Ms. Rachel’s Cheesy Writers

Never have I met so many young people so in love with writing. Each day, one of these third- and fourth-graders had a new idea about lost children running into a ton of money, Mexican pit bulls, curses, unlikely friends, vegetables, and more. These Magellan School campers’  enthusiasm for writing and sharing new chapters, plot points, or acrostic poems energized everyone in the room.

Over the week, we explored all kinds of genres and styles. The campers developed character sketches about sushi, a potato, and a man who lives on Mars — to name a few! They wrote stories about characters fighting to attain their desires, make friends, and find new families. We read poems by William Carlos Williams, Pablo Neruda, and contemporary poets. Students practiced making observations for their own poems, and they wrote love letters and apologies to people and things that could use them (chairs, Spanish posters, soccer teams with poor defenders, evil fish in a fish tank).

Parents, thank you for enrolling your children in Badgerdog’s Creative Writing Camp this summer. I think we can all learn a lot from encouraging our young people to explore their empathy and imaginations. These students left camp full of dreams of re-writing the world and getting published as soon as possible. Watch out for these kids. They’re game changers.

Rachel Gray
Badgerdog Teaching Artist

 

Spanish Signs

I’m sorry Spanish signs for only
Some people can understand you
I’m sorry Spanish signs
For people have to learn you
You deserve to be understood
But only some people can

Stephanie Gearing

 

My Voice

I hate my voice. Ugh.
My voice is annoying. Ugh.
I hate my voice. Ugh.
Listen to my scream. Ugh.

Kavya Gupta

 

The Snacks (Spicy Banana Chips)

My father gave me a snack.
It was yummy to my tum.
My nose can smell the smell.
It was spicy like hot peppers.
My stomach gets a burn from the
spices like a sunburn. Yum!
But I still love Spicy Banana Chips.

Eesha Vishnu

 

The Curse of the Ghost

– an excerpt

It was a stormy night. Everybody knew about the ghost in the bathroom, but nobody had seen the ghost. It was in one stall in the corner of the boys’ bathroom. Nobody was brave enough to open that stall because it had the curse. The curse of the ghost.

One day, a boy named Nick told his friends that he was going to go into that stall. He opened the stall. It was old and filled with spider webs and other haunted stuff. It looked like it was one thousand years old. Then he saw a chair and an A/C vent. He was scared, but he had to do it.

Then he heard a sound! It was the ghost.

The ghost said, “If you take one more step, you get the curse.”

The boy took one step, then stepped out of the stall.

Avaneesh Nadarajan

 

From Tears to Smiles

– an excerpt

I have a disease called Epiderma. It affects my legs and makes me limp. Every time I go out on the streets, people look at me like I’m a crazy duck. I’m from Korea, and it adds more suspense to my problems because when I say that my limping doesn’t worry me, I guess my accent causes strangers to make a face. The only person I trust is my brother. He gives me comfort when he speaks and tells me to stand tall like a soldier.

One day at school, the principal got on the loudspeaker and congratulated the kids who participated in the scholastic chess tournament the week before. I felt a little jealous. I’ve always wanted to do something people would admire me for. After school, I asked the principal if I could join the girls’ team. He said yes, and I was so gleeful.

But then he added, “Although you have to ask the girls.”

My jaw dropped and pulled down my eye sockets. It was so dramatic. I thought the principal was joking.

I blurted, “What? Why ask the girls? Aren’t you the boss of the school? If you say yes, then it’s yes. It’s all from you!”

Then, the principal raised his voice. “Genja, you don’t understand—”

“Oh, yes, I do,” I quickly replied.

“No,” the principal said. “I didn’t start this chess club. The parents started it. The only thing I did was approve it.”

My face turned red, and I stormed out of the room. I didn’t dare go ask the girls. They, of course, would laugh at me and say I was a coward. The only thing left for me to do was to practice myself.

Kalia Wang

 

The Mexican Pit Bull

Once upon a time, a long time ago in Mexico, a ferocious pit bull that everyone feared was looking for a game at the village.

One of the hunters saw him and shouted, “It’s the Mexican pit bull!” And he came outside with his spear.

But then the pit bull bared his teeth, and the hunter, scared out of his wits, ran into his hut.

The pit bull just smiled darkly and continued walking. He was happy but felt a stab of sadness. Even though he was at the top of the food chain, all he wanted was a friend.

He started walking home. He stopped in his tracks and saw a big old tree. It was shimmering with its frog-green leaves. Scared but anxious, he went inside the tree through a big hollow hole.

Inside, he saw sticks, and to him it looked like parkour. Pit bulls can’t do parkour, but he tried and he did it!

Up in the tree was a clean, young squirrel being chased by a fat bulldog. The pit bull bared his teeth and the chubby bulldog ran away.

The squirrel thanked him, and they became friends.

The bulldog whimpered and asked to be friends. The pit bull said yes, and soon they had lots of friends.

Arnav Maskey

 

The Evil Year

She woke up in the middle of the night. Her dad told her to go back to sleep, but she went downstairs and it was Easter. Then she came back upstairs and it was Halloween. She noticed that she was lost in the year.

(She was cursed, but in a good way.)

She went to her friends’ house. Her friends were in their garage, and it was Christmas. Then there was a shoosh and she heard, “You have a curse.” Then she was gone.

The girl didn’t know that her friends were evil, and she did not know which curse she was in, but then she noticed that her friends were evil. She tried to use the curse and make them uneasy, and they were nice. They changed and killed the father.

Parisha Acharya

 

Once Upon a Curse

– an excerpt

Once upon a time, in a tiny town in France, there lived a girl named Cat. She was very poor. She lived in the woods with her mother. Now, her mother did not know that her child was put under a curse. But one day, her mother was told that her child had a curse: if Cat went to go ask for money and tried to kill the king, she would die the most painful death of all. So her mother told Cat very nice things.

So, Cat went for money in the town. The king said, “No, no.” Cat tried to kill him, and the king said, “You foolish child. You had a curse on you when you were born.” So, he locked her up. She sat there for the rest of her life, and she died the most painful death.

But years later, there was a girl named Kitty, and that Kitty was haunted. Kitty had a best friend. Her name was C, just C, so she was teased. Even sometimes Kitty teased her. So C did not want to be friends with Kitty.

So Kitty had an enemy. C was just like her long-lost dead mother, Cat, who had a child, C. C did not know her mother, but C was evil.

That night Kitty was pulled to the underworld. There, Cat, the evil one, lay. Her bones were there, but her spirit wasn’t. Kitty was locked in a tower that was haunted. C was power hungry, so she brought Kitty back and got an axe and cut down Kitty’s back and a demon came out. That demon was Kitty.

C was very proud of herself, but the town was very scared. So they built a wall, and if you touch it, you will be sorry.

Zoey Latson

 

Lucky Day

Rose was a poor child from a poor family. She was ten, and she didn’t have enough money to go to school. She wasn’t smart because she didn’t go to school. She was homeschooled. Her mom, Abu, was teaching her. Abu didn’t go to school either, so she was teaching Rose the wrong things.

One day, Rose had a delivery sent to her door. She saw that it was just in an envelope. Rose opened the envelope and saw fifty dollars. She called, “Mom, Mom, we have fifty more dollars!” Rose and Abu quickly walked to the store. They went to the lottery station, and Rose bought the fifty-dollar lottery ticket. When they got home, they turned on their cheap TV and watched the lottery channel. The reporter said, “Today’s code is 1562354789.”

Rose said, “We have 9,999,999,999 more dollars!”

Rose asked Abu if she could go to school, and Abu said yes.

Rose went to school and became the most knowledgeable student in her fifth-grade class. Everyone loved her. She became famous for her knowledge when she was twenty-two. Abu was so happy for her.

Leah Bao

 

Ninja Wolves

Once there were two wolves. Their dad told them to be ninjas. Five years later, their dad told them to wake up at five o’clock.

They asked why.

He said, “You will see when you wake up.”

The next day, they were training… to be ninjas! It was fun. The rest of their lives. Kapow! Dun dun dun!!

Arhann Jafri

 

The Living Cupcake

Once, there was a girl. She ate a cupcake, and the rest of the cupcakes came alive because the girl kept eating the army. There was only the King of Cupcakes left, and then he would fight the girl. The cupcake won because it tasted bad.

Ruby Chalupka

 

Fat/Skinny School

John was fat. In the fat/skinny school, all the fat kids were treated unfairly. John was also treated unfairly, but the fat kids were smart. The skinny kids were dumb. So, John and his fat friends were hatching a plan.

John thought about eating all the food there. John was very mean, so he was always trying to kill the teachers. John also liked to eat. That’s why he was fat.

John’s friends said they wanted to execute the teachers. They needed to borrow things for that, so they needed to be nice. John and his friends didn’t like being nice. None of the fat kids liked being nice. So they practiced over and over again.

Finally, they borrowed a chainsaw from Potato.

The chainsaw wasn’t able to cut through the teachers because they were too fat.

This time, they tried to be nice to the teachers. They tried this and found that the teachers still didn’t like them.

