4th Quarter Outside Reading Book

Soul Surfer By: Bethany Hamilton. Pocket Books, 2004. Non- Fiction

While Bethany Hamilton, age 13, was surfing on an early Halloween morning with her friend, and shark came and bit her arm off. She got back to the shore, and almost died from blood loss. But later after having surgery, and staying in the hospital for a while, Bethany was optimistic and courageous. She fought to get back in the water and surf, and wasn’t afraid of any sharks or failure.

“Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany’s life as a younger surfer, her recovery in the wake of the shark attack, the adjustments she’s made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in god. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows that the body is no more than essential to surfing-perhaps even less so- than the soul.”

Since this book is an autobiography, it has a lot to do with what Bethany was thinking. It focuses mainly on after the attack, and how different her life has become. God, and prayer play a major part in this book, and the reader or audience can tell that religion is a big part of Bethany’s life. Also during this book, it is always displaying a very optimistic and positive mood. Bethany describes her courage to get back into the water, and does it in a way that makes the reader confident and interested.
Since the shark attack Bethany has written 3 books. Although I have not read the others, which are called, Soul Surfer Bible NIV, and Storm, I know that they are both based on her love for surfing, overcoming her disability, and her faith in god.

“I had no warning at all; not even the slightest hint of danger on the horizon. The water was crystal clear and calm; it was more like swimming in a pool, rather than the deep ocean waters in Kauai, Hawaii, where I go almost every morning to surf…” (pg.3)

I turned into a big fan of Bethany Hamilton after reading this book. It amazed me how someone could be so fearless and courageous after getting bitten by a 15-foot tiger shark. I knew once I heard her story I would get the book, and read it right away.

Poetry

Rain Storm

As I sit on the concrete,
I wait for rain. Not just a mist,
Or a sprinkle,
But a hard pouring rain storm.
It has been to long with the skies
Dark and cloudy, and the earth thirsty.

As the bolt of lightning
Illuminates the dark sky,
The rain starts hitting the ground.
Steam rises from the burning pavement,
While worms slither through the
Soaked grass.

Running through the wind,
Twirling through the rain,
The earth is now happy.
The rain changes to a light fall,
Which makes it quieter.
The excitement has ended,
And it might be a while until the
Earth is relieved again.