Write For Success IEW Yearbook

Bill viewed his pals growing bigger and bigger as he sped along. “What took you so
long?” questioned John as Bill hit the bottom.

“The one head wall was a sheet of ice. It took me a minute to get past it,” replied Bill.

“Ok well, I’m tired. Who wants to go get hot chocolate?” asked Jordon. With a smile, the
boys nodded their heads. With the weight of their helmets coming off their heads, the boy’s
legs started moving toward the lodge.

“I need to get better at riding on ice, but until then, I’m always going to ask the workers
what hills are icy,” stated Bill.

“Good plan,” replied Jordon, “Now I cannot wait for that hot chocolate.”

Emily L.

My name is Emily; I am thirteen almost fourteen years old, and I'm in eighth grade. I live
on a farm in the country in southern Louisiana. I live with my wonderful family that consists of
my mom, dad, three brothers, and two sisters. I am the third eldest. In my free time, I enjoy
practicing for my completive swimming, hanging out with friends, working of the farm, and
basically anything exciting, like ziplining above the trees in the mountains! Some of my absolute
favorite foods are, of course, ice cream, crawfish, and cheesecake! When I go to college, I will
most likely study to become a chiropractor. Some of the places I would like to travel to is Bora
Bora and New Zealand for the beautiful sights and fun activities. I epically enjoyed writing about
my favorite Christmas memory because I got to look back and remember all fun and laughs my
family and I had.

The Christmas Tree Conundrum

Because one of my favorite Christmas memories is decorating the Christmas tree with
my family, I've chosen to write about it. Every year before Christmas we all happily decorate a
Christmas tree. Comfortably being at home with my family to decorate the tree is very
enjoyable. Before we had the tree, we had to go to a Christmas tree farm and carefully pick out
the perfect tree! Then of course we had to go to Walmart because we needed to buy
decorations, which was quite an adventure! Lastly, we decorated our wonderful tree.

Searching for the perfect Christmas tree is a very memorable family tradition. On a cold,
but sunny morning my family, which consists of three girls and three boys, and I went to a
Christmas tree farm since it was Christmas. While we joyfully search for our wonderful tree, we
all stayed together so we would not become lost. Our tree could not be too fat, skinny, or short.
At last, we found our tree, paid for it and were given free candy canes! Helpfully, the workers
loaded our tree on the top of our large, white van. Once we loaded up inside of our van, we
noticed that we had mud all over our shoes! This is an extremely fun family tradition.

Buying decorations with my family is always adventurous and fun. After we successfully
loaded our tree, we went to our local Walmart to search for Christmas lights and ornaments.
Classically, our family prefers to obtain rustic/modern ornaments. Everyone enjoys glancing at
all the decorations the store has presented. My awesome mom decides to buy extra candy
canes just in case they somehow magically disappear from the tree. (It was me!) when we
exited the store everyone was feeling ecstatic and merry. Even though my little sister climbed
inside the ball pin while we were admiring the décor, we all love to go decoration shopping as a
family.

Decorating out Christmas tree is a tradition our whole family partakes in. The first thing I
do to begin decorating the tree is ting the skirt around the Christmas tree. Effectively, my older
brother helps me wrap the lights, which are white, around the tree with care. Gently, my sister
hands ornaments to the three younger kids so they can place them on the tree. After the
children have finished hanging the last of the ornaments, mom kindly distributes candy canes to
since they want to place them on the tree. Once the tree is all prettied up with lights,

ornaments, and candy canes, my wonderful dad places the star on the top of the tree. The
entire family definitely enjoys decorating the tree!

After a great deal of frantic searching, we finally find the perfect tree. Even buying
decorations, which are rustic/modern looking, is an adventure knowing my family. Merrily
decorating our tree together with the whole family is extremely fun. Although it’s fun to
decorate the tree, the most important part is that we all do it as a family. It's important to do it
together because it is a tradition we’ve always done together on Christmas and because one
day we will grow up and start our own families.

Isaiah D.
My name is Isaiah Doll, and I live the state of Tennessee. I have a mother, father, and
two brothers; I am the middle one. I like to play the game Super Smash Brothers. Ultimate. My
favorite foods are pickles, sandwiches, and salad. My birthday is on May Sixteenth. When I am
older, I am going to have kids and be successful.

Unfit

“The Emperor’s New Suit,” typically known as a children’s tale, it is a story written by a
man named Hans Christian Andersen who was a story writer. Being sold still in modern times, it
is part of the book, “Fairy tales for children.” Because it was published around the same time as
“The Little Mermaid”, it also became as well known. The story was adapted by various media.
After a while, the story was published in the town of Copenhagen by a man named C.A. Reitzel
on April 7, 1837, and despite the changes it has undergone, its message is still the same: Do
your job and ignore the distractions.

Imagine an emperor who only cares about clothes. Despite his conscience, he does not
perform the duties he should in the kingdom. It is the medieval era Surprising as it is for how
the kingdom is run now, it is large and thriving. Because they want money, two swindlers, who
are very tricky, come, and while they are there sneakily pretend to be weavers. Connivingly,
they tell the foolish emperor that they have a special pair of clothes they can make that will be
invisible to those who are unfit for their position or dumb.

The Emperor is self-absorbed. Amid other business, he wants the two men to make him
the invisible clothes posthaste. Foolishly, he gives the men a lot of money, gold, and thread so
they can “make” the clothes. Keeping the resources the Emperor gave them for themselves,
the two bad men fake making the clothes. The Emperor sends some of his men to go and see
the progress on the clothes, but because there are no clothes, they cannot see it, and believe
that they are dumb; so they pretend that the clothes are actually there and tell people about
them. Since the men want to leave soon, when the clothes which aren’t real are “finished,” the
people advise the king to graciously parade around the town in his “Invisible” clothes.

The emperor expertly emerges out of the town, the people complimenting him on his
clothes which are not even there. After passing through the main part of the city, an innocent
child says the truth about the clothes. He has nothing to lose. Thankfully, after the child speaks
truthfully, everyone else admits that there are no clothes on the emperor. Because of the
magnitude in which the people spoke, it teaches the emperor a lesson. Leaving the rest of the
crowd when the people have told him the truth, he still finishes the parade.

The moral of the story is to do your job. While some of the people in it are disappointing
and self-absorbed, this valuable lesson can still be learned. The theme of the story focuses on
greediness. It shows the good and the bad of people. The people of the kingdom are not very
special in that they are not different; they are all worried about what everyone else will think
about them. The book uses the swindlers to teach a lesson at the end not only to the king, but
to its readers as well; and we all need to learn it.

Katherine M.

My name is Katherine. I am 15 years old, and I live in Pennsylvania with my mom, dad,
and three sisters, Caroline, Abby, and my little sister Ellie. I have one dog named Sadie. In my
free time I enjoy playing soccer, baking, swimming, or riding my skateboard. I also enjoy doing
things with my family and friends.

Three Screen Theaters

Three screen theaters, which are starting small, are hoping to expand to 100 theaters
soon. Knowing these theaters are creating a bit of a competition with Netflix, Netflix may try
and compete. These theaters can’t be compared with IMAX, OR 3D because they have three
screens. Excitingly they are small now, these theaters will one day be very large.

