Blog 8: The Final Four

I have continued reading my book "The Final Four" and things have gotten intense and interesting. While attending Michigan State university and playing for the basketball team, Malcolm, Roko, M.J., and Crispin wished to make the NCAA tournament and win the national title. Now, they are getting a chance for their dream. In the book, Malcolm and his friends had a good enough regular season and made it to the tournament! They know that this is their only chance to prove that dreams do come true and the only chance to win the national title they wished for. As they begin the tournament, they only have one team to worry about who they are enemies with. The Troy Trojans. Neither of the teams like each other, and tempers are going to flare if they ever play against each other in the tournament. Roko hates playing against the Trojans because he loses his focus on the game because of the aggressiveness they bring. An example from the book is during one of their games when a player from The Trojans pushed Roko and they started fighting. He knew that they were a dirty team, but he did not think they would pull anything like that. Ever since that moment, Roko has hated playing against the Trojans. But as the book continued, his friends and teammates encouraged him that they have his back and that he is going to be alright in this tournament as long as he remains focused. As they play their first game, they continue to push to keep their grades steady and know what is on the line. Not only are they participating for the championship for the school and for teammates, but also for their dreams to continue and to make their parents proud. Let's see if the Michigan State Spartans win the national tittle.

After getting close to the end of the book, I think I am able to tell the theme of the story. I believe the theme of this book is to never give up and that nothing is impossible. The reason I believe this is the theme of the book is because throughout the whole book, Malcolm knew that making it to the tournament and keeping their grades high was not impossible and that him and his friends would be able to succeed. All it took was confidence and the urge to accomplish those goals. While Roko started giving up, Malcolm was always their to remind him that nothing was impossible and to remind him of the reason they were here. An example from the book is when Malcolm tells Crispin, "We aren't here because of luck, we are here because we fought hard and had the courage to succeed and to push ourselves to the farthest limit." This is a good example of the theme because it proves that Malcolm was going to do whatever it took to be successful for his education and sports because he knew nothing was impossible and that dreams could always be chased. Malcolm is my favorite character in the book because of this. I too believe that if you really try and give it your all for education or anything you like, you can always achieve your goals and chase your dreams, because nothing is impossible.

Blog 7: Final Four

After finishing my last book I am now reading "The Final Four" which is a book about college basketball teams playing in a huge tournament, and the tournament coming down to the final four teams. This book took place in 2009, during what is called the NCAA tournament. I started the book a few days ago and have gotten pretty far in the book. So far they have talked about how the seasons are going for the different teams but mainly the Michigan State Spartans, and the Troy Trojans. The main characters in the book are Malcolm, Roko, Crispin, and M.J. All of the boys play for Michigan State and are fighting hard to accomplish their sports goal, which is to win a national title for their school. All of the students have kept their grades good enough to participate on their team and are fighting to make everyone on their team happy. I chose this book because I can easily relate to the book. I also chose this book because it includes one of my favorite sports which is basketball. As I get near the more interesting parts of the book, the tournament is about to begin and the four close best friends are hoping to bring home a national title this year. It is win or go home, and being a Michigan State Spartan, they understand how hard they are going to have to fight in order to be successful in the tournament.

I chose this book because I can easily connect to the book. One way I can connect to this book is how Malcolm and his friends push themselves to succeed in school and have good grades knowing how important their education is if you want to play sports. This connects to me because I quickly learned and understood that education is far more important then sports because without the books, you aren't able to play. Another way I connect to this book is how the book contains college basketball and the final four. I connect to this because my dream is to play college basketball because of the atmosphere and because I watch college basketball and the final four. I believe college basketball is part of the big stage, because the fans get tremendously loud and make you feel the hype and enthusiasm. But I think I mainly connect to this book because all of the friends in the book love the sport of basketball. They all love waking up everyday, going to practice, and playing in all of their games. And that is how I feel about basketball. Knowing that if I chase my dreams for basketball and that there is a chance of me making it big, I love playing this game and I love that I was introduced to this sport from my family. I enjoy playing with my AAU team and wish to go somewhere with this sport just like the characters in this book wish to do. That is how I connect to my book, "The Final Four."

