Day Six of Seven; Book Review Week

Hey guys, so do to some technical difficulties (AKA my parents not letting me on the computer) I haven't been able to finish up book review week. This is my review I hope you like it.

 Link to the goodreads page for this book

One of the books that I read recently is Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer. This book is about a evil genius named Artemis Fowl who's mom has gone crazy after his father left. He has a man servant named butler who is pretty much a ninja and can beat anything in a fight. Artemis is out for money becuase when his father left, the remaining Fowls lost a lot of their fortune. Artemis decides to trick fairies into giving him gold by kidnapping one of their captains and holding her hostage. However, not all goes just as the genius boy planned it to go, and soon after he kidnaps fairy captain, Holly Short, things start to go downhill for the young mastermind.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good fantasy read that isn't to long and isn't to short. The characters are well developed and very well thought out. The description is amazing, while I was reading it, it was almost like I was in the very room that Artemis was in, plotting my next move to capture the fairy's gold.


Thanks for reading :)
~Mary Mac

Day Five of Seven; Book Review Week

Today's review is written by Lily, and is of the book, Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen. I hope you guys enjoy. Comment your thoughts below.

~Mary

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen:

Review by, Lily

    "Dreamland" by Sarah Dessen is a suspenseful and intriguing book for a more mature audience. 

    This book follows Caitlin through her experience being in a relationship with Rogerson Biscoe. Rogerson is nothing like any boy she's ever known. He's magnetic and compelling, but once you rip away his misunderstood bad boy exterior, Rogerson is a dangerous, controlling psychopath. 

     He doesn't like Caitlin talking to other people, and if she's even a couple of minutes late meeting him, well then, she's in BIG trouble. Rogerson expects Caitlin to blow off everyone else for him and to cut herself off from the people who care about her. 

    "Dreamland" shows the harsh reality's of abusive and controlling relationships. This book, full of twists and turns, draws you in and doesn't let you go. Unlike books such as the popular Fanfiction, "After" and the best seller, "Fifty Shades of Gray," Sarah Dessen gives a realistic portrayal of these type of toxic relationships in this tear-jerking novel. Votes "An ALA Best Book for Young Adults," read "Dreamland" today!

Day Four of Seven; Book Review Week

Hey guys, back with day four of the infamous book review week! Hope you guys enjoy. Comment your thoughts down below. Also, please don't fall while reading this. And thanks to Ohan Finder, for today's review of The Gun Digest Book of the Tactical Rifle, by Patrick Sweeney.

Enjoy,
~Mary Mac

The Gun Digest Book of the Tactical Rifle
Patrick Sweeney

Review by, Ohan Finder

For those looking for a new tactical long-arm, there are innumerable options. And while the
majority of the country is content with one of the literal hundreds or AR-15 systems that fill our
gun shops, police agencies, and 70-some percent of the military, some of us aren't. We want
something a little more compact, reliable, and/or powerful. And not many people can tell us about
these various less common weapon systems, because everybody has an AR. Thankfully, Pat
Sweeney has decided to change that with The Gun Digest Book of the tactical rifle.

From FALs to M14s, from FN SCARs--in both 5.56mm and 7.62mm--to Kel-Tec RFBs, AK-
47s (and 74s), SIG 556s, sniper rifles, PDWs, and more, Sweeney covers the complete range of
non-Stoner tactical rifles. (Excluding one piston-driven .308 AR, the LWRCI REPR, and lots
of pictures, he avoids them all together.) Sweeney shares his opinions on all of these weapons
after testing them extensively using techniques he learned as the Editor in Chief of Guns and
Ammo magazine. He also discusses their characteristics, capabilities, and components of these
weapon systems. Sweeney also discusses their drawbacks, including mechanical complexity, poor
accuracy, terrible triggers, and other negative aspects specific to the different models of rifle.

