Join us for the 2008 Project!

Hello. Would you like to join us for our 2008 Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project? We will be replicating this project with some additional cool features in 2008. We are scheduled to do the book blog project between MARCH 3 and APRIL 4, 2008.

If you would like to join us - either an entire class, just yourself, a couple of students would love to read, etc. - just e-mail Eric Langhorst at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

We have had interest from several classrooms around the country and would love to have you join us.

Our address for the 2008 Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project is www.guerrillaseason2008.blogspot.com

Thanks.

Eric Langhorst

Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project Video

For a quick overview of the Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project please check out this video which has been posted to Teacher Tube. The video is 3:45 minutes long and was created using Photo Story 3.

An Interview With Matt

Here is an interview with Matt sent in by Annelies. Great job, well done!

Matt Howard Q- How does it feel to have your dad dead and your brother crippled, and therefore be the head of the house at age 15?

A- Well it does get hard sometimes- with all the hunting and harvesting to keep my family alive. But I have to set a good example for the little ones.

Q- Is it hard to live during a time period that you could get shot at any moment for saying the wrong thing?

A- It can get very hard especially since Jesse is on the South's side and my family is in the middle not really having a side. Sometimes I have to watch it because I could be putting my family in danger.

Q- How exactly does being friends with Jesse, who is on the South's side and being like a son to Mr. Stone, who is on the North's side affect not only yourself but also your family?

A- Well it can get hard because Jesse's family dislikes Mr. Stone and also always having Mr. Stone nagging me about hanging out with Jesse but I don't think I could stop seeing Jesse we have known each other for too long.

Q- Is it nerve racking to know that your first crop could be destroyed by either side at any time?

A- Well I know that it could be destroyed and I try to keep the best thoughts and if it gets destroyed I will replant after we get back from grandfathers house.

Q- Speaking of your grandfather what actions do you plan to take, will you go with your family or not?

A- I will go with my family because they need me especially Ben, then after the war I will come back here with or without my family and rebuild the barn and start a new harvest.

by Annelies

Downsized Dissension - A Poem based on Guerrilla Season

Thanks Victoria for this awesome poem based on the novel Guerrilla Season. Great job!

Downsized Dissension
By Victoria

Centered attention caught on those three,
Each carrying a haughty tone.
Hurled upon my tender emotion,
Then realizing, on my side, I was not alone.
Slipping into a dazed oblivion
Falling once more to the ground
Grasping for every ounce of strength
In my weakened pride I drowned.
Blood dripping from my face,
Ribs aching in profuse pain.
Gently chuckling off a thought;
Grimacing with obvious strain
Remembering how I was told to say, "Enough."
Knowing not of the benefit
Openly reassuring my wellness of my strength
Hoping they'll just simply forget.

Final Thoughts - 5 Years Later - Missouri in 1868

Try to think about what will happen in the next 5 years to these characters. The setting for the novel is Missouri in 1863 with the Civil War ripping apart the state. Fast forward to Missouri in 1868 and the Civil War is over.

Please let us what you think will happen to the major characters in the book and what will they be doing in 1868?

Matt?
Jesse?
Susie?
Clayton?
Matt's Mom?

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Final Thoughts - Pat Asks You

Pat has one more question for you in relation to the characters in the book.

For a kid you seems so respectful and good, Matt lies and decives a lot. What do you think about that?

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Final Thoughts - Ask Pat

You have one final chance to ask the author of Guerrilla Season - Pat Hughes - a question about the novel. Before you post a question please look back at some of the previous comments to see if your question was asked in an earlier comment post.

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

I Thought the Best Part of Guerrilla Season was......

Now that you have read the entire novel, think back to which part you enjoyed the most.

What was your favorite part of Guerrilla Season? Tell us about a scene or portion of the book that really stands out from the rest and WHY it was your favorite.

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Final Thoughts

We have come to the end of our Guerrilla Season Book Blog project. We hope that everyone has enjoyed the book and found the blog a creative way to dicuss a novel. It has been a great experience for myself and the author.

Although the official blog has ended we would like students and participants to give us some feedback this week on the project. Please check out the discussion questions this week to give us your final thoughts on the novel. We will also have some final thoughts posted later from the teachers and Pat Hughes on the project. We are currently planning a final podcast about the project as well.

