|
Book of the Day
Watch the "Book of the Day" here and on the home page. Your book may be featured! |
|
Home
•
Music
•
Books
•
Puzzles
•
Games
•
Contests
•
Classroom
•
Catalog
Rules • September • October • November |
2007 — 2008 Writing Contest (October 07):
Click here for: Quick Submission Details
|
|
Blue Bird Saved My Life By Megan Age 8 Henderson, NV Hi, my name is Christina and I am 8 years old. As long as I can remember I am afraid to go outside. My parents home school me so I don't have to leave my home. Everyday I watch people have fun from the window in my bedroom. When I try to go outside, I get so scared and have to run back inside. All my friends have to come inside to play with me. I am sad. One day when I was eating breakfast, I looked in the backyard and saw the prettiest blue bird. She seemed to be watching me too. I told my mom to put some bird food in the bird feeder so she would come back. Everyday I would watch my beautiful blue bird and she would watch me too. After she ate she would always come by the window and sing so beautifully. I looked forward to her visits. One morning, my mom was in the shower upstairs when I saw a black cat trying to get my blue bird. I started screaming to try to scare the cat. I then tried to bang on the window and that still didn't work. I knew I had to go outside if I wanted to save my bird! I slowly opened the door and put one foot outside. I heard my beautiful bird crying in pain! I didn't think. I just ran to birdhouse and scared the mean black cat. I was surprised I was outside and didn't have a panic attack! I saved blue bird's life and she saved mine! The True Story Of Rapunzel By Andrius Age 7 Florida, NY Bla, bla, bla, skip, skip... ah, here we are, right where the prince was climbing up her hair. This is the true story of Rapunzel: As the prince started climbing up, Rapunzel Shouted , "Hey watch it buddy, you're pulling too hard, (ouch!) and it took ten years to convince my parents to give me hair extensions." The prince yelled, "Sorry Rapunzel!" They ended the fight. The prince was about to kiss her when Rapunzel said, "Don't kiss me, I just got my lip pierced and I had to pay 10,000 dollars for it... oh just kiss me already!" And that's how they fell in love! There was no witch; I just ran away from my parents because they wouldn't allow me to get a cell phone. The reporters didn't like the real story one bit, so they just made up their own! If I Was a Walnut By Lily Age 8 Beacon, NY Once there was a cow who wanted to be a walnut. The cow wished and wished every night, but she didn't change. One night something changed in her fridge. Her milk was a potion that would change her into a walnut for an hour. In the morning she always has a drink of milk. This morning when she had her milk she changed into a walnut! She thought it was a dream. After an hour she did not have another cup like she usually did. The next day she bought water. That night the same thing happened. In the morning, she tried the water and she turned into a pig for one hour. The next morning she bought juice and did not change. The Power of Hans… By Drew, Age 12 Wexford, Pennsylvania Hans, a friendly giant, came to the little town of Hendrenburgh. The giant came to help Jacob with building the town dam. You see, the city was under constant fear of flooding, and it was Jacob's job to protect them. But as luck happens, the giant's arrival was on Friday the thirteenth, and with a full moon scheduled for that night. That just spells disaster. With Hans's help, the dam was nearly completed. But suddenly at midnight, Hendrenburgh was hit by a ferocious flood. The bright moon illuminated the dangerous waters as brightly as broad daylight while the flood wiped through the dam. Thinking fast, Hans threw himself across the dam, taking a full force blow from the raging rapids. The water retreated, and Hans got up and blew on the water, creating a whirlpool. The force of the whirlpool drilled a hole in the ground which more water rushed into. Hans hurried to wake Jacob, and rushed back to the dam. Jacob ran around waking the entire town up as he screamed to fix the dam. Soon the dam was repaired because everyone was working on the dam together. But the water kept on pounding, so Hans concocted a new plan. "Quickly, start digging massive spillways," ordered Hans. Everyone pitched in. Han's cousins, also named Hans, came to help. Because of the dazzling moon, none of them even needed flashlights. With everyone's combined effort, the new spillways entered safely into a nearby river. Now, the town of Hendrenburgh was for once in peace. But they risked a lot having only Jacob build the dam. If he hadn't finished, the entire town would have perished. The only reason they didn't is because Hans and his cousins came to help. As you can see, many Hans make light work. Mojo The Chicken By Valerie Age 10 Allenhurst, Georgia There was a chicken named Mojo. She was a very talented chicken. All the chickens loved to watch her do magic tricks, like the exploding egg trick and the milk coming out of another chicken's feathers trick. She was the coolest chicken in the whole barn. One day Mojo was doing some magic tricks and one chick asked, "Can you do the exploding egg trick?" Mojo said, "Sorry kids I have to go