Catcher In The Rye (Book Club Book)

The book club book that I've been focusing on for a while really makes you sit down and think. You don't really cherish the book until the ending. Because in the ending, you realize that someone so negative can have such a strange outlook on life. 

           
Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger is a book about Holden Caulfield, an outcast. Holden has  just left Pencey University for the Christmas Holiday and he doesn't really know what to do with his life anymore. There are so many ideas and opportunities floating around him but he doesn't really take the time to take them in. He criticizes them and complains about everything going on.  He spends the majority of his time at bars with prostitutes. He pays them to have conversations with him because he hates all the phonies around him.
         He hates all his so-called friends from back in school because they're all phony to him. He hates fake people, but you would think he was one himself, the way he talks about them. He judges everyone every step of the way. He doesn't get along with his parents, because they want different things for him and he honestly could care less. He also analyzes everything and anything. Whether its the nuns on the street eating a cheap lunch or the rubbernecks that are always in his business.
            When reading this book, you realize how lonely Holden is. You realize how lonely he's always been and how his family is. His moms always locked away in her room and honestly it seems like the only person he appreciates is his little sister Phoebe. He's so lonely that he picks on everything that anyone does. Like when he's eating bacon and eggs and his parents are drinking coffee.  Although he basically hates everyone around him, he tells them everything about himself. He tells them the things he does and what he likes doing. He even tells the people that lack interest in him in general. And he finally realizes at the end that he appreciates these people as much a he "swears to God" that he doesn't.
"Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." That's the last line of the book. He realizes that when he leaves for good, he's going to miss people like his strange roomates and everyone he's talked to throughout his life. Even the people who have judged him since forever.
            He talks so much trash about everyone but yet he realizes that even the people who seem to mean nothing to you, mean the most. 

Response For 'No More Pay Phones?' From The New York Times Upfront Magazine

       Many things have more meaning to others, than they do to us. When reading this article, No More Pay Phones?,  I realized that little things have much more meaning. In this article, the red "telephone boxes" are starting to slowly disappear and this is a treasured item in the United Kingdom. Nowadays, everyone carries a cellphone around with them which means calls from pay phones are bound to decrease. They've decreased by 80% in the past five years. 
      
        In 2002 the UK contained 92,000 public pay phones, but now only about 48,000 exist. Unfortunately, fewer than 10,000 of the classic red booths are left in London. In the US we have about 240,000 versus the 2 million that existed in 1999. A Londoner says that although he hasn't used public pay phone in 15 years, he can't imagine his city without them. He proceeds to say that losing pay phones, is like New York without the Empire State Building. This goes to show how much meaning things have. In my mind, I could care less if pay phones were taken away, but New York would probably look very different without seeing one once in a while. 

        Luckily, for Londoners, these red telephone boxes are being recycled. People have recently compared them to going the way of the dinosaurs. One of these classic phone booths was turned into a couch. They've become much more. From ATM's to small libraries. Just because they haven''t been used often doesn't mean that they're worthless. Little things like this have much more meaning even if they don't mean much to you. The article led me to thinking what things in the US do we occasionally use? Would they mean a lot to us if they didn't exist anymore? Would we try to recycle them because they have some sort of meaning? 

Works Cited
Scholastic. "No More Pay Phones?" The New York Times Upfront Magazine 24 Feb. 2014: 5. Print.

Final Poetry Assignment

    Undercover City 

Street lights

Cool stores

All you see is pretty

But you've never realized

New York could be so petty

Under the attractive things

is a world you never expected to meet

Chaos will greet you

Some may enjoy meeting you

Yet, some may not like you

Might try to fight you

Maybe you just look soft

Maybe you're being tested

And everyday, someone new is getting 

Arrested

You've heard bout cyberbullying

Well, it gets worse out here

So be careful who you're friends with

Never know when trouble is near

Don't talk to strangers

Here, I may sound silly

But you never know what'll happen 

Some are always willing

To harm you

Because smiles become fake

but you get what you get

and take what you can take

It's not all bad

That's not what I'm saying 

But New York's like a game

And you're the one playing

Poetry Reading Response

     Many people enjoy looking presentable and showing off their new things to their friends. Many people also enjoy being recognized by others in a positive way. Reading, "Please Don't Take My Air Jordans," by Reg E. Gaines, made me realize that people are becoming very materialistic nowadays with their clothing items and they only care about themselves because of the expectations that society has. Societies expectations have taken it to the point where all people care about is their looks and how they present themselves.


     In the poem, the first stanza consist of the brands the speaker owns. All the speaker cares about is how he looks. "My air jordans cost a hundred with tax / My suede starters jacket says raiders on the back /  I'm stylin... smilin... lookin real mean cuz / it ain't about being heard just bein seen". This shows that the speaker only cares about his appearance and what he has that makes him look good. He only cares about name brands and the opinion of others. Basically, the speakers main focus is to look good and maybe even better than others.

     The speaker only cares about other peoples opinions versus what he really should be focusing on. He, the speaker, is willing to steal clothes because his 'gear' isn't up to par like his friends. "But I really must get some new gear soon / or my ego will pop like a ten cent balloon / but security's tight at all the shops / everyday theres more and more cops / my crews laughin at me cuz I'm wearing old gear / school's almost over summer is near / and I'm sportin torn jordans and need somethin new / theres only one thing left to do" All the speaker was worried about is what makes him look good considering he is willing to steal clothes to get what he wants. He doesn't have to do things like this but his peers expect him to wear nice clothes and be up to the standards.

     Materialism has been taken to a whole other level because after the speaker had shot his victim, the victim wasn't worried about saving his own life. That wasn't his first thought to mind like it should've been. "Took off fast but didn't get far / I fired (POW) he fell between two parked cars / he was coughing/crying/blood dripped on the street / and I snatched them air jordans off his feet / while layin there dyin all he could say was / please... don't take my air jordans away... you think he'd be worried about stayin alive / so I took off with the jordans there were tears in his eyes." This clearly shows that people one, only care about themselves(the speaker) and two, safety isn't something that comes to mind. The victim wasn't really concerned with his life, just his expensive sneakers.

