Please write a thoughtful blog about your impressions of the book.
OPTION 1-Reflect on some of the themes below in a detailed paragraph.
Anger-When Bo learns that he must join Mr. Nak's Anger Management Group in order to avoid being expelled from school, he is upset (p. 19). What did Bo gain from being in Mr. Nak's group? How did Bo contribute to the well-being of the other members? How would the outcome of the Yukon Jack's Triathlon have been affected if Bo had never been a member of Anger Management?
Courage and Honor (Fear)-Mr. Nak tells Bo that anger is a cover for fear (p. 143). He said to "think of fear as a person who's going to be around whether he's invited or not (p. 144)." What does Bo fear? To what degree Bo has conquered his fears by the end of the novel? Can you relate to showing anger when you are really afraid? Why do you think people often do this?
Trust-Compare Bo's understanding of trust at the beginning of the novel with his understanding at the end of the novel. Bo mentions publishing a self-help manual for teenagers entitled Teens Who Trust Too Much (p.18). What might Bo warn teenagers about in this pamphlet? What suggestions would he offer for developing and recognizing trust in a relationship? What do you think are the most important elements of trust?
Family and Relationships-Bo's father thinks that Mr. Nak has "no sense of what a father-son relationship truly is; how tightly the band between the two needs to be stretched so that the son does not take over" (pp. 158-159). To what lengths does Mr. Brewster go to make sure that his son does not take over? Compare Mr. Brewster's behavior to that of his own father. What actions do you appreciate as good parenting? What are the worst of his actions? How might you be the same or different as a parent?
Prejudice-When Mr. Serbousek reveals to Bo that he is homosexual, Bo turns his back on him. How does Bo come to terms with this discovery? What does he learn about prejudice and bigotry from Mr. Nak and from Mr. Serbousek? What other examples of prejudice are found in the novel? What steps can teenagers and teachers take to make prejudice less prevalent in their schools?
OPTION #2- Ask others reading the book a question and respond to their questions.
OPTION #3-Share parts or quotes that inspire, move, horrify, frighten or please you. See if other feel similarly.
Please sign every post with full name, assigned English Block and date.
Bo gain the knowledge to approach his father in the right way, and was able to approach people in general in the right way. Instead of getting angry at everything eventually he learned to keep that anger a little more under control. But Bo wasn't the only person who got helped he also helped the other member by becoming their friend and in a way he gave them something to be hopeful for when he included them in helping
ReplyDeletekarla allen march 18
him with the triathlon. Bo gave the members a place to let out their steam and a place to put their focus into. I honestly think that is Bo hadn't of had all the help from shay (his girlfriend) and all of his other friends in the group he wouldn't have done as well as he did. Shay's tape that she made for him really helped him push himself to the end when he was wearing low on energy.
Karla Allen March 18
ReplyDeleteIs the book based off of a true story or this guys own life? or something?
Andrew Strelke 3/20/10
ReplyDeleteBo has been at war with his father for as long as he can remember. The rage he feels gives him the energy as a tri-athlete to press his body to the limit, but it also translates into angry outbursts toward his teachers. Now dangerously close to expulsion from school, Bo has been assigned to Anger Management sessions with the school "truants." With a selective mix of hard working students, Bo may finally have to deal with his life long hatred for his father, or it will change him for the worst.
Alex Cormier 3/25/10
ReplyDeleteTo answer Karla's question no the book is not autobiographical, however, it might be based upon his times he worked with kids and troubled families. He did for a time work with kids much like the ones in the book as a therapist.
Jackie Klock
ReplyDelete3/28/10
Bo seems like he’s a really understanding and considerate guy, but when Mr. Serbousek reveals to him that he’s homosexual Bo doesn’t know how to react to this and instead of just facing the truth Bo tries to runaway from the situation and tries to pretend it’s not really true. Mr. Serbousek and Bo were really close for a long time and they even went out for lunch together, so when Mr. Serbousek revealed this information to Bo, he got freaked out because he thought Mr. Serbousek had some kind of crush on him or something. When Bo stopped talking to Mr. Serbousek and stopped swimming in the morning with him it really hurt Mr. Serbousek. Luckily Mr. Nak gave Bo some really good advice and made him realize that it doesn’t matter what color you are, what race you, or what your sexual preference is, what matters is on the inside. Mr. Serbousek is an amazing teacher and an amazing coach, and Bo finally realizes that’s who Mr. Serbousek really is and it doesn’t matter what his sexual preference is. Bo just wasn’t ready to face the truth and man up to the situation.
