Coraline book club blog post

Anna Sikorski                                                                                                                        808
                                                              Coraline

In modern society kids might feel like they are neglected or not loved by their parents. The book Coraline by Neil Gaiman is a book about a young girl named Coraline who doesn’t really feel much loved by her parents. Coraline’s parents decide to move into an old house that includes other tenants. Coraline’s tenants include Mr. Bobo a retired circus performer living above Coraline  and Miss April Spink and Miss Miriam Forcible, a pair of retired actresses who live below Coraline.             On a rainy day Coraline is bored because her parents are busy with work relates things so she decided to explore the house. Once Coraline reaches the living room she discovers a tiny door in the wall, she goes to see what’s behind it but realizes it’s locked so she gets frustrated. She soon asks her mother to open the door because she has all the keys of the house but once the door is unlocked Coraline and her mother are stuck with just a brick wall behind the door. Coraline’s mom seems to be very busy and doesn’t seem to care much about what she does, an example from the book states, “I don’t really mind you do”, said Coraline’s mother “as long as you don’t make a mess”. Another line from the book that shows you Coraline’s parents don’t really have time for her is, “Coraline’s father was home. Both of her parents worked, doing things on computers, which meant that they were home a lot of the time. Each of them had their own study.” One night Coraline wakes up and something leads her to the door again, she goes to check it out and it’s already open. She looks in to find a strange path and she crawls through it. She gets to the other side but it looks exactly like her house so she gets confused, but she then smells something delicious in the kitchen. She walks in to what seems to be her mother but with button eyes! Coraline asks who she is and the woman states that she is Coraline’s “other mother”. Coraline has now realized she is in another world of her own, but everything is better now. In this other world Coraline is noticed more, gets good food that is cooked, and she seems to like everything a lot better in the other world. Coraline soon says she should leave but her “other mother” and “other father” insists on her staying, so she does.  Once Coraline falls asleep she wakes back up in her old house and she finds it a little strange. Coraline keeps returning and returning until one night her “other mother” talks about removing her eyes and replacing them with buttons.          Coraline now starts to realize everything gets strange with her “other mother” and she meets a group of ghost kids who tell her how they were in her place and their “other mother” took their body’s. Coraline tries to escape and a lot goes on because her “other mother” doesn’t want her to leave at all. A black cat soon helps Coraline escape and once she is back home she regrets ever hating her parents, she is now happy for everything that she has.           All in all kids don’t respect their parents enough nowadays, some kids might feel neglected or sad because their parents are too busy with work but really your parents are doing all of this to benefit you. They work for your food, clothes, toys, and other things you might want or need. Sometimes kids don’t realize how important their parents are until they are gone, and that’s what happened to Coraline, she realized she loved her parents once it was hard to go back to the real world.  

The Gaokao

Anna Sikorski                                                                                                                        808
                The gaokao is an unfair test that millions of Chinese students take every June over several days. “The test is the only thing that matters for admission to Chinese universities”, Brook Larmer stated in the article, “China’s Cram Schools”. The gaokao offers the promise of a life that is beyond working in fields and factories, which means students study and practice for hours in class. I don’t think it’s fair that the students of China take just 1 test that matters for admission to Chinese universities.
                There are so many reasons on why the gaokao is unfair for Chinese students, one reason stated in the article is, “it’s a lot of pressure said Cao. My mother constantly reminds me that I have to study hard, because my father is out working construction far from home to pay my school fees”. It seems very tough because Cao’s father is working far from home to help him pay his school fees so if he does poorly on the gaokao then it will be very heartbreaking for his dad, who has worked very hard to pay school fees.                              Another reason why the gaokao is unfair is, “Its critics say it stifles creativity and puts excessive pressure on students. Teenage suicide rates tend to rise as the gaokao nears”. I think it’s just sad that students so young have killed themselves as the gaokao has neared. They are put through so much just studying and preparing for it and at some point they reach a breaking point when they can’t take it.
                A last reason why the gaokao is unfair is, “Many wealthy families are simply opting out of the system, placing their children in private international schools in china or sending them abroad for an education”. It’s just sad for the people who aren’t too wealthy, they have no choice but to take the gaokao and try their very best using all the knowledge they’ve learned in school. The article also stated that, “Rural students are at severe disadvantages. Villages like Yuejin, where Yang is from, have poor schools and few well trained teachers. Wealthy urban families can hire private tutors, pay for test prep courses or bribe their way into the best city schools. To me it seems like if your wealthy you will mosty likely score higher than the poor, which is most definitely unfair because the poor might not be able to have good teachers and practice for the gaokao.
                    All in all the gaokao is extremely unfair to the Chinese students, they are put under so much pressure, they practice a lot for it and it even causes suicide. It is probably the worst for the poor because they don’t get well trained teachers, while the wealthy get to hire tutors and even bribe schools! I think the gaokao shouldn’t be necessary to get into Chinese universities, why should one big test count on their future? I say the Chinese need to find other strategies for getting into Chinese universities because the gaokao is just a hassle for Chinese students. 

