I agree with Ms. Angie Gunnell when she said that the characters are very realistic. This really helps make the book easy to read. I really dislike fiction books and unrealistic stories. one of the main reasons I enjoy rooftop is becasue the characters fit it perfectly. They fit their quotes and parts of the story really really well.
Katie, Volponi (the author) really knows what he's talking about, doesn't he? He's writing about what he knows, and that's what works. He has a few new books that I just ordered, so if you like Rooftop, there's more to read from him!
Volponi really does know what he is talking about.The novel is very very well put together. He makes everything seem so realistic. The characters add so much to the story and make it so realistic. They truely make the novel 10 times better, i can't imagine the novel with any other characters.
Drew-tdub-4 I agree with Ms. Gunnell the characters are very realistic. They are very well put together like the whole book. It kinda shows that the author had to have some relation with kids like theese because of how well he writes about them. A book is easier to read when characters are put together. I uaslly dislike reading alot but I can actully enjoy this book alot.
I thought the book Rooftop was a great book for high school students to read. Many teens can relate to the charactors in this book and its a good book.
I agree with Corey B. This book is great. I'm so excited to see what happens to the characters. I can't make any guess of what might happen next. I hope everything turns out well! But, I hope the ending isn't dumb.
Robbie F. Scheller 6 Charlie B. I agree with you on this book. I enjoyed it and i just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next. I enjoyed everything about this book. Of all the books we were given to choose from, I'm really happy i chose this one.
Dalton Lung Spencer 6 I am the same way about this book! I'm on pg 120 and I love this book alot. After reading to pg 120, I never appreciate reading until now! When you start reading this book, it will be a hard time to put it down! Enjoy the book Rooftop!
Dalton L Spencer 6 Kinda satisfied with the ending of this book.I think this book was chosen as a recipient of the Gateway Book Award because it was a really popular book and the back of the book telling a little bit about Rooftop probally got people wanting to read it. That is my opinion, anyway.
I was not surprised that happen in the novel I knew what going to happen i the end but i liked the book and what went down but overall i wished it ended in a different way.
Alex s. Herweck 2 Clay and Addison were like brothers they would hung out every day they lived in the projects. they stopped hanging out when the family fought then split up.
Rooftop is a very good book. Its good because alot of people can relate to how Clay, cousin of Addison (dealer) is trying to stop his addiction and trying to get his lifeback on track
Tiffany M Scheller 2 Rooftop is a very good book, I'll agree on you with that. It really hooks the reader on. I just cant take my nose out of it! The book is very realistic with real problems that some people may deal with. It teaches people how to cope with it.
Kenzie DL Scheller 2nd I completely agree that it's realistic. It's people that face legitimate problems. I've been in the same position as Clay before so i relate to a lot of things in this book, and being able to relate to it makes me want to keep reading it more and more.
Ryan C Wilkens 6 I thhink alot of people can relate to someone or something in this story. Everyone has had to move away from a friend or a family member or do something they didnt want too. It really sucks having to do something when you dont want too. Like when i first moved i had to move away from all of my friends and had to make new ones. Whats not too bad is that it was 9 years ago so its all good. And time will go on and eventually it will all be over.
Jacob C. Mrs. Wilkens 7th This book has kept on me on the edge of my seat, literally I feel like I am in Daytop with Clay and Addison. the author perfectly fit the characters with their backgrounds and the setting. this book makes me want to actually read more often. If you haven't received the chance to open up this book and fall in love then do it. Clay is a really cool main character to have this based on. i would recommend Rooftop to anyone and to all of my friends. If i was in Clay's place in the projects, i'd be a whole lot more careful and would stay in at night and would've never been sent to Daytop. I Cant wait for more!
Olivia M Mrs Wuertenberg 1st hour I analyzed the character of Addison in the book, Roof Top. He is a new member to the Daytop rehab center. Addison is a very closed off and he keeps to himself, he very rarely expresses his feelings. When Addison gets frustrated or embarrassed he will give up and move on and never talk about or he will simply just hide the fact that he is feeling that way. He is also sneaky ands breaks the rules, Addison goes behind the counselors backs to sell drugs on the old streets he used to live on. When the cops find Addison on the streets, he will just lie to get out of trouble. Addison is untrustworthy and hard headed. He lied about getting stabbed by his girlfriend, when the truth is that while Addison was on the street selling he was mugged for all the drugs he had. He lied to his counselors and his friends to keep him out of trouble from his mom and his probation officer. Addison also believes he doesn’t need help and thinks he is doing nothing wrong, he thinks he shouldn’t be in that rehab center. Another example proving Addison is hardheaded is when he got his book that ended up being a 4th grade level book, he got frustrated and began talking about how it is stupid and that he didn’t need a 4th grade level book. Addison in fact did need the book to pass and get his GED, but he acted like he was better than that and deserved a higher level book.
I believe that Addison will change and adapt to Daytop. Do you agree or do you think that Addison will continue to go behind peoples back and continue to sell drugs?
Logan C Mrs.W I do not think that Addison will change because it seems like that's the way he wants to be so why would he change if he hasn't gotten caught yet. I also think that his cousin isn't helping him get off the path of selling drugs.
Noah M Wuertenberg I think Addison can get better but i predict he won't try or that something unfortunate will happen to him in the book. Clay seems to just go along with Addison because he wants to gain his respect. Do you think Clay will end up changing Addison’s future for the better?
