Pirate Puzzles

Last one for the day... Aaarrrggg!

http://youtu.be/kuQ05WgtO1s

Cozmo's Day Off

Another great video from Ayars Animation showing off Cozmo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s59IzYDhz8E

Jack and the Beanstalk

Here is a neat video showing all the things you can do with Jack....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHcEOIBwhvU

Ayars Animation

Ayars Animation is the company my father works for. They design ipad apps and my dad illustrates them. All of the apps are made for younger kids, but are still really fun to tinker with. The very first app they came out with was Jack and the Beanstalk, which was a children's storybook app. It had a few games, but everything really focused on the story. The second app was Cozmo's Day Out. Cozmo is a game-filled book based on a character that my dad came up with. The last app they came out with, last fall, was Pirate Puzzles, a fun app full of jigsaw puzzles for the little ones. There are two locations in which you do puzzles. Every ten puzzles, you unlock a pirate song. They are currently working on a Snow White app. I enjoyed testing all these apps out, when they were still developing, with all of my siblings. I can't wait to see what they come out with next. Till tomorrow...

http://www.ayarsanimation.com

The Salamander Spell

The Salamander Spell is a great fiction book. It is a prequel to the book series Tales of the Frog Princess. I enjoyed this book a lot and recommend it to readers who love anything that has to do with mermaids, princesses, princes, spells, wizards, magic, and anything fantasy. Princess Grassina is the aunt of Princess Emma, the frog princess. In this book, Grassina is a teen and enjoys her own fantasy story. Grassina's mother is the Green Witch, the protecter of Greater Greensward. Grassina ends up becoming the Green Witch by the end of this book, instead of her older sister (who is supposed to have magic powers, as is tradition). I enjoyed this book a lot. Till next time...

Kit's Friendship Fun

Kit's Friendship Fun is really cool! My favorite American Girl has her own book full of crafts, recipes, and games! One of my favorite crafts is a clutch purse! If I make it to look like Kit Kittredge's, then I can wear my outfit with the clutch! I'd look just like Kit! I also think that the vanilla milkshake and banana fritters looked delicious! I really would like to buy this book so I can use it. All American Girl fans, check this book out at the library, or buy it! If you've got the time; do the crafts, try the recipes, and have fun. I sure will! Till next time...

A Long Break

Who ever said that homeschooling meant you had a lot of time, didn't have my mom as a teacher! She has everyday planned and organized. While that can be a lot of fun, it can be very full too. So, after a long break from blogging, I am back! Hopefully I will be better at getting to the computer during my typing time. I sometimes read the same books and then there is nothing to blog about, but my mom is helping me explore some new books. This should give me plenty to write about. We'll see....

The Westing Game

The Westing Game is an awesome book about kids and grownups solving the murder mystery of their Uncle Samuel Westing. People are paired and each group is given an envelope with clues. Bombs are laid, people are hurt, and everyone is wondering: who is the mysterious murderer, bomber, and thief? This book is really well written. It was a wonderful book. I know that it is a book I'm going to want to read again and again! The characters are really well built, and I learned a lot about building a mystery here. I'm definitely going to use it as reference for a script I'm writing. I'll give everyone a sneak peek; I'm writing a radio show script for Samuel Woodcock: Private Detective. And my inspiration comes from this book and so many others. I can't wait to read this book again. Till tomorrow....

The Fairy's Mistake

The Fairy's Mistake is a great book by Gail Carson Levine. I love her books because she makes me laugh and enchants every story she retells. This book is a retelling of an old fairytale that I once read. Funny, when I read it, I thought it was just like Toads and Diamonds, another of her books. It was hilarious, and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I just finished re-reading it for the tenth time yesterday, and I got it on Friday! I just love this book. For those who are not familiar with the tale, here it is: A young girl, named Rosella goes out to the well. A fairy disguises herself as an old lady. Rosella gives water to the lady. She is rewarded by the gift that whenever she speaks, jewels come out of her mouth. Her sister Myrtle tries, but the fairy turns herself into a knight. Myrtle doesn't give water to the fairy and says something mean. The fairy makes bugs, and reptiles come out of her mouth. Soon a greedy prince takes Rosella away and Myrtle is terrorizing the kingdom with the bugs. In the end the fairy has had it. She fixes everything, and life goes on happily. That is the story (not the original of course). Tomorrow I will write about The Princess Test a retelling of the Princess and the Pea. Until tomorrow....

