Argument Essay

         

             More than 460 books have been challenged in just 2012. Many people ban books for different reasons. One reason why is because many parents find some books inappropriate for their children. Instead of just preventing their kid from reading it, they ban it so no one can. One book that is frequently challenged is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian  by Sherman Alexie. Some reasons why parents ban these books is because of cursing, sexual content, violence, and racism. Even though The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie has sexual content, and cursing it still teaches an important message about how bad racism is.

There are several examples of sexual content, violence, and cursing throughout the book. These things will give middle-schoolers the wrong message. One example of sexual content in the book is when the main character, Junior says he's the "King of masturbation." Some kids might not know what that is and find it inappropriate and don't want to read about it. Also, parents don't want their kids to know about that stuff or read about it anyway. Another example is, throughout the book curses such as retard, and faggot are used. Parents don't want their kids cursing and think that making them unable to read it will prevent them from doing it. They also find that it's a bad influence. In the article "Librarians Lead Fight Against Banned Books" by Karoline Kallweit, it says, "Some local parents felt it violated the community's values because of its rough language and sexual depictions." That is one example of when the book was banned. In the article "Banned Books" by Christopher Finan and Joan Bertin it says, "Sherman Alexie, author of 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' which had been one of the most frequently challenged books of several years." That shows that many parents and people think it's inappropriate.

Eventhough many parents don't like kids reading stuff like this, it's going to come up one day. Although Junior saying he's the "King of masturbation is inappropriate. Most kids have already heard about it or will. Kids will always find out about stuff like this, whether parents like it or not. Also the curses such as retard, and faggot are heard all the time in school and on TV. Some are even heard at home or said by the kid themselves. In the article "Banned Books" by Christopher Finan and Joan Bertin it says, "Sherman Alexie, author of 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian‘.. also responded 'I write for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. That shows that the book is meant for teenagers in the first place. The article also says, "Two school board members.. who had voted to ban 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' reversed their vote after reading the book, returning it to the classroom." This shows that many people don't even bother to read the book before judging it. 

Although some parents don’t want their kids reading this, they need to watch their kids instead of taking away the book from everyone. Banning books has been considered "unconstitutional." This book alone teaches a very important message about how bad racism is. It also teaches that you don't have to do what society tells you to do. "From Sept. 30- Oct. 6, libraries, schools, and bookstores… battle censorship and celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, an annual event highlighting the importance of the 1st amendment." says the article, "Celebrating the Power of Literature and Read a Banned Book." by the ALA news. That's a great way for people to be able to read what they want. "460 book challenges were reported to the ALA." Said the article, "Librarians Lead Fight Against Banned Books" by Karoline Kallweit. That is an insane amount of books that are waiting to be removed. It is not fair to other people or kids.

In conclusion, many books are being banned everywhere for various reasons. Some of these books have important messages. Parents should never vote to ban a book without reading it first. It takes away the opportunity for other kids to read it. If you don’t want your kid to read something it don’t mean that no one else can read it. Some books teach important messages, you won't know that they do it you don’t bother to read it. Don’t judge a book by its cover!

Social Awareness Project

Write a reading response on a social issue

             I read the book "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie. There are several times throughout the book when racism comes up. Racism is a big problem that comes up all the time. I think it's time people start to realize that not everyone looks the same, and its not really their choice. So you shouldn't judge someone based on that. A lot of people have problems with all kinds of people. 

             This book makes me think that people shouldn't think that they belong in a certain school based on their race. School is just one of the places were people focus on that. If you can go to a school that's available. You shouldn't go and feel unwanted because of your color or anything similar. There are plenty different type of people and if you can't except that, it's going to be hard to be in places, because everyone is different. No one is the same, whether or not they have the same color skin or anything else. There's always something different that makes you, you. In the book the main character, Junior decides he's going to school generally for "white" kids. That makes me think that only some people are brave enough to go and fight for what they want/believe in. People need to learn how to except one another for who they really are.

Observe your surroundings

1.) Bullying

2.) Depression

3.) Drugs

                              Bullying is something that I always see/hear. I don't understand why so many kids especially kids in middle and high school do it. Although there are some schools like MS 51 that bullying is limited, there's still bullying. Bullying is wrong because you're making others feel bad about themselves. Nobody is the same, everyone is different. So you shouldn't make something you don't like effect them. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that no one else can. People should be able to be themselves,and love it. Not have to act how people want them to act.

