Chris Norton was an everyday guy from Bondurant, Iowa playing football at Luther College. Then, something happened that changed his life forever in October 2010. He broke his C3 and C4 vertebrae on a kickoff play. This is the story of Chris’s recovery after he broke his neck. From being given a 3% chance to ever move again after his injury, to walking across the stage at his graduation with his girlfriend, Emily. Chris defied the 3% odds immediately after his surgery, a signal of the greatness to come. The story follows his recovery and every phase of it until his college graduation. Chris became a motivational speaker, and now he travels the country talking about his journey of family, friendship, and faith. Something interesting about this book was the change in the point of view every chapter. It changed between Terry and Chris every chapter. Terry is Chris’s dad, and also his role model. Chris always looked up to his dad as a kid, and it was interesting to see not only how everything affected Chris but also how it affected his family. I enjoyed reading Chris’s part way more though, because it was more personal and I connected to him more because he wrote in a way I could relate to more. The whole book though was very personal and didn’t leave out any details. That’s the reason it is so powerful. A theme I noticed throughout the whole book was staying positive and having great habits every day can bring great changes over time. Chris was an athlete, and he said that his work habits he learned from football and basketball were just preparing him for the hardest challenge he would ever face; learning to walk again. There were times when he got super sad or depressed about his situation, but he said overall he thought about how grateful he could be that he was still alive and he was blessed he could show his story to the world. Something that really just allowed me to connect with this book was my experience I had with my brother’s car accident. 2 years ago before Christmas, my brother was in a really bad car accident that killed 2 of his friends and almost killed him. All I could think about reading this book was how everything was so similar in some ways, but entirely different in others. I really felt empathy for Chris’s family because I’ve been in their shoes. It sucks. My brother was in the ICU for over a month, and Chris was in the hospital for a year. It makes me realize how lucky my family is. My brother can do almost everything he was able to do before the crash. Chris has to struggle to just walk. Not that my brother didn’t have his own problems. For the first week, we didn’t know if my brother was going to live, or have his memory, or be able to have any cognitive function. So in a way, it was even scarier for us because at least for Chris’s family they knew he was still the same person, even if he was in a wheelchair. All these feelings were the ones going through me as I was reading this book, it’s like my whole experience was similar to theirs, just in a faster way. Emmit is doing great now, but reading this book honestly made me feel kind of miserable because it was like I had to relive my experience again page by page, from the points where we wondered if anything would ever be “normal” again, the days when things just got worse, or when we could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. -Mitchell S.
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Jeff knows exactly when his life changed. April 15, 2013 at 2:48 p.m. Bauman looked into the face of Tamerlan Tsarnaev just minutes before the most high-profile terrorist event on United States soil since September 11th. Jeff Bauman was, well, your average guy. Jeff lives in Boston, loves to watch sports, and works at Costco. Just like any other person in Boston, Jeff was at the marathon. As Jeff was waiting for his girlfriend Erin to finish the race, the bombs went off. Pressure cookers filled with nuts and bolts. Shredding anything in their path. When Jeff opened his eyes, he saw a woman step over him, covered in blood. Jeff looked down, and there was nothing below his knees. Jeff was lying in a pool of his own blood and flesh. Jeff was thrown in a wheelchair and rushed to the emergency room. Jeff almost died during surgery, but when he wakes up, he finds himself surrounded by friends and family. Jeff becomes the face of the bombing. The image of him and the man in the yellow cowboy hat is all over the internet. Jeff battles himself mentally and physically. Bauman undergoes grueling physical therapy, and he also battles himself. Jeff even started to blame himself for the bombing. Jeff slowly started to build confidence and even made public appearances with new friends. Jeff even returns to his job at Costco and gets married to his girlfriend, Erin. Jeff’s story shows us how small and insignificant these terrorists were and shows us we are stronger. Jeff really surprised me with how explicit his writing was. He really got me thinking about the terrible things these bombers did. In a way, Jeff almost forces you to see from his perspective. He did so using a lot of imagery. Jeff allows us to see the bombing from a survivor's perspective, one that is much better than the media’s perspective. Towards the end of the story, we