In March, I read the book Allies by Alan Gratz. Allies is a realistic fiction book about a sixteen year old German boy named Dee. Dee hates the Nazis for what they did to the jewish people. Dee and his family moved to the US when he was five years old. Dee, is not his real name, Dee was short for Douglas Carpenter but that wasn’t his real name either, it was Dietrich Zimmermann. Dee lived in Philadelphia and at age 16, Dee and his friend Sid lied about their age and enlisted in the Army. In 1944, Dee and Sid landed on Omaha Beach during D-day and fought the Germans in a chaotic battle.
I really enjoyed the book, as the characters all seemed real. Dee and Sid had a special bond and went through a lot of struggles together during the war. Alan Gratz did a great job describing the horrible and chaotic D-Day invasion. Alan Gratz description of D-Day made me feel like if i was there with Dee and Sid fighting the Germans.
Dee is my favorite character because when he was shot during combat he never quit fighting. As a 16 year old boy Dee was very brave because he wanted to serve his country and fight for what he believed was right. An example of Dee’s bravery is when he was shot and was taken to the hospital and the doctors told him he would not be able to continue to fight, Dee told himself “he had to keep fighting, he had to make up for what his former countrymen were doing to the world.”
My favorite quote in this book is on Pg#299 “Can I get back to fighting soon.” Dee asked the medic. I like this quote because even though Dee is injured and in the hospital his mindset is to continue to fight for what is right. I also like this quote because it is an example of bravery and selflessness. When I have a bad day in baseball, I tell myself “to get back in the fight.”
The job that I would like to have is to be an American football player. I would like to be a football player because of four reasons, the first reason why I would like to be a professional football player is because I like the physical contact. My brother and I like to watch and play football. I also like how the game is played with helmets and pads, throwing, catching, hitting, running and blocking. My second reason is because I like to stay active and it keeps me busy, while having fun. The third reason why I want to be a football player is because I want to travel around the country and explore different cities. The final reason why I want to be a football player is because I would feel like a kid because it will remind me of my childhood, those are the four reasons why I want to be a professional football player.
In the month of February I had finished the book Project 1065 by Alan Gratz, the book is about a thirteen year old Irish boy and his family that are spy’s for the Allies to defeat Adolf Hitler. Michael the thirteen year old boy, wore a uniform of the Hitter Youth which he called it the “Germany’s version of the Boy Scouts” because he was a Nazi even though he hated it. Michael’s father was an Irish ambassador to Germany and has been stationed to Berlin. Michael says that Berlin has changed in six years from when they arrived in 1937 and now it was 1943. Berlin had been a wonderful place when they first arrived people had faces full of smiles and laughter but then the wonderful place of Berlin was gone the war started and all of the smiles and laughter on peoples faces were gone.
The truck stopped at a dirt road a half an hour outside the city, all around them was farmland and a barn. It was an obvious place to hide, Michael and the Hitler Youth were trying to find a British pilot. Michael needed to find him if he didn’t find the pilot he would be a dead man. Michael started searching the barn, the barn was two stories and that was the place he haven’t searched but he is scared of heights. Michael’s legs were shaking and then said “Hello” and “are you up here, I am Irish. I’m here to help you” in English. He waited and waited, then nothing. Michael’s head became a helium balloon and the world spun and fell over the side because he was scared. At the last second his friend named Fritz grabbed him by the shirt and wrestled him back to the edge. Fritz and Michael cleared the barn but when Michael walked out he saw fresh blood. He saw a line of footprints, Michael thought that it must be the pilot. As Michael and his group followed the trial of blood. Michael’s group didn’t know that he was pointing them in the wrong direction. Michael was still a head of the group but then he saw the missing British pilot.
Michael was thinking of a place to hide the British pilot, in the barn. Michael then said “Stay here, My parents will pick you up tonight.” It was dark when they went to pick the pilot up. They were able to find him and ask “what’s your name, son?” Da asked. “Lieutenant Simon Cohen, sir” he said.” Simon was a Jew, taking a Jew into Berlin was a big problem because it was a Jew-free city and the heart of Germany. If Hitler discovered people were hiding Jew’s in their home, they would be sent to a concentration camp. Simon said that the Nazi’s were developing a new plane that does not have propellers it’s called project 1065 Simon said that it’s super fast and can do a lot of damage. When Simon and Michael were talking about project 1065, Fritz told Michael a secret something worth hearing. Fritz pulled out a big blue piece of paper that can change the course of the war, it was a blueprint of project 1065. Michael grabbed a pencil and a piece paper and sketched out everything he could remember from the blueprint for Simon.
