racing+in+the+rain

//**The Art of Racing in the Rain**// **Wikispace:**
A - Amanda B - Rachel C - Marie D - Gab D - V
 * Week 1: May 7th**

So far, there are four characters at the center of the story. There's Enzo, the dog, who narrates the entire book from his point of view. He's a lovable dog who's surprisingly wise and would love to be a human. He has a passion for race car driving (wishes he could participate in races) and loves to watch it on TV. He's also very serious about protecting his owners who act more like family members towards him. Then there is Denny, the man who got Enzo way before he got married or had a daughter. Denny and Enzo have a brotherly relationship; Denny often talks to Enzo as if he were another person, and Enzo understands everything. Even though it is still early on into the book, one can tell that they love each other very much and will do almost anything to protect one another. Denny loves race car driving. He's incredibly talented and loves driving in the rain. He's the one who got Enzo into it all without knowing it. He is a passionate man who does what he dreams of and still manages to care about his family just as much, if not more than the driving. Eve, Denny's wife, is a woman we don't know much about just yet because Enzo is not very close with her at this point in the story. We just know she loves her daughter Zoe, a very young girl who loves to play pretend with Enzo. We don't know much about her either; just that Enzo has promised Eve to protect her with his life if anything should happen.
 * Rachel - B:**

Today was the first day of book club round four and we all agreed that this book is really fun to read. We thought the vocabulary and the language would be really simple and basic, but it is actually pretty sophisticated. The first thing we did at today's meeting was enjoy some of Amanda's delicious Entenmann's doughnuts. After eating, we got down to business and talked about what happened in the first fifth of the book. We all thought about what it would be like if we were dogs in a past life because that is the idea they portray in the book. After talking about dogs, we went through ten discussion questions and did some predicting about what we think will happen later in the book. We really like this book so far and we can't wait to see what is going to happen next. We talked about how smart Enzo, the dog from the book, is and if all dogs are like him. We think that most dogs are smart like Enzo, but some dogs are not as smart. We had a really good discussion today and we are exicting to see what comes next in the book.
 * Marie - C:**

1) Do you think that all dogs are just like Enzo (like they can think for themselves)? Some, because there are some dogs that are really smart and others that aren't. 2) Do you think that as Eve got sick, the relationship between her and Enzo got better? Yes because he was protecting her. 3) Was it Enzo's hallucinations that destroyed Zoë's stuffed animals? Yes it was. 4) How do like the book being in a dog's point of view? It makes it a lot better and easier to understand. 5) What is you prediction on what will happen in the end of the book. Do you think Enzo is going to die when he goes to the vet with Denny? Yeah he his going to die and Enzo and Denny are going to meet as people in the end. Also Eve is going to die.
 * Gab - D**:

1. Did you expect this book to have such sophisticated language since its a dog speaking? No, it was not expected. 2. If Eve never moved into the house, how do you think Denny and Enzo's relationship would differ? Wouldn't be any different because he's home a lot anyways. 3. And how would their relationship change if Eve was there, but Zoe wasn't alive? Eve and Enzo wouldn't get along at all. 4. If you were Enzo, would you try and show Denny that you don't want to live anymore or would you keep letting him keep you alive? Unless I was vomiting everywhere, I wouldn't want to die yet. 5. How do you think Denny will be if Enzo dies in the book? Get a new dog but still be sad.
 * Victoria - D:**

A. Gab B. Marie C. V D. Amanda D. Rachel
 * Week 2: May 14th**

The language in //The Art of Racing in the Rain// is different than any other book because it is the thoughts of a dog. Besides the fact that these are things the dog, Enzo, is thinking the words and language is not too different than what a person would think. It is very surprising the things this dog thinks considering he is not a human. He has an intelligent mind and even curses just like people do. The book is very easy to read and understand. There are really no words in this fiction novel that we cannot comprehend. The vocabulary and the way the book is written is perfect. It doesn't use uneccessary large words or difficult words to interpret. It is very easy to read and understand and Garth Stein did a good job writing this book. This book comes off as a book that would be for adults, but teens and middle school kids would be able to make sense of it and enjoy it as well. Some of the content inside the book is a little inapporiate or advanced for younger kids, but the language is definitely not over the heads of youger people.
 * B- Marie**

Everyone in our group agrees the language is written perfectly. Although it could be a little be more advanced and we would still have no problem understanding, we kind of like how it is a little bit easier. It's not a complete walk in the park, but it is a small step down from something like //Macbeth// or another Shakespeare play. It is still very well written and fun to read. Garth Stein did an excellent job writing this novel from a dog's point of view and he included a good use of vocabulary. People have to remember this is a dog and not a person so it can't be completely over our heads anyway.

