Reading response #1 (Million Dollar Throw)

Over the summer one of the three books I read was "Million Dollar Throw" by Mike Lupica. "Million Dollar Throw" is about a boy, named Nate, who is a very good quarter back in football and who's family is pretty poor. His best friend, who is a girl, is become blind and her family has a decent amount of money cause her dads a banker. She is a painter and even though she cant see well her paintings come out so clear and beautiful. Anyway Nate enters a raffle and wins a shot to go to a Patriots game on Thanksgiving and attempt to throw a ball through a tiny whole in a target. If he is successful he will win $1,000,000.  I chose to write my reading response on "Million Dollar Throw" because this book was very interesting and I got really into this book. I think I found this book so interesting because a lot of stuff that happens I did not expect but they are not unrealistic. I would think that some part of the book would be simple but then all of a sudden the unexpected would happen. Some examples are When Abby, the best friend ho is going blind, tells Nate that she is going to have to attend an all blind school. One more is when his dad tells them that they finally sold the house and they had a decent amount of money now. Lastly the most unexpected thing they did in the book is what Nate decides to do with his money.

Right before Abby tells Nate that she is going to be in an all blind school Nate had a bad day which looked like it was starting to turn around as he left with his mother and ate pancakes and it seemed like his bad day was over when Abby asked Nate to meet her at Joe's Pizzeria (they went to get pizza instead of watching Batman at the movie theater). Nate is happy to see her but then she tells him that she will have to spend a semester at the all blind school. Nate freaks out say that she isn't even blind yet and how could they take you away from me like that? She tried to explain to him but he was just so shocked and angry (I was also shocked). She had to start walking with a cane because she was tripping a lot because of her sight. Nate didn't see her as the same Abby he used to know. They slowing grew apart and became slightly awkward around each other.

Nate is outside in his backyard practicing his million dollar throw on a replica target that Abby had gave him awhile ago. He set is goal to make three of the throws in the target. He was struggling on all three but had managed to make two. while working on his third throw his dad just bust out the door and tell Nate with excitement, "We sold the house and for a really good price. We are going to be all right Nate." This was unexpected but after his dad says this Nate smiles at his dad, looks at the target while standing 35 yard away (how far he would have to throw on Thanksgiving), Throws the ball at the target, and the ball goes right through the how. Then Nate says, "money."

Lastly after Nate wins his $1,000,000 prize Nate decides what he is going to do with the money that his family once needed. Abby's family is not doing well with money. Abby's dad lost his job and they don't have health care any more. With Abby going blind the were loosing more and more money. The whole story Nate's family talks about how it wold be so helpful f they could win that money and that they wouldn't have any more problems so i expected his family to take the money but instead he wants Abby's family to be ok and he wants Abby to be able to stay with him and not have to got o an all blind school so he pay for a $1,000,000 operation that will give Abby's sight back. The operation worked and Abby was no longer blind and Abby's family were back on their feet with their money issues. This was the biggest surprise of all.