Blog Reflection

                 Throughout the year, from typing blog posts and non-fiction critical analyses, to creating synthesis pages, I have become a more experienced writer.   Making a blog is harder than you think.  You have to be aware of your surroundings.
                I have learned several things as a reader from creating and keeping up with my blog this year.  Firstly, I have discovered what my taste is in young adult books and in books in general.  Also, I have learned that I enjoy the most dramatic and escalating scenes in realistic fiction books.  I like to read realistic fiction books because I feel that I'm experiencing the scenes that are happening in them.  I benefited from this experience by becoming comfortable with using the blog that I created.  It was interesting to learn something new that you and your friends in different homerooms could socialize about, even in school.
                In my opinion based on my experiences in writing, writing online is different than writing in your notebook. When you write online you have to be more conscious of the people who could read your blog and just the social media.  However in your notebook it can be very personal.  As long as you keep it in a safe place, you can write whatever you think, believe and want as a person.  If you hate what you wrote in your notebook you could burn it.  On the other hand, the parts you've written online will be hard to get rid of.  You will probably regret what you wrote if it was something private.
               Initially,  I think that people do create online personalities the best of ourselves.  In fact, people don't want to be judged online, so they exaggerate certain personalities  that they contain to make them seem "cool."  Nowadays, teens shouldn't worry too much about their image.  Furthermore, be yourself.  The people who criticize you aren't your friends!  To sum up, writing online can be difficult in many events.

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis

             The article "Native American schools are in such bad shape, some might be torn down" by Washington Post adapted by Newsela wants us to know that leaders in Washington D.C. "have not paid much attention to the Bureau of Indian Education," but this is going to change.  Washington Post quotes John Kline, a Republican and powerful lawmaker from Minnesota, "you've got collapsing roofs, leaking roofs, buckling floors, exposed wires, popping circuit breakers, gas leaks.  That's totally unacceptable."  This quote shows that the environment of the inside of the Native American schools are dangerous for the kids learning in the schools.  These schools have to be fixed for the children's sake.  According to Kline, "you can't be well-educated in my opinion when you're attending school wearing your coat, wearing your mittens and hoping that the blanket keeps out the 30-degree-below-zero air."  Washington Post chose to quote Kline because they wanted to get out the message that you can't have a good education if your school isn't stable.
            Washington Post persuades you that the schools need to be repaired.  They achieve this by saying "children are not getting the education they need or deserve."  In addition, they says "kids are shivering in classrooms with thin walls.  Some are studying under leaky roofs."  Lastly they state that "last year, the government said about 1 in 3 Native American schools were in poor condition.  It also said more than $1 billion would be needed to fix them."
               Washington Post adapted by Newsela has persuaded me that the schools where Native Americans go have to be fixed so they can get the education they need.  They quoted several people to support their opinion.  In conclusion the Native American schools will eventually get repaired with President Obama and John Kline's assistance.

Reading Response On "My Life Next Door" by Huntley Fitzpatrick

In the book “My Life Next Door” by Huntley Fitzpatrick, the message is that lying doesn’t get you anywhere with your issues in life, it just makes things worse.  The story is about a teen girl named Samantha Reed, who lives in a big house with her older sister named Tracy and her mother.  Next door, the Garretts are the opposite of the Reeds, loud, exciting, messy, and loving.  One day,  Jase Garrett climbs onto Samantha’s terrace and this alters everything.  Samantha and Jase end up falling deeply in love.  Samantha becomes part of Jase’s family, babysitting his siblings and hanging out in his room.  Out of nowhere, a challenging problem just falls into her lap.  How will Samantha resolve this problem?

Firstly, an example of lying is when Samantha’s best friend Nan lied to her about being intelligent and great at state tests/regents.  The truth was that Nan would cheat on each test by keeping an electronic in her backpack, that was open.  After Samantha figured this out, Nan stopped talking to her anymore.  Nan lying to Samantha about taking tests only resulted in Samantha getting hurt, which didn’t do any good.  Samantha thought Nan hated her!  When Samantha found Nan, she says to Samantha, “You’re rich and beautiful.  You have the perfect life, the perfect body, the perfect grade point average, and you never have to work for a thing.”  This quote shows that Nan is jealous of Samantha and can’t stand it any longer.  In addition, Nan says, “I don’t need your pity.  And I don’t want your friendship.”  Nan has given up on friendship, which portrays that she is hopeless.  Samantha was sad about this outcome, but decided that there was nothing she could do to stay friends. 

Secondly, another example of lying occurs towards the end of the book, when Samantha’s mother said she didn’t hit anybody the night that Jase's (Samantha’s boyfriend) dad got hit by a car.  However,  Samantha’s mom admits that she did hit Jase’s dad in the car by accident, while Samantha was asleep.  Samantha’s reaction to this is “Mom did something wrong.  You know it.  I know it.  Something that hurt someone seriously.”  Samantha said this to Clay,  her mother’s boyfriend and assistant for politics because Samantha’s mother is the President in their town Stony Bay.  Samantha is angry that her mom won’t confess for her mistake that she made and is annoyed.  Clay states to Samantha, “Shouldn’t your first concern be for your own mother?  You know how hard that she works for her job.  How much it means to her.  Could you really live with yourself if you tool it away?”  As you can see, by Samantha’s mother lying it just created chaos between herself and Samantha.

Overall,  I loved this book and the plot in general.  I would definitely recommend people to read this book who enjoy reading drama/romance. “My Life Next Door” shows Samantha’s thoughts and her perspective in a fascinating way.