Unfortunately, because there are limited three-screen theaters, not many people can
enjoy them yet. Now, you may be wondering why there are not a lot of theaters like this. The
reason there are so few theaters is because this was a trial to see how they would be received.
So far the crowds do like the three screens, but the amount of time that the movie is showing
on the three screens in minimal. This technology is fairly new. “It’s not 3D and it’s not IMAX”
said movie critic Britton Peele. It was created in 2012. By the end of this year they are hoping to
have 100 theaters, and in the next three to five years, they are hoping to have 1,000. Due to
limited resources, there are only approximately three three-screen theaters right now.

Surprisingly, these theaters have some serious competition with an online streaming
company, Netflix. Netflix has one of the fastest growing revenues in the entertainment
industry. By creating three-screen theaters, entertainment executives are trying to create a
better experience than what Netflix provides. “It’s an attempt to wrap the movie around you,”
explains Peele of Guide Live from DallasNews.com. They are trying to entice the users of Netflix
by appealing to more people with three screens. Due to Netflix’s competition, sadly, this may
not succeed.

Unfortunately, the amount of time that the movie takes up three screens is minimal.
Around ten to fifteen percent of the movie is actually on all three screens. If you were to sit in
the front of the theater you would not be able to see the all of the pictures on the three
screens. To have the best experience, you would be better off sitting in the back. “People loved
the panoramic view," Schilowitz said, “not to mention, only a couple of the scenes are on all of
the screens.” The experiences have been good, but they could be better because of the limited
three-screen time.

Using three screens makes you use your peripheral vision to see the sides of the movie.

Thrillingly by using three screens, it’s making you feel in the movie. Immersing you in the movie,
three screens give you a 270-degree view, which, honestly can’t be more exciting. This idea was
originally made up in the 1950s, but never was successful. Theses theaters where recently
brought back because of the want to have more screens. Appealing to more of your vision helps
the way you watch the movie.

These theaters have been an overall success. Expanding these theaters, which will surely
help their business, is going to happen in the near future. Surprisingly three -screen theaters are
attempting to fend off Netflix. Creating a memorable experience is important for the viewer
because you want them to come back. Streaming businesses such as Netflix are struggling
because of this. The theaters immerse you in the movie, making you want to stay.

Maria T.

Hello! My name is Maria. I live in New York in the country. I have a big family; in fact,
there are 10 people in my family their names are: Mom, Dad, Catherine, John, Peter, Natalie,
Joseph, Stephen, and Gemma. I love the summer. I love swimming. I am really looking forward
to the opening of our pool. My favorite thing to do is play my iPad. I enjoy playing Minecraft
with my brother, John. My favorite composition that I wrote this year is the journal. I enjoyed
writing it because I got to share my feelings of how I would react.

A New Friend
It was a hot summer night. Just before I went to bed I sneaked over to the front door of the house.
What I heard would change my life forever because what I overheard was that my dad was planning to
sell me. I suddenly felt abandoned, but relieved that I would soon leave my father who had been so cruel
to me in my past. I then reminded myself that I was unsure of this new master’s treatment, and knew
whether or not I would be treated better or worse than my father had treated me. I then decided what to
do. I would leave and go on a journey towards the North. I ran out to the barn to pack for my journey.
While I was packing I was amazed to discover my new owner’s horse could talk. I was shocked. I did believe
I was going crazy. The horse and I talked for some time, and we made friends. He even offered to travel
with me. I knew my luck had changed, for this horse was my ticket away from here.
It was midnight when I finally escaped from my home. I was nervous about riding my new friend,
the horse, whose name was Bree. I had no clue as to what I would do if I didn’t have Bree to carry me all
the way to the North. Since this was my first time riding a horse, I fell off quite a lot. It took a while, but I
finally got the hang of riding Bree. While we were riding, I heard a loud lion’s roar. I turned around, and
there it was as big as day, a lion! I screamed, and Bree and I raced as fast as we could to get away.
While we were making our escape, Bree and I were startled when we found out we were being
chased by a ferocious lion. I was scared. My heart was pounding through my chest! I kicked Bree with my
stirrups and urged him to go faster. I remembered that riders bent down on their horses to increase their
speed, so I crouched as low as I could, and we did go faster. I suddenly became aware of the fact that
there was another horse next to us! I was amazed to discover that the rider was a girl who owned another
talking horse! She and I were both socked at one another, but I highly dislike the idea that she treats me
like trash! She thinks that I am a spoiled and unkind boy and a thief!
I did it, I finally arrived at the tombs and waited for Aaravis (the girl who I met) and the horses. I
waited a long time. Soon it was night. I was still at the tombs, and there was no one else there. I was really
frightened. I was a little superstitious and believed that there were ghouls in the tombs next to me. {3]
Suddenly, I felt something touch me! I was relieved when I found out that it was a cat. I was relieved this
cat was a wonderful comfort to me. I soon decided to go to sleep. I lay down on the soft sand. My back
was leaned on the cat, and my face was towards the tombs. Soon, I feel asleep.

Matthew H.

Hey, ya’ll! My name is Matthew Henderson, but a lot of people call me Matt. I am 15
years old, but not for long. My birthday is May 18, 2003. That’s this Saturday. I am a freshman
homeschooler, which is what I’ve done all my life. Homeschooling, I mean. I have two younger
brothers, Isaac (14) and Ethan (13), and my mom and dad, Katie and Ryan. Right now, I am an
athlete and an aspiring musician. I play the piano, trombone, and a little bit of guitar. I love
soccer, and I play basketball and baseball as well. My dad is the pastor of a rural Baptistic
church in Spring Run, Pennsylvania, called Spring Run Bible Church. I’ve been a pastor’s son all
my life. I plan on attending Appalachian Bible College for a degree in something ministerial.
Exactly what, I don’t know yet. I think that the article I composed about George Washington is
one of my best works so far, and I find it encouraging that Washington was such an exceptional
leader while still being a Godly man.

An Upright Commander

Using the talents God gave him, George Washington helped immensely in the shaping
of the United States of America. In fact, his nickname is the “Father of our Country.”
Surprisingly, the nation’s capital was named after Washington, while later a state was named
after him as well! Because Washington had a good reputation, he held many vital offices such
as commander of the Continental Army, president of the Constitutional Convention, and
president of the United States, which is the highest ranking in our government.

George Washington was a selfless commander of the Continental Army. He wished to
avoid war with England. Washington didn’t have any desire to be a leader in the army, nor did
he want the $500 monthly pay that came with the job. He shared the same burdens and
hardships that his soldiers endured, like sleeping on the floors of tents instead of a nice bed. As
you can see, George Washington was not out for selfish gain, but was a selfless commander.

George Washington was a prudent president for the Constitutional Convention. In
1786, Washington wrote, “We are fast verging to anarchy and confusion.” He had recognized
the need for a plan of action. Washington was elected the leader of the Convention and held
the entire process together. He refrained from giving his input in debates, though. He was
focused on reaching an agreement. George Washington was such a sensational leader that he
attained a unanimous approval on the Constitution. George Washington’s character made him
an excellent leader for the Constitutional Convention.

George Washington was also a sincere president for the United States. His sense of
duty was his focus for what was best for the States. When Washington traveled, he showed his
kindness to the American people by stopping and mingling with them. He recognized that he
didn’t have any presidential example to follow, and that future presidents would follow his
lead. With this in mind, Washington appointed advisors to help him run the country. He did
not influence laws made by Congress but reserved the right to veto them. George Washington
truly was an excellent first president for the States.

