Off to Germany We Go

On July 6, my family of five lugged our heavy suitcases into Yosemite International Airport in preparation for a three week long vacation in Germany. We got off to a rocky start when our flight from Fresno to SF was delayed, meaning we would miss our flight from SF to Frankfurt. We were told to come back at 4:00 AM the next day and they MIGHT be able to find us a flight. My dad called our travel agent and she was able to book us on another plane. We flew to SF, but had a 7 hr. layover, meaning we sat around in chairs for 7 long hrs. When we finally boarded the plane (which was headed to Munich rather than Frankfurt) we discovered that this plane had an upgrade-individual tv's! The 11 hr. trip went by like nothing. Soon we were on a flight to Hamburg, a town near to where we were staying. We were picked up by my grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, and two cousins. We rushed home, a little over the speed limit, to see the Germany vs. Spain game. Read about that below. :(

Soccer

When we arrived at my grandma and grandpa's house in Bad Bramstedt, we all rushed to the living room and turned on the tv. After fifteen minutes, the score was 0-0. Everyone was super tense. After the first half, it seemed Spain was in control. Time after time, a Spaniard had a golden oppurtunity, but couldn't convert. However, the Germans started out the first half with oppurtunities of their own. All of a sudden, it seemed Germany had gained the upper hand, nearly scoring several times. Just when it seemed the Germans would finally put one in the back of the net, Spain got a breakaway that ended in a corner. The German defenders left a man open off the kick, and he headed the ball in. The living room went dead silent. My grandpa stood up, mumbling something about the bathroom, my uncle just said, "Wow," my dad looked out the window awkwardly, and I stared at my toes in dissapointment. It was late in the game and the chances to score quickly against a team like Spain were slim. Although they almost got the equalizer, the young Germans left the game with only a chance for third.

Berlin

After a week of getting used to life in Germany, the Grunberg family was pretty on top of things. Soon it was time for a long car ride to Berlin. Berlin is the most amazing place I have ever seen! There were buildings from hundreds of years ago and they were all beautiful. One of my favorite sites was a water fountain with a statue of Neptune in the middle. Various sea creatures were spouting water up at Neptune and mermaids sat on the edge. However, there is a darker side to Berlin. As we learned, the nazis were a huge part of the history of Berlin. Among the buildings we visited were places where the nazis had had there headquarters.. We also saw a place where old and sick people were deported and learned that 50-150 people were deported to camps each month from that place alone. I was especially sad when we walked along underground torture/gas chambers where many had died. Right near the torture cells was a Holocaust musuem and it was so overwhelming to read the poster boards inside that we left about halfway through. About thirty years later, Berlin had another catastrophe. After WW2, Germany was in disrepair. In efforts to try to rebuild the country, the four nations who had won the war temporarily split Germany into four parts (one for each victorious nation). The same was done with Berlin. However, Russia soon grew greedy and wanted their part of Berlin permanantly. Berlin was again split, this time in two. Russia had one half, the east, and the other three nations (America, England, and France) had the other, the west. The west side was much better, because the Russians were not very nice to their people. The east, meaning Russia, built a huge wall with barbed wire and other little walls to keep its people in. This wall was called the Berlin wall and very few people ever made it across. Those who did make it had very creative strategies like using tunnels or submarines. The west side welcomed newcomers and sometimes helped people escape from the east side. My two favorite stories were very entertaining. The first was just a picture of a woman trying to escape out of the window of an east Berlin house. A guard is trying to haul her back into the house by her arm, and two west Berliners are trying to pull her into West Berlin by her foot. The second story is about a family of three who hid in a toilet near the wall. Once it was night time, they lowered each other over the wall by pulley. I believe both tries were successful. About 20 years ago, the residents of the east started rebelling and the wall was eventually taken down. We were able to walk along a path that marked were it had been and even saw some original pieces. It was all very interesting.

My Weekend!

On Saturday (May 15) I will go to my cousins’ birthday party. Since all of their birthdays are either in late April or early May, all three of them are having one huge party. This year, the party is carnival themed. My uncle, who is a VERY skilled craftsman, has handmade a ton of carnival attractions like a bowling alley, a shooting gallery, etc. Also, knowing my aunt, there will be lots of delicious snacks and drinks, so I am very excited. The only problem is that since all my cousins are younger than me, all the friends they have invited are also younger than me, so I will be the oldest kid there. Between screaming fourth grade girls, immature second grade boys, and kindergarten boys who want to play, I’ve got my Saturday planned out for me. It’ll be okay. I hope!

