Give Them Their Flowers
Cool, Cool Adventures of Pollinators and Plants
Stories by 2nd Grade Students
University Prep Academy’s Mark Murray Campus in Detroit, Michigan
Give Them Their Flowers
Cool, Cool Adventures of Pollinators and Plants
Fantastical and occasionally factual insights into the lives of pollinators and the plants who rely on them.
826michigan Staff
Megan Shuchman Executive Director
Kinyel Friday Operations Director
Megan Gilson Program Manager
Denise R. Ervin Program Manager
Amy Sumerton Communications & Development Manager
Eli Sparkman Program & Volunteer Coordinator
Diamond Sharpe Program & Operations Associate
Catherine Calabro Cavin Grants Writer
Teaching Artists & Apprentices for the 2024–25 School Year
Paige Bennett, Rachel Chalfant, Jeniya Dabish, Rachel Debolski, Emmett Flinkman, Terance Gordon, Caitlin Koska, Alondra Mireles, Elizabeth Mitchell, Alex Quada
826michigan
Board of Directors
Maria Montoya (co-president), Abby Fanelli (co-president), Christopher Ankney, James A. Hiller, Holly Hunt, Steve Janssens, Tanya Line, Denice Olson, Susan Morrel-Samuels, Patti Wheeler
Copyright © the 2024–25 school year by 826michigan and Blotch Books. All rights reserved by 826michigan, the many whims of Drs. T & G Blotch, the illustrators, and the authors. 826michigan encourages students to express themselves freely in their writing and take inspiration from their own experiences and vast imaginations. The ideas conveyed in this book come from our brilliant authors. Not all the pieces are factual or factual in their entirety, nor do all the views expressed reflect those of 826michigan. We support all student publishing and are thrilled you found this book.
Printed at MAYS Multimedia in Detroit, Michigan
Design by Darren Cools
Illustrations by Daisy Illustrations
By purchasing this book, you are helping 826michigan continue to offer free student programs. For more information, visit: 826michigan.org
Patton, Cylie Allen, Malia Moore Woodard, Shawndale Meeks, Jr., and Teena Hughey
Ramiyah
Hello!
This is how many stories begin in Give Them Their Flowers, this collection of “pollinator short stories” you are currently holding in your . . . hands, claws, wings . . . with your tongue, if you are, perhaps, a sphinx moth?!
These pollinator speakers (bees, flies, beetles, wasps, butterflies, birds, and even . . . the wind) are eager to meet you. They want to teach you about their world, their dreams, their adventures, and their everyday role in the process of pollination, the work they do to make plant life possible on our planet.
Give these student authors their flowers! Read this book.
Learn about these pollinators!
You’ll see they love their flowers, too.
These characters are excited to tell you about their lives because their authors, 80 talented, brilliant second-grade students at University Prep-Mark Murray in Detroit, made them this way. These young scholars love to learn and they love to teach. They see the world in full color and they hear its music and they’ve created stories that are filled to the brim with life!
Please visit the back of the book to read more about the curriculum we used to create this publication, especially if you are interested in creating something like this of your own.
It was my great privilege to write these stories with them over the course of six weeks in the winter of 2025. I worked with my staff at 826michigan and many generous volunteers who are undergraduates at Wayne State University. This work couldn’t happen without the collaboration of our UPMM second-grade teachers: Ms. Jackson, Ms. Jones, Ms. Martin, and Ms. Plunkett, whose partnership, patience, and devotion to their students is the backbone of a book like this. Please, give them their flowers. Give these student authors their flowers! Read this book. Learn about these pollinators! You’ll see they love their flowers, too.
Flowers which, by the way, belong to my last destination of gratitude. All twenty plants who are central characters in these stories are located in the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Belle Isle Conservatory. Thank you to Amy Emmert for making Belle Isle Conservancy one of 826michigan’s most trusted partners, and for giving these stories a home not only in a book, but out in the world. Visit Belle Isle and see these plants and imagine these characters whirling around in that glass castle.
See them how these young writers saw them.
See them for what they are: a vital part of our ecosystem. And say “Hello.”
Elijah Sparkman Detroit Program and Volunteer Coordinator
Ms . Jackson’s
2nd grade class
Found in Belle Isle
Pollinator: Plant: Honeybee Avocado Tree
Ms. Jackson’s 2nd grade class
The Honeybees Pollinate the Avocado Tree
Harlem King, Lauryn Bradley, and Rhomel Logan
There once was a giant slide that was inside of an avocado tree. There was a honeybee and its hive was in the branches. The bee saw a flower and went to the flower and collected the pollen and the bee was beautiful. There was a yellow and black sunflower. It was a Sunday and the bee went to the flower with the pollen and gave the pollen to a flower. pollen pollen pollen bssss bssss bssss
The giant slide inside of an avocado tree was on a beach. It smelled like pancakes and hot dogs cooking on the grill. There was a huge playground and a swing and monkey bars. It sounded like kids playing and running. It tasted like strawberry pancakes and ribs. The bees could touch the zip line.
And when they slid down the zip line, they felt like butterflies in the wind.
Then, they went to a lavender tree. It smelled like nectar and ice cream. They loved the smell of the lavender tree. It was purple and had yellow pollen in the middle. The zip line went to a pool. They wanted to go on a waterslide into a pool.
SPLASH!
WHOOSH!
The bees ate sweet nectar ice cream that tasted like sugar and honey and rubbed their fuzzy tummies and said, Mmmmmmmmmm. Then they noticed the pollen on their fuzzy tummies. So they sprinkled it on another avocado tree flower. It was vibrant and green.
They knew it could grow more avocados and people could eat them with bread.
They saw students and accidentally sprinkled pollen on them. But it was okay. Because as the students admired the avocado tree flower, they helped pollinate the avocado tree for the honeybees. The boys wore blue shirts and the girls wore pink shirts. They were happy.
THE END
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Tropical House
Pollinator: Plant: Dawn Bat Banana Plant
Ms. Jackson’s 2nd grade class
The Ice Age Dinosaurs and the Dawn Bats
Cairi Hayes, Gabrielle Seals, Kameron Bell, Micah Patterson, and Trentin Dickerson
Once upon a time, a dawn bat touched the middle leaf in the stem of a banana plant and went into a secret gaming room.
The dawn bat went to the gaming room and got a pollen ice cream bar. He played a dinosaur game with his friends, the protector dawn bats. The two protector dawn bats played as the T-rex and the spinosaurus.
In real life, the dawn bats collect pollen and pollinate the banana plant.
In the game, the dinosaurs collected pollen ice cream bars.
The dawn bats turned off the light and took a nap upside down. They woke at nighttime. And the dawn bats saw the solar eclipse.
