nicksams


 * 1) 1-Nick and #2-Sam S.

Reading Response Day 1


 * 1) 1 The setting of the book is in a historical house on Tennessee Street in Lawrence, Kansas. It reminds me of the day I found a mouse skeleton in the attic of my grandma and grandpa's house.


 * 1) 2 The setting of this book is an old house in Kansas, in 1856, and about 130 years later at the house. The setting of a house that is and was an Underground Railroad reminds me of the Cortese's house, because it used to be a station for the Underground Railroad.

Extra Comments: Do you think that the house that Dana, and James and his family live in, at different time period is the same house, Nick? To answer your question I think yes because James's house is also in Lawrence, Kansas. Sam, do you think that James's mom is Lizbet Charles, the person who Dana is trying to figure out why she died? I also wonder why the runaway slaves only arrive when James's father is away.

Mrs. Rowe's Response: I once found a skeleton in my grandma's attic though it was a bat skeleton. I was walking up there just to look around with my dad. When I turned the corner, while trying to stay focused on walking on the wood beams and nothing else, there was a skeleton right in front of my next footstep. I screamed and walked as fast as I could out of there! Pretty scary moment for an 8 year old.

Reading Response Day 3


 * 1) 1 My favorite character is Dana because she is adventurous and brave. Dana is brave when she takes the diary of Millicent Weaver. I also like James because he seems like a nice boy, he puts up with Jeremy Macon, and he keeps a huge secret from his dad. My least favorite character is Deputy U.S. Marshal William Fain because he arrests the people he thinks help slaves escape to free states. I also don't like him because he is demanding and a bit cruel.


 * 1) 2 My favorite two characters are Dana and James, because they have good personalitys, and work hard and are brave. My least favorite character is Marshal William Fain, because he is mean to citizens, and arrested some for a not at all good reason. He is to stern. And he wants to arrest anybody who has kept slaves in their house and passed them back along the Underground railroad!

Extra Comments: Nick, I agree with you that Marshal William Fain is mean and cruel.

Reading Response Day 5

While determined to remove the layers and layers of rooster wallpaper on the second floor of their historical house in Kansas, Dana, the main character, discovers… a full skeleton! Several investigators remove the skeleton and search for clues while 12-year-old Dana secretly slips a small black book from the scene. Word gets out about Dana finding the skeleton and people at Dana’s school are buzzing about it. During lab testing they figure out that the skeleton was black female. Dana’s dad and Dana research the history of their house and the Negros that had hid out in their house. Meanwhile, at night Dana has been reading the black book (which she found out is the diary of Millicent Weaver). She also learned from the diary that a fire had nearly destroyed her house. Through the research they believe that the skeleton is Lizbet Charles, a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
 * 1

The author cleverly tells a parallel story that happened in Dana’s house one hundred and thirty years before she lived there. In 1865, just as James and his family were going to start eating dinner, James thought he heard wagon wheels. He was quite right, and the people hidden in the wagon were Negros who were trying to escape on the Underground Railroad. James’s house is a station for the Underground Railroad. Runaway slaves only come when James’s dad is away. While walking home from school one day, men on horses came to town and the leader said that he was Marshal William Fain. He was looking for slave stealers even though Kansas is a free state. People all around came to look at what was happening. They thought Marshal Fain was crazy and yelled insults at him because he was demanding. Mr. Bonds got really mad and threw a stone at the posse. Then the enraged onlookers fought for a short while and the fight ended with all of the community members that fought being taken away. The townsfolk defended Lawrence, Kansas from the pro-slavers to the best of their ability. Soon after, James met Miss Lizbet Charles who stayed with them while James’s mom was illegally teaching her how to read and write. Lizbet tells James and his younger sister Rebecca many stories including how Henry Brown shipped himself to freedom in a box to Philadelphia.


 * 1) 2 A startling discovery of a full skeleton in Dana Shannon's 130 year old household in a secret room behind layers of ugly wallpaper brings Dana on a mysterious case to find out more details on the skeleton and who's skeleton it was, with the help of a diary that Dana found in the room. The diary belonged to Millicent Weaver, a lady who lived in Dana's house 130 years before! Millicent and her family, her son, James, her husband, Caleb, and her daughter, Rebecca try to avoid a war that started in their town, because an army is trying to kill people who were keeping slaves... and James's house is a station for the Underground Railroad! A few years later, a lady named Lizbet Charles, a former slave and conducter of the Underground Railroad comes to the Weaver's house, and tells James and Rebecca grand storys. But still Millicent must hide Lizbet from Caleb...

Extra Comments: Sam, I am beginning to think that Jeremy Macon isn't as bad and annoying of a person as I thought. I agree, Nick.

Mrs. Rowe: Nick, fantastic summary! You put forth great effort and included strong details! This book seems to be getting better and better the deeper into it you get! Keep up the great work.

Reading Response Day 7


 * 1) 1 This story reminds me of the book __Henry's Freedom Box__. I read that book several years ago, but remember it with a lot of detail. I wasn't surpised when Lizbet told the story of how Henry shipped himself to freedom. I can't imagine how cramped, smelly, dark, and uncomfortable it would have been in the box.

I also made a connection to this story with the movie __UP__. In the movie, Carl Fredricksen has two dreams: 1) to live right next to "Paradise Falls" where he and his wife always dreamed about, and 2) later he has the dream to help a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell get his badge. In the book __Steal Away Home__ Lizbet Charles also has two dreams: 1) to free other slaves, and 2) to learn to read and write.

Lastly, I can relate to how afraid Dana felt when her home was threatened by a tornado. That moment reminded me of a few years ago when we had to take cover in the basement due to a severe storm and a tornado warning. Luckily, I wasn't home alone like Dana.


 * 1) 2 A world connection is still that Dana's house reminds me of the Cortese's house, because there both old houses with secret rooms. But I do not have a connection with a movie or another text.

Extra Comments: Nick, if you were to rate this book from 1-5, what would rate it? I would rate it maybe a... 2.5 or 3. Sam, as of right now I would rate it a 3.5.

Reading Response Day 9

I finished the book and there are two climaxes. The climax in James's story occurs when Lizbet Charles peacefully passes away. They drape a white sheet across her and are planning to bury her outside but they can't because a few of Marshal Fain's men are guarding the Weaver's door. That is how the skeleton ends up in the attic. They simply build a wall and that was her burial. The climax in Dana's story happens when Dr. Baxi tells Dana's family that Lizbet Charles died in the winter of 1856. The researchers ruled out the fact that Lizbet died of injury. They think she died of an illness or disease such as cholera, malaria, yellow fever, smallpox, typhoid fever, or even pneumonia.
 * 1) 1 Since I haven't finished the book yet, I'm not sure what the climax is. I predict that the climax will come when the author reveals how Lizbet Charles died. I will write my final answer after I finish the book.


 * 1) 2 There are two climax's in this book, because there are two time periods in it. One is when Dana found the skeleton of Lizbet Charles in the secret room behind layers of wallpaper. The other climax is when Lizbet Charles came to the Weaver's house.

Extra Comments: Nick- I really liked this book. It had alot of detail and great climax. Sam- I can't wait to finish the book. Sam, are you planning to read the sequel, __Soon Be Free__? I think I will look for it at the library.