Recently, I went to Manchester. I spent a week there and explored the city. While it was really cold, I enjoyed everywhere we went to! Some of my favorite places were the libraries. We visited Chetham’s Library in Manchester, which is the oldest public library in the world, and the Liverpool Central Library.
The Chetham’s Library first served as housing for the priests of Manchester’s Collegiate Church in 1421. Since then, it has become a library, housing many unique and rare books for over 350 years. We were lucky enough to get a tour of the library and therefore learned about the history. The library contains a few intact rooms that represent what life might have looked like for the priests and the warden that watched over them.
Later in the trip, we went to Liverpool, where we decided to visit the Liverpool Central Library. This library is relatively modern, with some beautiful older rooms. Outside the library, book titles are engraved (as shown in the first picture) and I loved the way that it looked. It was totally unique and I haven’t seen other libraries which had decorations like that before! The main room was beautiful and I especially enjoyed the second “floor” which curved around the whole room. There were also certain exhibits when we went, like an Audubon birds exhibit and a Chinese and British exhibit (last picture).
I really enjoyed visiting these libraries! Which library that you’ve visited is your favorite?
Recently, in my English class, we learned about Black-Out poetry. Black-out poetry is when you take an article, books, existing poetry, or any written material and black out some of the words to create new sentences and poetry. It’s a really fun creative exercise and I enjoyed it a lot! Here’s some of the black-out poetry that I did.
Poem 1:
Poem 2:
Poem 3:
The first poem was created out of an article about basements, the second was about a musical, and the third was about wild turkeys. As you can tell, none of the poems really stick with the themes of those articles, which is what makes black-out poetry so fun. You can play around with your topics and what’s important in your poem.
If you’d like to try black-out poetry here are the simple steps!
Find an article or piece of writing that you enjoy or would like to try writing with. This can be any article and does not have to align with your end product!
Start blacking out swathes of text so you are left with words or phrases that you enjoy and you think add to your poem.
If you find yourself getting stuck or are not sure what to black out, try a pattern! Maybe black out every ten words, then save the eleventh! Even just by trying, you can create something extraordinary.
You can also try to be artistic! Many poets who do black out poetry drawing pictures or make illustrations out of their work and it can end up looking beautiful.
Have/Will you try blackout poetry? What other kinds of poetry do you like?
In my last post, I talked about the places we went to in Boston which had historical significance. Along with those places, we also went to many places that inspired/housed authors, like the Louisa May Alcott house and the Walden pond. We also visited 3 bookstores and they each had their own uniqueness to offer.
We started with the house of the author of Little Women. While we arrived at the Louisa May Alcott house late and therefore couldn’t get a tour, we did get see view the outside of it and the gardens outside. The gardens were planted according to the book, a section corresponding to each sister and what they had planted in the book.
After that we drove to Walden pond and Henry David Thoreau’s house. He drew inspiration from the pond to write his book, so we decided to visit it. The sun was setting just as we arrived, casting everything in a golden glow. It was incredibly beautiful and I enjoyed it a lot! We also saw an eagle on top of a replica of his cabin which was nice.
We also visited many bookstores! On the first day we visited posman books and Brattle Book Shop. posman had many great books and I loved how the shop was decorated. Brattle was unique because it was an used bookshop. However, on the third floor, they had a collection of rare/unique books, like the original Federalist papers and the aeronautical pamphlets from the Wright brothers. Later, we also visited Beacon Hill Books and Cafe, which was such an amazing place. The bookshop was cozy and inviting and I loved their atmosphere.
Lastly, we visited the Boston Library. It’s a beautiful place with paintings and sculptures scattered throughout the library. I really enjoyed walking through it!
Do you know any cities that have thriving areas to write?
I recently got this book to read and review. Princess Ever After is the 5th book in the Rosewood Chronicles series. I enjoyed it a lot!
I really loved this book. All of the characters were so fun and I enjoyed the way that it all played out. Jamie has been reunited with his father, but his feelings are changing and he’s not sure of much anymore, other than the fact that his father has always been the one in the right and that he needs Lottie. Ellie is forced to go to a new, drab school that couldn’t be more different from Rosewood. She’s surrounded by rumors that never seem to go away, even when she tries to do things correctly. Lottie is back at Rosewood for her last year, She’s not looking forward to going back without her friends and she’s not sure how to survive this year. I loved the plot twists and the way that the story unfolded. It’s so diverse and I love every part of it. The representation is amazing and I enjoyed the way that each character had their own unique personalities. I totally recommend this series to you!
The Best Worst Summer by Elizabeth Eulberg This is a story about Peyton, who has recently moved. In her backyard, she finds a time capsule from 1989. There seems to be a mystery behind the contents of the box and Peyton decides to find out what it is with the help of her new friend Lucas. The story alternates between modern day (with Peyton and Lucas) and 1989 (with Melissa and Jessica). I really enjoyed this story and all of the little clues along the way.
