What I've noticed in my Independent Reading Life...

Have you ever thought about how the LGBTQ community is being treated and represented? I have noticed in some of the books I’ve read that many teens aren’t being treated very kindly and respectively by their friends and parents. I think this is the wrong way for LGBTQ to be represented. They should be known as people who stand up for what they feel and have supporters behind their back.

In an incredible book Hero by Perry Moore, the protagonist, Thom, is gay. He plays basketball and one day after a game, a member on the opposing team calls him faggot. Thom’s father, standing right there, only acts embarrassed and does nothing to defend Thom. Also, later in the book, I learned that Thom’s dad has something against people being LGBTQ and Thom doesn’t want to tell his dad that he’s gay because he’s afraid he’ll hurt his father. This makes me feel so upset and empathetic for Thom because he doesn’t have people who treat him with respect even though he’s just another human being, and people to confide in. “Faggot” is a rude name to call a gay person and, I feel, is unnecessary for Thom to be called. I feel sorry for Thom that he cannot have his dad as a supporter in a large part of his life because a father should love and be there for his son no matter what.

In another book I read called Luna by Julie Anne Peters, Luna is a boy who physically wants to be a girl (transgender). His parents don’t respect the fact that he wants to be a girl and try to change the way he acts/is. Luna, unlike Thom, does have a sister to confide and talk to. I think it’s horrible for Luna to have to deal with someone who wants him changed and feels like a disappointment which no one should ever have to feel. I’m glad, however, that Luna has someone who can be there for him.

I realize that a lot of teens in the world don’t come out often. I know that the age of a teenager is the time where people find themselves, but I think a lot of people hold back from being their true selves because they’re afraid of what others will think of them and do to them. I feel terrified for those people because the world isn’t a place where everyone is completely equal, and it’s sad. I don’t think it should be this way, but it will take a while before we can even be close.   

I noticed an issue of social justice in my independent reading life!

What if something you loved and was special to you and/or your family was destroyed or changed into something that someone else might think is better but is really terrible? You would probably be furious and wistful. In the book I recently read, The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore, a man and his family, the Maddoxes, are trying to convince a town that they should build another town on sacred land. The family bribes and charms the town into believing that it’s the right thing to do because they can make money, and for the citizens there will be supermarkets and other businesses. However, the protagonist, Sylvie, the reverend and a few other townspeople think it’s wrong and dangerous because the land has had history with natural disasters. I also agree that it is wrong to ruin something precious to the town.

The family that wants to change the land is going to call it Maddox Landing. In the past, many floods have erased the old towns built on the area. The town is doubtful about the rebuilding but is tricked by the family. It is unfair to the town because if there were to be a flood, money and time would just be wasted. Also, the profit money would go towards the Maddoxes. This shows that the family is taking advantage of the town because they are keeping the money for themselves when it could be put to good use. While some people are against the rebuilding, they don’t speak up which makes them look a bit weak because it proves that the Maddoxes are feared of.

I do not believe that what the townspeople are doing is right. They should stand up for what they believe or at least make sure the money they put into the project is worth it. The Maddoxes aren't to be trusted but have charmed and frightened the town. Even though it is unjust to the town, it is great for the family because they’re making a profit off of the land. However, to make it much more fair, they could reveal a bit more to the town, make sure Maddox Landing will be safe, and share the profit with the town.

Even though life obviously isn't fair, everyone can still try. In the incredible book, The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore, I saw an issue of social justice. A family called the Maddoxes were taking advantage of a town to make a profit off a risky land. It is unfair to the town and great for the family. But that never means it’s all good and they can try a lot harder to make their lives as fair as possible.

Amazing article by Ellen Hopkins!!

The interesting article Banned Books Week 2010: An Anti-Censorship Manifesto by Ellen Hopkins is about how many people “dis-invited” and hated on Ellen Hopkins and her book “Crank” because they thought there was inappropriate (drugs, cursing etc.) content. Ellen Hopkins starts off her article by giving a small moment -- Ellen Hopkins was signing books and at the end, a woman came up to her and shared her story: “How she started getting high in middle school… she found that book (referring to Crank)... She saw herself in those pages, and suddenly knew she didn't want to be there. That book turned her around. Today she's been sober two years, is graduating high school and has embarked on a modeling career.” Showing that books about drugs can help you. Then, Ellen Hopkins gives examples of how, when and where she was “dis-invited” from schools, libraries and other public places. Some of the dis-invitations were from parents while others were from the faculty of the area. In the end, Ellen Hopkins speaks directly to the reader saying that if you should or shouldn’t read a book about tough situations depends on the reader and can help some people, but that someone can’t decide for others what should or shouldn’t be in libraries.

In her article about banning books, Ellen Hopkins uses craft moves that evoke emotions. One craft move she uses is loaded words like “apparently, cannot, do not, and valuable”. These loaded words can evoke emotion because they can cause you to think something you didn’t before, or make you think something is supposed to be a certain way or you have to think a certain thought. I think Ellen Hopkins used this craft move in her article because she wanted to make a statement and wanted people to believe her point of view, and this craft move can be very persuasive. Another craft move that Ellen Hopkins used in her article was imagery. Imagery, like loaded words, evoke emotions. Imagery like small moments or descriptions can cause you to feel something towards what happened or could happen. The small moment at the beginning of the article evoked emotion because it made you feel sad for the woman, and a bit proud of her, too, even if you didn’t know her personally. I believe that Ellen Hopkins used this craft move because she wanted you to feel these emotions and see that what she believes (books about drugs can help you) really can happen.

