SOL March 1

As I come to the end of the ski lift, the intense wind rocks our chair from side to side. Although the chair is far above tree-line, we get off the lift with still many feet to go to get to the rocky summit. I ski down a brief run, and hop on another lift. This lift takes us up to the very summit, and the wind is even more intense.  As we hop off the lift, we ski into a sheltered cat-track carved into the snow, to protect skiers from the wind. I clip off my skis, and climb up the snowy face to the summit. The second I look over the edge, I am amazed. To the west, there was range after range of snow capped mountains, and to the east, there was the rest of the ski area, followed my more mountains. On the top, there was too much wind for snow to collect, and my clunky ski boots tripped on an icy rock. I briefly lost my balance. The gusts of wind knocked me over, and I landed on the more protected snowy side. I had seen enough, and after taking several photos, I clipped back into my skis, and skied down the steep slope.

The Boys in The Boat

This week I read The Boys in The Boat, a book about US rowing at the 1936 Berlin olympics. I enjoyed reading this book because of the good descriptions, and the real history. The book was partially focused on Joe Rantz, because of his interesting history. This book was not always interesting for me, but certain parts I enjoyed. I think that I would rate this book at about 3 out of 5 stars, because of how I lost interest in some parts.

SOL 6

The snow was floating down, and the wind was gently blowing it across the sky, and through the streets. I zipped up my jacket, and closed the door. My dog pulled eagerly, ready to prance into the snow. I headed out onto the sidewalk, with my crunching feet making the only footprints in the snow. The cold nipped at my face, and the blowing snow clung to my hair. I trudged on, and eventually turned back. Once I was at the door again, my face was numb, and my dog was still pulling me along.

Port Chicago 50

This week I read Port Chicago 50, a book about black sailors in the Navy. The book is set in WWII, and the sailors are at Port Chicago, a port in the Bay Area. These sailors are in a segregated part of the Navy, and are restricted to working only on shore. Many black men that join the Navy load bombs and ammunition onto ships for transport to American war zones. The occupation of loading bombs is very dangerous, and none of the black sailors have andy training in handling explosives. The black sailors load all of the ammunition, and they are directed by white officers. Because of this, there is tension between the officers and the sailors, and also with the surrounding towns and cities. After a massive explosion, the sailors start to protest the dangerous conditions, and the prejudice and injustice they face.

This book had a great plot, as well as having real quotes and opinions from real people. It was interesting to learn about the history of segregation in the military, as well as learning about real events in the past. This book was nonfiction, but that did not affect how good the plot and characters were. I would rate this book at an 8 out of 10.

SOL 5

Mathcounts

I was in a large room, filled with hundreds of students, all in middle school.  Across the row was the Logan team, and we all waited to get our papers. Finally, the papers were handed out, and we were instructed to start. I flipped the page over, and looked at the problems. I flipped again. And again. Trying to find something I knew. I found the problems I knew, which was about one-third of them. I filled in answers to the ones I knew, and guesses to the problems I didn't. The adults collected the papers, and I looked up at the large screen, where the answers were projected. I counted the ones I got correct, and the ones I didn't. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Correct, Wrong. That is pretty much how it went.

The Boy With the Black Suit

The Boy With the Black Suit
By Jason Reynolds

In The Boy With the Black Suit, Matt is a high school senior. He is starting school 2 weeks late, because his mom recently died. Because of this he stops caring about school, and what people think of him. Matts neighbor Mr Ray, hires matt to work for his funeral home. Matt realizes he enjoys the funerals, and that they make him feel like he is not alone. As matt works for the funeral home, his father has struggles with alcohol. As the book goes on, Matt becomes closer to Mr Ray, his best friend Chris, and others. I really enjoyed reading this book. It did a great job showing someone going through hardship, and dealing with problems. The way the characters were described showed their personalities very well, and I felt like I was getting to know, them. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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