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Read Wolves!
Welcome to WELL REaD, the reading blog of the Niles West High School IRC. We want to hear what our students and staff have to say about books. To comment about anything you read here, click on the comment link at the bottom of the post.
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27 comments:
I read the first section of "A Girl's Life Online", called "me, before". This section is important to understand and read because it lets you get to know Katie and a little about her life for example she is a competitive swimmer, and is in choir. Part of this section that I found interesting was how the author explained that Katie's mom and step dad are "work-a-holics" and yet Katie still does well in school and doesn't cause any trouble. I could connect to how Katie deticates herself to swimming and I myself deticate myself to soccer when I play, 100% just like her.
Follow up Questions:
1. If you lived in a town like Katie do you think you would go by what magazines tell you like everyone else?
2. Why do you think the author took a whole section to let us know how Katie feels about herself?
3. Do you think the author was trying to point out through out this section that Katie isn't
too confident about herself?
I think the author has the section about Katie so we can get to know her and see who she really is. Another reason is so we can see how she changes throughout the book.
I can also connect with katie because of her dedication to swimming, but with me its singing.
I can't wait to read more of this book and find out what katie goes through with her family, friends, school, and Mark.
I don't usually like books right when I start reading them, but I actually like this book. It's pretty interesting to me, and I find it kind of weird how Katie worries so much about herself. I'm not saying it's bad to be clean and have nice clothes, and nice hair but she is just too obsessed with the way she looks.
One way I can relate to Katie is how dedicated she is to the sport she loves. It reminds me of how I am with volleyball.
I'm looking forward to reading on in this book, and I'm hoping that in the end Katie won't be so harsh on herself.
The first few chapters of the book talked about Katie. She is 13 years and she is not very confident about herself. She said that she does not look in the mirror because she is scared to look at her face or her body. What I like about Katie is that she is dedicated in swimming. She is also very close to her older sister Abby. They tease each other about things and they have a good relationship with each other.
When her sister told her that she could use her computer, Katie started to chat on the internet. She met this guy Mark that is quite interested in her. Katie really connected to Mark because they have a lot of things in common. She feels mature when she talks him which makes her feel satisfied. Like Katie’s dedication to swimming, I am also dedicated with playing my guitar which made me connect to the book.
I want to read more because I am really interested on what is going to happen with Katie and her online friend, Mark.
As I got to the end of the first part (Me, Before) in "A Girl's Life Online", I learned quite a few things about Katie Tarbox. She's a very mature girl living in a stereotypical area where everyone in her city is considered "beautiful". She, personally, does not think she is pretty and is constantly bringing herself down whether its about her weight or her facial features. She also mentions how her parents are "work-a-holics" and how they don't really have time to do anything with her on often days. This information is important because it will have an effect on what happens later on in this story.
I can relate to Katie's devotion to swimming with me dancing.
I'm looking forward to reading on the different sections of this book because it's very intriguing so far.
Follow Up Questions:
1.) What do you think will happen when Katie starts using the chatrooms?
2.) Who does Katie look up to from time to time?
3.) What message do you think the author is trying to send to the readers by naming this chapter "me, before"?
I read up until the end of Chapter 5 (Happy Holidays) of "A Girl's Life Online," and saw that the main character, Katie, was just a normal thirteen-year-old girl who had insecurities about her appearance and fitting in. This is something that many teens can relate to. I thought it was pretty interesting to see how easily she could begin to trust a total stranger online, without any regard as to what they really might be like. I think that it was probably easier for her to trust the random person she met because she was feeling so insecure, and because she felt accepted by them. Also, because the internet was still relatively new. Even so, it still confused me as to how idiotic she could be, involving herself with strangers over the internet.
I read the first section of A Girls Life Online. I thought that it was a very good first part to the book because it tells you a little about Katie. It tells you about her life and how she swims, and sings. Katie does very well in school. Katie has a step dad and her parents are always at work. So she doesn't have anyone to really get help from. But Katie finds her own way and does really well. I can connect to Katie because she likes to sing and I do too. I thought that the first section of the book was really good and I can't wait to read the next one.
