In Search Of Honor - a book review

by Gloria

In Search of Honor is a book about a man who is involved in the start of the French Revolution. He's really angry at the king because his father broke the law and got killed for it. It's really a bit stupid, his outlook. But by the end of the book, he realizes his errors and finds peace in God.

I enjoyed this book a little bit. It wasn't completely engaging, and at the beginning it was downright boring. It ended well, though, and it was worth my time. I'd give this book a 5/10

Metaphors

By Gloria

I have three sisters. In a way, they are my three closest friends. So when I recieved an assignment to put three metaphors to three of my friends, I chose my sisters, because I know them best of all.

First, my sister Hannah, who is seven years old. First, she has the temperament and attitude of an an angel, but, only if that Angel is from Maximum Ride. If you haven't read the Maximum Ride series, there is a character named Angel that seems to be Hannah's clone. Angel is a very sweet girl, but also a bit used to getting what she wants, and finding ways to get what she wants. Second, she has the cuteness of a newborn kitty. Newborn kitties are really cute and I love cats! Third, Hannah has the personality of a dolphin. She's has a very playful personality.

My second sister is Christina, who is 11 years old. First, Christina has the energy of a Jack Russel Terrier. She bounces off walls, and is really hyper. Second, she has the hand of Jane Cahill. This is from the series, The 39 Clues. In this series, Jane Cahill is the ancestor of every famous artist since 1501: Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and anybody else that you can think of. Third, she has the laziness of our cat, Joy. Joy is a lazy cat, but I still love her. Still, just like Christina, Joy only works when she has to, and if it was up to her, she'd spend all day laying around.

I would say that I have saved the best for last, but I'm not supposed to be partial with my siblings. Just pretend that last sentence doesn't exist, if it offends you. The last one, is my sister Danielle, age 10. First off, she has the face of an angel. In my opinion, she's the prettiest of us girls. Second, she has my brain and personality. She always seems to do exactly what I would have done at her age. Third, she has the sneakiness of a fox, or, a Lucian. Another 39 clues reference! 

These are the metaphors for my sisters, my closest friends, I hope that you like this, and that Christina an Hannah won't try to get mad at me.

Perspectives

by GCG

In The Arrow Over The Door, there are two boys narrating who come from very different backgrounds and together make an interesting narrative. Stands Straight is an Indian boy whose family was told the protestant faith by a French priest. But, he still is superstitious. Samuel, is the oldest of two boys in a Quaker family. Even though his entire family is pro-peace, he still wonders. Can prayer and peace stop a gun? These boys may be very different, but they have a couple similarities.

For clarification, I will provide three examples of both their similarities and differences. First, both Samuel and Stands Straight are scared of the impending war and what it's effect will have on their families, friends and communities. But, at the same time, the involvement their families have in the war are very different. Samuel's family is not going to take part in the war, but Samuel wants to fight away the British. Stands Straight's family wants to fight, but Stands Straight doesn't want to take part in the “white man's war”.

That leads me to my second point on how they're alike: Both boys are questioning whether or not their families are making the right decision. Of course, the way they want to act goes against the way they were raised. Samuel was raised pro-peace, and Stands Straight is raised in a, not necessarily bloodthirsty, but, slightly cruel, 'killing is easy' home (stereotypical Indian style).

But, even though they were raised in drastically different settings, their morals are very similar, like the qualms of killing, a big world wariness and the basic desire to protect their family. But however similar their morals are, some of their beliefs are different. Stands Straight is superstitious, seeing 'spirits' and other stereotypical Indian beliefs. But Samuel's beliefs sound a lot like those at my church: go where the Holy Spirit leads and trust God, added to the traditional Quaker belief of peace.

Hopefully, I have explained to you that two individuals can be so alike and so different at the same time. God made us all different. If you want to know more, see The Arrow Over The Door by Joseph Bruchac.

Who Controls Your Destiny?

by GCG

What are you going to be doing 5 years from now? 10 years? 15 years? It all 

depends on your destiny. Destiny is your future. Some people say that your destiny is 

set and there's no way to change it. Other people believe that there are a lot of ways 

things could turn out. The question I was told to answer by my Language Arts curriculum

 is: Who controls your destiny? To do that, I'll take the book series, Harry Potter. Then, I'll talk a little about my own life.

