For this month’s reading, I read The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. This story is about a boy and a girl in New York who begin to fall in love despite the fact that they could never be with each other, because Natasha was an immigrant from Jamaica and was being deported just later that day. This is a heartfelt love story where two people who believe they were meant to be try to fit their entire love history into one day.

I recommend reading this book because it is about the true love that Daniel and Natasha have for each other and it is really sweet how they make the most of the short but meaningful time that they have together. It will really make you feel like you are part of the story with these truly realistic yet completely lovable characters!

My favorite character is Daniel. I really like this character because he is very persistent. On the night when Natasha was being deported, Daniel wanted to stay with her as long as possible due to his extreme love for her. According to the author, Daniel says, “I’m going to go with you to your house, and then we’re going to take a cab to the airport, just the two of us. Then I’m going to watch you get on a plane and feel my heart get ripped out of my f****** chest, and then I’m going to wonder for the rest of my life what could’ve happened if this day hadn’t gone exactly the way it’s gone.” (Page 306) This quote demonstrates this character trait because Daniel is not willing to let Natasha go. He wants to stay with her as long as possible and get to know her as well as he can because he wants to make the memories of her last.

My favorite quote from The Sun is Also a Star is when she finally sees Daniel again after arguing with him. The text states, “But the smile on my face needs to be measured in miles, instead of inches.” (Page 259) This is my favorite quote from the story because it demonstrates the overall feel good and happy feelings from the book. It visualizes her extreme happiness that she feels after being reunited with her boyfriend again!

Instead of making a New Year’s resolution this year, I am going to focus on one word. That word is flexibility. Last year, I noticed that I wasn’t very mentally flexible! This year I am going to remember that sometimes things are not going to go exactly as planned and that is ok. I like to control what happens in my life and know when it will happen. This year, I would like to learn to realize that that will almost never be the case!

In 2024, I will help train my mind to go with the flow and have other people make the decisions about what will happen for me from time to time. This is a very important life skill to have in the future because so many forces of nature, events, and people can affect my plans! Also, it can be more fun and adventurous if you change your plans because you can experience new people and places that I’ve never met or been to. I am looking forward to a new year in 2024!!!

Being principal for the day would be so much fun for me! The first thing I would do that day would be to cancel a random day of school. I would do this because all students (and teachers) need a mental break every once in a while! Secondly, I would change the school lunch to give kids more options. I don’t buy lunch very much because it’s always the same- American food. School would be so much more fun if we could be able to try different foods from different cultures and places so kids could experience new flavors and ideas. Also, kids could have a deeper understanding of their friends who may come from different backgrounds, while additionally expanding their taste buds! Instead of burger day, we could have sushi day! Third of all, we could develop new ways of testing students’ knowledge instead of tests. Tests give students lots of anxiety which is bad for their mental wellness. What if instead of a worrying science exam, we had labs or some type of hands- on activity that we did to replace it? Fourth, the school should have a vending machines with drinks. Lots of students are always very thirsty everyday at school. Let’s be honest… No one wants to drink from the gross water fountains that are clogged with gunk and grime! If we had a vending machine, students could buy drinks such as lemonade and tea to help keep them refreshed throughout the day. The school could also provide healthy options too, like smoothies and juices. Finally, we should have a longer lunch period. One of the most important parts about middle school is learning about friendships and building strong relationships with your peers. I feel that there is not enough time to do this, especially since a lot of our time is spent waiting in the lunch line or finding a good spot to meet at. Even if we just took a few minutes of time from each period, that could be so essential for some kids, like me who need time with friends.

It was an especially windy afternoon. The cold breeze ruffled through my feathers and sent an eerie chill ran down my back. I soared through the clouds, ice crystals forming on my feathers. “Brr!” I said to myself as I looked back, by tail feathers laden with snow. Suddenly, the wind shifted abruptly, sending me backwards into the unknown. It was sending me towards the ground!

I tried to fight against the strong force of air, flapping and flailing, but it was no use. I watched in horror as I was slowly engulfed in a tornado of leaves! An array of pine needles, maple leaves, and sticks spun around me. Splat! A sticky, sap- covered leaf hit me square in the face. After a while, I was slowly lowered to the ground, dizzy, and still confused about what had just happened. When I finally came to my senses, I realized the leaf had been permanently stuck to my face, like super glue! I tried to rip the leaf off, but it was no use. “I guess I’ll still live,” I mumbled with a sigh, “I guess I will live.”

For this month’s reading, I read Five Feet Apart by Racheal Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Laconis. This story is about a boy and a girl who have a lung disease, (Stella has CF and Will has B. Cepacia) and they begin to fall in love despite the fact that they could never be near each other. As they get further and further into their relationship, they begin to bend the rules a little bit- 5 feet wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?

I recommend reading this book because it has lots of details all about the lives of the characters through their eyes. All of the characters feel like they are living right besides you because they feel so real and one can easily relate to all of their feelings that they are going through in that moment of time in the story. They don’t have something that they both really want (each other), which I think most people can relate to at some point in their lives.

