James

Daniel, Joseph, and Daniella
My name is James and I'm 13 years old and go to Bay Head School. I'm looking forward to doing this project with you guys. I have heard that the book "My Brother Sam is Dead" is good and I hope it is.

James,
If you enjoy historical fiction and learning about the American Revolution, you will like this book!

I think that this chapter is about Sam and his father's relationship as it is also about Tim and Sam's relationship as brothers. Judging by what I know about the American Revolution, I would choose the Patriot side. But both Sam and his father have good points causing you to lean to their side.

Mr. Meeker's statement is not only against the war with England but also, war in general. I think what he means is that fighting never solves anything. For example, England and France have been fighting war after war for many, many years and they're still in the same position they were in when the first war started. I thought this chapter was good because it kept me interested the whole way through. As I move farther into the book I'm beginning to switch sides. I'm still with the Patriots, but I think Sam was way out of line with the way he has been acting towards his father and that he overreacted. Also, because I'm learning more about life back then.

A. If I was in Tim's place I would not tell Father. I wouldn't tell Father because it seems that Sam and Tim get along and they don't fight very much, so I wouldn't want to break the trust between them and damage the relationship.

B. Betsy doesn't have a very large roll but she seems to show up a lot of the time. She is a close friend to Sam and is very secretive and mischievous kind of like a spy . Also, she makes it pretty clear that she is on the Patriot side and she is looking out for Sam. Also, I don't exactly lie Betsy.

C. If I was living at the time of the American Revolution I think I would be able to make it. I'm not saying it would be easy but it is doable. I would be able to do the things as long as I knew how to do them. I'm sure that Sam and Tim were taught how to do these chores.

D. This chapter leaves off as like a cliff-hanger for me. It ends with "Sam is back," so this leaves you thinking of many possibilities, like if he's coming back wounded, or with one arm, or if he's going to fight with his father. There's many things that could possibly happen and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

E. I think that Alexandra"s comment is a very good reply. I think it is good because she has different points of views as me. Even though I don't agree with some of her responses they are still good and supported and I can see why she chooses that. Also she comes across many good points such as, telling Mr. Meeker because he cares about Sam and about Betsy how she is also helping Tim by letting him know how Sam is doing. That was one of the comments that caught my attention.

I asked both my father and mother how they would feel if I was summoned to fight in Iraq, and they both said that they wouldn't want me to go. This is because I'm too young, I'm still in school, and it's not worth dieing for.

I would say that one division would be Sam and his father, Sam being for the Patriots and his father for the Loyalists. Another would be Tim and his father, where Tim has no side and doesn't really understand what;s going on and then, once again, his father being for the Loyalist. Then the last division would be Tim and Sam, Tim not having a clue and just wanting his brother to come home so they can be together, and his brother Sam wanting to go and fight for freedom. Those are the three divisions I would divide them into.

When Tim says the following, "The war had always seemed like a story---something that happened in some faraway place or faraway time, and didn't have anything to do with me," the thing that changed his mind about that was when the Patriots came to Redding to take his father's gun. What reallly changed his mind was when Tim's father tells him that his son has taken their gun and the Rebel doesn't believe him and slices Father's face with his sword.

The following poem,
"Borders are scratched across the hearts of men,
By strangers with a calm judicial pen.
And when the borders bleed, we watch with dread
The lines of ink across the map turn red," relates to Tim learning that the war affects all people because the strangers are like the army and when they get near you they do harm, in other words bleed red, so when they reach you the border lines turn red. That's what I think it means.

My opinion on Mr. Heron by the end of chapter 5, was suspicious. He seems to be up to something and wants to get Tim involved in it so he can do the other things in his area.

Very good James. I agree, the war came hard to Tim and quickly too. The lines always turn red and usually with the blood of young men.
Keep up the good work.

1. I think that Tim's actions are dishonorable and untrustworthy, but I would have done the same thing if I was in Tim's shoes. It seems that Tim never gets to do anything exciting, and needs a thrill.

2. I don't trust Mr. Heron. Many other people may respect and trust him, but he seems to me like Betsy. He is very suspicious and sneaky and after the letter he just sent, I don't know whether to trust him or not because I don't know what side he's for.

3. My reaction to the scuffle with Betsy and Tim is that, Betsy is very rude, agressive, and a jerk. I think Tim should give her the beating of a life-time. Also Betsy is still just as suspicious, the way she goes around and bringing things up then shutting them right back down so she doesn't have to tell Tim. Also Betsy should atleast be able to tell him how Sam is and what he has been up to, because after all they're still brothers.

