KIPP NYC: Read, Baby, Read! - Children's Literature (Fall 2022)

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TobeofUse

The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight. They seem to become natives of that element, the black sleek heads of seals bouncing like half-submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge in the task, who go into the fields to harvest and work in a row and pass the bags along, who are not parlor generals and field deserters but move in a common rhythm when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud. Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.

But the thing worth doing well done has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident. Greek amphoras for wine or oil, Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums but you know they were made to be used.

The pitcher cries for water to carry and a person for work that is real.

Read,Baby,Read!

You'vegottaread,babyread! You'vegottaread,babyread! Themoreyouread,themoreyouknow, Knowledgeispower,powerisfreedom AndIwantit!

TheSkateboardDay TheSkateboardDay

Frank

by Excerpt

Do you know how to ride a skateboard? Well I can’t ride a skateboard My skateboard training class is big There is a lot of things to practice It was very cold…I was with my dad and training teacher. I was a little scared. “Do I need to do this?” I said I tried but then I fell “Ow” I yelled My skateboard teacher told me to try again ( ) but it didn’t work “I didn’t want to try again” I said (...)Then I had a bad thought. I said to myself “I give up”. Last, I never gave up and I did it I started to ride my new skateboard I felt like a professional skateboard person I did a trick with my skateboard and I felt so happy I told my dad “I want to come every day”.

My name is Frank. I am 2nd grade student. I live n New York. I like to do math, reading, writing, and sports. I like being in school and I love my teachers and everyone I like my classroom. I like everything in the world. I like doing my homework and Zearn and Lexia core five I like when we do morning circle and closing circle. I love every subject in KIPP infinity elementary school. I like my school because it has a lot of things to do And my school is super fun.

DayattheWaterPark DayattheWaterPark

Sarai

by Excerpt

Have you been to a water park? Well I have one time I was at the water park with my aunt and cousins and the place was called Splish Splash I looked so cool. I saw a pol and lots of big slides/ I was like wonderland to me. It felt like I was dreaming because I never been to a waterpark in my life and it felt so good to finally go to a water park (...) I believed in myself and I dash (!) from the pool to the big scary slide (...)I slided down that slide and my cousins were cheering my name and once I got to that pool I felt so proud of myself And that’s why I loved the water park.

Hi. My name is Sarai. Something about me is that I love writing stories. It’s so fun creating stories about myself I’m 8 years old

Literary Parade at STAR Harlem Elementary School November 2022

Freedom Elementary School Kindergarten student

shopping at the school's Scholastic Book Fair

Millionaires Day June 2022

Millionaires Day June 2022

by

Mallory'sPromise Mallory'sPromise

AbigailDone

I was upstairs in my room watching my favorite movie I love the actors so much, they inspire me to be one myself But I’ll never be as good as they are A few minutes later, I heard my dad call my name

“MALLORY JONES, COME DOWN HERE NOW,” he shouted

I suspected he was mad at me But he probably only yelled so I would hear him He’s usually really chill and hardly ever yells Besides, everyone thinks I’m deaf or something since I can’t hear anyone call my name from the living room I went downstairs and saw my little brother on the couch with tears streaming down his face and my dad well, let’s just say he wasn’t as happy and chill as usual

“What’s wrong?” I asked him I was really nervous about what he was going to say I had never seen both of them like that before My brother, Alex, is always upstairs in his room playing video games It seems like he has no time to go outside and breathe in some fresh air And my dad is usually watching TV while eating chips and salsa He only works Monday through Thursday Before my dad could say anything, I saw the clock and realized it said 5:43 PM My mom is usually here around 5:30 PM

I looked at my dad “Where’s Mom?” I asked I was so confused why Dad and Alex were crying and why Mom wasn’t home at the time she’s supposed to be home from work “Mallory ” my dad said softly “Your mom was in a car accident,” he continued, trying to keep his tears at bay “What no, no, that’s not true,” I said I was so frightened Was my mom really gone?

