#alex and shane smithers

[good-books-to-read]

Travel destination: Australia

Ghost bird by Lisa Fuller

One of favourite books ever. Stacey knows something has happed to her sister because they are mirror twins, she will have to put aside her grudge against the old way to save her sister in time.

Hive by A.J. Betts

Hayley is a bee keeper and her life changes dramatically when the unexpected and totally impossible happens a drip of water.

Wraith by Alex and Shane Smithers

A boy who can fly and a princess of the sky are thrown together in a race against time to find a dangerous technology across Australia.

Whisper by Lynette Noni

For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word. But that’s about to change.

Gap year in Ghost town by Michael Pryor

Set in Melbourne, Anton hunts ghosts gently passing them on, however with an uptick in violent ghosts, Rani from London has come down to fix the problem. Will they be able to get alone with their different takes on passing ghosts along.

[ya-world-challenge]

YA Books from 🇦🇺 Australia (mostly indigenous)

Continuing the country lists for the YA World Challenge! Firstly, there is no way I can list all the YA books from Australia - there's too many! For that reason, I'm sticking to indigenous books only for the individual books list.

If you want to find more Aussie authors, look for the #LoveOZYA tag, google some lists, browse some goodreads lists, and follow @thereadingchallengechallenge. Also check out the following anthologies to find your new favorite Aussie author:

Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories Hometown Haunts: #LoveOzYA Horror Tales Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories Meet Me at the Intersection

Indigenous YA The Things She's Seen, Amebelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (alt. Catching Teller Crow) 💚🦋 The Boy From the Mish, Gary Lonesborough (alt. Ready When You Are) 💚🌈 The Upwelling, Lystra Rose 💚🦋 Tracks of the Missing, Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler 💚🦋 Swallow the Air, Tara June Winch 💚 Ghost Bird, Lisa Fuller 💚🦋 Songs That Sound Like Blood, Jared Thomas 💚🌈 Calypso Summer, Jared Thomas 💚 Sweet Guy, Jared Thomas 💚 My Spare Heart, Jared Thomas 💚 The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf, Amebelin Kwaymullina (series) 💚🦋 Secrets from the Dust, George Hamilton ⌛ My Father's Shadow, Jannali Jones 💚 Too Flash, Melissa Lucashenko 💚 Killing Darcy, Melissa Lucashenko 💚 Grace Beside Me, Sue McPherson 💚 Brontide, Sue McPherson 💚 Wraith, Shane Smithers & Alex Smithers 💚🦋 Fog a Dox, Bruce Pascoe 💚 Njunjul The Sun, Meme McDonald Shauna's Great Expectations, Kathleen Loughnan

Middle Grade Bindi, Kirli Saunders 💚 Sister Heart, Sally Morgan 💚 Black Cockatoo, Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler 💚 Ubby's Underdogs, Brenton E. McKenna (GN) 💚 Wombat, mudlark and other stories, Helen Milroy 💚 Wylah the Koorie Warrior, Jordan Gould, Richard Pritchard

Memoir & Nonfiction Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, Various Authors 💚 Remembered By Heart: An Anthology of Indigenous Writing, Various Authors 💚 Blakwork, Alison Whittaker 💚 Jandamarra & the Bunuba Resistance: A True Australian Hero, Howard Pedersen⌛

Coming of Age Becoming Kirrali Lewis, Jane Harrison 💚⌛

💚 First Nations Author (based on author's bios, may be missing data) 🛩️ Immigrant or diaspora 🏖️ non-native characters in or about the country (ex. vacation/adventure) ⌛ Historical 🦋 Fantasy or Paranormal 🌈 LGBT

If you know of more titles I could add, just leave a comment! (I hope my sources weren't too outdated)

[parsippanyfocus]

PARSIPPANY — At the Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Thomas Joseph Catapano on Sunday, October 29, Tommy was presented with the highest advancement of Eagle Scouts, “Eagle Scout.”

The Eagle Scout Award is Scouting’s highest rank and among its most familiar icons. Men who have earned it count it among their most treasured possessions. Those who missed it by a whisker remember exactly which requirement they didn’t complete. Americans from all walks of life know that being an Eagle Scout is a great honor. The award is more than a badge. It’s a state of being. The Eagle Scout may have received the badge as a boy, but you earn it every day as a man. In the words of the Eagle Scout Promise, they do your best each day to make their training and example, their rank and their influence count strongly for better Scouting and for better citizenship in the troop, in their community, and in their contacts with other people. And to this they pledge their sacred honor.

The pathway to Eagle can be described as a steep trail leading up to three peaks, the highest being that of Eagle Scout. Officially, the trail starts with the Tenderfoot rank and continues through Second and First Class ranks. Then, the mountain climbing begins. The path is marked with merit badges, leadership responsibilities, service projects, and the practice of Scouting skills and ideals. The first peak reached is that of Star Scout, the second is Life Scout, and, finally, Eagle Scout.

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Tommy began his Scouting experience in Cub Scout Pack 142 where he earned the Arrow of Light award.

