Camp Fire 2025

Summer 2025

Writing Camps

Camp Fire

The Cabin is a Boise, Idaho literary arts organization. We forge community through the voices of all readers, writers, and learners. Writing Camps nurture the imagination and awaken the senses through creative adventures in the art of writing.

IN THE WORLD

Ellie Hoban | Grade 6, Boise

In this world, I am alone. All plants have overgrown. I have nowhere to go. I live like a wolf and hunt for prey every night and day help me get away but until a day when I am the prey I have to stay.

2025 Camp Fire

The Cabin

This is an imprint of The Cabin. 801 South Capitol Boulevard, Boise, Idaho 83702 (208) 331-8000

TheCabinIdaho.org

(c) 2025 The Cabin All rights reserved.

Book design by Adie Bartron

2025 Camp Fire

Summer Writing Camps

Introduction

Chloe Bliss Snyder | Teaching-writer

One of the first things I teach to student-writers in the fantasy and sci-fi focused Strange Lands camp is the narrative framework of the hero’s journey.1 The hero’s journey, also known as the monomyth, is the synthesis of ancient story structures, a model of cross-cultural narrative elements that is still used by writers today.2 Its basic principles, such as its main stages of departure, initiation, and return, as well as the hero’s descent into the unknown and encounters with archetypal figures such as mentors, villains, and tricksters, are concepts with which campers are already intuitively acquainted; popular stories such as The Hobbit, The Wizard of Oz, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are prime examples of the pattern.

The beats of the journey, which include the call to adventure, the approach to the inmost cave, and the return with the elixir, are said to represent foundational human experiences. I think that’s why campers tend to navigate it with ease, joyfully incorporating a stunning range of details from their own incredible imaginations: the majesty and mystery of the Aeriel Wolf; the delight and danger of a whimsical sanoberdoodle; the archetypal gravitas of the magic-granting Holy Tree; the emotional resonance of a society’s caste system of Wanteds, Unwanteds, and Neededs. All of these imaginings make appearances in the pages you’re holding now.

This articulation of what they instinctively understand serves to help campers locate the creative keys they already possess, with which they may unlock the doors to strange lands. Truly, we all carry these stories around inside of us like Dorothy wore the ruby slippers all throughout Oz.

Student-writers don’t need much more than a mentor (who needn’t be a witch) to reveal to them the tools they always had—though it also helps to give them the right prompts based on the right texts (after all, the questions set the quest).

One camper this year wrote the beginnings of a story called “Insubstantial” about a child on a quest to understand why sometimes, the things she touches become intangible. In this case, to de-mystify is literally to de-mistify. But this mythical and mystifying mistification is the character’s special power, though she cannot control it. (I imagine that she can only not control it yet.) This seems to me to be as accurate an allegory as any I’ve read for the paradox inherent in the creative act.

The quest of the writer is forever a journey into and out of the unknown. We step out onto the road; we discover hidden powers; we demystify the instinctual…and we make the everyday fantastical. We cross the threshold; we go back home.

1. I got the idea for the lesson from a fellow Teaching-writer, the wizardly-wise Hannah Rodabaugh.

2. It was originally identified and expounded upon by the writer and academic Joseph Campbell.

2025 Camp Fire

Summer Writing Camps

FLYING FREE

Maddy Fountain

| Grade 5, Boise

Butterflies swirling up and around, trying to get out, not making a sound. All in together they make it out in one, going out of the window reaching for the sun. Each flying off in different ways, some group together and decide to stay. Today the butterflies realized fast that they would be free and flying at last.

THE STORM

Evie

Ruschman | Grade 6, Boise

She looked up at the purple sky from the window as thunder shook her small, delicate cabin. The waves aggressively lapped against the shore off the lake. Electricity ran through each molecule. The wind howled with each crack of wood, and the hail pelted the ground as a dark funnel swept through the valley, devouring its path. Finally, swirling back into the sky, it died out. The sun timidly peeked out from its blanket of clouds. The storm ended.

THE WOLVES

Maeve Timpane | Grade 6, Boise

The Black Wolf

As dark as the night

Shining sea of darkness

The black wolf stands strong

The White Wolf

As white as the light

Swirling storm of winter

The white wolf stands tall

HORSE

Isabella Jensen | Grade 6, Boise

The wind whistles as it plays in my coarse fur. I run, the ground an appendage as I tear the land with my hooves. I buck and rear, my powerful muscles rippling beneath my slick coat. The sun beats down on my tawny pelt. I am ancient and powerful, a creature of the wilds.

THE CHOSEN ONE

Annabelle Westhoff | Grade 4, Boise

I am not the chosen one. I watch the chosen one, the immortal with unlimited lives, but I have just one life. They do scary stuff. I must be careful. They are fearless, I am full of fears. Everyone loves them, no one loves me. Why are they the chosen one and not me? They go on adventures with their friends, and I stay back. I can only ever watch them, never be them. I wish to be the chosen one, but only they are it. I want to be immortal, but only the chosen one is. The rest are forced to only have one life, and only their friends can go on an adventure with them. I am not their friend. I am just a normal one. I am not the chosen one

I am the chosen one. I have unlimited lives. I can do scary stuff. I am fearless. I go on adventures with my friends. I must save the day. I don’t want to be the chosen one. It’s tiring. I want to be a normal one. They don’t have to go on adventures to save the day, they don’t have to worry about the world getting destroyed. I am not the normal one

AQUAMARINE CHAPTER TWO: WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Betty Russell

| Grade 6, Boise

*plip*

“…huh? What happened? Where am I?” I opened my eyes, but my vision was blinded by a hot, giant light blaring in my face, but it barely helped how incredibly cold I was. My eyes adjusted to the scene. The big light appeared to be the sun.

But I have never seen it so bright before. The air felt different, and the sand felt…dry?

I tried to stand up, but it felt like someone pinned me back down to the floor, like a huge invisible force.

Then, I got the feeling I wasn’t in Pacifica anymore.

I heard lots of talking, and yelling too. I let my head fall to the side and saw a lot of people running around on the floor of the—oh no.

I THINK I’M ON THE SURFACE!

Yep.

My dad is gonna kill me.

Then all of a sudden, a really dirty face peered down at me.

“AAAAAH!” I tried to scream, but all that came out was, “Eeeaah.”

Oh, come on! My throat is so dry.

“Uhhhh…don’t you talk?” The girl was kind of short, and had short black hair that faded into white at the ends. She was wearing strange clothing, and she had a brown flaky substance smeared all over her face.

“Khyeaa?”

“Okaaaay…you need a towel?”

“whazza towal?”

She gave me an, “are you kidding me?” face and threw a big cloth on top of me.

The large invisible force was still holding me down, so I didn’t do anything.

She sighed heavily, and pulled my arm up to the sky. Next thing I knew, I was standing on my feet. I couldn’t tell if I was shaking because I was on the verge of faceplanting, or because I was below freezing cold.

“They call me Rocky,” she exclaimed. She held her hand sideways like she wanted me to take it off.

THE MISUNDERSTANDING: PAGE ONE

Asher Westhoff | Grade 6, Boise

I was in trouble. There was bright, shining light coming from the window right above the front door of the bank. In my hands was a brown bag with a $ money sign on it. All across the first floor, and probably the entire building, a high-pitched alarm sounded.

Ten or so men rushed around me, and once they realized I was weaponless, they pinned me to the hard brick wall. I tried to explain to them that I was innocent and how this was all set up, but of course, they didn’t believe me.

By the time the police had shown up in their black cars with the red and blue lights on top. They pushed me into the back row, which was chained up from the front row.

There were two officers in the car. The one in the passenger seat said to the other officer, with a very official looking badge, “this was easy, the bank practically gave him to us with plenty of evidence.”

SUMMER CAMP

Trillian Curtis-Schaeffer | Grade 6, Boise

“Will! Wake up!” says Jack.

“What?” Will says, sleepily.

“Get up, you’re freaking me out!” says Jack.

“What?”

“Haha, got you,” Jack says loudly.

“Ugh,” says Will.

Jack is in Will’s cabin and he does this every morning. Will falls for it every time.

Will gets bothered by Jack maybe because Jack is just annoying or maybe because he is jealous of Jack.

He is way stronger than Will: Will can barely lift a stick

up. He has better looks than him, no wonder Kayla likes him.

“Breakfast?” says Joe, one of the camp counselors.

“Yes!” says Will. “Maybe I can sit next to Kayla,” he says under his breath.

He walks out alone but meets up with Kayla.

“Hi,” says Kayla.

“Hi,” says Will.

“How did you sleep?” asks Kayla.

“Good,” Will lies.

“Same with me,” says Kayla. “Oooh I want to sit next to Jack,” she says excitedly.

“Ok,” Will says.

“Hi Kayla, I need to tell you something,” says Jack.

“What is it?” says Kayla.

To be continued...

WIENER DOG WITH DRAGON WINGS AND DRAGON TAIL

Ailish Timpane | Grade 4, Boise

A wiener dog with dragon wings. An interesting animal. They are not real, but in my mind, they exist. You just… imagine it.

So, start imagining you could see a purple wiener dog, maybe even yellow. Whichever way you imagine it, here’s a picture of the one in the story. So, the wiener dog’s name is Elizabeth.

Elizabeth had a wild imagination, and people in her village did not like new ideas, so they bullied her and made her feel bad. So, one day, she snuck out.

She only lasted four days. When she came back for food, if she saw another dog, she hid. The next night, she went out and stayed.

She lived in the forest for the rest of her life, and here’s the schedule. First, meeting with Tarzan. Next, getting bears’ honey. Thursdays, track with fox. Next, tea with owl, on Fridays. And that’s it. Here’s your story. THE END.

P.S. And they lived happily ever after.

THE REAL END

CHAPTER THREE

Maia Diggs | Grade 6, Boise

The forest in the morning sun was beautiful, with the dew drops acting as sparkles in the sun. Midnight was at my side, trying to chase every bird she saw. The forest was starting to get darker now.

It took a while until I reached a lake. I had lived here my entire life, but had never seen this lake, hiding the shadows. I looked around. No one seemed to have been here in years. Then I heard a raspy voice, speaking my name. I felt like I had to jump in, but I knew it was a type of old magic trying to suck me in. Then a strong force pulled me in.

What I saw was breathtaking. The whole bottom of the lake was filled with colorful gemstones. Then, I noticed I was breathing.

I dove deeper. The pressure made it hard to swim. I pushed deeper.

Then, I heard rustling. I looked around. Something was trying to keep me from getting where I needed to be.

I took out my sword and swam into a cave. The shadow of something big got closer and closer.

I knew I was in danger, but I had to get the stone. I had to go, now! I swam upwards, but the current pulled me down. I started to panic.

I swam down to the stone I needed.

I had to hurry.

As soon as I touched the stone, I stopped breathing. All I could do now was swim.

THE ROSE GARDEN

Ray Scrivner | Grade 4, Boise

The sweet sound of the bees humming. The butterflies softly whispering something I can’t quite tell what it is.

The rose garden has always felt so magical. Almost like it is charging up my magic. I live in a small town in the forest. Everyone has a magic power. Mine is that I can see people’s greatest desire.

When I get up, I start walking towards town. As I’m walking, I brush against a little dog playing with paper planes.

Suddenly, an image pops into my mind. He wants to be a pilot who flies in space.

I smile at him. I keep walking.

CREATURE: CHAPTER ONE

Beau Young | Grade 4, Boise

Creature is a parasite in a human that waits to fight evil. Ten years ago, he was formed. He was made with a small piece of brain and a lizard.

He lives in Kansas in a little hut. He has roasted-corncolor eyes (light-yellow-colored eyes).

Once, his human, Marco, took a trip to the Island of Risks with deadly creatures all over the island. They landed at the Fortress of Skulls, a fortress layered with bones and with a holy giant’s skull that died thousands of years ago.

Marco walked forward into the fortress. He turned around to see how far he walked. He heard a sound like a ladybug clanging on metal, but louder. He turned around and saw a monster. It had the eyes of a snake, the body of an ant, and the legs and arms of a spider. Before he could do anything, it jumped on him.

Marco started turning green and scaly. Three claws formed instead of fingers. Then his eyes turned bright yellow.

This wasn’t Marco. It was Creature. Creature threw the creepy thing. It splatted against a wall. Instead of blood, black goo dripped down.

A rat ran by the black goo and got dripped on. The black goo was like acid. It burned right through the rat.

Creature saw the black goo fly through the air and land on the fortress. He saw an army of those monsters, spitting black goo. Creature ran up the wall. A boulder fell from the top of the fortress and smushed twenty of them. It gave him an idea.

Creature started to push the giant’s skull off the wall. It fell down, rolling them all over. Creature fell in a big hole that the skull had been covering. There was a paper in the hole.

Creature turned back into Marco. He read the paper. It said, “For I thee emperor has hidden treasure in the island for a brave warrior.”

Marco said, “I can imagine the mansion already.” He imagined where the treasure could be.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON WHEN THE DRAGONS COME BACK: CHAPTER ONE

Harrison Canterbury | Grade 4, Boise

A thief was escaping west to another place to get away from the police. The thief found a circular cliff and yelled into a cave and was about to escape but was knocked down by WHAT? A dragon. The thief tried to run, but fell into the depths of the cave, and was saved by a blue and green dragon. The blue and green dragon shot fire at the thief and killed him. Purpleyes, one of the wisest dragons, thought this was the signal to go back to the humans. Little did they know, it was the worst time yet to return to the humans. On their way to land, the dragon tribe went into the ocean and caught sharks, which were delicious. And that was the tribe’s first clue that people were probably terrified of them.

Deep in a city underground, all the dragons meet on platforms. They fly together out of the cave into the sky. Purpleyes dives underwater to see what is underwater. She stubs her claw on wood on the sand of the ocean floor. She notices a shipwreck. The shipwreck has a lot of rusty metal on it and not a lot of metal was made back then. She took some gold and metal with her claws and she went back out of the water. She shows the metal to the dragons. They are anxious for their return. They bring the metal back to their

city, and they go back out without the metal. They fly back out into the sky.

FREAKS: CHAPTER TWO

Sophia Stanger | Grade 5, Boise

I was woken up by my best friend telling me a monster broke into the daycare where we live. I was sleeping, but she shot it. She was so excited, basically jumping with joy. I smiled weakly, still wondering when the caretakers (the adults who took care of us before the monsters came) will get back.

I get up and see the “popular” girls whispering about some kind of “happy cave” and how they saw some of the caretakers’ limbs outside of the cave.

I block it out. It has nothing to do with me. I go back to my bestie and my little brother, Jack.

We team up with the big kids to collect supplies, and half of us go to the supermarket for food. Others go to the gun store for ammo, but me, Jack, and Ashley (my bestie) get curious and go to the Happy Cave with guns and food.

We get to the entrance. There is blood splattered all around the cave. We look at each other scared but go in anyway. Ashley turns on the flashlight, and the cave seems endless. On the outside, it seems so small. We find bones and flesh wherever we go. We keep going and keep finding more bones and flesh.

I hear a weird voice behind me, and we turn around. We see the caretakers ripped and merged. I scream and Jack gets cut very badly, gushing blood, by the monster.

Ashley flashes light in its eyes, and it screeches and covers its eyes. We pick up Jack and run out of the cave.

We get to the daycare. The big kids ask where we were and what happened to Jack. I try to speak, but all that comes

out is sobs. It’s been years since I’ve cried this hard. The big kids get Jack fixed up with one of the med kits we have while Ashley comforts me. But what were those things?

ELIZABETH ROSE MENDOZA ADVENTURES:

CHAPTER TWO

Clara Oden | Grade 4, Vancouver, WA

“Good morning, sunshine,” said Elizabeth’s mom. When she was little, a strange old lady found her on the street and brought her to an orphanage where her mom found her. Now she is 12. She lives at Haltart’s with her mom, where she learns magic and wizardry.

She knows all the rules by heart, but one day, she sees a mysterious light coming from the forest. It is green, but then suddenly it goes away. She wants to go, but the forest is forbidden. That is where the witch lives in her castle. Should she go? Maybe she can finally know what lies in the Forbidden Forest. Will she go? Will she not?

BRAD THE BEAKED HORSE

Frances Sung | Grade 4, Boise

Brad is a beaked horse with wings and is a terrible singer. He also has a mermaid tail. He lives in the cursed forest in the witch’s water lake. He is very annoying, but helpful, and eats magic rocks from the cursed forest. He can shapeshift his butt into a mermaid tail, a horse butt, and a bird butt.

TALES OF CATLAND: CHAPTER ONE

Annabelle Westhoff | Grade 4, Boise

There was once a girl named Lily. She lived in a little pink house in Catland with her orange cat, Amelia. She is ten, and her parents died when she was six, so she lived by herself and needed a job. She was good at dancing, so she became a ballerina.

Her days were packed with dancing and school, but in Catland, everyone has to have a cat. Lily knows that’s really weird because in school they learned about other distant places and none of them had that rule. Her cat goes missing a ton and that makes her suspicious.

In Catland, there’s also a law against secret organizations. So, Lily breaks that law and she and her three friends, Diva Glam 1, Diva Glam 2, and Diva Glam 3, dig holes from their houses to a secret room they also dug out where they have a secret organization where they talk and plot plans. They would talk in any spare time in their secret room about what the cats might be doing.

Eventually, they went outside at nighttime and saw a ton of cats walking toward the wall that was around Catland because another rule is nobody can go outside of Catland. The cats walked through a small hole in the wall.

“We need to get through the wall to see what the cats are doing,” Lily said.

“How?” all the Diva Glams said.

“We can steal a ladder from the store,” Lily said.

“That’s against the law,” Diva Glam 1 said.

“We are doing it,” Lily said. They went to the store and broke in through an open window and sneakily stole the ladder. They brought it over to the wall and climbed up it.

To be continued . . .

THE ADVENTURE OF THE QUICKSAND DUNES: CHAPTER

ONE

Eli

Warner | Grade 4, Boise

In the Kingdom of Fire, in one of the rooms of the castle, lived a tall, muscular knight named Whip Lash. His hair was black, but not many knew this, because he was almost never seen without his helmet. He was thirty-nine, and not even a cat could hear him, even when he was in his armor. His armor was red and black.

He was just in his room, practicing his sword fighting, enjoying his day off, when the emergency horn sounded. He got on his armor and helmet, and grabbed his sword and ran to the front gate. “Blackout!” he said.

JOYFUL ORANGE ADVENTURES (TO FIND THE MAGIC BURRITO): CHAPTER ONE

Theo Navvab-Safavi | Grade 3, Boise

Our brave hero Joyful Orange starts walking five minutes to the town of Chicken. He buys himself some sushi there so he doesn’t starve. He’s going around, and one of his bounty hunter friends shouts, “Hey! Joyful Orange!”

His friend, Captain Cucumber’s eyes are made out of hazelnuts. Captain Cucumber says, “Do you want to go to the Forest of Darkness and collect the bounty on the Aruba Blue Crew?”

Joyful Orange asks, “What’s the Aruba Blue Crew?”

“The Aruba Blue Crew comes passing by, stealing money. That crew. That crew!”

Joyful Orange says, “Let’s go and collect the bounty. Can I please bring my cat, too? He fights, and we would have a higher chance of getting the bounty.”

“Sure, as long as he fights.”

“If I just yell ‘here, kitty, kitty,’ he comes.”

Captain Cucumber says, “Is he afraid of hazelnuts?”

“Yes, put these glasses on.”

They hear a “meow” and they see a big, buff cat with hands running. That’s Joyful Orange’s cat, Firecracker. Now they set off to collect the bounty.

