Category: imaginative

The Difference Between MG and YA books

I close the book I had just finished and pick up the next one. Even after only 10 minutes, I can find so many differences in the two books, and it’s not just because of the genre. The whole type of writing has changed and I know exactly why. It’s always so crazy to finish reading a middle grade book, then switch to a young adult one. Today, I’m going to tell you the differences between middle grade and young adult books.

I go back to the book’s cover and look at it closely before picking up the other book and doing the same. One of the major differences between middle grade and young adult book is their covers. Typically, YA books have darker covers, while the opposite is true for MG books. This proves true especially in fantasy novel covers. I believe that it is because of the darker themes usually found in YA books. After all, the covers should reflect the book.

I marvel at the differences in the conflicts and in the way the characters solve them. The challenges in both types of books are very different. In Young Adult literature, the main character is in the adult world beyond their friends and family. The goal is to understand (themselves, their journey, and the world they are coming into, etc.). Some common themes are self-reflection, which is why the book is usually in first person. In Middle Grade literature, the characters’  conflicts are about friendships and dealing with bullies. The characters react to what happens to them, focus on their friends and family. Real-life situations are common, which is why the book is usually told in third person.

I close the book to the sound of my mom calling my name. There are so many differences between the two genres, yet I love them both just the same.

One of the major sources I used was this article.

World Building

Recently, I did a WITS writing class (I wrote this story there). We did a few mini activities, one of them being world-building writing prompts based on artwork around the Rice University campus. World-building activities help you create a brand new world and develop it. It’s a common exercise writers use to be more creative. These are the questions asked and what answers I gave based off of the artwork.

Questions:

  1. Imagine that the artwork is deeply important to people on an alien land. Why? What do they use it for? What significance does it have?
  2. Imagine you are the size of an ant and the artwork is as tall as a skyscraper. What goes on inside of it?
  3. Imagine the art is small enough to fit in your hand. Why would you give it to someone and what for?
  4. Imagine the artwork could talk. What would it say? Would it be happy with its location?

The Questioning Column:

  1. This is where rainbows come from. Colors are churned, releasing their vividness and making rainbows brighter. This is how the colors seem to blend together as well.
  2. You can slightly see the churning of the rope-like strands of colors, twisting and turning together, eventually falling into place and forming a bright and colorful rainbow.
  3. If you need something to cheer you up, you can create rainbows with the small rainbow maker. It’s easy to give as a gift and can help anyone perk up.
  4. There are many Rainbow Makers around the world, some small, some big. They are all stationed in areas with desperate need of color and they do their job quite well. They would most likely be happy where they are.

Movement at the Edge of the Land:

  1. These aren’t just piles of dirt. They help the government. Piles of dirt and holes in the ground can easily track movements around an area the way that normal cameras could never do.
  2. You can’t see any action. The government made sure that the tracking was discreet. They couldn’t let anyone know what they were up to.
  3. The government gifted these piles of dirt to anyone who they though was suspicious, tracking them as they wished. No one ever realized what the piles were actually used for.
  4. The government would never let the dirt talk. If they even tried, they would be silenced forever right away. If they could talk, they would say that they hate their job.

James Turrell Skyspace:

  1. This is a hangout for astronomers, meteorologists, and others who use the sky and space for their line of work. Though the government doesn’t trust their kind and has banned them, some still meet here day and night to practice their work. At night it is lit up to resemble a party, so the government doesn’t get very suspicious. In the day, there is a special forcefield surrounding it. It is a sign of resistance and perseverance.
  2. Inside, astronomers and more scurry around, trying and succeeding to practice their art. It can be messy and dangerous sometimes, but it’s a safe space for the “sky lookers”
  3. It wouldn’t be given as a gift, but as a signal from worker to worker signaling a meetup in the skyspace. They are usually very small, to avoid drawing attention.
  4. The skylight would be pleased for being used in such a noble manner, though sometimes it wishes that its job wasn’t so dangerous and life-risking.

