Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert O’Brien (fantasy) AND Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney5/29/2015
36 Comments
Nicole George
7/29/2015 12:19:12 pm
Blog 5
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Beth Felts
7/30/2015 09:17:27 am
I, too, found that Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh could easily make you forget that you were reading about animals, because the personification was so seamlessly done that I easily related to characters.
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Courtney Schroder
7/30/2015 12:18:08 pm
Nicole, I also enjoyed the quote “Chapter books are a place where kids get to be on their own, both as readers and as characters” (Sutton, pg. 109). I find it very true! I feel that's how students really get lost in what they are reading when they are drawn into the story.
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Karen Mahoney
7/31/2015 06:39:29 am
I agree that it would be easy to use non-fiction for assignments, and lessons because of its structure and facts. Coming up with creative and engaging ways to introduce non-fiction to students, could be a challenge. As you said, “the students need to feel that Non-fiction books are worth reading, because of the story not just facts and dates.” Betty Carter mentioned something that I thought was interesting. It made me think of non-fiction in a new way. “Readers of fiction resolve their questions largely through their imaginations. Questions about someone’s life, on the other hand, require less fanciful answers. These questions direct readers back to the life itself, to the individual’s actual successes and failures, and to various historical records.” (Sutton, p 199) I think it is easy to just read a book and do an assignment without really thinking about the life involved. Yes, there are usually important facts and dates but when you consider this is (or was) a real living, breathing human with triumphs and heart break, it’s different. It can actually be more exciting than an invented character. If there was a way to help students delve deeper and to find more information beyond the typical dates and facts, it could be very exciting. Consider why that person is (or was) the way they are (or were.) What caused their motivation for success? Who influenced them? What would their best friend tell you about them? What would their mother share? Like actors getting into character, if children could investigate and look beyond the obvious, they may find non-fiction is worth reading.
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Beth Felts
7/30/2015 09:11:21 am
“Reading as a conspiracy. You gotta love it” (Sutton, p 93). In this passage, the authors are discussing The Cat and the Hat’s ability to show respect for children while allowing them to face the chaos of a messy house along with a ‘messy’ rhyme. They speak of the moment in which the narrators are questioning their decisions and whether or not to tell their mother and ask the audience for his/her opinion. The characters are drawing the audience into making a decision and participating in the action of the book, by making them consider what they would do in the same situation. One must keep in mind that not all conspiracies are bad, however, as in the case of Miss Rumphius, who asks the narrator (and the audience indirectly) to “make the world more beautiful.” Both cases are simply clever ways of making the child (audience) part of the story and making them think!
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Beth Felts
7/30/2015 09:18:43 am
What if animals thought and acted like people? Is animal testing fair? What is the difference between animal welfare and animal rights? How far would you go to save a loved one? These are all questions brought up from reading this tale, and it is because of this trigger of questioning that I found this book to be of merit. (In all honesty, I struggled to enjoy reading the book until the last half, because I found the pace too slow – it was the same feeling I had as a child when I attempted to read it. Yet, I was satisfied with it by the end. Other than worrying about poor Justin.)
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Nicole George
8/2/2015 01:21:22 am
In reading your blog, you have a handle on this literature and connecting with our reading. I agree with your opinion that nonfiction should be introduced early to children. This would provide the children with better appreciation for history, and people; as well as, facts are even important to understanding our world, although facts can sometimes be skewed. In your opinion regarding the book, Miss Rumphius and its deserving literary merit, I could not have said it better. Any book that can encourage children to contribute to our world and written so eloquently, should receive some kind of recognition. The statement you made regarding Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, speaks directly to the quote, “Situations become stories, characterization more complex and differentiated, conflict more complicated” (Sutton, pg. 107). The book touches so many issues children have or may experience; it has to have class discussion afterwards. Your questions on the difference animal welfare or animal rights, and how far would you go to save a loved one? These are definitely thought provoking questions.
Ashley Donnell
7/30/2015 11:00:39 am
Beth I loved that you were able to bond over reading the same books as your friend. The same happened to me after I bought the first boxcar book a couple months ago and when I told my sister she said that she had loved those books. They were the only books that we both read but now we read the same things all the time and we talk about books constantly. It's always fun to find someone to talk about books with and friends can also be made that way.
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Courtney Schroder
7/30/2015 12:20:10 pm
I agree that Mrs. Frisby encourages us to question ‘accepted’ knowledge” and it “encourages us to explore ethical complexities”-- This is a concept that very much so fits with the reading. The book allows for a better understanding of the world, because for the most part, we can picture these rats as humans with human emotions.
