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= Week 4 Adult: Mr. Finkbiner = Student: Thomas Snyder Book Title: Brian’s Winter Pages Read: 133

When I read this week about Brian, he was very determined that someone was out in the woods but found out that it was only the trees exploding. He just went back to camp and just thought it out because he thought he was going crazy. He did the same old same old by hunting, making clothing, and trying to keep warm and making food… he won the battle for warmth. Then he did the same by making food and hunting… a couple days later he was trying to figure out if he could make ski’s and so while he was thinking about a straight line, he found some tracks that were straight like a sled was by. He followed them and it took him a while to find where it was coming from. There was someone else living by him, a native American. Once he got there he was very confused because he thought he was alone… and when the native American came out the book said that Brian didn’t know what to say so he was mumbling and kind a skipping around with his words. the native American was like “I knew you would come”… and Brian was like “What?” so then the native American explained that he smelled his smoke 3 weeks ago and he didn’t want to bother him. He invited him in for some beaver that he had trapped, and he wanted to know why Brian was wearing cloths in an old-way and that he wanted to know how he made the bow and arrow tips and wanted to know how to shoot it. Then when the plane came by with the supplies, Brian had to go and so he could be a normal person. I thought that Brian was very sad to leave because he was very connected to the woods and that he was able to survive in all that. I don’t think he wanted to go but he had to or I think that something else would have either hurt him or worse killed him.

I liked the book so much because I liked the first one and I was with the other fans that he should have continued and I was glad that he did because I now know how hard it is to be in the nature all alone. Brian changes in this story because he is used to all the heat in the first book and until winter he had to make a shelter and make warmer clothing and he changed because he was thinking about how to survive in this weather and he made all the bows and arrows.

I think that the theme of the book is that when you read something that you can learn something about it and I think that Brian was a reader that read about nature.

I agree with you that Brian's greatest feat was learning how to survive on his own. However, I also think that in just the short time he stayed with the Cree family that he started to revert back to civilization. He had struggled to find his own food, to maintain his shelter and to survive attacks from wild animals. All of a sudden, he finds out that he is not alone and that safety and plentiful food await him in the Cree family's home. I found it interesting that the family knew he was there all the time, but figured he just wanted to be alone. Brian wanted anything but that.

One of the best parts of reading fiction is wondering about what would happen next. Would Brian fit in well when he returned to home and school? Would his experience give him confidence to succeed at a higher level in school and living with his family? I want to believe that this experience would help Brian in the future. If he can survive the wilderness during the winter, than everyday problems of life should seem much smaller.

I liked this book. It shows how fast people can adapt to new situations. I think you made an excellent point in your previous postings about how fast Brian learned to survive. The lesson I draw from this story is that we are all capable of adapting to new situations, now matter how difficult they may be.

D. Finkbiner

Adult: Mr. Finkbiner Student: Thomas Snyder Book Title: Brian’s Winter Pages Read:
 * Week 3**

Brian is a smart 13 year old because if I were in the wild I would probably have a 50-50 chance of surviving depending on what supplies you give me. Brian has the brains to do anything in my mind because he hit a bear and did nothing but hit him then ran off and he also got hit a couple more times when he hunted his first deer. When he was cold he made himself some clothes and snowshoes. He also made the war bow to hunt bigger game. He is also smart because before this he saw some wolves and they were marking their territory then he marked his area and the next time he saw them they smelled it and they went off and left him alone. He is also smart because he was able to make the arrows for his bow by using the flint and the feathers from the bird. Then when he had a kill he had a hard time getting the meat to his camp so he used the hide to transport it.

What I think will happen next is that he will survive because of all the meat that he has hunted and that he will be able to make more supplies for his survival and just for him not to get bored and that he actually has something to do around other than hunt and gather fire wood… also in this part he thought someone was after him but it came to be the trees exploding because of the coldness. Brian is very smart even to make shoes and clothing and his bow…. He said that it wasn’t very pretty but it will do…

That was some nice info about how the people used the hide to make the bowstring and the picture was pretty cool… I have learned something about the bow and the cave.

I agree with you Tom that Brian does a good job using his head in order to survive. I think that people can revert back to a primitive state pretty quickly and be reduced to struggling for the very basic things of life (food, clothing, shelter). Whenever we lose our electricity for just a few hours, it seems that almost nothing works. I think you are right about the chances of our surviving harsh conditions like Brian faced.

I have never eaten a moose, but I would think that in Brian's circumstance it would taste great. How fortunate for him that he was able to get a clean shot and then avoid getting killed. You were right in your prediction from last week that he would be able to kill bigger game with his new bow and arrowheads. I would liked to have seen the picture he was going to draw of his moose kill.

I too can understand why he would have gone stir-crazy being confined to his hut and concentrating only on hunting and wood gathering. I think that the mind does not react well to a lack of stimulation. That's one reason why I like to read so much; I always have something to think about. Next week we will find out whether or not Brian will survive the winter. I look forward to finishing the book and reading your reaction to it.

D. Finkbiner