Young Wordsmiths 3rd issue 2024

YOUNG WORDSMITHS

Young Wordsmiths is the online magazine of Lekha Writing Center. It is dedicated to publishing writing BY and FOR children.

FOUNDER: JYOTI YELAGALAWADI

Text Copyright by Lekha students as noted in the Lekha Anthologies published by Lekha Publishers LLC.

Material in this magazine are drawn from student writings’ from Lekha Anthologies published over the years as well as from current student writings’ from Lekha Writing Center classes and camps.

Cover page created with AI using key words imagination, creativity, children, garden of books.

Images Used are Copyright Free and Royalty Free. Shutterstock images have been used in this issue.

Fonts Used: Segoe Print, Bradley Hand ITC, Copper Black, Chiller, Algerian, Baguet Script, Gabriola & Dreaming Outlook Pro.

FOUNDER’S NOTE

Dear friends of Lekha,

HAVE A NICE DAY TODAY.

The sun is out, the wind is calm and the birds are out and about.

Your favorite chair, it beckons you to look through the window and pick up your pen.

The paper in front looks too bare and aches for some words on it.

The pen is in your hand and the sights outside tell you a story. Write one today and show it to the world.

Have a nice day today. Write For Joy!

Jyoti Yelagalawadi. Founder of Lekha Ink, Corp.

If

HOW TO PLANT A SEED WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY IRENE KIM, AGE 11, 2024

Planting a seed can be fun and easy. It helps the environment, and can also yield nice, delicious crops. But what if you don't know how to plant a seed? This essay is all about how to plant a seed.

First, you need to find a nice place to plant the seed. It can be a dirt patch in the sunny side, or just your garden, if you have one. Next dig a hole about 1-3 centimeters deep. Then put the seed inside the hole.

Second, you cover the seed inside the whole with dirt. Then you are done! When you should water the plant depends on what plant you are growing, and it also affects the amount of water you must give to the plant.

Last, but not least, you need to make sure that the plant is in a good place to grow. It needs to be in the sun. It needs to be watered in a recommended routine unless it rains. If you want to grow healthier and stronger give the plant something like eggshells, sometimes animal poop, and thanks that are selling in the marketplace for growing plants.

Growing a plant could be a fun outdoor activity. You can get delicious crops. But sometimes plant stems can be weak to hold the crop that is growing. Then you must attach a long wooden stick beside it. In spring, beautiful flowers will celebrate your hard work.

Beegle burgle boop

MR. B’s CLASS ARIANNA ZHAO, AGE 12, 2024

On day one of the fifth week of alien school, Mister B was teaching his pupils the peculiar history of a planet in an earlier era, called “Earth”. Mister B rang the bell, and students scurried to their chairs. When everybody was ready, he began his lesson.

“Beegle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle

beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle

beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle

beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle

beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle

beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle

beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle

beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle

beagle burgle boop boop bloop burgle beagle burgle boop

boop bloop burgle.”*

The students listened intently as he rambled on. They took notes on their notepads. Finally, when Mister B rang the bell for the dismissal of class, the students put their notepads in their backpacks and strolled away into the afternoon sunlight.

*Translation:

Once upon a time,** on the peculiar planet called Earth, there were eleven eras in total: the Eoarchean Era (4.0 billion to 3.6 billion years ago***), the Paleoarchean Era (3.6 billion to 3.2 billion years ago), the Mesoarchean Era (3.2 billion to 2.8 billion years ago), the Neoarchean Era (2.8 billion to 2.5 billion years ago), the Paleoproterozoic Era (2.5 billion to 1.6 billion years ago), the Mesoproterozoic Era (1.6 billion to 1.0 billion years ago), the Neoproterozoic Era (1.0 billion to 541 million years ago), the Paleozoic Era (541 million to about 252 million years ago), the Mesozoic Era (roughly 252 million to 66 million years ago), the Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago), and finally the HydogenRULES era. This should all have been reviewed as you learned these eras consecutively over the last 10 weeks, as we covered one era every week. Today we will elaborate on the topic of the HydrogenRULES era, which was from the end of the Cenozoic era.

