Wednesday, October 26, 2011

So Long for Now! from Mrs. Webb

GOOD-BYE! HAPPY WRITING!

             It's the sixth and last day of our Narrative Writing Series. Thank you, Students, for the smiles, laughs and great times we've enjoyed together in the Rasmussen Learning Room on Skyline Court. I hope you continue to write and have a good time with both your Creative Bird and your Editing Bird. Remember that they are your friends. 
Scroll down this blog post for a little walk down your 
writing-memory-lane! 
Thank you to Mrs. Rasmussen and her family for inviting us to have our 
writing classes in their great Learning Room. 


Remember the Short Story Plot Mountain?

Our Second 3rd-5th Grade Class

The Second Class for 6th-9th Graders
A special "thank you" to Mrs. Kutz for helping us each week.

FIVE STEP WRITING PROCESS--ALWAYS!
  1. Pre-writing/brainstorming
  2. Rough draft
  3. Revising
  4. Editing
  5. Presenting/Publishing


The Autobiographical Incident Frame that you can adapt for other writing assignments.

Writing Wisdom
(Helps, Dress-Ups, Tips and Devices to Empower Your Stories)
  1. Alliteration. Peter Piper picked a peck. OR Fun in the Forest, Blur of Brown
  2. Sensory Detail: Feelings. 5 Senses: Sight/Sound/Smell/Taste/Touch
  3. DETAIL: Who? What? Where? When? How? (in the yard, kitchen, at the beach, on the mountain, “doctor from South African”, names, colors 
  4. Onomatopoeia: CRASH! BANG! POOF! 
  5. Clauses: Phrases to start sentences-rather than each sentence with noun/verb.
  6. Write “tight.” Delete “to be” passive verbs when you can. Was, Were Am. Also, reduce sentences when too many words and prepositional phrases. 
  7. Reduce repetition, redundancy, duplication. Look for it.
  8. Be clear about what you’re writing. ASK: WHAT ARE YOU REALLY TRYING TO SAY? Read it as the reader and not the author: Where does it feel like sandpaper? Ask the Q of another person?
Your Writing Bird-Friends



Creative Bird
Editing Bird
Your Creative Bird’s Name:
Your Editing Bird’s Name:

Tweets during the Brainstorming, Rough Draft and Revising Steps
Tweets mostly during the Editing Step


He/she is a fun friend who helps you experience and develop your imagination, ideas, feelings and ability to be honest, authentic and to identify with your readers.
He/she is a caring friend who helps you improve your writing so that your readers will want to read and learn from your stories. He/she also helps you develop a sense of accomplishment and joy in writing well while sharing what you’re really trying to say.


My Editing Checklist

Name ________________________________________Date ______

Title of My Writing ________________________________________

1.      I read my writing myself to see if it made sense. __________

2.      I read my writing to another person (or asked someone else to read my writing) to see it if made sense to him/her.  ______________
3.      My writing is focused on one important incident/happening in my life. __________
4.      My opening attracts a reader's attention. __________
5.      The title fits the piece and gets a reader interested. __________

6.      I replaced weak words (went, nice) with powerful words. __________

7.      I deleted over used words (then, and, so). __________

8.      I checked for correct punctuation. (. ? ! , " " ') __________

9.      I checked for correct capitalization. __________

10.  I indented or used a paragraph symbol ( ) to begin a new paragraph. _________

Writing this piece was: hard work______not so hard______easy ______

Editing this piece was: hard work______not so hard______easy ______

Next time I would change
__________________________________________________

So, have fun with your writing!






The Portal by Grant Frazey


Grant with his twin brother Garrett and a friend
8th Grade
            It had been a long hard day for young Joey. When he got home, he went to play outside with his dog. He and his dog played for a while, when Joey noticed a large hole in one of his trees.  He threw the ball at it when he was playing catch.  The ball went into the hole, but it never came out! His dog got angry and followed the ball into the hole. Then Joey did the unthinkable!  He went in after them. Joey thought, “It must be some kind of a portal.”
When he got up from the ground, he was in a lush, grassy field full of trees and mountains. Just as he turned around, he found his dog running toward a waterfall.  He chased his dog to the waterfall and watched as his dog drank the water. His dog soon began to become bigger and bigger, until his dog was so big he was taller than an elephant! He had also changed in other ways – his bark sounded frightening, his teeth were sharper, and his eyes were red!  Joey got terribly scared and ran for the portal! But wait. Where was it?  “Where is the portal!” screamed Joey.

