Clairbourn School Pawprints 2014 by Clairbourn School

Clairbournâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Literary Magazine

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8400 Hun ngton Drive, San Gabriel CA 91775 www.clairbourn.org

Andrew Cheng, 8A, pencil on paper

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Dream Seeds Have you ever wondered that maybe life is one big dream, and you’ll wake up someday? That is one thing I pondered as I gazed at the bright blue sky. As I got up and started for home, I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the top of my head. My hand went to my head, and I took out a seed. It was a soft, pearly color, and it shone like no seed I had ever seen before. I went home, and later, before I went to bed, I looked at the seed. I took it in my hand, and suddenly my world went black. When I opened my eyes again, I panicked. I remembered my question from earlier: Had I just woken up? I got out of bed and went to the kitchen. But in the kitchen, a lady who was not my mother looked at me. She gave me breakfast and walked me to the bus. I got on the bus and waved goodbye, although I didn’t know the person I was waving to. After the bus started moving, I felt the smack of something cold and slimy on my hair. I turned around, and all the kids were laughing at me. One boy was laughing especially hard, and I knew it was he who had thrown a sandwich at the back of my head. When I got to school, I couldn’t find my classroom. Someone gave me directions, and I ran to the room and opened the door. The teacher gave me an icy look and told me I was late. She gave me detention, and another cold look when she saw my hair. The kids started to laugh again. After what seemed like forever, we were let out for lunch. They boy who had thrown the sandwich on the bus was now stealing lunches and lunch money. He came to my table, took my lunch, and pushed me out of my chair. I knew I should stay down, but I had had enough of this. I stood up and grabbed my lunch from his hands. As he balled his fist and got ready to punch me, I realized something. This was not my reality, this wasn’t my school, it wasn’t my real class, it wasn’t my real family, and most importantly, this wasn’t my real world. I grabbed the seed and threw it on the ground and stamped on it. It broke into many pieces, and I closed my eyes and slept. When I woke up, I was in my own house. I smiled; it was a beautiful day in my real world. And so my question to you is: What should you do if you find a dream seed? My answer: Stay with reality. Kristin Haegelin, 5B

PAWPRINTS Clairbourn’s Literary Magazine Spring 2014 Pawprints 2014 is the third edi on of Clairbourn School’s literary magazine, which our middle schoolers revived a)er a lapse of some seventy years. Its purpose is to showcase the best wri ng and artwork of our students, and to help foster a culture of crea vity at Clairbourn. Pawprints 2012 was honored with an Award of Excellence by the Na onal Council of Teachers of English, while Pawprints 2013 received the even higher dis nc on of Superior – Nominated for Highest Award. We are very proud of these honors, for they mean that the Na onal Council considers our students’ wri ng to be among the best in North America. This year’s Pawprints is the biggest and, we believe, the best yet, due en rely to the enthusiasm and talent of our students. In our first year, we had 220 submissions; in the second, 605; and this year we received an astounding total of 1015. We are deeply gra fied by this outpouring of support and the blossoming of crea vity it represents, and we are grateful to everyone who has contributed. In Pawprints 2014, we include works in French, Spanish, La n, Mandarin and, yes, even in Canadian. Every grade level from pre-K to eighth is represented, and our students’ work spans a wide variety of genres. It has been exci ng and challenging to choose the pieces for publica on; we hope that you enjoy reading Pawprints as much as we have enjoyed assembling it. Our special thanks go to Dr. Nafie and Mrs. Stahmer for their leadership and support, and to Mr. and Mrs. Bonaparte, Mrs. Patzlaff, Mr. Barker and Mr. Rivele for their caring and guidance. We are also grateful to Mr. Jay Rostamian of Print-X-Press for his professional exper se.

The Editorial Staﬀ: Ashley Vu 8A, Oren Wei 8A, Elon Mahone 8B, Tristan Huo 7A, Nicholas Rivelle 6A, Teddy Barker 6A, editors; Chloe Kessel 7B and Mary Zhang 7A, art directors.

Front cover by Mary Zhang 7A, Chloe Kessel 7B and Tristan Huo 7A; back cover by Tiffany Chang 4B. Illustrations are by authors unless otherwise noted.

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Pawprints 55 Bella’s New Shoes

Finding the Friend Sitting on a mountain I should feel ﬁne But I can’t ﬁnd a friend I don’t mean to whine So I walked away from the mountain Ran through the hills Scattered the leaves and porcupine quills I sat down in the meadow I thought this was the end Someone tapped me on the shoulder A girl asking for a friend So we walked away from the meadow Ran through the hills Scattering the leaves and porcupine quills And sat on the mountain Knowing what friendship meant Watching the sun set And at last content Kristen Haegelin, 5B (Illustration by Jacob Gale, 8A)

Emma, who was always interested in beauty, had a sister named Bella, who loved to play basketball. Emma had blue eyes and long blonde curly hair; Bella had green eyes, and long, brown straight hair. They not only looked very different, they had very different interests and tastes. Bella was like a tomboy, and did the opposite of Emma. Emma knew everything about fashion, while Bella knew everything about sports. Emma really wished to transform Bella to be just like her. One day, she decided that the first step was to tell Bella that she couldn’t wear tennis shoes anymore. Emma bought Bella her first pair of sparkling blue high-heel shoes. It turned out that, after Bella tried on the high-heel shoes, she couldn’t take them off because she adored them! Bella wore them to bed, she wore them to school, and she wore them to basketball practice. Emma was thrilled to know that her sister liked her high heels, until one day Bella didn’t show up for her basketball game, because she was shopping for more new shoes. The only problem was that Bella was the best player on the team and never missed a single game. Emma went straight to the mall to find Bella, for Emma had changed Bella to be just like her—a shopaholic! Emma loved that she had someone to go shopping with, but she knew it wasn’t right to influence Bella not to like basketball anymore because of her. Emma found Bella in a store called “Fabulous Shoes,” and exclaimed, “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at your game?” Bella answered, “Yes, but I love high heels so much now, and basketball is not really my thing anymore.” Emma nervously admitted that she had tried to change Bella but regretted it now, and that she was very sorry. She told Bella how special she was to help her team win every game, and that they would be very disappointed if she never showed up to play again. Bella began to realize that it was shopping and trying to be pretty that wasn’t her thing, and that basketball was what she was really good at. Bella rushed back to the school gym and arrived just before the game started. Her teammates were so glad to see Bella, and they thanked Emma for finding her. The team won the game, and Emma and Bella were both very happy. Bella always felt special when her team won, and Emma also felt special that she had been able to convince Bella to like basketball again. Tiffany Chang, 4B (Inspired by Liv and Maddie, the Disney Channel)

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The Ice Cream Queen The queen loves ice cream. She lives for ice cream. We always serve the queen dessert, Which is ice cream. The queen goes to sleep with ice cream, She dreams of ice cream. We all serve the queen Ice cream. Dylan Wu, 1B King James was mean to the Pilgrims. He forced them to go to his church. The Pilgrims wanted to move to a different place. They had a ship called the Mayflower; they just didn’t have much food to eat. They sailed to the New World, and the Indians helped them and showed them how to hunt and to grow food. The Pilgrims invited the Indians to a feast. Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a holiday. Now we celebrate it on the fourth Thursday of November. We don’t have school on Thursday and Friday that week. We eat turkey on Thanksgiving with our Moms and Dads.

Nostalgia Have you ever wanted to go into the past? Let’s go back in time… Visualize in your mind all the wonderful memories you have made with your friends and family. These are the times of joy and happiness that you have experienced. They could be memories of winning a competition and feeling immense pride in your achievements, or spending a vacation in Venice, Italy with your family. Recalling such memories of childhood, we often do not want to leave them behind. We wish time would stop, and that we might never grow up. At such moments, we must not forget all the times we have yet to look forward to—the future, which may hold new memories that will become more precious and important than the old ones. Remember: Even though our memories of the past may induce us to want to stop time, the future calls to us, and the promise it contains gives us courage to go on. Ashley Vu, 8A

Emily Zhao, 1B

The Miserable Life of Turtle and Owl Once upon a me there was a turtle and an owl. They were best friends. One day they discovered a diamond. They realized that it was the diamond of the Crazy Chicken. Owl thought that the Crazy Chicken diamond could grant three wishes, but Turtle disagreed. Owl decided that they had to ﬁnd out, so he said, “I wish for a fancy dinner,” but Turtle disagreed and said, “No, I want a roast beef.” The diamond got confused and turned Owl into a roast beef, and Turtle into a fancy dinner. Owl couldn’t believe that Turtle had tried to interrupt her wish. Turtle was also very mad that Owl had interrupted his wish. So Turtle toEered to the table and grabbed a megaphone. He said, “Let’s wish ourselves back to our true selves,” but Owl thought he said to turn themselves into bushes. So she said, “I wish we would turn into bushes,” and they did. This me Turtle was really furious. He was bright red as he told Owl, “Why did you wish us into bushes?!” Owl was equally furious. She said, “You said to turn into bushes!” By this me, Turtle and Owl were so mad at each other that they didn’t no ce the Crazy Chicken coming out from the diamond. The Crazy Chicken yelled, “For the last wish, I wish that you two would join me as diamonds!” So Turtle and Owl became a Crazy Owl diamond and a Crazy Turtle diamond, and that is why diamonds are so valuable. The miserable end!

