Frindle by Andrew Clements

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Cover of the 10th anniversary edition of 'Frindle' by Andrew Clements, featuring a group of children with various expressions, holding a pen prominently in the center.

Frindle is a short novel by Andrew Clements.  The story is about a ten-year old boy named Nick Allen who attends Lincoln Elementary School in New Hampshire.  Nick has developed a reputation for being mischievous.  He tries to get away with doing as little homework as possible.  Upon entering the fifth grade, he meets a new teacher named Mrs. Granger who is known for being very strict about using a dictionary and following the rules of the English language. 

Nick tries to challenge Mrs. Granger by inventing a new word.  In front of his teacher, Nick begins to use the word “frindle” to describe a pen.  The other classmates find this amusing, and they start using the word frindle as well.  Mrs. Granger tries to stop them, but it becomes a massive craze.  What started off as a childish prank eventually develops into a nationwide phenomenon, and even Nick can’t stop its momentum.

This book is extremely entertaining.  The characters are very realistic and the book makes it seem like this could have happened in real life.  I enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the many surprises throughout the book.  I read it very quickly because I constantly wanted to know what would happen next.  Not only is the story funny and enjoyable, but it explores interesting themes about the power of language and creativity.  It helped me think about the origin of words and about the beauty of the English language.  I would definitely recommend this book to readers of all ages.

Banh Mi Sandwich – A Crunchy Flavorful Delight

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One of the best things about traveling is enjoying local food. Out of the more than twenty-five countries that I have visited, Vietnam is one of the most interesting, with some of the best food. Arguably, one of the most popular foods in Vietnam is the Banh Mi – a Vietnamese sandwich with a French influence.

Banh Mi literally translates to “Wheat Bread” in English. The Banh Mi originated when the French colonized Vietnam. They introduced French food to the locals, such as baguettes, sliced meats, and butter.

However, when the French left, the Vietnamese people changed the French meals by using local ingredients and their own way of making food. That is when the modern Banh Mi was born.

It was created in the late 1950s by a Vietnamese couple – Mr. and Mrs. Le. Instead of eating baguettes separately as the French did, the couple came up with a filled baguette sandwich using local ingredients. Common fillings include pork, beef, egg, tofu, pickled carrots, cilantro, peppers, daikon (a long white radish), and chili sauce.

This recipe has not changed much since then. But the locals have modified it to suit their taste. For example, in northern Vietnam, the Banh Mi is lighter and has less meat. On the other hand, in southern Vietnam, the Banh Mi is bigger and has more meat.

If you’re looking for a crisp, crunchy, and savory Banh Mi locally in Orange County, you should check out “Carrot & Daikon” in Westminster. Their Banh Mi has the perfect crunchy bread, rich meat, umami carrots, and a kick of spice.

Overall, my trip to Vietnam and eating Banh Mi – literally every day – completely changed my perspective on sandwiches. And I strongly recommend everyone try it too!

Science Series – Article One: Why twins aren’t completely identical…

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When I was young, I often wished that I had a twin. Books, movies, and twins in real life always fascinated me. Similar looks, fun pranks, and having a built-in best friend were things that I often associated with twins. However, when it really comes down to it, twins aren’t completely identical; differences in personality are clear, but no two twins have ever looked exactly the same. 

Why though?

Well, this question can be answered through meiosis, which I learned about in my AP Biology class this past month. Meiosis is the process by which cells divide to create “gametes (egg and sperm cells) for…reproduction”  (Fiveable). Gametes eventually form a zygote that develops into a living, breathing baby.

Meiosis is important because it is how humans have been produced for generations upon generations. In this process, genetic information is passed down from parents to offspring. But how come we aren’t identical copies of our parents? During meiosis, new gene combinations are formed in multiple phases.

First, in Prophase I, the first stage of meiosis, homologous chromosomes (pairs of chromosomes where one chromosome is from the mom, the other is from the dad) cross over and exchange segments to create  new versions of the chromosome. The chromosome that has a new mixture of the homologous chromosomes is passed down throughout meiosis. 

Illustration of a cell with chromosomes in red and blue inside a nucleus, surrounded by cytoplasm and green structures.
Prophase I
Diagram illustrating the process of chromosome crossing over during meiosis, showing blue and red chromosomes exchanging segments.
Crossing Over

Later, in Metaphase I, genetic diversity is maintained through independent assortment. This means that when lined up in the middle of the cell, each homologous pair lines up with other pairs randomly.

Both of these processes are what make us different from each other, from our parents, and from our siblings. This is also why fraternal twins aren’t completely identical: they come from two different zygotes. Additionally, identical twins also aren’t completely identical. These types of twins come from the same egg that splits up, which is why they appear identical. However, the womb environment in which identical twins develop isn’t the same; one twin might have slightly better conditions than the other, which can lead to differences in height and weight, thus making identical twins not fully identical.

