Catch the Blue Bunny Bus

Catch the Blue Bunny Bus

Poetry and prose by the young writers from Ethel Phillips Elementary in conjunction with 916 Ink

Catch the Blue Bunny Bus

Poetry and prose by the young writers from Ethel Phillips Elementary in conjunction with 916 Ink

About 916 Ink 916 Ink is the only arts-based literacy nonprofit in the greater Sacramento region dedicated to providing creative writing workshops for youth, ages 5-25, to transform them into confident writers. We empower students to become the authors of their own lives, one published story at a time. Since 2011, we have served over 4,000 kids in the Sacramento Region, and published more than 200 publications. Our mission is to empower children and youth through creative writing. We envision a Sacramento region where every child and teen is given access to a creative writing program that leads them to believe in themselves and to understand the power of the written word. Learn more about us at www.916ink.org, or send an email to info@916ink.org to learn how to become involved.

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction and poetry. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author and publisher hold exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Copyright 2021.

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Dear Reader, What you see is the hard work and dedication of a community of youth and adult writers working together to tell stories that inspire, entertain, and heal.

At 916 Ink, we teach young people how to write, listen, and support each other in the pursuit of creating literary art. The words in these pages are carefully chosen and crafted to reflect their unique voice.

This book is a celebration of “taking the yes,” which is a motto of 916 Ink students. “Taking the yes” means that students are unafraid to collaborate with each other and themselves. It might sound weird—how does one “collaborate” with his or her own self? By shutting down the inner critics in our head that tell us that we aren’t good enough, our stories don’t matter, or what we might say is stupid or unnecessary. Stories are how we create meaning and make sense of the world. What’s better than to teach young people how to tell stories, create meaning out of their lives, and understand the world?

Creative writing carves a path to a better life. Writers know this, but maybe the rest of the world doesn’t. A writer is someone who truly gets to live twice—once through their senses and once through the page. Everyone needs writers. Favorite television shows? Go thank a writer. News articles?

Thank a writer. Education? Writers wrote the curriculum. Business? Can’t happen without writers creating marketing tools and business plans. Writers make the world go around.

By reading this book you’ve supported the growth of a writer. Thanks. Please consider making a donation to this great cause on our website at www.916ink. org if you’d like to further our mission of populating the planet with youth who can “take the yes,” and lead a happy life.

Ink-tastically yours,

The 916 Ink staff, the Board of Dreamers, volunteers, and youth writers

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From the Wordslingers Dear Reader, The anthology you see contains the prose and poetry of one of the most amazing groups of young students we have ever had the pleasure to work with. Each Tuesday afternoon, for twelve weeks, they logged into their online 916 Ink classroom ready to write, share, and cheer one another on.

In this second calendar year under self-distancing requirements, these students transcended the limits of a virtual classroom and brought our writing community alive as well as, if not better than, any in-person workshop.

It was as if the lack of opportunities to see friends and classmates in person lent an extra layer of meaning to the workshop—a chance to write what was in their hearts and on their minds, to smile and laugh with other kids, and to feel safe and supported during these difficult, unusual times.

Their responses to the writing prompts never ceased to amaze and impress us. They wrote of stuffed animals come to life, of blue bunnies, rainbow-colored planets, delicious foods, and globe-trotting athletes. Week after week, they spun unforgettable new worlds with words. One student expressed it well: “I leave here with a new ability to unlock my mind, the place where I can make things up, one of a kind.”

A special thank you to Katherine Craig, their teacher, who joined us for most of the workshops, and to our Inspirator, Patti Roberts. Both pitched in, writing, sharing, cheering, and editing, adding to the fullness of this very special writing workshop. We also wish to thank guest editor Angela Knight.

With appreciation,

Nora Camagna and Dorothy Rice

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Acknowledgments Nora Camagna

