The Bunk Room
Apopka –Wekiva ™ August 2011 Vol 4, Issue 2
ids K y B d Created By All! Rea
e u s s I s i In Th le Scout: Annika 11, splashes her heart out on her Staycation!
g to Ea e s i y R ourne or The J e Th n F Visio g o D Blind rite! ies! W Kids unk Room B The
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Apopka–Wekiva
™
The Bunk Room
Created by Kids
The Bunk Room is a magazine written entirely by kids and read by all ages. Our goal is to inspire kids to love reading and writing. We have readers and contributors from all over the world. In addition to our online edition, our printed editions can be found throughout the United States. Print editions are provided without charge at and can be picked up at participating local businesses and institutions. To locate your closest local provider, go to thebunkroom.com/locations.
The Bunk Room is owned by Dimples Media, Inc. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from Dimples Media, Inc. Please email permission requests to publisher@TheBunkRoom.com. Local editions of The Bunk Room are licensed by Dimples Media and are independently owned and operated. For information about being a local publisher of The Bunk Room, contact Mark Slaby, Director of Licensing at mark@TheBunkRoom.com
wHAt’s uP tHis moNTh? g The Way ogs Leadin D g in z a m A
Features 10 And We Have a Winner! Mandi 9, can’t stop singing! She dazzles at the Lake County Fair this year!
10 Hula Hoops Galore! How many hoops can you hula? Julia 7, shares her experience!
14 Great Stories, Great Dogs.
page 14
Becca and Margo write about the great things that Seeing Eye Dogs do. A must read!
Rise To Eagle Scou t
22 Meet our Bunk Roomies! Our own Bunk Roomies learn to interview each other and put it down on paper (or computer!)
Departments 6 Publishers Note 8 Contributors this issue 8 Margo’s Musings 11 Survey 12 Day-To-Day 20 Poem! Poem! 26 Road Trip! Cover Story
page 18 A Ten Year Old CEO
28 Habilis Boy 25 Movie/Book Review 29 Day-To-Day Adrian 13, Coral Gables, FL shares the details of his day!
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The Bunk Room
™
Apopka–Wekiva TBRapopkaWekiva.com Publisher: Margo Slaby
Editorial / Creative: Maria Slaby
Margo Slaby
Publisher, Apopka–Wekiva
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Editor in Chief: Margo Slaby
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Advertising Design: Local Person Distribution: Local Person
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The Bunk Roomies......................... Our loyal and diligent writers! :) Hannah Patterson 11, Mount Dora, FL Grace Patterson 10, Mount Dora, FL Madison Yates 12, Sorrento, FL Rebecca Michaels 9, Concord, NC Erik Slaby 15, Mount Dora, FL Benjamin Slaby 13, Mount Dora, FL Annika Slaby 11, Mount Dora, FL Founders.................................... The Slaby Family, Mount Dora, FL Margo, Erik, Benjamin & Annika Mark & Maria .................................................. The Bunk Room: Apopka–Wekiva, is published by Dimples Media. 352-383-1456. .................................................. All content submissions are assumed to be for publication and become property Dimples Media, Inc., 1515 Old Eustis Road, Mount Dora, FL, provider of The Bunk Room trademark and editorial content. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from Dimples Media Inc. Contact publisher@thebunkroom.com for permission requests. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies and notify us immediately. The Bunk Room is limited in liability to a correction in a future issue. All opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers or advertisers. The Bunk Room cannot be held responsible for the products, services or opinions herein.
