Synthesis page to critical thinking question

TITLE- JUVIE THREE

AUTHOR- GORDON KORMAN

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION 

Is this story fair? Why/why not?

The book JUVIE THREE is fair in most cases except for one. The book is about three young black males that are juvenile delinquents. Gecko, Terrance, Arjay the main characters of the book all commited crimes that put them in juvenile detention. Gecko drove a getaway car for his older brother Rueben to land him in the joint. The car was stolen and Gecko is too young to drive or even hold a permit, but he is very skilled at the job. Gecko was used for driving Rueben places mostly after crimes Ruebrn has committed. Gecko has no other choice but to say yes because Rueben bribes and bullies him into doing the things. Terrance, a Chicago gang banger locked up for banging. And Arjay was locked up for manslaughter. A 15 year old with a incredible phisic/ body, convicted of manslaughter after a whole football team targeted him after Arjay turned down their football invite onto the team. Arjay wasnt into sports and the football team tried to change his mindset by beating his skull with their fists. The star Quarterback was the 1st to go down and he never got back up. Dead after bullying a kid into joining a team. 

The book is fair because if you commit a crime you must pay for it, there are consequences or their actions and they had to do time for it. The book introduced a new way of giving troubled teens a chance to start over and live a good life after the crimes they committed. A man named Douglas Healy gave them a 2nd chance but they had to live off the radar for 6 months and if they did what they were supposed to, go to school, community service, and work. They had it easy as Healy was easy on them as long as they stayed on top of their work. Healy was like a friend towards them and they liked and respected him as the person who took time out of their life to help juvenile teens go back home and live life instead of being locked up in a jail. 

QUOTATIONS 

1) "Gecko Fosse is behind the wheel of a powder blue Infiniti M45 Sedan, enjoying the thrum of the idling engine and not thinking." This quotation stood out a lot to me because of the last part of him saying he was not thinking, it shows that even though he is in a stolen car and about to drive a getaway car with stolen items inside of it. 

2) "The rush is familiar to Gecko--- Im driving again!" This is a great quotation because while With Mr.Healy he isnt allowed to drive because he is under the age that he can drive. But Mr.Healy is injured because he was trying to break up a fight between the 3 kids and he fell and busted his head.

3) "Healy wanted us out of jail.He basically devoted his whole life to setting up the halfway house. If we get Arrested, we'll be undoing everything he worked for." This is 1 of my favorite quotes because of the sense of urgency that the three have with Healy and how they are worried about healy and trying to make sure they dont get arreseted for healy's sake. I also like this quote because even though healy is unconscious they were responsible enough to get him to the hospital without him dying or being permanently damaged. 

4) "I know," healy sympathizes. "You're allergic to work. Come on--- I want you all to do this. It'll be good for you." This quote also stood out because Healy is so respectful of the kids even though they are criminals and teenagers. I like Healy's approach of trying to actually communicate with them instead of bossing them around and using his power to control their lives. He lets them make their own decisions and thats help them develop and mske right choices because someone actullay trusts them.

Argument essay

Many parents/ teachers try to look out for their kids and young adults by censoring what they read. But is that helpful for kids or is it more harmful than good? Trying to censor kids from dangerous vile themes in books is not helpful at all, when it comes to realistic events that are happening everyday all day around the world. Why censor things in books that are not censored on T.V or in real life.

The text "A Long Way Gone" Should not be banned/ removed from middle school libraries because it teaches and shows readers how life is different and stressful in a country not to far away from America. Even though the text includes war/violence, innocent killings, drugs, etc. middle school students should have access to it because the book can open peoples eyes & make sure they are not naive to the dangerous stunts going on in Sierra Leone.

The text "Darkness too visible" by Gurdon Mehgan shows how litterateur like Ishmael Beah's text A long way gone, is not very helpful and should be banned too young adults. Ishmael's book explains a series of events that occurred in his life back in Africa. He explained how it was in Africa being a child soldier after being kidnapped. He talked about doing drugs, how little girls got spared just so that the soldiers can rap them, how he fired his gun at enemies, and how many innocent people died as a result of war. There was burning villages and dead corpses on the floor, just a lot of stuff that would get a booked banned with q blink of an eye. But although the text visualizes inappropriate things for young adults it shows how much life is better here then there. It teaches readers to value their lives because in Sierra Leone you don't know how long you have to live, because it is ten times more dangerous there than walking the streets of New York.

The text should not be banned because behind all the drama and chaos there's a lesson, and the author ishmael saw the fault in his ways as a child soldier. The text can teach very valuable things, and you can learn a lot from reading his experience. You learn how hard it is to be but can never imagine yourself in the position. It makes the readers think critically and he doesn't censor the events in the book as the world and Africa didn't censor the events in his life. 

The text teaches readers about the bad things happening in Africa and should not be removed from our school bookshelves. 

In my book , you can learn how to become a better person . It shows you should appreciate what you have in life . some people are worried about if theyll survive through the night , while others are worried about the new $200 sneakers . Although there are many graphic scenes , that shows how grateful you should be . Cause you think you have it bad , but some one put there has it worst . in this book , a little boy was lost from his family and everyday had to worry whether he would make it through the night . this young boy eventually became and a solider and lost people he started with as kids . He survived although he went through many struggles . He should be able to tell what he went through and show kids how difficult there life could be.