lay eggs. Hopefully one of those eggs doesn't explode." While she was laying her eggs, the other chickens heard Pat, the owner of the barn, talking to someone. He said something about giving away one of the chickens. "NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" yelled one of the chicks. So they started bobbing their heads. Once they settled down, they said goodbye because they didn't know who or when the "chicken" would leave. After Mojo was finished laying her eggs, Pat picked her up, put her in a cage, and gave her to the farmer. Shirley, the quiet chicken, feeling very sad, wondered, "Why did Pat take Mojo? She's the best chicken here?" So the chickens started going crazy. It's been a few days now and the chickens have been bobbing their heads and falling on the ground. And Pat keeps wondering why they are acting so strangely. But then he realized that he gave Mojo away three days ago. So Pat told the chickens he was very sorry for giving Mojo away. The next day the chickens were making eggs. Pat said, "I have a surprise for you! It's Mojo!" The chickens were so happy, they started bobbing their heads! This time it was for a good reason. From that day forward, the chickens were doing great. And Mojo? She's still doing her magic tricks. Mama Rosita's Bakery By Erica Age 11 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania As you walk down the street on an awful, rainy day, one shop front catches your eye. The warm golden light from the window and the extraordinary smells of baking wonders draw you in. You walk inside and you gasp. The tables are covered with clothes of red and blue and gold. People are sitting in the corner sipping tea and coffee, talking and laughing. Under the glass counter are pies, cookies, and cakes of every shape and size. All of them look wonderful and you just want to eat them all right then. nnb Behind the counter Mama Rosita stands. A short, stout woman with kind eyes, Mama Rosita is the kind of person who everyone calls "Mama" whether she is their mama or not. "How may I help you?" she asks in her flowing voice. You begin saying, "Oh don't bother," when you see the most beautiful cake ever hiding at the end of the long counter. The blues and purples of the flowers look perfect alongside the green icing words. Looking at the "Happy Birthday!" written on the masterpiece, you remember that today is your mother's birthday! You snap up the cake in a second, and carry your trophy out of the shop. As you step outside you are smiling from ear to ear, the only thing that can gloom your spirits is the rain pitter-pattering on the ground. You are safe under your umbrella and the cake has a plastic umbrella of its own, as you walk down the street on a rainy day. First Game, No Shame By Braeden BEEP!!!! It was 5 am when the alarm went off, but I was already awake. Excitement surged through me as I packed my hockey equipment. It was the first game of the season and I was pumped. I was on the WILDCATS, a girls' under 14 hockey team. I wanted to win. As we got to the arena, Carolyn, a girl who is new to hockey, told me which locker room to go to. Once I got in, only a couple of team-mates were there. After I had gotten all my equipment on, I slid my jersey over my head. On the back it said YEO 34. Then coach came in. He told us to play our hardest and to have fun. Coach Napoli's daughter, Becca, led the team in stretches. She had been on the team the longest. A couple of girls and I had been on the team the year before, and everyone else was new. Finally, the puck was dropped. I was on the very first line. Our center-man, Calista, won the puck and passed it to me. I started skating as fast as I could. I decked an opponent, but she caught up to me before I could take a shot on goal. She stole the puck and skated the other way. I tried to skate after her, but coach called me to the bench for a break. After the first period, the score was 0-0. I was determined to score a goal. When the puck was dropped, the opposing team took control of the puck and skated toward the goal. Our defence, Shelley and Elainey, charged toward them, but couldn't get the puck to go the other way. The other team shot, but Tori, our goalie, made a nice save. A winger on our team, named Gina, took the puck and began to skate with it. Once she was near the red line, a girl from the opposing team blocked her. Her only option was to pass to me and I was wide open. She passed me the puck and I caught it. I was on a break-away. I stared at the goalie. Right now it was just her and me. I could tell she was tensing up. I faked a slapshot, bringing my stick up in the air. She went down in a butterfly position. I saw my chance. I quickly brought my stick back down, bringing the puck to my back-hand. I shot it... and it drizzled into the net. Everyone screamed. I just scored! My whole team crowded around me. The first goal of the season, I had scored. After the third period, nothing changed. I had won the game for us. |
