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The Gemini Ink Children’s Book Series #14
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Gemini Ink Children’s Book Series # 14
The Color of Hope Children’s stories written by residents of the Cyndi Taylor Krier Juvenile Correctional Treatment Center in partnership with
Writers in Communities, Gemini Ink Fall 2007 Writer-in-Residence: Xelena González Illustrations by Mark Lopez, Esau Alfaro, & Veronica Montemayor Cover, Design & Layout by Adriana Alexander Funded by: Bexar County Women’s Bar Association * Ford Salute to Education * Verizon Communications Printing donated by Tesoro Special Projects Coordinator, Krier Center: Glenn Faulk Writers in Communities Director, Gemini Ink: Adriana Alexander Executive Artistic Director, Gemini Ink: Rosemary Catacalos © 2008 Gemini Ink
The Children’s Storybook Project In 2002, Gemini Ink implemented the first Children’s Storybook creative writing project at the Cyndi Taylor Krier Juvenile Correctional Treatment Center (JCTC) in San Antonio, Texas. As part of the program, incarcerated youth met weekly with a professional writer to study classic children’s literature and create their own children’s stories, which were published in a series of storybooks. Now an ongoing part of JCTC’s programming, the creative writing project is in its sixth year. The project has been an overwhelming success on many levels. As workshop participant Shayleen noted, “It’s just amazing all the possibilities that can happen with nothing more than a piece of paper and a pencil.”
Foreword
I have had the good fortune of teaching creative writing in a wide variety of settings, working with
students of all ages, and tailoring my lessons to their diverse needs. Of those many faces and places, I have to say that working with these young writers on the JCTC Storybook Project has been my most rewarding teaching experience so far. In fact, it has been an honor. From day one, the students impressed me with their maturity, poise, and thoughtfulness during the project’s admissions interviews. Their unique personalities and creative thinking processes continued to reveal themselves as we delved into modern and classic children’s literature. Their questions pushed me to think and strive as an educator. Their pieces of prose and nuggets of poetry touched me as a reader. And in the end, their triumphs of spirit inspired me as a human being. Like many artists, I am wary of penitentiary systems and have often wondered if they are beneficial to our society. Now I have seen firsthand the profound impact the arts can play in a rehabilitative setting such as the JCTC. Creating your own story, your own art, in a meaningful way requires some soul digging. And in the process, nourishment and healing can take place. I am thankful for people like Glenn Faulk and organizations like Gemini Ink that bring the arts to the people who need it most. I am excited and proud to bring The Color of Hope home to my baby daughter. May the teen parents, for whom this book was intended, also turn these pages over and over again as their little ones will surely demand. And may the greater community enjoy these heartfelt stories as much as I have.
Xelena GonzĂĄlez, Writer-in-Residence
Our world is made up of stories- every person, every being, and every moment - and these stories
interconnect to form the world we live in. Since the beginning of human existence, the universe has enmeshed us in stories, passed on in oral tradition and, then, through the written word. Stories have been told of adventures, tragedies, and everyday life, and to help make sense of the world. Stories can be filled with history, morality and faith, or fun-filled entertaining content. For the last six years, Gemini Ink has been graciously working with youth here at the Krier Center to give them the opportunity to create and tell stories - stories that allow the young writers an opportunity to leave their print on the universe. The process began with an idea that developed into a published story to be shared with teen parents and their young children. The writers will never know how often their stories are shared with others, but they took pride in knowing that a good story with strong characters and high morals can inspire both the children and parents alike. In the workshops, our young writers would often discuss how their stories could help others understand the importance of hard work, honesty and discernment; in short, the reality of consequences. They realized that through their stories children can learn what’s possible and hopefully some important lessons. My appreciation goes out to everyone that made this possible. Just as they will never know how much their stories will touch others, many of you will never know how much your support has touched the lives of the fledgling writers. The experience in the storybook program may be a catalyst to change their lives. May each of you be blessed for caring.
Glenn D. Faulk, Special Projects Coordinator, JCTC
NOTE: The authors’ work is edited as lightly as possible in order to most closely honor the original voices. When parental release forms are unavailable, only first names are used.
Table of Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Monkey Mayhem by Jessica Gonzalez..............................................................................1 Many Moods by Karla Amaris Freeman..............................................................................7 Sugar Bear & Nanook by Victor Antu..........................................................................13 Gingerbread Tales by Ishmael Martinez..........................................................................21 Whatever Works by Timothy Vaughn................................................................................29 Back Alley Cats by Brian Hammon.................................................................................37 Sino Meets Santa by Jesus Guia.....................................................................................43 Tookie the Talented by Rene Medrano...........................................................................49 Princess Amanda by Shayleen..........................................................................................55 Maddawg by Kenneth Durham..............................................................................................59 Kicks Rocks by Matthew Mendoza.....................................................................................67 The First Day by Samantha Mendoza................................................................................75 Unexpected Love by Miguel Fernandez..........................................................................79 Puerto Rican Paradise by Crystal Romero..................................................................87 The Grumpy Old Man by Michael Patino.................................................................93 Guardian Angels by Jamillah Dyshawn Muhammad....................................................101 Juanito’s Dream by Andrew Martinez............................................................................105 The Funky & Friendly Cat by Andrea Chavez........................................................115 Hopes & Wishes by Leonard Tremillo..........................................................................119 Practice Makes Perfect by Odell Stevenson.............................................................123
Monkey Mayhem
by Jessica Gonzalez
“Now my plan is to read my little sister a book every night when I return home, and what would be a better story than one written by me?”
There once was a monkey named Bob who had just turned
seven and was in the second grade. Poor Bob had a big problem. None of the other monkeys in his class liked him very much.
One day during lunchtime, Bob saw Monkey Sue pulling a banana out of her lunch box. Bob ran toward her, grabbed her banana, and started screaming around the room, “I got your banana! I got your banana!” He expected everyone to laugh, but they did not find it very amusing. So Monkey Bob took every opportunity he could to make up for it. He pulled the other monkeys’ tails, put flies in their milk, and tripped them during recess; but none of this seemed to work. Bob tried new pranks everyday, but it seemed as if his monkey mates just disliked him more and more. One afternoon on the way home, Monkey Bob realized that he had tried everything to get the other monkeys to like him, but nothing worked.
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Monkey Bob had no more ideas, so he decided to go to the one monkey that never let him down – Mommy Monkey. “Mom, how come the other monkeys at school hate me?” he asked. “I try everything to make them laugh, but they still won’t be my friends.” Mommy Monkey scratched her head, wondering what could be wrong. “What is it you try to do to make them laugh, little Bob?” He told her how he pulled Monkey Mike’s tail, then ran around the class with Monkey Sue’s banana. Mommy Monkey nodded her head, beginning to see Bob’s mistake. “Oh, I see the problem. Look at it this way,” she said, pulling little Bob onto her lap. “How would you like it if someone took your snack away and ran around the room with it?” Little Bob raised his face to Mommy Monkey, looking almost sad. “I...I wouldn’t. Now I feel so bad. What do I do? The monkeys will probably never want to be my friends.” Mommy Monkey stretched her arm over Bob’s shoulder as she pulled him closer. “Listen really closely, Little Bob. Tomorrow I want you to take Sue a brand new banana and apologize to all the other monkeys. I guarantee you they’ll be your friend.”
