Recently I read a Non Fiction book called SoccerNomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski, it teaches a lot of helpful tools but also teaches you a valuable lesson to keep your calm when your in a important situation. In this book it was about keeping cool in a soccer match but I think this revolves around a issue besides sports. I think that anyone can read this book whether a soccer player or not. Because every one can a valuable lesson on how to keep your cool. I think Simon and Stefan did a great job making this interesting for soccer but also for people who may not be involved in soccer but want to learn a lesson.

     One part in the book teaches you how to keep cool in a penalty shootout, this really made me think about the incident that you are in when you are actually taking the penalty because your in such a large environment that just the sounds could eat you up and make you choke. In the book it gives an example of a very famous soccer player John Terry slipping under pressure, literally slipping. When he walked up to the penalty spot he was under so much pressure that when he went for the shot he slipped and fell which caused his team to loose.

     This lesson actually relates to my picture book. In my book Welly is being picked on by some bully's and he is screaming for his best friend Gus to help him. But Gus just froze under pressure, this happens a lot in different situations and this book really shows you the situations that it can happen to you in. This book has helped me become more strategic because now I know how to keep me cool in a penalty shootout which could also connect to life situations.

     Overall this was a really intriguing book and anyone who wants to learn about keeping cool should not be intimidated be the title because even though there is a lot of soccer facts in this book it could be helpful to anyone of any age.

     Currently I am reading the book Glass Castle by Jennete Walls and I really love it. I am not positive what the message is yet because I am only about half way through the book. At times the book can be sort of tricky and misleading but that just cause you to be even more interested every time you read. The book is a bout a family who is homeless, they have 4 kids and are constantly are being chased down by the government. About every month they pack their things, get in their van and pack up for a new location where they find a new house.

     The dad of this family is a complex inventor, I would say he is the leader of his family and kind of orders them around on his demands. He has a very strong bond with his second daughter Jennete. They are always constantly building things together. The father has only one problem that he is a drug addict which sometimes causes a lot of havoc in the family. The children have learned a valuable lesson that you should be happy with what you have, a lesson everybody needs to learn. These kids know the circumstances that they are in so they have been taught to be happy with what they have. I think this is also why all the kids have learned to be so inventive because if you cant have something then why not invent it.

     A lot of people in the world are very greedy, a problem that is trying to be pointed out in this story. Because this family lives a very hard life and so do many other people in the real world. So when we cant get a toy or a shoe think about all the other people that would die for just maybe a sip of water. Some people cant see the real world and think that they have it easy going in their own home thriving off of their parents and this book is trying to say that you should buckle up for when you grow up because its not going to be easy.

   

     I chose the song Home by Phillip Phillips because it is extremely inspirational. The words encourage people to not give up and keep pushing forward. He really gets the point out that someone will always make you comfortable and be there throughout the tough journey. This song was also used in the London Olympics which is a very good pick, because if the athletes hear this song it will motivate them to keep battling and if they get knocked down then get back up. Phillip Phillips was also the winner of American Idol and sang his famous song on New Years Eve. I think everyone could learn a few things like how to believe in yourself.

      In Home a line that really stands out to me is when he says " The trouble it might drag you down, if you get lost you can always be found." I think this is probably the strongest line in this song. Its basically saying that if your struggling at something then you can always regain yourself. This could also help the Olympic contestants, because if they didn't do their best at one part of the competition then it would push them forward to do better next time. Another strong part is when he says "settle down it will all be clear, don't pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear" this kind of telling people not to pay attention to the people that don't believe in you, just cross them out of your mind.

     Not only does this relate to the Olympics but to real life as well. If you were ever made fun of then what the song is saying is that you should ignore them because all they do is put you down. This connects to the Olympics because for all of the contestants there are a lot of critics for the competitors and often they see newspapers or articles that could offend them or put them down in anyway. Another way that you could describe this song is if you get knocked down then you should prove critics wrong by getting back up.  Which is why in the chorus he says " I'm going to make this place your home."

     Overall this song means a lot to me and I'm sure a lot of other people, it can help regain self esteem and build up confidence as well.

   

    I just started reading the Book Looking for Alaska, I am predicting that it is going to be a very dramatic book. The main character Miles seems like he is kind of lonely and is in need of company. Miles just went to boarding school and had a dramatic exit with his parents. He has a new roommate who walks in while Miles was in the shower so it was not the best greeting. I think that Miles might be in a depressed stage because he seems like he is really not happy with his life and wanted to desperately get away from his parents so I hope that Miles does not end up wanting to commit suicide.