At most, the banana plant can make 200 bananas per year.
The dawn bat played music. He rocked all day. The bananas needed light and the bananas were surrounded by dinosaurs. To give them light, he sometimes used LED lights made out of bananas. When they gamed, they ate snacks.
When they were extra hungry, they ate chicken and burgers at their favorite restaurants, McBat’s, Bat-fil-A, and Bat Donuts . . . and had more pollen ice cream bars.
One day, the dawn bat and the protector dawn bats left the gaming room and went to McBat’s and this is what happened . . .
They saw dinosaurs who had escaped from the game in the real world. They heard big stomps. So, they got some cool hats. These hats could make the dawn bats invisible, and invincible too! The
dinosaurs had scary, laser eyes. And had powers like teleportation and speed and strength, and had LED lights on top of their hats.
The dawn bats lured the dinosaurs back into the TV with yummy food from McBat’s. The dinosaurs’ friends, a triceratops and a stegosaurus, were waiting for them to return home!
The next night, they ate pollen cake and cheesecake. And they met their friends, a rhino and a stegosaurus.
People who wanted bananas arrived, but they had to wait for the dawn bats to finish pollinating. They had a happy life and chilled out. They liked to sleep. They slept upside down, on top of the solar eclipse.
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Tropical House
Pollinator: Plant: Bumblebee Coffee Tree
Ms. Jackson’s 2nd grade class
The Bumblebee Olympics
Carson Patton, Cylie Allen, Malia Moore Woodard, Shawndale Meeks, Jr ., and Teena Hughey
Once upon a time there were bumblebees whose favorite thing was bumblebee school.
This is where they learned to pollinate coffee trees, that coffee trees are 17 feet tall, and that coffee trees have cherries with two beans inside that are roasted and turned into coffee for old people. When bees get the pollen, they’re relaxed and happy. Watching TV makes them happy, too.
One bumblebee was in the mathematics club and loved to learn algebra with her favorite teacher, who loved working, so she had almost 5,000 bumblebee mathematics stores. This bumblebee had traveled to 14 places: Canada, the Philippines, New York, London, Paris, Australia, Africa, Italy, Los Angeles, Georgia, India, Egypt, China, and Miami. Her name was Kim, and she also decided to join the cheer team.
Another bumblebee was the quarterback of the football team, and he threw the ball with all six legs at once. He could fly with the ball at 15 mph. His wide receiver had sticky pollen gloves to catch the ball. His name was Carson, and he used to wrestle with the WWE.
Another bumblebee was on the cheer team. Her name was Stumpy. She had a special dance. One bumblebee was a tennis player named Stormy. She was so good that Serena Williams wrote her a letter and said that she was her favorite player. And one more bumblebee, Shawndale, was a baseball player. He could hit coffee beans at a rate of 70 mph.
Their school was on top of a hill, next to a coffee tree. There was a waterfall that went down to the beach. And on the beach there was a giant slide. It smelled like water and fresh air. They could touch the river. And they could see bees quickly getting pollen.
And next to the giant slide was a football field.
And that’s where they played in the Bumblebee Olympics, where the whole school had to work together. And this is how they did it . . .
The games began and both the football and baseball teams were winning.
Stumpy, Stormy, and Kim were on the cheer team that was cheering for Coffee Tree Academy. They were competing against Big Bad Academy.
The last quarter was finally here. Kim and Stormy finished their best cheer: “C-O-F-F-E-E!”
Right after Kim and Stormy joined in the game, they passed the winning pollen catch to Carson for a touchdown! After the game ended, they saw that Shawndale’s baseball teammates were restless. So Kim, Stormy, and Carson joined in the baseball game.
AND THEN THEY WON . . . 199 points to 0!
They did back handsprings. They said, “Good game!” They got presents. And ended with an aerial and a cartwheel with no hands.
After they left the Bumblebee Olympics, they saw . . . Simone Biles!
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Tropical House
BBQ at the Beach
Pollinator: Plant: Blue Bottle Fly Mango Tree
Ms. Jackson’s 2nd grade class
Alanah Banks, Egypt Browder, James Jackson, and Makayla Bowman
Mangoes are heart-shaped.
A blue bottle fly was looking for nectar!
A mango tree saw that he was hungry, so he fed him.
The blue bottle fly brought pollen back to his family, his brothers, his mother, and his dad. So they could all help pollinate the mango tree.
After that, he became best friends with the mango tree and they ate mangoes together everyday.
They went to the Nectar Café. It was on a beach. They could smell chicken. They could see ducks and hear the river, and they could touch sand and it felt like Play-Doh. They saw fruit trees and became friends with them, too!
They could hear birds tweeting in English and Spanish and one bird tweeted: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez . . . counting the geese on the beach.
The blue bottle fly shone in the light. He and the mango tree went into the Nectar Café and ran into a butterfly who the blue bottle fly had been friends with for 18 years. And also a brand-new friend, a ladybug!
Together, they ordered mango smoothies and went back to the beach to watch the sunset and swim in the water.
“That makes me hungry,” said Noodle P. Bow Jr., the blue bottle fly.
His friend Pea Pod, the butterfly, had a great idea. “Let’s fly to Texas for the best mango BBQ ribs,” she said.
Red Rose, their ladybug friend, whispered, “How about you order
whatever sides you want.” And then she shouted, “Mac and cheese, here I come!”
On the way to Texas, it started raining mango seeds and mango trees started to magically grow.
“Guys, we made it!” shouted Pea Pod. “The Bee’s Butter BBQ Chicken Restaurant.”
“I could smell that BBQ 50 miles ago,” said Noodle.
So the three friends ate mango BBQ ribs and mac and cheese until they were stuffed. Too tired to fly back, they got on a plane and watched the Lions game.
“I can’t wait to get back home to Belle Isle,” said Noodle P. Bow Jr.
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Tropical House
The Bee’s Painting Ari
Pollinator: Plant: Honeybee Orange Tree
Ms. Jackson’s 2nd grade class
Dees, Ayden Williams, Brayden Brooks, and Truman Pickens
Hi, my name is Camille the Honeybee.
Normally when I wake up in the morning, I go to pollinator school, but this week I’m on spring break, so . . .
Today, I was flying and painting flowers and oranges. Then, in the corner of my eye, I saw a beelicious flower. I swooshed to the flower, my wings beating 200 times per second, so I could make honey and give it to humans and share like a good bee.
I painted like I just don’t care.
I could paint my favorite place: the orange tree that I pollinate. It had an orange slide and swings. Monkey bars, and people were on them. I tried them and I was good at climbing them. I could see a hive in the orange tree filled with honey. I could hear birds singing. I could taste oranges and nectar. I could touch pollen on my fuzzy bee legs.