In the past, George Washington was instrumental in forming our country, which was
crucial. Amazingly, he was selfless even as he was commander of the Continental Army, and he

suffered the same hardships his men did. While he was president, Washington dutifully held
the Constitutional Convention together. Being the man that he was, George Washington’s two
most important attributes were his compassion and care for the people under him. He was also
a monumental first president and set a standard for presidents to come.

Bibliography
Blassingame, Wyatt. The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents. Revised ed., Random House, 1993.
Philander, Chase D. World Book Multimedia. 2013 ed., Software MacKeiv, 2013.

Micah L.

My name is Micah, and I am 13 years old. I am located in South Carolina, USA. In my
house, it’s me and my two other brothers and three sisters. In my free time I like swimming,
playing Fortnite, and much more. My birthday is November 21st. Some of my favorite
restaurants/food are Taco Bell, pizza, and definitely donuts. I enjoy doing many outside
activities, but my favorite would have to be soccer. My favorite composition this year would
have to be the troll and the Billy goats. The way it expresses the trickery they use is really
entertaining to read, and I had a great time writing about it.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The “Three Billy Goats Gruff” is an aged Norwegian folktale about three big, broad Billy
goats trying to cross a bridge when they run into an unexpected interruption from a troll which
stops them from crossing. The story then continues with smart thinking and trickery to
outsmart the troll. Heading in the past, the fable then was originally told orally and never was a
book. Luckily, the authors, Peter Asbjomsen and Jorgan Moe collected many folktales that
inspired them to publish their own. Then they finally finished. Although the English translation
wasn’t published until 1985 a little after the original was, people still savored the story. The
fable is actually part of a book called Popular Tales from the Norse. With this interesting story, it
includes one black and white illustration that clearly shows the characters in the story.

The “Three Billy Goats Gruff” protagonists are three goats in all different sizes. The goats
are oddly all named Gruff. Early, the goats get up to feast on a big hillside near their home.
Trotting along the road, the three goats are on their way to get fat on a big grassy hillside.
While on their journey they come across a hideous troll with huge eyes and a very long nose.
Over the bridge is the delicious hillside but the troll lives under the bridge.

Standing there, the Billy goats cannot cross the bridge while the troll is there because
he is really hungry. The smallest goat approaches the bridge and crosses it. The troll hears him
and threatens to eat him! Since the Billy goat Gruff is so small, he uses trickery to fool the troll
by waiting for a bigger Billy goat. Suspiciously, the angry troll believes him and lets him cross. A
few moments later the medium-sized Billy goat gruff trots softly on the gravel. Since the troll
once again hears him, he becomes intensely angry. The medium Billy goat gruff states that
there is a bigger Billy goat on his way. The troll once again believes him and lets the medium
Billy goat head on.

The biggest Billy goat Gruff appears with his big hoofs and long horns which all the other
Billy goats told the troll about. The Billy goat terminates the troll. Casually, he stomps on the
troll with his firm hoofs. The Billy goat gruff throws the hideous troll into the creek with his long
horns. Walking faster than ever, all the Billy goats finally reach the hillside. With all the juicy

grass on the hillside, they become very fat. When every Billy goat is finished, they hardly can
walk to their home since they are stuffed.

The “Three Billy Goats Gruff” includes a pretty disappointing ending for the troll who is
harshly beat up. Strangely, the fable doesn’t realistically portray the troll’s strength. It shows
him as being a weakling. He could be. Since there is an interesting plot in “Three Billy Goats
Gruff” that requires a challenge for the Billy goats, it gets the reader’s attention in the story.
Except for the lack of good morals like the trickery and violence it teaches in the fable, it has an
enjoying plot to it to also make the reader more excited. Taking their time, the authors also
had an effective use of action verbs in their story to succor the reader to distinctly show the
actions of this intense fable.

Owen H.

My name is Owen, and I live in Texas. Running through the house, my three brothers
and five sisters live a rowdy life. I like to train constantly in basketball to get better. Because I
have trained and practiced hard, I can shoot far easily. My favorite food is probably hamburgers
and fries, which taste yummy. Actually, I don't know what I will do when I grow up, but I might
want to coach basketball. Of all the paragraphs, my favorite composition I wrote this year is
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi because it was about courage, bravery, and loyalty. This year was great.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Catching our attention, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is an anthropomorphic, fantasy story,
which is part of the exciting and popular Jungle Book. When it was published in 1895, it
became a big hit. The story was carefully written by the famous English author Joseph Rudyard
Kipling. In India, he grew up although he was English. Actually, the book was illustrated by his
loving father. The story became an animated TV show. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is an amazing book.
Guarding the garden, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a brave and kind mongoose. In the garden Nag
and Nagaina are evil cobras, who are extremely poisonous. They cause fear. A family joyfully
and abruptly arrives from England for a vacation. Actually, the garden is in India when Queen
Victoria ruled. Since the bungalow garden holds flowers, it is a colorful garden. Nag and
Nagaina fiercely terrorize the garden.
The lasting and dangerous conflict excitingly contains the mongoose versus the cobras.
Finally, Nag and Nagaina realize that if they kill the people, there will be no mongoose, whose
goal is to destroy all cobras. If the mongoose is gone, Nag and Nagaina's children will be safe.
During the conflict, Nag dies drying to kill the man. When Rikki-Tikki-Tavi approaches the
helpless baby cobras, he brutally kills all of them except for one. Nagaina prepares her revenge.
Grieving Nag's death, Nagaina decides to kill the cheerful and young family herself, while the
family doesn't expect it.
A showdown between Nagaina and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi begins in the family's kitchen, which
surprises the shocked family. With the family safe, Rikki-Tikki distracts Nagaina with one of her
eggs. When the two animals circle each other continuously, Nagaina takes advantage and grabs
the egg then dashes for the hole. Grabbing Nagaina's long and slimly tail with his teeth, Rikki-
Tikki-Tavi and the snake both enter the hole. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi emerges victorious, when the other
animals thought he was dead. Fortunately, from then on there was no more fear in the garden.
Everyone and everything lives peacefully.
People will like this book because it has an entertaining moral. In the book, it includes a
suspenseful plot. A mongoose versus a snake. Because the story creatively gives us a fantastic
glimpse of different animals, we should learn more about them. Writing with style, the author
uses similes to produce a great image in our minds. Obviously, he has loyalty to the garden and

the small and quiet family, which makes him kind. Both animals fight for something the need. So
who do you think was fighting for the right thing, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi or Nagaina and Nag?

Rachel S.

My name is Rachel. I’m in the seventh grade, and I live in Alabama. The people in my
family are my mom, dad, brother, and puppy. My brother is starting his second year of college.
I play the piano and flute, which are two marvelous instruments. I also immensely enjoy writing
songs. Taziki’s and Salsaritas are two of my favorite places I like to eat at. My favorite
composition that I wrote this year is Strange Flamingos and Their Behaviors. I enjoyed writing
this because I learned many interesting and strange facts about flamingos.

Strange Flamingos and Their Behaviors

The iconic pink flamingo appearance comes from the food they consume. The Caribbean
flamingos, who consume the pinkest food, have the brightest colors. They have long necks and
a wing span and height of 55 inches. Their gigantic, webbed feet brilliantly assist them in
swimming. When in flight, a flamingo’s pink appearance makes these birds appear handsome,
because they resemble a magnificent, pink stick.

The flamingo’s preferred habitat is in salty lagoons. Because fish aren’t welcome,
flamingos find food in salty, muddy areas. Flamingos, who are mothers and fathers, spend
months perfectly architecting a nest. When finished it looks like a volcano, because of the
shape of the egg. If you ever pass by a salty lagoon, keep your eye out for a flamingo.

