A Non-Fiction Response to Pandas

     The article "Panda Party" in National Geographic Kids magazine is about the birth of the first set of twin giant pandas born in a zoo in the U.S. in 26 years. The article is mostly about the raising of the twins, but it also tells a little about the giant pandas' situation in the wild. "Scientists who study giant pandas believe that as few as 1,600 of the creatures live in the wild," states the article. After talking a bit about this, the story moves on to the twins' care. At first, since the baby pandas "are very small and vulnerable," the zoo workers have to "swap" them to record their weight, temperature, and condition. While their mother, Lun Lun, was hesitant to allow them to take her cubs from her, she soon realized the workers were helping her cubs. The article then moves to the cubs' growth.
     I think the author wants the reader to feel both excited and hopeful. Because of the small amount of pandas left in the wild, "each birth of a giant panda brings new hope for this endangered species." This is also a good reason to feel hopeful; two pandas born at once means two more members of a vanishing species. The more pandas, the more hope. Also, the author wants to show everything that happens when a baby animal is born, and maybe anxious about the future of this amazing species.
     The author uses many craft moves in this article. The first is an introduction which not only introduces the story but also gives some background information that has to do with the story. In this case, the author puts in the conditions that giant pandas live in. Another craft move the author added was to put the article into several sections, such as "Growing Up" and "Playful Twins." This makes it clearer to the reader that the article talks about several months, not just one moment. The author also writes in a tone that is neither very essay-like nor sloppy, but as if it was meant to be part of a conversation. This makes it much more interesting to read.
     This article made me realize that despite the shrinking population, giant pandas are still here and that there are ways of bringing them back completely. It's humans who have wrecked their habitat, so it's humans who are going to help them. Hearing about this has made me think that humans should stop hurting animals before the birth of two is cause for great excitement. Of course, it's wonderful that an endangered species is starting to get back on its feet (paws?), but it shouldn't get to the point where they're endangered in the first place! Two new pandas should not mean possible hope for the future of the species, but rather its growth. Something else I'd like to know is the news on other endangered species surviving. When was the last time an Andean cat had twins? We had better stop hurting them before every animal disappears.

Bibliography:
Jaznka, Kitson. "Panda Party." National Geographic Kids Mar. 2014: 14-17. Web. 2 Feb. 2014.

Potter Banned Nonfiction Article

     I am choosing to write about the article "Man From Ministry Bans Potter" by Tania deLuzuriaga which appeared in The Boston Globe. This article is about a Massachusetts Catholic school that banned the Harry Potter series because of the witchcraft in it. The author of the article doesn't present a clear opinion of this. The entire article is pretty much unbiased, except when the author includes quotes from various people, but those aren't her own thoughts. She keeps the article free of opinions by adding quotes of people on both sides of the issue. For example, she writes what was written on a class page on the school's website in favor of the series, but also adds something a parent said which, while not completely for the banning, shows understanding for it.
     There are several craft moves used by Tania deLuzuriaga. Although her tone does not reveal much, and is neither for nor against the argument, there are other things she uses to make the article more interesting and impactful. One is that she includes a brief history of book banning in Massachusetts, starting very early in its history and moving forward. This makes her article stronger because it shows previous happenings of the same kind as the story she is writing about. She also starts off with something that happened before the book was banned that was definitely pro-Harry Potter.
     Because the author doesn't have a clear claim, it's hard to agree or disagree with her. However, I disagree with the banning itself, mostly because I am a fan of the series being banned. I also think, that since  in the books there are two sides of witchcraft, one good and one evil, banning it for mentioning witchcraft seems extreme. I did think, though, that adding a quote that was somewhat for the ban was a strong part that made me understand more why the book was banned.