A Day No Pigs Would Die, a 150 page classic by Richard Peck, tells of an only child named Rob growing up on a farm. He helps his father, who slaughters pigs for a living keep the farm running smoothly by doing chores. Pa doesn’t like slaughtering animals by any means, but does it because he has to pay of the cost of the property before it is fully his. Rob shares his many adventures with a pig named Pinky. However, everything starts going wrong and Pinky has to be slaughtered because she cannot have children. Even worse, right before the land debt is paid off, Pa dies of old age. This heart-wrenching tale is a beautiful story, right up until that final day for Pa, when no pigs would die. This is a story for everyone, especially country kids, who love a sad classic.

In the 312 page novel Cracker, by Cynthia Kadahota, a dog named Cracker is given up by his loving owner, Willie, because of a move to an apartment. Cracker goes on to be a military dog with dog handler Rick. After a rocky start during which Cracker is uncooperative, the team goes on to become what Rick says is the best team in Vietnam as they go through raiding villages and sniffing out bombs. However, everything goes wrong when a routine village raid goes haywire, Rick is wounded, and Cracker has to run away. Rick does everything he can from an America hospital, but is it enough to save a nearly dead Cracker, who is wandering around a dangerous jungle? You should definitely find out in this descriptive nail biter, especially if you love dogs!

In Miracle On 49th Street, a 256 page novel by Mike Lupica, a girl named Molly is living with an adopted family because her mother is dead and her father is no where to be found. However, before her mother's death, Molly learns that her father is Josh Cameron, famous point guard for the Boston Celtics. Molly decides she wants to live with him, even if he made some bad choices in his college years. But when she starts trying to bond with him, he doesn't cooperate as well as she had hoped and she has to perservere. Like some other Mike Lupica novels, this one makes you well up like a spring and ends like a firework fanfare.

Big Field, a 243 page story by Mike Lupica, was a great find for a sports stud like me. In the story, a boy named Hutch gets moved over from his favorite position, shortstop, to second because a new, better player signed up. The new second baseman, Darryl, and Hutch do not get along well and even get in a fight. To top it all off, Hutch falls into a bad hitting slump and must find a way to clear things with Darryl and go to the championships. I loved this story and any baseball player who were to read it could understand why!

Million Dollar Throw

Million Dollar Throw, a 244 page novel by Mike Lupica, made my heart ache with happiness. Nate, the main character tries to lead his eighth grade football team to a championship, all the while training for his chance to throw a football through a hole and win a million dollars at a New England Patriots’ halftime show. In the clutch, Nate‘s quarterback skills pay off, so he uses the million dollars he won to give his friend an expensive surgery to correct blindness. This sports thriller should be read by those football faithful who don’t mind getting out a tissue.

The Journal of Wong Ming Chung Critique

The Journal of Wong Ming Chung by Laurence Yep
Reviewer: Kollin Grunberg #13
Have you ever dreamt of being rich, pockets bulging with gold nuggets? Wong Ming Chung and his dad have tried their luck in the American gold fields, but their trip from China was marred by failure and problems with greedy Americans. Wong was a Chinese gold miner living in 1852 America, so this story would be especially appeasing to fourth graders studying the Gold Rush. The author, Laurence Yep, continued his writing extravagance with this realistic fiction after completing other stories like Dragon’s Gate and Dragonwings.
This tale had its share of both strong and weak points. Laurence Yep stressed the importance of family throughout the reading, and this theme connected well with the plot. However, one weak aspect is that some family relationships were confusing. I liked how Wong’s troubles were clearly articulated. His troubles on the sea voyage were vividly described and I knew exactly what was happening. Also, Wong’s feelings were expressed in depth and I liked being able to know his emotions. This book is a great read for anyone wanting a good story with a pinch of adventure!
Laurence Yep has conjured up a winner, no doubt about it. Coupled with a good moral, the novel’s theme is dynamic. Everyone should read this novel to grasp the horridness of discrimination. I found this journal to be wonderful and I hope you read it and understand why!

