Books are like time machines.
They can take you into the future
or back to the past.
Books are like planes.
They can take you
anywhere in the world.
Books are like disguises.
They can make you anyone
that you want to be.
Books are magical adventures that can do anything.
A my name is Addison and I am an antelope. I am from Australia and I sell anchovies.
B my name is Bella and I am a black bear. I am from Brazil and I sell blueberries.
C my name is Charlotte and I am a clam. I am from Chile and I sell chocolate.
D my name is Delilah and I am a duck. I am from Dutch and I sell dumplings.
E my name is Elizabeth and I am an emu. I am from England and I sell eggs.
F my name is Felicity and I am a flamingo. I am from France and I sell fish.
G my name is Gretel and I am a flamingo. I am from Greenland and I sell green peppers.
H my name is Hannah and I am a hippo. I am from Holland and I sel l hamburgers.
I my name is Izzy and I am an Iguana. I am from Ireland and I sell ice cubes.
J my name is Jessica and I am a jackal. I am from Japan and I sell jam.
The Hello, Goodbye Window is the delightful story of a little girl and her grandparents’ kitchen window. She plays all sorts of games and does different kinds of things, but her favorite thing is to sit by the Hello, Goodbye window and watch as all different people come and go. The girl knows that the window will always be there, and that it is filled with many memories that she and her grandparents have had. The Hello, Goodbye Window is a cute little book that many children will enjoy reading.
The house high on the hill was eerie and looked as if it was blowing with the wind. I walked nervously up the front steps. They creaked underneath me. I opened the door and peered inside… pitch blackness. I took another step. Then I was swallowed by darkness. Somewhere behind me I heard the door slam shut. I tried not to panic. I tugged on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. My palms were sweaty, and I felt a chill down my spine. I took a deep breath… and surged into the black.
After about five minutes a light popped on. It was a dusty candle. Someone down the hall was holding it. Then I took a closer look. Nobody was holding the candle. I tried to scream at the top of my lungs, but nothing came out. I bolted back down the hallway. It seemed to go on forever.
Finally, I stopped to catch my breath. I passed a mantle covered in cobwebs and a table on which was a spilled glass of what I hoped was punch. I wandered around for what seemed like hours until I found an exit. I burst outside. As soon as my foot made contact with the ground, it started to pour.
I thought, “Just great. This is shaping out to be the worst Halloween EVER!” With that I sloshed home. The moral of this story is, don’t come home on Halloween soaking wet, saying you went to a haunted house when you were supposed to be taking your little sister trick or treating.
My favorite time of year is Christmas. I love Christmas for many different reasons, but for now, I’ll only share a few of them with you. I love making Christmas cookies, decorating my house for the joyous holiday, receiving presents, and spending time with my family. Christmas is a very exciting and fun time of year.
I love making cookies at Christmas time. I am known for being a cookie lover, so getting together with my family is a treat! For my family, my Grammy bakes lots and lots of sugar cookies. My mother, brother, and I usually make different colors of frosting. Then my Grammy, cousins, and aunt come over, and we all frost the cookies together. It is always fun!
Another reason I like Christmas is that I love decorating. My family has many Christmas decorations from countdown calendars, to mini electric Christmas trees, to gigantic stockings! I always have a good time hanging our ornaments onto our Christmas tree. Our decor always makes me smile!
I also enjoy getting all sorts of exciting presents. I can’t wait to see what sorts of interesting toys, books, journals, and clothes I get this year! I am hoping to get Monster High dolls, various books, and lots of journals.
Though all of the presents, cookies, and decorations are nice, my favorite thing about Christmas is spending time with my family. My family is very important to me, and I love being able to spend time with them and getting to know them for a day. I love Christmas because I get to spend time with the people that I love.
Happily Ever After is an understatement for my parents. One thing I should tell you is that this story does not start with Once Upon a Time. As you probably noticed, it started with what a story usually ends with. So, if you’re using logical reasoning, it’s not going to close the curtain with The End.
Something else you should know—my parents are Cinderella and Prince Edward. I know what you’re thinking, “But who is Prince Edward? What ever happened to Prince Charming?” Stop thinking that. My dad’s name is Edward. I am the only one who calls him that. Everyone else calls him Prince Charming, which I think is just plain dumb. I mean, who’s Prince Charming? Sleeping Beauty’s husband, Snow White’s husband, or my dad? It gets VERY confusing. Anyway, this story is about me, not my parents. So, let’s get this over with.
Twenty-two years ago, Cinderella gave birth to a small baby girl. She had fair blonde hair and wide blue eyes. Sadly, it wasn’t me. This young girl was my sister Madeleine. She was pretty much perfect. My mother and father were thrilled to have such a wonderful little girl.
Another two years passed and Cinderella found herself holding yet another adorable little girl. She had curly black hair and rosy cheeks. Once again, it wasn’t me. I know, it’s disappointing, isn’t it? This beautiful baby was my other sister, Isabella. She was just as perfect as Madeleine; maybe even more perfect considering she was two years younger.