Another example of prejudice in the book is when Elvis calls Shuja a nigger during Mr. Nak’s anger management class. Mr. Nak deals with the situation and finally calms the boys down and makes them quit with the trash-talking. So far I really like this book, and it really makes me want to keep reading.
Jackie Klock
ReplyDelete3/28/10
G4
"he's there to walk through any particular hell you wanna walk through, an’ you turn your back on him ‘cause he tells you the truth.”
This quote from Mr. Nak really caught my attention, because I can think of times where I’ve done this same thing before. Sometimes the truth is a scary thing and when someone you really care about tells you something you never would have expected them to tell you, it catches you off guard, and sometimes you want to just runaway from it and pretend like it’s not true. But the truth is also something that we have to learn to deal with in our everyday lives. So far it seems like me and Bo compare to each other a lot which makes me like the book even more since I can relate to it.
Lyndsay Reese March 29
ReplyDeleteWho is the guy that Bo always writes to? And how is he connected to Bo?
Alex Cormier
ReplyDeleteIn Ironman I've read the part where Bo is fighting with his dad about the way he closed the door. He wanted Bo to close it quietly ten times and the last time he went to close it he slammed it so hard it broke a couple of windows his father told him until he does what he asks he can't eat at the table anymore and he'll make Bo pay the bill for the windows. I felt connected to this part because when my step dad lived with me and my mom he would do something that made me upset with him. But, a lot of times step dad's are trying in their own way to make us responsible people. Even people who make us frustrated sometimes teach us things we can use later on.
Mrs Hall's Grade Update March 30th
ReplyDeleteJackie-theme and quote reflections in, just owe Q/A.
Alex C.-Q/A and passage reflection in, just owe theme paragraph.
Lindsay-Q/A in, Owe Quote and theme reflection paragraphs.
Karla-Second Book-More BONUS!
The rest of you...get blogging!
Andrew Strelke
ReplyDelete3/29/10
Succeeding
Bo Brewster has been at war with his father for as long as he can remember. Following angry outbursts at his football coach and English teacher that have cost him his spot on the football team and moved him dangerously close to expulsion from school, he turns to the only adult he believes will listen, Larry King.
In his letters to Larry, Bo describes how he wants to succeed on his own terms."No more coaches for me", he tells the talk show icon, "no more dads. I'm going to be a triathlete, an Ironman".
Bo was also signed to Mr. Nak's before-school Anger Management group, Bo meets a hard-working, but unfortunate pack of survivors with 'stainless steel shields' against the world that Bo see's everyday. It is here he meets and falls in love with Shelly, a future American Gladiator, who loves psysical challenge more then he does.
To Lyndsay Reese's question, I know that Larry King is a American television and radio host. He is pretty old. He has gotten Emmy awards and he is famous. He has also written books. Some find him to be inspirational, and I'm pretty sure that he still has a live television show that is somewhat popular. I'm guessing that Chris Crutcher might have been inspired by Larry King, or maybe he just made the character Bo be inspired by him. It isn't really clear in the book, since Bo starts right off with a letter to him, but it seems to me that he is inspired by what Larry King has to say on his television shows.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Strelke
ReplyDeleteDo you think Bo's rage is what drives him to be successful? Explain.
Option One
ReplyDeleteAnger
Being in Mr. Nak's anger management group really influenced Bo. Before he was in the group Bo was lost in himself and everyone else's world. He never had anything to look forward to, but once he started going to the anger management group after a while he actually had something to rely on. He learned how to control his anger. For example, in the part where his English teacher told him that he could get out of anger management. At the beginning of the book Bo would have blown up at him, but he didn't. I think he has the anger management group to thank for that. Also, Bo tried to ignore Wyrack near the end, instead of worrying about everything. Bo gained self confidence in himself and had a growth of independence by being in Mr. Nak's group of "ragamuffins". Even though Bo thought that he didn't have it as bad as the other kids in the group, for the most part, he did. All the students had a good outcome near the end of the book, and I think that's because of how they changed each other. They made each other look at different perspectives of life and it truly changed them all. If Bo wasn't in the group I think that the Yukon Jack's Triathlon would have been a lot worse for him. He would have been there by himself with no one to cheer him on. Without the motivation that he got from his group members, I don't think that he would have done as good. When his group made him that amazing, motivating tape, it made him feel a lot stronger, and loved. It made him feel like a true Ironman.
