Abby ‘23 “Soccer Day” “Yay! Ya-hoo! Yeah!” I shout. “It’s soccer day!” “Honey, not so loud,” replies Mom. “It’s 5:00 AM and you just woke up the whole neighborhood.” “Sorry,” I whisper, and begin to get ready for school. Do you know how when you are waiting for something, clocks somehow go SUPER slow? Well, that’s how it’s like today. All I want is for school to end, and now it’s taking 1,500 hours just to get to lunch. Finally, the school bell rings. “YES!” I shout, sprinting out of the classroom. It’s time for soccer! Finally! In case you haven’t noticed, I am a TOTAL soccer freak. I LOVE the sport. It’s just so EPIC when you are running after the ball, sprinting to stop a goal, and feeling so free and having fun. I also really enjoy defending the ball. That’s my favorite part: DEFENSE!!! “Hi, Mom,” I say, getting in the car. “What time is it?” “Extremely late,” Mom replied. “Soccer starts in five minutes.” “WHAT!?!” I scream at the top of my lungs. “You’re kidding me! It CAN’T be THAT late!! “Yep,” Mom says grimly. “Sorry, Laura. I am running a little late today.” “NNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!” “Laura, stop screaming for the whole world to hear. We’ll just be twenty minutes late. No big deal.” As she says this, one thought is racing through my mind. It bursts out of my mouth: “HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!? Soccer is twenty-five minutes long! We’ll miss it!” Twenty minutes later, we get there. As I expected, everyone is gone. “NOOOOOOO!” I yell. Tears burst from my eyes and I sob over and over again: “Why? Why did this happen? Why!” Beep! Beep! “ Oh, my alarm,” I think vaguely. Wait. My alarm? There’s no alarm at the soccer fields! What’s going on here?! Why’s the soccer field turning into my bedroom?! This is crazy! All of a sudden, I find myself waking up and stretching. I look at the clock. 5:00. Suddenly I remember where I am. I’m at home and“Yay! Ya-hoo! Yeah!”- It’s soccer day!
Grace ‘23 Gingkos in the Wind Out on a field, there was a little Gingko tree and on a small and frail branch hung little Lindy. The tree was in a group of other Gingko trees. The trees were all brilliant colors of reds, oranges, yellows, and greens. Lindy was a golden yellow among other colors. While Lindy was talking to her friend Grace late at night, a sudden gust of wind blew across the trees. ''What is happening!'' Lindy gasped. She held on for dear life but the wind was too strong. ''Ahh!'' Lindy screamed ''Where am I going?" She was gliding in the wind, far away from home. By daybreak she was halfway across Osaka, Japan. When Lindy landed she was on a porch swing. A girl came out of the house. She looked about nine with dark black hair and bangs with deep brown eyes. Lindy figured her name was Emiko because someone called her that. Emiko was out looking for leaves. She wanted to sit down for a bit and watch the colorful leaves fall. While she was looking for a dry spot Emiko found Lindy and took her inside. ''Wow!'' she explained ''You’re shaped like a fan!'' After Emiko looked over Lindy she went down to dinner. At bedtime Emiko took Lindy and sat her on a mat. "Tomorrow I'm going to show you the park" Emiko whispered. On Saturday in the afternoon Emiko took Lindy to a grove of Gingko trees in the park. They got to that area by a bullet train [Shinkansen]. Then they took a bike down to the park. It was a beautiful sight. ''Hmm?'' thought Lindy ''I wonder if my tree's here?'' Emiko set Lindy down. Then a gust of wind blew, swirling Gingko leaves in the air and Lindy was one of them! Emiko looked up and she saw all the different colors of leaves swirling in the air. ''What a beautiful sight'' she gasped ''But where's my leaf?" Then she spotted a little golden yellow leaf in all the commotion. Lindy really didn't want to fly away but she had to. She landed on her branch. Emiko felt sad but she knew she could still visit the park. At last Lindy looked down from her branch, and waved in the wind.
Hannah ‘23 Love When you find love You feel like a dove You spread your wings and fly It seems like you will never die It might be an animal Maybe a mammal Pretty, heavy, or hairy It may be a fairy If they are not seen Look in between They are in your heart From the very start If they are family or a friend They will be with you to the end Now you know So go make your love grow
Kate ‘23 The Battle of the Backyard Bang! The linden leaves were on a roll. "Oh, I totally forgot my name is Kate and I'm a linden leaf. I was just going to tell you the story of the battle of the backyard. If you were wondering... yes this is a true story." So, anyways, the smoke tree was losing the battle. “When this war started we (both trees) decided to agree that every morning and night that once the war started, it ended at eight o' clock so the little kids could sleep." Once the little kids were asleep, the main leaves of the linden tree thought and thought. Grant said we should make an atomic bomb and throw it at the smoke tree. Nobody thought much of that idea. Then the Sanders said we should make a giant cannon. Nobody thought much of that idea either. Most ideas weren't very good. One idea however was a magnificent idea. The brilliant idea was Miller’s and it was to go inside the human house and get something to shoot the other tree with. Then Grace had a phenomenal idea. He said we should go inside the human house and find a controlled helicopter. So that was what we were going to do. We all had a vote on who would go inside the house to get the helicopter. Ten people were picked to go. The five girls were Ava, Lexie, Kierstin, Tara and me. The five boys were Craig, Andrew, Austin, Will, and William. So we went. The journey was tremendous! We jumped off the tree. Next we ran over to the porch, and right when the kid walked out the door the ten leaves slid in the house. Nobody saw them. Then we saw it! A big, slobbery, dirty dog was charging straight at them! We sprinted up the stairs and went into a room. We shut the door with all our might. Ah! We were safe. Luckily we were in a kid’s room. There on top of the dresser was the controlled helicopter. "We found our main target!" said Tara. Everyone was excited. Will and Austin got to the top of the dresser first. Austin hopped in the helicopter and Will controlled the helicopter to the ground. Then Will jumped down. Now, for the hardest part. We had to get the helicopter outside without being seen. Andrew slid under the door and looked around. He could hear the dog's powerful breathing. Andrew knew he and the other leaves would have never been able to pass the dog by themselves. Andrew told the other leaves about the dog. We sat in peacefulness thinking of ways to escape. Craig said to go in the air vent. That was the most decent idea. So, we started. Then suddenly we noticed that we couldn't get the helicopter through the teeny slits. Suddenly Ava trailed over to the window and with one huge push, she opened it. We waited for a breeze so we could drift down. Once we walked back into the tree we all screamed. The other leaves had spooked us by throwing us a surprise party! Once we figured out that it was a surprise party we were all filled with delight. After the party we had to get our game faces on. Amanda and Ady were so excited. Laila was ready and she said that even if we don't win we will still be very well known. So when the battle started, we flew the helicopter over with Austin inside. Austin ended up blowing up the other tree. When we saw the other tree, we were so sad. The baby leaves were crying, some leaves had died because the tree fell on top of them, others were terribly hurt. The main leader of the linden leaf tree (Mrs. Wright) went to the other trees leader (Mr. Giggles) and decided that the two trees would share the backyard. The linden leaves apologized and to show that we really were sorry we decided to share the tree. The leaves mixed, and a new kind of leaf emerged. It was called a loke leaf. "So I hope you liked that true story. Bye-bye, adios, auf wiedersehen. In other words, goodbye.”