    After reading this poem, I realized that Jordan's symbolize value. To a lot of people it makes them feel and look good that you attract others. All people care about is the clothes that they have and what makes them look better than the next person. It's not always right, the way they go about this process of being better than others, but they don't care. Society has played an even bigger role in this. Nowadays, the expectations that society carries are to look presentable and have expensive clothes. But you don't have to have expensive clothes to look good all the time. It's not impossible to look good without a pair of stolen Jordans and a fake Gucci backpack. 

Poem Assignment : Prompt #3

This poem is based on the picture below : 

Troubled

I've been practicing this one song 

But I've never been able to get it right

It's been three years since my wife left me 

And I've been failing at life 

I let the beats flow as I play the piano

My cousin does the same when playing the banjo 

But it seems to me the rhythms not right 

Or my hands too big and my minds too tight

And I'm so fed up with my unfair life

A college dropout, that's what I am

One thing I'll never be is a rhythm less man

Independent Reading Response - Flawless by Sara Shepard

     Recently, I began reading Flawless, A Pretty Little Liars Novel by Sara Shepard. These four girls, Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Emily used to be the best of friends, but recently they've grown distant. They barely talk anymore and they've been keeping secrets from each other. They've been hanging out with different crowds and forgetting all about each other.  Their best friend Alison has mysteriously gone missing and reported dead. And lately these four girls have been receiving weird text messages signed, "-A". Which makes me think that friendship is really important in this text because these girls need to stick together. This book reveals the fact that friendship is stronger than you think.

     In the first Pretty Little Liars book, the four girls were still hanging out and receiving these messages, but after awhile, they had assumed that '-A' was gone. They were wrong. In the first chapter it states how they haven't really hung out in three years after Alison died, but today they consider each other ex-bestfriends. As they were all sitting around on the grass they had all gotten a text from '-A' at the same time referring to all of them. They questioned each other about it and what they each thought the message meant but this was one of the last times they'd be seen all together. They began to keep in contact but not as much as they should have. Which gave '-A' a reason to mess with all of them individually.

     The first to be messed with was Spencer who kept a secret of a little encounter she had with Toby. Keeping this secret would prevent the others from being hurt according to '-A'. But if these girls keep keeping secrets, eventually someones going to get hurt and if they become even more distant the truth is going to hurt them. For example, '-A' knows more about Hanna and Aria than they do themselves. During a chapter in the book, Aria's boyfriend, Noel believes that Aria doesn't like him and wants to be with Sean, Hanna's ex boyfriend. Noel had to ask Hanna if they were still going out anymore for Aria to know the truth. '-A' already knew, which means '-A' is someone close to them or at least not to far. Which caused '-A' to leave a sticky note visible for Aria that said,

 "P.S. Wondering who I am, aren't you? I'm closer than you think. -A"

     Emily has been very distant herself. She now secretly likes girls and somehow,' -A' knows. He or she sent Emily a picture of her and Maya, a girl who likes Emily, and they were kissing in a photo booth. '-A' even sent a message to Emily that reads,

  "Em! Still enjoying the same kinds of *activities* with your best friends, I see. Even though most of us have totally changed, it's nice to know you're still the same! Gonna tell everyone about your new love? Or shall I? -A"
   
      This '-A' character is taunting these girls in several ways and I think that it's best that these girls start talking to each other before they advance themselves in certain activities, because it seems that '-A' is always watching and they are aware but they don't act like it. They may not want to claim each other as best friends anymore but they share so many secrets and they know too much about each other not to be. Even if they want nothing to do with each other, this '-A' person is going to find away to torture them even more than they have already. 

Non-Fiction Response On An "Upfront Magazine" Article

       The article, Rethinking Juvenile Justice by John Schwartz is about how tough the court system makes life for teens. Teens/ Juvenile offenders are being charged with adult charges and it has become really hard on them. This may or may not result in teens having second thoughts when committing crimes. Around 25 states have changed their laws to keep juveniles separated from the adult system. Juveniles that are being charged as adults, have taken it to the extreme to attempt and/or commit suicide. 

       James Stewart was a 17 year old who was caught in the act of drunk driving in the year of 2008 when he crashed into the vehicle in front of him and killed the driver. The intention of his arrest was to simply be placed with other juveniles, but attorney's had decided to charge him as an adult. He was left alone in his cell in the county jail, when he killed himself by wrapping the bedsheets tightly around his neck. His death, along with another young adult had caused the state of Colorado to change their law and decide to slim it down to who was charged which way and placed into what type of jail. People have begun to think of how they treat juvenile criminal offenders, because they've realized how different they are from being adults. Scientific research has shown that the brains of teenagers differ from the adult brains, because they have not fully developed. According to scientist, the part of the brain that guides impulse control and weighs risks instead of rewarding it, has not fully matured. Research has also shown that the actions that take place during the ages of 13 to 14, are poor indications of the type of a adult the child will become later on in life. According to Laurence Steinberg, 90% of teen offenders do not become adult criminals. Which is why most people agree that teens shouldn't be charged with adult charges. 

       I think the author wants readers to understand that even though these crimes are committed by teens, not everyone is being let off easily. Which brings the problem of cruel crimes like murder and rape. It's not okay to be let off easily if you commit a crime like this. When you commit crimes like these you receive one of the following two punishments. They are the death penalty and life without parole. I think the author wants me to know and understand that committing crimes isn't okay and they deserve punishments, they just all differ according to the crime being committed. It's not okay to just commit a crime and think it's okay because you won't be as harshly charged as an adult would. 

       After reading this article I've changed my views on people who commit crimes. I find that nowadays some people think it's cool to just commit crimes. Crimes such as stealing and selling drugs. Some even think it's cool to say that they've been locked up but it wasn't "a big deal." People who say things like that make it seems like its okay to commit a crime and thats it's something cool to do nowadays, but it isn't. Once you commit a crime more than once, the consequences become worse. You receive months in jail and those months turn into years and those years slowly become life sentences right before you know it. And this makes me have a lot of sympathy for people who are framed for crimes that they didn't do. Families lose their loved ones because of things like this. Innocent people have to suffer because of crimes they don't even do. All in all, crimes are being committed on a daily basis and people are still trying to figure out how to handle them. 




Works Cited : 
Schwartz, John. "Rethinking Juvenile Justice." The New York Times Upfront 9 Dec. 2103: 8-11. Print.


        

Tilt By Ellen Hopkins (Revised Response)

Critical Thinking Question :

   How different are people allowed to be in your text? 