"I'm sorry she’s gone, mi amor,” my dad said He couldn’t keep the tears in anymore

No, I said to myself My mom is not gone She’s alive I don’t know, maybe she's running late My dad gave me a big hug I cried out a whole ocean full of tears My brother joined in the hug We were all so devastated My beautiful mother wasn’t coming home tonight

Hours later, I took a nice hot shower and got into some comfy pajamas I didn’t even want to finish watching the movie I decided it was best to go to sleep and deal with all the grief tomorrow

I couldn’t believe it, my mom was gone She still had a life to live To see me graduate and be at my wedding and so much more I started crying again But I had to accept it I had to accept that My mother Was Gone

A week later, I was sitting on my bed, crying into my pillow This is something I did every day I had to go to the mall to find a black dress For my mother’s funeral I never thought this day would come until I was an adult But I guess it was really happening

I wiped my tears and headed downstairs I smelled something delicious It was arroz con pollo My mother’s favorite food Mine as well Lately, my dad hadn’t gone to work I could understand him I hadn’t gone to school I was way too scared to even step out of the front door to get the mail

I had to go to school the next week The principal let me stay because I was grieving I looked at my dad He looked at me He knew that I was crying He could tell by the look on my face

“Where’s Alex?” I asked him

“He went to his friend's house He needed a break or something, I don’t know,”

”

“Oh, okay ” I was shocked that my brother just wanted to leave after something horrible like this happened

“When is he coming back? We need to look for an outfit to wear to the funeral ” “The funeral isn’t until Saturday Today is Tuesday He’ll be back by tomorrow or Thursday ”

“Okay I’ll be back I’m gonna go upstairs real quick and I’ll come down for dinner,” I said “Okay, mija,” my dad said with a little smile I went upstairs into my bedroom But then I thought of something I went into my parents' bedroom I hadn’t been there since my mother passed away I looked into her closet She had the best style

I noticed a little box on the floor It was decorated, and it looked familiar I opened it and looked inside It was notes and letters I realized that they were from me I opened a few They were funny jokes that I wrote to my mother when I was nine Mother’s Day cards And birthday cards I chuckled I opened one more It was different from all the other ones

"Hi Mom I have something to tell you I have always wanted to be an actress And you told me you wanted to be one So I’m gonna make a promise to you To become a famous actress Anyways love You mom BYE! Love, Mallory (Your beautiful Daughter) <3"

Oh my gosh I must have been a really dumb nine year-old Why did I think I could be an actress? But wait I made a promise to my mom I remembered I even made her breakfast so she could have faith in me Which now seems really stupid

My mom might be gone But my love for her and my promise isn’t So, yeah I will become an actress Starting, like, right now Wait, what? What am I thinking right now? I literally have no motivation to do that But maybe I should Okay, okay, the decision is final I will never break my promise to my mother I will become an actress I will make her proud Well, I’ll definitely try I guess When I went back to school, everyone was staring at me They were all whispering “That’s the girl who lost her mother in a car

accident

“Oh wow, I hope she’s okay, that's so sad I can’t imagine what it must feel like to lose my mother ”

And then more and more whispering Why are they even trying to compare themselves to me? Well, they must not know how to whisper I can hear them, obviously

I was walking to my locker when I saw a very interesting paper on the bulletin board Did it just say play? A PLAY? OH MY GOSH! THIS IS GREAT! This is how I can become an actress Wait, wait, wait, hold on Am I sure this is something I should do? I’ve never even been in a play before And I’m gonna have to perform in front of a lot of people Can I really do this? Maybe I can

I made a promise to myself and my mother This would really help me be a successful actress in the future Wow, I sound like a nine year-old Ok, I’ll do it But I definitely have to talk to my dad about this I don’t even think he could ever see me in a play I’m way too shy and I used to think plays were stupid Until today I can do it Yeah, I’ll just talk to my dad after school

I was on my way to my first class when I saw the worst person in the universe Jenny Thompson

