Stacie-Amy

=Stacie,= Don't sweat the book deal...I've learned that sometimes life happens. It all worked out, didn't it. I've enjoyed reading and writing back and forth. Having a book to talk about gave us something to chat about while we got to know one another better. Very cool. You're articulate and organized...both traits I admire. I tend to ramble on and am more scattered in my approach -- jump from one thing to the next. I'm looking forward to meeting you, too...see you tomorrow (Tuesday) night. Amy

= = = = =Sorry, That I didn't get finished till just now.= Thanks for the book. I finished it and I love the way that Red Cap is in love with Fanny. Well, yeah he is a friend though. I wish they would go on so I could see what happens with them because I love, love stories.

I really don't have a favorite part but I guess when Fanny was the first to see her dads painting and he named it My Daughter's Dinner. Thats really cute that he went from not telling Fanny anything to naming his wonderful paintings after his daughter and her favorite companion.

I don't know why but when a relationship comes into play in a storie it's the only thing I pay attention to. Timmy and Fanny are so adorable. She wrights his name in her notebooks. And she has a great friend Mary to tell all of that too. Mary is a listener to she doesn't seem to talk about all of the things going on in her life she just seems to comprehend what Fanny says and then they share their life long stories in the end.

When Mary comes back is a great part to. They run up to each other and just start talking about how their time away from each other was horrible and fun.

When I seen these to get back together it really reminded me of my cousin and I. We always end conversations by counting 1,2,3 and hanging up and we end up getting together about every weekend and we just listen to each others opinion and say how are week went. So you ask before if had a friend like Mary well I guess you could consider my cousin as a freind. By the way her name is Laura.

You also ask if I ever was so sad or mad like Fanny that I ended up breaking something important to me and hurting the other person by doing something tragic. Well I don't recall breaking something but i do remember trying to make somene get really annoyed they didn't talk to me again for awhile. But it wasn't that bad. It sounds worse then it was. We said sorry later and were back to normal.

Sorry you didn't get a ful responce. If I would of been more careful with my book and kept a better eye on it I would of had time to type a whole page but I just heard the bell so I got to go.

Can't wait to see you Monday!

Stacie

= = = = = = = = =Week 4= WARNING: STACIE, DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL IT FOR YOU. Amy

Yes! Fanny gets to keep Dinner, Red Cap is "friend" instead of "foe", Henry's painting dry spell is over, and most importantly, Henry & Fanny have a break through in their relationship. Can you tell I'm glad everything gets resolved.

First, I want to get your opinion on a few things in the last part of the book:

Last week you asked me about Mary. What a great friend to have. Fanny and Mary celebrate victories, share everything, vent frustrations, and encourage one another. Mary says Fanny worries too much, and then we see for ourselves that she does. When she goes back to school she worries about Dinner all the time. On page 140 it says "she became vigilant. In a manner similar to that which she had protected Marie, Fanny began protecting Dinner." Wow, she worked non-stop making everything perfect. How tiresome. Do you think Fanny worries too much?

I think the lowest part of the book is when Fanny thought Henry took Dinner away. She says aloud that she hates her dad, she ate some of the crushed up silver dragees, and then tore Marie to pieces. Have you ever been so mad/sad that you said things or did things you later regretted just because you wanted to hurt someone/something as much as you were hurting? I think those are normal feelings, but instead of destroying things or, heaven forbid, hurting yourself, TALK to a friend or trusted adult, count to 100, or walk away. What would you suggest to someone who is at an all time emotional low?

My favorite part of the book is when Henry comes to Fanny's room after he gets home with Dinner and they have supper. Although the conversation starts out forced and uncomfortable, there is finally a breakthrough. Fanny verbalizing her feelings about always trying to be perfect is the first step in them understanding each other. From there, they're able to talk about Stupid Hunts, Nellie, the coat with the fake leopard skin collar, and the list goes on and on. At the end of their talk, they hugged and Fanny finally felt safe. What a wonderful feeling. I'm sure Fanny and Henry will have more disagreements, but at least now, they will hopefully see that talking about how they interpret a situation is more beneficial that keeping things in. What was your favorite part of the book?

Protecting Marie is a good selection for 7th and 8th graders because you're the same age as Fanny and you can relate to all the feeling she's experiencing. I'm guessing girls will enjoy the book more than guys because it is told from a girl's point of view. I'm glad that I was able to read this with you because it serves as a good reminder to older people that our moods and expectations really influence the quality of life of our families.

Why do you think Kevin Henkes divides the book into three parts: Without, With and Within? I wasn't able to figure that one out.

If this book were to continue on...or have a sequel, it would be interesting to see how Fanny and Henry approach their next disagreement, get details on how Henry's art show turns out, learn more about Fanny and Timothy's relationship, and, of course, read more Dinner stories.

Stacie, I enjoyed reading this book, but even more enjoyed "chatting" with you about it. I'm looking forward to meeting you next week. Until then, good luck wrapping up all your classes and assignments. Can you believe you're practically finished with Jr. High?

Amy

Week 3

= Week 3 = Adult: Amy Tarr Student: Stacie Purcell Book Title: Protecting Marie Pages Read 55-127

Stacie,

Yeah, we finally know who Marie is. Loved the details/description of her...right down to the glue globs that are her pears and diamonds. The author creates a perfect word picture.

And it is clear why Marie needs protecting. Seems like Henry has a hard time seeing the value of "things" from someone else's point of view. With that said, I'd have to agree with Henry that the "paper wad children" need to go. But I think Marie would have found her way to the front of our refrigerator at my house...at least for a while.

