Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

          The book Sarah's Key had two main protagonists. The story shows the life of a young girl named Sarah, and an older woman named Julia. The two stories connect when Julia decides that he wants to find out more about Sarah's story. The story revolves around the holocaust. While I was reading the book, I focused on the archetypes. I focused on the feminist, shadow, and the herald because that is really what the story revolves around.

          The feminist in my story was Sarah for a number of reasons. One example of how Sarah is the feminist in this story is when she put her brother in the closet. When the French police came to her door to take the family, she didn't want them to take her brother because she already had to lie to them about him not being present. Because they had to lie about him not being there, Sarah had to hide her brother in a closet for his well being. While he did die in the end because the family never came back home to help him survive, she did think it was the right thing to do. Another example of how Sarah is the feminist is that, she tried to save her family. When the police came to their house, she wanted to save her brother and dad because they were the only ones that were not present. She and her mom were, and therefore were more in danger. Also, she wanted to run away so that she could be safe and save herself.

          The herald in the book Sarah's Key, are the police that take Sarah and her family  in the beginning of the book. They were the ones who broke her family apart because of the holocaust and brought the family to a camp where the conditions were very bad. Sarah's family thought that the french police were trust worthy, but those were the people that broke her and her family apart.
          The shadow in my book was Julia's husband Bertrend. He was the shadow because of the negative relation ship he had with his wife. Towards the middle of the book, they started to get further apart from each other. Julia had a lot of miss carriages during her lifetime. One day she found out that she was pregnant, and when she told her husband, he told her to get an abortion. Considering she was trying to have a baby for so long, that made her feel very bad, and put a negative impact on her. In addition he is considered the shadow because when Julia was trying to find out more about Sarah's story he discouraged her.

          All in all, the book Sarah's Key was very good. i did think that the writing was not the best that I have ever read. The archetypes though were very clear and I think it allowed for a better understanding of the book.

Non- Fiction Reading Response: Growing Up Saudi

"Saudi Arabia is one of the most powerful nations in the Middle East and important U.S. ally in the region" (Elliott 15). The article Growing Up Saudi by Karen E. Elliott, is about how children in Saudi Arabia grow up, and how and why it is so important to the U.S. saudi is a very strict place, and women don't have nearly the same rights as women. Boys can leave their house and ride their bikes with loud music all around town, but a girl can't leave the house without a chaperone. In addition, dating os forbidden, movie theaters are banned, and concerts are outlawed. Ny boy or girl that is unrelated basically have no relationship with one another at all. There was one woman who worked in a store, but before she could work there, her husband has to inspect it first.  Now, there are some women that are taking a stand, and fighting for what they believe is right.

This makes me think and feel a lot of different things. To me, it is unfair that amen don't have the same rights as men. Women are so underestimated, and I don't think that it is at all, right. I think that there are many people that don't think that women have the same potential that men do. There are many women that have so much more than what they are allowed to do. They want to work, make money, and be able to have the same privileges as men do. I feel that if I was to live in Saudi Arabia, then I would like to make an impact, but I would be very scared to do so. I wouldn't want to mess with the people that have power over me, and I wouldn't want to get arrested fort dying to make a difference for all of the women who want to have the same rights as men do. People take it fro granted every day that they are able to go outside without somebody stuck to their side all day. Even young adults in the U.S. are able to go out and do whatever they want to do. I feel that there are a lot of people that are immigrating to the Untied States for a better future, and life for them and possibly, their future families.

I think that the women in Saudi Arabia really want to have the chance to be able to experience the things that men get to do. If they were able to do things that  were "out of the box" would be so happy   because it would be a different experience for them. In addition, I think that they are very underprivileged, and they need to have opportunities that they are not usually allowed to have.

In conclusion, I think that women in Saudi Arabia have the capability to condor everything. They can vote, go outside without somebody stuck to them, and be able to have jobs and make money. There are people that don't think they have the potential to stand up for themselves and take care of themselves. In addition, I think that if there was a woman to try to make a difference they would get in tousle for going against orders. To me, that is one of the reasons that women are not standing up as much as they would like to. There are a lot of women that can do a lot of things and it is very unfair that there are people that underestimate them.

Reading Response Essay- Poetry

Poem Title; “Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans”

By: reg e. gaines

Asia Di Bari 804                                                                                                  February 13th 2014

A lot of people will commit crimes and harm others in order to get what they want just so that they can look good. In the poem, “Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans,” by reg e. gaines, the speaker steals and shoots somebody so that he can have new shoes and new gear in order to look good and have new things like his friends do. He does this so that he can be accepted by his peers. This shows that he doesn't care about how other people feel about what he does. He will do anything so that he can get what he wants.

