The Legend of the Mississippi River

Long ago, when the world was new the creator made a man and a woman. They married and had 5 kids.  They named them Eda, Sacajawea, Swantee, Sqanto and Sonton. They loved each other very much. They also loved their parents.

One day Swantee got very sick. Everyone was very sad. Espeshilly Eda.

One night Eda heard a wail. It came from Edas moms and dads room. She dashed in and discovered Swantee was dead. The next morning Eda snuck out to the hill by her home. She climed to the top and began to cry.

Her tears got bigger and flowed down the hill side. As they got bigger they flowed farther down the land. The water got wider and wider. Finally Eda knew she didn’t have any tears left. So she got up and walked away

Legend has it that people still see Swantee floating down the river and all the children swimming after him.

People now call the river the Mississippi river

The Mystery of Anastasia Romanov

I watched a television program about the Grand Duchess Anastasia.  She was a princess in Russia in the 1900s.  Her parents were the Tsar and Tsarina.  Their names were Nicolas and Alexandra.  She had three older sisters and a younger brother.  They lived in Russia in a palace.  It was huge.  Her brother had hemophilia, a health condition where the blood does not clot normally.

Anastasia loved the outdoors.

Russia was fighting in World War 1 (1914 -1918).  Even though Russia had a huge army, they didn't have modern guns like other countries had. Tsar Nicolas took charge of the Army and he went to the frontlines in 1915 and fought with the army.   Anastasia missed him so much.  She wrote him letters often.

Not everyone liked Nicolas.  The War was really hard on the Russians because most of the farmers were at war.  All of food they had went to soldiers.  People at home were very hungry and began to blame all of their problems on Nicolas.  They started a revolution.  Nicolas resigned as Tsar.  He didn't want his country to fall apart.

After the Tsar resigned his family was under house arrest.  They lived that way for a year.  The Bolsheviks did not like Anastasia and her family. In the middle of the night in July of 1918 soldiers told Anastasia and her family to get dressed for a photograph.  But then the guards said, "you have been sentenced to death,"  In seconds the room was filled with smoke from the guns.  The entire was killed.

Now the mystery part kicks in.  A few years later a woman showed up in the hospital.  She wouldn't tell them anything about herself, including her name.  She was covered in cuts and bruises.  Doctors gave her a name.  It was Anna Anderson.  About a year after that, she began to say she was Princess Anastasia.  Some people didn't take her seriously.  But others did.  The believed that she could be Anastasia, because she had a scar on her forehead just like Anastasia and the same problem with her foot that Anastasia had.  She also seemed to know things that only the REAL princess could know.

For many years there was a rumor going around that one of the Romanov girls had escaped from the basement where the family had been shot.  People claimed it had to be Anastasia.  Anastasia was a great prankster. She had a vest that she always wore inside her jacket.  People think that she hid the families jewels inside the vest in her jacket and that when the bullets hit her they ricocheted off the jewelry sparing her her life.  No one  was sure that Anastasia's family was killed because they had a hard time finding the bodies.  It took them over 70 years to find the bodies.  But two of the bodies were missing.  They weren't sure if one of the missing bodies was Anastasia or one of her sisters.  But in 2007 another grave was found.  DNA tests proved it was Alexi and Marie (Anastasia's brother and sister).

But, who was Anna Anderson?  If she wasn't Anastasia who was she?  People think she was a polish factory worker pretending to be the royal princess.  She swore she was Anastasia until the day she died.  DNA tests after her death proved she was not Anastasia.  But they are pretty sure she was the polish factory worker.

People wanted to believe that Anna Anderson was really Anastasia because it is a sad story knowing that a bunch of people died because someone hated their father.  They had no right to kill anyone  I wanted to believe the story.  I really want to believe it because if Anastasia has survived I would have been really happy.  And that is why I think other people wanted to believe it too.

Taking a Trip Through History

I just got back from a vacation to Western New York.  We went there to see my family and have a good time.  I like it there because it is pretty.  It is right next to the Niagara River and Lake Ontario.  On a clear day, you can see Toronto across the lake.  We go there every summer, but this time my friend Jacob was also going to be there because he was going to visit his great grandma's house in Lockport, NY.  We visited Lockport last summer and saw the Erie Canal.

We left on a Friday night and arrived around 1:30 in the morning.  It takes longer to get there than before because we don't have passports and now you need passports to go through Canada.  Instead we go through Ohio and Pennsylvania to get to New York.

On Saturday we went to Fort Niagara and Niagara Falls with my friend Jacob. 

