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2007 — 2008 Writing Contest (February 08):
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Space Rock By Jameson Bellevue, NE "Pluto fell out of his highchair again," said Earth, who is 8. Grandfather, the Sun, was lounging on a meteor when Pluto fell. So he got up and put Pluto back in his chair. Jupiter, a teenager, was playing tennis with Saturn, who is also a teenager. They were using a spaceship as the ball. Mercury, a toddler, was playing with his toy meteors. Uranus and Neptune, who are both teenagers, were playing video games. Mars, who is 4, was eating a candy bar named Mars Bar. But Venus was nowhere to be found. Grandfather, who went back to lounging, noticed that Venus was missing. So he asked his grandplanets if they had seen him. They said they had not seen him. So everyone looked for him. Finally, they found him at the pond fishing for stars. Grandfather told him not to run off again. That night they all slept comfortably on their meteor beds. The next day, they were going about their usual things when all of the sudden, music started playing. Someone on Earth was playing music really loud. Then, all of the planets started dancing. The Funky Little Dinosaur By Zachary Age 9 Bellevue, NE Once upon a time there was a messed up, wait… how about a funky little dinosaur? I will call him a funky dinosaur because his arms are super long and his body, head, and legs are super tiny! Anyway, this dinosaur was named Larry and all of the other dinosaurs laugh and called him names. At school he was bullied and always got in trouble by other kids. In addition to that, his parents and brothers even were mean to him. But one day he found a magic lava lamp and out popped a Hippie Genie and gave him three wishes, although he only wanted one; witch was a friend that looked exactly like him… but nothing happened. The next morning a girl that looked exactly like him was by his bed. Sculptures By Gregor Age 12 Bellevue, NE A long time ago in ancient Greece there lived a sculptor, but not just any sculptor as he would never touch clay. He was a peanut butter sculptor. His life was always peaceful until a jelly sculptor moved in next door. The two sculptors were immediate rivals even though neither of them had ever sold a sculpture. Their rivalry eventually got to the point where every morning they would cover each others shop with their own sculpting material. They soon decided that their rivalry needed to end. To do this they decided to go to see the Alien Emperor to get his opinion because he was a master sculptor as well. When the sculptors arrived at the Alien Kingdom the Alien King declared, "You two have brought shame to sculptors everywhere with your rivalry!!! " With an ear-splitting WOOSH! he brought the peanut butter and jelly sculptures to life! The sculptures soon became very evil and they created a giant pencil. The people eventually got so annoyed that they flew off of Mars in their rocket powered chariots. They soon landed on Earth and recreated their civilization exactly the same… but they sculpted with clay instead, and now you know how people came to Earth. The Potato Who Wanted To Be an Astronaut By Andrew Age 9 Bellevue, NE Once upon a time…or in a trash can…there lived a rotten potato named Phil. That's me. I don't really like to talk of how I got into this garbage. But I will tell you that I have a friend who is a banana named Josh, and I also have dreams of becoming an astronaut. I know, I know, a potato is probably never going to become an astronaut and is better being eaten. Still, I do wish to become an astronaut. Since garbage pick-up day is Friday and it's now Wednesday, I'd better come up with a good plan. "Phil, are you still thinking about becoming an astronaut?" Josh asked. "Why not?" I said. "Because today they changed garbage pick-up day. It is today!" he said, holding (or letting one of his peels touch) a newspaper. Beep, beep, beep! "Oh, no, the monster is here!" The truck dumped us into a bag, but we made a hole and jumped out. "Where are we?" I asked. "We are now on a strange place people call the ground," Josh muttered. "See you! I have to go on the space shuttle!" "Yeah, right!" Josh yelled, rolling away. I'll show him. "I will show you all!" I yelled. All of a sudden, an astronaut stomped on me and I stuck to his shoe. He never noticed that I was on there. "Space or bust," I muttered, ignoring the pain. It turned out that he was going to the moon! And he (and I, still stuck to his shoe), sort of did become an astronaut. Diary of the Tall Dwarf By Jamie Bellevue, Nebraska October 19, 1345 Dear Diary, This is my first diary I've ever had and I'm really excited about it. It's the first day of school. I told my mom I didn't want to go to school. She asked why and I told her that the normal dwarves would make fun of me. I knew from the first day I saw another dwarf I was different. All of the other dwarves are short and I'm tall!!!! I've always been embarrassed to go out of the house. But now my mom is making me go to school. But I just know the others will make fun of me. I'm in the lizard drawn carriage now and I think I'm going to cry. And I was right; they did make fun of me. This stinks, I wish I was normal. May 26, 1346 Hey Diary!!!!!!! I finally found you again. A tornado came through my town and I lost you but I found you again!!! Okay, everyone has found a purpose for me!!! But guess what? It's getting things down from places normal dwarves can't reach. And it's boring; getting fruit out of trees and getting books from high shelves. Hey I just thought of an idea!!!!!!! I'll try out for the basketball team!!!!! It's perfect!!!!! May 27, 1346 Dear Diary, I made the team!!!!!! I feel that I am being accepted and not just for getting things from high shelves. May 30, 1346 Dear Diary, I won a game!! And now all the dwarves seem to have forgotten that I am different!!! Now I really don't want to be normal!!! I guess all I really wanted was to be accepted. If Chickens Could Fly Shani Age 13 Bronx, N.Y. I was told when I was just a little chick that chickens couldn't fly. I heard those words come from my mother's mouth, but I didn't want to accept them. I wanted to soar like the eagle, be free like the dove, with my head held up high like a swan. But whenever I said that to anyone, even to my best friend Clucks, I would be laughed at. Then one day a man name Billy came to the farm where I had lived. Billy told my owner Farmer Brown he needed a couple of chickens for an experiment. I didn't know what an experiment was but I was willing to go with Billy. Luckily Billy chose me, Clucks, and my brother. I said goodbye to everyone. When I woke up I was in a lab. It was so scary. I had food in front of me, it was some type of weird worm. I was hungry and I quickly gobbled it up. The next day Billy came to me. He saw that I had eaten the worm and smiled. He picked me up and told me to flap my wings. I did. I became an eagle. I soared to the top of the room, with my head held high like a swan. I flew gracefully like a dove. Flash! There were people taking pictures of me! I gave them my best smile. I learnt later Billy was a scientist who had created a chemical that could let chickens fly. I was so happy! I couldn't wait to fly more, but I was too tired. I went to bed and smiled. "See!" I said "Never give up! I can fly! You can too! Be all you can be!" Calvin's Wacky Day by Sarah Age 12 Elmira, Ontario, Canada Today, Monday afternoon, Calvin came tearing into the house because he just got out of school. He whipped out of sight into his father's workshop and came back almost as quickly with a hammer and a tin of nails. He went to the coffee table and started to practice his nailing. School had been frustrating that day and the hammering relieved his frustrations. Calvin's mother, hearing the racket Calvin was making, decided to investigate. Rapidly she strode