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Have you ever felt like someone doesn’t want to accept who you are? A sixteen year old boy named Danny Lopez had the same problem. Danny is Hispanic/American and throughout the story he is trying to find out who he really is. His father from his Mexican side left him and Danny wants to find out where he stands in life. When he’s around white people from his school, they always assume he is a Mexican. But when he’s around his own Mexican family from his dad's side they feel he is white because he can’t speak Spanish. When struggling with his culture, Danny leans to baseball to help him escape all the assumptions on him about his racial and ethnic culture. Throughout his rough times though, he finds out his father's disappearance is more complicating than he thought it already was. This is a young adult fiction novel called Mexican Whiteboy and it is written by Matt De La Peña. He wrote the books, I Will Save You, The Living, The Hunted, etc. In my opinion, everything in this b

“We only reveal what we want other people to know, right? It's like we create fictional characters for the public. And inside we're somebody totally different.” This relates to you doesn’t it? This quote is one of many quotes that are included in the young adult fiction book, I Will Save You, by Matt De La Peña. Matt De La Peña has also written the books Mexican Whiteboy, The Living, The Hunted, along with many other books. The book I’ve recently been reading, I Will Save You has brought so much life back to reading for me. I couldn’t drop that book because the moment I stopped reading from it was the moment a new surprising cliffhanger came along. This is what the book was all about. Kidd Ellison is struck with a hard life to keep up with. His mother loves him and tries to keep him safe from his abusive father that mistakes love for his fists. Kidd becomes post traumatic after an incident that changes who he is. He comes upon meeting a former surfing star, Mr. Red that usual

My special item is a pendant on a chain that I received on my baptism when I was a very young baby. It’s really important to me. I always wear it around my neck, it is the one thing that just makes me feel safe anywhere I am. I feel protected with it. My aunt and uncle gave it to me in 2005. In a way it’s like my good luck charm. If I don’t have it on, nothing feels right. I always need it on. I feel blessed to always have it on with me.

The first quarter for me has been a pretty decent quarter. I’ve started the year off on a good note. All my classes were good and my grades were good as well. I could still improve on a little more things to make them even better. For next quarter, I’m going to need to stop with talking and distracting my peers. I need to improve on being more focused. Outside of the classroom I joined the Me to We club and I also made the Varsity school basketball team. I plan and hope that throughout these four quarters I develop into a better learner.

Reading the article, Herd Behavior made me come upon these connections to the book our class recently finished reading, The Outsiders. It made me realize not only how similar the main character Ponyboy was, but the whole Greasers group. Adding onto that, it also made me realize that both the article and The Outsiders book brought some insight to the same theme. That theme was that everybody would follow the group's behaviors. They wouldn't just focus on them, if it involved one of their group members it would involve everyone else part of the group. The article Herd Behavior states, “All of the animals band closely together in a group and, in panic mode, move together as a unit. It is very unusual for a member of the herd to stray from the movement of the unit.” (Paragraph 1)  Throughout the story, no matter what happened, the Greasers always stayed together through everything. All the rough times they went through, they fought those times and got passed them. And all those g

There is a plethora of similarities between the novel and the movie of The Outsiders. For instance, a similarity between both the novel and movie is that they both began in the same way. Ponyboy was writing in his diary and he began writing down, “When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.” In addition, when Johnny was in the hospital, in both the movie and novel they acted out Johnny passing out when he responded to the nurses that for his mom to leave him alone. Moreover, before Johnny passed away, he called Ponyboy and told him to “Stay gold”. Those were his last words to Ponyboy in both the movie and novel. Although, there is also some differences that were in movie and some that were in the novel. Like so, when the novel began, Ponyboy was about to get all his hair cut off by the Socs. But in the movie, it starts off with Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally chasing after some kids that w

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.” - Anonymous. This quote basically means that you shouldn’t ever let people doubt you because you’re always going to be able to do it and prove them wrong. I feel like this quote defines me in a way because whenever I get doubted in something that someone thinks I can’t do, I always try to preserve and accomplish it and prove them wrong.

I go to school at HMS, every morning to go get my education that I need. I could define myself in many ways. For instance, my culture is Mexican/American. My family and I go to Mexico every year. We have fun and go to different areas there. Currently, I have joined the Me to We club at school. On a daily basis I consist of playing and practicing my basketball skills. I enjoy learning new things, and I will never back down from an obstacle that's blocking me because I'll always find a way to fight it.

In 10 years, I see myself making it to the NBA and making good money. I can see it. I'm walking onto the court getting ready while I'm wearing my jersey that says my last name on the back and it says "Chicago Bulls" on the front. I would be living in Downtown, Chicago. Also, I would see myself owning a sneaker store. With all the money, I would be getting, I would want to help all my family out because to me that's what really matters. By help I mean, help my parents on paying their bills.

Walking into that room, hurt everyone. Tears running down their face, on that cold New Years Eve day. His heart beating still, as we waited and prayed for him to open his eyes. Seeing everything connected to him on the bed, was something we never believed would happen on this special day for all of us. We never expected this. December 31st, 2013 was when it all happened. That day started like any normal New Years Eve day. I woke up happy to start the new year that was coming soon. I was going to get my haircut to get ready for the New Years Eve party we always have at my aunts house. Since my cousin cuts my hair, I knew everyone in the barbershop, especially his closest friend, Jose. I shook his hand the moment I saw him and told him "Happy New Years Jose". Once my cousin had cut all my hair, I went home and did everything to get ready for the party at my aunts house. When I was done putting on my fresh clothes, my mom, my dad and I went in our truck and left. While we we