Blaze–well4640

@EmilySavoie3 I agree Emily. This was a terribly hard text to read, but I think there is so much value in having tween readers engage with authentic stories& perspectives. There is value in the didacticism of fiction, but nonfiction adds reflexivity and growth #285WLU10

The texts we’ve read thus far had the role model/helper adult figure. Ole Golly, Mandy, Silas,& Uncle Tommy in Beah’s novel. The tween seems to rely on this figure to mediate their liminal state & help navigate the corruption of other adults/the adult system #285WLU10

When I was reading Woodson’s text I kept drawing connections to Lawrence Hill’s Any Known Blood. Would highly recommend anyone who is enjoying Brown Girl Dreaming to read Hill’s text to understand the inter generational experiences of Black Americans. #285WLU9

@lauryn_reibling I definitely agree Lauryn, it’s a very interesting combination of historical allusion and personal experience. This combination makes Woodson’s text that much more meaningful and helps us understand the context. #285WLU9

Woodson’s free verse poems are connected through the speaker yet still stand as powerful poems on their own. It’s interesting since we’ve been reading prose narratives so far, yet I feel like these say just as much about the tween experience in fewer words. #285WLU9

@emmadav78039083 I think we could also read the figure of Silas as symbolizing the liminal areas between childhood and adulthood. Since he is a vampire, he is inherently liminal, blurring the boundaries of life and death. Much like the tween blurs the boundaries of childhood/adulthood. #285WLU8

The dance with the living and dead could serve as a symbol for the area of life between childhood and adulthood. No one wants to talk about it or explain it (like the awkward conversation of puberty). Or the way tweens have to figure out how to grow up on their own. #285WLU8

The end of Gaiman's text draws a parallel between the lullaby that Mrs. Owens sings to Bod when he first enters the graveyard. We realize that the lullaby was not complete, not until Bod leaves the graveyard do we get the end of it/his story. #285WLU8

@JacobLasby I agree with you Jacob, I think there's a really big problem in children's literature with 'sugarcoating' the didactic messages for kids. However, here Gaiman is clear from the offset about death, boundaries, and other social relations. #285WLU7

I remember hearing Gaiman talk about how you have to be a lot more intentional with words when writing for children, I really get a sense of that in this text. Everything is laid out clear for a young reader and I love how time isn’t wasted explaining how the world works #285WLU7

There's a really interesting reversal within Gaiman's book Death appears to be the sphere of comfort for the tween figure, whereas the world beyond the graveyard poses more risk. It seems like this could be an attempt to present death as less ominous to the tween reader. #285WLU7

@LogesEric This is interesting & can be related to modern “Tablet Toddlers.” Parents use technology/media to distract & engage their children. This is problematic when the content is exploitative of children. Perhaps parents believe it’s more educational than old-fashioned methods? #285WLU6

I was shocked to learn from the Susan Linn interview that 40% of 3 month old babies are regular TV watchers! I thought this was a crazy statistic and leaves me wondering why? Are parents trying to get a break or do they actually believe it is educational? #285WLU6

McLaren's article exhibits the ways young girls are sexualized/exploited in music. Spec. children are seen as "in touch with sex" and contribute to consumerism. DaBaby's "Beatbox Freestyle" reference to Jojo Siwa reflects this as he disses her name to promote his music. #285WLU6

@emmadav78039083 I agree, Emma! I think there’s also a point to be made about how she rebels as a woman. She fights against the confines of the ‘obedient wife, daughter, woman’ expectations of the patriarchal society. #285WLU5

I feel like Ella attempting to fight the curse was a metaphor for tweens slowly rebelling against their parents to become an independent person. Ella proves why she is deserving of independence too through her intellect and selfless. #285WLU4

Ella rejects the title of “princess,”& is regarded for her linguistic abilities/help with Mandy. I think this strongly conveys why Ella is a proto-feminist figure within the novel. She is effectively defined by her skills and not her female obedience/husbands rank #285WLU5

#285WLU4 - my mistake!

It’s interesting to analyze the limits of Ella’s obedience. If someone commanded her to never be obedient again, would it break the curse? #285WLU3

@lauryn_reibling It’s almost as if the protagonist must learn the basic skills that parents would typically teach them on their own for it to constitute a fairytale heroine’s journey! If you also look at Disney movies, most of the young protagonists’ lose their parents too! #285WLU3

Me when no one but the Baudelaire children can tell it’s Count Olaf in a costume

@MeganCruzEN285 Interesting point! I think we must consider the audience that the narrator/Snicket is attempting to address. The readers were likely not as intellectual as the Baudelaire children, so explaining these words serves to educate and promote vocabulary in the young audience. #285WLU3

Reading the text you think that the explanation of wordS/phases would be annoying to read and make it seem like the reader isn't the brightest yet lemony does it in a way where it is charming. Was anyone annoyed by the explanation of words/phases? #285WLU3

Since rereading Lemony Snicket’s text, it makes me think about my tween-aged self and how these books were so fascinating to me. It’s interesting to read a book and see how different you interpret it at various stages of your life. Did anyone else read these books? #285WLU3

@emmadav78039083 That’s an interesting point Emma!

@BlazeWelling This is super interesting! I think a lot of people are hypocritical in that sense, many love reality shows but wouldn’t necessarily want our lives broadcasted.

It’s interesting how Fitzhugh approaches privacy and the idea of voyeurism. To my peers in EN285, do you think Harriet is hypocritical about privacy? Privacy seems to only be a concern to her when hers is being violated, but what about the people she spies on? #285WLU2