Criss Cross
By: Lynne Rae Perkins
Pamela Cortés
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Why I Chose The Book
• title interesting
• mysterious
• wanted to know what the book was about
First Sentence
• “She wished something would happen.”
• feeling of mystery
• find out what was going to happen.
Brief Summary
• Story of five friends (friendship - love
disappointments)
• Debbie - true love
• Hector - play guitar
• Place - Seldem
Descriptive Passage
• “Later, sitting in the grass waiting for the fireworks to get started,
Hector absentmindedly pulled up a daisy and began picking the
white petals off, one by one. Whatever natural light was left to the
day had retreated to the daisies scattered in the dark grass and to
white shirts sprinkled through the crowd. He pulled the petals off
till they where gone, and all that was left was the yellow-gold circle,
dimmer than the white, but still visible.
It was funny, he thought, how up until you pulled the last petal off,
it was beautiful. A symbol of love. But once your fortune was told,
it didn’t remind anyone of love anymore and it wasn’t beautiful. It
was a mutilated flower. A deflowered flower. Something to throw
away.”
• Hector thinking she loves me, she loves me not” pulling petals of a
flower off, different from most of us do.
Theme And Message
• Theme: Criss Cross - radio show/moments in
your life
• Message: friendship/helping older
people/true love
Final Sentence
• " Someone opened the jar. The lightning bugs
knew what to do. They flew out into the night
air, every last one. Blinking, “Here I am”."
• Everyone has a place in this world.
Conclusion
• wasn’t expected, confusing, didn’t
understand.
• I don’t recommend this book