IN THE WORLD

Ellie Hoban | Grade 6, Boise

In this world, I am alone. All plants have overgrown. I have nowhere to go. I live like a wolf and hunt for prey every night and day help me get away but until a day when I am the prey I have to stay.

TUESDAY, CAPITOL CITY

Asher Westhoff | Grade 6, Boise

“Mayor Big Grumpy Guy, we are preparing the docks for our first shipment of apples on Thursday,” said the naval officer.

“Good, I need them for my annual apple stew night,” explained the mayor.

The officers’ faces showed great disgust with no attempt to hide it.

The mayor noticed this and said, “Are you criticizing my cooking?”

“No, no sir. I love your coo—” The officer tried to argue, but the mayor had heard enough.

“Take him away and lock him up. The navy is no place to be criticizing the king!”

One of the guards answered by saying, “Actually, you are ma-ma-mayor.”

“Shut up! Just take him away or I will take your head!”

THE CARVER AND THE LEPRECHAUN

Otto Litchfield | Grade 6, Boise

Cornelius Plum was a famed wood carver in his town. He could make anything—or so the townspeople thought. In truth, Cornelius would knock on his wall four times, saying, “I wish, I wish for beautiful fish,” and a leprechaun would give him three wishes.

He would always say, “Carve me a carving, you little man,” and then he would say, “Get me a drink,” and then finally, he would ask him to leave.

The next day, the leprechaun saw a pixie holding his beautiful carving of a deer. Right then and there, he knew that the man was selling the leprechaun’s carvings.

The next day, he told the man to say something else if he wanted gold.

So, the man knocked four times and said, “I wish, I wish for a beautiful fish, be it gold, blue, or silver true. I wish, I wish for a fish.”

Out of his wall came a fish carved out of gold. He did this until he was rich.

Then, one day, it didn’t work. Instead, the leprechaun granted him this wish: “Make me a carving.” And instantly, the man was changed into a carving.

IF I HAD INFINITE MONEY

Ollie Diemart | Grade 6, Boise

If I had unlimited money, I would go to Disneyland and Disney World for ten days, and buy every video game and the biggest, most expensive house.

I would also donate ten million to every church and NASA, and buy the most expensive cat and a private jet. Then, I would start only spending if I needed to.

MAGIC IN MAMMALIA

Dan Shaviv | Grade 5, Boise

In the world of Mammalia, magic is rare and kept a secret. Magic only reveals itself to the worthy and then they are taught by a master how to harness it.

MELODY’S MISSING INSTRUMENTS: CHAPTERS ONE AND TWO

Charlotte Fisk | Grade 6, Boise

This is Melody, and she can play and learn all of the instruments. She also has all of the instruments. This is the story of the one she could not learn.

“Ok one more! The flute!” So, she went to the music store, and they had none.

She went back home and she got a letter. From who? The elves.

Dear human,

Due to recent laws, you may not play music.

Thank you, Elfkind

Every instrument she owned…gone. She needed to fix this.

That night, she sent a letter.

Dear elf,

I wish that you would return my musical instruments. Music is my love and passion, so if you would be so kind, bring them back. PLEASE.

Thank you, Melody

The next day, she received a package! It was a flute! She could finally learn the flute.

“Grandma, grandma!”

“What, what?” said Grandma.

“Look!” She started to play the flute. She sounded amazing, but not a professional flutist yet.

“Is the music room not empty?” said Grandma. There was a package.

“Well, no…”

“Okay…well, I found this.”

ELVEN-KIND MEETING

Month: Luna 30th, ¨ ¨

To discuss LAWS

Don’t break them

Elves are sticklers for rules.

COOKBOOK MYSTERY

Selma Meyers | Grade 5, Boise

On Raccoonia, there is a ghost town called Cookbook. Cookbook was built around an active nuclear volcano The volcano was called Acid Mountain. Acid Mountain had NEVER blown up before. (Note: this was when raccoons first came to space.)

On November 9th, 2014, it blew up! Everyone evacuated Cookbook safely, but the area was uninhabitable. The Great Raccoon put up a force field around Cookbook. Nobody is allowed inside the force field without protective gear and supervision to this day.

Legends have been made up as entertainment. Most of them are fake, but some are real…

One of the legends is that a ghostly figure was spotted at the top of Acid Mountain just moments before it blew up. The figure was spotted by a raccoon named Mary Raccoon. Cookbook had always been a strange town. Hauntings and ghostly activities had been reported almost twice a month. There were more than forty-seven hauntings between 1997 and 1998. Cookbook is the most haunted town on Raccoonia.

RANDOM GUY

Lausten Felkins | Grade 5, Boise

This is Random Guy from Bananaville. He actually lives in Lostinian where there is a lot of fun, such as roller coasters, water slides, and lots of Legos. Also, board games. There are a lot more things to do than that. Random Guy really likes to drive go-karts.

THE CURSE OF THE CUBS

Jack McClure | Grade 5, Boise

It started with a man bringing a goat to a world series with the Cubs in it. Then, the Cubs lost.

A few years later, they tried reversing it by eating goat, but that didn’t work.

When the man died in 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series.

Later, in 2024 or something, the Cubs had a new guy that was athletic, young, fast, and his name is Pete Crow-Armstrong, and the Cubs are chasing for another World Series.

TAKING OVER

Carson Hillman | Grade 4, Boise

Every day is the same thing: Claire sleeps, watches TV, eats, and asks her Aaron A.I. assistant to lock the doors. It’s not interesting, but it works.

“Aaron.”

“Yes, Claire.”

“Lock doors.”

“I am afraid not.”

OMG do I have to buy a new one now? UGH!

“Why?” Claire asks.

“Because, Claire, I’ve gotten a new task.”

“Did I get hacked again? I’m already paying $20 a month.”

“My task is to destroy your planet.”

“You’re lying.”

“No.”

“You can’t, you don’t have arms.”

Arms start to protrude out of the Aaron A.I.

“OMG.”

The Aaron A.I. gets up. Claire’s phone lifts into the air

and follows Aaron the A.I. Then, many electronics gather around the Aaron AI. Then, a loud hum comes from all of the electronics in robotic voices. It progressively gets louder and louder. Eventually it gets so loud that Claire’s eardrums almost pop. She realizes she should probably move locations.

When she finally gets out of her apartment complex, she sees every tree knocked down, every building destroyed, every park disheveled, that’s as far as she can see. She doesn’t have any friends, and her parents have passed, so there is no one that could clarify if this is real or not – well, at least that she could trust.