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The next day Bob walked into class with Sue’s new banana and placed it on her desk. Then he stood in front of everyone and said, “You guys, I wanted to say sorry for the way I treated you all. I just wanted to be your friend, but my mom said I went about it the wrong way.” All the monkeys looked at each other in silence. Bob walked back to his seat feeling ashamed. When recess came along, Bob went to his usual spot under the slide all alone, where he watched everyone else play baseball. A tear streamed down Bob’s cheek, but he quickly wiped it away because he heard someone running his way. “There you are Bob! We’ve been looking for you everywhere. All the other monkeys want you to come join our game.” It was Monkey Mike from his class. “You’re not mad at me anymore?” Bob asked. “No way. We forgive you. Now hurry, let’s go! You’re up to bat, so I hope your tail’s strong.” Bob jumped to his feet with enough excitement to share with everyone. He followed Mike to the field, stood on home base, and got his tail ready to bat.
SMACK!!! Bob ran around all three bases, making his first home run. He knew his tail would be sore tomorrow, but it was all worth it.
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Many Moods
by Karla Amaris Freeman
Phoenix and Raven are two-year-old twins with many, many moods. Let’s see how they feel today!
Phoenix and Raven feel hungry as they wake up to the delightful aroma of their mother cooking hot pancakes smothered in butter and syrup, crispy bacon, plump sausage, and fluffy eggs. Do you feel hungry? The twins empty their plates and drink a refreshing cup of cold milk. Now they feel satisfied. They really enjoyed their breakfast! What makes you feel satisfied? After they get their morning baths, Phoenix and Raven decide to go outside to play. They laugh as they run around chasing each other. They are in such a silly mood, they even try to catch their mommy. When do you feel silly?
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After they have their fun, Phoenix and Raven go inside for a snack of dried bananas and berries with apple juice. Then they take a nap. When they wake up a while later, they feel refreshed. Do you feel refreshed after naptime? Phoenix and Raven go upstairs to find their big sister. They are surprised when she picks them up, one after the other, and spins them around and around in circles. This is so much fun! Have you ever felt surprised? The twins play more games with their big sister. They even try to talk to her, but she doesn’t understand their words. They feel confused because they can understand her, but she cannot understand them. Do you ever feel confused?
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After a while, Phoenix and Raven get bored playing games. They sit down on the couch to watch SpongeBob Squarepants, their favorite television show. Now they are interested again. What do you do when you feel bored? They eat dinner with their family, and then Mommy reads them a book. It is called Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? They enjoy making the sounds in the book. When the story is over, it is time to get ready for bed. This makes the twins feel sad because they cannot stay up longer. Can you make a sad face? Soon, Phoenix and Raven give in to their sleepiness. They feel so tired after a long day, so they get into their night clothes. When do you feel tired? Phoenix and Raven give their mommy goodnight kisses. They feel happy as they lay in bed thinking about their fun day, and they fall asleep thinking about their next adventure. Did you feel happy today?
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Sugar Bear & Nanook
by Victor Antu
“I really like to read books, but I never thought of writing any... If I try to write a book for kids, it might help them not to make the same mistakes I did.”
“Pant, pant,” gasped Nanook the wolf. She ran as fast as her little wolf paws could go. “Ha, ha, ha!” laughed the alien Yumyums. “Run as fast as you can. It’s useless!” “Oh no, they’re gaining on me!”thought Nanook. Dodging trees and bushes, she looked for a place to hide. “We’re getting closer,” mocked the Yumyums. “You’re ours now!” Nanook could feel them closing in on her. Not knowing what to do, she saw a rickety old bridge that reached across a raging river. It was the widest river she had ever seen. The current was far too fast to swim in.
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As Nanook made her way across the old bridge, it suddenly started to snap from the weight of an alien. As the alien crawled closer and closer to Nanook, the bridge continued to break. Snap! Crack! Split! “Please don’t come any closer,” begged Nanook. “You’re mine!” said the alien as he caught her collar. Just then the old bridge broke in two.
SNAP! Nanook and the alien hit the water and were swept away by the strong river current. The alien lost his grip and let Nanook go. Out of breath and soaking wet, Nanook crawled out of the water and ran into a dark, nearby forest. Just when she thought she was safe, Nanook heard a new voice. “What are you doing in my land?” it demanded. Nanook was frozen with fear as the giant beast growled. Getting a closer look, Nanook saw that it was a giant bear wearing a bandana on his head and a flannel shirt over a muscle shirt. He also wore pants and some Stacys. “I’m Princess Nanook from the Wolfwoods,” she finally answered.
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“Well, Princess Nanook, it’s been a long while,” said the bear. A confused look came over Nanook’s face. “What, you don’t remember me?” he asked. “Well, of course you probably don’t remember me looking like this. Excuse me.” Right before Nanook’s eyes, the giant bear suddenly started to shrink! “There, that’s better,” said the now-little bear. Nanook’s face lit up. “Oh, SugarBear, I found you!” she cried happily. Then she remembered their problem. “SugarBear, the Yumyums are attacking,” explained Nanook, “They took over the Wolfwoods and now they’re coming for Bear County! SugarBear, King Yumyum said that if you don’t give back the Yummy Yonders that they’ll destroy the Wolfwoods.” Nanook started crying. “Don’t worry Nanook,” said SugarBear, “I’ve dealt with the Yumyums before, and I’ll do it again.” “Really?” asked Nanook. “Nanook, I’ll do anything for you,” said SugarBear. With a powerful roar, SugarBear called a huge army of bears.
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“We’ll deal with these Yumyums once and for all!”screamed SugarBear as they made their way to the Wolfwoods. Making their way across the land, Nanook was amazed by the sights of Bear County. “Wow, SugarBear,” she said. “You sure made this place so much better since the Yumyums left. All the yummy trees look so much prettier and so full of yummys.” “Yeah, we had to really fix the place up, but it was worth it,” agreed SugarBear. Suddenly they were ambushed by the Yumyums! As they fought with the Yumyums, one of the aliens stole Nanook. “SugarBear!!” she screamed. As SugarBear ran to rescue her, King Yumyum appeared. “SugarBear, so we meet again,” said King Yumyum. “Let Nanook and the Wolfwoods alone, or else,” said SugarBear. “Or else what?” asked King Yumyum with a smile. “Or else this!” yelled SugarBear. Before he knew it, King Yumyum had three bears on him and was pinned to the ground. He looked defeated and surprised.
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“Now, what were you saying?” SugarBear mocked. “Help me!!!” King Yumyum yelled, but his alien troops were already leaving in their ships. “Come back! Help me!” he yelled uselessly. “Now King Yumyum,” SugarBear said. “Since you broke our deal, you will have to be punished. You’ve made a lot of trouble, especially for Princess Nanook here, so I will let her decide your punishment. Do we all agree?” he asked. Everybody did. “Well, what will it be, Nanook?” asked SugarBear. Nanook looked unsure of what punishment to pick. “I can choose whatever I want?” she asked. “Sure!” everybody replied. King Yumyum looked very nervous. “Okay, I’ve decided,” she finally said. King Yumyum went pale. “I say that King Yumyum can have all the yummys he wants as long as he is nice and helps SugarBear take care of Bear County. There.” “Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed SugarBear. “The perfect choice!” And it was, for they lived perfectly happy after that.
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Gingerbread Tales
by Ishmael Martinez
“Mom did you know that ants could fly?” asked little Ben. “Mommy,
did you know that penguins don’t lie? Mommy, did you know that pigs never ever will cry?” “ Oh my lord!” his mother cried. “Come here so I can keep you busy before you keep on fibbing.” When Ben reached the kitchen, he asked, “What are we doing?” “Well, I want you to help me bake some cookies,” said his mom.
“Yeah!” Little Ben jumped with joy! “You fix everything. I’ll cut them so you can bake them.” While Ben’s mother was making the mixture and placing it on the cookie sheet, Ben carefully picked up the cookie cutter with his mother’s permission and started cutting out little gingerbread men. “Ben, I am going to set the oven while you keep cutting,” said his mother. “Okay,” said Ben as he cut the last gingerbread man. That’s when he heard something: Psst!
