Have You Even Tried It? by 826LA

This book was written by the students of 826LA’s Write On! After School program in the fall of 2023. The views expressed in this book are the authors and do not nessesarily reflect those of 826LA. We support student publishing and are thrilled you picked up this book. Las Opiniones expresadas en este libro son las de los autores y no reflejan necesariamente las de 826LA. Apoyamos la publicación. de jóvenes autores y estamos delices que haya recogido este libro. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reporduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Editor(s): Mike Dunbar Emily Ponce Olivares Ariana Ponce Olivares Arisdeysi Cruz Tinna Flores Marisol Sanchez Cover Art and Book Layout: Kotomi Knox for 826LA

Echo Park 1714 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026

Mar Vista 12515 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066

HAVE YOU EVEN TRIED IT?

Table of Contents Section 1: Food Review

Fries and Chicken Nuggets are an Equal Match - Jamison K Food - Allyson L. M M M M !Espagueti! - Isabella H. LA County Fair Food - Rey Kapner The Best Hot Dogs in Echo Park - Jesus A. My Review of Sushi - Lilly F. The Crunchy Cleaners - Noe A. McD’s French Fries - Fallou Thiam French Fries - Destinie N. 110% Better Than Regular Cake - Roxana Garcia Cruz The First Time I Tried Pizza - Sebastian V. The Best Quesadilla - Alan M. I love pupusas!! - Sofia O. Nachos Are Okay, I Guess - Amanda Alvarez Melchor The Best Pancakes I Ever Had - Paige V. The Best Soup in the World: A Story to Enjoy and Love - Liv Ryan I Love Lemon Chips - Ariana R. Doodles Don’t Like Noodles - Rylee Thiam Chilaquiles Are The Best! - Arianna S. Why Pizza is Delicious - Helen K. I Love Chicken Tacos - Alejandro V. Pizza, Anthony - A. Cookies, Moises - R. Apples - Issac M. French Fries - Desiree N. Rice Sophie M. Chocolate ice cream Omar S. Gold Ice Cream Camila R. Cemitas Poblanas Annalia D. In-N-Out Burger and Fries Anthony Diego J. CHICK-FIL-A Avery Y. Sour and Hot Pedro S. Making Making My Very Own Spring Salad - Penelope J. Tacos Natalia V.

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Section 2: Food Debate

Steak vs Pasta: Which to Order??? - Ignacio G In-N-Out - Arturo Garcia Cruz Mashed Potato Frenzy - Naomi K Tamales Do You Like Pizza? - Isabel S.

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The Macaroni Beast - Jade R. Five Nights at Freddy’s (Rated PG-13) - Alex Garcia Thai Palace!!!!! - Jaqueline O. The Lost Pizza Hut - Emma Diaz TATO QUEST - Isaak M. Daydreaming Nehemias B. Making Friends in Aisle 3 - Leo M. Selections from The Blue Crayon Emmanual Alvarez - Melchor Von’s Dream - Von H. Sticy & Icky Grace T. Perfect Pasta - Jackelyn A. Raspberry Pie - Josephine S. Authentic Mexican Food - Damian Matias The Food Inspector - By Natalia R. The Golden Hour - Alisson J. Tripling Tastiness - Antonio M. Aliens from Cane’s - Aurora M. Cookie - Benjamin L. Wapa-cake - Yeva K. Yummm Oatmeal Cookies - Sofia A. It was Worth the Long Wait - Gallilea F. The Sister’s New Mystery - Laila O. Summer's Smoothie - Lily R. The Jouney of The Foods - Milena H. The Great Flood Debate - Micheal G. What Happened in the Deil - Millie F.

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Section 3: Playing With Your Food - Creative Fiction

Introduction: When we think of food, we think of community. Especially during this time of the year. Families and friends coming together to share a meal. Exchanging dishes new and traditional. Exchanging gifts. Exchanging stories.The cornucopia: that horn overflowing with a diversity of foods, symbolizing abundance and goodness. The satisfaction of feeling full. Like any good recipe, our Write On! After School program is a mixture of the best ingredients: Our students: our raison d'existence. Some coming back for their seventh year in a row, others brand new to the program. Their creativity is the main ingredient. Our students’ families: our partners in the program. Taste-testers, letting us know what’s working and what’s needed. Our volunteers: our sou-chefs. The support system on which our program is built. Our UCLA College Corps members and interns: A new ingredient this year, a game-changer, the secret sauce to our success, supporting the program in more ways than we could count. And our programming staff: the cooks in the kitchen, keeping the stoves of imagination burning, the creativity steadily simmering but never boiling over. With all these ingredients, we focused on how they would come together, building our community one session at a time. We did this through soccer games on the pack patio, over gossip sessions about the latest drama at school, by discovering our shared love of anime, jenga tournaments, and uno and uno-reverse interplay. And through it all, there was food.

Whether it was our daily snacks of Pockys or Gummies, or special treats like a food tasting of mole negro and tzatziki, our community and creativity was powered by food. Even our passionate food debates between Team Takis and the Limon Lays Legion brought us together. When manuscript deadlines loomed, it was double snack days that got us through that final push. It seems appropriate then that the theme of this anthology, the culmination of our students’ writing efforts over the course of the semester, should be food. Just as we connect with each other over food, so too do we build community through the stories we share. In this anthology, you will find reviews of homemade mac and cheese, a dramatized debate between the franchises of In-N-Out and Burger King, and daydreams about ice cream. Mouth-watering stories and stories that will make you lose your appetite. Reflecting feelings, opinions, and adventures (or misadventures) we can all connect over. Consider these stories then as those leftovers you excitedly find in the fridge the next day. Our semester has come to an end, but we share with you the results of the dish we made with our ingredients. This is what we bring to the table. Our gift to you. Our stories. How will they taste to you? In what ways will you connect to what you find within? Who will you share it with? It’s food for thought. Have you even tried it yet? It’s time to dig in.

Section 1: Food Review

Fries and Chicken Nuggets are an Equal Match Jamison K. Going to the Hollywood sign for a fun day with my family, and eating fries and chicken nuggets is one of the best memories. Fries are soft and melted. When fries are a little black that means they are burned. Fries are long, square, and 3D shaped. Fries are orange and yellowish. Fries are salty! Chicken nuggets feel hard, crispy, and crunchy. Chicken nuggets are also squishy. Chicken nuggets are brown and white. Chicken nuggets are hot and a little fresh and tasteless. This is because when you eat the nuggets they are a little plain. Another reason why this combo is the best is because if you do not like meat, fries are a little healthy and if you like meat, nuggets have it. With nuggets, you get the dipping sauce. But good news! You get to dip your fries too. Healthy or not it is the best combo because it makes me think of my childhood. It is a very happy food memory! Jamison is a gamer who plays with his brothers and sisters. He is very helpful with his friends and family. He helps make food with his dad and cleans up with his mom. Jamison is from Los Angeles and he is in the fourth grade at Castelar Elementary school. His writing shows his passion for food and playful style. In school, his best subject is multiplication.

Food Allyson L. Do you have a favorite food? My favorite food is sushi. I like the saltiness of the seaweed, the chewiness of the rice, and the texture of the crab. I just love sushi. Did you know that you can last up to three weeks without eating? Trust me, just try something new, you will love it. I guarantee you will love it, just try. You will love how fresh it is, how salty, and you will love the texture. If you don’t like sushi, try thick noodles. They’re big, nice, tasty, and delicious. They’re just my FAVE. The first time I tried sushi was when I was six. The same day I tried thick noodles. It felt like an explosion. It was so good! Do you have a favorite sushi roll? My favorite sushi roll is a California roll. The outside of the California roll is white and green, and the inside is red, white, and green. The California roll mostly smells like crab. I like when my big bro makes me sushi. It’s so yummy. It’s super flavorful and he uses real crab. The place I like to get sushi is Sushi Stop. They have so many varieties of sushi. When I go, the people are so nice. It’s really calm. There is really nice music. It’s a nice place to go and relax, and eat sushi. Try something new, you might love it or hate it, but give it a chance! Allyson loves to play video games and she tries to get good grades. She loves to encourage people to try different things. Allyson also loves to write and she takes things very seriously when it comes to work.

M M M M !Espagueti! Isabella H. Todo comenzó con mi mamá y mi hermano que se les ocurrió ir a un restaurante cerca de casa y mi mamá me preguntó si quería ir y yo le dije que sí. Cuando llegamos al restaurante un mesero nos sentó en una mesa para tres. Cuando nos sentamos, otro mesero se nos acercó y nos preguntó qué queríamos comer. Mi mamá ordenó una carne asada, mi hermano ordenó un hot dog y yo pedí un plato de espagueti con pollo. Después mi mamá ordenó una calabaza de barro para picar. La calabaza de barro tenía una vela adentro para calentar los frijoles aplastados con queso derretido y alrededor de la calabaza de barro había tortillas fritas para embarrar las con los frijoles y el queso. Cuando nos trajeron la comida y probé mis espaguetis con mantequilla y pollo, me sentí como en el cielo. Se veía muy hermoso, se sentía como espaguetis, sabía a espaguetis con mantequilla y olía a comino. Cuando nos fuimos nos dieron muchos dulces por comernos toda la comida, dijimos gracias y nos fuimos en el carro a la casa. Cuando íbamos en el carro a la casa yo todavía podía sentir el sabor en mi boca. Me encantaron tanto los espaguetis con pollo porque era algo mejor y nuevo. Yo siempre había comido espaguetis con salsa de tomate y ya estaba aburrida de lo mismo. Mi hermano mayor iba hablando mucho de las fuerzas armadas de USA. Estaba aburrida y me dormí y llegué al límite de soñar que me comí dieciocho platos de espaguetis! Así que mi conclusión es siempre prueba algo nuevo y no hables mal de algo si no lo has probado.

A Isabella le gusta mucho el baloncesto. También, le gusta dibujar. Ella tiene miedo a estar mucho tiempo en los espacios cerrados. A Isabella H también le gusta mucho resolver problemas de investigación.

LA County Fair Food Rey Kapner If you don’t know, the LA County Fair is a very crowded place with lots of food stands, drinks, dessert stands, and plenty of rides! But what I am specifically talking about is food. The food I had first was buffalo wings, mac & cheese, and french fries all mixed together in one container. It sounds gross, but once you try it, you will take back saying, “It’s gross!” GUARANTEED. My experience with this food was amazing! The flavor of the food was not insanely strong, which I LOVED! The food inside the container was a little messy, but it tasted super good and that’s all that matters! The next thing I had was a dessert. The dessert was a big, soft, doughy cookie with sweet vanilla ice cream on top! One thing that was very surprising was how fast the cookie was baked. The cookie was baked in less than 5 minutes! When I first tasted the cookie, I was a little shocked by how tasty the cookie with ice cream was, because of how fast it was baked! The ice cream was tasty, but the cookie was the main part of the dessert! Overall, my experience of these foods was great! I would 100 percent come to the LA County Fair to try new foods there! If you haven’t tried their food, you HAVE to try it! Hello! My name is Rey Kapner. I am 10 years old. My favorite hobbies are video games, sports, and math! My birthday is September 17, 2013. The sports I play are soccer and basketball!

The Best Hot Dogs in Echo Park Jesus A. I remembered I usually eat hot dogs when I go to the park and when I go to Legoland. I see a lot of street vendors sell hot dogs with wrapped bacon and I sometimes eat them, but I still choose the way my mom makes them for me because she makes them exactly how I like them. Many people like to eat hot dogs for their birthday because kids and grown ups love hot dogs. When my cousins come to my house, they enjoy eating hot dogs made by my mom. Hot dogs are good because they’re juicy, have a ton of flavor, and the ingredients are sausage, a soft bun, ketchup, and mayonnaise. My mom makes hot dogs when I come back from school or when I ask her to make them. The hot dogs are so juicy that I want to eat them. When my stomach hurt from being hungry I asked my mom to make a hot dog if she had the ingredients and she said yes. I helped my mom make the hot dog. First my mom got the bun and put it in the pan. My mom grilled the meat and served the meal. The hot dog looked juicy, it smelled greasy, and when I bit into the bun, it felt soft. It tasted salty and flavorful. I enjoyed the meal with a cold Coca Cola. Jesus A. likes to play Fortnite, play outside, and come to 826 LA. His favorite subject in school is recess.

My Review of Sushi Lilly F. The reason I like sushi is because it has a lot of flavor. You eat it on special occasions, and the bad thing is that it’s kind of expensive. First is the flavor. It has many different ingredients like avocado, cucumber, fish, and many types of different foods. There are many different types of fish like tuna, salmon, crab, and bass. My favorite sushi is avocado and cucumber rolls, and Mike said it’s weird that I like sushi without fish. It also has many vegetables like cucumber, avocado, carrots, and seaweed. The flavors are one of my favorite things about sushi. The second good thing about sushi is that you eat it on special occasions. In my opinion, it’s good but it’s not an everyday thing. Some people would like to have sushi every day. The reason you would eat sushi on special occasions is because you wouldn’t eat rice every day and also because it’s expensive. Those are some of the common opinions. My last opinion is that sushi is expensive. I think it’s bad that sushi is so expensive. One of the reasons I think sushi is so expensive is it has a lot of different ingredients and a lot of different types of fish, and to get fish you have to employ people to fish so that’s manual labor. That is the reason sushi is so expensive. These are some of the reasons I chose sushi. Thank you. Lilly F. is a 6th grader who likes playing video games and baking, that’s all.