Overall, meiosis can often be another topic that is easily overlooked. However, the truth is, meiosis is the basis of humanity, and how reproduction continues. The next time you learn another science topic, don’t overlook it; instead, let it spark an interest and appreciation for life in you. 

That’s all, stay tuned for the next article!! 🙂

Sources: https://fiveable.me/ap-bio/unit-5/meiosis/study-guide/FC0aTuODYikjJuhlBO1Z

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Review

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As an avid movie enthusiast and Star Wars lover, I thought it was best to review the beloved series, starting off with the first prequel, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace! For background knowledge, Star Wars is a film saga of family/sci-fi movies created and directed by the renowned George Lucas. I will be exploring the different aspects of Episode I below.

Plot & Story:

Crisis! The Trade Federation, a powerful economic organization, has blockaded the peaceful planet of Naboo to take control. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, two space warriors known as Jedi, go to Naboo with the goal of negotiating the end of the blockade and protecting Padmé Amidala, the planet’s queen. Once they get the queen to safety and escape, they find a young enslaved boy named Anakin Skywalker who shows potential as a Jedi. Once they leave the planet, Qui-Gon brings Anakin along for Jedi training because he thinks he is meant to restore balance to the Force. The Force is a supernatural ability that allows users to have powers of telekinesis (the ability to move objects with your mind), sense the future and feelings among other abilities. As the battle against the Trade Federation escalates, the Jedi fight against an enemy warrior named Darth Maul. Subsequently, they arrive on Coruscant, the capital of the Galactic Republic. Queen Amidala appeals to the Senate to end the invasion of her planet, but Senator Palpatine informs her that it is unlikely the Senate will act and the Chancellor is powerless to help. Senator Palpatine advises her to push for a vote of no confidence in the Chancellor, meaning the legislative branch votes to remove and replace the executive. Ultimately, by the end of the film, this leads to the election of Chancellor Palpatine, due to a strong pity vote generated by the invasion of his planet. Next, the queen returns to Naboo to fight back with additional reinforcements. The movie ends with Darth Maul killing Qui-Gon in lightsaber combat, Obi-Wan Kenobi defeating Darth Maul, and Anakin starting his path to become a Jedi.

Music Score:

The music in Episode I was written by the iconic composer John Williams, the man responsible for the legendary Star Wars music in the original three movies. Taking inspiration from the orchestral suite The Planets by Gustav Holst, specifically “Mars, the Bringer of War”, Williams crafted an unforgettable soundtrack. My favorite piece from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is “Duel of the Fates.” It plays during the battle between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul. The song starts quietly and has the effect of making one’s heart race due to its fast-paced nature and dramatic chanting from the choir. The rhythm makes the battle feel emotional and dangerous, marking the turning point in the movie, as it determines whether the two Jedi will defeat Darth Maul. I also have a personal connection to the song because my older brother performed “Duel of the Fates” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts with his district’s honor orchestra in the front row, which explains even more my deep love for this work of art.

Ultimately, I enjoyed watching Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and highly recommend watching the trilogy in the order of episodes I-VI. There is more to come, as I’ll be reviewing the other Star Wars episodes every month, so stay posted! I hope you enjoyed this blog and watch the movie if you haven’t before!

– Sophia B.

Recipes for Some of My Favorite Breakfast Foods

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Hello, all, today, for my first blog post ever, I’ll be sharing with you recipes for two of my favorite breakfast foods.

  1. Plain Yogurt with Fruit

For this first recipe, you’ll need plain yogurt (any brand will do, but I’ve used Karoun and Mountain High), fruit (dried or fresh), a bowl, and a spoon. The preparation of this recipe is extremely simple.

 You just need to add the desired amount of plain yogurt to your bowl and then add in the fruit. I recommend that you mix it together so that the fruit is all spread out in the yogurt. 

Speaking of the fruit, I typically use dried cranberries or raisins. I have also made this dish using apples. No matter what fruit you use, I recommend that you chop, dice, or do whatever to make it small enough to mix in the yogurt.

  1. Tomato-and-Onion Scrambled Eggs

For this second recipe, you’ll need eggs (I recommend one or two if you are making this for yourself), half a tomato, half an onion, olive oil, and salt, and a frying pan. First, you’ll need to dice your tomatoes and onions. I doubt that anyone likes huge chunks of vegetables in their food, so be careful to dice them small. 

After you finish chopping your vegetables, you need to crack your egg(s) into a bowl, whisk them together, and add a pinch of salt.  Once you have done that, you put your frying pan on the stove, turn the stove, and add a few drops of olive oil to it. 

