Social Action Reading Question #1: What really difficult or complex things are happening in the text?

In my book Stick Figure by Lorri Gottlieb the main character Lori is trying to balance all of the "Girl Problems" in her life. Lori is realizing that everything is changing but she's not sure if it's going to change for better or for worse. 

Lori has a big mouth, that never knows what to and not to say to certain people. Although, her parents and teachers don't make it any easier. She isn't listened to by her parents but only when they find that she is being disrespectful, they'd call her out on it. In some situations she never gets to explain herself, she's always wrong. This reminds me of the book Matilda by Roald Dahl. When the father of Matilda says; "I'm Right, You're Wrong. I'm Smart, You're Dumb. I'm Big, You're Little.And there's nothing you can do about it!". Lori's parents may not be saying that to her but it is obvious that they are on the brim of the concept; age and respect. Some people have a habit where they don't believe people who are younger than them and are dismissive to what they have to say.

Many times this has been directed on women and girls. Usually men or boys downgrade women and girls  expressing the idea that they know more or they can do certain things better then them. It's not only looking down at the abilities that they believe they can do better but also they expect all women or girls to look the same way but of course that can't happen so the ones that don't fit into "the look" are excluded or dismissed from their thoughts. 

This sort of brings me to the point of beauty and popularity. Going back to the fact that there is a specific "look" you must fit into to be noticed as a girl, these are one of the large components in popularity. If you're not pretty or don't hang out with the "right" group of friends to fit in, you're considered not popular. In Lori's case when she was a blonde and had a group of friends that everyone called the "L's", they were the most popular girls at school. After her hair changed color to what she called a "dishwater brown" and was placed in a class without her 2 friends her popularity decreased. Also she was in the "smart people class", which had no say in if you were cool or not.Lori slowly realized that she was becoming less and less popular because she was losing all the small things that made her popular, one by one. 

So far from reading Stick Figure, I have been thinking about the way society is formed and why certain things are expected from certain people. It makes me wonder is it really worth it? To go through a phase of changing yourself just to be known or have friends, just to leave most of them in a couple more years? No it's not worth it at all.

Synthesis Page-

 

Argument Essay

Ajahee Sekkm-Miles               11/2/13

Should children decide what books are accessible to them?

A multitude of parents think that they should have control over what their child reads. This is because they fear that if they don't watch their child's reading, then they'll be able to access some of the darkest literature. The problem is not only because of the dark content in YA books but, I said in the article "the sick-lit books and that children...", that these books are aimed at kids younger than 12 years old. When book age rating was suggested, parents were on board. This was their way to control what their kids read. But putting ratings on books prevents children from reading them at all, as Bill Moyers touched on talking at banned books week. Of course this is not the message that parents want to give but it definitely makes it seem that way. Instead of rates on books, children should decide what books are accessible to them because only they know what they can and cannot comprehend.

Parents want their kids to be reading books that portray a perfect world. But if YA books were like that, teens wouldn't be interested, like said in the article, "Should young adult books have age ratings". Teens already know what the ideal world is supposed to be like. They want to experience something different. This is why they're attracted to dark novels. Some teens read these books to feel like they're not the only ones have to deal with dysfunctional life. YA books teach teens about some facts of life like drug abuse, suicide, rape etc. Taking these books from them just takes their knowledge of the listed things above away, leaving them unprepared if they happen to come across a situation like that.

Kids are smart, especially teens. They know what's right and what's wrong, but that should not stop them from meeting with things that are viewed as wrong. When something is forbidden it makes them want to do it even more. So if you forbid your teen from reading a certain type of book their just going to rebel and get it from somewhere else. Most YA books have similar outlines because there might be forbidden content for certain teens which leaves them to finding a way to read it anyway (Sick-lit). 

"GP Taylor on BBC News suggesting government introduce measures to keep books out of the hands of kids who want to read them?", as author Charlie Higson tweeted (Age Rating). GP Taylor is basically saying that he doesn't want kids to read books that they want to read so, there's no point of reading at all.

Lots of teens especially are going through things like self harm or suicidal thoughts but these books do express problems that teens face very precisely. If rating is put on books at all then it should be done by children themselves because only they know what they comfortable reading. To conclude, if children rate books themselves on what is best for them or let them read whatever they'd like to, while parents check in once or twice. It makes it easy on the parents because they don't have to worry about the well-being of children. It is also easy for the children because they won't have to be unhappy with books they're being forced to read. 

The Fault in our Stars: independent reading book post

In the book "The Fault in our Stars" the main character Hazel has cancer that gives her bad lungs and she has to use an oxygen tank to help her breathe. Although she understands that she needs the tank she hates it and wishes that she didn't have it but she does and has to deal with because it's who she is.

When you have a tube going into your nostrils people will ask questions. The thing is  it doesn't bother her if other people ask or look at her funny when they see it. The tank represents her insecurity. She's fine if other people accept her but she can't except herself . This is the number one problem that she faces with her friends and growing lover Augustus. But truly no can accept you if you can't except yourself.

When people feel bad or take pity on her she doesn't really mind because t doesn't change the outcome;death. She realized its coming but does not fully accept it either. The only one who does is Augustus. Even though he knows what she's going through, he treats her like a normal person who has nothing to worry about. He helps her deal with the fact that she is going to die and even thigh she's scared about what's awaiting in her future. Augustus helps her live her life in the present and not the future.

Critical Analysis Blog Post: Sick-Lit Books

   

   In the reading "The sick-lit books aimed at children..." By Tanith Carey had a multitude of epiphany moments that the I found. The author didn't think about backing these up knowing that we were going I would have thought if them. Carey really wanted to get across to her readers that the young adult books that are being published are not appropriate for any teen to read. Throughout the passage as Carey tried to back up this main idea, I was think of rebuttals against her arguments. My rebuttals were easy to make because Carey used her options instead of real teens opinions, and she not a teen so what would she know?




