D is for Deer Ridge

I step into my house for the very first time, taking in the new scent of my house. I take a step back outside, and admire the wonderful view of my new home. I turn around to see my neighbour planting flowers in her garden, and she gives me a friendly smile. I return it with a grin that is so big, it fills half my face. I can faintly hear the sound of rushing water, the Grand River, and I can see some golfers across the street ready to tee off. I gaze over the other way to see children laughing and playing. I'm excited to meet them and become their friends. I am glad to call this lovely neighbourhood home sweet home.

D is for Deer Ridge. Deer Ridge is the neighbourhood that I live in, along with many other happy families. I have loved this community the second I saw it. The Grand River flows through it, and there is Pioneer Tower, located in a park near my house. It's even close enough for me to bike there. It's nice because lots of kids live near me that I can play with, including many from SJK, like Emelie, Andy, and Lyndsey. I love living near them because if I need help on homework or something, we can work on it together. Or we can just hang out if we want to.

I love our park because it has a great view of the Grand River, and you can go even closer and fish there. But I'm not a fisher, so I rarely visit down there. In the park, there is also a playground and Pioneer Tower. Sometimes, even if the gate is open, you can climb up inside the tower, and see a pretty view of the neighbourhood. Although, I'm really scared to go there at night, because there is a small graveyard there that always creeps me out, even during the day. There's not even a gate or anything, just a skimpy chain surrounding it. Every summer, me and my dad bike there and have a picnic under the tower. It's lots of fun because there is a great view of the Grand River, and I get some time to bond with my dad. We usually bike around the rest of the neighbourhood as well. Sometimes, we even go all the way to the entrance, and that's a long way. It's great to have a park so near my house, and every summer, I look forward to visiting the park.

My neighbours are as nice as they can be to me and my family. It's great to have so many kind people you can trust living around you. A lot of SJK families live around there, too. I'm glad to see so many friendly faces smiling at me when I go outside. It's a great neighbourhood for my dog as well because there are a lot of families with dogs in the area, and it's nice to have a big neighbourhood for my dog to go on walks in. Although, I don't think she would need so much room. She gets tired very easily. But she loves going to the park to run around in the grass. I'm really glad we chose this community to live in, because I enjoy everything about it.

I step back inside my house, satisfied with our decision in moving here. I will sleep well tonight, because I know I will enjoy this neighbourhood for as long as I live here. I am looking forward to meet all these friendly people, and I'm excited to live here for the years to come.

LIFE LESSON: Your neighbourhood is your home. Be happy with where you live, wherever you are in the world.

C is for Cancer

"I am a survivor."

Those are the words that my grandmother is very proud to say. In 2002, she was diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer. Cancer is the second most deadly disease, which is why my grandmother was shocked to hear that she had cancer. She suspected that the cause of her cancer was a medicine her doctor had been giving her, but scientists later discovered that it caused cancer.

Cancer is a terrible disease that anyone could get at any age. There are lots of different types of cancers like breast cancer, brain cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, and many others. 39% of women and 44% of men in Canada can develop cancer throughout their lives, and many of them die from it. 1 out of 8 women are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Clearly, cancer is more common than you think, and anyone, healthy or not, could get it.

You have many cells in your body, and they are all ordered to grow, work, reproduce or die. But when these orders get mixed up, the cells spread through the bloodstream and attack nearby tissue and other body parts. This causes cancer, depending on which body part it attacks. In my grandmother's case, the cells spread through to her breast and ovaries. The cancer cells were the size of a tennis ball, and it was incredible that she survived.

Here are some ways to help prevent cancer:

• never smoke or second-hand smoke

• eat a high-fiber, low-fat diet

• eat lots of fruits and vegetables

• exercise regularly

• reduce your sun exposure and always wear sunscreen

I am very proud to call my grandmother a survivor. I know it would have been a very scary time for her, but she made it through with bravery.

LIFE LESSON: Cancer is a common and deadly disease. So don’t complain about putting on sunscreen, it may save your life.

B is for Blankie

I hold on tight to the beat up blanket, letting all my fear go away. I stroke its soft material, trying to get the terrible image out of my head. Tighter and tighter I squeeze it. I struggle to find the one spot on it, ribbon, and then I find it. A smile creeps onto my face and I am relieved. I don't know what I would do without it. It is more special than anyone could have imagined.