Fort Niagara was having a reenactment of the French and Indian War.  This war is also known as the sevens years war.  It was fought mostly in Canada, but since Fort Niagara was so close to Canada it part of the war too.  The French held control of Fort Niagara until July of 1759 when the British attacked with cannons for several days.  In the end, the British won and the French surrendered.

Sunday was the Fourth of July.  We had a party at my Aunt and Uncle's house.  It was cool.  We went swimming a lot.  That night, we went to the fireworks.  It was awesome.  We got ice cream to eat while we watched the fireworks.  It was a fun day.

July 5th is my dad's birthday.  It was Monday. We went to lunch and the food was horrible.  Then we went on a ride and stopped at my dads friend's house.  His name was Lenny.  Lenny's wife was my grandma's best friend.  Her name was Rose.  I was really tired and didn't feel good. We went back to my Uncle Kenny's house and I fell asleep like twice.  

On Tuesday, I was feeling better.  We went to lunch at Apple Granny's with grandma.  Then we dropped my grandma off at Uncle Kenny's and me, mommy, daddy and Alden rode the Trolley around Niagara Falls.  It was really, really, really, HOT!

We learned about "The Point of No Return."  At this spot in the rapids, if you were in the water you would not be able to get out of the water.  You would go over the Falls in three minutes or less.  A lot of daredevils have tried to go over the falls in a barrel or have tried to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope over the Falls.  The first person to go over the falls in a barrel was a women named Annie.  She did in 1901.  She thought she would become famous but she died poor.  The first man to go over the falls survived his attempt but died years later after a slip on an orange peel. NO KIDDING!  In 2003, a man from Michigan went over the falls in nothing but the clothes on his back.  He survived, but he was banned from Canada for the rest of his life.

On Wednesday, we went to the water park.  It was really hot outside so the water felt cold.  That night, we went to watch my cousin Julia's softball game.  It was still hot.  Me, Alden and my cousin Jack played around the soccer field.  We played at the little park and went on the tennis court.  We found a tennis ball and buried in the sand on the volley ball court.

Thursday, it was still hot.  We went to Murphy's Orchard in Burt, NY.  

The orchard was a stop on the Underground Railroad.  In the barn there was a secret room underneath the floor.  Slaves hid in the secret room until they were taken to Lewiston, NY where they could escape to Canada by crossing the Niagara River.  In Lewiston there is a house known to have seven basements.  The house was owned by Josiah Tryon  He helped many slaves escape to Canada from that house and across the River. 

That afternoon, we picked up my Aunt Dawn.  She is my grandma's sister.  Grandma, Aunt Dawn, Alden and I went to the cemetery where my Grandpa and my Great Grandpa are buried.  We planted flowers at their grave.  It was hot and the ground was hard.  But we planted them anyways.  Aunt Dawn treated us to ice cream after we were done at the cemetery. 

Friday it rained.  We drove around the Falls again, but mainly we stayed inside.  Uncle Kenny got a new car that day. 

Saturday is was time to go home.  We had to say good-bye to Uncle Kenny. 

On our way home we drove Buffalo and visited Forest Lawn Cemetery.

A lot of important people are buried there.  We went to find the grave of Millard Fillmore.  He was the 13th President of the United States.  Fillmore was born very poor.  His father sold him to work as an indentured servant.  He taught himself to read by stealing books.  He eventually earned enough money, thirty dollars, to buy his freedom.  He got married and became president.  He only served on term because he supported the fugitive slave law.  He and his wife attended the inauguration of the Franklin Pierce.  His wife caught a chill during that event, caught pneumonia and died.  She is buried there too.

We left the cemetery and drove the rest of the way home.  We stopped for dinner in Cleveland and got home around 8 at night.  I was glad that I got to see all of the historic places, and spend time with my family and friends too.

Before dance Compition

I can't wait, my compition is on Wendsday and I am SOOOO exited! I am in one number it is called Cajon Stomp.  If I make it in the top five, I'll Have to go back and preform again on Friday.  I dance at Dance Explosion.  Next year I will be in 3 compition dances.  I'll tell you more on Wendsday.
Wish me luck.                                             Maxine.

31st: Herbert Hoover and his Times

INTRODUCTION

This book will tell you mostly about Herbert Hoover, but also about the Great Depression and the Stock Market Crash, his family, and some other things too. Hoover lived to be 92 years old.  You will hear all about those 92 years in this book.  So to read about Herbert Hoover, read this book.  

