Focused by Noelle Pikus-Pace

Focused

By: Noelle Pikus Pace

Review by B., age almost 13

A few weeks ago, my mom told me that I could do a book review. She gave me a few different options but immediately, when I heard “Noelle Pikus Pace,” instantly I said yes. Right from the beginning I knew I was going to like it. It had colored, bright pictures with many amazing quotes.  

One of my favorite chapters was chapter 6, “A model of perfection.” This chapter was about a photo shoot she was invited to go to with only about 5 other Olympians. They gave her a size four when she was a size 10. She perfectly explained how much girls struggle, and she said that that was hard for her as well. Noelle said that we need to be so strong in knowing who we are as daughters of God so that these simple but harmful things in our lives do not get in the way. One of my favorite quotes she said was, “Be fearless and love yourself for who you are.”

Honestly, out of all the books I have read, this one was best written. Noelle was able to give such good advice in the funniest ways.  

A few of the bloggers and myself that read this book were able to meet her. She is just as spirited as she is, if not more in person. She looked you right in the eye and you knew that she wasn’t lying. She is so humble and so honest--I am so grateful for that opportunity. [Momma Editor's note: We all got to look at her silver medal. Here's my daughter holding it:

Two things that stood out to me when we interviewed her was her love for the youth. I think this was written for the youth to be a stronger generation. And she shared something she said that I really liked, “[You have to take] two steps into the dark to see the light.”

Some fun facts about her that I learned were:

• Graduated from Mountain View high school

• Her mom is her hero
• Noelle’s favorite holiday is Halloween
• She is going to be a pirate this year
• She put Milka chocolate in her sled to have the right weight of her sled
• Noelle played softball- she loves to pitch and shortstop
• She won her sixth grade spelling bee
• Noelle loves to bake
• She finished writing Focused in less than two months
• She ran track in high school
• She has a degree in communal health and an MBA
• Noelle owns a hat shop called “Snowfire”

Christopher Columbus – A Man among the Gentiles

By Clark B. Hinckley

Review by Kerry Barker

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this account of Christopher Columbus from a uniquely religious perspective.  Rather than calling Columbus a “visionary” man and interpreting his writings and as fanatical, the author presents the explorer’s account at face value through Columbus’ own diaries.  By doing so, many similarities are brought to light that compare to other spiritual leaders throughout religious history. 

Although understated, there are many references that link Columbus’ challenges to Biblical and Book of Mormon writings as well as Latter-day Saint history.  In presenting the writings and historical facts of Columbus’ journey, we are able to see more of the trial of faith that this incredible man went through.  I found it interesting that Columbus went through the refining process pattern that we see most religious leaders go through.  Similarities between Joseph Smith’s own refining and those with Book of Mormon leaders was thought provoking.  The author did an excellent job of presenting factual data and historical writings to portray the story around this very critical period in time.  I was truly inspired.

Columbus, in his own words, described receiving “keys” to unlocking the oceans in his visions/dreams, recounted being “chastised” by the voice of God for having a lack of faith, and always felt that he was pre-destined to fulfill a role.  This role was to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to this new country.  He felt inspired by biblical references to accomplish his goals and used them as a guide for his life.  He was a highly spiritual man.

The author created a very inspiring account in this book.  It really helped me to see how integral this man was in helping achieve the restoration of the gospel to all the world.  Now all my family members are trying to grab my copy!

Believe: A soccer movie

When I saw the title of this movie, I knew I wanted to see it...

...with my kids.

All three of my children are soccer lovers. So when I had a chance to preview this movie, I jumped at it. (Thanks, Deseret Book!)

We sat down to watch the film without much of any knowledge about it. (I'd jumped so quickly to respond that I didn't even read to the bottom of the email to learn about the plot!) The film is set in Manchester in the 1980s. (The color effects of the videography make it feel like an older film. My kids liked that.)

I'm going to give you the opportunity to choose whether or not you want the plot background. (See more below if you do.) In a way, I liked that we didn't know much about it; it allowed us to engage the film with no expectations or preconceived ideas. That made us work to understand what was happening.

And it did take some work at first. I feel the screenwriters could have done a little better job exploring the niggling, gnawing feeling Matt had about his past experiences -- giving a little more context for the change in his behavior from the beginning of the movie to when he starts to help the boys. Similarly, I feel like the "where has he been" elements of little Georgie's life were a little choppy as well. Still, it was fun to have light bulb moments as pieces of the plot puzzle started to fall together.

Once we got past the initial confusion about the story line, we were able to sit back and really enjoy the film. The first thing we noticed is that the children in the movie are really good soccer players. This delighted us all. We spent a few minutes trying to figure out if their playing was real or edited in. (It's real...be sure to watch the credits at the end to learn more about the children who acted/played in the film.)

We all cringed as we watched Georgie stumble along in his little-boy way trying to make his dream come true without letting anyone else help him. But we liked how his character developed as the movie progressed.

This film is different from most of the movies we have seen as a family, even though I'm not sure exactly how to articulate how and why it was different. I think it's the muted videography, perhaps. At any rate, we liked the differentness of it.

I liked that it was based on a true story. I liked that it took place in a different country from mine. I like that we had to work to understand some of the dialogue through the accents of the actors (well, at least my husband and I did). I liked Matt's side-kick friend, Bob; he made me laugh. I was delighted by the headmaster's character development. Some of those side stories really added to the whole for me.

I liked the scenery and setting and videography; I could almost feel the crisp, damp air of England as I watched. I thought they captured the life of the working poor really well. I loved the score and how it intertwined with the story. Some of the music is a bit unexpected. I liked that.

My son liked the fact that it felt real. My husband liked that it was set in a country where he spent some of his childhood. All of my kids loved the soccer, of course, and liked the positive message. I liked the fact that we could watch it together as a family.

The movie is about working for your dreams. It's about service, healing, closure, giving back, and moving forward. It's about the power of community and of good friends. It's about learning not to judge, about forgiving, about swallowing your pride and opening your heart. It's about doing and being good.

I recommend this film. If you see it (or if you want to see it) be sure to go the website or to Eventful -- Believe - A soccer movie to request that it come to your area. The more activity there is around the launch date of a film, the better chance there is that it will be shown in more places.

Believe opens in theaters on September 12.

Here is the trailer if you would like a sneak peak into the story.



Here is a link where you can read a little more about the main character, Matt Busby.

Believe won the Children's Film Audience Award in the Zurich Film Festival in 2013.

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