Marley and Me

Marley and Me, by john grogan. First Harper, 2008
Genre: Biography


Marley and Me, is about a newly wed couple who live in Florida right near the coast, in a small town near Palm Beach. They bought a dog to practice their parenting skills. To prepare for their kids, they soon found out that Marley was going to more trouble than either of there three kids, put together.

“A funny, touching tribute to a ninety-seven pound Lab who was as loyal as he was disobedient”- PEOPLE

I have not read any other books by john grogan, so I can’t answer the entire question. I like his writing very much he uses a lot of strong descriptive words and is good at grasping your attention. I am guessing that he is so good at that because he worked for a news paper.

“Don’t fall too in love, Marley,” I said as they drove off. “You cant afford her.”

I really enjoyed this book not only because I love dogs but because it was a very well written, descriptive, and engaging book. I think this book affected me because it makes me think about my family and how much family means to both me and John Grogan.

the values of a ride with my grandma and my baseball glove

Value Essay

the values of a ride with my grandma and my baseball glove




For me, value is created when I have known someone or something for a long time. I know that something is valuable when I think about it a lot in a good way or when I use it everyday of my life. A person becomes valuable when I love them because they are with me all of the time and we do things together. Both my grandma and my baseball glove mean so much to me. I have had both of them for fifteen years. I have known my Grandma ever since I was born in 1993 and I have had my baseball glove forever. They are both precious. I knew that I could write a lot about them.

I have had a baseball glove almost my whole life, ever since I was two years old. Every spring, I took my glove out after its long winter's nap from either its resting spot on my couch in my room or in my Dad's workroom in the basement. My ball was safely tucked into the pocket of my glove with a rubber band around it so that it kept its shape for the long winter until I would take it out for a fresh season. My glove brings back so many good memories, like playing baseball with my dad and older brother, Brian on the tennis courts on Boston playground in Arlington, MA. Not only was Boston playground a place for me and my Dad and brother to play baseball but it was also a place where I could play with my friends and have a great view of Boston. I enjoyed playing catch with my dad in the backyard which was good practice for when I made those grass staining diving catches in my baseball games.

The ride with my grandma from Toronto back to my cottage in Meaford, Ontario, Canada was a memorable one. Our car ride was full of Simon and Garfunkel and stories of World War Two. We listened to Simon and Garfunkel’s greatest hits about eight times in that ride. We would sing as much as we could and pretend to know the rest. My grandma sang in her high falsetto voice and I sang in my low baritone voice. If anyone saw us they would probably laugh but not us because we were having so much fun singing. She told me about how she would drive the Red Cross jeeps with injured men from the airport to the hospital. I can remember picturing what it would be like to live back then and do what my grandma did and hear all the war stories she must have heard from the wounded men.

Some similarities of my baseball glove and the car ride with my grandma are that they both mean a lot to me, and both of them bring back good memories. I especially appreciated talking to my grandma about what it was like to live way back in the mid 1900's and to be in the middle of a World War with all the pressure that a war must have put on her. I listened to Simon and Garfunkel sing A Bridge Over Troubled Water and I heard my grandma sing so quietly that I could barely hear her at first but as the song went on she slowly sang louder and louder and I just sat very quietly.

Some differences are that I will only have this experience with my grandma once, however, I will have my baseball glove forever. My baseball glove cost about $150.13 but I could never put a price on the car ride I spent with my grandma. I throw my baseball glove around and it gets covered in dirt and mud and all sorts of gross things. However, I would never even think about doing anything bad to that wonderful car ride I spent singing and laughing with my grandma.

Thinking back to the long hours I spent playing with my baseball glove, practicing pitching and getting ground balls I never regret a second I spent with that glove in my hand. Same with the car ride with my grandma, it was a very special two and a half hours I will remember for the rest of my life. was born and I have had my baseball glove forever. They both mean a lot to me. They are valuable! I knew that I could write a lot about them.