In this scene Asil realizes just how seriously superstitions are taken West of Noreaso:
The Cemetery
Another few hours of walking revealed a curious structure. In front of them stood a gate, as tall as it was wide, towering above them as a warning. Made of iron it twisted itself into the night sky much like a climbing vine. Elijah had not yet himself been through these parts and found what the group had come upon to be quite a serious problem. "Hold your breath children, we’re approaching a cemetery!"
Perhaps because Ekim was tired, he was more than a little perturbed by the sheep’s latest warning. "That’s a new one. Why on earth would we do that Elijah?"
Asil was scared at the idea of crossing through a graveyard alone, let alone hearing there were more precautions to take. "I don’t think I can hold my breath that long!"
Abraham approached the children and with a grave expression said. "You must try child."
The cemetery in question covered a large expanse of land and seemed to go on forever. The scent of fresh dirt permeated the air making it all the more difficult to catch one’s breath, never mind hold it! Elijah wasn’t taking any chances, though and made a choice. "We will run past it. If you can hold your breath for just a few seconds, we should be able to traverse the distance safely."
Ekim took his little sister’s hand in his. "And if we fail?"
Joseph looked upon the children with an equally grave expression. "Oh – do not say that boy, you mustn’t fail. To breath in the air of the dead is to invite death. Not even a found penny with the face up will help you then, and we all know how rare a thing that is."
Convinced and terrified, the children each took large sucking breaths until their lungs were filled to capacity. Holding their hands to their mouths, they sprinted off after the sheep across the rolling green meadow, dodging ancient grave markers along the way.
But suddenly, slipping on the freshly manicured lawn, Asil fell flat on her face and the very breath she so desperately held escaped her. As is automatic after one exhales, Asil, to her great horror, inhaled! Of course, breathing normally is a good thing, considering the alternative was suffocation, however, as they had been warned, in this place, breathing was just about the worst thing anyone could do. Ekim had turned to see his sister fall and watched helplessly as she took a breath. He doubled back and scooped her up, carrying her the remainder of the way. All the while her chest convulsed, as she tried desperately not to take in any more of the stale air. Passing the last tombstone, they fell to their knees pulling in one mighty breath after another.
"She breathed in!" shouted Ekim through panicked breaths.
"Oh no!" exclaimed Abraham.
"Oh no!" Repeated Joseph
"Then she will surely die…" said Elijah shaking his head slowly.
Asil went white with fear. "I don’t want to die Ekim!" Tears welled up in her eyes, as large as saucers, and she was unable to contain them. She let them out in violent sobs.
"You’re not going to die Asil," stated her brother defiantly.
"She will die child." said Joseph very matter of fact.
"Stop saying that," shouted Ekim. Turning back to his sister he spoke to her with great calm.
"It’s just a silly superstition, Asil, you see? You’re not dead. It didn’t kill you to
breathe in there." Rubbing her cheeks, she saw the logic in Ekim’s argument. "That’s true…"
"The effect is rarely immediate children…"
"If we can get her home within 24 hours then this stroke of bad luck should stay in this world, and not pass into your own." Elijah remained calm in offering his solution.
"Then we need to pick up the pace!" declared Ekim. With that the group gathered their wits and began trekking towards their final destination.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Another excerpt form the Children's book series
Here is another excerpt form the Children's book series, West of Noreaso:
The Shopkeeper
Inside the shop the children were overwhelmed by the variety of objects for sale or trade. There were sacks marked ‘Salt’ and vials of strange liquids, dozens of rabbit’s feet hanging in place on a wall under a stained glass window and a tray filled with pennies.
They saw a dish growing clovers, cotton baton for ones ears, literally hundreds of horseshoes and a case containing what appeared to be a black cat!
The interior of the shop was held together by large wooden pillars and stone walls. A fire burned in the corner. The ceilings were not as high as in mother’s house, and it was in fact more like a cave than any shop they’d ever been in. The place was dimly lit by a chandelier that hung far too low from such a short height, and although Asil was safe from its sharp iron fixtures, Ekim actually had to duck to avoid knocking his head!