Trinity Tai and Leila Wu, 4B

Blind Bee Sometimes you hear the whispers or murmurs Of the great blind bee How he yearned to see So he could place his grandchildren on his knee No one knew how he became blind But you know it in your mind— That it involved a prickly bush And a gigantic push! Leila Wu 4B (Illustration by Jaleen Tseng, 2A)

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Herald, the Grumpy Snowman It was a unique winter day in Portland, Oregon, and I knew it. It was said that a blizzard would come today, but it didn’t happen. Instead, the sun was shining and it was a perfect day to build a snowman. “Dad, can I go out, please?” I asked. “Sure, Alex, go ahead,” my Dad replied. So I went outside in the snow and assembled all the parts to make a snowman. I put them on top of each other: first, the huge ball for the body, then the smaller ball for the middle, and finally, the tiny ball for the head. All of a sudden, the snowman came to life! “Uhhh… Who are you, and what do you want?” he stammered. “I’m Alex Scavenger, and I want nothing,” I answered, amazed. “What is your name?” “I’m Herald. Grumpy Herald.” “Herald, have you ever had fun?” I asked. “What’s fun? I’ve never heard of it,” he said. I was quite surprised. I told him we’d have a snowball fight to teach him what fun is. We found a nice snowy spot to fight, and we got ready. “All right,” I said, “three-twoone…” And off we went. He had the advantage, of course, because he was made of snow. I surrendered after about five minutes because he was crazy good, but I think we both had a lot of fun. “Thanks a lot,” he said. “No problem.” I decided to invite him over for some nice fresh-out-of-theoven brownies, so I said, “Hey, um, Herald, do you want to try some brownies?” “What kind?” “Chocolate chip.” “Sounds good to me,” he said, and we walked quickly home. When we got there, I told him to try not to track snow into the house because I know my Mom hates that. “Hi, sweetie,” my Mom said. Then looking curiously at Herald, she asked, “Who’s this?” “Mom, this is Herald. He’s my snowman. Can he have some brownies?” “Oh, you guys are just in time. The brownies are actually ready right now,” said my Mom. It turned out, she made hot chocolate in addition to the brownies. Herald took a big gulp of his. Suddenly he didn’t look so good. He started melting! “Just remember this… My new name is Herald the happy snowman!” Those were his last words. That was the tragic end of Herald the happy snowman. But I’ll make him again next year. Elise Desjarlais, 4B (Illustration by Ashley Vu, 8A)

My Summer Vacation on Mars My summer vacation on Mars was awesome! I made friends with the aliens! We went shopping together. It was fun. I bought new shoes and went to the Great Wall of Mars. It was fantastic! Mars was H-O-T hot! When I got back to the hotel, my socks were dripping with sweat. I packed my luggage and was ready to go home. I waved good-bye to the aliens and left. I had a blast! I hope I get to go again! Emily Wen, 3A

Sadness

Emotions

A cat’s long quiet meow The loud cry of a baby Fur spiked up on a dog’s back The end of a party Fading flowers

It was so loud, and now it’s silent I am calm and happy It’s a very dark morning I am anxious for the light I am sad but calm Chris Arminak, 4A

Jeffrey Reiling, 4A

Once upon a time there was a rodent named Elena von Footsnout. She was in her thirties. She was a doctor, but her real passion was looking for Bigfoot and anteaters. She ran every day for a hundred miles, so she was skinny. One night she had a nightmare. Her nightmare was: She was asleep in bed, when she heard a thumping on her roof. She turned on her light and got up. She went outside, and there on her roof was an eraser erasing the house! Daisy Duda, 1B (Illustration by Mary Zhang, 7A)

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The Canidae Family A dog could be a good dog, or a bad one. If it is a good dog, you must treat him nicely, like playing catch with him. Wolves and dogs lived more than fi)y million years ago. Wolves and dogs are members of a family called canidae. Both are social animals. Wolves live in groups which are called packs. 15,000 years ago, tamed dogs started to live with people, and became pets. Tamed dogs started to look different from most wolves. Today there are different kinds of dogs, called breeds. A dog whose parents belong to two different breeds is a crossbreed.

Butterfly glides up Lands on a giant orange flower Sipping some nectar. Ashlee Notley, 2A

Making sweet honey Flying to a red flower. Bees buzzing around. Jaleen Tseng, 2A

William Liu, 1B (Illustration by Audrey Portillo, 5B)

Peacock spreads his plumes Wants to be so fabulous

Aislada

Female is surprised!

Me encanta leer y estar aislada. Pre iero arder bajo luz de un sol arti icial antes que la luz de un sol real. Me gusta pintar sobre un lienzo con un tono rojo brillante. La mú sica me tranquiliza. Es mejor la icció n que la realidad, lo imaginado es mejor que lo real y los sueñ os son mejores que la realidad, pero a veces los sueñ os son pesadillas.

Wendy Waite, 2A Ocean is bumpy Wind pushes blue-green water Fast dolphins leap high

Amanda Melendez, 7B

Alexander Lopez, 2A

(Transla on from the Spanish)

Isolated I love to read and be isolated. I’d rather burn under ar ﬁcial sunlight than real sunlight. I like to paint on a canvas with a bright shade of red. Music keeps me calm. Fic on is beEer than non-ﬁc on, imagined is beEer than real, and dreams are beEer than reality; but dreams are some mes nightmares.

Playful young tiger Getting ready to have fun Pounces on brother Zaria Echemendia, 2A

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No me gusta la gente, ya que se me acercan y me hablan. Cuando la gente me habla trato de terminar la conversación rápidamente para poder irme a dormir. Aunque parece ser difícil hacer amigos, en verdad no lo es. Sólo tienes que buscar a la persona que es mas como su tipo de personalidad. Esa es también la razón por la que tengo pocos, pero Buenos amigos. La gente a quien yo les desagrado son los más populares, pero no me importa lo que piensan de mi porque tengo otras cosas con que preocuparme. Me gusta mucho tocar el violín, pero a veces, como en este momento, mi maestro me da un montón de música difícil de tocar para un concierto muy importante. Así que tengo que practicar mucho y luego mi brazo izquierdo y la parte baja de la espalda me empiezan a doler mucho. Pero tengo que aprender y perfeccionar esta música, pero lo malo sobre mi forma de tocar el violín es que cuando cometo un error, lo practico hasta que todo salga bien. Esto toma mucho tiempo. Sarah Soza, 7A

(Transla on from the Spanish) I don’t like people because they come up to me and talk to me. When people talk to me, I try to ﬁnish the conversa on quickly so I can go to sleep. Though it would seem that it would be hard for me to make friends, it isn’t, really. You just have to look for the person who is close to your type of personality. That’s also a reason I have few, but good, friends. The people who dislike me the most are the popular people, but I don’t care what they think of me because I have other things to worry about. I really like to play the violin but some mes, like right now, my teacher will give me a bunch of diﬃcult music to play for a very important concert. So I prac ce a lot and then my le) arm and the small of my back start to hurt a lot. I have to learn and perfect this music, but the downside about my violin playing is that when I make a mistake, I prac ce it un l I get it right. This is very me consuming.

No war, no famine Just a bit too warm today… This isn’t so bad. Vicky Manwani, 5A

move, because the rest of my body was in a ght grip, as if I had been tackled and the football player was wrapped around me. Then I felt hot breath on my ear, whispering the words, “Hey, Lil Bro, miss me...?” Elon Mahone, 8B

About Friends A friend would not ﬁght, kick, run, or play with dragons and raccoons. A friend would not interrupt an adult when he or she is talking. A friend would tell a joke that everyone could laugh at. A friend would help people by spelling words for them. A friend asks, “Are you ok?” when you are hurt. A friendly person would not step on any bugs. A friend would not sleep in ﬁrst grade. Brian Xu, 1B (Illustration by Nicole Lam, 5B)

The Sad Life of the Bear The cool clear breeze The fresh green trees The golden honeycomb Is now my home I am a bear As you might have guessed I do have a flare But it makes me stressed But I will go From the plateau I will say good-bye For now… I must… die Teddy Barker, 6A

Pawprints 50 “Yeah. You owe me one,” I said. When we got to the park, there was a group of boys standing by the taco truck. They waved for Shane. “Go swing on the swings, Lil Bro. I have to take care of something.” From then on, every me Shane wanted to go to the park to hang with his friends, he used me as his excuse. For two months, he took me there every Saturday, and when we came back home, he made up a story about how much fun we had had. I could have told momma, but I was too scared. Not of what Dillon would do to me if I told, but of what momma would do to Dillon. When I woke up that day—it was a Monday—I heard yelling again. I don’t remember what momma said exactly, but I do remember a couple of smacks, sniffling, and another smack. Then momma kicked Shane out of the house, and told him never to come back. That was a preEy trauma zing moment. Shane was my best friend; he was my brother, and although he hadn’t been ac ng like it, I knew he loved me very much. The only reason he didn’t argue with momma was probably because he was scared that she would call the police on him. I don’t know what he did; all I know is that it wasn’t good. Anyway, I don’t really like thinking about the rest, but I’m sort of dreaming, and my mind is out of my control at the moment. When I came back home from school that day, there were police everywhere, with an ambulance and yellow tape, and the whole neighborhood in front of my small, rickety house. As I walked up the steps, two gurneys rolled out, carrying bodies covered with sheets. On one, a hand was s cking out with a wedding ring on, and a bracelet I had made momma for Mother’s Day. Suddenly I realized what was happening. I dropped down on the steps, unable to stand. My next door neighbor came to comfort me, but I tuned her out. A police officer came, and told me that my parents were dead, and that my brother, Shane, was their number one suspect. A)er that, everything went black. The next week was a blur. The police took me in for ques oning about my brother, but I didn’t speak. I didn’t think. I almost didn’t breathe. Soon, they found my brother. The police asked me if I wanted to see him. I didn't respond, and they figured that meant “no.” I can s ll remember Shane calling my name, screaming that he was innocent, and that I had to believe him. He was struggling against the five police officers who were trying to shut him up, put him in a van, and drive him off to who-knowswhere. I honestly didn’t care; I forced myself to think about something else. Like what homework was due the next day, and where my backpack was. That month, I was sent to Living Way foster care, and for the first two weeks I didn’t talk or sleep. I tried not ea ng, but that didn’t last too long. I was empty, un l I met Becca. She changed my life. She was the first person I had talked to since my parents died. She renewed me to my old self. Eventually, we started talking about leaving foster care together and finding a family and planning our lives. Then, last night, something woke me up, a feeling more than a noise. It was 1:00 a.m. and I was sweaty and exhausted. I didn’t plan on thinking about my past; I was supposed to be thinking about my future. But that has been really hard since I heard that my brother broke out of jail. I’ve been jumpy, cranky, and rude ever since. I slowly dri)ed back to sleep, and I think I had slept for a good ten minutes before I heard a clink. It sort of sounded like a chain. Before I could sit up and let my eyes adjust, a large and smelly hand covered my face. I tried kicking and figh ng, but I could not

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Anser insanus Hoc anser insanus ipsum est— est—volat in montis altis, Non amat natare, autem; is amat legere libros. In frigo subvolat retro, is curat hortum et porcos, Venditat in foro Iovis. Anser non est fortis numquam. Veritas? Timet valde formicis, otiis, et silvis, Etiam, nautis. Quidem trepidus admodum semper est. Is amat studere libros de vaccis, calamis, avias, Athletis, cerasis, quamquam Latina thema dilecta est. Cur facit res stultos? Quia… Optat esse discipulum Universitum. Vero! Nicholas Rivelle, 6A (Transla on from the La n)