Wordslinger

Dorothy Rice

Wordslinger

Patti Roberts

Inspirator

Angela Knight

Guest Editor

Matthew Magill

Eagle Eye

Katie McCleary

Founding Executive Director

Michael Spurgeon

Founding Board President

DJ Waldow

Board of Dreamers, President

Dr. Beatrice Tetteh

Board of Dreamers, Vice President

Shelley Blanton-Stroud Board of Dreamers, Secretary Kathy Flynn

Board of Dreamers, Treasurer

Chris Worden

Board of Dreamers

Daniel Kaufman

Board of Dreamers

Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood

Board of Dreamers

Lynn Lizarraga

Board of Dreamers

Michelle Warshaw

Board of Dreamers

Patrick Harbison

Board of Dreamers

Tigh Rickman

Board of Dreamers

Vince Wong

Board of Dreamers

Ian Hadley

Executive Director

Angela Tannehill

Creative Director

Allison Stelly

Director of Development

Nikki Cardoza

Director of Programming

Paulette Greenhouse

Find Your Voice Program Manager

Brenda Nguyen

Program Coordinator

Jay Oatis

Program Coordinator

Nena Larieze

Program Coordinator

Emma Hoppough

Production Coordinator

Maria Gavia

Office Manager

Christina Nelson

ReadOn! Program Manager

Tory Scott

Bookslinger

Will Evans

Outreach and Development Associate,

AmeriCorps VISTA

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Contents Group Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Hidden Kingdom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Tiny Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Alejandra Mendez-Garcia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 B.U.S., Battling Unsatisfied Strangers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Purple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Breakfast Request. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Anthony Ruiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Untitled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Letter A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Yellow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Estella Heredia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 My COVID Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Kimberly Hernandez Jimenez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Surprise!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Dreaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Kimberly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Sweet Side of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Banana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Melissa Jimenez Iniguez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Cupcake’s Wonders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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Noemy Gonzalez Loreto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Movie Mania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 My Favorite Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Black Is my Favorite Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 What My Name Means. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Best Day Ever. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Raul Gonzalez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Fast and Furious. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 The Student of the Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 The Poem of Wisdom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Whipoo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Chuck E. Cheese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Sophia Vue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Jumping Bunny. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 What My Name Stands For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Wordslingers & Inspirators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 A Mysterious Package. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 A Special Place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Untitled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 You! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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Group Work

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The Hidden Kingdom Group Story

Chapter One Angelina and Angelino find their secret passage between high bushes, peer left then right and, seeing that the coast is clear, they slip into their family’s private ranch, which now hides much more than a ranch. They see a dark, magical zoo, which they call The Hidden Kingdom, filled with glowing wisteria trees, the smell of glowing rocks, and fungus. There are enclosures with lots of space and trees and grass. They smell the odors of the zoo: popcorn from the food stand, dew on fresh grass, and the ever-present smell of animal poop.

“You forgot to feed the neon zebra,” Agelina shouts at Angelino, her twin.

“And you forgot the magic potion!” he says back.

“Well, it’s your turn to shovel poop and take it to the compost pile!” says Angelina.

The Hidden Kingdom is top secret. A zoo where all the animals are unusual.

Some of them are one of a kind or the last of their species before extinction.

Others are combinations of animals or animals unknown to regular people.

Oh, we should also explain that Angelina and Angelino are hamsters, shapeshifting hamsters who can become human if they need to, in order to protect the creatures in the zoo. And, of course, they can communicate with any animal.

Angelina’s fur is white, while Angelino’s is black. They keep their skin colors when they become human, and as humans, they are ten years old. They also wear straw hats as hamsters because their eyes are sensitive to the sun. Their hats change size and stay on their heads when they assume human form.

The animals are so rare that it’s important they be protected. Otherwise, someone might take them to make money, do experiments, or other evil things. It’s also possible that each of the animals has a unique and special power. If anyone found out, they would want to dissect them to figure out how to duplicate their power.

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Siblings Angelina and Angelino have special powers and can create any animal they can imagine. Their powers help them protect these special animals.

Chapter Two There is an evil god in this world. Her name is Mala, and she has a spy on Earth, a kid who pretends to want to help Angelina and Angelino and to protect the animals, but he’s just working for Mala.

The boy spy’s name is Juan Maldragon. His eyes have a strange red tinge to them.

Things begin to get rough when one of the animals gets beyond the zoo gates and is seen by someone walking by. That person shares a photo with a reporter, who shows it on the TV news. Once the word is out, the kid’s worst fears begin to come true.

I need to act fast, Maldragon tells his boss, the evil god Mala. They communicate telepathically because Mala can get inside his mind and control him. If I don’t do something soon, someone else will kidnap the animals before I can bring them to you.

We should explain that Juan isn’t truly evil. He’s just worried for his family because there isn’t enough money to pay the rent and feed his seven brothers and sisters. Mala has promised to pay him well so that he’ll never have to worry about his family again. We should also explain that the only reason his eyes look red is because he has bad allergies, and because it makes him cry to see his youngest brother, Antonio, so sick and weak from being hungry.

Once he gets to know Angelina and Angelino and he spends time with all the amazing animals, Juan is torn. He doesn’t really want something bad to happen to them all, but he feels trapped because “family first.”

The kids catch Juan taking photos of the animals, and they confront him.

He breaks down and tells them the truth. Minutes later, while the siblings Continued on next page

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are still trying to figure out how to deal with Juan Maldragon, two things happen at the same time: a helicopter swoops in overhead, and a tank filled with government officials in combat uniforms breaks through the gate. The zoo is under attack from the ground and the air!

In that instant, Juan Maldragon makes a choice. He’s going to help his new friends. The kids turn Juan into an elephant, and he tramples the tank.

A huge battle rages. The animals all emerge from their dens to join in the fight to protect their zoo. The larger animals form a barrier between the helicopter and the smaller animals. Tiger (with a pelt of gold and stripes that glow in the dark), Bear, Cheetah, and Red Panda lead the charge. Shields and armor appear as if by magic.

