Running Out of Time

5th Grade was an interesting year for me.
It seemed like the teachers were going back to the 'kindergarten roots'
That year started up the 'switch-a-roo" program
Where we would go to the different teacher's classrooms to learn different things.
Or do different things.
(This was an attempt to get us used to Jr. High and having a bunch of different teachers)
It had actually started in fourth grade, when one of the other teachers would come in and teach us for a little bit. (just one other...if memory is correct) -She had us Memorize poems. that's the only reason why i remember lol.
Anyway back to 5th grade
We had...activity days.
I remember a teacher Mrs. Belnap would teach us songs on her guitar.
Mrs. Cambell taught us games....she tried teaching Chess...I still don't get it lol. I prefer checkers.
And yah.
But what I remember about that year,
was "Story Time"
My teacher, Mrs. Call.
Would have us gather in a corner of the portable. -all the 5th grade teachers were in portables
And she'd sit us down on the floor, and spend half an hour or so reading us a chapter from a book.
i remember the craze of "corking" came in, at this point.
Where we'd have this small little pronged device...and we'd make long ropes out of yarn
-similar to making those hats.
I think we actually learned this new thing in 5th Grade.
Because alot of the 5th graders would do it during 'Story Time"
I even got into for a bit. :) It was fun.
But I'm not here to talk about that though.
I'm supposed to be focusing on the books lol.
And I must have really liked them if I can still remember them over a decade later lol.
I don't know if Mrs. Call read us more then two books that year.
But there were two I was really interested in.
One. Was called The Transall Saga by Gary Paulson.
It was one of my favorites for a long time. :) I even bought the book pretty quickly so I could read ahead of the teacher lol.
The second one. I had a way waaaaay harder time finding.
It was called Running out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
I could always remember the title.
But I had no idea who the author was.
And when I tried to find it in the book store, or even the library.
I couldn't.
I only knew of it from Mrs. Call's  5th grade class.
I knew it was about a girl, who thought she was living in pioneer times, but she actually was living in the 20th century -1996. She finds out this shocking news after many of the children in the village fall sick. She has to go into the 'outside' world to find a man that will help them rescue the children.
But I couldn't find it!
At least, I remember not being able to find it. I found books with similar names, but it didn't have the story I remembered.
Well...lets see...like a month ago.
I was browsing through the children's section in Barnes and Noble
-I do that because there are some good books in that section and I like to see whats newly out.
(Harry Potter, The Ranger's Apprentice, The Pendragon Series are some favorites from that section)
Well I was looking.
And there it was.
Staring back at me.
The title.
Running out of Time.
I pulled it out and looked at it.
And Yes.
It was the book. The story line I remembered!
But...I didn't buy it.
Why?
Well...I was a bit leery.
After all I'd read this book back in 5th grade.
And what is good to a 5th grader...might not be good to a college student.
:( It saddens me when I find books that aren't as good as I remember.
...Mostly this is due to me trying to write a book, and critiquing other books....
back on topic.
So I didn't buy it because I didn't want to spend the money on a book that might not be good anymore.
Perhaps that was when the Library entered back into my consciousness.
In Elementary my parents would take us to the library pretty often.
lol. I remember with great delight how excited me and my sister were when we found out we could check out thirty books at a time! So much to read! and we wouldn't have to go back to the library every week :)
But once i hit Jr. High...we stopped going as often.
I think I stopped all together in High School, only checking out books I found in the school library.
I don't really remember.
But anyway. It seemed like it had been forever since I'd gone into the library with the intention to check out a book. Especially after I moved away to go to college.
I didn't go home often enough to warrant being able to check out a book from the library there.
Well....
Yesterday, Kikay and I went to the library with the intention of seeing if there were any books that interested us. And if we were able to get a Library card from there.
Turns out we were! YAY! :) Just had to provide photo id and a bill/or contract w/ the address we were staying at on it. :)
That was exciting :) lol I really wanted to go find 30 books and check them out.
I held myself back it was almost closing time and I couldn't focus enough to find 30 good books.
So I stuck w/ two.
The first was book 5 of Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza series.
I have the other 4 books, and I'm going to buy book 5, but none of the book stores have it at the moment, it might be coming out in paperback soon. So I'll reread book 1-4 and then book 5 :) 
(I do that to series I really like. Reread the whole series when a new book comes out.)
And the second.
Was Running out of Time.
I read it yesterday.
:) And happily.
Its still a good book.
I can't complain about it, except in the usual "well, what else happens after this!" fashion. lol.
I would recommend reading it :)
Its a favorite of mine and had a good writing style that didn't drive me crazy.
It also made me think for hours upon hours afterwards.
Another indication that the book is good.
When you consider the implications talked about and hinted at in the book :)

So one library book down. 5 more to go. (okay only one, but i want to read the other four I already have first)  :) Then to return them and to check out more!!
MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! ^^ I can't wait.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves (of the page).
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

It involved my UB coming down to visit.
I remember him entering my room.
And talking about intending to stay with us for a bit.

But I don't remember much else :(

-S.N.D