              

Alice in Wonderland book club book #1

Anna Sikorski                                                                                                                    808

                                                   Alice in Wonderland Essay
            In modern society it's not unusual for people to be judged based on social standing and or social class. The book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is about a young girl named Alice who finds her self in "another world" known as wonderland. She finds herself struggling to fit in with all the different people she meets in her journey. She meets a wide range of characters like a white rabbit, Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts. Mostly everyone finds Alice weird just because she is a little more sane and "normal" from the people in Wonderland.
            At first Alice is all alone in the story she soon finds the White Rabbit which ins't very helpful because he doesn't even stop to help her he just keeps running around. Then later on in the book the once the White Rabbit finally decides to talk to Alice, he mistakes Alice for his servant,he even said, "Why Mary Ann, What are you doing out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of gloves and a fan". This shows he is very judgmental on social class and he assumes she is a servant just by how she looks and what she is wearing.Alice even comes across a caterpillar sitting on top of a giant mushroom and smoking on a hookah pipe. The caterpillar gets very complicated while talking to Alice, she gets very annoyed with him so she quickly turns around to leave. The Caterpillar soon calls her back and recites a poem, Alice then needs help with changing her size. Right before the Caterpillar leaves he informs Alice to eat one side of the mushroom and he is then gone.
           Then Alice soon comes across The Queen of Hearts, the ruler of Wonderland. Alice finds her severely dominant, constantly screaming for her subjects to be beheaded.Alice gets a little frightened by The queen of Hearts because she isn't used to that type of dominant person. Even the queen turns out a little strange to Alice, she plays a ridiculous game of croquet, the ground is rigged, the croquet balls are live hedgehogs, and the mallets are live flamingos. Everything seems so strange and weird for Alice in Wonderland, people think she is weird for being less crazier than them, and The White Rabbit even judged her on her social class
           All in all I think you should just be yourself if it makes you happy because people are all different with different opinions so either way, people will judge you. Its terrible and cruel for a person to judge anybody on social class because people do have money problems and can be living in poverty, so others don't have rights to talk about it. Be yourself and be happy because that's the best thing you could do
           

Annas YA argument essay

Anna Sikorski                                                                                                                                                    808

                                             