"Hello, all," Greeted the shop keeper from behind his cluttered counter. Not at all what Ekim and Asil had expected, this shop keeper was surreal in size and tone, with kind features, but strange all the same. He had large thick fingers that looked as though they would crush most anything they held. That being said, he was carefully and delicately replacing a small tea cup to its place on one of the shelves while standing on his tip toes. Wearing a tweed jacket over his bulbous frame and a scarf round what might pass for a neck he seemed to be sweating profusely. His size was an obvious hindrance to his everyday life, but it seemed not to affect him as he fluttered hither and thither. One would wonder if he had the means to move from this spot at all should he need to, but he did so magically with the grace of a dancer.
"Goodness me! What are you?!" Asil spoke the words, then covered her mouth, ashamed of her reaction.
Ekim chastised his sister. "Asil! That’s rude!"
"That’s alright children. What am I? A fine question. What am I. What AM I! What are you?"
Asil folded her arms and answered. "We are people."
"Well so am I!" chuckled the oddity from behind his counter.
"No offence sir, but you are not people as we are people. What sort of creature are you?" asked Ekim.
"I don’t follow you child. I am who I am and nothing more. There is no secret to who I am. I am the keeper of this shop."
Elijah made his way over to the children, having spotted what they had come for hanging on the back wall along with assorted eyelashes and found pennies. "Yes, thank you shopkeeper. We’ll have two small bags of your finest salt for the children."
"Isn’t it funny..." thought the shop keeper aloud, "that the two of you have found yourselves in this place?"
"How do you mean?" asked Ekim.
"Well, that two ‘people’ such as you should end up here is a strange occurrence."
"We understand that Mr. Shopkeeper. And is there some wisdom you can offer while we make our way home?" Asil inquired.
"I imagine there is a wealth of information I could offer." He removed his scarf and wiped his smooth brow, and replacing the scarf knocked over one of the dozens of salt
shakers atop his counter. Picking up a finger full of salt he threw it over his left shoulder as though he’d done it a thousand times before.
Ekim pleaded with the shopkeeper. "Please sir, anything you could tell us would be most appreciated."
"Hmm, let me think, sheep, which way are you taking the children?"
"We’re going west," Abraham answered.
The kindly shopkeeper’s eyes assumed a frightened intensity as he considered the date on his calendar. October 31st!
"Then I can offer this one piece of information, as I am from the west. Beware the valley, and when you come upon it veer towards the woods."
What the shopkeeper was telling him dawned on Joseph as he himself realized the month, and the date.
"Oh yes, a fine warning sir. Yes, yes, a fine warning indeed."
"Alright shopkeeper, thank you for the salt but we must be going now. As you are well aware the journey is a long one." Said Elijah.
"Yes, sheep. Good luck be with you all."
The children each took a bag of salt, Asil slipped it into her dress jacket and Ekim placed his into his front pocket.
For more on the children's book visit this link.
The Shopkeeper
Inside the shop the children were overwhelmed by the variety of objects for sale or trade. There were sacks marked ‘Salt’ and vials of strange liquids, dozens of rabbit’s feet hanging in place on a wall under a stained glass window and a tray filled with pennies.
They saw a dish growing clovers, cotton baton for ones ears, literally hundreds of horseshoes and a case containing what appeared to be a black cat!
The interior of the shop was held together by large wooden pillars and stone walls. A fire burned in the corner. The ceilings were not as high as in mother’s house, and it was in fact more like a cave than any shop they’d ever been in. The place was dimly lit by a chandelier that hung far too low from such a short height, and although Asil was safe from its sharp iron fixtures, Ekim actually had to duck to avoid knocking his head!
"Hello, all," Greeted the shop keeper from behind his cluttered counter. Not at all what Ekim and Asil had expected, this shop keeper was surreal in size and tone, with kind features, but strange all the same. He had large thick fingers that looked as though they would crush most anything they held. That being said, he was carefully and delicately replacing a small tea cup to its place on one of the shelves while standing on his tip toes. Wearing a tweed jacket over his bulbous frame and a scarf round what might pass for a neck he seemed to be sweating profusely. His size was an obvious hindrance to his everyday life, but it seemed not to affect him as he fluttered hither and thither. One would wonder if he had the means to move from this spot at all should he need to, but he did so magically with the grace of a dancer.
