The views expressed in this book are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of 826michigan. We believe in the power of youth voice and are thrilled that you picked up this book. No part of this book may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher, except for small excerpts for the purposes of review or scholarly study.
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Introduction — 1
Aasish Kathula — 3
Abdullah Alfryji — 5
Addie Bolak — 6
Angus Wilson — 8
Areej Alfryji — 11
Ayaan Jain — 12
Joan Nuñez — 14
Jules Strube — 16
Junhyuk Park — 24
Mariya Abdulkadir — 25
Minchae Park — 26
Mingyu Kim — 27
Mustafa Abdulkadir — 29
Pragnyan Shravan — 30
Riya Choudhary — 35
Ryu Okuda — 37
Yousef Khalil — 38
Walter Strube — 39
INtroduction
Molly Jendryka, After-School Writing Lab Intern
Welcome to this vibrant collection of stories from the talented students of 826michigan’s Ypsilanti
After-school Writing Lab. Over the past three months, writers aged 8 to 14 have gathered each week to explore the art of flash fiction—a genre that celebrates creativity and bold storytelling. The result? This book, filled with stories that are as diverse and unique as the young authors who created them.
Flash fiction challenges authors to craft complete narratives within a short space, often dropping readers directly into the middle of the action. This semester, students rose to the occasion, creating vivid snapshots of fantastical adventures, mysterious plots, and heartfelt moments of connection. From animal protagonists embarking on daring escapades to deeply human interactions between friends, these stories are a testament to the incredible range and depth of their creativity.
Watching these young writers grow and evolve over the semester has been an absolute privilege. Each week, they showed determination and curiosity, approaching their work with fresh ideas and an eagerness to refine their skills. With guidance from dedicated volunteers and staff, they supported one another, offering thoughtful feedback and celebrating each other’s successes. Throughout the program, we emphasized the art of writing with detail and intention.
Together, we explored how to use the five senses to make scenes come alive and practiced building memorable characters and immersive settings. Students experimented with the interplay of action, dialogue, and description to create stories that linger in the mind of their readers.
As you delve into these stories, we hope you are captivated by the energy and creativity of these young voices. May their work inspire you to see the world through fresh eyes and remind you of the joy and power of storytelling.
Aasish Kathula
Age 11
HAZEN AND THE FORESTS OF THE WORLD
Hazen is a very wild adventurer who loved to survive in forests in many countries. Some people also called him “the daring survivor of the wilderness.” Hazen had already explored all the forests in the world except for one which was the hardest and biggest, but Hazen could not do it, so he decided to get the ancient powers of a mythical forest god. He got his things and set a quest to the sky forest. Once he arrived he saw a tall mountain, so he started climbing and climbing and more climbing. After fifteen days, he reached the top of the mountain and he reached the sky forest.
While Hazen was exploring he came across Blast, the head of the forest, who said, “Hazen, I know your quest to the forest of the world in which there are many obstacles in which you need to dodge. I can teach you how to dodge.”
So Hazen and Blast started to prepare Hazen’s training and he gave him a sword, and Blast said, “Use this to slice the bullets.” And so the training began. Blast shot and Hazen jumped into the air to dodge and sliced the bullet and Blast said, “You are ready now!!” Hazen said bye and left. Next, he went to the floating forest on top of a turtle. Once he arrived at the floating jungle he sought out the forest fruit. He saw it was being guarded by a hook-wielding man so he fought him using his sword and knocked him out
and took the fruit and ate it.
He tested out his newfound powers. He went to the big forest and fought a giant snake. With his new forest powers, he turned his hand into a tree trunk and smashed it. After that he found a large caiman using his sword skills along with a giant spider, which was the size of Big Ben. He finally conquered the forest of the world.
The end.
Abdullah Alfryji
Age 11
A BOY WHO WANTED A PET
Once upon a time, there was a kid named Alfaromiocaylusgigchadchesa.
Alfaromiocaylusgigchadchesa wanted a cat or dog, but the problem was he didn’t have the money. He wanted a cat or dog because he wanted someone to play with because he was lonely.
So Alfaromiocaylusgigchadchesa made a lemonade stand in his front yard in the winter. He made the lemonade stand snow-proof out of old boxes, but realized that people would become ice cubes. He had only earned $1 so he decided to make a hot chocolate stand. The ice and the snow and the drink got them into an ice cube.
He got the money and he bought a cat and a dog, which he loved playing with. He named the cat Sarrah and the dog Bengi. Alfaromiocaylusgigchadchesa will never forget this day.
The end.
Addie Bolak
Age 10
SOCCER LELA
Chapter One
Lela is a soccer player. During the game the ref calls a corner kick. She gets ready and the girl kicks. It hits her in the knee. Here is Lela’s story.
I fall to the ground and I burst into tears. It hurts so bad my mom comes running to me. Ten minutes later my mom calls 911. The ambulance comes to pick me up. My knee hurts so bad. I wake up in a bright room. The room smells like peppermint. The room is very white. Oh, I am in a hospital. A doctor comes in and tells me that I shattered my knee. I cannot believe I shattered my knee. My mom and my dad come in and sit down. The doctor calls them over to look at an x-ray of my knee. I get into a wheelchair to go to the bathroom. When I get back, I ask when I can leave. The doctor says I can go in one week.
Chapter Two
Five days later they put a new knee in. I can walk again. My knee hurts a lot from the surgery. I'm excited to leave the hospital because I am bored out of my mind. The therapist comes in and he moves my knee and my leg.
