Too Young - SOL#2

Hello and welcome to my blog. Even though it is the second day of the challenge I am still nervou-s. I hope to try and make all 31 posts. This is my first time doing the slice of life challenge. If all goes as planned I will emerge a victor after this challenge.

The words are clear, yet they manage to confuse the girl. She drops the papers and stares off into space. Her perfect plans have one gaping problem. She is too young. Too young to follow her dreams. Too young to be respected. Too young to learn what she wishes. Too young to be noticed at all. She stares off into space as her world crumbles away, slowly getting used to the fact that she is too young. The fact that her age throws a wrench into all of her plans. She will always be told that she is too young. As the girl stares off into space everything falls into place. She will wait and plan until her time comes and she is finally of age.

                                     

I got this photo from:

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65005341@N03/6259143462">Bored</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)</a>

The Girls Who Braved The Waters - SOL #1

She sat there. In the boat. Listening to the waves crash against the hull, and the bird calls. The wind splayed her blond hair against her face. The girl stood up and switched places with the other girl. She grasped the tiller and steered the sailboat into the dark water. The girls laugh. They fall silent as the ominous dark clouds close in, shielding the sun from their view. Despite the rocky waves the girls find a way to laugh again. The girl at the tiller moves toward the hull and the other girl takes hold of the tiller. At the hull the girl holds onto the daggerboard and defiantly stares into the dark waves, that threaten to capsize the boat.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53104485@N02/7239250316">The Dark Tide</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)</a>

The Comets Curse by Dom Testa

              When the comet Bhaktul flies through the earths atmosphere all people over the age of 18 start coming down with a mysterious disease. As the adults of earth die off, Dr. Zimmer makes a plan to save the human race. A plan to send 251 teenagers into space, onboard a ship by the name of the Galahad. When the Galahad crew has reason to believe that an adult has snuck onboard the ship, they must find a way to rid the ship of its unwanted passenger and keep the ships master computer Roc running. Will the ships captain Triana succeed, or will the infected adult sabotage the mission and as a result eliminate the human race?

            

              The Comets Curse is a great book that has a gripping story and interesting characters. Once I started reading The Comets Curse I couldn't put the book down. I loved how Dom Testa switched between the events on the Galahad and when the Galahad was being made. By the end of the book I had grown to know all the characters. The fact that I felt a connection with the characters helped make this book more enjoyable for me. Overall The Comets Curse is a great book that is appropriate for children over the age of 10 who enjoy fantasy and sci-fi.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Capital Miracle

They called her name. She walked up to the podium. They watched as she organized her papers and began her speech. She disagreed with many others, yet always found ways to remain the victor. They knew what was coming. They were sure she would adeptly argue more and more people over to her side. They knew her party would triumph. Yet they wanted to see how she would do it, if she even could. The lives of many were at stake. The responsibility that fell to the 435 people in the room added to the sense of gloom. The lights dimmed as she began to speak. All of her thoughts which would have seemed slurred and mismatched coming from another’s mouth, persuaded the others in the room. Though she seemed to speak so simply they knew that every word she spoke would prove to be a weapon against their party. As the congresswoman sat down in her seat, all 435 members of the House of Representatives gave her a standing ovation. Miss Haden smiled, proud of the miracle she had just accomplished.

I got this photo from:

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10645191@N08/10562332126">US Capitol - Front-4662</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)</a>

Blackbird by Anna Carey

               One day a teenage girl wakes up on subway train tracks. She has no idea who she is. She soon realizes that she is in Los Angeles. The girl discovers that a blackbird is tattooed on her right wrist along with the numbers FNV02198. The girl is soon framed for an office robbery when she tries to pursue the only clue in the knapsack, that was lying by her feet. She realizes that people are trying to kill her, after the first failed attempt. Can she keep herself alive and recall who she is, or will they get her first?

               Blackbird is a fast paced book that will keep you hooked from the first sentence to the last words. The author of Blackbird  does a great job making you feel a connection with the main character despite the fact that you don't know much about the main character. I enjoyed the plot line in Blackbird because of its intriguing twists and turns and action. I would recommend Blackbird to fans of dystopian and fantasy books. If you are under 12 I think that this book is too advanced for you because of it's violence.

The Sunfish on Clear Lake

The gentle rocking of the sailboat put me in a trance. When I realized what was about to happen I was startled from the trance. I clung tightly to the daggerboard of the red and white sailed sunfish. I raised the daggerboard while slightly looking at the pebbles on the bottom of the lake. The clear waters of Clear Lake looked back at me. I saw the gritty sand on the bottom of the lake. The water began to change and rough waves splashed against the boat as the water got darker. The bottom of the lake was no longer visible. The rays of the sun beat down on me. Warming up my blue lifejacket. The sailboat swayed in the faint breeze, speeding up as the helsman moved the tiller so the sailboat was on a close reach. The wind moved my hair around my face and chilled me from the top of my head to the very tips of my toes. I dropped the daggerboard and took a deep breath. I looked back to the sandy shore and saw our instructor wave her hands and tell us to stop. My gaze shifted to the red roofed dining hall. The flag pole and the yellow rope that fenced in the swimming area. I watched as the helsman moved the tiller so we were directly facing the wind. As the sail began luffing from the leech to the luff, I moved to the same side of the boat that my instructor and my companion were on. We rocked the boat back and forth. Once, twice, three times. The boat tipped over as we plunged into the icy cold water, our hands to grasping the side of the boat.

