She’s not the type that jumps off swings But clings to the rusty chains and Drags her feet in the wood chips to stop, Squealing when I tease her by Twisting close on my swing I watch her dismount and Step gingerly away: I pump my legs and lean Backwards way way Way back so far my long hair sweeps The ground and I look Behind me and the world’s upside down Down down, or am I upside down Then swinging up-up-up again and swooping Downwards almost crashing To earth but I don’t, I just swing up-up-up Again and I can see nothing but The sky above me and the chains Go slack and I am weightless for one Lifting second, not sitting in the swing but on Sky then forwards backwards Forwards it’s all the same, just Glorious movement, twirling and Tumbling around and a Round, side side over–watch The poles!–and Circling again and again. dizzy dizzy dizzy then I Realize the only thing preventing me From flying is the chains so I JUMP, leaving the unimportant Swing behind in one soft blurred instant, Jumping off swing and into sky, Just sky and soaring Off into air, only air Around me, lifting me up-up-up And I wonder, is this flying? Nothingness becomes Everything around me air is All I am Touching Then ground is here, under me, And I am running, one foot then The next, helpless to stop, can’t Stop, just running. I Stagger, head still, but World spinning. She tells me I’m Crazy, but I know better, She is the crazy one-not jumping off swings Denying herself that air-feeling The instant when you lift off The swing and just lift, rise- You haven’t fallen yet, you’re Going up-up-up and being Dizzy doesn’t matter You are all Air And sun in your eyes and Life becomes nothing but Simple happiness. Nicole Guenther, 12Vancouver, Washington
November/December 2003
Flight to Freedom
Flight to Freedom by Ana Veciana-Suarez; Orchard Books: New York, 2002; $16.95 Flight to Freedom by Ana Veciana-Suarez is amazing right from the start. It is definitely a page-turner and will keep you reading for hours. When I first received the book, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy reading it. I had second thoughts about reviewing it because I usually don’t like journal-style writing. I started on page one and in a flash I changed my mind. This book is a daily journal belonging to a young lady named Yara Garcia. This book takes you through the easy, rough, happy and sad times of Yara that take place while she and her family are going through the process of exile. This “almost thirteen years old” girl tells us about her home life in Cuba and her days in La Escuela al Campo, a communist training camp. She tells us about her flight to America, her new life in America, and the different feelings and obstacles she faces every day of her new world. This story felt so realistic to me because my dad and his family went through the same thing. They came from Cuba to America in 1961. My dad was only eighteen months old and doesn’t remember much, but my aunts do and they share their stories. My feelings toward this book are natural. At some points I was laughing, celebrating or being proud of Yara’s actions, but at other times I was crying, scared, or upset. For example, when she talked about how her abuelo said, “I may never live to see my home country again,” I was sad, feeling upset for him. I couldn’t even imagine not being able to see my hometown or country again. Another example is when her abuelo died of a heart attack. I was crying very much because my abuelo from Cuba also died of a heart attack. I was scared thinking that it must mean something, but I just let it go. Nightmares that night? Oh yes!! When I hear about the cruelness of Fidel Castro and the horrible times the Cuban people went through, I think how lucky I am to live in a free country. I am able to do, say, and act in whichever way I want. I feel sorry for the Cubans and hope that one day Castro will come to his senses and let them live freely! I love this book and not only will I recommend it to my friends and family, I will read it over and over again! Joelle Waksman, 11Cooper City, Florida
Virginia Lee Burton: A Life in Art
Virginia Lee Burton: A Life in Art by Barbara Elleman; Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, 2002; $20 I can still remember when my dad read Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel to me. In fact, my dad remembers when his mother read Mike Mulligan to him. Did you ever wonder what was the story behind the acknowledgment to Dickie Birkenbush at the bottom of a page in Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel? Have you ever wondered if there was a real Mike? I did and found the answers in the book Virginia Lee Burton: A Life in Art. If you are curious, read the book to find the answers in the first chapter. Virginia Lee Burton: A Life in Art is Burton’s biography that describes her creativity and lifestyle. Energetic and amiable, Virginia kept busy from dawn to dusk, raising sheep, vegetables and two children on her New England farm. Abandoned by her mother as a teenager, she found emotional strength from her artwork, as well as her skill as a dancer. Burton created a home environment that promoted her artistic fervor, surrounding herself with artistic things and people. Her husband was, in fact, a well-known sculptor. Numerous photos that depict her life in art fill this book. I particularly like the one of her dancing on the giant granite picnic table in her backyard. In another photo, Virginia and her sons stand in front of the boys’ bedroom wall that shows hilly tracks and trains painted by their mother. The back cover shows an eye-catching picture of her uniquely decorated barn studio, only steps away from her house. I admire Virginia because of her ability in handling the emotional stress of her mother’s abandonment. Despite the negative impact that this must have had on her, she created a happy life for herself and her family. Interviews with her sons, who never recalled any visible signs of distress from this sad event, proved her successful efforts. While I still have my mother, I want to follow Virginia’s example of not dwelling on negative aspects of her life, but living in the present and improving her future. It must have taken a lot of courage to remain positive without letting her inward feelings affect her outwardly. I probably could not do this, because, if I have a problem, I go to my mom. Without her, I would have a hard time coping. Although Virginia was emotionally stronger than me, we are similar in several ways. Like me, her perfectionism made her constantly fix her work. If I’m doing a project and don’t like something about it, I mess with the mistake until it looks right. Sometimes, I end up making it worse. Virginia loved drawing, always sketching down ideas. When she took art and designing lessons, she had a long commute by rail, ferryboat and cable car. During those long hours, she sketched her unwary fellow passengers. I also enjoy sketching my friends and other people I meet. If I don’t have anyone to sketch, I draw people and animals from my imagination. Virginia read her stories to her children to test if they were interesting enough for them. I’m always testing my funny stories on my younger brother to see whether he will laugh. The hard part for me is writing the stories down on paper. It’s fun to read a biography about a person with whom I found much in common. Vivienne Clark, 10 Albuquerque, New Mexico
