Hey. I'm supposed to be writing a play right now for READ issue 16. But I'm not. Don't tell anyone. What happened was, I started writing it and then I started zoning out, and then something else came up, and then I had to go to the library, and then it was lunch, and then something else came up, and then we had a meeting, and then I came back, and then I came here, and now here I am. Fascinating stuff, isn't it?

So I've been reading up on my Harry Potter. Is it a sin that I haven't read these books yet? Yes. Yes it is. Well, I've always meant to read them. And now I am. I'm taking it slow. As long as I finish all 6 before the final one comes out (sometime this summer), then I'm good.

My thoughts on the series so far:

Book 1 - The Sorcerer's Stone - Very good. It was a great introduction to the characters and gave me a slight complex about being a muggle.

Book 2 - The Chamber of Secrets - Not so good. I thought that Book 2 was basically Book 1 mangled, mashed, and regurgitated through a straw. OK, so Harry hates living with the Dursleys. Got it. OK, so Harry is smarter than the average wizard. Got it. OK, so Hermione is annoying. Yeah, definitely got it. OK, so Malfoy is Harry's nemesis. Yup, got that, too. Everyone goes crazy for Quidditch; there's a bad guy and a showdown. Dumbledore says something wise and Snape seems to be evil but really isn't... or is he? I don't know yet! But I do know the awful spoiler that is impossible to not know in this Harry Potter crazed world so let's just leave it at that and hope that things work out in the end. Yeah. Book 2 gave me nothing that Book 1 didn't already... except the heebie jeebies. Thumbs down. Not a big fan.

Book 3 - The Prisoner of Azkaban - I just finished this one. Much better! I truly enjoyed it. Sirius Black is a serious dude. I have a lot more respect for Harry now and all the garbage that he has to put up with for just being Harry. I loved how quick the ending came. One second, Harry and Ron and Hermione were walking away from Hagrid's hut (invisible under the cloak), and the next second... BAM! Welcome to the denouement, son! But was it the finale exactly? Nope. First, there was an entire chapter of storytelling that explained pretty much everything that happened in the rest of the book. (I'm being terribly vague for the 4 or 5 people out there who haven't read it yet.) Usually, if I'm reading a book and the ending comes with a pre-packaged storytelling device, I get very angry. Not here, though. I don't know why or how, but something about Ms. Rowling's handling of the whole thing had me spellbound and mesmerized. And if those are the same thing then I was in both places at once. How can you be in two places at once? Read this book and ask Hermione. So there.

So now it's on to Book 4. I'm not going to hit it right away. I'm working on a couple other reads first. I like to take my Potter in spurts as opposed to a non-stop thrill ride. It's for the best... if you're me.

Hey, so you want to talk about Harry Potter? Leave a comment below! But do me a favor and don't ruin the story for anyone (especially for me). Don't give away major plot points, that's all I ask.

Oh, and totally unrelated... did you see the Little Miss Muffet video in the post below? It's pretty cool. just click on it and it should start playing. Tell us what you think! It's the first time we've included video on this blog and I'm curious to know how it is received.

All right... enough stalling. Back to work...

Peace.

-By Becca Giles

Oslo, Norway. Miranda Muffet, who has been missing for three days, was found early this morning. She was floating on a homemade raft in the Arctic Ocean after drifting 400 miles from her home in Norway. After an unconscious Muffet finally came to, she was severely disoriented. However, the captain of the retrieving boat was able to acquire some information. Apparently, Ms. Muffet had been frightened by a strange spider and went temporarily psychotic. Immediately she fled the scene and, in the process, spilled her curds and whey. Psychologists say her reaction was caused by her extreme arachnophobia. It seems that Ms. Muffet felt the sea was her only escape from the arachnid. She is currently in a mental hospital. No word yet on her release.  

SesameStreet.com

- Story by Abigail Slack, Grade 6

House after house, building after building flew by and a soft drizzle lingered in the air. How could my parents do this to me, Jennifer Lantaly, the cheerleader, an A+ student? Make me move away from everything I loved, everything I had ever cared

about!

"All because of his stupid job," I huffed.

"Honey," Mom said, "this is it."

I glanced out the window and a beautiful redbrick house stared back at me. I had to admit it was spectacular. Every inch of the yard was green. Grass spread out all along the yard, the bushes were slightly overgrown, and the large pine trees were dense. There it was, my new home, right there, nestled in the trees, just sitting there, waiting to be opened.

