i'm behind...again!

The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw
Saaski is hated by the entire village.She plays tunes on the bagpipes that no one's ever heard. She hates rowan wood, salt, and St. John's wort. She loves the moor. She can read the Folk's signs, and half-remember other fairy things. Old Bess says that Saaski has another name-a fairy name!

I didn't like that it took so long for her to figure it out, or the scene with Bruman wanting in the Mound with her. I did like the part where she finally blended in with the roof. The villagers weren't expecting that!
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Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Shabanu and her family live in the Cholistan Desert of Pakistan. She is the second daughter in a family with no sons, and has freedom other girls wouldn't dream of. When a wealthy man kills Shabanu's sister's husband-to-be, Shabanu is ordered to give up everything to uphold the family honor, or should she listen to her heart and do another forbidden thing?

Very suspenseful. It was hard to figure out what would happen. It was hard to figure out the time, though. One minute there's Jeeps, the next a very new old-fashioned Ferris Wheel.
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The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reis
Two Polish Jews have to go into hiding when the Second World War begins. They spend most of their time in a tiny room in the attic. They hate being inside all the time, but what can they do?

This is Johanna's own story. Isn't it amazing?!? There was a little too much of the boring attic. Opoe was funny. She was somewhat of a doomsdayer. I liked the discription of the signpost as a tree.

Going to Montana tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today's actually Friday the 21.

Summer of the Swans by Betsy Briars

Sara's little brother Charlie can't talk ever since he was three. Their mother is dead, and their father comes home only if he has to. Aunt Willie is their guardian. But when Charlie disappears, she's not so sure she is up to it. How will Charlie get back?

This book needed another twenty pages or more to finish it off. The dad never comes home, aunt Willie and Wanda never make up, they don't see the swans again. One of the best things about the book is when dyes her orange shoes baby blue and the resulting color: puce.
You step into a imagination station and see two girls holding gross tennis shoes. One is disgusted, the other is trying hard not to laugh.

a hatfullofskybyterrypratchett

A Hat Full of Sky: Tiffany Aching is off to learn how to be a witch. Miss Level, who has two bodies, is her mistress. Tiffany quickly has no friends except Petulia, a very timid witch, because she says the wrong things to Annagramma, the leader of the meeting. A hiver that will be named Arthur is searching for someone to use, someone with a lot of power...
...like Tiffany.

The part where Petulia invites Tiffany to the meeting is funny. Quote,"...Annagramma says it's important to make contacts." "Annagramma's the leader, then, is she?" said Tiffany. "Um, no. Witches don't have leaders, Annagramma says." "Hmmm," said Tiffany. Annagramma is the leader. I also liked the bee dance at the end, because it was neat how the bees knew how to make a dress twirl as she spinned, etc.

Going to Missouri today. Not Misery, Mr. Spears!

Holes by Louis Sachar

Because of his great-great-grandfather, Stanley Yelnats is stuck at Camp Green Lake. There is no lake, only tents, dirty people,yellow-spotted lizards, and holes. The boys there have committed a crime, and had the choice of coming to Camp, or going to jail. They dig holes exatly 5 feet across and deep, 'for character'. Stanley soon realizes that something else besides character is being looked for.

I enjoyed the three stories going on at once. They told you why this thing was like this and what Green Lake was like 100 yeards ago and foreshadowed things in Stanley's story. But I got confused sometimes. There wasn't much distinguishing between stories. I liked the creepiness of the story. I got shivery sometimes, like when the Warden scrached Mr. Sir with her venom-coated fingers. I could picture it really well, and Mr. Sir was gross.

I had a softball game yesterday, and instead of going an hour and fifteen minutes, it went two-and-a-half hours. We went into three overtimes! but the other team finally got one more point then us, and we lost. But we got fourth place in tournament!

getting up to date

The last three postings are mixed up. I started some a while ago, but finished todayish, so scroll down and check them out.

Happy has a gross sore on his neck. We took him to the vet yesterday, and they had to cut the scab off and prescribe pills. Poor puppy.

I met a girl from Bolivia yesterday. Her name is Lu, short for Ludovica. She's really neat. She's staying the summer with her sister, Karla, who is a junior at OU. They'll give us Spanish culture lessons.

This summer I'm going to try and read all the Newberry Medal books.

