The Clouds Are Always Moving

How can this be summer? This evening I should be seeing clear blue sky, on the edge between evening and night. The air should be light and the type of warm that still has the sliver of breeze to set goosebumps raising up and down my arms.

However, with the fifty shades of cloud and the just-over-gentle breeze, this evening really sums up British weather. I still love it. With my hair blowing into my face, and everything moving in the wind, my head is cleared momentarily by the worries and the strifes of life. All that matters is the beautiful music flowing into my ears and the peace in my heart.

Right now, I really do believe that "In the morning, I'll rise", and that every irritation, problem and stress will be forgotten when the bright, happy sunlight creeps onto my pillow in the wake of a new day.

Here comes the moon shyly hiding behind the thick clouds, only showing its radiant beauty in the blink of an eye, so fast that you might miss it if you're not looking up.

As the clouds move to their next destination, I can see how they might represent how life changes and moves, that we can never really hold onto a moment, because its already gone, just like we cannot hold onto a cloud; it just slips right through our fingers.

Nerves Of Steel

Do you sometimes wonder if some authors in the modern world like to 'pinch' ideas from one another?

Recently, I finished the book 'The Girl In The Steel Corset' by Kady Cross and don't get me wrong, it was a spectacular piece of fiction. Its everything you could wish for in a Teen book; romance, action and a sprinkling of magic. There is only one problem, it may have too many parallels to the Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.

As my favourite book series, it seems almost to me, as if Cross has copied some of Clare's ideas such as the setting of the Victorian streets of London, automatons, evil nemesis without the magic of the main characters, a love triangle and a young girl being accepted into a wealthy home in comparison to her otherwise common working class upbringing. 

On the contrary, there are still some differences between the two series to give the Steampunk Series a stamp of identity. One is alternate ideas to the beginning of life on Earth, whilst supporting the Theory of Evolution in a new way, a punk-ass steel corset and two handsome young men, one of which could be said to be devilishly handsome, with the beauty of Lucifer.

All I have to say is that I believe Kady Cross must have nerves of steel if she has been inspired by Queen Fantasy Cassandra Clare to adopt some ideas from the Infernal Devices.

Reading Helps In English GCSE

Why are teenagers not reading as much any more? Is this lack of reading now effecting GCSE English results?

In the day and age of iPhones and social media that we have today, as each year goes by, it seems as if less teenagers are taking time to put down their mobile phones and pick up a good old book - or kindle. The most they will take time to read is someone's status on Facebook,

In 2012, only 19% of 17 year olds admitted to reading at their leisure. Sit back in your chair, let out a deep breath and just think about that. In 1984, that was 31%. This is the result of the invention of the internet, mobile phones and social media. Moreover, only 1 in 4 children cannot read very well  by the time they leave primary school, which links to the fact that only 1 in 5 parents can find time to read to their children.

Every parent, no matter how busy you are should find the time to read to your child, even if its just a bedtime story at night.

Many teenagers don't read because they don't find it pleasurable. Reading should be an enjoyable experience whether you're reading 'We're going on a bear hunt' at age 5 or reading 'The Fault In Our Stars' at age 15.

Imagine a small young girl snuggled up in bed hanging over her Barbie book. Beside her, is her mother, with a cup of coffee on the side drawer and an arm around her daughter, smiling down at the girl's little blond head of hair. She asks the girl to tell the story herself from the pictures. In delight, the child eagerly creates her own story from picture to picture, using her own imagination. Although she cannot read words themselves yet, she has begun to immerse herself in stories and the unique communication that books give to her.

If children are not introduced to books from an early age, its unlikely they will suddenly start to read at 16. Furthermore, the more they read, the more they understand the language of the words- so to speak, "reading between the lines"- and become acquainted with new phrases and terms. Which will increase their knowledge.

Is it really a surprise that students that read get better results in English at GCSE then those that never, or rarely have? Increase reading in infants increases C to A* grades in teenagers.

So put down your Facebook and pick up a real piece of literature!