Authors note

Racism and bullying has been a part of almost everyones lives.  It can be just some kid laughing at anotherkid or a man brutally hurting someone because of their color or creed.  It happens to everyone but from what I have found, it happens the most in schools.  And thats what i've decided to base my book on. How kids bully eachother during school.  But sometimes it causes kids to take their own lives.  One student from Rutgers college comitted suicide because two of his fellow schoolmates were making fun of him because he was gay. Know one should have to take their life because they are a little different from the others. In my research it states that out of 800 school staff members who were interviewed, two-thirds of them said they were aware that racism and bullying were a problem in their school's. 

If you were two ask anyone in any school you would probably find that almost everyone of them have gotten bullied in their life.  Lets face it, no matter how hard you try, bullying will seem to always find you.  Its part of life.  I have been bullied in my life because I where glasses or becuase i'm chinese.  Another thing is that if you were to ask any kid if they have bullied in their life, their answer would most likely be yes.  Bullying comes in so many different forms and you may not think you have but even if you call someone names for a second you are still bullying.

Racism and bullying has been part of Americas past for as long as anyone can remember and it will probably be around forever.  It happens to almost everyone and probably everyone has been the reason for it.  But people should take more action in bullying and racism.  It seems to just drift away everytime it happens.  Kids shouldn't get killed or kill themselves because of it.  I hope that this book can make little kids be aware of it now so they don't end up doing it when they get older.

Citations:

Bloom, A.. (2009, April). Racist bullying rife in schools, says poll. The Times Educational Supplement : TES,(4836), 3.  Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Discovery.

Greene, Michael B. "Reducing School Violence: School-Based Curricular Programs..." Prevention Researcher Vol. 15, No. 1. Feb. 2008: 12-16. SIRS Researcher. Web. 12 Dec 2010.

Social Issue Bullying #2

Bullying is probably the the social issue that is mentioned the most.  It is common in a lot of peoples lives.  Its happened to me and to everyone I know.  Know matter what you do, there is no escaping getting bullied.  I doubt there is someone who has never been bullied.  Also bullying happens in almost every book or movie ever made.  In the book that Im reading now,  Harry Potter, there is bullying going on.  I don't think I have gone a day without noticing bullying. 

The thing that I hate about bullying is that even though its mentioned a lot, there is still a lot of it going on.  And it leads people to death.  Someone shouldn't be picked on so much that it drives them to death.  Its happening so much now too.  How does the person(s) find joy in bullying someone so much?  How would they like it if they got bullied?  If I were them I wouldn't be able to live with myself.  I know that I have bullied and probably everyone has in their life but I would never think about bullying someone so much that they would kill themselves because of it.

A lot of people get bullied because they don't act like there supposed to.  If your a boy some people think you have to be addicted to sports and if you aren't your considered gay.  I think that is the stupidest thing.  Why should people be grouped by your gender or  color or creed.  You can't change these things.  Your born a certain color and creed.  You should be proud of who you are and shouldn't let anyone judge you because of who you are. 

Social Awareness topic #1

The topic that I decided to write about is drug and alcohol control.  We have been trying to get if off the streets so that people can live in a safe envirnment,  so people won't die from these addictions.  But that has been the case for so long.  People have died because of overdosing or have been drinking too much alcahol.  This topic leads into so many other, like drunk driving or drug addiction.

What I have found out about drugs from reading a couple of articles is that people with no lives and who have nothing to live for aren't the only ones who are using drugs and dying from it.  There are so many KIDS and teenagers who are getting pulled into the world of drugs.  Some people have died from this because they used drugs too much. 

I read in an article about how a teenager from New Jersey died from using drugs and drinking too much alcahol.  This person had everything to live for, he played on his high school football team and had great grades.  But still he decided to use drugs and risk his life.  He was a perfectly fine kid but he still ended up another victim to drugs.

I think that the reason so many kids use drugs is because there pressured into it.  They think that if they don't try it then their friends will look at them differently or start to make fun of them.  Also they think that maybe one little puff or sniff won't do anything.  They think whats the harm in trying it.  The fact is though one little puff or sniff is all it takes to get addicted to it and soon you won't be able to stop.

Social Awarenesss #2

A couple of issues that I looked at to write about is bullying, alcahol, drugs, things like that. The thing that I thought stood out to me is bullying.

I am sure everyone has been bullied at one point in there life.  I know I have because I have glasses or something like that and everyone I know has.  I also know that probably everyone has bullied someone in their life. Maybe its has been one time or maybe all the time.  Bullying is happening in the book I am reading and robably every school ever created.  Its kind of unavoidable but you try so hard to.  You try to fit in with the crowd because that might mean you won't get bullied anymore.

I think its so unfair that kids get bullied especially if its because of something they can't change.  You shouldn't get bullied because your a different race or color or the fact that you were born with a problem.  You can't change that about you.  I also hate the fact that people are bullied because they are gay or a little nerdier than others.  It drives people nuts and sometims drives people to death.  I am sure that if the person bullying everyone started to get bullied, he would find it wrong.  People know its wrong buy yet they still do it. 

