Have you ever read the book Ophelia and the Marvelous boy? I know I have. It’s about a girl named Ophelia who helps a boy escape from behind a locked door and defeat the snow queen. I believe the theme is perseverance.

I believe the theme is perseverance. I think that because Ophelia keeps going even though she is scared, for example when she had to go to the cabinet to get the first key she was scared at first but then she persevered through her fear. In the book it talked about the crisp cold of the air in the room. I know that she persevered because she told herself she wanted to turn back but she kept going.

I believe the theme is perseverance. I think that because the marvelous boy kept persevering through all the long years he was locked up he kept trying to get Ophelia to help him. In the book it talks about them staring at each other through the keyhole when he asked Ophelia to help him she said no but when he told her where the first key was she did it any way I think that was worth the perseverance. That is what perseverance is for!

I believe the theme of this book is perseverance. I think that because Ophelia persevered through everything. In the text when she goes to the museum early in the morning with her father she puts her hat underneath her pillow so it looks like she’s sleeping and goes to visit the marvelous boy.

That is why I think the theme is perseverance.

Why I chose the book Ophelia and the Marvelous boy

I feel Ophelia and the marvelous boy has a great potential it can improve in some ways but it is very inspirational because it proves that people with Asthma can do anything! I also chose this book because it has a good story it could use more details but otherwise the story line is good. An example of when it could use more details is when they describe rooms I love to hear what color the walls are what the flooring is and is there any pictures or paintings, does it have any furniture? A lot of authors struggle with small details in rooms but even small details are important. I also feel that the ending could use some work because it ended really quickly with no details maybe slow it down. But Ophelia and the Marvelous boy is one of the best books I’ve ever read.

 

Writing came natural to Mary Garber so she set her sights on becoming a news reporter. Opportunities were scarce, but then she got a job at the Twin City Sentinel as a society reporter. She didn’t enjoy writing about social events very much but then Mary got her big break  when the last male sports reporter from her paper was drafted during World War II. Mary was asked to take over the sports section and she worked hard to keep the pages filled. She encountered her first of many challenges while covering a college football game when there wasn’t a program listing the names of players. A spectator saw her struggling and decided to help her. Another time was when she couldn’t go into the press box because only men were allowed and she was forced to sit with the coach's wives until the newspaper editor complained.

           I can relate this book to the movie Star Wars because throughout the movie they overcame a challenge by successfully destroying the death star. They did this by coming up with a strategic plan and working together as a team. They had to take into account that when the death star was to explode, they weren't still in the region of the explosion. Not only this, they had to stay in cover from The Empire and not be seen. In Miss Mary Reporting, Mary had to face her challenges and solve them alone, whereas in Star Wars they were able to work as a team and solve a challenge together. These two texts are great examples of how challenges can be overcome with either a group of people or just by yourself. 

“What can be learned in the face of challenge”. In the book Miss Mary Reporting one of the challenges is, when she didn’t know the names of the players but someone helped her. Another challenge was when she had to sew up the basketball player’s shorts because they were torn and the coach insisted she fixed them. One more challenge was when Mary had to wait outside of the locker room for the players so she could interview them. Mary had persevered when she met all of those challenges. 

In conclusion I think “what can be learned in the face of challenge” is to not give up when something seems hard to do. Also I think the author is trying to say to do your best at everything because In the book Miss Mary Reporting Mary inspired people to do their best because then they might get in Mary’s report. I think this book is an example of why it’s good to persevere. Mary was determined to write about sports because she thought that she could make a change. Mary made a change by helping the women's rights act in her own way. 

I wanted to write about this book because it shows examples of courage and determination.

      The book Lighting Thief is written by the epic author, Rick Riordan. The main character is Percy Jackson. Some of his struggles are finding his father and staying out of trouble. After reading this book, I see Percy is a brave and a kind person,and not greedy to get what he wants.

           

      One of the places Percy tries to find his dad is camp Half- Blood. Camp Half-Blood is a place where Percy tries to learn about his father and does some pretty cool stuff. Some of the cool stuff he does is play capture the flag with weapons and meeting other gods’ or goddesses' kids. Percy meets Luke at Camp Half Blood. Luke is the son of Hermès.

     Before all of that, Percy was a troublemaking sixth grade student. He goes on a field trip to learn about Greece and tries to learn who and where his father is. He finds gods and goddesses along his way to his destiny. He saw Cupid and Ares and Hades. 

