The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkein

Bilbo Baggins gives his nephew Frodo the ring to keep while he goes on adventures. After a few years, Gandalf the wizard shows up and sends him on a quest: to destroy the ring at the Cracks of Doom. Sam, Pippin, Merry(hobbits), Gimli(a dwarf), Aragorn(a man) and Legolas(an elf) go with him and face Riders and much more.

The first of a wonderful, long trilogy that takes several readings to understand at all. I think that the Riders are cool and awful at the same time. The movie does them perfectly, but to do them perfect they have to be really creepy. I hate the spiders.

a Happy poem

Looking out the window
I see snow
and a little black dog
with his tail going wag.
The little black puppy
looks at me
and his face is covered in snow.

Hooray for Happies!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter: Harry has spent the entire summer at the Dursely's without a word from anyone and is sick of it. So he is more than happy when dementors show up. After fighting them off, he faces a trial at the Ministry of Magic by the prejudiced Fudge. And if that's not bad enough, there is a crazy teacher who is a Ministry plant and tries her best to expel Harry. But then it looks like Sirius is trapped by Voldemort...and Harry decides to rescue him!

The Order of the Phoenix is way too long. What does Grawp matter? Why spend an entire chapter on Hagrid's vicious brother? Luna is good though. Snargles and Crumpled Horned Snorkbacks and the Rotfang Conspiracy. It was great. And I was glad Harry found out about the prophecy.

CTK Christmas dinner tonight. I'm an entertainment-Dazzlers. I look like Shirley Temple in hair.

Bat 6 by Virginia Wolff

Bat 6: A couple years after World War 2, two towns come together each summer to play a sportsmanlike game of softball. One year an unusual girl named Shazam walks in, and instantly makes the team. The others aren't so sure about her, but they accept her all the same. On the Ridge, a Japanese girl is also drawn in. Shazam has a huge predjudice against Japanese, since her dad was killed at Pearl Harbor. This anger builds up until ther first game against each other comes, and Shazam severely injures Aki.

Boom! I cut you off. I culdn't figure the story out. right before the end, I thought I knew what was going to happen, and it ended. It was neat how the author used the girls on both teams to say what they thought about Shazam. Shazam's comments are disjointed, creepy sentances that tell you what her past was like. Very cool.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is an orphan living with his cruel aunt, uncle, and cousin. On the day of his eleventh birthday, a giant comes to tell Harry he's a wizard. So on September first he goes to Platform 9 3/4
to catch the train to Hogwarts. Getting to the platform met going through a solid wall. On the train he meets Ron Weasley, who quickly becomes his best friend. Another true friend is made while defeating a ginormous troll. Harry and Ron and Hermione find a series of clues telling them what is hidden behingd the forbidden door at Hogwarts. And finally, they find out, but it's not what any of them expected.

One thing that annoys me about Harry Potter books is the wands. Certain flicks and swishes get you certain spells and if you lose or break your wand you're dead. I would find it more interesting if they could do some things without wands. But I really enjoy wizard's chess and Fluffy. I would stink at chess, but it's fun to think about.

Cheerio!
-ruthie Girl!

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

A boy in love with books named Bastian has stolen one. Sure that he will be imprisoned if he tells his father, he hides in the school attic. There he is drawn into the Neverending Story...
A dreadful thing is spreading across Fantastica. The Childlike Empress is terribly sick, and no one except a human can give her a new name. Fantastica is almost lost when Bastian gives the Childlike Empress a new name. THen he is granted the power to make everyone's wishes come true-but every time he does, he loses a memory of home. You need at least one more memory to go home, and when he loses it....

The book was great for me because I make up all kinds of wierd things in my head and the Story is full of strange and interesting things. I enjoyed the problem of Bastian losing his memory because it happens. So what's he going to do? the ending's really great and answered everything and finished everything.

A fun fact- today is All Saint's Day. Yesterday was Halloween. When did Halloween get like this?
Mom(and Mr. Spears) said that people first dressed up to mock the devil. The horns and pichfork,etc-saying you're just a ridiculous thing, not even worth being called an angel.

