Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer; Harcourt Children’s Books: New York, zoo6; $17 My first impression of the book Life As We Knew It was that it would be boring and drawn-out, judging by its number of pages and blunt plot. When I began reading it, I was mesmerized with the book’s intensity and multiple problems that stemmed from the story’s main conflict: an asteroid hitting the moon, knocking it closer to the earth and off its orbit. From that moment, life for Miranda, the main character, drastically changes as she, along with the rest of humanity, is burdened with the devastating aftereffects of the asteroid. First of all, natural disasters such as tsunamis are submerging peninsulas all across the globe, beginning the List of the Dead posted on the Internet. Scientists even announce that “the world is coming to an end.” Afterwards, Miranda and her family embark on a shopping spree to create a surplus of food in case this theory is true. I realized that things we can take for granted, such as clean drinking water, enough food to eat, and a comfortable home, have a huge impact on your life if affected. As the plot continues, the results only become worse. Earthquakes occur, fatal viruses are common, weather patterns change, and heating oil along with electricity is hard to come by. This disables phone and Internet connections, and the outside world’s future seems closer to non-existence every day. I thought about what I valued and appreciated the opportunities I had each day. I was also amazed at what Miranda has to cope with concerning her living situation. In order to conserve heat, they move into the living room and board up the windows. My house seemed much nicer in comparison, making me feel thankful. As for the way the book was written, there were some pros and cons to it. I thought the format of the story, which was written as if it were Miranda’s diary, seemed very engaging and made you feel as if you were going through the same struggle that she was. However, her account was too detailed with repetitive thoughts such as being hungry or bored that didn’t contribute to the plot and made it less appealing to the reader because of the day-to-day format. Some topics that the author focused upon were dedication to your family, dealing with forced situations, and how a crisis has a different affect on each person. This book made me realize something important: we should pay attention to our surroundings and to what is going on in the world, such as the war in Iraq or the world hunger issue. These events may not affect us, but we should know about them because one day, unexpectedly, something similar could happen in our country Another current problem is the effect of global warming, which is the heating of the earth’s atmosphere because of the carbon dioxide released from motor vehicles, factories, and the overuse of electricity Although it seems an asteroid won’t be colliding with the earth any time soon, global warming is having the same impact—only gradually—on our planet. With its wonderful morals and intricate plot, Life As We Knew It is a book that everyone should read. Megan Kibler, 12East Springfield,Pennsylvania
January/February 2008
Ashie
“Dad,” I whined, stomping the sole of my new black riding boots into the hard pavement of the driveway, feeling my heel grinding into the small pebbles. “Can we go to the stable yet?” I tugged on the handle of my dad’s old pickup truck, yearning to open the door, hop in, and drive off. “Ashlyn, honey, I’m just trying to snap the buckle on Amber’s riding helmet. You’re going to have to be patient.” I looked over at my dad who was wrestling with my ten-year-old sister, Amber, trying to wiggle the glossy blue helmet over her tight blond curls. Amber laughed and squirmed as my dad tried to buckle the little childproof snap on the helmet. Finally, Amber pulled away from both the helmet and my dad’s grasp. She ran away screaming and giggling around the back of the house, her curls flying, her blue eyes sparkling, trying to find a place to hide. My dad stood there with the helmet and sighed. He looked over at me, shrugged helplessly as if to say, What can I do? and then ran after her, yelling, “I’m coming to get you!” And now, I was going to be late for my riding class, all because of Amber I sighed, leaning back against the cool window of the truck. I checked my watch. I had put on my own helmet exactly an hour ago. And now, I was going to be late for my riding class, all because of Amber. And wait a second—didn’t this same thing happen last week? And the week before that? Oh, and yesterday Amber