The fat friends had to be smart. They made these costumes and tricked the skinny kids into wearing fat kid costumes. The teachers were confused and took the skinniest kids, which were John and his friends, and showed them the biggest chainsaw ever that could kill all the fat kids.

John and his fat friends took the chainsaw and killed the fat teachers. Then they realized they liked being nice. They still thought that the teachers deserved to be killed because they were so mean. There were no teachers left, so the skinny kids and the fat kids partied!

Anirudh Rao

 

The Write Stars

The second-, third-, and fourth-graders at the Magellan School this summer are dreamers and thinkers. They wish for dogs, cats, and even colorful frogs! They dream of cats in a Candy Cane Hotel. They pretend that they are dogs who go crazy when the doorbell rings. Have you ever imagined that you were sucked into a mirror? Have you ever dreamt that you were a fire alarm or a great white shark? Well, they have. Have you ever tried to console a pig with no tail or stop an angry cow from saying moo? Well, they’ve done that, too! We all know someone who refuses to clean their room, but have you ever seen the piles stretch across the United States? Although we had our share of laughter, these students also wrote serious pieces about war and losing beloved pets. In one short week, these thoughtful children explored their imaginations and shared heartfelt stories.

I am so proud of the time and attention they’ve given to their craft. I see a bright future when I observe these students playing piano in the mornings, revising pieces with their peers, or reading books until their hearts are content. It is a future filled with dreams, wishes, and the words it takes to explain them all.

Jena Kirkpatrick
Badgerdog Teaching Artist

 

The Cat Problem

One day I told my mom I wanted a cat.
My mom said, “I will think about it and I will tell you
after we go to San Francisco.”
So, we went to San Francisco and saw my cousins,
Jonah and Kegen.
Then, we went on a road trip to Disneyland
and stayed at the Candy Cane Hotel.
Then we went back home.
Then I asked if I could get a cat and she said
she would think about it.

Eileen Do

 

I’m a Dog

I am a dog.
I like to be petted, and I am white and brown.
I go to the park and play fetch.
I’m well-trained.
I see people, wet grass, and other dogs.
I chase the tennis ball.
I could dream about my owners petting me all day.
I am scared of coyotes.
I don’t like it when my owners leave me,
but I like it when they come home and pet me.
If someone rings the doorbell, I go crazy.

Sajan Gupta

 

Dream Puppy

My name is Anjali, and I want a puppy like this:
It will have fur, but I won’t be allergic to it.
The puppy will be small and adorable.
It will live forever, and I will name it Kenzie.
Kenzie will be my girl best friend.
She will be as soft as a blanket.
Kenzie will be playful and won’t like cats or kittens.
When dry, she will smell like lavender.
When wet, she will smell like chocolate.
Kenzie will eat and drink everything, even chocolate, and won’t die.
She will bark as cute as a puppy can.
When she comes running into my arms, it will sound like little raindrops.

Anjali Mahajan

 

Through My Mirror

Last night, I went through my mirror.
It was quite a sight to see my hand go through the mirror.
It was a delight when it was morning.
I screamed, wiggled, and shouted.
It seems I could not get out.

Sydney Nelson

 

Fire Alarm

I am a small, red fire alarm.
I live in schools, classrooms, homes, and buildings.
I smell smoke.
When there is a fire, I make a really loud ring, ring sound that kids hate.
I say, “Fire! Fire!” on the outside.
I am as big as an ant, but as small as a book.
Through the day, I sense fire to keep people safe.
I smell smoke and I hear people.
I feel safe and I see rooms.
I feel the wall.
I taste fire and smoke.
I am afraid I might drop and shatter.
I dream of saving people’s lives.
I like seeing kids learning.
I hate smoke detectors.
I do not like it when kids cry or take me off the wall.
I have had a great life.

Sophia Nikazm

 

I Wish I Was Anything

I wish I was a bird that was blue
and I could fly so high.
I wish I was a dog that was a boxer
so my owner would follow
my command.
I wish I was a great white shark that
could eat lots
of prey.
I wish I was a queen,
so everyone could
follow my command.
I wish I was
everything.

Prajna Parajuli

 

An Army

An army shields yellow like the sunrise
Armor shining like the stars
Feet stomp the ground like drums
Swords gleam like diamonds
An army in the Persian Gulf of Alexander
Against the army of Persians

Nathaniel Rostvold

 

Calysta Would Not Clean Her Room

-after Shel Silverstein’s “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out”

My sister Calysta would not clean her room. She played games, did puzzles, danced, sang, and did everything but clean her room. So trash, dirty clothes, and toys filled her room. You couldn’t even sleep or open the windows, and you couldn’t even walk in the door!

Nobody even talked to her or played with her, but they did say, “Clean your room!”

But she did not listen. The pile got even bigger. The pile filled the whole United States. Nobody could move or anything.

Then she realized that it was bad not to clean her room, so she cleaned her room. Now she always cleans her room every five days.

Miralei Storer

 

The Frogs in the Rainforest

Once upon a time, there lived a rough frog. He was red and green. One day, he met a red and blue frog, and she was soft. They both liked each other.

One day, the red and green frog named Phillip took the red and blue frog named Sophie to the beach.

Sophie met her father there. She never knew she had a father.

Sophie asked, “Who are you?”

He said, “Sophie, I am your father.”

Then, Sophie and her father went to go to a party.

Phillip was all alone. He said, “Sophie, congratulations on finding your father.”

Sophie said, “Come with us to the party.”

Phillip said okay. And they all lived happily ever after.

Simone Strong

 

Begging My Dad for a Dog

I am eight years old. I begged my dad to get me a dog, but he said no.

I’ve been begging for a dog since I was at least five years old. When I was seven, I got a trial. If I could take care of a puppy, then I could keep it. But I failed.

Then, my dad promised me I could get a dog when I turned eighteen. I complained to my dad that this was too long to wait, that I wanted a puppy now.

Right now, I still beg my parents to get me a puppy. I did research on a dog that I want. It is called a dachshund. It’s a long dog, and it can be flexible. I still think that I can get another type of dog besides a dachshund if I beg my dad hard enough, but I try not to push it. I still really want a puppy.

Amanda Tang

 

The Bad Day

I was angry, as mad as a bull,
and also sad as the color blue
because they dared me
to stop a mad cow saying moo.

I was as blue as a water bottle,
I was red as an angry face
and then I just saw the mad cow gaze.

I was disappointed as a cat,
I felt heartless as a person would be.
I am angry now,
that you can see!

Elise Josephine Tjiptadjaja

 

Norman

One Sunday after church, when we got home, I started to clean up the living room. My dad went outside to feed Norman, our guinea pig.

But when he went outside, guess what he saw? He saw that Norman was dead!

After that, he came in to tell us. My mom and I started crying. That night, my dad was so sad that he did not even eat dinner.

Also, when he found Norman, my sister, Iman, was asleep. The next day, Iman asked, “Where is Norman?”

I said to her sadly, “Norman, he… he died.”

Then she asked in a really surprised voice, “What?”

Norman was a nice guinea pig. He was white, brown, and dark brown. We loved him a lot.

Ian Xu

 

No Tail Pig

I am a pig. I have a great life.

One day, a male pig in my pen said, “I have no tail!”

When everybody realized this, they all went away.

He said, “When people pick me up, I feel like they are going to eat me. I don’t feel good having no tail. It feels very weird. I look like a hot air balloon without a tail. I tried to make a tail out of hay, but I do not have hands. When I roll in the mud pit, I get a little happier. When I wash off, I see my back, and all my happiness goes away. I am a pink pig with a little bit of hair on my back. My nose gets bigger every day. I see green grass. I feel rough hay. I smell fresh air. I taste tasty garbage. My hope is not to get eaten. My dream is to have a tail. My fear is becoming bacon. I dislike having no tail.”

Iman Xu

The Champions

I am always surprised by student work, particularly when it comes from young children. But what struck me most about this group of lower-elementary writers at Our Lady’s Maronite Catholic Church? From the first day, they demonstrated an inherent curiosity in one another and a sincere interest in each other’s opinions, writing, and ideas. The grace my students exhibited when listening to each other helped to propel each student’s confidence and voice so that the work they produced garnered a new importance and creative authority.

At sharing time, after each student read a poem—or perhaps a story she hadn’t finished (so that part of the story was spoken from memory, in front of all of us, eyes wide with anticipation and the wonder that comes from performance)—hands shot up from the inquisitive audience, and their responses to each other’s work (which ranged from quoting the funniest line of dialogue to appreciating the story’s tension and mystery) were thought-provoking and remarkable in themselves.

When I first started writing creatively, I wasn’t much older than the girls in my class, but I did not have a community like this one to encourage me to write and to think about what I was writing. I believe this community they so easily and automatically fostered will help not only their writing but other experiences as they grow and enter the world, making them better prepared to embark on their own potential realities and yet-unwritten futures.

Rachel Gray
Badgerdog Teaching Artist

 

Buttercup’s Family

I went downstairs and opened the door. No one was there.

Then I heard a meow.