The seventh day comes and I get to go home. In the road there is a black car with a lot of orange tickets. My little brother says the car has been there for a long time. In two weeks I am back at the doctor’s office. The doctor says I need another surgery. I do not want another surgery. My knee still has a scar, it hurts. I wish it never happened. Now I can’t play soccer for one year. It makes me sick.
Chapter Three
In the middle of the night my knee starts to flinch. It hurts really bad. I need that surgery. In the morning, I get a letter in the mail. It's from Didi. The note says, “Lela I can’t make it without you this season. I miss you so much. Love, Didi.” I thought that was sweet. I go up the stairs to get dressed. My knee flinches again. I really need that surgery now.
To be continued . . .
Angus Wilson
Age 10
ADVENTURES OF BOB: THE SEQUEL
Bob thought he was back home when he noticed he still had Earth effects. He looked around and nothing was normal. There were NO animals. However, there were two zombies and one skeleton. Bob charged at the skeleton hoping to take the bow and arrow from the skeleton. Punching him with his bare fists, the skeleton fell to the ground and dropped the bow and arrow. Bob picked the bow and arrow up and used it to protect himself from the approaching zombies.
Once the skeleton and zombies were defeated, Bob continued to look for another portal to find his way back home. After exploring for a while, he noticed two glowing eyes staring right at him. At that moment, he remembered the Legend of Herobrine.
He tried to run for his life but he felt like he wasn’t moving. That’s when he remembered Herobrine could stop you from moving. He was able to move again and realized Herobrine was gone. When he looked down, he saw he was being held by a mouth. Then he saw two red eyes. He mined the block away, block by block, but realized it was only one block. He found a little forest, so he thought, “There must be a portal in the forest. It’s so obvious!”
So, he decided to go in, but when he went under a tree he heard something snap. When he looked above him
there was a fruit falling from the tree. When the fruit hit the ground it made a giant explosion the size of a creeper explosion. At that moment he just really wanted to get out of the forest. So he tried to go the other way but the forest was bigger. He thought, “This has to do something with Herobrine. He must be playing a trick on me.”
That’s when he noticed a small difference between some trees and other trees. Some trees had the fruit that tried to explode him, and some did not. He figured the ones without fruit must be safe to walk under. He moved from tree to tree, checking each one before he walked under it. All of a sudden, when he was under a safe tree he heard a snap. He went running for another safe tree. That’s when he noticed some trees were hiding their fruit to seem safe, but they were actually bomb trees hiding their fruit. When he ventured deep into the forest he discovered a giant tree that looked like a giant bomb tree without fruit, but he still didn’t trust it. But he climbed up it anyway hoping there wasn’t any fruit. He heard a large snap, larger than previous snaps. He looked up and saw a large fruit. He was too high up to jump down. He had a bad feeling about this. He tried mining down the tree as fast as he could but he realized he was mining faster than he thought. He remembered the grass block he had before. He looked down and saw all the blocks falling into a mouth. He noticed the guy was helping him, so he could jump without taking fall damage, he hoped. So, he took the risk and jumped.
Hope for Bob, reader. He jumped and made it out. The Block Eater was so mad he tried to eat Bob, but he couldn’t. Bob fed him and tried to tame him, but couldn’t. He figured Herobrine had already tamed him. That’s when he heard a familiar voice of someone he knew. “Herobrine’s back,” Bob thought. “I better
get some bomb fruits.” When he noticed he had some blocks he hadn’t fed to the monsters, he found a nearby bomb tree. He tried knocking them out, but it didn’t work. He thought, “They must only fall when someone stands under the tree.” So he grabbed the fruit but didn’t eat it just in case. He put the bomb fruit on the top of his arrows he’d gotten from the skeletons. He tried to find Herobrine, but had no luck. He thought, “Why is he so hard to find? I thought I’d find him by now.” He got a blocky feeling he was being watched.
When he remembered the giant tree in the forest, he saw two eyes and knew it was Herobrine. So he went to grab his arrows, but he realized there were no arrows to be found.
“HEROBRINE! WHY,” Bob yells.
“To do this!” Herobrine says. He pulled out one of Bob’s arrows that he had snatched from him while he was distracted, and shot it. Bob leaped out of the explosion range, and when the arrow hit the ground, it went kabloom! Bob tried to escape again, but found himself surrounded by ground munchers. Fun fact: ground munchers are plusshaped creatures with red angry eyes. He made a big tower, but then he saw the ground munchers forming a familiar shape . . . “They’re going to turn into a bog one aren’t they?!”
Bob yelled to Herobrine.
But then, Bob saw a very familiar shape . . . a portal! “This is my ticket out of here, isn’t it?!” Bob thought to himself. Bob jumped to a nearby bomb tree and tried to jump into the portal. He saw Herobrine and knew he needed to jump. “Adios!” he yelled to Herobrine, and into the portal he went.
To be continued . . .
Areej Alfryji
Age 9
THE COLD MYSTERY
Drip, drip, SCREAM!
“Oh my gosh!!” screamed Dorine! “What is this doing here? Who did this?”
There were two people who were frozen on the floor, melting.
“Hey, what’s going on here?” Anne said, yawning. “What the hhwheeeccckkk?!?!”
“I’ll go tell Mother and Father,” Anne whispered.
A few minutes later, Dorine was stuck on ice.
“ANNE HHEEEEELLWWPPP ME!” Dorine yelled!
“Nice!” said Anne with matches.
“Yahoo!” said Dorene.
They followed the right path of wet footprints. But there was a problem. The freezer’s wet footprints led to a crowd of solid ice.
The freezer’s powers weren’t strong enough so the villain stole a freeze ray. Since he had ice powers with the freeze ray, he thought he was unstoppable and started freezing people around him.
Suddenly the villain was caught.
