Just something I wanted to share. It's a journal entry that I wrote for class that I wanted to share. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I loved writing it. (: The teacher told us to write a half page, I wrote 3 full pages.

Question: What is your favorite book? Why do you like it so much? What did you learn from reading it?

My answer:

My favorite book is The Outsiders. I read it for the first time in school two years ago, and I've liked it ever since. The story is just so different than most. Unlike any book that I've read in a long time, there's no romance in it. I like fairy-tales, but when authors try to write their own and call it a young adult novel, -which is over often- it usually doesn't work. That's not what The Outsiders is, and I love that.

The Outsiders taught me about life, especially when Cherry didn't show any interest in Ponyboy, other than friendly. It shows what really happens most of the time in high school relationships, you get "friendzoned".

The Outsiders taught me that "Things are rough all over," that no one really has it "easy". But most of all, The Outsiders taught me that "There's still lots of good in the world." There are good people, nice people. Even if you don't seem to find them very often, this book reminds me that they're still there. I like that.

I like the way that it ended so tragically, yet it still brightens my day.

Researching this book has taught me about a lot of issues. Obviously, the book taught me about social statuses, and being judged based on money, but who would have thought I could have learned about another big problem based on the authors name? Susan Eloise Hinton, better known as S.E. Hinton has taught me what a real thing sexism is. Before this book, I honestly hadn't realized that women were discriminated so much that they couldn't even publish books under their real name! It's not right. Before Matt Dillon met her on the set of Tex, he thought she was a man. That was the first thing he ever said to her, "Hey S.E. I thought you was a man." She Tweeted that quote a few years ago, and it may sound funny, but it's really not. You should be able to tell who the author is by the cover of the book, you shouldn't have to do research on if because the publishers are embarrassed of who wrote it.

Not only had this one book, which is less than 200 pages long taught me all of this, but it's gotten me so many friends. They're all online, so I may never get to meet them, but I still know that they're always there when I need them, and I'm grateful. They love to read just as much as I do, and that's important to me.

Before I read this book, I did watch sunsets. I liked to take pictures of them, but it made me truly recognize the beauty of them. But most of all, The Outsiders has taught me that even though "nothing gold can stay", I should still try to "stay gold" as long as I can.

"It's a good way to be," Johnny said in his letter to Ponyboy. I agree, it is. You shouldn't rush growing up, you should enjoy being a kid, because you can't go back later. That is what this book has taught me.

And I think that is so special. Where would I be without this book?