Have you ever felt inadequate? Like someone is trying to push themselves up by pushing the rest of us down. The answer to that question is her, we have all felt that way at one point or another in our lives, and I you told me you hadn't, you must be the one shoving everyone around. I am writing a picture book about equality. In my picture book I use jungle animals to portray an inequivalent civilization. The tigers are the biggest animals, and they push every one around, and tell them what to do because they are bigger, stronger, and therefore better- and the other animals are helpless. I think that my picture book, even if it is (to be) made of silly pictures of tigers birds and monkeys, has something everything can relate to in a way, or give someone a reason to reflect on themselves. Picture books are truly fascinating. A child reading them only sees the story, the characters, ad the plot. But not really right? Children will have emotions and feelings toward characters and scenes. If they see someone being pushed around or bullied in a picture book they know that is wrong., and I think that's the hardest part if writing a picture book, getting the correct message across and making the reader feel the write things about your writing.
I am in the middle of reading a book called Skinny, and recently finished Thirteen Reasons Why. Thirteen Reasons Why is about a sixteen year old girl that commits suicide and leaves thirteen tapes behind, each holding her voice, telling one persons story each tape, and how they played a role in her death.I must say, equality was not one of the top themes/issues in this book. Many come before it. But if you search really hard, really dig through all the words you can find it, as usual. In Thirteen Reasons Why, the character faces bullying, rape, harassment, and of course, and unfortunately, suicide. Hannah, the main character never really was treated like an equal. She had friends but had no true friends, no one she could turn to if she was ever having problems. Everyone either treated her like someone they could use for her gossip, or because everyone said she was so slutty. Guys harassed her because she was voted "Best ass in freshman class" on a stupid list a "friend" made. Nearly anyone treated her equally, andirons you read the book now, or again it becomes very clear.
In conclusion, everyone should be treated fairly. I'm talking about race, gender, age, skin color, income, but most of all, the people you know. Some people may take something you say as a joke, the way you intended it, but in Thirteen Reasons Why all these "jokes" lead to the death of a girl. I don't think I really have to tell you what the moral of this story is.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Social justice in "I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education"
Sexism and gender inequality has been a problem since humans have existed. We still haven't figured out the solution to this problem today. In "I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education," racial inequality is a major part of life, in the Swat Valley in Pakistan, where the Taliban nearly killed Malala for saying what she believed in. She went to school, took off her headscarf, and had a father that spoke out against the Taliban. She thought they wouldn't come for a girl, but she was wrong. It's hard to stop these things from happening. I personally find it very brave of Malala and her family to believe what they believe in considering where they live, and the many people that detest those ideas and want to silence them. I admire Malala because she wants to go back to her country after being shot in the face, and wants to keep protesting, and speaking out for what she believes in.
I notice there is a lot of social injustice in the world, and just in my book, as well, more tan just one issue. I see that not much is being done to prevent or stop it. In one chapter of my book, Malala shares a story about a time she stole jewelery from a younger girl. She said that while she felt awful after, she knew that other people in her position would have kept stealing and saying that it was "no big deal" and that it was "just a small thing" until those small things became bigger and bigger things. She also says that she doesn't know how people can "live with their consciences" when they see people starving, or in poverty, or children without education because they have to work in order to survive. She says that politicians only care about money, and let everyone else do the dirty work for them, and she is right. As for the first issue, our world produces enough food to feed every single human being in the world, yet many are still hungry. Americans, on a whole throw away 90 billion pounds of food a year, or 45 million tons of food. But we don't care. Not enough action is taken to help other people that are in need, when we have ample resources at out fingertips. Not enough people stop to think.
In conclusion, there are many social justice issues stuffed into books, some harder to find than others. Especially in "I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education," she sees more things in the world than most, the good and the bad, and this makes her fight for her beliefs even more. Sexism may be the most apparent issue in this book, but if you really search, you can find many more. Malala is extremely bright, and observant, and sees what is going on around her, and doesn't ignore the problems she has to face, like many of us do.
I notice there is a lot of social injustice in the world, and just in my book, as well, more tan just one issue. I see that not much is being done to prevent or stop it. In one chapter of my book, Malala shares a story about a time she stole jewelery from a younger girl. She said that while she felt awful after, she knew that other people in her position would have kept stealing and saying that it was "no big deal" and that it was "just a small thing" until those small things became bigger and bigger things. She also says that she doesn't know how people can "live with their consciences" when they see people starving, or in poverty, or children without education because they have to work in order to survive. She says that politicians only care about money, and let everyone else do the dirty work for them, and she is right. As for the first issue, our world produces enough food to feed every single human being in the world, yet many are still hungry. Americans, on a whole throw away 90 billion pounds of food a year, or 45 million tons of food. But we don't care. Not enough action is taken to help other people that are in need, when we have ample resources at out fingertips. Not enough people stop to think.
