WORD: The Official Blog of READ and WRITING magazines

Friday, February 23, 2007

- Poem by Min Kyung Lobb, Grade 11

Two girls sitting on a swing, swaying
Freely, dominating the air.
The slight breeze flies over their heads
Carrying each hair strand above to dance.
Grasping the momentum, laughter is heard
As the visions of ground and sky connect.
Like a dove they soar through the heavens
Catching each sunbeam on their faces
And jolt back down, down to earth.
Into the umbrage of the giant oak tree.
The mix of the crimson setting sun
And summer green grass blurs.
Wind howling wraps their little bodies
Fluttering their cool blue dresses
Accompanied by the violent squeak of the rusted swings
They ride away their tears.
Closing their eyes and reaching the clouds
They taste the bud of heaven.
Comforted by this sensation,
The sensation of freedom,
They unravel their hands and show their palms
And blow their troubles away.

Posted by
StudentWriter
on 2/23/2007
9:52 PM

Beautiful Backyard

- Essay by Traci Harms

It was a gorgeous morning in June that I was spending at my grandparent's house. All of my little cousins did not understand the concept of a peaceful morning and it seemed like they just kept getting louder and louder. There was no way I was going to be able to take the unbearable noise that kept coming from their large mouths. I needed some time to myself to sit and enjoy the amazing day. I decided to step outside and bask in the sunlight and just get lost in my dreams where nobody would have the chance to bother me.

As I opened the huge patio door, I knew I was entering my throne of solitude. The first step out the door proved to me that this was going to be a place where I could spend my morning in peace. Everything was perfect and it was comparable to a utopia that I could only imagine to find in my dreams. The bright yellow sun was beating down on me like I was the only person it had to please. There was a slight, fresh breeze that combined with the sun to make it the perfect temperature for any person. With each step that I took I got deeper and deeper into the fairyland that I was creating.

As I walked toward the hammock with my bare feet, all I could feel was the cold, wet dew that splattered from the lush green grass to my body. A cute little bunny surrounded by fluff scurried right in front of me just as I was passing the fountain. I reached the hammock and plopped down suddenly, just to get lost in my thoughts. I thought about how sensational it was to be alone and not have to worry about anyone or anything else.

As I was laying there staring at the clear blue sky I could hear the trickle of the fountain and the neighbor's dog whimpering for food. I rolled over on my side to watch all the different critters go on with their part in nature. I saw a small, gray spider spinning his web between two branches of one of the broad oaks holding up my hammock. I could see a colorful butterfly fluttering gracefully around without a care in the world. There was also a busy little bee collecting pollen from a nearby lilac.

The fragrance of the assortment of flowers was so sweet I could almost taste it. My grandma meticulously put each flower in its correct place so she could make her backyard the best in town. I could hear all the birds in the neighborhood chirping in their own little language. I was starting to get lulled to sleep by the peaceful buzz of somebody mowing their lawn in the distance but the smell of my dad starting the grill kept me awake. Just as I took a sip of the tangy lemonade that my grandma had brought out to me moments before, my cousins figured out where I was. They came outside into my grandma's backyard pounding on drums as if they were the drum line in a parade, interrupting my fantasy. The best of my day was coming to a close and it was time for me to face what the world had to throw at me.

It was the best morning I had experienced in months. It was so surreal and there was nothing else that could have made it better. It was if I was in my own fantasyland and everything was just as I would have it. Everything pleased me and I was as happy as a three year old on their birthday.

That was one of the best days of my life and if I ever need to go to a happy place I just put my mind in my grandmother's backyard where I know everything will be just like paradise.

Posted by
StudentWriter
on 2/23/2007
9:26 PM

Stalling for time...

I know! I know!

We've been a little obsessed over Terabithia this past week. Whatever, it's a great book/movie!

Anyway, before end of day today, I'll post two new student writings. How do ya like them apples?

Check back later.

Word.

Posted by
Bryon
on 2/23/2007
5:32 PM

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

TERABITHIA - Movie Review

Discover a place that will never leave you.
And a friendship that will change you forever.

It is not what you are expecting. ... It's better.

You've seen the ads, the commercials, the trailers. Bridge to Terabithia is a film about a fantasy world filled with giants and mythical creatures, right? Well, sort of... but not really.

