Camp Fire 2024

Camp Fire Summer 2024 Writing Camps

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2024 Camp Fire

Summer Writing Camps

Introduction

Cassie Kiyoko Woodard | Teaching-writer

When working with young writers—whether they’re tenyear-olds or college students—I find they often struggle with the initial transition from mind to page. It sometimes feels like the version of your work that you want to write hangs in the air just outside your peripheral vision. You feel its presence and pull, but when you try and grab it, it is much farther away than you thought. Surely, it shouldn’t be so hard to pin down what you picture in your mind. I tell them, honestly, it is something I struggle with too.

Like many writers, I was first a reader. I percolated in language. I read under the covers at night. My mother confiscated anything in my room that I could use as a flashlight to read by. She caught me reading by the light of the hallway, then, after she stopped leaving the hall light on, found me reading in the bathroom past midnight.

At the time, I fantasized about being a writer the same way I fantasized about being a famous singer or astronomer. I wrote plot summaries of novel ideas in journals, started scenes and abandoned them, wrote poems when I was supposed to be multiplying by the reciprocal. But my writing could never fully keep up with the stories and sounds within my head. Sentences that sang in my mind fell flat on the page. Cinematic fight scenes transformed to unintentional vaudeville slapstick. I wrote and rewrote the same sentence again and again, but it never sounded right. My taste far outweighed my abilities, and I strained under the weight of my frustration and sense of inadequacy.

When I started teaching camps, I recognized the same responses in many of my writers, especially on the first day. While some campers took off writing the moment

I gave them a prompt, others hesitated. I watched them write a word or two, erase what they’d written, write a new sentence, erase it, write something else, erase it, and then stop. I saw myself at their age—and even now—removing what I’ve written with aggressive, jerking strokes of my eraser. I watched others stare at a blank page as the time ticked by, saw them glance at others who wrote furiously in their notebooks up until the moment I asked them to stop. It was clear that the campers who struggled to get started didn’t hesitate because they didn’t care as much as their peers. They engaged with the pieces we read, gave me book recommendations, and applauded when peers shared their writing. When I took home what they wrote, I saw evidence of their effort: character notes, rhyming words or turns of phrase, sentences scratched out and erased. They cared just as deeply, but they, like me, struggled with translating what they saw and heard in their mind onto the page. How could I help them over a hurdle that often stops me in my tracks? How could we get past that?

The answer is that we got silly. When we had freewriting time, I wrote up two optional prompts: a “serious” one (try to describe a memory you have in as vivid of detail as possible—remember to include all five senses!) and a silly one (write a poem or story about what you’d do with infinite money; what would you or a character do if a friend was abducted by an alien?). The silly prompts led to enthusiastic group discussion that transitioned to intricate stories and poems that writers were excited to share. For many campers, once they had that momentum, they rode that wave all the way to the end of the day, shifting into writing what they first imagined. Much of the importance of the silly prompts stems from the importance of encouraging incremental progress. A silly draft frees the writer from the need to be perfect, which allows them to take the first step: a rough foundation to build from. Maybe the next step is exploratory—delving into

alliteration, or writing a scene to include more dialogue and insight into a character’s backstory. Perhaps in the next draft, they change points of view. Draft by draft and step by step, they grow closer to the version of their writing that they first envisioned. Then they might spot another idea, so alive with energy that it glows. They grab for it, but find it is much farther away than they thought. When they’re ready, they take a step.

2024 Camp Fire

Summer Writing Camps

CRYSTAL ROCK ISLAND (CHAPTER 1)

Rosie Mann | Grade 6, Boise

I am Pansy Wild. I woke up with a strange feeling in the pit of my throat. I wasn’t sick, that was for sure. No stomach ache and no temperature. I went on with my day. I got dressed and brushed my teeth, then I headed to Inferno’s house. Just when I was about to knock on the door, Inferno burst through the door.

“Oh, I was just looking for you,” said Inferno. “My sister’s missing!” Inferno exclaimed.

PRETTY BLUE POT

Elizabeth Blier | Grade 5, Boise

I am a pretty blue pot, I sit around a lot. People look at me, dark, dark blue they see.

I am a pretty blue pot, I sit around a lot. People look at me, sculpted art they see.

I am a pretty blue pot, I sit around a lot. People look at me, through fragile glass they see.

CIGUAPA (A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WITH FUR AND FLOWERS ON HER HEAD)

Em

Woods

| Grade 6, Boise

I’m Ciguapa. I’m a seer. I’m a watcher. My artist describes me as a trickster. I’m not. I watch. Some people think I cannot see. They’re wrong. I can. The flowers are my eyes. I know when people are sad. I know when they’re mad. I watch. I know. I always know. Don’t try to hide it. I will know. Now you will go thinking about me. You will go home remembering me. I will remember you, too. I remember everything.

THE HORSE

Nora Orthmeyer | Grade 5, Meridian

I am a steel horse that people are looking at. I can never move and have never met a horse. I wish I could move far away, run fast, but I’m here all alone. I want an owner. I wish I could leave. I know that can’t happen, but when I’m sitting here all alone, it’s okay to wish that someday I can leave and go have a ton of fun.

THE ANGEL DRIFTER

Melina Caloca | Grade 6, Meridian

The Drifter

I am green. I come from yellow and blue. I can be anything. Grass, peas. Leaves in the trees. Go, not stop. The fourth color pops. The color of life can be so many things. Peace and quiet I give.

Angel

I am blue. I can be anything. Oceans, a blueberry. Clouds, light and airy. Good and bad. The fifth color means sad. The color of life can be so many things. Joy, it can be.

HORSE

Josephine Wyer | Grade 6, Boise

I am stuck.

I try to move my legs, but they are hard as metal. I try to move my neck, but it is hard as metal.

I try to move my jaw to talk, but it is hard as metal.

I try to swat the flies that land on my cold, non-living back with my tail, but it is hard as metal.

I can’t see, with my screwed-in eyes.

I can’t breathe.

I can’t talk.

I can’t move.

I cannot swat the flies away.

I can only think.

I think about people.

I think about what it is like to be living. I think about food for my empty stomach, but I do not have a stomach.

I only have metal bones. I think about living horses. I think about running away. I cannot.

I cannot move.

I cannot see. I cannot breathe.

I can only think.

ART EVERYWHERE

Elizabeth Ptaszek | Grade 6, Garden City

Art everywhere for you to see, hopefully it makes you very happy. They will thank you for coming here today, just don’t wander far astray. You are great, you are good, you would keep this art if you could. Abstract art far and wide, it will take you for a ride. Naked art with body parts, and all the fun to see. Many things that will bring what a true artist can be. Paintings and paintings and paintings of paintings. Pictures, more pictures, pictures galore, surely you will want to see more. Statues with pictures and paint mixtures, many great things you’ll see. But beware, don’t go over there, for then you can’t see what is so great about what can make you happy. Great big art with many parts for us to feel, but be careful because some of the paint is now starting to peel. A great big wall in the hall filled with all the art. So much fun in the sun out in the garden, in a sunroom, it’s a fun room, with a lot to do. Thanks for listening to this glistening poem that I wrote. I will end this piece now with a short quote: “Oh, the places you’ll go” with a poem.

NUDE

Abby Evans | Grade 6, Boise

Renee Cox.

She is an artist. She is beautiful. She is nude. She is beautiful. Everyone is beautiful. She wears her hair in tight-knit braids. She is not afraid. She knows that some are scared of her art. Those people are cowards. She is beautiful just like me and you. You are brave, Renee.

THE ADVENTURES OF OLIVE AND PURPLE [EXCERPT]

Winnie Hurwit | Grade 5, Boise

Chapter One

Olive is a girl who is always optimistic. She never wears any colors but olive green and purple. She has a purple bearded dragon named Purple. Purple always smells like grapes (which he can’t eat). He feels very smooth, because he is always so calm.

Olive loves her pet so much, but there is one secret about them both…. They only eat things that are purple! Okay, okay, that isn’t their real secret, though it’s true. Their secret

is that they are scared of squirrels. That’s right, squirrels. You see, when Olive got Purple, a group of squirrels, led by Chunky the Squirrel, killed both of their parents. Olive and Purple are trying to plan revenge on the squirrels. The squirrels’ fatal weakness is loud sounds, so Olive and Purple are working on a loud sound machine.

Chapter Two

This morning, Olive woke up feeling great. She put on purple leggings with a purple t-shirt. A minute later, she grabbed Purple from his enclosure, and off they went to work on their loud sound machine.

“Yes, that’s it,” Olive exclaimed. That’s just what they wanted! An ultra-mega loud sound speaker! Purple handed her the last screw. All they had to do now was pack and go to the forest. They packed a lot of food, things that smelled delicious like baked bread, and things that smelled disgusting like public restrooms.

There was a loud sound as they closed the suitcase with their loud sound machine and their supplies. Olive grabbed her olive green vest and Purple’s matching one, and off they went to destroy Chunky.

OUT

Rowan Anderson | Grade 6, Boise

Prologue - Eight Years Ago

Maya and Ered were driving home from a family cookout, and had just gotten on the ramp, when a navy-blue 1967 Cadillac Escalade rocketed through the grass and straight into the brand new sports car Maya’s dad had just bought, slamming into the side and bending the car like foil. The van’s doors opened, and the entire van was filled with smoky shadows. A single smoky, black, vine-like hand slowly snaked out, and, to everyone’s horror, extended and slowly went through the sunroof of the sports car and touched Maya’s dad lightly on the forehead, leaving a spot of black dust. From that spot on his head, he slowly dissolved into black vines. Ered’s dad died from his injuries in the hospital less than an hour later.

Chapter 1 - A New Beginning

Maya and Ered were devastated at their father’s death, and in the eight years following, nothing has gone right except for their pets, two hamsters, Mango and Ginger. Nothing had gone right, yet.

Chapter 2 - Into Darkness

Maya was practicing for her driving test, just driving along on the road when she saw it, the same place that had given her nightmares of a terrible tragedy from her past. The memories came rushing back to her, one after another, but one was prominent: that hand. That withered, twisted, vine-like hand. Oh, gosh. She was starting to feel faint. I need to call Ered, she thought. She pulled out her cell phone and

clicked his number. The phone dialed, then shut off. CALL DECLINED. What? He had promised to always answer her calls, no matter what.

“I need air,” she said. She got out of her car and saw it: a navy-blue 1967 Cadillac Escalade with a hand stretching towards her, tap, tap, tapping her on the forehead. She felt herself fading away. She woke up in a stone room. “Am I dead?” she said aloud.

“No, unfortunately not,” said a voice she would recognize even in her dreams.

“Ered?”

CLOUDLAND STORIES

Finola O’Malley | Grade 4, Boise

Story Two

I found a Phoenix egg lying in the middle of the enchanted forest. I stepped closer, and it twitched. Then I touched it. It felt rough and kinda smooth. And then I opened it. It was a necklace with a key on it. And then I remembered the door that I saw earlier.

Story Three

I ran back to the door and tried the key. It worked! I went inside. There was a box and a note. I decided to read the note. It said, Go outside. I put the note down and ran outside. There was another note. It had a spell on it. This is what it said: halooa da do an koona ma uo. And then I said the words. It transported me to a new world! It was my home, Cloudland!

PROLOGUE

William Vosburgh | Grade 3, Boise

There was a lone stranger. He walked a path on the lone cliffs. He sensed danger. He grabbed his dagger and sliced the zombie spider in half. Blood dripped from his sword. Angled sideways, the sword slew the spider. The person continued. There were no more spiders.

The man heard a low whistle and parried the blow from the huge black mantis. They started to duel. Eventually the mantis struck the man in the gut. The man fell and struck the mantis. The mantis said, “Good, Avarog.”

Avarog spoke with a deadly calm, “You will die eventually.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Will,” said the man, thrusting his sword. It was a mistake; the mantis parried the blow then killed the man. That too was a mistake. The man was too heavy and the mantis fell over the edge.

“Gah,” yelled the mantis and landed with a sickening crunch.

AVOCADO AND TOAST

Alexander

Hayes | Grade 3, El Segundo

Once there were two elephant brothers, Avocado and Toast. And today was the first day of summer! Avocado and Toast wanted to relax and play video games all day, but their dad insisted they should go to the Dino Exhibit and learn more about dinosaurs. But Avocado and Toast were worried they were gonna have to take a test.

“Are we gonna take a test?” asked Toast.

“No, we’re just gonna learn about dinosaurs,” said Dad.

“Okay, but shouldn’t we eat breakfast first?” said Avocado.

“Okay,” said Dad. So they ate breakfast / inhaled people. Ten minutes later they were done inhaling people and drinking water out of clouds.

After that, Avocado said, “Hey, how about we watch a movie?”

“Okay,” Toast said.

“How about Star Wars?” Avocado suggested. They knew it was Dad’s favorite movie so they could keep him busy so they didn’t have to go to the Dinosaur Exhibit. They thought he was saying that they didn’t have to take a test just to get them to go.

An hour into the movie, Dad said, “Hey, are you trying to get me distracted so you guys don’t have to go to the museum?”

“Nooooo,” they said slowly. “Can we take a nap?” they asked.

“No!” he said firmly. “You’re going to the museum now!”

“Aaugh!” they said.

“Fine,” Avocado said.

Next they started to get ready and get their clothes on. Furthermore, they got in the car and drove to the museum. They got out of the car and went in. They first found some board games and played them. Additionally, they found this really cool movie theater, and they somehow got it to work and finished Star Wars from earlier. After that, they realized they didn’t know where their dad was.

Then Avocado thought of an idea. “Let’s ask people if they have seen our dad.”

“Good idea,” said Toast. They found a manager and asked him.

He said, “Actually, yeah, I did see him by the board games area.”

To be continued...

HOW THE TIGER GOT HIS STRIPES

Arvin Sarpatwari | Grade 4, Boise

A tiger without stripes was roaming the jungle. Then a panther attacked the curious and scared tiger.

The tiger cried, “Please, don’t hurt me!” Like the small woeful tune of a bird.

Then the panther scarred the tiger with sharp claws that felt like a sword cutting through wood. These scars turned into stripes. With black patterns that no other creature had. This is how the tiger got its stripes.

THE EGG

Ashlyn Ragsdale | Grade 4, Eagle

This is a story about the egg. I’m Harlo. If you go back some pages, there’s a story about my childhood, and I’m heading to the field on Dragon Island. I’m here, wait, what’s that? It’s a blue, abandoned dragon egg. Huh, it looks like the ocean. I’ll take care of it. It’s weird; no one would ever be so cruel as to leave this egg. Oh my gosh, it hatched. It’s a water/ garden dragon. That’s so cool. Wait, it has a heart shaped necklace. Could it be?

Since I’m the dragon knight, once I die, he’s gonna be the new dragon knight. And I need to pick a name, something to match mine. Since my name’s Harlo Silver Kamado, how

about Hino Hear Kamado. Sure, that fits him. First I have to hold the necklace. That means I accept him to be the new dragon knight.

(Hino) “I’m a water dragon.”

(Harlo) “That’s cool. Hey, Hino, I’m going to be right back. I have to go on a secret quest. I’m going to go get my friend, Shiso.”

“Okay, don’t be gone long.” (Hino)

“Yes, I won’t. Oh Shiso’s here. Have fun!”

“I will.”(Hino)

(Shiso) “Okay, wanna go play outside?”

“No, I wanna play blocks.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, what quest do I have?” (Harlo) (Tri) “It’s dangerous to be a wizard. Change jobs.”

(Harlo) “What? Fine.”

One Year Later

“Okay, I found a job as a spy.”

(Tri, the Quest Giver) “Good, that’s perfect. There’s no more quests.”

(Harlo) “Okay.” (One hour later) “Shiso, Hino, I’m home.”

(Hino) “You were gone for so long!”

(Harlo) “I know but where’s Shiso?”

(Hino) “He went home.”

(Harlo) “Okay. I’m sorry. Let’s have dinner. How about pizza?”

(Hino) “Okay.”

(Harlo) “Time for bed.”

Years later…

“Hino, go get your first quest.”

Hino, “Okay, Dad, I’ll come back soon. I promise.”

CHAPTER ONE

Erwin Liao | Grade 3, Boise

One nice day, a crowd had gathered at 29-A-12 launch pad to see the first launch of program 24 — find life in the year 2056. The crowd fell silent as the countdown began.

“T-minus 4, t-minus 3, t-minus 2, t-minus 1, lift off. We have lift off!” The rocket lifted off the launch pad and went up, up, up and into space.

The crowd looked up from the launch pad. The launch pad was gray and 10,000 feet long, 10,000 feet wide, and 10,000 feet tall.*

To be continued…

* The launch pad height did not include the antenna.

DRAGON TALES:

LIGHTNING OF THE ELECTRIC DRAGON

Teddy Tolman | Grade 3, Boise

Once upon a time, there was a fire dragon named Cinder and his sister, Flame. Life was good, but suddenly the sky darkened with thunderclouds. A red-eyed ghost dragon shot out of the sky.

The horrifying dragon shot a blue venom at a dragon egg. Luckily, Cinder’s friend, Zap, the electric dragon, got the green egg with lightning speed. The egg belongs to an animus dragon, he thought. “Scorpion! Tsunami! Zap! We gotta get outta here!” said Cinder.

They all grouped together. “Hang on, where’s Flame?” said Cinder. Suddenly, they hear a scream.

“It came from that way,” said Scorpion. They raced toward the scream.

Suddenly they saw Flame face to face with the ghost dragon. “Hey! Eat, electric death, red-eyed creeper!” yelled Zap, shooting lightning bolts out of his eyes. They hit the ghost dragon. They knocked it backwards. A portal appeared.

“Run!” yelled Cinder. They dashed into the swirling energy ball.

“What was that?” said Cinder.

“That was me,” said Zap.

“You never told us you could make portals,” said Flame. “By the way, what are you holding?”

“I found this egg by a volcano. I think it belongs to an animus dragon.”

“But –they’re just a myth,” said Tsunami.

“Yeah! No one can move objects without touching them,” said Scorpion.

“I think Zap’s right. We’ve never seen an egg like this.”

“You do make a good point,” said Flame.

“We need to find its mom,” said Zap. “First we need to find out where we are.”

To be continued…

THE HEAVY METAL DOOR

Robyn Cho | Grade 3, Boise

Once there were two kids who were planting a tree. Halfway finished, they found a hard, silver thing. It felt like a cold, moist rock. Thinking it was a rock, they kept digging until they had found a metal door. The two boys opened the heavy metal door. Suddenly a gush of wind blew them in. They curled themselves into a ball and … the wind stopped. Looking through one eye they saw soldiers, but the soldiers weren’t normal soldiers. They were really shiny and beautiful and had gold armor. The soldiers led them to their maze. The two boys were staring at the large maze. The soldiers had told them that the maze was going to be large. The boys entered the maze. First, the boys ran into the prickly rose bush. The boys were on the skinny side so they slipped to the side and passed the first rose bush. Next, they saw a quiz wall. The quiz wall asked a question: How many entrances are there? They guessed four. The door said, “Correct,” and they passed. Next, they saw an open door. But suddenly they saw the door close. They stayed for three minutes to catch the pattern. After one minute, they noticed that there was no pattern. They took a risk and passed. They saw another rose bush and slipped to the side and passed. As they passed the prickly thorns poked their arms. Next, they saw another quiz door. The quiz door asked: How many communities are there? They guessed seven and they had good luck. They were right! Then they saw a humongous

maze! It took them thirty long minutes to complete the maze. Next, they saw a whirlpool. One of the boys fell into the whirlpool! The other boy jumped in to save the other boy and then. . . BOOM! They fell on their feet but they weren’t spinning or falling. They were so scared. They were screaming. It turned out that that was a camera trick. Last, there was another quiz door. They were starving by this point. The mega quick door was HUGE! They had to solve ten questions. They got seven questions right and three wrong. They lost one chance. A boy sighed, “Lose three, start over.” Next, they got nine right and one wrong. Last, they got ten out of ten! Now they could stay!

But there was an announcement. The announcement said that they were going to take over the planet Earth! The boys had two choices. One choice was to fight for their own planet, or be a soldier and fight the planet Earth. They went to the middle tower to decide which kind of soldier they wanted to be.

To be continued…

THE STORM

Maddy Fountain | Grade 4, Boise

Boom! Crack! The thunder roared like a lion. I was feeling scared and frightened, my feet shaking like the thunder I just heard. My ears popped like a balloon. I smelled the flashing lightning coming from the dark clouds. Snap! The horrible lightning snapped a tree branch into pieces. Bits of bark scattered along the sides of my lawn. But the rest of it fell on the roof of my sturdy house. I was alone, screeching for help.

The next morning it was pouring rain. It felt dreary and

devastating, sad and lonely.

“Did you hear the thunder last night?” I questioned my brother. He shook his head no because he didn’t want to listen. All of a sudden someone rang my doorbell. Ding Dong! I opened the door.

“A fairy!” I exclaimed and slammed the door. Boom! Crash! Thunder again.

“Please let me in,” cried the desperate fairy. So I did. I let her in. What was going on? I thought. I went to go get the fairy a raincoat, but as soon as I brought it back to her she handed me a hat. A purple, shiny, and majestic hat. Right when I picked it up, the fairy was gone.

The next day, I talked to Eli, my brother, and said to him, “There was a fairy here.”

“A colorful, silked wings fairy.”

“Did you hear her voice?” I asked him. “Her voice was the sound of an angel. And she smelled like rose petals.”

“Ummm, yes, I did see and hear that sad fairy—wait is that her hat?” Eli asked. I told him that she gave it to me but then disappeared into thin mist.

“Eli, try this on,” I said. He tried it on. Poof! “Eli, where’d you go?!” I screamed while taking the hat from the couch. Eli was gone.

I put on the hat an—Whirp! I was in a different world at midnight. Whoosh! Snap! Wind whirled like a windmill. A light pole cracked in half as rapidly as a streaming river. Eli and I made a tent out of old bumpy sticks. There was a rose nearby. It smelled like fresh strawberries. I felt it: smooth and silky.

All of a sudden the storm stopped and –

“Hi, what’s your name?” the rose asked in a sweet voice. The rose talked!

“The rose talked!”

THE TALE OF THE GREAT ADVENTURE

Gigi Marshall | Grade 4, Boise

Once upon a time there was a fairy that was as bright as the sun. She was cheerful and wild and her name was Tinkerbell. But she had a problem. The evil witches and wizards came to all of the magical kingdoms and they DESTROYED the special thing that makes their kingdom magical. Every night they had to pour all their fairy dust on their magical objects and wish for them to be fixed. But that night Tinkerbell and her best friend Snow, from the ice kingdom, had had enough of that. When Tinkerbell was supposed to be sleeping, she was awake thinking about what would happen if they had not poured fairy dust on their rose or if they had not wished for it to be fixed. About a second later, she thought of the worst thing ever . . . her father had once told her that if they did not do it they would disappear because they are made of magic.

So the next day, Tinkerbell and Snow set off in flight to find the evil witches and wizards but they had a problem. They had never been in the Deep Dark Forest. As Tinkerbell and Snow stood at the edge of the forest, Tinkerbell wanted to dive right in. But Snow, on the other hand, was so fearful of going into the forest that Tinkerbell almost had to push her in. Instead of doing that, Tinkerbell put her hand out and Snow grasped it tight. Then they walked in together. When they walked in, they noticed so many things. It smelled like old leaves. It looked like a dark tunnel. And all they heard was quiet. All they felt was wet leaves, old roots, and rain seeping into the cold dirt. On the way, Tinkerbell and Snow came to a stop because they saw three little houses: one made of straw, another made of sticks, and the last one was a big house made of bricks. By now Tinkerbell and Snow were quite tired so they knocked on the door of the house made of straw. The little pig said, “Go away. I

won’t let you in by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.” So they left and knocked on the next house. Like the first pig, he said, “I won’t let you in by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.” So they went to the last house and instead of the pig saying the same thing. He said, “Come on in.” So they did and when they sat down on the couch the little pig said, “You made it just in time.”

“Why?” asked Tinkerbell.

“Because there is a wolf that comes to try to eat us around now.”

After they had a snack and some tea, they both said, “Thank you, but we must be going now.” Before they left, the little pig gave them a key that was heart shaped and smelled like flowers. When Tinkerbell asked what it was, the little pig did not answer. In fact, he didn’t answer any question and all he said was, “Come this way,” and he led them to the back of his house and showed them a path hidden behind two bushy trees. He said, “Follow this path until it ends.” So they went along. They talked and talked until they came to a stop because they saw this towering red castle with pink hearts on it. Next to the castle they saw a white sign that said, “The Queen of Hearts’ Castle.” Just then they looked around and they did not recognize where they were. And suddenly they wondered if they were in Alice in Wonderland. Then they heard a voice and people talking so they rushed to hide behind a bush and five card-shaped guards walked around the corner. Just then they saw a round door that had a lock on it so once the guards left...

To be continued...

METAL METROPOLIS

Mia Barth | Grade 6, Boise

Chapter 1 How it all started.

Over the span of three years, I was created. The corporation that developed me is called “Robo-Co.” I have become something called “AI,” which stands for artificial intelligence. But I will explain that more later. For now, let me tell you about the other members of the team that made me, and about myself before I became AI. So let’s start off with my favorite member of “Robo-Co.,” Olive. Instead of wearing the “Robo-Co.” T-shirt, she wears a black cargopant jumpsuit, All-Star Converse, and keeps her blond, olive-tipped hair in a messy ponytail. Her most unique feature is having three piercings on one ear and five on the other. Olive used to be quiet, shy, and didn’t ever say much whenever she was working with the other team members of “Robo-Co.” or her father. Olive’s father, you could say, was evil. He had always been a bossy one and seemed to always be trying to invent something that would pollute the earth. Much so, their team was forced to try out all of their inventions on a planet called Metal Metropolis. This is where I was tested out, too. And lastly, Olive’s only true friend, Cassandra. For Olive, it was nice to have a friend that understood what her life was like. They both had the same job, and they were both seventeen.

Chapter

2

Now that I’ve told you a little bit about the team that made me, I should probably tell you a little bit about me. Starting off, what “Robo-Co.” made me out of. I am mainly made of dark, dark gray titanium with small gold accents, in

places like my eyes, my flexible joints, and on my fingers and toes.

Chapter 3

Now, what you’ve been waiting for, how me, Inez Indigo, a robot, could have turned into an AI? Well, it started with an idea. An amazing, brilliant, out-of-this-world idea. A group of five people developed a corporation called “Robo-Co.” “Robo-Co.’s” goal was to create a modern-looking robot, almost human-like. After three years of trial and failure, I was finished. But after so much trial and failure, the state government had told them they needed to do their work somewhere else, because they were causing so much pollution, creating an ecosystem that wasn’t good for the people close by to be living in. After intense brainstorming, team “Robo-Co.” and the state government had decided on an agreement. They would work from Earth, but sending the robot to a new planet. This way, all of the team wouldn’t have to move, but they could still continue the project. So, when sending me up to space, everything went well. When I almost reached the planet, the communication went out. The spaceship was programmed before I was sent up, so I would still reach the planet. Obviously, the whole “Robo-Co.” team was nervous, so they decided to pick a team member to send up to the planet to see what could’ve happened.

THE SPROUTLING VILLAGE

Hadley Jakious | Grade 6, Eagle

Once there was a sproutling named Bahia. Bahia lived in a tree with her mom, her dad, and her older sister Francis. Francis could leave the tree, but Bahia was too young. One day, Francis and her parents left the tree to go find food for the family. But Bahia soon became aware that she was all alone. Bahia soon got the idea to leave the tree. She walked to the door and opened it. She was glad that she was tall for her age. People thought she was old enough to leave the tree. Once out of the tree, Bahia saw the beautiful village. Other trees towered above her.

She was just beginning to explore when a red cloth covered the entire village. Bahia had no idea where she was. She tried to turn back to home, but she couldn’t remember which way she came from. Under the sheet was dark and cold. Bahia couldn’t hear anything from the village. It was just silent. Bahia called out. She got no response. “Is anyone there?” she called again. Her only response was the redtinted darkness.

“Hello? Do I hear someone?” Bahia immediately recognized Francis’ voice. Bahia felt the red cloth slightly lift once Francis joined her.

