Counting by Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan

This week I read a book about a girl named Willow Chance, who is very smart. She knows many things most people don’t know, and she responsible. Most of all, she loves gardening. She basically had a forest in her backyard and all of her fruits and veggies were homegrown, and organic. But when something happens, it pulls a big thing out of her. She can’t think straight. There are many major changes in her life, whether she likes it or not. This was a really good book, I especially loved it. It’s also really sad. It kind of relates to us in  a way, and it’s pretty realistic. I feel like this book makes you really care for the characters and that is one reason why it is a great book. It has no mature topics or language, but, like I said, it’s pretty sad. Counting by Sevens is a strange title, but if you read the book you will understand why it is called that. I would recommend it to everyone, and it’s a book that everyone should read.

SOL Spring Trip

The waves crash against the sand, making a loud, yet peaceful sound. The weather is nice, but the wind is strong. We all go into the ocean, slowly adjusting to how chilly it is. It's not really cold, but the fact that the sun is setting and not there to warm up the ocean makes it kind of cold. Right away I dip my head in, after getting in pretty deep. Then I stand up in the coral, which is hard to get onto, especially with the waves trying to brush me off by making the currant stronger. After finally getting onto the coral reef, I shiver because when I stand up on the coral reef it makes the water be up to my knees, and being in the water for a while and then standing up makes me cold, and the water warm. The waves start to get bigger, and it gets really cold, so most of the people get out and we run to get the showers. Off to dinner, after taking a warm shower.

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

This is a really good book, about a girl named Opal, who lives with her dad, the preacher, and one day she goes to the Winn-Dixie grocery store and sees a dog standing outside it, so doesn't buy anything and just brings back the dog. That's when Opal's life REALLY begins. She names the dog Winn-Dixie, after the place she had found him, and takes him home. Her dad instantly falls in love with him, Winn-Dixie makes the dad more open. He shares something with Opal that he had never shared before- 10 things about Opal's mom, who had passed away years before. Winn Dixie isn't just any dog, and because of him, this book is really good. I would highly recommend this book for someone who wants an easy read, that's touching, and really sweet. I read this book within a few days, because it's pretty short. Overall, everyone needs to read this book, and if anything, read it again.

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O' Connor

This book is about a girl named Georgina Hayes, and she doesn't have a home, so she lives in her car with her younger brother, Toby, and her mom. Her dad left them, and they are trying to save up money to buy a home, so their mom has a job and they are doing everything they can to earn money. But Georgina sees a reward sign for a missing dog and that changes her life. There was no way she would find that dog, but the reward was $500. And that gets her thinking. Maybe she could steal a dog, until the owner puts up a sign, and gets the reward to earn money for a house! This book just shows Georgina trying to face the problems of life, and although it's hard, she is brave and tries hard, and theta's what makes her my favorite character. This has no mature topics, and it's a really easy read, so if you want a quick readI would recommend this one.

Logan Poetry Map- Memories

#1

Looking back,
It's funny.
How scary it was walking
Through those front doors,
Finding the classroom
Where the next 9 years
Of my life begin.
I wouldn't let go of my mom,
I was too scared.
I didn't know anyone,
And one question kept
Entering my mind:
"Will I find any friends?"
And I did.
This was where I started
To learn more about school,
And everything.
It all was new to me.
Preschool was fine,
But I didn't learn.
I wouldn't still be here
Without this experience.
Walking out those 'huge' front doors
I walked into,
A scared little girl,
Will be hard.


#2

It gets taken away,
For maybe a little more than a day.
When there is snow,
We're out there you know
And out there we will all stay.

It's where we eat,
It's very sweet,
It's where we bond,
Even if there are ponds,
For that is how we greet.

Limerick

~These Limericks don't really make sense~

There once was a city named Floorium,
Where everyone stood on a podium,
Because they were short and didn't like ports
And ate a lot of sodium.

There once was a person at Logan,
Who really liked to write slogans,
He wrote about cats
And didn't like bats
And he lived in a hogan.

Poetry

Free Verse

It all starts with a center,

16 squares around it.

Then 4 people each have

4 squares.

The game begins.

The sky is gray, cloudy,

And the air smells like rain.

Puddles of rainwater surround us.

It's cold outside,

And snow is still on the ground.

I hit the ball, it comes back, 

But I miss.

I'm out.

I go to the end of the line.

The game continues.

The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun

This book is about a man named Adam Braun, who starts a business called Pencils of Promise, after taking a trip to India and seeing all these children begging for food and money, and when Adam asked a little boy what he wanted most in the world, the boy said a pencil. Adam built schools for the poor children and sees how much they appreciate this. This is a non-fiction book, and it doesn't really ave any mature topics. I really liked this book, although some parts were a little boring. I would recommend this for anyone, and like I said it's a REALLY good book. My favorite character was Adam, because he was really brave and smart, and really interested with new things.