scooped up the last spoon of mocha almond fudge ice cream that I had already called dibs on and Dad and Meredith didn’t get mad at her. And this morning, it wasn’t an accident that she used up all the maple syrup on her pancakes, leaving none for me. I turned around and looked at my reflection in the glass window of the car. My straight chestnut-colored brown hair, my hazel brown eyes, and tanned skin seemed so blah next to Amber’s little blond curls, glittering blue eyes, and pale complexion. Amber and I were on different ends of the spectrum. While I’m serious, Amber was exciting and funny. I’m smart, but Amber acts like a ditzy, cute ten-year-old. When Amber’s in the room, all the adults kiss her and pinch her cheeks and coo over her. When I’m in the room, the adults ignore me, or they start including me in their horribly boring adult conversations about global warming or what muffins are on sale at the market. When Amber grows up, she’s probably going to be an old, happy woman, her big house filled with friends and family who adore her and look up to her. I’m probably going to be the little maid who sits in the corner of the room, whom nobody is paying attention to. I’m always overshadowed by Amber. I turned my back to the car and to my relief, I saw my dad streaking out around the side of the house, carrying a laughing Amber in his arms. He buckled her up in the back seat of the pickup and said, “Come on, Ashlyn. Hop in.” Finally. I pulled open the passenger door and sat in the leather seat. I leaned back and relaxed. I was on my way to my favorite place. The stable. When my mom died five years ago, I wanted to do something or have something that would make me feel connected to her. Out of his grief, my dad had hidden all of my mom’s possessions so he wouldn’t have to look at them. I didn’t dare ask my dad about Mom. So, I asked my grandmother, who told me that Mom was a champion horsewoman. So, I asked my dad for horse-riding lessons and a pass to the local stable. My dad had been a bit hesitant at first. He didn’t want to go back to the stable, or see horses. They brought back memories of him and Mom that he didn’t want to see anymore. But Meredith, my stepmom, had coaxed him into letting me start lessons. Meredith is so sweet and nice. I can’t see how that little devil sitting behind me is related to her. Then, I realized that the little devil was talking to me. “Hey, Ashlyn? Ashlyn? Hello? Anyone home? Ashlyn?” I reluctantly turned around to face her. “Oh there you are,” she giggled her innocent little laugh. “Were you daydreaming? I don’t know how to daydream. Billy Morrison at school daydreams. It’s so funny. The teacher calls on him and he’s always daydreaming so he’s not paying attention so he’s always like ‘what?’ Do you think Billy Morrison is cute, Ashlyn? I do, he’s so funny. And he likes strawberries. Daddy? Daddy? Can we get strawberries on the way home? The juicy red kind? Billy Morrison likes strawberries and I wanna be just like him and I wanna learn how to daydream like Billy and Ashlyn. Oooh —we’re going to horseback riding! Yay! I hope Victoria lets me ride Dreamer today. I love Dreamer. Her mane is all smooth and shiny and Victoria lets me brush it. Do you think I’ll be able to ride the advanced trail today? Do you? Do you? I hope so ’cause Victoria said I will be able to soon. What’s soon? Is soon in five years? Or in ten? Or is it in one month? Or one week? Is soon right now? Daddy, I…” I groaned, slipping back in my seat, slouching way down. I could still hear her voice from way down here, my ear to the leather seat, her voice rushing through the air all around us, sounding like an annoying little bird chirping. “Dad, make her stop,” I moaned. Oh yeah, that’s one thing I forgot to mention. My stepsister is a chatterbox times one billion. Talking is one of her necessities like
But Still It Waits
A tree Waiting Standing high, drinking water Through its mighty roots Near a river Shimmering blue As smooth as glass It watches the leaves fall And quickly swept away by the river Swept far, far away But still it waits Its branches blow gently Back and forth A fish jumps out of the water Glistening in the sun The tree wonders What it is like underwater? But still it waits The tree hears birds flying Near its branches Taunting it By flying far away And coming back The tree wants to explore Wants to see the world around But still it waits It is now afternoon And the tree looks around It sees the beauty of what is around it It longs to see what is down the river Or over the mountain But still it waits Nicholas Bonavolonta, 12Oakland, California