It was so fun, I wanted to paint more.
And there was so much to paint, so I started painting a Florida jungle.
I smelled the jungle. It smelled like plants and animals. I heard the howl of a wolf and the bark of a fox. I saw a pitcher plant and his best friend, D.D., a banana plant.
I PAINTED.
And as I was painting, I heard a noise behind me and then I saw a giant spider with eight legs.
“AHHHHH! ” I yelled.
The spider bit my wing but then he stopped and said, “I’m sorry I bit you!”
And I said, “I’m sorry I stung you,” because I realized I’d stung the spider when I was scared.
I said, “What’s your name?”
The spider said, “Buzzman Jr.”
The spider said, “Do you want to come over and play games?”
So we played Minecraft and Beyblades and drank orange juice together. Then there was a knock at the tree and my mom flew in with food from McBee’s. It was burgers and fries you could dip in orange honey! I was so happy I started to dance, but after we ate the food it was time for the honeybees to start their pollinating for the day.
Buzzman Jr. was sad to go home, but was happy to have a new friend!
Ms . Plunkett’s 2nd grade class
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s Palm House
Pollinator: Plant: Fruit Bat Australian Punk Tree
Ms. Plunkett’s 2nd grade class
The Fruit Bat Team Has Breakfast and an Adventure
Avery Murria, Greyson Leverette, Kynsley Lyons, and An Anonymous Student
It was 7:30 p.m. I’d just woken up. I am nocturnal and I am a fruit bat. My name is Avery Jr. I have a big family and lots of friends, including Jimmy 1 and Jimmy 2. We live inside of a conservatory in the middle of the jungle. There are flowers on the ground and flowers that grow upside down, just like us. There is a fire to keep us warm and golden locks around the fire so it doesn’t spread. I have the best eyesight out of any bat, and I am also the largest bat. I am as big as a school bus! Sometimes, I am called a mega bat.
We play games and whoever wins picks a fruit for lunch. I won and picked a blueberry. Sometimes the winner picks a strawberry. Sometimes the winner picks the fruit from the Australian punk tree. The fruit has leaves. It tastes like candy and is really big!
The Australian punk tree is in the middle of the conservatory.
We eat the nectar from this tree’s flower for dinner. The tree is soft. And it loves to drink water, and it is very tall. We pollinate this tree. Inside the conservatory, we can hear the rain sounds and children playing hide-and-go-seek freeze tag!
The last bat to be tagged wins. Sometimes we also play normal tag. After tag, I made soup for all of my friends and the conservatory workers. I made my secret soup recipe full of honey, bananas, strawberries, watermelon, and blueberries. It was a rainbow soup. The soup was tasty and everyone loved it.
After dinner, we played more tag until it was time for a snack.
My bat friend Staci brought carrots. Jimmy 1 and Jimmy 2 brought
takis and hot fries, and Batman brought worms. I brought broccoli and we enjoyed snack time.
Snack time turned into party time and we danced all night to Kendrick Lamar, Rod Wave, Beyoncé, and Michael Jackson. We played tag a little longer before going home to the conservatory for bed. Batman slept on the wall. Staci fell asleep in a bed of flowers. Jimmy 1 and Jimmy 2 fell asleep on the ceiling, and I slept in my bed on the ceiling.
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Palm House
The Dance Battle
Pollinator: Plant: Fig Wasp Banyan Tree
Ms. Plunkett’s 2nd grade class
Ashlynn Cornwell, Jade Joliffi, Makhi Wise, and Nicole Washington
Once there was a pollinator who was born inside of a fig.
It was a fig wasp. It had four wings. And then another fig wasp showed up and said, “Whoever dances the best gets the last fig!” So they danced the Blueberry Dance. And they danced the Strawberry Dance. They danced in a place that smelled like rain and waterfalls. And everywhere they could see trees and little bunnies. They did a move called “The Buzz.” And then they smelled like sweat. So they needed fresh air.
They left the fig. And they saw a giant banyan tree who had roots that grew out of its branches in the air and went down into the ground. They saw a giant slide and a sand castle on the beach.
They danced on the beach and did new moves . . . like . . . the secret dance, which was called the “Buzzing Turkey Fig.”
Then they got hungry again, and they had to take their pollen to another banyan tree so they could eat the fig and pollinate it. So they went on an adventure to find a new fig and pollinate the banyan tree and this is what happened . . .
They came across a mean bee named Timmy who also wanted to find fig trees so he could take all the pollen for himself. So Timmy sneaked up on them and gave Strawberry a big sting. Strawberry screamed out!
To settle their fight, Blueberry and Strawberry challenged Timmy to a dance battle. Strawberry and Blueberry did the splits and then flapped their wings so fast, over a thousand times a minute, that it
blew the bee far away!
Then they bumped into the fig tree and all of the figs fell to the ground. So the figs didn’t go to waste, the wasps grabbed them in a big net. To do this, they needed help! So they did their secret signal to get help from the hive. They all let out a soft Meowww . . . and the hive family flew right to them.
They brought the net full of figs back to their hive to share with their friends and family. They decided to throw a party with fig pizza, fig cake, and fig ice cream! They also played Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. They ended the party with a big group dance, listening to pop music like Taylor Swift. After the dancing, the bees crashed the party, and everyone did the Griddy!
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Palm House
Filly Flonka Bakes a Cake
Pollinator: Plant: Tiny Flies (Midges) Cacao Tree
Ms. Plunkett’s 2nd grade class
Cassidy Coney, Christian McDaniel, Demarco Paige, Jr ., Jaxxon Otis, and Ramiyah Gore
They fly around for fun.
They fly around with their family. They make chocolate cake and cookies. They want to be a chocolate chef like Willy Wonka. Filly Flonka! The chocolate fly. They would see and smell chocolate. Everywhere.
It smells like a rainy place. It looks like trees and animals and fruit and pollen. It sounds like tiny flies (midges) flapping their wings and monkeys making noise and fruit falling and birds calling. It tastes like fruit and pollen and nuts and seeds. It feels wet, damp, windy, fruity, and chocolaty.
But wait, there isn’t just a cacao tree, whose seeds are roasted and turned into chocolate.
There is a candy plant.
There is a pretzel plant.
Filly Flonka is the size of the point of a pencil. He pollinates the cacao tree just like this.
He picks up the pollen on his little back and he takes it back to his kitchen inside of a tree. And he bakes the biggest chocolate cake the hive has ever seen.
See, the hive has never had chocolate cake before, so it’ll be their first time trying chocolate. It’ll also have chocolate whipped cream.
