《记得微笑》

我读了一本让我获益不浅的书，名叫《记得微笑》。

书中的叶美香自小娇生惯养，学校同学都把她称为 “小公主”。但，好景不常在，美香爸爸生意失败了。美香必须从高贵的 “公主” 变成过着普通生活的 “平民”。她发现同班同学刘心怡，就住在自己家对面。美香一开始就拒绝跟心怡做朋友。可是，渐渐的，她被心怡善良与乐观所软化了。她们便成了好朋友。美香不想别人知道自己的处境，更怕家境富裕的好朋友排斥她。于是，她要求心怡帮她保守这个秘密。不料，她的谎言却像雪球越滚越大。面对这一切，美香从心怡身上学会了用微笑解决所有的问题，也解除了对心怡的误会。

这个故事让我回想起去年（2011）曾经发生过的一件事。那时，我参加学校的英文比赛却输了，伤心的眼泪像断了线的珠子噼里啪啦地落下来。父母和周围的好朋友都微笑着安慰我。这些微笑顿时让我觉得全身轻松多了，仿佛让微笑把悲伤带走了。

微笑是一股巨大的力量，让你拥有最大的勇气去面对困难。从那以后，我的脸上始终挂着微笑。

我喜欢这本故事书，因为它教会我生活中不管发生什么是，都要记得保持微笑。因为微笑是最美丽的表情，微笑是巨大的力量。微笑着度过每一天，生活就会像一首歌那样，轻快流畅。希望每个人都能拥有最大的勇气，坦然地面对所有的困难，微笑地面对一切。

朋友们，记得微笑吧！

－卢宣－

What Katy Did

Katherine Carr, or commonly known as Katy is a lanky girl whose head is constantly filled with ideas for new adventures, stories and games.  Being the eldest of the six Carr children, all Katy's siblings look up to her.  Katy loves entertaining her younger siblings with her creativity but her good intentions usually lead her to trouble.  Because of that, she's often reprimanded by her aunt and Katy would often feel remorseful after being ticked off.

Katy has a cousin, Helen, who lost her legs to an accident.  After a meeting with Helen one day, Katy vows to be like her cousin who is patient, kind and beautiful despite her disability.  Unfortunately, tragedy strikes the very next day when Katy falls from a swing and injures her spine.  She is never to walk again!  The free spirit Katy is devastated and finds life meaningless.  She stops smiling and lose all her adventurous spirit.  She becomes glum and impossible to please.

Just as I thought that's the end of Katy and her adventures, the author turns the story around by having Helen talk some sense into Katy and helping her look at her life from a different perspective.  Katy's perseverance finally pays off when she starts to walk a year after the accident.

I simply love Katy!  I marvel at how Katy can come up with so many creative ideas.  I admire how she would own up to her wrong-doings regardless of the punishments she would receive.  I especially respect her for overcoming her disability and willingly accept the lessons of patience, pain, cheerfulness and making the best of her unfortunate sitiuation.

Victoria Lock

Hero Over Here

This story is set in America during World War 1.  In the story, Theodore's father and brother had to leave their home to fight in the war.  Too young to join the army, Theodore had to stay at home with his mother and sister.  Before going away, Theodore's father asked him to be the man of the house in his absence and Theodore was very happy to take on this very important role.  Soon after, his mother and sister caught the deadly 'Spanish Flu' and became very sick.  The heavy responsibility of caring for them fell on Theodore's shoulder.  Not wanting to disappoint his father, Theodore did his best to make himself useful in the house and to make sure his mother and sister recover.

I picked up this book because I was attracted to the title and thought I was going to read about the adventures in the battlefield.  However, I was wrong!  The story is actually about how the Americans fought the 1918 'Spanish Flu' epidemic.  There's not a single battlefield scene in the book.  How disappointing!

It was only after reading that I realised the author titled the book 'Hero Over Here' to mean that the hero was Theodore who had painstakingly and patiently cared for his loved ones at home.  So, he was the 'hero over here' at home.  Whereas, his father and brother were the 'heroes over there' at the battlefield fighting the war.  I should have read the title more carefully!

Anyway, the book is still a good read as I have learnt more about the 'Spanish Flu' through the story.

