The Mint Girl Blog – Page 27 – Books, Food, Dance and Travel

The Tweens Read 2019

On Saturday, October 19, I attended the Tweens Read book event.
It was held at Pasadena Memorial High School.It was hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop. It was my second year attending and I always look forward to these events.

I really enjoy these events because I can learn more about the authors.I can learn about their inspiration, the writing process, and what you can do if you get stuck. These things are really important as I feel they help me with my writing.

This year I attended the Art on the Page panel (Which featured Lincoln Pierce, Matthew Holm, and Remy Lai)The authors talked about their books, read some of their books, and answered questions. Next I attended the creative writing workshop. Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson were the authors for this event. They taught us how to brainstorm and how to crowd-source when you’re stuck.Then I went to the Shelf Stuff workshop from Harper Collins. They taught us how to advertise our books. Then they asked us for our advice and which apps would be the best to advertise on.We gladly came up with a few suggestions.Finally, we went to the Do the Write Stuff workshop. Varsha Bajaj, James Riley ,Robbi Behr, and Matthew Swanson were the speakers for this panel. The setup was the same as the first panel but the things they talked about were completely different!

Interacting with these authors inspire me to work harder on my writing and to go above and beyond with it. I always want to be a great writer and by going to these sessions, I am motivated to become one. Going to the tweens read and also exposes me the tons of new middle grade fiction. My pile of books to read always increases with each visit to the Tweens Read.I would love if in the future I could interact with these authors: Kelly Barnhill (author of The Girl who Drank the Moon), Colin Meloy(author of The Whiz Mob and The Grenadine Kid), and Christina Uss( author of The Adventures Of a Girl Called Bicycle).

My Hobby: Dancing

I plaster a smile on my face and step onto the stage. My hobby is dancing. I learn bharatanatyam and western dance.

I grimace at how messy the step turned out to be. Your steps have to be precise while dancing. I scooped down and my leg followed. I groaned and start the frustrating process again. I scooped down and thrust my leg forward.”Phew! I finally got the step right!” I cheered and felt victory because I had to do two things at the same time. I was so happy when I achieved the step. On the next step I faced a similar problem.I started my jeté and sailed magnificently through the air. On my landing though, I crumpled to the floor. “ You can do this,” I whispered to myself. After a lot of practice, I finally got the step.

I practice the jump over and over again until it gets engraved into my brain. Dancing is a lot about repeated and dedicated practice. You need to remember all the steps. I started dancing a beat too early. Then I started a beat too late.Frustrated, I threw my hands in the air. I was so annoyed at how my timing was off. I finally realized what time to do it and I was so relieved. Once I had the last step down. I knew I was ready for the competition. Before the competition, I practiced the dance multiple times so I wouldn’t forget it. “ I can’t forget the steps,” I told myself. On stage, I never forgot a step.

I run off the stage happy that the dance is over. Dancing is a type of hard work, because you need to have precise steps and you need to remember the steps.Even though it’s frustrating, I still enjoy dancing. I’ve always been lucky to have great teachers who guide me throughout the world of dance. Sunanda Aunty and Ms. Rojas have been the best teachers anyone could ask for.I hope my passion for dance keeps growing over the years. Let’s dance!

Mint Girl Cooks: Pumpkin Cinnamon Bread

It’s that time of year again! Pumpkin spice and everything nice! Every year, I make my signature dish: Pumpkin Cinnamon Bread.

I quickly scanned the recipe.”This doesn’t seem too difficult,” I told my mom who was waiting patiently for my response.”Well then,” she said as she smiled, “We can start making the pumpkin cinnamon bread.”

I always get nervous during baking, because baking is science. The measurements have to be accurate to get the perfect deliciouso treat. I always worry that I measured too much or too little of an ingredient.

The batter was almost complete. I knew I should’ve been happy but I was actually nervous because I had no idea if I had measured everything correctly. Regardless, I quickly mixed the dry and wet ingredients, poured it into a loaf pan, and put it in the oven. I tried to convince myself it would be good although it was hard.

Nervously I set the timer. Would it work? When I heard the oven beeping I dashed to the oven and eagerly open its door. Once my mom came, she stuck a toothpick in the middle then called “It’s ready!”

With trembling hands I took the pan out of the oven. Slowly, I cut myself a piece. When my tastebuds got the first tiny bite of bread they started to dance around in delight. That’s when I knew I had accomplished the recipe. I knew it was one of my greatest recipes and then I would make it again.