"Goodness me! What are you?!" Asil spoke the words, then covered her mouth, ashamed of her reaction.
Ekim chastised his sister. "Asil! That’s rude!"
"That’s alright children. What am I? A fine question. What am I. What AM I! What are you?"
Asil folded her arms and answered. "We are people."
"Well so am I!" chuckled the oddity from behind his counter.
"No offence sir, but you are not people as we are people. What sort of creature are you?" asked Ekim.
"I don’t follow you child. I am who I am and nothing more. There is no secret to who I am. I am the keeper of this shop."
Elijah made his way over to the children, having spotted what they had come for hanging on the back wall along with assorted eyelashes and found pennies. "Yes, thank you shopkeeper. We’ll have two small bags of your finest salt for the children."
"Isn’t it funny..." thought the shop keeper aloud, "that the two of you have found yourselves in this place?"
"How do you mean?" asked Ekim.
"Well, that two ‘people’ such as you should end up here is a strange occurrence."
"We understand that Mr. Shopkeeper. And is there some wisdom you can offer while we make our way home?" Asil inquired.
"I imagine there is a wealth of information I could offer." He removed his scarf and wiped his smooth brow, and replacing the scarf knocked over one of the dozens of salt
shakers atop his counter. Picking up a finger full of salt he threw it over his left shoulder as though he’d done it a thousand times before.
Ekim pleaded with the shopkeeper. "Please sir, anything you could tell us would be most appreciated."
"Hmm, let me think, sheep, which way are you taking the children?"
"We’re going west," Abraham answered.
The kindly shopkeeper’s eyes assumed a frightened intensity as he considered the date on his calendar. October 31st!
"Then I can offer this one piece of information, as I am from the west. Beware the valley, and when you come upon it veer towards the woods."
What the shopkeeper was telling him dawned on Joseph as he himself realized the month, and the date.
"Oh yes, a fine warning sir. Yes, yes, a fine warning indeed."
"Alright shopkeeper, thank you for the salt but we must be going now. As you are well aware the journey is a long one." Said Elijah.
"Yes, sheep. Good luck be with you all."
The children each took a bag of salt, Asil slipped it into her dress jacket and Ekim placed his into his front pocket.
For more on the children's book visit this link.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
An excerpt from the children's book, West of Noreaso.
The following is an excerpt from the children's book, West of Noreaso. This sample is the first page...
Approaching all Hallow’s Eve
October 31st.
The sky had been ominous all day while the children played outside with their two dogs, Jackson and Nicholas. Mother had asked them repeatedly to come inside lest they catch their death from the chilling winds blowing in off the water. "A storm is coming children. Please come in, and bring the dogs with you," she pleaded a third time.
Finally Ekim and Asil obeyed and ran into the old Victorian house, puppy dogs trailing, tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths (The dogs that is, not the children!).
Eventually the rain did come, and so mother’s warnings had been confirmed. The children sat at the front bay window watching the lightning strike and the thunder follow, while the dogs ran back and forth through the house barking at the crashes and bangs as they burst around them.
The rain was falling with an intensity Ekim and Asil had never witnessed in their 12 and 6 years, respectively. Another flash of lightning lit up the house through the large windows, just as mother struggled with her umbrella, preparing to venture outside.
Approaching all Hallow’s Eve
October 31st.
The sky had been ominous all day while the children played outside with their two dogs, Jackson and Nicholas. Mother had asked them repeatedly to come inside lest they catch their death from the chilling winds blowing in off the water. "A storm is coming children. Please come in, and bring the dogs with you," she pleaded a third time.
Finally Ekim and Asil obeyed and ran into the old Victorian house, puppy dogs trailing, tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths (The dogs that is, not the children!).
Eventually the rain did come, and so mother’s warnings had been confirmed. The children sat at the front bay window watching the lightning strike and the thunder follow, while the dogs ran back and forth through the house barking at the crashes and bangs as they burst around them.