     While he’s trying to find his destiny, he’s blamed for stealing Zeus’ lightning bolt! He tries to convince the gods that he did not steal Zeus's lightning bolt. He finds out that he has to go to the underworld to find his mother, who has been kidnapped by Hades, the god of the underworld. Percy makes his way to clear his name from stealing Zeus's lightning bolt and hopefully finds out who’s father is in where he is now.

      He is brave and kind because he would do anything to save anybody. The lesson is to always try, even when times are tough. Do you like fast paced adventures, this book is for you. This is why I think Percy is brave and very kind.

 She had lots of problems but she still made it through the trials with an unexpected outcome at the show trial.Earlier in the book she said,"her heart sank. She didn’t have a Hope. How could she compete with all of the others. I think that morrigan should  have had a better mindset toward her problems but she always prepares for challenges. In the text she has many worries especially about the first trial. From meeting Ezra squall also known as the most evil wundersmith in history to running through a graveyard with zombies she always made it through

         In the text morrigan also faces a lot of her fears through the beginning to the end of the story. An example is when she cheats her death. She was very scared when this happened and was very confused when Jupiter North came to her house and Saved her from the hunt of smoke and shadow. Morrigan had to face her fears. Juipiter took her in his crazy mechanical spider to a place where she was safe from the hunt of smoke and shadow. Another example is when she confronted Ezra squall who was a dark and magical person with evil abilities also known as a wundersmith. He knew morrigan was special. And wanted to make her one of him. But when Morrigan confronts her fear she refuses to do what Ezra Squall says. She uses her light against his dark and faces her fears. A quote from the story that connects to this is “he held out his hand to her. While a train whistled in the distance. I’ll never go anywhere with you, she said. I think this shows that Morrigan will stand up for herself when she is scared.

         In the story Morrigan also has to deal with other people putting her down because she came from the free state and she had different abilities than others. An Example of this is when Another society member with a patent for the upcoming trials for unit 919 named Baz Charlton set up the police to try and get Morrigan out of Nevermoor since she didn’t have the right papers to get into Nevermoor. He wanted to get her out of Nevermoor because he knew there was something special about her that meant bad news for him and his patron. Also his patron Noelle was always trying to make Morrigan feel bad that she wasn’t in Nevermoor legally and made everyone think Morrigan was a bad person. Morrigan ignored her and made a friend of her own that didn’t make her feel bad about herself at all. A quote from the story that connected to this is “Morrigan took a sip of punch. Baz Charlton's words ringing in her ears. The elders don’t go for the mean-looking ones. Don't listen to him, said Juipiter.”

This quote made me think that Morrigan had people watching her back like Juipiter but she also had to deal with a lot by herself 

         As you can see Morrigan went through many challenges throughout the story. She had her ups and downs but she still made It through. From this book I learned that through tough times there is always a way to get through it all. This also relates to the real world especially at this time. No matter how tough the challenge is you can still get through it. So next time you have a challenge think about this essay. 

By:Keanan Davis

     When I read the book, “Knock, Knock” by Daniel Beaty I felt sad for the son.  He looked forward to seeing his dad every morning and they played their game of “knock knock”. These were memories that he could have his whole life. His dad went to prison and the boy did not know what happened when his dad was not there in the morning anymore. The boy had to do things and learn things on his own instead of having his dad teach him. The boy thought he needed his dad to do everything everyday but the lesson he learned was that he didn’t need his dad. He could do stuff on his own and still be a success in his life. I feel the letter he got told him he had all the right stuff inside of him to become a good man on his own. This means to me that he would grow to be a strong smart man on his own and make his own choices. He needs to be better than his dad and make himself proud.  Not the way his dad did by making bad choices and not making his son proud with those choices.  

     In this book the boy made great memories with his dad every morning. He received a hug and nice words everyday from his dad. This is something he will always remember through his life. “And my papa, he tells me, “ I love you.” We share a game… KNOCK KNOCK.” This part of his day was super special to him. He felt on top of the world and super loved. It made him feel like he could do anything. I think this would help him if he had problems growing up as a black boy. 

