English Arts Festival

Discussion Board: Loch

Current Forum: Loch Date: 11-Feb-2003 16:57:18 Author: Pinkstock, Theresa <terrip@amanda.k12.oh.us> Subject: What I think......  Once again, I enjoyed reading this Paul Zindell novel. With my interest in mystery/horror novels, I was interested to learn how Loch and his sister, Zaidee, was going to help the baby plesiosaur and its family. I believe my fifth grade students will enjoy this novel as well. I feel the students that enjoy the Goosebump stories will connect to this story also.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 09:30:25 Author: Ball, Jasmine <jball@loganhocking.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: What I think......  I agree. Goosebumps fans will love these novels.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 13:18:08 Author: Dietz, Susan <sudietz@loganhocking.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: What I think......  When my fifth grade son saw the book on the kitchen counter the other day, he asked if he could read it after me. The book appears to have a curb appeal to kids. The age of exploration has not left us. With publications like The National Enquirer and Ripley's Believe It or Not, a book like this one is sure to catch the attention of the young reader.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 18:20:07 Author: Rauschenberg, Jane <jrauschenberg@loganhocking.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: What I think......  I have noticed several of my students picking up a copy lying on my table too. "Curb appeal" may be the right phrase. But if it hooks them in, why not?

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 08:37:33 Author: Wilson, Sandra <SWi3548332@aol.com> Subject: Re: What I think......  I agree and like the term "curb appeal". What I'm really trying to do is get kids to read for pleasure. If these books work. Great!! I'm not sure many of us pick up the classics for pleasure reading. Maybe these books will lead students to others. Someone already asked me, "Do you have any other suspense books with dinosaurs in them?" What an opportunity!

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 13:45:01 Author: Harter, Megan <fh_mharter@seovec.org> Subject: Re: What I think......  I liked this book as well, though I was not very fond of Reef of Death. Some of my students have started this book and they absolutely love it! I wondered how much my girls would get into it, and so far they love it!

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 10:40:23 Author: Sharp-Arnett, Robin <robins@amanda.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: What I think......  One of my seventh grade students has read both and he seemed to like Doomstone better than Loch. His favorite was Reef of Death. I think all of these books are attractive for the students to begin their desire to read. That is part of the battle-just to get them to read.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 15-Feb-2003 16:56:03 Author: Essman, Wendy <wjessman@west.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: What I think......  I too have many students reading Zindel's books, especially since they know I am reading them and I encourage them to as well. This book as well as others would appeal to a variety of students.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 18:14:36 Author: Frazier, Connie <frazier30@juno.com> Subject: Re: What I think......  I liked this book because of the suspense and mystery. As for the scientific issue you could possibly tie it to the Loch Ness Monster and delve into any aspects of the story and the legend of the Loch Monster. Also the probably of a pleosaurus existing after how many thousands of years.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 16:27:48 Author: Kolopajlo, Karissa <fh_kkolopajl@seovec.org> Subject: Re: What I think......  I truly got into this book, especially the ending! I think that it really allowed for suspense, and I think that when my kids start reading it, they will love it!

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 20:16:58 Author: Hendricks, Jeni <fh_jpierson@seovec.org> Subject: Re: What I think......  I enjoyed reading Lock. I liked how the novel kept me in suspense, along with Reef of Death. I know my boys will love to read this novel and I believe my girls will too.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 14-Feb-2003 16:20:20 Author: Little, Christine <MA-TCLITTLE@seovec.org> Subject: Re: What I think......  We are currently reading The Doom Stone in my resource language arts class. I am happy to report that my struggling readers are contributing to the oral reading and have many comments for discussion. However, I was even more pleased to have to lend Loch out once they saw it in my room. In 12 years of teaching, I have not been asked to loan a book unless there was a required SSR period! This is great! I loved the fast pace of the book. I also loved the little sister character. Zaidee added a nice touch. She kept Loch and Sarah "real" for me. Sarah couldn't become TOO flambouyant with Zaidee scoffing at her! I do have a slight ethical issue with returning the creatures to the open lake. Although they were intelligent, and the young ones even friendly, I would like to have seen the family contact a reputable scientist with whom to share their discovery. Yes, I realize this is fiction! I think this might be an issue I would use with my students to help them make connections to real life. What would be the pros and cons to keeping vs. sharing the secret? Super read!

