Realistic Fiction

The list on p. 103 seems fairly good to me; I have read several of the novels and have been curious about others. I just read Catcher in the Rye a couple years ago and absolutely loved it. I read Outsiders and Giver in middle school, the latter which I just reread, and enjoyed thouse, and I also read Holes a few years ago for fun, also good. I loved and cried over Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and also read the sequels sometime during my young adolescence.

This chapter was particularly interesting to me because of all the controversial yet important topics realistic fiction covers. I laughed about Nancy Drew because I read all of those books in elementary school and loved them, so did my mom when she was growing up in the sixties. I found the section about not adolescence being created after the Industrial Revolution interested as well.

While I understand that many of these forbidden taboo topics needed to be written about, I do think there needs to be a balance of realistic fiction. Like we talked about in chapter three, you have to be careful because some parents don't want their children reading certain things. And I respect that-I know I won't want my children reading all of these books, although I also know that someday, I have to let them go and they need to realize what is out there.

I especially find the sexual topics of importance, because it has swung so far onto the other pendulum. Yes, teens needed to be able to realized sex was out there and read about it, but many novels do a bad job of letting teens know about the consequences, and now, many books don't talk about abstinence at all-it is like teen fiction has gotten so trendy and needing shock value like the idea of Hollywood and media and "sex sells."

I also believed there needs to be a balance of reading depressing or too deep of literature. Yes, bad things happen and teens need to be able to relate to them or know they are out there, but sometimes in high school, I hated reading because we were always having to read horrible books with violent rape scenes where everyone died at the end. I know I am too much of an idealist sometimes and not everything has to have a happy ending, but I do think it is better when a novel offers some kind of resolution or hope.

Finally, I found particular interest in the section that said more and more books were being written about kids with mental illnesses, special needs, or physical disablities. As an oldest child of four, my youngest sibling was diagnosed with autism when he was two and I was ten. This was a hard period for me and my siblings-15 years ago, hardly anyone had heard of autism, and I often felt like my family was alone. None of my friends understood my brother, and when I said he was autistic (which now, I know to say he has autism!), they replied with, oh, he can draw really well? After that, I just wanted to end the conversation. So it is nice to know there are books out there that I could relate to, or that my own brother could relate to.

*I have yet to try the p. 150 questions, but plan on trying some as my freshman class gets deeper into To Kill a Mockingbird (one of my favorite novels of all time and taught by one of the people who led me to want to become an English teacher).

Totals for Reading Survey

Reading Interest Survey
Name_All
*Important to note I surveyed close the amount of boys and girls, specifically 13 girls and 14 boys. There are 27 students total, most are freshman, but there are a few mixed high school grades as well).

Put a check mark next to each kind of reading you enjoy.
__6___history ___3__travel _4____plays
__6___sports __8___science fiction __15___adventure
__10___romance _6____detective stories _9____war stories
__3___poetry ___1__car stories __7___novels
__3___biography __10___supernatural stories __1___astrology
_17____humor __2___folktales _3____how-to-do-it books
__12___mysteries __3___art __3___westerns
Other (please be specific)__mystical, fantasy_______________

Do you ever read the newspaper? Yes: 14 no: 11
If ‘yes’, place a check next to the part of the newspaper listed below
you like to read.
_2____Advertisements __6___Entertainment _1____Columnists
_3____Headlines __6___Comic Strips __4___Political Stories
_8____Current Events _6____Sports _1____Editorials
_____Others: (please list)

Put a check mark next to each kind of movies or television you enjoy.

__20___Action_16____Adventure __20___Comedy
_4____Classics _13____Crime __9___Documentary
_7____Drama__8___Family __12___Fantasy
_16____Horror __4___Musical __12___Mystery
_7____Romance _9____Science Fiction _6____Sports
_11____Suspense _15____Thriller _11____War
__3___Westerns

Other (please be specific)_____slasher____________


How do you decide what to read? Be specific.

• Back cover (and/or front, front page): 15
• Genres they already like: 3
• Ask people: 2
• Anything they can relate to




When and where do you like to read? List as many places as you can think of.
Where

• Room (on bed): 13
• House: 11
• Outside (in a tree, swingset): 8
• School: 5
• Quiet places: 2
• Other people’s houses
• Somewhere comfortable
• Car
• Anywhere

When

• For fun
• To relax
• Bored
• School
• Whenever I get a chance





Where do you get the books you read? List all of the places.

• Library: 14
• School:9
• Bookstore: 8
• Family/house: 7
• Other people
• Online



What do you enjoy about reading?
• Exciting parts, suspense: 4
• Learning new things: 3
• Characters: 3
• Fun/passes time: 3
• Seeing pictures in mind: 2
• No limit to imagination
• Expression/language
• Relaxing
• Plot
• Setting
• When I can relate to it
• Plot
• Romance books
• New words
• Getting into it
• Crime books



What stops you from reading? List as many things as you can think of.