Poetry- Occasional Poetry

Holocaust

They did nothing wrong.
But they couldn't do anything about it.
They were forced to walk until they dropped.
And if they lived, there had to be
a different way to die. There were machines just to kill people.
Why? People wanted to kill themselves not to struggle.
But they weren't allowed.
There are books, movies, museums- about
the Holocaust, and stories about the struggles.
Survivors- some. Deaths- MANY.
Why them?
And it wasn't their fault.
They did nothing wrong.

Poetry: Odes

Ode to the Sun

Oh sun. Without you,

What would we do?

No light, no heat.

Well, only artificial light,

Only artificial heat.

Without you, there would

Be no plants,

No me, no you.

Any that is why I love you.

Sometimes I wonder…

Will you disappear?

So no light, no heat,

Would be here?

Just the moon, and us.

But no you.

No joy, no fun, no you.

Why would you leave?

Oh Sun, Oh Sun,

I love you.

Poetry- Haikus

~Haiku 1~

The whole world spins around

But we don't feel that at all

And I wonder why…

~Haiku 2~

Nature is outside

Colors change on everything

Including our souls.

~Haiku 3~

Geese sing in the sky

Why is it that everything

Has to make a sound?

(Or almost everything)

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This book is written through the dog's point of view, and him growing up with his owner, Denny, watching him win and lose, life. But Enzo isn't a normal dog. He's like a human trapped in a dog's body. He understands everything, just he can't talk. Denny has a tough life, with many troubles going through, and his biggest fan is Enzo. This is a really good book, but really sad and kind of tough. It has a lot of mature topics and language, but I still really enjoyed the book and everyone should read it. My favorite character is Enzo, because no matter what he is always there for Denny, and he understands everything so even though he can't talk, he does smart things that would help Denny, and the challenges he is facing.

SOL

I'm too weak to get up. I'm hot then cold, I don't even know. My dad comes into my room. Right away, I say:
"I'm not going to school. I feel terrible and my stomach hurts like crazy."
"Well then, I'm off to work. Mom is with you, I'll tell her that you're staying home."
"Thanks. Bye!"
He leaves the room, and I try to get up. My feet start wobbling, but I go downstairs. The only problem- I'm not hungry. I can't hear a word about food, or I'll feel sick. But... at least I'm feeling better than yesterday. Well, sort of. Of course I'll have to go the doctor, so I go and get dressed. Who knows, maybe it will encourage me to feel better. Maybe it will.

The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods

This book is about a girl named Violet who has a strange life. Her mom and sister are white, when she's African American since her dad was, who died before she was born. She decides to learn more about her dad's side of the family, and finds out some things she hasn't expected. This book is funny, sad, and happy all at the same time. I liked this book- it was pretty good, but not the best. It was really easy to read, because it was aimed for a little younger audiences. It doesn't have any mature topics, and if someone wants a easy read, this is the right book for you. My favorite character was Violet because I knew the most about her and she was really brave and smart, and knew what to do. She had tough times, but she always dealt with them and was caring and helpful.

TBR:
The Promise of a Pencil
Counting by Sevens
Outliers

IT"S THE FINAL ONE!!! 31/31

This is it. 31 SOLs for every day of the month. Of course, I hope I got every day of the month, and posted everything I needed to. Of course I ran out of ideas many, many times. If I could, I would definitely do this challenge again, because writing is really fun (SOMETIMES) and it's really not that bad. Who knows, maybe it will come in handy one day. I mean I won't plan on it, but just knowing how to write about your own life helps with inspiration for other writing projects. Compared to other things I have done, this is really fun. Maybe sometimes I'll get stuck, and so will everyone- but believe me, it's not that bad.

This is it.

SOL- March 30th 30/31- What It's Like to be a 7th Grader

I know. Being a 7th grader isn't as tough as being an 8th grader, but still. There's time to relax, yet again, it's your last year to really have some slack. In 8th grade I'll have 2 units, and I'll have to worry about high schools and a speech and all that stuff. But being a 7th grader isn't all fun and games, either. Instead of leaving every assignment to the last minute on that Sunday night, when everything is due on that next Monday, you would do at least some through out the week right? That's how it is here. You can't leave all that stuff to when your an 8th grader, like all those high schools. But being a 7th grader is really fun, and being in AS in general. It's not all homework and no fun, we get more freedom, and are the role models. I don't know how it will feel being an 8th grader, but I bet it's not so bad.

SOL- March 29th 29/31

The trees wave at me through the window, the slight breeze blowing them back and forth. The leaves rustle, moving to the groove of the trees. The sky is a pure blue, not a single cloud in sight. The flowers are open and alive, showing off their colors so people could admire them. The mountains have highlights of snow here and there, but not too much. There is some snow that's just there, and can't be melted. Even though it's morning, it's very warm, and once I get dressed we will head off to start our day. Sometimes I just like to start out my day by looking out the window, just so the bright colors and sun wakes me up.

