Young Adult Book

                                      Skyla Lowe 808

  It is unusual for kids to care a lot about a parent who left them at a young age. Raspberry is a young girl who lives with her mother. Raspberry's father left when she was a child and is now homeless. The book Begging for Change by Sharon G. Flake , shows the relationship between a young girl and both her parents , mainly her father.

   In the book the dad finally finds his daughter after years of searching. When the dad finds Raspberry he is very excited to see his daughter but Momma doesn't want her father to come in. " Daddy's run-over boot keeps the door from slamming shut." No matter how many times Raspberry tells him that he isn't allowed in he refuses. The dad says he only wants "...visiting rights..." Which still is wanting to enter her house and see her. The dad is so courageous that he decides to ask Raspberry "Your Momma in there?" As he peeks over Raspberry's should in suspicioun, debating if he wants to barge into her house.

   Economically the dad is having a way more difficult time then the mom to fund and support Raspberry. This inference can be said because the dad says that him and his best bud are both broke " Ain't got a penny between the two of us." This can show that the dad is trying to pursue Raspberry to give up a lil money to help him and his friend, being thats she already let her dad into the apartment disobeying her Momma's policy. Because Raspberry was so insecure about letting her father in she tries to frighten her dad by telling him "She's coming in a minute...".

  Disrespect. The dad has gotten really insecure now. He has a plan to go into Momma's room in search of a few dollars or even more. Raspberry's first idea as she began to feel hurt was to call Momma meanwhile her dad is telling her " Your Momma just gonna get mad," he said pressing the reciever down. Dad knows that Momma wi call the cops so he takes his hand and covers Raspberry's mouth. Raspberry is scared and skeptical wondering will he leave her alone if she says she does have a few bucks "... And go get him a little cash, he will leave — maybe. But if I say no, he will stay way too long, begging me for money, maybe even hurting me." Raspberry knows she did wrong by allowing him into her Momma's house with no approval.

  " 'Cause nothing good comes of bad money." This story does achieve a goal in showing how a young girl lives with her mother while her father tries to enter her life with nothing good to offer. Sharon G. Flake really gave me a good understanding by showing me both parents points of view and Raspberry's, including a couple of bystanders who were there throughout the story as the climax increased. Many teen's today sometimes go through insecturity not only with parents but also friends.

"Ashes" Response

                           Ashes Response


“I wouldn’t have any other dad,” I told him. The short story “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer the reader is introduced to a young girl named Ashley, facing a family struggle. This is told by the protagonist’s relationship mainly with her father, showing us love is complicated even with family members that are close.

Ashes’ father complicates their relationship by manipulating her to get what he wants. Susan Beth Pfeffer says, “I knew I wasn’t a one-in-a-million girl, no matter how often Dad told me I was. But no matter how often he told me, I still loved hearing him say it.” Ashes makes this statement as if she knows her dad was showing fake affection but she didn’t want to ruin her own joy of hearing her dad repeat those words. In the short story it also states that dad says, “You look radiant,” he said. “You get more and more beautiful. Turn around. Let me admire every single inch.” Ashes knew she didn’t look so radiant and stunning because she had on “… jeans and a bulky brown sweater” her mother gave her for Christmas. The dad was trying to hold on to the last of his hope that Ashes would infer she was beyond special in his eyes.

The mother and father are very opposite in terms of stability. The mother is very stable and reliable because Ashes describes her saying, “Her pocketbook overflows with tissues and tampons for anyone who might need them.” I infer even when her mother is at a rough time in life she is still the one parent Ashes can rely on. The father on the other hand isn’t so stable, even Ashes can tell this. In the story Ashes dad decides to take her out to a to a diner and she says, “Can you afford it?” I asked, after doing the mental arithmetic of diner versus pizza.” Throughout their supper the father bring up the topic of finance saying, “All I need to do is put together a little financing, and I’ll be set for life.” Thinking back to the beginning the father doesn’t have too much money to start with, so how will he get this “little financing” to be set for life and show Ashes that he is stable and will be willing to be there when she needs him.
Ashes father knows that she doesn’t have the same affection for her father as her mother. This is told by Ashes and her father both, he tells Ashes “I wish I deserved you.” By saying this I can tell that Ashes’ dad constantly thinks about how astonishing Ashes is, and how he feels she does deserve a more supportive father. Another thing that supports the thesis is the dad repeatedly saying Ashes is a “one-in-a-million-girl.” Ashes repeatedly hearing this is going to give off thinking as to why does he keep telling me I’m one-in-a-million?
 

Susan Beth Pfeffer does achieve the goal as to showing the struggle in a young teens life with parents who are completely different in stability. Many teens today have parents who are both stable in love and finance, unlike Ashes’ father. Although it shows Ashes’ point of view in this situation it doesn’t show her  mother’s point of view or even her fathers, which would be interesting to read this on there behalf.

Money Hungry (Summer Reading Book/Baseline)

Money Hungry by Sharon Flake is about a thirteen year old girl named Raspberry Hill. Raspberry Hill is probably in the 8^th grade just like me. Raspberry is an ordinary school girl with a little clique of friends (Zora, Ja’nae, and Mai). The three of Raspberry’s friends all owned houses and apartments, unlike Raspberry. Raspberry was homeless at the time.    

               Raspberry lived with her hard working mother. At the time Raspberry and her mother weren't living under a roof, they were on the streets daily finding somewhere to sleep for the night. Raspberry’s mother worked throughout the day while she was at school, or at least thought she was. When Raspberry was dropped off at school in what they call her mother’s old rusty and raggedy car. Raspberry did all sorts of things to help build their money stash. During the hours of school Raspberry would sell rotten candies based on the holidays and also skip lunch. When Raspberry was supposed to be in school she would cut school to help the car wash place and she would go around cleaning people’s houses to gain money for her mom and her to one day have an apartment.  

                The reason why I think this book is titled Money Hungry is because Raspberry is hungry for money so she is finding any way possible to gain money. Raspberry’s mom doesn't want her daughter to stress too much over the fact that there house hunting, but Raspberry is taking it into her own responsibility to help her mother knowing that it is hard to raise a child and work all under the condition of having no home. This book really showed me that even though my mom says she doesn't need help that I should still help her because she does need me and may not want me to stress over it. This book also teaches me that I need to take more tasks into my own wings and figure them out because I am at that age where I need to be helping my family as much as I can even though I have a home and everything I need, you never know what life might throw at you.