In conclusion, there are many social justice issues stuffed into books, some harder to find than others. Especially in "I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education," she sees more things in the world than most, the good and the bad, and this makes her fight for her beliefs even more. Sexism may be the most apparent issue in this book, but if you really search, you can find many more. Malala is extremely bright, and observant, and sees what is going on around her, and doesn't ignore the problems she has to face, like many of us do.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Non fiction blog
Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, and Fallout, wrote a controversial article called, "Banned Books Week 2010: An Anti-Censorship Manifesto." Ellen Hopkins writes some very controversial books, often having to do with subjects such as drugs, violence, abuse, and other subjects, that can cause readers, especially parents, some alarm. This caused Hopkins to write this article, talking about the people who ban her books.
In the article, Hopkins mentions how book banners almost never read the books that they ban and only skim the pages for "dirty words and sexual content." I, personally, find this unfair to Hopkins, or any author that has had a book banned. Books like Hopkins' can be beneficial to students facing the same issues as the characters in her books. Unfortunately, a lot of the book banners or "gatekeepers" are parents. Ellen Hopkins says that she has had situations where she was scheduled too speak at a school about poetry, but a parent read about the content in Hopkins' books and told the superintendent not to let her speak at any school in the district, and that all of her books should be taken from the shelves of every school in that same district. Unfortunately, the superintendent agreed, even though both had never read the books. But this wasn't the first time Hopkins was dis-invited from speaking at a school. A librarian became concerned after hearing two parents complain, and after reading about Hopkins' books on a website that rates books for content. Again, they hadn't read any of her books.
After sharing the story of her two dis-invitations, Hopkins went on to state, "If you don't want to child to read a book, take it away. But you do not have the right to decide "appropriateness" for everyone." I agree with this statement because if I wasn't allowed to read a book, or hear an author speak just because someone else's parent wasn't okay with it, I know I would be pretty annoyed. I also agree with Hopkins' next two statements, " What's perhaps not right for one child is necessary for another."and "Those whose lives are touched by the issues I write about deserve to know they're not alone. I agree with Ellen Hopkins because you never know who can benefit from books like hers. And book banners should know that they don't have the right to decide what's best for everybody, and that those people need to decide fro themselves.
In the article, Hopkins mentions how book banners almost never read the books that they ban and only skim the pages for "dirty words and sexual content." I, personally, find this unfair to Hopkins, or any author that has had a book banned. Books like Hopkins' can be beneficial to students facing the same issues as the characters in her books. Unfortunately, a lot of the book banners or "gatekeepers" are parents. Ellen Hopkins says that she has had situations where she was scheduled too speak at a school about poetry, but a parent read about the content in Hopkins' books and told the superintendent not to let her speak at any school in the district, and that all of her books should be taken from the shelves of every school in that same district. Unfortunately, the superintendent agreed, even though both had never read the books. But this wasn't the first time Hopkins was dis-invited from speaking at a school. A librarian became concerned after hearing two parents complain, and after reading about Hopkins' books on a website that rates books for content. Again, they hadn't read any of her books.
After sharing the story of her two dis-invitations, Hopkins went on to state, "If you don't want to child to read a book, take it away. But you do not have the right to decide "appropriateness" for everyone." I agree with this statement because if I wasn't allowed to read a book, or hear an author speak just because someone else's parent wasn't okay with it, I know I would be pretty annoyed. I also agree with Hopkins' next two statements, " What's perhaps not right for one child is necessary for another."and "Those whose lives are touched by the issues I write about deserve to know they're not alone. I agree with Ellen Hopkins because you never know who can benefit from books like hers. And book banners should know that they don't have the right to decide what's best for everybody, and that those people need to decide fro themselves.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Shine by Lauren Myracle
I recently finished Shine by Lauren Myracle. Shine is about teenagers living in an intolerant town in the South. In the beginning of the book, the reader is shown an article in a newspaper about a hate crime against a gay boy, who was beaten and left for dead outside of a gas station with a gas pump nozzle shoved down his throat, and a hateful message scrawled across his chest. The protagonist in Shine is a lonely, former friend of the boy, Patrick. This girl, had shut everyone out of her life, including her family and her best friend. So when Patrick was nearly killed, she felt lonelier than ever.
