Social Action: Sold

Sold, by Patricia McCormick is a really thought provoking book. Sold is the type of book that you never want to put down, but at the same time, you want to throw it onto the floor and stomp all over it. Sold is a book about girls who are pulled into a world where men physically harass them. This is a word wide issue for young girls that needs to be stopped as soon as possible.

As I read this book, I realize how fortunate I am compared to many people. There are so many people who have to sleep in the freezing cold streets at night with no blankets at all, when I can sleep in my own clean bed. I realize that their are many things my sister and I take for granted, and it's not fair.  There are people out in the world with no food or water what so ever. 

Reading this book, many questions come into my mind. Why are their men out there that want to hurt young girls? Why is their such a punishment as starvation? Why do people have to go through this types of issues when I'm protected by my family and people around me? Why is it that we are all equal but other's still have to go though these issues? It's not fair that young children have to experience these types of things, and I think we should all try to do something to stop it.

Before I Die: Jenny Downham

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with threatning side-effects, Tessa organizes a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. This list is a very life changing thing for Tessa.

The kinds of ideas on Tessa's list, are problems and peer pressures that children face when they go through the issues Tessa face. They don't exactly have to be what Tessa's going through, these things can occur when there are family issues, friend ship troubles, or a death of someone you loved very much. The things Tessa puts down on her never ending list are huge themes in life that can deeply affect a young person. Drugs, physical abuse, shop-lifting and smoking are examples of a few. 

I don't think it's fair children have to go through these issues to satisfy themselves when a problem comes up. A lot of kids are affected by these things, and there parents don't even know. I have a friend that reminds me a lot of Tessa. When her dad died, she went through the pressures that had spread across her mind. She thought that drugs would take her mind off of things for a while. Instead, it made her life way worst. This reminds me a lot of Tessa, because it's the same type of thing that she went through. It hurt's me to see kids go through this type of thing, and I wish there was a way to stop it.

Elsewhere

This is a book that I've previously read over the summer, and is now my favorite book of all time. Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin, is a book about a huge theme in life that everyone experiences at least a few times in their lives. Death. Death is something huge, and can be very scary, but interesting to write about. This is why I loved this book so much. It talked about death, but included other important stuff, like love, friendship and family.

When I experience a loved one passing away, I get scared and don't know what to do. In Elsewhere, I feel very differently about that. It seems to be a whole new world, kind of like a second chance, to perfect what you've done wrong in your previous life, and to understand and look at concepts in a different and new way. I feel like it's not so scary when you die. Maybe it is for the people who love you, but it's like a new magical journey just for you. 

I've always wondered about everybody's thoughts on what death is. What does death really mean? Why does it have such a huge affect on us, and why do we care so much? These are thoughts that I've thought about while I was reading this amazing book.

Childhood Favorite Response

     My favorite childhood favorite was The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I loved this book in so many ways, and so many different reasons.
     This book is full of journeys. I feel like this book brings back memories of childhood. When somebody believed in magic, it was okay. Nobody would be teased, or be hurt because of what other people thought of them. I feel like books filled with love and magic open up our imaginations in a whole different way. They also open up our eyes to the world we live in, and the glitches that take place everywhere.
     I feel like this is an amazing book to talk about more complex feelings. Not exactly feelings, but a mix between themes, feelings and mental respect. Magnificence, care, accomplishment, fairness, bravery, courage and love are all the characteristics of being a "king" or a "queen." I feel like in this case, that the king and the queens are the heroes, the ones who display courage, self sacrifice and are changed by the journey. This book is filled with different archetypes.