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Karen Mahoney
7/31/2015 07:31:28 am
“… New Readers seem to want most to read about kids like themselves in familiar situations. And, you may correctly infer, they want to read about the same kids over and over again” (Sutton, p 110). I agree. I also read a mystery series growing up. I loved already knowing the protagonist, her family and her best friend. It was always exciting to anticipate what action packed adventure would happen next. It was almost like having a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile. I couldn’t wait to hear what I had missed. “Kids love seeing what familiar characters get up to next (admit it: so do you), and for new readers, having the character in place is one hurdle crossed before the book is open.” I believe this can be true for any level reader. You already know you like the character; you are just looking forward to experiencing what they “get up to next.”
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Abigail Hengen
7/30/2015 09:44:29 am
“Although my first mile probably took me fifteen minutes, the time didn’t matter so much as reaching the end. Reading ‘a whole book’ has the same satisfaction for the new reader” –p. 97
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Courtney Schroder
7/30/2015 12:22:52 pm
“Although my first mile probably took me fifteen minutes, the time didn’t matter so much as reaching the end. Reading ‘a whole book’ has the same satisfaction for the new reader” –p. 97 I was going to use this quote as well because I felt like it can relate to almost anything in life. The satisfaction of finishing a book and having that feeling of accomplishment, yet desire for more is so important.
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Beth Felts
7/30/2015 08:32:15 pm
I most certainly could relate to the initially slow beginning of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. I find it interesting that you describe it as adventurous, because I was trying to decide if it would fall under the adventure genre or the fantasy genre. (I came to the conclusion it could be both.) Using animals as the main characters gave the story the fantastical element that allows us to "distance[] it from reality, as if the events and concerns of real life are distilled and concentrated into features more brilliant and intense than their usual selves, set apart for clearer examination" (Sutton, p 131). Mrs. Frisby's and the rat's situation opens the door for a great deal of questions about what it is to be human and humane, and much more.
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Kristin Surface
8/2/2015 11:48:06 am
I also noticed the quote comparing reading to running, but I ultimately felt that I disagreed with his suggestion that the pages of early readers should be numbered so that children can see how far they've come (Sutton, 2011). I can see his point, but I would hate to think that the task of reading a book is so laborious that a child would be counting down the pages. I don't want to believe that the focus should lie solely in finishing. I tend to focus on the journey, and would encourage children to be engaged in what they are reading. I feel like they should be concerned with content and not how many pages they have left. I realize that not all children enjoy reading, and that there will be instances where they will be required to read books that do not interest them, so I can certainly see where page numbers might help them track their progress, but ideally I would like to imagine a world where page numbers don't matter!
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Abigail Hengen
7/30/2015 09:45:35 am
(continued)..., or something else? How does this challenge the cultural model of rats?
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Karen Mahoney
7/31/2015 08:43:04 am
The running analogy really resonated with me also. I still remember trying to run beyond one mile and that was 17-18 years ago.
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Ashley Donnell
7/30/2015 10:55:09 am
"The real argument for reading fantasy is that, fantasy stretches the imagination, intellect, and emotions in a ways that enhance, rather than discourage, children's engagement with real life." (Sutton, R. and Parravano, M.; A Family of Readers: The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature, pg 124-125).
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Karen Mahoney
7/31/2015 03:06:06 pm
“The same can be said about Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, there are many different topics that could hit the emotional side for students, a loved one getting sick and/or dying, needing to move, and the fact that in the beginning of the story Mrs. Frisby goes out to look for something different to eat. Children could relate to so many different areas of these books which will hook them and draw them into the amazing world of fantasy.” What a great point! I didn’t even think of kids relating to being sick/dying, moving and worrying about what to eat. These are topics children have to face. As a result they could be drawn into this world of fantasy or any other type of corresponding literature. I agree that children will enjoy and choose to that which they can relate. What are they bringing to the story? “It all depends on what the listener brings to it. You might say that the story is in the ears of the beholder.” (Sutton, p.78)
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Kristin Surface
8/2/2015 12:03:51 pm
I really enjoyed the first quote you chose. I recall reading in the text how often times when children turn to the fantasy genre time and again, the adults in their lives become worried that it is serving as an escape. I think Sutton made a lot of good points about how any child who reads one genre exclusively could be considered as escaping their reality. The text discusses how fantasy is actually a great way to introduce children to some real life issues in an indirect way. I think Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH was a great example of that point. Concepts of interdependence and survival are explored in a non-threatening way.
