My Favorite Children's Book

     When I was a little girl my favorite children's book that my mother would always bring home from the library for me was The Puddle Pail by Elisa Kleven. It was a cute little book which depicted two dragon like creatures who had various collections. The elder collected many average things and individual would collect, such as things you would find on a beach or bottle caps, but the younger collected puddles. 

     By the simple act of scooping up water into a pail, somehow this was preserving the reflection of each puddle, and I always thought this to be the most artistic thing in the world to me. The fact that just by collecting a trace of liquid you are preserving a piece of something that means more just seems too remarkable for a children's story.

So what is your favorite children's book that you read as a child?
And what about it stood out to you?

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous Review

     Go Ask Alice is an intriguingly provoking read that claims to use the real diary entries of a troubled teenager girl who is exposed to the life of drugs when she attends a party one summer. The book itself is in the form of a diary, and so each entry follows the life of this girl (who is never named) as she falls down the rabbit hole. 

     It is clear in her writing that the drugs change her, as her first entries tended to be more sweet, innocent, and child like. As time progresses you can tell just how much this girl is growing up because of these bad choices, and even when she gets better there is something or someone which pushes her back into that down spiraling life of drugs.

     The ending is what stuck with me the most, and it has left me in a state of awe. The first hand accounts presented in this book are what make it so fascinating in a disturbing way. Overall the story captured me and I just wanted to read more and more until there were no pages left. 

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

The Fault In Our Stars Movie Review

   This past weekend John Green's The Fault In Our Stars came out in theaters and it delivered! As many of you know The Fault In Our Stars has been on the NY Times Best Seller List basically since the day it came out, and with John Green's popular nerdfighter fanbase this was to be expected. 

     The story is narrated by a teenage girl named Hazel Lancaster who suffers from cancer, who meets her star-crossed lover Augustus Waters in the "actual-heart-of-Jesus-Christ" better known as the basement of a church during a support group meeting. Now, I won't go into the full synopsis of the book I will now critique the movie and share my opinion.

   The cast is beautiful and perfect. To quote John Green's writing "my thoughts are like stars I can't fathom into constellations" when I think about how perfect the casting for this movie truly is. Every single character is depicted in the exact way I pictured them while reading The Fault In Our Stars for the first time, and it's just perfect!

     The plot of the movie does leave some minor points of the book out, including some quotes which I wish had been included, but for a movie that is already 2 hours and 6 minutes long I think it couldn't have captured the story better with the time given. 

     Finally, I always advise people to read a book before they see a movie, but if reading really isn't your cup of tea (I'm not really sure how you stumbled across my blog, but thanks for sticking around to read this I guess) please go see the movie anyway. The book is of course better than the movie in my opinion, but the movie is a masterpiece which I think everyone needs to witness if they haven't already.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
P.S. When you go to see the movie don't forget tissues! You will need them.

An Important Window

Most individuals would visualize a window as a panel dividing the inside from the outdoors, 

but I believe that a window is not simply a division. 

A window is a connection, 

a meeting spot, 

a crossroads between two planes. 

A window is a book, 

connecting fiction to reality, 

allowing the reader to cross beyond the wall of existence and into a world of fantasy 

or science fiction 

or mystery 

to experience something the real world cannot offer them. 

That is what a window is to me, 

an escape. 

There are times when I feel like I have danced my final number, 

and that the world is scheduled to be crashing down on me at any moment, 

and in those moments I feel my stomach imploding in on itself. 

Withdrawing from reality is the only cure for this anxiety 

and reading fuels that escape, 

making a bad day seem okay, 

inspiring me to persevere through the challenges life throws at me, 

and showing me that in another world that lives beyond a window 

exists hope. 

Just the simple action of opening a book allows me to peer into a land of optimism, 

helping me to strive to accomplish my hopes and dreams. 

And when I stare into the real world 

through the plane of glass that separates me from the cold outdoors, 

I realize that of all the windows in the world, 

a book is the most important window of all. 

The Mirror

Hello readers! Here is a quick little short story I've been working on, which could potentially have a sequel if people are interested in something like that. Please comment what you think!

