Critical Thinking Question: How does this text make you think about justice in the world?

In a typical day, you don't really think so hard about how fair or unfair this world is. You usually think about what you are going to do the next day, or in my case, all of the things I have left to do before I leave on Friday. It usually takes a while to discover all of the problems on the inside, when all you see is the good on the outside. The book Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott deals with justice and racial issues. In this book, the main character Bobby and his brother are called "chocolate" because of their race. These charters' deal with a lot because of their race, and that lead me to think about how it related to justice in our world today.

One way Tony Abbott shows how this book deals with justice in the world, is the theme of racism. Bobby and his brother are called names because of their skin color. "They called them chocolate men, Bobby and his brother"(Abbott 7). This shows that people of the opposite race don't want to accept the fact that they are a different color and they are not like them.  Another example of racism in this book is when Bobby asked if a black person dug graves for people. "Did chocolate men dig graves?"(Abbott 17). This shows racism in a not so obvious way. Bobby asked this question to see if a white or black man dug his grandfathers grave. He was wondering if a white man would dig a grave for a black man, and the other way around. He wanted to know that a black man would provide a resting place no matter what color they were. This relates to the world today for many reasons. A lot of the time, people don't accept people for who they truly are because they are different. In this case, the characters in the book are dealing with race because the whites and the black are different. People need to think of everyone the same because we are all different in our own way, but that doesn't make us anymore  different than anybody else. These are the reasons that racism in this book makes me think about justice in the world in the present day.

Another way this book makes me think about justice in the world is segregation. "As long as we don't have to take the bus. Chocolate people always sit behind you"(Abbott 24). Bobby and his brother Ricky were talking about how they didn't want to sit on the bus. They were happy when their mother revealed that they were going to take the plane back. They didn't want to deal with the drama of having to sit in the back of the bus for a long time with a lot of whites in the front. To him it wasn't fair. Another example of segregation is when Louisa is explaining how Jacob and her husband are going to their grandmothers house. "Hershel sat on the inside of him. Then the white passengers got on, then the driver" (Abbott 27) This shows segregation in more ways than one.  One way this shows segregation is that the whites didn't want to get on the bus at the same tike black people did because they didn't want to mix. Another reason is that during that time period, there was a lot of segregation going on, and there was very minimal mixing of races. To me, this shows that justice in that time period was very little. I think today, we take it for granted that we have come so far.

 All of the people who acted during the civil rights act were very brave, and did an amazing job of helping our country unite as one. Now, there is a surplus of justice. Segregation was a very difficult and bad time. Now we have so much more and a lot more to be thankful for. During the time when there was a lot of chaos there was also a lot of people doing as much as they could to have change. Segregation and racism are problems that people wanted fixed. Although there is some of this left, we are almost to where we want to be. In perfect harmony.

Independent Reading Response: How does money figure in this text?

In the days of the great depression, there was a serious problem with money. In the book "Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse money played a great portion of this book because of the Dust Bowl. In the book, Billie Jo, the main character, has to go and get money for the family because her dad isn't a very good of a father. Also, after the death of her mother, her father started to care less and less about her.

One way money played a role in this book is the absence of care that Billie Jo's  dad gives her family. First of all, Billie Jo's father didn't even want her. He always wanted to have a son. That is why she has a boy name. When he found out that her mom was pregnant with Billie Jo's brother he was overjoyed. While her mom was pregnant she got burned really bad. When her mom was suffering from the burn Billie Jo had to try and take care of her mother. Her dad on the other hand didn't even care. He was out drinking. The book quotes, "He went out last night. While Ma moaned and begged for water. He drank up all the emergency money until it was gone. I tried to help her…She cried for the pain of the water running into her sores…the whole time my father was in Guymon, drinking." In this situation, money was a huge part of the book plot because it sets what is going to happen afterwards. Her dad was out using all of the money that they had left. Also, it caused Billie Jo's mom to suffer from thirst because her dad wasn't there to give her water. Another reason money is an issue in the is book because of the o Billie Jo's father continues to go out and get drunk. Billie Jo's dad is a very self centered man. He cares mostly about himself. If he is happy then everything is okay. He uses all of the money that they have and he uses it to go and drink. This ties into the other example that he doesn't care that her mother is in agonizing pain. Instead, he goes out, uses all of their money, and goes about himself. That shows how selfish of a man he is, and how this relates to the money issue in this book.

