The book The Car, by Gary Paulsen is a very interesting book that is similar to Voss, by David Ives and Salt, by Maurice Gee. They are similar because they both have the main character meet an interesting person that affects their judgement in a positive way. They learn a lot along the way and become more open while learning to care for people as well. They learn how to overcome fears and do what’s right.Terry Anders from Cleveland, Ohio is the main character in this book. You learn more and more about him as the story goes on based off of his actions. This aspect of the book was very interesting because even on the last page there was still things to learn from him. Despite things being sour in the beginning of the book, he still goes on and things don’t affect him very much, as you will learn throughout reading the book. “His mother called First.t‘Terry, I’m not coming home...’” (9)t“His father called just after nine.t‘Tell your mother i’m not coming back-I've got all my Stuff, or everything I want...’” (9)After the initial, “what the heck is book turning into?”, he decides to do something half sensible, and go to his uncles. . . across the country. “Yea. We’ll go out and see the uncle.We’ll head out west.” (30)During his journey he meets an interesting person named Waylon. Waylon teaches him to learn from everything and that nobody can know all. He has some temperamental issues that make it more interesting and keeps you wanting to read. The author couldn't have done any better in portraying him and keeping the reader hooked. Their journey leads Waylon to something he regrets, “I . . . hit . . . them wrong... We’ll talk to Wayne in a couple of days, work on the car, smooth the world off a little,” (78) and takes him to another interesting character, Wayne.When they get to Waynes, Terry starts learning. He is taught a little more about cars and it is here his journey truly begins. Terry started to become more curious and ask more questions, wondering how people lived and how things worked. He discovered talents and found he would like to do. That is what keeps the book interesting. It’s the fact that he is always learning and always discovering and revealing himself. Waylon and Wayne are always learning as well. Their experiences a little more predictable but still interesting and still shocking. These characters are like two peas in a pod, If you have one, the other has to be there to complete it, and seems as though it’s always been that way. All of the bonds and experiences the characters go through together intensify the story. The characters have very clear morals and this makes them stronger. They are all great. Most of the time.There is one character that isn't quite up to par and makes no reason to talk about, except now. His name is Samuel. Samuel is a very old man that walks the walk and talks the talk, plus has an obsession with sugar. His traits are very weird and unappealing. He does some weird things and says some weird things that makes the book seem as though if intended for little children, thus he isn't very good. ‘It’s good to have friends, but it’s better to have friends with sugar.’” (119) That was one of the statements that threw the book off track and didn't need to be there.While learning from all of these characters he truly learns what it means to learn. In the beginning he didn't understand, didn't listen and questions things to early. It was interesting to hear the reactions of the others while he was doing so and it gave the feeling of learning off and let you know when it was happening. It was apparent and didn't need any further explanation. Discovering himself through “trucking” (Traveling with no long term objective). “Trucking” is what led to unveiling of the big picture. It showed the true lesson intended from the author, and was very clever. It made me want to continue on and probably did the same for all other readers, to learn. The Car was a Young Adult - Fiction book. This young adult had to learn and showed that everybody has something to learn. Even the older characters were learning about the stupidity of some of humanity, and the brilliances of other parts or groups. Nobody is ever too old to learn, according to the message of the book. Young adult literature does have its downsides in the fact that you only see from a young person's point of view, and ignorance is sometimes seen. Clouded judgement is also very common and could be resolved from having a more mature point of view. I have read other books of this genre and liked them, but not quite as much as this one but will keep searching for one of equivalence to achieve equilibrium in the literature world. The Car was almost inspiring.So, after analyzing the book it is a definite four and a half out of five. Normally there is a lot of leniency from my part, but I am being a little bit more a critic this time around. Despite have very clever characterization and morals, there are some aspects of learning not covered and some points that seem unfinished. Overall it is very well written and I would recommend this to anyone considering reading the book.