Margo ‘23 Mazy Hart Mazy Hart was a young girl who was very poor and lived with her family. Mazy's house was a box on the Fair Banks street corner. Mazy didn't have much to eat, and rarely went to school. It was hard for Mazy because she wanted to join the soccer team, but her parents couldn’t afford it. She had many friends who were also poor, but one of her friends lived in a nice house. Her name was Jennifer Williams. They first met at a grocery store, and talked for a long time. They both loved soccer, and liked to play tag. Every week they would go to Jennifer's house, and play. The problem was that Jennifer didn’t know that her friend lived in a box. Mazy was too embarrassed to tell her. One day when Jennifer was in the car with her mother, she saw a big sign that read, "Lotto, $500,000." Jennifer asked her mother what that meant. Her mom explained that if you bought a winning lottery ticket, you would win all that money. "Oh, that would be so amazing if I won the lottery! I could do whatever I wanted to do," said Jennifer. Her mother was very kind and bought Jennifer a ticket. The next day, Jennifer's mom was driving to work when she saw Mazy and her family sleeping in a box on the Fair Banks street corner. She was heartbroken by seeing Mazy crunched up in a box. That same day, Jennifer realized she won the lottery. "Oh my goodness I won the lottery! Five hundred thousand dollars is mine! I'm going to visit Paris and meet Taylor Swift and buy candy,'' thought Jennifer. Then her mother walked in the front door. "Mom, I won the lottery! See, it's on the news," said Jennifer. Jennifer's mom didn’t want to tell her about what she had seen on her way to work, but she had to. "Jennifer, on the way to work I saw Mazy and her family sleeping in a box," said her mom. Jennifer felt badly for Mazy, and didn’t know how to help her. Then she realized something. She could give the money that she won to Mazy and her family. On their next playdate, Jennifer told Mazy what her mom had seen on the way to work. She also told her that she won the lottery, and wanted to give her family the money. "You know, my dream was only to have one doll, and you gave me so much more than that! You made my dream come true, and I will never forget that," said Mazy. Mazy's family was able to buy a house, and her mom got a job. Years later, Mazy and Jennifer started a company to help kids who were poor like Mazy. Every time Mazy drives in her car past the Fair Banks street corner, she remembers how Jennifer helped make her dream come true
Megumi ‘23 Books Books, oh books, what a wonderful thing. You can go anywhere even with a king. Let your imagination make you fly. Or maybe you could spy on a very high guy. There is fiction or non but it's up to you. But I would read a book named Nancy Drew. You can read chapter or picture books. But in picture books you really have to look. Read about animals or even sports. Like tennis players on their courts. Last of all I hope you looked. For maybe your perfect book.
Miller ‘23 Forest Park The night stirred with excitement, the rumor about Forest Park was going wildly around the whole yard. You may not have known, but Forest Park was a wonderland to leaves. There were no people around, and everything was peaceful. Everything was beautiful all day, every day. But these three friends were about to experience something no one has ever before..... "Ady and Austin Aspen have blown to my tree!" said Miller Maple. "But wait, why have they come so late in the evening?" They're here. "We have come to tell you some bad news." said Ady Aspen. "There is a big cat in your tree's yard.” "We think you should live with us for a while.” "Can I bring any of my family members?” asked Miller Maple. "We are sorry, you cannot.” said Austin Aspen. Miller Maple was sad. "I will miss my parents, brothers, and sisters." "We must hurry; we do not have much time.” said Austin Aspen. They flew off and landed in Ady and Austin's tree. When they arrived, there was a mysterious letter in their branch. "It says it wants for us to go to Forest Park!" said Ady Aspen. "It also says we should leave by sundown." "I cannot wait to get there!" said Miller Maple. About halfway there, the friends decided to take a rest. That is when a little old leaf named Grandma Gingko was blowing around in the wind. Soon she rested with them. "Where are you going?" she asked. "We are going to Forest Park", said Austin Aspen. "That is where I am going too!" said Grandma Gingko. But just then, a storm came. Wind gust, lightning struck while thunder rumbled. The storm grew even bigger. Then, all of a sudden, the storm stopped. "That was a miracle!" said Ady Aspen. At last, they were in Forest Park. The beautiful trees and bushes gleamed in the sunlight. All was wonderful here. When they were there, they met a sweet girl named Kate Sweet Gum. "Can we be your friends?" asked Miller Maple. "I would love to be your friends!" said Kate Sweet Gum. "Where are you from?" “I am from a tree that got cut down." said Kate Sweet Gum. "My family died when the tree came crashing down, but I managed to blow away just in time". "We are sorry to hear that." said Austin Aspen. “How about you live with us for a while, both you and Grandma Gingko?” “That would be lovely!" When they all went to Austin and Ady's house, they had a great time. And like Austin Aspen said, they all did stay there the rest of their lives. Everything was in peace.
Reagan ‘23 Winter In December, January, and February, It is usually snowy. It is cold and bitter, Because it is winter. Pretty white snowflakes slowly fall, The only thing alike, is there are six sides in all. Children love to play in the snow, Down the hill on sleds they’ll go. It will look so pretty, the snow sparkling white, In the morning sunshine, it will look very bright. When winter is over, I’ll be sad, But when it comes next year, I’ll be glad. Winter is my most favorite of seasons, I like it for all those different reasons.