• Socializing: 8
• Boring book: 7
• Other activities (sports, tv): 7
• Homework: 3
• Loud environments/distractions: 3
• Chores: 3
• Not having book: 2
• Teachers (being forced to read, exc.): 2
• Fatigue: 2
• Being uncomfortable
• No pictures
• Peer pressure
• Not being able to find a book I enjoy
• Too long
• Working
• Too hard







What other activities do you enjoy? Circle all.

Watching movies 26
Watching TV 22
The outdoors 22
Hanging out with friends 22
Exercising 21
Spending time with your family 20
Music 20
Video or computer games 19
Drawing/art 13
Dancing 13
Board games 11
Writing 9
Sports 7
Church or community groups 6
Theater 5
Other (please be specific):_ Relaxing, Myspace, Camping, Mudding, swordplay, snowboarding, cell phones, rock climbing, skating, basketball, working on cars, fixing things, _____________________________

Boys Survey

Reading Interest Survey
Name_Boys___________________________


Put a check mark next to each kind of reading you enjoy.
___5__history __2___travel ____1_plays
_4____sports ___6__science fiction __10___adventure
__3___romance _3____detective stories ___7__war stories
_____poetry __1___car stories __3___novels
__1___biography __7___supernatural stories _0____astrology
__8___humor __0___folktales _2____how-to-do-it books
__7___mysteries __2___art __2___westerns
Other (please be specific)______mysticals, fantasy___________

Do you ever read the newspaper? Yes 9 no 4
If ‘yes’, place a check next to the part of the newspaper listed below
you like to read.
__2___Advertisements __3___Entertainment __1___Columnists
__1___Headlines __2___Comic Strips __2___Political Stories
__5___Current Events _4____Sports __0___Editorials
_1____Others: (please list)

Put a check mark next to each kind of movies or television you enjoy.

_13____Action__11___Adventure __12___Comedy
__3___Classics __8___Crime __3___Documentary
__2___Drama__3___Family 9_____Fantasy
_11____Horror ___0__Musical __7___Mystery
_2____Romance _7____Science Fiction __5___Sports
__9___Suspense __11___Thriller __9___War
__2___Westerns

Other (please be specific)slasher_________________


How do you decide what to read? Be specific.

• Back/cover/beginning of book: 8
• Genre I like: 2




When and where do you like to read? List as many places as you can think of.

Where

• Quiet places
• Room: 8
• House: 5
• School: 2
• Outside: 2
• Somewhere comfortable


When

• Whenever I get a chance


Where do you get the books you read? List all of the places.

• Library: 10
• Bookstore: 4
• Family/house: 3
• School: 2
• Other people



What do you enjoy about reading?
• Exciting parts, suspense: 4
• Learning new things: 2
• Fun/passes time: 2
• Seeing pictures in mind
• No limit to imagination
• Expression/language
• Relaxing
• Plot
• Setting
• Characters



What stops you from reading? List as many things as you can think of.


• Socializing: 3
• Other activities (sports): 3
• Loud environment: 2
• Homework: 2
• Being uncomfortable
• No pictures
• Boring book: 3
• Peer pressure
• Not being able to find a book I enjoy
• Too long
• Fatigue
• Working
• Chores
• Not having book
• Too hard






What other activities do you enjoy? Circle all.

The outdoors 15
Watching TV 13
Watching movies 12
Spending time with your family 12
Hanging out with friends 12
Video or computer games 12
Exercising 11
Music 10
Sports 10
Drawing/art 7
Board games 6
Church or community groups 3
Dancing 3
Theater 3
Writing 2
Other (please be specific):_______swordplay, snowboarding, cell phones, rock climbing, skating, basketball, working on cars, fixing things, ____________

Girls Survey

Reading Interest Survey
Name_Girls___________________________


Put a check mark next to each kind of reading you enjoy.
_1____history _1____travel ___3__plays
___2__sports ___2__science fiction ___5__adventure
__7___romance ____3_detective stories __2___war stories
__3___poetry ___0__car stories ___4__novels
___2__biography __3___supernatural stories __1___astrology
___9__humor __2___folktales ____1_how-to-do-it books
____5_mysteries ___1__art ____1_westerns
Other (please be specific)_____0____________

Do you ever read the newspaper? Yes: 5 no: 7
If ‘yes’, place a check next to the part of the newspaper listed below
you like to read.
__0___Advertisements __3___Entertainment __0___Columnists
__2___Headlines __4___Comic Strips __2___Political Stories
_3____Current Events ___2__Sports ___1__Editorials
_____Others: (please list)

Put a check mark next to each kind of movies or television you enjoy.

