What Would it Be?

So, I wrote some poems the other day and wanted to get your opinions on this one. Note: this is my first attempt at free verse, so it may be a bit rough.

What Would it Be?


what would winter be
without snow?
what would spring be
with out rain?
what would summer be
without t the beach?
or fall
without the leaves?

What would day be
without the sun?
what would night be
without the moon?
what would stars be
without a glow?
or the sun
without its warmth

what would a baker be
without yeast?
what wold a police be
without crime?
what would a Judge be
without a court
or us
without Christ?

Gifts

Gifts. I was a little wary of this book at first, but decided to give it a try anyway. I am glad I did now! As you can see, this book made it to my ‘favorites’ list. I suppose I ought to tell you why.

There are basically two parts of land in the world this book takes place in; the Uplands and the Lowlands. In the Lowlands are people like us. They live a life we would call normal, but their neighbors are not so normal. The people that inhabit the Uplands have gifts, each lineage a different one. One lineage has the Knife; one had the Broom, one the Unmaking, one the Calling, one the Wasting, and more. Orrec's lineage has the Unmaking gift; just by seeing something, and thinking about it, and saying the ‘word’ the person can unmake something. They can untie knots, and other things, but the scary part is that they can unmake people and animals. Orrec’s friend Gry can call animals. She can make them come, or calm them, or train them.


In this book, Orrec has to go through life blind for three years to protect his family and friends. He had got the wild gift, he could not control what he did, he could not feel it, or stop it. Many things, happy and sad, happen during this time and he has to learn to cope. He misses the sun, and seeing the faces of his family, and those of his friends, and wants to know what other things look like now. Yet he refuses to lift the blind fold knowing someone’s life may be at stake. He goes through many things he mightn't have if he could see, and gets through these with his friend Gry.

After being in the dark for three years, Orrec remembers some of the events from before, and a new light is brought to him. He makes some drastic changes in his life that set the stage for the sequel.

I give Gifts a strong 4/5

Ballet Shoes

Ballet Shoes is a very lighthearted novel about three babies found by Great Uncle Mathew. They were discovered by him in different years, at different places, but each without a family to look after them; so what does GUM (Great Uncle Mathew) do? He adopts them and brings them to his house for his niece, Sylvia, and her old nurse, Nana, to take care of. Gum then disappears on some trip of his to collect fossils, leaving enough money for his family to live off of for Five years. When those five years are up, they start getting tight on money and have to take up boarders. These girls grow up and begin to take lessons at a special academy that teaches them dancing, acting, and some singing. They cannot wait until they are 12, for then they are able to get a license and perform on stage. They don't necessarily always enjoy it, but they want to work so they can earn money to help with the bills. Each of the girls have a special dream, not all of them want to dance forever, and by the end of the book, each future is obvious.

My favorite character has to be Nana. She takes charge of the children, and makes sure they ar cared for properly. When they grow up, she makes new clothes for them, mends their clothes, stops taking her pay to help with bills, worries about them, and makes sure they are where they need to be when they need to be.

I am giving Ballet Shoes a 4/5.