I agree with Ellen Hopkins’ claim because I believe as well that books about drugs shouldn’t be banned from school libraries because they can influence people to stop/not start using drugs because they see how terrible it is in the book(s). A few lines that really stood out to me from the article were “If you don't like content in a book, don't read it. If you don't want your child to read a book, take it away. But you do not have the right to decide "appropriateness" for everyone. What's perhaps not right for one child is necessary to another. Ignorance is no armor. And those whose lives are touched by the issues I write about deserve to know they are not alone.” I love these lines because they speak the truth and I feel that everyone can use books about tough things like drugs to relate to or lead them threw a confusing time. I really liked reading this article because I’m a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins and agree with what she has to say about books with drugs -- or even just tough situations.

Loneliness

Have you ever felt like no one was there to help you through hard times?

I know I have.

            The book How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr is about two 17 year old girls, Jill and Mandy, with no one in their lives to help or support them and how they struggle together. Mandy is pregnant and Jill’s dad is dead. Jill’s mom, Robin, wants to adopt Mandy’s baby. One of the themes in the book is loneliness can always be ‘fixed’.

            A reason for Jill’s loneliness is her dad dying. Jill shuts everyone out and when she wants company and a friend, no one’s there for her. Although she is lonely, Jill is able to put an end to (or fix) her loneliness. For example, Jill reaches out to the people she had previously shut out. Slowly, Jill and her ‘ex-friends’ move forward towards friendship. “It’s the third time in about a week I've had lunch with Laurel and Cinders. They’re warming up to me again. It feels mostly good…” This shows that Jill moved forward and tried to be more with the people who were once her friends and hopefully will be again, because they’re eating lunch together and talking again.

            A reason for Mandy’s loneliness is because her mom shuts her out from the real world. Also, her being pregnant and having a baby at a young age, gives people bad assumptions, and makes them act unfriendly towards her. “my mother took me out for ice cream…”Eat up, Mandy, while you can,” she said… she said from then on I had to watch my weight… I couldn't be friends with boys… I should never come out of my room fully dressed… I had to use deodorant and wash my hair every day and not sit cross-legged or run around the schoolyard... “Your childhood is over.” I was only just eleven.” This shows that Mandy’s mom is the reason that Mandy’s lonely because she doesn't give her the time to be a kid, even at eleven. Although, Mandy faces these problems, other people end (or fix) her loneliness. Thanks to Robin and Jill, they make her feel like she has a home, support and friends who care about her. They also adopt Mandy, instead of the baby in the end.

            This connects to my 6^th grade year. Moving to a new middle school there wasn't anyone I knew. For the 1^st two weeks, I only focused on my schoolwork which caused me to have no friends in my class. I decided it had to change. So I walked up so someone and said hi… all leading to a new friendship and an end to loneliness.

            All in all, what I’m really trying to say is that teens tend to feel like no one is there to help them with tough situations, but there’s always some way to end or ‘fix’ their loneliness. Either they can ‘fix’ it themselves, or someone might come along and help you ‘fix’ it. Everyone can end their loneliness and/or help others end theirs.

A Long Walk to Water

Over the summer, I wanted to try a different type of book than I normally read so I tried A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. It's a pretty short book so I decided it would be a good book to try something new on. It's about a boy leave his town and family because a war is going on. He makes a trip across Africa in the desert to find a safe haven, food and water. In the future, a girl everyday two times a day has to fetch water for her family 8miles away. She can't do anything else during the day. As the books continues, Salva (the boy) and Nya (the girl)'s paths cross in an unexpected way.

This book was okay. I was really glad that I tried a new genre but didn't find myself getting lost in the book until the end. I prefer when you get sucked right in with books. I thought it was fun how the character roles alternated and felt sympathetic for Nya, who really wants to go to school but can't because her family needs the water.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy books based on true stories. I don't think I would recommend this book to a younger child or teenager though because (sorry adults) it's a bit boring and sometimes as a younger person, you don't understand the struggle of surviving.

First post ever!!

During the summer, I read a book required for school that I really enjoyed. It's called The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. It's about a girl named Emma, in the time period of 1996, who gets her first computer. At the time, Facebook didn't exist but on a small sidebar in her email account, a link to Facebook was there. It showed Emma herself but 15 years later. With her best friend Josh, Emma learns more about her future. Josh having a superb future but Emma -- a not so great one. So Emma does things in the present to try and fix her future... causing wacky things to happen!

I liked this book because having a Facebook of my own I knew what the story was talking about. It was funny to see what Emma thought about the account and interesting to see how she tried to change her future. I didn't expect the ending but enjoyed it anyway. There are some suspenseful moments when you think the authors are going to reveal some information about Josh and Emma's relationship situation but end up not giving anything away and leaving you with even more suspense (I love those type of moments!!!).

I would recommend this book to everyone because it's a pretty easy book since we know about the future (Facebook) that Emma's clueless about, giving us a small advantage on the book. It's also a fun, read-in-1-day sort of book that everyone loves to settle down with on a rainy day. So... just read the book already! :)