The Crunchy Cleaners Noe A. My favorite food is Taco Bell. When me and my siblings ordered Taco Bell, I was 6 years old and did not know what was inside the taco. But what I did know was that it was the best taco I ever had at that point in my life. The taco was so good because it was so fresh and flavorful and EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA cheesy. But the best part was the crunch - it was on the next level! The crunch was so intense that it broke the taco on the first bite. It made it an even greater challenge to finish the taco without getting all the fillings and crumbs on me. I managed to achieve that, which made eating my crunchy taco even more rewarding. Taco Bell is also good because it is cheap. And it’s even cheaper when my siblings offer to pay for me. After we ate our tacos, we cleaned up everything in under 2 minutes so that my parents wouldn’t know that we ate Taco Bell. Noe is a 10-yr-old coffee lover. Who plays football and soccer. Noe is a LA native who enjoys eating crunchy tacos, collects watches and trades pokemon cards.

McDonald’s French Fries Fallou Thialm When I went to McDonald’s I got french fries and they were hot and good and salty and large. I got BBQ dipping sauce with them. I was with my mom and sister. They did not get anything. McDonald’s smells like food and smells like french fries, burgers, and nuggies. I see a line of people and I have to wait. When I go to get my fries, they are greasy, salty, warm, and soft. Last time, my mom got a burger but my sister did not get anything again. Next time, I will get Takis, since I also go sometimes on the weekend. Fallou is a 9-year-old who likes to play games like Mortal Kombat and Roblox. He plays football and basketball in school. When he goes to McDonald’s he always gets his chicken nuggets and french fries.

McDonald’s Destinie N. Last Saturday, we went to McDonalds to eat chicken nuggets, french fries, and Coke. The french fries were sweet and salty. The chicken nuggets were good because there was ketchup. The Coke is delicious because it has bubbles. It was juicy. Afterwards, I ate chocolate chip cookies. They were soft and chocolatey. I felt good and happy when I ate them. I felt full. My grandma ate a hamburger, french fries, and a Coke. She drinks coffee with her cookie. My sister ate chicken nuggets, french fries, and ketchup, and a Sprite. She likes Sprite. Then, I went to the playground with my sister and grandma. Me and my sister play tag and hide and seek. We play with the other kids in the playground. My grandma was talking on the phone when we were playing. Every Friday, I go to McDonalds and play. We got my brother one large hamburger, one large french fries, and a Coke. We took it home to my brother Javid. Destinie is from Echo Park. Destinie has two sisters. Destinie likes playing with her sisters.

110% Better Than Regular Cake Roxana Garcia Cruz When I was about 5 years old, I went to a party where the music was too loud and annoying. Although people were talking, I couldn’t hear their conversations. All of my extended family members were at the party, and there was a big cake placed in the middle. I didn’t like cake, so I tried to avoid it. Still, my mom insisted that I at least take a bite. When I did, it gave me a brain freeze, but then, it turned out to be an ice cream cake! It was cool, creamy, and much better than regular cake. Ice cream cake is amazing for several reasons. Firstly, it comes in a variety of flavors, such as strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and more. Secondly, it has a smooth and creamy texture. Thirdly, it is an excellent way to cool down on a hot day. Although it causes brain freezes, ice cream cake is still better than regular cake. It is 110% better than regular cake because regular cake is either too moist or too dry and has repulsive frosting. Besides, there is a cure for brain freezes. All you have to do is place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, but also you don’t have to. They go away by themselves. Overall, I would rate ice cream cake 4 and 4/5th stars I would actually rate it lower because this essay took so much time and effort to write. Either way, I would definitely try it again. Roxana is a 7th grade student who doesn’t hang out with her friends during her free time. Instead, she sleeps. But sometimes during her free time, she likes reading, drawing, swimming, and ice skating. She also likes to eat food and candy but doesn’t like really sweet food.

The First Time I Tried Pizza Sebastian V. When I was eight, my family went out for lunch at Pizza Hut. We got pepperoni pizza. When I tried it, it was soooo good! The pepperoni was crispy, the cheese was soft and greasy. I ate two pieces. All of the slices were triangles, the crust was brownish, the first bite was fresh and beautiful. We got two pizzas, one was cheesy, and one had a lot of pepperoni. When I went home, I played on my nintendo with da boys. The game was called Fortnite. My friends were Saul and Julio. When the game started, the number of people in the game was 99. We built a sky base and used balloons to stay safe. And then, the last duo tried to get us, but our balloons kept us safe and we won! I didn’t have a good day. I had a great day! I always have a great day when I get some tasty pizza and play games with da boys.

Jacob loves playing basketball and soccer with his friends. He also loves walking his dog Cookie (a pug) through Laventa.

The Best Quesadilla Alan M. A quesadilla is good food or snack when you are hungry and a quesadilla is good because it is easier to make than other food. It is always good and you can make it with anything sweet or spicy. It is good anytime a day - in the morning or at night. A bad thing is if a quesadilla is too salty. You could add lemon or spicy things like salsa or a chile cut into pieces and you could add more things. Some people say a quesadilla is bad. It is not, because even if you don’t like cheese you can put meat in it. Some people say it is like a taco from Taco Bell. It is not. A Taco from Taco Bell has a hard shell. Some stores do not sell quesadillas like other stores. Stores like Taco Bell or McDonald’s or Cane’s. Cane’s sells fried chicken in sandwiches. Quesadillas - sometimes you can make it yourself or someone else could make them for you. Alan is nine years old and likes football. He practices soccer in his free time and likes Spanish songs and drawing. He likes to play video games such as FIFA with his older brother.

I Love Pupusas!! Sofia O. My favorite food is pupusas. I do not know when I had my first pupusa, but I do know what kind of pupusa I like. My favorite flavor is bean and cheese. When I first tried a pupusa I fell in love with it. That day forward, I ate them all the time. One of the things I like about pupusas is that when they’re done cooking, the flavor is so good that your tummy will thank you. You can eat a pupusa with any kind of topping on it. My favorite topping is ensalada. It’s like a salad but different. My dad likes the tomato sauce the most, but my mom likes both the ensalada and the tomato sauce. My baby brother likes the bean and cheese toppings. He started eating pupusas when he was ten months old! Even my cat Johnny likes pupusas. He eats the cheese off of my pupusas when I give them to him. I am always excited when pupusas are planned for dinner. We pick them up from Los Molcajetes and my dad makes jamaica to drink with them. My favorite memory about pupusas is from 1:55 PM on Christmas Eve last year. We ate pupusas as a family to celebrate my baby brother’s first Christmas. It made me happy to eat them with my baby brother for the first time. We ate more pupusas the next day while opening our Christmas presents, which doubled the excitement! Sophia O. does not know when she had her first pupusa, which is her favorite food. She loves to draw and paint in her free time, and her favorite subject in the fourth grade is math. She has two older sisters and one younger brother, as well as a medium blackish-gray cat named Johnny.

The Nachos Are Okay, I Guess Amanda Alvarez Melchor Nacho Review In my essay I will be talking about nachos. Every few months, I go to a restaurant called El Jacalito Oaxaqueno with my family. These nachos are pretty good and I like them for several reasons. I like that nachos have mixed flavors and textures. THey are cheesy, wellseasoned, savory, salty, and delicious. The torta chips are rough and bumpy. The avocados are soft, the tomatoes are squishy, and the cheese is smooth. Sometimes the cheese in the nachos may be way too much. Actual Review Every month, I got to a restaurant called Jacalito Oaxaqueno. When I get to the restaurant, I choose what I want to eat. Sometimes, I eat nachos. The nachos are okay, I guess. I like that the nachos have meat. I don’t know what I like about the meat. It’s like…I don’t know. I have nothing else to say about the meat. I’d like to move on. Sometimes, the nachos can be too cheesy. Why would you want to taste plain cheese? It sucks. I have nothing else to say about the cheese. Moving on. I like the restaurant that sells the nachos. I like the restaurant because it is a restaurant. I like restaurants because they give out food.I would like to say nothing else.

The Best Pancakes I Ever Had Paige V. The best pancakes I ever had was at Big Bear for a field trip and this is my experience: I waited outside the door to the cafeteria to eat. When I got inside I picked up a coin from a cup that a girl was holding. I looked at the coin I picked up and it had the number 4. I looked around and I saw a table with the number 4 and it had the same number as my coin. When I got there I sat down in the chair to get ready to eat. I waited to eat. I saw the waiter coming near my table. She came and dropped the plate down and unwrapped it and it was french toast. I only had one piece of toast. After that she came back and had a plate of pancakes. She came and dropped it off at the table and unwrapped it. I grabbed one pancake to try. It looked fluffy. When I took my first bite it was very sweet and the more I ate the more delicious it got. I liked it so much that I grabbed two more to eat. “That was the best pancakes I ever had,” I said and I meant it. Paige likes to write about twins even though she doesn’t have one. Her things that she writes are the opposite. She likes horror and scary things unlike other people.

The Best Soup in the World: A Story to Enjoy and Love Liv Ryan Hi! I’m Liv. As you know, my Abuelita’s cooking is the best. But the food I love the most is (drumroll please!)…Abuelita’s chicken soup! It’s SOOO good. Let me tell you why! First, it’s got the stuff. It’s like ramen with rice (sometimes) and celery, and more stuff that’s in salad. Other than eggs, tomatoes, and ranch. NEVER. EVER. PUT. ANY. OF. THAT. IN. SOUP! (I mean it). Next! I also love that it has everything I hate in it (celery, cilantro, salad, cabbage, super crunchy carrots, and soft ginger). But the thing is, Abuelita’s chicken soup helped me love all of that by having it in the soup and not eating it plain. It’s good all together. I love it when it gets all mushy. I also love it when it warms up in my mouth. When I eat it, it’s warm and yummy. Then, I sigh in awe and keep eating the soup happily. I love that Abuelita puts many ingredients in it. Sometimes she doesn’t. Sometimes she puts rice in, sometimes she puts celery or cilantro inside. Sometimes the ingredients are baked. Sometimes they are cooked. My Abuelita is a very special person. She’s one of the people in my family that was born in Mexico. She’s my mom’s mom. She loves blue; she always wears blue. I love my Abuelita. One time, I went by my Abuelita’s house and I was mad. I was sad because I kicked my friend and I felt SO BAD about it that I cried. When I got to my Abuelita’s, she didn’t bother to talk because she thought I was just cranky. She gave me chicken soup. I crossed my arms while I sniffed. “For me?” I asked cutely. Abuela nodded, so I picked up the spoon, and I picked up carrots, chicken, and celery. I scooped it into my mouth. It felt so warm and lovely in my mouth. I couldn’t get out of the zone so much that I accidentally wiggled in delight and spilled…THE BEST PART OF THE SOUP IN MY SPOON. I love my Abuelita’s chicken soup.

So yeah, I made my point. I love my Abuelita’s chicken soup. It has the stuff I hate, except when they’re warmed and/or cooked. It’s two-eighths of my DNA. I really love chicken soup. I mean, what’s not to like about it? It has broth and warmth. It’s like your favorite book but you never, ever want it to end. It’s like the best dream ever. It’s the best. I love my Abuelita and her cooking. Mostly her chicken soup. It’s also like infinite money, like $300 billion dollars every day in your bank account (if you have one).

*** I Love Lemon Chips Ariana R. A food I love to eat is lemon chips, because they’re salty. I like lemon chips. I love when the lemon chips are crunchy. I love the smell. Lemon chips are salty in a good way. I love salty food: it’s so good and delicious. It’s good if you put lime, chamoy, and many other things on them. I love when I finish the lemon chip. My finger is covered with the powder. The salt makes the lemon chip good. Lemon chips are so good when they are crunchy. I love when the chips are crunchy because it makes me think of ASMR. I love ASMR, and when the chips are crunchy I feel like I’m in Heaven. When the chips are crunchy, I put them on my tongue and crunch my mouth. I love the lemon chip smell, it smells so salty in a good way. It smells like a lemon chip, I love it. Ariana likes to sing. Ariana likes watermelon and mango. Ariana likes the colors baby blue and light green.

Doodles Don’t Like Noodles Rylee Thiam A food I particularly like is baked mac and cheese. I love it especially on holidays. A holiday I mostly have it on is Thanksgiving and here are the reasons why. My mom was the one who taught me how to make it. Also, it’s genuinely something I like to make sometimes. Another reason why is that I just feel joy in the making of mac and cheese. A bonus with shredding the cheese is I get to eat some of the shreddings, and I also get to do something I love with my mom. I also love the texture because it’s creamy and kind of chewy as well, it has a good aftertaste which means a lot to me. It is also pretty stretchy which makes it a fun thing to eat I guess if you’re into that kind of thing. Something I don’t like about it is sometimes it turns out watery or super creamy, and I don’t like that texture when it comes to mac and cheese. So that’s a fail in my opinion. When that does happen, I put it in my refrigerator for a while so it hardens up or becomes less creamy, if that’s a better way of saying that. When I make it, I’m the one who shreds the cheese by **HAND** which is 3-6 blocks of cheese, so you know it’s definitely gonna be good if someone felt pain in the making of it. After shredding the cheese, you’re supposed to put it into a bowl and add some other ingredients to it as well. I put in cottage cheese and an orange and white kind of cheese. The kind of noodles we use are either the basic elbow noodles or the shell kind. If you’re wondering how we bake it, we shred enough cheese so when it needs to go into the oven we put the cheese on top of it. One of my least favorite baked mac and cheese memories is when my dog, who is part goldendoodle, ate some of the mac and cheese and had diarrhea on my room floor. Rylee Thiam is from Los Angeles and goes to school in Mar Vista. She is in the 7th grade. She likes to be outside and read.