I looked down and there was my kitty, Buttercup! She had something in her mouth. I took it. It was a… Before I could tell what it was, she took it right back. Then she meowed again. Then a whole alley of cats appeared.

I dropped my mouth open and looked down to see Buttercup, but she was with her family.

Story Rogers

 

The Writer

Every day, I see a lady sitting on a bench with a piece of paper and a pencil, writing day and night. I wonder:  what is she writing?

The next day, I notice one piece of paper lying on a bench. I read it. It doesn’t seem like it’s finished yet.

I look up. On all the other benches, a single piece of paper sits on each. I soon read all of them and it makes one big story.

Emily Piper

 

The Other Side of Oz

So, you’ve met Dorothy, but have you met her twin sister? I don’t think so. She’s from California, but she is the bad twin.

Oh, no! Another tornado is coming toward us!

Are we back over the rainbow?

Yes! But we need to go back.

No! I never want to go back. I want to see that wizard. So, which way to the Wizard?

Well, you have to follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Fine, I will do that.

So, they did. Until the road became two different roads. There was a red road and a yellow road.

Oh, yeah. I don’t care about the Wizard now. I want to see where that road goes.

So, they went.

Then they saw a sign. The sign said they had reached the Haunted Forest.

I don’t want to go in there, said Dorothy.

Well, I do, said the sister. This will be so cool. Come on.

So, they went.

Then they saw a wolf! It was growling and barking.

It’s trying to bite us.

It’s trying to bite you, not me. I’m going to pet it.

No. Don’t do that.

Why not? It’s not going to bite if you do it right.

Catalina Elizondo

 

I’m Sorry

I’m sorry I had lunch with
you and I didn’t offer you any.
I’m sorry that I tried to pop
you. You just make such a satisfying sound,
and I’m sorry that you are dragged
around every day just to be forgotten.
I’m sorry that I let you go. I
just love the way you gracefully float
up to the ceiling.
Please forgive me, balloon.

Vivian Moore

 

Horses

One day, Eva and Story were riding horses. Story’s horse was Cozy. Eva’s horse was Crystal. There were racing over jumps, like Cross Rails, Oxers, and Verticals. They were in a big field full of emerald green grass and trees with perfect green leaves and chocolate-colored trunks. They jumped for hours after dinner and lunch. They rode forever.

One day, a fox arrived. Eva’s horse Crystal got spooked and ran. Eva fell off, but luckily she landed on a soft patch of grass. Her horse Crystal slipped and fell. She twisted her ankle.

Story had a ranch. Story offered her one of her horses from her ranch. Eva was riding Good Night.

The next day Crystal, was all better. Eva rode Crystal. Story rode Cozy.

They were all BFFs. Best Friends Forever.

Eva Texcucano

 

Little Pink Riding Hood

Of course you’ve heard of Little Red Riding Hood, but have you heard of Little Pink Riding Hood? No, no you haven’t? Well, here’s the story.

Once upon—okay, let me back up. If I don’t tell you this, you’ll be totally confused. Okay, Little Pink is Little Red’s twin sister. Back to the story.

Once upon a time, Little Red and Little Pink were playing Rocket outside. Their mom came out and had a long present and a basket of candy. It was their grandpa’s birthday. “Little Pink, can you get these two presents to Grandpa, please?” said Mom.

“Okay,” Little Pink said with a cheesy smile.

“Why can’t I?” asked Little Red.

“Because,” said Mom. “Last time Grandma almost died when you delivered the gift! I’m still so mad at you. Plus, I want to give Little Pink a turn.”

Little Red wasn’t sure of this, so when Mom went back inside and Little Pink went in the woods, Little Red Riding Hood followed her with her Mom’s phone so she could videotape it.

Before long, Little Pink went off the path into the woods.

“Oh, oh!” said Little Red, and she followed her sister while videotaping.

Little Pink went into a cottage. Little Red followed and quickly hid where she could videotape when she got in the cottage. There were The Seven Dwarfs and Snow White.

Okay, of course you didn’t think Snow White would be in this story, but she is. So, yeah. Anyway.

“Dwarfs, why do you have this cane? It’s a piece of junk,” said Little Pink.

“We have a sticker to put on his car!” said one of the Dwarfs.

“Silly! He ain’t have a car!” said Little Pink.

“Good. We made it into a saddle. It extends,” said Stinky. “That will hurt his butt!”

“You guys are useless,” said Little Pink and left.

No one saw Little Red go. Wow, she’s awesome at this, Little Red thought.

Anyway, Little Pink went to Grandpa’s house, and do you know what she said? She said this: “OMG, Mom and Little Red are terrible. Grandpa will only like my present.” Little Red did not know Little Pink was sassy, but apparently she was. Back to the story.

Little Red took a shortcut so she could get to Grandpa’s first. Little Red said this to Grandpa: “Happy Birthday. Me and Little Pink’s present will come in a minute, but Little Pink is a bit slow.” Grandpa laughed.

When Little Pink got there, Little Pink was confused. She said Happy Birthday strangely.

P.S. Little Red stopped the video after Little Pink said happy birthday.

Grandpa opened his presents. He liked both of them.

When they headed back, Little Red took a shortcut, so she got there more quickly. She immediately showed her mom the video. Mom was mad. Little Pink got home. Mom showed her the video, and Little Pink got in trouble.

“Little Pink,” said Mom. “As long as you live with me, Red does the delivering.”

To Pink, that wasn’t much of a punishment, but it still was.

Okay, so I’m only telling you this now so you don’t think I’m lying. Little Pink’s the mischievous and bad twin.

Well, to be continued… because it’s not the end of their lives. Or is it?!

No, to be continued.

Leela Menon

The Crazy Purple Pandas with Toasted Marshmallow Jelly Beans and Limes, a.k.a. the Pencil Movers

Here it is! The end of summer! But don’t fret just yet; here are some wild and amazing stories, plays, and poems from my Badgerdog kiddos during the July session at the Khabele School. These eleven young writers are true connoisseurs of play, preferring games and activity-based writing prompts, such as drawing characters first or mistranslating poems from other languages, to more school-like lessons. What a joy to work with them! What pleasure to read these fine pieces!

Tyler Gobble
Badgerdog Teaching Artist

The True Story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Characters: Goldilocks, Mom Bear, Dad Bear, Baby Bear, Narrator, Wolf

Setting: House

[Bears, Mom, and Dad cooking food.]

Mom Bear: Let’s go for a walk.

Dad Bear: Great idea!

[They walk out the door with Baby Bear and forget to turn off the stove.]

Wolf: I’ll knock down this door and steal all their stuff!

[Wolf knocks down door and goes inside. Goldilocks smells smoke from outside and rushes inside.]

Goldilocks (worriedly): Is that smoke?! Hope it’s not a fire!

Wolf (panicking): Oh, no! Someone’s coming!

[Wolf hides behind a curtain.]

Goldilocks: Oh, it’s just the stove.

[As she turns off the stove, she hears wolf breath and runs upstairs.]

Goldilocks (fearfully): I heard a wolf!

[Goldilocks faints on Baby Bear’s bed. Wolf picks up stuff and puts it in a black bag.]

Wolf (fearfully): She heard me. I’ve got to get out of here fast.

[Wolf dashes toward the door, but trips over Baby Bear’s chair and breaks it.]

Wolf (painfully): Ow!

[Meanwhile, the bears are walking home and hear screams.]

Mom Bear (worried): That came from our house. Do you think everything is okay?

Dad Bear (panicking): I don’t know. Let’s check!

[The bears rush home and find Goldilocks laying on Baby Bear’s bed.]

Baby Bear (angrily): Someone’s on my bed!

[Goldilocks wakes up and finds the bears looking at her.]

Dad Bear: Who are you?

Goldilocks (frightened): I’m Goldilocks.

[Goldilocks explains what happened and gets out of the bed.]

Mom Bear: Let’s go look for that wolf!

[They go downstairs, split up, and look for the wolf.]

Mom Bear: Where can that wolf be?

Goldilocks (excitedly): Look what I found!

[Goldilocks picks up a piece of wolf fur and follows the trail. They find the wolf trying to sneak out of the window and Dad Bear calls 9-1-1.]

Joy Zhou

How To Avoid Getting A New House

1. Fight It: Before you go to the next step, try to talk your parents into not getting a new house.
2. Start Moving: Print a four-by-two inch sticker that says SOLD, then run to the house your parents want to move to and put the sticker on the sign that may say FOR LEASE.
3. Rip Up the Contract: If your parents have signed the contract already, ask if you can see the contract then take it out of their hands, go to your room, and rip it up.

Sudeep Tatineni

I’m Twenty Feet Tall!

So, I wake up, and I’m twenty feet tall. I have to build a huge house, so I do not have to duck all the time. I have to make super-huge clothes, cars, planes, etc. I got this way because I had a dream and it came true. I fly to Africa with lots of resources, so I can help build homeless people some houses. Then I build a lot more huge houses and invite all the other homeless people to live in them. One problem is the food, so I have to make something that will make the food really big instead of small. Finally, I go home and relax on my big bed.