Current Forum: Loch Date: 17-Feb-2003 14:27:47 Author: Hall, Jona <fh_jhall@seovec.org> Subject: Re: What I think......  I actually had students coming into my room first thing in the morning so that they could read during homebase. I wish that every time I introduced a new book to the class students would be that eager to read. It has really been a lot of fun reading these books with the kids!!! They love the exicitement!

Current Forum: Loch Date: 17-Feb-2003 14:25:32 Author: Hall, Jona <fh_jhall@seovec.org> Subject: Re: What I think......  Jeni, I think you will really be suprised to see how many of your girls really do like the book. I thought that it would be really easy dividing the class with the variety of genre that Paul Zindel uses. However, the girls were just as eager to read the bloody books too. I thought it was great! :)

Current Forum: Loch Date: 18-Feb-2003 17:33:11 Author: Guffey, Melissa <tl_mguffey@seovec.org> Subject: Re: What I think......  I agree that both the boys and girls in my classroom would enjoy reading Loch and The Doomstone. It seems that today, the more grusome the tale, the more they enjoy reading the books. Loch would intrigue the students in my classroom, especially this year, because of their natural interest in exploration and adventure. The last three Zindel books would be great literature to share with them.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 08:48:30 Author: Hayden, Kellie <khayden@loganhocking.k12.oh.us> Subject: Zindel's Path to Writing  Young male main character, gore, mystery, sweet love interest, strange, far away place, and parent or relative having unusual career. These things all occur in Doomstone, Reef of Death and Loch. This type of writing does not appeal to me, but middle school students like it. I think he hit a grove here and got over his issues with his mother, which were a recurring theme in Pigman and the other two earlier reads. I wonder if he had middle school children in mind as his audience. Maybe, he was reliving his childhood as he would have liked it. What do you think?

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 09:32:14 Author: Ball, Jasmine <jball@loganhocking.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  I really think he was thinking...."I need to sell more books. what's out there right now that is popular. R.L. Stine, etc... OK, that'll do." anybody else agree? I really think he departed completely from his former format w/ The Pigman, etc..

Current Forum: Loch Date: 14-Feb-2003 11:39:12 Author: Sharp-Arnett, Robin <robins@amanda.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  I also feel that he chose a different direction with these books. I think they are for a different audience, and if I was a writer of young adult fiction I would also be driven by what would sell. The kids seem to go for this type of writing.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 15-Feb-2003 17:00:41 Author: Essman, Wendy <wjessman@west.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  It is a totally different series of books than the Pigman series but just as beneficial. In all of his books I see himself, his mother, his childhood and all the issues that he has or is still working through.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 13:48:05 Author: Harter, Megan <fh_mharter@seovec.org> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  Right now I am having my kids look at the similarities/differences regarding the 5 elements of novels, amond all 7 of these books. My students, though they are not completely done with the books yet, have started to pick up on the same things that you mentioned. They are having more trouble finding similarities between the two types of books, but they are definately finding them with the others. I keep getting the question, "Do you think that he is okay with his Mom, that he ever got over this?"

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 18:11:45 Author: Frazier, Connie <frazier30@juno.com> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  The similiarity between the two different types is in their characters. All the books center around a boy and girl who are friends or become friends.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 18:25:46 Author: Rauschenberg, Jane <jrauschenberg@loganhocking.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  The two types do have that in common, but there are, among the books we've read so far, definitely those two sets of books: the Pigman type, and the monster type. And you would not think they were written by the same author if you didn't know it. And if you loved Doomstone, and picked up Pigman to read because you loved Doomstone, you might be disappointed. And vice-versa. Many authors have one type--and if you love one of their books you'll probably like the others. Zindel's books have two types, which I think would appeal to two groups of readers that would not neccessarily overlap.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 14-Feb-2003 11:44:16 Author: Sharp-Arnett, Robin <robins@amanda.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  I agree with you. I am more into the realistic fiction, so the first set of books appealed to me more. The kids that have chosen their books thus far have selected both types, so I am interested to find out what their reactions are as well.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 20:25:52 Author: Hendricks, Jeni <fh_jpierson@seovec.org> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  I would agree with you on the boy/girl relationships. The boy and girl characters who are friends or become friends within the story line are similar throughout Zindel's other novels.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 18:35:36 Author: Pinkstock, Theresa <terrip@amanda.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  I agree to an extent. Although this story is not about his mother that had numerous issues, he still writes about a family that has problems. In this story, he has a father raising two children alone.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 14-Feb-2003 08:10:45 Author: Frazier, Connie <frazier30@juno.com> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  What about the man which I have lost his name who was in charge of the expedition? Was he not like is mother in wanting something unattainable at all cost?