I got this photo from:

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95721592@N00/9405115048">Betsy Catching The Wind</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)</a>

Legend by Marie Lu

            A 15 year old girl by the name of June Iparis lives in a country called the Republic. The Republic is a twisted reality from the country that we call home today.  In the Republic every child has to take a test at the age of 10. The children who do not pass the Trial are taken to labor camps, while the children who excel on the Trial are left alone. June Iparis is the only person to ever get a perfect score on the Trial. After a terrible family tragedy June is sent into a whirlwind of grief and revenge. She is mislead into believing that the creator of this horrible tragedy is a 15 year old criminal who goes by the street name "Day". When June is promoted to a military agent she is sent on a mission. A mission to find Day. A mission that would change her life forever.

        The author of Legend does a marvelous job of making the characters relatable and building suspense. As soon as I started Legend I couldn't put it down. Legend is a great book and the other two books in the series (Prodigy and Champion) are great too. I would highly recommend this series to fans of fantasy and distiopia novels. Legend  is not appropriate for people under twelve because of it's violent nature and some of the mature topics in this book. Overall this book is incredible and twelve year olds would throughly enjoy the book.

5 out of 5 stars

The Hummingbird Appreciation

                   The silence settles in. Soft footsteps patter to the center of the room. All of the camper stare. Their gaze boring into the wood of the dining hall. Outside the wind is kicking up a storm, and rough waves splash against the rocky shore. The feet reach their destination. A voice rough and seasoned with age breaks the silence. “ I would like to announce this years nomination for all around camper.” My heart beats in my chest, thudding against my ribcage. Everything slows down as I wait in vain. Then I think, maybe I won’t be nominated for the third year in a row. If I’m not nominated it means that someone better has come along. I say to myself that I will be happy regardless of if I am nominated. While these thoughts race through my head the woman opens and envelope. “ The nominations are.” She says. “Amaya Rothsfield.” I don’t listen after she says my name. I am happy my heart singing a song inside my chest. The woman asks all of the nominee’s to join her up on stage. I squeeze past my cabin mates and softly walk up to the stage. I look around at the rest of the campers as they give me the Red Pine Clap. I feel heat rising to my cheeks as I see everyone flashing me a smile. Time seems to slow down as I stand their, beaming. Finally I walk away from the stage. I sit down in my place and patiently show my cabin mates the award. Everyone says great job to me. I just sit there, happy that I am nominated. Even if I don’t win all around forester. I will be happy. Getting nominated is enough for me. As the waves calm down and the trees stop shaking, I look outside and smile at the hummingbirds.

I got this photo from:

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/armstrong-dja/3915328831/">The Armstrong's</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

               A young girl by the name of Ellie meets someone. Someone who turns out to be closer to her than she thinks. Soon Ellie and Melvin are sent on a spiraling quest. A quest to recover a certain jellyfish. A jellyfish that has amazing powers. On the way Ellie meets new people, separates away from old people, and learns quite a bit of science. But will Melvin prove to be too much for Ellie's family? Will Ellie and Melvin be able to recover the jellyfish, or will it be thrown out first?

          

                  Overall this book is fairly good. I enjoyed the characters in this book, but the overall plot was a bit confusing. The book started off to a good start but then suddenly changed topics. The book was a little bit lighter than some of the other books I have been reading, and I relished the change. To my knowledge I have never read a Jennifer L. Holm book before. I liked the words that Jennifer L. Holm used. I think that I found the characters so relatable in this book because I was the same age, or close to the same age, as the characters in this book. I would recommend this book to fans of realistic fiction who are over ten years old.

3 out of 5 stars

A Dream of the Supreme

I wrote this slice of life about something that I hope will happen in the future. 

A monstrosity and a blessing sits on top of a marble plateau. Beckoning all who are near to gape. Their windows into the soul travel towards another object.  This one a reinforced, black, moving object. Out comes a being who appears to be far wiser than someone of her age should be. A being with wispy blond locks pulled high above. A being that appears to float as her hazel windows into the soul take in the sights. An invisible creature rushes by puffing as hard as it can. The creature spreads the faint odor of cherry blossoms around the marble plateau. A blossom lands on the being, on top of her piled locks. She has appeared to be floating before, but a flat platform with a heel upset her grace. Down the being goes. Then the being picks herself up and continues the long walk to the building. By the time she reaches the wooden door, the crowd has moved on to another sight. The being pushes a long spindly finger towards the door and pushes it. A loud clear voice rings out. “Welcome to the Supreme Court, Justice Anaya Rothsfield.”