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eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Maria Slaby
Director of Editorial & Creative
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eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
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Contributors This Issue Julia 7, Medford, OR
Hannah 11, Mount Dora, FL
Katelyn 9, Eagan, MN
Christina 11, Orlando, FL
Aidan 9, Bozeman, MT
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Becca 9, Concord, NC
Annika 11, Mount Dora, FL
Margaux 15, Brussels, BE
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Madison 12, Sorrento, FL
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Sophia 10, Coral Gables, FL
Julia 12, Louisville, KY
Zachary 16, Oakdale, MN
Hannah 10, West Broomfield, MI
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
Grace 10, Mount Dora, FL
Adrian 13, Coral Gables, FL
Margo’s Musings
Woo Hoo! The Bunk Room staff has some pretty exciting stuff going on… this is our first printed edition! We’re so excited and we would love for everybody to be part of this amazing experience. Kids, submit your writing, fill out our surveys and see your name in print! Join our Bunk Roomies, where kids get together and learn all about things like writing, photography, publishing and much more! Adults, help spread the word about The Bunk Room. Share it with your friends and family and help inspire the joy of reading and writing to more kids. You could even consider becoming a local publisher of your very own edition of The Bunk Room! (See our site for details. thebunkroom.com) We've got some pretty amazing articles in this issue. Meet our new Bunk Roomies; we've got bios of our members. And get this: They were written by the other kids in Bunk Roomies! That's right, they learned how to interview each other at one meeting and wrote a bio about each other. That was so much fun! Hannah, 10 of West Bloomfield, MI tells us what it is like to be a CEO of her own company. How cool is that?!? It just shows that kids CAN do whatever they put their mind to it. And Zach, 15 of Oakdale, MN rose to Eagle Scout. Another formidable feat! I hope all of you have had a wonderful summer and are excited to start back up with school. Make sure you subscribe to our weekly emails and consider becoming a Bunk Roomie too. Smiles! ~Margo
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Congratulations to all contributors.
The Bunk Room Needs You Yes...this whole magazine is written entirely by kids, so come on kids, now’s your time to shine. See your work published!
Submission Guidelines All writing should be original work of the contributor and be considered wholesome and acceptable content for kids aged 8 to 18. All artwork must be original from the contributor. For photographs, please include names of persons in the photos.
Submit Online All work needs to be submitted via our Inbox at TheBunkRoom.com Remember, a parent or guardian’s electronic signature must accompany all submissions. All submissions are the property of The Bunk Room. The Bunk Room reserves the right to edit submissions. The Bunk Room content is published monthly by Dimples Media. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission from the publisher.
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Mandi Takes The Stage & Wins!
Finally, it was her turn. She performed “There is a Way” by New World with her keyboard and voice. “I thought I did good.” she said about the performance.
By Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL It’s a singer’s dream to perform in front of hundreds of people in hopes of winning. The lights, music and cheers around any singer is probably one of the big reasons performers keep coming back to entertain. Mandi, of Lake County, Florida knows that feeling and got to experience it a second time at the Lake County County Fair this year. The nine year old of Tavares, Florida who has been singing and playing the keyboard for three years, went to the Lake County Fair for the second time, in hopes of winning the annual talent show.
And apparently, so did the judges. Mandi walked away with a 1st place trophy, $100.00 and a big smile. The trophy, of course, goes on a shelf in her house, but the money has a plan as well. “I’m going to keep $10.00 to spend and probably give $10.00 to the church offering. All the rest is going into savings.”
For months before, she practiced up to two or three times a day trying to perfect her keyboard/singing solo for the big performance. At last, the big day arrived.
There were several hundred people crowded under the pavilion to watch the many contestants. According to Mandi, “There were a lot of people performing, but there were only two other people who were singing.”
When asked if she was nervous, Mandi let out a giggle “Yes! I played with my dad before [the performance] to help.”
So what’s in plan for this little canary? She’s not sure as to what competitions she might want to enter, but as for her own compositions, she’s got that under her pencil. “I’ve written one song and I am now starting another.” She’s also started playing the ukulele.
The Hula Hoop Master By Julia 7, Medford, OR My name is Julia, and I am in first grade. I am the best hula hooper in my school. Some people call me the hula hoop master! I think it’s easy, but sometimes it’s hard when I do it around my neck. When I do three hoops around my neck at the same time it hurts a little bit.
I was in a huge talent show at my school. I did my routine in front of everyone to the song, “Supercalifragilisticecspelodocious” and the crowd clapped during my routine. It was awesome to perform. When I went back to my seat, my teacher asked me to teach my whole class how to hula hoop. My friends were surprised to know that I could hula hoop with three hoops. I love hula hooping because I can play it on rainy or sunny days. My hoops are all sparkly, and I have two regular size ones and one giant one. All kids and grownups should learn how to have fun with a hula hoop!