                    I find it crazy that people get bullied for something simple like clothing, knowing about someone/something, or even because someone feels the need to hurt someone. Bullying doesn't always happen in actions. You can use words to bully someone to. For some people the words effect them more. Some people don't understand that just because you might think somethings a joke or is funny, doesn't mean everybody else agrees. People need to learn that you should treat others the way you want to be treated, and if you don't have nothing nice to say, don't say nothing at all.

Write an original poem

I wish for a happier life

better then this one

I can't win

Unless the war inside me is won

I scream and cry when I'm alone

So no one knows what I have done

It's just a scrape,

nothing else

it's okay, is another excuse,

just another lie

it's always just one more

until I die

              I chose the issue self-harm because many people around my age do it. Self-harm is usually a sign of depression, which is a bigger issue. Many people cry every night and they hate their life. Some are hidden. No one knows what they do. While writing this poem I thought about different things that the person might think. There are many different reasons why someone might be so depressed with their life. Some people feel that this is their only option. I've heard people say that they do it for attention. If you want to get attention you will do something else, not cry in your room with a razor blade and blood dripping down your arm. People need to realize that people who do this do it for a reason. People shouldn't take things like this lightly, it's a big thing if someone hates their life to a point where they want to just end it.

Work cited 

-"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

Non-Fiction Reading Response

          The article "Please Stop Misspelling Our Name!" from the Upfront Magazine is about how many people are spelling Colombia "Columbia." It's unfair to Colombians that people are misspelling their name. Colombians are now fighting back. "It's Colombia, NOT Columbia" is a campaign made to shame people who use the misspelling. The author wants the reader to know that misspelling the name of a country is bad and unfair to countries.

       
          Throughout the article it talks about how many people use the misspelling. Even famous people such as Paris Hilton, Richard Nixon, and Justin Bieber, have misspelled it on social media. The article even says that after the misspelling was tweeted within minutes dozens of people tweeted back, "It's Colombia, NOT Columbia." People should care to correctly spell names of countries. If not your disrespecting the country and all the people in it. Especially if your always using the misspelling. When famous people tweet something many people read it and they might think that's how you spell it. It could get even more people to use the misspelling.

        
            The article also mentions that part of the reason why many people misspell Colombia is because people don't really care about the country. The article also says, "To many Colombians, the error isn't just a typo, it shows that people aren't paying attention to Colombia beyond it's reputation for poverty and drug cartels." I think it's unfair for people to judge a country based on poverty. Even if you do judge them on that, it doesn't you mean you should misspell the name of the country. If you really knew something about the country you would know how to spell their name.


           In conclusion, people shouldn't judge countries based on reputation. Also small countries that aren't talked about often. If you want to mention a country in a tweet or any other social media websites, check the spelling! Otherwise your disrespecting Colombians and other countries.

Book Club Response

               In "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, there's a lot of violence. Violence that has led to parents fighting against this book being in middle schools. This has caused many middle schools to ban the book. I think that the violence in this book wasn't extreme. Even if it was it shows an important message. It teaches readers about how bad racism is, and how it affects the people you say stuff to. Although this book has violence, it still has an important message.


          One example of violence in the book is when Junior told his best friend Rowdy that he was switching schools, "I was the kind of idiot that got punched hard in the face by his best friend. Bang! Rowdy punched me." This is violence because he is getting punched in the face. Although it don't teach a good message it only shows what some kids actually do. Nothing was unrealistic, and I still don't think that's violent enough for someone to want to ban the book. Even though he got punched in the face their wasn't any details or anything to give you a very violent image in your head.


         Another example of violence is when Junior had felt that Roger (kid from his new school, Rearden) was making fun of him and Indians he says, "So I punched Roger in the face...he wasn't laughing when his nose bled like red fireworks." Although this doesn't show a good message he only did it to protect him and Indians. He could've handled it other ways but he still had a reason for what he did. He didn't just try to get in any random fight. He also thought they, they would follow the fighting rules of the Rez. Although there was more violence in that quote it still wasn't that descriptive to put a very violent image in your head.


