And Still more Poetry!

Nature

the orb of dew
left from last night
'neath the cool sheet of dark
with faint starlight
sits on a leaf
where it twinkles and shines
in the beaming sunlight
as a diamond from the mines.
nearby, a tulip
fresh from the ground
is a bright splotch of red
in greenery all around.
it stands out
from the dark of the dirt
and grows tall and proud
leaves perked and alert.
this beauty of nature
as you can see
makes people smile
including me!


Tell me what you think!
--SwimmerGirl

And More Poetry!

The day outside is warm and bright
But I still have this poem to write.
It takes up all of my free time
Thinking of words that could rhyme.
I want to go outside and read,
Yet to my will I shall not cede.
But look!  My work is almost done,
So I may have some time for fun.
It seems my work's done for the day,
Now I'll go out on this beautiful day!

Tell me how you like it!
--SwimmerGirl

More Poetry!

This time it's some more original poetry!

What to Write
I have no clue on what to write.
For my blog post due; this is my plight.
What topic or issue should I choose?
My time is like a shortening fuse.
Do I rhyme, outline, or just write free?
Oh, what trouble this gives me.
A sonnet? A limerick? A haiku? A fable?
I can write all of these, I just am not able
To come up with a well-written poem
That I might not finish if I take it home.
Time’s nearly up, I quickly type that:
A submission that will possibly fall flat.
I hope you enjoy it, for this is my rhyme,
About what to write when there is no time.

This poem can be found here (and yes, StarGazer453 is my TeenInk name): http://teenink.com/poetry/free_verse/article/198291/What-to-Write/

I would love to see some of your original poetry!

--SwimmerGirl

Original Poetry!

Time for some of my original poetry.  This one is free verse, a type of poetry that has no set rhyme scheme or set line length or meter.  Basically, it's just writing about a subject!

dark when I wake
drowsy and half-asleep
shuffle out of bed
slowly getting lighter
things gathered and packed for the day
unlock the door
sun is rising now
onto the bus
hear all the chatter
higher in the sky
into the huge building
unlock my locker
can see it through the window
all my different classes
sit bored through long period
patterns on my desk
lunch with all my friends
continue through the day
lower in the sky
only last period left
finally I return home
clinging to the horizon
end of the day
crawl into bed
gone until the morning


So, how'd you guys like it?  Leave any comments below!

-SwimmerGirl

I Am Number Four

Another book review!
This time it's about a book called "I Am Number Four" bu Pittacus Lore.  It's about a race of aliens called Lorians, who came from a distant planet.  They are being hunted by a different kind of aliens called the Mogadorians.  The Mogadorians are intent on wiping out the Loric people and using their planet for its resources.  Happily, some Loric escape to Earth, where they live among the people there.  Unfortunately, the Mogadorians are hot on their tail.  There were nine to begin with, and can only be killed in a certain order.  Number Four is intent on avoiding being captured or killed, but first he must learn to survive high school.  The first book ends dramatically, and I'm eager for a second!

Here is the link to where you can buy the book!

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

If it's Love

Today I'll be reviewing a well-known book... "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare.  It's a tale of love, fate, and misfortune.  The story opens with Romeo, a member of the Montague family, being depressed and unhappy.  The reason for this is a girl he loves, but she does not love him back.  Then his friend Mercutio suggests they go to the Capulets' party.  There is only one problem: the Montagues and the Capulets are enemies.  Romeo reluctantly agrees to go to the party, and there, he meets Juliet, Lord Capulet's daughter.  The two fall in love, and the rest of the book is devoted to how the two lovers attempt to stay together.  The tragic end, however, results in both their deaths, and the families mourning their losses.  I thought this book was good.  One of the more annoying things, however, was the fact that I constantly had to look at the guide to figure out what certain words meant.  The plot of the story and the characters were well-developed, and I found the book a good read altogether.  It may be tough to read at first, but you will eventually get the hang of reading his language.
Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Wow!

14 followers!  Thank you all so much!