Fun Night

I love Fun Night (or in other words Halloween)! We have so much fun. Of course I don't go trick-or-treating like other people, I stay home. I'm sure you're wondering, how is that fun? Wait, there's more to it then just meets the eye. While all the lights are out and no candy is set, our own little Halloween party is going on inside. To protect the little ones from seeing scary stuff, we don't do costumes. Instead, we set out to carve our pumpkins. This time however, we had three! I got the biggest, my youngest sister got the medium-sized one, and my other sister and my little brother, got to have the smallest. We each pulled out the 'brains' and then set out out to put a smile on the pumpkins. My pumpkin was carved in the traditional way we do it: Hearts for the eyes, they symbolize seeing with love; Cross for the nose (don't ask me why); Fish for the mouth, it represents that verse: 'Jesus said unto them, And I am making you fishers of men. Now go and the disciples left him." We are to be fishers of men and speak the gospel; Bibles for the ears, to hear the Word of God. Noel and Joseph's pumpkin was fashioned like the regular jack o' lantern. Angelina had the word Jesus written on one side, and a cross on the other. After carving, we changed into pajamas. We ate pizza, popcorn, cookies, roasted and salted pumpkin seeds, and drank soda. Then we watched the fourth episode of Star Wars. It was so much fun! Though, we didn't get to watch the fifth or the sixth, but we are going to watch the sixth tonight. That's all for now, and I hope that I can write again soon!

Kirsten and the Runaway Friend

In my homeschool group there is a girl my age named Hannah. She is a very good friend of mine. We both happen to like American Girl mysteries, so she lent me a book that I have been trying to find. I liked it a lot, and wish that I could repay her for her kindness. This book was very mysterious. Though usually (I don't want to brag) I'm very good at figuring out a mystery, five chapters before the main character; I realized that I hadn't figured it out this time. Instead this time I was lost, not seeing how one thing could connect to the other. Here's how it was, picture this: there's half of the family on each side of rushing river. They can't swim across it, so they need a bridge. But what is it that they can use as a bridge? There's nothing around. Its impossible for them to meet, but they try anyway. That's sort of how it is with this book. I see both sides of the mystery, but what connects them? Until the last chapter, I couldn't figure it out. That just goes to show you how great a detective I am. At least, I know I can figure out some mysteries. Anyway, I enjoyed this book immensely, and highly recommend it for a girl with a good eye, and a love for mysteries. Till next time...

Keepers

Keepers was awesome yesterday! We had so much fun making scarves. On them were pockets! I loved adding on the large buttons to finish off my scarf. Yaya (my grandma) helped me learn how to tie knots and sew on buttons. There is nothing like having your own grandma help you sew something amazing. This may not be complicated or really big, but it was a good fun project, and I enjoyed it. Soon, we will make patterned scarves, instead of keeping the black ones. That will be fun. Maybe I can give Yaya my scarf for Christmas since I won't be needing it, and I'm sure she would like it. Well that's all until tomorrow...

The Hardy Boys: The Tower Treasure

A classic mystery, The Hardy Boys: The Tower Treasure, is a mysterious read. Full of fun and of course mystery, this book is one of my favorite classic mysteries. Besides starting a whole series, and creating some entertainment for readers, there used to be a television show of the Hardy Boys, their first mystery The Tower Treasure. Let me introduce the Hardy Boys: Frank, a sensible, dark haired high schooler, who loves a good mystery; Joe, a blond, but still just as avid and clever-minded as his older brother, a very good detective. In the 1970's, another television show was based on the Hardy Boys (proves that I'm not the only person who likes their books). Mr. Franklin W. Dixon wrote very interesting books. I like them. This one re-opened the Hardy world to me. I haven't read any of the books, and this one brought me back to my senses. I love a good mystery, and I'm sure I always will like the Hardy Boys books.

