 Thursday, March 08, 2007
The following post was written by Jenn Magid, an editor on Current Health magazine.
 Current Health wants to hear something rude!
Here are things that people do that drive me nuts: not holding the door open for someone behind them, cutting in line, and talking with their mouths full--so gross! When I told my friends Bry and Sandhya here at WORD that Current Health 1 and 2 magazines are looking for readers to talk about what they find rude, they agreed to let you guys know about it. All you have to do is answer this question:
What kind of rude behavior bugs you the most?
Click here to tell us! Here's your chance to vent, and maybe become a little famous at the same time (we may just publish your quote in our magazine!).
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Wednesday, March 07, 2007
 Here's a question: Why did I always only place second in a beauty pageant? Why not first? And why did I only get 10 bucks for placing second? You can't even buy a good set of curlers for 10 bucks!
At any rate... on this day in 1933, an unemployed salesman named Charles Darrow copyrighted the board game he created. It was called MONOPOLY. Since then, friends and families all over the world have been competing with each other to buy up valuable properties and railroads (while at the same time, being weary of the dreaded Income Tax and, of course, Jail). Believe it or not, I was always partial to Baltic Avenue. I felt sorry for it. Anyway...
In the February/March issue of Writing magazine, we asked you to answer this question: When you play MONOPOLY, are you the horse? the iron? the canon? the thimble? What does your MONOPOLY piece say about you?
Below are some of YOUR thoughts about the different game pieces used in MONOPOLY. Why do we choose the pieces we choose? I am always either the thimble or the doggy... depending on my mood. What are you? Let us know! You know the drill. Click on the comment button below.
Elisabeth Marshall - THE SHIP
 "The Ship!" I say when ever someone asks me what piece I would like to be in MONOPOLY. I remember when I was a little girl, we would play MONOPOLY as a family. I would never choose the same piece because I liked variety and I got bored with routine. I began to notice that every time my brother would choose the ship, so I began to choose the ship too. I still do not know if I chose the ship just because I wanted to annoy my brother or maybe deep down I really admired him. Ever since the first time I chose the ship I have stayed loyal to my commitment and used it every time I play MONOPOLY.
I believe the act of choosing a playing piece at the beginning of any game is not only something to move around the board to beat your competitor but also a true portrayal of your personality. I think that choosing the ship at the beginning of MONOPOLY tells people that I am a "people person" because ships carry people. That is... I imagine it is a cruise ship when I play. I also love to travel and ships never stay in the same place... kind of like me. I always thought that boats and ships were so complex and I feel that I am a very complex person.
Devon Torrence - THE HORSE
In life there are many ways to interpret people. Two ways are by words and actions. If some one says, "Shut up, or I’ll kill you," then you could guess that they might not be that nice.
Another way to interpret someone's personality is by what they choose to be when they play MONOPOLY. When I play MONOPOLY I always pick the horse. One person might think that I love horses. This is true. I love horses and I always have. I don't have one as a pet, but I think it would be cool if I did. A person might also think that I like to ride horses, which is also true. I love to ride horses.
Emily Deason - THE RACECAR
 If I had to be a playing piece in the game of MONOPOLY I would want to be the racecar. MONOPOLY is all about the economy and financial strategies and the car is a very important part in the economy. Plus, it represents modern technology, which would make me feel like a very needed and significant player during the board game. The racecar also represents me in a way. Racecars, when in use, are always moving. They are normally moving forward as well. That is a lot like me. I am always in motion whether I am completing a task or participating in an activity. I like to look towards where I am going and not where I have been. I believe that is just like a car. Cars also move at their own pace. I like to move at my own speed and not the speed of what others are doing. A car is also very stylish, so during the game I would feel confident that I looked alright and I could keep moving forward and completing my goal.
Lukas Reeves - THE MONEYBAG
When I play MONOPOLY I always play as the moneybag. It all began on the first day I ever played the game . One day at my after-school program we had a MONOPOLY tournament. I chose my piece as the moneybag, and then began the game. I played... and won! That's not all though, later that same day I recieved a $100 from my grandparents as a late birthday present, and that made me think of the moneybag as my lucky MONOPOLY piece from then on. Mainly, I keep playing with the moneybag piece because MONOPOLY is all about money. So, if the game is all about money; then what better piece to play with than a bag full of it?