Daniel Lock

My 1st Flash Fiction: Desperation!

Few weeks back, my school teacher asked me to participate in a Flash Fiction writing competition organised by SPH.  That was the first time I've heard of Flash Fiction and I found it rather interesting.  So, here's my 1st Flash Fiction and the entry for the competition.

Desperation!

It was all over the news this morning!  I lay in the hospital bed and shuddered at the thought of my encounter.  The whole scene replayed in my mind.  The disbelief.  The fear.  The exhaustion.  The pain.  All these were fresh in my mind again … …

I arrived at the doorstep of the Victorian bungalow.  The house was brightly lit with Christmas lights; giving it a ‘christmassy’ atmosphere.  I strode into the beautifully decorated interior and stood still for a moment, soaking in the festive mood and catching a whiff of the roasted turkey coming from the kitchen.  What a wonderful feeling!  Christmas has got to be my favourite holiday.  My reverie was interrupted by a pair of smooth, gentle arms wrapped warmly around my neck and a passionate kiss on my cheek.  It was Vivian Lye, the host and new owner of this opulent bungalow.  Following closely behind her were our friends of many years.  We exchanged hugs and kisses, greeting each other excitedly as we had not gathered in this manner for a long time.

During dinner, I had a great time chatting and laughing with old friends.  Vivian looked very happy, a marked difference from six months ago when she was mourning after the death of her father.  Vivian, being the only daughter of old Mr Lye, inherited all his massive wealth, including this million-dollar bungalow.  During our conversation, Vivian unwittingly revealed that her father had also willed that should she meet with any mishap and pass on untimely, her family fortune would go to James Tan, their faithful servant who had served the family for as long as she could remember.  Her father had been very fond of James.  All of a sudden, a loud clanging sound made us jumped and everyone stopped chatting and turned around.  “Sorry everyone.  Butter fingers!” James smiled nervously as he promptly bent down to pick up the cutlery he had dropped.  We were so engrossed in our conversation that we did not notice James enter the dining room.  James quickly left the room after clearing up the mess.

At the end of the heavy and scrumptious dinner, the weather outside had turned hostile.  Thunder crashed and lightening flashed as rain poured down incessantly.  Unlike my friends who lived nearby, my house was a good two hours away!  Vivian decided that I should stay for the night and I gladly accepted.  I was shown to a guest room next to Vivian’s bedroom.  Overwhelmed by fatigue, I fell into a deep slumber, amidst the booming crash of thunder.

“Help!  Get away from me!”  I awoke with a start.  “Ahhhh….”  A shrill scream rent the air and pierced through the wall dividing my room and Vivian’s.  A horrible thought flashed through my mind and I bolted out of the bed.  I pushed open Vivian’s bedroom door, only to find her lying in a pool of blood.  Her snow white night gown was stained crimson red.  Her eyes wide opened and her mouth was agape.  She looked like a white rose that had withered.

Another bright flash of lighting illuminated the room.  At that instant, I saw a black figure holding a gleaming, bloodstained knife.  He looked faintly familiar.  James?  The faithful servant was now a murderer?  When the thought finally sank in, I screamed, “You monster!  How could you?”  Startled at being discovered, James dropped the knife and buried his face in his bloody hands and wept uncontrollably.  “I had no choice.  I needed the money badly.  My son… he’s in debt.”  Suddenly, he jerked his head up, narrowed his eyes and hissed audibly, “No one must know what I just did.”  In an instant, he picked up the knife and lunged towards me. 

I screamed hysterically and ran out of the house as fast as my legs could carry me.  My mind was in a blur and I ran on and on in no particular direction.  The only thought in my head was to get away from James as quickly as possible.  I did not know how far or how long I ran.  Just as I was about to be overwhelmed by exhaustion, I saw a figure donning the familiar dark blue uniform in the distance.  Without any hesitation, I ran towards him and collapsed right into the law enforcer’s arms.  Feeling safe, I then allowed darkness to envelope me. 

Victoria Lock

The Tale of Two Iron Men

Ted Hughes' gigantic Iron Man 

"Taller than a house, the Iron Man stood at the top of the cliff, on the very brink in the darkness ... His great iron head, shaped like a dustbin but as big as a bedroom ... His eyes, like headlamps glowed white, then red, then infra-red..."

