Reflection About Round Trip

I chose journal number thirteen, Round Trip, for the journal that I would enhance or change. Although I do agree with some things that I said in the original journal, there are some things we have learned since then that change my mind. For example, my way of reading books entirely. Before this class, I would sit down read and book and be done. Of course, I would think about the things I liked and did not like about it, but that was about the extent of it. Now, when I go to read a book I analyze it as if my life depends on it. In fact, I probably think too much into it! My original thought about round trip was that it was two different family’s trips. I was analyzing it as the author wanting us to see the pages from two different point of views.

A round trip. I had originally thought that the main theme was perspective. I was thinking the author wanted us to take away that we see things as we want to. However, after realizing how the book truly worked, I have a different idea. I still believe it has to do with perspective but in a different way. After learning more about how to analyze and actually “read” books, I believe the theme was being able to see the same thing but from many different perspectives. For example, on the first trip it is seen as a movie theater but on the other side of the trip it is suddenly a restaurant. Another example are the mountains. They transform into bolts of lightning on the other end of the trip. My personal perspective changed because I learned how the book was intended to be read. After reading it the correct way, the theme, and how I understood it changed completely. Therefore, it also would enhance my journal if I were to write it

When I first came into this class I honestly expected to just read the books, summarize them and be done. I had no idea the amount of depth that you could go into with children’s books. I have learned so much from this class about so many different genres it is unbelievable. However, one of my favorites throughout the entire semester would have to be Becoming Naomi Léon. I found this to be the perfect example of what we should be teaching children. This book showed raw emotion, love, and a real life examples of heartache. It was not a cookie cutter book about a princess who lived happily ever after. Now, do not get me wrong, I think that all genres are great for kids. However, I also think that real stories that are going to make kids think and feel are so important. Naomi and her brother had it tough from the beginning. They lived with their grandma because their mom was an alcoholic and they did not know their dad. Owen had a disability that made him a little different from the rest of the kids at school, although he didn’t seem to mind much. But things only got worse from there when Skyla comes to “see her kids” and suddenly wants to take Naomi away from the only family she has ever actually known. To make a long story short, they go to Mexico to find their father in hopes that he can help them. After the long journey it took to find him, he says he can’t do much to help at this time.