The queen orders Filly Flonka to bake the cake for their chocolatethemed party. The party is at 3:30 p.m. and it’s 3:12 already! Oh no! So he has to act fast! Since he doesn’t have a lot of time, and he’s baking
so fast, he makes a big mess. Whipped cream is all over him and the kitchen. So he puts it in the oven for less time, but it cooks just right, and he finishes in time. He gets it done!
Filly Flonka takes the cake to the party and it’s yummy, yummy in everyone’s tummies. Everyone says, “Thank you, Filly Flonka, for the cake.” And everyone takes a to-go plate. They also ask if he can make more cake.
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s Palm House
Pollinator: Plant: Scarab Beetle Elephant Ear Plant
Ms. Plunkett’s 2nd grade class
A Scarab Beetle Dream That Never Came True Before Until the Scarab Beetle Dreamed of Adventure
Dwayne McClaster, Juliette Samuel, Mason Davis, and Talena Edward-McLaughlin
Hi everybody, my name is TT Shiny Flyer. My friend’s name is Rabbit. We are scarab beetles and we are shiny and metallic. We live in a castle. It smells like flowers and refreshing air from a leaf. It looks like a square house that looks like bricks with a triangle and brick doors. It sounds like wind on the trees and bees dancing. We play dress up. Rabbit sits in the castle. I go hunting for food. Our castle is big and green like the elephant ear plant. We love to eat the heart-shaped leaves of elephant ear plants. They taste like green pizza. You can touch the wavy rollercoaster fringe of the plant. The crust! But we also help to pollinate the plant. We carry the pollen from one flower to another.
One day, me and Rabbit were enjoying our green pizza when all of a sudden . . .
The green door to the green castle magically opened a portal. Inside of the portal was the biggest dream we ever had. In this world, on the ground, in the shade, we saw elephant ears everywhere. We were surprised and we couldn’t believe our eyes.
I said, “Rabbit, pinch me.”
We met two new scarab beetle friends, Flamingo and Lion Boy. We saw an elephant ear that was as giant as a skyscraper. We started
munching. It was chewy like a raincoat and got stuck in our teeth. I lost a tooth and put it under my pillow.
Rabbit said, “I’m full, let’s go home and pollinate our green castle.” We saw beautiful flowers and drank nectar. We were tired and full and took a nap and had a dream about a portal and the biggest elephant ear we had ever seen. And we were in the portal until we woke up!
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s Palm House
Pollinator:
Plant: The Wind Old Man Palm Tree
Ms. Plunkett’s 2nd grade class
Spring Begins
Fox Wesley, Harper Jackson, Jaylen Miller, Karreeskyy Winbush, and Malayah Adams-Alvarez
I wave my arms to say “hello” to the world.
When I wake up, I take a big stretch and eat breakfast. I brush my teeth.
I am the wind. And my name is Windy. I pollinate the old man palm tree.
He is called the old man palm because he has a big beard!
The old man palm tree’s beard can be made into a pillow and his leaves can be turned into bowls.
The old man palm has a restaurant where I eat spicy ramen bowls. There are eggs in my ramen and golden sausages in my ramen. Sometimes I eat chicken noodle soup. And sometimes I blow too hard and knock the soup right out of the bowl!
I am creative and I wear chicken shoes. The island I live on smells like plants and sounds clear, and I can feel the sun rays bouncing off of my fork and spoon while eating my soup.
One day, I was blowing pollen around the island and . . .
I got a little frustrated because I kept blowing my chicken noodle soup away. So I went to a restaurant by Belle Isle. It was called Chicken Noodle Soup Place. And they served their food in real bowls. They also served hash browns!
The new restaurant had magnetic doors and I used my magical hands to get in. I sat next to a banana plant. We talked about pollination.
The old man palm tree missed his best friend Windy. So the old man palm tree grew very tall to see where his best friend was. He
waved his leaves in the sky to say “hi” to his friend and hug him.
The wind came home to play with his friend during spring break!
This time, they enjoyed spicy ramen with a side of tamales. The next day, they brushed their teeth.
Ms . Jones’s
2nd grade class
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s Cactus House
Pollinator: Plant: Desert Hummingbird Golden Ball Cactus
Ms. Jones’s 2nd grade class
The Cheerleader Dance-Off Challenge
Dallas Smith, Kimora Sparks, Reagan Golson, and Two Anonymous Students
Gogogogogogogogogogogogogogogogogogo Bananas!
gogogogogogogogogogogogo Bananas!
This was the cheer of the Desert Hummingbird Cheerleaders. The desert hummingbirds pollinate the golden ball cactus. And they had a cheer competition against the golden ball cactus cheer team on Belle Isle Beach.
The leader of the desert hummingbird cheer team was named Sparkles. She loved nectar. Whenever she saw a flower, she flew to it. She liked to cheer with her best friend, Chocolate. They drank nectar together. They danced in the sky like airplanes. They had really shiny feathers and they sparkled.
The leader of the cactus cheer team was named Bingo. She was a girl and she was brave and strong. She had pointy spines and was green and orange and blue!
Outside of the Belle Isle Conservatory, it smelled like birds and chili dogs and the sand was soft and the water was smooth. Someone drove by playing music and it started a new cheer competition and this is what happened that epic day . . .
The cactus cheer team went first, and they cheered, “Goooo cactus go! We got the flow! Goooo cactus go! We do it as we go!” Then Bingo twisted and hopped into the air and landed in a pyramid. On the sideline, the desert hummingbirds were filled with jealousy. Sparkles
and Chocolate said, “We have to do something better!”
As the hummingbirds took center flower, the crowd chanted, “Give me an N! Give me an E! Give me a C! Give me a T! Give me an A! Give me an R! What does that spell? N-E-C-T-A-R!”
And the hummingbirds were ready to go. They were happy and excited. The guys tossed Sparkles and Chocolate in the air and they did their double-twist into a backflip, then landed with a back handspring.
After the judges talked for what felt like forever, they came back with the winners. Drum roll please . . . (sound of drums) . . . “And the winners of the Belle Isle Cheer Competition are THE DESERT HUMMINGBIRDS! ”
After the competition, the hummingbirds celebrated by going out to eat at the trampoline park. And they ordered golden ball cactus nectar milkshakes with their pizza.
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s Cactus House
Pollinator: Plant: Sphinx Moth Old Man Cactus
Ms. Jones’s 2nd grade class
Scribble-Scrabble: The Old Man Cactus and the Sphinx Moth
Janee Woodward,
Jaydin Nichols, An Anonymous Student, and Pai’tyn Neal
My name is Brooklyn, and I like to do gymnastics with my tongue. My tongue is 11 inches long. I use my tongue to get nectar. And I am the only moth that can get into long tubular flowers. I also like to draw and paint, and in gymnastics I can do a back pink wingspring. And also a cartwheel pink wingspring.