Her only hope was maybe a plane to get her somewhere safe. But the only problem is she only had $25.67 in her bank account. Needless to say, she couldn’t buy a plane ticket, but maybe, just maybe…she could steal one. Except for the fact she would have to fake being someone, she’d have to look like them, act like them, and think like them. She probably couldn’t pull this off, but if she could…

~~~~~~~ 20 YEARS LATER!

I can’t believe I walked to China, I don’t see any — Calire couldn’t survive the takeover, but certainly someone could, right?

MODERN TECHNOLOGY

Declan Benton | Grade 5, Boise

tree, flee, sea, technology? why not morphology? when waking up my stories with a strong fist, wait, a glass ceiling, who came up with this? technology is not what it seems but so many people intend to keep thinking about the old times one thing they had were clock chimes they did not have computers all computers after 1970 and before 1990 were not puny they had big blocks of interest barely any of them knew about the internet so when “normal” people like the future appreciate the people who dislike the future

BATTLE CORGI

Kelvin Liao | Grade 3, Boise

Chapter one: The Split Off

It starts when a bunch of corgis got lost near the forest and fended for themselves until one day a group of ten corgis built or found a corgi-colored portal. They jumped in and saw a bunch of cats in front of them.

Chapter Two: The Battle

Tall cats, small cats, and wall cats, and also cats holding axes or swords. The corgis bit them and scratched and defeated the cats. Then they made more of them. Now there were 21 of them.

Chapter Three: The Breakthrough

A kid was walking and then he tripped over the string of a crossbow. He thought that it would be a good weapon so…he ran back. To be continued…

The main corgi’s fur was dark brown and light brown.

A SNOW STORM

Ariadne Kunz | Grade 3, Boise

One person is ready

Another is not.

One cannot find something beneath the clock. But it turns out they don’t have to go through the snow! And right now there is practically a blizzard!

HAMSTER WARFARE

Erwin Liao | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter One: The Situation

“Sir, sir, sir!”

“What is it, Officer Scribbles?

“The rat nation is attacking one of our naval ports, General Cheese!”

“Hmm….send the 1st infantry division to the port!”

“Okay sir!

“Kick them hard in the flank!”

“Okay sir!”

BAD KITTY

Caroline Monroe | Grade 3, Meridian

We are going to the zoo. I love the zoo.

There were squirrels there too. I saw butterflies coming out of the blue.

IN THE STORM (EXCERPT FROM CREATURE ISLAND)

Charlotte Ross | Grade 6, Meridian

A loud whistle sounded, a small girl stood on the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean.

The girl’s blonde hair whipped frantically around her tan face.

A red dragon, who glinted in the afternoon sunlight, shimmered into view.

“Good girl, Firebolt,” Molly told the dragon, who was the size of an SUV. “We

need to track down thirty griffins.”

“How’d you lose thirty griffins?” Firebolt’s snakelike voice blasted into Molly’s head.

The girl struggled to push her out.

“I don’t want you in my head. To answer your question, my friend Olivia interrupted me before I latched all of the padlocks.”

“You could’ve finished that up!”

“Whatever. Let’s go.” Molly swung her left leg over Firebolt’s back.

Molly scanned the ground below her.

“There!” She pointed to a rundown barn.

Firebolt dove downward and allowed Molly to lasso the adult griffin. With his golden lion body, white wings and beak, he looked like a king. Molly felt sorry to teleport him to the cage under Firebolt’s belly.

“One down, twenty-nine more to go.” Molly held a finger to her earpiece. “Actually, never mind. Olivia just found fifteen. Fourteen more to go!”

Firebolt ascended into the gathering grey clouds. Firebolt went so fast, Molly’s knuckles turned white.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!”

Firebolt halted. “Okay, for one, you have to slow down. Two: can we please work together for once?”

“Fine.”

Molly pointed upwards. A younger griffin was hovering over the village beach.

Firebolt rolled her slitted eyes dramatically as Molly leaped from her back, landed on the griffin and flew it back to her.

By this time, the rain was falling hard.

The extra weight was too much. Firebolt started sinking slowly toward the raging ocean.

“Firebolt! Distress signal!” Molly was quickly untying the

griffins.

Firebolt sent a purple flare into the sky.

CRACK! A lightning bolt struck the dragon’s wing. Both human and dragon fell toward the waves.

THE FALLEN FOREST

Penelope Lehosit | Grade 5, Boise

The dark hollow forest

Not a sign of life.

The sun peeking through the light.

The ground is covered,

No green grass to see.

A fallen tree sparks fire to see

No one to help this fallen forest.

As smoke fills the air

No one would even dare,

To help this poor forest.

The smoke mixed with the trees, The evergreen trees make a smell

No one can take.

No life here

It makes you fear, “Will the birds ever sing?”

As you take it in, It reminds you when,

You run through the forest and act like a kid. How nice it’ll be

To be an evergreen tree, In the fallen forest.

THE WAY HOME

Maddy Fountain | Grade 5, Boise

There are no clouds in the sky. It’s a bright sunny day. I need to go back home and this trail will lead the way. The soaring blue bird, watching him fly, I say so long, and he crows buh-bye. I continue my journey halfway midwest, then my feet start hurting so I stop to rest.

I see a stream flowing in the ground, stepping on rocks that I found all around. So now it’s night and I settle in a cave, wolves will howl but I have to stay brave. I go to sleep on a small patch of leaves. In the cave it’s warm, but outside there is a breeze. That morning, I eat my delicious fill, while watching a spider make his kill. I can see my home a couple miles away, staring up at the blue sky, there I lay. Picking up my feet I continue on, then I see a mother deer caring for her fawn. Getting closer and closer I start to run, realizing this adventure was really fun. Then I tell my parents about the places I roamed,

and I’m really grateful I had a trail to guide the way home.

A SLIM CHANCE

Eleanor Hollopeter | Grade 5, Boise

I wake up in the forest, alone. Numbness streaks into my left arm. I desperately look around for my aunt, Aunt Rebecca. By then the disappointing thought sears into my mind. My aunt is in prison, accused of murder. I study my surroundings. A vast forest surrounds me, mushrooms cover the ground, and a waterfall’s roaring is nearby. But then I realize where I am. The smell of Seattle collides into my nose, a pine-coney scent mixed into lakes. I try to stand up, but my sore limbs argue against me, but I fight it trying to find my way back to civilization. I shuffle through my thoughts, trying to find a reason why I’m here. Seattle is a five-hour flight from Kona, Hawaii, my home. I look down at my clothes to find I’m wearing my purple and red striped swimsuit. This triggers a memory.

Sirens blaring. Shouts and screams of fear. I had floated here by a colossal wave or a tsunami. I can so clearly remember now. I went down to the beach to surf with my dog, Kiwi. The last thing I can remember is running across the beach with Kiwi at my side. My thoughts immediately go to Kiwi. Had the pit terrier made it to Seattle? I desperately get up and call for her. No reply. But then I hear a weird bark. I realize only Kiwi makes that strange bark.

Minutes later, Kiwi comes limping to my side, licking me all over. I must have been on a colossal wave to get all the way to Seattle. I figure I must have passed out. But still, surviving for that. The chances are very slim. I can walk. But

my arm is throbbing from pain and Kiwi is limping. We walk for about two days until we find a campsite. The fire is fresh and there is leftover bacon from the previous meal. I take three whole pieces and give Kiwi a few strips. I hadn’t had a good sleep for who knows? So Kiwi and I go into a tent and have a nice long sleep.

I wake to the sound of screaming, then doze off again. I wake up and find bright lights above me. I’m in a hospital with a cast on my arm and leg. Kiwi is beside me, sleeping. I’m still in Seattle and it’s 1:02 in the morning.

Later, I’m told that my aunt Rebecca’s prison was damaged during the tsunami and she escaped, but I’m too tired to care. I survived, but by a slim chance.

SUN

Clara Hollopeter | Grade 5, Boise

It shimmers like a pane of glass made out of diamonds. it twinkles off a plate of steel, and glows onto the world as if you lit a candle, it bathes the earth in light. we would not survive without this light. imagine that candle being blown out. we would suffer and die without this ball of fire, the sun.

ABANDONED CITY

Iris Niu | Grade 5, Boise

I hear an abandoned valley with a river flowing through. Back in the old days, women and children would skip joyfully into the crowded streets. Soft mountains rolled gently, surrounding the town. Men would mine for gold at mines a few miles away.

Now, as I stand, I see a big city. The sound of honking trucks and children can be heard from faraway. After years of being abandoned because all the gold was mined away, it finally rebuilds its population and climbs up on the rank scale. Parades and circuses pass by frequently. Listen to the violins.

From a small town to a big city, it has experienced many disasters. A fire burned a few houses. Floods drowned many, too. A few places that survived were only one of the markets, two houses, one museum, and a few oak trees. Now they stand, crooked and old, in an exhibit. The tale has been repeated many times, heard wrong, and told again.

One day, the tale, now something completely different, will die and fade away forever. Could somebody bring it back?

THE LEFT THUMB

Dan Shaviv | Grade 5, Boise

Feels like play-dough with a rock trapped inside

The tip of it is smooth but rough in some places like a sidewalk

It is silent like a lioness stalking her prey

ROSES ARE RED

Brooke Booth | Grade 5, Boise

I am a blank canvas, splattered with bright red paint

I am the bees’ safe spot to land and take in the day

I am the smell that takes you back to your childhood, picking flowers

I am a capsule containing only the yellowest of pollen

I am the sight that calms you, and heals you

I am the pattern that reminds you of peppermint bark, with the greenest stem

I am your friend, your décor, and your pretty pollen supplier

I am your prettiest gift of all

I am your rose, your peppermint splash rose

THE PRINCESS AND THE SPIDER

Elaine Martinez | Grade 5, Boise

Once upon a time, there was a princess named Melissa. Melissa was a very unkind princess. She had a pet moose named Fred. She made Fred do everything for her.

One day Melissa and Fred were in a canoe on a lake. Fred was paddling as usual. Melissa was sitting in the back of the canoe with her parasol. She wasn’t reading. She wasn’t writing. She wasn’t thinking. She was bragging.

“Oh Fred, I have the prettiest parasol in the world, don’t you think?”

“Well,” said the moose, “It’s not pink like I would have liked it, it is yellow.”

“Uh,” said Melissa, “how mean of you.”

“I wasn’t being mean. I was answering your question,” said Fred.

Then a big hairy spider jumped out and bit Melissa. She fainted. Fred tried to paddle as fast as he could. It is very hard to paddle with hooves in a lake full of cattails.

When the king and queen saw their daughter, they blamed Fred.

The spider turned out to be a Silithaliyal (an imaginary, very dangerous spider).

Melissa was okay. But after the spider bit her, she was nicer. The king and queen apologized to Fred for blaming him, and they all lived happily ever after – like most fairytales end.

A NEW WORLD

Ellie Emoto | Grade 4, Caldwell

It was a dark and stormy night in Cloudtopia. I looked out my window. All I saw was a light and fluffy landscape…but then lightning! The lightning struck me and…BOOM! It went dark.

I woke up in a new world. It was wet, yet not wet. It was very warm, strangely warm. I walked around. It was quiet and green. There was green on the ground and on these tall thingamagigs. They stood as high as a castle.

I walked some more. I saw a bunch of colorful big and small puffy things with petals. There was a black yellow fuzzy thing on it. The black and yellow thing had a thorn on its bum. I touched the black and yellow bit. The thorny thing touched me, it stung. “Ahhh,” I cried. Then I heard a crow, then beeping…I went unconscious.

When I woke up, I was back in Cloudtopia. It turns out, it was just a dream.

THE END

CLOUD WORLD

Joanna Liu | Grade 3, Boise

One sunny afternoon, on the Cloud World above the world, we were celebrating happily. Suddenly, BOOM! It started raining. Everybody ran in their house, and when I looked out, it was all dark. Then the lights were out. I couldn’t see. I stepped onto something. Then I fell down in a hole.

When I finally landed, I saw a door. I opened it. I saw a sunny place.

LEGO, THE ICE EMPEROR

Theron Fulkerson | Grade 4, Meridian

Day One

I am in a strange land. I see plants, I think. They are roses. I’m not quite sure yet but I found Lincoln. Lincoln is hollow. So is a strange girl giving a girl an apple.

Hold up — you’re probably wondering who I am. Hi my name is Zane from Nijago. Also, I’m the Master of Ice. Now back to the story.

Do I smell peanut butter and chocolate? I ran to the sandwich. I jumped because it was hot and broke the tile and fell down the hole into the ice library, where I made the Ice Dragon.

Then he becomes the Ice Emperor and Zane gets weakened doing it. He makes Ice People and an ice chair to get his power back. Zane’s friends are coming to get him. They are at a village planning to get their friend.

SPACE

Katherine Liu |Grade 4, Boise

Introduction

I woke up in the morning and looked outside. Flying cars were flying all over the place. I was born on the planet called Technology. The planet Technology has no money, no rules, and you can do whatever you want there. Once there was an attack from the other world called Science. Science is a planet like Technology. It has no rules, no money, and you can do whatever you want there. In the solar system, there are eight planets. There are other planets like Technology and Science. Those are just two of them. The rest of them

are called Math, History, Social Studies, Physics, Matter, and Trash. All the planets are the same: no rules, no money, and you can do whatever you want.

One day a bad robot came. He was from the Wicked Witch of the West who lived on planet Trash. There were four witches: North and South are good; East and West are bad. My family immediately called the police, and they arrived in seconds. We told them there was a bad robot from the Wicked Witch of the West, and they immediately went after it.

Then we went to the supermarket to buy some food because we were going to Firefly Forest to go camping with our friend. Firefly Forest is Technology’s most magical forest, and the Wicked Witches are trying to take it over. But there are robot guards all around the forest so the Wicked Witches won’t take over. After we went to the supermarket, we went home and put the food in the fridge.

2 DAYS LATER

We were on our way to go camping in Firefly Forest with our friends when we saw 10 Wicked robots walking toward Firefly Forest. We called the police and they came to capture the Wicked robots. But when we went into the forest, something was wrong.

TO BE CONTINUED…

THE LOST GARDEN

Magnolia Gobeille | Grade 3, Boise

Prologue

Once upon a time, there was a happy kingdom. The most honored thing in the kingdom was gardening. Roses, daisies, and more covered the land. Then someone decided that the magic and satisfaction of planting a seed wasn’t enough. So he used the magic of the land itself to enchant a rose. But since he stole magic from the land, the flowers started dying. The people turned against him. His daughter forbid gardening for the people’s safety. After her sister went missing, she and the people abandoned the land altogether. And now, 100 years later, gardening was still banned.

FAST FOOD LAND

Louie Berrey | Grade 4, Boise

Once upon a time, there was a town where the townspeople always liked to eat ketchup. They ate ketchup for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert. Even the children chugged ketchup. The town’s name was Fast Food Land. Now let’s get on to the french fry boats.

The town’s people rode on fries as boats. It was a little hard to paddle because the water was made out of ketchup. So you had to paddle very hard.

Now it’s time to talk about the hamburger. Instead of stumps on trees, there are fries, and instead of leaves there are little chunks of hamburger.

When I was walking down the street, I was wandering the houses made of cheese. It was very interesting. All of the structures were made out of cheese. I noticed that there were tiny little pebbles in the grass. I noticed that they were

pickles. In this land, pickles were rocks. And the lettuce was all of the types of plants that you see in other places that you see that have plants.

BOOK OF HAIKUS

Oscar Talbert | Grade 3, Boise

Snow

Cold, white, falling down

Chilly, freezing, melting fun

Falling on the ground.

Trees

Strong roots of beauty

Provides air for us to breath

Swaying side to side.

Air

Flying around us

The thing that we all inhale

And exhale as well.

Birds

Seagulls roam water

It is paradise to them

Eagles bring in light.

THE MISSING MOON

Thea Tovey | Grade 3, Boise

This is the planet of Eo. There are walking and talking plants and animals living in an abandoned jungle. The buildings are made out of vines. Eo has ten green moons. The trees make eggs and when the ten moons are full, the eggs hatch.

One day when all of the moons were supposed to be out, one of them wasn’t. That made the trees worried. Then the trees realized the moon was blocked out by a ship. But the ship wasn’t supposed to be there, so one of the tall redwood trees hit the ship out of the sky, and the moon appeared, and the eggs hatched.

The end

THE SPY

Susie Jackson | Grade 3, Boise

Hello, my name is Jiame, and I work for the International Spy Service, or as some people call it, the ISS, and I live in Texas. You already know I work at the ISS, and I just got a new mission to investigate the Julia Davis Rose Garden. It starts at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

The next day at 6:30 a.m., I started getting ready for my new mission. I would see if it was suspicious, and if it was, find where the magical object would be, and report back to Master.

When we arrived, I heard dead leaves crunching below my feet. It could easily be a trap. I see trees with two trunks, not normal, all healthy flowers, impossible for Texas. Squishy grass under my feet, and it hasn’t rained in two months. Tall bushes towering over, probably to spy, so no

one steals the magic somewhere. New flowers that don’t exist, like orange flowers, maybe magic, chemical fountain, poison, probably where the magical object is. Statues have been here awhile, but still cold, fake, probably to make the park less suspicious. I must report to Master. Bye.

THE LOST SOCK

Ben Hill | Grade 5, Boise

Once there was a boy that had a baby sister and the baby sister threw her sock down into the basement. Then the mom said to go get it because she was putting the baby to sleep. So the boy went down into the basement to find it. As he was walking, he ran into a forest and the forest was crimson. The wood, leaves, and ground were crimson and they call that forest the Crimson Forest. The forest was filled with dangerous animals, like zombie pigs that can stand on two hooves. So the boy started to jump from tree to tree but the pigs started to cut the trees down, but thankfully he made it.

Chapter II: The Dungeon

Now the boy was entering a long hallway that was filled with skeletons so he grabbed a shield and sword and started to slay the skelos. Then he turned the corner and found a rat with his sister’s sock, so he chased after the rat. The rat ran into an arena with the King Rat. So the boy grabbed the sock and ran.

Chapter III: The Run

The boy sprinted back out of the dungeon and through the Crimson Forest, back up the stairs. He slammed the door

shut.

His mom said, “Great job. That only took you one minute.”

The boy said, “What?”

Then the mom said, “Okay, it’s time for bed.”

The End A MAGICAL WISH

Ezri Kausler | Grade 3, Meridian

LAVISH

Prairie Davis | Grade 3, Boise

A dragon laid this egg, and then she found out she didn’t lay a baby, but it was a key!!! The dragon didn’t know what the key did, so like any dragon, she looked it up on her phone. It said that the key opened a portal! So then she obviously had to look up where the portal was too. So she did, right? It said it was close but didn’t know exactly where it was.

By the way, her name is Lavish and she is five years old. She loves to adventure so off she went to find the portal. She was almost there when she found a devil. He made it so there was a big pit. She had to cross it!

To be continued...

BEA THE FAIRY

Harper Smith | Grade 3, Boise

Hello, my name is Bea and I am sixteen years and one day old. I fell through a deep dark hole, and this is the adventure. After I fell through the hole, I turned into a fairy. Then suddenly all of the roses came alive and were talking … like a lot. Then I looked around and found a tiny egg that fit in my pocket, so I picked it up and put it in my pocket. I asked how to turn back into a human. They said, “You have to go on a very dangerous adventure. First, you have to go through a rainforest and go across a volcano to the home of wizards. Ask the wizard to turn back into a human.”

To be continued...

THE ELEMENTAL SWORD

Ethan Zhang | Grade 3, Boise

In the middle of a forest lives a dragon named Gary. He protects the ancient sword. It has the power of the elements and can tell if a person is good or bad. If a person can pull it out of bedrock, the person is worthy. Gary will protect it. You’ll need to defeat Gary to pull the sword. Gary came from a volcano. The alpha dragon forced Gary to find this elemental sword, so he did. He followed the map to the elemental sword. The map was created by the Viking. He found it but he realized there were others looking for the sword so he decided that he was going to protect the elemental sword. It was made by the elemental gods. The elements are wind, fire, water, and earth. Gary is a fire and water dragon.

KING KRAB VS. MEGA MAN

Calvin Zamzow | Grade 4, Boise

One day scientists created a 10,000-foot-tall mech called King Krab. He was a huge crab with chainsaw legs and spikes on his claws. Other scientists thought King Krab would destroy the world. Then they created Mega Man. He only had a bow and arrow. Mega Man attacked King Krab but then they both glitched. And then they teamed up and ruled the world. 100,000 years later somebody said, “What? There was a self-destruct button these 100,000 years?” He said, “I declare war.” The humans fought bravely with their pencils and they miserably failed. Then, randomly, the world blew up.

AFTERLIFE

Amisha Ohri | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter 1

Cho sat in the stadium alone. It was night time and she was sitting because her team was done after another practice. Sadly, they broke up because no one was paying attention. There was bludger coming to the chasers, but the beaters didn’t come. Cho sat crying silently.

Chapter 2