HIS CHILDHOOD and FAMILY

Herbert Hoover's childhood was filled with hard times.  Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa in 1874, August 10.  This made him the first president to be born west of the Mississippi River.  When he was just six his father died.  When he was 9, his mother died and he was sent to live with his uncle in Oregon. What a hard life for Hoover.  I sure don't want that to happen to me. 

CAMPAIGNS AGAINST AL and LATER LIFE FAMILY

As Hoover got older, his life got harder.  When Hoover was older he went to Stanford College.  Four years later he married Lou. Two years later he had two children - Alan and Herbert, Jr.  Soon he ran against Alfred E. Smith in the presidential election. He won the election and moved to the White House. Some people were happy Hoover was elected and some were not. 

HARD TIMES AND PRESIDENCY

When Hoover was president many things happened.  First, the Stock Market crashed.  Then, the Great Depression. Those two things caused people to lose their money and jobs. If a person was robbed, they become poor.  Some people did not even have enough money to buy food.  Wow!  I can't believe what Hoover had to manage when he was president.   

BACK HOME

After he was president he and his family moved back to the two-room house where Hoover was born.  They fixed up the house and lived in it until all of the family died, I think.  First his wife Lou died of a heart attack.  Then, Hoover died at the age of 92.  Even though Herbert Hoover died 56 years ago, we will still remember him today.    

I'M RELATED TO HOOVER

Wow! The Hoover's are related to my mom's side of the family.  I can't believe that a person in my family was the 31st president.  Hoover is my grandma Johnson's maiden name.  So...I am related to Hoover.  It is so cool, my great grandma Beatrice's first presidential election she got to vote in was Hoover's campaign.  It is soooo cool!

FUN FACTS

Did you know that Hoover's nickname was chief?

Did you know that Hoover gave 8 million tons of food to starving people in Europe?

He also traveled 35,000 miles across 38 countries in 57 days.

Stanford dedicated the Hoover Tower to Hoover in 1944, because he went to college there. 

HISTORY WEBSITES YOU MIGHT LIKE TO GO TO

Yahooligans.com

Poptropica.com (check out time tangled) 

PLACES YOU MIGHT WANT TO VISIT

Any Presidents House

The White House

The Capitals

Different States

Different Countries

Youngstown, NY is one of my favorite places to go. You might like to go there. 

HERBERT HOOVER ROCKS!

A Book Review by Maxine: Off Like the Wind

       Mike Spradlin just wrote a new kids book about the Pony Express. Me and my mom read it together. It was a really good book. It was a picture book; the title was Off Like the Wind.  Me and my mom both really liked it. I learned how important the pony express was. I learned that it was dangerous for the riders, I didn't know that at first.

     Now, I'm not going to go into all the details, but read it and you might be surprised about how hard it was to communicate with people who live far away. Now we can send e-mails and talk on the phone.  The e-mails you send takes seconds to get to places like Seattle.  Before the Pony expess it took them months. Then, the Pony Express got it down to just a week.  Now, it takes just seconds!

I think you should read the book.  I mean you HAVE to read it.  I LOVE this book!
                     
       So  R-E-A-D  his new book Off Like the Wind now!

Read it!
Maxine

P.S. There is even something about my favorite president A. Lincoln in this book.

321

321 computer class is over!
Peace Maxine

Anne Frank The Masterpiece Classic (on PBS)

I was exited to watch this movie with my mom and stay up untill 10:00.  This movie is true and Fake.  Insted of Dr. Pfeffer (dentist who came to live with the Franks) he was called by another name and the same with the VanPellses.  I have some qestions still, so here they are:(if you know the answers tell me them in the comments)

1.What was Dr. Pfeffers name in the story?
2.In the story, why does Anne be mean to her mother?
3.Did Dr. peffer share a room with Anne or not?
                    and four
Did she like Peter VanPeles?

And later in another blog I will tell you what I think the awnsers are.

So later tonight watch Masterpiece Classic on @ 8:00 or 9:00 on PBS

    PS I'm pretty sure that this is going to be on but it might not

Rock It

So people!

I am so exited for spring break!  Our family still dosen't know where we are going yet, but I think we are going to suprise my family in Youngstown NY if its nice.  We might also go to Herberts Hoovers house.

I'm exited!

The Small Town of Youngstown, NY: A great place to go on a history vacation

This Great Fort, Fort Niagara was built by the French in 1679. It still stands now in a small town called Youngstown in NY. Two forts are still on the coast of the Niagara River, there is Fort George in Canada and of course Fort Niagara in the United States. I have been to both of them and I like Fort Niagara better. They are across the river from each other. They were built to help protect the Great Lakes. Every year in the summer we go there. We always go along River Rd and we always go to my cousin’s house. 