Most flamingo feeding habits are done by catching food upside down. Flamingos are
large creatures that gobble up tiny food. Flamingos feast on vulnerable crustaceans and insects
expertly detected in muddy water. They filter water with their spiny tongue, which excellently
works, and squirt excess water out of their bills, because they need just the right amount of
water. If you ever spot a group of flamingos with their heads upside down in the water, they
are feeding.

Flamingos, which are extremely peculiar to begin with, have some strange group social
behaviors. Flamingos are never discovered without a group and stay with colonies for
protection, because they are stronger in a group. Baby flamingo chicks are carefully brought up
in a crèche. Another weird flamingo social habit is called a wing salute, where they majestically
raise their elegant wings and salute an unknown leader. When it comes to social behaviors,
flamingos can be especially strange.

Rebecca H.

My name is Rebecca Humphrey. I am fifteen years old, and I will be advancing into
eleventh grade this coming school year. I am from a small, beautiful town in Upstate New York
called Oswego. I am part of a perfectly sized family, which consists of my dad, my mom, my
older brother, and me. Some things I love to do in my spare time are read, dance, sing, play
piano, bike, swim, hike, or just hang out with friends. “Surprisingly,” I have many favorite
things! They include family, friends, sunsets, seasons, dance, and ice cream. One of the
compositions that I thoroughly enjoyed writing this year was one of my narratives called “The
Adventures of Super Granny: The Case of the Dog-knappers”! I loved adding this story to my
collection of Super Granny Adventures that I have been writing over the past several years. One
day I would like to try to have this children’s collection published into a series.

The Adventures of Super Granny

The Case of the Chip Snatchers

One beautiful, fresh spring afternoon in the quaint country town of Quietville, Granny
Good-girl and her faithful, sidekick Speedy quietly sat on their back porch. Granny peacefully
practiced her bird watching, which is one of her many favorite hobbies, while rocking back and
forth in one of favorite rocking chair. She slowly started nodding off to sleep, while Speedy lay
half awake at her feet, as well. Suddenly, both of them were quickly aroused from their sweet
dreams by a loud cacophony of hundreds of birds squawking.

“Oh my, Speedy!” Granny exclaimed, “What is that awful noise?”

Barking incessantly, Speedy yelped as if to say I have no idea. Granny whipped her
bionic binoculars out of her housecoat pocket and up to her eyes in order to survey the noisy
scene. Speedy growled at all of the birds for being in “his” yard. He was territorial.

“That’s awfully strange, Speedy; I don’t see why these crazy birds would be making such
a ruckus.” Granny said.

After thoroughly combing the scene with her binoculars, she unexpectedly found two
long trails of crumbs leading in and out of her backyard.

“Oh my,” Granny shouted, “look, Speedy! There are crumbs all through the yard. Well,
I’ll be…I think they are…chip crumbs! That must be why there are so many birds in an uproar.
Come to think of it, I have been seeing an increase of birds for the past few days.”

Since Speedy agree with her, he barked “arf” that he had too.

Baffled by this “crumby” problem, Granny Good-girl also remembered reading an article
in the Quietville Daily about bags of chips gone missing from Chips Galore, which is the local
chip factory in town.

“Speedy, remember that article in the Quietville Daily about the lost bags of chips?”
Granny asked.

“Arf”, Speedy barked.

“Well, I think we may have a way of catching the culprits, and you know what we are
going to do to catch them in the action?”

“Arf?” Speedy exclaimed, as if to say how.

“We are going to have our own personal “steak” out, Granny style.”

“Arf?” Speedy turned his head to one side with a questioning look on his face, again.

“You’ll see.” Granny said. “Hurry, we don’t have much time.”

Granny and Speedy swiftly grabbed everything they needed for their “steak” out.
Preparing quickly, they fixed up the steak, their special ice tea, and the grill. Ideally, this was the
perfect surveillance party for them both. When they finally got everything set, they struck up
the grill, relaxed, and waited.

During their evening “steak” out, Granny gradually began to straighten in her rocker and
lean forward as if to listen in on a conversation. She just happened to have her hearing aids
turned up that day and the faint sound of crunching was heard in the distance.

“Quiet, Speedy!” Granny loudly whispered, “Quit bouncing on your
squeaky...thingamajigy. I think I can hear our chip snatchers approaching!”

Speedy went abruptly quiet.

As Granny continued to listen to this distant conversation, she slowly walked down to
her grill to check Speedy and her steaks. Upon traveling over to her grill, she noticed that the
conversation and crunching began to become louder and louder, as if it were moving closer.

“Okay Speedy”, Granny whispered, “you have to stay extra quiet now. I think the
culprits are ‘crunching’ towards us.”

Speedy motionlessly stayed on the porch. He didn’t make a sound. Then suddenly, two
shady looking characters sauntered into their little backyard, not suspecting anyone was
around. Purposefully, Granny loudly shut the grill top and happily smiled at the passersby.

“Ah…, good evening, ma’am,” gulped one of the chip snatchers.

“Do I smell steak,” asked the other with his mouth full of chips, “this late at night?”

“That’s right.” Replied Granny, “Would you both like to join us?”

“Sure…” both of them blurted out.

But before they could finish saying that, Granny quickly put on her mask, tore off her
pajamas to reveal her super suite, and flew into action. Joining hastily, Speedy pounced in on all
the fun, while his collar swiftly rolled out his cape and mask. Super Granny speedily grabbed the
two chip snatchers, who were totally unaware of what was suddenly going on, and gave them
one punch in the stomach. She then plucked one of the steaks from her hot, smoky grill and
threw it at the even more stunned criminals. The two crooks turned to run but Speedy, the
fastest dog alive, rapidly sprinted in front of them and growled like a lion.

“Eck…,” screamed the two bandits in high-pitched little girl voices, while trying to run
away.

“Not so fast,” Super Granny exclaimed, “Get them, Speedy!”

While the thieves turned around and headed back in Super Granny’s direction, she
hastily flipped the remaining steaks on the grill and gave each one of the bandits a final blow to
the head, which knocked them out cooled.

“Quick, Speedy we have to quietly return these chip snatchers to the factory before they
wake up!” Super Granny casually whispered.

“Arf,” barked Speedy.

“Hush, Speedy we mustn’t be heard.”

Super Granny scooped up the two thieves, took hold of her flying walker, and flew to
the Chips Galore factory. As Super Granny flew by the streets’ signs, they once again changed
from Plain and Boring Streets to Truth and Justice Streets.

When they all finally arrived at Chips Galore, Super Granny pulled out from her super
suite her rugged, rodeo rope, which she had been saving for just a time like this, and quickly
tied up the culprits.

“There, there” Super Granny said with a sigh of relief, “that should hold them for now.
Are you ready to go have dinner, Speedy?”

“Arf, arf, arf, arf, arf, arf,” furiously barked Speedy!

“What is it boy? Stay quiet!” exclaimed Super Granny. “Oh…uh huh. Oh…by golly your
right...the police! Thanks for the reminder, Speedy. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

So, Super Granny quickly called the police on her glove phone. Then she and Speedy
flew back to their home in the bright, clear light of the moon. When they reached home, the
street signs once again changed back to Plain and Boring Streets, and Granny and Speedy slowly
put their pajamas back on. Both of them then settled down to have a midnight snack of slightly
over cooked steak, because they left the grill on, and tall glasses of cold, sweet ice tea. While
they began to get cozy in their seats for dinner, they said grace and then dug into their meals.
As Granny began to eat, she felt parched and leaned over to take a swig of her ice tea.