Red Panda swipes at the helicopter and brings it to the ground.

Mala is so mysterious. No one really knows much about her. She is a legacy, a myth or legend, like Bigfoot or Sasquatch. Everyone believes in her, but no one has seen proof. But still, they are afraid. They know Mala is up in the sky somewhere, in a kingdom above the clouds, maybe even as far as outer space.

They also know Mala is gigantic, powerful, and terrifying.

Mala keeps power by sending her minions down to Earth to recruit more soldiers. She gets control of people by hypnotizing them, and then they lose all memory of who they really are.

“I know how this works,” Juan Maldragon whispers to the twins. “If you and all the animals pretend to be hypnotized too, the guys in the helicopter won’t do anything to you.”

So, the twins and the animals just stand still with silly smiles on their faces.

They all wave and shout, “Hail the almighty Mala. We will do whatever you ask.”

When the helicopter sets down in the middle of the elephant paddock, the twins make a magic net appear from nowhere. The giraffes and elephants quickly cover the helicopter with the net.

The kids create another net. Panda, Lion, and Tiger pull the net over the tank.

Once the tank and the helicopter are covered, they disappear! In fact, everything disappears! Where the zoo once was, there is now just an ordinary

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park with ordinary people walking their dogs and playing baseball and frisbee.

Angelina and Angelino are nowhere in sight! Juan Maldragon is gone too.

So are all the animals.

It has all been a hologram, and the moment the evil parts of the hologram were covered, the spell was broken and the world returned to normal.

Chapter Three “They’re waking up!” shouts a woman.

“Oh, thank goodness!” says the man beside her.

It’s Angelino and Angelina’s parents, staring down at their children with deep worry lines in their foreheads. Their mother, Rosa, is clutching a tissue, and her eyes are red from crying. Their father is holding two straw sun hats.

“Our prayers have been answered,” she says, kissing both her children’s cheeks.

“What day is it?” asks Angelino, blinking sleep from his eyes.

“It’s Tuesday,” his father says softly. “You’ve both been unconscious since Sunday. One minute we’re walking around the zoo, you two and your friend Juan Machado. You were running from animal to animal, having a great time, and then you had an argument with Juan. You were all shouting, and then all three of you collapsed to the ground. We called an ambulance.”

“Juan Machado!” Angelino and Angelina shout their friend’s name at the same time. “He turned into Juan Maldragon!”

Their parents just stare, looking confused. That is fine with the twins. It is good to keep a few things to themselves.

“Your friend is in the next hospital room,” Rosa says. “Maybe you can visit once the doctor gives the OK.” Angelina and Angelino give each other a thumbs-up. They have a lot to talk about with their friend Juan.

“We can plan our next adventure,” Angelina whispers.

“Should we be hamsters again?” Angelino asks. Then he shakes his head. “No, Continued on next page

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I think I want to be a tiger next time.”

Their parents look very worried.

“Nurse,” Rosa calls out, “I think we need the doctor. These children are hallucinating.”

Angelino and Angelina can’t stop laughing. They can hear Juan laughing all the way from the room next to theirs, which makes them laugh even harder!

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Tiny Home Group Story

Once upon a time, I was happy living in my tiny home. I was baking. Suddenly, the cake I was baking turned into a banana. The banana started changing into weird animals. Once it stopped changing, the banana became a ninja bread man.

The ninja bread man karate-chopped the sack of baking flour, which burst and covered the kitchen in white flour, like soft snow. Then he ran out of the tiny door of my tiny home and disappeared up the tiny path into the tiny woods.

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Alejandra Mendez-Garcia

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B.U.S., Battling Unsatisfied Strangers Alejandra Mendez-Garcia

It was a nice spring day. Two girls named Melody and Inka were on a bus. For some reason, all the passengers were cheering.

“Darn right!” yelled the driver, cheering on the fight.

Melody and Inka were worried. “Oh gosh, why the heck is there a fight happening?!” Melody said, worried, while tapping the rough and beaten-up bus and eating a bag of delicious cheese doodles.

“I dunno! Some jerk must have spread a rumor or something!” Inka replied, with anger in her voice.

I hope we aren’t late to Sunny’s birthday party, they both thought.

If you aren’t aware of what’s happened, Melody and Inka were going to their friend’s birthday party, and since their home was a bit far from the party, they mistakenly took a party bus filled with awfully rotten, chip-smelling strangers to get there quickly. While they were on the party bus, a fight broke out, which caused the bus to stop and waste time.

“Uh, guys, can you please not fight? We can solve this nicely, you know,” Melody said in a very quiet voice. It seemed like her voice was too quiet since none of them listened to her.

Inka lost her temper. She stood on a seat and shouted, “Listen up, you rats! You better sit down and be quiet or else I’ll whip you with my black karate belt!’’