On the way out of the town there are lots of things to see. 1st on your left, you’ll see a very large church and then on your right like 2 seconds later if you look down and very closely you’ll spot a chapel. Did you know that this chapel could have been destroyed? No? Well then here’s the story. A long time ago some Nuns from the church above came down and discovered the chapel and it was not pretty it was a disaster. A man from Buffalo said he would fix it up and he did. Many people know that on the Niagara River the river had many slabs of ice come on top of it in the winter of 1955. The nuns were afraid that the little chapel could get destroyed. But not a single piece of ice touched the chapel, it all formed around it because the nuns and the students prayed it would be saved.

On the way out of town you might also see the house of the 7 basements! Margaret Goff Clark wrote the book Freedom Crossing about this. This house was a stop on the underground railroad.

So next time you want to go on a vacation, go there its awesome!

There are a lot of other things to do while you are there like Niagara Falls and much more. I’m not going to tell you everything. You’ll have to check it out yourself.

P.S there’s a water park/amusement park called Fantasy Island (on Grand Island between Niagara Falls and Buffalo).

Abe Lincoln: A Information Book

Abe Lincoln was our 16th President.  You will love his 57 years of life.  It might even make you cry.  It will make you love the history of our 16th president A. Lincoln.  A. Lincoln was the best president ever.

Abe Lincoln: A Life

Table of Contents

Dedication p.1
Introduction p. 2
Reading and Growing p. 3
Maried p. 4
President please p. 5
J.W.B. Trying pgs. 6-7
Sobing By a train p. 8
The 2 Scary Facts Pgs. 9 and 10
All About the Author p. 11

Dedicated to my loving and crazy dad, John

Introduction

Lincoln's Path: Childhood, Slaves Sold, Just Married, Lost Children, Becoming President

This book is only about Lincolns life and the last 3 days he spent after his death. Lincoln was one of our best presidents. Plus he's my favorite president.  Lincoln changed America and put a stop to slavery. That is just what you will learn about in this book.  You will learn about his childhood, his wife, his Presidency and even his death. So to learn more about Lincoln read this book.

Reading and Growing

Lincoln was born the day of Feb. 12th 1809.  He was a playful child although everyone thought he was longleged.  But they believed he was a helthy baby boy.

After Abe there was another baby named Thomas after his father.  But he grew very ill and died.  When Abe was just ten his mother died of Milk sickness.  Abe did not want a new mother but he still got a new mother named Sarah.

Maried

Abe sat and saw the girl of his dreams her name was Marry Tood Lincoln.  Although she was much shorten than Lincoln soon they were in love.

One hot summer Abe asked her hand in marige and she actsepted soon they were maried.


President Please

Lincoln sat in his living room in Springfield Illinos and waited while his wife Marry packed for the trip to Washington.

Moments later the carige was filled and they were on their way.

Next thing Lincoln was standing in front of the Washington Memorial with Steven Douglas.  Then a man came out and anounced the name of the new president...It was Lincoln he was the new President.

J.W.B Trying
Fords Theter: Fly Away!

Many people in the South didn't like Lincoln especially John Wilks Booth.  Him and his gang was despret to kidnap or murder the president.  The president didn't know.

People in the South belived that Booth could do it.  And soon Booth did.

All his plans to get near the President failed.  But this one didn't.  It worked!

He would sneak into Fords theter where Lincoln and family would be watching My American Cousin and murder the president.

So he snuck in the backdoor and asked an employee if he could sneak past the scenery behing the stage but that was impossible!  So he was lead to a trap door that went under and out the stage on the other side.

But soon Booth was walking towrd the stairs that lead to the presidents box and he was now in the presidents box no one knows what Booth showed the man to get in the box no historian ever found it out.

He saw a door behind him and with his key he unlocked it and steped inside untill just the right time to murder.  Soon he snuck out aimed. Boom the wild eyed president was bleading.

"His faith will live on forever." Marry said.

Peace was found for slaves. But only 5 days of the peace for Lincoln.

Sobing By a train

Lincolns body was to ship off to Springfield Illinois.  It would take three days but it was still going to go on.

People came from around the country to see the train.

People were sobing by a train.

Fun Facts
Did you know that when Booth was just 26 he was shot and killed in a barnfire.  Thats scary!