She looked in her glass and said, “Oh by George! My ice cubes have melted.”

The End

Sebastian R.

Yo, my name is Sebastian, some 15-year-old kid. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I have a sibling, just one, a
younger sister who is the best one ever. I have a cat too; his name is Lion =best cat. I’m more of
a gamer. I play Fortnite mostly (so does everyone, though), but my favorites are: 3. Halo Reach,
2. Minecraft, 1. Halo 2. My favorite food is sushi. I love foods from other countries (mostly
Japan). And I have plans when I get older, but that’s better personal. My favorite writing
assignment is probably Billy Goat Gruff critique mostly because I made some more lore to it.
( ͡° ʖ͜ ͡°). That’s about it for me.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Starting off, “Billy Goats Gruff” is a folktale in Norway passed down from generation to
generation. Translated in English, Peter Asbjorgen and Jordan Moe collected and published many of
these folktales that they had in their collection. They published the “Billy Goats Gruff” in 1859 (Wow).
The author did not spend much time describing the protagonist and antagonist. All we really
know is that three Billy goats all named Gruff (must get confusing around the house) want to cross a
bridge and get fat at a hillside. The troll we don’t get much with either, but he seems to be a
carnivorous, ugly character. the troll just seems to get everyone angry as he isn’t that lovable. The
setting seems to be a mythical version of our planet where trolls and sentient goats roam. We don’t
really get a time as in night, noon, afternoon, but we don’t really need to know that.
Ok, so this troll is an absolute bully. He won’t let these goats cross the bridge. Why? Because the
Troll wants to eat them! See what I mean? And here is where the conflict starts. The three goats want to
cross and get to the hillside, but the troll is hungry and wants to eat the goats. When each goat crosses
they pin their death on the next brother/sister (do not know what they name their kids in that crazy
world), but what I think is that these goats need to get rid of the troll. And I think that is what is going to
happen.
The climax everyone’s favorite part of the story! Let’s talk about that. Okay, so this story ends
off with the troll getting fooled by the smaller goats leading him to believe the big Billy goat gruff will be
a pushover. It turns out the troll gets stomped, and the goat throws him in the river and kills him (RIP
troll), and every goat reaches the hillside and gets fat and can hardly walk home.
Overall the story is pretty good and enjoyable. The story’s setting is most likely mythical as trolls
and talking goats exist in this alternate version of our universe. I like how the goats trick the troll and
teach him a lesson for blocking the bridge and trying to eat anything that comes. The problem I have
with this story is it seems a bit cliché, well the ending anyway. The troll, I mean you feel kind of bad for
him, but not really, but you feel as if he deserved it. Joke: and the end “they can hardly walk home.”
They need more exercise (where is the sequel?)

Sophia U.
Hello! My name is Sophia. I have many hobbies such as reading, gardening, eating,
metal detecting, fangirling, the usual. Although I enjoy a few of my subjects, I am not
particularly in love with school, but I am looking forward to next year’s curriculum. Also, I am in
10th grade. “Outdated Product” is my best work because the characters are well-developed and
the story is interesting. I hope that you find it stimulating! TeenPact, a leadership school for
teens, has been one of my main focuses for the past few years. Actually, I will be running in a
mock election for Representative among 1,000 other students! I pray that God will bless your
summer.

Outdated Product

Hiking through the tree-infested Everwhelming Mountains, Silver had lost himself in
thought. He was returning to his hometown, Ore, after an eventful trip to the Water-Whoppet
Swamps. Not only his encounter with Reeda, but also news about a drug dealer from Uchdacla
occupied his mind. Apparently the dealer, a Kreeg who called himself Zn (zee-n), sold sickle-
shaped candies loaded with a hallucinogenic drug known as Sweet Death; Zn had recently
begun selling his wares over the mountains. A noise broke into Silver’s thoughts, causing him to
jump rather high.

“Who, who’s there?”

“Come out here. We have the goods,” a gruff voice answered, much to Silver’s dismay.
Just as he had made up his mind to step from behind the tree, thinking that the path of least
resistance might be the wisest choice, a second voice spoke to the gruff one.

“You really shouldn’t flaunt your wares like that. I could have been a random traveler. I
am, however, here to buy some goodies from you. The name’s Rover, by the way. You are?”

Silver relaxed some; clearly Rover had not heard him call out. He waited to breathe
freely until the unnamed seller and Rover had completed their business transaction and
departed. When they did, he leaned with his hands on his shaking knees, heart pounding and
mind fuzzy. He felt as though he might throw up. That was a close call.

Just as Silver arrived at Ore, Zn was sitting in a smoky office attaching gold jewelry to his
turtle’s, Buba, shell. A knock announced that someone was at the door.

“Come in but make it snappy!”

“Yeah, whatever,” the burly thug barged in and eyed the gold encrusted turtle curiously,
earning him a hardened glare from Zn, “Guy made the deal. Rover bought his share.”

“Uh-huh, and the cash?” Zn rarely cared if the deal had gone without incident, only if
the money had been retrieved.

“I guess Guy’s got it.”

“Ok. Go away,” came the terse ending to conversation.

“Well, Buba, what a nice turn of events. Not only are we expanding the business to
include the Everwhelming Mountains and Skwidish woods, but this gold compliments your shell
perfectly!” A chubby, ringed hand stroked the turtle’s green little head.

Several weeks had passed since Silver’s close call in the woods. Each new day caused his
conscience to sound a gong every minute to do something about the drug deal he had
witnessed.

“What could I possibly do about it? I’m a dwarf, not a brave hero or soldier!” He never
even thought to ask the Nameless One for help. Eventually his thoughts tortured him so badly
that the soft zephyrs wafting through Ore had no effect on him. The sun sending tiny droplets
of light to play on his face no longer brought him joy. He couldn’t take it anymore. He could not
live like this.

“Like what?” he asked himself.

“In shame!” came the reply. “In the knowledge that I could try to do something to stop
this new evil but am not.”

“But it’s none of your business; it’s not your job,” his stay-out-of trouble-and-work side
told him.

Quite a long discussion was carried out inside of him, but, needless to say, the noble
side won out, as would be expected of one with so good a character. What lay ahead, Silver had
no idea. He did not even have a plan or strategy. All that he knew about Zn was that his
headquarters were in Uchdacla. He also knew that the road to Uchdacla was NOT a particularly
enjoyable journey for someone who was not planning on traveling in a caravan, group, or
without the familiarity of weapons. As Silvey struggled to pack his meager bags for so strange
and foreign a mission, his mind raced along the seldom-used path leading toward the
prosperous but wicked city. He had found, after hours of searching, a map of said road stored at
Ore’s library. Unfortunately, the snippy librarian had not allowed him to take it, saying that it
was “too special to be placed in uncapable hands.” Imagine how confident Silver felt after that.

Anyways, he had done his best to memorize the curves and crossroads, and was ready, albeit
nervous, to begin his adventure.

Zn, while greedily counting his coins, and listening to them ping as he threw them
around the room, was startled by a thunderous boom! boom! boom! A seemingly huge fist
banged against the door.

“Who is it,” Zn queried, “I’m busy.” He quickly shoved the gold jewelry scattered on his
desk into one of the drawers, sliding it shut.