__7___Action___5__Adventure ___8__Comedy
_1____Classics ___5__Crime ___2__Documentary
_5____Drama_5____Family __3___Fantasy
__5___Horror ___4__Musical __5___Mystery
___5__Romance ___2__Science Fiction __1___Sports
___2__Suspense ___4__Thriller ____2_War
___1__Westerns

Other (please be specific)_________________


How do you decide what to read? Be specific.


• Back cover (and/or front, front page): 7
• Ask people: 2
• Genres they already like
• Anything they can relate to

When and where do you like to read? List as many places as you can think of.

Where

• At home: 6
• Outside (in a tree, swingset): 6
• Room (on bed): 5
• School: 3
• Other people’s houses
• Car
• A quiet place
• Anywhere

When

• For fun
• To relax
• Bored
• School

Where do you get the books you read? List all of the places.

• School: 7
• Family(home): 4
• Library: 4
• Bookstore: 4
• Online





What do you enjoy about reading?
• Characters: 2
• When I can relate to it
• Plot
• Picturing story in mind
• Romance books
• Something to do
• Learning
• New words
• Getting into it
• Crime books



What stops you from reading? List as many things as you can think of.



• Being social: 5
• Boring book: 4
• Other activities: sports, tv, exc.: 4
• Teachers (being forced to read, exc.): 2
• Chores: 2
• Homework
• Fatigue
• Loud environments/distractions
• Not having books




What other activities do you enjoy? Circle all.

Watching movies 14
Exercising 10
Hanging out with friends 10
Dancing 10
Music 10
Watching TV 9
Spending time with your family 8
Sports 7
Video or computer games 7
Writing 7
The outdoors 7
Drawing/art 6
Board games 5
Church or community groups 3
Theater 2
Other (please be specific):________Relaxing, Myspace, Camping, Mudding, swordplay, snowboarding, cell phones, rock climbing, skating, basketball, working on cars, fixing things, ___________

Challenged Book

The book I chose to reread was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I love the HP books so much, I have read each one about five times now. Although this seems like a cliche one to use, I feel very passionate about the fact it is on the challenged book list.

Although I am a Christian, and it is the Christian community that seems to challenge the series, it shocks me every time I hear someone who is against it. I think of challenged books as books have to much or inappropriate sexual content, language, violence, drugs use, racism, controversial subjects, exc. After all, these are topics I have either felt uncomfortable reading or would vbe wary of my own children or students reading. If I really think about it and put myself in their shoes, I can see how parents who tend to fear witchcraft and that sort of thing might be concerned, but if they read it, I don't see how they could really think it is a bad book for kids to read. This is of particular interest to me, as most of my family members and church friends love HP, but that a few won't even read it themselves because it is bad.

I do believe we need to respect everyone's beliefs, but if HP was challenged, I would definitely have some food for thought to challenge it! First of all, many of the parents or people I hear complain about HP are hypocritical to me. I would be much more concerned about my kids watching some of the tv shows they do with a lot of sex, playing violent video games, or seeing gory movies. Now, many of these same people don't do these things, but many do! That to me is so hypocritical.

I truly see HP as a fantasy genre, and it is obvious JK Rowling designed it to be fiction. If my child started getting involved in witchcraft then I might be concerned, but studies show this is generally not the case. And if it was, I highly doubt an entertaining children's book would be the only motivating factor. I would talk to my child, not blame a book. I believe if you atatck HP you might as well attack every fantasy and sci-fi movie or book-is Star Wars suggesting there are aliens? (Another subject of the debate in the Christian community, but not one people usually associate with all of the popular sci-fi out there). I am not attacking Christianity, I am a Christian, but I am saying some Christians over-censor.

How about Lord of the Rings? The author was Christian so it appears to be okay within the entire Christian community, but how is the magic of Frodo and his ring any different than witchcraft, when it all comes down to having special powers? In the world of Hogwarts, there is good and evil, a theme you can even find throughout the Bible. Some could even parallel Voldemort to Satan, a fallen angel. Rowling also effectively combines her boundless imagination with that of folklore-she is making all of these characters up-dragons and centaurs and other creatures are part of the world's history and mythology; the debate shouldn't be about if they are real or not and if we are teaching them to students-these were myths that people did believe once and something we can learn about. And if that still offends people, people need to remember it is a story. It is not teaching students anything controversial about sex or drugs, but about pretend witchcraft they can only do at home. In the Deathly Hallows in particular, Harry, Ron, and Hermione struggle with many challenged youth face and can relate to-relationship problems both with friends and in dating, feeling lonely and inadequate, absence of parents, and a whole host of other growing up problems.