into the living room and gasped. "Calvin", she shrieked, "What are you doing, that is our new coffee table." "Whoopsydaisy", Calvin said. In the stillness, she went to sit in the nearest armchair when she missed and landed on the floor with a thump. She almost instantly regretted her decision to investigate. Calvin's mother groaned. "Mom" inquired Calvin, "What's going to happen now?" "Well you are going to have to pay for the damage that you did", she told him. "How?" asked Calvin. "Well, at $5 per week out of your allowance I would estimate it would take about 7 years." "7 YEARS!' screamed Calvin, "Seven years will seem like forever!" "Don't worry, it will seem like forever for me, too", groaned Calvin's mother. The Blown-Away Hat By Jalisa Age 9 Sarasota, FL In June 2007, a house was lent to us so my brothers, Mom and I could be with our dad while he worked in Houston. He was an engineering consultant with the after-math of explosions that had wrecked Texas City, Texas three years earlier. Shawn drove to Houston every morning, returning about five o'clock. Brandon, eleven, Chauncey, seven, and I spent lazy days playing in the water and the sand. My mother had bought us new straw hats so we could have shade from the fierce Gulf Coast sun. One day, about mid-morning, when a brisk breeze was blowing, we went "worm-fishing" from the end of the pier in front of the house. Brandon's hat blew into the water. "Please get it, Mother", he begged. "It's so close, see? And it's brand new!" Wavelets rocked the hat gently away from the pier. I eyed the rowboat tied beneath the pier. The hat was hardly a boat's length away. But I was worried because as a native of Central Texas, I was only familiar with gentle lakes, I was unfamiliar with waves of the bay. I looked around. On the next pier, not a hundred yards away, a man sat fishing. I thought he might be asleep, but at least if I had a problem there was an adult who could get help. My mother warned us against falling into the water. She went down the ladder into the boat, untied the rope, and pushed off. Before a blink of an eye she was in the middle of the bay. "Mother, row back," I said. But my mother kept going farther out. From that day on we never went "wormfishing" when the wind was blowing hard. Mr. Mack and the wizard of Mystery Mountain By Sarah-Ellen Age 10 Moncks Corner, South Carolina Once upon a time there was a man named Mr. Mack. He was a silly old fellow who heard a story about a wizard from Mystery Mountain. The wizard was known to give four wishes to those who could climb his mountain. Mr. Mack decided that he would try to climb the mountain. After an hour into his journey he got to a spot where he felt very cold, and suddenly could not move. He had been frozen to the spot! He thought "I wish I was not frozen." Then he got his wish! He smiled and walked on. Next he came to a spot that was very hot. He stopped to rest under a tree. Thirsty, he looked around for water but did not see nor hear any. So he just sat there and thought "If only I had water." As he thought, a cold stream appeared before him. He drank until he could drink no more. As fast as it had come, the stream disappeared. He got up and continued to climb the mountain. He got to a spot where there was water as far as he could see. "I wish I knew how to get across," Mr. Mack said aloud. Then a golden sign appeared before him. It read: Find the golden necklace. He did. All of the sudden he was standing in front of a cottage. The great wizard came out and said "You have one wish left. For you spent three on the way here." Mr. Mack wished to see the future. Then he was in the future and was not able to come back, for he had no more wishes. Silly Monkeys By Krista Age 11 Lowry City, MO "It's mine!" "No, it's mine!" argued the twin monkeys Shawn and Shayne. "Boy, boys, boys!" their lion foster mother Della hollered at the two. "Your brother Allen brought each of you a banana!" The twins dared not to make their foster lion mother mad. They immediately stopped arguing and swung on their vines to the kitchen to get the other banana. When Shawn and Shayne left the room Della chuckled. Then the twins' monkey sister Jeri came in with a banana half way in her mouth. "Oh, boy." exclaimed Della. "What?" asked Jeri. Just as expected Shawn and Shayne came into the room and saw Jeri. They quickly went after her. "Help!" Jeri cried. She had no clue what was going on. "Give it to us!" the twins yelled. "What? Hold on." Jeri said and stepped away from the boys. "I have to finish my banana first!" And with that she ate the last bites of the banana. "What?! Ugh!? Mom!!" "I can't help you boys, your sister got there first. I guess I'll have to cut the banana in half equally for you two so you can split it with each other." "Aw… mom!" "No buts unless either of you don't want any at all" said Della. The twins didn't say any more. "What was all that about anyway? asked a confused Jeri. Della sighed and shook her head. "What?" Jeri asked again. Their other sister, Athena, who had been watching the whole time told Jeri what had happened. "All that over nothing?" Jeri questioned. But I guess most boy monkeys are either born crazy or made to be it. Know Your Evil Pencil By Tyler Age 11 Shamong, New Jersey Tyler was working on homework. Right now, he was solving a math problem. "David drove away from his home to Town A at an average speed of 50 mi/h. He left at 5:00 P.M. If the distance from David's home to Town A was 200 mi, what would the time be when he reached Town A?" This would seem to be a hard question for most kids at 11 years of age, but not for Tyler. He knew how to handle trick questions. Calmly, he wrote down the answer. "Observing 5:00 P.M. is a rush hour, who knows?" Something was wrong. He stroked his moustache wondering what it could be. As he did, he realized he shouldn't have a moustache. Tyler spun around to find himself face to face with a giant pencil. Then he comprehended that giant pencils shouldn't have faces. He had to do something. So he dashed away. He sensed the only way to get rid of a… Oh yes, an evil pencil, yeah that's it. The one way to get rid of an evil pencil was to… "LOOK OUT!" He slipped downstairs to find that the evil pencil was already there. "Hey buddy, do you have 5 bucks on you?" Tyler asked. The pencil forked over 5 one's. "Thanks!" Tyler yelled, and he immediately thundered away as fast as light can travel. "Wait a minute," thought the pencil, and it raced after him. Tyler and the diabolical pencil rushed into a store. Only Tyler emerged from it... because he knew that when you're faced with an evil pencil, you should always get an eraser! (Preferably, super big ones, which are found in stores.) IT By Aaron Age 10 Bellevue, NE "IT came alive on May third, 1929. IT destroyed the town of Petersburg when IT was mutated. IT was an unimaginable monster. So anyway, why don't you go bring me cookies or something? I'm hungry." "Bud Gwandpawwww!" yelled Jesse Jones, "We wunds you to tewll us da sdory!" Jesse wasn't very happy. "Alright, alright. Our oceans are filled with garbage, we've created a hole in the ozone that's frying the planet, nuclear waste is piling up without any safe way to get rid of IT…." "What?" "None of this scares you?!" "Nope." "Well, the nuclear waste became IT, and IT rampaged through Petersburg like a run-away monster truck." "Oww town!!?" Jesse was shocked. "Yup-the end." "Whuuuuutt!!? Dat can't be dee end!" Jesse was definitely not happy. The Secret Box By Zack Age 12, Bellevue, Nebraska One lazy afternoon, James saw that his best friend, Danny, was holding a box. James went to see what it had in it. "What's that?" James asked curiously. "It's my secret box," Danny replied. "Only I know what's in this box! No one will ever know what's in it unless…" "Unless what!?" James cried, anxiously waiting for Danny to continue. "Unless the person who wants to see what's in my box completes this