Barn Raising:

  1. These ribbons are a festivity, or at least, that’s what most people think. As soon as you step into the forest, you’ll doubt yourself. Something about the rustling of the ribbons sneaks up on you and makes you wonder if you made the right choice (spoiler alert- you didn’t). Slowly, without the ribbons doing anything, you’ll start to lose your mind. You mind will turn against you- starting with self-doubt and ending with complete insanity.
  2. The ribbons blow with the wind. Something about the way they move so gently, but with a ferocious demeaner is frightening to people. In the end, not many know that the ribbons are the villains in this story.
  3. Only true villains who know the power of the ribbons gift it to others. Though it’s smaller, it works in the same ways.
  4. The ribbons would just laugh gently, with a slightly horrifying edge. They don’t have and conscience and therefore don’t care.

How would you build a new world?

The Stolen Colors

This year, I participated in a WITS writing camp. For the camp, we wrote a short story and talked about the other elements along the way. This is the story which I wrote. I hope you enjoy!

Imagine a world where color is stolen. The world is naturally grey, so colors are taken from other planets that are both willing and unwilling to give their source of brightness away. Now imagine what would happen if all the colors suddenly went out. 

“Why are you making such a fuss?” I asked tiredly, “It’s not that big of a deal,” I rolled my eyes, much to the annoyance of my best friend, Jadelyn. 

“Yes it is!” Jadelyn insisted, “Don’t you think it’s weird that we steal colors, Edith?” 

I shrugged, “That’s the way it’s always been on Arcus. Stop thinking about it too much and let’s just go home,” 

Jadelyn sighed before nodding with a pasted-on grin. I smiled thinly, relieved that a conflict had been avoided. We hurried to my house, excited for our sleepover. Jadelyn trailed behind slightly, but I knew that she would forgive me and I would forgive her. We always made up after our arguments, usually about the same topic that we had fought about today. 

We got home and my eyes lit up when my cat, Rosa, came to greet me. I chuckled, relenting to Rosa’s indignant purrs to be petted. When I finally stood up, I realized that Jadelyn had gone inside. I smirked, knowing that my best friend couldn’t resist the special cookies my mom made when she came over. Petting Rosa one more time, I stepped inside to the warm and familiar smell of freshly baked cookies. Jadelyn was climbing up the stairs, a tray in each hand, beckoning me to go with her. I raced up the stairs, eager for us to get to my room. 

We played a lot of games and talked about everything. I picked up the TV remote and had just opened Netflix, when something flickered. We looked around, scared and trying to figure out what it was. There was another flicker and I looked at Jadelyn wide-eyed. I could tell that she had also figured out what it was. “The colors,” I murmured, frightened. They flickered one more time, then stopped at grey. Jadelyn and I both made the decision simultaneously. We dashed downstairs to check if it was just our room or the whole world. 

As we biked through our neighborhood, my stomach sank lower and lower. When we reached the normally red party lanterns emitting a faint grey light, about a mile from our house, we realized the truth. I checked my government-given watch frantically for an update. There was none. I stared at my usually bright clothes in despair. Jadelyn looked down, biting her lip. It was official. There was no color anymore on Arcus. 

Jadelyn’s eyes glimmered, but not from tears, “The Rebellion- they’ve done it”.

Magic in my Blood: A Short Story

This is a short story I wrote for my English class. It is still in the rough draft stage, though I hope to give it more structure in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy!

