This week I read a book called Last Shot by John Feinstein. The book was about two kids who won a report on basketball. The prize was to see the final four (the best four college basketball teams play for the cup) and write reports on each game. But they overheard a conversation between a player and a coach in which the coach blackmailed the player named Chip Graber to throw the game in the finals. So the reporters were motivated to help Chip win the finals and get the blackmailer arrested. I think that the main idea is that you need to work as a team to win.
An example of this is when Stevie and Susan Carol are trying to meet Chip Graber so they can tell him that they can help with his blackmail problem, but the security guard didn't let them. Therefore they acted as if they were Chip Graber's cousins and then when they had to prove it, Chip had to improvise and act as if they were his cousins even though he didn't know them. Another example of needing to work as a team is when Stevie and Susan Carol had to break out of tied together chairs while the finals were going on, but then Jurgensen came and broke them out. This proves that you need to work as a team to win.
The main idea is that to win you have to work as a team. One example of this is when they needed to find Chip Graber's room, they had to lie and say that they needed to get a drink in the team's hotel. You can't get around without your keys, so they ask for another reporter's keys so they can go up the stairs and find out where Chip's room is and get a soda. Another example of working as a team is when they were trying to find out who blackmailed Chip. Stevie said that they were cousins of one of the two suspects. Susan Carol asked the suspect to show her to the bathroom so she could remember the voice or if it wasn't her "cousin" it was the other suspect. This proves that they had to work as a team to win and help Chip Graber.
In conclusion, Last Shot is a great book and proves that working as a team is better that trying to do something by yourself. In the book the problem is solved because of teamwork. I think that if there was no team and there was only one person than the problem would not have been solved.
This week I read an amazing book called Catching Fire which is the second book in the Hunger Games series. The book is about the Capitol trying to hold back a rebellion started by Katniss Everdeen. The Capitol trys to kill Katniss so the hope of a rebellion stops. I think that the mockingjay means rebellion against the Capitol.
The mockingjay means rebellion. An example is when Katniss met Twill and Bonnie. They had a piece of bread from District 8 which was having a rebellion and the piece of bread had a mockingjay inprinted on it. Another example is when Katniss was told she was the mockingjay because she started the rebellion and as long as she lived, so did the rebellion. This proves that the mockingjay means rebellion in the book.
Another exmple of the mockingjay meaning rebellion is when Katniss met Plutarch, who is the head of the Hunger Games. He showed her his mockingjay watch and then later in the book he tells her that he was on her side of the rebellion. Another example is when District 8 was fighting back and started the rebellion, they used flags of Katniss and mockingjays in the rebellion. This again shows that the mockingjay means rebellion.
In conclusion, it's been shown many times that the mockingjay means rebellion. And I think that when they helped her with the rebellion, it was a brave and it helped Katniss survive. But then I wonder what would have happened if she hadn't survived the Hunger Games. Would the rebellion go on or would it have died?
This summer I read an amazing book called Crackback (http://books.google.com/books/about/Crackback.html?id=NbrAcMXyNe0C) which is about a boy named Miles who's on his school's football team. Everyone wants him to be strong and big. His friends are taking gym candy which is also known as steroids to give them an extra edge. But he doesn't take them and in the middle of the season he is replaced and is sitting on the bench, but he still doesn't take the steroids at the end of the season he saved the team and got them into the playoffs. Because he didn't take the steroids, I think that Miles is smart and doesn't cave into to peer pressure.
Miles is smart because when his best friend started to use gym candy, he said he didn't want take the pills. Also when he refused, he lost his best friend but he still did the best thing for himself. Another example is when he was replaced but he knew he would start if he took the pills but he still wouldn't. And in the end, he did good for his body and made the right choice. That proves Miles is smart.
Miles doesn't fall into peer pressure. One example of this is when all his friends are drinking and taking the pills but Miles doesn't take any of the pills and leaves the party. Another example is when his friends tried to get him to use steroids but he said "no." This proves that Miles doesn't follow his friends and he makes the right choices.
In conclusion, Miles is smart and doesn't fall into peer pressure and in the end he makes the right choice for himself. Then I wonder what would have happened if he had taken the pills and caved into peer pressure. If he had, would he still have his best friend and have gotten his team into the playoffs? I don't know about that but I do know that he made the right choice for himself.
