Reading

High Courage
By Rosemary Weir

A classic story of a twelve-year old heir of the Travers royal family in England, Richard Travers shows high courage in the middle of battle between the honors of King William and the foreigner Simon de Montfort, who bid to change the constitution of England to Parliamentary.
The story started with the high-paced action when the hostile forces of Baron Banworth, in the name of Simon de Montfort, attacked the Castle of Travers and fell to their hands. Richard’s father, the Earl of Travers, have not found dead, alive or captured by the enemies’ forces, leaving Richard a mystery for him to discover.
As soon as the castle turned to Baron’s ruling, the Earl then gone back to his famous castle, the Barnworth’s Castle, together with Richard as the prisoner of war. Richard felt different, homesick of Lady Travers, her mother who happened to bore a little girl days before the war had started. He became a page, a noble child who follows every command of a lady until the right time comes that he’ll go back to their own castle, to the Barnworth’s and learned to hold his temper against Lady Barnworth and her son, Louis. He found a friend in the presence of Sir Hugo, Baron’s Knight, and Alys, Baron’s nephew.
Richard had known that his father is alive and had escaped to the forest by using the secret passage of the tomb beside the chapel, trough his loyal minstrel, Odo. He can not wait for his time to go out from Barnworth’s castle and planned to escape together with Alys with the help of Crispin, whose loyalty is for the King. Alys and Richard pretended to be peasants and helpers of Crispin for them to go out from the Castle. They had successfully gone out from the Castle and head their way walking ten miles to the forest. At the middle of the forest set a coal hut with the Earl of Travers, his father and Sir George who took care of the Earl.
Once settled in the hut with Richard, Earl of Travers, George, Alys and Crispin, they finally made a plan to gain back their own castle. The Earl sent Richard and George to Sir Peter, the godfather of Richard, to ask for help to attack the guards of Baron in Travers’ Castle by surprise at night. Sir Peter agreed to the Earl’s plan after Richard told him his tale and prepared his men to attack at midnight using the small passage that the Earl used for escape.
Sir Peter had gained victory. The Castle now turned back to the rightful Earl. Though crippled and can’t walk, remained humble every time. At night, they celebrated reunion. Everybody misses everyone. The thunder breaks the night sky and released the rain from the clouds, sweeping all terrors left and renewing the castle once again. The noise of the hurried feet of the horse overcomes the tiny clatter of the rain and a man from outside pushed the door of the Great Hall where the Earl, the Lady, Richard, Alys, and officials were merrily talking. It was the messenger. He reported to everyone that foreigner Simon de Montfort had died, as well as Baron Barnworth in a battle. He announced also that the King William had gained minor wounds and Prince Edward had reigned in the battle. Peace then is bright to England.




Walk My Way
By Paige Dixon

Kit LeBlanc is a fourteen year old, nearly six foot, broad shouldered girl who lives her life miserable after her mother died. His father hurt always hurt him due to alcohol. She worked at Joe’s Bar after her classes and played basketball at school, but got fired due to clumsiness. She has a good voice for Hollywood but never hopes for it. She planned to exile to her Aunt Lee at Maine, her mother’s best friend who loved her dearly, but can’t find anytime to escape because of her father.
She can’t find courage to sneak out of their house until one evening while her father, together with his friend Mort, came home drunk. She heard her father went straight to his room and dead sleep, but Mort knocked the door of her room, asking her to make her a coffee. At first she refused, but Mort was so noisy that she cant bare him anymore but to accept his request. She’s not afraid of Mort though. When she opened the door, Mort rudely asked for a kiss and moved his head closer to Kit’s, but before he can touch his lips to Kit’s, she hold his chin and kick him hard away from her. She is strong. And she noticed that Mort didn’t move and he became pale, blood ticks from his head. Kit noticed that his head hit the radiator. She then hurriedly pack her things, get her kayak and moved to the other side of the lake. She already fixed her mind to go to her Aunt Lee’s place to seek for comfort and security incase Mort died. She knew she would travel fifty miles through the woods, for her to get to her Aunt without getting caught by the cops. On her way she found a dog, a Basenji dog which she didn’t recognize until she found a good hunter miles away from her place.
Her journey was tough, exhausted, hungry and sleepless nights. It’s good that she found a dog on her way to talk to. She found a little town, as big as a village, and bought ten pieces of hamburger and a dog food for her dog which she named him Lucky. The owner of the restaurant pleaded Kit for her help because her maid had gone out without any words despite the fact that the old lady is suffering a high blood pressure and offered Kit top pay. Kit was determined in her job until she heard in the radio broadcast that her dog had been a lost-and-found dog with reward to whoever sees her. But kit loves Lucky very much and got troubled on the greedy fat boy who wants the reward. She felt awful to leave the old lady alone, but the old lady wanted Kit to be safe and the dog to be hers, so she gave Kit more money and foods and let her get away.
She is back to the woods again, found shelter through the pine tree at night and under the rock when it rains. One day she found two people; a boy named Jody and his grandfather, walking to the same direction she will. They made good friends, so good that she treated them as a family. Jody’s grandfather is too weary and old. He sits on the cart and pulled by Kit. He is determined that Jody must arrive to his aunt and he entrusted Kit for Jody because he felt that he can’t make it to Maine.
Days after Jody’s grandfather died in heart attack while walking on their way. Kit and Jody cried for his lost. He was a good man, kind heart and loves his grandson very much. Kit is determined to take care of Jody, and she promised to his grandfather… They arrived at Aunt Lee’s place and kept Jody for days until she called Jody’s aunt if she still wants Jody to be with her. Upon hearing Jody’s aunt excited, she can do nothing but to give Jody to her aunt. Her father called to ask Kit to go back but she refused and she almost jump to happiness knowing that Mort isn’t dead after all.