In Shine, I can't help but notice how different this town is, and the protagonist's school is from mine. For example, at my school, topics such as gay marriage are openly discussed, and I would say nearly everyone is respectful of others sexuality. However in the protagonist 's school and community, gay people are treated and talked about like aliens. Such as when the protagonist overheard two women gossiping at church about how Patrick shouldn't be in the children's wing of the hospital because he would try to make them gay. I found this odd for a few different reasons. The first being that these women were extremely ignorant, and the second, even if Patrick was a serial killer, HE WAS IN A COMA!!!!!!So compared to my city, and community., this town seems really ignorant and perhaps scared. Scared, maybe because there is something that they don't know, and are not used to, which can be scary for some people. But on the other hand, I find these people, well, stupid. Like I-want-to-smack-you-in-the-face-because-you're-being- so-stupid. But unfortunately I can't because you are in. a book. But that doesn't mean there aren't people like that in the world. So I guess I want to smack those people too. But you can't go around smacking people in the face, so you just sit on your couch at home and watch them talk about how gay marriage will lead to marriage with animals, and the. You yell at the TV and I''m off topic.
What I'm trying to say is, Shine is a work of fiction, but it isn't unrealistic. It is a perfect example of all the ignorance and stupidity in our country and in the world. Shine has a plot that pulls you into the book while also making you think about your own community, and comparing it to the one in Shine. I have found that I am very happy to live in a city that is very open, and full of people who just don't care.
In Shine, I can't help but notice how different this town is, and the protagonist's school is from mine. For example, at my school, topics such as gay marriage are openly discussed, and I would say nearly everyone is respectful of others sexuality. However in the protagonist 's school and community, gay people are treated and talked about like aliens. Such as when the protagonist overheard two women gossiping at church about how Patrick shouldn't be in the children's wing of the hospital because he would try to make them gay. I found this odd for a few different reasons. The first being that these women were extremely ignorant, and the second, even if Patrick was a serial killer, HE WAS IN A COMA!!!!!!So compared to my city, and community., this town seems really ignorant and perhaps scared. Scared, maybe because there is something that they don't know, and are not used to, which can be scary for some people. But on the other hand, I find these people, well, stupid. Like I-want-to-smack-you-in-the-face-because-you're-being- so-stupid. But unfortunately I can't because you are in. a book. But that doesn't mean there aren't people like that in the world. So I guess I want to smack those people too. But you can't go around smacking people in the face, so you just sit on your couch at home and watch them talk about how gay marriage will lead to marriage with animals, and the. You yell at the TV and I''m off topic.
What I'm trying to say is, Shine is a work of fiction, but it isn't unrealistic. It is a perfect example of all the ignorance and stupidity in our country and in the world. Shine has a plot that pulls you into the book while also making you think about your own community, and comparing it to the one in Shine. I have found that I am very happy to live in a city that is very open, and full of people who just don't care.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Glass Blog Post
Lucie
Pascarosa 806
A man once said “There is creative reading as well as
creative writing.” Ellen Hopkins has managed to do both in her book Glass.
Glass is
about an eighteen-year-old girl named Kristina who throws her entire life away
for crystal methamphetamine. Glass is the sequel to Crank, which
is the start of the protagonist’s battle with meth. The protagonist is actually
a fictionalized version of Hopkins' daughter, as Glass is loosely based
on a true story. An artistic detail I noticed in Glass, is that the
author shapes the text in different forms that vary from page to page.
In
each chapter, or section (chapters typically consist of one or two pages) of Glass,
the text is shaped differently, warped into different shapes and forms such as
letters, numbers, dollar signs, disarrays, and many more. I think the author
uses this to add an extra element to the plot, and to emphasize a certain
detail in that chapter. For example, about a fourth into the book the
protagonist, Kristina is lying to her mother about stealing money, so the text
is shaped into a big capital “L”. In another part of the book, Kristina is
kicked out of her mother’s home; the text is shaped into six, short diagonal,
downward lines. Besides Crank and Glass, Ellen Hopkins uses
this in many of her young adult books such as Identical, Fallout, and Impulse.
I think that Ellen Hopkins writes in this way in a lot of her books because she
really wants to show the reader the emotions the character is feeling on that
page, or the hard decision the protagonist has to make, such as in Glass,
when Kristina has to chose between meth and her child, which she gave life to
in Crank. I also believe that Hopkins shapes the text into these forms
because she wants to emphasize a theme and an issue that the protagonist is
facing, such as when she shaped the text into a spiral when Kristina’s life was
slowly going downhill after trying meth for the first time.
