Journal Entry 1 by MsPooh from El Cajon, California USA on Thursday, March 27, 2003

Three imperfect people...
One perfect idea...
Have you heard?

It all started with the social studies teacher's extra-credit assignment: come up with a plan to change the world for the better, and do it. Twelve-year-old Trevor McKinney began by doing something good for three people. But instead of paying him back, he asked them to "pay it forward" by doing a favor for three more people, who in turn would help three others, and so on, each act a link in a chain of human kindness.

And no one - not his teacher, his mom, or anyone in his small California town - could ever have dreamed of how far Trevor's plan would go.

 

Journal Entry 2 by MsPooh from El Cajon, California USA on Saturday, July 05, 2003

Journal Entry 3 by MsPooh at BookRay in Round Rock, Texas USA on Saturday, July 05, 2003

Release planned for Tuesday, July 15, 2003 at BookRay in Round Rock, Texas USA.

Out to player #1, fly46 

Journal Entry 4 by fly46 from Nashville, Tennessee USA on Monday, July 28, 2003

First and foremost, I think whoever has this book last should offer it up for the game PIF in the forums... I think it would be an extremely appropriate release that way...

Now then, with that said.... AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! This is like the fifth book ring/ray whatever that came in the mail TODAY (No joke... I got 13 books in the mail today... half of them are promised to other people!)

I'll try my best to get this out as quick as I can... but I can make no guarentees that it will be out before I go back to school at the beginning of August, although that is what I'm shooting for.... (I'd actually like to read it before the movie airs on TV because I never saw the movie)


Okay, so far, the book is horrible! I'm like 1/4 of the way through, and it jumps around and it's bad... I don't know if I skipped a page or what, but the beginning of the book illudes to the teacher having an extra credit assignment, but never says what it is? Then the boy, Trevor, is doing the assignment? It's very bizzare... Not to mention it's written like a combination book/journal/newspaper article/person telling a story... So it's hard to get into because there's really no flow.
PLUS, the teacher in the book is a black guy with one eye, so how in the WORLD did Hollywood translate that into Kevin Spacey???? I'll update more when I finish.

Okay, about halfway through... I don't think I'll finish this in time to watch the movie tomorrow, but I'll get as far as I can before then... The book is picking up, finally, and the jumping around seems a bit more logical now, whereas at the beginning it was sporatic and didn't make any sense. The book will be moving on very soon. 

Journal Entry 5 by fly46 from Nashville, Tennessee USA on Thursday, August 07, 2003

Okay, this book started off really bad and hard to follow because it skips around from different perspectives and stuff... Once you get used to that, and past the slow stuff at the beginning of the book, it's much better. Then it starts getting really really good..
I can't stand some of the lesser characters, although I don't think I'm supposed to. :-)
There's a couple twists in the book... Don't want to spoil them..

Like I said before, I don't recall hearing the Reuben ever explain the project to the class, and at the beginning you're just supposed to catch on and figure out that that's what they keep referring to at the beginning. 

Journal Entry 6 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Friday, August 15, 2003

I recieved this in the mail today. Thank goodness I only recieved 3 others today! I am anxious to read this before I see the movie.

August 22
I finished this book last night. It is really hard to get into and understand at first as stated by others, because it skips around so much. I understood the assignment, but probably because of all the hype of the movie, I picked it up somewhere. I havent seen the movie yet, but hope to watch it this weekend. From what I hear, the story is retold differently to please a mass audience, I guess. This was an easy fast read, I wasnt too happy with the incident near the end, but then again, I usually dont like all wonderful books either. I think that the book does make you think of how helping others can snowball. I did like the very end (trying not to give much away ;-)
Will be mailing this on soon....


Just a note I mailed this to VA on 9-4 according to my receipt from the usps. Hope that it got there ok. 

Journal Entry 7 by Ladybug01 on Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Thanks for sending me this book for the Bookray (love the bookray symbol!). My apologies for not writing a journal entry as soon as the book arrived in the mail. The first month of school with 4 kids is so busy with sports, scouts, PTA etc; I set the book on the counter, it called out to me but it took me a couple of weeks to have time to pick up the book!

Once I picked up this book, I didn't want to put it down. I enjoy books that are written from many different perspectives, always looking forward to when later in the tale a connection is made between two of the characters. I felt this story was amazing and inspiring. It showed that people can care about what goes on in their world and that one person CAN make a difference.

I have not seen the movie yet. I also want to read this book with my kids; will get my own copy to share with them so now will send this book on it's merry way!

...and remember to always "pay it forward"! :>)
>(:::) Ladybug01

 

Journal Entry 8 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Thursday, November 20, 2003

Looking forward to reading this book - that just arrived today.
I love the Pay It Forward concept - like the BC concept - magnified, maybe... 

Journal Entry 9 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Monday, February 02, 2004

Hmm - I really believe the value of the premise: Pay It Forward.
The book definitely had its likeable moments, and you've gotta love the description: The story of how a boy who believed in the goodness of human nature set out to change the world - but somehow it missed for me; maybe too contrived, unrealistic...
That said, I still do believe in the value, contagion, surprising power of the pay it forward idea!
Sending on to Eskielover as soon as I get an address.
 