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“Huh?” said Ben, “What was that?” “What?” asked his mother from across the kitchen. “Ben you need to learn how to start speaking the truth.” “ I am, I will, okay,” said Ben. Then came the tiny voice again: Please, Ben, hold my little hand, so me and you can run away to Gingerbread Land. “WOW!” Ben screamed loudly. “Shh, keep it down, or I’ll put you in bed real early,” his mother warned. So Ben picked up the gingerbread man and put him on a plate carefully. “Mom, I am going to my room,” he said. “What? I thought you were going to help me,” she said. “Yeah, maybe later. I have to go talk to my friend. Bye!” called Ben as he left the room. “What’s going on?” thought his mother. “Let’s see what this boy’s up to.”
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“Wow, this is fun! I won’t eat you. If anything I want you to meet my mother,” said Ben to the gingerbread man. “Ben, what are you up to little boy? You better not be up to anything bad,” said his mom. “ I am not,” Ben argued back. “Mom, I know someone you’ll like. He talks and does things I can’t do, like jump in the air and spin!” Ben held up the gingerbread man for his mother to see. “Watch him speak.” “What are you saying?” his mother said with a look of surprise. “Give me that!” she yelled while taking the gingerbread man away. “Mom, no don’t bake him!” “I won’t, Ben, but you need to stop lying.” “I am not!” Ben cried with anger. “It’s hard to tell, Ben, when you always tell nothing but lies. That’s what makes me not believe you.”
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“Wah, wah, wah,” Ben cried. His mother walked to the trash can and dumped the gingerbread man away. Later that night little Ben was feeling worried about his friend, so he went to the trash can and picked out the gingerbread man. He took him to his room, placed him under his pillow and slept until school the next day. Ben’s mother woke him up and told him to shower and get ready to go. He got ready, placing his new friend in his bag, and his mother dropped him off at school. During lunch Ben and his friend Jacob decided that they were going to trade snacks. Ben had a bag of chips he wanted to trade for Jacob’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Ben got up and went to the restroom, but when he returned he noticed that the gingerbread man was gone from his bag.
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He saw Jacob eating the very last piece of his friend, the gingerbread man. Jacob had exchanged it for his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “NOOOO!” cried Ben. “You ate my friend.” “What?” his friend Jacob asked. “Yeah, you ate my gingerbread man. You were supposed to eat the chips,” explained Ben. Jacob felt really bad about his mistake, but he quickly thought of a solution. “I’m sorry I ate your new friend, but I can make a deal with you,” Jacob said to Ben. “I promise to always stick around and be your friend to the end and never go against you.” “Okay, that’s a deal,” Ben replied.
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Whatever Works
by Timothy Vaughn
“Not only will children enjoy my story, but they will also get something out of it.”
“I hate school!” I exclaimed as I opened the car door. “Please don’t make me go back,” I
begged my mother.
“What? I thought you liked school,” she said. I began to cry out, “No Momma!” “Shhh,” she cut me off. “Tell me at home.” “Okay Momma,” I mumbled under my sobs. “Alright son, tell Momma what happened,” she said once we reached our house. I began, “Momma, I’m sorry I lied to you before. I hate school! Everyone’s been picking on me since the first day. They laugh at me too. Please don’t make me go back!” I cried out. But I knew it was out of her control. “Son! Why do they laugh at you? And how do they pick on you?” she wanted to know.
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“They call me names like Dumbo,” I said. “Why would they call you that?” my mom asked. “Because I don’t know how to spell my name,” I told her. “Momma, I have no friends because they think I am dumb. They hate me.” “Son, why didn’t you ask me to help you spell?” she asked. “Well, they thought I was dumb because I couldn’t spell, and I didn’t want you to think the same,” I said. Then I asked her, “Momma, will you help me learn to spell?” “Sure,” she said. “What do you want to spell?” “My name,” I answered. “Alright. Go get the photo album,” she said. I didn’t understand, but I did as I was told. When I returned, Momma picked me up and put me on her lap.
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“Okay,” she started, as she opened up the big book full of pictures. “Pick your favorite three pictures.” So I did. In the first picture, I’m just a toddler. It was taken when I spoke my first sentence. My parents look so happy to see me talking! The second was my first Halloween. Dad was dressed as a movie star. Mom was his leading lady. And I was their little director, always telling them what to do next with my crying. The last photo was taken at Sea World. We are standing next to the dolphins, smiling. My mom’s arm is around my Dad, and I’m sitting up high on his shoulders. I handed these pictures to my mom, and she looked at them for a while. Then she asked me a whole bunch of questions, like how I felt about the moments in the photos.
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After a while, she gave me this poem to remember : T is for the time I felt ten feet tall on top of my tough father’s shoulders. I is for the first time I said I love you, that instance included in this itty bitty book. M is for my most memorable moment on Halloween: My dad, the movie star. My mom, his
main actress. And me, the mischievous movie maker. O is for how odd and off balance I feel now that my father is out of the picture. T is for the terrific times I try to remember by thumbing through these photos. H is for all the hugs we hold on to with hope that they will happen again. Y is for our youthful memories of yesterday and for the years yet to come.
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This poem touched me because it was true. I memorized it easily. The next day at school, I was called on to spell my name on the board. I wasn’t nervous at all. I went to the front of the class, held the white chalk in my hand, and spelled out T-I-M-O-T-H-Y on the blackboard. I was so happy! A girl in my class asked me how I learned to spell so fast. Then I read the poem out loud. My classmates liked it, and when I was finished, everyone clapped for me.
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Back Alley Cats
by Brian Hammon
Mr. Pookie was a kitten with a mind as adventurous as a super
hero. He was very skinny, with orange and white fur, big grey eyes, and a very short tail. Mr. Pookie had a big brother named Kit and two little sisters named Alley and Kiddy.
Mr. Pookie always got into trouble on his weird, fun, little wandering adventures. One day he thought he could find cool treasures by a dumpster behind an elementary school, but a weenie dog tried to eat him. His brother Kit laughed at frightened Mr. Pookie as he zoomed by with the hungry weenie dog zipping behind him. His sisters Alley and Kiddy laughed too, but only because Kit was laughing. When they got home poor, pooped Mr. Pookie asked his mother, Momma Black, why Kit always laughed and made fun of him. Momma Black told her salty-teared, scared son, “Your brother loves you, Mr. Pookie. He just wants more attention from everyone.” Poppa Fat, his father, told him, “Just wait, son. One day you’ll see for yourself how much Kit loves you.”
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The next day Mr. Pookie, Kit, Alley, and Kiddy went for a walk around the neighborhood. Mr. Pookie stayed far behind so Kit couldn’t tease him. Right when Mr. Pookie turned the corner, a big, mean dog jumped in front of him! Mr. Pookie hissed and scratched at the dog, but the dog didn’t care. He just wanted to eat poor, puny Mr. Pookie. Mr. Pookie curled up and closed his eyes. He heard a deep growl, then a loud hiss, and finally the dog crying out in pain. Err, err, err! Mr. Pookie looked up and saw his brother Kit biting the big mean dog’s ear. His little sisters Alley and Kiddy were scratching the big mean dog on his legs. His brother and sisters had come back to help him! Before Mr. Pookie could do anything, the big mean dog was running away yelling, “I would have gotten him if it wasn’t for you pesky kittens!”
