Christmas Keys

Diwali

Holiday Reading #3 Recommendation

Title: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Author: Lewis Carroll
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
I would recommend this book to Linda and Nesi.
1. Even though the language style is old, it is perfectly easy to understand.
2. The book is actually quite short. It took me just one day to finish it.
3. If you read the original version, it contains pictures to help understand the story better. Countless other retells have illustrations too.

Holiday Reading #2 Retell

Title: Allusions of Innocence
(A collection of short stories about children)
Editor: Jax Coss

Story: The Street Game
Author: Scanthe meic Beorh
Underneath an orange tree is an old table. Everyday, children gather around it to play the 'street game'. If you are chosen to play, you can put any item on the table. If you don't...

Story: Mr. Harris's door
Author: A.P. Sessler
Clifton was forced to knocked on Mr. Harris's door, who hanged himself a few years ago. He appeared and 'invited' the child in. Clifton's dead body was found the next day.

Story: The Cycle of Rebirth
Author: Mona Zutshi Opubor
Agnes is ill, and Ram attempts to cure her by bringing her to South India.
"What if I die?" the girl asked.
"Will I still be sick?"
And with that, Agnes flicked out a match.

Holiday Reading #1 Character Portrait

Title: Heroes of Olyumpus - The House of Hades
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy, Children's Fiction

Nico di Angelo

The Legend of Matariki

Anzac Assembly

http://prezi.com/zpwiu1unf5in/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Go to this link to read.

Holiday Reading #3: Reccomendation

Title: Doctor Sleep(Sequel to The Shining)

Author: Stephen King

Type of Book: Horror

I would recommend this book to a librarian in the Panmure Library, because he is a fan of Stephen King.

I don't know if he'd read it yet, but if he didn't they he should.

Holiday Reading #2 Character Portrait

Title: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Fantasy

Character Portrait:

Luxa

*Purple eyes

*Pale skin

*Silvery hair

Holiday Reading Challenge #1 - Soundtrack

Title - The Shining

Author - Stephen King

Type of Book - Horror

Skip to My Lou's lyrics was repeated in the book several times. Danny's mother sang the song to him, causing Danny to remember the song.

Lyrics:

Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip to my Lou, my darlin'.

Fly's in the buttermilk,
Shoo, fly, shoo,
Fly's in the buttermilk,
Shoo, fly, shoo,
Fly's in the buttermilk,
Shoo, fly, shoo,
Skip to my Lou, my darlin'.

Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip to my Lou, my darlin'.

Cows in the cornfield,
What'll I do?
Cows in the cornfield,
What'll I do?
Cows in the cornfield,
What'll I do?
Skip to my Lou, my darlin'.

Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip to my Lou, my darlin'.

There's a little red wagon,
Paint it blue
ThereÃœs a little red wagon,
Paint it blue
ThereÃœs a little red wagon,
Paint it blue
Skip to my Lou, my darlin'.

Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip to my Lou, my darlin'.

Source: 

http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/skip-to-my-lou-history-and-lyrics.htm

Term 1 Highlights

The thing I enjoyed most about term 1 is art and maths, because it was really easy.  I learnt how to ask people how are you in Maori. It was tricky reading with my buddy in Room 4, because she wouldn't talk.  My favourite thing was going to food tech, because we get to eat all the food we made.  I'd like to improve the way we did maths because some groups didn't get much time with the teacher. I'm looking forward to learning Japanese next term.

Language Features in Music Lyrics

Holiday Reading #4

Title: Harry Potter (Chamber of Secrets)
Author: J. K. Rowling

Settings

HOGWARTS

Holiday Reading #3

Title: Harry Potter (Philosopher's Stone)
Author: J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Pumpkin Pastries/ Pumpkin Pie?

Ingredients

• Chilled pie dough for one single-crust 9-inch pie (Pie crust recipe here)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (65 grams) light brown sugar
• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree or 2 cups (440 grams) fresh pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Method:
• Prepare Pie Crust: Roll out dough so that it is two inches larger than your pie dish. Gently press dough down into the dish so that it lines the bottom and sides. (Be careful not to pull or stretch the dough). Trim dough to within 1/2-inch of the dish edge.
• Fold edges of dough underneath itself, creating a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Crimp edges.  Refrigerate while you make the pie filling.
• Make Pie Filling: Whisk eggs and both sugars together until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and the salt. Stir until well blended.
• Bake Pie: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Transfer pie shell to a baking sheet. Pour pumpkin filling into the pie shell. Bake pie at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick or thin knife plunged it into the pie, about 2 inches from the edge, comes out clean. Rotate once or twice during baking. If, while the pie bakes, the tops of the crust becomes too dark, cover with a thin strip of aluminum foil.
• Cool Pie: Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours or until room temperature. Cut into 8 wedges and serve alone or topped with whipped cream.
• Link/Source: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/24962/pumpkin-pie-recipe/
• 
  

Holiday Reading #2

Title: Secret Letters
Author: Leah Scheier
Genre: Mystery, Romance
 I would recommend the book to Anthony, because he likes mystery books as well.  But I don't think he will like it too much because it have a bit of romance, and it doesn't require you to guess the culprit.  There isn't any big plot twists either, so it is kind of boring.