Then his dog forced him closer to the rock face of a mountain. The dogs beating eyes looked at him.  Then he growled and began to attack!  Joey, in distress, looked for a way out of this horrible nightmare.  As he struggled, he saw the portal under the dog’s feet. He jumped towards the portal and his dog jumped after him. 

Then Joey found himself back in his yard.  His dog had returned to normal and was lying beside him. Over the years, Joey tried to use the portal, but it would never work. After many years went by, the tree was removed and Joey’s awful experience nearly forgotten -- but Joey never looked at his dog quite the same again!

Short Story

Shattered Glass by Garrett Frazey


Garrett with twin brother Grant & another friend
8th Grade
           One evening I found myself lazily reclining in a chair watching television.  I had just gotten to the climax of the movie I was watching when I heard the sound of shattering glass in the distance.  Scared, I ran as fast as my legs could take me to my room.  After closing the door as quietly as I could, I scrambled under my bed and hoped that no one would find me. 

It had just occurred to me that no one else was home when I heard a faint whisper that said, “You look in there and Reggie and I will look in here.”  “There are three of them,” I thought.  I closed my eyes and dared not move or breathe.  They searched the room for about five minutes when I felt a light tap on my back and a voice saying, “found you.” 

That was the last thing I remembered for some time until I woke up in the back seat of a car.  I acted like I was still asleep because I didn’t want any trouble.  I went on like this for about five hours when the car came to a halt.  They dragged me out of the car and carried me into a building.  We rode on an elevator for a long time and stopped on the top floor.  We went outside again and I stopped pretending to be asleep.  I squirmed around for awhile but they got a rope and tied it around my waist.

The men hauled me over the edge of the building and I dangled by the rope screaming.  After a minute or so a voice yelled, “Bye.”  The rope snapped and I was hurdling towards the earth like a rock, 1000 feet until I hit the ground, then 500 feet, 200 feet, 10 and…  Suddenly, I found myself lying in bed with my arms and legs stretched out like I was doing a belly flop.  I was relieved.  “It was all a dream,” I thought -- until I heard the sound of shattering glass in the distance…

Short Story

Pop Pop Popcorn by Ben O’Hearne


There once was a planet named Bologna. It was in outer space. It circled around the Earth three times a day. On this planet there lived big popcorn people. The popcorn people were short, yellow and fluffy. They had two eyes, a marshmallow nose, and two pretzel ears. Their lips were red licorice drops, arms and legs were black licorice sticks. Instead of walking they hopped and popped up and down.

One day on an exploration day, the popcorn people came across a secret volcano. It was as tall as the sky and wide like a football field. The volcano was black outside and inside it was blue like a river. Hidden under a rock a path was discovered that led to a grand treasure. Mounds of white and grey sandy salt. Quickly, the popcorns began a fight for ownership of the treasure. Hours and days passed. The fighting continued. There was melted and broken licorice everywhere.

Suddenly from the volcano there was a loud boom! Yellow liquid gold flew everywhere. The popcorns were covered in gold. It was the most delicious thing they ever tasted. It was butter! The popcorn people decided to stop fighting over salt and share the treasure. Instead they jumped in the new lakes of butter that were oozing out of the volcano. It was popcorn delight!

Short Story by Ben O'Hearne -- 3rd Grade

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Crazy Howler Monkey by Audrey Trudgen


Audrey - 7th Grade

           One morning I took Daisy to the Zoo. Daisy is my three year old sister and she is very friendly. That is what I worry about with her because she isn’t really scared of anything really, unless they try to eat her or something. So I am always on the lookout for her.  When Daisy said, “Monkeys! Monkeys!” I brought her to the the big howler monkeys because they are her favorite.

            Then Daisy let go of my hand and I turned around, then back again. POOF! Where could Daisy be?
           
            I looked in the cage first and there she sat on a branch looking at a monkey that was very confused. I yelled her name, she heard and looked my way. Daisy smiled and yelled back, “Look Jackie! The monkey is howling!” Just then the monkey took Daisy into his captivity and carried her to the top of the cage where there was a hole. When the howler monkey jumped out of the cage I started to chase it.

