Hi! It's Zoe. Yesterday I went to a ceremony for "Million Word Readers". To achieve this award, someone has to have read at least a million words from books while they are in school. I was the first in my school this year to reach a million words. It's kind of a competition among students about who will have read a million words first.  I'm happy to be a millionaire!

Reading is one of the best things you can do to become successful. It helps your writing skills greatly and keeps your imagination going. My parents also encourage reading a lot, so I'm used to sitting down with a book. When I was younger my parents would read to me every night. And when I learned how to read, I made sure to keep reading. I like it more when I'm the one reading. It's one of my most favorite things to do.

I enjoy some books more than others. But, right now I'm reading a lot because I'm reading an excellent book from one of my favorite authors, Rick Riodon. He writes exciting books about modern teenagers called demigods that fight monsters from Greek and Roman mythology. I've learned a lot about mythology from his books. Whenever I read them I get lost in the pages and time flies by. I love to read!

Sometimes when I finish a really good book or series, such as the Harry Potter book series, I don't know what to do next. I feel at a lost, like I'm going to miss reading about the story and I want more of it. So, I have to look for new stories to read. It's good to try out new books. Like the old saying goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover." If I had done that for the Rick Riodon books, I wouldn't have read them. Open a book and give it a try first. Reading is the best! 

How about you, do you know how to read? Do you like to read? What's your favorite book? Maybe you like Rick Riodon too. Read whatever you like to read. Tell me some of your favorite books. I'm interested to know. I'm always on the search for good books to read. Bye! 

HI! It's Zoe. Sunday was a special day. My mother calls it "Cook Fest". It is a day that happens about every four months in my family. My mommy calls it that because it's very hard to cook a dinner everyday. So, on Cook Fest day we make multiple dinners and freeze them to eat later. But, there is more to it!

First, mommy and I do the shopping. We buy lots of stuff. Then we have to prepare for everything. Do we have all the ingredients? Is there space to do the cooking? Has room been made in the freezer to store the dinners? It's very important to know these things or else the food may not come out the way we want it to or we may not be able to store all that we make in the freezer.

We also have to plan Cook Fest. In fact, this Cook Fest my mommy wanted to save time and energy and she said we needed to chop all the vegetables first, instead of the stuff as it was needed. It took us both almost two hours to chop all the vegetables! We make everything from scratch. That means we don't use pre-made ingredients. Mommy says it's healthier that way because there is less salt and sugar in our food.

As we cooked the meals, we had to be very hygienic and orderly. This means we had to clean our hands regularly and wash the dishes so that they did not pile up. Mommy says a good chef cleans as she works.

Last but not least, I learned lots of things on Cook Fest. My mommy told me that water and cornstarch is a thickener for stews and mixtures. I also learned never to add dry cornstarch to a sauce because it makes it lumpy. I learned how to make many delicious dishes like, lasagna, Sheppard's pie, tuna casserole, chicken and vegetable soup and much more. Cook Fest was a great experience and I love cooking.

How about you? Do you like to cook with your parents? Maybe you can have a Cook Fest of your own. If you do, tell me about it. Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. Today is Brother Day (March 10th). When my big brother, Gage, went to the 8th grade he had lots of work to do and we couldn't spend as much time together. So I wanted to do something for him we would both enjoy. Here's what I thought to do for Brother Day. 

A week before Brother Day, I decided to celebrate it with a surprise party. My daddy said it was a great idea and that he'll take Gage on errands while I get the party set up. My mommy also thought it was a great idea and secretly bought brownie mix to make brownies for the party. I couldn't wait!

When it was time, my daddy took Gage on some errands and my mommy hurriedly helped make the brownies with me. While the brownies baked and cooled, I decorated my brother's room with party paper and balloons. On a little table, I set the brownies and some corn chips. Gage and daddy got home, and just on time! When my brother walked into his room, I yelled surprise! Gage almost touched the ceiling (not really) because he jumped so high in surprise. Watching him react was fun.

We gobbled up the brownies and scarfed up the chips. But I had one more surprise up my sleeve; a treasure hunt!

I placed hints around the house. The first one at Gage's doorway, then under the table. at a chair, then under some cups, and finally, the prize was found. I gave him a big hug and a card with a pizza coupon for a free large pizza. Gage thanked me many times and gave me lots of hugs. I can't wait for Sister Day on June 1.

What about you? Do you have an older or younger brother or sister? Maybe you can have your own Brother and Sister Day.  It's great fun. That's all! Thanks for reading. If you have a brother or sister give them lots of hugs. Tell me about them. I'm all ears.

Hi! It's Zoe. Today, I'd like to talk about not quitting. I know from experience that it's hard not to say, "I give up!" and walk away. Let's think of ways how we can stop quitting.

I know it's hard to not quit when I'm doing my homework or even writing this blog. I might feel stressed and want to stop right away, but a great way to stop giving up is to take a short break, eat a snack, and drink some water. Before I know it,  I start to feel refreshed in no time, ready to keep going.

Another way I stop myself from quitting is I think of the consequences of letting myself down by quitting. Like, "Should I quit learning to read? No!" That would be a bad idea because knowing how to read can help you become very successful because it helps you in many ways. It helps you build a big vocabulary, write better, and understand information more. I think to myself, if I don't quit I'll be more successful and happier. The same about school. If I don't give up on school, I can get a good job doing something fun that I like to do when I grow up. Just think of all the things that can happen if people don't give up trying to solve problems.

However, sometimes it's good to quit some things. In my last blog, I wrote that quitting bad habits would be a great thing to do. But, today I'm not talking about bad habits, I'm talking about good ones and not quitting on those.  Happy and successful is what we're aiming for! So, don't forget. If you get tired and feel like giving up, take a break and remember what would happen if you quit. Let's have fun and keep on going!  If you have anything to share, I'll be online and I'm always listening. Bye!