International Women’s Day (March 8): As part of Women’s History Month, International Women’s Day celebrates women from all across the globe and the different contributions and achievements they have made throughout history. As a historical occasion, recognizing women’s contributions through the years can provide more insight and detail about the development of our world overtime.
Working Moms Day (March 12) : Working Moms have a job 24/7: they go to their paid job in the morning to afternoon and then spend the rest of the day taking care of their kids and families. As part of this holiday, taking the time to honor them with even a small gift or thank you can mean everything.
The First Day of Spring (March 20): Spring signals the start of new beginnings and growth. Take this spring to start over and fresh, as you step into the new season.
National Puppy Day (March 23): Who wouldn’t love an adorable puppy? For those of you with your own dog, this is the perfect day to give them the time of their lives, whether that’s hanging out at the park or gifting them their new favorite toy. And for those of you who don’t, local pet shelters are always available when looking at places to volunteer or adopt!
National Epilepsy Awareness Day (March 26): Epilepsy is a brain disorder which can cause seizures. While treatments are available, the condition cannot be cured, meaning that it is even more important that we take the time to remember the struggles they experience and be considerate towards them.
Sculptures and figurines: This is a really great way to theme your bookshelf if you want to relate it to a certain genre or character such as dragons. They can also simply be mini replicas or figurines of characters that don’t neccessarily belong to a book you’re reading but fit a similar aesthetic.
Vases and plants: They don’t have to be real, but sometimes adding a little color can make it more aesthetically pleasing and bring a pop of life onto the shelves.
LED and fairy lights: These can help give a warmer atmosphere to your reading nook, creating an almost mystical vibe as you dive into your next book. It espescially helps on cold or dark nights.
Artwork: It could be something simple like a quote from your favorite character or book. You could also put up a picture of your favorite scene or city from a book. Either way, adding artwork can really make the space feel more personal and related to what you’re interested in.
Color gradients: Some people like rainbows while others like organizing their books based on series or creating a fading gradient across the shelves. Based on your own personal preference, this could be the perfect chance to experiment with what works for you.
Themes: Sometimes changing up the decor on your bookshelf can also make it more refreshing or relaxing. Some themes you could choose from are seasonal or even genre-related.
2024 was full of amazing different adventures and ups and downs, so here’s 5 activities that I enjoyed and that you can consider trying in 2025!
Bullet Journaling– You can keep a daily log of different events such in your life such as rating your day, a dream tracker, anxiety tracker, the best part of your day, etc. and then see your progress throughout the year. You can also be more creative with it such as creating and decorating pages for each month or major event in your life.
Create fun challenges/goals for yourself– Maybe it’s completing a puzzle or reading more books this year. Finding a new challenge or goal to achieve can help motivativate you in the new year.
Yoga – It’s always important to stay active, but prioritizing your mental health and relaxing is also important. Yoga can help you achieve both, as a calming form of exercise for all ages. Additionally, you can also consider other calming forms of exercise such as Tai Chi.
Escape Rooms – Escape rooms can be a fun place for you to enjoy hanging out with your friends and family as you work to solve puzzles and analyze different clues.
DIY Crafts – This can be hobbies like crocheting, making jewelry, knitting, photography, or whatever you like to express your creativity.
Start a side project: Sometimes time can get too busy, but it’s also important to support your hobbies and interests. A small side project can help you with this and cater to your interests.
Join a club: It’s not too late to get involved or try something new on school campus. Joining a club can help you reconnect and meet others, so don’t be afraid or regret that you should have joined earlier. Joining right now can also be the perfect time.
Playing games with friends and family: It could be simple board, card, word, or even video games. It’s best to make the most of the time you have together.
Attending events: All schools have events like school dances and spirit weeks, but a lot of cities also organize events for residents. Check out the local events around you to reconnect with your community.
Writing: Maybe it’s a letter to your future self in ten years. Maybe it’s a diary or a scrapbook that you can look back on to remember old memories. Either way it’s sure to bring nostalgia back to your future self.
Cooking: It’s one of the most useful life skills to learn before graduation, and it’s also rewarding to eat and see your recipes come to life.
Exploring different cuisines: There are countless different cultures out there, so why not take the time to explore them all? You can learn how to cook them (like in #5) or you could also explore and support local, small businesses.
Learn a new talent: There’s always something, no matter how small, that you want to learn. It could be a magic trick, photography, drawing, literally anything! Learning a new skill can truly bring out a passion of yours that you didn’t know.
Go somewhere new with your friends: Instead of just sticking to the usual campus and hang-out areas, explore or travel somewhere different and fun.
Something new!!!: It could be small; it could be big. Sometimes just trying, despite what fears you may have, is the best way to go.
The school year is steadily approaching as summer dwindles to an end, which means it’s time to prepare and get back into routine. However, going beyond academics and succeeding in all your classes, here are a list of tips to remind yourself of during the school year! While it’s important to focus on school itself, there’s still so much more to school than just studying and getting good grades. Let’s ensure that this school year is truly memorable for you and everyone else around you! Good luck in the upcoming school year!
Have fun with friends
Get to know new people
Go after your passions
Challenge yourself
Go outside of your comfort zone
Explore new interests and electives
Create traditions and memories with your friends
Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small
Be kind to others
Set goals to motivate yourself
Be willing to make mistakes and learn form them
Seek help whenever you need it
Learn how to cope with stress and anxiety
Learn more about future career opportunities
Develop time management skills as well as other life skills
Composed of multiple vignettes, The House on Mango Street features a young Mexican American girl named Esperanza who struggles with poverty, maintaining her culture, and fighting against the traditional roles of women in this society. As she grows up, Esperanza begins to truly come to terms with her identity, creating a sense of belonging, as she realizes that Mango Street will always be a part of her and her life.
