Annual Poetry Contest - 3rd Place Winner

The Color of Death

Drip, Drip, Drip,
Goes the thick substance;
As it slowly moves down my arm to the floor.

Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh,
Goes the setting sun;
As it throws its blazing color over me.

Rustle, Rustle, Rustle,
Goes the petals of the rose;
As they fall to cover my broken body.

Roar, Roar, Roar,
Goes the mighty flame;
As it rises up over me - making shadows dance over and around my sobbing form.

Hush, Hush, Hush,
Goes my body;
As my thick life force flows from my body to water the ground.

Victoria Boyce
10th Grade
Everest Academy
Poem may not be reproduced without author's permission.

Annual Poetry Contest - 2nd Place Winner

An Ache, or a Hankering, or a Bit of Both

I miss the mountains.
The fireflies in the evening,
the mosquitoes in the afternoon,
and the fresh air,
so deep that it can scarcely be breathed in.
I miss the feel of bare toes in the cool creek,
bare toes on the dry grass, on prickly dirt, the rough rock and smooth stone.
I miss the long days of going uphill without stop,
losing myself in the trees,
searching for the perfect view
and learning that the trail never ends.
I miss flashlight tag at night
and the big, glowing lanterns that dimmed in the radiance of the fire.
We read folklore aloud on those nights,
the characters somehow becoming more vivid than reality
in the dark that shrouded us.
I miss the toasted marshmallows that we nibbled on
and the hushed whispers as we fell asleep
under a roof made of black sky
and twinkling stars.

Sarah Jane Thielman
17 years old
Homewood High School
Poem may not be reproduced without author's permission.

Annual Poetry Contest - 1st Place Winner

Come Now, Brother

Come now, brother, let us hunt
Follow the scent, chase the wind.
Come now, brother, answer my call
The night has come.

Come now, brother, chase me,
Hunt my tracks, hunt my trail.
Come now, brother, I lead you
The hunger is upon me.

Come now, brother, follow me
Smell the prey, taste the fear.
Come now, brother, search with me
The bloodlust wakes inside us.

Come now, brother, aid me
Drag him down, bite his neck.
Come now, brother, eat with me
Let us savor our meal.

Come now, brother, run with me
Search for refuge, hurry home.
Come now, brother, let us sleep
Let us close our lupine eyes.

Michael Correro
Grade 10, Homewood High School
Poem may not be reproduced without author's permission.

The Hollow by Jessica Verday

This excellent book is the first in a trilogy. It mixes paranormal romance and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow with a little mystery in a modern-day setting. Abbey's best friend, Kristen, has died in a tragic drowning accident. But the real question is why she was even at the river that day? Abbey searches for answers but what she finds is an elderly couple, Nikolas and Katy, and a gorgeous but unusual teen, Caspian. Caspian may be her soul mate - if she can ever figure out his secrets. And Nikolas and Katy are as dear to her as the grandparents she lost at age six, but they are also good at hiding the truth. When Abbey learns the secrets of these people she's come to love, it nearly unravels her - making her doubt her own sanity.

The book starts out slowly, but don't give up on it. It will definitely reward the patient reader!

Great for fans of Twilight!!

The Fast & the Furriest by Andy Behrens

Kevin Pugh is a 12-year-old couch potato. Cromwell is his beagle, a couch potato dog. Kevin’s looking forward to spending his summer sitting on the sofa, playing video games and generally doing as little as possible. Unfortunately, Kevin’s father, a former Bears star football player and super-sports fanatic, feels differently. So does Cromwell, who has suddenly and mysteriously developed a fascination with dog agility competitions: running up seesaws, leaping over hurdles, and attempting to soar through hoops (he usually gets stuck in the middle). If he has to do anything, Kevin would rather do something for newly obsessed Cromwell, but dog agility lessons cost money, and Kevin’s dad won’t pay for something that he doesn’t even consider a real sport. So he signs Kevin up for football camp instead. But some well-timed events collide, literally, and Kevin finds a way for he and Cromwell to take classes. Team Cromwell is born.

The Pickle King by Rebecca Promitzer

Bea Kludnik lives in Elbow, where it rains 24/7 during the summer. Most people leave Elbow in the summer. The ones who can't afford to hit the road end up growing mold between their toes from the constant rain and mud.

This summer starts out the usual way - with rain. But then Sam shows up and takes Bea and her camera to an old, dilapidated house. Up the front stairs, into the foyer to a hole in the floor. Bea can see water in the hole - and something else. Something floating up toward the hole. It turns a bit and Bea realizes that she's seeing a dead body. A dead body of a man who's missing an eye! She quickly takes a few pictures then she and Sam scram. But Bea leaves with more than just a few snapshots. The ghost of the dead man is following, and he wants Bea, Sam and their friends to avenge his murder.

This was a good mystery with twists and turns, memorable characters, and a plot intricate enough to keep my interest. I recommend it to mystery fans, but be warned that it is a bit on the gross side.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Katarina (Kat) Bishop is descended from a long line of thieves and con artists...and she wants out. So she cons her way into boarding school and tries to lead a normal life. Just a few months later her family sets her up, gets her kicked out and picks her up to give her the bad news: Someone stole five paintings from mobster Arturo Taccone, and Taccone believes that someone was Kat's father. He wants his paintings back within two weeks or he'll do unbelievably horrible things to Kat's father and her entire family. Against the advice of the family patriarch, Kat goes to work, swinging back into the lifestyle she tried so hard to leave. But how will she even find the painting, much less pull off the biggest heist of the century?

I'm familiar with Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series and I thought this title would be more of the same: an enjoyable light read with romance, humor and wit. While this was definitely an enjoyable read, it was more mature and serious than what I was expecting. Kat is a sympathetic character who reads like a typical teen - though admittedly a teen with more on her plate than most high school girls. There is a hint of romance, an intriguing plot and enough action to keep a reader turning the pages to find out what happens. And then the twist....perfect! I highly recommend this book to teen girls who want more than the typical chicklit book.