Blankie has been the most special thing in my life, and still is. As you may have guessed, Blankie is a blanket. I sleep with her every night and I go everywhere with her. She is made of white flannel material with a pattern of colourful teddy bears and polka dots. Blankie is bordered with soft blue silk ribbon, which is my favourite part about her. She always makes me feel better when I'm sad and she helps me get through hard times, like if I'm sick. She may be ripped and torn, but Blankie is more than just a blanket to me, Blankie is like a best friend. She's always there when I need her. The good thing about her is that she will last forever.

Before I was born, my great grandmother, Nonnie, sewed a blanket for my brother when he was very little. But my brother, Ken, did not sleep with it that much. So when I was born, my brother gave me the blanket, and I have loved it ever since. Over the years, I have brought Blankie with me everywhere, so as you can imagine, she has gotton very torn and ripped. In school, I always brought her in for show and tell because she is so special, and she is a part of me. But no one understands the real importance of her. She is special to me in so many ways.

A little while ago, I went into an Abercrombie store, and I saw a t-shirt that was really pretty, but also very soft. Then I had the idea of replacing Blankie with this t-shirt. I didn't want to have Blankie get more ruined because she could have fallen apart any day. I bought the t-shirt which was pink and made it more like Blankie. I sewed on ribbon onto the t-shirt, and I sewed some more ribbon onto the bottom of the shirt. I named the shirt Peachy, because the colour is a little bit peach coloured. I put Blankie away into the closet, so she wouldn't get ripped any more. Now, I sleep with Peachy, and sometimes, I even wear Peachy. But every once in a while, I need a little more cheering up from Blankie, so I take Blankie out of the closet and stroke her soft material.

Blankie is very special to me, although she may not seem that special to others. She is a part of me, and nothing will seperate me from her. She is my best friend that will be with me forever.

LIFE LESSON: Everyone has something special. Others may not know the importance of it, but that doesn't mean it is not important.

M is for Marguerite

We can't let go of each other as I make my way to a new home, Canada. I hold on tight to her, not wanting to let go. The time came when we had to say goodbye. I couldn't believe that I was actually leaving her. With tears in my eyes, I get into the car, ready to make a new start. I wonder if I will make new friends in Canada, but I know none will be as special as her.

Marguerite is my best friend. We have been best friends for seven years now, and we are inseparable. I think it is fate that brought us together because we are very similar. Her birthday is September 8th, mine is September 25th. Her middle name is Christina, so is mine. We both love pink and Hello Kitty. Although we may look different on the outside, we are the same on the inside.

We met in preschool, but I can't exactly remember how. I just know we became friends soon after the year began. My favourite memory of us was when we went to see a Christmas show when we were younger. We had a great time and when it was finished, we took a great picture of us sitting together on a bench in the theatre. Now I have it framed in my room, and it is the most special picture I have. I don't want anything to happen to it.

Every summer, I go to Ohio to visit some old friends, including her. I always have a sleepover at her house, and it's always so much fun. I always look forward to the summer so I can see my best friend. We watch movies, and go out to dinner, and do all kinds of fun stuff. I can't wait to see her next summer.

Marguerite and I still keep in touch through email and letters. She's always there for me when I need to talk to someone. She is nice and funny, and my best friend. She is a special friend I will never forget.

LIFE LESSON: Your friends are always there for you, no matter where they are in the world.

K is for Kate DiCamillo

" Edward's heart stirred. He thought, for the first time in a long time, of the house on Egypt Street and of Abilene winding his watch and then bending toward him and placing it on his left leg, saying: I will come home to you."

--The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Kate DiCamillo is my favourite authors of all time. Although she writes books for younger children, her writing is magnificent. When I was younger, I used to read her books over and over again. My favourite book from her was The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, my favourite book of all time. I still read her books every once in a while because they were so well written. Kate DiCamillo is not a very well known author, as opposed to J.K. Rowling, for example. Her most popular book was Because of Winn-Dixie, another one of her great books.

I love to write stories and I admire Kate DiCamillo for her creativity. She thinks of herself as a storyteller, telling many children about her wonderful stories through her books. Her books are very different from a typical book, but that's what makes them so awesome. I have read many books in my life, and never have I read a book like hers. I love them so much because they are not like other books. They are unique. You wouldn't normally find her ideas in a bestseller book. She may not be the most famous author, but I admire Kate DiCamillo and hope to become like her someday.