long list of tasks!" Now, James was a very curious person and would do anything to find out whatever he was curious about was. "I will complete it!" James answered. Danny gave the long list of tasks to James. James only read the first three before giving a surprised look to Danny. "How much time do I have to complete this?" he asked. "There is no time limit. When you're done, bring it to me and I will show you what's in my secret box. It is very special to me." "It better be, if I have to do all of these!" James exclaimed. Seven months later, James was running faster than he had ever run before to Danny's house. It was only 3:35 in the morning but James didn't care. He had completed the very long list! "Danny! Wake up! I've completed the very long list! Danny ran outside to show James what was in his secret box. "Yes, the list is done! Here you go." James saw what it was. "An egg? You made me do all this, for an egg?" "It's a special egg!" James ran home with steam coming out of his ears. "Oh well, that's too bad. He didn't even let me give him this Great Golden Egg. He could have sold it for riches! I'll give it to someone else." Monkey the Rapper By Joshua Age 11 Bellevue, Nebraska Once, there was a poor, little, brown monkey named Monkey. Monkey had once had a little boy. The boy's family had moved away and they had forgotten poor little monkey. Now all he had left was the boy's favorite drinking cup. Nobody wanted Monkey, and the house that Monkey was in was running out of food and water. But Monkey did have an amazing talent. Monkey had a rapping talent. After brainstorming ideas, Monkey had finally thought of something. Monkey had taken the boy's cup and gone to the busy, crowded, hard sidewalks of New York City. Monkey had rapped songs to people and hoped to get some money from them. Monkey had gotten $5.00, enough money to buy dinner. After dinner Monkey had gone to his house and straight to bed. The following day, Monkey had gotten a letter from the richest guy in the world. The letter said, "Monkey, I heard you rapping yesterday on the sidewalk. So I've invited you to the rap contest. The contest starts on 1/3/09. The winner of the contest will earn $1,000,000,000 and work for me (and working for me per a day gets you $5,000,000,000) so what do you say? On the day of the contest Monkey had gotten dress like a rapper, and headed towards the studio. On the next day Monkey had been notified that he had won the contest. After that day, Monkey was veryhappy with his new life. Frog: The King Of The World By Dillon Age 11 Bellevue, Nebraska Frog had always wanted to rule the world… One day he met a scandalous genie. Frog had to carefully think of what he wanted to wish for. First he wished for a super sticky and super long tongue. Second he wished for a lifetime supply of bugs. He didn't know what else he wanted. Then he remembered he had always wanted to rule the world. So he asked for that. "On one condition." The condition was to grant three of the genie's wishes without using magic. So, the genie wished for a golden lamp, a burger, and to be free. Frog granted all his wishes, only thinking about being the ruler of the world. But now the genie was free he didn't have to grant Frog's last wish. Frog yelled, "That's not fair!" The genie said, "Well that's too bad." Frog was upset. He travelled the world for another genie. Half way across the world Frog found another genie. Frog explained, "The first genie I met was very scandalous." The genie said, "Oh that was my brother." Frog asked to be the king of the world. The genie granted his wish. Frog was officially king of the world. Now the frogs are superior to humans. Story of Amelia By Riti Age 10 India Amelia Jane the ugly doll was very bad with the other toys .She played her naughty tricks on other toys. As she was made by children she doesn't have manners. There is a story of Amelia for you… Amelia is busy. Once Amelia Jane, the big naughty doll, watched little Miss Jones sitting and knitting, Click, Clicky Click. She watched for a long time, then Miss Jones was called by her mother. Amelia took the needle and wool and started knitting. Bear saw and said, "Can you knit a jersey for me?" "Pooh," said Amelia rudely. "I'm just knitting. I'll not knit anything." The baby doll knew that Amelia likes red ribbon and wondered it if she gave her some would Amelia knit a jersey for Bear. So she took her red ribbon, sat beside Amelia, and started playing. Amelia also knew all this, and knitted the ribbon along with the wool when the baby doll was not there. After seeing this the baby doll started crying. Tom the toy soldier was very angry and thought of a plan. The plan was that when Amelia was asleep they would tie her with her own wool. Sidney the small bear knew how to knit. When Amelia was asleep, Sidney knitted her. When she woke up she started knitting and found herself tied. She cried for help but no one was there. She promised to knit the jersey for Bear. Everyone helped her to get untied, then she knitted the jersey, but it was small. Amelia laughed, and laughed and laughed. She was bad again. Did you think of she would be good? The Best of My Worst Days By Kamden Age 9 Mountain Home, Idaho Hi, it's me Trake. I'm a dragon from Demon-Magical creatures land… It all began one windy day on my seventy seventh birthday. This was a pretty special day because seven is a lucky number, but two sevens are special. I had invited all my friends. But when it came 7:00 (which is the time for my birthday) nobody came. Then at 8:00 my Granny Great Wings came. (Oh no.) She got me a present. I was so excited. I opened it, and there was nothing there. The so called "present" was a kiss from Granny Great Wings. It left a big pink mark on my cheek, YUCK. Then, when my granny left, my parents came in and announced, "We all know that when a dragon turns seventy seven, he gets to learn how to fly!" After they said this they gave me a cake. After we ate the cake my dad took me outside and showed me how to angle my wings so the wind could catch them. I tried it, and WOOSH; I was flying through the air. I loved the feeling of the wind rushing by my face. My dad and I flew higher and higher until the landscape looked like a map. We flew lower and I saw a herd of unicorns (it is pretty rare to even see one unicorn). My dad told me a few tips, then we flew home. All in all it was the best of my worst days. Lolly and Polly By Morgan Age 12 Bellevue, Nebraska Once there was a lollypop named Lolly and a doll named Polly. They were best friends but there was one problem, one was edible and one wasn't. They lived in a beautiful toy shop with bunches of trinkets from the past. There were people of all ages coming through all times of the day, so they had to sit perfectly still or they would be discovered and taken away from each other. When everything got dark and all the humans left, things get really exciting. "Ok, everyone get up. It is time to have some fun," shouted Polly as she stood up just as the shopkeeper locked up and drove home. All the toys and antiques woke and stared to party. Lolly and Polly stepped out of the showroom into the storeroom as they started to explore. Lolly had made up a map of the store as they went from room to room looking around for something cool to show the other toys. So far they have been to the entire store except one room, the office. They planned to run to the office as fast as they could so they could explore and get to back to their cases before sunrise when the shopkeeper comes to open up. When they got to the office, opened the door, and walked in, they saw this huge creature standing before them. "It's the shopkeeper's cat," shouted Polly. "Run!" They ran as fast as they could, but the cat was faster. It lowered its huge head and grabbed Lolly, then ran away. "Lollyyyyyyyyyyy," shouted Polly. But it was no use, Lolly was gone. As Polly started to weep, three strange looking toys