Chilaquiles Are The Best! Arianna S. During the weekend my mom and I were hungry so we went to a Mexican restaurant. I ordered Chilaquiles for the very first time! When I tasted it, it was like I was in heaven. I tasted the green salsa. It was runny, gooey, and warm in my mouth. The cheese was gooey and hot. Salty, mushy goodness. The chicken and egg were perfectly cooked. I tasted all these flavors in my mouth! Chilaquiles are my favorite dish! The cheese melts into the tortilla chips. They are crunchy, cooked salty, spicy, green, flat, and juicy. The toppings can be chicken with queso fresco! The green sauce has a sweet and spicy taste! It is the best food in the world to me! The cheese is the best part of the dish! The cheese strings out from the plate. It is melted warm and brings the dish all together, making it most yummy! The toppings make Chilaquiles extra delicious! I prefer when the chicken and the queso fresco is added to the Chilaquiles. Queso fresco is a preference of some people. Cream sometimes cancels out the cheese. All these toppings are terrific! Chilaquiles can be cooked with red or green sauce. The green sauce has more flavor than the red!!!! It is more spicy therefore adding more flavor. Gigi S is a fourth grader who likes to draw, read, write and play! Gigi’s favorite sport is dodgeball and also basketball with her friends. Gigi S is scared of insects, snakes and moths. Gigi is really joyful and happy with everyone!

Why Pizza is Delicious Helen K. One time, my dad bought pizza for me and my two brothers. His shirt was inside out and we thought it was funny. We all laughed at my dad and he laughed too. When we stopped laughing, we ate pizza and it was delicious. Pizza is yummy, crunchy, circular, and thin. My dad buys pizza to take home for us and he buys pepperoni and pineapple pizza. Pizza does not smell like my brother’s feet, which is good because if it did, it would make you throw up. I also like pizza because of the pepperoni. Pepperoni is not spicy, delicious, and with a lot of flavor. Pizza is more fun to eat because it is not plain, pizza is better when it is warm pizza. Pizza is my favorite food out of all foods. Helen lives in LA. She is 7 years old. She loves to draw and loves pizza.

I Love Chicken Tacos Alejandro V. Tacos remind me of when I was eating tacos with my family and cousins. My dad cooked my favorite tacos–chicken tacos. This memory makes me happy because after we ate tacos we played soccer. We played soccer rough, but I like playing rough. I like tacos because it reminds me of my family. When the chicken tacos are cooking, that’s my favorite part. Smelling the chicken tacos makes me hungry. Adding lemon makes them juicy and soft. Tacos taste even better with extra cold, cherry flavored Dr. Pepper. Eating chicken tacos with Dr. Pepper is crispy and satisfying. Chicken makes me happy. Tacos have a yellow corn tortilla, a grilled brown color chicken, green cilantro and white onion. When I smell the chicken tacos I can savor the lemons. Tacos are a soft food that tastes delicious. The tortilla is moist and corny. The chicken is chewy and when I eat it, it’s warm. Tacos are the best food in the world. Alejandro loves watching scary movies. He likes playing video games. He hates writing in cursive lastly, Alejandro loves Math.

Pizza Anthony A. Pizza is the best ever (in my opinion). It’s so cheesy, and stretchy cheese is tasty! It can be super spicy or even sweet! It’s triangular too: who doesn’t love triangles! Pizza has many combos, like pepperoni. It’s not too spicy, not too greasy, and who does not see red as a favorite. And then with a classic crust: not too dry, crispy, or greasy. And then tomato sauce: it can’t be too mushy. Now back to pizza: it’s tasty. It’s so flavorful, almost anything can go on pizza. It can have anything you put on it as long as it’s not illegal :) Anything you put on it can make it the flavor you like, unless it’s bitter. Who likes bitter? It can be your favorite shape, as long as it’s not a sphere. Pizza is pizza, it’s not like it can be bad if it’s normal. You won’t regret getting a pizza. Trust me, it’ll be the best thing you’ll ever eat if it’s average. Some people say pineapple on pizza is bad, but did you even give it a try?? I bet you’ll regret saying it, trust me :) “Pizza is pizza, you can never go wrong.” Pizza is perfect, like a gift from the gods. Pizza is great and you can have it any time of the day. Pizza is so famous it has many quotes, like “pizza pizza” or “pizza is pizza.” Pizza is everywhere, it’ll even go to your house. Pizza can be big to serve your family, or small for yourself. Overall rating: 5/5. Anthony is an artist of anything. Great weakness: realistic drawings.

Cookies Moises R. I am doing a review on chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies are full of chocolate, crunchy and come in a big family pack. To begin with, chocolate chip cookies are good because they are full of chocolate. Chocolate chip cookies are good because they are crunchy. I like the sound of the crunch as I’m eating it. I like how hard it feels. Cookies are good because they come in a family pack. It has a lot more cookies inside the pack. I have two brothers and have to share. Having a big pack of cookies is good because there is enough for all. I rate chocolate chip cookies five stars! Moises enjoys drawing trains and playing with his toy cars.

Apples Isaac M. I like apples because they make me feel healthy and I like how they taste. Apples taste like apple slices, because they are the same thing. Apples are my favorite fruit. I ate around 100 apples throughout my 8 years of my life. And I watch dinosaurs and they make me happy. As well as apples. And I love my mom. I like eating popcorn. The regular tastes good. I drink water and watch movies too. The first time I ate an apple went like this: it was very crunchy. I like this place. The end. That’s my whole story. Isaac is in the third grade. He loves his friends, as they make him very happy. Isaac also loves fun Fridays where they play games only for four players not five players.

French Fries Desiree, N. I went to In-N-Out and the food was delicious. You can taste it when you order it and it’s really, really good. My favorite is Sprite and the French fries. The fries are really, really, really good. They are cooked the right way. They are salty. They are crispy and I eat them with ketchup. The ingredients are fresh. The bread is warm. I say “cheese hamburger” and they add the hamburger, the cheese, no pickles, no onions, and that’s pretty much it. They might, or they might not, give stickers. I like cute stickers. The sticker I got was cute, but not that cute. I give In-N-Out five out of ten stars. Desire is in second grade and is very spontaneous.

Rice Sophie M. One of my favorite foods is rice. I don’t know why I like the plain, fluffy, white blob. But the plainness of the rice makes it such a tasty food to me. Or maybe because at family parties, it’s served, and the sticky food is always finished before the party starts. My family, including my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles, always loved rice as much as I did. Because they love it, they make it a lot. Therefore, rice has always been a comfort food of mine. Maybe it was because rice went well with almost everything I ate. For example, I would eat steak or chicken, and the rice made the steak better. Or I would put seasoning on it, and the seasoning wouldn’t ruin the taste. Usually, I would put furikake on my rice. The first time I tried rice, I thought it was too plain. But now I usually put furikake or eat it plain. Each year, my entire family, including my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and great-grandparents, have a party called the “Mary Mary.” We celebrate it to honor my maternal great-grandpa. While in the Philippines, another country captured him and the other village men. Fortunately, he escaped, and we celebrate this because we wouldn’t be alive if he didn’t. After we said the prayers, everyone put rice on their plates and finished it in the blink of an eye. Maybe it’s just how it feels in my mouth, warm and fluffy. The texture of the rice is soft. The rice flavor is recognizable to me. I think it is a delicious plain food. These are all reasons why I love rice. It has always been a comfort food for me, and the fact that it goes well with anything and was always served at family parties/reunions made it even better. Sophie M. loves to write and draw. She likes to play basketball. She also likes to watch movies and eat popcorn.

Chocolate Ice Cream Omar S. Chocolate ice cream is the best because it is so tasty. After all, it is sweet and delicious. It is delicious for the summer because it is hot and there’s so much heat outside. Chocolate ice cream is perfect. It makes me whole, not only complete, but it tastes good. And that is why chocolate ice cream is the best because vanilla is so bad. Strawberry is okay, but I like chocolate ice cream. That is the only ice cream I want. I like chocolate with chocolate candy, and I like it in a bowl. I like it with mint chocolate, chocolate chips, cookies and cream, and regular chocolate ice cream. The last ice cream I ate was mixed chocolate, mint chocolate, cookies and cream, and everyday chocolate ice cream. The best chocolate is mint chocolate, chocolate chip, cookies and cream, and regular chocolate ice cream. Strawberry is so bad. Vanilla tastes terrible. Chocolate is so good instead of other sour flavors. I want chocolate ice cream, all chocolate ice cream, and candy like M&M’s, chocolate pieces, chocolate cookie crumbs, gummy bears, a stick with chocolate inside the stick, and Reese’s Pieces as the last topping for the chocolate ice cream. Omar likes soccer, math, PE, and chocolate ice cream. He enjoys playing Fortnite and FNFAF 2. His weakness is social studies.

Gold Ice Cream Camila R. Today, I will tell you about ice cream. Ice cream is the best! It is cold, soft, and colorful. It can also have sprinkles on top! Some other toppings are strawberries, mango, and cookies. I like my ice cream in a cup. Ice cream gives you a brain freeze. I do not like brain freezes. Ice cream has so many flavors to choose from. I like strawberries on mine because they are my favorite fruit. Strawberries are sweet, yummy, and delicious. My brother agrees with the taste of it as well. I love ice cream so much—the end. Camila likes to read and do gymnastics. She also likes cats and ghosts!

*** Cemitas Poblanas Annalia D. Hi! I am going to tell you about why tacos are good. One reason why tacos are good is because they are juicy and convenient. In the summer, they taste so much better. You can enjoy them in the summer and take your time to eat. The truck I get them from is called Cemitas Poblanas, down the street from the Boys and Girls Club of Venice. One type of taco is carne asada, and if you add lemons and squeeze the juice out, it is so yummy and not sour. There are more types of tacos like birria, pig, and more. You can also add cilantro, onion, and more. You can get fries on the side. They are better warm and seasoned. If you haven’t had tacos before, you should try them. Annalia likes to play soccer and is on a united team. She is 11 years old. She wants to spend time with her family and likes Chick-fil-A.

In-N-Out Burger and Fries Anthony Diego J. I usually go to In-n-Out for the burgers and fries to eat. However, I will be talking about facts about In-n-Out for this story. One fact is that the first ever In-n-Out opened on October 22, 1948, in Baldwin Park, CA. Another fact is Harry and Esther Snyder founded In-n-Out. Harry ran the restaurant, and Esther managed the accounts for In-n-Out. The logo means that In-n-Out denotes the food chain of fast service while the palm tree relays its California vibe. You’re probably thinking, who owns In-n-Out right now? Lynsi Lavelle SnyderEllingson is the current owner (the previous owners of In-n-Out were Seawell Martinez and Torresi, who were both born on May 5, 1982). Now, the question, which came first, In-n-Out or McDonalds? The history of the modern-day global burger franchise begins the same year that In-n-Out was born. In-n-Out was the first and well-known for its burgers. Why is In-n-Out yummy for me, you ask? Well, it’s Yummy because they always make their hamburger patties using only fresh, 100% USDA ground chuck. I find burgers tasty and like yellow cheese, but pepperjack cheese could be more delicious. I like their In-n-Out fries because it tastes like a famous dance. “Every time I ate fries, the burger mocked me.” Anthony likes to play soccer, is in a soccer league, and likes In-n-Out. His favorite fictional characters are Chica, Bonnie, Foxy, Freddy, Nightmare Fredbear, and Dreadbear. His favorite movie is The Five Nights at Freddy’s.

CHICK-FIL-A Avery Y. One of my favorite meals of all time is Chick-fil-A. I love to get the kids chicken nuggets and fries, and I constantly upgrade to a milkshake for my drink. I am going to start with the chicken nuggets. I love how crispy they are, and I also like how they have a slightly sweet taste in them, too. They have the best fries IN THE WORLD! I love how they are in the shape of a waffle. It just makes them one hundred times better. The waffle fries perfectly combine crispy and softness in every bite. Next, we have such amazing milkshakes; of course, they are from Chick-fil-A. I love the cookies and cream one so much. They are so creamy and thick, and it is the best when you get a chunk of a cookie. When it’s a specific time of season, Chick-fil-A comes out with seasonal milkshakes. My favorite seasonal milkshake is the peppermint one that comes out at the start of December. The peppermint milkshake has bits of candy cane; it is the best part of the whole milkshake. After all these fantastic and magical food flavors come the best sauces. My favorite sauces are the original Chick-fil-A sauce and the spicy buffalo sauce. The original sauce has this vinegar taste, and it is fantastic, more like sweet vinegar! And the buffalo sauce has this spicy and hot taste to it. I love it! I LOVE EVERYTHING FROM CHICK-FIL-A SO MUCH! I RATE CHICK-FIL-A A TEN OUT OF TEN! Avery Y. LOVES Chick-fil-A and soccer.

Sour and Hot Pedro S.

