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I PROVE EVERYONE WRONG EVERY DAY WRITING FROM THE IMANI HOUSE WRITERS AT P.S. 282 NY WRITERS COALITION PRESS

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I P R O V E E V E RYO N E W R O N G E V E RY D AY W RITING FROM THE I MANI H OUSE W RITERS AT P.S. 282

NY W RITE RS C O A LITI O N P RES S S U MME R 2014 3

Copyright Š 2014 NY Writers Coalition, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-9911174-5-1 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Upon publication, copyright to individual works returns to the authors.

Editors: Sitra Bowman, Tory Meringoff Layout: Rose Gorman Title: Alexa Somoza Cover Images: via Wikimedia Commons, Alexa Somoz Interior Images: Imani House Writers at P.S. 282 I Prove Everyone Wrong Every Day contains writing by members of the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 NY Writers Coalition creative writing workshops conducted at P.S. 282 in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. The Imani House Writers are ages 7-10.

NY Writers Coalition Press, Inc. 80 Hanson Place, Suite 604 Brooklyn, NY 11217 (718) 398-2883 info@nywriterscoalition.org www.nywriterscoalition.org ABOUT IMANI HOUSE, INC. Imani House, Inc. (IHI) is a community based multicultural organization that provides programs, services, and hope to many immigrants, youth, and low-income residents of the area.

For more information about Imani House visit www.imanihouse.org or e-mail ihicontact@imanihouse.org

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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

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ORIGINAL WRITING BY Jalissa Augustin

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Joy Brathwaite

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London Fraizer-Brown

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Martine Gregoire

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Ayanna Hunt

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Zari Iderabdullah

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Ryan Joseph

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Maxwell Ming

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Raelynn Mullins

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Jade Ridges

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Alexa Somoza

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Arianna Soto

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Tamia Turner

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Meagan Vanzie

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Mhilae Williams

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IMANI HOUSE IS

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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ABOUT NY WRITERS COALITION

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INTRODUCTION Tor y Mer ing o ff & S itr a Bowma n NYWC WO RK S HO P FA C ILITA TO RS Once upon a time there was an amazing place called Imani House, where hardworking children doubled-up on school. It was like a second school, where they went to learn even more, even after all the teachers and the homework and the sitting at the desks at their regular school had mentally exhausted them.

Some of the students were magical. They had high-endurance brains. They were storytellers, imagination web-weavers, people who wanted to write. Even on a Friday afternoon, even when they were ready to just go home and relax, they sat down at desks, with their pens and their trusty magic notebooks, and they created.

They created poetry about evil twins, drew pictures of ice cream cones. They told us stories of home and cats and of galaxies and worlds we’ve never seen before. They were children with beautiful brains, and whenever they stood up in the middle of the circle to read their stories, they were so excited. You could see it on their faces.

They supported each other through the writing process, sharing what they liked and remembered about each others’ work, analyzing writing like it was a little literary roundtable.

They impressed us every single week with their brains. They will go down in history as the special ones.

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As our time together draws to a close, we want to thank you lovelies for everything: Thank you for your stories, thank you for your voices, thank you for making us giggle and thank you for making us sit back, tilt our heads to the side and think Did a child just write something that profound?

You have surprised us in the most amazing ways: how brilliant you are when you’re given the space to be creative, how much energy you have, and just how much you love cookies!

You have brought sunshine into every Friday afternoon we’ve seen you. We have so much faith in you. We can’t wait to see what you all do next.

Write on, kids.

Ms. Tory & Ms. Sitra June 2014

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SANTA PENGUIN & JALISSA RULES

by Jalissa Augustin

JALISSA AUGUSTIN

SANTA PENGUIN One cold stormy night in the North Pole there was this penguin who could talk! All his other friends can’t talk but he still understands them. He always tells his friends that Santa is real!!! But they don’t believe him! So one night there was this magic pixie dust spreading all around in his house and he turned into SANTA PENGUIN!!!