Did you know? A while after the assassination that two men tried to steal the toom of Lincoln and sell it for 1 hundred dollers but that never happend.

All About the Author

Maxine Tewsley lives in Milan, Mi. She is a dancer.  She is a big history lover and her mom call her a big history buff.  She dances competitivly and can do a leap and the splits!  She also has a super loco brother.

A Book Review by Maxine Tewsley: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

The Miraculous Journey of Eward Tulane was written by Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane is a china rabbit that is kind of selfish. He goes to many places, some heavenly some horrid. The places he goes are: The Sea, the junkyard, an old ladies garden, a poor person’s house, on the train with a hobo, to a hobo’s camp, on a hill, a women’s house, a toymakers store and Heaven. He is a great rabbit

His days with Abilene were perfect but once away from Abilene it was not! It was horrid and Heavenly at the same time. He knew it too.

His adventurers taught Edward a lesson. The adventures taught him that you will not always be with who you love. But you always can love other people. He was a very good rabbit.

Edward turns un-selfish in the end but I won’t get in to all the details I don’t want to ruin it.

So grab a book, sit back and enjoy March is reading Month!

A picture idea of Abilene’s house

HEY!

Hey,
I haven't been on in a while but hi and now Bye!!!!!!!!

Maxine

ABCs for Black History Month

A is for Hank Aaron a baseball player who broke Babe Ruth's homerun record. People made death threats to him because of this.

B is for Barack Obama, the current president of the United States and the first black man to be president.

C is for Coretta Scott King. She was Martin Luther King's wife. She helped to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday.

D is for Frederick Douglass, a slave who wrote a book about being a slave and he was friends with A. Lincoln. He also escaped slavery by jumping on a train dressed in a sailor suit. Pretty amazing, huh?

E is for Emancipation Proclamation, an order by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War that said the Confederate States had to set the slaves if the didn't return to be part of the United States.

F is for the Freedom Riders, students who rode buses in the south to see if intregation was happening.

G is for George Washington Carver. GWC was the peanut man. He made many products from peanuts and was an inventor. He even made 105 recipes using peanuts.

H is for Henry Box Brown, a man who escaped from slavery in a box

I is for I Have a Dream, a speech given by MLK Jr. that said that one day he would like all children to hold hands together regardless of the color of their skin.

J is for Michael Jackson. He was a famous black singer. He was part of the music group the Jackson 5 when he was a young boy.

K is for Martin Luther King, Jr. He was an activist who fought in the Civil Rights movement. He thought things could be solved in peace. He was assasinated by James Earl Ray before his dream came true.

L is for Joe Louis, a boxer who won the heavy weight boxing title in 1937

M is for Michelle Obama the first black woman to be the First Lady of the United States.

N is for the NAACP: National Association for the advancement of colored people

O is for Jesse Owens. He won four gold medals in the Olympics of 1936 for track and field.

P is for Rosa Parks, a black women arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus. I saw the bus at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Q is for Queen Latifah. She is a famous black singer, actress and rapper. She has won many awards.

R is for Jackie Robison, the first black professional baseball player.

S is for Slavery. Africans were taken from their familys and homes and shipped to the USA where they were bought and sold.

T is for Harriet Tubman, the leader of the Underground railroad

U is for the Underground Railroad, a plan to get slaves to the North so they could be free. A lot of people risked their lives to help the slaves escape. And a lot of slaves risked their lives to be free.

V is for Venus Williams. Venus is a tennis player. She became one of the two youngest tennis stars in America when her sister and her started winning matches on the courts.

W is for Maxine Waters, a congress woman from California. She is the seniorest black woman in congress. She also has the same name as me which makes her cool.

X is for Malcom X, a minister and activist just like Martin Luther King, Jr. He thought that in order to get the job done you didn't have to do it peacefully.

Y is for York, the only black man involved in the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Z is for Zora Neale Hurston. She was an author of many books and short stories, including Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Watch It!!!

Maxines first web show is next week!
Watch it !!!

Maxine said to watch it!!

New blog!

Hey, 
   My friends Sophia, Emily and I have a new blog called fathers and bothers.  Our first idea is a underwear war but that might not happen.  We came up with the idea for fathers and bothers early 2008.  The main idea of this blog is driving brothers CRAZY and calling them bothers. 
  
So if u wanna check out our blog go to
fathersandbothers.blogspot.com to be the first follower and more!


Thanks
Maxine, Sophia and Emily

X's and O's

Hey,

      I got Grease for valintines day!  And guess what it had 11 deleted scenes, it was the extended edition and it has alternated scenes!  Wow that is a lot!

