Tag archives for Soccer
Posted by We are back on the road again in South America. Our first stop is Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. The town was full of excitement and so were we. Our first night we went to soccer game or, as they call it, futbol. It was a rivalry game so it was extra crazy. There were people in the stadium lighting off fireworks and chanting anthems. The crowd was filled with black and yellow bumble bee jerseys and red, white and blue jerseys. They were the most energetic fans I had ever seen.
Posted by BOOK NAME: Tangerine
AUTHOR: Edward Bloor
Paul Fisher is a pretty nerdy-looking kid. It’s mainly because of the thick, Coke-bottle like glasses he has to wear since he lost some of his eyesight in an accident as a child. Paul was perfectly happy with his home in Houston, Texas, having friends he enjoyed spending his time with. However, all that changed when he moved to Tangerine, Florida, in the 7th grade. Florida was quite different from Texas with its muck fires and sink holes. But Paul really doesn’t mind all of those things though. What does bother him is his older brother, Erik. Erik is a high school football star and his dad has plans from him to join the pros one day. In fact, the family is so focused on the “Fisher Football dream” that they don’t see what Erik is really like. Erik has a dark side and to get what he wants, he will do anything. He puts on a nice act when adults are around, but even then he is scheming. Ever since Paul was a child he has been in constant fear of Erik. As Erik’s actions become more and more terrible, it is up to Paul to show his parents what sort of person Erik really is.
Paul finds that the one good thing about moving is that he can look forward to soccer at his new school. At his old school he didn’t make the team, so moving presents an opportunity to do what he loves instead of being overshadowed by Erik. Along the way, Paul learns lots of life’s lessons from his new classmates.
There is a lot of symbolism in this book, so try to think about the actual meaning of the text and how the symbols enhance the story. I was impressed with the action and how intense the story was. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time and it will engross you from start to finish.
Posted by Spain may have won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but the world is still talking about Paul.
Paul is a two-year old octopus living at Sea Life in Oberhausen, Germany and he was able to pick the winner for all of Germany’s matches, as well as the winner of the final between Spain and the Netherlands. Paul’s keepers put food into two clear boxes, each labeled with a competing country’s flag. Whichever box Paul opened first was predicted to win–and Paul was always right!
In honor of his achievement, Paul got his own tiny copy of the trophy as well. He is being retired from making predictions, but he can be visited at his home at Sea Life.
Read more about Paul on the Washington Post website.
How much do you know about the history of the World Cup? Quiz Your Noodle and find out.
Watch a video of an octopus squirting a curious bird on National Geographic Kids.
Photograph by Roberto Pfeil, AP Photo/dapd
