Clarion 2022

The Clarion Carlthorp School Literary Magazine Spring 2022

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we do so much.”

- Helen Keller

Clarion Staff Tia A. Grace B. Inara C.Y. Audrey L. Jessica L. Selvi R. Renee S. Lucy S. Charlotte S. Mattea V.

Art Contributors Cover Art and Design: Grace B. K-6 students

The Writing Club is proud to present the 2022 Clarion, Carlthorp School's Literary Magazine. This year's contest theme was "Time Travel" and students across grade levels sent in stories and poems about characters who set out to explore new worlds. The staff carefully read every submission, and our 6th Grade Editor-in-Chief, Audrey L., has written a powerful piece on why time travel may appeal to us now more than ever. Our Clarion staff members selected the winners of the writing contest, and we are honored to share their work with you. We hope you enjoy this collection of writing from our very talented student community.

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Table of Contents Click the story title to be linked directly to each student’s work.

Letter from the Editor, (Audrey L., Grade 6)

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Time Travel Adventure Stories (Contest Winners) The Locket (Sofia J., Grade 2) Lila and the Time Machine (Roxy B., Grade 1) Home (Delilah L., Grade 4) The Watch (Hattie P., Grade 3) The Hurricane (Selvi R., Grade 5) The Hope Tree (Laila C., Grade 5)

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Works of Fiction Time Machine Lift Off (Albert M., Grade 1) The Big Wave (Noah Y., Grade 1) Back in Time (Vaughn M., Grade 1) The Time Cutter (William V., Grade 2) When We Were Trapped in a Snow Globe (Sadie B., Grade 2) The Time Machine (Izzy L., Grade 2) The Secret Portal (Tenzin S., Grade 2) The Power of Books (Eleanor S., Grade 3) MJ and Me (Maia S.M., Grade 3) The Treasure of Edward Teach (Norah L., Grade 3) The Time Machine (Jason L., Grade 4) If I Were Principal (Dane S., Grade 4) Friends for Life (Gavin J., Grade 4) The Museum of Artifacts (Alexander V., Grade 5) When Time Stopped (Inara C.Y., Grade 5) How I Got My Superpowers (Charlotte S., Grade 5) The Book (Lucy S., Grade 5) Wishing Well (Selvi R., Grade 5) Milo (Julia L., Grade 6) Bike Rides (Tia A., Grade 6) Around the Clock (Grace B., Grade 6) The Solution to Salvation (Charlotte C., Grade 6)

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Nonfiction Basketball: The People You Need (Michael B., Grade 3) World War II: The Tide Starts to Turn (Vincent V., Grade 3) Explore Ancient Rome: Citizens of Rome (Corinne F., Grade 3) How Do Certain Animals Survive in the Hot Dry Desert? (Christina K., Grade 4) How are Snakes’ Bodies Adapted to their Environment? (Lincoln M., Grade 4) Why are Siberian Tigers Dying Out? (Adrina S., Grade 4) What is one Interesting Feature of an Elephant? (Vivienne K., Grade 4) The Big Splash (Brooks S., Grade 3) Trapped (Hattie P., Grade 3) Late Night Fun (Dylan S., Grade 5) The Game of a Lifetime (Ainsley J., Grade 5) Utter Destruction (Marcus M., Grade 5) Medusas (Mattea V., Grade 5) The Diamond Ring (Jessica L., Grade 5) The Great Debate (Taylan K., Grade 5) Should Students Have Homework? (Evie T., Grade 5) Homework is a Necessary Part of Life (Teddy C., Grade 5)

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Letter from the Editor Dear Reader, The textbook definition of community is “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common,” but I feel it represents something deeper. To me, community means unity, embracing similarities and differences, and supporting one another during the good times and especially the bad times. From the moment I was first welcomed on campus as a kindergartener to now as an upperclassman about to graduate, I have always felt proud to be a part of the warm Carlthorp School community. As I reflect on my seven years at Carlthorp, I have made many meaningful connections and I know that I will be leaving with countless cherished memories thanks to our special community.

I have learned that community provides a much-needed sense of security. Over the past two years, uncertainty, stress, and COVID have all undermined our sense of what is normal.

Through these difficult times, we witnessed the strength and felt the impact of the Carlthorp School community. Our community has been weathering the storm “strongest together,” and what has shined through are our connections, our solidarity, and our heart.

If there ever was a moment when we wished we had the power to change time or alter any outcome, it was probably sometime during the last two years when it felt like our lives were upended. Since the 1800s, authors and readers have been fascinated with the subject of time travel. When I was introduced to Madeleine L’Engle’s classic adventure A Wrinkle in Time, I was captivated by the story of the Murry children traveling through space and time to save their father. Even the great Mark Twain imagined what would happen if someone went back in time to King Arthur’s court equipped with the knowledge of modern technology.

Time travel stories have the power to transport us. For this year’s contest, we asked students to stretch their imaginations and consider what it would be like to travel through time. The beauty of this theme is that it can cover a variety of genres such as science fiction, romance, comedy, history, and more. Perhaps we will read about the invention of a time travel machine or the discovery of a wormhole in space leading to an alternate dimension. I hope you enjoy reading our students’ diverse, adventurous, and creative contributions in the Clarion!

Sincerely, Audrey L.

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Story Contest Winners K, 1st and 2nd Competition 1st Place: Sofia J., Grade 2 The Locket It was a bright and sunny morning in July. The warm light shined through the bedroom window and the sweet smell of chocolate chip pancakes filled the air.

“Yum!” Lola thought as she jumped out of bed.

“It’s today, it’s today! It’s my BIRTHDAY!” Lola shouted as she danced around her room. “I can’t wait to see all my friends and open presents!” Lola said excitedly.

Lola quickly brushed her teeth and ran downstairs. As she walked into the kitchen, she watched her mom flip pancakes and make her a short stack.

“Why does Lola get the first pancake?” asked her big brother Ryan.

“Because, I’m the birthday girl!” said Lola as she sat down next to her dad at the table.

Ryan rolled his eyes and said “Whatever! Happy birthday little sister.”

Lola gobbled up her pancakes and followed her dad into the living room to put up decorations for her party. There were streamers, confetti and a big balloon in the shape of the number 10.

“Wow!” Lola said as she admired her house.

“It looks great!” said Lola’s mom as she walked into the living room with a present wrapped with a sparkly bow on top.

“Your grandma wanted you to have this on your 10th birthday. I’ve been saving it for you.” said Lola’s mom as she handed her the box.

Lola carefully opened the box as she wished Grandma Pearl was there to celebrate with her.

Inside the box was a beautiful gold locket engraved with a heart hanging on a delicate necklace.

Lola instantly recognized her grandma’s favorite necklace and put it around her neck.

“I love it, thank you mom!” said Lola as she gave her mom a hug.

Lola’s mom reminded her to get ready for the party since it was almost time for her friends to come over. Lola went upstairs and stood in front of her mirror to admire her gift.

She pressed the locket against her heart and suddenly she was transported to Grandma Pearl’s kitchen. She looked around and saw a chocolate cake on the kitchen table. Grandma Pearl walked in.

“Grandma! Grandma! What are you doing here? Where am I?” Lola said in excitement.

“You’re in my house and I’ve been waiting for you to visit me.” said Lola’s grandma as she sat down at the table.

“I see you got my gift. This locket has special magical powers, Lola. Any time that you’re missing me, you can put the locket to your heart and you’ll always be able to visit me.” said Lola’s grandma sweetly.

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Lola sat down and spoke to her grandma for hours about all her birthday plans, school and her friends. They had so much to catch up on.

“I’m so happy that I got to spend time with you on your birthday sweet girl. But now it’s time for you to go back home and celebrate with your friends. Know that I’m always thinking about you and can’t wait for you to visit me again.” said Grandma Pearl as she gave Lola a big hug.

She sang happy birthday to Lola and once she blew out the candle, Lola was suddenly transported back to her home.

Lola’s family and friends gathered around to cut the cake for Lola’s birthday. Lola blew out the candles and held on tightly to her necklace. Lola and her friends ate pizza and cake, played games, and sang karaoke.

They had so much fun together and before long it was time for her friends to leave. After everyone left, Lola sat down on the floor surrounded by all her presents. She couldn’t help but think about her grandmother again. She held her locket closely and felt something on her fingers. She turned the locket around and read the words “you are always my light”.

“Definitely the best birthday ever.” Lola whispered to herself as she thought about her next visit to her Grandma Pearl’s house.

2nd Place: Roxy B., Grade 1 Lila and the Time Travel Machine Once upon a time Lila and I were going in a time travel machine back in the sixties. Lila was scared to go in the time travel machine, but I told her don’t be scared but she was still scared. I was like, “Come on Lila.” But she still didn’t listen. She said, “you can go but I’m not.” I was like, “Come on, don’t be lazy.”

Lila finally agreed. I said, “Good job I knew you could do it! Now we are ready to go in the time travel machine.” Lila said, “OK now we are ready to go to the sixties.” We went through this weird tube. After ten minutes we were in the sixties. Lila said, “Whoa I had no idea it was going to look like this!” I said, “I told you it was going to look like this.” I was surprised there were not iPads or computers or cellphones. People were dressed crazy.

Some of them were dressed in short dresses.

It was very colorful clothing.

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Lila said, “What should we do?” I said, “You choose.”

Lila said, “I want to go roller-skating.” Great idea! So we went roller-skating. I checked my phone for the time to make sure we could get back to the present in time. We still had ten minutes I said, “Now what do you want to do?” “Well maybe a concert?” “Ok! Let’s go!” After the concert I checked my phone to make sure we still had time. We had 4 minutes. Quickly go to the time travel machine. We only had 4 minutes. “Let’s go to the time travel machine.”

When we came back, this time it was different time travel machine. I liked the old one. This one was new to me. I was a tiny bit scared. But Lila encouraged me to be brave and try it. She said, “Last time it was fun, so this time it should be fun too!”

So I did.

And it was fun.

3rd and 4th Grade Competition 1st Place: Delilah L., Grade 4 Home

Dear anyone,

October 13, 2012 (I think)

Is anyone out there??? I’ve been stuck here for 3 months. I’ve been all alone with my twin, Abby. We hid in the closet before they could get us. Every (what I think is) Wednesday I sneak down to grab food. I keep trying to use the elevator to go back in time, but it won’t work!

Sometimes weird words appear on the door that say, “Get the three keys and I’ll take you back.” I don’t understand what it means, though.

Anyway, I better catch you up on what's going on. It all started when me, my twin, and my parents went to Australia for summer break. We were all excited to finally get there! When we walked through the spinning doors of the Paleotel, our mouths fell open in awe. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The front desk was to the right of us and a sitting area and bar were to our left. As our parents were checking in, our mother asked us if we wanted to check out the room. We both said yes. She handed me the key and we headed for the elevators.

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As we got in, an old man named Henry came up to us and said, “Don’t go to the 3rd floor, a little girl disappeared there.” He finished just as the doors closed. As the elevator started going up, I kept watch on the numbers, ticking higher each time. All of a sudden, the elevator jerked to a stop. Me and Abby screamed.

“What's going on?!?!” she screamed.

“I don’t know!!!!” I screamed back.

Suddenly the elevator dinged and the doors opened. We stood in the doorway, shocked.

As we slowly started walking down the hallway, I was unaware of the giant, beady eye staring at us from beyond the glass window. As we unlocked the door to our room, just like when we came into the hotel, our mouths fell open. The whole room had claw marks all over it. The mattress was flipped off the bed and the desk and floor lamp were both on their sides. We started looking around the room.

All of a sudden we heard a scratching sound coming from behind us. We slowly turned around only to see a huge raptor standing right in front of us! Abby tried to scream but I covered her mouth. I told her to slowly back towards the closet, but she screamed anyway. My first instinct was to run to the closet and hide, so I did. Just before the raptor jumped on her, I grabbed her and pulled her out of the way. I kicked the raptor, it screeched, and ran away. It hasn’t tried to bother us since. Well, that's basically my whole story. I guess that we went back in time through the elevator.

Please w/b, Tanya

Dear Ta

nya,

I have

October

the firs t key.

13, 2003

From, Henry

2nd Place: Hattie P., Grade 3 The Watch Amber surreptitiously slipped her dad’s watch off his wrist. Then, the curly-haired nine-year-old slipped away to explore the airport. Sidling over to a bookstore display, Amber swiped a book about dinosaurs and found an empty corner of the terminal to read.

“Last call for Gate A6 to Miami!” blared a voice from the airport rafters. Amber snapped from her reverie, returning the borrowed item to the bookstore as she sprinted toward her family.

“Where have you been? Never EVER run away like that!" Amber’s mother shouted.

Her father placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Please. Let’s just try to have a relaxing trip.”

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“Relaxing! Our daughter went missing in a busy airport!” the irate mother turned to Amber.

“NEVER disappear like that again. Are we clear?”

Amber’s heart ached with burning guilt. “We’re clear.” Amber shamefully hugged her concerned mother. Then she hugged her father … and slipped his wristwatch into his back pocket.

With only three seats per row, one member of the family had to sit alone.

“I will!” Amber and her big sister, Margaret, cried in unison.

“I don’t even care. Probably better if you’re away from Mom so she doesn’t kill you.”

Margaret teased. “But we have to switch seats halfway through.”

Amber plopped down a few rows behind her family, yawned, closed her eyes, and sunk into the seat. She cracked open an eyelid to see a distraught man with white hair and a youthful face stagger into the seat next to her. A dozen watches adorned his wrists. He wore a purple robe. With white knuckles, the wide-eyed man clutched a pocket watch as if it was his lifeline.

The man placed his precious watch into his robe. Amber feigned sleep as she glided her hand into his pocket. When the unfasten seat belt sign dinged and the eccentric man left his seat, Amber began fiddling with the knobs on the pocket watch she had lifted. Suddenly the world turned black and Amber felt herself free falling into an abyss.

Amber tried to scream but no sound came out. In a flash Amber awoke in a world of deep green meadows lined with majestic boulders. Ruby red and carrot orange flowers covered the ground. When a pterodactyl soared overhead, Amber knew from her book that this was the Jurassic Era. She had learned the bright green eyes staring at her were those of a Cryolophosaurus.

Amber admired the self-confidence and calmness radiating from the dinosaur. Amber, however, did not share that composure, and she ran for her life. Her feet barely touched the ground as she flew through the shrubs and ferns. The moment she slowed to glance over her shoulder, a green tail the size of an airplane wing connected and lifted her off her feet. Airborne, Amber slammed into a tree so leafy no bark was visible. Through the canopy Amber saw the tail swinging blindly. Amber glanced down and was surprised to see that behind her clenched white knuckles she still held the pocket watch. Desperately, she began turning every knob.

Before Amber could contemplate screaming, she was free falling again. “Please fasten your seatbelts. We are experiencing some turbulence.” Amber sat up straight and re-buckled.

Forced back to his seat, the man with many watches stopped pacing the aisle and began searching feverishly on the floor around his seat. Still pretending to be asleep, Amber slipped the pocket watch back into the purple robe.

When the turbulence subsided, Amber slipped from her seat and up to Margaret’s. “Your turn solo!”