    The boy did not have his father around anymore to help him learn how to do older boy stuff. Only a dad can teach that or that’s what I thought before reading this. He wrote his dad a letter and said, “Papa, come home, ‘cause there are things I don’t know, and when I get older I thought you could teach me how to dribble a ball, how to shave…”. “Papa come home, ‘cause I want to be just like you, but I’m forgetting who you are”.  I think this was really sad because the boy felt alone and felt like he was forgetting his dad and was scared to do things on his own.  He had not realized yet that he was smart and brave and could do all these things without papa. 

     The boy in this book was going to be fine without his dad. He would learn to do things because it is part of life. He was stronger than he thought. His papa wrote more in the letter that told the boy how he could get through life.  He described how to shave and be a good man. I think the most important part was when he wrote, “No longer will I be there to knock on your door, so you must learn to knock for yourself. KNOCK, KNOCK down the doors that I could not.  KNOCK KNOCK to open new doors to your dreams.”  When the young boy read this I think he felt he had to be strong for his dad and for himself. The boy always waited for his papa but now since he can’t wait for him anymore he has to do things by himself.  

     I want to end this paper by saying I was wrong in my beginning when I said I was sad for the boy. I should have said I am sad he doesn’t have his dad around but I am happy that this happened to him. He learned through his life to “knock, knock” for himself. He made his own choices and learned how to do things on his own and became a great man. He did not need to follow in his dad’s footsteps to be who he is today. Being afraid of being without his dad made him stronger and made him put bad memories of being without a dad in the back of his mind.  This book made me realize we all can be the best person we try to be through the choices we make and we all are capable of leading a great path in life with or without the help of others!!

     

By: Dominic Wetzel

     Essential Question: what lessons can be learned in the face of a challenge? I believe that there could be many lessons learned in the face of a challenge. To support this I’ll use the book Boycott Blues.

     One example is about perseverance in the story. The black protesters decided not to use the bus, even though it was extremely tempting. If they did, then it would take even longer to get equal rights. In the text it said“on December 5, 1955,The black people in town stopped riding city buses.” And it also say in the book “ I November 13, 1956, when the Supreme Court struck down segregation laws“. So it took the black people basically are you to get the rights that they deserved.

     Another example of what lessons can be learned in the face of a challenge small things can make a big difference. By just high fiving a person, it can make them feel included. Sadly it can also work negatively. In the book Boycott Blues Rosa Parks sat up front and she got arrested for it. It seems like such a small thing to get arrested for. Back then the Police officers enforced the law harder on black people than whites.

     My last example of what lessons can be learned in the face of a challenge is that the boycotters had to learn to be patient. Thay had to be patient and persevere to fight through the Jim Crow laws. Even though it took over a year of not using the bus, it gave them a lead on equal rights. If I was in their place I would be really frustrated because of the Jim Crow laws.

     In conclusion there were three main ways to understand what lessons can be learned in the face of a challenge in the book Boycott Blues. The first was perseverance. also talked about how small things can make a big difference. The last one I talked about was being patient. I personally experienced perseverance when I first went snowboarding. The first time I went I wanted to give up. But the second time when I got to go with my big brother. I really wanted to go because my big brother was going to go down really big hills and I wanted to do it too. Fight falling away I still got up and persevered through it and ended up being a decent snowboarder. 

  Are you into history? Well let me tell you that people were treated unfairly because of their skin tone until 1964. Crazy right?, It’s called segregation. Basically whites and African Americans had to use separate everything including schools, bubblers, etc. it got so bad African Americans even made up their own names for these unfair laws, they called them “Jim Crow laws.” I learned all about “Jim Crow laws” from the book Boycott Blues by: Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney. 

  

    When I first read the book Boycott Blues by: Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney thought it was only about boycotting but now as I reread it, I realize that it was really also about unfair “Jim Crow laws.” To many people this text seems to be about segregation. That makes sense because the book was based on that time. But to me, the text is about everyone being treated equally no matter what, also known as equal rights. The text teaches readers that when times seem dull and sad, there will be light and hope. Early in the text the characters learn that Rosa Parks got arrested because of “Jim Crow laws.” Later in the text they bail her out of jail and boycott. My ideas on the book are complicated. On one hand I think whites should have treated African Americans fairly. But on the other hand, I think they were raised that way and didn’t know any better. 