The most important factor that led to the destruction of earth were insignificant creatures during the Cenozoic era who started becoming the most populous beings that walked the planet.

They were called “Humans”, but to limit the use of this peculiar and weird sounding word, we shall simply address them “they” instead. They thought very highly of themselves, creating all sorts of gadgets. For example, here is a photo of a “meekrowavey” that they used to heat up their food. It is very enlarged in this photo, but a normal “meekrowavey” is actually smaller than the size of your little toenail.

However, to manufacture these artifacts, they had to use large amounts of gas and oil, similar to what we use to power our submarines today. The issue with this was that they developed such a fondness for “meekrowaveys” that they had to use large amounts of gas and oil. The gas and oil was extremely harmful to the environment of Earth, so much so that it began to make the sea levels rise gradually. But these stupid little theys were so attached to their stupid little “meekrowaveys” that production couldn’t stop, even though the sea levels were rising slowly but surely. Soon, the entire Earth was covered in water. What originally was the sky became the sea.

And now, when we look at Earth from our telescopes, all we see is blue, whereas originally we would see formations of green, which is where the land was.

Because of this, underwater life bloomed. Fish swam in what used to be forests, where birds sang and jaguars roared.

Now please make sure you’ve covered everything in your notes or else you will not have sufficient information for the test. Tomorrow we will cover the geological features of earth during the hydrogenRULES era. Class is dismissed.

** Aliens don’t use punctuation, which is why you can’t see punctuation in the original manuscript.

***And as of the numbers, aliens express that in their own language, which is why you can’t see any characters from the original Arabian number system.

Earth Notes

Peculiar planet

Peculiar “they” (Humans)

Peculiar history

Peculiar “Meekrowaveys”

SUMMERTIME

Written and illustrated by Mishika Chatterjee, Age 8, 2024

It’s summertime! It’ so much fun. We will play the whole day. We’ll joke and laugh and swim and get a summer trim. We’ll stay up late and have play dates, and have a lot of fun as summertime has officially begun.

CLEANING MY ROOM

Written and Illustrated by Mishika Chatterjee, Age 8, 2024

It’s summertime!

I’d love to play but mother is keeping me inside all day. She says I have to clean my room broom the floor and do vacuum. Oh, if just before I’d clean my room I would be able to go out at noon!

A Personal Narrative

by Kavni Shah, Age 10, 2016

My name is Kavni.

Not Kathy or Randy.

My name is Kavni. Not chocolate or candy. Recite Kavni up and down.

Repeat my name around town. Say Kavni enough times.

Create some rhymes. My name is Kavni. It means little poem.

I care about swimming. I care about gymnastics. I hate noodles.

I hate pink. I love art!

There are so many things about me, and yet, if you could only remember one thing, I want you to remember my name.

When I was young, I used to scribble.

Now, I’m all grown up. My first drawing was a ship.

I used to go to drawing classes.

I started going first when I was five and it ended when I was six.

I joined the second one when I was eight and it ended when I was eight-and-a-half. I enjoyed it a lot.

I have also gone to the art museum. There were so many different kinds of paintings and drawings and more. My mom taught me all about art, like making a straight line without a ruler and much more. Art is everything to me.

I love art.

When I was six, I asked my mom what my name means. She told me it meant a little poem.

SEASONS

FREE VERSE BY SAHAJ SHAH, AGE 14, 2024

SUN brash and glaring

Holiday memories made are not forgotten

Sun

Fall

distant but happy cold, sharp, but fragrant

perhaps just a little tired enjoy

Winter

Sun hiding behind clouds of despair

Wind frigid and piercing

trees

grey and

dead

, covered in snow it’s ups and downs

Frigid air pierces spreading a chill throughout SNOW SPORTS can warm the hearts a nice smore adds fun

MR. SHOOSHA AND THE GREAT ROBBERY

BY CONOR LINEHAN

CHAPTER ONE: MR.