Finally, Sweeney explains the basics of field-stripping and maintaining one's weapon
Easily the most insightful chapter of Sweeney's masterpiece was the ammunition section. He
describes the ammunition choices for each of the major calibers, their advantages, and their
drawbacks. This is incredibly important as not every rifle will happily digest every type of ammo.
He also describes what to and not to use each flavor of projectile for. (Example: for 5.56x45mm
ammo, M855 is great for dealing with cars and other "hard" targets, however it just goes right
through the bad guy and does not kill him.)

One last selling point of this book is Pat Sweeney's wonderfully snarky anti-government humour.
He criticizes everybody!! No bias whatsoever. It is quite a refresher to hear negative comments
about our government in general, no matter who is/was running it.

Overall, I recommend this book to anybody who A) wants a new non-AR toy/tool, or B) is new at
this whole high-speed/low-drag tactical thing. For the latter, there is a nice chapter on tactics and
how to operate your weapon. For the former, it's always nice to have some insight before you buy.
Final words: keep shooting, read this book and go get a nice tactical rifle!

Day Three of Seven; Book Review Week

Here is Meredith's review of Beautiful Creatures, by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia. Hope you guys enjoy. Comment your thoughts down below :)

~Mary Mac

Beautiful Creatures       by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia

Review written by, Meredith

   

  This epic fantasy is a definite page turner. From beginning to end I was hooked!

    Lena Duchannes doesn't fit in and isn't welcome in Gatlin County. This is made very clear from the moment she starts Jackson High School and all that people say are "there goes old man Ravenwoods niece!"

  Lena definitely comes from an interesting family, but she has never had a friend. Until Ethan Wate. A born and bred Gatlin boy, Ethan's mother died last year in a car accident and every since then his father has retreated to his study and not come out. These two teenagers seem to click in more than one way. But when Ethan finds out that Lena is a caster, someone gifted with magical powers, can he protect her from being claimed by the dark on her 16th birthday?

Not only is this book very good and thrilling it is truly original. From the plot to the characters, Stohl and Garcia created a whole world. The dialect and setting truly speak to the read, its like you are living in Gatlin and feeling the struggles of a close-minded southern town.

Day Two of Seven: Book Review Week

Welcome readers to day two of book review week! Thanks to Annie for providing today's book review of Mara Daughter Of The Nile by Eloise Jarvis Mcgraw. Enjoy and comment :) Now to Annie.

~Mary Mac

Mara Daughter of the Nile

Review by, Annie

Romance, betrayal, suspense, and hidden identities can all be found in Mara Daughter of the Nile. This story revolves around Mara, a clever witty girl who quickly finds herself playing the role of a double spy for two opposing parties with each party supporting a contender for the Egytian throne. Unable. To keep a promise to herself, Mara finds herself falling Io e with one if her employers, the noble Sheftu, and starts to believe in his cause. But just when Mara is ready to offer Sheftu her service and heart, her duplicity is discovered and Mara is forced to make the choice between freedom and death.

Day One of Seven; Book Review Week

Alright to start the week off, here is Micaela's book review of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. Read, enjoy, comment your thoughts. Now to Micaela's Review

~Mary Mac

 Little Women Book Review

By, Micaela W

My book review today will be on the classic known as Little Women. This book follows the March’s, a quant family of six throughout life’s adventure. This book takes place in New England as the American Civil War rages on. As Mr. March leaves to fight for the North he leaves his 4 daughters Meg, Beth, Jo, and Amy and their mother to fend on their own. And as with all families shenanigans ensue.

As with all hailed classics, Little Women has earned its title with lovely traits galore. The writing pace is not the best, but what it lacks in pace it gains in immersion. The dialogue can be humorous at times, and at others endearing, or even heartbreaking. The characters are relatable and full of different personalities. Although at times the story can get dull it is worth it to read through it. Reviews vary although a great number of them are positive, with it being a break out from the normal views of domestic living it was an inspiration for a generation of women. With all that it’s obvious why Little Women is adored by many and given such praise.

