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

Paranoid Park

It’s not unusual for teens to make mistakes and do things they regret. In Blake Nelson’s book, Paranoid Park the reader is introduced to a young boy named Alex who makes a terrible decision one night that has changed his whole view of his life. Alex’s friend Jared is gone for the weekend so Alex decides to go to Paranoid Park. He meets a guy there named Scratch, and Scratch somehow gets Alex to hop a local train. Alex does it but he doesn’t realize that his bad choices will lead to bad problems in his life that he will soon regret. Alex sees a cop; he knows he’s going to get in trouble for train hopping so he tries to hit the cop. The cop then has a very heartbreaking but crazy death. The cop gets run over by the train and everything then changes for Alex, he is now speechless because of the bad choice he made led to bad results.

            As the story progresses the author shows us how much Alex regrets hurting the cop because that caused the cop to fall into the train tracks and die. The first thing that Alex mentions is, “once everything was clean, I closed my eyes and let the hot water beat on my back and neck. I tried to relax, or at least stop shacking. But it was hopeless, I couldn’t stop”. This really shows how overwhelmed and how guilty Alex feels. Alex is basically so shocked that he can’t even stop shaking. Another thing that Alex says is, “then I started to cry. It happened suddenly and once it started I couldn’t stop”. This truly shows how one wrong choice can have you regretting situations forever. Alex is a tough skater, his emotions really start to come out and the author is really trying to show us that everybody makes mistakes but sometimes they can’t be fixed.

            Once the story really starts to get to an end, Alex’s decisions really start to get him terrified and paranoid because cops looking for a suspect. One thing Alex does is try to call his dad because he can’t keep the secret in anymore.  He says, “I hung up. But after that was stupid. What was I doing? I had to call my dad. I started to dial it again, and again I stopped. No, don’t involve your family”. Alex is frightened and he doesn’t know what to do. He really wants to tell somebody and get it off his chest but in reality he really shouldn’t. Alex also says, “I googled various combinations of murder, death, and a security guard with Portland Oregon. Nothing came up. I deleted my search history and logged off”. Alex is really trying to be secretive with everything. He is trying to avoid getting caught because he knows how bad the consequences would be. 

            All in all this book was amazing because there was always that thrill of is Alex getting caught or can he keep up with hiding? It’s all about making the right decision and thinking everything through. In the end you really just need to think about everything your about to say or do, because your actions can cause and lead into bigger problems. So try to think things through because you don’t want to make a bad decision that will change your life forever, like it did to Alex and like it does to many teens today. 

Ashes short story

     It’s not unusual for teens to grow up with complicated problems
because of their parents’ divorce. In Susan Beth Pfeffer’s short story
“Ashes”, the reader is introduced to a young girl named Ashleigh who
struggles with family problems.  In this story Ashes has to make a
tough decision that decides who she loves and trusts more. Ashleigh
has to go through some problems due to her parents’ divorce; she
doesn’t get to see her dad too often. Ashleigh has to choose if she
wants to take her mother’s emergency money to make her dad happy, or
leave her mother’s emergency money alone have her dad be disappointed.
Her experience with choosing sides with one of her parents makes the
reader think about how and why we make decisions that ultimately shape
our lives.
        As the story progresses the author shows us how complicated ashes
relationship is with her father. Ashleigh doesn’t see her father that
often, in the beginning of the story she says, “That winter, it felt
like every time I saw my father, the sun cast off just a little more
warmth then it had the day before” this really shows that she was so
liberated to see him. After that she starts getting different feelings
about him because he starts acting different and strange. Then ashes
says, “A couple days later, when dad forgot to pick me up at school,
or didn’t have the money for the class trip or got all his favorite
Chinese and none of moms and mine, I thought maybe mom was right, and
dad did just call me Ashes just to annoy me”.  This really shows her
dad lacks an interest in his family. He is being very selfish and he
just isn’t acting like a loving father.  He then starts giving her
compliments like, “you could be a model, have you thought about that
Ashes, Modeling?” Ashleigh starts to get a little confused because he
was being rude and now all of a sudden her father is acting like he
loves her. Ashes doesn’t really feel like her father’s love is real
and it’s starting to confuse her.
      As the story progresses the author shows us how Ashes realizes how
important her mother is in her life. Ashleigh’s father is very
confusing and not too smart; Ashleigh’s mother on the other hand is a
very stable, smart, and logical woman. Ashleigh says that, “she’s the
most practical person I know, always putting aside for a rainy day”.
This really shows that Ashleigh looks up to her mother and thinks she
is always prepared for the worst. It shows Ashes also feels very safe
and secure because her mother’s always ready for anything. Ashleigh
also says, “With mom there are a lot of rainy days and she takes a
grim sort of pleasure in being ready for them”. This shows that her
mom is the opposite of her dad, her mother’s always prepared and
strict for the sake of her daughter but Ashleigh’s dad is never ready
for anything and just tries to kiss up to her than uses her. Ashes
just feels more protected with her mother, not her father.  Finally
when Ashleigh goes up to the apartment to “borrow” her mother’s money
for her dad she stops and thinks about what she is doing. She says,
“The apartment was quiet, it always felt a little colder when mom
wasn’t there. I stood over the teapot and stared at the money”. This
shows that Ashleigh is really thinking hard about how her choice can
affect a lot. She is saying that it feels empty and cold without her
mother home.  If she takes her moms money something bad could happen
and her mom might need the money but it won’t be there. If she doesn’t
take the money something might happen to her dad because he has to pay
someone. Ashleigh has a hard decision to make and she doesn’t know
what to do.
        All in all this short story really helps readers see that people’s
lives can be complicated, it’s all about making the right decision and
helping the right people. It was really hard for Ashleigh he has to
choose from two people she admires a lot. This book also helps readers
see how important family can be. This short story was very interesting
and plot twisting that’s why I really love it. In the end you don’t
know who Ashleigh picks and it really makes you curious, you start
thinking about your life and who you would pick if you were in her
situation.  Ashleigh has to choose her father’s “love” or her mother’s
stability. All the pressure is on Ashleigh to choose her mother or her
father.