“YESSIRR,” said the twins. They threw him in the dark prison cell!
Ayaan Jain
Age 9
THE LAST YEAR OF THE WORLD
Chapter One: Meet Ayan and Matt
This is Ayan and Matt. They see people running. Ayan says, “What happened?”
The people said, “We will die at the end of the year.”
But Matt says, “It is January 1, 9999.”
The people say, “Aliens are coming.”
Ayan says, “What?”
Chapter Two: The Aliens
Meanwhile, 999,999,555,888,999,111,821,555,912 miles away, there is a planet named Alien. On the planet Alien, there are a lot of aliens. They have a king named King Alien. He said, “I want to destroy the earth at midnight. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.” He made a pack of aliens. He made so many they could fill the whole Earth. So they went to Earth. It would take months. Meanwhile, Ayan and Matt start packing.
Chapter Three: A Few Months Later
December 31, 9999: When the aliens get to Earth, they are fighting. Ayan and Matt turn to superheroes.
They are ready to fight the aliens.
Chapter Four: The Epic Fight
It is 10:00 on Earth. Ayan and Matt are going to fight with all the superheroes in the world when all of a sudden, aliens came and zapped something. Then all the superheroes were gone so then a big robot came. An hour and a half later, at 11:30, Ayan found a turn-off button and turned off the robot. Twenty-five minutes later, Ayan and Matt were fighting the last alien. Then one of the king aliens came up to space and turned on the zapper. Ayan and Matt jumped on the building and when a king alien zapped the zapper, Ayan and Matt spun the alien ship. The king alien zapped the Planet Alien and then BOOM! Planet Alien went to pieces. The king alien went to jail and all the superheroes were safe. The end.
Coming soon: The Last Year of the World, Part Two
Joan Nuñez
Age 13
A NEW PURPOSE: ORIGINS
Present day: Josh Solo, a broke businessman who signed up for an experiment. All was well until something bad happened during the procedure. This occurrence changed his life forever.
Now broke, powerful, and with nothing to lose, he breaks out. The security tries to hold him but he wildly vomits, sending him into a wall. The main scientist Jim Staniels tries to talk him out of the escape, but it’s too late. Another guard tries catching Josh from the back but he attacks the guard. A super buff guard grabs Josh by the ripped shirt and throws him into the air. After he takes down all the guards he blows a hole through the lab. After finding a dump to lay in, some dumpster divers find him, telling him to scram. But Josh, at an all-time low, crashes out after they yell after them.
After getting up he looks around the neighborhood, saying, “Hey, this might not be all that bad.” He sees the guards nearby and one of the guards spots him, so Josh rips a parking pole off the ground for defense. After, he’s surrounded. The helicopter shoots at Josh but has no effect and he throws a car at the helicopter, knocking it out of the sky. Relieved, Josh knows he can’t have a normal life, not like this, so he decides to go after Staniels, the main scientist behind the experiments.
“You were supposed to give me a super soldier that
was ready to die for his country and all you gave me was a superpowered man causing chaos,” the general says.
“We’re doing our best, we found him in a local neighborhood,” said Staniels.
But the general, outraged, says, “Is he captured yet?”
“No sadly,” replies Staniels.
“I’m going to give you one more chance to capture this man and if you fail, I’ll take this into my own hands.” Josh mindlessly walks in and he sees two guards watching the perimeter. He stealthily steals their keycards, then breaks into the building.
To be continued . . .
Jules Strube
Age 9
FIVE MYSTERIES
Chapter One: The New Beginning
Once there were two dragons: one day dragon and one night dragon. They made the world, and had two daughters and hid them; no one knows who they are.
Chapter Two: Hello
Rebecca is a ten-year-old girl. Her hair is dark brown and her eyes are light blue. Her left arm ends in a stump at the elbow. Rebecca is very clever and kind, but does not have many friends.
“Rebecca, please come downstairs,” her mother calls.
“OK,” Rebecca replies as she walks downstairs.
Rebecca sees her mother’s blond, curly hair and brown eyes waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.
“It’s dinner time,” her mom says with a smile. They both sit down at the dinner table.
“Are you ready for school tomorrow?” asks her mother.
“Yes,” replied Rebecca with a frown.
“Good,” said her mother without recognizing Rebecca’s bad mood.
“Are you excited for school?” her mother continued the conversation.
Annoyed, Rebecca replied, “NO.”
“Why not?” her mother asked.
“I’m just not,” Rebecca answers.
“Oh OK,” said her mother with a disappointed tone. They finished dinner in silence. When Rebecca had finished her dinner she went upstairs to her room, and plopped on her black beanbag. “She does not get it. I hate school,” Rebecca groans out loud to herself. She stands up and flops on her bed, closes her eyes, and falls asleep.
Beeep, Beep.
“Ugh,” Rebecca moans as she turns off her alarm clock. “I can’t believe that it’s already morning.”
She sits up and looks around her room. There's her desk with her laptop sitting open. Her black orchid sits on the right side corner of her desk. “OK,” Rebecca says out loud trying to motivate herself. She gets dressed and heads downstairs. She then eats breakfast and starts walking to school.
Through Rebecca’s Eyes
On the way to school, some mean kids named Junior and Gabriel made fun of my backpack. And gave me a shove off the sidewalk and into the street.
“Stop it!” I shouted and took off running toward school. I ran as fast as I could. But then I heard a noise. I stopped running and looked around. There I saw a tiny little dragon. I looked around again, rubbed my eyes, but I could still see the baby dragon. It was black and kinda cute. I carefully crept toward the little dragon. The next thing I knew, it was licking my cheek. I hugged it. It did not pull away. It nuzzled me. I smiled the biggest smile I could. It was pure happiness. I snuck the little dragon into my backpack and kept running to school.