I am a sphinx moth and I pollinate the old man cactus.
The old man cactus is my friend, and he can grow 20–40 feet tall. Sometimes people accidentally touch his spines and get poked and he feels bad. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone.
Sometimes I bring him ice cream from Belle Isle Beach, where I hear the ice cream truck and I smell birds and hear them chirping and I hear music from people’s cars.
One day, I flew to the beach to get ice cream for my friend the old man cactus, when on the soft sand I saw mermaids, and this is what happened next . . .
I found a starfish and I saw mermaid magic. There was a mermaid cactus who was half-mermaid and half-cactus. It opened its arms and said, “Bowwwhhh.” The magic made all of the animals come together and be friends. The fish swam with the mermaids. And there was a pretty pink bird who was pollinating a pretty pink flower.
I got the old man cactus, who is covered in old white hair. I got him vanilla ice cream with sprinkles. I held the waffle cone on my back with my tongue wrapped around it (and I only took a few bites!).
Inside the conservatory it was hot, but the ice cream melted only a little bit because I was moving so fast.
The old man cactus was so happy. He tried to give me a hug, but then he remembered that he was very sharp. It was a mistake and mistakes happen.
Magic is love.
Found in Belle Isle
Conservatory’s
Cactus House
∞ Miles
Per Hour
Pollinator: Plant: Lesser Long-Nosed Bat Organ Pipe Cactus
Ms. Jones’s 2nd grade class
Ava Lee, Dominic Hodge, Jimmie Marshall, and An Anonymous Student
It smelled like fresh air. There were feathers. There was silence. You could taste pickles. And you could touch sand and water from an organ pipe cactus.
This was the nighttime. And there was a lesser long-nosed bat who could fly 120,000 miles in one night. And he could run ∞ miles in his life. This was how much he loved nectar! He drank nectar from the flower of the organ pipe cactus, which he helped to pollinate. The more nectar he drank, the more flowers grew on the organ pipe cactus, and that made him big and strong.
The organ pipe cactus consisted of many stems that were all connected to one short trunk. It produced very sweet fruit, about the size of a tennis ball. It made noise when the air blew around it. It sounded like: “Chchchchchchchch. Ch ch ch. Chichica cha chicka chick chick .”
One day, the lesser long-nosed bat decided to put all of his energy into being a great soccer player. The yummy fruits from the organ pipe cactus gave him the energy he needed.
He wanted to be a striker and score goals, and this is the story of his big game . . .
They ran ∞ miles during the game. When the bat kicked the soccer ball, the net fell down because it was going ∞ fast. They won the soccer game 60–6. The organ pipe cactus made a song when they won, because he was happy for his friend. It went: “Din din din dadadadadad din din din.” The bat drank nectar from his so-small nose. He danced
the bat dance. He flapped his wings to the left, then the right, then the front.
He went home and danced in his living room and jumped on his bed. He held pollen and smiled. He focused on a new sport: flag football. He flew in the air to practice, and when he was tired he covered himself up with his wings and went to sleep.
The next morning at practice, the organ pipe cactus made a new song for flag football. They won the championship! They had a pizza party. The organ pipe cactus became a famous musician. He sang a song about the plants in Ms. Jones’s class that went: “I’m gonna tell you about plants / sun, soil, air, and water / they eat all of these / and grow up to fruit and flower!”
With piano: da dun duh!
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s Cactus House
Pollinator:
Plant: Cactus Bee
Prickly Pear Cactus
Ms. Jones’s 2nd grade class
Fun Facts About Dr. Cactus and the Prickly Pear Cactus on the Giant Slide
Avery Easter, Lily Morris, Jurnee Otis, and Maira Bhatia
There once was a cactus bee who was a doctor and had an office on Belle Isle Beach. She helped other cactus bees when they hurt their legs. Once they were healed, they could touch strawberries and burgers and pizza and watermelon and popsicles. On the beach, they saw people, other cactus bees, and ice cream trucks. They could hear kids laughing and screaming, and they could taste sausages and popsicles.
The cactus bees were good friends with the prickly pear cactus, who they helped to pollinate. The prickly pear cactus is sandy, loves to grow, is purple and pink, and makes delicious candy!
Once the doctor bee helped all the other bees, they could go on the giant slide on Belle Isle. This is the story of the first day of spring, when all of the cactus bees could go on the slide together . . .
They spent the whole day on the slide. And they were laughing and they were screaming and they were having so much fun with their friends. Then, they got hungry so they went looking for some pollen to eat. And they found a really big prickly pear cactus that everybody could eat from. So they ate and ate and ate until everybody was full. Then they went back to the slide for more fun. They went home where their parents were waiting to hear about their day. Their parents could tell they were so happy!
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s Cactus House
Pollinator: Plant: Violet-Crowned Hummingbird Quadricolor Century Cactus
Ms. Jones’s 2nd grade class
The Hummingbirds That Never Stopped the Sugar Rush!
Allante Taylor, Jaxon Doby, Kasim Steele, and Oshea Dodd
One Sunday, a violet-crowned hummingbird and his friends went on a sugar spree for energy so they could fly to the moon! They used the sugar to get energy so they could do some activities and have fun. The hummingbird had a long beak with black ends. It was fast in flight!
The moon was one place they could fly because there was no gravity and they didn’t have to use the laws of physics. They wore helmets and space suits and oxygen tanks. They defied gravity because they were the fastest birds.
After getting home from the moon for dinner, the hummingbirds played on the hummingbird PC.
Just then, they heard buzzing and the sound of the quadricolor century cactus, which only flowered once every one hundred years. It had very sharp spikes and it looked like a crown.
The quadricolor century cactus was outside with the violetcrowned hummingbird playing football with other cacti. They were playing against the honey team to win a trophy of a bee holding a ball in the Super Bowl.
The violet-crowned hummingbird went outside to join the game and this is what happened . . .
There was a half-time show with music playing in the background. There were cars shaped like quadricolor century cactus plants. When it hit 7 o’clock, the hummingbirds had to leave their cars for the game to continue. While driving, they enjoyed sugary agave syrup drinks. Then they got home.
Their home was nest-looking with a hole that the hummingbird used to enter. They had a party all night because the quadricolor century cactus plant had flowered after one hundred years! After the party, the hummingbirds all slept until morning.
Ms . Martin’s
2nd grade class
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Tropical House
Best Friends at the Arcade
Pollinator: Plant: Monarch Butterfly Chenille Plant
Ms. Martin’s 2nd grade class
Addison Miller, Kellen Keyes, Olive Carithers, and Rayven Philson
There was a monarch butterfly named Lisa Rose. She had orange and yellow wings with white dots. She looked like a rose.