My favorite character is Will. I really like this character because he is helpful to others and never let his friends and family down. One of his character traits is caring. According to the author, “I watch as he shivers, coughing, his body is swaying as he starts to collapse. Every single breath is a struggle, and I watch as he gasps for air, trying desperately as he try’s to fill his lungs. And every breath he gets, he gives to me.” (Page 242) This quote demonstrates this character trait because he is sacrificing his own lungs, health, and life for Stella. In other words, he is giving everything he has to Stella.

My favorite quote from Five Feet Apart is “I push every bit of air in my body into her lungs, collapsing on top of her, no idea if it was enough, hearing the sirens of the ambulance I called blare in the distance. Water trickles over my head as my hand finds hers and I finally let the darkness consume me.” (Page 245) This is my favorite quote from the story because it really sums up all of the messages of overall kindness and that other good people are the most powerful and essential parts of our lives. Without them, who would we be?

I am thankful for many things, but here are thee of my top things. One thing that I am very thankful for this year is my family and friends. I am so glad that they are a part of my life because they are always there if I need someone to talk to. Also, they are open for hugs when I desire them. They are all such special people who are priceless to me. Secondly, I am thankful for my room. I am thankful for this because I have my own special place where I can be separate from everyone when I need time alone to think or just relax. It is so nice to fall asleep in my own private little place and be able to wake up and feel refreshed! Lastly, I am grateful for my pets! I feel this way because they are always ready to snuggle and give me puppy kisses. They make me feel loved and relaxed, especially when I pet their silky poodle fur. What are you thankful for?

If you had been granted three wishes, what would you do with them? For me, I would first wish for a healthier planet. This way, we all could be surrounded by beauty no matter where we live. Many people in the world would be more happy if they could have fresh air when they walk out of the door and have lots of fresh air to breathe. Secondly, I would wish for a phone. I don’t have a phone yet and I would really want one so I can easily communicate to my friends and family. If the genie got me a phone, it would also be a break from my siblings and reality! Lastly, I would ask for an endless supply of money! This way I could buy whatever things that I wanted when I wanted it. I could also help people in need and spread my wealth around to everyone.

I would trade places with Taylor Swift for so many reasons! In case you haven’t heard of her, Taylor Swift is a female American songwriter and singer who wrote songs such as “Shake it Off” and “Anti-Hero”. I would love to trade places with her because I would be rich. With this money, I would be able to travel the world in luxury and style. It would be fun to be able to have the money to buy whatever I want. I could also use this wealth and power to donate to people and places in need of help. Another reason I would trade places with Taylor Swift is because I would be able to get my voice and actions heard. Not only does she express her feelings with her music but also with her emotions. It would be so cool to go out on stage and see all of the people get so excited to see you! Finally, I would be inspirational. Many girls idol Taylor Swift because she is an example that shows that girls can be whatever they want to be – whether that be rich and successful or kind and supportive of their community.

It would be a dream to have a day as amazing as this one. This day would be exciting, adventurous, and thrilling the entire time. When I woke up that morning, I was transported to Paris magically and had breakfast in the beautiful Eiffel Tower with my friends and family. I would eat endless amounts of pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) there. After that, I would be brought back to sunny California and go to Knott’s Berry Farm! All of the rides will be line free so I can get on immediately. I would go on Hangtime, Ghostrider, and Xelorator while I am there. For lunch, I will be transported to Japan to have sushi with my best friends. We will try all of the rolls-from rainbow to tempura! Once we finish our lunch, I will go skydiving by myself (most of my friends and family do not like heights) off of the cliffs in San Diego! I have always wanted to go skydiving, so this must be part of my day. After that, I will go swimming in the warm, tropical waters of Hawaii and see all of the colorful fish dancing magically in the clear water.while I am there, I will bring some spam musubi to share with my family back at home. To end my day, I will see the Taylor Swift movie in my local theater along with many bags of buttery, crispy, movie popcorn!

For October, I read All Our Broken Pieces by L.D. Crichton. This book is a young adult fiction about two teenagers in high school living in Bel Air. They are no ordinary students – Lennon has OCD and Kyler got severely burned on the face during a house fire. When they are forced to complete their language arts project together, they become closer and closer and begin to fall in love with each other.

I found much pleasure in reading this book because all of the characters seemed like they were real people. One of the main characters, Lennon, helped me develop a deeper understanding of the struggle that people have who suffer with mental illnesses like OCD. The vivid details that L.D Crichton describes to show how Lennon copes with and faces her illness is really captivating. I never knew that such little things, like tapping your fingers against the wall or making sure everything is organized correctly could affect a person so much.

In this book, my favorite character was Kyler because he is understanding. According to the text, when Lennon asks if Kyler thinks she is weird for having OCD, he responds with ‘“So what, you have a thing. Doesn’t everybody?”’ (page 23) This evidence proves that he is understanding of Lennon because he was able to see past her flaws and to the beautiful, thoughtful girl she really is inside.

My favorite quote from the book is “Ordinary can never achieve greatness.” (page 218) This quote is meaningful to me because in life, everyone is trying to be the same as others around them because they are afraid of what other people may think of them if they are different. This world would be very boring if everyone didn’t have their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. This book encourages people to draw their own path and paint a unique future that is their own.