We’ve hated each other since first grade All because I accidentally took her doll because I thought it was mine We had the same one Sadly “Mallory Jones Well, I guess you're back ”

“Yes, I am back, Jenny Is that a problem?” I said “No, no I just thought you were grieving from your mother I’m so sorry about what happened to her May she rest in peace ”

What in the world was going on? Was Jenny Thompson being nice to me right now? No, that is unbelievable But maybe she’s not that cruel Especially when it comes to death

“Oh, uh, thanks, Jenny,” I said, with a warm smile “So, did you know that there’s going to be a play?” she asked me

“Oh, yeah, I did know I just saw the paper on the bulletin board I think I’m going to audition Maybe

for the lead role,“ I said, wondering why she was still talking to me

“What?! Yeah, uh, no I’m going to get the lead role,” she said, with an angry, shocked face

“Don’t you mean audition for the lead role?” I asked

“NO It doesn’t matter I’m going to get the lead role anyway I’m such a good actor ”

“You know, you're very selfish Just because your dad is the mayor, doesn’t mean you can just get the lead role of a school play Other people might want to audition See, this is exactly why we’re enemies,” I said, with an annoyed face

“Um absolutely not I will get the lead role You won’t You will never be a good actor Why are you being so rude to me? You shouldn’t be acting like this Is this because your mom died?” she said, probably proud of herself for talking to me like that “Are you kidding me? You have the audacity to bring up my mother She passed away You are so disrespectful and immature I’m going to get the lead role I will be an actress in the future And you, Miss Jenny Thompson, will never succeed in life Whatever, goodbye,” I said

I was so mad at her How could she be so rude to me? I did nothing to her I was only telling the truth And she had no right to say anything about my mom UHHHHH! Sometimes I just wanna strangle her It’s always the stupid, bratty, snobby, rich girls

Always thinking that they're better than everyone else Well, that’s it I’m telling my dad about the play and I will be in it I will keep my promise And I will never break it

When I got back home, I saw my dad watching a baseball game sitting on the couch, eating chips and salsa Like I said, the usual “Hey, Dad,” I said, kinda nervous about telling him I wanted to audition for the play “Hi, mija How was school?” he said, with a little grin

“It was good, I guess I ran into Jenny Thompson

and we had an argument ”

“Oh, sorry about that I always hated that little witch She is so disrespectful "

“Yeah, she is So, um, I have a question for you It’s really important and I really hope you support me for it ”

“Okay, I’m kinda worried now But, of course I would support you no matter what ” "Okay, thanks, Dad So when I was walking in the hallway, I saw a paper about a play on the bulletin board And I wanna audition for the lead role,” I said, with a scared face

“Oh, uh, really? Since when are you so interested in plays? I thought you said they were boring ”

“Yeah, I know But, um, a couple days ago, I was looking in Mom’s closet and I saw an old letter that I wrote for her when I was nine It was saying how I made a promise about being an actress Now Mom is gone And I really don’t want to break that promise ”

“Oh, wow I didn’t know Well, you do whatever you want to do I think you would be a wonderful actress ”

“Thank you so much, Dad This means a lot to me So, um, I can’t believe I'm gonna have to perform in front of I-don’t-even-know-how-many people,” I said, with a little chuckle

“Oh, don’t worry You got this You remind me so much of your mother,” he said with a smile

I smiled back at him Well, that’s it I’m going to audition for my first play I can’t wait This will help my dream come true

The next day, I went to school to see the drama teacher I talked to her about wanting the audition for the play Thankfully, she gave me the script so I could practice my lines The play was about Romeo and Juliet The best love story in the entire universe I always thought it was lame Until then I was so excited My dad and Alex were helping me practice my lines Most of the time we were laughing because they thought it was corny and cheesy But they were telling me how good I am at acting Which

was my goal I was glad to have a family that supports me I’m gonna kill this audition

....