The Crazy Goose This goose is very crazy—he ﬂies into high mountains, He does not like to swim; instead, he likes to read books. In cold weather he soars backwards, he tends a garden and pigs, Sells at the market on Thursdays. The goose is not brave at all. The truth? He is terriﬁed of ants, holidays and forests, Also of sailors. In fact, he is always extremely nervous. He loves to study books about cows, pens, grandmothers, Athletes, cherries, although La n is his favorite subject. Why does he do these silly things? Because… He wants to be A college student. Really! I love butterflies. Butterflies eat flowers with their feet. I especially love monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies are black and orange. Those are my favorite colors. Lots of butterflies have different designs on their wings. Butterflies are insects, and they are awesome. Mariah Ellis, 1A (Illustustration by Olivia Douglass, 3B)

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My Wild Story Once there was a girl named Fierce, and she loved to ride on her horse. Her favorite food was chicken, but she hated broccoli. She aEended a school called Western Academy, and she smiled every me she went there. The worst part of her life was when she had to polish her Dad’s shoes. Fierce had a great friend; her name was Syrup, and she had a horse, too. Syrup’s favorite food was spagheS. The weird part was that all the students at Western were twins, but Fierce and Syrup didn’t look alike. Then one day, Fierce’s brush, comb, horse, doll, pen, book, pillow, backpack, calculator, paper, homework, and her pencils went missing. She knew that it could not be her sister, Cookie, her Dad, Mom or dog, so Fierce searched and searched and searched around the whole house, even in the back yard. And there, in the back yard, she found a clue. It was a note, and it said, “If you want to find your stuff, come back here on Saturday.” Fierce went back on Saturday, and she found broken glass, blood, and a piece of paper. The paper said, “If you would like to find your brush, comb, horse, doll, pen, book, pillow, backpack, calculator, paper, homework, and your pencils, you’d beEer complete my challenge. It will take you four days to complete! First, run four or five laps around the diner, and come back and read the next step.” So Fierce ran four laps around the diner, and came back. She read the next step, which said, “Go into the diner, go to a table, and somebody will come.” She ran to the diner and went inside, and there was a person wai ng for her. It was a boy, seven feet tall and bald, dressed in a black ouTit. The boy said, “Go and take this case to the photo store, but you must wear shorts, sandals, and a tank-top. Have fun on your mystery!” Fierce hurried to her house, and on the way, she ran into Syrup. Syrup called to her, “Hey, Fierce!” But Fierce just kept running and running and running and running un l she got to her house. She changed super-duper fast, and ran to the photo store, carrying the case. There was only one person there, a man, and he said to her, “We have been expec ng you.” Fierce said, “Look, I’m scared. So just go on and tell me what I must do. And what me is it?” “It’s ten o’clock,” the man said, “but that’s not the point right now. I need the case, please. Now… now!” “OK,” Fierce said quietly. “You don’t have to be so rude. Here is the case.” The man took it and looked in it, and Fierce could see that inside there was gold. For a moment, Fierce considered grabbing the gold, but she thought to herself, “I don’t want to be bad and rich.” Then the man said, “I need to take pictures for your ID card so that you can go into the swimming pool at ‘Pools 2 Swim’ to get your next note, and that is where you will stop for today.” “But how will I know which pool to go in?” Fierce asked. The man replied, “The lady will tell you. There will be only one man in the pool with you; now, please, no more if’s or ques ons. Let me take your picture… Smile… You blinked… you blinked again… another… let me take the flash off… ok, smile…” Click! Click! Click! “And you’re done. Thank you. Now, please go; I have customers coming. Bye-bye!” He got up to leave, but Fierce said, “I need my photos… I mean, my ID card.” The man said, “OK, I will give you the card.”

Bro,” and then he gave me a playful punch on the shoulder. He had been at his new public school for two weeks. My mom didn’t like it, but my dad said it would have to do. One day, my parents and Shane had a talk in the kitchen a)er school, while I did my homework. Although I was in my room, I could s ll hear the shouts and complaints through the thin walls. “It’s my life, and you’ve already ruined it! I hate that school, and I'm just trying to make the best of it! Isn’t that what you told me?” said Shane with a hint of sarcasm. “Don’t you dare twist my words, Shane! Those boys you’re hanging out with are bad news. They’ve already been to jail.” Then my momma’s tone changed, sounding a liEle more concerned. “Why would you want to be associated with that?” “Why do you care? You already threw my life away, and—” Before my brother could finish his sentence, I heard a slap, then silence. “Don’t you ever, evvah, raise your voice to me again! Do you understand me, Shane?” I peeked out through my bedroom door and looked into the kitchen. My brother was leaning against the wall; one hand was on his face and he was protec ng himself with the other. My dad was holding momma back. I ran in between them, trying to protect Shane from her. When I looked in her eyes, I felt that my life was ending. I had intended to be brave and stand there no maEer what, but I wasn’t ready for the look on momma’s face—I had never seen her like that before. She was furious. Her eyes were wide, red, and watery; her lips were curled in, and wrinkled at the edges of her mouth. Momma was bi ng down with her teeth so hard, I thought they were sinking deeper into her gums. She was flexing her jaw as if she couldn't decide whether she wanted to relax or kill. But I think she had a much stronger urge to rip both Shane and me to pieces. “Momma, please don’t hurt Shane,” I pleaded. I could barely bring out the words. “I think he learned his lesson.” “This is not the me, Dillon,” she growled. “Let momma handle Shane. He hasn’t learned nothin’.... yet.” She pushed me aside and started toward him. “Momma, please.” I began to cry. “He won’t do it again...” It was hard for me to find words that wouldn’t be disrespecTul and get me slapped, too. “Just don’t hurt him, please.” I con nued to cry and plead, and I suddenly realized I was on my knees. Momma relaxed, picked me up, and cradled me in her lap on the couch. Shane just stood there, frozen, as if momma was s ll looming over him. “It’s gonna be alright, baby, don’t worry,” she said to me. A)er what felt like an hour, I stopped crying, and momma got up. As she walked towards Shane, she said, “I don’t evvah want to see you with those boys again. Do you hear me?!” “Yes, momma,” muEered Shane. “Now get ouEa my sight.” My brother headed up the stairs to his room. A)er a good two hour nap on the couch, I woke up to hear dad talking to Shane. “Where you goin’, son?” he was asking. “Just to the park.” Dad looked over at me. “Well, you best take Dillon with you. When is the last me you guys played catch?” Shane ignored the ques on and nodded toward me. As we walked to the park, he thanked me for having his back.

Pawprints 48 I bet a)er you eat some lunch everything will blow over and—” “No,” said Becca, suddenly exhausted, as if she were giving up. All the anger drained out of her. “You don’t get it, do you. I don’t know about you, but I am trying to get out of foster care this year. We were supposed to get out together, but it seems like every chance you get...” She dri)ed off into silence, not wan ng to finish the sentence. It was too painful to think about. A tear trickled down her face. She quickly wiped it away and con nued, “Every chance you get, you throw it out the window. How do you think that makes me feel, D?” “Listen, Becca, I don’t want to make anything worse here, but this is not about you. I have a plan and...” I paused, trying to think of the best way to say this… “And I will get out, trust me.” “Oh, I understand,” she said, nodding her head viciously. Somehow I knew I had said something wrong. “What?! What did I do now?” “What happened to us geSng out of here; did you forget? Or is this all about you?” “What do you mean? We’re geSng out of here, but it will take me; I have a plan.” “No, D, you said I will get out of here, I have a plan. What happened to our plan, huh?” “You know I didn’t mean it like that. Oh come on, Becca.” But it was too late; she had already stalked out of the closet. “UGH!” I kicked the shelf, knocking down some toilet paper rolls. “What is wrong with girls?!” When school let out, the bus took us home; or, rather to the “meat house” as I like to call it. It is actually called Living Way. As I was on the bus, I thought about my plan; how I would escape the foster home and avoid belonging to another family. I knew that everyone around me could be in danger if I stayed at Living Way. Because I will never be safe from my psychopath brother, Shane. When we arrived, I went straight to bed, refusing dinner. Whenever I have a bad day, going to sleep always seems like the best decision. I can dream about whatever I want to, and have a beEer life inside my head, where it’s safe—safe from my past and my future. As I climbed into bed, I tried to decide what to dream about. But I dri)ed off to sleep so fast, my mind chose to dream about the one thing I had been avoiding—my family. Two years ago, when I was ten, I lived with my mom, dad, and brother. We were happy, but poor. My dad always made jokes about being happily poor, and how that’s beEer than being sadly rich. He claimed it sounded beEer in his head, but all we could do was laugh and agree. My dad’s name was Eric, my mother’s was Mona, and my older brother’s is Shane. Shane and I were six years apart, and unlike other siblings, we were best friends. We even had nicknames for each other: he called me Lil Bro, I called him Big Bro. On Saturdays, we walked to the park. He would throw the football as hard as he could, while I had to run a)er it and catch it. Man, I was fast, much faster than my brother. Some people said I was beEer than him in football. I always made the perfect tackle, and had the most yards in the game. But my brother was a quarterback, so it was hard to compare our skills—he had the strength and accuracy; I had the speed and perfect technique. When my dad lost his job, everything changed: no more walks to the park, no more football prac ce; my brother even had to switch high schools. Shane was devastated, and he didn’t talk to me for two weeks. He told me, “It’s got nothing to do with you, Lil

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“Thank you,” said Fierce. She ran all the way to ‘Pools 2 Swim,’ checked in, and went to the pool. There was one man there, and he was thin and bald. The man said to her, “In the middle of the night you will wake up and be scared. You will find a note and read it. Do what it says and go where it says at exactly 8.00 o’clock sharp. This is the end of your first day, as you should know well. And go now, because they have just realized that you used a fake ID card to get in here.” Fierce ran home, ate a quick dinner, and went to bed. At 4.00 a.m. she woke, and there was a torn piece of paper and some real blood. The note said: “At 8.00 a.m., run to the carnival and go on the Spin-A-Win, and when you come out there will be people wai ng. Follow them, and they will take you to the manager. Tell him what you need.” At 6.30, Fierce woke up, got dressed and ate breakfast. She ran to the carnival, went on the Spin-A-Win, and followed the people who were wai ng to the manager. She told him that her brush, comb, horse, doll, pen, book, pillow, backpack, calculator, paper, homework, and pencils were missing. The manager said, “If you want to find them, you must solve a riddle. It goes like this: “I, the manager, have one ride Where you stand up. You’ve never Been on it before, and only 1 person Has fallen off it.” Fierce said, “I know that that is the scariest rollercoaster in the world. I’m afraid to go on it, but if it means finding my things, I will.” She went on the rollercoaster, and when she got off, she went back to the manager. “I did it,” she said. The manger replied, “I have two more riddles for you. Here is one of them: “I, the manager, have rides I like. You like one but We hate the same one. Go on it, have some fun, But don’t get off in the Middle of the ride Even though it is boring.” “I know what ride you mean,” Fierce said. “It is a baby ride. I hate that ride. But I will go on it to get my things back.” So Fierce went on the most awful ride ever, and got off again. “I am done with the ride,” she told the manager. “Now, what is the last riddle?” The manager said, “I will give you two clues tomorrow and one clue on the fourth day.” Fierce ran home and went to sleep without ea ng. The next day, at 8.00 o’clock, she went to the carnival and found the manager. The manager gave her the first of the two clues. He said: “1 of the rides Is your favorite; Go ride it and You get 3 things That were missing.”

