Summer Writing : from Alex, a 7th grader

Essay #6 : Six Flags Trip on the Fourth of July

This year my family went to Six Flags Great Adventures on the Fourth of July. My brother Hector did not join us because he does not like roller-coasters.  We had a blast at Six Flags and my brother Christopher did many rides. My dad went on Goliath with my brother, a really big roller-coaster with a gigantic drop, and he was dazed afterwards. I did a lot of carnival games to win prizes that were cool.

The first ride my brother and my dad went on was the Sky Screamer. My dad and brother liked the ride because it was not too bad to go on. On the second ride, my dad was reluctant to go on Goliath because he did not like large roller-coasters due to how big the drop is.  He had come out a little wobbly and shell shocked at the end of the ride that day. Right before the fireworks, we ate and did the carnival games that were held there. My brother and I kept on trying the ladder game but failed every time. We then did two more stands and I won a very small prize.

I had lots of fun spending the day at Six Flags with my family on the Fourth of July. My brother somehow had dragged my dad onto a mammoth like roller coaster. Surprisingly, my dad still went on the ride, but did not feel good afterwards.  While I was waiting for my mom and brother to get on a ride, I sat on a massage chair that was there.  All that you had to pay was twenty five cents to get it started every time.  Celebrating the Fourth of July at Six Flags was magnificent.

Summer writing : from Aurora , a 7th grader from CT

     

Book Review on Made You Up

            Starting from the end of the school year - which was over a month ago – I had a new favorite book. Being an avid reader, I have read many excellent books, and my favorite books would include numerous novels. This book was about a girl with a disease, and her struggle. Sounds typical, right? Some girl with a rare cancer disease… she falls in love with a boy… then she doesn’t want to be close, because she doesn’t want to hurt her lover…skip ahead… oh but wait! Then they find…blah blah blah… close the book. Sounds like what this book is about; same ‘ol boring plot about diseased people, going on, and on, and on. There have been too many of those faux books pretending to be different and unique in their own way, and too many times in which I have shut the book and thrown it across the room. So when I picked this book up with an intriguing cover, I was already dejected by many books, and extremely hopeful that this book was going to be good. When I opened this book, there was a prologue. Now, I really dislike prologues. I always feel like they’re pointless to an extent; they are talking about something that we have no idea about. Most of the times, I just skim briefly through the prologue and dive right in to the book. But the very few words got me captured. It was about a little girl in a supermarket. Not like the action-packed prologues that I despise and skip, but just something as simple as that. This book began extremely well, and the plot and overall writing far excelled what I was searching for, a well written book that was new and different than most realistic books. Based on the five star scale, I would give this book a 6. 

            So what really caught my eye were the cover and the title. The cover is really eye-catching; it’s blue, with a red-haired girl underneath a black umbrella, and the umbrella had the title in all uppercase orange letters. Not very exciting, right? But the blue looked like watercolor, like someone spilled a bunch of gorgeous blue watercolor onto the book. To those who watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, you know how in the Pensieve, when the people in the memory appeared through this foggy thing that’s spilling? It’s like that, but blue. And I, being a huge Harry Potter fan, had to pick the book that resembled so closely to something in the HP movies. The fact that this remarkable author made the cover so fascinating in a unique way made me wonder just what sort of a brilliant story could she have conjured up to match with this amazing cover. I know this is probably a silly ramble on just some book, but until you have seen it in front of your eyes, you won’t understand. This cover just stood out, didn’t say “Pick Me! Pick Me! Don’t I look so different and special?” It’s like the book knew it would be read by anyone who seen the cover. It didn’t need to yell out. 

And it was right.

I picked this book up, and turned it around to read the back. This was a hardcover book, so I was expecting some reviews on the book, but instead, there were a few words: “She was used to crazy. She wasn’t prepared for normal.” Several hundred questions began forming. Who was the mysterious she? Why didn’t the author give the name of the girl? And what did it mean by “She wasn’t prepared for normal.”?  And the title, Made You Up. Made who up? Does she have an imaginary friend? Everything on the cover and back of this book just held my attention. It wasn’t like that I was interested, and just picked the book up to see what it was about. It was more like something that I had to read, like it wasn’t acceptable if I didn’t. So I began to read, and the more I read, the more the book held my attention. And boy am I glad that I read this book.