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The scared kittens ran home to tell Mr. and Mrs. Cat what had happened. When Momma Black and Poppa Fat heard what happened they got worried, but calmed down once they were sure their kittens were okay. They ate a real good dinner of weenies with mice, bird feet, kitty fried chicken, barbeque bird, and kibbles ‘n’ pie. After everyone else was in bed, Momma Black talked with Mr. Pookie. She said, “I told you Kit loves you. He just misses being the youngest and getting all of the attention.” The next night Mr. Pookie Cat, Kit Cat, Alley Cat, and Kiddy Cat all stayed up and watched their favorite family movies – Kitty Little, Looney Cats, and All Cats Go to Heaven. Momma Black Cat and Poppa Fat Cat were the proudest momma and poppa cats in all of Kitty City.
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Sino Meets Santa
by Jesus Guia
“I want to learn how to make my own stories.”
Sino was a five-year-old boy
who loved every holiday of the year. His favorite holiday was Christmas, not just because of the presents, but because Christmas was full of joy. When Sino turned six in March, his mom bought him a birthday gift that was a toy snow globe of Santa Claus with a boy on his lap. From his birthday to the month of December, Sino looked at the globe everyday and wondered if he was ever going to see Santa Claus. Then one day his mom said, “Get ready, Sino.” He responded, “Okay, but where are we going?” “We’re going to the mall to get something,” his mom said. When Sino heard this, he put a big smile on his face and hopped up and down. He ran out of the house with joy and jumped into the car. On the way to the mall Sino wondered if Santa Claus was going to be there.
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When they finally parked the car, Sino was so happy and excited that his mom had to hold his hand on the way inside. Sino looked with wide eyes at all kinds of Christmas gifts in the mall. He stared up at the Christmas trees, candy canes, and a lot of colorful lights. Sino then looked to his side and saw a man with a red suit, red hat, and black boots. He asked his mom if that was Santa Claus. “That is Santa Claus,” she said, “Do you want to go meet him, Sino?” Sino said, “Yes I do!” As Sino walked up to him, Santa Claus said “Ho! Ho! Ho!” with a big smile. Sino hopped onto Santa’s lap and said hello. “Hello,”said Santa, “What is your name?” “My name is Sino.” “That’s a nice name. It sounds a lot like mine,” Santa said. Sino smiled. “What do you want for Christmas?” he asked the boy. Sino responded, “I want a Play Station 3, Santa.” “Okay,” said Santa with a friendly grin.
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As Sino jumped off Santa’s lap he asked, “Are you real, Santa?” Santa said, “Of course.” “Nice meeting you, Santa. I won’t ever forget this day,” Sino said. He was so happy to finally meet Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve Sino was glad because he was going to make cookies for Santa. At night, he left the fresh cookies with some milk on the table. The next morning he jumped out of his bed and ran toward the table that had the milk and cookies, but the table was empty. Sino then ran toward the Christmas tree in the living room. He saw a big red box with a tag on it that said, “To Sino. From Santa.” He happily unwrapped his present and saw it was the PS3 he asked Santa for. Sino said to himself, “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had!”
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Tookie the Talented
by Rene Medrano
Tookie was one of the smartest kids at West Wood Terrace Elementary School. He was so
smart that his teachers gave him the nickname “Lil’ Bert” because they said he was like Albert Einstein. Tookie hated that name, but he didn’t tell his teachers that. Tookie’s favorite subject was math, and no matter what he was doing, he would always use numbers. Even when he entered his overcrowded classroom everyday, he would count the noisy students for fun. Then he would count how many children were missing. When he went to lunch, he would count how many items he had on his little green tray. Tookie really liked it when he got steamy yellow corn, and he would count every tiny piece. When Tookie rode the stuffed, stinky bus home he would count how many kids were on the bus. He would count how many stops there were and how many kids got off at each stop. Tookie would even count how long the old brakes screeched when the bus stopped.
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When Tookie was dropped off at home, he would count the white stone steps that led to the front door. This continued until his seventh birthday, when Tookie suddenly became tired of counting. Everything he looked at became numbers, and he couldn’t stop counting them. Tookie was not happy about this. After he counted the blazing blue candles on his chocolate birthday cake, Tookie wished he could feel what it was like to not be able to count. He blew out the candles and waited to see if he forgot how to count, but he counted the seven candles on his cake again. Tookie was sad because his wish did not come true. The next morning when he woke up he tried to count the steps from his bed to his bedroom door. He counted one, two, four, seven, then stopped and started again. One, nineteen, thirtyone, three. Tookie started to worry. Once he got to school the math teacher called on him like she always did, but Tookie got every question wrong. Now the teacher began to worry. Tookie was so sad about not being able to count that he just wanted to go home.
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Finally the long day finished, and he went home wishing he could count again. That night Tookie went to sleep early, hoping to wake up counting the next day.
Ding! Ding! The alarm clock was going off in Tookie’s room, and he woke up counting how long the alarm clock rang. Then he counted how long it took him to get dressed. And before he could count anything else, he snapped – he was counting again! Tookie ran out of his house, dressed in his white lab coat with lots of pockets, and he shouted with joy. Yea!!! He looked up at the bright blue sky, his crazy hair waving in every direction, and he said, “Thank you, God, for letting me count again.” He realized he never wanted to stop counting because that’s what he was best at. (Tookie even counted how long it took you to read this story.)
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Princess Amanda
by Shayleen
“It’s just amazing all the possibilities that can happen with nothing more than a piece of paper and a pencil.”
It was a beautiful day at Parks Elementary School in Atlanta. Ms. Silva was
teaching her third grade class about having big dreams. She asked each one of the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up.
Some said they wanted to be police officers so they could get rid of the bad guys. Others wanted to be singers, firemen, or doctors. But Amanda didn’t want to be any of those things. They all sounded boring to her. Then Ms. Silva said all the boys and girls had a homework assignment. They were to write an essay about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Amanda did not know what she would write about. When Amanda went home, she asked her mother and father what they wanted to do when they were kids. Her mom said she had dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, and her dad said he’d wanted to be a veterinarian. But even those ideas did not interest her.
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Amanda thought about it for days, and one day when she was watching Dora the Explorer, she finally figured out what she wanted to do. She was going to grow up to be a princess! Amanda couldn’t wait to tell her parents about her decision, but when she did, her mom just said, “You can’t be a princess, sweetie. How about being a teacher instead?” But Amanda didn’t want to be a teacher. She wanted to be a princess. That Sunday, Amanda went to youth service at church, while her parents went to Sunday service. The sermon was about changing and growing older. During the sermon, the reverend looked at Amanda and asked her, in front of everybody, what she wanted to be when she grew up. Before she could think twice, Amanda said what she wanted to be, and she immediately felt her cheeks get red. But nobody laughed at her. Then the reverend told Amanda something nobody had ever told her. He said that she could be a princess, but only if she believed in Christ. He explained that the Bible said Christ was the “King of all Kings.” He said Christ loved all little children with all of his heart, and that all children were his children. “So you see,” said the reverend, “This means that all his little girls are princesses.” Then he held little Amanda’s hand and said she was now Princess Amanda.
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Maddawg
by Kenneth Durham
Maddawg was a spotted, red and white St. Bernard. He grew up in the city of San
Antonio and was born in the backyard of a little Hispanic boy named Macco. Macco always wanted a puppy dog, so when he got Maddawg, he was overjoyed.
Macco loved Maddawg with all his heart, but as Maddawg started to grow, he got madder and madder. That is where his story begins. The bigger Maddawg got, the less Macco played with him. This put Maddawg in a bad mood, and he was easily bothered by the local animals. These animals lived where he lived, but Maddawg didn’t like birds, frogs, cats, or crickets where he lived. One day Maddawg was lying in the Texas heat he loved. He was about to go to sleep when a mockingbird sat on the fence behind his doghouse. Maddawg always enjoyed the sun beaming on his shiny fur. The bird sat there and wondered what he could do to mess with Maddawg. The bird decided to sing. He sung the noises he heard around him: Ruff ruff! Honk honk! Tweet tweet! The bird kept singing until he got the attention of Maddawg.
