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Hi Girls,

 Thanks for posting on time, just make sure your postings are the correct length - they look a little short (font?). 

You've got the other categories, which is great, just don't forget to go to edit posts/ delete when you're ready to get rid of the placeholder (as I did). 

Maybe have some fun with the background now?

Happy Blogging,

~Ms. G

Section 2 Response - Michelle Ku

3. What do you think Don Aker was trying to prove when Leeza was in the rehabilitation center?

I think when Leeza was in the hospital, Don Aker was trying to prove that people here in America, sort of don’t really think about what we say or do. Sort of like when people have a hard day at work, and they say it was “quite a day”, you really don’t know what “quite a day” means in other countries such as Africa. Africa you would probably work ten times harder than here in Canada, and earn far less than what you would earn here in Canada. Us North Americans definitely take for granted what we have been given and we make are job seem so much harder than what it really looks like.

4. What is your opinion on Reef?

My opinion on Reef is that he is a sensitive guy on the inside, but he doesn’t seem to want anyone to know about his “soft side”. He has a big barrier around him protecting his treasured moments and his real emotions, such as being with his grandma. I think the only reason Reef acts like he is a tough kid, is because of his grandpa, his grandpa really hurt him by being abusive, and Reef has been thrown from foster home to foster home, and now I think he doesn’t want to let anyone knew into his life because he is scared to get hurt, or for that person to die and leave him hanging just like his grandma. She died from cancer quickly and she was the only person that showed Reef love.


Positive - Like her overall work, interesting. Found it nice how your most memorable moment is when Reef was picking the unit he would want to work in.

Constructive - Be more creative with media piece.

Section Three

sophies section

Section Two

amanda's section

Section One

Michelle's section

Michelle's First Impression Journal

The book, “The First Stone”, is so far a pretty interesting story in my opinion. My favourite character so far is Reef because he seems like the type of kid that is misunderstood as a bad kid, but really he’s just is like that because he has no one to show him love anymore, since his grandma died of cancer. Another character I like is Leeza, a girl who I find is almost just like an average teenage girl, but more caring because she’d still go ahead and do more volunteer hours when she had finished. Also she’d do her hours at a hospital rather than daycare centers or community centers, which I find very nice of her, especially since they’re running low on staff. I love how both of the main character, which are two very opposite people seem so; alike in a way because they’ve both lost a family member that they’ve loved so much. Then after the person’s death they seem more unloved; like how Leeza seems to have lesser friends, and how Reef has no one that shows him love anymore.

                I find the setting really cool especially because it matches the title of the book and its cover. They both relate by having there setting above a busy highway and Reef has a stone in his hand. He’s about to drop the stone and he’d imagine how it would damage a car’s windshield. It looks exactly like the cover. I find it really cool how you can already relate the setting and what they’re doing to the cover and title on the first page of the book.

                In my opinion, I think this book is sort of sexist because it shows how all the males in this book are all tough, big, they swear, etc. Something that stood out to me about the males was that when Reef was looking back at his grade 8 class, there was a boy, who was rough, didn’t care about school, etc. Then I thought to myself, this author could have made a character who was a rebel, but he could be a really nice guy. It’s always the same thing whenever I read book, how the man is the strongest sex, and woman are week, etc.

                In conclusion, I actually really do like this book and I would really enjoy reading more about how these two very different characters encounter each other.

Sophie's First Impression Journal

Sophia’s First Impression Journal

As I began to read the book, I found that the start of the book didn’t capture my interest right away. I was hoping that some of the main teen issue was going to be introduced in the beginning of the book, or sort of give us a hint on what the main topic is about. So far what I know about the main character, Reef is that he is a 17 year old boy is who is very delinquent. To me he seems to be the kind of guy who doesn’t care about his actions even if they are causing others hurt. From the authors point of view, I think Reef and his friends are set out to be a group of teenagers that are street kids who haven’t gotten much education judging by the way the speak in the book.  Reef seems like he has been through a lot in his younger years. He has been through many different foster care homes and it seems like he ran away from the last family he was with.  Even though he’s a jerk, he seems to remember the times he had with his grandmother before she had cancer. When he has those memories, he quickly wants to forget them. He says that it was long ago and that it doesn’t matter anymore.

To me, Reef seems like to be the boss or leader of his group of friends.  It’s like he’s been through more tough times then the rest of them. The way he conducts himself in the book, really makes me mad. I don’t like the way he is and the way he’s living. When I read more in the book, I myself, wondered if there are any people like that in the world today, who don’t care about what they to even if it’s causing other people to get hurt in that situation. I wondered why a person would want to be that way, or what drove them to be that way. Usually people aren’t just born with the automatic intentions of hurting people. That just isn’t right.  

I do look forward to reading on in the book. I hope it gets more interesting.

Amanda's First Impression Journal

When I first opened this book, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I read the summary about it, and was suddenly very curious. As I started reading, I got the chance to read about Reef, one of the main characters in the book. My first impression of him was that he was a rebellious jerk, but as I continued to read, I found that his character is much deeper than that. He's troubled, and expresses his problems of anger and rage through crime/harm.
    Further on into the book, I caught a glimpse of another main character, Leeza. At first, she seemed very compassionate, and caring. Not that she isn't, she is very much so. But her reasoning is something I didn't expect. She's hurt emotionally, and she finds that helping others is some what of a healing process.
    My first impression of the setting went along quite well with the characters. When I was reading about Reef, the setting was more.. him. He was mainly in an abandoned hotel. I felt that it symbolized him as a person. It was run down, and out of shape. No one bothered to take care of it, or even pay attention to it. That's how I pictured how Reef feels.
    When it came time to read about Leeza, she was in a hospital, helping out an elderly man who couldn't remember anything. I also took it as something that symbolizes her. She was surrounded with death, seeing as though her sister died of cancer, but she was also surrounded with new life. She herself, is trying to heal, and create something new for herself.
    My first impression of the subject matter was that it was going to be a good read. I honestly felt that the book would be able to reach out to people in some sort of way, and let people know that hey, there are others out there that go through the same thing you do, sort of thing.
    The over-all tone of the book is quite amazing, if you take the time to think about it. There are moments where it's funny, and it gives you a laugh, while others it's kind of like WOAH! That hit close to home.. I feel that there are many emotions surrounding this book, and will definitely captivate future readers.