Blog 6: The last invisible boy

I am near the end of my book The Last Invisible Boy and the book has sort of changed in terms of the tone. In the beginning and middle of the book, it was more of a dark and awkward tone from the author while talking about Finn's family and how his life has continued without his dad. But towards the end of the book, the tone changes to more of a sad and upsetting tone. One reason is because Finn thinks about how he is no longer important in this world and he believes that without his dad, he is a nobody type of kid. Another reason it get's sad is because Finn's family starts to have rough times after just recovering from a long tragic loss, and Finn breaks down and cries about it for a few chapters. As I get farther and closer to the end, Finn continues to have a sad attitude and continues to explain how he still is being picked on at school and how he does't think he can go any farther without his father. Besides the sad scenes towards the end, Finn has finally went back to school and fought through the pain. Throughout his first week back he quickly was able to talk to normal friends and live a normal kid life. But as the second and third week of his return to school arrived, the reasons in which he didn't want to go to school in the first place arrived again. Finn started to get picked on again about his dad, about how he has changed and about his family in general. After that was when Finn started having more of his emotional breakdowns. Hopefully at the end of the whole book, Finn finds away to avoid these obstacles and overcomes the long and painful conflict.

After reading far into this book I was able to tell what the theme was. I think the theme is about having to overcome problems in life because if you don't, you go nowhere except for the path of pain. I think this is the theme because it has been two years since Finn had lost his father. He was just ten years old when his dad had died. Now, two years later at the age of twelve, Finn still avoids some of school and doesn't bother to meet new friends because of what happened. He is avoiding the solutions to his problem which is why it is hard for him to continue with a normal kid life. It's understandable about how much pain he is going through because he has lost his dad, but he just has to not think about it for a while so he can overcome this conflict and take a path towards more happy feelings. That is what I believe the theme of this book was all about. If Finn doesn't want to continue getting picked on, he has to avoid all of the negativity and see where more of the happiness get's him rather than staying by the sad side of his feelings.

Blog 5: The Invisible Boy

As I read more into my book "The Invisible Boy" Finn starts having flashback memories to the days when he was with his dad, his whole family, and talks about how the house he lived in now will always be a remembered part of the family. Finn had explained a story about how his uncle and grandmother had lived in the house a long time before Finn was born and that his Uncle Victor had helped construct the house. After it was finished, his uncle and grandmother quickly were comfortable about the house and knew they would be staying their long. That is when Finn's dad was born, and both Uncle Victor and Aunt Nedine had passed away. So Finn's dad took the house, and married to Finn's mom Enid. Finn had also told stories about the different damages the house had been through from different storms and from his uncle starting a fire in the living room burning the couches and half of the room. But there was a moment in the house during a storm that Finn would never forget. Like always, Finn, his brother Derek and his dad were getting ready to watch another baseball game of their favorite team the Reds. Finn had said as they turned to channel seven, they found out the game had been canceled due to severe thunderstorm warnings. Eventually, a huge storm had moved it's way to Finn's area. To be prepared, him, Derek and his mother all went into the basement. Instead of joining them in the basement for protection, Finn's father had stayed upstairs the whole time reading a magazine. After the storm had finally ended they did not know if he was still alive or not because he said that he would be downstairs. Fortunately he was still in his chair reading his magazine, but nobody really knew why he stayed up there. Now that he is gone, Finn had realized that it was really a test. He believed that the reason his father stayed upstairs during the storm was to show them all that when the day comes to where he is gone without his protection, they would be able to stay strong and protect themselves. So far, Finn had said that he and his family are failing that test.

After reading a few chapters into my book I am able to reflect on what I have read so far. So far in the book, the main character Finn gives a biography about his life and how his family is struggling without their dad. He still hasn't said exactly how his dad died, but it is easy to tell because Finn has flashbacks to his childhood memories with his dad and keeps saying that they miss and need him. Finn has mainly been talking about how he has changed ever since his father has been gone. Example would be when he talks about how his hair has gone from shiny black to clear white and that his skin has gotten even paler. He considers himself a ghost. Even at school he considers himself as a ghost because nobody talks to him there and always make fun of him because of the new changes. But they do not understand what he has been through which is why he refuses to say anything. Mainly Finn has been talking about his family right now and how they are dealing the problems without his father. He has admitted that it has been hard and that he wants him, his brother, and mother to continue fighting to show his father that they are strong. And that is mainly what has been happening in my book "The Last Invisible Boy".