The author of  Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling admitted that she used the “Macbeth 

effect”  in her work. In the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare, this man Macbeth hears a 

prophecy that's really weird, decides to act on it, and, like in almost all Shakespeare 

plays, ends up dead. But the important part was, what if Macbeth had never heard the 

prophecy? What if, in Harry Potter, Voldemort never heard the prophecy:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches 

Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies 

The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not 

And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives 

If Voldemort hadn't heard the prophecy and tried to kill Harry, or heard the 

prophecy and went to kill Neville (the only other person who fit the prophecy)

 instead? What would have happened? There have actually been a couple of 

fan-fictions discussing this idea. There was this REALLY weird one where 

Hermione (?) traveled back in to time to kill Voldemort before he has a chance to kill

 Harry's family. She then ends up in this love triangle between her, Sirius Black, and

 Remus Lupin. But the point of these fan-fictions, is, what if Harry was destined for

 something else? Would he fall in love with Slytherin Tracey Davis if he killed Voldemort

 that night in the graveyard? Who controls HIS destiny?

Maybe it's different in real life. What is MY destiny? Personally, I think that your destiny could be anything. It's not set, your choices set it. But no matter what choices we make, God knows and it fits into His plan perfectly, and he will help us on to the destiny he has for us, if we let him. If we let God help us make decisions, He can help us through life. Will you let Him control your destiny?

What Does Soap do to Water?

A Science Experiment
By Christina

Question: What does soap do to water?

Hypothesis: Soap breaks the surface tension

Supplies:

• A reasonably large bowl
• Water
• Black Pepper
• Tweezers
• Facial Tissue
• Soap
• Gum

Procedure:

1. Fill bowl 3/4 with water.
2. Wait till water is still.
3. Shake pepper on the water until fairly coated.
4. Touch surface with tweezers. Note.
5. Add more pepper
6. Rip small amount of tissue, wet, and roll into a ball.
7. Use tweezers to put facial tissue in. Note.
8. Add more pepper if necessary.
9. Chew gum
10. Pull off a chunk of gum.
11. Use tweezers to put in gum. Note.
12. Let water settle
13. Pull off a bit of soap.
14. Wet soap.
15. Dip soap in water. Note.
16. Clean up.

Data:

• The tweezers had no effect on the pepper.
• The facial tissue had no effect on the pepper.
• The gum had no effect on the pepper.
• When the soap was placed in the water, the pepper moved away from to soap to the edges of the bowl.

Conclusion:

My hypothesis was right. Soap pushes surface tension away and therefor pushes the pepper away with it. 

The Angel's Appearance

by Christina
A "Flash-back" story

As I lie in my bed I remember last year, when I met my best friend, who had once came to make my wish come true. She still visits me often, as I get lonely. Mom and Dad aren't around much, so she and my stuffed animals are my only company. And now, as I look back, my adventure with her is as clear as though it happened yesterday

~oOo~

"I was in bed, as I am now, but I was worried. My father went to Europe, looking for a job. The trip had cost us most of our money and I could tell that Mom was struggling to keep us fed. She was working as hard as she could, and I tried to help her. But it was hard. Many times when Mom or I found something  she would press it on me, insisting I needed it more than she did. But I always try and have her eat. We often wen tot the streets, looking for scraps. I looked at the sky, and saw a shooting star. I wished, please help us. Then to my astonishment, it swiveled in my direction. It began to streak towards me. I stood as it streaked closer... I closed my eyes, waiting for the crash. There was thunder, light, and then nothing. I opened my eyes.

"Surprising, isn't it?"

I spun around. There, on my shelf, was a stuffed dragon, but the most surprising thing was the dragon was moving. I gawked unable to say anything. Then the dragon turned its head towards me. "I believe I had com to help a human, " the dragon said, "but it seems I was mistaken and I must help a fish."

I closed my mouth but as I stared, my mind was racing. This must be a dream, I confirmed. The dragon snorted, sending sparks everywhere. "A dream? I should think not." I was so surprised I spun around, collapsed on my bed, and fainted.

~oOo~

There was laughter behind me. There stood Leriline, perched on the shelf.

I smiled. "Well, it can be surprising when your stuffed animal comes to life."

"Yes, very surprising," she said. "Continue the story."

~oOo~

"The next day I woke up. "I had a weird dream," I said. "I dreamed that I saw a shooting star, but it wasn't a shooting star, and my dragon came alive. Oh well," I said, sitting up. "It doesn't matter."

"Does it?" Said a soft, small voice. Behind me was the dragon, sitting with its tail curled over its feet. The dragon leaped into the air, and landed gracefully on my chest. "A bit skinny..." The dragon said, circling my waist. "Tall, young, and fast, but the heart? Been through hard times... I've done enough. You are te one I was sent for. Yesterday I was unable to introduce myself properly. My name is Leriline, female angel. You must be Lily."