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Courtney Schroder
7/30/2015 12:15:02 pm
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Ashley Donnell
7/30/2015 01:01:47 pm
Courtney I agree with the quote about children being able to immerse themselves in a new world. I loved that about books. In Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, I love how the settings are describe because I feel like I am following Mrs. Frisby like Sam follows Frodo. As the reader you are taken on her journey and feel like part of the story.
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Beth Felts
7/30/2015 08:34:26 pm
Chapter books were, and still are, a place I go to in order to be alone. If I've had a stressful week, or simply want alone time, I grab a book, hand our kid off to my husband, and go escape for an hour or so!
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Karen Mahoney
8/1/2015 10:27:37 am
Your third quote regarding series is an interesting point. I read past it the first time without considering its significance. It all starts with the toddler’s call to “read it again!” I never thought of it from that perspective. Sutton mentions that “there are series, and there are series. Some are completely formulaic: the characters never change, the plots are stereotyped, and the language is bland. Still it keeps them accessible to a wide range of readers…” (Sutton, p.110) Like the toddler, those reading the series are saying “read it again!” It may be because they know the characters and find comfort in them. They may just want to escape for awhile or it may be because they don’t want complicated language after a long day at school/work. Whatever the reason, they want to go back for more and the authors supply their need. This seems to hold true for children and adults alike. However with children there is something else to consider. This wide range of readers gives “good readers and struggling readers something in common.”(Sutton, p. 111) I would assume this would help build the confidence of the struggling reader. I would think it would be esteem building to belong to a group that identifies itself through literature. As Sutton shares, “this wide range reinforces the idea that books are something you can share with friends.” Whatever series they choose, it can’t be too bad if it causes the struggling reader to read more thus saying, “read it again!”
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Kristin Surface
7/30/2015 01:27:47 pm
The first passage that struck me was regarding the labeling system that publishers often use for easy-readers. "And on a recent visit to a bookstore we noticed that some easy-reader series positively bristle with allegedly educational labels that indicate that Little Bear, for example, is a “level one” book for “beginning reading” while Frog and Toad is a level two, “reading with help.” What’s the difference? Got me. The point is that children ready to read on their own are also ready to choose their own books. Let’em at it” (Sutton, 2011, p. 102).
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Kristin Surface
7/30/2015 01:35:02 pm
a variety of diverse characters, it does encourage children to go out into the world. It challenges them to do something good and make the world a better place, while experiencing what life has to offer. I can definitely see myself using this book in my classroom. Though the characters may not represent much diversity, the story touches on the importance of experiencing other cultures.
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Karen Mahoney
8/1/2015 01:30:07 pm
I really related to your response to the third quote. If I were teaching, that would be an internal struggle for me as well. I also agree that students shouldn’t be sheltered but they also shouldn’t be exposed beyond their comfort zone. How do teachers establish that balance? After reading your response, I remembered something from a previous reading. I thought it went along well with your comments.” I think it is important to support and nourish the unconditional hope that children have, while introducing them to some of the more unpleasant bits of reality.”. Keifer stated, “There are some limits to the content of children’s literature, however. These limits are set by children’s experiences and understanding. Certain emotional and psychological responses seem outside the realms of childhood and are therefore unlikely in children’s literature.” (Keifer, Valuing Literature for Children Page 2) “Cynicism and despair are not childlike emotions and should not figure prominently in a child’s book.” Keifer goes on to discuss the hope of a child even in desperate circumstances and their expectation of good things happening in life. “…when you close the door on hope, you have left the realm of childhood.” He finishes by saying, “The only limitations, then, that seem binding on literature for children are those that appropriately reflect the emotions and experiences of children today. Children’s books are books that have the child’s eye at the center.” (Keifer, p. 3 Valuing Literature for Children) Although that still leaves me conflicted, it does reinforce the child as center and adds some pieces to the puzzle. Now what?