A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer

A Girl Named Disaster: Nhamo is an orphan in Africa. her aunts hate her, her uncle dislikes her, her cousins don't know what to think, her grandmother loves her, and the rest of the village thinks she's a witch. When an epidemic of cholera strikes the village, they journey to a muvuki, or witch-doctor. He says that Nhamo must be sent to a man she doesn't even know as a wife. She is under twelve. Grandmother orders her to run away to the mysterious Zimbabwe and find the rest of her family. But the journey goes badly wrong.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it twice. It was really interesting about all the spirit stuff they believed(believe?) in. the ancestors, witches, water spirits, etc.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is half way through his miserable vacation with the Dursleys, his mean rrelatives when a mysterious creature, called a house-elf, shows up and tells Harry not to go back to Hogwarts. Harry is a wizard who gos to school at Hogwarts and enjoys most of it very much. But when Dobby ruins the Dursleys dinner, Harry is locked in his room day and night. He is saved when Ron, his best friend, and Fred and George, ron's brothers show up in a flying car. Ron's sister, Ginny, is starting her first year at Hogwarts, and she proves to be a valuable find for Voldemort, Harry's arch-enemy. But when Ginny is stolen down to the Chamber of Secrets harry and Ron decide to find out what's going on....

I couldn't make up all that myself. I like Lochart, Harry's stuck-up teacher. He takes everything Harry does as trying to get more fame: "...I mean, a few people have heard of you, haven't they? All that business with He-Who-Moust-Not-Be-Named...I know, it's not as good as winning Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award five times in a row as I have, but it's a start!" Funny.

Veritas school picnic is today! It's gonna be fun!

Together is all we need by Michael Phillips

Together is all we need: Mayme Daniels and Katie Clairborne are cousins-except one is white and the other is black. Katie is an orphan of the Civil War, while Mayme's mother was killed. Katie's family owned a plantation named Rosewood, and the two girls and a few friends have run it by hemselves, telling everyone in town the Clairbornes are still alive. But when an uncle of Katie shows up and claims it as his own, will they be able to keep it?

I found it very interesting that Katie and Mayme were practically sisters, though different colors. During the Civil War period most blacks were treated like trash. there are also three other books before the above, and they're all great too.


Hey russ-when's that train ticket coming?
i miss you guyses!!

Terry Waite: a biography by Trevor Barnes

Terry Waite: Terry was from the start drawn to the church, even when he was a little kid. he enjoyed going on long bikrides by himself but also hanging out at parties and making everyone laugh. When Terry was older, he first enlisted in the Navy, then the Army, but he was allergic to the khaki die in the uniforms. So he entered the Church army. Then he married Frances and they had four kids. being in the Church Army led him to become a secratary for the Bishop of Bristol, then a lay-trainer(?) in Africa, then Rome for the Medical Mission Sisters, the the Archbishop's 'special envoy' as a mediator in Iran. He went there three times, and on the third was captured himself. For four and a half years he was kept in a tiny room. when released, he was a hero.

this was a neat little book. I couldn't figure out what the Church Army was though, other than it wasn't a military unit. I'd like to hear ideas. Something I found interesting was that Terry named his brother! David was born premature and wasn't thought to live long so Mr and Mrs Waite sent for the priest to have him christened, but they hadn't thought of a name. Terry had just been to Sunday School where he heard about David and Jonathon so the baby was named David Jonathon Waite.

russ-i want to see you guyses weally bad!!!

Fire-Bringer by David Clement-Davies

Fire Bringer is about a deer named Rannoch who is botn with a mysterious birthmark. Soon, he is run out of the herd with his foster mosther and other friends. They journey all over the Low Land. One day, Rannoch and Willow were walking when men came. They were hunting. Willow escapes, but Rannoch is left for dead. A boy finds him and heals him, keeping him in a pen behind the house. But Rannoch breaks free, and stats a herd out of reach of his chasers. He finds out the truth of his rreal mother, and returns with the herd to fulfill the prophecy he has long denied....

Fire-Bringer is a great book by one of my fav authors. I really like how it's written how a deer might see things. Example: The men came with their shining sticks...then one of them raised a different kind of branch to his shoulder. With a loud sound, a deer fell. A short, sharp stick in his neck (men with swords and guns are hunting deer). Another picture is fire- burning air that shines like stars. Definately a good book.

THanks, everybody for your comments. I really appreciate it.

Mom and Dad are gone this weekend, so Aaron and Kelly Payne are watching us. It's gonna be (and has been) so much fun!
~ruthie girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

OU Bedlam

There's an OU game today. We met three girls and their parents today. the girls are thinking of going to OU next year. Anyways, we showed them around campus and it was CRAZY! There were millions of people walking around in red and white. I felt wierd walking around in my pink dazzlers T-shirt. The band was practicing. The schooner was going through with ponies disgustingly green around the mouth(do horses chew cud?and if they do, does it look like green throw -up?) . There were lots of tail-gate parties and big screen TVs. It was hot weather. It was great meeting people, but next time I'd rather tour on a cool quiet day.

