Why is Fallout by Ellen Hopkins Considered a Banned Book?

          The book "Fallout" by Ellen Hopkins consists of three different stories told from the point of view of three different people. The characters and their stories are all very different, but at the same time they are very similar. The one thing tying them together was their mother, Kristina. Kristina is a drug addict and does not really play a very positive  role in any of her children's life's. This book show the effect that this has on her children's life's and their family. A lot of people find this book inappropriate for children to read and feel it should be banned from classrooms. This book handles a lot of deep issues such as sex, drugs, alcohol, rape, abuse, addiction, depression, law-breaking, and family issues. Some people may find such heavy content too much for children and do not want them reading it.

          One reason why people might find this book's content too much for children is because it handles drug and alcohol addiction as well as rape and abuse. "The story goes Kristina was date-raped by some low-life druggie life guard dealer." Hunter, Kristina's eldest claims this is the story he was told about how his mother became pregnant with him. This shows how drugs, rape, or just straight out carelessness can unintentionally change someone's life forever. "I'm more of a dabbler then a dedicated fuckup. A little weed, a little coke." This quote from the book shows how Hunter does drugs just like his mother. Even though he is not a drug addict you would still not expect him to do drugs after what it did to his mother and his family. His mother might even have influenced him to smoke.

         

Revised Synthesis Page on Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

Synthesis Page on Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

Liesel's Emotional Journey in The Book Theif by Markus Zusak

          The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is set during the Holocaust and is about a young girl named Liesel Meminger. Liesel used to live with her mother, but her mother could no longer look after her. So she was sent off to live in a foster home in a small quiet town. On the way to her foster home Liesel's brother passed away. This made Liesel feel lonely. On top of all of this when Liesel arrived her foster mother was the opposite of welcoming. This made Her feel unwanted and unloved. Over time Liesel begins to feel more and more comfortable and at home. Liesel went from uncomfortable, unwanted and unloved to feeling comfortable, welcome, and at home.

         On the way to their foster home Liesel's brother passed away. Once Liesel's mother would have left them at their foster home her brother would have been the only family she had. When he died I feel this made Liesel feel alone, like she didn't have anybody. When Liesel finally arrived at her foster home her foster mother was not very kind and welcoming. "They'd been expecting a girl and a boy and would be paid a small allowance for having them." Not having very much money themselves, her foster mother, Rosa Huberman or Mama was not very happy to find out about the path decrease. This made Liesel feel unwelcome, unwanted, and unloved. "Liesel's mother first shouted when she refused to get into the bath. "You filthy pig!" Mama yelling at Liesel I feel made her feel even more uncomfortable and unloved.

          Over time of being at her foster home Liesel begins to feel more and more comfortable, welcome, and at home. I feel the main reason because of this is because of her foster father, Hans Huberman or Papa. Papa really was their for her when nobody else was. When Liesel first arrived she would get horrible nightmares about her brother and wake up "swimming in her bed, screaming." "Possibly the only good thing to come out of these nightmares was Hans Hunerman, her new Papa, into the room, to soothe her, to love her." This shows how Papa really worked to make Liesel feel comforatble, welcome, and at home. Also, the book says when Liesel first arrived, Papa taught her how to roll cigarettes and they would sit there for hours "playing with tobacco and cigarette papers."This shows the close bond Liesel and Papa have and how she came to feel more comfortable and loved.

 In conclusion, Liesel's emotions completely changed throughout the book. Lie self went from feeling  uncomfortable, unwanted, and unloved to feeling comfortable, welcome, and at home.

Looking for Alaska by John Green (Character Change)

          "Looking for Alaska" by John Green is a deep, emotional story about a boy named Miles who leaves his ordinary life in Florida and went off to Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama. Whilst at Culver Creek Miles completely transforms as a person. Miles comes into the school being a kind of naive and innocent and leaves being much more grown up and mature. Miles makes friends with the Colonel, Takumi, and Alaska, with them Miles starts drinking, smoking, pulling pranks and getting into trouble. He also has his first real crush and girlfriend, two.
          One of the main factors that went into Miles's transformation was when he made friends with the Colonel who introduced him to Alaska and Takumi. Miles was a kind of the average straight A teenager untill he meet them. The Colonel, Takumi, and Alaska are the pretty much the kids that sneak off campus to smoke, stash alcohol in their room, skip class, and don't get very good grades. At the beginning of the story you would not imagine Miles hanging out with these kids but throughout the story he transforms into one of them.
          Another way miles changed throughout the story was when he started drinking and smoking. Alaska first introduced him to drinking and the Colonel offered him a cigarettes. Before Miles would never have been caught doing any of that. Yet, the Colonel and Alaska somehow pressured into trying it. I feel the reason he gave in and started to drink and smoke was because he really wanted to make friends and fit in. Miles ended up getting drunk a few times and becoming addicted to smoking, which you never would have predicted at the beginning of the story.
          I feel the most major change in Miles was when he had his first real crush which happened to be on Alaska. Alaska had many boyfriends and was currently dating someone when she meet Miles. Mikes really liked Alaska and despite having a boyfriend liked him back. Miles also had his first serious girlfriend whilst at Culver Creek, but it wasn't Alaska. But it didn't work out because to be honest I feel Miles still had a crush on Alaska.
          Throughout the book you see Miles completely transforms into a completely different person than he was in the beginning. Miles started his new school kind of naive and innocent and leaves having experienced a lot more and become much more mature and grown up. "Looking for Alaska" overall was an amazing, life changing book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.