Talking
A few weeks ago rather than reading one long book I read several picture books about people or important events in history. My favorite was Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty. This book is loosely based on Rosie The Riveter. I think the message of this book is very cool and I loved the art but I wish there had been a little more information about Rosie The Riveter because it didn't talk as much about the real historical importance as I would have liked. This is about a young girl named Rosie who dreams of being a great inventor. When one of her inventions fails Rosie is crushed and hides all her inventions. This goes on until her grandmother comes to town and shows Rosie that she can't give up on her first try.
A Poem for Poetry Month
In the turbulent and violent atmosphere of 1960 thirteen year old Louise lives and works at her mothers boarding house. Louise has been pulled out of her school that has recently been integrated. That means that black people are now allowed to attend her white school. Louise's mother is part of a group that has assumed the name "The Cheerleaders" although they are far from cheery. They are among the several people that go down to Louise's school to protest integration. They go to whisper death threats and curse and say hateful things to a tiny black 
After her accident Cadence returns to the island to spend another summer with her liars but something seems amiss this time. Cadence's previously sane grandfather seems to have gone insane and her aunts have become very close after fighting for years. Whats more her aunts seem sad and the littles have nightmares about fires and think Cadence is a drug addict. But her liars seem the same - exactly the same. When Cadence finally remembers the truth about what happened on summer fifteen the book takes a shocking twist that will surprise you, upset you, and leave you desperate for more. This book comes to an extremely sad ending and contains crude language. For these reasons I would recommend this book to grades six and up. 
Cadence Sinclair spends her summers with her wealthy family on a private island just off the coast of Cape Cod. They spend their summers in the various houses on the island. Cadence and her cousins, Johnny and Mirren and their friend Gat have been spending their summers on the island since their age eight. They live together in luxury taking care of "the Littles" or their younger cousins and enjoying the beautiful beaches, until on their fifteenth summer on the island Cadence has a mysterious accident at night spinning her perfect life around. Cadence becomes sickly and spends the next few years in a haze of amnesia, horrible headaches, and drugs. She can't seem to remember anything about her accident. Why was she swimming alone at night. Why was she in nothing but her underwear. Cadence just can't remember. This is addictive with twisting suspense and gut wrenching truths. I would recommend this book to grades 6 and up.
In this dystopian novel Lena Haloway lives in a world where love has been declared a dangerous disease and serious crime. In her society Lena's emotions are her enemy. The government has declared that everyone must take a procedure when they turn 18 so that they may be cured of love and emotion and the government can assign their life to them. Lena is in her evaluation with the government so they can decide her life when the people who have escaped Lena's society and remain uncured or the "Invalids" pull a prank. Lena sees a boy on the balcony watching the whole thing unfold when he does the unthinkable. Just days away from her cure Lena begins to fall for the boy and struggles to decide between the life she wants and the life her society wants for her. This book has a great story but I was not impressed with the writing or execution of this story. 
The Tiny Girl In the Little White Dress
It happened quickly. The knife slipped from the strawberries it was supposed to be cutting and cut my finger instead. My mom was busy with my sister so I went to wash it off but then it started to bleed. I called for my mom and she came over. She started freaking out and wanted to take me to the hospital for stitches even though I explained that this was just a shallow cut and I didn't need stitches. I got a band-aid and started wrapping it tightly around my finger to stop the bleeding. My mom called my dad who cuts himself cooking a lot to ask him if he thinks I need stitches. My dad explains to her that I do not need stitches I just need a band-aid. My mom finally starts to calm down. I start on my math homework. This sure was a Slice of Life!
The Swim Practice
I just can't focus. I don't know why but every little thing seems to distract me. The clock ticks, people talk in hushed voices, bursts of noise break out. I type but I am not focused on my paper and I probably have made several spelling mistakes already even though I am only a paragraph in. I'm not concentrated on my paper today. I'm not concentrated on anything. I close my document and stand up. I wander around my classroom looking for something else to do. I walk down the hallway hoping a break will help boost my concentration. I come back and start on my art project. I sketch a couple things but throw them both away. I look around for a little while and then go to get a snack. I am so distracted and I can't seem to get anything finished. This is the difficulty with distraction. 
The night air blows crisp and clear. The sound of the moon is melodic like wind chimes. I breathe in the fresh air. The scent of flowers dances across the wind and stars fill the sky. The darkness of the sky seems colorful in its own way. The sky seems soft as a blanket. I lay on my back in the cool grass. The night cools and the heat of the summer day disappears the last bit of warmth is sucked away. The cold begins to set in. I shiver and pull my sweater tighter around my shoulders. I think about the gorgeous summer day and close my eyes. 