Social Awareness Project

You hit me

Kick me

The Break me down

I dont say much as im on the ground

I get right up and get my books

And keep my head down 

Away from the looks

We were bestfriends , 

Till you became " cool "

now you pick on me

When were in school 

i knew that it was wrong

Still i let you in

Told you all my secrets 

And i trusted you again 

You tell me that your sorry 

But things never seem to change

Itll always be the same

And to be honest thats a shame 

Essay

      As young adults we like to stay active. Whether that is playing sports or just flat out exercising. but even though the sport is fun there are many injuries. The leading head injuries in youth sports are American Football and Girls soccer. When you get a head injury your brain knocks up against your skull and a bruise is left, either temporarily or permanently, maybe forever leaving you with a disability. In football and soccer there is a lot of contact and as young adults we have a lot of energy to give off. Sports normally let you release anger or emotions in general.

       while playing these vigorous sports there are a lot of safety warnings and precautions. In football almost your whole body is covered in safety gear, set for the safety of your body and life. You have a helmet covering your entire head area. On your helmet there will be your mouth piece and chinstrap to protect your jaw and neck from being broken. Lower down on your torso or chest is your shoulder pads protecting your shest and shoulders only leaving your stomach area open(there is equipment to protect that area). Then lower down protecting your legs are your leg pads. Protecting your thighs and knee's. Thats the official gear that MUST be worn to be eligible to play. But there are other protextive padding you can find in sporting good stores. Even with all this protective gear youth players get hurt often. Now in girls soccer there is any padding but you can buy shin protectors and other things. But girls soccer is leading in youth sports head injuries because of hitting the ball with your head or running into each other.

      Now head injuries aren't the only injuries that occur im youth sports. Theres injuries that list from broken bones to fractures to torn muscles to pulled muscles. In the years 2008-09 there were 120+ deaths of youth athletes. 49 deaths in 2010 and 39 in 2011. More than 8000 athletes and young adults get treated in the ER for sports related injuries. But with that being said 62% of injuries happen in practice not even in the game. 2million highschool athletes are diagnosed with severe sportd injuries every year. While 3.5 million kids under the age 14 receive medical treatment every year.and more than 40% get treated in hospitals.

        

#4 Book club reading response

     The book A LONG WAY GONE by ishmael beah is about war in sierra leone between rebels, villages and child soldiers. Violence is a reoccurring theme in the book. It really shows a great perspective of thr topic because he witnessed it. The violence is very disturbing and the vocabulary is so precise that it paints a picture in your mind, that makes it seem as if your in the book. While reading thr book it gets your emotions in touch and the images the book puts in ya head/brain literally make your stomach hurt. Parents may have banned this book from their young ones because of the violence and ignorance of characters.

     The theme of violence is a major reason why this book was banned. Every page every chapter is filled with action packed scenes with guns, killings, burnings, doing drugs sexual scenes etc. An idea of why parents and teachers might want to ban this book is because of the ignorance of the characters and the disturbing. "It was especially fun burning down this village, we got everyone no one escaped." The rebels laughed about burning down villages. This part shows a great rate of ignorance and not knowing right from wrong. With the rebels in ishmael's group he had no figure to look up to, to do the right thing and teach him what not to do. All the rebels acted the same inferior and immaturely childish. "Along the way we saw another group of rebels, they looked around our age. We opened fire until the last one was on the floor". After they did that they sat on the bodies of the ones they just kilt,while laughing and their food. The rebels had no remorse over anyones life.

    Ishmael had a hard life even before he became a rebel. There were people trying to kill him and everyone else everyday. He was terrified of death and the rebels. He often ran from his own shadow, he slept in the woods, but usually went for days on end with no sleep. It was especially hard for me and the main character when he witnessed the infant baby girl on her mothers back with a bullet hole put through her head. Her mother was still running. "... Blood ran down her dress as her baby was shot". This part is very sad, to witness a baby girl get shot in her head and strapped to her mothers back is very hard to take. 

     A book with strong violence, language, scenes, and drugs can be compelling for a teacher or parent to ban, but it can teach many things. Parents may ban the books because of the ignorance that the characters shown, and the disturbing violence. 

Character Archetypes and symbols

THE FIRE

By- James Patterson

A MENTOR

Cindy is a mentor in the book. She is a mentor because she often visits Whit in his dreams. She is dead so she cant talk to him face to face she uses her spirt to contact Him. When she visits Whit she gives him great advice for him and his sister to use. She teaches and explains to whit how to defeat the New Order. She gives Whit new faith and confidence.

A shadow

The one who is the one (Leader of the New Order) is the shadow in the book. He is the evil figure that wants everyone to obey him and nobody else. Celeberties and kids under 18 were imprisoned. Kids were imprisoned because they were said to be untrustworthy and deceiving. Celeberties were imporsoned because the one only wanted himself to be an idol and people couldnt look up to anyone other than himself. He wanted the main characters or heros to perish and didnt want success for them. He even burned art and books because it gave people thoughts of freedom, personality, etc.