Option 3
ReplyDelete"..Mr. Nak was right: It's fear that's crazy in the world, not anger. But the more fear there is, the more anger it takes to cover it." (pg. 172)
This quote from Bo, quoting Mr. Nak really inspired me. The thing about this quote is that it is so true for everyone in the world. Just not for people with anger problems, it's the same for everybody. People get angry when they are scared. There's usually no other reason why people get mad. If your mad and you look back on the reason of why you are, it will just come out to something you are scared about. I liked the book Ironman and this one quote, because it's really easy to relate to, and for the most part I couldn't put it down.
Vanessa Lamy
ReplyDeleteAnger&trust
Bo goes through a lot in his life, he struggles at home with family issues, and at school with teachers and people. After calling his teacher and asshole he was sent to Mr. Naks anger managment group for some help. Bo didnt really have anyone to rely on or trust in his life. The group was something he could rely on once he got to know everyone. They were something that he would look forward to every morning, people that he could feel comfortable around and not worry about being hit, or yelled at. He learned to trust other people, mostly Shelly his girlfriend. He learned that not everyone is the same in the world, and that everyone is their own person
To follow up on Karlas question, im going to have to agree with what alex said. I also agree that maybe when he was a teenage boy, he may of knew someone with the troubles that Bo has. He may have also wrote it about a family member, maybe one of his cousins, or even maybe even his bestfriend.
ReplyDelete"hold your tounge and let me whittle it to a point. Im not saying that at all. I'm saying I have responsibility for what I allow in my life and the lives of my children"
ReplyDelete-Bo's mother.
When Bo was a child and his father took advantage of him, and would always yell at him, Bo's mother would never speak up, she would sit behind and let him do what he was doing.Years later when Bo was talking to his mother, his mom apologized for what she did, by not standing up for Bo. She told him that she was wrong for what she had did, and that she was sorry. I chose this quote because it showed the feelings that his mom had kept inside her whole life.
Option 1
ReplyDeleteAnger
He learned how to control his anger. Like when his English teacher told him to go to anger management. Bo would have got even madder and started to prove why he should belong in there. But he controlled his anger and cooled down. I bet he was proud of himself that he controlled his anger and went on with his life.
Option 3
ReplyDelete"I lost the time and I lost the sleep and I lost the money. Even the way you think that would be enough of a punishment"(page 82). In this quote you can see that he is trying to talk himself out of a punishment that he doesn’t think he deserves. Because it was all his, so he thinks he should be able to do anything he wants with his stuff and doesn’t want to be told differently.
Quick Question, I have been wondering why the book was called IronMan. He is not the super hero, nor is he made of iron.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know why the book was called IronMan?
Bo has been through a lot throughout his life time. He has troubles with his family especially his dad, also at school with teachers. When Bo was put in anger management for calling his teacher an asshole I think in the long run really help Bo. Bo before the group didn’t have any true friends or even anyone to really talk to for that matter. He didn’t have anyone to trust or depend on so he let all that build up inside him and then he released it as anger to everyone around him. When he was put in the group he made friends and everyone in there were all going through similar things so they were easier to connect to. The group really help Bo but also Bo really helped the group from the beginning of the book when Bo first arrives in anger management every one seem to not like each and were mean towards one another, but towards the end everyone seem to be a lot closer and were fairly nice to one another.
ReplyDeleteBrady Dube
ReplyDeleteAnger is something we all have. This book shows how we can make are anger a posative thing. It shows how to control your emotions. Bo is a great example of this. We can all learne a lot from him. Anger might be the most obvious theme in the book. So I think people who have anger problems should read this boook and learne
Can anyone relate to Bo in anyway?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone relate to Bo in anyway?