Kai Benton

Chipmunks

– after Nicanor Parra’s “Mummies”

One chipmunk nibbles
on nuts.
Another chipmunk does
cartwheels.
One chipmunk scurries
everywhere.
A few chipmunks fly
in the air.
One chipmunk hides
in the corner.
A couple chipmunks
roast marshmallows.
Almost all climb trees.
One plays in the snow.

Julia Klima

Friends Are There to Help: Chapter 2

I just remembered: It’s Maya’s Birthday. I got her a present. When I get there, she finds berries and nuts. I, on the other hand, can only find, well, you can guess, grass. I need to move in with Maya. She has a tiny hut made out of bamboo and straw.

I don’t know if Prickles and Chunky (her squirrel) are going to get along. I so have to move in with Maya. I ask Maya and she says yes. I am like OMG right now. Oh… She made her den three times bigger.

Anais Moreno-John

The Ring Box Fairy

– after Matthew Harvey’s “Backyard Mermaid”

The ring box fairy waits to be fed. Just as she thinks she is going to die of hunger, the strange giant fairy that doesn’t have wings comes and feeds her candy. When the ring box fairy is about to thank her, the giant wingless fairy disappears. The ring box fairy sighs and starts to eat. Then she hears a click and the wingless fairy is gone.

The ring box fairy flutters out from her “home” and searches for the twentieth time for a pair of pliers. She searches each room for two hours until she sees a door she has not noticed before. She flies through the keyhole and almost faints when she smells the room. It is very dark and smells of car oil and dust. Dust bunnies, she thinks and shudders, zipping back to her box. She takes out her wand. Then she flies back to the room. When she finds the switch, she nudges it with the wand. The lights turn on.

The room, she learns, is not a room at all. It is more like the car’s medical room and home. Car guts are scattered everywhere. The ring box fairy scans the room. Tools! She looks carefully and finds pliers. They are too heavy for her. She drags them towards the door. Then she gives the door a shove with her wand. Knowing she cannot use the pliers, she considers how to get her plan to work. Then an idea forms. She drags the pliers onto the table. She leaves the parts of her necklace nearby, hoping the wingless fairy will understand.

Later that night, the fairy returns. Startled, the ring box fairy wakes up with a jolt when she hears the door slam. Then she hears several sighs and then something hits the table. The fairy remembers her plan. Hiding in the keyhole, she watches as the wingless fairy discovers her necklace and the pliers. The wingless fairy suddenly laughs. She fixes the necklace and leaves it on the table.

In the morning, she finds her necklace laid casually on the table. She touches the necklace to make sure it’s real. The necklace was golden with a blue diamond gem. She put it on and tapped it with her wand. Then she tried to open the door.

Hannah Kim

Inside My Heart

– after Zoie Ryder White’s “Inside My Heart”

There is…
One smelly potato
Two rotten bananas
Three hopping fish
Four talking waves
Five people blabbering
Six pouncing humans
Seven hundred peculiar sharks dancing to music
Eight hundred great white sharks
Nine hundred pizza stands
One thousand suns talking to the hot dog stand
Two thousand off-pitch singers
Three thousand crazy birds talking about going poo on everyone
Four thousand birds going poo
Five thousand smelly people farting
Six thousand hot dog stands running
Seven thousand sharks bugging me like bad guys
Eight thousand birds die
Nine thousand yummy pizza slices
Ten thousand weird people screaming
Ten million people surfing
One hundred million people slipping
One billion people getting pizza
Ten billion people eating sharks

Shrey Jha

The Daily Lives of Lions

– after Nicanor Parra’s “Mummies”

One lion protects her baby cub
Some lions cook birds
A couple lions hunt for giant zebras

All lions roar loudly to scare leopards
Most lions rest in tall dry grass
Many lions eat big zebras

Almost all lions wear fancy ties
Nearly

Cody Chang

A Tiring Day

On a nice summer day, I went to the candy store and bought some candy. I hated the sight outside the window. I got out of the candy shop. I quickly ran to my house, not to eat my candy but to not see such a horrible sight. Instead of doing nothing in the house, I decided to watch a movie right away in the theater and drive there in my car. Before the movie, I bought soda and, of course, popcorn. The movie took four hours and thirty-five minutes. It was named “The Rainbow of Heart.” It was about a girl who lost her parents. It was rated PG-13. I loved it. After I watch a movie, I usually go to another one, but I wasn’t in a mood for that. I just wanted to go home and sleep. Okay, so that’s it. I drove back home. I immediately went to my bedroom. I didn’t even stop for a drink of water. I rolled on the bed. I thought of plans for the next day, but I was too tired. I slept for five hours. It was a tiring day. Just a tiring day. Exactly a tiring day.

Samriddhi Garlanka

The Three Little Sea Otters

Characters: Sea Otter 1, Sea Otter 2, Sea Otter 3, Farm Boy, Narrator

Narrator: It was a sunny day.

Otter 1: Well, now let’s build a house, guys!

Otter 2: Yes, all together.

Otter 3: Okay, I want a brick home.

Otter 2: No, straw!

Otter 1: No, We all know twigs are good.

All (except Otter 1): No!

Otter 3: Let’s do all our ideas.

[They swam to the surface and asked someone for supplies, like wood and hay and bricks.]

Otter 3: Can we have some bricks?

Otter 1: Also, some hay?

Otter 2: And twigs?

Farm Boy: You guys are in luck! Take this whole bucket.

Otter 2: Thanks. Just leave.

Otter 3: Sorry. She’s rude. Yay! We got more supplies.

Otter 1: Well, we should all start building.

Narrator: When they were done, there was a wood room, a hay room, and a brick room.

All: We’re done!

Otter 2: Well, let’s move our stuff.

Narrator: They all moved their stuff.

Allison Mehl

Supercaligobble- tasticcampialidocious

If school teaches us how to use language to inform, persuade, and explain in order to communicate and connect, then a creative writing camp, I do declare, should show us how to use those skills alternatively as mechanisms of play, a key to unlock the vault of pleasure that bubbles inside each of us. In just one week, these kiddos harnessed the energy and the power of play to create a body of work that is both beyond-their-years smart and perfectly silly, one of the greatest accomplishments in creative writing.

Tyler Gobble
Badgerdog Teaching Artist

Two Truths and a Lie

– after “I Remember” by Joe Brainard

I remember when I went to Disney Land and I went on a ride called The Tower of Terror. I got on the ride and it went up really high. The windows in the ride were open when I got to the top, then it dropped us down.

I remember when I saw this show on TV, and they were putting liver inside sheep intestines. They baked it and then ate it. I thought it was gross.

I remember when I was eating dinner, and I was eating caterpillars. After I thought I ate it, it crawled back up my throat.

Emory Smith

My Awesome Pet Turtle

Once upon a time, my mommy and daddy gave me a turtle for a present. It looked like a green shell that someone painted black lines on.

“Okay and thank you,” I said to my mom and dad. Me, my mom, and my dad smiled at my pet turtle.

Once, when I came home from school, I ran upstairs to my room, as usual. I changed into my play clothes, as usual. Then I checked my pet turtle and was going to tell him that his name was Flash! I’d been thinking about it all day. But when I opened my closet and saw my turtle, it was giant. I didn’t know turtles were giant.

It’s just a phase, I told myself. And it was. Then, the next afternoon, I was a little dirty, so I wanted to take a bath. So I went to my bathroom and started to fill up the tub. Then I turned off the tub and got in with my clothes on because I was just a little bit dirty.

Then my pet turtle came in with me. Again, I thought, “It’s just a phase,” but it wasn’t. Every time I took a bath, he crawled in with me, and that smelled. He smelled like a wet dog. So, finally, I decided to give him back to my parents.

“Okay,” they said, “but are you sure?”

“Positive,” I said. After that, I never got a pet again, and that turtle became a pet to a different girl.

At night, I can still hear the whimpering of his little voice when I left him.

Bella Rose

My Friend

– after “To You” by Kenneth Koch

She is as sweet as
candy.

She is bursting
like a starburst.

I love her like
a stuffed animal
I’ve had all my
life.

I believe her
like my mom.

She is as cute
and as a cuddly
stuffed animal.

She is super
cuddly and
nice.

She is awesomely
amazing.

She is a best
friend to have.

She is my BFF.

I love her
so much as
a friend.

She is the
nicest friend
I know.

She and I
always
stick together.

Anna Grace Theiss

Candy Pooping Dog

Your parents give you a candy pooping dog. Your room is a mess because the dog was pooping candy. Then your whole house is filled with candy. Then you have an idea: you should give the dog to the rodeo. Then, you start to miss him, so your parents take you to the rodeo. You live happily ever after.

Evelyn Jenkins

Goo

1. Here you go. Thank you. What is it? “Um, um, goo.” Okay. I’ll take it to my room and play with it.

2. “Ahhh!” It’s so sticky and it’s alive. “Help, help.”

3. “Knock, knock.” Come in. I’ll help you. Oh, no. Now I’m stuck! “Help, help.”

4. “Knock, knock.” Come in. I’ll help. I have unglue and a container. “Squirt, squirt.” We’re all better. What about the alive goo? “Plop” goes the container. “Get him.” Yay!