Dad pulled into the driveway and the large, rumbling moving truck screeched to a stop on the street. I climbed out of my father's silver Volvo, slamming the door and making my parents jump. Even though I was disappointed because of the move, I was overwhelmed with curiosity. I had the strangest feeling that a secret was hidden somewhere in there, just waiting to be discovered. I hurried up the front steps and slowly, I turned the handle and the door creaked open.

I gasped. I had never seen anything so beautiful. An old brown staircase sneaked up a wall and the kitchen was bright with many windows. There were counters and old brown cupboards. I walked into the kitchen and reached out my hand and touched the glassy, brown counter. It felt cold, like the window of a car on a winter day. I took in

every detail. Inside a nook, surrounded by windows, I gathered, was the place to put a table. It was cute and homey. I advanced up the creaky stairs, running my hand along the smooth railing. I walked down the hallway and peered into a bedroom. I could tell that this was my room. No master bathroom or giant closet. There were just a few windows on a soft yellow wall.

"My bed will go perfect with these walls," I thought. Just then, I noticed something shimmering on the white carpet. I knelt down and saw a locket with a note. The sun danced upon the golden locket. I reached down and picked up the note. A strange riddle was written on it. It said, O lucky one who finds this locket, a place beyond your dreams awaits you, a magical world and just one simple word, wear the locket and simply say 'open', to discover the amazing world of Anazora.

"What is this?" I asked myself. Was this some sort of trick? Could I really wear this locket, say "open", and discover a new land?

Even though I should have told someone, I was dying with excitement. I slipped on the locket and fastened the clasp. Shivering with anticipation, I said in a loud, clear voice, "open." My brown golden locks swished behind me and the room around me became unclear. Just like that, the room disappeared and a burst of light surrounded me.

Click "read more" to, um, Read More!

Why do you write? 

This is a question I always ask myself at the beginning of a new year -- and, each year, my answer is more or less the same: because I want to connect with people and make a difference in the world through my written words.

The world, however, is an awfully big place, and sometimes it can be daunting to think of your words out there, attempting to touch the people who read them. I'd like to share a story that always helps me find inspiration and motivation when I get overwhelmed:

A terrific storm pounded the coast all night long. The following day, a man walked alone along the beach that was covered with hundreds upon hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of starfish that had washed up on the sand by the high waves and were now stranded.

Far ahead of him on the beach, the man saw another beachcomber who was constantly bending down, straightening up, throwing something -- stones? -- into the ocean, and then bending down again.  As the first man walked closer, he saw that what the other man was throwing into the ocean was not rocks or sticks, but rather starfish, one by one by one.

"What in the world are you doing?" the first man asked when he reached the second man.

"I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean because if they don't get back in the water soon they will die," he answered.

 "But there are hundreds -- thousands -- of starfish on this stretch of beach alone," the first man protested. "What possible difference can you make?"

"Well, to this starfish," the second man said, holding one of them in his hand as he prepared to toss it into the waves, "I can make a big difference."

With each word you write, you too can make a big difference.  Here's to a new year full of imagination and inspiration.

Hello Writers!

Just a quick note here to tell you about what's going on with our 3 major writing contests this year.

1) TAKE ME AWAY - The winners of the Take Me Away contest have been chosen and notified. Thank you all for participating. We had over 1,700 entries this year! Wow! The winning poems and stories will be published in the April/May issue of Writing magazine.

2) Student Writing Showcase - The deadline for ALL student writing showcase entries is tomorrow, Thursday, January 11, 2007. Make sure to get your entries in before midnight tomorrow night! There are no rules or restrictions in this contest. (How refreshing!) Simply email your poems/stories/essays to word@weeklyreader.com. Make sure to write "Student Writing Showcase" in the subject line. The winners will be published in a special bonus super duper wowee zowee electronic magazine on May 11, 2007. This contest is brought to you by the editors of READ and WRITING Magazines.

3) Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest - The deadline for this contest is Wednesday, January 31. You still have a few weeks to compose a brilliant poem of lyrical bliss. Think beauty. Think art. Now stop thinking and write! Click here for more information and to print out the submission form.

That's all she wrote, my friends! Make sure to get in while the gettin's good! Can't wait to read your work!

Peace.