Character​ ​Reading​ ​Response 

Sample​ ​“4”​ ​Response 

  
(Lead​ ​Sentence)​​ ​In​ ​the​ ​book,​ ​Fox​,​ ​by​ ​Margaret​ ​Wild,​ ​the​ ​main​ ​character,​ ​Magpie​ ​goes​ ​through​ ​the​ ​ups
and​ ​downs​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​and​ ​grow​ ​as​ ​a​ ​character!

(Character​ ​Traits)​​ ​Magpie,​ ​a​ ​bird​ ​in​ ​the​ ​story,​ ​exhibits​ ​many​ ​characteristic​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​text.​ ​To
begin,​ ​Magpie​ ​is​ ​insecure.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​Magpie​ ​instantaneously​ ​feels​ ​uneasy​ ​and​ ​worried​ ​about​ ​Fox’s
presence​ ​because​ ​she​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​Fox​ ​has​ ​a​ ​“leg​ ​up​ ​on​ ​her”.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​because​ ​she​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​foxes​ ​eat​ ​birds,
and​ ​with​ ​Magpie’s​ ​burnt​ ​wing,​ ​she​ ​has​ ​no​ ​way​ ​to​ ​escape​ ​if​ ​Fox​ ​attacks.​ ​Also,​ ​she​ ​shows​ ​signs​ ​of​ ​being
insecure​ ​when​ ​she​ ​agrees​ ​to​ ​go​ ​off​ ​with​ ​Fox​ ​to​ ​the​ ​desert,​ ​even​ ​when​ ​she​ ​knows​ ​she​ ​can’t​ ​trust​ ​him.​ ​This
shows​ ​that​ ​Magpie​ ​has​ ​still​ ​not​ ​accepted​ ​that​ ​she​ ​can​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​fly,​ ​as​ ​Fox​ ​has​ ​convinced​ ​and​ ​promised​ ​her
that​ ​together​ ​as​ ​a​ ​team,​ ​Magpie​ ​will​ ​fly​ ​again.
Additionally,​ ​Magpie​ ​is​ ​an​ ​emotional​ ​character.​ ​Magpie​ ​is​ ​definitely​ ​a​ ​dramatic​ ​character​ ​and​ ​feels
deeply​ ​based​ ​on​ ​each​ ​situation​ ​that​ ​she​ ​is​ ​in!​ ​She​ ​does​ ​not​ ​take​ ​things​ ​lightly,​ ​especially​ ​when​ ​she​ ​becomes
“land-bound”.​ ​Magpie​ ​goes​ ​into​ ​a​ ​deep​ ​depression​ ​for​ ​several​ ​days​ ​or​ ​weeks,​ ​until​ ​Dog​ ​brings​ ​her​ ​to​ ​the​ ​river
to​ ​see​ ​Magpie​ ​on​ ​Dog’s​ ​back.​ ​This​ ​helps​ ​to​ ​brighten​ ​her​ ​spirits​ ​to​ ​show​ ​her​ ​that​ ​they​ ​are​ ​a​ ​team​ ​together.
Another​ ​way​ ​that​ ​Magpie​ ​is​ ​emotional​ ​is​ ​when​ ​she​ ​first​ ​meets​ ​Fox.​ ​She​ ​innately​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​Fox​ ​is​ ​“bad”​ ​and
cannot​ ​be​ ​trusted.​ ​She​ ​“shrinks​ ​away”​ ​and​ ​feels​ ​“Fox​ ​staring​ ​at​ ​her​ ​burnt​ ​wing”.​ ​Magpie​ ​is​ ​perceptive​ ​to​ ​know
that​ ​Fox​ ​could​ ​easily​ ​eat​ ​her​ ​for​ ​dinner​ ​which​ ​makes​ ​her​ ​uneasy​ ​around​ ​him.
Finally,​ ​Magpie’s​ ​character​ ​takes​ ​risks.​ ​Despite​ ​knowing​ ​that​ ​she​ ​can’t​ ​fly,​ ​she​ ​learns​ ​how​ ​to​ ​fly​ ​in​ ​a
new​ ​way.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​on​ ​Dog​ ​and​ ​Fox’s​ ​back.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​risky​ ​because​ ​she​ ​cannot​ ​control​ ​where​ ​Dog​ ​and/or​ ​Fox​ ​take
her.​ ​Magpie​ ​also​ ​shows​ ​that​ ​she​ ​is​ ​a​ ​risk​ ​taker​ ​when​ ​she​ ​leaves​ ​the​ ​forest​ ​that​ ​she​ ​knows​ ​and​ ​has​ ​come​ ​to
love​ ​with​ ​Dog​ ​to​ ​go​ ​away​ ​with​ ​Fox​ ​to​ ​“fly”.