            This book is about a girl named Alex who has a disease called schizophrenia. It’s a brain disorder in which a person may have difficulty telling the difference between fantasy and reality. Alex sees things that aren’t there, because her mind is making hallucinations. In the prologue, she believed she set bright red lobsters free from the tank with a newfound friend in a supermarket when she was 5, but it turned out to be a hallucination. She didn’t need to ask her mom to know the boy was a hallucination. That was the first time her schizophrenia appeared. Now in high school, Alex is going to a new school after a mishap of her hallucinations. Alex didn’t want anyone to know about her disorder; otherwise, she would be marked as an insane person. The story is about her struggle to keep her disorder in check, to keep it a secret while still being able to tell the difference between imaginary and reality, while going through high school. What threw her off in the first chapter was a boy who looked exactly like her newfound friend during the lobster incident. 

But he was a hallucination, right? So how is he real? 

That is how her relationship with Miles, the boy, started. Alex wasn’t sure whether or not Miles was the very boy in the supermarket, or just some other person. She couldn’t ask, because if he wasn’t, then her secret would be at risk. Interesting, right? Maybe not, but it is much more interesting to read the book. The plot (no spoilers!) was well written, nothing similar to the typical struggle of a girl with a disorder. Alex is more or less a normal person with the same normal teen feelings, same teen high school parties. Her disease, as the story goes on, becomes one with her life; it wasn’t really something that stuck out, like an extra limb. It fit in. I think that’s what made this book different and something special.

            This book is currently next to me, open, while I’m typing this review. I am half reading and half typing. It’s too good of an opportunity to pass. I think this book is one that everyone should read, whether they like realistic fiction or not. This book seemed more realistic to me than any other book. I could imagine everything that’s happening. Not like visualizing the way your 1^st grade teacher taught you, but almost as if the book is really happening this moment. As if you are the narrator or a spirit inside Alex’s brain and know everything that’s going on. So to all HP fans out there, take my advice as a fellow HP friend (since we connect in the way only HP fans connect) and put down the book you are reading and start this one. To all those who are not HP fans, first read HARRY POTTER, and then read this book. I can’t degrade HP. Sorry. But HP is a series, and Made You Up is a book, so I can say that this book is the best book ever. In the whole world. You may be thinking “Pffff. This girl’s talking gibberish. I know the best book ever, and it’s not that book.” Whether or not your favorite book is Made You Up, this book is something everyone should read. Like. Everyone.

Student writing : Beatrice, a 7th grader from TX

I was introduced to the Rubik’s cube two years ago when one of my classmates brought one to school. I bought one soon after and started to learn how to solve it. I learned and memorized the different algorithms to solve a Rubik’s cube within a few weeks. After a lot of practice getting the algorithms down, I started to focus more on speedcubing and trying to decrease the amount of time it took for me to solve a Rubik’s cube. I got my first speed cube for Christmas that year and my times kept getting faster.  Over the course of two years I have learned different methods to solve the 3x3 cube and have learned how to solve all of the other puzzles that I own.My time for the 3x3 has dropped from two minutes to twenty seconds. I love the challenge of solving different Rubik’s cubes, especially the bigger cubes and the oddly shaped puzzles.

I started forming a collection of different Rubik’s cubes and twisty puzzles The collection now has a 2x2, eight 3x3s, two 4x4s, a 5x5, a 6x6, a 7x7, a pyraminx, a Rubik’s twist, the Missing Link sliding puzzle, a mirror cube, a gear cube, a siamese cube that I made out of two 3x3 cubes, a wooden puzzle, a ghost cube, and a 3x3 “cube” shaped like an egg. My favorite puzzle that I have is the ghost cube. What makes a ghost cube different from the other puzzles that I have is that in order to solve it you have to misalign the layers of the cube to turn them as well as the fact that the pieces are oddly shaped.

