Reviews for Two Badges: The Lives Of Mona Ruiz

The average rating for Two Badges: The Lives Of Mona Ruiz based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-08-18 00:00:00 Daniel Daigle the book i just finished reading was "Two Badges" and i really did like this book it tells most of my life on lines. Im not one to say how i feel or explain what im feeling but here Dona made it seem as if i was her. She had a crazy life that went by so fast and with me my story starts off the same . As a youngster i grew up fighting for respect & to defend my family . Soon i come to see my family brakes over things me and my sister decide to do . Living in California can make you and brake you if you let it . Dont fight for fame and just leave, Fight for honer and pride in who u want to be and stand by it .

Review # 2 was written on 2012-05-12 00:00:00 Noel Guanzon Two Badges by Mona Ruiz explores the dichotomy between the world of a gang member and police officer through first person. There is an abundant use of tone words of varying difficulty utilized as Mona relates her story. The simplicity of talking about being a gang member of a police officer is completely obliterated as she talks about being a part of both worlds at the same time. Fighting for legitimacy and respect from fellow gang members at parties only to put on a police uniform the next day and head off to the station. The concept triggers a mire of conundrums the reader knows will present itself on any page. Additionally, there are a number of themes explored within this novel. Any teacher interested in covering; love, family, responsibility, friendship, community, perspective, honor, and trust will find abundant material here. The story itself is told primarily utilizing formal English conventions. There are a number of places where Spanish is utilized in conversations adding to its authenticity while making sure it does not overwhelm non-speakers. This book happened to be sitting on the shelf of my reading room collecting dust until a student selected it as the group read last week. Now, it’s all the kids in the classroom are talking about. I have read a number of gang related books and I honestly was sick of the topic. While Two Badges deals with the same topic, it also does something far more remarkable; it explores the world of a police officer. A lot of my students (some with good reason) hate and fear the police. They never really considered the human being behind the shield. Many of the discussions which have been prompted by Mona's story has challenged my students to research the police or speak to the ones stationed in our building. In terms of literature that affects the reader, I am hard pressed to think of any other title which has caused such an immediate and obvious mental shift in my students.