Strawberry Girl

How would you like to be a little girl who grows up on a strawberry farm? Would you like to help make wax flowers or to have a new hat from a fancy hat shop? Well, in this story, a little girl, who's nickname is Birdie, gets to have a hat, make wax flowers, and be a "strawberry girl". While all of this seems great, life isn't all happiness. Birdie has moved into a new home, in Florida. She and her family have to get to know their neighbors. The neighbors are nice, except Mr. Slater. As the story goes on, the family makes friends with everyone - maybe even Mr. Slater- and enjoys living in Florida. I think being a strawberry girl would have been really cool because you get to be in the field and pick fruit.

Writing for the fun of it...

Today I got an exciting comment regarding Bats at the Beach, from the writer! It was exciting for me. I enjoy his book. All the details and drawings, every single line in this amazing poem book. Also, I got news from Wonder Writers- a writing group for youth, that held a competition- that my essay I did for them is going to be published in their upcoming book. I enjoy the surprises in life, and these two surprises I got today mean so much to me. That's how I like it, life full of surprises. Life full of writing. Writing for the fun of it...

Under Copp's Hill

This is a story I enjoyed because it is mysterious and is very exciting. I think that the writer was very creative! I enjoy the suspense and clues, spun into a heart- pounding mystery! How many tales will do this? Some do, some do not- especially picture books- but some are very wonderful! Many mysteries like this I would love to devour. Also, good poem books warm my heart. But what really sets me off like a firecracker is a good old mystery! So many people enjoy them. When I read I can go anywhere, and when I read this book, I was in the dark, dank graveyard; under Copp's Hill. When you read you let your imagination go anywhere!

Bats at the Beach

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a poem about the little trip that bats take - to the beach! When I read this book I decided that I don't have a favorite part. Now, I like to imagine little bats flittering about and I have been dreaming about these things. Here is a part or two that I would like to show you, my readers. I hope that you can see this book is very cute - and very interesting. Here is a bit of it: 

How delicious-oh, how sweet,

To feel warm sand beneath our feet.

Quick, set up-spread blankets on sand!

We want to get going when fun is at hand.

                                      

We hurry down to test the ocean.

Don't forget the moon-tan lotion!

What's the first thing we should do?

So many games before night's through.

 

Door to Time

This was an exciting book that I enjoyed reading. I would like to be one of the characters in this book because their adventure is interesting. This story is about three children named Julia, Jason, and Rick. Julia is a stubborn girl at the age eleven. She will be very sarcastic if someone says something very sensible (but she doesn't understand it) or they say something that bothers her. She can be very smart at times and quick too. Sometimes she is very foolish though, and does silly things. Jason is Julia's twin. Very attached to the mystery of Ulyssus Moore, he does not give up. His mind will usually be far away, even if he is around Rick and Julia. He listens to a voice, although he does not know to whom it belongs. Rick is a very intelligent boy, but not always clever. He can get absentminded and mean sometimes, but is not a bad friend. I would like to have an adventure having to do with Ulyssus Moore. 

This book is #1 of 9, they are translated from Italian (the picture is of the Italian cover); although right now only books 1-4 have been translated.

The Marvelous Land of Oz

"A horse is of no use, till he is broken" joked the Woggle-bug. "Oh, do stop those jokes." Tip said, fully frustrated.... Another terrific story! Learn how the legendary ruler, Ozma, came to be ruler! Ozma was once a boy named Tip. Hear how Jack Pumpkinhead came to life! Read about the miraculous sawhorse! Meet all your favorite characters again. Enjoy reading about the adventures of Ozma, and about the Army of Revolt, a band of girls who want to rule Oz. You'll never look at the land of Oz the same way! How did Tip become a boy? And is he really rightful ruler of Oz? How can it be he is a she? Why did the Wizard of Oz pay many visits to old Mombi? All of these questions can be answered in this remarkable book. Living in the land of Oz, there's always a happy ending!