The speaker in the poem has no money, and wants to steal things from the mall so that he is able to get good gear. One important observation that I made while reading this poem was that he steals things in order to look good, this is an example of one of the crimes that he commits. This is shown in the quote, “and I gots no job no money at all/ but it’s easy to steal fresh gear from the mall” This shows that the speaker knows that there is no other way to get what he wants because he has no money at all. In addition this shows that the speaker needs to have the newest things, and he will get them even though he has no way to pay for what he wants.

The main character in the poem needs to have the freshest clothes and shoes, or he will be judged by his piers. He gets better things by not paying for them so that he can have a good vibe. This is shown in the quote, “but I really must get some new gear soon/ or my ego will pop like  a ten cent balloon” This quote shows that whatever he has now is going out of style and if he doesn't get something new soon he will be “lower class”. His peers judge him because he doesn't have the newest things, and his looks are very important to him. If he doesn't have new gear than it is like he is not up to par. That is why his looks are so important to him.

The speaker in this poem shoots somebody that is wearing the Jordan's that he wants to have. One important observation that supports my focus is that he commits crimes just to get what he wants. This is shown in the quote, “I fired (POW) he fell between two parked cars/ he was coughing/crying/blood dripped onto the street/ and I snatched them air jordans off his feet.” This shows that when the main character in the poem realized that those were the Jordans that he wanted, he decided to do anything that it would take in order to get what he wanted. In addition, it shows that anybody at any given time will do harmful things to get what they want. They don't care about the impact it will have on the person that is getting harmed.

All in all, this poem showed me that there are many people in the real world that we live in, will do all that they can so they can have what they want in order to look a certain way. This related to me in a few ways. For example when I wanted the  Iphone, I fought for it. While I didn’t steal or shoot anybody, I wanted it because everybody else had it and I was the only one out of my friends that didn’t have one. I couldn’t get it myself because I didn’t have the money for it. This relates to the text because the character in the poem wanted things so that he wouldn’t be judged. He wanted to have the newest gear, and be like his peers. I think that when the reader is reading this poem, he or she should think about how this happens in the real world and how it can affect them. People do a lot of crazy things such as shooting and stealing to get everything and anything that they want. If it makes that person look and feel good, that everything is okay...to them. Also, as long as they have whatever is in style, then they are happy. They don’t care about how it can hurt others.

Creative Writing Marathon! Craft a story with the following first line: I slowly backed up and sat in the nearest chair.

I slowly backed up and sat in the nearest chair. It was 3:30 in the morning. I couldn't sleep that night because it was so hot in my room, and when I opened the window all I heard was construction. There was no medium.
When we got to the hospital, I knew at that point that there was a lot of waiting that would have to be done before she came. I was exhausted. There was a very small TV in the far corner of the waiting room that my dad put me in, while my step mom was in the Triage. About fifteen minutes later I saw someone signaling for me to come. At that point her IV was done and her hospital gown was on as well. At least we are making some sort of progress I thought. We had, had so many false alarms, but I guess that is common for first time moms. Everything they feel is alarming, so I've heard. My dad was in the room with a nurse that just by looking at her, I didn't like.
I saw a baby come down the hallway, there were nurses everywhere. It looked like a preemie. I felt bad considering that I was waiting for my overdue sister. I looked at the nurses name tag. Her mane was Precious. She put the bag of IV onto a stick with wheels. Thats what I called it at time. She was kind of rough. This is going smoothly, I thought. I could barely stand up.
A while later, they wheeled my step mom into Labor and Delivery. My dad said see you later, and sure enough, I saw him a lot later. I didn't want to take a nap because I didn't want to miss anything.  About twelve hours later I was starting to get hopeless.
My dad came out at 3:10pm, one minute after Jada Qiana Di Bari was born. He came out crying. I dint remember the last time I saw him cry. There was one doctor who had wheeled Jada to where the waiting room was. When I saw her, I could feel what my dad was feeling. My heart pounding a few pulses faster, and my throat tightening. I started crying too.

Independent Reading Book Response- Character

In all of the books that I have had to read in the past years, the main character named Claireece goes through some kind of change or changes. The book Push, by Sapphire is about a young girl who goes through a lot, between her dad raping her, and her having to raise her children with minimal help from her mother. She changes from being a small girl who didn't like to share her feelings to somebody who was determined and open minded and engaged person. 