Suddenly Bahia had a plan. Bahia filled with hope. “I have a plan, Francis!” she shouted. “I can fix this!”

“What’s your plan?” Francis asked.

“Remember how the sheet lifted a bit when you came over here?” Bahia asked. “Well, what if we got the entire town’s help to move the sheet away!” The cold cloth fell again when Francis moved away a bit.

A loud sound came from outside the cloth. “Where’s my scarf?”

“We’d better be quiet though,” Francis whispered. The two sproutlings went in search of other sproutlings. Pretty

soon they had about 50 sproutlings. “Where is Mom and Dad?” Francis asked.

“We are right here!” Bahia was so happy to see her parents.

Francis called out to start moving the cloth. After a few hours, the cloth was entirely off the village. The whole village boomed with excitement and lifted Bahia and Francis into the air. Bahia and Francis had saved the town!

MY FAT CAT

Bella Bittner | Grade 5, Boise

In most stories, the main character wins at the end, but not in this one. This story starts in California, in a little place called Claremont. The main character’s name is Niki. Niki is a babysitter. And one time she got a call. “Hello, Niki’s Babysitting,” she said.

“Hi, can you babysit tomorrow?” the girl on the phone said.

“Yes,” said Niki. “For who?”

“My kid, Junior,” said the lady.

“Okay,” Niki said. “See you tomorrow!”

The next day, she got up and put on her favorite necklace with her mom’s special key on it. She went to the kitchen, got some toast, and put some butter and jam on it. Then she cleaned up her room and her home.

Finally, there was a knock at the door. She walked to the door to the front yard of her home and opened it to see a beautiful sunny and warm day. She heard the birds’ songs as she said, “Hello…?”

“Hi!” said the woman. She jumped in with a fat orange cat.

“But that’s a cat,” Niki said.

“I know. Just babysit him, please.”

The sun glinted on Niki’s face and her sweatshirt flowed out behind her because of the open window. She said sadly, “Fine, I’ll babysit him, but you have to pay me extra.”

The cat jumped down with a cat toy in his mouth. It was a toy mouse, and it was smaller than her hand. She felt happy that she was getting paid extra.

“Why are you so happy?”

“Nothing. Just a memory.” It wasn’t a lie. She had just remembered her old cat. It had lived with her at her home. This home.

“What’s the memory?” the woman whispered.

“Nothing! Bye!”

“Wait!”

She closed the door. And turned around to see…

THE HORSES

Bridger Belt Kauffman | Grade 6, Boise

Horses galloping

The pasture is not quiet

Love spreads through it

LIFE

Ayla Ragsdale | Grade 6, Eagle

I don’t like my job, but my brother told me to deal with it. I don’t know what to do. I want to leave my job, but I can’t. I walked down the sidewalk, my big boots clanking against the ground. I walked past an old man on the street, his sign saying, “Please help me. I have no money, no food, and no job.” I gave him my silver necklace from the circus. “Take it.” He looked up at me. “Thank you, young ma’am.”

I walked away. At least I’m not as bad off as that guy. I walked into my shaggy apartment, my snake greeting me. All of the sudden, something clicked inside of me. I’m going to get a new job. I’m going to get better in life. Swishing my black and red hair, I sat on the couch, determined to find a new job.

After getting all worked up, she needed a break. She got up and turned on the kettle. She put in her favorite clover tea from the Co-Op. After the tea was done, she poured it out into her favorite kitty mug. She sat on her fuzzy emerald green chair in her oversized hoodie. She grabbed Ruby and fell asleep.

I woke up, my clover tea spilled all over herself. She got up. Oooh, it’s really hot in here! I guess the summer heat was getting to me. I turned on the AC and got in my clothes. I got my bag and put my clown makeup on. I patted Ruby on the head. “I’ll be back around noon. I got in my bug before zooming off. I picked up mail and put it in the back. “Here we go. I’m finally here,” she said gratefully. She got out, the sunshine blinding her eyes. She entered the circus tents. When she got in, Jerry came up to her with a smug expression on his face. I awkwardly stared at him. “Hi, Jerry,” I said quietly.

He glared at me. “Still going to work, eh?”

“Yes, I am,” I said, looking at him. I’ve had enough of this boy.

“Don’t give me that sass,” Jerry said.

“Well, I wasn’t sassy. I can say what I want,” I said, bravely looking up at him.

“You think just because you’re a girl you can have everything, huh?” Before I could reply, he slapped me. “Well, you can’t.”

Before walking away, I stared at him, my mouth gaping open. He usually does that but never this hard. I ran to the boss. I ran through his door and sat on his chair. “Don’t get blood on the carpet,” he muttered.

She’d been so in shock she hadn’t realized she was bleeding. She stared at him. “Can you please at least tell Jerry to stop? I’ve told you this before. He keeps slapping me with no consent!”

He looked at her. “No,” he said firmly.

“Why not?” she said pleadingly.

“Because he’s better, he’s allowed to slap you.”

I stared at him in shock. “So you just let this happen?”

“Yep,” he said. “Now get out of my office. You’re going to get blood on my chair.”

I stared at him in shock before running out of his office. I ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Blood was oozing from her cheek.

“Ugh,” she grunted before bounding off. I got in my bug and drove away. Once I was at my apartment, I got in my bed and fell asleep crying.

I was woken up by a loud ringing from my phone. I looked outside and it was night ALREADY. I got up and answered the call. The phone blared, “Get here right now. The show’s about to START! Look, we can’t do this without

a clown!”

She looked down at the phone. “It’s done. I quit,” she said.

“WAIT, N—”

She declined the call. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Time to find a new job. I applied for two positions, a zookeeper and a vet. The next day, she went to the zoo.

“Okay, Pumpkin,” the girl said. At least she looks nice, I thought. “Have you ever had a job like this before?”

“I have just been a clown at Meldarosa.”

“Oh,” the girl said, a look of concern on her face. Immediately, she looked at me. “Any experience at all?”

“No, ma’am,” I said, smiling.

“No thank you,” she said.

“No thank you what?”

“No, sorry, I can’t give you the job.”

Her heart crashed. She walked out. My dream job, taken. She half-heartedly drove to her next audition. The vet smiled at her as she walked through the doors. “Hey, girlfriend, here for the application?”

“Mhm,” I said.

“Come here, honey. Sit on this chair.”

“So, ever have a job like this?”

“Nope,” I said, scared she was going to decline me like the first.

“So, you’re in.”

“WHAT?!” I stared at her in shock. “After one question?”

“Mhh, yeah, you look qualified. Also, I feel sympathetic for you.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, blushing.

“You start tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” I said in a quiet voice.

I drove home, got in my bed, and fell asleep, my heart warm. I woke up and put on my uniform. I got in my bug and

started driving. I got there around 9 a.m. “Hello!” I yelled.

“Hello!” a girl yelled.

I turned the corner and saw a girl brushing her hair.

“Hello! Oh!” It was the girl who interviewed me.

“Heyyy, girl!”

“Hi!” I said shyly.

We sat down and chatted for a while. She was actually really nice, and her name was Loretta. “I love that name!” I said cheerfully.

“Well, thank you, but Pumpkin is so much better!”

“Noo,” I said.

Loretta looked at me with a serious face all of the sudden.

“What?” I said, concerned.

“Will you be my friend?” Loretta said, her gaze staring into my soul.

“Yes, please!” I said, blushing.

“Well, work’s starting. I’ll be your mentor and teach you the ways.”

The rest of the day was super fun. Loretta always made working fun, and all the others were funny too. As I was driving home, I thought of all the fun things we did. While I was cuddling up in bed, I thought, I may not have gotten my dream job, but I did get a friend.

STRANGE SUMMER

Clementine Genetski Chumbley | Grade 5, Boise

Chapter 1

I look over at the clock. 3:10. Five minutes until summer. All the other students are looking at the clock too. My teacher, Ms. Morres, is reading the book Mystery Island to the class, but nobody is actually paying attention. 3:12. Three minutes left. Kids are starting to collect their backpacks and other random stuff. 3:13. Two minutes. Kids are starting to get antsy. 3:14. One minute. Ms. Morres puts away the book. 50 seconds. Some kids are starting the countdown. 40 seconds. More kids join in. 30, 20, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Brinnnnggg! the bell rings, and people jump up. Some start walking around the room saying goodbye to everyone, and others rush out the door. I say goodbye to some of my classmates and Ms. Morres. Then I set out to find my best friends, Jasmine and Ruby. I find them near the bike racks outside a few minutes later. Despite it being mid-May, the weather outside is cloudy and even kind of cold. Ruby looks up at me and smiles. “Happy summer!” she says.

Chapter 2

I wake up Saturday morning with the sun shining brightly on my face. I smile to myself. It is officially summer! At breakfast that morning, I found a smallish box on the dining room table. A note leaning against it reads, Put these on then push the blue button on the side. I walk over to the box and open it. Inside lay a pair of gold-rimmed glasses with shiny clear lenses. I reach for the glasses, put them on, and press the button that the note described. Instantly, the lenses of the glasses seem to shift, and I am able to see through everything in the room! Walls, tables, cabinets, all

the furniture, and even baskets, bowls, and buckets. “Mom!” I yell.

“Ahhh, you have used the glasses,” she says as she comes downstairs.

NO SIGN OF THE MOON

Maia

Diggs | Grade 5, Boise

Chapter 3

“Maia, wake up. It’s time to go.” I quickly got up, remembering I was a wolf. I met my mom outside. “Are you ready?” she asked.

“Maybe,” I replied, as we walked to the lake where the wolf was supposed to live.

“What?” my mom said when we got there. There was a waterfall going into a beautiful lake. The lake was split in half, one side purple, one side clear. I went up to touch the water. The purple was hot, and the clear was the normal temperature of lake water. Suddenly, a path opened in front of me. My mom came over. “I guess we’re supposed to go,” she whispered. I stepped between the two waves of water. The waterfall opened into a cave as we approached it. As we entered the cave, I saw a big, shadowy figure move. Barkclaw!

Suddenly, the cave lit up in an eerie glow of purple.

“So, we have visitors,” a low voice said.

I trotted over to my mom. “I’ll get the crystal, you distract the wolf,” I whispered.

“Just what I was thinking,” my mom replied.

As my mom went up to Barkclaw, I quickly ran into the cave, following the purple light. As I approached the crystal, Barkclaw’s belongings surrounded me. I ran up to the

crystal and grabbed it. I turned around to get out of the cave to see that Barkclaw was standing right there.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Stop right there,” my mom said.

I ran behind Barkclaw to outside of the cave. My mom followed, closing the waterfall and locking up Barkclaw. Finally, we were safe.

ARI UNDERCOVER

Eve Wald | Grade 6, Boise

March 1st 2:59 a.m.

Dear Diary,

This mission on Earth is not going to plan. It is my third day here, and my cover was almost blown. My earthling name is what caused it. Hmph, these humans are sabotaging everything. Ari, my new name, is short for the company I work for. Alien Research Institute. It all started when the family I was staying with picked me up from the airport. They think I am an exchange student. Humans and their puny minds. Their daughter came up to me and asked what my name was short for. I am a very bad liar, so I said the truth: Alien Research Institute. The second I realized how badly I messed up, the girl said, “Aria, that’s a pretty name.” She must not hear well. I was relieved. Now, it is time to send my daily report to Mission Control: Hello, Mission Control, this is Agent 746 - Code Name: Ari. I have gathered much information for our domination. These human species have horrible hearing. That is all I have for today, Boss.

March 2nd 3:00 a.m.

Dear Diary,

Today my cover was blown, but I took care of it. This morning, the people told me to take a shower. First of all, what is the point of a shower? I mean, I’m not that dirty. Am I? Well, the makeup I was wearing to cover up my alien scales washed off. I couldn’t see what had happened until the little girl came back. She saw my reddish pinkish scales. Moments later, she pulled a butter knife out of her pocket. It wasn’t even metal. It was a cheap plastic knife. So I sent her to space. I always knew my portable spaceship would come in handy sometime. That and I used my mind control powers so that the parents would not notice. Mission Control will not be happy.

Hello, Mission Control. This is Agent 746 - Code Name: Ari. No one has figured me out yet. Humans have horrible weapons. Such as plastic butter knives. World domination will be a piece of cake. They don’t know how to fight. I will have more information tomorrow.

March 3rd 12:52 a.m.

Dear Diary,

We are almost ready for world domination. Today was the only day that actually went well. But should I go through with the plan? Playing with the neighborhood kids was fun, but ruling the world seems way more fun. Today, we were playing The Floor is Lava. I was amazing at it because I didn’t want to burn, but our neighbors’ cat Miss Meower McMeow Meow wasn’t.

ART CITY

Laina Williams | Grade 6, Boise

Art City is a great place. It’s a place that revolves around art. All of the power comes from color. Everyone that lives here picks an art form. I picked land art.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Bianca Vargas. I’m a twelve-year-old from Bolivia. I wear a dark olive green tank top, jean shorts, and olive green sandals. My parents and I live by the beach. When you walk out of my backyard, you can see the ocean. That’s where I go in the mornings. I sit on a blue chair that’s low to the ground and do my land art, placing rocks in the sand to make patterns. Let me tell you about my family. I have a little sister named Cece. She’s five years old and is 20% not annoying, 80% annoying. I’m pretty sure that’s how it always works for little siblings. I also have two friends, Jimena and Akela. Jimena is quiet and super smart. Akela is energetic and loud. Jimena is an aerial artist. I don’t get the point. She just ties herself to ribbons and dances or something. I’m not sure. It’s up to her to tell you more. Akela, on the other hand, has an art form that’s somewhat more explainable. She does digital art. iPad, special pencil. All she does is draw on a screen. Land art is the best art, but I guess everyone would think theirs is the best. They picked it!

I have a sea turtle bracelet my mom made for me when I was born. She has mastered sculpting and has also mastered art manipulation, and now it grows with me. My little sister Cece has a whale one.

Bring!

“AHHH!” I shouted. My alarm clock startled me half out of bed. I don’t even know why I got it. It’s never been much help. All it does is scare me. I FINALLY got out of bed after waiting for my alarm to stop bringing or whatever you call it. I just stayed in my pajamas and put on my outdoor slippers.

I did what I do every morning, and I went to my backyard and collected rocks. I don’t usually make intentional things with my nature, but today I decided to make a sea turtle right next to the ocean. The reason I like sea turtles so much is that when I was little my mom took me on a boat trip and we got to see a ton of sea turtles. One summer, we watched baby turtles hatch.

I finished my creation and headed over to Jimena’s house. Jimena’s older brother greeted me at the door. “Jimena’s upstairs, first door on the left,” he said.

“You think I don’t know where my best friend’s room is? I’ve been here before,” I said, a little offended.

“Okay, okay,” he said back.

I went up to the room.

“Hi, Bianca. I’m just finishing up with homework.”

“Hi, Jimena. And what?! It takes me hours to finish mine! How are you so smart?”

“I don’t know. I study a lot.”

“Me too! Crazy,” I said. “Is Akela here yet?”

“BOO!” Akela jumped out of the pale yellow closet.

“Oh hi, Akela.” I waved.

“Did I scare you?” Akela asked.

“Nope,” I said.

“Awwwwwwwww. I tried really hard.”

An hour later, we left. When I got home, I planned on mapping our next route across the city. Me, Jimena, Akela, and a few other people are part of a group that is trying to make the world more colorful. The power has been going out a lot recently because someone has been painting murals with white, black, and gray. Which doesn’t produce power. We need to stop them so they don’t ruin the city.

My plans of making a map flickered out right as I got home. All of the street lights had turned off. When I opened the front door, everything was dark except for a flashlight. I knew it was Cece because I could see her silhouette hiding

behind the couch. “Hi, Bia. The electricity went boom, and my butter popcorn exploded. I was going to watch Tinkerbell,” Cece said.

“Me too,” I lied.

The next morning, I stood by the ocean, the morning breeze against my face. I heard the waves crashing. I rubbed my hand across a seashell I found by the fence and placed it in the middle of my pattern of rocks. I continued with my project.

“Hi, Bianca,” Jimena said.

“Hi, Jimena. Hi, Akela. Did we find a plan yet?”

“Yes, we’ll leave in two hours,” Akela said.

“Okay, I’ll go get ready now,” I agreed.

“We’ll pick you up in two hours,” Akela said, “and stop this bad guy!”

To be continued…

WHAT HUMANS DO

Lyndon Smith | Grade 6, Boise

Time wasted on cameras that stare to the other lands exploration of the mind starts when the lights turn off separated by lands, and fight themselves. Inter turmoil leads the planet astray, this race relies on primal emotions and blames the supernatural machines that do their dirty work as they sit and twiddle their thumbs they make machines to ruin the lands.

These Humans, what are they doing?

THE RESTLESS MONSTERS

Naomi Jackson | Grade 4, Boise

“Guten morgen, shwester!” I say, running up to the oldest of my siblings. Even though she’s only three minutes older than Seacra, she acts like she’s two years older. Though she’s the oldest, she became the Hunter of the Sea. The evil monstró army has been growing restless. Only thanks to our mermaid spells do they remain out of our kingdom. Merlosa, our only surviving mermaid, can cast spells of protection, and recite prophecies.

A few weeks ago, she made the prophecy of a mermaid amongst us. Everyone wonders if this means that a hero is going to save us from Malefince’s army.

“What do you want,” Sealane asked, flipping her pinky blue hair. I’ve seen that hair on all of my siblings. I only have silvery green hair, like Merlosa.

“Well, can you help me make sea cucumber salad?” I asked hopefully. It’s the best food ever. It tastes like fluffy cake with chocolate ganache. Sea cucumbers are oddly sweet.

“Sorry, no can do. We’re out of sea cucumbers.”

“What!?”

“Well…a certain royal does love them.”

“Ugh, can’t we collect some more?”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

Sealane and I walk to the border and transform. All royals can transform into different animals. Sealane can become a large Harbor seal. I can become a long eel, a bluefish, and an octopus. I become an octopus and change to a sandy color as we settle into the coral reef. Thousands of animals humans have never seen are swimming around me now. I love it down here. The stuffiness of the land is nowhere to be found here. It’s peaceful.

I slowly start to collect the delicious sea cucumber when

all of the fish scatter. And then seven red eyes appear as the monster becomes visible.

The body is a mix of black, blood red, and moldy green. It looks like a moray eel. In a raspy voice it said “You are coming with me, brat!”

THE MYSTERY

Joleen Owens | Grade 4, Boise

Hi I’m Bay and this is my sister Joleen. This is a story that I will never forget. It started on Friday. I can’t wait to tell you.

“Bye mom,” I say. Me and Joleen are going to the Rose Garden. It is only a four minute walk. When we get there we walk for a little and then notice the fountain is black.

“Look,” Joleen says. Ooh wow. I look up and see a black flying creature. Oh my, there is an army of them! The leader was very dark and mysterious. He was floating on a weird platform. “Hide!” I whispered. “Here!” Joleen said. We hide behind the fountain. We notice that what the leader touches with his staff will wilt and die. “We need to save the rose garden,” I say. “I’m going!” Joleen says. “No!” I yell. But it is too late. Joleen runs out of our hiding spot and jumps onto the platform. Oh come on, Joleen is so daredevil. The leader touches his staff and Joleen turns black and freezes. “Nooooo!” I cry.

“You,” the leader says, pointing his staff at me. I have to save Joleen, I think. I start to run. The evil guy starts to chase me. While I’m running I see a glowing rose. I grab it before the evil guy can touch it with his staff. I hide under one of the benches. The evil guy could not find me.

The flower that I picked had fallen apart. I started to mush it for no reason. I put the goop in my hand. Maybe I could pour this on Joleen, I thought. I went over to Joleen

without the evil guy seeing me. Yes! I pour it on Joleen. She wakes up. “Come here!” I whisper. We hide behind the fountain. We could hear the evil guy looking for us. It sounded like when a tiger has lost his prey. We try to sneak out. We run. When we get home Joleen asks me how I saved her. “I saw a glowing rose, mushed it up, and put it on you,” I say. “We have to save the rose garden!” we say together.

The end.

LIFE UNDER A RAINBOW SHELL

Bay

Beech | Grade 4, Boise

Once upon a time, in a land that humans of 2024 could never imagine, lived the rainbow snails. This land people of 2024 could not imagine because it was created by Sid and Silita in the year 3054. Humans were too focused on new types of pizza and TV shows or video games to imagine magical lands. Sid, the king of rainbow snails, and his wife, Queen Silita, were very happy about this. Humans LOVED to squish and squeeze snails. Sooooooo annoying! But, anyway, rainbow snail shells, if you plant them, miles and miles around you, amazing plants and nature will appear. Also, right in the middle is a beautiful castle with a tree in the front yard that grows rainbow snail shells!

Salita planted her shell and after a few minutes, picked a new one. The bushes that grew were called bullberry bushes. The name was kind of weird because they had no berries on them. Rainbow snails came from near and far to live in this beautiful land and see the pretty, peachy roses of the bullberry bushes. That’s how Sid and Silita became king and queen.

One day, when Silita was relaxing in a bullberry bush, a

big bird swooped down and took her away! Sid’s assistant, Sullivan, saw this and fainted from the shock! Later that evening, Sid was searching the whole castle when Sullivan woke up and said, “I must warn his majesty, The Great!” Then he ran up to Sid. “Your Majesty, the Great,” he said, “a bird picked up a shimmering snail two hours ago.”

“Oh no!” said Sid. “Also just call me Sid.”

“But it’s proper to call you Your Majesty the Great,” said Sullivan.

*Sigh* Sid said. “Tomorrow I leave for Silita.”

The next day, Sid traveled through the dark forest, until he came to a dark cave.

“Hello,” said an ominous voice. “You are just in time for dessert.” Then, some lights flicked on. A friendly-looking snake said, “We’re having pie!” She held up a pie. Sid took some. It was soft and sweet. In the morning Sid told the snake that he must move on. “Take a pie,” said the snake. Sid slimed and slimed, until he came to an evil-looking nest.

“Mwahahahahahaha!” said Evil Bird, rising out of the nest. “Soon I will be as shimmering, sneaky, and colorful as the rainbow snails. I will eat them all!” she shrieked. “Heelp meee!” said Silita. She was dangling above Evil Bird’s mouth. “Not today, birdy!” said Sid, and threw a pie at Evil Bird. It was apparently poisonous to birds.

“Let’s go home,” said Silita.

The end.

THE MAGICAL ROSE GARDEN

Adena Heiple | Grade 4, Meridian

Once upon a time, a traveler in 1877 was preparing for an adventure to learn something new. He packed his gear and his first-aid kits, and set off. After what felt like hours of searching, the traveler found a magnificent rose garden. He went through a golden gate to the rose garden and then sat on a bench to rest.

While he was resting, the traveler was admiring the colorful flowers, so colorful they seemed to have a luminous glow. Soon after that, he heard rustling leaves from the rose bushes. For a moment, he thought it might be just the breeze, but it really was a magical rabbit popping out of the bush.

“Greetings!” said the rabbit.

The traveler gasped. “You’re a talking rabbit?!!!”

“Indeed I am,” said the rabbit. “I need your help on something.”

“What is it?” asked the traveler.

“I need help building my home in a bush,” said the rabbit. “I’ll give you something in return.”

“Okay, I’ll agree to help you build your home,” said the traveler.

After they collected materials for the house, they started to build it. After they built it, the rabbit gave the traveler a magical rose.

“This rose can grant wishes. If you want a wish granted, pluck a petal out of the rose and put it to your chest,” the rabbit said.

“Thank you,” said the traveler.

After that, they said their goodbyes, and the traveler left.

CHAOS THEORY

Adam Bradshaw | Grade 4, Boise

Instructions from the author for reading this comic book:

You can use markers and colored pencils but not paint! You can use those resources to add on the story and make your own wild ride and choose the colors for the dinos and there has to be some dino!

THE GIRL WHO WISHED

Matteo Kite | Grade 4, Boise

CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST DAY OF CAMP

The girl is named Jrue. Jrue is 13. She is in art camp. “Ok class,” said Mrs. Rose. “We will paint.”

“Can I go to the bathroom?” said Jrue.

“Yes,” said Mrs. Rose. In the bathroom, Jrue painted a rose painting. Jrue’s rose painting looks like a bright red rose.

At recess Jrue was still thinking about the rose paintings. When she got back inside, Mrs. Rose said, “We will paint.”

CHAPTER TWO: THE WISH

Jrue takes one hour to make her rose painting. When she was in bed, in the sky, she sees a star. “I wish for my pet dog,” said Jrue as she spoke quietly. The next morning, Jrue heard a sound. The sound came from the kitchen. She saw her dog she wished for last night. Jrue had a dog. The name of the dog was Waffle. Waffle was a flaky beagle.

The end.

THE ALIEN THAT LOVED CHEESEBURGERS

Jacobi Wood | Grade 3, Boise

Once upon a time there was an alien. He loved cheeseburgers. One day the alien got lost in space trying to find a cheeseburger planet. A few months later, the alien found a key that unlocked the cheeseburger planet!

THE NEVER GIVING APPLE

Addie Herzfeld | Grade 4, Boise

There was a girl named William Quinn, she needed food so she went to Julia Davis’ door and she knocked on the door and said, “Can I plant an apple tree?”

Julia Davis said, “Yes, you may.”

So she did and when she got to harvesting time, Julia Davis helped William Quinn harvest her apple tree. She went to get a bucket and when she got the bucket, she put the apples in the bucket.

She was about to give an apple to William Quinn, but a mean scientist was working on trapping time, and that day when Julia Davis was about to give William Quinn an apple, he trapped the time, and Julia Davis never got to give William Quinn her apple.

THE WALKING MUSHROOMS

Theron Fulkerson | Grade 3, Boise

Once upon a time there were two people. Their names were Peter and Hailey. They were going to the pool. They found their key and they lost the key, and the bad guy found the key. The bad guy didn’t know what the key went to, but the good guys knew that the key went to their house. The bad guy tried it on their house and it worked. So the bad guy stole something, and then the good guys came home and realized the bad guy stole from them. Hailey and Peter called 911 because bad guys stole from them, and the bad guy went to jail and the good guys got all their stuff back. The end.

MR. DOG DOGO’S ADVENTURES

Sophia Hoglund-Peariso | Grade 3, Boise

One day Mr. Doggy Dogo was sitting asking for a treat. Then his owner gave him a nice soft treat. Then he ate it with feelings of deliciousness warming his heart. Then he fainted. When he woke up he was in a deep dark ominous cave and also a cool cave.

“Hey, who was that?” Mr. Doggy Dogo asked.

“Me,” a big orange fluffy fox said. “And if you wonder what my name is, I’m Dexter. Would you like some soup? It’s nice and warm.”

So Mr. Doggy Dogo said “Okay,” and they had dinner together.

The next morning he woke up in a soft, fluffy, cuddly, green bed.

Then the fox said, “Come on, let’s go on a hike.”

So he dragged Mr. Doggy Dogo out of the house and on a long, painful, and boring hike. Then he stopped at the cave and threw Mr. Doggy Dogo in. Then Dexter heard a big growl and a bunch of scratching.

Then he said, “Bye bye, Mr. Dogo!”

Inside the cave there was a monster, and that monster was about to eat Mr. Doggy Dogo. But he picked up a big brown stick and stuck it in between the monster’s jaw and climbed out just in time.

Then he said, “Monster, come over here. I’ve got a big, juicy fox!”

Then the monster quickly stomped away, and then he heard a scream of terror from the fox.

“Ahhh! The monster! Ahhh don’t eat me!”

Then the monster and Mr. Doggy Dogo lived happily ever after. And no one was ever eaten again…almost.

JONATHAN’S TERRIBLE LIFE

Phoenix Kreiter | Grade 5, Garden City

Once, Jonathan was a normal boy but then on his 12th birthday, he fell off a cliff and plunged into the cold abyss but was saved by a water dragon named Bob. But little did he know, he would be the dragon’s next breakfast. Once they arrived at the dragon’s lair, the dragon was feeling tired from swimming the length, so once he fell asleep, Jonathan crept away and started to head home.