My Own Two Feet by Beverley Cleary

This is an autobiography of Beverley Cleary, from the end of highschool to the publishing of her first book, Henry Huggins. She went to junior colledge at Chaffey, California. Her family lived in Portland, Oregon, so she had to take long bus trips back and forth. She then graduated and went to Berkeley, and fell in love with Clarence Cleary. Her parents did not approve. Beverley's dream was to get a degree of librarianship. she could not get it at berkeley, so she transferred to WA State. She and Clarence married. Pearl Harbor was bombed, and she was sent to an army library. When the war ended, they moved to San Francisco and Beverley began Henry Huggins.

I find it more fun to read autobiographies than normal biographies because it is fresher, and more detailed than most biographies. Beverley Cleary is pretty funny. I had no idea she lived during the Depreession! Recommended.

Started taking Spanish lessons with Mrs. Payne. Very interesting.

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
Katie and her family move to Georgia in search of a better job. They move into a tiny house in a Japanese community, Katies parents have crazy work schedules, and no one is very happy. Katie follows her sister Lynn more than ever. Sammy is born, and things change again, for the better, mostly. Lynn has found a friend, Amber. Katie doesn't like her. It gets worse when Lynn stops doing stuff with her and doing strange things like walking around with books on her head. Amber is a fake friend, because she abandons Lynn when Lynn is discovered to have anemia. The family works harder than ever to pay medical bills. Then she comes down with lymphoma, too, and isn't likely to live very long. Katie doesn't know what to do without her.

This made me cry. It is a most deserving Newberry Medal book. I enjoyed the part where Katie's dad smashed a car's windshield and afterwards they went to a Mexican restaurante and Katie ate five tacos. I also like the part where they give their parents the money from not eating donuts, and the expressions described.

books i read on recent trips

Went to FLA a few weeks ago, to see family last week, and books were read.
Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques
Martin is taken captive and made a slave by Badrang, the evil stoat. He, and two friends are rescued by Rose and Grumm of Noonvale. They are separated at sea. Martin, Rose, Grumm and a hedgehog journey to Noonvale to muster army against Badrang.The other two escapers make soldiers out of actors and actresses. They fight. Badrang is winning, Martin's army comes....

There was to much traveling of Rose, Grumm, and Martin. 200 pages of traveling, 10 in Noonvale. Parts where there were slave escapings were exciting. It was good when grumm tunneled to the pit.

Crispin and the Cross of Lead by Avi
Crispin is an orphan who doesn't know who his dad is. The priest tries to tell, but is murdered by the steward. Crispin is declared a wolf's head for murdering the priest and stealing money, but he did neither. A wolf's head means he can be killed on sight. Crispin runs away and meets Bear,
a juggler. They go to Great Wexley. Crispin finds out that the steward knows Lady Furnival. Bear is captured by Lady's soldiers. Crispin goes to save Bear.

I don't like Avi's endings (from the 2 of her books i've read). Great plot, but really winds down. Steward saw Crispin at least 3 times after Crispin was declared a wolf's head, but never got him.

The Lost City of Faar by D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon is in the flume again, this time on his way to Cloral. Cloral is a world where everyone lives on gigantic boats...almost everyone. Ledgend has it that a thousand years ago there was an island called Faar, where the first Clorans lived. It sunk like Atlantis, and was never seen again. If there is such a place, it would be the perfect target to make the whole world fall into chaos.

D.J. MacHale isn't the greatest writer, but he sure knows how to make you want to keep reading! Spader was pretty cool, everybody likes him, but why did he have to change so much? I liked the fish people a lot. 'Fake' mermaids and mermen.

Going to Florida tomorrow! Is it the Sunshine State, or is that somewhere else?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Today is Mom's birthday! Wish her one.
Here's a way to say it on the phone...
1. call 822-5338
2. then push(and maybe sing):

Hap-py Birth-day to you,
1 1 2 1 # 6
Hap-py Birth-day to you,
1 1 2 1 # 3
Hap-py Birth-day dear mom (or Julie)
1 1 # # 8 4 ? 1
Hap-py Birth-day to you!
# # 6 4 2 1

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnans Rawling

The Yearling: Jodie and Ma and his father, Penny live on Baxter's Island, a pine forest in the middle of Florida scrub. One day while he and Penny are hunting, Penny is bit by a rattler. They kill a doe to draw off the poison. Jodie, who has always wanted a pet, argues that since the doe had saved Penny's life, they should take care of her fawn. But when it starts ruining crops....

This was an okay book. it didn't get very interesting until Penny got bit and they rescued Flag. One thing I did like, though, was the way everyone talked. Ev'rythin' was slurred and endings were usually cut off.