Kayla, age 12

Howdy from Ohio - and happy Passover! Okay, so people don't really say howdy here (Ohio isn't exactly the Wild West), but that's where I am now, spending the holiday and a good part of this month back with my family.

As for the title- Enchantia is all about a 12 year-old, so I thought why not share a little of myself as a 12 year-old? Being that my book is a novel and not a memoir, I don't know if there's a direct link, but somehow it seems appropriate. I have this old composition book from seventh grade here (it only resurfaced recently, otherwise it might've been a useful reference), and I've selected my favorite quotes. Some of these I admire my 12 year-old self for being able to say, some I can't believe I said, others I just find funny. So without further ado I give you me, age 12:

It would be interesting to wonder what it would be like if people were more kind...Perhaps there might even be world peace! Too bad these are only thoughts.

The third person...would be a guy who is just right for me. He would understand me, have a great sense of humor, he would be handsome and we would have a lot in common.

Education helps you become smart and someone with a bit of sense.

As long as the discipline is not too strict, and the teacher is not too boring, and I don't wear my hands out from writing, education is great!

She simply tells them smoking isn't her and goes home. After all, she was being herself, and that's great!

Sometimes I think it would be neat if there really were mermaids, but there aren't, and you can't fight nature. So the only thing we can do now is dream, dream, dream!

Another difficult thing for me to do is be extremely talkative, outgoing and not shy at all.

The only problem about him [my dog Willy] is that he always wants to escape, and mate with a girl.

Today I'm going to try my best in school, and when I come home, I'm going to be Miss Leisure.

Today, I don't feel like getting up, and I wish I didn't have school today. Then again, that's pretty typical of me.

All I can say is that I am proud of who I am, whether or not I'm perfect.

[If I had to live alone on a desert island] I would bring clothing so I wouldn't be walking around naked all day. Also, in case I get cold, I don't want to be stuck with nothing on.

I feel bad if I say something mean to someone; it really hurts. I really don't care if the person is the latest to be picked on, I won't do it.

Yeah, hardly the child prodigy. But it's fun reading these, or at least it is for me- back in the days when I was young and innocent. I have a little more to say on the last quote, but this is already long, so I'll wait till next week (another cliffhanger...yesss!).