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Check out Mandi’s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/ UkuleleMandi
Pop Survey! Describe your dream bedroom: It would have a couch with cozy and cute pink pillows. It would have a desk with a lava lamp and book shelves with lots of good books. Katelyn 9, Eagan, MN A high-tech, modern, big, all my own, Turquoise, room Hannah 11, Mount Dora, FL My dream bedroom would have everything totally to do with ballet. Madison 12, Sorrento, FL Big, with a window seat. Purple walls and wood floors and a canopy bed. Christina 11, Orlando, FL Is the one I have now. Bunk beds, blue painted walls, and a comfy chair. Aidan 9, Bozeman, MT
Soccer, soccer, soccer, with a recording studio.
Probably a Star Wars themed room. And a closet that gets new clothes everyday.
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Julia 12, Louisville, KY
A small bed with a desk and a huge closet.
Blue, green, and purple colors with a huge canopy.
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Becca 9, Concord, NC
A beautiful white trundle bed with 2 bean bag chairs, one pink and one purple. A flat screen T.V. and a big furry pink rug. In one corner would be my playroom filled with dolls, Polly Pockets, etc. One wall would be a mirror and racks to put accessories like scarves and windows. There would be a big white ceiling fan and a desk in the corner. Huge windows with soft white lace curtains and the walls would be light pink with flowers.
I don't have a dream bedroom, I love mine.
Sophia 10, Coral Gables, FL
Margaux 15, Brussels, BE
Hannah 10, West Broomfield, MI
Big, pretty and glamourous. Annika 11, Mount Dora, FL A red futon, wood flooring, a dark brown coffee table, a comfortable chair and black bookshelves from floor to ceiling with a rolling ladder. The room's wall would alternate between brick and wood and there would be a black ceiling fan. Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Pink, purple and orange.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Why? A lawyer because you can make a lot of money! And an inventor!
Something to do with chemistry; I love this subject
Katelyn 9, Eagan, MN
Margaux 15, Brussels, BE
Some kind of designer because I love to design stuff. :)
Famous soccer player or famous singer.
Julia 12, Louisville, KY
Hannah 11, Mount Dora, FL
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Becca 9, Concord, NC
Right now I am pursuing my love for ballet and working towards being a professional ballerina and do ballet as long as I can and then I want to be a stay at home mom
I want to be an Olympic swimmer because I love to swim.
I want to be a professional dancer and a dance teacher. It has been my goal for a lifetime!
Madison 12, Sorrento, FL
Sophia 10, Coral Gables, FL
A professional dancer. Christina 11, Orlando, FL Marine paleontologist. Why? Because I love underwater pre-historic reptiles.
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME A vet or work to help animals because I love animals.
Christian singer, I LOVE singing and I think it would be cool to spread God's word through music. A dog trainer. Because I love dogs.
Annika 11, Mount Dora, FL
A sea lion trainer because I like sea lions.
I want to be an attorney because I like to argue and read documents, also my parents felt that this would be a good career choice for me.
Hannah 10, West Broomfield, MI
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Aidan 9, Bozeman, MT
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Day-To-Day
By Adrian 13, Coral Gables, FL
........................ “Good morning!” my mom sings as I lay snuggling under my soft blankets. Up to the top bunk she hands me a smoothie to energize me for the day. I share the bunk bed with my sister and I have the top bunk. I jump down then walk into my living room and look for my cat, “Kimba.” I pick him up and carry him into my mom’s room. I put him on my mom’s bed, lay down with him and pet him for a while. I then go look for my homeschooling schedule in my desk drawer. I find my books and get to work. I usually do Growing with Grammar and then Singapore Math until I get on to Math-U-See Honors Pre-Algebra. My sister and I love to cook so at lunchtime we make a whole wheat pizza. We use cheese, tomato, onions, black olives and sometimes pineapple on top.
What a regular day is like.
After lunch I get into bed with my book. Lately, I have been reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Now I’m reading, The Last Olympian. I read for an hour then do the rest of my homeschooling which includes spelling, journal writing, and Writing With Ease. For science I’m studying engineering and robotics with an engineer. This year I have been programming a BoeBot robot. Throughout the day, I do chores, which include making my bed, taking out the compost, feeding the pets and either setting or clearing the table or helping with the dishes. In my free time I like to go into our garage where I have a work place. There is a table that lies flat on two filing cabinets which is full of my tools and recycled materials that I collect. I am currently making a taser out of the flash from a disposable camera. I also play basketball and baseball.