I think that bullying should be brought up more.  It seams everyone time it is mentioned, it just fades away and it starts all over again.  Maybe if it was metioned more the topic wouldn't be so serious.

Social Awareness #4

The book that I am curretly reading is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban.  This book is filled with social issues that face or have faced.

One social problem that I picked up from the book is conformity.  Harry obviously doesn't fit in with his family.  He doesn't do anything bad to them but still, they treat him like garbage.  Hes worth nothing to them.  Also another problem Harry faces is that he has powers that no other person has.  At Hogwarts he might get made fun of or strangely looked at.  Hes just trying to be a normal kid  I know that sounds stupid considering the fact that he goes to a school filled with magic ut he is trying to fit in.  Its not his fault he has those powers.  He can't do anything to change them.

Another social issue I came across in Harry Potter is bullying.  Harry gets bullied when he is at home and when he is at Hogwarts.  He is constantly bullied by his family.  His grandma said "if you were my child, I would already have you placed at a orphanage." or the fact that he is kept ia little tiny cellar for a room.  At school there is practially no difference.  He is bullied by  a boy named Draco and his gang.  They do everything from knocking his books to the ground to throwing to the ground with their wands.

Social Issues #1

This past week I have been watching the CBS News.  I have tried to find the social issues that they report wand what they think about it.  Things like bullying, fighting, etc.  It turns out that those issues weren't really mentioned in the news.

One thing that I found out is that they don't stress social issues on the news as much as they do about other topics.  For example, there is a issue about how a women got assulted at a tea party when she was protesting.  But instead of talking about that for five minutes they decide to talk about how Charlie Sheen was found in the Plaza Hotel drunk and naked again.  From my understanding, a women that got brutally attacked  is more important than a celebrity who was caught in an embarrassing moment again. 

Another thing that I realized is that social issues take place everywhere and anytime.  Yes, people do take precotions to stop it but they don't do enough.  Like I said before instead of talking about careless things on the news, they could talk about social issues.  Talk about how we should try to stop the bad things that happened, get the message across.  One person can't do it all, it is a group effort and as of now there hasn't been any talk.  I remember when the kid from Rutgers committed suicide because he was videotaped with another man, and it was all over the news.  Now its not reported nearly as much.  I think the news needs to keep the issue alive, not let it fade away.

Response

The poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes starts off with a very deep sad tone.  As I read on though I noticed that the tone gets a little more uplifting.  I'se been a climbin on, and reachin landins, and turnin corners.  I think Langston Hghes is talking about how there is hope.

To me this poem is about never giving up.  Its about how you shuld always follow your goals and dreams, strive to do your best.  Sure you may hit some rough patches like it says in the poem, "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair."  But you shouldn't let that stop you, you shouldn't let anything stop you.

Another thing that I got out of this poem is that life will always be bad unless you do something about it.  You have got to earn things in life.  Things aren't just going to be handed to you, you have to work on them or you will end up with nothing, wishing you had something.

Final Appreciation

The first time I read Bridge to Terabithia was when I was in third grade.  It seemed like a good book.  There were great characters and great settings.  But that was the extent of my thinking.  When I finished it that was it.  Just threw it in the return bin.  It was just another book.  I didn’t try to find any themes or do any extensive thinking.  But when I read it this time around I tried to do the exact opposite.  It turned out to be a completely different book.  I got so much more out of it.  I dug deeper, trying to find the different themes, not just the obvious ones.  I learned so much more about Jess and Leslie’s friendship and how they change each other’s life, how life and death is a big part of Bridge to Terabithia.  Maybe I got more out of it because when I first read the book I was so young and now I am thirteen so I can comprehend it easier.  This time I would stop in the middle and try to think, what is the author trying to say here?  What is this symbolizing?                                                                                               
       Jess is just a regular kid.  He doesn’t grow up with a lot of wealth.  His dad works very long hours, trying to put food on the table for his family.  Leslie is the new girl.  She doesn’t have that many friends.  She keeps to herself, minding her business.  But these two create such a wonderful friendship because they get to escape from the pressures they are dealt with in their lives.  At first it was just Jess being nice to Leslie.  But then it grew so quickly and of course Leslie creates Terabithia for the two of them.  By doing this Leslie changes Jess’s life.  She gives him a way to imagine, lets him feel like a kid.  Also, she shows Jess that it’s okay not to be a boy who’s obsessive with sports and fighting.  She lets him be himself and is the only one who does.  Let’s face it, Jess lives a dull life.   Jess changes Leslie’s life as well.  He gives her a friend in himself.  Also he makes her feel at home.  Leslie just moved and had no one to spend time with.  She felt homesick.  Jess changed that.                                                                                  
           When I read Bridge to Terabithia for the second time, it really gave me a lot of things that I could connect to.  For example, Jess is described as a very ambitious and determined person.  He would get up early everyday in the summer to practice for a big race.  I think that I can really relate to Jess.  When we want something we do whatever it takes to get it.  It we set a goal we strive to reach it.  Jess wanted to be the fastest runner in fifth grade so he ran every morning.  I wanted to make the school basketball team so I kept practicing and practicing.  There’s nothing better then when you work so hard for something and it ends up paying off.  Another thing that I noticed is that Jess and Leslie are much like Charlotte and Wilbur from Charlottes Web.  All of them are in a relationship with trust.  Also, both relationships started by just lending a hand.  Charlotte loaned a hand to Wilbur to save his life for no entire reason but to do a good thing.  Jess gave a hand to Leslie by talking to her and being a friend to her for no entire reason but to do a good thing.  Another thing is that theme of life and death.  Charlotte is faced with it and so it Leslie.  It takes a big toll out on Wilbur and Jess to face the fact that they won’t have them in their life anymore.  Wilbur won’t be able to share the barn with Charlotte anymore and Jess won’t be able to share Terabithia with Leslie anymore.                                                                               
               Another thing that I really appreciated about Bridge to Terabithia is all the different themes and symbols that don’t pop out.  IA theme that I don’t think pops out is fitting in.  His classmates expect him to be a type of person, someone who watches baseball or plays sports.  But he Jess isn’t like that and I don’t think will ever be.  He’s someone who likes the arts but he can’t even enjoy that freely.  Jess’s father hates the fact that he is into art and he calls it a girl’s pastime.  Also, I think that the rope over the creek represents how Terabithia will be no more because Leslie isn’t there.                                                                           To sum this all up, I think Bridge to Terabithia is a great book.  You might think it’s only a child’s book but as soon as you open it to the first page you begin to realize that it’s far from it.  Not only does Jess and Leslie get taken on a journey, but you do as well.  I know I was.                                                                                                                                                                                          