Blog 4: The Last Invisible Boy

I am reading a new book called "The Last Invisible Boy" by Evan Kuhlman. The main character in the book is the "invisible boy" Finn Garret. Living with him is his mom, Enid, his younger brother Derek and his cat Henry. So far in the book, Finn has talked about his household, his life, how he has been ever since his dad has died, and how he has become the Invisible Boy. Finn has not yet stated exactly how his father had died but it is easy to tell he has because in the book Finn states "Life would be easier if dad were still here. He loved his wife and his two kids with all of his heart." Based on that statement I was able to predict and tell that his father past. Finn is called the invisible boy because he says that ever since his father had past his skin has become even more pale than ever, and his what used to be shiny black hair is becoming more white and clear. He related these changes to a big eraser falling straight from the sky and onto his body, erasing everything he has. That is what he also compares his life to. Finn has been picked on at school for these changes as well. That is why to start this new school year which has started two weeks ago in the book, he is still yet to go because his mom is giving him time to recover from this big tragedy. As for Derek, he had no problem going back to school and has actually been doing well, at least that is what Finn says. Finn also says that school was part of his "dad is still here world" since dad would always help them with their homework, drop them off a school and even teach them lessons about what a good education could do for them. But since he is gone, Finn is taking a few weeks away from the bullies and memories. And that is what has been happening so far in the book "The Last Invisible Boy."

After reading a few chapters I was able to tell the first conflict in the book. The conflict that the whole Garret family is facing right now is that the dad in the family is gone. He was a big part to the family and loved every single one of them. He would help Finn and Derek with problems at school and even teach them lessons for their soccer lives. He would help their mom around the house and would always make sure she was ok and rested after she came home from work. These are clear examples that the dad was a good man and a great father and husband. But unfortunately for the garret family, he has past. In the book Finn even states "He was a good man and a good father. He worked very hard at a job he didn't like much, managing a sporting goods store called World Champs Sports." This statement clearly proved that Mr. Garret was a good man and even though he did not like his job that much, he knew the money was important for his family. So that is why him being gone is a huge conflict. Finn now feels like he is invisible without him, Edin, the mother, has been even more depressed than ever, and Derek is trying to hide his feelings at school so he doesn't get made fun of. They feel like with their father there, he would be able to solve all of these problems. But the sad part is that he is no longer there, and that is the conflict.

Would we be Killed?

Before, Native Americans were marginalized and were pushed off to the side by society. One way they were marginalized was by being forced to change their names to change the person they were. An example from the article is when it states "The changes began the moment Ota Kte stepped through the iron gates of Carlisle. All the students were given Christian first names. Ota Kte was given the name Luther." This was an example that Native Americans like Ota Kte were pushed aside by society and forced to change the person they were by changing their names. Another way Native Americans have been marginalized was how the boarding schools Native Americans were sent too gave them a whole new look with different clothes and even how they act and look in school. An example from the article is when it says "They marveled at the girls in the long wooden dresses and pulled back hair working at their sewing machines, at the boys with their military haircuts and neatly pressed trousers sitting obediently in their classes." This clearly proves that Native Americans were forced to act, look and even do different things that they were not used to doing until the unexpected change. One final way I believe Native Americans were marginalized was because of the fact that every valuable meaning to their family and ancestors were forced to change. Wether it was their clothes, hair or even their names that were passed down from one generation to the next. Another example from the text is when it states "Along with his new name came a new look. His long hair was cut short. His leggings and moccasins were taken away, replaced by an itchy wool uniform and black leather boots that squeaked with every step." This is a clear example that Native Americans were not accepted the way they were. This was how they were pushed aside from society. Just because they looked and did different things than we did, they were forced to just throw away memories from loved ones and ancestors just so they could fit in. That is how Native Americans were marginalized.