ReplyDeleteBrady Dube
Brady Dube
ReplyDelete"Get in trouble at school and your in twice as much trouble at home." page 71
I like this quote because I can relate to it. If I got in trouble at school I would be in a lot of trouble at home. Maybe not as much as Bo but still a lot. So I try not to get in trouble at school. This is a good quote.
Nathan Cross
ReplyDeleteg4
Anger
Anger is in all of us, but what triggers that anger is different for everybody. I think Bo being in that anger management class really helped him a lot. At first, Bo wanted nothing to do with the class and he didn't think he even needed to be in the class. As the class started to progress he became more open for discussion and more social with the kids that were also in the class. The class let him see that there were kids that were worse off then he was, and that made him a better person. Without taking the class, I don't think that Bo would have been as successful in the triathalon, durring the triathalon, Bo's friends that he met during the class supported him and gave him confidence which made him stronger. Also, I think his girlfriend Shelly kind of pushed Bo and gave him alot of support towards the big race. Bo wouldn't of met Shelly if it hadn't been for the Mr. Nak's class.
Nathan Cross
ReplyDeleteg4
To answer Brady's question," Can anybody relate to Bo in any way?"
I can relate to Bo in his relationship with his father. My dad and I don't always get along all the time, I know what its like to have divorced parents and what it's like to bump heads with your father, but he only does what he does because he loves me and thats what I think the case is for Bo and his father. His father keeps reminding Bo that everything he does, he does for a reason. And I think that is very important to have growing up.
Nathan Cross
ReplyDeleteg4
Does anyone know how old Stephan King is? Is he still living?
Nathan Cross
ReplyDeleteg4
"Feelins are real,folks. An' nobody gets to identify yours but you."
For some reason, that quote really stuck out to me, I don't know why. It just seems like the perfect thing to say to somebody. It's inspirational in a way to me. I hate it when people try and tell me what im feeling is not real or they think they know what I feel and this quote kind of goes to that.
Jackie Klock
ReplyDelete4/4/10
G4
Also to answer Brady's question,
"Can anyone relate to Bo in anyway?"
I can definitely relate to Bo, because sometimes I try and runaway from the truth or hide from the truth like Bo does in a few different parts of the story. Also when I’m given advice I take it and try and use that advice to help me like Bo does. So yeah I can definitely relate to Bo in many different ways.
Will Mitchell
ReplyDeleteAnger
--
Anger plays a big role in Iron man because anger is what gets Bo into anger management class. Bo’s anger management class is in the end what pushes him to do so much better than so many other competitors in Yukon Jacks. His team of “Stotans” are his backbone through out the competition. Without meeting them and especially shelly I don’t think he would have been able to do so well. Bo also figured out how to control his anger and put it to good use such as working out and preparing for Yukon Jacks. Not everyone can do this. Before he entered the class he vented his anger through words such as calling Mr. Redmond names.
"Get in trouble at school and your in twice as much trouble at home."
ReplyDeleteI like this quote a lot because I can relate to it. My parents have been telling me that since the day I started preschool so when I found this in the book I automatically though of my parents and them telling that to me all the time.
Will Mitchell
ReplyDeleteIn reply to Tyler's question.
This book it titled Iron man because in Hawaii there is a competition called the
Iron Man competition. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon (26 miles 385 yards run), in the book Yukon Jacks is a smaller version of an Iron Man competition. That is also his goal in life to become a real Iron Man.
Will Mitchell
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lyndsay’s post with the comment “Get in trouble at school and you’re in twice as much trouble at home”. I really like this quote because it is one of the few quotes I can relate to in a book. I can relate a lot to this book and it is probably one of the best books I’ve read in a while.
Patrick Adams
ReplyDeleteOne of the themes in this book is to push yourself beyond your limits, physically and emotionally. Bo Pushed himself to get past his father's disapproval of him. He pushed himself to get through the Ironman Triathlon. He was always striving to be a better person, but he always wanted to do it his own way. His father was trying to make him a better person too, except he wanted it done a different way, and so Bo had to push himself to take control of himself rather than let his father control him and make him learn lessons his way.
Andrew Carignan
ReplyDeleteI like the quote, "Get in trouble at school and your in twice as much trouble at home."
I like this quote because this is exactly how it would be for me at home. thats why I try my best to stay out of trouble in school.
