Jonathan – I liked how Julien from WHITE BIRD (R.J. She has courage, honesty and a kind heart. What I liked about her is that she almost gave her life just to save Julien, and her loyalty. Julia and Hannah B -I loved the character, Sara from WHITE BIRD. I would be friends with her because she is kind and clever.Įlyssa – I would be friends with Frances from RADIO SILENCE by Alice Oseman, because she is relatable and headstrong.Ĭarolyn – I liked Raina in GUTS (Raina Telgemeier), because she is a good friend and sounds like she would be easy to get along with.Ĭaden – I think I would be friends with Oliver in THE UNEXPECTED LIFE OF OLIVER CRAMWELL PITTS (Avi) because he is nice and very kind. Marley – The character in JELLY BEAN SUMMER by Joyce Maghin is a young girl like me and I liked her so much, because her inner thoughts were very funny.
Sebz - Ben Ripley from SPY SCHOOL is a character I like, because he is sarcastic. I think if she was real, we would be good friends.
She is not aggressive, but will fight when it is necessary. She is a dragon who can change her color and spit venom with her fangs. I look for these things, because it makes me feel connected to the main character and the people around them.Ĭlaire – Glory is my favorite character form WINGS OF FIRE. – I look for depth in characters’ feelings, details of characters’ thoughts and an elaborate display of characters’ motives for the decisions they make. I would be friends with her because she is basically the dragon version of me.Įlla K. Sunny is a small nightwing-sandwing hybrid and she is always happy and optimistic. Sutherland creates a character named Sunny. I can connect to her and know what she feels when she doesn’t want to follow the rules.Įlla H. I would be friends with this character because she is sweet and loving, and matches my personality.Īvery – In MATCHED by Ally Condie, I like the main character, Cassie because she is relatable. I like this character because of the way she cares for and loves her friends. Let’s see what they have to say.Īdrienne-I recently read the book WE ARE OKAY by Nina Lacour, where the main character is always there for her friends. So, as writers, we should make sure we listen and give them well rounded characters and satisfying endings. And they become our heroes.Īs I worked through the questionnaires, I found it interesting that the majority of 7th and 8th grade students focused their answers on characters and endings. They gather compassion and empathy, grow strong and kind.
They escape into fantasy worlds where they learn how to deal with reality. Our readers, these kids, draw hope and strength from our stories. Missing them as I work through their responses, I am reminded why I write for children. Back in the fall when I had asked them about their favorite books, none of us could have imagined the way this school year would end. Our final classroom take-over for the 2019/2020 school year comes from an amazing group of 7th and 8th graders.