I think the purpose of Shanice Britton writing the essay was to show us what her ancestors had to go throw to fit in and not be pushed aside. I believe she wanted to express her feelings to us in a way to show us how Native Americans were marginalized and forced to change their looks and actions. She wants us readers to understand the history of Native Americas and the struggles they faced fitting in and acting like someone they weren't. An example from the text is when she referred back to Ota Kte's time and when the Native Americans faced the discrimination and were pushed aside then. That would be an example for Shanice to teach us about what her ancestors and culture had to go through. I also believe she wrote this essay possibly to prove that just because you are a certain race doesn't mean you have to dress or act the way people expect those races to look or act. I say this is a reason she wrote this essay because in her essay she states "When people find out I am Native American, they have all those ideas about what that means- that I live in a teepee and wear moccasins and a headdress." This clearly proves that Native Americans were judged being Native American because of how people expect different races and cultures to just look and wear different clothing than us. So that is why I believe Shanice Britton wrote her essay. To educate us more about how just because someone is a different race or culture doesn't mean that they have to look different, speak different from others, and do unusual things that we do. She wrote this essay to teach us about how not only Native Americans, but other races as well, are pushed aside and looked at differently because they are from somewhere else and have different traditions than we do.

Blog 3: Michael Jordan

I am now reading a biography of Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 and his parents were Deloris and James. They lived in Brooklyn New York, but moved to North Carolina shorty after Michael was born. Jordan had four siblings, two sisters and two brothers. During his times at his home in North Carolina Michael would play one on one games with his older brother Larry. Michael believed that if he put dedication and hard work into basketball that he could be a good player. But most of all, he wanted to beat Larry. Soon enough Michael beat his older brother and believed he could go far in his basketball career. Although baseball was his favorite sport, basketball was something special to Michael. He played at Laney high school and went to the university of North Carolina for college. In college, Michael hit a game winning shot to win the championship. Michael was then drafted by the Chicago Bulls after leaving North Carolina after his freshman year and became the best basketball player in the world. After a few seasons with the Bulls, Jordan had retired to play basketball. He played for one year in the minors, and decided to go back to basketball making his return. With the Bulls, Jordan brought six championships to Chicago and was known as a legend of Chicago. Michael retired yet again after winning the sixth championship in 1998, and ended up returning again in 2001. This time he played for the Wizards and donated his salary money that year to foundations and charity's. Today, Michael Jordan is the owner of the NBA team the Charlotte Hornets and continues to donate to those in need like the Katrina foundation and the Habitat for Humanity Foundation.

I figured I would read a biography about Michael Jordan because of my connections I can make since he is my idol. One connection is that my dad grew up watching Michael Jordan. He would always watch Bulls games just to see Michael play and even keeps his basketball cards in a special hiding place since Michael is now in the hall of fame. Another connection I have is what Michael did in his childhood with his older brother when playing one on one. When I play my older brother in one on one games, I always wanted to win. Eventually, I ended up beating him for my first time and ever since that happened, I thought that I can beat anybody. And that is how Michael felt when beating his older brother because it brings a lot of confidence and shows that hard work pays off. One final connection I can make about Michael and this biography is how baseball was his favorite sport but thought basketball was his best suit. I play both basketball and baseball as well and baseball is my favorite sport. I have been playing baseball for ten years now and have become a good player for my age. As for basketball, I have been playing for about four years only. But with all of the work and pride I put into being good at basketball, it has become a part of me. Ever since I started playing organized games at the Rec I have fallen in love with the game. That is just like Michael. He loved baseball but basketball was the sport he could not give up because he was so good.

