AIR Graphic Organizer

English 10H

10/2/14

Weekly A.I.R Graphic Organizer

Book Read: The Day My Mother Left by James Prosek Pages Read: 79

Summarize: “These chapters are about….” When Jeremy’s mother leaves him and his family for his enemy’s dad Jeremy’s whole life is turned around. The days leading up to his mother leaving Jeremy overhear his parents fighting about the mother getting home late often. Later on in the story his father overhears the mother talking to a man and telling him that she loves him. The mother then announces that she is leaving the family for another man.

2 Active Reading Strategy Starters: Evaluate: I do not like this story because it has very dull details and a boring story plot. The author doesn’t make the reader want to keep reading more because the story and outcome is very predictable. Question: I wonder why the author chose to title the book “The Day My Mother Left” which gives away the whole story. Prosek might have done this to draw readers to the book that have experienced the loss of a parent.

3 Important Lines: On page 19 Jeremy’s parents are talking, Jeremy’s dad speaks first “Where have you been?” “At school,” Mom said, twisting her blonde hair and fixing it in a bun with a pencil. “You’re three hours late. Why didn’t you call?” I chose this conversation because it shows lack of trust and the father starting to get suspicious about his wife and her actions. On page 26 Jeremy’s dad calls the rest of the family downstairs and says “So, Phoebe, tell us. We’re all waiting” “I’m leaving” was all she dais sobbing deeply, her voice thin and fragile. “I’m leaving. I can’t take this anymore” The significance of these lines is that this is where the whole family’s lives turn around and is the climax of the story. On page 59 Jeremy is talking about the affect his mother leaving has had on him “In the first weeks after my mom left, I felt that I wouldn’t mind just going to sleep and not waking up. My head was so full of bad thoughts that sleep was the only way out. If I could sleep. I didn’t want to draw, or do homework, or move. But now I had trouble remembering those times. I felt different, stronger, and my head was full of things I wanted to do.” I chose these few lines because it shows that Jeremy is starting to accept the fact that his mother left and that it wasn’t his fault. He also learned a major life lesson which is life goes on.

Vocabulary: Arbor- A leafy shady area formed by branches

Reflection: This story made me feel very sad for Jeremy because his mother left him especially because they were very close and she was always there for him to support him.