     When Miles first got to his cabin he imagined talking to a person. This made me feel like he just wanted to be popular. I think that maybe Miles will meet someone in camp that he will love so much that he will become happy and not feel like he has no place anywhere. This could be Chip but personally I think that this character will be released more halfway through the book. I think Miles thought that he had too much of an easy life at home where he was cherished by his parents so he felt like he needed to got out on his own and explore and also follow in his dads footstep by going to boarding school.

     I have not personally had a situation where i have wanted to desperately be part of a group, but i know someone who has and I have definitely seen the affect over the years. This person had a lot of confidence but was not rude about. Now he is more stubborn about it and he wants to show off and be funny. I think if you have talents then you could brag if you're desperate for attention but keep it to a minimum, because then people will not want to talk to you anymore because all you would talk about is your talent. I think Miles might try to lie about it. I think Chip might ask him if he plays any sports and Miles will lie and brag about his fake football career.

     In conclusion I think this is going to be a great a book and it has already gotten me interested. I hope Miles does not become conceded and just keeps calm and be himself which could be a lesson for everyone who reads the book.

     When I was reading the article Up Front, there was a main passage about minorities, it really got me thinking and interested in the topic. In the passage there was this one girl named Jessica. She went to a school which was for the most part Hispanic and she quoted her self saying " I felt normal". Soon after Jessica said this she found herself having to be moved to another state. When she entered her new school she felt not included and almost out of the picture. This proving that it could be tough moving to another school and also mixing with other races.

     In my school i feel like everyone is included and that it does not matter what race you are, either way you are accepted. I think being a minority would feel completely awful because you would have no friends and would have to struggle through the same routine every single day. I think that if I was in this situation i would want to go back to my home where i would have friends and loved ones. But overall all of the races are equal and know one should ever have the horrible feeling of being a minority.

     I think that in this article they make a very good point out to children that they should always welcome in new kids and never think of someone as a minority or smaller than you because that could make someone so hurt. And to be honest racism should not be happening every one should be working and collaborating to make a better society. So i thought this article had a really nice meaning and can send a very good message out to everyone.

Exit Here by Jason Myers

     Exit Here by Jason Myers so far has been a great book. The main character Travis is loaded with issues in his life. He went on a trip to Hawaii and has returned back much different then he was before. Before he went to Hawaii he was much more daring and willing to do anything. His girlfriend Laura has not seen him since when he first left. This is a connection from Jason Myers first book, Mission. But Travis's main problem is his friends and family.

      Travis' family does not seem like they would own such a kid like Travis. His sister is much like him though. Him and his sister share the same kind of life style i which they are both involved with drugs and drink way to much. Now Travis, family is absolutely nothing like that. They are rich and wear fancy clothing and like to go to expensive restaurants. I think that Travis is a little bit insecure and feels like he is not living up to his father expectations. So that's why i think that he was different when he came back from his trip, because he wanted to impress his dad.

     Travis also has many issues with his friends, they have never been very loyal to him and are even worse then Travis. His friends have been put in jail before. This is part of the reason i think Travis left. Travis girlfriend Laura was bot talked to on his trip, so i think that Travis was really worried about her because he left very abruptly without a real goodbye. Over this book is coming to its climax and has turned out to be very dramatic.

Mission by Jason Myers

     In Mission by Jason Myers the main character Kaden faces many problems as he travels to San Fransisco.  He is going to San Fransisco to see his cousin James Morgan who he has never once met in his life. His parents have warned him about James' problems like drug addictions. Kaden did not get scared and he was still very excited to go see his cousin but in the near future Kaden gets very fed up with James. James is also a famous author in his area, so he is very stuck up about himself and thinks that he is the best author and can do whatever he wants.

     Kaden's biggest mountain is that his older brother Kenny died in a war in Afghanistan. His brother was like a mentor to him. He was depressed about his death but he was handling it well until he went to San Fransisco. Once he gets on the plane he gets out the letter Kenny sent him right before he passed away. When Kaden reads the letter it reminds him of right before Kenny gets in his car to drive, and Kenny gave Kaden his favorite Cubs hat that he had got at a game when he was just a little boy. This touched Kaden so much.

     Once Kaden is settled in San Fransisco with James, James tells him that really his father was calling Kenny a coward for not being a man and not trying new things. So Kenny felt obligated to go to war. Kaden got very annoyed because how he saw it was that his father basically killed Kenny for making him go fight in war, so James tried to settle him down.

      This is also a very frequent issue in real life. People lose loved ones to different varieties of death every day, it is probably worst feeling you could ever have. This has never happened to me with a person but with an animal. A couple of years ago my cat died on Christmas eve and then my dog on my dads birthday. Losing someone loved is horrible.