Next he was sent to Santa’s workshop by little penguin elves. So when he got to Santa’s workshop he said “What’s going on? And why am I wearing Santa Penguin’s clothes?”

The elves said all at the same time “Cause you’re the new Santa Penguin, duh.” This must be a mistake! Nope no mistake. Uh oh.

Then he said “So I have to deliver presents to all the penguins in the world?!” Yup. So he put all the presents in the sleigh and gave all the presents to all the good penguins this year.

Last, he arrived back home and it was all a dream. But the one part that wasn’t a dream was that his friends didn’t believe in Santa and that he could talk. So everybody had an awesome CHRISTMAS!!!!

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MY PARK by Joy Brathwaite

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JOY BRATHWAITE

MY PARK I have a cat named Reggie. He has an “M” marking on his forehead. Reggie lives on St. James place. I also see Reggie near my Grandpa’s house but my grandpa scares Reggie away. Reggie goes away looking for cat food.

Reggie is a fat little cat.

Reggie scares me when I see him running. When he runs near my house and then runs away, Reggie steps on orange berries. I try not to step on orange berries like Reggie.

Reggie sometimes sits near my steps or my yard. I make Reggie move by scaring him like this. I’ll put one foot up and I will say “UH!” Reggie bites too because he’s a cat.

Reggie’s whiskers are white and long. Reggie’s nose sniffs and Reggie’s nose is pink. Reggie has a marking of “M” on his forehead. Reggie has pink ears. Reggie has yellow eyes. Reggie is funny.

Reggie has long claws. Reggie has soft paws. Reggie’s face always looks lost and mad. Reggie always looks at me with a face. Reggie’s cat food has fish in it.

Reggie has fur sticking up on his head and on his back.

Reggie’s tail is yellow and the back of Reggie’s tail is white.

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LONDON FRAIZER-BROWN

THE LOST CAT NAMED REGGIE The cat named Reggie was mad. He was really mad because he did not get no food. He tried to ask the youngest brother, but he was not paying him no mind. He asked the oldest brother but he could not understand what Reggie was saying. He asked the bad sister, but she was running away from Reggie. So when it was time to go outside, Reggie wandered off somewhere, and when it was time to go in they wanted to play with Reggie. They looked and looked.

They did not find him. Reggie was far, far away, and he did not know his way back.

He was hungry. He had nothing to eat.

He was going and going, and he needed water and food. Then the dog barked ten times, and it ran away. He went in a circle, and he found a home.

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MARTINE GREGOIRE

REGGIE Maybe Reggie walked away and walked and walked and walked and then he saw a dog and asked “Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow,” that means “Have you seen my owner?”

The dog said “Rof, rof, rof, rof” that means “No I have not.” So Reggie walked and walked some more.

Then he saw a pond and he saw a goose. He asked “Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow,” that means “Have you seen my owner?”

The goose said “quack, quack, quack,” which means “Yes I have.”

Reggie said “meow” that means “where?”

The goose said “quack, quack, quack.” That means “in the woods.”

So Reggie rushed to the woods then he saw his owner and they lived happily ever after.

THE END

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UKARAH (Uu-ka-ro-H) Ukarah is a type of movie that is like a funny story but it has to be true.

It also means a teacher that teaches sign language.

But don’t stop reading yet, there is one final meaning.

The meaning is (drum roll) a Math book that teaches Math in Spanish.

THE SPECIAL PENGUIN Once upon a time there was a penguin he was very special because he was made out of beads. One day I found him he was crying. I asked the penguin “Why are you crying?”

The penguin said “Because I am not a red penguin anymore.”

I said “Why?” The penguin said “Because I lost the key to my heart.”

I said “Okay, I will help you find it.”

They looked and looked but they did not see it. But then I heard a bell ring. I went to the bell and in the bell were the keys. I gave it to the penguin and lived happily ever after. The end.