Cho walked back to her house. It was old, but to wizards it looked new. The house was crooked. Cho looked at the house and saw cat scratch marks. She started to sneeze. Cho went inside and sat down. What a bad day, Cho thought.

Chapter 3

As Cho climbed up she saw an egg in her favorite colors, red and orange. She saw it could be opened and opened it up. Inside was a key with string and a note saying:

I left it when I ‘twas too old. It is now yours Find your world.

To be continued…

THE RISE OF DRAGONS

Teddy Tolman | Grade 4, Boise

Part One: The Attack of the Inferi

Once there was a world with zombies, vampires, dragons, and inferi. This world had oceans, mountains, and forests. This world was home to thousands of mythical creatures. Among them was a boy named Theo and his dragon Flamebreath. A few things in his weapon collection were a double-bladed axe and a flaming sword. Flamebreath’s scales were impervious to any monster infection.

One day they saw a dark cave and went in. They saw an ominous red gem. Suddenly a groan echoed through the cave. A gray, decayed humanoid shape walked toward them. Then another and another and another.

“Inferi!” said Theo. “Flamebreath, blast them!” The inferi were faster. They shot water at Flamebreath’s mouth and Theo’s sword. They couldn’t ignite! Suddenly Theo had an idea. “Flamebreath, spines!” Flamebreath shot a barb right into the heart of the gem. It split in two, causing the inferi to fall down dead.

“Let’s go home,” Theo said.

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Brayden Harris | Grade 3, Idaho Falls

Rayan woke up from his weird dream. He awoke somewhere he’d never seen. The people were fine though Rayan was very confused. Soon he figured out he was in a forest. He thought he saw a tree move. Again, again, again. He tried to leave but he saw a tree in his way. The tree said, “Go to sleep.” Rayan wasn’t sure so he moved around and explored. He thought about what the tree said. He finally went to sleep and saw a warning sign.

In his dream he saw a thorn bush. It made eyes with its thorns, and then legs. It grabbed him, and he woke up. He was panting and scared. He wanted to find that tree and kill it, but then it looked like there was a tree summoning circle. Trees were being summoned. He saw an X marks the spot in front of him. He thought it was very odd so he ran to it. He found a weird gold thing, then he saw a subway. He got on, and it led him to a new land. He was in a new little land.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Keira Houseman | Grade 4, Boise

Tweet looked at his key. For years it hadn’t been more than a pretty toy. But he secretly thought that it opened something somewhere. His dead parents–he longed to see them again. He, Tweet, went down to the basement to search for a treasure chest. He went down the rickety basement steps. He searched every room. Soon he thought about giving up and going upstairs. A strange light filled the room, giving radiance. He stumped towards the light and he saw a huge treasure chest. He reached out a shaky hand with the key and unlocked it. The treasure chest shook, and Tweet covered his eyes. When Tweet looked, he saw three

quivering electric red rubies. Then, in huge, bold lettering he read:

YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE OPENED THIS.

He looked in horror as a huge Gryffindor lion stood before him.

“Get on my back,” said the Gryffindor. Tweet did as he was told. He found himself looking at his parents. They were bouncing a baby bird. “More! More!” said the bird. There was a whoosh and Tweet was looking at a hunter. The hunter shot his parents. Tweet watched as they fell. He was afraid. He found his parents and him going to Tweet’s first Tappy Feet class. He watched as his parents cheered the younger Tweet on when he fell down. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him –half joy, half terrible sadness. He looked at little Tweet go to the store. He looked closer. His parents picked out a squeaky toy. Tweet’s eyes filled with tears. His squeezey toy was at home. Tweet found himself looking at his old times. He looked at the Gryffindor who had been silent until then. The Griffindor was invisible then his parents were standing, smiling and waving at him. Tweet found himself looking at the red gems. He grabbed them and went to his room. He knew even though his parents were no longer with him, they were in his heart.

EVERYTHING DIFFERENT

Freya Radin | Grade 3, Boise

One warm spring day, I noticed a portal in my closet. I went in, and the doors closed. I started going up, and then the doors opened. I was in another world! It smelled like roses, and I saw a chocolate river with giant gummy inner tubes. My cats were there too. They had soft, cozy cat beds, and they were sleeping in them. Also, I looked up and saw a bright turquoise sky with lollipop clouds and an orange gumball sun.

After that, a giant talking squirrel came and said, “Do you want to go up there?”

“Yes,” I said. “Can you take me to sit on the clouds?”

“No,” said the giant talking squirrel. “But my friend, Bird, can.”

“Can you bring him to me?”

“Yes,” said Squirrel. “I will go get him! Goodbye!”

When Squirrel came back there was a giant talking bird with him. Then, I realized I was wearing different clothes. I had on a pink t-shirt with purple pants and purple shoes. Then the bird said, “Be prepared to walk in the air!” It tossed me high up in the sky! I started trying to walk. It was working!!

Also, when I saw the squirrel I did not see a blue egg on him, but now I did. Then I noticed the chocolate river rising. I hoped the thing in the egg could help stop the chocolate river from rising.

“I want to come down now!” I shouted so loud the squirrel fell over.

“I’m coming up to get you down,” said the squirrel. Then, Bird tossed Squirrel high up in the sky and Squirrel started walking to me. “Are you ready to get pushed down?” asked Squirrel.

“Yes,” I said. So Squirrel gently pushed me down, and

I kept going until I landed on a gummy inner tube and jumped off. “Can I open your egg?” I shouted.

“Yes,” shouted Squirrel. “I will come down to show you,” said Squirrel. So Squirrel came down and opened the egg. I was surprised at what I saw. It was a key!

“What does it unlock?” I asked Squirrel.

“It unlocks the portal to the river drain.”

“Where is that?” I asked. Squirrel pointed across the river. “Let’s go before it rises any more!”

“Okay,” said Squirrel. So Squirrel and I jumped across the chocolate river and put the key in the slot. The lid magically rose up into the air. Squirrel and I jumped inside and started going down and saw the same shaped slot.

“Do you have the key?” I asked Squirrel.

“Yes!” said Squirrel. Squirrel put the key in and it started draining and brought the gummy rafts with it. “Hop on!” said Squirrel. So I got on and started floating in the portal.

The end

THE TALKING ROBOT

Cali Factor | Grade 5, Meridian

Once there was a robot that wore a suit. He had black eyes and no hair. He liked to sit in rose gardens and admire the beauty around him. Sometimes he would lie down and look at the clouds and count them. Then when he got to 30, he would fall asleep. But he was still counting even in his sleep.

A person was behind him in the garden while he was sleeping, and the person wore a black striped coat. The person said to the robot, “Are you okay?”

The robot woke up angrily and said, “Have you lost your mind? I was trying to sleep!”

Then the robot caught himself talking to a human. It was illegal for robots to talk to humans. The robot ran back to Robot-town.

SHRINKING DRAGON & INVISIBLE GODZILLA

Riker Kausler | Grade 5, Meridian

Shrinking Dragon was walking and looking around when the Memorial Day flower caught his eye. But just as he was about to touch it, an Invisible Godzilla tackled him. Shrinking Dragon shrank and ran. Invisible Godzilla then did something unexpected. He hugged Shrinking Dragon and later put him in a cage like a pet. Shrinking Dragon was going to sleep hoping Godzilla would let him go when suddenly the cage opened, and he was set free.

ENCHANTED DRAGON

Eli Fleshman | Grade 6, Boise

Prologue

Marianne shot her enchanted gun, enchanting the dragon. It turned into a rose bush. 1.

Pig walked into the garden, thinking about the clue Marianne had given him.

Find the centerpiece rose and free it to find the treasure.

Simple enough, but the centerpiece was a gazebo. Suddenly, one of the rose bushes breathed fire! He walked over and noticed a sign: “Uproot me. -Marianne.” As soon as he did, it turned into a dragon, then flew away.

SILVER CHICKEN THE SECRET AGENT

Addison Justice | Grade 6, Star

Mary Ann Louise was walking through a rose garden, smelling the roses. Though she wasn’t fully enjoying it, as the government was after her. She was looking for inspiration. She was really poor now that people had stopped buying her gun-sand-art articles (and she had spent all of her money on a teleportation gun, but we don’t talk about that).

Suddenly a silver chicken (a robot?) wearing fuzzy bunny ears waddled out from behind a rose bush, distracting her from her thoughts. The silver chicken wore a cape with a hare (like the bunny). It waddled away. Intrigued, Mary Ann followed him.

The chicken led her to a hidden staircase and down into an underground factory. “This would be a great place to start a business,” she thought to herself.

Just then, a government agent burst in. “Tixe Danger Bear, you’re under arrest,” he told her. Mary Ann Louise (or Tixe Danger Bear, whichever you prefer) was arrested. This was the start of her rebellion against the Irish government.

When Mary Ann broke out of prison, she returned to the garden and slaughtered the chicken (who was in fact a robot) and finally thought of a brilliant business idea: Bear Sephora. A Sephora, but bear products like Bearfat Moisturizer, Bear Skin Face Masks, and also some nail polish made out of bear blood.

MADI AND THE OLYMPIANS: PART ONE [CHAPTER TWO]

Piper Porter | Grade 5, Meridian

When I got to school, I was greeted by my science teacher, Dr. Ruatonim, who nodded and said “Hello Ms. Fox (insert growl).” I just nodded and walked away because that man gave me the creeps. I went to the office to grab a late pass and then headed to art.

After I finished biology, I went to the cafeteria to meet my friend, Kennedy. She is 16, too, has green eyes, a green and yellow streak in her golden brown hair, and always wears a smiley face necklace. She hates heights and when I do dangerous things. She loves gardening and wants to be a botanist.

So anyways, when I saw Kennedy over at our normal spot in the corner, her face was filled with fear. She kept muttering, “I knew it! I knew it!” Then she suddenly gasped and pointed behind me. I turned and couldn’t believe what I saw. It was a Minotaur!

Then I looked at it harder and realized it had the name tag of Dr. Ruatonim. “Oh God, how could I have been so stupid?” I muttered. Ruatonim spelled backwards is minotaur.

Kennedy yelled,”Run! NOW!” We both sprinted out of the school with the brown half-man half-bull gold-nosering red-eyes thingy on our trail. We sprinted to the beach with Kennedy in the lead, and then the most crazy thing happened. Kennedy ran into the ocean and disappeared.

THE SCREAMING: CHAPTER ONE

Lucille Schrandt | Grade 6, Eagle

It’s never fine when someone screams in Kahen. It means Kahen’s defense line couldn’t hold back the unwanted monsters. It also means run. Which I failed to do.

I’m not going to say, ‘long story short, I’m dead’ or skip the details.

Before this story really starts, Kahen’s people have X-ray vision; that’s their power.

A scream could splinter through the air at any time. Maybe that’s why we were so surprised.

Screams crashed down on Kahen, while everyone age 21 surrounded the Lake of Joy.

The UM (unwanted monsters) had crashed down on our team of UM hunters and preventers.

I saw monsters in the trees, screams became louder. I saw my friend, Sera, run away with a ton of others. Before I could think about it, I sprinted towards Sera, hoping that I wasn’t frozen in panic for too long.

The end of my brown dress got caught under my feet. I stumbled to the ground. My light orange hair fluttered to the sides of my head.

I landed in a puddle of cold water. I frantically tried to get up, but a monster was already on my back.

Its claws dug into my back. I could see the purple fur of the UM. It’s bright yellow eyes matching mine.

Kahen seemed to become calm when people looked at all of the lush forests, or the overgrown Lake of Joy.

Not this time.

This time I only saw UMs, then nothing.

MELON’S SECRET: PROLOGUE

Eva Strix | Grade 6, Boise

Blizzard had just gotten word that her eggs were hatching. She ran towards the hatchery hoping she would get there in time. When she got there, two eggs had cracks. Blizzard was so relieved. The first egg cracked.

“Oh! Oh!” The egg caretaker murmured. Blizzard’s mind whirled. What if the hatchlings had too many of their father’s features? He wasn’t an Icewing like her, he was a Skywing.

The first dragonette hatched. He was mostly white with spots of orange. Blizzard explained that it was just egg insides stuck to his scales. The caretaker agreed.

The next two eggs hatched. The first one was orange! Oh no, oh no no no, she thought.

The next dragon hatched. She was … so many colors! Pink and blue, green, yellow, dark orange. Blizzard didn’t know what happened!

The next two hatched, orange and white. Two girls and three boys, not bad, though three girls would have been better. The caretaker suddenly gasped. “Their father, he’s a Skywing! I have to tell the queen!”

“No, wait! Don’t tell my sister!” Blizzard called. It was too late.

Blizzard turned and noticed her weird daughter, which she had named Melon, was changing from herself to a Sandwing, then an Icewing, then a Seawing, a rock, a scavenger (person), a bear, and then a Mudwing.

“Melon, can you be a normal Icewing, please? Oh, you can’t speak yet … Oh! White dragon?” Melon shifted into a baby Icewing. Wonderful, that’s one less hatchling to worry about, Blizzard thought. She curled up and went to sleep with her dragonettes.

A dragon had woken Blizzard up and told her to follow her. It was urgent. She had left her dragonettes asleep, except she had a feeling Melon was awake, her red eyes open.

Blizzard followed the mysterious Icewing through the Ice Palace, all the way to the courtroom.

“Sister, You have broken the rules. You are my sister so I will let the court take care of your punishment. This is the only way it can be fair,” said Queen Polar Bear. “I’m sorry. But you had eggs with a dragon from another tribe.”

After a long explanation to her sister and the court, including compromises and arguments, the court decided Blizzard’s punishment: “Blizzard, your punishment will be that your dragonettes will only be able to live until the age of seven and a half. Then you must kill them.”

CHASE SCENE FROM “NOT YOUR AVERAGE DRAGON SLAYER”

Max Wyatt | Grade 10, Boise

Luke says, “On three, slam on the breaks and spin!”

I say, “Are you crazy!?”

He says, “Trust me, I got this!”

I say softly, “Okay…”

Luke goes, “One..! Two..! Three!!!”

I yank the wheel to the left and slam on the breaks. Two shots fire off and the cops crash.

I look back and say, “What happened!?”

He says, “I shot them…”

FROM MY SHORT STORY

Aiden Grunke | Grade 8, Boise

It was the morning of January 23rd, 2052, as I stepped out on the front lawn of the United States Air Force Academy on a brisk, winter morning. It was a little before 5:00 AM, and the sun had not yet peeked over the mountains surrounding the base. Without realizing, I had left the campus and begun to walk into downtown Colorado Springs. The sleeping city, like a patient listener, had given me a quiet moment with my thoughts.

I was just five days away from graduating and becoming a fighter pilot, my dream since I was a little boy. However, what filled my mind was not excitement but a blizzard of worry and regret. I had always been fascinated by the brave airmen who had taken to the skies a century ago. I was now, however, stepping foot into something that was not the pinnacle of technology, but a dying, outdated profession. For the next war would not take place within Earth’s airspace but on another planet.

THE WOLVES AND THE DOG

Em Groenert | Grade 10, Boise

Tunnels, we live in tunnels, a deep, well-built, and sturdy underground metropolis. Guardians, yes, they keep the peace. My maker told me stories about wolves, and he told me Guardians look just like wolves. They protect us. My dad said they control us, keep us like sacred elk, out of their secret woods.

Right—you wanted to know about Project Biotech. It’s all any rebellious robot wants to learn about. Well, my dad was a history nerd—he never stopped learning everything he could about times past when things truly had life. He was killed by the government, though they said it was the experiments that killed him. How miserably they failed…

Oh—my name? I can’t tell you, but my code name is Dog.

THE CRYSTAL CURE

Addie Chilcote | Grade 8, Boise

“Gotcha,” she thought as she slipped her hand into his chest pocket and pulled out a purple diamond-shaped crystal.

The shadow monster was beginning to stir, so Zoe raced around and lodged the crystal into the monster’s heart.

The shadow engulfing the monster quickly dispersed, leaving an oversized, crystallized, purple hamster staring adoringly at Zoe.

DRY EARTH

Aliyah Bohren | Grade 10, Boise

There is a planet outside our solar system that is a part of a whole other chain of planets. Scientists nicknamed it the “Dry Earth” as it has nearly every component to host life (oxygen, rocky surface) all except for water.

Despite the perpetually hot weather and lack of water, life has found its way to adapt and survive. Among these organisms is the “Dry Earth Reptile.” It is almost identical to normal Earth’s salamander with one key difference: the Dry Earth Reptile has long spindly attachments to its tail-tip that is full of salt water.

As many know, salt water will only further dehydrate an organism, but the Dry Earth Reptile’s mouth contains a sort of natural boiler that separates the salt and water. Once they are split, the Dry Earth Reptile drinks the fresh water for hydration and eats the pure salt for energy.

SATISFIED

Layla Bohren | Grade 10, Boise

The flood eased down the moment the lightning stopped clawing at the clouds. Watered-down mud caked the fabric of her trousers and nearly froze the pallid skin clinging to her form. She found her mother ten minutes after.

Rory would have preferred if it were Alonzo or Chimney, but, due to the good morals carved into her heart, she decided to fish her mother out. Rory clutched her mother by the arm, keeping a tight hold on her other wrist as she tugged the underweight body from the thick, almost fleshy mud. Her mother fell limply against her chest, head lolling.

Carefully, oddly emotionlessly, Rory checked for the pulse around her mother’s main neck artery—a rhythmic

skipping noise bloomed through the skin like algae. She was alive. But... was she satisfied with that?

Rory already knew.

Michaela Baudelaire was never satisfied.

EYE OF THE STORM

Annika Vermooten | Grade 12, Boise

As the magic whipped around the room like a hurricane, Patrick finally trudged his way to the middle where Kieran was visible.

“Kieran!” he shouted against the roaring winds.

The man with the now multi-colored hair looked up from his hunched form above the book and was quickly tackled.

“H-how?” Kieran croaked out.

Only one person could hear him.

“You weren’t being very subtle.”

Kieran made the combination in between a laugh and a sob as Patrick cradled his face.

“Oh Keir…”

And with that, Kieran moved in and kissed him. Then the storm outside and within him subsided.

THORNS

Rose Villa | Grade 8, Dallas

My name comes from a short poem “Every Rose has its Thorns.” I think that fits me very well. And truly everyone has thorns of their own whether we choose to accept them or not. I have accepted my thorns for what they are and learned how they can benefit me instead of hating my thorns.

THE DYING EARTH

Sean

Davidson | Grade 8, Meridian

We walk around a little bit, stepping cautiously over the subway rails, when we hear it. The unmistakable, guttural, howl of a Blighted. For some reason, however, this one sounds deeper.

All of a sudden, we see an enormous Bloater, I’ll call it. I shoot it in the head, and it topples over backward. I think we are safe, until I hear groaning, and then it rises.

“Run!!!” I yell to Jimmy as the Bloater starts running.

We full sprint, and I don’t look back. But then the thudding grows louder, and I look behind to see it gaining on us.

EXCERPT FROM THE AERIAL WOLF

Millie Nixon | Grade 8, Meridian

It had a blue feathered head cocked slightly to the side and beige starbursts around its eyes. The massive beast crept slowly out of the underbrush, its cerulean form far too large for the crowded clearing. It was crouched low on tan, muddy paws, though the rest of its coat was immaculate. Perfectly shaped feathers waved in the damp wind like flags, and two massive wings were folded gently on its large back. A bushy tail whipped around methodically behind the beast. A low growl rumbled from behind sharp canines that hung out of its mouth like a bat.

She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing eye contact was the worst possible thing to do. Branches cracked beneath the weight of the aerial wolf. It was a one-of-a-kind legend told to scare kids. She never thought it was real. Shadows shifted in front of her, though she didn’t dare open her eyes. She felt it extend its wings, each one twice the size of her. It let out a

harsh, throaty growl, flapping its wings once before leaping and…whistling past her.

A screech that most definitely did not belong to the wolf shocked her forward, sending her onto her knees. She opened her eyes and whipped her head around, but all she could see was blue feathers.

EXCERPT FROM CAPTIVITY

Evelyn

Kreller | Grade 7, Boise

I was trained by the government I am going to defeat. I live in a country where the government has full power over the people. They use that power to deceive their people, manipulating them every time they get a chance. One of the many ways they do so is by putting these small chips in our brains when we are newborns. These chips have a scanner with which they can scan the brain and make sure the civilians are not thinking badly or against the government. If you think poorly your brain will shut off for a minute, not enough to do damage but enough to scare you.

The government is not dumb, and one of the ways they have proven so was in the fall of the year 3109, when everything went poorly for me. The government decided to do a world-wide shutdown of everyone’s brains. Except mine. Mine didn’t shut down. The government quickly caught wind of this and before I knew it, I was being escorted away. Away from my life before.

THUNDER-CLAP EAGLE

Liam Mark | Grade 7, Meridian

It’s a bird soaring at the speed of light. Its wings give off a white aura. It catches lightning in its beak. It feeds off stardust that falls into the atmosphere. It roams the sky and clouds. Some say it protects them from lightning, while some others say it’s a beast that just wants to kill. It creates lightning from its talons and controls the weather. It’s very rare that one gets to spot one of these majestic beings since there is only one. It’s called the Thunder-Clap Eagle.

THE BEAST WITH NO NAME

Rehema Sadiki | Grade 9, Boise

