Suddenly an image of my mother as a young girl flashed through my head My mother always wanted a little girl. One who would wear frilly pink dresses and bows and barrettes in her hair and would play with dolls and have tea parties with china and have perfect manners and would take ballet and […]
Fall Night
I gaze at the fall night sky I lie down in the cold grass Close my eyes Breathing slowly I imagine I am a falling leaf I float in twirl in the slow breeze I open my eyes stand up I look Around and all I see are bare Trees and fallen leaves I lie […]
Tranquility Reservoir
I gaze at the distant sun reflecting on the lake. I see the loon dipping in and out of the reservoir. Then I see a small ripple in the remote waters. That strikes a vague memory of the days when my brother and I caught frogs in a nearby pond. There are frogs in my […]
Adrin’s Chase
“What do you say, Adrin? Do we have a deal?” Storm-tossed waves broke like a thousand glass shards against the craggy black rocks at the base of the cliff. A sleeping girl, curled among the long grasses, didn’t hear the storm. She was in the midst of a nightmare, tossing and turning. Suddenly, a clap […]
Mission Beach
There is one thing that always completes my summer. Mission Beach. Every August, my family either takes the eight-hour drive or the one-hour flight down to San Diego, where my mom grew up. My grandpa lives in a small complex called Stonecrest, and about a ten-minute drive away is Mission Beach, my favorite beach in […]
Fixing Delilah
Fixing Delilah, by Sarah Ockler; Little, Brown and Company: New York, 2010; $16.99 Sarah Ockler’s Fixing Delilah follows Delilah Hannaford (a sixteen-year-old girl) as she discovers her family’s secrets and learns the true importance of family. The novel starts with Delilah and her boyfriend, Finn, who do not like each other but are dating. Delilah, […]
Missing
I never knew that I could be so worried about my brother Little brothers are so annoying. Sure, you usually care about them when they’re hurt or crying or something like that. But in my opinion, they’re just crazy little things that claim to be related to us. I never knew that I could be […]
A Walk Down the Ocean
It was a dolphin! My feet slapped against the wet sand, and waves lapped at my toes. White umbrellas blossomed like flowers all over the beach, teetering and threatening to fall down in the salty ocean breeze. I crossed over to the dry, sugar-powdered sand, and I could hear my heart pounding as I sprinted […]
My Coat of Many Colors
A carpet of sand melts into a sea of blue whipped cream I inhale the golden scent of joy Like syrup on my tongue The seagulls’ voices are wind chimes in the warm summer air They call to the sea and the sky I reach out my fingers to touch the sunset And wrap it […]
The Lily Hair Clip
“I… I want you to have something” A scream cut through the cool night air, but no one was around to hear it. A small boy of around five years old huddled against a tree trunk, crying desperately. His short brown hair was plastered against his brow, tears staining his freckled face. “Mommy!” he screamed. […]
Sean Griswold’s Head
Sean Griswold’s Head, by Lindsey Leavitt; Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers: New York, 2011; $16.99 Her parents lie about her father’s multiple sclerosis (MS), a potentially deadly disease of the central nervous system. Her best friend flirts with her older brother. A school counselor wants to meet with her. A boy’s head becomes the focus […]
The Most Important Thing
We talked for a while and soon became fast friends The waves lapped rhythmlessly against the side of the boat as I hoisted the sail and started slowly out into the bay. Dark clouds were forming on the horizon and drops of rain were beginning to fall. I squinted, trying to see through the increasing […]