"How do you-" I began.

"I know many things," said Leriline. She flew to the stand where she examined my stuffed animals: a bear, a squirrel, and a unicorn. "Do you mind?" she asked. Then, before I could answer, there was thunder, light, and three animals staring  in confusion at each other. The unicorn got to her feet and said, "So, my name is Acacia? Not sure about that name..."

As Leriline beckoned me closer, she said, "I'd like to introduce you to Lily!" She flew to my shoulder and they looked u. Squirrel gave a shriek of terror and hid behind Acacia's legs. Anna fell backwards in a faint. Acacia, however, looked up and gave a leap to the floor. Squirrel also jumped and hurried out of the room. I followed, Acacia running in front of me and Leriline flying just over my head. Then Squirrel shot into my mother's bedroom.But when I went in, no one was in the room, not even Squirrel. My mother had vanished, and there was a tiny ball of light. I leaped for the ball. I heard "Lily, no!" before I disappeared.

~oOo~

Well, that was unexpected." Acacia said.

""I don't know what had come over me." I said.

"Well," said Leriline. "I think it's time I take over."

~oOo~

"Lily leaped for the ball. "Lily, no!" I yelled. She hung in the air for a second then disappeared.

"What happened?" cried Acacia, alarmed.

"That was a portal," I explained. "It took her somewhere else, and it's probably not a good place."

"Let's go, then!" Acacia cried. "We have to save Lily!"

"I don't think we should-" I stopped as Acacia hit it and disappeared. "NO!" I shouted, and also dived into the ball. Everything went dark, and as I collapsed on top of Acacia. My worst fears were confirmed: we were in the devil's dungeon, in a cage.

"Come to join your friends, have you?" There, behind me, stood the devil himself, all ten heads grinning.

Lily appeared out of the shadows. "You-"" she said things that made me look at her in shock.

When she finished, the devil went away, and Lily dragged out her mother, who was unconscious.

I began to mutter, and Anna appeared. "Anna!" I called. "Get us out of here!"

Anna ran. As soon as her paw touched the lock, the door slid open and we all climbed out. "Wait!" I said. "That tree!" I said, pointing to it. "It's the only know existing money tree! This could solve all Lily's problems!" Lily grabbed the tree, I said a few words, and we were back. "I must return home. What I came to do is done."

Lily turned to me. "Now?" she asked.

"Don't worry," I said, as tears began to fill my eyes. "I'll visit often, I promise." And with those last words, I retuened to heaven."

~oOo~

"Whoa!" said Squirrel, his eyes open as Leriline finished her tale.

"I nearly cried too," I admitted. Then I smiled, and said, "I'm glad to have friends like you."

History

Story of The World: Early Modern Times Ch 3
By Christina

The Emperors who ruled China said that their city was at the center of the world. The people who fought in the Thirty years war said their city was at the center of the world, and the people who ruled India said their country was at the center. Their first emperor, Babur, was a descendant from and important Mongol king. He had been a prince, wandering, when he came to India. At that time, India was split into many countries, each ruled by a nobleman. Babur led his army and conquered many cities until he made the different countries a whole empire. His descendants were fruitful and the Mongol dynasty of kings were created.

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez

by  Danielle

 Diego was born June six 1599 in Seville Spain. In 1618 when he was nineteen, he married Juana, the daughter of the man who taught him to paint, her name was Juana Pacheco. Diego had two daughters the first born is Francisca de Silva Velasquez y Pacheco who was born in1619, and the second was Ignacia de Silva Velasquez y Pacheco who was born in 1621. Diego was a  realist painter. His first painting is Tres Musicos and his last one is La Reina Marina de Austria. Juana died in 1660, she died a few days after her husband.

Velazquez painted everyday scenes, take the Water seller of Seville for example, back in those days the people didn’t have water bottles or water fountains so they had a water seller. He also liked dark coloring and the light in the right places of the painting.

Juan de Paraja is a portrait of his slave which a lot of people called Juanico for this painting which was done in 1650.  It has his style of dark shades and light hitting the perfect spot. I love Velasquez paintings and I know I won’t ever be able to paint as good as him. 

If you want to look at pictures from Velasquez go to http://www.diegovelazquez.org

Second Debate

by Christina

In the second debate with President Barrack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, people gave them questions about jobs, women's rights, college, hardships, taxes, and other politic related questions. Both men spoke well, though it seemed that President Obama was starting his answers by what he's done, but even then there was quite a bit of untruth in it. Romney was sympathetic towards the people, and he was promising that he will do this, that he will do that, and it seemed as though he was promising them too much.

