Golden feather 2014 final by Alison Toohey

Maurice Hawk School

2nd Grade Writers, 2013-‐2014

Golden Feather A literacy magazine featuring writing and artwork by second grade students at Maurice Hawk School

June 2014

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Artwork by Atobe D.

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Dear second grade writers, Thank you for taking the time to write and submit your work to me. I hope that you will continue to pursue other opportunities to share your writing with others. You have a special talent that you should be honored to share with the WWP community. Fondly,

Miss Toohey

ARTWORK by: Devon Jiang

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Several students created beautiful cover art for our 2nd grade magazine. All are featured below.

Maitreyi S.

Anusuri M.

Anirvinya J.

Ethan S.

ARTWORK

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Justin M.

Olivia D.

Nora P.

Rebecca N.

ARTWORK

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Rita V.

Shibani D.

Sameera R.

Veer S.

ARTWORK

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William R.

Andrew C.

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Devon J. – 2nd place winner

Atobe D. – 1st place winner

ARTWORK

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Dear WW-P Community, The following pages contain stories written by second grade students. Some writing includes accompanying artwork. Prepare to be fascinated by the writing that our students were able to produce in a short amount of time. Your children and their classmates never cease to amaze me. The genres of writing are varied and include: § Short stories o Personal Narratives o Realistic Fiction o Small Moment Stories § Persuasive Reviews § Fairytales and Fables

ENJOY! Warmly, Miss Toohey

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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The Fossils and the Jewels Author: Rita V. There where these children in a class ; Lila,Rita,Max,and Rex. The class was the dinosaur skeleton or fossil class. One d ay Mrs. Oak,the fossil teacher,clapped her h ands. She said, ''We are going to do a project. Each of you will have a partner and dig fossils.'' M rs Oak took out a piece of paper and said, ''The partners will be...'' Then she read, ''Lila and Rita you'll be partners. “Max and Rex you'll be partners”. Then the bell rang. Mrs. Oak said “Two weeks to find fossils!” Lila and Rita walked to Lila's house. They did their homework. Rita said “Lets find fossils, now”. “Good idea,” said Lila. They started digging in Lila's backyard. Her mom said, “You can dig in the backyard, because it will help me a lot. I am planning to p lanning to plant some vegetables and flowers.” As they dug, Lila found a T-‐Rex skull. She said, “Look “. Rita said, “Nice one”. Then Rita saw something red. She said, “Look is that a Ruby?” Lila said, “Let's dig it out”. They dug and they dug and they dug. Finally, they saw a huge Ruby. They pulled the Ruby out. Lila said, “Wait here and take care of the Ruby”. A minute later Lila came back with a trash bag. “Great”, said Rita, “the Ruby can fit in the thrash bag”. Just then Lila saw something shimmering. It was emeralds, trapezoids, and rubies. All the stones were shimmering. “Great that I took another trash bag. Let's collect all of them!”. “Good idea, said Rita. They dug out thousand of tiny jewels. Then Lila picked up the the last jewel, Lila fell down. Rita asked, “Are you OK?”Lila said, “Wow!” Rita asked, “What is down there?” Lila said, “millions of fossils.” “Here”, said Rita and she gave the trash bag that had small jewels. Lila said, “go to my room and find my jump rope. Hold one end and put the other end to the h ole.” Rita did as she was told. Since Rita was so strong, she could pull Lila up in a second. After that, Rita took her adventure book. Lila took her diary. They both wrote about their adventure. Next Tuesday, they went to fossil class. There were two new students, Andrew and Maya. Mrs. Oak said, “Maya you go with Lila and Rita. Andrew you go with Rex and Max.” Rita, Lila and M aya went to Rita's house. They did their homework. Lila said, “Maya, I want to show you something. They went to Lila's huge backyard and she showed Maya the jewels and dinosaur bones. They stared at bones and jewels. Since Lila's Maya's homes were near Rita's house, their moms said, “time to go home”. Lila whispered, “you take a third of the jewels and bones” and went home. Next Tuesday, they day they had to bring their fossils, Rita, Lila, and M aya brought their fossils. Mrs. Oak said, “today we will have to show our fossils. Rex and M ax will go first.” Max, Rex, and Andrew took a big sigh. They didn't bring anything. Then, finally, Max, Rex, and Andrew started to whisper to each other, “you say it, you say it”. Finally, Max said, “I'm sorry to say this, but...” Max took a deep breath. “We did not find anything.” Max, Rex, and

Short Stories

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The Fossils and the Jewels (continued) Andrew went slowly back to their seats. Mrs. Oak took out a notebook. She found a Dinosaur Fossil Project and marked a C. As Rita, Lila, and Maya went to the front of the classroom. They were ready, really ready. Rita said, “we found one bag of fossils, and before that,” Rita said reading in her notebook, “and we found a T-‐Rex skull and then, I saw something red. We decided to dig it out and it turned out to be a big giant Ruby.” Mrs. Oak gazed at it. Max, Rex, and Andrew stared at it too. The trio put it in the trash bag Rita read, “we also found a lot of small jewels.” Maya and Lila picked up some small jewels. Rita went on “then Lila fell in a tunnel and found lots of dinosaur bones. She took all of them and I helped her to get up.” They took a bow Mrs. Oak clapped fast. Max, Rex, and Andrew clapped slowly. Mrs. Oak found the page of the three girls' grades and wrote an A+. The girls went back to their seats without their trash bags. The bell rang time to go home. Maya went to get theirs jewels and bones. “HEY! SOMEONE STOLE OUR JEWELS!” screamed Maya. Mrs. Oak said, “what?!?” She called the police and said, “someone stole my students' jewels”. The police replied, “we'll look for them”. Mrs. Oak said, “Maya, Rita, and Lila you go look for the jewels and I will help you.” While they were walking, Rita said, “let's split up.” They split up. Rita know where to go first. Andrew's house! She knocked on the door. “Yes?”, said Andrew's mom. Rita asked, “where is Andrew?”. “He is at his soccer practice”, Andrew's mom replied. Rita asked, “can I go and take a look at his room? Just for three minutes.” Andrew's mom said, “OK, but just don't walk in the house with shoes on.” Rita took off her shoes and went to Andrew's room. She looked in Andrew's closet and drawers. OOPS, Rita tripped on something black under Andrew's bed. Rita looked under Andrew's bed and saw two black lumpy objects. She took one lumpy object, looked inside, and saw gems and bones. DINAUSOR BONES! She took the two trash bags and asked Andrew's mom, “can I take these?” Andrew's mom mumbled, “sure!”. Rita took the bags and went to Lila's house. “Guess what!”, she said. Lila turned off the TV. “The jewels!”. They invited Maya and had a party afterwards.

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Hallway Monster of the Catacombs Author: Jeneilly H.

One day Mr. Hackington told the story of the Monster High hallway monster that always hid in the catacombs. We were all a little it scared and confused but we all wanted to see this hallway monster. We all went around the whole school looking for our friend Operetta, because if anyone knew the Catacombs, it’s our friend Oporetta. Clawdeen, Holt and Gill went to look for Oporetta on the second floor, while Draculaura, Lagoona, Cleo and myself, Jeneillystein, looked for her on the first floor. We searched and searched and finally found her in the cafeteria, where she was enjoying a nice lunch. I was very exited when we found her and all of us started telling Oporetta about the hallway monster, “wait, one at a time please” Oporetta said. After we calmed down and told her our plan. Oporetta was also exited and told us she would definitely take us to the Catacombs. We all agreed that the best day to look for this mysterious monster would be freaky Friday and that we would meet at night on freaky Friday. None of us could wait for freaky Friday to come and it seemed like the seconds, minutes, hours and days were dragging and making me run out of patience. Finally freaky Friday was here and we met in front of the school at night like we had all agreed and you better believe that we all had our flashlight on and ready. Oporetta was in the front and I was right behind her leading the way. Mr. H said to look for clues and to follow the clues closely and to look for a room with skull on the door. Going through the Catacombs we came to a door with a skull that had a note on it. I read the note and it said “Clue # 1 – Twist 3” we tried twisting the skull but nothing happened until Draculaura found a door with a label “TWIST 3”. We slowly opened the door and found a case of stairs. It was dark and a bit creepy but we shined our lights and walked slowly down the stairs. Operetta found another note at the bottom of the stairs that read “Clue #2 – Non Gravity”. As we looked around Clawdeen found the NON GRAVITY room. We all started floating around. We all started floating around doing flips and having lots of fun inside he non-‐gravity room. ‘Enough!!!” Cleo said. It was time to stop having fun and continue to look for the hallway monster.

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Hallway Monster of the Catacombs (continued) As we floated on the ceiling Lagoona found another note that read “Clue #3 – DON’T FORGET”. We all looked for the DON’TFORGET room until we found it and slowly crept inside. As soon as we sneaked inside we instantly forgot what we were looking for and which way to go. Lost and confused I found a note that read “Clue #4 – GO STRAIGHT”. “Girls, maybe we should go straight”. We walked straight and came to the GO STRAIGHT room. We walked inside and the room felt a bit chilly and windy. We quickly got closer to one another and continued to look for the Hallway Monster. We shined our lights all over the room, which seemed completely dark and we notice something creeping up to us. It seemed like the Hallway Monster had found us and was trying to get to us. We all started screaming, as the Hallway Monster was now right in front of us and reaching for us all. We all pointed our flashlights at the hallway monster trying to get a good look at it and quickly realized that it was just Mr. H. “Great job girls! You all get an A for following all the clues properly. And oh yeah, I almost forgot, there’s no such thing as the Hallway Monster”.

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Mystery Inc.: A Haunted Food Festival Author: Nikhil K. Chapter One: Today’s Mystery Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, and Nikhil were humming. They are a part of a mystery solving crew: call them Mystery, Inc.! The longer group name is Mystery Incorporated. The Clubhouse is Mystery, Inc. headquarters! Today, the group is hanging out in the living room. It was a lazy day, and Pluto was so bored that he started trying to catch his tail. Suddenly, there was an oooooz! The Handy Helpers came out of the Handy Helper Machine. The Handy Helpers are Mystery, Inc.’s robot helper friends who always take care of the Clubhouse and the group’s vehicle, the Mystery Machine. When the machine goes ooooooz!, an envelope arrives with the details of the gang’s next mystery. “Today’s mystery has arrived!” said Nikhil. “It’s the gh-‐gh-‐ghost of Baba Yaga! She’s a scary monster queen who’s haunting Keystone Castle with her gang!” Goofy nervously said. “What’s Keystone Castle?” asked Daisy. “Daisy, Keystone Castle is a castle which hosts the finest food festivals in all of West Windsor. But this week’s food festival is getting delayed because the ghost of Baba Yaga is haunting the castle!” said Donald. “Come on gang, let’s head to Keystone Castle and unmask Baba Yaga!” said Nikhil. “Keystone Castle, here we come! We’ll save your food festival!” said Goofy. All the group members loaded into the Mystery Machine and set off for the haunted Keystone Castle. Chapter Two: Clue Analysis The gang arrived at the large and spooky Keystone Castle, where the ghost of Baba Yaga was haunting. A crowd of news reporters covering the haunting gathered around the gang. Cameras flashed and reporters shouted for information about the haunting. The gang managed to push through the crowd and enter the castle. “Jinkies! This place is definitely haunted!” said Donald.

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Mystery Inc.: A Haunted Food Festival (continued) There were large portraits of creepy monsters in the hallways. The creepiest painting had a vampire on it. There were cobwebs covering the furniture. But the really creepy thing that scared everyone away was the crazy windows that would open and close shut randomly, without anyone touching them! “I don’t remember Keystone Castle being so creepy!” said Goofy. “I think this is Baba Yaga’s work,” said Nikhil, “Because Keystone Castle looked very grand and pretty before the hauntings started.” The gang split up into groups. Nikhil, Daisy and Goofy went left to the office and Donald and Minnie went downstairs into the basement. Mickey and Pluto went right to the dining hall. In the office, the lights were flickering on and off, but no one was touching the light switch. “Excuse me, excuse me, is Mystery Inc. in the castle?” echoed a voice. Nikhil, Daisy, and Goofy found Earl Winerly – the owner of Keystone Castle. “Hi. I’m Nikhil, the leader of Mystery Incorporated.” “Sorry,” said Daisy, “We have seven members in our group, but we’ve all split up to check out the castle right now.” “Thanks for coming, Mystery Inc.! I really need your help saving my castle and getting Baba Yaga’s ghost out of here” said Earl Winerly. “Mr. Winerly, when did you first see the ghost of Baba Yaga? Do you know why anyone would want to haunt this castle?” asked Goofy. “Two food festivals ago, the ghost of Baba Yaga appeared and scared all the festival-‐goers away into the sheds! But for the haunting of the castle…” Earl Winerly’s voice got hushed. He whispered, “There is a secret reason why someone would haunt the castle. You must promise not to let anyone know. In the basement, there is a door that leads to secret gold mines underneath the castle. People who visit should not know about this, or they could try to get the gold! I think that the ghost of Baba Yaga is scaring everyone away to create a distraction so that someone can quickly and secretly go into the mines and get the gold!” “We’ll tell the gang members! One last thing – do you know if anyone else knows about the mine?” asked Nikhil and Daisy.

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Mystery Inc.: A Haunted Food Festival (continued) “Only one of my castle servants, Jack Smith, and my wife, Heirloom Bascombe,” replied Earl. “Okay,” said Daisy, “Go on.” “So who do you think is the ghost of Baba Yaga?” “I guess it would only be Jack Smith or Heirloom… if either of them was greedy enough to steal the gold” whispered Earl. “One last warning: do not let anyone know other than the gang that there is a secret gold mine!” “We’ll follow your requests,” said Daisy. The group left Earl in the office and searched for clues. Down in the basement, Donald and Minnie had found some clues. “Hi guys. We couldn’t look in this mine because robots were on the loose inside. Probably the work of Baba Yaga,” said Donald. Nikhil found a magnet on the floor and analyzed it. Heirloom Bascombe and Jack Smith’s fingerprints were on it. “I found a lot of things that are Jack Smith’s,” said Mickey, “but maybe it isn’t suspicious. He does work here, after all.” “Wait…where’s Goofy?” said Minnie. The gang couldn’t find Goofy anywhere! Goofy had gotten kidnapped by the ghost of Baba Yaga’s gang! Chapter 3: Unmask Goofy was so scared. He thought he’d have to get married to the ghost of Baba Yaga. “Oh gosh darn – I’m going to be TURNED INTO A MONSTER!” he thought. The gang tracked down Goofy’s location with a compass and Nikhil came up for an idea to trap Baba Yaga’s ghost. Daisy and Donald made remotes to control the trap. Mickey and Minnie made a pillar that had rope around to trap Baba Yaga’s hands. They started walking over to the location with the trap. “I think the ghost is really Jack Smith,” said Nikhil. “Really? I think it’s Earl!” said Daisy. “Ruff ruff! Rare-‐loom!” said Pluto.