Michael went to Fritz’s house to get more information about project 1065 but then he realized that there is twelve more pages of project 1065. Since Fritz didn’t know how to fight they made a deal. Fritz teaches Michael to get rid of his fear of heights and Michael teaches Fritz how to fight. It was for the Hitter Youth and they had to pass the test. Even though Michael hated Hitter and the Nazi’s he did this because he needed to get close enough to those blueprints. After all the tests they announced that O’Shaunessey, Michael was going to be in the Hitler Youth. Fritz smiled and had tears because he had made it.
SS-Obersturmfuhrer Trumbauer told Fritz “I’m putting together a special team,” “And I think you would be a prefect fit.” Then when Michael asked about the team Fritz said that it was a science team but Michael knew that it was a joke. When he got back home his mom, dad and Simon all said that they were obviously up to no good. Michael needed to get the last blueprint because Simon has to leave tomorrow night. The day after Michael went to Fritz’s house, the blueprints weren’t on the wall. On door to the dad’s study was a thick folder, Michael lifted the flap and found the blueprints. Michael had a weird feeling someone was watching him, it was Lina (Fritz’s little sister) in the doorway staring at Michael. Lina didn’t seem to care so Michael tried to memorize the last part and hurried out of the house. Michael gave the pages to Simon, Michael’s mom and dad and thought of a plan to get Simon out of Germany. “When the nightly air raid comes- and it will, as sure as eggs is eggs-you’ll wait until three forty-five in the morning and then make your way to this alleyway, here, were Michael will meet you…Michael, you’ll take him here, to this corner on Friedrichstrasse. That’s where you’ll hand Simon off to one of my agents. You’re to tell the agent, ‘This air raid sounds like the finale to a Wagner opera,’to which he will respond, ‘I prefer Beetthoven’s symphonies, myself. ‘ That’s how you will know he’s our man. If he doesn’t give you the correct pass phrase, move on.” Michael glanced at his watch 3:15 then a trail of fire and smoke, they actually shot down a British plane then Michael looks at his watch again. 3:27. He still had time to kill. A guy on the science team said to Fritz. “How do you expect to kill a scientist if you can’t even shot down a plane?” Then Michael knew what the science team was, it was to kill the scientist. Michael was able to get one of the guys on the science team to spill the beans they tried to kill a Jewish scientist, named Hendrik Goldsmit but two guys named Max and Michael got into a fight when Max was about to attack him he had exploded. With Max out Michael can get on the science team and sabotage the plan.
Michael looked at his watch and it was 3:46, he was late. He ran but when he got to the spot Simon was gone. He didn’t know what to do without Simon then I started to cry out, but a man slapped a hand over my mouth, it was Simon. Michael was trying to get into the science team but noticed that to be on the science team he had to die for Hitler and love him so Simon said “You have to turn me in.” A flashlight clicked on and they saw Simon, Simon was caught. Michael had turn in his parents and Simon. Simon yanked himself free but then shots rang out and Simon fell, he was dead. Since Michael had turned in his parents and Simom he had a spot on team. They were never able to find his parents, they can be anywhere now.
Michael had the project 1065 papers on the side of his body but the guards at the science conference would easily find the papers with one tap of the side of my body. So Michael tried to hide them on a stone wall with a little opening, then a voice asked “What are you doing?” It was Fritz but he didn’t seem to know though. The plan was that there was two suitcases but one of them was a bomb. Michael was able to hide Hendrik Goldsmit and told him that a group of boys have been sent from Germany to kill him. Michael ran for the place he put the papers but weren’t there, it was Fritz but Michael had to get Hendrik Goldsmit out of there so they went on a cable car. Something heavy was on the roof but when Michael went up there Fritz was there on the roof of the cable car and he had the suitcase with the bomb. He had waited for them but he started the timer and he was ready to fight. Fritz’s eyes filled with fear as the suitcase fell off the side of the car into the snow, Fritz and Michael watched the bomb explode down the side of the mountain but Michael was able to hold on and Fritz couldn’t he fell over. Hendrik Goldsmit was safe and Michael was able to find his parents since they were spy’s nobody could know what Michael and his family had done.