When I got to school, I saw my best friend Jules. I ran over to her.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hey,” Jules answered. We then did our secret handshake and walked to class.
“Hi, Ms. Honey,” I said to my teacher.
“Well, hello there Rebecca,” said Ms. Honey.
Jules and Rebecca sat at their desk. Ms. Honey clapped her hands.
“One, two, three, eyes on me,” said Ms. Honey. “First of all, I want all of you to sign up for at least one club. There is a sports club, dance club, art club, and music club,” Ms. Honey said as she handed out flyers.
Jules signed up for sports club. Everyone else was chatting about what they were going to do. I sighed. Ms. Honey walked over and gave me a flyer. I looked at it. BOOK CLUB was written on the flyer. It was perfect. I signed up.
Chapter Three: Forgot
I could not wait.
Ring!
School is over. I walked back home, and ran upstairs. I flopped on my bed and hugged the book club flyer. But then I heard a noise. It was coming from my backpack. I unzipped my backpack; there was the baby dragon. I picked it up. I soon realized the baby dragon was a boy.
“What should I call you? Stargaze?” I asked out loud. He snorted.
“Okay. Midnight?”
He snorted.
“Starflight?”
He snorted
“Caleb?”
He jumped up and down.
“OK, OK, Caleb. Hmm, where should I hide you?”
I put him in my closet and then flopped on my bed and fell asleep.
Beep beep, rang my alarm. I was already up, and had given Caleb food, and was out the door walking to school.
“Hi, Jules,” I said.
“Hey.”
We did our secret handshake and started to walk to class.
“Hello, Ms. Hon—”
Right where Miss Honey should have been, there was a stranger. I stared and then ran. Ran down the hall, ran right into the bathroom. I panicked, but then I felt big. I looked in the mirror and looking back at me was a dragon. I was a dragon. I froze.
Chapter Four: OMG
“No, I am dreaming.” I slapped myself. “Ouch! Why? Why? Why? OMG, OMG, OMG. What is happening? Agh!” Deep breath in, deep breath out.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I look mostly human, but now I have a tail. I shoved my tail in my pants and went back to class. When I got back to class I had completely forgotten that I had run to the bathroom because of the stranger in Ms. Honey’s class. I tried to act normal. I sat down on my chair.
“Ouch,” I exclaimed. I was sitting on my tail. My tail? That’s just weird. Humans don’t have tails, I thought. I clenched my jaw, trying not to cry. The stranger started to talk.
“Hello, my name is Ms. Lily.”
Now that I knew the stranger's name, I felt a little bit better.
“I have some news . . . ” continued Ms. Lily. “Ms. Honey
is sick. So I will be taking over her class until she gets better.”
The class all nodded. I had goosebumps all over. Before I knew it the bell rang and school was over. I looked at the book club flyer. The first book club did not meet for another week. I walked home, and went upstairs. I flopped down on my beanbag. Sigh. I looked down and at my feet sat Caleb. I pet him and smiled.
“How is my favorite dragon?”
“Good,” replied Caleb.
“That’s good. Wait . . . did you just talk?”
“Yes,” said Caleb.
“OMG, what the heck!” I yelled.
“What’s wrong?” asked the little talking dragon.
“You’re talking. That’s what’s wrong,” I answered.
“Well, you're a dragon and you talk,” Caleb said calmly.
“How did you know I was a dragon?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Because I am your cousin,” Caleb again calmly answered.
“What? I have a baby dragon cousin?” I asked.
“Yes . . .” Caleb replied.
“Shhhh,” I cut off Caleb. “My mom is home,” I said as I shoved him back in the closet.
My mom knocked on my door, and I answered it.
“Hi, Mom. How was work?” I asked.
“Hi, sweetie. Work was exhausting,” My mom answered.
“Do you want me to make dinner?” I inquired.
“That would be lovely, if you don’t mind,” Mom said.
“Sure, if you’re OK with that, I’ll get started,” I said as I started down the stairs to make dinner.
“MOM, it’s dinner time!” I called out a little while later. My mom walked in the kitchen and exclaimed, “WOW,
you made all of this?”
There was steak, salad, and roasted veggies sitting on the table.
“YUP,” I replied. Mom and I sat down and ate.
“This is really good,” Mom said.
“Thanks,” I replied.
What she did not know was that I had called for food delivery using her credit card and then hid the boxes in the outside trash. When I was done cleaning up dinner, I went back to my room, flopped on the bed, and fell asleep.
A few days later, I woke up and was back to being full human. I got dressed and went downstairs. My mom was waiting for me at the dinner table.
“Do you care to tell me why you used my credit card to order dinner the other night and then lied to me about it?” Mom said in a stern voice.
“Sorry, I’m not good at cooking,” I answered.
“You did not need to make dinner. And you definitely did not need to lie,” Mom scolded.
“I’m going to school now,” I said as I grabbed my backpack.
“OK, but you’re grounded! And we will finish this conversation later,” Mom yelled as I ran out the door to school.
As I ran to school, I saw Jules with some other kids. I walked right past her without saying hello. When I got to school, Ms. Honey was back.
“Hi, Ms. Honey. Are you feeling better?” I asked her.
“Yes, thank you for asking, Rebecca,” Ms. Honey said with a small smile.
I took my seat. After class, I went to the first book club meeting.
“Hi, I am Rebecca and I am ten years old,” I said.
“I’m Molly, and I am ten years old,” said the girl sitting next to me.
The girl next to her said, “I’m Sarah and I’m also ten.”
“What book should we read?” I asked.