In many Hispanic dishes, there are sour and spicy foods like chips con salsa; then there are enchiladas and many, many, many, many, different and promising types of salsa. Then there is sour, which can be lime and salt because adding too much salt makes dishes salty and bad, like lemonade or putting lemon on something. The first time I ate sour food was when I was little, and it was when my aunt put some lemon on my tacos, and it tasted perfect. And the first time I ate spicy food was when my family made mole, which they gave me. It was some of the best Hispanic food I have ever tried. It was salty, smooth, and the perfect type of spicy. And tacos con limon were the perfect balance of sour and salty. But together, spicy and wrong is the perfect combination of the two. For example, tacos con salsa and lemon and chips con salsa and lemon are perfect together; tangy and spicy, they taste good. They are also crunchy and salty; you can customize it to your taste. Pedro is very athletic. His favorite sport is soccer. He is also smart because he got straight A+s on his report cards and many school awards. He and his team earned first place in the Mar Vista Recreation Soccer League for the second year he has played.

Making My Very Own Spring Salad Penelope J. I was going to a store to get the ingredients I needed for the salad. I needed to bring salad, raisins, walnuts, honey, oil, and cheese. Then I bought it. I went all the way back home. I parked, and I went into my house to make the salad. First, I added the salad, of course, and then I added raisins, and I got the walnuts from the bag. Then I got the cheese from the fridge and added it to the fresh salad. The salad is almost done. I then had to add the sauce to the salad. I added honey and oil, then mixed it, and then done. All I had to do then was invite my brother Anthony and my friend Camila to taste it. They tasted it and rated it. They placed it well. Anthony rated it an 8/10, and Camila rated it a 7/10. I tasted it for myself. I thought it was terrific! What I liked about the salad is that it’s fresh, and it’s also, of course, good. It tastes like something I never tasted, as good as chocolate ice cream. Penelope’s favorite thing is Sanrio. She also enjoys making salad with her mom, which inspired this story. Her next challenge is to create a salad with kiwis, carrots, apples, mangos, and cucumbers. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to taste it!

Tacos Natalia V. First, it all started when I ate a taco. I’m getting ahead of myself. This is where it began. Tacos are unique and delicious. If this is your first time trying a taco, you should go to our taco place. “Ugh,” I told the TV. I had never tried a taco before. I bet it is disgusting. “But maybe it might be delicious? I’m not sure,” I said. I went to sleep because tomorrow I have 826LA. In the morning, I was wide awake. I got ready and then asked my mom, “What are we gonna eat for lunch?” My mom said, “The taco place that is right across the street.” I asked my mom if the tacos were good or if they tasted terrible. She said that they are unique and delicious. My tummy grew, and I asked my mom if we could eat breakfast. She said yes. We ate, and then I went to 826LA. Later, it was lunchtime, and I was nervous to eat a taco. Once we got to the place, there was an extensive, giant line. Once we got there, we sat down and got our menu. On the menu, there were many types of tacos. Crunchy tacos, smooth tacos, and also hard tacos. We got what we wanted, and it was time to eat my taco. Once I ate it, I thought it was delicious. I had never tasted this before. I wanted more. I wanted more. The taco was crunchy and tomato-y. I loved it. And when I first saw it, I could not believe it. I wanted to eat this every lunchtime. And you should, too. The end. Natalia is scared of tacos, and her weakness is tacos.

Section 2: Food Review

Steak vs Pasta: Which to Order??? Ignacio G. “Let’s go to the Olive Garden!” Mom said.

“Okay!” I replied. Twenty minutes later, “We’re here!” Mom said. “Alright, get ready to order,” she said.

“Order,” I thought, so I looked at the menu and thought of the first thing I saw: steak and pasta.

“Okay,” said Brain 1, “let’s go! Steak, because steak is juicy because it is greasy and mouth-watering.”

“No! Pasta has a good sauce and is good because it’s buttery and looks tasty,” said Brain 2.

“Hurry up!” I think to myself.

Brain 1 says, “Steak is better because steak is hot and juicy.”

Brain 2 says, “But pasta is easy to cook.”

Hurry, hurry, hurry, the waiter is almost here.

Brain 1: “Steak is chewy and hard.”

Brain 2: “Uhhhhhh…”

Brain 1: “So steak it is.”

Waiter: “Can I get your drinks?”

“Drinks?” I thought. “Here we go again…”

“Yep,” said Brain 1 and Brain 2. “Everyone has to deal with this problem–ordering.”

Ignacio is 9 years old and his nickname is totally not “Iggy.” He totally did not write this story. When he goes to a restaurant, he always forgets what he ordered. His favorite sport is watching TV. What makes him happy is Friendsgiving. He totally enjoys car rides. This bio is totally not written by him and totally not about him.

In-N-Out Arturo Garcia Cruz In-N-Out is 200% better than Burger King. “In-N-Out is the best.” ”No. Burger King is the best.” ”Be quiet Burger King! Anyways, we are better because we have a longer line and our food isn’t dry.” “Our food is not dry. Your food is dry.” “Be quiet Burger King! Another reason is because your food is really expensive.” “Our food is not expensive. Your food is expensive.” “Whatever Burger King. That is why Burger King is the worst.” “We are not the worst.” “Be quiet Burger King.” “I will not be quiet until you admit that you are the worst.” “Okay. I am the worst and you’re the best.” “Hahaha! I am the best!” “Hahaha! Let’s go! Haha! I lied. I think In-N-Out hamburgers are the best. The meat is really flavorful and I like the combination of ingredients.” “What about our combination of ingredients? It’s better than your combination of ingredients. So we are better than you.”

“No, we are better than you.” “No, we are better than you are.” “No, we are.” “We are better.” “No, we are.” “No, we are.” “No, we are” “No, we are.” “No, we are.” ”Let’s go get a burger.” “Ok.” ”Ok.” “I am still better than you.” “I do not mind.” Arturo is 9 years old. His favorite meal is lasagna and favorite activity to play is Minecraft. He has two sisters, one is in middle school and the other sister is in high school. He is in elementary school. That is a little bit about Arturo. I hope that you like it.

Mashed Potato Frenzy Naomi K. Sam, Keith, Katie, Robin, Heather, and Cameron are a part of the mashed potato club. “Today’s activity is debate,” Mr. Raven said. “The topic is garlic or no garlic.” Mr. Raven splits the class in half and assigns the students to their sides. Sam, Robin, and Cameron are against garlic, while Keith, Katie, and Heather are for garlic. The debate turns out friendly with everyone speaking up and talking about pros and cons. “The pro of mashed potatoes with garlic is that it tastes more sophisticated.” Heather says “The con is that it smells more pungent than mashed potatoes without garlic.” Sam states. “Either way they’re both mushy!!” Cameron laughs. However, it turns and gets really heated and unfriendly. “My mom only makes mashed potato with garlic!” Keith yells. “Oh yea? Well, garlic makes your breath stink!” Robin hollers. “Garlic with mashed potatoes is more flavorful, and without it, it’s just bland.” Katie remarks. Thankfully, Mr. Raven is there to step in and inflict order. When the bell rings, they all go to lunch and continue the argument. They bicker all throughout the lunch line, which coincidentally served mashed potatoes without garlic!! Keith, Katie, and Heather are appalled and want to tell the principal to change the lunch menu. However, they are unsuccessful. Sam, Robin, and Cameron smirk slyly at them. “Even the school knows garlic with mashed potatoes suck!” Cameron pelts a giant wad of mashed potatoes (no garlic) at them. Keith sits up with potatoes dripping off his face and throws a milk carton at Robin. The fight is on! Other students quickly start to join in the fight. Food flies off tables. Liquids splash and spread everywhere. The whole cafeteria turns into total chaos.

The teachers and staff come and end the fight. The whole mashed potato club was sent to the principal’s office and got detention for three days. A week after the detention, Mr. Raven told the class to debate about scallions on mashed potatoes. The whole class rolled their eyes and gave each other a look that said: Here we go again! Naomi K grew up in Downtown LA and attended Thomas Starr King Middle School. After school, she attended 826LA and started her writing career. Her first published work at 826 was a pumpkin pie poem when she was eleven-years-old. In her free time, she likes watching TV. Her favorite TV show right now is Lessons in Chemistry.

Tamales Matthew Najarro I love tamales. My favorite is chicken, made by my grandma. The chicken is juicy. Tamales are soft on the inside and outside. My favorite way to eat them is on a plate with a fork. Tamales are wrapped up in a soft paper that is tan and white. Tamales have skin. The skin looks like the part that you eat, but you can’t eat it. Tamales are wrapped up like a burrito. Both tamales and burritos are my favorite foods, but my very favorite are burritos made by my dad. Burritos have tortillas on the outside. Inside you put any vegetables or beans you want. My favorite burrito has beans and cheese. I eat them while holding them in my hand.

*** Do You Like Pizza Isabel S. Do you like pizza? Most of you have only tried American pizza but have probably not tried Italian pizza. Most of you might say, “How is it different?” I will tell you the difference between Italian and American pizza and why Italian is better, in my opinion. American pizza tastes dry compared to Italian pizza, which is fresh and hot. Even though they might both be taken out of the oven, Italian pizza tastes much fresher. Italy’s pizza always comes steaming hot and fresh, while American pizza usually comes out hot but not as fresh as Italian pizza. Another good thing about Italian pizza is that it has less dough and crust, which makes it lighter on the stomach. This is good because you can try different kinds of pizza and salads and still have room for more. Less crust strengthens the taste so you can taste the cheese, sauce, and toppings. American pizza is heavy on the stomach, and one gets full after one or two pieces. You also can’t taste the toppings on American pizza as well as you do on Italian pizza.

Italian pizza is better because pizza originated in Italy! Because of that, people in Italy are more severe about pizza. Italians are also more serious about food and ensure that your food is fresh. You are likelier to have a perfect piece of Italian pizza than American pizza. Now, I will tell you the differences between American and Italian pizza. You usually put cheese, mushrooms, olives, and/or pineapples on top of American pizza. In Italy, you do NOT put pineapples on pizza because they believe fruit does not belong on pizza. My experience with American pizza is usually picking it up in a box or serving it on a table. If you have it in a box (to go), you eat it at home or in your car. You order your pizza in Italy, eat it at the table, and do not go. This is a good thing. After all, you are less likely to drop the pizza or toppings because you are sitting in front of the table, while if you are eating it in the car, you may drop it and have to clean it up. I have had a good piece of pizza in America before. It was at an Italian restaurant, and I loved the pizza. The crust was thinner, which is a big part of why I prefer Italian pizza. New York pizza might also be delicious because people always talk about it. I have never been to New York or tried its pizza, but it would be perfect. You have learned a little about Italian pizza and why it is better than American pizza. Italian pizza is hot and fresh, while American pizza could be fresher. American pizza uses a lot of dough, which takes over the flavor and makes you complete quickly, while Italian pizza is lighter and more flavorful. I hope you try Italian pizza one day. You can look for an Italian restaurant and try the pizza there, which will most likely taste like the pizza in Italy. Now, you have learned a lot about pizza. Isabel is a student at 826LA. She loves Italian pizza and wishes that everyone could try it. She also likes to practice sports.

Section 3: Playing With Your Food - Creative Fiction

The Macaroni Beast Jade R. I was at home eating macaroni until the macaroni turned to life because someone was cooking mac and cheese. The person cooking added a secret ingredient: extra cheese. The extra packet of cheese from another box means it gives life to the macaroni. The macaroni became a beast. The macaroni beast was yellow and orange and the size of a door. It was sticky because of the cheese. It felt slimy. I was happy that the macaroni beast came to life. The macaroni beast went under my bed. Then I go to sleep then it grabbed my leg and then drags me under the bed. I was sad that it turned to attack me. When it grabbed me, it left cheese on my leg and I tasted it. It was hot because it was just cooked. It tasted salty. And then I ran out of the bed and grabbed a cup of water. I threw the cup at the monster and then it melted so I went to sleep. And finally I woke up and then the macaroni beast came back to life and then me and the macaroni beast, we ate macaroni. It was a big yellow bowl of mac n cheese. Mushy and soft. The cheese was slimy and sticky. Jade R likes to go to sleep and loves mom. She lives in the city of Terrace. She’s from Mexico.

Five Nights at Freddy’s (Rated PG-13) Alex Garcia Editor’s note: Certain sections are blacked out in order to maintain the story’s PG13 rating. This story began at a pizza place called Freddy Fazbear Pizza Place. There was a family: a mom, a dad, and 5 kids, but the five kids went missing. Then a new security guard came in. His name is Micheal Afton. He became a security guard to stop what his dad had done. So Michael went to the security room. All he needed to do was keep his eyes on the camera monitors. Then Michael left the room. Then he saw four robots named Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. Then Michael heard a kid scream, so Michael ran to where it was coming from, but when he made it he was too late. He looked around and saw nothing so Michael went back to the security room. But when he looked at the camera he saw all the robots on stage. Then he ran out of the room to find the robots, but when he found the robots, Foxy started to chase Michael. Michael ran for his life. After running away from Foxy, Michael lost Foxy. Then later Michael heard a man humming. Michael looked around but could not find the man. Then the humming sounded like it was coming closer. Then Michael got pushed to the wall. But the one that pushed him was a robot named Springlock. Springlock grabbed him and threw him to the wall. Michael tazed him then Springlock fell to the ground. Michael called the cops and the cops came. They saw Michael walking out of the pizza place injured then Springlock came out and grabbed Michael. Then Michael punched him then Springlock let Michael go. Before getting arrested, Springlock said, “I always come back!” “Yeah, maybe…” said Michael. To be continued…

Alex is a 10-year-old whose dream is to be a gamer. He has already won Mario Kart and Smash Bros tournaments. He plays the game for almost 24 hours. Alex is a Five Nights at Freddy’s fan and his favorite part is when someone got slashed in half, Alex is a “weeb.” What he means by weeb is an anime fan. He watches a lot of anime.

