Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Schwa Was Here By: Neal Shusterman

Questions for the Week of April 25th-April 29th:

What happened in the exposition of your novel?

How can you connect with this novel thus far? (Characters, conflict, setting, theme etc.)

Questions for the Week of May 2nd-May 6th:

Choose TWO questions to answer. You must use specific support and detail from the book to earn full credit.

-Why do you think the author wrote this book? Give examples from the book. Write in complete sentences.

-Write a poem about characters, plot events, and the theme of the book. Your poem should demonstrate comprehension of the novel. Poems should not be in complete sentences.

-Is your book realistic (true to life)? Give examples of why or why not. Give specific examples from the book. Write in complete sentences.

-Make up 5 interview questions that you would like to ask the main character in the book. Create higher level thinking questions.

-List some of the conflicts in the book. Explain the type of conflict and how it was resolved. Write in complete sentences.

-Make a timeline of events in the life of the main character. Start at the beginning and continue to your next role. You can use bulleted events for this entry.

Questions for the Week of May 9-13th (Due Friday, May 13th)

Choose one of the following:

-Write a poem about the plot of the novel. This poem should include information about conflict resolution and/ or the ending of the book. (Include exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution-directly or indirectly.)

-Create a plot line of about 10 main events from the novel. Include exposition (with characters, setting, conflict) rising action events, climax, falling action, and resolution. Label each part of the plot map.

-Other option-Due Friday as well. Create an Animoto advertisement to share with the class about your book.

Use this account


pw: floyd

Everyone Must Respond to this Question:

In paragraph form, answer the following questions after finishing your book.

Rate your book from 1-10 with 10 being the highest possible rating. What did you like best about the book? What did you dislike? What kind of reader would you recommend this book to? Do you think it should be on the literature circle list next year? Why/ Why not? Give specific examples from the book to support your opinions.


  1. Kayla~ In the book "The Schwa Was Here", Antsy is a guy who is not invisible but is sometimes unnoticed. Then comes along Calvin Schwa who is a boy that is invisible unless he makes a conversation with him. I really like this book because it's interesting and it's funny.

  2. Hello Everyone!

    Please remember the exposition includes characters, setting, central conflict, theme and background. You should have enough detail to demonstrate comprehension of the exposition.

  3. Also, remember to include your name if you post anonymously.

  4. Jeanette:
    Q1:In the exposition of my book ansty(the main charater)and his friends(Ira and Howie)go to tey to destroy a plastic dumby(manny)by doing unpleasent things to it.Then they went to a bridge to throw him to see if resists it, and it dose but the head flew off.When they were looking for it when all of a sudden the Schwa appears with it out of no where.
    Q2:In this novel i can connect with the "Schwa effect", because sometimes when i am looking for someone or something and it's right infront of me or when i don't notice someone infront of me.

  5. This book,The Schwa was Here, is great book to read. In a way,The Schwa is similar to people in everyday life. Calvin Schwa a.k.a The Schwa is a boy that is invisible to most people because he is not notice by them. This reminds me of people I see everyday that aren't noticed because they're shy, don't think that they belong here,etc. People like this reminds me of The Schwa.
    The exposition of this novel is about a boy named The Schwa who is overlooked & invisible. People don't even think he is here. Antsy Bonano and his friends sre figuring out why is he invisible to people.

  6. NATE~In the book "the schwa was here" a kid ansty becomes friends with the schwa, and later does some experiments how he is sometimes noticed which make this book very interesting and some what mysterious convincing me to keep reading this book as it grabs my attention

  7. ~ Kiana
    ~ In The Schwa was her Antsy makes a new friend (The Schwa). When he learns that he can blend in with things (Become invisible) Antsy decides to try out different experiments on him. These experiments were called the Schwa effect. After that was finished they found a way to make money by taking dares from other students to make the Schwa do ridiculous things. But during one dare they went into this creepy mans house to steal a dog bowl. When they are caught the old man makes them walk the deadly sins (dogs) for 12 weeks, instead of him calling the police on them.

  8. janna~
    this book is like the 2nd interesting book i"ve read all year long.calvin schwa is like me sometimes.He's sometime goes unnoticed by people ,but wants to change that about himself.antsy is also like me ,because he tries to help him fix that parted about himself because he consider the schwa as a friend.

  9. In the book the "The Schwa was Here" this boy named Anthony aka Ansty who becomes friends with a boy named the Schwa,who has always sat next to him in science,but never noticed him until now.So far Antsy and the Schwa have done experiments to see if anyone will notice the Schwa. The book is getting interesting and i just want to keep reading it and see what happens next...

  10. Students!
    Please remember that all of your connections don’t have to be personal and direct. For example, you can just tell how this book relates to another book, movie, TV show, or court case. You can reflect on how your goals are similar or different than a character’s goals or actions. You can compare/ contrast the theme, setting, character struggles, or character interests. The list goes on and on…the point is to make an aspect of your post unique from your peers’.

    In addition, please check over your work for spelling errors, conventions errors, and unclear thoughts. Your classmates are going to be responding to what you say as well, so please make your postings clear! Some of these are a mess to read!

    Keep posting!