But then he got abducted by aliens that looked suspiciously like Kang and Kodos from The Simpsons. Then all went black. When he was awake, he was on a strange new planet. Then the aliens forced him to put on a strange device, and once he put it on, he understood it allowed him to speak and understand their language.

Then the aliens chained him up and forced him to work in the mines, and after 15 hours of forced labor, they fed him beans and let him sleep for 2 hours. Once they tried to get him to sleep, Jonathan used his spoon from his beans and started playing with his food and flung his beans and made statues of his family out of beans because he missed home.

Then he started playing with the lock, and it came loose so he opened the door and had to see what the aliens were making. He knew they were making a weapon but didn’t know what type of weapon. And where was it? He knew he had to act fast or else he’d get caught. But this place had high gravity so he could not run. He looked for clues on where it could be and he went straight toward the main castle’s throne room. He’d watched enough movies to know to check the torches, but there weren’t any.

He was parched, so he took a swig of water from the goblet next to the throne, but it tipped over and revealed a secret corridor. He went down it only to find an alien bomb facing straight toward Earth. He knew they were in big trouble. And then he saw bones of tons of different species everywhere.

A TOY BIRD

Atticus Hitesman | Grade 5, Boise

One time, in a small toy store named “Game 1,” was a bird named Jef with one F. He was torn. He got thrown away the instant the manager saw it. The inside of the trash can was odd. Stories flashed around it. All at once, Jef saw every story ever said, ever sang, ever written, and ever drawn. All from the hero’s point of view. And when he came out, he was alive. He saw a Rubik’s Cube by him rolling away. Jef just sat there and somebody picked him up.

Jef saw a man with longish hair. A needle was in the hand of this store clerk. Jef felt a sharp pain in his belly. The store clerk set him down on a shelf. Jef looked down and the tear was gone.

Someone came into the store, Jef heard it. Then he saw the beast. The beast was a dog. Memories came flashing back, memories of being ripped up. He was helpless at the time, not being able to move. Although he couldn’t feel pain at the time, he could now. He was now hiding. He was hiding for days and eventually he found a note. It read: “6/12/24 experiment #0083765 Human (status: success)” Jef was shocked. 6/12/24 was the day he was thrown into the abyss.

Jef was scared. He needed to get out but he didn’t know why. He was…a human? Then what were these memories? He found the Rubik’s Cube from earlier.

“Will you help me out?”

The Cube jumped up and down.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Jef, in a down way. “Change of plans. Let’s hack Bird 10!”

Bird 10 was the company that made the toys. They were evil, so the cube (that Jef named Cubie) and Jef spent hours learning how to hack. Hundreds of videos later, they were in. They found that Bird 10 turned humans into toys to make them more “life-like” and there was a cure at their base. Jef

saw the address on a box once. Jef also stole all their money so they would go out of business.

He practiced every day to become a better flier to get out.

He got the cure and the human-turned-toys-turnedhumans celebrated.

He had his life back.

THE KATELIN CHRONICLES

Alice Jackson | Grade 6, Boise

Series Summary:

A hardcore girl, her name is Katelin Evergreen. Traveling with a boy named Jake and a wand named Cane. Fighting against a King possessed by a snake god. A huge showdown awaits.

Chapter One Candy Candy Candy

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

“My liege?”

“Yes, Commander Cane?”

“Prince Jake of Candy Kingdom, I believe we lost your entourage.”

“Seriously Cane!” said Jake. “That was your one job!”

“No sir, my job is to focus your magic, as your father said.”

“Shush Cane—look over there! Doesn’t that look like a person?”

“Who’s there?” said Katelin. Katelin Evergreen knew someone was there as she pulled out her sword.

“Hi!” said Jake, as he popped out. Katelin yelled like a

savage cat and pounced on him, pushing him deep into the ground.

“Chill kitty, I didn’t mean anything.”

“That’s what they all say, buster. Also, that’s Katelin to you.”

THE APOCALYPSE

Luca Kite | Grade 6, Boise

Yawn. Morning, Burdy, Squirrely, and Sir Ducks Alot. Another day enduring the apocalypse. Ugh.

It’s time to go out and set more food out in the radioactive world with poisonous stuff and monsters. Now where is my hazmat suit? The great radioactive world. I feel like fishing in my trusty boat Georgio. Row, row, row your boat in the radioactive ocean. A turtle floats by.

“Hey little guy, you want to come home with me? Turtles can survive out of water, right? Wait…Gah! No, you are not coming home. You just tried to eat my face.”

5 HOURS LATER

Knock knock. There is a second turtle at the door.

“Hey little dude, you can live with me…just don’t hurt me. Ok, let’s clean my bunker, my hazmat suit. Ok little guy, this is Burdy, Squirrely, and Sir Ducks Alot. Now what to call you? How about Scuts? Yay, I like that.”

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Now there is a guard at the door.

“Yes?”

“Have you seen this water dragon anywhere?”

“No.”

“Well, if you see it, notify us immediately and you will be rewarded.”

“Why do you need this dragon?”

“So we can end this eternal apocalypse.”

“Hey Scuts? Oh, you fell asleep.”

Rumble! “Wow!” Pop! “Ouch!” Bam! Bam! “Gah!”

Scuts turned into a dragon! The dragon!

“Tackle her! She can shapeshift.”

“And my reward?”

“Here’s some resources to fix your bunker. Bye!” Slam. I have to save Scuts! After I build a secret base.

5 DAYS LATER

It is done. This is where we’ll live if they blow up our bunker. “Please stay safe Burdy, Squirrely, and Sir Ducks Alot. You three guys are my only friends.”

5 DAYS LATER

Now I am here where Scuts is being held captive. But why do they need Scuts? Here’s a bottle of super sleep to knock out the guard. Night night!

“Huh? Gah!” Snore.

Cell block MC. MC for Magical Creatures. Now where are the cell keys? Scuts! Huh? Oh, don’t worry, I will save you all. Here are the keys. You’re all free.

“Jeffrey,” a different voice says. “What have you done? How are you, brother? Don’t you recognize me?”

“Joe?!?! How do you have an evil fire dragon?”

To be continued...

THE APOCALYPSE 2

Elizabeth Blier | Grade 5, Boise

Iridescent, the dragon, was flopping around in turtle form when she found an apocalypse bunker.

“Well, this sounds okay.” She looked around and knocked.

“Hello?” a small voice said, opening a small slit. She saw a kid with an AK47. He said she could stay with him and she walked in. It was cozy and she fell asleep.

She started growing until she turned into a dragon.

She turned around and heard knocking.

“FBI open up!”

The wall was knocked down and a net surrounded Iridescent and she struggled to get out.

The net machine dragged her away and three agents walked out of the smoke. Their name tags said Ben, George, and August. She was thrashing around in the metal net.

A large sleep dart shot her…

She woke up in a cage with a phoenix and a unicorn. She tried to speak but she had a muzzle on. “Mff!”

She heard a large bang and she saw a light and the spirit of the guard took the muzzle off. She absorbed the spirit and saw the boy with the AK47. He had the key. The lock clicked and they ran.

A large mechanical dragon appeared and said, “Brother, I am here, don’t you remember me?”

To be continued...

GET RIPPED

Ben Schneider | Grade 6, Kuna

Chapter 1

Once upon a time, Manny went biking down a hill, going to school, but he hit a rock and fell down the hill. Lightning struck him, and still zapped, he crashed into Bing Bong, the super-rich kid.

He can’t hurt Manny, but Bing Bong still tried to threaten Manny with his dad. But Manny ignored him and used his dinocapsule and in the next second the tiny dinocapsule exploded into a brand-new motorcycle. Manny was so happy when it had a TURBO BUTTON!! Once Manny sat on the motorcycle, he slammed his hand into the button which made him fly all the way to his house.

But he went so fast that he went into a portal and into a dimension where everyone was ripped. And then Manny looked at himself and he wasn’t ripped like everyone else. Dun dun dun!!! Manny thought to himself and found a solution. He climbed to the top of the highest mountain and found the Super ultimate omega beast kung fu masta. Manny almost fainted when he saw the Super ultimate omega beast kung fu masta’s 18 pack.

And then Super ultimate omega beast kung fu masta said, “What’s up, bruh? You not totally tubular.”

Manny said, “I don’t know, Masta.”

Masta said, “You have to train your body so much, until you never want to eat McDonalds ever again.”

Every morning, Masta would wake Manny up with three punches: hard, super hard, and a nice pat on the head. Manny ran 87 miles and weight lifted 200kg and an 8,000-pound boulder and sat in an ice bath for 48 hours straight and on the 99th day, Manny was ripped to the core. And when Manny was leaving, he said goodbye, bowing

down to Masta. The next day, Manny got on his motorcycle and hit the button and he traveled back to his dimension and the first thing he did was put on rage mode. Manny broke down Bing Bong and his dad’s door and ran all the way up and punched Bing Bong and super punched his dad. They are both defeated. Now Manny can finally rest.

THE UNDERWORLD BEAR

Serena Boddie | Grade 5, Boise

There was once a bear named Jimm. Jimm was happy and he had a friend named Brae. But one day, Jimm encountered a bear-intruder. Jimm was mad and killed the bear and was then summoned by Hades. Jimm became the Underworld Bear. Whoever needed to be killed, he had to kill them. He was only able to go to the real world every six months.

SCREEN TIME

Nicolas Zouros | Grade 5, Boise

TV Titan kills more toilet heads every day because it’s the only thing he does. He doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep. All he does is kill toilet heads. Red mist was everywhere. G-Man came and he almost killed TV Titan so TV Titan vanished to the lab. The scientist came, it took a month. TV Man was better but he didn’t feel strong enough to kill G-Ma. So the scientist brought an upgraded Camera Titan, Speaker Titan, and the brand-new Clock Titan. They went to the big city to fight G-Man. They saw G-Man on the top of the biggest building in the world. G-Man was shooting lasers out of his eyes down to where TV Titan was. He dodged the lasers and

went into the building. Now TV is in the boss fight with the Chainsaw Toilet. It was brutal, but TV Man definitely won. But now he can’t find his sidekicks, so he sent a signal to the scientist. He always answers but didn’t this time. There was no Camera Man. Looks like he’s on his own. So TV did the next boss fight himself. Now TV is fighting G-Man’s general. It was easy, TV just disintegrated the general. Now G-Man is about to kill all Camera Mans but then TV Titan snuck up on G-Man then the battle started and was a close fight but G-Man won—no it was a close battle but TV won. He should do more stuff than fighting so then he created a new home.

THE AVERAGE BOY

Vidhu Sutharsan | Grade 6, Boise

There once was a boy named Bob who lived in Arizona with his twin sister Amy, near the Grand Canyon. Bob has no parents because they died in a car crash but he depends on his sister for everything. He loves her so much.

One day, Bob wakes up to say hi to his sister. As he turns around, he finds his sister’s bed empty, her bed sheets crumpled. He searches the whole house, flipping everything over. When he is done, he sits on his bed.

“Where did she go?” he thought. Then the doorbell rings. When he opens the door, he sees his grandmother.

“I know where your sister is but you have to come with me to Caldopolis to find her.”

Bob agrees and enters her white Sedan. As she turns on the car, the car starts to go off the ground and into the sky. Bob screams as they pass clouds and enter outer space.

“Where is this place?” Bob asks.

“It’s on a different planet and I have a confession to make. I’m not just a human. I’m a witch.”

Bob was usually gentle when it came to pretty much everything. But when it comes to riding a flying car, he was not gentle with his grandma. He grabbed her by her neck and pulled her into the air.

“Are you insane? Get me out of here!”

As he looks to his side, he sees the car crashing into a planet. When he gets up, he sees a dark shady cloaked figure with red eyes.

“Welcome to Caldopolis! Are you Bob? Because I, Al, have your sister. If you want her back, you have to fight me to get her or sacrifice your life for hers.”

Bob thinks for a second and decides to fight him. Then the fight starts and Al punches him in the face so hard, Bob’s body makes a hole in the car and passes out.

When he wakes up, he sees his grandma over him.

“We need to train you first.” After six months of training, Bob walks to the woods and beats up Al’s guards and comes face to face with Al again.

“Let’s fight,” Bob says.

Al walks up but trips on a rock and lands on a bomb and dies when it explodes. It then turns out that Bob threw the rock that Al tripped on and the bomb was Al’s who placed it there because he thought if Bob came and stepped on the bomb, he would die.

Behind Al, he sees Amy in a bubble. Bob pops it and takes Amy back to Grandma’s car. The citizens of Caldopolis congratulate him for freeing them from Al. So before leaving, they give him the sword of Al and declare him the hero of Caldopolis.

PIGGY THE CYCLOPS PIG

Trillian Curtis-Schaeffer | Grade 5, Boise

Once there was a cyclops pig named Piggy. She was a superhero. She helped lots of people. Piggy saved cats stuck in trees, saved people from burning buildings, and dogs from under porches. Piggy was about to help someone, but they shamed her because she was a cyclops. She ran away to the woods because she was so upset.

“I need revenge,” Piggy said. When she was about to start working, she saw a pig. “Who are you?” asked Piggy.

“I am your long-lost sister!” said the pig.

“Okay but what are you doing here?” asked Piggy.

“I want to help you,” said Juliet.

“No! you just want to make fun of me!” Piggy said. Then the battle begins. Piggy is winning by a lot. Juliet is getting really hurt. The battle is over. Juliet broke both her legs. Piggy brought Juliet to the hospital.

“I am sorry, but your sister has to be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life,” said the nurse.

Piggy started to cry. She cried for the whole day.

“I will never be evil ever again,” said Piggy.

The end.

P.S. Piggy has a six-pack

MY FAKE FAMILY

Rowan

Anderson | Grade 6, Boise

I woke up one morning and got out of bed when I found a note taped to my door. Went out, don’t get into trouble, from Mom. I wonder where they went? Meh. I went to the kitchen to get myself breakfast and had a banana, but it tasted weird though, and was wriggling in my mouth. When I looked closer, there were tiny humans on the bananas ! My family! Suddenly, everything made sense. My family went out and magically somehow got tiny and got on the bananas! With shaking hands, I put my tiny family into a bowl and put the bowl on the counter. Unfortunately, the impact jostled them into the sink, where to my horror, they slid into the trash compactor! In the same instant I “accidentally” pressed the compact button. My real family walked through the front door.

THE SOGGY PAPER

Wyatt Bolkcom | Grade 7, Boise

My parents and I are bowls of soggy paper mush. One day I started to dry up. I could not find any water except the drool everywhere. There was enough drool all over the kitchen floor to fill up a glass, but I do not drink drool. After three days, I dried up all the way. But then my mom put me in the river.

AN IDEA OF IDEAS

Albert Pan | Grade 7, Boise

An idea is hard to read. Hard to define and hard to keep. But an idea is easy to see and find.

An imagination is a set of ideas. Bottled in an expanding balloon. Pumping, expanding, puffing in the blue sky.

Don’t let it pop!

An imagination is a sprachbad of ideas A timeline of spiraling film. A spiral of original film.

TWENTY-1, CHAPTER 1: EROS

Allison Cantlon | Grade 7, Eagle

Cold sweat dripped down my face. A scream from the western side of the city migrated to my ears. Not that I was worried. Screams are common in the city, and besides, I did not recognize the voice. I realized that I was standing still. Rule #2 of living on the street: don’t stop walking. I forced my feet to move across the neon asphalt, and every second, I had to remind myself to breathe. I soon saw my mom. She was asleep in our usual spot; An alleyway by the Light Circle. Its name originates from all the hologram and billboard light pollution, since it is the only open place in the metropolis. No one goes here. Today was the dragon eclipse, and all the unbonded Dragons will be beckoned by the moon to destroy. The previous one was the day I was born. A shadow loomed above me. I screamed. Rule #6: don’t make noise. I looked up. It was the leader of the terrorist group, Zeno, on his dragon, Smoke Fire. Rule #3: don’t remember names. Unfortunately, I break that one a lot.

THE TRUTH

Colson Wamsley | Grade 8, Boise

There was a man in the world of dinosaurs. The man would tame dinos and bring them back to his base. Once, his mom accidentally lured a wild T Rex back to their base. It killed most of their dinos. The man put away his stuff and ran away from the base, luring the Rex away. When he died, his spirit would go to the base and be revived, then he would go back out. This whole time, his mom worked on some walls.

IF IDAHO WERE CELEBRATED

Samuel

Weekley | Grade 8, Boise

The day was potato. Everyone in town was dressed as a potato. The town’s finest would be sent to go play in the food processor. The next day the remaining villagers would feast on their friends and relatives. Everyone who lived was happy.

THE WATCH

Joonyoung Kim | Grade 6, Boise

A man went into a watch store and bought a cheap silver watch. The watch was at the discount counter, so he bought it. It seemed like such a good bargain, until he got home. He suddenly felt a horrifying sensation, as if hundreds of needles were stabbing into his wrist. He screamed and tried to take it off, but it was no use. He fell to the ground, but the watch was gone. He felt no more pain and eventually forgot about the watch. After years and years, just as he was starting to forget about it, he looked in the mirror. His face turned pale. He collapsed on the floor. His watch came back.

NIGHTFALL

Harper Pantera | Grade 7, Boise

The night falls over the town. Blood curdling screams called out. They are here. The Night Hunters. Every other night they come. If you’re outside after 10:12 PM, they’ll find you . They wear purge masks. They themselves are clouds of smoke. Once they find you, they will surround you. The smoke then carries you away, never to be seen again. As they levitate past your street make sure not to make eye contact. They can move through walls. My name is Letty. I used to live by the rules. Now I’m one of them. Now I know the rules.

MY CHICKEN BROTHER

Eli Basham | Grade 8, Boise

My chicken brother was running around the coop for no apparent reason while my parents were laying eggs for breakfast. I was sitting on my bed, adjusting the hay. My brother was still running around, messing up all the hay I just spent hours organizing, so I chased him around the coop barking at him for reorganizing my bed (spoiler he didn’t ). He kept running around, ruining all the other beds in the coop. By this time our next-coop neighbors had heard the noises coming from our coop and came over to tell my brother to shut up. When they opened the door, my brother ran straight into our neighbor launching them both flying across the room. I started laughing for 5 minutes straight. I went back, remade my bed, which 10 minutes later was destroyed by my brother, so in short I never got a made bed.

ROSE GARDEN

Kellan Anderson | Grade 3, Boise

Mellow yellow, swirly white, Flowers and flame, having a fight. Open your eyes, natural beauty you’ll see, I am the rose garden, the rose garden is me.

EXCERPT FROM THE ALIEN WORLD

Arvin Sarpatwari | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter Two: Rose Garden

You wake up inside a lovely bed in the Gnome’s Tree. Another second later, POOF! A gnome was here! A literal gnome!

He said in a squeaky voice, “You’re getting late. Please head down two floors for an important meeting.”

You say, “What meeting!”

“Please get ready,” said the gnome. “We will explain everything in the meeting.”

“Okay,” you say in a defeated voice. So you get ready and head down to the hall that was labeled by rose petals saying conference room to the right away.

The beautiful conference room accompanied by the comfortable seats made it an ideal conference room. Everyone turned their heads to me.

We soon introduced each other. So after that, they told me our core was dying!

Chapter Three

We then after six months of working created a working

rocket ship to help us Venture into the planet’s core! 3! 2! 1!

To be continued...

GRAPES ON A VINE

Leora Davidson-Slichter | Grade 5, Idaho City

Grapes on a vine, Straight in a line.

Grapes on a vine, Together they bind.

Grapes on a vine, Soon to be mine!

THE NOTE [EXCERPT]

Annelise Rice | Grade 4, Boise

Early that morning, Emerald went out to go practice with her bow and arrow, but then there was a messenger from the queen! He said, “The queen said that you have to go to the no-headed horseman’s house, and he lives in the forest near Ponbra Lake.” Emerald had no idea where he lived, so she gathered water, food, and her bow and arrow, and set sail for Ponbra Lake.

DRAGONS UNITED: CHAPTER ONE

Alex Mitchell | Grade 3, Boise

One ordinary day, a dragon named Bold Aurora was in her flying class. It was her turn to demonstrate flying, but when she tried, she fell on her bottom in front of the whole class, and they all laughed at her. She was so mad that she made a great escape from school.

On her way home from school, a creepy looking dragon took her captive in a cage and flew away. The dragon’s cave had a bunch of gray balls, so she touched one, then spikes shot up and poked her. She was terrified, and the pain in her finger hurt so bad. All of a sudden, she saw a little animal. It was as big as a baseball, with little ruffles all around it.

The animal said, “Hello, my name is Dory.”

“Wow, I didn’t know an animal as small as you could talk!” replied Bold Aurora. Dory gave Bold Aurora a bow and arrow and some rope. She tied rope to an arrow, shot it through the cage, and it landed on the keys. Then, she got out.

DOUBLERAVEN [EXCERPT]

Tony Pantera | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter One

Doubleravens are creatures that want everything dead, but they’re afraid of themselves. The magical beings’ deepest darkest secret is that they’re already dead.

The newborn Doubleraven went to the witch’s hut for help. She gave him a potion to be strong, but with the catch that he will die in 99 years. Doubleravens don’t die unless there is a magical curse.

Chapter Two

He woke up a day later in the hut and went to the witch’s sword rack. He picked up an iron mace, which he used to raid the Muggleravens’ camp. He stole their bumpy food to eat on the way to the underworld. It was a long trip, and he ran out of food. He stopped by a tree with sparkling silver leaves, and the poison fruit was happy to be eaten.

Since the young Doubleraven was cursed to die in exactly 99 years, the berries only made him nauseous. He puked up the berries.

On his way to the underworld, he found actual food and was able to carry on his way to defeat Death, gain vengeance, and cut out competition for all Doubleravens.

THE SUN WILL NOT SHINE (CHAPTER TWO)

Charlotte Mitchell | Grade 4, Boise

Language Key

I woke up with a feeling of excitement. I felt today would be interesting. Our family robot Lilly came to wake me up, brush my teeth, as well as serve me breakfast. I climbed into the cellar after all of that. I climbed into a sewer that I would walk through to get to me, Molly, and Coral’s secret lab.

Once I got there, I sat in a chair and all of a sudden the power went out. The chair I was in instantly went crashing to the ground. “OUCH,” I screamed.

Then Coral stepped around a corner and said, “Oh, hi !”

“Hi, Coral!”

“I have something I want to tell you once Molly gets here,” Coral said.

When Molly got there, Coral said, “So you know the is getting old? Well it’s so old, it’s about to die in one month.” I felt the pancakes I ate for breakfast rumble in my stomach.

I ran through the wet slimy sewers to get home to tell them the news. As soon as I got home, I ran to my parents, sister, and brothers to tell them the news.

After I told them, my mom said, “ , how does Coral know this is going to happen?”

Because I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about the secret lab and that was how Coral found out, I just had to say, “Well, Coral is just guessing.” is getting old? Well it’s so old, it’s about to die in

“Exactly,” said my mother. “We have nothing to worry about.”

I went up to my room where my pet furling was sleeping. A furling is a tiny animal the size of your fist that has huge cute eyes and lots of fur that can change color. I handed my furling Rocket a piece of fish.

All of a sudden, I heard my mom scream. I ran downstairs, and my mother was calling Coral’s and Molly’s moms.

My mom said, “ , Ki, Will, and Isia, pack your stuff and get on the shuttle.” I scrambled to get upstairs, but my siblings had already taken the elevator, so I ran up the stairs and packed a suitcase that would last me about a week. When I reached for Rocket’s cage, I found it was empty and the window was open.

Right then, I heard my mom say, “Get in the shuttle, !” I ran downstairs into the shuttle.

TIME WORLD [EXCERPT]

Ryan Richards | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter Two: Entering the Time World

“AHHHHHHH!!! Why am I here?!” sobbed Cladea. * * *

Back at Cladea’s house, everyone was freaking out. Colo was the first to wake up. When she realized that Claudia was missing, she woke up everyone else and gave everyone a panic attack, and they were so busy running through the house that no one noticed the huge hole in the wall that was leading to the ocean where Cladea was screaming their names.

* * *

Claudia thought about climbing the ladder, and then she heard a voice on the boat.

“Axel! Axel! Lookie here! There’s a girl! There’s a girl!

“I’m coming, my Mary! I’m coming!”

“We got to help her!”

“Climb the ladder, girl! Climb the ladder!” Cladea climbed the ladder. When she got to the top, the people helped her get up.

“Where am I?” asked Cladea.

“Why, you’re in the time world, sweetie!”

“What’s the time world?”

“A bunch of things, extraordinary things, I must say.”

“How do we get off the Titanic?”

“Why would we need to get off?”

* * *

Everyone back at home just noticed the huge hole in the wall.

“Hey guys, the ocean is out there,” said Amy.

“Waewu,” said Mico.

“The T-T-Titanic is o-out th-there,” said Kandis.

“Beats me if she’s on that thing,” said Amy.

“Not true, Amy. Not true, okay. Maybe she’s on that thing,” said Mico wearily.

* * *

Back on the ship, Cladea was having a panic attack, and thinking to herself, frick, they don’t know. Why don’t they know? Does the ship sink, and then everyone revives? Or are they brainwashed? Will I get brainwashed? Cladea said, “Does everyone here remember everything?”

“I remember getting on the ship and having a blast!” said Axel. “Well, you guys are about to experience de-” Rumbling cut her off. “Oh no!”

DEAD BEFORE YOU KNOW IT

Aden

Fletcher | Grade 6, Boise

Like a deer in head Lights except literally

It hit me and I smacked

The ground

At first it was bright

Then soon I was as Motionless as an old dead

Log

Then the streets grew red And wet

And before I knew it, BAM! It hit me again.

AN EXCERPT OF CHAPTER 2 OF STARDUST

Avery Carroll | Grade 5, Boise

After the near disaster, the girls came across a waterfall in the foothills. The water roared furiously as it tumbled down the cliff. It was diverted in two streams of water at the edge by a great, shiny boulder. The girls walked over a bridge.

“Wait, we have to turn around,” said Nikki.

“But there’s the tank,” protested Amy, pointing at the screen.

“But the waterfall’s between us and the stardust. We’ll have to go through the city,” said Nikki.

Amy scooped up Speckles, and they headed for the city. All Nikki saw was flashy colors, screens, and cars. They roared across a black strip, but every so often, a yellowcheckered one would stop to let a human in. There were big screens showing humans in strange clothes and trampled

weeds in the sidewalk. There was yelling, crying, and the people were trapped in their bustle to get someplace. Everyone looked down, or in front, and nobody saw the sky.

So, Nikki looked up.

LATE NIGHT AT THE CABIN

Elma

Robison | Grade 6, Boise

It’s a late night and I’m awoken to the creaking of my window. As I rise up, I see that my previously closed window is opened. Who, or what could have done this? I’m in the middle of the darn woods for heaven’s sake!

I start to become fidgety and worried. What is going on? I think.

I stand up off of my bed, and as I do so, I hear the logs by my window tumble down. Shock crowds my face. I jump up, run quickly to my window and shut it closed.

“Ah! My finger, it’s gone!” I jump away, horrified, my hands shaky, my eyes blurring from the pain.

Knock knock. I try and stop myself from passing out.

I walk towards my bedroom door and peer out of it. After, I quickly close it back.

A human, or can I even call it human, with its blood red eyes and blood dripping from their mouth? Crack! Lightning hits a nearby tree, the fire quickly spreading.

I hurry and go to my window, thinking, getting killed by whatever those were must be better than burning alive. My hand still throbs from getting my finger sliced off, but still I go to open the window, seeing that all the meat of my severed finger is gone, only leaving the bone.

As I open the window, I see that the fire has reached the front of my house. I swiftly jump out my window and run. I run as far and as fast as I can.

THE GOLD MEDAL

Jaise Ann Hatch | Grade 5, Nampa

I stand in the sun. It is warm and bright. I produce a lovely scent. Why, though, am I not like the other roses?

Why am I yellow, not pink? I feel as if I serve no purpose. But a little voice whispers, “You serve a purpose. Why else would the bees pollinate you, why else would the rain fall for you? Why else would the sun shine on you?

Why else?” And then I know I do. I serve a purpose. People enjoy my scent. I help people breathe. I help the bees make honey. I do serve a purpose, even if I’m different. I am my own flower.