SOL- March 28th 28/31

Why do we we walk? I mean, we can also crawl, run and drive, but we aren't gonna crawl for all of our life or run 24/7. Why can't we fly? Birds can, but if we try, we might not live till tomorrow. Well, bird can't drive, ride bikes, of anything like that. But at least they can run and walk. I always wonder this. It would be really cool to fly. I dream about flying, but the type of flying without the wings. We can "fly" when jumping on a trampoline or something, but not without anything below us to catch us.

SOL- March 27th 27/31

I have to write 8 SOLs for the time I'm in Israel, and I have to schedule them to post on my blog. I'm not very good at coming up with ideas right on the spot, so writing 8 Slices of Life in a row is pretty hard. What should I write about? My dog? Ok. Here it goes:

I'm laying on my bed, on my phone and relaxing, when I feel a shake from under my bed. I hear some scratching too, like something against a carpet. From what I know, but I'm not 100% sure, my dog isn't in my room. My bed starts shaking like crazy. Have I gone mad? Is something happening outside that is causing my bed to shake? Is my house getting wrecked down?
"Mom?" I call.
"What?"
"Do you feel that?" I ask stupidly.
"What?"
"The shaking!"
"No.."
Hmm. I think I've gone mad. I better check under my bed. I look. My dog is sleeping there innocently, and then gets up, and starts scratching at the carpet. How could such a small dog shake a bed? I let out a sigh of relief. I haven't gone mad. That's good.

SOL- March 26th 26/31

I draw one line. Then erase it. I draw another line. Then erase it. Everything I try to draw turns out bad.  It kind of sucks, because I like to draw, except for when everything I try to draw turns out bad. On rare occasions, they actually turn out good, for example when I drew a giraffe, and it looked really good but not right now. I never really sit down and draw, but when I have an assignment and I have to include art, I want the drawing to look perfect. But it doesn't. I start a light sketch of something, knowing that I will probably erase it. But I don't.

SOL- March 25th 25/31

My eyes land on the sign. Starbucks. We are finally here. We can relax, and enjoy our drinks. I order a cotton candy frappuccino, for the first time, and wait for them to make it. My friends order a caramel frappuccino and a green tea frappuccino. I take a sip of the cold, refreshing drink, and it's delicious. Even though it's a vanilla bean frappuccino with raspberry, it tastes exactly like cotton candy. I instantly fall in love. There are a lot of things on the Starbucks Secret Menu, and what I've tried it delicious. There is a website called hack the menu, and check it out HERE (There is are a lot of other Secret Menus for Chick Fil A and Dairy Queen, and etc.)

Book Blog- March 24th 24/31

This week I read a book called A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin . It's about a girl named Hattie, and she is on summer break, but this time, it's different. Her uncle, whom she never knew about,  comes to live with her grandparents because his school for the mentally disabled shuts down, and until they find a new school for him to go to, he has to live with them. Hattie becomes really good friends with her uncle Adam, and she has a summer she won't forget. I really liked this book, because it was quick and easy but really descriptive. It's a fun book, but at some points it's pretty sad. I recommend this book for anyone, and everyone should read it.

SOL- March 24th 24/31

We all have days where we have nothing to do, and we are really bored. I mean sometimes, I'm just procrastinating and I actually have a ton of work but I just don't want to do it, or, I actually have nothing to do. It's Thursday, we have no school, and I'm just sitting at home not knowing what to do. I still have to go to the doctor's today, to get my last HPV shot, but that's not until later. Many of my friends have other plans, and a lot of them are at school. Tomorrow I'll have a busy day, I have to help out at the book fair, and I have my conference. But for now, I'm just sitting on the couch watching videos and eating jelly beans. Oh well.

SOL- March 23rd 23/31

I go into my closet, trying to decide what to bring. I'm not sure how the weather will be in Israel, but hopefully it will be warm. I mean, I packed warm clothes, but it won't last me 10 days. I also pack lots of shorts, and clothes for warm weather, because it will probably be warm. I'm excited to go to Israel, but I'm kind of nervous to go, and plus, our flight is at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, meaning we will have to be at the airport at around 6:00, which means we will have to leave the house at 5:30, and I'll have to wake up at 4:00, to make sure that we have everything. But I've never been to Israel before, so it'll be exciting and a new experience.