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AYANNA HUNT

KIARA’S LIFE Kiara is 20 years old. She is hardworking and a tired worker. Sometimes Kiara goes and visits the Great Wall of China and eats her favorite food which is mac and cheese.

She works hard in the summer when she visits The Great Wall of China. She sits on the wall and thinks.

ODE TO SWEETS Ode to sweets that may not be healthy it still tastes so yum!

It helps us get hyper and go crazy Ode to the sweets that gives us cavities and is not so great.

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ZARI IDERABDULLAH

BUTTERFLY There is a girl named Butterfly. She loves to fly. Her friends are named Horse, Frog, and Bear.

Next there was a problem. The house was on fire. Everybody was going crazy.

Butterfly was flying all over the place.

Horse was making sounds. Frog was jumping all over the place. Bear was watching TV and drinking his coffee.

He did not know there was a fire because he was too busy watching his favorite TV commercial. Bear was jumping off the bridge.

He loved that show. Every morning, he watches it all the time. He was in love with that commercial. “Love me, Commercial.

Always stay close to me.”

“I love you,” said Bear. “Are you ok? We are having fun.”

“She was a butterfly,” said the frog.

“Does the butterfly fly?” Yes.

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21 BIG MOUTH by Zari Iderabdullah

MY MONSTER My monster has 100 arms and legs and 40 eyes and 70 sharp teeth.

My monster has 100 fingers and blue skin. It is big and hairy.

And my monster likes to dance and my monster is friendly and my monster likes to wear pants and business shoes.

My monster has friends, and he is nice and happy.

And my monster comes from Japan, and his name is Big Mouth.

And he lives in space.

And he has friends. Their names are Zari, Brianna, Sitra, Tory, Maxwell, Kayla, Skylah, and Raelynn.

My monster’s favorite food is broccoli.

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RYAN JOSEPH

WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR When I look in the mirror, I see someone who is me.

I like where I live.

We like to go to the park.

I can talk to my Xbox One, and I wish I had an Xbox 720.

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MAXWELL MING

CREATIVE WRITING Creative writing is important because we get to write whatever we want. My imagination can run wild.

When it runs wild I can write anything. I can believe that I can do anything. I can express my feelings.

Writing is awesome, writing is cool.

I LOVE WRITING! I love writing Games My girlfriend My mom

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ODE TO MY GIRLFRIEND I love Zoraya. She is pretty. I like her hair.

I know her like the back of my hand.

I LOVE SPACE I love space.

There are black holes in space.

Astronauts go to space.

There are planets and stars in space. Space is the universe that goes on for infinity.

I want to go to NASA space camp. The CPPO is the Russian team. The cows go to the moooon.

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RAELYNN MULLINS THE CAT, THE DOG & THE OWL The owl is playing with the dog and the cat and the owl. The owl said “The world is falling.” and the dog said, “No the sky is not falling, it is raining. Let’s go inside so we won’t get raindrops on our head.”

“But I can fly, so I can go to my house and drink some coffee.”

“Yes, but don’t get lost, okay?”

“Okay, but I won’t.”

“Okay, we will see you.”

He got lost, and he had to find his house because the dog will come but he won’t even know where is my house. So the cat came and said, “Why are you up there?”

“Because the rain pushed me over.”

The cat said “I know where my house is, Silly, so you can take me home before the dog comes. You are my friend. Now, let’s go.”

So we went and were drinking some coffee.

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APPLE SAUCE & APPLE PIE I will go to Georgia with my sister and my brother, and then we will jump in the pool. After that I am going to North Carolina to see my dog Pudgy and I will eat apple sauce with my grandfather. Then we are going to eat the apple pie we just made. Then we are going to stay up, then go to bed.

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JADE RIDGES

IF I WERE A TINY HUMAN, I WOULD...

