Non-Fiction Reading Response

        The article the "Ivory War" by Patricia Smith is about execution of elephants for their tusk. In the city of Dongguan huge piles of elephant tusk and ornate ivory carvings, worth more than $12 million, were fed into a crushing machine two months ago and turned to dust. It is estimated that tens of thousands of elephants ante being killed each year for their ivory which is being sells for more than $1,000 a pound on the black market.
        I think the purpose of this article is to inform kids of ages 11-14 of what is happening on the opposite side of the world. Poachers shoot the elephants rip off the tusk and leave the carcasses behind. Conservationist say the only way to save the elephants is to outlaw the sale of ivory entirely. The last  few lines "If China were to destroy the remainder of its ivory stocks and lead the world by committing not buying ivory in the future, says Cristián Samper of the Wildlife Conservation Society, it would have a transformative, positive impact on the survival of African elephants." I think Cristián Samper is right, the elephant range in 1979 to the year 2007 has decreased a lot. If the Chinese were to allow the population to grow a lot they could have more ivory but still allow the African elephant to live.
        From reading the "Ivory War" I think the Chinese should stop think of their money but of who's lives are in danger. They should also think of the future. If elephants go extinct there is no ivory left for them to make more money.

Reading Response on a Poem

            In the current century the image of perfect is being thin or being buff. Another “perfect image” is having designer clothes. Behind middles school walls having designer clothes is fitting in. Have you ever been jealous of the girls with thin bodies and the perfect clothes? Ever killed someone for his or her clothes or shoes? In the poem Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans, by Reg E. Gaines, the speaker seems young, high school maybe eighth grade. The poem is about a boy who steals air Jordans to look good in school. After reading the poem, one theme is people care about a person’s appearance; this is shown in the fourth, fifth, and sixth stanza.

            The fourth stanza the speaker talks about his gear (new clothes), and how it makes him feel special. “And the reason I have to look real fly/ well to tell ya the truth man I don’t why/ I guess it makes me feel special inside” (Gaines 13-15). The speaker says his gear makes him special. Why does someone have to look nice to feel special, isn’t everyone special in his or her own way?

            The fifth stanza the speaker explains the importance of his gear. “ But I really must get some new gear soon/ or my ego will pop like a ten cent balloon” (Gaines 17-18). I inferred that the clothes complete him and he cant live without his clothes. His gear is important to him. Just like currently with us teens, our phones are so important to us. We cant live without them.

            The sixth stanza is a follow up and tells us why his clothes are so important. “My crew’s laughing at me cuz I’m wearing old gear” (Gaines 24).  True friends wouldn’t laugh at your clothes. They wouldn’t laugh at your appearance. They would know if something is wrong with you and ask you “what’s wrong” or “are you ok?”

            Reading a poem is like looking at a painting. At first we look at it and don’t know what we see. Then we realize there is a true meaning, a story behind it. Some people think being thin or buff is perfect, however people should like who they are not the person the want to be. In the poem the speakers kills for a pair of sneakers. There was no need to take a persons life for a pair of shoes. After reading this poem, I realized that fitting in or having the best clothes or being thin, isn’t everything.

I Feel Bad

I lied to the turtle
I told him I
Like the pig
I feel bad

I lied tithe snake
I told him I
Like the Tiger
I feel bad

I lied to my self
I told her I
Like the Koala
Do I feel bad?

I live in the house
 of endless Lies
Should I
          Do I
    Feel Bad

Reading Response on Independent Reading Response

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardener is a story of the French Revolution. The story is fictional and is written in the third person. The main characters Yann, the boy who doesn’t know of his gypsy origins, Topolain, the magician, and Têtu, the dwarf go to Paris to do a show for the Marquis. Then things change thanks to Topolains mouth. I have gotten through the first hundred pages and have notice real world problem. There are a couple of “scenes” of murder and about one “scene” of stealing.

The first “scene” of violence is on page 42. “The count (Count Kaslliovski) pulled the trigger. There was a loud retort, followed by the acrid smell of gunpowder and scorched flesh….Têtu put his head to Topolain’s chest, listening to for a heartbeat. He shook his head.” This is murder and is happening all over the United States and Oklahoma teen shot his half sister and great-grandmother. Also a Texas mom killed her 10 year old son and left his body in a bath-tub.

One “scene of stealing is on page 55. “A bloodred ribbon with seven crimsons stones set into it. Without thinking, he put it in his pocket.” This may not seem like stealing but he is taking something that isn’t his. “He began the to search the room for money. Hidden deep in among the drapes of the bed was a purse. Yann picked it up and put it in his pocket.” This is stealing and is happening in New York. Two People stole watches worth $709,000. Three men stole several thousands of dollars and got away with it.

In conclusion the book The Red Necklace by Sally Gardener has real world problems even though it is a fictional book.

