ELA READING RESPONSE
     In my book, Scat, by Carl Hiaasen is about a kid named Nick. His teacher Ms. Starch goes missing in the middle of a field trip to the Black Vine swamp. She goes missing while there's a wildfire and there's a whole investigation to find out what happened to her. The day before the trip she gets into an argument with a student named Duane Scrod Jr. aka. Smoke. The police believe that he's an arsonist. During the investigation the firemen find out that the fire was man made and was an arson. They immediately expect that it was Duane because he tried to burn down a billboard a long time ago. They just assume it was him without any actual evidence, which is unfair. Duane's opinion is not voiced in this book, no one knows how he feels.
     In my book Duane Scrod Jr. (Smoke), is suspected to have created the wild fire in the Black Vine Swamp as payback at Ms. Starch. No one has any actual evidence, but everyone assumes it's him. This is unfair to Duane, and we don't hear his opinion on what he thinks. He tells the cops that he didn't do it, they act like they believe him, but they really don't. Duane already doesn't have a chance because of what he did in the past. When he was younger he tried to burn down a billboard. Nobody will believe Smoke because everyone is scared of him and the cops think he's a bad one. A man who works for the Red Diamond Oil Company gives false evidence to cover himself up because he started the fire. The author gets the reader to feel sympathy for Smoke because he not a bad guy at all, it's just that nobody knows who he is because he keeps to himself. Carl Hiaasen doesn't voice Smoke's opinion because then there wouldn't be any mystery in the book. The reader wouldn't want to know what happens next because they would already know. Until the end of the book the reader expects that Smoke was the one who started the fire, but it takes a turn and the reader gets interested. If Smoke had a voice then we would know who he was and the mystery around him would disappear. This is why Carl Hiaasen doesn't give Smoke a voice.
     This book also shows injustice because the police suspect Smoke when he hasn't done anythings wrong. It just goes to  show that if you do something in your past then it will come back to bite you later on. Smoke is a different person from who he was, but nobody believes that he has changed so he's the prime suspect in the arson case. I think it's unfair that Smoke is being suspected of comething he didn't do.
      The social problems in this book are exactly like problems in real life. There is injustice to Mike Brown who was shot by a cop and the cop was not prosecuted. I think that people really just need to understand each other in order to be friends. For example, nobody knows Smoke and that why nobody believes him when he says he didn't do it. Understanding is the key.

Zach Gee

Class 805

             Why are people trying to get young adult books banned? Many people believe that YA books give the teens who read them a bad influence and cause them to do unacceptable things, but they are wrong. YA books are helpful and do much good to teens. YA books give scarred teens advice for their lives and how to cope with it. They also give teens something to relate to and it gives them a voice. It tells people what the lives of these scarred teens are like. YA books teach teens what not to do in life and they give abused teens something to relate and talk to.

            YA books give teens who have been bullied, witnessed murder, and teens who cut to cope with their lives something to relate to. It makes them feel like there’s someone waiting to talk to them and someone they can trust. YA books also give these teens a voice so they don’t feel unaided. In Meghan Gurdon’s article “Darkness too visible” she says “they validate the teen experience, giving voice to the tortured adolescent who would otherwise be voiceless.” If YA books didn’t exist, there would be many teens without a voice. No one would know what these teenagers have to live through everyday in order to survive. The horrible, disgusting things that their live force them to live through. YA books get teens to feel supported. If YA book didn’t exist, these scarred teens would feel like there isn’t anyone to help them and support them so they might just give up on life. Sherman Alexie says “I wrote my YA novel as a way of speaking to my younger, irredeemable self.” He wrote his book to release the emotion that he felt, he wanted to speak to his younger self who did things that he now regrets. He wants people to know that he realizes that what he did was wrong. This was his way of feeling better. Many teens are going through the same things that he had gone through and his book is a book that scarred teens can relate to. Not only are they relating to them, they’re also learning from them too. These books let them voice their conflicts and gets them feeling that there’s someone watching over them and guiding them.

            Aside from giving teens something to relate to, YA book teach lessons to teens and give them advice about their lives. YA books show teens things so horrible and gruesome that the teens will realize that they’re wrong. By reading these book teens will realize that what the characters are doing is wrong. YA books teach teens the difference between right and wrong. Sherman Alexie says “I read books about monsters and monstrous things, often written in monstrous language, because they taught me how to battle the real monsters in life.” He read YA books not to get influence, but because they taught him ways to fight the bad things that were happening in his real life. They gave him lessons in ways to fight the bad things in his life. He learned to cope with the violence around him, to not be scared, but to put on a brave face to get through it. YA books have the power to teach teens and people how to cope with the lives that they’re living. Alexie later says “I write to give them weapons-----in the form of words and ideas-----that will help them fight their monsters.” He writes metaphorically to give teens the power to fight the monsters in their lives, the bad things that are inside the lives that they’re living. YA books provide teens with a valuable weapon that can be used in their lives.

