to the characters. I probably won’t read this book again but it defiantly wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.
One thing that bugged me was: What did the title have to do with the story? Eddie and Billy met maybe once or twice at the sledding hill and that wasn’t even real because Billy was dead. I wish there was a better title that made a little more sense.
My favorite part of the book was probably when Montana got up at the board meeting and argued against her father. When Montana came in her Leviticus Sucks t-shirt I could just imagine that look that would have been on her dads face.
Another really interesting part of the book is how Mr. Crutcher made himself a character in his own book. He also included a real issue that that is affecting some of the other books that he had written in the past.
I also liked when Eddie was giving his testimonial to become baptized. If I were sitting in that church I would have probably thought that he was psycho because he was calling himself Jesus. But that just makes it funnier to imagine the scene.
The one part that I really did not like was the ending. It made no sense that Billy could send a letter to Chris Crutcher if he was dead. I also didn’t really like how Eddie just accepted that he was talking to his dead best friend. Seriously how crazy is that, if I were Eddie it would have taken me a lot longer to believe I was talking to a dead person. Also I have never read a book with a narrator that is at all like the narrator of this book. In The Sledding Hill Eddie and Billy are best friends. But one day when Billy gets mad he kicks a pile of Sheetrock and it falls and breaks his neck. End of Billy right? You would think so, but the thing is Billy is actually the narrator! Even before he dies in the story Billy introduces himself as the narrator.
Pictures
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Blog 2- Religion
One big issue in the story The Sledding Hill is religion. In this small town there are two main groups of people. One is the Red Brick Church group who follow a Reverend whose name is Stanford Tarter. And the second group is all the people who are smart enough to figure out that Tarter is full of crap.
This story follows a young boy named Eddie Proffit whose family never really went to church, that is until his father died and then his mother found some much needed support in the church. Now both Eddie’s mother and Reverend Tarter want him to get baptized. His mother believes that this will help him stay sane (because currently in the story she is very worried about his heath); where as Tarter believes that Eddie being baptized will help his grieving and might even solve his muteness problem. Eddie finally decides to get baptized, but this means that he will have to attend some bible study classes first.
The thing is that Eddie is not doing very well in these classes. With out his father or his best friend Billy (both of then died recently) for support Eddie has stopped talking what so ever (this really frustrates Tarter). Eddie also doesn't agree with everything that Reverend Tarter is saying in the classes. Eddies biggest issue is what Tarter says about the mark of Cain, and what it means.
The mark of Cain is a biblical story from the chapter of Genesis. It is about Adam and Eve’s two sons Cain and Abel. Cain was jealous of Abel because he believed that both his parents and God liked Abel better than him. So one day when Cain couldn’t take it anymore and he murdered his younger brother Able. As Tarter tells the story, God was so mad a Cain that he gave him a mark that everyone could see, so that everyone would know the terrible thing that he had done. (This doesn’t even really make any sense in the first place because there are supposedly only the four of them on the earth so everyone would already know who had done it.) When asked what kind of mark, the Reverend replies, “It's dark skin…, African Americans wear the mark of Cain.” (Crutcher 68)
Eddie defiantly does not agree with this. Their may not be many black people in Bear Creek to challenge Tarter but Eddie defiantly knows that Tarter has crossed a line. So he just simply stands up and walks right out of class. I defiantly agree with what Eddie did. Really, isn’t a pastor supposed to be teaching respect and stuff like that? I think that what Eddie did makes perfect sense and is what every other person in that class should have done.
This story follows a young boy named Eddie Proffit whose family never really went to church, that is until his father died and then his mother found some much needed support in the church. Now both Eddie’s mother and Reverend Tarter want him to get baptized. His mother believes that this will help him stay sane (because currently in the story she is very worried about his heath); where as Tarter believes that Eddie being baptized will help his grieving and might even solve his muteness problem. Eddie finally decides to get baptized, but this means that he will have to attend some bible study classes first.
The thing is that Eddie is not doing very well in these classes. With out his father or his best friend Billy (both of then died recently) for support Eddie has stopped talking what so ever (this really frustrates Tarter). Eddie also doesn't agree with everything that Reverend Tarter is saying in the classes. Eddies biggest issue is what Tarter says about the mark of Cain, and what it means.