Anthony Horowitz’s Stormbreaker is a 240 page flurry of chases. A boy named Alex has his Uncle Ian Rider die, supposedly in a car crash because of an unbuckled seatbelt. Knowing Ian always buckled his seat belt, Alex investigated and found out that his uncle had been a spy and died on a mission. The same organization that sent Ian decided to also send Alex because a suspicious man, Herod Sayle, was giving a new model computer of his invention, Stormbreaker, to all the children of English schools. The organization, M16, found a contest where a boy in Florida had won a chance to try out the Stormbreaker. The sent him a consolation prize and sent Alex to test the computer so he could snoop around. While Alex was there, he was chased by everything from quads to a harsh lady telling him he was in an off- limits area. When Alex finally finds out that the evil scheme included a virus built in to harm all the school children, Herod imprisons Alex in a jellyfish tank. Alex attempted an escape and arrived just in time to stop Herod’s revenge on the prime minister and save the schools. This first class novel was at the top of my reading list and should be at the top of yours too!

Skeleton Key Blog

Skeleton Key, a 327 page thriller by Anthony Horowitz, had enough action to keep the book glued to my hands and my eyes wide open. Alex Rider, the main character, starts out as a ball boy at the Wimbledon tournament because suspicious things are occurring there that Alex needs to check out. After a painful fight with a Chinese gang member, Alex is shipped off to a distant island called Skeleton Key for safety. A search for an evil man with enough uranium to blow up all of Russia’s submarine fleet in Murmansk and then some, leads Alex to be captured by this man. It turned out the man, Alexei Sarov, had lost a son about Alex’s age and wished for Alex to replace him. When Alex reused repeatedly, Sarov decided to leave Alex in Murmansk for when the bomb blows up. Alex nearly disabled the bomb, so Sarov came back and attempted to shoot Alex. Finding he couldn’t bring himself to do it, Sarov shot himself just as a rescue party got Alex out of Murmansk and disabled the bomb. I hope you can now see why I was so fascinated by the story and recommend that you read it too!

Devil's Arithmetic

Devil's Arithmetic is a beatifully sad Holocaust novel byJane Yolen. The main characters are Hannah/Chaya, Rivka, Guitl, Shmeul, and Esther. There are many other characters who play minor roles. In fact there is a concentration camp full of them. Hannah lives in 2009 U.S. She is a Jew who is tired of remembering Holocaust with her family every year. But one year, she is transported into the body of a girl named Chaya who lives during the time of Holocast. Guitl is her aunt and Shmeul is her uncle. Uncle Shmeul has a wedding shortly after Hannah's arrival, but the celebration is cut short when Nazis iinvade and "relocate" all the Jewas present to a concentration camp. There Hannah meets Rivka and Rivka, Hannah, and Esther become great friends. Life is very hard, but the girls get through together. Until one day, the girls are chosen to die... Hannah is very strong.

Hannah is a great model of courage. She took on life in Holocaust without complaining. She was able to hold her feelings to herself and save many lives at the concentration camp. When three other girls around Hannah are chosen to die, Hannah takes the spot of one of them and tells the girl she replaced to run while the guard was not looking. It takes a brave hero to act the way Chaya did. I loved this read and caution anyone interested in reading it not to take the story lightly because it is a heavy tale.

Eulalia Blog

Eulalia, by Brian Jacques, is a 389 page story of breathtaking battles. The main protagonists are Gorath, Orwkwil, Skipper, Log a Log Luglug, and Maudie. The main antagonist is Vizka Longtooth. Gorath is a badger who was chosen by the spirits to be Lord of Salmandstrom, the mountain of badgers. He is captured by vermin who killed his grandparents in the process of capturing Gorath, infuriating him. He manages to escape to Redwall, an abbey of peace. Maudie is a hare sent by Salmandstrom to find Gorath. Orkwil is a battle hero who helps Maudie and Gorath in battle. Log a Log Luglug is the leader of a clan of shrews who also help in battles. Skipper is a leader of a battling clan as well, but his clan consists of otters. Vizka Longtooth and his clan of vermin were responsible for killing Gorath’s grandparents. Gorath and his friends must defeat the vermin if they wish to protect the lives of the people in Redwall’s gates- and their own lives. Log a Log Luglug is courageous.
Log a Log is a very brave shrew. When his father was killed, he took over as leader and cared for his clan’s needs. He did not back down when faced with enemies, but went after them seeking to revenge his father’s death. If a danger was encountered like mice attacking, Log a Log was first to help. This book was so irresistably fascinating that I could hardly put it down.