Today I'm reviewing a book that I'm sure all of you have read.  It's about magic, dragons, flying broomsticks, and friendship.  Have you guessed?  Yup, it's Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling.  Many of you already know how this book goes, so I'll review the series as a whole.  I couldn't put any of these books down because they were all so great.  The imagery described really created a whole new world.  I also like how Harry, Ron, and Hermionie are really good friends.  You really don't see plots like that anymore, and  this was a relief.  For me, "Order of the Phoenix" was a bit boring, but the story quickly picked up again towards the end.  If you haven't read these books, go out and get them!!!

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

More Haikus!

Over the past few days--well, day--, I've come up with some more haikus!
I also noticed that a user called "Jenn" had some great haikus that she left in the comments.  Keep up the good work!


Labs
Furry, floppy ears
Like to chew on everything
Black and yellow Labs.
_________________________
Softball
The crack of the bat
Thump of the ball in my glove
Dirt caught in my cleats
_________________________
Blue
Light as fresh water
Dark as the inky midnight sky
Many different shades.


Tell me what you think!

Life and a Good Book

Today was a relaxing day for me.  Softball practice in the morning-- windy and chilly!  We also have my cousins' Labrador retrievers until Saturday.  They're both pretty big, and LOVE attention and treats! :)

I just finished a book entitled "The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie.  It tells the story of Junior, a Native Americana living on the reservation.  His dreams are to go to Reardan, a school in a nearby town.  Unfortunately, the rez kids are not well-liked by the people not on the rez.  Can Junior adapt to his new life in Reardan?  Or will he be an outsider of both his new school and his home reservation?  I liked this book because it was cleverly written.  There were some pretty amusing illustrations scattered in the pages, and that added to the humor of the book.  I would suggest this to older kids.

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Haikus!

Here's post two of two, about haikus.

Haikus are short poems with a few simple rules.

Haikus can only be three lines.
There must be 5 syllables in the first and last lines and 7 syllables in the second line.
Here is an example of a funny haiku:

Haikus are easy.
But sometimes they don't make sense.
Refrigerator.


Haikus don't have to rhyme, but they should be creative.

Here are a few samples of my haikus:

An old pond sits here.
A stone falls in the water.
It makes small ripples.


The new leaves are green.
The sun makes them translucent.
Rus'ling in the wind.


The apostrophe there lets the reader know that a syllable has been removed.  Haikus do not have to be about nature, but mine were inspired by leaves and a pond, as you can see.
Challenge time!  I want you, my readers, to write your OWN haikus!  Post them in the comments after this post.  Looking forward to reading them!
--SwimmerGirl

Limericks!

Whoops!  I didn't post yesterday!  To make up for it, I'm going to do two posts today.  This is the first one.

Have any of you ever written a limerick?  It's a type of poem that I particularly enjoy.  Limericks are usually silly or nonsensical in some way, but they don't have to be.  Here is an example of a well-known limerick:
A flea and a fly in the flue
Were trapped, so what could they do?
"Let us fly," said the flea.
"Let us flee," said the fly,
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.


The rhyme scheme is simple and easy to follow.  The first two lines must rhyme with the last line, and the third and fourth lines usually rhyme, but in this case, they don't.

Here are some limericks I wrote:

This skeleton is nothing but bone
That never talks, but will groan
He must run from a pup
Or it'll eat his bones up
And that skeleton will then be unknown.


There once was a pizza named Fred
"I won't get eaten," he said.
But a boy went *much*
And his sister went *crunch*
To two children poor Fred had been fed.


Now, my readers, I challenge you!  I want to see your limericks!  Post them in the comments and I'll read them.  Looking forward to some funny poems!