Everyone on the bus went silent, all with frightened faces. Inka had lied about having a black belt since she had only been in karate for a month. She was surprised they believed her. Melody had a bit of a clue about why they believed her. Inka didn’t wear nice clothes and things. Her style was more of a punk rock style.

Suddenly, a big dude with an overgrown beard said, “Hm, you say you’re so strong, huh, little punk?”

“Yeah, I’m strong. You wanna fight?” she replied.

Then a whole gang of grown men came up to her and asked her to fight.

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Oh, my fishing gosh, Inka, why did you say that? Melody thought.

Inka froze. Then, all of the sudden, she made a surprise attack against one of the grown men! She started to attack them by kicking them in the stomach with her feet. She heard a snap. Huh, it came from my pocket, she thought.

She reached inside her pocket and found a Push Pop! Inka had made a tiny spear out of the Push Pop before they got on the bus and then forgot about it. She stabbed at them all and kicked them off the bus.

Oh my gosh, she did not just beat up a whole gang of strong men, Melody thought.

The bus driver pleaded for the others. “I’m sorry, please forgive us,” he sobbed.

Inka felt evil and powerful. With her raspy voice, she screamed at the top of her lungs, “I don’t want to use my fists, either! If you want me to stop, then drive us to this address before 1:00 p.m., you bystander!”

After a very dramatic hour, Melody and Inka finally made it to their friend’s birthday party with a gift of tamarindo candies, ready to have some fun.

The girls could finally enjoy the party on their nice, peaceful spring day.

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Purple Alejandra Mendez-Garcia

Purple is a lovely color, and there are many things to say about it. Let’s see what I think of with my tiny little brain!

A cool sky: a very pretty purple one to see with a naked eye.

Royalty: purple was expensive and hard to get a long time ago, if you ask me.

Fruit and candy: very sweet. To be specific, I mean Nerds, purple-glazed donuts, and blackberries.

A perfect spring: with wisteria trees and lilacs blooming.

Identity: purple really made me figure out who the real me is.

Cold: that’s nice, since it’s not too bold.

That’s not all, there’s way more I can think of. Try a different color. Let’s see what I can think of with my tiny little brain.

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The Breakfast Request Alejandra Mendez-Garcia

It was a cold afternoon. I was starving while looking at this tree that fell, and I was sniffing a pinecone because of the smell. That’s when my sister called me to go eat and have brunch.

I went to the kitchen to grab my meal and eat when suddenly my waffle turned into an armed soldier, so armed to the point where I couldn’t see it!

The waffle-soldier started talking. “Hey, you, so uh, the Food King is looking for kids to help defeat the Feces Queen! We need you!” the waffle soldier said.

I felt excited but suspicious. “Hey, will there be a reward?” I asked.

“There will be a royal election, and you will earn powers if you do your best and defeat the Feces Queen,” my waffle soldier replied.

“Then count me in!!” I replied with joy.

“Hey, can you be quiet?” my sister yelled at me.

I looked at my waffle. I was confused. I was sure I’d seen it turn into a soldier.

“OK, phew,” the waffle whispered. “I almost got caught that time.”

Then I ate it.

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Anthony Ruiz

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Untitled Anthony Ruiz

It’s a funny thing about mothers and fathers. They could be mad, sad, or happy, but my mom and dad are just perfect. They are cool and funny, and no one can change that!

I’m Aarin, and I’m ten years old. I live with my small family in Mexico, including my mother, Lupe, my father, Pedro, and my abuela, Rosella. My casa is muy grande, with three big bedrooms and four bathrooms, a kitchen, and a huge sala, painted yellow, bright green, and strawberry red.

The Letter A Anthony Ruiz

I like the letter A, like in mango, angle, tango, or in ray, lay, pay, train, and play.

Yellow Anthony Ruiz

Yellow is my favorite color. Yellow like the mango. Also, yellow is warm.

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Estella Heredia

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My COVID Story Estella Heredia

The coronavirus changed life as we all knew it. It was March 2020 when we learned that the coronavirus was declared as a pandemic. It had reached America, and many people started contracting the virus. Hospitals were overflowing and the health care workers could not keep up. There were so many deaths happening, and the news outlets kept us informed constantly, which seemed to spread constant fear.

The American people were panicking. People were buying up all the toilet paper, water, and cleaning supplies. Shelves were wiped clean in the grocery stores, and the workers could not keep the shelves stocked. Lines were outrageous to enter stores. It was a serious mad house.

In California, we were placed on multiple shelter-in-place lockdowns with many restrictions throughout the months. Masks and six feet of social distancing became mandatory everywhere. All “non-essential” businesses were ordered to stay closed or had a lot of restrictions. Businesses such as movie theaters, hair and nail salons, and massage parlors stayed closed or tried to work around the restrictions as much as possible. Restaurants had to make many changes that included outdoor dining only or only allowing a small percentage of capacity inside. Many complied, but some had no choice but to defy orders because they had to find ways to survive and make money for their livelihoods. We were told to not visit any family outside of our households and to avoid large gatherings during the holiday season. We were even told to not travel.

