I am still currently reading "Emil and Karl" by Yankev Glatshteyn. I chose to write about whose perspective in the story was missing.
         
          Throughout the book, ( even though I did not get very far ) I have noticed that the main character: Emil, his mother's perspective is rarely ever shown. His mother, who is supposed to protect both Emil and his friend Karl from the rabbi's who are out to kill all Jews. Karl's mother was already taken away, so now he has no one left but a stranger to trust. In my opinion, I think the mothers voice was excluded because the book wants to focus on just Emil's and Karl's struggles. For instance, in school both of the boys are constantly bullied. Not only by the students, but also by the teachers. They are bullied for being Jewish, because there was a war going on and Jews were the target. They have to go through constant verbal abuse every single day. The mother is also in constant pain. The rabbi's had taken her husband away in the middle of the night, and kill him. However, the book mainly focuses on whats going on in the lives of Emil and Karl. So I think the author chose to exclude the mother's voice, because it was more important for us ( I'm talking about teenagers everywhere who read this book ) too see what Emil and Karl have to face everyday because we're closest to them at age, and so it's easier for us to understand. And also, the mothers voice may have been excluded because the author wanted us to see the struggles Jewish children were facing at the time, and how hard it was for them to go to school, or even step outside.

        There are also some effects to having the mother's voice excluded. The mother, who is supposed to protect both kids from the rabbi's hurts so much in the book. She goes through so much pain, because at this point she's alone. She's their only guardian, and she has no one to help her. Instead though, she cries every day. I completely understand how hard it is for her to go through all this, but it just bothers me that the kids are practically surviving on their own. I think the effects of her voice missing, sis that we don't really hear what she has to say. I mean yeah, by crying you can already see how hard life is for her at this point, but sometimes I want her to burst. By burst, what I'm saying is I want all of her emotions to come out, so I as the reader can understand her more. The mother keeps everything to herself, so it's hard to comprehend anything about her. The author might not want us to hear her voice, because if we do it may distract us from Emil and Karl. If the author makes the mother this protective, free - speaking person than it won't be as interesting. Because, with the mother being as she is there are many question marks int eh book, but I feel if she was any different everything would be simple.

      When voices ( Emil's and Karl's ) stand out because others are missing, you get to know those 2 characters a lot more. Since Emil's voice and Karl's voice, are the two voices that stick out the most, I understand their characters so much more, and it's like I'm going on that journey to freedom with them.

     As I continue to read the book, I really hope I get to hear the mother a lot more, and hope her voice grows.

   I just currently started reading "Emil and Karl" by Yankev Glatshteyn. This book opened my eyes and it truly made me see the sacrifices people made, and how strong some friendships turned out to be. Even though I just started reading this book, it's truly amazing how I was dragged into this book so quickly because of all the fascinating details, and the characters as well. I can relate to this book so much, because I know what the main characters are going through.
     Emil and Karl are two boys who are present during the time of the Holocaust. However, only one is Jewish and the other one is not, and both live in Vienna. They both attend school, which only consists of non-jews who torture and make Karls' and emils' life a living hell each day. What surprised me the most is the fact that Karl is not a jew, so technically hes "supposed" to be against Emil, if he wants to fit in. However, Emil is the one he sticked up for Karl when all the other students and even one of the teachers was calling him a "disgusting jew.''
       The fighting and name calling at school got so far to the point where Emil stopped going to school. I found that very upsetting. Kids who are so little, who don't even understand what is happening and are just hearing rumors about how "all jews are bad" hurt Emile to the point where he didn't want to show his face in school again.
      I think the reason why so many parts of this book touched me is because I am a Jew myself. And in elementary school I was the only Jewish kid in my school. In 5th grade I had many kids in my class, who didn't like Jews and the things they had said made me feel really bad about myself and who I am.
          I found what Karl did by sticking up for Emile like that, was very very very brave. Even though Karl knew he would have to put up with being bullied every single day just for sticking up for what he thought was right, he still decided to do it. I would have loved to have a person stick up for me like that.
          Karl is a strong character overall. His father left him, and than the bad people had come and took his mother away, so right now he's all alone.
         This book is very good so far, and I'm really excited to continue reading it and seeing how the plot changes.

Nonfiction

            I just read the article "Latino Program helps immigrant families achieve their America dream" by Jacqueline Howard from CNN. This article is about a young 15 year old girl named Gaby Ortiz who emigrated from Mexico to the US. She had started off her life in Atlanta, Georgia, however her "American Dream" began as a nightmare. She didn't know how to speak English, and could not find a job. And worst of all, she was soon going to become a mother. In several years, Gaby gave birth to two kids. However, during those days she only associated herself with the Latinos and Mexicans because that's where she felt more comfortable, since she was part of that culture as well. After her son was enrolled into kindergarten in 2004, Gaby knew she had most definitely wanted to learn English to help her kids. Gaby used his schoolwork as lessons for her as well, and she also took classes. She was so determined in learning English, that she quit watching Spanish TV. Everything about her life, suddenly became 100% American. The biggest change she had made, was enrolling her and her son into LaAmistad a tutoring organization that helps families whose second language is English. Families just like her. 13 years later, at age 30 Gaby now speaks fluent English and has a job, which helps support her kids.

       This story is very touching. Not in like a sad-depressing way, but just the fact that someone can work so hard and accomplish so much. Coming into the US at only 15, and having 2 children around that age, with no job, and not speaking English at all, must he terrible. Gaby basically raised her kids alone, with no help. She achieved her dreams because she wanted too, not because she was forced too. This road that Gaby took, was very difficult. She basically started a new life. Living in a new world, dropping everything you had before, moving into a country where the language does not sound a bit familiar at all, raising 2 kids with no job, and leaving everyone behind back in Mexico, was the path she decided to take. Nothing is impossible, in fact everything is possible. And Gaby proved that. She set out on a mission and accomplished it, and right now she speaks fluent English and has a full time job, and is active at her children's school. For instance if I was in Gaby's place, and I was emigrating from my home, leaving my family behind and moving by myself to a new World whose customs and language don't sound a but familiar, would be so difficult. Basically, she came here with nothing, and look where she is now. She mad it farther, than people who were born in the US. If I was in her shoes, I don't know how I would do it. Finding a job, while having your "reputation" say you're an immigrant is very hard. But Gaby is an example of a person who tried, and never gave up until she got what she fought for: To be a part of the American culture.