My first impression of this book when I saw the title and cover, I immediately assumed it was going to be a great book. When I started to read the first couple of chapters, my first impression was right. It started off, with Katie, a girl whose passion is swimming and sometimes singing. She tells how her parents are always working and that their work is their first priority. From her background information, it’s understandable how she turns to the internet for someone to talk to, while she is at home. I'm so curious on what happens and the dangers she goes through because of the internet. I could connect with Katie, because I understand how it is, with a parent(s) always working.
When i started to read the book i noticed me and Katie are kind of different because she has good grades she sings and swims...i have not so good grades i dont wake up early in the morning to sing and i hardly swim unless its the middle of the summer. But her passion for swimming is the same with cheerleading for me. Sometimes i just want to quit but i always end up cheering at the next game. Also if my parents were always working i think i would be in LOTS of trouble! Both of us are always on the computer and thats why i picked the book im curious to see what happens to her with the internet experience.
In "A Girl's Life Online", Katie, the main character, sees herself as someone who does not possess natural beauty. I feel this is important because later in the book, she meets a guy named Mark online, chats with him and she doesn't feel very self-conscious anymore. I can connect to her that way because sometimes people don't feel good about themselves. Knowing Katie a little better throughout some pages, she seems like she admires a lot of people, but I think it's more envious than admiration. So far this book is pretty entertaining from how she she interacts with people like her friends and Mark.
Follow up questions:
1. Having a "work-a-holic" mother like Katie's, do you think you could handle something like that?
2. If you felt self-conscious about yourself, how would deal with it?
3. Do you think the author is trying to tell us something about internet safety?
As I read the next two parts of the book (My Family & Him), I noticed some more things about Katie. She was more self-concious then I thought she was, but she put it out on words as if though it didn't really bother her. I learned that her mother always tries to compare Katie with her sister, Abby. This makes Katie upset but she can't do anything about it just yet. After reading My Family, things got a bit more intense. She starts off by talking about one of her good friends, Kim, who told her that they need boyfriends. Katie always felt that boyfriends just weren't for her, especially at such a young age. Kim fell "in love" with a boy named Peter, and Katie reacts with a bit of hidden jealousy. She then enters a chatroom and discovers the cyber-world. She starts talking to a guy named Mark who claims to be 23. Katie doesn't tell us how she feels just yet, but she shows interest while talking to Mark & at the end, she ends up giving him her number.
I'm looking forward to finding out what's going to happen next.
Follow Up Questions:
1.) Is Mark really only 23 years old?
2.) Wouldn't a girl like Katie know better than to give her phone number out to a complete stranger?
When I read the book up to page 100, a lot has happened. Katie got closer with her chat mate, Mark. She then fell in love with him. She said that Mark understands her like no one else can. Their relationship on the phone became deeper and special to them. One day, when Mark said that he was going to be at the same hotel as Katie, they decided to meet. At the hotel where Katie’s teammates stayed, she decided to go to Mark’s hotel room. When she was with Mark in the room, he harassed her. Katie was surprised because she thought that Mark was better than this. Katie’s mom went out to look for her until the police and her mom find out that Mark was a fraud. His real name was Frank and he’s 41. Katie was surprised when she heard this and she knows that she let down her mom.
I think it was really stupid of Katie to talk to a stranger in the first place. Second, I could not believe she went into Mark’s hotel room when she knows that he was 31. I am so disappointed at Katie because I thought she was old enough to know that she should never go in someone’s room that she does not know well, especially when someone is older.
When I read these pages, it taught me a lesson to never talk to strangers. I am excited to know what is going to happen next to Katie and her family.
I really want to know way Katie thinks that it’s ok to talk to a guy she doesn’t know. Also she knows that people lie in chat rooms, so why does she think Mark is any different? She doesn’t ever know the truth about him, he’s just a lying to her. I just wish that Katie would realize what she is do is not safe and can harm her.
Katie has made me see that you need to know whats out there and who is out there, because you never know if it’s true or fake. People out there are scary and everyone needs to know whats going on, so we all need to be careful.