I was in my third grade class, and March 13, 2020 was the last day I attended in-person learning, because school was shut down. Honestly, I was excited because I knew I would get more time to sleep in the morning, and I was even able to wear pajamas to class if I wanted. Plus, I figured this school shutdown wasn’t going to last long and we would be back after a few weeks had passed. In the weeks that followed, school remained closed and online learning was going horribly. My teacher tried to teach us, but we were only given two days a week for 30 minutes. I didn’t learn much from the teacher after we no longer attended in-person class. My mom was actually teaching

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me more than my teacher, and it was hard on her too since she works more than full time for her job.

Deep down, I started really hating school and started feeling lonely. I am an only child, and I hadn’t had any interaction with other kids my age. I began to miss my friends, my family members, and being able to go out and do things. I tried to remain positive and hopeful during these times, but it was hard to always be happy. I never knew how much I appreciated the presence of people and the ability to be able to go and enjoy a movie or go out to eat.

Thankfully, I have great parents who continued to support me and make these conditions as fun as possible. In the summer they bought me a pool, and we had little vegan BBQs and would swim. My mom was not really a swimmer, but she would be outside tanning, and me and my dad would wrestle in the pool. We also did mountain biking and hikes almost every weekend as a family. We would go to Folsom often and ride the dirt trails. It was awesome, even when I was tired or felt like giving up. I would always miss riding my bike until the next weekend. We would go to the park and play softball as well. My mom and dad always made sure I enjoyed myself, even with all the shutdowns and restrictions.

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Kimberly Hernandez Jimenez

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Surprise!

Kimberly Hernandez Jimenez

One morning I was with my parents, convincing them about buying me a pet and talking about what I would need if I had that pet. I would need a food bowl, a house, food, toys, and other things.

The next morning, my mom and dad said, “Get ready. We are going somewhere, and it is a surprise.”

I got ready and I got in the car. We were going somewhere strange. It was...the adoption center for pets! I was extremely excited.

My mom and dad said, “Come on, let’s get out of the car.”

I got out of the car and opened the door of the pet adoption center. I was thinking about what pets I could get. Hm, I started to think. Oh, then I knew…A dog!

I told my parents, and they took me to the dog area. I saw a lot of cute little dogs. There were a lot of sizes; for example, small, big, and more. But I was thinking of getting a small one, so I went to the tiny dogs that were so cute that I wanted to get all of them.

I went to see this little cute German shepherd. It was little just like a baby. I told my mom that I wanted that one. The woman that worked there took him out and took him to an office, but then this other puppy looked at me with his little cute eyes, and I asked my mom if we could get two, and...she said yes!

I went toward that puppy, and it was a golden retriever. It was so cute! We told the lady that we also wanted that one, so she took him to this nice office too. She got some papers out and told my parents to sign them. When they finished, she gave us the two puppies. She took out two cages. One of them was turquoise, the other one was blue. She told us that she was going to give us those two cages, and then my mom said, “Thank you!”

We all had a good life with those two little angels!

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Dreaming KImberly Hernandez Jimenez

“Wake up!”

I opened my eyes and saw the bright sun. It was so bright that it looked like there was a flashlight in my eyes. I got dressed and went to brush my teeth.

Then I went to the kitchen. My mom and dad were getting their things. It was weird because they were getting buckets, shovels, towels, big umbrellas, food, soda, and more things, so I started to think, Where are we going?

I happily said, “To the beach!”

I ran to my bedroom and got all the things I needed to bring to the beach. I put my things inside the van. The van was full of things, so I told my mom and dad that I was ready, and they put the last things in the van. Next, my parents got in the van and drove.

One hour later, we were on the beach, and my mom and dad said, “Come on, let’s get to the water!” and then they screamed, “Happy Birthday!”

I was so happy. Then I woke up and realized it was all a dream, so then I went to check the calendar and...the very next day was going to be my birthday!

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Kimberly KImberly Hernandez Jimenez

K for Kind and Kidding I for Innocent and Intelligent M for Magnificent and Mint B for Blessed and Brilliant E for Educate and Especial R for Relax and Radiant L for Love and Laugh Y for Young and Yeah!

The Sweet Side of the World Kimberly Hernandez Jimenez

There are a lot of sides in this world, but this side is the best! The sweet side.

My favorite dessert is ice cream because I can put gummies and a lot of different types of chocolate on three flavors of ice cream.

If you’re asking yourself, “What flavors would she choose?” well, here is my answer. I would pick cheesecake, mint, and finally, Abuelita Mexican Chocolate ice cream.