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Mystery Inc: A Haunted Food Festival (continued) The rest of the gang argued over Heirloom and Jack. “BEEP BEEP! HELP!” cried Goofy. The gang found Goofy and Donald untied him. Then, Nikhil and Donald were chased by the ghost of Baba Yaga. “Hit it!” said Nikhil! Daisy and Donald pressed the remotes and Baba Yaga’s hands got trapped by the rope. Nikhil unmasked the ghost of Baba Yaga. The gang found out it was really Jack Smith – who wanted the gold from the mines. “JACK SMITH!” said the gang. Jack Smith had been the one to discover the gold mine, but Earl took the gold to get rich. He didn’t give Jack Smith any gold even though Jack had found the mine in the first place. So Jack Smith got jealous and wanted to scare Earl away, take the gold, and shut down Keystone Castle. “And I would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling kids!” cried Jack Smith. Jack Smith was taken to jail. The gang went back home to the Clubhouse and made a script for the movie, “The Ghost of Baba Yaga.” THE END Blurb: Nikhil and the gang have to go and solve a mystery at Keystone Castle Food Festival. When the gang finds out that the ghost of Baba Yaga is haunting the castle, they have to go solve the mystery! Will the gang solve this mystery? Read the book to find out.

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Frank and the Easter Bunny Author: RJ Regan The Washington’s were having a feast at their grandparent’s house on a lovely Easter Sunday. Seven year old Stella and eight year Tom were sitting impatiently at the dining room table. “I can’t wait until grandma finishes the roast goose!” Cried Stella “Me too!” said Tom. He could smell the delicious scent of the roast goose his grandmother Matilda was making. “The goose is ready!” Grandmother Matilda shouted from the kitchen. “I’ll keep it in the oven while I cook the carrots!” In the garden an Easter Bunny named Frank was staring at the gorgeous carrots. “They look so YUMMY!!!” He said drooling. He ate some carrots, and hid some Easter Eggs, and hopped away. Seconds later Stella and Tom busted through the door. “Is that really the Easter Bunny? It was. They chased after the Easter bunny. In the garden next to the fence there was a net. Stella grabbed it. Stella and Tom were gaining on Frank when GOTYA!!!!! Stella caught the Easter Bunny!!! “Can I be your pet”? Frank asked “YES!!!!!” Stella cried AND THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Should You Have to do Chores? Author: Dhruv S. I was in my house when I saw my mom working alone. That is when I realized there are so many daily chores we have to complete each day. You should do chores because then your moms' or dads' chores will be done way faster than before. I would like to do chores because it gives you a lot of exercise and it helps your mom and dad a lot. It will help the people in my family that are working. I would like to mention three chores I could do: 1) I could set my bed. When I wake up, I can fold and keep the blanket in place and tighten the bed sheet. It would help my mom and she will not have to set it for me.

2) I could set the table for dinner. This will save my moms' time. 3) Lastly, I could do is clean up my toy room. This will keep our house neat. In the end I will feel that I have done something that will help my family and make them happy. And when I am done with my share of chores, I can finally watch some TV.

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How Animal Universe Became Bear-‐Free Author: Abram C.

“Okay, my name is Mark the Pig. I live in a very BIIIIIIIIIIIIIG house in Animal Universe. I want to tell you about how Animal Universe became bear-‐free so …” One boring day, I said to my mom, “I want to visit my cousins.” “Okay but don’t wreck the rocket.” said my mom. So I got into the rocket and went to my cousin’s house at Warp 2 Speed. My first cousin’s house was made out of metal because he worked for a toy robot factory. When I arrived, a bear was behind the house but I didn’t notice. When I entered, the bear followed me. When I saw the bear, without thinking, I grabbed the phaser, set it to stun mode and pointed it at the bear. The bear moved and I shot. “I missed” I thought, even though I was the best at aiming in Lightball. The bear moved again and I shot again. “Why do I keep missing?” I wondered. For my cousin, who was called Mark Kram II which is Mark forward and backwards, he was running in circles like crazy! Meanwhile, Goldilocks was reading Pig Potter from next door. She heard the crashing pans, the banging of doors and the screams of us so she wondered. “What is going on? Are they Cray-‐Cray using Nerf guns in that small house?” Mark II was slow so even if he tried to run or hide either way he was bad at it so the bear caught him and ate him. Lucky for me, the door was close to me so I made a run for it and rocketed to the next house. This cousin’s (his name was Mark Kram III) house was made out of gold because he was a miner. I arrived first except a minute later the bear also landed too. We were chased in the house, around the house and around the planet. Mark III was a little smarter than Mark II except this time he fainted because he was a scared-‐cat. Mark III got eaten and I rocketed to the third house. The third house was made out of diamonds because he won the Nobel Pigsics Prize and got paid in diamonds.

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How Animal Universe Became Bear-‐Free (continued) He also built laboratory underneath and to be safe the door had many, many, many locks, about 30 at least. When I knocked on the door that had 30 locks, the third cousin, who was called Mark Kram IV, said, “Who is it?” “It’s Mark.” “YAHOO!!!!!” “Can you open up now?! A bear is chasing me!” I shouted at him so loud that he opened the door “Don’t forget to lock the door” I reminded him. After he locked the door, Mark IV said. “I haven’t had anybody at my house since I moved in.” “Well I’m here to hide, not to play.” I told him. “Don’t worry! My house has hidden lasers.” Mark IV told me proudly. “Phew.” I said. While we were talking, the bear was trying to get in. The bear probably thought to himself “Maybe I should climb onto the roof and slide down the chimney to eat them up.” So he climbed up the roof but he was a coward so then he changed his mind. So he said “Hey kids can you come out.” “No.” “Well there are yummy turnips on chicken field. Do you want to go tomorrow at 3:00pm?” “O.K.” The next day we went at 2:00 pm and got many, many, many, many turnips. The bear came to the house at 3:05pm and asked “Why weren’t you guys there at chicken field?” “Sorry, we already went and we are very busy now because now I’m cooking my turnips.” I could tell he was angry but he didn’t show it. Instead he said “There’s an apple tree on hog hill do you guys want to go? Tomorrow I’ll come for you at 5:00 pm.” “Sure, why not?” I said. In the early afternoon Mark IV and I went to the hill and got tons of apples. It wasn’t hard because we stacked on each other’s shoulders to pick apples. Afterwards we rocketed back to the cousin’s house. At 5:30pm the bear came and he asked “Why weren’t you dudes there?” “Bad luck! We couldn’t wait so we already went.” Now the bear felt really annoyed. “There is a carnival at pig meadow tomorrow. Let’s go at 3:00pm.” “Of course!” The next day we went to the carnival. We played so much that we lost track of time. The bear easily snuck up and ate us. He was full and sleepy so decided to take a nap in a space station. Back in the stomach I found a teleporter in my pocket. First we put on astronaut suits and then we teleported out. Fortunately I found my rocket, exploded the bear’s rocket and we all rocketed back to our homes. The bear is now stranded to the space station so he would never bother us again. Now we have a bear-‐free zone to play safely! YAY!

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Mr. Pickle Head’s Revenge Author: Amanda B.

One sunny morning Mr.Pickle Head awoke and found his clock say 9:OO! “OH NO!” Screemed Mr.Pickle Head. He looked at his calendar “EEEEEEK!My interview with the presedent is in 5 minuts!” He got on a hawaiian T-‐shirt a bright yellow tie and some baggy shorts his mom had sent him. The kids laughthed at him when he got back because he was on TV and they saw him in his silly outfit. The kids had left a note on his refridgerator it read: Dear Mr.Pickle Head, We unset your alarm clock and put the TV interview on youtube! Love, The neighborhood kids “AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Screemed Mr.Pickle Head. “Tomorrow I will get my revenge!” DUN DUN DUN…………. Mr.Pickle Head got up early that morning. He made a potion called polyjuice potion. It would turn him into someone els for one hour. He got the hair of a little girl named jossie who was always coming up with terrible ideas. “Hi” said Mr.Pickle Head “Hey” said Ryan her brother “Do you want to play outside with the other kids?” Asked Mr.Pickle Head. “ya” said Ryan. So, they went outside. “I have an idea that we could take over the world!” said Mr.Pickle Head. The other kids thought it was a great idea! They started by talking about how they would do it. “Well 1st we have to make a plan” said Mr.Pickle Head “We could put a huge elephant on the North Pole” said Ryan. “Great idea its perfect!” And they got to work.

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Mr. Pickle Head’s Return (continued) An hour later, Mr.Pickle Head started to turn back into himself. “Um I’ll be back later!” shouted Mr.Pickle Head as he ran away. Just then the kids relized there was one problem: Nobody had a pet elephant! They also relized they did not know how to get to the North pole! They told Jossie and she got very confused. The kids then relized it was …………… Mr.Pickle Head! Dun dun dun…. And the kids called the police!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mr.Pickle Head was taken to jail! Dun Dun Dun …………… I dedicate this book to my friend Jonas who always reminds me of pickles.

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The Amazing Adventure Part 1 Author: Devon J. It was a beautiful morning. Steven was ready for an adventure. He had a nutritious hamburger for breakfast. When he took the second bite, a rumble shook the home. A familiar person came up. The three wicked witches came up. As Steven was about to say something he was in a maze room. He needed to face a challenge. To find all two treasure including a rare one. He got a helper so he just needed to do some crazy jumps. He went to Paris first. The helicopter guy (which was the helper) landed to a random beach. Then Steven found the first one. He just needs to know one question what is the square root of 1764. He just said”42” He just got it right and saw the treasure which was rare candies. He frowned but he continued going somewhere else with the helicopter guy. After 3 hours. Finding their way to the next one it was Beijing, China. Steven would have to fight the Japanese people or take the one hour route. He took the safe way. The one hour route, after 1 hour Steven found the next treasure. It was a 567 paged book of potions. Now just the hard part, they were given 9 hours for this treasure. They searched U.S.A and found at Atlanta. They had to do space stuff like 36 hours for swimming gravity, 36 hours for plane gravity, and 8 hours for space video game with no breaks like sleep. His hard face is video game. He was really tired with the video game. But the third and last treasure is… another dimension! He brings all the three gifts to the withes and they thanked him. He was sleepy and fell asleep. Bonus space time treasure! You should learn to: Not play video games that much, do training on your favorite sport outdoors, and you should start your day on healthy foods!

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Carlo the Crab and the Missing Mermaids Author: Shreya G. Carlo the Crab

It was time. School was over. “Carlo!” yelled Carlo’s seahorse friend Jennifer. “Do you want to play

with the mermaids Carlo?” she asked.

“Okay,” said Carlo, “First let’s just put our coral time notebooks away.” After they had put their

notebooks away, Jennifer said, “Now let’s go.” So they went where the mermaids lived. The mermaid sign said welcome. The sign was made out of pearls. “Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” they cheered. When they walked in, there were no mermaids. Strange!

“They must be in their houses,” said Jennifer. They looked through each mermaid house.

“No mermaids,” said Carlo, “But I won’t give up!” “I can’t find any mermaids!” exclaimed Jennifer.

Suddenly Carlo had an idea. “We should get a search team,” said Carlo, “Let’s get Bambi the whale.” Jennifer said “Good thinking Carlo!” They went to Bambi’s house. Knock. Knock. Knock. “Yes?” answered Bambi. “The mermaids are missing!” they exclaimed.

“What?” Bambi said. “Yup, they are missing,” Jennifer said, “So we need your help.”

“I will surely help because they are my best friends,” Bambi replied. “Let’s also get Sprinkle the

goldfish for our last helper.” They all thought it was a great idea so they left for Sprinkle’s house. When they arrived, Bambi knocked on the door. Sprinkle opened up the door.

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Carlo the Crab and the Missing Mermaids (continued) “Hi Carlo, Jennifer and Bambi!” said Sprinkle.

“Sprinkle, the mermaids are missing so we need your help to find them!”

“I will help.” Then they all went to Carlo’s house to make a plan. The plan was that Sprinkle and

Bambi search together as one team and Carlo and Jennifer search together as another. Then they all went to their partner and got to work. Carlo and Jennifer searched in the Coral. Bambi and Sprinkle searched inside the mermaid’s houses. They all kept looking but sadly, there was no sign of the mermaids. Carlo called Sprinkle, Jennifer and Bambi back to his house for a new plan. After a minute, everyone was there. They all sat down on the seashell seats and they each thought of an idea.

The Plan

“Why don’t we all take turns sharing our ideas?” suggested Bambi. “Great idea!” said Carlo. “Let’s

go in ABC order,” said Jennifer

“Okay. The order is Bambi, Carlo, Jennifer and Sprinkle.” “My plan is that we stay up all night by the

mermaid’s houses and watch,” said Bambi.

“My plan is that we dress up like mermaids and we stay in their houses. Then they will be angry

because there are other mermaids in their house and they will not leave again,” said Carlo. “I think we should put seaweed on their houses because it’s their favorite food,” suggested Jennifer.

“My turn!” said Sprinkle, “My idea is that we put a sign up that says ‘Free Mermaid Dresses’ and

they will come to take the dresses.”

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Carlo the Crab and the Missing Mermaids (continued)

“Okay. Which plan should we do?” asked Carlo. “Let Carlo pick, since it was his idea,” suggested

Bambi. “Carlo, which plan do you want to try?”

“Sprinkle’s,” replied Carlo. “Okay! First let’s pick which shop we’re going to,” said Bambi. “Hey why

don’t we go to Mermaid World?” said Sprinkle. Everyone thought that was a great idea, so they planned their trip. They packed their bags and ordered the submarine. Mermaid World was far away. Everyone was very happy. Bambi asked, “How long will the ride be?”

“2 hours long,” replied Carlo. “I think submarines are for humans because they are full of air”

said Jennifer. “I got the water ones.”

“What hotel are we staying in?” asked Sprinkle. “The Seaweed Hotel” said Jennifer. “Oh look!