It was in spring when I first realized I could do magic. I had seen some unusual things happening around me before, but I never understood that it was me causing them, me who was the unusual one. It was in summer that I realized I could control my magic. Ever since then, I’d started experimenting with potions and what others called witchcraft. Because of this, I was shunned. No one except my 3 closest friends, Phoenix, Althea, and Kalie, wanted to associate with me. The others called me the “Magic Girl” and laughed at me. But I always knew that I was meant for something more. I could always tell.
“Isa!” My friend Althea called, “It’s boiling over!” I hurried over to the other side of my little workshop. There was a diamond shaped window at the far end, where a potion was set up. This one was special. If I used it properly, I could be able to share some of my powers with my friends, one of my lifelong dreams, “Kalie! The wax please!” There was a stove at the other end where purple wax was being heated. Kalie brought the wax over quickly and I dropped a little gemstone into it before pouring the wax into the pot. The potion was an eerie blue and it smelled strangely like cake which I could also imagine it tasting like. I could hear the bubbles popping and though I wanted to reach in, I stopped myself. Who knew what would happen? “Now to wait” I proclaimed, then brought out 4 stools for us. We all sat down and I poured us a glass of lemonade that I had made yesterday. All three of us were close. We were all outcasts, in some way or another, and we supported each other’s dreams. Arpin, the place where we live, is a beautiful place, but the people are very traditional. I knew that I would never be able to join the army, Phoenix would never be able to be a marine biologist, Althea wouldn’t be able to become an architect, and Kalie would never be a singer, simply because our parents weren’t born that way. Of course we could all hope for that to change, but knowing Arpin, it wasn’t likely. “So Isa,” Phoenix started, “Have you seen the posters for army recruitment?” I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes, “Of course I’ve seen them. But there’s no point in trying out. We all know that I’m not going to make it” “Well…… I had an idea. What if you use your magic to change yourself into what they want to see? Later, we’ll take the potion that you’ve made and use it to change you back” I considered the plan and shrugged, “Why not? It actually seems like a thought up plan for you,” I teased. Phoenix smirked and Kalie giggled. “I helped,” Althea joked. We all laughed and as we drank lemonade with a special potion bubbling and boiling in the background, I couldn’t feel more at home.

***

I walked up to the leader of the army and tried not to wince as I smelled his breath. I had a completely new body without an ounce of magic. Instead of my recognizable lilac hair, I had a blonde French braid and brown eyes instead of my normal green eyes, “What’s your weapon?” the leader barked. I tried not to grin. This could actually be it! I could truly be in the army. I took out my bow and arrow and fired a perfect shot. While I was hopelessly waiting to be recruited, I had practiced my archery skills until I could shoot a bullseye in my sleep. I quickly shot 10 more arrows and waited for the leader to check my accuracy. He came back looking impressed and handed me a form to sign up. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was finally going to be in the army. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends. I took a breath to calm myself down and looked the officer straight in the eye, “Thank you,” He snorted, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Next!” It was all I could do to not skip home in joy. My friends, seeing my cheerful mood grinned and motioned me over. I ran over quickly and showed them my form. They all beamed, knowing how much it meant to be, “I knew you would get in!” Kalie squealed, squeezing my arm. Althea had already whipped out her notebook and was drawing a schedule for my practices and work. Phoenix, on the other hand, was jumping around and making strange noises, occasionally getting strange looks from neighbors. I was on top of the world and on cloud 9 right now. I was with my friends, and I was in the army. There was absolutely nothing better than that.
***

Being in the army was exhausting. The schedule that Althea had made had proved to work out very well and it was what my whole life was balancing on. I had also made a few friends like Ladon, Hadie, Lamani, Poli, Jayce, and Fanis. They always stuck to my side and helped me out in tough situations. My best friend in the army, Ladon, would often help me out in the logistics of war and was a great person to confide in. In fact, I started to build a bond with him, one that wasn’t as strong as my bonds with Kalie, Phoenix, and Althea, but the type of bond that had the potential to get there. We hung out after practice sometimes, and I decided that I could trust him. I led him to my secret potion making workshop, where Kalie, Phoenix, and Althea were waiting, “Hey guys!” I waved, a bit nervous, “This is my friend from the army, Ladon. Ladon, these are my previous friends, Kalie, Althea, and Phoenix.” I breathed out, “Ladon, I have something to show you. Kalie, can you transform me please?” She nodded and after taking a sip of the potion, put her arm out on me, presumably imagining me in her mind. I flashed back to Isa Chamberlain, the ‘magic girl’ and turned to look at Ladon. His eyes glinted, though I couldn’t tell if it was from excitement or anger and the scar on his face seemed more prominent. He nodded once, before telling us he had to go. Before he left, he turned to take one last look at me, as if really seeing who I was.

