The Delicious and Wonderful Adventure of McDonald's. Not!

I guess I'm not embarrassed to say that I don't really enjoy books that don't revolve around the issues of teens, peer pressure, crushes, and just growing up. And I guess I'm not embarrassed to say that when it comes to sci-fi, you can count me out, and mystery, well, I'm not much of a fan of that either. And oh my goodness, I can not tell you how much I hate fantasy stories. Literally, my walks through the fantasy section in Barnes and Noble are, "No, no, no, no, maybe... no! Oh my gosh that sounds horrible... and what could that author have been thinking when they wrote this?!" I do understand though, that many people disagree, and that fantasy stories are incredible. And I do respect that. I promise. Oh, and then I arrive in the warm and cozy section of realistic fiction where I can read endlessly about girls who are teased, and girls who are the teasers. I can read on, and on. I am at home, where every teen fiction book is where it should be. Except for that creepy looking horror book, what on earth is that doing there?!

But there's this book, Chew on This, by Eric Schlosser. And let me tell you something. Chew on This is not a book about a 13 year old girl who doesn't fit in. It's about fast food. And why, for the millionth time, you shouldn't eat it. Reader, I am very, very pleased and proud to tell you, that me, Audrey Bachman, reader of teen realistic fiction, is on the 129th page of Chew on This, and is actually enjoying it! Nothing horrible has happened to me, and I've learned, that there's nothing wrong with a little, or big, non fiction book filled with greasy, disgusting facts about the bugs in your pink soda. Or about the 15 year old that invented the hamburger. Or how about, that in one hamburger patty at McDonald's may contain hundreds, or even thousands of different cattle? The only thing I'm finding slightly disgusting and unbearable is the fact that when Hindu's discovered that McDonald's and other fast food restaurants boiled their french fries in beef oil, they created an angry mob to smear cow poop on a statue of Ronald McDonald. That's right, it was against their religion to have meat, and good ol' McDonald's made everyone who walked into their restaurant break the one most important law of their religion.

So, to wrap things up, not only have I learned that it's okay to try something new, (not including beef flavored french fries) like reading a new genre, but also that McDonald's is indeed, as nasty as I thought. And now, I even have the facts to prove it. Thanks Chew on This!

Even Books

Not on every Sunday, but on some Sunday's, when I have that depressed feeling about starting a new week, I'll clean my room. I'll wake up, get dressed, make an omelet, then return to my room, close the door, and not come out until about lunchtime to make a Cup Noodles. Then I return to my room for more cleaning until about 2 o'clock. I go outside for some fresh air around 3, and by the time I return I'll realize I forgot to clean up something and go for that. And right before dinner is served, I put on some music, turn off my big light, click on my small lamp, and invite everyone who's in the house to come in and see. Now they aren't always as impressed as I am. To them, it's just another one of Audrey's unusually clean room's. But to me, it's the thing that will get me through the week. And I'm very proud of it.

Whenever I clean up my room, I'll uncover something new. A new surprise, a new treasure. May that be a pair of earrings from 3rd grade, a stuffed animal I thought I left in Israel, or maybe a picture of my mom and I from when I was 6. This time, it was a book. Well, not a book, but my entire book shelf. You see, I've lately come up with a new design for my room, moving my bed to where my desk is, and my desk to that lonely corner in my room that needs some company. Naturally I want to move my books to where my desk is going to be, it'll add a little life to the corner, a new story each time I sit down at my desk. But then I realized, of all the time's I have cleaned my room out, I've never moved my books. They've been hiding. Even though they were originally out in the open for everyone to see, for me, I just got so used to them being there, and then they kind of, well, blended into the wall. So when I moved all of my books to the other side of my room, I discovered about 6 different series that I thought had ended up in my family room. I discovered Candy Floss, Jacqueline Wilson, my favorite book from 5th grade. I discovered Duel, by David Grossman, a book I started last year that I now know was made for me, and that I must finish. And how about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon? A book my mom read last year and absolutely loved, and wanted me to read. I guess I forgot I had all of these books. I betrayed them.