He joined Troop 173 in fifth grade and quickly advanced through the first few ranks with the help of Chris Worthington and his Patrol Leader, Danny Metcalf. Tommy has given back to Pack 142 as a Den Chief and earned the Den Chief award for his service and soon after became a Patrol leader and then Asst. Senior Patrol leader.

Tommy has been very active with Troop 173 attending Big Trips to Boston, Baltimore & Washington DC, attended NYLT, was summer camp Senior Patrol Leader and has attained Brotherhood in the Order of the Arrow.

This past summer Tommy attended the 2017 National Jamboree where he was the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader for his Troop and where he earned his Italian Interpreter strip. Tommy has received the Outdoor award for camping and has over 120 nights camping.

In addition, he has earned 24 merit badges and has twice earned the gold community service award for more than 20 hours of community service during a Scouting year. Tommy is currently the Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 173.

For his Eagle Project, Tommy worked with his Eagle Coach and mentor, Juan Correa, and worked with Par-Troy West Little League in Parsippany where he constructed platforms out of railroad ties for much needed extra seating.

He also cleared trails leading to the Little League Complex and installed picnic benches near the baseball fields.

Tommy is currently a Junior at Delbarton School where he’s played baseball, ran cross country and is active with the forensics team. He is a tour guide for his school and participates in the business club, ski club, anglers club, Bridges, and Interfaith Food Pantry. Tommy is also a Junior Dean for his school’s Deanery, and is an active tutor in the Delbarton writing and math centers. Outside of school and Scouting Tommy is a member of St. Christopher’s Church and is actively involved in Games with Friends where he is a peer leader for special needs children from kindergarten to eighth grade. He also participates in the mentor program for the Parsippany PAL.

Tommy enjoys camping, hiking, fishing, skiing and spending time with his family at the beach.

He has gained an appreciation and love for the outdoors through Scouting. Tommy would like to pursue a career in biology or chemistry, his two favorite subjects in school.

Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men. Only 5% of the Boy Scouts actually earn this rank.

Boy Scouts of America Troop 173 Eagle Scout Honor Roll includes Norman Schofield, Jr., Michael Gottschalk, James Searing, Geoffrey Brown, John Chervenak, Guy Corbett, Tim Corbett, Robert Burney, Juan Correa, Richard Lauber, Tim Roche, Christopher Callahan, Thomas Cook, Stephen Corcoran, Stephan Pirylis, Brian Stewart, Patrick Roche, Edward Chiorazzi, Brian Pomarlen, Simon Healey, Keith Henderlong, David Chezem, Alex Lin, Robert Strechay, Jr., John Oleske, Daniel Strechay, Joseph Strechay, Kevin Smithers, Joseph Stevens, James Ward, Jason Viglione, Michael DeGuarde, Michael Smith, Tim Foster, Christopher Malcolm, Mark Viglione, Gary Hwang, William Barcliffe, IV, Jonathan Cook, Daniel Aguanno, Anthony Valvano, Eric Kratz, David Kratz, Thomas Corigliano, David Kinskey-Lebeda, Ryan Diggle, Mike Fulton, Dan Fulton, Brian Galley, Shane Moravsik, Paul Rossnagel, Jesse Garbarino, Shay Grabinsky, Joseph Stretavski, Brendan Barwick, Eric Galley, Bobby Ebel, Sean Michie, Michael Ludwig, Matthew Luther, Chris Gardner, Chris Worthington, Cameron Boone, Daniel Metcalf, Rishi Konkesa, Noah Munn, Erik Darling and Thomas Joseph Catapano.

Tommy Catapano earns Eagle Scout PARSIPPANY — At the Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Thomas Joseph Catapano on Sunday, October 29, Tommy was presented with the highest advancement of Eagle Scouts, "Eagle Scout."

[good-books-to-read]

Last 8 books:

I haven’t posted in a while so here are the last 8 books I read and what I thought.(won’t include 2 books/later books in series-will rate as whole)

Spellhacker by M.K. England

My score: 79/100

Comment: I don’t think I should read this during a global pandemic but if you like plagues and bringing down the government and global warming this is for you

Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

My score: 92/100

Comment: it’s a bit different but I like the aspect of it even if I didn’t totally agree with the main character

Burn by Patrick Ness

My score: 79/100

Comment: ok it has dragons tick crazy dragon loving cults tick and timely wimey shit tick this book was a bit different to what I like but it was enjoyable

#murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil

My score: 94/100

Comment: what the hell was this book I loved it and it was different a reality show in a book with people getting cut up and stuff except I did think there would be more blood and gore from the blurb oh well

The miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

My score: 86/100

Comment: this book was heavy and hard to read and very emotional it’s not for the faint of heart

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

My score: 94/100

Comment: this is way out from what I normally read but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it it was a very good story and a meaningful message it was also very funny at parts

Uprooted by Naomi Novick

My score: 81/100

Comment: I had been meaning to read this for ages and I mean ages and I wish I had read it sooner I loved it and the fairytale vibe

Wraith by Shane and Alex Smithers

My score: 80/100

Comment: it was hilarious

Remember to check TW

This is old forgot to post it but might as well