SOL- March 22nd 22/31

On March 17th was St. Patrick's day. But also my dog's birthday. The dog we had to put to sleep, he was suffering so badly. It was a happy day, because everyone was cheerful, but at some point throughout the day I just had to remember something about him. Like when I would always ask my dad to get my dog into trouble for no reason when I was 3. Or when I would sit on him has if he was a horse (He was a big dog, a chow chow mix, and very friendly with people he knew) when I was 2. And when I would lay down next to him in the sun and relax, when I was younger. I especially remember (And this isn't very good, but hey, I was 3) when I would run around my backyard asking my grandma to chase me so my dog would be all protective and and bark at her to make sure she wouldn't hurt me, because he was a very protective dog around me, he treated me very well, and he it truly an amazing dog.

SOL- March 21st 21/31- Ten more to go!

I'm sitting here writing my Slice of Life, watching the sun shine through the windows, trying to get me to go outside. Of course I want to go outside, but not yet. It's spring, the birds are back to chirping, the snow has disappeared, and the warm weather is here to stay, at least until late fall. All the memories of spring and summer rush through my mind, but they're good memories. Here's one:

I can't go any farther along the path. It's not that I'm too tiered, but there is a giant snake in front of me. My dad stops my dog from stepping on the snake. Although I have no other choice, going around the snake through the grass doesn't seem fun. We are at the dog park, so it's kind of gross. I cautiously go around the snake, making sure I don't step on it, because that would NOT be good.

Ok. I'm done with my SOL. Time to go outside!

SOL- March 20th 20/31

We all yell " Happy New Year!" and confetti goes all around. Hopefully this will be one of the best years of my life. Maybe it won't, but if it is, I'm in luck. Soon we are at the table eating dessert and having a great time laughing. Eventually when we are all tired, we start drifting off, but it's too early to go to bed on New Years. So we come together and party all night. I know that at some point I'll have to go home, but I don't want to go anytime soon cause it's been an amazing New Years Eve and I hope my year will go on like that.

SOL-March 19th 19/31

Every time I go to the pet store to get my dog or hamster something, I always fall in love with one dog. This time, it was a golden doodle, and as soon as I saw it and started to pet it's soft, fuzzy fur, I fell in love.  I couldn't take my eyes off this adorable, sweet dog, who unlike the other puppies in its cage who were nibbling on my coat and trying to bite me. This dog was licking me, and being really calm. When it's time to leave the store, we walk out and My heart starts to sink. I know I won't be able to get that dog, but maybe if I really try, I will.

SOL- 18/31 March 18th

I splash my foot around in the water, ready to jump in. The sun's rays dance down my back, warming me up. The fresh, humid air swivels around me and I jump. The blue water splashes onto my face and makes a small splash when I hop in. I get back out of the water and try again. This time, I don't belly flop into the water, but I kind of fall into it letting it catch me and pull me in. This time I don't get out. I swim over to the bar that's in the water, order a strawberry daiquiri, and sit on the underwater chairs. Someone swims up next to me, and taps my shoulder. It's just my friend. We get our drinks and go over to the beach chairs to drink them. After that, we go onto the hammocks, allowing them to rock us back and forth, until all we can do is relax.

Book Blog- 17/31 March 17th

This week I read a book called  Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina  and it talks a lot about bullying. It's about a girl named Piedad Sanchez, and she really has a tough time at her new school. First off, someone tells her that "Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass" and she doesn't even know who that is. She has to figure out who Yaqui is and fast, before anything happens. But it's not only hard for her at school. She lives in an apartment with her mom, who is pretty strict. And her dad, all Piedad knows is that he left before she was born. She wants to figure out more about her dad, but she HAS to get rid of Yaqui. This was a pretty good book, although it wasn't my favorite. Like I said, it talks a lot about bullying, and social issues. It has a lot of mature topics, but not as much as other books. I would recommend this book to anyone, and people who like books about bullying.




TBR-
The Killing Woods
The Promise of a Pencil
Outliers

SOL- 16/31 March 16th

My feet sink into the mud with each step I take. The sun is shining on my back, and peering through the trees. I sit down, my group also sitting down, and we begin the activity. 3 hares on the board, the lynx gets none. It dies. 6 hares on the board, the lynx gets none and dies. When we get to 12, it's my turn to throw the lynx. It gets one hare, but that's not enough. It dies. By the way, the lynx is a cardboard square and the hares are foam pieces. Then come the larger numbers. 178 hares, and 50 lynx. And so on. We keep playing for another 30 minutes, and then it's time to clean up and meet up with everyone and go back to the buses. It was a fun time, I'm looking forward to another field trip.

SOL- 15/31 March 15th

I walk into my backyard, barefoot, to see my parents running around with my dog. It's around 8:00 AM, and the weather is really nice. I go back inside to call my cousin outside, but he's already downstairs. We go back outside so we can talk about what we're going to do today. We had some sort of break, and so did my cousin, so they came here to visit from Atlanta, Georgia. After a while of deciding what we will do, we decide on going to the pool and then we'll go out to lunch or something. We eat some breakfast, and head out the door. I get into the car, watching trees rustle in the wind, and I hear the birds chirping their song.

