Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling By Cristian M.

     

Have you ever heard of the spellbinding Harry Potter series? Joanne Kathleen (J. K.) Rowling is the author that wrote the enthralling Harry Potter series. She wrote 7 books with over 300 pages in all of them! She spent a lot of time and effort! Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 1997, is the first book in the Harry Potter series by the fascinating J.K. Rowling.

Backstory

Harry Potter’s parents, James and Lily Potter died when Harry was about 1 year old. The dark wizard, he who shall not be named (Lord Voldemort), killed Harry’s parents. Ever since Harry found out, he is destined to kill he who shall not be named! After Harry’s parents died, he got sent to his aunt and uncle’s house . You might think that is not bad, but his uncle and aunt hate him. Aunt Petunia is Lilly’s sister and just because she is strange and has magic blood, they hated her. After 10 years of misery with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son Dudley, they get letters from Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry inviting Harry to come. Throughout Harry’s time at Hogwarts he learns more about the wizard world with his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley!

 

About J.K Rowling

Joanne Kathleen (J. K.) Rowling is 51 years old. She went to the University of Exeter and studied French and Classics. That is how she came up with the spells in Harry Potter. She first thought of Harry Potter in 1990 when her train got delayed. She wrote many notes on scraps of paper. Bloomsbury accepted the publication for the first book in 1997. The book was published around the world. After that the Harry Potter series went up from there. Today the series is in 78 different languages. J.K. Rowling has made a lot of money and has received many awards. There are movies of the book because it is so popular. She, in total, has about $15 billion, but her net worth is less than $1 billion. Rowling has a son named David and 2 daughters named Jessica and Mackenzie. She had a husband in 1992-1995 named Jorge Arantes, and right now she is married to Neil Murray.

 

 Sources:

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter

 http://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/jk-rowling-biography/

 www.biography.com/people/jk-rowling-40998#synopsis

What is a Quokka? By Whitley G.

You might ask, what is a Quokka (pronounced kawaka)? A Quokka is known as the happiest animal on earth. Just one look at it and you'll fall in love!   

    

The Quokka is usually brown but it also can be grey or red. The Quokka is known as a miniature kangaroo because the only thing different between a kangaroo and a Quokka is the Quokka is smaller. Do you have a cat? If you do that's the average size of a Quokka. Isn't that weird? It is also the only member of the genus Setonix.

   

        I would love to have a Quokka as a pet because they are adorable, cute, and make you so happy. However, the Quokka is a slightly endangered species. Its vulnerable because its an easy prey to other animals, and they're under threat of development. That means humans are harming the habitats Quokkas live in through deforestation. If  you get caught with one you could get a fine or go to jail. More than likely you won’t see or get one because you would have to fly all the way to Australia, the Quokkas hometown!

For more information about the Quokka, click on the links below:

http://a-z-animals.com/animals/quokka/

http://www.konicaminolta.com/kids/endangered_animals/library/field/quokka.html

Challenger Disaster By Ashlyn M.

January 28, 2016 was the 30th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. On January 28, 1986 a space shuttle, Challenger, lifted off. This shuttle had a teacher on it, which made this event really special. The first teacher into space! However, things did not end well.

After lift off, one minute and ten seconds in the air, the shuttle blew up. Kids from different schools were watching. Some even got to be there, watching the shuttle when it exploded. None of the people on the shuttle survived. The family of every person on that shuttle experienced what happened, and mourned the loss for a long time. One particular teacher watched what happened on live T.V with her students. Many students of her fifth grade class were confused at first, but soon everything began to set in.

The last words of the pilot on the shuttle, Mike Smith, were, "Uh-oh." Maybe the pilot noticed something, and it just so happened to result in an explosion. It's sad to know that explosion could not have been stopped. Mike Smith said those words seconds before the shuttle exploded. Mission control didn't notice anything wrong. As far as they were concerned, everything was great.

The family of everyone on that shuttle experienced the explosion, even the kids. Students of the school Christa McAuliffe was teaching at, all sat together and watched. Everyone was crying, including strangers, kids, family, students. Everybody was scared. Then they found out that the explosion had killed all of the seven people on that shuttle. Everything was quiet. The only thing you could hear were the sounds of crying.  

This moment will never be forgotten by those who experienced the Challenger disaster. Even people who found out years later mourn the losses of those brave people on the shuttle. The teacher, Christa McAuliffe, will never be forgotten.

To learn more about the Challenger disaster, click the link below:
www.history.com/topics/challenger-disaster