And there was a chenille plant. It was pink—dark pink—and it was soft, cuddly, and cozy, like a squishmellow. The chenille plant had a butterfly on its leaf. The butterfly felt warm. The chenille plant ate Chenille-Os and chenille ice cream, and watched a chenille show. It was funny. The chenille plant’s neighbor ate their bananas because they were banana plants.
The monarch butterfly flies really high in the sky and collects pollen from the chenille plant’s flowers while it drinks nectar. And the monarch butterfly loves to go to the beach arcade, which is called Suave: The Chenille and Monarch Butterfly Arcade.
Do you smell that?
No, not the water and the sun on Belle Isle Beach!
The chenille burgers and the BBQ!
There is a seagull cooking on the grill with a puffy white chef’s hat.
The monarch butterfly and its friends fly to the beach to eat and to go to the arcade, and this is what happened . . .
The arcade is on the beach. There are flashing lights and video games everywhere, and there is a seagull burger restaurant called “The Unthankful Seagull Who Eats Half the Burger.”
Lisa Rose and the seagull who owns the restaurant—named Chicken Chef (who has gray and black feathers and looks like a penguin and sometimes eats half the burger before giving it to
customers)—are playing arcade games at the beach arcade, which is open at night and during the day, never closing.
In the back of the beach arcade there is a chenille plant waving its hands and hanging out with its friends. There are baby chenille plants playing together at the baby beach arcade with Lisa Rose.
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Tropical House
Pollinator: Plant: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Polka Dot Plant
Ms. Martin’s 2nd grade class
A Cool, Cool Adventure of a Day in the Life of Polka Dot and Hummingbird
Jaimee Barbee, Journee Simpson, Scarlette De Jesus, and Skylar Drake
Once upon a time, there was a polka dot city with a polka dot house and a polka dot room and a polka dot kitchen. This is where the polka dot plant lived, in the shade, because it did not like too much sunlight.
The polka dot plant was pollinated by a ruby-throated hummingbird named Rosi. Rosi had a long beak, and she loved to drink nectar.
She would collect pollen and then fly. She flew over a bridge to an island called Belle Isle that had a giant glass conservatory filled with many plants, including more polka dot plants.
When Rosi flew to Belle Isle, it smelled like bubblegum and fossils. She could see ducks eating their food. And she could hear waves that were waving. She could hear a nice loud concert. Fresh air was all around her body.
When she landed on the other side of the river, she smelled strawberry smoothies and she saw an ice cream truck and people were walking and running and having fun.
She knew she would return to the polka dot city, but this is the story of what happened that day on Belle Isle . . .
First, she went to the big glass conservatory, which was full of really colorful plants. When she found a polka dot plant, she was so happy she started to do a little dance. She smelled the pollen and flew down into the plant for a good meal. She was so happy and full that
she flew around in the fresh air to spread joy.
She saw people swimming on Belle Isle Beach and a bunch of kids playing in the sand. There was even a family playing volleyball! She noticed a little patch on the beach that turned out to be a polka dot beach with a polka dot pool. This made her even happier, so she started to dance again. She wanted to go on another adventure, but she was super tired so she decided to go home and take a nap first.
She flew over more beautiful flowers and waved hello to a couple of bee friends on her way. She told them the best pollen is from the polka dot plant in the big glass conservatory, so they headed that way to fill up too. Then she went home to the polka dot city, took a nice long nap, and woke up refreshed and ready for her next adventure in the Dominican Republic!
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Tropical House
POV: The Life of a Butterfly Amir
Pollinator: Plant: Azure Butterfly Ponderosa Lemon Tree
Ms. Martin’s 2nd grade class
Morris, Jeffrey Moore-Starks, Jr ., Tahira Gaddy, and Winter Smith
Hellooooooo, my name is Falisha and I’m a pollinator. Can you guess what I am?
You’re right, I’m a butterfly!
A spring azure butterfly. My wings are bright blue with a white outline and polka-dots, and my body is black.
I love to drink nectar, so I found this dandelion and drank that nectar up. It was honey candy flavored.
I was soooo full I could barely move, but then I heard some kids. I love butterfly ball. I saw these high school kids playing butterfly ball so I flew by and I hit that net away. And the net fell down. Score! Of course I won the game, even if it was only one point.
THE END. (Sike!)
PSSSST: Hey, you wanna know a secret about pollinators? When they move from flower to flower, the pollen gets stuck to them and then, when they go to another flower, the pollen comes off and makes new seeds. (I love lemon and orange seeds.)
PSSSST: Here is another secret. My anime friends and I pollinate the ponderosa lemon trees inside of the Belle Isle Conservatory. And they taste super duper sour.
One day, this very special thing happened to me and my anime friends. Atondria, Zack, Tom, and Goju, and I were flying around . . . very fast, because we’re the fastest.
We smelled water and yummy chicken. We could hear seagulls
and saw people walking. We flew over to Belle Isle Beach. We began looking for flowers. (White flowers are my favorite.) We wanted some nectar that tasted like sweet juice and honey. We began to fly around and look for the brightest flowers. We found a flower that was bright blue. (Just like me!)
We drank it all up. It tasted like matcha cupcakes! Yum. Afterward, we felt so good and energized! So we played some more butterfly ball, and some basketball, and some soccer!
THE END (for real this time).
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s
Tropical House
Pollinator: Plant: Sleepy Orange Butterfly Powder Puff Plant
Ms. Martin’s 2nd grade class
Adventures of the Sleepyheads
Carson Swayne, Justice James, Khy’rie Boyce, and Sybastien Mayes
Hi! My name is Sleepyhead.
I woke up this morning very tired, but I danced out of my sleep and went to pollinate.
I pollinate the powder puff plant.
I like to see food closely. I live next door to my best friend, who is also a sleepy orange butterfly.
At the park, we went to see a movie about butterflies.
The movie was also about a powder puff named Pizza who was spiky and puffy and pink. Pizza lived on Crab Island, where the crabs were very nice.
On Crab Island you can hear eagles and see sandcastles, and you can taste mac and cheese.
It was a very good movie, even though we fell asleep more than once.
When we woke up, we were so inspired that we decided to go on an adventure on Belle Isle, and this is what happened.
We got to see a lot of plants. We felt the powder puff, and it felt very soft, like hair. Then, we got a little too hot, so we went outside and flew around.
We played a game called Mr. Fox.
One sleepy orange butterfly was the fox and all the others said, “Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox, what time is it?”
