Just a Normal Day

I drop my heavy textbook and math binder onto the kitchen table. It makes a loud thud as it hits the glass. I open the textbook and flip through the pages until I find the one I am looking for. I sit down. That is when the music in my head starts. Although the house is quiet I can hear music playing. The notes and rhythms of the songs that are playing in my head are clear.

I start to read the first homework problem we have assigned to us. I read a couple of words before my thoughts are interrupted. I hear the lyrics of the song as if they are playing loudly in my ear. I try again to read the question but all I can focus on is the music. I stand up, hoping to get rid of the songs.

I walk over to my phone and pick it up. I open the Music app and wait for the songs to start playing. The words that were swirling through my head now echo around the empty house. My thoughts are no longer occupied by the notes.

I look back at the problem. I think about how I am going to find the answer. I hear the music. I think about the music and I look for the answer. My mind is filled with conundrums and music. All I can think about is numbers and songs. Yep, it's just a normal day.

The Family Romanov: Murder Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia

By Candace Fleming

The Romanov family ruled Russia for 304 years. In this non-fiction book, the reader will meet the final generation of the Imperial family of Russia and experience the final days under the Tsar's rule. It follows Nicholas II's life from the death of his grandfather Alexander II until the murder of him and his family. The book tells about several relations and friends of the Romanov family and some of the events that took place after the Russian Revolution.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Russian revolution and the events leading up to it. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life and showing the difference in the lifestyle of Nobel families versus Peasants and Workers.

Cabaret

I stand on the stage. The lights that we blinding me just seconds before are staring to dim and i can hear the loud applause of the audience. Through the small crowd I can see three figures making their way through the tables.

The three people make their way up onto the stage with me. The tallest one grabs a mike off of the microphone stand in front of her and turns to face me just as the bright lights are coming back on. The loud music starts and Eva starts to sing. The audience automatically smiles.

The song continues and the two people on the side platforms of the stage sing there one line as the lights fade. There is a huge applause. The four of us smile. we all know that this is where we want to be.

90 Miles to Havana

90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis

Imagine that your life is normal. It's going pretty well. You feel a bit overshadowed by your older brothers but otherwise your life is great. But then a revolution breaks out and the only way you can leave is if you leave your parents behind.

That's Julian story. When the Cuban revolution breaks out he is sent to Miami with just his brothers and a little gold bird to keep him company. When in America his experience is nothing like what his mom had told him it would be.

I would definitely recommend this book. The beginning is a little slow but overall it's a good story about operation Pedro Pan and what it would have been like. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Slice of Life

Riding a Bike

I stand and watch as my Dad takes his hand off of the back of my brothers bicycle seat. My Brother then proceeds to pedal two times around the median of the parking lot that we are practicing in. My mom cheers and shouts for my brother. I walk over to the other and of the parking lot as to get a better ante to take pictures with. At the end of his second lap, my dad grabs back onto the seat of his bike and slowly brings Nathan to a stop.

"Nathan, you just learned how to ride a bike, and on your second try!" My mom exclaims.

"Uh huh." Nathan replies out of breath.

"Come on, lets go inside and get some water." My dad shouts. "It's hot out today."

I run as fast as I can to try and catch up with the rest of my family. As I do my foot gets stuck in a crack and I trip. My knees get all scrapped up. I get up slowly.

"Well one of you learned how to ride a bike." My mom said "And Danielle i'm glad your ok. Lets go in and put some ice on your knees."



photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/k3k0/5157248673/">keko.</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a

The Year of the Hangman

The Year of the Hangman- By Gary Blackwood

What if the American revolt against the British in the 1770s had failed? Well now it is 1777 (the year of the hangman) and British 15-year-old Creighton Brown finds himself on a ship heading to the colonies. He has been abducted from his home in Bristol, England and his mother is having him sent to live with his stern uncle. While on the way from Carolina to Florida Creighton's ship gets captured by a yankee pirate ship. Somehow Creighton ends up in New Orleans living in the house of Benjamin Franklin.

While he is tying to get home, Creighton starts to learn more about the yankee cause. When given the opportunity to return home, what will Creighton choose?

I would highly recommend this book. It is interesting throughout and well written. It is suspenseful and overall a really good book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Pompeii

Pompeii

I take a sip from my full cup of steaming hot chocolate. I swallow the mouthful as quickly as a can. It is still too hot to drink. I want to finish it but soon it will be time to go back outside into the cold. My mom has already decided that she is too cold to go outside and finish the rest of the tour.

We are sitting in a "cafe" in the middle of pompeii. It was an ancient ruin that got bombed in World War II, so someone decided to turn it into the food court for. From the inside, you would never know that you were inside on of the most famous monuments in the world. You would never guess that the original building was more than 2,500 years old.

Our guide returns from the bathroom and we walk out of the automatic doors back into the ancient city. I can see the sun shining off of some of the frescos hanging on the wall. I can't believe that we are here. Everything is old but it looks like someone made a life-size model.

I look around. This is a really cool place.