You Might Can't Come Back: P.S. 316's Guide to the Universe by 826nyc

YOU MIGHT CAN’T COME BACK: P.S.316’S GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE Essays Written by 826NYC Students at P.S.316 Elijah G. Stroud Elementary

826NYC Books 372 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215 You Might Can’t Come Back: P.S.316’s Guide to the Universe © 2021 by 826NYC and the authors. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. First 826NYC edition 2021 Manufactured in the United States of Brooklyn 978-1-948644-66-2 The writing in this book was produced in the 2020-2021 school year at 826NYC’s Young Writers Publish project at P.S. 316. The classes were run by Willie Filkowski with the support of Emily Welsh, as well as 826NYC writing mentors: Abbey Chase and Holly Settoon. Designed by Ruwaida Ba-arma Edited and proofread by Christine Corbin, Daisy Williams, Sarah Stephen, David Ewalt, Laura Silvius, and Nicholas Martinez Printed by Bookmobile This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, The Jane Friedman Anspach Family Foundation, The Hawkins Foundation, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Kettering Foundation, The Minerva Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, The Resnick Family Foundation, and The Susan Stein Shiva Foundation. The program is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. 826NYC is grateful to the many individuals who support our work. To see our full list of supporters or make a donation, please visit https://826nyc.org/donate-us.

826NYC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

Table of Contents P.S.316’s Guide to the Universe! by Dimitrius Brown

Where the Air Smells Like Pizza In and Around New York Brooklyn’s Best by Ava Deceus

Manhattan is the Place to Be! by Elijah Sargent

Inside Your Brain by Khadija Akhter

New York City by Isabella Almonte

Amazing Neighborhood by Alexandra De Leon

The Stunning Adirondack State Park by Shane Rivera

My Bedroom by Ethan Louis

Greatest Museum Ever by Lauryn Killbrew

Sky Zone by Morris Nelson

Manhattan is Awesome by Ethan Wilson

Planetariums by Whitley Cummings

New York by Nadia Profitt

The Most Joyful Place on Earth by Dylan Sanderson

Riding. Yelling. Munching. Splashing. Running. Biking. Singing. Welcome . . . to Coney Island. by Nyo Kai Keenan Gathing

Like a Cowboy and a Famous Hip Hop Singer: In and Around the US Tales of the Rocky Hills by Neko Curtis

Chaos into Peace by Nahla McShine

Hotel Perfecto! by Chyanne Wren Pierre

Neverland Ranch by Amir Riddick

Arizona by Raeleah Heusner

Visit Chinatown by Solomon Purdy

Visit North Carolina by Kassiem Carrero

The Hottest Place On Earth Is . . . by O’Lijah Morales

North Carolina by Kiley Bernard

South Carolina by Cassandra Watkins

What A Nice Day by Jaliah A J Rumble

North Carolina by Jesus DeJesus

My Room at Night & Georgia by Deva James

Is This Paradise? In and Around the Planet This Tiny Asian Archipelago by Zarah Almonte

So Cold, But So Interesting by T’Alicia Hinton

Yemen: The Land of My Heart by Emaan Kassim

Maldives by Jada Joseph

Guyana the Great by Nkosi Zammett

Guyana by Jason Julien, Jr.

Welcome to the Bahamas by Amir Lewis

The Japan Journey by Osmar Paredes-Medina

Liwonde National Park, Malawi by Lenoxx La Rocque Nedd

Bahamas Cruise by Cameryn Horne

Puerto Rico by Aiden Nieves Wilbur

Bermuda: Island of Mysteries! by Christopher Manning

The Best Place to be When Tired: Come to Takamagahara! by Karissa Brown Jamaica: A Land of Wonder by Lenaya Thompson

The Flying Fish Island by Saadiya Sealey

Guyana by Narianna Howard

Two Sweet Jamaica by Taylor Hylton

Parque Iberoamérica by Angel Jaquez

Egypt by Jaden Sims-Henry

Bora Bora by Avah Francois

The Tour Guide to Montenegro by Meryem Demirovic

Go to Japan! by Kai Harris

The Wonders of Trinidad by Kai’Lei Bishop

There’s More to Puerto Rico . . . by Arianna Rivera

The Wonderful Sights of Paris by Lia Malloy

Millions (and Millions) of Miles Away In and Around the Universe Saturn’s Stunning Rings by Anric Carolino

Welcome to Orangat! by Erasmus Rawlinson Thorpe

Zephtonia by Brooke Jones

Get to Know the Authors

Acknowledgments

A NOTE TO THE READER While it hasn’t ever really been easy to trot the globe (or the universe), this past year has been particularly unkind to those who wish to do so. In the following essays, the smart, sparkly, spunky, poetic, generous, and loving writers of P.S. 316 Elijah G. Stroud Elementary offer a break from the stillness of pandemic life with portraits of places to find the comforts of home, places to seek adventure, and places to relish calm. During our six workshops together, with three different fifth-grade classes, we looked at travel writing as a form of argumentative writing. If argumentative writing is about convincing someone to do something, then convincing someone to visit your very favorite place in the universe should be a straightforward task. And the student writers brilliantly tackle the thing that every writer struggles with—how to get the reader to see the difficult-to-describe beauty in something that the writer loves simply because it is so lovable. As soon as we’re able, I hope you’ll join me in taking these students’ advice. There’s a long list of places we have to see. Willie Filkowski 826NYC Teaching Artist March 2021

P.S.316’s Guide to the Universe! by Dimitrius Brown Our guide to the universe? Well, it’s big, REALLY big. Why not take it slow on Earth? Let’s go to Spain, the famous country of bulls? You see, they speak Spanish in Spain, so you have to speak Spanish, right? Let’s go to Russia, where it’s as cold as the inside of your freezer. They ice skate and dance as well. Why not go to Italy, famous for pizza? Spaghetti and the Leaning Tower of Pisa explain it all. Now, the universe is big, as I said, but there’s more we haven’t explored, but what’s stopping us from exploring?

Where the Air Smells Like Pizza

In and Around New York

Brooklyn’s Best by Ava Deceus You may have never been to Prospect Park, or even heard of it but I assure you that if you’re ever visiting New York that should be a stop on your trip. I should know: I live right across the street. There is so much to see. In winter, the snow in the park is like a soft wooly blanket fresh out of the washing machine. Everyone you bring can enjoy the cold but fun weather, and even if you did not come in time for snow you could rent some skates at Lakeside. If you are having trouble you can sign up for a free skating class. In spring, the delicate fragrance of newly blooming flowers fills the air. The park greenery is at its best and the many flowers are as colorful as a rainbow stretched across a large green carpet. But don’t worry if you are not in the mood for an evening picnic, you can make a stop at the park’s very own roller skating rink. In summer, the park is like a sun-dried sanctuary of lakes and trees surrounded by the busy New York City. Children play games and ride bikes as grownups talk and enjoy the beautiful park. If you are feeling too hot, you could go down to the splash pad to cool off, or make reservations to take a relaxing boat ride in one of the paddle boats that they have there. In fall, the green leaves turn colorful and fall gently to the ground in an assortment of colors. But don’t forget to bring your sweater, you can tell it’s not summer anymore. If you want some exercise, you can rent a bike and do a lap or two on the track that surrounds the park. 4

This park is near a nice neighborhood called Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The land used to be owned by the Lefferts family back in plantation times, but the development of the city caused the land to be cut out of it and eventually turned into a park, with only the preserved Lefferts House remaining. You can do tours there on specific days in the summer. There are many places around the park that can be fun to go to as well, like taking a stroll down Flatbush and trying to choose between all the different restaurants with all different types of delicious foods. If you are more interested in museums and culture, you can check out the Brooklyn Museum. If you’re lucky, you’ll be there for First Saturday, which is a super big party held at the beginning of every month. There are a lot of things to choose from. So if you’re ever in Brooklyn and need something to do, come to one of Brooklyn’s best—Prospect Park.

Manhattan is the place to BE! by Elijah Sargent New York City . . . is a dream. But Manhattan is the core of New York! They have great food, great transit, VERY, VERY crowded train stations (but it’s worth it ;) ). Personally I love Manhattan. I think the best part of Manhattan is the Lower East Side. It’s very chill and calm over there. They also have great food, and GREAT transit. The buses don’t take too long. My favorite is the M9 which goes to Kips Bay. Basically, Manhattan has ups and downs but overall, it’s a great place.

Inside Your Brain by Khadija Akhter When you have a dream or a nightmare, the dream or nightmare is usually (most of the time) based on your life, and it mostly comes with a specific theme. For example, if you are flying in your dream, that probably means that your friends or family see you as a leader. All of this means that, technically, your brain is the best “place” in the world. I think that you should go visit your brain sometimes. Your brain functions based on something going on in life (as I have explained before) or based on something new. For example, you have a dream where someone is trying to tell you something, but you can’t hear anything they are saying. This probably means that someone is trying to tell you something, but you don’t know, so they are trying to tell you in your dream. That is very rare. It is very rare for people to have a dream like that. Also, dreams like that are mostly from exhaustion, so when you wake up, you don’t really know for sure if you had that rare dream.

New York City by Isabella Almonte New York City is positively the best place you can go to. Take it from me, Isabella, because I know this city best! New York City is filled with lights, noises, and beautiful places you can go to sightsee. My personal favorite spot is the Dunkin’ Donuts next to the Williamsburg Bridge, because it’s always nice to go get a doughnut after a long walk. My favorite doughnut there is the chocolate glazed doughnut, and personally, no Dunkin’ Donuts makes a better chocolate doughnut. Here in New York City, there are all different types of food, from freshly-made pizza to the wonderful everything bagels. At Christmas time, you can go see the Rockefeller Tree and go ice skating. And don’t forget about New Year’s when the ball drops in Times Square. Away from all the tourist attractions, you can enjoy the little things too, like a local ramen restaurant or the Ample Hills ice cream factory next to the Williamsburg Bridge, which is also one of my favorite places to go. Nearby, there’s the ferry boat that takes you across the Hudson River. This is exactly why NYC is the best place to visit in the entire universe!

