Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin (my November reading)

http://www.thepicnic-basket.com

Review: In seventh grade, when she meets the new girl, Phoebe considers herself normal--not extraordinary in the least. But as she becomes friends with Mallory and she grows into herself, Phoebe grows to be stronger and and much more than ordinary. When Ryland, Mallory's older brother comes into the picture, Phoebe's friendship with Mallory starts to change and mystical happenings surround this trio. This fantastical novel will keep you interested and will enthrall you in the emotions and conflict of the story.
Rating: 9 on a scale from 1-10
Progress: Done
Similar to this book: Impossible by Nancy Werlin, Wicked Lovely series (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity, and Radiant Shadows) by Melissa Marr

Codename: O. Henry

We recently read "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry in class and are currently doing a background check. 

• real name: William Sydney Porter
• born- September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina
• when not writing he was a :
• ranch hand
• bookkeeper
• bank teller
• editor of The Rolling Stone
• time in jail- a little over three years(1898-1901) for embezzling a bank
• received the maximum reduction of time for good behavior
• famous for- surprise endings or use of dramatic irony
• has an award named after him that is given annually to the author who has the best stories printed in American magazines 
• married Sara Coleman but she was never fully healthy and died in 1897
• had a child with her but it died in infancy
• after jail sentence went to New York city in an effort to get away from his past
• remarried to a childhood sweetheart, but the marriage was a failure 
• became an alcoholic at the end of his life
• died-June 5, 1910 in New York City

Sorce: http://go.grolier.com/, 

Baby Blue

Blue is a color used in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe to symbolize birth. It is the color of the first, most eastern room in Prince Prospero’s castle. Prince Prospero first sees the intruder in this room and this is where the chase begins. This sanctuary of cerulean and azure represents the start of life and the welcoming of a new being into the world.

            The color blue can mean many different things, but it often stands for freshness and new life.  True blue makes one think of a clear sky first thing in the morning, a stream bubbling on its way to the open ocean, and buds of flowers, such as delphiniums and irises. The ebony clock is the quietest in this room, since is the farthest from the source of the sound, yet you can still hear it chime on the hour.  Blue is a primary color and therefore a building block for many other colors. From it sprouts green, a color of energy that comes with being young, and purple, a pigment that represents youth and playfulness. Blue epitomizes beginnings and the water essential to life. It is a calm color meant to sooth restless and wailing souls. It tells of loyalty and trust, faith and sincerity. It is a pure shade that exemplifies innocence and truth.

            Blue is the color of a newborn baby’s eyes. I know this because I was at the birth of my little sister, Chloe. She was a mess in her first few moments of life. She was scrawny, naked, and covered in shiny, white goo that made her look unnaturally pale. She had only taken a few breaths, so there was not enough oxygen in her small appendages making them appear slightly blue. In the next few hours she would be cleaned up, washed off, and swaddled in a blanket—making her rosy and clean without the marks of birth on her. Blue is very important to “The Masque of the Red Death” because without this color or that particular room, the Prince and The Red Death would have no starting point and the events of the story might not have happened. The blue embodies the beginning of life and newness. I experienced the role blue plays in birth, when I met my younger sister for the first time. It does not matter if its cobalt, indigo, aqua, or sapphire, blue represents life and bringing fresh souls into the world.

Halloween costumes

For Halloween I dressed up as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games (see book review). I wore her wedding dress partially changed into the Mockingjay dress from the interview in Catching Fire. My little sister went as a butterfly.

Mr. Poe

Edgar Allen Poe was a famous poet and author. He was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts and died on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland. According to the Edgar Allen Poe Museum Poe called Virginia home, yet The Poe Society of Baltimore claims he spent more time and more important things happened when he was in Maryland. Both of his parents were dead before he was three years old influencing his outlook on death and giving his tragic writing understanding and background. Poe enlisted in the West Point Military Academy, but was dismissed in 1831. He married to his cousin Virginia Eliza Clemm, age thirteen, in 1836. This seems like it was very rushed for her young age and could have been better thought out. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" was one of Poe's first detective stories. "The Tell-tale Heart" was written in 1850 and "The Black Cat" in 1845. "The Raven" was published in 1845.
I imagine Edgar Allen Poe to have been quite a character. He had many unfortunate events in his life, but these happenings added experience to his stories and brought about a need for writing. His stories send chills down my spine and gain my admiration for his irony and symbolism.

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/130

information from:

http://www.poemuseum.org/life.php

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/130

http://www.online-literature.com/poe/

http://www.eapoe.org/index.htm

http://poestories.com/stories.php