  11. In the book, "the Schwa was here" It very interring..because no one seems to notice the Schwa also known as Calvin Schwa. Ansty(Anthony bonano) also usually has this happening at his house because of his siblings... I've seen examples of this in school and t.v. Where there is a girl/boy that doesn't talk and doesn't get noticed at all.

  12. The schwa was here
    Five interview questions i would like to ask the main character.
    why do you think people don’t really notice you?
    Did you really ever want to get notice?
    Why do you think people don’t notice you?
    Do you like your name?
    &Ndd Do you have any bad parents about your parents?
    [olqqa ascencio]

  13. I belive the aurthor wrot the book to explain the importans of not hanging around the rong crowd. by Malcom Chess

  14. My book is realistick becous crimes and triles happen every day.I'm pretty shure the same thing has happend to thousands of people. by Malcom Chess

  15. in this book The Schwa was here there was this boy name Anthony Bonano who came across this boy name Calvin Schwa. they became best friends. Then they broke into this old man house the old man name was Mr.Crawley thats when all the drama happened. I can relate to this book by cause sometimes it happens at my school

  16. the five questions i want to ask th main character is 1. do u like being unnotice?
    2. do you have good or bad things to say about your parents?
    3. did you feel like you wanted to change your name?
    4. did you really want to find your mom?
    5. Is itr fun being not notice?

  17. Kayla~
    I think the author wrote this book because maybe he was unnoticed before when he was younger. The reason why I said he could have been unnoticed is because the author described The Schwa's feelings.
    My book is not really realistic because a person can not be unnoticed by other people. People can't be invisable, so this book is not realistic.

  18. -Why do you think the author wrote the book?
    I think he wrote it to make kids who feel like they're invisible realize that they don't know the half of it. Also, to just make people laugh.

    -Is your book realistic?
    The Schwa is a realistic person, because I read online that the author based him off of a kid he actually met in real life, so I guess that means The Schwa effect is real (it just might not be called that). It also takes place in New York, a very real place. Also, the characters remind me of people in real life and TV shows.

  19. This book is realistic because anybody can be unnoticeable from time to time or not notice at all. For instant, the author, Neal Shusterman, visit to a school when a teacher told him that a boy raise his hand the whole time. Mr. Shusterman didn’t notice. This remind from the book when the Schwa is not notice when he’s with Antsy & his friends most of the time. This also reminds me in the book that the Schwa did some crazy dares & he didn’t get notice doing it by them. I wrote a poem about one of the main character, the Schwa, who has been unnoticed & invisible to mostly everybody. You can go about in life and not know a thing about me. You see everything but me. To you, I’m everyone not anyone. Which is good? To you, not me. I can be found no where unless you really look. If you care about me, you’ll try until you succeed. I am & always will be invisible.

  20. jose romero dario -is your book realistic ? no th book the scwa was here is not realistic because the characters arnt real .-list the conflicts in the book. some of the conflicts in the book are that the scwa feels invisible because no one noticeses him .it is resolved by him learning the truth about how his mom ran away. another conflict is that anthoney feels invisible because his family barely nottices him this is resolved when he screams at his parents and they start to notice him

  21. one conflict is when the schwa couldnt find his mom. He solved it by finally finding his mom.

    another conflict is when anthony and schwa was in Mr. Crwaley house and he call the police. Anthony and schwa solve it by making a deal that state that they will walk the dogs for 12 weeks

  22. I rate this book an eight. Like everything about the book. There’s nothing that I didn’t like about it. If you like books that people are invisible or you feel like you’re unnoticed or invisible to other people. I recommend you read this book. This novel should be in the literature circle next year because this book relates to someone with the similar terrible predicament. For instant, Calvin Schwa’s mom abandoned in a store when he was five year old &Antsy’s father was fire from his job. This book can also relate to life like when Calvin has been unnoticed & invisible to numerous of people like Anthony, Antsy’s friends, & even his own dad! I created a plot line of ten main events from the novel.
    1. The Schwa appeared, but nobody really noticed him anywhere.
    2. Antsy& his friend did some ‘’Schwa Effect’’ experiment, & they result were unusual.
    3. Antsy use the Schwa’s invisibility to make bets to earn myriad of money.
    4. Antsy& the Schwa had to do community service for Mr. Crawley by walking his dogs.
    5. Antsy has to spend time with Mr. Crawley‘s granddaughter, Lexie.
    6. Conflict is between Calvin & Antsy about Lexie.
    7. Calvin talks about his mom & what he thinks happen to her long time ago.
    8. Antsy & friends are trying to make Schwa to be remembered not forgotten because Schwa thinks he is going to disappear like his mom. Schwa can also slip off the mind of people.
    9. The Schwa moved & Antsy is trying to find to where does he live,& also still remember him.
    10. Schwa wrote a letter to Antsy saying that he found his mom, & Antsy found a way for him & everyone else to remember Schwa.

  23. ~Kiana Hodges!
    I would rate The Schwa was here a 9 because the book was very interesting but some parts didn't really catch my attention. I like how some parts were humorous, and made you wasn’t to laugh. I would recommend this book to a person that likes a comedy, someone who wants to get a good laugh. I didn't like how multiple times they repeated the same thing over again and I caught one mistake in the book. I think that this book should be in the literature circle next year, because it is a very interesting book and it really grabbed my attention. It is humorous and tickle you funny bone when you are mad.