Not only does Rowling create a seemless and brilliant blend of fiction and mythology, she is a really excellent writer to. She does something most authors can only attempt to-writes a highly engaging story that readers of all ages, backgrounds, and reading levels can read. She made my own brother who hated reading absolutely love it, and go on to read other books. Her dialogue, word choice, and style is something students can both admire and learn from. It would be a huge shame to not let children read these books.

Censorship

The article on censorship helped me to see both sides of the censorship issue, as well as caused me to reflect on issues of censorship not only in the school I work in now, but in ones I attended. Even though I am not yet a parent, I often feel protective about my students and I do want to protect them from certain things I think are bad for them. However, I do recognize I can't protect them from everything, and reading books they may be able to relate to is good for two reasons-one, they actually want to read and do, and two, the book might actually help them personally. I think there is a fine line though-it is important to ask ourselves as educators whether or not controversial material has any redeeming materal, as well as inform parents when it might.

Looking back, I recall reading some questionable books that actually made me feel uncomfortable. I didn't tell my parents, but I know now I could have told someone and probably have read a different book. One in particular was House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. I did however, see the literary quality in what my teachers made me read, and I did feel I was mature enough to handle it. Not all students are though, and it is crucial teachers do have alternative material available, and build relationships with their students so they feel like they can express their beliefs.

I also read Huck Finn in high school, and Catcher in the Rye later on my own. Both books I absolutely love and see so much literary merit in them, I think we should teach. As long as you provide context for controversial language and subjects, I think it is usually okay.

As a Christian, I always felt uncomfortable reading books with a lot of sexual references. Drugs and language didn't concern me as much. However, now that I hear about all the Harry Potter backlash, it surprises me, because I don't feel like HP condones witchcraft at all. Most of my Christian family and friends agree, and we are all very avid fans. However, I have met some parents who do disagree, and I have to respect their views too. I do think it is a shame it is banned in some places though, because in addition to making non-readers readers because Rowling is such a brilliant storyteller, I firmly feel HP is full of literary merit-she is simply a good writer, hands down.

At the conservative school I teach in now, I have to beware of all of the fantasy novels we carry in the library and I have in my classroom. This is what students are into right now and want to read, and my administration backs their English teachers up, but I still need to be prepared for backlash if parents get upset. Books are funny things because they aren't rated like movies, and someone can't generally read a book faster than they can watch a movie; you can't always just tell a parent to go read a book one night, to see if they deem it appropriate or not.

"Now and Then"

One of the first movies that came to mind for me when thinking about those pivitol growing up years was "Now and Then," a movie I remember seeing in junior high with my girlfriends and one I can now relate to as an adult.

Set in a small town in the early 70s, the movie shows four childhood girlfriends during their early teenage years and adulthood, many years later. It jumps back in both, showing many of the girls defining moments and firsts in their lives, and the current joys and struggles they have with life-relationships, careers, exc. One of the main characters is now going to have a baby, which is part of why they are looking back on their childhood. Each girl learns a big life lesson throughout the movie and it shows what she is up to know and how she ended up "growing up," as well as how she is still continuing to grow.

I believe it appeals to young girls because even though it was set somewhat in the past, we can all related to feelings of akwardness, not fitting in, liking someone for the first time, friendships, and new, scary experiences. Many can relate to not having one or more parents in the picture, as well as some of the other struggles the characters face. The movie effectively combines humorous and sorrowful scenes, which engage the audience.

I personally like the film because I could relate to it then, and now, (hence the title of the movie, ha-ha) and I am sure I will be able to later on when I am even closer to the age of the women in the story. Many of the situations the characters face are realistic. Even though I have both parents in my life, the girl who had no mom reminded me of stories my mother told me about her as she was growing up, and the character whose parents were getting divorced had a situation similiar to many of my friends growing up. I could also very much relate to the girl who body image issues. Now I can relate to the women that are older, because like them, many of my friends are in different places in their lives-some are married, some have kids, some are single, some have careers, exc. Finally, the acting is also well-done. It is fun to see many big-time actresses on there such as Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore, Rosie O'Donnel, and Christina Ricci.

Definition of an Adolescent

My definition of a teenager: "An adolescent is one who is not yet fully an adult, either in body, soul, or mind, yet is also not fully a child any longer; an adolescent retains elements of childhood while showing news signs of growth towards adulthood each day."

The first chapter confirmed my idea of what an adolescent to me is, however, it also added more to my already complex definition. They are all completely different individuals, like any person, and yet have some common tendencies. Teenagers are self-centered, unpredictible, and moody, as well as energetic and curious. They are living in a world where they are constantly changing in body, soul, and mind, experiencing "firsts" and defining moments.

Hello!

Hi! I'm Courtney, and I'm a first year English teacher at a high school outside of Salem. I'm commuting quite often between there and Portland, so it has been a crazy year! I love reading and writing and am passionate about kids. This is my first class I have taken since I got my masters this past year.