elsewhere

Shaylyn (Summarizer)- Today we discussed that we love the book and we talked about how we can relate to Liz. Liz is just a normal young teenage girl who had a family that loved her and had many friends. And now that she is dead, she realized how much she took for granted. We also discussed that we find it cool that each year the people that die, they get younger, until they turn into a baby and then they are sent back down to Earth to become another person. We talked about how we feel bad because she is lonely and scared and just wants to go back to her normal life, but everyone keeps telling her that it is not possible. We discussed how we find it cool that Liz was able to meet her dead grandma for the first time. Since Liz never met her when she was alive on Earth, now Liz has the chance to meet her grandma that she always wanted to meet. We also discussed that this book to easy to read and understand.
 * Week 1**

Nikki (Quotes)- "For Lizzie's sake, Lucy wants to believe that the end was quick and painless: a quick end is a good end. But she can't help wondering, How do they know? The moment of the crash certainly must have been painful, Lucy reasons. And what if that one moment hadn't been quick at all?" - page 3

"Where do you think she is?" Alvy asks. Lucy cocks her head. "Is she"-he pauses-"up there?" - page 4

"In the end. the end of a life only matters to friends, family, and other folks you used to know," the pug whimpers miserably. "For everyone else, it's just another end." - page 6

"I am dead. Liz thinks. And then she says it aloud to hear how it sounds: "I am dead. //Dead//." - page 31

"If you think your death gives you free rein to act as you please, you are wrong," says the Captain. "Dead wrong." he adds a moment later. He laughs at his bad pun and then abruptly stops. "Let's suspend disbelief for a moment, and say you managed to take this boat back to Earth. What do you think would happen?" - page 45

Joey-Questioner 1. How did Liz die? A vehicle struck Liz

2. What did Liz see through the binoculars? She saw a funeral-taking place, and after some time she realized that this funeral was for her. She was dead.

3. What way can she come back to life? Every year she turns a year younger from her original age unitl shes a baby and she will begin a new life.

Nikki (Summarizer) - In one of the chapters we read, Liz is in a dream. She is still confused about how she died and where she is so she starts to ask a lot of questions to another dead man named Aldous. We talked about what it would be like to talk about our death after we had died. To know exactly how we died and to see our family and friends in grief would make us upset. It's weird to think about what happens after you die. Of course this book is not real because it is impossible to come back to life as another being but the group agreed that it was a cool concept. It makes you wonder what happens after you die. We discussed what we think happens after we die and we came up with many different theories. Although it is impossible to know, this book makes you think.
 * Week 2 - 1/7/10**

Joey (quotes) – “ You have your acclimation appointment at eight thirty,” says Grandma Betty “What’s that?” “It’s a sort of orientation for the newly dead,” says Grandma Betty Page 59 " They used to call me lizzie, but I think I prefer Liz now." Page 62

" If you're watching this video, that means you're dead dead dead! Greetings and salutations, dead people!" Page 68

" I have so much paperwork. I'm afraid my paperwork has paperwork." Page 72

" Young people tend to think they're immortal. Many o them can't conceive of themselves as dead, Elizabeth." Page 74


 * Week 3 - 1/14/11**

Shaylyn (Quotes) 1. " The ocean only parts once a day to allow the babies back to Earth." 2. " I can't remember the last time I smiled this much." 3. " well, we've all had to travel a long way to get here," 4. " I was thinking I might want to adopt a dog." 5. " Liz would stroke the stitches over her ear."

Ronan(summarizer) In the 50+ pages we read this week, Liz is finally getting accustomed to life in Elsewhere. She decided to stop spending so much time at the observation decks. She also finally decides to take the job she was offered and begins working at the ministry of animals relations. She is assigned to acclimate dogs that are new to elsewhere, much in the same way that Aldous Ghent did for her. She finds out on her first day that she a natural speaker of canine( dog language). She is finally happy, but she remembers the sweater she bought her dad and hid in her closet and wanted to get it to him, so she decides to go down to the well to tell her brother. But she is caught and arrested by the police force and brought back to land.

Nikki (Questions) Who does Liz speak to at the Department of Last Words? - Sarah Miles

What does Esther answer when Liz asks how the binoculars work? - Magic

What is the name of the cab driver that hit Liz? - Amadou Bonamy

Describe the cab driver. - He is tall with black curly hair. His skin is the color of a coconut shell. His wife is pregnant and he takes night classes and Boston University. He is a polite cab driver, always helping people with luggage and never takes the long route.

Joey Orr - Summerizer
 * Week 4 - 1/24/11**

Owen wells comes to thanksgiving dinner with the family and friends, and falls in love with Liz. Owen's old wife dies and comes to elsewhere, which creates a conflict between her and Liz. Owen's wife ruins the relationship between Owen and Liz. Liz is thinking about trying to go back to earth, but can only if she is young.

Ronan(Quotes) "She closes her palm and suddenly the whole world is erased" " You could tattoo my name on your arm if you want, Liz adds" "Emilys a great girl, i think you'll really like her" "In the car on the way home, Emily says to Owen, "you like Liz don't you?"

Shaylyn (Questions) 1. Who did Liz invite to Thanksgiving that Grandma Betty was shocked about? - owen welles

2. What "absurd question" did Liz asked Curtis? - How do you know when you are in love with someone.

3. What is Owen's tattoo say? -"Emily Forever"

4. Why does Liz get really upset? - Emily is in Elsewhere and she doesnt want Owen to still be in love with Emily because LIz is in love with owen.

5. Who does Owen end up picking, Emily or Liz? - Liz

Shaylyn (summarizer) We discussed the ending of the book and how we think the ending was bad because Liz never got a chance to marry Owen. Since Liz went back to Earth as a baby to a different family, she will never see Owen again. We thought that the ending should have been better. However, overall we thought the book was amazing and we didn't expect it to be that good.
 * Week 5**

Ronan(questioner) How is water important to the book? Its in all the important events like the well and her going back to earth.

Does Liz use the sneaker clasue? No she is saved at the last minute

Does Liz's dad ever get the sweater? Yes, liz gets help from owen to contact them and get her dad the sweater.

How is liz satisfied by her best friend on earth? She invites her to her wedding.

What happens to her in the end? She is sent back to earth and everyone watches her leave.

Joey(Quotes)

The horrified dog said "I've been drinking from toilets for years i never knew. they always had the door closed."

"Sorry but nothing of much importance ever happened to me... I'm just a girl who forgot to look both ways before crossing the street."

"If you are going to forgive a person, Liz decides it is best to do it sooner rather than later. Later, Liz knows from experience, could be sooner than you thought.

"No one actually needs another person or another person's love to survive. Love is when we have irrationally convinced ourselves that we do."

" The scent is sweet and melancholy. A bit like dying, A bit like falling in love"