The Magic of Oz

"I wish for the wizard to become a fox- Pryzqxl!" Ojo whispered softly.... Even more exciting than the others! Look in on a little boy's life, and the adventures of all of your favorite characters, in search of the perfect gift for Ozma! Meet Kiki Aru and the new Nome king that was kicked out of the kingdom! Learn of a magical power for transformation. Read of Trot and Cap'n Bill's journey for the magic flower that can make one type of fruit, and then a moment later another; this magic flower can also make other flowers! See what happens when Kiki Aru turns the Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger, Wizard, and Dorothy, into animals. How does the Wizard help the others, and himself, get free of the spell? How did the glass cat see, get to, and know about the magic flower? How does Trot and Cap'n Bill get free from the island which is a trap? And how is the island a trap? Finding out all these answers in the Oz books was wonderful. More books are coming....

The Emerald City of Oz

Dorothy picked up a piece. It was an eye. She soon found a nose. She began to search for it... A delightful story! A tour of Oz, and the revenge of the Nome King. Children will have this book for weeks! Enjoy a meal with Dorothy in Bunbury and convince the king to stay king! Meet the Cuttenclips, people made out of paper. They're paper dolls! Enjoy visiting the Yellow Hen, Billina! Go to the athlete college, where none of the young men there have to study! They take study pills, and can also get exercise! See your old chaps the scarecrow, the tin woodman, the cowardly lion, hungry tiger, Omby Amby (the captain general of the army of Oz, who used to be a private), Jack Pumkinhead, Professer Wogglebug, and others. You will never be able to visit the land of Oz though, Oz is invisible! I would have liked to visit the land of Oz.

Ozma of Oz

"Why! It is a copper man!" Dorothy exclaimed. "Yes, I suppose so," Billina replied.... A fabulous story filled with adventure in Ev and Oz! There are so many adventures Dorothy has. Escaping from the wheelers, finding Tik-Tok the copper man, being locked up by Princess Langwidere, and so much more! Wizard of Oz books bring children to life, with all the tales in every big adventure. It is almost like being there during all of the exciting events. So many old friends and new! A tricky test, a princess who can change her heads, climbing up a rocky hill to get away from the wheelers. Hearing about these Oz stories and many others, I can see why so many people want to read them! L. Frank Baum was very talented and could bring smiles to everyone's face. From the time the first Oz book came out, to the last, people have devoured them. Every fairy tale is exciting, especially for children, but these are wonderful! Fathers and mothers delight in reading these tales with joyous splendor; grandmas and grandpas laugh at the jokes; children bounce up and down waiting for what will happen next. I can't wait to read more of these wondrous tales.

The Calder Game

I thought The Calder Game was cool. When I read books, I get all nice and warm. My mouth glues together in a nice way. Nobody knows how much fun it is to read, unless they read. Also, when I read books, I don't just get that feeling. I actually feel like I am in the story. I'm not the person reading it. I'm the person who is in the story. When I read The Calder Game, I felt like I was there. Out of the three main characters in this book, I know I am most like Petra. She is 12 years old (that's 4 years older than I) and she's in seventh grade, but she loves to write. She sees things the way I kind of do. She thinks every single word is beautiful. Calder and Tommy though, well let's say... I don't think I am like either of them. Calder is a whiz at math and enjoys it. I guess I think math is interesting. Tommy collects things. He is also stubborn. I'm like Tommy in the sense that I can be stubborn at times. I also will find money or things. Sometimes I even explore my dad's study. My life could be called a game. It's a mystery every day. I think that Petra, Calder and Tommy's life is a game too. It's a mystery. That's why I like The Calder Game.  

Uncle Remus

I enjoyed reading More Tales of Uncle Remus. Brer Rabbit is who these stories are mostly about. Brer Rabbit is a clever rabbit. Many stories are when Brer Rabbit fools somebody. Some of them are about the other animals trying to get the better of him. No one does though. Brer Rabbit is a very sly and cunning rabbit, and nobody can ever catch him. Disney has a ride based on this book, Splash Mountain, and a movie, "Song of the South". "Song of the South" has a few tales of Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit doesn't seem as cunning in the movie as he is in the books though. Brer Rabbit makes a fool out of Brer Fox most of the time. He kills the first Brer Fox, but another fox comes along. I found it interesting that all the animals were called Brer something. I hope to read more tales of Brer Rabbit.

