Are You a Gifted Child (or Teen) Looking for Special Opportunities?

Well, you don't have to go to 777 Maiden Avenue, or even set foot in Stonetown Harbor, for that matter. You have come to the right place!  One of the right places, to be correct.  You see, I give the information, then you go on to the next location to find what you are looking for.

No, its not gold.

Not a diamond in sight.

Not even a ruby slipper!

But, its definitely what I would call a treasure.  Follow these instructions closely (for there are many treasures where you are going, some more valuable than others), and I'm sure you will make it there:

1. Ask your parent/guardian where the closest book store or library is.
2. Run, walk, bike, Pogo-stick, swim, (or, you know, drive) there.
3. Go in through the back window to evade detection.
4. Make sure you find the right section.  This is a non-Non-Fiction mission.
5. Walk quietly (as to not be heard by Mr. Curtain) down the cavernous isles until you find the letters STE.
6. You are looking for a volume with an unusually long title.  One with the word 'mysterious' in it.
7. Escape without being caught.
8. Bring it back to your place of residence and read it.

Trust me. You will love it.

The Mysterious Benedict Society- 10

Confessions

1.  I am sorry about the recent neglect of this blog.  Between my birthday party, my actual birthday, and getting my permit, I have been quite busy lately.

2.  I have some really awesome friends that I will miss dearly.  They are the best, and if you disagree with that, you can talk to me.

3.  This is probably one of the coolest inventions for visually challenged people.

4.  This is another one of those desperately random posts.  I apologize.  Kind of.

A Completely Random Post That's Not So Random

Yes, the title of this post is pretty odd, but I didn't really know what else to call it.  I just gotta tell it like it is.

This whole blog thing is fun, but sometimes I just want to talk about things I am excited about and want to vent to the internet about.  You won't get too much detail (I don't want to bore you), but enough to hopefully keep you interested or even make you chuckle.

For instance...MY BIRTHDAY IS IN 5 DAYS!  No biggie.  I am being extremely mature about the fact that I am also getting my permit by trying not to scream in excitement every 5 minutes.  That is called self-control, people.  I have been getting cards from relatives in the mail for the past few days, and its really tempting to just ignore the "DON'T OPEN UNTIL JULY 22, 2013" on my Grandma's card and rip it open right this second.  Again, self-control.

Now to go read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".  Now that I have finished my Harry Potter marathon, I don't have any more excuses to throw at it.  Wish me luck.

The Little Mouse with a Big Heart

When people want New York Style pizza, they go to New York. When they want a Philly Cheese Steak, they go to Philadelphia.  And when they want soup, they go to the Kingdom of Dor.

Their soup supplies the happiness for the whole kingdom.  So, when the Queen dies on their beloved day celebrating soup, the entire kingdom basically dies.  The sun doesn't come out anymore, none of the crops are growing, and the two royals left are in a state of despair.

Little did they know, a mouse being born in the depths of the castle would change things for the better.  Despereaux is an unusual mouse.  Instead of running away, he investigates.  Swords don't scare him, he wants to brandish one.  In the mouse society, all of this is frowned upon.  Once Despereaux's behavior spreads to the leaders, they decided to banish him to the dungeon- rat territory.  Despereaux encounters everything from cats to beautiful princesses on his quest to bring back soup.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo- 10

The Gallagher Girls

Cammie Morgan is just a regular girl with regular abilities going to a regular school.

Ok, maybe that's a lie.  But, that's what spies do, isn't it?

Cammie is actually a student at the all-girl spy school, The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women.  Her normal day consists of breaking CIA codes, speaking in 14 different languages, and going on covert missions.  So when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl, she can't decide what to do.  She could hack his computer, break into his house, or tail him for a week straight, but just talking to him is something that definitely doesn't come to mind.

Oh yeah, and her Mom is the Headmistress, so sneaking out is completely out of the question.

Or is it?

I'd Tell You I love You, But I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter- 9

The Many Faces of Dystopian Fiction

Let me first start out by saying that dystopian fiction is probably the coolest and most interesting genre EVER and my objective is to make you agree by the end of this post.

Eh hem.  Well, if you are to appreciate this AMAZING genre, then you must understand what it is.  In dystopian fiction, the character(s) live in a world that is striving to become a utopia: a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities.  There is usually a person or group of people in power that put rules in place to help the society reach the desired utopia.  By doing this, it ultimately restricts the people's freedom, making it the opposite of a utopia- a dystopia.  But what makes these more than just stories is the fact that everyone has a different dystopia and utopia.  For example, I love books (what a shock!), so my dystopia would be a world without books or where possessing a book could be fatal.  Because of this, the book "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, was very jarring.  On the other hand, for someone who could care less about books, this novel would grab their attention in the very least. Dystopian fiction can connect to you quite personally, because it deals with your deepest desires and fears.

So, does that make sense?  Have I won you over?


Dystopian Must-Reads:

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
"Uglies", "Pretties", and "Specials" by Scott Westerfeld
"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
"Matched", "Crossed", and "Reached" by Ally Condie
"Divergent", *"Insurgent", and *"Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
*"Delirium, *"Pandemonium", and *"Requiem" by Lauren Oliver

*I haven't read this one yet, but it is at the top of my To Read list :)

The "Fairest" of Them All

No, I'm not talking about Snow White.  I know you have heard of "Ella Enchanted", seen the movie, and maybe even read the book.  But, I could argue that one of Gail Carson Levine's other novels, "Fairest", has what it takes to rival this well-known story.  Aza has a beautiful singing voice that is second-to-none, but this is overlooked because she does not possess the other treasure quality in her land-beauty.  After hiding in the shadows of her parent's inn for most of her life, becoming the new queen's lady-in-waiting is definitely a big change for her.  On her journey, she encounters a prince, a magic mirror, and many obstacles that get in her way.  Definitely a have-to read! Gail Carson Levine is known for her stories of royals, beauty, and love, and did not disappoint with this book.

"Fairest" by Gail Carson Levine- 9