Blog Post #2

Introduction

In recent years, there has been more and more of a watchful eye on the content aimed at children, such as books and movies. With new bans on books and legislation that restricts certain topics, some people have become significantly concerned with the topics discussed in these books. Like many other popular series', the Percy Jackson books have been known to dicuss topics that some people may view as controversial or negative due to their delicate nature. However, a counterclaim of many authors and activists is that the discussion of these topics can lead to increased understanding around them, and could therefore help readers develop the tools they need if every faced with these situations in their life. Looking at some of the topics in children's book, abuse is one of the most prevalent discussions. The CDC reported that in 2021, 55% of high school students reported experiencing emotional abuse by a parent or other adult in the home (CDC). Additionally, the National Domestic Violence Hotline reports that just under half of all men and women in the United States will experience psychological aggression by an intimate parter in their life (National Domestic Violence Hotline). This makes it clear that there is a strong likely of someone experiencing emotional abuse in their life, whether at the hands of a partner or parent. Having the tools to face these situations in crucial in preventing further negative situations and keeping yourself safe, and discussing topics such as emotional abuse in children's books can give young readers the understanding they need to develop these tools. Through my research, I am hoping to illustrate that while this controversial topic is a prevalent discussion in the Percy Jackson series, the manner in which it is presented shouldn't be avoided as it condemns abusive behavior and outlines ways in which readers can handle situations that they may be faced with.

Progress So Far

My research has been going very well, and it's been incredibly rewarding so far. I've officially finished the first series, and I'm partially through the second series. The entire process has been running smoothly. While I am not always able to stick to the schedule I made, I've stayed up to date woth my reading and analysis, and it's been something I look forward to every day. The books have some string examples of delicate topics being discussed, but handled well and in a way that shows the reader an appropriate way to handle a similar situation or stand up to adversity. These examples have shown that the discussion of hard topics in children's books can be so beneficial and educational, and it has helped further my understanding on my background research that claimed these difficult topics can lead to increased understanding in children.

Challenges

While I have thoroughly enjoyed the reading and analysis process so far, there has been some difficulty in sticking to a schedule in terms of when I complete my work. Balancing school, work, and socializing has been difficult for me and times and I've forgotten to do my reading for the day or I'll push my analysis off for a few days. It was a significant problem for me at the beginning, as I kept pushing things back or saying I would do my reading whenever I found time. While it was hard, I decided I needed to designate specific time to do my reading instead of a general idea of a certain amount of pages per day. By designating a specific time window each day, I am garunteed to at least get some work done. While some days I get less reading or analysis done than others, it keeps me accountable and prevents me from completely falling behind, which I was doing towards the beginning of data collection.

Collected Data Highlights

While the data collection isn't done, there have been some significant trends that have emerged. Many of the instances of abuse that are depicted in the series are situations that could occur in real life. Going into this project, I had some reservations about how realistic many of the instances of abuse would be due to the fantasy genre of the book. While these situations may not be completely realistic, such as being ridiculed by a Greek God, the content can often translate to real life situations, such as possibly being ridiculed by a parent or adult. In addition, some of the indicators of abuse have emerged as more or less than common, with rejecting alone being responsible for 1/4 of the instances of abuse (as of 2/7/25). These trends align with real life, with verbal expressions of dislike for a child being significantly more common than other indicators such as being exposed to criminal activity. Because the data collection is still in progress, I am not able to draw full conclusions or compare certain books or series' to others. That being said, the data that has been collected so far excites me for the data and comparisons that are to come!

Reflection

So far, I have absolutely loved this project so far. While I've certainly had my difficulty balancing it at times, this project has been so rewarding and I love getting to learn more about this topic. I didn't know how much I would enjoy the data collection process going into the project, but I've found that I'm so passionate about my project and it is definitely something I would love to continue to research if given a chance in the future. I learned that I definitely need to stick to a schedule while doing my research, but once I have a routine it's something I am able to stick to and really anjoy working on. I'm so excited to see the final data on my project, and I'm looking forward to sharing my findings with everyone!