 

Reading Response On Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

         In the book “Second Chance Summer” by Morgan Matson, the message is that you should take life for granted.  The story is about a girl named Taylor Edwards, who felt like she was always in the shadows, except for when she ran away from things in her life that she was scared of accepting.  Suddenly, out of the blue her dad receives dreadful information about himself, so their family decides in the nick of time to go to their old lake house, for the summer.  Taylor hasn't been to their lake house in 5 years.  So, when she arrives there with her family, she is faced with her old best friend, Lucy and her first crush, Henry Crosby, who has changed a lot and is much cuter than she last saw him.  Throughout the summer, Taylor notices that she has a second chance to fix all the mistakes in her life from when she was twelve, in The Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, in her summer house, possibly, also with love.

One way that Taylor left behind her reality is when she was little.  In the beginning of the story, it states, “ Though I hadn’t felt the need to do it for a while now, running away had been something I’d done with real frequency when I was younger.  It had all started when I was five, and I had gotten upset that my mother was paying attention only to baby Gesley, and Warren, as usual, wouldn’t let me play with him.” Warren is Taylor’s older brother by two years and Gesley was her younger sister, 5 years younger.  Taylor was the middle child, she didn't fit in to her family because she had no talent, Gesley loved ballet, Warren was fascinated by academics all the facts, but all she did was bike around town or relax with her dad.  She used to play tennis, but now she didn't do it any longer.  Taylor feared if she stayed in one place for a long period of time, someone would usually get hurt, and she didn't want that to happen.  Taylor didn’t seem to like to take risks in life.  This example shows that Taylor is afraid of the outcome and doesn’t have the courage to accept the outcome of her actions to certain people.

Another way that Taylor left behind a situation was 5 years ago, when she was twelve.  Things got complicated in her life in the lake house in Pennsylvania, so she decided to leave her life behind with her dad when he had to go back to their home in Lake Phenix to do his work.  Lucy and Taylor both had a crush on Henry, but then when Lucy left to live with her mom in New Jersey, Taylor started dating Henry and never told Lucy.  When Lucy found out, Taylor couldn't stay any longer.  So, when 5 years later, Taylor sees Henry, “standing across from me, 5 years older, all grown up, much cuter than I remembered him being, was Henry Crosby.”  Later into the summer, when Taylor’s dad is looking worse every day because in the beginning of the summer the doctor told him that he only has 3-4 months to live, Henry and Taylor become friends.  Henry tells Taylor, that his mom left his family and hasn't come back and he doesn't know if she ever will, but he said she had a reason for leaving.  On the other hand, Taylor doesn't have a reason to leave, she just doesn't want to make anything become bad.  As you can see Taylor has a habit of leaving.

In conclusion I really enjoyed this book and the author, Morgan’s way of writing.  I recommend this book to people who like to read realistic fiction/romance.  This book shows the emotions that Taylor is feeling and her thoughts in an interesting way.

Non-fiction Critical Analysis

              The article "2 of 3 Smokers Will Die If They Don't Quit, Research Shows" from HealthDay wants us to know that smoking can have a vast change on your life.  HealthDay quotes Emily Banks, scientific director of the Sax study and a researcher at the Australian National University, "we knew smoking was bad, but now we have direct independent evidence that confirms the disturbing findings that have been emerging internationally."  This quote shows that smoking is unhealthy for humans.  In addition HealthDay quotes the journal BMC Medicine, "compared with not smoking, having just 10 cigarettes a day double the risk of dying early." HealthDay quotes the journal BMC Medicine to portray how important your choices are in life.  Lastly HealthDay quotes Emily Banks again to show how smoking can affect the age that you pass away.
             HealthDay persuades you that smoking has an influence on your body's health and life span.  They achieve this by saying "we also found smokers will die an estimated 10 years earlier than nonsmokers."  Also they say that "it was long thought that smoking-related diseases would kill about half of smokers early, but newer research has put the figure as high as 67 percent."  Finally, there's always still time to quit smoking no matter you age or the amount of time you smoke.
             HealthDay has persuaded me that smoking is bad for your body and you should be thoughtful about your actions.  They quoted a couple of people to support their perspective on this issue.  In conclusion, smoking has a negative effect on humans bodies.

