Book Discussions
Party Paradox
Many books written for teens today include episodes of alcohol and drug use, even though we all know the consequences will lead to life altering consequences, even death.
What books have characters that face the “partying paradox”?
What was the paradox?
How did the characters come to a decision?
Was the decision positive?
Did you agree with their decision? Why or why not?
What would you have done?
One book I read was “Confessions of a Teenage Nanny”, it was about a teenager who became a nanny for a very rich and popular sociallite. In the book the family she nannied for had a daughter her age ( her name was Cammille and she was about 17) and she would party A LOT. Everytime something went wrong and it was Cammilles fault, she always blamed it on the nanny, the parents really thought it was the nanny but really it was their daughters fault. Soon the nanny got caught up in alcohol and parties and her friends followed her decisions and all of them got in trouble. The nanny didn’t quit because the money was to good but she learned to just ignore Cammille. If it was me I would have quit right away, or I would have just done something to get her back. I probably would have taken a really embarrassing photo of her and sell it to some magazine or paparzzi.
I read “Go Ask Alice” which was a book that had a young girl who gets hooked on drugs by accident. The young girl went to a party were her drink was laced with LSD. She sees what LSD did to her, and wanted to try weed. She only wanted to do it once, but that was the wrong decision, she was hooked. I would not have done that. If my drink got laced with LSD, I would never hang out with those people again. I would leave as soon as I could. Her decisions were wrong and cost her, her life!!!
Erin and Adrianne,
I am very impressed with your comments-and the choices you would have made had you been in the situations of the main characters in the books you mentioned.
I have not read “Confessions of a Teenage Nanny”. Why did the nanny decide to follow in the daughter’s footsteps? I would have thought that if she was getting in trouble already she would try to keep away from the daughter and her party-ing ways! Your thoughts about quittingare valid, but was that an option for the nanny? And would “getting her back” solve anything?
I have read “Go Ask Alice”-many years ago :O)
Your comments remind me of something I heard when I first started teaching: A D.A.R.E. Officer said that everyone can become addicted to something-but you never know what it is that you can become addicted to until you are addicted! So it is better to stay away from trying alcohol/drugs “just once”! Do you think this is a true statement?
And in today’s society, your choice of not hanging out with those people could very well save your life-so often we hear in the news about teens who have had stronger drugs slipped into their drinks-even their soft drinks-by their so-called friends. Do you feel that the people you are friends with will always want what is best for you?
I think the nanny followed in the daughters footsteps because she was getting paid a lot and Cammille threatened her a lot. I think getting her back would have showed that your not just playing around and then she would know she can’t really control you.
I don’t think some friends really will always want what is best for you. But if someones not doing what’s best for themselves, you can’t expect them to know what’s the best for others.
I think that it’s best to stay away from drugs, no matter what the cost, because like you said, “you never know what it is that you can become addicted to until you are addicted”. I think this is a very true statement, I had a snag on my nail, so I bit it off, then next thing you know, all of my nail are gone!!! I didn’t know it would start a VERY bad habit of biting my nails. As for my friends, I think my friends are, well, friendly. I feel that my friends are genuinely nice people that want the best for me, and everyone around them. At least most of them anyway.
i was reading this book “i am legend” by Richard matheson and when Robert the character of the book. when he got bored he would always drank alcohol in order
wash his problems away
I’m now reading a book named the outsiders and dallas who is part of the greasers has been in jail many times and I don’t think that he has leaned from those desisions. So as i finish reading this book I hope the dallas finally learns that it better to be free thanlocked up in a cell, and that gos for everyone too.
Joshua,
Do you think the problems went away because of the drinking? Did they get better? Or did the drinking make the problems get worse?
Is this book the basis of the movie “I Am Legend”? We just watched the movie at home and they left off the drinking if it’s the same! I wonder why?
i am reading a book called “the outsiders” it is about these kids in the 1950’s and very intresting. I really like it i am about a knee deep in it but i love this book!!!!
adrianne i have read that book “go ask alice” too. i think it is very intresting i liked it very much did you?
I agree with Mrs. michulka because I also saw the movie and it didnt see any drinking part
Hayden,
I have to agree with your comment (it’s better to be free than locked up in a cell)! I just can’t imagine how hard it must be to be kept away from your family and friends. So many people end up addicted-and to me that creates a cell of another kind-keeping families and friends separated.