My favorite store to buy my ice cream is La Michoacana. La Michoacana is a very colorful place. The chairs are green with pink and yellow. The floor is shiny, and the walls are pink. The menu has delicious items like milkshakes, ice cream, chips, and a lot more!

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The Banana Kimberly Hernandez Jimenez

One day, there was a family. There were two adults and three girls. In their house there was a big basket of fruit, three apples, four oranges, five peaches, and finally, one banana.

That banana was special because there was only one! Also, it was juicy! One day, a girl named Katy wanted something very, very juicy and sweet, so she went to the fruit basket and started to think what she should get.

After a few minutes of thinking, Katy decided and said, “I want a banana!”

Just then, the banana woke up and screamed but realized that he was only dreaming. So, he opened his eyes and started to laugh.

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Melissa Jimenez Iniguez

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Cupcake’s Wonders Melissa Jimenez Iniguez

Once upon a time, there was a Pegasus named Cupcake.

Her skin was pink, and her mane was rainbow colored. Cupcake lived on a cloud with her mom, Cake, her dad, Muffin, and her brother, Cookie. When she woke up, she ate Lucky Charms because she loved rainbows, even to eat.

After breakfast, she told her parents, Cake and Muffin, that she was going outside to play with her friend Pancake.

Cupcake and Pancake went to the Pegasus Park on a different cloud. They heard a noise nearby and went to check it out.

They found an injured Pegasus, a friend of Cupcake’s cousin, named Piecake.

They helped Piecake stand up and go to the hospital on a different cloud. It turns out Piecake’s wing was injured, and the doctors operated and fixed the wing. Piecake explained that his wing got injured by a nearby Pegasus bully.

When Piecake got better, they all went back to Pegasus Park and they had a Pegasus picnic.

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Noemy Gonzalez Loreto

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Movie Mania Noemy Gonzalez Loreto

Movie Mania is a planet far, far away that you can’t see because it’s so distant from Earth. Even if you were in space, you could not see it with your naked eye. Movie Mania has more than fifty states.

Where I am is called Movie Night City, or how I would like to call it, Paradise, because you don’t do anything at all like work. All you do is eat popcorn, candy, and chips, play in the playground, and watch movies. And all the rest is boring, like bathing, sleeping, brushing your teeth, doing your hair, and getting changed.

In Movie Night City, we do not have a moon or sun, which makes it kind of sad and dark all the time. You must use a special flashlight to get back home. The good thing is that you can see movies perfectly outside. We sit on white chairs with our family’s name written on the back, so everyone knows where to sit.

We do have lights in the sky. We have a control room that turns the lights on and off and changes the colors. The light colors we use the most are gold, silver, yellow, and black. And at night, it’s sunny, happy, and bright.

In Movie Night City, you would have a really good time because you would do all these things every time you come for vacation here.

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My Favorite Foods Noemy Gonzalez Loreto

My first favorite food is ceviche because my mom makes it and I help her make it. The ceviche comes out great. It’s very tasty, with all the flavors of fish.

My second favorite food is enchiladas because my dad makes them outside.

He makes them outside because my mom doesn’t want him to make a mess inside the house. We have a lot of fun when we go outside and play and my father makes the enchiladas.

My third favorite food is Chinese food because I think it is really tasty. These are my three favorite foods!

Black Is my Favorite Color Noemy Gonzalez Loreto

Black is like Monday because I hate to wake up for school. Also, I am always really tired. If black is a season, it must be winter, because it is cold, windy, and sad. If black is an emotion, then for me, it is sadness.

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What My Name Means Noemy Gonzalez Loreto

N is for a nighttime person.

O is for oven. I love to bake dessert.

E is for elegance, because I have a great style.

M is for mean, when I get mad or frustrated.

Y is for young and time to have fun.

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Best Day Ever Noemy Gonzalez Loreto

It was Sunday morning when I woke up thinking it was just going to be a regular day, but my mom walked in my room and said, “Today we are having a girl’s day out, so get yourself ready.”

I was so excited to spend the day with my mom doing fun things, so I got up and got ready in a flash.

The first thing we did was go out for breakfast at Denny’s. Mom and I both ordered chocolate chip pancakes. She had coffee, and I had milk. Everything was delicious. When we finished, we went shopping. We went to Bath & Body Works and other girly stores. I got some body sprays at Bath & Body Works and some of their hand sanitizers. They smell awesome! I also got two shirts and two pairs of jeans.

When we finished shopping, we got our nails done. My mom got the same nail style as me, sunflower nails with a white tip. After that, we were tired and thirsty, so we went to get a Starbucks. We both got a strawberry acai. It was so refreshing and good. This drink gave us energy to keep our day going.

We headed to the movie theater next and bought tickets to watch the new Mulan movie. The movie was so funny and exciting, but the end wasn’t what I expected, so I hope they make a Mulan Two very soon. The movie theater sofas were so comfortable that they made us sleepy.