A couple days later, it was time for the audition I was nervous but excited at the same time I was the last person to go up on the stage And I did it I auditioned I acted out most of Juliet’s lines and I was confident Now all I had to do was wait I was in the hallway talking with a new friend I made Her name is Kaylie She really understands me and knows how much I want to be in this play I saw the drama teacher walking with a piece of paper in her hand This is it This is when I find out if I get the lead role Everyone who auditioned was walking towards Ms Nickson People who auditioned for whatever part they wanted to have were all excited Some who didn’t get a part were sad and devastated Seeing them like that made me so nervous I saw Jenny looking at the paper I was already sweating I stood still It was like I saw a tiger eat one of my friends Or they jumped off of a cliff Jenny turned around with a smile on her face Then the smile slowly went away

“UHH SERIOUSLY? I DESERVE THAT PART!” she said She looked like she wanted to kill someone “Hey, uh, Jenny, who got the leading role?” I said, scared about what she was going to say “You got it, idiot I don’t understand why You’re probably not even that good at acting,” she said, upset and annoyed “Wait, what? I got the role Oh my gosh I GOT THE ROLE! EEEEEEEK,” I said, jumping up and down I was so excited People were looking at me jealous, but since I got the role and my dream was going to come true, I didn’t pay any mind to them Kaylie ran to me giving a big hug She was so happy for me, and I was so happy for myself

After the play, everyone was congratulating me They all complimented me on my great acting, which I was grateful for, but also surprised Then I saw my dad and Alex

“Wow, sis, you did such a great job I expected you to humiliate yourself up there on the stage,” my brother said with a nasty smile

I rolled my eyes annoyed, but still glad that he was proud of me

“Yeah, you did such a great job You’re such an amazing actress I really do hope you become successful in the future,” my dad said, giving me a big hug And my brother joined in

I just knew that my mother was watching me from heaven crying, happy for me, and knowing I made sure to keep my promise

A couple months later, I became really popular in school Even Jenny became my friend Which I never thought would happen But I’m grateful that people actually liked me and didn’t just pretend to like me because my mother died People can be so fake sometimes It’s annoying

I needed to think of a college to go to It was almost the end of the year and I hadn’t applied for anything, except for two colleges I wanted to go to a cool acting school Obviously I went home and my dad and brother welcomed me with a huge smile I was confused about why they both seemed really excited

“We have a fun surprise for you!” my brother said, He looked so excited Like the time he got his first phone

“Well, what is it? It better be good And please hurry up I have to go apply for some more colleges I ain’t got all day,” I said, excited but annoyed

“Here, look at this It came in the mail For you,” my dad said, looking very proud of me for some reason

I took the envelope, and I opened it It was from JULLIARD ACTING SCHOOL OH MY GOSH Wait, wait, hold on I don’t even know if I got accepted or not

“Okay, okay here we go,” I said with a smile but a worried face

I started reading the letter

I wasn’t paying attention to the rest of the letter

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I GOT ACCEPTED!” I said, screaming from the top of my lungs

“YAYYY! I’m so proud of you, sis,” Alex said, jumping into my arms

“Good job mija, I’m so happy for you So is your mother,” my dad said, with a warm smile and hugging me so tight Well, I did it I’m finally going to be an actress I actually did it I kept my promise I know my mother is so proud of me And I know that she’s watching me with lots and lots of love in her heart I can’t wait to be successful in the future I will be the greatest actress the world has ever seen And I don’t care about who judges me I know that I’m special And I have my family and friends to thank for helping me be successful Well, that’s it My Journey starts now

The hardest thing about developing the story was trying to find out the reason why Mallory decided to keep the promise that she gave her mother. I tried hard to find the perfect way to explain why she wanted to keep the promiseher motivation. I wanted to find a way for her to be happy about her career. It was hard for me to choose, because I don’t have that experience of choosing a college, a career, so I didn’t really know.