 Happy valentines day and eat lots of chocolate

Maxine

All About Handling Deaths

All About Handling Deaths
A Book by Maxine Tewsley

Table of Contents

Introduction
How to Make Deaths Feel OK
When You Talk to a Person After Someone Dies
Choosing a Good Spot for the Funrall and the Grave
Sad Facts
All About Deaths in the Authors Family

Introduction
Dear People who are reading this book,
This book is just for sad people to read. This book expresses feeling everywhere. This book is for you.

How to Make Deaths Feel OK
After a death in your family the best thing to do is don't think about the sad things think about the good things. Remember there are more things to do. Like, stay home from the funrall, talk to a person from hospice that might have helped the person that died.

When You Talk to a Person After Someone Dies
When you talk to a person about a death him or her might ask you some questions about sad things and good things and some things might want to make you cry. But it is OK. The people you could talk to are: relitives of that person, people who helped the person and more.

Learn More about talking to kids about handling deaths.

Choosing a Good Spot for the Funrall and the Grave
When you and your family choose a spot to have the funrall and grave the best place to go is where the person grew up. My grandpa's grave is placed in the Oakland Rural grave yard in Youngstown, NY where his sons grew up. My great grandma's grave is placed about 5 blocks away from her childhood house.

Sad Facts
When a person dies you know you will never see them again until you die. (All in sad facts!)

Deaths in the Authors Family
I Maxine Tewsley have had six deaths in my family ever since I was born: my great grandma, my papa, my grandma's good friend and a friend of the family, my cousins Bobby and Joey, and my Aunt Barbara.

Books that my hospice helper and my parents read to me after my papa died:

Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola

Tough Boris by Mem Fox

Learn More about other books for kids about handling deaths.

Sobbing.

     Hey,

     Did you people know that on Feb. 6th my aunt died at 7:30 AM. exact.  Her death came from cancer.  Just like my papa.  I will say to her grandkids the stuff I did when my papa died.  Like, I talked to a person from hospice that helped my papa and I stayed home during the funeral because I was so sad. 

     


     That's all I have to say,
     Thanks,  
    
     Maxine

Nitro Time With Dad!

Hey Peoples,

Did you know that the hotshot Maxine

just got cooler?

Not really!

Now, here's another story:

Last Sunday my dad, my friend Emily, her dad, her brother and I went to the Michigan Wolverines women's basketball game.  Symons Elem. school (where I go to school) were given free tickets to the game from an awesome PE teacher, Mr. Fleming  Did I tell you it was good for two people?

Michigan was playing Penn State and Michigan won by 4!!!  When I was there, I saw my friend Sophia and we sat by each other.  Maxine was havin a good time!

Peace Out
Maxine T.

Helping Haiti: Chapter Two

On Saturday, my friends and I did something awesome! We raised $191.11.  All of the money goes to Haiti.  Wow!  We had a garage sale with only a few people helping.  We also asked people to donate their bottles and cans.  I can't belive that we had only ten people come. We did pretty good.

We have decided after looking at all the organizations to choose the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.  We wanted the Red Cross at first but we wanted all of the money to go to Haiti. But we still think that the Red Cross is a good organization.

Last night my mom and I read a timeline about the history of Haiti.  It was cool but a complicated history.  They have had many tragedies over the past hundreds of years.  I am glad to be helping them.

My friends Sophie, Emily and I have been friends ever since our first year of preschool.  We decided to do this together because we like being together and we really do want to support Haiti. We decided to do the porch sale to spend time together and to help Haiti (of course).  We made a cheer.  It went:

Give Me A

H - A - I - T - I 

And then my friend Emily did a push-up hand stand while me and Sophie yelled "Haiti."  It made me feel good although people rolled their eyes at us.  We knew we were helping Haiti.

M.L.K. jr.

I love to study history in my room. My favorite president EVER is A. Lincoln. He was president during the Civil war & put a stop to slavery!

When M.L.K jr. was given the Nobel Peace prize he put his hand on the same Bible as A. Lincoln! He started a bus boy cot after Rosa Parks was arrested because of not giving up her seat on the bus. I just think it’s wrong. If I were Rosa Parks I would of felt SO ANGRY but proud of herself for standing up to the white.

And that is what Martin Luther King jr. did, he made blacks feel special in a great way. He led the March on Washington on August 28th the year 1963. Many people came from around the country to hear Martin and to march. His speech started with “I have a dream...that one day children will live in a nation where they would be judged by the content of their character not the color of their skin.” It was in front of the Lincoln Memorial and 250,000 people.