Reading Response On "Paper Towns" by John Green

        The message of the story "Paper Towns" by John Green is that, if you don't imagine things nothing will ever happen.  "Paper Towns" is about a boy named Quentin Jacobsen who has spent most of his life loving the funny, fascinating, adventurous neighbor named Margo Roth Spiegelman from a far distance.  So, when she climbs into his reality through his window, asking for his help to get revenge on a journey he'll never forget, he follows.  Once their journey ends the next day at school Margo becomes a mystery, but Quentin finds out that she leaves behind clues for him.  The more closer he becomes to Margo the less of her he sees of the girl he imagined he knew.
One of the things that Quentin imagines is Margo.  He imagines that Margo hates music, books, and popularity in general.  Margo is the total opposite!  When she leaves Quentin and the rest of her friends  on a new exciting adventure, he goes into her room with his two odd best friends Ben and Radar.  Her room is surrounded with stacks of vinyl records and a couple of books by Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman hidden in shelves.  Quentin thinks in his head, “I was distracted by Margo’s music collection.  She liked everything.  I could never have imagined her listening to all these records.” Later in the book, Margo says to Quentin that, “people love the idea of a paper girl.  And it seemed like a way to tell that paper girl who cared about popularity and clothes and everything else: You are going to the paper towns.  And you are never coming back.”  Margo explained earlier on in the book, that she imagined the towns in Florida as paper towns with paper girls and boys getting everything they ever wanted, and how she thought this wasn’t right.  Even thought when she was little Margo liked being a paper girl and still does.  This shows that Quentin didn’t actually know the real Margo, he only knew the Margo  that he imagined in his head.
Margo also imagines things in a certain way.  She imagined Quentin being this “superhot, superloyal defender of justice.”  She tells Quentin “but then- you know- you kind of were.    In addition, Margo loves to imagine going somewhere.  She says to Quentin that, “the pleasure isn’t doing; the pleasure is in planning it.  She could be planning anything from breaking into an aquarium to going to travel around the world in several days.  Lastly, Margo imagines in leaving.  Leaving to go somewhere to start a new life where she can just be her true self.  “Leaving feels good and pure only when you leave something important, something that mattered to you.”
“Paper Towns” by John Green is a tale about a young boy named Quentin who goes on an adventure to find out who Margo Roth Spiegelman, his gorgeous neighbor is.  At the end of the story, he discovers that, “imagining isn’t perfect.  You can’t get all the way inside someone else.  But imagining being someone else, or the world being something else, is the only way in.”  In conclusion, if you never envision things, then nothing will ever occur.     

Reading Response on "looking for alaska"

        In the book “looking for alaska” by John Green the message is that we are greater than the sum of our parts.  This book is about a young adult named Miles “pudge” Halter, who has an irksome life with a compulsion of famous last words.  Pudge is looking for the “Great Perhaps,” so he decides to go to this boarding school called Culver Creek which is exhilarating.  At Culver Creek he meets this beautiful, clever, interesting, and suicidal girls named Alaska Young next door.  She reels Pudge into her own world, brings him into the Great Perhaps and buys his heart.

For Pudge he had one issue in his life.  He had a non-fascinating life at home with his parents in Florida and had no friends.  When he went to Culver Creek everything changed.  Pudge becomes friends with his room mate named Colonel who is strong, and smart, Takumi who is shy but weird, and Alaska who is intelligent and nice.  He ends up doing pranks with them and going on adventures sneaking behind the Eagle who is in charge of Culver Creek.  Pudge gets to know Alaska for who she really is and falls in love with her, even though she has a boyfriend who she barely sees named Jake. Pudge is thinking to himself “she taught me everything I knew about crawfish and kissing and pink wine and poetry.  She made me different.”  Then  Alaska and Pudge kissed in a truth and dare game, but Pudge loved her even more after that.  To conclude at the Pudge’s issue is resolved at the end of the story.

For Alaska her problem is that she wants to escape her labyrinth, her life.  Alaska had her own perspective on life.  She says to Pudge “Jesus, I’m not going to be one of those people who sits around talking about what they’re gonna do.  I’m just going to do it.  Imagining the future is kind of nostalgia.”  She loves to read books, and smoke.  Alaska tells Pudge while they’re smoking with Colonel and Takumi “Y’all smoke to enjoy it.  I smoke to  die.”  In the book they give clues on what’s going to be the climax.  In “looking for alaska,” you get to know Alaska’s clever side and her mature side.  The climax in the story is when Alaska gets into a car accident and passes away.  Alaska finally leaves the labyrinth but leaves Pudge in it all alone.

The main idea of “looking for alaska” is that our soils are superior than what we contain.  “looking for alaska” by John Green is a tale about a boy name Miles “Pudge” Halter who’s reality becomes intriguing when he goes to this boarding school called Culver Creek and goes on a journey with his new friends.  At the end of the story Pudge finds the Great Perhaps, he realizes that we are indestructible.  “We cannot be born, and we connote die.  Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations.  In conclusion live in the present not the past.

Reading Response On "AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES"

     In the book “AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES” by John Green the message is that you can’t stop the future from coming.  This book is about a child prodigy, who enjoys anagramming, named Colin Singleton.  When it comes to dating, Colin’s kind is girls who are named Katherine.  Every time he has dated a Katherine he’s gotten dumped exactly nineteen times in a row.  Colin Singleton and his chubby, religious, best friend named Hassan go on a road trip far away from home to take a break of from their issues.  On the road trip they go to Shotgun where there are no Katherines.  Colin’s goal is to validate his theory called the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability.  Colin believes that this theory will predict any relationship between a girl and a boy depending on their characteristics.

Formerly, there is one issue that Colin is dealing with in his life.  Colin Singleton is heart broken.  The last Katherine that Colin dated was Katherine nineteen who just dumped him.  Colin tells his parents “she’s just- she’d had enough of me.  She got tired.  That’s what she said.”   In addition, Colin tells Hassan “all I ever wanted was for her to love me and do something meaningful with my life.”  Colin loved Katherine nineteen.  She had long eyelashes and pretty blue eyes.  Katherine was a kind person and had a friendly heart in assisting people.  Following that, Colin discovers that relationships don't always last for a reason because he can't predict them.  It's not the memories of Katherines that matter, it's the stories.  Colin thinks "because like say I tell someone about my feral hog hunt.  Even if it's a dumb story, telling it changes other people just the slightest little bit, just as living the story changes me."  In a minuscule way.  To conclude, Colin determines that we all matter, even in a small amount.