Does it assume everyone is happy and good in the same ways?

     Recently, I just started reading Tilt, by Ellen Hopkins. Each chapter is a new character and their point of view. They all have their own problems whether it's relationship or a problem at home. I realized that many characters in this book seem unhappy because people don't accept the way they choose to lie their life.

     When I first started reading this book, the first character that I was introduced to was Mikayla. She came off as a character who was up for anything and loved to experiment with her options. 

         

         "My World Tilted. Completely off it's axis the night I hooked up with Dylan Douglas. It was New Years Eve-- five months ago-- so maybe part of that earth-sway had something to do with the downers, weed, and cheap beer." (Hopkins, 1)

    Her parents don't watch her every move and I think she misses them guarding her down but they only care when they want to. Then, she continues to talk about her past relationships and how glad she is that she didn't give her virginity to her last boyfriend. Then later on she goes to sneak out with Dylan to go to a party in some short shorts and a revealing tank top. Her brother disapproves while her mother doesn't see. She knows her mother disagrees with almost everything she does. That doesn't matter though, because she gets away with almost anything because of how persuasive and a bit annoying she is.

    As I made my way through the book, I met Shane and Alex. They met each other online and they are both homosexual. They're not as open as others because not many people agree with their lifestyle choice. Therefore, to me, they are unhappy. "It wasn't even the gay-bashing. I got used to that in grade school." (Hopkins, 12) It's not like Shane told people he was gay. They just assumed from his actions, and they didn't accept him for who he was. Alex is even unhappier because he has HIV. His Step Uncle raped him when he was 10 and threatened that if Alex told, he would kill his sister. Alex is a secretive person because of this while Shane wants him to be more open and speak out. Shane is going through somethings himself. His parents act like they're divorced, constantly arguing and on top of that, his little sister is on the verge of dying and that's his mom's main focus. His mom is more accepting of the way he is while his dad barely agrees on this lifestyle choice, but he doesn't care about the opinion of others

     There are a few other characters that I was introduced to but I was more interested in Brianna. Brianna is unhappy because everything is backwards in her life. Everyone expects her to be like her sister and her mom, who acts younger than she is. Everyone thinks she wants to be a copy of her sister but in reality she thinks her sister, "exposes more than she should." (Hopkins, 95) Yet, because Brianna is nothing like her sister or mother, she is only liked by few. In Brianna's opinion, her mom is a 40 year old slut. Everyone notices her in a different light than she really is. In order for her to get friends, she has to act like her mom and her sister and because she doesn't want to be that way, she is unhappy and basically, lonely. 

     This text made me realize that people are still being stereotyped often nowadays and it's unfair. Whether it's by their lifestyle or appearance. Even the lifestyle and appearance of the people around them . Nobody expects Shane to be gay because his dad went to church when he was younger. Nobody expects Mikayla to act the way she does because usually her parents are watching her and they're known to be strict. Lastly, nobody expects Brianna to be a 'nobody' because of the way her sister and mother act, and their reputation. Everything a character in this story does, depends on what someone else thinks of them, and in the end, they're all unhappy and lacking patience. So far, what I have gotten from this story is that what you see on the outside is different than the point of view on the inside for each character. That's what I think the authors purpose of this book was for. Almost as if to say not to judge a person by their actions and appearance, but to get to know them first. 

Critical Thinking Response - TILT Ellen Hopkins

Critical Thinking Question :
   How different are people allowed to be in your text? 
Does it assume everyone is happy and good in the same ways?

     Recently, I just started reading Tilt, by Ellen Hopkins. Each chapter is a new character and their point of view and I've realized that at least one character relates to another. Whether it was lifestyle, attitude or the way they express themselves. After that realization, I realized that many characters in this book seem unhappy because people don't accept the way they choose to be.

     When I first started reading this book, the first character that I was introduced to was Mikayla. The first impression I had made of her was a teen who likes to experiment with life.
         
         "My World Tilted. Completely off it's axis the night I hooked up with Dylan Douglas. It was New Years Eve-- five months ago-- so maybe part of that earth-sway had something to do with the downers, weed, and cheap beer." (Hopkins, 1)

    Her parents don't watch her every move and I think she misses them guarding her down but they only care when they want to. Then, she continues to talk about her past relationships and how glad she is that she didn't give her virginity to her last boyfriend. Then later on she goes to sneak out with Dylan to go to a party in some short shorts and a revealing tank top. Her brother disapproves while her mother doesn't see. She knows her mother disagrees with almost everything she does. But, she doesn't care because she loves Dylan. In my opinion, the feeling isn't mutual. Dylan seems to just be using her for sex and her appearance.

    As I made my way through the book, I met Shane and Alex. They met each other online and they are both gay. They're not as open as others because not many people agree with their lifestyle choice. Therefore, they are unhappy. "It wasn't even the gay-bashing. I got used to that in grade school." (Hopkins, 12) It's not like Shane told people he was gay. They just assumed from his actions, and they didn't accept him for who he was. Alex is even unhappier because he has HIV. His Step Uncle raped him when he was 10 and threatened that if Alex told, he would kill his sister. Alex is a secretive person because of this while Shane wants him to be more open and speak out. Shane is going through somethings himself. His parents act like they're divorced, constantly arguing and on top of that, his little sister is on the verge of dying and that's his mom's main focus. His mom and dad barely agree on him being gay, but he doesn't care.

     There are a few other characters that I was introduced to but I was more interested in Brianna. Brianna is unhappy because everything is backwards. Everyone expects her to be like her sister and her mom, who acts younger than she is. Everyone thinks she wants to be a copy of her sister but in reality she thinks her sister, "exposes more than she should." (Hopkins, 95) Yet, because Brianna is nothing like her sister or mother, she is only liked by few. In Brianna's opinion, her mom is a 40 year old slut. Everyone see's her in a different light than she really is. In order for her to get friends, she has to act like her mom and her sister and because she doesn't want to be that way, she is unhappy and basically, lonely. 

     This text made me realize that people are still being stereotyped often. Whether it's by their lifestyle or appearance. Even the lifestyle and appearance of the people around them . Nobody expects Shane to be gay because his dad went to church when he was younger. Nobody expects Mikayla to act the way she does because usually her parents are watching her and they're strict. Lastly, nobody expects Brianna to be a 'nobody' because of the way her sister and mother act, and their reputation. Everything a character in this story does, depends on what someone else thinks of them, and in the end, they're all unhappy and lacking patience. So far, what I have gotten from this story is that what you see on the outside is different than the point of view on the inside for each character. That's what I think the authors purpose of this book was for. Almost as if to say not to judge a person by their actions and appearance, but to get to know them first. 

