By Sienna Beck / New York City
Hello, readers! This is my April article, and it’s about my own life as a reader. I’m also a writer (duh), but I love reading! I love all the literary genres. For example, I love how fantasy adventure books pull me in and I feel like I’m really there. That’s what inspired my new story, “When the Sky’s the Limit” (which my parents say is my best story yet). Even though I get writer’s block a lot, fantasy stories give me a little hint about what to write. Nonfiction helps me in my studies. I love reading both biographies and autobiographies to inspire me.
Here are some of the books I’ve read recently and loved:
Space Dumplins by Craig Thompson (graphic novel): After Violet’s school is attacked by space critters, she goes with her mom to work. But soon after her school is attacked, Violet’s father disappears after a task to go on a dangerous journey. Along with her two pals, Zacchaeus and Elliot, she sets out to find her father. Can Violet save her dad before it’s too late?
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson: 14-year-old Mattie Cook lives in a coffee house with her mother, grandfather, and her silly cat Silas in 1793. But then, suddenly, yellow fever breaks out and everything flips upside-down. After an unfortunate afternoon tea with Mrs. Ogilvie and her two daughters, Mattie’s mother gets yellow fever. Mattie and Grandfather head out to the countryside for a while. Mattie suffers a case of yellow fever but heals. When Grandfather and Mattie come home, their house has been robbed. Soon after, Grandfather dies after two robbers strike. All alone, Mattie doesn’t know what to do. Will she survive, or will her story be cut short?
Front Desk by Kelly Yang: Mia Tang, an immigrant from China, runs a motel with her family in Anaheim, California called the Calivista. They can’t afford very much, and only make $750 a month. Mia helps run the front desk. Aside from that, at school, she has bullies, such as her sort-of friend Jason and other kids who make fun of her second-hand clothing. Can Mia find a way to help her family survive this world or will Mia and her family have to return to China?
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger: An elf named Sophie Foster lives a human life until one day, another elf named Fitz appears and tells Sophie that she is also an elf. Fitz tries to convince Sophie to come live with the other elves. Sophie sneaks out of her house one day and never comes back. What happens next is a blur. Sophie discovers her abilities. She makes friends. And then she gets kidnapped by the Black Swan, their fatal enemy. Will she die under the Black Swan’s care or will someone come to rescue both her and Dex, the boy who came with her?
Those are just a few of my favorite books! I love reading whenever I can, really. When I’m bored and there’s nothing to do, I drift into a world of fantasy for hours. When I finish a book, I simply collect a huge pile of books to read. If I really don’t like a book after three or four chapters, I put it back. If I do like it, I put it in the stack by my bed.
I go to the P.S. 87 school library every Wednesday, pick out two or three books, and read them over the seven days I have. Sometimes, I renew one or two. I can get five books and one magazine at a time, and it’s pretty neat. My parents also check out books from the NYPL (New York Public Library). I also occasionally go to bookstores.
I love writing stories, too, like I mentioned earlier. I wrote my new story, “When the Sky’s the Limit,” in 30 minutes. It was inspired by the new book series I’m reading, Keeper of the Lost Cities, and I wrote my story with lots of emotion and feeling.
When I become an author (and president, don’t forget president!) I will aim toward writing at least one book for every literary genre. I’m hoping the books I write will become bestsellers.
I just want to add, I guess all my readers are readers too because you’ve been reading my articles. Thank you for doing that, by the way.
That wraps it up! Thank you for reading my life as a reader, reader! Three “readers” in a row! Well, four, if you include that one!
Sienna Beck is a 9-year-old author who loves writing short stories. She goes to a camp called Writopia, and once entered a play contest and was selected to have her play professionally performed by trained actors. Sienna has two sisters, Willa and Olive, and they all go to P.S. 87 in New York City. Sienna likes animals, including pets and mostly dogs. She also wants to be THE PRESIDENT when she grows up.