Wills Nettleship

The Mythical Flying Cat

One day, a girl’s mom got her a present. Inside was a cat, but it wasn’t any cat. It was a flying cat. At first, the girl loved it, but then one day the cat started flying all over the house. It knocked over the girl’s painting and the mom’s vase. And it was scratching everyone.

When the girl took the cat for a walk in the park, it started scratching everyone it saw. And it scratched the girl’s sister. She got mad at the girl. The girl’s mom came, and the girl told the mom everything—the painting, the vase, the scratching.

Then the mom said, “What do you want to do with the cat?”

The girl said, “I don’t know.”

Then the mom said, “How about we donate it?”

The girl said, “Yes,” then they donated it.

But the girl felt something blue in her heart. “Mom,” she said, “I miss the cat.”

“It is okay,” said her mom. “Everyone feels that way sometimes, and you will always have the cat in your heart.”

“Ahhhh!” said the girl. “The cat is in my heart?!”

“No,” said her mom. “I mean, you will always remember the cat.”

Maya Patel

My Sandwich

Materials Needed:
2 slices of bread
1 slice of tomato
2 slices of lettuce
A piece of beef
Also, ketchup

Steps:
First, put two slices of bread on a plate.
Next, put the beef on the bread.
After that, put the tomato on the beef.
Then, put the two slices of lettuce on the tomato.
Then, put some ketchup on the lettuce.
Last, put the two slices of bread together.
Eat up and enjoy!

Salma Nahvi

Yellow

Yellow, yellow, the color
of yellow. My string cheese
is yellow and so is my
shirt. I like yellow. Do you
like yellow? I know
a joke: What’s brown-headed
and eats bananas? Oh, I know!
It’s my dad ha.
But he can’t
Be here.
Sorry!

Sidney Dykes

I Remember

– after “I Remember” by Joe Brainard

1. I remember I thought unicorns were real because I thought horses were unicorns.
2. I remember when I saw a watermelon purse from a fancy store called Charming Charlie.
3. I saw a rat outside in my backyard.
4. My brother got scared of a bug. It was a beetle. They’re gross.
5. I remember my brother wanted money from my dad. Someone had the same pants as my dad, and my brother stuck his hand in the person’s pocket. When he saw, he crashed into my dad.
6. One time, I went to a store with swords. My cousin touched a sword. The store keeper said, “Don’t touch it again.” He kept on touching it. He got kicked out.
7. I remember I met an actress from the movie Hunger Games.
8. I was playing and my brother asked me, “Are you an alien yet?” I said yes as a joke, and my brother was screaming crazy! “Ahhhhhh!”
9. I was playing at my friend’s house. We made grilled cheese. It was good! It was made with whole wheat bread and fresh cheese.

Laasya Bokka

Malia’s Sandwich

If I could invent my own sandwich, I would put candy in it, like gummy bears, candy canes, chocolate chips, and caramel. First, you melt the chocolate chips, then put the melted chocolate chips on bread. Then, you put on some gummy bears. After that, put on some caramel on the gummy bears. Then smash some candy canes. Put those on the caramel. Put on another piece of bread and you’re done.

Malia Shafer

Architect Gobble

Mr. Gobble
was building
a house.

House Gobble!
Such a great
house.

Gobble, Gobble.
The house
is great.

You should
make
a city.

The city
is great.
Make a state.

The state
is great.
Make a country.

The country
is horrible.
I hate it.

Aseem Datta

The Lake Unicorn

– after “Backyard Mermaid” by Matthea Harvey

I live in the lake. I catch fish to eat for my meals. I hunt for sea shells all day. I swim in the lake when I get hot. I sunbathe in the sun. I gallop all over the mushy sand. I live in a small sandcastle. I have a friend that is a crab. I swim with the turtles. I glow when it’s night. I have fins that make me swim faster. I love to hide in the coral.

Suvi Ryther

Space

Somewhere to float,
Somewhere to race.
Somewhere to be
Is all in space!

Shooting all around the world
In our gigantic rockets.
Looking for space food
In your teeny tiny pockets!

Bright shining stars
Glooming in the dark.
Just like lights
Bursting in the park.

Looking through telescopes
at Venus, Saturn, and Mars.
You also might see
The sparkles of the stars.

Arushi Ahmed

Mushrooms

Nice soft squishy
little oft things
staring.

Brownies
looking at me in a
tree.

Yummy soft food
is a mush
breath.

Pumpkins being picked
made into soft pie
rooms,

Good soft
small stuff smell and
soup-e-soft soup yum.

Bark,
making me die, smells
delicious.

Annie Zhu

The Writing Explorers at Magellan!

As you read our first poem, imagine a land where ideas zip through the air, punctuation starts sentences, and scissors are best used for painting a poem. It’s a place where inspiration hides in the bottoms of shoes and brand new OMGI’veNeverHeardAnythingLikeThatBefore characters pop out of bags of discarded trash. If you’re having trouble understanding this nutty and fantastic place the Writing Explorers call home, you may need to take the advice that opens Adam’s story. (Note: Use your imagination.) Now follow the Post-It note path and see where it leads. Just please be sure to close the door behind you. We really wouldn’t want any of those slippery ideas to sneak out.

Tricia Hassenfeld
Badgerdog Teaching Artist

You can… Um… Toucan Do Anything You Can Write Everything Pugs!

– after Tyler Gobble’s “The Big Permission”

You can do anything
You can pick your nose
You can… sneeze slimy, green-brown pieces into pea soup
You can sneeze squishy, slimy yellow bubbles into your tea and
serve it to a table of fancy grandmas
You can make a mountain of boogers
You can eat a carpet in half and live
You cannot write a story about skunks in the middle of a poem
You can write a story about skunks and chocolate fountains!
You can play
You can eat a dirty pizza
You must write only on lined paper with a number two pencil
You can write a poem with scissors
You can make a(nother) mountain out of boogers
You can be immortal
You can catch ideas in mid air
You can have fun making poems
You can eat Doritos
You can make a poem out of smiles
You can teleport to a fantasy land
You can lie
You can demolish people
You can have fun making poems
You can make a poem out of smiles
You can write with your knee cap (it might be hard)
You can trap your teacher with marshmallows
You can draw with words
You can write incomplete sentences in any color marker
Pugs!

The Writing Explorers

Daisy Wood Witch and The Lost Hair

Once, there was a town called Daisy Wood. Fairies, ponies, and witches grew there. One day in Daisy Wood, a young lady named Rosa sat on her bed wondering, “When will the day start?” She looked out the widow lined with gold, a window I shall never forget.

Long black hair flowed from the top of Rosa’s head like a river’s steam pouring down and framing a quite pale face. Something stood out. Her eyes were a pale green, the color of most powerful creatures.

The sun rose and the day began. Then Rosa’s hair hair turned a world of color. Every color you can imagine striped her head, and energy tickled her toes. “What’s happening to me?” Rosa mumbled.

I forgot to tell you I’m Fairy Linda, Queen of Daisy Wood and an inventor. I flew in just then and said, “You are a magical witch who brings colors to Daisy Wood.”

Rosa almost fainted in surprise. “What do I do?” she stammered in a shaky voice.

“Let me braid your hair,” I said ignoring her question.

The next day Rosa awoke at 5:30. She had had a restless night. She bent over to look at her braids. One of them was missing, the pink hair. A shadow fell over Rosa and a memory shot through her mind, a memory of a figure sneaking into the room holding something shiny then slicing something off. The shiny thing she saw must have been scissors.

The Great Parade was to take place that night. The parade came every year on the 10th of May to celebrate winning the war against Kylo Land. Rosa was always bothered by the fact that everyone was dressed in black and gray. Today was the day she could recreate their style.

So, that night she went outside to the parade. Something inside her said, “Count to three, close your eyes, and say, ‘Color, color, color.'” That’s what she did, and it worked. Seconds after she did it, every outfit turned bright neon red, pink, yellow, and orange. SHE HAD USED HER POWER!!!

The next day, she brought color to every place she could think of. She is known by color now and is the most powerful person in Daisy Wood… To be continued in Book Two…

Caroline Boyle

Under the Teacher’s Desk

– after George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From”

I am from the dark
place under the teacher’s
desk. It smells of paper, glue,
and old scissors. It tastes of
dusty floors and worn wood.
It feels like cold concrete
slabs and finely cut cylinders
of branches and, last
of all, it sounds forgotten,
but come under the
teacher’s desk.

Vivian Chatterjee

Dave and the Purple Pimple

Dave was a alien that lived on Mars. He was bright pink with three eyes and had octopus arms, a bird foot, a pig foot, a frog foot, a rat tail, and a big fat nose. He lived with his dog named Pluto, who was made of Pluto’s craters. His friends were named Unicorn and Mermaid. (Unicorn is a mermaid and Mermaid is a unicorn.) And the thing that Dave is basically addicted to is purpleberries, which are basically blueberries but they’re purple.

One day, Dave was listening to his favorite Justin Timberlake song (for the thirteenth time) while eating purpleberries and Unicorn flopped into his spaceship and screamed, “I HAVE A GREEN PIMPLE!”

