Title of novel - Running Loose

Author - Chris Crutcher

What clues did you get about the novel from the cover design and the blurbs on the book jacket? - I discovered that the story was  probably going to be about football from the front cover of the book.  From Reading the back I found out that it was probably going to be about a boy's high school relationship with his girlfriend, his friends, and his team.

Write a page character analysis of an interesting character you have met so far. It doesn’t have to be the main character although it may be. What is the character like and how does the author reveal the characterization to you?

Becky  is the girl that is way out of Louie's league.  Even if she had stayed around they probably wouldn't have stayed together and gotten married or anything.  She would wait  by the gym door for Louis after his games.  Her and Louie would go out to eat  and they would spend a lot of time together. 

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Choose two significant quotations from what you have read so far. Write the quote below along with the page number and explain in a well-developed paragraph the importance of the quotation.

Quote 1  - " I may coach rough football, but I coach clean football"

Explanatory paragraph - This quote is  important because it shows that even though somebody knows what he did was wrong he will still try  to lie to get of what he did.  Louie is standing his ground about his actions at the football game, and Lednecky is still not going to admit what he did was wrong.

Quote 2 - "I don't play for Lednecky Louie, I play for me. And you guys"

Explanatory paragraph  -  This is an important quote because it shows that there is a better reason to try to get back on the team.  Not to do it for the coach so he can get his perfect season but because  they had worked all summer for it, they trained for it, and they shouldn't give all of that up just because their coach is a low life.

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Choose any scene from the novel and take on the point of view of another character in the scene and rewrite the scene from that character’s point of view.

I was sitting at the table with some other guys from the team  when Louie Banks walked in and sat at the bar and started ordering.  I was debating whether or not i should go talk to him, ever since the game last week.  I'd heard that he got in major trouble for yelling at the ref and saying all that stuff.  I guess I kind of owed it to him.  I got up and was going to walk over and say hi to him , but then Sally came in and threw her arms around him.  He seemed a little busy after that and I didn't want to bother him.

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By now you should have a good idea about the novel’s conflict. Explain the conflict giving enough details so I can get it. Then make a prediction about what you think will happen in the novel.

The biggest conflict in the story is between Louie and himself.  He has  many problems that he can't work out on his own but he has many friends that are ready and willing to help him.  He has to cope with not being on the football team and losing his girlfriend. I think that eventually he will be able to get over everything and continue live a very productive life.

 

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Choose any character you have encountered in the novel so far. Choose five objects that this character would put in his or her pocket, purse, bag, or suitcase. In other words, these are objects that help define the character. For example, if someone were to write about me, he would probably list a bottle of water as an object that helped define me and then would go on to explain that I was never without a bottle of water and that it was necessary for me to drink lots of water because of my kidney and so on…Whatever you choose explain why these objects are appropriate for the selected character. Then if the person were to carry a bag, what kind of bag would it be? Describe it and explain why.

I chose Becky because she seems to be an interesting character.  She would probably have a a mirror in her purse because all of us girls care about our looks.  She would have a picture of Louie because she seemed to care about him a lot.  She would have a picture of her father, because he seemed to be the rock in her life.  She would have a memory of the trip to cabin with Louie, because that is when they became very close.  The last thing she would have would be a piece of jewelry from her mother becuase although they were never really close they we still have a mother and daughter bond.

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Write a quick book review following the 5 W format. As you work through your response you can label each paragraph with the journalist’s question that it explores.

Paragraph 1: WHO is the main character of the novel? How does the character change over the course of the story? How would you describe this character’s personality?

    Louie Banks is the main character of the novel.  He changes over time in many ways.   In the beginning of the novel he seems to be a hardcore football player.  He trained all the time to be in top shape for the beginning of the season.  At the the end f the novel tho he seems way more mature and he knows what things are actually important and which things don't really matter that much.  I would describe his personality as outgoing and very independent.  He seems to be able to do most things on his own although there are a few things that he needs help with, and he knows when to ask for help.

Paragraph 2: WHAT is the novel about?

    The novel is about a high school student who has to overcome many obstacles in his high school career.  He has to deal with a hardcore coach he makes some controversial decisions.  Some friends who don't always use their best judgment, and the loss of his girlfriend.  Although many things change and he has some difficult decisions to make he always seems to turn out okay.  

Paragraph 3: WHERE does the story take place? What is the setting(s) and how does it add to the novel. How does the location relate to the characters and theme? What time period or era? How can you tell? If the novel involves more than one setting, choose the most important one and explain why.

    The story takes place in a little town called Trout.  It takes place over the course of a few months, starting in the fall and continuing through the spring.  The location relates to everything because if this would have happened somewhere in a big city nothing would have turned out the way it did.  Many of the characters would act differently, and most of what happened wouldn't be allowed in the big cities because of laws.  Even though they were probably against the law where they happened, everyone just kind of turned the other way because it wasn't a big deal.  The most important setting would be in the meadow, because that is where most of the events with Becky and Louie happened and where most of their memories are.

Paragraph 4: WHEN does the climax of the novel occur? Tell me about it.

    The climax of the story is when Becky is in a car accident.  Everything changes from there on out.  The main character acts different.  He has changed his out views on life and he tells the story differently.  Becky was  a big part of Louie's life and when she is gone from him, everything changes.

Paragraph 5: WHY did the author write this story? What point is the author trying to make? Link your why response to a theme.

I think the author wrote this story because he is trying to let all of his young readers know that even if something bad happens, you still have to carry on and live life.  Your life may have changed dramatically but you still have to live it.

Paragraph 6: Rate this novel on a 1-10 scale with 1 being low and 10 being high. Then explain why. Make a recommendation about the novel one way or another.

On a scale of 1 - 10 I would rate the novel an 8.  I rated it like that because it was a very interesting novel and had many very good points.  I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone because it has many great life lessons, and teaches you many important things as  it tells a very interesting story.

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