***

The next day, I wasn’t allowed into the training center. Before pounding on the door and few times and checking my outfit to make sure I was still under my disguise as Lilah Carter, Ladon came out. The glint in his eyes was definitely cruel and the scar didn’t help his case, “Ladon!” I cried, “Why am I not being allowed inside?” “Why, because you’re Isa Chamberlain of course,” he said, as if it were the most casual thing in the world, “B-but” I stammered, “No one else but you knew about it. Why would you tell them?” “Didn’t want any traitors or magic girls in our army,” he sneered. I look at him, shocked. This was the boy who I had believed I had a real chance at friendship with. Who used to be so kind to me. Who betrayed me. I blinked my eyes a few times and stood up strong. Ladon may have ruined my chances at getting in the army again, but I still had my previous friends. I couldn’t go down, this easily. I had to be strong. But what if it was too hard? I’ve been in the army, I reminded myself. I’ve faced ‘too hard’ more than once. I can do it. I have to. I decided not to go home right away, instead taking a detour around town. As soon as I stepped into the town, bad memories engulfed me and I stepped into the forest instead. The magical forest was like no other. Lanterns hung from the trees and paper swans and cranes flitted around me. I laughed as a hummingbird fluttered around my ears, before checking my watch. It was already 4:30, around when the army practice would let out. The time in the forest must be warped. I sped home and through open my door to see Hadie, Lamani, Poli, Jayce, and Fanis standing there. Seeing the door open, the stood up, before realizing it was me, “What are you doing here?” I asked, perhaps a bit harshly. After a lot of side nudges from everyone, Poli blurted out, “We want to help you,” I blinked. Out of all the answers I was expecting, it certainly wasn’t that one, “R-really?” I murmured. They nodded enthusiastically. I put on a bright smile and looked up again, “Let’s do it!”

***

Sweat beaded my face as I aimed my last arrow right at the heart of the giant scorpion edging towards us. After ensuring that my aim was perfect, I let go and wiped the sweat off my face just as the monster exploded into golden dust. The army leader had made me a deal. If I could deal with all the monsters heading my way successfully, then I could join the army again. I had accepted instantly and ever since then went on monster hunting missions with my friends. Hadie, Lamani, Poli, Jayce, and Fanis has all become as close as Kalie, Althea, and Phoenix. We had all discovered our strengths and weaknesses, making us an unstoppable team. The last monster we killed was a chimera and recently we just ended the life of quite a few giant scorpions. Suddenly the bushes rustled and we crept closer together, anticipating the next attack. A hellhound bust out of the bushes, but I knew it wasn’t any old hellhound, it was my friend Nilo’s. I ignored my friends screaming at me not to go closer and started to pet it. Its fur was soft but matted and I run my fingers through its tangles. I stood up suddenly and addressed my friends, “This is my friend Nilo’s hellhound. I promise that she’s not a bad monster and she’ll be very useful for us,” They looked at each other, slowly warming up to the idea, before Hadie jumped on its back and the rest followed suit. I laughed and got on the hellhound, whispering the name of the training center into its ear.

***

“Will you take the offer?” The words rang in my ear. I could instantly be back in the military and I would be one of the most respected officers. It was my greatest dream……. or was it? I honestly didn’t know anymore. Ever since we had fought the last scorpion, I wanted to do something different, give myself a break from relentless fighting. Maybe practice using my magic a bit. So did I really want to be in the army? In the beginning, I would have said yes, but now, my answer, my real true answer is becoming clearer and clearer, “No,” I said, my refusal echoing in the almost empty town square, “No,” I repeated, sure of my answer, “but…. I would like to open a magic shop, where I wouldn’t be shunned. Yeah, I’d like that,” I said grinning. Truthfully, I had no idea of how to own a shop and how to work with anything, but I figured my friends could help me out. The army leader looked stunned, blinking for a few times, before nodding stiffly, letting me go off with my friends to figure out how to open a magic shop.

***

“Thank you so much! This is perfect!” A customer exited the shop, clearly happy with her purchase. The magic store is the perfect place for me, where I’m surrounded in my element, magic. No one fears or shuns me now, instead, they welcome me with open arms. My friends pop in from time to time to help me run the shop or just for a little talk. My old potions workshop is where all the brainstorming happens. I’m also hoping to create a school for witches. Well, currently, there are no others with magic born into their blood, but with magic, you never know………

February’s Top Books

Here are my top book of February!