Non-Fiction Reading Response

      The article "After Mandela" by Patricia Smith is about life in South Africa before and after Nelson Mandela. In 1964 Nelson Mandela was accused of trying to overthrow the government. He was found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. "After years of international pressure things changed in 1990." Government freed Mandela after he'd spent 27 years in prison. After he was freed Apartheid had officially ended in 1991. Three years later Mandela decided to run for president. Africans feared a bloodbath but Mandela called to move forward rather than turning to violence. The author wants me to know the successes and setbacks of living after Mandela. One example of a success is the number of middle-class black citizens has double. One example of a setback is 20% of the adults have HIV.
      I think the authors purpose for writing this article is to show others what life is like for the people in South Africa. One example that shows a success is many black citizens had running water and electricity for the first time.  This article shows me that Mandela change South Africa in a positive way. One example of a setback is there were many poor black people and while whites remained middle or upper-class. Patricia Smith wants me to feel sorry for the people of South Africa. She wants me to feel that I could help them, but truly I can't. Nokuthula Maguabane is 18 and is trying to do something for older generations of black South Africans. She is praising Afrikaans. Afrikaans is a language used by the "white minority who ruled South Africa for decades under apartheid." Many blacks have long considered Afrikaans the language of the oppressors. The blacks do not understand Afrikaans is just a language. Maguabane feels the same way.
      From reading "After Mandela" by Patricia Smith I find that Nokuthula Maguabane is trying to follow in Mandela's footsteps. She and many others are trying to create the South Africa that Mandela "would have loved to see."

Work Cited

"After Mandela." After Mandela. N.p, n.d. Web. 20 Jan 2014.

Smith, Patricia. "After Mandela." Upfront [New York] 13 Jan. 2014

Cover Story sec.:12 Print.

Revised Response

   There are books that I can't put down such as mysteries, sci-fi, fiction. There are books that I feel I have to restrain myself from such as horror fiction. In “Witch-Hunt”, by Marc Aronson, there were a couple of times I felt the need to turn myself away. In the book there are many parts before you see chapter one, The Note to the reader, Introduction, and the Prologue. I felt myself turning away several times in the Prologue. After reading the Prologue I couldn’t sleep from the gruesome images. This restrained me from continuing to Chapter One.

   In the Prologue  "Boston, 1688: The Possession of the Goodwin Children", This pretty much sums up about what was happening while the Goodwin Children were possessed. "Red streaks showed up on their bodies" (36). I felt the need to turn away at this moment because I was envisioning what it was like in the late 1600's. All I saw was three little children the age of 5-12 (the book stated the ages of the children) covered in blood red marks all over their bodies. Could you imagine being tortured just like these children?

   Another moment, in the Prologue that I felt myself horrified was one page after the example stated above. "They would be tested into such postures as made the things impossible (37).” This quote made me turn away because as I stated before I envisioned what it was like. I envisioned children on the floor in postures no one has ever seen before. Arms twisted behind their backs, legs bent in ways they aren’t meant to be. I would imagine the torture & horrifying feeling these children were experiencing.

   I felt that my resistance says I was not prepared to read a book like this. It also says that I am scared of the non-existing. My resistance may also say that the book is complex and you need to be well prepared to read a book like this. This book brings me back to when I saw the Conjuring. I the images made it impossible to sleep that same night. Also when I saw You're Next the murdering and the image of the dead person gave me hallucination that the killers were in my house. I saw shadows and heard noises that gave me the creeps. 

   In conclusion the book Witch-Hunt by Marc Aronson is a book I felt I resisted a lot. The book made me realize I am not fully ready to read this book. I made to do some background research because I do not fully understand the book. Maybe you should read the book and tell me if you restrained yourself. 

Critica Thinking Question:Witch-hunt part 2

There are books that you can't put down, and there are books that you feel you have to restrain yourself a little. In Witch-Hunt, by Marc Aronson, there are a couple of times I felt the need to turn my-self away. In the book there are many parts before you see chapter one. The Note to the reader, Introduction, And the Prologue. I felt my self turning away in the Prologue and through out the book.

In the prologue, titled Boston, 1688: The Possession of the Goodwin Children. This pretty much just tells you about what was happening while the Goodwin Children were possessed. "Red streaks showed up on their bodies" (36). I felt the need to turn away at this moment because I was envisioning what it was like in the late 1600's. All i saw was three little kids about the age of 5-12 covered on blood red marks all over their bodies. Each mark about a foot long. 

Another moment in the prologue that i felt my self resisting was one page after the example above.
"They would be tested into such postures as made the things impossible (37). This quote made me turn away because like I stated before I envisioned what it was like, so all I saw children on the floor in postures no one has ever seen before.

I feel that my resistance says I was not prepared to read a book like this. It also might say that I am scared of what doesn't exist. My resistance might say that the book is complex and you need to be prepared to read a book like this. 

In conclusion the book Witch-Hunt by Marc Aronson is a book I felt that I resisted a lot. The book made me realize I am not fully ready to read this book.  I made to do some background research because I do not fully understand the book.