Fanny shares another aspect of her and Henry's relationship when she tells us about going to "one-of-a -kind places" instead of McDonald's or Burger King. Even when she had a good time, she wouldn't acknowledge it because it was like Henry and his will won again.

I'm glad that Henry was only gone over night. You ask if I thought it was a good idea for Henry to bring home another dog. I admit, like Ellen, I had reservations. I'm sure that is what Henry and Ellen were fighting about in the kitchen. Earlier that day Ellen said, "Second hand pain is the hardest to deal with." She was talking about all of it...Fanny mourning over Nellie, Henry not painting, the strain of Fanny & Henry's relationship, Henry flipping out of his birthday. As a wife and mother, I'd much rather be the one going through a valley or deal with someone hurting my feelings that watch someone I love go through the struggles. (I guess that answers another of your questions...yes, I still connect with Ellen, even though her role in the book has become somewhat secondary.) Back to the original question...Dinner...was it a good idea. I think Henry planned better this time. Dinner is 3, so she's past all the puppy antics. And Dinner is well trained and well behaved. I think she is a much better choice for the family...especially with Henry's high standards and low tolerance for chaos.

I agree, Henry is coming around. I'm glad that he and Fanny had a talk about him leaving on the night of his birthday. It was good for him to say that he knew having to give Nellie away undid Fanny...and that undid him. Henry is totally right when he says times get tougher as children get older. It's not so easy to overcome shortcomings as kids get bigger. He and Fanny are going to have to continue having heart-to-heart talks and get all their issues out in the open. There is surely a happy medium to be found.

Dinner has become a huge character is this section of the book. I LOVE how she has a calming effect on Fanny. Dogs are good for that, aren't they. You can tell them anything and everything and they still love you. Dogs really are man's best friend. yet, Fanny has built up walls to protect her heart from breaking again. She is afraid Dinner will be taken from her, too. And it's not possible to keep a dog under lock and key in her bedroom filing cabinet. But, it happened anyway. She said it was like a sneeze. Quick. Involuntary. BAM! Fanny fell completely in love with her new dog. That was a good night for the whole family, wasn't it.

I like Mary. She's another "safe" person for Fanny to confide in. I think all kids should have a Mary for a friend. It would make facing growing pains easier.

The last thing we read was Stuart saying he'd take Dinner in a heartbeat. OH NO! (swallow hard) That was like a slap in the face. I'm sure it brought all kinds of doubts back to the front of Fanny's mind. I hope it works out this time.

I've enjoyed this book from the get-go. I can hardly wait to see how Dinner fits in to the family, long-term. Will Fanny & Henry patch things up completely? Will Henry get past his painting dry spell? What will happen when Fanny goes back to school? How will Dinner fit into Fanny and Mary's friendship?

Have you ever had a friend like Mary?

Do you talk to your dog(s) like Fanny talks to Dinner?

Do you and your dad or mom ever have misunderstandings? My dad and I struggled from the time I was 13 until I went off to college. I accused him of not understanding me and being hard headed. My mom would tell me, "You and your dad are so much alike!" It took me going off to school to see him for the incredible person he is. Now we are EXTREMELY close. I wish I hadn't wasted those years teenage years, but am grateful that we were able to move past it.

On a side note...this has been a CRAZY week. All the rain has caused anxiety at our house. I hope we don't have to replant all the corn that we planted right before the rains came. Work has picked up...which is good. I'd much rather be BUSY than bored. The days are flying by. It won't be long until we have our Reading Rocks night.

Fun Facts About Me: I'm totally 30-something. This new format is like teaching an old dog a new trick. I hope I get it saved and back to you withing messing something up.

Looking forward to meeting you soon. Until then...happy reading!

Amy

Fanny is our main character. She is so unorganized and Henry tries to help clean her room so she isn’t living in filth. Henry and Fanny don’t get along when it comes to this cleaning safari as Henry calls a Stupid Hunt. The Stupid Hunt is to find all the stupid stuff in Fanny’s room and throw it away. Fanny has made paper wads into families and she has a doll named Marie that she is trying to save from the Stupid Hunt. While all this is happening Christmas is coming. Henry finally came back on Christmas Eve and had a dog named Dinner. Fanny didn’t want to get attached because her parents were having a little bit of an argument in the kitchen. While they were in there Fanny and Dinner were outside the door listening. Fanny felt like Dinner would have to get took away just like Nellie was. Fanny said that after she got Dinner she didn’t feel like anything really mattered she was with Dinner the biggest part of the day. From walking in the woods with other dogs and squirrels to sharing a bedroom. Sometimes Fanny would look at Dinner and think of Nellie. Do you think it was a good idea for Henry to get Fanny a dog? Henry in this case is changing. Now I know why Henry was so suspicious acting. Henry has secretly been keeping a dog from Fanny. Henry seems to be more loving with Ellen and Fanny. He actually was sitting with them by the fireplace talking. He was telling Ellen and Fanny about getting Dinner and how he found out about her. So I’m kind of starting to like Henry because he seems to be more caring.

What do you think will happen next? Because I really don’t know. Do you know why Mary all the sudden came into the picture do you think she will become a major part in the book? Is Ellen still your favorite character since you made connections with her? If your wondering who my favorite character is it would be Fanny because she loves dogs and she just reminds me of me for some reason not sure why really. This book is actually getting my attention now. I’m realizing all the imagery and then putting an animal in the picture really got my attention. I’m starting to feel sorry for Fanny because she is thinking of thinks like (Is Dinner going home tomorrow for making a mistake?) (Is Henry going to disappear again?)