BIg Announcement

I'm very proud to announce that next week, in celebration of the school year being over. Our blog will be having a book review week. This means that every day next week (including weekends) there will be a book review posted on our blog. Some of my friends have agreed to help me out and so we will also be having not one, but six guest writers joining our blog for the week.

I'm also sorry about how slow last month and this month have been compared to April, but please cut us some slack. It's been crazy studying for finals and the SOLS and we've been jam packed with homework and last minute projects. Expect more from us during the summer.

I myself am doing a book review for book review week so comment down below which book you guys think I should review, no promises though just in case I haven't read the book ;)


~Mary Mac

30 Ways I Relieve Stress

Ways I relieve stress

• • Listen to music 
  • Hang out with friends
  • Cuddle with dogs
  • Play with dogs 
  • Smile
  • Watch funny youtube videos
  • Write
  • Read
  • Play violin
  • Pay guitar
  • Draw
  • Sing
  • exercise
  • Cry
  • Nap
  • Meditate
  • Go outside
  • Laugh 
  • Drink tea
  • Watch a favorite movie
  • Watch TV
  • Talk it out with someone (They may have the same problem)
  • Phone a friend
  • Write a list of whats on your mind (Once you write it down, may not be that bad)
  • Play a video game
  • Learn something new
  • Surf the internet
  • Browse instagram
  • Release oxytosin (Cuddling)
  • Look at pictures of baby animals
  • Hang out with family
  • Asses the stress
  • Problem solve
  • Eat yummy foods
  • Ride horses
  • Daydream
  • Do something useful 
  • Paint
  • Get a change in environment 
  • Go for a walk

ASJDKF My Very Good friend is undergoing a lot of stress right now, and I'm really worried about him, so I made this list, hoping it will help others :) Enjoy!

TTYL

~Melody Page

Happy Memorial day (U.S.A)

Lets take today, or even just a brief moment of today to recognize the heroes of our countries and to honor those that died in war. After-all you did get Monday off so make it worthwhile! 
TTYL
~Melody Page

My Eighth Grade Speech

Please leave me feedback. I enjoy hearing constructive criticism, and your comments are much appreciated! :)

Kings Court

Compromise; something we have been learning since kindergarten. It’s the middle ground, the in-between. I always thought that compromising was easy. But, that opinion changed when I had to compromise on something that I take a lot of pride in. That something happens to be my writing. And the people I had to compromise and work with, were two of my best friends.

CHANGE SLIDE

It all starts in spectrum way back in November. For a project, my friends and I were assigned to write a play for our class. Us being the writers we are, we decided to write the whole thing out, then script it. In short, we ended up writing a 31 page, 13,500 word, story that took us seven months; in fact we just finished it up a couple weeks ago. However the path to the finish was riddled with trouble, and times that we had to compromise but didn’t know how without hurting one another’s feelings.

CHANGE SLIDE One of the biggest things we had to compromise was our time, and let me tell you that that was very hard for me. I am involved in a travel sport, and for those of you, who are too, you know how time consuming that is, for those of you who don’t just imagine almost every day having practices and playing, it’s a lot, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world. Also, I’m a very social person, and time with my friends is something I enjoy, but when time with my friends means sitting and focusing, it gets complicated. When we did meet up, we were usually at the library. The library, though, has lots of distractions, and my friends would get frustrated with me for not paying attention, or for not listening to them. At one point they even forced me to put noise cancelling headphones on so I wouldn’t be distracted.

CHANGE SLIDE

In addition to time, the plot line and the characters were a huge compromise as well. Remember when I said we were writing the story to turn into a play? Well, before we even started, we had to decide who would play what part. The arguments were crazy, and sometimes didn’t make much sense, but compromises were somehow always reached. The plot line though, wasn’t as easy as the characters. There were arguments that lasted for day, and even now that we are done, there are still some things we haven’t really compromised on. For example, one of the people in the class that we are performing our play in, wanted a Platypus, and the play was in medieval times, where platypi are never really ever mentioned. One of my friends totally bought the idea, while my other friend and I were totally against it. Eventually, we came to an agreement that we would edit it out if we ever actually did something with the story, and we let her write it in. But, we still bother each other about it, even now that we’re done.