SHOOSHA

Once upon a time in the galaxy of Banana Way, on the planet of Vanilla Pudding, there lived a species called Lollipeople. Lollipeople are much like humans, with two ears, one nose, two eyes, one mouth, but one thing was different. Lollipeople have no brains!

When it came to thinking, they just couldn't do it! Except for one Lolliperson. This Lolliperson went by the name of Mr. Shoosha. Even with a brain, he didn't put it to much use, for he was a robber.

Mr. Shoosha lived on the continent of North Flamerica, in the country of Flamerica and in the state of Cashefornia. He lived alone, (unless you count Purple, his orange alley cat) in a small house in Pan Canfrisco, ten doors down from a Bank of Flamerica.

Now, Mr. Shoosha wanted to rob this Bank of Flamerica, for within one of its vaults lay a diamond, four inches wide by five inches tall. This diamond was so precious that anyone with a brain would guard it around the clock, but since Lollipeople had no brains, they would only leave one guard posted per day. So you're probably thinking that it would have been easy to be a robber on the planet of Vanilla Pudding, but as I said before, Mr. Shoosha didn't use his brain very well and had been caught six times. Somehow, though, he had been proved innocent each time.

The reason the diamond was at this Bank of Flamerica had to do with the Queen of Great Critain. She was planning to dance at a ball in Pan Canfrisco with the Prince of Great Critain. Queen Flamizabeth planned to wear this diamond as a ring, and decided to store it in the Bank of Flamerica until the ball.

Back to the story. It was a dark stormy night, and Mr. Shoosha sat beside his fire within his home, gazing at Purple. ''I'm growing old, Purple," he said to his beloved alley cat. "Meao," she replied.

"Yes I agree, I must get at least one successful robbery under my belt before my eyes close for eternity. This robbery shall be of the great Queen's Diamond. Yes... Yes!"

"Meow!"

"Yes, great idea to use the Spectacular Shoosha Mapping Machine! I shall go search for it now."

So Mr. Shoosha searched and searched and searched and searched until finally, as the sun began to rise above the bay, he found it deep in the basement, under stacks and stacks of boxes.

"Beeeep!" the Spectacular Shoosha Mapping Machine (S.S.M.M. for short) screamed as Mr. Shoosha turned it on.

"Okay, diamond vault, Bank of Flamerica, Pan Canfrisco, Cashefornia, Flamerica, North Flamerica," Mr. Shoosha muttered to himself as he typed the words on the keyboard of the S.S.M.M.

"Bleep, Bleep, Bleep!" sang the S.S.M.M. as it opened a map of Bank of Flamerica on its screen. Highlighted in red, a certain vault was labeled "Diamond Room."

"Here we are. First enter through the main entrance. Turn left, go three doors down, turn right, then right again until you reach a room with two curtains. Behind the curtain on the right is the Queen's Diamond. Behind the curtain on the left lies the legendary Mrs. Peanut's diamond shaped peanut," recited Mr. Shoosha as he tried to memorize the directions. (Now remember when I told you, that Mr. Shoosha had a brain, well he does, but it's missing one part, memory. Remember this as you read on.)

CHAPTER TWO: MRS. PEANUT

Let's step away from Mr. Shoosha for a while (don't worry, we'll get back to him soon) and take a look at another character in this story, Mrs. Peanut. Mrs. Peanut, age sixty, was known all over the planet of Vanilla Pudding as an oddly shaped peanut collector (she had been nicknamed Mrs. Peanut for years now).

Mrs. Peanut lived down the street from Mr. Shoosha. She lived with her husband Mr. Peanut (how would you guess?!). Just last month, Mrs. Peanut found a diamondshaped peanut, four inches wide by five inches tall (the exact dimensions of the Queen's Diamond).

Now, after finding this peanut, she decided to keep it safe in the Bank of Flamerica, not far from her house.