Abigail Hengen
8/2/2015 10:53:13 am
Kristin,
Karen Mahoney
7/30/2015 01:29:18 pm
“Kids spend so much time perplexed by the adult world around them that the opportunity to feel smarter than someone else is a real attraction.” (Sutton, p. 99) This quote from chapter 3 struck me as significant “Little Bear is both a stand-in for young readers and a figure toward whom they have some superiority; like mother, they know Little Bear doesn’t really go to the moon. See? Reading does make you smarter.” (Sutton, p.99) Childhood is a constant balance of autonomy and dependence. Once children are confident with one task, there is always another facing them causing them to learn and grow. In Little Bear and The Cat in the Hat “both ask the same questions: How will I get on without my parents? What can I do by myself? Am I brave?” (Sutton, p.98) As with those readers, I think children like to identify with adults or even feel superior to adults. “…offers something irresistible to all children mature enough to be reading on their own: the opportunity to identify with the grown-up in the story, letting somebody else be the baby for a change. “ (Sutton , p. 101) Scary picture books “include elements that offer children tools to control fear” (Sutton, p.65). As with scary picture books, I believe this feeling of superiority may also help comfort their fears and concerns. If children perceive themselves as intelligent and superior, it allows them to feel capable to handle things in a world that is so vast and confusing. I think this sense of superiority is seen not only in books but also in children’s television shows. The intelligent, clever child/children outwit the parents. Since this is a popular theme, these books and shows tend to be popular. As a result of this popularity, it has become part of marketing to children as well. In a discussion of a popular chapter book series Sutton states, “These were books kids were buying with their own money. These were books in which the heroes were on their own. Who needs parents?” (Sutton, p. 111)
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Karen Mahoney
7/30/2015 01:31:44 pm
as Scott O’Grady’s ejection seat and parachute.” (Sutton, p.177) I think Vicky Smith’s assessment and analogy are quite broad. I don’t believe it should be stated so simply. I would have a hard time with my daughter reading that at a young age. The question is really at what age is it appropriate? How graphic is the text? Obviously it isn’t too graphic. But what is too graphic? Is it just inserted within the text as above? If it is explained in a manner that makes you feel a part of the story, that is completely different than just stating it happened. A section in chapter 2 of our Leland book addresses a concern about subject matter. A teacher did not want her daughter exposed to issues of class and socioeconomic status. She was quoted as saying, “My daughter doesn’t have ideas like this and I don’t want someone putting them into her head. We don’t talk about stuff like that at home.” (Leland, p. 72) I don’t disagree. During our reading of that section, I questioned at what age is it appropriate? Although these are two totally different subjects, it comes down to the same questions. At what age is each appropriate and is it up to the teacher to determine that? Teachers have such a strong influence on their students. It is an important responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly. We are deciding what we are “putting into their heads.” Is it our responsibility to notify parents we will be covering certain possibly sensitive issues? When I was at the library getting books for our poetry invitation, I overheard a mother complaining about a book marked for third grade. She felt the content was inappropriate. She showed the college age girls behind the desk her concerns. They deemed it inappropriate as well. So what is the balance between teaching social issues and what we feel our responsibility is to our class and their parents? Tough one.
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Karen Mahoney
7/30/2015 01:34:21 pm
Our goal as teachers is to help learners connect and relate to the ideas and concepts being read.” (Leland, p. 12) After the rats and mice escape, they create a new life on the farm. As the rats decide on a more independent life that doesn’t require stealing, they create the “Plan.” While continuing to work out details for the Plan, they set aside time to help Mrs. Frisby save her son. Someone must drug the farmer’s cat in order to complete the task. She is the only one small enough to accomplish it. However, this is unsettling as it is the way her husband was killed. At this climatic point, after having already lived through a lab escape, O’Brien doesn’t disappoint. As the excitement builds, Mrs. Frisby makes it to the cat’s bowl just at the precise time. However, she doesn’t count on the farmer’s son being in the kitchen and trapping her. Really? The reader can’t be too frustrated, however, because she hears very important news the rats need before she is released. They are to be killed within 48 hours. Just as the reader thinks there is an end to the suspense, the author throws something else into the mix. The rats must execute the Plan immediately which requires moving and destroying all of their possessions. Even with this knowledge, they selflessly continue to assist her before beginning their own duties. What an amazing example of serving other before yourself. They successfully move her home which allows her son to heal and survive. The mysterious Plan is set into motion to avoid extermination. However, ten must stay behind to throw off the lab doctor. Since she knows there is nothing she can do to help them, she watches. The reader sees this unfold through the eyes of Mrs. Frisby. Sadly, of the ten rats that sacrifice by staying behind, only eight rats survive. The reader never knows who dies as Mrs. Frisby can only see one of the eight faces. “We hope to find some books in every text set that don’t have happy ‘storybook’ endings since that will better reflect real life.” (Leland, p. 88)
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Karen Mahoney
7/30/2015 01:38:09 pm
This theme can help children understand the importance they can have in others lives. O’Brien also included acceptance of others especially between the rats and the mice though other animals could be included. This could relate to diversity. The students can learn “… how to connect what we read in books to our own lives and how we can connect books to larger social issues.“ (Leland, p. 62) There is an underlying theme of friendship that goes along with helping others and acceptance. Additionally, there is much discussion about stealing as the rats decide they don’t want to do steal anymore. “…finding the Toy Tinkers truck, which had seemed like such an enormous stroke of luck, had in fact led us into the very trap we were trying to avoid. As a result we were now stealing more than ever before…” He later continued by saying, ” … a thief’s life is always based on somebody else’s work.” Further into the discussion he talks about reasons to destroy the machines they had built. The more important one (reason) was to remove the temptation. What a great start for a discussion on the importance of honesty and integrity. The Children’s Book of Virtues could be used to enhance this theme. If this were read to a younger class you could also read Anatole by Eve Titus. It is a sweet story also about a mouse that doesn’t want to steal food anymore.
