Perspectives

Envision yourself as Russell, Elliot, or Catalina. Describe how you would feel and react to the bullies in the story.

If I was Elliot, then I would also dread going to school everyday. I would try to avoid everybody, but sometimes, I probably would'nt be succesful. In this case, I would just ignore insults, like Elliot does. It would be harder for me than it is for Elliot, though. If people were physically mean to me, then I would'nt know how to react, because I don't think violence helps. I would be really mad, and would want to fight back, but I probably would just ignore them because fighting back would most likely put me in an even bigger problem. In page 56, Elliot couldn't stand it anymore, and fights back, resulting in him almost dying. I felt proud when Elliot fought back, even though I don't believe in violence, because he did something. The reason I would'nt fight back is because I would'nt have the courage to do what Elliot did. If things got really bad at school, I would talk to my parents, and ask them if I could go to a different school. Most people probably would'nt do this, but I would because your parents are there to help, even though you might get mad at them sometimes.

Keeping Quiet

Q: Should kids solve their own problems, or should adults/parents get involved?

I think adults should step in on kids problems only when it is serious, and something kids probably can't manage by themselves. If the problem is something like trying to earn money to pay for something, then I think adults should help with ideas, but let kids do the actual solution by themselves. This way, kids can know that they solved their own problem, and feel happy about it. Suppose the problem was serious, though. Like in 'The Revealers,' Russell's mom want to help him solve his bully problem, but he doesn't want to be known as a tattler in his school, and tells his mom to ignore the problem (p. 45). My opinion is that Russell's mom should inform someone from the school, and tell them to keep an eye on Richie, but also tell them to not take any action unless Richie tries to, or does harm Russell again. This is my opinion, because Richie could have easily hurt Russell more, whether on purpose or on accident. A problem like this needs attention, and should not be left for kids to solve by themselves, because problems like these could put a lot of stress on kids, and scare them a lot.

Two Truths and a Lie

1. My favorite fruit is mango.
2. My favorite brand is reebok.
3. I love the colors blue and red.