Sydney ‘23 The Life of a Child We are about to enter into the world of a 12-year-old girl named Skylar. Tomorrow is her birthday and she is afraid. You might be asking why she is afraid…well she is afraid of what life holds for her. She was adopted at 8 years old. She always wondered who her real parents are. On Skylar’s birthday, Skylar and her friend Megan are going to find out. Skylar has asked about her real parents, but her mom and dad wouldn’t say anything. Her brother Jordan teases her for being adopted. She doesn’t have many friends, but one or two. Megan is her best friend. They have been friends since they were five. Megan has been there for Skylar. They are able to relate to one another because Megan is adopted too. They first met in the adoption center. Skylar and her parents argue if the real parents are still alive. On the following day, at 4:00 in the morning Skylar texted Megan and said to dress up like an adult and meet her at the house. They decided to go to the hospital where Skylar was born and they asked for a picture and information on the parents of Skylar Messon. Sometime around at 4:30 in the morning the manager of the hospital came out with a picture and information about Skylar’s mom and said that her mother’s name was Katie Messon, and sad news that her dad died just recently. Megan and Skylar were sad that Skylar’s dad passed away and they also thought Skylar’s mother was gorgeous. Then all of a sudden a DNA test results was included in Skylar’s file and manager at the hospital told Skylar that she had a twin. The manager told both girls that they were twin sisters. They couldn’t believe it at all. Megan and Skylar both thought their mom was perfect with her blue eyes, clear skin, nose, and check bones. Look at her dark brown hair wavy and perfectly in place. They were amazed that they looked like their mom too. They walked home to find Skylar’s mom and dad angry with their arms folded. Skylar ran straight for her room and Megan ran after her. “Why didn’t you tell me?” shouted Skylar. “Tell you what?” said the mom. Skylar’s mom found her looking at a picture of her real mom. All of a sudden she started talking to the picture. Skylar’s birthday party started at 5:00 in the evening ended at 6:00 that evening. At 6:10 a woman close to the woman in the picture showed up. “Skylar? Megan?” said the woman.” Mom!” yelled Skylar and Megan at the same time. They all had a big and warm group hug. The best gift Skylar got was a new mother and sister on the same day. And they all live happily even after the end…maybe it’s not the end. Just maybe…
Alexandra ‘22 Opposites Attract It all began when I was in my backyard entertaining my little brother, Toby. Suddenly, I saw a moving truck backing into the house next door! I went to go in and ask my mother if she knew what was going on, but then I remembered about my brother. I wondered if it was too late to be an only child. As my mind snapped back into reality, I heard crying and then saw Toby with blood everywhere! I went to go help him, but another girl came and wiped off all the blood and asked where he lived. Toby was crying, "Lexi, Lexi!" That was what he called me. I tried to teach him to say Alexis but that didn’t go well. The girl lifted Toby up and walked over to me. She said her name was Avalon and she was moving in to the house next to mine. I couldn’t say a word. All I could do was grab Toby and kiss him on the check. Avalon said, “I think he’s all right, just a few scrapes.” I was finally able to ask, "What happened?" “He was riding his tricycle and fell,” Avalon answered. Then she said she had to go to help her dad. We waved good-bye and got cleaned up for dinner. In the morning, Toby woke me up at 5 am as he does every morning. I got dressed and helped Toby get dressed. Then there was a surprise in the kitchen. Mom was making pancakes! My mom hates to cook. My dad came down and said he had just talked to the triplets. They seem to be enjoying college. By triplets, he meant my older brothers. I sure did miss them! It was about time to get on the school bus. My mom and dad kissed me on my check and I was off. I hate the bus! People were always picking on me. But this time, someone stood up for me. At first, I didn’t know who it was. Then I realized it was Avalon! But why would she stand up for me? She probably didn't even know my name. She walked up to me and asked if I was all right. I nodded. She sat next to me. She asked if I wanted to run for president. I told her there no way! She obviously didn't know me that well. The gleam in her eyes told me I was wrong. Avalon ended up in my homeroom. At the end of the day, we had art! I love art. Art is how I speak without actually using my mouth. Apparently, Avalon likes art too. My mom picked me up after school. She said that Ryan, Aiden and Matthew were coming to visit! That was a big deal. First of all, we never see them. Second of all, my brothers gave me the best advice for middle school. When we pulled into the driveway, I ran for the door. They were already there! I told them all about Avalon. They were proud of me for making a new friend. Today was the week before the election. The school was starting to put up posters for president and vice president. Then I saw a poster of Avalon and me! I started to panic. Then I found Avalon. “What did you do?” I screamed. Everyone was looking at me but I didn’t notice. Avalon said, “You said you didn’t want to run for president. So now your vice president.” "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed to myself. At the end of the day we had art. I couldn't even focus because I was so caught up in what happened earlier. When I went home, I told Matthew all about it. He said it would be good for me to step out of my shyness. I got mad at him because I never wanted to be vice president. Mom made my favorite meal because she wanted to cheer me up. The next day I got over being at mad at Avalon because running for vice president seemed to be making me more popular. At recess, we hung out at the picnic tables. It amazed me how easily Avalon made friends. I wish I could be that way! Before I knew it, it was the end of the day. The rest of the week flew by. Over the weekend Avalon spent the night so we could study for our Science test together. On Monday, the votes were counted. I was shocked with the results. We won!!!! I’d never been so happy in my entire life! Avalon and I celebrated. To this day, we’re still best friends forever. I guess opposites do attract.
