On the 15 of April, I made a 11+ inch donation to the charity Locks of Love. It took about a month shy of two years to grow it to such a length. I made the donation at The Hair Factory (see also Their Facebook Page) where they cut it and sent it in for free. My mom also made a donation the same day. My motivation was my dad who made a donation a few years back. My mom did it to encourage me to stick with it.
Here is an image of after the hair cut:
Title: Wolves of the Beyond: Shadow Wolf
By: Kathryn Laskey
Age: 10 and up (for very mild violence and hard to pronounce words)
Rating: **** ( out of 5)
Report: As the second in this thrilling series, it was quite a bit easier to understand and easy to read. it starts to go into the later life of Faolan in his new life in the MacDucan clan. Faolan, while trying to earn his place in the pack, ends up in a mess of trouble. Mean while, Faolans mother who believes her pup is dead discovers something that changes her life…forever. this book is hard to put down and great for kids who love to read.
Title: Rangers Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan
By: John Flanagan
Age: 10 and up (at least)
Rating: ****1/2
Report: This gripping semi horror book is impossible to put down. It is the first book in a series. It tells the story of a young orphan boy and his life in castle Redmont during the Mid-evil times. He is chosen as a rangers apprentice. The rangers corps are highly suspicious group to the people of Redmont and the other fiefs. While all this is happening, Morgarath the Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night is planning his breakout and war in the Ruins of Gorlan in the Mountains of Rain and Night. This is, in my opinion, a must read series.
Title: War Horse
By: Michael Morpurgo
Age: 8 and up
Rating:****1/2 (out of 5)
Review: This story is what I consider a sad action story. Back on his farm, Joey has his boy Albert to protect him and old Zoey (the other farm horse) to keep him company. Then, Albert’s father sells Joey to the war to get some money to help keep the farm. During the war he has many riders/caretakers that are shot, captured, or just pushed out of his life. Meanwhile, Albert grows old enough to join the war, so he joins the veterinary clinic in hopes of one day finding his Joey. After the war though, the men are forced to sell the horses to the people of the country, and after finding his Joey, Albert does not want to let him go. Unfortunately, he has no choice, the horse has to be sold. I think the thing I liked most about the layout of this story is the fact that the author wrote it as if Joey was telling the story which I think made it more exciting.
Title: Call of the Wild
By: Jack London
Age: 8 & up
Rating: ****1/2 (out of 5)
Review: This sad, intense, and heartwarming book will keep you on the edge of your seat. When the Klondike gold rush is just begining a civilized dog named Buck who is stolen from his family & is sold to some dog drivers. The dog drivers use the dogs to pull a sled full of mail from Skagway to Dawson. Buck is sold two more times and is saved when John Thornton cuts him free from his sled & heals him. they become great companions. Buck later saves Thornton’s life and it is discovered he will do anything his master says. I do recommend that kids under 10 years of age have the book read to them because of mild language & the fact that it is writen in older style speech could frustrate kids that can’t read the style as well.
Title: James and the Giant Peach
By: Roald Dahl
Illustrated By: Lane Smith
Rating: ***** (out of *****)
Report: This is a fantasy/adventure story about a young boy who is found by a strange little man in his aunts’ “garden” and given some weired little green diamonds. James doesn’t know that these diamonds will take him on a weird adventure with some weired creatures. On the adventure, they will face some hard to solve problems and some cloudy problems, also. This is a short; easy to read book for children 6 & up to read aloud and kids 4 & up to understand and get a good laugh out of. We got ours at a Half Price Books store (more information will be given on next post). Very good book and highly recommended!
Title: The Great and Terrible Quest
By: Margaret Lovett
Age: 6 and up
Rating:*****(out of five stars)
Report: When Trad loses both his parents he is forced to live with his cruel Grandfather who treats him bad. One day while his Grandfather is out of the house, Trad finds a wounded old man in the fields that surround the house. Trad finds that the man has lost his memory due to a wound on the back of his head. Trad takes the man to the Wise Woman, who helps Huon (the old man) remember part of why he was there. Trad and Huon go on a quest to try to help Huon figure out what it is that he can’t remember. This is one of my favorite books. This book has a little old English style language in some parts that may be hard for some younger kids to read.