Argument Essay Final ~ Crank

Should Crank Be Banned In Classroom And School Libraries?

     Reading is something that we are taught to do at a young age. Some of us read everyday, but do we all consider the harmful effects inside of these books? Books like Crank, by Ellen Hopkins is a book that I've recently finished reading, that's basically, sex and drugs. The sexual content in this book was disturbing to many readers such as myself and a few of my peers. The main character Kristina doesn't realize what sex and drugs are doing to her. She has transformed into a whole new person, Bree. Bree is her dark and odd side.Bree is the side of her that acts out and acts like a totally different person. Maybe her reason for doing things like this is because she is mad at the world because her mom and dad aren't together. It could be because she's angry that her dad hasn't made an effort to see her in 8 years and when he finally gets to, it's not what she wanted. Even though some may disagree, Crank should be banned in middle school classrooms and school libraries because the content inside the book is very inappropriate for a variety of the young teen population.
In Crank, the main character becomes interested in drugs and sex, which lead to so much more than expected. When going to live with her father for a few weeks for the first time in forever,  she learns from his ways. He comes home high the majority of the time and uses terms like, “Never been laid? Tell the truth little girl,” (Hopkins 24) In a way to possibly "get to know his daughter." He says things in reference to considering having sex with his boss to lay him off the hook for not doing his job: “Think I could convince her to try a line? I'd love to get her in bed” (Hopkins 104). What type of dad talks to their daughter about stuff like that? Then soon after, she meets Adam and they do things together. They have sex a few times even when she doesn't want to. She realizes that most of her choices are stupid because the chapter title is, “So of Course I Did A Really Stupid Thing” (Hopkins 161). She takes the crank, an addictive form of Crystal Meth, from Adam and gets high, and soon after they have sex, which in my point of view seemed a bit forced, considering the fact that her menstrual cycle had begun unexpectedly. No teen at all needs to experience something like that. The more she does things like this, the more it seems okay to do, and it's obviously not, but a reader who is easily influenced would do the same as her.
After awhile, the drug use and sex were less frequent, but it soon appeared again when she met two guys back at home with her mom. Their names were Brenden and Chase. She was trying to see how many guys she could interest herself in, meaning how many would have a mutual feeling towards her because of the way she presented herself. At first she was playing them. Simply messing around with their minds and being faster than she needed to be, when to her it was all just a joke. She started talking about having sex with Brendan. He took her seriously, but when they finally got together, she refused and he raped her even though her menstrual cycle had came yet again, which made him even more furious. He thought she was lying to get out of what she started. And then after that, he made her pay $250 worth all the drugs she got from him for free. That shows how addicted she was to it. No teen should ever have to experience being raped and used. The worst part of it all is that Brendan got her pregnant, but of course has no intention of caring for this child. It was hard enough to read the book, but even worse to see Kristina suffer even though she put all this stress on herself. 
If you disagree with the fact that this book should be banned, then most likely you're considering the fact that books like Crank can show readers the negative affects of drugs, having sex at a young age and this may prevent them from advancing themselves in these activities. The problem with that is that no student in middle school and elementary school should read about the reaction of drugs and what happens when you have sex at an age like Kristina, even if she is 17. If you're looking for a book to teach a lesson, then you should look for a book that focuses on the negative affects of drugs and not a character who continuously gets into trouble and walks around like a fool because of drugs, sex, and relationships in general. Kristina already knows her choices are stupid, but she continues to do them anyway. Thats a negative influence, and as stated before, a young teen who is easily influenced would most likely make the same choices as Kristina. They may not even realize the wrong in their choices, because they're not focused on that. I myself was disturbed a few times reading different parts of this book to the point where I couldn't even read it. In an article by Tanith Carey, “Sick Lit,” she states, “Most are liberally peppered with sex and swearing,” referring to books. That's all you read throughout this book along with drug use. There are a few scenes without these things but they just lead to the same topic consistently. The content in this book just isn't appropriate for the younger teen population. 
In the end, many people get influenced just by what they see on the street. So imagine how many people get influenced from the books they read on a daily basis... So imagine someone close to you telling you that they've developed an interest in alcohol and drugs. Imagine that the reason was because they read it in a book and they thought it was cool. I mean you could talk them out of it, like Chase, Kristina's new boyfriend tried to do with her, but what if that doesn't work? It obviously didn't help Kristina even after she had the baby by Brenden. She said it herself, “ Crank is more than just drug. It's a way of life. You can turn your back. But you can never walk away. The monster will forever speak to me,”(Hopkins 537). She's obviously tried and had the intention of quitting, for the sake of her child and the sake of being sane, but it never really happened. It didn't work for Kristina, so would it work for that person who is close to you? Would it work for a young teen?

Critical Thinking Response

     Question : What really hard things are happening in this text? Are these happening in the world now? Where?


    Nowadays, a lot of us teens are rushing to grow up. From what I've read in several books, it's not what it seems. I mean we're leveling up slowly but surely, but things happen. We're going to get our high school acceptance letters soon and go off to high school. But growing up comes with obstacles, whether you're a boy, a girl, a 40 year old man or a 26 year old woman. Things happen as we get older and we have to find ways around them, like Neema in "2 Days" by L.B Tillet. After getting kicked out of her house by her mom because her moms boyfriend touched her inappropriately, but failed to believe her, she soon goes to live with her senior boyfriend and his family. Her being a sophomore in high school, she still has a ways to go. The night she gets kicked out, her and Nate have sex in his run down mini van. She was only prepared to be gone a few days and then reason with her mom soon after that. She thought these few days would be easy but the plan doesn't go as followed. When she left the house she packed a bunch of emergency items, but failed to pack birth control. 

    A really hard thing happening in this text is that Neema fails to realize that she's pregnant and she fails to believe it when all the signs appear. She's failing her classes and she doesn't think her mom loves her anymore. She doesn't have a permanent place to live because no one wants to live off of someone for the rest of their life. Its hard to watch your ex boyfriend walking around with another girl and thinking that you're not worth anything anymore. The main problem is that Neema has to raise this child on her own because now Nate and his family want nothing to do with her. They don't believe that that's his child and they like his new girlfriend way better than Neema. It's hard to see that nobody is really supporting you. 