If you're looking for a Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings type flick, look elsewhere. Bridge to Terabithia is not set in a world that is far removed from our own. In fact, it is our own world.

The fantasy part of it is there, but it lies within the collective imaginations of Jesse and Leslie. These two best friends have such vivid imaginations that they actually create (and rule) a world called Terabithia. In the book, the fantasy part is played down, and it's not that much bigger in the movie either.

Before I saw this movie, I was actually angry with its promoters. Being an avid believer that films should stay true to the books from which they came, I was upset that millions of young adults would see the advertisements and flock to theaters on false pretenses. After seeing the movie yesterday, I'm OK with it. As much as they pushed the fantasy aspect, I think audiences will be pleased, even if they were expecting something else.

If you are not familiar with the story, I could give you a general plot outline but that would wreck it for you. And that would be pretty lousy.

"So, I don't get it. Why should I see this movie?"

I'll tell you why. Because it is an important movie to see. Its themes touch on the parts of human nature that are often overlooked. At its best, it reaches the outer limits of the mind and twists and squeezes the heart. In other words, it has power. And it is a power everyone should tap into.

Wow. You're being really vague.

Yeah. I am. I guess you'll just have to go see the movie to understand what I'm talking about. Bring your best friend. When the movie is over, you'll look at each other in a whole new light. I guarantee it.

I give this movie 3 and a half WORDs (out of 4)
WORD WORD WORD WO

The only reason it's not getting 4 is because I reserve the full 4 for the book.

Posted by
StudentWriter
on 2/20/2007
8:05 PM

Friday, February 16, 2007

TERABITHIA - Interview with Katherine Paterson

Author Katherine Paterson wrote the novel, Bridge to Terabithia, in 1977. She recently spoke with WORD about her book, the new Disney film, and life in general.

Have you ever imagined Bridge to Terabithia as a movie on the big screen?
Not in my wildest dreams.

Have you seen the new film?
I've seen a not quite finished version.

Are you satisfied with it? Does it stay faithful to your novel?
I was happily surprised with the movie. It is not the book, which, of course, it can't be, but I think it is faithful to the story of friendship and loss and new life that the book tells.

What do you think is lost when a book is turned into a movie?
In a book, the reader must create in his/her own imagination the world of the story. A movie necessarily supplies all the pictures.

What do you think is gained?
You gain an audience that doesn't know the book, for one thing. You also gain the vision of all those involved in the making of the movie, just as when a book is illustrated you gain the vision of the artist. It's an enriching experience.

You have often said that children's literature should not shy away from serious issues. How can books prepare young people for adulthood?
Books can be a sort of rehearsal for life situations. They can also help you know and understand people quite different from yourself.

One of my favorite lines in Bridge to Terabithia is "Even a prince may be a fool." It was one of many profound lines that the children characters speak. Do you think most children are wise beyond their years?
Most children are very wise. All you have to do is listen.

Or were Jess and Leslie special?
Of course, they are special, but, then, so are we all.

Was Terabithia a place where they could run away from reality? What else was it?
I hadn't thought of it as escape, but I guess it was, in a way. I feel they were running toward rather than running away from, if that makes any sense.

What does Terabithia mean to you? What’s your Terabithia?
Terabithia to me is the deep place in our hearts where dreams and ideas--our imagination--is born and grows. When I was a child, we moved many times and I had a number of places that were Terabithia for me--the bottom of our yard among the weeds, the hidden corner of a porch, the old spring house on the farm, the vacant lot across the street, etc. Now that I am grown it is inside of me. But if I hadn't had those physical places of my childhood to dream in, I wonder if I would have a Terabithia inside of myself today.

What does it mean to win the John Newbery Award? What does it mean to win it twice?
The first time I won the Newbery I said to myself, "I'll never mix another quart of dried milk again." From that time on I could afford to buy whole fresh milk for my family. The second time I won, I said to myself, "I can call my friends long distance whenever I want to." And I did. Seriously, it has meant that many more people read and buy my books than I ever could have imagined. Also it means people tend to pay attention to what I say, so I need to watch what I say.

Is there a story that you’re just itching to tell? Or do you think you’ve already written your favorite?
You always hope that you haven't yet written your best book, but I have no idea what that will be about.

Read a review of the movie here.

Posted by
Bryon
on 2/16/2007
2:49 PM