“It’s Lyson. I got news.”

“Come in. No! Don’t sit down! These gold-framed Peekle-leather chairs made by the
world-famous Nee-Nee are worth more than all of you, oh darn, wa-da-ya call yourselves,
henchmen put together! Now wa-da-ya want?” Zn does not naturally use gangster slang, and
usually forgets, to the amusement of his mother, when he becomes flustered.

“If you was listenin’, I got news. One a da boys saw a dwarf wanderin’ throughout
Uchdacla. He was askin’ ‘bout a fella who sold Sweet Death in these parts. Apparently, he ain’t
from round here.”

“Uh-huh. Do you have ‘im?” Zn responded, remembering to add in some thug jargon.
Lyson’s eyes grew wide as he began to back towards the door, stuttering. How could he have
not thought to grab the measly dwarf?

“Of all the stupid, moronic, imbecilic…” Zn ranted and raved for quite a long time about
his “obtuse henchmen” and how they “never did anything useful” until Lyson was able to sneak
away and give hasty orders to “bring the darn dwarf here, preferably alive.” Lyson really was
not the sharpest shear in the sheep-shed. He did not even notice Zn’s prolific use of extravagant
words.

An hour and a half later three of Zn’s thugs returned with a severely battered and
bruised Silvey, who was unceremoniously plopped in a corner. Tied, gagged, and dripping
blood, Silvey lie with a hood over his face until he woke up for questioning, if ever…

A few hours later a harsh toss of stale smelling salts into his ruddy face awakened Silver
from his uneasy dreams. Unfortunately the present was no more enjoyable than the
troublesome images receding from his mind.

“Well, look who’s up now. Hey, Lyson, the Dwarf’s awake!”

“That ain’t my problem. Take ‘im up ta da Boss, Dirp.”

“Do I have to?” came Dirp’s suddenly whimpering reply. “Couldn’t you just drag ‘im up?”

Lyson lunged aggressively at Dirp. “Do I look like yer mule horse? GET ‘IM UP TA DA
BOSS!”

A terrified Dirp scrambled over to Silvey and proceeded to lug him up the steep rickety
stairs, the effort demonstrating that the large Kreeg was not as strong as he perhaps wanted
others to think.

A voice called menacingly from inside the office opening onto the stairs, “Since I would
hope that no one is stupid enough to climb those stairs without the Dwarf, come in.” It took
awhile, but eventually Silver was unceremoniously plopped into a chair, not, however, one of
the schnazzy gold-framed peekle-leather ones. Although not entirely coherent, Silvey still had
to laugh-gurgle-choke when Dirp walked backwards from the room without thinking, and thus
fell screeching down the long flight of stairs.

“Well, Dwarf? Where are you from and why were you askin’ for me?”

Silvey coughed because some of the smelling salts had gotten up his nose, and the pain
from a broken rib caused him to double over in his seat. Shockingly enough, this thoroughly
cleared his foggy mind. “I came here,” he gasped, “because I heard that you were selling Sweet
Death.” “Oh, you wanna buy some?”

“No,” Silvey’s eyes darted about nervously as he fought to find the right words, “I would
like to give some business advise.”

“What da ya mean? Money’s just pourin’ in,” Zn leaned back and puffed with pride, “I
think that I have everythin’ unda control. But look, Imma nice guy! What can I do for ya? Wanna
be my manager or somethin’? Could always use someone on quality control.”

“How about some business re-management?”

“I don’t know what you mean. I don’t have a manager right now at all. Anyways, you
want me to market differently?” Zn questioned, legitimately wanting some ideas, “Look, I don’t
need no partner. I got all the buyers I need; I was just tryin’ ta help a scrawny lil dwarf out.” Zn
wore a smirk, but he hadn’t been practicing lately, and to Silvey it would have appeared quite
comical, if he had not been tied up in a dirty chair being offered a job by a drug dealer.

A commotion downstairs could be heard. Zn fidgeted nervously in his chair, debating
whether he ought to reach for his sword or just make a run for it. Unfortunately for him, heavy
footsteps started running up the steps. Four muscular soldiers smashed the door in just as
Silver finished saying, “Well, thanks, but I kind of think that your whole product idea is
outdated.”

Sylvia F.
Hey there! My name is Sylvia, and I'm 15 years old and in 9th grade. I have two sisters
who I have a lot of fun with. I also have a dog named Tillie, and two cats, Oreo, and Popsie. My
favorite subject is probably writing, though I don’t mind biology either. Some of the things I
enjoy doing would be reading a good book, knitting, baking bread, playing the French horn, and
hanging out with my sisters. My favorite composition I wrote this year is “God Save Us!” I
Enjoyed writing this composition because it gave me the opportunity to imagine what it was
like for those fleeing the camp fire as well as to develop writing skills I had not used before.

God, Save Us!

To those living in the town of Paradise and the surrounding areas the sun never seemed to rise
on the morning of November eight 2018. A small fire danced and played below an electrical power line
on a mountain road known as Camp Road. Hissing and popping, the fire spread swiftly and Cal Fire was
alerted. After about twenty minutes the fire had spread to the community of Concow. The flames moved
so quickly that those living in Concow never received an official warning. For many of them, they learned
there was a fire when they saw it. Moving at a terrifying speed, the fire rushed towards Paradise. The
Axton family was among the first in Paradise to be evacuated. The family received a robocall telling them
to leave town. “This call is to inform you that a wildfire is moving into your area,” the animated voice
warned, “please evacuate immediately.” By the time the family had gathered a few valuables and were
on their way they could spot the red glow of the fire which was creeping ever closer.

The Axton’s made their way towards Skyway, one of the main roads out of town. Although it was
early in the day, the sky was as dark as midnight. Pressing against them, the heat was almost intolerable.
“Daddy, where are we going?” A little voice piped up from the back seat.

“We’re headed to Chico.” her father responded.

“It smells bad.”

“I know it does. It’s the smoke your smelling,” the father replied.

“Why is there red over there?” the voice insisted.

“The red is from the fire, but were getting away from it. Everything is going to be fine,” Mr. Axton
assured his small daughter. This satisfied the little girl and silence reigned for a while.

As the Family neared Skyway, the winds increased and ash flew through the air. Behind them the
fire began to consume Paradise. Embers hopped from roof to roof and the color of the flames intensified.

Turning on to Skyway, Mr. Axton hastily pressed the brake pedal as traffic worsened. Leaping and
playing the flames raced ever closer. Drivers panicked and pressed their way to the center of the road.
Horns blaring, those already in the middle determinedly claimed their spot. Grasses on the edge of the
road erupted in a storm of fire. “Why are we going so slow?” Mr. axton asked of nobody in particular.

“You would think that even though there are so many of us everyone would be in a hurry and we
would go at least a little faster,” distress flitted on the edge of Mrs. Axton”s voice.

“Unless a tree or something fell and we can’t go any faster.” Mr. Axton’s heart leapt as a large
bush burst into flame and the evil, fiery fingers grabbed and snatched at the car and its nervous
inhabitants.

“Mommy, it’s coming so close,” the little girl burst into frightened sobs as the fire roared around
the small car.

“I know, her mother responded, “We just have to trust in Jesus to protect us.”