SOL- March 14th 14/31

I remember when I was really little, and I was sitting near a phone and I accidentally called the police. It went like this:

I'm sitting on the couch with my grandma, she's reading a book and I'm just looking around. I was about 1 and a half, so I didn't know too much. I see our home phone next to me, and start pressing random numbers. Apparently those weren't any random numbers, because they would dial the police. I lay the phone back down and continue looking around all innocently and curiously. 15 minutes later, the bell rings. My grandma stood up, picked me up, and went to answer the door. My mom was with her friends, and my dad was at work, so we had no idea who it would be. She opens the door, and sees the police standing there.
"What happened, you guys called us." They say.
"I don't think we called you." My grandma says, nervously.
"If you didn't call us, she must have." The policeman says, pointing to me, and I had a evil smile on my face.
My grandma lets out a sigh of relief.
"We still need to examine the house." They say. "But we get a lot of calls from babies." They laugh.
They examine the whole house, and then leave. My grandma apologizes one more time, and closes the door behind them. She took a deep breath, and laughed. At least everything was ok.

This wasn't the only time I did this, my grandma and parents still tell me I did it at least 2 more times. Oops..

SOL- March 13 13/31

There are times when I have nothing to write about, and this is one of them. I just can't think of any SOL ideas that I already did. I tap my foot slightly against the ground, and try to get more ideas to write about. People chat around me, and are all at work. I occasionally get up to talk to people, but I still don't have any ideas. Maybe I'm just tiered, or I just don't have any ideas what so ever, but everyone has those times. I still have 18 more SOLs to write. I know I just wrote a Slice of Life, but I still don't have any ideas for my next ones.

SOL- 12/31 March 12th

6:30- I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock, beeping and ringing in a really annoying way, so I right away turn it off. I lay in bed for another 5 minutes, because I can't stand the sight of it being dark when I wake up. Next I get out of bed, get dressed, and do all the other stuff I need to do before breakfast.
7:00- I'm sitting at the breakfast table, watch the sun rise, and sit on my phone. I like to take my time and relax before school, but that doesn't always help.
7:45- I finish up packing my lunch, all ready to go.
7:55- I'm out the door, in the car, and off to school.
8:10- I'm at school, finishing up anything or just chatting with people.
8:30- My day begins, and there's no going back.

SOL- 11/31 March 11th Biking Part 2

After we get on our bikes, we go through our neighborhood and through a tunnel under the road meant for bikers and other people, and end up taking a path around a huge golf course. After going around the golf course, we head over to a park and take a little break. We then bike back home where lunch is waiting. After a while of biking, I just want to relax. And by the time I eat lunch and relax, and hang out with my neighbors, the sprinklers turn on and we decide that we should run through them. I go first, running through all the sprinklers and back around. The water attacks me, and I try to fight back. I get all wet, laughing and spinning until I fall down. Next, it's my neighbors turn. She runs through a few, then ducks over one, and while attempting to jump over another one, she slips and falls right onto a sprinkler, her flip flops squeaking in the wet grass. She then gets up, starts laughing and we keep going and running through the sprinklers. At least it was warm outside, and we were having a great time.

Book Blog- 10/31 March 10th

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is about a boy named Leo Borlock goes to a normal high school in Mica, Arizona, where there are normal people, living normal lives. Well, up until a girl named Stargirl starts going to the same high school as Leo. She changes his life, and he figures out the secrets and all about Stargirl. Stargirl is a lot different from everyone else. She acts differently, and doesn't care what people think. Overall, I think this was a quick and easy book- not necessarily my favorite, but it's pretty good. If you would like a book to read that's a quick and easy one, this would be good for anyone.

SOL- 9/31 March 9th Biking Part 1

I'm sitting on my patio, the summer's wind slightly blowing in my face. The sun is high up in the sky, and its shining onto the bright green grass, and snow-free roads. It's no longer winter, meaning no snow, no cold weather, and no school. And best of all, my birthday and vacations. I check my phone. 11:45. When I finally decide to go inside, my dad says,
"Our neighbors are going bike riding and they were wondering if we wanted to go."
"Sure!"
Today's weather is perfect, not too hot, not too cold. Perfect to go ride around on bikes. I go into my garage to get my bike, then back outside to my neighbors driveway, where they are waiting for me and my dad. We get on our bikes, and off we go.

(Part 2 will be on Wednesday)

SOL- 8/31 March 8th

A delicious smell wafts through the kitchen, meaning my brownies are almost ready. I walk around the kitchen, pacing back and forth, while my friend is checking on the brownies. When we decide they are ready, we take them out of the oven and barely wait for them to cool of because we want them so badly. I cut off a piece, let it cool for 2 minutes, and eat it. It is delicious. It's chewy on the inside, and king of crunchy on the outside. I just love it.