Amazing Neighborhood by Alexandra De Leon My neighborhood is calm and entertaining. Every day, I see one or two dogs. It’s amazing how cute they are. The air smells like pizza. I see awesome buildings and trees everywhere. There is an awesome view. When I look around, I see people laughing and others running. Little kids play on their scooters or bikes. My neighborhood isn’t calm and quiet, but it is calm and noisy. Cars beep at each other and kids scream and cry. My neighborhood is the most awesome place on earth. This is my amazing neighborhood!

The Stunning Adirondack State Park by Shane Rivera Have you ever heard of the Adirondack State Park? If you have not, you can go there if you have a chance! The Adirondack State Park has 46 mountains (in total). You can go hiking, build stuff such as log cabins and many more things that are made out of wood, go fishing, and there is more! You can even work from home or do remote school, as long as you have satellite internet in the Adirondack State Park. This area has a small population because it is composed of tiny villages and small towns. Saranac Lake is a village located in Franklin County. I went there one time and it was awesome! I even saw some people build a tower made out of ice this winter. The Adirondack State Park has existed even before the times when we were born. It was there over a million years ago. The mountains in the state park have been formed by lots of ancient rocks. People have lived in the Adirondack State Park for years. If you live in New York City, then you can take I-87 Northbound approximately 281 or more miles (depending on the route) to get to the Adirondack State Park. Currently the only way to get there is by driving because the train station is closed. The Adirondack State Park is located in northeastern New York State. There are millions of trees and many mountains. The lakes in the state park add to the scenery. 10

The Adirondack State Park smells very good. Most of the trees provide oxygen, and there is a very little amount of pollution. There are also a lot of animals. Most of them are being hunted for food. Some of the animals are kept in a wildlife refuge. Sometimes, when we hunt deer, you eat the meat (when cooked) from the deer you hunted. You can go fishing, camping, hiking, driving to places, hunting, and many more. So next time you are in the neighborhood, visit and sign up for a tour of the Adirondack State Park.

My Bedroom by Ethan Louis My bedroom is the place where I go to have fun and enjoy myself. It is very quiet and smells like the smell of fresh air. I get there by walking through my house and finding it. There are normally not lots of people in my room with me, myself, and I. We don’t have any animals at all because I am too irresponsible for pets and stuff. The language that is spoken is English, or a different language around my family members since they are from Haiti. My room looks like a nice modern room with a nice bed, LED lights and my gaming console. I usually eat chips in my room since I cannot eat regular food in my room. I can play instruments, play video games and mainly do homework since there is really nothing to do. This is why it is the best place in the universe.

Greatest Museum Ever by Lauryn Killbrew Madame Tussaud’s isn’t just like any other boring museum: it’s one of the most exciting places you could ever go in the universe. When you get there, the lobby is jam-packed with people, and you can hear music playing. There are wax figures of a lot of celebrities and even some props to sit or stand in so you can take pictures with them. The figures look so real that you feel like you’re actually with the people. When I went for the first time, I saw a Lady Gaga figure, and I was so excited. Not only can you take pictures with your favorite celebrities, but there is also a station where you can get a wax hand. A wax hand is when you get your hand dunked in a bucket of ice water for a couple minutes, then you pick a wax color, and you get the hand that was dipped in ice in the wax. You can’t feel a thing at all. Then when it’s ready, you get the wax hand pulled off, and you can decorate it and keep it as a souvenir.

Sky Zone by Morris Nelson You should go to Sky Zone, because if you go there, you can jump on trampolines. You can get the fun you always wanted bouncing on trampolines everywhere, but be careful. If you don’t be careful, you might can’t come back until you learn to be really careful where you are going. There are some simple rules in Sky Zone: no doing backflips; remove street shoes; wear Sky Socks; empty your pockets entirely; be in control of your body; and bend your knees to stop the bounce. You can safely go low, because if you go too high, you won’t be able to stop. I would like to bounce up and down and go, “WEE WEE, I am bouncing fast! Duh, duh, duh, I am Super Bouncing Speed Boy!” The best part I like about Sky Zone is dodgeball, because dodgeball makes Sky Zone five times cooler. The most important part of Sky Zone is 100 percent safety, because if you’re not careful, you can get injuries. The good thing is that people listen to the rules, so you don’t get hurt or get broken bones. The Sky Zone rules make super sure that you are safe. There is another way to stay safe and have fun: if you go to the trampoline, you should always keep your mom, dad, or big brother with you, so you don’t get lost or get hurt. Keep an older brother or sister or a parent beside you so you don’t get hurt, and don’t forget to be safe in Sky Zone.

Manhattan is Awesome by Ethan Wilson It has cheap one dollar pizza that is so cheesy, you might need a scissor to cut it. You can get there by taking a cab, driving there, or using the MTA (which is good for traveling). Manhattan just looks like a parade outside every day due to how much people live there. Manhattan just smells like food since there are plenty of restaurants. There are like 1000 people on just one block in Manhattan. Sadly, there are not many animals. English is mostly spoken in Manhattan, but there are some other languages. I eat pizza, burgers, and other things there that are so delicious. You can do any activity because there are so many parks it’s like you can’t even count ‘em. Visitors should expect it to be fun and crowded like a war between Brooklyn and Manhattan on the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Williamsburg bridge. The history is that Times Square was built in 1904, which is older than a century.

Planetariums by Whitley Cummings You should visit a planetarium. They are huge and wide orbs and you can see outer space without being an astronaut. The screen is on the front wall and the ceiling, but you don’t have to look up because the seats are slightly tilted. Inside, the sound surrounds you so you can really feel like you’re in the setting on the screen. Of course, that would not be too good for the people who are afraid of space, but it’s still fun. There are a lot of stars and you can see rocket ships and all sorts of things that would usually be in space. That is why I think you should visit a planetarium.

New York by Nadia Profitt New York is the best place in the universe because it has everything. Diversity, bakeries, and restaurants of any kind. When you first come out of the airport, you see buildings as high as the eye can see. You see streets bustling with energy and people going this way and that. When you go on the transit, it may be crowded but it’s worth it when you reach your destination—Prospect Park! The scenery is beautiful, and it almost seems like a painting when the baby blue sky unites with it.

The Most Joyful Place on Earth by Dylan Sanderson In my opinion, the most joyful place on Earth is probably in our home with my family. I think that because when you are spending time with your family, you get a sense of comfort and joy. You are spending time with people you know and love. But my dream of the most joyful place on Earth would be a place where money grew on trees, lots of valuable items such as diamonds and gold can be found in pebbles and rocks. A world where coronavirus and global warming don’t exist. In my most joyful place, everyone will get along. There is no such thing as evil or bullying in my most joyful place.

Riding. Yelling. Munching. Splashing. Running. Biking. Singing. Welcome . . . to Coney Island. by Nyo Kai Keenan Gathing It’s a magical place for people of all ages. It has the most fun and exciting rides in the whole world. There is the Cyclone, a fast deep diving ride. A spinning teacups ride, enjoyable for younger kids, and one with spinning airplanes. One with a spinning circle takes you from one side of a smiley face to the other. And one turns you upside down and around and around like a clock that was sped up. Not a ride person? I’ve got you covered. Perhaps you would be interested in playing arcade games and carnival games. I don’t know how you could say no to that, but if you still have mixed feelings about it I don’t see how you could say no to a lick or two of chocolate, cookies and cream, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, or strawberry ice cream kindly dropped from heaven. Or a cheeseburger made of life. If you are still here reading this, I wonder if you even deserve to go somewhere as fun as Coney Island. But I suppose I can forgive you if you are excited about laying on a blanket on the beach, with the sun shining on you, drinking lemonade and eating potato chips. Now it feels like I’m trying to convince myself to go to Coney Island. I hope you are interested in going swimming, in the waves, and splashing and getting enjoyment out of that. After all, who (except you) couldn’t get enjoyment out of that? Right? If Coney Island still doesn’t sound fun enough for you, there is an aquarium right nearby that you could go to if you are interested in watching and learning about aquatic animals. I give up. 19

Like a Cowboy and a Famous Hip Hop Singer

In and Around the US

Tales of the Rocky Hills by Neko Curtis If you have a time machine, you can go back about 40 years to see a car driving on a road down hills that make it swerve and dance around. You will see a family get out of the car and walk through branches that are tangled together down a rickety old bridge that broke trying to save itself from being hit by the mobs of trees all around. You go down to a beach, where the sand and the soil are fighting to touch your feet. The ocean rolls in, quickly greeting you on its way to the next beach, which is on its way to the next one. The plain rocky hills above you look down, asking you to walk up there. You arrive at the top and you see all of the beach, where the wind flips and turns around you. There are famous beaches that are warm and sunny. These are the reasons people come here to California. But this place is where you can go for something different, and when you come, you will agree that people should know about this place. There are so many things to see, just not in plain sight. You can stand in the dirt under a canopy of trees. You could go down to the beach and watch the clear blue water reflecting off the sky, a flat blue surface with fluffy clouds rushing around two thousand miles an hour. Or you could run up the hills, with mountains behind you, trees all around you, and the whole ocean in front of you.

Chaos into Peace by Nahla McShine Dark blue waves crash into the dock. The sun sets on wild waters. Raincoats cover the boat, as preparations are made to set sail. As the journey progresses, untamed waters bang on the sides of the boat, rocking it back and forth. Looking up, the most beautiful thing meets your eyes . . . Seven heavenly waterfalls look down on you. And, despite the chaotic waters, a rainbow appears, and peace takes over. Painful water splashes on you as the boat turns around heading back to the dock.

Hotel Perfecto! by Chyanne Wren Pierre I like going to hotels (especially if they have pools) anywhere I don’t care what type it is! I suggest you go to a hotel just once in your lifetime. If you did, well I hope you enjoyed it! If you haven’t, well, I’ll tell you why you should! I’m really excited to go on. Okay let’s start. Hotels are really fun! It’s like a fancy house that you get to stay in for a while. I have been to at least 3 hotels and I really enjoyed them. If you like swimming, the water is just right: not too cold, not too hot. If you aren’t a great swimmer, you should come with someone so you won’t get hurt, or they could teach you. I am a somewhat good swimmer so I would have to go with someone. I can tell you, sure the rooms are small but it’s really fun to just go places nearby like theme parks, etc. Hotels are a good way to just relax from all the stressful things that have been happening. I just like to enjoy the time I get there. There are many other things that I would like to tell you but I can’t fit them all here. I really hope I have encouraged you enough so eventually, you will go to a hotel!