Suddenly the traffic cleared and Mr. Axton took advantage of it, greedily pressing on the gas pedal.
As everyone started to move, you could almost feel the relief of those playing chase with the dashing,
twirling flames. The fire subsided and the air cleared, “Maybe it’s over now,” Mrs. Axton whispered.
Everyone was making good time now, but the dark, foreboding cloud of smoke ahead hinted that that
would not last forever. Traffic slowed and quickly came to a complete halt. What had seemed like large
flames before now appeared to be miniature when compared with the ones leaping along the road. The
flames seemed to swallow the road and everything on it. The traffic was stop and go. In the moments
when the line of cars worming its way towards the horizon surged forward, one could believe they would
be alright. But when everything was at a standstill it was harder to imagine ever making it out -alive.

“If we could just get moving,” Mrs. Axton murmured as the car came to a stop again. Instead of
dying away the flames seemed to grow as the small family creeped forward. All around them the only
thing they could see was the red fiery flames consuming everything in their path. Would it do the same to
them? The car violently swerved to the right as Mr. Axton dodged a flaming tree limb which was crashing
to the ground. The boom of propane tanks exploding echoed through the endless red flames. Surrounded
in a sea of fire, cars around the Axtons started breaking down and those in them were forced to abandon
their vehicles and all their possessions and flee on foot. The eerie sound of a siren rushed towards them
as yet another crew hurried to save the helpless victims of this vast and merciless master.

“Lord save us,” Mr. Axton prayed as he attempted to maneuver the car safely without being able
to see the anything ahead of him. At this point it didn’t seem at all likely that they would make it out of
this alive. In fact, it seemed impossible.

Turning to look behind them Mrs. Axton murmured, “It’s everywhere.” Completely surrounded, they felt
trapped, swallowed up by this mighty force of nature and not able to do anything about it. “

“I have no way of knowing what is ahead of us. There could be a car or something in the middle
of the road, and I would have no idea,” Mr. Axton exclaimed.

The Axton’s young daughter stirred in the back seat. “Mom, Jesus will take care of us, won’t He?”

“Of course He will, Jesus always watches out for those who love Him.”

“Can we pray?” the small girl asked. As she listened to her daughter asking God to save them,
Mrs. Axton was touched, could she have that same kind of faith? Although living through this fire seemed
impossible, Mrs. Axton felt a new kind of peace. She still wasn’t sure they would make it out alive, but she
knew God’s hand was in whatever happened.

After what seemed to be a lifetime the flames decreased, “It feels so good to be able to go faster
again,” Mr. Axton exclaimed. Continuing towards Chico the family praised God for answering their
daughter’s prayer and keeping them safe. As the car rolled past the “welcome to Chico” sign, Mr. Axton
glanced at the clock and realized it had taken them many times over what it normally takes to drive from
Paradise to Chico.

Continuing to San Francisco CA, the family stayed with Mr. Axton sister. Although the Axton’s lives
were turned completely upside down, the whole experience helped them to better understand God’s
incomprehensible love and care for His followers.

Titus S.

My name is Titus, and I live in New Mexico. I enjoy being in 4-H. I have taken
photography and rocketry projects in 4-H. Recently, my group and I visited three local fire
stations on International Firefighter’s day and brought them some cookies, brownies, and
cupcakes to show our appreciation. My favorite subjects in school are writing and piano. I love
learning music. Currently, I am learning Serenade by Schubert. It is a wonderful classical piece,
and it is my favorite. I can also play Fur Elise, a little of Moonlight Sonata, and lots more. My
favorite foods are tacos and pizza. Sometimes my dad will make taco pizza which is very good
and combines my two favorite foods! I also enjoy playing with my Star Wars Legos. The thing
that I enjoy the most is singing in the shower. Nothing could be better. My favorite
composition that I wrote this year is Her Greasy Tail because it was an exciting story.

Her Greasy Tail

“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is extremely, creatively written anthropomorphic fantasy. Surprisingly,
it is part of The Jungle Book. In 1895, the book was published. The author, whose name is
Joseph Rudyard Kipling, is very famous and English. Starting slowly, he was born in England, but
he moved to India and was raised there when he was little. Because he made an amazing and
famous book, his father illustrated it and it later became an animated TV show. You’ll love this
book.

Who is Rikki-Tikki? Courageously, Rikki-Tikki is ready to battle anything that comes his
way. Nag and Nagaina, who are Rikki’s enemy’s, are dangerous and extremely evil. From
England to India, the family had moved when Queen Victoria was on the throne. When the
happy family moved, they decided to live in an extremely small and packed-full bungalow with
an overgrown garden surrounding it, because they loved it. Acting evilly, Nag has frighteningly
and dangerously terrorized all of the garden’s inhabitants.

For many years, there has been a raging and terrible battle between the mongoose and
the cobras. Nag and Nagaina need a plan to get rid of Rikki. If they can kill or scare the people
away, then maybe the mongoose will leave too. The cobras start to plan. It’s necessary for Nag
and Nagaina to get rid of the mongoose so their children will be safe, they think. When Nag
started preparing himself to take out his horrible plan, the mongoose saved the people from
the cobra. Killing the terrible cobra, Nag, he went out to find the baby cobras. He courageously
killed all but one if the twenty-five baby snakes, which was part of his plan. Evilly thinking,
Nagaina plans to kill the people herself, because it’s necessary for the baby cobras.

The high point of the story occurs when the showdown between Rikki-Tikki Tavi and the
cobras shows that both animals are not ready to give up. Happily, the humans are safe as Rikki
Tikki distracts Nagaina with the one last egg that hasn’t been brutally harmed. Glairing angrily
at each other, the cobra and the mongoose start circling around a gray rough rock that was
lying there. Suddenly, when Rikki isn’t looking, she hurriedly and sneakily dashes into her hole,
for she knows that a mongoose is death to a cobra. When he finds that she is sneaking away,
he grabbed hold with his jaws on Nagarna’s evil and greasy tail and goes into the hole with her.

In her hole, almost all poor creatures who enter a cobra’s hole is death, but Rikki Tikki, who was
very hurt and bloody, came out victoriously. He has won.

Fascinating and entertaining, this book has extremely scary and suspenseful plots and
even glimpses of different animals, which makes this story interesting while you’re reading. In
the book, the most important part of this is that it teaches loyalty. Extremely interesting and
scary, the author included lots of verbs to visualize the action. If you ever start reading the
book, you’ll surprisingly and amazingly never be able to stop. That’s the best part.

Ulrich B.

My name is Ulrich, and I live in southern Pennsylvania. I like playing wild sports and
hunting. We have over a hundred sheep, which can be crazy. I enjoy hiking on the mountain.
Someday I want to hunt elk in PA. One thing I enjoy doing is swimming with my friends in the
pond. My favorite composition I wrote this year was “The King and His Hawk” because it taught
a good lesson.

The King and His Hawk

During his lifetime, the story “The King and His Hawk” is a half legendary tale. It’s about
a famous man. Being forgotten, the author is unknown but it is retold by humorous James
Baldwin, who tells stories. Understandably it is part of the book Fifty Famous Stories Retold, it
contains 200 pages, since it has so many stories. It’s normally introduced to children and has
legendary historical figures. Although it was originally published in 1896, it was then
republished by Yesterday’s Classics in Nov. 2005.

Throughout the story, the main character in here is Genghis Khan, who is a brave, fierce
warrior and King. Choosing the best, He takes his favorite hawk hunting. It is during the summer
when the creeks are extremely dry. It’s rocky and mountainous. Unfortunately, he happens to
be thirsty. While he is riding, he finally discovers water to fill his cup.