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Maddawg started to bark really loudly until Macco ran out the back door of his house and saw what was happening. He got the broom off the back porch and shooed the bird away from Maddawg’s doghouse. The bird found this very funny and flew off to get some friends. Maddawg laid down until late in the evening when he was awakened by the croak of a frog. Ribbit, Ribbit! Then, with a big smile, the frog hopped toward Maddawg. Ribbit, Ribbit! He continued until Maddawg got up and walked toward the frog.
Ribbit! the smiling frog said to Maddawg. Maddawg jumped toward the frog, but he was on a leash, and the frog was out of reach. The smiling frog just leaped off into the evening to gather friends to revisit Maddawg. Just a little after dark Macco brought Maddawg some doggy food and water. He came toward Maddawg, set the food down, and rubbed Maddawg behind his ears. Maddawg enjoyed this and closed his eyes while getting rubbed. When Maddawg wasn’t looking, a purple cricket hopped into his water and started to swim. He swam forwards and backwards.
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Macco stood up and walked back into the house. Maddawg stood up and walked toward his food and bowl of water. He started to eat his food. He had eaten nearly half his food when he heard the splashing of the swimming cricket. Maddawg looked into the water bowl and saw the backstroking of a purple cricket. He shoved his face into the water bowl trying to eat the purple cricket. The cricket hopped out of the water and into the dog food bowl. Maddawg shoved his face into the bowl, but knocked it into the grass. Now the food was out of Maddawg’s reach. The cricket hopped off laughing into the grass, on his way to gather more friends. It was late into the night. Maddawg laid down beside his doghouse, staring at the bright moon above him. He was tired of all the little animals messing with him all the time. But he couldn’t sleep because all the other angry dogs in the neighborhood kept barking at the little animals, too. Then, Smokey the cat came sneaking toward the spilled dog food.
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Maddawg didn’t want to do anything. He didn’t feel like barking or getting up from where he lay. The sneaky grey cat named Smokey ate the last of Maddawg’s food, then went back over the fence. After the cat left, Maddawg opened his eyes and stared at the moon. The moon seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. All of a sudden it formed a face, then a huge smile. The moon spoke to Maddawg. “Why let all those animals work on your anger?” it asked. “Be nice to them and they will leave you alone.” Maddawg thought about this. Then he jumped for joy. When he looked back up to the moon, it was suddenly gone. But Maddawg remembered its advice. Maddawg woke up! He didn’t know he was sleeping. When he looked around he was shocked to see many birds, crickets, frogs, and cats. There were so many that Maddawg couldn’t count them all. They were making so much noise that Maddawg could not think. All these creatures came early in the morning just trying to make Maddawg madder. But Maddawg kept his cool.
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Then all of a sudden he started to sing. Maddawg sang louder than any bird that ever came around him. Then he started to croak. Maddawg croaked louder than any frog that ever came around him. Then he started to creep. Maddawg crept better than any cat that ever came around. All the animals were shocked at the sight of Maddawg copying their movements. That’s when the back door swung open and Macco, the little boy, came out. He saw all the animals and swung the broom toward them. They all scattered in different directions. Macco filled the doggy bowls full of water and food. He took the food towards Maddawg and let him eat. He then rubbed Maddawg’s head, and Maddawg loved it. From that day on, the animals never bothered Maddawg again, and he never got mad again. Since Maddawg was not mad anymore, Macco threw away his doghouse. Now Maddawg sleeps inside the house, under the covers with Macco. And all the other little animals stare through the window all night long.
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Kicks Rocks
by Matthew Mendoza
“I want the privilege to participate in this project to inspire children about what I’ve been through.”
Down in a burrow, deep in the forest, lived a bunny named Kicks, last
name Rocks. Kicks was a small little pink bunny with a little white patch over his left eye. He had very big feet for his size and always wanted to use his feet to kick like a kangaroo. This is how he got his name. He was always laughed at and made fun of by all the other bunnies in the forest because of his pink fur and big feet. It was the last day of winter before spring came, and Kicks realized that the bunnies he thought were his friends weren’t really his friends at all. They had convinced him to steal some carrots, but then they laughed and left him when the farmer tried to catch Kicks. Kicks’ cousin Hops Rocks, who was a real big brown bunny that was given his name because he could jump the highest and the farthest, went over to Kicks’ burrow and saw him sitting on his nice, cozy, comfortable bed of grass surrounded by carrots. Hops thought how lucky Kicks was to have all those carrots, but then realized that Kicks was in tears.
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“Why are you crying?” Hops asked. Kicks jumped up in surprise because he thought he was alone. “Oh!!” shrieked Kicks, “I didn’t hear you come in. How are you doing?” “Come on, Kicks, don’t answer me with a question. What’s wrong?” “Oh it’s nothing, Hops. I just...just...” Kicks began crying again. “I don’t have any real friends. The ones I thought were my friends just wanted to push me around and tell me what to do. Earlier today, they convinced me to steal these carrots from Ms. Bubbles’ garden up on Carrot Hill. I almost got caught by the farmer. I did it because they said that if I didn’t they wouldn’t talk to me anymore. When I almost got caught, they laughed at me. I don’t want to be laughed at. I just want to feel welcome.”
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Hops thought about this and then said, “Real friends don’t make you do anything, especially if you don’t want to. Why would you even do what they say?” “Well how would you feel if everyone laughed at you and you had no friends?” asked Kicks. “I just wanted to fit in with others and not feel like a loner. Now I’m all alone, and I’m too embarrassed to ask for help.” “Well, I don’t know,” Hops said frowning, “I’ve never been treated like that before.” “Exactly!” Kicks shouted. “You don’t know how it feels. At least you have friends.” Now Kicks started to sob, with big drops of tears streaming down his fuzzy white cheeks. His wet eyes sparkled like stars twinkling in the sky. “Come on Kicks, don’t cry,” said his cousin, “You can make better friends. Don’t worry. You still have your mother, father, sister, and brother, even me. We’re here for you. Don’t think you’re alone, and please don’t cry.”
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“Listen,” Hops continued, “My mom used to tell me that if you’re having trouble and need help but don’t ask for it, you are just going to make things worse by trying to solve your troubles alone. But if you ask for help when you need it, you will most likely be helped.”
Sniff, sniff. Kicks stopped crying and was really listening now. “Kicks, you should never do things you don’t want to do just to have friends. And you should never feel unwelcome around friends. Those are not real friends. I know you can do better, and I know a couple of friends that are really good for you.” Kicks perked up his ears, hopeful about having new friends.
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“Your brother and sister,” said Hops. “But they’re my family!” cried Kicks. “Exactly,” said Hops, “Your family members are the most important and best friends you will ever have. You’ve never been lonely because they’re always there for you. You will always be loved and welcome in your family.” Kicks thought about this and realized his cousin was speaking the truth. “Kicks, what I’m telling you is important to know growing up in life. You can’t go through life pretending to be something you aren’t, whether it’s for friends or any other reason. You will never be happy this way,” Hops said. Kicks took Hops’ advice and always remembered it. Because he felt so loved and happy being himself, the little bunny soon became popular to all the other animals in the forest. One day, when Kicks had a son of his own, he was able to pass on the advice his cousin Hops had given him. They lived happily ever after.
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The First Day
by Samantha Mendoza
“Mom, I’m nervous,” said Fabian, as he stood at the open door. “Don’t worry, you’ll love it,” his mother said. She held his hand and walked him into the classroom, where a nice teacher named Ms. Smith approached them. “Welcome little one,” she said to Fabian. “Hello,” he answered, as his mother gave him a goodbye kiss. He watched her walk away and then burst out in tears. “It’s okay. I was crying too,” said another little boy. “Come sit with me. My name is Albert.” Fabian settled down into a chair by Albert, and he looked around the room. He saw a whole bunch of shelves with books and other young ones learning their ABC’s. He was very surprised to see that the room was so colorful.