        One last example of violence is, when Junior was upset about getting an old book he said, "I wanted to hit something with that ancient book. But I didn't want to hit someone, and I certainly didn't plan on breaking the nose of a mafioso math teacher." That shows violence because he threw a book and hit someone. He didn't even mean to hit someone. That teaches kids a lesson that you shouldn't throw something no matter what you want to throw it at because it might hit something else. Although that was violence, once again it wasn't very violent.


       In conclusion, although this book shows some violence it's not in every single part of the book. Wherever there was violence it wasn't detailed. Yes, there was violence in this book but there wasn't enough for middle schools to ban it or want to ban it.

Reading Response on "The Fault In Our Stars"

         The book "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green is about a girl named Hazel, who has cancer! Hazel's been fighting cancer her whole life. One day a boy named Augustus came into her life and changed everything. Hazel's feelings change from feeling like a "grenade" to being in love and feeling loved.



          During the beginning of the book Hazel was always alone besides her parents. When her mom asked her to go to support group she didn't want to go. Her mom only wanted her to go because she thought it would be good for Hazel to meet more people her age. Although Hazel didn't want to go, she had to, which led to her meeting Augustus. When Augustus wanted to date her, she said no because she's a "grenade" but she didn't tell him that. Hazel's even afraid of hurting her parents. She's not afraid of dieing, she's afraid of upsetting the people around her. She felt they wouldn't know what to do without her. These are different examples of how she feels like a "grenade."



          Throughout the middle and end of the book she fell in love with Augustus. She loved him more then anything. Throughout the book there's a lot of things Hazel said that expresses her love for him. One thing she said was, "I am so thankful for our little infinity." That shows that she loved every second she got with Augustus. Another thing Hazel said was, "Some infinities are bigger then other infinities." That shows that maybe they didn't have as much time together as other people would, it still felt better to her. The last and most important thing that was said throughout the book was, "Okay? Okay." That was there "always." Always was something that there friend Isaac would do with his girlfriend Monica. It meant they "always" love each other. Augustus had come up with the idea, "Maybe okay will be our always." That shows how much love they had for each other. It shows that because even in the beginning of the book when Hazel didn't want to date Augustus she always said okay back. Those are different ways Hazel said things that expresses her love for Augustus.


         In conclusion, Hazel's feelings changed a few times throughout the book. Even though all these things were happening she never stopped loving Augustus. Hazel's feelings change from feeling like a "grenade" to being in love and feeling loved.

Reading Response for "Imaginary Girls"

       The book "Imaginary Girls" by Nova Ren Suma is about a girl named Ruby and her sister Chloe. After their mother left them Chloe moved with their dad while Ruby and her boyfriend basically built a house. Throughout the book it shows how Ruby's connected to the town they live in and just how powerful a sisters love is.

     
        Several times throughout the book it shows how Ruby's connected to not only the town she and Chloe live in but also an underwater town called Olive. Olive used to be a town a lot of people lived in. One day the people in charge of the town were told that Olive was going to be flooded. The people of Olive were very persistent and would not leave the town. According to Ruby they still live underwater in Olive. A way it's shown clearly to me that Ruby has a connection with the town, was how she knew all this stuff about it. Nobody knew anything about this underwater town but she did. She also says once that the people in Olive wait for new people to come. It's weird how she knows things that they say. I think part of the reason she knows so much about Olive is because she has a connection to the town she lives in (which is the land around the ocean Olive is in.) One reason why I believe that is because, Ruby makes people act however she wants them to. For example, one boy who is her "boyfriend" she makes build an entire house for her. She then states that it's okay because he lives there too. Although she tells him what he can do with the house and in the house. Another way this is shown is because Ruby was the only one who knew anything about Olive. Also when a girl seemingly drowned in the ocean above Olive, Ruby saved her. After saving her she seemed to control her. This shows how Ruby has a connection to Olive and her town.


      
      Another theme shown throughout the book was how much Ruby loved her sister Chloe. She shows this by telling Chloe things about the town that no one else knew and she wouldn't tell anyone else. Another way it was shown was even though Chloe was forced to live with their father at first Ruby knew she didn't want to live with him so she made sure she got her to live with her. The last and most important way it was shown was when Olive wanted to take Chloe, Ruby dressed up as Chloe to make sure they wouldn't take Chloe. So basically Ruby sacrificed herself for her sister. That shows just how much she really does love her sister.



     In conclusion, Ruby was a rather difficult character to understand throughout the book. But the whole time one thing that was very clear was that she really did love her sister. She would do anything for her, even die.