February’s Best Books

  1. Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment by Chris Grabenstein and James Patterson
    This book is about Max Einstein, a twelve year old orphan. She’s homeless, but still works out ways to get an education. One day, she’s recruited by an organization to participate in a competition. Max would love to win, but she disagrees with the tests and what is considered important. All the time, there is an evil company trying to get her…….What happens is so fun and I got taken on an amazing ride with this book. I loved it!
  2. The Last Bear by Hannah Gold
    April is a young girl who lives with her dad. She tries to have a normal life, but it’s hard when her dad has changed a lot. Then, one day, her dad gets a notice, saying that he has a new job on Bear Island. April is thrilled, hoping that she’ll get to have fun with her dad. But, nothing has changed. April is bored again, until she meets a polar bear which isn’t supposed to be there. I loved this book and what it talks about so much. It’s an amazing book!
  3. Rea and the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi
    Rea is a twelve year old girl whose brother has just been kidnapped. Her mother and grandmother seem to take it that he’s gone, but Rea knows she can save him. So she visits Mishti Daadi, an old fortune teller with her sort-of friend, Leela. Mishti Daadi gives her riddles and with these riddles and her dreams, she realizes that it is possible to save her brother. As the story progresses, there are twists and turns around every corner. I loved this book so, so much and I totally recommend it to you!
  4. Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi
    This is the second book in the Aru Shah series. Aru is a pandava. She’s been accused of stealing the god of love’s (Kamadeva) bow and arrow, but she knows it wasn’t her. Now she has until the next full moon to go on a quest with her two “soul-sisters” Mini and Brynne and her other friend, Aiden. I love the Indian mythology in this book and how everything is so descriptive. I loved this book!
  5. The Dragon Warrior by Katie Zhao
    Faryn Liu is a twelve year old girl who has dreams of defeating monsters and honoring her family and the gods, but how can she do that when her family is shunned by almost everyone else? One day, she helps to kill a nian, a mythical beast. From then on, she is proclaimed the Heaven Breaker and has to get on several tasks to prove it. I loved this book so much and all the twists and turns that came with it. It’s so amazing!
  6. The Mysterious Benedict Society: The Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
    In the third book of the Mr. Benedict series, the stakes are higher than ever. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are in big trouble when one day, a blackout engulfs Stontown. Constance is missing and they almost find her and are safe, but of course the enemies are one step ahead of them. I loved the thrilling twists and turns and all the puzzles in the book. It’s so fun and I enjoyed it so much!

Top books of January: click here

My 2020 NaNoWriMo Experience

This year, I decided to try something new. During November (National Novel Writing Month), I wrote a story, or at least part of a story everyday. It was hard sometimes, but I had a great time working on it.

Usually, most writers aim to write around 1,500 words a day, but I decided to do a mini experience with 300 words per day.

Here are some NaNoWriMo experiences.

Lazy Days:

Some days, I had absolutely no idea what to write about. My advice for those days is to keep pushing on, maybe you’ll get an idea burst.

Idea Bursts:

Idea Bursts are amazing. They basically are a whole cloud of ideas, so that you can write a ton of words for a while without stopping.

No Story Arc:

When I started this experience, I did not have a plan in mind. I started writing without a plot line and just built my story around my previous writing.

Writing the Ending:

One day, I had an (almost) lazy day. That’s when I decided to work on the ending. I couldn’t think of anything of write at the point I was at, so why not try to write an ending? I had a lot of fun with it, and it helped me get unstuck that day.

I have written 11,573 words in total! I am going to edit my story in December, and I will definitely share some more of my experiences then!

My 2020 #mgbooktober posts

Last month, I participated in #mgbooktober on Instagram. #Mgbooktober is a fun book challenge which requires you to post something every day. I decided to share a few of my favorite posts on my blog as well. You can check out my other posts on Instagram and hopefully follow me!