    Things like this are happening all around the world. Teens are getting pregnant often nowadays, and are being left with no support at all. They're being kicked out, forced to live alone or off of someone. Nobody wants to be known this way, but they find ways around this. It's not easy either. There's not always someone that you can go to, but luckily Neema's friend Mike is there to help her out. Like stated before, growing up isn't always fun and it comes with several obstacles. I'm going to take my time growing up before I'm hit with several obstacles. 
     

   

Works Cited For Argument Essay ~

Carey, Tanith. "The 'sick-lit' Books Aimed at Children: It's a Disturbing Phenomenon. Tales of Teenage Cancer, Self-harm and Suicide..." Mail Online. Mail Online, 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2256356/The-sick-lit-books-aimed-children-Its-disturbing-phenomenon-Tales-teenage-cancer-self-harm-suicide-.html>.

Hopkins, Ellen. Crank. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2004. Print.

Argument Essay Draft #2 ~ Should Crank be Banned in Classroom and School Libraries?

     Reading is something that we are taught to do at a young age. Some of us read everyday, but do we all consider the negative in these books? Books like Crank, by Ellen Hopkins is a book that I've recently finished reading. The content in this book is basically, sex and drug use, but mainly drugs like Crank. The sexual content in this book was disturbing to many readers such as myself and a few of my peers. The main character Kristina doesn't realize what sex and drugs are doing to her. She has transformed into a whole new person, Bree. Bree is her dark and odd side. Maybe her reason for doing things like this is because she is mad at the world and the fact that she doesn't get the attention she wants. Even though some may disagree, Crank should be banned in classroom and school libraries because the content inside the book is very inappropriate for many teens.
In the book, Crank, the main character interest herself in drugs, and sex, which leads to so much more than expected. When going to live with her father for a few weeks for the first time,  she learns from his ways. He comes home high the majority of the time and uses terms like, “Never been laid? Tell the truth little girl,” (Hopkins 24) and says things in reference to considering having sex with his boss to lay him off the hook for not doing his job. “Think I could convince her to try a line? I'd love to get her in bed,” (Hopkins 104), which was disturbing for me to read. What type of dad talks to their daughter about stuff like that? Then soon after, she meets Adam and they do things together. They have sex a few times even when she doesn't want to. She realizes that most of her choices are stupid because the chapter title is, “So of Course I Did A Really Stupid Thing.” (Hopkins 161) She takes the crank from Adam and gets high, and soon after they have sex, which in my point of view seemed a bit forced, and the fact that her monthly friends had came around. No teen at all needs to experience something like that. The more she does things like this, the more it seems okay to do, and it's obviously not, but a reader who is easily influenced would do the same as her
After awhile, the drug use and sex was less frequent, but it came back again when she met two guys back at home with her mom, Brenden and Chase. She was trying to see how many guys she could interest herself in, and how many would have a mutual feeling towards her because of the way she presented herself. At first she was playing them. She was messing around with their minds, but she was a little too fast. She started talking about having sex with Brendan, but in reality she was just messing with his head. He took her seriously, but when they finally got together, she refused and he raped her even though her monthly friend had came around, which made him even more furious. He thought she was lying to get out of it. And then after that, he made her pay $250 worth all the drugs she got from him for free. That shows how addicted she was to it. No teen should ever have to experience being raped and used. Th worst part of it all is that Brendan got her pregnant, but of course has no intention of helping her. It was hard enough to read the book, but even worse to see Kristina suffer even though she put all this stress on herself. 
If you disagree with the fact that this book should be banned, then most likely you're considering the fact that books like Crank can show readers the negative affects of drugs and having sex at a young age and prevent you from advancing themselves in these things. My problem with that is that no student in middle school and elementary school should read about the reaction of drugs and what happens when you have sex at a age like Kristina, even if she is 17. If you're looking for a book to teach a lesson, then you should look for a book that focuses on the negative affects of drugs and not a character who continuously gets into trouble because of drugs, sex, and relationships in general. Kristina already knows her choices are stupid, but she continues to do them anyway. Thats a negative influence, and as stated before, a kid who is easily influenced would most likely make the same choices as Kristina. They may not even realize the wrong in their choices, because they're not focused on that. I myself was disturbed a few times reading different parts of this book to the point where I couldn't even read it. Even an author agrees with me. In an article by Tanith Carey, “Sick Lit,” she states, “Most are liberally peppered with sex and swearing.” That's all you read throughout this book along with drug use. There are a few scenes without these things but they just lead to the same topic consistently. The content in this book just isn't appropriate for kids 13 and under in my opinion. 
In the end, many people get influenced just by what they see on the street. So imagine how many people get influenced from the books they read on a daily basis... So imagine someone close to you telling you that they've developed an interest in alcohol and drugs. Imagine that the reason was because they read it in a book and they thought it was cool. I mean you could talk them out of it, like Chase, Kristina's new boyfriend tried to do with her, but what if that doesn't work? It obviously didn't help Kristina even after she had the baby by Brenden. She said it herself, “ Crank is more than just drug. It's a way of life. You can turn your back. But you can never walk away. The monster will forever speak to me,”(Hopkins 537) on the last page of the book. She's obviously tried and had the intention of quitting, for the sake of her child, but it never really happened. It didn't work for her, so would it work for that person who is close to you? 

Monday Muses ~ In Response To Prompt #1

     You never realize how good you've got it, until you see someone a bit less fortunate than you are. 


