Last Summer Entry

The reason I chose the book Monster over other books was due to the brief explanation on the back. I chose to read it because I can connect to be accused of something, when it wasn’t me, then I have to convince the person who is accusing why I wouldn’t do it. Anyone can connect to this, because it happens daily. If I had to recommend this to someone, I would recommend it to someone struggling at a certain time in their life, one who may be accused more than someone else, or to one who feels like they are being attacked by accusations. I target these people because they will easily be able to connect to Steve.

Summer Entry 3

A place in the book Monster that really grabbed my attention was on page 108 during Steve’s “Saturday, July 11^th” journal entry. In it his states “Everybody in here either talks about sex or hurting somebody or what they’re in here for. That’s all they think about and that’s what’s on my mind, too. What did I do? I walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, and then I walked out. What was wrong with that? I didn’t kill Mr. Nesbitt. Sunset said he committed [his] crime. Isn’t that what being guilty is all about? You actually do something? You pick up a gun and you point it across a small space and pull a trigger? You grab the purse and run screaming down the street? Maybe, even, you buy some baseball cards that you think were stolen?” ( Myers 108) This hooks me into the book because it shows how Steve feels about the situation, and gets me to take Steve’s side.  Steve is trying to support his case by sharing that everyone in jail is there for serious things, and how he is being accused of murder when all he did was walk in, buy mints, and leave.

Summer Reading Entry 2

The main character in the book Monster by author Walter Dean Myers is Steve Harmon. Steve being a normal individual, wants a lot of things but, the question is will he get what he wants?  In this book he is put on trial for murder, so it is fair to say the biggest thing he wants is to be proven innocent.  Another big desire Steve has is to be free, and not spend his life behind bars for something he didn’t do. Although Bobo is his friend he wants him to be thrown in jail, since he was the one who murdered the guy that Steve is being accused of killing. Everyone can connect to this because no one wants to be accused or get in trouble for something they didn’t do. The book Monster is structured like the show Law and Order, there is an investigation going on, and someone gets accused of something they didn’t do, until the end when they finally find out it was someone else. Steve being the guy that is accused of the crime at first, but Bobo was the actual suspect. It’s fair to say the themes of this book are the want/desire to be free, and the want/desire to not be accused.

Summer Reading Part 1

I chose to read the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Steve Harmon, the main character of this story is a sixteen year old who was put on trial for murder. In the book Monster, the conflict is the main character; Steve is trying to prove he is innocent. Another point that I think should be stated is the fact that Steve will have to deal with going to jail for the rest of his life if he is found guilty. This book takes place mainly in the courthouse, but also in the jail where he has to stay until the trial is over. I feel like I could make a connection to this to when I make a bad choice, I have to deal with it for the rest of my life, and can’t take it back no matter how hard I try. Another connection I make to this book is the show Cops because you get to see how bad jail is, and how that lifestyle is awful, and you shouldn’t ever be a part of it. I predict Steve will be found guilty and will be in prison for life, but be very sorry and mad at himself for committing murder.

Final Blogging Assessment in English 1B

My best blog was “About Les Steckel.” In this blog I used elevated diction. An example is when I use the word “accomplished.” This is elevated because it sounds more professional than using the word complete. In this post I use medium length sentences which leave the reader with a good impression because, they are not too long but not too short. In this sentence, “One thing that you will find in this man that one might not find in other of the same background is his love for God,” it explains his love for God without explaining too much about it.

                Over this long trimester I have accomplished my goal. My goal was to complete all of my blogs with proper grammar and before the due date so I wouldn’t procrastinate. I have made my goal by having better grammar and by having all my blogs done on time.

Review of "All Things Possible"

After completing the book "All Things Possible" by Kurt Warner I would give the book a 5 out of 5 stars. I gave it a 5 out of 5 because he made his points clear. He puts all the events in chronological order, and made everything easy to understand. I love how he looks to Christ to help him fight through his struggles; he is NEVER ALONE! This was a very easy read and very easy to understand. I also think it is great that he has created his own orginization to encourage and spread the word of Christianity whether it's through athletics, fundraisers, or simply the spread by mouth. Kurt Warner is one of my big inspiration and I look up to him because of how he lives his, well that and to boot he is one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time.

Summary of "All Things Possible"

The book "All Things Possible" is about the remarkable story of former NFL Quarterback Kurt Warner. Throughout Kurt Warner's life he had been doubted but he didn't let that stop him. Kurt somehow managed to become a very successful quarterback despite being undrafted and being underestimated in his collegiate and high school career. This show's the story of all the hardships Kurt faced, along with the obstacles he faced in his private life. Kurt covers three key points in this book; his faith, his football career, and his relationship with Brenda. Kurt's story is like a puzzle piece, you have to put it together piece by piece in order to reach success. His story is based on how he succeeded because of his faith which he had never really found until he met his future-wife Brenda.