CHAPTER 3: THE GREAT ROBBERY

As the sun rose and the rain ceased, Mr. Shoosha drew out his plans for his robbery. He was to walk right through the main entrance, somehow get past the guards, somehow act very non-suspicious, and get to the vault. At the vault, he would somehow knock out the guard and get the diamond.

As you are probably are thinking, this was a horribly thought out plan. There were thousands of things that could go wrong, but that's the way Mr. Shoosha liked it, even though it almost always failed. So, after making his useless plan, Mr. Shoosha (and of course his beloved side cat, Purple) set off down the road just as the Lollipeople got out of bed and began their morning errands.

It took a long time (about ten minutes) for Mr. Shoosha, who by the way wasn't very fit, to make it to the bank. By this time, the bank's morning shift had already started, meaning more guards.

Mr. Shoosha quickly spotted a thick bush at the back of the bank, right in front of the back door and hid behind it. As guards on post rounded the corner, Mr. Shoosha dashed for the door. It was locked! The next guard would be coming to the back soon enough and he would be caught.

As I mentioned before, the Lollipeople weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer and had left the key for the door on a hook right next to it!

Seeing this, Mr. Shoosha quickly unlocked the door and jumped inside, just as the guard rounded the corner. Inside, when Mr. Shoosha finally looked up, he saw five guards staring right at him!

One said, "Hands up!"

This was exactly what Mr. Shoosha didn't do. He turned around and sprinted in the opposite direction.

Attempting to follow the map in his head (but getting it all wrong) he raced down the hallways, his cat at his side.

Then, when he turned the next corner, there were three more guards, and three more closing in on him from the different direction. He was trapped!

Quickly, Mr. Shoosha jumped behind the nearest curtain, but in doing so, got tangled up in it and was blinded.

Feeling around the vault he felt a diamond, four inches by five inches. Hooray! He had found the diamond!

Now, he had to get out of the bank. He jumped out of the vault, and as Purple scratched a guard, Mr. Shoosha punched another. These guards were all cowards and ran away from Mr. Shoosha, while Mr. Shoosha ran for the door, shoving the diamond into his pocket without even looking at it.

Once outside, he began the long walk home, for he couldn't run any longer.

People trotted along beside him, and they sang merry songs, or should I say Mr. Shoosha sang, while Purple meowed.

Ten minutes later, Mr. Shoosha reached into his pocket for his prize. As he looked at it expecting the diamond, Mr. Shoosha cried out in horror. It was a peanut!

Why hadn't Mr. Shoosha thought of that before!? There had been an article in the Pan Canfrisco Chronicle last month about Mrs. Peanut's great discovery, the diamond peanut.

Mr. Shoosha had gone into the wrong vault and had gotten the wrong diamond. Mr. Shoosha, overcome with despair, never robbed another Lolliperson again and lived the rest of his life in sorrow.

Hope you make smarter choices in life compared to Mr. Shoosha.

HAIKUS

by Rohan Tarun, Age 10, 2024

Trees sway in the breeze. Some leaves fall off the branches. The trees lean over.

Look! Those are lizards. They scurry under bushes. Will they come back out?

Squirrels hop through vents. They sneakily slip under. Will they come back up?

The flower is smooth and soft like snow. It’s fragile beauty strikes my heart with a blow.

The corolla as soft as can be. Fills my heart with glee.

It

soars in the sky and falls on a rock. And then

a petal tears off

But that is the life of a flower

Once again it blooms and shows it’s beauty.

FLOWER

BY SOHENEE BANNERJEE, AGE

7

I am a big cat who is really fat. I have a friend rat that wears a hat. I have a pet bat that took a nap on my favorite mat.

THE BIG CAT

BY RIYA TARUN, AGE 9, 2024

Reflections is a thought-provoking collection of poems by Aashna Kaur Soni, a talented youth poet. This book invites readers on a journey of self-reflection and understanding. It inspires us with insightful exploration of the human experience.