Ava ‘22 Jessica Finds her Voice It all started two years ago on a little farm at the edge of Idaho. On this farm a girl named Jessica was born and raised. She was very quiet, but had a big imagination. Anyway, Jessica just had trouble expressing herself. Whether it was asking a question or reading book aloud to her little sister, Margo, she couldn’t get herself to speak up. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak she just could not do it. The world was a harsh, confusing place she did not want to get into. One day Jessica’s parents told her they signed her up for a singing camp. Jessica just shrugged a said she would go. This was nothing new. Jessica’s parents were always signing her up for camps and clubs. They thought if she got out more and spent time with kids her age Jessica would be less shy. So, just like her parents said, three days later she was standing in front of ten kids singing a song. Jessica was very surprised when she got put into the ‘Perfect Pitch’ group. She was in that group with one other girl named Izzy. Izzy had already been to camp before and sang everywhere she went. It was amazing how quickly these girls made friends. They were meant to be. Not long after the girls made friends, spring came. At the end of spring there was a concert. A concert meant singing in front of people, which to Jessica meant pure humiliation. She thought there was just no way she was going to try out. Izzy tried to convince her to try out but nothing worked. Izzy accepted that Jessica wouldn’t even try, but she told Jessica to at least come and watch her perform. Jessica said she would come. At the audition, Jessica sat in the back. When Izzy preformed Jessica knew the song and sang along. Izzy must have heard her because she stopped singing. Jessica did not hear her stop she just sang from her soul and left. The judges must have thought she was trying out we she sang because three days later her name was there. It was settled, Jessica was singing the grand finale, and she was nervous. For two months, it was all about the concert. She went to camp every day and practiced from early morning to late at night. She was ready for the concert to get here already. One night Jessica went home with Izzy. Izzy started to sing. It was a new habit of Jessica’s when she heard a song she knew she started to sing. The girls sang together all the way home. When they got home, Jessica and Izzy went upstairs. Izzy reminded her that the concert was the day after tomorrow. Jessica thought it would never come. She was excited. On the day of the concert, Jessica’s parents made her favorite meal, pancakes with pineapple on top. After that Jessica left to rehearsal. Before she went on, she went to see Izzy. To Jessica’s surprise Izzy was in the bathroom, crying. Izzy said that her mother and father didn’t get to see her perform. Jessica asked Izzy if parents were out there now. When Izzy said yes Jessica marched Izzy to the stage and they both sang a duet. Together.
Ben ‘22 A Boy Named David Once there was a boy named David and he loved sports. One day David’s brother, Tim was playing a football game in the yard and David wanted to play. David asked Tim if he could play with him, but his brother said “This is for older kids, you can’t play!” David wanted to play football too and form a team with his own friends. He gathered some friends and again asked Tim, “Can my team play your team?” “Sure,” said his brother. It was a close game. Then Tim said, “The next point wins.” “Okay” said David. David’s team was on offense. He went out for a pass and stepped in a hole! David started crying and was holding his ankle. His brother ran to get his Mom. “Mom! Mom! David stepped in a hole and he hurt his ankle.” David’s mom ran outside to check on David. “David! David! Are you okay?” David’s mom picked him up and carried him inside, and set him on the couch. “I’m going to get some ice.” When she tried to put the ice on, David yelled because it hurt badly. David’s mom was really concerned because she never saw an injury like that before. She called David’s Dad and he said “I will meet you at the hospital.” David’s mom put the kids in the car and David cried the entire time they drove to the hospital. Finally they got there and they rushed in. David’s Mom carried him into the waiting room and as soon as the doctor looked at him, he knew his ankle was broken. The doctor said “I will pray for you.” David got a green cast because that was his favorite color. The doctor gave him medication for the pain. Even though he couldn’t play sports while his ankle was broken, he still watched whenever he could. He felt so sad that he couldn’t play sports until his ankle healed. David still enjoys watching his brother, Tim play. Tim told him, “I really miss the days that we played football together.” David said “I miss playing with you too.” David finally had his cast removed, but needed to regain strength in his ankle. Eight weeks later, he was fully recovered and David and Tim played football together every day
Cade ‘22 A Shocking Experience Once upon a time there was a boy named Peyton McLuck who lived in Quechee, Vermont. He was 11 years old and in fifth grade. One October day an amazing thing happened that changed his life forever. It all started after his school football team, the Arrowheads, won the conference championship that afternoon during a driving rainstorm. Each member of the team got a medal and the MVP got to take home the giant team trophy for the remainder of the weekend. Peyton was that MVP after he made an unbelievable one handed catch in the end zone with 23 seconds left to win the game for his team. Upon arriving home with his dad, Peyton set the trophy on the front porch when he went to help his dad unload the car and order dinner. He forgot about the trophy for awhile. His dad went to pick up the pizza and Peyton went to check the mailbox, hoping the newest issue of Sports Illustrated arrived. While he was outside, the sky lit up with a jagged bolt of lightning followed by a huge boom of thunder. Instantly, the trophy was hit and pieces of metal flew everywhere. Peyton was nailed with electricity right in the forehead and a shock spread through his whole body. He tingled everywhere! After this frightening event, Peyton was feeling tired and dizzy so he went to lie down on his bed where he quickly fell asleep. As it says in Job 36:32, “he fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.” God had a plan for Peyton. The next morning, Peyton awakened to voices in the kitchen which were news reporters interviewing his dad about the “shocking” events from the night before. Peyton stumbled downstairs where he joined the conversation still feeling a little drowsy. His mom had a pot of oatmeal on the stove. In his stupor, Peyton accidentally touched the burner and jumped back only to discover that his skin did not burn. This seemed very strange but he did not say anything. After breakfast, he had football practice because of the upcoming Quechee Bowl game. The team was running plays on the school field. As a tight end, Peyton was practicing blocking, releasing, and running out for a pass. When the quarterback, Remy Bell, launched an inaccurate spiral 25 yards down field, Peyton thought it would fall incomplete, but strangely the ball stuck like glue to his palm. That was weird, but he quietly pulled it off with his foot and did not say a word. At this point, Peyton knew the lightning strike had changed him. He had unusual powers that he had never seen before. After football practice some of the boys got together for a pickup game of basketball at the local playground. They were goofing around showing off their skills but the game was competitive. Peyton really wanted to win. A couple of hours went by fast and the boys needed to head home. In the final minutes of the game, Peyton took a pass from Troy Gilberry and made a few quick moves to get in front of the basket. He jumped up to slam it in and dunked it. Unfortunately, he then fell directly on his arm and expected to hear a snapping sound as the arm went in two directions, but nothing happened. Peyton’s friends stood with their mouths open in astonishment and he quickly ran home. Three hours before the Quechee Bowl that Sunday the team gathered on the second floor of their old school to watch the film of the opposing team. They wanted to be prepared for the big game. The film was not on DVD. It was on an old fashioned reel because their school could not afford the new technology. No sooner did the coach get the film going when it sparked and burst into a blazing fire. As everyone evacuated, Peyton realized his teammate Alan Bolack would not make it out alone because of his broken leg and wheelchair. Peyton quickly remembered his new found powers of unburnable skin, unbreakable bones, and sticky hands. He grabbed Alan and ran through the flames before jumping out the window. The kids outside gasped in horror as they saw Peyton and Alan hurling toward them. Amazingly, they landed unhurt. There was talk about delaying the game, but the boys would not hear of it. On the ride to the game, Peyton remembered how scared he was when he was struck by the lightning, but now he knew God had selected him to do something miraculous! He felt good…….a great way to go into the last game of the season.