Tanglewood Tales

I enjoyed this book. This book is full of stories from Greek mythology. There are many stories such as The Golden Fleece, The Pygmies, Circe's Palace, and The Pomegranate Seeds. Of all the stories in this book, I think my favorites are Circe's Palace and The Golden Fleece. Circe's Palace concerns a king named Ulyssus. King Ulyssus finds an island. On the island, there is a marble palace. An enchantress, Circe, lives there. She changes wicked people into what they really are. If a beast, then they are changed into the animal that they most resemble. If not, this person will behold his human shape forevermore. King Ulyssus saves his comrades from Circe, and keeps his human shape. The Golden Fleece is about a young man by the name Jason. He is a well educated man, and he is a prince. To gain his rightful place as king, Jason finds himself in a mess of adventures; all of which I think are very interesting. I wish to read more tales.  

Hotel Deep

I like the ocean. I like it so much. I like to learn about things in the ocean; about all the animals. This book is full of poems about a trip in the ocean, a little sardine's trip. Every single sardine was together, except that one. The little sardine was lucky to live as he traveled. Many things in the ocean could have hurt him. Sardines are very famous in Alaska. Alaska has lots of fish, especially sardines. I hope that whoever you are, reader, you learn more about things. I hope that you are able to learn about many things in the ocean. I've always wanted to, and I think other people should too. They should also be able to have fun while they're doing it. That's why I like this book, Hotel Deep. 

Brown Bears

I like to read a lot of books. When I'm not reading biographies and fiction, I will read non-fiction. They are usually science books. This book is on brown bears, which are also called "brownies." Brownies will make trails, that they will go down to get places. Brown bears do not like other bears in their territory, but they don't usually fight. Bears are like fisherman. Brown bears, like many other bears, will fish. Many fish are in rivers. Bears that live near these rivers are very lucky. When the fishing season is done, the brownies will look for berries. When winter arrives, the bear will do what every bear does; hibernate. This word means sleep through winter. A female bear will have babies during the winter, and then will go back to sleep. The babies are very, very, very small. They get bigger as winter passes though. When spring comes the mother bear teaches the babies, feeds them, protects them, and plays with them. A mother never stays with the babies for long and the father never sees his children. The babies stay together for some time, then go off and make their own families. I would like to learn more things about bears, and other animals.

Silvermist and the Ladybug Curse

This book is about a ladybug. A white ladybug. Iris, one of the garden talent-fairies, says that the ladybug will bring a curse. "I don't believe in that," Silvermist, the water talent-fairy, often says. I think it is brave of her to say that. I know I would have been scared! But then when I look at it, it is, after all, just some old tale. You wouldn't think much of it, I tell myself. When I'm scared sometimes, I think of how Silvermist was also scared. But she was brave enough to say that it was something silly, this way she wouldn't look like she has no confidence. People can be brave like that. They have to have courage, though. I want to be like Silvermist, in the sense that she was brave. This book is a Disney Fairies book. I like this book.

These Happy Golden Years

I like this book. This is about Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote this book. This book is about Laura falling in love with Almanzo Wilder. He gives her an engagement ring. She also wrote a story about Almanzo. It is called Farmer Boy. She marries him. I am reading The First Four Years now. They have a baby named Rose in that book. I think I would have liked to be there and find out what it would have been like to be Laura. In winter, Almonzo always comes and gives her a sleigh ride, in his cutter, back home from the school she is teaching. Even after that, he takes her on sleigh rides, and when spring comes, then he just takes her for buggy rides. She might have felt sad leaving her home to teach. I think that I want people to know about my life, too. People like to know about different people, and what their life was like. Was it scary? Sad? Happy? Weird? Nobody could answer those questions, unless I wrote a diary. I wonder if it felt weird to be in love.

Blue Willow

This a good book. It is about a little girl named Janey. This story is about how Janey lives in her new home making friends, and doing things. I think that the author is very talented. I wish that I could be as talented as the author is. As soon as I had my nose in the book, I didn't want to get my nose out of it. I imagined I was there. And boy! It was almost as if I was. That's what happens when I find a book that is really good. It takes me somewhere amazing! When I grow up, I hope that if I become a writer, my books can take whoever is reading to the exact time, place, and scene. I want them to know what it is like to be the main character. I would like it if my books were able to inspire other people. I would like to read Blue Willow again. I think I would tell people about this story.  