MOVING TO ALASKA

Kate Elliott | Grade 5, Boise

Pit-pat, pit-pat. The snow landed on the roof.

Creaaak… The roof groaned underneath three feet of snow. Another foot was falling tonight. I shivered at the thought of it, and buried myself even deeper beneath the comforter. It had been snowing nonstop ever since I’d arrived a day ago.

This was the first time I’d ever seen snow, having lived my whole life in Phoenix, Arizona. Even despite my parents’ trying, I hadn’t gone outside ever since that first gust of ice crystals hit my face as I stepped out of the airport. It seemed impossible that something could be that cold.

I turned over in my bed, trying to fall back asleep. Frustratingly, now that I was awake, I couldn’t fall back asleep. I tried to fall back asleep for thirty more minutes, but just as I was about to drift off, I heard a FLUMPH! from outside that would’ve made me jump three feet in the air like in comics if I wasn’t weighted down by a heady comforter.

Curious and grumpy at the noise, I slid out of bed and grabbed my glasses and stuffed them on. Tenderly placing my feet on the freezing floor, I stumbled over toward the window and peeked out, blinking by the moonlight streaming in.

“Woah,” I whispered, shocked by what I saw. All the snow on the roof had fallen off in an avalanche over the lawn. It felt almost supernatural, considering it was eerily silent and, like, the middle of the night.

What time was it anyway? I suddenly wondered. Maybe it would be morning-ish and I could get up. It wasn’t like I would be able to fall asleep anytime soon, I thought, glaring at the snow pile. As if replying to me, a couple more feet fell off the roof.

THE GAZEBO

Lexi Alexander | Grade 5, Meridian

Every day, people walk in and out of me. Watching them go by is quite funny.

They see inside of my heart, My brains, my love.

I feel the people sit on my bones, feel them relax their bones.

I have seen thick and thin

Nothing is too big.

THE MISSION TO LAND

Natalia Olow | Grade 6, Boise

Suddenly, Turtle’s stomach growled. Grumble.

“Let’s stop for today, then we can see if we can spot land,” Dolphin suggested, hearing her friend’s stomach growl. “You go check above and I will go hunt,” said Dolphin.

“How come I can’t hunt?” argued Turtle.

Dolphin smacked Turtle with her talon. “ You can’t even catch a fish that swims into your talons!”

Then Turtle started to swim upwards, then paused and said, “Then you’re taking Seaweed,” and continued to swim upwards.

I always get stuck with Seaweed, Dolphin thought, looking at Turtle, who was still swimming upwards.

As Dolphin hunted, Turtle swam up towards the surface. When she broke the surface, the warm air hit her scales and calmed her. She was hovering in the air, flapping her light green wings, scales flashing in the sunset.

ONE WITH THE SUN

Maia Thurmond | Grade 6, Boise

Every Morning, Up rose a man, A man with deep brown eyes.

You may have been told, that the sun doesn’t move, but those are just pure lies.

This man, he stretched, and got on his horse, and rode to the sun’s lair

He grabbed his lasso, wrapped it around the sun, and slapped the side of his mare.

As he rode, the sun, she showed All of her beautiful light.

And that, my friends, is the real way the sun sets and moves ‘til sunrise.

To this day, he still does his job, waking the sun from her lair. and as thanks, the sun gave him a beard and big, long hair.

THE MAN WHO FLEW TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN

Rose Villa | Grade 6, Boise

I lie here unnoticed bottom on top. They made a joke out of me. “He flew too close to the sun,” they cry. Daedalus is on dry land by now. I will soon become nothing more than a hazy memory to those I have been acquainted, so I lie here letting the moss pass me by. I smile as I realized it was a good life that I lived, but my story ends here and now. I let the last bit of oxygen leave my lips as the world goes dark.

HOME

Annika Benton | Grade 8, Meridian

Home, to me, means peace and safety. It means a place I can be without worry or judgment. A place I can set strong boundaries without being ignored or disrespected, somewhere I’m listened to. Home is my favorite because it can be people. But most importantly, home is a place I can dream. Of the future, of the past, of vampires and witches and stuff in stories. In my home, jellyfish swim in the sky and butterflies fly in the ocean. In my home, I can do whatever I’d like, whatever I dream.

THE REVENGE OF THE RED ROSE

Liza Galitsyna | Grade 7, Boise

The Sun burns as it rises up in the sky. The call of the birds starts the morning in the Rose Garden. Angus, the enthusiastic yellow rose, wakes up first. It starts the tune of the perfect morning. First, Angus wakes up Tyler, the red rose. They have a fight because Tyler is angry at Angus for making waking him up and it goes like this:

“Tyler?” whispered Angus.

“Tyler,” he said again.

“Tyler!” he screamed at the top of his lungs.

“What?” Tyler said, “Why did you wake me up?”

“Because it’s morning, and you should be awake!” answered Angus.

Tyler looked at him with anger in his eyes and said, “Oh, I didn’t know you wanted to die today!”

And to this day, no one has ever seen Angus again.

The end.

IF I HAD A SUPERPOWER

Sailor Wilks | Grade 6, Boise

If I could have any power, I would have laser eyelashes. I would probably use it to heat up my microwave burrito so I don’t have to use power and electricity so I can save money. It’s also for my mortal enemies. Don’t ask.

And I could get a job as a backstage effects person for… special effects. Duh.

Also, I could amaze people and sell overpriced tickets for laser shows, and become a scam artist.

BEYOND

Clara Hodges | Grade 8, Boise

Greta trudged down the sandy pathway as the sun rose over the colorful flowers. The Queen’s procession would be coming in an hour so the West Village was scrambling to prepare. Greta’s way of preparing includes finding new ways to make faces at the Queen as she passes.

Every 10 years a new Queen is chosen by the yellowflower bees who give the Queen The Gift of Life. The newest Queen is the worst the West Village has ever seen. She strictly enforces the rules and takes everything for herself. Her most important law of all is you may not touch the Fountain. It is electric, literally. All the power of the land resides inside the water. Legend says anyone who touches it will be more powerful than the yellow flowers themselves, and rule over the world. For years the West Village has lived in peace and equality by tossing the flower petals in the fountain as they dull the power inside.

Greta walked up to the Fountain. The cyan-colored water spewed from the depths and fell back down in soft sprays. Greta frowned, thinking about all the trouble it brings. All she’s ever wanted was to leave the West Village, but with the Queen in charge of the land that could never happen.

Greta mumbled, “I hate this fountain with all I have!”

She slammed her fist down on the marble of the fountain and quickly pulled away.

“What have I done! I touched it! I’ll be as dead as this grass by night time!” Greta exclaimed, staring down at the decaying grass on the ground.

The flowers around her glowed and flashed.

“I’m so stupid,” Greta cried and took off running.

MY OBSERVATIONS

Shiloh Hodges | Grade 7, Boise

Dear Friend

In the large boxes made of metal and stone the people do not keep the colors the same but let them become old yet new colors

There are large statues of what seem to be gods that speak to the people who respond by performing movements with their body

A large and hollow pyramid that people ascend inside with black lines that guide them

The people use long pieces of a material to control our superiors

The people use their bottom half to go forward on a bench with a small seat and two circles

There are swords on the ground everywhere but people like to pick them up and break them in an instant

but they still have the ability to do slight harm to anyone who touches the surface of them

P.S. Do not tell the king about the 4th poem

Your friend

A BIRD’S FLIGHT DOWN

Joe

Maffuccio | Grade 8, Boise

Tarlon never imagined that he would travel to a new fragment, much less in exile. But when one steals they are put into exile.

A chirp comes from the seat next to him. He looks down and sees his pet gliding squirrel, Moro Sky. Moro Sky had always been with Tarlon as long as he can remember. But now he is in a guard car with Tarlon heading towards the exile grounds. Moro is confused as to why they are in a guard car.

Tarlon motions to Moro. Moro sees the signal and steals the key from the guards. Moro unlocks the handcuffs on Tarlon. The guards see this and fight Tarlon. Tarlon dodges a blow from one of the guards, but the other lands a blow on his chest. Tarlon reacts to this by using the guards’ body weight against them and is able to knock both guards out. He and Moro escape from the guard car and start to find shelter. Tarlon finds a small rickety shack. Inside there was a pickaxe, shovel, and a wood axe. Tarlon grabs each tool and gets a feel for them. Pretty soon, Moro Sky runs in with his hands and mouth full of nuts. Tarlon chuckles and digs a hole using the shovel for Moro’s nuts.

Months pass by and one day Tarlon wakes up to a fire,

fallen trees, and logs surrounding his shack. He wakes Moro up and grabs the axe and starts chopping the logs blocking his shack. He uses the shovel to lift the chopped pieces of wood out of the way. He and Moro escape from the shack just before it burns up.

Tarlon and Moro wander around when Tarlon gets caught in a net trap. Moro climbs up the tree and glides to the net and uses his claws to cut the rope. The net and Tarlon fall to the ground with a thud. Suddenly, both Tarlon and Moro fall to the ground and a voice says that the targets have been neutralized.

The end.

DON’T TOUCH THE RED ROSES

Maisie Murphy | Grade 7, Boise

Don’t touch the Red Roses. Red roses. Red roses. Red roses.

“Don’t touch the red roses,” my mother would say.

My mother passed away 3 weeks ago. We had Red Roses in our front yard and they were beautiful. When mother had told me not to touch the red roses, I thought it was because it would make the Red Roses less beautiful.

One day I sat down to look at the Red Roses. I had been living in an orphanage. I never had a father. I was sitting in the grass, watching the Red Roses, when a kid came up to me and said. “Don’t touch the Red Roses.”

Without a thought I reached to a Red Rose and felt the silky pedal. I thought that I would die, but I was still sitting

in the grass. I got flashbacks of me with my mother and I remembered when I was last with her someone had poured something in my mother’s drink. Once my mother took a sip of the drink she fell over and passed away.

I knew what the Red Roses do. They take you back to moments that you try to forget because that someone who poured something into my mother’s cup was me.

SECOND CHAPTER OF A WORK-IN-PROGRESS STORY

Jordyn Stacy | Grade 9, Eagle

Fennec sat on the stairs in front of the high school, glaring at his phone. His sister was supposed to pick him up today. She was 43 minutes late. Fennec texted his best friend, Gila. Gila texted back not even 30 seconds later. Fennec smiled and put his phone in his pocket and stood up. As he looked up, he noticed an orange glow up ahead. Fennec stared for a moment before deciding to take a look. He closed his eyes and Shifted, slowly taking on the form of a Fennec fox. After completely shifting, Fennec cantered down the street in the direction of the mysterious orange glow.

I DON’T UNDERSTAND

Max Waxberg | Grade 8, Boise

Dear Blörk,

This world is very mysterious. People carry small mechanical boxes with access to everything in the world yet all they want to do is watch other people trying to kill themselves!

The kids make up words so that they can talk about things without anybody but themselves knowing, but even the other kids can’t understand it.

They have public bathrooms, public fountains, and public places which don’t ever get cleaned, yet they still wonder why they get sick.

They drive around in angry metal buildings with wheels that make them angrier and angrier until they choose to destroy their building by smashing it into something like a railway building or even another machine.

The amount of pieces of paper you have is a status. If you have 1 million you have a very high status. So anybody could cut up colored paper just to get a higher status.

They rule themselves by having two groups of people who hate each other trying to make an agreement about something minor for any progress to happen at all.

All in all,

Humans are weird.

Your friend, Blërg

P.S. Humans eat ice with food coloring. They pay for it with their status when they can’t make it at home. Apparently, the location of where they eat it is more important than their colored paper.

MOON PERSON

Max Wyatt | Grade 9, Boise

“Hi, I’m David,” I say to the taxi driver.

“I don’t care who you are. I don’t care what happened to you, just don’t smoke in my car,” he snaps.

I say, “Someone’s a bit touchy,” while throwing my cigarette off the catwalk. Sitting down in the hover car, he takes off and I start thinking, what a world. First of all, the entire street system has been revoked and replaced with hexagons and hover cars. Secondly, there’s a new race called Moon People which I will get to in a bit. Finally, we have organ farms that grow organs so smoking and drinking is safe.

The taxi stops at my apartment complex and I pay him. Walking into the apartment it has a classic look, painted walls and an upfront desk with one lady working on the computer.

Then a moon person walks in. He’s holding his arm. It’s bleeding.

“Hey, hey, hey, let me take you to your room,” I offer.

“Thanks,” he says.

A moon person’s blood is a pale white, like a white board, their skin is glowing pink with sparkles. Their hair looks like frozen fire, but it’s the same color as their skin. Finally, they hate medical care.

We get to his room, it’s right across from mine. We enter

the room. It’s tidy and clean. I sit him down on the couch and offer him a med kit. He declines. I see the wound closer and it’s gone down to the bone, but he clearly wants me to leave. So I do.

WHAT A MARTIAN MUST KNOW

Jonas Wen | Grade 8, Boise

Dear fellow Martians,

Much to learn, there still is.

There is a type of vegetation that grows on this planet with trunks and smaller branches sticking out. Each one has multiple feathers blowing from gusts of air, making them drop, giving way to a new generation to come.

Then there are metallic poles reaching towards the sky with a glowing box at top, showing a clear path to navigate. A way to water the strange vegetation is with little black rods sticking out the ground, shooting high pressure water, sometimes rotating the ever falling showers.

And tall shades will decrease temperatures, the opposite side of the sun, stealthily darting away in the night or disappearing into greater patches of darkness.

Some see-through walls, a barrier on ferocious machines with wheels, on buildings, on furniture, even on the faces of humans.

The Earth is nothing similar to Mars. Please take me back before I rot.

Sincerely,

Ookla

P.S. The food is great and the one good part of living on Earth.

BROKEN BONES

Gabby Schuldenfrei | Grade 12, Boise

My bones break and snap, but I don’t scream. I make my broken bones into weapons to survive, though in doing so, my skin is left broken and scarred.

I broke my bones to protect myself from those who wish me harm, though the act of doing so hurts. I wish I didn’t have to break myself to be safe. But I know that is the only way to survive.

I wish it were colder, where I can hide away and save myself, free of judgment, just so I don’t have to break myself to live.

The others don’t get it. They say I am overdramatic. That I can just do what they do. That I am just lazy. That if I try then I can just escape those who wish me harm, they don’t see that they are also causing me harm.

I am seen as lazy and overdramatic, nothing more. And so, that is how I started to see myself. I tried to escape as they said I should. I tried, believe me, I did.

But it didn’t work and I was almost caught. I only escaped by doing what I know to work. I broke my bones and turned them to weapons. And for the first time, I openly cried.

OFF TO THE RACES

Sarah Neumayer | Grade 9, Boise

We all went down to the racing tracks to get a good seat. People in face paint, their favorite racers’ number painted on their bare chests.

Crowds got close as the unicorns prepared for the competition. Their caretakers made them sparkle in the afternoon sun. Everyone had the day off work and brought their whole family to cheer on the horned majesties. Food and beverages were purchased, people hastily trying to get their hands on anything, not wanting to miss the once-a-year tradition. A trumpet made a loud sound, everyone took their seats. Unicorns didn’t need to be ridden they had a sense of inner competition that fueled them. So when the whistle blew, the sparkly horses took off.

EW, KIDS

Haidyn Thompson | Grade 9, Boise

Luke pushed through the strings of beads that marked the doorway to the daycare. The beads made soft tinkling noises as they rebounded off the doorway. The room was eerily quiet. The child-sized foam blocks had been assembled into a looming fortress that took up the back half of the vast room. Luke looked up towards the ceiling, scanning it for stray kids that had found their way onto the rafters. Interestingly enough, the rafters were empty. He slid his gaze slightly left, to the barbed wire fence. The fence had been installed after a child had escaped through the vents, looking for prey. Luke silently crept forward, edging slowly towards the yellow and red castle. He only needed to reach the door to the Fort, then he could throw in the offerings and leave this place for another week. From the silence of the building came a low growl. Luke froze in his tracks. Then, a shadow dove at him from the castle entryway. Pinpricks of pain blossomed throughout his calf. “Down, gremlin!” he yelled. It cackled and gnawed harder. Luke kicked it in the chest and crab walked backwards, trying to push himself away from the bloody toothed kid. The feral child cooed something to its brethren, and Luke watched in horror, petrified, as he was surrounded and dragged into their lair.

FRENZY

Finn Concidine | Grade 10, Fruitland

A frenzy of sharks surrounded the boat their fins sliced the water gracefully flashes of gray and blue surrounding the viewer’s eyes such a magical thing to witness

CANDLES’ WHISPERS

Betty Clark | Grade 9, Boise

Lighting candles around a statue, a voice breathes over my ear. Mumbles and murmurs, unsettling whispers surround my safe haven. I brush off these flooding stings of words, the candles reach a smoky stayed as their light looms over soft features of the statue. Once the candles reach their brightest, the temple darkens almost abruptly. A shadowy figure grazes its fingers across the statue, only a silhouette of the figure could be seen with mortal eyes.

SEA QUESTION

Caiden Curtis | Grade 10, Kuna

If one were on an endless sea, would continuing be wise? With depths a majestic blue, calling to be enjoyed. If death will come by roasting sun, why should one avoid it? If no help is to come, why should one keep supplies? Yet the brave do, despite hopelessness. And soon …ISLAND

DIRTY ALLEYWAY

Katelyn Ulrich | Grade 10, Boise

The dirty rodent stared up at the dirty boy. They were similar in many ways. They stole, scavenged, even begged, for food. They were like brothers despite being different species.

The boy, having only a slice of moldy bread to eat, broke off a piece for his small friend. The rodent eats quickly, the crumbs gone within moments. And as soon as he arrived, he had gone back into his hole.

He had returned the next day, but the day after came two rodents. They looked up at the boy, innocent eyes filled with hunger. Just as before, the boy broke off a piece and gave it to them and just like last time, they scurried back into the hole. Every other day, they multiplied, and the boy fed them all. Soon enough, there were hundreds of them, and the little food the boy had was growing too little to feed them. Finally, the day came when the boy had no more to give. The rodents stared, all the pain of their eyes looked on him. When the boy did move, the animals seemed to change. They suddenly scurried out into the street, running in different directions. The boy watched in awe as they disappeared, wondering where they had gone.

It was only the next day when he heard the news. A famine had hit the city, and the local hygiene had plummeted. The cause? An increase in rodents. The boy sat in shock. Surely that wasn’t his fault, right?

FAREWELL VIGIL

Bryce Lyndes | Grade 10, Boise

Majestic peaks kissed by the sun. In the heart of Wyoming, where adventures are spun. The Grand Teton, a sentinel that is bold. Below stands a Ghost Town covered in mold.

Abandoned structures, weathered to its core, The Town whispers stories of a time before. Held in the embrace of the mountain’s seams. The Ghost Town’s time on Earth begins its final gleams.

Once a bustling hamlet, life on every street. Now a surreal silence, a flat heartbeat. The Tetons wails in the towns decay, Yet beauty lingers in the town’s gray.

The vacant windows stare at the range. While the mountain continues to age. In a place of solitude where the Ghost Town lies. The Grand Teton says its final goodbyes.

EVIL SNAILS

Max Wallace | Grade 10, Boise

Oscar was riding his bike up a hill when the snails came. Everyone knew about the snails, how they were contained in a vault deep in Area 51, and how they would end the world. First, they came in pairs. They disguised themselves as local store owners, realtors, and politicians. Using their adaptive brain, they grew smarter and more powerful in society. Soon, snails were becoming our presidents, our financial advisors, and, God forbid, our own fathers. What led the snails to strike when they did is entirely unknown and highly speculative. One day, the snails took their true form and started killing people with their laser eyes. They spared no one except Lin Manuel Miranda, because he was in fact their leader! Oscar saw the evil behind him and knew that he wasn’t strong enough to fight back. Yet the snails never attacked him, they moved right by. Why aren’t they killing me too as they did my father, mother, friends, and teachers? That was when a voice entered his head. It was the voice of thousands of snails all resonating with him. That’s when he realized: he was a snail!

THE ROSE PROBLEM

Quinn Kittrell | Grade 3, Henderson, Nevada

Once upon a time, there was a world called Rose Garden. There was a problem though. None of the roses were blooming! That was until investigator Mila came to Rose Garden. She saw the roses and wondered why they didn’t bloom. She searched and found out an evil witch has poisoned the roses!

She looked everywhere. She was about to give up until she saw a flower that had bloomed. She walked up to the flower.

The flower said, “Hello!” Mila jumped with fright. The flower said, “Sorry I frightened you. I was just excited to meet a human.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Mila said. The rose asked, “Why did you come to Rose Garden?”

“Well, you see—” Mila said.

“Hold that thought,” said the rose. Mila thought, Ugh, rude!

“Sorry, I need to take a phone call,” the flower said. He took a bee and put it up against his ear. He tried calling a repair shop. Bzzz-bzzz-bzzz.

“Hello, what’s your problem?”

“Well there’s a witch who’s planning to—”

“Wait!” Mila said. The flower hung up the call and said, “What?”

“What witch?!!” Mila screamed.

“Well there’s a witch that—” the flower started.

“I KNOW!! Just tell me where she is!” Mila said.

“Well she went into a tree.”

“There’s no trees out here.”

“Well she lives on another planet.”

“How did you see her? You can’t move.”

“I have a friend from that planet who saw her.”

“How did he come to you?”

*grabs a bee* “Plantagram!”

“What’s Plantagram?”

“It’s like the Earthling Instagram.”

“Don’t call us Earthlings! We’re humans/people.”

“Wait, is that offensive on planet Earth?”

“Kind of?”

“Well sorry. Let’s carry on. He posted it on Plantagram and said ‘Witch hiding place!’ But I can’t take you.”

“It’s okay!”

“Here take this bee.” *grabs bee* *gives it to her*

“You can just text me and send pictures!”

“Oh okay…what world is it?”

“It’s world Tree Land.”

“Ok. I’ll go into my ship.”

“Ok. Text me!”

*Mila gets there*

“Aw there are millions of trees. I’ll never find her! Wait, I can look in the photo!” *Mila looks at photo* “Hmm so it looks like an old tree. I don’t see any old trees.”

In mind: Wait, I didn’t ask that flower’s name. I should ask him. Out of mind: ok got it!

*Text message* What is your name?*

*Text message from Flower:* Alex

Oh ok his name is Alex! I’ll send him a pic of this planet. *sends picture*

*Text message from Flower* Ok I can see you’re in there.

*Text message* got it!

“Wait! I’m kind of tired. Where should I sleep? I’ll sleep against this tree.” *zzzzz* *wakes up* “Where am I???!!”

*A witch looking thing walks up*

“Ahhhh! Who are you!!!” Mila

“Quiet down! I’m the guy who posted the witch hiding spot!

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine!”

“But how did you find me and know me?” Mila asked.

“Well Alex told me about you.”

“Oh well okay...”

He was about to speak when he disappeared and Mila heard a cackle. She ran out of his house and ran and ran until she was safe. She texted Alex and said: I heard the witch.

Are you okay? Alex texted back.

I am now, Mila texted him.

Then she heard a scream! It wasn’t near her, though she thought it was, so she kept running until she was out of breath and she said, “I’m tired. I’ll lay on one of the trees.”

When she woke up, she was in a weird house. It had a cauldron and potion in it. She thought, where am I?

She heard walking so she hid behind one of the tables. She thought to herself, This is scary. What if they find me? But I don’t know who they are. But the cauldron and the potions… that could only mean she was in the witch’s house!

She screamed what she thought. She thought the scream was in her head, but it wasn’t. The witch heard it. And almost looked behind the table…Mila was sweating and holding her mouth…

But then a loud scream came from upstairs. The witch paused and went upstairs. Mila stood up and walked around the cauldron and then she heard footsteps again. She was so frightened that she accidentally pushed the potions and they crashed on the floor.

Hearing this the witch immediately came downstairs with no place for Mila to hide. The witch saw her and Mila started to cry. She cried and cried until her tears were soggy. She ran and ran…but then the witch caught her.

She was locked up in a jail cell looking room. She laid on the bed but it was unexpectedly comfy. She thought, This is just the witch trying to get me to stay here. She saw butlers

trying to ask her something but she ignored them. She had a big bruise on her knee. She started to rub it. She thought, Is this a rich prison? Why are there so many good things here? Dang it…she took my bee phone. I should make a plan.

*Witch passes by*

“Um, excuse me,” Mila said.

“Yes?” the witch asked.

“May I have a paper?”

“Of course!”

“Okay can I also have a pencil?”

“Yep.”

What should I do? Well first I’ll check the room. Oh I see a vent! Well I can go through that then see where it goes!

It leads her to an empty room. “Aw this is no help!” Then she spotted a key. “Ooh, a key! I’m gonna pick it up! Wait, I hear someone talking! Where is it? I hear it behind me. I should hide in this room! Where should I hide though?”

ROSE GARDEN

Thomas Christensen | Grade 3, Meridian

Once there was a rose garden. Then my friend and I put in a secret passageway. When you opened the secret passageway there was a slide that led to a place where my friends and I hung out. The room had couches, beds, bedrooms, a movie theater, toys, a library, a spying spot to spy on people, and a place where you could tell people secrets. It is an amazing place.

The end.

WHISPERING WILLOWS

Powell

Womack | Grade 3, Boise

ONE

Thump! Willa looked up from her book. They were moving to Minnesota in a week. Her parents were horrible, and Willa knew that they didn’t want her to make friends.

“Willa come down here this instant!”

Willa knew if she didn’t come down she wouldn’t get to say goodbye to her friends and upsetting her parents was the worst thing to do. Willa was getting out of bed when it hit her: she would run away. She looked out the window. The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze.

“Willa get down here now!!!”

“Coming,” yelled Willa, and she headed downstairs.

FEELING

Sylvia Strop | Grade 4, Boise

I hear gentle whirring seeping soothingly from a perfectly small fridge where smooth mismatched words create stories and truths.

I see that warm peachy light ends at the doorless doorway so bright white light can kindly smuggle its way into the small comforting classroom through the dark colored leaves that wait patiently outside the classroom window.

FEELINGS

#2

I smell a comforting smell I cannot name, like

strawberries and Crayola crayons. The smell brings peace to this dusty classroom in which I live. I feel the soft body of the pen I am using that feels like a mix of a cushion and cardboard and has the power to soothe and comfort my rough and dirty palm which is moist with sunscreen and a misty sweat.

FEELINGS #3

I can taste the sweetness of strawberries exploding in my mouth and evaporating into a sugar sweet puddle on the bottom of my tongue.

As I’m taken into a new magical world of the rose garden that lives across the street to the dusty magic school. But something has changed. The beautiful entrancing roses now form letters. Letters that spell, “YOUR WORLD IS FALLING APART.”

DEAD AT CATCH

Ella Sremack | Grade 4, Boise

Once there was a girl who was so beautiful all the boys in the city wanted to marry her. But her mom wanted to find someone perfect for her. One of the boys in the city really wanted to marry her, but when he asked, she said, “Oh and why do you think I would say yes? I mean you’re the dumbest, meanest, and weirdest of all.”

“What?” he said.

“I said no, so leave,” she said. So he left.

The next day, the mom and daughter were on a walk, and then the girl stopped to look at a flower and then, wssshhh, and she was gone. The mom was so scared and sad. The

mom didn’t eat, didn’t sleep, or have water because her daughter was gone. Well the daughter was super scared, but she was amazed too and then yelled “AHHHHHHHH!!”

“What th”…the boy said.

“Let me go,’’ the girl said.

“Why? You will be my bride forever,” the boy said.

The girl said, “I got nothing else to do.”

So they got married and they were happy. But what about the mom?

A ROSE, A WORLD

Iris Niu | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter 1

Look at the roses. Don’t they look beautiful? I glance around. I see flowers but one thing caught my eye the most: a sign. I walk to it and see the words: A SPELL HAS BEEN CURSED ON THE PRETTIEST FLOWER. IF SMELLED, YOU SHALL TELEPORT INTO A NEW WORLD.

I was very anxious. I already hear the new world calling! I search for the most beautiful flower.

“No, that one’s pretty! Maybe I found it,” I think.

I run over to smell it. I inhale a huge breath and smell it. The sweet scent floats into my nose. I wait. One second, then two seconds, twenty seconds. Nothing happens.