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“I will, sir,” said Fierce. She rode on one of her favorite rides, and she got back her comb, brush and horse. Then the manager said, “Here is your other clue: “Your 2nd favorite ride Will be the one you go on Right now. Then run home And go to sleep, and then Go on your 3rd favorite one!” Fierce went on her second favorite ride, then ran home and went to sleep. The next day, she returned to the carnival at 9.00 o’clock, went on her third favorite ride, and hurried to the manager’s oﬃce. “I want my things now,” she told him. The manager said, “Solve this riddle, and get your stuﬀ back. It goes like this: “Under somebody’s bed There are things. Find them, And you are done!” So Fierce ran home and looked under her bed and found all the rest of her things, and that was… The End Isabella Hernandez, 3A

Facts about Hedgehogs Hedgehogs have big ears to help them stay cool. Hedgehogs are mammals. They are ten inches (twenty-ﬁve cen meters) long. Sharp tan and black spikes s ck out of their tan or black fur. They live in woodlands or forests. Hedgehogs hibernate if they live in cold places. They sleep under or in bushes, burrows or nests. Hedgehogs eat rodents or insects, like worms, mice and snakes. They have short legs for digging up food at night. Hedgehogs give birth to from one to eleven babies. They are only four to seven weeks old when they leave their mother. They can live up to ﬁve years. Hedgehogs roll their spiky tan or black bodies into a ball to defend themselves from danger. They grunt like farm pigs when they hunt for food. Daisy Duda, 1B

SOCIO “So, what do you like to do for fun?” asked Mrs. Bare condescendingly. She was not even trying to hide the fact that this was a waste of me; that I am a waste of me. “Well, I like to run and play jump rope, if that counts for anything,” I said, trying to sound like a happy twelve year old boy. “Interes ng,” she remarked, looking at me as if I were moldy cheese, smelly and unhealthy, just wai ng to be thrown in the trash. She con nued, “Has there ever been a me when you felt like you didn't belong or—?” “Oh, please, give me a break,” I said. “We’ve been here for twenty minutes and you haven’t even tried to hide the disgusted look on your face. And then you pretend that you care about what I like to do for fun, or if I feel like I don’t belong.” I shaped my fingers into quota on marks, emphasizing the words pretend and care. “Of course I feel like I don’t belong,” I said, louder than I intended. “I'm an orphan being interviewed by a woman who is claiming that she wants me!” “I just—” “I mean, its not my fault that I fell into the category of kids you wanted to talk to. So please spare me. I have places where I need to be.” “Just listen—” “No! I don't want to be here, you don’t want to be here, and I don’t want you here, so why don’t you do us both a favor and leave.” And that was the end of it. Mrs. Bare said no more; she ran out of the room giving me one last glare. “What’s her problem?” I thought. Seriously, if it were any white boy, she would have given him her full aEen on, and the boy wouldn’t have goEen mad at her. She came into the room with a scowl on her face. And she was the one smellin’ like roEen broccoli, not me. But that was no excuse; I should never have lashed out at her like that. I suddenly started to feel bad, but the feeling was quickly gone when I remembered why she hated me so much. There was nothing I could do about it anyhow, ‘cause there ain’t no way I'm changing the color of my skin. “What did you do?” Becca asked when I entered the playground. “What do you mean?” “I heard what happened with you and Mrs. Bare; you totally exploded,” she said, her face flushing with anger. “Then why’d you ask?!” “Maybe I just wanted to hear your side of the story.” “Sorry, but now is not a good me. Maybe—” “Sorry?” Becca said, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “D, you just ruined our best shot at geSng out of this place together! But if now is not a ‘good me,’ just let me know when it’s convenient for us to talk.” Before she could make a bigger scene, I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the janitor’s closet in the school corridor. “Get your hands off me, Dillon,” she said firmly. That was a bad sign; she never calls me by my real name; I call her Becca, and she calls me D, and that’s always been the case. “Ohhh, now you’re mad at me,” I said. “This is way too much for one day.” “Of course I'm mad at you; you never listen!” “Great,” I replied sarcas cally. “I’ll work on that, but now you need to calm down.

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Vanessa Hsu, 1B, colored pencil on paper

Chloe Kessel, 7B, charcoal on paper Jacob Gale, 8A, pencil on paper

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Tristan Huo, 7B, pencil on paper

Mary Zhang, 7A, pencil on paper

Samantha Frick, 3A, crayon on paper

Tristan Huo, 7A, pastel on paper

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The Very Busy Day! Once there was a little baby bear. He wanted to play with his friends, but he couldn’t, because they were very busy. He wanted to play “Run away from the zombies” with his Dad, but he was busy, too. He tried to play with his older brother and sister, but they couldn’t either. His Mom was getting fish for them for dinner, and she said she wouldn’t come back until night time. The little bear had nothing to do. He made a picture with a heart and glitter on it, but that was too boring. He went to the bear house, opened the door, and saw a fox. The little bear said, “Hello,” to the little fox. “What’s your name? My name is Little Bear.” “My name is Tony the Fox.” Little Bear said, “Would you like to play with me today?” “No, thank you. I have work to do,” said the fox. “Maybe later.” So Little Bear left. Then he saw a friendly little spider. “Well, hello, little spider. Would you like to play with me today?” “No, thank you,” said the spider. “I have a web to spin.” So he left again. Then the little bear saw an octopus. “Hello, octopus,” he said. “Would you like to play with me today?” “Yes, I would!” “Let’s play tag!” said the bear. “Okay. Go on,” the octopus replied. “I got you!” said the bear. The octopus tagged him back. Little Bear said, “You got me! You got me! You got me! You got me! You got me! You got me! You got me! You got me!”

Lost Things

The Creature from My Locker

Come out, come out From your hidden places, Hair bands, homework, phones.

I saw a crowd around my locker The air was windy and cold And the wind carried a smell… Of stinky cheese and mold

Come show yourselves, Mittens, bracelets, socks, Come play your part. Come find your friends Come all together There is a place you belong We bow to your littleness, Pencils, glasses, keys Without you, we are lost In this enormous world of ours: You who wait small and silent To solve this puzzle for us.

I shoved my way through the crowd And saw two lumps, fuzzy and black It started to rain and suddenly… We heard an almighty CRACK! Lightning hit the locker Someone yelled out, “It’s alive!” Then the two lumps started to jiggle And did a little jive The lumps jumped out of the locker Someone said, “What can they be?” I answered in my loudest voice, “They’re my gym socks from P.E.!”

Vicky Manwani, 5A Kristin Haegelin, 5B

Vanessa Hsu, 1B

Oscuridad (Transla on from the Spanish)

El sol, la luna, el agua y el fuego. Los días se alargan y los años pasan. Siempre allí, siempre observando. Reflejan el negro y el azul. Siempre se están ahogando en la oscuridad. Brennan Graves, 8B

The sun, the moon, the water and the ﬁre. The days get longer and the years pass. They are here, they are watching. They reﬂect the black and the blue. They are always drowning in darkness.

In three or four months I am getting a dog. It will be a poodle. I have dreamed of getting a dog all my life. I want a dog so badly for four reasons. One, they are cute. Two, they are fun to play with. Three, you can put ribbons in their hair. Four, you can give them a bath once a week. Sometimes I wish I could wave my magic wand and turn my pencil into a dog. Parisa Bryant, 1B (Illustration by Kaylie Sheng and Madison Barreau, 2B)

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The Magic Treehouse

La Cascada

Once there were two girls named Lisa and Lilly, who both believed in magic. This was because they had read about another world, a world of fairies, in which there were two girls who lived in a treehouse and believed in magic. They thought it was wonderful that someone could believe in magic, so they decided to build their own treehouse. When it was done, they packed their things and moved in secretly. Though they did not know it, when they moved in, their magic went into the treehouse with them, and the treehouse itself became a magic place. The first time Lisa went to the treehouse for a visit, she was delighted to see thousands of fairies. She called Lilly to come see the amazing sight. The two of them decided to live in the magic treehouse forever. Jesslyn Chen, 3B

The Huge Treehouse Once upon a time there were three little girls and three little boys. Their names were Hilda, Maggie, Olivia, Jon, Rob and Greg. One morning at breakfast, Greg announced: “We’re going to build a treehouse today!” Everyone else said, “Okay!” They got started on it soon after breakfast. They went to a shop and got boards, nails, paint, hammers, saws, wrenches and shovels. Tom carried it all, and they went to the big fir tree in which they were going to build it. They started to work. After five hours, the treehouse was completed. It was a huge treehouse. Lula Duda, 3B (Illustration by Jessyn Chen, 3B)

(Transla on from the Spanish)

Chorros de agua sobre mi cara, Frío, azul y puro, La cascada brilla bajo el sol, Quizás nunca quiero irme.

Water sprays onto my face, Cold, blue, and pure, The waterfall sparkles in the sun, I may never want to leave.

