Have you been like me for the last few months? Unable to find a good book? Here are three different series that may suit your fancy! This issue’s theme: Fantasy!

Ranger’s Apprentice

First on my list is the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. It follows the adventures of Will, an orphan who is taken in by the Ranger Halt, who trains him to become a Ranger. In terms of rating, it’s a nine out of ten in my book. I deducted a point because in the later series(and in the prequels), the stories steer away from the original characters like Will, Alyss, Horace, etc. Instead, it focuses on Maddie, Will’s apprentice, and in the prequels, Halt, Will’s mentor.

The Lord Of The Rings

The Lord Of The Rings is an amazing trilogy of books by J.R.R. Tolkien. They follow the travels of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit(halfling) whose uncle, Bilbo Baggins, was one of the few hobbit adventurers. In his travels, Bilbo found one of the 20 magic rings. As it happens, this ring is the Master Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron, to rule the world. Sauron was banished from Middle Earth, and can’t return without the ring, so Frodo and his fellowship, consisting of Gandalf The Grey, Boromir Of Gondor, Legolas Of The Woodland Realm, Aragorn Elesar, Gimli Son Of Gloin, Mary Brandybuck, and Pippin Took, set out to destroy it. In terms of rating, I’d give it a seven out of ten. It has an interesting plot line, but in my mind, it lost three stars because it’s extremely hard to read. It’s written in old English, and it also uses a lot of literary devices that can easily be misinterpreted.

The Brotherband Chronicles

The Brotherband Chronicles is the sister series to Ranger’s Apprentice, featuring a boy named Hal as the main character. Hal is a Skandian(viking) whose father died on a raid in Araluen. Hal isn’t well-built like most Skandians. Instead, he’s smart and creative. But when the Skandian tradition of Brotherband training rears its head, he realizes he isn’t the only outcast. He forms a Brotherband with Stig(his best friend), Ulf and Wulf (twins), Ingvar (a blind boy), Jesper (a pickpocket), Stefan, and Edvin. They call themselves The Herons, named after Hal’s boat, The Heron. From there, many different plotlines grow. I’d give it another seven out of ten, because, though it’s a good series, it’s again lacking the characters I liked so much in Ranger’s Apprentice.

As far as I know, all three of these can be found in the school library under FIC FLA (Ranger’s Apprentice), FIC TOL (The Lord of the Rings), and again, FIC FLA (The Brotherband Chronicles).

As we all know, there are many new teachers here at Elm Street Middle School this year. Us in the Newspaper Club have sent out a survey and some of these new teachers have answered. You will be reading about two of these teachers, Ms. Frazier and Mr. Gagnon.

Ms. Frazier, The Frizz, teaches sixth grade writing. Some of the various things that The Frizz is interested in are swimming, reading, writing books, creating Youtube videos, and playing video games. Teaching at Elm Street for her has been a new and interesting experience. She is learning new things every day at Elm Street. The Frizz is a teacher we’re thankful to have with us this year.

Mr. Gagnon teaches science. Mr. Gagnon finds interest in reading, carpentry, landscaping, working out, trail riding, and spoiling his grandchildren rotten. It is not his first year teaching. For him teaching at Elm Street this year has been both rewarding and challenging. He loves being able to help students gain confidence, as well as teaching them knowledge and new skills. Mr. Gagnon is a teacher we’re lucky to have this year.

Thank you for reading, A Short Tidbit On New Teachers.

Rosa B., in 6th grade, recently participated in the Elm Street production of “Romeo and Juliet, Together (and Alive) at Last”. While many students participated in the show, only a handful of 6th graders, including Rosa, were cast. Not only that, but this incredible young actor also was cast as one of the main characters! Reporters Allison P. and Raylyn P. interviewed Rosa the night before opening night, about her journey. “When I grow up, I want to be an actor” she said, “I love being able to pretend to be someone else and just be able to let go of your worries.” Sounds like Rosa has a bright future in the arts.

If you feel like you know someone who deserves to be featured in the next “Eagles soaring high” article, Please contact Ms O'Neil . We’d love your feedback!

Opening night. One of the biggest nights for the school drama play, and my gods, it was amazing. The whole storyline was beautifully composed and the first half was wonderfully set. The backstory on who was who and why they put the play on in the first place helped the story progress even further. The intermission/halftime was a good break to catch up on our thoughts, say hi to others, and let us calm down before the plot advanced into chaos. The “Hey, let's put on Shakespeare’s 'Romeo and Juliet' to make my bestfriend fall in love with his crush with no help whatsoever.” Different characters breaking the fourth wall are some elements that brought the plot alive. The chaos, the costumes, the set, and the cast and crew. They all really advanced the plot. I’ve never been happier, nor prouder than years. The cast, the crew, and both Mrs. Rock-O’ Hara's really pulled off something amazing and something I’ll remember for a long time.

Numerous eagles attended the EMS fall play, “Romeo and Juliet, (Together and alive at Last)”. The show is about two middle school students, Saltz (Declan C.) and Annabelle (Rosa B.), who like each other, but are afraid to talk to one another. Their friends including Ed (Connor D.) and Lucy (Evie B.) decide to put on a shortened version of Romeo and Juliet. The group casts Saltz and Annabelle as Romeo and Juliet, thinking the two will have to talk about “love and stuff”. Unfortunately the whole thing falls apart at the seams. Events occur during the performance including King Kong appearing onstage, an untamable spotlight disaster, and an explosion underneath Juliet's bed. Two reporters interviewed the cast on their experience and received a handful of funny responses.

Revealing the cast list

The day the cast list was posted for this hilarious comedy was an exciting day for all of the cast members. “My heart skipped a beat when I saw it,” said Miles A., who played Tom Hayes in the production. “I was extremely excited,” said Adrianna C-O, who played Tom Hayes’ younger sister, Betsy. Some members of the cast were even surprised to see their name posted.

Rehearsals

It is no surprise that the cast had a number of goofy moments in rehearsals. So many laughs and funny mistakes were made. Many of the cast members shared their memory of when Rosa (accidentally) flung water all over the stage when swinging a bottle over her head that was filled up a little too much, and of many improvs gone wrong. Connor D. shared how when he was not onstage, he would slide down the hallway on his socks, and see how far he could go.

Day Before Opening Night

The Day before opening night, the cast stayed after school for a dress rehearsal. A large majority of the actors (and crew) were nervous. “This is my first show, and I am excited!” Miles A. shared with us. “It's really nerve racking,” Evie B. admitted, despite this being her 9th show.

After its all over

The cast members have come a long way since their first rehearsal. Many of them are sad to see this time with each other end. “Whenever I’m at rehearsal, I'm just brought a sense of joy. Everyone is accepted no matter what race or gender they are, or what religion they practice” Connor said. “I hope to take away a new group of friends,” Jerry P. Jr. shared. “I’m going to be really sad when it ends, Autumn S. said.

Well, it sounds like drama is a great place to be. No cast member said that they would change a thing about it. Evie B. wanted to share that “if anyone is interested in joining drama club, go for it! You’ll have so much fun!”