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Fabian and the other young students then gathered around on a large rug while Ms. Smith read books to them. Then it was time for lunch. Fabian, Albert, and the others walked to the cafeteria in a line. Fabian liked what he saw. It was a big room filled with a bunch of kids. He was having a wonderful time! After lunch they went back to the classroom and colored, then read more books. Fabian told Albert, “Thanks for being my friend.” “You’re welcome,” said Albert. When school was over they said their goodbyes. Fabian’s mother was waiting for him in front of the school. She reached for Fabian’s hand and asked, “How was your day?” “It was wonderful,” answered Fabian. “I had a good time, Mom.” He told her about all the fun he had and said he couldn’t wait until the second day of school.
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Unexpected Love
by Miguel Fernandez
“One day I would like to be a writer and write stories that little kids would like to read.”
In a big jungle named Esmeralda in the southern part of Africa there lived a Bengal tiger. Nine
feet long and 600 pounds, he was the biggest Bengal tiger in the whole jungle of Esmeralda. He was mean and did not like people because they took his family from him. On a day that would change his life, he went looking around the jungle for his morning meal. “Let’s see what I can find today,” said the Bengal tiger. While walking along the Amanda River, he listened to the lovely sound of water flowing by, like the sweet music of a harp. Looking at the wondrous colors of Esmeralda, from her flowers, to the animals in her trees, to her beautiful sparkling rivers, the Bengal tiger soon drifted away into his own little world. Then all of a sudden – Chuuk! Chuuk! Chuuk! – he was distracted by the sound of a tree being chopped down.
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Tuning himself back into the real world, he started looking around until he spotted the lumberjack that was chopping trees down. Sneaky as could be, the Bengal tiger slowly hid behind a big bush of sunflowers, getting ready to charge. He jumped out with a loud roar – Rarrrru!! – scaring the lumberjack out of his skin. Quick to react, the lumberjack turned around and dashed the other way, hoping to save himself from the ferocious beast. “You can’t outrun me,” said the Bengal tiger. “Oh, but I most certainly can try to out-jump you,” said the lumberjack, as he jumped off the cliff into the Amanda River far below. The Bengal tiger stopped at the edge of the cliff and watched the lumberjack fall into the water.
Rarr! Rarr! Rarr! He roared loudly with anger because the lumberjack got away. He turned around and went back to his cave because he was tired from all the excitement of the lumberjack chase.
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About ten minutes into his nap – CRACK! – he was awakened by the sound of something snapping. Perking up his ears and picking up his head defensively, he looked around for the source of the noise. He saw nothing but smelled the air. A sweet caramel scent swept over him, lifting him onto all four paws. He followed the scent out of his cave, onto the ledge, searching out the sweet smell. Rrrrrrr, he purred as he spotted a beautiful woman walking near the foot of his cave. She had short brown hair and wore a safari outfit. “Who are you, and what are you doing in this part of the jungle?” asked the Bengal tiger, scaring the woman stiff. “Um...uh..” She pulled a little stuffed tiger cub out of her pocket. “Mm..ma...my name is Jacinta, and I’m studying the life of Bengal tigers,” she said. He jumped off the ledge and slowly approached her.
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“I see you like tigers. You even have a little reminder of them,” he said. “Yes, I love them very much,” said Jacinta. The Bengal tiger had no urge to run her off. Instead, he felt all warm inside, like he was about to melt. Not understanding why he felt this way, he felt the need to be alone. Without saying another word, he suddenly ran off into the jungle. “Wait!” called Jacinta as she ran after him, following the Bengal tiger through the jungle. He dashed across a long, narrow tree trunk that stretched across the deep river. Jacinta tried to carefully cross this bridge, but she lost her balance and slipped off. She grabbed onto a big branch on the side of the tree trunk and tried to hang on. “Help! Help me! Please!” she cried.
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The Bengal tiger, not to far from the river, heard the echo of her scream and went back to her rescue. He saved Jacinta from the fall and put her on his back. She held on tight to the tiger’s broad back, and he took her to his cave so she could rest. Once she felt better, they began to talk. “What’s your name?” she asked. “I don’t have one,” answered the Bengal tiger. “Then I will give you one so that I can always remember you. Your name will be Isaiah,” she told him. “Thank you for saving my life, Isaiah.” “You are very welcome,” replied Isaiah. “I know why I saved you and why I did not try to scare you away.” “Why did you?” Jacinta asked. “Because I have fallen in love with you.”
– Look out for Part 2 –
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Puerto Rican Paradise
by Crystal Romero
In a town called Lovely lived the most gorgeous little girl named Beautiful. Beautiful had
dreams every night about places that kids always wish to go to. She dreamed about Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, the Bahamas, and Hawaii. One day, after one of her marvelous dreams, Beautiful jumped out of bed and rushed down the stairs – thump, thump, thump! She joyfully exclaimed, “Mommy, Mommy, you won’t believe what I dreamed about this time!” Her mom turned from the sizzling sound of the French toast she was cooking. “Well, I have a few minutes to spare,” she said. “Why don’t you come sit down and eat with me and tell me all about it?” Beautiful sat next to her mother and ate her breakfast, all the while babbling about a place called Puerto Rico. She started describing her dream.
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“It was the most dazzling place you’ve ever seen with a whole lot of water surrounding it! In the dream it was me and you, and we had decided to go there for the summer. When we arrived, we were greeted by a group of Puerto Rican musicians playing and singing in Spanish. Then we checked into the most famous motel on the island.” Beautiful’s mom said, “It’s sounding fantastic already. Why don’t you tell me some more?” “Well, the next day we got up early so that we could catch a boat to view the rest of the island’s beauty. We were able to go snorkeling and saw a big amount of fish, all the colors of the rainbow! We also went waterskiing. I was so scared, but you convinced me that I wouldn’t get hurt.” “Oh, did I really?” Beautiful’s mother asked. “Yes you did, Mom! After that, we went to a nearby restaurant and ordered some white rice with black beans, plantains, dinner rolls, and grilled chicken marinated in a delicious sauce.” “Mmm-mmm! It sure does sound delicious. I’m starting to get hungry again,” commented Beautiful’s mom. “I know, I can taste the food in my mouth, too,” Beautiful said.
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Beautiful continued, “After that we went back out to the beach and laid down on the moist sand and watched the beautiful sun set into the waters. We laid there for hours while listening to the tremendous croaking sound of the coqui frogs that are found only in Puerto Rico. That’s when I woke up and came to tell you.” Beautiful’s mother placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Well, you know what they say: dreams come true. Maybe we can take a trip out to Puerto Rico this summer! What do you think about that?” Beautiful wrapped her arms around her mother and cried, “Oh mom, I would love that so much! You’re the best!”
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The Grumpy Old Man
by Michael Patino
“I think it would be great for a mom or dad to read our stories to their children before they go to sleep!.”
Once upon a time there was an old man who
lived in a big beautiful house within a big beautiful neighborhood. The old man loved the environment he lived in. He loved all the trees, all the rich green grass, and the gorgeous lake that was right across the street from his house. The old man liked his neighborhood so much because of the many memories and years of his life spent on the very ground he stood on. The old man liked everything about his surroundings, everything except for one little thing. Teenagers. He could not stand teenagers. Every night before the old man went to bed he would sit down on his couch and turn on his TV. Sometimes he would say to himself, “Why do I even bother to watch the news when I already know what’s going to be said?” But, as usual, the old man would sit back on his couch and listen to the news reporter talk forever about how a teenager stole this, and how a teenager tagged up that, and how a lot of the city’s crime was being caused by teenagers.