Hope you girls-Jessica, April, and Anna-come again!

Eldest by Chistopher Paolini

Eragon, the first Rider in over a century, is sent to Du Weldenvarden, the elves' forest, for trainingwith his dragon Saphira. They are taught by a crippled Rider pair. Eragon has trouble with his back all throughout training, a scar from his battle with the Shade. On the day of the elves' celebratin of their pact with the dragons, a mythical being heals his back completely. Soon after, he recieves news that the empire's formidable army is marching towards the Varden's encampments. Eragon has sworn to help the Varden whenever he is needed, so he flies immediately to Surda. The war that has been going on for more than a century has burst into the open, Eragon must face a friend gone bad, and a treasured hope becomes hated info....

Eldest is many wonderful stories twined together. It's the best book i've read since Harry Potter came out. Its prequel, Eragon, is equally good. I would wait 'till it's out in paperback though, it's really expensive now.

Here I Stand by Roland Bainton

Martin Luther was in Febuary 1483 into a very disiplined house. His parents were peasents and were very strict about punishments. They weren't happy when he went to be a monk. For many years he served the Catholic Church, and was a devoted faster and prayer, etc. But under the influence of some teachers, he began to have ideas different from the Church. Then while reading Psalm 22, he realized that Christ wasn't the judge sitting on a rainbow that was put out by the Church, He became a man and suffered. This was the start of Luther's doctrine. For many years he attacked the Holy Roman Church and the pope, all the while writing books and preaching sermons and helping nuns and monks escape. One such nun married him. Her name was Katy, and they had six kids. Luther continued preaching and writing until he died in 1546.


Here I Stand explained just about everything possible about Luther's life and doctrine. One thing I didn't like was that it would start on one subject, which would take it to another, and then jump back to the first. I really liked Katy. Smuggled out of a nunnery in a fish barrel, and then marrying an old guy!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry's entering his fourth year at Hogwarts. Dubledore tells them that the Triwizard Tournament, a competition between the three biggest wizarding schools where a champion from each school is chosen to compete in three tasks, will take place at Hogwarts. After the three champions have been picked, a third name comes out of the Goblet: Harry Potter. he is forced to battle sphinxes, dragon, and much, much more when Voldemort rebirths.

I think Harry Potter #4 and #6 are the best Rowling's done so far. At first it was frustrating between tasks because nothing happens, but after a couple more reads and I understood it more it was well worth it. I liked the duel with Voldemort a lot. In #5 it was boring 'cause Dumbledore did everything. Anways, in #6 Voldemort is such an accomplished evil wizard so set on killing Harry that Harry....

OTHER THINGS THAT SHOULD AND ARE SAID BELOW
Everyone is welcome to borrow my books.

Remember to tell Drew happy birthday! 9/7 is the day. Medevial knights is the theme(???!).

Check out the link. Under the big pictur there's two smaller pictures. Nuber two's funny.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Ella Enchanted: Ella has a problem. At birth, a 'gift' of obediance was given to her by a fairy. Her whole life she's tried to find the fairy, Lucinda, buut hasn't suceeded. When her mother dies she meets the prince at the funeral and they become friends. Soon after that Ella is sent to a finishing school with two girls who are out to torture her. At the school her only comfort is her friend, but she is ordered not to be friends any more. She runs away and hears that her father is at a giant wedding where he thinks there might be fairies. Maybe Lucinda was there! On her way, she is captured by ogres and rescued by the prince. One of Char's knights takes her to the wedding. Her father took her home before she could talk to Lucinda. He maries the mother of the two girls who she traveled with, and she is made a servant. Her fairy godmother makes her three beautiful dresses so she can go to the ball with Char. He says he loves her, and she finally breaks the spell so she can marry him and they live happily ever after.

Ella Enchanted is much better than the Disney version of Cinderella. Ella's problem isn't just an evil step-mother and sisters, she has a curse on her. I also liked that she had a book that changed stories and gave her letters that hadn't been sent off yet and pictures of things that are happening at home. It also made the story better when Lucinda wouldn't take the spell off and Ella had to break it herself.