Another reason that money play a big part in the book is the shortage of crops. Because it was very dry, it caused the dust bowl to come. There was also minimal rain for the season. Billie Jo's father had to go to FDR to and ask for a loan because they coudldn't make any money. If there is no crop, there is no money. He promised her dad that until the crop comes, he doesn't have to repay him. Her dad took advantage of that offer. He decided to start over and start from scratch, but the problem was, it didn't rain. It hadn't rained in three years. Because it didn't rain, it caused Billie Jo's dad to go and drink…a lot.

Money played a big role in this book. It caused the future of Billie Jo, and caused her father to go out of control. It caused destruction to the family. It was part of the reason Billie Jo's mother died, and is caused him to start drinking. This was a very major problem in the book because Billie Jo was mainly left to car for herself with minimal support form her father. All in all, money was a big part of this book.

Monday Muses- "The Last Song"

The movie that inspires me is "The Last Song." For me, this is an inspiring movie because it is kind of like my life, but not quite. In the movie, it shows the relationship between the daughter and the connection that she has with her dad. It relates to me because of the relationship that I have with my dad. In the movie, the main character went to go visit her dad. While she was there, all she did was fight with her dad until she realized that there was something wrong with him. It was like she took him for granted. In my life, my dad came to visit me, and when he was here I feel like I didn't cherish the time I had with him. This movie related to my life in that both the main character and I both took the visitations of our dad for granted. We both acted like having our dads was a normal thing. When it was time for us to part from them, thats when it got hard. We realized that our time together doesn't last forever. "The Last Song" was a very inspirational movie to me because of the relationships that both the main character and I have had with our dads. The main character in the movie realized that it shouldn't take the death or sickness of a person to realize that you shouldn't betray them. The lesson that I learned is similar to hers because I learned that it shouldn't take the end of precious time to realize that you need to cherish your time with one another.

Argument Essay 2nd Draft

There are many books that have mature issues in them, and many parents and teachers don’t want their children reading them because of the explicit themes in books, and they should be banned. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is just one of the many books that have mature topics and content.This book was on the banned book list, and after reading this book, I now understand why this would be on the banned book list. This book lead me to the conclusion that books such as “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” should be banned because there are themes in the book that are too explicit and advanced for young readers.  

Books should be banned because there are things that are are "too dangerous." One example that proved this point is in the article “Darkness Too Visible.”  In the article, the mom of a young teenager claimed that there were themes in the book that were too intense for young adults and she considered them too menacing, and she left the book store empty handed. Another example of this is that the themes in books are too explicit. In the same article it claimed that there were uncensored themes that young adults shouldn't be reading. In the book that I was reading in my inquiry group there were very clear themes that were too explicit. In "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" there were themes such as sex, drugs, and rape in my book that were very explicit. Some people say that  it is good to expose children to themes such as drugs and alcohol because it is a good way to teach them about life. While this may be true for some, adults don't agree with this because it can effect the mind and thoughts that may go through young readers.

Another reason that I agree with the controversial issue that books should be banned, is that the books that are aimed at children often deal with dark themes. For example, In "Darkness Too Visible,"  it claimed that there were a lot of violent themes in the book. In addition to there being a lot of brutal themes in books, is the things that go on in children's heads. In the article it stated that "what goes on in children's head has to do with what he or she reads."  In the book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” there is a scene in the book that has to do with rape, and how it can be dangerous. The quote shows how young adult books have dark themes in it because  it demonstrates how the things that a child reads effects what they think about. If a child reads about rape, they are most likely going to think about what they read about, which is in this case rape. While some people think it is good to have books with topics that deal with dark themes in it like drugs, abuse, etc. because it teaches a good lesson. Even though some people think that books that have been challenged is because the content inside of them books are too mature, and should therefore sayed banned challenged or both.