Bridge to Terabithia Research

When I started writing my thoughts about Bridge to Terabithia for the project, I tried to find all the different themes.  Things about friendship and life and death.  I also related the book to Charlottes Web.  How the characters are very similiar in a way.

The first article I read was by Emily Bazelon on Slate.com http://www.slate.com/id/2160370/.  I tried to find out why the author wrote the book.  What was the authors intentions.  Maybe it was about a relationship or just something she dreamed about.  But I found out that the reason that Katherine Patterson wrote this book was beacuse her sons best friend died.  Thats probably why the book has such great craft and shows great feelings and emotions.  I feel like its easier to write something when you have a personal experience with it.  When it has happened to you its easier to show how it feels. 

After I read this article http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/457 I noticed all the different themes in Bridge to Terabithia.  I know a lesson is to live life to the fullest.  Now after reading the article I found that you shouldn't be afraid to take risks.  Don't be a the one on the sideline.  Take action in what you are doing.  You shouldn't be afraid of what everyone thinks about you because if you end up keeping your mouth shut you will end up regretting it.

Bridge to Terabithia

One thing that I have noticed in Bridge to Terabithia is that Jesse and I are very similiar. 

Jesse is a very ambitous person.  If he wants something, he will do whatever he can to get it.  For example, right in the beginning of the book it says how he wants to become the fastest kid in fifth grade.  It says that all summer he would wake up very early and just start running.  He would pretend like he was racing.  By doing this I could tell he was a very determined person.  In a way that reminds me of myself.  Some who doesn't give.  Someone who does not quit.

I am on a basketball team and we practice a lot to become better players.  We entered a tournament and figured, since we are pretty good, maybe we can go all the way.  But when we started to play other teams, we noticed that we probably weren't leaving with a smile on our faces.  That reminds me of Jesse, when he felt short of winning his big race.  Like us Jesse felt confident that he would end up on top, but when he found out that he wasn't even close it devastated him.  The same way it devastated me at the tournament.  You practice all the time for this.  Your put all you can into it so that you can end up becoming a champion.  It really takes a lot out of you when you find out that all that practice didn't pay off.

Charlottes Web

Friendship has been the issue that I have been studing the most in Charlottes Web.

I have noticed that Wilbur's relationship with Fern has faded as the book progressed.  Fern hasn't shown as big of an interest in Wilbur now like she did in the beginning.  In the beginning of the book Fern adored Wilbur.  She would think of him nonstop and acted like a mother to him.  For example, on page seven when Fern was called on to say the capital of Pennsylvania, Fern responded, Wilbur.  At that moment I could tell that Wilbur had changed her life. 

As the book went on Fern drifted away from Wilbur.  She grew up and matured.  In Charlottes Web, after Wilbur meets Charlotte it seams that most of his time is with her. When Harry appears in the book, I realized how he sort of took Wilbur's place with Fern.  When she is at the fair most of the time she is there is spent with Harry.  The only reason she is there though is for Wilbur.  As soon as Wilbur wins his award, Fern ammediatly goes to Harry.  If Fern was like she was in the beginning, her mind would be all over Wilbur.

Another thing that stood out to me was Wilbur fainted for the second time.  In the illustration is shows Avery at Wilbur's side, craddaling him.  To me that would be something Fern would do.  Maybe that illustration was showing how Wilbur is now going to be Avery's. How he is sort of passed down so Avery can be responcible for him now that Fern is grown up.

Why doesn't Wilbur feel affected by this.  He doesn't even notice this.