Short Story - Halloween Special!

"Bye Mum!" Olivia waves goodbye as the car disappears out of view. "Finally," she mutters, "I've got the house all to myself." Suzanne, Olivia's mum, is going out for the night to meet some friends and entrusting her daughter with looking after the house until she gets back. Normally, Olivia would go with her, but tonight is Halloween and Suzanne doesn't want the house to be ruined by the time she gets back.

"I think I'll make some ghost-shaped biscuits to give to the trick-or-treaters." Olivia muses; she's never been one for sweets and was always disappointed on Halloween when she returned home with a bucket full of sugar. Collecting her ingredients, she sets to work and produces some perfect dough in no time. "Good, but I can do better," Olivia has always been a perfectionist and begins to search the kitchen for something to make her biscuits outstanding, "I know! I'll use some of that glow in the dark gel we bought last Halloween for an added twist." Rushing outside into the garden, Olivia finds the gel hidden away in the shed, labelled, 'Use with caution'. "Oh well, what harm can it do?" she thinks to herself as she runs back into the house, away from the cold. Adding a little gel into the mixture, she cuts out the biscuits and puts them in the oven.

A while later, Olivia pops back into the kitchen to check on her biscuits. But they've vanished. The oven is off and the tray is completely empty. As Olivia turns around to start looking in the rest of the kitchen, she thinks she sees a flash of white disappearing into the living room. Curious, she follows it and finds more than she had bargained for. As twelve ghosts descend on her, she screams and desperately thinks of a place to hide, "The shed! The ghosts might not be able to leave the house," scrambling out of the door, she sprints to the shed and slams the door behind her. Peeking out of the window, her heart sinks as she sees the white shapes float through the back door and into the garden. However, almost as soon as they are outside, they go back indoors as if the cold is unbearable. "I don't believe it!" Olivia whispers with relief.

Half an hour later, Olivia checks her watch, "The trick-or-treaters will be coming round soon." Glancing out of the window, she expects to see the ghosts still inside the living room. But they're not anywhere to be seen. Cautiously, Olivia opens the shed door and creeps across the garden. After checking the coast is clear, she enters the living room to hear the door bell ring. "Oh no! I haven't got anything to give them." With all the biscuits gone, she doesn't know what to give the expectant children, until out of the corner of her eye she sees something quite unexpected. A plate of perfectly glowing ghost-shaped biscuits sitting on the table. The bell rings again. Knowing she doesn't have any other choice, Olivia picks up the plate, opens the front door and gives her first Halloween treat to a rather unrealistic witch. As the girl walks away holding the biscuit, Olivia thinks she sees the ghost wink at her.

Poem - Seasons

I never used to notice you,
Until one day I opened my eyes and saw,
That the world was starting anew.

So many lives just beginning,
It seems impossible that anything could end,
For the world will keep on spinning.

But people forget the new starts,
They want an end to work and school.

Much celebration for the joyous times ahead,
Planning, booking, travelling, relaxing.
No time at all to rest your sleepy head.

But play has to stop some day,
And work must continue.

A time for preparation,
Everyone must think ahead for what is inevitable,
Waiting with anticipation.

But time has run out,
Woe betide the unprepared.

Harsh times are to come,
Yet they are blinded by the light of festivities,
Deafened by merriment to which all will succumb.

Book Review - Thank You, Jeeves

This book is both ridiculous and humorous. It makes you look stupid when you laugh out loud in a public place at what appears to be nothing, yet gives you a boost if your day isn't going quite to plan. Definitely a fine bit of bedtime reading, the plot is certainly original, if not just plain odd. At times it can be quite frustrating (watch Mr Bean's Holiday and you'll see what I mean) but I think that is what kept me reading.

The basis of the story is that Bertram Wooster moves to the English countryside because his neighbours and butler hate his banjolele playing. (I didn't know what it was either until I looked back at the front cover and realised how stupid I was being). So Bertie, after receiving notice from his butler Jeeves, retires to a home far away from anyone who can discourage his musicality.

However, his new butler is a loon and after a series of improbably unfortunate events, his banjolele is burnt up along with his new house. Bertie turns to Jeeves for a helping hand and luckily, Jeeves has no hard feelings and suggests he goes back to being his butler.

The novel ends much the same as it started, the only difference being Jeeves who has replaced the banjolele.

