Swirling Tides

Premise:   Two orphaned children are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city of Venice. Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greater threat to the boys' new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past – a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself. Touching and Mysterious      This riveting book will make you want to inhale it in “as few sittings as possible”. This book is about two orphaned brothers who run away. Their aunt, Esther Hartlieb, was willing to adopt the younger brother and send the older one to boarding school. However, not wanting to be seperated, they ran away to Venice, Italy since before her death, their mother told them it was the most beautiful place on Earth and would often describe it to them. After they rea

(This is a prize winning essay on Autism, at the Middle school level) “Autism is not a tragedy. Ignorance is the tragedy.”       Autism has been around for decades. In fact, almost 50 years have passed since the Autism Society held the first National Awareness Month. The first annual National Autistic Children’s week was launched in 1972. It eventually evolved into Autism Acceptance Month. Autism was originally thought to be ableist and a condition that had to be cured. But now, the dialogue about autism is shifting from a negative chance to a positive one. Although a lot has been achieved, there’s still a long way to go.       I believe that Autism Acceptance means just that - accepting autism, making autistic people feel welcome in the world. It means looking beyond the stereotypes of autism. And recognizing that autistics are also members of our communities while acknowledging that they express themselves differently. Autism is just a way of looking at life differently. And just bec

The Sea The deep sea can sparkle like a gem, It can be calm, with whirling eddies, But the sea can also cause mayhem, The sea is large, it will not empty. The sea can be colorful, Different colors or hues,  The sea’s colors are wonderful, Aqua, turquoise, indigo blues. Full of different creatures, Possibly ones we’ve never seen, With a camera, the scenery, it captures, Seafoam blue or seafoam green. Stretching far across the horizon, More farther than anyone dreams, It’s then that I am enlightened, That the world is bigger than it seems.

Premise:  Alice Alexis Queensmeadow 12 rates three things most important: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. Father disappeared from Ferenwood with only a ruler, almost three years ago. But she will have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is Oliver whose own magic is based in lies and deceit. Alice must first find herself—and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss. Enchanting and Enthralling This fantasy story will capture you in it’s masterpiece and will hesitate you let you out, narrating a tale about Alice Alexis Queensmeadow, a social-outcast girl devoid of color and magic that eludes her, living in a town that uses color as currency and revolves and is run by colorful magic. With clear white hair and extremely pale skin, she is completely colorless except only for

(This essay won first place at a district-wide level) Keep Moving Forward “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King Jr. ‘Keep moving forward’ is an encouragement. Dr. King said he dreamed that people will live in a nation where we won’t be judged by our complexion, but by the content of our character. He wanted us to strive to understand each other first, than to be understood. He wanted us to treat each other with kindness. Dr. King was thrown in jail, his house being bombed, received death threats and intimidation, yet, he marched forward with love, not violence.  ‘Keep moving forward’ is a proclamation. Dr. King fought for equality and racial justice, peacefully. Today, we still have racial injustice, barriers to voter participation and health care coverage, which we need to address. The people who believed they could make a difference, fighting for what th

The Sky The sky turns different colors at each different time, There is a burst of vivid colors, at both dusk and dawn, Sometimes it is blue, sometimes gray, sometimes even lime, At night, a dark blanket coated with glitter but at morning, gone.  There are different names for them,  Like northern lights, sunrise, sunset, a clear day, or cloudless, Sometimes sparkling; a shiny gem, You can look up at the calming sky and hear silence.  However, sometimes the sky does go into a rage,  Stormy, rainy, roaring, are only some I can name,  Plants reach out toward the sky, like oak, redwood, or sage,  The sky has different emotions but is never lame.  The sky is quite a sight to look at though not many do, It helps us, keeps us alive with its atmosphere,  It is helpful, and serene too, Joy, sorrow, anger, different emotions sear.  It will always be right here 

Premise:  Some facts about Billy Dickens: * He once saw a biker swerve across the road in order to run over a snake. * Later, that motorcycle somehow ended up at the bottom of a canal. * Billy isn't the type to let things go. Some facts about Billy's family: * They've lived in six different Florida towns because Billy's mom always insists on getting a house near a bald eagle nest. * Billy's older sister is dating a jerk. It's a mystery. * Billy's dad left when he was four, and Billy knows almost nothing about him. * Billy has just found his dad's address--in Montana. This summer, Billy will fly across the country, hike a mountain, float a river, dodge a grizzly bear, shoot down a spy drone, save a neighbor's cat, save an endangered panther, and then try to save his own father.   Crazy and Intriguing      This humorous book will be impossible to put down, already talking about the main character’s fascination for squirming snakes on the first page. Us