Rajee's Reading Corner

        Hey everyone. Summer is on the verge of ending and I was thinking of all the good books I have read in the past year. I tried all sorts of genres and levels of difficulty. Here are some of my favorites:

The Wednesday Wars: by Gary D Schmidt               
             This book is a historical fiction book based in the year 1967 during the Vietnam War. It's a story about how the main character Holling Hoodhood survives through 7th grade. He learns the values of Shakespeare during his Wednesday alone time with his teacher while his classmates are at church. I really liked this book and thought it had a good story line. Even the authors message was valid and was strongly used throughout the story.

Dark Life: by Kat Falls              
            The book Dark Life tells a story about how humans came to live underwater instead of the crowded surface and how it affected their community. Ty, the main character in these series (the second book is Rip Tide, but I don't find that book as good) lives with his family underwater, but problems arise and it's up to him and his new friend Gemma to figure them out. This book has a good sense of adventure with a little bit of mystery. I really liked how the author had the setting in a unique place, underwater.

11 Birthdays: by Wendy Mass               
            11 Birthdays tell a story of Amanda and Leo. Ever since they were born, they have celebrated their birthday together until their 10th. During their birthday that year, Leo said some mean things to Amanda and ever since they haven't spoken to each other. Then, on their 11th birthday, things started to become weird and their birthdays seemed to repeat over and over again. And, Leo and Amanda were the only ones who noticed. This book had many cliffhangers and I couldn't stop reading it. Also, if you liked this book, the "sequel" to this is the book Finally and then 13 Gifts. Those two books are also really great and will add new characters throughout the stories

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life: by Wendy Mass
           
           This book has many great lessons like to never give up and to be motivated. When Jeremy's 13 birthday comes around the corner, a package comes to him, but without the keys it cannot be opened. Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy try to figure out how to get those keys back. The box seems to lead the two of them to a huge adventure. And, the box is a gift from his dead father to open on his 13th birthday. This book is full of adventure and still moving and you will from not want to stop reading. Another book just like this one is called Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur.

As Small As an Elephant: by Jennifer Richard Jacobson             
           This book is about a kid named Jack who loves elephants. He has an unpredictable mom who leaves him at a camping trip they went on. Jack is alone in a different state and has nowhere to go to. He then decides to go find his mom and is helped by some people he comes across. Jack then realises he can’t find his mother and changes his mission to go find an elephant named Lydia. This story expresses the idea of determination and love. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Some other good reads:

Getting Air by Dan Gutman
Pendragon by D. J. Machale
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

There are also many other good books, but unfortunatley I forgot most of them...
Have a great time reading!

-Rajee

Summertime into Study Time

 V.S.

   

         Hey everyone, summer is almost over and there are only a few weeks until school starts. I had lots of fun during my time off from school and did many activities. As you know, summer is usually a time to have fun and take a break. At least for those of us who get a vacation... Over summer break, I still studied and also took a few classes. Some of them were at the Microsoft store. They offered free classes and taught us about how to create a  video game, digital movies, and digital arts. I learned information about those programs for three weeks. I liked the digital art week the best and it was incredible to see the many apps you could use to edit a single photo. I also took a photography class later on which taught me a little more about how to use my DSLR camera and what each little button and adjustment does. It was a very interesting class and I learned a lot from that experience.
       
          On September 5th, we saw the rover Curiosity land on Mars on a big screen at NASA. It was one of the few times they have successfully landed a rover on Mars. It is a very complicated process and can fail if even one small mistake occurs. The time space between the take-off from the ISS and the landing on Mars is more than seven months. These scientists have been planning this mission for the last 10 years  to enjoy a favorable outcome. For me, I can't even plan a day in advance! If the mission fails, they would lose 2.5 billion dollars. There is also the seven minutes of terror which is the time it takes the rover to enter the atmosphere and to land on the surface of Mars. During those crucial seven minutes, the scientists would get no reception from the rover. For good luck, the tradition is to eat peanuts. The custom started when NASA's JPL ( jet propulsion laboratory) attempted outer space missions and when they finally succeeded, they coincidentally had been eating peanuts. I guess now I should eat peanuts before I take a test. In the end, Curiosity landed successfully.
         
           And, a few days ago, I took a class with a few of my friends where the teacher taught us about DNA and how to extract it. We took a few squishy plants and created a mush, then added laundry detergent, salt, and water which created a visible DNA strand. I have even seen my DNA by using saliva instead of berry mush. In addition, I had quite a few more fun and enjoyable days with my friends and family. When my moms friend came here from London, we hung out with her and her two daughters. We went to Great America with them and had a blast. As usual, I loved all the roller coasters and even the lines were shorter than most times. I especially liked Flight Deck, one of the rides they have. We also rode on this water ride down a river in a raft and all of us got drenched from head to toe.

           Although, I have to say, much of my time these few months was spent reading new books. I went to the library constantly and even did the summer reading program. Watching the Olympics on t.v. was something to look forward to each day at prime time. My family and I cheered on team U.S.A for every sport. Now, school is starting which is something to look forward to, but I will also miss summer break and I will be waiting until my next holiday. With new classes and teachers, I will have a whole other experience from summer. And the best part... becoming a sevie from a pixie!


-Rajee