Students have until November 27th to e-mail their final project to bookblogproject@gmail.com

Welcome USA Today Readers

Welcome to all those visiting our site after reading the article about our project in the Wednesday, November 15th edition of the USA Today newspaper. Check out the online version of the story here. Thanks to reporter Ashley Bleimes for writing the article.

We hope you will browse through the site and examine our project. We have had an amazing time reading this book together and sharing ideas via the blog. At the time of this post we are in the final stages of the activity and many students are preparing their final projects - many of which will eventually be posted on this blog as a showcase of student work.

The author of Guerrilla Season - Pat Hughes - has done an amazing job of answering questions and being an active part of the entire process. Her participation has made this project a special activity.

If you have any questions or comments about the project please leave a comment or send us an e-mail at bookblogproject@gmail.com

Please keep in mind that any comment made on the blog is first screened by Eric Langhorst or Pat Hughes and will not be immediately posted to the Internet for safety reasons.

More Guerrilla Season Movie Poster Student Examples

Here are some more examples of the Guerrilla Season movie posters that students are creating as part of their final project. Awesome work Kelsey (top), Alyssa (middle) and Taressa (bottom)!

Week 4 - Ask Pat

We are coming to the end of the novel and I'm sure that you have some comments for the author. Go ahead and leave a comment - she is answering any question you have. We know you have a question so go ahead and ASK PAT!

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Week 4 - Guerrilla Season Podcast - What's Next?

Welcome to the Week 4 podcast for the Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project. This week author Pat Hughes answers the most frequently asked question on this blog over the past four weeks - what happens next? Listen to this short podcast to hear what Pat has to say about upcoming books and what happens to the characters next. It may surprise you.

To listen just click on the direct link and it will play on your computer. You may also download to your computer and listen on your i-Pod or MP3 player.

Direct link to listen to Guerrilla Season Podcast #4 - What's Next?- MP3 Format - 6:30 Minutes

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Week 4 - Pat Asks You - Matt's Decision

Pat has a question for the all the participants this week about the ending of the novel. We don't want to spoil the ending for you so if you have not yet finished reading the book please wait until you are finished to read the responses.

Were you pleased or disappointed by Matt's decision at the end of the book?

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Week 4 - Pat Asks You - What is Clay County Like Today

This week Pat has a special question for the Liberty students about the setting of Guerrilla Season:

• Does the Clay County Missouri in Guerrilla Season at all resemble the Clay County of 2006?
• Can you see the prairie today?
• Do any of you live on a farm and grow corn?
• Do any of you own or ride horses?

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Week 4 General Discussion

Think of this place as a sort of local coffee shop. If you have a comment or specific response to a question posted as a blog entry please post it there but if you have a general comment and don't know where else to post it please do so here. It might be a question or just a general observation - go ahead and post it.

Visitors to the blog - please feel free to leave a comment at this post about your impressions on the book blog project. We'd love to hear from you.

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Shout Out to Miller Creek Middle School

We are so happy to have a class from California joining us on our Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project. The teachers and students here in Liberty, Missouri wanted to give a big Blue Jay "shout out" to the students at Miller Creek Middle School in San Rafael, California. We hope you are having as much fun as we are with this project.

We recently heard from their teacher and here is what she had to say about the project:

"I just met with my students today to make sure they had answered thequestions from Week 2. They are thrilled with the book and can't wait to read each week. So far it's been a great experience, with no problems concerning technology, accessing the site, questions, links, etc. We especially enjoyed listening to the podcast from Pat today; she answered one of the questions my students had about the naming ofcharacters. The kids are really into it.

In fact, today they wanted to know what our next blog literature project would be. Hmmm? Do you have any more projects in mind for the year? Take care and thanks for making this possible."

Thanks again for joining us on this project. A future book blog project eh? We'll finish this one and then let's talk about what we could do next...

Week 4 Welcome

Hello and welcome to week 4 of the Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project. This week you should be finishing up the novel, pages 242 through 326. Also, don't forget to read the Author's Note at the end of the novel.

This week we will have some more discussion questions, a podcast from Pat about the future of Guerrilla Season and some more examples of student projects from the book. The students at South Valley Jr High are turning in at least one of the six options from the Final Project List - see blog post from Week #3 on the final projects. These final projects are due on November 27th and we will be showing many of them on the blog.