     A movie that always leaves me thinking around this time of year is, " A Search For Santa Paws". In this movie, Santa Clause travels to New York and gets hit by a cab, leaving his sleigh in Central Park unattended. Until Willamina believes in Christmas, Santa won't be able to deliver gifts for Christmas because his crystal has been stolen. Quinn and Paws need her help Willamina's help. Quinn and Willamina are orphans who live in a orphanage where the lady who runs it all, doesn't believe in Christmas and decorating, and toys. She burns all the children's toys every year, leaving them with nothing. It's not really the Christmas part that leaves me thinking, but it's the fact that a lot of people take the things they have for granted. For Christmas plenty of kids get pairs of Jordan's, brand name clothing, several electronic items and more. Kids in orphanages and kids who don't have homes don't really get to have these things. When we get things like a new shirt or something, of course we are thankful, but we don't think much of it. When someone homeless and/or less fortunate gets something like that, they're more than thankful. They take care of the things they have. I mean it's bad enough that they don't have families exactly how some of us do. The kids in this movie don't have much to do because don't get to celebrate anything,go anywhere and nor do they get to play with toys and have much fun. 
     So we should be more than thankful, like they are when they get things. There are plenty of families out there who can't afford half the things some of us have. We should all take care of our gifts and possession's,and lastly, we should cherish the stuff we have because if we were to switch roles, we wouldn't enjoy it so much. 
    
     

Should "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins Be Banned In Classroom And School Libraries? (Argument Essay Draft #1)

  Many books that are read on a daily basis include varieties of topics; friendship, moving, bullying, survival, and more. The inquiry book that I recently finished, Crank, by Ellen Hopkins, includes a variety of drugs, alcohol use, and sexual content, which is disturbing to many readers. Many characters in books learn from their mistakes in these books and why they should stop doing what they're doing, but in my opinion, Kristina doesn't learn at all. She doesn't realize what drugs and sex are doing to her, and how she is transforming into a whole new person. Even though some may disagree, Crank should be banned because the content inside the book is inappropriate for many teens.
  In the book, Crank, the main character interest herself in drugs, and sex, which leads to so much more than expected. When going to live with her father she learns from his ways. He comes home high the majority of the time and uses terms like, “Never been laid? Tell the truth little girl” on page 24, and says things in reference to considering having sex with his boss to lay him off the hook. “Think I could convince her to try a line? I'd love to get her in bed,” on page 104, which was disturbing for me to read. What type of dad talks to their daughter about stuff like that? Then soon after, she meets Adam and they do things together. They have sex a few times even when she doesn't want to. On page 161 she realizes that most of her choices are stupid because the chapter title is, “So of Course I Did A Really Stupid Thing.” She takes the crank from Adam and gets high, and soon after they have sex, which in my point of view seemed a bit forced, and no teen at all needs to experience something like that. The more she does things like this, the more it seems okay to do, and it's obviously not, but a reader who is easily influenced would do the same. 
  After awhile, the drug use and intercourse was less frequent, but it came back again when she met two guys back at home with her mom. She was trying to see how many guys she could interest herself in. At first she was playing them. She was messing around with their minds, but she was a little too fast. She started talking about having sex with Brendan, but in reality she was just messing eith his head. He took her seriously, but when they finally got together, she refused and he raped her even though her monthly friend had came around, which made him even more furious. He thought she was lying to get out of it. And then after that, he made her pay $250 worth all the drugs she got from him for free. That shows how addicted she was to it. No teen should ever have to experience being raped and used. Th worst part of it all is that Brendan got her pregnant, but of course has no intention of helping her. It was hard enough to read the book, but even worse to see Kristina suffer even though she put all this stress on herself. 
  If you disagree with the fact that this book should be banned, then most likely you're considering the fact that books like Crank can show readers the negative affects of drugs and having sex at a young age. It can teach you what not to do and why. My problem with that is that no student in middle school and elementary school should read about the reaction of drugs and what happens when you have sex at a age like Kristina. If you're looking for a book to teach a lesson, then you should look for a book that focuses on the negative affects of drugs and not a character who continuously gets into trouble because of drugs, sex, and relationships in general. Kristina already knows her choices are stupid, but she continues to do them anyway. Thats a negative influence, and as stated before, a kid who is easily influenced would most likely do the same,and make the same choices as Kristina. They may not even realize the wrong in their choices, because they're not focused on that. I myself was disturbed a few times reading different parts of this book to the point where I couldn't even read it. In an article by Tanith Carey, she states, "Most are liberally peppered with sex and swearing." That's all you see throughout this entire books. There are a few scenes with arguments without these contents, but right after, it leads to the same things consistently. The content in this book just isn't appropriate for kids 13 and under in my opinion. 
  In the end, many people get influenced just by what they see on the street. So imagine how many people get influenced from the books they read on a daily basis... So imagine someone close to you telling you that they've developed an interest in alcohol and drugs. Imagine that the reason was because they read it in a book and they thought it was cool. I mean you could talk them out of it, like Chase, Kristina's new boyfriend tried to do with her, but what if that doesn't work? It obviously didn't help Kristina even after she had the baby. She said it herself, “ Crank is more than just drug. It's a way of life. You can turn your back. But you can never walk away. The monster will forever speak to me,” on page 537, the last page of the book. She's obviously tried and had the intention of quitting, but it never really happened. It didn't work for her, so will it work for that person who is close to you? 

Monday Muses Post ~ Family Is What Inspires Me

        It took me awhile to figure out what to do for this final post. I looked through all my Monday Muses Responses, and none of them stuck out to me. I went all the way back to the first page of my notebook, the first Monday Muses Response that I ever did, and I read it over. There are a lot of people that inspire me, and I would like to share them. They each inspire me to be a better me. 

        The majority of the things that inspire me consist of music, family, history and things between those lines. Out of those three, I think that family is number 1. I could name a whole list of people in my family that inspire me. My Mom, my Dad, my brothers, my sister, my niece, my aunts, my great-aunts, my grandmothers, my one billion and one cousins, and so on. My mom is my number one inspiration. I remember when I was little and I had to go to day-care from 6 months, up until I was 4. She told me at one point I used to cry and cry. At that age, no one wants to be separated from their mom. Even if it was only 7 hours, and I slept most of that. I'm always with my mom nowadays and I would like to follow in her footsteps. Not necessarily be a teacher, but to be responsible. My cousin used to live with us at one point, and she made sure we ALL had school supplies, school clothes, new sneakers, and anything you could imagine. She was fair. She didn't leave anyone out at all. My mom always finds the time to talk and help me with stuff, even if she's on the phone, cooking and working at the same time. Another thing I like about my mom, that inspires me is that she never takes her anger out on someone else. She never shows anger, unless you ask how her day was. She inspires me to be a better me. 

