Post A

*Vocab*
1. recidivism (32): a tendency to lapse into a previous pattern of behavior, especially a pattern of criminal habits
2. cataclysmic (32): resulting from a violent upheaval that causes great destruction or brings about a fundamental change

*Figurative Language*
1. "By now, he'd turned tomato-red, his skin so and angry and soft that his soft fuzz hair glowed like platinum" (33). - This is a simile because it uses the word like to describe Peter's hair.
2. "My daughter has been coming over to your house for how long now, and you've got guns lying around" (81)?- This is an example of irony because when this happened Peter and Josie were only about 6 years old and Peter (the boy whose father owns the guns) is the one who was the shooter at the school.
3. "...the way the sun bounced off its snub yellow nose, the door hinged like the jaw of a dragon, the dramatic sighs when it came to a stop" (65). - This is an example of personification because the author is giving the bus characteristics of humans (or animals).

*Quote*
"I wish I could give you a better explanation, but the fact is, some kids are simply magnets for teasing. Other children see a weakness, and they exploit it" (72). The significance of this quote, I think, is the reason Peter Houghton decided to go and shoot kids in the school. Ever since the first day of kindergarten, Peter had been picked on constantly by other kids, he never really fit in.

*Theme*
I think an emerging theme of the book is to not pick on or make fun of kids because you never know what will happen the day they want to get back at you.