Go ahead and post a comment, leave a question or just hang out and check out what others are saying about Guerrilla Season. As always if you don't want to leave a discussion question on the blog please drop us an e-mail at bookblogproject@gmail.com

Interview Project Example - An Interview With Jesse

One of your options for the final project is an interview with one of the characters from Guerrilla Season. You can select any character, ask them questions and then try to determine how they would answer the interview questions based on what you have read in the novel.

You can turn in your interview in text form with the questions and answers written out or you can record it using the Audacity sound editing program and then e-mail us the finished sound file at bookblogproject@gmail.com. Either format will work but I think the recorded sound file is so cool.

Here is a recorded version of an interview with Jesse done by Andrew and Michael! This is really cool. Just click here to listen to the sound file on your computer. The interview is about 3 minutes long.

Poem Project Example - Poem from Susie to Matt

Here is a great example of a poem based on Guerrilla Season from Stephanie. Awesome job!

A special poem to Matt Howard,

With the air so clean,
I didn't want to be mean.
All I wanted was a kiss,
But you fell and appeared all this.
A total mess because of me,
All happened lying in the tree.
The sprained bones,
Then Mr. Stone.
I knew hurting you made me cry,
Also I am dying inside.
The tears in my eyes ready to be shed,
Making life without you a total dread.
I know I might be a little too bold,
But I would still love a hand to hold.
Now you plan on leaving me,
When we both know we're meant to be.
I'm going to be all alone,
Wanting you can now be shown.
I love you so much,
Even when leaving the fingers to touch.
But I guess its time to say good-bye,
I'll just head on home and start to cry.

Love Your Sweetheart,
Miss. Susie Samuel

Week 3 - Actual Oath now in Liberty Missouri Museum

Above is an actual oath used in Clay County in 1862 given to those thought to be guerrillas aiding the southern effort. This is an earlier version than the one quoted in the novel Guerrilla Season but is very similar to what Matt was forced to sign in the field. Click on the picture to see a larger version.

This artifact is currently on display in Liberty, Missouri at the Clay County Historical Society Museum located downtown on the historic square. Check it out if you live in Liberty. It is an incredible artifact!

Check out the name of the county on the oath - HOWARD! Very odd considering that Howard was the name Pat used for the last name of Matt's family and she had never seen a copy of this artifact until today!

Here are some comments from Pat:

Eric and everybody - What an awesome post! To be able to see the real thing -- it just chills me. Oh that I were in Liberty and could see it in person. But the wonders of the Web are once again brought to bear. ...

Especially interesting to me is the use of the term "provisional government" - i.e. the oath-taker is promising to bear true allegiance to the "provisional government of the state of Missouri," meaning the Union government that took over Missouri after running elected Gov. Claiborne Jackson & his government out of the state.

I also wanted to point out that this oath, dated 1862, pre-dates the oath that Matt takes in "Guerrilla Season." I found Matt's oath in Michael Fellman's "Inside War: The Guerrilla Conflict in Missouri During the American Civil War." Fellman writes that in 1863, Union officials "codified a system of oaths and bonds which had been developed in various forms in the field. When a suspected guerrilla sympathizer was arrested he would take the following oath:" Fellman then gives the oath that I used in "Guerrilla Season."

Thanks Eric for showing us this amazing piece of history! - Pat

Week 3 - Guerrilla Season Podcast #3

Hello. This week when you listen to the Guerrilla Season podcast you'll hear about some supernatural things that started to happened to author Pat Hughes as she wrote the novel. She will also answer one of the most commonly asked questions on the blog during the project: "Why did you decide to write about Missouri and this particular time period?".

To listen just click on the direct link and it will play on your computer. You may also download to your computer and listen on your i-Pod or MP3 player.

Direct link to listen to Guerrilla Season Podcast #3 - Supernatural Events and Why This Topic? - MP3 Format - 13:30 Minutes

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Guerrilla Season Movie Poster Examples

One of your six options for the final project is to create a movie poster for when Guerrilla Season becomes a movie (although we do not know of any current plans for Guerrilla Season to be made into a movie, won't everyone like to see Guerrilla Season made into a major motion picture!) You can create the movie poster with any application but there is a cool one online at http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/poster.php where you upload the picture and fill out the text, colors, rating, etc. and it creates it for you. Really cool.