Connor ‘22 Physics Physics is the study of everything. With so many properties, anything will have at least one property embedded into it. Physics make up our world because our world is made up of molecules, which are made up from atoms, which are made from protons, neutrons, and electrons. Molecules, atoms and the parts of an atom all are properties of physics. This may seem boring to some people, but if you really know physics, it’s amazing! Mass, weight, and density have input on what something is made up of. Mass is how much something is made up of (excluding air). Weight is how much gravity is pushing down on an object. Density is how thick an object is. This is why your weight changes on different planets, but your mass and density stays the same. These three forces make things go fast or slow. Speed is how far something can go in an amount of time. Acceleration is the force something has to launch a force and send an object flying. Friction is a force that slows objects down. It is when a sled is sledding down the snowy part of the mountain, but then the dirt rubs against the sled, slowing it down. These three forces provide the need for speed! Energy is what we all use every day. From making our beds to running marathons, energy is the force we use to get us up and moving. There are two main types of energy: potential and kinetic. Potential energy is stored energy waiting to be used. Kinetic energy is powered by motion. The hotter something gets, the more potential energy that object has. Another form of energy is electricity. Infrared and ultraviolet are two types of light that are different from regular light. Infrared light runs off heat. The brighter the color is the more heat an object has. Ultraviolet light comes mostly from the sun and can cause skin cancer. Both infrared and ultraviolet are invisible to the human eye. Atoms are what make up everything. An atom has three parts: electrons, protons, and neutrons. An atom’s nucleus houses protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge and hang with neutrons that are neutral. Electrons orbit the nucleus and have a negative charge. Multiple atoms make up molecules. Physics ties into the Bible. All of science proves the Bible. The only way life is born is from life. One cell couldn’t just pop out of nowhere. Something has to make that cell: God. That’s the conservation of mass: Matter cannot be created or destroyed. Also, how could our planets rotate in the same direction (except Uranus), orbiting the Sun, and moons orbiting around planets, all at the same time? Yet, nothing has or ever will crash into each other. How could this happen with a “Higgs Boson?” Wouldn’t things go flying everywhere? Even if there was a Higgs Boson where did that come from? Where did that come from? Etc. The only way we could have life on Earth is through God, and physics is our way of His properties of creation. Physics describes everything in our universe. It describes why we can’t fly and what makes up our world. There are ways to overcome certain properties of physics. For example, airplanes defy gravity. We wouldn’t have our world that we have without physics.
Ellie ‘22 One Summer Day
One Summer Day On a hot summer day All the kids go out and play They swim in the pool Til’ they run out of fuel Everyone is happy until someone says “time to go” No one likes that part of a hot summer day Unless you get to go and play You play all night until you see the sun Then you know the fun is done On a hot summer day
Hannah ‘22 The Lost Dog Once there was a sister, brother and their dog. The sister’s name is Ellie and the brother’s name is Peter. And of course, the dog’s name is Pixie. Their parents’ names are Jeff and Taylor. Pixie is very friendly and loves licking. She is brown and white. The dog loves to swim, and the family has a pool in their back yard. If you walk back a little, they also live on a canal. The other day, Ellie and Peter were walking the dog before a storm came so they could get it out of the way. They heard a dog barking and then the first thunder, so they started running. The dog’s leash was a little too big, and the next thing they knew, Pixie got away! Ellie and Peter ran home, told their Mom, and all three of them jumped in the car. They put the windows down and called, “Pixie, where are you? Do you want a treat?” But Pixie loves to swim, because she’s still a puppy, and they were afraid she was going to jump into the canal! They called and called for 20 minutes, and then saw a dog sleeping on the grass. Ellie and Peter jumped out of the car, and guess what? The dog sleeping in the grass was Pixie! They said, “Mom, its Pixie! Mom said, “Thank goodness, that scared me!” Ellie said, “I thought I was never going to see you again, we love you so much Pixie.” That afternoon, they stayed home and swam for 4 hours. After 4 hours of swimming, their Dad came home. They told him what had happened and he was so happy that they had found Pixie. Later that night, they went to the pet shop and got Pixie toys and a new collar. When they got home, they watched a dog movie in their basement. It started pouring rain outside. They watched a dog movie because the whole family loves dogs. It’s their favorite animal. Then they saw a weather alert pop up, so they looked at the weather channel and it said there was a 75% chance of a hurricane hitting where they live. Ellie and Peter started freaking out. They have never been in a hurricane. The parents told them not to worry. They called their next-door neighbors to tell them to come over, since they don’t have a basement. They came over and all of the kids played while the adults watched the news. Then Jeff said, “Kids, go in the back of the basement. I’m going to get candles, flashlights and food. The hurricane is about to hit us.” The kids were so scared, but they knew God was watching over them. They also knew their parents were watching over them. Next thing they knew, it was 5 a.m. and they were all tired and hungry. They looked at the news report, and it said there would be at least one more hour before the hurricane passed, but that all schools would be canceled the next day. The two families decided to play board games to pass the time and celebrate. The next time anyone looked at the clock, it was time for breakfast. Jeff and Taylor cooked pancakes for everyone, while Ellie and Peter set the table. That day, workers had to come and get all the trees out of the roads. They were all very excited that they were safe through the long, hard hurricane. And they lived happily ever after.
