“Once you learn to read you will be   forever free.”

- Frederick Douglas

“Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of

generations.”

- Henry David Thoreau

“Reading is to the mind

what exercise is to the body.”

“Reading early in life gives a youngster a

multitude of friends to guide intellectual and emotional growth.

- Caroll Gray

“After three days without reading, talk becomes

flavorless.”

(Chinese Proverb)

HAIKU (HI-coo)

·         It is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture. Haiku combines form, content, and language is meaningful, yet compact form. Haiku poets, which you will soon be, write about everyday things. It has many themes: nature, feelings, or experiences. Usually, they use simple words and grammar. The most common form for Haiku is three (3) short lines.

·         It is composed of three (3) lines with 17 syllables.

(5) _ _ _ _ _

(7) _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(5) _ _ _ _ _

·         It is originated from the Japanese culture. 

·         It must paint mental images in the reader’s mind

·         It doesn’t have rhyming words.

·         It tackles about nature, feelings, or experiences.

Examples:

·         The python got up

When I walked on the dry grass

Afterwards, he was still.

·         Old Pond by Basho

Old pond

A frog leaps in

Water’s sound

·         (Haiku)

I am first with five

Then seven in the middle

Five again to end.

·         (Frog)

Green and speckled legs

Hops on logs and lily pads

Splash in cool water.

·         (Kangaroo)

In a pouch I grow

On a southern continent

Strange creatures I know.

·         The Rose by Donna Brock

The red blossom bends

And drips its dew to the ground like a tear it falls.

·         A Rainbow by Donna Brock

Curing up, then down

Meeting blue sky and green earth

Melding sun and rain

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE (Figures of Speech)

        I.            Simile

It is a comparison between two things that are not the same using like or as.

Examples:

1.       Your lips are like a red, red rose.

2.       “Cause she looks like a flower but she stings like a bee like every girl in history.”

-Ricky Martin

      II.            Metaphor

Stating one entity/thing is another for the purpose of comparing them in quality. Two nouns are compared (or contrasted) to one another; unlike simile, you don’t use like or as.

Examples:

1.       “But my heart is a lovely hunter that hunts on a lovely hill.”

2.       He was a lion in the battlefield.

    III.            Personification

It is attributing or applying human qualities to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.

Example:

1.       The haughty lion surveyed his realm.

2.       My car was happy to be washed.

    IV.            Hyperbole

It is the use of exaggerated terms for emphasis. It is an exaggeration of a statement.

Example:

1.       “The bag weighted a ton.”

 (Hyperbole helps to make the point that the bag was very heavy although it is not probable that it would actually weigh a ton.)

2.       The whole world was staring at me.

3.       She is as big as an elephant.

TONGUE TWISTER

Sarah Shuster said, “Susie Simpson, Sam Simpson’s sister, shouted she saw seven short shivering soldiers, sadly standing on the shining sandy seashore, severely shaking six, sick, shy, short sheep sold by the sheriff for sixty cents.

############

A twister of twists once twisted a twist.

A twist that he twisted was a three twisted twist.

If twisting a twist ones twist should untwist.

The untwisted twist would untwist the twist.

############

Betty Botter bought some butter

but the butter Betty Botter bought was bitter.

So Betty Botter bought some better butter

to make the bitter butter better.

But instead of the better butter Betty Botter bought

making the bitter butter Betty Botter bought better,

the bitter butter Betty Botter  bought

made the better butter Betty Botter  bought bitter.

############

I’m not the fig plucker,

nor the fig plucker son,

but I’ll pluck your figs

‘till the fig plucker comes.

############

Will you William?

Will you Willaim?

Will you Willaim?

Can’t  you?

Don’t you?

Won’t you, William?

cd

A noisy noise annoys an oyster.

Any noise annoys an oyster more.

ba

Double bubble gum bubbles double.

Brain teasing twist. CA-CA

1.       Dessert item based on an orange vegetable

·         CA_____ - CA_____

2.       Otawa

·         CA_____ - CA_____

3.       Something a visitor used to leave when a person wasn’t at home

·         CA_____  CA_____

4.       Chalk or limestone chemically

·         CA_____  CA_____

5.       Group of animals and rider crossing a dessert

·         CA_____ - CA_____

Answers:

1.       Carrot – cake

2.       Canada – capital

3.       Calling card

4.       Calcium carbonate

5.       Camel - caravan 

Clueless ‘till the End!

Each hint below ends in a five letter word. Rearrange the letters of the last word to get the answer.

1.       Opposite of unite

2.       Animal that may need a shoer

3.       It doesn’t always bring rain but it could

4.       Having less reason for fears

5.       They affix without paste

Answers:

1.       Untie

2.       Horse

3.       Cloud

4.       Safer

5.       tapes

Decipher the Code

1.       365 D_____ of a Y_____

2.       52 C_____ in a D_____

3.       6 S_____ of a H_____

4.       7 D_____ of a W_____

5.       7 W_____ of the W_____

6.       7 C_____ of a R_____

7.       60 M_____ of an H_____

8.       5 S_____ of a H_____

9.       3600 S_____ in an H_____

10.   2.2 P_____ in a K_____

Answers:

1.       365 days of a year

2.       52 cards in a deck

3.       6 sides of a hexagon

4.       7 days of a week

5.       7 wonders of the world

6.       7 colors of a rainbow

7.       60 minutes of an hour

8.       5 senses of a human body

9.       3600 seconds in an hour

10.   2.2 pounds in a kilogram

 

Here’s a word game worth your time!

Check it out, the answers rhyme. Ok, ok, we’ll leave the word play to Timothy Parker, who created the month’s challenge. Take a look at the sample below to get the hang of it.

               

Example:             Peter Pan novel

H

O

o

k

B

O

o

k

1.       Male Mensa members?

S

Y

2.       Code-creator’s equine

M

S

3.       Wealthy Winnie the Pooh?

M

R

N

A

4.       Unrefined guy?

C

U

E

5.       Symphony tryout?

M

S

D

6.       Annoying invitee?

S

P

7.       Seasonal percussionist?

S

M

R

E

8.       A master’s way to old furniture?

A

U

T

N

Answers:

1.       Wise guys

2.       Morse horse

3.       Millionaire honey bear

4.       Crude rude

5.       Musician audition

6.       Guest pest

7.       Summer drummer

8.       Antique technique