“I guess that’s not it,” I say.

You know that smelling all the roses on each bush isn’t such a great idea.

“I’ll wait until next year. I’ll be smarter next year,” I whisper.

I sigh and walk home. As I walk, I stop and look up. “It’s

getting dark,” I think. “I should go home!”

I dash home as quickly as possible. The cold air rushes into my face. It says, “Oooh!” like a creepy ghost.

Finally, I reached home. I pant like a tired dog that just ran fifteen miles without stopping.

I crawl upstairs quietly as the old wood stairs creaked. Then I tiptoe into my cozy room. I whacked the door closed and leaped onto my comfortable pillow. “Ah,” I mumble as I fall asleep. Suddenly, I jolt up like a thorn has just stabbed my eyes.

FOREST

Ray

Scrivner | Grade 3, Boise

Once there was a rose garden. There were vibrant pins and red roses but one day the forest around it was abandoned, and an evil sorcerer was at work. How the garden thrived, fountains appeared and more roses grew. But little did he know, I was making a machine to travel to other dimensions. The garden was in another dimension, and I was ready to meet other creatures (and to fight them). I was back to the machine. I only had a few more wires to go and it would be ready. I was stuck in another dimension and I needed to get back to my home planet before I ran out of time. Then I saw a little fluffy creature!

OMEN OF LIFE: THE FIRST OMEN

Avery Carroll | Grade 5, Boise

Chapter One: Shadows

Hollystar led her group of cats to the Broken Place. They carried the body of Brightwave, a queen who had died of weakness. Her kits would need a mother, thought Hollystar. She would love to take them but what about her position as leader? She trekked on toward the burial ground known as the Broken Place. A few warriors dug a hole, and two others dropped Brightwave’s body in. Every cat said goodbye, and she was buried. Hollystar whispered a blessing, and they all left.

When Hollystar and the warriors returned, Tidekit and Darkkit ran to greet them.

“Where is Brightwave?” Darkkit squeaked.

Hollystar’s heart ached in grief. “She left for a bit,” Hollystar choked.

Tidekit nodded. “Okay!” He cuffed Darkkit and they ran into the nursery.

Hollystar knew what she had to do: she would be their mother! Hollystar crossed the clearing and heard a yowl. “Hollystar!”

It was Weedfur and Ivystep. “Cleostar is here!” He gasped. The cats around the clearing hissed and yowled. A tall calico and two warriors stepped out into the camp.

“What are you doing here?” Ivystep growled.

A SunClan warrior stepped forward. “She must speak to Hollystar. Alone.”

Cleostar sat in Hollystar’s den.

“Why have you brought your SunClan warriors?” Hollystar asked.

Cleostar flicked her ears yet her eyes betrayed her distress.

“I spoke to Willowstar yesterday, and she told me the news.”

Hollystar pricked her ears, and her tail twitched.

Cleostar spoke: “FrostClan is moving to the mountains.”

* * *

Hollystar wished Cleostar safe travels back to the woods and turned. She faced the sea and the setting sun. Cleostar had said that peoples had settled in their territory. An apprentice had been wounded and later died of his injuries. A warrior had been taken in a cage, and there was hardly any prey that wasn’t scared away.

They were leaving, she thought as she fell asleep. She had announced it to SeaClan and was going to visit Willowstar in the morning. But as she closed her eyes, she felt icy claws enclose around her heart, and she was trapped in grief.

Chapter Two: Lost Clans

Hollystar, Weedfur, Ivystep, and Cracklestep trod across FrostClan’s border into a hollow. There was an outcrop and a sharp drop down to FrostClan’s camp.

They padded down the slope through a thorn barrier coated in ivy. There was a yowl, and Hollystar froze. Warriors snarled, trainers jumped in front of the nursery, and elders scurried into a den. A slim golden queen yowled when two kits scampered toward them.

“Greetings! I’m Firekit,” exclaimed a ginger kit. A brown kit darted up to him and said “I am Morningkit!”

The queen ran over and hissed, herding them to the FrostClan nursery.

“We mean no harm! I wish to speak to Willowstar!”

At once, a gray tabby slid through the crowd. It was Willowstar.

“Hollystar, follow me. Your warriors may wait outside

my den,” she called, yet the SeaClan warriors bristled with hostility.

Hollystar entered the den and noticed there was no mossy bedding.

“We are leaving the camp soon. I’m sure Cleostar told you?” Willowstar said.

Hollystar nodded.

“Follow me,” she mewed.

Hollystar and Willowstar entered the healer’s den and saw Darkstorm standing over a kit and a young warrior.

“The kits are starving, the trainers are hardly providing for us, and few warriors aren’t injured. We must leave,” Willowstar and Darkstorm explained.

Hollystar nodded but she really couldn’t let this clan go.

* * *

That night, Hollystar strolled back to the deserted FrostClan camp. She had lost Brightwave, Willowstar, and all of FrostClan. Two of her Clan’s kits were orphaned as Brightwave’s mate had died long ago.

She stared at the full moon. Their ancestors would watch them tonight, she thought. Silver Clan cats looked down on living cats and would guide all three Clans.

“Only two tonight,” she whispered. Or perhaps FrostClan was still protected, she thought. Perhaps they weren’t really gone.

Chapter Three: Secrets

Hollystar ducked into the nursery. Laying in the moss were Tidekit and Darkkit. They lifted their heads drowsily and blinked.

Hollystar breathed, “Hello, my kits.” She forced a smile yet a warm feeling was in her chest at the words.

Tidekit cocked his head. “You’re…our mother?”

Hollystar winced. He must be too young to remember Brightwave, she realized.

“Mmhm!” She nodded and sat next to them.

Darkkit sniffed her. “I thought some cat lived here once, and they went away…who was that?” he mewed. Hollystar froze.

Had these kits remembered Brightwave?

“That cat once had kits but she…died. And her kits…went to SilverClan with her. But I am your mother, the leader of SeaClan.”

Tidekkit squealed. “Really?”

“Yes!” She kneaded the ground. Was her white lie wrong? Should she have told the kits? No, she decided. These tiny kits should live their lives knowing they had a living mother to watch them grow. Brightwave would approve of SilverClan, wouldn’t she?

Hollystar curled around her new kits that night. She breathed in their scent. She would protect them for life. Perhaps one day, she would be able to have kits but for now, these two would be her own.

The end.

THE INVENTION [EXCERPT]

Calli Kittrell | Grade 6, Henderson, Nevada

Harley was trying to get to the park to show her family what she had made. She convinced her parents if Georgie’s basketball practice finishes on time, they could go.

Now Harley found herself sitting on the hard wooden bench in the gym, time running out, teams tied 44 to 44. Georgie was holding the ball with no one to pass it to. Seconds left. Her family yelling, “Shoot the ball, Georgie!” As

Georgie shot the ball, Harley felt her heart stop. Her trip to the park depended on Georgie making this shot.

She came back to reality. The clock was counting down.

(10) Harley quickly came up with a plan. She ran to the basket and watched a girl trip and found herself under the ball.

(9) The ball bounced on the girl’s head.

(8) It rolled around the hoop.

(7)(6)(5)(4)(3)(2) and just as the clock turned to 1, the ball…rolled into the hoop!

Harley’s heart slowed. Her family was on the way to the park!

They were driving when they heard a pattering. The car ran out of fuel and at this point they would NEVER make it to the park.

Her dad looked at her. “Sorry Harls,” he said, but he would never understand what this meant to her. It felt like her world had ended.

Georgie and Ethan felt really bad for her and decided to come up with a plan. They would walk to the park, but they had to convince Rachel who would never go walking in high heels. Thankfully Rachel understood how Harley felt and agreed to walking.

When they arrived at the park, Harley led them to her invention which was…

“A table for big families with rotating plates and chairs that come out so everyone gets a piece.” She laughed. “How about we test it out?”

Her father smiled.

Harley yelled, “Donuts!” and pointed to some “abandoned” donuts on a park table.

I WISH

Charley Mitko | Grade 6, Meridian

Once upon a time, there was a guy named Kenji. Kenji was kind, tough, and committed. Kenji wasn’t treated well. He would have to do everything for his family. Until it all changed.

Kenji woke up and was sad because all the attention would go to his older brother for his brother’s birthday. Kenji left his room and did all his chores. After he finished, he changed his clothes.

“Kenji, we are going to a jump park!” his dad yelled.

“Okay,” Kenji replied.

Kenji got into the car and they drove to the jump park.

Kenji got out of the car and got his brother’s gifts out of the car. And Kenji went to the jump park. After going in, his brother was already on the trampolines. Kenji asked, “Can I go and play on the trampoline with Kai?”

His mom replied with, “No!”

Kenji put his head down. “I wish they could be kind and treat me better,” he wished.

His mom turned around and said, “I changed my mind. You can go play with Kai.”

“Really?” Kenji was surprised.

“Yes, I’m sure. Just because it’s Kai’s birthday doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with Kai,” Kenji’s mom replied.

Kenji was happy and went out of the party room and played on the trampoline.

“What are you doing!? You’re supposed to be decorating my party!!” Kai yelled at Kenji.

“But mom said I can be on the trampoline.” Kenji was annoyed.

“WOMP WOMP! Go and make my party PERFECT!” His brother was acting like a demon.

Kenji was sad and said, “I wish you treated me like the

best sibling you could ask for.”

“Wait! Can you please actually hang out since you’re the best brother I could ask for?” Kai asked.

“Wait a minute, didn’t you just say that I’m supposed to be decorating your party?” Kenji was confused.

“Well, that was a lie,” Kai replied.

Kenji was confused but happy he was being treated kindly now. Kenji thought to himself, do I have powers? No, that’s impossible. Kenji was starting to overthink.

Kenji was concerned because his family had never treated him this way. So, he went to his mom and asked, “Mom, can I ask you something?”

“Of course! Did something happen?” Mom replied.

“Today you and Kai are acting strange. Whenever I say ‘I wish,’ it feels like it comes true.” Kenji was scared.

“How old are you, Kenji?” His mom was nervous.

“Mom, don’t you remember that I’m 13?” Kenji was confused.

“Kenji, I think it’s time to tell you the truth. I’m not your mother. We found you near the portal of magic when you were two years old,” his mom stated. “You may have to go in the portal of magic before you get caught.” His mom was nervous. “The portal is your only hope to escape.” His mom had hope.

“Where is the portal of magic?” Kenji had to know.

“The portal is on Dots Lane,” his mom replied. Kenji then left the jump park.

Kenji was trying to find Dots Lane and thought, if I have powers, maybe I can wish to go to the portal. Kenji then said, “I wish to teleport to the portal of magic.”

Kenji then teleported right to the portal and went inside.

To be continued...

DREAM OF A DEMI-GODDESS

Darby O’Brien | Grade

6, Boise

Ding, Ding, Ding.

I knocked the alarm clock off my desk. I went into the living room to find my mom making chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

“Mom, why are you making so much food? I only wanted toast.” I ask. “Plus, you only do things like this when you want something.”

She said, “No reason. I just wanted to do something special for my Zelaya.”

“Mom, I’ve told you a million times. I want you to call me Zoe.”

I ate breakfast and went to school. Everyone was at recess. I was playing with my friend, Evie.

“I wish I had a pretty short name like yours, Evie,” I said.

“I don’t know about that. My name is short and boring, but yours is long and cool, Zelaya. I mean, Zoe.”

I went to the pond and thought about it some more. And suddenly I saw a fishtail, but it didn’t look like a normal fishtail. It was long and had purples and greens all along it. It kind of looks like a mermaid tail, I thought.

But no, mermaids aren’t real, right? And then a head popped out of the water. She was beautiful. She had long hair, blue eyes, a few freckles, and was a mermaid.

“You’re—you’re a mermaid in a pond!?”

“Siren!!! Oh no, I wasn’t supposed to say anything!” She quickly dived underwater.

“Wait, no, come back. What’s your name? I’m Zelaya.”

Her head popped up again. “Wait, you’re Zelaya?”

“Um, yes.”

“It can’t be you. You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Dead!? I’m supposed to be dead!”

“Well, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m your

cousin because your dad is my uncle.”

“But that can’t be possible. My dad died before I was born.”

“Oh, your mom hasn’t told you yet.”

“I am a mermaid? Oh, I mean, siren?”

“No, that’s just a me thing.”

“Oh, man, I wanted to be a siren.”

“Well, you know my name. I should know yours.”

“I’m Dercydra.”

“Wow. That’s as long as my name.”

“Yea, I know. Anyways, I should take you to it.”

“What’s ‘it?’”

Quickly, Dercydra grabbed my hand and pulled me underwater. Suddenly we were in this pine forest, but all the trees were floating with the roots pulled out of the ground. But besides that, everything looked like a normal pine forest. Suddenly a raccoon jumped on my head. I stood very, very still and turned to Dercydra and whispered, “There’s a raccoon on my head.”

Inside, I was freaked out. Then the raccoon said, “HIII!” I screamed as loud as I could and ran around. Dercydra yelled at me to calm down. “He’s not going to hurt you!”

The raccoon jumped off my head and said, “Geez, I wasn’t trying to hurt you!”

I said, “You’re…you’re talking. Raccoons don’t talk!”

“Yes, we do!”

“Uh, Dercydra, this racoon is talking to me. Raccoons DO NOT TALK!!!”

“Yes, they do. Well, in this world, they do. Every animal talks.”

“Oh, umm, interesting.”

We kept walking through the forest for about 20 minutes. We got to the place. It was different than the pine forest. The sky was light purple, and all I could see for miles were very tall grass about two feet high. Oh, there were also these

castles. All I could see were five, but they were all different colors. One ocean blue, one pink and gold, one white and gold, one pink and purple, one brown and gold.

I asked Dercydra, “What’s with all the big castles?”

“Well, they’re the gods and goddesses’ homes.”

“Which one is yours, Dercydra?”

“It’s the blue one.”

Dercydra and Zelaya go into the Blue Castle.

“Wow, this place is amazing!”

The castle looked like we were actually in the ocean. There was even a living ecosystem. There were fish and sharks and dolphins. Everything that you could possibly think of. Suddenly, a big shark walked up to me and says, “Hello.”

I screamed, “Ahh, shark!”

“It’s OK. Zelaya, it’s just Gale.”

I slowed down and stopped. “Gale, that’s an interesting name for a big, creepy shark!”

“Come on, Zelaya.”

“Uhhh, okay?”

Dercydra and I walked up a long flight of stairs. Finally, we got upstairs and walked to Dercydra’s room. She had a beautiful bed that looked like it was made from coral and seaweed. She also had one big pool and a big fish tank with little nurse sharks and some crabs and a mini staff sort of thing that looked like a super-sized fork.

I pointed to the big fork-thing and said, “What’s that?”

“It’s how I channel my talents.”

“Talents? What’s a talent?”

“Well, it’s my powers, I guess.”

“Powers!”

“Yes, since I am the daughter of Poseidon, I have three powers: teleportation, controlling water, and transformation.”

“Do I have talents?”

“Yes, but you need to find them first.”

It was quiet after that for a few minutes. Then I asked Dercydra to use her talents, and she said, “Are you sure you want to see it?”

“Yes!”

Then a big blue cloud sorta thing surrounded Dercydra. Then Dercydra wasn’t there. Instead, there was a little puppy.

“Is that you?”

“Yep. It’s me, Dercydra!”

“Can you be a person again and not an adorable little puppy?”

“Ok.” Then she turned back into her normal self.

After that, we went back outside, and there was another person. She had a pink dress on with puffy sleeves and big, curly blonde hair with blue eyes. And she only looked about 7 or 8.

“Hello, Dercydra and Zelaya. I’m Accity!”

“Umm how did you know my name?”

“I can read your mind. Like, for example, your name is Zelaya, and you’re 12 and you love hawks.”

“Wow, that’s a cool talent.”

“Yes. Anyways, I’m the daughter of Athena. And would you like to come to my castle?”

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

So, Zelaya, Dercydra, and Accity headed to Accity’s castle and walked up to her room. Inside was a big, pink room with a cotton candy couch, a bed surrounded with lollipops, and a table made of cake.

“Wow, Accity, your room is pretty sweet!”

“So, what’s your talent, Zelaya?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Oh, interesting.”

“Well, anyways, this was fun. I think me and Zelaya are going to go,” Dercydra said.

“Ok, bye!”

As they left Accity’s room, everything went black and Zelaya woke up in her room with the alarm going Ding, Ding, Ding.

Well, that was a nice dream, she thought. Or was it?

To be continued...

AWAKENED

Evan DeJesus | Grade 6, Boise

Bob was the son of a superhero, his name was Desolve. Bob had a normal job at McDonalds. He lived a pretty normal life for a kind-of-celebrity. But one day, an attack on the city by a giant robot knocked him into a nuclear power plant. When he woke up, he was shooting lasers at the sky. His powers had awakened.

“Oh! What?!” Bob yelled as lasers shot into the sky. They faded as Bob got up. Bob wondered why he was finding his power now and wasn’t directly born with it.

Bob wanted to test out his new powers on a bad guy. The giant robot was still attacking the city so Bob tried to beat it. “Prepare to be destroyed!” Bob threatened the hostile machine. He tried to shoot lasers but failed.

“Yea, no thanks,” said the robot as it pummeled Bob away.

Bob sped through the sky like a human bullet. Thankfully he crashed into a luxurious pillow factory. That explodes! Bob was protected by the pillows, thankfully. Bob decided that he needed two things: a superhero suit and a training montage.

Bob bought a futuristic mask from a store and used some attire from Supersuits R US. Then he began the montage.

“Now I just need a superhero name,” Bob said. “I think I’ll name myself Nukebeam. It sounds cool!”

So, the newly formed hero attacked the no-good robot. The robot had left most of the city in ruins but that didn’t stop Nukebeam. He fired a devastating laser at the foe which shattered it to pieces. Searching through the rubble, he came across a tracking device. Nukebeam put it into a reverse tracker that showed where the villain was.

Bob tracked the villain to his secret hideout. When he got there, the bad guy was in a room full of mirrors.

“Your powers won’t help you here!” he said.

“You may be mistaken!” Nukebeam said. He fired a laser at the villain but his mirror suit reflected the beam.

“Huh?” the hero said. He was beat down by the guy’s men. But then Nukebeam realized the walls could reflect his lasers into weak points in between the mesh reflective armor.

He shot a laser at the ceiling which reflected into the unprotected point which made it explode. The bad guy got put in jail after being taken away by cops.

The end.

JOURNEY TO IMPOSSIBLE

Isabel Prier | Grade 5, Boise

Intro

There once was a girl named Maria Fernado Lopez, a loving nature girl that lives in Syria. Her mom died when she was young, and her dad left after her older sister’s birth.

Chapter 1

Don’t Push Your Limits

One night, Maria went downstairs to get water. She noticed something in a white photo. She stepped closer to examine the photo, but when she touched it, a gold shiny ring appeared around her. Maria screamed for help but no one heard her. Ten seconds later, she disappeared. When she woke up, there were two hazel eyes staring at her.

Maria screamed, “Where am I?!”

“Sorry, I forgot to say hi,” a voice peeped. “My name is Will. I am a fox.”

“Answer me—where am I!” said Maria.

“Oh yeah, you are in a photo…” said Will the fox.

“Oh, so you’re saying the white photo I was touching sucked me in and I’m in it forever!” said Maria.

“No!” Will said.

“So, what do I have to do to get out of this big, huge, ugly, white box?” said Maria.

“Well, I can tell you as much as I know,” Will said.

“I’m all in!” said Maria.

“So, first let me tell you that a witch cursed all the photos and if any white photo is touched, you get sucked into it like what happened to you. So, the only way to free yourself is to go to all 195 photos in 2 months. If you do this, you will escape. Got it?” said Will.

“Yass, I am in. So can we go?” said Maria.

So, Will and Maria journeyed farther away from the whiteness.

Chapter 2 A New View

A few minutes later, Maria spotted a pretty rose garden. “Oh look, it’s a rose garden. Are we in a new photo?”

“Look at that, and yes we are in a new photo!” said Will.

“Wow, I am speechless. It is beautiful,” said Maria. “So now we just have to find an animal?”

“Ya,” said Will.

“Wait, I found something. I think there are paw tracks!” said Maria.

“Oh, there are! Oh, it’s my bunny rabbit friend, Lola,” said Will.

“Hi, my name is Lola. I’m going to guess your name is Maria and I already know that his name is Will!” voiced Lola.

“Ya my name is Maria. Would you like to help me and Will escape?”

“I would love to!” Lola said.

“Then let’s get going!” Will said.

So, the three of them journeyed through the pictures.

Chapter 3 Conrad

It was about 50ish days in and the three had gone through 97 photos and had collected 102 animals. They were about to finish photo 98 when someone stopped them!

“Well, well, well…if it isn’t Maria Fernando Lopez,” a voice said.

“Conrad Alexander!” said Maria.

“Who is he?” said Will.

“He is my cousin! What are you doing here?” said Maria.

“My call to adventure, duhhhh!” peeped Conrad.

“Can you help my team pleassse?!” begged Maria.

“Shore, why not. It will be fun,” said Conrad.

Chapter 4 New Life

Two months later, Conrad and Maria are living in Europe and have a secret agency called CML: Conrad Maria Lives. They found homes for the animals and the photos have color again.

Maria and her sister’s dad returned and Maria visits them every month.

She makes sure she plays with Will the fox.

Maria lives her best life all over again.

THE ROSE GARDEN [EXCERPT]

Isabelle Skillern | Grade 5, Boise

Merci held the note tight, the wind whispering behind her.

“You know, having a companion won’t be so bad on a journey,” the wind whistled with appreciation, and Merci just smiled as the sun rose.

Merci ran home. When she reached her grandparents front door, she turned to the wind and said, “I’m telling my grandmother that I know where mom is. I’ll be out in a sec.”

Merci came back out and the wind was happy to see her.

“Ok, let’s go.”

They did exactly what the directions said and the gate to her grandparent’s backyard opened. Merci walked in. Her mom was sitting in a green patch of grass.

“MOM!” Merci said, running toward her mom with tears in her eyes.

“Mercy!” her mom said as she stood up to hug Merci “I thought you were gone forever,” Merci said, hugging her mom.

“Oh, I will never be gone forever,” Merci’s mom said. “I’m so glad I found you.”

“Me too.”

“I didn’t know Grandma and Pappy had a Rose Garden,” said Merci. “Let’s put a pin in that and go outside.”

TELEPORTER’S ADVENTURE

Jehui Lee | Grade 5, Meridian

The Enderman thought his powers were cool enough to be a superhero so he rode a portal to the Overworld and became a superhero.

The first thing that he did was buy a costume in a village but what he didn’t know was that a player in that world was stalking him.

One day, it started raining and it started hurting him. So, he teleported to the nearest tree. He now knew that water hurt him. It was his weakness.

After it stopped raining, he continued on his journey. Meanwhile, he thought he needed some protection. So, he went mining and he found some iron and smelt it into a helmet. Then he kept going. Now the rain didn’t affect him thanks to the helmet. But he still needed to watch out for puddles of water everywhere.

Then he took his realm switcher to go to the fire dimension called the Nether. It was one of the most dangerous and risky places to go. He needed to find gold. And since the people there traded great items for gold, he

went mining.

After mining for ten hours straight, he had a chest full of gold blocks. Then he went trading. First, he got a great chest plate to protect him.

But suddenly a shadow came near him and hit him. He took a lot of damage. He only had two hearts left. He usually had 40. He quickly left the Nether. Then he quickly ran to his home. But the player bashed into the house and killed the Enderman.

CAT VALLEY [EXCERPT]

Josie George | Grade 5, Boise

Missysmall stepped out of the apprentice den for the last time. Snowrain blinked down on her and Potatosmall. Pineshadow purred encouragingly as she and Potatosmall stepped up to the bottom of Great Stone.

She remembered everything that had happened since she was just a fluffykitty. She was caught in the forest and found Pineshadow. She trained with Stonecreek and saved Sweettiny—and had almost died! Echocurl taught the ways of the clan and showed her the glimmer of the stars. She hunted for her clan in the coldest frozen stream. She respected her leader and took care of the elders.

Potatosmall became Potatopelt and his mentor, Breezefeather, cheered his new name first. The camp echoed with his new name.

Then Snowrain turned to her. “Missysmall, do you promise to follow the Clan’s code and serve your Clan until you die?”

“I do,” Missysmall squeaked, hardly able to contain herself.

“Then by the power of AboveClan, I give you your

full name: Missytail. I welcome you as a full raindrop of RainClan!”

Everyone cheered her new name. This felt like just the beginning of her life in a Clan!

ONE YEAR LATER

Missyrain had been leader for a moon now. She just made Waspsmall an apprentice. She thought of all she had done since she came. She closed her eyes happily. Potatopelt will go hunting later, she thought. She should get ready for the meeting with TreeClan, SkyClan, and CoveClan.

Her Clan was strong, she thought, as she pushed through the bushes on the meeting island. It would always be.

The end.

DOWNFALL

Kylie Benton | Grade 6, Meridian

The zombies filled the large plot of land where a car dealership once stood, spewing blood as they made their trek. They were on the move, chasing down one lone survivor.

James knew he had no chance as the zombies were almost behind his rearview mirror. He felt his engine shut down in a moment of panic, knowing this moment would be his last. He felt the bitter air hit him all while he was ripped out of the car by the cold, bloodied, slimy foe. He let out a blood curdling scream as he felt the rotted teeth of the corpse. As he felt himself die.

He had caused this, and his downfall had ended it.

THE STORY OF TREETOPIA

Rowan Cullen-Cannon | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter 1: The Year of the Tree

“Hi! I’m Zefrina. But I go by Zara. You came at the perfect time! It’s the year of the tree! This happens every six years! That’s why it’s so special! I’m only ten years old.”

“Honey! Dinner time!”

“Oh, that’s Mom. Coming Mom! I’ll be right back.” Thirty minutes later. “I’m back. Now it’s time for bed. Good night.”

The next morning, Zara woke up. The sun was shining on her. The air was crisp. She decided it was the perfect morning to go for a walk with Ivy. Ivy was Zara’s friend.

Well, she has another friend who went missing a few years back. Her friend’s name was Via. Then Zara remembered that today four years ago was the day that her friend went missing. She was about to pause when she took another step.

The ground slid out from under her!

“Ahhhhhhh! Oof! Where am I? Aahh! What am I doing in a tree?”

Just then, a little magical animal came to the bottom of the tree. Maybe it’s safer on the ground, thought Zara. Just then, a giant, crazy creature ran over. “Never mind,” said Zara.

THE MAGIC RING

Jack Werre | Grade 4, Boise

One day, Erup was at home chilling when her mother said, “Run!!! Now!!!”

So she ran out the front door, but outside were humans with swords, so she ran back in the house and out the back door, but then she realized they didn’t have a back door. She thought, Can we escape?

Then her mother said, “Run out the window!” and cried, and then she was gone.

Where am I going to go now?

Then she remembered MIATE—a.k.a. magic is at the end. No one knew what that was except the ones who tried and failed, so Erup set off on her journey. There was an obstacle, a flood, but Erup swam across and found the ring. And no one was there (or so she thought).

Turns out the humans had followed Erup! They had made it across the flood and were running at Erup.

Erup put on the ring and said, “I wish for peace,” and closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, all she saw was empty land and no flood. Plus, there were no humans. And then she heard a voice. “Erup!!! Erup!!!”

She recognized that voice. “Mom! Where were you?”

“I was taken hostage by the humans. Right when they were about to kill me, they all were nice to me and let me go.”

“I was so worried about you.”

“Me too. Where is the ring?”

It dissolved.

X BOY

Zeno Jung | Grade 4, Boise

CHICKEN

Presley Pelletier | Grade 3, Boise

1

Once there were four girls. Their names were Stacy, Elweys, Mary, and Clementine. They were playing Ring Around the Rosie. When they were done, Stacy fell down and turned to ashes. They went to her mom’s house and found her hamster dead on the ground. They thought it was a trick, so they kept playing.

Then Elweys fell down and turned to ashes. They went to her mom’s house and found her cat’s head stuffed in the sink. They still thought it was a trick, so they kept playing. Then Mary fell down and turned to ashes. Clementine went to Mary’s house and found her dog’s head stuck on the fan and the body on the ground.