The mark of Cain is a biblical story from the chapter of Genesis. It is about Adam and Eve’s two sons Cain and Abel. Cain was jealous of Abel because he believed that both his parents and God liked Abel better than him. So one day when Cain couldn’t take it anymore and he murdered his younger brother Able. As Tarter tells the story, God was so mad a Cain that he gave him a mark that everyone could see, so that everyone would know the terrible thing that he had done. (This doesn’t even really make any sense in the first place because there are supposedly only the four of them on the earth so everyone would already know who had done it.) When asked what kind of mark, the Reverend replies, “It's dark skin…, African Americans wear the mark of Cain.” (Crutcher 68)
Eddie defiantly does not agree with this. Their may not be many black people in Bear Creek to challenge Tarter but Eddie defiantly knows that Tarter has crossed a line. So he just simply stands up and walks right out of class. I defiantly agree with what Eddie did. Really, isn’t a pastor supposed to be teaching respect and stuff like that? I think that what Eddie did makes perfect sense and is what every other person in that class should have done.
Blog 3-Second Book
This is one possibility of what might happen if the story would have been continued.
I think that Montana and Eddie are going to start going out. They will probably keep bugging people like Tarter with their attitudes and there new “business” venture, of making t-shirts and bumper stickers with Leviticus Sucks on them.
Then eventually Montana’s dad will get so fed up with her that he will send her away to boarding school. While she’s gone Eddie will get all depressed again and stop talking for awhile. This is until Billy starts talking to him again and together they come up with a plan to go and rescue Montana.
Meanwhile Tarter will probably keep getting support from the parents of the community, but he will defiantly be hated by more and more kids as time goes on.
Something else completely different might happen to.
The story might continue with Eddie creating a secret club that reads every single one of the book that the school board banned. Eddie would most likely be assisted by Billy’s father and maybe even the librarian Ms. Lloyd.
If the story continued that way then eventually Rev Tarter would find out about Eddie secret group. If this happened Eddie would probably be forced by Tarter and him mother to join the church. Nevertheless Eddie would find some way of continuing his little reading group.
Those are just two of the many different things that could happen next.
I think that Montana and Eddie are going to start going out. They will probably keep bugging people like Tarter with their attitudes and there new “business” venture, of making t-shirts and bumper stickers with Leviticus Sucks on them.
Then eventually Montana’s dad will get so fed up with her that he will send her away to boarding school. While she’s gone Eddie will get all depressed again and stop talking for awhile. This is until Billy starts talking to him again and together they come up with a plan to go and rescue Montana.
Meanwhile Tarter will probably keep getting support from the parents of the community, but he will defiantly be hated by more and more kids as time goes on.
Something else completely different might happen to.
The story might continue with Eddie creating a secret club that reads every single one of the book that the school board banned. Eddie would most likely be assisted by Billy’s father and maybe even the librarian Ms. Lloyd.
If the story continued that way then eventually Rev Tarter would find out about Eddie secret group. If this happened Eddie would probably be forced by Tarter and him mother to join the church. Nevertheless Eddie would find some way of continuing his little reading group.
Those are just two of the many different things that could happen next.
intellectual freedom- issue in novel
"Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment." — Article 3, Library Bill of Rights
The issue of banning books is HUGE in the Sledding Hill. Most of the story is about how Eddie and many other students are fighting against Tarter and the Youth for Christ about banning the book Warren Peece.
Eddie and other student feel that the book should Not be banned because there is nothing in the book that is bad. And for most of them this is one of the few books they have finished in there lifetime.
On the other hand, the church feels that it is their duty as people of God to get Warren Peece removed from school. They think the book is bad because the main character is gay (which is a sin in there church) and because of the “bad” language in it.
Did you know that there was a banned book week? It is September 29–October 6, 2007.
Many school and churches and other organization make it there responsibility to ban books. But many people feel that it is extremely unfair to limit what books people can read.
Most people think that all banned books are terrible and the people should never read them. But some of the books that have been banned in some places are being read during school in others.