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 16:29:46 Author: Kolopajlo, Karissa <fh_kkolopajl@seovec.org> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  I think that it is very interesting how many students could learn a lot about science through this book. It would be a great tool to use to connect curriculum, language arts and sciece. I think that he did have middle school children in mind when writing this book. I think that it appeals to all of them!

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 16:31:59 Author: Kolopajlo, Karissa <fh_kkolopajl@seovec.org> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  I think that it is very interesting how many students could learn a lot about science through this book. It would be a great tool to use to connect curriculum, language arts and sciece. I think that he did have middle school children in mind when writing this book. I think that it appeals to all of them!

Current Forum: Loch Date: 18-Feb-2003 17:36:31 Author: Guffey, Melissa <tl_mguffey@seovec.org> Subject: Re: Zindel's Path to Writing  I agree that these three books are similar in the fact that they do deal with young children and an adventure of some sort. However, each book involves a strong adult to help the children through the ordeal, even though they are not the protagonist. These books seemed to have a more positive outlook toward adults and life in general than the Pigman books.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 12-Feb-2003 14:14:09 Author: King, Rodney <tl_rking@seovec.org> Subject: growning pains  These last 3 books have much in common: characters, plot , theme, etc. I personally like these books better than the others we have read. Perhaps, because I hang around pre teens all day. They really like this book. rodney

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 20:34:52 Author: Hendricks, Jeni <fh_jpierson@seovec.org> Subject: Re: growning pains  I liked the last three books too. The gore and suspense, or mystery of what was going to happen next, kept me reading. We start the Zindel novels in a couple of weeks, so I'm excited to see and hear the reaction of my students when they read his books.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 14-Feb-2003 11:40:59 Author: Sharp-Arnett, Robin <robins@amanda.k12.oh.us> Subject: Re: growning pains  I am also excited to hear from my students. They have just begun reading the books, because three teachers are sharing them, so I have to wait my turn. The kids that are reading them now seem to like them. They keep coming back for more, so that is a good sign.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 18-Feb-2003 17:40:23 Author: Guffey, Melissa <tl_mguffey@seovec.org> Subject: Re: growning pains  It would be great fun to break the classes into groups and have them read one of the five novels we have read thus far, and then have them report to see how these novels compare and contrast. I think the students would pick up on the similarities and differences we have suggested in our discussions. I think it would also be interesting to see what the children think of the various settings and plots of each book, and how they have related to Paul's real life. I think we would learn more from what the students would have to say too.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 13-Feb-2003 08:34:27 Author: Wilson, Sandra <SWi3548332@aol.com> Subject: Interest in science  I liked this book better than Reef of Death? The scientific expedition in this book could generate a lot of questions about the Mesozoic era, dinosaurs and science in general.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 17-Feb-2003 14:23:38 Author: Hall, Jona <fh_jhall@seovec.org> Subject: Re: Interest in science  I will have to agree with your opinion about this book. When compared to the Reef of Death, I enjoyed this book much more. This book included elements of greed but not torture. I guess I just couldn't deal with the demented ways that people were punished in the Reef of Death. My students, however, really enjoy both books!

Current Forum: Loch Date: 18-Feb-2003 17:44:45 Author: Guffey, Melissa <tl_mguffey@seovec.org> Subject: Re: Interest in science  I believe that the Reef of Death, the Doomstone, and Loch all have possibilities of useful science lessons that could be taught in correlation to these books. For example, although I thought the Reef of Death was the most unrealistic of the three, the Coral Reef off the Australian coast would be a fantastic springboard into scince discussions. The students could explore the reef through various websites, including a study of the Aborigne people in Social Studies. In the Doomstone, you are introduced to Stonehenge and it's secrets, as well as many devices used by the military. Finally in Loch you could make the connections you suggested, and have the students learn about the dinosaurs and the world at this time.

Current Forum: Loch Date: 19-Feb-2003 10:00:19 Author: King, Rodney <tl_rking@seovec.org> Subject: do adults ever listen  These last three books, as well as the earlier books, seem to pit children against adults. The result is the children know best. Perhaps, this is reflective of Paul's life. Loch, was another case of children with their sensitive, wise hearts trying tirelessly to shine the light on blinded, greedy adults. My lesson, I'm going to listen to children more. Rodney