Neverland Ranch by Amir Riddick Hey, have you ever wondered what it would be like to have an amusement park at your own house? Me, too; so I am going to take you behind the gates of Neverland Ranch. Wait, I see a giraffe and a monkey. Actually, I think that’s a chimp! Wait, that’s Bubbles, Michael’s chimp. In Neverland, it smells like cotton candy and movie popcorn. Woah, the grass feels so soft. It’s freshly cut. I want to get some popcorn. The popcorn tastes like nice vanilla ice cream. Wait! What’s that I hear...? I hear “Billie Jean.”

Arizona by Raeleah Heusner Arizona. It’s the most beautiful, quiet place. It’s like the desert: hot but quiet. It has the sound of the desert but looks like Florida. The ocean is like a water breeze brushing on your feet. The palm trees look so beautiful it almost looks fake. The houses are a dream with cute colors and nice design. The amusement parks are so fun I can stay there until I die. The people are so nice. They are like your best friends and just listen to everything you say. It would take me zero cents to live there. There aren’t a lot of people, it’s like you’re in a place that’s just you and some other people to give you company. The food is better than Popeyes and Popeyes is the bomb.

Visit Chinatown by Solomon Purdy The airplane ride to Chinatown was grueling and I was so restless, it was like trying to ride a bull from Canada to Mexico. When we finally landed, we could not navigate ourselves around the place, we ended up at the wrong hotel a couple of times. When we finally got to the right one, the room was tiny. It was like trying to fit a house in a small box. I could not understand a thing when we arrived in the town. All of the foods are delicious, it may be crowded but the lights are beautiful. Sometimes it is dirty but the way it looks so inspiring, it gives you that motivation that you can open your own restaurant. The smells are nourishing, it’s like smelling all of your favorite foods at the same time. The restaurant floor was squeaky clean, it hurt my eyes. I could not understand a thing when we arrived. After we got settled, we went to Chinatown and there was an amazing light show with dragons and fireworks, BUT IT WAS FREEEEEEEEZING, mostly because we came around the time of the Lunar New Year. The people there are so creative with food. They made some delicious arts and crafts. They would stuff bread in the dumplings and it would taste delicious. They also filled this treat with grape juice and froze it, it tasted so good, but there’s still one question I have. How did you bake the grape juice in there? But I don’t really care because it was the feeling of relief as your stomach is screaming with joy.

You should definitely go some day, you would be amazed by everything that happens there. Even the history is not boring. In the 1900s, it was a landmark for Chinese immigrants, and they built a whole town which was run by their own delegates, and they kept peace with the others in San Francisco. During the California Gold Rush, the Chinese often served as guides because they were the first people to actually find the gold. Anybody who thinks that Chinatown isn’t the best is just a BLOCKHEAD. Chinatown is the best, I love it and you’ll love it too.

Visit North Carolina by Kassiem Carrero If I could go anywhere in the world, I would go to North Carolina because there’s a lot of nice people, and they make you feel welcome. There is a lot of space to play, and there are small homes that have wheels. The only thing that is bad about that is that water bugs come, and the water bugs are huge. I think you should visit North Carolina because the air smells so fresh, and you can smell all the flowers and the fruits in North Carolina. There’s a lot of grass and bees. When you go fishing, you see a lot of grass, and sometimes there are a lot of snakes. Another reason you should go to North Carolina is because it has good shopping spots and stores. In North Carolina, there is a place called Water Splash, and it has huge water slides. Sometimes in the summer, people buy a big water slide, put it in the middle of the street, and people slide down it. If you go to North Carolina, you will need a car. There are no trains, but there is a bus that you can take around town. Another reason you should go there is because North Carolina has the best parks. They have zip lines, and in the summer, you can go to a nice cool pool where there is nice soft grass, and the water is not that cold. A place you should go when you get to North Carolina is Taco Bell. It has the best tacos in the whole world after my tacos I make with my dad. Another place you should visit when you get there is Triple Falls Park, because it has a lot of trails. This is why you should go to North Carolina. 29

The Hottest Place On Earth Is . . . by O’Lijah Morales Florida. Florida feels like you’re being cooked inside of an oven during the summer. Well, if you ask me, I love Florida. Florida is so beautiful in the summer. To add on, even though Florida is a little small by square miles. With this being said you can even go to the beach almost every day in the summer! In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon visited Florida. On March 3, 1845, it was named as the 27th state of the US. To add on, if you’re a summer person, Florida might be for you. It’s the feeling of the sun getting happier and happier, getting more hot. Florida’s highest degree fahrenheit was 109 degrees! This record for the state was located in its capital of Tallahassee. The population of Florida is 21,000,000! As I said, if you’re a summer person, going to Florida is right for you! In Florida, there are animals—alligators, manatees, snakes, raccoons, cougars, bobcats, the Florida panther and so many more. In Florida, you eat an abundance of foods. You can eat Jamaican food, Russian food, Haitian food, Italian food, but especially Spanish food. In Florida, you have Disneyland, and sooo much more. If you’re down for fun, this place is for you! Lastly, if you like going to the beach, and love the summer, and love hot days where you feel like your whole body is in an oven, this place is for you.

North Carolina by Kiley Bernard You can get to North Carolina by flying or driving. I have driven there every time I think. I went there about 40 or 50 times now. It takes about 8 to 9 hours everytime I drive there; it is tiring but worth the wait. From what I know English is spoken there and I don’t think anything else besides visitors from other states or countries. In North Carolina you can f ind a lot. There will be big houses, good pizza, good ice cream, parks, and much more. When I stay there it is to visit my family and it is really cool. In North Carolina it smells like fresh air and I love fresh air. Sometimes it feels even better when you’re in a back yard or at the park because the trees and grass smell just beautiful. In North Carolina, there’s not really a specific food to eat, but I eat all foods such as rice pancakes, fish sausage and many more. Activities you can do are go-kart racing and putt-putt golf and amusement parks like Carowinds which I love going to. There are quite a few people when there are amusement parks and some regular parks to take walks, but it is not much all the time.

South Carolina by Cassandra Watkins A place that I would want other people to go to is South Carolina, because it is a very nice and relaxing place to go on vacation or move to. There is a beach around, so you can relax. The beach smells nice because of all the water and sometimes the sunscreen. It is hot and sunny because of all the sand and the sun. I hear a lot of other people playing in the water or making sandcastles. There are also a lot of nice places around South Carolina you can go to.

What A Nice Day by Jaliah A J Rumble Are you bored at home sometimes? Maybe you should try to go to Camelback Mountain. Camelback is such a fun place. Camelback is located in Pennsylvania. I bet you would enjoy Camelback because it has an indoor and outdoor pool. So, say it’s winter, but you for some reason want to go swimming, you can buy Poconos indoor tickets. Camelback has a buffet table in the upstairs part of the indoor pool. They have salad, cookies, and more. If you don’t like the food, you’re in luck ‘cause there is Wendy’s and Friendly’s.

North Carolina by Jesus DeJesus My favorite places are water parks because I get to have lots of fun there and we can get to stay there as long as we want, and North Carolina because that is where my grandmother lives and that is where I took my first steps. In North Carolina it is very quiet every time I go. We have a lot of fun and in the hotels they have indoor pools. I’m going tomorrow and we are going to have so much fun. Also in North Carolina over there it is not as dirty as New York and when we get there we get to relax because a hotel and a quiet place is made to relax. Whenever we leave, I feel sad because it is such a beautiful place in North Carolina. They have horses and they have deer that can run free.

My Room at Night & Georgia by Deva James The best place to get away is my room at night because it’s like being at a hotel in Georgia: it’s relaxing to me and takes away all of my stress. I also think it’s the best place to get away because I get to just lay in my bed and maybe fall asleep. And I find it relaxing as well. Additionally, I think that my room at night is the best place to get away because I can do so much stuff that helps me get away while I’m in my room at night! I also like Georgia because they have nutritious and delicious food there that anyone could die for. If you’re an animal lover and nature adorer, I bet that you’ll love Georgia! Basically, Georgia is this big forest with wolves, bears, foxes, coyotes, etc. that is mixed with a modern city like Los Angeles! It’s like a campfire in a 3-story billionaire house, or like a cowboy and a famous hip hop singer. (Total opposites!)

Is This Paradise?

In and Around the Planet

This Tiny Asian Archipelago by Zarah Almonte Japan is a small Asian archipelago that is considered a country, just like Hawaii and Vietnam (technically Hawaii is a state annexed by the US). There’s a legend from thousands of years ago about how Japan was formed which I shall tell to you in my own words (because I don’t want to plagiarize from the web. I WANT to get published!!!). Longest of times ago, when the black plague was not even a known virus . . . when it was BC (Before computers, I’m not offending people with different religions than Christianity, unlike the conquistadors of Spain) there were two gods, (Japanese religion is my reference, don’t sue me). After heaven and earth were created, the two gods mentioned, who are named Izangi and Izanami, were given the task of creating an archipelago that is now known as Japan. In short, that was the non-scientific way of explaining how the couple of islands that is now a country known as Japan were formed. This text that I write simply gives you some valuable information you’ll need on your vacation/journey. Transporting yourself to the location: When wanting to go to Japan, one must think of all affordable options at hand. I give to you, the reader, a list of some transport and their cost when you don’t get first class, and when you do. And a “lovely fact”: the flight to Japan takes about . . . 13 hours from any point in the US. (So a simplistic advisory to bring your best entertainment and sleeping supplies will help immensely, I suppose.)