approached her. "We know where the cat took her." To be continued. (Don't leave us in suspense too long, Morgan… We want to know what happens next. Roger) Cerebrum Cortex Maxium By Rebecca Age 16 San Bernardino, California Not too long ago, I met a family who believed that their family van was a transformer. The transformer's name was Cerebrum Cortex Maxium. Every time the family got into the van they feared that one day Cerebrum Cortex Maxium would reveal himself as a powerful warrior. You see, the family van was very mysterious; it had a mind of its own. There were different times when the family would get into the van and the doors would lock automatically and the van wasn't even programmed that way. They would always freak out when they heard the clack of the lock, terrified that they would be trapped forever. The van also had an alarm system that was out of wack. The family was never sure when the alarm would be triggered. Each time the alarm would go off it would catch the family by surprise; it was like Cerebrum Cortex Maxium enjoyed watching them jump like Mexican jumping beans. Even though Cerebrum Cortex Maxium scared the heck out of the family, he still looked out for them. One day the mom and daughter were driving to school and a car was coming their way, a potential head-on collision. The car saw Cerebrum Cortex Maxium and was forced to switch lanes, saving the mom and daughter in the nick of time. Cerebrum Cortex Maxium had shown the other car his vicious, sharp teeth and fire-red eyes; a disguise to surely make any threat run away like a chicken with its head cut off. That day, Cerebrum Cortex Maxium was the family hero. The family knew one day Cerebrum Cortex Maxium would have to leave and defend planet earth. Until then, all they could do was hang on for the ride, it was sure to be a great adventure. How Plants Came To Be Green By Rukmini Age 7 years Houston, TX When the world was still new, all plants were white or yellow. At that time there lived a poor woman who devoted her life to looking after her son. He loved eating cake and she would make all kinds of cakes for him. One day he asked her, " How come frosting is green sometimes though cream is white?" Although she knew the answer, she looked bewildered and replied "Dye! People make green dye from things they find in the ground." The boy had an insatiable curiosity and he went on, "How does it work?" "I would show you, but I don't have any." said his mother, and went out to buy some. As soon as she returned, the boy asked her to try the dye on some of the leaves. "Since they are white, I guess it would not hurt to put some on one," she said, and rubbed a little drop on with a spoon. That night as the plant grew it got so large it touched another plant. That too became green. The next day the woman and her son wondered how this had happened. The next night and the next the same pattern continued and more and more plants became green. When two green leaves touched together some became dark green. And sometimes leaves had only patches of green, the rest remained white or yellow. And that, dear reader, is how plants came to be green. The Garden Gnomes By Tessa Age 9 Pittsford NY Outside in the Smith's front yard there were 6 garden gnomes. They had been there since the Smith's had moved there, and there they stayed. Every night the garden gnomes would come to life! They would jump and sing and dance all night long. One late starry night, John, the youngest of the Smiths was having trouble sleeping. He got up to get a glass of water. Then, he heard some singing from out the window. He looked and saw little garden gnomes dancing. He got on his robe and went out to see what was happening. When he got outside the gnomes stopped dancing. John was stunned. There were a few moments of silence until the third gnome spoke. "You will not tell anybody of this will you? If you do we can not be alive ever again!" "No never!" said John. "It will be out little secret." The Worst First Day By Olivia Age 10 Bastrop, Louisiana Hi! My name is Claire Bittim. I live in Corky, OH. I just moved here, and I'm shy. So, it is hard to make friends. I learned, the HARD way. It all started on the way to school. (Oh, I forgot to tell you I am 10, in the 4th grade at Black Jackville. My teacher is, Jennifer SnottGrass.) Anyway, I saw something move in the bushes, so I crawled in to check it out. I shouldn't have, it was a skunk. I got sprayed. I really stunk. So as I was walking, people walked beside me and left me. When I got to school, I had some perfume in my backpack. I pretty much poured the whole thing on me I stunk so bad. When I got to class, I found my seat and got ready for class. Class went well. When recess came, all the boys teased me. Their names were, Billy Joe, Jack Jim, Jonathan Hagen, Josh Black, and Clark Hilton. Then a girl came to defend me, her name is Sarah Button. "HEY QUIT MESSING AROUND WITH HER JUST BECAUSE SHE IS NEW!" she screamed. I gasped. Why would someone like her defend someone like me? It was because she was teased, and she didn't like it. Now, we are BFF (best friends forever). So, that is my story. The New Baker in Town By Asha Age 8 Mesa, Arizona Pinky Polka Dot is the new baker in town and she likes to bake strawberry cakes, banana muffins and peanut butter smoothies. Her TV Show was showing all over the world and she hoped that her best friend Sweet Pea would be watching her on TV because Pinky was going to make a special strawberry cake for her best friend who lived in California. When Pinky started to make her cake she got a phone call while cooking the cake and it was of course Sweet Pea who was watching her on TV,. Sweet Pea was so happy she said "Thank you for my birthday cake!" Pinky sent the cake to her in the mail. Nnn Stay tuned for more cooking shows with Pinky Polka dot, the new baker in town. P.S. pinky is a small stuffed bunny I have and sweet pea is my sister's teddy bear. Whiskers' Birthday By Chenoa Age 13 Mesa, AZ Pixie pig went walking one day when she heard something. When she looked in the trees, it was her friend Betty Bluebird. Betty Bluebird said, "Are you ready to make Whisker cats cake?" "Oh yes, let's get started" replied Pixie Pig. So they began to make Whiskers' cake. When the cake was done they decorated it with vanilla icing and strawberries that went all over the cake. Upon arrival at Whiskers' party, Whiskers was not there. Pixie Pig said "Whiskers?" but no one answered. So they went in and started to decorate for the party with balloons, streamers and confetti, then they hid behind the couch. When Whiskers came through the door, Pixie Pig and Betty Bluebird yelled, "Surprise!" "Oh my" said Whiskers. "Happy Birthday" said Pixie Pig. "Thank you for the cake" said Whiskers. "You're welcome," said Pixie Pig. They spent the day celebrating Whiskers' birthday by playing games like hide-n-go-seek and tag. It was one of Whiskers' best birthdays ever. |