After the family disembarked the plane in Miami, Amber nonchalantly asked Margaret, “So, did you talk to the man sitting next to you with all the watches?”

“What on earth are you talking about, weirdo?” Margaret replied.

At that moment, it dawned on Amber that it must all have been a dream. Sleepy and remorseful, Amber hugged her mother and muttered, “I’m sorry for sneaking away and stealing watches.”

“Thank you, sweetie,” Amber’s mother replied as she stroked her daughter’s wild curls. “But – wait just a minute, young lady – what’s this about stealing watches?! And why do you have all these leaves in your hair?”

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5th and 6th Grade Competition 1st Place: Selvi R., Grade 5 The Hurricane

The clouds rumbled.

The drops of rain poured down.

The start of a hurricane.

The start of something bigger than just “April showers.”

The start of something scary.

All Kara remembered was water, rushing from all corners, filling her tiny house to the brim.

She remembered being washed away, out of the house. She remembered the shrill cries of her baby sister, her mother’s soothing voice. She remembered clinging to her mother as the three of them were washed away, into the darkness. But now she was alone.

Alone, and scared.

Frightened, she turned her head back and didn’t see her town. Didn’t see her family.

“Hello?” She whispered, her voice weak and fragile. But nobody responded.

Mustering all the strength she could find in her body, she hoisted herself up from the mossy ground. She walked through the darkness, barely seeing her palm in front of her face. She was lost.

But then, she saw a light flicker on. She sprinted towards the nearly invisible light.

“Hello?” She repeated, this time louder. She heard somebody muttering faintly. Determined to find them, she ran faster. She was alone again, for the muttering had reached a stop.

And then Kara fell.

She awoke again, pausing for a moment to regain her balance. She saw the end of a dress, and heard the tapping of shoes as they ran across a floor.

“Wait!” Kara yelled. “Wait! Please!” The mysterious person paused and turned around. She was a petite woman, with a pale complexion and long blonde hair that swept around her back.

“Ugh, who are you?” The woman asked.

Kara felt hope beating in her heart. “I-I’m Kara! Please, I need help. I’m lost, and confused.

It’s so dark here.”

“Well, of course it is!” The woman scowled. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Wait, what do you mean?”

“Well, remember? Ten years ago, Earth’s sky turned dark. It stumped all of the scientists, for we still had electricity, solar power, and a moon. See?” The woman pointed to the sky under the dim light, and Kara followed her finger. She was right. The moon, with all it’s bumps and bruises, glistened in the night sky. “Anyways, I have somewhere to be, if you don’t mind.” The lady continued walking through the dark, black nothing.

“Wait! I’m scared. Back at home, it was sunny everyday. Where am I? What day is it? How long have I been gone?”

The woman paused once more. “I-I don’t know. I’m so sorry.”

“Please, at least tell me the year!”

“I…okay, well, what year was it before you got here?”

“It…it was 2022. I think…”

“Oh, goodness gracious. I…it’s 2098.” The woman said.

G.B.

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Kara felt sick to her stomach. Like she was going to fall. And nobody was there to catch her.

When she woke, she was no longer in the dark realm. She was in her house, on the sofa, lying down.

Her mother was patting down a wet towel on her forehead, her other arm holding the telephone as she yelled into it.

“What do you MEAN, you can’t come and help my sick daughter right now? She’s burning up and you won’t give it an ounce of thought? I’m never calling you guys again!” Kara’s mother slammed the phone down, and looked lovingly at her daughter.

“Good, you’re awake. How do you feel, honey?”

Kara gasped, frightened and terribly confused. Wasn’t she just in that weird time period with the mysterious lady? With all the darkness?

Kara nodded. “I feel okay. Can I go outside for a minute…for some fresh air?”

Suspiciously, her mother nodded. “Okay…but only for a little while.”

Kara sprinted outside. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

“Oh no.” Kara mumbled under her breath. It was the storm from her dreams. The rain began to patter. Kara ran back inside. She needed to warn her family. They needed to evacuate. Now! “Mom, get the baby. We have to go!” Puzzled, but willing, her mother raced to the nursery room to get the baby. They ran outside and hid behind some bushes. And watched.

The water started to wash through the streets, tearing up houses and drowning kids and animals. Suddenly, a ray of light burst from the sky, sucking up all the unconscious people left in the town.

Kara and her family released gasps of breath. They would never know what happened that day, or what happened to the rest of their town, but all they knew was that they were safe. Kara wrapped her arms around her family.

2nd Place: Laila C., Grade 5 The Hope Tree Me and my friend Melissa were watching. Waiting for something to happen. The Hope Tree was the source of protection for our village. It was fueled by the hopes and dreams of citizens. But lately, the tree had been…weak. Dying even. It was like people were starting to lose hope. And according to our calculations (for we had been watching the tree for a long time), if one more person lost hope, the tree would die.

Suddenly, shadows came over the tree. The Shadowborn had been attacking our village for centuries, but the Hope Tree had stopped them every time. Except this time, we were worried. The Shadowborn might be able to breach the barrier now.

Without saying anything, Melissa ran over to the tree.

“Melissa!” I hissed.

“Hope is salvaged with many, not one.”

I tried to run after her, but I found myself stuck.

Before Melissa even got to the tree, shadows took her. A dark blade hovered over her.

I struggled to get free, to help her, but…

The blade sank into her chest, her body disintegrating in the wind.

“Melissa! No!” I had to keep up hope to save the Hope Tree, but soon enough, it disintegrated just as Melissa’s body did.

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That night, I thought about doing “it”. I had done it once before. Melissa called it my “magical gift.” I had to go back in time to save the town. And save Melissa.

Immense concentration. I thought about going back to when the Hope Tree was full of hope.

My mind started to feel like it would explode. An undesirable side effect. I kept concentration though. I needed to.

I was nearly blinded by a flash of light.

And then I was gone.

I was standing by a tree. It was almost unrecognizable. Full blossoming branches, each flower a different color, shape and texture. I think I was about…20 years in the past.

Now all I had to do was save hope. What was it that Melissa said?

Hope is salvaged with many, not one.

I had to figure out what that meant. Of course many people had to have hope, but I couldn’t go around [fixing everyone’s problems]. I had to find something different.

Then it hit me. What if the people aren’t losing hope?

What if it was the tree?

As humans, we had each other. The tree didn’t have anyone. Just like Melissa and I had formed a special friendship to keep hope, the Hope Tree could do the same. All I needed now was some friends, some community, for the tree.

I walked up to the tree, cautiously, and laid my hand on a flower. It was purple with shimmering blue petal tips.

It felt silly, but I asked the tree, “Do you mind if I take this flower?”

The flower dropped into my palm.

“Thank you.”

About 20 feet away from the tree, I dug a small hole with my hands. I then placed the flower inside, and covered it up with dirt. Suddenly, before my eyes, A purple and blue tree sprang up from the ground. It was beautiful and enchanting.

“Mind if I take more?” I asked the tree.

Over the next few hours, I made an effort to plant as many trees as I could.

An orange and violet one.

A pale iridescent one Translucent ones Shiny ones.

Soon enough, the village was ringed with a bouquet of trees in a circle. It felt…complete somehow. Full. Finally, I made my way back to the original tree.

It reached its branches out to me, like it wanted to hug me. To say thank you. It’s soft branches embraced me. As soon as I pulled away, I was back to my time. Between the rocks again. But this time, when the Shadowborn came to the trees, I wasn’t worried. A community could do things that one person, no matter how strong they are, could do by themselves. When they tried to come in, the plants radiated power and love. And hope. The Shadowborn were overcome with light. Slowly, they started disintegrating.

And Melissa smiled at me.

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Works of Fiction Time Machine Lift Off

By Albert M., Grade 1 Once upon a time there were two brave people and were on a quest to stop the ferrets Thanksgiving.

And go back in time in a time machine.

And there names were Jake and Nic. But Nic didn’t want to go because he was worried that they would get stuck back in time.

But Jake grabbed Nic and threw him in and got in the time as he pressed the tack off button. The time machine started to tremble and shake and then it spun and spun. It went faster and faster and then it went back in time!

It flew through time and space. They landed in 1,200 years ago. And they looked around. And then we saw a bear. Run Jake said. They ran and ran and ran and ran until Jake said I think we lost them. Nick said that was a close one. Ya replied Jake. Look oh no said Jake we’re dead. We died said Nic goodbye. We’re doomed!

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The Big Wave

By Noah Y., Grade 1 In the beginning I was in the cold ocean in Mexico.

Then a big wave came straight at me. I was pretty deep.

It came closer and closer.

The wave was so close…Then it hit me. I got soaked.

The water got in my eyes. I was watching for the next because it was so fun! I can’t wait to go back!

Back in Time

By Vaughn M., Grade 1 One day I was trying to make a robot but it turned into a time machine. I thought it would be interesting to switch it on. I programmed it to go to the time of the dinosaurs.

Suddenly a T-rex ran after me. It had feathers and a big mouth with sharp teeth. When it saw me it ran at me. I screamed! And then I woke up.

The Time Cutter

By William V., Grade 2 Once upon a time there was a boy named Jake who was on the planet Mars. He just got there in a time machine from 2022. The year was now 2050. He was excited to see what would be there, but he was also a little scared. He hadn't seen his parents in two years and he hoped they would be there.

He was ready to get out of the time machine. To open the door, he had to cut a purple wire but he only saw blue and red wires. But then he realized he could cut blue and red wires because it makes purple. He cut them and heard a wwwuuuuurrrrr and the door opened! Jake looked around and saw red dirt. The sky looked red but it was an optical illusion. He was slowly sinking into the red dirt. He tried to get out but realized it was no use. It was quicksand. Mars had water 200 feet under the red dirt, but no one knew about that until 2025.

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A blond lady came over yelling ‘’Jake?! Jake!!!!’’ It was his mom! If you were watching you would see hearts in the air. Then they heard a thooooom and saw a hovercraft with a man driving.

It was Jake’s dad! His mom and dad went to the future Mars on vacation, but they couldn’t get back home to Malibu. His dad had a job building vehicles that could go out of the force field that protected them from the cold air and vicious monsters that had come to live on Mars. Other than that, life was a lot like Earth. They got shipments of food from Earth every day. They got water from high-tech drills.

Jake’s parents pulled Jake out of the quicksand. Then they all went to their house. Then they went to a park. The park was super duper crowded. They had a picnic at the park. It was in the middle of a big open space. They ate pb&js for lunch then they walked home. Jake and his dad went for a run. Jake’s mom stayed at the house because she wanted to clean up. Jake was happy he got to see his family again.

On the first night Jake slept in his own bed and got a good sleep. In the morning Jake woke up early and made waffles and eggs. The family chatted about Disneyland while eating breakfast. He hugged and kissed his parents and went off to a school called Carlthorp. He was in 2B. Jake loved it, the teachers were nice. They helped a ton and everyone was so happy. He got signed up for soccer. Everything was awesome!

When We Were Trapped in a Snow Globe

By Sadie B., Grade 2 Once upon a time, a boy and a girl had the power to go back in time. They lived in a snow globe with pictures. When they pointed at one, they would go where it showed. The kids first went to New England, but there was an earthquake. Luckily, they were back in time so they had a book about the earthquake. During the earthquake, the road cracked in half and the girl fell in it. The boy was sad and scared, but they stacked bricks and the girl got out.

The girl said, “I think we should help people.” So the kids looked and looked and they spotted someone. He was holding a wagon with books and they said, “How can we help?” He said, “no, go back home, it’s safer there.” “That’s weird,” said the girl. “Yep,” said the boy. They kept looking and the girl saw a boy and an aunt crying.

“Do you need help?” said the girl. “Yes,” said the aunt. “Our house fell down.” Then they saw it: the boys had no shoes and there were cuts all over their feet. They gave them their shoes.

The boys said, “thank you.”

“We better get home,” said the girl. “Yep,” said the boy. “No, we need to help more people,” said the girl. And then they saw their snow globe had disappeared. “What do we do?” said the girl. “Find it,” said the boy. “But how?” said the girl. “Remember when we went looking to try to help people?” said the boy. “Yep,” said the girl. “So do that,” said the boy. “Now why is my purse so heavy?” said the girl, “I’ll look in it.”

She looked and she found it! “There it is!” she said. She tapped it and they shrank. They went in the snow globe and flew home and lived happily ever after.

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The TIme Machine

By Izzy L., Grade 2 Hi! My name is Isabel, or you can call me Izzy. That’s my nickname. I am 20 years old! I Live in the year 2034. Covid 19 is in the world. It has been around for 15 years! Covid 19 is a sickness that is getting worse and worse every day! Every day I go to my lab and work on “The Project”.

My lab assistant Brynn Hwang and I work on the same project. She designs and I build.

Well, Brynn builds too. Brynn and I work hard and are pretty good engineers. One time Brynn and I made robotic stuffed animal, but it took 6 years. The project we are working on only needed couple more touches and then it will be done! Just as I thought it was finished that week!

Oh, gracious did I tell you what the invention was? It was a time machine! My dad said that I can go in one time to check it out, but I sent a little robot stuffed animal to check it out first for safety.

The little robot returned exactly like it was when it went in! Which means Brynn and I can go in.

“We have 4 days until we get to go in the machine, but we need to pack, and fast!” I spoke. I also need to finish the Cure machine. It is a machine that cures any sickness! Just then Brynn came running in. “Did you finish it?” she asked. “I sure did.” I responded. I was so excited to go in that I forgot to pack a map! Anyways let’s get in that machine! Brynn and I were standing in front of the machine ready to step in it and finally we did.

The past was like I imagined, there were people wearing masks and people not wearing masks. I turned to Brynn and whispered, “We should get working.” So, we did. I took 90 minutes to build the stand. It was beautiful setup and many people asked what we were selling, and we said it was a cure for Covid. People asked, “How much will it cost?” Brynn and I thought about it and said, “It’s free!!!”

8-year-old Izzy lined up because she had COVID. 20-year-old Izzy gave 8-year-old Izzy a cure pill and said, “It will take 5 minutes to cure you.” It cured Izzy of COVID. Many other people lined up. Some people didn’t believe still. We couldn’t save the whole world from COVID, but we saved as many people as we could. We left the cure machine with Mrs. Cronan.

We went back into the time machine and came back home right after we had left.

COVID was so much better when we came back. The population increased by 11%. I was satisfied with what we did that day. Brynn returned home happily and told her little sister Bailey the whole story.

The Secret Portal

By Tenzin S., Grade 2 Once upon a time there was a little girl who always wanted to travel back in time. One day she found a secret portal so she tried it out. A the moment she was inside she was in dinosaur time. Just how surprised she was. She was also very scared but she did not know that she had a force field around her. She was very fascinated in the dinosaurs. But she forgot that it was almost lunch time. So she called her portal and she hopped in. Luckily she was in time for lunch. Her mom asked her where she was and she told her that she was in her room playing dolls.

After she was done with lunch she went up to her room and opened her closet where the portal was. She found a book. When she opened the book and it told her how to use the portal,

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and the book said the the book belonged to her mom.

She went downstairs and showed the book to her mom. Her mom was so surprised and she told her the story and that it was passed down to generations in the family. Her mom told her how to use the book, that you had to say where you wanted to go. The girl showed her mom where the portal was. Her mom said that she had to show her something so they hopped into the paral.

