Sunday, January 3, 2010

Burning Questions about Emma Jean

Emma Jean strikes me as a unique character that is different than any of my students that I see on a daily basis.

Here are a few things I'm wondering about:
1. Do you think Emma Jean is a realistic character? Are there kids like her in schools today?
2. Did you like her more at the beginning of the book or at the end of the book?
3. I think her and Jeremy Fink would make an awesome couple. What about you?
4. Would you read the next book in which she falls in love?

I can't wait to talk about this one!

13 comments:

  1. Review by Fernando V.303February 5, 2010 at 12:29 PM

    Emma-Jean's heroes are her father Eugene, a college mathematics professor who died two years earlier, and legendary French mathematician Jules Henri Poincare, who was also her father's hero. Emma-Jean's approach to life mirrors that of Poincare, who believed that "even the most complex problems could be solved through a process of creative thinking."

    Emma-Jean is comfortable being different but feels there is an "invisible door" that separates her from fellow students like Colleen Pomerantz and Will Keeler.

    Colleen Pomerantz is one of the nicest seventh-graders at William Gladstone Middle School, but she's a worrier who cares deeply about what her classmates think. One day, Emma-Jean discovers Colleen in the bathroom crying. Colleen tells Emma-Jean she's upset because her best friend, Kaitlin Vogel, has invited Laura Gilroy to the Vogel family's annual ski weekend in Vermont instead of her. Laura is bossy and loud and takes pleasure in manipulating other students to get what she wants. After seeing how upset Colleen is, and knowing how Laura behaves as the seventh grade's "female alpha chimp," Emma-Jean uses her logic and intelligence to help Colleen.

    Will Keeler is a middle-of-the road student, a star of the seventh-grade basketball team and the object of Laura's affection. One day Will comes to Emma-Jean's rescue when Brandon Mahoney, a bully who "does not practice good dental hygiene," tries to humiliate her during lunchtime. Later, when Will is falsely accused by one of the teachers of stealing candy, Emma is determined to clear Will's name.

    By getting involved in the lives of her fellow students, Emma-Jean has stepped through that invisible door. Her actions to solve Will's problem prove successful, but her activities on Colleen's behalf create a new and even worse situation. Colleen gets to go to Vermont with Kaitlin, but Laura is embarrassed and vows revenge. After Colleen discovers what Emma-Jean has done, she is disappointed and angry, and refuses to talk to Emma-Jean. Emma-Jean comes to Colleen's house to apologize, but Colleen stays in her bedroom. When Emma-Jean climbs a magnolia tree outside Colleen's bedroom window to reason with her, Emma-Jean slips and tumbles to the ground.

    While recovering from her accident, Emma-Jean wishes she could go back to the way things used to be --- before she interfered in her classmates' lives and before her father died. But she knows that isn't possible. While comforting Emma-Jean, her mother reads that quote from Poincare; eventually, Emma-Jean comes to understand why this was so special to her father. Poincare's words, "It is by logic that we prove, but it is in our hearts that we discover life's possibilities," help Emma-Jean realize that there is more to life than logic and that she's not so different from her classmates after all.

    EMMA-JEAN LAZARUS FELL OUT OF A TREE is a delightful and insightful book about being different, dealing with bullies and overcoming grief. The voices of Emma-Jean, Colleen and Will are fresh and engaging. I hope that Lauren Tarshis will write more stories about these likable characters and their middle-school adventures.

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  2. this book was ok.someone should haved died!!!!It was so boring!!!??!!i feel asleep!!(NOT KIDDING)Anyway i kinda like emma jean..she is weird!!that is why i like her.Anyway it was sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssoooooooooooooooooooooo boring.

    WARNING READ IF YOU DARE !!!!!!

    If you read this book you will die!!!!!!!

    mua ha ha ha!(Evil Luagh)

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  3. I Love This Book Well not really...I like It B/c There Is Drama,Love, and etc. I Already Have the Book On Hold For Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell In Love.I Read Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of A tree in ONE Night!!

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  4. I think Emma Jean is not a realistic character because hten she wouild realize she can't fix everyones problems. I like her more at the end of the story because she fell out of her cloud and realized she can't fix everyones problem and she didn't give away her opportunity to let the cute boy dance with Laura. MMM about Jeremy FInk I think I want Jeremy Fink with Lizzy instead of Emma but maybe they could be friends for they are very good kids. And of course I will read the second book when she falls in love. The book is so complete and interesting and best of all easy to understand.

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  5. 1. I think their is not girls like her now a days.
    2. I liked her more at the end of the book, because she acted more like a real girl, & as herself.
    3. Yes Yes Yes Yes & Yes!! I think that she would take great appreciation in his Mutant Candy collection.
    4. Yes. Already did

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  6. This is my real comment. I beleive that she is not a realistic character. I like her in the end way moree . No for three and no for four.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  7. 1. I think Emma-Jean is not a realistic character. I think there are kids that are like Emma-Jean...but i dont know in my school
    2.I like her more at the end of the book.
    3.I think so too.
    4.Yes I would love to read the next book.

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  8. i LOVE Emma-Jean. I think she is realistic character. I think nkids in her school are like kids in schools today.

    I like at the beginning of the book because to me, she`s like one of my characters Artemis Fowl and I like characters that have that kind of personalities.

    I don`t think they would make a good couple because to me she would rather like Will than Jeremy. Also because I have another character in thought.

    I would read the next book because i like the books and any book I like I have to read the rest like the Sisters Grimm.

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  9. I love Emma Jean she is so peculiar. She is an odd ball and she is so like me who could care less about what other people think.
    1: Emma Jean is realistic to me. Shes like me.
    2: I like her more at the beggininng because shes too human at the end and she doesnt care at the begininnng.
    3: I think Emma Jean wouldnt want to have a boyfriend in the first place. She might want to be frineds. Maybe
    4: Already did and it was so sweet!!!

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  10. Yes some kids are helpful, but not as helpful as Emma Jean. So I believe Emma Jean isn't really realistic
    I liked Emma jean more at the the end of the book because she is more wise and friendlier.
    I don't think so because I think Emma Jean is more laid back and doesn't want to be part of anything while Jeremy is more curious
    No I found this book really boring.

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  11. I didnt like emma jean because she is kind of weird.I thinked i liked her more at the end.

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  12. 1. I do think that she is a realistic character. The kids at her shcool are excactly like the kids at my school...EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!
    2.I like her at both the middle and at aht end of the book. It gets really exciting!EVIL!!!!!!
    3.I think that if there could be a couple of 3 instead of 2 Jeremy, Lizzy, and Emma-Jean would make a great couple because of their character...EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    4.I would definately read the second book... EVIL!!!!!!

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  13. Fernando,

    Your blantant copy and paste from the internet made me laugh, but don't even think about doing it again. You are insightful enough to write something similar, so just do it.

    Mr. Barr

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