4. There is not much else I would like to share about the chapter other than that Betsy might have had a good reason for what she did. I'm looking forward to reading more.

1. I think that Mr. Meeker was probably just roughed around a little bit and taken somewhere where the other cow-boys are. Possibly to like their base camp or where they're hiding out. I think that this will impact Tim in a good and bad way. I think this will impact him in a good way because now Tim is learning about war and what it can do. Also Tim now needs to take on more responsibility because he is now the man of the house, with Father and Sam being gone. This will also impact him in a bad way because as of now he is fatherless and what were to happen if something happens to the mother or if they get attacked? Tim can't do everything that his father does.

2. My emotional response to this chapter is sorrowful. I feel sorry for Tim because he already lost his brother, now his father's gone too. It can't get much worse than that.

3. "I still hadn’t figured out what he was fighting for. It 
seemed to me that we’d been free all along." When Tim says this statement, he means that it hadn't seemed to him that he was effected by the king in England controlling the colonies. He feels it hadn't changed his life or made it more difficult. So having said this he doesn't see what Sam is fighting for, because when this is brought up to Sam he aways says he's fighting for freedom, but according to Tim and many other people they are already free.

War is never fair. You may win some you may lose some, but some one always loses their life. It's not fair in battle if your partner dies and you don't, it may seem good to you, but for him and his family it's a tragedy. Life also isn't fair, no one is perfect and there is no such thing as perfect. There is always some sort of fault with something. Lastly when you belong to a community, village, or country, you have the choice to partake in others affairs. But they might not want you to. I believe the character Life must stick to his way of life as he always has and continue living and try to make the best out of it. He'll have to deal with the changes such as Sam being gone and shortage of appliances and food until the war has ended.

1. When Tim says "something big" he means that Sam is part of something important that was huge in our history. Sam thinks that if they win that he will be remembered as someone important.

2. My emotional reaction to this chapter is worried. I'm worried for how Tim and his mother are going to do. I'm also worried for Mr. Meeker because anything can happen to him.

1. The statement "In war the dead pay the debts for the living." means that those who die in war suffer the debts for those who started the war.

2. My emotional response to this chapter was shocked. I was shocked how the opening sentence was that they had found out that their father had died. I also feel a little angry and worried because of what had happened to Sam . I'm worried because I don't know what will happe to him. And I'm a little angry because those two other soldiers came up with a story to frame Sam and get him in trouble.

1.Patrick Henry"s words inspire many Patriots like Sam in a good way. He was an inspirational man. These words may have inspired Sam and other soldiers because it would give them the courage to go out and fight and fight harder and to show tha there are more Patriots out there that want to be free.

2. My emotional reactions are mixed I'm hoping for General Putnam to change his mind about shooting Sam but the name of the book is called "My Brother Sam Is Dead" so obviously Sam dies. Also I'm worried how this will effect Tim his mother and Betsy.

1. The irony of Sam'e execution was that he's been fighting for the Patriots for three years, and now he is being executed by the side he was fighting for. Another irony about his execution would be that Sam didn't do the thing he was accused for. This is similar to what happened to Mr. Meeker because they both involved their own cattle. Also Mr. Meeker was a tory and he was killed on a British prison ship. Therefore they were both killed by the side they were fighting for.

2. My emotional reactions for this chapter are sad and somewhat confused. I'm upset obviously for Sam because he died and Tim because they seemed really close and not only did he just lose his father, but now he just also lost his brother. Also I'm a little confused because Mrs. Meeker didn't seem to care when Tim went off to try and save Sam or when they were all required to go to church. Most importantly she didn't go to the execution. I understand why she wouldn't want to see her son die right in front of her eyes but she didn't even get to say good bye to him or anything like that. Also at the end of the book in this chapter Mrs. Meeker seems to have almost no emotions. That puzzled me.

My reaction to the statement, "But somehow even fifty years later, I keep thinking that there might have been another way, besides war, to acheive the same end," gave me like a sudden realization. I never really thought about it that way. Honestly I don't think that the United States could have become independant without going to war. But you never know. The past is in the past. Even if you don't like it you can't change it. Either way we're still our own independant nation today.

James you had some very good comments and questions. I think Mrs. Meeker was emotionally drained after the death of her husband and son. I am sure she still had feelings, but she probably kept everything buried inside. A good part of the success of the wiki page was my ability to count on you to get things done with the technology side of the work. Thank you.