Alexis Jennings - THE PUPPY DOG
 I've never really put much thought into why I've always chosen the dog, when playing my all time favorite board game, MONOPOLY. No one's ever asked me why, and I just never put much thought into it. It took me a while to figure out why the dog means so much to me. Thinking back, I guess I can really tell a lot about my individual personality when I know that I always choose the dog marker. I think that one might choose the dog simply because they have dogs, like one might choose the sports car because they have a sports car. Even before I had my dog, I still chose this dog marker piece. I now know that this was because I desperately wanted my own dog. Simple things like playing a board game with a new person, whom you want to learn more about, is a great idea. I believe this simply because of the exercise of examining why I choose the dog piece and what it tells about me. So now, I can ask others, "What MONOPOLY piece are you?" and, "Why do you choose this piece?" I can now look at learning about others in a whole new, fun way!
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Tuesday, March 06, 2007
March is Women's History Month, a fine time to celebrate the historic achievements of women -- in politics, culture, and, of course, WORDS! In honor of this event, I thought it might be fun to write a series of posts all month long ... about women authors and artists or fascinating female characters in books I come across this month.
 So far, I know that over the next two weeks, I'm going to tell you about the amazing author Jhumpa Lahiri, about a new website for gutsy girls who love to read, and about an artist who plays with words. I'm also going to keep my eyes open and see what else comes up because this is the way it goes with being an editor: Once you have a topic or theme on your mind, everywhere you turn, you see things and people that remind you of it.
Anyway, enough tangents!
Today, I want to tell you about a fabulous new book I recently read. Flora Segunda, by Ysabeau S. Wilce, is about an adventurous, spirited girl (named Flora) who lives in a country called Califa in a house (called Crackpot Hall) that has eleven thousand rooms and a red dog.
Flora is almost 14 years old and one of the few remaining members of the once-glorious Fyrdraaca family - her mother is the Commanding General of the Army of Califa and her father, a wounded warrior/soldier is there, but not quite there (if you know what I mean).
Crackpot Hall used to be an enchanted mansion where rooms appeared, disappeared, and shifted shapes. It was a living being with an elevator that had its own mind and could carry you to far, unknown corners of the house. Now, it is a ghost of a home, falling apart. Unlike the other great homes of Califa, it has a banished and vanishing magical butler named Valefor who wants Flora to help him get his powers (and rule) back.
On the eve of her 14th birthday, Flora is dismayed. She's about to be initiated into the world of soldiers: "When Fyrdraacas turn fourteen and celebrate ... off we go to Benica Barracks to learn to march, to learn to ride, to learn to shoot, to learn to die," she tells us.
Flora doesn't want this. "I want to be a ranger, a scout, a spy. Rangers don't follow orders; they slide around the rules, scoot around the edges of the law. They hide and they listen and they uncover things that are concealed. They discover the truth though it be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies," she says. And, so the drama begins:
Flora Fyrdraaca knows taking shortcuts in Crackpot Hall can be risky. After all, when a House has eleven thousand decaying rooms that shift about at random, there's no telling where a person might end up. But it's not just household confusion that vexes Flora, what with Mamma always away being Commanding General of the Army, Poppy drowning his sorrows in drink, and Crackpot Hall too broken down to magickally provide the clean towels and hot waffles that are a Fyrdraaca's birthright.
Yet Flora is nothing if not a Girl of Spirit. So when she takes a forbidden shortcut and stumbles upon her family's biggest secret--Valefor, the banished Butler--she and her best friend Udo plunge happily into the grand adventure of restoring Valefor to his rightful (or so he says) position. If only Flora knew that meddling with a magickal being can go terribly awry--and that soon she will have to find a way to restore herself before it is Too Late.
Flora Segunda is a fantasy novel written in an original voice and filled with quirky characters. I was immediately captivated by Flora's character and if you're like me, you'll identify with her intense desire to be true to herself and her willingness to take risks, even if it means having a bit of explaining to do to her Army General mother! The world of Califa is imaginary, but somehow it seems very real too and is one that I'd love to visit again (thankfully, there's a sequel on the way!).