One of Kate DiCamillo's books, The Tale of Despereaux, is about a mouse who is different from the rest. His body is small, but his ears are really big, like Dumbo. He acts differently, for example, he likes to read in the library, but it is a law that mice do not read. He is a very brave mouse. Mice were forbidden for a health issue, but Despereaux wanted to find out what it was like in the "human world", so he ventured out into the human world and became a hero.

LIFE LESSON: In life, you may be faced with many fears or danger. The best way to fight through them is with bravery.

Empathy

Then, late one afternoon, Parvana came home from work to find two men gently helping her father up the steps to the apartment. He was alive. At least part of the nightmare was over.

pg. 154, The Breadwinner

Addiction. When I feel empathy while reading a book, I get addicted, and I can't stop reading.

Parvana saw her father being half carried up the steps to her apartment. Her father was home and alive. Somehow he was released from the prison, and finally free to return to his worried family. As I read this passage, I felt empathy for Parvana. My father goes away for business many times, and he is gone for the longest time. I know how Parvana felt when she saw her father. The same way I feel when my father comes home from work, happiness.

That passage is an example of good writing, and I felt empathy when I read that because I could relate to what Parvana was feeling for I have felt that feeling many times before. Creating empathy in a book is very challenging, but makes the story interesting and it makes the reader want to read more.

I think one way a writer can create empathy, is with the character or situation. Of course, the character would have to be realistic, someone a reader can easily relate to, along with the situation. If the situation they are in is common, then the readers may feel empathy for them because they might have been through the same thing, or something similar. For example, I felt empathy for Parvana because I feel the same way when my father comes home from long business trips. I'm sure many people felt empathy for Parvana because that situation is very common for working dads. It was a common situation many people could relate to. To create empathy through the situation, try to think of a situation you have been through, or a character like yourself, so that you feel empathy when you read the story. That is one way you can create empathy in your writing, by making the character like you, and the situation something similar to something you've been through.

Another way a writer can create empathy is describing the character and situation well. Whenever I feel empathy from a book, it's usually because it is very well written. The writing has to be descriptive so the reader can fully understand it and picture it in their mind. For example, when Parvana's father came home, Deborah Ellis (author of The Breadwinner) described Parvana's emotion on how she felt about her father's homecoming. She used lots of description, and I could imagine what Parvana was feeling because of how many adjectives and adverbs she used. Whenever I see someone I haven't seen in a long time, I feel the way Parvana felt. I could really imagine what Parvana was feeling because of all the description and adjectives used. That is another way a writer can create empathy, using lots of description.

With these ways in your writing, you will surely create empathy in your writing. Writing empathy is very challenging, but creating empathy in your stories makes the reader enjoy your stories at a higher level.

A Life of Horrors

Parvana was tired. She wanted to sit in a classroom and be bored by a geography lesson. She wanted to be with her friends and talk homework and games and what to do on a school holiday. She didn't want to know anymore about death or blood or pain. She was tired of living in an endless nightmare.

In our Language Arts class, we are reading the book, the Breadwinner. This was a passage from page 130 which I think was very well written. It would be very hard to live a life like Parvana. It would be very hard for me if I were Parvana. I would wake up early every morning, step outside and worry the whole day that if someone recognized me as a girl, I would be sent to jail, or maybe even be killed by the Taliban. I would grab my tray, and start the day by selling items I won't even be able to afford to have myself. I shove through the crowds, praying that I will make a sell, but no one is interested. When I'm finished with a full day of selling few things from my tray, I would count my money earned, and hope that the next day will make more profit. The days would feel endless with a heavy tray hung around my neck, standing outside in the hot sun all day all the while wondering if the Taliban has overtaken my one room where my family lives, and take them away. A girl dressed up as a boy living in Afghanistan with a father who was taken away to prison, and an endless nightmare of my life, would be horrible. It would be awful having to live through all the terrors of Afghanistan, being a little girl only wanting to be filled after a meal. Everyday, I would be risking my life, worrying that someone from the street would call out girl! and some Taliban men would march my way to beat me until death. Barely making through the days on what I make with my job. If I were Parvana, everyone would be counting on me to keep the family from starving to death. Parvana's life is really a life full of horrors.

Out on the street, she kept waiting for people to point at her and call her a fake. No one did. No one paid any attention to her at all. The more she was ignored, the more confident she felt.

Now with her face open to the sunshine, she was invisible in another way. She was just one more boy on the street. She was nothing worth paying attention to.