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Look What’s Happening! MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
1
2
3
8
3
3
15
16
17
22
23
24
Expires 6/30/11
SUNDAY
AUGUST
7
The Bendable Bunch
Life size book illustrations. 6 pm Artist’s Reception June 6- July 1 MountDoraCenterForArts.org
Live Jazz Brunch
Every Sunday 11am / 239 W 4th / Mt Dora piscesrisingdining.com
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21
Business Breakfast
8-10 am / WT Bland Library MountDora.com 352-383-2165
First Monday
Downtown Mount Dora 8 pm - midnight MountDora.com
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29
30
Lego Club /
Every Wed
31
W.T. Bland 4:00 p.m.
Toddler Time / W.T. Bland 10:30 a.m.
Family Martial Arts Center 352-383-0898
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Every Wed
Summer Ballet Intensive Monday – Thursday June 14 – June 24, 2010 352 - 357 - 5536
FRIDAY
THURSDAY Business at Breakfast
8-10 am / WT Bland Public Library MountDora.com 352-383-2165
SATURDAY
4
First Friday Street Fest
5
6
7
Friday / Movie in Park
8
9
Lake County Farmer & Flea Mkt
6 -10 pm / Historic Downtown Eustis 352-357-8555
8:15 am -1:30 pm / Every Thursday Lake County Fair Grounds
First Thursdays
Street Party 6-10 pm / Downtown Mount Dora
“The Natural” / Gilbert Park MountDora.com / 352-736-7183
Yappy Hour /
Chess Club
10-- noon WT Bland Library mylakelibrary.org
Every Friday
50% off / 6-8 pm PigletsPantry.com 352-735-9779
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19
20
Family Night /Every Friday
16” Pizza, Salad, Knots $21 YouLovePizza.com / 352-383-0092
PARK & RECREATION ci.mount-dora.us
Check our Summer Calendar
25
26
Classic Car Cruise-In
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5-9 pm / Old Cars, Live Entertainment Ferran Park, Downtown Eustis
Open Mike Night /
Every Friday
8 pm - midnight 113 N Bay St, Eustis, 352-357-1887 OliviasCoffeeHouse.com
First Monday
Downtown Mount Dora 8 pm - midnight MountDora.com
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Journey to Eagle Scout By Zachary 16, Oakdale, MN On a Friday night in January, I stood before the Eagle Board of Review for an hour and a half going over the work I completed for my Eagle Project. At the age of 16, it was my last step to becoming an Eagle Scout. Preparations for my Eagle project began last July. An Eagle project must be done for a non-profit organization. The Scout is responsible for planning and carrying out the project including all necessary fundraising. My project was a prayer walk consisting of six stations for Village Creek Bible Camp in Lansing, Iowa.
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Each mulch-covered station was roughly 10 feet by 10 feet including a bench, a raised flowerbed, and an engraved devotional sign. My dad and I have been attending the Father-Son Retreats at Village Creek since I was 8 years old. I have always enjoyed attending this camp, so it was a great opportunity to help the camp out. I joined the Scouting program as a Webelos when I was 10 years old. I never participated as a Cub Scout. Soon, I crossed over to the Boy Scouts and started progressing through the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle.
It was not until I volunteered on an older Scout’s Eagle project that I officially decided I would become an Eagle Scout. My parents also inspired me to earn the Eagle rank no matter how hard or
Challenge and Adventure how long it would take. Completing the twenty-one merit badges, required a lot of time and dedication, but I do not regret any of it. Each of the merit badges and the Eagle project just take a little bit of work everyday. Some of my favorite memories from Scouting are the weekend campouts, high adventure trips, and the weeklong summer Tomahawk Camps.
Scouting is a great organization that teaches boys many survival and life skills. It is where I learned to tie all the knots that I will ever need in life. I have benefited from Scouting because it has inspired me to be “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” That is the Scout law, and I highly recommend all boys to seriously consider joining the Boy Scouts. It is best to join with a friend or two and find an adult Scout leader who is willing to mentor you through the ranks. At the end of April, I was officially given my Eagle Scout pin during my Eagle Court of Honor where friends and family came to celebrate my proud accomplishment with me. Once earned, no one can ever take that away from you. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.