Noah M Mrs Wuertenberg 1st hour There were several connections i made while i was reading my book, these were a few of them. Most of the main characters in the book do drugs and sell narcotics and it reminds me of the people we live around in our society and in our schools. The setting of where they are reminds me of how we need to change things in our world for the better. I made these connections specifically to show how similar the book is to real situations in people's lives when they start doing drugs and selling them when they need money or to “take the ease off” . These connection is important because it brings us to realization of the world we live in. It can show us how we can change and grow from these bad decisions. The book shows us a lot about our history and where society is headed in the future. We need help from each other to bounce ideas off and give each other support just like the do in the book. The main character Addison is not willing to change just like a lot of people in todays world because they've been stuck on them for so long.
do you think that Addison will end up changing in the future? If not why do you think that Addison will go against the help he is getting at Daytop? Also why do you think we can "change and grow" from the mistakes involving drugs? If Addison does change do you think he might eventually fall back into his old habits once he leaves Daytop? - olivia M
As I was reading Rooftop two quotes stood out to me. One quote is “That bastard dog hit the fence woof woof woof. My heart nearly popped out of my chest. Everything inside me sped up superfast .but I was too scared to run.”This quote stood out to me because it shows that the author is really trying to put you in this characters shoes. By going into details like having the sounds of barking dogs and how your stomach would drop in the situation he is in. Also showing how his heart sped up and he was frozen and couldn’t move.The second quote that stood out to me was “When the cop didn't find anything, he let me go. But i got nailed at school with weed , and my dad took it personal.”I chose this quote because I think it foreshadows events that are going to happen later in the book. It also shows that that Addison has had a past of getting caught with drugs. Another thing that this quote is showing is how the cops will search anybody even if they don’t have a valid reason in this type of neighborhood. I think that the cops are gonna be a major problem in this book because it seems like they just poke at people just because they can.
Noah M I think the "dog barking" situation was important to add because it allows me to visualize what was going on in the story as i was reading it. The quote about him getting caught at school with weed goes along with my paragraph, talking about how we need to change our society for the better.
Olivia I guess my first reply didn't send or something but oh well. Do you think that the characters would be even worse selling drugs and sneaking around if the cops didn't "poke at people"? Or do you think that if the cops weren't so harsh that people would learn on their own and learn that selling/buying drugs brings trouble and cops.
I analyzed the character Clayton, from the book rooftop. Clayton has been a member of Daytop, the rehab center in his neighborhood, since the beginning of the story. Clay is usually an optimized person in the book. He’s always trying to stay out of trouble with the cops and with his counselor. Clayton has a positive attitude and proves that he can make it through Daytop. He is also very self-conscious around addison because he always seems to put him down. Clay wants to make sure he doesn't slip up in front of Addison. He wants to be that “thug” kind of kid with Addison but he doesn't want to deal with all the heat. After being ran-through by the cops when he was with Addison and Clorox, Clay was afraid of being caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing. Also, when Clay sees Addison at Daytop doing something wrong, he gets scared for Addison hoping he won't get caught. When The Police come onto the roof where Clayton and addison were addison gets shot accidentally and Clay witnesses it all happen. This traumatized Clay and caused a wave of depression to go over him. He all of the sudden feels very sick to his stomach and wants to get back into drugs to mask the pain and grief for his dead cousin.
oivia m do you think that Clay will fall back into a life of drugs and crime after watching Addison get shot? I think he will learn that the lifestyle that Addison lived brought nothing but trouble. And do you think that the shooting really was “accidental” or do you believe that since Addison has got in multiple bad situations that the cops believed he was doing something worse than what they were actually doing?
Logan C I do not think that Clay is going to fall back into the life of drugs because i feel like that is what got them into the situation in the first place. Also i think that Addison is very vulnerable to drugs right now so anything might happen.
olivia M Mrs Wuertenberg 1 As the discussion director, I have written down a few questions and have come up with my own answers for each question. Question 1, what event do you think was the most important in this reading and what do you predict to happen next? I think the most eventful thing that happened was Addison being shot, because from chapter 1 to chapter 3 Addison was the most talked about/main character. After Addison gets shot i think the story will slowly begin to become more about clay and his life instead of mainly Addison. Question 2: What do you wish would happen in the book? Personally i wish that Addison and Clay find a way to become sober and can leave Daytop to live a life on their own. The last question: Do you think Clay is the most responsible in the book? Yes, i believe that Clay is the only character in the book so far that really thinks he can get better and get out of Daytop. Clay shows that he somewhat cares about getting better by participating and trying to learn more to be able to live on his own. But i also believe that Addison brings out the worst in Clay, and that Clay will begin to act different around Addison so that Addison will accept him. Do you think Clay will have a negative reaction to hanging out with Addison or do you think Clay will find a way to get sober?
I agree that clay will begin to act better eventually but if starts doing drugs again because of Addison's death then his future might end the same way Addison's life did.After hearing about Addison’s death how did this make you feel? I was almost sad when i read it because Addison brought out the adventurous part of Clayton.
I also think that Addison being shot was was the most important. I think that because i think that is going to affect clay a lot because they were just starting to hang out again. I think that Clay wont fall back into drugs to help with this situation though.
Faith M Wuertenberg I think the most important part of the book was getting shot. It was the climax of the story. It made us (the readers) think about how their lives really are. How messed up and twisted their lives really are. Before that event the book was alright but it was really just about two kids who did some dumb stuff and got themselves in trouble.
The first connection I found is When Addison got shot. That part of the book reminded me of when Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson in 2014. Even though both situations were not exactly the same circumstances, they seem very similar and both ended police officers killing people who did not deserve to die. Another book that this reminds me of is “The Outsiders” because in that book a character named Dallas was shot by the cops because he had a gun but they did not ask questions they just shot first. The second connection i found is how Addisons dad came to the hospital and hugged him tightly. I feel like when you're in a sad situation like that your parents are always there to give you a hug and try to make you feel better. I think comforting someone in a situation like the one going on in the book is just human nature.