Airplane (general cost according to Google Flights): Regular: ($948-$1,696) First class: ($2,977-$5,325) Boat (general cost of a cruise from Royal Carribean): Regular:($335-?) First class:($700-$10,000) (Simplistic estimate.) The systematic Japanese currency and how to use it: In basic terms, Japan has its own currency system, the Japanese yen. These next few paragraphs will, in a way, teach you some things that you need to know, like how to get yen, how its cost compares to other countries’ money, and a little chat on costs. For this paragraph, I’ll use rupees and dollars. (Money from India and America.) How to get Japanese yen for your trip: The most normal way to get yen is to trade your country’s money for a decent amount of money in the airport where there is a section for foreign money collecting. A good amount of yen to keep in your pocket while visiting is 20,000 yen. In US dollars that’s $191.20 and in rupees that is 13,915.26. An equivalency chart: I’m making this chart to show you the basis of how money works in Japan. I’ll do numbers 1, 10, and 100 for examples. $1.00: 104.62 yen 1 rupee: 1.44 yen $10.00: 1,046.82 yen 10 rupees: 14.37 yen $100.00: 10,469.70 yen 100 rupees: 143.72 yen The “MerryWeather” You can tell from the title that this is gonna be about the climate of the dang country. I can tell you this, it isn’t the most tropical place. The snowy mountain it is famous for, Mount Fuji, makes sure of that. A merry fact about the mountain is that it is 3,776 meters above sea level (12,388 ft). Back to the weather forecast: 39

In Japan, the summers are relatively short, filled with rain and mostly cloudy. In winter, it has surprisingly normal temperatures. Through the shifting seasons, temperatures usually vary from 36-86 F and rarely goes below 31 F or above 93 F*. *F=Fahrenheit

The Motherload of Kit Kats Fun fact: the largest Kit Kat factory in the round and chaotic world lies in Himeji, Japan. If you want to find the motherload of Kit Kats, that’s where it is. Literally 17.6 billion Kit Kats are generated each year. I’m betting Willy Wonka is turning from sweet to sour at this point. You can also go to the recently made Kit Kat chocolatory in Shibuya, Japan, where you can make your own flavors. (Children, you know the rules about alcohol. No alcoholic Kit Kats until you are 21.) Going Back to Languages: My Favorite Japanese words! So readers, to give you some insight on the native language of the Japanese, I’ll show my favorite words and small sentences (3 words or less), in Japanese characters! (Writing.) Let the listing . . . BEGIN! 海賊: Kaizoku: Pirate

燃える花: Moreu Hana: Burning flower

桜の花: Sakura no Hana: Cherry blossom

裏切り者の戦士: Uragirimomo no senshi: Traitorous warrior 真っ黒な悪魔: Makkurona akuma: Inky demon 人形: Ningyo: Dolls

殺人による死: Satsujin ni yoru shi: Death by murder 黒さ: kuro-sa: Blackness

暗くなった天使: Kuraku natta tenshi: Darkened Angel 血まみれのハロー: Chimamire no haro: Bloody halo 壊れたチェーン: Kowareta chen: Broken chains

So you really thought that I would simply put regular words and sentences? Ha! It’s not like I made this for a bad grade or to be humble. 40

The Finale of . . . This Text In this case, I believe that this is the end of the passage. I’ve shed all the information that I decided to absorb like the odd sponge I am. If you actually want to go to Japan now, that’s a win/ win for me, mainly because I get to pat myself on the back for actually being able to convince someone (hopefully an adult) to go to Japan, and the reader gets a lovely trip to one of the Japanese islands. See what I meant by win/win? And I’m not going to be humble here: I did an amazing job at telling you you should go to Japan, and therefore I have a right to brag. I finish my ending statement with only this: I dislike Kit Kats. Ha! I’m kidding. I would never end something as majestic and formal as this with such an improper sentence. (Although I truly have a hatred of sorts for Kit Kats.) And yes, I know I didn’t mention any food other than those oddening chocolate covered wafers produced by the millions in Japan and sent all over the world to be eaten by a stranger. (Kit Kat’s more accurate description, in my opinion.) I must make haste for an ending though. This cannot be too long. So, all I have to proclaim is simple: go to Japan and do things. I gave you two ways of transporting yourself. Their cost in first class and economy and so forth. Now go enjoy a 2-7 day trip at the least. Goodbye, arrivederci, or as they say in Japan, sayonara. NOW GO TO JAPAN ALREADY. IT’S REALLY LOVELY AND YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON LOTS OF THINGS.*

Yemen: The Land of My Heart by Emaan Kassim Yemen is a country in the Middle East. Everyone there speaks Arabic. The weather is moderate and they have a dry and a wet season. There are some fun things to do in Yemen like playing outside since it is not hot or cold. We could visit the garden called DreamLand that had many types of toys and live animals that you could touch. Although I did not get to see these places you can also go to Al Saleh Mosques that are made out of stone. We can go swimming in our family pool. In Yemen I loved to eat things like fish with rice, lamb burgers, and pizza and fries.

Guyana The Great by Nkosi Zammett Hello my name is Nkosi Zammett and I will be telling you why you should take a visit to Guyana one of these days. Guyana is located on the north coast of South America and is about 83,000 square miles. The word Guyana means land of many waters. If you visit Guyana you will be able to visit St. George’s Cathedral, the tallest wooden building in the region, so if you are a tourist you should. It is a land of different cultures, so you have foods that will make your mouth water and your tongue scream for joy such as cookup-rice, curry roti, and metemgee. Guyana was a British colony and is the only English speaking country in South America. In 1966, after many years of fighting and protesting, Guyana became an independent country. Part of the Amazon rainforest is in Guyana so there are alot of birds and wild animals in the area. There is also Kaieteur Waterfall, which is the largest single drop waterfall in the world. Guyana hosts a lake that has a nickname of the Hot and Cold Lake because one side is hot and one side is cold. It is called the Iteribisi Lake. One last thing: to the north of Guyana is the Atlantic Ocean and to the east, Suriname. Then on the south is Brazil and on the west Venezuela, and another part of Brazil. So here is why I, Nkosi Zammett, say you should come to Guyana one day: because there are many exciting things to see that will make your vacation worth it. 43

WELCOME TO THE BAHAMAS by Amir Lewis To me, I think the Bahamas is a good place because of the clear oceans and how sunny it is outside. I want to see what the Bahamas islands are like and the foods they make! The Bahamas is built with 16 major islands. There are many different ways to find transport into the Bahamas. For example, people can travel by plane, taxi, or even your own car if the island has a bridge. FOODS IN BAHAMAS I believe most people in the Bahamas eat seafood like crab and fish. They also eat rum cake and Johnny Cake, crab meat, stew, fritter, potato salad, and conch. Popular drinks are Sky Juice, Switcha, and Yellow Bird. WEATHER In January the weather is kind of cool at a low of 61 to 63 degrees and a high of about 79 degrees Fahrenheit. In August it’s a hot month with a low of about 75 and a high 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There many things to do in the Bahamas. If you don’t know how to make chocolate they will teach you how to make personalized chocolate. You can go scuba diving or drive a mini submarine to see all the tropical fish and coral reefs in Nassau, New Providence. Some people like to ride a horse. It’s not basically a tour; it’s you riding your horse, riding and exploring on the beach. You can even take your horse into the water.

If you are 12 and over, try the mini submarine. The cost of a mini submarine is $148 in US money. You also can’t use credit or debit. I also suggest you go scuba diving. In the Bahamas, it’s totally free. There are two tanks of oxygen per day so I believe two people is the max. The animals you will might see Nassau grouper, wrasse, parrot fish, scorpion fish, king fish, french grunts, barracuda, queen conch crabs, lobsters, eels, and stingray. Do your parents like to gamble? Get a chance to win big money in the Casino: walk in the casino and get lucky because you can win millions of dollars if you get 3 cherries in a row. Remember to scream so loud when you win the jackpot, so I suggest your parents try it (kids aren’t allowed to play). The Bahamas faced destruction from the hurricane that happened a few years ago, but now it bounced back to its beautiful island self.

Liwonde National Park, Malawi by Lenoxx La Rocque Nedd Sailing down Lake Malawi, you can see the humps of the hippos bulging out of the water. Hiding around the bushels, you can see the elephant calf’s ears poking out of the tall grass. Feel at one with Mother Nature in Liwonde National Park in Malawi. It’s not just a park; in fact, it is a wildlife reserve to save endangered animals that are nearly extinct and their kind. Back on land, driving in a Jeep on bumpy dirt road, you can come across four to six young cheetahs leisurely lying down, waiting for something to appear, walking back and forth, hoping for something to play with. There are wide, open areas where the animals can run, eat, and play. Some animals don’t want to be disturbed by people. Did you know that cheetahs almost went extinct in their own country? Over time people were trying to put these endangered animals in the wildlife reserve to keep them safe from danger. Then they transferred these athletic creatures safely back to their own country when the timing was right. You should visit Liwonde National Park because it is quite a fun adventure to see wild animals up close. Also you are able to play with the animals that are in the wildlife reserve.

Puerto Rico by Aiden Nieves Wilbur If I were to go to any place in the world, it would probably be Puerto Rico. I would go to Puerto Rico because I miss the way the wind would blow my hair back, and how the trees rocked back and forth like a rocking chair. I loved when we would go to the beach on a hot summer day, where you can dig your feet in the sand and enjoy the hot sun against your face. The waves would hit you but when they did, it felt like a nice splash of water hit your back. The way you drive across the road and see so many different houses and restaurants of all sorts of Puerto Rican food. My entire family is either from Puerto Rico or Brooklyn. I wish that I could go back there; but because of the pandemic, I haven’t been able to go. I miss the way we would go to dinner late and enjoy the music and the food.

BERMUDA: ISLAND OF MYSTERIES! by Christopher Manning Hi! I’m Chris! And I’m going to teach you about Bermuda! Did you know that the currency in Bermuda is the Bermuda Dollar, and it’s the same amount as the US Dollar? Bermuda is a small island located to the right of North Carolina. The capital of Bermuda is Hamilton. It is also VERY famous for its legend of the Bermuda Triangle. (Sometimes called Devil’s Sea or the Florida Triangle, because it’s closer to Florida than Bermuda). But anyways, let’s get to the FACTS! Bermuda really looks like Roger from American Dad holding a key while wearing a grad’s hat without the square on top. Food Bermudian seafood is scrumptious! I suggest you try the spiny lobster. Spiny lobster is often used in many dishes by Bermudian chefs. You can eat it in tacos, sauces, sandwiches, and chowder, but it’s best to eat the meaty tail with butter. Things to Do You can visit the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo in Flatts Village, Bermuda. From mammals to marine life, you are always going to have a good time there. Right in the middle there’s a natural history museum, too. Royal Naval Dockyard was the former naval base of the Royal Navy and now it’s a tourist attraction. You can see all the cruise ships docked there, the Bermuda National Museum, and of course, more tourists. 48

In conclusion, people should go to Bermuda because if there’s one place you want to be in winter, it will be a place that’s sunny, warm, and has lots of plant life. And if you are scared to go to Bermuda because of the Bermuda Triangle, then don’t worry, because, remember, Bermuda isn’t even close.