When they go there they were inside of a cave. After they walked a little they found a gem, her mom said that this was an ancient gem. Her mom said that it was almost dinner time. When she was done with dinner she had to go to bed. When she woke up her mom was waiting for her to go on another adventure together.

The mom said she had to get ready so she did and they hopped into the portal. When they got out they were in her Grandma’s house and she saw that her grandma wrote the book. Her mom said that she found the gem and that she figured out how to use the portal.

The Power of Books

By Eleanor S., Grade 3 Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Charlotte. One day, Charlotte was stumbling around London, looking for something to do. Charlotte was a bright little girl of eleven years old. She loved to read all books, but her favorite type were books about the past. It just intrigued her so much that people in the olden days could do many of the things people could do now! By now, Charlotte was right around the corner from her favorite library. Charlotte went in, and checked out a book on famous people in the 1900’s, but she didn’t notice that the books pages possessed an eerie glow.

When Charlotte opened the book later, she was immediately sucked into the pages, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself sitting on a small stool right next to Roald Dahl himself! “Hi!” Charlotte said quietly, not knowing if she should run away or stay still. “Hi!” Said Mr. Dahl. “Um... Hi! I’m Charlotte, and I’m from 2022, and- ” “Ah, yes, to get back to your time, you need to go to the library, find a book on 2021, and you need to open to the exact page number you opened to when you traveled to 1983, and read the whole book starting from there. Open to the exact page again, and mutter the incantation: ‘Keyflew’. After that, you need to jump up and down three times, find a river, throw the book in the river while jumping, and then in one poof of purple mist you should be back at home.” Said Mr. Dahl. “Whoa! Uh, okay, first of all, how is it not strange to you that I’m an eleven year old girl from the future coming from a weird dusty old book? Second of all, where do you find a library and a river?” Charlotte said, confused. “Well, there is a river at the end of the path of blue stones, and the library is next door, and people from the 2020s come here all of the time through books, I’m used to it by now.” Said Mr. Dahl. Whoa, Charlotte thought.

As Charlotte skipped out the door, she thanked Mr. Dahl and set off to the library. The library was called Lily’s Bookstore, and it looked very new. Charlotte found the owner of the bookstore, Lily, and asked if the library had any books on 2022. Lily said that today was her day off and she was leaving now, but her daughter, Emma, was left in charge of the library while she was gone, and Emma knew the library. Emma was eleven years old, like Charlotte, and she was a pretty girl with brown curls and blue eyes. “May I help you?” Emma asked “Yes, please. I’m looking for a book about 2022?” Said Charlotte. “There is one book on shelf 729 called Philosophy Of The Future that is about 2022,” said Emma, “But it is not very useful.”

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“That’s fine!” Charlotte said a little too enthusiastically. Charlotte raced to shelf 729. It took her a little while, but she found the book she was looking for. It was thirteen pages long, so Charlotte could see why Emma didn’t think it was useful. Luckily, Charlotte had only opened to the first page, so she didn’t have to worry about there not being enough pages.

She opened to page one, and read the book from there. Then, she flipped to page one again, and left the library in search of the path of blue pebbles. As it turned out, the path of blue pebbles was not that hard to find because they were s blue as the cloudless sky that hung over the little town Charlotte was stuck in. She followed the pebbles to a beautiful river. “Keyfly!” Charlotte exclaimed as jumped up and down and threw the book into the water. As Mr. Dahl had said, her surroundings disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

Back at home, Charlotte’s mother was making dinner. “What did you do today, honey? Did you find anything interesting?” Her mother asked. “You don’t even know the half of it!” Charlotte laughed.

MJ and Me

By Maia S.M., Grade 3 It was a rainy morning and I was walking down Yellow Brick St., shivering. Lightning filled the stormy sky. It was wet, cold, and the street was deserted, so I tried to find a shop where I could stay warm. The first one I came across was called Antique80s and I stepped inside with relief.

As the sign advertised, the store was filled with antiques from the 80s. I was intrigued by all the vintage objects I had never seen before. The phones looked like bricks and had long antennas, unlike the ones in my generation. Something caught my eye in the corner: records. I loved music. I browsed through them and saw many bands I’d never heard of. Some had photos of women with epic mullets, while others had cool-looking men with short, black moustaches. I didn’t recognize any of them. However, at the very back of the pile, I saw one by the only singer I could identify, Michael Jackson. I was a big fan of his. I decided to buy it. I grabbed the record carefully, and brought it to the cashier.

The long-bearded cashier took my money, while saying some words that puzzled me.

“Are you sure you want this album?” he asked.

“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”

“There have been rumors this record was created by Michael Jackson’s friend, who people think was magical. Whoever owns this record is said to go on an adventure.”

“What’s the adventure?”

“You shall see.”

I exited Antique80s with my record, and was shocked to see that the sun was shining and the streets were crowded, unlike a few minutes earlier. The weather could not have changed so quickly, unless I was hallucinating. I looked behind me to see if Antique80s was still there, but now it was a movie rental store called Blockbuster. I looked through the window and saw shelves of movies. I was baffled, and after a few minutes realized I had time traveled to the 80s.

“This must be the adventure the man mentioned, ” I said to myself.

I roamed the streets and observed all the shops. After a few minutes, I stopped with curiosity to see a crowd huddled around a man who had curly, black hair and wore fancy clothing.

In his hand he held a microphone. Everybody around him was shouting, “Sing, sing!” and begging to get his autograph. I came closer and screamed the same words to blend in. I asked some people THE CLARION

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who the singer was, but no one heard me because of all the chaos. After a few minutes, I finally got a skinny teenage boy to tell me the man’s name. I was shocked with his answer and ashamed with myself for not knowing from the start. It was Michael Jackson, the same singer whose record I had just purchased! I couldn’t believe it!

My feet were glued to the ground. “Come on! Come on! Sing!” I shouted, starting to lose my voice.

Michael started sliding his feet across the asphalt and his voice filled the air. Everyone started dancing with him, cheering, and having the best time of their lives. I snapped my fingers, let my hair whoosh in the wind, and tried to follow along with the King of Pop! A smile spread on my face as I wished this experience would never end.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply to reflect on everything that had taken place. When I opened them again, the most extraordinary thing happened. I was back on Yellow Brick St., in the rain. I had just been in the 1980s right by the famous Michael Jackson, but now it seemed that I had been transferred to the present again.

I was devastated that my time in the 80s had ended. I had enjoyed it immensely.

I never thought I would meet one of the most famous singers in history who died a few years before I was born. In fact, I thought it was impossible to ever see him in my life. However, after that day, I knew with the power of time travel you can achieve any of your wildest dreams.

Tears streamed from my eyes, but I washed them away with the thought that I was right where I belonged. I also could not wait to tell my parents all the adventures I had been part of. I ran down Yellow Brick St. with joy. What a day it had been!

The Treasure of Edward Teach

By Norah L., Grade 3 I was sitting on my bed staring up at a poster of a time travel machine above my headboard.

My parents had just left my room after saying good night. I could hear their muffled voices growing fainter as they walked towards their room. I quickly glanced over at the clock. “9:55 P.M.,” I thought as I moved over to get closer to the poster. “I’ve got 5 minutes to decide where and when to go for this year’s journey.”

My poster wasn’t any normal one. Once a year at 10:00 P.M. it allowed me to travel to any time and place in history I wished to visit. Since the poster took 365 days to recharge, I had to be smart with my choices.

“I’ve got it!” I thought to myself. “I will travel back to the two years when Edward Teach was a pirate!” All year I had been reading books on pirates and imagining them in my mind. Now was my chance to see them in person. With five seconds to spare I announced, “Edward Teach’s ship in 1718. Ghost mode.” With that, I jumped into the poster. Since it was a dangerous time, I didn’t want to be seen, heard, or felt by anyone or anything.

As I hurtled through the portal, I was going so fast that I felt a jerk behind my navel.

Suddenly my feet hit a wooden floor. I looked around and realized I was in the crow’s nest. Looking out at sea, I saw a small group of islands. The air around me smelled of salt and wine. Right in front of me stood Edward Teach. I recognized him because of his bushy black beard, which was braided and had matches in it. Luckily he could not see me.

“Yes! I made it to the correct ship,” I exclaimed. “I better start exploring since I only have ten minutes until I am whisked back to my room.” I wasn’t concerned with the noise I was making

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because I was protected by ghost mode.

Mr. Teach continued barking out orders. “Set sail ye lubbers or I’ll send you to Davy Jones’ locker!” he growled. Just then I spotted a treasure chest on the deck under the crow’s nest. It was filled with gold-colored light, speckled with red and light blue. “That must be a chest full of gold and rubies and diamonds,” I thought.

I looked back up at the sea and saw the flag of the British Navy in the distance. I remembered that a battle between Blackbeard and the British Navy sunk this ship in 1718. “Good thing I came just in time to see the treasure. Because this ship will sink, the treasure will be lost for hundreds of years. All I have to do to get the treasure later in 2022 is to figure out where I am,” I thought.

I only had a few minutes left. I quickly climbed down from the crow’s nest and sprinted across the deck, finally stopping at a small table. On it was a tattered old map with pieces missing that showed that the ship was in the Caribbean Sea just off the coast of Jamaica. “Good!” I said to myself. “I just have to go scuba diving in this spot, and I will find the treasure.”

Just at that moment time ran out. I began spinning, and as suddenly as it started, it stopped. I was back in my cozy room. I was relieved that I didn’t have to witness the bloody battle that would take the life of Mr. Edward Teach. I hated watching violence, even when it included an evil person.

I could no longer hear my parents’ voices as I climbed back into bed. I lay there for a while thinking about the ship resting on the sea floor. I imagined the coral and the clams that might now be clinging to the ruins of what used to be a pirate galley. I thought about the treasure in the ship and how I’d possibly find it later this year. And as I imagined, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

The Time Machine

By Jason L., Grade 4 John Lee was listening to his math teacher talk endlessly about variables and trying not to fall asleep. He was almost snoring when the bell rang. Groups of students ran out of Hindel Middle School to their houses. Nobody walked with John though. Nobody wanted to walk with the new kid. Suddenly, a girl walked up to him and asked,”Hi, my name is Kalee. I’m new here, and I’m not sure where my house is. It’s at Kootsle Avenue. Can you please show me directions?” John looked at her, aghast that somebody talked to him. “Sure. I’m new too, and I live a block away from that street. I’ll show you,” he responded. “Nice!” answered Kalee. As they walked chatting, John realized he and Kalee had a lot in common. When they reached Kalee’s house, she asked,”Do you want to stay?” “Sure!” As they walked into the hallway, John tripped and bumped a golden lion statue. The floor groaned loudly, and John and Kalee fell down a trapdoor in the floor! When John came to, he was in a laboratory. In the midst of tables with testing tubes was a large beeping machine with wires sticking out.

“Kalee? Are you okay?!” John exclaimed, as he saw her getting up to her feet. “Yeah,” she said. Then she gasped. “What’s wrong?” John asked. “We’re in my dad’s laboratory. He doesn’t let anybody enter, but we know he’s been working on a time machine!” Kalee pointed to the middle of the room. “That’s the time machine!” She looked at John with a glint in her eye. “Do you want to test it?” John looked at his feet uncomfortably. He didn't want to look cowardly. “Okay. Just for a little,” John responded.

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Kalee flipped a red switch marked DANGER. A purple swirling hole opened up in front of John’s face. Kalee said, ”Come on! Let's go!” John closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped into the time machine. When he opened his eyes, he saw a giant dinosaur standing in front of him, looking very hungry! The dino didn’t look vegetarian either. John did the only reasonable thing: he ran like his life depended on it. When he looked back at Kalee, she was right behind him.

John slipped into a narrow cave entrance just wide enough for him and Kalee. The dinosaur tried barging through, but only its claws fit through the crevice. The dino tried barging in a few more times, then growled in frustration and stomped away. John, shaken, yelled at Kalee, “why did you send us here?! We almost got killed!” Kalee looked at John, tears in her eyes. “My father doesn't let us in the laboratory, and only he knew the secret way in. He disappeared when trying out the time portal. That’s why I was so eager to go through it,” Kalee responded. “The only thing I have left of my father is this key he gave me,” she said, pulling a beautiful golden key on a necklace out as tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry,”John said. Then he heard footsteps from the back of the cave.

A figure emerged from the shadows. In the dim light, John saw a weary man wearing a white lab coat covered in dirt. Kalee gasped, ”Dad?!” The stranger’s face broke into a huge smile.

“Kalee! You found me!” he said, pulling her into a tight hug. When he opened his eyes, they fell on John. “Who are you?” he asked. “That’s my new friend, John,” said Kalee. “I got him into this mess. I’m sorry.” She hung her head. Kalee’s dad said, “Don’t worry pumpkin, the answer to all our problems is in your hands.” Kalee’s eyes flicked to the key. “Tap the key twice,” Kalee’s dad said.

Kalee did, and a portal appeared. The trio jumped in and woke up in the laboratory. “Thank you so much for helping us, but I think your family will be relieved to see you back home, John,” Kalee’s dad said. John and Kalee looked at each other. “Bye,” they said. “See you at school.” They knew that through this crazy adventure, they had become friends.

If I Were Principal for a Day

By Dane S., Grade 4 If I were principal for a day, I would install gondolas so when the children needed to get to their classroom, they would press the button and it would bring them to their destination. I would also hire my dog Tobey and he will start Bark Buddies Club. It will be a day care for dogs, so all the students can bring their dogs to school.

I would also have heated seats in the classrooms and a temperature monitor on the side of the desks. I would also have Mrs. Lee come in every Tuesday and Thursday so she can talk to us about our emotions and help us all get through them. And, I would also let every grade have nap time for one hour.

I would have students draw and make comics and give them to other students. I would also let students have snack for an hour and have lunch for two hours.

These are some of the things I would do on my day being principal.

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Friends For Life

By Gavin J., Grade 4 “Touchdown!” yelled Kyle from the makeshift football field in his backyard.

“Nice catch!” said Liam as he ran over to give Kyle a high-five.

“Boys it’s getting dark, please come inside for dinner,” said Kyle’s mom.

“Let’s go, I am starving,” said Liam as he walked inside with Kyle.

The kids promptly sat down at the dinner table and started stuffing slices of pizza into their mouths.

“Slow down boys!” muttered Kyle’s mom as she put down a pitcher of water on the table.

“Mom, Liam and I want to trade our football cards before we go to bed,” shouted Kyle as he put down his third slice of pizza.

Kyle’s mom sighed hopelessly as she walked back into the kitchen. After dinner, they ran upstairs to Kyle’s room and threw their football cards on his desk.

“Someday it’s going to be us on those football cards!” said Liam staring longingly at his prized Tom Brady card.

All of a sudden, the boys heard a strange noise coming from the side of the room. They tip-toed towards the closet nervously to see what the sound was.

“Do you hear that Liam?” Kyle said.

“Yeah, it sounds like a lot of people cheering our names?”

The chanting got louder and louder as they walked into the closet. Suddenly, the boys felt a cold breeze across their faces and they looked up to see thousands of fans cheering in the stands.