“We are going to read Wings of Fire,” Molly answered.
“Cool, I have already read it, but . . . ” I got interrupted by Molly, who said that she also had already read Wings of Fire, but we all agreed that we would read it again because we all really liked it. We continued to chat for a bit; and before I knew it, school was over.
“Bye, it was nice meeting you both.” I waved as I walked home.
Back in my room, I complained out loud, “Gah, I feel like I don’t do anything but school.”
“I agree,” Caleb piped up from the closet.
“Caleb, I am not in the mood.” I rolled my eyes at him.
“Well, would you like me to tell you why I am here?” Caleb asked.
“What? You came for some other reason than just to see me?” I answered.
“I came here to ask you for your help. I need you to come with me,” Caleb said.
“Why? What can I do?” I asked.
“There is a war. The humans are building a wall to keep us out of this world. We are fighting to conquer this land, but we are losing. We need you to stop this war before any more lives are lost,” Caleb explains.
“How am I supposed to do that? I’m just a kid,” I said, confused.
“No, Rebecca. You are part human and part dragon. You are the daughter of the creators of this world,” Caleb kindly says.
I just stare at him with a blank look. I am in total shock.
“OK, how do I save the world?” I ask after a moment to process.
“I actually have no idea, but I am certain we will figure it out along the way,” Caleb says without any hesitation.
Chapter Five: Off to Save the World
I start to pack. I look at the clock.
“There is no way we are going to be gone before my mom gets home,” I say to Caleb.
“I think I have a way to help with that,” Caleb offers.
“Like what?” I ask.
“It is time you learn how to turn into a dragon. Look deep in your memories, and focus on the energy that you find there,” Caleb states.
“OK. I got this.” I ready myself.
“I think we probably should go outside first,” Caleb suggests.
We do as Caleb says and head outside. Once outside, I stand tall, take a deep breath, and focus on my deep memories. I start to feel it again. The big feeling; and then, I am a dragon and I fly.
“THIS IS AWESOME!”
“Indeed,” Caleb agrees.
“Why don’t you fly more?” I ask.
“Kids ask so many questions,” Caleb says, teasing.
“Heeeey,” I say.
To be continued . . .
Junhyuk Park
Age 8
A SHARK GOES TO THE MOON
The gray shark with long teeth wanted to go to the moon. Her name is Razor Teeth. She wanted to go to the moon so she can see an alien. She realized she can’t get to space without water. Razor Teeth had an idea to put blue water in a space suit. The shark’s friend Razor Tooth brought a space suit to Razor Teeth and other fish helped put the suit on the shark.
The Razor Teeth’s mom threw her into the rocket. While Razor Teeth zoomed through space, she saw a piece of fried chicken shaped like Godzilla that was nine million feet tall. When she landed on the moon she saw an alien. The alien was yellow, had nine legs and one eye. The alien’s name was Pa Pa Pao Po Pin. When the shark and alien met, they became friends and ate fried chicken together.
Mariya Abdulkadir
Age 8
A MOUSE TRAP
One day a mouse ate a rope and the owner, Ava, found out. And oh boy she was not happy. Ava was planning on using that rope to build her daughter a tire swing, and now the rope was ruined. She set up the mouse trap on the porch. And then Ava put a piece of cheese under the trap.
When the mouse went for the cheese, Ava pushed down on the trap and the mouse was trapped! Then, Ava slid a plate under the trap and carried it outside. She released the mouse into the woods so it could go find food to eat instead of Ava’s rope!
Then, Ava threw the rope the mouse chewed away and went to the store to buy new rope. She used a tire she had at home and the new rope to build the tire swing for her daughter.
Minchae Park
Age 11
PUCKITTY AND HER FRIENDS
Once upon a time, there was a 9,000,000,000,000,000,000-year-old cat called Puckitty.
She wanted to play but it was raining outside so she changed to God. She stopped the rain and now she could play. She had a speed boost in her back and she had a lot of rainbow colors and she could fly with her skateboard. She had a skateboard to go from one place to another place.
Puckitty flew into the sky and changed into a bird and Puckitty flew with the birds. They played fun games and hunted worms, and she ate the worms with her bird friends.
Mingyu Kim
Age 8
GROWNUPS ARE WEIRD
“Waaaa!!!!!” said Tiny Tim.
“Uppeeup,” said Toony Tim.
I had no chance to finish my sentence because at that moment the loudest thing in the history of the world rang in the house.
“The TV is broken,” said the mom.
“Mama,” said the dad, “you broke the TV!”
Then the Messie family (just the children), came to the house. They fixed the television in three seconds by putting it in a fixing machine and plugging it in.
“You saved the TV!” said the mom and dad together.
“Hip hip hooray!” shouted every grownup in the house (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Red, and Mrs. Burger, the aunt).
Then Uncle Beack said, “Call Bob!”
Three Minutes Later
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Uncle Beack wanted to call you,” said Tiny.
“Uncle Beack?” asked Tiny.
“Hey, the cage is unlocked,” said Tiny.
“Help, Bob,” said Tiny.
“Help what?” asked Bob.
“My uncle is missing,” said Tiny.
“What uncle?” asked Bob.
“Uncle Beack,” said Tiny
“How does he look?” asked Bob.
“He has a yellow nose, a yellow face, and a yellow body,” said Tiny.
“Your uncle is a SCUBA diver,” said Bob.
“Weird,” said Tiny.
“It’s not nice!” said Toony.
Mustafa Abdulkadir
Age 10
BULLYPROOF
So one day, Dan was in the cafeteria and this random eighth grader came up to Dan and punched him in the face.
“Hey, why the heck did you do that?!” Dan hollered.