My mom was super tired, so we decided to go home and take a little nap... zzzz. When I woke up from my nap, Mom was already awake. She asked if I was hungry, and I said yes! She asked if I wanted to go eat Chinese food. I said, “Yes, I love Chinese food!”

We drove off to get Chinese food at our favorite restaurant, Fortune Chinese Food. This place is only takeout, so we went to the park to eat our food. I had broccoli beef with rice and chow mein, and she had shrimp broccoli with rice. After we were done eating, we were so full, so we decided to take a walk around the park to help us digest the food better.

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That was my best day ever! Just me and my mom without my annoying brothers! We had so much fun eating, shopping, watching movies, and getting our nails done. But the most important part was that we were having time together—just me and my mom for once.

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Raul Gonzalez

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Fast and Furious Raul Gonzalez

One day Fast was in a race, competing with all the fastest runners in town.

He lost the race and was very sad because he was too slow. He made a wish.

He said to himself, “How would it be to become as fast a cheetah?”

The next day he turned into a cheetah, just as he had wished. Ever since that day, he won every single race that he entered.

The next month, on February 1, 1986, one of the fastest runners in the world came to Sacramento to race one of the fastest racers in the city. That person was Fast!

Once the race started, the runners took off. Smoke blinded the stage. Luckily, there were fans that blew away the smoke, and we saw the racers fly around the track. Fast was barely in the lead, then Bryant was catching up, and then, when it was getting close to the finish line, Fast won a ticket to Georgia to compete with another super fast racer.

In Georgia, the other racer and Fast were getting ready. The race would start in four minutes. The crowd was growing. All the racers were lined up and ready to take off once the starting whistle blew.

Fast won, of course, and now he was going to race in the one and only Central America, the hottest place in the world.

“We’re going on vacation!” he said to his family.

The racers arrived at the airport, where they were scanned for any weapons or other stuff, and then they went straight to the race. Twenty minutes later, the race started when the announcer shouted into the microphone, “On your marks, get set, go!”

The racers were flying around the track. Fast and the other racer were already halfway through the racecourse. Then Fast was at the finish line, but somehow he fell!

“Ouch! Why is there a banana on the track?” he screamed.

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There was a banana on the track. The race stopped. The officials checked the replay to see who had put the banana there. It was the other racer, Max! He put the banana on the track before the race. He received a penalty.

“Game over for you, bud,” Fast said to Max. “I’ll get you next time,” Max said.

Everyone cheered Fast and threw confetti in the air. He won the Best Runner’s prize!

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The Student of the Month Raul Gonzalez

One day I was at school. The teacher, Miss Nora, told everyone that there would be a contest to see who was worthy to be Student of the Month. She started by saying that everyone could be entered, and then she said that to enter you must write a story containing thunder and lightning.

I started writing by saying that thunder comes from the blue sky and the clouds.

When class ended, we went home. I finished my homework and then started writing. I went to sleep. Oh, and we only had one day to write the story.

The next day, the teacher asked us for our writing. A lot of people brought writing. I guess lots of people wanted to be Student of the Month. The teacher read all the stories during recess and said she would then announce the winner.

It was a tie between me and Patti, the most competitive student in the class!

Miss Nora talked to me and Patti, telling us that one of us would become Student of the Month. Because it was a tie, she said we had to read a book containing 32 pages, then take a quiz. The one of us with the highest score on the quiz would be named Student of the Month.

Once class ended, I went rushing home. I got inside, closed the door, and started reading my book for the competition.

Good luck beating that, Patti, I said to myself.

The next day, Miss Nora checked our reading and gave us the quiz. I got 100 percent on it! At recess, she announced that I had won the competition by one question. I was so excited.

When class ended, I went home and had the time of my life.

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The Poem of Wisdom Raul Gonzalez

R is for rushing A is for anger U is for ultra-cool L is for little

Whipoo Raul Gonzalez

My favorite toy as a child, at age six, was when I went to the 99 Cents Only Store. I saw a hippo that was orange and had a little bit of purple on its legs.

My mom bought that hippo for me.

I named it Whipoo. I just loved Whipoo and still do. I sleep with him every single night.

That was my favorite toy as a child.

Chuck E. Cheese Raul Gonzalez

Chuck E. Cheese is my favorite. Why, you ask? Because it is the best. You can cash in tickets for prizes, and you can always smell their fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza, which is the best—not too hot and not too cold.

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Sophia Vue

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Jumping Bunny Sophia Vue

When the parents smashed the crystal, the baby bunny stopped crying. The parents were confused.

A guard said, “The crystal was a very bad crystal. Whoever captures the baby bunny will get that crystal and make the baby bunny jump and hop and cry diamonds.”

The parents always checked the baby to see if it was OK. Years passed, and the bunny was ten years old. The parents made the bunny go to a jumping bunny race.

The parents found a name for the bunny. They called her Daisy. When Daisy was training for the race, she was outside jumping and hopping.