***

Thai Palace!!!!! Jaqueline O. Annie, Isabella and Nova are three girls who wanted to try the new Seven Seas Soup because they saw the reviews on Yelp and the reviews said it was a five star soup–no complaints! They were eating some hot Cheeto jalapeno nachos but as soon as they saw those reviews their excitement caused them to drop their nachos. They decided to go try the amazing Thai Palace. A nice waiter greeted them with a big smile at the entrance to Thai Palace. They immediately felt that this restaurant was going to be amazing! All of them started to daydream about the service and the food. The waiter said “I’ll be your waiter for today!” That’s when they snapped back to reality and the waiter showed them to their table. As they sat down, they started talking about how to get the hot Cheeto jalapeno nachos off their carpet. The nice waiter came back and asked “What would you like to order today?” The group responded, “we will have the new Seven Seas Soup.” Ten minutes later, the waiter came back and told them that their order will take a while because they’re having some difficulties with another guest. Meanwhile, the chef was calling order numbers from the back, but there was an angry woman yelling at another waiter making it very hard to hear. Five minutes later, Karen threw something at the waiter! She was acting so problematic that Annie, Nova and Isabella decided to leave and go to another Thai restaurant.

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When they arrived at the next restaurant, they saw a plate in the middle of the floor. Just then, the Karen from the first restaurant walked by and stepped on the plate. A swirl of light came over her and she vanished! Out of curiosity the three girls tried to do the same thing by copying the karen. They vanished. The woman reappeared in front of them and lifted her bangs. She had a zipper on her forehead! She unzipped herself and revealed a large worm. The worm wiggled toward an empty table. The three girls were so scared that they ran back to the plate teleporter in the middle of the floor and tried to vanish again. They didn’t realize that that restaurant was a restaurant for worms. They left and were able to continue their travels to different restaurants in search of the legendary Seven Seas Soup. Jaqueline has published three books in this program. Her hobbies are gardening, painting, and road trips.

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The Lost Pizza Hut Emma Diaz One day a girl named Emma was looking on the news and saw the Pizza Hut that was close to her house was abandoned. Emma was shocked. Then the news said everyone that lived there got their belongings and went in their cars to get out of there. The siren went off and everybody screamed for their life. Emma tried to get everything in her trunk. When Emma got out, she went to her mom’s house to stay the night. When she woke up she was hungry for pizza. She wanted Pizza Hut, but there were no Pizza Huts near Emma’s mom’s house, so she drove two hours just to get Pizza Hut. It was so delicious. “I haven’t had Pizza Hut in 30 hours!” Emma said. Then the cook came out of the kitchen and said, “Run while you can, the monster is i…” But no one could hear his last words until all of the people saw the monster. The monster was gooey and all the people screamed for their life. Emma grabbed the pizza and ran to her car and drove back to her mom’s house. When she got there, she told her mom that there was a monster at the Pizza Hut! She spoke with the voice of somebody who was scared. Her mom said, “It is ok, that Pizza Hut is two hours farther away.” She was relieved to remember that, and was going to watch TV until the siren went off again. The monster could run very fast and was going to hit her mom’s house! When they got all their stuff in the car, they drove to Emma’s dad’s house to stay the night. The next day, Emma woke up and said, “I want McDonald’s.” Emma was so excited to go to McDonald’s. When she got to McDonald’s and ate one fry, the monster from the Pizza Hut ate the chef and everybody ran for their life. She grabbed her McDonald’s and ran to her car to drive to her dad’s house. When she got there, she screamed.

Her mom was tied up and her dad was also tied up and then she saw the monster standing right in front of her face. The monster said, “Those weren’t your real parents! I am your brother!” She was spooked when the monster said its name was Justin. “I can prove I am your real brother. Your name is Emma.” Emma asked, “Justin, how do you know my name?” He said, “You also have another brother named Nathan and I have been trying to find you for days. Your real mom’s name is Jasmine and your dad’s name is Ernesto. I have been missing you so much since you’ve been gone!” “I miss you too,” Emma said. Justin said, “You can come to my planet, but if you don’t like it, we will move to Earth.” After Emma saw Justin’s planet, she said, “Can you live with me on Earth?” Justin said yes and got the rest of the family and they gave Emma a suit just like them. When they got all their stuff in the house, they put Emma’s fake parents in prison. Justin, Nathan, and Jasmine took off their masks. “We’re glad you’re back.” And Jasmine gave Emma a kiss. After, they got Pizza Hut and were a happy family. Emma loves to write spooky stories. She has an amazing teacher named Miss Blonde. She has an amazing friend named Natalia.

TATO QUEST Isaak M. In the village of Fries-n-ville where all kinds of potatoes live: sweet, salty, curly and whole, one evil king decided to change the fate of the village. On a random Friesdsay, the potatoes thought it was a normal day but the evil mustache on “King Mash’’ had other plans. Walking around his castle, King Mash saw Lucky(Experiment 101) on the news saving some potatoes from being grilled by a fire. King Mash did not like that, and with all his power he asked his devious army to kidnap Lucky in hopes of reprogramming him and making him evil. Lucky is a creation/mutant that was made by the award winning Professor Toast. Lucky’s titanium shell was so powerful that nothing could break it. Even King Mash. Throwing professor Toast in jail, King Mash successfully stole Lucky, and intends on using him for evil purposes. But a brave potato named Cloud, had what it takes to keep the peace. Cloud decided to stop King Mash but most importantly save Lucky and his powers. Cloud decides to sneak into Jail and visit Professor Toast for advice on how to stop Lucky. Professor Toast was thrilled to find Cloud in front of him, and trusted him with a rusty purple ax. What both Professor Toast and Cloud did not know was that the ax grants power for whoever wields it. Cloud leaves the dungeon, and heads to the castle. King Mash was already awaiting Cloud’s arrival, thus setting up a maze for Cloud to get lost in. What King Mash did not expect is that within 15 minutes, Cloud had already strolled easily through the maze. That’s when King Mash decided to take out his secret weapon, Lucky. Cloud was surprised to see King Mash holding Lucky, and Cloud was also surprised to see his ax making unfamiliar sounds. Only then, Cloud realized what he was wielding–a powerful ax. When battling both King Mash and the evil programmed Lucky, Cloud cuts Lucky in the visor! Cloud saves Lucky and the potatoes are saved … at least they thought so.

Isaak. M likes going on hikes and walking his dogs in the park.

Daydreaming Nehemias B. When I woke up, it was warm in my bedroom. My stomach wanted something sweet and cold, so I went downstairs and asked my mom if we could go get ice cream. And, she said yes! So, we went into the car to the ice cream shop, and when I wanted to take my first bite… I slammed my head on the book on my desk. That’s when I woke up and then realized I was daydreaming. So I was still hungry. I asked my mom if we could go get ice cream and she said no. I told her I could go on my bike. She thought about it, then she said yes. She gave me money to go get ice cream, so I got on my bike to go get ice cream. On my way to the ice cream shop, I took a hard right and entered a racing track and there was still one mile left to the ice cream shop. After the race, I was really tired. I almost fell over but I kept going until I reached the finish line. I placed second place but I was tired. Then I reached the ice cream shop. I took a deep deep breath. It felt like a daydream but it was not. I finally got my chocolate ice cream. Nehemias Bautista is 10 years old and he likes to play video games and read books. He lives in Culver City, California. He lives in a house and he has five family members including his dog.

Making Friends in Aisle 3 Leo M. It was a quiet night in Aisle 3 and some sweet fruits rolled in the night. The Strawberry, the Banana, the Orange Juice, and the Mango. The Orange Juice wanted to escape the fridge because she had been trapped for four years. The Mango saw the Orange Juice struggling to get out. The Mango wanted to help her. The Mango couldn’t reach the handle and she was sad. The Mango thought, “Who should help me?” As she was thinking, the Apple rolled to her, “Can I help?” The Banana jumped to the Mango and said, “How can I help?” The Strawberry ran over to the Mango and Apple and Banana and she said, “Can I help too?” The Mango was so happy she got all her friends to help. So all of the fruits planned an idea about saving the Orange Juice. So the plan was the Mango would be on the bottom, then the Banana, then the Apple, then the Strawberry on top. All the fruits stacked up to try to reach the handle of the fridge. The Orange Juice couldn’t believe her eyes! She would be saved from the fridge! Just when the fruits could reach the handle of the fridge, the Strawberry fell off the stack! But the Strawberry didn’t give up so she climbed to the top of the stack. “Hooray!” yelled all the fruits. Then together they pulled open the handle and freed the Orange Juice. They all celebrated because they all saved the Orange Juice. It was the next morning and people were shopping in Aisle 3, but there were no fruits, just vegetables. So the fruits and the Orange Juice sneaked out because the door was open. They were going on a journey to explore the world and they didn’t know what was in the world. They realized they were hungry and went to a taco place. While they were standing at the counter at the taco place, they felt a bump and it was taco with eyes. And they said, “What’s your name?” and he said, “My name is Juan,” in a nice voice. And they were happy.

Leo is nice and friendly. He likes to write and is a student of 826LA. His favorite movie is The Super Mario Bros. Movie because he likes the setting.

Selections from The Blue Crayon Emmanual Alvarez Melchor Chapter One: The Evil Crayon Once upon a time there was a kid named Noah and an evil crayon. The evil crayon haunted anyone who had him. If it broke, it would regrow its body. It could never be broken for good. Noah went to a new house, but the crayon didn’t give up trying to find him. Noah went to New York. The crayon took the crayon airplane to find Noah. Noah was sad so he threw the evil crayon. The evil crayon became unbreakable and came back to haunt Noah. Afterward, Noah made a working box robot. The engine worked. The crayon also made an army of crayons, so Noah made an army of kids. They started fighting. Then the evil crayon became the happy crayon. So he did not do anymore madness ever again, and Noah changed the robots to be kind. Chapter Two: Another Evil Crayon Remember how the evil crayon turned to the kind crayon? He had a secret brother who was also an evil crayon. He was in Crayon’s Land. The kind crayon was in Marker Land. The markers were kind. Chapter Three: ??? [MISSING] Chapter Four: The Attack! (with Food) When the quesadilla was evil he started to attack, but he turned kind. But a new villian came to town. His name was Pepperoni Pizza. He had minions, and they had a secret base. Oh yeah, remember Noah, the kid a few chapters ago? He made a base for himself. Also remember Blue Crayon? He wasn’t there because he was building another base and robots to defend nice people.

Pepperoni Pizza and his minions wanted to attack, but both teams went to the fight with robots. They put them on auto mode, so Pepperoni Pizza and Blue Crayon were relaxing because they weren’t touching the buttons or anything. But they were still fighting for five hours. Eventually, the robots ran out of battery. Come to our next adventure! Chapter Five: Food, Again! Remember in our last chapter Noah the kid and Blue Crayon and Quesadilla? They went into another battle with the robots, and the robots exploded in the battle, but both teams survived the explosion. Their base also exploded, so Blue Crayon went to get materials to rebuild the robots and Noah also got materials to build the base. They changed the robots’ look and the inside of the base. Then, after a year, Noah turned into a teenager but Quesadilla went on vacation so Noah got all the supplies. Then they built the base, again. Then they built the robots, again. Then they got into another battle, again. This time, Noah’s team won. Then their adventure ended. Blue Crayon built a house for his family but the villains made it explode. They made an underground secret base no one in the world could spot. Just the owners could.

C o m e f i n d o u t w h a t h a p p e n s n ex t i n c h a pt e r s i x !

Von’s Dream Von H. Von the Robot was a dreamful robot. He had always dreamed of becoming a chef, but in reality he just microwaves nuggets all day at a fast food restaurant. On the streets near the restaurant where he works there are robots in need of food. Von’s dream is to cook for all the robots in need and cure world hunger. One day a robot that Von had seen on the streets had come into the fast food restaurant. Von said, “Welcome Richard! Would you like to buy some food?” “Give me all the food in the restaurant! I’m armed and robbing this place!” yelled Richard. All of the robot customers surrendered, but not Von. “Wait Richard! I’ll cook for you our finest dish! For free!” said Von. Von rushed to the kitchen, getting all of his cooking supplies ready. But all Richard does is microwave the metal nuggets. Richard yells out “Cook me a metal burger to go with these metal nuggets!” Von gets the meal prepared and gives it to Richard, who grabs the food and runs out. The robbery made Von realize that he should try to cook for the robots like Richard who are hungry and in need. Von decides to volunteer at a food bank. As the sun sets, Von walks to his home in the alleyway, where his two kids Mickey and Grant are waiting for him. Von’s going to cook for his kids and is cooking pasta with shredded metal on top. After that Von puts his kids to bed. The night goes by and Von goes to the food bank. To his surprise, Richard has volunteered for the food bank. Von goes up to Richard and talks to him. They become friends. A couple of years go by and Von and Richard open up a restaurant together called Von and Richard’s Burgers. In their restaurant, they cook for robots in need all over town. Von is 10 years old and is in fifth grade. Von is from Los Angeles and is proudly Korean and Thai-American. He’s a unique and smart writer who likes math, creating origami boats and playing basketball, dodgeball and football. When he’s not writing or playing sports, Von also likes to watch TV with his dad.