Earlier, there is one major problem that Hassan is handling in reality.  Hassan doesn't want to go to college.  He says he’s taking a “break” from school, but Colin thinks Hassan is just taking a vacation to relax at home and watch his favorite TV show Jude Judy.  Later in the book, Hassan experiences a realization, that the main problem is that he doesn’t do anything because he is lazy.  Furthermore, Hassan tells Colin “I never did anything that helped anybody.  Even the religious things that involve doing.  I don’t do.  I’m a total non-doer.  I’m just sucking food and water and money out of the world, and all I’m giving back is, ‘Hey, I’m really good at not doing!  Now I’m going to tell you some jokes.”  This issue of Hassan connects to my claim that you can't stop the future from coming.  Hassan is going to have to go to college sometime if he wants to get a good paying job.  In order to earn what you desire, you have to work hard and not think about the future unless it's necessary.  As you can see, Hassan just has to decide on what he wants and live in the present.

“AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES” by John Green is a story about Colin Singleton, who is really smart, only dates one type, girls who are named Katherine.  Towards the end of the story, Colin falls in love with this girl named Lindsey in Shotgun, his first Lindsey and they start dating.   Hassan  decides on what he wishes to do with his life, and signs up for college, for two classes in the fall.   Also, Colin becomes aware that the Theorem of Underlying Katherines doesn't work because the future is unpredictable. The future is "infinite and unknowable and beautiful." In conclusion nobody can block the future from approaching.

Reading Response on Regan's Blog posts

             This weekend, I read Regan's blog posts on Dr. Bird's advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos and I thought they were great.  The first blog post on this book was descriptive of how the main character felt and his problems.  Regan's second blog post on Dr. Bird's advice for Sad Poets talked about the main character's primary relationship.  This book is about a young adult named James Whitman who currently is in high school and is coping with depression.  His sister Jorie got evicted from their home by their parents and is now living in a nasty apartment by herself with no cash. 

             I found it most fascinating when Regan described James's problems.  When James asks his father if his sister Jorie could return home, the writing draws you into the story.  Regan uses very clever vocabulary and the way her sentences flow is just incredible.  Then she talks on about, how after James's father answers his question, it creates a bigger issue, which leads into him figuring out how he has to resolve it.  I agree with Regan, that James’s problems only increased when he asked his father if Jorie could return to their home.

I also enjoyed how Regan described James’s relationship with his parents.  His parents are negligent to James’s issues.  James’s parents hardly accept his existence, they are unconcerned about him.  Regan states “I don't think his parents really realize how hard they are making it for James and for themselves.”   I believe Regan is right because the parents don’t seem to be aware of how badly they are treating their only child in their home at the time.  James’s relationship with his parents is precarious.  

Overall, I think Regan did a fantastic job on her two blog posts, they were well-detailed, and had a nice structure to them.  I like how her second blog post only talked about the most meaningful relationship that James has.  I would like to try this method next time I do a blog post.

This is a link to Regan's Blog:http://reganhockenberry.blogspot.com

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis

          The article "Substance Abuse and Homelessness" by the National Coalition for the Homeless wants us to know that a large amount of homeless people suffer with substance abuse and need special treatment and therapy in order to defeat it.  One thing that the National Coalition for the Homeless does is they quote Didenko and Pankratz to show how substance abuse is “a cause and a result for homelessness.”  The National Coalition for the Homeless also quotes Fisher and Roget to portray how homeless people have difficulties recovering from drugs.  Lastly the National Coalition for Homeless quotes the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health to show the amount of homeless people using drugs in a certain length of time.  These examples demonstrate the relationship between homeless people and substance abuse.

    The National Coalition for the Homeless persuade you that substance abuse is more of a result than a cause.  They achieve this by saying that homeless people frequently “turn to drugs and alcohol” to manage with their surroundings.  The National Coalition for the Homeless quote Didenko and Pankratz, “additionally, some people may view drug and alcohol use as necessary to be accepted among the homeless community.” Finally, the National Coalition for the Homeless say that, “in reality, however, substance dependence only exacerbates their problems and decreases their ability to achieve employment stability and get off the streets.”

  The National Coalition for the Homeless has persuaded me that substance abuse is more of a result than a cause.  They quoted several people to support their opinion.  In conclusion substance abuse is a result of homelessness.

                    

Reading Response On "Pay It Forward"

