Derek-Travis

= = = = = = =   **Week 4 from Adult: Travis Farley**    = Pages read: 108 - 157

The adventures of Harris and “Opie” continue through the book’s end. While both boys help dip cows to protect them from fever ticks, Harris gets stumped by a bull. Knute, Harris’s dad, hits the bull with his fist and breaks his left arm. This chapter is followed by Harris and “Opie” going to another Saturday night dance where “Opie” meets a girl named Elaine. I think he has a serious crush on Elaine. The action continues through Chapter 11 where “Opie” convinces Harris to pee on an electric fence, which results in a painful shock. After Harris recovers, he attaches a gas-powered washing machine engine to a bike in an effort to make a motorcycle. Not surprisingly, this activity results in Harris crashing the bike. The book concludes by the sheriff’s deputy returning to Harris’s house to pick up “Opie” to take him back to his family.

It is annoying not to know the main character's name. I find this book easy to read and entertaining. It describes one adventure after another that Harris and the main character experience. It's a simple story that tells the details of a summer of two young country boys.

Do you have any big plans this summer?

=** Week 4 Adult: Travis Farley **= Student: Derek Rice Book Title: Harris and Me Pages Read: 118-156

In my reading this week Harris finds a fever tick on him down by the river, and they are bad for the cows so they have to “dip” them in creosote. When they are down to the last cow it is their bull. When they tried to get him in to the creosote it takes off and hits Harris hard. Knute jumps on top of him and punches him on top of its head putting the bull on its knee’s, but breaking Knute’s hand. Also when Harris is feeling better he decides that he is going to put a motor on a bicycle. So he spends a few weeks working on the best bicycle he could find. Finally when Harris’s parents go to town they rig up the motor off Clair’s washing machine on the bicycle. At first they had troubles getting it to run, but when they did it went so fast Harris had to use the brush in the ditch to slow himself down. When he did things flew everywhere they bike was junk but the motor was cast iron and undamaged. Harris in the big mix somehow lost his cloths and had to explain to Knute. Then they plaid cob wars in the cornfield, and while they were playing that a police officer stopped by. The same one that dropped off this little boy was back to pick him up. Everyone was sad and Harris stayed in the cornfield, and then flew out and went to the window of the police car and told him that he could come back anytime and that he didn’t have to go home.

I enjoyed this book very much, and it kept me interested and glued to the book whenever I read it. I think more of my classmates should read this book, because it is not very long and tells a great story about a young boy. In the beginning the main character is somewhat skeptical about the farm he doesn’t think he will fit in to well. Later he finds out he is like a part of the family to all of them, and he really was a big help on the farm. I think the author was trying to tell people something in this story, like a story within the story. That just because you come from this city doesn’t mean you do not know how to live on a farm. People are just like everything else they have to adapt. Something I would really like to know about this book is: What is the Characters name? Throughout the whole book that just bugged me not knowing his name. I would have added more to the book by bringing the boy back again from his real parent, and having him live with the Larson’s on the farm.

= Week 3 Adult: Travis Farley = Student: Derek Rice Book Title: Harris and Me Pages Read 59 -118

Still I have yet to find out the main characters name, but I am starting to think the author is the little boy. In the reading this week Harris and the young boy decide to be like Tarzan and make a rope swing from the limb of the old oak tree to swing into the loft of the barn. They got this idea from reading comic books about Tarzan. Next they play “red Indians” and they make bows and arrows from sticks and they shoot everything! Even the animals like the pigs, cows, and chickens! They also went to town to the Lumberjack Lounge and watched a move where the sound was lost. The film was rewound and played again but the sound just got worse. They both finally just fell asleep. Knute put them in the truck and they were on their way home after that.

In the 4x100 meter relay I am the third leg. Coach wants me to run anchor but I seem to run faster on the corner. I dive straight into it and push as hard as I can. I used to run the 4x200 meter relay also but I was moved to the 4x100. The main character also reminds me of Opie, and I also like to watch “//The Andy Griffith Show”//. My dirt bike is a Yamaha YZ 125 set up for mostly motocross. I also have a four-wheeler but I don’t race it. Just for riding at home. Well this week we had track practice every day after school and I was ready for the weekend. Dad and I had planned to go dirt bike racing again but the weather wasn’t in our favor. So we went fishing instead, and I caught quite a few but got two monsters! One was a large mouth bass that weighed 8 pounds and the other was a catfish that weighed 10 pounds. The Catfish was a battle I knew the line I had was only 12-pound test. I also knew that it was one big fish. So I couldn’t jerk on the pole or I knew the line would snap just like a tooth pick. I finally got him in and was amazed at the size of it! All and all I had pretty good weekend in the end. So I had a pretty good week how about you?