I got this photo from:

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sackton/4582455741/">timsackton</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne

  

Imagine being a child in a family that's only goal is to be normal. It would be hard enough to be in family like this even if you were perfectly normal, but being abnormal in a family that admires normality would be excruciatingly hard. This is the life that Barnaby Brocket lives. Ever since he was born to Eleanor and Alistar Brocket, Barnaby had faced a peculiar reality. A reality in which he floated. Of course Barnaby's parents were only a little dissatisfied with him, but that dissatisfaction began to grow. Soon the terrible thing occurred to Barnaby Brocket when he was a mere eight years old. The terrible thing sends Barnaby up and away. He soon meets many new people and goes on many exciting adventures. Soon Barnaby is faced with a decision. A  decision that would be almost impossible to decide.

This book is enthralling. It was intriguing the way that the book made hard subjects seem more appropriate for younger aged children. I enjoyed the whimsical subject of the book, which is something that many other books currently out do no have.  Despite the fact that I didn't feel as closely connected with the characters as I have  in other books, I still liked the book. If you are a fan of fantasy or realistic fiction you would enjoy this book. Overall this book is a great read for people who are ten and up, and who are fans of fantasy and realistic fiction.

3.5 stars out of 5 stars

Book Review of A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

A young orphan by the name of Tree-ear had a dream. A dream that would prove challenging to achieve. Every day Tree-ear watches the master potter Min work. When Tree-ear finally gains enough courage to go into the potter’s shop, unexpected events occur and Tree-ear becomes Min’s apprentice for 9 days. Despite all of the blisters and bruises Tree-ear returns home with, his hope of learning how to make pottery is never diminished. Soon Tree-ears required time is up, but he continues to work for Min for one meal a day.  This proves to be a great arrangement because every day Tree-ear can take some of his meal back to the bridge, or his home, and give it to his friend Crane-man. Soon a grand opportunity arises, and Tree-ear is sent on a journey. A journey on which a single shard will be all that matters.

This book is absolutely incredible. Despite the light tone of the book, heavier meanings are hidden inside. The book has a interesting plot line that grasps you during some parts, but can also be a little bit boring. By the end of the book you have really gotten to know and love all of the characters. At first glance this book seems like realistic fiction, but at a closer examination the books historical fiction nature is revealed. While in my opinion A Single Shard is not as good as Linda Sue Park’s A Long Walk to Water, it still is a good book that will keep you turning the pages. I would recommend this book for fans of realistic and historical fiction. I would also not read this book if you are under 10 years old because of some heavier subject matters hidden within the book. Overall this book is great and I would recommend it to anyone older than 10.

    

4 out of 5 stars

A Battle of A Birthday

Laughter echoes throughout the room. The joyous sound echoing off the cream and silver wallpaper, making the chandelier sway about. The laughter dies away and an erie silence falls over the room. Heads turn towards me. The sound of footsteps drifting away breaks the silence. A mysterious tall uneven wooden stick is taken out of it’s home. The sticks red top glistens in the air. I hold my breath as the monster of a tool comes nearer. The monster strikes.  Not me, but the side of a box. A glimmering form begins to appear. The orangish color of it brightening the room. The flickering flames find their target. Despite it’s violent struggle the tall blue and white striped solider can not resist the fire. The fire finds the soldiers thin black head and hungrily devours the soldiers wax. A puff of air blows out the red tipped wooden stick. Clammy fingers reach towards the ignited candle and pick it up. The frightening flames consume another solider, then another. Soon all of the eleven soldiers are on fire. The top of the blue purple poka dotted circular fortress is ablaze with the burning soldiers. The giants around seem to take no notice. They break into song. The harmony of there voices settle around the room and into the little girls ears for whom the song was meant for. As the last whips of the line happy birthday fade away on the wind, an icy silence settles in. This one stronger than the one before. The girl smiles and takes a breath. She looks around at the beaming faces and decides to make a wish. The room is silent when the girl inhales. The flames fade away when she exhales, into the crisp september twelfth air.

I got this photo from:

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drgaz/395914068/">DrGaz</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

An Unexpected Death

Here is my slice of life. It is about my aunt's death:

Tick tock goes the clock. Around, around, and around the hands spin. A scratch is heard. That of a pencil hitting paper. Problem after problem. An eternal circle, just like the clock that guards the room. A tiny being crawls in through the open window. The being appears to be a fairy but a fraction of the size.  A being full of light that warms the room, till it’s bursting full of joy. A new sound appears. The insistent ringing refuses to stop. A new creature enters the room. This one full of wisdom and graying hairs. The old fashioned phone is plucked off the handle.  A wispy gray being floats toward the fairy and covers it’s light. Even the girl who seemed so isolated from the world around her pauses. The pencil clatters to the floor. The creature by the phone speaks. Her lips forming words that make the wispy gray being even stronger. Words that can shatter one’s heart effortlessly. Words that hold unspoken pain and suffering. Words that when put together form the sentence your aunt is dead.

I got this photo from:

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerweet/3437557269/">tigerweet</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>