CHANGE SLIDE

To wrap up, I would like to thank Meredith, Micaela, and our editor, Anna. Without their help there would be no story, and without a story I wouldn’t have been able to write my speech. They deserve a lot of credit, not only for their writing, but for teaching me that I’m not always right, and that compromising is the best solution to most arguments.

~Mary Mac

 

Eighth Grade Dance

So last friday, my school had our eighth grade dance. The theme for our dance was mardi gras, and when my friends and I showed up at the dance, the cafeteria was completly transformed from boring lunch room to amazing dancing room, They covered the walls in green, yellow, and purple streamers and there was a professional DJ and crazy lights everywhere. A lot of the grade showed up and it was pretty packed. I danced with a bunch of my friends, and we had a lot of fun.
In case you're wondering, I wore a coral, flowy, dress and white flat sandals. I even straightened my hair. My mom forced me to let her put makeup on me, because apparently makeup makes you look better, personally, I think it just made my eyelids look blue. Comment down below you dance stories, I would love to hear them. And as always, follow our blog if you like our posts. Thanks :)

~Mary Mac

Day 25~ Y is for Ytterbium

In science class, each of us our assigned an element to research and do a project on. Mary got Iodine, while I got Ytterbium (Yb)(It-ter-bee-um). 'What is Ytterbium?' you might ask. Well thats why I am here! Ytterbium is a bright, soft, silvery-white, extremely rare metal. It is not found naturally. Any ways it was founded in 1878 in Geneva, Switzerland by a man named 

Jean Charles Galissard. Ytterbium 

is a solid and very malleable and ductile. 

It has 70 electrons,70 protons and 104 

neutrons and the atomic weight is 

173.4. It was named after a small village in

Sweden called Ytterby.

(Sources:http://www.chemicool.com/elements/ytterbium.html )

ASJKDFHDAF Did my teacher really have to give me one of the hardest ones? I'll take the challenge though! Anyways this is day twenty-five of the A-to-Z Challenge! Wow! Only one day left! Check the creators out here. Also, Click for our youtube trailer here and out instagram here. We will be posting everyday, except sunday, each with the first letter starting with the following letter of the alphabet. Thanks for reading today :) TTYL!

~Melody Page

Day 24~ X is for Xenon

Yes, x is for xenon. For those who don't know,  Xenon (Xe) is an element on the periodic table, with an atomic number of 54, and is one of the noble gases. In science, we are learning about atoms and atomic stucture. Today, we had to color in the different groups of the periodic table. I asked my friend for a green colored pencil. She handed me the pencil, titled "Peacock Green". Yeah, it turns out that peacock green, really isn't green, it's more of a blue-green, not quite turquoise, but not quite blue.

My science SOL is in about three weeks, and I'm kind of nervous, due to the fact that the science SOL isn't just about the stuff we learn in eighth grade. It's also on everything we learned in sixth and seventh grade. I'm going to need to hit the books soon! Has anyone ever had a test they were nervous about? I want to hear your stories so comment them down below :) and be sure to follow our blog!

~Mary Mac

Day 22~ V is for voodoo

Acupuncture is total voodoo, but it works! I recently found out that I have tendonitis in my elbow
because I use it to much. I have a tournament this weekend and my elbow was really hurting. My mom took me to acupuncture and now it feels twenty times better, and I was able to play today.

Some people are scared of acupuncture because of the needles, but the needles used in acupuncture aren't shot needles, and they barely pierce your skin! Anyone with pain should go to acupuncture. It is awesome. Have you ever had acupuncture. I want to hear your stories! Post them in the comments below. :-)

~Mary Mac