discover that some people don’t even believe that he lost his legs and that the whole incident was fake. This really made me realize how unempathetic and insolent people can be. Jeff also describes how he was already battling mental struggles. I can’t imagine battling myself and other random, unrelated people. Jeff also describes his life before the bombing. It made me realize his life really wasn’t very different from mine. Bauman also describes how helpful his girlfriend was in the process of his recovery. This showed me how important relationships are. It really got me thinking about how I treat people. I noticed a change in Jeff’s tone throughout the book. Jeff, at the beginning of the book, was sad and depressed. At the end of the book, however, I noticed that his tone shifted to happy and confident. This really made me think about the situation he went through and how mentally tough he really is. I am very pleased that I chose to read stronger. Jeff completely changed my view of amputees. I used to think amputees were weird because they were different. Jeff made me realize that amputees are just like you and me. Jeff also made me feel empathetic towards amputees. His story of recovery really made me realize what they have to go through just to live normal lives. Jeff’s story also made me realize how much I appreciate friends, family, and community members. Jeff never would have recovered the way he did without all the support he received. Jeff made me realize how fortunate I am to have these people. Bauman also makes me realize how fortunate we are that we have all four of our limbs. Jeff’s life is very different from mine, but after hearing his story, I found he is not so different from me. Jeff helped me feel empathy for people who are different from me. By Reid Burns I read the book You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner. The book focuses on friendship and the conditions of Julie, who is a deaf girl attending a new school with hearing students, and who loves art, especially graffiti. “Having an interpreter in every class is like having a giant neon sign hanging around your neck, blinking: Freak Freak Freak. I’ve been here three weeks and people are still confused about how it all works. It’s not hard: teacher talks, interpreter signs, I understand” (Gardner 12). That’s what Julie thinks how people see her in the new school that she’s attending. Julie is a deaf and very artistic high school student who gets expelled from her old high school when she sprays graffiti over another graffiti in the gym. The graffiti said something mean about her former best friend. Jordyn betrays her by going to the principal’s office and telling him what Julie did. Julie ends up getting expelled and attending another high school with hearing students. Distrustful because of her experience, Julie doesn’t find friends until she gets to know YP better. The author chose the main character to be a deaf teenage girl who gets into trouble a lot, especially when it’s about graffiti. What surprised me is that I would not expect a deaf person to get into as much trouble as Julie is getting into. I always expect deaf people to be quiet and to stay out of trouble. The book also showed how difficult it sometimes for the deaf people to lipread. They can also get annoyed when hearing people try to impress them with sign language, even though they only know one sign. The book showed me that all I know about the deaf culture are stereotypes. But reading the book made me realize that they are just like we are, they can be troublemakers and individuals who are independent. Julie also expressed that she is proud to be deaf and really appreciates her culture. She doesn’t always want be helped with hearing aids. This really surprised me because I always imagined deaf people would want to hear, although she hasn’t experienced it any differently. While her being deaf didn’t play a huge role in the book, the friendship part did. Her friendships are as complicated as any other person. Reading this book made me realize how very similar, but still how different we all are. This book stood out to me because the main character is completely different from me. At least that was what I thought. She is deaf, she loves art and she gets into trouble a lot. Reading this book made me see that she also has friendship problems and for her own protection she loses faith in friends and stays on her own. This changed how I think about deaf people. They are strong and as independent as we are. They may not be able to hear, but they make everything work anyway. And I admire that. This book made me admire deaf people. By Johanna H. “I know exactly when my life changed: when I looked into the face of Tamerlan Tsarnaev. It was 2:48 p.m. on April 15, 2013 -- one minute before the most high-profile terrorist event on the United States soil since September 11 -- and he was standing right beside me” (Bauman 1). Waiting at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon to try to win back his on again, off again girlfriend, Erin, Jeff Bauman has an uneasy feeling that this person is not there to enjoy himself. Stronger is an inspiring true story of a working-class man, Jeff Bauman, who becomes a symbol of courage, strength, and