                

   My belief is that the Jim Crow laws were very unfair and mean. It’s like the whites thought the African Americans were garbage or a different species or something. I think this because of how the whites treated them. Very few whites thought Jim Crow laws were unfair. In the book Boycott Blues Rosa Parks would not move to the back so a white person could sit in the seat she was in so she got arrested. Arrested for not moving seats because a person with lighter skin than her wanted to sit there. This unfair act sparked the bus boycott.

   The bus boycott was one of the biggest boycotts in history. They boycotted until the bus company’s shut down because they did not have enough money to support their business. They walked or cycled to everything, including school and work. In the book Boycott Blues it said they walked until their feet hurt. If I was alive at this time I would have agreed with the African Americans and maybe even boycotted with them. The bus boycott was a big part of our history and taught the whites what they were doing was unfair. It made them realize that everyone is the same no matter their skin color.

   In conclusion a very small part of history can make a big impact on our lives today. For example the bus boycott was a very small part of history that made a big difference in today’s world. If the bus boycott had not happened the whites would not have learned a lesson and segregation might still be a problem today.

           One reason why I think it is about perseverance is because when Wilma was born she was no more than four pounds. The doctors didn’t believe that she would live to her first birthday, but she did. But the problem was she was always getting sick. “If her brother or sister got sick, she would get double the sickness.” Lucky for Wilma because she had nineteen brothers and sisters willing to care for her and support her.

           Another reason why I think this book is about overcoming challenges is because when Wilma was around the age of ten she was diagnosed with polio. The doctor told her mother “that most people die from polio or are permanently crippled. Wilma didn’t stop there though, she did her exercises as much as she could so her leg could get stronger and hopefully move back into place. She just wanted to be able to run and walk again just like the other kids. Eventually when the doctors thought her leg was strong enough, they gave her a metal brace. Wilma hated that metal brace, kids would make fun of her and wouldn’t let her do the things she wanted to do like basketball. A few months later, Wilma was outside of her church. She was feeling extra good and faithful. “Wilma was always very faithful at church.” She took off her metal brace and walked down the aisle at church. Not focusing on the pain, Wilma put one foot in front of the other. Everyone was amazed and yet again she tackled that challenge.

              My final reason why I think the pattern in the book is having challenges thrown your way but overcoming them is because the book said, “Women weren’t thought to run very well, anyway; track-and-field was considered a sport for men. And the pressure from the public was intense—for the first time ever, the Olympics would be shown on television, and all the athletes knew that more than one hundred million people would be watching. Worst of all, Wilma had twisted her ankle just after she arrived in Rome. It was swollen and painful on the day of her first race.” But that’s not all the text said, it also stated, “Yet it was her turn to compete, Wilma forgot her ankle and everything else. She lunged forward, not thinking about her fear, her pain, or the sweat flying off her face. She ran better than she had before. And she ran better than anyone else. Grabbing the attention of the whole world, Wilma Rudolph of the United States won the 100-meter dash. No one else even came close. An Olympic gold medal was hers to take home.” This showed that no matter what the challenge whether it was a twisted ankle you still have no limits. And that right there explains the title Wilma Unlimited, and it is because she is limitless.

              After reading this book I think that Wilma Unlimited is about having setbacks in life but then overcoming them and then you can achieve your goals and break down barriers just like Wilma did. The theme of this story is perseverance because no matter what was thrown Wilma’s way she didn’t give up. My ideas on this book are complicated. On the one hand, I think Wilma is an amazing runner and is an inspiration to me but on the other hand, I think she was given a second chance and used it on something she loved doing. If you love doing something and have a dream, pursue that dream. Yeah, people will say you can’t do something, but prove them wrong and show them you can do that something.

By: Reyna Dove

What’s your favorite book? Mine would probably be Glory Be. I believe that a pattern that was repeated over and over again is perseverance. 

One place I saw perseverance was when Glory wrote a letter to the mayor saying that the pool should open again, because nothing was even wrong with the pool. A quote I found was, “I didn’t stop to answer, just turned around and went looking for more paper. I found today’s tribune, a writing tablet, a pencil, and envelopes on Daddy’s desk. I brought these to the kitchen table and spread them out.” I believe that this means that Glory is determined to get the pool open again, and that she also uses her resources very wisely. 