Haley Flynn, 8A

Red Pandas The red panda, which is also called the lesser panda or the cat bear, is related to the raccoon. Red pandas are about forty-two inches long and weigh between seven and fourteen pounds, including their really big tail. The red panda is na ve to the Himalayas and southwestern parts of China. Sadly, they are hard to ﬁnd because their habitat is being destroyed. Their red and white fur helps them to blend into the plants in the areas in which they live. Their diet is mainly bamboo leaves and fresh shoots, but they also eat berries, bird eggs, and leaves of various kinds. They have bony projec ons on their wrists to grab onto bamboo stalks. The red panda has a liEer of four pups. The pups stay in the nest for ninety days. Then they remain with their mom un l the next ma ng season, and grow to adult size in one year. Red pandas are an endangered animal because of habitat loss, so we need to save the red panda! Zack Dietle, 4A

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The Last One Once, there was a graveyard. It had been there for as long as anyone could remember. No one knew anyone who was buried there; they were just there. One day, some children who were on summer vacation walked past the graveyard. A boy heard voices. He didn’t know what they were saying, but he was sure he heard them. The girl who was with him, his sister, froze in her steps: she had heard the voices, too. The graveyard was covered with pebbles. Suddenly, one of them skipped toward them. They screamed. Then the ghostly voices came back. But this time, they knew what the voices were saying. “Come forth. Come take me with you,” the voices said. “Take me with you if you dare.” The pebble was smooth and flat. The girl had already run away, but the boy stood there, amazed. Slowly he picked up the pebble. As soon as he touched it, the voices stopped. The next day, the boy and his sister played skipping-stones at the lake. They both took three stones. At the last second, the pebble from the graveyard knocked one of the stones out of the boy’s hand, and, instead, it put itself into his palm. When it was the boy’s turn, he threw the graveyard stone, thinking it was a regular pebble. It just bounced back to him. He shook his sister. “Look, look!” he said. His sister watched as the pebble skipped over the lake, then back to them again. The children tried to scream, but no sound came out. They lost their senses. For a second, everything went dark. When things returned to normal, the boy glanced around. His sister was no longer there, and he was back in the graveyard! He ran and ran. Ran and ran and ran and ran, but he was still in the graveyard. He stopped, trying to collect his thoughts. But all he remembered was that he was the last one who had touched the pebble. Elaine Hong, 5B

One day I went into a cave. It almost looked like a giant crystal with a hole in it. I saw an ice cave that had icicles hanging down. It is cold inside a cave, and deﬁnitely inside an ice cave! Bears, bugs, bats, and a kind of dragon can live in a cave. Some mes there’s just nothing in there. I wonder if there’s a lava cave. Maybe in the lava cave the ground is deep down, and on top of it is a big wave of lava. A rock path is aEached to the ground, and lava explodes on the sides. Vanessa Hsu, 1B

The wind is blowing The river is ﬂowing Fish are tranquil in the river now

Isabella was at the park And heard a dog bark. Isabella saw some cats, Heard some kids say, “What’s that?” Isabella saw her mom and dad, Who told her, “It’s preEy sad.” Isabella asked them, “Why?” And they said, “Because we can’t ﬂy!”

Scent of ﬂowers on the wind It is very quiet Destiny Tai, 4A

Silent river flowing through the night A wisp of air stirs the leaves Spinning them towards the water People walk in the green forest… While the Titanic sinks Ethan Torres, 4A

(Illustration by Teresa Wang, 7B) Kimberly Chang, 1A

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Spirit of Giving In my story there are a lot of characters. One of them, the main character, is Annie. She is a five year old girl who lives with her father and mother in an old cottage in the meadows. She likes to help everyone in need. Another main character is named Manny. Manny lives life all by himself. Oh, but I am telling too much of the story already. I don’t want to spoil it for you. “Hey, Mommy,” Annie said as they walked into the garden, “I want to do something good for someone!” Annie’s Mom agreed to help, so when they got home from their long walk and a picnic in the garden, they started to think what they might do, and who they might give help to. During dinner Annie ate very slowly because she never gave up on a task, and so she kept thinking and thinking. She ate so slowly that she looked like she was frozen. Her Dad even thought she was a statue. Then she finally thought about dinner. Annie kept repeating “dinner” over and over again, until she realized that they could make dinner for someone. She told her mother about her idea. Her mother asked who she was going to present it to. Annie groaned loudly. Her mother asked her what had happened. Annie said she had to think again. Her mother laughed and told her to go think in her room. The next day, Annie saw her friendly neighbor, Mrs. Finnley, and greeted her while she and her mother walked over to the garden across the street. Mrs. Finnley mentioned that her neighbor, Manny, as usual, was going to be alone at Christmas. When they got home from their afternoon walk, Annie had an idea. She was going to make a dinner for Manny. She had to make a cake, a main course, mashed potatoes, and gravy for the potatoes. She became so excited that she forgot to eat her lunch. After she made the dinner with the help of her parents, she presented it to Manny. She gave it to him on Christmas Day, and they celebrated Christmas all together as a family. Annie felt really proud of herself for making the best Christmas ever for Manny. She thought she had done a very good thing, and she had. Saint Nick had seen everything that Annie did, from thinking of a special gift to celebrating with her family and Manny. He wanted to make Annie’s Christmas bright, too, so he told his elves to make a woven doll for her. The elves got right on it. After the doll was made, Saint Nick had to look at it to see if it was just right for a special girl like Annie. “Very well made, and it looks like Annie!” Saint Nick said with a wide grin. “I will be right back after I deliver this to her.” He was gone in the blink of an eye. After Santa gave the doll to Annie personally, he came back to the North Pole and said “Merry Christmas” with his mouth stuffed with food from the family’s feast. They still believe he is a special member of the family. Kelsey Au, 4B

I picked pomegranates. I made pomegranate juice. I drank it! Saya Gooden, Kindergarten

I played in the rain. There was a storm. I went inside to play. Tadao Nakata, Kindergarten

My Mom said I could get a chick. We went to get my chick. My chick was soft and small. Melanie Yam, Kindergarten

I planted a seed. It grew. I picked the flowers. Jennifer Wang, Kindergarten

I was driving in the car. I bought popcorn. I watched movies. Annabelle Cheung, Kindergarten

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Pawprints 40 “You see,” said the fox, “you expect the lion to be the king of the woods, but he doesn’t have the cleverness that I do. Do you?” he asked the lion, who cowered. During this time, the pig and the lamb had slowly crept away. Now they sprinted at full speed to the secret house, and locked themselves inside. Once they were safe and all the doors were locked, the pig asked, “You won’t betray me, will you, lamb?” For a moment the lamb regretted her decision and she said, “Sorry.” Then she called, “Fall in!” and all the lambs and sheep that had been her friends in the sheep-fold appeared. The fox arrived and congratulated the lamb on her treachery. Then they all turned and said together: “Get him!” The little pig ran for his life. He found an abandoned shack and ducked inside. No one was following him anymore, and he celebrated by himself that he had survived. But he knew he had to ind a way not to be chased by wild animals, and so he crept out of the woods and made his way back to his pen. The farmer was so glad that his prize pig was back that he gave him a big feast. After the little pig had eaten and his stomach was full, he lay down and re lected about how good his life had been. Leila Wu, 4B

The Questioning Twister

Le pot délicat, un pot de ﬂeurs, vis en Irlande à la grande ville de Chank. Le pot délicat—ou PoEy, son nom— est véritablement intelligent et il n’a plus de mère ou père mais habite avec son frère, Steve—le pot ancien. Matthew McIlvery, 7B (Transla on from the French)

The delicate pot, a ﬂowerpot, lives in Ireland in the large city of Chank. The delicate pot—or PoEy, his name— is truly intelligent and no longer has a mother or father but lives with his brother, Steve—the old pot. (Illustration by Natalie Arminak, 1A)

Les Oreos Manquants

(Translation from the French)

The Missing Oreos

One day I came upon a twister; It was a questioning twister; It asked me a lot of questions; They never seemed to end. I waited till it was out of breath; And was relieved when it went. I walked away slowly, With a question mark in my head. Mei-Tung Chen, 5B

Il était une fois… Une fille Qui s’appelle Charlotte. Charlotte aime les Oreos. Elle ne peut pas vivre sans Oreos. Un jour… Ses Oreos disparaissent! Charlotte est étonnée Et elle s’exclame, « Je viens de mourir? J’ai besoin de mes Oreos Pour survivre! » Elsie Wang, 7A

Once upon a time… There was a girl called Charlotte. Charlotte loves Oreos. She cannot live without Oreos. One day… Her Oreos disappear! Charlotte is surprised and she exclaims, “Did I just die? I need my Oreos to survive!”

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Porci Fabula Unus dies… pinguis infelex porcus est stultus. Deformis lupus porcum adligat. Deinde Hispana formica occupat porcum! Kelly Cesped, 6B (Transla on from the La n)

Summer starts to fade away And festive is the town, Traces of winter are soon to be found As October falls, like a golden crown Autumn, pretty harvest time, When leaves bejewel the ground, Like rubies and pearls they glow on trees Then pile up in mounds Winter’s cold and lively Yet warm and deep and bright And when it snows about me It’s quite a charming sight

The Pig’s Tale One day… a fat, unlucky pig is foolish. An ugly wolf es up the pig. Then a Spanish ant seizes the pig.

The houses look like gingerbread White and all in a row I always imagine some candy canes And vanilla frosting for snow Spring then comes alive With cunning April showers Buds will peep right out of the earth The land shall be rich with flowers When April cloud balls puff I smile every day As the silken rain drops down And washes troubles away Kristin Haegelin, 5B

(Illustration by Matthew Reiling, 2A)

Once there was an orange who was annoying. So we called him “Annoying Orange.” He talked and talked, and he also stuck his tongue all the way to his nose. (He didn’t have a nose, but he still did it anyway). He was silly to the other fruits and other foods. The fruits disliked him a lot. He didn’t care about the other foods, so he kept on talking and licking his nose. And so they didn’t want to be Annoying Orange’s friend. Annoying Orange was sad, so he stopped doing this stuff, and his friends came back. Then he started being Annoying Orange Friend. And that is how he got his friends back.

Jake Tseng, 1A

The Li&le Pig Once there was a little pig. He had little pink ears. He lived on a farm and played with his friends, the sheep. One day, when he was eating out of his trough, he saw one of the sheep creeping out through the fence of the sheep-fold. The pig thought: “I want to do that.” So he escaped. When he got out of the pig pen, he discovered that it was almost nighttime. So he ran up a tree and made a nest there. Then he became aware of another problem: There were wild animals everywhere, and he was sure they were getting ready for a delicious meal of pork chops. It had been a ine day for the little pig before he escaped. He had been well fed because the farmer had had a party. He had taken a long nap, and then played with his friends. As he thought about his day, he knew he had to get to a safe spot before any of the wild animals came. He looked everywhere. Soon it was pitch black, and he could hear the steps of animals pursuing him. Then he was surrounded, and the little pig cowered before them. “No,” he thought, “I have to stand and ight.” So he tried confronting them, but they were too big and too strong for him. He thought he was going to be eaten, but suddenly two igures, one white and one red, swooped in and grabbed him. “Yay!” he thought, “I’m saved!” But then he began to panic: “Where are they taking me?” When they were on the ground again, the little pig wondered where they were and who had saved him. He didn’t have to wonder long because a little fox and a lamb scooted out from behind the trees. “Are you okay?” they asked quickly. The little pig said, “I am ine. I just need some rest.” While he slept, the fox and the lamb planned how they would take care of him. When the little pig awoke, he told his friends about the incident of the wild animals chasing him. They nodded and said they would try to solve the problem by building a special house that no one could see except them. The little pig was happy that he had such good friends. The lamb was very worried, but the fox didn’t seem to be concerned. As if reading his mind, the fox smiled an evil grin, and gave a sharp whistle. All the animals that had surrounded the little pig the day before were back, and they were bowing to the fox.

