Nathan Grabow, a young American composer and pianist performs his original composition entitled Concertino in G Minor for Piano and Strings. He wrote the piece when he was twelve years old and is thirteen at the time of this performance with the Marywood University String Project Presto Orchestra, which is a youth orchestra. Nathan plays the piano in this performance.
Have you ever met someone that changed your life by teaching you things that you have never learned before? I have. My friend, Charlie, taught me to explore new things and try things you have never done before. At first, I was reluctant but then began to accept the idea of trying new things and unleashing my inner rebel.
It all started when I met Charlie at church. Our parents were good friends, and soon, we had formed a strong bond.
My cousin Glory lived in Uvira, a province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the village where I spent my childhood. Life was peaceful for Glory until the day when destiny took a tragic turn. The sudden death of his beloved mother plunged Glory into an abyss of pain and despair. His pillar, his source of comfort, had disappeared, leaving a gaping void in his already bruised heart.
Devastated by the loss of his mother, Glory instinctively turned to his father for support and guidance.
It was a certain Thursday afternoon. The afternoon was cool like ice. Wind was blowing slowly. Birds were singing in the sky. It was also a nice and calm afternoon. I was seated under the mango tree which was near my school library. I was calm and comfortable seeing my environment.
There were many students moving up and down in the school compound. Some students were short and others tall.
Thank you for sharing this powerful story with us. Could you tell us about what inspired you to write it?
My story is called “Suffering.” My father’s name is Shika Demzungu and my mother’s name is Jeanne Kiza. I chose to tell this story so that I can teach people, through my life history, that in this world many fathers and even mothers leave their families in different situations. They should take care of their families.
The Gone series by Michael Grant was a very gripping, fun, and entertaining read, and despite it not being for the faint of heart, I would recommend it to just about anyone—which is why I find it so odd that the protagonists are not the characters that make it so riveting, but rather the villainous antihero, Diana Ladris.
COVID-19: Experiences in Singapore
by Thee Sim Ling, 13
The first I had heard about it was that it came from a fish market.
I didn’t make much of it then. I just thought it would be a great excuse to shut down schools. Not that e-learning (or Home-Based Learning, as we call it here) seemed like a fun prospect—I would have to spend an entire day staring at a computer screen with my ears crushed by bulky headphones. (Wait till you hear about my Physical Education classes.
The first day of seventh grade our teacher, Mrs. Mahoney, took attendance. Each name was called and answered. None of them were new. We had all known each other since at least fourth grade. My name, always the last to be called, finally came.
“Whitby, Sam.”
I responded, “Here!”
But unusually, she didn’t stop there. One more name was called. “Zachary, Sophie.”
There was silence, punctuated only by the occasional whisper or giggle. Mrs.
Iron Jaw and Hummingbird, by Chris Roberson;
Viking Children’s Books: New York, 2008;
$19.99
What if the Chinese had taken over the whole eastern hemisphere when Christopher Columbus left Spain in 1492? And what if this military and cultural expansion eventually led to the Chinese colonization of Mars? This alternate history sets the scene in Chris Roberson’s Iron Jaw and Hummingbird.
This book is a unique blend of science fiction and history.
