Town Hall

A Paradise of Your Own (May/June 2012)

Doug Stewart's great article The Lost Paradise of Lemuria taught us all about the Indian Ocean paradise that never was. Scientists and other imaginative types also came up with Atlantis, another continent lost at sea. Now it's your turn. Where's your paradise on earth? Way up in the Arctic Circle where ships have to navigate dangerous ice chunks to visit? In the sunny Caribbean? What's it like? Full of lemur-like creatures or teeming with futuristic technology? And what's it called? Hundred Acre Wood, Panem, and the Shire are taken, thanks. 

My paradise isn't on Earth. It's in my imagination. And it makes no sense, unless you're willing to spend like three hours of your life listening to me explain it. 

It's called the Waiting Place, and it's imperfect.

Which is great, because perfection is boring. (Case in point: the Elysian Fields) 

submitted by Bounce, age 13, Somewhere Over The Rainbow
(May 13, 2012 - 10:25 am)

Wow! I feel the exact way, esspecially the part about perfect being boring.

submitted by Luna L. , age 11 , Newyork, NY
(June 3, 2012 - 10:05 am)

I totally agree with everything you just said.

submitted by Ginny W., age older than 11, younger than 13.., The Burrow
(July 1, 2012 - 1:16 pm)

My world is a place of magic. Where wizards and witches roam free, where centaurs gallop through the woods, where benevolent kings and queens reign. It's a mixture of Harry Potter, Maximum Ride, Divergent, The Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Fablehaven, and Percy Jackson. Everyone's equal, and no technology, the way things should be.

submitted by Ariana N., age 16, Bowling Green, KY
(May 15, 2012 - 5:19 pm)

Can I live in your ideal world? Because I need six mutant bird kids and a weird dog thing, as well as a huge "Hallows vs. Horcruxes" battle.

submitted by SUZYTHEEPIC!!!1!!1!, age 12!, Madison, WI
(May 31, 2012 - 7:56 pm)

I absolutly love Fablehaven!!!!!!!! It's almost as cool as loftr... not quite. An adult friend of mine knows the auhtor of Divergent. Has the last book in the Maximum ride series come out yet? 

submitted by Sometimes Arratay, sometimes Beth. It depends...., age between 2 and 35.:), An area.
(August 12, 2012 - 10:33 am)

No technology! What would Aeiou have to say about that!? I mean, what would Aeiou have Crraw say about that!?

submitted by Cloversmile :), age not telling, kokokino Country
(November 6, 2012 - 2:19 pm)

In my world everyone wouldhave massive manga like eyes !

submitted by HXR, age this question may compromise agents in the field, wherever
(May 26, 2012 - 11:16 am)

Darn! Panem is taken! In that case, my paradise is writing stories. I love writing mysteries and fantasy novels!

submitted by A Person , age 10, A State, AC (a city)
(May 30, 2012 - 9:10 pm)

why would you want to live in a world where children murder each other and there is much poverty!!!!??????

submitted by Someone A (Anonymous), age ???, A Place, In A City
(May 31, 2012 - 2:36 pm)

I aggree. 

submitted by Luna L. , age 11 , New York, NY
(June 3, 2012 - 10:07 am)

well, in mockingjay they have a rebellion and overcome the capitol. and i would be exactly like Katniss. i am like her in real life actually though.

submitted by Tallulah H., age 11, Tempe, AZ
(June 21, 2012 - 4:36 pm)

My paradise is called Animalia. I invented it with my sister. It's a world where animals talk and dance and laugh, and a weird witch called Witchiepoo and her evil sidekick Gorillaface (also known as Tuxedo the Elegant) roam the woods, trying to overtake the island. A group of animals, sensibly named The Group, tries just as hard to overtake her. In that world my name is Ivy and I am an Earth Spirit, which means I can make plants grow, talk to trees, and blend into a leafy background.

submitted by Emma V., age 13, Nowhere in Particular
(June 6, 2012 - 9:07 pm)

HAHAHAHA!!! panem? bread and circuses. that would probably be my paradise, but if its already taken, then it would be my imagination. 

submitted by Tallulah H., age 11, Tempe, AZ
(June 21, 2012 - 4:33 pm)

