Sophia Huffman - Final Reader's Journal for Born a Crime

 Quote: “I saw more than anything that relationships are not sustained by violence but by love. Love is a creative act” (Noah 262).

1. In this chapter Trevor talks about what happened when his stepfather shot his mom. Even though it was heartbreaking and scary he saw how strong his mom really was. She survived and never let anger or hate take over. Instead she stayed loving and kind. That made Trevor realize that love is what keeps people together not fear or control. He saw that love is something you choose to keep doing even when life is hard.

2. His mom taught him to be strong and hopeful. She always pushed him to do better and to never let the world tell him who he could be. Even after everything she went through she never gave up or let it break her spirit. One piece of advice she gave that I think stuck with him most is to think for himself and to not let other people decide his future. She taught him to dream big and never settle for less.

3. Trevor uses humor as a way to deal with pain. Instead of letting bad things break him he finds a way to laugh at them and take back some control. Even when things are serious like racism or abuse he tells the story in a way that makes you smile while also thinking deeply about it. What I will remember most about this book is how honest and funny he is even about the hardest parts of his life. He shows that laughter can help you survive anything.