In 1968 he was assassinated in Memphis, TN by James Earl Ray.

On Monday we celebrate MLK day in honor of the most important Civil Rights leader in the 1960s.

I am glad that MLK helped to change America so everyone has a chance, not because of the color of their skin but because of who they are.

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Some of the books that I read and used for my research are

Martin Luther King, Jr. A photographic story of life

A Lesson for Martin Luther King, Jr.

A Kid's Guide to African American History

March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World

I think they would be great books for you to read too!

Helping Haiti: Chapter One

I sat facing my new laptop & typed. My fingers hit the keys one by one. Suddenly I heard my mom calling me for breakfast, I asked her “what is for breakfast”? “Toast, doughnuts & eggs” mom replied

I have been thinking I told my mom at the breakfast table, what can we do for Haiti? I said I feel horrible for the earthquake that happened in the country Haiti. Besides, it is the poorest on our side of the planet.

My mom said that my friend Cleo was supporting the country by going through all her stuffed animals & giving the ones she doesn’t want & giving them to Haiti.

I grinned at my ma & I knew what I could do, I would give Haiti at least $200 in cash from my bank account. I thought it was a great idea, but my dad didn’t think it was a good idea at all.

Hmm I muttered to myself I knew what Alden’s school could do for Haiti. The kids could bring in money, clothes, food, toys, medication and blankets and they all did. I knew that Haiti was being helped.

I ran upstairs to my room & typed with hope.

I typed and edited it seven times, the words:

Come to my Help Haiti party! From 11:00 to 7:00 at my house and definitely bring help for Haiti.

I ran downstairs and showed my mom the piece of paper that I had printed out. She read it and she agreed for the party to happen.

All the people I invited showed up at my party. They each brought at least five items to help Haiti. I said to everyone that showed up, “Thanks for supporting my party and definitely Haiti.” I smiled and waved at my friends as they walked out the door.

The next day, my family was ready to box up the stuff that we got for Haiti and ship it away for free. When I looked at the truck, it looked WAY heavier than usual. As I turned around the truck drove around the corner and I felt the best I could for Haiti.

Our school is doing a support for Haiti. And I am pretty sure that many other schools are too.

I believe in ourselves, the people of the United States to save Haiti.

Please help Haiti and pray for them. Because they need our help.

That IS my dream. This week, me and my friend Sophie are going to look through my stuff and decide what I don’t need and what might be helpful for Haiti. I am doing my part. Please do your part too.

A Note From Maxine's Mom:

I am including a list of link's to organizations and news stories that provide information on how to best help the people of Haiti.

From the LA Times

The American Red Cross

World Vision

Children's Hunger Relief Fund

Obama, former Presidents Clinton and Bush on the recovery effort in Haiti

Help For Haiti - Find Out What You Can Do

Miep Gies Lived 100 Years

Yesterday Miep Gies, the lady who helped the Franks, died. I thought she was a very kind lady to the Franks. She was 100 years old. Her birthday was on Febrary 15 - she would have turned 101. 

After the Franks were found by the police Miep snuck into the secret annex.  She looked for anything that the Frank's might have left behind like valuables or treasures.  She found Anne's diary and kept in her desk drawer.  After the war ended she gave it to Otto Frank.  Two years after that, Mr. Frank had Anne's diary published.  Today it has been published in about 65 languages.

Miep was a very brave lady. Anne would have gone to the concentration camp sooner and her diary would have never been found if Miep hadn't of helped them.

I think Miep is a hero even though she said she wasn't because no one would have known about what happenend during the Holocaust and they would never of heard of Anne Frank.

Here is a video about Miep Gies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BugHGGg_3E

Here is a video of Miep explaining how she gave Anne's diary to Otto Frank. It is in another language but you get the idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmXdD5t9Acw

I am going to watch the video Anne Frank Remembered. Miep tells her story about the Franks. This movie won awards. You should watch it too.

Lincoln History Crafts

Making a new dress for Mary Todd Lincoln

My mom helped me design a different dress
for Mary Todd Lincoln to wear

BEFORE

AFTER

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A Diorama for the Lincolns

Anne Frank Part II

Anne Frank was in great danger. The Jews were being forced to go to concetration camps. Anne Frank and her family went into hiding. They hid in a secret annex in her father's factory. The secret annex had three stories. The door to it was hidden behind a bookshelf. A woman named Miep from Austria helped them by bringing them food and blankets. She brought paper for Anne and pictures of movie stars.