I like to bring my cubes with me everywhere I go. I bring them to swim meets to pass the time and a lot of kids like to come over and try to solve them. I also bring them to piano competitions to warm up my hands and to have something to play with while waiting for the results. Last year I brought a couple of cubes to a piano camp I attended during the summer. Many of the people at the camp were amazed at how fast I could solve the cubes. At the end of the camp, besides piano awards, they also gave out fun awards as well. I ended up getting a Rubik’s award which was a nice surprise.

Summer Writing: Michael's Basketball Camp (a 7th grader)

During this week I attended "MVP Basketball Camp" near White Plains. Everyday that week I had to wake up at 7:30 a.m. because the camp starts at 9:00 a.m. and White Plains is one hour away from my house. Although, I had to wake up early everyday, I have enjoyed the experience and learned a lot of valuable lessons. One thing I learned is that you have to work harder to be better at something, otherwise, your competitors will surpass you. The experience of playing basketball with people your own level is crucial for you to build up your confidence and be successful later on.

On the first day of camp, we started doing drills for the coaches to evaluate our basketball skills. I was surprised when I realized that most of 13-16 age group could shoot and dribble better than I could. Most of the campers were "veterans," which meant that they have attended the camp for many years. After the drills, the coaches started drafting players. I was upset that I was drafted 37th out of 40. However, I cheered up when I realized that I was assigned to the team that included most of my newly acquainted friends. Our team color was light blue and the team was named the "Brooklyn Nets." Everyone except us thought that our team would be last in the playoffs and that the red team would come in first because of a recent study that claimed that red teams win consistently more than blue teams do. However, we did not believe it and shrugged off on this "Red vs Blue" myth.

July 14, 2015 was a great day! The camp started out normal, but the warm-ups got substantially harder. After that, we played a game with the "Toronto Raptors," the purple team. This was my first organized full court game in half a year so I was a little bit rusty. On top of that, I haven't gotten used to the height of their hoop yet. However, I still contributed to the team by getting rebounds and blocking shots. Our Nets ended up beating the Raptors.

In the afternoon, we were told that a "speaker" was coming to the camp. Later on, we learned that the speaker's name was Wesley Matthews Sr. He was a retired NBA basketball player and played for the Los Angeles Lakers with Magic Johnson during the 90's. His son Wesley Matthews currently plays in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks. One thing I remembered he stated is that he followed a certain philosophy on playing basketball. He believes that rather than focusing on your points, you should focus on how many baskets you make in. This is because each basket is worth two points. His coach would tell him before a game to score two baskets (four points) then ask him to attempt to score three baskets (six points) and so on. The method was so effective that he scored an average of forty points a game during his college days! 

 Seeing an NBA player in real life amazed me because I got a chance to learn from an NBA player.

On Wednesday, another "speaker" came to talk to our camp. However, he was more of an entertainer. The entertainer went by the nickname "The Blenda." The Blenda was regarded as the best ball handler in the whole country. He taught the Globetrotters all his cool tricks. The Blenda could spin the basketball on top of anything. He spun it on everyday items such as vases, pens, milk cartons, footballs, and even on another basketball! However, due to his average height, he wasn't tall enough to play in the NBA. Because he couldn't play in the NBA, he instead became an entertainer. He also gave away items such as Globetrotter basketballs, posters, shirts, hats, and even a pair of shoes to those who participate in his activities. An example of an activity is a game by the name of "Catch". In Catch, the goal is to catch the ball that the Blenda throws at you. The objective seems easy but due to the Blenda's supurb passing skills, he would often fake passes or pass in an unusual way, which can prove to be quite a challenge if you aren't vigilant or prepared. If you fail to catch the ball, you are out.