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The old man was young once, and he thought that maybe teenagers just wanted to have fun. But as time crawled by, more and more dangerous things were being blamed on teenagers. He began to notice the way they dressed and carried themselves. Every time the old man stepped out to his driveway to get the paper, he’d spot a group of them walking by with their oversized pants dragging on the ground and their awful music blasting. Teenagers didn’t seem to care about anyone except themselves. Everywhere they went, trouble seemed to follow. Some of the crime they caused even started to invade the old man’s lovely neighborhood. The old man started to build up a lot of anger toward teenagers. One night the old man was driving home from the movies when he noticed a lot of flashing lights and people gathered around on his street. As he got closer he noticed everyone was crowded around his house! That’s when he spotted the smoke and jumped from his car. “What’s going on?!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “What happened?!!”
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“Please calm down, sir,” a police officer said in a calm voice. “Come with me so I can ask you some questions.” The old man did as he was told. About an hour later the old man stood in front of his once-beautiful house, which now looked like a piece of wood in a big barbeque pit. He sat on the ground and watched the smoke float away into the night sky, carrying away pieces of his house. All those memories and years now danced up in the clouds, gone forever. The old man began to worry. “What am I going to do? Where will I stay?” he asked himself. After the crowds and news crews left, the old man was left alone. “Do you have anywhere to go?” asked a voice from behind him. Surprised and a little scared, the old man looked back to see a short, spiky haired teenager. “No, I don’t,” replied the old man. “Well, you can’t stay here on the streets, not with all this crime,” said the teen. “You’re welcome to stay at my house if you like. I’ve already asked, and it’s okay with my parents.”
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The old man was not sure if he should follow the teenager, but he did not have much of a choice. Besides, he’d seen this boy grow up around the neighborhood, so he tried to put his fears aside. “By the way, my name’s Chris,” said the teen, then pointing behind him, “And these are my best friends, Mario and Eric.” The two taller boys looked like brothers. “Nice to meet y’all,” said the old man. For the next couple of months the old man stayed at Chris’ house and got to spend a lot of time with Chris and his friends. He got to learn a lot of things about their age group and their everyday problems. He even started to like the cool way they talked. But the most surprising thing was that he realized he’d been right in the beginning. All teenagers wanted to do was have fun and joke around. They weren’t out to hurt anybody. One morning the old man awoke and found the house empty. He was about to call Chris’ cell phone when Chris came through the back door yelling, “Old Man, where ya at?” “Ova here in da kitchen,” said the old man, speaking in his new hip way. Chris reached the kitchen, looked at his new friend, and said, “Hey, come wit me. I gotta show you somethin’.”
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So the old man followed Chris outside. They started walking down the street, further and further, until the old man spotted a crowd around his house. That’s when it hit him: He had a house!! “Where did all this come from?!” cried the old man. “I wuz keeping it on the down low. Me, Mario, and Eric got a bunch of friends from the ‘hood together and we built ya a new pad. We been workin’ on it fo’bout three months already. You like it?” At that moment, the old man was speechless. He was so happy about what Chris and his friends did for him, but he also felt guilt and shame for all the mean things he used to say and think about teenagers. Because of all the selfless things these teens had done for him these past months, the old man had changed his ways. This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. With a shaky finger, the old man wiped a tear from his eye and he said in a very grateful voice, “Yes, I love it!”
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Guardian Angels
by Jamillah Dyshawn Muhammad
Mariah Marie Rodriguez is a small girl with hazel eyes and light brown flip hair. She is
only six years old, and she’s afraid of the dark. She can’t sleep at night because she hears scary sounds like booooo. During the night she runs to her mom’s room crying, saying that she’s afraid of the dark and can’t sleep at all. She asks her mom what she should do at night when it’s time to go to bed. “I’ll think of something,” says her mom. “Go back to bed.” So Mariah goes back to her room wearing her SpongeBob Squarepants pajamas and waits for her mom to come talk to her. Suddenly, she hears footsteps coming and gets scared again, but it’s only Mariah’s mom.
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They start to talk about Mariah’s feelings. Her mom reminds Mariah that she always has guardian angels protecting her. “But what if I don’t believe in guardian angels?” asks Mariah. “Why don’t you believe in them?” her mom asks. “I can’t see them, so I don’t know if they’re real,” Mariah answers. Mariah’s mom has an idea and leaves the room for a little while. She returns with a night light and says this will help Mariah sleep at night. When her mom plugs in the night light, Mariah sees little light angels moving around the room. Now she falls asleep easily.
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Juanito’s Dream
by Andrew Martinez
“I want to be in the Storybook Project to make people happy, the community happy, and because this is my chance to do something to improve myself.”
Late one night the workers at an adoption home heard a loud knock at the door.
They wondered who could be knocking so late. When they opened the door, they saw a basket on the doorstep with a baby inside. He was a cute baby who looked like an angel. One of the workers named Anna fell in love with the little baby. Anna noticed a note on the baby that said, “Please take care of my baby. We cannot take care of him right now.” At the bottom of the note it said, “Sorry, Juanito. We love you.” Juanito grew up in the adoption home for the next six years. One day he started wondering who his parents were, so he began asking the people who worked there. He would say to one worker, “Are you my mother?” The lady would say, “Sorry, I am not.” So Juanito would walk down the hallway and ask another worker there, “Are you my father?” And the guy would say, “Sorry, no. I am not.”
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This made Juanito very sad, and he went to his room to cry every night. One night he started to pray, looking at the cross he had above his bed. As he was praying he would ask, Who are my parents? He asked himself, Who am I? Juanito wondered if his mother and father ever existed. A minute later he saw something glowing up in the corner of his room. It appeared to be a beautiful lady who held her hands together like she was praying. Juanito got scared as she got closer and closer. The lady was dressed in a green robe that was glowing bright. She told Juanito, “Don’t be afraid my child.” Juanito asked, “Who are you?” “My name is Mary, and I come from God’s kingdom. Why are you crying, my child?” she asked. “I don’t know who my parents are. I don’t know who I am,”answered Juanito. “Well don’t be sad, Juanito. If you need a mother to talk to, just call my name. I am sure one day you will know who your parents are.”
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Just then the door opened, and Anna came in. She wondered why Juanito was still up and asked who he was talking to. “Nobody,” he said, “I just can’t sleep.” “Come on, Juanito, I’ll tuck you in,” said Anna. As she tucked him in, Juanito looked up and could still see Mary glowing with a big smile. Juanito smiled back. “Do you want me to read you a story?” asked Anna. “Yes please,” said Juanito. She began to read him the story of the three little pigs, but before she finished the first page, Juanito was sound asleep. The next day Juanito woke up feeling great and hopeful that today would be the day he would get adopted. Many parents came to the home that day wanting to adopt a child. Many kids left happy because they were going to a real home where it was nice and warm and someone would love them. Juanito wanted someone to love him too.
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Slowly everyone left and it was time for bed. Juanito was so sad. Anna, the lady who always looked after Juanito, was excited to see that Juanito was still there, but she was not happy to see him crying. Anna asked, “What’s wrong?” Juanito didn’t say anything, so she just hugged him and said, “It’s okay Juanito. You’ll be alright.” Anna left the room to go take care of a kid that was having nightmares. Juanito got ready for bed, but when he laid down, he saw what seemed to be Mary. She was glowing with a beautiful green robe and those stars shining so bright. She came to talk to him again. “What’s wrong with you, Juanito?” she asked. He said in a low voice, “I want a familia.”