            Teen fiction can be a little “too much” for some teens, but it lets others know they aren't alone. It can be a little “too much” for some teens because some teens may not be ready to be reading about rape, self harm, sexual harassment, kidnap, and so much more. The thing is that other teens have been through those things so if they read about it they can feel like its ok, things happen, and they are not alone. Teen fiction is helpful in so many ways. “Reading is the best way to relax and even six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two thirds, according to new research”, The Telegraph stated. Teen fiction can really help teens cope and feel better about the things that have happened to them.                                               We, the student body, find that some teen fiction can be a little dark at times but it could help teens feel like they aren't alone. In the article, “Yes, teen fiction can be dark- but it shows teenagers they aren't alone”, By Maureen Johnson states that, “if subjects like these are in YA books, it’s to show that they are real, they have happened to others, and they can be survived. I agree with these people are always saying how dark these books are but it’s simply just the truth. Maureen Johnson also stated that, “For teenagers, there is sometimes no message more critical than: you are not alone”. I think this is very true because sometimes teenagers don’t have anyone to talk to about their problems and books can be a really helpful resource for them. Lastly Maureen Johnson states that, “There isn't a YA writer alive who is writing books to corrupt youth. No one writing about self-harm is teaching how to self-harm. No one writing about rape is providing instructions on how to rape or how to be raped”. People are just trying to comfort teens by letting them know that if something has happened to you, you aren't alone and books are ways to get help as well as many other possibilities.

            Even if teens haven’t been going through bad situations they could still read YA books to reduce stress or even for enjoyment.  In the article, “A teenage guide to stress” by Nicola Morgan she states that there are many ways a teen can reduce their stress. One way a teen could reduce stress is by reading for pleasure. Nicola Morgan, the author of, “A teenage guide to stress” states, “People who read books for pleasure report that it relaxes them and allows them to switch off their worries”. This is great because YA books can help teens reduce stress and feel more comforted. Nicola Morgan also states, “We also know that there’s a strong link between reading every day for pleasure and higher grades in exams”. This is great because some teens could be stressed with school and their grades so reading could reduce stress and help with their test scores. The last quote that I strongly agree with is from, “Yes, Teen Fiction Can Be Dark- but It Shows Teenagers They Aren't Alone” By Maureen Johnson, she stated, “There isn't a YA writer alive who is out writing books to corrupt the youth. No one writing about self-harm is teaching how to self harm. It’s all for helping out teens” This is the truth people may think YA books can be teaching kids on how to do things like rape or self-harm, but it’s not it’s just helping teens know that they aren't the only ones and if they’re to scared to talk about it reading these books can help them out.                                                                                   People think that books shouldn't be banned, however others think their kids shouldn’t be reading YA books and are doing all they can to ban books in their school libraries. In the article, “Darkness too visible” by Meghan Cox Gurdon states that, “ contemporary fiction for teens is so dark that kidnapping and pederasty and incest and brutal beatings are now just a part of the run of things in novels directed, broadly speaking at children from the ages of 12 to 18”. I strongly disagree with this and think a teenager should choose for themselves if they are ready to read YA books like these. Things like self-harm, rape, kidnap, and rape are happening everyday so I think it’s just the truth of what happens to some people, some teens want to read about things like rape and kidnap and some teens just want to so they feel like they aren't alone. In the article, “has young adult fiction become too dark?” by Mary Elizabeth Williams she states, “Contemporary literature has too much sex and violence, and our kids need to be protected from its “depravity”. I feel that it’s the child that should choose if they are ready to read about things such as sex and violence because it will make them more responsible and independent for future situations. Meghan Cox Gurdon lastly states, “That “adult” aspect of reading is scary for many of us. It’s our job as parents to protect our kids”. I think they’re going to have to learn to do things and grow up sooner or later and teen years are a perfect time to try new things and try to be independent. Some Parents should trust their kids to make the right decisions about picking out the right YA books.

            It’s a terrible thing for people to try to ban books because teens need these books for so many reasons, they can like reading about these topics or they can read YA books to feel like they aren't alone. Teens use them for reducing stress and feeling like they belong and like they aren't alone. Some teens could be scared to speak up about the problems in their life so by reading YA books they can also understand that it’s ok they aren’t alone and they might need to get help. Those books that are so terribly dark and dismissing to some people may be a book that could change or even save another person’s life.  

ela injustice project

(1)In the New York Times Upfront magazine there was a article that really caught my eye. The articles name is Malala’s Mission by Alessandra Potenza.  This article really deals with injustice because all Malala wanted to do was learn and she got shot for it. Malala was only 15 and on October 9^th on her way home from school members of the Taliban flagged down her school bus and shot her in the head.