As I read further into the book, "Girls Life Online", I learned that Katie finds a new way to make friends; going online and chatting in chatrooms with stangers. She finds a perticular boy named Mark. She learns that he is in 20s and she is okay with that. Katie falls in love with Mark's personality and the way he understands what she goes through. Now that she has a friend she can confide in, they build a strong relationship over the net. Soon enough, Mark tells Katie he will be in town at the same hotel that Katie's swim team is going to be at.
In my opinion, Katie should have never agreed to meet a total stranger that she talked to over the internet. I find that very naive and immature of her. I'm really curious to read what will happen when they meet at the hotel.
I read the next 2 sections, "my family" and "him". The section "my family" is important because it lets us understand how her life is and who she lives with. In that section Katie also explains to us how she doesn't really have anybody to talk to because she lives with her step father who she does not feel comfortable talking to and her mom is barely ever around, which leads on to the section "him". The section "him" is very important because this is when Katie learns about America Online and begins to join into chat rooms because she believes she will be able to find someone like her to be able to talk to. Throughout what i had read I realized that Katie is different than her friends and she wants attention, in my opinion I believe she is kind of lonely. Kate talks about in these sections how her mom is never around and she is usually left home alone, I could connect to that because I know a few kids my age who don't have parents around alot of the time and start to get into stupid things, not exactly how Katie is by talking to strangers online, but worse things.
Follow Up Questions:
1. Do you think that Katie will find someone to "open up to" and if so do you think it will help her?
2. Why is Katie feeling so low about herself?
3. Throughout the rest of this book do you think that her mom will realize what is going on with these chat rooms?
What I just read shocked me. I can already tell that Katie is making a horrible decisionby getting this close to Mark, and now she is meeting him. The important parts of the sections I read are the conversations that were held between Mark and Katie both online and on the phone. Those conversations were important because they had "grown closer". In the section "apart" the author writes how Mark isn't 27 he is actually 31, I think that part is very important to know too. I could connect to Katie's friend Ashley because if any one of my friends told me they were talking to a 31 year old guy online that they have never met I would have told them they are stupid and are making a really bad decision, just like Ashley had told Katie.
I can't wait to read on and find out what happens when Katie and Mark finally meet!
To what Colleen asked, I think Katie feels so "low" because she doesn’t really have a mom to talk to. I mean she has a mom but she is never there for Katie when she needs her. I think the only way that Katie’s mom will know what’s going on is if Katie tells her mom. Also I think Katie is scared to tell her mom what is happening with her and Mark because she doesn’t want her mom to stop them from talking. In the begging of the book Katie’s mom said to be careful about who you talk to online.
In one of Katie’s and Marks chat rooms he talked about meeting up with a 13 year old girl, I wish Katie had thought about that more so she could maybe get a clue about who Mark is and what he really might be doing or trying to do.
Yes, i agree with Rachel i wish she thought about what Mark said about that 13 year old girl too.
Well i just read the section "together" and this section definitally deserves its own response. This section was about when Katie met Mark. There was no specific important part of this section because every last page was important. This section got to me, it was very shocking it made me try to feel her pain. I can connect to the part when the police had to question Katie but she was too hurt and in too much pain to say anything at all even though she did nothing wrong. This was because she was scared, and I know this because I have been in the same exact situation but worse. I wonder what she will end up doing and thinking as the book goes on...
Follow Up Questions:
1. What would you have done if your child, neice or nephew, or brother or sister had been in Katie's positon?
2. Why do you think Katie had finally told her mom about what actually happened in the room with Mark?
3. Do you think Katie will be able to cope with what is coming at her in her future after this?
As I read on in "A Girls Life Online", katie began going into chatrooms and talking to this one guy in particular, Mark. I personally wouldn't go into chatrooms to find people to talk to, but I know that it's common for people to do that. I'm also sure that she knew about the dangers that exist when you're on the internet.
She went into these online chatrooms because she felt like she didn't have someone she could talk to about things. I think she could have found someone, if she tried harder.
I have a bad feeling that something bad is going to happen to Katie if she decides to meet Mark in person. I hope she doesn't.