The mirror in the upstairs attic hides strange faces inside it. I’ve seen them before, staring back at me as I would peek behind the white sheet that conceals the reflective surface which binds them. I spend hours gazing into that mirror, my blue eyes locked on the eyes of one of the mysterious faces that looks back at me. My parents don’t see the warped faces which live behind the mirror. They tell me that it is only my 8-year-old mind playing tricks on me, to keep my thoughts to myself and to tone down my curiosity. 

       I listened to their advice and was reluctant to share my thoughts with just anyone. The only person I have ever shared my thoughts openly with was my beloved grandmother, whom I was named after. Before she sadly passed away last year she had told me stories about the mirror, and how when she had been my age the mirror showed her faces too. 

“That mirror is a family heirloom,” my grandmother would tell me whenever my curious mind wanted to hear another story. “The faces are starring at you from a wonderful land that I used to visit when I was a little girl like you.”

“What is the wonderful land like?” I ask with a smile stretching widely across my face.

She smiles back at me and continues. “It is the most astonishing place I have ever been lucky enough to visit. The smell of the sweet grass which covers the ground fills the air, and the forest trees are so tall they reach above the clouds. The people who live there wear bright colors and funny hats. They host tea parties and dance until the midnight hour!” 

My eyes are wide with excitement as she describes this new and interesting world. “Can I visit this land, grandmother?” I request, hoping she will tell me the answer my little 8-year-old heart desires.

“Maybe someday!” She answers trying not to make me lose hope.

But I am sure someday will never come. Not since my grandmother has passed away and left me alone to stare into the mirror with no one to answer my questions. 

Today is Sunday. My brown hair is down and held back by a pretty white ribbon. I am still wearing the tiny blue dress and black dress shoes which I had put on for church earlier this morning. Something seems to be different about this day, something that sets it apart from the rest. 

I enter the attic and uncover the mirror. Oddly only one face stares back at me today, and it is my own. 

“Where have you gone?” I ask the missing faces of the mirror, but of course there is no response. 

With disappointment sinking in, I cover the mirror back up and make my way over to the attic window hoping to find something new to spark my curiosity. I look at the small field which rests beside my house, and then at the woods. I spot a furry creature running from the field into the woods. The creature appears to be wearing a suit of some sort and it also appears to be holding something that resembles a pocket watch.

I quickly make my way outside to follow it, without even realizing the existence of such a strange creature could be impossible. My tiny legs carry me through the field and my curiosity pulls me forward as I venture deeper into the woods. 

“Hello?” I cry out, hoping the small creature might pop its head out somewhere to respond. It does not, but my eyes do catch a glimpse of white fur run behind a tree.

I chase the white fur, soon discovering that the creature I am chasing is a rabbit. 

“Rabbit, where are you going?” I call out, but the rabbit does not turn back.

I quickly turn to go around the tree, but to my surprise the trees that were surrounding me begin to float away while everything turns to darkness. I am falling. Falling down the rabbit hole. My curious mind has finally been given exactly what is has been craving. Then I see the rabbit. He is not alone.

“I knew I would be meeting you someday,” the stranger in the hat begins. His clothing is rugged and old fashioned. His hair is a dirty black which peaks out from underneath a giant top hat which is a dull purple color. His face seems familiar, like he isn’t actually a stranger, but someone I have seen every day of my existence. He is from the mirror.

“Who are you?” I ask hesitantly. 

His smile is very bright and welcoming. “You can call me Hatter, and I believe you’ve met Rabbit,” he gestures to the furry creature standing beside him. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss!” Rabbit exclaims.

It takes me a moment to grasp my thoughts. “What’s going on?” I finally ask. My question echoes through the vast room I have fallen inside of. The room is lit by candle light and the floor is made of dirt. The walls appear to go upward forever, or at least up until a non-viewable point from my perspective. 

Hatter’s smile slowly disappears as he takes a couple steps in my direction. “You don’t know?” He looks at me confusingly. He turns back to Rabbit, who gives a small nod which signifies something unknown to me. “A long time ago, a little girl who was your age came to visit me. She helped my people reclaim the land that is rightfully ours by helping to banish a very mean lady. But now that little girl who helped us is gone, and that very mean lady has come back. Do you know who that little girl was?”

My eyes widen as I realize whom he is speaking of. “My grandmother!”

Hatter nods. “Your grandmother, and now we need you to save us, just like she did a long time ago.”

Time stands still as my tiny mind analyzes what information Hatter has presented to me. I have been handed just what my inquiring mind has been yearning for, an adventure. I wish my grandmother could see me now.