My favorite quote from this book is on page 303 “Even though nobody would ever know what I’d done, what my ma and da had done, what Ireland had done, we’d stood up to Hitler and the Nazis with the rest of the Allies.” I like this quote because even though nobody can know what Michael has done in the war he is still happy for being a spy. My favorite character in this book is Michael because he hated to be on Hitlers side, even though he saw Simon die in front of him, he still got up and fought to win. It shows Michael is determined to win the war. To show that Michael is determined I quoted from the book on page 302 “I had just risked my life-and theirs, and sacrificed Simon’s life- to get the plans for Project 1065. To save Professor Goldsmit.” I like this book because all of what Michael had been through at the young age of thirteen he still fought and won.
I woke up on a sunny weekend and I got out of bed, I looked at the mirror and noticed I was invisible. “I couldn’t see myself!” I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it I was in invisible. I started to think about what I was going to do. I thought of three things that popped in my head. One of the things that I would want to do is to sneak into a professional football or baseball game. The second thing that I would do if I was invisible is I would want to haunt my brother. The last thing I would want to do is to travel around the country. The reason why I would want to sneak into a football or baseball game is because I enjoy playing and watching those sports. I would like to see my favorite teams and players play. I would also like to haunt my brother because my brother and I like to scare each other. I would want to scare the life out of him. Finally I would want to travel around the country because I want to explore the world, I would like to see the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn bridge, the White House and many more national monuments. Being invisible will be a fun day.
It started off a beautiful day, my family and I were on a boat off the coast of Florida. Then the best day turned into the worst day. A storm, the waves crashing down the boat it went out of control and I fell overboard. I was in the dark water and crashing waves. All alone with no family. The waves pushed me for hours I twisted and turned in the water. I lifted my head out of the water and I could see the sun raise. I couldn’t believe I was still alive. I could see in the distance sand and palm trees. The water was warm and crystal blue as I got closer. The waves pushed me onto the sand. The little island was about thirty feet long and thirty feet wide. I went to adventure around the island and found coconut trees, pineapple trees, and crabs. When I was done with my adventure for the day I was hungry and tired. I cut open a coconut, some pineapple and cooked crab over a fire. I sat back and leaned against a palm tree next to the water and sipped on my coconut water. I thought to myself what a day of mixed emotions, happy, scared, excited and sad. I wish my family was with me to enjoy this island.
In January, I read the book Grenade by Alan Gratz the book is about two boys, Hideki and Ray. Hideki, is Japanese military student at the Blood and Iron Studies Corps on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Ray is a United States Infantry Marine. World War II, America versus Japan, Hideki and Ray same place, same time but different sides.
More than a thousand American soldiers on ships shooting their guns at the island of Okinawa. In the sky, USA planes flew over Okinawa looking for the enemy to protect the soldiers on the ships. BOOM! One of the guns shot so loud that it made Ray’s stomach rattle. Even though the invasion on Okinawa wasn’t the main invasion, it was Ray’s first battle and he was terrified. Before the invasion, Sergeant Meredith yelled “This is it! Stay low, don’t bunch up, and run like hell!” Ray followed Sergeant Meredith’s orders.
On the Japanese side, Hideki saw a large number of military ships, he never saw so many ships in his entire life. Hideki and the students from the Blood and Iron Student Corps were on a hill looking into the ocean full of US Navy ships ready to invade Okinawa. A squad of Japanese planes known as Kamikazes appeared from the sky and attempted to slow the invasion.
The American forces were going island to island and this was the last island before they invaded Japan. When the Marines landed on Okinawa they had to search for food. As they came to a farm they found a pig. The Marines looked at Sergeant Meredith for direction. Sergeant Meredith gave the Marines orders to kill the pig, but he said that he had no clue on how to slaughter a pig. Ray grew up in a farm in Nebraska and knew how to slaughter a pig but he hated doing it. Because they needed food, Ray killed the pig. As the Marines ate ribs for dinner, they were attacked by Hediki and the students from the Blood and Iron Student Corps. During the attack, American Marine, Hard-Luck Lineker, was shot in the head and dropped to his chest and blood spread all over his uniform. Sergeant Meredith said, “Get down! Get down! “Sniper!”