--SwimmerGirl

The Anybodies

One book that I could read over and over again is "The Anybodies" by N. E. Bode.  It's about a girl named Fern who is strikingly different from her family.  She has known this all her life, but it only really sets in when a mysterious man who calls himself The Bone arrives at her door.  He claims to have mistakenly taken her parents' child, and in truth, the boy looks more like her parents, and she looks more like The Bone.  Once home, Fern is taught how to become an Anybody, a person who can change their looks to become anyone or anything.  She is quickly wrapped up in a world of magic and mysteries, but can she find her way out?
I really like this book because the author actually interacts with the reader.  They ask the reader questions and talk to them as if they were there.  Also, the imagery used in this book is fantastic, with illustrations scattered here and there among the pages.  I would recommend this book to anybody!  :)

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Teen Ink

Hello everyone!
This post is not actually a review, but it's about one of my favorite websites.  It's called Teen Ink.  It's a fantastic website where you can post your own artwork, poetry, stories and more.  Once they're on this site, anyone can read then, and they can rate your art and write reviews on it.  I have a few poems there myself!  My username for that website is StarGazer453.  Feel free to comment and review my stuff!

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Vacation!

Hey everyone!  It's school vacation week for me.  What a relief!

Just finished a book called "ttyl" (for those who aren't leetspeek-savvy, that's "Talk To You Later") by Lauren Myracle.  The story is told through the instant messages of three freshmen friends: Angela, Zoe, and Maddie.  Their IMs are funny, witty, and oh-so-true.  The conflicts are numerous and scattered throughout the book, and each is resolved in its own time.  The three friends are very different: Zoe is quiet and shy, Maddie is tough on the outside and the "bad girl" of the group, and Angela is crazy and fun.  Deep down, however, they are all fun-loving, happy teenagers.  I would recommend this book to young girls in their early teens, as it was a bit easy for me.

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Little Brother

Hello again!  I recently went to the library, so expect a lot more posts!

I'm reading a novel called "Little Brother" by Cory Doctorow.  It's a futuristic story about a boy named Marcus who is a hacker.  He and his group of friends play a game called Harajuku Fun Madness, which involves both online and real-life playing.  While searching for a clue, the friends are caught in a terrorist attack and Darryl, Marcus' best friend, is badly hurt.  They frantically search for help, but end up captured by the Department of Homeland Security, where they are questioned and forced to reveal information.  Marcus, angered at the way he was treated (and the fact that Darryl was not released), strikes back, organizing groups of teenagers and twenty-year-olds who also hate the DHS. This story was a tale of how one boy fights for his freedom and rights.  I thought it was a good book, because it told the story realistically, and stayed in the viewpoint of a teenager.  It outlined the fact that everyone has rights, and they cannot be taken away.  This book is for older kids, maybe in their mid to late teens and up.  I enjoyed it and I hope you will too!

Keep reading!
--SwimemrGirl

Ice Drift

This book is called "Ice Drift" by Theodore Taylor.  It's about two Inuit boys and their dog who are hunting seals to feed their family.  Unfortunately, the ice is thin, and a large chunk breaks off, carrying the two brothers, Alika and Sulu, with it as it drifts.  Alika, the elder by four years, is able to hunt and sustain himself and his brother.  Sulu, a mere ten, is unable to do much of anything.  Alika must hunt enough seals for them to survive, because if he can't, there could be dire consequences....
I liked this book because it was an adventure story.  It described how the boys survived on the ice floe, and the facts in between chapters were interesting.  Also, the author used many Inuit words throughout the novel, and provided a helpful pronunciation guide in the back.  However, this book was a little too easy for me.  I would recommend this book to slightly younger children.

Keep reading!
-SwimmerGirl

Singer of All Songs

I'm finishing up a book entitled "The Singer of All Songs" by Kate Constable.  The story is about a young girl named Calwyn who is becoming a priestess in the mountain town of Antaris.  She, like all of the girls there, is an ice-worker, meaning she can sing chantments to bend and shape the ice and cold weather to her wishes.  One day, while performing her duties to strengthen the massive ice wall that surrounds Anatris, she finds a badly injured man and brings him to the infirmary.  As the man slowly heals, Calwyn learns his name is Darrow, and that he is an ironworker, able to control the forces of the earth.  She helps Darrow escape and continues on a journey with him to stop Samis, who is determined to become the most powerful sorcerer of all.  Will she and Darrow be able to defeat him?  Read and find out!

The details in this book were fantastic, and I loved how the author described the powers of the people so vividly.  This book is a great read!