Sticy & Icky Grace T. So I’m Grace, right? One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE food. This story is about a food incident where I was eating a lot of something that I like (I don’t like this dessert anymore). One day when I was younger - about 6 years old - my sibling was preparing pan con helado (bread with ice cream), which is a good dessert, but in my opinion it’s decent. I mean it. I genuinely loved eating pan con helado, but now I don’t. Pan con helado is basically a nice, cold treat. You can choose any ice cream flavor that you can put in the bread. The bread is a nice dessert bread that you can eat plain and at room temperature and have it taste good. Basically, it’s like a Mexican ice cream sandwich. Besides that, my sibling gave me a slice, which was very good. I loved it! When I finished eating, I asked my sibling if I could have more. Guess what? That was a great, big, mistake. I’m 12 years old right now writing this, so I would have been able to eat two slices, but I was 6 when this happened. My 6-year-old brain enjoyed that snack and wanted more, meanwhile my stomach wanted nothing. One slice was enough. I could not have not eaten more. “Okay Grace, you could have more later, in a bit.” “Okay!” A time later, I just went ahead and cut myself a slice and then ate it. Which honestly was a bad idea. Like really bad.

Also, yes, a bit of time still passed, but I was still semi-full, so if I cut myself a small slice I would have been okay. BUT the slice was like one-fourth of a circle, which was a lot for me. A while later my stomach was having the rumblies. Turns out I wanted to throw up! Great! Me being me, I didn’t want to tell my sibling because I was scared. So when I was sitting on the couch with my siblings and cousins I went into the room and threw up, only a bit though. Then my sibling came into the room and helped me before it became worse and also took me to the bathroom. I hate the feeling of throwing up, but that was the consequence I got from overeating. After throwing up, I was okay, and well, I’m sure my sibling was okay too. Or at least okay now (I know a lot of people hate throwing up and looking at it). If I wasn’t okay, I certainly would not be here telling this story! Also, even though I don’t like pan con helado as much as I used to, I still enjoy the memories that come with it. Like this one. Grace is a somewhat loud, cheery, and nice person. She usually speaks her mind when she needs to. She likes to read, draw, make and listen to music. Her current favorite top genre in Spotify Wrapped (not sponsored by Spotify lol) is indie!

Perfect Pasta Jackelyn A. It was a lovely evening and Gary Philip was getting ready to put away his perfect pasta “THE ULTIMATE LASAGNA!” This Lasagna is evenly layered with a spicy tomato sauce, stringy cheese that drips from the sides, and a mix of specialty meat, including Italy’s best sausage and ground beef. Gary Philip looked around his basement for a spot to hide his perfect pasta. He decided to store it in his secret fridge overnight. Finally the next day, Gary Philip skedaddled downstairs. But what Gary Philip found, he will never forget. As he opened the fridge door, his eyes widened in shock. His perfect pasta was gone. Frantically Gary Philip searched in hopes that he had misplaced it, but sadly he couldn’t find anything, not even a trace of crumbs. For days, weeks and months, all Gary Philip could think about was his missing Lasagna. The salty tomato sauce, the soft meat, the tender pasta… Oh how he missed his pasta! One day, Gary Philip went to the most famous restaurant “Remy’s Roast.” Gary Philip sat down on his table sadly. When the waiter came by, she asked Gary with a big grin “Oh Mr. Philip! The usual pasta I suppose?” “Get me a yolk soup instead” Gary Philip replied, followed by ao sigh. The waiter then took a seat next to Gary Philip, confused as to why he wasn’t his usual self. “What’s wrong?” she asked, and suddenly Gary Philip began to think out loud “NO!, I’ll go to every restaurant to find the perfect Lasagna!” he shouted. “Uh, what?” the waiter asked while being ignored by Gary Philip, as he rambled about pasta. After hours of no sleep going around looking for a replica of his perfect Lasagna, nothing tasted good. Everything was bland. It all tasted like socks! Until finally, Gary Philip went to his last resort. Slowly walking into the cave of the chef himself, Gordon Ramssey!

So, as the two agreed, Gordon will make the Lasagna, and Gary Philip will give him money. After the pasta was made, Gordon set up the dish at the table, ready to feel satisfied with his customers’ reaction. Gary Philip then took a solid bite out of the Lasagna, taking in all the flavors; salty, crunchy and spicy. “PERFECT!” Gary Philip yelled. In the end, all was good, until Gary Philip found out that Gordon had actually stolen the original Lasagna recipe from Gary Philip. Gary Philip pressed charges and took his case to the food court, eventually leading Gordon to jail. When Gordon went to jail, the food court noticed that he’s been stealing recipes from multiple chefs around the world. The only way Gordon could leave jail was by remaking and improving all the recipes he stole. After Gordon made his peace with all the chefs, Gary Philip was happy with his original perfect Lasagna. Jackelyn is a creative and growing author with upcoming and new ideas.

Raspberry Pie Josephine S. A lot of people like raspberry pie, but why do they? These are some of the reasons I like it. Because it is chewy. I love chewy things, it’s like another flavor. It adds something to it that nothing else adds. That’s not all, it’s sour and sweet, which you don’t get out of normal food. I am a big fan of sweet and a big fan of sour, but sometimes it can be too much. But a mixture of sweet and sour is perfect. Also, I normally have it on special occasions, so I have very special memories from making the pie. I normally make it with my mom and one of my brothers. I always have the same job, which is tasting and pouring. Now those were all the good things about it, but there’s some real history behind this. But it may not be the happiest history. It started in 1923, when news broke out that a secret recipe had been smuggled across the country. Some of them worried, some of them ran, and some of them looked. All of them not knowing the consequences of the recipe. Except one family, who were responsible for keeping it secret. They are my family, who have experienced it themselves. The consequence is… “SEEING THE FUTURE.” They saw some stuff they didn’t want to see and they hid it so no one else could see the terrifying future. They knew that the First World War would happen right before their eyes. They knew that no one would believe them, and even if they did, it would be too hard to tell everyone in the whole world. And so they kept it to themselves. Josephine is a fourth grader at Elysian Heights Elementary.

Authentic Mexican Food By Damian Matias One morning on July 29th, 2022, I was getting ready to go to Oaxaca, Mexico. I was pretty stoked and a bit nervous for several reasons, but mostly stoked because it was my first time there. I was seeing my cousins, including one of my cousins whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, and I was going to see new family members. After getting ready, my family went to the LAX airport but we had some difficulties entering. Instead, we went to the Tijuana airport. My brother, my cousin, and my aunt were the people who went with me. They had never been there either, but I’m pretty sure my uncle (who also went) had been there before. We were kinda nervous but after we booked the flight we noticed that we would leave on Sunday (it was Friday) so we would have to spend a whole day in Tijuana since we arrived at 1 AM on Saturday. On Saturday, when it was time for lunch, we went to this restaurant called “La Torta.” I got a chicken torta that came with fries and a drink. I got jamaica. I remember that it smelled like fresh cooked chicken. Once I smelled it, it made me feel very, very hungry. Even better, when I ate it, it made me feel like I just ate food after two years. The fries and jamaica were also really good. The music in the restaurant reminded me of listening to the radio on a Saturday while cleaning or taking care of the garden with my mom and brother, which made me feel a bit homesick, but the music was still good. Once we finished eating we visited the mall, which in my opinion looked very luxurious because it was very clean and had the same stores as the USA, but also other different stores. Anyways, all we really did was visit stores, eat in restaurants, visit candy stores, and take pictures, which pretty much took the whole day. The next morning we had to wake up really early to get on the flight to Oaxaca. Getting there and waiting felt long and boring. It felt long and boring like a school day, only school is the worst. Once we got inside the plane, my stomach felt bad because it was my first time on a plane.

Once I got off the plane, it felt really nice seeing my family from Oaxaca waiting at the airport and greeting us. At the same time, it was really cold and I like cold weather so it was a good welcome for me. Once I arrived at my tia’s house I was welcomed to eat my grandma’s food. It was a torta with egg and it tasted very authentic because it was made in Mexico.I was hanging out with my cousins so it made me feel like I was at my second home. Afterward, when it was late at night, I went to my other Grandma’s house which was funny because our transportation was a mini car controlled by a motorcycle. Once there, it was my baby cousin’s birthday so they gave me a mug and candy and cake, which was all delicious. After a few days, my family who came from LA with me went to my other Grandma’s house. Not the Grandma who had my baby cousin’s birthday party at her house. This Grandma I’ll call Grandma Two. We went to eat. I saw the turkeys getting killed. We were there on almost our final day. We were eating caldo, which I had with rice and turkey, since I am a picky eater. Overall, even though I saw the turkey getting decapitated and bleeding, it was very good and I got full. It was kind of sad, but I’m not going to lie, it was tasty. It reminded me of my mom’s food which I missed. The fair was one of the best things I experienced on the trip, because I rode on rides that were fun and new like the dragon that swings left and right and the bumper cars that I crashed into people like my cousins. Also, I won prizes like two piggy banks - one of Sonic and one of Blue Yoshi (which on the day I am writing this fell off the shelf and broke, sadly) - and other souvenirs. The food like the torta de chorizo was the best night food after a long fun day because of its tastiness and warmness, which felt good on a cold night. The warm esquites and cold raspados that I had on different days were really good since they felt really authentic, like always. I especially liked eating Churrumias (a chip brand made in Mexico). Eating these foods in Mexico felt very authentic.

Every day, I woke up in the morning smelling my grandma’s food. It never disap pointed me because it was always delicious (same for my other grandma’s food). After eating, I was offered seconds or even thirds, which I sometimes said no to because I wanted to hang out with my cousins. Now that I think of it, I want fourths because I miss both of my grandma’s cooking. Hopefully I can go back next year to get fourths. After lots of memories with my family in Mexico, every adventure usually has an end. I was really sad about it because it felt like I had just met my family and now I was already leaving. But I was excited to go home and see my family and parents in California. And next year hopefully a new adventure in Mexico happens. Damian is a 13-year-old who likes fútbol, boxing, skateboarding, and swimming. He likes to draw in his free time. He does not like school and enjoys going to the park to hang out with his friends and play sports. He loves his family and Mexico. His favorite shoe brands are Vans, Adidas, and Nike.

*** The Food Inspector By Natalia R. Jocie is a 20-year-old food inspector. Joce loves food; that’s why she is a food inspector. Once, Josie gave a 0 star to a pufferfish dish because she had almost been sent to the hospital because of it. Jocie is absolutely obsessed with pasta, so she was so happy when she got the call. That day, Jocie was so busy. Every ten minutes, she got a call, until… RING RING! Jocie answered the phone. “Hi there, Jocie. Here in Italy, we want you to test several kinds of pasta. We will fly you first class over here,” says the person on the phone. OMG, was Jocie dreaming? Jocie quickly put the phone on hold and screamed out of joy! Jocie stops and answers, “Hi! I’d love to take the job!” Jocie and the person on the phone talk for a while, and then she hangs up. “Italy, here I come!”

Jocie was scheduled to fly to Italy Thursday morning and come back Friday next week. Beep beep “Ugh,” says Jocie. Then she realizes that she’s flying to Italy today! Jocie hurries out of bed and gets ready. Outside, there is a car waiting for Jocie. Jocie grabs her luggage and rushes to the car. “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting,” Jocie says. They drive to the airport in under 20 minutes! Jocie thanked the driver and ran to her gate; she was the last person to board the plane. “Wow, first class,” Josie thinks. She flies from California to Italy for 11 hours. Finally, she arrived in Italy! It was 6:24 pm when Jocie got to Italy, so she went to a pasta restaurant and got some swirly pasta with butter. “Wow, this pasta is delicious! The flavors are so well mixed and creamy,” Josie told herself as she finished the entire plate. “Hi, are you ready to pay?” The waiter asks. Josie gave the waiter her credit card and gave a generous tip; she said, “Add 15% tip.” The waiter had a shocked look on their face and rushed to pay. The waiter gives Jocie her credit card, and they thank Jocie as she leaves the restaurant. She then gets a taxi and goes back to her hotel. The next morning was the first day of pasta tasting! Josie is insanely excited. Josie gets out of bed, takes a shower, and puts on her black dress and coat (so if anything spills, it won’t be visible). Jocie left her hotel room and found what restaurant she needed to go to, “Mmm, it says to go to a pasta restaurant called..Algiubagio.” Jocie gets a taxi and drives to Algiubagio. “Oh no! My appointment is at 9:30! I’m going to be late,” Jocie exclaims, “Hit the gas, dude!” Ten minutes later, they arrived. Jocie thanked the driver and quickly exited the car. “Hi! I have an appointment for 9:30.” “Ok..Let me walk you to the IFTA,” Says the waiter. As they walk to IFTA, Jocie asks, “What does IFTA stand for?” “Important Food Taster Area.” the waiter responds.

