Mosquitoland by David Arnold: a Book Report

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

All direct quotations are from the imagination of Mr. Arnold, not the author of this presentation.

Prezi by: Molly Melahn

For Hills Bros. Original Blend.

My Favorite Part

Even though Cincinnati is something like twenty minutes away, our driver (whose name I've already forgotten, but I assure you is the very opposite of Carl) insisted on stopping for pie. That's right. Pie. Over the microphone, he'd announced that Jane's Diner had the best pie this side of the Mighty Mississippi, and that he'd be a monkey's uncle if he was gonna pass right by without helping himself to a slice, and that if we knew what was good for us, we'd help ourselves to a slice, too, and that we'd surely be thanking him later.

Naturally, I decided to never eat pie again. As luck would have it, across the street was this little place called--I kid you not--Aces Dairy Dip Mart Stop Plus. I could not resist. (And really. why would I want to?)

The Greyhound Bus

For solar retinopathy.

For Makundi (and Abilitol).

Quotes

For Uncle Phil.

The Greyhound Bus Company was founded in 1914 by Carl Eric Wickman. At first, a bus ride cost only 18 cents! Today, the system connects over 3, 800 U. S. locations. Needless to say, tickets cost more than 18 cents now, though not by too much: Greyhound Express costs only one dollar. In the book, Mim plans to travel just under one thousand miles.

About The Pictures...

For "Think of whats best for her. Please reconsider."

Every one of the little drawings represent a part of the book! For example:

The suitcase represents Mim's journey.

The envelope represents the letters she writes.

The key represents Uncle Phil.

And so on...

I am Mary Iris Malone, and I am not okay.

"Every great character, Iz, be it on page or screen, is multidimensional. The good guys aren't all good, the bad guys aren't all bad, and any character wholly one or the other shouldn't exist at all. Remember this when I describe the antics that follow, for while I am not a villain, I am not immune to villainy."

"What's wrong with him?" asks Moses, still eyeballing Walt.

"He's Walt, man. What's your excuse?"

"I'm blind," I whisper, "In my right eye."

Because sometimes a thing's not a thing until you say it out loud.

For Titanic and Jurassic Park.

For The Great Blinding Eclipse.

Summary

For her journal.

Pros and Cons

When Mim's family life is turned upside down (and given a few shakes for good measure), she decides to skip town and take a Greyhound from Mississippi to Ohio. She encounters many unique characters and situations along the way, all the while writing letters--containing Reasons for her supposed craziness--to a mysterious recipient. On this thousand-mile oddysey, which she takes to reach her sick mother, Mim learns the meanings of friendship, family, and sanity.

Pros:

Mosquitoland provides a great, funny story that covers many serious topics: insanity, running away, disability, poverty, suicide, and more.

The book is written by a local author; David Arnold is from Lexington.

Cons:

Because Mim's language is realistic for a teenaged narrator, you'll be hard pressed to find a page without a curse word on it.

Central Characters

For "It's not food, it's a feeding."

For a haircut.

For Ashland.

For Beck.

Overview

The Book Trailer

Protagonist:

Mary Iris Malone, or Mim

Antagonists:

Kathy, Mim's stepmother

Mim s father

"The Shadow Kid," a schizophrenic teen

Poncho Man

Other Important Characters:

Arlene

Walt, a boy Mim's age who has Downs Syndrome

Beck, a.k.a. 17C

For her journey

https://www.you-tube.com/watch?v=2s8CjoO-8pU

For the song that left Mim thirsty.

Genres: Realistic fiction, Adventure

Settings: Jackson, Mississippi; Nashville, Tennessee (Graceland); Independence, Kentucky; Cinncinati, Ohio; Ashland, Ohio; present day; just before Labor Day

First Person (Mim Malone, protagonist)

Structures: Prose and Epistolary

For where it all began.

Throughout her journey, Mim meets many unique people that influence her life in different ways:

Walt releases in Mim a maternal instinct she never knew she had.

Arlene proves that old people really can be pretty cool sometimes, especially while using words like "pizzazz" and "Tres chic, non?".

Beck shows her that she needs friendship in her life (besides herself, you know).

Poncho Man (involuntarily) teaches Mim to stand up for herself.

For the $880.