     When Carey talks about the different sick-lit books like; The Faults in our Stars, Never Eighteen and Before I die, and how they all dealt with the concept of sickness, love and death, she says that it's not a "coincidence" that all these books are almost the same. Carey feels that books like these that are " aimed at children as young as 12", shouldn't contain such specific detail and such topics. These books may go more in depth about serious topics like the death, The books were still sold at a fast rate. In fact  in the article it states that, The fault in our stars was on Amazons teen best-sellers list and Before I die sold 70,000 copies in their first four months. My question was if the books are selling so much and teens really liked them, then how was it too much for them to handle? Teams were obviously attracted to these kinds of books so why take them away?




     Carey things of books as a role models for the readers. This is partially true. Teens do learn a lot from reading books but we also know how to tell what's right and what's wrong. We knew who We are and were not just going to copy everything we see or hear. Plus we're  very mature me know how to handle most adult content in books. So there might be us sprinkle of sex, swearing or other things in certain books that we read bit that doesn't mean you have to rip it out of our hands and band us from reading it. As long as were comfortable with the reading that type of stuff then it's okay for us to read the book. 




     It's okay to be cautious with the things that you're children are reading but talk to them first before you lecture them on what type of books they cannot cannot read.  If there is no issue with reading books that are heavy or not then those choices are both fine. As long as they feel comfortable or you don't have to stay on their backs about what they're reading, then let them read what they want. Kids will have to learn soon enough about certain things in life but by reading books about them they become open to them these topic making it a less awkward conversation when you want to talk to them about it. It's the best thing to do for the reader and the parent.













Faithful Elephants

In the story “Faithful Elephants” by Yukio Tsuchiya, World War II is going on. The story takes place at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan. In the story a zoo keeper is retelling a flashback about the zoo having to put down the dangerous animal in the zoo. The 3 elephants, Tonky, Wanly, and John are the main characters of this flashback. Everyone loves them dearly but because the army ordered them to they had to put them down.

Usually when the elephants Tonkly and Wanly, did their bonsai trick they would be fed. The zoo keepers had to starve them in order to kill them. Something I noticed from reading and analyzing the story was the innocence that the elephant had. They never understood why they weren’t being fed. So when they did their bonsai trick for the zoo keeper and he didn’t feed them, they felt confused. They didn’t understand why they weren’t being fed so they gave up with only the smallest bit of energy left inside their weary bodies.

In one part of the story it says “they just lay on their sides, hardly able to see the white clouds floating in the sky over the zoo. However, their eyes appeared more beautiful than ever”. I felt that the author was trying to show that in death there is beauty. The elephants are dying but their beauty outshines the pain they’re going through. 

As the book comes to an end the elephant trainer scrams to the sky, “STOP THE WAR!!!” after the last 2 elephants dies. Besides it being an obvious way for the author to tell the readers’ war is not okay and it needs to stop, it brings me to think about the people of Japan at that time. The elephants are sort of like the people of Japan. When bombs were dropping they were confused or felt lost with nowhere to go. Those are exactly some of the emotions the Japanese were feeling at that time.

To conclude, “Faithful Elephants” is a heartwarming story of life and death. It shows how the greater things can overcome the bad things, no matter how much loss can come from it. That letting go of something so close is far much worse than staying with them. The author really tries to get the message through that life throws some hard punches but you have to experience them first, before you send them fleeing back. 

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

           

In the book “Dreamland”, the main character Caitlin’s sister runs away in the beginning of the book. This takes a huge toll on the family’s life so like always Caitlin becomes invisible. Then she gets into a relationship with Rogerson and ends up being domestically abused. For the period of time that this is happening to her, she does not speak any word of it to her family, close neighbors, or friends. Instead Caitlin denies the fact that she's being treated this way and turns to drugs. Within the book her family never noticed her change in behavior because they seemed more interested in finding Cass. Also Caitlin didn't say anything about her abuse  and just accepted it naturally which has many explanations to why in the book.

After Cass left, the family went into a funk. No one could contact her or find where she was. Caitlin felt it too bugetting less attention from her parents didn't faze her at all. She was used to not being noticed. Cass was always the center of attention. Some part of me thought, while reading this beginning part of the book, that maybe Caitlin used Rogerson as an invisible cloak, to cover her up. As their relationship grew and the abuse began not telling anyone was an excuse to try and make them notice.

Although as the violence became frequent, she began to cover the small wounds or come up with stories for the bruises. She also started to block her friends and family out so that they wouldn't guess anything. This made my decision change a bit because I was curious. If she wanted the attention and then she got it, why wouldn't she use a topic so important for a family to share, to receive that attention? Half of me thought that she was afraid that if she told he would find out and hurt her even worse. On the other hand, I think that the fact of her parents knowing that she had a problem and finally seeing her and having to see her like that scared her.

When Caitlin started doing drugs it was to kind of prove to Rogerson, she wasn't all that he thought she was. She was as innocent and inexperienced and he thought she was. But once she started taking harder doses after she was beaten, it was more to hide the pain and just keep the future blurry, never knowing what was coming next.

All the tactics that Caitlin used to cover up her pain, her feelings or bruises was transparent. I felt that maybe if her parents did pay a little more attention to her they would have seen it long before the end of the book.

From reading this book I've learned two morals. One is know your children well enough to see when emotions change or they’re not who they were when they were younger. That is a good key to parenting; making sure your child knows that you’re always there for them. The 2^nd moral I learned from reading this book is that you have to be able to trust your parents with any serious situations in your life because if not, life can a rocky journey. You've got to understand that as a kid you can’t do everything yourself, that's why there are adults to put you back in gear.