That's the thing though. You always have to remember: books, if you can believe it, are alive. Each character has it's own traits and feelings and friends and family just like you and me. And just like you and me, they don't want to be forgotten about. They don't want to blend into your wall, and for you to walk right by them, and for you to not know who they are. You have to say, "Hm, you look nice, I think I might want to read you!" And by saying that, you're asking them to be your friend, you're asking them to hang out. Everywhere you take them, is a new adventure for you to take together. You're dusting them off, you're shaking their hand you're patting there back, you're telling them it's going to be okay. You're being a good friend. And everyone needs a good friend.

Even books.

Lucky

This week's blog is a revision of last week's post. Enjoy!

Whoa.

That's the first word that popped into my head when I opened up the email from Nan Gregory, the author of the picture book Pink. She said she read my post from two weeks ago, where I mentioned her name a few times, while digging deeper into the meaning of picture books, especially her Pink. She said she enjoyed my "vote of confidence" and that it was encouraging to read my response.

I've been thinking a lot about authors. Especially since I'm interested in becoming a writer myself. I realize how lucky I am to be in contact with authors, I should feel really grateful to be in this position. I have many people to thank. An example, my father knows Jonathan Safran Foer, who is a member of his synagogue. And an author who lives in Park Slope. I love having so many mentors, it's so interesting, how much you can learn from them. It makes me want to be a mentor for someone else, not just a writing mentor. Any kind of mentor. They are all special in their own way.

I've been wondering, and asking myself, whether or not I'd be the same person I am now, if my dad wasn't in contact with Jonathan or if I simply wasn't so lucky to know authors and have one emailing me. And if not, would I want to be a writer? Would I still have found myself mentors? Would I still have been provoked to take the time to look up a certain picture book, look up the author, and then have that author email me? And then I think a bit more off topic, that what if something in my life didn't exist? Or something extra was in my life? Who would I be? But that's a separate blog entry.

To rap up my entry, I say one thing. Always have a mentor. And one day, it might catch you by surprise, but you find you've been lucky enough to become one for someone else.

Writers

Whoa.

That's the first word that popped into my head when I opened up the email from Nan Gregory, the author of the picture book Pink. She said she read my post from last week, where I mentioned her name a few times, while digging deeper into the meaning of picture books, especially her Pink. She said she enjoyed my "vote of confidence" and that it was "encouraging" to read my response.

I've been thinking about authors, especially ones I'm lucky enough to know and simply be emailing. Especially because I'm very interested in becoming a writer myself. It's great to have so many mentors, and at such a young age too!

I am currently reading the book Saving Juliette by Suzanne Selfors. But with my mother, I am reading Jonathan Safran Foer's book, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. My father knows Jonathan, a member of his synagogue. I mean, think about it. To have an author email me is one thing, one huge thing. And then to actually know, and talk to, and meet an author? That's insane. Amazing. As Ms. Robbins, my 7th grade English teacher, said after we imagined meeting him, "that would be the greatest day of my life."

I believe it's important to indulge in a book that has new topics, new issues, and even just new genres. But it's also very important to indulge in a book that has topics you've had experiences with, both good and bad. It opens your eyes, lets you see your point of view in that time through someone else's perspective. It makes you think more about the topic. Which is why I think the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close will be a great book for me. I've had a close experience with 9/11 and I'm looking forward to someone else's story about it.

In conclusion, (of all the different topics I've written about this entry!)
1. Always look for books that give you new thoughts about a topic you know about, and also look for books that give you new thoughts about a new topic all together.
2. Always go for the best. Always hope an author will find your writing and send you an email. Because one day, they probably will.
3. Always have a mentor. May that be an author like Jonathan or Nan, or even your dog. Or your sister. Or your other sister.

To Admire

I've been thinking a lot about an entry about picture books that another student in my class wrote last week. I decided to add on to her thoughts for this week's entry, I really liked the topic she brought up. She said that no matter who you are, you can always find something from a picture book that you appreciate, which is a statement that I really and truly admire.

Winnie the Pooh books have really always been a part of me. From the necklace of him and Tigger I had as a kid that I am wearing right now, to my Winnie the Pooh calender, and to just reading his books. This "silly ol' bear" has always been by my side. And what I admire about A. A. Milne's books most, is that no matter what age you are, you can always learn something new and exciting from reading just one poem, or one chapter. It makes me feel so safe, knowing that if I lose my necklace, or I finish my calender, the books will never grow old, and I'll never ever grow tired of them.