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer

Hi! Back to my normal blogging. NOW I finally have a book to write about! The Dragon in the Sock Drawer is an awesome book for younger readers. It is about two cousins, Jesse and Daisy. Jesse's over adventurous (and kind of chaotic) life is tiring him out, so Jesse goes to stay with his cousin and best friend, Daisy, in America. Both are into fantasy (like me) and have fun making their 'Museum of Magic.' When Uncle Joe takes the two up to find rocks,  Jesse finds what is called a 'thunder egg.' They are supposed to be full of crystals, but Jesse's egg happens to smell like red chili peppers and talk. The egg's surface even breaks three of Uncle Joe's tough saws, that would cut you if you touched them! Jesse's life changes when the egg hatches and out comes a dragon. However, the evil St. George, dragon-slayer and blood-sucker of dragons (he drinks the dragon's blood to keep him alive for centuries), shows up and he takes the dragon. Panicked, Jesse and Daisy find a way to save their dragon. The dragon turns into a sheepdog (a clever disguise). The cousins are allowed to keep him for now. I really like this book.

Dandelion Fire

Dandelion Fire is a good book.  I had fun reading it. It sends a chill down your back, one that you half enjoy, half fear. This book is funny at parts and ultimately drags the reader into it. The mystery gets bigger and bigger, you find more twists and turns, more walls (questions), more opponents racing to get the end. You are in the thick of it, understanding something, but then you turn around and that person gets the last laugh. When will it stop? The questions that must be answered will be answered: In the third book. Will life ever be the same? Till next time...

Kanani

This book is really cool. It shows how family and friends support each other. Kanani helps her cousin, Rachel, who has come to stay a month. Kanani thinks that Rachel is kind of stiff and brags a little, but overall a pretty nice girl. She thinks that Rachel needs help. But when they get into a fight, Kanani feels bad. A funny, out of the ordinary, circumstance (a seal caught in a net) brings the girls back together. Kanani is American Girl's girl of the year, I really like her!

Old and New

With no book to write about, I decided to turn to something that's been on my mind. I've been looking at Mom's screen saver, waiting for it to get to the latest pictures. My favorite photos are the old photos. When I was younger, we could go to Disneyland. Old memories of my first time on Splash Mountain come back to me. And newer ones when we went to the condo at the San Diego Beach, with the bay a short walk down the street. That's why I have a scrapbook. I'll always remember when I met old friends, or how we celebrated last year's Christmas. Old and new, our memories are dear.

The Thirty-Nine Clues: Vesper's Rising

This is a really good book. Here is the general plot: The Vespers have already come out. They're ready to fight. Nobody knows who they are, and if they can be handled. Amy and Dan aren't ready. They can't have expected the clue hunt. They can't have expected it to change them. And now, with their normal life back, they're not ready.  Now Amy and Dan are expected to keep something safe. A Madrigal treasure.... I really liked this book.

100 Cupboards

100 Cupboards is a really good book. It's very mysterious. I also like the fact that the cupboards are magic. I like magic. I'm going to get the second book and the third book. I think they sound interesting. But I don't exactly understand where the witch, Nimiane, comes in. She's from Endor, but what does she have to do with Uncle Frank and Dotty? I'm sure she'll be explained in the next book. So until next time!

American Girl Story Contest

Based on the new girls created, this contest is definitely a fun one. I have already started my story. It has to be submitted by September 9. It has to be between 500 and 1000 words. I am nearly done. I could get it finished today! I might just do that. The prize is one of 20 doll collections. I am so excited. I can't wait to see if I win anything. If I don't, who cares. I just won the Kay Snow and eventually I'll get my very first book published. And that's the way I like it. So, till tomorrow...

Kay Snow Competition Awarding

I'm feeling pretty good. I just won third place in the Kay Snow Competition. I loved the fact that I got a cash prize (despite the fact it's only ten dollars). I have a certificate with my name on it and the title of my story. I am so excited! Half of it will go into my treasure chest (made to keep the money for my graduating year) and the other half will go to my Christmas shopping money. And, of course, one dollar is an offering for the Lord. He blessed me more than I could have ever imagined this year. Winning that competition (1-5 grade, when hundreds of people were entering) was a miracle. So I'll buzz by tomorrow. Bye!