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Day 12 of October and #mgbooktober ! Today’s prompt is a book that got you out of a reading slump. I don’t really have reading slumps, but if I just need a book to read, I always go for this one. I love reading the ending in which Sophie realizes who she really is and knows that she is and will always be loved by Agatha, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. This scene is so sweet and always brings tears to my eyes. If you haven’t read this series, I totally recommend it to you. Current Reads: 1. Of a Feather by @daynalorentzbooks 2. The Elephant’s Girl by @celesta_rimington #schoolforgoodandevil #sge #ilovethisseries #ilovethisbook #lovethisending #amazingbook #sophie #agatha #anadil #dot #hester #tedros #theschoolyears #thecamelotyears

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Day 24 of October and #mgbooktober ! Today’s prompt is a fictional book setting you wish you could visit. I have always wanted to go to Camp Half-Blood and meet the demigods like Percy, Annabeth, or Piper! Ever since I started read this series, it has been my dream. By the way, I’m a daughter of either Poseidon or Athena. What about you? Current Reads: 1. A Woman in the House (and Senate) by Ilene Cooper 2. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart Unexpected Reads: 1. The Bookshop Girl by Sylvia Bishop 2. One Last Word by Nikki Grimes #camphalfblood #percyjackson #percyjacksonandtheolympians #heroesofolympus #demigods #halfbloods #campjupiter #goodseries #goodbooks #annabethchase #pipermclean #7demigods

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Day 26 of October and #mgbooktober ! Today’s prompt is a book that made you laugh. I love this series and Mr Lemencello’s crazy and wacky imagination. It’s so amazing to just open a book and fall into a new world with magical and bizarre games. This series has taken me on a wild ride and I am constantly excited for the next one to come out! Current Reads: 1. The Graveyard Book by @neilhimself 2. Over the Underworld by Adam Shaughnessy #mrlemencello #thetitaniumticket #chrisgrabenstein #goodauthor #greatseries #ilovethisgame #ilovethisseries #ilovethisbook #thisissuperfunny #boardgames #kylekeeley #akimihughes #miguelfernandez #sierarussel #andrewpeckleman #charleschilington #ireadmgbooks #ireadmglit #ireadmg #ireadmgfantasy #ireadmgfiction

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The Tsunami: A Short Story

I soared through the water, my flippers propelling me forward, and forward, and forward……………… Finally, arriving at the perfect momentum I spun around with the exact force coming to a stop right before Liz, my gymnastics coach. She laughed, then clapped for me, “You are doing so great Alexi!” she exclaimed, “You are definitely going to win the Gymturtle show!” I blushed with pride, well as much as a turtle can blush anyways. See, I’m Alexi, daughter of Oma and Letti, two great gymnastic stars who used to be wildly popular, but have been losing their talent ever so slowly. I have been wanting to find out why for years and the only way for me to do that was to participate in the show in which they started losing their powers. The thing is, the Gymturtle Extravaganza was one of the hardest shows to win and I needed to win it. So of course when I mentioned it to Mom and Mother, they hired me the best coach they could find, Liz! The only person who knew why I was actually doing the show was my best friend, Salem. She was a turtle just like me, but we had totally different personalities. Speaking of, here was Salem swimming towards me! As soon as I saw her, I smiled, but then seeing the look on her face, the smile dropped. “Hey Liz!” she said quickly before turning to face me. “Have you noticed the water drop?” she asked frantically. I frowned a bit, “No, I can’t say I have” As soon as I started paying attention to the sea, though, I could tell that it had changed. We all looked at each other, frightened. We decided to check our houses to find our parents and friends, then meet up in front of my house. As soon as I swam into my house though, I knew it was empty. Since I had time to spare, I decided to look around my neighborhood park to try to find some of my other friends. Everyone was missing! I had a bad feeling about what was about to happen……. Suddenly, a colossal wave hit me from the back and I felt so scared! As soon as I could, I went to find Liz and Salem. It wasn’t easy though, sand was scattered everywhere and coral was flung everywhere in sight. The only way to find them was through sound. I sighed. I was amazing at school, always getting A+ on my work. The only thing which I had trouble with was sound location. In my defense, it is really really hard. I shook myself. Why was I thinking about school, when I really should be thinking about Liz, Salem, and sound? Huh. Salem and sound. Salem was amazing at soundcation (sound location). I knew if I gave her a turtle call, she would trace her way back to me. Perfect. I knew I only had one chance to make it right, so I closed my eyes and concentrated hard. I let loose a sharp click cry then fell silent. I silently prayed hard for Salem to hear it and trace her way back to me. 5….4…..3…..2…..1…. “Hi!” I heard Salem call from behind me, Liz right next to her. “Great click call! Ms. Are would be proud!” I snorted a bit then hugged my bff. “Sooo,” Liz ventured. We separated quickly. “Did you find anyone?” she continued. I shook my head sadly, “No, I even checked the park!” “Yeah, I didn’t find anyone either,” Salem said sadly. “I did find something pretty interesting though! Follow me!” Liz exclaimed. Keeping a close on my friends, I swam through the water cleanly, determined not to lose Salem and Liz. Soon we reached the shore, a place where we came all the time to eavesdrop on the humans. “Translate for us!” Salem nudged. I concentrated and then turned back to my friends. “It’s not good news. The current drop we felt earlier, that’s because a tsunami happened.” My friends looked at me blankly. I sighed. “A tsunami is basically a giant wave,” I explained. They nodded, not understanding for a bit, then realization set in and they sat up straight. “Will it happen again?” Liz asked frightfully. I listened for a bit longer then concluded no, it wouldn’t happen again. Suddenly, I heard the familiar creak of the gates. A flood of friends rushed in and Oma and Letti surrounded me in a hug. They were breathing heavily. “Didn’t you hear the alarm?” they asked. “No,” I admitted, “I was too busy training” They hugged me again and I was happy. The Gymturtle Extravaganza could wait.  I was with my family and friends, right where I needed to be.