Holiday Reading #1

Title: Stormbreaker (Novel)
Author: Anthony Horowits

Task: Choose your Own

A Tux Paint drawing of Portuguese Man of War

(VERY POISONOUS)

Moon Festival

Our family celebrates the Moon Festival, or the mid-Autumn festival, every year.  As its name implies, it is celebrated in mid Autumn.  Or more specifically, the 15th of the 8th of the Lunar year.  During the Moon Festival, people gather with their families and friends, or anyone they are close to.  Most Chinese families eat moon cakes, my family also have a traditional Chinese lunch and dinner.  We start off with a normal breakfast.

In the morning, my family eat toast with chocolate, peanut or butter spread for breakfast, and my sibling’s eat it with cereal.  But my dad likes to eat rice with any leftovers from the day before.  We don’t have any moon cakes the morning because my mum says it’s too sweet.  Sometimes I make instant coffee for the grown-ups in the morning (mum, dad and me), or just tea for myself.  We start eating moon cakes in the afternoon.

My brother and sister eat moon cakes in the afternoon for snacks at around 12 or 1, but not so many.  We have mooncakes in the afternoon thanks to my mum buying too many deluxe packs (which she does every year).  For lunch we usually have homemade dumplings or noodles in the fridge made by mum from yesterday.  One time my baby sister tried to make it, it ended up in a mess.  The dumplings are filled with eggs, bacon and beans it is delicious!  After some time after lunch, the sun begins to set, and it’s time for dinner, and more moon cakes.

When dad comes home at night, the tables are probably already set.  Dinner is the most important meal of the day to us.  We have fish, pork, vegetables, and of course, moon cakes!  Last year’s Moon Festival my mum’s friends came to New Zealand to take a tour.  They dropped by our house a day before the Moon Festival.  We had chicken wings, sweet and sour soup and fried rice.  After dinner, if we’re not full enough, we have a lot of moon cakes for dessert.  We get candy afterwards, and it’s always the brand that mixes a lot of candy together.

The Moon Festival is important to many Chinese families.  Where they are, they always gather at one place, home or restaurant, to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.  The lunar year calendar is different from the calendar we’re using, so the date changes every year.  This year’s Moon Festival is on the 8th of September, so the mooncakes are in stock in supermarkets.  My mum always buys the deluxe pack at the local Chinese market.

Mengchun

Holiday Reading #3 - Retell

Book title: Click
Author- Eoin Colfer, Linda Sue Park, Ruth Ozeki, Nick Hornby, Tim Wynne-Jones, David Almond, Gregory Maguire, Deborah Ellis, Margo Lanagan, Roddy Doyle

Retell the story in 25 words.

Click is about Gee, or George, a photographer.  Each chapter revolves around items he had bought, or experience Gee had gone through.

Holiday Reading #2 - Choose your Own

Book title: How to Train your Dragon
Author- Cressida Cowell

My choose your own is about creating my own dragon.  The original book is so different from the movie, in fact, they actually capture a dragon when they're young and tame it.  I'm currently reading Eragon, as well.

My own dragon:

Color - Gray/Silver/Violet

Favorite part: Wings

Special Points: Spikes in a line all the way from head to toe, a huge spiked ball at the tip of its tail, transparent and messy wings.

Holiday Reading #1 - Food Glorious Food

Book title: Goosebumps-Son of Slappy
Author- R.L. Stine

In this book there is a chapter about baking chocolate cupcakes.  Here is a simple recipe for making it.

From KiwiSpot Kitchen

Quick Chocolate Cupcakes:

Ingredients:
100g butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
Chocolate buttercream frosting

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan-forced. Line cupcake tins with cases.

Using a mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy and fluffy. Gradually add eggs and mix until just combined.

Combine flour, cocoa and bicarbonate soda. Add to creamed mixture with milk. Beat until just combined.

Spoon mixture into liners until each case is one third full. Bake for 15-20 minutes.


Icing:
60g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp cocoa, sifted
1 tbsp milk

Method:
Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add icing sugar and cocoa and combine well. Beat in milk until mixture is fluffy.

Original Link
http://www.kidspot.co.nz/recipes-for+2275+20+Cakes-&-Baking+Quick-chocolate-cupcakes.htm