The whole of the USA could be affected by this debate, because it could decide which man would become president, and the president's choices could affect the USA, which could affect the world in some way. Many people said that in the last debate, President Obama had a very hard time. However, in the current debate, he was equal to Mitt Romney.

Joanna Kicksmiller

By Danielle

A Tall Tale

            Once upon a time there was a woman who everyone called her Mrs. Kicksmiller. She was pregnant, when she gave birth  she was surprised that her baby girl in a couple seconds was 20 pounds heavy, and immediately grew to 4 feet big! By this she knew that she should name her daughter Joanna. ( in their language meant big and heavy ) When Joanna was 5 she had a job as a strongest and the tallest girl in the world at all the circus'. One day Joanna was running and making earthquakes ( but not knowing it )when a man named Mr. Mayor shouted to Joanna that the world would be better off without her. Joanna was so sad that the next morning she packed her stuff up in a circus tent and walked across  the Pacific ocean  to North America and she settled in  the mountains. Mrs. Kicksmiller was so sad that her daughter went away and she died of sadness. Mr. Kicksmiller was so angry at Mr. Mayor that he went and kidnapped Mr.  Mayor's only child and raised him as his own.

Joanna went to New York  City and saw some girls like her and they talked about themselves and became friends. Joanna and her 2 friends Suzanna and Pollyanna lived together and they worked for the police to help catch criminals. After the criminals were all caught and the people who wanted to become criminals were  too afraid to, Suzanna ,and Pollyanna went to visit Joanna's parents’ house. When Joanna saw what happened to her mother she became very weak and a few weeks later died. Pollyanna and Suzanna were so sad that they became so sad and they wanted no one to see them.

That is why there is sand storms and blizzards where you can barely see anything then you should know that they are there and they make them by kicking the desert sand and pulling snow from the clouds above.

The End

The End of the World

by Danielle
I learned that some people around a thousand years ago thought that the world was going to end in the year 1000 so they started getting ready. The poor people were glad that the world was going to end because they were miserable, but the rich had big parties because they wanted to be good. But the years went by 1000 still no ending of the world 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, and now it is 2012 now and still the world hasn't ended. I also learned that lots of people believed long ago that what we now call America was the boundaries of the earth. The Vikings were brave and they went farther than anyone went and called America vine land or wine land for there were lots of grape vines.

Motorcycle Accident

Current Event
By Gloria
Article from local newspaper

A 27-year old motorcyclist collided with a truck on (Major Road). The man on the motorcycle is now in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, even though he was wearing a helmet.

This is sad, and I will be praying for the poor guy, but it was mostly his fault. The man was driving at over 60 mph on a 35 mph road. In a way, it was a truck driver's fault, too, for not stopping at a stop sign. This really convinced me that when I start driving, I need to drive very carefully. Romans 13:1 says, "Let every soul be subject to governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." God put rules there for a reason. Had both drivers, or even one of them, been following the rules, this might not have happened at all.

I hope this will be a lesson to people in our town to follow driving rules. If people pay more attention to this article, there might be less speeding and more stopping at stop signs. The motorcyclist could have had at least a girlfriend who right now is worrying about her boyfriend in the hospital. Then all her friends will find out and spread the story to their friends, who'd spread the story to their friends, and so on. That's how word spreads and hopefully this will make an impact. If people pay attention to this and learn from it, there might be fewer accidents in our town.

Birthright Stew

By Hannah

One day Esau came home, starving. He said, "I'll trade anything for some of your homemade stew."

Jacob saw his chance. So he traded his some of his homemade stew for Esau's birthright.

Birthrights were a very big deal in those days. The oldest son got more inheritance and they called it "birthright."

Here is a recipe for Birthright Stew*

Several handfuls of wild lentils
Wild onions
Salt
Water
Meat (optional)

Place in clay stew pot and allow to cook slowly over open fire. Stew is done when broth turns red and the aroma is too good to resist.

*From Amazing Book of Bible Facts by Sandy Silverthorne. Published by Harvest House Publishers, 1994

Mental health screening creates crisis where none exists

Current Event
by Gloria

From: http://www.naturalnews.com/033969_mental_health_screening_teens.html
 (Oops, I forgot to check the date. The article is not current, but the issue still is.)

Because of increased rate of suicide and depression in teens, a program has been started called "Teen Screen" and has been proved to be drastically wrong. Teen Screen is a test, which basically tries to assign a mental disorder to the individual who takes it. Middle and High schools all over are starting to make their students take this test.