             In the book "Pay It Forward" by Catherine Ryan Hyde the message is that people have the ability to change themselves and the world around them.  "Pay It Forward" is about how a twelve year old boy, named Trevor McKinney takes on a challenge to create a plan to change the world, that his social studies teacher Reuben, gives his class.  Trevor's plan is to do a nice deed for three people and ask them to "pay it forward to three others who need assistance in their life.  He imagines an immense motion of sympathy spreading from his town in California to around the world.  I believe that justice is served in this story in several ways.
            For Trevor, justice is served towards the end of the book.  First, Trevor helps three people, Jerry, Ms. Greenberg, and Reuben his social studies teacher.  He asks these three people to pay it forward, but Jerry ends up being in jail, Ms. Greenberg dies, and Reuben fails to pay it forward.  Trevor becomes miserable and thinks he didn't do anything right.  Trevor thinks "what if the world really changed because of my project? Wouldn't that be the coolest thing?"  Then his plan really does work, and Trevor doesn't know, until a reporter finds and tells him about it happening in different places across the world. Reuben and his mom are both lonely and Trevor thought Reuben would pay it forward by getting married to his mom and that eventually this happens.  When they tell Trevor they're engaged Trevor jumps up and down and screams "Yes! I knew it.  I told you!"  Next, after Ms. Greenberg passes away she asks three people to pay it forward in her will.  She accomplishes her deed and this spreads through LA to Chicago.  Once Jerry gets out of jail, he too spreads it forward.  Justice is served for Trevor because his plan ends up being a success and everybody is helping each other.
         For Reuben, justice is served close to the end of this story.  In the beginning, Reuben is lonely and is a new social studies teacher at this middle school.  He decides to give his class a challenge to come up with a plan to change the world.  Trevor, one of students chats with him everyday after school talking about his plan.  Reuben ends up loving this kid.  When Trevor sets up his mom Arlene and Reuben on a date, Reuben thinks this child is crazy.  Reuben then realizes that him and Arlene are alike, they are both defensive and stubborn.  Trevor ends up helping Reuben not be alone.  Reuben and Arlene end up being engaged and then when Ricky Trevor's real father comes back to their house Reuben leaves and Arlene realizes she made a mistake.  Arlene kicks Ricky out and goes over to Reuben's house and she says "I know you don't forgive me, Reuben. I don't expect you to. But some little part of you must miss me, right? God knows I miss you."  Then Reuben forgives her and they get back together and get married.  Justice is served for Reuben because he finally gets a family and becomes happy.
           "Pay It Forward" by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a story about Trevor McKinney, a boy who gets assigned a challenge in his social studies class to make a plan to change the world.  At the end of the book he gets invited to the white house and meets the president with his mom Arlene and Reuben.  When he's in Washington D.C. he tries to help two men getting beaten up by two other men, but Trevor ends up getting stabbed and when he and his mom and Reuben get to the hospital they tell him he's in critical condition and they have to do a surgery on him.  After surgery, Trevor passes away the day before his fourteenth birthday.  There is a funeral and twenty thousand people come to honor Trevor.People keep on paying it forward, even after Trevor is gone. In conclusion humans have the power to make the world a better place.



              

Reading Response On "Six Months Later"

         In the book "Six Months Later" by Natalie D. Richards the message is that you have to be careful of your actions.  You can't trust everybody you know even if you like them.  "Six Months Later" is about a girl named Chloe who falls asleep in Study Hall and when she wakes up she can't remember the last six months of her life.  Earlier she was an average student, but now she is the student with the best grades for Ivy league schools.  Before she didn't have an opportunity with this jock, that she had a crush on named Blake. However now he's her boyfriend. Previously Maggie and her were best friends, but now Maggie won't talk to her. Chloe is confused.  Remembering might damage her.   Chloe thinks that her memory loss was on purpose, but nobody believes her.

         For Chloe, depending on the people she knew wasn't clever.  She was in a study group in July with  Adam and Blake and that's how she got to learn and know more things about Blake and they, eventually became a couple.  Trusting Blake was not a good idea. Blake's dad, named Daniel was the reason Chloe lost a chunk of her memory. Blake is now her ex boyfriend and Adam, her friend, she becomes to love him. Adam says to chloe, after they've been hanging out for several months,"you were right.  Part, right anyway.  Your memory loss was an accident, Chlo but it wasn't natural.  Daniel Tanner was testing that chemical in our study group.  I don't know how or why, but he wants to sell it.  And apparently we were the guinea pigs."  Only two people in Chloe's study group lost their memory, Julien and Chloe because one of the symptoms of the chemical was memory loss.

         For Adam, chloe's friend trusting Daniel Tanner was dreadful! Daniel Tanner lied to Adam's face.  Adam tells Chloe he got hired by Daniel Tanner to monitor their study group.  Daniel Tanner said to Adam that he wanted him to "peer the information on the relaxation techniques." Adam says that Daniel "fed him a bunch of crap about subliminal messaging and meditation, but he never" told Adam what he was really doing to their study group.  Adam also says to Chloe that Daniel Tanner "sold it to the school board as a big community service project, and he sold it as my only way out of this shit-hole town and I bought it Chloe."  Chloe ends up forgiving Adam for what he did and they end up dating.  This example shows that you can't depend on  people you know even if they seem innocent.

         In the book "Six Months Later" by Natalie D. Richards is a story about a teenager named Chloe who goes into a deep sleep and was aroused in the middle of May, and can't recollect the last half year.  Daniel Tanner ends up being the person who caused everything.  At the end of the book, Chloe stabs Daniel with the help of Maggie and Adam, with his own chemicals that he created and he gets arrested. Blake, Chloe's ex-boyfriend was working for his dad Daniel Tanner by dating Chloe to know where she was at all hours of the day.  This story is missing the perspectives of Daniel Tanner, Blake, Adam, and Maggie.  I think the author did this because she wanted the reader to see the issues in Chloe's life and how she dealt with them with the people she became to know.  In conclusion be cautious of your actions and you can't rely on all the people you are familiar with.

             

Argument Essay: Should YA fiction Be Limited?

Should YA fiction be limited? 

For the past 40 years YA fiction has been judged on if their grim inappropriate tales were acceptable or not for teens to read. 40 years ago there was simple literature, but in the 1960s everything changed.  Hinton published The Outsiders in 1967 which was considered violent. This book started an era of scary books for teens.  YA literature should be limited because they have become more gruesome, violent, and profane, which has had bad effects on teens, making them “grow up too quickly.”

