Hailey

Nova, Salvatore, and Austin.

Hi, I'm Hailey, Im 12 years old I love soccer and I dance all the time!! I cannot wait to do this project with you guys! We are still trying to talk our teacher into maybe having a pizza party with you guys when this book is done! =] I hope you guys like the book "My Brother Sam Is Dead" but I will probably find out soon anyway!
bye. =]

Hailey,
We are looking forward to reading the book with your class! So many of my students love to play soccer and dance as well! It sounds like we have a lot in common. A pizza party sounds like a nice idea, but I'm not sure it will be possible!!!

In the story “My Brother Sam is Dead” by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier, it is easy to see that the Meeker family is having some problems. At the moment the one string that is tugging at my heart is the kind of relationship Sam and is father share. Although Sam does not have as much respect for his father than he should, he is just sticking up for what he believes in. Also, Sam’s father could be a little more supportive of Sam’s desions in life. Based on what I know about the American Revolution, I agree with Sam. The reason I feel this way is because I think freedom is a very important thing and that fact that the person in charge of the Meeker’s is 3000 miles away is wrong. Also, why should people take money from other people by collecting taxes when they earned it?

War is obviously a sensitive subject for Mr. Meeker. In the story "My Brother Sam is Dead he quotes, " But you never get rid of injustice by fighting." This comment is not just an argument against fighting in England but against war in general because fighting never solves anything. Europe had been fighting for a hundred years and look where it got them, NO WHERE. I believe that Mr. Meeker feels sympathy for the lives lost and does see why we have to risk or lives just to get rid of taxes. Mr. Meeker knows what happens in war and he doesn't want others to have to go through what he did, because war is a very scary thing. All together i find this chapter to be very emotional. I feel sympathy for everything what the Meeker's are going through. It is not only affecting Sam and his parents but it is begining to affect Tim as well. I believe Tim is being torn between to things, telling his father the truth or keeping Sam out of trouble. I just wish that the family would open their eyes to how short life can be and learn to get along. Also, as the chapter goes on and on I am begging to agree with Mr. Meeker that Sam should not fight because as I grow closer to the characters the harder it would be to see something bad happen to one of them!

The wara very scary thing, and many people know that. When I asked my mom what she would do if
I was drafted into the iraq war, she became very seriouse. She glanced up at me and explained
how the war is a very seriouse thing. She also said that if i was drafted into the war she would want me to
have a position were i would not go into actual combat. Over all my mom would said that she would
want me to stay safe.

The war is very scary thing, and many people know that. When I asked my mom what she would do if
I was drafted into the iraq war, she became very serious. She glanced up at me and explained
how the war is a very serious thing. She also said that if I was drafted into the war she would want me to
have a position were I would not go into actual combat. Over all my mom would said that she would
want me to stay safe.

Hello,?

Good Hailey, I agree with you. I think Mr. Heron is very manipulative. You write well when you put your mind to it.

1. In chapter 5 Tim states that war had always seemed like story something that happened in some faraway place or faraway time, and didn't have anything to do with him. But as the story progresses Tim’s feelings begin to change. The first reason that Tim’s feels change is because Sam is actually going to fight in the war. The main reason why Sam feelings begin to change is because one normal day, the some of the rebels came to fathers tavern and threatened to hurt or kill Mr. and Mrs. Meeker if they did not give them there weapons.

2. Even if far away, affects all people.... the lines of ink across the map turning red. This statement is true because, even if the war is far away it’s still going on. Whether they can see it or not it is going to affect some peoples somehow. Weather you know a person or not who is getting hurt there is still someone that cares about that person.

3. My opinion of Mr. heron by the end of the chapter is he a very smart, intelligent, man and may be good at manipulating people. He might get people to do things that are really worse than he makes them sound. Mr. Meeker states that kids get hurt or killed in the war and if Mr. Heron is such an intelligent man he must know this as well. Over all I find Mr. Heron to be an intelligent man but also very sneaky and maybe even a liar as well.

In the story “My Brother Sam Is Dead” there are many relationships that have their ups and downs. Three relationships are….
A) Tim and his father share a pretty good relationship. Although at times they disagree, Tim looks up to his father and trusts him. Tim believes that his father is a very smart man as well and he believes most of what his father tells him about the War. Tim ’s father also has a lot of hope and faith in Tim and believes he has a bright future and that he will go to college. Although they have a pretty strong relationship sometimes Tim gets angry with father because of the way he treats Sam.
B) Sam and Tim share a very special relationship. Ever since Tim was a little boy he has always admired Sam for many reasons. In Tim’s life Sam is a role model. There is nothing Tim liked more than to hear Sam tell stories of college, as they laid in bed together at night, Sam meant everything to him. Although Sam and Tim always had a strong relationship, once Sam began lying to father Tim didn’t know whom to trust. Either war he still admired Sam for his bravery.
C) Father and Mother share a very interesting relationship. It is easy to see that Mr. and Mrs. Meeker have much love for each other. They trust each other in many ways but I believe Mrs. Meeker must be hurting inside. Mr. Meeker treats Sam horribly and Sam has no respect for his father and Mrs. Meeker is caught in the middle. Although Mr. Meeker is the love of her life Sam is still her child! I believe that this may become a problem later on in the book.