hope after a couple of homemade bombs go off next to him and he finds himself lying in a pool of blood with his lower legs gone. As he is being rescued, a passerby snaps a picture of him and his rescuers that goes viral, and he quickly becomes the iconic face associated with this horrific tragedy and a symbol of Boston Strong across the world. I was surprised by how Jeff Bauman could use humor in the darkest moments of this story to bring strength, hope, happiness, and lighten the mood of the situation. For many of us if faced with such a devastating loss, it would be far easier to give in to depression, and live out the rest of our life in a wheelchair. There was nothing humorous about the cowardly act and the resulting tragedy. However, it was humor that helped Jeff and his family focus on healing and recovery, so that he one day Jeff could lead a normal life. Jeff had grown up with a wisecracking family, and I believe the use of humor was significant in showing that he was not going to let this tragedy change who he was. Remaining the humorous Jeff and Bauman Strong was also important for his family’s healing. This book has changed my views on how I look at my life. I would say that my life has continued down a pretty easy path. I haven’t had any life changing events like Jeff did in the story. Because of reading the book, my eyes have opened up to the obstacles that some have to overcome, and I know that there are so many people out there that have it much more difficult than I do. The book helped me change how I view negative situations, and it showed me that happiness can be found in the darkest times. By Zach G. Life is all about choices, you could either pick this option or choose the other. In Boy 21 by Matthew Quick the main character Finley McManus was faced with the hardest choice of his life and he chose what most people wouldn’t, to quit his favorite sport of all time, basketball. Finley McManus is the starting point guard on his basketball team who is trusted by everyone in the school and known as the quiet guy. His girlfriend, Erin, and him train hard for basketball year round to get better. It is their senior year and their time to shine when the new kid to town is apparently a star point guard, Finley’s position. The new kid is traumatized by his parents death and refuses to pick up a basketball and goes by the name Boy 21 (Russ Allen). The head coach trusts Finley so much he wants him to try and snap Russ out of the phase he is in to play basketball for the team. During this book Finley had to decide to either help Russ or ignore him to keep his starting position on the basketball team. I was very surprised that Finley had helped Russ to snap out of his phase due to the fact that it is his senior year of high school and he would lose his starting position. Although this should not surprise me because people are supposed to do what is right (I would have done the same), but Finley has grown up with virtually nothing except for family and Erin in his life. When Finley was at a young age his grandpa had both of his legs amputated by the Irish Mob in Belmont. After this event Finley’s mom reported it to the police and got murdered for snitching while FInley was held hostage by members of the mob for three days, these are some examples of Finley’s early childhood hardships. I was also surprised on how fast Finley quit basketball to be by Erin. Basketball is Finley’s one and only favorite sport and I would find it hard to quit mid game for the rest of my life. I know he did it out of love and compassion towards Erin but I could not wrap my mind around how he did it so fast without emotion. During this book I learned a lot of valuable lessons about life and sports. When Finley chose to get up during the game and leave to go see Erin I think it changed my views of relationships with others. I also learned that I could find it in my heart to do the same as Finley and quit a sport for someone that I love. In the book Finley is thinking to himself when he says, ….”I think about Mr. Gore saying basketball means nothing to him now. I suddenly realize I don’t care whether we win this game, or if I even play. It’s a game. Erin’s in the hospital. What am I doing here? I never dreamed I’d stop caring about basketball, but I really couldn’t care less about it right now.” Then, he stands and says to his coach, “‘I’m sorry, Coach. I have to go.’ ‘What?’ Coach says. ‘Where?’ I stride past the opposing team, right up to Pop and Dad. ‘I should be at the hospital’ , I say. ‘I want to be there when Erin wakes up…’” (Quick 193). After reading this book I think that the lessons I have learned will make me a more compassionate person and will drive me to help others when they are in a time of need. By Brayden E. “The number doesn't matter. If I got down to 070.00, I'd want to be 065.00. If I weighed 010.00, I wouldn't be happy until I got down to 005.00. The only number that would ever be enough is 0. Zero pounds, zero life, size zero, double-zero, zero point. Zero in tennis is love. I finally get it.” -Laurie Halse Anderson 85 pounds. That`s the lowest weight anorexic teen Lia Overbrook reached before she realized how negatively her mental state was affecting her body. The story Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson is told by Lia Overbrook in the first person point of view. It is a story about Lia`s struggle with anorexia and how negatively it affects her mind every day. Add the fact that her best friend just died from a similar eating disorder to the one that she has, and you soon realize how mentally unstable Lia really is. At some points, she isn't sure if she wants to live anymore. During other points, Lia is sure that she wants to die. But, in the end, she realizes that dying isn't the solution and that she really does want to live. The author wants all of us, as readers, to realize that eating disorders affect more than just the body and that mental thoughts go a long ways and can cause a lot of hurt to people. Before I read this book, I believed that many of the stereotypes about anorexia were true. But after reading, I realized how many of them aren`t the full truth or are even completely wrong. Because of how eating disorders are portrayed by the media, particularly in movies and TV shows, many people believe that when anorexic people look in the mirror, they see a fat person with a bunch of stomach rolls. While I may not have fully believed this, I was negatively impacted by this common belief. The narrator explained multiple times throughout the story how she knew that she was skinny and she knew that she could see her ribs, and she knew that all of this was bad. But, she just couldn`t stop. She knew that too. Lia was able to realize as her weight got lower and lower that no number would ever be low enough for her. “105, 100, 95, 90, …” no matter how low her weight got, her goal weight was always lower. By reading this book, I was able to realize how wrong stereotypes often really are about eating disorders and how much goes through their minds on a daily basis. Anorexia, and other eating disorders are not easy to get over. It takes a realization from the person with this disease for recovery to even become an option. Even after that, getting ‘better’ doesn't just happen. It takes lots of hard work and determination, as Lia and her family quickly learned. But, just because you work hard towards recovery, sometimes your mental state still tries to reject the idea and hard work that it would require. Lia couldn't just say she wanted to recover, she had to mean it and work hard towards it every day. By Madelynn C. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a heart-wrenching story of two perfectly messed-up high schoolers; AKA a must-read! This book is told from the perspective of Violet Markey and Theodore Finch. Violet counts down the days until graduation while Finch prefers to live life day-by-day. Violet and Finch met on top of the school bell tower both with the intent of killing themselves. Later, they are chosen to be partners for a school project where they have to “wander” their home state of Indiana. As the two continue to spend time together and learn more about each other, they realize that they actually have more in common than what they originally thought. Both Violet and Finch suffer from a form of depression, but these forms differ from each other. Violet is recovering from a loss, for her sister died in a tragic car crash. Finch’s dad left his family for his new girlfriend, totally leaving Finch in the dust. I really enjoyed reading this book; it may even be one of favorites! This story has a very powerful message to it. The author, Jennifer Niven, writes in a way that really lets the reader feel everything that the characters feel: sadness, joy, sorrow, hope, and many more emotions. I think that one of the reasons why readers can connect with the characters is because of the changing perspectives. This novel is told through Violet and Finch, so we get to see what both of them are thinking. With the changing perspectives, the tone is bound to change as well. Although the characters do have many similarities, they are definitely not exactly the same, so when the perspective changes, the tone shifts as well. I personally very much enjoy this style of writing because it allows us as readers to know more about the characters than we would if it was told through just one perspective. As I said before, this book is very powerful. There are so many different pieces of wisdom that you could pull from this book. For me, it opened my eyes to how beautiful life can be, but also how sorrowful life can be. It reminded me that not everything in life will always go as expected. This wonderful book also taught me to go out and experience life; to “wander.” Would you rather hear about something on the news or be the person they’re talking about on the news? Of all the numerous things I could have grasped from this book, the one thing that really stuck with me was a quote from Violet: “The thing I realize is that it’s not what you take, it’s what you leave” (Niven 376). This truly inspires me to make my mark on this world (hopefully in a good way). In the end, what you take doesn’t really matter because what you leave behind is so much greater. By Katherine B. |
AuthorSTenth grade students at Decorah High School share how they're reading outside of their own experiences and how it has changed them. Categories
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