Here are two examples that students have sent in today. Great job Dakota (top), and Lindsay (bottom)! Don't forget to send your final project - comic strip, interview, book cover, movie poster, alternate ending or poem - once it is completed to bookblogproject@gmail.com

Week 3 - Discussion Question 2 - The Oath

In Chapter 25 Matt is forced to take an oath to pledge his loyalty to the Union. He almost cannot do it but does anyway because he fears what would happen to him if he doesn't say it. (pages 226 to 230)

Have you ever had to say something that you knew wasn't how you truly felt but you had to do it because it would result in fewer problems for yourself or others?

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Week 3 - Ask Pat A Question

Here is your chance to ask the author of Guerrilla Season a question. Go ahead and leave a comment - she is answering any question you have. Last week she responded to a student that thought the book started off a little too slow and another asked her what side she would have been on during the Civil War if she had lived in Missouri. We know you have a question so go ahead and ASK PAT!

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Week 3 - General Discussion

Think of this place as a sort of local coffee shop. If you have a comment or specific response to a question posted as a blog entry please post it there but if you have a general comment and don't know where else to post it please do so here. It might be a question or just a general observation - go ahead and post it.

Visitors to the blog - please feel free to leave a comment at this post about your impressions on the book blog project. We'd love to hear from you.

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Week 3 - Pat Asks You - Iraq 2006 and Missouri 1863

The style of warfare used in Missouri to fight much of the Civil War is described as "guerrilla warfare" - a method of combat by which a smaller group of combatants attempts to use its mobility to defeat a larger, and consequently less mobile, army (source: wikipedia)

If you have been following the war in Iraq this term is often used to describe the warfare which currently takes place on the streets of that country every day.

What similarities do you see with the guerrilla warfare tactics used in Missouri in 1863 and Iraq in 2006?

Week 3 - Discussion Question 1 - Characters

You should be a little more than half way through the novel now and the characters have been developed. Tell us who your favorite character in the novel is right now and who your least favorite character is right now. Please give an example or reason why you feel this way about the characters. Of course there are no right or wrong answers, just your opinion.

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Final Project Options

At the end of the Guerrilla Season book blog project we are asking each student participant to complete one of the following options as a final project. There are six options which should appeal to a variety of learning styles. Please choose a minimum of one - if you wish to do more than one that would be awesome.

These projects will be due on November 27th. We will be posting some examples of student projects on the blog so we encourage you to turn in a digital copy of your work (graphic, word document, MP3 file, etc.) to the following e-mail: bookblogproject@gmail.com

A PDF copy of the following information is also available here.

Option #1 - Design a Book Cover
Imagine that Pat Hughes has contacted you to design a new cover for the paperback version of Guerrilla Season. The cover should include the name of the novel and the name of the author. You decide what images you want on the cover that represent the novel. The image should fit on an standard sheet of paper – around 8” by 10”.

Option #2 - Write an Alternate Ending to the Novel
Here is your chance to write a different ending to the novel Guerrilla Season. You can change the last couple of pages or just simply add on to the current ending. Your alternate ending should be at least 200 words.

Option #3 - The Movie Poster
You are an artist working in Hollywood and your job is to create the movie poster for the upcoming smash hit Guerrilla Season. The movie poster will need to include at minimum the following information: title of the movie, the text “based on the novel by Pat Hughes”, the release date, the names of the two main actors in the movie and a movie rating. You can create this poster using any application you wish but there is an excellent tool available online at http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/poster.php

Option #4 - Interview a Character
Sit down and conduct an interview with any of the characters from Guerrilla Season. Your interview should be a minimum of 5 questions. You can turn in a typed paper copy of your interview or record the interview in audio format using the Audacity program and then turn in the MP3 file as your final project.

Option #5 - Comic Book Scene
Take a favorite scene from the novel and create a 9 panel comic strip depicting the scene. You can use makers or colored pencils. Be sure to include some text on the comic strip and include a short description of the scene you are depicting in your comic.

Option #6 - Poem
Write a poem inspired from the novel. You can focus on a character, an event, an emotion or a feeling. You are free to use any format you wish for your poem. You may turn in a typed copy of your poem or turn in an audio version recorded with the Audacity program.

Week 2 Podcast - Mistakes, Naming Characters and Writing

Many of you have asked Pat about how she finds names for all the characters in her books. The Week 2 Podcast for the Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project will answer that question along with how Pat caught a mistake in the novel before it was published and how she prepares to write. To listen to the podcast on your computer just click on the link below and it will play on your computer. You can also right click and select "save as" to save to it your computer and then move to your MP3 player.