Anne's family shared the space with Dr. Pfeffer and the van Pelses.  Anne DID NOT like Dr. Pfeffer at all.  She thought he was an impatient, unreliable old man.  They lived in the annex for almost two years before they were caught and taken to concetration camp.

During the two years Anne kept a diary on the paper Miep brought to her.  When she first started writing a diary she was thriteen.  In her diary she wrote not just about herself, but she wrote the way she felt about people (or boys!) 

One night when Anne was listening to the news on the radio in the secret annex the Minister of Education said that Jews can be in hiding and there could be evidence such as a diary, a letter or sermons.  The evidence would tell the people what the Nazis were secretly doing to the Jews during the war.  As soon as the Minister of Education said diary everybody looked at Anne.  But Anne, herself, was really excited when he said diary because she wanted her beloved diary published.  So she began to make it better by editing it. 

After two years of hiding in the annex one very rough night Anne and her family thought they heard a police man.  Only it wasn't the police it was a burglar.  The footsteps were heading toward the annex.  Everybody hoped he wouldn't move the bookshelf that was the hiding the door into the secret annex.  After two minutes of silence they heard the footsteps walking away.  But when he left there was still a glow of light outside the annex.  Was someone still out there?  Or, did he leave his flashlight behind?  No one slept the rest of the night. 

A few months later it really was the police.  They went into Miep's office.  The police man drew a gun and pointed it at Miep. She stood up from a chair scared.  The police man said I've heard there's some Jews hiding in this building. Where are they?, he asked.  Then Miep stuck the illegal food ration slips she used for the Franks in her desk drawer.  Her husband came in and he took the food rations and stuck them in his coat pocket and left right away. Because he didn't t to get caught because he was helping WAY too many Jews.

The police found the Franks and the van Pelses and Dr. Pfeffer.  They took them to a concentration camp.  They made them wear a uniform with a red square that meant they were criminal Jews.  Criminal Jews had the most dangerous jobs.  The women had to work in a battery factory.  When the allies were getting real close the Franks were put on a train and sent on a three day journey to a concentration camp called Auschwitz.  Her mom died there.  The girls were sent to Bergen-Belsen camp.  Margot and Anne were sick.  They both died from Typhus.  Margot died first. 

After the war ended Mr. Frank was looking for his family.  He found out they had all died.  He sobbed. But Miep gave him Anne's diary which she had saved after they were taken to the concentration camps.

Her dream was to have her diary published.  Well, her dream came true. But the one question is, does she know it?

Anne Frank Part I

Anne Frank's bedroom that was hidden in the Secret Annex.

She shared it with her sister Margot.

She wrote her diary at the desk in this room.

She dreamed that it would be published one day, but she knew it was dangerous because she was a Jew.

I am really tired right now because I have been studying about Anne Frank for the past two hours.  I want to go to sleep now but I will post more about Anne Frank tomorrow.

Good Night and Thank You.

GWTW

GWTW is my favoroite movie even though I only saw it 2 times. The first time I didn't really pay attention to the second half !   The second time I watched it with my grandperents and I really paid attenion that time.  

GWTW is almost four hours long!   My favoroite part is when Rhett Butler covers the horses eyes and walks the horse through the huge fire in Atlanta!!!!!!

It first came out in 1939 and it takes place during the Civil War.  It tells the story of the south wanting to go to war and they are happy that they get to go to war.  But it is dangerous and a lot of people die during it.  Scarlett, the main character, becomes a widow.  Her husband died in the war and she was wayyyyy to young to be a widow.

Scarlett is kind of selfish.  After her daughter dies by riding side saddle on her horse and when it jumped she fell off and broke her neck, Scarlett learns you don't need to be selfish because when you keep a daughter she will become selfish just like you. 

I learned from the movie more about the Civil War and the south.  In the movie I found out that the north was called the Yankees but I never figured out why. 

The movie Gone With the Wind has two parts.  Each part takes about two hours.  I think I liked the first part better because it really showed what happened to Scarlett before she got married and how selfish she was.  Because if it started in part two, the movie wouldn't have made sense at all.

It is my favorite movie because I love history and I really like the parts where the sun is setting and you can only see the color of the sky and you can just make out the shapes of the rest of the picture. 

I love the doctor.  My favorite line EVER that he says is, "Good heavens lady, this is war not a garden party!" 

This is such a great movie, I think it would be a great idea for history buffs to watch this entire movie. 

I feel like watching it again this weekend.  And, maybe I will.