Boy Blog

Boy of the Painted Cave by Justin Denzel has 158 pages full of suspense. Some of the main characters are Tao, Ram, Graybeard, and the evil Volt. Tao is a boy who dreams of drawing but can’t because his clan allows only Chosen Ones to paint. Tao could never become Chosen One because he has a crippled foot and lack of proven parents, but together with his good friend Graybeard and loyal wolf Ram, Tao is able to achieve the unlikely and fulfill his dream as an image maker.
Tao’s rise to fame was not easy though as he and his clan leader Volt always had a deep argument brewing. Volt was frequently mad at Tao and punished him severely. One example of a conflict is when Tao disagrees with Volt’s opinion on hunting with wolf dogs. Another is the ever existing battle of who can or can’t paint, and Tao rebelliously drawing against Volt’s will. After leaving his clan for a rest from Volt, Tao disobeys the leader yet again by visiting the forbidden Slough and satisfying his hunger on the beasts that lived there.

House of the Scorpion Blog

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is a 380 page novel of

action and cliffhangers. The main characters are Matt, Maria, Tam Lin, Celia, El Patron, and the antagonist, Tom. Matt is the name of a clone who lives as property of El Patron. His mother, Celia, works as a cook for El Patron and all his close friends and relatives. Maria is a girl who took a liking to Matt, and Matt a liking to her. And Tam Lin is the bodyguard assigned to Matt by El Patron. Tom is an evil-hearted prankster who makes life tough for Matt and Maria. Unfortunately, Tom is not the only one who does not fully love Matt. Matt must battle these hardships and unravel his life’s mystery. Matt discovers that El Patron intends to use him as a source of transplant (to give the old man a new kidney, heart, etc.). With the help of his close friends, Matt is able to run off in search of a better life. Though not right away, Matt finds some new friends and a happy ending.
Matt was always bickering with Tom since the time they first met when Tom made fun of Matt, Matt threw a rotten orange at Tom, and Tom shot Matt with painful peas from a peashooter. Matt was angered when Tom did horrible things to Maria and was always in a sour argument with Tom. Once, Tom put Maria’s beloved dog in the toilet and Matt was grumpy and yelled at Tom because he was sure Tom had done it but couldn’t prove it. Another time, Tom took Matt’s dear teddy bear and ripped off the ears and an eye. Matt was so furious that he was at loss of words and could only glare fiercely. Not to mention all the name calling that went on. Those two were always fighting!

Wringer Blog

Wringer is a 240 page novel by Jerry Spinelli about a boy of ten years old named Palmer who wishes to keep a secret pet pigeon in a town that kills 5,000 pigeons annually by gun, and hires ten year olds to wring the survivors’ neck. His friends would laugh and reject him if they knew and his dad takes part in the pigeon massacre, so has to share his secret only with his neighbor, and with her help, tell the town he doesn’t want to wring necks. This is a heartwarming story with a touching ending.

Taggerung Blog
Taggerung, a novel by Brian Jacques, is a 403 page fantasy of wonderful suspense and action. In it, a vicious clan of stoats, weasels, foxes, and ferrets, with their leader Sawney Rath at command, search the lands for a prophesized Taggerung (or chosen one) to bring glory to their tribe. Shortly thereafter, an otter babe is born at the Redwall Abbey and, Sawney Rath immediately kidnaps it to train it into a deadly hunter in the years that follow. The otter never felt at home and never enjoyed killing though, so he runs away and with some help from a mouse named Nimbalo, he is able to find his way back to the abbey home he never remembered and discover his true name (Deyna). Deyna is skilled in many ways.
Deyna is quite a talented chap. He was sent to hunt down a fox that had deserted twelve hours earlier and caught him easily. A single toss of his knife sliced a prisoner’s bonds. Deyna made good time swimming upstream when he ran away and makes better time going downstream. Even when faced with a group of poisonous snakes, Deyna was able to survive with lightning quick tail lashes that paralyzed the snakes. Anyone in need of suspense and action like this needs to pick up a copy of this book and find out what kind of battles I didn’t include in this blog!