            When the monkey came to the lion den Daisy got dropped in and then the monkey ran off leaving poor Daisy in the lion exhibit. She went over to the lion while I called her name, “ DAISY!!!! STAY AWAY FROM THE LION!!!!!” She ignored me and walked toward it. She laid next to the female lion and then it looked at Daisy and licked her face.  I was so scared and didn’t know what to do, so I ran for help.

            When I reached the lion keeper I told them what had happened and they came with me. They got Daisy out easily and Daisy came to me screaming happily, “ The lion licked me, Sissy!” I replied still nervous, “ That’s great, Daisy!” Daisy is never going back there again!

Short Story

Closed Trail by Alex Trudgen (A First Chapter)


Alex - 9th Grade

“I don’t know, Will …it…it just doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

“Mariah, I’m pretty sure it will be perfectly fine. Come on, Joe and your sister are way ahead of us now.”

Mariah took a few deep breaths and started walking towards the closed trail.

“I still don’t think this is a very smart idea and it’s not my fault if we get in trouble, okay?” Mariah stated in a firm voice.

Will looked at Mariah, nodded his head and walked faster.

Mariah and Kayla had been best friends with Joe and Will for as long as they could remember. When they were all together their daring sides came out.  They did everything together whether it was stupid or not, and for sure this was stupid.

“Good Morning, Dan. So tell me what we’re looking at right now.” Detective Jules asked as she handed Detective Dan an extremely large coffee.

“Oh, thank you very much. I really needed some caffeine!” Dan took a huge gulp of coffee and started to explain what had happened.

“Apparently four people came to this camping sight five days ago. All four of the campers were supposed to be at work today and the two days before. A couple of their bosses called them yesterday, but of course no answers. Today they called our station to see if we could make sure they’re fine, but I don’t think they are.”

“What are the names of the missing persons and what makes you think they’re not okay?” questioned Jules.

“Their names are Joe Danes, Will Peters, and two sisters, Mariah and Kayla Barns. A Mrs. Katers saw them start to hike a closed trail two days ago. This trail is not closed for construction, but it’s closed because three people died on this trail!” Dan answered.

Jules now remembered the case on those three missing persons. The trail was right by a cliff and they had fallen off.

Short Story  (Alex has written the first chapter in a longer book.)

Face the Fear by Annika Rasmussen


Annika - 7th Grade 

            Mr. Quinn jumped into the water with a splash! His daughter Kasey looked frightened standing at the edge of the boat.  It had been almost a year since her last time in the ocean.  “Come on!” coaxed her father. “The water’s great!”  Shaking her head, Kasey paced the perimeter of the deck above her swimming father. She wasn’t going in the water until she was sure it was safe.

            “I don’t want to.” Kasey’s hands were on her hips.  “Remember what happened the last time?”  Shuddering, she began rewinding the tape of her life to last summer. “We were at that beach with the clear water, right?”

            “The Boracay Beach, to be precise!” reminded Eugenia, Kasey’s older sister.

            “Anyways…,” Kasey began.  Mr. Quinn and Eugenia listened patiently for the billionth time to Kasey’s story. It had been right after the tide came in. Her father waded in and asked Kasey to join him.  She did. But to her dismay, Kasey saw two small sharks lurking near her.  She’d seen them, let’s just say, viciously devour a small jellyfish.  It happened not four feet from her body
.
            Kasey snapped back into the present.  She peered into the clear waters below.  She could see no sharks. Deciding it was time to face her fear, Kasey took a deep breath and plunged into the warm water.  The water felt refreshing, giving her a break from the hot-as-sulfur sun.  She had fought her fears and there were no sharks!  Being in the water wasn’t so scary after all.

Short Story
                

Dream On by Whitney Kutz


Whitney - 8th Grade

           I'd dreamed of being in the Olympics as a gymnast from the time I was four and saw Simona Amanar of Romania win the all-around gold medal. The way the athletes could move and jump and twirl through the air fascinated me. More than anything, I wanted to do that.

Finally, I was here, at the 2012 summer Olympics in London, England. Standing on a stage, with a gold medal hung around my neck. The flowers I was holding shook slightly in my excitement to have won the all-around. As we sang the National Anthem, I could barely keep from jumping up and down and screaming for joy.