In my opinion, this test is unnecessary and wrong. Personally, I wouldn't want a label following me around for the rest of my life. Yes, a label. And I could guess that I would be labeled with ADD. ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder and I would probably be given pills to take that I have heard "make you stop feeling hungry." That is proof right there that it messes with your body. Psalm 139:13 says, "for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." God made us, so people should stop trying to find something wrong with God's creation.

This isn't just a personal problem. There is an 84-94% chance that a teen who takes this test will be labeled falsely. If a teen is labeled with a disorder they are given medicine. Apparently, parents have no say in this. Statistics show that if every teen in America takes this test, then over 8 million kids will be put "into the hands of the psychiatric/drug industry." The writer of the article made it clear that essentially, the children will be given drugs. This actually could change the world.

Janie Rabbit

By Danielle

                                                

   There once was a rabbit named Janie. Janie is an adult rabbit, she is unique in 2 ways 1:she has red lightning bolts on her black silky thick fur, and 2: because she can send lightning bolts and strike the enemy. One sunny day Janie saw that it was a nice day for going on a walk, she was hopping along the covered with grass Merry Berry Lane when she stopped and gasped there was a rattlesnake going towards a little mouse. Now Janie thought she had seen this child before, a long braid, little glasses, dyed tail, “oh” Janie gasped “Melinda!!” the little brown mouse looked at her but then she saw the snake and froze in terror “go shoo” Janie said to the rattlesnake and the little Melinda unfroze and said embarrassed “thank you for saving my life for the 5^th time” “no problem” Janie said while handing a piece of cheese to her“this might help” Janie said soothingly “it always does” Melinda answered “bye Janie!” then Janie went on hopping along but no sooner she was stopped by the King and his warriors “oh hello your majesty” Janie said cheerfully “ we  have heard about your powers and we don’t believe in them” the king said “then why do you have all those warriors with you?” She asked “well lets not dilly-dally and I’ll give my warriors some command they have been waiting a long time to hear Attack” the king shouted, then Janie twitched her ear towards and a huge black storm cloud came  “It’s only a light drizzle” but it wasn’t big huge raindrops splattered down then one by one they got struck Janie heard hisses of pain then she heard “I’ll get you somehow”. After the storm was over stuffed the rattle snakes inside her pack when she was done there were10 more rattlesnakes “oh I’ll leave those for Coyote Joe” and she hopped back to her village the doctor was happy for the venom and the dancers were happy for the rattles “is that a early Christmas present for me” they both said together. That night there was a feast or rattlesnake stew and to finish it off a dance from the dancers with rattles.

 The End

39 clues alphabet rhyme

by Gloria

A is for Amy, who likes to read
B is for Bae Oh, who's flaw is greed
C is for Cahill, the big family
D is for Dan, who I think has ADHD
E is for Ekaterina, branch with the smart dudes
F is for finding the 39 clues
G is for Grace Cahill, an amazing woman
H is for The Holts, all buff like Hamilton
I is for Ian, who's absolutely confusing  
J is for Janus, the branch of painting and singing
K is for Kobra, Ian and Natalie
L is for Lucian, the most powerful branch of the family
M is for Madison, who's a little bit bratty
N is for Nellie, Dan and Amy's Au Pair
O is for Oh, like Uncle Alistair 
P is for the pain, both sharp and blunt
Q is for questioning why you entered this hunt
R is for Reagan, the nicer Holt twin (yes that's fair)
S is for Saladin, the cat who's mostly just... there
T is for Tomas, the warrior branch of the Cahill's
U is for ugly, like aforementioned people 
V is for very dead if a Tomas heard that
W is for Wizard, Jonah isn't really "all that"
X is for XD 'cause I laugh 'till I cried
Y is for why did Irina Spassky's kid die? 
Z is for zzzzzzzzzzz I'm done :)