1. What do you think about the scene with Eve fighting with Zoë over dinner? Do you think this outburst had to do with her sickness? It was scary and frightening. This did have to do with her sickness. She probably wouldn't have done this if she was in her normal state. 2. Why do you think the man at the bus stop decided not to talk to Denny? He stopped talking because he felt bad about his Eve's sickness. He probably didn't want to offend Denny. 3. How did you react when you read that Eve had brain cancer? It was said, bu t we saw this coming since the beginning of the book. 4. Why are Eve's parents getting so involved with Zoë? Do you think this is foreshadowing something? Her parents know that Eve is going to die, so they want to spend as much tie with her daughter as possible. They also really do not like Denny, so they are just trying to take away Zoë from him. 5. How do you think Enzo feels about Zoë and Eve not living with him and Denny? He is really said and very worried for Eve. He is trying to protect Eve.
 * D- Amanda**

Today in book club, we munched on delicious marble loaf cake brought in by Gab while discussing the book. We are all in agreement that this book is the best book club book we have read throughout all four marking periods because it is an easy read and it's so unique to anything that any of us have experienced before. Not only that, the book goes by fairly quickly while you're reading it. It doesn't feel like a pain to read because we are all actually enjoying the book we chose. Today we focused a lot on what kinds of dogs we would be if we were dogs, considering Enzo has a theory that all humans are dogs in the life before, and he can't wait to become a human and be just like one of the main characters. We also analyzed the relationships between the characters through his eyes,which makes it remarkably easier to understand rather than having the story narrated to us or seeing the book from just one character's point of view.
 * C- Victoria**

1. Do you think all dogs are like Enzo, meaning they are intelligent and very sensitive when it comes to the people or things that they love? Why or why not? Do you know of an example? -Yes, but it depends on the animal. Gab thinks some dogs are just stupid and have no emotional connection to their owners. Other dogs can sense things, almost as well as Enzo does. 2. Do you think Eve has the will power to push through her situation and fight to live as long as she can, or has she already given up? What would you do in her situation? -We feel like she already gave up and that it won’t be long until she loses the fight to her illness. From what we already know of her character, she seems weak and she complains a lot. We don’t exactly think she’ll last very long. 3. Do you think you were a dog before a human, as Enzo believes people are? If so, what kind of dog? Why? -V thinks she was like the dog from the movie Up because they have crazy personalities. Gab thinks she was a stupid dog, and Amanda a lazy one. Marie thinks she would be a tiny dog who’s always dressed up, and apparently I would be a beagle because I get loud when I’m excited. 4. If you have a pet, do you have an extremely emotional connection to them like Denny does in the book? If so, can you relate to him? -V is very close with her dog, so she relates to Denny. He seems to understand a lot of what goes on with his family, just like Enzo does with his family. I love my dogs as well. I think they’re more intelligent than we give them credit for. They figure out when I’m upset and need a hug, and Enzo does that whenever Denny needs him as well. 5. How do you think Zoe is going to react when Eve passes away? -We all think Zoe will be stronger than Denny because she seems like such a brave little girl. So far she’s taking the entire situation in stride, still loving her mother as much as before, ignoring the scars or the shaved head or the hospital bed in the living room.
 * D- Rachel**

A. V B. Gab C. Rachel D. Marie D. Amanda
 * Week 3: May 21st**

//The Art of Racing in the Rain// started out with a somewhat happy mood and tone because the narrator, a dog named Enzo, was talking about when he was young and was sharing all of his happy memories wih his owner Denny. Enzo's happy times suddenly ended when Denny's wife, Eve, died. The mood of the book then changed to depressing and gloomy. It wasn't Enzo who was sad (he knew she was sick all along and already prepared himself for her death) but it was the people around him. Because of all of the anxiety around all of the humans after Eve's death, Enzo became depressed. The way Enzo was narrating the story also helped change the mood from happy to sad.
 * B- Gab**

From the very beginning, //The Art of Racing in the Rain// was never a really happy book. The book's introduction started out with an old and nearly dying Enzo with his owner Denny. It then moves onto Enzo narrating the story of his life with Denny. Because of this introduction, readers are automatically set into a gloomy mood. Readers would get the feeling that something bad would happen in the end because the mood and tone of the introduction gives hints that Enzo will die in the end. Although after the introduction, the tone automatically goes to happy, there is always that gloomy mood (of the book) in the back of any reader's mind that the ending will be very sad.