I waved at the crowd and blinked through tears. I could see my family in the stands, cheering and clapping. My brother was mouthing my name, his voice lost in all the noise. I could almost hear him saying it. With a sudden jerk, I realized I was hearing him call my name.

"It's time for dinner!" He was yelling now. I blinked a few times, remembering now that I wasn't at the Olympics. I was in my backyard and apparently it was time for dinner. "Coming!" I called back. Before going through the back door, I glanced over my shoulder at the tree branches that had served as my high bar, the bench for my beam, that little circle of grass for my floor mat, and my brother's picnic table for my vault. I smiled, tucking loose strands of hair behind my ear that had fallen out of my ponytail. Maybe I wasn't there yet, but I could always keep dreaming.

Short Story

Mastering the Bike by Jenna Kutz


Jenna - 6th Grade
             I stared at my feet as I wobbled down the sidewalk on my bike. The farther I went, the faster I rode, and the more worried I became. It’s only my second time trying to ride! I’m not ready to go this fast! I thought desperately.
 
             “Slow down, Beth! Wait! Watch out for the mailbox!” Dad shouted. Clang! I groaned and disentangled my legs from my bike. Dad ran to help me up.

            “I’m never trying to ride that thing again!” I told him stubbornly. I could feel him watching me as I ran into the house, slamming the door behind me.

            Despite my vow, I had tried to ride “that thing” again . . . and failed.  Once again, I stared wistfully out the window, my eyes following my older brother and sister, Nick and Maggie, as they bike back and forth in front of our house. Although I really wanted to learn how to ride a bike, I was scared of crashing again. I tried to go slow but if I went too slowly, I just toppled to one side. And all that accomplished was scraping my knees. Unless . . .

            “Alright, you have elbow and knee pads and a helmet, so it won’t hurt if you fall. I’ll hold the bike and run beside you until you’re ready for me to let go. Okay?” I nodded and Dad took a secure hold on my bike. As I started pedaling, Dad kept me from tipping over.

            “You can let go!” I shouted, and Dad’s hands fell away. But instead of spilling onto the sidewalk, as I expected, I breezed all the way to the corner. Dad cheered and I gave him a thumbs-up. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. I was on my way to mastering the bike.

Short Story 

A Scary Cheetah Dream by Ben Hartman



Ben - 7th Grade
          A long time ago, I completed a school project about cheetahs. In this challenging project, I was required to study the life and habitat of a cheetah. I learned a lot about these animals such as they are the fastest land creatures on Earth. They can run up-to 60 miles per hour. I learned so much about cheetahs that one night I had a dream about them, a dream that I would not appreciate later on.
   
          In this dream, I hiked through Africa searching for different animals to learn new things about. At the same time I was scared because the hot African sun descended into the horizon. I thought in my mind that I should get back to the camp area where my other friends were.

          As I got back onto the ATV I rented, I saw the large white moon ascend into the sky. I started the ATV and then all of the sudden it died, (meaning the ATV stopped working). I checked the gas, but the tank was empty, there was a leek. I could not believe it. I lit my torch and stated walking in the way where my friends were camping. The only issue is that I had no communication and I needed to walk at least 4 ¾ miles.

          Then, out of nowhere, POOF! I was attacked by a cheetah, (I knew it was a cheetah because of the golden brown fur and the black pocka-dots on its back). With a single blow to the gut, I became unconscious. Once I woke-up from the attack, I felt fury and warm. When I looked down at my-self, I had become a cheetah. When I tried to yell & scream it came out as a bit of a squeal. I thought, “OH, NOOOO!” I just ran as fast as I could and because I was a cheetah I ran 60 MPH. After that, I found my-self screaming or squealing, “AHHHHH.” I ran so fast that I could not stop from falling off a cliff.

          While falling off the cliff I woke-up from the dream. Scared to the bone I washed my face in my bathroom, jumped back in bed, and pulled the covers over my body. I knew from that moment on, if I ever had to complete a project like this ever again, I would definitely not pick cheetahs.


Short Story

Whirling Wind by Grant Frazey


                For my cousins 13th birthday, we went to SkyVenture Arizona!  SkyVenture Arizona is an indoor sky diving center. The room was a large vacuum that blows winds so fast it gives you the feeling of skydiving.  My cousin and I were very excited and couldn’t wait to get there! During the long drive to Eloy, we had lots of time to talk about what we were about to do. We arrived nearly an hour early just to make sure we didn’t miss anything.  We watched the pros do all their cool tricks while we waited.