The Reality Bug by D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon is off to save the world again. This time he's going to a world called Veelox. Veelox's citizens are all in their own perfect realities while the world goes to waste. A friend of Bobby has invented the Reality Bug, a computer program that will make the realities not so likeable. But it malfunctions and Bobby has to figure out the code that should shut down the Bug. Or is Veelox too far gone to be saved?

The Reality Bug: I really liked MacHale's flume idea. The flume is how people travel between worlds. A good thing about Bobby is that he gets things wrong. This is not a Disney movie where everyone lives happily ever after. I also liked that the book was mostly written as a journal. There's a part where Bobby is writing in the journal and then there's another chapter about his friends at home.

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett

A Hat Full of Sky: Tiffany Aching is a witch off to go into service for an elder witch with two bodies. The Nac Mac Feegle, blue six-inch high men who are always drunk and ready to fight, realize that a hiver is after Tiffany. Hivers are creatures who have felt every animal and human and things conscience for thousands of years. They possess things because they believe that by doiong that, they will be able to shut that feeling of everything. It takes over Tiffany, but the Feegles go inside her head and throw it out. After that Tiffany and the greatest witch in the world track it down at the Witch Trials. Tiffany takes it into death and shows it how to become human enough to die. The witch that has been traveling with her takes her back into the first world and she becomes famous.

A Hat Full of Sky: The Feegles are my favorites.They talk funny, think they can take on anything and pull it down by head butting whatever it is. I was also happy that there wasn't any romance. Terry Prattchett is pretty much the only teen writer that doesn't put it in. And Tiffany's a word addict. She's read through the whole dictionary and has been given a Dictionary of Amazingly Uncommon Words with stuff like plongeon (???), 'a curtsy about one third as deep as the traditional one'.

The Sight by David Clement-Davies

The Sight: Under a mythical place, two wolves are born with a magical gift called the Sight. Another wolf with the Sight, Morgra, is chasing them, seeking justice for a mistaken crime. She curses the pack, and one by one they are killed until there are four left. Larka, one of the cubs, runs away because she hopes that by leaving the pack that the curse will stop. She finds a human baby that is marked and steals it so Morgra won't find him. She goes to an ancient Roman fortress where Morgra takes the baby so she can become Man and control all the animals. But Larka changes instead and then decides to stay a wolf. Morgra tries to kill the human and Larka fights back. Suddenly there is an earthquake and both the wolves are hurled down to their deaths.

I thought Clement-Davies did a very good job on the Sight. At first I was mad that he killed Larka but then started to admire her. There is a scene where she uses the Sight to look into the future and sees her death, and then gos and saves everybody anyways. What a heroine. Also see Clement -Davies' other book, Fire Bringer.

The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern

The Princess Bride: In which the most beautiful woman in the world and a farm boy fall in love. But Wstley sails to America to make his fortune and becomes the Dread Pirate Roberts on the way. Buttercup is told that he was killed by pirates and vows never to love again. She is noticed by Prince Humperdinck and is taken to the royal capital to learn royalty during the three years before the Prince becomes a king. Then she is kidnapped on Humperdinck's orders. Westley comes to save her and they get away but are caught again. And guess who dies?

The book I read was the abridged version, of which I am greatful, because the abridger tells you what he has cut out. Like the 103 pages of the princess packing and unpacking her clothes. But the parts that I did read were good. I like Buttercup and Fezzik the giant best because Buttercup is the most perfect woman in the world in love with a farm boy who she thinks has died. She knows things about life that most wouldn't. Fezzik is a loveable giant who everybody boos.

Pirates! by Cecilia Rees

Pirates! is set in 1724. Nancy Kingston is the daughter of a wealthy sugar merchant. She is a wild girl who plays at the docks with sailors' kids, in particular William. At a very young age they had decided to marry each other, he a captain, and she going with him. But when Nancy's father dies, his wish is for her to go to his plantation in Jamaica. There she meets her half-sister, Minerva, and discovers that her brothers have arranged a marriage between her and a cruel Brazilian. Instead of marrying him she and Minerva run off together and become pirates. After a while at sea the women and the crew are captured by the Navy, officered by William. Nancy tells him who she is(she and Minerva are in men's clothes)and they are put aside for later. Then the ship starts sinking and William sets them free. Almost every pirate survives the wreck and they are soon back at sea again. After a long time of sailing, the crew splits up and those who are still together settle on Madagascar. But the Brazilian soon finds them and captures everybody but Nancy and Minerva, since Minerva's Nancy's 'slave' and he doesn't think that she can do anything. Right before he kills Nancy, Minerva kills him. Minerva marries a pirate and Nancy goes to find William.