My Purple Kitty By Holley Age 3 Grand Rapids, Mi I have a purple kitty. Her name is Princess. She likes it when I pet her. She will scratch me when she is angry. She purrs and gives me kisses when she is happy. My purple kitty likes her toys. She likes to play with a mouse the best. I love Princess. She loves me. I have a purple kitty, but my mom can't see her. I love my purple kitty. Scaring Sam By Hasan Age 9 Jericho, New York In an ocean, close to a reef, lived Arnold the wise octopus, who often told stories to the reef fish. "Once upon a time, there was a hungry shark named Sam. He searched the reef looking for decayed fish to eat because he was too scared to hunt live ones. Every time the reef fish saw Sam, they started screaming and swimming this way and that. 'Sam the shark is coming!' 'Run for your lives!' Sam would just yell, 'I just wanna eat some dead fish!' No one could hear him due to their panic. One day, Gary Grouper, the meanest fish in the ocean, heard Sam, as Sam chomped on a fish chunk. 'Why does everyone hate me?' moaned Sam. 'You stink!' shouted Gary. Sam, sad at hearing this, swam slowly away with his tail drooping. Gary followed quietly, and just as Sam circled back to the reef, Gary screamed, 'BOOOOO!' scaring the scales off Sam. Hurt and angry, he couldn't understand why Gary was so mean. Gary wouldn't let Sam leave, and bit his tail. Roaring in pain, Sam couldn't take it any more. He burst out, 'Stop bothering me!' Gary only laughed. When Gary kept shouting at Sam, the reef fish, realized that Sam was sweet…not scary. The reef fish gathered behind Sam, and shouted 'GO AWAY!' Gary, simply outnumbered, swam away. The reef fish cheered for Sam. Arnold became quiet, and his audience stared. "What's Next?" "Is there more?" The audience asked. Arnold answered, "Pass on this story to everyone else." "Why?" Arnold explained, "So that they don't get bullied, and they know that standing up for yourself is the right thing." Ghost…! By Riti Age 9 India You will be very afraid to know that long, long ago there lived a man, Rachel, who was not afraid of anything, even ghosts, Who do you think he was? One day when he was at his office his enemy, Sam, said to him, “You say you are not afraid of anything; but can you go to the field of ghosts?” “Yes, I can!” answered Rachel. “Can you go at midnight?” Sam asked. “Yes!” So that night, he went. Suddenly, from the night came a sound. “B-hoo…” “AsAsAs… what was that?” Rachel asked. “That was me sneezing,” a voice replied. “What… sneezing?” “Yes,” the voice answered, “and you are afraid.” ‘A.. a… a… n-n-n-no!” The next day, Sam asked Rachel if he had seen any ghosts. “Yes,” said Rachel. “Bhoo!” As The Snow Falls By Ryan Massapequa Park, New York I ambled down the snow trudged hill, the brisk wind gnawing at my wrinkled face. I kept my head down so the gale wind banged my hood. The wind howled to its pleasing like a gray wolf, just as lonely as I was. My footsteps etched against the white snows of Canada, making an indisputable trace that I was there. I climbed my way up a smooth hill that seemed so high it could compete with the bland Himalayas. I peeked out my old gray eyes to the spot this journey would stop at, my long gray hair flailing in the wind. What lay before me were the memories of the most warm moments of my long life, smoldered into burnt slabs of wood etched across the black snow. What lay here before the terrible forest fire was a snug cabin, where some of the happiest memories of the past lay unearthed and destroyed forever. Memories on my Grandpa's lap in front of a pine Christmas tree in the center of the room. He would say to me in his large leather chair, his spectacles looking down at me, "You know, Meriwether, this house will not always be around. So if it ever does get destroyed, will you come and visit in my memory?" He would smile at me with his bright eyes. "Silly Grandpa, this house will be standing forever!" I said as I buried my young face in him and the whole family began to laugh. I used to believe in forever, then. But now, I realize that forever was too good to be true. I can never bring those memories back, never experience that love again… But wait; maybe memories aren't sad reminders from the past? Maybe they transfer love, not hide it. The Runaway Scarecrow By Michael Age 9 Maydelle, Texas "Gangway!" said the little boy as the scarecrow was approaching from the top of the hill. The little boy was yelling loudly to get everybody's attention. He was yelling, "Get your torches! Get your pitch forks! A scarecrow is approaching from the top of the hill. His eyes are burning with flames. His hay is falling with anger in sight. There is no way you can stop him now." "He's already about to hit the church," said Mr. Oneil who is standing at the church gate. "Wait little kids, let me tell you the whole story. Besides, you are not telling the story right. The scarecrow was out in the Penniseal Woods, of Runaway Town. There was a 200 year old cabin where Mr. and Mrs. El True lived. The scarecrow came and scared them away just by looking into their eyes. The scarecrow figured they might come back, so he stayed there for three months. Little did he know, Christmas was coming. He ran out of the house because there was a huge fire. He ran from the house into the woods to a nameless town. There was a kid saying, "Gangway!" as the scarecrow was approaching the top of the hill. His eyes were burning with flames. His hay was hitting the ground only because he was running. He continued to run, he tripped and fell, rolling down the hill until he