Chapter 1: “You Don’t Have to Cut My Foot Off, Do You? ”- In this chapter Sampson is trying to be like the older boys, he hangs with his older brother and his friends pretending to be tough. They go try to fix the benches in the park. Sampson ends up holding a brick which ends up falling on his foot. Sampson goes to the doctor and starts to gain interest in the doctor’s job. Reflect: After reading this chapter it reminded me when I was a kid playing with the plug outlets and one of them shocked me. Mom took me to my pediatrician’s office and from there on I never wanted to leave.
Chapter 2: “Oh, Man, You’re In Trouble Again! – Rameck gets in trouble again in school with nun. He gets in trouble a lot and is playful but he is a very smart boy. People mistake Rameck playfulness with being slow which he is not. Rameck has problems controlling his anger when someone says something to him he just goes out on a rage. He has a close relationship with his grandmother. He discusses all his problems with her. His mother works a lot to keep up with the bills and Rameck’s tuition. Reflect: I completely understand Rameck when I was at that age. I was constantly in trouble my second home was the principal’s office.
Though I did get in trouble a lot I was also smart like Rameck but I just wasn’t reaching my full potential. As I look back now I realize that if I was in less trouble could have even better grades. Chapter 3: “Isn’t That School In The Ghetto? ”- George is a more independent person he may do a couple bad things here or there but he is majority in his books. He really enjoys school and especially books- plays. He realizes he was different from of kids when he went to museum. George knew he wasn’t the riches person out there but he never really considered himself has being part of the ghetto.
His teacher Miss Johnson played a major role in his life and she really made George believe in himself and he can succeed in anything if he pushes himself. Reflect: I think my motivator in my life is my mother. Watching her everyday going to work and taking care of my brother, sister and, I and never breaking a sweat I respect her a lot. Still being able to have time for her and traveling. I want to become like her and even more to make her proud but most importantly myself.
Chapter 4: “We’re Gonna Jack Us Some Icees From Jack’s! ”-Sampson and his friends in this chapter decide to steal some Icees from a local store. They know the onsequences but they still steal it. The man who owns the store catches them and threatens to call the cops on them. He scares them with his dogs and then lets them go. For then on Sampson never steals again. Reflect: I remember one time when I took my cousins earrings. She was looking for them and when she asked me if I seen them I said no. A couple days later I guess my sister told her that I had them. So my cousin told me that they weren’t really hers and it was a friend and that her friend wanted back or she was going to fight cousin. I returned the earrings so quickly I was so worried that my cousin was going to get hurt.
Once my cousin told me I never took anything of anyone’s without asking permission first. Chapter 5: “How Much Do You Need? ”- Rameck was really good in acting and it was like is escape from all the problems he was dealing with. He wanted to start getting into real acting jobs but he knew he had to get some more updated pictures and he needed money. So he asks his grandmother for the money she believes in him so she gives him the money. Rameck gets home and realizes that the electricity was out and his mom was sitting on the couch in the dark. She had no money to pay the bill she used her paycheck to buy a refrigerator full of groceries.
He ends up giving his mother the money to pay the bill and the next day the electricity was still out. He was upset that he gave her the money but he didn’t regret he just wished he made sure she paid the bill. Reflect: I have had times were I gave up my personal benefits to do something for my family. For example, my friends and I were going to Six Flags and my brother and sister were home-sick and my mom watching them and I knew it was a handful. So I decide to stay home and help her take care of them. Chapter 6: “Are You Godzilla Or King Kong? ”-George had a dentist report and he sees it more has a reason to leave school early.
When he actually gets there he starts to really look and show interest in the dentist’s office. His fascination of the dental charts, X-rays, and instruments was amusing to George. This one trip end up playing a significant part in George’s life to becoming a dentist himself. Reflect: When I went to my pediatrician I wasn’t really concerned of what they do. But with the many trips I was taking there I started to pay more attention to the things a pediatrician does and I was so amazed! Chapter 7: “Yeah, Man, They Say the Driver’s dead. ”- Sampson faced his first real death of someone close he knew.
He was shocked and wasn’t really able to comprehended that someone he just saw the other day and was talking to was dead? I think from there he realized how quickly you can go and hanging around certain people will put you in some dangerous circumstances. Reflect: I personally have seen someone close to me pass away. It was unimaginable when I heard my aunt was dead. She took care of me since I was a baby she has been in my whole life and hearing that she was gone I did not believe it. It wasn’t till later on that year when her birthday came buy when I really broke down and cried knowing that she really wasn’t coming back.
Chapter 8: “I Don’t Even Know Anybody Who Went to College. ”-Sampson kind of hid the fact that he was really good in school to his friends. It wasn’t really cool to be smart and stuff so he acted like he got bad grades also. Sampson and George took a test to get admitted into University High School which was out of there area but was a great school. Reflect: I never really hid my grades when I got straight A’s on my report card or got principals award I will show all the friends. It kind of made me feel special and more unique than other people.
