Sam

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 * __ Hey, it's Sam!!!!! This is the page where I'll be writing answers and questions and comments! __**

Book Group Test
I think that __The House of Dies Drear__ is an appropriate title for the book because the book takes place in the town around the house of Dies Drear and at the house as well. The meaning and background is that the book takes place in an old house that used to belong to a black man who worked with slaves to help them escape and his code name was Dies Drear. Dies Drear helped slaves escape and gave them signs ( one of which was the Greek cross) and he let them stay at his house that was connected to the Underground Railroad but it wasn’t really a railroad. Slaves would stay at his house for a couple weeks or days or months until they could escape. There is a legend that says there were two men that were slaves escaping, and they both got killed. Legend says their ghosts haunt Dies Drear’s house along with Dies Drear’s ghost. If I were the author, Virginia Hamilton, I would have either used this title or maybe __The Haunting of Dies Drear__, or the __Legend of Dies Drear,__ or something catchy like that. The title is appropriate because it’s all about the house of Dies Drear and what happens there. Comments From Shirley: Sam, you have written an interesting response to this question and given a neat synopsis of the history. I like your ideas for other titles and you ended the answer well.

From Mia: I like your the points you made when you were explaining. Your response was clear and very interesting. Squeeeeeeze!

Joe: I think your questions and titles were very good. You made alot of good points like Mia said. Good Job!

Good response, Sam. I like how you explained in complete thoughts. Alex

2. I actually have two scenes from the book that I like the most and that I thought were mysterious. First one was when the black spirit came in the house, and left the triangles. It was cool how the author explained how the spirit was almost see through and not solid but not a ghost either. I liked how it crept through the house without being heard or seen and how it went through the mirror. At first I thought that the triangles were warnings or protection, but then later learned that they were really used by Dies Drear and slaves as a point of where to go next and direction. It was cool! Next, I liked the scene where Thomas and Mr. Small went to see the cavern, because it was spooky and Mr. Pluto could have popped out at any minute and killed them or something, though I doubt he would. Anyway, I really liked how the author described the cavern and the furniture and the stalagmites. Thomas was a little worried at first, but then thought it was cool. First, Mr. Small and Thomas had to go down into the ground, and then saw a big room with torches and a bed for Mr. Pluto. Then they walked down a narrow passage with stalagmites and Thomas was a little frightened they would fall on him. To get out, Thomas and Mr. Small had to move away some of the stalagmites. Next, they came to the room with all these bottles and books and a desk for Mr. Pluto and an arm chair. There were a lot of books and rugs and antiques and a chest hanging from the ceiling and totem poles. There was a glass with light and colors and all these really cool antiques. I think this part was cool because it was a cliff hanger and it was spooky. Comments From Shirley: Interesting choices for your most mysterious scenes. You included some well chosen reasons why you chose these two parts of the book. Well done !

Emily#1

I think that there was either some sort of treasure in the black chest hanging from the chain, or maybe some super secret map or code or another cross that maybe leads to another room in the cave. If it was a treasure, it could be a piece of valuble cloth of Dies Drear, or maybe some cross he made himself. It could be a treasure that lets him get by something or into a room. If it was a map or something like that, it would be the map to all the rooms, or maybe it was a code that he had to show other slaves to let him get in another cavern. I think the black chest is kind of cool.

Schuyler#1

I think the ending of the book was kind of cool and amazing, but I also was kind of hard to understand, because I couldn't always tell what was going on. Mayhew and Mr. Small and Thomas were hiding, waiting for the Darrows, but why were they there so long? I think there plan was a little weird, but it worked. If I had written the book, i wouldn't make it so that one minute we were talking about Thomas, and then the other minute we were talking about Mr. Small. It was kind of strange, but good. :)

I like the book //__Dies Drear__// because it's really mysterious and you don't know what will happen. It's pretty awesome! :)

1. I think that Mr. Pluto was trying to keep the cavern a secret because there was maybe something down there he didn't want anyone knowing about. Maybe Pluto was still trying to figure out what was down there and he was investigating and looking for something that had to do with Dies Drear. I also think he didn't want the Darrow brothers and town seeing something and maybe they knew he was hiding something and he didn't want them digging in his stuff. He could have hid something in the books or in his desk. And like Alex, I think that he was trying to learn more about the Small's.


 * Amelia: I partially agree with your answer because I think he doesn't want to be guarding his house all the time because if people knew, they might try to steal his treasures. Your answer was very descriptive and you thought about all the possibilities. Bravo!**

I totally agree.... ||
 * || [|Thalgal12]