               When it was time to begin, my cousin went first.  I watched my cousin from a small room with about fifteen other people. It looked so cool! Sitting there quietly, anxiously awaiting my turn was not easy. What would happen?  Soon, despite all my doubts, it was my turn!  The wind felt great blowing at my face!  I soon started to float, then the man inside, helped me learn to go up, down, and all around!  Soon, my first flight came to an end.

               My next turn was even better.  In contrast to my first time, I was very excited because I knew exactly what to do!  I got in the wind tunnel and began to float again. Near the end of my second session, the man helping grabbed hold of me and we both started to spin while going up and down. Eventually, my turn ended and my fun at SkyVenture Arizona came to an end!

Second Autobiographical Incident
Grant - 8th Grade 

My Plane Ride by Garrett Frazey


            One exciting morning, my brother and I drove over to our friend Bret’s house.  It was his 16th birthday and he wanted to invite us on a fun trip.  He had decided to go to Monterey, which in itself would be fun, but the best part was the way we were getting there!  When we arrived at his house, we immediately left for the airport.  We were traveling by private plane!

When we arrived at the airport, we walked right up to the plane which was waiting for us.  The small plane was sleek and clean.  It was kept in very good condition and looked comfortable inside.  The pilot and copilot gave us a short tour, showing us the bathrooms, drinks, and food.  When we sat in our seats we noticed that there was a table, a television, and that our seats moved in nearly every direction.  “Look,” yelled Bret as he opened a small box by his seat, “Candy!”  We soon found out that each seat had a small compartment that held candy, gum and a deck of cards. This seemed to be the beginning of a very entertaining plane ride.

After take-off, we decided to enjoy the food that was provided for us.  There was fruit that looked and smelled delicious – cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, and grapes.  It tasted extraordinary.  The pilot pointed out the Grand Canyon, and other places we might be interested in seeing, out our windows.  Our individual televisions showed the speed of the plane and the temperature outside.  To my surprise, the temperature outside was under 0 degrees Fahrenheit!  After what seemed to be a very short time, our plane landed in Monterey and our exciting adventure had come to an end!

2nd Autobiographical Incident
Garrett - 8th Grade  

The Cloak’s Clasp By Emily Dunnan


Emily - 9th Grade

         Clip clop, clip clop. Nicon the donkey trotted down the Roman road, hauling a cart, en route to the Ionian Sea. His owner and driver-Eutychius-looked like an ordinary peasant: leathery skin, graying hair, plain tunic and sandals. While his donkey worked, Eutychius took a nap beneath his floppy, wide-brimmed petasos. He justified his restfulness with the optimistic fantasy that Nicon knew where to go.

Suddenly Nicon halted, jolting Eutychius awake: a richly clad man stood beside them! He looked tense and anxious, though Eutychius did not know why. As Eutychius gazed at the stranger, he beheld the supple velvet, furs, and precious metals that lavishly decorated this person. What could such a man want with a peasant like Eutychius?

Unfortunately he never found out, for at that moment Nicon did the unprecedented. Grabbing the opulent cloak with his teeth, Nicon yanked repeatedly until he heard the taut velvet rip. Mortified to silence, Eutychius could only stare as Nicon slowly chewed up the expensive cloak. Crimson-faced, the man seized his garment and began a ridiculous unrestrained tug-of-war with the obstinate beast. Finally the man succeeded in wrenching the soggy mess from Nicon’s jaws.

Full of consternation, Eutychius dragged Nicon off the road (with considerable resistance from the donkey). Nicon, who hated off-road driving, began experiencing the consequences of swallowing costly clothing. Meanwhile, Eutychius heaved a great barrel of wine out of his cart and mutely offered it to the bedraggled man. Luckily, the disgruntled stranger accepted the wine, consuming it all on the spot. Eutychius drove away as quickly as Nicon could go while toting a stomach burdened by a solid gold cloak clasp.

Short Story

Impact Zone By Lexie Buchholz


Lexie - 8th Grade

            “I can do this,” thought Ashley as she watched the waves keep perfect rhythm, lapping the shore and then retreating. She made a decision before she left home that she was going to surf. She thought it would be cool to say that she surfed before she started 8th grade the next month. Her dad and older brother had some experience surfing so Ashley wanted to get a few tips from them to have the best experience.