Here are some of commonly banned books from through out the United States:
· Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
· The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
· The Giver by Lois Lowry
· A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
· Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
· The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
· Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
· The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
In my opinion books should NOT be banned. Everyone should have a chance to read what ever they want to.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
6+1 Traits of Writing
In the book The Sledding Hill Crutcher defiantly excelled at every single one of the traits of writing.
Conventions- There was not one misspelled word or wrongly used punctuation in the entire book. Crutcher and many other probably proof read this story many times. There were also no clichés or run on sentences. This shows the Crutcher defiantly wanted this to be the best book it could possibly be.
Voice- It would be almost impossible to read the story The Sledding Hill without seeing the personal voice of Crutcher coming through. Crutcher even puts a fictional persona of himself into the story. There is also an obviously strong commitment to stopping the banning of books.
Word Choice- Crutcher like most other authors know that reading boring words like awesome, nice, and big is not very enjoyable for the reader. This is why he does well in the word choice category. He also uses vivid nouns and energetic verbs that make his story more interesting to read.
Ideas and Content- There is definite evidence of good ideas and content in The Sledding Hill. The reader can tell that Crutcher has and understanding of the topic in his book and that he is writing from experience. He even talks about how his other books have been banned in the story. How much more obvious can you get? Crutcher also included fresh and original ideas which are a big part of this trait.
Sentence Fluency- What if the Sledding Hill had choppy, rambling, awkward, and incomplete sentences. Would you keep reading it? Most people wouldn’t, that’s why Crutcher wrote his sentences better than that. He used purposeful sentence beginnings and had a variation of sentence lengths. Now when people read the book they can understand it well and they notice how well the sentences flow together.
Organization- When writing his story Crutcher used one of the most common forms of organization, chronological. This may seem boring but it actually makes it easier for the reader to follow the story.
Presentation- I really didn’t like how the story was presented. The cover and the title had nothing to do with the story. This really bothered me. Couldn’t they think of something better?
Conventions- There was not one misspelled word or wrongly used punctuation in the entire book. Crutcher and many other probably proof read this story many times. There were also no clichés or run on sentences. This shows the Crutcher defiantly wanted this to be the best book it could possibly be.
Voice- It would be almost impossible to read the story The Sledding Hill without seeing the personal voice of Crutcher coming through. Crutcher even puts a fictional persona of himself into the story. There is also an obviously strong commitment to stopping the banning of books.
Word Choice- Crutcher like most other authors know that reading boring words like awesome, nice, and big is not very enjoyable for the reader. This is why he does well in the word choice category. He also uses vivid nouns and energetic verbs that make his story more interesting to read.
Ideas and Content- There is definite evidence of good ideas and content in The Sledding Hill. The reader can tell that Crutcher has and understanding of the topic in his book and that he is writing from experience. He even talks about how his other books have been banned in the story. How much more obvious can you get? Crutcher also included fresh and original ideas which are a big part of this trait.
Sentence Fluency- What if the Sledding Hill had choppy, rambling, awkward, and incomplete sentences. Would you keep reading it? Most people wouldn’t, that’s why Crutcher wrote his sentences better than that. He used purposeful sentence beginnings and had a variation of sentence lengths. Now when people read the book they can understand it well and they notice how well the sentences flow together.
Organization- When writing his story Crutcher used one of the most common forms of organization, chronological. This may seem boring but it actually makes it easier for the reader to follow the story.
Presentation- I really didn’t like how the story was presented. The cover and the title had nothing to do with the story. This really bothered me. Couldn’t they think of something better?