The Flying Fish Island by Saadiya Sealey Today I will be talking about Barbados. You may know it as the small island off the coast but let me tell you, Barbados is wonderful. There are so many things you can do and see. Barbados is a beautiful island located in the Caribbean Sea. Their beaches are so beautiful, they’re actually clean unlike New York beaches. Let me ask you a trick question, would you rather live in New York or Barbados? From all the stuff I just told you, where would you want to live? Well let me tell you a little bit more about Barbados. I mean, I don’t want you to walk away thinking that Barbados is boring. When I first went to Barbados I Googled everything I need to know about the place like, what good food they have, what is the best hotel, where to shop at, and all that stuff. After I finished my research I got ready to go to Barbados. When I got to Barbados, I went straight to Bridgetown where my Nanna lived. By the way, I was five when I first went there. Let me tell you, when I first went there I went to the restaurant called Chefette. I was in love with Chefette! Their ice cream tasted like a cool, sweet wintery day. When I saw the beach, I was amazed it was actually clean! I was so happy, but when I stepped into that water it was so cold I felt like I was in the East Antarctic Plateau, that place is SO COLD. When you step foot in that water, when I tell you that you will turn to ice I am not lying. Anyways Barbados has the best weather, except for the whole cold water everything else is good.

Barbados has so many wonders, like the flying fish. Literally when the fish jumps it looks like it’s flying. Their main dish is flying fish and Coo Coo. The name sounds funny, but it tastes so good. They have KFC and it tastes so good. Oh, wait! I forgot to tell you that when you step into the beach water and stay in it for a while you get warmer. Plus they have boats that would pick you up and ride around the ocean. They also have a lot of parties and nice malls.

TWO SWEET JAMAICA by Taylor Hylton I am writing about two places in Jamaica that have so many things to do. You never get bored or tired. I always stay in a good mood in both places. There is good food. Everybody is lively. There is lots of music. I love both Kingston and Ocho Rios. My dad is from Kingston and my mom is from Ocho Rios, so I get to see family and enjoy the two sweet Jamaica. Kingston Climate + Weather + Geographic Features Kingston is like the “city tropics,’’ it is a hotter area than in Ocho Rios. To me, Kingston is so hot you can boil tea on the sidewalk. It has tall city buildings but it’s a tropical place, with mountains in the background. Kingston is by the beach but it’s not as good for new people, it can be dangerous. Kingston has beautiful tall mountains, hilly roads, Jamaican food stores, some really nice houses, and people buying and selling things. Fun fact: Port Royal is in Kingston. Port Royal was where pirates hid loot and found gold. It has a lot of gold and treasures. So maybe I might go to Port royal to find some treasure. Dialect Jamaicans speak ‘patois’ (PAT-WAH) but it’s not the Jamaican national language, English is. Another fun fact that my dad told me is that Jamaicans started speaking patois when they didn’t want the slave owners to understand what they were saying. When I was in Jamaica, I saw a lot of men wearing Clarks, straight jeans, and long sleeve shirts and women wearing a lot of sleeveless dresses with sandals. When I hear my parents speak Jamaican patois, I feel connected to the Jamaican culture. I think I am Jamaican too because I eat what Jamaicans eat and my parents are Jamaican. Sometimes I even speak Jamaican patois too. 52

Features + Best + Worst Parts The best part about Kingston was that at my cousin’s house, we played some video games and did all the things I do with my cousins in New York. I usually play in the backyard, there’s this part where it looks like a small part of the forest. The not so good part about Kingston is that there are Jamaicans who ride 4x4s and dirt bikes. Sometimes it gets extremely loud and it kinda scares me. In Kingston, kids cannot ride 4x4s and dirt bikes without parental supervision because it is really dangerous and they can’t go outside alone. But for a kid, I would still recommend people go to Kingston. The reason why I recommend Kingston is because you can see really nice houses, there are a lot of parties, and you can buy a really nice car. They have huge celebrations like Jonkonnu in which people dress and dance weirdly. There are different places you can visit, like the Bob Marley Museum, trench town, Raytown, Port Royal, and Stony Hill and many more. Ocho Rios Climate + Weather + Geographical Features The other place I get to visit is Ocho Rios. This is a grassy place. There are huge patches of grass. It looks like a tropical rainforest if you go deep into Ocho Rios. Sometimes it rains really heavily, it pours for about thirty minutes and then the sun comes out again. Ocho Rios is filled with rocky roads, landscape, bright sunshine, amazing houses, and flowers in each town. One by one, cars pass by with mountains in the background. It smells sweet. The breeze is blowing and the sunshine is on me. Fun fact: Ocho Rios really means eight rivers in Spanish. Dialect In Ocho Rios, people speak patois too, but there are fewer people who speak patois there than in Kingston. To me it sounds like English, but they say it with more fluency. In “Ochi,” men wear shorts, short-sleeved shirts, and sandals. Women wear sleeveless dresses with sandals or flip-flops. I like how the men dress in Ocho Rios because they wear chill and non-stressful vibes.

Best Part of Ocho Rios The best part of Ocho Rios is staying at my grandma’s house and going to my auntie’s house. For maximum fun, I go to the beach to play in the sand and swim in the water. I enjoy going to Sharky’s Seafood and Grill. I absolutely love their food, it gives me really good thoughts and vibes. In Ocho Rios, we also get to go to the river where we can swim and jump off of the ropes that hang on the trees next to the river. The river is a really fun place. It’s different from the beach because there are stones on the floor, and when you jump into it…. It’s super COLD. But it builds up to be warm. Whereas at the beach when you jump in, it’s already warm from the start. But I like the river better because I feel the flow and spirit of the water. It makes my body feel relaxed. In the river, you move with the water, in the ocean the water moves you. The river water is also not so salty. Sometimes I go to Columbus Heights, which’s my grandmas’ workplace. It’s a pretty large place and a cool playing ground too. But for a kid, I would still recommend people go to Ocho Rios because there’s so much you can do. You can stay at my grandma’s house or a hotel, get a car, you can go to the river where everyone is in good spirits and there’s food and music. Or to a beach where you can go for a quick swim. So much you can do in Ocho Rios. But I kinda love Kingston too.

EGYPT by Jaden Sims-Henry Why should someone visit Egypt? Someone should visit Egypt because it is located in the northeastern part of Africa, where there are only two seasons: summer and winter. Winter starts from November and ends in April and summer starts in May and ends in October. Also another reason why someone should visit Egypt is because Egypt is home to the Great Pyramid of Giza and many Pharaohs like King Tut, Queen Nefertari. Also, did you know that The Great Pyramid of Giza has sunk 25 feet or more into the sand and still remains one of Egypt’s largest and oldest tourist attractions? Did you know that when pharaohs pass away they get mummified? All of their organs are placed into a canopic jar except for the heart. And the pharaohs’ pets are also mummified.

The Tour Guide to Montenegro by Meryem Demirovic Montenegro is a beautiful sun-shining country. The name is translated as “Black Mountains.” Looking at the area from a plane, you’ll see mountains with black shadows. In Montenegro they speak Bosnian and Montenegrin. It’s not just the black mountains that make it special, my whole family lives there. Some of the best places to visit here are: Blue Cave, National Museum of Montenegro, Aquapark Budva, and Kotor Cat Museum, Tuzi, Podgorica, and Rocky Beach. The one beach I go to every time I go there is called Rocky Beach. In the afternoon, the tides rise during sun down and will push you over to the rocks. Now I realize why it’s called Rocky Beach. It’s called Rocky Beach because the waves are so big and there’s less sand than rocks. Once you step on a rock, your foot will “burn” then you’ll run into the water to cool it down. Scrumptious Treats You should go to the local deli because they have gum and it’s shaped like a cigarette so when you blow it blows out smoke, but it’s safe. Also they have different types of candy you have to try. The ice cream is even better because it’s so creamy and delicious! Instead of all red or pink ice creams being strawberry, they are all cherry! The ice cream is so good that they are nice enough to make it cheap and affordable for everyone. Some of Montenegro’s main foods are: crepes/ pancakes, burek/pita, cevapi, lamb in milk, and more! You probably have heard of crepes, they serve them in America too.

Crepes in Montenegro are mostly used for breakfast or a dessert and usually eaten with nutella, strawberries or a Balkan cookie; Lane or Plazma brand. Burek and pita are the same thing in different forms. Burek and pita can be full of spinach, cheese or meat. The most common pita is the one with cheese. Cevapi is usually made on a barbecue. It’s like a mix of meat and beef sausage. They usually eat it with ketchup or ajvar meaning tomato paste in Bosnian. It’s in the shape of a hot dog, but beef. Personally, I don’t like lamb in milk, but I recommend you to try it! Most Balkans eat it with their homemade yogurt. Fun Fact: Some dances in Montenegro are oro, kola, and shota. Usually there is a dance group of all age groups called folklore. There are no big crowds or fights, just a calm land with a friendly neighborhood. When I think of this place, it makes me think of heaven. This place smells like nature, I would always plant flowers and plants in my grandma’s garden. I’ve only seen this place three times, but it’s still special to me. Overall, this place is a wonderful place to visit with many things to do. I hope you have a great vacation and hope for you to visit Montenegro some day!

The Wonders of Trinidad by Kai’Lei Bishop The tropical land, the beautiful sky, amazing views, great tasting food but they have this fun event called Carnival and Kiddies’ Carnival. Grownups and kids get to dress up in really pretty costumes, I have never been but almost all of my family have gone, so weird right? But I have seen some of the costumes. They have a bunch of different colors to choose from. But my favorite thing about Trinidad is the foods like red mango, sugar cane, plum and many more. This is really a great place to go on the weekend or vacation. I know you may get sweaty or hot but it is a fun place. I may not have told you this but Trinidad has the most populated islands in the Caribbean. The population is 1,267,145 and it is one of the wealthiest islands in the Caribbean. I think most people go there for the food. Some places you should go when you go to Trinidad: Queen’s Park Savannah at night food vendors come with a variety of foods to choose from. You should also go to Emperor Valley Zoo because it’s a great place for kids to see so many different types of animals. Your kids would love it.