Can You Spot A Pattern?

If you can't tell there is a pattern in my book choice. Both "One Yard Short" and "All Things Possible" are books written by former players and coaches, in this case both NFL related. Both of these stories are about the author's life story and how they have overcome their stuggles. One of the biggest things you will see in both of these is how both Les Steckel and Kurt Warner look to faith(Christianity) to help them persevere. Now both men who were already very accomplished are presidents of their orginizations; which encourage the use of athletics to promote faith and how anything can be overcome when you have faith. The reason this is a big topic for me is because at one point I was struggling and I looked to God for help. Now for the past three or four months I have been at Church every Sunday unlike the rest of my life where I have been very inconsistant about going to Church. This book grab my attention because I can share similar experiences, just at a bit smaller scale.

About Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner was a former NFL quarterback who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals. He has won the "Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year," along with many other awards. After his playing career his wife and him decided to start their own foundation called "First Things First Foundation." The goal of this foundation is to promote the thought of everything can be overcome if you seek "first things first," and to promote Christian values. Kurt is where he is today and had the success he wished for because he believed and never gave up.

All Things Possible

After I read “One Yard Short” by Les Steckel I started the book “All Things Possible” by Kurt Warner. I found this book through Goodreads. The reason I chose to read this book is because it is similar to “One Yard Short.” The reason I was so interested in this book is because it is the story of one of the most known quarterbacks in NFL history; Kurt Warner. Once again this book is about Kurt Warner’s story and how he turned to faith to rocket himself to become the MVP and win the Superbowl. The title also intrigued me to read this book. Have you ever just said something to yourself or read something and was instantly hooked? That was me, the title really caught my attention and had me thinking.

Review of One Yard Short

After reading the book “One Yard Short” by Les Steckel I would give it 5 out of 5 stars. This book was absolutely phenomenal and for sure had an impact on me. I can guarantee one thing this book didn’t fall one yard short of my hands. One lesson I took away from this book is throughout life there will be many curves thrown at you but its how you pick yourself up that will determine the future. No matter what it is, whether it is a death of someone close, the loss of a job, or just simply a mistake you wish could take back, as long as you look to god to help you get through it you will persevere! I recommend this book to anyone facing any hard times, struggles, or someone who just needs a reality check. This book is definitely for you!

About Les Steckel

Author and former Coach Les Steckel is an insanely good guy and very accomplished man. From being a Golden Gloves boxing champion, to being a US Marine Corps infantry officer in the Vietnam War, from coaching college and NFL teams to finally becoming the President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Les Steckel is truly an inspiration and a true hero. One thing that you will find in this man that one might not find in other of the same background is his love for God. He is a real “Christian.” With experiencing many different careers he must keep one focus and to him his focus is on what Jesus did for us and what he did on the cross. It isn’t just what Jesus did for us but it is also that no matter what God is always in control.

            Many of you may not know what the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is. The FCA is an organization whose goal is to use athletics to spread the word of god. Les Steckel became the seventh president of this organization. During his NFL coaching career he led bible studies and was also a guest speaker for the FCA working at the football camps they held.

One Reason I Like This Book

One of the main reasons I like the book “One Yard Short” by Coach Les Steckel is because even through all of his struggles he is always able to persevere. No matter what it takes he is always able to fight through it and come out on top. But what I love the most about Les Steckel is when he is thrown a curve he looks to God to help him overcome it. And trust me it’s not like he has only been faced with one hardship. Les Steckel has been fired 8 separate times and when he was offered another coaching job he declined it because his son wanted to finish his senior year at the school he started at. The fact he does what his family wants and needs, and not what he wants is remarkable.

One Yard Short- Why I Chose This?

                I chose the book “One Yard Short” by Les Steckel. I do not like reading so for me to read a book is awesome. I am a very picky reader and only like certain types of books. If I read a book it has to be either about sports, or a real life story. So the reason I chose this book was because it is about both.

                When I picked up this book it looked and sounded very good. I know the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” well let’s just put it this way, I’m guilty! I did judge this book by the cover but I guess I did a good job. I was intrigued by the title and the picture. But when I turned the book over I was only that much more pulled in. The summary of the book sparked my mind. This book was written by Les Steckel; who was coach at the time of the play that was “One Yard Short.” The book is about his real-life struggle and how he got through it.

Krista Ramsey

Dorothy Johnson, 53, passed away on March 6 but her funeral arrangements are still being postponed. Dorothy had made her youngest son the beneficiary and he is only 16, so now the family is battling the law to say goodbye. To check out more about this tragic story, Click Here.

