Darre Darren's Trauma Baby Trilogy

What would you do if you had a year to live? When Ben Wolf was told that he had a rare blood disease, one that would kill him, he was somewhat relieved. Ben never thought he was meant to grow old. Rejecting treatment, he decides to live his last year of life to the fullest. He turns his life around joining the football team, diving into his education, and asking out the girl of his dreams.

The book uncovers the harsh reality of our juvenile system in the 1990’s. The stories in this book seem unreal, but the sad thing is that every word that was written was a true story. No Matter How Loud I Shout covers seven kids’ stories of just one year of their life in the juvenile system, a deputy district attorney who wants justice for the victims, a judge who wants to scare these kids into doing good, and a sister who wants the best for these kids and to see them succeed. The juvenile justice system is so messed up that only three of the seven were saved, one did not get punished properly due to his age, and the rest were failed by the system and ended up where they never thought they would, prison. One of the success stories was Carla James.

He was the only boy around her age in the secret annex. He was once one of the people that did not like her. Later on a thief was lurking in the warehouse that absolutely terrified all the people in the annex. The thief left and everyone in the annex was scared that he was going to turn them in. Days later screeching cars came to a halt outside of their building.

Long Way Down addresses the cruelty of the real world and gangs and explores the dip in this child’s life. Additionally, Reynolds uses language that convinces the reader that the main character is insane although he denies it. This easy-to-read novel seeks to make

Gradually, inhabitants wake from their slumber and start another day stuck in perpetual monotony. All who remain in the small town are trapped--trapped by the intense weather and even by their own minds. Using the setting, Wharton shapes her protagonist, Ethan Frome into a man riddled with internal conflict and regret.

One of the reasons I chose to the book Other People’s Children by Lisa Delpit was because I want to be aware of the stereotypes and prejudices this books might uncover that I had and didn’t know I has. Teaching in a DLI program there is big diversity in our school and community. I want to be able to be culturally competent and be able to eliminate my cultural assumptions. I want to be able to understand where my students are and families are coming from so I can adjust my teaching methods and strategies. I thought it was very interesting how in her introduction she talks about how the educational system in this country is more focused on the standardized tests, scripted lessons and mandated classroom management strategies that they seem

A victim who suffers cruelty is altered and developed by the abuse, and a perpetrator of cruel actions, though often seen as the villain, may suffer through an aftermath of guilt. Both of these examples prove that cruelty is key in character development; victims respond by maturing greatly and discovering what they stand for, while perpetrators are haunted by the guilt of the cruelty of their actions. Whether a character is on the dealing or the receiving end of cruelty and abuse, their true natures are revealed based on how they respond to the

Once the horrific crime is examined, Carol Naisbitt is laid to rest and the perpetrators apprehended the author is then consumed with detailing the physical and psychological harm that is manifested in Cortney Naisbitt’s struggle to recover and his father’s role in assisting him. The critical damage experienced by being forced to swallow Drano and then being shot in the back of the head left his mother dead however Cortney managed to survive with the same injuries, although barely. While we know that Byron Naisbitt did not experience any physical harm as a victim of this tragedy, there is no question that he experienced psychological harm after losing his wife of thirty-plus years and dealing with the devastating harm experienced by his son. Throughout the book, Byron demonstrates an incredible resolve to stay strong for his family, even as he contemplates numerous times that he cannot understand how anyone could do the things that were perpetrated against is wife and son and the other three victims. In many ways, the crime caused Byron to become so over-protective however that it actually threatened his continued recovery once he was able to leave the hospital for good.

There are many victims of unfortunate circumstances in the world today, yet some of these results could have been easily avoided. In the novel, Just Mercy, the author Bryan Stevenson addresses many cases in which children under the age of 18 are incarcerated within the adult criminal justice system. By treating children as adults in the criminal justice system their innocence and undeveloped person, become criminalized. These children become dehumanized and only viewed as full-fledged criminals and as a result society offers no chance sympathy towards them. Stevenson argues that children tried as adults have become damaged and traumatized by this system of injustice.

Heroic Journey The book that was read was Andrew Smith’s “100 Hundred Sideways Miles”. This book describes the journey of Finn Easton, an epileptic teenager, and his struggles. The Heroic Journey is a pattern of narratives that tends to show up in stories and myths. It is seen in this book through Finn’s internal struggles trying to find meaning in life outside of his father’s book which had incorporated characteristics of him.

Lukas Mason Title of the Text: Unbroken Author: Laura Hillenbrand Section: Chapter 1 - 5 Summary: As chapter 1 begins, Louie Zamperini, a 12 year old boy is introduced. He was born in Olean, New York but he and his family moved to Torrance, California when he was just two years old. He began to cause havoc in his neighborhood. His fearless and troublesome personality is displayed as he got in trouble with the law by stealing food and money, creating pranks, and getting in a number of fights.

The settings of a family which has a negative effect on family and boys. Mainly what the characters are inclined to do against each other, the dysfunctional family life and the one parent family. The story has increased my knowledge about gangs and the impact on boys, that positivity of one person is better than the adversity of a gang. The author Scott Monk message to boys is being in a gang, especially a criminal gang is a futile, it is informative in regards that boys can do positive things in their life, that the need to turn their back on gangs and violence.

He feels the pressure and the injustice of the system more than ever during his time in jail. Jurgis’ experience with the policemen of Packingtown supported his role as a protagonist. “On his way to his cell a burly policeman cursed him because he started down the wrong corridor [...] Jurgis did not even lift his eyes— he had lived two years and a half in Packingtown, and he knew what the police were. It was as much as a man’s very life was worth to anger them...”

These characters inflict and/or suffer from physical, emotional and verbal violence. Johnny was described as “"a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers.” Violence had scarred him, physically and emotionally. He had been harmed by violence up to the point where he was “scared of his own shadow.” All his life Johnny has been insulted, ignored and abused.

The book I have chosen to review is Boy 21, a fictional read that is written by Matthew Quick. Quick is a New York Times best-selling author debuting in novels such as The Silver Linings Playbook and Love May Fail. To best describe this book, it is a captivating read that is comforting for the mind, as it canvasses the raw and unflinching life of a high school senior who displays love for basketball and life relationships. Furthermore, set in a troubled Belmont city of Philadelphia, Quick incorporates the presence of mobs and violence which is captivating towards the reader and audience. I was intrigued about how the novel was written through Finley the main protagonist, which was Quick’s childhood perspective of life in Philadelphia and his passion towards basketball.