Blog 2: The Crossover

After reading more pages of my book "The Crossover" I ended up finishing the book. As I got more in the book, JB and Josh's dad ended up becoming sick and collapsing three times due to his heart issues. The first time, it was when he was in the house and with their mom. The second time, it was when he was on the phone, and Josh walked in finding him on the floor. The final time was when Josh and his dad were playing a quick game of one on one before their tournament. Josh lost the ball, his dad picked it up and went for the dunk, but before he jumped for the dunk he ended up collapsing. The family ended up going to the hospital. Only problem was, JB was still in love with Miss Sweat Tea and they had to be in the hospital during their championship game. Josh was feeling alone and upset while his dad was in the hospital. One reason as he stated in the book was when he said "I am starting to feel alone without dad here." This clearly proves that Josh was feeling alone as he was by himself while his dad was sick. As the book ended, their father had sadly passed. Their team did end up winning the championship and let JB and Josh keep the trophy. Even though their father had died, they knew that he would want them to continue with their life and to keep playing ball. So although it was hard for all of them, JB, Josh, and their mom continued to live their life of basketball, education and work without forgetting "Da Man."

Throughout the whole book I was able to point out two different conflicts. One conflict was dealing with their dads health issues. Before JB and Josh were born, their dad played basketball in the Euro League across the world. After being noticed by some scouts at a few games, he had been invited by the Lakers to play for their NBA team. That was his favorite NBA team, but he had to deny the offer because it was too dangerous to play. An example is when their mom had told him that she did not want him playing anymore basketball no matter what because of his health problems. That clearly shows that his health issues had stopped him from playing basketball including playing in the big leagues. One final conflict I noticed in the book was JB having a girlfriend. It was just bad all around because he would spend more time with her than his brother or family. Also, he would forget about playing basketball and watch some games in the stands with her rather than being on the court. It was also a big conflict because Josh got jealous easily. In the book, they were just finishing dinner when Josh heard the phone ring. He picked it up and talked with her since she thought he was JB and he ended up liking her. After that was the game he almost broke his brothers nose during one of their games. That clearly proves that JB having a girlfriend was a conflict making Josh jealous.

Tolerance

Tolerance means the ability or willingness to allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not agree with. To me, tolerance means showing care and respecting others for how they are. I can live a more tolerant life by caring and showing respect for others beliefs and how they are. An example would be people with disabilities. Just because they can't learn or do something as easy as we can doesn't mean we can judge them and make fun of them. Instead, we should respect them for who they are because they are still humans.

Blog 1, quarter 4: The Crossover

To start the new quarter I am reading the book "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander. The Crossover is about a kid named Josh Bell and his twin brother Jordan Bell, also called JB, and how they are pretty much the best basketball players in their conference. They both play on the same team and are known as "King of the courts" because their father was a famous basketball player as well. As I read more and more about the book some new things have occurred. JB has been acting different lately ever since he started talking to a girl they call "Ms Sweet Tea." Josh believes that he is spending more time with her and on his phone then with him and his dad while they continue to work on their game everyday. While JB is spending time with a girl, Josh also has something he does off the court as well. It turns out, Josh is also an insane rapper. He writes his own music, sometimes about basketball, and he raps them out loud to himself. His parents and JB see the talent he has and Josh wants to continue rapping and playing basketball. Right now, Josh is jealous of JB and his girlfriend. In fact, he became so jealous that in the middle of one of his games with JB, he beamed the ball right at JB's nose causing him to gush blood and having to go to the hospital. Due to his actions, his mother gave him a harsh punishment and suspended him from the team. His team, the Wildcats, are about to play for the playoffs and Josh's mother still has not decided if she will or will not allow Josh to play in the games.

As soon as I started reading this book I was quickly able to make connections. One way I connect with this book is because Josh loves the game of basketball and has a brother who also loves playing the sport. Just like Josh,  I am in love with basketball and I also have a brother who enjoys playing as well. An example from the story is when Josh says "Me and my brother JB crave the game of basketball and always will." This clearly proves that Josh and JB are brothers who won't back down when it comes to playing this sport. Another way I connect with this story is because one of the brothers wants to go to Duke and play ball there and the other wants to go to North Carolina, the rival college of Duke, to play ball for them. Unbelievably, I baldy want to go to North Carolina and even watch every basketball game of theirs while my brother loves Duke university and also watches them play. Another example from the story is when JB says, "I want to play ball at North Carolina while my brother wants to go to Duke university for his college ball." This clearly states and makes it clear that both of the brothers each want to go to two different colleges to play basketball. One final way I connect with this book is because the main character, Josh, is a rapper. As crazy as it sounds, I too rap and write my own music. The book includes most of his songs and little raps on different pages to show just exactly how Josh is a rapper. I write my lyrics and my notebooks and on my phone. It is like the author wrote a book about my personal life, and that is how I can connect perfectly with this book.