       Another family member that inspires me is my niece. My niece turned one on September 9th. My niece is my oldest brothers daughter, and my sister, brings her over every weekend. She hasn't started walking yet, but she follows me everywhere. She's actually sitting next to me right now. Everything I do, she imitates me. She's my inspiration to just be a good person in life and accomplish as many goals as possible. To keep my grades up, and to make it somewhere far in life. She possibly may look up to me when she gets older, and how would that look in 15 years if I didn't have a job, and money of my own. My goal is to be able to provide for myself as I get older, not to live off of anyone else. She inspires me to be kind to people in general even if in reality, I really don't like them. She inspires me to be adventurous, because being a kid doesn't last as long as long as it may seem. 

     Lastly, I have a great-aunt out of 6 great-aunts, that inspires me. Her name is Geraldine, but we call her Aunt Gerri. She inspires me to always lend a hand to someone I know in need. She inspires me to be the one to brighten someone's day. She inspires me to not care what other people think. When a family member is in the time of need, she always has time to help them, and a home to give them. She's the most welcoming person I know. She holds gatherings at her house every now and then because she knows as a family, we all barely interact. We have our small circles, and we need to interact all together. She makes us all laugh. I remember this one time when we had a gathering  and she had went in her room and changed into an outfit. . I don't know what it was for, but I found it really funny when she started dancing to Adele's, "Rolling In the Deep" remix. She purposely stood in front of the TV, as the men were trying to watch football, and began dancing. The music was extremely loud and everyone started dancing in her living room. She did the same thing for our family reunion on the "Majesty of The Sea's", when our family rented a room. She was the life of the party. She could always put a smile on someone's face, and that's what I love about her. 

      In the end, I can say that family is my main inspiration. I may not have included everyone,(thats WAY too much)but they each inspire me in several different ways. Family is family, and you can't stay mad at them, because they're the important people in your life. They'll always be there, as long as you want them to. 

"Crank" by Ellen Hopkins (Theme)

   
   You would think that life is about being yourself, and not letting others influence you in any negative way possible, but lets say one of those negative influences was your dad. Lets not forget the fact that you're around 16 years old, and you haven't seen your dad in eight years. He's got a job at a bowling alley and he does drugs on a daily. He talks to you about messing around with his boss and how maybe if he "gave her a line" she'd let him. You would think that you'd have the time of your life, being surrounded by new people, but in reality, you're at home all day long. In "Crank", by Ellen Hopkins, what I'm really taking in from the book is that not all influences are positive, and that change isn't always good. 

   In this case it's Kristina who is slowly changing. She seems so innocent and yet a bit miserable at times. When she visits her dad for about two months, she comes back home to her mom, step-dad, brother, and sister, a whole different person. She's even more independent and not exactly in a good way. She's way more secretive and she's hiding things. For example on page 220, Kristina refers to the tattoo she got when she was in Albuquerque with her dad. When her sister finds out she refers to it as their sisterly secret. Every year, there is a community gathering that has to do with Kristina's step-father, Scott. It's a pool party. The only bad thing is that her sister bought a bikini for her, and she can't wear it or her mom is going to kill her. Lets not forget the fact that the tattoo was infected just a few days before. You would think the old Kristina would've told her mom about it. They used to be so open with each other. Now, after she analyzed the fact that her mom tends to Scott more than anyone else, she's changed, and you can tell her mother isn't liking it at all.

   One huge change that Kristina goes through is trying drugs. When she goes to live with her dad, she not only gets negatively influenced by him, but this guy Adam that she starts to "mess around" with. She begins to do drugs and spend time with Adam. Now the old Kristina would've stayed away from Adam, whether she had an attraction to him or not. I feel that her hanging out with him was a bad choice. Not only did Adam have a girlfriend, but when Kristina found out that Lince, Adam's girlfriend, had a suicidal attempt because of seeing them two together, she should have just dropped this "relationship" with him. Her dad gets high all the time and doesn't care. So them getting high together along with Adam was nothing, which I find unbelievable. What type of father does that? Kristina would never do that with her mother because her mother wouldn't allow it. As Kristina slowly changes, she turns into this new person. Bree.

   Bree is Kristina's negative side. I say this because throughout the book when she compares herself to Bree, Bree is the one who makes the negative choices. Bree is who she told Adam she was. It's almost like Bree is the person she always wanted to be, but never got a chance to be. Bree likes alcohol, drugs, and intercourse, or rather, sex. Kristina isn't the type. Before living with her dad, Kristina kept her grades excellent. School was her main focus. She was never interested in drugs and alcohol much. Bree had been developed a while before Kristina went to Albuquerque. It almost seems like Bree makes the stupid choices. not just the negative ones. On page 8 she talks about Bree as the other side of her. She symbolizes Bree as her secretive side, or rather, where "good girls drown."

   I've only gotten up to page 233 out of 537, but you can tell that there is a lot more negative choices ahead. It seems that secrets are never good in books at all. Whether the secrets are minor or horrible, it never ends well. I think that towards the end of this book, Kristina will change back into who she was. I don't think Bree will appear up often in the book anymore, which is a good thing. That means that Kristina has become more responsible. Hopefully, Kristina will make good choices throughout the rest of the book...

"CROSSED" by Ally Condie (Character Response)

SPOILER ALERT

(You may not want to read this if you're reading Matched or haven't reached this book yet)

  Have you ever been really determined to find someone or something? Have you ever been so determined that you were willing to break the rules? Have you ever been so determined to do something, that you forgot about everyone and anything else? In the book, "CROSSED," sequel to, "MATCHED," by Ally Condie, the two main characters, Cassia and Ky are determined to find each other after they were separated out of the Society in the first book. Ky is an abberation, which is someone who simply doesn't belong in society. There are many levels to this. For example, they're to stay single forever and to never get married later on in life. It's hard to not break the rules when they both 'accidentally' fell in love, but Ky was soon separated.

  In this book, determination plays a huge roll. Cassia has gone off to the Outer Province's to find Ky, but he's escaped towards the Canyon's to find her in the society. In my opinion, Cassia could've just given up when Ky was taken away and she was taken from Society too, but she didn't. Ky was the only thing she thought about, and of course her other match/ best friend Xavier, which she left heart broken. I don't want to call it a sacrifice, because she made it seem so easy to just up and stop talking to him, but she didn't do it on purpose, but to him it seemed like she didn't care. She worried more about Ky than Xander. On page 35 he says, " You left me before you left Oria." She didn't understand that when Ky came in to the picture and they were sneaking off to meet each other, she forgot about the times she was supposed to hang out with Xander. She was too busy worried about Ky, that she never made time for her best friend. Now, she's so determined to find Ky, that she's forgotten about the rules. It's not so much that she miraculously changed, it's that she's slowly becoming a different person.