The Turtle’s shell

A   Fable

by Danielle 

     Once upon a time there was a turtle named Emmit. On Emmit’s 9^th birthday he had 30 presents, after he opened all of them his father said “ we have one more present for you” and he took a card out of his shell and handed it to Emmit, Emmit open it and gasped in amazement “I’m getting a new shell!”(But is very exiting thing for turtle’s to get a new shell) he was so exited he didn’t hear his father say“don’t tell anybody about it” Even though it was 5:00 Emmit rushed to his room got his pajamas on and almost brushed his teeth when his mom called from downstairs “Emmit dear don’t you want dinner it’s your favorite but it’s getting cold” Emmit stopped just before he squeezed the toothpaste onto his toothbrush. He ran as fast as he could down the stairs and grabbed his bowl gobbled it and rushed up the stairs and up to his room yelling “ good night mom and dad!”  He got his teeth brushed and plopped on his bed and fell right asleep. The next day he woke up early (just as he planned even though it was5:00 and he needed to go to school at 7:00) and woke up his parents and got ready for school Emmit’s mom said sleepily “honey you know the bus comes at 6:00”  “yes I do but I want to go to school by our car today” Emmit said. After Emmit’s parent’s got dressed they took him to school he went inside and saw the janitor and the janitor said “you the one that’s supposed to help me today?” “No sir, but tomorrow I’m getting a new shell!” Emmit shouted happily. One hour later lots of turtles came for the breakfast, then when he was done eating his 7^th helping Emmit shouted “Hey everybody I’m getting a new shell tomorrow!” After school he went home ate dinner and got in his pajamas and brushed his teeth and got in bed and tried to go to sleep but he had slept so long last night he couldn’t get to sleep, so Emmit got comfortable and finally got to sleep. The next morning he was so comfortable that he slept for a long time, his mother woke him up saying “Emmit your shell is here” Emmit woke up quickly and said “it’s here oh no!” and he got dressed quickly and rushed outside  “Oh no” he said “It’s gone!” then his mother said “oh my I only left it for a second.”

Moral: Don’t brag of what your going to get or you might not get it at all

Book Review: Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
by Danielle

Misty of Chincoteague takes place around in the1900's. It's about many horses who were in a shipwreck and swam to a place called Chincoteague. Now there were 2 children their names were Maureen and Paul, they heard about a group of horses (from their Grandpa) and went to go see them themselves. After they went across the sea they heard hoof beats, so they hid behind the bushes and there leading the stampede of wild horses was the Phantom!( Which they had been looking for.) The story ends by Paul riding the Phantom in a race and they won! btw I love the story and I would totally recommend it

Cause and effect: flowers

by Christina

This is a cause and effect paragraph essay on flowers, and their connection to the sun. when you study the flower while blocking the sun or any other light you can see the way the plant reacts without light, which could give a description of why the plant needs light.

If we started out with a tiny flower, and suppose a person came and accidentally dropped a pan over the flower without noticing, it would start the cause and effect. The flower would be blocked from the sun, but the water and the nutrients in the soil would still feed the flower. The plant will have healthy nutrients, too. But a flower cannot live by those alone.

The sun gives the plants chlorophyll, a chemical that keeps the plants green. The chemical is also a nutrient that the plants need, but not one that can be given through the soil. If the sun is blocked from reaching the flower, the plant gets no chlorophyll, the green starts to fade, and it gets sick. If a plant is sick for another reason, it will also lose chlorophyll, and become dry and yellow.

There are many bees that feed from the flower, and when it dies, a little of the bees food source dies down. But supposing it were a huge field of flowers that were blocked from light, it could cause some damage. However, the flower fades into compost, and when the pan is removed and new seeds are blown into the soil, the plants grow easier.

So ends our cause and effect. By the man dropping the pan over the flower, the sun couldn't reach the flower, and the flower got sick and died, and the flower turned into compost so when the pan was removed the seeds could be planted in the compost, and the compost would make the plant healthier. So it was actually for a good cause.

Danielle-

Wandering preacher casting demons out of people!

    This man called Jesus is healing lots of people and is sending out demons!Jesus and his disciples preached and healed a great number of people from Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidion.  The preacher is claiming to be God’s son! But is this possible?

My Imaginary Pet Zim

by Danielle

Who Is Zim? 
Zim is an alien that came down from a far away planet to destroy Earth. His “Tallest” (Which means “My Smartest”) wanted to get rid of him so they banished him to “Food Courtia”. But Zim managed to slip away and go to a meeting that The Tallest assigned him a “Mystery” planet (called Earth).

Why Do I Like Zim?

I like Zim because he is green has a “skin condition”. And has a really crazy robot named G.I.R “Greatly- Intelligent- Robot” .And I like Zim because he is funny, and he always gets away with everything.

Why should Zim be my pet?

I think Zim should be my pet because he speaks funny and I would love to meet him (not like some person in a costume.) And I would love to meet G.I.R. his robot (and his pet.) And my favorite quote is “G.I.R. what did you learn?” “I saw a squirrel it was doin’ like this (than makes a squirrel sound.)

