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Mint Girl Reads What Stars Are Made of by Sarah Allen

I recently read the book, “What Stars Are Made Of” by Sarah Allen. It’s a book that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time.

It’s about a 12 year old girl, Libby Monroe, who is born with Turner syndrome. This impacts how she acts in certain situations, but it doesn’t make her any less of a determined girl. When her big sister, Nonny, announces that she is pregnant, Libby is thrilled. She decides to make a deal with the universe. If she is able to give credit to Celia Payne, a lesser known scientist , through a Smithsonian contest, then Nonny’s baby will be fine. She tries hard to get Celia into her school textbook, but when that doesn’t work, she is heartbroken. Along with her friends though, she creates a new stunning project.

I loved learning about how Libby overcomes her shyness and is able to show who she really is in this book. I think it was a sweet book and I could never put it down.

In this book, y0u will learn how Libby makes friends and comes to realize that she is perfect, just the way she is. I really enjoyed reading this book and thought it was amazing. I definitely recommend you to check out this book if you haven’t read it.

3 Virtual Learning Tips

I’m in week 4 of my virtual learning classes and things……are interesting. All of my teachers are nice and they try to make my lessons fun, but no matter what, virtual learning can never be compared to the actual deal. For one thing, you can never accidentally kick yourself out of the meeting. For another thing, you can’t meet your friends and make new ones as easily. I know that a lot of my classes, like theater, have been toned down a lot. I know virtual learning isn’t very easy for a lot of people, including me. Here are some things that help me with virtual classes.

1. Have a stand of pens nearby:

You will never know when you need to jot down a quick note or write down something important. Keeping pens nearby has saved me quite a few times, especially in my important classes.

2. Have a clean Desk area:

A clean desk area helps when you need to focus on something important. You won’t miss important instructions because you were playing with something. You can also know where you need to look to find something on your desk. A clean desk space can be a great way to focus.

3. Always be on time (Or a little early):

You will always want to be on time to your classes. Once, I was help up in a class and when I went to my next one, I found that I had missed some on the instructions! I know sometimes that you can’t help being late (like if you’re help up in a class), but if you are, then go to your next class as soon as you can. Don’t purposefully be late, because that could affect what you learn in that class.

Those are 3 tips from me that help me in my virtual learning. Do you have any tips that help you?

Stuck in my head

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head that refused to budge? That happens to me pretty often and here is the true story of what happened during the most recent song-stuck-in-head episode.

A song that was stuck in my head recently was “Rather Be With You” from Descendants Wicked World. It has a fun beat and repetitive rhythms that stick in your brain. This is what happened that day.

I had just split into my small group for virtual learning. Since it was the first week of school, we were supposed to play a team building game. Unfortunately, technology was not on our side that day. The PowerPoint presentation we were supposed to work on didn’t open, so we decided to play some ice breaker games.

We started with “Two truths and a lie”. After we had all played and guess, there was an awkward silence while thinking of what to do next. Someone suggested that we play “Would You Rather?” and we all readily agreed. We all started thinking of, and asking the “Would You Rather?” questions. That’s when I started thinking of the song, “Rather Be With You”. The lyrics of the song have funny “Would You Rather?” questions like

Would you rather wear a shoe made of glass or
fall asleep in your class?
Be grounded under the sea or
help the beast with his fleas?

That’s how the song stuck to me for half a day. What was the last song that got stuck in your head? What were you doing when it happened?

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.

Oreo Fudge: A Recipe

Recently I made oreo fudge. This recipe was so good and absolutely delicious. It’s very sweet and very tasty. The best part is that you only need three ingredients! It was really fun to make and I definitely enjoyed the process.

Ingredients

18 oz white chocolate
14 oz condensed milk
2.5 cups coarsely crushed oreos

Directions

Line a pan with parchment paper
Prepare a double boiler and melt the white chocolate and condensed milk with the boiler, stirring often.
Remove the bowl with the chocolate and condensed milk and add in the crushed oreos. Stir gently.
Pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Spread evenly.
Let the fudge set by cooling it for at least 45 minutes
Cut the fudge as you wish and enjoy!

Changing in the Covid Times

Summer 2020 is almost over and I have a few weeks until school starts. I’ve been thinking about how much my life has changed and decided to share it with you!

I’ve had to adapt a lot because of COVID. A lot of the things which I would have liked to do this year are almost impossible now.

Normally, I would have finished fifth grade off with a few parties and graduated to middle school. I would have also started school earlier, but it got pushed back. So, change has become a part of my everyday life. I am part of my school’s dance team and we would have danced one of our best pieces for a competition. Since the coronavirus limited the number of people able to be there for a performance, we didn’t have the chance to perform. I would have also gone to India for the summer to spend time with my grandparents and have some fun there. This year though, I am communicating with them only through WhatsApp. Change has come and wrapped itself around my everyday life. I have grown to be more flexible during this pandemic.

I am still changing with what will be best for me. A lot of major events in my life have been delayed or made virtual. It’s always a big disappointment for me, but I have learnt to be very flexible during the pandemic. I have always wanted to start middle school with a big bang, but COVID has made that event a lot smaller. I also had plans to go on a cruise to Italy, but that was canceled. I’m also missing travel and school a lot.