My paradise is when im asleep, but unfortunately i am a VERY restless sleeper and tend to...snore.

submitted by Snore, age 11, Asleep, La-La Land
(June 28, 2012 - 2:03 pm)

My paradise is in a land of Kings and Queens. There is no technology and you are free to diverge from the structured path of society, jump on a horse and go fight some dragons. There are mysterious magical forces and vast deserts and woods that are still unexplored. There are great oceans that are littered with pirates and dark cave systems where bands of robbers hord their gold. In short, it's a land where you can never fail to find adventure at every turn...

submitted by Lucia L., age 15, Glen Ellyn, IL
(June 29, 2012 - 2:54 pm)

My world is a perfect world. A world where I rule, and no one dares to speak against me. Harry Potter will be locked up in Azkaban, and cats will be everywhere. People will alaways wear pink and everyone will do as a say. In my world, people use perfect manners and do not disobey the rules. My world is perfect. 

submitted by D. Umbridge, age HOW DARE YOU ASK HOW OLD I AM!, London
(July 1, 2012 - 1:18 pm)

Oh, really, DOLORES? Maybe it'll be YOU in Azkaban. MU HOO HOO HOO HOOOO...( from koko)

submitted by Harry Potter, age I haven't kept track... maybe 18?, ?...
(August 12, 2012 - 10:37 am)

Oh really? Mr. potter, Detention! Three weeks. You will write lines. "Umbridge is the supreme ruler of the wizarding World, and Voldemort is dead". Alright? Would you like some tea?

submitted by D. Umbridge, age HOW DARE YOU ASK HOW OLD I AM!, London
(August 28, 2012 - 2:50 pm)

My paradise is probably a typical one: books, Star Wars, and horses.  It's basically a stable with my horses (yes, I actually kind of enjoy mucking out stalls) and a house with a flatscreen tv, hundreds or thousands of books and movies, and it's close to a library.  It also has a swimming pool, a large pasture and an arena, and............shall I go on?

submitted by a.g.
(July 7, 2012 - 3:02 pm)

My paradise is something like a cross between Pandora from Avatar(without the sky people) and Ellesmera from The Inheritance Cycle. I make up other smaller worlds too, or make mental additions to my Pardise.

submitted by greenalbatross
(July 9, 2012 - 8:33 pm)

My paradise is called LLevelante. I invented it with one of my best friends. It's a funny, imperfect world where crazy things happen. Hair tastes like peanut butter and we all have an identical twin and we can fly!

submitted by Anonymous, age 14, Chicago, IL
(August 2, 2012 - 11:31 am)

my paradise is a place were i pop in and out of books and movies, comment on whats going on,  act like a byronic hero, and carry around a arsenel of weapons of all varietys.

submitted by liam h, age 12, *****
(September 5, 2012 - 1:07 pm)

the library.

submitted by noname, age noage, nocity,state
(March 2, 2013 - 6:09 pm)

My world is the Mystic Islands and it's off the coast of Peru. It is made up of 12 islands (including the main one) and one floating cloud island above it. The main island is Mystic Island and it shares it's name with the whole archipelago. It contains all the different ecosystems of the world and it's beautiful. It is inhabited by nature spirits. The spirit types are water, fire, earth, wind, storm, ice, mountain, shadow, tree, flower, sky, and animal. They all have special powers. All the islands surrounding Mystic Island pertain to one of the spirit types. Unfortunetly, the nature spirits are in a war with the nature demons. There are warrior spirits who have three spirit types and the Golden Warriors who have all the powers. I am a water wind animal spirit which is a hurricane spirit. The animal I can turn into is a peregrine falcon, I am also a sorceress so I can also turn into a wolf.

submitted by Heather, age 12, Mystic Island
(April 6, 2013 - 9:44 am)

I actually have lots of worlds like that but this one is just my favorite

submitted by Heather, age 12, Mystic Island
(April 29, 2013 - 5:52 pm)

My perfect world is exactly like your Earth except that I am a human (which normally I'm not) and I'm all powerful (which I am). I can also travel to other dimensions, like, for example, the dimension in which Danny Phantom resides. Or the world in which Harry Potter lives. 

submitted by Pure Awesomeness , age 1000 1/2, The other dimension
(April 25, 2013 - 6:54 pm)