Pirates! is a creepy book. There was one part that I read right before bedtime that made me stay awake for a while. Since Pirates! is set in the times of slavery, you read a lot about the cruelty of white people to blacks. It makes me mad. The main character is Nancy, but Minerva did everything. I admire M because she was so determined to stay with n that she ran away, became a pirate, and left her mother with strangers.

Summerland by Michael Chabon

Summerland=baseball. In the four worlds of the Middling, Winterlands, Summerland and the Gleaming, everyone plays baseball. On Clam Island nobody plays baseball except four teams. Ruth's Fluff-n-Fold Roostershave lost every single game that season. On the morning of a game Ethan Feld, the second baseman, wakes up to find a werefox sitting on him.Cutbelly takes him to Summerland to meet the Boar Tooth mob of ferishers, also known as the fair folk. there he is the despair of the Home Run King of Three Worlds, Cinquefoil. They dig up an oracle clam who says,
"Feld is the wanted one. Feld has the stuff he needs." Everyone thinks it means Ethan, but it's really Ethan's dad. But Coyote kidnaps Mr. Feld. Ethan, the Roosters pitcher Jennifer T., a changeling called Thor, and Cinquefoil come to find him and save the world as the Shadowtails baseball team. Thor scampers them to Summerland and they cross the Raucous Mountains, cross the Big River and battle with the biggest catfish of all time, almost get eaten by a giant, are taken prisoner by ferishers and play ball all the way. They are joined by a Sasquatch, a five feet tall giant, a knee-high princess, and a wererat. Finally the Shadowtails arrive at Diamond Green. all this time Mr. Feld has been making an envolope to put Coyotes poison in to end the world. What looks like the last game of baseball the worlds will ever play is played. Ethan hits a homerun that opens the Gleaming and Old Mr. Wood comes out with his relatives. Ethan and his dad and Jennifer T. go back to Clam Island.

Summerland is awesome! mythology, stories, ball, just the rigt amount of everything. My favorite guy is Jennifer T. She's consistent, works hard at what she loves, has a hard life, and sympathatic to the problems of others. I definately reccomend Summerland.

Tricksters Choice by Tamora Pierce

Trickster's Choice: Aly is the daughter of a master spy with the talents of one too. She is taken captive by pirates and brought to the Copper Isles, hundreds of islands one the edge of civil war between the raka, the first inhabitants and the luarin, the white people who invaded over three hundred years ago. Aly is to protect the daughters of her master's first wife for a summer. The eldest, Sarai, has a double claim to the throne. When the prince comes no one suspects that he will murder the duke. When Aly's father finds her she realizes how much she likes it in the Isles and stays.

I'm happy with Aly because she has faults; she does things wrong. In the Lioness series(the Lioness is her mother) Alanna does everything right. The plot is very good too. I liked the excerpts from Aly's letters and books a lot.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Out of the Dust is a Newberry Medal winning series of poems that tell about Billy Jo Kelby and life in dustbowl Oklahoma during the Depression. After an accident in which her mother and newborn brother Franklin die and her hands are burned really bad, she can't play piano like before and is treated like an outcast. She feels like she doesn't belong and heads west on a train. Halfway there she turns back. The doctor says to keep playing piano, and her father marries again. Billie Jo the cripple did belong.

This is a good, sad story. I definately reccomend it.
Thanks to Grammy for lending Out of the Dust to me.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

The Once and Future King is a story about King Arthur. Arthur is raised by Sir Ector and has a tutor called Merlyn who turns him into animals. As a teenager he pulls the sword out of the stone and is made King of England. The King spends the next fiveish years civilizing England. He sets up the Round table, marries Guenever, has a son(not by Guenever) named Mordred and fights wars. The Round Table is set up to channel might into right in a good way. Soon though, there isn't anything to fight and the Table is useless. During this time a knight, Sir Lancelot, falls in love with the Queen and she with him. Mordred and one of Arthur's nephews find them out and tell the King. Lancelot is exiled and Guenever sentenced to burn at the stake. The knight rescues her and they both go to one of his castles in France. War is waged upon them and Arthur comes, leaving Mordred as 'Lord Protector'. Guenever is sent back across to England, where Modred marries her. When Arthur finds out he goes and sets war against Mordred. The King dies before Mordred is killed.