4 Graphic Novels I Enjoyed

Graphic novels are almost like normal books. They capture a lot of the same emotions and talk about problems in the same way. The only difference is that they are usually lighter and more fun to read. Here are some of my favorite graphic novels.

  1. Raina Telgemeier books

I absolutely love the graphic novels that Raina Telgemeier writes. She writes many different ranges of books. 2 of my favorite books by her are Smile and Sisters which talk about her experiences with mouth troubles and her relationship with her sister. I also enjoy her graphic novel take on the novels written by Ann M Martin. The Baby-Sitters Club series is so lively and it’s one of my favorites. I also love her stand alone books.

2. Go With The Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann

This book talks about periods and how one certain middle school never had pads and tampons stocked up. It is really exciting and I love how the authors tied in the theme of friendship in as well. Each character’s personality is so different and I loved the idea of protests. This is such a great book and you should totally read it!

3. 5 Worlds series by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel

This series is so captivating and exciting. Each graphic novel ends with an enthralling cliffhanger and makes you want to read the next book. It follows the story of Oona Lee and her friends who are trying to save the 5 worlds from extinction. There are so many plot twists and everyone has secrets. I love the fantasy element and it’s so fun to read! This is a great series and the last book is coming out soon!

4. Emmie and Friends series by Terri Libenson

This series is so upbeat and I love the problems and solutions. It’s really fun to read and each book can be read as a stand-alone or a series. It’s one of my favorite series, because of the realistic characters. It’s so fun to read and I always can count on Emmie, Brianna, and Jamie (even though I haven’t read her book yet- it’s on my TBR) to cheer me up. This is such a great series and I really think you should read it.

What are some of your favorite series?

Friendship: a poem

I wrote the poem for my WITS writing camp with the prompt “Choose an abstract feeling and use concrete words to describe it”. Here is my poem.

Friendship is your favorite ice cream on a hot summer day
a tasty and welcome treat
delicious.

Friendship is being yourself.

Friendship smells like a warm ocean breeze,
inviting you in.
It smells like citrus,
calming and relaxing.

Friendship feels cozy,
It feels like you are cuddled in fleece,
cozy and just for you.

Relax and just
be happy,
with ice cream,
next to the ocean,
or at home,
You’re with your friends