The House on Mango Street is a beautiful story that travels through different moments in Esperanza’s life, using poetic and inspirational phrases to illustrate Esperanza’s struggles, feelings, and dreams of a future where she is truly free. With vivid imagery, descriptions, and symbols, Sandra Cisneros truly encapsulates the struggles of women of color and those struck with poverty, giving a voice to the stories of people who are often overlooked.
As Esperanza struggles to maintain her freedom against a harsh, traditional society, Sandra Cisneros also highlights the consequences and cruel reality that many women face in this society, becoming trapped in a constant cycle of abuse from their fathers or husbands. While also showcasing how writing has helped Esperanza tell stories that have never been heard before as well as escape from the circumstances forced upon her, Sandra Cisneros presents the lives of various women in this society and the confinements they find themselves in.
Overall, I would definitely recommend reading The House on Mango Street if you’re interested in learning more about Esperanza’s life and struggles or analyzing Sandra Cisneros’s poetic and symbolic writing style within the book.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
The Giver, a novel by Lois Lowry, features Jonas, a boy living in a dystopian society. Jonas is chosen to become the Receiver of Memory, a highly-regarded position, and sets out to learn about society’s forgotten past. While acquiring these memories from The Giver, Jonas learns what it means to be “released” and decides to escape from this corrupted societal hierarchy instead of letting one of his loved ones die.
Jonas’s Age
Book: Jonas is twelve when he is assigned as the Receiver of Memory.
Movie: Jonas is sixteen when he receives his assignment.
Jonas’s Eyes
Book: Jonas has blue eyes, which sets him apart from the other children and is a key indicator that he has the potential to be the next Receiver of memory.
Movie: Jonas’s eyes are a brown color.
Fiona’s Assignment
Book: Fiona is a Caretaker of the Old and takes care of the elderly before they are released.
Movie: Fiona is a Nurterer who looks after newborns and children.
Asher’s Assignment
Book: Asher is assigned as the Assistant Recreational Director.
Movie: Asher becomes a pilot.
The Chief Elder
Book: The Chief Elder is a rather minor and unimportant character who does not play much of a role in the book.
Movie: The Chief Elder closely monitors Jonas, The Giver, and the surrounding communities to ensure “peace.”
The Giver by Lois Lowry and the movie adaptation is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. The book can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
Clary Fray believed she was a human, also known as a mundane, who possessed the unique ability to see Shadowhunters, half-angel warriors who protect humans from evil. However, after her mother is kidnapped, Clary discovers that she is a descendant of past Shadowhunters. Seeking to save her mother and the Cup from a Shadowhunter named Valentine, Clary teams up with Jace, Alec, and Isabelle to enter the Downworld.
The Demon in Clary’s Apartment
Book: Clary kills the demon with a Sensor.
Movie: Jace kills the demon instead of Clary.
Simon’s Kidnapping
Book: Simon drinks a blue cocktail, turning into a rat and accidently being taken away by a vampire
Movie: Simon is purposefully kidnapped by the kidnappers to lure Clary into a trap. He is never turned into a rat.
Portals
Book: No training is required to use portals.
Movie: Shadowhunters must train to use the portals or else they will lose their santiy and be lost in limbo.
Jocelyn’s Pregnancy
Book: Valentine was unaware of Jocelyn’s pregnancy for years.
Movie: Jocelyn is seen heavily pregnant in a flashback with Valentine and her first child.
The Cup
Book: Valentine successfuly steals the Cup.
Movie: Clary tricks Valentine with a fake replica and keeps the Cup.
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. City of Bones is also available to download for free from Libby.
In this trilogy, the Capitol of Panem forces each of the twelve districts to send two tributes, one boy and one girl, to face off in the Hunger Games where only one will survive. During the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, the female tribute from District 12, is faced with the daunting quest of surviving the arena and making it out alive, creating a thrilling series for dystopian and action lovers.
In this world, those with silver blood have supernatural powers, making them part of the elite class. On the other hand, those with normal, red blood are part of the lower class, having no powers and being forced to serve the Silvers. However, Mare Barrow, a Red, discovers that she has electrokinesis powers one day, causing turmoil among the upper class and Silvers. Forced to hide as the long lost daughter of a Silver general and his wife, Mare struggles to survive palace life, trying to figure out her love life and an approaching rebellion.
Lena Haloway lives in a world where falling in love is illegal. When she turns eighteen, she’ll have to undergo a medical procedure to rid her of the ability to feel or exhibit love, allowing the government to match her with what they believe to be a suitable spouse and job. However, once she meets Alex, a boy from the Wilds who managed to escape the procedure, she begins to wonder if falling in love is all that bad and that maybe it’s time to choose her own path in life.
In this dystopian future, a young boy named Jonas is declared the Receiver of Memory, the only person allowed to access the knowledge and memories of the past. In this world, the government chooses everyone’s jobs, parents, spouses, families, and more, giving them no free choice. However, those who are too old to contribute to society or those who were born flawed, are “released” or injected with a lethal serum, ending their lives. Realizing this, Jonas plans to escape the community after becoming attached to a “flawed” infant named Gabriel, seeking to save the baby’s life and evade the Committee of Elders.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 