YA literature, even though it teaches lessons, has become “too dark” for teens to read. In the article “Darkness Too Visible,” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, she says, “in Jackie Morse Kessler’s gruesome, but inventive 2011 take on a girl’s struggle with self-inquiry, “Rage,” a teenage Missy’s secret cutting turns nightmarish after she is the victim of a sadistic sexual prank. She had sliced her arms to ribbons, but the badness remained, staining her insides like cancer.”  Another example of a dark book is in the same article “Darkness Too Visible” it states “in Andrew Smith’s 2010 novel, The Maybury Lens, young Jack is drugged, abducted and nearly raped by a male captor. After escaping, he encounters a curious pair of glasses that transport him into an alternate world of almost unimaginable gore and cruelty.  Moments after arriving he finds himself facing a wall of horrors, covered with impaled heads and other dripping black-rot body parts.”  These books portray that YA literature has become more gory.  Although some people connect to the situations in these books, most teens matured suddenly by reading them.

YA literature has an enormous amount of violence and sex, and parents should shield their kids from these books.  The article “Darkness Too Visible” by Meghan Cox Gurdon states, “how dark is contemporary fiction for teens? So dark kidnapping and pederasty and incest and brutal beatings are now just a part of the run of things in novels directed, broadly speaking at children from the ages of 12 to 18.”  According to the article,“The ‘sick-lit’ books aimed at children; It’s a disturbing phenomenon.  Tales of teenage cancer, self-harm and suicide,” by Tanith Carey, most YA literature “are also liberally peppered with sex and swearing. The blurbs for “teen sick-lit’ as it’s become known trip over themselves to promise their books will drive readers ‘to tears’ or leave them “devastated.”  These YA books influence mischievous behaviors on teens making them think that they can swear, take inappropriate actions wherever and whenever they wish. Parents can be overprotective, but for this subject matter they have proof why they’re right.  In life we need our parents to lead and teach us lessons, even if they appear to be insane.  

Some people think that parents shouldn’t protect teens from YA literature because they can’t shut them off from the outside reality. Some teens can relate to the situations that occur in YA books and know they’re not alone. Also teens learn morals from reading these books that can help them in the future. The article “Darkness Too Visible” by Gurdon says, “that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures.”  Another article “Has young adult fiction become too dark?”,by Mary Elizabeth Williams states “that’s why it matters; why, in the name of protecting teens, we can’t shut them off from the outlet of experiencing difficult events and feelings in the relative safety and profound comfort of literature.”  However, parents aren’t excluding teens out of the real world by not allowing their children to read YA fiction, the parents are just protecting their kids from learning these things too soon. Even though some teens associate with the events in the books, most teens mature rapidly and lose their innocence by reading them. Parents aren’t shielding their kids from experiencing difficult events and feelings by denying their kids from reading these  books because teens will have those activities later on in their lifespan and learn what to do then.  Lastly, teens don’t have to learn lessons from these YA books, they can be taught by their parents. 

For the last 40 years YA literature has had an argument, on if they are too gloomy or not for teens to read.  It is the opinion of most people that YA fiction “has gone too far.”  Parents are worried about their teens reading these books. YA literature should be limited because they have become more gruesome, violent, and profane, which has bad effects on teens, making them develop instantly. In conclusion if teens were banned from reading YA fiction it might be preserving their innocence, so they won’t lose it immediately.   

   

Reading Response On "Clarity"

              In the book "Clarity" by Kim Harrington the message in this book is protecting the ones you love, before others makes more trouble than you already have.  "Clarity" is about a teenage girl named Clarity "Clare" Fern, that can see things nobody else can see.  When Clare touches a certain object, visions appear to her.  This is a gift and a curse.  Then a girl named Victoria Happel is found murdered in Clare's town, her ex-boyfriend Justin asks Clare to help solve the case.  Clare is still enraged at Justin for cheating on her, but when her brother Perry becomes the prime suspect, she has to help justin.  Clare ends up working with Justin, the hot detective's son Gabriel, and the police on this case.
             For Clare, when protecting family, before others it just made her situation worse.    Perry has a special power too, he can talk to ghosts that are dead relatives of the people sitting in front of him in the room.  When Perry tells Clare he slept with Victoria Happel the night she got killed, he says that she has to tell the police.  Perry states "That makes me the top suspect.  Hiding that information would make  you an accessory or whatever."   Clare says "Screw the police and screw Justin.  Family first.  Keep your trap shut."  Clare knows that she has to shield her brother from everybody.  Later on in the story the police find out that Perry was with Victoria Happel the night she got killed because they see it in a video.  This example shows that protecting the ones you love can create problems.
              For Justin, protecting the one he loves, before himself made this event painful for him.  Justin cares a lot about Clare.  After he cheated on Clare he realized it was a mistake right away.  Justin has apologized several times.  He believes that Clare and him have a chance in getting back together because they still love each other. Clare is the one, the first girl he fell in love with.  Towards the end of the book he risks his life at the  last second, and instead of Clare being shot by the murderer, Justin gets shot!  At the end of the story Justin gets rushed to the hospital in time and doesn't die.  In the hospital Justin says "being shot sucks.  I'll be honest.  But it was worth it if it saved you." 
                 In the book "Clarity" by Kim Harrington is about a teenage girl named Clare Fern that has the ability to see images when she touches particular objects that are important to people.  When a girl named Victoria Happel gets murdered in Clare's town, Clare ends up working on the case using her powers to help the police whenever she can.  At the end of the book Justin, Gabriel, and Clare end up finding the murderer  Stephen and he gets arrested.  Stephen was Clare's friend he was a teenage boy! Stephen only murdered Victoria because  his mom, Cecile wanted him to. You can't trust everyone you know, even if they are your friends.  The message in this book is that guarding the people you care about before others has its consequences.  In conclusion Clare was Brave to protect and stand up for her brother Perry.