The last reason that I agree with the banning of books is because of the influence that it can give children. In the article "Darkness Too Visible," it claimed that you have to be be careful to what you give a child because it could influence their actions. In the article “Darkness Too Visible,” there was a young girl who was reading a book, and she said it was “too close to home.” In the book that she was reading one of the characters was cutting herself. After she finished reading the book, she got her blade and started to cut herself.   It also said that a young adult read a book that one of the characters was cutting herself, and she did the same. In the book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” was influenced by the relationships that were made in the book. In addition, the scene about rape influenced the main character, Charlie because it left him to wonder about why what happened, happened, and what it feels like to be in that kind of relationship. These examples show that books should be banned because of the influence it can give kids.

In conclusion, I definitely agree with the fact that books with explicit themes should be banned. In "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," there were many mature themes, and in my opinion should not be introduced to readers of such a young age because they are not mentally ready for what is in the book. All over the world, the same question is asked: should this book be be banned?

Argument Essay Draft

Our class has been working through a unit on banned books. In our inquiry groups we read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." It was on the banned book its, and we read the book to see and understand why this book would be considered challenged and banned. This is what lead me to my thesis that because of mature themes in books  they should be banned.

I agree with the banning of books because there are things that are are "too dangerous." One example that proved this point is in the article darkness too visible. In the article, the mom of a young teenager claimed that there were themes in the book that were too intense for young adults and she considered them too menacing, and she left empty handed. Another example of this is that the themes in books are too explicit. In the article "Darkness too Visible" it claimed that there were themes that young adults shouldn't be reading uncensored themes i books such as rape and drug abuse. In the book that I was reading in my inquiry group there were very clear themes that were too explicit. In "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" there were themes such as sex, drugs, and rape in my book that were explicit. Some people say that  it is good to expose children to themes such as drugs and alcohol because it is a good way to teach them about life. While this may be true for some, adults don't agree with this because it can effect the mind and thoughts that may go through young readers.

Another reason that I agree with the banning of books is, the books that are aimed at children often deal with dark themes. For example, In "Darkness Too Visible,"  is claimed that there were a lot of violent themes in the book. In addition to there being a lot of brutal themes in books, is the things that go on in children's heads. In the article it stated that "what goes on in children's head has to do with what he or she reads." This shows that  there are themes in books that can effect the way tens think. It also shows that this happens because of the dark themes in young adult books.

The last reason that I agree with the banning of books is because of the influence that it can give children. In the article "Darkness To Visible," it claimed that you have to be be careful to what you give a child because it could influence the child.  It also said that a young adult read a book that one of the characters was cutting herself, and she did the same.

In conclusion, I definitely agree with the fact that books with explicit themes should be banned. In the book called "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," there were many explicit themes, and in my opinion should not be introduced to readers f such a young age.

Monday Muses

For the past couple of Mondays, we have been doing our weekly "Monday Muses." I have chosen the one about my take on the meaning of life.

It is almost like one of those movies that you rewind and see your life happen right before your eyes. Most of it is like a dream because my life is practically perfect even if I don't realize it. When you come to the conclusion that you are not in that dream anymore, you have a better understanding of "the meaning of life." Most things are unfair, but when you look at your life more closely you then realize that you are better of than most people. If you don't have everything that you want…who cares? You are only stressing yourself out when you need to have that shirt from american apparel just because everyone else had it, or the new i phone so you can be "cool." You are always gonna want more, but thats life. There are some people who have nothing.

