I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very interesting and the form is very unique. The idea is that this book is Ratchet's English book, and so all the entries are an assignment. There are different forms of poems, essays, and fables. I really liked how the author conveyed the plot and Ratchet's feelings. This book, or journal, is about Rachael, otherwise known as "Ratchet". Ratchet is a home-schooled girl who lives with her widowed estranged father. The majority of this book is Ratchet struggling to find friends and fit in, and Ratchet's relationship with her father. Ratchet is embarrassed with her father, and his quest to save the environment. She just wants a "normal" life. But as she goes along, she learns that she doesn't need a "normal" life. I recommend this book to girls ages 10-15. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
This Journal Belongs to Ratchet
By Nancy Cavanaugh
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grades 4 - 6 | n/a | 5.3 | 36396 |
Move over Diary of a Wimpy Kid―there's a new journal in town and it belongs to Ratchet.
"A book that is full of surprises...Triumphant enough to make readers cheer; touching enough to make them cry." ―Kirkus, STARRED Review
If only getting a new life were as easy as getting a new notebook.
But it's not.
It's the first day of school for all the kids in the neighborhood. But not for me. I'm homeschooled. That means nothing new. No new book bag, no new clothes, and no new friends.
The best I've got is this notebook. I'm supposed to use it for my writing assignments, but my dad never checks. Here's what I'm really going to use it for:
Ratchet's Top Secret Plan
Turn my old, recycled, freakish, friendless life into something shiny and new.
This Florida State Book Award gold medal winner is a heartfelt story about an unconventional girl's quest to make a friend, save a park, and find her own definition of normal.
Book Reviews (39)
I read the book This Journal Belongs To Ratchet by Nancy J Cavanaugh. This book is about a girl named Ratchet. Her original name that her mother gave her was Rachel,but her father always called her Ratchet. Ratchet has an abnormal childhood living with her father in a house that looks like it is going to break down. Ratchet's father is a car mechanic and he doesn't make much money so Ratchet is homeschooled. She helps him throughout the day with his job. She doesn't have much knowledge and she wishes daily that she could blend in with all the other girls,but when her name is Ratchet it's not possible. Her goal is to make friends but instead of making friends, Ratchet gets made fun of. I like this book because it tells you a lesson on being happy with what you have. Ratchet never appreciated what her father did for her. This is realistic fiction because this is something that can happen to anyone. Many people can relate to Ratchet because maybe they only have one parent that can take care of them. I think anyone can read this book it doesn't only have to be girls. This is because it teaches you a general life lesson,something everyone can learn. One internal and external conflict is man vs. self and man vs man. When Ratchet keeps fighting with herself that she isn't like anyone else she is showing man vs self. When Ratchet fights with her father that he doesn't treat her like a girl she is showing man vs man.Overall I have read the book This Journal Belongs To Ratchet.
I read the book, This Journal Belongs to Ratchet by Nancy J. Cavanaugh. This book is about Rachel Ratchet Vance who is an 11-year-old girl, homeschooled by her widowed father. Ratchet is embarrassed by her father's often environmental speeches, the fact that she knows more about fixing cars than creating a wardrobe, and that they move each year from one fixer-upper to the next. Desperate to lay down roots, make friends, and simply live a normal life, Ratchet hopes to discover her own identity by learning more about her mother and ultimately changing herself for the better. The book's journal format, which shows Ratchet writing in various styles as she completes her language arts assignments. I like the books layout and think it's interesting to read about her life and what's going on throughout her life, although some pages can be a little boring when she doesn't talk about nothing really big happening. This book is realistic fiction because it's has a realistic background and sounds real, but is not based on a true story or never happened in real life. I think people who like reading about other people's lives, or has a connection with Ratchets life will enjoy this book. An external conflict is man vs. man, the other boys on the street teasing her and her dad almost everyday they ride by, an internal conflict man vs. self is her wanting to be like her mom and not be fixing cars.
The book I read was This Journal Belongs to Ratchet By: Nancy J. Cavanaugh. This book is about a girl named Ratchet (who's real name is Rachel) who's mom died in a car accident when she was younger and now she lives with her dad. She is also home schooled and helps her dad with fixing cars. And every time she helps her dad these boys named Evan and Hunter make fun of her and her dad. Also Ratchet was trying to be like her mom so she was trying to find more information about her mom. So Ratchet finds a box under a sink and she asks her dad about it and they get into a big argument. I think this book is very interesting and I also like how it is written because it is short and funny and it teaches you how thing are written and the meaning of it. This book is realist fiction because it can happen to some people in real life. Someone who would like this book is someone who like to read realistic fiction and someone who like to read funny and sad stories. An external conflict happened when her dad told her the truth about her mom and why she left them. An internal conflict happened when ratchet thought that her dad was being mean to her because he didn't want to tell her why her mom left because he didn't want to hurt her feelings.
The book This Journal Belongs to Ratchet is written by Nancy J. Cavanaugh. This book is about a young girl who would give up just about anything to be a normal girl, with a normal family, name, clothes, friends, and school life. Ratchet, a homeschooled girl, who helps her dad work in the garage on cars, tries to fit in with the kids on her street, her dad makes that very hard for her. Ratchets dad believes in saving trees and is overall echo friendly but when the local park is going to be turned into a mall he objects and gets himself into community service time. They set him up to teach a class on building go carts, the boys in the class make fun of Ratchet and her dad. One boy reaches out to her and asks her to help with his go cart. They become really good friends and work together to help save the park. I really loved the plot to this book, I really enjoyed this book overall mostly because of its format. This book is written out like Ratchets homeschool assignments, either a poem, journal, or a news article. I liked this feature because it was different from any books I have read, I think it's meant to be different because it shows how Ratchet is different and the book is written in a different format that other books. I know that this book is realistic fiction because Ratchet and other characters don't have any powers, they aren't any talking or inanimate objects that take on human traits. I think this book is really a book written for girls. I think this because it's about a girl who has a crush and what's to know if he likes her back, and I think that it is more a girl centered topic, this would be a good book for 6th or 7th graders because some kids might not understand global warming and this book focus on global warming and the problem. One internal conflict is when Ratchet makes a decision to ask her dad abort the box that she suspected that has something to do with her mom. She considered not asking but quickly changed her mind repeatedly. One external conflict is when Ratchet is looking for the box but finds out her dad moved what was inside it and threw away the box, she fought verbally with him multiple times.
The book I will be reviewing is This Journal Belongs to Ratchet by: Nancy J. Cavanaugh. This book is about Rachel, or Ratchet who lives with her dad, in what her dad calls Handyman Specials, which are houses that look like they will fall down. Her story is that she has no friends, and no mom. She feels misplaced and lonely but she sees a chance to change it. This book is a great book. It is super exciting, a little bit sad, with a great ending. This book is an example of realistic fiction because some people are just like Ratchet, except Ratchet isn't a real person, she is from the story. This book is great for someone who likes life changing stories with lots of emotion. This is because Ratchet goes through some great, and some not so great times. One internal conflict is Ratchet deciding to do without having a mom because since she doesn't have a mom, she doesn't know what it would be like to have one. One external conflict is when Ratchet fights with her dad about her mom because she wants to know more about her. This is This Journal Belongs to Ratchet by: Nancy J. Cavanaugh
OMG this book is so good!!!This book is about a girl named Ratchet who is home schooled. She wants to find more about her mom, change her life, and make a friend. I enjoyed reading this book totally recommend this.
this book is cool
I love this book
Why do you love this book was good about it? :)