Mon. Jan. 26th, 2015 "Schooled"

Prompt: Define what is needed for a reader to be able to relate to a character.

Book: Schooled 

Author: Gordon Korman

Pages read: 50-111


     In order for a reader to relate to a character in a book (and/or movie), the character has to be facing real life situations. An example would be: Sarah grieved over the loss of her grandma. A reader can easily relate to this if they have loss their grandma, or a family member close to them. An unreal situation that a reader cannot relate to would be: Diana was very sad after losing her pet Tyrannosaurus Rex. This is an example because, dinosaurs aren't living now, and no one has a pet dinosaur. 

    In Schooled the reader can relate to the situation Cap is in. If you ever moved or switched schools, it is kind of hard to adjust right away. I know when I first started going to school in 1st grade it was hard to adjust to, because I didn't know anyone and I was homeschooled prior to that. I had no idea who to talk to, I had no idea what classroom expectations where, and I had no idea what to do when I got there. Like Cap, he didn't know where to put his stuff (page 15), and he didn't know the rules of the school like: no talking back to the principal. I of course knew no talking back, but it was still confusing as to where to put my stuff. Also, Cap was accelerated, according to Rain, Cap is in the top for schooling. I can relate to this, because before I started actual school in 1st grade I learned to write my first and last name in cursive, I knew how to multiply up to 3, and I knew how to read chapter books. 

     Another part in the book that a reader can relate to, is if they have younger or older siblings. Cap and Sophie (the social worker's daughter who he currently lives with), are always bumping heads. If you have an older sister or even a younger sister, you can definitely relate with wanting to go to the bathroom and their hogging it. Sophie is always wanting Cap to stay away from him, I don't know about you, but my sister hates it when I am sitting on her bed or hanging with her around her friends. Like Sophie, when "Josh was dropping me off while the freakzoid was scrapping a third world country off his feet." Josh is the guy Sophie likes, and she is constantly worrying about Cap embarrassing her.