Hideki carried with him pictures of the Japanese Emperor, Hirohito because he thought the emperor’s spirit would be with him. Hideki and all his classmates believed that the emperors spirit had to be protected. Hideki sniffed that delicious aroma of the nearby campfire. Hideki had not ate meat in ages and all the boys knew it was the Americans. Hideki and his classmates moved towards the American Marines and attacked them with sniper fire. During the attack Ray found the sniper but it was a twelve year old boy, a little kid, Ray thought. Ray was surprised that it was a kid but he had to kill him this was war and “it was kill or be killed.”
Ray was confused they were attacked by kids with grenades and women and children were jumping off cliffs to their deaths. Ray thought that this island was hell. Hideki ran dodging trees and corpses. Ray ran dodging trees and corpses, but both of them can hear the gunfire. Hideki and Ray both ran into a pine tree. Hideki had ran into someone that was bigger and stronger and he landed in the mud. He was staring at a young man in an American uniform. Ray was staring at a young boy in a Japanese uniform. Ray rushed for his rifle, Hideki scrambling for a grenade, Ray pulled the trigger on his M-1. Hideki threw his grenade and “PAKOW!” And a “BOOM! They both got knocked out cold.
Hideki woke up his head felt groggy and he put his hand on his head and he felt a wet and sticky liquid, blood. He didn’t know were he was, how was he injured and why were his ears ringing. Then Hideki remembered running, running and more running than a soldier and his grenade. Hideki saw the soldier’s body beyond the pine tree, Hideki wondered if the soldier was still alive but not moving. Thinking that he will just wake up and start shooting at him again but the soldier didn’t move and he will never move he was dead.
My favorite character in the book was Hediki because his home island was invaded and he let the Americans help him when he was injured and captured later in the war. Hediki trusted the Americans wouldn’t kill him and survived the war and later reunited with his sister who he had lost during the invasion. My favorite quote from the book is “If you surrender to them, they’ll help you.” This was my favorite quote because Hideki understood the Americans were good people and would not hurt him if he wasn’t a threat. Hideki is understanding because he surrendered to the Americans when he fought a tough fight, and that is why he is my favorite character in the book. This is my favorite book because Hideki was able to survive the war even though he had went face to face with an American soldier that was bigger than him.
It was a nice sunny day on the baseball field in Dana Point. I was up to bat with three balls and one strike. The pitcher threw a slow pitch down the middle of home plate. I hit a line drive up the middle of center field. I ran as fast as I could, I felt the wind on my face. The center fielder missed the ball as I rounded first base. I ran passed second base and made it to third base . As I waited at third base I can see that the pitcher was extremely mad because I was distracting him. He tried to pick me off to get me out but he wasn’t able to. With all the anger he had on his face, he threw a wild pitch, my third base coach screamed “ GO!” I ran as fast as I could to home plate. I saw the pitcher run to block the plate while the catcher tossed the ball. The pitcher missed the tag and I was SAFE!
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” This quote means that when you are sad, when you are about to quit, or when you are uncomfortable there is still hope. I chose this quote because you can’t just quit, you can’t just fall down. You need to get back up and fight. I chose this quote because the last part of the quote means one person can change the way your day is going. I like this quote because in a team sport, if we are losing and everyone is wanting to quit, all you have to think about is too “To turn on the light.”
The person that I admire is my dad. I admire my dad because of many reasons, one I admire my dad because he stays in shape. I would like to be in shape because I can move fast and be healthy. The second reason I admire my dad is because he is smart and strong. I would like to be smart because it will help me in school everyday. I would like to be strong because when you are strong you can do many things like pick up heavy items. Another reason why I admire my dad is because he is a police officer, I would like to follow my dad’s footsteps because his job requires him to be strong and smart as well. The last reason why I look up to my dad is because he speaks very well in front of a group of people. All of these reasons I admire my dad makes him my hero.
A word that I would like to focus on this year is patients. I would like to focus on this word because I think I need to have a little more patients. I believe that I need more patients because I am not patient with my younger brother. If my brother does something that annoys me, I am not patient and I yell at him. The second reason why I want to focus on patients for the rest of the year is because my brother says that I yell to much, and yes I believe that I need to stay calm and not yell. Finally the last reason why I picked patients is because patients will help me throughout my life, it would wake me able to wait for a long time and not get mad.