SOL- 7/31 March 7th

Darkness surrounds me. I have no idea where I am, or what is happening. I don't know if I'm falling, sitting, or anything. I can't feel the rest of my body, and it's too dark to even see the rest of it. I try to close my eyes. Slowly my eyes open. I'm not in complete darkness. In fact, I am outside. But everything looks blurry, as if I don't have my contact lenses on. I blink, thinking maybe then I will see better. Surely enough, that doesn't help. But I am 100% sure I have my contacts on. But that isn't the biggest of my worries. All I know is that I'm outside, but nothing else. I try to look or any shelter, but nothing. It starts to get dark, my vision getting worse and worse by the second. I fall.

I wake up, panting. I take a deep breath, and make sure it was a dream by pinching myself and trying to stand  up. After a while of checking, I realize, it was just a dream.

SOL- 6/31 March 6th

I wake up to my alarm, at 6:15 and after a while of procrastinating I get out of bed. I look out the window and see the deep snow, remembering that it's supposed to snow a lot today. I quickly get ready and am about to go out of my room, opening the door, and I see my mom rushing up the stairs thinking I'm not yet ready for school and says "It's a snow day! Get back in your room and get some more sleep!" Surprised by the news, not believing that it's a snow day, I grab my phone and text some people. They tell me that it is a snow day so I do a belly flop onto my bed and sit on my phone. After an hour or so, I go out of my room and downstairs to eat breakfast. After that, I rush outside and have a huge snowball fight with my neighbors.

SOL- 5/31 March 5th

So today is my mom's birthday. I wake up, get ready for school, and make my mom a quick note saying Happy Birthday, and go downstairs for breakfast. My mom is in the kitchen, so I give her the note and make some breakfast. The rest of the day goes well, and for dinner we celebrate my mom's birthday, and while my mom was blowing out her candles, I secretly wished for my birthday to be closer too.

SOL-4/31 March 4th

My feet bury themselves in the sand, causing me to sink deeper and deeper into the ground.  The wind carries some umbrellas far from their spot on the beach. The ocean waves crash onto the sand. I run over to the water, and its surprisingly warm. After being in the water for a while and jumping over the waves, I go back to where my mom and aunt are and lay down on my towel. I close my eyes, and just listen to the ocean waves, splashing against the sand, peacefully. After a few moments (or so it seems) I feel my mom shaking me and saying
"Wake up! It's time to go eat lunch!"
"Did I fall asleep?"
"Yep."
I was pretty young at the time, around 6, when we used to go to California every summer for 2 weeks. At lunch, we have some sandwiches, and then went back to my aunts house.

Book Blog 3/31 March 3rd

This week I read a book called Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira. It is about a girl named Laurel whose sister May died in high school. When Laurel's English teacher assigns the class to write a letter to someone who died, it all begins. Laurel has a tough life, and this book shows that through her writing letters to famous dead people, about her life and flashbacks to when her sister was alive. I really liked this book, because it's a different style, and the whole story is really different. This is one of my favorite books, because it's written so well, and it's really descriptive. This book has a lot of mature topics and language mainly toward the end, but a little throughout the rest of the book. Love Letters to the Dead is a mystery, with some love, and adventure. I think that everyone should read this book, although its kind of sad.

TBR-
The Promise of a Pencil
Counting by Sevens
Ouliers

SOL- 2/31 March 2nd

This is not my dog :)

The snow pours out of the sky like salt out of a salt shaker. I sit inside looking out the window, my hands against the cold window. Eventually I get tiered of just staring out the window, so I put my snow pants and a coat on and walk out the door with my dog. At first he runs around it circles, too cold to be in one spot. Then he starts rolling around in the snow turning into a fluffy, white, dog, instead of a black one. My neighbors go out from their house, and I bring my dog inside and jump into the snow. After a little while, we are having a huge snowball fight around our from yards, and backyards, and basically our whole cul-de-sac. Then their mom brings out hot chocolate with marshmallows for all of us and we sip it while sitting on the patio. Once the weather changes to the point where its snowing really hard, we go inside, make popcorn, and watch a movie.

SOL- 1 out of 31 March 1st- It's Just The Beginning

I step into the school and take a deep breath. This is my first year in AS, and I'm going to spend the next three years or so, and I'm kinda scared. Not only is there more more work to do, but we are the oldest people in the school (besides the teachers) and some of the students seem tall and scary. Plus, I will be the youngest in AS, which is kinda creepy. As I walk up the stairs and through the hallway, I feel a chill going up my spine, and exploding through my body. Of course, then the goosebumps erupt, but slowly start to disappear. I walk into the classroom, and some people greet me as I walk around cluelessly trying to find my desk. The first day of school starts out well with talking about our summers, and getting to know each other. I sense that it will be a fun year, even if I'm the youngest in all of AS.