The Sad Shoe By Adriana Age 11 Bellevue, NE There once was a very unhappy shoe named Phil. Everyday at 7:10 a.m., a stinky sock and foot that belonged to a kid named Adam would stick his foot and sock in Phil. Every time Adam stepped down, he crushed Phil's soul, and when Adam took his foot out Phil's tongue felt sore and tasted awful!! No one else played with Phil because he was too stinky! One day Phil decided to have a word with Adam. So at 7:09 a.m., right before Adam stuck his grimy foot in him, Phil cleared his throat and said, " Excuse me Adam but I don't like the way your foot crushes me or the way it tastes." Adam just stared in amazement. "Why are you staring at me? Sock got your tongue?" said Phil. Adam answered," I didn't know you talked and I didn't know you didn't like my foot. How about we think of a way to fix it, would that make you feel better?" Adam said. "Yes, it would, Adam." So Adam got some Barbie pillows from his sister and stuck them in Phil. Then he bought a small can of air freshener and stuck it in Phil so he could have fresh air. From then on, Phil and Adam were great friends, and neither of them was in pain. Silly Story By Maggie Age 10 Bellevue, NE Characters: Suzie the Sloth, Ryan the Rabbit, and Caren the Crocodile One day, Suzie went to the beach and met Ryan. Suzie couldn't keep up, so she left. She went to the moon! There, she met Caren, who was hungry. So Caren ate half of the moon! Two hours later, Ryan came to the moon, too. He saw Caren and left. After that, Ryan met his wife at a coffee shop. Then, out of nowhere, Suzie broke through the window, riding on Caren's back! Now, she can stay by Ryan's side without being left behind. And they lived happily ever after! "F" is for Friends By Maria Age 11 Bellevue, NE Once, there was a girl named Maria who lived in Alabama. She had two best friends, Alex and Jessica. They had sleepovers and parties together. Then one day, Maria's family found out they were moving again. They had to move every once in awhile since Maria's dad was in the Air Force. So they moved to Nebraska, leaving Maria's friends behind. Since school wasn't in yet when they moved, Maria couldn't meet any new friends. She was lonely for a long time. This place frightened her. It was nothing like Montgomery. But when she started school in the fall, everything fell into place. She met more people and had more friends. Two of her best friends were Lisbeth and Daisy. She started to enjoy her life in Nebraska. But she did get homesick sometimes. Then her friends comforted her. And as she looked at her friends, she realized that though her life in Alabama could not be replaced, you could always count on your friends to make you welcome. The Song Writing Stone By Nina Age 10 Bellevue, NE Oh, how I love the seashore... "I'm going inside that cave, Mom." "Okay," said Mom. "I'm going then." I took off my clothes and underneath was my bathing suit. I swam there, and then I went further. But I didn't go far. Then I sat on a platform and POOF! A wizard was right in front of me, standing on water! At first I thought I was imagining, but I wasn't. The wizard gave me a glowing stone and said, "This stone will give you anything you want, but don't overdo it." After that I went home and ideas just popped up in my mind. I picked one song I really liked and found a tune for it in my guitar. Then I made a music record and lived like that forever! Kitty's Name By Shani Age 13 Bronx, New York Kitty the cat didn't like her name. It was so boring and usual. She liked the name Catia. Kitty told her friends to call her Catia. And everyone called her Catia. Kitty was so happy because she liked that name. After a while Kitty got bored of Catia, and told everyone to call her Mewella. Everyone did. Kitty was happy she liked the name Mewella. One day Kitty thought Mewella was boring so she asked to be called Catty. Everyone did and Kitty was happy because she liked the name Catty. It was so special and cute. Kitty came home when her sister called her Mewella. Kitty got upset because she was supposed to be called Catty. Her sister said that all these names were ridiculous. No one knew what to call her. Catty, Catia, or Mewella. "What is your real name?" her sister asked Kitty thought for a while, then she realized she had forgotten her real name! Her sister told her it was Kitty. Kitty smiled and went to all her friends. The next day everyone called her Kitty. Kitty liked that name, it was pretty and nice. The Birthday Surprise By Annie Age 10 Melbourne, Australia Julia was a small young girl of nine. She had straight blonde hair and blue eyes. And she was looking forward to something… Her birthday party. She planned to invite her whole class. Julia had already made the invitations. But the only problem was, her mother was angry. "You could've asked me to make them," she said in a snappy tone. Julia wanted to cry. Her mother didn't like her? Julia decided she didn't care and planned to give them out anyway. Patiently Julia sat in the back row listening to all the boring words the teacher said. Then, when it was five minutes before the bell rang she put up her hand. "I would like to invite everybody for my birthday party," she said in a happy tone. But the reaction she got from the class didn't come as expected. It was sniggers. Her teacher shook her head, smiling. "You can't give out invitations in school dear," she said brightly, "or you would get some jealous kids at your neck." The teacher laughed at her own little joke. Julia sulked, trying not to be a baby and cry. It was so embarrassing. All the kids were laughing about it at playtime. Boy, was it a horrible Monday! Soon the days went into Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And no birthday planning came into sight. Julia was sad. Today was Saturday and tomorrow was her birthday. What awaited her on that special day? Nothing. The day passed as quickly as the others. Julia walked to school, crying. She hadn't noticed that no one was at home while she was there. She walked through the school gate and into the school. It was crowded as usual, with kids in all sorts of shapes and sizes. She walked to her classroom and with a heavy heart and pushed open the door. "SURPRISE!" cried the whole class. Julia leaped up in surprise, and so did her heart. She beamed at everyone. She was so happy! Games and music filled the air, and what excited Julia most was the fact her parents were there! Fighter Queen of England By Madison Age 11 Reno, N.V. 18 year old Mia Cartel manoeuvred her way trough the thousands of dead bodies that lay on the ground in the leading entrance to what was Windsor's castle in England. The air was silent except for the few moans and groans from the surrounding bodies. She made her way to where Lord Cherriot stood in what was the entertainment room. Pieces of the piano lay on the stone floor next to him. Lord Cherriot was watching, watching Mia as she made her way over to him. He was waiting, waiting to fight her. He had his gold sword at his side; he griped the silver handle lightly for he was not afraid but impressed with her. She had managed to cross the seven seas; the hurricane that struck in the Indian Ocean; fought trough the wilderness of the African jungles; and here she was now in England making her way toward him. But what impressed him most was that she was a queen who was willing to risk her life for her country. Most queens would send out warriors to fight him, and yes indeed she had brought warriors but she wanted to come face to face with him. For it was Lord Cherriot who sacrificed England's people when he did not get what he wanted, and this was exactly what happened to Mia's older sister who was queen before she died. Mia wanted to take revenge upon him not only for killing her sister, but also for killing hundreds of her people so he could get what he wanted. Mia was now at the bottom of the stairs. She slowly walked up the stairs, taking out her sword spattered with blood. She was at the top of the stairs; she stepped on to the platform that Lord Cherriot was standing on. "Ready?" Said Lord Cherriot as he raised his sword. "I couldn't be more ready in my life." Mia said as she raised her sword too. The swords collided together and made a sharp clanking noise. "So you're ready to die?" Said Lord Cherriot "Not yet!" The swords again collided together. The swords were at chest level, and the swords were crossed in the shape of an X. Mia and Lord Cherriot put their faces close to the X, "You will not be here any more to fear the people of England." Mia said with sweat dripping down her face. "Or maybe you won't be here any more to make sure the people of England are safe." Lord Cherriot said. Now Mia was mad. With skilful sword work she managed to spin her sword around and under his and flip it out of his hands. As Lord Cherriot watched the sword spin in the air, Mia quickly jumped up and grabbed the sword. Lord