This is a description from a book I read recently.  It is THE IRON MAN by Ted Hughes.  The title attracted me as I get excited with anything robot and I thought the story would be as exciting as Marvel's Iron Man.  But I was wrong!

The story is about an enormous robot that fell from a cliff one day and broke into pieces. Instead of becoming scrap metals, the scattered pieces started to look for its body parts.  The chapter which describes how the various body parts began looking for each other is the funniest and most interesting in the book.  The rest of the story is boring with little actions. Even the battle between the Iron Man and a Space Being, with its head as big as Italy, does not excite me much.  All they did was to put themselves into fire to challenge each other to a test of strength.

THE RISE OF IRON MAN from Marvel is a much more interesting book.  It describes the powers the Iron Man has and how he fights the villains using his powers.  Marvel's Iron Man is INVINCIBLE!  He has weapons like lasers, repulsor rays and a force field for added protection.  He can also fly at great speeds.  Of course, all those are gadgets invented by Tony Stark, the person in the Iron Man suit.

Though Ted Hughes' Iron Man has no powers BUT it has endurance, determination and courage. It endured the high heat from the fire and was determined to defeat the Space Being.  Even when he nearly got melted away, he didn't give up.  Tony Stark does have such qualities but it is not shown very obviously.  I think he is a vain person who likes to show off.  That's the only thing I dislike about Marvel's Iron Man.

I wonder if both Iron Men were to fight against each other, who will emerge as a winner?

Daniel Lock.

《妈妈满分》和《十二岁半》

最近， 我读了一本很精彩的故事书叫《妈妈满分》。故事里十二岁的小星不喜欢她的妈妈。因为小星的妈妈为了追求写作的梦想把家务全推给爸爸。爸爸不只要做工，还要接五岁的小月（小星的妹妹）放学，又要每天买午餐和晚餐。

对小星来说，她的妈妈是一个不及格的妈妈。妈妈不会做饭菜也不喜欢做家务，只会每天看电视，找灵感。小星也常怀疑妈妈有没有爱过她，关心过她？可是，一次的意外改变了一切。在那意外中，小星的妈妈不顾自己的生命保护了小星。因为这样，小星明白了妈妈对她的爱是深厚，无私的。

这本书让我深深地被感动。故事让我知道，不管我自己的妈妈有多么多的缺陷或有多么的唠叨，她对我的爱永远没少过，永远是满满的。也因为这样，我对妈妈的爱也要是满满的。

另外，我也读了《十二岁半》这本故事书。故事里的佳耘以为考完了PSLE，可以轻松，愉快地享受她的假期。但她没想到她的轻松，愉快将变成悲伤。因为父母通知佳耘他们要暂时分开，也因为这个原因，父母决定让佳耘读一所寄宿学校。如果佳耘去了寄宿学校，她就不能和她最好的朋友，惠盈，一起读同样的中学。突然之间，佳耘觉得她快乐的童年没了。

当佳耘住在外婆家时，她认识了一个叫阿浩的男孩。佳耘起初不喜欢顽皮的阿浩，但渐渐地，他们俩成为了好朋友。

之后，发生了一个意外，佳耘的父母决定不离婚了。佳耘，惠盈，阿浩也上了同一所中学。真是个快乐的结局！

《十二岁半》虽然有趣和温馨，但我还是比较喜欢精彩，感人的《妈妈满分》。

—卢宣—

The Girl Who Could Fly

by Victoria Forester

This book is about a girl called Piper McCloud.  Piper can fly!  Ever since she was a baby, Piper could hover a few feet above the ground.  Everyone in Lowland Country thinks Piper is a freak.  So, it seems only best for Piper to attend I.N.S.A.N.E, a school for special children like her.

Piper's new friends have powers such as telekinesis, x-ray vision, ability to shrink and so on.  Everyone in the school idolises Dr Hellion, the Head of the school.  However, they soon realise that she is the most dangerous person to be with.  Her hidden agenda in setting up I.N.S.A.N.E is discovered by the students and they are tortured to no end.  At this point, the selfish and cruel behaviour of Dr Hellion saddened me greatly.  I cannot imagine an adult exploiting and abusing children!

