Recent Posts
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Girl on Fire: Valentine’s Day is approaching
[As seen in Creston News Advertiser, January 21, 2016] Everyone who hasn’t been living in a hole the last month may have noticed the shiny red and pink packaging glaring from that first Hy-Vee aisle. The dreaded day of love is fast approaching. In 2015, Valentine’s Day spending was expected to reach about $19 billion, […]
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Girl on Fire: Excited for more learning opportunities
[As seen in Creston News Advertiser, January 7, 2016] My first-ever shift in an emergency department was not the best experience I’ve ever had. Several weeks ago, I spent the weekend in Centerville with my parents. That Saturday, I scheduled a 12-hour shift in the Mercy Medical Center emergency department, followed by an eight-hour shift […]
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Book Review: Frostblood by Elly Blake
Title: Frostblood Author: Elly Blake Series: Frostblood #1 Published: January 2017 Publisher: Little, Brown Pages: 376 From: Barnes and Noble Rating: 8/10 I started Frostblood by Elly Blake on a whim one night, mostly because I just wanted something light, airy, easy and fun, and boy did I get what I asked for. Frostblood follows the story of Ruby […]
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Book Review: Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
Title: Sky in the Deep Author: Adrienne Young Series: Sky in the Deep #1 Published: April 2018 Publisher: Wednesday Books Pages: 340 From: Barnes and Noble Rating: 9/10 Have you ever found a book that just truly called to you, spoke to you in such a way that you could not put it down or […]
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Book Review: Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen
Title: Brian’s Winter Author: Gary Paulsen Series: Brian’s Saga #2) Published: January 1996 Publisher: Ember Pages: 133 From: Barnes and Noble Rating: 7/10 When Brian’s first adventure, the plane crash in Canada, ended, it was the end of his story. Brian was done. He managed to survive based on his very basic skill set until […]
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Book Review: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Title: Hatchet Author: Gary Paulsen Series: Brian’s Saga #1 Published: November 1986 Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers Pages: 186 From: Barnes and Noble Rating: 8/10 I first read Gary Paulsen’s survival novel Hatchet back in fifth grade, I think, when we were starting out our real chapter book reading and discovering who […]
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Girl on Fire: Benefit to be held for local firefighters
[As seen in Creston News Advertiser, December 3, 2015] Every day is a trying time at Creston Fire Department, but recently, it’s been more challenging than usual. Two of my fellow firefighters are battling severe illness and injury, and we as a department have been doing all we can to help them and their families […]
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Girl on Fire: You only live once
[As seen in Creston News Advertiser December 31, 2015] Tonight marks the final of the past 365 days in 2015. At midnight tonight, we will ring in a shiny new year. And with 2016 comes all those things people try to achieve, but may not actually accomplish: resolutions. Resolution: /reze-looSH(e)n/: noun, a firm decision to […]
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Aveyard, Victoria, Book Reviews
Book Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Title: Glass Sword Author: Victoria Aveyard Series: Red Queen #2 Published: February 2016 Publisher: HarperTeen Pages: 444 From: Barnes and Noble Rating: 7/10 As a huge fan of fantasy, when I read young adult author Victoria Aveyard’s debut novel Red Queen, I had to know what happened next. In Aveyard’s novel Glass Sword, a young […]
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Girl on Fire: It’s what we do
[As seen in Creston News Advertiser December 17, 2015] The staccato of Darwin West’s voice reverberated throughout the room as he pointed to members of the crowd holding up little white cards. The tension rose, a steady thing you could practically feel in your chest. Then, it was over. But the tension remained. This tension […]
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