  Throughout the book so far, Cassia and Ky have made several references about each other in their point of views, every other chapter. On page 39, Ky references to a poem from the Society, but it's not the poem him and Cassia shared. In his thoughts he says, " Not the poem that belongs to Cassia and me, I won't speak those words to anyone again until I can tell them to her." Obviously, he believes that he can find her again, and the fact that he's escaped his group, with a few friends, shows how determined he is to get back to her, even though she's kind of closer than he thinks. On page 95, she's about to escape with a boy she just met and her friend Indie. Indie and the boy are mostly worried about being tired and how long the run is going to be, but Cassia has basically zoned them out and she's thinking about getting to Ky as soon as possible. She's wondering about Ky's favorite smells, and how he might smell and things like that. As she climbs down into the canyon, on page 101, she thinks about the life she had and the risks she's about to make. She thinks about her mom, dad, brother, Xander, and the Society in general. She thinks about how she's played by the rules almost her whole life. She doesn't know what could happen from this point on, but that doesn't matter much to her. Her main focus is finding Ky.

  This is only around how far I've gotten in this book, but basically I felt that a lot of this book so far showed character determination. It seems like in each point of view, you can see the other characters name on like each page. I think I mostly chose determination as a character trait here, because in the first book she made a lot of sacrifices. Getting information she wasn't supposed to have, seeing Ky when she should be studying, breaking tablets, loosing tablets that she was supposed to take, and many more. I find it strange how this book can relate to so many people, but there are so many problems in between. If you do anything wrong during this little mission, you can be put away. You can become an abberation yourself and not be let back into Society. Where can the characters end up in the book if Ky is almost at the end of the Canyon, and Cassia is just starting out? What if this is another test for the characters, like Cassia and Ky were tested in "Matched" Ky was like a test to see how Cassia would react with 2 Matches, when one was just a "mistake" the Society made? The society never makes mistakes though. In the end, I hope the characters find each other soon, because they are both really determined to find each other.

"The Future Of Us" by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

      One of the books I chose to read this summer was, "The Future Of Us", by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. I found myself constantly re-reading pages to make sure I understood completely what was going on. I realized that the main characters were very interesting when around each other. Emma and Josh used to be the best of friends until  Josh developed feelings for Emma but she didn't feel the same way, so they drifted apart from there. They've lived next to each other for forever, but something brings them back together as friends, which is Facebook. This book takes place in 1996, when people were using AOL very often and Online CD-ROM's. Josh's family had given the CD-ROM to the Emma's family. Emma had been warned that sometimes they mess with your computers especially with AOL, but she continues to download it anyway. When she discovers Facebook on her computer she analyzes it she invites Josh over to view it as well. Their profiles are 15 years into the future, but it takes time before they realize that the more information they find about their futures, the more they begin to mess with it and make changes.
     
     After Emma has invited Josh to see Facebook on her computer, he completely denies it and states that it is fake, and that someone is toying with her computer to make her believe all this stuff. Day after day he denies it, but when he finds out that he marries the most popular girl in school, Sydney Mills, he begins to make an effort to talk to her. He sticks up for her in class, and makes even more of an effort to get to know her, so he can  build up the courage to ask her out. Meanwhile Emma is onto her second husband. She found out that she was married to a Jordan Jones and that she met him in college. After she looked through several phone books, she gave him a call, but she wasn't interested in him. She instantly crossed that college off of her list. Later on she marries a Kevin. She thought everything was perfect, but he was becoming like her last husband, and she didn't think it was going to work. She divorced him because she wasn't happy according to her Facebook statuses and her friends agreed, Her thoughts, and her actions changed her future. She found out that her best friend Kellan had a 14 year old. Considering Facebook was only 15 years into the future, Kellan was either pregnant then, or was going to be soon. She didn't let Kellan out of her sight, because Kellan had a mapped out future and a perfect career in mind, but according to Facebook, that never happened. 
      
     Those weren't the only times that Emma had toyed with her future, but I completely understand why. In Emma's mind, she had a perfect future, but when she was introduced to Facebook, everything seemed different 15 years later. She constantly worried about her past and how she turned down Josh. Her words were, "No. You're . . . Josh." She didn't mean it in a mean way but I could see how he took that offensive. She meant that he's supposed to be her best friend, someone she could count on. She didn't want to ruin their friendship, but that happened anyway. She soon realizes that her knowing her future has made her life worse. Even though her and Josh have become friends again, they fight a lot. I think that it's because she's jealous that Josh isn't so caught up on her anymore, and that he's been paying Sydney Mills more attention than anyone. You can tell that Josh was jealous of Emma's ex-boyfriend and her crush after that, but he didn't show it as much as she did. Rather, it wasn't as obvious. She regrets telling Josh that on Facebook, him and Sydney are married and their life is perfect. She realizes that her attempting to re-create her own future was hurting other peoples futures. That's when on Facebook she mentions that she's going to deactivate her account. When she gets home from the senior ditch day bonfire, Facebook no longer exist when she logs into AOL, which  relieves her. She was satisfied that it was over. All the drama, all the changes and everything, was over. 

     I think the reason that I liked this book a lot was because it wasn't specifically like other books or movies about the future that I've read or have seen. It had it's own little back-story which helped the story flow. I liked how Emma and Josh lived right next door to each other and Josh was in the grade below Emma. I think I enjoyed the ending because at the end, Josh Tyson, Kellan, and Emma all hang out at Tyson's dad's pizza shop which has a deep ball pit inside for when teens and kids are hanging out. (Tyson is also a friend of theirs) Kellan and Tyson purposely leave Emma and Josh alone and while they were all having fun, Josh accidentally touched Emma's hand and pulled away, but Emma reached for his hand and held it. This book seemed so realistic like as if it could happen any day in your life. Like as if you could discover a new social network with your new computer and it's already logged in with all your information and the people there consist of your closest friends and maybe even secrets you've never told anyone before. Maybe you have a stalker but its an old friend of yours that you forgot about or stopped talking to because of whatever reason. All in all, this was an amazing book, and it's something I would read over and over.