Friday, January 4, 2008
Book Backround
Setting: Bear Creek, Idaho
Summary: The story takes place in Bear Creek, Idaho. Eddie and Billy are best friends. But, sadly both Billy and Eddie’s father die with in a month of each other. Eddie is left feeling abandoned and decides to stop talking. He is mad and starts to question God. He does not know why he would let something like that happen to him. At the same time, his mom starts to see Reverend Tartar more and more, even though Eddie hates him. Eventually, Tartar even says that Mr. Proffit’s agnostic beliefs were bad. This makes Eddie hate him even more. After that, he says that it was God testing Eddie, and that he should join the youth group and get baptized. Meanwhile, Eddie has been reading a Chris Crutcher novel at school. This book has helped Eddie out in so many ways, so he really loves it.But, of course Tartar’s church finds out about some of the “inappropriate” things that are in the book. They decide that it is their duty to ban the book from the school because of the bad messages it is sending to the students. They even ask Eddie to help them with the banning. Not sure of what to do, Eddie turned to Billy’s ghost (who has been paying him regular visits) for some advice. He even starts talking to Billy’s dad. He decides that it would be best for him to continue with the church and then turn on them at the last minute. It would be the ultimate plan, and he wouldn’t have to lie to them because he hasn’t been talking for months, and will continue not to. So, the day of his testimony, he lets go of all of his thoughts; everybody is shocked that he was really not one of them. Soon after Eddie’s testimony the hearing to decided if the book Warren Peece should be banned or not starts. Both of the sides come and have a huge argument. Crutcher even ends up attending the hearing personally. But, in the end the church prevails and the book is banned. But, Eddie can say that he stood up for what he believed in and did a good job of it. And that’s all that really matters to him.
Eddie Proffit- Eddie is a 14 year old boy who lives in Bear Creek, Idaho. He is very outgoing and talks almost non stop. He is actually really smart but no one really sees that except for his best friend Billy. Eddie is doing fine until he finds his dad dead. Now Billy is all that Eddie has left; Until Billy is also killed. Now Eddie is left all alone, and he stops talking what so ever.
Billy Bartholomew- Is also 14 years old. He is the smartest kid in his grade and for that reason he has trouble making friends with everyone except for Eddie. All is going well for Billy until he gets mad and kicks a pile of sheetrock; Which falls and hits him in the back of the neck, killing him. Now Billy maybe dead but he still sticks around to make sure that his best friend is doing ok.
Summary: The story takes place in Bear Creek, Idaho. Eddie and Billy are best friends. But, sadly both Billy and Eddie’s father die with in a month of each other. Eddie is left feeling abandoned and decides to stop talking. He is mad and starts to question God. He does not know why he would let something like that happen to him. At the same time, his mom starts to see Reverend Tartar more and more, even though Eddie hates him. Eventually, Tartar even says that Mr. Proffit’s agnostic beliefs were bad. This makes Eddie hate him even more. After that, he says that it was God testing Eddie, and that he should join the youth group and get baptized. Meanwhile, Eddie has been reading a Chris Crutcher novel at school. This book has helped Eddie out in so many ways, so he really loves it.But, of course Tartar’s church finds out about some of the “inappropriate” things that are in the book. They decide that it is their duty to ban the book from the school because of the bad messages it is sending to the students. They even ask Eddie to help them with the banning. Not sure of what to do, Eddie turned to Billy’s ghost (who has been paying him regular visits) for some advice. He even starts talking to Billy’s dad. He decides that it would be best for him to continue with the church and then turn on them at the last minute. It would be the ultimate plan, and he wouldn’t have to lie to them because he hasn’t been talking for months, and will continue not to. So, the day of his testimony, he lets go of all of his thoughts; everybody is shocked that he was really not one of them. Soon after Eddie’s testimony the hearing to decided if the book Warren Peece should be banned or not starts. Both of the sides come and have a huge argument. Crutcher even ends up attending the hearing personally. But, in the end the church prevails and the book is banned. But, Eddie can say that he stood up for what he believed in and did a good job of it. And that’s all that really matters to him.
Eddie Proffit- Eddie is a 14 year old boy who lives in Bear Creek, Idaho. He is very outgoing and talks almost non stop. He is actually really smart but no one really sees that except for his best friend Billy. Eddie is doing fine until he finds his dad dead. Now Billy is all that Eddie has left; Until Billy is also killed. Now Eddie is left all alone, and he stops talking what so ever.
Billy Bartholomew- Is also 14 years old. He is the smartest kid in his grade and for that reason he has trouble making friends with everyone except for Eddie. All is going well for Billy until he gets mad and kicks a pile of sheetrock; Which falls and hits him in the back of the neck, killing him. Now Billy maybe dead but he still sticks around to make sure that his best friend is doing ok.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Works Sited Page
Crutcher, Chris. The Sledding Hill New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2005. Holy Bible. Cleveland, Ohio: World Company, 1962.
"Intellectual Freedom Basics." American Library Association. 2007. 16 Jan. 2008
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