When it was time for her race, she finished in third place. Her parents were happy that she was in third place. The parents were so proud of her that they took her to the bunny park. Daisy was very excited to go and see her friends and play with them, because she was homeschooled her whole entire life.

Her friends were always at the bunny park when she was at the park. But then someone captured Daisy! Her friends ran to get Daisy’s mom and dad.

The friends ran to tell the parents that Daisy had been captured by a man.

The parents asked the friends where they went and they yelled, “Over there!” and pointed toward the hill.

The parents turned and asked the guards to follow them. The guards went on their horses, following the guy with Daisy. The guards saw the crystal on Daisy again. The guy saw the guards and gave her back. Then the guards brought Daisy back to the castle and told the parents, “It’s that guy who won’t reveal his name—he’s the one who put that crystal there and gave Daisy back.”

When the parents saw Daisy cry diamonds, they were so confused.

Six months later, it was Christmas, and Daisy was excited. The parents were happy. When Daisy opened an unknown box and she saw a crystal inside, the parents asked, “Daisy, are you OK?”

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Daisy said, “Uh, yeah.”

The mother baked cookies and made hot cocoa while the father set up a campfire and put a movie on to watch. Daisy was in her room, and she took the crystal out. The crystal gave her legendary power. She had all the power.

She was the queen of power!

Years passed. Daisy was eighteen, and her mother had a baby girl. The mother and father were happy, and Daisy was too. Daisy’s mind was happy. She said to herself, “I’m going to be a big sister.”

Nine months after the baby bunny was born, things changed. The baby bunny was crying diamonds, and Daisy was surprised when her sister cried diamonds just like her. The parents were so sad that their other daughter cried diamonds like Daisy.

Years later, the crystal guy was gone. He was sent to jail, so nothing bad happened after that. Daisy and her sister were living a happy life with their family, and no one came by to take them away.

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What My Name Stands For Sophia Vue

S is for smell because I like to smell.

O is for oven because I like to cook.

P is for play because I like to play.

H is for hello because I like to say hello to people.

I is for “I love you, Mom and Dad.” A is for apple because sometimes I like apples.

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Wordslingers & Inspirators

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A Mysterious Package Dorothy Rice

The jar just appeared on my doorstep. I tripped over it when I opened the door to let Meow Mix, my tabby cat, inside.

She was acting so strange. Her hair stood up straight, like a porcupine having a bad day, and her spine was as curved as the McDonald’s golden arch.

“What is it, girl?” I asked.

She only hissed and skittered around the jar on tippy-toes with that crazy arch in her back.

“Come inside, silly.” I scooped her up and plopped her on the other side of the front door. She disappeared, no doubt scurrying to some safe, dark place— under my bed or in the way back of my closet.

Meow Mix may have been spooked by the mystery jar, but I was drawn to it, curious and curiouser. It looked innocent enough. Yellow glass with what might have been crushed flowers inside, purplish and dried. I picked it up.

The instant I touched the jar, my hand glowed the same vibrant yellow as the glass, and my skin was warm as Meow Mix’s fur after she’s fallen asleep in the sun.

There were markings on the lid, hieroglyphics that I couldn’t decipher. Just then I realized…I’d run out of time and wouldn’t finish the story.

Hmm, I wonder what was up with that jar?

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A Special Place Dorothy Rice

A cabin in the woods…I don’t have to drive there or even leave the house. The entrance is under my bed. I just crawl under the bed, close my eyes, say the magic words pine tree, and I’m not on my belly with dusty carpet tickling my nose anymore, I’m on the cabin’s wide wooden deck, with nothing but trees and rolling hills as far as I can see. Squirrels chatter from bobbing branches, birds swoop from treetop to treetop, chirping their messages to one another, and the air is so fresh and crisp…like biting into a perfect red apple.

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Untitled Katherine Craig

I scrambled forward and looked over. The fragrant smells had guided me to the dining room table…the parsley and onion-laden stuffing, the juicy turkey fresh from the oven, and the perfect harmony of milk, butter, and potatoes all smashed together laid before me.

“Wait ’til we’ve all gathered round the table,” my mother hollered from the kitchen.

Very quickly, I swiped a piece of stuffing. Then I rearranged the stuffing to hide the gaping hole.

Despite my mother’s warning, I knew she would have pulled the same stunt.

We were both stuffing fiends!

You! Katherine Craig

There is no one like you, and there is no one who can tell a story the way that you tell it.

You are a marvel, and you have something to say that is important to me.

It may be plain and simple or wildly imaginative.

Your story shines brightly like a copper penny in a fountain of treasures.

When I pick it up, I see something that I had never seen before, and I am all the richer for it.

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THIS BOOK WAS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

WITH MAJOR SUPPORT FROM

AND FUNDED IN PART BY

The Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation

The Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture, with support from the City of Sacramento.