“Are we at Sofi Stadium? And why do those players look so familiar? Is that us?” said Liam looking around confused at what was happening.

“It is us!” exclaimed Kyle. “Wow, this is a glimpse of what we look like in the future!”

“We made it Kyle! We’re playing in the Superbowl for real NFL teams! I can’t believe you’re number 12 just like Tom Brady!” said Liam excitedly.

Liam was distracted by the black and red 21 on his Falcon’s jersey. Kyle turned his attention to the Chargers sideline where he was wide receiver for the blue and yellow.

It was the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl and both teams were tied in a close game. The Chargers were on the twelve-yard line and the quarterback was getting ready to throw the ball to Kyle in the back of the endzone. Liam was watching closely from the Falcons sideline as Kyle went for the touchdown catch. As he jumped up to catch the ball, it was intercepted by the Falcons and Kyle landed hard on the turf. The crowd gasped as they saw a replay of Kyle go down on the game-winning drive. Kyle wasn’t moving and the medical staff rushed onto the field.

“Oh no!” yelled Liam as he pushed past his teammates and sprinted over to his friend.

Liam was the only player from the Chargers on the field. The boys watched the older versions of themselves as Kyle was being carted off the field and Liam walked by his side. He remembered their childhood saying “Friends for Life” and he knew that the game wouldn’t matter if he didn’t have his best buddy to celebrate with.

Liam watched closely from the locker room as the Falcons threw a long pass to their tight-end for the game-winning touchdown. It was a bittersweet win for Liam as he missed the winning play. As the reporters rushed the field to interview the winning team, the boys overheard one of them say “Number 12 is going to be alright. That’s quite a friend that kid has by his side.”

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The boys did their signature victory dance and shouted over and over again “Friends for Life.”

As the sun came up the next morning, the boys were back in their rooms.

They looked at each other in excitement and said, “Can you believe we were NFL players?”

Kyle responded, “Yes, but more importantly, I realized how great of a friend you were, even in the future!”

Liam rolled out of his Falcons sleeping bag and came over to give Kyle a high-five. “Let’s get a game in before my mom comes to pick me up.” said Liam excitedly.

The Museum of Artifacts

By Alexander V., Grade 5 When the Los Angeles Museum of Artifacts opened, no one thought much of it. After all, museums weren’t the most exciting thing in the world. What made this museum unique though is that everyone living within three blocks of it got a coupon for one free visit. That was just weird. I knew this because I lived across the street from it. Everyone on our street was planning to go to the museum that Saturday to find out what it was all about. I was very excited.

That Saturday, everyone in my neighborhood went to the museum. There was a tall man with sunglasses at the entrance to greet us. “Hello,” he said cheerfully, “Welcome to the Los Angeles Museum of Artifacts, here are your brochures. I hope you have a nice day.” My friends and I entered the museum, and our parents followed. Everyone squeezed into the entrance hall. The hall contained marble floors and stone columns supporting the high ceiling. There were also strange gadgets (artifacts, I guessed) displayed in glass cases scattered around the room. The one nearest to me looked like a sphere with holes filled with glowing green light. The artifacts were very eerie.

I headed to one of the dozen rooms that branched out from the main entrance hall with my best friend Finn and our dads. We were all making bets on what we’d see in the next room. As we were walking along the very long hallway, I saw something strange. In the shadows lining the edges of the hallway I saw a pair of circular red objects that looked suspiciously like eyes. I shivered. All of a sudden, I was super paranoid.

We were almost to the end of the hallway when all of a sudden, three men rose out of the shadows. But they weren’t men. They had nothing but a swirling miniature tornado below the waist.

They also wore black World War II camouflage, and possessed gas masks with red goggles.

Everything about them was pure darkness. They immediately reached out and wrapped their arms around Finn and our parents' necks. They quickly dragged them back into the dark. The one closest to me looked at me as if to say you’re next, before disappearing as well.

For a second, I could hear struggling, but then there was nothing but silence. For what seemed like a century, I was frozen with terror. Then, my survival instincts kicked in. I sprinted down the hall as fast as I could. I felt bad about abandoning the others, but I knew there was nothing I could do. They were definitely unconscious, if not worse. And suddenly, I realized I was completely alone and vulnerable to those shadow men. As if on cue, once again they rose from the shadows and quickly chased me. They were slowly closing the gap between us. I looked back and caught a glimpse of the red goggles on one of their masks. I won’t let them catch me, I thought to myself.

And then everything went dark.

I woke up on an uncomfortable cot in a dark area. There was another empty bed across the room and a table with two chairs between that bed and mine. I got up slowly. It felt like I had slept

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an entire night. Where am I? I thought to myself. And how is this possible? The last thing I remember before blacking out was entering the empty room at the end of the hall. But wait! It wasn’t empty. There was a plaque with words engraved on it. I’m not sure how, but I remembered the exact words on the plaque. Your soul lies not with your body.

I was pondering the meaning of these words when there was a knock on the door. It slowly creaked open, revealing a soldier in an American World War II uniform who looked strangely like … my grandfather! He took one look at me and said, “Bring this to your father, and he’ll know what to do. Good luck soldier.” And for the second time that day, everything went black.

When Time Stopped

By Inara C.Y., Grade 5

⌬⌹⌬

Juniper Amberjack Wixx is a normal 14 year-old. Or so she thought. We’ll get into that later.

But right now, she’s eating breakfast. Lucky Charms, no milk. Her favorite weekend breakfast. ”MOOOM!!!” ”YEAAAAAH?!” her mother replied as she walked into the dining room. ”I'm going to ride my bike to the library.”

“Kk,” she said mockingly, because Juniper always said “Kk” instead of okay.

Juniper opened the garage door. Her black and neon orange mountain bike was sitting right smack in the middle of the garage. She walked the bike out onto the smooth cement sidewalk. She clipped on her matching helmet and started to pedal down the street. Then she realized. Shoot. I didn’t close the garage.

She slammed her brakes and circled around. She hopped off the bike and put down the kickstand. As she did, a shadowy figure ran out the driveway. She hoped it was just her dad leaving for work. She walked up to the keypad and pressed the down button. Okay. NOW to the library.

She pedaled down the street once more. Okay, she thought. Down Malibu, right on Griffith, left on Fairfax, and then right on Wall Street.

There in the center of Wall Street, sat the four story quartz building. The interior was the most modern library you’ll ever see in your entire life. There was glass everywhere, and there were so many books that you could fill a skyscraper.

Juniper’s favorite books were Wonder, the Harry Potter series, and any Shakespeare book, especially Romeo and Juliet. But today, she wanted to try something new, and that something was a book that she spotted on the very top shelf, out of fifty-five levels. It was a fifteen minute climb on a ladder. She didn’t want to do this, and luckily, neither did most people. So, there was an elevator. In the library.

The book she found was called The Time Stopper. She traced her fingers over the cover. In the middle there was a large Andamooka matrix opal (Juni was very good at telling rock types).

Juniper felt a small jiggle from the rock. Then she realized it was a button, andddd, being the adventurous girl she was, she pressed it. Of course.

The next second, she could feel the world just come to a 100% complete stop. Every human and service animal in the library stopped in their tracks. She looked out the window, and saw the pigeons of New York freeze in the air. But they didn't drop to the ground like the movies when time stopped.

She looked at the cover of the book again and sighed. “Wow. That title is super literal,” she said aloud to no one.

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How I Got My Superpowers

By Charlotte S., Grade 5 I stared at the television in disbelief. My face was posted all over the local news. I thought our secret was safe? Was I wrong?

And now, I was being called a criminal. I am being searched for in every country. Good thing I'm in space, I think.

“You do realise that you're not safe even if you are in space,” says my friend Jason.

We work for the KSP, Kids with Special Powers. Jason can read minds, and as for me, I conjure stuff. I was ACCUSED of stealing a ton of money, but really, I was trying to stop the world’s most wanted criminal, besides me of course, Doctor Shnoofelbort.

I for one think that my dad- Ahem I mean Doctor Shnoofelbort is the worst, but SOME people disagree. By some people I mean Jason. You see, Jason used to be my dad’s sidekick helping with evil and all of that. He would help plan escapes from jail, make bombs, and make my dad coffee. I have known him for about five years. He got caught by the police and just managed to get off of Death Row with the help of my father. I was there, for all of it. I think Jason feels that he owes my devilish dad something, but I see it the other way around. My dad got him into that mess.

“Look, just as long as you're a wanted criminal I'll be ignoring you in public every chance I get out . But just until everything is cleared up,” Jason stares me in the eyes. I slowly nod, my face getting redder than a tomato. Jason and I are NOT a thing, NOT. Even if i have a few tiny itty bitty TINY feelings Jason and I walk down the hallway of the mansion passing Laura who flew down waving slightly at Jason, and then glaring at me. Laura has had a crush on Jason for about...let me think...two weeks now.

“Hi Jason,” she giggled.

I glared at her. Apparently I was thinking about bananas and a banana popped into my hand. “Heh, good job lose-... I mean Lia, ahem,” Laura has been a bully ever since I moved in. Ever since my dad went to jail for… doing something I cannot speak of.

I found out that I had powers in the summer of sixth grade on a vacation in Idaho. We were swimming in the Salmon River and I was drowning. My dad was, well, a bad dad and he just laughed. I desperately wished that I had a float on which I could save myself, and a floatie came up into my hand. Fortunately, my dad hadn't noticed this because he was so obsessed with me drowning that he was laughing too hard to actually pay attention to what was going on. When I reached the shore with a float in hand, my dad just assumed I had had it in the first place. Or maybe he thought the kraken had given it to me. The point is, he really couldn’t have cared less.

Now most people would look at their hands in disbelief like in my favorite movie, Harry Potter, when he melts Professor

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Quirrell's hand and face and then stares at his hands, but all of my focus in that moment had been on trying to save myself. It wasn’t until at home that night that I stared at them in shock.

Naturally I never told my dad about what happened, and that night, when I was practicing, I conjured up a candy bar, an egg, and a stick of gum just as my dad walked in. I could see the wheels in his head turning. He sent me to do all of his dirty work, like washing the dishes and taking out the trash and getting food with my powers and also a little bit of stealing . .

One day in an orphanage when my dad was in jail, I got a letter that sent me to a place in Sacramento where there was a launch pad and a trampoline. My first instinct was to go back to that orphanage and pretend that I was a normal girl whose father was a well known criminal. But the guy in the Uber had already driven away, so I jumped.

And here I am in a hallway of a mansion in the middle of space. That's my story. There are plenty of others, like Jasons. He was on a train or something.

Either way, here I am in this mansion with my crush, and I'm a criminal, and my dad is in jail.

The Book

By Lucy S., Grade 5 1: Jo When Jo woke up in the morning, she decided she was tired of living at home with her parents shouting at her all the time. She was pushed over the edge. It was time for her to set off on her own.

This wasn’t a decision she came to by herself. She was 30. All of her older siblings left the house directly after college. But Jo was... different. Unlike her siblings, she didn’t get good grades and hadn’t saved enough money to buy a decent house, instead buying useless junk for her family’s home. Her parents were not pleased with this behavior. They wanted her to move out. For good.

Her family had been pressuring her for months, and she finally gave in. Jo looked online for affordable houses and finally found a dingy-looking apartment nearby. It wasn’t nice, but it was cheap. She announced to her parents that she was moving out.

“Finally-you found a new home!” her mom said.

“I can’t tell you how excited we are for you!” added her father.

They discussed the move for hours and finally agreed that Jo could take all the stuff she’d bought while living there, plus the books her parents had bought her over the years. They weren’t exactly happy with the place she chose, but it was the only option.

Jo went to her room and started packing her bags. This meant she dug up her suitcases and started chucking stuff into them. All of it didn’t fit at first, but then she sat on the suitcases and zipped them up.

Jo talked to the landlord of the apartment, and he quickly agreed to rent it to her. Really quickly, in fact. Jo should have been curious, but she was too happy that she could stay at the apartment.

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2: Strange Things A couple of weeks later, Jo moved out. She was excited to stay in a new place. But soon, strange things started to happen. Jo lived on the fourteenth floor, but she would constantly wake up to a tapping on the window. One night, she thought she saw a face, but she must have been mistaken.

Jo settled into her new apartment. She enjoyed living out of home, but the strange happenings were bothering her. Eventually, she decided to look into them. She stayed up late one night, looking through the window for the face that haunted her dreams. Finally, as the clock struck midnight, she saw an eerie face outside her window. She opened it and looked out.

“Can I help you, sir?”

“Yes,” the face responded in a dreary monotone.

“What do you want?” The face jumped through the window. “YOU!!!” It screamed.

3: The Face Jo started running, but the face chased her around the apartment. It left a trail of glistening blood behind. It was sickening. Jo felt as if she was about to throw up. She bolted to her apartment door, but it was locked.

“AAAAAAAAAAH!”Jo shrieked as she rattled the doorknob. The eerie face was inches away from her. She could smell his rotten breath and see his yellow teeth gleaming, grinning at her. Jo ducked under him and ran until she couldn’t run anymore. She was breathing heavily. The face was getting closer, closer, closer still…

Jo punched the face in the face. She rushed to her bed and dived under the sheets. She could hear her heart pounding. Jo peeked her head out of the sheets and saw the face. She screeched and ran for her life. The face was right behind her. “Run, Jo run!” she told herself.

Jo was backed up against the window. She could jump, but she would probably die. She jumped...

Wishing Well

By Selvi R., Grade 5 Asha stared down at the wishing well. Known to have been sacred in her family, providing them with good health, happiness, and wealth. But Asha didn’t believe in it. She believed in true hope. Just like her grandmother.

“My girl, do you know why you are named Asha?” Asha shook her head, all those years ago.

“Why?” “Because you have brought this family so much hope.” And Asha would hug her grandmother.

But not anymore.

Now, it seemed like the world had its hands wrapped around her throat. Like it was plunging her into darkness, drowning her in a realm without hope.

She was sitting in the emergency room. Waiting. Hoping. Crying. Her grandmother had fallen sick in the middle of the night, vomiting everywhere. They carried her to the hospital. They told Asha to wait at home for a little bit.

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She had walked over to the wishing well, for the first time in her life, and looked down. And she cried. Tossed in a coin, with an imaginary wish tied around it. Soon, her father came back to pick her up.

When they reached the hospital, her mother’s eyes were stained with tears. The doctor had told them she didn’t have time. To say their goodbyes now.

Everyone told her it would be alright. That if they just hoped, it would be alright. But Asha didn’t want to hope. She wanted to know if, 100 percent, her grandmother would make it. But nobody could tell her.

Gingerly, she stepped one foot into the room. She noticed the beeping, the loud machines.

She stared around the room in horror. Her grandmother didn’t need all these machines. She was fine…wasn’t she? She was a fighter…wasn’t she?

Asha’s eyes fell on her coughing grandmother. She wrapped her arms around her, and tears seemed to pour out of her. Her grandmother bent forward and unclasped the locket that had been tied around her neck. The locket poured into Asha’s hand.

“I don’t understand.” Asha said.

“My girl,” Asha’s grandmother weakly whispered. “I need you to have hope. To believe in yourself. Promise me.”