Pawprints 38 “He was playing at the Montreal Olympic Stadium against Rimouski (a minor league hockey team) on Victoria Day (May 24th),” Bunnyhug explained. “It was his next to last game, and a)erwards, he went to the snack bar at the Hotel St. Mar n Par culier to play cards with a girl who likes hockey.” “Wow,” Choob put in, “I’ll bet she was cute.” “You know it,” Bunnyhug agreed. “So,” he went on, “he was siSng on the sofa when a muscular man from Yukon Province, big as a tour bus, came by and spilled meat pie on his napkin.” “Really?” said Choob, adjus ng his winter hat. “What happened then?” Bunnyhug finished his chocolate milk and reached for a corn dog. “Well, there was a fight, but the pot-bellied man was exhausted from the game and all the hotdogs in spagheS sauce he had eaten, and the man from Yukon bit him fiercely on his shoo ng hand.” “No kidding?!” Choob cried. “Did they take him to the local hospital?” “Yeah. And a)er that, he couldn’t even get a pick-up hockey game. So he started doing menial jobs, and ended up on unemployment insurance. He didn’t have a penny to his name, even lost his driver’s license.” “So, how did he die?” Choob asked. “He was poking around the backstreets in the Ahuntsic neighborhood (of Montreal), dodging the police and looking for small change, when, guess what?” “What?” Choob asked. “He found a hundred dollars!” Bunnyhug declared. “Seriously?” “I swear on my expensive running shoes,” Bunnyhug assured him. “It was all in ten dollar bills. So he went to Tim Horton’s for a jelly donut and a soda, and he died right there in the bathroom.” Choob shook his head. “Killed by a jelly donut,” he said sadly. “Yeah,” Bunnyhug observed. “It’s too bad, isn’t it.” Choob had to agree. “You know it,” was all he could say.

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Our Amazing Solar System Our amazing solar system has many wonderful capabilities. For example, it is said that there was once life on Mars, and that Venus was a wonderful planet until an asteroid collided with it and knocked away all the good stuff, or how the solar system makes stars, such as our very own Sun. The solar system is very important. We need our solar system to live. Without the Sun, we would freeze to death.

Lula Duda, 3B

Did you ever realize how amazing our solar system is? There are nine planets in our solar system (if you still count Pluto, which I do): Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. All

HEARTS ARE PRETTY MADE WITH LOVE

these planets orbit around the Sun like the Earth does. Did you know that Pluto is closer to the Earth than Neptune? Our solar system is in the Milky

CAN BE IN RED

Way. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, so that is why it is hotter

THEY CAN SOMETIMES

than the other planets. Uranus is tipped on its side; scientists think an

BE BROKEN Kelsey Au, 4B (Illustration by Chloe Kessel, 7B)

asteroid hit it.

Jesslyn Chen, 3B (Illustration by Jesslyn Chen, 3B)

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Pawprints 37 Sabrina and the Strawberry Tsunami

Sabrina was a ten year old girl who had animal powers. That means she could change into any animal. One day, Sabrina was flying over India using her falcon power, and she noticed that the Indian Ocean was as red as rubies. Sabrina flew down and changed back into a human. She wanted to know why the ocean was red. She stopped the first person she saw, a girl, and asked, “Why is the ocean red?” The girl told her the legend of the poisonous strawberry. “Once, the king of India ate a strawberry and died. Since then, the law says that we must throw all strawberries into the ocean.” And with that, the girl walked away. Just then, Sabrina heard a loud, scary rumbling noise. She turned around and saw a giant strawberry tsunami coming her way. All the people were screaming and running for their lives. Without thinking, Sabrina turned into a falcon and shot up to the moon. She knew the moon controlled the tides, so when she landed on the moon, she turned into a huge kangaroo and kicked the moon out of its orbit. Back on Earth, the tsunami went back into the sea, and the people were saved. But Sabrina had a big problem: How would she get back to Earth without burning up in the atmosphere? She had an idea: She would turn into a phoenix! She did so at that moment, and when she was back on Earth, the people said they wanted to do something to thank her— anything! “Try these strawberries,” Sabrina said. The people gasped, but they tried them anyway, and they liked them. And no one died. And the Indian Ocean turned blue again. Maya Balle, 3A (Illustration by Christopher Fung, 2A)

Ea est sola, filia flammae Bella Romana tan quieta quam Sol. Vade ad stabulum deinde spectare Ut volat in noctis stellata caelis. Sarah Waite, 6B

(Transla on from the La n)

She is alone, daughter of ﬁre, Beau ful Roman, quiet as the sun. Go to the stable, then watch As she ﬂies into the starry night skies.

“He was deking round the allees down Ahuntsic, dodging the RC and scroungin buttons, when whatdayathink?” “Ehhh?” Choob asked. “He come across a bean,” Bunnyhug declared. “Take off!” “Swear on my runners,” Bunnyhug assured him. “It was all in dixies. So he made a Timmies run for a jambuster and a pop, and he had the biscuit right there in the biffy.” Choob shook his head. “Hosed by a bismark,” he said sadly. “Ehhhh,” Bunnyhug observed, “mawga, eh?” Choob had to agree. “Ehhhhhhh,” was all he could say. Nicholas Rivelle, 6A (Transla on from the Canadian)

How the Pot-Bellied Man Died Bunnyhug (his name means a hoodie, which he always wears) and Choob (the television, which he watches a lot) were walking to the county fair to get coffee with two creams and two sugars, French fries with cheese curds and gravy, and fresh raspberry pudding. They were long me non-French Canadian friends. They worked at Zeller’s Department Store. Bunnyhug was from Newfoundland in the eastern provinces, and Choob was from a small town in Manitoba. They spoke both English and French, and Choob knew some Québécois. “Hey,” said Bunnyhug, “do you think there’ll be many foreign tourists at the fair?” “Sure,” answered Choob, taking out a one dollar coin and tossing it in the air. “They come for the fried pastries and the almond cookies.” They crossed the parking lot and approached the cket office. “Hey,” Bunnyhug went on as they stood in line, “did you hear about the Molson Muscle (nickname for a pot-bellied man)?” “What?” said Choob. “He died.” Choob’s eyes got as big as two-dollar coins. “No way!” he exclaimed. “I swear on my fight strap (the strap inside the back of an ice hockey jersey that loops through the belt so it cannot not be pulled over the head in a fight),” insisted Bunnyhug. “He died at Tim Horton’s Donuts (a popular chain store).” The two friends went into the fair, stopped at a convenience store, and bought some chocolate milk and RaisineEes. “He was a cool guy, and a really good ice hockey player,” Choob remarked. “He scored three goals once against Edmonton, if I’m not mistaken. So how did it happen?”

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How Molson Muscle Had the Biscuit

Super Powers

A Tale from Canada Bunnyhug and Choob were walking to the Ex to get doubledoubles, poutine, and bugger-in-a-bag. They were Anglo hosers from way back. They worked down the Zellers dep. Bunnyhug was a Newfie from the Maritimes, and Choob was from Flin Flon. They were allphones, and Choob knew some jouale. “Kay,” said Bunnyhug, “y’think they’ll be many gorbies over by, eh?” “Fersure,” answered Choob, taking out a loonie and tossing it in the air. “They come for the beaver tails and bokkepootjes.” They crossed the parkade and approached the wicket. “Ehhh,” Bunnyhug went on as they queued up, “didya hear about the Molson Muscle?” “Eh?” said Choob. “He had the biscuit.” Choob’s eyes got big as toonies. “Take off!” he exclaimed. “Swear on my fight strap,” insisted Bunnyhug. “Had it down the Tim’s.” The two hosers went into the Ex, stopped at a depanneur and bought some crimcoe and glosettes. “He was a neel, and an acrid grinder,” Choob remarked. “Bagged a hatty once at Oil Town or I’m ditzy. How’d it happen, eh?” “He was playin down the Big Owe gainst Rimouski on the May Twofour,” Bunnyhug explained. “It was his second-last, and after, he went down the canteen at Particular for some tarbish with a puck bunny.” “Ehhh,” Choob put in, “I’ll bet she was minty.” “Fersure,” Bunnyhug agreed. “Kay,” he went on, “he was sittin on the Chesterfield when this deezed Yukie big as a char come by and spilled tortiere on his serviette.” “Take off!” said Choob again, adjusting his tuque. “What then, eh?” Bunnyhug downed his crimcoe and reached for a pogo. “Kay, there was a dust-up. But the Molson Muscle was suckin slough, what with the match and all the guedille he’d et, and the Yukie give him an eeja on his slapper side.” “Ehhh?!” Choob cried. “Did they take him to the Angrignon?” “Fersure. And after, he couldn’t even get a skinney. So he starts doin Joe jobs, and ends up on the pogey. Didn’t have a zack to his name, even lost his three-six-five.” “So how’d he have the biscuit, eh?” Choob asked.

If I had a superhero power it would be ice. My superhero name would be Ice Girl. If I was Ice Girl, my dress would be the color blue, and my cape would be white, and have snowflakes. My ice power could freeze stuff, and it could store cold. I like my power, and my name, Ice Girl, is the best. Kimberly Chang, 1A

If I had a superhero power it would be reading. My superhero name would be Reading Girl. I could study, I could learn. My costume would have books all over it. I would wear book lipstick. My throne would be made out of books. Reading is the best super power. I love to read. Lilly Guyer, 1A If I had a superhero power it would be lava powers. My superhero name would be Amber. I would have red hair and a red dress, a red cape and red high heels. If somebody was in trouble, I would pour lava on the bad guys. I would wear red lipstick and be the best superhero ever. Natalie Arminak, 1A

Yu-Hong Chen, 1B (Transla on from the Mandarin) An ice fes val is held in China every winter. The air is cool. The river is frozen. The fes val is here! People have worked hard so that they can be ready. They made ice slides. They made ice buildings. They even made an ice restaurant! People cut big blocks of ice from the river. They used cranes to li) the blocks. They stacked the ice, and they carved it. The cold air keeps the ice solid during the winter.