One day I was napping. I was dreaming that this evil witch gave me some lemonade. It had sour powder. I drank some lemonade. I started to shrink. Oh no! Now I’m the size of my dog. The next day I shrunk even more! Now I am the size of my Journey Girl Doll! Ooh-la-la! I could fit her clothes.

But that is not the problem. Okay, now I’m officially the size of an ant. My mom doesn’t like bugs. So I slept on a flower. Then a bee stung me. So I just slept on my bed. But I couldn’t reach it!

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MY HAPPINESS IS Downtown Brooklyn It is about 10 yards It takes no bus rides It is 200 doorways and 5 stairwells It is one mile away It is 8,000 words away For my mom it takes 15 million thoughts It takes 200,000 pieces of thread

JADE by Jade Ridges

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ALEXA SOMOZA

KIANA MADISON GHOST Kiana Madison Ghost is a little girl. She loves plants. She became an astronomer last year. It was summer and her favorite food in summer is mac and cheese. So in summer she decided to go to the Great Wall of China, so she set off to China. The Great Wall of China looked very tall, and it had some bumps that went up and down but she forgot to tell her parents where she went so her parents wouldn’t be worried.

So her mom and dad were really worried where she was and she forgot what to do if a stranger catches her. Unluckily, a stranger came and grabbed her from behind, and she screamed for help, and no one heard her, so she screamed and the second time someone heard her.

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I PROVE EVERYONE WRONG EVERYDAY

by Alexa Somoza

I SEEM TO BE I seem to be smart but my brothers treat me like nothing But I really am smart Everybody think I never grow but I do Also people say I can’t handle a pet but I can I seem to be but I am a circus acrobat I prove everyone wrong everyday

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POT IN A DOT I got a pot in a dot. I made a soup that is hot in a spot. I said not to be eaten. Then my little brother came and ate some. Then I tied my brother’s laces into a knot of rot. Then I made a lot into a pot.

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ARIANNA SOTO

RECIPE FOR A NIGHTMARE The recipe for a nightmare: Step 1:

Watch a scary movie Then get a big box and put a witches’ eye

Step 2:

Put a cup of cobwebs

Step 3:

Put 3 cups of skin and kill a zombie and put a piece of dead rat and say these words “kill, kill, up, up, up, there you go.

BOO

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WHO I LOVE I miss my mom’s dad and brother. They both loved me very much. I love my uncle. He was the best uncle ever. I love my grandpa. He was the best person ever. My grandpa was the best grandpa ever. I love him very much. I love my uncle very much he used to call me Aribaby. I love that name. I love my uncle.

VIOLETS Violets are red beauty Come to live only one poem Can save it ok this is The plan let’s do this we Got this let’s boom boom Haaaaaaah this is very crazy.

OMG I cannot believe this now this is crazier I do not like This is very crazy.

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TAMIA TURNER MY EVIL / GOOD TWIN Once upon a time my twin and I were home. Then my twin and I went to the room and watched TV. Then my twin came out of the room and then she went to the kitchen, and then crash! Boom!

Kaboom! Bam! There was a big sound in the kitchen and I went out to check my twin had pans and pots and broken glass in the kitchen.

Then I said “What’s wrong with you?!

You are going to be in big trouble.”

Then mom came home and called us to the living room and said “Who made this mess in the kitchen?!”

“It was…my twin. She knocked all of the pots, pans, and glass on the floor.”

Then she got in trouble.

Then the next day my twin was being nice to people and cleaning up trash from the floor. She started recycling bottles and paper and saying nice words. My twin is the best.

The end.

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36 IF I WERE AN ANT by Tamia Turner

IF I WERE THE SIZE OF AN ANT One day I took a nap and dreamed that a wicked witch gave me a poison and it made me get smaller. Actually the size of an ant.