Asha nodded. “I promise.” She hugged her grandmother, and they both knew what was going to happen next. Asha’s grandmother closed her eyes slowly, and began to sleep eternally.

Asha was pushed back by her family. They had heard the rapid beeping slow down, until it finally reached a full pause. The room was crowded, and Asha ran out. She sat down on the hospital bench, and looked at the necklace that had been tightly clamped in her hand. She pried open the locket and read the engraving.

Have hope. Believe in yourself. For, with hope, you can do anything.

Asha immediately noticed that the words were similar to what her grandmother had said before she died. Asha took in a shaky breath. Hope had always been a special concept to her family.

Maybe they had hope when they emigrated from India to America that they would find a better life.

And did.

Asha cocked her head to the side to study the picture on the right side of the locket. It was a picture of the wishing well, outside of her house, and Asha’s whole family congregated around it.

Asha’s grandmother was in the middle of the family, her arms wide in the air, reaching for the stars.

Asha wasn’t in the picture, but her mother was. She was the little girl in the corner, with arms wrapped around her mother, or Asha’s grandmother.

Asha’s family started to walk out of the hospital room. Asha quickly clasped the necklace around her neck, and tucked it into her shirt. She heard murmurs coming from everyone’s mouth.

“She’ll be cremated on Monday.”

“The doctors say that she was sick of old age.”

“I wonder how the little girl will handle it.”

“Hope doesn’t matter.”

The last comment stung like salt on an open wound. Asha felt scared, felt cold inside. Like she had no choice but to run. And she did. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

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“Asha!” She heard her mother’s voice call for her, breaking through sobs. She reached an arm out, as if she wanted to pull her back with a string. Asha’s father held her down and soothed her.

He whispered in her mother’s ear, “Let her go. She needs to think.” Asha’s mother fell into her father’s grasp as Asha ran to the wishing well.

Milo

By Julia L., Grade 6 Outside it was dark. Pitch dark. The darkness began to consume my walls, until it had swallowed my room as a whole. My flashlight was out of batteries, and I couldn't even turn on my lamp, in fear that I might wake up my sister. I was the only one awake, and it was going to stay that way.

I could feel the cool air rush through the tiny slit in my dreary, old windowsill. I forced the window shades apart, which were, by the way, very unfortunately, absolutely smothered in discolored flower-like shapes and weird little bumblebees, until all you could see of them was a tiny scrunched-up piece of fabric. My mama got me them a couple of years ago for my new room, and even though I guess I could survive a little longer with them, they were not the same they used to be.

Sometimes I feel bad for Mama. Sometimes I guess I feel helpless. Sometimes I wish I could just go back in time and change everything. I wish I could make my mama happy and find her somebody who would love her unconditionally, not just leave her in the dust, like my so-called "father."

Thoughts flooded my head. I think I had passed out. I saw my dad. I saw his face. I know I did. His olive skin and light green eyes looked just like mine. His dark hair and splotchy freckles looked just like mine. I sat on the floor there for a moment.

All of a sudden, I froze. Something was not right. I could feel the floor under me shaking, cracks splitting in the tile, and the world seeming to collapse on top of me. I dropped onto my knees, making dark green and purple bruises all over my body. Cuts began to form on my skin, blood pouring out. At that very moment, I thought I was on my way to hell. But before I could blink, it had stopped. My life had just flashed before my eyes and I didn’t even have words to describe it. Everything had returned to normal, except, for now, my sister was wide awake, eyes staring at the popcorn ceiling, her mouth in a straight line. I was trapped.

----I had gotten back from school that day, and my window was still open. I remembered when I would look down on the people below me, just like when I was a little kid, racing to throw away their trash before tomorrow morning, when the same guy, who came every time, would pick up the garbage, and leave until the next week. His name was Milo. He had a slit in his eyebrow, dark curly hair, and scars all over. He wore clothing that had been worn a million times, but he managed to keep it clean and intact. I only ever seen him taking our trash away. Maybe he wasn’t a local. Maybe he just didn’t like going out in public. Maybe he does go out and I just never see him.

I felt like a queen when I looked out my window, even if I was sitting on the stained tile floors. I saw a dark figure race through the alley in between 6th Street. I heard the click of my windows. I stared at them and began to realize that they were unlocked.

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I felt a stabbing pain in my back. Then I heard my sister snicker. I had been having a nightmare. I had fallen asleep. My dad was never there. Not just in my dream. My dad was never in my life. He was never there. He would never be there. A hot tear rolled down my cheek.

----I guess I felt like there was no way out. Everything was over. My “father,” or whatever his dumb name was, had already left. My mama was always exhausted. My sister was so incredibly cruel. I felt like giving up… and running away. I sat on my floor for a while. I felt the cool tile touch my skin. If I ran away, what would I bring with me? How would I escape? Who would I tell? How would I survive?

I think I sat in that very spot for hours, just thinking… and sulking. I hadn’t done my homework, or eaten dinner yet, and it was nearly 9PM. No one came to check on me. I sat there for a little bit longer, until I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. It was a white square… or no, a white rectangle?

Right out my window, there was a mattress. An old, distressed, gross mattress that looked like it had been used for years and years. It had finally been given up on, just like me. It sat there, two floors down, directly below my window. I had forgotten… Milo, our garbageman, would come tomorrow morning. I guess they left it out on purpose. But, who were they?

To read the rest of Julia’s story please use this link: Milo Continued Bike Rides

By Tia A., Grade 6 It was the year of 97 when I met Willie Casten. Let's go back to the moment when I met Will. I was sitting on my wooden desk half asleep when Mr. Vicker called my name.

“Linda, you will be partners with Will.”

I didn't know who he was talking about because there were three Wills in our class. The first one was Will Johnson, the most popular boy in the 5th grade. He had short brown hair with small twists scattered in it and green eyes that glistened in the sunlight.

The next Will was Will Jeremy. People called him Will and some called him W.J, like me. His sister, Callie, was my best friend and she looked exactly like him just with really long hair and pierced ears.

The last Will was Willie Casten. Everyone knew about him but didn’t really talk to him.

Occasionally he would ride down my street on his dusty red bike, but I mostly see him in the supermarket shopping with his mother who always had a string of pearls hanging on her neck.

Mr. Vicker pointed to him and I looked questioningly at his bright red ears that popped out of his head. His glasses tilted to the side as I pulled up a chair to his desk. He looked at me with huge brown eyes and then started working on the paper without even saying hello. That day continued on in the same routine way, until that night at sunset when I was reading while sitting on my window sill. That’s when things got strange? (or That’s when everything changed?)

I was reading the rest of the book my papa had given me for my birthday when I caught my eyes on something outside. I rushed to my window only to see that Will Casten was standing on the sidewalk holding something. I ran downstairs to ask him why he didn’t talk to me that day. When I came out of the garage he looked me straight in the eye with tears streaming down his red cheeks and he was holding a dead squirrel. There was blood flooding in his palms. That's when I THE CLARION

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knew that Willie was the only sensitive boy I knew and that I wanted to be friends with him.

It was now the middle of August 1998 and I was sitting in Willie's living room waiting for his mom to rub the milky white sunblock on his back. She finally finished and gave him a light kiss on his forehead leaving a big red stain smack in the middle of it. We got on our bikes and started pedaling through the streets of the town. We had finally gotten to the lake and set up our fishing rods. We played a few games of tic tac toe until our rod started shaking. Me and Willie ran to reel it in. When we did, there was nothing on the hook. Just our slimy old bait we took from papa. This happened a few times until we decided to go back home because Willie said I could come for dinner.

On the way to Willie's house we stopped at Tom's Liquor. Me and Willie both got a soda and an icy pop. We left the store then I noticed Steve sitting on the curb. Steve was the nicest person I ever knew. He was just sitting there staring into the distance in his ripped shorts. I got off my bike and walked over to him.

“Here Mister Steve you can have the rest of my soda pop. I don't need it.”

“Are you sure you don't want it?”

“Yes, I'm sure.”

“Ok, thank you Linda. God bless you.”

I could tell that the few girls from school who were around that day were staring at me in disgust for giving a dirty homeless man a drink. But they just didn't understand that no matter how dirty you are, you can be the best person in the world. They had no brains. I could tell nobody liked me, but it was okay because I didn’t like nobody either. Except Will. But he didn’t count.

When we got to Willie’s house I called my papa to tell him I was staying for dinner. Willie’s mom brought out a steaming pot roast. I looked at Willie and he looked at me. His glasses filled up with fog. We both smiled. I looked at Willie's momma and she was starting to eat. I stared at her light strawberry blonde curls in the hair, her plump red lips, rosy cheeks, and her pearl necklace. I looked up at her and she grinned at me. At that moment my body filled up with life. I felt alive for once. The reason why I liked going to Willie's house was because I felt like I had a mother. A mother who cared and nurtured me and could take my shopping for pretty jewelry.

Willie has a mother and he doesn't even wear jewelry. It just wasn’t fair.

When I got home, it only took one look at my mother's picture for the water works to start.

The next day was my last day of summer and I knew I had to spend it the best I could spend any day in my life. I started off by eating my favorite eggo waffles I picked up from last week's grocery stop. I looked on the fridge to find a piece of paper reading “I'm fixing Cynthia's sink.”

Cynthia was our neighbor who owned a million cats. She was definitely considered a “cat lady”. I'm allergic to cats in my eyes. My father says I got it from my mother. I walked over to her house to see my father dripping in sweat and there were black marks on his bald head. I was too lazy to tell him that he looked scruffy so instead I just got on my bike and rode to Willie's house.

When I knocked on the door nobody answered. I knocked again. Again, no one. Finally I dug up the spare key in the donut plant me and Willie decorated last summer. When I got in the house it was dark. I could hear mumbling upstairs. I walked up to find Willie's parents talking. His fathers face was pale and he looked like a ghost.

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“Where is Willie?”

“He's in the backyard dear.”

I went out to the back to see Willie with his swim trunks on. The sprinklers were shooting into the pool. I was staring in awe when he came behind me and pushed me in the aqua blue pool.

I stared at the bright sun that blinded my eyes. I screamed and flopped in. I came chasing after him with my overalls tugging on my undershirt because of how wet they were. That day went by before the hands on the clock could catch up.

To read the rest of Tia’s story please use this link: Bike Rides Continued Around the Clock

By Grace B., Grade 6 Another exhausting but meaningless day goes by in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. I look out my shattered window in despair. My miserable eyes immersed on the train station. Getting on the train I see a man in a suit with a topper. He’s holding a briefcase and has one of the biggest smiles on his face. But then I glance down. I see a woman crying on the curb. She’s holding a baby. I turn my head back inside. I once again realize I live in a sorrowful world.

If you're smart, you'll be able to see that it's not life that's depressing, it's how you spend life. I mean, maybe it's life, but what about the man in the topper? He looked rich. If you're rich, you are happy. Tell me I'm wrong. Well, I guess you could be happy with no money, food, clothing, or even anything. Like the lady. But let's be honest, the 1890s aren't like that.

Let's slow down a moment. I haven't introduced myself. I’m Corinna Bennet. A very simple name, but one with a very complex backstory. I was born in 1882 in Spitalfields, London on October 11th. My first four years growing up were in London. After my fourth birthday, my father moved to Brooklyn to take care of my grandmother. He didn't want me to stay with my mother, so he took me with him. My grandmother was sick with smallpox. Sad, but that’s the story. Two years later, I had to drop out of school. With my mother away, my father couldn’t make enough money to pay for our rent, food, and school. So yeah, it was a tough year then, but now that I am 14. I have grown and learned a lot. All from my father. He was the main reason I know all that I know. I don't mean he taught me how to tell a sad story like it seems I have been doing. But I mean he taught me about the truth. Now you may not have liked what you have been reading. But like I learned, that is the truth. Not everyone is as happy as the man getting onto the train is, but not everyone is as sad as the woman on the curb. Some people have it better than others, and that's just the truth.

Lying in my bed. With my head against the backboard. Dirty sheets and blankets that haven't been washed in months. My brain is completely turned off. Resting peacefully. Then, all I see is black. That’s it. So simple. Then I realized, my eyes are closed. Only if life was as simple as that. There is nothing to worry about when your eyes are closed. The scariest part of this life is when you have to open your eyes. That's when you have to start your day. Refer life to a clock.

They are both the same. You start a new day just as a clock starts a new hour. Each day overlaps and you repeat your routine everyday. But unlike a clock, you will eventually burn out, and soon enough...die.

Now that I have woken up and have opened my eyes, I do have to go to school. Yes, I do go to school now. Life was very different from when I was younger, but I haven't changed. I open

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my drawer, grab my uniform, try to find socks, but none of them match, pick up my shoes outside of my bedroom door, and head down stairs to the bathroom. I grab my brush and a hair tie, pull my hair back, and I skip the brushing teeth part because I didn't feel like it. That's how it is most mornings now. Not all, but most. I waited for about ten minutes for my dad to come back from the town picking up fish. As soon as I see his Benz ride up to the front yard, I grab my things, fix my hair, and grab my coat on the coat hanger. My dad looks at me with his normal wink and smile. Shutting the door behind me, I skip two steps on the porch’s stairwell and run to the car. Another box checked off. Now, I go to school and redo it all over again.

The Solution to Salvation

by Charlotte C., Grade 6 “Tundra!” Mother yelled, “You are going to be late. Gods forbid,” She was the kind of mother who wanted the best for her only child. But the way she did that was by signing Tundra up for the most dangerous missions. This was, of course, for the family. But it was more for the title, whoever could make it back with the solution became similar to a god. That is what had happened a thousand years ago.

The Animalias were in the same situation as today. The need to leave the planet because others had made ways to break it. Break the fresh water, the clean air. They made ways to break it like a dry twig that fell from the tree and had the misfortune to be stepped on by someone’s foot.

Well anyway, back to a thousand years ago. The Animalias lived on a planet called Animania, they shared it with others, until the others broke the water and the air. Just like the humans. So a thousand years ago a man named Lunar of the Alphas went forward in time to a new world, Earth.

Earth was fine then, still new. So they stayed.

They stayed for a thousand years until the humans broke it, so now they have to leave to find the solution. And that was Tundra’s job. To find the solution to salvation. She wouldn’t travel alone of course, her best friend and confidant, Tigris would accompany her.

“Tundra!!” Her mother snapped her to the present.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Tundra yelled. Then under her breath she said, “Nag, nag, nag, pff.”

She pulled on a light blue tube top and brushed her teeth.

Her cat-like eyes dilated as she walked into the brightly lit hallway that connected her room to the main part of the house. Her big white and black wings brushed the wall with each step she took. She ran her claws on the walls leaving small scratches on the black stone. Her ears took in all of the chatter that was directly above her flying through the trees. She smiled when she heard Tigris at the door.

“Hi Tigris,” She said. Tigris was much more brightly colored than Tundra. She had rainbow wings like a parrot and Sky blue eyes that looked nothing like Tundra's icy blue eyes.

“Aren’t you excited?!” Tigris asked, “Cuz’ I definitely am.”

“I can see that,” Tundra said, “You are jumping around the main room like a kangaroo.”

Tundra and Tigris had been best friends since they were small. They did everything together.

Where Tigris was Tundra would be close behind. Tundra was shy and thought before she acted and Tigris was energetic and friendly. They balanced each other out.