The Wonderful Sights of Paris by Lia Malloy Going on the 6 hour flight to Paris is like waiting for your food to warm up in the microwave: eventually you get impatient. The shows on the microscopic TV on the back of a chair just keep you occupied, and the sound of the airplane eventually gets boring and you start to fall asleep. But when you get to France it’s jam packed! It feels like you’re a pebble in a stampede of wild animals. Everyone wants to take pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower and other famous monuments. There’s lots of insane tourists who will do anything to get just one picture to post on social media. It’s like a herd of tech addicted zombies. But Paris is also one of the best places in the universe because of the food! The amazing fluffy croissants are fresh and like no other, even if you get ones you put in the microwave it’s still the most extraordinary croissant you will ever taste. The smell of the bakery’s shop is like smelling heaven. Their homemade recipes just hit the spot. And the baguettes are soft clouds wrapped around a hard shell of bread, and no they don’t hit people with stale baguettes. The little snow globes with even smaller monuments in them like the dazzling Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame Cathedral.

So Cold, But So Interesting by T’Alicia Hinton Canada is mostly cold so you would have to bring a coat, scarf, gloves, boots, and some warm clothes. But Canada in the winter is super cold and there’s snow on the sidewalks, cars, buildings, and also the roads. So I think they might have to scrape the snow that’s on the roads so the cars don’t get stuck and block the road, because that would not be fun trying to get your car out of the snow. I know how that would be because it happened to me once with my family. If you’re willing to travel to Canada in the time of COVID I recommend you go to a website called destinationcanada.com because it can give you information you can use for your trip so that you can be safe. If you plan to make a plane trip to Canada it will take 1 hour and 37 minutes to fly. In December in Canada the temperature is generally cold, but in February it is freezing cold so I would advise you to go in March or September maybe, so then you won’t freeze. The animals that live in Canada are beavers, moose, polar bears, bison, southern resident killer whales, walruses, caribou, Atlantic puffin and many more. The language people in Canada would mostly speak is English, French, Italian, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Punjabi. There are also 60 indigenous languages in Canada.

Maldives by Jada Joseph You wake up to look outside and see the glistening sun in the Maldives. You get dressed and head down to the underwater restaurant for breakfast. Once you finally make it down, you stare at all the fish and plants in the ocean through the glass window. You decide to drink coconut water from a fresh coconut. You smell the fresh fish. And you start to wonder, Is this paradise? There’s a beautiful view, good food, nice weather, and it’s clean. Once you’re done eating your seafood, you head up to the beach to get a nice tan. You sit down in a chair and relax like there is nothing else in the world for you to do. Then you realize it’s time to head back to your hotel room. You run across the sandy beach to your hotel room and enjoy the rest of your night in paradise.

GUYANA by Jason Julien, Jr. Guyana is a very breathtaking place. Very remarkable. The waters are almost the most beautiful in the world. Their rainforest is also very charming. It is 2.124 million square miles long! That’s bigger than Peru and Ecuador combined! It is located in South America. Guyana’s oil has made them very wealthy. They find barrels of oil inside of the Amazon forest. In Guyana, fishing is very common. It is mostly catch and release. Another thing that is common to do in Guyana is wildlife spotting. There are gorgeous birds in Guyana such as birds like the Marail Guan and Blue-throated Piping-Guan. Weather in Guyana is very tropical and warm. In Guyana people speak English with a very strong accent. Guyana is known for their very popular foods such as pepper pot, curry, and a lot of different meats like lamb, goat and duck. There is also cassava that is cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with grated coconut. Another fact is that Guyana is the only country in South America to have English as its official language.

The Japan Journey by Osmar Paredes-Medina You know where you should go this summer? JAPAN. Japan is all the way on the other side of the world and has an extraordinary culture. From what I’ve heard, Japan is one of the neatest and tidiest places in the world. My dad has gone there and he said it takes more than 10 hours to get there on a plane. Isn’t that insane? They mostly eat fried rice, Ramen (which is a soup with noodles), and sushi. Sushi comes in many forms and shapes. They have extraordinary different ingredients and my favorites are ones that have a triangular shape and are filled with tuna. Something I learned in history is that in World War II, USA. launched two atomic bombs to Japan (specifically Hiroshima and Nagasaki) to end the war in 1945. After this catastrophe, it took Japan many generations to get back to how they were before the bomb. Even the American president felt bad for his actions because he did not know the power and chemicals that horrible bomb contained. I believe that if Japan was able to survive that, then they are hard to take down and invincible. Also in Japan, their technology is way more advanced than in the US. Tokyo looks like Times Square everywhere. After hearing all these amazing facts about Japan, I believe you should go to relax during your vacation there.

Bahamas Cruise by Cameryn Horne The best place to get away from everything is the Bahamas cruise ship. It has just about absolutely everything on there you can ask for. Food, swimming pools, water slides, casinos, shopping, arcade rooms, etc. The cruise ship even stops at small islands in the Bahamas. You’re allowed to get off the boat and explore the island. The best part about it was swimming with the dolphins. It was one of the coolest things to ever do. I didn’t know that they were so smart. If I could go back to the Bahamas, I definitely would.

The Best Place to be When Tired: Come to Takamagahara! by Karissa Brown Takamagahara is probably the best place to relax. It’s a hot spring in Japan and it’s so beautiful, almost like 100 stars. The water is light blue and more forest than the eye can see. The water looks as soft as clouds. The best part about it is, you have to hike to get there. I know I know, “How is walking fun?” But just seeing the beautiful forest, especially for the artists out there. It’s a good reference: lighting, trees, structure and all. Even though you have to bring your own food, it’s completely worth it. Instead of wasting your money on top of the mountain, you can enjoy some homemade ramen, or dumplings. You don’t have to choose from a menu. Overall, I don’t think that Takamagahara is just for looks, I think it’s a place where you let out all of the stress that was in you for the past few years. Get a free start and try again. I feel like it’s a little therapist for you, just patting your head saying, “It’s gonna be okay, let it all out. You don’t have to act like you’re strong, let it all out.”

Jamaica: A Land of Wonder by Lenaya Thompson If I would want to recommend you one place to visit in the whole entire world, I would recommend you visit Jamaica. From its beaches so vivid that New York beaches would start thinking about retiring, to its food so warm and yummy smelling that my mouth would water if you brung me within two miles of it, Jamaica is the place to be. They have restaurants like Tastees’ and Devon House Ice Cream, whose ice cream is so good that it makes me want to fly away into the mind of the ice cream creator and eat everything in sight. I was so sad when I didn’t get to visit Tastees’ but I’m certain that their beef patties are the absolute GREATEST since that’s the style I get mine in from the supermarket, Jamaican Style. There they speak a language called Patois (pronounced Patwa). It’s basically broken English, but they speak so fast that it sounds like they speak morse code at 3x speed. For me to get there it took a flight that was . . . actually fairly short. If it only took 4 to 5 hours to get anywhere, I’d probably be in Jamaica right now sitting on a beach with a piña colada in my hand. It looks like a place that you would want to live in forever, like a private island. There are mountains all around and people say those mountains protect them from storms. There was even a storm that looked like it was going to hit, but it seems that half way there it decided to skip Jamaica for no reason at all and went around. This shows that Jamaica is safe . 66

And if the music there isn’t the most vibey music that you ever heard, you must be listening to some weird music . . . The culture there is so fun, and it’s a place where you can feel so free and even pet other people’s cats and dogs because they are free to roam around with you! Jamaica is like a hidden magical island in a bottle, like the places you would only find in movies, except, it’s real. Jamaica is an amazing place, and if I love it like I love my entire family, I’m sure you will too.

Guyana by Narianna Howard Guyana is a country on South America’s North Atlantic Coast. It is the only English-speaking country in South America. Guyana gained its independence in 1966. Georgetown is Guyana’s capital. While you are there, stop by the Guyana National Museum which traces Guyana’s history. The main impacts of Guyana’s climate change are heavy rain, which is leading to floods and storm surges. The indigenous people inhabited Guyana before European settlement and their name for the land is Guiana. Guyana shops: Guyana is full of natural resources like sugarcane, rice fields, tropical fruits, balata, and bauxite. Guyana provides items your family needs for low prices. You can buy almost anything in Guyana. Go to the market stalls to buy local hand-made goods. Things to do in Guyana: A lot of people build their own houses in Guyana. There are games like softball, beach cricket, football, field hockey, rounders netball, lawn tennis, basketball, squash, boxing, horse racing, and rugby.

Parque Iberoamérica by Angel Jaquez I am gonna write about my favorite park in the Dominican Republic called Parque Iberoamérica. It is a very fun park because you can see all the colorful lights and it is very fun to ride go carts in a ring and there is also a lot of food and it is very good. For a good price and you can buy LED swords that light up in different colors. They also have cool sculptures in the park that you can take pictures of. There are very important sculptures that are former Presidents and Jesus. Another fact is this park has a theatre for events. You can also participate and get prizes by helping out with their tricks and the air is very relaxing because it helps you calm down. The weather is very hot in the Dominican Republic all the time and this park is free and open to the citizens of Dominican Republic. The food is very good because they have hot Cheeto bowls and they have chicken and you can add whatever you want in it. They have pizza corn dogs and corn fried chicken.

Bora Bora by Avah Francois The most joyful place on earth is Bora Bora, it’s nice and relaxing and it’s so beautiful. It’s far away from here, it smells like a nice beach ‘cause it is, and the area is so heaven like. The best place to get away from everything is a nice relaxing place like a beach because it’s calming and you can just take the time to just forget about every struggle you have. Any beach will make you feel like you are in a world with no problems (if you’re at the right beach). The little houses by the ocean are the best because they have mini bars, outdoor and indoor showers, and a nice beautiful view of the sparkling ocean. The colors of the house are just a simple brown with either a darker brown top or a gray hay top. The shape is a small mini house only to rent if you’re staying there for a couple of days.