Dan used hand signs to make ten clones of himself. The bully said, “How the heck are you doing that?”
Dan said with confidence, “It’s none of your business.” The whole cafeteria is watching.
“You don’t have the right to bully me or anyone else!”
Dan yelled angrily.
At this point, everyone started to stand with Dan. The bully started to back off as everyone started to approach him. The bully was becoming less confident. The bully ran out because he knew he couldn’t win. Everyone rejoiced that the bully ran off and from then on, anytime the bully tried to bully anyone, he saw Dan and backed off.
Pragnyan Shravan
Age
14
THE THREE RESULTS
Chapter One: The Prelude
This part of the book is the intentions of the TIDI.
The TIDI stands for the Time Intervention Droids of India, or TIDI (“tidy”). The leader of TIDI, Brahmananda (I know it’s weird but these bots are celebrating their past) assembles a team of five of the best TIDI, including Nyan. The leader tells the TIDI to stop the British rule but wants to experiment with time by seeing which outcomes are better—eliminating the British before arrival, in the middle, or nearing the end. Whichever one turns out better will be the new history. He also hands Nyan the Reform chip. When the Reform chip is set to a year, it reforms the Earth back to that year. Nyan is supposed to use it and see the outcomes. Nyan and his comrades are sent the very minute they agree.
Chapter Two: The Arrival: Welcome to Hell
The TIDI crew arrived in 1857. The year chosen to document such a well-documented era was 1857, and for the TIDI crew to understand most actions occurring in British India—as Nyan and his team explored. When they realized
a large Mutiny of Sepoys was in the works against the British Empire and India, they realized that there was a rebellion against the British. However, as men existing in a future that would become the future, they had to wonder what it would mean for them to live under British governance to an extent, British governance completely and no Indian governance at all? Nyan and his crew walked the streets of Delhi—where much of their mission was located and a later reunion occurred. They were just another footstep in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The platform chip made them invisible; yet, as collectors, they were collectors, noters at this station, and amassed collected data of Indian sentiment and British officer intent, and those who, in their time, were fighting back like Bahadur Shah Zafar and Rani Lakshmeai to determine a solution for India’s growth. They just had to get a sense of what was happening and imagine how an intentional intervention could help, naturally. Regarding the second situation, TIDI wanted to explore what happened with less British control.
Chapter Three: Independence
Nyan took the platform chip and traveled to see what would happen if the British had partial control. In this reality, Indian culture was more independent—meaning society was doing things more on its own. What remained were British improvements—more paved roads and some educational attempts—but social issues persisted, like the caste system. There was also less technology because, without a force to encourage advancement, it didn’t happen. TIDI’s analysis said that the Indian citizenry was poor but working hard. Therefore, the team decided that even though this data provided a shortcut for cultural understanding for
India, it limited the country’s potential to really evolve in the end with the present day.
Chapter Four: Complete British Rule
The team reset the platform chip, allowing them to witness a different version of history where Britain held complete control over India. In this past, British influence dominated every aspect of Indian life, from culture and laws to language. Railroads crisscrossed the country, and factories sprang up, kickstarting the Industrial Revolution on Indian soil. But this progress came at a steep price: Traditional Indian industries crumbled, and wealth flowed back to Britain, leaving much of the population struggling in poverty.
Nyan observed that while technology had advanced more rapidly, the spirit of the people was crushed under the weight of colonial rule. Attempts at protest were met with violence, and those who dared to seek independence found themselves either behind bars or silenced permanently. Unity seemed like a distant dream, as the British methodically divided Indian society along religious and regional lines. The team’s analysis picked up a sharp spike in resentment, but the overwhelming might of the British military left the population struggling to mount an effective revolt. TIDI meticulously recorded the devastating impact of total colonization on India’s culture, economy, and spirit.
Chapter Five: The Dream of Independence
Finally, Nyan set the platform chip to visualize a timeline without British rule an India that maintained its sovereignty and developed on its own terms. In this
reality, India was a vibrant patchwork of princely states and republics, each with its own ruler and system. But here’s the catch: Without a common enemy to unite against, regional rivalries flourished, and resources were often squandered in conflicts between neighboring states.
While the absence of British exploitation allowed India to retain more of its wealth, the lack of a centralized administration slowed progress. Infrastructure development lagged, and educational institutions were few and far between. However, India remained a rich, diverse land where traditional industries thrived, and local governance allowed communities to preserve their heritage. Nyan carefully noted both the strengths and weaknesses of this scenario—a proud nation with an unbroken culture, but also a land divided, with limited global influence.
Chapter Six: The Choice
Back at their base, Nyan and his comrades reviewed the data collected. They weighed the pros and cons of each outcome. Partial British rule allowed for cultural preservation but stunted modernization. Complete British rule advanced infrastructure and technology but oppressed the people and drained India’s wealth. Independence allowed for cultural and economic sovereignty but risked regional divisions and slower modernization.
As the TIDI team prepared their final report, Nyan wondered if there was a way for India to achieve the best of both worlds—modernization without oppression, unity without colonization. He and his team began working on recommendations to guide India’s leaders in the present, aiming for a future where India could learn from its past while forging its own path.
Chapter Seven: The Spark of Revolution
With the growing momentum, Nyan and his team decided to accelerate their influence by subtly guiding a select few to take bolder actions. Among these was a young lawyer from Gujarat who showed a deep commitment to non-violent resistance. Though his role would come much later, his influence would be essential for a truly independent India. The team left him with visions of resistance through nonviolence, a revolutionary concept that could withstand the brutality of colonial repression.