Journal Entry 10 by Eskielover from Olympia, Washington USA on Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Journal Entry 11 by Eskielover from Olympia, Washington USA on Tuesday, March 02, 2004

I completely enjoyed this book. I think the premise is wonderful and just maybe could really work. I belong to RAK, a Random Acts of Kindness group where I live, and often "pay it forward" for different people and causes. I had no trouble following the plot, and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it, though I did have to put it down to sleep one night. Thanks so much for including me in this bookray! 

Journal Entry 12 by Eskielover from Olympia, Washington USA on Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Journal Entry 13 by Wildflower67 on Saturday, March 06, 2004

Arrived in yesterday's mail. I currently have no ring/ray backup (yay) so I'll start reading it tonight! 

Journal Entry 14 by Wildflower67 on Tuesday, March 16, 2004

I really enjoyed this book! Thanks Ms. Pooh for sharing it with me.

I wrote a review but afterwards I thought it contained too many spoilers for the other people on this bookring. If anyone wants to see it, it's posted here. 

Journal Entry 15 by 16stepper from Gilbert, Arizona USA on Saturday, April 03, 2004

Arrived in Gilbert a couple days ago. I have my ray pile down into the single digits now so hoping to read this one fairly soon. 

Journal Entry 16 by 16stepper from Gilbert, Arizona USA on Wednesday, May 26, 2004

This is a wonderful book, so much, much better than the movie. I got so much more insight into Reuben and Arlene than I did in the movie. And I don't understand why they would have cast Kevin Spacy and taken away the most of the disfigurement when Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, or Lawrence Fishburn could have played the part of Reuben so well. To make the movie less inflammatory to some bigoted viewers?

Back to the book. I love the little diary entries from Trevor throughout the book. I also like the inclusion of the excerpts from the reporter's book.

I hated the ending of the book, just as much as I hated the ending of the movie. Maybe more because of the obvious adoration the author has for Bill Clinton, whom I regard as one of the biggest sleazebags on the face of the planet. But back to the ending. Having said that I hate it, it also felt manipulative in a way. And yet, I don't know how else it could have ended.

I will try to get this in the mail quickly. I have 2 other bookrays that I've completed that I can't get anyone to take off my hands. Hopefully that won't be true with this one. 

Journal Entry 17 by ladyofunicorns from Santa Fe, New Mexico USA on Sunday, October 31, 2004

The book was okay but I really got screwed up because I had seen the movie first a long time ago though. Not to get too much into spoilers....I just want to say that the movie characters are different from the book characters. I am still trying to get my head around the teacher, I had to ask my roommate (the movie buff) if Kevin Spacey was the teacher in the movie and she said yes.

I do like the concept of pay it forward but in this world, it is too unrealistic. I didn't like the ending of the book either but I would have to see the movie over again because I cannot for the life of me remember how it ended. Could anyone enlighten me?

Thanks so much for sharing the book! 

Journal Entry 18 by ladyofunicorns from Santa Fe, New Mexico USA on Sunday, January 22, 2006

Let's see...

Wandeca asked to be skipped
Theresa-A's bookshelf says to skip her and put her at the end
Ollierbear asked to be removed
Ench never heard back from
pambueno asked to be removed
caligula03 asked to be removed
Jas330 - pm'd 12/20/05 and also today 1/22/06. Left deadline of Feb 9th. If I don't hear from Jas330 by Feb 9th, I will contact the next on the list.

Just wanted to check in! 

Journal Entry 19 by ladyofunicorns at Venice, California USA on Friday, August 28, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (8/28/2009 UTC) at Venice, California USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This is heading out via snail mail to twinkpuddin to continue the bookray! 

Journal Entry 20 by twinkpuddin from Venice, California USA on Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Wow, really happy to see this book in my mailbox! Wasn't sure I'd ever see it. Thanks so much ladyofunicorns for sending along.

Just finished another book tonite so I'm ready to start reading this one. 

Journal Entry 21 by twinkpuddin from Venice, California USA on Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Finished this last week. I understood the premise of the book, having seen the movie years ago. I thought it was an easy, enjoyable read. What a great idea "paying it forward" is. I really wonder how unrealistic it is. Wonder if anyone's really tried.

I'm trying to contact those after me on the list. Thanks MsPooh for hosting and ladyofunicorns for passing along. 

Journal Entry 22 by twinkpuddin from Venice, California USA on Sunday, September 20, 2009

Went out yesterday to DreissM! 

Journal Entry 23 by DreissM from Houston, Texas USA on Friday, September 25, 2009

Received the book Tuesday. Thanks so much twinkpuddin. It's next on my list to read. 

Journal Entry 24 by DreissM from Houston, Texas USA on Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The book was a bit difficult to follow until I figured out the jumping around scenario. I guess I expected more out of the book than I got. I do think the idea is lovely though.