The Martian by Andy Weir

This book is about a man named Mark Watney who is an astronaut who goes with other astronauts up to space, and when they get to Mars, there is a huge sandstorm. When Mark disappears, they leave because they can't find him anywhere. After leaving him on Mars thinking he's dead, he has to figure out how to survive until Ares 4, which is when other astronauts go into space. Of course he has food and all, but he can easily run out of oxygen or anything. This is more of a survival adventure book, and it's really good. I'd consider it a Sci-Fi, and usually I don't really like those kinds of books, but this was really good. Although some parts were boring, I liked it. There was A LOT of cussing.

TBR-

Love Letters to the Dead

Counting by Sevens

The Promise of a Pencil

I really recommend the book Out of My Mind for ANYONE so EVERYONE should read it.

How I choose a book- I don't really have a specific was of picking books. Mainly I just look at different books either in the library or a different place, and I read what they are about, and if I like the description I choose that book. I also look at other people's blogs and see what they like. Sometimes I ask other people their recommendations for books I might like. This year I tend to pick different genres unlike other previous years when I only picked one genre and that's it. 

Grandmaster by David Klass

This book is about a boy, Daniel who got invited along with 2 other boys to a father-son chess tournament, and finds out that his dad was one of the best chess players 30 years ago. The two boys who invited Daniel are seniors, and make fun of Daniel for being not one pf the best chess players. But he finds out a lot about chess and the secrets his dad had been hiding, and the people behind it.

I really liked this book, and even though it was based around chess and I don't know anything about chess, you don't have to know anything about chess to read this book. It's like a realistic fiction, suspension, and action, and includes friendship, finding out secrets, and finding out more about yourself than you knew before. I really liked this book, and my favorite character would be Daniel, because he finds out a lot about himself, and is really smart and brave. It doesn't really have any mature topics or language, but only a little bit. I would recommend it to anyone, so read it!

SOL- Weather

Weather changes every second. One day it's warm, one day it's cold, one day its sunny,  the next it's snowing like crazy. But its not only how we dress and how the temperature that changes, it's our emotions. With the major changes in weather, we might feel tiered, grumpy, energetic, happy, who knows. We might act positive, then negative, then stressed..whatever. This winter, in Colorado, it's been strange. It started out cold, snowing a little, then it got to 50 degrees, and then to 30, and then to 6. But in the middle of winter, it became 70 degrees, then 58, and back to 30 and snowing. That's how weird Colorado is. And maybe that's a good thing, but maybe it's strange to others, because winter in Colorado is supposed to be cold, snowing, and spring- getting warmer, and summer- hot, fall- getting colder. It's weird, but that's just how Colorado is..

Sorta Like A Rockstar by Matthew Quick

This book is about a girl named Amber who lives in a school bus with her mom, who all day is busy working while Amber is at school and helping out with her "Second mom." Amber is also really good when it comes to teaching people at a Korean Church english and different songs, helping out a the old folks home, and most of all, taking care of herself, and her dog, Bobby Big Boy. After something tragic happens, Amber has to deal with life a different way.

I really liked this book, because it's different from other books- living on a school bus, having to deal with life a whole different way, and the characters are really unique and different as well. I don't have a favorite character, because all of them (like I said) are completely different but help each other out the same way, and all of them have a pretty big role in this book. There aren't that many mature topics, so I think that everyone should read this, whether you are a boy or a girl.

TBR-
The Martian
Counting By Sevens
Love Letters to the Dead

SOL-

Sometimes I get those feelings when all I want to do is sit and not do anything. For some people, it's called procrastination. I do that too. But the other feeling- that's what I'm feeling right now. I can't get over the fact school isn't over yet. Many thoughts race through my head about not doing work. Because  I'm really tiered. I think about how soon I can go home and relax, and finish my math homework. But then, do my class homework. And that is not what I want to do.

We Were Liars E. Lockhart

This book is pretty hard to describe, but its about a girl named Cadence, and every summer her family goes to an island to see her cousins and family, and that's where they spend the summer. She has good friends/cousins there, that have a big impact to this book. Then, an accident happens and Cadence forgets some of her summer. This book is really sad but amazing, I really liked it. It had some mature topics but not TOO many. I recommend this book for a lot of people, who like some mystery. I really liked Cadence, because she's really adventurous and clearly has been through a lot, but she lives through it and makes the book a lot better.