I love knight stories, but this was a little much. Believe it or not, my two favorite parts are before he pulls the sword out when Merlin changes him into things and when he sees King Pellinore and Sir Grummore fighting. This is a pretty good book

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

A quick summary of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Harry is rescued from the Dursleys by Albus Dumbledore and is taken to Hogwarts. He is told that he will have special lessons from Dumbledore. The usual things happen: Harry falls in love again, classes are as hard as ever.... But something awful happens, something not ordinary, and suddenly Professor Snape isn't as trustworthy as most thought he was.

#6 is the best Harry Potter so far. J.K. Rowling put just the right amount of humor, anger, revenge and love to make it all seem so real. I've tried to do a really brief report so I won't spoil it for you guys

For Kirk and Covenant by Douglas Wilson

For Kirk and Covenant is a biography about John Knox. It is divided into three parts: The Life of John Knox, The Character of John Knox, and The Legacy of John Knox. Part One is about how he came to be a reformer, what he did as one, the rivalries he caused against the Roman Catholics, and his ministry up unto his death. Part Two is the charactaristics of love, revenge, courage, mercy, balance, tenderness, humility, adversaries, study, humor, obediance, churchman, patience, tradition, patriot, theologian, fraternity, vision, zeal, provocation, clarity, family, virtue, hatred, orator, prophet, integrity, faults,death, and greatness. Part Three is how Knox influenced the reformation of Scotland and what followed after his death.

I thought that For Kirk and Covenant was a good book. I liked that Mr. Wilson included a chapter on John Knox's faults. Many authors would just include his good points and leave it at that. I liked that he told of what happened before the Reformation so that you understood why it was in such bad need of it, and that he told of what happened after the Reformation.

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman: Neb has run away from home in 1620 and is taken aboard the Flying Duchman as a cook's helper. He is mistreated because he is a mute and locked up each time the ship lands. He finds a half starved Labrador and keeps it under the table away from sight. The Dutchman's captain, Vanderdecken, sails them to Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn. The third time they were driven back, Vanderdecken went mad. The light of St. Elmo's fire showed an angel coming down. The ship was swallowed by the ocean and there were only two survivors.
Neb and Den are washed up on the coast and found by a shepherd. They find out that they(Neb and Den) can mindspeak. After three years the angel tells them to leave and find somewhere to help people.
1896. Neb and Den(now Ben and Ned) find Chapelvale and meet the 'owner of Chapelvale and realize that they're here to help the town not to be demolished for cement. They find a clue to Mrs. Winn's ownership, which leads to three more. Finally, on the night of the day before Chapelvale's destruction, they find the deeds. The angel comes to them again and tells them to leave at the sound of a churchbell. That toll sounds and they leave to find somewhere else.

I thought that this book was funny, sad, happy, and made you want to keep reading.
Ned made it funny, it was sad that Ben was treated like that on the Dutchman, happy when they saved Chapelvale, all made it a good book. There's also a picture on each first page of each chapter(in my copy, a hardback from Philomel Books, anyways) that are nice. On the first chapter there's a steering wheel, eighth a dog(Ned?), etc.

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

In The Blue Sword, Harry Crew(a girl!)is an orphan who is sent to live with an old couple on the border of Home. After three months she is kidnapped by the Hill king because of a vision. She learns the Hill ways and is made a King's Rider. The king, Corlath, goes to meet with diplomats from Home about joining him to fight the Northerners. They say no, and Harry warns him of a small pass through which Northerners could get through into Home. Because the Homelanders turned him down, Corlath ignores her. She and a few friends go tell the Homelanders abot the pass. The colonel is one of her friends from her three months on the border, and believes her. Now, with about a hundred fighters, they hold the pass for a day. The next morning, Harry goes to the top of one of the mountains. Her sword goes blue and the mountain falls down on the Northerners(yes, it sounds silly, but if you read the book it makes sense). Corlath forgives her for running away and they live happily ever after.

I thought the Blue Sword was very imaginative in most things. Calling Harry's homeland Home is not. I didn't like that Harry and Corlath married(happily ever after!), because it ruined a perfectly good storyline, but he is a king and has to have an heir, so I guess it made sense.