Meanwhile, the rebellion was spreading across the country. In towns and villages, Indians began to organize, armed with the ideals of self-rule and unity. British authorities responded harshly, but every act of suppression only fueled the determination of the people. The spirit of resistance, once scattered and regional, was now shared across the land.
Epilogue:
Back in 3018, TIDI analyzed the timeline projections based on Nyan’s mission. The new future showed a resilient India, free from colonial chains, rising as a global leader in technology, philosophy, and peacekeeping. The leaders of TIDI saw the evidence of Nyan’s success in their simulations, witnessing an India that had become an inspiration for other nations striving for independence.
And somewhere in that future, the whispers of TIDI’s mission lived on in the legacy of leaders, freedom fighters, and citizens who had fought for a dream of independence—a dream guided by the unseen guardians of time.
Riya Choudhary
Age 10
JADE'S STORY
Jade was a cat who loved to sing, draw, write, dance, and more. She was so happy to do all of her clubs and be the smartest in her school. She was one year old and was born on October 9, 2898. She was gray, black, and orange with white stripes. People made fun of her and told her she could never be smart. She tried to shut them off but she finally told her mom. Her mom told her to tell them, “Stop!” Now, Jade had tried that before and it did not work. One night, she had a dream. When she woke up, she had a glowing necklace.
Jade asked her mom if she put the necklace on and her mom said, “No, you always had that on.” Then Jade said, “But I don’t remember that at all,” and her mom said, “You were just talking about it yesterday and about how you like it so much. I think you don’t remember it because you hit your head on the wall yesterday.”
Jade went upstairs to her room and found two more necklaces in different colors. Then when she looked at all the necklaces, she realized they made the primary colors. Then she looked at the other side of the necklaces and they said, “1, 2” and “3, 4” and “5, 6.” She went downstairs again and asked her mom if she had an idea about when she hit her head. Her mom said, “You came to our house after school with a bump on your head. You were not looking and you bumped your head on the wall. There was a piece of glowing
rock on the wall.” Jade said thanks and wondered if that was really true. She was scared about it because she thought to find out she would have to go across the border of West Melow Street. That was where she lived.
She went out to the deck and stared at the stars. OMG! The constellation was a glowing necklace! Three of them with numbers! Her necklaces started to levitate! She ran inside and got her mom. But when she got her, it stopped levitating. When she went to bed, she dreamed of a cave. The next day she went bike riding and saw the cave. She went inside and found gems. They were the same ones on her necklace!!! She put her necklaces in a slot and a reading appeared. It said, “If you are reading this, you are chosen to save the world!” Jade read more and more but then she realized the gem was a copy of the necklaces. Now she knew she was a superhero!
Ryu Okuda
Age 12
THE CHASE
The cursed guy is chasing around The Something. Whenever The Something goes into a hole, the guy always hits the wall with his face. And if The Something is eating, the guy catches it. But the guy’s net always has a hole in the net that he doesn’t notice. So The Something gets out and plays with the guy. That fixed his curse a little bit. The whole day the house is loud from the playing. At the end, the guy is fixed and The Something lives there with him, but the guy still has 193 legs. The time the guy got 193 legs was when he fell from a 3,000-floor building and found an unknown object and was bitten by it. When he fell to the ground, he almost died but he landed on a mitten-carrying car that had many mittens.
Yousef Khalil
Age 9
THE MONSTER
Once upon a time in the lake, there was a monster who is mean and eats rats and human beings. His teeth are so sharp. His tail is spiky scales. He is ten stories tall. His hair goes to the floor. He is running for his life from a small dog with sharper teeth. If he stops he will die. Then, behind the dog there is a fish. It has sharp teeth. The dog said, “Hi, who are you?”
“I am gonna eat you.” The fish eats the big monster and then the dog. They all thought they got eaten, but when they entered his stomach, it didn’t hurt and they were still alive.
Walter Strube
Age 12
FIRST MISSION
Light Knight finished his test and gets knighted and goes on his first mission on the battlefield. That’s where we are now: about to fight the Dark Lord’s monsters. The Dark Lord is an evil sorcerer and the King of the Dark Kingdom along with his right-hand man, Null. Will Light Knight and the other knights win this battle and save their kingdom, or will this start a war? Let’s find out!
Chapter One
The fight begins. Light Knight pulls out his blaster and starts blasting. Crusher (a knight who loves to smash) pulls out his axe and swings. A fast and strong swing and takes out ten monsters. Shuri (the street/ninja knight) takes out her weapon and uses her strength to take out the big monsters. Techno (the tech genius of the knights) pulls out his weapon that he made, which is a double-sided blade. After Light Knight blasts twenty-five monsters, some of the monsters get closer so he swaps his blaster for his sword and starts swinging.
Chapter Two
“Sir . . . ” said Null. “Yes,” said the Dark Lord.
“I have bad news,” said Null.
“What?” Dark Lord said with a deep tone.
“The Knights are—” said Null.
“What?” Dark Lord said, starting to get angrier.
“Are—” Null said.
“Spit it out now, Null,” Dark Lord said angrily.
“ . . . winning,” Null said.
“Well, that is not too bad—I thought you were going to say someone broke out of prison,” the Dark Lord said.
“You’re not mad?” Null asked, confused.
“No not at all, I planned for the future,” the Dark Lord said.
