I loved how the cover looked plain and bland, but the story really sucks you in (no pun intended) and makes you care for these characters and what happens to them. I was constantly reading to see what happened next and how Elizabeth could use the limited resources she had to try and escape the house, while keeping the kids she was baby sitting safe. This book was slow at the start and it didn't really feel like there was a threat, in the book, there were dead animals in the water but if I saw a person in there I would feel more scared. I felt like there were too many dead animals in this book, and it got old really quick, and at the end when they jumped into the water and floated down, and they didn't hit anything at all, there were tons of things in the water but i guess there weren't any under the water. This book has chapters that were really good and then really bad, like it would be action packed there about to die then there sleeping, and talking. I get you have to sometimes have it be boring but don't be making scenes so exciting then have it be boring. I would rate this 2.8 out of 4. Click the link below to see other reviews. This book wasn't the worst book i've read but it could use quite a bit of work, in all these books no one dies, he should have killed someone off, don't just make it be a flood and have everyone ok, a family was on there house and it floated away and we don't even know if they died, there probably still alive having coffee. If you like survival stories you should read this one because no one dies.http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1909490.Safe_as_Houses
Writing To Entertain
Design and Create
https://www.youtube.com/watch?edit=vd&v=zTPT4VnLS1k
Research and List
These are some questions I have for the author Eric Walters about what I had wonderings about.
Did the flood affect other towns or cities other than your Town and Toronto?
Was the man who was going to take Susie a pedophile?
Did the flood ever stop?
[Connection] My friend Luke actually experienced a flood and made it out alive.
Is Lizzie's dad dead?
Are the kid's parents Lizzie is babysitting dead?
Compare
So one of the main characters David reminds me a lot about someone I know and I am here to tell you the reasons why there similar and why they are still different. Lets talk about that.
So one of the main characters is independent, impatient and makes jokes at the wrong time, it's David McBride. Now the person I am connecting this to is myself. Now if you ask anyone that knows me they will all say this character could be based off of me. David had quite a bit of survival skills though which I don't have. David had shown he had been independent all throughout the story by claiming he should have been the baby sitter and he didn't need anyone. Whenever I am given a task to do I usually like working alone I feel I don't need anyone's help and can save my self. If it is a harder task that I feel I need someone I will get people, as did David when they all got to the roof. He was also impatient because he was always trying to do things by him self, when people said wait we could all do this, he would just say ok then go and do it. When he had to get tools that were under the water, he just jumped in and kept on trying to get the tools. Then we come to my teachers least favorite... Making Jokes At The Wrong Time. I constantly do this, just recently we were watching a Earth documentary and the commentator had a really strong Irish accent and we kept on watching the beginning because he said three quarters of the Earth and we kept on laughing at it for like 20 minutes. David was constantly joking during the story and example is when his sister wants a soda, and he says well you can have water we have plenty of that. Now we are different like he has survival skills I don't and he is also in Grade 6 and I am not, he has moved schools and cities, and I haven't done that yet either. So ya that was my reasons as of why David and I are really the same person, my name is The Lazy Canadian and I approve this message!
Connect
When hard times come they sit a spell, Like kin folk come to stay A-packin' troubles, pets an' kids That always get ‘n your way. It's drought an' flood, an' flood an' drought, There ain't much in-between. You work like hell to make ’em good, But still they’re sorta lean.
The ranch went under late last year, The drought got mighty tough. The boss held-out a long, long time, But finally said, "enough!" So here I am dispatchin’ cops An’ watchin’ felons sleep, In Junction, at the county jail, A job I’ll prob’ly keep.
The wife, she works at Leisure Lodge, Where older people stay, A-makin’ beds an’ moppin’ floors To earn some ‘extra’ pay. Though “extra pay‘s” the term I used, It goes to payin’ rent, An’ after all the bills are paid, We wonder where it went.
We hocked my saddle, guns an' chaps, An' then our weddin' rings; Then when we couldn't pay the loan, They sold the 'dad-blamed' things. We felt real bad a day or two But then we let it go, Cause it got Christmas for the kids When money got real slow.
When hard times come they sit a spell, Don't matter who you are; They'll cost ya things you've set aside, An' clean your cookie jar. You'll loose some sleep an' worry some, Won't pay to moan an' groan; But hang on to your happiness, They'll finally leave ya 'lone.
So this poem connected to the book a lot to the book at the first paragraph he even says that he has to deal with kids and a dog, which Lizzie had to deal with. In the next paragraphs he just talked about other hard times when it looked like he wouldn't have made out of it, or was struggling to manage it. Then at the very last paragraph it says when hard times come sit a spell, (When the flood reaches him, and he can't escape) They'll cost ya things you've set aside (The kids and the dog) you'll loose some sleep and worry some (about how he didn't do things he could have to escape or say to loved ones) Then it says They'll finally leave you alone (You were getting frustrated trying to save everyone and you couldn't and they ended up dying)
http://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/best/flood
Reflect
Lizzie's Father's POV
I got a call from my wife at around 5:30 P.M saying Lizzie, my daughter was watching the McBrides kids and may be staying at there house later than usual. It was raining hard so I told my wife after work i'd swing by and stay with her and the kids. I had to go back to work so I said goodbye and got in my car with my partner Dan. "Pretty bad rain fall huh Doug?"Dan had asked me. I said "Ya hopefully it stops soon or we may be out here all night" "Do you think it could get that bad?" "I do Dan, So lets try and do this fast." We drove Pick Up Trucks trying to get people out of the rain, or help them out is our job.
4 Hours Later...
We didn't know what had happened we had to abandon our truck and try to get on a house but we were starting to slip. Dan's leg was injured, it was trapped in the truck when the water hit our side. We were trying to help get a guy and a girl out of there car it was flipped up side down we tried dragging it sideways but the water came out of nowhere and hit us we went flying into the other car as I opened the car door and jumped onto a tree, Dan did the same but was a bit down the road. I saw the car we were trying to save and it was getting destroyed the two people were... just gone. They were here a minute before and are now dead they aren't coming back.
Dan didn't look so good his leg was covered in blood and his face was very pale, he looked at me and tried speaking but couldn't speak. He looked behind him as he started crawling toward me with scared expression on his face then out of nowhere water came over the house and took Dan off of the house I yelled "No!" as I got up and ran to the edge and I saw that his lifeless body was floating in the water, down the river, never to be seen again. Then I saw three people in a tree in the middle of the water I saw light pass by them and it was Lizzie and the kids! I tried to yell at them but they didn't hear me so, I looked at the water, then back at the kids and jumped in the river. I was being tossed around and hit a car, then another and then there was a house floating in the water I tried getting out of the way but it hit me I was sent under it, looking for a way out, but I couldn't find one. I needed air badly but couldn't escape, I couldn't save them, not David, not Suzie not my daughter Lizzie who needed me, no one. I was here a minute ago and now i'm GONE.
