The Art of Racing in the Rain

      Have you ever wondered what goes through the mind of a dog?  Do they have thoughts and emotions like humans do?  The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, is about a dog named Enzo who hopes to one day become a human.  Throughout his life, he observes the people around him and becomes very intelligent in terms of the ways of the world.  He wants to share his feelings and knowledge, but is incapable of doing so.  This story lets us in on what Enzo notices about all the events taking place in his life.
      For example, when Enzo's owner, Denny, gets married and has a daughter, his wife, Eve, feels that Enzo may be a threat to Zoe.  In one part of the book, it states, "Eve would admonish her: "Don't run like that; Enzo will bite you."  Denny said, "Enzo would never hurt her, ever!"  Still, Eve didn't know that, and I had no way of explaining it to her, so I never played rough with Zoe."  This shows how Enzo is not a harmful dog, even Denny knows that he would never hurt Zoe.  He has control over his wild, animal side, unlike most other dogs.  However, Eve doesn't know that, and he can't tell her.  All he can do is use physical motions to show her.
      Another example is when Enzo notices that something bad is going to happen to Eve.  In the book, it says, "Eve leaned down to give me my bowl of food and my nose was near her head.  I had detected a bad odor, it came from her ears and her sinuses.  Given a facile tongue, I could have warned them.  I could have alerted them to her condition long before they discovered it with their machines."  As you can see, Enzo, with his special dog senses, can detect lots of things before humans can, but there is no way for him to let Eve and Denny know.  He can't even use his actions to show them this time.  Eve is in serious danger, but all he can do is sit there and let it happen, there is nothing he can do to prevent it.
      Overall, throughout the story, The Art of Racing in the Rain, you can really get a feel of Enzo's perspective and what he thinks about being a dog.  He had always felt that he was different from other dogs, like a human soul stuffed into a body in which he didn't belong.  He has a passion for being a human, but he feels trapped.  He understands much more about the world than most people could ever imagine, but he is being held back from letting them know who he really is inside. 

Peer Pressure

      Peer pressure is an issue that every kid comes across at one point in their lives.  Around the teenage years is usually where it all begins.  You are starting middle school and meeting new people who are influencing you with new ideas.  Some of these ideas may be smart and beneficial, like studying for a test, joining a sports team, or volunteering to support a good cause.  However, your peers may also encourage you to do something you don't feel comfortable with, this is where the pressure part comes in.  It's hard to make a decision when all your friends have already agreed and are standing around, watching you.  The article "Dealing with peer pressure" on kidshealth.org, states, "The idea that "everyone's doing it" can influence some kids to leave their better judgement, or their common sense, behind".  Even though most kids know what the right choice is, they go against their gut, because they don't want to feel like an outcast.  Another article, "Peer Pressure: It's influence on Teens and Decision Making" on headsup.scholastic.com, says, "Ultimately the decision to act (or not to act) is up to us as individuals.  So when it comes to decision making, the choice is up to you".  In the end, you have to ignore the pressure and do what you know is right.
      I chose to write about this topic, because many kids can relate to it.  Even if you haven't experienced peer pressure, you will most likely encounter it, or maybe a close friend of yours will.  My experiences of being in middle school have shown me how so many people can change drastically from peer pressure.  As we approach our teen years, we get so caught up in popularity and what others think of us.  But it's important to have true friends who appreciate us for who we really are.  Friends who would never pressure us into doing something we didn't want to do.
      I want my readers to learn that you should never let peer pressure overcome you and the choices you make.  Don't agree with someone just because everyone else agrees.  Support your own decision, even if it's different from everyone else's.  Just be yourself, and if your peers don't accept you for who you are, that's their loss.  Don't change because someone else wants you to, be proud of the person you are.

                    
        

      

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'engle

A Wrinkle in Time is about a girl named Meg who goes on a journey, with her brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin, to find her father who has been gone for several years.  Rumor has it that he left her mother for another women, but Meg doesn't believe it and neither does her mother.  Meg and Charles live a complicated life, a life that some may even relate to.  The questions being answered here are, what conflicts are happening in the text?  Do these issues take place in the real world?