hit the teeny, tiny rock. He didn't know what it was but he was lying right on top of it. (It was like a force field all around, like vortex land.) He reached the church gate. He didn't have enough energy to go to the tree, so Mr. O'neil helped him there to lean. A little bit later the snow was coming so the scarecrow, leaning there against that tree, froze up; and that's when the town got the name, Runaway Scarecrow. Little kids, I've been saving this story until you were old enough to understand, but now you know I am Mr. O'neil, I have told you. And, remember, every year the scarecrow keeps on coming alive, but when it's winter, he freezes up. And all the little kids chant, "Yeah! Yeah! Runaway Town has HEY…!" Halloween Fright By Leah Age 11 Allison Park, PA There was a turtle named Tina who lived at the pet store on Smith Lane; but she wasn't any ordinary turtle, she was a different kind of turtle. Tina was a turtle who wanted to become a human. She tried walking on two of her feet, but she wasn't successful. She fell straight on her face and everybody laughed at her. Timmy the turtle laughed and then said, " Why don't you give up Tina, you're never going to be able to do it." But Tina knew she could do it. She kept on working and working until it came to that very Halloween night… There was a party being held at the pet store and she was going to show all of those mean turtles what she was made of. When everybody was at the party she was ready for her little surprise. Her friend Amy armadillo was helping her. " Hit the lights," Tina said. When Amy switched the lights off everybody screamed. Spiders dropped from the ceiling and the door opened. "Somebody is out there!" Timmy shrieked, and then Amy fell on the floor and everyone asked her what was happening and she said she truly didn't know. Then everyone saw something frightening walk through the door on two feet with a scary mask on. Everybody screamed and tried to hide. Then all of the lights came on, and Tina and Amy were laughing like crazy. When they all realized that it was Tina in that scary costume and standing on two feet they all applauded her. Tina earned the respect of her classmates. She could walk like a human. This was the best Halloween ever! The Babysitter By Katherine Age 11 Once there was a babysitter. She never got any jobs, but then one day she heard an unusual noise, ''Brrring, brrring, brrring.'' She jumped. She had never heard this noise, she searched … it was the phone. ''Hello, this is Wendy the babysitter, how may I help you?'' She was so excited that she was nervous. ''Oh, yes, hello. Do you take jobs at the last minute?'' It was a very old lady. At first Wendy couldn't say anything, then, "Yes!" she screamed. "Ok, write this down. I have three grandchildren for you to watch. I will give you ten dollars an hour. I live at 2715 Norlay Drive. Thank you. Oh and come by at 5:30 today! See you then." She hung up and Wendy was speechless. She looked at her watch it was 5:00! She rushed to the shower because she smelled like rotten onions, brushed her teeth, and was out the door. Wendy got there just in time, it was 5:25. She rang the unusual doorbell. "Quack, quack." Wendy jumped "Hello?" the old lady bellowed. "Hello, this is Wendy the babysitter. I am here to watch your three grandchildren!" She paused… " Oh, yes, Wendy come in, come in!" Wendy waltzed right in. Her jaw dropped to the floor. "Hello, dear, these are the kids!" the old lady said. "What!" Wendy was appalled. You are joking! You said you have three kids for me to watch!" Wendy screamed! "Oh, I did. I meant three sets of triplets !" The old lady slowly said. "That is it I quit! I am never going to baby-sit again!" And Wendy never babysat again! She decided to go into hair styling and that is a totally different story. The Three Birds By Shannon Age 11 Pittsburgh, PA One day Ashley, Ally, and Annie were sitting in their nest where they lived with their mom. It was lunchtime, so the three birds went out to find worms. Ally and Annie were looking for worms when they heard Ashley shout, "Hey guys, over here!" So they flew over to her. When they got there, they saw it, too, it was a small toy doll someone must have left there. Annie asked, "Do you think we should keep it?" Ally replied, "I don't see why not." So the three birds played with their new toy until dark. The next morning they saw a dog that looked very sad. So Ally told her mother. The mom flew over to the dog and said, "What's wrong?" The dog answered, "Someone stole my doll!" The mom paused and pondered, then said, "I think I can help you." So the mom flew up to the nest and told them, "Girls, that doll doesn't belong to you, now go return it to the dog!" "But mom, finders keepers - losers weepers, what about that rule?" Ashley asked. "Yeah, I like that rule better," Ally agreed. Then the mom exclaimed, "Girls, you know it's the right thing to do so go NOW!" So the girls whined and complained all the way there. "Hi, my mom told me to return this to you," Ashley said gloomily. When the dog saw the toy its eyes lit up and it wagged its tail with joy. After that the girls didn't mind giving up the toy, because the dog was so happy. From then on, the dog, Ashley, Annie, and Ally played with the doll together every day. |