“Out, out, You mustn't be late,” said Tundra’s mother as she straightened Tundra’s top and waved them out.

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“Sorry Mrs. Snow,” said Tigris.

“We’re already gone,” declared Tundra as she walked out the door.

They flew past their favorite fruit orchard, the river that used to cool them down on a hot day, and the school they went to as children.

“I don’t want to leave this place, I don’t think anyone does,” Tigris always thought about others in that way.

But Tundra always reminded her that it was going to be fine, “Maybe we don’t want to, but we don’t know the plan it might be different from the original, find a new planet move there” They flew into the Center Tree Dome which was made right next to the Heart of the Earth.

This was the capital city for the Animalias. Though the Animalias were all over the world wherever they moved they would look for the Heart of the Earth and wherever that was they would make that the new capital city. Wherever you were born your body most likely reflected that. Or wherever your parents were born. Tundra had been born in the Tundras in Russia but her family had moved almost immediately to the capitol once her mother’s best friend was appointed as Guardian of the Tree.

Tundra was headed to the Guardian of the Tree at that moment.

“Are you nervous?” Tundra asked.

“Not in the slightest, we are going to be the next Lunar of the Alphas!” Tigris always looked on the bright side of things but it was Tundra's job to worry, “I can see you worrying under that mask of mock excitement.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Tundra knew she couldn’t lie and not be caught by her best friend but she did anyway.

When they arrived at the Tree, Pine, the Guardian of the Tree, welcomed them, “Oh Gods above I am so happy that you are going to do this!” Pine did not make any attempt to hide this. Her deep green eyes for which she was named shimmered shined as she herded Tundra and Tigris into the dome.

Each Guardian was chosen by his or her special ability, the magic that you were born with.

Depending on where you were born that is where your magic would come from. Tigris had the ability to control and make fire. Tundra however had the ability to control water. The Guardian was chosen if they could control plants. One Animalia could control plants out of every single Animalia on Earth. So, standing in front of them was the bubbly, Guardian of the Tree.

As she led them inside Tundra looked around at the beauty of the Dome; each layer of vine had been added by each Guardian and they maintained the entire Dome. The vines braided up maybe 30 feet and then twisted at the top and supported the massive glow flower that illuminated the entire building with its radiant light.

They walked to the center of the dome where the Council was waiting. The Head Council member, Willow, began to speak, “My dear children, you have come here today to save our world or perhaps bring us to a new one. You are completing a task that very few have ever thought of doing on behalf of the entire world. Thank You,” She spoke to Tundra and Tigris as if they weren’t fourteen but instead as if they were true saviors. It was nice.

One of the other council members spoke up, “This is your tracker bracelet, in case you get lost,” his sharp canines gleamed as he smiled. He winked at Tundra. He was Tundra's Uncle Glacier.

She smiled at him as she accepted the bracelet.

To read the rest of Charlotte’s story please use this link: The Solution to Salvation Continued

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Works of Nonfiction Third Grade has been working on information texts. The following are excerpts from their books: Basketball: Chapter 4: The People You Need

By Michael B., Grade 3 If you’re wanting to be a person in the NBA, then you do not have to be a player, but you can, but there are other things you can do too!

Coach You can be a coach. A coach helps the players get better and win. He or she will watch you and tell you what you could do to win the game. The coach can tell the referee to stop the game and talk to the players about what they could do to beat the other team. But, wait!

There are more people! There are also assistant coaches, who do the same thing as the coach.

Referee And that person is the referee, or ref for short. The referee has a whistle to blow if a player did something wrong, like step outside the out-of-bounds line. Or, some player fouled a player. Wait!!! They blow their whistle if you take more than 2 steps without dribbling the ball. Also, they blow you know what if you dribble and stop dribbling and dribble again.

Or Dribble with two hands and run with the ball without dribbling.

Teammates It isn’t surprising that there are still more people! Well, that’s not a surprise, but it is stil amazing. So, those people are called teammates! You can’t play on a team by yourself! You have to have teammates.

Did you know that there are 17 players on the team called the 76ers?! There can only be 5 players playing and the rest sit on the bench. Do not worry, the players on the bench will get a chance to play. The coach will take one or two people out and replace them with one or two player who need a rest.

The players, or teammates, need to pass the ball in order to get success. But you should not pass if you get a pass and you are all alone on the other end of the court. You should just score!

Sports Announcers Can’t you believe that there are still more people? That person is a sports announcer.

A sports announcer is a person or people who talk during the game. For example, they can say “Keren Dorant takes the ball to the hoop, and he shoots… and he scores!!!”

And that is it for the sports announcers.

But… Dun, dun, dun… There are still more people!

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Security There is also security! Security is very important. They protect the fans, coaches, ref, and everyone else. They make sure everyone is not trying to sneak anything dangerous into the stadium. Too bad for the people who are doing something wrong!

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Workers There are many workers. There is the equipment manager. He or she gives out the drinks to the players. They also hand out towels for the players. Now, if you are getting bored, I am sorry, there are just so many people you need in the NBA! The support staff is a very important job. They pack the jerseys which are what the players wear, the towels, and the drinking bottles if the team is at an away game. So he or she puts it all in the truck that drives to the stadium early. They do not do that is the team is play at their own stadium.

The last support staff job you are going to learn about is an important one. The janitor!

Before you go off thinking this is boring, they are very important. Not only do they clean the floor, they also mopit when a player falls. They do this because the player’s sweat gets the floor wet so they dry it off so nobody slips.

Fans These people you do not need need, but people like it when they are watching the game.

These millions of people are called fans! They watch the game. The fans can buy souvenirs from the gift shop or buy drinks like soda or food like popcorn.

They can be cheering for a team, or there for entertainment or both. You can be a fan too! You can get a giant foam hand or clothes. Those things are souvenirs too. You can even get a basketball! Fans can get autographs from players.

If you don’t make it to the NBA, there are still a lot of jobs that you can do. Just remember that it takes a lot more people than just five players on the court to make the NBA possible. Good luck!

World War II: Tide Starts to Turn

By Vincent V., Grade 3 On December 7, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack on American ships docked in Pearl Harbor. The ships were moved from California to Pearl Harbor. My grandfather, Larry Varnell, arrived at Pearl Harbor in February of 1942. The code words for this major attack on the U.S Navy was Tora, Tora, Tora. On December 7, 1941 in the morning, two waves of Japanese planes bombed and torpedoed the ships docked at Pearl Harbor. American planes were also attacked so they would not shoot Japanese planes down. The biggest ship sunk was the U.S.S. Arizona and 1,100 sailors were killed. The Japanese also attacked the U.S.S. Virginia. Altogether the Japanese sank nineteen U.S ships and two thousand forty three U.S sailors were killed. This enraged the United States into joining the war. After this the tide would start to turn.

In 1943, the Americans main focus was on the island, Midway because the Japanese had captured many islands so the Americans were hoping to stop the Japanese advance. The Americans captured Midway which was their first victory of the war in the Pacific. The Japanese had lost four aircraft carriers, 248 planes, and three thousand sailors. They then came up with the idea of island hopping to mainland Japan.

Tarawa was an island heavily defended by Japanese fortifications which were so tough that the Japanese bragged that it would take one million men one hundred years to capture the island.

U.S. Marines tested that theory though. LVTs brought U.S. marines to Tarawa after breaking

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through the fortifications, the Americans drove the Japanese out of Tarawa. LVTs were landing vehicles that were like tanks but they could go through the water on the rough coral. Also, in Europe the Nazis were fighting a battle with the Soviets near the city of Stallingrad and they surrounded the Red Army’s soldiers blocking food, clothes, and weapons. The Red Army hid behind ruins of houses and buildings and managed to encircle the Nazis who were in the same spot the Soviets had been in. Seeing there was no way out, the Nazis surrendered.

Another important moment was on June 6, 1944 during the largest invasion in history when 150,000 Allied soldiers invaded France. First, at 12:02, paratroopers parachuted behind enemy lines. Also they planted dummy Allied soldiers filled with firecrackers to fool the Nazis. The invasion went down as D-Day or Operation Overlord. Double Agents managed to fool the Nazis into thinking the landing were not in Normandy. The famous American general in charge of this invasion, Dwight D. Eisenhower was up against the well known Nazi general, Eric Rommell who was nicknamed the Desert Fox. It was a battle of smarts. The landing beaches were Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Juno Beach, Sword Beach and Gold Beach. A bloody battle arose on Omaha Beach when the tanks were let out early and they sank. Also, the planes either dropped bombs on their own ships because their timing was early or they dropped the bombs too late. Unlike the first landing when the Nazis were not expecting it because of the weather, this time it seemed like everything went well for the Nazis. Omaha was the deadliest of the D-Day landings. Four thousand four hundred Allied soldiers were killed during D-Day. Hitler went to sleep at three o’clock in the morning and was woken nine hours later at twelve o’clock in the afternoon. That is almost twelve hours after D-Day started! D-Day was a really important battle of World War ll. Before the invasion, General Eisenhower put a note in his pocket saying that if the invasion failed it would be his fault.

Explore Ancient Rome: Citizens of Rome

By Corinne F., Grade 3 Conquerors Rome’s landmarks and buildings aren’t the only amazing thing about this city it was also the birthplace several of important persons such as Julius Cesar and Alexander the Great.

As l told you in the introduction the Roman empire at one time was the biggest empire in the world! And to conquer all of this land Rome had to have a lot honorable leaders.

Others Also it’s not just Rome’s many leaders that were important, Rome had several politicians, writers, and other citizens whose names are still heard today.

Julius Cesar Did you know that Julius Cesar invented the leap year? Well he did, a leap year is when every four years you add an extra day to February because a year is actually a 365.24 days long.

Also he was the first Roman to have his own face on a coin! He also was in the army, and worked as a lawyer, a writer, and a speaker. Julius Cesar is still remembered and we even use the Julian Calendar to this day.

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Alexander the Great In fifteen years Alexander never lost a battle! He named seventy cities after himself and one after his horse. One of those cities was Alexandria which today is Egypt's second largest city. He was also educated by a well known politician named Aristotle. Alexander’s death still remains a great mystery. One night he fell ill and after two weeks the young conqueror died at thirty two.

Now As you can see Rome was home so many important persons and it still is!

How do certain animals survive in the hot, dry desert?

Christina K., Grade 4 Certain animals survive the hot, dry desert. One animal that survives in the hot, dry desert is the kangaroo rat. The kangaroo rat stays underground until the sun sets. Then the rat comes out and looks for food. It can make water using only air and food. This gives the rat plenty of water. The rat has pouches in its cheeks where it keeps tiny seeds and green plant leaves to eat.

Another animal that lives in the hot, dry desert is the horned lizard. The lizard also lives in a burrow like the kangaroo rat, but the lizard is very different. The lizard needs the sun to start its day. The horned lizard is a cold-blooded animal. The scales are very dark so it can take in more heat from the sun. They can help the lizard stay out in the sun for hours without getting too hot. Do you know any animals besides the kangaroo rat and horned lizard that can survive the hot, dry desert?

How are snakes’ bodies adapted to their environment?

By Lincoln M., Grade 4 Snakes’ bodies are adapted to their environment. Some snakes live in green places.

This causes the snakes to turn green over many years. This also causes prey to not be able to find the snakes. This is what snakes use to survive. Another feature is that some snakes fight back. Some snakes have venom that keeps them safe. One bite can kill the predator completely! This keeps the snakes safe. Another way that keeps them safe is biting. This can hurt a lot. These are some ways snakes keep safe.

Next time you're outdoors, keep an eye out for snakes!

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Why are Siberian tigers dying out?

By Adrina S., Grade 4 Siberian tigers are dying out. People are poaching them. In the last century three kinds of tigers have died out because of poaching. People still hunt tigres illegally. Hunters poach tigers for money and medicine. In fact hunters can earn up to $15,000 for one dead tiger.Poaching isn't the only problem in the life of a tiger, their habitat is being destroyed too. SIberian tigers live in Russia. The Russian forest is getting cut down. That is where the tigers live. Without their habitat tigers will die out. In order to stop the extinction of the tigers, people need to stop destroying the habitat and poaching.

What is one interesting feature of an elephant?

By Vivienne K., Grade 4 One interesting feature of an elephant is their ears. Their eyesight is poor so they are extra sensitive to sound. They can hear danger and know when there is another elephant. Their ears pick up almost everything, they can even hear a lion rustling in the tall grass. Not only do their ears help them know when there is danger, they also cool them down like fans.

Their ears move and it makes their own breeze. An elephant has many interesting features that help them stay alive.

The Big Splash

By Brooks S., Grade 3 The line dropped into the water like a bullet as I unrealed it. I felt something while I was squeezing the pull one by one a tug happened. Boom there he was the fish latched on he kept tugging and tuging while I was realing him in. Splash splash!

I yelled,’’I caught one dad I caught one.’’ But now what do I do well do you want to let it go.

Sure I will let it go but for the last one I want to keep it.

Well you can’t keep it because the fish we are catching are saltwater fish.

But I wanted to catch one for scarlett.

My dad said, ’’That was very sweet of you but you just can’t.’’ Ok so I moved on from that and went straight back to fishing. One by one me and my dad kept catching and catching as the day went by.

My dad said,’’This is was your last one.’’ The boat started to rock.

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So I unrealed my last line of the string and for the last five minutes no fish latched on. Then suddenly I felt a tug then a bigger tug then splash a fish came flying up!

I yelled, ’’Finally.’’

What do you want to do with it?

Can we give it to a seafood restaurant? Great idea. So me and my dad got some treats on the way back home. I said, ’’I love going fishing with you dad.’’ He said,’’I love going fishing with you too.’’

Trapped

By Hattie P., Grade 3 “Ack!” I screamed water spraying my face so hard it felt like concrete. Wind whistled by whipping my sopping hair around my ecstatic face. Bam! The tube slammed down onto the distorted water so hard we were flung around like popcorn in a microwave. I slammed into my brother and we both nearly flung off in the split second that our hands were of the handels.

“Ahhh!” We shouted our voices lost in the rushing wind. I noticed no matter how loud we screamed no one could hear us over the water rushing by. We were alone. The thought alone of the parents not noticing if we sank made me uneasy. The boat looked so far off I thought worriedly. No, I'm just being paranoid. I've got to relax, I told myself squaring my shoulders clenching my jaw. I forced myself to smile and laugh with my cousins. Just then the tube slowed just enough for us to see and talk without biting our tongues off.

“This is so fun!” I exclaimed, hoping it didn’t sound as forced as I felt, shifting out from being jammed in the tube side. I let my shoulders relax and smiled. I've got to stop worrying about this, I thought. We're going to be fine. I didn’t think of it again as I sat back into the tube and enjoyed the ride.

“This is so fun!” I exclaimed, hoping it didn’t sound as forced as I felt, shifting out from being jammed in the tube side. I let my shoulders relax and smiled. I've got to stop worrying about this, I thought. We're going to be fine. I didn’t think of it again as I sat back into the tube and enjoyed the ride.