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poEM pOE
m
Summer Day By Becca 9, Concord, NC ................................................... The sun beats down on the grass The heat is unbearable We are bored, then we think of an idea! We have a water fight Throwing buckets of Ice cold water To sooth our burning skin We whiz along on our bikes to the pool And swim till we can stand it no more That summer day wasn’t dreary, It was the best day in the summer!
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The Bunk Roomies!
What’s That?!
Leaping Frogs to Ballerina! MADISON
Fun Behind The Scenes
By Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
The Bunk Roomies are a group of loyal and enthusiastic contributors of The Bunk Room. We get together once a month share our articles, learn more about publishing and writing, and have free time to hang out. Everyone’s invited! Our first group is in Mount Dora, FL but it doesn’t matter where you live. We video conference with anyone who’s too far away! Like Becca in North Carolina! Learn more at TheBunkRoom.com/TBR_Bunk_Roomies.html
Ribbit! Ribbit! Frogs are being tossed into boiling water but wait! One gets away! That was Madison, the sneaky frog in a ballet performance of Hansel and Gretel. That is one of Madison’s many fun ballet memories.
But challenges are good to her too. “I love how challenging ballet is,” said Madison. “One of the most challenging parts of ballet is that every day you go to class you have to try something new.”
Madison has been doing ballet for seven years. Madison has been in a lot of performances but her favorite one is quite clear. “My favorite performance would have to be Hansel and Gretel because I was both a frog and an angel.” Over all, ballet is Madison favorite thing to do.
Meet Some Bunk Roomies . . . Me When I’m Someone Else. BECCA By Hannah 11, Mount Dora, FL Becca Michaels, 9, of Concord, North Carolina is a homeschooler who loves drama. She is also on a swim team but drama is her favorite activity.
Greasy Grimy Engine Guts! BENJAMIN By Madison 12, Sorrento, FL
Becca is involved with a theatre program called, "Bee Creative," directed by Darlene or as Becca calls her, "Dar." One thing Becca loves about drama is the feeling that she can morph into another person. Some of the challenges that come with being an actress are things like memorizing lines and keeping the songs in tune. "Overall, drama makes me feel like I can really be me even though I'm pretending to be someone else," said Becca.
Benjamin Slaby 13, of Mount Dora, FL loves to re-build lawn mowers, four wheelers, dirt bikes, golf carts and other engines. “I am currently working on a 1977 Volkswagen Beetle,” said Benjamin.
There are many things that Benjamin loves about rebuilding machines, but one thing stands out the most. “I like solving problems and getting something to work and knowing that your time was worth it.”
Of course, there are things that are challenging as well. “Diagnosing the problem and actually finding out a way to fix the problem is a big challenge.” Benjamin said.
Erik
Ballet World: It’s In The Details! ANNIKA
Becca
Margo
By Grace 10, Mount Dora, FL Benjamin
Madison
I would like to introduce you to Annika Slaby, age 11, of Mount Dora, Florida. Her life revolves around ballet. She takes classes at Mount Dora School of Ballet and even has a ballet bar in her room!
Annika Hannah
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Grace
Unlike some students that take ballet, she loves to be corrected so she knows she is improving. What is challenging to Annika about ballet is turnout and flexibility. “Turnout is turning your feet out instead of in, which some people do when they are nervous.” Annika is a great ballerina!
Video conference!
We learn!
We share our stories! We write!
Join Us! It’s Fun! We goof off! We Swim!
Not So Typical Hobby. JESSICA By Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Not As Easy As It Looks. GRACE
Jessica Rice is a typical high school girl. She is on the swim team, hangs out with friends and gets good grades. After school though, when she comes home, she sits down at her computer and begins writing another chapter to her book.
By Annika 11, Mount Dora, FL
Ghouls. Vampires. Werewolves and the Unclaimed reside in Jessica’s story about a not-so-ordinary prep school. It’s a school for kids who are monsters and are learning how to use their powers.
Hair! Makeup! Costumes! Grace Patterson, 10 of Mount Dora, FL has entered the world of the Bay Street Theater. Grace saw her sister doing a play for acting and thought it would be fun to try as well.
"I love having practice for when I grow up and have kids of my own,” said Hannah.