In the beginning of the book, Clarice  was very introverted and insecure. Whenever somebody asked what she was feeling, or why  she was the way she was, or even why she was pregnant she would not feel very good about herself.  "'Come on now, you are pregnant, aren't you Claireece?'…'Claireece, I'm talking to you. I still don't say nuffin.'" (Sapphire 7). This is an example of how she feels insecure about being pregnant. When somebody asks her a question that is personal, she doesn't like to answer, especially if they already know the answer.  Another example of Claireece is introverted and insecure is when her mother discourages her when she is in pain and when her mom finds out that she had a baby. "'Thank you Miz Claireece Precious Jones for fucking my husband you nasty little slut!'…'He done quit me!'…I'm laying on the floor shaking, crying, scared she gonna kill me." (Sapphire 19). Claireeces mom doesn't know that her dad raped her. All she knows is that she got pregnant because of him. She dent appreciate her daughter at all, and when she is in pain, she doesn't care. By the ways her mother treats her, Claireece feels put down. These are ways she feels insecure and introverted. 

As the book goes on, Claireece starts to be more and more open to teachers and other people around her that are sort of in the same situation. In addition, she begins to feel more dedicated and determined. "'Well Precious, how about you, do you feel you're in the right place?' 'Is I Miz Rain,' I axes, 'is I in the right place?' She hand me a tissue, say, 'Yes, Precious, yes.'" (Sapphire 48). This shows that she is curious and wants to know that she is secure. Also, it shows that she has some sort of dedication because she transferred schools to be in a better pace, and she wants to make sure that is true for her case. This is a big change because when she was in her old school, if the guidance councilor asked her this question, she would either not talk, or give her an attitude. Another example of when she was more dedicated is when she said that she wanted to learn. When she transferred schools she said she wanted to learn without being judged. This school gave her the liberation to do just that. This shows that she is more dedicated to learning, and she is more open to the people around her. 

All in all, Claireece went from being introverted to determined. She went from being judged to wanted. I think that she only wants to have a guid future and the best for her two children. She is a very complex character and went through a lot of emotions. Clarieece is a very inspirational person because she is so young and willing to do anything. 

Non-Fiction Reading Response: The End of Extreme Poverty?

"Imagine having to pick just one of your children to save, while leaving the others to face death" (Kristof 16). The article The End of Extreme Poverty? by Nicholas D. Kristof is about the life threatening decisions people have to make on a daily basis, and how it is being resolved. In Cambodia, there are people that have to make very agonizing decisions everyday because of viruses in their environment. There are a lot of people that are living in poverty that have very little money and education. The author wants me to know that poverty is a huge problem, and it is getting better because of new vaccines and technology. Since 1980, the rate of poverty has reduced from 1 in 2 to 1 in 5. All of this improvement is due to new vaccines, farming techniques, schools, clean water and technology. "The goal is to end extreme poverty by 2030- and we're close" (Kristof 17).  According to the article, with all of the new technology poverty will soon end.

Poverty makes me think and feel a huge array of emotions. To me, poverty is something that a lot of people just look over, and don't really see how bad it really is. I think that is something not to take lightly. I don't believe that people are doing enough on a daily basis. They focus on poverty when there is a huge natural disaster, and they realize that people are even worse off then they already were. I think that the author of this article wrote this mainly to say how poverty is improving due to all of the new ways people are doing things. In my opinion, poverty is a very depressing think about. A lot of people are persecuted and or punished for things that they believe. While it is similar to poverty in that people are left on their own, it is very sad and people look for hope all of the time.

I think that the author of this article really cares about poverty because he was so positive about all of the improvements that are being made. The author stated that a man by the name of Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft has a foundation that donates vaccines and medicine to save children and adults. I think Kristof added this to show what different organizations are pitching in to help people from dying in poverty. "…in his lifetime the number will drop bellow 1 million (Kristof 17). This shows by Microsofts donations the amount of lives that will be saved in his life will be at or above one million.

In conclusion, poverty is a very serious problem worldwide. While there are many people that are slowly starting to get out of poverty, there are many that are still facing the struggle. I think that it is very good that people are helping out in as many ways as they can, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Critical Thinking Question- REVISED

        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 what you are join to wear. 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 betrayed and teased because of their race. These charters' deal with a lot because of the color of their skin. That lead me to think about how it related to justice in our world today. People get treated differently because they "are not like other people."

        One way Tony Abbott shows how this book deals with justice in the world is 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. 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 being judged because the whites and the black are different. People need to think of everyone the same because we are all unique 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.

        Segregation in this book is another theme that makes me think about justice in the world. "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 because they don't like that people have to be separated. They were happy when their mother revealed that they were going to take the plane back home. 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 time 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. We need to be aware that people are different, but that doesn't mean we are to treat them  any differently.

        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. In the book, there was a very strong racial issue that effected the main character in a lot of different ways. He didn't like it. Just because someone is a different race doesn't mean that they are any less powerful then anybody else. 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.

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.