“How?” asked Dave.

“I don’t know. I came here because you’re the smart one,” said Unicorn.

“Well,” Dave said, “maybe you dyed your hair green and it rubbed off onto your skin.”

“Or maybe I ate too much seaweed. You know, they say that if you eat too much of one thing, you can slowly turn into that thing by eating more!”

“That’s a saying?” asked Dave while chewing his fifty-third purpleberry of the day (but who’s counting?).

“I read it in a book,” Unicorn said. “You should really read more.”

“I read a LOT!” Dave said.

“Whatever,” she said and left. Then, one minute later, she came back and reminded him, “If you don’t want to turn into a purpleberry, you should lay off them for a while like two months.”

“Well, I don’t take advice from a book, even if it is fiction,” Dave said.

“You mean nonfiction,” she corrected.

“Whatever,” he said. Then, when she left, he slammed the door shut and to prove he wouldn’t turn into a purple berry, he ate a whole year’s savings of purpleberrys.

One month later, Mermaid and Unicorn came to Dave’s house and knocked while screaming with joy. “Dave, my pimple is gone!”

“Don’t come in,” he said. “I don’t want you to see me.” But Mermaid ignored him and shot lightning out of his horn and made the door fall down. That’s when they saw Dave with a giant purple pimple.

“I told you not to eat those purpleberries, Dave!” Unicorn sassed.

“That is the biggest purpleberry I have ever seen planted right on the tip of your nose,” mermaid said. Then Pluto came and saw Dave’s pimple and then he fainted. He looked like the dead emoji.

One hour later, once Pluto woke up, they found a solution.

“Why don’t we just do what Unicorn did?” Mermaid said.

“Good solution,” said Dave. (Did I mention they weren’t the smartest creatures?)

“First, let’s go to the gym and try to pump some iron!” Unicorn said. Two hours later, once Dave did twenty pushups, fifty squats, and six jumping jacks, he created four more pimples by sweating so much!

“I’m sorry,” Unicorn said. “Now I remember that was the thing that made me have more green pimples. Let’s try the spa now!”

So they went to the spa, where they tried to give Dave a foot massage and were able to pop one pimple. They were down to four more pimples. Then Dave had to take a nap, and while he took a nap they threw away all of his purpleberries because they didn’t want him eating any more purpleberries.

Once he woke up and found out the purpleberries were gone, he screamed and screamed and let it all out and then looked at his face and saw he was down to three pimples!

“How did this happen?!” he asked.

Mermaid answered, “I forgot to tell you that when you were sleeping, I stomped all over your face till a pimple popped.”

“And I did some research that acne cream can help pimples, whatever acne is,” said Unicorn. “So, I went and bought some! Fetch, Pluto!”

Pluto slowly walked over to mermaid with the acne cream, gave it to her, turned around, saw Dave, and fainted again. Then they applied the whole bottle of acne cream, and one day later there were no more pimples!

Pluto slowly approached Dave, saw him, and his face turned into a kissy face emoji!

“I’ve decided to never eat purpleberries ever again!” Dave said.

“Yay!” they cheered. “Now, I have a new favorite fruit–blue tomatoes!”

“Oh, no,” they said.

Emma Fiebig

Mr. Elephant

Benjamin Goodman

Adventure

Note: use your imagination

One day, at 10:00 a.m., a boy named Bob woke up. He realized he was late for basketball, so he got dressed, brushed his teeth, ate breakfast, and ran to the court.

Halfway there, at 620 Bowie St., a portal appeared. Bob got sucked up right in front of the Houston gym and civic center. All the players asked, “Where is Bob?”

Meanwhile, the portal sent Bob to the death star. Luckily, there weren’t any storm troopers around. Bob started to run. He hid in a room so the stormtroopers wouldn’t spot him. To his surprise, he ended up in a room with C-3PO, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and R2-D2.

“Who are you?” asked Luke.

“I’m Bob.” said Bob. “Can you help me?”

“Sure, kid,” said Han Solo, “But first, can you help us escape?”

“Okay. I saw a ship in the hanger.”

“That’s useful information,” said Luke. So they ran to the hanger, and Luke and Han made cover for the others. Then they climbed inside the Millenium Falcon. Then the entrance accidentally opened into hyperspace, and Bob was sucked in. “… Can somebody close the door?” asked Luke.

After an hour, Bob landed in the forbidden forest. He was surprised to see Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, and Fang there.

“Oi, who are you!?” asked Draco.

“I’m Bob. Who are You?”

“I’m Harry,” said Harry Potter. “And that’s Draco and Fang.” They adventured off, then Harry spotted a cloaked figure drinking unicorn blood.

“Aaaahhhh!” said Draco. Fang went with him. Harry and Bob, who were scared, ran into a log. Luckily, a centaur saved them.

“Are you okay?” the centaur asked.

“Yes,” Harry and Bob said.

“Harry!” said Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” said Harry.

“And who is this young fellow?”

“I’m Bob.” Just then a portal appeared, and Bob got sucked in…

Bob ended up back at his house, and his mom said, “Where were you? Go outside and practice!”

But Bob didn’t care about being late because he felt good!

Adam Hyink

The Happy Princess

Once, there was a princess. She lived in a castle. She lived with her mother and father. She was also very, very curious. Each time she got out of the castle, she felt so happy. When she returned, her mother and father were waiting for her at the castle doors. The princess was so embarrassed she turned candy apple  red.

One year later… Her parents thought they needed to come up with a plan to keep their daughter from seeing the outside world. They tried to lock the princess in her room, but she had a rope and climbed out the window. The king and queen tried a few other things, but none of them would work.

One denim blue morning when the fluorescent yellow sun was up in the sky, the princess walked alone to a place called The Never-Ending Valley. There were many pathways in the valley, and the air smelled like emeralds and sapphires.

But when the princess went halfway through the valley, the rest of the sky in the valley was plum purple with lots of ebony black clouds. Just then, two robbers kidnapped her. When she woke up, she found herself in a cage.

The two robbers took the princess out of the cage and made her a slave by putting handcuffs on her hands. They made her work day and night until she was tired and exhausted. She cried, “Please let me go. I have been working for five years. Let me go!”

Then the robbers boomed, “FINE,” and the princess disappeared out the door.

Back at the castle, the king and queen had been desperate to find their precious daughter. When the princess returned, she saw her parents. They were so happy. After they hugged, they had a tea party and lived happily ever after.

Leah Lukose

Ms. Kerloobi & the Blue Tomato

Ms. Kerloobi was a witch in the Black Forest. She was very short and fat and had big feet and frizzy hair. She lived with her cat, Sylvia, who only had one eye, and Cedric (a rat made out of grapes).

The witch had a garden. In the garden, she grew hundreds and hundreds of different plants and fungi. For example, morning mushrooms were mushrooms that made you wake up at 12:01 a.m. every day for nine years.

The witch was 565 years old. She grew her plants and fungi and gave them to villagers or other people passing by to help them with their needs. But the next day, there were three brothers passing by–one short, one tall, and one stubborn. They all came in on three horses.

The first two brothers asked for easy plants, like a plant that would give you the ability to breathe fire or eat any thing. But the stubborn one asked for the most complicated plant, one that could make him into a dog. Ms. Kerloobi was growing a plant for this, but it hadn’t worked in 500 years!

The witch tired to tell the stubborn brother that it wasn’t perfect yet, but the stubborn brother just would’t listen! The stubborn brother took the plant (the blue tomato) and ate it all up and yelled in the old witch’s face. “I told you so! I told you so!”

Right as he started turning into a dog, the little body of the a dog turned into a taco instead of a normal puppy shape! Ms. Kerloobi had never told anyone about her love for tacos. If she saw a taco she’d eat it! So, you can imagine what she did when she saw the taco “dog.” She went and ate the stubborn brother without really trying to. There was no way to make him live again Unil one day… To be continued…

Gabriella Oettinger

Garfield in the Summer

On a super duper sunny day, Garfield the stuffed animal woke up and ate some pancakes. Then he went back to bed, but he could not sleep because it was too hot, so he went to the freezer and got a ice pack. But on the way to his comfy bed, the ice pack melted. Then he noticed a fan near his comfy bed, turned it on, and went to sleep. But it was just the beginning. Zzzzzzzzzzzz!

Emily Piper

Pluto vs. Mars

Dear Readers,

Have you ever heard the story of Pluto the Warrior? (Gasp!) You haven’t? Well, if you want to find out, I guess I will tell you. I’ll start with the basics. Her name is Pluto, she’s a girl, she lives on Pluto, she likes to go to war, all of her friends are girls except one boy, she’s won 9,999,999,999 (9 billion+) wars, she has curly hair, yellow skin, and rocket boots, she’s smart, playful, calm, and kind. Then End! Just kidding.

Now, let me tell you a story about one of the wars she fought. One day in England (the one on Pluto), Pluto noticed a sign hanging from a rocket house. It said: Dear all strong warriors, There will be a war held on December 1 – ??? If you want to join, please call (512)-914-5505. We will exept anyone. What are you waiting for? Hurry up & join! Pluto was so exited! She called the number on the flier. Five months later…

Crash, bang! “Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. I’m leaving. I’m going to the war.”