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Raven's Gate

Another great book is Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz.  It follows a boy named Matthew Freeman.  He is a quiet boy who really doesn't care about his studies at all.  One night, he assists his friend in breaking into a warehouse, where his friend panics and stabs a security guard.  Matt is given the choice: he can either go to a juvenile detention facility, or he can participate in the LEAF (Learning and Education Achieved through Fostering) project and be sent to live in the countryside.  Matt picks the latter, and travels to Lesser Malling to live on Mrs. Deverill's farm.  But strange things are happening to Matt, and stranger still is what's going on in Lesser Malling...

This book was really gripping, I couldn't put it down!  It was exciting and didn't get boring at all.  Horowitz's setting captivates the reader and keeps them turning the pages until the very end.

Keep reading, everyone!
--SwimmerGirl

Magic, Monsters and More

Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer, is a fantastic story of magic, fairies, and witty jokes.  It is about a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind named Artemis Fowl, who is determined to get his hands on some fairy gold.  He attempts this by capturing a fairy named Holly Short, a member of the Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance unit (also known as LEPrecon).  Unsurprisingly, Holly is outraged, and sends for help from her fellow fairies.  An epic battle ensues.  Who will win?  Read and find out!
I really liked this book because it made me laugh a lot.  Eoin's descriptions are outstanding, and the personalities in each of his characters stand apart from each other.  If you're looking for a read that won't disappoint, this is it!


Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Finnikin of the Rock

Weekends are awesome, because you finally have time to finish those books you've been meaning to.

I just finished a great fantasy book called Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta.  The story is about a boy and his mentor who are wandering the country after their kingdom, Lumatere, was cursed.  Finnikin is desperately attempting to locate his father, Trevanion.  They come across a girl named Evanjalin, and at first, Finnikin hates her.  Slowly but surely, they begin to tolerate and even like each other.  This trust is broken when she has him arrested.  As it turns out, arresting Finnikin was part of her plan, for in prison, Finnikin locates his father and they manage to escape.  Now, with the fate of Lumatere in the hands of Finnikin and Evanjalin, they set off across the country on a daring adventure.  The end has some surprising revalations, and it was a good book.  One thing that got a bit annoying was how confusing the story was.  Everything tied up quite nicely at the end, but in the middle it was hard to decipher what was happening then or what had happened already.  I would recommend this book if you like fantasy, action, and tales of heroes.

Wolf Brother

Day 2!
This book was called Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver.  It is set long ago on a primitive Earth.  The story begins with a boy named Torak.  He is traveling with his father through the woods when a bear attacks.  Torak's father tells him to run, and the poor boy is left alone.  He travels through the woods until he finds a small wolf cub.  The cub follows him in his travels, which eventually get him captured by the Raven Clan.  Torak, an outsider of his own Wolf Clan, is scorned and thought to be evil.  Can he befriend the girl named Renn and complete his journey?  Read the book to find out!  This books is a great adventure with surprising twists and turns.  I couldn't put it down!

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Day 1

Hi everyone, and welcome to Day 1 of more posting!!

Not all of these posts will be about books, but they'll be something related to reading or writing.
One particular book I could read over and over again is called Skulduggery Pleasant.  The author is Derek Landy.  Skulduggery Pleasant (called SP from here on in) is a witty, smart, sarcastic, and brilliant detective.  One odd thing: he's also a walking, talking, magic-using skeleton.  When Stephanie Edgley's uncle dies mysteriously, she meets the detective (who is heavily disguised) and notices something odd about him.  Later on, when Stephanie is in her uncle's house, she is attacked by a man.  SP saves her and from them on, she is caught up in a world of sorcerers, good versus evil, and danger.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magic, fantasy, or wants a good laugh.

Keep reading!
--SwimmerGirl

Improvements

Hello to everyone!
As part of my class, we have been instructed to redesign our blogs.  That means new styles, new fonts, and yes, new material.  (Don't worry, I'll still be reviewing books!)  One major improvement is that we are now required to post 5 days a week.  That means I'll be reading plenty of books!  :)

Keep reading, everybody!
--SwimmerGirl