Now, back to that dream. Once upon a time, you thought that you were all that "oh…I'm so cute because i have big fluffy pigtails!" Sometimes the only problem you had would be - the glitter came off of my headband. You would travel every where because when you were younger plane tickets were like 50% off.

Okay, back to reality. Life is not fair, and now you have this thing that annoys you everyday of your life…for the rest of your life. You also have to share things you don't want to share like your Halloween candy with your mom because your brother is too territorial.

Back to the dream. There was one point in life where everyone thought you were so cute because you were the youngest.

Reality. Now someone has STOLEN your cuteness place and now you no longer have all of the attention. All they think about is the the offspring of your parents called your brother that is only sometimes cute, but mostly annoying as heck! Life is not fair.

Quote from my mother's words: "He stole you shine boo." Like I said, life isn't fair. Apparently I still have her love, and I know that but still that thing that I was talking about before…well…I could take a few days off from that.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Theme

The book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky is about a boy named Charlie who has older siblings, and he witnesses and faces many different things in the book such as rape and drinking. In this book, there are a lot of themes in this book. Different characters go through a lot of things throughout the book.

One of the themes in the book is rape. In the beginning of the book, the main character witnesses rape during his older brothers party. He was sitting in his room because his brother sent him up there for the duration of the party. There was a drunk couple who came into the room and asked if they could use it. He didn't know what they were going to do. The boy was making the girl do many things that she didn't want to do. When she refused he forced her to do what he wanted her to do or he did it himself. "She was still crying... I had to stop watching at this point because I started to feel sick, but it kept going on, and they kept doing other things, and she kept saying 'no'." This proves that rape is a theme in the book.

Another theme in the book is language. Throughout the book, there is a lot of cursing and sexual language that Charlie is appalled by. It comes up a lot in the book but it comes up at different times and of course for different reasons.

The last theme that I am going to describe is immoral acts. These include drugs, sex, and drinking. The theme of drinking happens at Charlie's brothers party. This is what causes Charlie to witness rape in his room. Another example of immoral acts is  sex. This happens at some of the parties that occur during the story. The last example of immoral acts is drinking. At this party that his brother takes him to there is a lot of drinking. Also, Charlie's brothers friend gives him a brownie with liquor in it. These are examples of immoral acts in the book.

All in all, I can understand why parents and teachers would challenge or ban this book. There are a lot of themes in this book that are graphic and to some very inappropriate. There are many parents that would not let their child read this book.

Faithful Elephants

"Japan was at war." Slowly the war was getting worse and worse. There were bombs dropping every day, all day coming from all over. "Faithful Elephants" by Yukio Tsuchiya tells the story of three elephants who died a very tragic death due to a war that was going on in Japan. The zookeeper had a very strong connection with the elephants. Because the zookeeper was so sympathetic, it impacted the elephants in many ways.  Although he tried to save the elephants they still died and he was very sad in the end of the story. This proves that the zookeeper had a strong connection with John, Tonky and Wanly. 

          The zookeeper loved the elephants,and therefore, he didn't want them to have a painful death. "John loves potatoes, so the elephant keepers mixed poison potatoes with the good ones." This shows that by putting the poison inside of the potatoes, John won't feel any pain and he wont have to suffer. The zookeepers knew what John liked and therefore tried to hide the fact that there was poison in the elephants food. Another example of the zookeepers love for the elephants is that they tried to inject the poison into the elephants food so that he wouldn't have to suffer. The zookeeper had such a strong connection with the elephants that he didn't want them to suffer or have a painful death. 

          When the zookeeper found out that the elephants were going to have to starve to death he was not very happy. He did not want them to have an agonizing death."The elephant keepers stopped feeding Tonky and Wanly...as days passed, the elephants became thinner and thinner, weaker and weaker... the trainer could stand it no longer." This proves that the zookeeper was very heart broken that he had to starve the elephants. When he passed their cage, the elephants would walk up to the front of the cage and it would be as if they were pleading for food and water. It was a very emotional moment for the zookeeper. Also, one day when the zookeeper walked pass the cage, and he could stand it no longer so he decided to go and give the elephants some food and water. This showed that the zookeeper felt terrible for the elephants, and instead of following through with starving the elephants, he fed them. This shows that The zookeeper was not happy about starving the elephants.

