Book Report in English

Submitted By: Jubelle Angeli C. Maturan IV-Gemini

Submitted to: Mrs. Marife Hallorina English IV Teacher

BOOK 1 BREAK FOR THE BASKET

The literary piece is entitled Break for the Basket by Matthew H. Christopher. The book has 91 pages and was published by Scholastic Book Services. It was released on November 1964 and has illustrations made by Foster Caddell. Break for the Basket was recommended by a friend, saying that it had a nice storyline. Being a bookworm myself, I got curious about it. Then, I started to leaf on the pages. The story talks about Emmett Torrance, a typical teenage boy to be a part of the Penguins, a midget basketball team in their place. He accepted the offer, but during the games, he always feels shy. As a result, he commits the fouls or he wont be able to shoot the ball. Mr. Garfield, his painter neighbor-slash-old best friend, knew about his real talent in basketball. He continued to encourage Emmett to give his best on the succeeding games. But like Emmett, he also has his own share of personal fears. Mr. G, as he is known to the community, always calls himself a substandard painter. Like Emmett, he doesnt have a sense of selfreliance and self-confidence. He believes that he is wasting his time and his parents money on this hobby. The story revolves not only inside the hard court, but also tells the readers on how Emmett and Mr. G overcome their personal fears with the help of each other, despite of their big age difference. I can see that Emmett and I were alike in a lot of ways. Way back into my younger years, I can say that I am the timid type. Up to now, reporting on class was the last thing I want to do inside the classroom. Break for the Basket taught me a lesson: If you had that star factor, dont be afraid to flaunt it. Show the world what youve got. To conclude, I recommend this book to other people. This might be a story

we already encountered, but when you give Mr. Christopher a chance to impart his story, there are a lot of lessons to learn.

BOOK 2 AN UNDYING SPIRIT

Our next story is a true to life story on how a daughter spends time with his father during his last days. This is entitled An Undying Spirit by Australian writer Suzy Zail. Actually, this is an excerpt from her book, The Tattooed Flower. The said excerpt was published on the January 2007 issue of Readers Digest. In April 1998, Emil Braun and his daughter Suzy (the author) faced the most difficult trial they had encountered. Emil was diagnosed with terminal illness at age 67. Upon knowing this, he set himself to accomplish his last goal: to let his children know who he was. Upon knowing the bad news, the whole family, including the grandchildren, went to Fiji for a 10-day vacation. They bonded together. It was in this vacation where Emil shared to his children namely Peter, Gary, and Suzy his life story in a garbled voice weakened by his illness. As the days gone by, the days for the Braun family became harder. Emils condition worsened, but he said that his illness had changed him for the better. He learned to be patient and to listen. At times, he turns angry, but eventually, he accepted the reality and savored his last moments. I was deeply touched on Suzys story. Like her, I am close to my father. While reading the excerpt, I realized that I am still lucky because he is still with us. I learned that we should savor every moment because death is an inevitable event in our lives. Say all what is unsaid. Tell the people you love that they are important to you while we still have the chance. Do not wait for the time that you cannot do anything but regret for the time you have taken for granted.

I recommend this book because it has a touching storyline which everyone for sure can relate unto it. The story of their painful journey did not only inspire their relatives and friends, but also people around the world who were able to take a glimpse on their life by leafing on the pages.