When her family finally made their way to the beach, Ashley grabbed a surfboard and bolted straight for the water. The waves carried her away from the shore. “I WILL catch this wave!”Ashley tried standing up as the massive wave approached her. Splash! She realized she was under water and started struggling. It seemed like the wave was pushing her deeper and deeper under the surface. After being swallowed by the ocean, Ashley was surrounded by total darkness. Finally, the waved rolled by, leaving her choking and treading water. Her heart was pounding rapidly. She was making her way back to the beach, when her brother called her.
 
            He told Ashley she had been caught in the impact zone, which is why it was difficult for her to reach the surface of the water. Ashley knew she could have drowned.  She silently prayed, thanking God for saving her life.

            Every day, for the rest of the trip, Ashley tried surfing. She got her feet firmly planted on the board and traveled a short way before she fell off. Her victory was short lived, but she didn’t give up. “I’m glad I didn’t let my huge fall keep me from trying to surf again. I would have missed out on the most amazing experience of my life.” With that thought, Ashley started paddling towards the next wave.

Short Story

Fear on Floor 90 by Dylan Buchholz


Dylan - 8th Grade
        Being trapped in an elevator is not a pleasant experience. To prove this point, allow me to share my frightening episode. I’m a New Yorker at heart, but not even my big-city background could have prepared me for my big-city scare.

        I was in a cab, driving to the Empire State Building. I planned to meet my parents there, but traffic held me up. When I arrived at the building I raced to the elevator because I didn’t want my parents to get worried. However, when the elevator reached about the 90th floor, LURCH! The elevator shuddered, then came to a halt. The big white lights in the ceiling clicked off and were replaced by red emergency lights.

        Two other people accompanied me. A businessman stood in the corner looking around. Snapping pictures from the center of the elevator was a rather ostentatious tourist. The elevator felt hot, and I was getting scared. I had no idea what to do.

        The businessman decided to call maintenance with his cell phone. After he hung up, the tourist decided to show us the pictures he’d taken on his trip. He spent much too long talking about every last one. After about thirty minutes had passed, maintenance called the businessman back. They would be helping us immediately.

            DING! All of a sudden, the elevator lights came back on and we started moving up once again. Relief flooded over me! The air was getting thin, and I couldn’t wait to see my parents. As the door opened at the 102nd floor observatory, I rushed out to see them. I told them everything, and they kept hoping I was all right. I just hoped we could use the stairs next time!

Short Story

The Bad Turn by Lily Trudgen


Lily - 4th Grade

            Once upon a time, in the magical dragon-filled woods, there lived the Dumbo Duck family. One summer day they had an adventure. But, wait, wait, wait. Let me tell you more about their family. Joseph, the dad is 40, Sweetie the mom is 37 and Gracie the duckling is 9. They lived happily in a little cottage right in the middle of their forest, never fearing the kind dragons.
           
One day Gracie was flying around a tree in boredom when she stumbled across an amazing apple. She picked it with her beak and washed it at the creek. She ate from the wonderful apple and POOF! She turned into a tree. Instantly the apple became whole again and floated back up into the tree.
           
Joseph and Sweetie searched fearfully in the woods for Gracie. They flew over the woods looking in every nook and cranny, but couldn’t find her. So Sweetie sat down, put her wings over her eyes and started crying hopelessly. Joseph came over and hugged her comfortingly with his wings.
           
Then Sweetie began to look up tearfully and pray when her eyes fell upon the beautiful apple. She flew up with speed in her wings and picked it. She gave the apple to Joseph and he ate it, POOF! Gracie quickly turned back into a duck. “I love you, guys,” Gracie said excitedly while flying in circles and doing flips in the air. And they all lived happily forever after and never ever ate apples again.

Short Story

The Babysitting Blunder by Kirsten Rasmussen


Kirsten - 3rd Grade

“Good night. I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

“Good night, Noelle,” yawned Baby Jackson and four year old Maria to their beloved babysitter.

