Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and Other Concerns by Mindy Kaling

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and Other Concerns by Mindy Kaling

      This is the very first auto-biography i've ever read. I've seen Mindy Kaling perform on TV shows and throughly enjoyed it. When she first appeared to most eyes she was a snotty young women named Kelly Kappor working under Micheal Scott's advisement in the comedy "The Office". In many episodes she does not have a part and is simply not in the office. In others she has a small part in which she talks very little. She explains in her book how as a writer for that show it was very hard to write, direct and star in the episode, so most write and direct and stay behind the camera. 
     What interested me most about this book was Mindy talked about her childhood. In the book she said that she wasn't popular, she wasn't pretty, and she didn't have a lot of friends but in the long scheme things she's happy she didn't peak in Elementary school or High School. It seems those who did cling onto that idea of how "popular" or "Pretty" they were in school. when their lives don't work out as well, they cling onto that happy memory to remind them that maybe they are special or better than others. Mindy explains her book she did very well in College. Becoming very successful later life, made her feel no shame in who she used to be. They were kind of like stepping stones to where she wanted to be. For example, at one time in her middle school career she really only had one friend who enjoyed all the things she liked which she must rather would have than a bunch of friends that don't like her likes. She points out in one part that walking down the hall with one friend who she could talk to forever than have a whole posse whom she had nothing to talk about, even if it looked a little fun to other people who thought to look popular and important you have to a whole posse. 
    i very much enjoyed Mindy's book. Many of her school experiences i could relate to. Her future experiences i can only wish i will be able to relate to.

Blog Review: Lillian Cheever, WhO KNowS: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 SPOILERS

Blog Review: Lillian Cheever, WhO KNowS: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

       While reading Lillian's blog post on one of my favorite books, the Fault in Our Stars, one thing really stood out to me. In her blog she said, "I can tell Hazel really cares about her family and what happens to them after she inevitably dies because she is so obsessed with figuring out what happens to Anna’s parents after she dies. An Imperial Affliction ends mid-sentence, presumably because Anna dies, so you never figure out what happens to her family and friends." This really caught my attention. In the three times i have read this book, i have never thought to think about it that way. I knew that Hazel cared very much about her family and others because in the book she says she doesn't want to get close to anyone because she knows when she dies it'll just hurt those she made friends with more than it has to. I know that when she over hears her mother talking about how she won't be a mom anymore, it breaks Hazel's heart. Making sure no one feels a heart break towards her death. To kind of add on to Lillian's idea though, i think she becomes more obsessed with finding the answer when she meet Gus and he kind of teaches her to not be afraid anymore. But there is still that fear because what if Anna's friends all feel so sad they have to go to Therapy for years. What if they all move on and forget about her too soon. Which one would be worse? 
       I think that when Hazel finds out that one of Anna's friends takes in Anna's Hamster, it makes Hazel feel better. Anna's friend was able to take in something they both charishted dearly without feeling too upset and that is why when Hazel gets back from finding that out she is a more able to open herself up more. I feel also that the topper of the social cake for Hazel (SUPER SPOILER AHEAD) After Gus Died, Hazel was looking at his Social Networking Page where meany people posted good memories and special messages to Gus. Hazel noticed she can have a special relationship, share good times and it won't result in some poor girl or boys parents paying thousands of dollars for a therapist, but a few tears and a sweet post about her. 
     I think Lillian and i can both say Augustus Water changed Hazel's life in many ways, but must of all, he made her unafraid of living the life she was given, even if it is the short life she was given.
  
     Lillian's Post and BLOG are really great!!! Check it out!:
http://eternitylilli.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-fault-in-our-stars.html?showComment=1389909459941#c2299575953200191152

Relish

As a child growing up in the famous New York City, i am exposed to many different cultures. Some excite me, some not so much. So with this exploration i have begun to look for what kind of job i want to take on when i grow up. I have grown up in a very nuturing household where i am told i can be anything i want to be if i put my mind to it. My dilemma is theres so much to chose from, and dispite my dads constant impowering talks about how i will find the right thing, i'm very stuck. Marine Biology interests me on a level in which i like swimming and love animals. But Hospitals and Doctors have always interested me, for some unknown reason, so being a doctor interests me also. But in Relish it opened up my eyes on how your job can and will effect your children. Relish is a graphic novel in which a young artist re-tells her story of growing up as the child of an amazing chef growing up in New York. This gave her an idea of what she wants to do and where she wants to be. It was very interesting to see that the daughter of a chef, doesn't usually get a homemade meal from her mother because she has been cooking for stangers all day and doesn't think she can hold a pan anymore. This book has raised an idea of how my job effects those around more than "you can be wantever you want" ever has.