Konos: Determination

Determination! I will be determined to make my dream, to be the youngest novelist ever, come true. Competing athletes in the Olympics have determination. People with handicaps are determined to live a good life despite their problems. Builders working are determined to finish.

In our Konos unit study, we are talking about determination. While studying the Olympics, we did our own mini games. I sort of won the crawling race (instead of a foot race). For discus, we threw a paper plate. I won again. Then for javelin we did a toothpick. I won a third time. In wrestling we did arm wrestling. I did not put my heart into it, and eventually gave up trying (I really didn't want to do arm wrestling) and Noel won; she is pretty strong. Of course it was the younger children against each other and I against Noel. For handicaps we watched a video on deaf people and watched a cartoon without any sound. "It was so odd," Lina said. When studying blindness we had to close our eyes and Mom described something and we had to guess what it was. When we learned about Joni Erik Sentada we had to paint with our mouth! It was fun and hard. It taught us to appreciate all the abilities most of us take for granted. Today we learned about different bridges. Wow! Some are amazing! Well, I'll write tomorrow...

Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story

Sootface is a good book. It is one of the many versions of Cinderella I've read. This retelling is suspenseful. I wonder every time I read it what the young "prince" (or magical cheiftan) looks like. In this version a test is given to determine who will marry the prince, it was interesting. Each young girl was sent to speak with the "prince's" sister and asked an important question. If she answered correctly, she would be wed. I loved the fact that the "prince" had a bow made of rainbow and it was strung with white fire. "Like the Milky Way, the Path of Souls," Sootface said. In the end Sootface and the "prince" all live happily ever after. But what version doesn't she? I think this was one of the most interesting versions of Cinderella.

Into the Gauntlet

Into the Gauntlet is the last of The 39 Clues series. I've read it before, but I really like it and decided to get it again. Now I currently am trying to join on the website. It's ridiculous. We can't get on to Yahoo. com to read the email so I can officially join, so I am really annoyed. Frankly, I don't know what you can do on there once you join, so I'm not too ecstatic about the whole thing. But, hey! Reading the book was fun, so at least I get that out of it. So, write tomorrow!

Summer Stuff

The summer has been very interesting. Packed with swimming days, field trips, and visits from friends; we have had the time of our life. We watched some new movies this summer and did the Summer Reading Program. At the beginning of summer we went and watched Cars 2. Joseph was lucky, he got a Cars ™ toy (he's the youngest, mmpphh)! We said hello and goodbye when our Tia Nene came for a week and left. She left before my birthday on July 10th. Then it was my birthday....

Now we have a new tradition. For each of the girls' tenth birthdays, we will go to American Girl Place. Woohoo! On my birthday, Pop and Mom decorated. I usually make decorations for everyone's birthdays, and for my birthday they put up streamers (pink and white ones), white stars (with a pinkish sheen and short streamers hanging from the bottom), pink and silver balloons all over the floor, and the rock things (Mom says they are used to hold down balloons) wrapped up in paper.  It was soooo amazing. Mom and Pop gave an awesome present: they gave me a Kit Kittredge outfit. I got two shirts and a card from Yaya & Yayo. Tia gave me a hand-made card. Nana gave me a book and a Ruthie ™ doll. Also, I thought we were going to eat at a Chinese restaurant. Pop and Mom had another surprise for me: we ate at the American Girl cafe`! I never had eaten there before! I got my own magazine with my photo on it and I showed Nana all the historical American Girls. I read books and then we rode the trolley and explored the Farmer's Market.

After that week, Pop's B-Day came. I decorated, we gave him presents, were lazy and watched movies all day. The rest of the summer we swam, played, did workbooks, and basically all had fun. Plus, last week we went to a drive-in! We had airheads, popcorn, granola bars, and an occasional sip or two of Pop's Mocha Frappuccino. Pop made a picture of what the drive-in looked like. I enjoyed this summer!