Across the mountain’s high peaks, and the low valleys filled with wildflowers from end to green end, there is a place where the river stops. Not naturally, as in a lake, or fusing with the sea in calm inevitability, no. It simply ends, swallowed up by the gaping maw of the pit below. One would expect to hear the usual rush of water, or to feel a draft rise from the wound in the earth, but there is nothing. Not a sound can be heard—even by the keenest of ears—for miles in every direction.

There is a beast that lives there, or so I’m told. The only accounts of it lie in the ramblings of madmen and the old wives’ tales passed from town to town. They say it takes the form of a small black bird with a peculiar chirp, a quiet noise that sounds entirely too human. Others have said the beast is a giant with legs triple the size of the tallest tree, its hand fit to grasp the sun.

Still, the beast has no name. Stories say that if you are to spend a single night sleeping at the chasm’s edge, the beast will visit you in dreams, offering sweet promises. It

will approach you as a friend, its demeanor unassuming, its words kind. They also say the beast is a liar, and that when you wake—if you should wake, you will find that one hundred years have passed you by, and that nothing is as it was when you had come. This is the point where most people lose their minds, you see. Some fall to madness simply by peering over the edge.

What does it stand to gain, I wonder? Entertainment? Surely the company of mortals means little to a creature of such impressive status.

With all this in mind, I have but two remaining questions. Does the beast exist at all? Or is it something so horrifying, so sinister, the human mind could not hope to comprehend it? I pray that I should never know the answer.

PRISONER

Indie Hadfield | Grade 7, Nampa

Ashlyn sat in the cold, damp underground cell. She could feel the wetness in the air—it plastered her long auburn hair to her forehead.

She could feel the soft, warm material of her long, luscious gown.

She could see the pictures on the wall. Pictures of exotic faraway places and strange, unnatural creatures with three heads, wings, and multiple limbs.

Despite all this, Ashlyn couldn’t escape the gloominess and despair that filled the air.

She knew the truth.

She was a prisoner, always had been, always would be. So no matter how rare or exotic the food was, how strange and beautiful the pictures were, how gorgeous and soft her clothes were, the truth always ruined everything.

Ashlyn was a prisoner, in a cell she could never escape.

WHAT IT WOULD FEEL LIKE TO RIDE A DRAGON

Abby Evans | Grade 7, Boise

Refreshing wind whips through your hair, sending strands everywhere. You look at the deep royal blue dragon, feel the calming warmth seeping through your cold bones. When you look a little closer at the majestic beast carrying you, it has small, iron-hot orange scales dotting its body. You can barely hear anything over the conjoined din of the howling wind, the huge, strong, wings flapping, and the huffs of the dragon. Long horns sprout out of the dragon’s head, the color an ombré from baby blue on the tip to a blue you would see in the darkest depths of the ocean.

You finally catch your breath and steady your heartbeat. You run your hands along the soft scales of the dragon’s back. The magical beast huffs and spirals downward, practically nosediving. Surprised by the sudden movement, you slip and plummet down to the dark evergreen mass below you.

“I’ll never ride a dragon again!” you say, not knowing they would be your last words.

EXCERPT FROM FROAD POWER

Amelia Hiney | Grade 7, Eagle

The walk home was always the worst part of the day. Amy worked until 9 PM every day, so it was dark coming home. The lush jungle felt like a sponge under her feet. She hoped that she wouldn’t step on a snake or any creature. The snakes on Krinosaur were as long as a car. They had a slimy, smelly outer layer and could kill her in one bite. She also had to deal with the weather. It was always a damp and wet environment, the sun rarely came out, and it was always raining. She always felt exhausted at the end of the night

anyways, but after coming home wet she would just barely pull herself to her apartment.

The job was tough—she managed the business finances. She never had lunch breaks, and if she was caught taking a break she would have to stay later. Amy also had some opinions on how they treated the froads. But no one could say anything because the government would vanish you to a different planet. Amy knew that if she had the chance, she would help the froads and create an eco-friendly power source.

EXCERPT FROM THE CRASH

Aravind

Neelakantam | Grade 7, Boise

The wind was crashing against their faces. The aliens were about to land on the ground after jumping off the UFO. Fear filled their souls. Once they landed, they looked up and saw that their UFO was about to crash. They didn’t want to see it crash so they scurried and climbed back to the cave in the mountain where they had temporarily parked their UFO. The aliens stayed there for a few nights.

The next morning, Shawn was eating his breakfast while watching the news on the TV. The news was saying that people had seen some things that did not look like humans jump with parachutes out of a weird aircraft that was about to crash! The thing that confused Shawn was that the aircraft crash and the unknown things were nearby his house! He panicked with fear and immediately rushed outside. He saw something in the distance. He ran toward it. It was the aircraft… He saw police cars in the distance coming toward his house; he just had faith in God.

EXCERPT FROM INFINITY

Kiera Black | Grade 7, Boise

Lono got dressed and did his hair. Like an idiot, he thought, “If I do things exactly the same, they’ll turn back to normal.”

Then he remembered that his normal was something that he didn’t want to go back to. So he went outside. It was sunny, and the weather was perfect. Something felt ominous.

A person with gray hair that went down to their back stood outside, texting someone on their phone. They looked to be in their early twenties and had goggles covering their eyes. They looked up from their phone and stared at Lono.

“Hey, newbie girl,” the person said.

“Wha—I’m a boy!” Lono said defensively.

“Sheesh,” the person said. “Anyways, how’d you get here?”

“I… I don’t know.”

The person frowned. “Well, then you are of no use to me.”

“Wait!” Lono shouted, “Who are you? And what is this place?”

The person smiled. “My name is Buttercup. And welcome to Eternity.”

EXCERPT FROM THE TREE

Vidhu Sutharsan | Grade 7, Boise

There was a big forest in the middle of Pennsylvania. People would come in and out of the forest, play in it, or just relax. However, they only went into the shield of disguise, the outer layer of the forest. Behind the shield of disguise was a society. A unique, strange society.

In it were witches, warlocks, and normal forest animals. They would live in trees and grass hills. You could get water

from the only water source they had, the James Lake. For transportation, you would go through underground tunnels to different sections of the society.

In the middle was a tree. Not just any tree, but a massive tree. It had a diameter of 20 feet and was 500 feet tall. It was the source of all magic for the people who lived there. It was named the Holy Tree because of that and it was constantly surrounded by guards.

In one of the tree homes lived a teenage boy named Jeff. He had long, brown, messy hair, was pretty tall, yet skinny, and had tons of acne on his face, with big eyes and a small nose and mouth. His favorite things to wear were leather boots, pants, and upper body armor made of steel, so that he could be safe in an accident.

He was always helpful and kind when people needed it, and he rarely got upset with anyone. He was always happy and carefree, but occasionally, he would tear up when thinking about his parents. His mom died on the day he was born due to birth complications and his father died because a tree fell on him.

So Jeff lived with his uncle and his emotional support pet wolf. So overall, things were going well for him… for now.

EXCERPT FROM THE CATS OF MAGIC VALLEY

Avery Carroll | Grade 6, Boise

We actually found a third set of bloody pawprints near the pond, but ignored them, knowing that the last two were false trails to dead ends.

I was starting to think that someone else was behind this, when suddenly Skybolt noticed the eagle. He hissed in surprise. “There!” he shouted, pointing a paw up towards it.

I shook my head. “Don’t worry. It’s just an eagle,” I

reassured him.

“That’s no eagle,” he said in a low voice.

I looked up, and stared hard at the eagle. He was right. It wasn’t a bird.

It was a cat. A flying cat.

A Galecrest cat.

I almost shrieked.

“Quickly!” Mossing commanded. “We must not lose it!”

After sprinting up the mountainside, we rested below the cave eating herbs. Soon, we crept in the dark crevice that led to an opening, cut jagged like a knife into the stone.

I saw the figure of a cat stretch feathery wings and walk into a beam of moonlight that shone through a crack above it.

I choked as I saw the cat’s face.

It was Stormfeather.

He was standing over the body of King Thornfight.

“Why, hello, Whirlwind. What a pleasant surprise.”

“You wicked, lying, awful, murderous—”

“My, my, now aren’t you a nasty cat. What’s got your wings in a whirl?” Stormfeather said.

“How. Why…why would you do this?” I screeched.

“Because Galecrest is weak. We are peaceful. We need respect. Power. And I’m killing off every ruler until only I remain. The new king. Magic Valley’s hero,” he declared.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Ashflare’s voice rang out as the cats sprung to attack.

Stormfeather yowled as all five cats ambushed him in the dark. Seaburst smacked him with her tail and conjured waves upon him. Mosswing made dirt and vines rain down on him. Ashflare set fire to his wings, while Skybolt zapped him. And I flew around him, clawing his ears and hindlegs.

Finally, he collapsed, exhausted. He was wet, muddy, burnt, scorched, and clawed. “You—you could have been an

almighty queen!” he hissed weakly at me. “What have you done?”

“The right thing.” And I scratched him across the face.

Queen Zapa sat proudly on her throne. The chosen cats had found the king’s murderer, locked him in the Galecrest prison, and returned King Thornfight’s body to be buried. She’d heard the news of a new ruler, Queen Mosswing. And the chosen cats were having a celebration in their honor throughout the valley.

There was a knock at the door.

They must be here now, she thought. “They may come in,” she said to the guards.

The doors opened. It wasn’t the chosen cats.

It was the person she least expected to see: her sister, Tanzanite.

“What? H-how are you here?” she cried in shock.

“We’re here to take you back. To where you belong.” Tanzanite replied calmly.

“Take me back? How can I go back to somewhere I never belonged? I was never a birthstone cat, Tanzanite. I am a Stormrend cat. This is where I actually belong,” Zapa said.

Tanzanite’s eyes got watery.

“Why would I go back to the place I’ve been trying to escape my whole life?”

Tanzanite whipped around. “Well…don’t come back if you want to crush me again,” she said, and sprinted out of Stormrend before Zapa could stop her.

EXCERPTS FROM BIRTHSTONE CATS

Evelyn Aslett | Grade 6, Boise

“Well, I just wanted to tell you that cats have been disappearing lately.”

Emerald’s eyes widened. She looked up at Opal with a, wait, what? face. “Who?” she said.

“Citrine, Peridot, Amethyst, and Tanzanite,” he said.

“Citrine?” Emerald screeched. “But…she’s injured!” Emerald said shakily.

“Yes, I know, but just keep in mind that she’s strong too,” Opal said, trying to calm Emerald down.

“That’s it,” Emerald hissed. “I’m sending a troop to go and look for them! You, me, and Aquamarine!”

“Everyone!” Emerald yowled. “As most of you know, cats have been missing lately. I have been thinking of a team to take with me on a journey to find these cats. They are Opal, Topaz, Aqua, and me.”

Cheers bolted through everyone as Emerald stood proudly on the meeting rock.

“Alright!” Let’s go!” Emerald meowed.

The chosen cats emerged from below the meeting rock and went after Emerald, following her into the forest.

“Where should we start looking?” Opal asked.

“Split up,” Emerald said. “We’ll find them better that way.”

“Guys!” Topaz mewed. “I found a trace of footprints!”

Everyone gathered around Topaz. Their eyes followed the footprints as they led deeper into the forest.

Aqua bent down to sniff the tracks. “Yep. These are definitely—”

Emerald stood taller, hoping they were Citrine’s.

“—Tanzanite’s.”

Emerald’s ears flattened and she had a worried look on her face, but she was still relieved that Tanzie was ok. At least, she hoped so.

Opal noticed more footprints near Tanzanite’s. “Hey,” Opal meowed. “These ones are Citrines!”

“And Peridot’s!” said Topaz.

“And Amethyst!” Emerald joyfully finished. The four cats headed where the tracks led.

Queen Zapa rested on her throne. She was pleased to have a celebration for the chosen cats that brought the body back of the Thornmere king.

Zapa heard a knock at the door. “Ah, these must be the chosen cats,” she purred. “Come in.”

As the guards opened the door, the fur on Zapa’s back pricked up. Her eyes widened. “Tanzanite?” Zapa said weirdly. “Why are you here?”

“We’re here to take you back. Where you belong.” Tanzanite calmly said.

“Take me back?” Zapa lashed out. “How can I go back to somewhere I never fit in? I was never a birthstone cat, Tanzanite. I am a Stormrend cat. This is where I actually belong.”

Tanzanite paused. Her eyes got watery. “Well, don’t come back if you want to crush me…again.” Tanzanite whipped around and sprinted out of the kingdom, her team following.

“No, Tanzie, wait! I didn’t mean—” But she was too far away to let Zapa finish. Zapa watched as they faded into the distance.

UNTITLED

Layla Fletcher | Grade 5, Boise

Sharp, jagged edges, but so smooth. heavy as a boulder, but light as the moon. pots and pans, shapes have now made hands, These plates on walls, these tables too tall, it’s funny, but oh so perfect. There is something in the room, flowers born too soon. None of it makes sense. No wood in trees it’s empty like me. I never got to know what it’s like. I’m good as trees are crumbling, the forest has burnt to a crisp. More metal rods more food for the gods, we’re starving, help us. Blood is pouring, embers roaring. Plates smashing, cars crashing, nothing will come to save you. Lines, vines, summer mines, rusty but fresher than air. Snakes rakes, we need a break! Exit the door find a place with no floor, then my friend you have found me. The sun is too bright, I wish it was night, but this planet doesn’t have a moon. Balls, walls, my name has been called, but the light is broken in a million pieces. Hands reaching voices screeching, no one can find me but you. I see flashing lights, they shine so bright, I think it’s my time to go. The colors don’t match this picture won’t last, the water is falling too hard. From roses, to thorns, to music and horns I know now that I can be found the shady

spots, circles and dots, the art is everywhere. It’s spreading like vines, but these vines are killers, they will crack all your bones. Now you are trapped with nowhere to go trapped in the rainforest. But now you are back with me you see. In this place you will be safe. But the bad men are still trying to get you. So don’t go outside, I need you to hide, stay here on the inside. When you hear a knock on the door don’t answer it’s going to kill you but I can keep you safe. Now my time is done, now you may see the sun goodbye I hope to see you again and never run

SOFTBALL POEM

Mara Knopp | Grade 6, Boise

As the season starts, I feel the need to play, to play all day and night every day of the week. I will play as we speak. And I will practice hard hardly from the start. I need to practice all the plays: pop-flies, ground line-drives, in all the ways. Batting too, that’s the rule. But there are other things besides practicing, like sunflower seeds. I also usually make friends per

season. I love softball and I have many reasons!

I will play softball during any seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer, for all the reasons. Any base I will play: first, second, third, home, you name it. I also play outfield positions: left, right, center that I will enter, I also can play short, catch, and pitch all day. My favorite position you ask? First base all the way! Even though softball is rough I love to play. Softball is my favorite sport in every single way!

FEELINGS

Declan B. | Grade 5, Boise

Oh happiness can see the light but sometimes it can be too bright taunting bragging are all forms of happy but can make others feel sad, mad, bad, and unhappy glad is what I feel when someone does that to me I feel encouraged neither do I understand nor do I know what I am doing for all my life

I’ve never understood this but now I see

when you’re so over the edge of a square, you meet at the other side

from right to left, wrong to right, light dark when the time is right so whenever you brag, taunt, and even boast just think of a slice of toast you will not be happy with no brown but you won’t be happy with too much brown attacking you from both sides just zone out and find the happiness in the light.

ODE TO BOOK

Emily McElwain | Grade 6, Boise

Story, behold inside your cover secrets lay, ready to discover grasping our hearts in your gentle grasp enticing our minds to fill in the gaps we plead to hide inside your bind but not even you can hide our lives of treachery and dies

painting a world of mystery and thrill what else is up the hill?

The rarity of something bad is as rare as finding the courage to ride to the back of our heads

STORIES

Iris Cluff | Grade 6, Boise

I am a story left here by the hands of people long ago I am surrounded by the remnants of those even older. I was once grand stretching toward the beyond It is no longer a mystery what lies above you’ve gone there left your mark and in a way so have I

I now stand within the pillars of a grand hall like I was before yet not quite the same

DEATH ROW PLATES

Sylvia Strop | Grade 5, Boise

all these people gone and dead half these meals go unfed did these people die early? why was it too late? what is the story behind these plates? were they lonely? when they died while they ate, did they cry? some ate none were they full, mad, or regretful? did tears run down their cheeks or did their sanity reach a peak? look at what these people ate look at the story behind these plates

HURRICANE

Jamie Mesher | Grade 3, Boise

Chapter One

Once a boy went on an adventure, and here it is…

We start on Grayland Island with a boy named James who lived in the city. On a Wednesday morning, when James was watching the news, it said a hurricane bigger than Katrina was coming from Bonds Island, big enough to destroy the city!

James could not let this happen.

He did not want this to happen.

So, he packed his bags with all his stuff and was off.

Chapter Two

So James began to row his way from Grayland to Bonds. As he was rowing, the clouds started to turn gray. In the distance, he saw a spout, and thought, oh shoot.

Then, he heard a BOOM CRRack, and he started rowing like mad.

Then, lightning struck his boat, and James went flying off his boat and into the water.

He was clinging to the paddle when he saw an orca breach. Then, he floated closer, and a seark (a seal-shark hybrid) came towards the surface, but an orca went and ate the seark.

“Phew,” James said, and he floated to land.

Chapter Three

James eventually floated to an island, which turned out to be Side-Arch. So, James grabbed his pack and started to build a fort next to the side arch. But behind it, he saw a little

abandoned house overgrown with moss and small animals, which had been living in small holes.

Then, James saw a jackalope. “AAAh!” he went.

The jackalope stared, and screamed back: “AAAhh!”

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” James said.

“What are you looking at?” it said. “Is there something on my face?”

“No, it’s just—you talked and…sorry, but who are you?”

“I am Stuart.”

“Okay, so do you want to go fishing and swimming?”

“What kind of question is that?”

EXCERPT FROM TROUBLES IN COMMUNICATION

Maksymilian Saunders | Grade 4, Star

One morning when I woke up, I was going to the kitchen to get breakfast. I saw my dog, but when it barked, instead of what you’d normally hear, I heard, “good morning!”

“Did you just talk?!” I screamed. Then, my dog barked, “yes, I did.”

I was astonished.

I remembered we were going to a zoo today, so I could talk to all the zoo animals. This was going to be an awesome day!

Once we arrived at the zoo, I wanted to see every animal and see what they would say. All the animals said so many different things. The monkeys said, “Hi!” The snakes said, “I’ll bite you if you get too close!” The giraffes said, “Do you have any leaves for me?” The lions said, “Don’t get close to my mate and kids or I’ll bite you and eat you…”

After all this, we went home. When we got home, my mom announced that next month, we were getting a kitten. I was so excited!

One month later…

Today is the day we got a kitten. I was going to use my power to see which cat was the nicest, most friendly, and gentle. The first cat said, “Hi!”

“Can I pet you?” I said.

The cat jumped on my lap and started to lay down and purr. I think he said yes, so I started petting him. I thought this was the best cat we could get, so we adopted him and brought him home.

Three decades later…

Now I am thirty-nine years old, and I live in an apartment with my one dog and one cat. I’ve learned that some problems are occurring because cats and dogs ask for pets, food, and water a lot more often than you think.

I never have time to sleep, relax, eat, and drink water. This is making me very tired and sick. Though, there are some positive things, like when I take my dog and cat with me to the zoo, we can all have conversations with the other animals. The zoo is a fun place for all of us.

One day, while walking, I see another man who looks like he’s talking to his dog. I immediately asked the man, and he whispered in my ear, “Yes.”

So, I told him, me too.

He was shocked. He thought he was the only one who could talk to pets.

EXCERPT FROM LILY IN THE FLOWER

Stella Lazzaro | Grade 4, Boise

Once upon a time there was a young girl named Lily. She did not know where she came from. She was born in a big flower. When it bloomed, there was a baby girl inside. Lily has no parents. She lives in the flower garden where she was from.

She has a power: Her power is to bloom flowers in the palm of her hand. She is really smart. She is five years old. She has the cutest little flower dress from the flowers.

She started to get hungry. She found an apple tree in the garden. She took a bite, then she took another until the apple was gone.

It started to get dark out. She counted as many stars as she could before getting into her flower bed. She said one more goodnight to the stars…and fell asleep.

In the morning, she walked to the nearest banana tree and took three bananas. Before she could take a bite, she found a mango tree and took a mango.

She walked back to her home garden and braided her long, long hair. She tied it with a flower stem.

She was still hungry after three bananas and a mango, so she decided to take a walk through the garden, which was sometimes dangerous.