1) Meg is very insecure about herself.
Quote: "How do you know I'm not dumb?  Isn't it because you love me?" (pg.14)
Thoughts: I feel like many people can relate to Meg in this way.  When your parents say that you're smart or pretty, sometimes you think they are just saying it because they're your parents and they have to.      

2) Charles Wallace isn't comfortable being himself around others.
Quote: "I think it will be better if people go on thinking I am not very bright.  They won't hate me quite so much." (pg.36)
Thoughts: I think there are lots of people in the world who feel like they can't always be themselves.  It seems like Charles Wallace feels that if he acts intelligent, no one will want to be his friend.  Peer pressure is definitely a huge issue that causes this feeling.  Kids strive to fit in with everyone around them, they don't want to be "different".

3) Meg is really stressed with school.
Quote: "At school Meg was tired and her eyelids sagged and her mind wandered." (pg.30)
Thoughts: I find that this is an issue that a lot of students probably have and suffer from.  One cause can be from sleep deprivation, but there are also kids who just find it harder to focus in school than others.

4) Meg's father has been gone for a long time, leaving everyone suspicious as to where he could be and who he is with.
Quote: ""Tell me about your father." "He's a physicist." "Sure, we all know that.  And he's supposed to have left your mother and gone off with some dame."  Meg jerked up from the stone on which she was perched but Calvin grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back down." (pg.57)
Thoughts: It seems like there has been lots of gossip going around about Meg's father and that he supposedly went off with another women.  This can be very upsetting for Meg and her brothers, they don't want to be thinking that their father would do something like this.  Many people can relate to negative rumors spreading about them or someone they know, and it can make them feel really bad.  

                  The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, should NOT be banned

      Books teach us about what goes on in the world we live in, so why would we want to take that away from the growing teens willing to learn about their surroundings?  The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir about the author’s life.  Throughout the story, she faces many challenges.  Her family struggles from financial difficulties.  As a kid, Jeannette was sexually abused, and her father was an alcoholic.  This was her life, and believe it or not, it was all true.  This book should not be removed from middle school libraries because it contains real world issues.  Although the text includes sexual abuse, financial conflict, and alcoholism, middle school students should have access to it because these are important issues to be aware of.  Teens can learn how to deal with these kinds of problems just in case they have or ever do encounter them.      
      There are many negative events that take place in Jeannette Walls’ life.  Her family dealt with major financial difficulties, she had been sexually abused more than once as a kid, and her father was an alcoholic and constantly took his anger out on the rest of the family.  One part of the book states, “He’d popped open the first Budweiser before breakfast, and by the time midnight mass rolled around, he was having trouble standing up.”  He was a very irresponsible father and was not a good role model for his children. Some parents might object to their kids reading about behavior like this, but it represents what Jeannette’s real life was like.  In another part of the book, Jeannette claims, “One night when I was almost ten, I was awakened by someone running his hands over my private parts.  I recognized the voice.  It belonged to a scraggly guy with sunken cheeks who had been hanging around North Third Street recently.”  When children read about subjects like these, it can make parents feel very uncomfortable.  They may think their kids aren’t ready for such mature subjects.  However, the author has a right to express herself and share her experiences with the teens who want to read about them.    
      Sexual abuse, financial conflict, and alcoholism are all real life issues.  Even if you haven’t experienced these events, it’s important to be aware of them.  An article on Banned Books Awareness affirms, “It’s been seen time after time when someone objects to these topics wrapped inside literature and fiction and wants to prevent it from being read, but this is historical fact.  It did happen.  It does happen.”  This may seem scary, but it’s not meant to make teens afraid of what happens in the world.  It’s meant to open their eyes and teach them about real world events.  These things can happen, and children can’t be shielded from them forever.  Parents may think they are protecting their kids by not allowing them to read books containing these issues, but in a way, they are harming them.  How will these kids protect themselves when their parents can’t be there to take care of them anymore?  The article “Can Book Censorship Save our Children and their Innocence” adds, “Parents and educators must keep in mind that books are quite often the first to the fray in social advancement.”  The Glass Castle advances our knowledge about certain social issues, it’s important to learn about these subjects.  If kids aren’t exposed early enough, they may become very naive about the world around them.  It prepares them for life and events that they, or someone they know, may face.     
      In addition, many teenagers can relate to these issues.  If kids have access to a book about a problem they are going through, it can help them deal with it.  Banned books Awareness makes known, “Parent Billie Jo Clark says The Glass Castle is a book about overcoming the most incredible obstacles in your life.”  It can help kids deal with their problems and encourage them to be strong.  Jeannette had a harsh life, but she found a way to get through it.  She started as a poor nomad and eventually became a successful writer.  She accomplished so much for someone who started out with so little.  The article also reads, “When a book comes along that can make a reader who faces a similar situation or past, not feel so alone, or provide an opening awareness to others, then everyone everywhere, and of all ages, should read it.”  The Glass Castle can show teens that they aren’t the only ones with these situations and that there is a way to solve them.  They may even feel a connection with the author.  Jeannette’s words can comfort and guide kids who have something in common with her life experiences.       
      Overall, The Glass Castle is important to keep in middle school libraries.  It brings up problems that can occur in everyday life and happen to real people.  It shows how Jeannette Walls, a real person who faced many struggles, overcame these obstacles.  Her story is an inspiration to many teens around the world.  She had been through so much as a child.  Her life was not easy, but she was brave and dealt with it.  Jeannette Walls is a survivor, and by sharing her story with the world, she is giving teens hope for a better future. 