1.Why is most of this book written as a flashback? Do you like this kind of style? -Yes it is good as a flashback, Enzo tells the story extremely well as a flashback. 2. How has Enzo matured from the beginning of the book until this point? -He has gotten more observant, but he has always been mature and intelligent. 3. What is going to happen when Eve gets really sick? How will Enzo react? -Enzo sensed that she was getting really sick before she knew. He will miss her so much, but he has to be there for the rest of the family. 4. Throughout this book, have you ever forgotten that this is from a dog's point of view considering how maturely written it is? -Yes, sometimes we forget it is from a dog's point of view rather than a person's because of how highly significant the vocabulary is. 5. How scared was Zoë when her mom was in the hospital, how would you react if you were her? -Zoë was not extremely scared because she somewhat saw this coming. She is really young and did not exactly know what was happening but she knew it was not good for her mother.
 * D- Marie**

1. Even though the family expected it, do you think that they were still sad that Eve died? -It was really obnoxious the way Eve's parents handled it and we felt really bad for Enzo because he knew the whole time. But Denny was sad and will miss her. 2. How would you feel if your in-laws were trying to take your child away from you? -Rachel would sneak up in the middle of the night and kill them both in a nice way, V would be like "yo give me my child back, because that child is half of me and you can't take away half of me." Gab would be sad. Marie would not let this happen. 3. Who do you think Zoë would rather live with; Denny or her grandparents? Why? -Denny because her grandparents are too old school and obnoxious. She barely knows her grandparents and they treat Zoë like property. 4. Who do you think reported the sexual abuse case involving Denny? -We think it was either the grandparents or Anikka's father. 5. Do you think Denny will end up getting custody of Zoë? Why or why not? -We feel like he has a good lawyer and we think Denny will end up getting to keep Zoë.
 * D- Amanda**

A- Marie B- Victoria C- Amanda D- Gab D- Rachel
 * Week 4: May 28th**

So far in this book, the themes in the novel have been sadness, loneliness, and depression. Although there have been some happy parts of this book, so far the book has just been filled with sadness. After Eve died, there was so much tension between the family about who would have custody of Zoe, Denny's and Eve's daughter. This caused an extreme upset in the family, which caused the theme to take a dramatic turn. Some of the images included in this book is 'the devil." It pops up repeatedly, and when Eve is about to die, she tells Enzo to stay next to him for the night. Enzo then describes how the devil tries to come over at night and visit her, and the next morning Eve dies.
 * B-Victoria**

In our last book club meeting of the year, we enjoyed some delicious Munchkins that Marie brought in. Even though we have no yet finished reading __The Art of Racing in the Rain__, we all really enjoyed the story. During this book club, we discussed how it is unfair that the grandparents are doing everything in their power to get full custody of Zoë. She is Denny's daughter and he has every right to to gain custody. We also discussed how much empathy we have towards Denny. This is because if any of us were in a situation like this, we wouldn't want our child to be taken away. Denny just lost his wife, and now it is as if he lost his daughter as well. Lastly, we talked about how brave Denny is and how well he is handling his wife's death and the custody battle. He wasn't even allowed to attend the funeral, but he kept his cool, and never complained or got angry. In addition, his lawyer was ready to give up, but Denny is so determined to gain custody of Zoë, that he never did, and certainly never well. All of us are so anxious to find out what happend at the end of the book.
 * C-Amanda**

1. Why would Eve's parents put Denny or any person through that misery of accusing him of raping someone? -Because they are messed up and have sick minds. 2. If you were Denny would you be able to be as strong willed? -No, we would be very depressed and possibly suicidal. 3. How would you have handled the situation at Eve's funeral? -We would've beaten the people up. And wouldn't have listened to the grandparents. 4. Would you have told Zoë about what Eve's parents did to him? Why? -No because she was too young and we wouldn't have wanted her to hate her grandparents. 5. Enzo wanted Denny to lash out against the establishment, but Denny didn't. Would you have? And why do you think Denny didn't? -We would've lashed out at them and we don't think he lashed out at them because he's just not that kind of person.
 * D-Gab**

1. Do you think Denny will ever get full custody of Zoe? Why or why not? Maybe not full, but a lot more visitation hours because the grandparents are so possessive of Zoe.
 * D- Rachel**

2. What is the real reason behind Zoe’s grandparents being so adamant about getting custody? They’ve always hated Denny because they never saw him as the right man for their daughter, Eve. Towards the end of Eve’s life, they decided to try and keep Zoe for good to save her from her own father.

3. Who do you think Zoe will be happiest with? Why? Who would you rather live with? Zoe would definitely be happier with her father. They have a less strained relationship than her and her grandparents, and even though they don’t see it, Denny is the better parent. He knows all of the little things that bother Zoe or make her happy, when all her grandparents care about is money.

4. Do you think Zoe understands what is really going on between her father and her grandparents, or does she really believe he’s been racing all the time? She’s too young to understand the custody battle, but we think she has noticed the hostility between her father and her grandma and grandpa. She still believes Denny is out

5. Can you predict the ending of the book? What do you think is going to happen and why? Hopefully, Denny will get custody of Zoe and then maybe Enzo will die and be reborn as a human like he’s always wanted. He might even become a racecar driver by the end of the book. We have a feeling Zoe will become a record breaking speed racer.