Once the oil is hot enough, you pour the tomatoes and onions into the pan, stirring them so that they do not burn. After that, you pour the eggs into the pan and scramble them, hence the name.

Well, without further ado, the end of my first blog post. I hope you enjoyed my little batch of recipes.

  • Peace F.

Album Review: Hot Fuss By The Killers

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Album cover of 'Hot Fuss' by The Killers featuring a blue sky background and illuminated buildings.

Hot Fuss is the debut album from American rock band The Killers. The album consists of eleven tracks and fuses together different genres like indie rock and synth pop. This record was hugely influential in the return of indie rock. Fun fact, the whole record, except for “Mr. Brightside”, was scrapped after lead singer Brandon Flowers heard Is This It by The Strokes, another fantastic and important record. Here are some of the highlight tracks.

“Mr. Brightside” is the biggest hit from this album, with billions of streams on Spotify, despite the fact that it came out in 2004. This song details the narrator dealing with his jealousy and insecurity when it comes to his former relationship. The term Mr. Brightside is meant to be a metaphor for putting on a strong face and being optimistic in dreary times. All around, a very catchy song, with an iconic guitar riff.

“All These Things That I’ve Done” is my personal favorite song from the album. The production is a midtempo ballad that builds and builds into a more upbeat track. The lyrics detail the singer’s relationship to religion, his guilt, and his cry out for help. The bridge has a choir repeating the iconic refrain “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier”. This is seemingly just an interesting play on words, but the vague lyric gives space for personal experience to give meaning.

Some other tracks:

“Jenny Was A Friend of Mine” has one of the best guitar riffs and is part of a made-up murder trilogy theme on the record. 

“Andy Was A Star” is an endearing song where the narrator is telling his friend not to let a girl “be his world” because he is a star “in no one’s eyes but mine”. It is a melancholic but beautiful way to view a friendship.

“Everything Will Be Alright” has an instrumental that gives a post-apocalyptic vibe. It sounds as if he is trying to convince himself in the worst of times that “everything will be alright”.
Overall incredible album that I think all ages and fans of all genres can enjoy. Hot Fuss was met with both critical and commercial acclaim upon its release, so over twenty years later, it is interesting to see just how timeless these sounds are. I hope you give this album a listen and love it as much as I do.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

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The first impression I got from watching the quirky, animated stop-motion film “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is that it’s a fun, lighthearted film about clever animals and the angry, vengeful farmers who seek to harm them. The film follows Mr. Fox, an ex-thief, who cannot help himself from returning to his old ways of stealing food, despite the promises made to his wife that he would try to live a safer, more quiet life. When Mr. Fox does finally give in to his wild nature again, his actions put his family and friends at risk and causes chaos to erupt. Even though the film has many laughs and is action-packed, it also is a thoughtful and emotional film, especially concerning family, identity and growing-up.

When I first started reading the first few pages of this book, I just could not stop. This book is like my cup of tea, I love dystopian, fantasy novels, and if you are looking for a book in that genre, this is totally the book for you. It is so interesting to follow the journey of Haymitch as a 16 year old boy, because he is so different in his character compared to when he first makes his appearance in the first book of the Hunger Games series. This book is beautifully written with much detail, and action, and is associated with feelings of sadness, and catches your eye throughout the whole book. I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games world, and when I saw that Suzanne Collins was going to release a new book, you have no idea how excited I was, but I also had mixed feelings on if it was going to be as good as the last Hunger Games, the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I was not disappointed at all and love this book.

I would highly recommend this book for action, and adventure seekers, and fans of fantasy and dystopian novels. I would recommend however, reading the first Hunger Games book in the series and continuing through in order, before reading Sunrise on the Reaping, as it better follows through with the story and will allow you to better understand the different characters, and the story. Sunrise on the Reaping is now available to check out at the Mission Viejo Library today! And is going to become a major motion picture in theaters in November!

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach (Book Review)

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Book cover of 'Fuzz' by Mary Roach featuring an embroidered patch with animals including a bear, a coyote, and a deer, set against a yellow background. The subtitle reads 'When Nature Breaks the Law'.

What does the natural world owe us? Should animals and humans exist as separate entities or be allowed to co-exist? If a bear robs your house, is it a crime? Fuzz by Mary Roach tackles all these questions and more, examining what occurs when nature breaks the laws of human society. 

One such case involves suburbanization and its impact on wildlife. As suburbanization continues, food related bear break-ins have become more prevalent, delivering an interesting moral quandary. In later chapters, I found that this book veers somewhat from its original concept of “Nature Breaking the Law,” instead providing insight into the role of wild animals (and a few plants) in our increasingly less wild world. Roach travels throughout the world to investigate issues at the intersections of Human-animal interactions. One chapter I found very interesting was when Roach travelled to India to investigate elephants and the behaviors that stem from the expansion of agriculture. 