Another place I saw perseverance was when Glory was trying to convince Frankie that Laura didn’t break into the pool, and stole all the candy from the concession stand. A quote that I found from the book was “Frankie leaned up close. His voice got quieter. “Somebody went over there last night and messed with the pool lockers. And they took candy from the snack bar. Laura and her friends did it.” “Your loony, Frankie. Laura would never do that.”” I believe that this means  that Glory is very caring and cares a lot about her friends, and when she knows someone by their true self, she stops people when they tell things that aren’t true.

The final place that I saw perseverance was when Glory was trying her hardest to find out where Jesslyn was going, instead of the library, where everyone thought she was going. A quote that I found from the book is “ I hid behind a giant oak tree and looked into the library window, then over toward Fireman’s Park. Jesslyn was nowhere to be seen. I licked ice cream from my Dreamsicle off my fingers, wiped them clean on my shorts, and pushed open the heavy door into the library. Still no Jesslyn.” I believe that this means that Glory cares a lot about her sister and in a way, is a little adventurous from time to time.

All in all, Glory be is an amazing book, and I would recommend that you read it if you haven’t. There are many patterns, and repeated things over and over again, but one I found a lot of would be perseverance. I hope you consider reading Glory Be. 

In this paper I will be writing about Joe Lewis. One of the best black boxers in the world he brought hope to people during WWII. I will be discussing how Joe was a great sportsman and how he never gave up.

Joe Lewis was a great sportsman. He showed sportsmanship because when he knocked his opponents out he went over there and made sure he was ok. I think it was a good thing because he taught everyone a really good lesson.

Joe brought white and black people together. When he lost the match to the German Max he practiced and practiced until his next match against the German Max. “When he won the blacks and the whites started to hug”. I liked that Joe did this because blacks and whites there are the same thing who cares about skin color all it matters about is their personality. 

Joe Lewis never gave up. In his first match he got knocked down seven times he worked to get better. Then in his first Professional game he knocked his opponent right out of the ring. I really liked that because now that I read this I kinda want to be more like him never giving up, always practicing that’s why I think Joe taught me a good lesson.

In conclusion the things that I discuss in this paper are Joe Lewis’s sportsman, how Joe Lewis brought black and whites together, and Joe Lewis never giving up all in all I learned a lot from Joe Lewis.

        In the book Let Them Play by Margot Theis Raven I think the lesson to be learned is to never give up and to persevere. For example a team called the Cannon Street boys is an all black little league baseball team and they were not allowed to play against white teams because of their race. This text teaches readers that when times are tough, there will be something good that happens and it will change your life and other perspectives.

        For example when the States Little League director said “No white  team would  play Cannon Street. Not in Charleston or anywhere,” the kids and adults had to persevere because they had to make things right and show them how wrong they were to treat them like this. Also they wanted to show that blacks can do just the same as whites. Also they had to persevere when they kept getting rejected by the Little League director’s , because every time they got rejected they had to think of a new idea so they could persuade them to believe that blacks should play against whites. Also when they were going to the Little League championship they really wanted to play on the field so they had to keep asking the Little League director’s if they could play. 

       Another example I think this book is really good is because it teaches us how hard people had to work to change someone’s thinking, and how people were treated in the past. Also it shows you if you are going through hard times just persevere and then hope good things will happen. Also the Cannon Street boys were inspired by Jackie Robinson so that pushed them even more to try to persuade people to let blacks play against white teams. Also these kids just wanted a better life and their parents wanted them to have a better life, so that pushed them even more to make things right. 

  

       A final Example why I thought this book was good, was because it showed me you can do basically anything if you put your mind to it. For example Cannon Street was just a little group of boys and probably no one thought that these colored kids and parents could change people’s thinking and make blacks play against whites, but at the end they made their dreams into reality. Also even though they had less people that didn’t stop them from making things right. Also when they got rejected by the Little League director’s they kept fighting and fighting until they finally would make things right. 

       In conclusion I think the Cannon Street boys inspired many people and it told me you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Also it told me if a lot of bad things are happening to you, there will probably be a good that happens to you. At the end of the book you will find out if the Cannon Street boys finally get to play against white teams or if they get rejected again and never get to play a white team.

   

By Sophie

     In the book Basketball Belles, by Sue Macy, I think the lesson is about being who you want to be. Agnes the main character plays in the first ever women's basketball game. To many people, this text is about women's basketball. That makes sense because it is about the first ever women's basketball game. But to me, this text is about motivating and inspiring girls to be who you want to be no matter who you are or where you're from. 