Blog 8: Operation Yes

So far in my book "Operation Yes", Bo has changed his act in school and is becoming more responsible than he ever was before during school. One way he has changed is by volunteering more in class and actually focusing on doing his homework. His parents are pleased and surprised of the new change. While reading the book, an exciting and moving scene moved in. Ms. Loupe assigned a project to send supplies to her brother who is serving in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, her brother has gone missing in action. Bo, his classmates and the rest of the community are now helping Ms Loupe with sending supplies and to make things better. During this process, Bo met new faces and became more social with the people around him because of the new faces he met during the help. Right now, Ms Loupe's brother is still missing, and they are still doing their best to help and make things better. The supplies that were sent were also well appreciated with a thank you letter from those in Afghanistan. Other than these events, that is what has happened lately in my reading of Operation Yes.

While reading more into the book, I can realize a new conflict appearing. At first, the conflict was Bo having to make a change as a student and as a new responsible kid. But now after reading more I can tell there is a new and bigger conflict. The conflict right now in the book is that Ms. Loupe's brother went missing in action in Afghanistan. Serving as part of the army, her brother reportdly went missing during action Understandably, Ms Loupe is upset and very nervous, but she believes that they will find him. As a result to his missing, the whole school and community have volunteered to help out by sending supplies and trying to make things better with some joy being sent to others serving, and Ms Loupe. They are hoping that they find her brother fast and hoping for good results after finding him. So the new conflict in my book "Operation Yes" is that Ms. Loupe's brother has gone missing in Afghanistan after going in action.

Blog 7: Operation Yes

After reading more into my book "Operation Yes" I have read about some newer things. To start, Bo's cousin Gari, who he hasn't seen in two years, is coming to live with him. She is even going to be at the same school with Bo. And you might ask how this all happened. Well Gari's mom is also part of the Air force base and she was spending some time off to be with Gari. Then she ended up receiving a call from the commander and was told that she was needed back at the base. So Gari's mom called Bo's parents, set up arrangements for Gari to stay with them, and now her and Bo are catching up by living together and going to the same school. Bo is also starting to behave and listen more in school which is really impressing his parents. They are even thinking about buying him a gift for his good behavior. He has just been acting different at home ever since Gari has arrived and his parents do not know why. But they are just hoping that his behavior and responsibilities at school keep up throughout the rest of the year.

From reading a few chapters into the book, I think I can tell what the theme it is. The theme has to do with Bo and his responsibilities at home and school, and also his behavior. I think the theme of the book right now is you can always change your character to being a responsible one. I think this is the message of the book right now because of Bo's actions. Before when he was in elementary school, he had a bad behavior at school and at home. But when sixth grade arrived and after his parents had spoken with him, he has been trying really hard and has been focusing on school and behaving. This is important for him because he is no longer getting into trouble and is starting to pass his classes. He is changing his character from a bad one to a good one in a hurry which is hard to do. That is why I think the theme of this story is that you can change your character to be more responsible because it can help you and make you learn an important lesson.

Blog 6: Operation Yes

I started reading a new book called Operation Yes. Operation yes is a book I feel I can connect to already and I am just in the beginning of the book. So far the book introduced the main character, Bo, his mother, Amy, and his father who is an Air Force colonel. Bo has just entered middle school as a new sixth grader. In the past years at school, Bo hasn't behaved at school or gotten good grades which obviously doesn't please his parents. But Bo is looking to change how he acts and how much he cares towards school. He promised his father, who he won't be seeing since he is in the air force, that he would get good grades just for him and to prove that he is a new student. His father agrees and believes he can do so and so does his mother. Bo then promised his mother that he would behave and stay away from trouble during school wether if it's from teachers or other students. Amy does not have a positive feeling on that and neither does his father, but they are trusting Bo. So that is mainly everything they have talked about so far in the book.  I can't wait to read more to tell you how this all continues.