Jessey ‘22 Pickle Have you ever ridden a horse so fast that you felt like you were riding with the wind or maybe faster? Well, I have. My name is Katrina and I am from Orlando, Florida and I am sixteen years old. I am a stable girl in an old equestrian center. At one time there is a horse that was absolutely my favorite, his name was Pickle. Every day after I was done with my chores for feeding the horses, cleaning them, and cleaning their stalls I would go to Pickle’s stall and put on the saddle. After I put on the saddle I would walk him into the arena and ride. He was a good horse, but sometimes I needed to bring out the whip. Pickle would get scared, but did as he is told. One day, I took Pickle to the outside arena. This time, I didn’t have to use the whip. We started out with a little trot, then we jumped, than we ran. Pickle ran faster than ever! I tried to hold on, but the wind was taking me back and I fell off Pickle’s back and got injured. At least I had my helmet on, but I still ended up in the hospital for four days. When I finally returned from the hospital, I immediately went to Pickle’s stall and there he was, laying in sorrow, “Nay-Nay-Nay.” When Pickle saw me as good as a new flower he quickly got up and started nudging me in the face through the bars. Another stable boy got jealous of me because he could tell Pickle liked me instead of him. One day, the stable boy had enough and told a lie to the owner: “Katrina doesn’t even do her job! All she does is play with that Pickle horse of yours!” he said. I couldn’t believe it, the owner thought the lie was true! The next day Pickle and I were sold, but we considered ourselves lucky because we still had each other. Other people were separated from their favorite horses. The new owner was cruel, he only gave us one meal a day. He would let all the others rest for a few hours throughout the day, but I didn’t understand why Pickle and I couldn’t rest. He thought that we were useless. Again we were sold, but this time we still had hope, because we didn’t get separated. This man who bought us was kinder and there was a nanny in the kitchen in the house. She was cooking rabbit stew. A few months later the man decided to have his son ride the horse. When the day came the man’s son looked at me and asked if it was safe. I said, “It depends on if he likes you or not.” He got on Pickle, but then Pickle threw him off and he landed on top of me. After the owner saw what Pickle did we were sold again. This time we got separated. I went east and Pickle went west. We lost each other for fifteen years until the day came when I was eating wild pickles and I started to think of Pickle. I couldn’t stop thinking of Pickle so off I went to go find Pickle. I wandered the wilderness for ten years. One night, I found a barn in the middle of a clearing right behind a forest and I got hired to work there. One day I heard a familiar “NAY” coming from the stalls I hadn’t gone into yet. I said, “Pickle, Pickle is that you?” “Nay-Nay-Nay” It was Pickle alright. I ran as fast as I could to the stall where I heard the nay and I found Pickle. We lived the rest of our career at that barn with three meals a day, breaks throughout the day, and chores. Eventually, I became in charge of the barn when the family was on vacation or wasn’t at home. It was a happy life for me and Pickle I have to say. There were a lot of mosquitoes in the summer time. It was freezing in the winter time. Spring time was gorgeous, but I had more work to do. I had more work to do in the warmer weather, because there is more vegetation to take care of. You may think that the work is more like what a slave did in the past, but I think it’s a blessing to be with these animals, especially my horse Pickle.
Liam ‘22 Spore One fine afternoon, fifteen year-old Billy Runner, an adventurous lad who enjoyed nature, was camping by himself a little ways out from the castle where he lived. He planned to go hiking that day. So, he set off. He was just one hour in when he stumbled on a cave. When he went in, he found a chest embedded in the rock. He had brought some tools just in case so he took out his pick and chipped away. When he got the chest out he was surprised to find it unlocked. When he opened it he found a bottle. He could not make out the writing on it so he decided to bring it to his father for further inspection. He was in such a hurry that he forgot about the chest he set behind him. He tripped and lost his grip on the bottle. He fell over and the last thing he heard was a smash. When he regained consciousness, he saw before him a large mushroom that seemed to be breathing. He drew his dagger and slowly approached it. He waited for almost an hour for something to happen. Billy was about to walk away when a large hole appeared and out came a smaller mushroom. It had small and fragile arms and legs. It also had its eyes closed like a puppy at birth. It was trying to make sense of what had happened when a mouse came to inspect it. Without warning, the mushroom ate the rodent with one bite. Billy screamed. Billy picked up the shattered glass and ran to his campsite. He packed up and jumped on his trusty steed Alistair and took off. Once he made it to the castle, he yelled the entry word “tribone” and the drawbridge fell. He raced to his father’s quarters. His father was the general of the army. Billy ran to him and rushed into a meeting. Billy quickly explained what had happened. Then he laid out the pieces of the broken bottle. “I could not make out the writing on the bottle,” said Billy. One of the men picked up the piece with the writing on it and his eyes widened and his mouth opened. “What have you done, you fool!” he yelled. “You have unleashed the spores!” Billy was confused. “What?” exclaimed his father. Billy spoke up, “What are spores?” “Did you see any other small mushrooms come out?” asked one of the men, ignoring Billy’s question. “No,” said Billy. “We have to get there before too many come out!” said another man. “Billy and I will take a regiment to find and destroy the Ventaires,” said his father. “What’s that?” asked Billy. “The main spore that produced the rest of the mushrooms,” explained his father. They were only a few minutes into the journey when they heard a growl, then another, then another! Every soldier drew his sword and took a defensive stance. The mushrooms were in sight! The men were hesitating. ”Attack!” yelled Billy’s father. They started forward and began to fight. It was up to God to save them now. They fought for only five minutes. Then it was over. They didn’t lose any men but sustained many wounds. Once patched up they set up camp and spent the night. That night, they prayed. “Dear Lord, please deliver the Ventaires to us and bring us all out safely. Amen,” In the morning, they could see the rotten cave where the Ventaires sprouted. They geared up and started toward it. They were knee deep in slime and muck. It was a disadvantage because it was hard to move. They reached the cave and were met by screeches and growls. The soldiers charged into the cave. They fought wonderfully and with fury since they were outnumbered a million to one. The general and his men were holding off some of the mushrooms when the general said something that surprised everyone. “Billy! Go for the Ventaires!” “What?” Billy yelled. “Go!” the general shouted. Billy jumped, lunged and tripped fifteen times, but he got into the cave. He didn’t have the foggiest idea how to kill the Ventaires! Then, something came to mind. A hole opened to make another spore but Billy had other plans for the hole. He threw his sword square into the hole. Technically, it only took ten seconds for the monster to die, but to Billy it felt like an hour. Finally, the Ventaires deflated like a balloon and so did the spores! Billy couldn’t stop thanking God…not for the death of the Ventaires, but for the safety of his father. That night the sound of worship and praise could be heard for miles around. The people of the castle had discovered God’s power.
