LITERATURE - 2nd YEAR

What is a Diary? A diary is a personal record of events, thoughts, and feelings. It is usually arranged in chronological order - the order in which things happen in. It can be handwritten and private, published for sale or might be uploaded to the internet as a blog. A diary can be many things – a place to keep private thoughts, a record of events, or simply an entertaining story. We can read them to compare emotions and experiences with others or to experience a stranger's world. S tructuring a diary As diaries are  personal,  they can have a variety of different structures: Most are divided into the days of the week – but you do not have to write an entry every day. They could start with ‘Dear Diary’ or with the date of that day’s entry. Each day’s entry might end with a closing line such as: 'Got to go now' or 'time for me to go'. Tone & tense Diaries are usually quite personal – written in the  first person  from the writer’s point of view. Many sound quite...

Rodman Philbrick began writing short stories in 6th grade and finished a novel by 11th grade. Although his first novels were rejected, he went on to publish more than a dozen novels for adults before writing Freak the Mighty. This critically acclaimed, award-winning book established Philbrick as a new voice in young adult fiction. The book was made into the feature film The Mighty and was followed by a sequel, Max the Mighty. Philbrick has written several other novels for young adult readers, many with the themes of imagination, courage, and childhood conflicts. He has said: “I believe that we have the ability to change our lives using our imaginations. Imagination is a muscle—the more you use it, the stronger it gets.” For more information about Philbrick and Freak the Mighty, visit:  https://rodmanphilbrick.com/about/ Meet the author:

Freak the Mighty is not one person, but two—two eighth graders who join forces to face the personal demons and adversities in their lives. Kevin, also called Freak, has a severely handicapped body and a genius brain, while Max is learning-disabled and a giant for his age. Max carries Kevin around on his shoulders, giving him physical mobility; in turn, Kevin builds Max’s confidence in his intelligence and self-worth. Together, they become Freak the Mighty. The story is told through the voice of Max, who lives with his grandparents after his father, Kenny Kane, is imprisoned for killing his mother. Max’s sense of shame about his father, and the fact that he looks just like him, is partly healed by his friendship with Kevin. However, when Kane is released from jail on Christmas Day, he abducts Max. After Kevin helps rescue Max, life seems to go back to normal until Kevin suffers a seizure and is rushed to the hospital. Max slowly realizes that his friend, who has told him that his body w...