Another example I have of picture books is the book Pink, by Nan Gregory. Pink is a beautiful picture book that almost made me cry the first time I read it to my sister. It really made me think about how many other books there are out there that can touch any one's heart. Pink has a great story line, that fits the interest of a young reader, and provokes the mind healthily for a reader my age. Pink is the story of young Vivi, whose father is a truck driver and her mother who seems to not have a job at all. Their family doesn't necessarily have all the money in the World. Walking around town one day, Vivi spots a beautiful bride doll, glistening pink. She saves up enough money to buy the beautiful doll, only to find that one of richer girls in town has already snatched it away, as if it had only cost a penny.

To my younger sister, she sees the richer girl as a meanie. The bully. The mean girl in school. And to her, she doesn't understand why it's so hard for Vivi to buy the doll, and so easy for the rich girl to. But to me, it brings up much thought and conflict, about how these things really do happen in life. These topics are very serious and important to be reminded of. And it takes a lot of courage to bring up such conflicts in a picture book. Especially one called Pink. Which any young child wants to pick up, just from the title.

I admire Nan Gregory's courage and hope to learn more from her and others about finding deeper meaning in picture books. Because they aren't only for 5 year olds. They are for everyone.

Quotes

First thing I want to say, I'm out in Hillsdale, and as I mentioned a few blogs ago, this is where I can get really into my reading. Last year, I finished two of the Twilight books in the one week I was here with my family. Yep. Two Twilight books.

Now back to my entry

No matter what book I am in the middle of reading, there will always be one that I keep to the side, in case I forget my current book, am in the mood for a new theme, or just want to read it. Currently, my "second book" is Without Feathers by Woody Allen. I'm really enjoying this book. It's hysterical, and from all the stress I'm under right now, I love being able to have a book that will make me laugh.

Another reason I am really liking this book, is because my father always seems to be recommending books to me, and most of the time, to be honest, I never actually come through to reading them. Maybe because I think they're old, or I just won't like them. But over this past break, in my grandmothers apartment, my father picked up Without Feathers and just started reading it to me. And for once I decided to give it a chance. I decided not to "judge a book by it's cover."

Because it doesn't matter anymore that the book has a white cover, and small red letters. It doesn't matter that the title doesn't make any sense. It matters that the words inside the book, beyond the cover, are what I'm really enjoying.

And what I'm thinking about most right now, is how much I learned from a saying that everyone on Earth must hear once or twice a day. And how much it's ignored. How not that many people really take the time to find the hidden meaning of "don't judge a book by it's cover." And is it the same way with other quotes? Are all of these other sayings just being ignored, are they just useless words that have some how been put into a sentence? I hope everyone will find their own hidden meaning for sayings someday, and then we can learn from them, and they can learn from us.

Stargirls

I want to be a Stargirl. I want to sign my name with a little yellow star and a blue girl with a triangle dress. I want to "wash my mind." I want to have a wagon that keeps track of my emotions. I want my wagon to always be full. And I want not to be embarrassed when my wagon is empty. I want to be fearless, I want to be Stargirl.

I feel that everyone needs a Stargirl, wants a Stargirl, and is a Stargirl. Everyone has the potential to be a Stargirl, everyone has the courage, everyone just has to find it.

But what would happen if everyone was a Stargirl? Everyone got to be a hero? A fantasy? A perfection? Then no one would really be a Stargirl. It would have to be the person who decides NOT to be a Stargirl that truly is the Stargirl. Or maybe the Moongirl? Or the Sungirl?

What is a Stargirl anyway? Or who? Or maybe where? Is there a Stargirl in this World? In this town, in this school, in this home, or that home? Or is there no such thing? Maybe we're just girls, or boys, or women, or men. And all we can do is wait for a Stargirl to come along. Or for one of us to step up and anounce that they are the Stargirl. But what if a Stargirl doesn't show up? And no one breaks away and becomes the Stargirl. And all we are, are people. Who don't know what to do.

Maybe it's better not to have a Stargirl. Maybe no one needs her. Or maybe we do. A little.