As if he can read my mind, Hatter’s smile returns, knowing I have accepted his challenge. I smile back as my new reality sinks in. I have entered the world that my grandmother has told me of so many times I have lost count. Someday has finally come. I have fallen down the rabbit hole, and have landed on the other side of the mirror. I am Alice...and I am in Wonderland.

National Poetry Month

Because it is the last day of April, I thought it would be fitting to share one of my poems:

Mouse

Round bright eyes and a furry brown face,

connected to a furry brown waist.

Tiny paws with nails I use as my hands,

matching tiny feet which allow me to stand.

A long pink tail sprouts out from behind,

I scurry around and I’m never confined.

The forest ground is where I find food.

My tall thin ears hear an owl intrude.

My tiny feet carry me across the dirt ground.

I hide inside my hole without making a sound.

The owl then leaves me alone.

My heartbeat echoes the walls of my home.

The wood is my home and my permanent house.

It is the place I belong fore I am a mouse.

The Staples Reading Test

     What does it mean to be a speed reader? Is being able to read at a quick pace even important? Is any individual at all more intelligent or intellectual solely based on the fact that they can read at a faster pace than the average reader? And finally, what defines average?

     I personally consider myself to be a relatively slow reader, and I understand that that is because I enjoy absorbing what I read so that I can fully understand it. However, according to the Staples Reading Test, I am reading at the rate of a 3rd grader which means I read 40% slower than the national average!

     I was tested by reading a sample of H.G. Well's War of the Worlds, and was able to read the 186 words given in a period of 1 minute and 14 seconds, meaning I was able to read 2.5 words per second and 150 words per minute. After being tested on my reading pace I was asked a series of three questions which pertained to the selection I just read. And, I answered all three questions correctly. 

     So this brings me to the question - does it really matter how fast we read? According to the Staples Reading Test, and average adult should be able to read 300 words per minute, an average college student should be able to read 450 words per minute, high-scoring college students should be able to read 800 words per minute, and so-called "speed readers" should be able to read up to 1500 words per minute! This seems a little ridiculous.

     In my honest opinion I do not think reading pace should be anything to worry about, and the real thing to concentrate on while reading is that you are understanding and enjoying the material that you are absorbing. 

     However, if you are at all interested in finding out what your reading pace is you are able to take the Staples Reading Test by clicking here.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter Review

     In Ally Carter's young adult novel, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, a young girl named Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. At a first glance this school looks like your average all girl private school, but at a closer glance it is revealed that it is actually a secret spy school whose headmistress is Cammie's mother, a former covert operative. 

     All of the girls who attend the school take special lessons in spying from teachers who used to be experts at the craft. Cammie has also become quite an expert spy, and is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, however when she meets a boy named Josh she falls head over heels and doesn't know what to do with herself. 

     The first thing that fascinated me about this book was its quirkiness. Ally Carter's writing style captures the emotions of a teenage girl in love perfectly, and so it is a perfect read for females in high school and middle school. I enjoyed reading Cammie's adventures in keeping her spy identity a secret and I look forward to continuing this series in the future.

My rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars.

My Dream Dinner Party

     Have you ever thought about who you would invite to your “dream dinner party”? The attendees could be alive or dead, or even fictional characters. After careful consideration I’ve determined my top five dreams attendees and here is who they are and why they make my list:

John Green

     I couldn’t not invite my favorite author, and I dare say one of my favorite people, to my dream dinner party. John Green is the author best known for The Fault in Our Stars (which is coming out as a movie on June 6^th), as well as being a YouTube sensation with his brother Hank Green. I feel that there are a million reasons why he is a great individual to have at any intimate gathering, but to refrain from rambling I’ll just sum him up as a guy who would be a good conversation starter (and that is saying the least of his wonderful attributes). 

Hermione Granger

     If you know me personally you might know that Hermione Granger is my favorite character of all time, and I identify with her in many ways. I love her attitude towards learning and reading. And I have always admired the fact that even though she came from a muggle family she was able to adapt easily to the wizarding world she was thrown into. Anyway, the Harry Potter series has always been a huge part of my life, and I feel that my dream dinner part would be incomplete without inviting Hermione Granger who inspired me to be the person I am today. Plus, magic is always fun to practice at the dinner table!