Go to Japan! by Kai Harris Japan is actually pretty small, but does small mean bad? I don’t think so! In my opinion, Japan is one of the best countries in the ENTIRE NATION. There are so many tourists and people! It’s like all the people in a graveyard have awoken and have all flocked to Japan. The food there is astonishing! The food is so good you might as well just forget all the food you loved before, because this is ten times better! The food in Japan is carefully cultivated for that one perfect touch of food. Farmers work and work to get perfect daikons (Japanese radishes) to make an amazing soup that will take you out of your seat and flock to heaven because the food is so good! Chef Ramsay will cry one happy tear because he has finally tasted amazing food. The beaches in Japan are also just beautiful. The water is as clear as glass and the sand is a beautiful shade of yellow like topaz. The animals are as vast as the world. Ranging from pufferfish to Mako Shark. You might be thinking, “Japan seems pretty co—” THAT’S NOT ALL. There is much more for you to discover. Japan is a treasure cove of secrets waiting for YOU to explore it. If you have not come to be a tourist, there is still so much for you to do. There are temples as big as pyramids, stairs that go to heaven, and gods that ascend time and space itself! There are myths of gods that have shaped the earth; myths of gods that have brought light to this world. Gods with MASSIVE sibling rivalry and fights as long as time itself! So what are you waiting for, GO TO JAPAN GO GO GO! 71

There’s More to Puerto Rico . . . by Arianna Rivera If you want to learn more about Puerto Rico then read this. If you want to get to Puerto Rico you will have to take a plane. Puerto Rico is a beautiful place, but now, since the hurricane, many houses have been torn down so it doesn’t look as nice as it used to. When you first go to Puerto Rico it will be very hot, but once you get where you are supposed to be it could smell like food, plants, or even the sea. It all depends on what you do. There are a lot of people, but there are some places that don’t have as many people as all the other places. There are a lot of animals, but the most known animals in Puerto Rico are horses. In Puerto Rico, the language that they speak is Spanish. There is no limit to what you eat. There are so many foods I can’t name all of them. There are even foods I’ve never tried before.

Millions (and Millions) of Miles Away From Earth

In and Around the Universe

Saturn’s Stunning Rings by Anric Carolino Did you know that Saturn is about 4 million miles away from earth? To get to Saturn, you have to be in a rocket. It might take a while and when I say a while, I mean like months, years, or tens of years. Once you get near Saturn you will see the beautiful two rings but if you look closer, the rings are made of tons of rocks, like a nonillion of them. The rings of Saturn are called the A ring and B ring. They are divided because Saturn’s moon, Mimas, is pulling them away from each other. You will also see Saturn’s moons. Titan is the second-largest moon in the solar system and one of the oldest. Enceladus is one of the newest moons with it only being 100 million years old. About the same age as Saturn’s rings. Since Saturn is a gas giant, it would be impossible to land on it. There would be no surface and the pressure of Saturn would crush you. You would only survive for seconds. But you could still orbit it and see the beautiful rings. If you want to, you can land on the moons but just beware of the methane of Titan. If you bring some cameras, you could take pictures of the beautiful rings and the moons. You could also eat while looking at the beautiful rings and moons. I would recommend going to Saturn because of its beautiful rings and the moons. Saturn is a very old planet but its rings are not. In fact, research shows that Saturn’s rings are only 100 million years old. While the planet is about 4.6 billion years old! That’s very old! For comparison, the star Rigel is only a few million years old! Still very old but Saturn is the 2nd biggest and oldest of the planets. 76

Welcome to Orangat! by Erasmus Rawlinson Thorpe Your Own Orange Getaway! A Travel Guide Orangat (pronounced o-ran-g-AT) is one of my favorite forest planets that I have ever come up with. It’s partly based off of temperate coniferous forests, but also partly the Catskill Mountains due to nostalgia I gained after annually going to a camping site called Little Pond every summer. My family still does it, actually. Orangat is completely orange in color, with orange dust falling from the sky everywhere on the planet. It is part of the rainbow galaxy, in the main solar system, the Rainbow Worlds. Orangat’s atmosphere is described as smelling like chlorine from a pool straight after getting drenched in a torrential downpour. It contains very curious plants and animals, such as the rare half mushroom, half flower, all orange Oroom and the skinny, skipping, skittish Naranjaike. It is a beautiful planet where you can have all the fun you want, since nobody needs to judge another there AS LONG AS YOU STAY AWAY FROM THE CAVES. DON’T GO ANYWHERE NEAR THE CAVES OR IT WILL SMELL YOU. You don’t even have to feel guilty after cutting down a tree, considering how quick it takes Cheet Trees to grow—Only a week! Plus, make sure to slay a Naranjaike or two. Its meat tastes like cheetos, and pleasantly spicy ones at that! Enjoy your stay at Orangat!* *Reminder: DO NOT GO NEAR THE CAVES!!!!

Zephtonia by Brooke Jones If I were a teleporter through time and space I would go to an alien space city called Zephtonia. Most people would think that aliens would be like a stampede of thousands of angry tigers, but in reality they only want to fit in. If you actually want to get here, it’s like 200,000,000 miles. If you don’t understand, just think about the length of walking in a straight line to every planet in the solar system 10 times, not long . . . maybe. Also don’t worry about taking any food with you because on Zephtonia we have a ring around our planet made entirely out of spaghetti, cheese (that we did not steal from the moon), and chicken wings. The food tastes like 1,000 angels came from heaven and flew into your mouth. The language we speak is an ancient language we call Cameliontin.

Get to know

the Authors

Khadija Akhter is a student. She bakes cakes, loves to draw, and is from Brooklyn, NY. If Khadija wasn’t a human, she would be a paintbrush. In the future, you will see her changing the world by helping others have a fresh and colorful life instead of a dull one (including her own life). Isabella Almonte is a student, an artist, and a gamer from Brooklyn, New York. If Isabella wasn’t a human, she would be a multi-colored fox covered in chocolate. In the future, you will see Isabella changing the world by becoming an influencer and encouraging others to stop climate change. Zarah Almonte is a 5th grade student, she likes to see horrific and hilarious animes and animations that involve blood and unusual humor (and cursed images with memes with good titles, if you please). I also have this quite strange habit of going on the treadmill for about 2-3 hours at most (with musical motivation of course!). I live in New York, New York. If I was not in the sack of meat flesh and blood that lives and breathes and is called a human, I would really like to be in the form of an angel. (My halo and wings are preferably black with multiple decorative crucifixes and chains. This has no reference whatsoever to any video game or character, black is simply my favorite color.) In the future you will see me changing this chaotic world that we all are expected to survive in, by being a writer who doesn’t give a dang about any negative thoughts. Anric Carolino is a student, gamer, brother from Brooklyn, New York. If Anric wasn’t a human he would be a R142 5 Train. In the future he will be a mathematician and change the world by recycling. Kassiem Carrero likes to play with his brother and his parents because they are fun. He also likes to play basketball, play video games with his dad, cook with his family, and go to Gamestop. If Kassiem wasn’t a human, he’d be a superhero who has the firepower of a wolf. If he was a superhero, he would stop people from getting COVID-19. In the future, Kassiem will be an athlete like a football or basketball player. 80

Whitley Cummings is a student, a fan of pizza, and from Brooklyn, NY. If she were not human, she would be a cat who pounced on a bird because it wanted to fly, realizing that it wouldn’t work seconds too late and ending up eating the bird. In the future, she would be changing the world by putting up more electric car charging stations so less people would get cars that pollute and harm the earth. Neko Curtis is a student, singer, and dancer from Brooklyn, Earth. If Neko wasn’t a human she would be a fluffy sweater. In the future you will see her changing the world by adopting a bunch of puppies and putting them in one of her music videos. Ava Deceus is a student at P.S.316 who enjoys dancing and doing art of all kinds. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. If Ava was not a human, she would be a panther roaming quietly in the jungle. In the future, you will see her changing the world by fighting for what she believes in no matter what it may be, and changing the world to become a safer place for all types of people and animals. We would all be equal. Alexandra De Leon is a student. She likes to play around with her dogs and she loves to watch YouTube videos. She is from Brooklyn. If Alexandra wasn’t a human, she would be a lion. In the future, you will see her change the world by saving all the homeless puppies and dogs. Meryem Demirovic is a student who likes to bake and play video games. She lives in Brooklyn. If I were to be any character I would be a kitten or puppy because I would get adored and loved, ‘cause humans fight too much and pets are too cute. Kai Harris is a student at P.S.316 and he is from Brooklyn, he also likes to draw a lot of comic books. If Kai was not a human, he would be a bowl of flaming hot ramen noodles. If Kai were to change the world, he would change the manga making community by becoming the first Black manga artist. 81

Raeleah Heusner is a student from Brooklyn, New York. She is a very good skater and loves to watch soccer. If she wasn’t a student, she would be a World Cup soccer player. In the future, she wants to change the world by helping the homeless. T’Alicia Hinton is a student. She dances and sings at home. If T’Alicia Hinton weren’t a human, she would be a fox, wolf, vampire, villain, hero, or a rock so she won’t die and also so she could fight crime. In the future, you will see her changing the world by becoming a hero of saving people and she will also become a dancer and interest people in my dancing. Narianna Howard is a student from P.S.316 who likes dinosaurs. If Narianna were not human, Narianna would be a Spinosaurus because it has a powerful tail. It was the first that lived and hunted underwater. Taylor Hylton is one of New York’s writers from P.S.316 Elijah Stroud Elementary School. He was born in Los Angeles, California but moved to New York in 2014 at the age of four to start a new life. He is now ten years old and lives in Brooklyn, New York. He loves history, writing, dancing, music and learning to do new things, and gaming. Taylor Hylton is now living with his mom and dad in Brooklyn, New York. Deva James is a student, she likes to draw and play video games! Deva also likes to clean. Deva is mostly from Brooklyn, but was born in Manhattan. Hi, I’m Angel Jaquez and I am an 11 year old boy and I’m a gamer, basketball player and I live in New York but I am from Dominican Republic. In the world you will see me as a cook or an athlete because I am very interested in those things and they also inspire me. I want to tell people that they can do anything and they just have to work hard.

