How to Make Your Own Luminamen

You have to download the instructions now before you close the page.

It's your only chance.

DOWNLOAD HERE ==> Download How to Make Your Own Luminamen.doc

I'm not sure if you know this, but she wove Fair O'Nelli's luminamen from threads she pulled from the Aurora Borealis (just like she does for all wee hoomin when they're born). It's their soul star, or what it would look like if they could see it for real.

If you ever played "Connect the Dots," you can do this. It's surprisingly easy, if you go step by step.

Included in the download:

• A template for drawing on
• A table that shows you where the letters of your name go on the template.

What you'll need:

• A ruler
• A pencil (unless you don't think you'll make mistakes.)
• A pen
• A flat surface to draw on

You might want colored pencils to color it in to put on your wall when you're done. Math teachers love this as an assignment to give to their students. Tell a teacher about this!

Book Review : Bad Apple by Laura Ruby

Product Details:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 edition (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061243302
• ISBN-13: 978-0061243301

Synopsis:

"If I really wanted to open up, I'd confess that I really am the liar everyone believes I am."

High-school junior Tola Riley has green hair, a nose ring, an attitude problem, and a fondness for fairy tales, which are a great escape from real life. Everyone thinks she's crazy; everyone says so. Everyone except Mr. Mymer, her art teacher. He gets her paintings and lets her hang out in the art room during lonely lunch periods.

But then rumors start flying and Tola is suddenly the center of a scandal. The whole town is judging her—even her family. When Mr. Mymer is suspended for what everyone thinks is an affair, she has no choice but to break her silence. Fairy tales won't help her this time . . . so how can she tell the truth? And, more importantly, will anyone believe her?

Synopsis:

A bad apple is often used to describe a troublesome person, coming from the quotation "one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel". It seems, to everyone, that Tola Riley is a bad apple. She has green hair, a great love for fairy tales and art, and is involved in a scandal with her art teacher, Mr. Mymer. Her whole world is turning upside down. Vicious rumors are spreading like wildfire through the school, and an anonymously-created website called thetruthabouttolariley.com is telling lies about her. As anyone could have predicted, no one believes what Tola claimed to be: that Mr. Mymer is innocent and she is not involved in an affair with him.

Tola is weird, but special in a different way - she is quirky and funny. I like the romance that is budding between Seven and her, and I wish that Laura had written more about this. Aside from her grandfather, her best friend June is the only one who is supporting her and keeping her sane throughout the whole "affair" thing. The bad girl in this story - Chelsea Patrick has an inclination towards hurting her ex-friend. She is crazily wicked, but that makes her character more realistic because there really are people like her.

I love the humour this book has offered. It made me laugh and kept me interested. In my opinion, Laura has done a good job on portraying every character in the story, mainly the artistic Tola, her supportive grandfather, and her always-depressed sister. She also included comments by Tola's classmates, school administrators, and family members at the end of each chapter to let us know about their different point of views on her unpleasant situation. However, the ending was a tad bit disappointing. I had wanted something more climatic, something more impressive.

In a nutshell, Bad Apple was a bizarre, humourous and enjoyable read. It is a story about truth, family, friendship and love. If you like reading about fairy tales with good endings, do pick this book up! :)

Rating: 8/10

Many thanks to Laura Ruby for sending me a signed copy of Bad Apple for this review! And thank you so much for your patience!

A little about Laura:
Laura Ruby writes fiction for adults, teens and children. Titles include the Edgar-nominated children's mystery LILY'S GHOSTS (2003), the ALA Quick Pick for teens GOOD GIRLS (2006), and a collection of interconnected short stories about blended families for adults, I'M NOT JULIA ROBERTS (2007). She makes her home in Chicago.


Get your own copy of Bad Apple:

Amazon :: Barnes & Noble :: Books-A-Million :: Borders :: Harper Teen :: IndieBound

Visit Laura's Website:
www.lauraruby.com

Other books by Laura Ruby:
Play Me :: Good Girls

Book Review : Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Product Details:
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (29 Oct 2009)
ISBN-10: 1847386946
ISBN-13: 978-1847386946

Synopsis:
Nora's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, she is drawn to him against her better judgement. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and knows more about her than her closest friends.And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of a centuries-old battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and sooner or later, she's going to have to pick sides...

Review:
Hush, Hush is a must read! I just love it! First of all, I have to say James Porto is a real artist! The cover design is gorgeous! It was the first thing that attracted me, though I know that a book can’t be judged by its cover. And, the concept of falling in love with the fallen really captivates me. Who cares about vampires and werewolves when there is a hot, mysterious fallen angel right in front of us?

The main characters of Hush, Hush are finely written, so you can get an exact idea of their personalities. Nora is a pretty, clever girl who is strong, in the sense that she is brave enough to fight her attacker. But at the same time, she is vulnerable, as she is anemic and, well, her self-defense skills don’t really work. As for Patch, he is the guy who will make any girl swoon with excitement - he’s handsome, tall, dark and alluring. He has a secret, a mysterious past which makes the whole story more interesting.

I would like to compliment Becca because she has done a great job to keep readers guessing what will happen next. I really didn’t see the bad guy coming. I kept guessing, but never got it right. And when the truth is revealed, I was like “What? He’s the one?”. It was so unexpected. The pages are haunting, dark, and mysterious, it succeeded to hold my attention from the beginning until the end. There were times when I feel like I was 'inside' the story, and I could see exactly what Nora saw. I kept feeling like something bad and dangerous is about to happen.

I've seen others comparing it to Twilight, and I do not deny that there are some similarities, such as the protagonists' personalities (good girl versus bad boy), and having them sitting beside each other in Biology class. But that's where it ends. Hush, Hush is NOT the same as Twilight. It is an entertaining story with a different theme, style, storyline and characters, packed with excitement and danger. It will draw you into the story completely, and leave you wanting for more at the end.

Hush, Hush is a fast-paced, exciting, well-written novel which has a thrilling plot that is definitely going to make you squeal with delight! So, please don't wait any longer if you haven't read this book, because it's really good!

Rating : 10/10

My deepest gratitude to Kathryn from Simon & Schuster UK Ltd for sending me a review copy. Thank you, Kathryn!


Buy Hush, Hush from

Simon & Schuster :: Amazon :: Barnes & Noble

Visit Becca Fitzpatrick's Website

Reviewed by: Aik