Noah M Wuertenberg 1 I agree with you completely. Addison’s situation was very sad but his death may be for the better for Clayton. Meaning he may be able to focus on his rehab instead of doing drugs with his cousin. Addison introduced Clay to many dangerous things during the time of the story so taking all of that away could improve his future. This also may be bad for Clay because he may be so traumatized and get back into doing drugs and ruining his life.
Olivia M Wuertenberg 1 Do you think the cops had a reason to shoot Addison, or do you believe that the cop should have given both Addison and Clay a chance to talk. If the cop asked questions do you think he would have realized that the one in the wrong wasn’t Addison, but it was in fact Clorox who was the “bad guy”
Faith M Wuertenberg I agree with the cops shooting without thinking. Too many innocent lives our and a have been lost. All because people act before they think. We need to find a new way to solve this issue. So that no more innocent lives our lost. This was a good connection to make do to current events with shootings.
This week i was connector, and i found a connection between Clay and I. When Clay talked about the bullet wound that was covered by Addison’s black suit.It reminded me of when i was at my mom’s funeral.She had a bullet wound that was covered by a bandana.Clay said that he doesn’t think that anything in this world could cover up what was missing from inside him. For me I completely understand that because when you go through something that dramatic it doesn’t go away. It takes a little piece of who you are and who you where away.The second connection I found was when Clay said he had to force himself to look at Addison. When I went to my mothers funeral I had to force myself to look at her too. Seeing someone you love in that condition. It’s not easy to prepare yourself for. I can only imagine how hard that was for Clay. Considering how it happened and him being there and seeing it all happen. The incident in the book can also be connected to all the shooting in today’s society. There are shootings all the time now day over drugs and irrelevant things that are not worth losing your life over.
Olivia M Wuertenberg 1 I can see how this connection can really make you think about the story and really imagine the pain/shocked feeling. This connection is unique to you and that shows that you really thought about it to make it a personal story. It’s interesting to see that people may have similar stories and experiences, but may not even realize. If you could talk with Clay and Addison’s family, what would you say to them?
Noah M Wuertenberg Personally i’ve never been affected by something that traumatic. I can't imagine what was going through his head when this happened to him. I can understand how a event like that could cause you to remember a time in your life when you went through something similar to this event.
Olivia M wuertenberg 1 I found a couple quotes in this reading that stuck out to me and made me think about how this will help the story move along. Quote #1 was “The program will have my ass in a sling if my urine comes back positive” (Volponi 117). This quote was interesting to me because it showed that clay stayed true to himself and Daytop by trying his hardest to stay sober, even in this tough time of losing Addison. Do you agree with me, or do you think there is another meaning to this quote? The second quote was “Maybe justice is supposed to be blind, but not our elected leaders” (Volponi 142). This quote made me think that maybe the other characters in the book believe that when stuff like this happens the people of the law, cops and lawyers and even mayor don’t use their power and authority. The people in authority may use their platforms and voice to speak as if they don’t see an issue with a cop shooting an unarmed man, backing up or siding with the cop making it seem like the cop had a reason to shoot Addison. The words “blind, but not our elected leaders” were the main part of the quote that stuck out to me. Do you believe that if or when situations like this happen, the people who we consider our “leaders” act as if nothing is wrong almost making the system seem blind? Personally the word “blind” is very accurate and a strong word to use in a case like that. It makes me think of every case that a young man is shot and killed, even when they are unarmed or have no reason to “frighten” or “trigger” the cop to shoot. How do these quotes interest you, and do you think that these quotes could have a different meaning or “reasoning” to them? Explain how these quotes made you feel or think about the book and if these quotes help the story move along.
Noah M Wuertenberg I do not agree with you on this first quote. This does not show how he does not want to get high. If it weren't for the drug tests he would be smoking right now. The second quote makes a lot of sense and relates a lot to the real world and how “irrelevant” crimes like this are just brushed off.
For the second quote i do believe this is true. Lately if a cop shoots someone even when they have probable cause.They try to hide it and make stories to say it's not their fault. Even tho yes they might have had probable cause why do they always shoot to kill. They are supposed to be the ones protecting us.Not killing us.
Logan Currie I do think that our leaders do act blind to stuff like this when it happens when they are supposed to be "leading" the community I think the cop who did it should go to jail because he didn't have the need to shoot Addison It should have never happened.
Noah M Wuertenberg I was Discussion Director for this week. I thought of a few questions i had for you guys. How do you think Clayton will react in the future after watching his cousin die right beside him? After reading on in the book i came to a conclusion that Clay would stay out of doing drugs because he became aware of what it can do and that drugs are the reason they went up onto that rooftop in the first place. I am still a little blurred on the fact that everyone said it was Watisick who fired the first bullet and Henry who shot the bullet that killed Addison. Clay knew there was only one shot fired, at least that's what i read. What position will this put Clay in at Daytop? I feel like everyone around him has handled it well and nobody's really been in his face about all of it. I do think someone is gonna say something about Addison and Clays going to infuriate and cause something bad to happen. Who do you think dropped the bowling ball off of the roof right in between the two police officers? Personally, when i read this scene my first thoughts were ¨Clay's parents”, but it wouldn't make sense for them to be up there seeing as they couldn't stand to see the scene of where Addison was killed, so i figured it was one of Clayton's friends that pulled the act.