New Puppy on the Block

This book is a "Littlest Pet Shop" book. A new dog comes into the shop. Nobody offers to do things with him, they laugh at him. They think he is funny. The dog's name is Dally. He makes friends with a tabby cat. Her name is Tabby. By the end of this story everyone is friends. I think that Dally probably felt happy to finally have other friends besides Tabby. I liked this book. It reminds me of when I made friends with someone in my church, when I was new. I hope to read more "Littlest Pet Shop" books.

Shim Chung: The Blind Man's Daughter

I liked this book! Like Daphnis and Chloe, this has been adapted as a ballet. This story is about a blind man's daughter. When the blind man is nearly drowned, a monk saves him. He makes the blind man promise to give three hundred sacks of rice to the temple. Poor man! When his daughter Shim Chung finds out, she wants to help. She finds out that a man on board a ship is offering so much money to one person who will become a sacrifice for the sea dragon king. Shim Chung offers and goes to the sea. She wears a beautiful white dress. She jumps into the sea. The sea dragon king comes and helps her breath. He will let her go back to the land if she visits him. Shim Chung agrees. When she gets back she marries a king. Her father comes and she is reunited with him. I hope that I can see a ballet of this. I think this story is very interesting.

The Wright 3

I like this book. It is about the two kids in Chasing Vermeer. When Calder's friend moves back into the neighborhood, after having left for a time, Calder wants him and Petra to be friends. But that doesn't really happen very easily. It takes a good mystery and an old house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, to bring them all together. I think that making friends can be hard, even if it is a good thing. This book was just as good as the one before it. I think that it would be cool to be the kids in this story. I hope that the author writes a third book.

Chasing Vermeer

I like this book! I think that it was very mysterious. It was a great book because there was mystery, adventure, and interesting information about the artwork of Vermeer. I wish I owned it! If you read it, you will think this book is a really good one. Books like this are why I want to be a writer. I want my books to inspire, like this author was able to inspire me.

Daphnis and Chloe

This story has to do with the gods in Greek mythology. When going to the temple of the forest god Pan, a young man named Dorcon, scoops up a young woman named Chloe and tries to kiss her. A shepherd named Daphnis saves Chloe. The men decide to have a contest. Whoever dances the best will win Chloe's kiss. Dorcon is drunk and he dances clumsily. But when Daphnis dances, he dances gracefully, smoothly, so very well. After Daphnis wins the contest and receives his kiss, Chloe stands in a clearing in the forest.  A group of Vikings come and scoop up Chloe. They make her dance. When Chloe tries to escape, the biggest pirate scoops her up and carries her above his head. Daphnis finds out Chloe is gone and rescues her. He is rewarded with another kiss. I think this is an interesting story, I had never heard of this ballet. Perhaps one day I might be able to see it on stage.

The Edge Chronicles

The Chronicles are about a boy named Twig. He is raised in a home by wood trolls. He learns he is not a wood troll and he goes off to find out who he is. In the second book, Twig has found his father and he learns that when his father was a young man, another young man (by the name of Vilnix Pompolnius) had decided he would rule and have a lot of power. Twig finds some of the substance his father had been searching for. He solves the problems in all these books. There are four books in all. The author and the illustrator wrote other books that I have read. They created Fergus Crane, Hugo Pepper, and Corby Flood. I like their books.

New Competition

I like writing. My mom helps enter me in contests. My current contest is to win a trip to a dude ranch. I have not yet sent this in, but once I color the illustration and scan it on thicker paper, I will. I hope I can win! The contest is sponsored by a Christian company. I had to write an essay about a Bible question and illustrate my answer!  I can enter this contest as many times as I would like. I can illustrate and write an essay for all the other questions. I have a chance of winning seven times! I hope that even if I don't win, I show people how to worship the Lord. I really think I can show people how being a Christian (I'm a Christian) is great, and that you can worship the Lord in many different ways. But, it depends on your attitude. You must willingly praise the Lord. I wish you would wish me luck!

Royal TQ 620 Typewriter

I really wanted a typewriter. I went to the store with my mom and we got  one. I have been writing a lot on it. I think that I will do all kinds of things on this typewriter. I am happy I got it. I wrote two stories on it. I also plan to make a Waste - Not, Want - Not Almanac. I hope to write a lot more on this.