Malala had been speaking out for girl’s rights since 2008. In the article Alessandra states, “In swat, they imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, banning TV, music, and education for girls. Malala refused to give in so she kept attending school. It was a smart choice of her because she was following her dreams and doing what she wanted. Malala is now a regular 17 year old girl. She still continues to speak out for the right of girls everywhere to go to school. A quote from the article stated, “last month, she became the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  It’s amazing because this shows that if you fight for what you believe it could really make a change. Malala stated that, “in Pakistan, I’ve seen so many situations in which girls are denied their basic human rights”. It’s sad because its true and so many girls are treated like they are less important and aren’t smart.  People like Malala are great because they really stand up for great things to help make a difference in our future. Malala also stated that, “I think it’s important that teenagers take active roles in speaking up against injustice and inequality. I think teens should read and learn more about Malala’s story because it could really teach them something important and it could inspire more teens to make a change. This makes me think about my own life because I know a lot of people that are too scared to stand up for themselves. People need to stop worrying about what others think and just do what they believe in.

All in all no matter how big or small the change is, it can still be important to many people. As long as you do something you feel strongly about go fix it and try to follow what you believe in. everyone has the right to fight for what they strongly believe in just like Malala did with the right for girls to have an education in Pakistan. You can make a difference, because you are they future so you should always do what you believe in.

(2)List on unfair human rights

-Dress codes at school

-Not letting someone have a job because of the certain way they look

-Kids bullying others because of the certain way they look

- Random search of stuff in the train station

- Racism/ people treating gay people differently

- People not allowed protesting

- People being paid low at work

I chose to write about people not being paid enough at work. A block away from my house is a grocery store Golden Farm. Around summer time the workers started planning a protest against the owner because all the workers were being paid below minimum wage. All the workers had to fight for their rights so they decided to tell all the customers and told them to help with a protest. At first the owner didn’t care only about 10 people started protesting in front of golden farm. The workers still didn’t stop, they fought for their rights and did what they believed in. they started spreading the word and telling people to stop shopping at Golden Farm.  Soon the owners store was empty, a lot of people came to protest and in the end the workers at Golden Farm won. The owner decided to pay them a little more than minimum wage and everything turned out good. People came back to shop at Golden Farm and the workers started getting the money they needed to help feed their families.

(3) 

I decided to interview my sister on what she thought about the world and this is our conversation:

Anna: What do you believe is good about our world?

Nicole: I believe this world is good due to the constitution and the rights that we are given as human beings. We are given the chance to express ourselves as we want but also not cause chaos.

Anna: What do you believe is unfair about our world?

Nicole: What is unfair about our world is that our world is bad because people break the rules. We are given rules but people don’t follow them which is going against the constitution causing injustice for others.

Anna: What do you wish was a new law given to the public?

Nicole: The law I would create is true equality between all races and all genders truly brining everyone together.

Anna: lastly what is the most recent situation that you’ve come across that is unfair to human rights.

Nicole: I was on the train and I witnessed an old woman with a purse, and once a black man walked towards her direction she clenched her purse and yelled, “Don’t touch me or my purse!!”

I think it’s terrible that the woman would say something like that. He was just walking towards her direction it’s not like he was trying to actually take her purse. She was being racist it’s like saying every black person is going to steal her purse. He didn’t even touch her or look at her. People say there isn’t any more racism in our world but there is so much and it’s sad. She insulted the man and made him seem like the bad guy when all he did was walk in her direction. Its 2014 and this sounds like were still suppose to have black people sit in the back of the bus. We all have the same blood in the inside were all the same, why do people judge us by the color of our skin? People need to stop “judging books by their covers” because it’s just a terrible thing to do.