After reading just a few pages in my book I can tell what the conflict is for the main character Bo. The conflict so far is that he has to change and take responsibility as a student since he is now a sixth grader. This is going to be hard for him because in previous years at school, Bo had a bad habit of misbehaving for teachers or other students. He promised his parents that he would also care more about his academics and focus on receiving good grades. This is also going to be hard for Bo because he really slumps when it comes to grades and rarely get's A's and B's. But with his new promise to his parents, he knows that making a change as a new student is going to be important. Not because he needs to grow up and start being more responsible, but because he hasn't seen his father in so long since he is in the Air Force, so promising him something this big is going to have to be a promise he must keep. So basically the conflict for Bo is that he has to change with his behavior and academics as he begins to start middle school as a sixth grader.

Blog 5: Nonfiction book

I am now reading a new nonfiction book called "LeBron James, A basketball Star Who Cares." This book is mainly about the star LeBron and his career playing basketball. The book also talks about his normal life and what he does off the court. An example from the book is when it states "Off the court, LeBron James is known as a fun and upbeat person. When not playing basketball, James enjoys listening to music and watching the New York Yankees baseball team." This clearly proves that as much as LeBron loves playing the sport of basketball and being on the court, he also lives a normal life with friends and family off the court. Since the book is nonfiction is explains specific detail like how he was born in Akron Ohio and how in 2003, he even got drafted to his hometown team the Cleveland Cavaliers. As I wrap up the book in the final few chapters, it is basically about LeBron's historical career playing basketball.

I can connect to this book in a ton of ways. One way I connect with this book is because I grew up watching LeBron when I was a little kid and I wanted to play just like him. I would always cheer for his team and play basketball in my backyard pretending I was him. I even bought a jersey of his back when I was 12. Another way I connect with this book is because I pretty much have the same personalities he does when he is on and off the court. An example is when I am on the court. Just like James, I am a fierce competitor and I will do anything to help my teammates and give us a win. When I am off the court, I enjoy listening to music and watching my main sport, baseball. One final connection I can make is the struggles LeBron had with his mom and brothers growing up. He struggled living in houses and making money to pay for houses making him move to a ton of different places. I connect with this because right now me and my family are struggling to pay for bills and even pay for the house making us move once already. These are the ways I can connect to this nonfiction book about LeBron James.

Blog 4: The Batboy

I have just finished reading my book "The Batboy"! I personally think it was a great book in all. At the end of the book, Hank Bishop's career is coming to a close, but he is still shy of his 500th home run of his career. After one of the games, Brian's mom had decided to invite him over for dinner. Brian felt awkward but then realized that is was pretty much like old times when his dad used to be there. After dinner, Brian showed Hank a video of him earlier in the season and how he was batting before he broke into his horrific slump. As soon as they finished talking over and learning about his mistakes, Hank fixed it and ended up hitting his 500th home run at the game where Brian's mom actually attended. In the final few pages, Brian's little league team also had a big game. It was the game to go to state, and Brian had won the game for them. He hit a walk off home run, making it his first ever home run in little league, and took his team to state. He knew his mom was there, but what he didn't know was that his idol, Hank Bishop was also there. Unlike his father, Hank Bishop was there for Brian as soon as they clicked, and he was there to see his first ever home run. And that is how the story had ended.

After reading the book I think the theme of the book is that there is always someone out there for you. By that I mean that there is always that one special person who is there for you and is always there to have your book. I think this is the theme because throughout the story, Brian was talking about how his father is never there but how Hank is always there when he needs him. An example from the story is when Brian is talking with his mom and says "I feel like Hank is by my side more than dad. I feel like Hank is the one person who has my back." This clearly proves that the theme, someone is always there for you, can be related to what was happening in the book.