When many authors begin to write a story or are writing a story, they have trouble figuring out what to put on paper. That problem is called “writer’s block” and Jessica said it plagues her as well.
There are many things in theater to take part in, such as singing, dancing, acting and even stage set up. For Grace, her favorite part is the acting. “It's a way to get away from yourself," said Grace, “and be in another character."
Two of the kids that Hannah babysits are nicknamed Rose and Elizabeth, and this clever young babysitter has to use her imagination to find ways to pass her time with them. Not satisfied to let the children just sit around and watch TV, Hannah tempts her young charges to step away from the screen by getting their attention with creative drawings she makes with crayons. Before long, Rose and Elizabeth are joining in all the fun, and they all enjoy playing together!
It’s not not as easy as it looks. Sometimes she forgets her lines and when that happens she said, “I felt nervous and embarrassed and I wanted to disappear.” No worries though, there’s usually someone else who remembers the line and says it, Grace added.
Jessica currently has 45 pages in her book but she wants to take it to 200. “When my story is finished, I want to show it to a publisher and hopefully get it published.”
Hannah Patterson, 11, of Mount Dora, FL loves kids! In fact, she loves them so much that she lists babysitting as one of the hobbies she enjoys the most.
Grace first appeared in the play “Christmas Spectacolor.” Her favorite play so far has been "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.” It was Grace's favorite because she had a solo.
“An Unclaimed is a monster that is not known, they don’t know what kind of monster they are. My main character is an Unclaimed,” explained Jessica.
By Becca 9, Concord, NC
“Sometimes when I sit down at the computer, I just can’t think of anything to put down on the paper. Sometimes it’s a real challenge. Like right now, I know the ending to the story but not the middle.”
Inventive Babysitter. HANNAH
Even though acting is Grace's favorite part of theater, she also loves singing and dancing. “I love to sing and dance around my home a lot.” Overall, Grace loves theater and when she grows and becomes a famous actress you can say you met her here at The Bunk Room.
And when it's time to go home, Hannah appreciates getting paid. “I love the satisfaction of receiving the money because I know I worked hard to get it," said Hannah.
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For less than the cost of a pizza dinner, you can feed a child for a month. The Bunk Room is proudly partnered with an international corporation in an awardwinning effort to end world hunger. Since 2003, over 200 million meals have been provided to children throughout the world, including the United States.
Help us help feed the children. For less than the cost of dinner out with your family, you’ll not only feed a child for a month, you will be helping contribute to the growth of young writers and readers of The Bunk Room nationwide. Learn More at TheBunkRoom.com Help others. Help yourself. Learn how helping feed children wordwide can help your family and your community as well. Call Maria Slaby, Publisher of The Bunk Room, at 352-383-1456.
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Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program
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Staycation: Just Down The Road By Annika 11, Mount Dora, FL This summer was a lot of very cool fun! One weekend, my family and I took a “Staycation” at our rental house down the road. It is called “Splashes of Mermaid.” (We rent it out to vacationers.) Even though we went to a different place, it’s kind of like we stayed home, since it’s our house and it’s down the road. That’s why I still call it a Staycation. We biked a mile to Mermaid and had a cook out in the back yard with our Granny. We sat outside and it was very, very hot so we went decided to go swimming. We didn’t swim long before the afternoon thunderstorms started. In Florida, in the summer, the humidity is very high which causes big storms nearly every afternoon. When it started thundering, that was our cue to get out. We went back inside and had nice family time while it rained. It wasn’t long before the storm stopped and went back out to cook our dinner. We grilled chicken and hamburgers and had red velvet cupcakes for dessert. The next day we biked to our Granny’s house that is only mile away. The road winds around the lake. There are six people in our family and the road is skinny so we have to ride in a line for safety. Mom and Dad always ride in back and my siblings and I take turns being in the front. The boys always want to be in front. Along the way we see seagulls flying, sparkling waves on the lake filled with jetskis, boats and water skiers. When we get to our Granny’s, who lives on the lake, we jumped off her dock a bunch. We did flips, pencils, turns, twists and backward jumps. We jumped off of her railing so it’s nice and high! Our next stop was PizzAmore. It’s in downtown Mount Dora, FL. We had a juicy, gooey cheese pizza. Mmmm! After that, we rode to the fountain by the tennis courts. Benj and I found 10 tennis balls so we played handball with them on the courts. It was Benj and I versus Margo and Erik. They won because Benj and I just didn’t have a good system! We biked back home we went swimming again. It was a beautiful summer night. We swam until after dark. The next day my mom and I went on a bike ride all by ourselves. We went to Target and mom got me a t-shirt as a souvenir. It’s a girl on bike with lots of sparkles! Perfect! We continued our bike ride to Granny’s again. I couldn’t resist taking more jumps off her dock again! Later the rest of the gang joined us. And that was my fantastic summer Staycation!