The Adventure is Now by Jess Redman This book tells the story of Milton, a socially awkward boy, with not many friends. The only time when he feels free is when he plays Isle of Wild. That summer, his parents send him to Lone Island to live with his Uncle Evan. At first Milton isn’t happy to be there, but then he discovers the secrets of the island. I loved this book and the themes behind it. All the characters were written really well and I enjoyed every part of the book.
Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden This is a story told by 4 narrators- Libby, Jack, Vincent, and T. It starts with Libby drawing inspiring messages on postcards. These postcards begin to travel, helping the other kids through their hard times. I loved the way that all the kids were linked up and the way that the story flowed. This is such a sweet book.
A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman This was an anthology with a lot of authors that I enjoyed. The stories were retellings of Asian myths and legends. I have always loved retellings and I really enjoyed these stories. They were all so imaginative and I loved them all. Some of my favorites were Still Star-Crossed, Daughter of the Sun, and Girls who Twirl and Other Dangers.
Time Traveling with a Hamster by Ross Welford This book is about Al, who gets a mysterious letter from his (dead) dad on his 12th birthday. The letter tells him to travel back in time to save his dad and change the future. I loved the way that the book was written and i think it handled the concepts of alternate universes really well. Al is such a great character and I also enjoyed the way that the other characters were fleshed out as well. This is such a great book!
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins This is a dystopian trilogy, set in a world where every year, a boy and a girl are chosen from each district to fight in the Hunger Games. It’s a fight to the death and there’s only one victor until the 74th Hunger Games, where Katniss and Peeta (the two main characters) both win. I loved the characters and the plot. I found the theme very interesting and loved the type of dystopia!
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I’m starting a new series- Fictional Character I Admire. In each post, I’ll be telling you about one of the fictional characters who I love reading about. Today, I’ll be telling you about Annabeth Chase.
I pick up Percy Jackson and the Olympians and get lost in the fantasy world of Rick Riordan, especially the tales of Annabeth Chase. Annabeth is a demigod (half god, half human). Her mother is Athena, the goddess of wisdom and she always plays a crucial part in all of the quests she goes on. I love her story and here’s some reasons why.
Annabeth is such a strong female character. She’s great at fighting and can take down many Greek monsters with her dagger. Her life as a demigod is hard, but she perseveres through it. Annabeth has faced many monsters throughout her life as a demigod. Despite the type of problem, she easily comes up with a logical plan and deals with the toughest of them. Annabeth has been through Tartarus, the Greek version of hell. Even when she was trapped down there with her boyfriend, Percy, she was able to think logically and helped them get out as quick as possible.
Annabeth faces so many real problems throughout all the books. While she battles fantasy monsters, she also faces real ones with her emotions. I love seeing her weaknesses, just because it makes her more human. During the first series, she faced intense jealousy towards a later friend of hers, Rachel. It was interesting to see another, more real, side of my favorite character. During the second series, she has extreme self-doubt about her abilities. While all of her friends have powers, she has none, leading herself to doubt what she is capable of.
Annabeth Chase will always be one of my favorite characters, because not only is she strong, she has weaknesses that make her more like an actual person. She’s such a great character and I love reading about her and who she is.
I recently did a post on the book series that I have in my To Be Read, so I thought that I’d also do one on the stand-alones that I want to read. Some of these series are YA (young adult) and some of them are Mg (Middle Grade). They’re all books which seem really good and I can’t wait to read them (hopefully soon).
I was gifted a copy of The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw as a part of Multicultural Children’s Book Day. This book is about the nuclear bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II in the eyes of a 12 year old girl named Yuriko.
Yuriko lives a normal life with her Papa, aunt, and annoying cousin. She goes to school everyday and is, for the most part, happy. Some things are changing though. While they aren’t big changes at first, she knows that there is war, even if it doesn’t directly affect her life. That is, until a bomb is dropped on a town neighboring hers. She is forced to leave her home, but a series of events lead her back to Hiroshima. She is there when the bomb is dropped. The effects are devastating. Her best friend and her papa both died in it and her step mother also dies, though her death is later on. She also has some side effects, including a bloated face and she’s lost both her eyebrows. Yuriko’s life has changed drastically, while she question her true family and her new life after the bomb is dropped.
I interviewed the author, Kathleen Burkinshaw, and here are my questions and her answers.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT TOPIC TO WRITE YOUR BOOK ABOUT?