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Karen Mahoney
7/30/2015 01:40:09 pm
The Goudy Old Style text type works naturally with the story of the past. However, the display type is Goudy Cursive which describes the formal, feminine aspects of the character. The narrator is the great niece of the main character, Alice. She introduces the story of her great aunt in her youth. As a young girl she helps her grandfather in his woodcarving and painting business. He shares stories of faraway places. “When I grow up, I too will go faraway places, and when I grow old, I too will live by the sea.” “That is all well, little Alice,” said her grandfather, “but there is a third thing you must do.” “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” “It is our happy task to find as many comfortable ways we can to make enduring words a part of our lives.” (Sutton, p. 87) Alice wasn’t sure what that third thing would be. She grew up and fulfilled her desire to travel but after an injury concluded it must cease. She therefore decided the time had come to find her place by the sea. Parravano asks if the book comes alive and if there is a recognizable world. (Sutton, p. 30)The settings provide both through scenes of her grandfather’s Victorian living room and faraway destinations and her home by the sea. Barbara Cooney’s style sets a calm, gentle mood. “From the porch of her new house Miss Rumphius watched the sun come up; she watched it cross the heavens and sparkle on the water; and she watched it set in glory in the evening.” Although Alice had accomplished two of her goals she realized she still hadn’t made the world more beautiful. As she discovers a new patch of lupines from ones she had planted, she concluded the wind and birds must have carried them there. “Then Miss Rumphius had a wonderful idea!” She scattered lupine seed throughout her community. The next spring there were lupines everywhere. She had accomplished her third goal, “the most difficult of them all.” What an important lesson for the children to learn. As the story wraps up Great-aunt Alice tells her niece, little Alice, and her friends about her adventures. Little Alice says, “When I grow up…I too will go to faraway places and come home to live by the sea.” She wishes what her great-aunt had so many years before. Now Alice says as her grandfather had, “That is all very well, little Alice…but there is a third thing you must do. You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” “-the endings of picture books are important. They can easily be too tidy, too finished, boxing readers in rather than releasing their imaginations or making them eager for more. Seeger and Burningham provide endings that are satisfying, circular and open-ended.” (Parravano, p.28) Cooney accomplishes this as well. Little Alice states, ”But I do not know yet what that can be.” As with her great-aunt, she has to figure that out for herself.
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Karen Mahoney
7/30/2015 01:50:12 pm
Can it be something we do that is beautiful in another way? What are some ideas for making our classroom a more beautiful or better place? How could we accomplish this within our school? Is there anything we could do for our community as Miss Rumphius did? Alice set three goals and accomplished them. What could our goals be for the above projects? Obviously Miss Rumphius was close to her grandfather and her great niece is also close to her. Think of a special family member in your life that shares their past with you. Now think about how much family history you know. Do you have photographs? Think about who you admire from your family and would like to grow up to be like. What kind of family project would you like to do? What do you know about lupines? What do you know about seeds? How could we go to find about learning more?
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Beth Felts
7/30/2015 08:36:57 pm
Interesting comments regarding the font. I also noticed at the end of the book that there was an explanation of fonts and how illustrations were made. It reminded me that even the font of a book is chosen with a specific purpose in mind.
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Abigail Hengen
8/2/2015 11:04:20 am
Karen,
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Nicole George
8/2/2015 02:27:37 am
Karen
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