Andrew Carignan
ReplyDeleteWhen Mr. Serbousek tells Bo that he is homosexual, Bo starts to avoid him because he doesn't want to believe it. Bo realizes it's okay to be homosexual and to move on from it thanks to Mr. Nak.
To be less predjudice teenagers should watch what they say so people that are homosexual know that they aren't going to be judged if they come out with it.
In response to "Can anyone relate to Bo in anyway?"
ReplyDeleteI can relate to Bo because when somebody tells me something I don't want to hear, or that I don't agree with, I ignore it.Until I think of it later then Ithink and try to figure out how or why they might of said that.
Joe Winnie
ReplyDelete“You can’t know what it’s like to be completely disregarded, Bo,’ she said. ‘Maybe some of it has to do have volume, but when you lost football, it was a blessing. When Redmond took basketball from me, he stole my soul. I was young then, I was small. But I’m big now, and I can get it back.”
I like this quote because it shows alot of the idea of the book. It’s mostly about aggression and family issues.
Joe Winnie
ReplyDeleteI think abuse is a key themes in this book it's effects and ways to overcome, even how the mother talks about her part in it, her not standing up for Bo and how her comment that if she had held her own with the father, one they would never have married or two he would have had to change so he would not have been as damaging to Bo.
Joe Winnie
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the book do you think bo would try to go to a college that might accept him, in a couple of years.
Patrick Adams
ReplyDeleteIn response to Joe Winnie's question 'After reading the book do you think Bo would try to go to a college that might accept him, in a couple of years?' I think he would. After all that, it would be kind of a waste to not try and go even farther in life. It's what I would do, and he seems capable enough.
Patrick Adams
ReplyDeleteHow many books has Chris Crutcher published? He seems pretty famous for a writer.
Jameson Guillette
ReplyDeleteM-2
ressponse for patrick adams's "how many books has chris crutcher published" hes published about nine if not more.
Jameson Guillette
ReplyDeleteM-2
Well sadly I'm not completely finished the book. But I believe when Bo went to Mr. Naks anger mangement class he thought he was going to get nothing out of it and that it would just be a waste of his time, but he soon found out that Mr. Nak had a lot of good advice to give and that Bo realized his problem was fear not fear of being hurt but fear of his pride in a sense he didnt want his dad to feel like he could bring him down. I can relate to that because I'm sure like most teenagers with there fathers or mothers try not to show weakness and that is how I think his relationship with his father went south.
Jameson Guillette
ReplyDeleteM-2
Does this book perhaps have a sequal?
Jameson Guillette
ReplyDeleteM-2
I like the quote "no. my dad leaves bruises on the inside" pg 70
I can relate to this quote because my dad may never hit me but there are still bruises on the inside by what he says to me sometimes but I know I say my share of things to him but things have been this way ever since I could screw up which was very early but it just got worse since I started to fight back so yeah thats why I can relate.
Andrew Strelke
ReplyDelete4/6/10
"he's there to walk through any particular hell you wanna walk through, an’ you turn your back on him ‘cause he tells you the truth.”
There's not a lot of quotes in the book that relate to me, but this one does. Half my life I always turned my back on the truth to see a 'perfect' world. later in life I learned that the truth is never pretty, but you can run from it, you need to face it and ether accept it or do something about it.
Bo couldn't accept the fact that he was going to amount to nothing in life, but he didn't just sit there and take it, instead he proved to everyone that he is going to be successful, not the type success that everyone knows, but a different kind of success, self-success.
RANDOM FACT.
There is a old saying that contradict this quote.
It's 'ingerence is bliss'.
MRS HALL'S GRADE CHECK
ReplyDeleteGood insights about the book folks! I hope you are learning from each other and inspired by the book's many positive messages.
Andrew S, Dani D, Vanessa, Tyler B, Lindsey, Brady, Nathan, Jackie, and Joe W are all set!Good work!
Will just need Quote and why you chose it.
Patrick also just needs quote and why you chose it.
Andrew C.needs a Q/A.
Anyone who is reading Ironman and has not yet posted needs to get on it ASAP. Because your blogs are now late, you can only receive reduced credit.
Bo is just simply a savage
ReplyDeleteBo wants to fit in
Bo is too cool to fit in
Be like Bo