Cherriot took a couple steps backwards, he fell down the stairs. He rolled on the ground laying there. Mia slowly walked down the steps with both the swords in her hand. When she reached Lord Cherriot she looked down upon him and felt sorry for him. "You can leave England and never come back, or I can finish you now." Mia said as she flipped the sword over so she was holding the blade and the handle was toward Lord Cherriot, for she was giving him back his sword. Lord Cherriot laughed a little, then he reached his hand slowly toward the sword. And at the last second he ripped the sword out of her hand. Mia had gripped the blade so tightly that when he ripped the sword out, he had cut her hand. Mia's hand was bleeding feverishly, she gripped it with her other hand. And by that time Lord Cherriot had stood up. He punched her so hard it knocked her to the ground; her lip was bleeding now too. Her sword was lying next to her but she could not fight with an injured hand, she lay their hopeless. "You see you could never trust someone like me." said Lord Cherriot. "You're despicable!" Said Mia. "I might be despicable but I got my wish you laying here begging me to let you live." "I was not begging." "Yes but you see if you beg I might let you live." Lord Cherriot said with a grin on his face. "I would never beg to someone like you even though it is my life." "Then you shall die." Lord Cherriot said putting his sword to her heart. And with one swift move he had stabbed her. Her eyes widened, she knew she had a couple more seconds to live. Lord Cherriot bent down to her ear and said "All of England will be my slave, and they will have fear forever because Queen Mia was not brave or strong enough." Lord Cherriot said. Mia took the sword beside her quietly and with her uninjured hand she stabbed him. He fell over dead. Mia uttered her last words, "I am braver and stronger than you will ever be." And with that she died. I was horrified to see my older sister die. For I was hiding behind the stone wall not being able to do anything, I could not fight. I could not hold a sword properly for I was only 13 and had no training. But I knew when I got back to my home I will be queen and I will tell my people what my brave sister did, and they will tell their daughters and sons what she did and someday they will have children of their own and they will tell the them story of my sister. And her last wise words will be remembered in England forever. For she was the fighter queen of England The Magic Wand By Ashley Age 9 Jefferson Hills, PA There once lived a boy named Peter Perkins. Peter is just like your typical boy, he's smart, but mostly he's annoying. He was like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". He is always telling lies about different things and everybody falls for it. One time he found a magic wand and decided to try it out on everybody in Metsonville, because everybody was mad at him. It didn't work at all! Then, all of a sudden Peter heard a voice and it came from the wand. The wand was saying how the wand was only used for good and not payback, so he decided to ignore these people that were mad at him and use the wand for good only. So he did, and then he told people about the magic wand. Nobody believed him, so he proved it to them by healing sick people. After about 7 people healed they all believed him. So he treated them all to Vocelli Pizza, and Peter Perkins A.K.A "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", never told another lie again. The "Evil" Stepmother By Annie Age 14 Melbourne, Australia Annika's mother had died. She was so sad. It was because of a stupid illness called....she just couldn't say the word. No teacher or student a school could ever get a word out of her after that terrible incident. She kept her own sad thoughts to herself. She didn't even talk to her best friend, Emily anymore. But one day her father came home from work all in smiles. Annika smelled trouble, the exact opposite of excitement. "How could he forget his own wife?" she then thought miserably. How could he be so happy today? Shouldn't he be sad? "Guess what, Annika?" he said excitedly, startling her out of her thoughts. "What?" she asked, not sounding very excited at all. "You're getting a new mother!" Annika sat up from her chair at the dining room table immediately. "What mother?" she demanded. Then her expression turned grim. "She's not like the stepmother in fairy tales, is she?' Her father frowned. "Not that type of stepmother," he declared. "This one's beautiful. Wait to you see her." He hummed a tune quietly, rapping his fingers on the table, then sniffed the air. "I smell something cooking," he said, and went to the kitchen to get out the dinner. Back in the dining room, Annika gave a big sigh, The wedding day came. It was a grand occasion. Annika had never been to one before. She loved the music and the dancing the most. And the part when they got married, of course. She sighed. The stepmother was indeed beautiful, just as her father had said. She had been wrong to judge by fairytales. "Annika, my darling! Want to dance with me?" It was her father, his face beaming with happiness. Annika danced happily, her face glowing. Her stepmother watched from the distance and asked herself, "Is that little sweetheart going to be my stepchild?" Annika was. And it was meant to be. The King Rules By Jerrie-Ann Age 11 Bellevue Nebraska We all live in a small town ruled by the king, Kowl. Now King Kowl is not like any other king. Everyday he makes the whole town wear weird clothes. On Monday he made us wear blue pants with pink polka dots. Or on Wednesday we had to wear yellow shirts with purple and green smiley faces. Every day was different, but still weird. Soon people got so sick of these clothes they went on a strike. Then the whole town started protesting. The king felt bad about the way the town was acting. So Kowl made their wacky clothes into boring uniforms. The people were not happy with the uniforms either. They were black with grey stripes. The town soon agreed they wanted the odd clothes back. The king was delighted to hear they wanted the fun clothes back. Kowl got all the unique clothes back. Everyone put them on and threw the old uniforms away! Every thing was back the way it was with the different, awkward, odd, unique, wacky, cool… and no boring clothes! The Mouse That Didn't Like Cheese By Emily Age 11 Bellevue, NE Once upon a time ….. wait, every story begins with that. How 'bout: There once was a mouse named Mouseamilion, Mouse for short. That's me, I'm Mouse. I was different than my 200 brothers and sisters. I'm the third oldest and I don't like cheese. Meat is soooo much better. My mom won't try it until I can find meat without getting caught. Humans are mean. I wanted meat so bad I went to extremes. There was this succulent smell of grilled steaks with rosemary. I went to investigate. 'These steaks smell delicious, Max.' said the human. 