D) Something else that enjoyed about the chapter is that you are never bored. In this story there many cliffhangers. Is Sam going to listen to his father? What is Sam going to do with the gun? What is Tim going to do as he is being forced to stick up for Tim of lie to father? Also, what is mother going to do when he husband and son are constantly fighting?

E) The comment that caught my eye is Kelsey’s. I agree with her when she says that she would not be sure what to do. Would she still father that Sam is coming back which can result in an argument? Or would she lie to father? I agree with you very much Kelsey and I also feel bad that Sam has to deal with being torn between to family members at such a young age!

My opinion of Tim’s action in this chapter is that Tim has changed a lot since the begging of the war; but has he changed for the good or the bad? Although Tim has became much more brave he has began to lie more than ever, and lying is a sin. All around I believe Tim is a very trustworthy kid but I’m not sure how much longer I will think this. Although many people many disagree but I do trust Mr. Heron as of right now, the letter that he told Tim to bring was not bad at all and I can see his reasoning for sending it. My reaction to Tim and Betsey’s fight is that they both acted out of line but maybe it would not have happened if Betsy’s just minded her own business and wasn’t so nosey. My additional thoughts are as of right now I am very angry with Betsy’s and how she acted with the letter. She made up a whole story saying what was in the letter when she was even positive. I feel very bad for Tim because he lost his trust with Mr. Heron and it wasn’t even his fault it’s was Betsy’s for just assuming things.

When is war fair? In fact when is life fair?" When one belongs to a community, a village,or country does one have an obligation to partake in the affairs of others? What must the character Life do?I belive that war is never fair! How can war be fair when no matter what side your on or who your fight for there are always people dying? How can that be fair atall? But, the real question is, is when is life ever fair? i belive the answer to this is never. Although lifehas its ups it will always have its downs. There will always be death, sickness,and so forth. Whenever there is an upside there is always going to be a down unfortunatly.  as well. Also, When one belongs to a community, a village,or country I do not believe they do have an obligation to partake in the affairs of others. I think this because I do not believe it is a socalled "obligation" but I do see how we can be sucked into things and belives like politics,war, and so on.What I think Life should do is try to aviod situations were these topics can
come up as much a possible. I also think that he should stay in his house as much as possible to
aviod cow-boys and armys. All around he needs to aviod dangure! 

. In the story “My Brother Sam Is Dead” Mr. Meeker disappears on his way home from buying and selling goods. I believe that unfortunately Mr. Meeker is dead. Although I do not want to believe this Mr. Meeker was captured by Rebels and he was a Troy so it would not surprise me if they killed him! My emotional reaction to this chapter is I feel much sorrow for Mrs. Meeker first she lost her son to the war and now her husband as well. It must be hard for her to wake up every morning but knowing if it is Sam’s last day or if Life is still alive. Later, Tim states, “I still hadn’t figured out what he was fighting for. It 
seemed to me that we’d been free all along." What I believe he means when says he say’s this is that fighting this war is not making things better it is making things worse and there is not point. Also, the fact that Tim has matured a lot through the war he is still a young boy and might not understand all the reasons people are fighting. The biggest reason why I think Tim makes this statement is to him it never seemed like he wasn’t free. He never felt as if he was under the rule of anyone. But we cannot forget Tim is just a young boy and might not understand how much power the King truly has.

1. My reaction to this statement is that things can be solved without violence. In war there are no rights there are just wrongs. People are dying every minute, on both sides. Over all my reaction is that there are other ways to achieve peace. I do not believe that the United States could have become a nation without the Revolution despite my reaction to the statement. The British army was much stronger and if we did not fight back they would have taken over us. I also think that the war somehow made us come together as one.
2. In the story My Brother Sam Is Dead Tim is a young boy trying to enjoy his normal life but everything changes. The Revolutionary War breaks out and it changes everything, Sam, Tim’s brother also enlists as a rebel as well. The war is turning the Meekers life upside down. Because of the war Sam is gone, father is dead, people are always fighting, you don’t know who to trust, and we cannot forget how much different Tim’s home life is. As of right now all that everyone wants is for the war to finally just be over!

Patrick Henry’s words might have inspired soldiers like Sam because it might make them feel like they are obligated to fight in the war. It might make them feel that the price of freedom is worth their lives! My emotional reactions to this chapter is that I feel very worried for Sam and I feel much sympathy for him family. I cannot even imagine how angry they must feel that Sam has been defending his country for 3 years, risking his life, and now he is going to get killed for something he didn’t even do!

What the irony is of Sam’s pending execution is that he was going to be killed by the army he was fighting for. Here he is fighting with his family, risking everything to fight for the freedom of the country and than he gets killed for it! This is similar to what happened to Mr. Meeker because; Mr. Meeker was more of a Troy than a rebel although he disagreed with war very much. Rebels also took him away because he was selling meat that would eventually go to the British. But, in the end Mr. Meeker died on a Tory ship because if disease.

1. My reaction to this statement is that things can be solved without violence. In war there are no rights there are just wrongs. People are dying every minute, on both sides. Over all my reaction is that there are other ways to achieve peace. I do not believe that the United States could have become a nation without the Revolution despite my reaction to the statement. The British army was much stronger and if we did not fight back they would have taken over us. I also think that the war somehow made us come together as one. But i do believe that killing people to prove a point is wrong!

I am glad you enjoyed the book Hailey. Your did a wonderful job on your podcast. Your emotional sharing on the different characters was well received by all.

Hello.