Thank you

My Pet Of Fire

By Christina

If my Mom would ever let me have a new pet, I would choose a dragon. Many people believe dragons are extinct, and others believe dragons are just imaginary. I think dragons are exotic and just have hid their faces from the human race, fearing extinction. I even found some proof dragons are real.
In the Huachuca desert, Arizona, on April 26, 1890, a real flying dragon was found. It was found by two ranchers, who were attacked. They shot the beast and wounded it, but it almost immediately died of starvation. The ranchers examined it. From wingtip to wingtip, the total length was about 160 feet. The wings had an almost transparent skin, free of feathers, as was the rest of the body. The head itself was eight feet long, and its eyes were as large as a dinner plate and stuck out halfway from the body. It's whole skin was smooth and could be easily penetrated by a bullet. Also, the bible talks about dragons a lot. ( In King James version, look up Deuteronomy 32:33, Nehemiah 2:13, Job 30:29, Psalm 44:19, Psalm 74:13, Psalm 91:13, Psalm 148:7, Isaiah 13:22, Isaiah 14:29, Isaiah 27:1, Isaiah 30:6, Isaiah 34:13, Isaiah 35:7, Isaiah 43:20, Isaiah 51:9, Jeremiah 9:11, Jeremiah 10:22, Jeremiah 14:6, Jeremiah 49:33, Jeremiah 51:34, Jeremiah 51:37, Ezekiel 29:3, Micah 1:8, and Malachi 1:3.)

Why would I want a dragon for a pet? Many people think dragons are evil and lust for gold. I think there are some good dragons and evil dragons, and good dragons are the protectors of our universe, a shield against evil. But I wouldn't want a dragon for a protector, just a companion. I would have a bond with my dragon, a lot like a partner, but deeper. I believe dragons are intelligent, and can both speak and mindspeak. I also believe dragons can breath fire.

Now, onto what my dragon would look like. It would have four legs, leathery wings, scaly body. The dragon will be huge, with spikes rippling from the head to the base of the tail, with one flat spike at the end. On the dragon's base of the neck will have one spike missing. The gap is large enough to sit on comfortably. My dragon will be able to live until she is killed, and so will I. With a dragon, I wouldn't need a car, and I can avoid traffic jams, street lights, and school zones. My dragon will have three sharp claws on each foot. The hind legs will bend forward, then backward. The scales will be bright blue, and the chest a deep scarlet. The horns are scarlet also. Some good names I thought of would be Hartanna, Thigocia, Sapphira, and Roxil. If I ever got a dragon, that's what I would want.

DJ the Dolphin

by Hannah

DJ the dolphin is playful as a puppy. He squeaks like a mouse. He splashes like a huge stone falling in water. His pool smells like salt water. He eats fish. He feels like wet rubber.


Dolphin clip art from WP Clipart.

The Winter and The Dragon

by Christina

The dragon takes

A flying leap

And lands into the snow.

The claws they scrape

As the snow creeps

Over the gigantic toes.

The snowflakes

Fly in circles

Around the dragon’s head.

The  flakes

Of snow seem purple

And dragon’s snout glows red.

The dragon snaps

At snowflakes

As they flee from shining teeth,

They overlap

Around his flanks

And make a sparkling wreath.

The dragon digs

A burrow

As the wind breaths through his scales,

He finds a fig

And then goes

Towards his home to read of Wales.

The wind grabs

At the dragon

And digs cold fingers through his skin,

But the dragon has

A weapon.

It is the fire that burns within.

Dragon image from wpclipart.com

The Dragon

By Christina

The dragon dives
The foamy waves
Crash over the dancing figure.
He spins and flies
Through the long day,
Hoping a feast for his dinner.

His eye catches
A glimmering scale
A fish of beautiful gold.
Down he splashes
He could not fail
When the fish was in his hold.

He counts his fish
Thirty, Forty more
As the sun sinks down from the sky,
He makes a wish
And with a great soar,
All the way home he does fly.

Five dragon girls
And three dragon boys
fly to their father's feast.
With eight small whirls
They grab new toys
The bones from the fish, at least.

Then they eat the great meal from their father,
And as he leaves from the den,
Eight pairs of eyes grow larger,
As he takes to the sky again.

To My Dog Copper

By Gloria

The Partially Perfect Puny Puppy,
Is a cheerful, comforting, cute little thing.
One day with him will make you feel lucky,
Or even make you want to sing.

The Partially Perfect Puny Puppy,
Can be a cheerful, comforting, cute little pup.
Until he gets the carpet all muddy,
And you have to clean it all up.

The Partially Perfect Puny Puppy,
Is as cheerful, comforting, and as cute as the chick in the nest.
To own him you truly ARE lucky!
Oh puppy, to me you're the best.