The submarine is here!” They all cheered. They walked in and took a good look around.

“Wow! This is so fancy!” exclaimed Jennifer. “I think that too,” said Sprinkle. Then the driver

Stars the starfish, came up and said, “Ticket please.” The tickets were made out of seashells. They looked out of the window. Then the submarine attendants went to their seats. Will the dolphin asked, “Which drink would you like?” They all decided. Then they said, “Seaweed Bubbles.” They all drank then. They were at Mermaid World. They got out of the submarine.

“Have a nice day!” said Stars and Will.

“You too!” they replied. “Let’s go to our hotel,” said Sprinkle.

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Golden Feather, 2014

Carlo the Crab and the Missing Mermaids (continued) Mermaid World

So they went to the Seaweed Hotel. Their room was 72. They went inside their room. “What a

wonderful room!” Carlo said surprised. “I wish we could live in this place!” said Bambi. “Me too!” said Jennifer.

“You know, we have to leave tomorrow,” said Sprinkle. “Oh yeah!” said Carlo, Bambi and Jennifer.

Then they went to dinner and after that took a long nap. The next day they left the hotel. They had six mermaids to find. Their names were Bubble, Gary, Marshmallow, Bessy, Potatohead and Sally. “Let’s find Bubble first,” they said. They looked in the mermaid’s play area. Not there. Then they searched in the pool. Not there again. Since he normally went to those places in Mermaid World, they started looking for Gary. “Wait!” Said Carlo, “Gary and Bubble go everywhere together, so we can skip Gary because he is with Bubble.” Then Sprinkle said, “Also Marshmallow and Bessy play together, and Potatohead and Sally play together. Let’s find Marshmallow and Bessy.” Jennifer agreed so they searched in the Mermaid Clam museum. Then in the Mermaid museum. Not there. “Now let’s find Sally and Potatohead,” said Bambi. So they searched in the Mermaid Bubble restaurant. Not there. Then they searched in the Mermaid pearl shop. Then Sprinkle said to Carlo, “Let’s just search for the mermaids without any plans.” “Okay!” agreed Carlo. “We can’t find any mermaids!” said Bambi.

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Golden Feather, 2014

Carlo the Crab and the Missing Mermaids (continued) “We will try.” said Jennifer. They then searched all of Mermaid World. They didn’t know that they forgot to search in one place. They were very tired so after dinner they went to a hotel and took a long nap. A few hours later, they woke up. They found a note on an extra pillow. Sprinkle read aloud the note, “We’re enjoying a day on the hot sand-‐ Signed the mermaids.” “I got it!” said Carlo, “They are on the beach! “We will leave in one hour,” said Bambi, “And don’t forget to wear your swim suits.” When one hour was over, everyone was ready for the hot beach. They were walking to the beach. Finally, they arrived. They set up their umbrellas and chairs, and then they started to search. Carlo said, “I see them! I see them! I see the mermaids!” “Where?” asked Bambi. “Over by the Popsicle shop!” said Carlo. So they swam really fast to the Popsicle shop. When they got there, the mermaids had left the beach, so they decided to eat Popsicles and surf. After a long day of fun at the beach, they went back to Seaweed Hotel. When they got back, they ate dinner and discussed their day. Carlo said, “We almost got them!” Jennifer replied, “But now we know that they are somewhere around mermaid world.” Bambi yawned loudly and said, “Let’s go to sleep.” So they went to sleep. Not a single sound. A few hours later they woke up. They all yawned and made their beds.

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Golden Feather, 2014

Carlo the Crab and the Missing Mermaids (continued) Found Them

While making their beds, they found another note from the mermaids. Bambi read the note aloud,

“We are having fun at a place to dive-‐ Signed the mermaids.”

Carlo said, “Let’s go to the pool. Now!” So they got ready really fast and left. When they got to the

pool, they found Bubble, Gary and Marshmallow. They went over to them.

“Hi!” they all said happily.

“Where are the other mermaids?” asked Bambi.

“We are playing hide-‐and-‐seek and we are looking for them.” replied Gary.

“Can we play?” asked Jennifer.

“Sure,” they replied. Jennifer, Bambi, Carlo and Sprinkle looked here and there. Left and right. Up

and down. Finally someone screamed,

“Found them!” Finally the mermaids were found! Hurray! Yippee! They jumped up and down, they

swam in the pool. Soon Bubble said,

“Let’s go home.” Everyone returned home in the warm, cozy, fancy submarine and played together.

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Golden Feather, 2014

Teamwork Author: Esme M. I have always wanted to play on my big sister’s softball team with all of her friends. But Coach Brian said I was too young to play on the team. I felt left out. One day my dad called my mom from the field to say they didn’t have enough players on Ruby’s softball team and they were going to cancel the game. Coach asked if I could be dressed and ready in fifteen minutes to play! I searched my closet to match their team jersey and put on an orange tee shirt and my cleats as fast as I could and hopped into the car with mom. Before I knew what happened, I was playing second base. A couple of minutes later, a ball came hurling at me! I was so excited and scooped up the ball as fast as I could and threw it to first base just like the big girls do. The first baseman caught the ball and tagged the base to get the runner out. The whole crowd went wild and chanted my name! When the inning was over Coach Brian gave me a hi-‐five. For the first time I was happy I wasn’t originally on my big sisters team because I was able to help the team out in an emergency, which made playing with them even more special.

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Golden Feather, 2014

Alison and Friends Author: Maitreyi S. Prologue: Alison was a gentle, kind and nice kid. She was out picking berries when animals called for help. Since she helped them, they became very good friends. Join them on this Alison and Friends adventure!

Story:

One sunny Saturday, Alison was wandering through the woods to pick berries when she met some animals. She instantly became friends with them. She still had more animals to meet but so far she’d met…Teresa Turtle, Ellie Elephant, Millie Mouse, Clever Crow, Chester Cat and Danielle dog. One Monday, Alison got sick and Teresa Turtle got pricked by a thorn! Teresa wailed for help but nobody would come to help her! She wondered if they abandoned her. Then she saw Millie Mouse coming, but Millie said, “Get Alison to help you! I can’t do it.” Teresa felt very sad. She saw one friend after another but they all said, “No!” Suddenly, after four hours of crying painfully and calling her friends, she saw a wise old owl. She had only him for her hope and she took a deep breath and called the wise old owl. He heard Teresa and got the bramble out. When Alison heard of this, she told the animals, “When someone needs help, don’t wait for someone else to do it. Take responsibility and help them.”

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Wise Worm Author: Arnav M. A worm family lived around the corner. One day, the eldest kid worm went out to get leaves for his younger siblings. The kid worm was bringing leaves back home. He was slinking around the corner, when he saw the big hairy spider! He remembered what his mom says in the house often -‐ “Spiders are dangerous”. Worm slid as fast as he could. But the spider was faster. Worm had only one choice: to go into the human’s house. He squeezed under the door. They would be playing outside. Spider was afraid to come in. The door burst open. The spider was trampled by the humans. The worm was relieved. He went back home and lived happily ever after. His wise and quick decision saved his life.

Golden Feather Author: Kenny K. There once was a golden feather shining in the tree. Then one day it began to start falling down from the tree. Suddenly a boy came passing by. He decided he would bring it home, so he picked it up and ran home. He noticed that when he held the feathers tip it would start to disappear. When he got home he showed it to his mom and dad. They were mad to see a feather so they smashed it with a hammer. The next morning the golden feather appeared floating in his room. Soon the little boy learned that the feather could not be destroyed but could disappear. So he promised himself he would never touch it. The next day he forgot his promise. The feather was disappearing since he broke his promise. He didn’t notice until lunch. When he recognized, he panicked. He went to see Ms. Golden the teacher who new all about golden things. Ms. Golden said “you have to get rid of the lie to save the feather.” He took her words and didn’t touch the feather. The next day the feather was half way gone. He didn’t know what to do. He went to Ms. Golden again. She told him that he had to talk to the feather word by word, however he did. When he talked to the feather it started growing by bits. Finally it grew back to its regular form. The boy took the feather in a jar and ran to the tree. He put the feather down and the feather zoomed back where he belonged.

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Wizard Author: Panav P. Once upon a time there lived a group of animals and in it there were 11 bears 3 rabbits 19 parrots 1 snake 5 monkeys of the forest in South America. Every day they go to the nearby village to look for food. The people in the village were scared of them, so they hid and allowed the animals to take their food. One day they went to a wizard’s house for food. The wizard did not do anything the first time they came to his house. The next day when they came over he planned ahead not to allow them to steal any of his food. He tried spells to turn them into a rock and make them frozen but they ran back to base. They saw 7 dinosaurs at base and they were brachiosaurs and they joined the group. They made a plan for the dinosaurs to eat the wizard up. When they tried they got scared, as Wizard started putting spells on them. All the animals decided to unite together and attack the wizard. The next day they charged into the Village like an army of people raging on to kill the wizard . By helping each other they were able to get rid of him and able to go back to the way they got their food.

My Awesome Day at the Beach Author: Olivia D. I was at the beach on the boardwalk with my sisters having a really fun time. I saw so many different colors around me: the tan of the sand, the blue of the sky and water, and the brown of the boardwalk. The planes flying over our heads with different color banners and the smells of the ocean were all so beautiful. Aren’t the colors magnificent? We walked on the board walk and then we started to jog because walking was getting a little boring. As we jogged we could feel the wind blowing on our face, we could hear the waves crashing on the surface and we could smell the salty ocean. As we ran we soon came to the end of the boardwalk and then we had to run all the way back to where we started because it was lunch time soon. We ran until we came to the place where we started – we ran a whole two miles! I was very hungry now. We walked back to the car, packed our things and drove away happy as can be.

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Golden Feather, 2013 Michael and the Restaurant Author: Sheeraz S.

“I`m hungry” said Mathew a 7th grade boy. “Your dad’s finding a restaurant” said Ellen his mother. Ah! Said Frank his dad. He found a restaurant! “Finally” said Mathew as he raced out of the car. “Come on” said Mathew pulling on his dad’s arm. “Okay I’m coming” said Frank. Then they got to the restaurant and opened the door. “Hi, Can I help you today?” said the waitress. “Can you find us a seat, and we are a party of 3”, said Frank. “Then come with me” said the waitress, and she showed them the seat. The three sat down. Matthew looked at the menu “my favorite ice-‐cream!” said Matthew surprised. “Do you want to order it?” asked Frank. “Yes!” Said Matthew excited, and … I want grilled cheese with French fries and ketchup. “Okay then”, said Frank, “and how about your drink”? “Milk shake” said Matthew immediately. “Okie dokie” said Frank. Then the waitress came, “drinks” she said. “One Milk shake and two sodas please” said Frank. “Thank You” said the waitress. After that the two choose their food, and soon waitress came to get the orders. “Excellent choices” she said, after they picked. “Wait” yelled Frank as she was going. “What” she said annoyed. “We want desserts” yelled frank as she walked away again. “I’ll come back to you when you are done eating” she said as she walked away. Soon they started eating. And then they were done eating, and then the waitress came. “Desserts” she said. “Okay, one Oreo ice-‐cream” said Frank. “Do you want with or without cherry” said the waitress. “With” shouted Matthew immediately. “Okay” then she said, and how about you two. “We will take Sundaes” said Frank and Ellen at the same time. “Okay” said the waitress as she walked away. Soon desserts came. “Yum” said Matthew after he ate his dessert Frank paid the bill, and when they were going Matthew got a balloon that had a stick instead of a string. Then they got in the car and drove home. That food was delicious, said Matthew when he got into the bed.

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Little Brother Author: Anirvinya J. I have a little brother.His name is Aryaman.He is currently 6 months old.I still remember the day he was born . I came home from school and went to my friends house as I was going to have a sleepover there . My dad had left a note saying that now I have a little baby brother and that he is going to pick me to go see him .I was so happy and excited to know that I had a baby brother . The next afternoon , I was excited because on that exact day , I was going to see my baby brother , Aryaman ! A while later , my dad came to pick me up . When my dad and I sat in the car he told me that he had a few pictures and videos of Aryaman on his phone and I could look at them until we reached the hospital . I looked at one picture and smiled , I looked at a video I laughed , I looked at another picture and laughed even harder . The faces that he was making with his eyes closed made me laugh . I was focusing so much on the photos that I didn't even realize we were at the hospital ! I rushed to the hospital room and walked a few steps forward and saw my little brother …… I felt so great ! he looked like a hunched up bunny ! After a little while, he woke up and with his tiny little eyes,he looked at me.I gave him my finger to hold , without looking away he held my finger ! He was just a tiny one day old baby! And the thing is, he`s my own BROTHER !!! I was so happy to have a BFF for life.

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Close Call Author: Sameera R. The key wasn’t on the table when Amanda and Sarah came back from Carly’s house . Amanda started to worry. She searched under the table and in the kitchen. If she didn’t find it, her mom would be extra angry at her. It was the key to her mom’s floral shop. Her mom had put her in charge, and if she lost the key, her mom would think she was irresponsible. “Don’t panic, Amanda! I’ll help you find it,” Sarah said. “Thank you so much. But let’s hurry up!” Amanda said. They both looked under her bed, in the kitchen, in the living room, and in the bathroom, but they didn’t find it . Amanda closed her eyes and put her hands on her ears and said, “This is a disaster!” Amanda and Sarah looked everywhere in the house. They even looked in the toilet . Amanda was so sad that she couldn’t find the key. She would be in so much trouble if she couldn’t find it. . “Don’t worry! We will find it. Do you remember where you put it? ”asked Sarah. “ Wait! I remember! I took it to Carly’s house,” Amanda realized. Amanda got ready to go back to Carly’s house. “Hey! Maybe it’s in your pocket,”said Sarah. Amanda checked her pocket, and she felt a bump in it. She reached in and took something out of her pocket and gasped. “This is my mom’s floral shop key!” Amanda exclaimed. “Thank you so much for all your help,Sarah,” said Amanda. Ding-‐dong Ding-‐dong! “That’s Mom!”said Amanda. Amanda went to the door. “Hi girls! Did you have fun today?” Amanda replied, “We did have fun, until we almost had a big problem.” “What was the big problem?” Mom asked. “Well, I thought I lost the key to your floral shop, but then Sarah suggested that I look in my pocket, and luckily, the key was in there.” Mom said, “I’m really proud of you girls for looking for the key as soon as you realized it was lost. That makes both of you pretty responsible. But, you do need to keep better track of important items. I have a little surprise for both of you.” Both girls gasped, and shrieked, “Really? What is it?” Mom took a Macy’s bag out of her purse and handed each girl a little box. The girls opened their gift boxes, and inside each box was a friendship bracelet that had each of their names on it and a charm with BFF. The girls ran over to Amanda’s mom and both gave her a big bear hug.