“Let’s do it again!” My brother declared. I shifted my weight again and suddenly the tube lurched forward so fast we couldn’t even scream. I jolted upright shock pulsing through my veins. My eyes grew as wide as quarters and my heart beat faster than the waves rushing by. We were going so fast I couldn’t keep my eyes open to the wind. My eyes watered from the wind rushing by and my hair whipped my neck so hard it felt like bee stings. Suddenly the tube jolted to a stop so fast we were thrown up into the air.

I tumbled to a stop at the edge of the tube with my legs in the water. The water flew by holding my legs in the water like a cast. My legs were forced backwards and my eyes watered with pain. I thought I was going to slide right off the tube right into the water! Then the tube dipped and shook like it was trying to shake us off. I clutched the handles so hard my knuckles went white but they were the only thing keeping me from sliding right off the tube.

“Arrgh!” I cried water rising rapidly past my chest. The tube dipped down like a million ton boulder was strapped to it and my legs were still pinned in place just trying to move them against the current felt like my legs were breaking down bit by bit. My cousins yanked me up and out of the waves. But it was too late the water was over our mouths! I wondered if the water would engulf us

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before our parents noticed. But even then, what could they do? I slipped into the freezing cold water but the life vest did no good. Bam! The tube sank like a stone. And I was plunged into frigid cold water. Then the dark watery shadow of the tube passed over me. I was trapped!

Time seemed to slow. It was probably only a second but it felt like hours.The cold waves of the rushing current pushed against me like the water was trying to shoot me across the lake. I screamed into the water letting all the air in my lungs out. My lungs burned like fire was inside them. I gasped against my will choking out water. I felt like I choked and hacked out the entire lake. The water pricked my eyes like needles. The water seemed to press against me like it was a coffin. In one second I was blinded by the sudden bright watery light. I gasped like a fish out of water while wiping water out of my eyes. The water in my eyes blurred my vision. All I could see was bright, almost white light burning my eyes. When my eyes adjusted all I saw was light blue on dark blue blending together. When my eyes adjusted I took in the dark blue lake and the light blue sky.

Still gasping, choking, and spluttering I gasped for air wiping even more water out my eyes.

My hair was tangled as seaweed as I attempted to paddle towards my Brother looking just as wet and air ridden as I was.

“Shoot!” I moaned, “Where is the boat?” I turned around in panic, seeing nothing but a brilliantly blue lake twinkling in the sun as if it was laughing at us. No boat. No reachable land. No help in sight. We were officially doomed.

Our cousins joined us in swimming as far as possible towards the horizon. No matter how far we swam towards the horizon it kept going further and further with no sign of anything for miles and miles. I started to shiver more and more the longer I stayed in the water. Whether it was the fact that my adrenaline was fading or the fact that the water was freezing! Yeah it’s definitely the freezing water I thought in exasperation and frustration.

A low hum fell over us and the water shook and vibrated. “Shoot!” I gasped for what felt like the millionth time today. A jet ski flew by so fast my hair flew out behind me. And the waves headed over us and slammed down. The waves covered are heads in cold icy water. For the second time today I was trapped under the water! I held my breath paddling up and out of the waves. I was now severely annoyed to be trapped under the water again!

When I resurfaced I was overcome with relief as a tiny dot on the horizon came closer and closer. The closer it got the more my hope swelled like a balloon.

The boat cut through the waves like they were butter. A metal ladder was flung down and we raced up the ladder so fast we nearly slipped off. I ran towards my mom hugging her so hard she winced. She obviously was more than a little annoyed about me getting her wet but she hugged me back anyway.

“Hey can we do it again?” I asked, a small smile growing on my face.

Hattie tubing with her cousins.

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Late Night Fun

By Dylan S., Grade 5

Sometimes your siblings’ role is to torment you, and tear you down. They’re like rats scampering around the floor, taunting you. They’re like lazy squirrels high up in the trees, mocking the dogs down below. They always slip through the cracks and get to your weak spots. You might feel like they’re just out to get you, and that’s all they want. Like some days you fight with them like they’re your sworn enemies. That’s the part of you that wants them out of your life. But some days the part of you that loves them comes out, and you might have a good time with them.

Sometimes they make you so mad, you just want to leave the face of the earth. You might want to just take them out in a single blow. Inside, you know you can’t do it since the trouble lurking on the other end is not worth getting into. So you’re just lost. However, that’s not always the case.

There are many times in which they feel like a winter coat, wrapping you tightly and protecting you from the cold. People really don’t understand that siblings aren’t always the most dreadful beings on earth. They don’t understand that siblings can be good.

I can remember clearly the time my brothers and I stirred up trouble while my parents were away. It had been a cold Winter day, and the fog created a frosty backdrop outside. We were alone, awaiting our 28 year old brother Julian's arrival on the stairs. It was a quiet day, and the longer we sat on the stairs, the more I felt like an icicle melting on a sunny rooftop. Currently, it was me, my siblings, Aven, Arya, and our grandmother, who was staying with us for the time being. Earlier that day, our parents had left for Las Vegas. They told us to be good while they were gone, and to not stay up too late. We really hadn’t done anything wrong for the whole day, just everything we usually do. I was just about to ask for dinner when the doorbell rang. Ding! As the cold, icy air floated upon us, Julian came in with his dog Kobe. The lights around me blurred as I stood up since I had been sitting for so long. We ate the food Julian had brought and then, to start the fun, we played a board game called Clue.

It was fun, and great entertainment. I thought I was winning, but it turned out that Aven had all the clues and knew exactly who it was. Our game ended around eight o’clock. Minutes later we started playing video games on our Nintendo Switch. The game was a racing game called Mario Kart.

The first races were a breeze, and it was the last race, or the fourth race in the Grand Prix. We were all close in rank. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Arya was only five at the time, so she was in last place, 12th. The countdown started: 3, 2, 1, GO!, and the race was off to a start. I had fallen off the track and hit the wall in the first two turns. So many players passed by. Julian’s screen read in bold, “1ST PLACE!” Mine showed a disappointing 7th place. We all knew Julian was the oldest. We all knew that he was in charge. If we did something bad, bad things could happen.

I reflected on the time when he pinned me down on the street. We were going to John and Vinny’s, an Italian restaurant. It was a long wait to get in, so we went to get bagels at Yeastie Boys.

Julian and I were fighting over a bagel, so he pinned me down right in the middle of the sidewalk to end the fight. I have definitely learned my lesson to not mess with him. As my mind swirled back into the present, I hit a mystery cube. I saw the item circle spinning round and round. The rocket! I used it right away blasting past the defending 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th place racers. I was trailing Julian rounding the final turn of the second lap. I was catching up! Just as I was about to pass him, I heard the noise. The dreaded noise. The buzz of the phone. Julian, being the oldest brother, picked up the phone. It was my parents.

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SILENCE! I was thinking. They were wondering if we were asleep. Don’t turn on us, don’t turn on us, DON’T TURN ON US! I thought, directing these thoughts towards Julian. He told them that we were asleep. Thank god, I thought. My parents responded, thinking that they heard us. OH NO! I thought. Julian motioned for us to quiet down and said that it was his dog, Kobe making the noise.

After confirming we were asleep, they had a little small talk and hung up. Then, all of a sudden we started cracking up. It was a fun and unforgettable night.

This was a time in which my siblings brought out the good part in them. You really don’t know when they’ll be the pests or the loving family you want them to be. Maybe fun activates their nice mode, or maybe it’s just a mystery of the brain itself. Even though siblings may make it seem like all they want is to make you mad, they are family, and they are still there for you.

The Game of a Lifetime

By Ainsley J., Grade 5 A cool towel pressed against my sweaty face. The 110 degree heat had cooled down to 100 as the sun set behind the mountains near Acton, California. The town, if you could even call it that, was home to one market, a few houses, more farms, a boatload of cattle, and the best 8U softball players in California. This place was in the middle of nowhere and the perfect place to play underground softball during Covid 19. It was always boiling and we played on baseball fields, not softball. But each and every one of us was playing the game we loved, the game we had missed for so many months and still weren’t supposed to be playing.

It was our fifth game of the day. I looked up at the other dugout already knowing who I’d see.

The Firebyrds. They were our rivals and had been since they beat us 1-0 in a tournament in Arizona.

I’d been wanting to play them again, but hadn’t gotten the chance to until now. In a championship game. I could finally get revenge for that dinky RBI on a changeup that gave us a ring that said FINALISTS instead of CHAMPIONS. I reached under the bench to grab my broken in, floppy glove. I didn’t have to look at the clipboard to know I was pitching. Ruby, my catcher, and best friend didn’t have to look at the clipboard to know she should get her gear on. Some things are just routine.

A few innings after the game had begun it was 2-1. We had gotten our run by a blast by Vivi that made me feel like I could touch the sky, but when I let up 2 runs that feeling disappeared and was replaced by one of defeat. I threw another pitch which they hit again and I watched, frustrated, as another Firebyrd crossed home plate. Ruby made a gesture from behind the plate telling me to take a breath. I did. Suddenly, I remembered why I was out here. It was why I got up at 5:00 every weekend during the summer. It was because I loved softball. I loved being out here with my team. I loved this game. And I knew right then we were going to win.

In the bottom of the 4th, we had already closed the gap and made the game 3-2. The Firebyrds had gotten one out and Ruby was on third. I walked up to the plate, and I looked up at Jaws. In our house, we called her tooth as a joke, but Jaws fit her much better. When you went up to the plate against her it felt like her fastball had its own jaws and it would bite you in half. To the teams she faced, she was nothing short of the shark in the movie. She was probably a foot taller than me and wider as well. You could barely tell her shirt was white through the cloud of dirt that was on it. In my spray-painted pink helmet that I got when I was 5, I looked like a little girl, which I was, and she looked like a monster. I dug my cleats into the dirt, trying to look fiercer than I felt.

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I knew it would be a fastball right down the middle or ten feet over my head. Jaws was wild and we’d been walking off of her all night. The ball came and I got my bat around. I hit it right on the barrel. The way I liked to. It hit the ground and skipped into the outfield. Before I knew it, I was standing on first, grinning ear to ear. I had gotten a hit off Jaws. It was 3-3. Tie ballgame. We just needed one more run, and then we would beat the Firebyrds for the first time.

We went down quietly after my hit, but I managed to hold them on defense. Still, we had to score another run. Allysa Espinoza came up to the plate. She swung and hit nothing but air. Strike 1. On the next pitch, she threw her bat out at the ball. And she made contact. Amelia who had been on third bolted for home and crossed standing up. I’ll never forget that moment. We all went out and were jumping up and down. All my friends in one place winning a championship. Beating a team we wanted to beat for a long time. All together. We were just good friends playing the game we loved and playing it pretty well.

We got our first-place rings. They were pink and read CHAMPIONS this time. The sweet taste of victory.

After saying my goodbyes, I walked out with my parents on the paved dirt road. We were leaving behind the red ants and yellow jackets, but we were taking the memories with us. The memories of Acton. The memories of the Firebyrds. The memory of the Fury I loved. The memory of the game of a lifetime.

Ainsley with her championship ring!

Utter Destruction

By Marcus M., Grade 5

Frustration is when something doesn’t work, like when you’ve tried 100 times to get a pencil to balance on your finger and it doesn’t. It’s the feeling you get when something seems impossible.

It is the taste of tough bread, plain with no flavor. It feels like the world is against you, and you can’t do anything about it. It is when you're so angry because you can’t get something done, and you’ve tried so hard to do it. It’s when your face is boiling red, just because you can’t get something done. And now, it is my brother jumping up and down on the couch, and watching, helpless as he trips. And knowing I cannot stop what is about to happen.

Five years before this moment, my grandma got me a wonderful present for my birthday, or christmas, or something. The London Bridge(or Tower Bridge) was a lego set with four thousand pieces and it was meant for only sixteen year old’s and older. I was only five years old at the time and I just watched in glory as a huge box arrived in the mail.

I didn’t open until about a week later, when I found out that the plastic bags were not numbered. This meant that I had to dump out all the pieces and search for each one as I built. I sort of quit on it after the first 10 pages of the instruction manual because it was too hard. It stayed on the ground until my dad helped me put everything in plastic bags so it wouldn’t cover my brother’s

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and my floor.

It stood in the corner of our room for about 2 years, until the 7 year old me finally decided to complete the challenge. Russell, my youngest brother, who was now 5, was too little to help, so Lincoln (my other younger brother) and I completed the masterpiece. It stood on our clothes shelf until the move.

At 10 years old, we moved into our new house. One of the things that had to be moved by hand was the Tower Bridge. Since we only moved a block, my parents walked it into our new house, where it sat securely next to the couch ready for it to be moved up into my room. We decided we should move it upstairs to my room that day, but it got delayed and delayed until we forgot about it.

Then one day, my worst nightmare came true, and Russell tripped while jumping on the couch. I watched in horror as he tripped and accidentally pushed a pile of books onto my now destroyed 4000 piece lego set.

“No!!” I screamed. Frustration was like watching something that took so long to build get crushed in a blink of an eye. I watched in slow-mo as all the hours I had spent building it got dumped in the trash. The towers ripped apart, the bridge cracking into pieces, the spires and cables getting snapped in a billion different places, and falling onto the floor, with an explosion of pieces. Boom!

“Sorry,” Russell mumbled like he didn’t even care. He was usually nice and was probably just trying to have some fun. But he had done something so mean to me, that even if by accident, I still wanted him to get severely punished.

Even after my various complaints to my parents, Russell’s only punishment was to go to his room for 10 minutes. I imagined the gleaming bridge put back together. I finally managed to fix the bridge in five days, but I was still missing a green car and a red bus. As soon as it was fixed, we immediately moved it to my room, where it Marcus and the Tower Bridge sits to this day. Even after searching the scene for weeks and weeks on end, the green car and red bus were nowhere to be found.

Eventually my frustration faded and everything was okay… except the lost car and bus.

Medusas

By Mattea V., Grade 5 The cool breeze fluttered past my face as I lay down in the shade. My dripping wet bathing suit had started to dry, just as I heard Dad exclaim, “Oh, the water is so nice and clear!” It was true. I could see the ocean floor from where I was lying on the deck of the boat.

“Mattea, you should come in!” Mom called from the paddleboard.

“No thanks. I just got out!” I replied, sitting up to watch my mom, dad, and sister swim in the water. It did look nice, but I had definitely swam enough that morning. I laid back down, tired.

It was definitely easy to fall asleep on a rocking boat. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts

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wander to what we had done. It was our second day on the boat here in Mallorca, and I was enjoying my time. My great aunt and uncle were very kind, and I felt so grateful they had invited us to spend the week with them on their boat. When my dad told me that my family, my grandparents, and I were invited, I couldn’t stop thinking about the trip. It was already so much fun, and I knew my dreams of this trip being amazing were coming true. I hoped that the rest of this trip would be just as peaceful as it already was. Unfortunately, there were creatures in the ocean that could cause a lot of pain. My mom was about to meet one.

“OOOOWWWW!!!” Mom suddenly cried, loud enough to hear from miles away. I jolted up from my spot and ran to the ladder at the back of the boat. Mom was floating in the water as I watched pain spread across her face. Swimming away speedily was a medusa, like it knew it was in trouble. It was smaller than I expected, about half a foot long, with a yellowish - clearish body and tentacles. Little red dots sprinkled at the top. It was a beautiful creature, but I shuddered to think of all the pain it caused.