'Yeah, Ken, but it needs more seasoning. Come and help me get some.' said the other as they both left. Now I don't steal, but I wanted my mom to try it. So I stole the biggest steak there. When I got home I gave it to my mom. She devoured it. Food was flying everywhere. Left and right it was flying all over. Some hit me in the face! Then everyone threw food. After it was finally over my dad announced that to minimize and down size on mess we could only have meat once a month. Everyone groaned, awww. At least I get some meat. But now to get this meat out of my fur! The Weirdest Story in All the Fairytales By Matthew (Based on: The Stinky Cheese man) Once upon a time, there was an old, lonely lady. So she decided to make a Stinky Bacon Man! He was a greasy, steaming' piece o' bacon with an olive head. Then, something unexpected happened, HE CAME TO LIFE!!! He ran off taunting, "Ha, Ha, Ha, you can't catch me I'm a stinky bacon man!" And then the old lady said," You know what; I'm not so lonely anymore because I have new baby kittens to keep me company!" Just then, he ran by some kids. And the stinky bacon man ran off. The kids ran away crying, "I hate bacon, I hate olives!" The stinky bacon man kept on running and running til he couldn't run anymore. Then, he met an old man who swallowed a Gingerbread man …"WHERE AM I? THIS ISN'T WASHINGTON D.C.!" interrupted the little red hen. Then the Gingerbread man walked in. The Three Little Pigs followed, so did the Wolf. The Little red riding hood came by running. Then, all the fairytales came ripping in through the story. Then the story EXPLODED INTO NOTHING! And they all lived happily ever after… (Not really) … The Strange Man By Brendan Bellevue, NE One day a little boy was born, but he turned into animals! When they drove home he turned into a shaggy hawk. Then 10 years later he couldn't control it. One day in the merry merry month of May, they went to a beach, he was hungry so, he turned into a shark, ate some fish and scared everyone away. The next day at school he turned into an Ant and got sent to the Principals office. Then when he was 14 he was running he suddenly transformed into an ostrich with a long, hairy neck. Then someone asked him if he wanted to play baseball and he said "YES". So, he turned into a hairy silverback Gorilla, broke the bat, got angry, and scared all the kids away. Then he said," Sorry". He turned into a bat in his closet. His Mom said he had to leave. 5 years later he moved to a volcano. Rameanzel By Kayleigh (Based on Rapunzel) Once upon a time, Brooklynne was going on the ocean and she dropped a globe into the ocean! Can you guess what was in the globe? Henry and Katie, Rameanzel's dad and mom… well, not Rameanzel's parents yet. Here I will fast forward into the story: Once upon I time, Henry was pregnant. Once the baby came out she said, "Mommy get me some milk before I scream, I'll just scream anyway, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh". "It's okay, don't cry," said Katie. "Silence, mommy" said the baby. "That's why they named her Rameanzel. "Zip your lips NARRATOR" said RAMEANZEL. What, you still want me to fast forward it more? Fine, fine! So when Rameanzel grew… You still want me to fast forward? Okay, okay! The witch stole the meanest girl alive. Rameanzel was so mean the witch put her in a castle. The next day all the men alive came to see Rameanzel to date her and one person liked Rameanzel so they got married. They went on their honeymoon to Jamaica and he fell out of their boat and was never seen again. Rameanzel had a child and this story goes on and on and on… Me, the Science Geek By Kamden Age 9 Mountain Home, Idaho Pink gooey gum dripped from the walls, I looked at my science teacher. I didn't like the look on her face. Wait a second, do you want to know it all from the beginning? If you do keep reading, but if you don't throw me in the garbage and forget I'm there. My name is Carle Mgile, but people call me maniac Mgile. Why, here's the answer. I'm a science-inventing maniac. Anyways let's get right to the point. My school was having a big science fair, and I had signed up. I was wondering what to make when my little sister Anna asked my mom, "Can I have some gum?" My mom answered, "No honey we don't have any, you'll have to wait till we go shopping." Then, I knew what to make, a bubble gum making machine. I got right to work. When the science day came, I went to school twenty minutes early and got my machine ready. People started to arrive and the judging began. Finally it was my turn. My science teacher looked at my machine, me, then set a table sideways and went behind it. I got ready and touched a button and, SPLICH. Pink gooey gum dripped from the walls, I looked at my science teacher. I didn't like the look on her face… Afterwards I walked home with a last place paper badge on my shirt. I looked up and saw a sign on the city hall, For All Ages I looked at my machine and raced home to fix it up. Once Upon A Kitchen Counter By Paige Age 11 Bellevue, NE Once upon a kitchen counter, there was a scarlet, ripe, adventurous apple named Trevor. While the family of the house was gone, Trevor would explore the world around him. Then, he would check the calendar to see when they would be back. So, he was never discovered. But you're probably thinking, "An apple can't move!" Well, this one could! Trevor was planted in a farm with toxic pesticides, which gave him the ability… But that's another story. One day, the family of the house went grocery shopping. They bought a bunch of oranges. Trevor didn't know it, but there was a special orange in the bunch. His name was Richard. Richard was a timid, shy, yellow-orange orange. Trevor was happy to see another moving fruit like him. Even though they had their differences, they became friends easily. Several weeks later, the family left as usual, and Trevor started to show Richie (which is what he called him) around. Unfortunately, the family of the house got home earlier than what the calendar said. They rushed through the door, soaked from the downpour outside. They were shocked to see fruits rolling and jumping around. Even though Trevor and Richie couldn't talk, fruits have their way of communicating. Trevor told Richie to run and make it to the door. "Are you crazy?!" Richard screamed. "Just follow me!!!" Trevor replied. Richie and Trevor hobbled as fast as pesticide-toxic covered fruits could hobble! They slid through the humans' legs and escaped into the downpour. Trevor saw a leaf and pointed (well…whatever) it out to Richie. They hopped onto it and rode it like a raft. The stream they were riding on led to a bigger stream, which led to a river. And to this day, Richie and Trevor are still floating, looking for adventure. Mary's Apple Tree by Esther Age 9 Málaga, Spain Mary lived in a comfortable house in Louisville, Kentucky. One day she decided that she wanted to grow an apple tree. The apples it would produce were going to be Red Delicious. She loved to eat them and figured that it would cost less to just have your own tree. She went to a store that sold seedlings and asked if they had any apple trees that produced Red Delicious apples. The store owner told her that he would look, and there was! Mary looked at them and she saw one that she wanted; the store owner said it was the best of the lot. "How much does it cost?" Mary asked. "It costs four dollars," replied the man. "Four dollars!" exclaimed Mary, "I don't know if I have that much in my pocket." But look! Mary did; only four dollars, no more. But Mary wanted that apple tree, so she gave the man the four dollars. Then Mary started walking home. The apple seedling was actually quite heavy. When she neared home, her older brother rushed out to help her, "Here, Mary, I'll get it." "Okay, it's pretty heavy." warned Mary. Jonathan, her brother, assured her that he was strong enough. Then Mary's mother came out to see what the commotion was about, she smiled when she saw Mary's apple tree and asked, "How much did it cost you, Mary?" "Four dollars." Mary replied. Her brother had widened his eyes until they couldn't go more, "Four dollars!" he exclaimed. Her brother couldn't save that much money. He always spent all the money he got on candy. Mary didn't know why he wasn't already sick. But Mary's mother didn't seem to mind the fact that Mary had spent four dollars on a tree. "Mary, how about we plant it now, because it will probably take a few years before it bears much fruit," suggested her mother. "How many years will it take?" asked Mary, "because I don't want to wait twenty years, but I wouldn't mind waiting for four." Mary's mother said that it would take about five or six years to bear lots of fruit, but that it would produce some apples before that, maybe at four years. So Mary went and planted the apple seedling, and then she waited. And she waited. And she waited. The first year it was bigger