An adult with a sense of humour and a love for annoying posh people would be the most suitable reader for this book. But any grown up would do.

A novella - Chapter One - Puppy possibilities

"Exciting news!" I give my mum a withering look as she practically bounces around my bedroom, "At work today Adam told us that his cocker spaniel is about to have puppies!" Mum has always wanted a dog but up until now, the opportunity has never arisen. I must say, I'm quite eager too. I ask, "Really? I didn't know he had dogs."
"Yes, he has four adult dogs already and they're expecting a big litter of puppies. The mum is absolutely huge and Adam's emailed me a picture of her and the dad. Do you think you would be interested?"
"Of course! It would be so nice to have a puppy. Our only trouble is persuading dad."
"Yes, I was thinking that. Let's mention it at dinner and see what he says. We can keep working on him until the puppies are born and ready to be visited." As my mum leaves the room, I can't help but jump around a bit myself. It's so exciting! Visiting the puppies, choosing one, naming it, taking it for walks, the list goes on.

I look up some pictures on my computer of cocker spaniels just as my dad calls me to lay the table for dinner. I wonder what he will say when we break the news . . .

Poem - #itsaGirlThing

I heard about the campaign to promote girls' rights when watching one of Hazel Haye's videos on the channel ChewingSand.

In the run up to International Day of the Girl on the 11th of October, Plan International have started a campaign to "highlight injustices and challenge the world to make changes to ensure all girls access their rights".

I felt that I should do my bit by writing a poem about girl's rights. After you've finished reading, why not play your part?

Are you proud to be a girl?
You should be.

Do you feel equal with boys?
You should do.

Has anyone ever told you how lucky you are?
They should have.

Are you in school?
You should be.

Do you have freedom of speech?
You should do.

Has anyone ever reassured you that you're safe?
They should have.

But what if you're not proud, equal or lucky?
What if you don't go to school, aren't allowed to say what you think or don't feel safe?

Then something has to be done.
Until all girls are proud, equal and lucky to be who they are, we cannot rest.

Stand up.
Shout out.
Make a difference.

I hope this poem has made you realise how important equality is and if all you do is go onto the Plan International website, that is enough to raise awareness and start making a change.

#itsaGirlThing

Watch Hazel's video

Book Review - The Help

I watched the film adaptation of The Help quite a while ago and after seeing it on my bookshelves recently, I decided to give it a go.

It was written by Kathryn Stockett and is set in Jackson, Mississippi during 1962. The chapters have varying narrators throughout, the first being Aibileen. She is black and works for a white woman called Miss Leefolt, raising her child, cooking and cleaning.

Chapter three is told from the point of view of Minny who is quite like Aibileen in the sense that she also earns money from working for richer white families, yet Minny has more of an outspoken nature and is no stranger to being fired. In the beginning, she works for Miss Walters - an old lady who is either deaf or pretends not to notice Minny's rudeness. However, when Miss Hilly (Miss Walter's awful daughter) annoys Minny, she does something terrible to Miss Hilly which causes her to be fired. After this, Minny goes to find another job and the only woman who will take her is the desperate Celia Rae Foote.

Miss Skeeter tells chapter five and we learn that she is a white lady trying to fit in with the others, yet failing because she disagrees with the shocking way black people are treated. She still lives with her parents and their maid is called Pascagoula. Previously, a lady named Constantine was their maid, but for a reason unknown to Miss Skeeter, Pascagoula took her place whilst Skeeter was away at university.

For the whole book, these are the only narrators. However, when all of the characters go to 'The Jackson Junior League Annual Ball and Benefit' in chapter 25, narration is in the third person, which means you only receive the story from an onlooker's perspective. 'The Benefit' as it is more concisely known is a night of fundraising for starving children in Africa.

The key theme in the story is the horrible way black people (maids in particular) are treated by white people. Miss Skeeter seems to be the only white person to want to do something about this and persuades many of the maids to tell her their stories so she can write a book about it. The book is eventually published anonymously and causes a commotion in not only Jackson, but all over America.

I would recommend this book to ages 16+ as it has adult themes such as racism and abuse. However, I wouldn't say the style of writing was too complex for younger teenage readers.

Overall, I think this is my favourite book so far! If you are thinking of reading any of the books I have reviewed, definitely try this one first.