Star-crossed lovers

Whit and his Girlfriend Cindy are the star-crossed lovers. The new order death squads and patrollers killed her because she was Whits girlfriend and the one wanted to cause pain to Whit. They can never be together again only in spirt form and after whit dies. Their love was fatal and they can not touch or kiss each other. Whit only feels her presence in his dreams.

The scapegoat 

Whits mother and father where the scapegoats in the book. They were publicly exucuted. They were killed because they were said to be accused of witchcraft. The one stated that they will die for the better good of the world. He said they influenced bad behaviors. 

The burning witch

The witch was a symbol of lost confidence and faith. Wisty was a witch herself so when Whit saw this his stomach ached of pain and the smell of burning  flesh. The witch as tge witch burned whit said to feel emptier and emptier.

A Stolen Life (Summer reading response)

     You never would expect to be kidnapped from your family and treated as a slave. But that is the exact thing that happened to Jaycee Dugard, abducted at age 11 on June 10th 1991. She was abused raped, and held captive in a mans backyard. No one would ever think to be abducted and live to tell the story. Jaycee was young but was very brave and faithful but soon got accustomed to how things worked in Phillip Garrido's backyard.
     For example, in the book Phillip used to rape her almost everyday when he first abducted her. He took showers with her, he bathed her, bought her food but sometimes he forgot, he made tapes with her of him doing nasty things, He did drugs infront of her, he tied her and handcuffed her to surfaces until she got trusted. So that proves that she got accustomed to things and she did it quickly. She often got lonely and sad in there because she missed her family. She got Pregnant twice and at a very young age, and Phillip sexually violated her a severe amount of times. Even though she was held for about 17 years in the same backyard she stayed full of faith and kept telling herself she wasn't going to be left there and her family will find her. Jaycee was so optimistic and lighthearted she even forgave Phillip Garrido for what he did! She always followed directions and was a quick learner, her efforts and braveness won here treats maybe fast food or ice cream.
       Even with all those harmful things Phillip did, Jaycee found in her heart to forgive the man that literally stole her life. She didn't have much experiences. High school, Junior highschool, college, it was like she was wiped of the world with no trace of her anywhere, but then they found her.

The fire Character response

      Can you imagine a world where there is no freedom, no democracy, no right of justice, No more books they were all burned and confiscated, music nand art wiped off the face of the Earth, a so perceived “higher” being, witches and wizards roam the streets, all kids under 18 are irrelevant and lock up in prison, executions are held everyday, basically the complete opposite of the nation and world we live in today. Our reality and the world Whit and Wisty live in, in the book The Fire by James patterson. Although Whit and Wisty are inferior to most, optimistic and powerful they are also insecure at sometimes, not respected and targeted. Whit and feelings have been demolished and been affected by the blood plague caused by the One.

      In the previous book Witch and Wizard by james patterson the Blood plague had just started and wasn't very affective and dangerous. The team of rebellious teens called the resistant movements had been fighting for the greater good for everyone in the world. They had fought of the one who is the one (yes thats his name) and made sure to contain his tyranny and torment. When the plague had started everyone had they were confident and powerful nothing could stop them, literally. With Whits ability to heal and his confidence level so high he could heal anyone and anything. Wisty was using her magic and power to heal others too, she volunteered at a health clinic. But as time progressed the disease got stronger and the amount of people that were infected was to hard to handle. Resistant movement, freedom fighters started to dwindled and dying. Many where killed by the plague or the one, or just disappeared from existence. feelings and emotions changed the most and so greatly because everything painful was centered around him. His Mother and Father were publicly executed, he was wanted dead or alive, severely injured, and his sister was infected by the blood plague.

       With that being said Whit was heartbroken, and his spirt was broke. He lost all power and confidence in himself. “We tried to be your heros, tried to live up to that destiny.” This showed that his faith was starting to grow smaller and didn't believe if he could actually pull this off. He was unsure if even with his power could he defeat the one and his brainwashed follows. “But after the last bombing my sister, and all of our freedom fighters were scattered like seeds in the wind.” Whit cant deal with all of that thats why for a while he couldn't use any of his powers, and like his faith and confidence his powers were growing dim. Whit was affected greatly by the lost of friends and family and soon became a coldhearted young man.

      For example, most of his hope and faith was sucked out of him by seeing his family being tortured and hurt. Thats were most of his hurt was coming from. The only people he had left in the world was Wisty and she was fading away slowly, dying a painful elaborate death. Whit was fading to and emotionally and physically dead. “MY heart hardens with a bitter understanding of the world we live in. Let them destroy one another” Whit had stated this right after N.O order guards bruised and beat on his body. There was also a army of Infected Zombies after him. His new thinking is smarter and easier for him, you want to fight and kill each other by all means do that. “I feel this dark energy building within me, growing into a power that needs to get out and find a target.” I believe whit fed up with the way the N.O runs things and his power is growing into something dangerous.

      All in all Whits emotions have grown in some parts but have dwindled in others. Its crystal clear that characters can be affected not by pm to them but to other