Blog 3: The Batboy

After reading a few more chapters in my book, a lot of interesting and surprising things have happened. To start, Brian's dad was  in town, but only for a day because he was scouting for players to take to his team in Japan. This is the first time in forever Brian would actually be with his dad. Brian's dad went going to the Tigers game with a few other scouts, and that meant that he will see how Brian does at his job. At least that is what he thought. When they arrived at the ballpark, all Brian's father did was talk to his former teammates and talk about how he has been. Not once did he do anything with his own son. It got even worse for Brian during the game, because his father did not even look at him once to watch him do his new job for his favorite sport. In the end, Brian's father had left him again without a memory and without spending anytime with his own son.

Reading more into the book it was sort of easy to find the conflict. The conflict for Brian is with his father, who he just saw since his early childhood, and his idol Hank Bishop who is also on the Tigers team. The conflict with his dad is that he is still the way he used to be when Brian was a kid, which is being a stubborn man who only cares for himself. Brian expected his father to show some type of care since it has been so long since they've been together, but nothing changed. The conflict with his idol, Hank Bishop, is that Hank is in need of a child just like Brian which is a kid who loves the sport of baseball. Only problem is, Brian is not to sure about Hank because of his past with the steroid use. So right now Brian is in the middle between his father and his idol Hank Bishop. This would be a man vs man conflict.

First Blog of 3rd quarter: The Batboy

I just started reading the book called "The Batboy" which is a realistic fiction sports book by the famous sports writer Mike Lupica. In the story, the main character Brian is on a little league baseball team which is coming to an end since his team has no chance of making the playoffs in this season. Brian also has become upset at the fact that his father, Cole Dudley, who also pitches for a major league baseball team, left him and his mother without filing for divorce. But Brian still is focused on baseball. I can connect to this story in a few ways. To start, I have been playing baseball since the year of 2005, when I was five years old.

I also had a family member who played professional baseball, and my parents always say that is the reason I am a good baseball player. Another way I can connect to this story is because I  played little league for 7 years straight until I got to old to play. My final team of little league that I had played on was the team that almost made it to the little league world series, which airs on live television, but lost the final game before making it there. And one final connection I have from this story is the love of the game I have for this sport. Just like Brian, I could play and watch baseball all day and everyday. It does not matter who I play the game with or how I play the game, I just love playing. It could be in the streets with friends or on a real organized team. Either way, I take the game serious with harsh competition in me just because I enjoy winning and playing the sport of baseball. Those are the ways I connect to this book.

The Batboy: 1/18/14

I am reading the baseball sports book called "The BatBoy" by Mike Lupica. So far in the book, the main character Brian is a fourteen year old teen who loves to play the sport of baseball. His little league season just ended and he cannot wait to get back on the field. That was until he got a call from the major league team of the Detroit Tigers. The tigers wanted Brian to be a part of the tigers organization by being the batboy. Brian was excited because he would be able to sit right next to his famous baseball idols, and because this would be a chance to win his father back who before left Brian and his mom because of baseball.

Now Brian sees this as a big opportunity for himself and the family, and understands how important this job is. So while he is doing his best to keep up the good work at school to be a batboy, and helping his mom around the house, he is still upset to tell himself that he is Cole Dudley's son. But he is going to try and get his father back. And the only way to do that is by continuing to be a batboy. Even if that means leaving his mother to go with the team on their far road trips.

Goal Setting

While I am in school, I want to achieve at it and the way I know how to achieve it is by having a goal. I call this an academic goal. My academic goal is to pass all my classes and graduate from eighth grade. I want to achieve this goal because I think it is important to pass classes and graduate because that is pretty much how your future starts. If I do not graduate, then I will not make it to high school and that is where I can prove to everyone that I continue to play baseball and basketball as I grow older.

I love playing baseball and basketball. Besides family, god and school, those are the two important things in my life. In order to prove to myself I continue to play, I have to set my goals. My goals for baseball and basketball is to keep playing through high school and college, and make the NBA and MLB. These are important to me because these are the next big steps to playing these sports, and where everyone watches you play. A basketball player named Kyrie Irving once wrote his personal goals in a notebook when he was little. One of his goals was to make it to the NBA. And now he is there, and he still writes his goals on his phone. But that is why I write my goals for basketball and baseball, because I can achieve them and follow my dreams.