Sophia ‘22 The Surprise of a Very Surprising Win
Fiona Ferrywheather wasn’t the smartest kid in her school, but she always got good grades… except in Language Arts. Other than that, she liked school and liked her friends. She also liked recess and loved the mint chocolate chip ice cream in the cafeteria. But the one thing she didn’t like was writing… and her teacher Mrs. Serb. Today when Fiona went to Mrs. Serb’s classroom there was a lot of commotion. Mrs. Serb loudly cleared her throat, and told the class to take their seats. “As you all know there is a writing contest, and I’ll be expecting each and every one of you to write a short story by September 5th. It will be part of your final grade.” Everyone grunted. A few people said some nasty things underneath their breath. Mrs. Serb cleared her throat again (this is one reason why Fiona can’t stand her). Fiona felt sad, mad, angry, and any synonym for horrible. She sometimes felt like her teacher actually wanted her to fail. She had no idea what to write about, and if she didn’t write a story she would have to stay with Mrs. Serb for another whole year. Then Fiona had a wonderful, revengeful idea. When Fiona got home she ran all the way downstairs and started writing her story. It was going to about this mean teacher named Mrs. Blurb who never gave her class recess, failed them in every subject, and took pleasure in stealing their lunch. “Ha-ha, I’ve got Mrs. Serb now,” thought Fiona. On September 5th, Fiona turned in her story along with everyone else. She felt very excited and anxious to hear who the winner was and to see Mrs. Serb’s response. Mrs. Serb cleared her throat loudly, and the kids knew she had the name of the winner for the contest. She said, “The winner of this contest is a very excellent writer. I always knew they were. The winner of this writing contest is… Fiona.” Mrs. Serb smiled in her direction. Fiona felt horrible. When the bell rang for class to be dismissed Fiona stayed in her seat. She said, “Mrs. Serb, I’m sorry, but why did I win?” Mrs. Serb answered, “You won Fiona because you have true talent. Listen to this verse: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13. If you apply your all into everything, you can do pretty much anything.” “That’s a really great verse,” said Fiona. “Mrs. Serb, there’s just one thing more, thanks for making me enter the contest.” “You’re welcome,” said Mrs. Serb. You’re going to do great things… I just know it.” Truth be told, Mrs. Serb was right, Fiona turned out to be a great writer, and won countless awards for her books. Sometimes, like Mrs. Serb said, you can do great things if you believe you can.
Caylee ‘21 Memories of Mamaw
Since I’ve been alive, my Mamaw couldn’t remember things well. She has a disease called dementia. Sometimes when my sisters and I visit her we have to reintroduce ourselves. We always have to tell her our names. Even though my Mamaw has a bad memory she’s not bad at everything. Everyone has to be good at something. My Mamaw is good at greeting people. She is very friendly and had lots of friends where she and my Papaw lived. She was always happy to see us. We like to tell her about our soccer games and whether we won or not. We would play together lots of times. She liked for me to read her different kinds of books, and we would play dolls. Once I taught her how to use my camera on my DSi so now she is good at using my camera too. Another fun memory is when she would share Oreo cookies with us. They were her favorite. I also liked it when she would take my sisters and me on a wheelchair ride through the nursing home. We would look for Dora, the resident cat who lived there. We like to feed the fish in the pond crackers. Usually my Mamaw would either throw in the whole cracker or crush them into powder. We would look at the different kind of birds in the bird cage. Sometimes the birds would lay eggs. Every year at the Easter party we would do the ‘egg drop‘. One year we won! All we did was put an egg in a microwaved popcorn bag after popping the popcorn. Sadly, my Mamaw passed away on Oct. 17th 2012. I still remember that whenever we would go to visit her she’d say, “I’m glad you’re here!” and then about two minutes later she’d say, “I’m glad you girls are here! Did you know that?” I miss my Mamaw. Even though see didn’t always remember things about me, I’ll always remember things about her. She was an amazing Mamaw. My family and I will always love her.
Aidan ‘20 Piano Travels When I sit at the piano bench, my fingers get impatient. They know they are about to take a magical vacation! First we’re off to Russia to play Rachmaninoff. My fingers have to pound so hard I think they might fall off! Next we head to Italy to play Tarantella Brillante. It makes me think a spider is crawling up my leg! To calm myself I switch to Bach, Aria in F. Now I’m breathing calmly, no more pounding in my chest. Let’s jet to Spain. Fingers flying, playing Matador. This music is so lively, my feet tap on the floor. Allegro Fantastico, sets a happy pace. My fingers are excited now. A smile lights up my face! The music takes me far away with each and every song. My fingers just refuse to rest. Won’t you come along?
Charlotte ‘19 Indian Hunter
Bold and strong I stand. At ready with my bow and arrow, I hear many things. The sound of the wind is strong, like the song of a peace pipe. The rustle of the trees covers my footsteps and breathing. A sudden snap cracks like thunder. The deer trots within range. I let my arrow fly. Quicker than a lightning flash I hear a thud. Now I bring back my catch so my village may feast.
ACSI 2011 Judges Comments: Great Job. Keep up the poetry. You have a gift.
Charlie ‘19
The Winter Forest
The winter forest is dark and cold. The moonlight streams through the branches creating a mosaic of shapes and forms. The fluffy white snow covers the trees with its whiteness. Animals of all types scamper around the forest floor. Laying down I look to the sky, I feel God’s Holy greatness as my eyes gaze to the stars that watch the winter forest.
ACSI 2011 Judges Comments: Your poem paints a beautiful picture of winter, Keep up the writing, you are good at it. God bless you!