Then Clementine knew that it is not a trick. She went back to her house and told her parents. They looked around the town. They found one more house with a light. In the house, they found a deadly doll as pale white as snow but not the comforting kind of snow white. They packed up their things and went to the next town, which was five hours away. Years later, the same deadly white doll came back to the town that Clementine was in and killed everyone in that town.

2

Once, there was a girl who wandered into the forest one day. She found a unicorn. She was trapped. The girl, who loved unicorns, let her out. The unicorn stabbed her right above the heart. She survived, but every person she was related to had a birthmark right above their heart.

One day, there was a girl walking to school with the

birthmark above her chest. She felt something pulling her. She walked into the woods and found a unicorn in a trap. She let her go. Then the unicorn stabbed her in the heart and got the key from her heart. 3

One day, you wake up, and you go to a store and buy a doll. You play with the doll every day. Then one day, you wake up and start playing with your doll, and your doll says, “I see you’re enjoying me.”

“Yes,” you say. Then you start talking. You learn her name. It’s the creepiest thing ever. Her name is Pebble. Pebble asks you, “Do you want to know a secret?”

You say yes.

She says, “I went to jail.”

“Why?”

“If I tell you, will you promise to not tell anyone? Or else.”

The next day, you tell your friend. When you get back from school, your parents are looking for you, then they look in your... closet and find you dead with Pebble on top of you. She says, “Now your daughter knows how it feels.” Then your parents get teleported to shark infested waters and eaten.

LUNA AND THE SPIRITS

Carly Solberg | Grade 4, Boise

Once there was a girl named Luna. She was born in the middle of the night on the full moon. The strange thing about her was that her hair was black with a white streak that always glowed like silver. When she was born, she did not cry, smile, frown, or anything! It was like she was dead. But she was still breathing. She grew quickly. By the time Luna was two, she said her first sentence! And by the time she was four, she memorized the times tables! One day at school, she was at recess when suddenly a lion appeared. It was lying down facing away from her. The lion’s mane and body were glowing, and when it finally noticed her, it calmly looked away, and slowly, as slow as a sloth, got up and walked away. Luna was stunned but did not show it. And when she recovered, it was time to go home.

MAGIC COOKIE

Mark Flitton | Grade 4, Boise

On a planet far, far, away from Earth, there is a hot volcano planet. It is so hot metal would melt. On this planet lives a cat named Sunfire. He lives in a crater that has fire everywhere. He has a pet bird named Lava. Lava is a bird that is orange and red.

Today, Sunfire is on a journey. He is going to a desert planet called Deserta. When he gets there, he sets up a camp protected from the desert wind.

“I should probably get some sleep,” says Sunfire. The only light is a lamp and the moon. Sunfire can see good in the dark. What Sunfire does not see is that the ground has cracks in it. Sunfire notices a small bug. Sunfire is annoyed. He goes over to the bug. It’s a fly, but it is covered with fluff. It has a cookie on it.

TWO STORIES

Stella Lazzaro | Grade 3, Boise

THE FLOOD

There was a girl and her dad. They lived in a very nice house with lots of furniture. One day, there was a flood, and their stuff was ruined, and the walls were torn. They had to move somewhere else. The girl was super sad. They drove away in tears.

Two years later. “We’re here! I found a worth it house.” The girl looked at the outside then looked inside. Her mouth dropped…

“There is nothing!” she screamed. The dad walked in. “You’re silly! We have to buy stuff,” he said.

“What?” she screamed! “After two years of living in a car, I get to live in an empty house that looks like a jail cell! This is torture!”

JOY CAME TO THE FAMILY

There was a wife and a husband. They wanted a baby. One day, the wife got pregnant. Eight weeks later, the wife had a baby. It was so cute but wouldn’t move an inch. The doctors were confused. They brought in a mushroom. The parents and the doctors put the mushroom in a cup and smashed it into juice. The baby drank it. The baby started crying. The parents were so happy. Joy came to the family! “Her name is Lily,” the mom said.

NIGHT TIME

Maeve Timpane | Grade 4, Boise

When the sun sets and the darkness rises, the moon’s glow is the only light in the night. The constellations shine in the many shapes of animals, people, and objects. When the sky gets brighter and stars start to disappear, then the night is over. But once again, a few hours after midday, the darkness will rise again.

THE REBIRTH OF RA

Willa

Gunder | Grade 4, Boise

The sun rises and floats. Then the sun goes down as Ra enters the Duat as he sails through the twelve Houses of Night on the River of Night. The moon god rises, and when it sets, it gives birth to Ra again. The cycle of Ra goes on. No matter the time, no matter the day, Ra will shine on us. Hooray!

MOONLIGHT

Emilie Ashmore | Grade 6, Boise

As they got back, they asked them their names. The cat said, “Ruby,” and the pale one said, “Blizzard.” Then they asked where the third one was. Blizzard said, “I don’t know but her name is Moonlight.” Ruby said, “Yeah, problem. She’s been missing for over 5 years and the gem you want is with her.”

THE THREE OAK TREE

Cecilia Tarantino | Grade 6, Eagle

In a forest in Pennsylvania, down deep into it, you will find two white oak trees that have a wand in the middle. If you hold it, it will tell you if you are trusted. If you are not, you will disappear. If you are, it will give you a key. The key will teleport you to the Three Oak Tree.

You will climb up the third tree and you see a rainforest. You see all of it is filled with rainbows, birds, alligators, snakes, tigers, water, clouds, giant lakes, and trees and leaves of all shapes. Then you see two exit gates.

THE LEGEND OF THE SCORCHING

Eva Strix | Grade

5, Boise

Once upon a time long ago… Scavengers ruled the world. A dragon could barely set her talons down without landing on a Scavenger. At this time, there were no dragon tribes, no palaces, no cities, no towns. and no buildings. You might find a pair of dragons under the sea, or a small family in an igloo or one in a swamp. But if you walked the land of Phriora, or flew, one thing you would find was Scavengers. They clogged the air with smoke, and cities and towns. But the dragons usually kept to themselves. With some treasure to hoard and enough prey, the dragons were content to keep to themselves.

MAGIC IS EVERYWHERE

Written by Willa Gunder

Illustrated by Maeve Timpane

I looked up at the sun and groaned. “Mom is going to kill me,” I said and whistled. A beautiful gray wolf with green wings rose from the trees below. I hopped on, and the wolf flew for home. By the time I got there, the sun was sinking below the tree line.

I knocked on the door and came in. My mother started yelling at me as soon as I stepped in. “YOU ARE LATE BY FIFTEEN MINUTES. GET INSIDE. Your sleepover is soon. Your sister is in the bathroom getting ready for dinner. Pack your bags. You’re eating dinner there.”

Knock, knock.

Mom opened the door, and the messenger came in. He said, “The fire elves are planning an attack in eighteen days.”

“Okay,” said Mom.

“Bye,” I said.

Mom turned towards me. “Pack your bags,” she said. And I did. But instead, I packed all my stuff. I wouldn’t be coming back in a while.

On my way to the front door, I saw my sister Illa. “I got you a gift.” She gave me a box. I opened it. Inside was a necklace. It had an acorn cap and a green marble. “I have one too,” she said. “Magic is everywhere, so we will be able to communicate.” She put it on and gave me a mirror. I looked at it. My hair was dark green.

I pulled up my mask, tucked in my wings, adjusted my earrings, and went outside. I called my wolf and hopped on. “Popy, come on, let’s go!”

WINTER

Ruby Ehrmann | Grade 6, Boise

My nose caught the strong scent of fires burning in the brick houses that were stationed on the hill. I smiled at the scent. It smelled like home. I walked on the stones that led the way to the house. The snow crunched under my wornout boots and made my feet numb to the bone. I could easily see my breath in the air and I was dying to go inside and leave the frost-covered trees behind me.

IT NEEDED HELP

Aadi Shah | Grade 5, Boise

It looked horrifying and big, but because it needed help, I said, “I will help you.”

It replied, “Hold still,” and touched me. My body felt numb and it changed. I felt the importance of this journey, and we walked into the forest.

BROCCOLI

Isla Roman | Grade 5, Eagle

I hear a low voice from behind me. “We meet again.” I turn around and see Jary. I start to stutter, knowing he can crush me in seconds. I take some broccoli and point it at the giants. They back up slowly as I get more broccoli. I start throwing it at them. Jary starts to squirm around and scream like a girl. I then get the plant and fly above the giants. Jary scoffs and ties up my wings.

GRAVITY

Jimmy Williams | Grade 5, Boise

Two years and seven months from now…

I was okay standing on the ground, but others were not. They made a switch to turn off Gravity. Gravity did not cooperate, and pushed itself from inward to outward and made the earth explode.

Now, I was on Mars, trying to turn the switch off. I made sure his friends were defeated. I shoved Magnetism into a hole, won push-of-war with Force, and turned off the switch.

Now Gravity wanted revenge and left the solar system, and he built a new one. Thanks to AIs, we took that one, and trapped Gravity forever.

THE GLOWING ORB

Eve Wald | Grade 6, Boise

It was a dark and stormy night, and suddenly the doorbell rang. I slowly opened the door, but nobody was there.

“Hello,” I said, “Hi, anyone here?”

No answer.

I turned my gaze to the floor. I saw a giant box covered with yellow caution tape. I took the box inside and it started to make a faint humming sound. I opened the box, and it was a glowing orb. So of course I touched it. Then I was teleported in front of a castle.

FLOWERCITY

Asher Oh | Grade 6, Meridian

Do you know that some people live on the back of the moon? But they are a little bit different than us. They have a tail, they have a brown body covered with fur. They’re ALIENS! They made their town, city, and country. Sammy lived in Flowercity. Sammy was the mayor of Flowercity. There was peace and calm.

But one night, a hundred people died.

The next day, one person screamed, “Mayor Sammy transformed into a non–monster and killed a hundred people!”

Nobody believed that. But after time, more and more people saw Sammy transforming.

AGAINST ALL ODDS

Caleb Mitchell | Grade 6, Mountain Home

“You bring doom when morale should be high and victory hoped for, possible or not!” Dragger exclaimed. “Hold back your tidings until all is lost, hope is burning, and the strength of men and dwarves fail, the border taken. Until then, lift their spirits with the promise of valor, courage, bravery, against all odds! Let them drink and be merry and live their last night with hope and joy, rather than your promised doom and sorrow.”

“You speak well, dwarf, as one who has been skilled in the leading of armies,” Valoria answered. “Yet I perceive that you have none.”

“You are correct in that matter,” Dragger said, “but I understand the effects.” He paused to blow another smoke ring. “Morale has an army’s strength, nonetheless.”

Valoria nodded. “You are wise, dwarf, and I did not plan on telling others than you.”

“So you leave your sorrow with me and no others?”

Dragger laughed. “Take your leave, and ready for war!”

JELLYFISH’S REIGN OF NOT TERROR

Betty Clark | Grade 9, Boise

During one of the darkest hours, lightning covers the sky with flickers of light. Unicorn lays on the forest ground, shaking in fear at the noise.

Elephant: One day jellyfish’s reign will pass.

The Unicorn looks to Elephant, sitting up on the ground.

Unicorn: How did jellyfish gain so much power over this world?

Elephant’s eyes darken as it looks down at Unicorn.

Elephant: It defeated Jeramaia Cockroach Twinky III.

Unicorn: Who’s Jeramaia Cockroach Twinky III?

Jeramaia: Me.

Jeramaia walks toward Unicorn and Elephant, dressed in a potato sack.

Elephant: Why are you dressed like that?

Unicorn: I think he’s impersonating Marilyn Monroe.

Jeramaia looks at them, offended.

Jeramaia: I’m here to stop the reign of--

Jellyfish: Terror? Not happening.

Jellyfish floats above them with an evil scowl. Elephant and Unicorn run away, while Jeramaia slicks back his singular hair.

Jeramaia: I’ve come to take back my land.

Jellyfish: Then do it.

Jeramaia throws a dozen empty pickle jars at Jellyfish. Jellyfish dodges and drops a rock on Jeramaia.

Jellyfish: Finally, some peace and quiet.

LUNA

Aline Gibeault | Grade 8, Meridian

The story thus far: Luna picks up her pencil and starts to fall asleep. As she does so, it’s as if she’s walking into her story.

Scene 1

Luna: (an Alice-in-Wonderland moment) Wa-wa-where am I?

Luna starts to walk in the forest that has a few birds chirping. She overhears a conversation.

Person One: Just don’t be too much of a hero.

Person Two: Well how am I supposed to tell everyone?

Luna hears some ruffling around where the people were. She walks away, not interested anymore in the gossip.

Thunderbird: (very booming voice) Who goes there!

Luna tries to speak but is cut off by Person Two.

Person Two: It is I, Bonabom, if you get in our town again, I will call the dragon to yee.

Thunderbird: Well, l bring him to me, or are the people here too scared?

Luna goes to the mountains to warn the dragon. The trek is very hard, she walks over a path in the mountains. The wind is very strong and it messes up her hair. Luna shivers.

Luna: (her voice echoes) Hello?

Chinese Dragon: Wow, veggie toast is here.

Luna: No, I came to warn you. (a curious look on her face) Wait, what about veggie toast?

Chinese Dragon: Oh, then who are you?

Luna: (in a very low voice) I’m Luna. I came here to warn you.

Chinese Dragon: (poking his head out) About what?

The dragon has brilliant silver scales with blue eyes that look very sad.

Luna: The Thunderbird is back and came to fight you.

Chinese Dragon: (laughing loudly) He’s super dead if he comes here again.

Luna: Well, just don’t fight, okay?

Luna walks away slowly, then treks halfway down the mountain.

Scene 2

Outside of the cave. The wind is still howling, and Luna is hiding behind a very tall rock. The huge wing beat comes and stops when Thunderbird arrives.

Thunderbird: Haha, I’ve come back.

Chinese Dragon: So another rematch is it?

Luna runs between them, shaking from the cold and fear, and tries to break up a fight that is about to begin.

Luna: Please you two, don’t fight. I’m sure we can talk about it.

Her voice, carried by the wind, doesn’t reach the two beasts. She puts her hands on each mythical beast. Both look down at Luna with a confused look, then look at each other.

Thunderbird: (laughs very loud, then pauses to calm himself) Us fight.

He gestures with his wing to the dragon and then to himself.

Chinese Dragon: We just gossip and give the people a show of power.

Luna: (stares blankly at them) So no fight?

Chinese Dragon: Yes, no fight.

Luna: Well, okay, great!

THORNS

Eva Necochea | Grade 9, Boise

There’s a girl walking into a rose garden. She walks past the fountain and over to a bench. There’s a man sitting on the bench, the man stands.

Man: Eleanor, I have to talk to you!

Eleanor: (looking away to avoid his gaze) No, I have something I must say --

Man: But just give me a mome --

Eleanor: James! I need to discuss something with you!

James: Look just, one second (getting down on one knee) please, I have to --

Eleanor: No! James, don’t do this.

James: Eleanor, I have loved you since the moment we met.

Eleanor: No, no, we need to talk.

James: No, we don’t because we love each other, you and I --

Eleanor: But your parents?

James: They’ll live, I love you and that’s all that matters.

Eleanor: James...

James: Please, let me finish. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I know you are the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with. Eleanor, will you marry me.

He pulls out a box with a beautiful diamond ring.

Eleanor: (tearing up with a bright smile) Oh, James, yes, yes, a million times yes!

They stand as James puts the ring on her finger. They kiss and embrace.They break apart but are still close and holding hands.

Eleanor: (her smile becoming sinister) James, I really wish you hadn’t done that.

James: (looking confused) Done what? Eleanor, what’s wrong? Why are you smiling like that?

Eleanor reaches into her pocket and pulls out a single white glove and a knife...

A WATERY GRAVE

Nik Schwartsman | Grade 7, Boise

Jerry: Dave, you almost ready for movie night?

Dave: In a minute. I’m testing my new invention–the bath blowout.

Jerry: That sounds both stupid and dangerous.

Dave: Not at all. I’ve just rigged the bathtub with a power outlet so I can dry my hair while I bathe.

Jerry: I’m going to take back my hair dryer before you hurt yourself!

Jerry kicks down the door, startling Dave who drops the hair dryer into the water. Dave floats on top of the water motionless...

Jerry: I need to find a place to bury the body, but the body should not be hidden. He deserves a final resting place.

He lays the body on the ground and produces a shovel from his bag. He digs the hole until it is deep enough. He then gently places the body in the hole and fills it in.

After the dirt is smoothed over, he takes out a cross and his favorite hunting knife. He places the cross in the dirt and and carves Dave’s initials into the cross.

Jerry: There, a little bit more dignified.

Flashing blue and red lights and the sound of footsteps behind him.

Cops: Drop your weapon, we have you surrounded...

THE MUSHROOM MISADVENTURES OF

BARTHOLOMEW AND JERAMY

Ava Leary and Skye Long | Grade 8, Boise

Narrator: The two friends Bartholomew and Jeramy were on a hike, walking through the Mushroom Forest. The mushrooms were quite large, about the size of a tall tree.

Jeramy suddenly breaks the silence.

Jeramy: These are some...nice mushrooms.

Jeramy forces an awkward smile, Bartholomew looks at him confused.

Bartholomew: Yes, very nice indeed.

Jeramy: How many do you think are edible?

Bartholomew shrugs. Silence.

Bartholomew: I have three brothers though...they live on a wall...right on the top of it.

Jeramy: I have three brothers, too! But I don’t know where they live.

Bartholomew: (in a British accent) Dost thou know thee names of thy brothers?

Awkward silence as Jeramy tries to think of his brothers’ names.

Jeramy: I don’t know.

Bartholomew nods solemnly.

Narrator: Jeramy and Bartholomew went on comparing their brothers and occasionally talking about veggie toast for an hour until they found out...

Bartholomew: (in a British accent) I have been accustomed to believing that my female parental birth giver has yet another XY chromosome organism of her creation around my years of age.

Jeramy: (in an Australian accent) My mum spoke of such when I was of a younger age...and...(his voice returns to normal) They looked like me.

Bartholomew: Sorry for your loss--

Jeramy: No, no, no, do you know what this means?

Bartholomew: (obviously) Wut?

Jeramy: We could be brothers!

Bartholomew: No, my brothers live on a wall.

Jeramy: But what about the one you never knew.

Silence as Bartholomew thinks.

Jeramy: ...So?

Bartholomew: Maybe, that would be cool...but...do YOU like veggie toast?

Jeramy: No.

Bartholomew: Then you can’t be my brother.

Jeramy: Brothers can like different things!

Bartholomew: Oh...okay! You’re my brother then!

They look at each other and nod.

WAKE UP

Meher Sapra | Grade 7, Boise

After one hour Lily tries to wake Nicolete for Lily’s turn to sleep on the couch.

Lily: Nicolete, get up!

Nicolete keeps on sleeping. Lily gets a little annoyed.

Lily: (to herself, annoyed) Okay...I’ll just stay up all night.

Once it’s 8:00 a.m., Lily tries to wake up Nicolete.

Lily: Get up! The shop will open in 30 minutes.

Nicolete: Ugh. I had such bad sleep.

Lily: (trying to keep her temper) Yup.

Nicolete gets up and puts her hair up in a bun.

Nicolete: Can you make me an iced tea with less ice?

Lily: Okay. I’m done. You know how to make coffee and you can’t keep acting like I’m your servant.

Nicolete: Okay?

Lily: This friendship won’t work.

Nicolete: Oh, okay. I have better friends.

LANDSCAPE WITH THE FALL OF ICARUS

Charlotte Treinen | Grade 5, Boise

I’m as cold as winter’s coldest days. The water sways back and forth, back and forth. The sheep are honking. Baaaa! baaaa! How I wish I was a horse running to my heart’s content.

The sea’s water smells salty, tastes salty too.

All of a sudden, I look up and see a wing, but not a bird’s wing. It keeps going until—splash!

I jump, almost capsizing the boat.

His legs move frantically, trying to get up and above water. I yell, help! multiple times, but nobody hears me. I watch him sink to the bottom.

I weep and I weep, my wood molting. I curse the god of death as the death was not deserved.

Soon, I sink to the bottom. There I lie in my own thoughts. I hear muffled cries of my captain, but I feel as if I’m a horse running to my heart’s content. I am now as warm as pie fresh from the oven, and best of all, it’s silent.

Soon my heart aches, knowing I took the lives of my beloved captain. Soon I long to be as cold as winter’s coldest days. I miss the sheep honking, and there is no more salty stench.

I AM ABSTRACT

Walter Weekley | Grade 5, Boise

People walk past me every day it has been like this for years nobody has ever seen what I truly am because there is no right or wrong I am what they see I have been seen thousands of different ways This is the meaning of ABSTRACT

THE BIG BURN

Chloe Triassi | Grade 5, Boise

I walk through the forest, my feet crunching through the soft green grass. Approaching a tree, I take a saw out of my backpack to cut the tree when I notice it smells smoky. I look afar and to my surprise, I see red smoke racing through the woods. It gradually starts to get harder to breathe the longer I’m in this forest. I start to run in panic, seeking an exit or a mine to hide in.

Looking behind me, I see the fire trailing behind me. I start speeding up, but unfortunately, not fast enough to outrun the fire.

The fire catches me and I fall to the ground, feeling a burning sensation in my body.

WHAT AM I?

Taylor Drake | Grade 6, Boise

Some people would call me “abstract.”

Others would call me “wonky.”

Some people spend hours trying to figure out what am I.

I’m not hurt.

I understand why.

When people don’t know what something is, they make it up.

That is why I can be anything.

I can be anything you want me to be.

I can be a fruit, I can be a banner.

I can be a wonky banana peel if you like.

I guess that’s one of the blessings of being a “What am I?”

THE MOUNTAIN LION

Esther Prince | Grade 6, Boise

I leap into the air. I feel like I am touching the bright, golden sun above me. My tail streams out behind me, and my fur touches the wind. The clouds whisk past me like the birds.

Then I land, touching the warm, color-filled earth below me. I see my cave and know that I am home. Grassy green vines drape and cover the entrance.

I pad inside. The dark gray rocks inside and the smell of this place tell me this is truly my home. I feast on today’s catch that lays in a corner.

It is a deer. Every mouthful sings of the mountain on which I live.

Then I curl up to sleep on the comforting hard rocks of my cave.

THE SHRINE

Jameson Costello | Grade 6, Boise

I wake up in a grassy field with grass greener than you’d ever see. In front of me is a small white shrine with depictions of a humanoid creature leveling cities, or overturning mountains, or draining oceans. In every scene, the creature is pitch black. I stumble back at the sight of another on it. It was an etching of the name Helmar!

I’d seen the name somewhere before. Where was it? I rack my brain for it—yes, I’d seen it in a book I’d found hidden behind a poster at the library. Lightning started falling from the sky. I turn and start running away from the shrine.

Thunder rumbles, sending me to the ground. I look back at the shrine and see a bolt of lightning heading straight at the shrine, hitting it with so much force that it sent pieces of rubble in every direction.

A cloud of dust erupts from where the shrine was. Then, a dark figure from the depictions of the shrine walks out from the cloud of dust.

“Yes, I am free!” booms Helmar, looking up at the sky. Then everything goes black. I wake up in a cold sweat.

JEREMY’S MONEY

Jehui Lee | Grade 5, Meridian

Jeremy bought the whole galaxy and lives in a giant mansion and eats every kind of pizza all day long. The pizza’s as big as a school bus, and the mansion takes up a whole universe, and he has a red Lamborghini.

Jeremy just atom bombed everyone on earth except for his family and friend. Then, he traveled to different universes and bought everything (e.g. toys, food, and Fortnite).

But on his way, his Lamborghini ran out of fuel, and his group wore space suits and went to the nearest space station. He filled up the Lamborghini and headed back home in five seconds by using the car’s lightspeed mode, but one of his members suffocated and died.

The crew kicked Jeremy out, but Jeremy took his backup car and went to his house. In the house, Jeremy fired atom bombs, missiles, and TNT. But his best friend escaped as his crew died, and they lived happily ever after in their giant mansion.

SEASONAL VIGNETTES

Elle Thornton | Grade 6, Boise

SUMMER

People desperately try to get out of the heat by getting into a source of water or perhaps eating a nice cold cone of ice cream from their favorite shop

SPRING

People sigh in awe at the beautiful flowers in bloom and they lie out in the ‘perfect’ weather that they supposedly wait for all year

FALL

People are in love with the pretty colors of leaves and taking long walks, showing off a light scarf or perhaps a hat

WINTER

People enjoy the cold but hope for the warm and ski and snowboard. Maybe a nice cup of cocoa by the fire and Santa coming on the 24th

SHADOW MONSTER [EXCERPT]

Izzy Wingert | Grade 4, Boise

My name is Anika. I live in a ghost town that freaks me out. I have blue eyes and pink hair. Last night, I heard creepy noises. I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I saw a shadow monster right behind me. I screamed as loud as I could. No one could hear me.

I woke up and went to school. It turns out our field trip was today, and we will travel the world! What if my monster came back? The school bell rang. I rushed to class. We started to do our math, then our teacher told us to line up for the trip. I sat next to my best friend, Bea. I told her about my dream.

Then Bea said, “OMG, I had a dream that we were on this trip, and we arrived at the campground; our monsters possessed us, took us into the woods, and then terrorized the others.”

“Bea, what if it’s true?” I said.

Arjun Srinath | Grade 3, Boise

Anteaters eat ants. I see the rhea run fast. Fox not eating food.

River otters swim.

Giraffe has a long, long neck. Monkeys can climb trees.

A TIGHT SPACE

Owen Butterfield | Grade 3, Boise

A tight space on earth. Just with you underwater. We were both swimming.

HOW IT FEELS TO BE A BOOK

Odin Nelson | Grade 3, Boise

I am a book. I am here to tell you about what it feels like to be ripped and pulled out. It feels like having an arm pulled out, and being ripped feels like being twisted, and being taped hurts more. I try to move, but I can’t. I try to talk, but I can’t either. That is what it feels like to be a book.

MONKEY SOUP

Camille Masse | Grade 3, Boise

Once upon a time, there was a monkey. He woke up and brushed his teeth, got dressed, took a walk, and found a mushroom. He picked it, and he took it home and made soup. He put the mushroom in the soup and put some potion in it to make it taste good. He put mustard in it and zucchini in it, too! He tried it. It tasted good. He shared it with his friends. It tasted so good they said this was the best soup they ever had. He made more and more, and they all had a whole meal just for them. They had a great time talking about the food and eating the soup, and they lived happily ever after.

THE TOWER [EXCERPT]

Milia Gorham | Grade 3, Boise

Chapter One: The Goat in the Closet

There once lived a princess who lived in a tower with her pet lizard, and she could only read. She loved Harry Potter. Her room was filled with books. Her name was Sara. She was tall and had black hair. She lived in California. Sara was 21 years old. Sara had never gone outside to do anything fun. She only went outside to go to her job. She was a teacher for the 5th grade. Sara’s favorite food was strawberries. Her fear was bugs. There were millions of them. Her goal was to be the best teacher. Sara seemed like a normal person, but she had a deep dark secret. All of Sara’s students knew she lived alone, but Sara was hiding a goat in her closet.

Chapter Two: Food Tent

Sara was eating breakfast. She put her work clothes on and headed out the door. Sara was walking to work when she saw a tent. Sara didn’t remember that there before. It looked like a circus tent. Sara heard the sound of music playing. She decided to check it out, but first she went to work.

BOOK AND ARROW [EXCERPT]

Oakley Yang | Grade 4, Boise

Booky got up to see Arrow then checked to see if he was dirty. No one came to the library. It was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 3 or 4 weeks a month, and 12 months a year.

Then, he saw a new library.

“I want to move, but I can’t,” Booky said. The old library was shutting down. “Ahhhhhhh,” he screamed. Booky saw they were in a dark place.

“Wait, what?” Arrow said.

“Ahhhhhhh, that was a close call,” Booky said. The books were moving. Another book had almost fallen on him.

“We are getting moved,” another book said.

“There was no construction this week,” Arrow said.

“Arrow, you’re so sharp. We’re leaving. Let’s go,” Booky said.