     Agnes wants to be a basketball player, but Agnes’s mother wants her to become a proper lady at Stanford. So Agnes decides to go behind her mother's back and become a basketball player. At Berkeley the team they are playing thought it wasn’t proper to sweat in front of men, but on the other hand at Stanford, Agnes college they play their games outside and don’t care who watches. At the game tonight only women would watch. 

     Agnes knew she would be disobeying her mother, but she already knew who she wanted to become. In the text it says, “It worries me that the Berkeley players are taller and heavier than we are.” But guess what Sanford pushed through and won the first ever women's basketball game. Agnes shows that women can accomplish anything if they put their mind to it and be you. 

     This book has taught me to be who I want to be. In the text it says, “Both teams have committed fouls and each team gets to shoot one shot.” The girls on both teams had to believe in themselves. The women wanted to show who they are and that the sport wasn’t just for men. 

     In conclusion, “I think a lady can be tough and strong as well as refined and polite. She can also play basketball,” says Agnes. This means that being a woman isn’t just using your manners, it’s about being who you truly are such as an athlete, reporter, social worker, chef, whoever you want to be, be that person. This book taught me to be who I want to be and I wouldn’t let anyone stop me. 

Eli Kabitzke 

        The book Basketball Belles is a fun, historical, and intense book. The main character Agnes is a tough, rowdy, and fun loving girl. She loves all “boy” stuff, all rough things, but is told throughout the story that she needs to be “proper.” Early in the text Agnes is told many times by her mom that she has to be “proper,” so she thinks girls are exposed to settle down in life and care for the house. Later in the text Agnes can’t help herself and joins the basketball team. Now she understands that you should be able to do whatever she would like without being judged.

        

       You can and should be able to do whatever you’d like without being judged and if anything be looked up to. In the book it says, “More than five hundred ladies cheering at the tops of their lungs welcome us into the stadium.” There’s a quote from the book, “Actually, their behavior is most anything but ladylike. The last time I heard such a roar, I was caught in a cattle stampede.” This shows that you should never be judged for what you do.

         

       Be whatever you would like and do whatever you would like as long it is fun and no one should tell you what to do. In the book it says Agnes’s mom tells her she has to be proper, but to Agnes being proper isn’t fun. So Agnes joined the Stanford basketball team behind her mother's back because basketball is actually fun to her. Always do what’s fun to you and don’t listen or be controlled by other people especially if you don’t like what they're doing and if it’s not fun to you.

         

        Stand up for what you like no matter what other people think of it. In the book it says, “the assistant stared at us so intently, he almost knocks the janitor off his ladder.” This shows that Agnes and her teammates wanted to have fun and play basketball but at the time that was thought to be crazy, “girls playing basketball?” All the men would ask. Stand up for what you like and you could change the world.

     

        The book Basketball Belles is fun to read and it teaches us a lot of lessons throughout the book. Throughout the story Sue Macy (the author) constantly says, everyone told Agnes to be proper, and Agnes kept saying this is definitely not proper. This shows the theme of life in the book is to be fun so let it be fun and ride along just don’t let anyone take over your life and tell you what to do. I strongly recommend this book to you. Agnes is taught many things throughout the book and so was I. The biggest lesson I learned was that life can be fun. You just have to ride a long and let be, also don’t let other people control your life and tell you what to do, follow your heart and have fun. I hope you read Basketball Belles, and I hope you like it as much as I did. Just remember HAVE FUN!!

By: Peter Sis

The book I read is The Wall by Peter Sís. This is an autobiography about Peter Sís. This book is Peter’s life during communism rule and the iron curtain. Peter liked to draw and during this time he drew about the war.  His drawings were in black and white.  Eventually Peter began to draw about his dreams and his pictures were colorful.  Also, in the book it showed drawings in red and blue. Blue stands for good and red stands for communism. Peter showed that you should never give up on your dream.  

During the war, Peter felt very scared because of the war, so to help him feel better he drew about the war. One example from the book is that he would draw whatever he wanted to draw when he was at home. When Peter Sis was at school he was told what he had to draw. A quote from the story is, “How easy it is to brainwash a child”.  This means that you can make a child listen to you easily and do whatever you want them to do.  