On the brown wood table sat a bouquet of beautiful flowers. All of them stood tall with their colorful blossoms looking towards the sunshine. I brushed the tops of the petals gently and that's when I saw the flower. It was tiny compared to the other ones. The brown of its stem contrasted to the bright green stems that filled the vase. It was wilted and looked to be shying away from the sun instead of reaching for its rays. Just a touch of pink remained on the edges of its small plentiful petals. It was beautiful. It may not have had the grace of the other flowers but I decided it was my favorite of the bunch. I took it out of the middle of the bouquet and put it in a vase in the sun in my room and filled it with water. I kept it there long after all the pink had disappeared from its petals. 
I am trying to focus but it is not fun. I am sitting on the floor of living room trying to write my slice of life. My mom, aunt, and grandma are sitting above me talking about math, and sugar, and a good furniture store. My cousins are running around wild. Every bone in my body aches to stand up and run around. I want to go outside and feel the sunshine on my face and taste the sweet spring air but I can't because I have to focus. My mom gets up to get a drink and I realize that I am very thirsty but I can't stand up because I have to focus. The water taunts me from the table and the flowers laugh outside. My cousins scream and my mom continues to talk. A pillow falls on my computer and my mom starts messing up my hair with her fingers and the tea kettle starts whistling. I start to stand up but my brain reminds me that I have to finish. I hear music start to play and my cousins are dancing. This is the trouble with focusing.
I I stand in the air conditioned store while my sister and mom pick out clothes for me to try on. I have outgrown all my T-shirts and so we are at the mall to buy new ones or at least my mom and sister are. I am here because every time I go to the Cherry Creek Mall my mom lets me get a treat of some kind. My mom comes over with an arm full of shirts skirts and pants for me to try on and the store clerk opens a dressing room. I try on everything. I bring out two shirts, two skirts, and a pair of pants. I think it is plenty considering that we've already bought a lot of stuff but my mom and sister add six T-shirts on to my pile. Next we move to shoes. I sit in a chair that spins while my mom and sister make googly eyes at all the shoes. They take forever to try on like eight pairs of shoes. Finally my mom decides we have to get home for dinner. Finally our trip to the mall is over. 
Ally lives in a world full of words that she can't read and teachers who don't understand. Ally makes trouble to avoid work and to avoid looking stupid. When the class's new teacher Mr. Daniels comes Ally thinks he will be just as bad as all the rest of her teachers - until she meets him. Mr. Daniels is not like other teachers. He has a different way of teaching. He figures out that Ally's real problem is something called dyslexia. It jumbles up words in her brain and makes it hard for her to read and write. He comes up with fun ways to make it easier for Ally and she actually starts to enjoy school. With her new friends Ally is finally happy. She realizes that with a little help the impossible can become possible. 
The Soccer Game
The Words
The house was silent. Waiting with anticipation. Fingers drummed on tables and feet tapped on floors. I stared out the window into the gray sky. I sat quietly. I was dying to stand up and run outside to see whether they were there yet. I zipped my sweatshirt and then unzipped it again. I tried reading my book but I couldn't seem to concentrate on anything. After waiting for what seemed like forever I heard a knock on the door. They're here. The sky seemed to brighten. I raced to the door. The wait was over. 
Sadness hangs over the house like a raincloud. Waiting for the right time to thunder. Tears stream down faces like rain. Lightning strikes and thunder rumbles. The rain falls harder. Black dresses, black shoes, black ties, black coat. Gray light shines through the colorful glass windows. I shiver in my coat. It's not fair. Death isn't fair. It sits there like a spider waiting to bite an when it does it causes grief to all those around it. It comes like a hammer and shatters everyones heart. It isn't fair. 
Drip Drop. I hear the icicles melting. I feel the air starting to get warmer. A light breeze passes by me and I shiver with delight. We finally have an outdoor recess. I am walking around the field with my friends. The perfectly manicured grass is still covered in snow. Suddenly I see a bit of green poking out. A little sprout. It may be small but it means everything. It means spring. 
Steam comes up from the mug. I take the warm handle and pour the smooth drink down my throat. I taste the sweet hot chocolate. It melts me. Small marshmallows float in the liquid like little islands in a sea of delectable dark brown. It bubbles and froths. It is extra chocolaty. This is what I think about while shoveling the snowy deck in my winter parka, freezing. Just the thought warms me - well, a little..JPG)
The Rainy Day
The Blank Page
The Chairlift