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Golden Feather, 2014

Starry Night Author: Sameera R. My family went to Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. I wanted to visit the museum because I heard it holds the famous painting ‘Starry Night’ by Van Gogh. I got to know the painting ‘Starry Night’ when I read a book about the painter. When I saw the painting in the book, I fell in love with it. I like the painting because of three reasons. First, I like the moon and the stars giving light in the dark night. Second, I like how the wind was painted in the sky. Third, I like the big tree on the left side of the painting. The painting looked much more beautiful than I had thought when I saw the real painting in front of my eyes. I bought a magnet with the painting at the gift shop. After I returned to home, I drew a painting by following the ‘Starry Night’.

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Story of the Band Author: Connor P.

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Once upon a time, there was a lad. The lad liked stories but also music. He wanted to join a band. Now this band wasn’t an ordinary band because it played in the center of town. One day he got a letter that said he could join the band! But he did not have enough money for his training. One night he found a genie that said he could give him enough money to join the band! The next morning he woke up and got dressed so he could join the band! Then he went to the center of the town to begin training. His dream was starting to come true at last!

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Ginger Bell Beach

Author: Katherine Y.

“Come on Angelo let’s go!” I yelled. My family and I were at Ginger Bell Beach, and I was yelling to my brother to hurry up and get of the car. “Sweetie, did you put on your sunscreen?” My Mom asked. “Yes Mom.” I answered. My brother and I raced to the beach,he won. My sister told us to wait for her but we were already on the sand so she had to walk there alone. My Mom and Dad were still getting the chairs and stuff ready so they came a little later then us. I started heading for the water. When I got there I saw something in the water! Was it a shark, a big fish, an orca? When I got in the water I saw it was only a surfer who looked like he didn’t have a lot of experience. I was playing peacefully in the water when I suddenly got splashed by a big amount of water! I turned around and saw my brother running away from me I murmured “I’ll get you Angelo Guo.” I started chasing him as fast as I could but he was too fast for me so I gave up. The next thing I knew my Dad was yelling “Lunch time!” This time I raced my sister up the beach and I won! When we got there I took a ham and cheese sandwich and some watermelon and sat down on my blanket and ate. While I was eating my sandwich a seagull started pecking at my watermelons. “Shoo Shoo!” I called. The bird flew away and I peacefully finished my lunch. When I got back on the beach I saw a clear thing laying on the sand, I picked it up, and it felt jiggly in my hands I called for my Mom and she said it looked like a jellyfish so I put it back down. Finally it was time to go back home. I had so much fun at Ginger Bell Beach I hope I can go there again!

Short Stories

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Golden Feather, 2014

Spy with Powers Author: Samaira Y. It was a warm spring day in the Spy house (2 evergreen trees with open space in middle) when my friend Alai said “You have the power of Light Flame.” I was so excited! I wanted to have more powers. Then I spotted a white flower and I said to my friend “let’s check out which power that white flower over there has!” Then we both climbed the tree and picked up the flower. We took the flower to the Spy House we pretended that the flower gave a magical power .I said” it gives the power of snow!” Then my other friends came and they wanted that white flower too, so we did a raffle and I brought a pencil and paper and we wrote our names on them and put them in a box. Then I called my little sister to take one piece of paper out of the box and I WON!!!! Then I heard my mom calling me in for dinner. That was one special evening .

The Groundhog in my Backyard Author: Siddharth S. I was doing my homework when my mom called “Kids, come quick! There’s a groundhog in the backyard”. My sister and I ran to the backyard and there was the groundhog, digging into the ground. We stood very still and watched it, trying hard not to disturb it. Suddenly it stopped digging and stared at us because I think it knew that that we were watching it. It continued to stare at us for a while. My sister and I were very still. Then it continued to dig. I was curious to find out how deep the groundhog had dug. I thought it might have dug really deep. So I slowly tip-‐toed towards it. But I think the groundhog heard my footsteps and it ran away. I checked the hole -‐ it was very small !

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Golden Feather, 2014

Rubik’s Cube 50th Birthday Author: Vayun R.

It was exciting when my dad told me that it is going to be the 50th birthday of Rubik’s Cube. While he was sharing this, I heard a “ding-‐dong”. It’s a mailman. I opened the door and he dropped a box in my hands. I curiously asked my dad to open it as the box says my name on it. Dad opened the box for me and inside it was another tiny cardboard box about 6 inches in width and length. I opened the box and I found my first Rubik’s cube, which was a surprise from my dad. I glanced at the Rubik’s Cube and observed it carefully. While I was admiring its shinny and smooth body my dad told me that the cube is called the Dayan cube. It moves at a very fast speed. It was great to celebrate 50th birthday of Rubik’s Cube with a big surprise.

First Day of School Author: Sonal D. Today was my first day of school! “Mom, Will I be ok?”I asked. “Yes” she said. “Ok” I said with doubt. The first thing I saw was the school. Then I opened the door and saw the teacher. “Hi” I said to her, nervously. I actually talked to the teacher! But it was ok. “Hi ” she said. It was all going good and I like it. Plus I have friends, I love it! We play and work and it was fun. I laughed and smiled. “School rocks!” Now I always trust my mom.

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Long Line Author: Samuel X. It was a sunny day at Niagara Falls, and my family was planning to board the Maid of the Mist. The Maid of the Mist is a boat that travels close to Niagara Falls. It does not float into Niagara Falls, though. As I was walking with my family to buy tickets, I saw the Maid of the Mist ZOOM past me. The flags on the boat waved slowly. After the tickets were purchased, we entered the line to board the Maid of the Mist. It looked to me as long as a dragon. I knew I would get sweaty while standing in line. So I just waited and waited. I was so hot I felt like a fried potato. We had been waiting for an entire century and I thought I might scream. I wondered if I might get a sunburn, because there was a bright sun shining down on us, and I had forgotten sunscreen. I did not get a sunburn and my family did not get a sunburn. The boring wait continued. After what seemed like forever, I looked ahead, we were almost there. I was so happy and excited. The Maid of the Mist appeared. I was so eager to get on the boat, but there were already too many people. I couldn't believe it. I felt as if I had been standing in this line for a trillion years. A that moment I wanted to run away and never come back again. But before I could run the Maid of the Mist arrived. Finally I was able to board the Maid of he Mist.

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Adventure of Astrox Author: Adhvuklal T. Once upon a time there lived a boy named Astrox. One day Astrox found a package which he had not ordered, at his door. He took it inside his house. That night there was a knock from inside the package …The voice said "open the box". Astrox opened the box with fear. To his surprise, he was magically pulled into a portal, where the pixie dust in the tunnel showered on him. He got more powerful & felt very thrilled and excited to explore the box. First he saw a furious looking GIANT ANT walking towards him with heavy stomps. Astrox swiftly sprayed 16 giant gallons of water and defeated the giant ant. Next he came across a LASER CAGE, Astrox was wondering how to get across. He then used web slinger rays from his wrists to shut down the power switch and he glided through. Astrox came to LAVA OCEAN! He created a magical airplane and flew over Lava Ocean. Finally Astrox landed in front of a castle in Mystery Island where a FIERCEFUL DRAGON tried to attack him. He aimed and shot the dragon. After succesfully defeating all the hurdles, Astrox spotted a GLOWING BALL on the top of a hill. He gallantly marched towards the hill and discovered the glowing ball to be a time machine. The force from the time machine pulled him in and put him back on his bed. The next morning Astrox couldn't wait to share his adventurous dream with his friends...

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Golden Bird Author: Amogh K. Once upon a time, there was a golden bird with golden and shining feathers. He has super cool magic powers! His best power is turning people into shiny golden birds. His feathers were super sticky. This is why his feathers don’t fall off. One day, his arch enemy came. He brought his whole team! The golden bird was surprised. “Everybody, Everybody!” he shouted. “My arch enemy is here!” He made an army and got ready for war. The war has just started. It was going to be a long war. They fought together with their courage. “Good.” The golden bird said. In the middle of the war, the golden bird made a constitution and all the golden birds signed it. The golden birds were winning. A few of them made the other birds touch their feathers. Then, more golden birds were joining. This was why the golden birds were winning. Then there was a break in the war. All the golden birds were tired. They were talking at the table what to do. Then came the next war. The golden birds fought so hard and the leader was getting happier and happier. But then the golden birds won! Then they lived happily ever after.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

Princess Dawn and the Magic Fish Author: Atobe D. Once upon a time before there were stores, there was an old, old king (whose name was Albert) and a young princess (whose name was Dawn).One fine spring day, Albert sent one of his servants (whose name was John) to go fishing, because the next day would be a big feast, so John went to get the fish. The next day, everyone sat at a long, wooden table. There were mountains of beans, there were vegetables, and there were heaps of fish. Princess Dawn looked at the fish, there were several brown fish, but one of them was the colors of the rainbow! “Why is there a fish that is the colors of the rainbow??!!” “‘Twas a magic fish. But, he was very big and I was afraid, so I killed it”, said John. Suddenly the fish said. “Hey, I ain’t dead”. Everyone was stunned. Then the fish whispered into Princess Dawn’s ear, he said: “hey, you humans are polluting the water; soon, there will be no fish at all!! If you un-‐pollute the water, I will give you a reward!” Princess Dawn replied “OK, I will try.” The next day, she took the magic fish to a bridge; the bridge had polluted water surrounding it. She had a broom, a duster, a bucket of bleach, and a vacuum cleaner, then. Princess Dawn had never cleaned anything before so she looked around thinking of what to do next. Then she put some bleach into the water, and then she started to vacuum, dust, and sweep the water.

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“No!!” screamed the fish. “You need to take all of the trash out of the water; then you need to stop people from polluting the water, plus bleach will kill more animals!!

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“Wow! I learn something new every day!” Princess Dawn pulled out a B.L.T sandwich “yum,” she said. “Wow! This will take me a century!” She worked all day and night, and in only three years, she finished! She dropped the fish into the water, the fish said “ok, Princess Dawn, you have saved one ocean, but you must save four more; oh! And I almost forgot to give you a reward”! The fish gave Princess Dawn a big trophy that was made out of pure gold and sapphires “isn’t that the best reward ever?” asked the fish. The fish swam into the ocean “bye” he said. t*:rp**

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Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

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The Three Little Dragons and the Big Bad Bunny Author: Catherine G. Once upon a time, there were three little dragons. They had to leave their mother and seek their fortunes. One little dragon saw a house made out of straw. He went inside and then he saw a big, bad bunny outside his window. The bunny said let me in. The dragon said not by the smoke of my fiery breath. The bunny said then I’ll stomp and I’ll kick and jump your house down. So the bunny kicked his straw house down and ate the dragon .The dragon was so big for the bunny that he only ate half of him. The next little dragon was also looking for a house. He found one made out of sticks. He went inside and he saw the same big, bad bunny outside his window. The bunny said let me in. The dragon said not by the smoke of my fiery breath. The bunny said then I’ll stomp and I’ll kick and jump your house down. So the bunny kicked his stick house down and ate the dragon. The dragon was so big for the bunny that he only ate half of him. The last dragon was also looking for a house. He found one made out of bricks. He went inside and he saw a big, bad bunny outside his window. The dragon fainted then another dragon rescued him from the big, bad bunny and they lived happily ever after and the bunny learned his lesson.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Princess and the Monkeys Author: Dhruv S. There once lived a rich prince named Stanley. He had a lot of money and wealth. The prince always put his money in his backpack because he loved it so much. One day the prince went deep into the forest, where he saw five monkeys. The prince did not like monkeys at all so he ignored them. There was a well around the prince, and he felt very thirsty. The prince began to drink water, suddenly his leg slipped and he fell in the well. The well was deep and dark. It was 100 feet deep. He was still sinking. All the money in the backpack got wet. The monkeys saw all this and went to help the prince. The monkeys could swim very well. The monkeys jumped into the well and decided to lift the prince up. One monkey got one leg, the second monkey got the other leg. The third monkey got one arm and the fourth monkey got the other arm. The fifth monkey got his head. They all swam up and all were safe. The prince realized his mistake and thanked all the monkeys. Then the monkeys started to leave, but the prince said to the monkeys "why don't you guys stay with me in my palace". All the monkeys were happy to hear this and jumped up with joy. The monkeys and the prince lived happily ever after in the palace.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Sleeping Snail Author: Ethan S. Once upon a time, when snails were wise and animals could talk, there was a little red mushroom castle in a grain field far away where a snail king and queen and their daughter lived. Every year, they held a fine party and invited all their friends. One year, on the princess's third birthday, they decided to invite seven fairies to their party. They didn't invite the eighth fairy because everyone thought she was gone. However, the old fairy came to the party anyway, but only seven sets of gold dinnerware had been made for the fairies, so they had to give the old fairy silver dinnerware. ''How dare they treat me this way.'' thought the old fairy as she gritted her teeth. The seventh fairy, who was seated next to her saw and heard her and thought she might give the princess an unpleasant gift, so she hid under the table waiting to repair any damage. When gift-‐giving time came, the six fairies gave their gifts while the old fairy plotted her revenge. Just as the sixth fairy finished her gift, the old fairy rushed over and shouted, ''HERE IS MY CURSE! ONE DAY THE PRINCESS WILL SLIP ON MY TRAIL OF SLIME AND FALL DOWN DEAD!'' then she left without a word. There was not one person who did not weep. ''Take comfort, everybody. It is true I won't be able to totally undo the curse, but I will soften it. It is true she will slip, but instead of dying, she will fall into a deep sleep that will last one month. At the end of the time, a prince will come and kiss her and she will wake up.'' Then, one sunny afternoon 12 years later, on the princess's 15th birthday, she decided to explore the crown of the mushroom. She saw a pretty maid on an old balcony. The maid was actually the old fairy in disguise. The balcony had many pots of beautiful flowers and the maid was tending them. "Oh hello! How beautiful these flowers are!'' exclaimed the princess. "Hello. Do come smell these white flowers, they have a unique scent.'' and the princess fell for the trick and slipped on the trail of slime and she fell asleep. The witch had only intended for the princess to die. But the witch's curse was so strong that the whole castle fell asleep.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