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis

          The article "Should young adult books have age ratings?" by Husna Haq wants us to know that YA books should have age ratings, so then kids will become better and the parents will be relaxed.  One thing that Husna does is she quotes Taylor, the author of the Vampire Labyrinth Series, to show that making age-ratings systems would guide the parents on what books they should allow their children to read.  Husna Haq also quotes Patrick Ness, the author of "Monster Calls", to portray that teens only like to read about the darkness.  She also quotes Charlie Higson, to show that some people think that having age-ratings is unnecessary.  These examples show that age-ratings are good for parents and kids, even though some children want to read those grim books.
           Husna Haq convinces you that age-ratings systems are needed everywhere, in schools and all around the world.  She accomplishes this by stating the reasons why we need age-ratings systems.  For example, Husna quotes Taylor, "I think the way forward is a certification system for books, the same way we have in films.  For children, we've got to be really careful.  We've got to have a guide for parents."  In this article Husna only quotes three people because there is so much debate on whether we should have age-ratings on YA literature, that she just wants to make her point clear on this topic, that we need age-ratings on these books.  Husna only includes adults opinions on this subject, because they lead their child's life and know what's best for their child.  Husna doesn't quote any teens on this topic because most of them have different opinions compared to hers.
           Husna Haq hasn't convinced me fully that we should have age-ratings on YA literature because she doesn't give enough evidence to support her claim.  She only quotes one person to support the claim, Taylor, the author of the Vampire Labyrinth Series.  There shouldn't be age-ratings for YA books because then some of these books will be taken out of kids hands that want to read them.  Husna also only states what adults opinions are on this subject because most teens go against her.  In order for me to be on Husna's side, she would have to quote more people that supported  her claim and I would have liked her to quote what some teens said on this topic.

Reading Response on "Just Listen"

In the book “Just Listen” by Sarah Dessen the theme is that “you’ve got so many do overs in your life, if you can’t change your past, alter your future.”  “Just listen” is a story about a girl named Annabel in high school, when she’s modeling her picture is perfect, but her real life is not near perfect.  Annabel’s got her friend Owen, he’s nice, music-obsessed, and always tells the truth.

For Annabel, being friends with one person can change your life in a whole new way.  In the beginning of the school year she stopped talking to her friends, and people in general because over the summer her best friend Sophie and her had a nasty fight, they aren’t friends anymore.  Annabel sits next to Owen every day at lunch silently, and one day when she needs him most he talks to her, this is the start of their friendship.  They end up falling in love.  Owen makes Annabel a better person.  For example, Owen influences Annabel in liking to listen to Music. Owen states “music is a total constant.  That’s why we have such a strong visceral connection to it, you know?  Because a song can take you back instantly to a moment, or a place, or even a person.”  Also Owen courages Annabel to tell the truth.  Annabel states “the truth sometimes hurts.  I just don’t like to hurt people.  So sometimes you know, I won’t say exactly what I think, to spare them that.” Lastly Owen makes Annabel do what she believes in, and he helps her be herself instead of being someone else.

For Owen,  Annabel is beautiful, and too nice.  Annabel influences him to realize that it doesn’t matter what anybody thinks of you.  Annabel shows him that he can be brave, and tough.  He loves to criticize Annabel in any way.  Annabel helps Owen be calm and deal with is anger issues.  Owen states “anger is inevitable.  Anger Management is just what it sounds like: it’s supposed to help you deal with it.”  Owen cares for Annabel so much that when she told him she was raped by this boy named Will Cash, Owen punched him in the face.  He got grounded for Annabel, and he didn’t care.   Owen loves Annabel the way she is, they are such a  nice match. As you can see Annabel makes Owen less intense as a person.

In the book “Just Listen” by Sarah Dessen it’s about this teenage girl named Annabel who looks like she has everything, but her life is far from complete.  Owen is Annabel’s best friend, he’s caring, passionate about music,  and loves Annabel.  Owen gave Annabel a song called Just Listen, this song symbolizes Owen and Annabel’s lovely relationship.  The theme in this book is that you have so many chances in your life,  that if you can’t modify the past, you should change your future.  In conclusion be careful of your actions, one choice alters your life in so many ways.

Argument Essay

Should We Be Prepared For Ebola In Our Country, The U.S.?

                   Ebola is a nasty virus.  The largest Ebola outbreak in history was this year in West Africa.  People are getting nervous, but here in the United States, you shouldn’t be.  The virus Ebola doesn’t travel through the air, in order, to get infected you have to come into contact with fluids from an infected person.  Ebola virus particles attack the immune system, kidneys, the cells that line blood vessels, and the liver when they are inside a person.  We should be prepared for Ebola in the U.S. because its deadly and spreads quickly.  Therefore, if Ebola keeps on spreading and there is an outbreak in the U.S. we’ll be prepared.