            Some may say that YA books give teens careless influences with careless writing. They believe that teens will mimic the things that they read. I agree, YA books to contain atrocious themes and gruesome content, I understand why they think that these themes will make teens have the urge to do them themselves. In Meghan Gurdons article she says “Books focusing on pathologies help normalize them, and in the case of self harm, may even spread their plausibility likelihood to yound people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures. “ However teens are smart enough to decipher the difference between what’s right and what’s wrong. YA book teach teens the wrong things in life. They’re smart enough to figure it out themselves. Mary Elizabeth Williams says “reading about homicide doesn’t turn a man into a murderer; reading about cheating on exams won’t make a kid break the honor code.” YA books may have disgusting content, but they won’t have such drastic effects. Reading about homicide won’t make a teen have an urge to go and murder someone. Sherman Alexie says “Does she believe a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who already lives in hell?” If a teen already lives horribly then they won’t be frightened by a book because they’ve already experienced much worse. By reading these novels they may even learn how to cope with their lives.

            Ya books shouldn’t be banned. Teens can learn a lot from these books and they can also relate to them. If YA books were to be banned then some teens wouldn’t know how to live their lives. Although there are some teens who don’t need relating, what about the teens who do? Without YA books no one would be able to see the lives of the lower side. I used to think so what if some books get banned, but now I can see the importance of these books. If YA books were banned then some teens would feel alone with no one to talk to. Do you really want to make them feel alone?

Reading Response
     My book, Erak's Ransom, by John Flanagan is about a viking like character named Erak. who is captured during a raid and is held for ransom. He is the oberjarl (president) of the Skandians. His ship crew travels to Aruluen, the Skandians allies for help. Will, Halt, and Horace agree to rescue Erak, but they encounter many emotional and combat situations that they have to get through. Will, Halt, Horace and the Skandians have to face many conflicts and I am writing about the emotions masked inside the characters.
      In my book, Erak and his crew are surrounded by Arridi soldiers during a loot raid. The Arridi demand that they put down their weapons or they'll shoot. Erak's men are willing to fight if he gives himself up. If he gives himself up, his crew may live and travel back to Skandia safely. Erak doesn't want to see his crew die trying to protect him so he gives himself up and his crew travels to Aruluen to get help. The emotions felt in this part of the book are anger, protection, and acceptance. Erak is angered that he got his crew surrounded because of his own personal greed. He feels protection for his crew and does not want to see any of them die so he gives himself up. He accepts that they're surrounded and agrees to give himself up in order for his crew to live. Erak is seen by his men as brave and powerful.
      Another part of the book where emotions are felt is when Will loses his horse, Tug in a sandstorm. He tries to go after Tug in the sandstorm, but is stopped by Selethen. After the storm he goes after Tug. The emotions felt in this part of the book are guilt and fear. Will feels regret because he is the one who lost hold of Tugs reins and that is why Tug got away. He thinks that he failed Tug in the moment where he needed him the most. Will fears that Tug might be dead, however he is willing to take the risk to go find Tug because he cares so much about his horse. Throughout his training he and Tug had created a bond so strong that Will thinks that he and Tug can have conversations. This part of the book really shows the care and love that Will feels for his horse.
     Lastly, when Will goes out to look for Tug, his mentor, Halt is worried that Will won't come back alive. Halt really cares about Will because before Will became his apprentice, there was no joy in Halt's life. Halt grew to care about Will and even though he acted like he was always aggravated at Will, Will knew he cared about him. The emotions felt in this part of the book are fear, proud, and admiration. Halt is fearing that Will won't come back alive because they've never explored the desert and they no close to nothing about it. Halt feels proud of Will because he sees how he trained Will. This shows that the training that Halt and Will did, worked. Halt feels admiration because he sees how much Will cares about his horse. He realizes that most people wouldn't care so much and would just wave it off and take a new horse. Will on the other hand tried to go out in the middle of the sandstorm and search for Tug. Tug was something that Will really cared about and Halt realized this.
     There are many emotions felt throughout this book and this is only a glimpse. John Flanagan did a great job in conveying emotions throughout this book. He made the side characters as well as the main characters feel emotions in many different parts. This book really showed me how great bonds can be.

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis
     The article "Has Young Adult Fiction Become Too Dark" is about the author, Mary Elizabeth Williams responding to Meghan Gurdons "scorching" article about YA Ficion. In the article, she takes parts of Gurdons article and refutes it. Mary Elizabeth Williams purpose of writing this article was to argue that YA Fiction is not too dark and that Megan Gurdons article was wrong. Mary Elizabeth Williams opinion in this article is that YA Fiction is not too dark and that Meghan Gurdons article was wrong.
     Mary Elizabeth Williams refutes Meghan Gurdons article by taking her quotes and refuting them while stating her opinions and saying how Meghan Gurdon was wrong. While she's refuting Meghan Gurdon, she also tells the reader her opinion with her tone and the way she speaks of Gurdons evidence. For example she quotes Meghan Gurdon "Reading about homicide doesn't turn a man into a murderer, reading about cheating on exams won't make a kid break the honor code." After she quotes this she responds by saying "She even admits that the sad reality is "many teenagers do not read young-adult books at all." Her limitation is in her argument of what constitutes desirable options." Mary Williams take Gurdons quote and writes the limitation of her article and she uses Gurdons own quotes against her therefore making Gurdons argument weaker. This is how Williams shows the reader how Meghan Gurdons article was wrong.
     I agree with Mary Elizabeth Williams, I do believe that Gurdons argument was wrong and that YA Fiction has not become too dark. I believe this because YA fiction teach teens lessons even though they may have inappropriate themes. They also give teens who have been scarred something to relate to and someone who they feel they can connect too. YA Fiction does many good even though they may have gruesome themes.