Olivia M Wuertenberg 1 I also think that Clay won’t go back into a life of drugs, but i also feel like something “bad” won’t happen if Clay is asked or talked to about Addison. I think that Clay may stay to himself and not really talk about that event. Another question that may be important to think about is, do you think that the way people acted or people of authority would change their views on the situation if the character that was shot was Clay and not Addison?
I do not think that Clay will go back to drugs because i think he wants to get his GED and that wont be very possible if he is not at Daytop. I think the people who dropped the bowling ball off the roof were some of the people from Daytop because i feel like they would want to go look at the scene so that would give them a reason to be up there.
I think that like you said someone is going to say the wrong thing about Addison and Clay is going to loose it.He hasn't really let his emotions out or talked to anyone. And he went through something very traumatizing and after so long those emotions explode in your face and you don't know what to do with your self so you lash out.
The character that I chose to watch this week is Clay. He is seems to have the most going on i his life considering his cousin got shot right in front of him. Clay who has been in rehab at Daytop the whole book want to go back to drugs even after just starting to get sober. Clay has changed through the reading by being fairly happy, and chill person to now being depressed after losing Addison. Everything that is going on with him in the story is also causing him to loose focus on getting his GED. Clay had a conversation with Henry one of the cops that was there when Addison got shot at the end of chapter 9 they talked about how they don't know how it ended how it did and that Henry was getting transferred. But Addison told him that he did not hate him for what the other cop did and i think that shows that Clay is coming to peace with what happened but i think that he is still going to try to get justice for Addison. What do think Clay will do next in Chapter 10?
In chapter 10 i think Clay is going to change traumatically. He has so much on his mind that he can't handle. He's not going to know how to juggle school and his emotions.It's going to throw him off terribly. I think he's going to try his best to get himself back on track with school. But it's going to be very difficult for him. Only because he is so distracted with Addison's death.
Faith Muskopf Wuertenburg Character Watcher This week I was the character watcher and I analyzed the character Clay.This chapter Clay was trying to do is best for himself and the people around him. He tried to talk to Addison’s brother Darrel about selling crack. Clay really wants Darrel to stop before he turns out like Addison but Darrel didn’t listen. Clay still never told the truth about what happened on the rough the night Addison was shot and he feels guilty about it. He also feels guilty about agreeing with Spierse about the case. Clay was having a lot of trouble coping with Addison’s death. In the chapter clay says “ And if I could cry, the tears would have come out of me till they rolled down the hill and flooded that river.” At the end of the book when the case didn’t go the way they thought it would Clay was devastated. He finally cried and said that he was going to move on with his life. Two questions about this chapter where very important to the end of the book.1) Do you think Clay will stay clean from drugs? 2) Do you think that the case was ruled the way it should have been?
olivia M Wuertenberg 1 I think Clay won’t go back into drugs after was had happened to Addison, and when it comes to the case I believe the cop should have been held accountable for shooting an unarmed teen. I think if the cop had got in trouble that there would be “closure” for Addison’s family and friends.
Olivia M Wuertenberg 1 I was connector this week, and i found two examples in the story i can connect to. Connection one is Addison’s and Clay’s relationship. Before Addison went to daytop and saw Clay, the boys hadn’t really communicated or saw each other after a fight between their mothers. I can relate to this because my cousin and I don’t get along because our mother’s really never got along. My second connection was when Addison was shot and everyone in the community thought of it as injustice, but the cops made up excuses and didn’t do much about the situation. Today many kids and young adults are getting shot and killed by cops who use the excuse that they were “frightened” and “scared for their safety”. The community will protest and fight for justice but the cops cause more harm and try to justify their actions.
Faith M Wuertenberg I very much agree with your second connection.Lately there has been alot of shootings. And the ones that involve cops usually get away with it.Even when they are in the wrong.Just because they have a badge and work for the state they have enough power and powerful people by their sides to help their case.In these scenarios the victim's family and friends normally aren't brought any justice or peace.
Noah M Wuertenberg 1 I found a few quotes from our book through pages 150 to 200. The first one is,”you want to see who i am?’ Darrel screamed back, Charging straight at him.”(Volponi 175. This quote relates directly to Addison’s situation, Darrel wants to look tough and strong but when he got to his dad he pushed Darrel into the truck and told him he knows who he is. If Darrel keeps acting like this, he’s going to end up in the same place Addison did. After Clay puts the money in Darrel’s pocket, Darrel’s dad brings him up to his moms house and makes him tell her what he’s been doing. This tells me that his dad just wants the best for him. The next quote is “Miss Della called me a success because i stayed clean and was taking my GED in a couple of days.”(Volponi 181). This shows how much Clayton has improved since the beginning of the book. He made it through a bad tragedy without falling back into the life of drugs like i thought he was going to.
I agree with Ms. Angie Gunnell when she said that the characters are very realistic. This really helps make the book easy to read. I really dislike fiction books and unrealistic stories. one of the main reasons I enjoy rooftop is becasue the characters fit it perfectly. They fit their quotes and parts of the story really really well.
ReplyDeleteKatie,
ReplyDeleteVolponi (the author) really knows what he's talking about, doesn't he? He's writing about what he knows, and that's what works. He has a few new books that I just ordered, so if you like Rooftop, there's more to read from him!
Ms. Angie,
ReplyDeleteVolponi really does know what he is talking about.The novel is very very well put together. He makes everything seem so realistic. The characters add so much to the story and make it so realistic. They truely make the novel 10 times better, i can't imagine the novel with any other characters.
Drew-tdub-4 I agree with Ms. Gunnell the characters are very realistic. They are very well put together like the whole book. It kinda shows that the author had to have some relation with kids like theese because of how well he writes about them. A book is easier to read when characters are put together. I uaslly dislike reading alot but I can actully enjoy this book alot.