They walk silently for the rest of the walk until Josie sits at her table. “Before we start, anything you’d like to drink?” “Just iced water, please.” The waiter smiles and leaves to get her drink. Jocie looks around and sees that to the right of her is a dance floor. To her left is a small bar. A few minutes later, the waiter arrived with the pasta and her iced water. Today, Jocie is going to be tasting a pasta called raining alfredo. It’s called that because of how much alfredo there is. Jocie was starting to drool looking at it. The waiter placed some silverware down with a napkin and then left. Jocie looked through her purse and grabbed her food-tasting notebook and pen. Jocie grabbed the fork, swirled up the excellent creamy pasta, and took a bite. Jocie drops her pen and has a delightful look on her face. Creamy, soft, delicious. Jocie just couldn’t explain how good the pasta was! The waiter quickly returned and asked, “Well… Review?” “F-fi-five stars,” Jocie stuttered. Jocie left fulfilled and happy. She can’t wait for tomorrow. The next day, Jocie was actually early. This time, Jocie woke up at 5 AM. This restaurant is called Osteria al Casale. Josie was waiting in the IFTA lounge. The waiter brought her to her seat and asked, “What would you like to drink?” This time, Jocie asked for a pink lemonade. She got her drink and was served her pasta. This pasta is called red rain. It’s called red rain because it’s covered with tomato sauce. Again, Jocie got her notebook and pen. Jocie took a bite, and wow… happy tears filled Josie’s eyes. It was so good. There was a great amount of spaghetti and tomato sauce. Creamy and perfect, the details could go on and on. Jocie, again, left happy. The rest of her trip was lovely. When she went home, she wanted to experience that all over again. Fin. Natalia loves pasta and likes creating DIY things.

The Golden Hour Alisson, J. Once upon a time, the burger and fries were walking on the beach while splashing water on each other. It was a good time. It was sunset, and they were smiling and laughing. Before sunset ended, they both left for home. But they stopped at a store on the way to get some ice cream. Burger got vanilla ice cream, and fries got strawberry ice cream. They both thought it was good. After eating their ice cream, they returned to their houses for a nap. The next day, they went back to work. Alisson loves the color pink and enjoys finishing her homework. She has been at 826LA for an entire year. *** Tripling Tastiness Antonio M. I’m waiting for my mom in the afterschool program, hoping this very day will end this suffering. My mom soon arrives in the iconic car, showing dents on the back and front; road rage, I see. Why did you come up with this problem? She soon signs me out as I hear my name and slowly tremble towards her, “¡Hola hijo! ¿Qué hiciste?” she asked. “Podría tener las llaves del coche?” I responded as she stood startled. “¿Perdon?” she questioned as I took the keys and responded back, “No quiero pelear contigo.” We eventually arrived home after my “obsesión” with just thinking of coming home. I lunged, dropped my backpack and lunchbox, and lay on the bed, taking out my phone as I stood there watching, and watching, and watching. Night falls, and eventually, my mom shouts, “Hijos la cena está lista!” Later, I walked through the living room and saw three unexpected plates filled with rich food sitting as I took a moment to observe what my mom cooked the whole night. I soon rushed to the faucet

to wash my hands. As I sat, I contemplated the whole combo I was looking at. Tender grilled marinated chicken, salad with a hint of lemon juice, and the rice sat gooey with butter being melted to the drop. Creations can’t get wild enough! I eventually led the creation towards my lips as my mouth watered. All this time, there was soul food that could be eaten within my mind, and this just gave me the pride I needed to defeat the assignment-related stress. I couldn’t stand it in school. And that day, I just filled myself with self-acceptance. The next day, in the middle of class, I suddenly craved another meal, the meal perfect for me. I felt excited about it. But would it have that long-lasting appeal to it? I was just about to find out! The time came when my mom picked me up, “¿Cómo te sientes hoy hijo?” she questioned. “Bien,” I responded as I patiently waited for my sister to come. When we made it to the house, I noticed pots and pans not steaming or having a scent to them. I was notified that it was takeout for dinner! But, as the moonlight sparkled, we eventually were brought to wine and dine. And there it was, my tripling sensation, as I thought I would never see that plate again. Antonio is a creative storyteller. He’s been getting inspiration since he’s seen many storytime animators talk about their stories online on YouTube and wishes to do the same. Right now, his journey starts with creative writing and sketching at home. But soon, that will all change to dreams of pursuing animation.

Aliens from Cane’s Aurora M. One day, I was walking to a spooky school where, for some reason, there was a Raising Cane restaurant next to the school. Strange, I know. Just go with it. If you are wondering what Cane’s is, it’s a place where they sell fried and greasy chicken. But okay, back to the story. So I went to a spooky school right after I put the chicken sandwich in my lunchbox. At school, I met Tennis Ball in the hall. I told him about what I saw. He said, “Yeah, right–like you saw that.” “Ugh, like you would understand,” I said. Tennis Ball bounced away. I grabbed my notebooks and headed to class–E.T. class. E.T. Class stands for Electric Thomas the Tank Engine Train. Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to tell you when I was heading to school: there is an alleyway between the Cane’s and the school. I saw a tiny spaceship that dropped the chicken sandwich. I put it in my lunchbox. So where was I? Oh yeah, I was heading to E.T. class. I saw Mr. KFC eating some Cane’s. I got to my seat, looking at the clock tick by, waiting for lunch to inspect the chicken sandwich. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. I was the first one in line. Obviously, we walked to the cafeteria. I saw our gym teacher, Mr. E.T. I know what you’re thinking: Mr. E.T. should be in E.T.’s class. But that’s just weird. So I saw him walking into the gym room, and Mr. Book and all the other teachers were walking into the gym room. So Tennis Ball and my other friend Pineapple asked if I wanted to play tag. But I was more interested in the teachers than a game of tag. So I told them, “I’m gonna use the restroom.” But I didn’t. I went to the gym. I saw the tiny spaceship again from the alleyway, and all the teachers were praising the little spaceship. Then the spaceship got bigger and bigger. I ran away…

So I got home to tell my Robot mom what happened. She didn’t believe me. Then I saw a swarm of French fries outside my window! We stayed inside and hid behind my bed. I built enough courage to go outside. I saw the French fries heading to one place: Raising Cane’s! I followed them. They started to rob the Cane’s, but not the money–the chicken sandwiches! One of the fries came up to me and said, “They are our best friends. We had to save them from being eaten. Here is a tip for your trouble!” He gave me a five-dollar bill. I was shocked that I saw that, so I walked home, ate dinner, and went to sleep. Aurora is a person who is creative and likes to draw. She also likes to go to the park and feed squirrels. She is inspired by veterinarians because she loves animals.

Cookie Benjamin L. Benjamin and his friend Angel, a bird, kick their soccer ball around as they walk to Benjamin’s house. They are both outstanding soccer players and constantly get challenged by everyone they meet. As they get closer to the house, a squirrel and a big bear jump out of the bushes and shout, “We heard you guys were good at soccer!” “That’s right,” said Benjamin. “How about we play a game, and the winner gets the ball,” the bear said. “Okay,” said Benjamin, and they began to play. After just a minute, Benjamin kicks the ball with a bicycle kick, scoring the first goal. After that, they kept cutting very quickly. The game was over, and Benjamin and Angel won again. They were hungry, and the squirrel invited them to eat some cookies. “Great game,” said the squirrel, “have some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.” Benjamin and Angel took one each and took a bite. They were the best chocolate cookies they had ever tasted. “I don’t think I’ve had anything so delicious,” said Benjamin. “Can I please have the recipe?” The squirrel said, “It’s a family recipe. I am sorry, but I can’t do that.” “How about you and the bear come play soccer with Angel and me, and you give me the recipe? You will win every game, and you’ll be famous.” The squirrel thought about it and finally agreed. “Okay, you can have the recipe, and we will be the all-time soccer champions,” said the squirrel. So that’s what they did.

Benjamin is a student at 826LA. He is a great student. He lives in LA.

Wapa-cake Yeva K. Once, there was a panda named Panda and a bunny named Fluffy. They were best friends, and they had breakfast. “Fluffy, look, I got waffles with whipped cream, strawberries, and sprinkles,” said Panda. “I got a soft and squishy pancake with whipped cream, strawberries, and sprinkles,’’ said Fluffy. “That’s good, but waffles are better because they are in better shape. They taste so light and fluffy,’’ said Panda. “No, they’re not,’’ said Fluffy. “Okay, they are good. But for me, waffles are better,’’ said Panda. “Well, I know what’s even better,’’ said Fluffy. “What is it?’’ said Panda. “Let’s combine them,’’ said Fluffy. “That’s a good idea,’’ said Panda. “Now we have something sweet, soft, squishy, light, and fluffy,” said Panda. “Let’s name it Wapa Cake,” said Fluffy. “Yes,’’ said Panda. “The recipe is…I’m not going to say it,’’ said Fluffy. Yeva likes pandas and bunnies. She loves them, and she also loves cute stuff. Yeva also loves paper crafts and sweets.

Yummm Oatmeal Cookies Sofia A. Hmmm, I can smell the cinnamon coming from the warm kitchen and then from the hot cookies in the oven. You’re Getting The Recipe After The Story. “Sofia, are you going to help me with the cookies?” my sister said. “No, because you never let me mix the ingredients.” “Sofia, you better help me, or I’m telling Mom.” “UGH, fine, I’m going to help, but you better let me mix the stuff.” So I got up. I wanted to bake with my blanket cause it was so cold, but no, I knew it would get dirty. “Okay, are you going to mix it?” “Yes, I’m going to mix it.” Anyway, I dragged myself into the kitchen and got my ingredients together and my bowl to mix. First, I cracked the eggs and poured some vanilla with the melted butter. When I mixed them all, it started to smell good. When combined, we called it the wet stuff because all the eggs, vanilla, and butter were wet. While I finished, my sister would do the dry stuff. She put brown sugar, flour, white sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Afterward, she would mix them all. We poured only the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients soon after mixing it. “You finally let me mix some of it!” I said, but then she remixed it just in case flour or sugar was still at the bottom of the bowl. After we mixed it all together, we then added the oatmeal. We washed our hands to mix it. (You can eat the batter if you want). We then rolled the batter into tiny balls and pressed them individually onto the baking paper. While we did that, my mom would heat the oven for a bit. We were able to fill up

two whole pans! We then put them into the oven, and not even after 20 minutes, the entire house smelled like cinnamon! It took forever before we could take them out of the oven, but after what seemed like forever, we finally took the cookies out. The cookies were nice and crunchy but so hot that they burnt me a bit. We poured some milk into cups and put the cookies onto a plate. We decided to put on a movie and eat the cookies together. They were amazing! Making oatmeal cookies is fun if your siblings let you do some of the mixing and give you a “Thank you” too.

Sofia A. is an author who loves to dance in her free time. She also loves to bake for her loved ones! She is amazed by K-pop and enjoys playing soccer with her friends. She may look fierce, but she is also scared of entering a dark room by herself. She adores her family and cherishes any moment she has with them! *** It was Worth the Long Wait Gallilea F. I did not feel like cooking, so I decided to get In-and-Out. I fastened my seatbelt and drove. I looked up and saw In-and-Out. I quickly went inside. Until I saw the line: it was from the front to the parking lot. I quickly got to the end of the line before the line got longer. I finally got to the front of the line about 50 minutes after my arrival. Relieved I was at the front now, I said, “May I have a numb-” “EVERYONE ON THE FLOOR!” A voice behind me said. I looked back to see a man with a ski mask. I quickly scrambled to the floor. I looked up at the popcorn roof and back to the tile floor. Then I saw a little button next to the counter that said emergency. I quickly pressed it. Police burst into the In-and-Out, taking the robbers in handcuffs. I was given 1 million hamburgers as a reward. I took a bite. The cheese, patty, and buns were the best combination. It was worth the long wait. Galilea enjoys eating Oreos. She also likes listening to music and playing the cello.

The Sister’s New Mystery Laila O. Two years after the sister escaped. One day on October 26, 2023, Rose and her sister Lexi decided they wanted to reserve a table at a new restaurant in their town because they saw that it had good reviews from a friend. But, before they went, they wanted to go shopping. When they got to the mall, they went to look at the clothes and snacks, then they left. So now, they have a little time before they go to the restaurant. A few minutes later they leave so they can get there on time. Rose said, “Come on Lexi, we are going to be late.’’ “Okay, coming,’’ said Lexi. 30 minutes later, they arrived. “Hi, welcome to the Pasta Garden, come to table 19,” said the waiter named Liz. “Eeee I’m so excited to eat here,” said Lexi. “I will be back to take your orders.’’ “What would you guys like?”’ said Liz. “Can I have the number one chicken alfredo, please?’’ said Rose. “Same here,’’ said Lexi. Back in the kitchen “Let’s go and look in the cookbook. Okay, page number 89… it should be right here… wait a minute… Why is it not here? Go tell the people that we can not make the pasta for them because I can’t find the recipe,” said Chef Billy. Back in the restaurant “I am so sorry we cannot make the pasta for you or anyone.’’ “Why?” asked Lexi. “Honestly, I don’t really know. But I can go ask.”