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The Sleeping Snail (continued) Within five hours a tall, thorny hedge grew around the castle, which had been grown magically by the fairy, and only the flag on the top tower could be seen. Soon, everybody knew the story of the sleeping snail. Many snail princes from neighboring kingdoms tried to get to the sleeping snail, but the thorns caught them and they were discouraged. However, one prince had the seventh fairy as a godmother and every detail of the story was told to him. On the very day the princess was to be awoken, the prince set off. He rode through the fields and meadows and arrived at the completely silent castle where the thorn hedges blocked his way. "No matter what I will get through this thorny hedge to wake this princess.'' he thought. He began to ride through. Even though the thorns caught him, he still rode on. Of course, no fairy-‐grown hedge would ever be ordinary, and the hedges sensed his courage and changed their thorns into flowers. But as he rode through, one by one, each hedge was again covered with thorns, allowing nobody to follow. When he got into the castle, at the first sight, everyone seemed to be dead, but he heard their heavy breathing and knew they were only sleeping. He decided to go upstairs because that was where the princess slept. When he opened the door to the balcony he saw a beautiful snail laying on a golden bed. She looked so beautiful the prince bent down and gave her a kiss. At that second, she woke up, and so did the whole castle. As the princess woke up, they fell in love, so the next day they had a fine wedding and they lived happily ever after.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

Little Blue Riding Hood Author: Isabelle H. Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Little Blue Riding Hood, and she lived with her mother. One day, her mother told her: “ Little Blue, your grandfather is very sick, and I want you to give your grandfather this basket with some berry tea and a loaf of bread’’. Then, right before she walked out of the door, her mom said: “Little Blue, don’t forget if you meet any strangers, do not talk to them. Blue said: “OK mommy.’’ Little Blue walked out of the door, and she walked into the woods, and then...a bear suddenly walked up to Little Blue. The bear said to Little Blue: “Well, hello there” Then, the bear said: ''Little Blue, why are you walking in the forest all alone?” Little Blue said: ''My grandfather is very sick and my mother is very busy with chores she had to do.” Then Little Blue told the bear that her mom asked her to bring the basket to her grandfather so that he could feel a little better. The bear listened and said: “Why don’t you pick some flowers for your grandfather, so he could feel better?” Little Blue took his advice and took a long time to pick flowers for her grandfather. Meanwhile, the bear snuck into the grandfathers house and went inside. He took the grandfather and locked him in a closet before he went into the grandfather’s comfy bed. Little Blue finally went to the house. She opend the door to come in. When she saw her grandfather, she said: “I hope you feel better Papa!” The grandfather answered: ’”Oh thank you sweetheart!” Blue said: ‘’would you like some flowers that i brought?” Then Little Blue said: “ Oh what big ears you have, and what big sharp nails you have!” At this time, Little Blue heard something from the closet. She went to the closet and opened the door, when she saw her real grandfather! Little Blue started to scream for help. A Huntsman happened to be walking by, and heard the screaming. He started following it, and found the house. The Huntsman opend the door and he saw the bear that he was trying to hunt for years. The huntsman took his gun and shot the bear. Little Blue and her grandfather thanked the huntsman. Little Blue also gave her grandfather the basket. She then went back home to her mother, and lived happily ever after!

Fairytales and Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Three Little Sea Snakes and the Big Bag Magalodon Author: Justin M. Once upon a time there were three sea snakes. “look out for the megalodon.” warned there father. “we will. bye.” said the sea snakes. “Should we build houses the same as the three little fishes?” asked the first sea snake. It happened many many years ago when the three clever fishes lived they built a house out of seaweed,clay,rocks and a peace of bark. “I don,t think it's a good idea. It will take us days to find clay that big!” said the second sea snake “ah ha!” said the third sea snake. He told his plan. His plan was build a house inside small cave. Use large stones to break the cave and make the room bigger. It took them a while but they finished. They didn't mind of a door. That night the megaladon came! “I smell sea snakes!” he said “but were poisonous” said the sea snakes “AAAAHHH!!!!” said the megalodon and the megalodon scrambled away.

Mayerella Author: Kaia D. Mayerella was a very poor girl. She had no food and no friends. One day Mayerella’s dad got married. The stepmother was very greedy and bossy. One day the stepsisters were calling Mayerella names. She was not happy at all! That evening Mayerella got a letter. It was a letter for the ball! She snuck out of the house and her stepsisters saw her. They followed her all the way to the ball. When Mayerella got to the ball, the stepsisters decided to run home and tell the stepmother about it. The stepmother then went to the ball. Meanwhile Mayerella was dancing away…. The stepmother grabbed Mayerella and took her to the castle dungeon where she locked her up. The Prince was searching and searching everywhere for Mayerella but couldn’t find her. He decided to send his guards to look for her. But they couldn’t find her. The Prince went to Mayerella’s house to ask her stepmother where she might be. When he rang the doorbell, one of the stepsisters named Stacy answered the door. “Gosh you are prettier than Mayerella the Prince said”! “You mean my sister said Stacy”. “Mayerella is your sister”? “Yes” Stacy replied. The Prince bent down on one knee and asked Stacy to marry him. The next morning they got married and rode off into the sunset. So what happened to Mayerella you might ask….. Mayerella was rescued by a Knight and he took her out for pizza!

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark Author: Nikhil K. Once upon a time, three fish named Guppy, Goldie and Gummy left their parents’ home to live alone. Guppy built his house out of kelp from his trip to Kelp Town in the Pacific Ocean. Guppy’s house took one day to build. Goldie built his house out of sand. The house took two days to build. Gummy built his house out of seashells, pearls, clamshells, scales, rocks, shark teeth and underwater jewels. The house took two weeks to build. Two days later, a big bad shark came to town. The shark went to Guppy’s house. “Little fish, let me in!” said the shark. “Not on the scales of my fishy, swishy gills!” said Guppy. The shark swam fast around the house and formed a big current that demolished the house. Guppy rapidly swam to Goldie’s house. “Little fishes, let me in!” said the shark. “No way! You demolished my brother’s house!” yelled Goldie. The shark swam fast in circles around the house, forming a whirlpool. The whirlpool demolished the house. Guppy and Goldie rapidly swam to Gummy’s house. “GUMMY! LET US IN!” cried Guppy. “What’s the hurry, guys?” asked Gummy, opening the door. Inside, the brothers talked about the problem and came up with a trap. “Listen, Goldie, when the shark enters our house, Guppy will drop the net on him and I will call the police and get that bad shark arrested.” said Gummy. Soon, the shark arrived and he rang the doorbell. “Come inside…” said Goldie slyly. The shark opened the door. Three seconds later, Guppy dropped the net on the big bad shark. Gummy dialed 911. “Hi if this is the hospital, nobody is sick, injured, or needs surgery!” said Gummy. “Hi this is the police. How can we help you?” asked the police. “Hi, a shark demolished my two brothers’ houses, can you please arrest him? The address is Darrow Walk Avenue.” said Gummy. The police came right away. The shark was arrested and Guppy, Goldie and Gummy lived happily ever after.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Pink Castle Author: Samaira Y. Once upon a time there was a little princess whose name was Rose .She lived in a pink castle in Pinkgolia with her mommy the queen, daddy the king and big sister the big princess. The princess used to like pink. She had everything pink. Even her pet bird Pinky was also pink. One day an evil witch flew over the castle. The evil witch hated pink color. So she said “Blackouta Blackouto!” and she turned the castle and everything in it black. When the little princess saw the castle she got very sad. When she saw her pet bird Pinky, turned into black color, she started to cry. The king, the queen and the big princess heard her cry and came rushing to her. When they saw it they knew who did it. The king started to gather his army to fight with the witch. Rose was sitting sadly in her garden when her insect friends (butterfly, dragonfly, honey bee and grasshopper) came to her. They told Rose that the witch has magical powers and king’s army cannot defeat her. Rose asked her friends “how can witch be defeated? What’s her weakness?” The insects friends said to the Rose “Come with us little princess”. The insect friend took Rose to the little fairies that lived deep inside the woods. One little fairy whose name was Tinkerbelle said “The witch has magical powers and can be killed with magical music”. She gave little princess a golden flute and told her to keep it hid from everybody and only use it once. The little princess said “thank you! For all of your help”. Rose came back to her castle with the magical flute hidden inside her dress’s pocket. The next morning the little princess joined the king to fight the witch. When witch came out to fight with the king, Rose took out the magical flute from her dress’s’s hidden pocket and played it. By hearing the magical music the witch screamed a lot and died. As soon as she died the castle in Pinkgolia and everything in it turned back into pink color. When Rose came back to the castle, she was so happy to see her pet bird Pinky pink again and everybody lived happily ever after.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

Greedy Fish Author: Shreya A. Once upon a time in a land far away was the land of fantasy and magic. In that land lived a fishermen and his wife. The fishermen happened to marry a beautiful woman. His wife was a fairy godmother. One fine day the fishermen decided to take his wife to the sea so she could see how her husband fishes. The fishermen set his canoe in the water very proudly thinking of how he is going to SHOW OFF to his wife one of his many talents. While they rowed their canoe the fishermen suddenly couldn`t find his way back to shore. He yelped for help but nobody answered. The fisherman and his wife were left stranded in the mid sea. Underneath the water behind the fishermen`s boat came sneaking a greedy fish. The greedy fish heard all what the fishermen and his wife said. He peeked out of the water and saw that the fishermen`s wife was a fairy godmother .Since he was a MEAN,GREEDY,and a SELFISH fish he wanted to play a trick to get the fishermen`s wife to reward him back. Meanwhile above the water the fishermen and his wife were still seeking for help .The fish joyful fish jumped out of the water and asked what the problem was in his nicest attitude. The fisherman was excited to a see the fish. He has finally found someone to help him. The fisherman felt very fortunate. He quickly explained the problem hoping that the fish would help. The fish responded to the fisherman saying "I would be glad help you"!.The fisherman suggested that they tie the rope to the tail of the fish so that the fish can swim them back to the shore. As the fish was swimming he kept going faster and faster thinking about how he can get rewarded .He splashed so hard the fishermen and his wife’s ride back to became very choppy. They didn`t want to say anything as they felt the fish was rescuing them. Soon when they reached shore the fishermen and his wife were very pleased with the fish for his great attitude. They decided to grant him a wish!!!The fish couldn`t believe it!!!He splashed around he even yelled "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY I KNEW IT!!!!!!!He said out loud. The fishermen and his wife were surprised by seeing the fishes reactions. Now it was the moment the fish was waiting for. He had to choose any wish he`d like and after giving it a few minutes, he said “I want to rule a school of fish"!His wish turned to a demand. The fishermen and his wife felt that the fish was starting to become rude and he was not honest and sincere in helping them. They fisherman’s wife refused to grant the wish. The fish began to weep. He realized that being greedy and demanding is not virtue. The fish promised that now on he will be honest and sincere .He apologized for his behavior. He really wanted to have his wish granted but he was glad that he has learnt from his mistakes and transform his character.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

Little Blue Violet Hood Author: Veer S. Once upon a time a mother sent her little innocent girl Little Blue Violet Hood to her aunt’s house because she was sick to bring her a basket of fresh fruit. “Now be sure not to talk to any strangers and do not go into the scary woods” said Little Blue Violet’s mother. “Yes mother” said Little Blue Violet. As I told you she was very innocent, so she went into the scary woods and she met a wolf. “Hello little girl, where are you going?” asked the wolf. “I am going to my aunt house to bring her some fresh fruit and her address is 54 Waffle Drive Colon Florida 39752” said Little Blue Violet. “Why don’t you pick a flower for your aunt” said the sneaky wolf. “Ok” said Little Blue Violet and she did. While she picked a flower, the wolf took the basket and ran to Little Blue Violet’s aunt’s house. “Ding Dong” rang the aunt’s doorbell. “Who is it” said Little Blue Violet’s aunt. “Me Little Blue Violet” said the wolf in his best Little Blue Violet voice. “Come on in, the door is open” said Little Blue Violet’s aunt. When the wolf came in, he went straight to Little Blue Violet’s aunt’s room. “Hello Little Blue Violet put the fresh fruit on my table and I will eat it” said Little Blue Violet’s aunt. “Ok aunt” said the wolf again in his best Little Blue Violet voice. “Quickly he gobbled Little Blue Violet’s aunt up and put on her glasses. Back in the woods Little Blue Violet noticed that her basket of fresh fruit for her aunt was…GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! So she went back home and told her mother “I was picking a flower for aunt and somebody took the basket of fresh fruit.” “I will give you another one ok” said her mother “ok” said Little Blue Violet. Then she went to her aunt’s house. She rang the doorbell “Ding Dong”. “Who is it” said the wolf. “Me Little Blue Violet” said Little Blue Violet. “Come in” said the wolf. “Ok” said Little Blue Violet. When Little Blue Violet came in, the wolf gobbled her up. Unfortunately there was a grass cuter who saw the wolf and freed Little Blue Violet and her aunt from the wolf’s belly. Little Blue Violet said “I am never ever talking to strangers ever again.”