ReplyDeleteI thought the book Rooftop was a great book for high school students to read. Many teens can relate to the charactors in this book and its a good book.
ReplyDeleteJessica
Cody Lamb 1 this is a very good book for highschool students to relate to about their young life's.
ReplyDeleteRobbie F
ReplyDeleteScheller
6
I agree with Corey B. This book is great. I'm so excited to see what happens to the characters. I can't make any guess of what might happen next. I hope everything turns out well! But, I hope the ending isn't dumb.
Robbie F.
ReplyDeleteScheller
6
Charlie B.
I agree with you on this book. I enjoyed it and i just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next. I enjoyed everything about this book. Of all the books we were given to choose from, I'm really happy i chose this one.
Angie G.
ReplyDeleteSpencer 1
This book is going to be awesome.
Michelle L.
ReplyDeleteSpencer 1
I can't wait to read this book!
Dalton Lung
DeleteSpencer 6
I am the same way about this book! I'm on pg 120 and I love this book alot. After reading to pg 120, I never appreciate reading until now! When you start reading this book, it will be a hard time to put it down! Enjoy the book Rooftop!
william b.
ReplyDeleteSpencer 1
this book is promblem gonna be a great book
Dalton L
ReplyDeleteSpencer 6
This book is really interesting after reading the summary on the back of the book.
Anthony P.
ReplyDeleteSpencer 6
will the book be all about drugs or are they going to change it up.
Chase H.
ReplyDeleteMacDonald 6.
Its Good.
Rooftop is awesome.
ReplyDeleteDalton L
ReplyDeleteSpencer 6
Kinda satisfied with the ending of this book.I think this book was chosen as a recipient of the Gateway Book Award because it was a really popular book and the back of the book telling a little bit about Rooftop probally got people wanting to read it. That is my opinion, anyway.
Anthony P
ReplyDeleteSpencer 6
I was not surprised that happen in the novel I knew what going to happen i the end but i liked the book and what went down but overall i wished it ended in a different way.
Alex s.
ReplyDeleteHerweck 2
Clay and Addison were like brothers they would hung out every day they lived in the projects. they stopped hanging out when the family fought then split up.
Rooftop is a very good book. Its good because alot of people can relate to how Clay, cousin of Addison (dealer) is trying to stop his addiction and trying to get his lifeback on track
ReplyDeleteTiffany M
DeleteScheller 2
Rooftop is a very good book, I'll agree on you with that. It really hooks the reader on. I just cant take my nose out of it! The book is very realistic with real problems that some people may deal with. It teaches people how to cope with it.
Kenzie DL
DeleteScheller 2nd
I completely agree that it's realistic. It's people that face legitimate problems. I've been in the same position as Clay before so i relate to a lot of things in this book, and being able to relate to it makes me want to keep reading it more and more.
Ryan C
ReplyDeleteWilkens 6
I thhink alot of people can relate to someone or something in this story. Everyone has had to move away from a friend or a family member or do something they didnt want too. It really sucks having to do something when you dont want too. Like when i first moved i had to move away from all of my friends and had to make new ones. Whats not too bad is that it was 9 years ago so its all good. And time will go on and eventually it will all be over.
Jacob C.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Wilkens 7th
This book has kept on me on the edge of my seat, literally I feel like I am in Daytop with Clay and Addison. the author perfectly fit the characters with their backgrounds and the setting. this book makes me want to actually read more often. If you haven't received the chance to open up this book and fall in love then do it. Clay is a really cool main character to have this based on. i would recommend Rooftop to anyone and to all of my friends. If i was in Clay's place in the projects, i'd be a whole lot more careful and would stay in at night and would've never been sent to Daytop. I Cant wait for more!
Olivia M
ReplyDeleteMrs Wuertenberg 1st hour
I analyzed the character of Addison in the book, Roof Top. He is a new member to the Daytop rehab center. Addison is a very closed off and he keeps to himself, he very rarely expresses his feelings. When Addison gets frustrated or embarrassed he will give up and move on and never talk about or he will simply just hide the fact that he is feeling that way. He is also sneaky ands breaks the rules, Addison goes behind the counselors backs to sell drugs on the old streets he used to live on. When the cops find Addison on the streets, he will just lie to get out of trouble. Addison is untrustworthy and hard headed. He lied about getting stabbed by his girlfriend, when the truth is that while Addison was on the street selling he was mugged for all the drugs he had. He lied to his counselors and his friends to keep him out of trouble from his mom and his probation officer. Addison also believes he doesn’t need help and thinks he is doing nothing wrong, he thinks he shouldn’t be in that rehab center. Another example proving Addison is hardheaded is when he got his book that ended up being a 4th grade level book, he got frustrated and began talking about how it is stupid and that he didn’t need a 4th grade level book. Addison in fact did need the book to pass and get his GED, but he acted like he was better than that and deserved a higher level book.
I believe that Addison will change and adapt to Daytop. Do you agree or do you think that Addison will continue to go behind peoples back and continue to sell drugs?
Logan C
DeleteMrs.W
I do not think that Addison will change because it seems like that's the way he wants to be so why would he change if he hasn't gotten caught yet. I also think that his cousin isn't helping him get off the path of selling drugs.
Noah M
DeleteWuertenberg
I think Addison can get better but i predict he won't try or that something unfortunate will happen to him in the book. Clay seems to just go along with Addison because he wants to gain his respect. Do you think Clay will end up changing Addison’s future for the better?