This is the story of how I was the size of an ant. Here I go: So this witch gave me a poison that made me smaller when I was napping. I got so small I could not reach my bed, it was too high to get up to so I went outside took 3 leaves and turned it into a bed. I slept on it outside. But then it started to rain so I went inside with the leaf bed and went to sleep. In the morning something strange happened to me, I was huge again! I was so excited I had a party and I lived happily ever after!

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MY HAPPINESS IS...

My happiness is 15 miles away from home Happiness is 100 inches long My happiness is 300 yards long My happiness is 100 rides to work and 100 rides back.

My happiness is 10 doorways and 15 stairwells long My happiness is 1,000 hours awake in the dark belly of the night which contains 100 dollhouse sized bedrooms My happiness is all the way in Georgia My happiness is 10,000 words long My happiness is 100 thoughts long My happiness is 2,000 pavements long My happiness is 11,000 pieces of thread long in the enormous sewing machine of the present moment.

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MEAGAN VANZIE

IF I WERE AN ANT If I were an ant I would be really small. I would walk everywhere trying not to get squashed by big human beings. If I was an ant trying to walk across a big bedroom I would think of how it would feel so I tried it.

I walked across a big bedroom. It felt a little weird because I was on a carpet.

The carpet was light brown. My legs felt tired so I sat down for a little bit. Then I started to walk.

I was sweating while I was walking. I saw this other ant, he was trying to beat me up. Even though I don’t like eating my own species, I had to eat the ant because it was a mean old ant.

He was dead. I was full. The bad news was that a human being came and stepped on me.

I was dead.

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SCARY DREAMS I am surreal when I am sleeping. In one of my scary dreams there was a boy and a girl. And the girl started to rip off the boy’s skin and the boy was a skeleton. Another scary dream was that I was being attacked by a gigantic monster and it ate me. I was dead.

I LOVE TO WRITE

by Meagan Vanzie

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THE SAFARI One day there were 3 little girls named Meagan, Tamia and Jade. They were going on a safari to look at peacocks. So they went home to look at the computer and see where they can find peacocks. They saw that you can find peacocks in the forest. They clicked the mouse and the picture and the caption printed it out. They took the camera and took off to the safari. At the end of the forest they saw a peacock and took 2 pictures. They headed home and saw 5 dozen animals in the forest.

They took so many pictures they went home with 2 handfuls of animal pictures. They collected a lot and they won a prize. It was a $1,000 gift card and a free trip to Hawaii and California. They were so happy they collected more pictures and got more prizes. That was the best day of their life!!!

PS: They moved to California for free since they got so much money. They even had $900 left over to spend 5 years in Hawaii. They loved it so much they became rich and everybody was so nice to them they got to get anything and do anything they wanted to.

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42 EVIL TWIN by Mhilae Williams

MHILAE WILLIAMS

MY OLD CAT POEM (Mashyla) I used to have a cat that was black She loved me and I loved her My cat is nice Since she ran away I can’t see her any more I miss her Besides her name is Mashyla I wonder where she is I love my cat Now my second cat She is a little crazy One time she climbed up the wall My cat is really really, really, really, excited and very, very, very crazy Even though I love her so much I think she is crazy Another time she ate my mom’s whole entire bathing suit.

“Hoo yea” my second cat is cuckoo every single day

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44 THE DOG by Mhilae Williams

IMANI HOUSE IS Imani House is the most fun place Imani House is so cool and awesome AR IA Imani House is so amazing NN A Imani House makes me feel like a happy kid Imani House makes me feel like I am cool Imani House makes me feel like a flower When I am at Imani House I am so happy and cool When I am at Imani House I am so happy to see Ms. Tory When I am at Imani House I am so happy and awesome.

Imani House is a great place Imani House is a safe place SA S I Imani House is an awesome place L JA Imani House makes me feel safe Imani House makes me feel happy Imani House makes me feel great When I am at Imani House I am having fun When I am at Imani House I am doing activities When I am at Imani House I am safe.