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Adventures of Brave Explorers Author: Tamanna D. Once upon a time, in the grassiest part of India, a place called Butterfly Mountain; there lived a woman named Ally with no husband or children. She lived in a cottage not far from a beautiful pond. Ally was an explorer but was very poor. Her only friends were animals, birds, butterflies, and moths. Her best friends were Boths, half butterfly, half moth. One of their antennae had a club at the end, and one looked like a feather. Two of their wings were connected, and two wings were not. The Boths liked to listen to Ally's stories. Ally did not have anyone else to talk with. She longed to get a child to play, talk, and have fun with. “I wish there were other people to play with”. Ally would say every day to herself before she slept on her tiny, white, bark, and cot. “Even a tiny person would work” Ally thought. One fine day, as Ally was drying her fur clothes, she saw a tiny apple seed on the ground. It sparkled so bright it brought light into Ally's eyes. “It's so pretty AND it will bring me good apples” . She said to herself. “Let me put it in a clay pot “She walked to her tiny pot. She put the apple seed in the brown clay pot that was by her door. After Ally put the apple seed in the clay pot, she left to dry her fur clothes again. Time passed by and after 8 days, when Ally was working in her butterfly garden, big, pink, sparks came from her cottage. “What has happened to my house? “ Ally cried. She ran inside her cottage. When Ally got inside, she was shocked. Her mouth opened so wide you could see everything in it. She gasped so loud you could hear it from away. She froze for an entire minute. “Oh my” She thought. “Who is this fair girl with the pretty hair?” There was a tiny girl in the pot with the apple seed. The clay pot with the apple seed had become a tiny pond with water lilies in it! She had pretty fingers. They were SO peach; they could sparkle in the sunlight. Her body was glowing. She seemed happy. The girl had light brown hair, a pink dress with real blossoms on them, and pink high heels with white flowers on them. “I am Angelina, your daughter” Said the girl. Ally was shocked. “How could you be my daughter have no daughter, dear child! “ Ally asked. “You planted me thinking I was an apple tree. That was really me as a baby!” said Angelina. Ally was so surprised she almost screamed. “I finally have a daughter” She said to herself. Ally danced around. “I can't believe it! “ She screamed. “I have a daughter can't believe it can't believe it!” Ally ran outside with Angelina. “Look!” She yelled to her Boths.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

The Adventures of Brave Explorers (continued) “What is it? “ Annie, a Both, squeaked. “I have a daughter! “ Ally cried. “WOW! “ All the Boths squeaked at the same time. “What is her name? “ The king of Boths asked. “Angelina “Ally replied. “Angelina, meet the Boths, half butterfly and half moth. “ Said Ally. “Hello. Nice to meet you.” said Angelina. “Nice to meet YOU” Said the Boths. “They are really nice. I can tell they will help us one day.” Angelina whispered to Ally. Every day, Angelina would sit in the clay pot that was full of water. She would sit on a white; soft water lily. Ally didn't like the idea of Angelina sitting by the entrance of her brown cottage. She wanted to make sure that Angelina would not get hurt. To take care of that problem, she made a little clay box filled with water and water lilies and put Angelina in it. She put the clay box in her straw bag and took Angelina wherever she went. Ally got a little over-‐protected of Angelina. Angelina was getting very bored of sitting in the house. She wanted a little adventure. She longed to go to a place that was new to her. “Why do I have to sit here the whole day? “ Angelina asked herself. “And what can I do to get a little adventure? “ Angelina thought, and thought, and thought. One sunny day, she decided to talk to the Boths. “Maybe you can tell Ally nicely” . Said Annie the Both. Good idea!!!, thought Angelina. “Thanks, Boths!” Screamed Angelina as she ran to tell Ally. When she reached home, Angelina, while sitting on the dining table, in her clay box, said” Mom, I want to explore the world” . “Angelina!” Ally exclaimed. “Why do you want to explore the world?” “Mom, I have only seen the outside of your cottage. I want to look for wonderful treasures. We could be rich and live in a mansion! It would be so much fun! We could also get a bigger garden. It could be full of animals, birds, insects, and plants! There could be a lot of Boths, too. “ Said Angelina. Ally thought for a minute and said “ Very well. We will set out in 7 days. I am an explorer!” In 7 days Ally had made 2 water bottles, 2 purses, a big, clay box filled with water and water lilies for Angelina, 2 fur coats, and 2 fur dresses.1 of each thing was for Angelina. “THIS IS SO EXCITING!” Screamed Angelina in her tiny voice. “We will go in one minute” Ally said to Angelina.

Fairytales & Fables

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Golden Feather, 2014

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The Adventures of Brave Explorers (continued) She put Angelina in her room so she could put on her fur coat. Angelina looked out the bark window. Pink petals were flowing around. Boths were having fun. Animals were running and tackling each other. Birds were tweeting. Angelina sighed in happiness. For once she could share her happiness with the creatures. “Angelina! You can play outside for a moment” . Ally called. She was getting less protective of Angelina. “Thanks Mom!” Angelina called. Angelina went outside. She climbed up the step of flowers Ally had made out of flower and flower pots. She sat on her favorite place, a mess of dandelions, daisies, sunflowers, and all the flowers you could think of. She sat on a tall daisy, her favorite flower because there were tons of flowers surrounding her. She called the Boths. “What is it?” Annie, Angelina's favorite Both, asked nicely. “I am finally going to explore the world!” Angelina said. “That's amazing!” Howie, a very nice Both, exclaimed. Angelina!” Ally called. She came out. “Hi, Boths!” Said Ally. “Come on Angelina” Angelina jumped of the daisy onto the step closest to her, the highest step.” Lets go!” Said Angelina. Finally, it was time to go. Ally put Angelina's clay box in her straw purse and gave Angelina all her things. They filled the water bottles with water and set off. They were in the middle of their trip when Angelina saw a paper on the ground. She jumped of her box and said” Look, Mom!” Angelina pointed at the paper. “What could it be?” Wondered Ally. Ally opened the brown, old paper and read it. “To find treasure, go find a big, brown, yummy gingerbread house in the” Ally stopped. Angelina asked “Why did you stop reading” Ally said “There are a few invisible words. It’s like a riddle.” Angelina took the paper from Ally and looked on the back. “Oh, wait!” Angelina exclaimed. “What is it?” Ally asked. She read. “There is an invisible word. The clues can be found by looking at the woods.” “I just don't get that” .Ally said. “Let's look at the woods. Anything could be a clue “Said Angelina. “Well, there are plants, no fruits, animals, butterflies, the woods are green...” Ally said. “You got it!” Angelina exclaimed. “Got what?” Ally asked. “The invisible words are the green woods!”

Fairytales & Fables

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The Adventures of Brave Explorers (continued) “To find treasure, go find a big, brown, yummy gingerbread house in the green woods! You’re right!” Ally exclaimed. “So that means we have to look in the woods!” Angelina said. “Right!” Ally said. “What is a Both doing here?” asked Angelina. “I don't know, but we should follow it” Said Ally. They thought it was a good idea. So they followed the big, pink Both. While they were walking in the pretty woods, Angelina became hungry. “Mom, I'm really hungry!” Angelina whined. “OK.We'll get some food”. “What are we waiting for? Let's get that treasure!” Angelina said. “Good idea” .Somebody said. It was Annie the Both! “What are you doing here?” asked Angelina. “I wanted to come too. Anyway, let's go!” said Annie. So they went inside the woods. While Angelina, Ally, and Annie were walking in the woods, they saw a big, They looked around. They saw bushes, trees, monkeys, and even elephants, but no food. Not even bananas! Then they had to wander around. I hope I get to eat, Angelina thought. They looked around. Angelina saw a dark green Both going behind a big dark tree with shining wet leaves. She followed Both behind the tree. When she reached other side of the tree, she was shocked. She couldn't believe her own eyes. She saw a house with a beautiful, giant fruit garden. Angelina shouted” A gingerbread house! It has a fruit garden, a chocolate fountain, a park with flowers made of lollipops, and a shed made of sugar!” Ally said “What are you waiting for? Let’s go eat.” They ran to the beautiful fruit garden and started collecting delicious fruits. Angelina collected mangos, peaches, and blueberries. Ally got strawberries, apples, and raspberries. Then they dipped them in chocolate. After that, they got sugar from the shed. Finally, they picked lollipops and decorated them with the fruits. Then they gobbled them up in 5 seconds. They were relieved because their stomachs didn't feel empty anymore.They were having so much fun that they were not aware that somebody was looking at them from inside the gingerbread house. “Who's there?” asked somebody in a pleasant voice. Angelina and Ally stopped eating and looked around. An old woman came out of the gingerbread house. Angelina and Ally both said “Hello” to the woman in the black gown. “Come on in! I have hot tomato soup and you can rest in my house. There are beds made out of wood and fox fur.” The woman said in her pleasant voice. Ally, Angelina, and Annie accepted the wonderful offer. They went inside the gingerbread house, ate soup. They felt sleepy. “I'm so tired!” Annie said, yawning. Ally thought, is this soup the thing that makes me sleepy or I am really tired?.

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The Adventures of Brave Explorers (continued) “Where is the bed?” Ally asked. “There” said the woman, pointing to a door. Ally, Angelina, and Annie jumped into their beds. Their eyes closed and they went into a deep sleep. In the middle of the night, the old woman took Angelina and Annie and put them in a pinky-‐sized cage. “I cannot wait to eat them up! “Said the woman to herself. Next day when Ally woke up, she couldn't see Angelina or Annie around. She ran to the old woman and asked “Did you see my daughter?” The old woman smiled in a ghostly way and cackled. “Your daughter is right there!” She said, pointing to the cage. “Help us!” Angelina cried. Before Ally could say anything to the woman, she had disappeared! The next day the old woman, who was really a ghost, said to Ally” Get that pesky little girl some water RIGHT NOW!” Poor Ally had to get Angelina some water so the ghost could eat Angelina. Why do I have to do this?, Ally thought. Ally had to do that every day. Angelina pleaded every day to the ghost to let them go.” Please let us go” .The ghost never listened. After few days, the ghost came into the gingerbread house with a witch fork and ghostly knife. “DON'T EAT US!” Angelina and Annie screamed. But it was of no use. “QUIET!” The ghost screamed. Angelina, Ally, and Annie got very scared. “Okay” Angelina and Annie squeaked quietly. It was time for the ghost to eat Angelina. But before doing that, the ghost brought Ally to the kitchen. “Can you please go inside this oven and check if it is hot enough?” But Ally quickly grabbed the old, brown, dusty keys to Angelina's cage and pushed the ghost into the burning oven, never to be seen again. Ally sighed. It felt good to push a ghost into an oven. Ally quickly and quietly ran to Angelina's cage. Ally turned the key and opened Angelina's cage. “Thanks, Mom” Angelina said. “Yeah, thanks!” Annie squeaked. “No thank you. Let's find the treasure.” Ally said. They looked around. “Maybe we should open that door” .Angelina said. She pointed to a golden door. “Good idea!” Ally said. They opened the door. Magically, gold, silver, and jewels poured out of the door. Before they could touch the treasure, it disappeared. Something swept out of the closet. It was a magic carpet! Suddenly, the red and gold magic carpet took them to a mansion. There was a gold box filled with water and water lilies for Angelina. There was everything a person would want in it!” You know, when I said that the Boths would help us, I was right!” Angelina said. Annie smiled. Annie said. Angelina, Ally, and Annie invited all their animal, bat, bird, and insect to their mansion. They even grew a new butterfly garden. There was also a pond for the fishes they invited. Because of the house, Angelina, Ally, and the Boths lived happily ever after.

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The Three Little Kitties and the Big Bad Dog Author: Anusuri M. Once upon a time there lived three little kitty's and they lived happily with their mother. One day their mother said, ''You are now older, you will have to go and live somewhere else by yourself.'' The next day the three little kitty's set off. Their mother started to cry, "Do not worry'', said the first little kitty. Their mother hugged them all and said goodbye. The next day the first little kitty saw a person who had lots of straw. ''I will take the straw of yours and make a house", said the kitty. ''That is a bad idea.'' said the person. ''Shut up!" said the kitty and he got the straw anyway and made a house. It did not take the kitty that long. After the kitty was inside his house the big bad dog came and said, "May I come in?" and the kitty said, "No!”. The big dog said, "Then I will dig your house in". The big bad dog did what he said and ate the kitty. The next day the second little kitty saw a person who had lots of wood. The little kitty asked the person, "I will take the wood of yours to make a house". "You should not do that", replied the person. “Well I think it is fine”, said the second little kitty. And the kitty set off to make its house. After the little kitty was done, the big bad dog came and asked, "May I come in?". "Never!" replied the little kitty back. "Then I shall dig in your house". And so the big bad dog did what he said and ate the little kitty. The day after that the third little kitty saw someone with lots and lots of tuna fish and asked, "May I have all of that tuna fish of yours". "Why??," asked the person. "Because if I make my house out of tuna fish, then the big bad dog will not eat me!". "Nice idea", said the person. And the little kitty set off to make a house, it took him a long time. The next day the big bad dog came and said, "May I ....... EEEEEEEEK!!!!! TUNA FISH??". The dog ran away and never came back.

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The Three Little Fish Author: Vayun T. Once upon a time a mom fish lived with three little fishes. One day the mom said to the little fishes, “Go and explore the world and be careful of the Big Evil Shark.” The three little fishes nodded and said to their mom, “Sure, count on us.” So out went three little fishes searching for a nice place for them to live. The first fish went all around and could not find anything to build a house with. Then he went upstream and asked a kind swan for some seaweed. He took the seaweeds and builds a house in the middle of a small coral reef. Just then the Big Evil shark came and said, “Little Fish! Little Fish! Can I come in.”? The little fish replied. “No, not by my leathery skin. The Big Evil Shark responded, “Then I will whip and hip your house down.” At last he ate the first little fish. The second fish wandered around in search of building a home and found some clams. He used clams to build the house. It took him some time to finish his house. When he was done he played “Catch the Shrimp” all by himself. While he was playing, the Big Evil Shark saw him, went close to the second fish and asked, “Little Fish! Little Fish! Can I come in.”? The second little fish replied. “No, not by my leathery skin. The Big Evil Shark responded, “Then I will whip and hip your house down.” At last he ate the second little fish, too. While the third little fish was busy playing hide and seek with his new friends near the sunken, broken ship. When he saw some wooden planks near the broken ship, he had an idea. He took some of the wooden planks and used them to build his house. As soon as he was done and resting, just then the Big Evil shark came and said, “Little Fish! Little Fish! Can I come in.”? The little fish replied. “No, not by my leathery skin. The Big Evil Shark responded, “Then I will whip and hip your house down!”

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The Three Little Fish (continued) The third little fish escaped from a secret window he built in his house. Frustrated and angry, the Big Evil Shark went home. After spending couple of hours in the ocean the third fish decided to find his mom to share the whole story of the Big Evil Shark and how he ate his brothers. He was scared, tired and very sleepy when at midnight, there was a loud noise of a shark coming closer to their home. They saw from the window the big shark screaming from a stomachache. The mother came up with a plan. She went to the Big Evil Shark and pretended that she is a doctor. When the shark complained about the stomachache she went to the shark and asked him, “can I look into your tummy, and I am a doctor”. The shark agreed to her and said, only if he would eat her after she checks him. The mom fish went into the Sharks tummy and started to bite on inside the tummy until she found her kids. Lastly the Shark screamed with pain and the two fishes hurried out and freed from the Shark’s belly. The three little fishes swam together with their mom and lived happily ever after. Fairytales & Fables

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The Wild Cat Author: Rebecca N. Once upon a time, there were three gerbils. One day there mother said ‘’It is time for you to go out in to the world. But be careful, there is a wild cat on the loose. “We will mother.” The children replied. The next day, the three gerbils set off into the world. Along the way, they met a girl with a load of straw. “Can we have some of your straw please?” They asked very politely. “Certainly!’’ she said in a cheerful voice. They built their house in a jiffy. The next day the wild cat came. “I SMELL GERBILS!” He roared at the top of his lungs. “HELP US!” The gerbils cried loudly. “LITTLE GERBILS, LITTLE GERBILS LET ME COME IN!” shouted the cat. “NOT BY THE HAIR OF OUR CHINI-‐CHIN CHIN. WE WILL NOT LET YOU IN!” They screamed. “THEN I’LL HUFF AND I’LL PUFF AND I’LL BLOW YOUR HOUSE IN!” But when the dust settled the gerbils were not there. So he picked up their scent and followed it. Meanwhile, the gerbils had found some logs by a forest. They decided to build a house. Then the cat came. He destroyed the outside of the house! But he was only hungry. Then they gave him some food and he was happy.