Every year, I try to find a recipe to make during the fall.I always find myself coming back to Pumpkin Cinnamon Bread. What are your favorite fall recipes?

Mint Girl in Austin

A few weekends back, my family and I decided to head to Austin.We would be meeting my uncle and aunt there to spend some time together.I always enjoy spending time with my uncle and aunt(my uncle promised to take me to the Apple Store-I can spend hours there!)

If you want to go to a place with delicious food and a great outdoor space, go to Loro .The food is really good and the swings are really fun to play on. My favorites were the Crunchy Sweet Corn Fritters and the Chicken Karaage. We also stopped at an old time favorite-Cafe Mozart.

After we went to Cafe Mozart, we headed out to rent our own boat on Lake Travis. It was fun to ride the waves with my family. I was really scared as the front of the boat jumped up and down.The waves stung my hand and I pulled it back instantly. The wind whipped my hair into my face and I started to laugh. When I finally worked up the courage to jump of the boat, I took a deep breath, got ready to plunge into the cold water and jumped! I shivered at how cold it was, but I had a smile on my face when I emerged from the murky depths of the water.

My main purpose of the visit, though, was to visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson(LBJ) Presidential Library. I enjoy learning about the president’s life, what problems they had, and how they tried to solve them. They also help me believe that anything is possible.

So what are your favorite places to go to in Austin?

Mint Girl Reads : More To The Story by Hena Khan

When I first saw the cover of this book, I was captivated. The vibrant colors blended together in perfect harmony. The girls on the cover of the book captured my attention and I found myself wanting to know more about them. That is the reason I started to read More to the Story.

More to the Story is about how sisters, Jam, Bisma, Aleeza, and Maryanm, face a hard time where their dad is in a different country working and Bisma has just gotten diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer. This book is about the relationship between the sisters and Ali, their cousin while they discover themselves.

Jam’s story enraptured me. I loved her passion for journeling and her interesting ideas. I especially love her relationship with Travis and how he keeps shooting down her ideas. Bisma deserves a big round of applause. She managed to stay brave and calm during a hard time for her. Aleeza and Maryanam don’t appear much in the story, but their bond surprises me to no ends.In any fights, it usually ends up being Bisma and Jam vs. Aleeza and Maryanm.

I’ve read many of Hena Khan’s literature before and I’ve always enjoyed them. I especially like how she uses diversity in middle grade fiction. Amina’s Voice will always be one of my favorite books, as I love Amina, Emily, and Soojin’s story.

Mint Girl Reads More to the Story by Hena Khan. Picture created on Canva.com

Mint Rating: 4/5 Mints

Mint Girl in Madurai

I jump out of the car and am immediately engulfed in a wave of honks. Madurai is a place I’d visit.

I gaze at the busy streets full of cars, trucks, buses, scooters, and wandering cows. Madurai has busy streets.I count how many cows there are roaming around the streets. When the ride is over, I have counted more than ten! There are many cows in Madurai. The roads are in complete chaos. The cars, trucks, and buses are impatiently for the light to turn green. The people inside the cars seem to be yelling ” Go!Go!GO!Nagaru! Nagaru!Nagura! The people on scooters expertly weave through the crowd, forming their own small line.

I look out at all the buildings. Madurai has many interesting historical buildings.I survey the balconies from inside the car.Many of the balconies have an unique and intriguing pattern on them. I can see many religious places in Madurai. A temple, church, and mosque co-exist. They are built next to each other and show Madurai’s diversity.

I laugh at a cow and its calf wandering through the road. Madurai is a place I’d visit, because of the busy streets and the historical buildings. I also enjoy visiting Madurai, because my family live there.

Welcome to Mint Girl

Welcome to Mint Girl. This blog launches on my 10th birthday. This is the place I write about books and restaurants. I also share places I travel to. I write this blog so that I can improve my writing skills. I hope Mint Girl makes you aware of all the wonderful books and places I enjoy.

I enjoy traveling, because it helps me experience different cultures and see some beautiful and unique sites. Did you know I’ve lived in three different countries?

Books transport me into a different world and that can be useful when I need my alone time.I like to read realistic fiction and fantasy books.

I enjoy eating out and trying new cuisines,my favorite being Italian. I also enjoy cooking. I find the usual kids menu in restaurants quite boring as it always contains the usuals (pizza, chicken nuggets,mac and cheese)

Dance and music make me happy.

I hope to write here weekly and share a part of my world with you. Please leave me a comment.