One hour later… Pluto was getting in her spaceship. “Love you, honey. We will miss you!” said Pluto’s mom.

One hour later… “San Antonio, here I come” Pluto landed in San Antonio (the one on Pluto). She walked into the Alamo, joined her team, and started the war. She blasted everyone, except one alien. Five minutes later…

“Stop, stop, stop!” said the other team. “We quit, you win.” Pluto’s team won!

One hour later… “Mom, Dad? Mom, Dad? I won! Mars was too scared, and it was to cold for them!” Pluto yelled.

“You’re alive!” said Pluto’s mom. Everything was nice and calm. Until…

Lily Ruth Poland

Rinkles Tells the People

“Yay! Who loves parties?” asked Rinkles.
“We do,” said the people.
“We’re all going to die in a plane crash,” someone said.
“I’m so bored. What am I going to do, Pugzo?”
“We could have more parties.”
“No.”
“I’m going to tell the people,” said Rinkles.
“People, I have met a person who has told me of something. Here he is,” said Rinkles.
“Hello! We’re all going to die,” said the same person.
“No, we’re not,” said Rinkles.
“But he is a giant muffin. I’m scared of muffins.”
“He’s not a muffin. He’s a puggle,” said Rinkles.
“Let’s make a water slide. Look at my dance moves!”
“Water slide is done.”
“Okay,” said Rinkles.
“The water slide was awesome.”

Brandon Sharp

How to Use the U.W.O.G.P.

Hello! Sup? Where is Mars? Well, anyway, where is Mars? Just kidding. Now, the real question is: How do you use the U.W.O.G.P.? Well, here is how you use it. I am Bob, fly wonky professer of sadly nothing. Here is how you use the U.W.–aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!-O.G.P. (The aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! was just random letters that I finally got to use.) So, now how to really use the U.W.O.G.P. First, fill it with… Um… Oh, yeah! Fill it with… No… Yeah! Oxygen. Then throw it in the other thing’s face. If the other thing doesn’t have a face, just throw it at some other part of the other thing’s surface. This weapon was used by Bo-bo once to win the war of Jupiter. It went like this: The cold surface of the planet had killed Wo-wo, and the other men were determined to win the war, so they appointed a new officer and deputy of the army, Bo-bo, and created the two U.W.O.G.P.’s (Ultamite Weapons of Green Popping). Each looks like a green balloon. The two armies met in the Alamo 2.0, and every time Bo-bo’s army lost one man, the other army lost two. But when the other army called in reinforcements, Bo-bo’s army had to use the two U.W.O.G.P.s. Ka-kapow! The first U.W.O.G.P. covered half of the other army in flames. Boom! There went the other half. And now the two U.W.O.G.P.s have reformed to be used again another day. Now, where is Mars?

Jackson Shouba

The Deathley King

Palion Kun Sulion was a really fat king of the aliens. He ate aliens and made aliens. There was something called the Alien Source that created aliens, but it had to be put into a machine to make it active.

Palion’s secret wish was for everybody to like him. One day, he came up with a plan to make everybody like him. His plan was to eat aliens until everybody liked him. He made an anouncement the next day that he would eat aliens until everybody liked him. Everybody started whispering, except one alien named Nasha. Nasha was staring at Palion.

The next day, Palion was eating more aliens than usual. Mr. Pas, the server alien that catches aliens and gives them to Palion, was chasing Nasha. Nasha jumped into a pit and Mr. Pas gave up on Nasha.

Out of his hole, Nasha saw a rocket ship. Nasha walked up to it, looking around nervously. It opened and a human stepped out. The human said, “Come here, alien, and you will be safe from that useless king.”

So, Nasha got in the rocket shop and headed towards earth.

“I NEED MORE ALIENS!” screamed Palion.

“Oh! I just remembered! I have an alien!” said Mr. Pas. He pulled out a human and gave it to Palion. Palion ate the human and Mr. Pas ran back out to catch more aliens.

Back in the spaceship… They landed on earth and Nasha looked around

“Let’s go to my house,” said the human, and they did. Nasha spent two days on earth before Palion arrived, looking for Nasha. He finally found him and told him to come back to his planet, so they went back to Nasha’s Planet.

The weird thing was that Palion didn’t try to kill Nasha and eat him. When they got back to Nasha’s Planet, Palion told Nasha he’d been thinking about it and he wasn’t going to eat anybody ever again. After that, everybody liked him. The king fulfilled his wish.

Gregory Spradling

A Land Far Away

– after George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From”

I am from a land far away,
with pink fluffy unicorns
dancing on rainbows
and fairies that make mushrooms
home. With waterfalls and
herbs glistening with raindrops,
making the air hazy. Plus
steaming feasts at the dinner
table. And phoenixes
squawking in the distance.

Gayatri Srinivasan

Everest!

Once, there were five men who wanted to climb Mount Everest. They were all sad because they had to leave their families. But they all met up at the airport. Their names were Jay, Charlie, Gungh, Tom, and James. When they got to the mountain, they started climbing. They came to a bridge. They each hung a flag for good luck, except for James who didn’t believe in luck. When they were a quarter of the way up the mountain, someone shouted “Avalanche!” Big, small, and medium ice chunks rolled down the mountain. The men dodged the chunks of ice and ran to safety. The next day, they were half way there. They had to put on masks because they couldn’t breath because the air was so thin at that altitude. As they got closer and closer, they were almost shaking. They saw a snow monster. All of a sudden, the monster grabbed James and threw him off the mountain. Charlie threw a lantern. It blew up the snow monster. They made it! They were all sad. The End.

P.S. One out of five people die. What, you really thought it was over? Think again!

Colin Thompson

Take-ing Over

One Monday, Dr. ClipCow woke up and heard something fall and shatter. He got out of his bed and went to the lab area, where he saw a lime green chemical that had exploded and fallen to the ground! The exploding liquid filled the room and, out in the hall, patients screamed and yelled as they fled the building. Dr. ClipCow parachuted out of the building. It knocked down three buildings as it fell! Dr. ClipCow’s two servants jumped out the window as the building was falling! Meanwhile, Dr. ClipCow was scared, just drifting down. He was so scared that he screamed! He worried his whole plan might fail, but he was not going to give up yet. He thought for a minute and then he knew what to do. He would climb through the president’s vents and take over the world! Just then, he landed on the ground! He ran, got into his car, and drove to the computer lab. Then he looked up a map of the president’s house, printed it out, and looked at it. He thought it was magnificent. Then he stole the computer and left with out a word! To be continued…

Madeleine Vollmer

Granny’s Gold Diamonds

Writing, especially for adults, often tackles the pitfalls and the tragedies of life, but the writing that transcends its page often harnesses hope and the pursuit of pleasure, often in tandem with those more disastrous themes and times. The kiddos in our lower-elementary workshop at the Girls’ School this summer (who dubbed themselves Granny’s Gold Diamonds) leapt at the opportunity to enjoy their process, whether the subject presented itself as shiny or grim. And through that chase, their writing, like their chosen class name, presented itself as inexplicable, infectious, and downright fun. We stumbled into non-sense, we startled ourselves with the truth in our work, and often, we found it was one-in-the-same.

Tyler Gobble
Badgerdog Teaching Artist

The Shark

One day, I went out to hunt for fish. I was really good at it, but the truth was I was bored. So I ate fifty to sixty tuna, but I usually have about one hundred.

Today is the day, I thought, so I followed the markings of a ship that had sunk when it had been set in the water. While I was following the markings, I saw a scuba diver. Through her equipment, I saw she looked worried. At least I think it was a she. She had a beard, but girls have those, right? Good? Anyway, I swam quickly towards her. The cool water really felt good when going fast, and I gobbled her up. But the thing is, I’ve eaten beds, and so I forgot to chew her up.

Then I heard a sound from behind me. “Let me out,” it said. I knew it was the lady, so I spit her out but then ate her again, and then spit her out and ate her again. I did this ten times until she was able to avoid me.

“Goodbye,” she said grimly, and swam away like a torpedo. Wow. I am never doing that again. And by the way, never come too close to sharks, people.

Tariya

My Friend

You draw like a sweet cupcake
trying to find its family.
You sing like a lifetime snowy voice
that will smile yourself away.
You dance like the stars leading the way
and telling you the music.
You leap and twirl, like you’re flying
while your heart is still pumping.
You write like you are a fancy girl
who is always very happy.
You make everyone smile.

Ananyaa

The Terrible House of Kanye

– after Nick Sturm’s “What A Tremendous Time We’re Having”

I live in Kanye’s house made of twenty-one heads
sewn together to make a triangle. It is a heap
of hatred. It is a terrible house. In Kanye’s house,
I have made a small version of Wal-Mart. It is blue,
which I know is a mistake. There is Kanye West.
There is Donald Trump. There is Kim Kardashian,
who poisons the people. In Kanye’s house, I am floppy
like a chair. My emotions want to make me open things
that will never Google you. “A McDonald’s
is a building” is what my intestines want to say.
But Donald Trump wants me to tell you things
that do not make sense with my emotions.
I have the feeling I am being watched. I have the feeling
a liver is going to kick my lung off.
My baby and the alien are always jiggly.
Sometimes I think Kanye’s house is not Kanye’s house.
Other times, I yell in this terrible world
to make the apple pie not look like apple pie.