“Come here, come here!” I screamed at Dad, who had scooped up Mom and was swimming as fast as he could to the water. I imagined all the things that might have happened to her. Was the jellyfish poisonous? Would my mom get hives where she got stung, or would she have a scar? I really hoped it was nothing bad, and that no one else got stung. Luckily, my sister had already come out of the ocean, so she was safe. I watched as everybody congregated on the deck, startled by all the noise. “¿Que paso?” My grandpa asked. Everyone was staring at my mom’s right shoulder. It was redder than usual, and a brown scar had started to form.

“The medusa came, and it stung me on my shoulder.” Mom said, barely able to speak.

“A medusa!” My grandma exclaimed, very surprised. Right then, the two people helping on the boat, Georgie and Joe, came out of their room downstairs.

“What happened?” Georgie asked.

“Catalina got stung by a jellyfish. Do you have any sting relief?”

Dad replied.

“A jellyfish?” Joe said, fishing for the sting relief. “We haven’t seen those in a while. They are probably coming here now, but hopefully we will still be able to swim.”

“So, when I get stung by a mysterious sea creature you tell me I’ll be fine, yet when Mama gets stung you don’t?” My dad didn’t respond. He was busy applying the sting relief.

“Here we go,” said Georgie, looking at something on her phone.

“Based on your description, you were stung by a baby Mauve jellyfish.

Luckily they aren’t poisonous, but they can leave scars, like the one you got.”

I hugged Mom, squeezing her hard enough that I could feel it, too. I was so glad she was ok. I thought back to when we were planning this trip. This past year had been hard with Covid - 19. Luckily no one in my family got sick, and I was hoping this would be the trip where everyone could just relax.

Everybody needed to get away from the rest of the world.

I came out of my daydream and focused on Georgie. She was continuing to update my mind’s jellyfish wikipedia page.

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The Mauve Jellyfish

“When they get bigger, they can light up with luminescence.” Once again, I started thinking. How could something like this be so beautiful yet dangerous. I longed to see a big one light up, but I wouldn’t want to see them sting anything.

After about an hour, the boat returned to normal, except, or course, for the ocean around it. While everybody else was sunbathing or resting, the Mauve jellyfish were holding a party. It was like all the baby Mauve jellyfish in the world were trapped in a big box and suddenly released here in Mallorca. All around there were Mauve, some about the size of my foot, and others hard to see between their tiny size and the sunlight bouncing off them. They seemed so peaceful, just floating around. I felt so peaceful.

The Diamond Ring

By Jessica L., Grade 5 It is hot. Like, super hot. Like, so hot popsicles would melt after three minutes of being in the sun. My feet were BURNING in the Hawaiian sand. My legs are also burning. And my head. I was burning. I walked about two feet to the water's edge and - sweet relief was there in the packed sand. ”I’m going in the ocean!” I called to my mom.

She answered,”Ok, but don’t go in for too long. Grandma and Grandpa are almost here with lunch.”

Entering the cold water sent chills to my spine. Well, the water wasn’t that cold, because it was in the bright sun. But the lukewarm water still felt refreshing on my burning feet. I waded into the water until I was about knee deep. When you got deeper into the water, the water started to get colder. I decided to stay right where I was. My brother Justin, however, wanted to go into the water neck deep. Which, for him, was only about 5 feet from where I was.

“Ahh,” he yelled,”It’s so cold in here!” I rolled my eyes. My dad had said that it was cold like, ten minutes ago. Justin never listens.

I turned around and sat on the shore. From where I was on the beach, I had a pretty good view of the water. There were more paddle boards than surfers on the beach that day because of how calm the water was. Little waves rolled over my legs. Little pieces of shell shifted around me.

With a jolt, I remembered my brother’s challenge for me.

My brother had always liked doing beach challenges. The challenge for 2017 had been finding the biggest, most disgusting pile of seaweed. The challenge for 2018 was to find twenty-three pieces of sea glass. Since we hadn’t gone to this specific Hawaiian beach in 2019, or 2020 because of covid, this was a big deal for him. 2021’s beach challenge was to find the most valuable item possible. Of course, there were rules. You can’t pretend to find something when you already have found it, no breaking (or taking) the other person's object. This year, I really wanted to win. Maybe if I found a pretty shell? No, there are plenty of pretty shells. A coral shard or piece? No, that wouldn’t be special enough. Then, I realized that good things are normally found when you least expect it. So, I started looking.

I got up from my comfortable sitting position and started to carefully comb the shore for shells. I found white cracked shells, tiny pinkish peach shells, but nothing unusual. Just P.O.S.’s or

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plain old shells, as my dad had dubbed it. I thought about what would happen if my brother won.

His taunting voice boomed and echoed through my head. I win, you lose, I win, you lose! I shut the ocean’s roar out with my hands. I win, you lose, I win, you lose! The voice kept repeating itself, like a broken record. The taunting started to fade after what felt like an eternity. Then, I realized, what is the worst that could happen if I lose? This thought burned through my mind, and I kept walking.

A couple more steps, and I saw something in the wet sand. It glittered in the sand, its shininess almost intense. At first I had thought it was a keychain ring because you can find them washed up almost anywhere. But, it was smaller than all of the keychains I had ever seen. It was the wrong size. Sinking my nails into the sand, I dug around the mysterious ring and pulled it out.

It wasn’t the type of ring that was on a keychain. It had a shiny, silver/clear gem on top of it. My heart pounded as I eyed the diamond studs on the sides of the ring. Although the ring had been slightly rusted from its time in the water, it still glowed.

Two options surfaced in my brain; The first being to give up the ring to my mom because she would know what to do, or not show anyone. But, being the person that wanted to tell everyone about it( and possibly brag about it), also knowing that my parents would find out eventually, I made the choice to give it up. As I raced up the sandy slope, I imagined winning the challenge. The good glory of beating my brother. His I’m-really-upset-but-I’m-not-going-to-cry-about-it look. I pictured my dad getting me a dole whip for the victory. All I had to do was make the right choice.

I skidded to a stop near my mom. She was reading a book. When I sprayed her with sand, she looked at me like I was a vicious animal.

“Jessica, what have I told you about-,” she became wordless when I held up the ring.

“Did you find that?” my mom spoke delicately, as if saying the wrong words would have a punishment. I steadily answered back, “Yes, I found it on the beach. Should we take it to the lifeguard?” I regretted the words that came out because I already knew the answer. Even though my mom knew that I knew what she was going to say, she said it anyway.

“Yes, we definitely should. Go tell your dad to take it to the lifeguard. The tower is a little far, and I don’t want you to have trouble coming back.”

About five minutes later.

In the end my dad had told me that the lifeguard had said she would keep the ring safe so that if anyone came looking for it, they might find it.

When I told my brother about the ring, he didn’t believe me. When my mom told him, he still didn’t believe me. He finally believed us when my dad told him. At first, he looked like he wanted to scream. Or cry. But, he didn’t. He just said,”I’ll beat you next year. Better watch out.” He stalked away to the water. I watched him go for a little bit. Then I ran after him, saying that our dad would buy us both dole whip.

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The Great Debate

By Taylan K., Grade 5 Do you believe in having homework in schools? Well, there are multiple sides to this argument. Some people think that homework is necessary, while others share the negative effect homework can have on students. Based on the majority of evidence, it is clear that there homework should be limited in schools.

One main reason why there should be no homework is students don’t have much time to spend with their families or go outside. One article states, “Homework can also cut into important personal and family time.” If a student spends a lot of time studying they won’t have time to bond or spend with their families, including family dinners, playing a game together, or even just talking to each other. In an additional article, the author states, “Homework creates less family time.” It’s very important for a student to have family time. If a student doesn’t have enough family interaction it can result in personality change and also impact the bond that the child is having with their loved ones. Lastly, some people say “Homework can cut out students' time outside in nature.” Activities that would fall under this category would include after school sports, biking with friends, or hiking with family members. All of these reasons greatly support limiting homework in schools.

Homework can result in poor academic achievement. This means homework should not be mandatory, especially if there is reason to believe that homework does not actually support academic growth. According to the New York Times, “The ten minute rule is a good rule because too much homework causes stress”. If a student stresses too much it can lead to poor academic achievement and also impact mental health. Additionally, the stress that homework causes can cause students to lose focus. This could heavily impact their grades. The New York Times also argues, “too much homework can cause late nights for students”. Sleep is very important at a young age. If a student doesn’t get enough sleep, it impacts the quality of students' work.

Students should not be required to complete homework assignments. Homework takes a lot of time away from hanging out with your families or going outside. It also does not affect your academic grade, causing stress and anxiety. If you don't have enough time to go outside or spend time with your family it can change your personality. However, others may say homework can help with academic achievements, and time management. Still, all in all, it is clear that homework is not beneficial to academic achievements. I have homework every night, but I also participate in after school activities. Because of this, it can be hard to balance both and put my all into both homework and sports. When you were in school, what was your opinion about homework?

Should Students Have Homework?

By Evie T., Grade 5 Did you know homework is bad for kids? Surprisingly, homework doesn’t help kids in school, though some say it does. While some think homework can help reinforce what students learn in school, there is more evidence to show that homework has many disadvantages. Overall, homework should not be required in schools.

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Homework causes physical health problems and makes test scores fall. Have you ever thought about how much homework your child has? Do you think it is too much? In an article called, Kids Have Three Times Too Much Homework, Study Finds; What’s The Cost?, the author states that students are unable to focus on school because they are stressed about homework. This shows that assigning homework may actually cause a higher level of stress for students, which is not a positive effect on their development. Additionally, the author of What Is The Right Amount Of Homework?, cities research from an education journal that stated, “A 2013 study found that students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework.” This shows that sometimes homework can cause students to get too stressed and not be able to sleep. This can result in test scores dropping and kids falling asleep in school since they are unable to sleep at home because they have too much homework.

Additionally, a researcher named Mollie Galloway found in her article titled Is Homework A Necessary Evil?, “Students who spent more time on homework experienced more physical health problems as well, such as headaches, stomach troubles and sleep deprivation.” What this means is that students who spend more than three hours a night can get unhealthy physical symptoms from their high stress levels. These are some examples of physical health problems. To avoid these physical problems, teachers should not assign homework. To summarize, the research and evidence clearly proves that too much homework can result in test scores falling and physical health problems developing in students.

Homework neither keeps kids engaged nor does homework make students think critically, which is an important developmental skill. In the article Should kids have homework? The great debate, education consultant James Gray argues, “Learning happens all the time at home, whether you’re cooking a meal, playing a game or reading a book.” An example of what James Gray is saying is learning can happen at home even without homework. Examples include baking, which teaches you how to measure ingredients and playing games like “7 Wonders,” which teaches you about geography. These activities provide engagement and critical thinking skills. Homework that is usually assigned includes worksheets and memorizing math facts. In the article, Are you Down or Done With Homework?, Liz Goodenough, the creator of a documentary said, “Ideally homework should be about taking something home, spending a few curious and interesting moments in which children might engage with parents, and then getting that project back to school.” She is arguing that homework should connect learning between school and home. Her hope is to eliminate a stressful environment for the parents as well as the kids. To keep students’ learning at home fun, teachers should assign less homework. To clarify this point, Stephanie Brant, the principal of Gaithersburg Elementary school, states, “Twenty-first-century learners, especially those in elementary school, need to think critically and understand their own learning — not spend night after night doing rote homework drills.” What she means is that modern day learners need to have time to think critically and not just complete a lot of repeated assignments. Doing rote work has the disadvantage of not leaving enough time for kids to clear their minds and think hard about what they learned at school that day. With all this homework students are neither engaged nor thinking deeply about their learning. To keep students curious, engaged, and practicing their critical thinking skills, teachers should assign less homework.

All in all, students should not be required to complete homework. Learning happens everywhere, so homework is not the best way to engage kids with the topics they are learning at

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school. It can also cause physical health problems and test scores to decrease. Some believe there should be homework because it reinforces what kids learn in school. This can be proven wrong because while having homework might reinforce what kids learn in school, studies show homework has many disadvantages. Once a week, I have a ballet class that ends at 6:45 P.M. I end up getting home at around 7:15 P.M. Sometimes, my homework lasts until 10:30 P. M. at night, and I go to sleep at eleven. This causes me to not be rested for the next school day and impacts my learning in many ways. If you were to take a stance on the great homework debate, what would you argue for?

Homework is a Necessary Part of Life

By Teddy C., Grade 5 Whether or not to assign homework is becoming a growing question across the country. One policy made by Harris Cooper, a Duke professor, says that there should be ten minutes of homework per grade level. However, Susan Goldman, a professor of psychology and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago and co-director of UIC Learning Sciences Research institute states, “There’s no one answer.” Others just shun homework altogether, arguing it’s too stressful or kids just need time to be kids. Students may not always like homework, but it has its value. Homework leads to better school performance and academic ability, prepares students for college, and lets students develop skills they can use during their entire life. Homework is a necessary part of life.

The first of the many reasons why homework is necessary is because it leads to better school performance and academic ability. Harris Cooper, the creator of the ten minute rule, says that homework leads to better school performance for 7th-12th graders. “The effect gets larger as kids move through the grades. But even in the early grades, homework has a positive effect on simple skills,” he states. Also, research from the High School Journal states thirty-one to ninety minutes of homework a day results in forty more points in the SAT-Mathematics. On Standardized Tests and grades, students who do homework outperform 69% of students with classes with no homework. It’s easy to think that homework is too stressful and not worth it. However if you look at the facts, doing only half an hour to an hour and a half, may result in so many benefits that a little stress is worth it.

Therefore, it is proven that homework leads to better school performance and increased academic ability.

Another reason why homework is necessary is because it increases the likelihood of going to college and prepares you for college. The Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) concludes that the more homework you do leads to better GPAs and a higher probability of college attendance. 64% of students in one study and 72% in another say that homework is effective at improving academic achievement. According to multiple other sources as well homework leads to both better grades and superior performance on standardized tests. Some people like Leslie Butchko, parent of a sixth grader in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, disagree. She tried convincing parents to do away with homework. "Most of the parents that were against the homework policy felt that students need a large quantity of homework to prepare them for the rigorous AP classes in high school and to get them into Harvard," she says. This proves that homework prepares students for college and increases the chance of students going to college.

Finally, homework is necessary since it lets students develop skills that are used throughout your entire life. Homework instills a work ethic, study habits, and self-discipline. Andrew Selepak,

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P.H.D, and media professor at the University of Florida believes that “Homework lets you develop independent skills, and teaches you that sometimes you have to take your work home with you.”

Some people disagree with these statements. Kimberly Berens says “Homework is the number one destroyer of family life.” It’s easy to think that this is true, but it isn’t. Since homework teaches students how to manage their time wisely, students will have time to do the things they enjoy as well. Homework teaches students skills that can be used during work, college, and everyday life.

In conclusion, homework is necessary because it increases school performance , academic ability, increases the likelihood of going to college and prepares you for college, and instills a work ethic, study habits, and self-discipline. This will benefit many people: schools, teachers, administrations, and students. Some people think otherwise, but they are wrong. Homework is a necessary part of life.

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