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.