My Social Awareness Project Reflection:

This Social Awareness Project has taught me that it is important to let people know there is a lot going on in the world around us.  It has made me aware of these events as well.  Specifically, one common event I have learned a lot about from this project is youth homelessness.  There are over one million homeless kids in the United States who are out on the streets.  Whether they were kicked out of their homes or ran away, there are reasons behind why they are living on their own.  Sad, scary, shocking reasons.  These kids are forced to face many challenges.  Sometimes it’s finding a place to sleep at night, or getting at least one meal into their day, or the fact that they are trying to keep their struggles a secret.  They have no one to turn to, they have no place to go.  We can help them by making people aware of their situation.  By letting people know what these kids are going through, we can save them one step at a time.

The Challenges They Face 

So many kids,

so many places.

Searching for shelter,

with familiar faces.

On a park bench one night,

on the subway another.

Looking for money,

some food and some water.

Then it gets cold,

but what’s there to do?

The shelters are filled,

there’s no space for you.

Struggle to find,

a place for the night.

You have to keep looking,

you just have to fight.

I wrote this poem to show how youth homelessness is important to be aware of.  There are so many kids in the United States who struggle everyday to find shelter and food.  They are completely on their own, they don’t have anyone to support them.  I want to show people that these kids are living a very challenging life and they need to be noticed and taken care of.        

Dear journal,

It all started with her addiction.  She couldn’t stop, pill after pill, everyday.  Then came the hitting and yelling, she blamed me for everything.  She called me a mistake.  But the day I saw that eviction notice on our front door, that’s the day everything changed.  It said we had 30 days left.  When she saw it, she just went inside, packed up her stuff, and left me.  Just like that, she was gone.  I stood there, staring at that little piece of paper, hoping that all of this was a bad dream, but it wasn’t.  This was real.  So I spent the 29 days I had left in my house.  On the 30th day, I took with me whatever I could carry and left.  I had no plan, I didn’t have a home anymore.  I couldn’t tell my teachers at school, everyone would find out.  I sat on a bench in the park, trying to look as normal as possible.  I walked around with my backpack containing one sweater, a few pairs of clothes, and my toothbrush.  What was I going to do?  Where was I going to go?  I just kept walking and thinking, hoping I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew.  Then it got dark, I went into the playground and crawled under the slide.  There I spent my first night, homeless.  It’s not an easy life, although I am getting used to it.  Believe it or not, stealing food isn’t as hard as it may seem.  What have I got to lose anyway?  The hardest part is keeping all of this a secret.  I wish I could tell somebody, but I feel like that would just make it worse.  I don’t know why, I just do.  I go to school as often as I can.  Sometimes I get weird looks, but no one ever says anything.  To be honest, I really don’t know how long I’ll have to live this way, but I have to try.

-Sam