A Chance to Die -The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elizabeth Elliot

This is a book report.
A Chance to Die is the life of Amy Carmichael, or Amma. She was born on December 16, 1867 off the north coast of Ireland. She grew up in a Presbyterian home and, after her father died in 1885, was adopted with her mother's permission by a Quaker, Robert Wilson, who was a superintendent of a Baptist school and later attended the Angelican Church. He began her missionary training. After two years living with Mr. Wilson, God said, GO. She went to Japan. then China. Then Sri Lanka. Then India. after a couple years the Starry Cluster was formed, going around India telling people about God. Then they got their first temple child, Preena, and more followed. They couldn't travel anymore and built Dohnahvur. Amy became 'Amma', their mother. Amma broke her leg and twisted her spine by falling into a hole. Then she broke her arm. her hands were seizing up. On January 18, 1951, Amma died.

I thought that this book was wonderful. Also sad, interesting and happy. I'd heard of Amy Carmichael before, but only short three page stories, never a book. If anyone else wants to borrow it, it's on our shelf.

Summer Conference

Summer Conference in Florida is great. Swimming, cable TV, friends, the beach....
I am so tired of the car! Stuck in there for six days. But it was cool to see all the different stuff by the highway(s). In Baton Rouge, we ate dinner and spent most of the evening at the Burgers', the LSU campus minister. The boys got live crawfish in a bag. I picked one up. Mr. Burger boiled them and the grownups had crawfish for dinner. The kids had hamburgers. In Alabama there was a long underwater tunnel. It was cool. The third full day in Florida the Beach Builder came. She messed up the beach. After the dredging was done, you could go out for a long way in the water and have the water be waist height. We went to see friends in Panama City. Mrs. Gibbs was me and Cal's
P.E. teacher. Alex and Austin were in our class. On our way home we stopped by the U.S.S. Alabama and took a tour. Dad took pictures. We got back Monday afternoon. YAY!!!!!!! Back at the yellow house in Norman, OK, America, Earth, the Universe.

Fun, fun, and more fun!

Thanks for the ideas. The Dunnams visited today, yesterday, and Wednesday. there are four girls; Maddie, Cloe, Katie, and Millie. We had fun together. Wednesday night, we went over to the Wilson playground and played baseball while Mom and Mrs. Dunnam talked and the girls, Anna and Drew played. Yesterday there was a Veritas skating party that we all went to. I got a blister. Other than that, it was great.
Frances' birthday party is today! It's a sleepover. Sleepovers are so much fun.

Parties and Parades

Any story ideas? Thanks. the 'I Love My Neighborhood' party is tonight. Every year Wilson blocks off a block and there's a moonbounce, limbo, a firetruck, and other fun stuff. Whoo- hoo! Also, the Dazzlers are performing at the 89er Day Parade. I'm a fire fighter and will wear a coat, hat, etc.
Grammy and Grampy are coming this weekend!!! We'll have fun! This weekend will be great!

bees and Omniplexes

The science fair Friday was very cool. A few hours before, I opened up the envolope that had lots of worker bees in it. We got Jimmy John's and cut it up. We went over to the site. I put honey on the Jimmy Johns'. i looked at other peoples projects. Forrest did rokets and he set one off outside, Leah did pictures, Jonathon did volcanoes and he set one off every few minutes, I did bees, 'Cal did butterflies and he had a live butterfly and caterpillar, Molly did water, ice and salt and made frozen yogurt, Christian did the difference between baking powder and baking soda and baked buiscuts to show the difference, Jake did magnets and Savannah did stalactites and grew a stalactite. I got a red ribbon.

The Omniplex is thinking of closing down! Please donate money to:
Omniplex
2100 NE 52nd Street
OKC 73111

Nothing much to report... sad, huh?

Nothing's happened since I last wrote. Well, I mean, like, I haven't gone to China or gotten Dragon Slayer published or anything like that. What has happened is:

• I went to the Medieval Fair Saturday. I bought a marionette puppet. I saw a bunch of other things I wanted. I wish I had about $20 to spend, instead of 5.
• Russ got the kitchen tiles finished.
• There's a science fair Friday. Yikes! I'm doing bees.
• I'm translating Dragon Slayer into Latin.

• I'm trying to decide whether it's worth changing the princess story so there's animals instead of people, but that would mean changing the whole story ( I mean, whose ever heard of a wolf being named six gaudy flowery names?).

...Sir, there is nothing more to say. The newspaper is already jam packed with info....

