ENg Lit

RATIONAL PAPER PROBLEM

I am concerned because the first paragraph of your rationale is still showing as a direct match to a source, yet there is no citation of the source of that information and no quotation marks indicating the paragraph is directly quoted from a source. You must correct this to avoid a plagiarism charge. Please check the entire paper to make sure you are citing sources correctly.

Rationale Paper

Percy Jackson, a 12-year old who is always getting into trouble at school, discovers he is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. He also finds out that his best friend, Grover, is a satyr. Grover takes Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a camp for the children of Olympian gods where they learn to fight the monsters that are trying to destroy them according to (Alleen, 2009). Percy, Grover and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, go on a quest to retrieve Zeus’s stolen thunderbolt. In the process they discover a plot to destroy Western civilization and the Olympians. Their adventure takes them from Hades to Mount Olympus encountering many mythical gods and monsters along the way.

This book should be read by young adults because the plot is quite interesting and there are very many topics within it that are relevant and applicable to the lives of young adults. Percy Jackson is a boy with dyslexia and ADHD. He has a really difficult time with school and getting along with his peers. When we meet Percy, he is at yet another new school, having been kicked out of several prior to the start of his story. Pretty early on in the book, after he has already disclosed his ADHD diagnosis, he discovers that his father isn't dead - that's just what his mother told him to explain why his dad wasn't around as per ( Cart, 2006). Turns out, his dad is a Greek god and Percy is a "half-blood". At this point, Percy makes his way to Camp Half-Blood and he meets other kids of other gods. They were all diagnosed with ADHD, too. At the camp, Percy gets a sword and a shield. He gets to play intense games of capture the flag with his fellow half-bloods and, for the first time in his life, he feels successful (Wolk, 2011). He finds reading Greek to be a breeze; he doesn't even need to study the language. Things start to make sense for him.

This book is relevant to young adults because it shows an alternative side to the treatment of ADHD in young adults as per (Muise, 2003). Rick Riordan perfectly conveys a narrative where the main character does not undergo intensive medical treatment in order to fit a societal niche. Percy becomes more active and is taken out of a classroom setting, he thrives. Percy isn't forced to conform to the norms of life; his life conforms to the way his brain works. Just like Percy isn't meant to sit still, behave and do his work quietly, not all of us are either. Desk jobs don't always work out. (Riordan, 2006) argued that we need to be out there, doing something interesting, something we can find success with. It's not fun to be a 9-5 pencil pusher when you're not good at it and when it makes you less you (Connier, 2004). Certain criteria or adhere to societal norms. Within the book, the language is quite simplistic with very few expletives used. Exclamations such as “Thank the gods!” are quite common (Hebert, 1998). Violence is also a central part of the story with many mythical monster attacks in which all monsters are killed. Some of the monsters look like monsters and some of them are disguised to look like humans. Sword fighting and a vicious game of steal the flag. Adult themes within the book include the fact that the main character’s father is an Olympian god, obviously not married to his mortal mother. (Bucher, 2014) argued that there is also talk of adulterous relationships between Olympians and mortals. All of the main characters in the book are children from these god and mortal unions. (Riordan).

References

Alleen, P. (2009). Literature For Today’s Young Adults, 9th Edt.

Cart, M. (2006). The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-2004. Scarecrow Press.

Cormier, R. (2004). The Chocolate War. Ember; Anniversary, Reprint edition (September 14, 2004).

Cormier, R. (2004). The Chocolate War. Ember; Anniversary, Reprint edition (September 14, 2004).

Hébert, P. (1998). "Nurturing social and emotional development in gifted teenagers through young adult literature." Roeper Review.

Katherine, T. (2014)Young Adult Literature: Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson.

Muise, M. (2003). "Eating disorders in adolescent boys: a review of the adolescent and young adult literature." Journal of Adolescent Health.

Riordan, R. (2006). The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1). Disney-Hyperion; 1 edition (April 1, 2006).

Wolk, S. (2011). "Reading for a Better World: Teaching for Social Responsibility With Young Adult Literature." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.