The+Darkest+Night

Book Club Schedule
You should divide your book into 5 equal sections. For example, if your book has 100 pages, you should have five 20 page sections. You should read the appropriate section for each meeting.


 * Requirements**:
 * **PERSON A - GROUP LEADER** - This group member will be responsible for both keeping the group on task throughout the meeting as well as responding to the week's topical questions, listed below.
 * **PERSON B - QUOTATION FINDER** - This group member will be responsible for finding 5 important, meaningful quotations from their section of the text. They will also facilitate a discussion regarding these quotations.
 * **PERSON C - KEY QUESTIONER** - This group member will be responsible for providing 5 open-ended questions regarding the week's reading section. These questions, and their responses, will be posted on the group's wiki.
 * **PERSON D - GROUP SUMMARIZER** - This group member will be responsible for posting a thorough, two-paragraph summary of the group's Friday meeting, to be posted on the group wiki no later than the Sunday following the meeting.


 * Groups will decide appropriate penalties for group members who fail to uphold their responsibilities.**


 * NOTE: If your book club has three members, the roles B and C should be combined; if your book club has five members, two students should take the role of C (5 questions each).**


 * Week One: December 17**

1. What was the Offense Report about? (page 19) 2. Who are the main characters in the book? (chapter 1 and 2) 3. What ended up happening to Becky and Amy that night? (chapter 1/page 19) 4. What was the first thing that was said in Chapter 2? (page 9) 5. Who found Becky and took her to the hospital? (pages 6-8)
 * Key Questioner: Selena Torres **

In the book the darkest night two sisters went to the grocery store and their car broke down. These two men offered to fix there tired and pulled out guns and forced them into the car and then they sexually harassed them and threw them off a bridge. One sister survived and the other died. Becky survived and know has to live with the misery of remembering September 24. What our group talked about was the first and second chapter that we read. The first chapter talks about that night and the next day. Becky is still alive laying in the grass not making a sound because she is worried that the two men were still there and would here her even though she’s in pain. Becky is wondering if her sister Amy is alive but then realizes later in the chapter she is dead. In the second chapter it discusses Becky and Amy’s small hometown. It also talks about the journey that other people are talking about in their hometown. What we think about the book so far is we like it and we think it is a good book and we will enjoy reading the rest of it. We all also discussed the group questions and quotations.
 * Rachel Squiccimarri**
 * Summarizer**:

1. “The cold and the dark and the fear of death kept her awake, praying for first light, for another morning.” 2. “Her lungs smoldered, and water filled her sinuses and mouth, crashed against her eardrums, and trickled into her lungs” 3. “Don’t fall asleep” 4. “ //I love you, Becky,// was the last thing that Amy had said.” 5. “She avoided imagining that Amy might be down there with her, unseen, perhaps within reach.”
 * Quotation finder**- **Kimberly Breitenbach**

Assignment: 1. On your group's wiki page, describe the main characters in your text. Becky Thomson- An eighteen-year-old that went grocery shopping with her half-sister Amy. They got a flat tire on the way home, was offered help from two men. The men ended up sexually harassing the sisters and then threw them off a bridge. She survived. Amy Burridge- An eleven-year-old that went to the store with Becky and died from the attack. What makes them interesting? That Becky was able to survive and live with the pain of knowing her sister died. What is their story or background? They went to a grocery store and on their way home, they got a flat tire. Two men offered to help them, but ended up sexually harassing the sisters, and threw them over a bridge. Becky survived, but Amy did not. Why are you drawn to them? We want to find out what ends up happening to Becky, as she gets older. Conversely, are there any characters that you just cannot stand? Why not? The two men that hurt the girls because they are the reason for Amy’s death and Becky’s physical and emotional pain.
 * Group Leader- Avra Mendelaw **

Topic: Characters (Section 1 out of 5 of your text)

Assignment: 1. On your group's wiki page, describe the main characters in your text. What makes them interesting? What is their story or background? Why are you drawn to them? Conversely, are there any characters that you just cannot stand? Why not? (A) 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques. 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page


 * Week Two: January 7**

**Summarizer: Selena Torres** This particular section of the book talked about what exactly happened the night of the horrifying event. The story of what actually happened that night was told and we found out the truth about the two men and what they did to Becky and Amy. They got drunk, then went to more bars and got even more drunk. They saw Becky and Amy going into the grocery store and decided then and there to "have some fun with them." They slashed the tires on Becky's car and offered them a ride home. When they got to the old bridge over the river, they told Amy to get out of the car, and one of the men went away with her while the other man sexually harassed Becky. When the man who took Amy came back, Amy was not with him. Becky then got raped by the other man, put her clothes back on and was then thrown off the bridge. She made it; Amy did not.