MS . T Imani House is full of energy & MH ORY Imani House is bursting with life ILA E Imani House is a place to learn and have fun Imani House makes me feel happy and joyful Imani House makes me feel like a superstar Imani House makes me feel great When I am at Imani House I am calm When I am at Imani House I am graceful When I am at Imani House I am happy.

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Imani House is fun TA Imani House is a great place MI A Imani House is a safe place Imani House makes me feel excited Imani House makes me feel happy Imani House makes me feel great When I am at Imani House I am having fun When I am at Imani House I am safe When I am at Imani House I am doing activities.

Imani House is fun Imani House is a great place for afterschool Imani House is a safe place for children Imani House makes me feel excited N Imani House makes me feel happy GA A Imani House makes me feel great ME When I am at Imani House I am safe When I am at Imani House I am having fun When I am at Imani House I am doing fun activities.

Imani House is fun Imani House is cool Imani House is interesting Imani House makes me feel amazing Imani House makes me feel a happy girl Imani House makes me feel happy When I am at Imani House I am safe When I am at Imani House I am singing When I am at Imani House I am cute.

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Imani House is fun and we can do lots of things Imani House is a great place Imani House is a really great place Imani House makes me feel like a project person Imani House makes me feel like a jumpin’ jive Imani House makes me feel like that’s my home When I am at Imani House I am like the First Lady When I am at Imani House I am like a happy rollercoaster When I am at Imani House I am so happy to do things.

JOY

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A CKN OWLE D G E ME N T S As a small, grassroots organization, NY Writers Coalition relies on the generous support of those dedicated to getting the voices of those who have been silenced heard.

Many thanks go to our foundation, government, and corporate supporters, without whom this writing community and publication would not exist: Amazon.com, the Bay & Paul Foundations, Kalliopeia Foundation, the Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Nicholas B. Ottoway Foundation, the Pinkerton Foundation, the Sonya Staff Foundation, and the Tiger Baron Foundation.

We rely heavily on the support of individual NYWC members and attendees of our annual Write-A-Thon. In addition, members of our Board of Directors have kept this vital, rewarding work going year after year: Louise Crawford, Marian Fontana, Sandy Huang, Lisa Smith, Jonathan Tasini, and NYWC Founder and Executive Director Aaron Zimmerman.

We’d also like to thank Tory Meringoff and Sitra Bowman, NYWC’s workshop facilitators who have been instrumental in making this book happen, Sr. Bisi Ideraabdullah. Ms. Kim Shawn, and the Imani House staff, and the dedicated contributors and workshop members of the Imani House Writers.

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A BOUT NY W RITERS C OALITION NY Writers Coalition (NYWC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that creates opportunities for formerly voiceless members of society to be heard through the art of writing.

One of the largest community-based writing organizations in the country, we provide free, unique, and powerful creative writing workshops throughout New York City for people from groups that have been historically deprived of voice in our society, including at-risk, disconnected, and LGBT youth, homeless and formerly homeless people, those who are incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, war veterans, people living with disabilities, cancer, and other major illnesses, immigrants, seniors, and many others.

For more information about NYWC programs and NY Writers Coalition Press publications visit WW W . N YW RITE RS C O A LITIO N . O R G

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NY Writers Coalition Press is proud to present I PROVE EVERYONE WRONG EVERY DAY

a collection of poetry, prose, and art by the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 Imani House Writers from P.S. 282 in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. The Imani House Writers are ages 7-10.

CONTRIBUTORS

Jalissa Augustin Joy Brathwaite London Fraizer-Brown Martine Gregoire Ayanna Hunt Zari Iderabdullah Ryan Joseph Maxwell Ming Raelynn Mullins Alexa Somoza

Arianna Soto Tamia Turner Meagan Vanzie Mhilae Williams EDITED BY

Sitra Bowman Tory Meringoff

LEARN MORE ABOUT NYWC PROGRAMS & NYWC PRESS PUBLICATIONS WWW . NYWRITERSCOALITION . ORG

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