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School Days

My Fears

1. INTRODUCTION Today was another school day. They are the worst days there are, I can tell you that. Except for that time we had a math test. Wait. That was a school day. Tests are the worst things in the world! I do not like them at all. Munch. Munch. Sorry, I am eating my Twix bar. Uh-oh. Chew, chew. I’m not allowed to eat candy at school except during lunch time. She’s going to look at me! Phew. She looked away. I’m a troublemaker at Aquariament Elementary. I know my school has a funny name. I am in 6th grade. My name is Alex Pandra. Funny last name, eh? I am going to be so glad when I graduate from this school. Homework. Why would someone invent homework? We already learn everything at school. Everything. I wish we didn’t have to learn anything. We have to learn every single thing about math, history, science, and what you have to do if you want to be the president (like I’m ever going to be one). Sometimes you just think you don’t need to learn about something, because you don’t want to do that when you grow up, but we still have to. Ring!! Math class… 2. MATH AND THEN A SCIENCE TEST “Alex, fifteen times nine,” Mrs. Quant said. I woke up. “What? Did something happen?” I answered wearily. “Okay,” she said. What? I hadn’t heard her say anything. “How about you, Robert?” she said to the brilliant student. “One hundred-thirty-five,” Robert answered quickly. Robert was the smartest kid in the school. I envied him. I barely knew anything! I usually sleep through class. Hey, it’s not my fault. I have to wake up at 6:00 a.m. and do my chores right then. Life for me is horrible. I just wish I could have the life of any other person. Mine is absolutely destroyed. I can’t just go back in time and change everything to be a normal kid. I’m not so smart. It is true. Ring!! I have to go to science now! Could I just skip school for at least a day? “So, Alex?” Mr. Ennui said. No! I was asleep again. “What was the question?” “Sarah?” he said. I guess he didn’t hear me. “Phloem and xylem,” Sarah answered. Oh! Earlier, Mr. Ennui had asked what the tubes are called that carry water, minerals and food in a plant. That was why that big Cyclops in my dream was saying that. “I wish I could answer something,” I mumbled. “What was that?” Mr. Ennui asked. “Oh, nothing,” I said to him. “So, you forgot.” “What? No!” I shouted. “Then what was it?” Mr. Ennui inquired. I hadn’t meant to shout. “Just nothing,” I answered again. I felt around in my desk. I always kept a pencil in there, of course. There wasn’t one now, though. Mr. Ennui started to hand out tests. Yes! I could use this as an excuse. Usually, I would not get anything done on tests, but without a pencil I might be excused from having to take the test at all. Then I spotted it. The pencil. Come on! I will never be excused now. He’ll find it on the floor and punish me for the forty-seventh time. I’ve been keeping count of how many times he’s caught me doing something and punished me. He seems incapable of not punishing me. I think it might be a habit. A bad one. He came to my desk and handed a test to me. I saw him laughing. Well, I didn’t actually see him laughing, but I could tell that he was.

At one time, I was afraid of swimming. It was very hard; it needed so much power. But when I grew bigger, I started liking it. I learned flips, diving and cannonballs. When I was in summer school, we were playing with things that were in the pool, and we played Marco Polo. My friend got scared, too, because he didn’t want to be “It.” He doesn’t know how to swim. My friend swims like a dog. He was afraid just like me when I was little. Another thing that I am afraid of is super-massive black holes. Black holes are scary, because if one came near the Solar System, it could eat up the Earth, the moon and the sun! When people see black holes, they go into their houses and close the doors and windows and ceiling. Black holes can soak up houses, trees, whole lands and even castles. The more the black hole eats, the smaller it gets, but the denser it becomes. If the black hole touches the Earth, every country, state and continent gets eaten by the black hole’s strong gravity. Black holes are scarier than tornadoes. Although tornadoes are pretty scary, black holes are even worse. Brian Xu, 1B

Volcanos What happens when the ground shakes and speaks, and smoke rises high above the peak? What happens during a pyroclastic flow traveling more than 450 miles per hour? Oh, no! The strombolian big clots of molten rock burst from the crater and form luminous arcs. Vulcanian dense clouds of ashash-filled gas ball all together and form a huge mass. The plinian thick lava and pyroclastic flow… Oh me, oh my, oh, no! Kennedy King, 3A (Illustration by Tristan Huo, 7B)

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“Is that your pencil?!” Mr. Ennui demanded angrily. I picked it up off the floor. Why would he do that? Forty-seven! The test began. I thought and I thought. 1.What are the tubes called that carry water, minerals and food throughout the plant? That was easy: phloem and xylem. Sarah had answered that one. 2. Xylem carries food. True or false. True. 3. Phloem is near the heartwood. True or false. True. I kept writing “true,” except for a few questions in the middle and some at the end. I was just guessing. When I got the test back, I had gotten a 34%. I never knew I was that bad. Ring!! Time for history.

People People are different Kinds of things, They could be water They could be watering, People share different Kinds of things, They could be smiles, They could be rings, People say different Kinds of things, They could be sad, They could be mean. Not that I’m saying I’m posi ve, It’s just people, Oh! Just people.

3. I GET IN TROUBLE I walked into the classroom. Mrs. Passé was scowling at me. “What is wrong with you?” she demanded. I bit my lip. I had no idea what was happening. “It was him!” Jennifer howled, pointing at me. She was lying on the floor, crying. “Why did you do this?” Mrs. Passé said. “Go sit outside and think about what you have done!” What? “I didn’t do anything, Mrs. Passé,” I said, confused. I knew I had to go outside, but when I was about to shut the door, I saw Jennifer smirking. I just walked in, and she blamed me for something I didn’t do. After about thirty minutes, a stampede of kids came out the door. I was glad I was in the hall for two reasons. First, had I been in the stampede I would have gotten trampled, and no one would have noticed. Second, I hadn’t had to sit there and learn about the past. History was the worst subject. Everyone says that you go to school because when you grow up you will need to know everything that you learned there. But what about history? Why would we need to know that when we grow up? But if I were to ask that out loud, someone would make up a reason. I’m sure of it. Now came my favorite part of school: going home. I also like field trips. They take time away from learning. I finally got home. I flopped down on my bed. I was glad to be back. It was Friday, so we had no homework. I think it is very sad that some schools have weekend homework. It just doesn’t seem natural.

Mei-Tung Chen, 5B (Illustration by Haley Ansel and Zoe Grace, 5A)

Elves like to help Santa Claus make presents; presents like Teddy bears, tea party sets, Barbies, Critters, markers, and a lot more stuff. Elves make the workshop pretty. They put holly leaves, bells, and nutcrackers in it, too. The elves help wrap the presents. Elf ladies (I think) make girl presents like dolls, art, and a lot more. Then Santa hops into his sleigh and whips his reindeer, and off they go! Their first stop is the townspeople. Next they go to the farms. When all the presents are delivered, they go home to the workshop to have a winter nap. The next Christmas, the same thing happens, but next year, different toys are made. Daisy Duda, 1B

4. WHAT I DO ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS Ah! It was another refreshing day at my house. I got out of bed and got dressed, ate breakfast and played on the Wii. “What are you doing?” my brother Sam asked. Sam is seven years old. “Just playing,” I called out. Sam ran into the room. “Aha! I caught you playing in the morning!” he shouted. “Mom! Alex is playing the Wii again!” Mom walked into the den. “How dare you?!” Mom said. “I was just—” “I told you that you shouldn’t play in the morning on the Wii!” Mom interrupted. I turned the TV off and walked to my computer, logged into “Addicting Games,” and played and played. I was a really good player. I finally shut down my computer and then remembered that it was Saturday, which meant that there was church tomorrow. I tried to reach my calendar on the top of my wardrobe, but I couldn’t quite make it. I called to Dad, but he was listening to music. I stood on my toes. I stood on my chair, too. I finally got it, but then I slipped and fell, weightless. I landed on my ankle. “Arrggghhh!” I cried. It hurt so much. I had to focus on something else. I realized that I would not have to go to church or school for about a week or two. This was exciting.

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Pawprints 24 5. WHAT I REALLY HAD TO DO I went to the doctor’s; he gave me a cast and crutches. It was really hard to move around. I definitely knew I did not like it. Then something weird came over me, and I started to read a book. On Sunday, I started reading books and more books. I did not know why I was doing this. “Hey, Alex, you have to go to your baseball game,” Dad said. “Yeah, like I could!” I replied. “I can’t play with my ankle in a cast.” I kept wondering why I said that. I really did want to go, but I knew I shouldn’t. I sat at my computer and thought of what to do. And then… I started to write a book. It was called…. I couldn’t decide. What should the title be? I went to the candy jar, ate a handful of Smarties, and suddenly I knew what to call it. In fact, I knew a lot of things; just about everything. I was smart! Smarter than I ever imagined. 6. I AM NOW THE SMARTEST KID I went to school the next day—the last day of elementary school—knowing everything that there is to know. “What did Abraham Lincoln—” Mrs. Passé began. “Ended slavery!” I blurted out. “How—what?” Mrs. Passé said, confused. She peered at me over her half-glasses. “How did you know that?” “I just know,” I said, putting my hands behind my head. “I never knew you were that smart,” she remarked. “Well, now you know,” I calmly replied. Today was the last day of school, and my mind took over. I didn’t have to do or think or say anything; my brain did it for me. I had no control over it; my brain just took over. It was strange, but I really liked it. It was cool. I was now the smartest kid in the school. Everyone was surprised, including me. Then I remembered that the Smarties candy I had eaten had “Smart For You” written on the packaging. I hadn’t taken it seriously at the time, but they must have been smart pills! Now that I was finally smart, I felt sad that I had to leave elementary school; but at least I would get to go to junior high school. I had always thought it would be harder. But maybe not now, because, not to brag or anything, I now knew everything. I went home at 3:00. When I got there, I went up to my mom and showed her my A+. You should have seen the surprised look on her face. “I’m super proud of you!” she exclaimed. “Thanks, Mom,” I said. I felt that it had been easy, and I told her so. “What?” she exclaimed. I could see shadows of doubt closing over her face. She didn’t believe me! But when she sees what I do in high school, I thought, her eyes will be popping out of her head! I think it might be funny. 7. JUNIOR HIGH I was being assigned to a junior high school called Trenron Rentick J.H. “Mom, I’m getting transferred—” I began quickly, but not quickly enough. “Transferred again!” Mom angrily interrupted. “If you get transferred one more time, you’ll be home-schooled!” “But I thought you wanted me to go to college,” I replied. Mom cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “I’ll have to be transferred to college to actually go to one,” I reasoned. “So… you’re not in trouble?” “Correct,” I said. It was like talking to a child. I could see the disbelief gathering on her face like thunderclouds. “You’re just trying to get out of trouble!” she snorted. “How dare you lie to your mother?!” “No, I’m not trying to get out of trouble,” I insisted. “And I don’t want to get into any trouble either.” “Ah-hah. Proof!” Mom exclaimed triumphantly. “You don’t want into get into trouble, yet you lie again. You really should be ashamed of yourself.” I did not know why she was doing this to me. She wasn’t making any sense. “Of course I don’t want to get into trouble—” I began. Again she cut me off. “And even more proof! Why are you doing this? You must be really hurt,” said Mom.