The best line in this article is in the 5^th paragraph. “When that happened, it plunged the family into not only grief and shock, but a legal nightmare of not being able to provide a funeral service or to say their final good-byes.” This line standouts to me the most because it shows how much the government is involved and how they won’t even provide the family with money to have a funeral and burial service for their mother.  The style of this article is casual. This is casual because it is any easy read, nothing is elevated, and doesn’t show a view point.

·         Three questions I’d ask…  

o   How did you approach the kids?

o   Was it hard writing about this subject?

o   Do you get to choose what you write about?

Heat-main character characteristics

Michael Arroyo is a 12-year-old boy with big dreams, especially for a poor Cuban refugee. He dreams of pitching in the Little League World Series and ultimately of playing in the major leagues like El Grande, his hero and fellow Cuban immigrant. 

Micheal arroyo is a very brave kid for his age and what he has go through just to play baseball and be there for his family

Heat summary

Heat is based on a fourteen year old's life in hiding. Michael Arroyo is adjusting to life without his dad, who died in May. Life without a dad is hard because you have to live with the grief, the worry, and the stress; you also have to live without the care having a dad brings. He has to hide from “official persons” such as police, children services people, etc., because if they find out that he and his brother are living alone, then they will be sent back to Cuba or separated.

Readers will most likely be unable to set the book down once they get started. This book will keep readers on the edge of their seat, and they will wonder about what will happen to Michael Arroyo and his brother Carlos.

Beginning Heat

Now I am reading a book called "heat" by Mike lupica . It starts off with micheal that lives in the hard streets of the Bronx in New York. In the first chapter micheal was at a New York Yankee game and he saw some guy steal a women's purse and he stopped him by throwing his heater with a Baseball at him and he fell and the cops took him to jail.

I think micheal arroyo knows that he has a gift of a really fast fast ball and he needs to use that for playing baseball for his team to show what he has to make his team go far.

Plot blind side

Michael Oher was living on the streets when he was welcomed into the home of a conservative suburban family, but over time he matured into a talented athlete. As the NFL draft approaches, fans and sports radio personalities alike speculate that Oher will be the hottest pick of the year. 

I think the the plot in the book it was really well written too. In the whole book there was suspense every page of the book  there were a lot of surprises of what the characters decide on doing. It's probably one of my favorite books to read.

Blind side Sean tuhey

In the book Sean tuhey (the new father of micheal oher) was a really nice guy in the book he shows a lot of things like being humble and  he shows a lot of care to people especially to micheal oher to share his wealth

Sean Tuhey did a lot of for micheal oher, he payed his tuition on for his hich school and college tuition he also  took care of him when he had no food home or any one just to look after him. The whole family impacted his whole life to become successful

Blind side Micheal oher

In the book, The Blind Side, Michael Oher’s character experiences many changes. Throughout the film, he grows from a shy, uneducated boy into a young man who belongs to a family. The film begins with Oher as a homeless youth struggling to find a place to sleep. It progresses with Oher’s future.

Micheal oher is a very strong and courageous chararater in the story this makes the novel more surprising and just a really good book to read it makes me want to flip page over and over

Reflection

 

My blog that shows my best work is my post on ‘The Blind Side’ by Michael Lewis. This blog shows the summary and main points of the book, along with my opinion on it. The link to this post is http://nicreinertsensreadingblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-blind-side.html

 

 

 

Next trimester I want to get better at work completion and become less of a procrastinator. I will spend more time reading instead of just staring at the page and will put effort into blogging. To achieve these goals I will focus mainly on work needed to be done and try not to work ahead.

Blind Side

The book I just finished was "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis. This story is by far one of my favorite books of all time. The reason I love this story is it is so inspiring and shows how anything can be achieved through dedication. The Blind Side is a true example of hard work, and dignity.

 

A kid with a dream but almost no chance at success overcomes the impossible. Michael Oher grew up in a bad place with no parents. What seemed impossible turned to a reality when "Big Mike" was adopted and raised by a great family. Through the ups and the downs, this man-child overcame his struggles. After putting in hard work Michael found his way to the top and was recruited by the University of Mississippi. Now Michael Oher, the kid who went through hell and back is playing professional football for the Baltimore Ravens.

Seventeen year old micheal oher, an extremely large, physically imposing black youth, grew up in the projects in Memphis. He no longer lives with his drug addicted mother, but is in foster care when he isn't running away to sleep wherever else he can find.

Now he lives with his uncle for awile and his uncle is a machanic and hes trying to get him into a very hich class christian school which is called  Briarcrest Christian School with his size alot of coaches at that school were looking at him and saying basically we need him to go to our school.

Summer Reading Reflection

                The book I chose to read for my summer reading project was “One Shot at Forever” by Chris Ballard. This book was about the “Macon Ironmen” who achieved a so called miracle season under their new head coach. The Ironmen led by new coach Lynn Sweet, pulled off through an unbelievable journey and made it to the state championship. The best thing about this journey is how close one town can get through sports.