https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js Save Me a Seat en-us 2018-10-15 17:06:53 UTC 2018-10-25 02:36:32 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Shakinghands.png tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/292949326 Save Me a Seat, is an endearing book that allows a peak into the lifes of two fifth grade boys, Ravi and Joe. Two collaborating authors, Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan, created this eye opening book. The front cover and title caught my eye when I first seen this book. My adventure into the characters lifes began. After, reading the overview of the book I knew it was a must to read. Chaos at school, similarities and differences between characters, and the story behind all of it makes the book even more enticing. ]]> 2018-10-15 17:11:27 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/292949326 tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/292957113 Joe is a fifth grade boy who has Auditory Processing Disorder. His parents are struggling a little bit financially. His mom is forced to work at the school he attends. Joe is tall and as an extensive appetite. Shyness and inability to withstand loud noises often get in his way. A bully named Dillion has made Joe his target. This makes Joe self conscious. He has just lost two of his best friends and feels lost in fifth grade. The challenges of not having an understanding teacher and no friends takes a tole on him. ]]> 2018-10-15 17:23:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/292957113 tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/292960792 Ravi is a fifth grade boy who has just moved to America from India. He is petite, clean, and organized. His parents own their own tea farm. Ravi's mother must cook for their family now. In India someone cooked and cleaned for them. His mother sends his tiffon box and napkin with him to school everyday. Ravi was at the top of his class in India. He soon finds out that America is much different. Dillon an "American born Indian" targets Ravi as another person to pick on. Ravi desparately wants to be excepted for his intelligence and who is truly is.]]> 2018-10-15 17:28:14 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/292960792 tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295576011 Dillon is the typical bully in, "Save Me A Seat." He wears colorful and seasonal boxers to impress the girls in the class. Class clown is an understatement. His fare fetched ideas and body movements allow the attention to be directed his way. This power he seems to take in his projected at his peers that he bullies. Dillon  ]]> 2018-10-22 17:03:45 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295576011 tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295577268 Many lessons are to be acknowledged from this book. Each character depicts a different lesson. Ravi realizes that he was a bully at his old school. He experiences being bullied and does not want to be the person dishing it out. Ravi also learns that you cannot always judge a person by the way they look or without getting to know them. He also discovers that Dillon "the cool kid" is not so cool. Ravi also misjudges Ms. Beam, the teacher. He thinks she does not think he is smart, dislikes him, and purposefully pronounces his name wrong.  
Joe discovers himself. He finally believes that he is not named by what the bullies call him. He himself gets to decide is future and his own worth. This is huge throughout the story. Joe seems to define himself by his diagnosis instead of his characteristics. His flaws no longer blur his image by the end of the book. Joe also realizes that his dad is not just disappointed in him. The note his father writes him allows him to see this loving and caring father. 
Dillon discovers that sometimes bullying his peers can lead to trouble. His last prank ends with leeches suckling on the insides of his pants. Dillon is exposed to being the bullied person during lunch one day. Joe turns his bullying around on him. Everyone laughs at Dillon in the cafeteria. He realizes that sometimes when you pick on someone it might not turn out the the expected way.
Throughout the lives of these students we learn that friends are not always those that we expect. Trust is something that can be earned if we allow the opportunity for it to exist. New beginnings can bring challenges but if we are persistent we can overcome it.
First impressions and encounters is a main concept explored throughout the novel. Almost every character has a flawed opinion of a first impression of another character in the book. Ravi says Joe is "stupid" early in the book. Later, however, he realizes this not the case. Throughout the book I realized the message it was obviously conveying about first impressions, they are not always right. ]]> 2018-10-22 17:05:40 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295577268 tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295595338 Save Me A Seat has three different places the story takes place at. The character Ravi is both at school and at his house throughout the story. Joe is also at school but his own house as well. The school is Einstein Elementary School. ]]> 2018-10-22 17:34:08 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295595338 tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295599333 Joe initially believes he could be friends with Ravi but quickly changes his mind. Ravi believes Joe is the one bullying him. Because of this fictional information his attitude towards Joe is rude. Joe does not want to be his friend anymore. However, he cannot seem to not want to protect him from the school bully Dillon. Ravi is named a Cuminhead by Dillon. Joe is named Big Foot. Ravi becomes upset when Dillon calls him cuminhead. He soon realizes that he is doing the same thing to Joe. They soon realize that their friendship is necessary to survive fifth grade. Their company seems to also be appreciated. ]]> 2018-10-22 17:40:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295599333 tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295602901 Ravi an india born child transported to America must adjust to his new countries norms. This is quite challenging for him. He brings his food to school with him everyday. The food smells, taste, and are named different than American food. 

Joe loves food. He looks forward to it everyday at school. When Joes mom is mad at him she cooks him his favorites. ]]> 2018-10-22 17:45:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295602901 tcollins299 https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295605849 Save Me A Seat, could seriously be read a thousand times over. I connected with the characters and their lives. The disconnect and distance that Joe and Ravi have against each other rings true to past experiences I had in school. Both characters did not really know where they fit in, even though they wanted to. They struggled to cultural fit in. Their families struggled with finances and new environments. Joe experienced many struggles with having Auditory Processing Disorders. He soon owns what some consider a disability. This book is inspiring. I cannot wait to add it to my collection of books in my classroom. I aspire to teach children with special needs. The experience of Joe and Ravi is eye opening. The perspective has allowed me to be more understanding. To be less judgemental about others. To understand that everyone is different. In spite of this friendships can still develop and prosper. ]]> 2018-10-22 17:49:41 UTC https://padlet.com/tcollins299/slvk7qebo5js/wish/295605849