Tuesday, May 22, 2007

WORD would like to welcome our new Associate Editor, Alicia Zadrozny to the team! We actually stole Alicia from Children's Publishing here at Reader's Digest and we're very happy to have her. Today is her first day and she's already in a blogging mood! Yah! The following entry is Alicia's take on Khaled Hosseini's latest novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

I am in 72nd place and I'm proud of it. It's not really a race that I'm in. Rather, I am eagerly waiting to get my hands on a reserved library copy of A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Many other people will have the chance before I do. This much-anticipated second novel by Khaled Hosseini comes out today. In 2003, Hosseini wowed the world with The Kite Runner. I was more than "wowed" by this story about two Afghan boys and their troubled friendship. I was moved. I was awed. I was blown away. I remember hearing from so many different kinds of people who felt the same way. I was amazed how this book even touched "non-readers." They too would sing its praises.

Of course, many people have high hopes for A Thousand Splendid Suns. Today, I read an excerpt of the novel and my excitement remains strong. This time we get a woman's perspective. The novel tells the tale of two women who live through three decades of Taliban tyranny and civil war in Afghanistan. From the morsel I sampled, A Thousand Splendid Suns promises a rich read, complete with delicious descriptions and endearing characters.

Well, I have just got so worked up that I may have to head to a bookstore tonight instead of waiting. Then again, this book is going to fly off the shelves. And I might end up being number 72 in line, anyway.


# (3)#
Bryon    Posted by
Bryon
on 5/22/2007
4:10 PM
 Monday, May 21, 2007

- by AC Lobos, Grade 11

There are things that roam in the darkness
In the bleak of midnight they run free and wild
None can see the bitter and empty hearts that they shelter
Free to witness the fear of all who approach their realm
Few can see them as they pass through a blanket of black
Darkness, their only friend

Shadowy ravens fly at the echo of their eerie laughter
Til the light of truth shows what was never there
Aid will never come to those who see it
For the memory will last till the curtain falls on man


# (3)#
StudentWriter    Posted by
StudentWriter
on 5/21/2007
4:10 PM

Well, here we are.

In case you haven't heard, our entire staff here at Weekly Reader has moved to Pleasantville, NY. We are now part of Reader's Digest. Yah! Click here to see a picture of the building. I'm sure there are better images out there. If you know of one, please let me know.

Today, well, today we are the new kids on the block. This place is pretty big and we are getting our bearings slowly but surely. A bunch of us ate lunch in the cafeteria and it was quite good. Although, I opened a ketchup packet the wrong way and it shot out all over me. Grr. But it's all good!

So yeah, check out the Reader's Digest web site (the link is above) when you get a chance. I'm still unpacking but I just wanted to give you a heads up on our new mailing address.

READ Magazine or Writing Magazine
Weekly Reader Publishing
1 Reader's Digest Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570

And, of course, you can always email us at word@weeklyreader.com.

-Slightly Off-Centered


# #
Bryon    Posted by
Bryon
on 5/21/2007
1:57 PM
 Thursday, May 17, 2007

Yesterday was the final day of the International Reading Association (IRA) conference. I don't have anything really exciting to report because I spent pretty much the entire day in the Weekly Reader booth. I didn't meet any authors or go to any lectures because I was chillin' at the home base, mixing it up with teachers from all walks of life. And that, in itself, was something special.

I'm about ready to leave now. The four of us that headed out here together in an oversized minivan just five days ago are ready to pile back in and groove on back to the states. Canada was truly a blast, eh? I thank you for your good will and best wishes.

Before we leave this fine country, we're stopping by a small, mostly unknown place called Niagara Falls. I hear they've got, like, a bunch of water or something? I dunno. That's just what they tell me. ;)

So yeah, overall, the trip was just jam packed with inspiration and ideas. Gotta give a great big shout out to IRA for making it all possible. How does one give a shout out? Um.

YO IRA..... WORD!

Yup, that oughtta do it.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
     - Grouch Marx

Coming soon to WORD: More student writing than you can shake a stick at! How's that for barking up the right tree???


# (1)#
Bryon    Posted by
Bryon
on 5/17/2007
7:39 AM


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