MAVKA [EXCERPT]

Sofia LaBarbera | Grade 3, Boise

On the other side of the earth were humans in a neighborhood with lots and lots of music and a boy named Lucas. Lucas was in a band and he played the flute and made a bunch of music, but a littler boy named Luck, Lucas’ little brother, came to warn Lucas about Lucas’ Uncle Col. They went to Uncle Col’s house to check on him.

“Uncle Col, are you okay?” Lucas said.

“Yeah, but I’m just going to die in a few days,” Uncle Col said from his bed.

“No!” Luck said. “No one is going to Havalostafoot or Cococuu Land, or, or . . . .”

“Cococuu Land!!” Lucas said. “ARE YOU CRAZY?”

“Actually, I am crazy,” Luck said.

BURNING FLAMES

Maddy Fountain | Grade 4, Boise

Lights are flashing. Branches falling. Helicopters are flailing. But I’m still asleep.

Ashes are burning. The fire’s spreading. Trees are crashing. But I’m still asleep.

fifty-one acres. Lots to burn. So much noise. Evacuation. Now!

It started on the mountains. High up top. I’m scared to come down.

So hurry and run!

The next morning, I looked online and saw the pictures of the fire. Everything was burnt to the ground. Ashes rising like a balloon. A fiery scent would go into my eyes. The smell of the burning stumps would tickle my nose. At the bottom of the website’s page, there was a description:

THOSE WHO ALMOST DIED DURING THE FIRE, BEWARE BECAUSE SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN TO

YOU.

I shuddered at the thought of that note. I got off my computer and got ready to go to the park. I brushed my long brown hair. I decided to wear a blue dress and sandals. I kept thinking about the fire and that description. All right, I’m ready to go to the park. When I got to the park, it was raining. but not raining water drops, raining fire.

Everyone there scattered behind the bushes while the fire rained.

Except for me.

Everyone had their head under their arms and cried hysterically. Except for me.

I looked at the people behind the bushes. They all were from the fire.

Everyone looked at me.

But I just stood there. And the fire rained.

LILY PAD POND

Vera Grace Bauman | Grade 5, Boise

In the forest the moon looks like a full moon

The mountains A pond with lily pads and frogs

The animals are cute behind a tree grass and dirt.

SHE STILL LOVED IT

Alyson Danley | Grade 5, Boise

Once upon a time there was a girl named Harmony. She lived on a farm. Her house was very small and old, but she still loved it. Her hair was a beautiful blonde. She had green eyes she thought of as peas, but she still loved it. She would go out to milk the cows and feed the chickens. She thought it was smelly and very boring, but she still loved it. Harmony picked out her most beautiful, oldest dress. She thought it was ugly, but she still loved it. The nights were cold and very sleepless, but she still loved it. Her house was not perfect and neither was her life, but she still loved it.

MUDDY

Bhodi Bauman | Grade 6, Boise

One day a human came and picked Muddy up. The human was transforming into Muddy. The human was Muddy, Muddy was the human.

THE LOST TURTLE

Addison Goodhew | Grade 5, Boise

Somewhere on a big beach there was a baby turtle playing in the hot sand not knowing how he got there or where his family was. He needs his family to survive and decides to go in the scary water. He goes into the water, swimming for years, asking everyone if they know where his family was. He searched every cave, shelter, and town but found nothing.

One town he went in had a shop called Great Dolphin Advice, so he went inside. When he explained his problem and asked where to search, she replied, “You may think so, but you do not need them to survive.” And he realized that she was right.

The end.

SEA

Tor Nelson | Grade 6, Boise

Salty waves crash over and over like a never-ending battle.

The fish beneath them like a silvery storm. Whales, the kind beasts of the water, sing soothing melodies.

Vast and never-ending the sea waits for Nothing.

IDAHO

Oliver Butterfield | Grade 6, Boise

Idaho, the site of the great white peaks. Mountains with the cold piney breeze in your hair and the cold water of the stream running through your Feet.

PRANKY KIDS

Daniel Kim | Grade 6, Meridian

In Idaho, there were four pranky kids. Their names were Jan, Cooper, Alex, and Landon. They really hated going to school. So, they tried to find the rabbit that granted wishes. But it was so hard to find that rabbit.

All day, they tried to find the rabbit, and finally, they found it. They ran to the rabbit and said their wish. The next day, they printed a piece of paper that said, “Today is the school’s birthday, so go home!” The teacher came and saw the paper and said, “Time to go home!” The kids were glad.

BOOKS

Téah Wong | Grade 5, Garden City

“Mom? I really want books,” Rose says with a confident tone while trying not to smile.

“Books? Really? I’d rather have you throw up on the carpet than get books. Those things will rot your brain, I say!”

Rose’s mind fills with anger. She’s about to explode. “No! TVs will rot your brain. All you and Nathaniel do is watch TV. At least I want to do something productive.”

“OK that’s it!” Mom grabs all writing, papers, cookbooks, and notebooks, and throws them in the fire.

BOISE

Mae Todd | Grade 5, Boise

Beautiful nature

Oval ponds and lakes

Ivy all around hot geysers

Sizzling with Ever colorful

TIDAL POOL

Emmalina Wingert | Grade 6, Boise

It looks like a Bowl, but with a twist

It looks like a Jellyfish

It looks like a

Tidal pool

It looks like a

Thing quite cool

ATTACK

Olivia Sandow | Grade 8, Meridian

Scene 1

Black screen. Ominous music plays.

INT. UNDERWATER - DAY

A shark swims by, as we see its side and are close to it. Then, we are behind the shark, following it as it quickly swims.

EXT. ABOVE WATER - DAY

Overhead shot, quite a distance away from the water’s surface. We see a female surfer. She has brown hair. We see the shark swimming toward her.

Before the shark reaches her, the screen goes black, we hear only audio. A splash is heard, followed by screams and cries for help that no one will hear.

SURFER: Help! Someone please!

The scream slowly starts to sound like someone screaming underwater, frantic splashing is heard, then everything goes quiet.

Overhead shot. We see the shark swimming away, nothing

left of the surfer except the red water stained by her blood, pieces of her wetsuit, and her surfboard.

The camera slowly zooms out.

Scene 2

EXT. BOARDWALK - DAY

A straight-on shot, a boy, named ACE, with messy brown hair and amber eyes is seen pacing and, a girl, named HALEY, with neat black hair and blue eyes is next to him, leaning on the boardwalk railing.

HALEY: Ace, you need to calm down. She’s probably fine.

ACE: Don’t tell me to calm down Haley! She’s been missing for a week! I have a right to worry!

Haley just stares at Ace, before speaking again.

HALEY: Fair Point. But she’s tough, whatever situation she’s in, she’ll get out of it... I hope.

Haley is silent for a few seconds then she speaks.

HALEY: Want to get ice cream to get our minds off it?

Ace stops pacing and nods.

ACE: Yeah, I guess so.

Haley walks over to Ace and then we are behind the two as they walk to get ice cream. They are blissfully unaware of what dangers are in the water, and the tragedies that will

soon occur.

Screen goes black.

MURDER ON THE ST. MARY

Andy Jensen | Grade 8, Boise

Scene 3

INT. SHIP -- EVENING

The camera moves down the ship’s hallway. Distinct chatter is heard as the guests file into the dining room.

CAPTAIN: Hello and welcome to the St. Mary. We will be traveling from Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands on a threeday boat trip. I’m your captain, Alexandria, and this is your co-captain, Conner. Your Chef is Chef Henry and Charles is the waiter. That is all, dig in.

The six TRAVELERS gather around a large circular dining table with an assortment of salads and sandwiches loaded up in the center. Chatter starts up.

ALBERT: Hello, my name is Albert. I’m a detective. Why are you traveling abroad aboard the St Mary?

MADDIE: I’m Maddie, a world-famous doctor who is traveling to help people in need. By the way, are you Albert Krivenoski, the famous detective?

ALBERT: Why, yes I am. Are you Maddie Hitchworth, the famous doctor?

MADDIE: Why, yes I--

EVELYN: He’s not breathing!

All the guests gather around the body of a man with a spilled wine glass next to him.

ALBERT: Move aside, let the doctor through.

MADDIE examines the body and then picks up the wine glass and sniffs it.

MADDIE: Cyanide. It was murder.

End scene

THE TRIAL

Saioa Freddoso | Grade 9, Boise

Scene 2 INT. COURTROOM - DAY

The camera zooms out to show a courtroom, packed with people, Amia standing in her spot as witnesses are called.

PROSECUTOR: For my first witness, I would like to call Dr. Samantha Jones to the stand.

The doctor rises, heading to the stand, and taking her oath.

PROSECUTOR: Now, Dr.Jones you are an expert in the field of forensic, right?

DR. JONES: Yes, that is correct.

PROSECUTOR: Can you confirm for me that the fingerprints found at the scene of the crime belong to Amia?

DR. JONES: I can.

PROSECUTOR: And the hair samples?

DR. JONES: That’s correct.

PROSECUTOR: Is there any way these pieces of evidence might not belong to miss Amia?

DR. JONES: No. we are 100% certain.

PROSECUTOR: Well then, there you have it, her hair and fingerprints are at the crime scene, and given her past connection to the victims, she must be the murderer.

Amia sits there confused looking, eyes wide and shocked.

AMIA: But I--

JUDGE: Silence, you do not have permission to speak.

Amia frowns disappointedly, accepting her fate.

Soon enough, the trial comes to its end, the audience discussing among themselves what had happened. An unanimous decision by the jury almost immediately comes through. She is guilty.

CRASH

Mili Copple | Grade 8, Nampa

FADE IN:

EXT. SHOP - DAY

A shot of someone’s shoes, the camera zooming out until a man is in full view. He’s wearing boots, which his pants are tucked into, on his belt is a holster for a gun, empty.

The MAN has a gun in his hand, holding it gently. He begins to twirl the gun around his finger, seemingly thinking.

The MAN lifts his arm with the gun pointed, finger on the trigger.

The camera switches to the view he has of a dirt road with buildings on the other side.

We see a car driving by. It gets closer.

We hear a gunshot, and see dust spreading up into the air. The camera moves to focus on the car, which swerves to the side.

We see it crash.

End scene

THE BEAST

Luke

Bauer | Grade 8, Meridian

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT

The BOY opens his eyes from his nap. It’s awfully quiet.

He walks through his house, calling for his family. No answer, only cold air and darkness.

He sees an orange glow from outside so he opens the door and gets a big blast of hot smoke in his face. He gets blinded for a few moments, but goes out anyway to see what is happening.

EXT. HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The BOY is in horror when he sees his whole city burning down and sirens blasting and people running all over and screaming. The whole moment is pure chaos.

He then hears a terrible roar in the distance. The ground shakes. It feels like an earthquake.

The BOY then lays his eyes upon a BEAST of biblical proportions. The monster towers over every building in the city, easily swiping down the largest of the skyscrapers.

Jets fly by, shooting missiles at the Beast. They do nothing as the rampage continues.

The BOY is so terrified, he nearly falls off his feet.

INT. HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

He runs back inside and back into his bed.

The BOY convinces himself that it’s all a dream, and he closes his eyes.

The end.

THE STATE VERSUS HENRY CONNORS

Eva Necochea | Grade 9, Boise

FADE IN:

It’s a bright sunny day and we’re looking at a courthouse. There’s a woman running up the stairs in a nice gray skirt, black heels, and a wrinkle-free white button-up shirt. She walks in the front door.

Cut to the inside of the hallway, the woman with her hair and a bun (loose) atop her head. She looks in the direction of the camera as though searching for something. She then looks directly down the hallway and walks that way briskly. We hear her heels clicking away and see a door open at the end of the hall.

As the camera unfocuses we see a large man, presumably a security guard, check some form of ID in the woman’s hand and allow her to enter the room. The camera is still unfocusing and then the screen goes black.

We hear a lot of chatter growing louder. We hear gavel pounding three times and a man’s voice yelling:

MAN: Order in the court. I now open case 5173 to trial. The

state versus Henry Connors.

The room immediately goes silent.

End

scene

MADMAN

Charlotte Baldwin | Grade 7, Ewa Beach

EXT. ROAD - DAY

We see the front end of a very used Buick Rivera. We tilt up to see JORDAN sitting in his car.

Inside the car, JORDAN drives to work. Muted music is heard from inside the car, as well as the sound of tires screeching, horse horns honking, and Sirens blaring.

JORDAN comes to a red light, stopping and changing the radio. The light changes quickly.

JORDAN begins to turn when a WOMAN comes driving through the intersection, crashing straight into the side of JORDAN ‘s car. It sends his car skidding.

EXT. HOSPITAL - DAY

A few weeks later. Jordan leaves the hospital. He walks out with only a broken leg and a few scrapes and bruises.

We see the Buick. A few scraps are now attached to his now broken down car which years later would be put on display in a nearby museum.

Now “MadMan” would be known to many people.

End scene

JEFF THE UNICORN’S QUEST FOR MORALITY

Cecilia

Necochea | Grade 7, Boise

VOICEOVER: Once upon a time there was a unicorn named Jeff. He lived on the Dirty Dancing movie set. Jeff had lots of friends but sometimes they would tell him that he had no sense of morality. He didn’t know what morality was, so he set off to find out.

Jeff wanders until he reaches a gas station. He finds some mini donuts and goes to buy them, when he sees an old lady who can’t pay for her Doritos. He asks her to step aside if she can’t pay, and buys his donuts. The cashier looks on incredulously as Jeff proceeds to ask him what morality is. The cashier tosses him a map and tells him to go to the library.

Jeff continues down the road until he finds a casino that is on fire. He makes sure to walk in a wide circle around it before continuing on his way.

Jeff soon gets lost and runs into a woman crying while her cat is frantically meowing in a tree. He quickly assesses the situation and asks her where the library is. The woman glares at him before pointing in the right direction.

As he’s about to enter the library, Jeff sees a cell phone store. He remembers that no one reads books anymore and decides to buy a phone instead.

Jeff quickly installs an AI app and asks it what morality is. The app tells him that reality is the sense of knowing what is right or wrong. Jeff realizes that he made three mistakes on his Quest for Morality.

He rushes to the woman whose cat is in the tree and calls his friend that makes ladders.

Then, Jeff hurries to the casino and calls the fire department.

Finally, he reaches the gas station and he Venmos the old lady $10 to pay for her Doritos. To thank him, the old lady gives Jeff her neon orange baguette recipe.

VOICEOVER: Jeff went home in triumph and soon became very famous for his amazing sense of morality and his even better baguettes.

The end.

FIRE

Hank McAndrews | Grade 3, Boise

In the middle of Chicago, there was a horse. It knocked over a lantern and lit a house and the city on fire. In the middle of the flames, there was something being born. It was a fire man named Sun Fire with a pet fire-breathing dragon. The next step on their journey was to get out of the fire. They got out. They searched for a home. Then they found an island. They jumped over the water and onto the island, and that’s where they lived.

THE HAUNTED HOUSE

Lucas Li | Grade 3, Boise

A knife in the floor held by a bone stuck out of the floor in the house. The house was very abandoned, and it was very old. As I walked in, it creaked and crackled. I knew it was haunted. Suddenly, there came a haunted noise. More like the moan of a ghost. The clock struck eight. Ding ding ding ding ding (from your perspective. Whoever is reading this book is me).

A mouse squeaked and ran up the stairs, and I decided to follow. The stairs creaked while I walked up. Suddenly, a plank fell. I ran up the stairs, thinking that the rest would collapse. As I walked ahead, I found a key. A locked door lay ahead. I put the key in the door. The door burst open, and an eerie sound floated out of the room. OOOOO. Creeeeekk. The floor creaked and crackled.

A book was on the ground. I opened the book, and a map fell out. The map was a map of the haunted house. Suddenly, I heard a loud CRRAASH!!! I ran to the window to see what was happening. A canyon wall was falling. I walked deeper into the room. I saw a hole with a ladder in it. I climbed down the ladder into a room full of ghastly white mist.

To be continued…

CANCER

Beverly Crawforth | Grade 4, Boise

How many years am I? 2? 10? 5? 6? 8? 9? I don’t know. I don’t think I ever will. Sitting in my wheelchair with no leg, saying to myself, “Am I alone?” as I heard the hall creak, I froze as my mom burst in and yelled, “Honey! Honey! Are you alright? I heard you talking.”

I was still frozen at heart. But shaking at vision.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said.

Then my mom said, “Oh good” with great relief. Her appearance was panting from running in the hall.

“Even though I have cancer, you don’t have to treat me like this, so just stop! Please,” I said, tearing up and wiping them away.

Then my mom said, “Fine honey, but you already had to lose a leg, and you’re forgetting stuff.”

“No, I’m not,” I said.

“How old are you?” Mom said. I started to mumble, “Mgquz…”

“See honey, you are,” Mom said proudly.

“I guess you were right,” I said.

“Hon, you got to get to school. Come on,” my mom said.

“NO!” I yelled.

“Why?!?!” mom said.

To be continued…

RUBY

Elizabeth Allen | Grade 4, Boise

Hi, my name is Black Girl. I am in a car going to a place called Love Gas Station. I am a Siberian husky puppy. The car arrives, and the back door opens. My people hop into the car. Instantly, me, my sisters, and my brother start to play. Then someone takes my brother. Then a family of four come and say, “Which one do you want, Elizabeth?” I come up and lay down. My sis Blue Girl comes up wild, and my other sister Gray Girl is freaking out.

Elizabeth says to the people, “Can I take Black Girl on a walk?”

“Sure,” say the people.

So I go on a walk, then back to the car. The girl Elizabeth says, “I want that one,” and she points to me.

“Okay, here you go. Can I have $500, please?”

“Of course,” says Elizabeth’s mom.

So, I go to another car and sit on Elizabeth’s lap and a little bit on a boy’s. Then the car stops, and the boy and the mom get out. Elizabeth and the dad stay in. Then I come out, and there’s a huge golden retriever, so I bolt. Then Elizabeth puts a collar on me and says, “Listen, your name is Ruby, and I love you.”

Then I go up to the golden retriever, and he says, “Hi, my name is Kash. What is your name? Will you be my friend?”

“Sure,” I say. “My name is Ruby. Can I look around first?”

So I go to my pad. It’s blue. I sniff everywhere. I go to the bedroom. Then I play with Elizabeth. The night is scary, but it’s fun. The next day, the family potty trains me.

Life is the same, but a month later is the worst day of my life. Elizabeth’s brother Connor gets some new Alaskan fishing flies, and they look tasty, so I bite a yellow and orange one. It hurts so, so bad. Elizabeth starts balling, and they take me to a weird place. I think it’s called the Vet. They

remove the fly and take me home. Elizabeth yells, “RUBY, you’re okay!” and gives me a big hug.

Extra: We got Ruby on the day before Halloween. Her birthday is in September.

Based on a true story.

CHAOS

Henry Moir-O’Neill | Grade 4, Boise

Chapter 1 Abduction

Katy Ledecky

It was 2034. Splish! She was in. Splish, splash. She was almost there. Crack! A storm was outside. The ceiling crumbled. She looked up and saw that someone was being abducted! But who?

Chapter 2 Ray Sorbet

He was being abducted, but next thing he knew, he was asleep. He woke up in a place where all you could see was candy! But why? He was in a chocolate house with a candy corn roof and a candy cane door.

MAGIC PLANET: BOOK 1

Annabelle Westhoff | Grade 3, Boise

Chapter 1: The Fairy on Magic Planet

Once upon a time, there was a planet, and the people who lived there were magic people, but people that were not magic could visit. This story is about a fairy who lived in Fairy Village. The fairy’s name was Bella. Bella was 10 years old. Bella asked her parents every day if she could come with them when they fought to defend Magic Planet against the villains from Villain Planet. You see, villains have always wanted to have more planets to control, so everyone must fight but the kids.

Now, back to our story: the villains made a giant bomb, and they were about to fire the bomb, but then Bella dashed out of her house at the speed of light and used a spell called a knife spell that chopped all the villains in half. After that, everyone rewarded her with a huge reward. They made her queen.

Chapter 2: Queen Bella

When Bella was queen, she loved to wander around the castle. Everything was normal, but one day, when Bella was walking around the castle, she found a mysterious door. She went inside the door. Inside, there was something that looked a lot like a portal. She went into the portal. There was a big forest where the portal went to. Bella saw a big dragon. She knew now she wasn’t in Magic Planet anymore.

She defeated the dragon with the toughest spell to cast, and it killed the dragon. She went back into the portal to the room. She exited the room back into the castle. She put a sign on the door that said DO NOT ENTER, but when she was hanging the sign on the door, there was a smudge. The

smudge looked like it said DO NOT ENTER. That is when Bella realized someone had been here before, and she ran out the door into the portal.

That is where I come in. You see, all the days Bella was walking around the castle, I would go through the portal and rule the planet. You see, Bella is technically not queen because she has no royal blood. I wrote on the door, so she wouldn’t enter, and now I explained everything to Bella. Don’t think I will kill Bella. I, in fact, made her a knight. Call her Knight Bella. I not only made her a knight, I also made her my favorite knight, and that is a happily ever after.

The end.

Why are you still here? Go have fun! You want more? Well, sorry. Go scram! Well, if you want to go to Magic Planet, you can travel into space, but it will take two years in a spaceship. OK.

The end. The end. The end.

THE DRAGON

Hendrix Holly | Grade 4, Boise

A human is like an atom, and the world is a baby ant, and the sun is an ant to the universe. But a dragon is a little bigger than a human. A boy named Hendrix lived on a farm. One day, his mom told him to go get all 20 sheep. He got 19, but “Where is the last one?” he said. Hendrix went to a cave and found the sheep, and he saw an egg, so he went over, and he found the last dragon egg.

Hendrix grabbed the egg and led the sheep home. When he got home, his mom was making dinner. He said, “Hey,

Mom. I’m going upstairs.”

“Okay, but did you get all the sheep?” Mom said.

“Yes,” Hendrix said.

When Mom was in the kitchen, Hendrix was in his room. Hendrix put his egg on his desk. “How can I hide you?” said Hendrix. “I have to hide you from my dad who extinguishes all dragons.”

“I’m home.”

“Got it! He is here. I will put you under my bed.”

“What are you doing, Hendrix?” said Dad.

“I’m on my computer,” said Hendrix.

“Well, come down and get pizza.”

“Okay,” said Hendrix.

“I’m full,” said Hendrix.

“But you had one slice. You normally have five,” said Mom.

“I had a huge lunch,” said Hendrix. “Okay, you may be excused.”

Hendrix ran upstairs to a surprise: the egg was hatching! “What the …”

“Hey, Hendrix, what’re you doing?” said Dad.

“Nothing,” said Hendrix.

“Well, you say that when you’re hiding something,” said Dad.

“Well…”

Dad opened the door to see the hatchling. “Good job, son. Now I can extinct all the dragons,” said Dad.

“No, I love dragons, so hunt me down!” said Hendrix. So Hendrix packed a bag and left home.

“Man, a bug just flew into my eye,” said Hendrix. Puff puff puff!

“What’s that?” said Hendrix. The dragon was making little fire balls. “No!” said Hendrix. The dragon started to

fire at Hendrix. Now Hendrix dodged all the fireballs, got to his bag, and got his chanter to practice. He started to play, and the dragon stopped firing to watch. “So you like the chanter?”

Weeoo! Weeoo! Weeoo!

“No! They’re here! Let’s go!” said Hendrix. “You are under arrest.” “But…”

The dragon fired and hit the car and the gun. Yes! They ran off from the cop.

“Wow, that was amazing,” said Hendrix. Rumble.

“You hungry?” said Hendrix. “I got bacon, so fire it up.”

“This is so g… What’s that ring on you? May I take it off?” Grrrrr.

“Just for three seconds, okay?” Grab. “Wow, it’s a dragon! Can I keep it?” said Hendrix. “Yes, you may keep it.”

“Who said that?” said Hendrix. “You and I can talk with that ring.”

To be continued in Book 2!

ALIEN NOTES

Edith Friedewald | Grade 3, Boise

When I went to the green and blue planet, I saw a square thing that had WHITE W-A-T-E-R. There were also these lines with poles on the top of the lines. The lines also had circles under them. I also saw a circle that you put on your hand.

FUN LAND MYSTERIES

Edith Friedewald | Grade 3, Boise

Once upon a time, the queen of Fun Land had a child. But sadly, the queen did not make it. So, the little princess became the queen. Wherever she went, laughter followed. One day, she realized that she did not know her name! So she took her jet and flew all around Fun Land.

First, she went to the Fun Land village homes. Then, she went to Candy Café and asked all the people. Finally, she went to the Fun Land Lagoon, and she found a mermaid that was friends with her mom and knew her name and it was… Ellowes!

COMPOSTED

Ira Scrima | Grade 4, Boise

If you were an apple, would you be rotten or fresh? This is a story about both.

Chapter 1

The fresh apple fell off a tree and grew arms and legs, but a rotten apple, which already had arms and legs, was rotten.

Chapter 2

When the rotten apple first fell off the tree, it was all fresh. Now, it’s rotten. Then it went into the compost…

The end (or is it?)

… and in the compost the rotten apple met rotten apple no. 2. They battled and both died.

The end.

TWO TALES

Eleanor Hollopeter | Grade 4, Boise

HAMSTER ON THE LOOSE

There once was a hamster named Candy Corn. She enjoyed being outside of her cage. One day, she got outside when her cage was open, and the door was too! Outside, she explored the area, but she wouldn’t go past the fence because she would get lost. But as she explored, a squirrel

jumped on the ground, and, as a smaller creature, Candy Corn ran away through the fence. Now she kept on running as far as her paws could take her. By now, she was lost. She squeaked for help. But as a hamster, people could not understand her, except her owners. She kept moving the way she came. But as she kept moving toward where she came from, she didn’t see the red fence. She kept walking. Then she saw a cat. She knew that cats ate any rodents. So she had to think fast! Quickly, Candy Corn jumped in the pool in the yard! This made the cat go away, so then Candy Corn got out and searched some more. Then she saw a car pull up. It was huge! Then the car stopped! She was relieved! Then her humans stepped out of it! The humans noticed her and brought her in the house! It turned out she was at her house the whole time!

THE DINOSAUR AND THE ALIEN

One day, a Dino named T-bone was hunting and, just as he jumped, he fell in a space vortex. Little did he know that in the future, an alien named Elias was playing with his portal device that made the portal that T-bone fell in. Just then, T-bone came out of the portal and into Elias’s spacecraft. At first Elias was scared, but after T-bone told him he didn’t eat aliens, he was okay with having a dinosaur in his spacecraft! Soon they became the best of buddies! When they reached Elias’s home planet, they spent hours eating! Then they tried finding the portal to earth …. It took them forever, but they finally got it! After one last bite, they went to his planet. Elias said he had seen nothing like it! He had no idea what stuff was there. After T-bone explained, Elias had to go home. But they always visit!

THE GREAT HURRICANE

Asher Westhoff | Grade 5, Boise

Chapter 1: The Last Shot

Bob looked out of the window, just a little cloudy but mainly blue sky. It was Saturday morning which meant no school for two whole days. He got dressed and went downstairs. The channel 3 morning news was on. Sitting on the coach were Bob’s parents. On the T.V. there was a big headline saying “Seattle to get three inches of rain.” Then Bob’s mom turned off the television and explained, “We need to protect the house with the rain and the possibility of the hurricane.”

Bob raced out of the house so he would not be assigned a task. He strolled towards the basketball court. A few other kids were there. Blake, the captain of the football team; Annie the chess nerd; and Mark, who was in Bob’s class. They decided to play a 2V2 basketball game: Bob and Mark on one team, Blake and Annie on the other. It was an exciting game but it all came down to the last play. Bob and Mark’s team were leading by 2 points. Annie got the ball at half court. She passed it to Blake. He got ready to shoot the three, then lightning struck the outdoor basketball court and rain poured down fiercely….

BALANCE

Dakota Wilson | Grade 6, Boise

As strong animals

As strong as us

They Balance, a world-winning trophy

Bear, rhino, cow, cougar, lion, eel

Gorilla and a donkey

A piece of time that’s as Big as a Boulder Bells, Spoons, eggs, light

Bold Bricks

We can stand anything that we put our minds to.