There was only one day before the finals on Friday! This meant that the teams had to be ranked from "best to worst." There are four teams. They are the Nets (light blue), the Raptors (purple), the Knicks (orange), and the Cavs (red). We spent the whole day playing three games. Out of the three games, we won two and lost to the Knicks. I contributed a lot during those three games. In the first and second game, I scored four points and acquired a couple steals. However, on the third game against the Raptors, I scored a good eight points. Because this is just a summer camp and not the NBA, the top scorer scored about ten points, which meant that I scored only one basket less than the top scorer. My team came in the first seat! After us came the Knicks, then the Cavs, and in the last seat, the Raptors. My team had the highest win to loss ratio during the whole week which is why we were in the first seat.

It's Friday, which means that it is time for the Finals! To prepare for the finals, we played a round of "moneyball." In moneyball, the whole camp (roughly 160 people) would be split into twenty teams. The teams would compete across ten different basket. One of the baskets is titled the "money basket." Any victories in the money basket gave the teams a point. To get a victory, your teams must score more foul shots than the opponents team in thirty seconds. The winners move closer to the money basket while the losers stay. 

 For the finals, our first matchup was us Nets versus the Raptors. The winner would proceed to the Championship round. We completely demolished the Raptors and beat them by about six points. The Nets moved up to the Championship round! While that game was going on, the Knicks and the Cavs were playing their game.The Knicks emerged victorious, which meant that we had to play them. Now this is getting intense! The game was close but we beat the Knicks by four points! Out of those points, I scored four. We were officially the 2015 MVP Basketball Camp Champions! Our whole team were awarded with the first place trophy and a medallion. Along with that, we received our report cards and a MVP Camp backpack.

 In the report card, it stated that I was excellent at everything, except my ball handling, dribbling and rebounded which is considered "good". The coach also commented that I was the best hustler on the team, and exhibited strong mental toughness. MVP camp has been a blast! I cannot wait for July 27th which is the next time I will go.

Summer Writing: from Bryce (a 6th grader)

On Sunday, my mom asked me to watch a Chinese TV show with her. This show happened in real life about a month ago. The show was about 15 college students from all over the world who came to live with a poor Chinese farmer family for 2 Days. Each of the family has one kid age from 7-11.

In these families, the kids live at home alone or some of them live with their grandparents. Their parents are all working on a temporary job in the city for minimum wage.  From 7 years old those kids start doing everything by themselves: making fire, cooking meals, washing clothes with hands, taking care of siblings, even taking care of old sick grandparents.

Every day they get up at 5:00am, make a fire, and then cook breakfast. At 6:00am they wake up their guests while they’re still sleeping. The family cannot afford a stove so the kids have to make the fire every meal in order to cook food. Their breakfast consists of mostly vegetables and rice; rarely do they have eggs or meat.

During the visit these college students learned so much from these little kids; they learned how to make a fire, how to cook Chinese food, how to hand wash clothes, but most importantly, how to be happy all the time.  They are so surprised to see how much these little kids can do.

After breakfast and the house chores the child has to get ready for school. School starts at 8:00am. They need to leave the house at 7:00am because they have to walk in horrible conditions for an HOUR!!!!!!!! Even the guest said he got tired in the middle of the walk. The walk is like navigating through a forest and a rocky mountain. There’s no road at all.  

The schools in China are not bad. They offer free lunch which also consists of rice and vegetables. However, at recess there isn’t much to do except dance around, play ping pong, and spin little wooden tops. After school they have to walk home for an hour again.

When they get time off, there’s nothing much for them to do. The kids would be lucky to have just one toy. "In the TV show, there was a boy who was very shy. He ignored his guest until the guest gave him a soccer ball, then they became best friends.  All of the kids are thankful that they get a toy.

The college students learned so much from these little kids for only two days. The kids were thankful to have the company and to have fun. They were thankful for every little thing they got. That’s the reason they are always happy, because they don’t expect much.

I learned so much after watching that TV show. These kids have nearly nothing but they’re happy all the time. People in America have so much, yet they are not happy. These kids are role models for everyone including me.