After the game, we wanted ice cream (strawberry, vanilla, cookies
Found in Belle Isle Conservatory’s Tropical House
Pollinator: Plant: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Trumpet Vine
Ms. Martin’s 2nd grade class
The Little Hummingbirds’ Village
Adore Alexander, Autumn Bays, Brooklyn Sturdivant, Karon Owens, and Kennady Bowers
The ruby-throated hummingbirds played basketball using grapes. There was Lily Julylah, Jayce, Sprinkle, Baby Selyah, and Elijah. The flowers were singing. The daisies were dancing. The sun was bright and the moon was dark. And then the flowers danced again in the morning.
Airplanes flew in the sky like paper airplanes. There was a house on a beach with a giant slide. But all over the house a big trumpet vine grew!
The ruby-throated hummingbird pollinated the trumpet vine by drinking nectar with its long beak.
They smelled dogs and could hear big waves (whoosh! ). There was a pink octopus with pink tentacles in the water and rainbow sprinkles in the sand.
The ruby-throated hummingbirds played grape basketball on the trumpet vine. It was so much fun, but it got really hot! So Lily Julylah said, “Let’s go eat some delicious frozen blueberry lemonade.” At the lemonade stand their friends, Baby Selyah and Elijah, sold blueberry, strawberry, and grape lemonade and trained to be Spiderman. They also baked the best trumpet vine muffins and, that day, they headed to the beach.
This beach was special. It had rainbow sand and the water was bright red and cherry-flavored. The hummingbirds were having the best day but then suddenly . . . dun dun dun . . . a group of sharks started swimming super fast toward them.
Jayce screamed, “What do we do?”
Selyah grabbed the last trumpet vine muffin and threw it at the sharks. The sharks started fighting over the muffin. After the fight over the muffin, they vanished into another dimension and never came back.
Lily shouted, “Let’s make a break for it!”
And all three hummingbirds flew away, going their separate ways. Lily Julylah went to Canada. Jayce flew to Florida. Baby Selyah went to get a dog.
Then, Lily Julylah, Sprinkle, and Selyah flew to Florida and met up with Jayce to celebrate their birthday. Before meeting up, Lily Julylah bought cake, ice cream, and decorations. Sprinkle went to Domino’s for pizza. Everyone celebrated and their moms came to celebrate with them.
Then, everyone flew to Lily Julylah’s house and Baby Selyah took everyone to the water park. Everyone celebrated and drank nectar. Sprinkle bought cupcakes and they lived happily ever after!
About 826michigan
For twenty years, 826michigan has supported K-12 students through free writing and literacy programs. Each year, over 4,000 students in Detroit, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor participate in our high-quality programs. We inspire students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers and provide students with the formative experience of seeing their work reflected back to them via a professional publication (in a book, on an album of songs, in an exhibit in a museum; publication projects are varied in iteration). Our programs improve student academic skills in writing, boost self-confidence in literacy work, and provide a positive outlet for social-emotional growth, while also instilling a lifelong love of reading and writing.
826michigan utilizes volunteers to provide students with one-onone attention and small group work in every program offered. With the help of caring adults, students not only gain experience and confidence in writing, but also find a community of like-minded peers, and experience mentorship and social and emotional support that will feed them for a lifetime. 826michigan—the power of story.
Writing Labs
In this weekly program, we build a supportive community of writers where students brainstorm, write, revise, and publish a story of their choosing. At the end of the program, students’ writing is published in a book and celebrated with a book release party. Each session includes a mini lesson taught by 826michigan staff and an introduction to a new writer’s habit, such as “Writers change their minds” and “Writers make plans–and break them!” Students discuss and practice these new habits as they go through the writing process, building their own toolkit of writing practices and preferences. This program is offered both during the school day with select partner schools, and also as an afterschool program open to students from the community.
Workshops
We offer a number of free writing workshops taught by professional artists, writers, and our talented volunteers. From comic books to screenplays, bookmaking to radio, our wide variety of workshops are perfect for writers of all ages and interests.
Drop-in Writing for Wee-bots
Each week, the youngest 826michigan writers meet to play and explore what writing can do. With stories that spark creativity and games that inspire students to write, the Wee-bots work in small groups—and with trusted volunteers—to bring imagination alive for these young writers. Students experience the joy of writing however they are able, from the physical act to conversation-based brainstorming and development of new ideas.
Young Authors Book Projects (YABP)
Each year, we undertake a multi-session partnership with a class or grade that culminates in a professional publication of student writing. Whether it’s third graders writing poetry about frogs and learning about book publishing in a project-based learning format or fifth graders imagining their world in fifty years for science fiction that starts in Detroit but travels the galaxy, these projects enable students to take a deep dive into the writing process. They learn revision, editing, and all the steps it takes to go from a brainstorming a first draft to being published.
Field Trips & Roadshows
Always full of surprises and theatrics, our Field Trip program is an experiential writing extravaganza. We welcome teachers to bring their classes in for field trips during the school day or we can bring the party to schools as a field trip roadshow. Students join a group of volunteers, interns, and staff to help solve a problem through writing. Our field trips always end in a finished publication of original writing that students take home. Often the field trip writing is connected to a second leg of the students’ journey, whether a trip to a museum, library, or local record label, thanks to our many incredible community partners.
Our Store
Our online store is a one-stop shop for robots, robot owners, and enthusiasts alike. It’s designed to inspire creativity and bring awareness of our programs to the community. We sell student-written publications, 826michigan apparel, and more! It’s always open at onwardrobots.com . All proceeds from our store directly fund our free student programming. Onward robots!
826 National was inspired to take a stand on issues of inclusion and diversity in light of the many events that spotlighted social and racial injustices throughout the country. We as educators, volunteers, and caring adults need to be aware of the wide range of issues our students face on a day-to-day basis. We need to support these young people as they navigate through and try to make sense of the world and their own identities.
The 826 Stand
We need the support and the feedback from our community to ensure 826 is living up to these standards. Through our inclusion statement, our internal diversity and inclusion group, cultural competency resources provided to staff and volunteers, and partnerships with other organizations, we are always working towards being a more inclusive and supportive organization.
We at 826 have the privilege of working with the next generation of scholars, teachers, doctors, artists, lawyers, and writers. It's our job to make sure they are able to take their own stands.
As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826 environment in which great leaps in learning happen, we commit ourselves to inclusion: we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, marital status, English fluency, parental status, military service, or disability.