By:Danielle

Alana

Alana my friend

She has a little brother

He is Aiden

Blackie my dog

I love Blackie

I love her a lot

She's my dog

The Pipe Broke

By Hannah

Daddy came home. He said, “How did the windows get broken?”

I said, “Mommy screamed.”

Daddy said, “Why did Mommy scream?”

“Because the dishes broke.”

“Why did the dishes break?”

“I slipped and I broke the wall with my head.”

“How did you slip and break the wall?”

“The pipe broke and the water leaked onto the floor. Nobody knew.”

“Let’s call the plumber and fix the pipe.”

(Inspired by A Fly Went By Mike McClintrock)

A Poem Study

by Danielle

Sensory Poem

My doll Alana
Smooth, like silk,

She smells like flowers just blooming,

Beautiful, like my (human) friend Alana.

Word Poem

Cohort

Sounds like a knife with a silver blade and a gold handle,

A team of horses,

A tornado in the rain,

Purple and red with maroon,

It means a supporter or a companion.

Silly Word Poem

Yippie-Skippy

Sounds like something’s funny,

Maybe something happy,

Like a cheery little monkey,

Or a day that’s bright and sunny,

Or maybe the color of honey,

It’s an expression of joy.

Book Review: Theras and His Town

by Christina

Review of

THERAS AND HIS TOWN
by  Caroline Dale Snedeker

Theras was a young boy who lived in Athens, Greece. He was active and didn't obey rules much. When he turned seven, he went to school , but was teased because his skin was white. One day his father, Philodendron, went to war. When the fleet returned, the men said that Philodendron had fallen, and would never return.

A few nights later, their closest relative took Theras to Sparta, a cruel place. He joined a small group of boys, but they teased him of his long hair, saying, “Look at the girlie.” One day he found a shepherd boy named Argos. Then a group of Spartans appeared Theras thought they were looking for him, and he hid. But they came to take Argos's big brother away, because a few nights earlier, he saved a Spartan when no other Spartans would dare to do what he did. The Spartans feared that he would be too powerful, so the took him and killed him. Theras became friends with Argos, and realizing that the Spartans will someday go for Argos too, he took his friend and traveled toward Athens.

What will happen next? What dangers will they face? Will they complete the journey? Read for yourself to find out!

WHAT I THINK OF THERAS AND HIS TOWN

I think the story is adventurous and heart touching. I love how the story ends when they all get together and live happily ever after. I was sorry when Theras's found out his father died. And every part of my mind wanted to read more. If you have not read Theras and his town, I would encourage you to do so.

Athens and Sparta

by Christina

Greece's cities dotted the valleys, with power that flowed through them all. Two cities, however, by the names of Athens and Sparta, treasured extreme power. Athens popularity kept power in itself, while Sparta's power came through it's fierceness. Though both kept very powerful boundaries, nothing brought them even close to becoming common. They fought nearly all the time.

Sometimes, fighting subsided and the Athenian men took a break. During this time, they made clay pots . The women made clothes and fancy rugs, which they spent their time making all day.

Athenians got their name from the goddess Athena, one of the Greek gods. They built precious marble temples for her, and admired her, believing her as the goddess of wisdom and meaningful war.

The Athenians also farmed excellently. They tended to huge field of grapes and grew giant olive trees they also raised chickens, donkeys, horses and goats. The Athenians traded many things like gold, pots, clothes, rugs, spices, and food and many other goods. People from all over the world came to Athens for their beautiful pottery.

Sparta tried to destroy this civilization, yet the strong Athenians blocked every blow. They seemed to the Athenians as unintelligent, and Athens looked down at them. For instance, Sparta hated making pots and pans. They fought as much they could, and when they did not, they practiced fighting.

Sparta cared for the gods much less than Athens. They made small, crude temples compared to the temples in Athens. Sparta also thought of the gods as cruel and bloodthirsty, much like themselves.

Spartans looked down at farming, too. Instead, they would steal from other countries and take their livestock or kill wild animals to eat. Also, Spartans hated the thought of trading. Instead, they raided weaker cities and stole their valuables.

Sparta's cruelness and Athens power struck many times. Yet in the end, they destroyed each other and found themselves even less powerful than they thought.

References:

Millard, A. & Vanags, P. (2008) The Usborne Book of World History. London, England. Usborne Publishing Ltd.

Bingham, J., Chandler, F., & Taplin, S. (2009) The Usborne Book of World History. London, England Usborne Publishing Ltd.

www. Usborne.com /quicklinks