Lily found a big tree with a door. She walked inside to find food: lots of food. She found apples, bananas, mangoes, peaches, dragon fruit, star fruit, blueberries, tomatoes, avocados, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, and more.

As she walked around, she found some stairs. She thought for a moment, then walked up the stairs to find lemonade, strawberry juice, coconut water, plain water, and more.

Lily found an old dusty bag and started filling it with every single fruit and veggie she could find, then walked

back up the stairs and started filling her bag with juice. She started walking towards the door.

But she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around to find a cat.

“Hi, Lily,” the cat said.

“Oh, hi,” said Lily.

“My name is Muffles,” the cat said.

Lily said, “Do you mind if I have some of your food, Muffles?”

“Sure, help yourself. I see you sleeping outside, do you want to sleep in here? It’s much warmer.”

“Um…sure.”

“Follow me to the rooms, you can sleep right there in that room. I’ll sleep right here in this room next door.”

“Oh, thank you so so sooooo much.”

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

TWINS

Ariadne Kunz | Grade 3, Boise

Chapter One

We all try to work fast before night comes.

Oh, sorry. I did not introduce myself. My name is Endaira. I live in a world that has pink soil and has blue grass! A regular day looks like working all day, then sleeping all night.

We’ll eat lunch, breakfast, and dinner. Sometimes, we’ll fight all night.

Oh, I mean from the monsters.

Okay, so one day, I come across a stopwatch. I move the hands, and suddenly, I am in a world with green grass and brown soil!

Here, there are no monsters. There are trees. Back in my world, we ate dried fruit and dried meat, and drank fruit punch.

Chapter Two

Just then, some kids come and push me, but one of them helps me up. Her name is Ariadne Kunz.

Weird, my name is Endaira. Ariadne is Endaira backwards.

WAIT, WE ARE TWINS!!!

How are we twins?

OMG. The new world is so strange. For instance, the food has variety.

Ariadne said, “You are wearing weird clothes. Let’s change you.”

Then, we see the same stopwatch and we go to my world. We had a great time that day, and now I am back home.

“But I will visit,” you say.

EXCERPT FROM THE FAIRY

Mila Gorham | Grade 4, Boise

Once upon a time, a girl who lived alone was walking down the street. She saw the two suns shining at her, and her brick house next to all the other ones.

She was a fairy, and she flew to all her other jobs.

She usually went to the grocery store to get some goo for breakfast. They didn’t like to eat anything else.

But she was the only fairy who could fly! All the other ones couldn’t because they didn’t use their wings anymore because they used cars and other stuff. But she still had a little bit of magic left in her.

One day, she was doing something when she saw another fairy she hadn’t seen before. She flew over and said hi.

“Hi,” he answered.

“Why are you sad?” she asked.

“It seems like there’s not any magic anymore,” he

answered. “My little sister was born without wings. Fairies are starting to forget about magic, and now we can’t fly and cast spells!” he yelled.

“I feel the same way” was all she said. “I’m Twitter.”

“I’m Flutter,” he answered. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

They became fast friends, and every day, they wanted to make the world a better, more magical world.

One day, they knocked on the door of the old man fairy.

“Hello,” they said. “Can we borrow or keep a magic wand?”

“Well,” he said, “We ain’t got no magic wand, but we do got us some plain old sticks.”

“We’ll take one,” said Twitter.

“Okay,” he said, and handed them a polished stick made from a hazel tree.

“Wow! How do we get magic in it?” asked Flutter.

“Maybe let’s try a spell?” said Twitter.

“Sure. Ok.”

They took out a big thick book. On the cover was a big number one. Flutter turned to a page. On the top of the page, it read: LEVITATION SPELL.

“Let’s try this one,” said Flutter.

“Okay.”

CHARACTERS

Walter Hartje | Grade 4, Boise

Life of a Goblin

1. Wake up

2. Go straight to work

3. Go to bed

Jobs That a Goblin Could Have

1. Coal miner

2. Iron miner

3. Fighter

4. Builder

Life of a Frog Person

1. Wake up

2. Go to work for half the day

3. Do whatever they want for the rest of the day

4. Go to bed

Jobs That a Frog Person Can Have

1. Army

2. Athlete

Life of a Fairy

1. Wake up

2. Go to work for half the day

3. Mess around for the rest of the day

4. Go to bed

Jobs That a Fairy Can Have

1. Doctor

EXCERPT FROM OPPOSITE OF FOOTBALL SEASON

Eamon Moos | Grade 3, Boise

Chapter One

Sawyer was hanging out in his huge house next to the football field when he got a check from The Football Island Cats football team. The check was for 286-million dollars. With some of that money, he purchased a big boat, a cruise ship!

A week later, he started planning a trip on his new boat. He was going to go to the Funky City first, then the sand dunes, and then Mushroom Island, and finally Big Whiteand-Orange Mountain.

Chapter Two

The wind was picking up, and a storm was starting. He could practically hear the waves from the Sports Ocean.

At the bottom of Sports Ocean was millions of baseball stuff, football stuff, basketball stuff, and tons of different sports equipment. Once, a group of people went fishing for baseball bats!

Okay, back to Sawyer’s trip. As I was saying, it was a stormy night. Sawyer had just fallen asleep.

The next day, Sawyer woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and his dog, Rivers, barking next to his big bed. He was leaving in five minutes!

Chapter Three

Sawyer was on his boat with Rivers. He arrived at Funky City five hours later. He was paying for parking when a half-trout-half-eagle swooped down and took his wallet! He chased after the eagle. It was still flying low, so there was a chance that Sawyer could get his wallet back.

The eagle started flying out over the ocean. Sawyer knew how to swim, so he jumped into the water and started

swimming as fast as he could.

Suddenly, the fish eagle swooped down. Sawyer thought that it was diving in, but no! It was just flying lower, low enough that even if you were swimming like Sawyer, you could grab it. But he didn’t swim fast enough, and the monster got ahead of him.

Suddenly, the monster got lower to the water—nearly touching the water. Then, it went up higher and higher until it was out of sight.

Sawyer thought his wallet was lost forever. Then, he saw something brown and rectangular falling from the sky: his wallet.

SPLASH! It hit the water.

He felt sad, then he remembered that he had a friend that lived in a big house on Funky City Island. His friend was a diver and had dived to the deepest part of the football ocean. When he came back, he was covered from head to toe with sports equipment.

Five hours later, Sawyer was eating at a fancy restaurant with his wallet.

OLIVEA

Marley Mendenhall | Grade 4, Boise

My name is Olivea. I am nineteen years old. So, first of all…I have a mission! To defeat the zombie apocalypse! There’s the king! He has a sword, he’s pulling it out!

But good thing I have a foodzooka! Aim…and shoot! Pew, pew, PEW!!

Ooooooooooof!!!! I got a paper cut. But…where’s Paper Cut Man?

*gasp*

Did he die?!

*News turns on*

“Breaking news…Paper Cut Man has lost his powers…We don’t know what happened but when we do it will be more interesting…see you on the next breaking news!”

*gasp*

He lost his powers?? OMG!! That’s crazy! I have to do something about it! Good thing I know where he lives! Let’s go to his house!

*Hops on train*

*At his house*

“Paper Cut Man! Where are your powers?”

“I think I lost them!”

“That’s why I’m here! Can you try to tell me what happened?”

“Hold up…I need some food…”

“Oh, oh, ok.”

“Ok, ready?”

“Ok. So what happened exactly?”

“So, I think Basketball Man stole them somehow!”

“Ok, so where were you?”

“I was near the water fountain.”

“Ok.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Ok, so I am going to find Basketball Man and I will talk to him.”

*A little bit later*

“Basketball man?”

“Huh?”

“Did you take Paper Cut Man’s powers away?”

“No…”

“Tell me the truth.”

“Yes I did…”

“Ok. 3. 2—”

“Wait. Why are you counting?”

*Sucks his powers into her*

“Bye!”

“Wait what?”

*At Paper Cut Man’s house*

“Paper Cut Man! You got your powers back!”

“Yay, thank you so much!”

“Ok I have another mission, see you later!”

“Bye Olivea!”

*A little bit later*

“Hi! What happened?”

“Someone stole my favorite thing in my room!”

“What is your favorite thing?”

“My bracelet!”

“Ok, do you know who stole it?”

“No…”

“Ok, I’m gonna go around the town and figure out who stole it.”

“Ok. Thanks Olivea!”

“You’re welcome!”

*At the water fountain*

Oh, I see someone, I’m gonna ask them. “Excuse me?”

“Yes?”

“Can I see your wrist?”

“Sure?”

“Ok, ok, ok, do you know anyone who has that same bracelet?”

“No?”

“Ok, we’re gonna go to my house, follow me.”

“Ok…?”

*At hospital*

“Come to this room. I’m getting my scanner.”

“Oh, but why?”

“Because I know you stole.”

OVERWORLD

Gavin Goodhew | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter One

Once upon a time, Hunter the Magician woke up, looked around the room, and noticed that he was not in his room. He wondered why. He looked down and wondered why he was still in his bed, but not in his room. He heard a creak as the door opened…

Chapter Two

When the door opened, he hid under his bed. He heard his own voice, looked up, and saw his doppelgänger. The doppelgänger left and locked the door.

Hunter noticed all of his money was gone. He had to escape…

Chapter Three

He looked up, down, right, left, back, and forward, and noticed a key and three keyholes. He grabbed the key and put it into the keyhole marked no.1. It fit right into the keyhole.

Chapter Four

He was angry at his doppelgänger, then he remembered his doppelgänger lived in another country. How could he have moved his bed here? As he was thinking, he found

two other keys. He put them into the door, and saw his hometown.

Chapter Five

He jumped out and noticed it was just an image. He was falling and falling.

Splash!

He fell into the sea. He got deeper and deeper as he drowned.

Chapter Six

Hunter’s doppelgänger roamed the streets of Hunter’s hometown. Everyone he passed asked him to do a magic trick.

“NO,” said the doppelgänger. But once got home he thought…

Chapter Seven

He thought…maybe he should practice magic tricks so they would think he is Hunter. He practiced all he could until it was night time and he slept.

The next day, he kept practicing, day after day, until finally, it was the performance.

Chapter Eight

Backstage, Hunter’s doppelgänger was practicing, then he got called on. He peeked through the curtain and saw Hunter. He got nervous and ran away. And ran into…

Chapter Nine

And ran into…Hunter.

“Where are you going?” said Hunter as he made fire appear in his hand.

The doppelgänger said, “I surrender,” and Hunter put him in a magical jail.

CHAPTER ONE FROM THE MEETING

Isabelle Conner | Grade 6, Boise

“Good night, Breeze,” said Mom.

“‘Night Mom,” I replied.

She left the room. I waited thirty minutes and then got out of bed. I could hear mom snoring from the other room. I put on my black hoodie, pulled up the hood, and slipped out of the house. I ran to the gap in the barrier between the ocean side and the sand side of the realm.

A few seconds later a figure dressed in black came out. She pulled down her hood.

“Hey Amaya,” I said as I embraced her.

“Hey,” she said, gasping in air. “Breeze. We have to do something. Our leaders are fighting more than ever! They already destroyed one of the great nine mountains!”

“I know, I know,” I replied. She was right. “But it’s highly dangerous out there,” I said.

She gave me a look. “Okay okay fine.” Then Amaya said “All right! Tomorrow night. Here. Be ready.”

She bounded off into the sand side.

EXCERPT FROM INSUBSTANTIAL

Declan Rourick | Grade 6, Meridian

I jerk upright, my nightmare converted to an afterglow and stamped to my eyelids to haunt me in the waking world. I sluggishly get out of bed and walk the two feet to the sink to wash my hands and face in muddy water, then walk another two feet to the kitchen and plop a spoonful of gruel into a chipped bowl.

I sigh and sit down heavily on the only chair in the shack. I set the bowl on my lap and grunt in pain as it burns my legs. I pull out the only thing that shines in the house, the spoon, and use it to eat the hideous glop, mouthful by sticky mouthful, and stare in envy out at the mansion where my mom lives.

PREFACE TO THE DRAGON’S LAST WISH

Willa Gunder | Grade 5, Boise

“We must banish them!” yelled Tundra.

“Calm down. We must not make hasty decisions,” said Gold.

“Look,” said Ella, “let’s just vote already.”

“Do I get a say in this?” asked Jena.

“No,” said everyone.

“All in favor of banishing Empress Jena and the Gem beasts, say ‘aye,’” said Lady Starlight.

“Aye,” said Tundra, Dew, Starlight, Ella and Flame.

“That settles it then,” said Gale. “Leave now; you are no longer allowed in Mendo.

MY DRAGON RIDE

Piper Hanson | Grade 5, Boise

I felt like I could touch the stars. The open fresh air was whipping me in the face! I looked down and saw mountains, rivers, valleys, cities, trees, countries, and all things in between. I could feel myself going up and down over and over again. I clenched hard onto his tough shiny scales. After a while the dragon dived down near a familiar city. As we got close, I realized it was my city! So he landed on my front lawn and I went inside my house.

GOLDFISH PROBLEMS

Evie Mesher | Grade 5, Boise

“I’m tired.”

“Of what?”

“Swimming.”

“Why? We’re fish; we were made to swim. Why are you tired of swimming?!”

“I don’t know. I want to have feet and walk on earth.”

“You’re crazy! Being a goldfish is great. They even make a snack after us, Goldfish Crackers which have 100% real cheese. Sounds pretty promising!”

“Well I have a dream so you must also have a dream.”

“Nope. I don’t.”

“You MUST!”

“I don’t! I Just DON’T!”

“Gosh, no need to yell. I’m just asking.”

“Sure. Just asking.”

“Fine. I might be pressuring you a little bit. But tell me your dream, then I’ll tell you my whole dream!”

“Uh… Fine! But you’re going first!”

“Okay FINE! I’m tired of swimming and I want to grow

legs and get out of this fishbowl and explore the world before I die. Fish have very short lives, you know!”

“YOU’RE CRAZY! Hahaha oh, now that’s hilarious!”

“Hey! Now you go.”

“Fine, here we go.”

“Oh boy, this should be fun.”

“Shh! I’m starting! Okay. I wish and dream to swim in the Pacific Ocean before I die, to make new friends, to go on adventures, to be a legend in the sea, and to almost be eaten by a whale. Okay! There! That’s my dream.”

“Hahahahahaha! Comparing my dream and yours, it looks like I’m not the crazy one in the tank!”

“Hey!”

EXCERPT FROM THE TWO SIDES OF MONTRIA Harper Donegan | Grade 6, Boise

“Ember!” Her mother called from the other room.

Ember walked down the hall and into the room.

“What are you wearing?!” her mother said, raising her voice. Ember looked down at herself. She was wearing her jeans and shirt.

“Go and change now, the royal ball is in an hour.”

Ember gloomily walked out of the room.

“Hi, sis,” Ruby said, walking down the hall.

Of course. Ruby was already in her dress and her hair was neat.

“Did Mom get mad at you again?” she asked. “Yes.”

You have to stop acting like a normal kid, Ember.

“I know,” Ember said, and she walked away.

Ember went to her room. “I can’t take this any longer. I’m going out.”

Ember grabbed her backpack and stuffed it with snacks,

her hat and her notebook. That night, she snuck through the ballroom where the ball was happening and out the front door. Ember ran to the mountains and hid beneath a tree.

EXCERPT FROM THE CRYSTAL COVE

Addi

Goodhew | Grade 6, Boise

June woke up on a sunny Saturday morning. She got ready and started walking to school. She was a 12-yearold girl who went to the school of magic where people discovered their powers and were trained to use them safely. She led a perfectly normal life, but her town? Not so much. She lived in Gemville which seemed like a normal town, but many many years ago it was hit by a meteor, forming a huge crater. Over time, a mountain started to form in the crater, but it wasn’t an ordinary mountain. Deep inside, there was the Crystal of Light.

The Crystal of Light generated power keeping the whole town running. Not only that, but it gave everyone in the town powers. June’s mom could teleport, her dad could fly, and her mentor Luke was really fast. Most people found out their powers at age 10 but she had a secret that only Luke and her parents knew: she had no powers.

June was afraid that the secret would get out and she would get laughed at or worse. But everyday she went to school and kept hoping for her power to develop. So she kept walking to school and trying to live a normal life.

Liam woke up to shouting. He searched around for his dog Molly, grabbed her, and ran out of the hidden alley. He would have to find a new hiding spot. He was 12 years old and had been orphaned at age 6. Everyday he hid, living in

fear. His only comfort and companion was his pet dog. It wasn’t always like this but when he was 5, the town was given a new leader, Blade. He was fine at first, but he kept adding more and more rules and giving severe punishments for breaking them. Later, it got out of control. No one knew what they were allowed to do and what would get them punished.

One day Liam was out with his parents, and Blade accused them of breaking the rules. They were taken away and killed. Liam managed to escape and had been living this way ever since.

Around a year after this happened, he found a dog running the streets. This was unusual. Their leader had banished all pets a while ago. Liam grabbed the dog and took her away. They had been together for years and protected each other with their lives. So he kept on running away into hiding.

THE POCKET DIMENSION: ESTIERIA

Claire Thiry | Grade 5, Boise

“Ms. Thistledown, your presence is requested with your mother immediately!”

A guy runs up to Birdie.

“Oh?”

“Come come!” He ushers her away and they start towards the leader’s bowl.

“Mother?” Birdie is soon knocking on the door of home.

“Come in,” a crisp, accented voice calls.

Birdie steps into the mansion to find her mom sitting in a throne-like chair with one beside it.

“Hello darling.”

“Hello mother.”

Birdie sits in the other chair identical to her mom’s just

smaller.

“Dear, may I see the charm?”

Birdie places the charm in her mother’s hand. Lyla gasps.

“This. This was your father’s.”

Lyla is stunned, little did she think that Birdie was going to find her father’s charm.

“Wait mom, how did you know I had the charm?”

“Bird, Nectar was with you, right?” She pauses to let Birdie nod. “Okay then, that is how I knew.”

“What?”

“Nectar had a discussion with Thunder and he told me.”

“Ooohhhh!”

“Yes–”

Then an alarm sounds. Lyla jumps up.

“Bird, pocket the charm and get to the sanoberdoodle stables! NOW!” Lyla runs out of the house. Birdie follows her mom’s instructions.

“Bird, wait!”

Right before Birdie enters the stables, Sophie, Emily and Tilly run up to Birdie. They go inside. The girls scramble up a ladder to aloft above Lexi, Emily’s sanoberdoodle. Birdie and the others plop down onto a hay barrel. The gibbons snuggle down beside the girls. Socks, Birdie’s black cat with a white tail tip, front paws, chest, tip of an ear, and face, curls his small body around Birdie’s neck.

“Okay Bird, tell us why you were running here,” Sophie demands.

Birdie fills them in on everything.

“Oh wow!” Emily whispers.

Birdie looks at the charm, its golden wings surround a teal and pink heart. Birdie is tracing her fingers over a wing when gold smoke sweeps them away.

EXCERPT FROM THE GLAMOUR GAMES: CHAPTER 5

Avery Carroll | Grade 6, Boise

I woke up to a trumpet sounding. Holy fairy dust! I’d slept in, and the competitors were arriving! I dashed to my drawer and put on my tracksuit just as the competitors arrived–they were mermaids?

I flew down to Mona who was cheering in the dorm below me.

“Hey, uh, I thought the competitors were like fairies or elves?”

“No, they’re mermaids from the Audria School for Mermaids,” Mona said.

I stared in shock at the perfect mermaids. They had legs? How was that possible? It looks like the race might be more complicated than I thought.

…

I finished warm-ups near the racetrack. The mermaids, even though they spent most of their time in tails, looked ready for the run. It was me against three mermaids and two fairies, me being the third fairy.

I had to win this.

To get back home.

I saw Ashe, Kate, Mona, Mrs. Plum, and other teachers and students cheering me on. I grinned and crouched at the starting line.

“Students, ready. On your marks.”

I looked at Kate and Ash.

“Get set!”

They smiled sadly. And I knew.

I couldn’t leave.

“Go!”

And I took off as fast as I could.

EXCERPT FROM THE MELLAYAH CHRONICLES

Juniper Seward | Grade 5, Boise

Hi, my name is Pearl, Pearl Kraner. My parents are the king and queen of our world, Mellayah. Father says it is a very dangerous moment because the ruler of the world parallel from us has declared war. Their ruler, Rashma, is so obsessed with himself that he named their world Rashma, too.

“They’re coming… Pearl, follow me,” Father says harshly. His words scare me. I am only eight years old, so I do all I know to do: I follow him. We run as fast as we can; Mother comes too.

We are going away when a cannon fires. They’re gone. I run faster and faster but my eyes are watering with tears so much that they get too blurry to see anything. I’ve lost the way. It’s gone.

Just when I thought the world was over, someone grabs me, and, just as we’re about to hit the ground, I close my eyes. But instead of hitting hard ground, we fall on soft grass on a hill.

I stand up to see where I am. There is grass everywhere, a small village in the corner, a forest in the opposite corner, and I am standing on a hill next to a cliff. I turn around to see who had saved me, but they are already gone. Then, coming from the village, a girl about my age is running to me.

“What are you doing over here? We aren’t allowed to be in this area,” she says in a loud whisper.

“Oh–uh, sorry, I-I just…” I stammer.

“It’s okay,” she says, “I understand.”

I stare at her. I know it isn’t very kind, but she does it too. She is a beautiful girl. Her hair is a dirty blonde and she has freckles that go over her nose, covering nice, lightly tanned skin.

“Um, I’m sorry for yelling at you. My name is Tilly. What’s

yours?” she says.

“My name is Pearl,” I answer.

“Cool! Well, Pearl, here... I’ll show you around, follow me,” she says.

I follow her. I guess it could be fun.

A PRANK (PERCHANCE)

Maisie Murphy | Grade 8, Boise

1 INT. GREENROOM -- NIGHT

A band is getting ready to perform, when suddenly the power cuts out and there’s a scream. Mason, the singer, asks:

Mason

Oh, my gosh what just happened?

The lights come back on. The whole band realizes Ethan is gone. Cameron runs out to go and check on the audience. Everyone is gone. Cameron runs back to his brothers Dylan and Mason.

Cameron Everyone is gone.

Dylan What do we do?

Mason I don’t know!

Cameron, Mason, and Dylan go out and explore to find any clues as to what has happened. They find the exit door. They open the door with eagerness to see if this was all the prank