The Story of Mia and the Golden Feather Author: Nora P. Once upon a time a drop of sun light fell to the ground and created the most magnificent bird anyone had ever seen. Then one day a girl was playing outside where she had found a hurt bird. The girl's name was Mia. Mia took good care of the bird and in return the bird gave Mia one golden feather. Mia cherished that golden feather day after d ay and night after n ight then one day the golden feather sparkled. In bold words, on the feather, was written,"3 wishes". Mia wondered what was happening and then she realized that she was getting 3 wishes and she was so happy. Mia's first wish was to have a golden bird of her own and Mia's third wish was to make the bird always safe. Then every day Mia would visit the magnificent golden bird. They lived happily ever after.

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Technology Review: Duolingo Author: Ethan S. Do you want to learn a new foreign language? Duolingo is the app for you! It is a free website and app where you can learn languages like Spanish, French, and German. It works like Rosetta Stone but it is free. With Duolingo you don't need to spend money to register yourself in a class, buy books, or anything like that. All you need is internet access and a computer or a tablet, which you may already have. By learning a foreign language on Duolingo, you don't waste time by driving to and from lessons. You can learn it in bits of time anywhere like before bed time or while waiting for something, like the bus. This is great for those who have busy schedules. It is also very fun to learn a foreign language on Duolingo. It is almost like playing a game. You can compete against your friends by tracking points earned from finishing lessons successfully. You can gain streaks. Streaks motivate you to complete one or more lessons a day continuously. You can also win lingots by finishing a lesson without losing any hearts, finishing one whole skill, or a 10 day streak. Plus, you can use lingots to buy bonus skills. Most importantly, the program is very efficient. The program teaches you to read, write, understand, and speak that language properly. The structure of the lessons is from easy to hard, so you never get frustrated. It teaches whole sentences at the beginning, that way you will feel really proud. If you forget or don't know the meaning of a word, you can tap the word and the definition will show. It also allows you to strengthen skills that you may have forgotten. Now, I hope you will use Duolingo to learn a foreign language! Have a good time!

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Place Review: Justice – just for girls! Author: Tia S. Most people go to Walmart, Target and other stores, which are great but I would say Justice is a bit cooler and has awesome clothes, diaries, and more! Justice is a great store for kids. So whenever you’re roaming around to find a good store for kids, go to Justice. Justice has trendy shirts, pants, skirts and dresses that are sparkly with nice neon colors. Believe me, if you are a girl looking for trendy clothes, go to Justice. Check it out now!

Place Review: My Study Author: Shibani D. I spend a lot of fun time in my study room. It makes me feel comfortable and so I decided to describe it as I can see and sense it. I can hear the air in the vent rolling,I can hear the water from the kitchen dripping drip,drip,drip. The carpet smells like wool and I smell the dust on the printer. The mat in front of the computer has a lumpy texture. There are two chairs and two desks, one side of the wall is darker than the other because one side is closer to the lamp but, it is not that dark, there is a computer behind the computer mat, there also is a little newspaper stand. One desk is for my brother and the other one is for me. I love my desk and chair as my mom lets me put all my favorite drawings under the desk mat. I particularly love the two cherries drawing. I keep my desk very clean and tidy so I can do a lot more work easily. I like spending time doing my work and playing games on the computer in my study. Persuasive Reviews

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Restaurant Review: McDonalds Author: Shreya A. Do you like healthy food? Then you probably will agree with my review. Do you know the restaurant McDonald’s ? Well if you don’t then. I would like give my opinion about it. Well my experience has been that it is a good restaurant ,but the food choices are very unhealthy. I started to feel bored going to the place. The atmosphere is not great and you feel very sick going there because all I get to eat is chicken nuggets and French fries .Although many kids and adults like nuggets and fries,but you should be aware that these food are made of oil and fat which is unhealthy . Remember good food should be a balanced diet.You don’t want to eat a lot of sugar or fat. You might have heard of “My Plate”. This is a balanced diet because it contains fruits, vegetables , grains ,protein, dairy and gains which form 5 sections of a balanced diet. Our Maurice hawk school lunch is more healthier than McDonalds , because they provide balanced diet. I would rate McDonald’s 1 out of 5 ***** only because they serve food very fast and have play gym for the kids. But their quality of food can be improved by providing more healthier choices and then they would deserve a 5* rating . See you all until my next restaurant review.

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Place Review: Woods Hole, Massachusetts Author: Adan R. Do you like vacation? Well you are in luck! Woods Hole, Massachusetts is the place to go. I am an expert because I have been there twice and I have been there for 14 days. Isn’t that a lot of time? One reason I think you should go there is because it has lots of cool museums. One is the Cape Cod Children’s Museum, where you can build a gravity track on the wall. Another museum in the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Ocean Science Exhibit Center, which is stupendous. It has a life size model of the ALVIN (a research mini submarine used to explore the Titanic and explore the deep ocean), which you can explore and use the sub’s controls. Another reason to go to Woods Hole is there are a lot of great beaches nearby. You also might get to see the Knorr in the Woods Hole harbor, which is the research ship that found the Titanic in 1985. You can go on a science boat cruise and do things like take the temperature of the water. Woods Hole is also great because you can go to a pie place called Pie in the Sky Bakery and Café. It is awesome. Their chocolate cream pie with whipped cream is delicious. It even has coffee for the grownups, and in the summer and in the winter on days it does not snow you can eat fresh enjoyable pie that I assure you your family will love, and it is a great way to spend family time and time with friends. The final reason you should go to Woods Hole is it has a really cool restaurant called the Fishmonger Café, which I think is the best place to eat. Fishmonger Café is right next to a canal and the Woods Hole drawbridge, so you can watch the drawbridge go up and down while you eat. I recommend the fish and chips-‐they are the best in the world!

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Place Review: Longwood Garden Author: Andrew C. On May 25, 2014, my mom, big brother (Daniel), and little brother (Brian) went to the Longwood Garden in Pennsylvania with our friend, Peter, and his parents. I had a pleasant trip. I recommend you to go to the same place too. I saw a lot of interesting things there like 2 tree houses, many fountains, hundreds of types of flowers, a big bullfrog, and a lot more pictures. When these fountains were being played, they looked like they were dancing in different shapes like bridges, fireworks, grass, and more. In the picture to the right, I was a magician, because I was spraying water out of my head after drinking the whole bottle of magical water. My favorite part was when I saw the trees that are planted and cut in all kinds of shapes. For example: ducks, cubes, cones, pyramid, and cakes. It’s the best place to play hide-‐and-‐seek. The person who created this garden is Pierre S. du Pont, and he was from a very, very rich family, and has been very creative on the garden. I want you to go to the Longwood Garden because there are incredible things you can see in this beautiful season of late ! spring and early summer. Flowers are beautiful, and fountains are cool. Once you see it, you won’t believe your eyes.

Persuasive Reviews

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Place Review: Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial Author: Anirvinya The battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial is located at 62 Battleship place Camden , New Jersey , USA . This museum ship displays the most decorated battleship to have served the U S Navy . It is also one of the largest battleships ever built . I have visited the Battleship New Jersey museum and Memorial . The guided tour on the ship is very nice , you get a set of ear phones and a radio kind of set which gives you all the information about the ship . The information helps us understand the history and how things worked on the battleship . So by the end of your visit you know almost everything about the battleship . The Battleship New Jersey has been to 4 wars , world war 2 is the most known . Imagine being on a huge battleship which has been in 4 wars !! On the battleship you will get to meet a war veteran ,who has been a soldier in a real war . He will share some of his own stories and will also tell you all about the control room . He will show you around the control room and tell you how everything in the room used to work . He will show you the Radar , night vision binoculars , also a monitor which controls the launch of missiles from the ship !! Its is all very exciting to see and learn , you also get to ask questions to him . You get to see the very famous tomahawk [missiles]. You get to see how the missiles are kept. You also get to see a old time video of how the missiles were launched. Imagine taking a picture with a real missile that is your height. I have taken many pictures with missiles. My favorite spot on the battleship is the room from where they navigate the ship . The room has big , heavy , thick metal doors .There is a big compass to show which direction the ship is going . The best view of the sea can be seen from this room . The battleship can be very exciting and fun place too visit. Maybe you will go to Battleship New Jersey, too! SO PLAN YOUR TRIP TODAY !!!!

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Place Review: Barnes and Noble Café Author: Ameya I. In my opinion, Barnes and Noble café is the best café in West Windsor. It is located next to Market Fair. Their bagels are super soft. You can get them warm. Most bagels I have tasted are hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Barnes and Noble café bagels are not like that. They are soft on both sides. I have tasted most of their bagels and I have never come across a bagel that I did not like. Because the café is in a bookstore, it is always nice and peaceful there. If you get hungry while reading a book about food, you can eat there too. I have never seen that place crowded You can snack before or after reading, if you like doing that. While you eat, you can smell the scent of books. It is perfect for calm, quiet talks. The service there is great. People there are very friendly and polite also. I would give this café five out of five bagels.

Place Review: Spain Author: Ari B. I figure that things are pretty nice in Spain. Why? There are nice people, nice food, nice architecture and yeah... The people there treat me nicely and with care. So, one reason I think you should go to Spain is that your children can play soccer or fútbol with the other kids while you relax. Another reason is that I think you should go to Spain is, there are tons of places you can go and visit in Spain, like Madrid, Barcelona, Segovia, and the snowy mountains off the side of Segovia. Finally the last reason I think you should go to Spain is that, on top of one really tall and snowy mountain is the fanciest restaurant in Madrid-‐-‐you can see all of Madrid, which is in spring bloom.

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Restaurant Review: Cheesecake Factory Author: Devin S. Do you like cheesecake and good food? Then you will love The Cheesecake Factory. It has out-‐of-‐ this world cheesecakes! The walls have giant paintings on the them. The restaurant is so big! I like the big lamps that tower over you. My favorite kind of cheesecake is the New York style cheesecake. It is regular cheesecake covered with cherry sauce. I sometimes have plain cheesecake. The menu is big, so there’s a lot to choose from. There’s also a kid’s menu. The lunch salads are not as big as the dinner salads because it’s lunch, right? I like the meatballs. If you like chocolate, there is sometimes chocolate cheesecake. The waiters and waitresses are nice. I’d give The Cheesecake Factory 5 out of 5 stars. If you go there, enjoy!

Place Review: Fantasy Island Author: Connor P. Dear readers of the Golden Feather, you should check out Fantasy Island! It is a fun amusement park for you and your family. It is located in Beach Haven, New Jersey on LBI. I think it has great rides! There is a bumble bee ride where you would pull the lever up and down to go high and low. Don’t worry, they don’t sting! Next up is the Tilt-‐A-‐Whirl! You spin around and then it goes the other way! Next there is the Sea Dragon. You go in a gigantic pirate ship that goes up and down! They have good games to play outside by the rides. One of them is the balloon race where you try to pop a balloon before an opponent. Next is the arcade! You can play skee-‐ball and crane machines! So don’t waste your time at other amusement parks, go to Fantasy Island!

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Movie Review: Lego Movie Author: Eric W. ”Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you’re part of the team...”

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I cannot stop singing that after I saw The Lego Movie-‐don’t believe it? Emmet–The main character-‐ sure does! He buys a cup of coffee for $47.00 and says it’s “Awesome!” “Lego Movie?” “Awesome!” Here’s why: The graphics are so real-‐like they make you feel like you’re inside the screen. Also it’s 99.99999% (a rough estimate) Legos so if you a Lego lover it is the perfect movie for you and makes you it feels like you’re playing with Legos. My next reason is it is very funny so hilarious you’ll be falling off your seat laughing (don’t really do that if you’re in a movie theater). Also it says with teamwork you can accomplish BIG things. Aside from all of that, Emmet has an always happy personality aside from thinking everything is awesome. Plus he is super creative. I owe the Lego movie five Lego bricksJ

Game Review: Minecraft Author: Jack O. Have you ever wanted to play a cool video game? Well after you read my review, you will want to play MINECRAFT! It is my favorite video game because it is so much fun. You can create your own world. You can mine, farm and build in your own world. It is a great game to play with your friends because you can join games. You never know what is going to happen because your world is always changing. The game can go on and on. You can trade with villagers or find zombies. It is like building a house made out of Legos on a computer. I would give MINECRAFT five stars out of five stars!!!! Have fun!

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Place Review: Washington, DC Author: Jeffrey K. Are you bored in your current city? Well, I know what to do! You can go to Washington D.C. In Washington D.C. you can go to museums, see all the monuments, go to restaurants that have tasty food, and your hotel might even have a pool in it. The monuments are very interesting. You can visit the Lincoln, Jefferson, Vietnam War, Korean War and George Washington memorials. There are tour buses that take you to different sites. You can hop on and off at any stop and tickets for the bus are good for 24 hours. Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you about the Air and Space Museum. It is very interesting, it has a lot of old planes, and it even has a “SOYUZ” capsule connecting to a USA capsule. I forgot the best part, the museum has a planetarium. There you can learn about constellations and space. For instance, a constellation that was a lion was named “Leo”. The Air and Space Museum also has Amelia Earhart’s plane. If you don’t like the Air and Space Museum, you can always enjoy the American History museum. At the American History Museum you can see dinosaur fossils and there is a display about slavery and you can also learn two valuable things that Harriet Tubman had. You can also see Abraham Lincoln’s clothes, including his very dusty hat. All museums are open late and they are free. Of course, you can visit the White House and you might see a marine No.1 helicopter flying back and forth. Finally, there is also a museum that has a very promising title – it is called the National Building Museum. Of course, you would think this has something to do with buildings and you are correct. You can build things out of foam blocks. There is a special camera that detects your movement and you can build and destroy things on a big screen. So, tell your parents about this and they will say “yes, you can go to Washington D. C.” and you will have the time of your life! I hope you have fun!

