Reading Skills: Fat Kid Rules the World

    In the book Fat Kid Rules the World by: K. L. Going, I predict that the main characters Troy Billings, and Curt MacCrae are going to become good friends and help each other out when they are in tough situations throughout the story. I believe this because they both have to deal with major problems in their own personal lives.

    I also predict that the theme of this novel is that working together in life can help you survive the tough times. A reason that I would consider this to be a theme is because in the very beginning of the book, Troy is thinking about committing suicide, but Curt prevents Troy from jumping in front of the subway train by causing him to become distracted. This shows that Curt was looking out for Troy and that he was there to help him when the going got tough for Troy.

    One question that I have is what would have happened with Troy and Curt had Troy's father not fell for the lie that the two boys were starting a band? Another question that I have is that Troy acts like his little brother really does want him to commit suicide, what would his little brother's reaction be if he actually did commit suicide?

 
    A text to text connection between this novel, Fat Kid Rules the World and another text would be the poem Shoulders by Naomi Shihab Nye. The connection between these two pieces of literature is the theme, which is that working together in life will help you survive the tough times. I feel that this connection is very strong because I have read only a couple chapters and that is what I believe the author has already conveyed.

    A text to self would be that just how Troy and Curt are relying on each other to get through the tough times, I rely on my family to help me get through the tough times.

A text to world connection would how nations are allies with each other, especially in times of war. An example of this is during WWII, the Allied Forces fought against the Axis, both of these forces considered the countries that they were fighting with tho be their allies. For example, the U.S is and was allies with the British, and the French during WWII and currently are today. This directly correlates to the novel since the Allied Forces relied on each other for support in the war, and Troy and Curt rely on each other for support to get through each day.

Book Recommendation: Monster

Another book that I would like to recommend is Monster by: Walter Dean Meyers. The reason I would like to recommend this book is because I feel that it is a great book to read. Although it's not a difficult book to read, I believe that it holds a strong message inside of it, which is that just because someone is a certain race or ethnicity doesn't mean that they committed a crime. This is what happens to the main character Steve Harmon. He is being charged with felony murder after a robbery turns deadly, and he is  acquaintances with two of the robbers, who try to say that Steve was their lookout man and was supposed to check the store to make sure nobody was in it. If you are tha type of readeer who likes mystery novels, than this is the book for you.

Theme and Summary: Monster

The main theme of the novel Monster by: Walter Dean Meyers is fear, fear of prison, trial, his future life, and himself. This emerges in the beginning of the book when Steve Harmon, the main character, gives us the setting of the story. After this point in the book the theme is constantly being further developed and refined by specific details. An example of this would be when Steve is writing in his notebook where he writes, "Miss O'Brien said the judge could sentence me to 25 years to life. If he did, I would have to serve at least 21 years and 3 months. I can't imagine being in jail for that long." (Monster pg. 90).

Characters: Monster

The main character of the novel Monsters by: Walter Dean Meyers is a teenage boy named Steve Harmon. During the course of the book we see Steve develop from a quiet, shy teenager, into a well-rounded, dynamic character who influences the plot greatly. Steve influences the plot by giving smaller details that contribute to the setting and also add to what happened besides the basic information that we are given such as, the fact that a drugstore was robbed, and the owner was killed. His interactions with other characters are subtle, but allow you to see inside of his mind, so we can understand who he is or is not associated with. By knowing this information, this allows us to see what kind of person Steve is and clearly understand the reasons why he acts the way he does and also why he does certain things. Steve helps to develop the theme by consistently talking about himself in a negative manner that makes him sound like what the State Attorney calls him, a "Monster". This develops the theme that Steve is fearful of himself, prison, his trial, and his future because it shows that he is beginning to believe what the State Attorney is saying about him, and actually causes him to be fearful of himself and what he has waiting for him, either prison, or his regular life if he isn't convicted of murder.

Book Recommendation: One Shot at Forever

The book that I would like to recommend to people is One Shot at Forever by: Chris Ballard. This book is about a rag-tag team of hippies and farmers, some of which have never played baseball at a competitive level, go on to the state play-offs for a shot to put their tiny little town of Macon, Illinois on the map. The reason that I recommend this book is because it is a great book that every sports fan should read. Another reason is because it includes such an important theme which is to never give up, not matter what the circumstances are. This isn't a theme that can only be used in sports, but it is an important life lesson that everyone should learn. 

I believe that if you find yourself constantly rooting for the underdog, that this is definitely a great book for you to read. Although this book is considered a work of Non-fiction, I see it as a chance to read a book from a different genre, that doesn't actually feel like it is Non-fiction.