Book Club R.R

Reading Response                                                                                                       Cassi Land

11/4/14

In the community of ms51 and beyond, none of us are strangers to the hardships of the world.  But have any of us ever considered why this is?  Maybe it is because of our parents, maybe it is because of the news, but one of the main reasons that many may forget about is books.  One book specifically has been banned from many schools; this book is The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.  However, this book should not be banned from schools due to the fact that it is extremely important to read about these topics so we may learn more about them so we are aware of the dangers of the world, and the effects of making bad choices. 

There are many ways to teach kids like ourselves about the world.  But one of the most effective ways for teaching children about the world is through the power of books.  The Perks Of Being A Wallflower expresses many strong issues throughout the text.  One of them being sexual abuse.  In the book Charlie finds out that his Aunt Helen molested him, and Aunt Helen was molested by a family friend.  This issues is an issue that effects many today.  However without books like these that express extremely serious issues like sexual harassment children would not have such a clear vision of the dangers of the world. 

Despite the fact that it is understandable why adults would not want their kids to learn about drugs at such an early age, it is crucial for them to understand why it is one of the worst decisions a child can make and books like these help them to understand this concept.  In the book, the author writes many parts about drugs in the book.  One quote however really seemed as though it was meant to show how drugs can have a bad effect on peoples’ lives, “My aunt Helen drank a lot.  My aunt Helen did drugs a lot.  My aunt Helen was in a lot of hospitals.”  This evidence proves how drugs and drinking leave a negative impact on your life.  This is just one of the many reasons why it is important for middle schoolers to learn about drugs and drinking so they may see how it can ruin your life. 

This text makes me realize the effects of bad decisions.  Bad decisions can lead to life ruining situations.  It was extremely important to learn about these topics through the knowledge of books.