Carly's Reccomended Reading for ages 9-11

Here are some good books that I read when I was 9, 10 and 11 years old (list for teens coming soon). Enjoy!

-Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren*

-The Box Car Children by Gertrude Warner*

-Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery

-Freaky Friday by Mary Rogers

-And This is Laura by Ellen Conford

-Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

-SOS Titanic by Eve Bunting

-Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech

-Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce*

-The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) by Ronald Dahl

-Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series by Betty Macdonald*

-Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

-The Tail of Emily Windsnap series by Liz Kessler

-Mr. Poppers Penguins by Richard Atwater

-Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

-The Fairy's Mistake by Gail Carson Levine

-All About Sam series by Lois Lowry

-Seven Kisses in a Row by Patricia Maclochlan

-Wayside School series by Louis Sachar

-The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

-The Miraculos Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillio*

-Anastasia series by Lois Lowry

-The Railway Children by E. Nesbit*

-Copper by Rebecca Lisle

-Ramona series by Beverly Cleary*

-Royal Ballet School series by Alexandra Moss

-Superfudge series by Judy Blume

-Eleven Kids, One Summer by Ann Martin

-Ida B. (and her plans to maximize fun, avoid disaster and possibly save the world) by Katherine Hannigan

-Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M.M. Blume*

-Lily's Crossing by Patricia Geily Reif

-Do-Over by Christine Hurley Deriso

-A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

-The Magic Half by Annie Barrows

-How My Private Personal Journal Became a Bestseller by Julia Devillers

-Leap by Jane Breskin Zalben

-The Very Ordered Existance of Merilee Marvelous by Suzanne Crowley

-The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Fredrick

-The Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins*

-American Girl series

-Ever by Gail Carson Levine

-The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly*

-Secret World of Og by Pierre Berton*

-Drangonsdale by Salamanda Drake*

-The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

-Half Magic series by Edward Eager*

-The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

*Good read aloud book for any age

Sounds for Seniors

Barry Cogert's Homeschool Music Ensemble brought quite a few smiles to the seniors at the Long Beach Senior Center this week. They performed songs such as American Pie, I Feel Good, Oye Como Va, and Hall of the Mountain King. Another session is beginning in a couple of weeks. If you'd like to join in the fun, contact Barry @ barrycogert@verizon.net

Micayla's #1 fan - who insisted on placing a red star on her forehead!

Fun with Physics

Richard Feynman's enthusiasm for physics is contagious!

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum

by Micayla

We went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Hollywood. It was so cool!!! I got a picture dancing with Michael Jackson, and handing my water bottle to Lance Armstrong!! We also got pictures with people like Judy Garland, Barack Obama, Jack Nicholson, Beyonce, Jim Carrey, Kobe, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Tiger Woods! It was amazing!!!! They were all made of colored wax, but they felt and looked so real!! It was a great experience. Here are some pictures -

KOCE & the Writing Contest

by Allie

I went to KOCE to drop off a story I wrote for the pbskids writing contest.

It was a humongous building and we had to go up the elevator to the very top floor.

Then we had to push a button so they could open their doors for us to go in. The people were very nice and seemed excited to read my story. My story is called A Day in Gum Grove Park and it is about a girl who goes for a walk with her mom and discovers a fairy house. I am hoping to win the first prize (a laptop computer)!

Extraordinary Dancers

Here is a cool video that we wanted to share The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, dancing to the music of Vitamin String Quartet (Yellow):

Posted by Micayla

Ronald Reagan Museum

by Micayla

We went to the Ronald Reagan Museum! We got to go on the real Air Force One plane that he rode on!! We saw a replica of the oval office, and the presidential seal!!

My favorite part was learning about the Berlin Wall...

...It was a wall put up by East Germany, it enclosed the city of West Berlin separating it from the East. When the wall was being built parents would hold up their children (over the wall) for the grandparents on the other side to see them before the wall was complete. The west side was a free side; they were allowed to go near it and paint it (because they knew that no one would want to go to the east side)! But on the east side they were not allowed to go near the wall, there were guards with dogs and barbed wire. People tried to escape to the west side but few made it.

We touched a piece of the West side of the Berlin Wall.

Here is the quote that President Reagan said to help bring the wall down :

"We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.

Mr. Gorachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorachev, tear down this wall."

It's a fun place to go. You should check it out sometime!

Taking a look at the East German side of the wall (there was no paint or pictures on this side, just a plain wall).