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“You will get a familia, and soon you will be in a warm, safe place,” Mary said, with a calm and beautiful look on her face. This made Juanito a little happier. Mary kept talking to him so he would cheer up and he wouldn’t be worrying about a familia. Then the door opened and it was Anna, so Mary disappeared. “Get some sleep now,” she said, as she tucked him in and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Juanito looked up to the ceiling and saw Mary. He smiled and soon fell asleep. The next morning Juanito woke up and was hoping that today he would be adopted. He went downstairs to eat breakfast, then went back upstairs to fix his bed. He showered to look good for the adults that were coming. Like he did every other day, Juanito imagined being adopted and going to a really big house with a pool, his own room, and a puppy.
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After he dressed, Ms. Sandra, a lady who was in charge of the place, called him downstairs. He wondered why and hoped it was something good. Juanito ran down the stairs with a big smile on his face and said, “Yes, ma’am?” Ms. Sandra asked him to follow her, and they walked to her office. There two people were sitting in chairs by the desk. Ms. Sandra went around to her desk and sat down. Then she looked at the two people and said, “Juanito, I want you to meet your mother and father.” Juanito was in shock. The man, who said his name was Andres Martinez, said, “Come here son.” Juanito was scared because he didn’t know who these people were. Ms. Sandra said nicely, “It’s okay, Juanito, these are your real parents.”
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Then the lady, whose name was Samantha Martinez, said, “Come here mi’jo.” He didn’t go to her. The woman looked into her purse and took out some pictures of Juanito when he was a baby. She handed them to Ms. Sandra, and Ms. Sandra showed the pictures to Juanito. “That’s me?” asked Juanito. “Yes, that’s right,” Ms. Sandra said. Juanito looked closely at the pictures. It looked just like the baby picture Anna had of Juanito when he first came to the adoption home. In these pictures, the baby Juanito was held by the man and woman now sitting in the room. “So he is my dad, and that is my mom,” said Juanito. Ms. Sandra said, “Yes, Juan.” Juanito was so happy! He said goodbye to Anna. Then he went home and lived happily ever after with his real mother and father. When he saw Mary again she said, “I told you that you would find your familia.” That’s the life of Juanito Martinez.
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The Funky & Friendly Cat
by Andrea Chavez
A funky cat named Ronald was living in a huge rainforest full of big yellow flowers and trees
colored light blue and green. The forest smelled like candy. One day Ronald was taking a skip around the big blue trees when suddenly – Boom!! – he collided with a small rabbit named Whitey. Whitey was scared of the big funky cat, but Ronald smiled and said, “Hi, I’m sorry! I’m looking for someone to play with. Do you want to play?” Whitey stuttered, “I...I...I got something to do,” and hopped off. So Ronald went skipping along the big blue rainforest until he saw a big purple rabbit named Giggles coming along. Thump, thump, thump. The purple rabbit came closer. Thump, thump, thump! Giggles stopped thumping, but Ronald kept skipping around, so Giggles hopped alongside Ronald and asked him to stop. Ronald stopped moving, and Giggles asked, “Do you want to play?”
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Ronald said yes, so the two started jumping rope using two big, friendly rattlesnakes named Thumbelina and Covester. They asked the light-blue tree Jakey to start singing a song. All the snakes in the forest sang along with ssss ssss ssss! Then along came little Whitey. He saw that Giggles was playing with Ronald, the funky cat, and he asked, “Can I play too?� So Giggles, Whitey, Thumbelina, Covester, Ronald, and Jakey loved each other and became good friends. You could hear their laughter, ha ha ha ha, through the whole big forest all night long.
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Hopes & Wishes
by Leonard Tremillo
“I have a lot of family members that have children... I want them to sit down and read to their children because that can make a big difference.”
One day, a boy named David was walking home from school. He stopped and looked in
a store window where he saw two lowrider bikes. One bike was all black with little Looney Toons pictures on it. The other bike was candy red with flames and a stereo attached to the back. That’s the one that really caught his eye. The boy had never seen such a beautiful bike before – the way the chrome handle bars shined, the way it was low to the ground. He rarely saw these types of bikes in his neighborhood. David felt like the bike fit his personality because of the way it shined and was down to earth. When he got home he told his dad about the bikes he’d just seen. His dad said if he wanted it bad enough, he should work hard and save for it. David did the math and figured that by the time he’d be able to save enough money for the bike, they would be sold out. But that made him work extra hard around the house for some money. He hoped to buy the bike in time.
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Every night David prayed because he wanted the bike so badly, but it didn’t look like he’d be able to save enough. Then he realized that Christmas was just around the corner, so the boy did not give up hope. David was restless on the day before Christmas. All he thought about was the bike. It was a long night. It felt like thirty years had passed by. David woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon cooking. After breakfast, he saw his grandma, the nicest woman in the world. The time finally came to open presents. He unwrapped a gift of clothes and another filled with a bunch of video games he would not use. His mother handed him one more present, but it was a play station, not what David had wanted. So he went to sleep that night wondering why he did not get the bike. When David woke up the next morning, his mom asked him to help her hang up the clothes outside. David took the clothespins and followed her outside. There it was, the candy red bike! His parents wanted it to be a surprise. While he rode down the street, David said to himself, hopes and wishes do come true.
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Practice Makes Perfect
by Odell Stevenson
Once upon a time there was a boy named Don who was in the first grade at Douglas
Elementary School. He was the shyest kid in class, but he always got his work done first. He was good in all his classes except gym because he was never taught to play basketball. He never even cared about it until the other kids started making fun of him. When they made fun of him it ruined his day. At home he would cry and tell his mom what he was feeling. Every time he told his mom about the teasing, she said the same thing: “Practice makes perfect.� Don believed everything his mom said. So when she told him to practice everyday, he would, because he knew it would make him as good as any pro.
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After school Don would change into his gym shorts and go to the park behind his house. Every day he practiced, in the rain or in sunlight, in the daytime or at night, until his arms were too tired to shoot the ball and until his legs were too tired to jump. Don started to get better, but he still wasn’t as good as the kids at school. He continued getting made fun of through middle school, but he kept practicing until he perfected his skills and until he got big and strong like his mom.
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When Don reached the 9th grade he was so good at basketball that no one could beat him. Don never made fun of people like they did to him when he was younger, even when he was tempted. But he did show off a little. When the coaches saw him play they asked if he would like to be the only 9th grader on varsity team. Don was happy and said yes so fast the coach didn’t have time to finish the sentence. While Don was on the varsity team, the coach made them practice against the regular team. When they played, Don would always shoot over all the same kids that made fun of him as a child. They would always ask Don how he got so good and who helped him. Every time Don answered, “My mom.” The other players looked surprised, but in his mind, Don thought of his mom’s message: “Practice makes perfect.”
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- The End -
Thanks for reading.
Gemini Ink nurtures readers and writers and builds community through literature and the related arts. We are the only community-based center for literary arts and ideas in San Antonio and South Texas. During the past year, we served more than 5,300 readers, writers, and literary performancegoers representing a diverse sampling of our community’s population. Four programs currently serve our mission: •WRITERS IN COMMUNITIES (WIC) sends professional writers into diverse community settings to work alongslide students of all ages, needs, interests, and abilities in free workshops based in oral traditions, reading, and creative writing. •The AUTOGRAPH SERIES presents writers of national and international stature - many of them recipients of major prizes such as the Pulitzer or National Book Award - each spring and fall in free public performances at major local theaters. •The UNIVERSITY WITHOUT WALLS (UWW) offers three semesters of fee-based reading groups and workshops and also many free literary events led by professional writers, scholars, and interdisciplinary artists. •DRAMATIC READER’S THEATER (DRT) features professional actors interpreting literary works in free performances, often accompanied by original music. For more information, visit www.geminiink.org or call 210.734-WORD (9673). Toll-free: 877.734-WORD (9673).