Another three years came and went. Cinderella was back in the hospital—Edward feeling like the waiting room was his second home. This time (finally!) it was me, but I was not as appealing as my sisters. I had wild hair that was the color of fire and a nose colored in freckles. Thus, my life has been a tragedy, yet it is still considered a fairy tale. Now, let us continue our story into the depths of my feelings and thoughts.
I am not a princess. I seriously would be surprised if someone came in here and told me I was a princess. I feel like a rag. My mom is such a hypocrite. She asked me if I wouldn’t mind spending the day around the house. Stupidly, I agreed. Now, while she goes out to pick dresses for her fancy balls, I’m stuck dusting the shelves, washing the dishes, and of course—tending to the fireplace.
I grumble to myself as I throw in the wood. “Wait! Why am I doing this?” I wondered aloud. I marched myself downstairs and into the ballroom looking for my sisters. That’s not what I found. Instead, I found myself looking in on a gigantic party; my family smack dab in the middle of it.
I’ll admit—I was hurt. I felt like I was being stabbed with one of cook’s sharpest cooking knives. I felt my eyes stinging. Then, I took a deep breath. Anger replaced my sadness. I stormed past all the people giving me stares and marched right up to my mother.
“Hello, Mother,” I whispered in her ear.
She spun around, quick as lightning. “Darling,” she squealed. “I . . . I was . . . I meant to . . . ,” she stuttered.
I gulped down some of my anger. I regained it a few seconds later when she turned and had a five-minute conversation with a duchess. Finally, she turned back toward me again smiling and then suddenly regaining a straight face.
“Why?” I asked. I didn’t even need to shout. “Why would you treat me exactly like your stepmother treated you?” I felt my face burning, and I held back the temptation to go bury my head in a pillow and cry.
She just stood there, staring at me sadly.
Then I had the best idea in the world. I ran. Ran, ran, ran, and ran. I ran out of the castle and through the village. I stopped at the far edge of the village and perched on a rock. Tears poured down my face as I stared up at the moon.
“Had a rough day?” said a voice. I jumped. Behind me was a tall, good-looking boy. He looked about 18, so I guess technically he was a man.
“You have no idea,” I replied.
He sat down on the grass beside the rock. “I love nighttime . . . so calming. Especially in the wilderness where there are no wild parties going on.”
I stared at him.
“Where are you from?” I asked. He looked at me and said.
“Just another kingdom,” he let out a sigh. I decided not to question him. He gets up and starts to walk into the wilderness.
“Wait!” I called after him. I was curious. “Can . . . can I come with you? I mean, you look like you feel just like I do.” He smiled.
“After you, miss,” he replied pointing me toward the dark woods. I grinned and ran after him. Our long journey together has begun.
Together, we journeyed through the forest, scavenging for food. One night, there was a certain chill in the air. So, we started a fire. I was searching for wood when I heard a rustle I stopped and listened carefully. “Hsssss.” I knew what that meant. Then, out of the bushes came a 12-foot long, viper snake with startling sharp fangs. I screamed.
“Help!” I shouted. No one came. Well, I wasn’t waiting around for a boy that I hardly knew to come save me. I started to back up. Then, I stumbled. I fell flat on my back. As I scrambled up, I got a glimpse of what I tripped over. I saw a rusty bronze hilt. For a moment, I just stared at the snake, and it stared back. Then it flicked its tongue and charged quick as lightning. I bent down, my eyes still on the monster, and grabbed the shiny object. I pulled out a sword and stabbed the snake with all my might. It let out one last hiss that fell flat on the ground. I stood there, the sword in my hand, breathing hard. Then, I grabbed the few pieces of wood I had found, and I marched back to our camp, my heart beating like a drum.
Once we had the fire up and burning hot, I told my companion of my journey through the woods. He looked at me, his light blue eyes round as saucers. After I finished the story, he gulped and said, “Umm . . . well I guess I missed out on all the fun!”
I shrugged and joked, “Yeah, I attack 10-pound viper snakes every day of the week!” We laughed through the night, and for the first time in my life, I felt . . . happy.
It was about noon when they came. We were setting up camp in a lock of empty fields when about a dozen knights burst out of the forests about a mile away and came racing up on horses.
“Aha!” the general shouted. “We have found the lost prince. You’re coming with me, sonny.”
I looked at the boy. “What is your name?” I asked firmly.
“Look, I . . .” he started.
“No! Tell me your name,” I demanded.
“Eric,” he said. “Eric from the kingdom ruled by Snow White and Prince James.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I turned and ran from him.
“Wait!” he called. “I didn’t even get your name!”
I turned, “From the kingdom ruled by Cinderella and Prince Edward, I am Princess Thalia.”
I was heartbroken that I had lost the only friend I had ever had. I cried for so long that it was early in the morning when I stopped. While I was crying, I made a decision. I chose to re-enter society. I would find the nearest kingdom and lay low until my parents sent their men out to find me. I journeyed until I found a village and a place to stay. I should have checked to see where I was first.