To be continued . . .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to:
Rachel Chalfant, Teaching Artist
Terance Gordon, Teaching Artist Apprentice
Molly Jendryka, After-school Writing Lab Intern
Volunteers:
Jess Dailey
Joel Klomega
Sam Stanley
Maya Welch
With appreciation for our partners at the Ypsilanti District Library, including:
Mary Garboden
Nicole Russell
826michigan gratefully recognizes the following supporters for their gifts for the 2024–25 School Year:
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, including the African American Endowment Fund and the Ted and Barbara Meadows Endowment Fund
James A. and Faith Knight Foundation
Leinweber Foundation
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
May Family Foundation
Brown Chapel AME Church Foundation
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan via the Inclusive Arts Fund established by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Conelias Foundation
Cummins Corporation
Detroit Arts Support, presented in partnership between the Kresge Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, and Hudson-Webber Foundation
Domino’s Pizza
EOTECH
Foroulis Private Foundation
Flagstar Foundation
The Hawkins Project
The Janeth Fund
Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor
KLA Foundation
The Max and Anna Levinson Foundation
Michigan Humanities Council
Old National Bank Foundation
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President’s Grant Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation
Robbins Family Fund
Rocket Companies Community Challenge Fund
Russell Family Foundation
Strategic Staffing Solutions
Warby Parker
Washtenaw County Office of Community & Economic Development
The Worsham Family Foundation
Zingerman’s Mail Order
ABOUT
For twenty years, 826michigan has supported K-12 students through free writing and literacy programs. Each year, over 4,000 students in Detroit, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor participate in our high-quality programs. We inspire students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers and provide students with the formative experience of seeing their work reflected back to them via a professional publication (in a book, on an album of songs, in an exhibit in a museum; publication projects are varied in iteration). Our programs improve student academic skills in writing, boost self-confidence in literacy work, and provide a positive outlet for socialemotional growth, while also instilling a lifelong love of reading and writing.
826michigan utilizes volunteers to provide students with one-on-one attention and small group work in every program offered. With the help of caring adults, students not only gain experience and confidence in writing, but also find a community of like-minded peers, and experience mentorship and social and emotional support that will feed them for a lifetime.
826michigan—the power of story.
WRITING LABS
In this weekly program, we build a supportive community of writers where students brainstorm, write, revise, and publish a story of their choosing. At the end of
the program, students’ writing is published in a book and celebrated with a book release party. Each session includes a mini lesson taught by 826michigan staff and introduction to a new writer's habit, such as “Writers change their minds” and “Writers make plans–and break them!” Students discuss and practice these new habits as they go through the writing process, building their own toolkit of writing practices and preferences. This program is offered both during the school day with select partner schools, and also as an after-school program open to students from the community.
WORKSHOPS
We offer a number of free writing workshops taught by professional artists, writers, and our talented volunteers. From comic books to screenplays, bookmaking to radio, our wide variety of workshops are perfect for writers of all ages and interests.
DROP-IN WRITING FOR WEE-BOTS
Each week, the youngest 826michigan writers meet to play and explore what writing can do. With stories that spark creativity and games that inspire students to write, the Weebots work in small groups—and with trusted volunteers—to bring imagination alive for these young writers. Students experience the joy of writing however they are able, from the physical act to conversation-based brainstorming and development of new ideas.
YOUNG AUTHORS’ BOOK PROJECT
Each year, we undertake a multi-session partnership with a class or grade that culminates in a professional publication of student writing. Whether it’s third graders writing poetry about frogs and learning about book
publishing in a project-based learning format or fifth graders imagining their world in fifty years for science fiction that starts in Detroit but travels the galaxy, these projects enable students to take a deep dive into the writing process. They learn revision, editing, and all the steps it takes to go from a brainstorming a first draft to being published.
FIELD TRIPS & ROADSHOWS
Always full of surprises and theatrics, our Field Trip program is an experiential writing extravaganza. We welcome teachers to bring their classes in for field trips during the school day or we can bring the party to schools as a field trip roadshow. Students join a group of volunteers, interns, and staff to help solve a problem through writing. Our field trips always end in a finished publication of original writing that students take home. Often the field trip writing is connected to a second leg of the students’ journey, whether a trip to a museum, library, or local record label, thanks to our many incredible community partners.
OUR STORE
Our Robot Supply Co. store, located in Ann Arbor, is a one-stop shop for robots, robot owners, and enthusiasts alike. It is designed to inspire creativity and bring awareness of our programs to the community. In addition, our online store is always open; visit the Robot Supply Co. at onwardrobots.com. All proceeds from our store directly fund our free student programming. Onward robots!
WRITING IS
A way to figure things out by ourselves A way to help us connect to our world A way to help us learn who we are and who we will become A way for us to use our power to make changes and build a better world
We create a safe place to be ourselves and try new things
We support the ways that writers work (like thinking, sketching, talking)
We study the writing we want to do so we can try it
We learn how to change our writing for genre, audience, and purpose
We work with a group of writers who help and support each other www.826michigan.org
826 National was inspired to take a stand on issues of inclusion and diversity in light of the many events that spotlighted social and racial injustices throughout the country. We as educators, volunteers, and caring adults need to be aware of the wide range of issues our students face on a day-to-day basis. We need to support these young people as they navigate through and try to make sense of the world and their own identities.
We need the support and the feedback from our community to ensure 826 is living up to these standards. Through our inclusion statement, our internal diversity and inclusion group, cultural competency resources provided to staff and volunteers, and partnerships with other organizations, we are always working towards being a more inclusive and supportive organization.
We at 826 have the privilege of working with the next generation of scholars, teachers, doctors, artists, lawyers, and writers. It's our job to make sure they are able to take their own stands.
As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826 environment in which great leaps in learning happen, we commit ourselves to inclusion: we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, marital status, English fluency, parental status, military service, or disability.
The 826 National network is committed to encouraging youth to express themselves and to use the written word to effectively do so. We encourage our students to write, take chances, make decisions, and finish what they start. And 826 strives to do this in an environment free from discrimination and exclusion.