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Golden Feather, 2014 Movie Review: Frozen Author: Katherine Y.

Do you like snow,ice and magic? Then you’ll love the movie Frozen. It is about two sisters: Anna and Elsa. Elsa has magic powers,she can create snow and ice! One night when they were little Elsa accidently hit Anna on the head with her magic. Elsa is afraid that she’ll hurt Anna again. So for Anna’s safety and for other peoples safety she hid herself in her room. This book reminds me of The Ice Queen because in both movies there’s ice/snow and one of the characters in both movies can make snow. My favorite part of the movie is when they were playing in the ballroom. It is my favorite part of the movie because it looked like so much fun that I also wanted to play with them! I would give this book to a kid 8 and up and to a person who loves snow,ice and magic! So the next time you go to the library keep an eye out for this great movie FROZEN!!!!!

Place Review: Cape May Beach Author: Jahan K. Are you looking for a relaxing place to go this summer? Cape May beach is the perfect place for you! The minute you step foot on the beautiful sandy beach of Cape May you will never want to leave. The first things you will hear are gawking seagulls, crashing waves, shouts, laughter, and talking of the people around you. You will feel the warm, soothing sand under your toes. You will also feel the warm breeze and when you step into the rushing, cold ocean you will shiver. But then you start to get used to it and it feels warm just like the soothing sand. There are many things to do at Cape May Beach. You can swim, boogie board, surf board, build sand castles, or just dig sand holes. When you are really tired, Cape May Beach is still perfect for you to relax. There are folding chairs,towels,umbrellas, food and drinks there. The servers are friendly and nice. Cape May Beach is my favorite beach on the Jersey shore. I like it because we go for our family vacation every year. I always have a great time. I’m sure if you go there you will cherish it as much as I do.

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Golden Feather, 2014

Place Review: Great Wolf Lodge Author: Shreya A.

Have you ever been to great wolf lodge? Well if you haven’t been to this fun-‐filled place, then you should read my review to know more about this place. Great wolf lodge is located in Poconos, Pennsylvania. We drove for 1 hour 30 minutes to reach the place. Great wolf lodge is very unique. They have an indoor water park! It is a great for families to come visit and stay overnight .They have amazing cabins to sleep. Since the park is indoor it will great to visit during winter time, but don’t worry the water is still warm inside even though it might be snowing outside. Now let’s get to the fun part of the park. They have several pools, many water slides and children who cannot swim they offer floaties. I am going to tell you about the amazing attractions of Great wolf lodge. They have different kinds of sprinklers and mini buckets that you can walk through and get all wet and soaked. They even have a beach and games arcade. Here’s the best part, there is a one huge Giant bucket that’s almost size of a water tank that topples over every 10 minutes and pours and splashes huge amounts of water .It’s so much fun to stand under and feel the force of water .Kids and adults LOVE it. As I told about you earlier about the slides, I personally loved and enjoyed the adventurous slide ,where I was on float and I went on swirl and came tumbling down! THAT WAS AWESOME! I hope you enjoyed reading my review and you all visit great wolf for your next trip.

Persuasive Reviews

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Golden Feather, 2014

Book Review: Blizzard of the Blue Moon (Magic Tree House) Author: Siddharth S. The two main characters in the “Magic Tree House” books are Jack and Annie. In this book, they help Merlin, the good wizard and Morgan, the librarian to find and save a unicorn which is under a spell. So Jack and Annie have to go back in time when a blizzard strikes New York city. They have to stop the blizzard with the help of the unicorn. They go to the museum to find the unicorn. To free the unicorn from the spell, they fight two bad wizards who were helping the Dark wizard to steal the unicorn. The Dark wizard, who is a very evil wizard, tries to stop the magic of the unicorn from reaching the whole world. But in the end, with their magic, Jack and Annie save the unicorn. The book is full of adventure and magic. It also has some historical events like the Great Depression and helps the readers to understand how people lived in those days. The book is also funny. I especially liked the part where Annie turns the bad spies to ducks! Anyone who is fond of adventure and magic should read this book and the other books in the “Magic Tree House” series. I give this book 5 stars !

Persuasive Reviews

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Golden Feather, 2014

Movie Review: Frozen Author: Tamanna Desai A little bit of the story This is the story of princess sisters. The older one, Elsa, has icy powers. Whatever she touches turns into ice. Elsa sets out on a journey once everybody knows her power. The younger sister, Anna, sets out on a journey with Kristoff and his reindeer, Fenn. Along the way, they meet Olaf, a funny snowman. On their journey, they encounter many dangers. This movie is inspired by "The Snow Queen" This movie has many beautiful songs that kids would enjoy. Interesting parts of the movie My favorite part: Elsa made ice castle. It was really magical. Elsa lifted her arms a bit and big, silver castle just emerged from the ground. Each floor had a pretty snowflake carved on the ground. There was a frozen fountain on the first floor of her castle. Also, I loved when Elsa made her dress pretty and white. The cloak was long and covered with pretty snowflakes. Her dress was white and sparkly. It really looks pretty with her castle. My least favorite part: Trolls sung their song (Because the song was awful. They were talking about Anna and Kristoff. The troll's voices were awful.) My favorite characters: Olaf -‐ the tiny cute snowman is a very funny character. Olaf keeps us entertained during the whole movie. My favorite part was when he asked "What is that funky looking donkey's name "Anna replied " Fenn " Then Olaf asked " What is the reindeer's name " Anna answered " Fenn "Also, Olaf is very innocent because he didn't know that the sun would melt him and he wanted to go feel the sun.

Persuasive Reviews

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Golden Feather, 2014

Movie Review: Frozen (continued) My least favorite character: The big snowman is a mean character in this movie. He threw Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf down the stairs of Elsa's ice castle. This movie has very good animation. Also, the voices of Elsa and Anna are very pretty and catchy. Songs "Do You Want to Build a Snowman": It is a fun-‐loving song. Even though I find it a good song, I gave it a four-‐star because it is a little off-‐track. By that I mean that it is on 1 subject, the moves on to another, then another, then another. "Let it go" : This is a beautiful song that I find is my favorite. Elsa used a really beautiful voice to sing this song." Let it go" is my favorite song. Olaf's "Summer "song : This song is a good song. Olaf, as my favorite character, sings a good song don't like it as much as "Let it go" because Olaf doesn't have such a beautiful voice in his song. The troll's song : This is the song I like the least. The trolls do not sound well. Plus, they think Anna and Kristoff are going to get married!I do NOT like this song (very much). The lesson of the movie : Believe in yourself.(Anna believed in herself and got Elsa back to their kingdom.) A good way to describe “Frozen " is to say it is a fun-‐loving and funny movie. There are a lot of beautiful songs. The characters are all fun in a way. So I would say “Frozen " is a very fun movie to watch.

Persuasive Reviews

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Golden Feather, 2014

Place Review: Hershey Park Author: Veer S. Are you looking for a fun place to go? Well, you are in luck! Hersey Park is the place to go! I am an expert on this place because I read the biography of who made Hersey Park (Milton Hersey) and I went there. One reason you should go to Hershey Park is because you get to win a stuffed animal. For example, you can win a bear. Another reason is because they do not have very scary rides. For example there are now just 5 roller coasters in Hershey Park. The next reason is because they even have baby rides. For example the dinosaur, you can turn its head but I do not think there are rides for 2 or 1 year olds. Another reason is because there are bumper cars. Bumper cars are a car that can bump other cars. The last reason is because there are measurements to whether you can ride a certain ride. The measurements are by the candy and I am a Hersey’s. I will tell you all of them. There are Hersey’s, Hersey Kisses, Twizzlers, Reese’s, Jolly Rancher’s and more. I give Hersey Park a 10 out of 10 Hersey’s and I hope to see you there and if I do lets go on the bumper cars!

Game Review: Angry Birds Author: Srijaan V. Are you getting bored playing with the same toys? Well, get angry birds! You can build the tower and put pigs on the tower you built. It also comes with a slingshot! Just put the birds on the slingshot and pull the slingshot Back! It’s just like angry birds on the iphone! I give this toy on scale one to ten a nine!

Persuasive Reviews

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Golden Feather, 2014

Book Review: Magic Tree House Series Author: Anantbijay G. Do you like adventurous books? If yes, then you’ll love Jack and Annie in Magic Tree House, Book No. 24 ‘Earthquake in The Early Morning. In this book they solve their third riddle by travelling through time! They are going to San Francisco, California in 1906. Jack and Annie are searching for a special type of writing. If you want to find out what happens next then you will want to read Magic Tree House ‘Earthquake in the Early Morning’ by Mary pope Osborne. I really liked the part when jack and Annie lend their boots to the kids because they lost theirs in the earthquake. I recommend this book to kids who like mysteries, magic and adventures. I think you will also love the book ‘Vacation Under the Volcano’. I give this book this book five out of five stars.

Sports Review: TDA Soccer Author: Ioanna D. Are you tired of playing Rec soccer? Then I suggest that you try TDA (Travel Development Academy). I know you should try it because it is higher level than Rec soccer. I think you learn more in TDA than you do in Rec soccer. For example, you learn the scissors and the dummy in TDA in Rec I learned the same thing almost every time and it got boring. In TDA there are two practices instead one so it is more fun. I am an expert because I go every week to practice. There are no tryouts. One reason you should play TDA is because it’s a higher level than Rec, for example there are professional coaches instead of parents and big brothers and big sisters. Another reason is because there are two practices instead of one so you have more time to spend with your friends. Everyone likes that right? The last reason is because you get about forty minutes to do scrimmage. One time I only got seven minutes and it is definitely not enough! Hope you join TDA, I can’t wait to see you there!

Persuasive Reviews

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Golden Feather, 2014

Place Review: Fill Yo Cup Author: Samir S. Do you like frozen yogurt? Then you will love Fill Yo Cup. It is located in West Windsor. The background is orange and they play music and a TV show. Have you ever gone to Sweet Pea? Compared to Fill Yo Cup, Sweet Pea is a joke! They keep lots of flavors in the back. In the front you see all the good toppings; my favorite topping is the gummies-‐gummy bears, gummy babies, Swedish fish, and gummy worms. If you go there it will be the best frozen yogurt place you ever went to. I will give Fill Yo Cup 5 out of 5 cups!

Restaurant Review: Pei Wei Author: Samaira Y. I went there on a weekend late afternoon. The restaurant looked OK. They also put tables outside so on sunny days you could sit outside and eat. There was kids menu and grown-‐ups menu too. There was vegetarian and non-‐vegetarian food. My dad ordered from kids menu for me. The food was too much for me. Waiting time wasn’t so long, only 10-‐15 minutes. I liked food. The chicken was really yummy. I didn’t like that there weren’t any free glasses to drink water. The best part was the fortune cookies. I loved them. I think I will go there again.

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Golden Feather, 2014

Place Review: Boston Public Garden Author: William R. On May 26, 2014 my family and I went to Boston. It took 5 hours to Boston. Then, we went to Boston Public Garden. It was nearby the frog pond in Boston Common. In Boston Public Garden, there were ponds, George Washington Statue riding a horse with his weapon, ducks and a couple of swans. And there were ducklings, too. The most amazing thing in Boston Public Garden was the Make way for ducklings statue. Children and parents loved the statue. They took pictures of them and pat them, too. The statue was made of metal. And they felt hard. The statue is from the book Make Way for Dockings written by Robert McCloskey. In the book there were lots of characters. Their names are Mr. And Mrs. Mallard, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. And there was Boston Police named Michael. The book is about Mr. and Mrs. Mallard needed to have a space that was not dangerous or noisy. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard hatched their eggs nearby Charles River. Mr. Mallard took a trip and rest of family should go to Public Garden to meet Mr. Mallard. While they were walking down to Public Garden, the cars and vans almost hit Mrs. Mallard, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. But the Boston Police saved them. I liked the real ducklings in the pond, too. Because they were cute, very adorable and fluffy. So, if you want to go to Boston, then go to Boston Public Garden to see more things that you can enjoy.

Persuasive Reviews

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Golden Feather, 2014

Place Review: Math Museum Author: Ethan S. You might think math is 1+1, 13-‐5, 5×6, and 9÷3. The truth is math is much more than this. The Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) has the evidence. MoMath is located on 11 East 26th Street in New York. You should visit MoMath because it's fun, educational, artistic and creative. Its activities inspire you to think differently and challenge you. MoMath is fun. An enjoyable example is the Math Square, which is a floor computer monitor. The activities, such as Balloon Maze, Catch the Shape and many others, of the Math Square change throughout the day. In Catch the Shape, you can trick the computer. If two people stand close together, the computer will think you are one, and if two people stand far apart but both have one foot close to each other, the computer will think they are three people. Another example of fun activity is the Square-‐ Wheeled Tricycle. You will enjoy riding on it and you will wonder how it works. MoMath is also educational. An example of an educational activity is the Enigma Café. In the Enigma Café there are many logical games such as Peg Solitare. In this game there is a set of pegs and the goal is to get rid of all of them except for one. You will find the String Product exhibit amazing! It is basically a multiplication table. You type in two numbers and it will multiply them and the tag with the correct answer will light up. Finally, MoMath is artistic and creative. One example of an artistic exhibit are the Light Grooves. They are fine scratches on metal. The arrangement of the scratches forms 3-‐D pictures. There is a light, and when the angle of light is changed, the picture seems to move! Some other examples are the Polypaint, the Logo Generator, and the Mathenaeum. The Polypaint is basically a computer screen, where you use electrical brushes to make unique and artistic patterns. The Logo Generator is what it sounds like, you choose a symbol and you use many of them to make an interesting logo. In the Mathenaeum you can use your imagination to create colorful and sophisticated 3-‐D shapes from any regular shapes. Now, you know that math is more than addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. I hope you will visit MoMath one day.

Persuasive Reviews

GOLDEN FEATHER LITERACY MAGAZINE

JUNE 2014

Thank you to all of the second grade writers and artists who submitted their work.

Thank you to the teachers who inspired their students to become writers through their guidance and support.

Thank you to the parents who helped students to submit their work electronically and for encouraging your children to share their work with others.