Change has made itself a big part in today’s life.I’ve learnt to adapt and live with it, even when times are rough. I’ve realized that if you don’t change, you miss even more.

How have you changed in 2020?

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.

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?

Mav Urundai

I roll the ball between my palms, wincing a bit from the heat. As I take in my family mingling around the kitchen, I smile. I am right where I want to be, in my kitchen making mav urundai.

Mav urundai is so easy to make! I can make at least 6 delicious roasted bengal gram balls in less than 10 minutes. They taste really good and I always have to stop myself from eating more. Each urundai is small, but it fills you up perfectly. It’s a great time to be with family. Sitting around our table, we crack jokes and play games, all while having a small mav urundai snack.

I bite into the little ball and a flood of memories come rushing through my mind. Mav urundai reminds me of so many things. I take a small bite and vividly remember days with my grandparents, having fun in the sun, and so many more wonderful things. Happiness washes over me as I finish the urundai and reach for another one.

I love mav urundai. It reminds me of home and is a great and easy snack. I totally recommend making this for a light and easy treat!

Mint Girl’s Mav Urundai Recipe

Ingredients:

half cup roasted bengal grams (porikadalai)
.37 cup of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons ghee

Steps:

Finely grind the bengal grams
Add the powdered sugar and mix well
Melt the ghee in a saucepan.
Turn off the heat and add the powdered mix
Mix well and start shaping balls
Enjoy!

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

Shark Encounter by The Mint Girl

I wrote this story for the Houston Public Library’s writing prompt, “If you met a shark in the wild, what would you do?” I hope you like it!

“Let’s go!” Ruchika, my cousin squeals. We have just arrived at the beach and I can’t wait to lounge in one of the chairs with a book, calmly watching the waves. “Uh uh!” my mom, Amruta says. “We need to unpack our bags and settle into our beach house first. Then you all can go play.” A collective sigh comes from us and we burst out laughing. I’m here with my cousins, Aadya, Ruchika, and Kavya. It’s been a long time since we’ve last been together, so when we met at the first hotel, we hugged each other and jumped with joy. Our journey has been long, but so so fun! “Come on now, let’s go to our cabins” my mom’s voice comes, jolting me out of my memory. I hurry after her, but before I go, I make sure to look behind my shoulder and make our sign. I look back just in time to catch my 3 cousins joining their ring finger to their thumb cleanly. We share an excited grin before we go. After changing into my favorite swimsuit, the one with a penguin on it, I hurry out of the cabin as soon as I can and run into Kavya, who’d just come over to check if I was ready. “I love your swimsuit!” Kavya gushes, “I love yours too!” I reply, just as excitedly. Kavya is wearing a light blue swimsuit, with a beautiful peacock on the front. I turn just in time to see Aadya and Ruchika exiting their cabins. Aadya wears a flamingo swimsuit and Ruchika wears a turtle one. We do a group hug. Tara Aunty, Ruchika’s mom, comes out just as we break apart. “It’s like you girls haven’t just seen each other!” she observes. We burst into giggles and skip joyfully to the beach. Once we pick the perfect spot, Sriya Aunty, Kavya’s mom, holds up her bag, filled to the top with unknown things. “I have a surprise for you girls!” she says. We glance at each other excitedly. What could it be? Sriya Aunty slowly pulls out a few objects. On first glance, we can’t make them out, but I lean closer and finally I recognize it! My eyes grow as wide as saucers. “Are we going snorkeling?” I blurt out. Sriya Aunty smiles and nods. “ Since you, Ikshita already know how to snorkel, I figured that Kavya, Aadya, and Ruchika can learn from you!” she says brightly. We grab our snorkeling gear and race to the ocean. My cousins catch on quickly and are wowed by the marvelous scenery underwater. When we come up to catch our breaths, I make a suggestion. “Do you want to go into slightly deeper waters?” I ask. Everyone is excited and we decide to do it. We keep our goggles facing down and marvel at the magical underwater background as we swim deeper and deeper in. Suddenly Ruchika nudges me and I look up, a bit annoyed. My annoyance drains away as I see what she saw. We are face to face with a sleeping lemon shark! I pop up out of the water. “Did you see that?” Kavya whispers. We nod, a bit excitedly and a bit nervously. “What do you think we should do?” asks Ruchika anxiously. They all look at me, since I love sharks and know as much as there is about them. “We should just back away slowly” I say. “That way we won’t provoke it”. Making a silent agreement, we dive back underwater and swim back to the beach. When I come out of the water, I see my cousins grinning ear to ear. “That was so cool!” Aadya exclaims, “I can’t believe that we came face to face with a shark!” I can’t help myself, I start grinning too. We rush up to our towel and start telling our moms about the shark encounter we had. “Well that certainly sounds like a lot of fun!” says Chaaya Aunty, Aadya’s mom, “How about you do some more research and maybe start a club at school?” We nod enthusiastically and go back to our cabin, happily talking all the way there.

I hope you enjoyed this. What would you do if you met a shark in the wild?