(4)News report

A girl named Shaneen from Philadelphia was driving and was pulled over for a routine traffic stop in New Jersey. She told the state trooper the truth and she had a gun in her purse with her carry permit and recite. The bad news was that the carry permit was illegal in New Jersey. Shaneen could face up to 3 ½ years in state prison. A state law maker could do something about it. Assembly man Ron Dancer has introduced legislation in New Jersey called Shaneen’s law he calls, “a miscarriage of justice”.

I would hate to be in Shaneen’s situation she told the officer the truth and she didn’t mean to purposely bring the gun into New Jersey to harm someone. She didn’t even harm anybody. She did have a permit and even though it wouldn’t work in New Jersey they should give her another chance because at least she did carry the permit and at least she was safe with the gun. I would hate it if that was my situation.

(5) Somebody that changes the world everyday is my grandma. She goes to Poland every winter and summer to visit her mother in a retirement home. There are a lot of senior citizens there that don’t have families in Poland and they get very sad and lonely. She brings them flowers, reads to them, and just makes them feel special. She loves making the last few years of their life optimistic and heartwarming. She helps the world in a small way but it’s still helping, I interviewed her on why she does this.

Anna: so what gave you the idea to see all the lonely senior citizens in Poland?

Grandma: I do it because if I was in their place I would always wish for someone to come and visit me. I would be sad and l would love anybody that would see me. So I do it for all the people that love it when I come because nobody wants to be alone, no matter what age they are.

Anna: isn’t it expensive to go see people you aren’t even related to?

Grandma: it’s expensive going to Poland but I go to see my mom, that’s the most important so it doesn’t matter how much it is I am going to see family first. Then once I have my last few days left I go and spend time with all the nice and loving senior citizens.

Anna: Do you think your helping the world by doing this?

Grandma: yes I am I know I am definitely making the senior citizens filled with joy and they really feel special I am helping the families as well because they don’t have too much money to visit so I do it for them while visiting my mother. It’s a win/win for me and the families of the senior citizens. 

(6) "I Was Here"

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time
Know there was something that, meant something that I left behind
When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets
Leave something to remember, so they won't forget

I was here
I lived, I loved
I was here
I did, I've done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here

I want to say I lived each day, until I died
And know that I meant something in, somebody's life
The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave
That I made a difference, and this world will see

I was here
I lived, I loved
I was here
I did, I've done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was here
I lived, I loved
I was here
I did, I've done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here

I just want them to know
That I gave my all, did my best
Brought someone some happiness
Left this world a little better just because

I was here

I was here
I lived, I loved
I was here
I did, I've done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I wanna leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here
I lived (I lived), I loved
I was here
I did (I did), I've done
I was here
I lived (I lived), I loved (I loved)
I was here (oh)
I did, I've done ,I was here

 http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/beyonceknowles/iwashere.html

I chose the song “I was here” by Beyonce because I love the meaning behind the whole song. The interpretation of this song is about Beyonce telling people that the world can be n amazing thing. People should do things that people will remember and thank them for. She aimed to let people know that they should do something great for another person. The part when she sings, “I want to say I lived each day, until I die And know that I meant something in, somebody's life The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave That I made a difference, and this world will see” is a great line in the song. This line really shows how special it is to help people out because when you die you wanna be honored and known as that person that made a positive change in the world. The other lines that I like are, “I just want them to know that I gave my all, did my best Brought someone some happiness Left this world a little better just because I was here”. This line is very important because it shows even the smallest change like making someone happy and helping people out can make a difference. That’s why I love and chose this song.

(7) The TV show series 90210 is an American teen drama series. This group of teens is mostly white kids.the only black kid is adopted. Kids my age portrayed by Hollywood have to usually be thin, live in a big house and have a lot of popular friends. The teens in 90210 all live in Beverly Hills and all live in huge mansions. They are very rich and the popular girl of the school has a great car and expensive brand named clothes. Their parents always care about them but let them go to a lot of places like parties. These images of teens make me sick it’s like saying you aren’t normal if you aren’t rich, popular, and pretty. This isn’t accurate at all because not everybody is a rich kid that lives in Beverly Hills with a lot of money and a lot of friends. Now TV shows are getting a little more real, they aren’t using popular rich teens anymore…thank god. I really hated those stereotypical TV shows. 