by

IInstantGratification nstantGratification

KendrickBruce

Insanely anxious, I look at Ms Alston, one of the ELA teachers, passing out papers for the first ELA test October 29th, Day Two It is a normal and beautiful day outside, but inside this room, it feels like a jail bound to be full of failure, but all that failure would be caused by me

The clock is ticking, my pencil rolling, tears dripping from my face like a rainy day I know I’m going to fail the test and disappoint my parents Ms Stern, another ELA teacher, notices I'm crying and takes me outside the classroom

She shows me my excellence in school I look at the floor and not at her, thoughts of failure running through my mind

“You’re super smart, Kendrick, and I think you’re going to pass this test," she says But that doesn't increase my confidence at all I don't care if I'm smart, I care about making my parents proud

As we walk back to the classroom, I notice Mr Glover, my advisory teacher, is walking back to his office He sees me crying, Ms Stern tells him about my test, and he says, “Kendrick, believe in yourself I’m going to get you a donut in advisory as an early celebration that you’re going to pass ”

Tilting my head, I think, what does he mean by an early celebration? I think he is just being generous I walk back to the classroom, wipe my tears, and gain my confidence back

Twenty, thirty minutes in? I don’t look at the time and instead concentrate on my test Okay, last question I look through the window escaping reality I can’t keep daydreaming like this! I regain my focus and frown faster than I can blink as I read

the devastating question

“How does the author communicate?"

What does that even mean?!

I put my head down and let the water flow from my swimming pool of tears

My classmate, Caliyah, says to me, “Are you alright?”

“No, I’m not Can’t you see?”

I don’t say that I just don’t answer I don’t want to be rude Caliyah is a kind friend and I won’t say such rude things to my friends

I lift my head, show Caliyah the question, and she helps me

“Thank you,” I say, stuttering I still don't understand something about the question, though Luckily, Ms Stern is near me so I ask her for a bit of help

“Oh, I get it now, thank you ” I quickly write down my answer as I look at the remaining time I have 1 minute left? I hurry as I finish my last sentences Barely making the time limit, I turn in my test Phew, I sigh in relief At advisory, I notice the donut that Mr Glover promised me he would get I stare at the board reading “5th Grade Monthly Awards ” What’s that? I sit down, raising my eyebrow

“Okay, listen, everybody We have a thing called 5th Grade Monthly Awards and it consists of two winners for each class,” Mr Glover states in a loud, clear voice “We do have a winner here in our advisory, so let’s get started!”

I shake my head in disbelief, thinking I am the winner in my advisory Each class has a “Most Improved” and an “All Star ” Mr Glover showed the 501 winners and the 502 winners, and nobody from my advisory was there

503's "Most Improved" is “Armani Martinez ” I congratulate my friend, even though he isn’t in this advisory My eyes lit up and my heart is racing I want to jump up and down till I can't anymore as it shows my name, “Kendrick Bruce” as 503's All Star for October

It all adds up now! The “early celebration ” The donuts! Everything makes sense now I shriek quietly and smile widely under my mask as my advisory classmates congratulate me, and Mr Glover gives me my donut “Congratulations!”

That’s when I realize, maybe, just maybe, I could have actually passed my test All I had to do was to believe in myself Whenever I think I can’t do something, I remind myself that I’m an All Star

6th Grade KIPP ALL Middle School

How did you come up with the idea for the story?

I wanted to do something like the time I almost drowned, but then I wasn’t sure about that I remembered the test I took a few weeks ago, and how I got the All Star award, and so I decided to write about that instead.

What are you proudest of?

I’m proudest that it is going to get published. I liked writing about being nervous for my story. I got all my ideas on paper. It was a major event for me in the school.

What did you find hardest about developing the story?

It wasn’t really hard, but if I had to choose, it would be transitioning to different parts of the story.

Do you like writing?

Not really. It's not really my thing. I like to play video games, like Roblox or Fortnite.

What inspired you to write this story?

What inspired me to write the story was Ms Stern Every time I get upset or frustrated, she always calms me down and she helps me with my work