Overall,
I think Ellen Hopkins includes this aspect of forming the text into different
shapes and styles because she wants to send a message to he reader. And not
just any message, she wants to take the reader for a walk in that character’s
shoes, to get the reader to feel what they’re feeling, and if not that, to at
least sympathize with that character, I think this feature really gives Glass
a special element that makes it different from most other books, and really
draws you in, and makes you want to know more about these characters.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
I recently finished reading the book Crank, by Ellen Hopkins. Crank the first of a three book series that starts with a teenager, and her addiction to crystal meth. The most unfortunate part about this book is that is it (loosely) based on a true story; Ellen Hopkins' daughter. The book starts out with almost no introduction of Kristina, the protagonist. Instead, it starts out with a court ordered visit for her to see her father for the summer, a drug addict living in New Mexico. Kristina's father's addiction to crystal meth was why he was divorced in the first place, and had seen each of his children about twice, in their entire lives (Kristina and her older sister Leigh). Before Kristina leaves for New Mexico she is a "gifted high school junior" with good friends, and a good chance at a happy healthy life. But that was before she met the "monster."
In New Mexico she meet a guy by the name of Adam, he shows her the town, and what really happens at the bowling alley where her dad works. Kristina tries meth for the first time, and once she's tried it, she never went back.
A few weeks later she is officially addicted, using all day every day, and when it is time to go back to Nevada, her home, she comes back skinny, shaky, and with a new nickname- Bree. Bree is Kristina when she is high, or doing something bad, what she has all of her dealers, or boyfriends call her. But around her family, she is Kristina, someone who tries to act normal, until everyone figures it out.
Personally, I am surprised that Kristina's mother didn't figure it out sooner that Kristina was an addict, mainly because she used to be a part of that scene as well, with Kristina's father, who wasn't exactly against her drug use, in fact, he supported it. I am also surprised that Kristina's mother didn't put her in rehab, or an AA group, instead, she kicked her out of the house. Reading this the second time, i see realize that her drug use wasn't her fault at all. It was her fathers, and Adam's, and all of her boyfriends for supplying her, and even her mother, for not getting her the help she desperately needed.
In New Mexico she meet a guy by the name of Adam, he shows her the town, and what really happens at the bowling alley where her dad works. Kristina tries meth for the first time, and once she's tried it, she never went back.
A few weeks later she is officially addicted, using all day every day, and when it is time to go back to Nevada, her home, she comes back skinny, shaky, and with a new nickname- Bree. Bree is Kristina when she is high, or doing something bad, what she has all of her dealers, or boyfriends call her. But around her family, she is Kristina, someone who tries to act normal, until everyone figures it out.
Personally, I am surprised that Kristina's mother didn't figure it out sooner that Kristina was an addict, mainly because she used to be a part of that scene as well, with Kristina's father, who wasn't exactly against her drug use, in fact, he supported it. I am also surprised that Kristina's mother didn't put her in rehab, or an AA group, instead, she kicked her out of the house. Reading this the second time, i see realize that her drug use wasn't her fault at all. It was her fathers, and Adam's, and all of her boyfriends for supplying her, and even her mother, for not getting her the help she desperately needed.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Beautiful Boy
David Sheff and his family live in a house in California, he got divorced to Nic's mother Vicky when Nic was a little boy, and soon got remarried and had two other children, Jasper and Daisy Sheff. Besides the divorce, not many people would think he had a bad childhood. He wasn't mistreated, or abused, and he was loved very much by his family members. He was an honor student in school, played sports and had friends. Perhaps not the best friends, at least in high school.
Nic started smoking pot when he was in the seventh grade, until his father found it in his backpack and ordered him to stop. Of course, there wouldn't be a book if he did stop. Nic didn't want to take any orders from his dad, especially in terms of drugs, as his father did drugs when he was in college. He regrets telling his son this, because Nic thought he was more like a hypocrite than a help.
An assortment of drugs come into Nic's life, and soon he lives on the street, broke, breaking into his old home, stealing money, needles, and finding girlfriends or dealers who can give him even more meth, cocaine, Xanax, and an assortment of other drugs.
David sends his son to multiple rehabs, AA meetings and it takes years for Nic to finally get sober. And suffers and explosion in his brain in the process. Many can sympathize with David because many know it feels like to have something happen to a loved one that you can do nothing about.
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