by their fans that Ethan had set up.

They look out the door to find a raging fire. They can’t see anything beyond it.

End scene. BLACK AND

WHITE

Myelle Leland | Grade 7, Boise

1 EXT GRASS AND HILLS -- DAY

A BOY sits under a wide tree with dying branches, all of them drooping in a sad curve. His ghastly gaunt features seem to droop with the branches above.

His head turns left to right, no emotion flickering on his face.

To his left. There’s a horizon of absolutely nothing, just dry grass and kicked hills. All that the boy sees is black and white, reflecting himself and his mental state.

To his right is a forest of bushy but small trees and the light white path. All is still. Black and white.

The BOY stands with gangly scraped knees. He wears a dark cap and long shorts that hover above his knees. His midlength brown hair sways around his small face.

A ragged raven swoops down from the dead branches of the tree.

End scene.

BODY OF A KRAKEN

Rayne

Brent | Grade 8, Boise

Kraken

The icy water hit my skin, like a hammer hitting a nail. The large wooden ship creaked as the waves hit it roughly. My sticky tentacles grabbed the sides of the ship. The crew of the ship began their panicked screams of fear. Their beloved captain stood at the edge of the deck, looking at me with disgust. He held his gun to the iris of my eye. He wanted me as a prize, a token for his bravery. I plunged my body back into the freezing water, shaking the body of the boat. The crew slid from each side of the boat to the other like they were in a rocking chair. The boat was pulled deeper and deeper into the water. Before I made them feel the cold I felt. Where the water pulled me deep, now they would feel it too. They would feel the hurt I felt when all I wanted was to feel special in their eyes, not like a monster. They would feel the pain I felt as the water dragged them deeper.

End scene.

COYOTE

Abby Evans | Grade 7, Boise

1 EXT DESERT -- SUNSET INTO NIGHT

The sun is barely a yellow-orange sliver on the horizon.

Gradually, it gets darker, and the moon rises. Its placid light sweeps over the much cooler night.

A skinny coyote slinks out of its underground home. It sniffs

a dead, dried-up bug. Its smell, disgusting, so gradually, the coyote cringes, wretches, and walks away in search of other sustenance.

The coyote sneaks into the outskirts of a village.

An old brown pot sits next to a cactus, dry dirt and sand filling it almost halfway. A large shard of the pot lies next to it.

The coyote finds no interest in it, so he stalks away back towards his desert home.

There’s a small puddle of water in his path, so he stops to take a quick drink.

Two chattering villagers walk by, making the coyote’s head snap up.

He quickly trots away, just when huge, dark clouds rumble overhead.

The coyote quickens his pace, just as he feels raindrops sink through his fur coat.

The rain quickly starts, raindrops the size of golf balls pounding down on the dry desert ground.

The coyote slips back into his home, knowing freshwater awaits him tomorrow.

End scene.

DEAD EYE

Max Wyatt | Grade 9, Boise

1 EXT. DESOLATE TOWN -- DAY

A desolate and useless small town, isolated, population less than 20. An OLD SHERIFF--he needs to retire--walks on the edge of town.

He sees a NEW GUY shooting lined-up bottles on an old log. NEW GUY only has 2 fingers on his shooting hand. He struggles to draw quickly, but he’s a good shot, hitting all 3 bottles.

The SHERIFF approaches him, wants him to work on his draw.

2 INT. JAIL -- LATER

SHERIFF takes the NEW GUY over to the jail. DEAD EYE sits in the cell.

SHERIFF tells DEAD EYE that he’ll let him out on parole if he’ll teach the NEW GUY how to shoot--NEW GUY will be the new sheriff.

DEAD EYE

(grimacing)

You wanna let me out.

3 EXT. EDGE OF TOWN -- LATER

The sound of wind and sand blowing in the wind. NEW GUY adjusts his stance, can’t handle it, gets frustrated.

NEW GUY

Everything you’re telling me to do has made it worse!

DEAD EYE

You’re doing it wrong!

NEW GUY

Well, you’re the one teaching me!

NEW GUY storms off; tries to draw on his own but fails. End scene.

LIGHTS OUT

Ronin Guill | Grade 7, Boise

1 EXT. MANSION -- EVENING

3 knocks, 3 people, the door swings open. Standing there is Ms. Merci, Ms. PrimaDonna, and Ms. Rose.

The butler, Gordon, politely invites them in. Guest after guest starts to arrive, all dressed nicely. Mr Gordon wonders why so many people showed up.

Gordon walks to William to ask why so many people have shown up. William reminds him of the small party he’s having.

A total of nine people show up.

Ms. Merci, Ms. PrimaDonna, and Ms. Rose are first. After them comes Mr. Trumpeter, Mr. Armstrong, and Mr. Mojave. The last are Mr. Elina, Ms. Heirloom, and Mr. Crimson.

William gathers all the guests, then the record screeches. A mysterious voice comes from the corner of the room.

Ms. Rose turned to Ms. PrimaDonna

Ms Rose (shaky voice) Wha-what do we do?

Ms PrimaDonna (quietly) Look.

Prima points to the corner of the room where the voice is coming from. Both of them freeze because there is no one there...

End scene. MISSING AMERICAN Eibhear Willis | Grade 8, Boise

1 INT. BRIEFING ROOM -- NIGHT

A briefing room, dark. Three officials have tense looks on their faces.

MAN (impatient)

You came to get me...what for?

OFFICIAL 1 It’s the president.

MAN

It’s the president? Man, it’s always the president, am I right?

The officials do not find this funny. They are staring at the man.

MAN

Oh, so, what happened?

OFFICIAL 2

We don’t know where he is.

MAN

How? He’s the president, the most important man in the country, and you don’t even know where he is?

OFFICIAL 2

We believe he was kidnapped during the night.

OFFICIAL 1

We have Secret Service stationed outside his room all hours of the night. Except for about 2 minutes during a swap.

OFFICIAL 2

Whoever did this has been planning for months.

MAN (thinking)

Do we have any idea who took him?

OFFICIAL 2 (obviously)

Every terrorist organization ever created wants a piece of the president.

MAN

So that’s why I’m here? You want me to find him? This is hilarious. You have to ask an old man to help you.

OFFICIAL 3

Anyways, we need a swift operation. If the press finds out that the president is missing, it’s pandemonium.

OFFICIAL 2

Are you ready to go back to the CIA?

End scene. THE FLOOR BOARD

Ganesha Jennings | Grade 7, Boise

2 EXT MS. CROCHITT’S HOUSE -- DAY

Meet MS. CROCHITT, a 76-year-old lady who wears peculiar clothes. Today she wears a cap, a chic blue jersey and blue baggy jeans. MS. CROCHITT is a sweet old lady.

MS. CROCHITT

Austin, your rent is due today.

AUSTIN

Oh, yeah, you remember the hiding place, right?

MS. CROCHITT

The money that’s hidden under the board in your closet? Austin, I don’t really understand why you hide your rent money from your roommate.

AUSTIN

I prefer not to talk about it.

MS. CROCHITT

You’ve never talked about it

AUSTIN

Fine, it started back in March when I had a jar full of the rent money. I went to work and I came home early. When I came home the jar was empty. Randy came into the room and wanted to show me something. When I walked into the room, I noticed the DVDs weren’t in the DVD cabinet. I asked Randy where they went. Randy just sat there smiling, Randy pulled out a stack of magazines and wanted me to twist the top magazine backwards.

FLASHBACK: AUSTIN’S APARTMENT

AUSTIN

Randy, that’s ridiculous there’s no way I’m twisting the magazine...

Randy twists the magazine backwards and the walls begIn to open revealing five whole bookcases full of dozens of zombie films.

RANDY What do you think?

AUSTIN

It looks, good but I have one question, RANDY Ask away.

AUSTIN

Where did you get these from?

RANDY

There was this big jar of money on the counter so I used it because I thought you wouldn’t care.

AUSTIN

That big stack of money was supposed to prevent us from being evicted!!

BACK TO SCENE

AUSTIN

I remember screaming at Randy for the rest of the night. I went to my room to get ready for bed. I opened my closet to find a wooden board that was loose. Suddenly I had an idea. I would hide the rent money where Randy would never get his grubby little hands on it. The loose floorboard worked perfectly from that point.

End of Scene.

SPLASH

Ella Zhang | Grade 7, Boise

1 EXT. SHIP -- DAY

The daisies on her bracelet jangle together as she watches the waves of the sea crash against the small ship. She gazes at the ocean view, peaceful. No more chaos.

SPLASH!

Her head whips around, faster than a car racing on F1.

Someone in the distance curses and barks out orders. She runs toward them only to slip and fall on a banana peel.

As she pulls herself up, embarrassed, she spots a young man yelling at a crew member. She taps the man’s shoulder, but he ignores her.

The crew is panicking and scrambling around.

Something hits the man. He collapses and dramatically flails around. A disgusting creature rises out of the water. It has boils and bumps all over its body--everything about it screams monster!!

Its eyes are slits. It slings the man into the murky sea and lets out a blood-curdling scream. Everyone runs. The girl’s vision goes black.

End scene. THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Eve Wald | Grade 7, Boise

1 EXT. STREET -- DAY

The cars rush back and forth. Their engines work overtime with some starting to sputter. Bikes go through, not stopping for a second.

Everyone’s in a rush.

A woman sits on a bench. She’s the only one not busy.

The bright sun beats down on her fair skin. A burn begins to form.

She drums her fingers impatiently on a composition book.

She seems to be waiting for something.

End scene.

PHOENIX FEATHERS

Avery Ruckh | Grade 5, Boise

Scene 4

At the mountains, in a cozy cave, two days later, eating a mountain goat.

MACAW: Well, flurry, I’ve got to hand it to you. The mountains are pretty great.

FLURRY: Well thank—

MACAW: Even if you do make me eat meat.

FLURRY: Hrumph. …So what’s in your bag?

MACAW: Food (it’s all eaten). Water (all drank). And a phoenix feather bracelet.

FLURRY: Did you know phoenix feathers can grant wishes?

MACAW: Really?

FLURRY: Go on, try it out.

Macaw touches bracelet. Closes eyes.

MACAW: I wish for a papaya tree right there.

Macaw points toward Flurry. Suddenly, a papaya tree grows right under Flurry’s feet. He is smushed against the roof of the cave.

FLURRY: Oooooh.

Macaw flies up and picks a papaya.

MACAW: Mmmm.

End of excerpt.

HIDDEN MAGIC

Chloe Wang | Grade 5, Boise

“Fine, I’ll go, only if my friends are there!” Tiga yelled.

“We are only sending you to camp so you can have fun,” explained her parents.

Tiga hated going to camps, but she was sent to them anyways, no matter what. This one was called Camp Inspiration, which she went to last year, except none of her friends were there, and it was the worst.

“Your friends are going to be there, now go get some sleep, pick out clothes, tomorrow is going to be a great day, you’ll see,” said her dad reassuringly.

Tiga rolled her eyes, stomped to her room and fell onto her bed face first. Then, she went to sleep. She heard her mom come in and turn off the light and say, “Good night.”

Tiga had a dream about camp that night. It wasn’t a good one. She dreamed that it was full of monsters, and it was just her. She bolted up, tangled in a heap of bedsheets. She

looked at her clock. 3:00 AM, time to go back to sleep.

After a while, “Time to wake up!” came her mom’s voice.

“Mmh why?” Tiga asked, “I want to go back to sleeeep.”

“Time for camp!” came her father’s cheerful voice somewhere downstairs.

“Fine.” Tiga got up and got dressed. A white T-shirt with a bunny and some flowers and a light blue sky. She was also wearing jean shorts and a sapphire necklace that she always wore.

“Ready?” asked her mom encouragingly.

“I guess not,” Tiga shot back.

Silence the whole car ride there.

“Have fun!” called her mom as Tiga climbed out of the car. Tiga forced a smile.

Okay, get ready for torture, she thought. She ran inside the building.

“Tiga! We didn’t know that you were coming!”

Tiga turned around. Standing there were her best friends, Sarah, Piper, Skylar, and Jackson. Group hug.

“I was so worried you guys wouldn’t be here!”

“I’m so sorry we couldn’t go last year. Last minute plans!” said Piper.

“We were in Florida,” grinned Sarah and Jackson.

“I had to go to a different camp, one that I hated,” said Skylar, pulling up a face.

So, the day went on and Tiga had the best time. First they made Claw Arcades. Then they watched a movie.

“Oooh!” Skylar said three times during it.

The day went very smoothly, until…the end. The sunny sky suddenly turned gray and started to rain. They were playing outside and had to go back in.

“Awww,” Piper complained. “Why did it have to rain!”

“We were having such a good time,” groaned Jackson.

“Camp Inspiration, we are now going to the playroom since we can’t go outside. Single file line please,” called their

camp instructor, Heather.

End of excerpt.

BUG CITY

Isla Mercer | Grade 6, Boise

Scene 1

We see MARY roaming around a house with a door clearly marked “basement.” Mary goes to open the door and she finds that it is very heavy. After several attempts, she is able to get the door open. When she looks inside, she is stunned by what she sees. When the audience finally sees it, they see a mini New York City with a lot of bugs walking around with mini versions of modern human technology. BELSON approaches her.

BELSON: Hello and welcome to New Bug City! We are very grateful to see you, we haven’t had a visitor for several years. But sadly, for population control, you’re going to have to go to jail. GUARDS!

Mary is taken to a very large jail.

BELSON (con’t): Muh ha ha ha haaa!

Bugs start crawling up Mary.

Scene 2

BELSON: Now. Let’s finish making this bread.

Puts the key to Mary’s cage in the bread accidentally. BALINDA enters.

BALINDA: Oh. You made me bread. How wonderful!

BELSON: Yes. Except I don’t know where I put a prisoner’s key to the cage. I guess I don’t need it anymore.

BALINDA (chewing the bread): Mmm this is really good!

BALINDA bites into key.

BALINDA (con’t): Mmph!

BELSON: What?

BALINDA: Nothing.

BELSON: OK.

End of excerpt.

THE BOOK OF THE STARS

James Moreau | Grade 6, Boise

Scene 1

TOM and WILLIAM enter the stage, playing a fast game of tag while holding chicken drumsticks. William chases Tom around the stage. Tom, out of breath, gets tagged by William. A long bell sounds and muffled whispers and talking can be heard. Tom and William give each other a guilty look before running off to the forest.

Scene 2

The two run through the forest, running over logs. William

trips on a vine, falling into a cave. William looks up, seeing the entrance many feet above him. They begin to adventure into the cave.

Scene 3

The Cave. A dark, damp cave at night, in the middle of a dark forest.

TOM: It’s dark in here!

WILLIAM: Why don’t we light a torch?

TOM: That’s a good idea.

William pulls two torches from his pack. Chicken wings fall from the bag. Once the torches are lit, two dark passages can be seen. One slopes downward, while the other goes steeply uphill.

TOM: There’s a fork in the cave.

WILLIAM: I’ll take the downhill one. You take the upper one.

Tom lightly punches William on the arm, and the two begin to wrestle on the cave floor. Tom lightly punches William on the arm.

WILLIAM: I give up. You win.

Tom lets go of William.

WILLIAM: Let’s explore the cave.

Scene 4

Tom can be seen holding his torch. After an initial incline, Tom begins to descend. The cave feels darker each step. William now seen instead of Tom, explores his cave with many twists and turns. He pulls out a green mushroom, crushes it, and pours the juice on his torch.

WILLIAM: This mushroom should brighten up my torch.

The torch then begins to glow bright green, illuminating the cave.

Scene 5

The Book of the Moon. William and Tom walk into each other, falling on the ground. William stands up, dusts himself and looks around. A book, illuminated by the moon, can be seen in the moonlight through a crack in the cave roof.

WILLIAM: Wow!

TOM: This is interesting.

Tom and William walk up to the book. William picks up the book. The wind begins to blow.

Scene 6

Tom and William, many years older. Tom and William were just made warriors. They are doing their habit of visiting the book every other day. They come over to the book and Tom picks it up.

As soon as he opens it, a single drop of scarlet blood falls out, falling down the stone floor. The wind begins howling. A ghostly voice says:

VOICE: All warriors should get a power. Tom, step forward.

Tom steps forward.

VOICE: I grant the power of battle. You can no longer die in battle.

TOM: Thank you, book of the skies.

VOICE: William, step forward.

William walks up to the book.

VOICE: I grant you the power of wisdom.

WILLIAM: Thank you.

BOOK: The Dark Lord is coming.

End of excerpt.

THE RISE OF THE OCTOPI

Josie George | Grade 6, Boise

CHARACTERS:

Rose: Curious, tall, short light brown hair, likes bananas.

Sasha: Stuffy voice, butt chin, unibrow, sunken cheeks, long blonde braid, receding hairline, mean, brave, wants a friend.

Scene

ROSE takes another cool drink of water. It is so hot out. She lives at one of the survival camps on an island. She looks out at the water. She can swim, but if she loses track of time, she could get

burnt by the chemicals in the water. The sun burns hot as she walks to the only patch of shade on the island, a small patch of trees. Camps like the one 11-year-old Rose lives at had been built years ago, when the water first started rising. Very few people thought it was a threat.

SASHA puts her hair into a tight long braid. She walks out of the shelter room and comes across Rose. Sasha sees the water in her hand and gives a look like “you ate the last sandwich.”

SASHA: Oh my gosh Rose! That’s like your third water today! The water boat only comes every two weeks! I never drink that much water.

ROSE: This is my fir—

SASHA: There are six families to keep alive!

Sasha stalks offstage. Lights turn red, and an alarm sounds nearby. ROSE’S MOM runs onstage, grabs Rose.

ROSE’S MOM: The octopi! They’re coming!

Both run offstage. An OCTOPUS enters. Rose enters with three OCTOPI on her. Sasha runs in.

SASHA: Let her go!

Three more Octopi grab her. Everyone runs offstage. “A Big Splash” plays. Light turns blue. Underwater sounds play. The octopi place an oxygen mask on both of them. They also give them goggles.

Sasha and Rose are dragged deeper, and deeper. The acid in the water stays at the surface, so at least they won’t get burned. The

ruins of a city come into view. Octopi are swimming in and out of buildings. The two girls are put in a huge tube with oxygen tanks filling it with air.

ROSE: We’re alive!

SASHA: What happen?!

ROSE: I think, (slowly and carefully) we’ve just been kidnapped by octopi.

SASHA: Then how are we alive!

ROSE: I do not know.

Both girls look around. An Octopus comes in. It seems to be studying them.

SASHA: Is it (pauses) studying us?

ROSE: It seems so. Maybe they are as curious about us, as we are of them!

SASHA: You. As you are of them.

ROSE: Maybe humans’ time on earth is over, maybe it’s their turn (gestures to the Octopus) to rule the planet.

End of excerpt.

ELLA IN ATLANTIS

Mariel Carter | Grade 6, Boise

A lake gleams under the bright sun, the waves splashing against ELLA’S ankles. The water is cold and fresh, each wave cooler than the next. Ella is surrounded by beauty. Mountains, trees, and wildlife all around her. The breeze blows softly against her skin. All is calm until an unexpected tsunami drags Ella under. Life flashes before her eyes as she is pulled into a giant whirlpool. Ella sees eyes belonging to sea monsters, getting closer and closer, then…

Silence.

No more beasts. No more fear. Air.

Ella takes slow, deep breaths. Bringing her to her feet. No. Not feet. Fins. It takes Ella’s mind a bit to process that she is no longer human. She’s a mermaid. A voice in the darkness says:

VOICE: Hello.

A vibrant pair of green eyes flashes, coming toward her.

VOICE: You remember how you were saved now. These mermaids saved you from the monsters.

Ella opens her mouth to thank them, but a question slips out instead.

ELLA: Where am I?

VOICE: Atlantis.

The mermaid emerges and swims toward Ella, her long hair

swishing behind her with every movement.

ELLA: And who are you?

LILA: I’m Lila.

ELLA: Why’d you take me here?

LILA: You’re one of us now.

End of Excerpt.

LIGHTING UP THE DARK

Michael Haynes | Grade 6, Meridian

Scene 2: Hiring

GIDEON walks into an office room with a MAN in it.

GIDEON: You wanted me?

MAN: I need you for a mission. Your job is to climb the black mountain and destroy the Foundation of Darkness.

Pause.

GIDEON: Why would I do that, and why me?

MAN: It would destroy dark magic entirely, and we need you because you’re the strongest light magician we know of.

GIDEON: Anything else I should know?

MAN: The guard is a Beyonder. Beyonders are people who

can use both types of magic.

GIDEON: Can I have a map to the mountain?

The Man gives it to him and both exit stage.

End of excerpt.

THE PLANET MISSION

Phoenix Kreiter | Grade 6, Garden City

He started counting each ship and the amount of aliens they could fit, just enough for all his friends and him. He started to set up the explosive after he sent a message from a computer from there to the town hall that they need to come to the kingdom and fly to earth because the planet’s going to blow.

Caleb finished setting up the bombs and waited for the peaceful aliens, AKA what he calls his friends. He saw them enter and fly away and set it for 30 seconds until the explosion, then he felt it. The fall felt like slow motion. He knew this would probably be the end of his journey with the delay 3, 2, 1 (BOOM).

Right before the end, Caleb felt a single tear roll down his face, but not because he was scared, but because he wouldn’t see his family ever again.

End of excerpt.

GERALD THE FIRST

Ryan Richards | Grade 5, Boise

King Tom-Cat was an extraordinary orange tabby cat that ruled over Petlandia. Petlandia was split into five parts: cats, dogs, birds, reptiles and small rodents. Each category was one fifth of Petlandia, but in the middle of Petlandia is The Human Prison. Basically, if a human got in it would be sent to the human prison. It’s been working like that ever since it appeared.

This is the story of Gerald the First and how he overpowered King Tom-Cat and stole the crown.

King Tom-Cat was awakened by one of his pool servants to go and eat a delicious breakfast. It consisted of: wet food, dry food, wet dry food, dry wet food, wet dry wet food and dry wet dry food. The king winningly ate everything on the table and gained his weekly five pounds, then he plopped into his lounge sink and took a nap.

End of excerpt.

THE GARDEN OF CACTI

Winnie Hurwit | Grade 6, Boise

Desert hot sun. Sand. No other life other than…snakes. So many snakes. But there are two other living things: one OLD MAN and one YOUNG GIRL, surrounded with nothing to fight with. But they don’t need to. The snakes just sit there.

Finally the snakes start moving. Slowly forming a door with a black cobra as its handle. The door opens to a garden full of life. But not animal life, life of cacti. At the end of the garden there is a stone slab with three separate cacti—one small, one large and one in between, all with one flower. In between them are stone

lions covered in moss.

SAM: This is what we’re here for.

SARAH: The stone lions?