The problem is that Genghis Khan struggles with anger. Finally, the cup is brim full.
Diving downwards, the Hawk swoops down and knocks the cup out of his hand, while he tries
to drink. Beside the path, he then fills the cup half full. Because of what it knows, the hawk,
which is smart, again fiercely knocks it out of his hand. Then he fills it the third time and draws
his sharp, gleaming sword.

While it was swooping, the Hawk knocks the cup out of Genghis Khan’s hand and he
strikes the hawk with his sword. He finally kills the hawk but then his cup falls out of reach.
Searching for water, he ascends the mountain to find the water source. He has found sweet
water. Genghis, who is thirsty, finds a dead poisonous snake. Afterwards, he realizes that the
hawk saved his life, since the water was poisonous. Lastly, he learns not to do anything in
anger.

This story is interesting and has action. In the setting, you can feel the extreme thirst.
The moral that you should not be angry is clear. The main character, who is unwise, learns a
great lesson. Wisely, this story teaches that you should always think first. The story teaches that
you should control your anger because if you don’t, it might get messy.

Wilson C.

My name is Wilson, and I am 14 years old. Writing used to be my least favorite thing in
the world. I used to view writing as a tool, something to be used to assist in a variety of tasks.
Eventually, after lots a repetitive use, using a tool becomes mundane, and I lost interest in
writing. Eventually, writing became something that I dreaded. However, this class has led me to
believe that writing is more of an art form that is used to express your deepest feelings.
Nowadays, I write for fun. Even if it is not strictly for an assignment, there is always something
fascinating to me about how the words flow out of someone’s mind. In my spare time, I enjoy
playing baseball, reading, and playing the piano.

Monkey Mayhem

Carl was having the time of his life. His family had decided to take a trip to Brazil, a country he
had wanted to see since he was just five years old. He got to see ancient cities, pyramids, and even the
Amazon River. Now, he was going on a safari in the Amazon forest with his family. He saw a monkey
darting around the trees, swinging from branch to branch with unbelievable grace. “How does it do
that?” Carl wondered. He decided to follow it deeper and deeper into the forest. Carl was intent on
learning more about the monkey. Carl noticed many things about it. “Its hand is huge! It’s so strong!
Look! Its talking to its tribe!” he exclaimed. Eventually, because he was so focused on the monkey, Carl
lost track of time. The monkey was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. He wanted this moment
to last forever. However, a clap of thunder brought him back to reality. He realized he didn’t know
where his family or the guide was. He was in big trouble.

Carl was lost. He knew that for a fact. He slowly spun around in a circle, taking in his
surroundings. All he could see was green. Green leaves. Green grass. Green animals. Rain poured from
the sky, slapping the leaves. He sat down, not caring that the rain was drenching him, and started
thinking. He began by taking an inventory. Maybe he would have something useful, like a compass.
However, after searching his pockets, he realized that he had nothing useful. All he had was some spare
change in his pocket and his cell phone. “A whole lot of good that will do me,” he muttered. Carl sighed
and stuck them back in his pocket. “I guess I’m all alone,” he told himself dejectedly. He had to get out
of the jungle, and fast.

At first, Carl wandered around frantically. However, the faster he went, the more confused he
got. Every spiked leaf and gnarled root looked the same to him. “Am I walking in circles?” he wondered
to himself. Soon, his question was answered. Brushing aside a large patch of leaves revealed a set of
footprints. Excited, Carl quickly started following them. The footprints led him through a large
patchwork of thorns and bristles, but Carl didn’t care. He was too intent on getting back to civilization.
However, those thorns triggered a memory in Carl’s subconscious. He knew that there was something
important about those thorns. He knew that he had seen those same thorns somewhere. He looked
behind him and realized that the footprints he had been following were his own. He really had been
running around in circles this whole time.

Carl was shocked. “How could I have been so stupid?” he muttered, kicking up bits and pieces
of the damp, soggy dirt. He had never been so disappointed in himself in his whole life. He found a
nearby rock and sat down. Carl tried to think positively. “Things could be worse. At least the rain isn’t
washing the footprints away anymore,” he thought. Next, he decided to work on an action plan. “I’m
going to have to work out a way to signal to others,” he decided. “I need my phone for this.” Carl
reached into his pocket for his phone. “Strange,” he mumbled. “I thought I put it in my right pocket.”
However, the left pocket turned out to be empty as well. Carl was getting worried. Where was his
phone? His heart dropped as he realized he had lost his cell phone while frantically following the
footprints. He had nothing left to save. “I’m doomed!” Carl exclaimed.

Carl was just about to give up hope when he realized a crucial fact: They had come into the
forest from the south side! “If only I knew which way was south…” Carl mumbled. “Stupid me. Who
wouldn’t bring a compass while exploring a forest?” he scolded himself. He thought and thought but
could not come up with a solution. “I need my phone!” Carl exclaimed. “I need to figure out where I lost
it!” Rushing back to the brambles, he dug around furiously, but to no avail. He was cut up and scratched,
and he couldn’t find his phone. He was too worn out to search along the whole path that he took.
Disappointed, he sat down on the most comfortable thing he could find in the forest, moss growing on a
damp rock. He dejectedly reclined against the moss and mulled over his current situation.

He sat there for quite a while, thinking. Something was pulling at his subconscious, asking
desperately for recognition. However, he had no idea what. He began to think out loud. “What did am I
learning about in school? I think I’m learning about the presidents in History, commas in English, and
plants in Science.” Suddenly, he knew how to get out of this mess. “The moss!” he exclaimed. He
learned that the moss always grew on the south side of trees in the southern hemisphere. He knew the
way out of the forest! He sprinted in the direction the moss was growing. He ran through thorns. He ran
through brambles. He ran through brushes. He didn’t care. He was intent on getting out. Eventually, he
found his way out of the forest and into the sunlight. His worried parents found him and made him
promise never to run off again.

ADVANCED

Aaron B.

Hi, my name is Aaron Bernard, and I am a sophomore. I was introduced to the world on
November 2, 2002, and I currently reside in Michigan. I have two brothers, and our dog,
Truman. Music is a big part of my life, as I play the trumpet and guitar. I have played 2nd
trumpet in the Mid-Michigan Youth Symphony and several events including the l local Band
Festival and the Symphony of 2000. Our family loves to be outside in nature, and consequently I
have come to love nature photography as well. My other hobby is amateur radio. I have a
technician license and will soon be upgrading to a general license.

Apple, Inc.

Have you every wondered what kind of history is behind different companies, or if they
had a much more extensive history that you realized? Apple, the trillion dollar company that is
world renowned for it’s top-notch products, is staying close to the top of the world of
technology. Nevertheless, it wasn’t always that way. It had small beginnings that, even with
popularity and rising sales, faced difficulties. The company went through several huge losses,
including their founder. But regardless of the overwelming amounts of competition, critizism,
failure, and financial loss, they stayed strong, true to their mission, and pulled through. Not
only did they pull through, but rocketed to the very top. Apple’s extensive history, which
started in the living room of two friends, developed into a company in which the first successful
computers of the age were produced.

You might be surprised to know that Apple did not start in a garage, according to
popular rumors, but in a living room. Apple started with two friends, who made the first Apple
computer and then co-founded a company which later met with huge success. Early Apple
developments faced fierce competition from company giants like IBM, but they persevered and
made a name for themselves that came to be world-renowned. Even when they ran into
software problems and user criticism, they perfected and worked through difficulties to satisfy
the public with their products. They made history with G software, which incorporated the use