<p>**I tried to do grammar checks. Sorry if my grammar is still atrocious. ):</p>
<p>SHOULD BOOKS PORTRAY THE WORLD AS IT IS OR AS IT SHOULD BE?</p>
<p>Books should portray the world as it is because they allow children to cope with the real world better. Throughout readings, I, as well as other young readers, imagines a world with full of secret passages. But these secret passages disappear after I close the book. Several examples that show the importance of authors to "tell it like it is" can be demonstrated through experiences and film.</p>
<p>All through childhood, I was engulfed in a fantasy stories, which, in the end, did nothing for me as I prepare for the real world. As a child, I read fictional books like Amelia Bedila, or the Arthur Series, or the Geronimo Stilton's adventure collection. Each of these novels consists of many problems that can be solved in a instance. For me, I read these books to prepare for the daring adventures the protagonists took. However, I have yet escaped into the crime-fighting feats my cohorts have done on numerous occasions. Children are dragged into believing that the world is filled with problems, where YOU, the reader, can solve by just using moral and intellectual skills. However, instead of thinking this world is full of adventures, children are realizing that the real world is actually completely boring and drab.</p>
<p>Another example can be found in another type of reading I did as a "teenager". To prepare for this supposedly world filled with supposedly drama everyday, cute guys, and love scandals, I read many teenage romantic novels hoping to gain some insights on such foreign topics. Because of reading teenage publishing companies publications, I felt prepared for this scary high school world I was about the enter. However, high school was nothing like how these supposedly main characters experienced it. There were no rumors spreading everyday about everyone. There was no dollop of mystery meat. There was no cute boys with blond hair ready to save me whoever I fall. Books, like these fake, lying teenage novels, have not taught me anything useful, but only made me have unreal expectations of high school life.</p>
<p>As demonstrated in the movie Artificial Intelligence, a young boy is exposed to the true realities after being brainwashed from books. David, the main character and narrator of the film, read many books of these "perfect"life children, fairy tales, and happily ever after books. With these ultimate positive endings, he held high expectations of the world taking and accepting his robotic self. However, like the experiences I had, the real world turned out to be completely different. Reality is unforgiving, omnipotent, and malicious. Life isn't like a novel. Novels give wrong expectations to naive readers.</p>
<p>After a close analysis of my own and David's experiences, it can be definitively stated that books must portray life as it is. Not doing so gives wrong expectations to their oblivious, innocent readers. Books are meant to help and aide people; but if they are converting inappropriate and ineffectual materials, then what good are the purpose of books?</p>