          As much as the zookeeper loved the elephants, they did unfortunately die due to starvation. In the end the zookeeper was very sad. "Everyone burst into tears, then stroked the elephants' legs and trunks in sorrow." This shows that the zookeepers were very sorrowful about the elephants death. Tonky, John and Wanly were a symbol of hope, and their death was very tragic. This explained why the zookeeper was sympathetic at the end of the story.

          All in all the zookeeper didn't want the elephants to have a painstaking death. He really loved the elephants, and as genuine as he was, the war ended and the elephants still died. 

How do the Secondary Characters Effect the Protagonist?

"The Boy on Cinnamon Street"by Phobe Stone is about a girl who lives with her grandparents. They had recently moved from her favorite street and now had to start her whole life over again. That means that she had to stop gymnastics as well. In this book there many characters that effect her life in  a huge way, but I am only going to talk about two. Her only best friend Reni and her grandparents.

Ever  since the main character moved from her old block she only really had one friend plus her grandparents who she doesn't really like. Reni (her best friend) really plays a major role in the man characters life. The protagonist in my book can be very introverted at times and doesn't really like to share how she is feeling. The only person that she will talk to is Reni because she had known her for so long, and they can relate to each other in so many more ways that one. Also, when the main character in my book has a problem she goes to Reni and goes for advice. Reni and the main character in my book have a very strong connect with each other, and that is why Reni plays a major role in the main characters life.

Another character in my book that effects the protagonist in a major way is the main characters grandparents. The protagonist's grandpa is more controlling and structures the main character while the grandma is more of a follower, but has set her boundaries. I think they effect the main character in my book because she spends so much time with them. I think they motivate her to go outside of the box and meet more people. Also, they effect the protagonist because they give her really good advice and when she she is sad she always looks at the god side of things, which I think really helps the protagonist overcome a lot of her challenges. Those are the reasons that I think the grandparents effect the protagonist.

All in all there are many people in my book that effect the protagonist in my book. I think that all of these people that support her help the main character with her challenges which is very important because after she moved she needed all of the support that she could get.  

Over the summer I read a couple of books. One of the books that I read was called "Make Lemonade" by Virginia Euwer Wolf. This book was about a young girl who really wanted to go to college and ended up working as a babysitter for a teen mom so that she could achieve that goal. In this entry I am going to talk about some of the elements of story in the book.

First, I am going to write about the plot. In the beginning of the book, the main character LaVaughn really wanted to go to college. She found a poster of potential jobs that she could take, and she chose babysitting. She ended up going to babysit a teen moms children. In the middle of the book when LaVauhgn is babysitting the two kids and the kids mom comes back home with blood all over her face. LaVAughn calls her mom and her mom looses faith in her. In the end of the book Jolly (the mom of the two kids) gets her life back on track and LaVaughn realizes that she has done a good job. Plot was one of the elements of story int he book.

The next element of story that I am going to write about is character traits. LaVaughn is the type of girl who is very determined. One example of that is that she really wants to go to college. Because LaVaughn wants to go to college so badly, she gets a job to help her mom pay for her education. LaVaughn's mom is a person that I would describe as someone who under estimates people. One example of this is when LaVaughn calls her mom over because Jolly was being irresponsible. Her mom was doubting Jolly because she was irresponsible and didn't want LaVaughn to babysit for them anymore, but in the end she decided to be more confident and everything turned out to be okay.

To sum it all up, plot and character traits were some of the examples of elements in the book that I read this summer.  i liked it because I like reading books that are in the realistic fiction genre. It was a very good book, and I recommend it to people who like realistic fiction.