“It actually had to do with my daughter when she was in 7th grade. She had overheard kids talking about the cool mushroom cloud picture in the history books and this upset her greatly. She asked if I would talk to her class about people under the cloud that day-like her Grandma. So I actually started by speaking with students for a year or so and then a teacher asked if I might be thinking of doing a book. I had been writing my mother’s story for my daughter to have someday, so with my mother’s blessing, I wrote The Last Cherry Blossom. I also realized that students didn’t really know how children in Japan lived during the war. Two paragraphs and a picture in a textbook is not enough. I wanted to show that just because they were in Japan, the children still loved their family, worried what might happen to their loved ones, and wished for peace-all the same thoughts that the Allied children had. I really wanted to show that the ones we may think are “our enemy” are not always so different from ourselves. I think that same message is needed today more than ever before.”
WAS THERE ANYONE THAT INSPIRED YOUR CHARACTERS?
“The characters are inspired mostly by real people. Obviously my Mom, as well as how she described her Papa, stepmother, her “aunt”, and her friend.”
IF YOU COULD GIVE ANY ADVICE TO OTHERS WHO WANT TO WRITE SOMEDAY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?
“First I would say that they should read as many books in the genre they wish to write. Also, that there is no “perfect” time to write, write as much as you can (like a blog, perhaps? Definitely a good start!) ..And not focus on how good it has to be- Just start that first sentence, first paragraph and if you write from your heart you can never go wrong.”
WERE THERE ANY OTHER BOOKS THAT INSPIRED YOUR WRITING?
“Yes, Japanese American author Cynthia Kadohata is a favorite of mine. Her book Weedflower is the first historical fiction book I ever read that had a character like myself in it.(I was in my 30’s) I never had one when I was your age.”
WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS GROWING UP?
“I loved reading as many Nancy Drew Mysteries I could get my hands on! I also loved Little Women. Also any books that were written by Judy Blume.”
ARE YOU CURRENTLY WRITING ANY OTHER BOOKS? IF SO, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT/THEM?
“I am working on the sequel to The Last Cherry Blossom. It takes place 4 years later and deals a lot with the PTSD symptoms and survivor guilt that my mom experienced. Also, how she deals with a new family-her birth father and his wife as well as trying to open her heart to another friend. I’m doing a lot of research on the American Occupation in Japan after the war ended so I can write about how she dealt with it.”
Thank you Kathleen Burkinshaw for giving me a copy of this book and answering my questions!
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.
MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!
Join us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party!
This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.
We will be giving away an 8-Book Bundle every 5 minutes plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. **
Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter!
Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.
2020 has been a strange year, but here are some of the things that happened.
1. Starting the year with family:
I love spending time with my grandparents. I’m glad I got to do it in the beginning of this year, even if I couldn’t make my annual summer trip to India ðŸ˜. I also got to spend some time with my uncle and aunt, before they moved countries.
2. Ending my elementary years and staring my middle school ones:
I finished 5th grade (virtually) and started middle school and the school of my choice (also virtually)! Virtual school is less than ideal, but I’ve learned to adjust. You can read about my experiences here.
3. ARCADIS Science Fair:
I participated in the ARCADIS science fair and did a project on supercooling and snapfreezing water. I learnt a lot and was really surprised when I won!
4. Mini Getaways:
Since we couldn’t travel a lot, I relied on a few small breaks to get away . My favorite one was definitely my birthday weekend getaway with a few of my friends and family. I also liked the Corpus Christi, Driftwood, and Pensacola Beach breaks.
5. Dance:
I spent a lot of time focusing on dance during these COVID times. I’ve taken place in a Bharatanatyam dance exam (for both theory and practical) and started learning a new Indian classical dance form, Mohiniattam. I performed a few solo items and recorded them. I’ve also began to learn Carnatic music to support my skills.
In Western dance, I was able to get one last performance on February in my elementary school dance company and I’m in my new school’s Drill Team. It’s less than ideal, but I’m hoping to be able to go back to performing soon.
6. Life Skills:
2020 has been a year where I learnt and tried so many new things.
I learned to crochet, and did a few art projects including tie-dye projects and wreaths for our door.
I cooked and baked (I even made my first layered cake!) and got comfortable in the kitchen. Some of the treats I made include mint chutney bread, cranberry cookies, brownies, and more. I also learned to make rice and keera kootu.
I’ve learned a lot of handy household chores like doing the laundry and handwashing clothes as well as ironing and sweeping.
7. Improved Technology Skills:
I started to use Instagram and I wrote on my blog more. I got better at using Google Drive, Docs, and Slides. I’ve learnt about different features on computers and got better at navigating through the digital world.
8. Writing:
I wrote 2 stories (which I’m going to edit this year) and a few short stories for my blog.
9. Reading:
I’ve read a ton this year and made friends with a few bookstagrammers. On my instagram, I took part in two challenges, the #mgbookmarch challenge in March and the #mgbooktober challenge in October. I’ve also started new series, and began to read a higher level of mglit!
(If you’re not following me yet, you totally should)
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!