The rain was falling with an intensity Ekim and Asil had never witnessed in their 12 and 6 years, respectively. Another flash of lightning lit up the house through the large windows, just as mother struggled with her umbrella, preparing to venture outside.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Cafe Mom, a place for moms to lean on each other
As a Mother, if you're looking for support from other moms, then a really nice site to visit is Cafe Mom. They offer advice and all sorts of other informative articles and real life experiences from one mother to another.
At Cafe Mom, they offer Journals that, as a member, you can contribute to. Groups for mom's to discuss their concerns with others that may have already experienced what you're going through. It is essentially a support site for moms.
When, as a Mom, you're looking for a book for your child, remember to look up http://www.childrensbookssite.com/ as this site features all sorts of informative applications for children. It's a site that is sure to hold their interest with games, news and fun links for kids to discover.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A children's book, a source of imagination
As a parent it must be difficult to filter through all of the junk your child will be exposed to in their day to day. But as a parent you are expected to nurture them and protect them. Books are one of the best answers for any child, be they comics or a series such as Harry Potter. Movies are especially good at bringing fantasy into their imaginations, but books still win out when a developing imagination is being nurtured.
Books allow the child to imagine a place, sometimes a magical place with magical characters. These are brain building exercises that are fun and informative, and so a great way for a child to grow.
Books like the The Spiderwick Chronicles , The Bridge to Terabithia and West of Noreaso speak to the child. These books bring them into situations or worlds that are only found through discovery, reading through the pages and studying the illustrations. It is my suggestion that the book always be a child's first experience, the movie and/or T.V. show a secondary source for the story.
Let your child experience a story in their own mind before someone else tells them how to see it.
Books allow the child to imagine a place, sometimes a magical place with magical characters. These are brain building exercises that are fun and informative, and so a great way for a child to grow.
Books like the The Spiderwick Chronicles , The Bridge to Terabithia and West of Noreaso speak to the child. These books bring them into situations or worlds that are only found through discovery, reading through the pages and studying the illustrations. It is my suggestion that the book always be a child's first experience, the movie and/or T.V. show a secondary source for the story.
Let your child experience a story in their own mind before someone else tells them how to see it.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Children's book week
Celebrating books and reading since 1919, Book Week On-line has announced children's book week the 12 - 18th of May for 2008.Kids and parents alike have the chance to vote on the nominees for this years favourite books. The books are set up in grades, K-2 - 3-4 -& 5-6. You can also vote on your favourite author and illustrator.
To stay current on when Children's book week is, here are some future dates to consider:
2009: May 11 - 17
2010: May 10 - 16
2011: May 2 - 8
2012: May 7 - 13
We hope that next year, West of Noreaso will be included as one of Children's books weeks nominees.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Children's books illustrations
Looking for some great examples of a Children's book series illustration? Look no further, at Children's books site illustrations abound! Click on the link and see several pen and ink illustrations by Michael Poeltl to accompany the story book series "West of Noreaso".Each illustration was rendered specifically for the YA fiction and depict portions of the story as you read through the book.
On completion the first book of the children's series should have roughly 20 full page illustrations and a number of spot illustrations.
Go to http://www.childrensbookssite.com/ to see more.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Flamming Net YA book reviews
Looking for a good resource for young adult books? Who do you think would be the best critic of a book geared towards the YA audience? Young adults of course! Flamming Net is a website that allows tweens and YA readers to comment on books they've read and recommend books that they enjoyed.
It is a great resource for parents and kids to find the book for them.
For more on Children's books, visit http://www.childrensbookssite.com/
It is a great resource for parents and kids to find the book for them.
For more on Children's books, visit http://www.childrensbookssite.com/
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Games for children
Children's Books Site is happy to offer games for kids - The games compiled here are just for recreation.
Enjoy!
Take the West of Noreaso Quiz!
Make a snowman on-line!
Track Santa at Christmas!
Tell your fortune with tea leaves!
National Geographic games for kids!
Visit this website for a bunch of games for kids! Fun Math Games Online
To view more games visit us at Children's books site.
Enjoy!
Take the West of Noreaso Quiz!
Make a snowman on-line!
Track Santa at Christmas!
Tell your fortune with tea leaves!
National Geographic games for kids!
Visit this website for a bunch of games for kids! Fun Math Games Online
To view more games visit us at Children's books site.
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