Noah M
ReplyDeleteMrs Wuertenberg 1st hour
There were several connections i made while i was reading my book, these were a few of them. Most of the main characters in the book do drugs and sell narcotics and it reminds me of the people we live around in our society and in our schools. The setting of where they are reminds me of how we need to change things in our world for the better.
I made these connections specifically to show how similar the book is to real situations in people's lives when they start doing drugs and selling them when they need money or to “take the ease off” . These connection is important because it brings us to realization of the world we live in. It can show us how we can change and grow from these bad decisions. The book shows us a lot about our history and where society is headed in the future. We need help from each other to bounce ideas off and give each other support just like the do in the book. The main character Addison is not willing to change just like a lot of people in todays world because they've been stuck on them for so long.
do you think that Addison will end up changing in the future? If not why do you think that Addison will go against the help he is getting at Daytop? Also why do you think we can "change and grow" from the mistakes involving drugs? If Addison does change do you think he might eventually fall back into his old habits once he leaves Daytop? - olivia M
DeleteLogan Currie
ReplyDeleteMrs.Wuertenberg 1st hour
As I was reading Rooftop two quotes stood out to me. One quote is “That bastard dog hit the fence woof woof woof. My heart nearly popped out of my chest. Everything inside me sped up superfast .but I was too scared to run.”This quote stood out to me because it shows that the author is really trying to put you in this characters shoes. By going into details like having the sounds of barking dogs and how your stomach would drop in the situation he is in. Also showing how his heart sped up and he was frozen and couldn’t move.The second quote that stood out to me was “When the cop didn't find anything, he let me go. But i got nailed at school with weed , and my dad took it personal.”I chose this quote because I think it foreshadows events that are going to happen later in the book. It also shows that that Addison has had a past of getting caught with drugs. Another thing that this quote is showing is how the cops will search anybody even if they don’t have a valid reason in this type of neighborhood. I think that the cops are gonna be a major problem in this book because it seems like they just poke at people just because they can.
Noah M
DeleteI think the "dog barking" situation was important to add because it allows me to visualize what was going on in the story as i was reading it. The quote about him getting caught at school with weed goes along with my paragraph, talking about how we need to change our society for the better.
Olivia I guess my first reply didn't send or something but oh well. Do you think that the characters would be even worse selling drugs and sneaking around if the cops didn't "poke at people"? Or do you think that if the cops weren't so harsh that people would learn on their own and learn that selling/buying drugs brings trouble and cops.
DeleteNoah M
ReplyDeleteWuertenberg 1st Hour
I analyzed the character Clayton, from the book rooftop. Clayton has been a member of Daytop, the rehab center in his neighborhood, since the beginning of the story. Clay is usually an optimized person in the book. He’s always trying to stay out of trouble with the cops and with his counselor. Clayton has a positive attitude and proves that he can make it through Daytop. He is also very self-conscious around addison because he always seems to put him down. Clay wants to make sure he doesn't slip up in front of Addison. He wants to be that “thug” kind of kid with Addison but he doesn't want to deal with all the heat. After being ran-through by the cops when he was with Addison and Clorox, Clay was afraid of being caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing. Also, when Clay sees Addison at Daytop doing something wrong, he gets scared for Addison hoping he won't get caught. When The Police come onto the roof where Clayton and addison were addison gets shot accidentally and Clay witnesses it all happen. This traumatized Clay and caused a wave of depression to go over him. He all of the sudden feels very sick to his stomach and wants to get back into drugs to mask the pain and grief for his dead cousin.
oivia m
Deletedo you think that Clay will fall back into a life of drugs and crime after watching Addison get shot? I think he will learn that the lifestyle that Addison lived brought nothing but trouble. And do you think that the shooting really was “accidental” or do you believe that since Addison has got in multiple bad situations that the cops believed he was doing something worse than what they were actually doing?
Logan C
DeleteI do not think that Clay is going to fall back into the life of drugs because i feel like that is what got them into the situation in the first place. Also i think that Addison is very vulnerable to drugs right now so anything might happen.
olivia M
ReplyDeleteMrs Wuertenberg 1
As the discussion director, I have written down a few questions and have come up with my own answers for each question. Question 1, what event do you think was the most important in this reading and what do you predict to happen next? I think the most eventful thing that happened was Addison being shot, because from chapter 1 to chapter 3 Addison was the most talked about/main character. After Addison gets shot i think the story will slowly begin to become more about clay and his life instead of mainly Addison. Question 2: What do you wish would happen in the book? Personally i wish that Addison and Clay find a way to become sober and can leave Daytop to live a life on their own. The last question: Do you think Clay is the most responsible in the book? Yes, i believe that Clay is the only character in the book so far that really thinks he can get better and get out of Daytop. Clay shows that he somewhat cares about getting better by participating and trying to learn more to be able to live on his own. But i also believe that Addison brings out the worst in Clay, and that Clay will begin to act different around Addison so that Addison will accept him. Do you think Clay will have a negative reaction to hanging out with Addison or do you think Clay will find a way to get sober?
Noah M
DeleteWuertenberg
I agree that clay will begin to act better eventually but if starts doing drugs again because of Addison's death then his future might end the same way Addison's life did.After hearing about Addison’s death how did this make you feel? I was almost sad when i read it because Addison brought out the adventurous part of Clayton.
Logan C
DeleteWuertenberg
I also think that Addison being shot was was the most important. I think that because i think that is going to affect clay a lot because they were just starting to hang out again. I think that Clay wont fall back into drugs to help with this situation though.
Faith M
DeleteWuertenberg
I think the most important part of the book was getting shot. It was the climax of the story. It made us (the readers) think about how their lives really are. How messed up and twisted their lives really are. Before that event the book was alright but it was really just about two kids who did some dumb stuff and got themselves in trouble.