Dear Mrs. Michulka,
Thanks for writing me back, on the book discusion. I’ve seen people come out of jail and never be the same again, and I,ve seen people come out of jail and change there life around. So, I have a question is it better to be bad and never go to jail, or go to jail and turn your life around? ( a double negative! )
Hayden,
Interesting paradox! I had to think on this awhile! But I’d prefer to live around people who have a positive life, so my answer would have to be that it is better to go to jail and turn your life around than it is to stay bad your whole life. However, wouldn’t it be great if people were able to make the changes necessary prior to spending time in jail-especially so the family and friends never have to suffer all that goes with being separated from your loved ones! Books like “Queenie Peavy” and “The Same Stuff as Stars” show how children suffer when their parents spend time in jail.
And, your question also goes back to my comment about addicitons becoming a different kind of jail cell-and again I would have to say it is better to give up the addiction, even if it means jail, than it is to stay addicted. “Bottled Up” is one of my favorite books to recommend that deals with a character and his struggles with his addiction to alcolhol and the effects on his family.
I’m looking forward to more comments!
i read crank and glass which are greatly written books that are about a girl we tries drugs and gets hooked fast. She has a baby and sadly she cant take care of her child because the drugs took over her life. Drugs are really terrible things.
ms.michulka
the book i am legend was different from the movie in the book he drank alcohol to wash his problems away in the movie they replaced it with the song
“three little birds” by bob marley because it symbolizes to him that he’s going to cure kv (krippin virus) and then everything going to be alright
i agree with saying no to drugs because once everything happens you loose your innocence and you are not really a kid any more
so far in the out siders alot of violence has happened and it is very tragic. somebody already killed someone
Mrs. Michulka,
When you said that it would be great to make changes before they when to to jail. What if jail is the only solution, and if it was do you think it depended on the amount of time a person is in jail for them to change.
Hey Mrs. Michulka i am readind the book called go ask alice and i just started the book. It sounds like a good book. Im half way done when i get done with the book i get back to you.
steffany,
Can you tell me more about this book? It seems that it would be something intresting for me to read some day.
p.s. did you get the book from the library?
I’m a little bit behind, so I’m going to try to respond to everyone here!
First -I LOVE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS!
Steffany-I’ve read Crank, but not Glass-are they from the same author? And I agree it is so very very sad and unfair, the life babies are subject to when one or both of their parents use drugs-but most especially when a mother uses drugs while pregnant. So many babies don’t even get to start living before they are addicted to something not of their choice! IT’S SO SAD!
Joshua-I never would have known about the significance of the Bob Marley song in the movie! How did you find that out? And thanks for sharing it!
Amoriest-I agree with your comment 100%! So many books talk about drug use as a casual thing…did you read Speak? A bunch of kids having a party, things get out of hand….and, like you said, innocence is lost. And it cannot be regained. Yes, the Outsiders is tragic, especially so when you think of the time it was written in-this was a very controversial book then, not many people believed books should be written like this! What do you think? Should books only be “happily ever after”?
Hayden-you ask some ponderable questions! :O) I start to reply one way and then have to rethink what I’m going to say! Sometimes jail is the only solution…I think…maybe it depends on what the purpose of jail is…is it to teach through discipline in an attempt to rehabilitate? Then it might take some people longer than others to make the changes so they don’t have to go back. But what if the person can never change? Then, is the purpose of jail the same? Is the purpose of jail to punish? If so, is it ever possible to have a jail sentence perfectly fit the crime? How then does a jailed person ever make up for the time away from family? Your questions have me thinking along so many paths-did I even manage to give you an answer?
Andrew-let me know what you think about the book! It’s another title that has been around a long time-and one that caused quite a stir when it first came out! And yet, even from the lessons learned, there is still a huge problem with people “lacing” drinnks and then taking advantage of the knocked out person!
Whew! I hope I responded to everyone!
Mrs. Michulka
dear Mrs. Michulka and Hayden,
they are from the same author.
ummm Hayden
i didnt get them from the library i saw them at Borders one day and im like oh that sounds like a good book(s), but im sure that there in the library.
The book(s) (is)are about a girl who goes to her dads and meets a guy. The guy gets her started on drugs and she can’t seem to get away from them. The whole book(s) are basically just about her struggle with them and events that happen to her.
Oh and the books are in like a poetry format.