I took a journey of sorrows and joys with Piper and her friends on their most dangerous escape from I.N.S.A.N.E.  As my tears flowed for the helpless Piper and her friends, the author turns the story around with a triumph ending.

This book is a definite page turner full of roller-coaster rides of surprises jumping out everywhere.  For those who love to fantasise themselves having super powers and the movie X-Men, this book is perfect for you.

Victoria Lock.

A Note from the Chief Editor

No prize for guessing who is the chief editor for this blog.  As with most published materials, the posts in this blog will also go through editing before they are deemed suitable for publication.  The objective of setting up this blog, other than to encourage my children to read more selectively and reflect on the books they have read more purposefully, is to give them a semblance of what 'real' writing is.

In schools, students are required to write within a box (don't be fooled by the term 'creative writing').  For some strange reasons, school teachers like to have dumbfounded character who stood rooted to ground like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car after witnessing another character bled profusely under an azure blue sky with sun rays streaming through the fluffy white clouds.  Seriously! How many of us are required to write like that in our work or in our daily correspondence?  Till date, I am still wondering why do schools teach students to write in such manner.

When Daniel wanted to publish the Chinese book review he had written with his Chinese tutor, I thought that's a great idea.  So, I got myself a co-editor in charge of the Chinese books my children read.

The kids with 刘老师

刘老师 has been the kids' tutor ever since they were in kindergarten.  Every once a week, she will spend an hour with each kid, reading storybooks to them.  During the 1 hour, other than reading, she will also get the kid to discuss the story elements with her.  This year, she has started the kids on writing their 读后感 after they have finished a book.  So, don't be surprised if you find more Chinese book reviews than English ones here.

「我的幸运一天」

故事里，有一只狐狸很饿，正准备出门找午餐。刚好，一只小肥猪不小心走进狐狸的家。狐狸正要吃小猪时，小猪就叫狐狸先给它洗个澡，喂点东西让它越吃越肥，最后再给它做按摩。这样小猪的味道才会更美味。

你看，小猪很幸运吧！

可怜的狐狸

狐狸做完按摩后已经累昏了。小猪就趁机逃走了。

刚开始，我以为可怜的小猪一定会被狐狸吃掉。没想到，聪明的小猪遇到了危险时，会从容地想出各种办法逃走。我一定要向小猪学习，如果遇到了坏人，我也不会害怕，要做一个勇敢机智的孩子。

 -卢靖-

There IS more to life than reading (no buts).

Hi, I am Daniel Lock, 9 years old. The beach has got to be more interesting than books. The rushing of the waves, the coolness of the water and the feeling of fine sand in between my toes make me simply want to stay on the beach forever.

Other than the sea, I also like going to the parks to cycle, skateboard and climb trees. These activities bring much happiness to me.

There IS more to life than reading. I can play the piano and watch television. The truth is I only read when there's nothing to do. But, I must admit that once I get my hands on an interesting book, I can't put the book down. The main reason I agreed to be involved in this blog is because Mommy allows me to share ANY BOOK I LIKE! (that includes comics which Mommy hates to see me reading.) I do not like very very thick books because they are very boring and the climax is usually at the end of the book. Another reason I want to be involved is because my sister is blogging and I can't be left out, right?

There's more to life than reading but...

We thought it's only appropriate to start the first post by introducing ourselves. Since, I am older, I will have the honour to begin first. My name is Victoria Lock, 11 years old and I love reading! I will always have a book with me whenever I go. It is a compliment to me when people call me a bookworm.

Of course, I recognize that there's more to life than just reading. I do enjoy the occasional baking I do with Mom and Dan, and there's also the joy of doing art. I like how I am able to express my thoughts and feelings through art.

However, reading is still my first love.  I love to be transported into another world through reading. I love to be able to know so many people: from the famous to the unknown, from the rich to the poor, from the powerful to the weak.  Best of all, I love the feeling of being totally absorbed into a book and not having to worry about homeworks and exams.  It is good that Mom gets us started on this blog.  It gives me legitimate reason to read more.