Reading Strategy #1 PreviewI chose to read this book because I was sitting in class and did not have a book to read so I went over to the shelf and this was the only book I saw that looked quite interesting. The reason that I was interested in this book was the cover, and the title “The Car”. On the cover of the book it showed a visual view from the driver seat of an older fashioned car showing the windshield and the other gauges. I knew this book would be a good read because I like cars and from the title I knew it was going to be about cars.Reading Strategy #2 PredictJust from the first couple chapters of the book I knew things were going to escalate quickly. Just because it was said that the main character Terry had parents that were not the best parents to have, or more better said didn't pay much attention to him. I knew that since there was a car in the book and a young boy something would end up happening between the young boy and the car and they would go on an adventure or whatever. Turns out that that actually did happen and Terry decided to finish the last bits and pieces of work on the project car and leave for what I decided to call it an adventure.Reading Strategy #3 VisualizeIn my head this book created several pictures for me. Just from the start I visualized Terry and his parents just fighting and just not getting along from the beginning. And then the car came into play in the book and at first I pictured the main character terry crashing or doing something terribly wrong with it. Then once Terry left the house by himself and got Waylon and the other old man I started picturing a young boy running away from home and finding new friends with not a lot or enough money to live for long on his own. Turns out that for a couple of weeks Terry does get along pretty good for not having parents.Reading Strategy #4 Make InferencesReading the book “The Car” just really got my mind going and I made a a lot of inferences about the characters and what would happen next. When Terry and Waylon left and went to the white house with the people they thought were not normal, I made and inference when they first got there and thought something was going to go terribly wrong. Then they went on and drove to deadwood South Dakota, and since I know there has been lots of history with gambling there I thought that he would start to gamble and lose all of his money and be stranded there, turns out that didn't happen and that at first he was not the best at gambling but after a while he started to get the hang of it and didn't lose all of his money but was actually very successful.Reading Strategy #5 ConnectI can connect to the book the car because I am a young boy that drives and likes to experience new things. The book showed me that me and the main character Terry are similar and like to do some of the same things. I recommend this book to anybody who likes to read adventure stories and likes cars since that's the title of the book and its what it is mainly about.
What do You think about The Car (2006)?
Have you ever been abandoned, or feel like nobody cares enough to give you any attention. That was the way that Terry felt in the book The Car when his parents left within an hour of each other not to come back. Neither one knowing that he was on his own. That was when he started working on “The Cat”. t“The Cat” is a kit car left by a man who could not pay for Terry’s fathers work. His father did not bother to take the car before he left, to Terry it is a lost treasure. There was only one problem the car was in thousands of pieces. He had repaired small things before like a lawn mower so he could make some money from summer jobs but never something as large as an entire car. Keep reading as Terry begins his quest to find an uncle that was said to live west. It has been years since he last saw him but its the only relatives that he has left. As he travels he meets up with two unlikely travelers. These two people will show him how to live on the road and make the best of your life.tGary Paulson goes to great detail in this book that have been explored in no other of his books.This is one of many great books that he has published over the years. As you travel into the mind of fourteen year old Terry as he travels on his quest to find his uncle and relive the childhood that he never had.
—Joshua Weller
There is a boy called Terry and he is 14. His parents never really actually listen to him or even aknowledge him. His parents were not meant to be with each other and every day they really fight with each other. Until one day he wakes up to no they not there. The only family member he remembers was his uncle and wants to visit him. He goes into the garage and finds out that his dad had a car with a kit to re-do the car aka the cat. So Terry goes on a adventure with the cat and tries to find his uncle.I personally like this book because I think it was just interesting and a page turner. It was also very detailed especially when Terry was fixing up the cat. I would recommend this book to anyone that would need a interesting book.
—John
The carGary PaulsenTerry anders was a 14 year old boy and he built a kit car that his dad got from being a mechanic. His parents split up at the beginning of the book so he wanted to take a road trip to oregon to see his uncle. He started on his journey he met waylon on the side of the interstate. They kept heading west and waylon said they should meet his friend wayne in omaha, nebraska so he could put on a supercharger on the "cat". So after wayne boosted his car he joined them on their journey and he rode his harley the whole way. Then they went to south dakota tofind samuel, who is very old and tells historical stories al the time. Next waylon goes to a small town in south dakota to play poker and he won 18,000 dollars and split it between him wayne and terry.They kept heading west and in wyoming they ran into some bullriders and waylon beat one up. Then they left and the bullriders followed so waylon beat the rest of them up. But the police were hot on the trios tail so they told terry to leave because he is underage. The book ends by terry heading west but he decides to turn around and help wayne and waylon.I rate this book a 4 out of 5This book was very entertaining and once you started reading you couldn't put it down.THe author didn't raise ony opinions in this bookGary paulsen writes without raising opinions.Overall this book is a must read and i would recommend to anyone who likes adventures.collin thorson p.4
—Collin