Direct link to Guerrilla Season Podcast #2 - Mistakes, Naming Characters and Writing - MP3 Format - 9:00 Minutes

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast please add a comment by selecting the "comment" link below this post or send an e-mail to bookblogproject@gmail.com

Week 2 - Pat Asks You - Violence and Language in the Book

The author of "Guerrilla Season", Pat Hughes, wants to ask you a question about the book:

One criticism I've heard about "GS" is that there's too much violence and too much swearing in a book for young adults. Do you agree?

Please answer this question by posting a comment to this blog entry by clicking on the "comments" link below this post. Please remember to use either your first name only or no name. Any comments with full names will not be posted. Thanks.

Week 2 - Discussion Question 2 - The Role of Women

On page 115 of "Guerrilla Season", Matt's mom says that she always opens the door first when there are visitors on their place because "they wouldn't kill a woman - neither side would. That remained the only civilized part of this whole mess."

What did she mean by that statement? Why would neither side hurt a woman?

To post a comment about this question please click on the "comments" link directly below this post. Remember to either use your first name only or no name when posting.

Week 2 - Discussion Question 1 - The Importance of Mail

On page 89 Matt's family discusses the important news from Pennsylvania which comes in the form of a letter. Matt's mom even comments on the speed with which the mail arrived to Missouri from the east coast: "A bit less than two weeks in transit. That seems quick, for these times."

Mail in the mid 1800's was a big event. Today we often find junk mail and flyers on a daily basis but for the time period described in the book, each piece of mail was treasured. Have you ever waited for a letter or a package to come to your house by mail? What is the most anticipated letter or package you have ever recieved?

Please leave your answer below by click on the "comments" link and then responding. Please remember to not include your first and last name. You may use only your first name or comment with no name.

Week 2 Welcome

Hello and welcome to Week #2 of the Guerrilla Season Book Blog project. This week, October 30th until November 5th, we will be covering Chapters 10 through 17 (pages 77 through 155). This week will include some new discussion questions, links to learn more and a podcast with author Pat Hughes.

Last week we had over 480 visitors to this site from all over the world - including 22 different countries. Educational blogger Will Richardson commented on his blog "weblogg-ed". Will did the original book blog project with his class in 2002 with "The Secret Life of Bees".

Please let us know if you have a comment or question. If you would like to join us please drop in, we are only starting week 2 of a 4 week project. Send any comments to bookblogproject@gmail.com

Quick Note About Posting

Thanks to all those who have started posting. Pat and I are reading the comments and publishing them as they come in to the site. One note - Please make sure that you are hitting the comment button at the end of the post - this way your comment will be posted to the correct place. For example - If you want to ask Pat a question find the blog post that talks about aski Pat a question and then hit the "comment" button below that post. This way the comments will match with the topic. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks and keep posting.

A Note from the Author - Pat Hughes

Dear bloggers,

Just a few words to say hi, welcome, and thanks – to Eric Langhorst for all the time and effort he’s put into this project, to Sprint Communications forgiving him the cash to carry it off ... and, of course, to all of you who are reading “Guerrilla Season.”

To me, Civil War Missouri is one of the most interesting facets of American history. You don’t have to be from Liberty or Missouri to appreciate that; I’m from Connecticut, and I live near Philadelphia now. So I hope the Californians and Louisianans will be as strong a presence as the Missourians, and I think it’s neat that we have schools representing Northern, Southern and Border states! I’m also pleased that parents and other adults will be reading along. “Guerrilla Season” isn’t strictly a book for kids just because the main characters are kids, and I’ll be interested to hear the adults’ point of view, too.The Civil War was one of our greatest national tragedies; 140 years later,it’s still causing controversy, anger and sadness.

I’m looking forward to getting some really good discussions going. Don’t think every comment has to be positive; if you don’t like something, say so. And don’t be afraid to ask hard questions and bring up tough subjects! All opinions will be respected,as long as they are expressed respectfully.

Happy reading,

Pat Hughes

Week 1 Welcome - Let's Get Started

Welcome to the official start of the Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project. We have been working on this project since last spring and we are very glad it if off and running. During this four week adventure there will be roughly 300 eighth grade students at South Valley Jr High in Liberty, Missouri reading Guerrilla Season by Pat Hughes along with teachers, parents and community members along with participating schools from California and Louisiana. If you are joining us please drop us a line at bookblogproject@gmail.com so that we can give you a shout out!