(Problem)​​ ​In​ ​the​ ​story,​ ​Fox​,​ ​Magpie​ ​faces​ ​the​ ​problem​ ​of​ ​learning​ ​to​ ​accept​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​she​ ​can​ ​no
longer​ ​fly,​ ​since​ ​one​ ​of​ ​her​ ​flying​ ​wings​ ​is​ ​burnt.​ ​This​ ​life-changing​ ​event​ ​puts​ ​Magpie​ ​into​ ​a​ ​depression,​ ​which
she​ ​eventually​ ​comes​ ​out​ ​of​ ​with​ ​the​ ​help​ ​of​ ​her​ ​loyal​ ​friend,​ ​Dog.​ ​ ​Additionally,​ ​Magpie​ ​faces​ ​the​ ​dilemma​ ​of
remaining​ ​true​ ​to​ ​her​ ​loyal​ ​friend,​ ​Dog,​ ​or​ ​leaving​ ​Dog​ ​for​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​“fly​ ​again”​ ​with​ ​a​ ​less​ ​appealing
and​ ​intimidating​ ​acquaintance,​ ​Fox.

(Character​ ​Change)​​ ​Magpie​ ​is​ ​certainly​ ​a​ ​complex​ ​character​ ​that​ ​leaves​ ​the​ ​reader​ ​on​ ​the​ ​edge​ ​of
his/her​ ​seat!​ ​She​ ​starts​ ​out​ ​being​ ​depressed​ ​and​ ​even​ ​angry​ ​at​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​she​ ​will​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​fly
due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​injury​ ​of​ ​her​ ​burnt​ ​wing.​ ​ ​With​ ​the​ ​help​ ​of​ ​Dog’s​ ​encouragement​ ​and​ ​unending​ ​friendship,​ ​Magpie
learns​ ​that,​ ​together​ ​as​ ​a​ ​team,​ ​Dog​ ​and​ ​her,​ ​can​ ​be​ ​each​ ​other’s​ ​“...missing​ ​eye,​ ​and​ ​you​ ​will​ ​be​ ​my​ ​wings.”
Her​ ​life​ ​returns​ ​to​ ​her​ ​new​ ​normal​ ​and​ ​she​ ​is​ ​joyful​ ​again​ ​with​ ​her​ ​new​ ​friend.​ ​Magpie​ ​drastically​ ​changes​ ​when
the​ ​new​ ​character,​ ​Fox,​ ​is​ ​introduced.​ ​Magpie​ ​immediately​ ​feels​ ​insecure​ ​and​ ​threatened​ ​by​ ​Fox,​ ​as​ ​she
knows​ ​Fox​ ​sees​ ​her​ ​weakness​ ​of​ ​being​ ​unable​ ​to​ ​fly.​ ​Magpie’s​ ​usually​ ​trusting​ ​attitude​ ​disappears​ ​when​ ​Fox​ ​is
around.​ ​ ​Once​ ​again,​ ​Magpie​ ​changes​ ​when​ ​Fox​ ​shows​ ​her​ ​that​ ​she​ ​could​ ​“fly”​ ​with​ ​him.​ ​Magpie​ ​throws​ ​the
reader​ ​for​ ​a​ ​loop​ ​when​ ​Magpie​ ​finally​ ​agrees​ ​to​ ​go​ ​off​ ​with​ ​sneaky​ ​Fox​ ​to​ ​the​ ​desert,​ ​leaving​ ​Dog​ ​all​ ​alone.
This​ ​was​ ​unexpected,​ ​but​ ​shows​ ​the​ ​reader​ ​how​ ​much​ ​Magpie​ ​misses​ ​her​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​fly​ ​and​ ​will​ ​do​ ​“anything”​ ​to
get​ ​it​ ​back.​ ​ ​The​ ​ending​ ​of​ ​the​ ​text​ ​shows​ ​the​ ​theme​ ​of​ ​loyalty​ ​and​ ​friendship​ ​that​ ​Magpie​ ​is​ ​working​ ​to​ ​learn
throughout​ ​the​ ​text.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​seen​ ​when​ ​Fox​ ​tricks​ ​Magpie​ ​and​ ​leaves​ ​her​ ​to​ ​die,​ ​alone​ ​in​ ​the​ ​desert,​ ​without
Dog.​ ​Fox​ ​tells​ ​Magpie​ ​that​ ​he​ ​wants​ ​Dog​ ​and​ ​Magpie​ ​to,​ ​“know​ ​what​ ​it​ ​is​ ​like​ ​to​ ​be​ ​truly​ ​alone.”​ ​This​ ​is​ ​when
Magpie​ ​remembers​ ​Dog​ ​and​ ​his​ ​loyalty​ ​to​ ​her​ ​when​ ​she​ ​was​ ​hurt​ ​and​ ​down.​ ​She​ ​realizes​ ​that​ ​Dog​ ​was​ ​her
one​ ​true​ ​friend​ ​and​ ​starts​ ​her​ ​journey​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​forest​ ​to​ ​be​ ​with​ ​him.