ROSE GARDEN

Avery Li | Grade 6, Boise

As I walk through the rose garden, I smell the fresh grass and feel the sun above me. As I see the roses in sections, I feel the watery grass under me. I hear the waterfall and bees buzzing.

WHAT CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?

Rex Pinegar | Grade 5, Boise

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Well in this story both. One day the chicken and the egg just appeared. Yes, I know what you’re thinking—how did a chicken and an egg just appear? I don’t know. Oh, and I’m Rex by the way. So as I was saying, the chicken and the egg appeared and they were both really confused and they just sat there. Until the chicken said, “What’s your name?” The egg replied, “My name is Eggy.”

They both realized at the same time that there was nothing, just endless miles of gray. And then something happened: a little green thing popped up from the ground, and another and another. Grass was popping up everywhere until that was all they could see on the ground and then the sky turned blue and clouds started to appear.

In the distance Feather saw something. Something moving! Feather picked up Eggy and ran as fast as he could. He finally reached it. It was HUGE! It had black and white splotches all over it. It said, “Hi I’m Cow, and this is Pig.” And then Feather and Eggy both realized that there was a pink thing standing by Cow.

At that moment Eggy screamed. “AAAAA!” Feather looked at Eggy but didn’t see a problem. “What’s wrong?” said Feather. “I’m cracking.” Then Feather realized Eggy was. She was cracking all over. Eggy burst out of her shell. Then Feather realized, “You look just like me!” Feather said. “I do look just like you!” said Eggy. “Hey, what’s that?” Feather looked and saw it was magnificent. It was made of wood and had leaves for shelter. “Let’s live there!” “Ok,” said Eggy. And they lived happily ever after. I think. The end.

THE CITY OF BOISE

Jordy Aguilar | Grade 5, Boise

Boise is a beautiful city with mountain ranges and a big ski culture. Boise is called the City of Trees. It has parks, schools, the Boise River, and the green belt. Downtown Boise is always growing, new roads and buildings are being built every day. Boise State University is a good college and has a good fan base to its sports teams, and encourages their students to do better. The YMCA has summer camps all over the Valley. There are camps at BSU, downtown Boise, and many more places. The Boise river flows all around Boise. Table Rock is a popular hiking spot for family and friends. Bogus Basin is a popular spot for skiing and mountain biking. The Idaho State Museum has pictures and statues of Idaho history. The Boise Art Museum has art that ranges from pictures to sculptures and all different kinds of art. The Cabin is a place where readers and writers meet to make stories and poems. Boise is a city that welcomes people into the Treasure Valley. Boise is a city that is growing every day.

THE BLUE FOREST

Cora

Stednitz | Grade 5, Boise

Prologue

The Dream

The forest is blue, Their eyes are watching you, The seeker will hunt you down, And bury you in the ground, Don’t escape, unless you drown, Run, run, run

Hide, hide hide

That’s all you’re thinking right Now

Find the Keeper of the Forest Land They’ll tell you what world you’re in, Escape from the Seeker, Finder the Keeper, What world are you in?

Maddison woke up. It was all a dream.

Introduction

The Blue Forest

Maddison has always believed in dreams. But she’s never believed that dreams will come true.

One dream (the Forest Dream) felt so real she woke up in the middle of the night. She told her mother in the morning. Maddison always told her mother, she always had these weird dreams her whole life, and now she’s been to the doctor 5 times and the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. It was like someone was putting a spell on her.

“That sounds like a scary dream, maybe we should go to the doctor again?” Mother asked, worried. “No!” Maddison shouted, putting her hands up in defense.

“Woah, okay Mad; you don’t need to shout. The doctor isn’t that bad,” Mother said, looking surprised.

“It’s just that the doctors’ won’t figure out what’s wrong with me anyway,” Maddison said, looking sad.

Mother frowned. “That doesn’t mean you don’t go to the doctor. And stop saying that,” Mother said, making her ‘stop saying that’ face.

Maddison sighed. “Well, I just feel like I’m a lot weirder than other people. I”ve been having all these weird dreams

my whole entire life, and people always make fun of me,” Maddison said, making her sad face.

“It’s okay, you’ll find friends, I know it. You’ll just have to wait,” Mother smiled.

Maddi didn’t know, but there was something in her mother that told her something. She just didn’t know it….yet.

Chapter 1: The Prophecy

“Okay everyone, get out some textbooks for math. Open up to page 66. We’re going to do multiplication!” Mrs. Hareson shouted (but not too loud), doing a little funny dance. Everybody groaned.

Maddi hated math. Now it had been her first month in 4th grade. She closed her eyes. She suddenly jolted back in her seat. Her dreams didn’t seem to get any better when she got older, in fact they got worse. As soon as she closed her eyes a dream popped up then and there, or it was a vision, who knows!

“What’s wrong with her,” some of the girls muttered under their breath. The boys just stared at her, a death stare.

No wonder she was weird! Maddi had a 1st grader as a best friend, which the 4th graders gossiped about all the time. But she didn’t care if that was literally the only friend she could find. Why not just go with it!

Maddi didn’t know she had dreams. It was just her life, and people kept on making fun of her. Maddi kept on talking to her mother, but her mother just kept on saying, “JUST WAIT,” and who knew what that meant! Was her mother a robot or something? Because that’s what she said every time Maddi talked about dreams! Why did her life have to be so weird!

Maddi went to sleep that night and as soon as she closed her eyes, a dream popped up, but it didn’t seem like an ordinary dream. It was a vision instead…..

The forest is blue, Their eyes are watching you, The seeker will hunt you down, And bury you in the ground, Don’t escape, unless you drown, Run, run, run Hide, hide hide

That’s all you’re thinking right Now

Find the Keeper of the Forest Land They’ll tell you what world you’re in, Escape from the Seeker, Finder the Keeper, What world are you in?

What the heck? Maddi thought. She held her head, that was not an ordinary dream, in fact it didn’t seem like a dream at all. It seemed like a vision or a prophecy. That’s it! A prophecy! Maddi finally figured it out.

“Mom, I had the wildest dream last night!” Maddi yelled. She didn’t want to tell her mother that she had a vision about a prophecy, that would be obnoxious, and plus Mother wouldn’t care anyway. Maddi began telling her, when she finished her mother smiled.

“You seem happier today,” Mother pointed out.

“Wait, let me get some more information on this dream,” Maddi said while closing her eyes.

All of a sudden there was a glimpse of the Seeker and the Keeper. The Seeker wore a black hood, and was all black, except it’s teeth, eyes, and fingers, which were blood red.

The Keeper held a walking stick in her hands. Blonde, wavy hair, wearing a blue crown and wearing a blue skirt and t-shirt. Wait a second, why did that woman look so much like Maddi’s mother?

THE SUMMER

Audrey Reynolds | Grade 5, Boise

Chapter 1

This is the story of the summer I fell in love. My name is Charlote and this is my journal, McCall edition. Let’s start from the beginning.

Once upon a time in a land far far away…Nope, that doesn’t feel right. Okay, restart.

So there I was at the start of seven-week sleepaway camp. At first I thought that the boy’s and girl’s camps were separated but no, we had, or have, a boy in my cabin. And his name is Tim. He is so cute. Silk blonde hair and the body of a full grown, handsome man! And now the entrance of Maddie, my best friend! “Hi Charlote,” she says. “He’s so cute,” I whisper on accident. “Oh no, did I say that out loud!” I say. “Yep,” Maddie says. “Okay got to go! More stuff!” I say. “Charlote wait!” Maddie says, running after me. “Who is so cute?” she says. “Wait, do you mean Tim? Oooo.” “Stop it, I hate when you act like this, “I say.

But since we’re in the middle of McCall I had a lot of places I could go to be alone. So I decided to go to the pond. As I dip my feet in the cold rushing water I hear Tim chasing after his football. I had to go talk to him. I just had to! “Hey Tim,” I say in a shaking voice. “Hey Charlote, can you give me a second with my boys” Tim says. “Sure,” I say.

I can’t hear exactly what they’re saying but I can tell that one of them might like me back. I just hope it’s Tim. So Tim says “Do you want to have dinner together?”

Chapter 2

“Dinner was soooo sweet,” I say. “Can we stop talking about this? It’s kind of annoying,” Maddie says. “Fine,” I say.

After that, the usual camp stuff….making s’mores, singing songs, and then bed. The next couple of days were pretty much the same, until….we did archery. This archery we worked in pairs. The boys picked a girl. I was crossing my fingers that Tim would pick me. But when it was Tim’s turn… “I choose…Madde!”

I can’t believe it! I just can’t! She has been acting so mean ever since we started this camp. I am never hanging out with her again!!!!!!

That night I had gone to the activities director and asked if I could switch cabins. He let me do it and now I’m closer to the pond which means more mosquitoes….. “Itch, Itch!” “Oh, I didn’t know we had a new girl,” Cat said. “Yeah, I didn’t want to stay in my cabin because my best friend ditched me blah blah blah,” I say. “Okay, well nice to meet you. My name is Cat. I love to swim, my goal is to get to the Olympics, my favorite animal is cats, and I love to write. I started a journal about everything that’s happened at camp,” Cat says. “OMG me too!” I say. “Okay do you want me to tell you the worst part,” Cat asks. “Sure,” I say. “My ex boyfriend is Tim.”

To be continued...

Chapter 3: I can’t believe you

As I was learning about Cat, Maddie was having the time of her life. Or was she? “Tim, why did you make me look so bad in front of Charlote? I don’t like you,” Maddie says. “Well too bad because I’m the cutest guy here and you’re the cutest girl and we cannot be separated,” Time says, twirling Maddie around. “Tim stop, I’m going to find Charlote.”

I had gone to my original cabin to get some of my stuff when Maddie came looking for me. She ran into her cabin to find me. “There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Maddie says. “Why aren’t you with your perfect

boyfriend?” I say. “I can’t believe you. Archery was supposed to be my bonding time, not yours!” I yell. “I didn’t do it! Tim is mean. He was trying to set me up. He likes me, I don’t. I’m switching cabins,” Maddie yells in a rush. “Oh, okay, I’m sorry. I just switched cabins too. You should come to my new one!” I say.

Meanwhile, at the soccer field…

“We have those two right where we want them. Our plan is brilliant,” Tim says to his friends.

…back at the Cabin…

I have a feeling Tim is not just a cute boy. I think he is evil…

Chapter 4: Planning

“Do you remember when I told you that I think that Tim is evil?” I ask Maddie. “Well I was eavesdropping on him last night and he is evil! He’s planning to kidnap us tomorrow night. He’s gonna make us hate each other and then you will like him!” I say.

“What!” Maddie says. “We have to fight back!”

“Totally! So first of all,” I say, “we have to stay awake all night tonight so we can make sure he doesn’t take us.”

That night: zzzzzz, zzzzz

Yeah, so we kind of fell asleep. So let’s see what happens.

“Come on, hurry in boys, hurry in,” Tim says to his boys.

“Grab them!”

“We can’t, they’re on top bunks,” say the boys.

“I don’t care!” Tim whisper-yells.

“Okay we will get them!” the boys say.

I have to say, being carried away by Tim’s boys was kind of peaceful…..chuck, ching, chukkk

“All right, they’re hypnotized, wake ‘em up,” Tim yells. We woke up, but the hypnotizing did not work on me because I’m a heavy sleeper. It did work on Maddie.

“Charlote I think that I told you we don’t want to be

friends,” Maddie says.

“This is not the real you, do you remember archery, switching cabins? I know you can come back. Just remember,” I say to Maddie. “You’ve got to remember.”

To be continued...

AQUAMARINE

Betty Russell | Grade 5, Boise

Prologue

Once upon a time, in the mysterious undersea land of Pacifica, there was a Declaration of War. All the mysterious creatures of the ocean were all trying to claim the most powerful object of all the seven seas, the Trident of Hope. Created out of pure gold and the DNA of the greatest minds of the undersea.

This war lasted about 17 years when Queen Nahara of the Seahua (pronounced Sea-wa) came up with a proposition to make peace. “Why don’t we all create our own magical stone and break it into pieces to share?”

They all agreed to this idea, and the old wise men hid the Trident deep beneath the bottom of the sea, where no one dared to go. Only the chosen ones will be able to wield the power of the stones. But no one has been able to. YET.

Prologue

Ten years later, back on the surface, Julia Cruz was running from assassins threatening to kill her. She was only 27 years old, so she was too young to do—“Whoa!” She suddenly tripped by the edge of a cliff and into the sea. She

never learned how to swim in her life! She began to drown. The assassins eventually left. Her eyes were closing. Was this the end?

Suddenly, an unusually fast figure snatched her from under water. The fast suspense of darting underwater kept her alive. Her life was saved! Wait, what? She just realized he was taking her deeper under the water! Augh! She could barely breathe!

Suddenly, they stopped. The mysterious man gave her a breathing device. “Oh! Thank you!” she said as she took a loud, gasping breath.

The man said, “You’re welcome, human. I am King Shayou (Shy-yow) of the Pacificans. Welcome to the city of Pacifica.”

After Julia paused for a moment to catch her breath, she realized how beautiful the city was! Humpback whales and absurdly large schools of fish swam above their heads as commonly as birds! Very tall towers made of sandstone, marble, and seashells towered high above their heads. Farms of seaweed were being trimmed and the seafood smells from the factories spread across the town square, where citizens lived and played.

“Could I possibly stay for a while?” she said, desperately.

“Perhaps, although Pacifican laws usually prevent human visitors, you may stay.”

As they got to know each other better, they eventually fell in love. They did a ritual to make her an honorary Pacifican, allowing her to breathe underwater.

Eventually, they wed and had a child, Jennifer Cruz, or Jenn. When Jenn was about one and a half years old, Julia went to the surface so she could see her family and old friends.

Julia never came back.

Nine years later…

Chapter 1: Birthday Girl

Zzt! Zzt! Zzzt! Zzt! Zz-

Uh! Why is my alarm clock so early? It’s Saturday…Oh, right! It’s my birthday! And not just any regular birthday! My 10th birthday! Which means…..drumroll pleeeasse…I AM GRANTED TO SEE IF I CAN ACCESS THE AQUAMARINE STONE!!

I zoom out of our dome royal castle, then I was. What was that? I swear I just heard a voice…

Find meeeee…..

There it was again! It came from…whatever, get to the castle! You’re almost out of time! My name is Jennifer Cruz, but everyone calls me Jenn. Everybody says I’m overenthusiastic and a little rapscallion, so I’m just kind of an outsider.

I’m feeling kind of nervous as I walk up the steps. Maybe I’m too much of a rapscallion to be worthy, and the only thing people know me as is that my dad is the king of Pacifica. So that technically makes me a princess, but it’s not as good as you think. TRUST ME.

I approach my dad’s throne as I think about my mom. She got assassinated by Landwalkers. Dad never talks about it. That’s why he never lets me go to the surface. I’ve always wanted to, what are the Landwalkers even like? Not all of them are evil.

My dad gives me this lecture about responsibility and power and blah, blah, blahhh…Nobody cares! Just give me the stone!

After he finally finishes his boring lecture, he finally gives me the stone.

That’s not even the real meeee…

Huh?

That’s not the real meeee….

Uh….

That’s not meeeee!

Krak! (Gasps)

The pieces of the styrofoam stone drifted to the ground…. Wait. Styrofoam?

Angry and embarrassed, I quickly swim out of the castle as dad tries to lighten the mood. Find meeeee.

“Urgh. Where are you?”

The caveeee….

I spotted a cave by the reef grades and squeezed into the tight space.

The chest….

Stuffed into the corner, there was a pretty blue and white chest made of seashells. I clicked it open.

I am heeere….

There! The aquamarine stone. My hand reached for it as if it had a mind of its own.

“Jenn! Don’t touch that!”

Huh? It was my dad! He couldn’t fit through that space...

“Jenn! No!

I grabbed the stone. Nothing happened. Sheeen!!!! You have found me. I have found you.

“Jenn! Stop!!!

Finally, together we will help “No!” Save.

“NO!”

You are worthy. Together, we ARE…

“Jenn, don’t you DARE!...”

AQUAMARINE

-Plip-

I AM

Viviane Petersen | Grade 6, Twin Falls

I am from three-wheeled scooters and using makeup as face paint, from goofy stuffy trains to Wild Kratts and YouTube.

I am from arguing and cats, vanilla perfume and constant cleaning.

I am from my grandma’s house with endless fun to be had. Chicken nugget dinners to Cream Puff, Vin, & Lue.

Acknowledgements

Summer Writing Camps at The Cabin touch the lives of hundreds of student writers and adults each summer due to the talent of our teaching-writers, the generosity of funders, and the gifts of time and support from volunteers, interns, board members, and community partners.

Thank you to teaching-writers Colleen Brennan, Sonya Feibert, Chris Mathers Jackson, Aurora Mehlman, Hannah Phillips, Hannah Rodabaugh, Daisy Rosenstock, Daniel Stewart, Cassie Kiyoko Woodard, Caleb Merritt, Ayotola Tehingbola, and Tracy Sunderland.

Many thanks to our 2024 interns, camper-support assistants, teaching-assistants, and Cabin staff: Amanda Cupp, Abby Ames, Trey Hayden, Kara Killinger, Jesse Cole, Brooke Warmuth, Eppah McFarlane, Leigha Rossi, Claire Cunningham, Mackenzie Cavender, Emma Cantin, Elanor Spring, Ada Hunt, Bellamy Lowman, Paige Porter, Dylan Bowes, Bee Cerrato, Catherine Waddell, Magdalena Wilper, Anna Leem, Joey Klaas, Adie Bartron, Hillary Bilinski, Hillary Colton, Chris DeVore, Gen Emerson, Jordyn Marcroft, Desmond Fuller, Joel Wayne, and Kurt Zwolfer.

A special thanks to Zoo Boise, World Center for Birds of Prey, Boise Art Museum, Boise Contemporary Theater, and Flying M Coffeehouse.

Writing Camps and publication of Camp Fire are made possible by generous support from The Idaho Commission on the Arts, The Whittenberger Foundation, Idaho Community Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts,

Academy of American Poets, Amazon Literary Partnership, Zoo Boise, World Center for Birds of Prey, and Flying M Coffeehouse.

Teaching-Writer Biographies

Sonya Feibert (she/her) is a writer, comedian, and improvisor who’s tried out too many jokes on her dog (Chloe is unimpressed). She’s completed humor and sketch writing courses through NYU, Second City, Hoopla, St. Nell’s, Thurber House, and more. Her writing appears in the Writers in the Attic anthology: Rupture, Dovetail Literary Magazine, The Belladonna Comedy, Slackjaw Humor, and more. In 2021, she was awarded an Alexa Rose Grant, and in 2022 received a grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts. Learn more at yesandsome.com.

Chris Mathers Jackson is a freelance writer and editor, an aspiring novelist, a teacher, a mom, an artist, and a lover of the natural world. Chris received her MA in English Literature from University of Montana in 2005. She taught English Composition at UM for three years before leaving to work with younger learners. She worked in the administration of Missoula International School for a number of years before becoming a full-time freelance writer, editor, and graphic designer. After several years, she stopped doing design work professionally to focus on her growing family and her passion for the written word. In 2019 she established a book review website (LitReaderNotes.com). She writes creative nonfiction and fiction, usually with a focus on environmental writing, and has been working on a novel since 2020. In addition to teaching, writing, and editing, Chris enjoys spending as much time outside as possible, adventuring both near and far, with her husband and two daughters.

Aurora Mehlman is an emerging fiction writer who works with The Cabin, College of Western Idaho, and Boise State University teaching classes in Creative Writing, English, and Digital Arts. She is also active in her local community. Mehlman is on staff at Treefort’s Storyfort, where she organizes and facilitates great programming from both local acts and visiting authors, and she is the co-director of the Bishop’s House Writing Collective. Recently, she has been published in The Masters Review, 45th Parallel and Boise Weekly, and she shared her stories at the Idaho Botanical Garden, Scaryfort, and Story Story Night’s Grand Slam. Mehlman is currently at work on a novel.

Hannah Lucille Phillips is a fiction writer from the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania. She has BAs in creative writing and English education and an MFA in Creative Writing from Boise State University. She is currently working on a novel, and her debut TV pilot OUT, produced through BSU’s NTVI (Narrative Television Initiative) premiered in 2024.

Hannah Rodabaugh is the author of the collection Lost Cathedral (forthcoming, Cornerstone Press) and three chapbooks of poetry. Her writing is featured or forthcoming in The Indianapolis Review, Camas Magazine, Glassworks Magazine, Blueline Magazine, Wild Roof Journal, EcoTheo Review, Berkeley Poetry Review, and others. She is the recipient of a Literature Fellowship from the Idaho Commission on the Arts and has twice been an artist-in-residence for the National Park Service. In her free time, she volunteers for the Golden Eagle Audubon Society and grows rare desert plants from around the world.

Daisy Clar Rosenstock is a recent graduate of Boise State’s Creative Writing MFA program. When not writing strange and dreamy poetry, she can be found sitting in direct sunlight in her favorite adirondack chair with a good book.

Daniel Stewart, a poet, is the author of the collection The Imaginary World, and a teaching-writer for The Cabin’s Writers in the Schools. A Pushcart Prize nominee, he won the Erskine J. Poetry Prize from Smartish Pace, and has published in BOAAT, Graviton Lit, NightBlock, Prairie Schooner, Puerto Del Sol, RATTLE, Sixfold, Skidrow Penthouse, Thrush Poetry Journal, Yes Poetry, and elsewhere.

Tracy Sunderland loves storytelling and the particular demands of writing plays and screenplays. Her short films have won multiple festival awards and her first feature film script Tailor played in festivals all over the world and won the 2021 Best Screenplay award at Festival 36 Mostra de Valencia in Spain. Tracy holds an MA in filmmaking from London Film School and received the 2015 Fellowship in Filmmaking from the Idaho Commission on the Arts. She also teaches at Boise State University and received the Adjunct Faculty of the Year Award in 2015.

Cassie Kiyoko Woodard is a fiction writer from San Jose, California. Her writing was recently selected for the Glenn Blach Award. In her free time, she’s taken to translating poetry from Japanese which she recently presented at the American Literary Translators Association Conference.

Index A

Aguilar, Jordy 202

Alexander, Lexi 84

Allen, Elizabeth 189

Anderson, Kellan 73

Anderson, Rowan 68

Ashmore, Emilie 142

B

Baldwin, Charlotte 183

Barth, Mia 31

Basham, Eli 72

Bauer, Luke 181

Bauman, Bhodi 171

Bauman, Vera Grace 170

Beech, Bay 50

Benton, Annika 86

Benton, Kylie 129

Bittner, Bella 34

Blier, Elizabeth 11, 62

Boddie, Serena 64

Bolkcom, Wyatt 68

Bradshaw, Adam 53

Butterfield, Oliver 173

Butterfield, Owen 166

C

Caloca, Melina 13

Cantlon, Allison 70

Carroll, Avery 80, 111

Cho, Robyn 26

Christensen, Thomas 106

Chumbley, Clementine Genetski 40

Clark, Betty 99, 149

Concidine, Finn 98

Copple, Mili 180

Costello, Jameson 162

Crawforth, Beverly 188

Cullen-Cannon, Rowan 130

Curtis, Caiden 99

Curtis-Schaeffer, Trillian 67

DDanley, Alyson 171

Davidson-Slichter, Leora 74

DeJesus, Evan 122

Diggs, Maia 41

Drake, Taylor 161

EEhrmann, Ruby 146

Elliott, Kate 83

Evans, Abby 16

FFletcher, Aden 80

Flitton, Mark 139

Fountain, Maddy 27, 169

Freddoso, Saioa 178

Friedewald, Edith 196

Fulkerson, Theron 55

G

Galitsyna, Liza 87

George, Josie 128

Gibeault, Aline 150

Goodhew, Addison 171

Gorham, Milia 167

Gunder, Willa 142, 144

H

Hatch, Jaise Ann 82

Hayes, Alexander 20

Heiple, Adena 52

Herzfeld, Addie 55

Hitesman, Atticus 58

Hodges, Clara 88

Hodges, Shiloh 89

Hoglund-Peariso, Sophia 56

Hollopeter, Eleanor 197

Holly, Hendrix 193

Hurwit, Winnie 16

J

Jackson, Alice 59

Jackson, Naomi 48

Jakious, Hadley 33

Jensen, Andy 177

Jung, Zeno 132

K

Kauffman, Bridger Belt 35

Kim, Daniel 173

Kim, Joonyoung 71

Kite, Luca 60

Kite, Matteo 54

Kittrell, Calli 114

Kittrell, Quinn 103

Kreiter, Phoenix 57

L

LaBarbera, Sofia 168

Lazzaro, Stella 140

Leary, Ava 156

Lee, Jehui 127, 163

Liao, Erwin 24

Li, Avery 200

Li, Lucas 187

Long, Skye 156

Lyndes, Bryce 101

M

Maffuccio, Joe 90

Mann, Rosie 11

Marshall, Gigi 29

Masse, Camille 166

McAndrews, Hank 186

Mitchell, Alex 75

Mitchell, Caleb 148

Mitchell, Charlotte 77

Mitko, Charley 116

Moir-O’Neill, Henry 191

Murphy, Maisie 91

N

Necochea, Cecilia 184

Necochea, Eva 153, 182

Nelson, Odin 166

Nelson, Tor 172

Neumayer, Sarah 97

Niu, Iris 109

O

O’Brien, Darby 118

Oh, Asher 148

Olow, Natalia 84

O’Malley, Finola 19

Orthmeyer, Nora 12

Owens, Joleen 49

P

Pan, Albert 69

Pantera, Harper 72

Pantera, Tony 76

Pelletier, Presley 136

Petersen, Viviane 213

Pinegar, Rex 201

Prier, Isabel 124

Prince, Esther 162

Ptaszek, Elizabeth 15

R

Ragsdale, Ashlyn 22

Ragsdale, Ayla 36

Reynolds, Audrey 206

Rice, Annelise 74

Richards, Ryan 78

Robison, Elma 81

Roman, Isla 146

Russell, Betty 209

S

Sandow, Olivia 175

Sapra, Meher 158

Sarpatwari, Arvin 22, 73

Schneider, Ben 63

Schuldenfrei, Gabby 96

Schwartsman, Nik 155

Scrima, Ira 197

Scrivner, Ray 110

Shah, Aadi 146

Skillern, Isabelle 126

Smith, Lyndon 47

Solberg, Carly 138

Sremack, Ella 108

Srinath, Arjun 165

Stacy, Jordyn 92

Stednitz, Cora 202

Strix, Eva 143

Strop, Sylvia 107

Sutharsan, Vidhu 65

T

Tarantino, Cecilia 143

Thompson, Haidyn 98

Thornton, Elle 164

Thurmond, Maia 85

Timpane, Maeve 142, 144

Todd, Mae 174

Tolman, Teddy 25

Treinen, Charlotte 159

Triassi, Chloe 160 U

Ulrich, Katelyn 100

V

Villa, Rose 86

Vosburgh, William 20 W

Wald, Eve 42, 147

Wallace, Max 102

Wamsley, Colson 70

Waxberg, Max 92

Weekley, Samuel 71

Weekley, Walter 160

Wen, Jonas 95

Werre, Jack 131

Westhoff, Annabelle 192

Westhoff, Asher 199

Wilks, Sailor 87

Williams, Jimmy 147

Williams, Laina 44

Wilson, Dakota 200

Wingert, Emmalina 174

Wingert, Izzy 165

Womack, Powell 107

Wong, Téah 174

Wood, Jacobi 54

Woods, Em 12

Wyatt, Max 94

Wyer, Josephine 14

Yang, Oakley 168

Zouros, Nicolas 64

Summer 2024

Writing Camps

Camp Fire

The Cabin is a Boise, Idaho literary arts organization. We forge community through the voices of all readers, writers, and learners. Writing Camps nurture the imagination and awaken the senses through creative adventures in the art of writing.

SEA Tor Nelson | Grade 6, Boise

Salty waves crash over and over like a never-ending battle.

The fish beneath them like a silvery storm. Whales, the kind beasts of the water, sing soothing melodies.

Vast and never-ending the sea waits for Nothing.