Week 1 will take place from October 23 until October 29. The reading assignment for that week if you would like to keep pace with the other participants is the first 9 chapters - pages 1 through 76. We will be reading about 80 pages a week during the 4 week project.

There will be several questions posted each week in the form of blog posts. Some are general questions and some deal with a specific part of the novel. Pat Hughes will also be asking her own questions for you to answer throughout the project. Each week there is also a blog entry named Ask Pat. This is your opportunity to ask the author of the book a question and she will answer it! If you think of a great question about the novel you would like others to respond to just send us an e-mail at bookblogproject@gmail.com and we'll put it up for you online.

We would like to ask you to keep in mind two things when posting a comment to the blog: 1) Use the best grammar possible. This blog is accessible to anyone in the world with Internet access so please use correct grammar in your comment. We understand that people will make mistakes and we'll make our fair share but we want to put our best foot forward. 2) When you post a comment please list yourself as "anonymous" or use your first name only. Your opinion is what matters the most and we don't mind if you post as anonymous. All comments are first screened and moderated by Mr. Langhorst and Pat Hughes. Any comment with a large number of errors in grammar, unappropriate or listing a first and last name will not be posted on the blog.

Each week we will have other special features to help you discover more about the novel. We will have links to people and places mentioned in the reading so that you can learn more. There will be audio clips from interviews with author Pat Hughes to give you a "behind the cover" look at Guerrilla Season. This project is intended to be an interactive experience. If you think of something that would help the project let us know at bookblogproject@gmail.com

Enough said. Let's go.........

Guerrilla Season Podcast - How do you research a historical novel?

Take a listen to Guerrilla Season author Pat Hughes describe how see did the research for this historical novel. It isnt' as easy as just sitting down and writing - she used e-Bay, riding lessons and the Internet to make this novel historically correct. This audio file is a mini-podcast that you can listen to through the internet but clicking on the link below or you can right click on the link below and then save it to your computer and move it over to a portable MP3 player. This file is 10:35 minutes long.

Let us know what you think in the comments below or e-mail us at bookblogproject@gmail.com

Direct link to listen to Pat Hughes describe the process of researching a historical novel - MP3 file - 10:35 minutes in length

Week 1 - Ask Author Pat Hughes a Question

How often do you get the chance to ask the author of the book you are reading a question? Well, during this project you have access to the author of Guerrilla Season - Pat Hughes. She will answer any question you may have about the novel, questions specific to being a writer, anything. Just leave a comment to this blog post and she will respond to your question with a post in the same comments list. Just remember to use correct grammar and list yourself as "anonymous" or use your first name only.

Go ahead, ask her a question....

Week 1 Links - Find out More Online

During the reading assignment for Week #1 there were many references to historical events and famous famous. I have found some interesting links to help you discover more about some of these events and people with the page number of the book where it appears.

If you come across any other links that you would like to share with the other participants please include them in a comment to this blog post. Just remember to comment under "anonymous" or with a first name only.

• jayhawkers - page 7
• Quantrill - page 7
• bushwhacker - page 7
• General Sterling Price - page 8
• Wilson's Creek - page 8
• Jim Lane - page 17
• John Brown - page 18
• "Bleeding Kansas" - page 18
• Doc Jennison - page 18
• Emanicipation Proclamation - page 24
• War of 1812 - page 32
• Battle of New Orleans - page page 32

Week 1 - Question #1 - Choosing Sides

In the beginning of the novel we discover quickly that life in Missouri in 1863 was uneasy. When someone came to your door you didn't know what you should say if they asked whether you supported the Federal troops or the guerillas with Quantrill. The wrong answer could get the men of the house killed and your place burned to the ground. Matt and his family really tried to walk a fine line between the two sides and not support either in public.

Have you ever had a time in your life when you had to be careful not to take sides - when making a stand in public or with your friends for one side or the other of an issue may get you in trouble so you just sort of tried to avoid the issue? Give an example of a time you had to not say which side you may or may not support.

Please remember to use correct grammar when making a comment and post only using "anonymous" or by using your first name only.

Week 1 - Question #2 - Pat Asks You - The Civil War

The author of Guerrilla Season, Pat Hughes, will ask the readers of the novel questions throughout the book blog project and comment on the answers.

