Journel 3

Rusty James is a 14 year old kid, who gets cut up and into fights all the time. He smokes about a pack a day. His mom died and his dad is an alcoholic, and never spends any time with him. His brother is known as Motorcycle Boy, he is Rusty’s role model. He looks up to him, and thinks that he is never coming back for him and left to California for good. Rusty James doesn’t care much about how people think of him, he isn’t that nice to people, he is usually the winner of most fights he gets himself into.  

Why is s/he important in the novel?
Rusty James is the main character, he is important because he is the one who want to follow his older brother’s foot steps.

I would not like to be the main character because I would get hurt and die too young. He gets into fights all the time and I wouldn’t want to be smoking at the age 14, and it wouldn’t be safe with all the people who want to kill me.

Would you like the main character for a friend? Give your
 reasons. 
No I would not like to be a friend with him in any way, because if I was his friend I would be getting too involved with fights and smoking. I don’t think that he would be a good influenced friend. I wouldn’t want to be near him in any way.

Journal entery #2

Rumble Fish, is a First Person point of view. The narrator is Rusty James; he is the person speaking through the whole book. This point of View is not very effective, because you wouldn’t get to know what the other characters are think or feeling through the novel.
I am going to make this story from Steve’s point of view, first person…So one day I found Rusty James just lying there on sandy beach, I went up to him. He didn’t even remember me, well I haven’t seen him for a while though. Then he got up and talked a little, about how I got here and why, and when he came and why. I remembered the scare he gave me the first time I meet him. Then we went back in time about like 6 years ago when we were in Benny’s playing pool, the good old times. Then we heard that Biff Wilcox. I don’t remember what he said that made me go with him, but I did. And we were fighting for a while when James was winning, and pinned down Biff, then comes his brother “Motorcycle Boy”. That distracted Rusty long enough for him to find a piece of class and slice him on the stomach. Then motorcycle boy finishes off Biff, while the rest of his gang runs. I leave him to go back home. While I was walking home, I didn’t tell Rusty James yet, these two huge men appeared from nowhere, and just cut me up and not even giving me a chance to see their faces. I was shocked and scared, also felt good to have a man scare and not cry or scream about it. So I didn’t bother telling rusty James I knew he would have just bugged me about it for ever. Then the next I meet up with him again, walking to his girl friend’s house, reminding him how much she hates when he gets it fights so don’t try bragging about it to her. 

Vocabulary Enhancer #2

"Would you come take a PUFF with me?" Puff stands for smoking a cigarette.

(page 36)"NAW" slang for no

(page 49)" alley" a passage, as through a continuous row of houses, permitting access from the street to backyards, garages, etc.

Answers.

1. Steve, rusty james, and Motorcycle boy.

2. he got the cut from Ben, on his side belly

3. his brother

4. 14

Discussion director

1. what are the name of the main charactors?

2. where did rusty james get cut in his fight?

3. In what way is Motorcycle boy related to rusty James?

4. How old is Rusty james?

About the Author

Susan Eloise Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has always enjoyed reading but wasn't satisfied with the literature that was being written for young adults, which influenced her to write novels like The Outsiders. That book, her first novel, was published in 1967 by Viking.Her boyfriend, who gotten sick of her bning depressed all the time, eventyall broke this block. He made her write two pages a day if she wanted to go anywhere. This eventyally led to That Was Then, This is Now. 
This book is konw to be uch more well thought out book that The Outsiders. Because she read a lot ofd great literature and wanted to better herself, she made sure that she wrote each sentance exactly right.

Review (5 out of 5 stars)

Rumble Fish is an excellent book about a boy growing up in a tough neighborhood in a rough family. The boy idolizes his older brother and emulates him in any way that he can; he wants to be just like his brother. The problem is that he's not like his brother--he's an individual, but he doesn't realize it. 

This book took me on a rollercoaster ride, where I would be laughing aloud one minute, and have tears on my cheeks the next minute. The end of RUMBLE FISH had such a tremendous effect on me-- it blew me away. The story stirred many emotions inside me and I know that it is forever encased in my heart and I will remember it always. 

I've read several books by S.E. Hinton and she is, by far, the best author I have ever read. On my third read of her book, THE OUTSIDERS, I still had tears twinkling in the corners of my eyes. 

RUMBLE FISH should be a must-read for young adults, especially those that are searching for themselves right now, or those that have become followers, and are not their own person. This book teaches a valuable lesson; you have to search a little to find it, but it's there

First review (4 out of 5 stars)

Readers who enjoyed S.E. Hinton's much-loved The Outsiders usually want to read the rest of her books -- and RUMBLE FISH stands as one of her best efforts. This spare portrait of a juvenile delinquent who has no desire to better his life allows readers to see Rusty-James as he cannot see himself. Readers experience Rusty-James's dangerous life, but they also see more.

Hinton reveals what brought Rusty-James to his status as juvenile delinquent. Rusty-James, despite his thoroughly deserved status as a bad boy and a thief, nevertheless comes across as a recognizable and sympathetic character. His toughness raises him above his peers, and his joyful acceptance of his apparently miserable life allows us to accept him. This is an impressive effort from the woman who virtually created the young-adult genre.

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I am studying the novel Rumble Fish for my litereciy circle unit in grade Ms. Hart's class.