After Noelle left the room, she mentally went over her list of the things to do before Mr. and Mrs.  Simonson arrived home.  I’ll start with the dishes, she thought.  After she scoured the house, she sat down to relax and pulled out the newspaper comics she had been waiting to read all day. However, she didn’t notice the flickering candle on the kitchen table Mrs. Simonson must have lit before she left.

All of the sudden she heard a crackling noise and her hand felt very hot.  Looking up, she saw to her surprise that Family Circus was on fire! She immediately dropped the newspaper.  “Oh no!”  Noelle rapidly ran into the other room looking for a blanket to smother the flames.  The beeping fire alarm went off as she finally found a blanket. She ran into the kitchen and flung the blue baby blanket on top of the flames and waited as they died out.  The fire alarm sound disappeared.  She could hear faint sobbing from behind her.  Turning around, Noelle saw Maria and Jackson huddling together. Their eyes were as big as saucers. They had seen the whole thing.
 
 “What was that loud noise?” Maria cried.  Noelle ran and hugged them.
 
“It was just the fire alarm. It’s all done. You are going to be OK. Come here and I will hold you.” Noelle was just as terrified as the children and was happy that they were all safe.  As she looked over at the ashes on the ground, she noticed amazingly nothing was damaged.  That babysitting blunder could have turned out much worse, she thought.

Short Story


Super Saturdays by Faith Kutz


Faith - 4th grade

           I felt extremely nervous for my first day of gymnastics. My mom signed me up because she thought I needed to do something active and make some new friends. Being the shy one in the family I really didn’t want to go. Walking across the parking lot, heading for the gym I began to feel sorry for myself. I had not made a friend since we moved here last month. “Hi,” a voice broke into my thoughts.
 
            Turning around I found a girl with curly brown hair and extremely beautiful eyes staring at me. “Hi,” she repeated again “my name is Katherine.”

            “Hi, I’m Elizabeth,“ I responded.
 
            “I’m so excited about gymnastic lessons! Aren’t you?” Katherine asked.
.           
            “No not really,” I replied dully. “I don’t make friends to often.”
 
            “Oh! Well, I’m sorry, but I can be your friend,” Katherine exclaimed.

            “All right, everybody over here,” the teacher called. Everyone gathered around. “My name is coach Jessica.”

            She split us into groups. I was in the floor group. Looking around I discovered Katherine was at the floor, too. When it was my turn, Katherine cheered from behind me, “Go Elizabeth!” I walked onto the mat and did cartwheels across the floor. Katherine gave me a high five as I walked past her.
  
            “Good job!” coach Jessica exclaimed, “See you next Saturday.”

            I walked home from gymnastics with a happy heart. I guess my mom was right. I made a new friend, am learning a new hobby and I can’t wait till Saturday.

Short Story               

Desk Tool Valley by Shealeigh Hanna


Shealeigh-4th grade

            Once upon a time, in a house just like yours, there was a place called Desk Tool Valley. The computer is the theater, the sticky notes are the parks, and the shelves are the mountains.  All people here are desk tools.  There are staplers and pencils, erasers and even calculators. 

In Desk Tool Valley lived a tool called Evil Staple Remover. He dishonored God by causing mischief around the valley. God had sent a tool named Super Pen to rid everyone of this wicked tool. Each tool had a unique feature. Evil Staple Remover could eat anything while Super Pen could draw anything he wanted.

In Desk Tool Valley every one loved watching movies together at the Computer Theater. On this particular night the theater’s feature film was the Beauty and the Stapler. Everyone attended including Super Pen and Evil Staple Remover. Our hero, Super Pen, noticed the evil one across the room.  He knew that Evil Staple Remover was up to no good.  Super Pen began to draw boxes to contain his foe, but Evil Staple Remover gobbled them up. Next, he drew balls for all the moviegoers to throw at the villain. Evil Staple Remover popped every one.  The people of Desk Tool Valley were terrified and needed Super Pen to prevail.

The ink in Super Pen’s barrel was soon emptied from his many drawings. Without ink, Super Pen would not be able to save the valley.  Super Pen suddenly noticed that the ink from his failed drawings was beginning to puddle on the floor.  He quickly slurped up as much of the wet ink as he could before it dried. With his belly full, he located Evil Staple Remover and quickly drew a metal cage around him. It was finally over for the wicked tool. He was off to jail. God gave Super Pen the strength and power to defeat the evil in Desk Tool Valley.

Short Story