Bio-Poem I, Marshy the Marshmallow, A marshy marshmallow, Yummy, sticky and white, Son of Marsha the Marshmallow, Lover of marshmallows, Hot chocolate and s’mores, Who feels sticky, Who needs to stay sticky, stay white, Who fears mouths, the sun and mud, Who would like to stay clean, Not get eaten, and get married, Am a resident of Marshmallow Street, Marshmallow Town, Marshmallow World. Megan Jen, Natalie Chen, Jessica Rice, 5A

The Red Eye A few years ago, a man was hiking in the woods. Soon it became dark, and the man came to a small house. He knocked on the door, and an old man answered. The hiker said, “May I stay the night here?” The old man whispered, “Yes. But if you hear strange noises in the night, don’t look outside.” The man promised he wouldn’t look, and the old man let him in. The doors inside the house were Japanese rice paper style screens. That night, the hiker heard strange noises, but he remembered the old man’s words, and didn’t look outside. Later, long a)er midnight, he heard the noises again. This me he couldn’t resist. He wet his ﬁnger with saliva and poked a hole in the screen. He looked through the hole. All he saw was red. He thought to himself, “That’s odd. I don’t remember being next to a red room…” In the morning, he asked the old man about the red. The old man told him, “Once there was a liEle girl living here. She died one year ago… “And she had red eyes.” Elaine Hong and Kate Tsao, 5B (based on a Japanese legend)

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“Please, go on,” Mary urged him. “Well, I know you’re lonely, too, and, um… Well, this is kind of hard to say… But would you possibly want to live with me? Maybe as a Christmas present?” “Oh, yes!” they both exclaimed. “Please, please, please, Luis!” Luis had tears in his eyes. “Please,” he said, “just call me, um… Papa.” It was Christmas day, and Luis and his new adopted children were just star ng to decorate the tree. They were all jolly and having a wonderful me. This would be their ﬁrst, and their favorite, Christmas, together. Elise Desjarlais, 4B

Butterflies Butterflies fly. They fly slowly and they fly faster and faster and faster and faster and faster. When they fly so fast, my brother tries to catch them. Bees… they don’t look so much like butterflies. They, the bees, don’t fly so fast as butterflies, because butterflies fly faster and faster and faster like a train. Butterflies fly so much that bees see them, but butterflies don’t have eyes like people’s eyes. They have compound eyes. And if butterflies could swim like fish, they would swim faster than a megalodon. A megalodon is the same as a great white shark in the water. Claire Hui, Junior pre-K

I can make banana bread. To make banana bread you need to crack two eggs, add water, and add canola oil. I use mega chunks of chocolate chips. Then I mix it up, pour it into a loaf pan, and put it in the oven. Baking the banana bread takes forty-five to fifty-five minutes. When we take it out of the oven, I usually have one or two slices at dinner, and have one more after dinner. Jack Paciorek, 1B

“Yes, I am,” I replied quickly, so she couldn’t interrupt. “Well, you are hurt by your own actions. You lie and treat the people you love terribly. Go to your room and think about what you did,” she yelled. The rest of the day I sat in my room, playing. I had a bunch of toys hidden under the middle floorboard. After I got tired of the toys, I jumped out my window and played a little soccer in the backyard. I was glad Sam wasn’t there to rat on me for all this. He attended another school with a bunch of his friends, probably not learning a thing. Mom drove me to what she thought was my next elementary school, but was really my junior high school. When I got out of the car I looked up at the building. It was tiny. I actually started to laugh. “What’s so funny?” someone said. I stopped laughing and looked behind me. There was a small kid chewing gum and staring up at me. I suddenly started laughing again. “I said, What’s so funny?!” he repeated. “Are you the bully at this school?” I asked him. “Of course. You trying to be a smart aleck with me?” “Oh no, I better run.” I said. I pretended that I was going to run and he hurried up to me. “You’re slow,” the boy said with a weird, evil grin. This time I did run; I ran and ran until I reached the door and slammed into it. It flew open, and I looked for room 19. When I walked inside, the entire class was there, so I had to take the only seat that was left—the one right in front of the teacher’s desk. I sat down, and through the window in the door I saw the weird little boy running off to his classroom. I looked back in relief, my eyes racing across the room. There was one big problem. No, not a math problem. It was that there was no teacher. 8. I DON’T LIKE IT After the class had waited for over fifteen minutes, the teacher came running in. “I’m so sorry for being late,” she said, panting. I was right in front of her, so she asked me, “What did I miss?” “Nothing Miss...,” I said, waiting for her to say her name. “Oh. Blackin is my name. Miss Blackin, yes, yes,” she said, rummaging through her desk. “Can we get to work now?” someone said. “Uh… Yeah, I guess,” Miss Blackin answered. “Everyone raise your hand.” We all did, and she said, “You.” She was pointing at me. “What?” I asked. “What do you want to do?” she said. “I want to learn, I guess. Do you want us to go to recess or something?” “Okay, you want to go out to the playground for recess. Sure, sure, we can do that,” she answered. “Miss Blackin,” I said, growing confused, “I told you that I wanted to learn and then I asked, rhetorically, if you wanted us to go to recess. And you’re saying yes?” “Yes! You figured it out!” she exclaimed. “So let’s go!” The rest of the year we barely did a thing. All we learned were fun games. I really wanted to learn something other than that, but Miss Blackin just wanted us to play. And we had to, or else. I went home on the last day of junior high school, and my Mom said, “What did you learn these past two years?” “Nothing except games and fun,” I said. She peered hard at me. “I noticed there was a woman in your classroom in both seventh and eighth grades.”

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“Yeah. That teacher only wanted us to play.” “Oh! Don’t you get it? That wasn’t your teacher!” Mom said. “What?!” I shouted. “It’s true,” she replied. “It turns out she was an impostor. She escaped from a mental hospital.” That revelation has scarred me for life. But, I consoled myself, at least I knew everything. (To Be Continued)

Henry Barker, 4A (Illustration by Teddy barker, 6A)

My Mom bought me Green Eggs and Ham. I read the book. I put it away. Ginny Cheung, Kindergarten

Mi Vida Suzy Su

El sol, el sol rojo brillante

Suzy Su went to the zoo

La luna, la luna oscura y fría

And saw some kangaroos;

Mi vida es como la luna

She saw a snake on a rake

Oscura pero siempre allí,

And suddenly became awake.

Brillando en la oscuridad.

She opened her mouth

Oren Wei, 8A

And gave a pout,

(Transla on from the Spanish)

And then she saw a moose.

The sun, the bright red sun

That’s when she decided

The moon, the dark bleak moon

To go back to her house.

My life is like the moon

Tiffany Chang, 4B

Dark, but always there, Shining in the darkness.

A Christmas Never to Forget “Oh, those liEle sad children, they’ll never be happy,” said an old man named Luis to himself as the two bundled children shivered outside his window. He hadn’t learned much from studying the children every day. He wasn’t quite sure of their names, though he thought that the girl’s name was Maria and the boy’s name was something like Danny. Christmas was coming and he wanted to do something for them. He looked out the window one more me to see them blending into the frigid landscape of the street. He went into his messy kitchen to clean up, but got distracted, and made himself some cocoa. Then he seEled into his small but comfy recliner and watched. He would get a good night’s sleep and decide what to do tomorrow. Christmas was a week away, and Luis s ll hadn’t decided what to do about Danny and Maria. A blizzard was blowing outside, and when Luis looked out his window he saw the vague, blurry outline of the kids. Then he got an idea; it was a great chance to start a liEle friendship. He would invite them inside and meet them. He was planning on going into the kitchen and making them a nice meal before invi ng them in, but he couldn’t stand watching them shiver in the cold a moment longer. He went quickly outside. “Hey, do you children want to come into my house and eat?” he said, shivering in the snow swirling around him. “It’s quite cold out here.” Slowly, the two children inched their way toward him. The boy approached first, while the girl stayed a safe distance away. “Are you a friend or an enemy?” the boy asked. Luis chuckled to himself. “I said, are you a friend or an enemy?” the boy repeated with a fierce look in his eyes. “I’m a friend, my dear children, and I do not intend on kidnapping you,” said Luis. He beckoned them to the door. “Come in.” The two kids came cau ously to the door; this me, the girl first. When she was face-to-face with him she said, “I thank you very much. Not many people come and care for us like this.” With that, she went inside and sat carefully on Luis’s couch. The boy came in next. He thanked Luis as his sister had done, and then went inside and sat next to her. They all talked for a while, and learned each other’s names. The girl, who Luis thought was named Maria, was actually Mary, and the boy, instead of Danny, was Daniel. They began to get to know each other, and a bond formed among them. Luis served them cake and hot cocoa to warm them up. The storm was over by the me they had run out of ques ons for each other. Luis reluctantly let them go back outside, because they said they had somewhere to go. But instead of leSng them leave with nothing, he sent them off with some nice homemade coffee cake. It was his mother’s specialty. Every so o)en when the weather was foul, Luis would invite Mary and Daniel in for some food and conversa on, and then see them off again. But he never sent them away empty-handed; he always gave them clothing or some food. This went on for weeks. On Christmas Eve, Luis and the children met at his house. “I wanted to see you today especially,” he began, hal ngly, “to tell you something that I have been thinking about. As you know, I am a lonely man. My daughter, her husband and her two kids died in a car crash,” Luis told the children, trying not to cry.

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Chloe Kessel, 7B, photograph

Nicole Lam, 5B, acrylic on board

Jessica Rice, 5A, pencil on paper

Jeremy Sieben, 1A, watercolor on paper

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Chloe Kessel, 7B, photograph

Elaine Hong, 5B, acrylic on paper Ashley Vu, 8A, acrylic on board