One morning, I was lying in bed, my hands over my eyes, when there was a knock on my door. I groaned and got out of bed. I swung open the door. I bent down, picked up the kingdom’s newspaper and headed back inside. What I saw made me drop the newspaper.
The front page said
Royal Wedding!
Come see Prince Eric and
Princess Rachel on Saturday the 10th!
My heart was pounding in my chest. I yanked open a drawer and changed into my day clothes. I was going to get my prince back!
It was late evening on Friday the 9th. I came to the castle with a basket of flowers.
“Flowers from the kingdom of Cinderella,” I told the guards.
“Nice try,” they told me. “In this kingdom, we despise Cinderella and her king.” There was no tricking these guys.
“Of course,” I said. “My apologies.” I turned back.
After I passed the castle spiral and made sure I was out of the view of the guards and other visitors, I put my face between the cracks of the bricks in the tower. I started the climb up to my destiny.
That hurt. I had almost gotten to the top when I slipped. Instead of climbing the extra steps I needed, I threw myself over from three feet down. My body hit the top of the tower, and I now have an ache in my side. I tiptoed down the spiral staircase and into a messy bedroom. In the corner was a bed overrun with clothes. Books, pants, and scrolls were shoved into a suitcase by the door. A tall figure sat on a stool looking into the fireplace.
Then he turned. “Thalia!” he yelled with glee.
We ran toward each other and I experienced my first kiss. At age 17. I know, it’s sad.
He smiled at me and said, “Let’s get out of this cage.” I smiled.
We should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.
I understand the men guarding the prince’s room, but I think the swords and axes were a bit much. We rushed out the door hand-in-hand when a knife barely missed my head. It crashed into the door behind us and then clattered to the floor. Eric pulled a sword from his belt and took the knights on 1 vs. 2. That left one knight, who cornered me. I grabbed a scythe from a nearby fireplace. I took on the knight. There were a few close calls. Finally, I hit him upside the head and knocked him out.
Looking up, I saw that Eric had hit both of his opponents with the butt of his sword. We exchanged a glance, and then we marched down the hallway weapons at the ready.
Luckily, we didn’t run into anyone until we got to ground level. We didn’t even run into any guards. We met up with Princess Rachel.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I’m here to help you. I told the guards there was a disturbance on the far side of the castle. Your secret is safe with me,” she smiled and waved us off.
We thanked her and ran away together, forever happy.
Well, I finally got my happy ending. I ended up marrying Prince Eric. We actually had a daughter. Now, it’s her turn . . . for Once Upon a Time.
The Last Olympian is an amazing, must-read book. In the finale of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan Percy, Annabeth, and the gang must make a decision that could either destroy Olympus, or save it. Percy is determined to destroy Kronos once and for all, while Annabeth is focused on saving her close friend Luke. In this epic story, demigods and Titans alike must choose their battles wisely for the Titan battle has begun.
Normally, Kiley is the only one who gets to write on this website. However, today is a special day. It’s her 10th birthday. I thought that was worthy of a bit of mommy bragging time. Let me tell you about this amazing child.
Kiley wants to be an author when she grows up. She’s wanted this for years. She started writing when she was just four years old. Even then, the way that she wrote showed that she had a lot of words floating around in that incredible head of hers.
Part of her love of writing comes from her unbelievable love of reading. She can read anywhere, anytime, for as long as we’ll let her. She mostly like fantasy and fairy tale-like books, but she’ll read just about any fiction.
Don’t let this make it sound like she only likes to read and write. Kiley also has an amazing imagination. She can make up a game any time, day or night. Sometimes, I have to double-check with her because I can’t believe she just made up such a great game on the spot. She’s also an exceptional athlete. She plays soccer, softball, basketball, and swimming.
The past ten years have been amazing. I can’t believe she’s already in double digits. I hope you enjoy getting to know this incredible young writer through her website.
The Children’s Story by James Clavell was a mystifying and intriguing book. In this tale, a young boy named Johnny has conflicted feelings. In the beginning of the story, Johnny feels scared and hateful. Then a mysterious woman took over as classroom teacher. She made Johnny uneasy. He didn’t trust her. As the story continues, Johnny feels safe and happy that she is watching over him. The new teacher made Johnny feel special and proud. In the end, Johnny’s mind has been twisted. He turned on his country and had a comepletely different view. I think James Clavell did an extraordinary job at showing how Johnny changed throughout the story.
It’s been a long and relaxing summer, but the winds of Fall are ready for a stand. The battle of Summer and Fall has begun.
Fall throws sticks and leaves that wound Summer. But Summer does not surrender. She calls for backup and her ally the Sun appears. But Fall’s winds are so strong that the Sun retreats into the sky. Fall takes out Summer with a gust of wind.
Fall has won. The school year is upon us. Down in the Southern Hemisphere, Spring is victorious over Winter. Get your thinking caps on because it’s time to return to the school yard!