Her first question focuses on the historical aspect of the novel. She asks: "Do you know what role (if any) any of your ancestors or members of your family had in the Civil War?"

Please describe any background your family may have had in the Civil War in the comments to this blog post. Please remember to use correct grammar and post only as "anonymous" or by using your first name only.

Week 1 - Question #3 - Who Is Watching?

On the last page of the reading assignment for week 1 - page 76 - Matt senses something. The last night of Chapter 9 reads: "Walking down the lane, he had the unsettling notion that he was being watched."

Who do you think is watching Matt? Please leave your guess and why they would be watching him as a comment to this blog post. Remember to use correct grammar and comment only with either "anonymous" or your first name only.

Introduction to the Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project

Hello and welcome to the Guerrilla Season book blog project. In this post I will try to address some of the frequently asked questions about the project. If your question is not answered here please feel free to send us an e-mail at bookblogproject@gmail.com

We invite anyone - teachers, students, community members, parents, etc to join us in this exciting project. It should be a very exciting opportunity to share an experience in reading a great novel and hearing comments from other readers and the author.

We were able to secure a Sprint Achievement Grant for $5000 to purchase a copy of Guerrilla Season for each student at South Valley Jr High as well as several parents and members of the community.

When does the Guerrilla Season book blog project take place?

• The project officially starts on October 23, 2006 and will conclude on November 19, 2006. The blog can still be accessed after this time period but some of the discussions will not be active.

Who is moderating this book blog project?

• Eric Langhorst, an 8th grade American History teacher at South Valley Jr High in Liberty, Missouri will be moderating this blog with the help of author Pat Hughes and fellow SVJH 8th grade American History teacher Erin Garvey.

How do we know what pages to read over a certain time period?

• Each week on Sunday night there will be a suggested number of pages to read for the week. Typically it will be around 80 pages a week.

What discussion questions will be included with the project?

• Each week there will be several different discussion questions posted on the blog. Readers can add their reaction to the discussion questions through posting a comment on the blog entry. Readers will be able to each others comments and can discuss the questions through the use of comments.

Is posting comments on the blog safe for students and member of the general public?

• When you add a comment and hit submit your comment is first sent via e-mail to Eric Langhorst and Pat Hughes. We will read the comment and then decide if it should be posted to the Internet for everyone to see. Everyone commenting should either comment as "anonymous" or using a first name only. Any comment that contains a first and last name, inapproriate comments or a vast number of errors will not be posted to the Internet.

Will the author be involved in the discussion?

• Yes, that is one of the best things about this project. Pat is very excited about participating in this project and will be commenting on reader questions and providing feedback on the themes of the novel.

What other items will be included in the blog with the discussion questions?

• The blog will also contain pictures, links to sites that relate to the novel, audio from author Pat Hughes about the novel and projects the students will be working on at South Valley Jr High.

What will students be doing with this project in addition to reading this novel?

• Everyone 8th grade student at South Valley Jr High - about 300 in total - will be reading Guerrilla Season during the project. Students at SVJH will be reading the novel as part of a graded activity. SVJH students will be required to post at least two blog comments during the duration of the project and complete one project based on the novel. (Details of the possible student projects will be added in a later blog entry.) Students around the country participating in this project can follow the lead of SVJH or their teacher can adjust the project to their situation.

What is Guerrilla Season about?

• I don't want to give away too much about this book but it is a historical novel about Missouri in 1863 as the Civil War is brewing. Two teenage boys, Matt and Jesse, belong to families caught in the middle of the turmoil. It tells the story of the Civil War in Missouri, which is most likely very different than the Civil War you studied in school. Here in Missouri it was much harder to know who the enemy was and the terror of uncertainly was a way of life.

If you have any questions about this project that were not answered above or you would like to join us please send us an e-mail at bookblogproject@gmail.com

Welcome

More details coming soon. Book blog will begin in October of 2006. We have just been notified of a grant which will allow us to have every 8th grade student at South Valley Jr High read it at the same time! More details later.

If you live in the Kansas City area you can purchase a copy of Guerrilla Season at By The Book in Liberty by calling (816) 792 - 3200. If you live outside of the Kansas City area you can also purchase Guerrilla Season by Pat Hughes now here to get started.

If you are interested in participating in this project please e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com

Talk to you soon.


Eric Langhorst
South Valley Jr High School
Liberty, Missouri
www.liberty.k12.mo.us/~elanghorst