Logan Currie
ReplyDeleteMrs.W 1st hour
The first connection I found is When Addison got shot. That part of the book reminded me of when Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson in 2014. Even though both situations were not exactly the same circumstances, they seem very similar and both ended police officers killing people who did not deserve to die. Another book that this reminds me of is “The Outsiders” because in that book a character named Dallas was shot by the cops because he had a gun but they did not ask questions they just shot first.
The second connection i found is how Addisons dad came to the hospital and hugged him tightly. I feel like when you're in a sad situation like that your parents are always there to give you a hug and try to make you feel better. I think comforting someone in a situation like the one going on in the book is just human nature.
Noah M
DeleteWuertenberg 1
I agree with you completely. Addison’s situation was very sad but his death may be for the better for Clayton. Meaning he may be able to focus on his rehab instead of doing drugs with his cousin. Addison introduced Clay to many dangerous things during the time of the story so taking all of that away could improve his future. This also may be bad for Clay because he may be so traumatized and get back into doing drugs and ruining his life.
Olivia M
DeleteWuertenberg 1
Do you think the cops had a reason to shoot Addison, or do you believe that the cop should have given both Addison and Clay a chance to talk. If the cop asked questions do you think he would have realized that the one in the wrong wasn’t Addison, but it was in fact Clorox who was the “bad guy”
Faith M
DeleteWuertenberg
I agree with the cops shooting without thinking. Too many innocent lives our and a have been lost. All because people act before they think. We need to find a new way to solve this issue. So that no more innocent lives our lost. This was a good connection to make do to current events with shootings.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFaith M
ReplyDeleteWuertenberg 1
Connector
This week i was connector, and i found a connection between Clay and I. When Clay talked about the bullet wound that was covered by Addison’s black suit.It reminded me of when i was at my mom’s funeral.She had a bullet wound that was covered by a bandana.Clay said that he doesn’t think that anything in this world could cover up what was missing from inside him. For me I completely understand that because when you go through something that dramatic it doesn’t go away. It takes a little piece of who you are and who you where away.The second connection I found was when Clay said he had to force himself to look at Addison. When I went to my mothers funeral I had to force myself to look at her too. Seeing someone you love in that condition. It’s not easy to prepare yourself for. I can only imagine how hard that was for Clay. Considering how it happened and him being there and seeing it all happen. The incident in the book can also be connected to all the shooting in today’s society. There are shootings all the time now day over drugs and irrelevant things that are not worth losing your life over.
Olivia M
DeleteWuertenberg 1
I can see how this connection can really make you think about the story and really imagine the pain/shocked feeling. This connection is unique to you and that shows that you really thought about it to make it a personal story. It’s interesting to see that people may have similar stories and experiences, but may not even realize. If you could talk with Clay and Addison’s family, what would you say to them?
Noah M
DeleteWuertenberg
Personally i’ve never been affected by something that traumatic. I can't imagine what was going through his head when this happened to him. I can understand how a event like that could cause you to remember a time in your life when you went through something similar to this event.
Olivia M
ReplyDeletewuertenberg 1
I found a couple quotes in this reading that stuck out to me and made me think about how this will help the story move along. Quote #1 was “The program will have my ass in a sling if my urine comes back positive” (Volponi 117). This quote was interesting to me because it showed that clay stayed true to himself and Daytop by trying his hardest to stay sober, even in this tough time of losing Addison. Do you agree with me, or do you think there is another meaning to this quote? The second quote was “Maybe justice is supposed to be blind, but not our elected leaders” (Volponi 142). This quote made me think that maybe the other characters in the book believe that when stuff like this happens the people of the law, cops and lawyers and even mayor don’t use their power and authority. The people in authority may use their platforms and voice to speak as if they don’t see an issue with a cop shooting an unarmed man, backing up or siding with the cop making it seem like the cop had a reason to shoot Addison. The words “blind, but not our elected leaders” were the main part of the quote that stuck out to me. Do you believe that if or when situations like this happen, the people who we consider our “leaders” act as if nothing is wrong almost making the system seem blind? Personally the word “blind” is very accurate and a strong word to use in a case like that. It makes me think of every case that a young man is shot and killed, even when they are unarmed or have no reason to “frighten” or “trigger” the cop to shoot. How do these quotes interest you, and do you think that these quotes could have a different meaning or “reasoning” to them? Explain how these quotes made you feel or think about the book and if these quotes help the story move along.
Noah M
DeleteWuertenberg
I do not agree with you on this first quote. This does not show how he does not want to get high. If it weren't for the drug tests he would be smoking right now. The second quote makes a lot of sense and relates a lot to the real world and how “irrelevant” crimes like this are just brushed off.
For the second quote i do believe this is true. Lately if a cop shoots someone even when they have probable cause.They try to hide it and make stories to say it's not their fault. Even tho yes they might have had probable cause why do they always shoot to kill. They are supposed to be the ones protecting us.Not killing us.
DeleteLogan Currie
DeleteI do think that our leaders do act blind to stuff like this when it happens when they are supposed to be "leading" the community I think the cop who did it should go to jail because he didn't have the need to shoot Addison It should have never happened.