Road Trip Sponsored by ELBikeRental.com. Proceeds go toward The Bunk Room Apprenticeship Program. 26 | TheBunkRoom.com | August 2011
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Kids and Businesses: Hannah 10-year-old CEO
By Hannah 10, West Bloomfield, MI I love toys . . . In February 2009 I started a business to sell kids collectibles. I had the idea to start my business when I went into a restaurant and saw really cool pencil toppers in a vending machine. I kept on begging my dad for a couple of quarters and he finally gave me four. I thought that the pencil toppers were so cool that I wanted to start my own business. One thing that I love about my business is that I get to pick out and see lots of different cool toys. I also like being able to fill the actual orders and, because it is a family business, I get to spend a lot of time with my family. Some challenges in my Editor’s Note: Hannah’s Cool World has grown into a $500,000 a year business for her family. As CEO, Hannah, along with her other duties, is the strategic decision maker in the business she operates with her
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business are having my business at my house, because we end up working seven days a week. Some of my future dreams are to carry on the business to my kids, and to start a new clothing line for the business. Some advice to others who would like to start a business is to never give up, follow your dreams, and don’t be afraid to try something new. I have had so much fun making this business I can’t wait to do more! My business is called HannahsCoolWorld.com. We advertise on Google Awards and people can find my website by other people telling them.
parents. When it comes to buying decisions, parents Rick and Lauren Altman bring all the catalogs to Hannah to decide. According to the Altmans. Kids just know what kids will buy,
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By Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
Habilis Boy
Today was the first day of my adventurous journey of rebuilding a 1977 Volkswagen Beetle. I found the car-turned-truck on Craigslist. The description said that the car runs but the starter doesn't work and the carburetor needs work. Sounded good to me!
Habilis means “handyman” and dates back to the classification of early man, known as Homo habilis. That’s when man started becoming pretty handy around the house. We have our own resident Habilis man, in boy size: Benjamin.
The the back seat of the car had been cut out so the car would look like a truck. "The car needs a lot of work," said the seller.I thought the car looked really cool. I love to repair things and work on engines. I've worked on lawn mowers, 4wheelers, dirt bikes, golf carts and cars, but this Bug, in particular, seemed like a real challenge. I just lost a bid on a jet ski, which really bummed me out, so when I found this and was able to buy it, I was really excited and happy! I earn my money buying and selling lawnmowers and mowing lawns. My dad, brother and I got our flat bed trailer and all the necessary straps and headed to Paisley, FL. Paisley is out in the middle of no where, about 30 minuets from where we live.
When we got to the pick up point, the first thing we noticed
Keep up with Benjamin’s latest project! Go to thebunkroom.com and click on Habilis Boy.
was a Pirate flag hanging in the middle of the owner's yard. ...READ MORE at TheBunkRoom.com Click on Habilis Boy.
Cool Stuff!
If you sell any cool products and you’d like them featured here, send them to us to check out. If we like them, we’ll share them here! Email us at publisher@thebunkroom.com
Skippy! Hip To The Skippy means All is Good! One dollar of each bracelet sold is donated to charities providing relief to people in need of food, housing, medical care, and other basic human needs. Bracelets are sold in both adult and youth sizes at $4.99 each with a variety of colors to choose from Get them at HipToTheSkippy.com
Hannah’s CoolZips add style to your jacket or sweater zipppers. Made of multi-colored marble style beads with a silver and red metal cat charm on the end $4.99. Get them at hannahscoolworld.com
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Zippy !
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Squishland Pencil Tops. They’re ooey, gooey, squishable, fun and collectible! Play with your pet online at Sqwishland for endless games and activities. 6pack for less than $5. Get them at hannahscoolworld.com
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