11 Seconds

The book 11 Seconds is a personal look at the emotional roller coaster Travis Roy had to face when he was only 20. At that age, Travis was a young, lively college kid who had very big dreams of being a professional hockey player. He had made it all the way to playing in the first game of the season at Boston University when a once-in-a-lifetime freak accident caused him to go headfirst into the boards, making him a quadriplegic for life. Travis then goes on to explain the struggles he faced when he was in the hospital, when he was out living in the real world, and when he went back to be involved with his dream-team back at BU. After reading this, I am sure you will start to be happy with your life and love everyone and everything around you.

"Eleven Seconds is a thrilling story about the amazing journey of Travis Roy’s life and recovery. Throughout the book you will learn how to look at life and be thankful for what you have." -teenink.com

I thought the writing style of this book was extremely effective. Roy and Swift teamed up to create an emotional, personal story and the writing style defiantly goes along with it. When my dad and brother recommended it to me, I wasn't sure how far into it I was going to get because emotional books never really held my interest. Although something about this book had me wanting to read more and more. I even had dreams about being a quadriplegic! This book and it's writing style really makes you appreciate all that you do.

"Dad, I made it." -Travis Roy

I have never heard about Travis Roy or heard about a such thing as a quadriplegic before reading this book. Now I will know about him and what all spinal-cord injured victims have to go through for the rest of my life. I think that is because of how he explained every detail and every feeling with so much compassion, you could almost feel it too. I'm not going to lie, I cried reading some parts. I got so emotional because I could only imagine how everyone he mentioned was feeling. This book was amazing, and I am very happy I chose this for this quarter.

Ode to Grandma

Always there when I needed a hug or a cry
So nice that you could never hurt a bug or a fly
Your old jolly laugh always made me smile
Remember that time we tried to run a mile?

You always made me happy when I went over
Your luck to me was like a four leaf clover
You would crack some jokes and cook some food
Then we would eat and talk to conclude

Our memories and talks will always be the best
I wish that you could be here so we can make the rest
Now I don’t see you because you are gone
But you will be in my heart forever and on