“I want to reflect village life in Northeast Thailand, which impresses me with its warmth and purity, and the ease with which the people live together. They are farmers and live a balanced life with nature. I chose pigs to express these ideas through visual art.”

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Smartlife invites students to submit their work to Open Ground

We welcome:

l Standard-size photographs of artwork in any medium, such as photography, graphic design, computer graphics, sculpture and painting.

l Articles of 300 to 400 words written in English about any movie, music, play, cartoon, concert, television programme or life experience.

Students whose pictures and stories are published will receive a Bt400 gift voucher for Black Canyon Coffee.

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Ur thoughts: A memory to treasure

famous saying goes, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. Personally, I’d add that a book can most definitely be judged by its first page.

With the memorable first line, “The darkness was coming…”, “Escape from Memory” is a literary gem. Written by Margaret Peterson Haddix, this book is destined to become a favourite for many high-school students.

Haddix, renowned for her edge-of-your-seat suspense novels, is the author of the well-known Shadow Children series about a future that only allows two children per family. Haddix brings to life a story about 15-year-old Kira Landon, who must discover the truth about her past after recalling an enigmatic memory of fleeing gunfire. She discovers a group of people who remember everything they do or see, hence the book’s title. The girl who was always in someone else’s shadow must now find the strength and bravery to rescue her mother, her best friend - and herself - before time runs out.

I’m a huge fan of Haddix and her work, and will read anything she has written. In fact, that’s why I chose to read “Escape from Memory”. Looking at the book jacket, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. The plot seemed weak, and I’ll admit that I even considered putting it back on the library shelf. Then I read the first page, then the second, then the school bell rang.

Regretfully placing the book back, I vowed to return and check it out before anyone else did. One might ask why I was in such a hurry, but I knew the answer: Haddix had done it again! She had managed to grab the reader’s eyes and glue them to the page. Her books cut to the chase and don’t cut away until the story is over.

“Escape from Memory” is no exception. It’s an exquisite novel that is appropriate for anyone, anywhere. Haddix manages to make the book as real and substantial as the world around us. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a quick, substantial thrill.

Jenny Tun Thein, 15, is a Grade 9 student at Ruamrudee International School.

JENNY TUN THEIN