Discussions+(Tamar)

Disscusions on Tamar: I thought this book was amazing. It was like a puzzle to me, where I only have the borders and step by step fill the gap and find out what the picture is. At first, I didn't understand much, it was all confusing, but word for word, page for page and chapter a chapter I found out. I learned a lot from it about the time period. For example, I had never heard of the SOE. -Dina

I agree with myself. Tamar gave me another aspect of the war, a hidden "secret" one. It was a very unique book, and not like a classic at all. I liked it very much -Dina

Tamar was a really interesting book. I liked how Mal Peet tucked in historical facts without making it look too obvious or forced. I also like the ending. Mal Peet started the book with names and ended with names too. It’s like closing up the book or restating your thesis in an essay. I liked the ending also because it was surprising. -Julia First of all nice Dina, I agree with myself. Anyway, I loved Tamar because even though it was a difficult read I had so much fun filling the main idea with different facts that the author exposed, as Julia said. But I also disagree with Julia about the ending because I thought it was a little bit disappointing. I was surprised that Tamar died because all through the book they were talking about how secrets were rather to be sent to your grave and I don't think the death of the grandfather is a secret enough for them not to expose it. -Carolina Thank you Carolina, I love my "creativity" too. I agree with both of you partially. Julia, I don't quite get what you mean by saying that the book starts and ends with names. I was surprised too, that Tamar died, but liked it. I mean, how many books are there (that aren't non-fiction) that end sadly? I liked its uniqness and its ending. I think that sad books are the best, because more emotions are there and its usually very well written. -Dina

I know what Julia meant because first young Tamar gets her name and at the end she discovers who her grandfather really is. Meaning that she discovers who "Tamar" is. I thought that this idea was also very clever too do, like discovering your past! I like that the book was sad also Dina, and I agree that sad books are usually the best but I still wished it was a different secret. -Carolina  Oh, thanks Carolina for explaining it to me. Julia, very smart from you to notice that, I have to say. I also liked this book, because of what Carolina just said. The point of view was unique and I didn't know much about it, which made the book very interesting, yet harder to understand at the beginning. -Dina

Thank you, Dina. And thank you, Carolina for clarifying. This book was very intense to me. The content was very difficult as well. As first, I didn’t really understand what it was trying to say, with all the time traveling back and forth. But it was cool to hear the story in Tamar the biological grandfather’s view and the granddaughter, Tamar’s point of view. But I still think the more surprising ending was perfect. I liked how that we always thought the grandfather was Tamar but it was actually Dart. To me, endings like this leave a memory in my heart. It is surprising and I also tend to like and remember it better for its sadder ending. -Julia

You're welcome Julia. I also liked that the book had a really unexpected ending. I think the book should have told us before that Dart was the "grandpa", not Tamar, which it really looked llike it was. -Dina

Tuesday March 3, 2009

I agree with myself...and think that the book was also great, because it wasn't one of those boring HF books that are stuffed with historical events, but it was just here and there, so I could enjoy it more, and it was also part of the story, so it really wasn't boring...  I also think that the authors purpose was to inform and uncover the truth. To inform, because it taught many things and showed us a part of history and how everything went. To uncover the truth, because it showed us that what the Nazis were doing was wrong and that the Jews were the victims. -Dina In class we said that Tamar was a very difficult story to interpret, meaning that it was difficult to see what the author wanted to expose or tell the reader. I think Mal Peet was trying to show the story from the point of view of a spy, not exposing all the obvious aspects of the time period like Concentration camps or battles. As Dina said, it might be a cross between fiction and historical fiction since the objection is difficult to identify. I also agree with Dina that it did uncover the truth about the hidden background that happened. - Carolina

Yes, I agree that Mal Peet was trying to expose the truth and inform readers. He gives us hidden facts entwined to the story so its entertaining to read as well. I kind of like this book because it had the perfect dose of historical details and fiction details and interests. I think Mal Peet is trying to say that in the past there were things that existed but we didn’t know of and same for today. There are still many secretive groups going on like the SOE. I think he is proposing the question of, do we really know our society? Do we really know what is going on? Are things really what they seem? Some groups’ sabotage and change history but not everyone recognizes it. -Julia

I agree with Carolina and Julia, that he is very good at hiding facts in the story and in an entertaining way. And I also agree with Julia in how he questions,is everything what it seems. In our world now and in the past there are so many secret missions and people that made things possible. If there was no CIA imagine how many terroist attacks we would have. And if there was no SOE what would be the outcome of world war 2? -Sammy

Sammy, the outcome would still be the same, because a few other countries helped too. I also agree with everyone, but I really think we should get a new book, and tthere's nothing to talk about anymore. -Dina

I kind of don’t agree that the outcome would be the same. I do think with all these special and secretive operations things now-a-day are different. Without them I do wonder what or world would be like now. But I agree with Dina that we don’t have much to talk about left. We need a new book fast… -Julia

Julia, I disagree...The outcome would have been the same, because the SOE didn't do THAT much, though they did some things...The majority was done by other countries like Russia, that fought...Maybe a few people, like one hundred people, would have died if the SOE wasn't there, but still, it's not that many people! The SOE also wasn't the only secret society that did things, there were others too...So, Julia, think about what I say and respond quickly! (Thanks) -Dina