Abigail ‘19 Meeting My Di-Di This is the story of how I met my di-di (or little brother.) I bet you’re thinking this is a boring story about how I went to the hospital and saw my newborn baby brother. But no. This is a totally different story. Will was born in a poor town in China, and he spent almost three years there waiting to be adopted. We spent those three years waiting, too, but we were busy doing truckloads of paperwork and being dragged to boring appointments, meetings and interviews. FINALLY, the waiting was over, and things got a little more exciting. For two weeks, my mom and dad were in China, and my favorite time of the day was 7:30(ish) because that’s when we would Skype with them. The first time I ever saw Will was on a computer screen. The three of us (me, my brother Adam and my sister Mia) crammed ourselves around the monitor. We greeted him with, “Ni Hao,” and he exclaimed, “Babido!” We never quite figured out what that meant, but we were impressed by the joy in the face on the screen. I always liked waking up every morning and finding a present that my parents left for me. It was cool to touch something my mom and dad had touched, and fun knowing Will would touch it pretty soon too. Will was the real present I wanted though. Questions swirled around in my head. Questions like: Would he be calm or crazy? Would he tolerate going into the cold snow? What would he look like? Well duh, I knew that. But I guess seeing someone in person is a lot different than seeing them on a grainy Skype screen… The waiting was over on December eighteenth. Well, technically it was about three o’clock in the morning on the nineteenth. It was a snowy night and my parents drove up in an old white car. Will slipped into the mudroom behind my mom’s legs. All eyes were on him, so I understand how he felt scared. Mia went up to him and said, “Hola.” I giggled silently. When my mom took off his shirt, she revealed to us a cross on a red thread. We had prayed that by some miracle, he could have lived with Jesus-freaks. When we saw the cross, we knew that our prayers had been answered. We didn’t take that off Will’s neck for a long time. Will. I remember that I won our debate about his name. Mom wanted to call him Owen, and Dad wanted to call him Max. (He thought four would be the MAX number of kids that we would have.) But I did win, and he was known as Will from then on. I volunteered to be Will’s tour guide, saying, “Welcome to the Welcome Home Tour! Please keep your tears tucked away.” The first place we visited was the basement. We spent a lot of time down there. I am going to guess that Will’s favorite thing was our big green wagon. We pulled him around and around until we couldn’t pull him anymore. I remember wondering if he had ever seen so many toys. (I’m not sure he even had toys in China.) Chugga chugga choo choo! Next stop: upstairs. The next place we raced was Will’s room. We lifted him into his bed and he giggled. His face lit up like a light bulb when he saw his stuffed animals. Now that was worth waiting for. After touring all the bedrooms and jumping on everyone’s beds, my grandparents took a couple pictures. Those were probably the first pictures of all six of us together. Smiling was VERY easy right then. Next, we progressed downstairs. We showed Will the Christmas tree that we had put up about a month earlier. We showed him the living room. We showed him the kitchen and the cookies that were on the counter. While we were down there, Mom and Dad gave us our presents from the trip. I got a necklace and a t-shirt that said Jie-Jie. (This means big sister in Chinese.) When I put it on, I was proud to be Willie’s jie-jie. After a couple more rounds around the house, we ran upstairs and went to bed. I lay there thinking about how amazing God is. He can match orphans up with the perfect families. I felt fortunate to be Will’s big sister, as well as proud to be a hero. He was my di-di, and I was his jie-jie.
ACSI 2011 Judges Comments: heartwarming story, very sophisticated; loved your story.
Alex ‘17 How to Take Better Care Of God’s Earth by Saving Energy I found out recently that there is a big hole in the ozone layer that protects the Earth from the Sun’s harmful rays. This is causing Global Warming which is melting the polar icecaps causing floods. It is also drying up rivers and lakes causing droughts. This big hole in the ozone layer leaves a big hole in God’s heart. He’s sad because the humans He created in His image, that are supposed to take care of the Earth, are ac-tually harming the planet He created. To stop Global Warming we need to do a better job of taking care of the Earth and prevent the hole from growing any bigger. This will allow us to also heal the hole in our relationship with God. I’ve been doing some re-search and I’ve come up with some ways to help stop Global Warming. I’m going to cover a few of the ideas that I’ve come up with. You can start with simple things like turning off lights when you leave a room, or turning off lights when they are not necessary to use at that time. If you really need to use lights, a really easy way to save energy is to use compact fluorescent light bulbs. I had my Dad replace all the lights in my house with them. He said he is saving lots of money because they use so much less electricity versus the old fashioned light bulbs. That leads me to another idea called solar panels. Solar panels create free electricity by absorbing energy from the Sun. It doesn’t create any pollution like other methods of generating electricity like burning coal or wood. That’s why I call solar power “clean en-ergy”. You can use solar panels in many different ways, and here is one of them. You can put solar panels on top of your house and that can provide enough energy to pow-er your whole house! Another way to conserve energy is by taking shorter showers, or not taking one as often. This will also bring down the price of your water bill! Hybrid cars like the Prius are helping to save gas and they also run much cleaner so there are very few emis-sions. Soon enough, there will be full electric cars that may spell the end to gas sta-tions! So remember, start with the easy stuff and then try something more challenging like installing those solar panels or buying a Hybrid car! Doing all of these things helps us be better stewards of God’s Earth. We can use the Sun, which He also created, to our advantage in creating “clean energy”. Healing the hole in the Earth’s ozone layer also heals the hole in God’s heart. When He sees someone putting solar panels on their house, He smiles down on them.
Anthony‘17 Grandpa and Me When I was only five, I realized that my grandpa had something wrong with him. I found out he had Alzheimer’s disease but I did not know what it was. So I asked my mom about it and she told me. When I knew what it was, I was so sad I couldn’t go to sleep. I was thinking about him. I worried that he would die soon and really be sick. He is still an amazing grandpa. The next time I saw him he taught me how to play football. He taught me how to play quarterback. He said to scream “Hut-hut!!!!!” He said to scream it really loud and to be really mad at the other team. I thought that was pretty funny! But he was pretty serious. Sometimes he tells some funny stories and they make me laugh. Some people say that he always had a sparkle in his eye but now I don’t see that sparkle in his eye very often. I have noticed some weird things going on with my Pap Pap. One time he put on the wrong shoes. He put my grandmother’s shoes on. He forgets my name and calls me by my brother’s name, Nick or Michael. He is not allowed to drive his car and sometimes he wants to drive again. Once I saw him wander down our road wanting to go home and see my grandmother. I had to get him and walk him home. Some-times I have to help him take his seat buckle off because he doesn’t remember how to. I also open the car door for him. The worst part is when he gets very sad. He gets sad when he has to leave home for a really long time and starts to cry. It makes me feel scared and sad. I feel like I want to help him but sometimes I don’t know how. But I do know that I can either give him a hug or shake his hand. I say “It’s alright Pap Pap.” Even though he has Alzheimer’s there are still a lot of things that I can do with my grandpa. I can play baseball and football with him. We can still make funny stories and jokes. We can still watch the Steelers play football together. I know he loves me with all his heart and I still love him with all my heart!
ACSI Creative Writing Festival The Creative Writing Festival is a mail-in event giving fourth graders an opportunity to develop their writing abilities and skills either as rhymed or free-verse poetry, an essay or a short story. The objective is to provide opportunities for students to develop creative writing abilities and skills; share their best written work with others and to have their works evaluated by 3 objective judges (professors from Malone University). The top 25 entries from fourth grade classes will have their work submitted to the contest. Superior ratings earned at the District Creative Writing Festival advance to the next level, the Regional Festival. Stories, essays or poems that receive a superior rating at the Regional Festival are published in an ACSI Creative Writing Book.