I read this really cool series of books , the first one was gregor the overlander and i thought it was a really cool book. I started reading the series but for some strange reason i stoped i guess it was because it was the end of the school year. Well for anyone who reads this you should really read the whole series.
once i read this book called true blue. my friend hannah showed it to me and it was good! right now my friend andy garcia is reading it but once it is turned in you should read it. it is about a girl who is new to school and she meets this weird kid named chrs. they both have secrets. the girls,her name is molly, secret is at home. chrs secret is under the ratty coat he wheres everyday.i’ll leave the for u to find out!
i once read a book called lush its about a girl who has a dad who drinks alot and she is going through alot of stuff and almost gets raped by an older boy . then she meets a person (boy) who opens her eyes to all the things good in her life , he helps her out with everything …. its a very good book you should really read it
Mrs. Michulka (and others),
What is your favorite book that involves drug use in it? I have never read a book about drug use and stuff and I wanna read a really good one! Go ask Alice is the book that is really grabbing my attention now though. Thanks!
the reason i know that is because i’ve wacthed the movie over 10 times sense it came out
i read the outsiders and even though i have read it 5 times and seen the movie i still am really interested in it because i can still read the book now and get tears in my eyes when johnny dies,
and i can relate to some of these characters because ive been in a juvenile hall i speak my mind to all things.
but im also smart in school=].
but Mrs.Michulka i dont understand, and i have been asking myself this if johnny’s parents hated him so much and treated him like dirt why did they even have kids when they honestly cant even take care of them selves.????
Thanks for responding on my comment. I finished go ask alice and it was a good book but it had alot of drug use parts. Now i am reading this book called boost. Its about this girl she trys out for a basketball team that is way out of her legue but she still makes it. The only problem is that she gets pushed around on the court. She has to bostt her game or she will get cut from the team.
Joshua, you must really like the movie…I’m impressed!
Brianna, I beleive that you will always have the tears when Johnny dies-I still do! I’m glad to hear you are assertive and intelligent, and that you use both appropriately! And sadly, I have to say that I ask myself the same question often regarding parents and their children. I do know it is easy for us to judge others, and harder to try to find the reasons to explain those things we are not comfortable with or that we wish were different. I also know that many times the decision to have children is a decision that needs a lot of thought, and even with as much information as possible, the reality of raising a child is always more difficult than a parent can imagine. Fortunately, there is more information available today than there was when Johnny’s parents had to make their decisions. Let’s hope that parents today are choosing to raise their children after they themselves have grown up.
Andrew, Yes, there is a lot of drug use in GO ASK ALICE. I hope you finished reading this with the attitude that you will never experiment like she did, never find yourself immersed in the lifestyle she did.
I’m curious, are there any similarities between the character in GO ASK ALICE and the girl in BOOST?
Well thanks for responding but like even today there is some parents that let their 13 and up year old kids smoke and do all kinds of drugs so im not sure really yes and some of us are quick to judge by the way we are dressed or the way we look. My sister is 15 going on 16 and she got pregnant at 13 and had my nephew at 14 but when she had him. But when he was only a month or 2 my sister left and ranaway and left him with my mom and my had cancer and now she has passed away but im not sure to where that leads maybe she wasnt ready because she was young but like so many students can relate to this book in so many ways like i can relate to the fights,drugs and etc…but like pony and johnny and the the greasers and the socs deep down inside each one of them has a sensitive side to them they just dont show it but..im not sure to what they feel.maybe they fake their smiles like me i act like everything is alright and really everything is so messed up with both of my parents dead im not really sure what to feel i feel madness like pony and sad like all my emotions are so mixed up
Brianna,
Sister-we need to talk! So many things you write about that I relate to….
I totally agree that most everyone has a sensitive side that they are afraid to show-and how sad is that? Shouldn’t we be able to share our entire personality without hiding anything? And when we are sad, there should be people to share and support us through the sad times…
Okay, off of my soap box…what other books have you read that the characters have to hide what they really feel?
Well yes i would love to talk to you but since today is the last school day we dont have time but maybe next year.
Well i have read the book SPEAK and im not really sure what other ones that book called MONSTER i read some other good books while i was in the juvenile center i just cant remember what they were called.
But i try to let how i really feel show but i try to do it in a postive way because somtimes i want to do it in a very negative way but i will be back next year so maybe we can talk n stuff next year