Jennifer Lawrence

     Most of you know Jennifer Lawrence as the star of the Hunger Games Series, Katniss Everdeen, but she is so much more than that to me. To me she is a creative individual who is a great role model for girls and women around the world, much like her character Katniss is to the people of Panem! The way she stands up for the female gender by expressing her views against how the media shames girls into thinking they have to be a Barbie-doll plastic form of perfection is what makes her the perfect human being that she is. And of course who wouldn’t want to listen to stories about filming the Hunger Games while eating appetizers?

William Shakespeare

     Okay, so how many of you honestly think having Shakespeare as a party guest would be amazing and entertaining? Not just me right? That’s what I thought. I’m inviting this poet and playwright because I am a lover of theater, the arts, and allusions. Just imagine eating a dinner roll while listening to Shakespeare, himself, recite one of his famous sonnets!

I really wish this dinner party could be real…who would be on your list?

The Real Hunger Games

     The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a trilogy, set in the futuristic society of Panem which is run by "The Capitol". Every year there is a "Hunger Games" where one female and one male from each of the twelve districts are chosen to compete in a battle to the death. This concept seems a little far fetched in our modern world today, however the true fabric of the story is woven with allusions to the culture and traditions of ancient Rome. 

     There are obvious connections made to the Roman Republic, such as the games themselves, forcing "tributes" to fight in specially designed arenas, being an allusion to the battles fought by gladiators in the Colosseum. The children forced to do these battles are given the same weapons any gladiator would have access to back in ancient Rome, such as spears, bows and arrows, and even tridents (the use of nets and tridents for fighting is a style the Roman's called Retiarius, which was the style Finnick Odair is famous for in the second book Catching Fire). The Capitol also fills its arenas with genetically engineered animals called "muttations" which the tributes are forced to fight, much like how many gladiators had to battle lions or other ferocious creatures in the Colosseum.

     As stated before, two "tributes" are chosen from each district to take part in each year's game. The word tribute, which is used to represent those elected to partake, refers to the Latin word "tributa" which is the term for taxes paid to the central government for protection. Furthermore, this type of taxation was one that was practiced throughout the Roman Republic. 

     Another Latin phrase which correlates distinctly with the entirety of Collins' series would be "Panem et Cirenses", meaning "Bread and Circuses". The word Panem is easily recognizable as the name of the nation which plays setting to the book series, and circuses refer to the games put on for amusement of the people of the Capitol. However, the phrase is more than that. Bread refers to the distribution of grains throughout the districts (or throughout the provinces of the Roman Empire), while circuses refers to public games and other mass spectacles which is solely for the entertainment of the Capitol (or the wealthy citizens of ancient Rome). Overall the Latin phrase refers to the techniques used by the Roman Empire in order to keep its people happy, docile, and not rebelling.

     Similar to the twelve districts distributed throughout Panem, the Roman Republic was made up of several provinces each with its own specialty (much like District Twelve was famous for its coal production, the Roman province in today's Egypt had a specialty for grains). The provinces of course were controlled by their capital city Rome, which is much like how the Capitol controls the districts. Each province was run by a capital appointed governor who had absolute power, similar to the mayor we see who is in charge of District Twelve. There are also stationed Roman troops in each province, which correlates with the entity of "Peacekeepers" in all of the districts. 

     The Capitol itself relates to the city of ancient Rome in many ways. The act of introducing the tributes of each district by chariot for example during the opening ceremonies of the games, resembles much like how gladiators would be driven around the streets of Rome in chariots on the days of their fights. People of the Capitol also seem to practice much of the Roman culture. Of course there is the enjoyment of the games, but there is also the practice of parties and feasts. There is even a reference in the second novel of a drink used to induce vomiting so one could continue to purge on delicacies at such events, which is something practiced in Roman culture. 

     I am sure there are many more allusions and references I can mention to help portray the nation Panem as a futuristic Roman Empire, but I feel like I have made my point. The Hunger Games was a fascinating and riveting trilogy that I could not put down, and its use of allusions made the story for me particularly even better. If you have yet to read this series, I highly suggest you do so, and see if you can spot the allusions to ancient Rome.

"May the odds be ever in your favor!"

(P.S. The phrase above which is said repeatedly throughout the entire series is a reference to how Roman culture valued luck, as well as how they believed that every individual from birth had a destiny or fate, and okay I'll stop now!)