The 826 National network is committed to encouraging youth to express themselves and to use the written word to effectively do so. We encourage our students to write, take chances, make decisions, and finish what they start. And 826 strives to do this in an environment free from discrimination and exclusion.
by Gerald Richards, CEO
What Writing Can Do WRITING IS
We create a safe place to be ourselves and try new things
We support the ways that writers work (like thinking, sketching, talking)
We study the writing we want to do so we can try it
We learn how to change our writing for genre, audience, and purpose
We work with a group of writers who help and support each other www.826michigan.org
Acknowledgments
In a project such as this, we have the perfect opportunity to celebrate those whose time and effort made this project possible. Let us GIVE THEM THEIR FLOWERS :
Artists
Designer: Darren Cools | Illustrator: Megan White Daisy Illustrations
Community Partners
Amy Emmert Belle Isle Conservancy, Executive Director
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory Staff & Volunteers
Elizabeth Mays CEO, Mays Multimedia/Valley Publishing Group
Naomi Dunsen White Publishing Coach and Managing Editor, Mays Multimedia/Valley Publishing Group
Erin Helmrich Librarian, Fifth Avenue Press at the Ann Arbor District Library
Laura Chodoroff Graphic Designer
Program Volunteers
Hala Alaswad, Lama Alsafasfeh, Adam Aode, Laiba Azeem, Nora Brockwell, Alanna Craig, Walaa Elhawli, Yolanda Laryea, Astaria Lewis, Zion Lewis, Erica Linn, Yara Kamil, Lily Moran, Lydia Pano, Youssef Shim, Shkai Simmons-White, Isabella Tunnicliff, Bryanda Washington, Joshua Watts
Traveling Editors
Megan Shuchman, Denise R. Ervin, Eli Sparkman
Copy Editors
Paige Bennett 826michigan Teaching Artist
Rachel Debolski 826michigan Teaching Artist
Jeniya Dabish 826michigan Teaching Artist Apprentice
Emmett Flinkman 826michigan Teaching Artist Apprentice
Elizabeth Mitchell 826michigan Teaching Artist Apprentice
Intern Kyra Horton Program and Volunteer Intern
Teachers
Lakeisha Jackson, Jazzmin Jones, Jenna Martin, Staci Plunkett
Other School Admin
Danielle Jackson Chief Executive Officer, Detroit 90/90-UPREP Schools
Mayla Spruill Principal, University Prep Academy Elementary School, Mark Murray
All students, staff, and teachers at University Prep Science & Math Elementary School
Community Supporters
Our friends and collaborators in the 826 National Network
YABP/Professionally Printed Publication
Supporters
Lead sponsor of this publication
Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities
Primary sponsors of Detroit-based work
The City of Detroit, Leinweber Foundation, and Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
With additional and heartfelt thanks given to Detroit Arts Support, presented in partnership from the Kresge Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, and Hudson-Webber Foundation.
The Hawkins Project
James A. & Faith Knight Foundation
May Family Foundation
Michigan Arts & Culture Council
The Robbins Family Fund
The Russell Family Foundation
Also Published by 826michigan
Young Authors Book Projects
Otherworldly Pursuits at the Dawn of Future Horizons
The Secret Lives of Frogs
Stories in Stereo: Voices of Detroit Students
Atomic! Earth’s Final Fight With and Against the Strange Glimpses of Magic
The Book of Many Wisdoms
Because No One Else Could Do It
In Our Defense
In the Clouds Over Ypsilanti
A Moment to Remember Rare Air / Aire raro
A Lantern of Fireflies
Tell Me How It Was Where Is It Coming From?
Enjoy! Recipes for Building Community
All I Could Do Was Look Up: Anatomy of a Middle School
What to Call the Place I Call Home: Voices of 26 Ypsilanti Middle School Students
The Moons Were Jealous
2020: Visions of the [Near] Future
Don’t Stay Up So Late
How to Rise Or, I Put My Heart into the Close
Tall Tales & True Stories
Suddenly My Heart Stopped for Just a Small Portion of Time: Defining Moments
OMNIBUS:
826michigan OMNIBUS I
826michigan OMNIBUS III
826michigan OMNIBUS V
826michigan OMNIBUS VII
826michigan OMNIBUS IX
826michigan OMNIBUS 11
826michigan OMNIBUS 13
Selected Chapbooks:
826michigan OMNIBUS II
826michigan OMNIBUS IV
826michigan OMNIBUS VI
826michigan OMNIBUS VIII
826michigan OMNIBUS X
826michigan OMNIBUS 12
And Suddenly, We Ran Into a Cliff of Gold
Because Their Feet Will Be Wet, They Will Agree to the Monster’s Demands
The Big Treasure Should Be Gold
Bon Temps Roulez!
A Burning Forest, An Underground Castle, and a Misled Princess: The Papaya Problem
Cats Came to the Dog Party
Carrying Ourselves Across: The Art of Self-Translation
Cinderella’s Bad Day, Prince Charming is a Monster, and Other Tragic Love Tales
The Clouds Spell Detroit
Cuando los robots atacan
The Distance Between Two Sides of a Color
Don’t Get Freaked Out, But I am a Fifteen-Year-Old Vampire
Ekphrastic is Fantastic!
Even the Stars are Robotic
Everything You Could Ever Want . . . and More!
Fall into the Land of Dreams
The Fog Was Geemy
The Golden Nose 2.0
Growl!! Everybody Will Know You
He Gets in a Pickle Almost Every Hour
Hey Mom, Taking Flight
How To Survive Having All the Powers in the Universe
I Am Thankful for the Moon So I Can See in the Dark
I Have Hidden A Treasure
Somewhere I Cannot Remember
I Rode My Yak to School
I Suddenly Became Noodles
If I Ever Saw Mr. JK, I Would Ask Him These Things
If I was a Unicorn (Ms. Todd Would Freak Out)
Maybe I was Born to be One of the Big Creatures
The Monster Had a Whole Lot of Question Marks, Volume 2
The Moon Smells Like Pizza
My Robot Eats Pie and Other Habits of Highly Successful Robots
The Nicest Car in Monsterland, Volume 1
Oatmeal is My Worst Weakness
Once Upon a Time, There was a Baby, Then Another Baby, and Another Baby, and One More Baby
Playing Chess with Owls in the Dark
The Quest for the Diamond Candy Corn
Really, Really Melted Up
The Sandwich Never Wanted to be Eaten
Shark Math
She Found the Perfect Soup, but it Tasted Weird
A Skeleton With Fire All Over Him With a Purple Jacket
Someone Said You Were Looking For Me
Spinach Doughnut
That Moment Broke My Heart But Also Made Me Strong
This is How I Became One of the Greatest Heroes in the History
Tom the Robot Prince’s Comedy Special: Live from the Enchanted Ice Jungle Kingdom
A Tough Wolf With No Name
We Went up with the Pearls and Were All Millionairesy
The Wind Shushes and Hushes
Zomb, the Formalist
Winter/Spring 2025
To help ensure that 826michigan’s work is sustained in the future, please contact Executive Director Megan Shuchman at megan.s@826michigan.org to find out how you can help.