Back in the kitchen “So Chef, what was the reason you could not make this pasta for the people?’’ “Because the recipe is missing from the book.’’ “WHAT! This can’t be happening. Okay, well I guess I have to go tell them’’ Back in the restaurant “So what happened with the recipe?” said Rose. “Someone has stolen the recipe!’’ “What? No way that happened’’ “Yes way’’ said Liz. “Well a long time ago, I kinda did a mystery thing so maybe I can help find this recipe when the restaurant closes,’’ said Rose. “Okay, I can go and ask my manager” “They said okay, that’s fine but you guys will have to wait a little bit until the restaurant closes” About an hour later, the place closed. “Okay, we are waiting for a couple of people to finish up,’’ said Liz. “Okay, we will start and investigate the kitchen,’’ said Rose and Lexi at the same time “Jinx,’’ said Rose ‘’Haha now you can not talk… fine, you can.” “Okay, but now we have to get to business and look around.”

About 11 minutes later, we found the recipe book and looked with a black light in the dark. We found a fingerprint on the page next to the one that got stolen. “Okay, so let’s tell her manager that we found something in the book,” said Lexi. “Okay, okay, really you guys found something? Well, we can call someone to see whose fingerprint it is,” said Liz’s manager. “Okay, so she called and said that they can’t do it until tomorrow afternoon.’’ “Okay, we will be here around 12:30 tomorrow,” said Rose. The next day. “COME ON! Lexi, we are going to be late to see whose fingerprint it is. Hurry up!’’ “Okay, coming.” They got in the car, and arrived about 20 minutes later. “Finally, we are here,” said Lexi. “Well, that’s your fault for making us so late.’’ “Well, we are here now, so let’s go.” When we got there, the fingerprint was done so we asked Liz’s manager who it was. From what I know, it was Chef Billy. But he was the last one there. There was another fingerprint on the back of the book, but we cleaned the book before we left…” To be continued… Laila O. is in middle school and she has been homeschooled her whole life. She has done some aerial silks for about 2 and a half years. She is interested in family history and she would like to do something in history in the near future.

Summer’s Smoothie Lily R. Have you ever made a smoothie? Well, there was a girl named Summer. Summer always made smoothies whenever she could. She made them because they made her feel happy and calm. And they are delicious! But that was two years ago. Now, she needed to remember everything about smoothies. Summermade smoothies like strawberry banana smoothies, berry blends, and every kind of smoothie! But again, that was two years ago. Let’s go to real-time now. Summer saw smoothie samples in a store, so she tried one. And it tasted amazing! “Mhm, this smoothie is delicious!” she said. “I remember when I used to make smoothies, I could never make them now,” Summer thought. “Or maybe I could?” One week later, Summer tried to make a smoothie. “A strawberry and banana smoothie, what could go wrong?” She said as she added cut-up bananas, strawberries, and milk in the blender. “Whoops… too much milk… whatever!” Then, she blended the smoothie. The smoothie was dark orange and milky. “So I did add too much milk; let’s try it.” Then Summer slowly tasted the smoothie and..... “Ew! This is so…. So wet!” she yelled. “What happened!” Summer’s mom said. “I tried to make a smoothie and added too much milk,” Summer said. “Just try again!” her mom said. “No! I’ll fail again.” “No, you won’t,” Her mom said. “You’ll make a good smoothie if you keep trying!” Summer thought about her mom’s words and tried again!

“This time, I’ll add less milk,” she said. Summer cut the berries again and added the milk, but less than last time. Then, she blended the ingredients. After that, she poured it into a cup. “Well, let’s try it!” Summer slowly tasted the smoothie and… “OMG! THIS TASTES SO GOOD!” she screamed. “Summer, did you try to make a smoothie?” her mom said. “Yes, and it tasted so good!” Summer said, “Try it!” Then, Summer and her mom drank the smoothie for the rest of the day! The end. Lily R is an elementary student. She likes to do aerial silk; she has been doing it for two years. Her favorite subject in school is art/crafts because it is fun and easy. She made a mini worry doll in her class. *** The Journey of The Foods Milena H. Once, three kids were named Princess Pizza, Suzzy Sushi, and Spaghetti Maghetti. When the three girls were scrolling on their iPhones, Princess Pizza shouted, “OMG! There’s a legendary Gold Chicken Nugget. Let’s go get it.” So, they traveled and traveled, but then in Brussel Sprouts Woods, there was this guy named Mr. Brussel who wanted Princess Pizza’s crown! And then he said, “I will take your crown and rule the world. Mah ahah ahah.” “Not on my watch…,” said Princess Pizza. Kick kick. Beat up, beat up. Done. So they ran to the top of the mountain and found the Golden Chicken Nugget— the end. Milena is eight years old. She loves the color purple. Her favorite foods are sushi and pizza. Milena is obsessed with plushies.

The Great Food Debate Michael G. This is a live TV show. “Okay, folks, it’s time for the great food wheel.” “Spin, and what food you land on, you must lecture. Okay? James is first.” “Hi, I am James. I live in Ohio and love pizza.” “Okay, James has spun; now let’s see what he lands on ‘ding ding ding’ he landed on tomatoes. Now, James, tell us about tomatoes.” “TOMATOES suck. They are so slimy and gross.” “Okay, bring it on him.” “What?” A bucket of tomatoes gets dumped on James. “Nooooooooo! Ahhhhhhhhh!” James falls down a hole. “Now it’s Kyle’s turn. Okay, go ahead, okay.” “I am Kyle. I live in California, and I love fish.” “Okay, spin, you landed on pickles.” “I hate pickles because they smell, and they are so ugly.” “Okay, bring it.” “Nooooooo.” The bucket of pickles is poured on Kyle. “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

“Now it’s Abby’s turn.” “Hi, I am Abby. I live in Ohio too and love fruit.” “Okay, spin it landed on trash what! Who put trash in there?” “Umm what, nooooooo!” Trash got poured on her at the end. Misha likes all music; Misha likes all movies. Mishas made this book because he watched Saturday Night Live, which gave him the idea. He thinks it is a good, funny book, and kids can have fun. *** What Happened in the Deli Millie F. “Hey, let’s go to the deli!” said Doggie as she shook her head. It was a virtue for them to eat a lot of food. This is their 6th time at a fast food place, so this time, they decide to get food from the deli. The time they went there, the CIA and the Russian government were there. They spoke a language the sisters couldn’t understand. The cops decide to talk to the sisters about the situation. The one-year-old, who is Ada Gertrude, kicked out the CIA agents. Ema Gertrude, who is ten, does the worm while Doggie, who is seventy-eight, got plastic surgery to look like Kim Kardashian, but the surgeon made a silly mistake and made her look like a dog, staring at the wall. When they finally defeated them, they walked outside and exploded. A woman screamed as she covered her son’s eyes. A guy stopped to see what was happening, and a woman called the police, but they didn’t answer because she was a Karen. A cameraman pulled out his camera and recorded, and a tiny man cried. Oh, wait, no! They came across a dog while on their way to the restroom, but anyway, the buff sisters died. Millie is a student who loves arts and crafts. She is constantly making crafts to give to others as keepsakes and enjoys making someone’s day.

Vision

826LA envisions a Los Angeles where every child has access to quality writing education and is empowered to express themselves creatively through writing. We envision a Los Angeles where every teacher is supported in their writing-based educational objectives.

Mission

826LA is dedicated to unlocking and cultivating the creative power of writing for students ages 6 to 18, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. How we advance our mission A nonprofit organization, our services are structured around our understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. With this in mind, we provide after-school tutoring in all subjects, evening and weekend workshops, in-school programs, field trips, college access, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications. All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student’s ability to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in their own voice.

Core Values

826LA values joy in the service of achieving educational goals. Our community norms value diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. We therefore prioritize partnerships with Title 1 Schools, engagement with historically marginalized populations, and training and deploying community-based volunteers in support of our mission. As a teaching approach, we value creativity, authenticity, empathy, and lively, rigorous, and student-centered writing education. As an educational enrichment organization, we value supporting teachers, principals, and other school staff in the pursuit of excellence.

ABOUT 826LA

826LA opened in 2005 as part of the 826 Network founded by writer Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari. 826LA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. We believe great leaps in learning can happen with one-onone attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and strengthen each student;s power to express ideas creatively, confidently, and in their individual voice.

826LA PROGRAMS 826LA offers a variety of in-person and virtual programming.

Tutoring

Volunteers provide in-person, one-on-one homework help to support students as they navigate all subject areas. Write On! After School supports younger students, while Tuesday and Thursday Night Tutoring supports middle and high school students.

Field Trips

Our roster of virtual and in-person field trips includes Storytelling & Bookmaking, Well-Wishing & Poetry Writing, Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, and more.

In-Schools, Writers’ Rooms, & College Access We provide personal statement writing support for college applications at Manual Arts, Roosevelt, and Venice High Schools and a number of other partner schools, as well as via the Great Los Angeles Personal Statement Weekend event. 826LA staff and volunteers work with teachers to support creative writing projects in the virtual classroom. 93

Join the Future Best Sellers Club Sign up to make a monthly donation to 826 LA and you’ll join our Future Bestsellers Club. For as little as ten dollars each month, we’ll deliver writing from our brilliant, emerging authors right to you! Go to 826LA.ORG/DONATE and click on FUTURE BESTSELLERS CLUB to join

Acknowledgments 826LA would like to thank the following for their support in making this project possible:

Ariadne Makridakis Arroyo Senior Volunteer Coordinator - 826LA Alison Wolff Volunteer - 826LA Bethel Tesfamicael Volunteer - 826LA Breanna Huang-Ouyang Volunteer - 826LA Brettany Valenzuela Volunteer - 826LA Caily Newsome Volunteer - 826LA Emily Stephenson Volunteer - 826LA Farida Naeem Volunteer - 826LA

Griffin Denham Volunteer - 826LA Hinata Nayuki Volunteer - 826LA Jack Gilbert Volunteer - 826LA Jackie Hernandez Volunteer - 826LA Josephine Bloomfield Volunteer - 826LA Josh Fernandes Volunteer - 826LA Juan Lobo Volunteer - 826LA Julie Stark Volunteer - 826LA

Katie Mcvay Volunteer - 826LA

Reyna Rodas Volunteer - 826LA

Lauren Lee Volunteer - 826LA

Rita Harrison Volunteer - 826LA

Leslie Roman Calderon Volunteer - 826LA Leydi Hernandez Volunteer - 826LA Love Forte Volunteer - 826LA Marabella De La Rea Volunteer - 826LA Marisol Sanchez Volunteer - 826LA Mira Velimirovic Volunteer - 826LA Mwanday Yamegni Volunteer - 826LA Naomi Escobar Volunteer - 826LA Nayeli Guevara Volunteer - 826LA Omar Andrade Volunteer - 826LA Rebecca Waer Volunteer - 826LA

Sandra Angeline Volunteer - 826LA Sarina Jade Velsa Volunteer - 826LA Susan Hamilburg Volunteer - 826LA Uchenna Enwezor Volunteer - 826LA William Mahoney Volunteer - 826LA Wyatt Moore Volunteer - 826LA Xitlali Navarro Volunteer - 826LA Yamilene Vaal Volunteer - 826LA Yuricza Hernandez Volunteer - 826LA Zara Seldon Volunteer - 826LA

Jaime Balboa Executive Director Diego Quevedo Chief of Staff Shani Foster Director of Education Raeesa Hyder Director of Advancement Pedro Estrada Programs & Operations Manager, Echo Park Mike Dunbar Programs & Operations Manager, Mar Vista Mateo Acosta Senior Community Engagement Manager Alma Carrillo Development and Communications Manager Christie Thomas Institutional Giving Manager Carinne Mangold Store Manager and General Operations Manager Time Travel Marts in Echo Park & Mar Vista

Wendy Beltran Program Coordinator, Writers’ Room Roosevelt High School Marco Beltran Program Coordinator, Writers’ Room at Manual Arts High School Arisdeysi Cruz Tutoring Program Coordinator Maddie Silva Field Trips and Special Projects Coordinator Ariana Ponce Olivares Evening Tutoring Programs Associate Ariadne Makridakis Arroyo Senior Volunteer Coordinator Wilson Swain Echo Park Time Travel Mart Staff Cole Montgomery Development Coordinator 97

Board of Directors

Advisory Board

Susan Ko Board President

J.J. Abrams Judd Apatow Miguel Arteta Mac Barnett Steve Barr Joshuah Bearman Amy Brooks Father Greg Boyle, SJ Stefan G. Bucher Mark Flanagan Ben Goldhirsh Rebecca Goldman Ellen Goldsmith-Vein

Sarah Varet Board Vice President

Karen Van Kirk Board Secretary David Ullendorff Board Treasurer Scott A. Ginsburg Ben Au Jeff Boos Cisca Brouwer Adriana Centeno Chad DePue Iman Farrior Joe Ferencz Hon. Holly A. Thomas

DeAnna Gravillis Spike Jonze Miranda July Catherine Keener Keith Knight Al Madrigal Krystyn Madrigal Tara Roth Katie McGrath R. Scott Mitchell Lani Monos B.J. Novak Miwa Okumura

Youth Advisory Board Jane Patterson Keri Putnam Sylvie Rabineau Sonja Rasula Luis J. Rodriguez Terri Hernandez Rosales Brad Simpson J. Ryan Stradal Natalie Tran Sarah Vowell Sally Willcox

Adrian B. Camila G. Leonora G. Adan H. Luis J. Maryjane J. Marcello L. Alejandra L. Monse L. Rosario L. Santiago O. Dulce R. Emily R. Karla T.

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