Flipped

               The book Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen is a teenage book about how a boy (Bryce) and a girl (Juli) feel about each other as they grow up. This book teaches one about a lot of social issues. One big issue is money which gets thrown around a lot in the book. Money has a lot to do how the characters are the way they are in the book.

  Juli's family has financial problems in this book. Their house is not like every other house. It is actually rented. Their yard is a mess and they have a very old car. Bryce's family is pretty wealthy. But Bryce's father ridicules Juli’s family for being this way. This is unfair. A person shouldn't be judged for the amount money they have in their wallets. They should be judged for whom they are and if they work hard. One should understand why someone is the way they are. And even if one was wealthy then they should be judged of maybe how they spend their money. Is the money being given to charity? Is it being used to make someone else’s life better? If these are all the qualities in a person, they are wealthy no matter the amount of money they have.

   There is also a reason for the financial problems Juli’s family has. Juli’s uncle is mentally and physically handicapped. All the family’s money goes into investment for her uncle. I think that the situation proves something. It proves that Juli’s parents were giving up some comforts to make sure that the uncle got most of his. They are giving up what they worked hard for so that the uncle is treated with the best care. That shows understanding and it shows heart. A lot of people in this world can’t do that and I’m sure that Bryce’s father wouldn't have been able to. Giving up so much for someone else is very hard but living with financial problems so you can give care to someone makes it worth it.

    

     Flipped shows that being wealthy doesn't matter, what matters is that you use your wealth, whatever it may be (money, knowledge, love, etc.), for the greater good. Juli has certainly learned that and Bryce’s dad may have to. Situations spring up on us, but as they may, we have to tackle them, even if we have to give something up.