The language of the Darkest Night is that it makes it easier for us to read because it is such a good book. The content in the book is not difficult but it is very interesting so it makes it good. It doesn’t really use words we can’t understand we mostly understand them all. We think the grade level is this book is from grade 7th, 8th and up because it talks about murder and sexual harassment.
 * Rachel Squiccimarri**
 * Group Leader**:

1.) “ The baby, Chera, was born in June 1972.” (Chapter 3,page 22) 2.) “ She wasn’t mad. She was crazy mad.” (Chapter 3, page 30) 3.) “ The ripples sent forth by the plunge of two bodies into the slow, dark river would echo in the heart of an entire community for more than thirty years.” (Chapter 3, page 32) 4.) “ Becky was found out near the bridge. She’s in shock.”
 * Quote Finder- Avra Mendelaw**

Assignment: 1. On your group's wiki page, discuss the type of language that your book contains. Is it easy to read? Conversational? "Classic"? Does it use a lot of words you don't understand? What grade level do you think the book is written at, and why? (B) 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques. 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page


 * Week Three: January 14**

This week we went over the questions and discussed what we thought about the book. Everyone agrees that the book is great so far and we are glad we chose it. Avra read the questions she had about the book and we had some interesting answers. We talked about our favorite parts in the book so far. Most of us agreed that the best part of the book was the first chapter when Amy talked about Becky and you could tell how close they were. We can’t wait to read and find out more about this book.
 * Summarizer: Kimberly Breitenbach**

1. “ Gee I hope I don’t get called for that case” 2. “ Or maybe, as my defense-lawyer friend fears he says, I hope I do” 3. “ You are going to hear the story of a little girl who, by a fluke of fate, skipped death” 4. “ You will hear how the girl’s were beaten in a car with a sure certain knowledge that they would never live to tell about it” 5. “ Becky Thomson’s story of abuse, escape from death, and survival is incredible. Incredible means beyond belief”
 * Rachel Squiccimarri:**
 * Quotation Finder**:

1.) What did they see on the way to the court? 2.) What did the probation officer’s letter to the judge say? 3.) When and how did Ernest die? 4.) Where did the trap door lead to in the rented house at 109 East J Street? 5.) What was the punishment given to Ronald Kennedy and Jerry Jenkins?
 * Question Maker- Avra Mendelaw**

Topic: Mood/Tone (section 3 out of 5 of your text)

Assignment: 1. On your group's wiki page, discuss the mood or tone of your book.What is the overriding emotion of this book? What examples back up your claim? (B) 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques. 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page


 * Week Four: January 21**

1. "In a deathly silent courtroom, the jury foreman, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force who drove a Volkswagon and collected rocks, read the verdicts against Kennedy and Jenkins, who stood emotionless at the defense table as he read." 2. "They were guilty on all accounts." 3. " '...Of course, there is no step more drastic in retribution and removal from the public than a death sentence.' " 4. "Her life after the crime was not just a long string of disappointments. At times, Becky was truly happy, absorbed in moments of extraordinary joy when she forgot completely about that night, flashes of light that drowned out the dark." 5. "...Becky's boss kept her on a tight leash, calling throughout the day, pushing her to make more sales calls, pump up her numbers. No mystery about it: Becky simply wasn't making her sales quotas, and she knew it."
 * Quotation Finder: Selena Torres **

=//** Rachel Squiccimarri **//=
 * Question Finder: **
 * 1. ** What two men were sentenced guilty for murdering Amy and sexually harrassing Becky and Amy?
 * Answer:**Ronald Leroy Kennedy and Jerry Lee Jenkins
 * 2.** What did the prison they went to look like?
 * Answer:** A block building tucked safely within high concrete walls.
 * 3.** How long did Kennedy and Jenkins have to go to prison for?
 * Answer:** 13 years for assault with attempt to murder Becky and at least 35 years for rape.
 * 4.** Who was the first person to die in the new prison? How many years later was it possible for Kennedy and Jenkins to die?
 * Answer:** Joseph Seng because he killed a cowboy and 9 years later/
 * 5.** What was death row?
 * Answer:** killing chambers such as 6 cramped cells, gas chambers and old gallows.

Today in class, we discussed Chapters 7 & 8. In these chapters, the men were put on trial and convicted guilty. We all agreed that they deserved it and we were all happy with the sentence. All- in- all, we were pretty productive this period.
 * Summarizer- Avra Mendelaw**

Assignment: 1. On your group's wiki page, discuss the themes and images that your book contains. What are some of the images that are used? What do they seem to represent? Why do you think the author uses these images to convey his or her meaning? 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques. 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page


 * Week Five: January 28 (LAST MEETING)**

Summarizer:
====In this part of the book we read chapters 9 and 10. We thought it was really good book and recommend it to anyone who would like to read it. It would probably be better if kids from 7th ad 8th grade up could read it because of the content in the book. It talks about sexual harassment and murder so kids under 7th grade may not be mature enough. Overall we thought the book was good.====

Assignment: 1. On your group's wiki page, discuss your final reflections on this book. Would you recommend it to peers? Why or why not? Has this topic been discussed more/less effectively in another book or books? Should this book be considered for the school's curriculum? (B) 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques. 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page

This book was good, but a bit disturbing. It could be a book for school, but only for high school. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in murder cases and justice.
 * Group Leader- Avra Mendelaw**