                   The first reason we should be prepared for Ebola in this country is because people are scared of the virus.  In the article “The deadly  Ebola virus is ravaging West Africa - and alarming the rest of the world” by Patricia Smith states “healthcare workers have faced an additional hurdle: fear.  Blamed by panicked and superstitious populations for spreading the virus.”  The health workers are scared because they’ve been threatened in some places with knives, stones, machetes, and angry mobs.  According to the article “there’s no silver - bullet medicine that kills the Ebola virus.”  People have “fled in fear.”  The article “Ebola Explained: What You Should and Shouldn’t Worry About” by Nadia Drake states that Ebola is scary because “it is unknown and has a high fatality rate and requires isolation.”  Another reason why we should be prepare for Ebola is because people worry about it and there are a lot of symptoms of Ebola.  The article “The deadly Ebola Virus is ravaging West Africa - and alarming the rest of the world” states that “doctors worry that deaths from malaria, dysentery, and other treatable diseases will shoot up in West Africa.”  Ebola is causing “widespread panic” and disruption.  In the article “Signs and Symptoms” by Center for Disease Control and Prevention it states the symptoms of Ebola include “fever greater than 101.5°F, severe headaches, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, abdominal (stomach) pain, and unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising).  Lastly we should be prepared for Ebola is because “it can’t spread through the air and it isn’t contagious before symptoms first show up, when a person might unknowingly be a walking disease distributor.”  As you can see, Ebola is dangerous and we should be prepared.

                  However, many experts think that we barely have a chance of having an outbreak of Ebola in the United States and it doesn’t matter if we’re prepared.  For example in the article “the deadly Ebola Virus is ravaging West Africa - and alarming the rest of the world” by Patricia Smith states “experts say the chances of an outbreak is very slim.  As a precaution, health officials are monitoring a total of 20 airports and border crossings.  Another example is that “even if someone with Ebola were to end up in the U.S., standard hospital prevent transmission on the scale being seen in Africa.”  The last example is that it says we are prepared for Ebola, “though many healthcare workers have fled in fear, there have also been many heroes: doctors and nurses who continue to treat the sick despite the risks; janitors who clean up lethal pools of vomit and waste so health centers can stay open; drivers who venture into villages overcome Ebola to retrieve patients; and body handlers charged with the dangerous task of safety burying infectious corpses.”  All in all, most experts think there is a slim chance of an outbreak of Ebola in the U.S.

                  Ebola is fatal and spreads quickly and we should be ready for an outbreak in the U.S.  Ebola has taken many lives this year in West Africa. Even though medical doctors should be prepared for a situation like this we should be concerned due to the fact that we don’t have a proven vaccine.  In conclusion, I think that Ebola should be taken seriously and we should prepare as much as possible.

Faithful Elephants Reading Response

                   In the story "Faithful Elephants" by Yukio Tsuchiya the theme is that just because you believe something is going to happen it doesn't mean that it is.  "Faithful Elephants" is a depressed tale about these three elephants John, Tonky,  and Wanly being killed.  The zookeepers had starved John, Tonky, and Wanly because they thought the elephants were going to die by bombs dropping from the war.  
                   For the zookeepers at the zoo they believed that since there was a war going on that the three elephants and the other animals weren't safe, though that might not be true.  The story states "what would happen if bombs hit the zoo?  If the cages were broken and dangerous animals escaped to run wild through the city, it would be terrible!  Therefore by command of the Army, all of the lions, tigers, leopards, bears, and big snakes were poisoned to death."  The zookeepers were compassionate and showing pity to the animals in the zoo.  Lastly the story states "as it seems no other way, we must inject poison directly into his body."  As you can see the zookeepers went a little too far on thinking that they had to kill all the animals for the city to be safe.
                    For the elephant trainer if the three elephants were killed he would be lonely, miserable, and empty.  They starved the elephant John first.   John passed away 17 days later.    Then they zookeepers started starving Tonky and Wanly.  In the story it says "the elephant keepers stopped feeding Tonky and Wanly.  As the days passed, the elephants became thinner, weaker and weaker."  The elephants ears seemed too big for their bodies and the elephants were sad and hungry.  "All this while, the elephants ' trainer loved them as if they were his own children."  The elephant trainer was loving, caring, and joyful around the elephants.  The story states "the trainer could stand it no longer.  Oh, Tonky!  Oh, Wanly! he wailed, and dished to the food shed.  He carried food and pails of water to them and threw it at their feet.  Here!  he said, sobbing, and clung to their thin legs.  Eat your food!  Please drink.  Drink your water!"  Also "at last, Tonky and Wanly could no longer move.  Seeing his beloved elephants dying this way, the elephant trainer felt as if his heart would break. '  The elephants are dead! ' screamed the elephant trainer as he ran into the office.  He buried his head in his arms and cried, beating the desk top with his fist."  The elephant trainer thought he couldn't stop the zookeepers from starving his elephants and when they died he was very depressed.
                     The "Faithful Elephants" tells the story about three elephants John, Tonky, and Wanly that were put to death by the zookeepers.  The message in this story is that just because you think something is going to occur, you can't predict the future.  In conclusion don't do something because you think its going to happen, do what you think is best.

Burn For Burn By: Jenny Han

       Burn For Burn by: Jenny han, is an intriguing book.  It is about three girls Mary, Lillia, and Kat who each want to get revenge on a person at their community high school.  Mary, Lillia, and Kat all live on Jar island with their families.  Lillia and Kat used to be best friends 4 years ago, but then they had grown apart when they were at high school.  Mary used to live off Jar Island, but she just moved back this year. Once Mary, Lillia, and Kat had done their revenge on those three people they felt guilty, but they couldn’t go back!  I love this book because there is so much suspense and it's adventurous.  I enjoy, that at the end of this book Mary, Lillia, and Kat end up being friends.  They realize that friends support you when you are not feeling well and when you are going through a rough time.  This book represents friendship.  I would recommend this book to people who like to read books about friends and drama.