One thing I really love about Roach’s writing is that she always finds a way to include fun little tidbits and facts. Some of my favorites include:

  • Drunk Elephant isn’t just a skincare brand, it’s a phenomenon that occurs relatively often when elephants break into fermenting products.
  • Bears, when hibernating, reabsorb their waste. Bear cubs, however, don’t. They just let their mother eat it later.
  • Mountain lion, cougar, and puma are all just names for the same species.

This book isn’t only about animals though. There are also a few chapters on plants, including one specifically on, of all things, castor beans. Castor beans contain the poison ricin, which is illegal to possess. However, the plant itself is legal to own. I also learnt about the dangers of old, tall trees, which can cause death or injury from falling limbs. 

In general, I found this book highly informative, grappling with serious topics while still maintaining a lighthearted and funny tone. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in nature, or just anyone looking for a nonfiction book that doesn’t read like a textbook.

How Did South Korea Host the 1988 Olympics?

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From September 17 to October 2, 1988, the 24th Summer Olympics were held in Seoul, South Korea. Today, South Korea is a wealthy country well known for K-pop, K-food, and K-beauty. However, in the 1980s, it was still a developing nation. Its economy was not strong enough to host a global sporting event, and the country did not even have proper Olympic stadiums. At the time, Japan was expected to host the 1988 Olympics in Nagoya, since it was far wealthier than South Korea.

In the late 1970s, then-president Park Chung Hee strongly supported hosting the Olympics. The government believed the event could help improve South Korea’s economy and prove that the country was capable of hosting a major international event. Under President Park’s leadership, Chung Ju-yung, the chairman of the Hyundai Group, led a delegation to persuade members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The delegation traveled to Baden-Baden, West Germany, and first met IOC members in London.

During these meetings, Chairman Chung argued that Japan was already a wealthy nation and that hosting the Olympics again would further accelerate its economic growth. This statement drew attention from IOC members, especially because Britain’s economy was competing with Japan’s at the time. As a result, many wealthy countries, including the United States and European nations, became wary of Japan’s growing economic power.

In the final presentation, Japan confidently delivered its proposal in Japanese with the help of translators. In contrast, South Korea presented entirely in English, showcased detailed stadium plans, and demonstrated its ability to host the Games without major errors. This strong impression influenced the final decision. In the final vote, Seoul won 52–27, becoming the host city of the 1988 Olympics.

However, not everyone welcomed the decision. North Korea opposed South Korea hosting the Olympics and attempted to disrupt the event through acts of terrorism, including a plane bombing. Despite these threats, South Korea continued its preparations and ultimately successfully hosted the Olympics.

Thanks to the 1988 Olympics, South Korea gained global recognition. This moment is often described by the slogan “세계는 서울로, 서울은 세계로,” which means “The world came to Seoul, and Seoul opened itself to the world.” After the Games, South Korea’s economy grew rapidly. A country once devastated by the Korean War in 1950 became a nation capable of hosting the Olympic Games within just a few decades. As of 2026, South Korea’s economy ranks 12th in the world among 197 countries.

서울 1988 올림픽 로고, 포스터 디자인 & 올림픽의 룩

Book Review: Animal Farm

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Cover of 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell featuring a silhouette of a pig and the text, 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others', against a red background.

Animal Farm by George Orwell was one of my first classics, and is one of my favorite pieces of literature. It is a dystopian novella that, despite having complex ideas and themes, is quite easy to understand, making it a great read for beginners. However, it should be noted that this story contains mature themes, such as violence.

Taking place in a mid-20th century English farm named Manor Farm, the book follows farm animals that overthrow their abusive human farmer, Mr. Jones; the animals hope to establish an equal society within the farm. However, the pigs, led by Napolean, take control and tyrannically oppress the other animals.

The plot is interesting, keeping readers engaged the entire time. Orwell’s writing style and language is a bit challenging, but still understandable. The slow build up to the pigs’ corruption is thrilling yet terrifying; the reader slowly begins to understand that the pigs are no better than the humans. Despite being published in 1975, Animal Farm‘s themes are still significant to society today. It criticizes totalitarianism, revealing how power corrupts.

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” This quote by George Orwell is ironic, satirizing tyrannic leaders. It means that ideals of equality can be destroyed by unchecked power. The corrupt pigs of the farm demonstrate this danger.

Perhaps I am a bit biased because it is one of my favorite books, but I cannot provide any criticism when it comes to The Animal Farm. To me, it is an amazing book that challenges readers to contemplate society and its flaws. This novella is powerful, despite its seemingly simple story.