As the war continued, the Soviets had fought with nuclear weapons like bombs.  Also in the book it said “nuclear war was a constant threat.” The soviets were isolating the people in Czechoslovakia. They were isolated by the Soviets because there was a wall and didn’t let anyone out of it, it was basically like prison. 

Peter Sis repeatedly added the word compulsory throughout his story. I think he did this to add the importance of the forced law and rules of the government. The Soviets bugged their phones, and opened everyone's mail. They had the kids tell on their parents.He did this to show how they were keeping everyone inside and why they had the wall.

Throughout the book the illustrations were changing. The book was mostly black and white. The book had the color red  during it, red represented the soviets. Their Flags were red in the book. In Peter Sis’ drawings of hope it would be represented by blue and a few other colors but at the end of the book was full of colors to show dreams come true, because on November 9th 1989 the wall fell. I feel the topic of The Wall is upsetting to me. I wanted to read about this because I also enjoy drawing. I think drawing is helpful for you and your feelings. Like for example you can draw your feelings. Peter Sis drew his feelings, by drawing faces, and their expressions.

Peter decided to do things he wanted  but in secret. Like for example, he listened to western radio, drew pictures of what he wanted to, and just did whatever he wanted to do. I think the lessons learned is to never give up on your dream. I hoped you enjoyed this story!

             In Sit-In the white people were being bad by putting pepper in the black people’s eyes and pouring very hot coffee down their back and putting ketchup in the black people’s  hair. The white people yelled at the black students “We don’t serve your kind!” “Go home!” “Goodbye!” The students wanted to strike back but didn’t. Sitting still was so hard. Practicing peace while others showed hatred was tougher than any school test. In the text in Sit-In I think one of the challenges is them getting hurt by the white people. But black people survived the hatred and won equal rights.

               In Sit-In the black students waited for a long time to get served and eventually got served. After weeks of sitting when their backsides ached. After months off being still when their feet fell asleep. After years of praying for law change. When they were so hungry for equality. The students finally got what they ordered. It was worth the wait. When the sit-ins were done the students left a big tip. As the authors say, “A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side, is not about the food it’s about the pride.” These were the words that filled them up. I think this part shows how they waited and were rewarded. They were filled with not only food but happiness too.

           In Sit-In the black people followed Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr’s words to use nonviolence against violence. The students were more determined than ever to show the world the true meaning of peace. So they sat. In silence. With hearts full of hope. With Dr. King’s dream true and close to their hearts. These were the words that kept them going: We must meet violence with nonviolence. Now there were news cameras filming the sit-ins. And viewers at home watching it all on TV. The students were more determined than ever to show the world the true meaning of peace. I think this is important because they knew that people all around the world were on their TVs at home. The black people behavior showed the calm behavior that they can have.

        This book is similar to Let Them Play because they are black people trying to get what they wanted to be equal. For example, most people say it was Coach Ben Singleton who pulled the all-star dreams from the sky over Harmon Field and sprinkled them in the eyes of 14 boys the summer of 1955. “We must… meet hate with love.” These were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words that got them started. Four hungry friends. Eager to eat. Each took a seat at Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Both books show how black people fought for equal rights.

        This text shows how black people used nonviolence against segregation. When white people were being mean, the black people didn’t get angry. Black people got put in jail for sitting at a lunch counter and waiting to get served. In Sit-In by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkey, the story reminds us not to act on our anger. When we act respectfully we are more likely to be treated with respect.

                       By: Amelia Carlson

     Have you ever heard of the amazing Wilma Rudolph, the amazing risk taker and strong athlete Wilma Rudolph? I’m going to talk specifically about one book that is Wilma Unlimited written by Kathleen Krull illustrated by David Diaz.  There’s definitely a pattern in a book.I think it is Wilma’s weaknesses, one reason why I think that is because when Wilma as a kid she got sick with polio and her leg turned in so she couldn’t do anything, not even school. Because of that I think Wilma learned in the face of a challenge you should never give up and always push through the hard times. Earlier in the text Wilma Learns that there will be hard times in life, but later she learns to never ever give up. 

    In the book Wilma Unlimited   I think the pattern in the book is Wilma’s weaknesses. One reason why I think  this is because when Wilma was a kid she got sick with polio and her leg turned in.That Resolved not being able to go to school or play sports. The school wouldn’t  let her in because she couldn’t walk. She couldn’t play sports because she couldn’t jump,run,or walk, She had to sit at the side lines. Witch was very sad and frustrating for Wilma. My ideas are complicated about this book. On one hand I think grandma’s brave but on the other hand I think she has a very powerful and breathtaking girl.

