fbpx

Contents

To Kill a Unicorn

  Our small hunting party trotted silently along the woodland path, searching for the white ghost of the forest. We knew the unicorn's weakness now. An old enchanter, passing by my father's castle, had said that a maiden fair of face could trap a unicorn with a golden bridle. We were taking along Jan younger [...]

Notes to Each Other

CHAPTER ONE Emma and her family were walking home from the church meeting on Sunday, when her mother, Katherine Stuart, began to tell about the family that was coming to stay with them in a week. Mr. and Mrs. Keymon were some college friends of Emma's parents. The Keymons had a boy and a girl, [...]

First Horse Show, Ever

I was nine years old and it was my first horse show ever. Pacino, my steady ride, was the picture of blue-ribbon pride with his black coat shimmering and his mane in neat braids. There I stood, next to him with my peach show shirt, newly pressed navy-blue blazer, and my hair in long silky [...]

What the Stars Are Made Of

Sixteen-year-old Bella sat nervously in her chair. "Think about something else," she told herself, yet the wandering of her mind always came back to her love, the baker's son, Cody They have always been friends, more than friends. When they were little they would spend their summer nights together, skipping smooth rocks on the sandy [...]

The Summer Father Was Away

“Jo-bear, Jo!" a voice called. "Wake up, wake up—it's just a bad dream." "Where am I?" I awoke, puzzled, my eyes only half open. A familiar face hovered over me in the morning light, sun-bleached hair strewn across his forehead, and clear glacier-blue eyes. A boy about fifteen—my brother, Nathaniel. "Where are we going?" I [...]

Saturdays

To Elsa, Saturdays mean bliss. Saturdays are the morning of her entire week. They are the crowning glory the cherry on the top of the sundae. A week without Saturdays to Elsa would be a week without happiness. She takes what she can get. And she gets Saturdays. All week long, she taps her patent-leather-clad [...]

Accusations

It all started on the stairs outside my English classroom. I was late and I wasn't watching where I was going, so I ran smack into my best friend, Kelly. There were pencils bouncing down the steps, folders spewing their contents on the floor, and pens escaping only to be crushed underfoot by passing students. [...]

My Friend, Luis Manuel

When I lived in Caracas, Venezuela, I went to a Catholic school called San Ignacio. I was there for kindergarten and preparatorio (a grade after kindergarten and before first grade). I was in a group of three friends that always did everything together. In this group, there was the oldest, a kid whose name I [...]

Thoughts of a Sunny Day

The car came to a stop, and I stepped out, closing the door behind me. I ran home, determined to finish my homework and retreat to the lake as soon as possible. I dashed into my room and dumped everything out of my bookbag, on the floor. I took out my task sheet and looked [...]

Envelope

surrounded every day by glow-in-the-dark stars gummed to the ceiling and photos like a virus engulfing the walls images of wooden birds and chlorine-rich summers cherry blossoms and children in plastic hats taped mosaic across plaster the house over a century old with closed-off dumbwaiters grimy stained glass tin ceilings sagging canned antiquity house under [...]

The Dancer

Behind the curtain of rain The Dancer awaits Her slick, muscular legs tensing, preparing, Wide eyes darting, searching. Suddenly, with all grace, she leaps through the air. Flying, Soaring, She lands with flawless balance Just in time to shoot her slender tongue into the air For dinner. The frog on her lily pad.

Play to the Angel

Play to the Angel by Maurine F. Dahlberg; Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York, 2000; $16 The most memorable book I have read in a long time is Play to the Angel. Beautifully written characters breathe life into this interesting plot. The city of Vienna is well described, and the individual locations are so convincing [...]

Jim Ugly

Jim Ugly, by Sid Fleischman; HarperTrophy (reprint edition): New York, 2oo3; $6.99 If you like mysteries and suspense/adventure books, then Jim Ugly is the book for you! Twelve-year-old Jake Bannock's father, Sam, is dead. He was buried in a pine wood coffin with ice inside to keep him cool and comfortable. But Jake has heard [...]