I had the chance to have lunch with the author Ysabeau Wilce a few weeks ago and was fascinated to learn that she based the world of Califa on a real city in which she used to live and that she drew maps for every part of this world she created.
If you plan on reading the book or have read it, I wonder if you can guess what city that is? (Yes, this seems to be the week of blog posts about cities!).
If you guess right (click on comment below), I'll see what I can do about getting you an autographed copy of Flora Segunda.
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Monday, March 05, 2007
Back in February, we interviewed China Mieville, author of the new fantasy book, Un Lun Dun. We also asked you to "write a short story or poem about your town... the flipside of your town." Here is one of the stories we received. Congratulations to 8th grader Sarah Davies! We're sending you a signed copy of Un Lun Dun!
We still have 4 copies left! Email YOUR upside-down town story or poem to word@weeklyreader.com for a chance to win one of them!
INSANE LOUIS
-by Sarah Davies, Grade 8
There is a place that is quite strange. Some would even call it insane. In fact, that is the name of this place, Insane Louis, that is. Few have heard of this mystical place and only three or four have actually been there but the people who know of it will swear on their lives that it exists.
Insane Louis is said to be an upside-down version of St. Louis. It is a place full of wonder and magic. The logic that governs the real world is lost in this one. There is only one way to get there and although many have made attempts to enter Insane Louis, it only accepts a select few each decade. Every year millions of people flock to the Arch in order to try out the fabled instructions. They pace underneath the monstrous structure twelve times and then chant the words "Insane Louis" 20 times. It is said that a door will appear to anyone that the town accepts.
A 14 year old boy was the last one to enter Insane Louis. He explored his new discovery for three weeks before coming back to earth. Many claimed that this boy was crazy until he disappeared into an invisible door right in front of a news crew. Now this boy brings back stories and sketches of what he has seen and done in Insane Louis.
Experts have come to a few conclusions after interviewing everyone who has been able to enter the strange land. One is that the landscape and weather there is quite different from the landscape of St. Louis. There are mountains everywhere that seem to grow like trees and the rain changes colors as it falls from the sky. The ground is icy yet the air is warm.
Even though the look of Insane Louis is different, the major landmarks and places of St. Louis all seem to be present with some very strange changes to them. The Arch is hot pink and sits in the middle of a lake. The Botanical Garden is more like a vast jungle than a garden. Busch Stadium seems to be abandoned yet it produces the very noticeable stench of hot dogs. Scientists are perplexed by the weird coincidences in this strange land.
Although only a handful of humans have set foot in Insane Louis, there are many creatures that inhabit it. There are dog-like animals that are scaly as fish and penguins that can soar through the sky. Ferocious horses with claws and razor sharp teeth seem to be the only threat on the land.
As the days go by, more and more people will try to gain access to this wondrous place and many hope that Insane Louis will on day open its doors to all. Until then, the mystery and intrigue of it will cause many people to dream of a world full magic, wonder, and unlimited possibility.
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Friday, March 02, 2007
 Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Cat in the Hat!
Happy Birthday to you!
On this day in 1957, Dr. Seuss published what would soon be the quintessential children's book, The Cat in the Hat.
At the time, schools across the country were using See Spot Run as their champion to engage early-readers. The problem was that See Spot Run was rather (ahem) boring.
In 1954, a journalist named John Hersey wrote an article for Life Magazine that stated that the reason children were such bad readers (in his opinion) was that they weren't reading anything very exciting or imaginative. In his article, he basically dared popular children's book authors of the time to come up with a book that would have kids reading on the edge of their seats. Dr. Seuss went for it.
 Dr. Seuss (his real name was Theodor Geisel) took 2 and a half years to write his now classic book about a mischievous cat who comes to play with two children and their angry goldfish while their mother is away. He used a vocabulary list of words for early readers to write his story. He used only 236 words and many of them were only one syllable!
So The Cat in the Hat has been around for 50 years. What does that mean, really? Well, for starters, what does it mean to you? Do you remember growing up and having your parents read you this wonderful story? Or perhaps you remember reading it yourself? Write to us at word@weeklyreader.com. Tell us your thoughts. Or you can comment below.
Happy Birthday, you rascal!
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