When I read on, I was surprised that Katie actually met up with Mark. But then again, I guess I sort of saw it coming. I was just confused about why she would do something like this.
I thought Katie was smart enough not to give her number out to someone she just talks to in chatrooms, and even worse..actually agree to meet up with this man.
I think the reason why Katie finally admits to her mom about Mark is because she feels guilty. I think she feels guilty because she remembers when her mom clearly told her not to talk online to people she doesn't know.
At this point in the book, I wasn't suprised at what I found out about Mark. How he is really a 31 year old man. Katie's friend, Ashley made a smart choice by telling her, that it was stupid to meet up with such an older man, she didn't even know. Even though Katie still met up with Mark... At least she got help from the police and didn't let this man hurt anyone eles in the future. The connection I can make with Katie, is that, I've seen this happen on a TV show, Degrassi. Where a girl her age, talks to a guy online, who she thinks is 15. And she meets him up at a hotel room and she soon finds out he lied and he was going to hurt her. But she called the cops on time and they locked him up for good, so he wouldnt harm anyone eles.
When I read on through the last page of the book, I was glad that Katie told the truth about what really happened in Mark’s hotel room that night. Everyone was affected by what Katie had done that night. Her mom was very disappointed at her because of what happened. When she came back to her school, everyone was talking about her. This changed Katie’s life because she felt alone and insecure. David arranged appointments to go to counseling for Katie. She did not think that this was a good idea because she felt uncomfortable while describing what happened in the hotel room. Katie’s mom pressed charges on Mark because it was the right thing to do. What’s going to happen now? Is Katie going to suffer from people making rumors about her? What’s going to happen to Mark? It’s up to you to read the book and find out.
I could believe that Katie still cared about Mark. I think that it was a good idea when her parents sent her to camp because it made Katie feel more confident and back to normal. This also made her parents feel less stressful than before. I felt bad for Katie when people made rumors about her. I could not imagine how hard it would be for her to go through this because everyone thinks that she’s pregnant and a slut. This book taught me lessons about life. It taught me how to tell the truth before anything gets worse. It also taught me to be more careful of the people I hang out with or talk to.
Once I read the next few chapters of the book, I could see that Katie was getting attached to Mark, even though she really didn't know him. I found it really odd that she could trust somebody she's never met in person so much, enough to share personal information with him, like home phone numbers. I was also wondering how her mother or step-father wouldn't have caught on, even if they weren't always there, because Katie wouldn't try too hard in hiding what she was doing.
I finished the book, "A Girl's Life Online," and liked the ending. I found it hard to understand how Katie could be so intent on blaming herself for what happened, even after she was told repeatedly that it was not. I also found it really odd how Frank (Mark) didn't seem to feel bad about what he did, and he seemed to only act like he regretted it to get a shorter jail sentence. When the FBI agent told Katie about the other children he had taken advantage of, I couldn't imagine how anybody could live with themselves after doing things so gross.
Overall, this book held onto my attention until the end, and was really easy to read. It's also good how it puts into perspective how dangerous things can be, even when you can't see it.
I read the next few chapters of a Girls Life Online and I found it to be more interesting then I thought. I found that Katie became so attached to Mark and just kept talking to him a lot. I think it’s very weird how Katie can be attached to someone so fast. I think the reason that she did become attached to him is because she is very lonely, always alone at home with no parents there to help her with anything. I don’t blame Katie for becoming attached to him I just think that she should be smarter about things and relies that he says he’s 23 years old and if I were her I would know not to be talking to a 23 years old online. So I think that this section of the book made me relies a lot more things.
I finished reading a Girls Life Online and I thought the book was really good. I thought that the things Katie did was very wrong and she should of known better, but then again maybe if I was in her situation I would have been the same. I thought that Katie shouldn’t have been blaming her self for what had happened because she is young and didn’t really know what she was getting herself into. If Katie’s parents had been home more maybe they would have taught her better and she would have never been in the situation she was in. So I think that a lot of girls that feel unconfident and lonely should read this book because it shows you how something really bad can happen if you don’t be careful.
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