 

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark shouldn't be banned

       It’s not unusual for kids to try new things and see if they like something or not. In Alvin Schwartz’s book series, the reader is introduced to a series of scary stories and poems. Most parents don’t want their children reading this book series due to the fact that it talks about death, or it might just scare them. I think differently,  I think that children should be told about death and that it can happen , because its best to let them learn this so they can be prepared in case of a death in the family. I also feel that the children should have the choice of knowing if they’re ready to read something or not, they should think about if they would get scared and try to make wise independent decisions.

       I think kids should try to pick out what books are good for them because it can really teach them responsibility. For a reader my age I personally think that this book is a little corny and cheesy, but in a kids perspective I feel that this book would be a little creepy. One poem in the book specifically talks about the slow process of the body rotting inside of a coffin. Everyone’s different so I feel that some kids might really enjoy reading scary things and some kids could be frightened for a long period of time. in the article, “ In Defense of The Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark”, by Eva Niessner  she claims that, “ there’s always that  one hot-ticket book in the elementary school library, the one everyone is ready to knock out another child’s teeth over. When I was a kid, those were the “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” series”. This proves that a lot of kids do like this book and they all decided on their own that they knew they wouldn’t be too scared after reading it. Eva also states that, “Judging by the controversy these books have caused and the number of places it’s been banned, it’s probably easier to get drugs in a school library nowadays than “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”. But they weren’t banned in my elementary school, at least not back in the day”. This shows that its sad how people are more concerned on banning books than more serious things like drug use, it’s just so detestable. The last quote that shows us that kids should choose what they want to read is, “Still, scary as they are, I don’t think they deserve to be banned. They taught kids that some things were really scary, but you always had the power to shut the book and turn the light on if it got too intense. If kids don’t learn what’s too much for them in a controlled environment like the library, maybe they won’t learn what’s too much for them later in life”. Kids need to know what suits them and what’s too much for them, they need to test things out and take some risks to learn more about what they like.

         In some situations people think that parents should be the ones choosing if they should read specific books or not. One quote from the article states, “These books were absolutely terrifying. My parents can confirm that I had several recurring nightmares related directly to various stories, but the books also fascinated me”. I think that just because someone had a nightmare doesn’t mean they should stop reading it, because they even said it was fascinating. Eva then states, “On the other hand, how great was it to test your bravery? Even better was testing the bravery of other people”. This shows that kids were testing their bravery and trying to figure out if they enjoy these types of books. Eva lastly stated, “Still, scary as they are, I don’t think they deserve to be banned. They taught kids that some things were really scary, but you always had the power to shut the book and turn the light on if it got too intense. If kids don’t learn what’s too much for them in a controlled environment like the library, maybe they won’t learn what’s too much for them later in life”. I love everything Eva Niessner had to say because it’s all the truth, sure things can get scary and harsh but that’s why we test things out, to see if it’s the right choice for us. Everybody is different so you have to see for yourself if something really suits you.

       All in all the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz is a book every child should test out by reading it; they never know what they like unless you try it. Eva Niessners article is a great way to read about the pros and cons about the books. My very favorite quote of hers is, “If kids don’t learn what’s too much for them in a controlled environment like the library, maybe they won’t learn what’s too much for them later in life”. It’s very true because it’s a part of growing up, you need to try new things and learn new things. A part of growing up is really finding out what’s for you and what isn't. 

Reading list

Anna's reading list -
The list by Siobhan Vivian -September
Coraline by Neil Gaimon -September
Money hungry by Sharon flake
Smile by Raina Telgemier -September
Drama by Raina Telgemeir -September
Green Angel by Alice Heffman-October
It's kind of a funny story -October
The music of dolphins -October
Faking 19 by Alyson Noel -October
Paranoid park by Blake Nelson-November