Stuff

I've had a new idea for my story: Take the story that's on here right now and change it so it's animals. this is why I haven't written for a long time- I've been writing the new one. Any ideas?
Happy late Easter! We had lot's of fun at the Staffords' house. I zip-lined a lot, talked, had a lot of sweets, played with Happy, kept on going back to the kitchen for food, almost skipped dinner because I was so full from lunch and ended up eating a roll, corn and a few carrots, and all the other fun things you do on Easter.

Princesses

Okay! More story for you guys. JDo, I am not like the Crocodile hunter. Anyways, here you go:
The king jumped off a sweat streaked horse and hurried inside. The queen was holding what looked like a pile of yelling blankets. The queen pulled back a corner to reveal a tiny pink face with the barest hint of orange fuzz hair.
"When will we have her name-day?" asked the king.
"Soon," replied the queen, "but what will we call her? I've been thinking of things for awhile. What about just putting a lot of names together; there are so many I like. What about Danielle Rebecca Rachel Lily Jewl Rose?"
"Excellant. Now what about fairy godmothers? We could have six, one for each of her names."
The queen stiffened. She had grown up in this country and knew what magic could do. But it would be good to have magic protecting the princess. She gave in.

a bee search

Today is rainy. A rainy Friday. If it doesn't rain all day, I'm going to go up to the beehive and find the queen bee for my science project. That would be really cool, getting to see a queen bee up close. I just hope that the beekeeper hasn't cleaned them out yet. I bet some of you guys are like, What's she doing, going into a beehive?. But the bees are all dead. So I'm safe. I'm not like the Crocodile Hunter, going places and doing crazy things to catch an animal. We'll go to the nursinghome for lunch, probably, and then I'll go find my bee.

HAMINHA!!!

Finally! We're at Haminha. We got here Sunday around 5:30. After dinner we went into the library and downstairs to talk and read and watch TV(cable!). We went to bed around 10:00. On Monday, I had roasty toasty buttery bread with wonderful homeade honey...mmm.... Around 9:00, I went to the nursinghome. There I ran errands, visited staff, read, composed poetry on a typewriter, shredded , and ate my dessert before I finished all my lunch. Coming back to Haminha, I spent about an hour reading and then flew a kite for about an hour, took a break then flew the kite again. Once I was done, I bet I'd walked and ran about 2 miles. first you fun up the hill, run arond trying to get into the wind, then get the wind and run down and around the hill, trying to keep the kite up in the air. I went up the hill about 8-10 times. I have a new cousin! Travis James Tlustos was born yesterday. Grammy took pictures of him and he's really pink and cute. Yesterday we had a bonfire and ate s'mores and told stories and burnt marshmellows. then I got into the hot tub instead of taking a shower.
Today we're going to the circus!!!

more stories!

continued from my previous post:
The queen's only friend at court was a fairy. The fairy's name was Alicia. Alicia was the first to know when the queen had her baby. The king was away on royal business when a royal messenger came with urgent summons back to the palace.
When he got there, the princess was two weeks old. The city was strewn with flawer garlands and ribbons. The streets were filled with bells' ringing and echoed with joyful notes.
The king jumped off his sweat-streaked horse and hurried inside, trying not to run inside (kings never run; they always trip over some brocaded cape or pointy shoes or something. That would be very embarrassing, imagine falling down in front of the people you're ruling).

Here's a story for you guyses!
Once there was a land ruled by a king and queen. The land was full of magic, magic was knit into every blade of grass, every mountain, every tree, every stream, river, and lake, every stone, from huge boulders that had stood there since the beginning of time to tiny pebbles. Magic was in the air. This magical country was roughly rectangular, except for a piece of land sticking out from the northwest corner, called the Finger.
The king and queen were middle-aged, but they had no child. The people were torn between loving their queen and hoping that the king would remarrry. The bishop in particular of the people loved her; she always lislened to his speeches and smiled during the most boring of them, the ones where even he knew they were boring. Everyone loved her very much, so when she became sick, her subjects were both sad and hopeful.

You'll have to come back for more!
Mrs. Martin gave us homewrk for this morning for math. She's helping some people writ an 8th grade math textbook. She gave us about twenty problems to work, and, once I understood them, they were pretty easy! there were two problems that gave me trouble though. I hope you know, Jill, 'cause when I come, I'm gonna ask you. If you don't though, that's fine. I'm not going to get a grade on this.

tellin' stories

Hi, everybody! thanks for the comments! i appreciate it. i've decided to write a story. i'll put it on here, too. for example: tomorrow i'll write three paragraphs on here. the next day i'll write more, etc.