Classic Book Project When You Are Finished Reading Your Classic Book
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Classic Book Project When you are finished reading your classic book, you will be required to complete a two-part project. Part 1: While reading you must complete 12 job sheets (2 of each type: Summarizer; Vocabulary; Discussion Director; Literary Luminary; Connector; and Character Analyzer). Make sure you complete the job sheets fully (directions are on Google Classroom). Part 2: You must research the author and complete an “interview” of the author based on your research and your own thoughts about the book and author. You must have at least 3 sources (Wikipedia is not allowed), and you must cite your sources at the end of the interview. The format for an interview will be reviewed in class. The questions that must be answered are: What is the book’s genre? Describe what the book is about Where did you write it? How long did it take to write it? What led you up to writing the book (Why did you want to write it)? How was the book received? If you could change anything in the book now, what would it be? If the book was made into a movie, who would you want to star in it? If you could design a website for the book, what would you include in it? What is something personal about you that might surprise others? A sample interview is at the end of this document for your reference. 1. The interview and job sheets must be MLA format (Times New Roman size 12 with in-text citations, a Works Cited page, and page numbers). We will go over this in class. As you are researching, keep track of all the websites you use. 2. Also, be very careful to rephrase the information you use and not plagiarize other people’s words. We will discuss this in class as well. 3. If you cannot find information to answer a question, create your best, most informed guess. Sample Interview Kimberly Galiano Mrs. Galiano ELA Blue Team 14 January 2020 Interview with J.M. Barrie Author Sir James Matthew Barrie, known as J.M. Barrie, was born in Scotland on May 9, 1880. His most famous work is Peter Pan. He was inspired to write the novel by his mother who told him never to grow up. I was able to interview Sir J.M. Barrie at his home in London. Kim Galiano: Peter Pan is your most well- known work. What is the book’s genre? J.M. Barrie: I think it would be classified as both children’s literature and fantasy. KG: Would you describe what the book is about? JMB: Peter Pan is about a little boy who ran away from home when he was just a baby because he heard his parents talking about what he would be when he grew up. He was taken by fairies to a magical place called Neverland. Later, he visits the home of the Darlings because he enjoyed hearing the stories Mrs. Darling told the children, Wendy, John, and Michael. One night, the children follow Peter to Neverland, where they have adventures and battle with the pirate Captain Hook. The children must decide whether they want to remain in Neverland, or go home and grow up. That is the theme of the novel; growing up. KG: Where did you write Peter Pan? JMB: I wrote it in the Kensington Gardens area of London, England. I met the Davies family, whose children inspired the Darling family. KG: How long did it take to write? JMB: It was an interesting process that took a while. Peter first appeared in a book I wrote in 1902 called The Little White Bird. Then, I wrote the play, Peter Pan, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up in 1904. I wrote other books, including Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter and Wendy. The book Peter Pan was published in 1928. So it took a bit of a while! The book had been in my head for years, but I was not happy with it until the final version, Peter Pan. KG: What led you up to writing the book? JMB: It was a tragic beginning to my inspiration. My brother died when I was young, and my mother was devastated. I tried to cheer her up by dressing up like my brother, and she was so happy that she told me to never grow up. That idea stuck with me. I have always liked to write, even as a child, and began to think about the idea of staying young and applying it to a character; Peter Pan. I loved telling my stories about this character to the Davies children, and they always wanted to hear more and more about Peter. After that, I decided to include the character in my writing and create a play for others to enjoy. The rest, as they say, is history! KG: How was the book received? JMB: Both the play and the book were well received and successful. I, however, was never satisfied. Maybe I am a perfectionist, but I want to keep improving my stories. I was knighted for my achievements, and there are awards given out to new authors in my honor. KG: If you could change anything in the book now, what would it be? JMB: At the end of the book, Peter forgets Tinkerbell. It makes people sad that such an important character is neglected. I would change the end so that Tinkerbell is always with Peter as his sidekick. KG: If the book was made into a new version of the movie, who would you want to star in it today? JMB: I think I would like the little boy from Home Alone to be Peter. Wendy could be played by young Emma Watson from the Harry Potter movies. I would like to see Alan Rickman, who played Snape in Harry Potter, be Captain Hook. KG: If you could design a website for the book, what would you include in it? JMB: My website would include lists of the books and the summaries of each, as well as pictures of the characters as I see them and interactive maps of Kensington Gardens and Neverland. I would also include games where you could fly with Tinkerbell and fight the pirates. You would also be able to print out coloring pages of your own. That would be fun! Finally, I would want a section where kids could upload stories they want to share, so I read them. Inspiring young writers is so important! KG: What is something personal about you that might surprise others? JMB: I am short…only five feet and one inch tall, and my own St. Bernard dog was the inspiration of Nana in the book. Also, all money, now and forever, made from Peter Pan is donated to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. KG: Thank you very much for your time. I know so many kids will be excited to learn from your stories and write their own adventures. JMB: You are most welcome. Remember my favorite quote from Erin Hanson, “There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask "What if I fall?" Oh but my darling, What if you fly?” (Hanson). Always try to soar to new heights! Works Cited The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "J.M. Barrie (Scottish Author)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Merriman, C.D. "James M. Barrie." - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss. Jalic Inc, 2006. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. "J.M. Barrie Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. “Poetry Friday: What If I Fall? by Erin Hanson.” LiveJournal, slayground.livejournal.com/823883.html. .