Noah M
ReplyDeleteWuertenberg
I was Discussion Director for this week. I thought of a few questions i had for you guys. How do you think Clayton will react in the future after watching his cousin die right beside him? After reading on in the book i came to a conclusion that Clay would stay out of doing drugs because he became aware of what it can do and that drugs are the reason they went up onto that rooftop in the first place. I am still a little blurred on the fact that everyone said it was Watisick who fired the first bullet and Henry who shot the bullet that killed Addison. Clay knew there was only one shot fired, at least that's what i read. What position will this put Clay in at Daytop? I feel like everyone around him has handled it well and nobody's really been in his face about all of it. I do think someone is gonna say something about Addison and Clays going to infuriate and cause something bad to happen. Who do you think dropped the bowling ball off of the roof right in between the two police officers? Personally, when i read this scene my first thoughts were ¨Clay's parents”, but it wouldn't make sense for them to be up there seeing as they couldn't stand to see the scene of where Addison was killed, so i figured it was one of Clayton's friends that pulled the act.
Olivia M
DeleteWuertenberg 1
I also think that Clay won’t go back into a life of drugs, but i also feel like something “bad” won’t happen if Clay is asked or talked to about Addison. I think that Clay may stay to himself and not really talk about that event. Another question that may be important to think about is, do you think that the way people acted or people of authority would change their views on the situation if the character that was shot was Clay and not Addison?
Logan Currie
DeleteI do not think that Clay will go back to drugs because i think he wants to get his GED and that wont be very possible if he is not at Daytop. I think the people who dropped the bowling ball off the roof were some of the people from Daytop because i feel like they would want to go look at the scene so that would give them a reason to be up there.
I think that like you said someone is going to say the wrong thing about Addison and Clay is going to loose it.He hasn't really let his emotions out or talked to anyone. And he went through something very traumatizing and after so long those emotions explode in your face and you don't know what to do with your self so you lash out.
DeleteLogan Currie
ReplyDeleteMrs. W
The character that I chose to watch this week is Clay. He is seems to have the most going on i his life considering his cousin got shot right in front of him. Clay who has been in rehab at Daytop the whole book want to go back to drugs even after just starting to get sober. Clay has changed through the reading by being fairly happy, and chill person to now being depressed after losing Addison. Everything that is going on with him in the story is also causing him to loose focus on getting his GED. Clay had a conversation with Henry one of the cops that was there when Addison got shot at the end of chapter 9 they talked about how they don't know how it ended how it did and that Henry was getting transferred. But Addison told him that he did not hate him for what the other cop did and i think that shows that Clay is coming to peace with what happened but i think that he is still going to try to get justice for Addison. What do think Clay will do next in Chapter 10?
In chapter 10 i think Clay is going to change traumatically. He has so much on his mind that he can't handle. He's not going to know how to juggle school and his emotions.It's going to throw him off terribly. I think he's going to try his best to get himself back on track with school. But it's going to be very difficult for him. Only because he is so distracted with Addison's death.
ReplyDeleteFaith Muskopf
ReplyDeleteWuertenburg
Character Watcher
This week I was the character watcher and I analyzed the character Clay.This chapter Clay was trying to do is best for himself and the people around him. He tried to talk to Addison’s brother Darrel about selling crack. Clay really wants Darrel to stop before he turns out like Addison but Darrel didn’t listen. Clay still never told the truth about what happened on the rough the night Addison was shot and he feels guilty about it. He also feels guilty about agreeing with Spierse about the case. Clay was having a lot of trouble coping with Addison’s death. In the chapter clay says “ And if I could cry, the tears would have come out of me till they rolled down the hill and flooded that river.” At the end of the book when the case didn’t go the way they thought it would Clay was devastated. He finally cried and said that he was going to move on with his life. Two questions about this chapter where very important to the end of the book.1) Do you think Clay will stay clean from drugs? 2) Do you think that the case was ruled the way it should have been?
olivia M
DeleteWuertenberg 1
I think Clay won’t go back into drugs after was had happened to Addison, and when it comes to the case I believe the cop should have been held accountable for shooting an unarmed teen. I think if the cop had got in trouble that there would be “closure” for Addison’s family and friends.
Olivia M
ReplyDeleteWuertenberg 1
I was connector this week, and i found two examples in the story i can connect to. Connection one is Addison’s and Clay’s relationship. Before Addison went to daytop and saw Clay, the boys hadn’t really communicated or saw each other after a fight between their mothers. I can relate to this because my cousin and I don’t get along because our mother’s really never got along. My second connection was when Addison was shot and everyone in the community thought of it as injustice, but the cops made up excuses and didn’t do much about the situation. Today many kids and young adults are getting shot and killed by cops who use the excuse that they were “frightened” and “scared for their safety”. The community will protest and fight for justice but the cops cause more harm and try to justify their actions.
Faith M
DeleteWuertenberg
I very much agree with your second connection.Lately there has been alot of shootings. And the ones that involve cops usually get away with it.Even when they are in the wrong.Just because they have a badge and work for the state they have enough power and powerful people by their sides to help their case.In these scenarios the victim's family and friends normally aren't brought any justice or peace.
Noah M
ReplyDeleteWuertenberg 1
I found a few quotes from our book through pages 150 to 200. The first one is,”you want to see who i am?’ Darrel screamed back, Charging straight at him.”(Volponi 175. This quote relates directly to Addison’s situation, Darrel wants to look tough and strong but when he got to his dad he pushed Darrel into the truck and told him he knows who he is. If Darrel keeps acting like this, he’s going to end up in the same place Addison did. After Clay puts the money in Darrel’s pocket, Darrel’s dad brings him up to his moms house and makes him tell her what he’s been doing. This tells me that his dad just wants the best for him. The next quote is “Miss Della called me a success because i stayed clean and was taking my GED in a couple of days.”(Volponi 181). This shows how much Clayton has improved since the beginning of the book. He made it through a bad tragedy without falling back into the life of drugs like i thought he was going to.