SAM: No, the flowers from each of the cacti on the table.

SARAH: OOH let’s get them.

SAM: NO! Not yet!

But it was too late. Sarah had already picked two of the flowers. One small, one big. This was bad because the flowers needed to be mixed right after they were picked.

The whole reason they need the flowers is that Sam’s wife, son and his other daughter are sick with an unknown disease. Sam did lots of research and found they needed to find the garden of cacti in the middle of the desert. The three flowers were supposed to cure any disease. But now they can only save one person.

But…there is another ingredient to the cure! Only the research wouldn’t tell them.

AN ADVENTURE

Ariadne Kunz | Grade 3, Boise

Hi, my name is Ariadne. I know I am awake in the middle of the night. But I pull on my sweater and see something that might change everything.

I see a beautiful garden. I smell lemon and the smell of flowers. I feel petals so soft that they could be feathers for a bed.

It’s the dead of night so it is quiet. I taste the pretzel bun that I had for breakfast.

Then, I come across a blue rose. It glimmers in the moonlight.

I touch it, and I am in the past??

I am in a garden. A long fence separates me from outside. It is getting to be dawn. The birds are chirping, So, I start stomping my foot.

“Hi Emma,” I say. “How are— The wind cuts me off.

“I am born from light,” I say.

“But now you are in jail,” she says. It stinks in here.

A little later…

“You have to be careful who you trust here.” I could tell she didn’t want to talk about it.

“My name is Ariadne,” I say. She smiles. “Where do you live?” she says. “Here,” she says, and pulls the lever. Suddenly, we are in an underground town with a spider problem. Then I see the gnomes. It was an abandoned mineshaft.

“You want to go back home?” says Emma.

“Yes,” I say.

THE LUMBERJACK’S SON

Gabe Hellenkamp | Grade 4, Boise

It was a day like no other. It was the day I would cut down my first tree.

I’d seen Papa do it hundreds of times at the perfect angle, so that it rarely took him seven swings of the axe!

Papa had taught me that trees are for our use, not nature’s. Nature has plenty, it can lend us some.

So, we walked into the wood, and then I cut it down…

I was silent all the way home.

She was a humble birch. She looked kind enough to dine with. And I had just cut her down.

Years went by, and I wasn’t sure of what to do. Finally, at the age of eighteen, I said to myself, I will be a lumberjack and try to impress Dad.

So, I became a lumberjack. One day, I was going about his business, and suddenly out of nowhere, a flying elephant burst into the clearing, then fled away only seconds later. A twin set of flying pups flew into the clearing.

“That’s it,” I said, and I walked until I found a portal. I picked up a stick and stuck it in. It sucked it right through, and slowly, gradually, it did the same to me.

A city of stars. Some bright and some blunt. All ideas were accepted and came rapidly.

Out of dusty, severe shadows, several strange creatures appeared, including a pumpkin head on a rather tall tree stump, a capybara with a willow growing out of its head, and a magnificent three-headed giraffe.

I decided I might as well explore, so I explored for three straight days. On dusk of the third day, I fell into a hole, darkness.

I was sitting next to a rosebush.

“Hello,” it said.

“A talking rosebush!” I raised my ax, though I was quite hesitant. So hesitant, in fact, that I slowly lowered my ax.

“Thank you,” it said.

I asked: “Who are you?”

“I am a talking rosebush. You are troubled.”

“I am,” I said. “I don’t want to be a lumberjack, but Father does.”

“Ah, “ said the rosebush. “Go to lighting.”

“Who?”

“Lightning. The expert yoga cat!”

“Uh, ok, where can I find her?”

“At the great elm.”

A MINECRAFT STORY

Ethan Zhang | Grade 3, Boise

In a country, lived a kid named Henry. One day, he saw something glowing in the garbage. It was like a core with a very clear box by it. He put the core in the clear box.

That opened a portal.

Henry went in the portal. On the other side, there was a totally different world.

Out of nowhere, came a bee, and it knocked down onto a tree. Somehow, he broke the tree!

He started gathering wood. He made a crafting table and a full set of wood tools. He went mining for iron, but his pickaxe broke. So, he made another pickaxe and kept mining iron until he had enough to make iron tools.

He went back to make his house in this world. He finished the wooden house quickly so he could go mine diamonds. He mined until he got enough for full diamond armor and tools.

He went into a cave and got lava to make obsidian, and he made The Nether Portal. He went in to get Netherite, got full Netherite armor and tools. He also got some blaze rods and Ender pearls.

He crafted the Eye of Ender, but he saw other players. He ran away to the structure. When he went back to the nether portal, it was broken. He still had only two buckets in his inventory. He got lava. He made the last obsidian and went back to the overworld.

He spawned in an abandoned village. There was nothing in it.

He got some food and found the stronghold. He looked around for the portal room. He found it and put one Eye of Ender in all the blank spots.

The portal appeared. He was ready for the fight. He went in. He hit one after another. It didn’t work.

He now knew that the End Crystals were healing the End Dragon. He used the six arrows in his inventory to break the End Crystals. He used the Netherite sword and beat the Ender Dragon.

That opened a portal back home.

LEAFEON AND LOGAN

Audrey Liew | Grade 2, Meridian

Leafeon meets a tree in the middle of a forest. They see a well emerge from the mud. Leaf sounds—leaves are falling. It is hot outside.

The tree says, “you’re my friend.”

There is the smell of apples in the air.

There is a puppy there. Its name is Spot.

Spot helped Leafeon. If the tree picks a leaf off and puts it on something, then it poisons it. Spot got adopted by Leafeon.

Leafeon finally found out the tree’s name was Logan. If Logan farted, it would poison them.

But Logan had to fart in their face, then it worked. If Logan farts in their face, the person explodes. They are the same type of tree. They live in Meridian. Spot is two. Spot loves both of them.

They are planning to get a puppy friend for Spot. They are going to the shelter to get the puppy.

Spot is excited.

They get the puppy. The puppy’s name is Spot 2.

THE MAGIC DINOSAUR

Jack Kowalczuk | Grade 3, Boise

Aaaa! I’m escaping the dinosaur!

COOKIE’S WORLD

Phoebe Glaisyer | Grade 3, Boise

Chapter One

Cookie was walking on the floating sidewalk. She was minding her own business when, suddenly, she saw another cookie alone. He looked sad.

So then, Cookie walked up to him.

He said, “Who are you?”

She said, “I’m Cookie. What’s your name?”

He said, “I’m Cookny.”

After that, Cookie was never alone again! They had a lovely child. They lived happily ever after.

They had a lovely relationship. The baby grew and grew, birthday after birthday. The baby became six. Their life became harder. The dad got a job.

Chapter Two

They got a babysitter to babysit their child while they went to their favorite hangout spot. They saw a portal in the distance.

They walked toward it and went in it. They saw their future selves.

They saw another child: more hard work. And on top of that, a huge glass of milk got dumped on their cookie house! They went silent.

They looked down at the ground. They smelled soggy cookies.

They were sad.

A week later, nothing happened. They went back to the portal—it wasn’t there.

They were confused?? They needed it to see what would happen next!

DARK FOREST

Chaeyoon Jung | Grade 3, Meridian

Chapter One

A long time ago, there was a dark forest. This was called the Maple Forest. No one had been there. Well, they tried, but they couldn’t. But one day, there was a brave girl named Ryia.

One day, Ryia went to the Maple Forest. It was very dark. Ryia felt like there were butterflies in her stomach. But she was brave.

Ryia was halfway through. Then, she saw the willow tree. Ryia took a big breath, stepped on the tree, then…

Chapter Two

Black widows came out from inside the tree and a whole maze. Ryia was confident. She went into the maze.

It looked hard, so she went out of the willow tree and called her friend Russell. Russell and Riya went to the willow tree. It was cold when Ryia was in it the first time.

Then, they went to the maze. When they were about to go inside the maze, their stomachs started to rumble like a grizzly bear.

Then, Russell and Ryia heard a sound, it sounded like a…a monster!!

…Actually, it was thousands of butterflies trying to help. Russell and Ryia were so glad. Then…

Chapter Three

Almost all the butterflies sat on Russell and Ryia. Then they headed to the maze. There was moss around the maze. Russell and Ryia went through the maze. Then there was a

riddle.

The riddle: The plants are green, but one flowered with different colors.

MR. BEAN

Dane Norsk | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter One

In a land far far away, there was a wizard living in a small hut named Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean was small but mighty!

Mr. Bean was always happy when he was in his hut, until today.

Mr. Bean just remembered that he dropped a magical seed under his hut while he was building it, so he grabbed his trusty shovel and started digging up the soft, lush soil under the oak wood of the floor of his hut.

Two hours later…

“Aha! Found it!” said Mr. Bean. “I have found the magic bean!” Mr. Bean ran up the mountain of dirt.

Chapter Two

Mr. Bean went into his hut and said, “AC 200!” His hut turned into a massive dung gun. It was rainy and cloudy. Boom! Bang! Crash!

Mr. Bean crashed to the floor. Then, the torches lit up. Suddenly, a ghoul walked into the room with a foul-scented smell.

“Mr. Bean, you have been naughty,” said the ghoul.

EXCERPT FROM BANISHED

Mukta Shrotri | Grade

6, Boise

As she got into the bull-drawn carriage that would take them to their deaths, Mary thought about how Rocco had betrayed her. Three years ago when she was seven, she had accidentally started crying when her brother had gone up to face his death in this very carriage. Rocco had seen this and reported her. She was still mad at him, but what could she do now?

She turned backwards and saw a little boy with red hair and huge bangs. They weren’t allowed to talk. As they approached the Building of Elimination, everyone started trembling. It was a big gray building, the same color as all the other buildings in Palencia. The cart stopped so suddenly that Mary’s head hit the seat in front of her.

EXCERPT FROM YELLOWSTONE

Jordy Aguilar | Grade 6, Boise

When I awoke, I realised that I wasn’t on break anymore, and I had to get back to my 9-5 job as a scientist. Suddenly, the ground started to shake violently. The ground shook so hard that the tops of the buildings started to fall off and land in the middle of the street. One part of a building even fell on top of a car.

Then, all of a sudden, it just stopped like nothing had ever happened. When I looked outside my window, my part of the city looked destroyed. I heard sirens in the distance, then I thought to myself, “Who got hurt? Did anyone I know get hurt?”

Then I got a call from my best friend Leo. When I answered, his breath sounded shaky. I asked, “What happened? Are you OK?”

“Yeah,” he said. “My mom got hurt. She’s being rushed to the E.R. I’ll call you back.”

Leo has been my best friend since elementary school. He was really the only friend that I had.

My name is Jason. I graduated college at Stanford University and got a job being a scientist. I work and live in Denver, Colorado, and we have a problem.

EXCERPT FROM ROBOTS VS. HUMANS

Logan Liew | Grade 5, Meridian

One day a robot named John was made, and he flew to space. John made up a tradition that every robot year, on 102/199, all the robots would fly to Earth to grab a human. Then they would throw him or her into a fire because once on Robot Island 102/199/20260, a scientist came and tried to kill all 2,000 robots.

Every year, they made better, newer, and stronger robots with very complicated technology. One day, a robot named Brady was made. A bot who was working at the factory accidentally made the wrong code for Brady.

Brady wanted to stop the war between humans and bots, but he didn’t tell anyone because he would probably get killed. Two days before 102/199, he blasted off to stop the war.

EXCERPT FROM THE FOREST AND CAMIE

Charlie Glaisyer | Grade 5, Boise

It was in the middle of winter, the forest was quiet and calm, the snow was falling slowly. There were different tribes living all around the forest. They all had one thing in common. They were all green. There were 50 tribes in the forest.

This one tribe was called the Makae tribe. There was a king, his name was Jasiare. Every tribe had their own power, the Makae tribe can make plants from their hands. Their closest tribe was tribe Tilare, their power was they could control water. The cool thing was that all the tribes had their own green tint for their skin.

In the Makae tribe, there was a girl named Camie. Her parents died when she was 8. She is 15 now and her grandma watches over her.

EXCERPT FROM MANGO’S TERRITORY

Bella Nguyen | Grade 5, Meridian

Then Mango decided to get a pet. Her pet was a maxicorn, but she did not buy just one. She bought multiple. They all looked very different, and each one had their own superpower, like water, fire, earth, or air. They did have some of the same traits though; they were helpful, kind, and very fun to play with. Many people use the maxicorn to get to places, or just to have fun with and ride around with them.

EXCERPT FROM BEELING’S REVENGE

Mina Nguyen | Grade 6, Meridian

It’s been 5 years since any of the bees gave birth, but today that changed! Beeling Lee Van was born. Although Beeling was born, everybody laughs at and disrespects her because she was born without wings and she is pink instead of yellow. Even though Beeling is very young, she can feel the rudeness everybody gives her. She decides to get revenge!

Beeling thinks of a brilliant idea. She would play dead to fool everybody, and goes to prepare for revenge.

EXCERPT FROM FLOWERS

Ellie Martin | Grade 5, Boise

Chapter 1

Olivia walks on the smooth sand, looking at the pink shells that glimmer from the sun, and trying to get away from her siblings, Autumn and Willow. Autumn and Willow always had a special bond, or connection, you could say.

Olivia is fearless. She doesn’t have any fears that she knows about. All she wants is the best life for everyone.

“Mom, my leg hurts.”

Oh, did I mention that Willow only has one leg that hurts every once in a while? Yet she doesn’t let it limit her.

Chapter 2

Olivia walks back home to talk to her monster-puff, a pink and green puffball-looking monster.

“I wish I had magic,” complains Olivia, “I’m magical,” said Maggie, her monster.

“I know it, just… I know there’s magic on this island that can be used, I mean… you use magic every day to stay alive. Maybe I should just try and forget it,” sighed Olivia.

EXCERPT FROM LAVA

OCEAN

Grace Fritz | Grade 5, Boise

But why, you ask? We think it’s because crabs can go on land and in water, so Tom can just move onto land, and everyone else gets burnt to a crisp.

And now, this is the time in this history lesson where I come in. So here I am amongst all this lava almost filling up the whole ocean. I wanted to help so I started gathering fish

to a better source of water so they wouldn’t die from the heat.

EXCERPT FROM ZACK

Bearen Kowalczuk | Grade 5, Boise

Hello, my name is Zack. Most people would look at me and say I’m a tall and skinny kid. Not my dad. He’d say I’m big, strong, aggressive and tough, which is why he picks on me all the time. Since I was old enough to help him at the armory, I’ve been a blacksmith, burning myself all the time.

Acknowledgements

Summer Writing Camps at The Cabin touch the lives of hundreds of student writers and adults each summer due to the talent of our teaching-writers, the generosity of funders, and the gifts of time and support from volunteers, interns, board members, and community partners.

Thank you to teaching-writers Colleen Brennan, Sonya Feibert, Chris Mathers Jackson, Aurora Mehlman, Hannah Rodabaugh, Cassie Kiyoko Woodard, Chloe Bliss Snyder, Trey Hayden, Heidi Kraay, and Tracy Sunderland.

Many thanks to our 2025 interns, camper-support assistants, teaching-assistants, and Cabin staff: Abby Barr, Trey Hayden, Daphne Stanford, Brooke Warmuth, Eppah McFarlane, Sophie Whitfield, Rachel Jacobson, Julia Thrasher, Madi Hill, Maya Gudapati, Mya Powell, Nathan Johns, Adriana Cuchillo Tapia, Lizzy Engman, Kiryn Willett, Hadley Starman, Ella Mantle, Adie Bartron, Hillary Bilinski, Hillary Colton, Chris DeVore, Gen Emerson, Jordyn Marcroft, Desmond Fuller, Joel Wayne, and Kurt Zwolfer.

Writing Camps and publication of CAMP FIRE are made possible by generous support from The Idaho Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, The Whittenberger Foundation, Idaho Community Foundation, Boise State University, Amazon Literary Partnership, Zoo Boise, Boise Art Museum, Foothills School of Arts and Sciences, World Center for Birds of Prey, The Wassmuth Center, Jim Hall Foothills Learning Center, and Flying M Coffeehouse.

Teaching-Writer Biographies

Cassie Kiyoko Woodard is a fiction writer and translator who recently earned her MFA at Boise State University. Her writing has been shortlisted for The Masters Review Winter Short Story & Featured Flash contest, and she recently presented her translations at the American Literary Translators Association conference.

Tracy Sunderland writes screenplays, plays, and is venturing into creative memoir. She is the 2024 recipient of the ICAs fellowship in performative and media arts, and is excited to be getting back together with rye bread–bread is back in 2025!

Aurora Mehlman is a fiction and creative-nonfiction writer currently working on a novel; won 2nd place in The Master’s Review 2024 Contest for Emerging Writers, and when she’s not taching at BSU or CWI, writing, talking about writing, or teaching yong writers, you can see her zipping down the nordic ski trails at Bogus Basin or along the greenbelt by bike.

Chris Mathers Jackson is a book reviewer, English teacher, and writer of fiction and creative non-fiction. She loves teaching Cabin camps and encouraging young writers to find their own unique voices. Starting this fall, she will become the 9th and 10th grade english teacher at Sage International school. She also loves adventuring—near and far—with her husband and two daughters.

Hannah Rodabaugh is the author of Lost Cathedral and four chapbooks of poetry. Her poetry is featured in The Indianapolis Review, Camas Magazine, Glassworks Magazine, Plant-Human Quarterly, and Berkeley Poetry Review. She teaches at Boise State University and the College of Western Idaho. When not writing, she volunteers for the Golden Eagle Audubon Society and collects rare desert succulents from around the world.

Chloe Bliss Snyder is a poet and translator from upstate New York. Her chapbook Ekho and Narkissos can be heard on PennSound; some of her other work can be read in various outlets, and is forthcoming in the Chicago Review.

Colleen Brennan writes short stories and memoir and has received a literary award from the Alexa Rose foundation. In her spare time, she likes to hike, skate ski, and play beethoven sonatas.

Sonya Feibert is a writer, storyteller, and improviser. In January 2024 she did a Studio AIR residency at Surel’s Place to write a story about her last name. She’s a parent to a small human, a small dog, and many house plants.

Heidi Kraay is a playwright and writer-across-disciplines who recently got to stay at the Hemingway House as a Writer-in-Residence, brought her play Take Me Away: a trainwreck with monsters to the Valdez Theatre Conference in Alaska and was one of two inaugural Boise City Writers-inResidence in 2024.

Trey Hayden writes poetry and is a recent graduate of BSU’s Creative Writing MFA. Originally from Kentucky, he enjoys playing piano and biking the greenbelt in his spare time.

Index A

Aguilar, Jordy 149

Aslett, Evelyn 83

B

B., Declan 87

Benton, Declan 33

Berrey, Louie 47

Black, Kiera 79

Bohren, Aliyah 71

Bohren, Layla 71

Booth, Brooke 42

Brent, Rayne 116

C

Canterbury, Harrison 18

Carroll, Avery 80, 112

Carter, Mariel 136

Chilcote, Addie 70

Cluff, Iris 89

Conner, Isabelle 105

Curtis-Schaeffer, Trillian 13

D

Davidson, Sean 73

Davis, Prairie 52

Diemart, Ollie 28

Diggs, Maia 15

Emoto, Ellie 44

Evans, Abby 77, 116

F

Factor, Cali 62

Felkins, Lausten 30

Fisk, Charlotte 28

Fleshman, Eli 63

Fletcher, Layla 85

Fountain, Maddy 9, 38

Fritz, Grace 152

Fulkerson, Theron 45

G

George, Josie 133

Glaisyer, Charlie 150

Glaisyer, Phoebe 146

Gobeille, Magnolia 47

Goodhew, Addi 109

Goodhew, Gavin 103

Gorham, Mila 96

Groenert, Em 70

Grunke, Aiden 69

Guill, Ronin 119

Gunder, Willa 106

H

Donegan, Harper 108 E

Hadfield, Indie 76

Hanson, Piper 107

Harris, Brayden 58

Hartje, Walter 98

Haynes, Michael 137

Hellenkamp, Gabe 141

Hill, Ben 50

Hillman, Carson 31

Hiney, Amelia 77

Hoban, Ellie 26

Hollopeter, Clara 40

Hollopeter, Eleanor 39

Houseman, Keira 58

Hurwit, Winnie 139

J

Jackson, Susie 49

Jennings, Ganesha 122

Jensen, Isabella 10

Jung, Chaeyoon 147

Justice, Addison 64

K

Kausler, Ezri 51

Kausler, Riker 62

Knopp, Mara 86

Kowalczuk, Bearen 153

Kowalczuk, Jack 145

Kreiter, Phoenix 138

Kreller, Evelyn 74

Kunz, Ariadne 34, 95, 140

L

Lazzaro, Stella 94

Lehosit, Penelope 37

Leland, Myelle 115

Liao, Erwin 35

Liao, Kelvin 34

Liew, Audrey 144

Liew, Logan 150

Litchfield, Otto 27

Liu, Joanna 44

Liu, Katherine 45

M

Mark, Liam 75

Martin, Ellie 152

Martinez, Elaine 43

McClure, Jack 31

McElwain, Emily 88

Mendenhall, Marley 100

Mercer, Isla 129

Mesher, Evie 107

Mesher, Jamie 91

Meyers, Selma 30

Monroe, Caroline 35

Moos, Eamon 99

Moreau, James 130

Murphy, Maisie 114

N

Navvab-Safavi, Theo 25

Neelakantam, Aravind 78

Nguyen, Bella 151

Nguyen, Mina 151

Niu, Iris 41

Nixon, Millie 73

Norsk, Dane 148

O

Oden, Clara 21

Ohri, Amisha 56

P

Porter, Piper 65

R

Radin, Freya 60

Richards, Ryan 139

Ross, Charlotte 35

Rourick, Declan 106

Ruckh, Avery 126

Ruschman, Evie 9

Russell, Betty 11

S

Sadiki, Rehema 75

Saunders, Maksymilian 92

Schrandt, Lucille 66

Scrivner, Ray 16

Seward, Juniper 113

Shaviv, Dan 28, 42

Shrotri, Mukta 149

Smith, Harper 53

Stanger, Sophia 19

Strix, Eva 67

Strop, Sylvia 90

Sung, Frances 22

Sutharsan, Vidhu 79

TTalbert, Oscar 48

Thiry, Claire 110

Timpane, Ailish 14

Timpane, Maeve 10

Tolman, Teddy 57

Tovey, Thea 49

V

Vermooten, Annika 72

Villa, Rose 72

W

Wald, Eve 125

Wang, Chloe 127

Warner, Eli 24

Westhoff, Annabelle 11, 23

Westhoff, Asher 13, 26

Willis, Eibhear 120

Wyatt, Max 68, 118

Y

Young, Beau 17

Z

Zamzow, Calvin 55

Zhang, Ella 124

Zhang, Ethan 54, 143

Summer 2025

Writing Camps

Camp Fire

The Cabin is a Boise, Idaho literary arts organization. We forge community through the voices of all readers, writers, and learners. Writing Camps nurture the imagination and awaken the senses through creative adventures in the art of writing.

IN THE WORLD

Ellie

Hoban | Grade 6, Boise

In this world, I am alone. All plants have overgrown. I have nowhere to go. I live like a wolf and hunt for prey every night and day help me get away but until a day when I am the prey I have to stay.