After the Wreck, I picked myself up, spread my wings, and flew away. By Joyce Oates

After the Wreck, I picked myself up, spread my wings, and flew away. By Joyce Oates

    While reading this book (which i which I'll refer to as atw) it made me feel kind of bored. I felt as the though the writing was very repetitive and didn't expand on many important issues. Throughout the entire story, its just keeps coming back to this idea that "I can be a messed up kid because no one loves me!" Which i thought was so untrue and very annoying. I feel like the author wanted to leer you into that idea so she made it all the main character would think about. The book left out the perspective of the ones who actually loved the main character, Jenna. In the book Jenna would have fights with adults who loved her and she seemed to keep telling them you don't care about me, you don't love me, leaving out their perspective about the adults emotion. The author pretty much never let the adults speak.
     Another example of this is when the father tries to reach out to Jenna after the accident but shes shutting him down, not letting him explain why he left. As a reader, i did want to know why he left and how he felt when Jenna refused to live with him. While i find these writing techniques a little boring and discouraging, i can see why an author may add them. They give a little bit of  to the main characters mind a reason to why Jenna may feel the need to do these drugs and party and drink alcohol instead of the real reason which is because her mom has past. She feels the need to blame it on others as many do it an upsetting situation and if someone explains shes wrong to blame those people she'll have to find the real reason and open up the sadness and despair she felt after her mom died that she locked away. I think that's also a reason she didn't want to see a therapist. Because she was afraid of what she might find.

Synthesis Page November 8th

Arguement Essay by Maeve Woollen

     After reading multiple arguments to answer the question, "Should dark young adult fiction be banned?", the answer i've found is challenged books should be decided by the students and teachers. The books should only be banned if the students can't come up with a good enough reason for the book to be kept in the class library. This would only apply to 7-12th graders. This gives little power ti the parents, while most power to the teens and teacher. But why trust them? Why put so much trust on their teacher to decide what you child can or cannot read. This a difficult question i intend to add on to.
    In a classroom, its nice to know you have a variety of books to choose from at any moment. But knowing your not allowed to read a book about a certain topic may make you want to know more. You don't want to be deprived about this subject. In Mary Elizabeth William's "Has young adult fiction become too dark?" Williams agrees information is important. "Darkness isn't the enemy. But ignorance always is." In this simple quote, Williams explains how parents shouldn't fear the darkness of a book, but embrace it for their child. They shouldn't be running from the darkness, yet see what it has to offer. Parents seem to be too quick to ban or challenge a book without seeing what it can give the teen. Some parents believe their child will go crazy with this information, but as Sherman Alexie puts it in his article "Why the Best Kids Books are written in blood", "I wrote my YA novel as a way of speaking to my younger, irredeemable self." Alexie believes these kids need dark YA as a way to get past issues they face while not feeling so alone, yet parents don't seem to see it that way.
    But why should Parents have no say in this? As i was saying in the paragraph above, parents refuse to give the books a chance and see how they will be able to help their teens. Teachers seem to spend more time with the teens and work with them on things about their readings, such as essays or book book reports. They seem to be more interested in what the students are getting out of the book than whats in the book. While I'm not saying Teachers and smarter than parents or teachers are more important than parents, I think teachers would have a deeper look into what the students are reading. For instance, while parents would only read the quote from Jackie Morse Kessler's "Rage", "She had sliced her arms into ribbons, but the badness remained, staining her insides like cancer. She gouged her belly until it was a mess of meat and blood, but she still couldn't breath." and write off the book as being to dark for their teen, teachers would look further and investigate why the author might have put this into the book and what she wanted to readers (the students) to get out of it.
   In conclusion, I believe teachers and students should be given most power in the discussion of banning books. They would look further in the ideas of the book and author and meaning. Parents ban books too easily without discussing it too often and teens need a chance to speak up. If it was a city council meeting, no one would listen to a thirteen year old student. They need some power over what they choose to read.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

           SPOLIERS!! (sort of)

      In "Graffiti Moon" by Cath Crowley, Ed and Lucy hate each other after a disastaurous date in 10th grade. Lucy never thought much of Ed but agreed to go on a date cause she thought he was cute enough. She had no idea she meant so much to him. He was shadow, a spray painter who hides behind his name and his work. Lucy fell in love with shadow, never knowing it was ed. She fell in love with his paintings and the way he expressed himself. Not happily, Lucy ends up on a journey to find shadow after Ed says he knows him.  Something i really enjoyed about this book was the way different things symbolised the characters.
     Lucy was represented by her mind. That was something that carried her off and made her an interesting character. For example, there was one seen in which Lucy is dancing and Ed is watching her. Ed explains it as Lucy seems to be dancing to her own melody. Lucy danced differently. She didn't go with the music everyone else her. It all seemed to be in her mind. Another example of this is when Lucy is examining a piece of shadows. Because Ed painted it, of course he knew what he was thinking and what it was. But Lucy thought about it differently. The book explains Lucy stared at the picture for a long time, seeming to really bath is its ideas. The thoughts she had about this painting were very different from Shadows/Ed's, but Ed believed them. He believed that was actually what Shadow was trying to say.
   Ed is represented by his spray can. Its his identity, his emotions, his personality. Its everything he needs to hid behind. Anything he feels is expressed through his  spray painting. It isn't just an art to him. One example of this is shown when after he starts to develop feelings for Lucy, he feels the need to paint her. During any crush, their all you can think about. So he can't completely enjoy that feeling. He need to paint her. So he does. He expresses all those emotions through his paint. He doesn't need to be smart or good or emotional. He needs to paint.