Jada Joseph is a student. She does dance, gymnastics, and gaming from Brooklyn. If Jada wasn’t human, she would be a character in Roblox who does gymnastics and dance. In the future, you will see her change the world with creativity and happiness. Jason Julien, Jr. If I wasn’t a human being, I would rather be a guardian angel. It would be nice to help someone do the right things and watch over someone, especially a family member. I would choose my mom and my brothers because I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I wasn’t being nagged by my brothers everyday and motivated by my mother everyday. In the future I will be a car dealership owner and have my company all over the world. I will sell exotic cars, they will be better than the ones now. They will be way more advanced than any car ever. They will all be affordable and hybrid. I will team up with scientists or have my own to help me get the materials. Emaan Kassim is a student in fifth grade. If she were not human she would be an angel because she can see people and tell them not to do bad things. She also would be a tiger because she can scare people away when they do bad things. In the future she will be a kindergarten teacher and change the world by building things for kids to make them happy. Lauryn Killbrew is a student, chef, and painter from Brooklyn. If Lauryn wasn’t a human, she would be a big juicy watermelon. In the future, you will hear about her changing the world by teaching people how to cook and feeding the poor. Lenoxx La Rocque Nedd is a student, a blader, and a video gamer. If he wasn’t a human, he would be a flying lion guarding the cave of doom from any invaders that are not welcome. And in the future you see him changing the world by being a Beyblade in a stadium spinning smoothly.

Amir Lewis is a student who plays Roblox. In Roblox his favorite games are Piggy Spider Puppet, Guesty, Mad City Tower of H. E. Double Hockey Sticks and last but not least, Bee Swarm simulator. He is a 10-year-old lazy person. I’m always tired. Ethan Louis is a student and writer. In the future you will see him changing the world by playing basketball for charity and donating the money he earns to charity. My goal is to play as hard as I can so I can donate and try to change the world. If Ethan was not a human, he would be an orange. Lia Malloy is a student, lazy Roblox player, and Hulu watcher who is from Brooklyn, New York. If Lia was not a human she would be a water bottle full of Sprite. Christopher Manning is a student, gamer, and artist. If he was not a human, he would be the Sun heating the Mercury, Venus, Earth and the planets beyond. In the future, he will change the world by becoming President of the United States. O’Lijah Morales is a Student at P.S.316 who loves to play football, eat Chick-Fil-A, Popeye’s and Wendy’s, and loves to multiply. He was born and reared in the Bronx, New York. If O’Lijah wasn’t human, he would be a cheetah. His favorite animal is a cheetah. In the future you would see him change the world by having the most touchdowns, receptions, and receiving yards in the history of the NFL. If Morris Nelson Jr. wasn’t a human, he would be a golden lion named Leigh that is brave and strong. In the future, you will see him as a firefighter changing the world by saving people from fires, saving pets from trees, and saving people from deadly situations. Osmar Paredes-Medina is a student, smart mathematician, and funny person from Mexico. If Osmar weren’t a human, he would be a big calculator. In the future, you will see him changing the world by inventing a new world.

Nadia Profitt is a student, a musician, and a gamer from Brooklyn, New York. If Nadia weren’t human, she would be an aloe plant. In the future you will see her changing the world by creating a teleporter so people would not have to use cars that hurt the environment. Solomon Purdy is a student, a sports analyst, and basketball player from Brooklyn, New York. If I wasn’t a human I would be a stork dancing gracefully in a pond, talking about human sports. In the future you will see Solomon become the first self made billionaire in the sports analysis business by using real facts and proper opinions. Erasmus Rawlinson Thorpe, or just Raz, is a student at P.S.316 and a part-time gamer and artist. He is 10 years old. He loves to hang out with his family and friends, draw, and browse the internet. He also loves to play music. If Erasmus weren’t a human, he would be his online alter ego, Max Kitsune, a 16-year old celestial entity (Sometimes a halfkitsune). Arianna Rivera is a student, she plays soccer, she does art, and she is from New York. If Arianna wasn’t a human she would be a little teacup corgi. In the future you would see Arianna changing the world by being one of the world’s best female soccer players. Shane Rivera is a student, a gamer, and an artist from Brooklyn, New York. If Shane Rivera weren’t a human, he would be a cube that changes colors. In the future, you will see Shane Rivera changing the world by stopping climate change. Hi, my name is Jaliah A J Rumble and I’m 10 years old, my favorite sport is soccer, my favorite food is pizza but for Caribbean food, it’s curry chicken and with yellow rice and veggies (broccoli, carrots, and green beans.) I also love to play Roblox with my friends. Favorite fruit would be pineapple, and favorite animal: puma. If I could be anything that’s not a human I would be a new god named Glory. I would be a god because I could control homework. I would be a homework goddess. 85

My name is Dylan Sanderson. I am 10 years old and I live in Brooklyn, New York. I am currently in 5th grade at P. S. 316 Elijah Stroud. Some of my hobbies include writing, reading, playing the keyboard and cello. My favorite book series is Wings of Fire. When I grow up, I would like to become a scientist. Elijah Sargent is a student, a transit fan, and a beginner artist from Crown Heights, New York. If Elijah weren’t a human he would be a paintbrush. In the future, you will see him changing the world by driving the New York City subway trains, and showing people his art. Saadiya Sealey is a student, an artist and a writer. If she weren’t a human she would be a phone. In the future you will see her change the world by getting rich and giving money to the poor and homeless. Lenaya Thompson is a student, gamer, and future astronomer from Brooklyn, New York. If she could be one thing, in the entire universe, she says she would be a driving, flying, walking, talking, infinite bowl of noodles, because she would keep eating herself up because she loves noodles. In the future, you can see her changing the world by staring at stars and helping build rocket ships. Chyanne Wren Pierre is a student. She is a digital artist, a writer, and an introvert and she’s from America. If Chyanne wasn’t a human she would be a golden retriever. In the future you will see her on YouTube or the most famous digital artist.

Acknowledgments In our Young Writers Publish program, 826NYC works with classes of students and teachers on creative writing projects around and beyond New York City. This winter, students from P.S.316 Elijah G. Stroud Elementary wrote about their neighborhoods, their favorite places near and far, and real and imagined places across the galaxy, which they compiled into a travel guide. You Might Can’t Come Back: P.S.316’s Guide to the Universe is a compilation of the original work of these students. A huge thank you to the 826NYC volunteers Abbey Chase and Holly Settoon, our writing mentors who supported our students through brainstorming, writing, and revising. Thank you also to our Teaching Artist Willie Filkowski. Your support, encouragement, and consistency helped our young writers tap into their imaginations and memories to produce such moving work. Impossibly huge thanks are also due to the fifth grade teaching cohort at P.S.316: Ms. Do, Ms. Gilbert, Ms. Radix, Mr. Williams, and Mr. Young. Thank you for inviting 826NYC into your classes during a time when the usual strains on teachers have been magnif ied by the demands of teaching during a global pandemic. And thank you to Ms. Welsh for always facilitating this collaboration.

At 826NYC we depend on the dedicated volunteer editing and design cohort that make our publications a reality. Thank you to Ruwaida Ba-arma for designing such a beautiful book for our students. To copy editors and proofreaders Christine Corbin, Daisy Williams, Sarah Stephen, David Ewalt, Laura Silvius, and Nicholas Martinez for their careful attention to each of the student’s pieces. A big thank you to The Jane Friedman Anspach Family Foundation, The Hawkins Foundation, The Kettering Foundation, The Minerva Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, The Resnick Family Foundation, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Susan Stein Shiva Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and the National Endowment for the Arts for their generous support, which allows us to publish our students’ work. Thank you especially to the 826NYC staff for their behind-the-scenes support of this project, from curriculum development and the book-making process to volunteer recruitment. Finally, thank you to the students at P.S.316 for taking risks with your writing and sharing your words with us. Writing can be a challenging and hopefully fun process, and your dedication to your craft and your stories shines through in these pieces. We are all excited to see what stories you’ll tell in the future!

826NYC Location and Leadership

826NYC and The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. 372 Fifth Ave Brooklyn, NY 11215 718.499.9884 www.826nyc.org Staff Joshua Mandelbaum, Executive Director Naomi Solomon, Director of Education Nico Garbaccio, Volunteer and Programs Manager Thais Vitorelli, Programs Coordinator Corey Ruzicano, Programs Coordinator Summer Medina, Community Engagement Strategist Jesusdaniel Barba, Programs Coordinator Lauren Everett, Communication & Fundraising Coordinator Chris Eckert, Store Manager Sonya Moore, Retail Associate Board of Directors Michelle McGovern, President Ted Wolff, Vice President Ray Carpenter, Treasurer Kathryn Yontef, Secretary Michael Colagiovanni Jen D’Ambroise Liza Demby Jamal Edwards Amir Mokari Arjun Nagappan Tammy Oler Katie Schwab Danielle Sinay Andrew Sparkler Alyson Stone Maura Tierney Thom Unterburger 90

826NYC Programs Write After School Reading and writing go together like peanut butter and jelly. Write After School students work alongside 826NYC staff and volunteers to build their reading, writing, socialemotional skills and unleash their imagination as they play and learn about the power of language. Three times a year, students revise their creative writing for publications that are printed in English and Spanish and shared with families, volunteers, and community members at celebratory readings. Write Away Workshops Young writers come together in Write Away Workshops to explore a multitude of genres and subjects and to develop their voices. Groups write freely and participate in imaginative writing activities and lessons. Whether it’s a song, a piece of climate justice sci-fi, or a nature guide, young writers leave the workshop with a piece to be proud of, as well as a newfound understanding of the topic, and new friends. Young Writers Publish Turn your classroom into a creative writing lab. During Young Writers Publish residencies, 826NYC teaching artists collaborate with educators on creative, impactful, curriculum-aligned projects that transform students into published authors. Residencies run from six weeks to a full year, depending on the project. Each Young Writers Publish culminates in a book, newspaper, zine, podcast, film, or performance featuring your students. Write Together 826NYC hosts classes across New York City for Write Together: an interactive writing experience that encourages creative expression, explores the elements of storytelling, and strengthens writing skills. Elementary-aged classes collaborate on illustrated children’s books, middle schoolers choose their own adventure, and high schoolers learn the art of memoir writing during a fast- paced and whimsical 90 minute narrative program.

Teen Writers Collective Teens are the next generation of literary leaders. That’s why we launched the Teen Writers’ Collective. The collective brings together young writers from around the city to explore the art of writing and literary citizenship. They’ll create a community of passionate and creative peers, serve as 826NYC youth leaders, and inspire younger students and peers across the network. Student Publications Through our programs, our volunteers work with students to help them create stories, poems, and ’zines. Because we believe that the quality of students’ work is greatly enhanced when they are given the chance to share it with an authentic audience, we are committed to publishing student works. By encouraging their work and by guiding them through the process of publication, we make abundantly clear that their ideas are valued.