TBR
Sorta Like A Rockstar
Counting By 7's
The Martian

SOL- Sick

Pain rushes through my head and stabs one side of my head. I lay in bed watching videos on my computer. I eat some crackers and more pain sears through my head as I slightly lift my head up. Sometimes being sick is fun, because you can just relax and eat anything, but in my case, I just want to sleep, but I'm in way too much pain. My mom calls me down to eat some lunch, to I get up and slowly make my way downstairs. I don't want to eat anything else, so I just plop down on the couch. I take some Ibeprofen which doesn't help, so I struggle through my headache.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

This book is about a girl named Mia who goes on a drive with her family on a car ride and EVERYTHING changes. She is trapped in between life and death. She isn't a ghost, but she's invisible. This book is full of flashbacks, and it's really cool. I can't say TOO much without giving it away, so you have to read it to find out more! It's full of mysteries, and suspension. I really liked this book, but it has some parts to it that weren't very interesting. It doesn't have many mature topics, but I would recommend it for people in AS. My favorite character was Mia, because she had a tough time going through all the changes, but she managed to make her choices.

TBR-
The Promise of a Pencil
The Martian
Counting by 7's
Sorta Like a Rockstar

SOL- Snowshoeing

I drag my feet through the snow, them aching with pain. I look down at my snowshoes feeling the strength of the straps of them on my snow boots. I look forward towards the direction we are walking, seeing the steepness of the path. Soon we will stop for lunch, so I'm glad I don't have to deal with walking anymore.
Soon we make it towards a valley, where we will stop for lunch, and I'm really glad I'm done with hiking more. We still have to dig holes in the snow and figure out the layers and temperature of the hole, and quickly finish up all the instructions to eat lunch. I plop into the snow, ready to take my lunch out and take my snowshoes off.
After eating lunch, we head back down the trail and make it towards the bus. It was a fun time, although hard to go up the steepness of the path.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This is a book about a boy named Clay who gets these tapes from his classmate named Hannah Baker who commits suicide. Basically, she recorded the tapes of her talking about her life and reasons why she committed suicide and the people behind it. The reason Clay got it was because he was on Hannah's list. Hannah's list has people on it who made a difference in her life basically.

I really likes this book because it's different from other books I've read. It may have some mature topics for some people but I think that it isn't as bad as some other books. This is a mystery, filled with suspension, and it's a little confusing. My favorite character was Hannah, even though she committed suicide, she still was brave given the fact there was A LOT going on in her life. I also liked Clay, even though there wasn't a lot written about his life, more about Hannah's.

TBR-

• If I Stay -book for this week
• Sorta Like A Rockstar
• Counting by 7's

SOL-SNOW

Who knew the snow could be so deep in my neighbors backyard? I step into it, thinking its shallow, but fall through, it going up to my knee. Good thing I'm wearing snow pants, and that its mainly one area that has A TON of snow. My neighbor turns around, getting her sled out so we could go on it. I pick up a bunch of snow, make it into a snowball, and throw it at her, it hitting her arm. She turns back to me, and I can see by the look on her face this isn't going to end well. I mean, of course she's kidding, but I know her. She CAN plot her revenge. I run into the deep snow, grab a lot of it, and run around her backyard, ready to throw all the snow I can at her. She throws a snowball at me.

"It's on." I say. While she bends down to get more snow, I take her hood off and pot some snow down her coat. 

She screams, and tries to do the same, but fails because I know whats going on. We spend the rest of the afternoon having snowball fights and having fun in the snow. We have a great time, and afterwards we drink some hot chocolate.

SOL- Snowy Days

The snow attacks my googles as I ski through the bumps. The snow on the ground has a layer of fresh snow which is really fun to ski on. My face is a pink color, cold from the freezing wind. I stab my pole into the snow, and ski around it. My dad and I get to the end of the run, and rush onto a chair lift,  around a ton of people trying to get on.
The snow has stopped. But my dad and I keep skiing, until we are so tiered we can barely walk. We make our way to the parking lot, where my mom is, waiting to pick us up. Since we didn't have lunch, we stop by Subway and eat a delicious meal. We go back to our mountain house, where we pack up our stuff and get ready to leave the mountains. But that was a mistake. We drive up to Loveland Pass, where traffic awaits. We left at 3:30, and it's already 7:15. We slowly make our way to Georgetown, where we get gas and keep going.
9:00. We are finally back at our house, and our neighbors give us a call if we want to come over to eat a late dinner. Even though we got stuck in traffic for 5 and a half hours, we had a great time in the mountains.

The Perfect Place by Teresa E. Harris

This book is about a girl named Treasure who's dad one night just leaves her and her sister Tiffany, and her mom, but they have no idea where he went. Basically the book is about them trying to find their dad, except their mom leaves them for a little at their mean, strict, Great Aunt Grace. Treasure's mom doesn't leave them for good, she just needs some time alone, to find their dad.

I liked this book, it had a lot of good sayings in it and it's a really quick read. It's also an easy read, which is good to read during break. It doesn't have mature language or topics really, so anyone who doesn't like language should read this book.

Books- (I didn't get any books as a gift)
I want to read:
If I Stay
Sorta Like a Rockstar