but didn't have any apples on it. The next year it was even bigger. The third year it was bigger than Mary herself, but still no apples. The year after that, it had a few blossoms, which turned into a few apples. Finally, after six long years of waiting, Mary's dream came true. Her tree had lots and lots of apples just waiting to be eaten. They were red and they were delicious; not surprising from a Red Delicious apple tree. A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words By Emily Age 14 Australia "Ladies and gentlemen, there is one missing piece." The audience looked quizzically at each other and stared hard at the stunning artwork this presenting artist had displayed. It looked perfect. There was nothing wrong with it. A puzzled audience member put up his hand. "But Mr. Alsip," she said in surprise. "No piece of your artwork is missing, so what are you talking about!" The artist frowned at him. "I didn't mean it like that I meant the goodness of the picture is missing." "Huh?" the audience member said in puzzlement. "It looks alright to me." The artist pointed to the picture. "The woman is holding her son. But where is the expression on her face? Does it show any emotion?" "No," said the audience member. "Then she has no love for her son. Do you notice the red on his body?" the audience member gasped. "She killed him? how could she do that?" The artist sighed. "No one ever knows. There are unfortunately a lot of people in the world like her. We just have to make it a better place." "By doing what?" asked the audience member. "To do all that you can do. There is a saying," continued the artist with a smile, "that a picture is worth a thousand words." The audience smiled. They all knew that saying. An excellent piece of art could mean anything. Wether it's jealousy, love or hatred. A sound of applause rose from the audience, everyone impressed with the artist. Even the audience member wore a smile on her pretty face. As for the painting, it was hung in the hall of fame, for all to see. Pirate, Popcorn and a Party By RHWWW (Reno Homeschool Wonderful Wacky Writers) Ages 10 to 16 Reno, Nevada A roar surged behind the fleeing chickens, as they raced through the night, behind them, a dragon. Their pirate ship flew through the air at top speed, but Hungry Dragon was quickly gaining. It had been a mistake! It all began when Hungry Dragon had deposited his corn seed into an empty field on his way to his mother's. She disapproved of her son's overeating. About ah hour later, the chicken crew found a stash of food waiting for them. Ecstatic, the crew gathered it together and hustled it onto their ship. And just like that, the chickens flew off into the night like the heroes they thought themselves to be. Just then, Hungry Dragon returned from his mother's house. What he saw was not to his liking. Pirates were sailing off with his food! With a horrible scream, Hungry Dragon pursued. Terrified, the chickens fled. Captain Foul clucked to his crew, "Make ready the guns!" then fled to his cabin; he was only a chicken, after all. Without the guidance of their captain, the crew loaded the guns with whatever was available; in this case their stolen feed. Hungry Dragon was closing in, his jaws wide open and ready to blast them with fire. The crew squawked as they blasted off the cannons. Fire and corn met at the same moment and popcorn exploded over the scene. Hungry Dragon and the pirates stopped in amazement. "What is this stuff?" asked Hungry Dragon. The frightened chickens replied with a shaky, "Popcorn Sir!" "What's Popcorn Sir? Is it good enough to eat?" The chickens only nodded as Hungry Dragon helped himself to a handful of the white fluff. "Yum! This is good! Here, come and join me!" And so they sat down together and had a party that lasted through the night. My Brother the Inventor By Shelly Age 11 Redmond, Washington My brother is an inventor. He loves to put together random parts and pieces to create machines. Sometimes, it takes him a really long time to build a machine. First, he gets an idea. Sometimes, he gets ideas at the most random times. He'll be sitting at the dining room table eating dinner when suddenly, he will say, "Eureka!" He runs off to his room and draws blueprints. Blueprints are like a really detailed picture of what the machine is going to look like. His room is filled with blueprints. He always borrows my crayons and uses them all up! Then, he finds the parts to build his invention. My brother and my dad go to the junkyard together and pick up lots of pieces. I think the junkyard is stinky, but to my brother, it's a Treasure Land! My brother and his tool box go to the garage and won't come out for hours. We can hear hammering and grinding all throughout the house. He transforms all those bits he picked up at the yard into a beautiful contraption. He wheels out each gadget while we all whistle and clap. And then, the moment of truth! My brother plugs in the machine and turns it on. Usually, his inventions work. Sometimes, they don't; and when that happens my brother isn't discouraged. He goes right back into the garage and tries again, because my brother never quits. He is a true inventor. The Witch By Shelly Age 11 Redmond, Washington "Hickory dickory dock, turn this apple into a clock," said Alaina. Boom! With a loud noise, the apple blew up. "Oops," said Alaina. Alaina was a witch, but she wasn't a very good one. All her teachers at her school, The Wizarding Academy, had given up on her ever becoming a true witch, but her classmates never got tired at laughing at her mistakes. But Alaina kept trying. One day, a new girl came to The Wizarding Academy. She was a natural witch, and she had all the teachers and students wowed. During lunch, the girl came up to Alaina and said, "Hi! I'm Dorothea! You seem to be having a little trouble. If you want, I could help you with your magic." Alaina replied happily, "Sure! That would be great. Thank you so much!" From then on, Alaina and Dorothea met every night and Dorothea helped Alaina with her spellwork. Finally, six weeks later, she was ready. "Class, today we will be learning a new spell to create fire," the professor said. "Any volunteers for a demonstration?" The professor was secretly hoping that Dorothea would raise her hand. However, she didn't. Instead, Alaina did. "Alaina?" the professor said, clearly surprised. "Come up then." I can do this, Alaina thought as she walked to the front of the classroom. "Go Alaina!" Dorothea cheered. "Okay, Alaina," the professor said. "Repeat after me… To fulfill my heart's desire Produce a roaring fire In the hearth in front of me Extra inviting and cozy Alaina recited the spell and held her breath. With a loud pop, a fire appeared! All her classmates cheered. From then on, Alaina's classmates and teachers had new respect for her. Alaina grew to have many friends. However, her best friend was, and was always, Dorothea. Sly's Wish By Isaac Age 7 Saluda, North Carolina Sly, the snake, was in the desert waiting for food. He hid in the sand. A camel came by. The camel had two humps. Sly jumped out of the sand and bit the camel. When the camel fell, the snake ate him. When Sly was done he saw a bone. The bone said on it, "MAKE A WISH." Sly made a wish. He wished that the camel was back alive. Nothing happened. The next day there was a camel with six thousand humps. Sly was so afraid to attack that he slithered away. He slithered so far away he came to a tree. There was something falling down the side of the tree. It looked like water. Sly stuck his tongue to it. Sly said, "It won't come off." He shook his head. The stuff was stuck to his tongue. It did not taste good. Finally, that stuff came off. Sly said, "I'll never do that again." He noticed he was thirsty. He slithered to a pond. The pond looked real. Sly tried to drink from the pond. All he got was mouth full of sand. That taught me a lesson. I should have wished for water! |