      The second reason why I think the  pattern in the book is wilma’s weaknesses is that Wilma had to wear a heavy metal brace everyday and everywhere. When I first read this, I thought Wilma is very unlucky because she gets sick all the time, but now I reread it, I realize that Wilma is a strong and brave girl to make it all the way to the Olympics.She had to sit on the sidelines during games. She also had to stay home from school. She was set back in life because of that brace. She had to go 50 miles to the nearest hospital that would take black patients. Twice a week she had to go to the hospital and do exercises to make her bad leg stronger, she would practice them at home even when it hurt. The brace really did help but it also didn’t let her do things like sports and school.

      The third reason why I think the pattern in the book is Wilma’s weaknesses is because when her siblings would get sick she would get the sickness but two Times worse. So if her brother got a cold she would get double pneumonia, or if her sister got the measles she would get measles,mumps, and chicken pox. Wilma got sick often because she got sicknesses two times worse than they were. She had 19 sisters and brothers, so if one of the 19 got sick she would get sick too.

   All in all Wilma is a strong and breathtaking girl. She got better even though the Doctors said her leg would be twisted for the rest of her life but it didn’t, her leg got better. I still think the pattern in the story is Wilma’s weaknesses. When Wilma twisted her ankle before the olympics she was nervous about running with an injured foot but the weaknesses in her foot disappeared after she started running. She was like Wonder Women, strong and fierce! I think the author's message in the book is to stay strong and never give up, just like Wilma. Why is this book so powerful? Well I think this book is so powerful because it makes you think about all the wonderful things you can do even if you're going through a hard time. I think that her weaknesses really Actually helped her in life. Her weaknesses lead her to a strong life and taught her to never give up. They lead her to being strong and actually being in the Olympics and winning multiple Olympic medals. Have you ever been strong and fierce like Wilma Rudolph?

                                                A Time For Change

                                                    Introduction

    .

     A Time For Change is a book I’m reading on the epic app. It is about a girl in the time of racism and segregation. A problem in the book is white people don't like Amari or her friends because of their skin color. I can infer that she will try to protest or help stop it because in the story it mentions that she hates segregation. I think she will overcome it by trying to change the law but even if she does there will always be racism.  In the story right now she is a kid and she is thinking about schools in Boston becoming integrated. I also infer the law will change in this book cause it’s called a Time ForChange. In the book,  Amari takes a note to the post office asking about schools one day having both black and white students. She also realized it was not fair for black schools to be poor and all-white schools to have the nice cafeterias and classrooms.  The story tells about the young girl who is realizing racism and wants to help stop it. 

    When I first read this I thought it was going to be long and hard to read but It wasn’t and the story was interesting. Amari’s school is poor and her white friends' school is rich. Amari wants politicians to care so that they can have better schools and supplies and the same opportunities.

     Amari’s favorite day was Friday. She liked Friday because she had two extra days to do her homework. If she did her work on Friday, she could go shopping. One day she went to the mall and bought a lime green and yellow dress and it made her feel as rich as white people. It was her favorite dress, so she wore it to church and as many places as she could because of how it made her feel. Amari also wanted makeup of her own to make her feel beautiful. 

    Amari's dad didn’t have a job but was accepted to medical school. Amari started having nightmares. Her family was trying to find a new home to buy.  When they went to look at new homes there were whites-only signs posted and that upset Amari. It upset Amari so much that she had to stay at her friend’s house and wait for her family to find their new house. Amari just wanted the same rights and to be able to live together in neighborhoods.

 

                                                        Conclusion 

    In conclusion, more places became non segregated.  For example, Amari's friend was going to go to a movie and Amari went with and just like Amari thought- the movie theater looked a lot nicer and cleaner. There were clean water fountains and a soda fountain. This was around the same time sit in was happening. Amari was watching the news and it said the sit-ins worked and black people could now go to restaurants of choice. A few years later everything was integrated and blacks and whites were happy at the end. The book was based off of a true story. I think that the story was called A Time For Change because after the struggles and years of hard work the world was integrated, and that was the change.