Nico 

The History of Food

– after William Blake’s “The Tyger”

Pizza, Pizza! Burning bright
In the oven, in my sight.
Who could possibly escape my eye?
Maybe you can eat some pie?

Hamburgers, Hamburgers! On the pan.
Maybe we should add some ham?
I want you to call brother Sam.
Don’t forget about sister Pam!

Bacon, Bacon! In the pot.
It might be cold, it might be hot.
Do not let the Bacon rot!
Or else I will break your robot.

Chicken, Chicken! In the stove.
I went to the store. My daddy drove.
We have a lot of leftover meat.
What should we do? Just eat!

Minsung

Soul and Life

My life is my soul.
If anybody wants to touch you, love.
Now, soul, come back. Oh, life, love.
Life and soul go together.
Make human life, soul and life.
Now this is the passage.
Life soul. Oh, life and soul.
Echo of life. Oh, soul, come back.
Everything has life. Oh, love. Oh, life.
Oh, affection, love. Oh, soul.

Suraj

Inside My Heart

– after Zoe Ryder White’s “Inside My Heart”

Inside my heart lives
one marshmallow on Broadway
two joyful dogs
three colorful roses
four brass parades
five beautiful constellations
six soaring butterflies and
sky-lighting fireflies

Grace

Welcome to Brainytown

Hello, peeps! I am your our guide. Let us start. First, we are going to start at Test Scores and end at Sister. Right now, you see an envelope that says Test Scores. It might be horrible, but we don’t know yet. Then we see my enemy, who has dark blond hair with a Westlake shirt. Then you see my worst food, which is called broccoli, with a bad, green afro. Now you see the sneakiest thing I have done, eating a brown Hershey chocolate candy bar. Now you see my face sobbing because my favorite camp is over. The camp is called Badgerdog. You can probably see that I hate to go on rollercoaster rides that make me have butterflies in my stomach. Now, let’s go on up to when I have a family and I’m grown up and have one girl kid. Now you see movies play; actually my favorite movies are Megamind and Inside Out. Right now, you see one of my special moments—when I was born, crying. Now you can see my favorite instrument: a piano with fifty-wo white keys and thirty-six black keys, which equals eighty-eight white and black keys. You now see my favorite food, cookies with chocolate chips. Now you see my favorite place, a home built of red bricks. Now you see a book titled Weird But True with a pink lizard on it. Now you see my second favorite food, ice cream; it’s my second favorite because sometimes it makes me throw. Now, on to my mom. She is the most special person to me. She has dark brown hair. Now moving on to my favorite camp, Badgerdog—it’s not when it ends, but when it starts. I hoped you enjoyed the Brainytown Tour.

Aairah

My Mother

– after Kenneth Koch’s “To You”

I love you like a
lovely diary holds secrets. I see you
like a pretty princess. You are
sweeter than a sour candy. You
are as funny as a laughing cow.
Your heart is as kind as an
open book. You are as helpful
as a duck helping a mouse.
You are as lucky as a
lucky duck. You are as bright
as a red rose. I love you.

Zoya

Oh, Food

Oh, Big World, chrysanthemum. Oh, fine tea.
Croissants’ odors are for good.
Oh, tofu. Oh, carrots.
Odor of cocktails. Oh, tomatoes. Oh, pork chops.
Oh, taro bait, fish will not like you.
Oh, taro bait, a three-year-old will keep you company.
Odor of cocktails, pork chops have come.
Shipping homes’ happiness is their full-time job.
Oh, pork chop, tea. Oh, chrysanthemum. Oh, Big World.

Bella

The Way the World Works

The way the world works is a curious thing.
A shiny gold token mixed with despair.

Oh, the good days. Oh, the bad days.
The way the world works as tokens mixed with despair.

I respect it and go against it,
for this is the way the world works.

The way the world works is
a hard thing to deal with.

The way the world works is
a peculiar thing indeed.

Mayla

The Purple Nation of Superheroes Named Nicky

Every camp session, before we dive into the wacky world of poetry, I ask my students, quite simply, “What is poetry?” I’ve gotten answers you’d expect—nods to the sometimes-rhyming nature of poems, distinctions based on length or line breaks, etc. But more and more, I’ve been met with answers such as “poetry is a bone in the throat” and “a poem is like a gust of wind.” And after chatting it out in class, we almost always come upon the conclusion that poetry (and story-telling, for that matter) can be whatever we want, whatever might leak out of our excited hearts / brains.

This group of third- and fourth-graders took that proclamation like a banner, and we ran through the days of summer camp. I became a repeating reel, issuing something like Lyn Hejinian’s motto: “But language is restless.” This selection from early in camp proves that assertion and demonstrates how vigorously these students have danced into the writing life. Parents and friends, I hope you’ll continue to push these talented young’uns to express themselves and share their creative attempts with the world. The work you are sure to lose yourself in here, whether happy or sad, whether real or made-up, was created with the spark of joy that can only come from the creation of the written word. I’ll step back now and allow you to enjoy their awesome stories and poems…

Tyler Gobble
Badgerdog Teaching Artist

Wasabi

I remember when I ate a glop of wasabi at Ichiban on my birthday. It was very, very spicy. I remember my friends and I daring each other to eat glop after glop of it. Hannah, Emma, Stella, and I all made crazy faces when we ate it. The wasabi was green and mushy, and so spicy it burned my nose! I do not like wasabi. Surprisingly, wasabi weighs nothing. In my opinion, I don’t like wasabi on anything!

Willa Walker

My Love to Wacky Monkeys

I love you as deep
As the water in the
Toilet bowl
My heart is as stale
As a sea monkey that
Ate super glue

The fire
In my body is
As hot
As
The sun

I will sail the seven seas like
The wind
Just to find food

Oh, you two

And when I find
You
My happiness will be
Like a monkey
That pooped a
Rainbow

Cove Kralich

I Remember How I Went to First Grade on Tuesdays

When I was in the first grade, my mom worked at UT. She taught Asian American Studies, and she had to teach at 8:00 a.m. My school also started at 8:00 a.m., so we had to get ready early.

When I wake up, I see my chest of drawers with my clock and my fairy statue on it, my pink walls, and my leaf curtains. I also see my nightstand and my lamp, too.

My mom would wake me up, and I would get dressed and go to the restroom. After I finished, I would go downstairs and eat breakfast in the kitchen. The kitchen table is round. It is also brown and has four legs.

I went to school in a white Lexus. We (me and my brother) went to school care. That’s is where you go if you are early and you play games. When it was time for school, we would go to school.

Sophie Leung-Lieu

Let Me Tell You What Is in My Heart

– after Zoe Ryder White

Inside my heart
One smart best friend
Two lovely pairs of high heels
Three goofy family members
Four dancing cats
Five gorgeous dresses
Six salad-filled pools
Seven singing mermaids
And a beautiful golden egg-laying swan

Aanika Nair

Inside My Heart

– after Zoe Ryder White

Inside my heart is one funny, silly mom.
And a best friend named Iris.
Inside my heart is a laughing family.
Inside my heart are loving animals that are funny and nice.
Inside my heart is one school that is interesting and cool and nice.
Inside my heart is a fun and cool treehouse.
Inside my heart is having playdates with best friends and just friends.
Inside my heart is a dancing, funny dad and sister.

Charlotte Cross

My Cat

My cat is like a gray pillow
lying in the sun,
still lying until it wakes up.
Stalking its prey. A mouse!
Looking for someone to love.
Sleep again. Oh, no!
I hate you, some
people say. But she
is my lovable cat.

Anais Moreno-John

My Crazy Cats

One of my cats has a hat and wears it
every day—Monday, Tuesday, etc. …

One of them plays my old guitar
One of my cats wishes on stars

My cats are here
My cats are there
My cats are everywhere

So finally I bought a dog
Now they all listen to me

Sai Potluri

Inside My World

– after Zoe Ryder White 

Inside my world is
One loving, loyal, caring mom
Two crazy cats named Ivy and Angel
Three brave, hilarious, and kind best friends
Four gigantic swimming pools of intense chocolate ice cream
Five adorable playing puppies
Six soft, fluffy, prancing kittens
Seven swirling, rushing water slides
Eight cotton candy-colored gorillas
Nine pixies painting portraits of themselves
Ten huge bags of candy
Eleven oceans of chocolate milk
Twelve cute beanie boos
Thirteen beautiful scented and bright candles
Fourteen lovely, calm, shiny horses
Fifteen descriptive books

Emily Menke

First Dog Makes a Dot

I remember when my mom brought home a miniature greyhound because her co-worker didn’t want him anymore. He was riding in the front seat, and his legs were really stiff. You would not believe how scared and stiff he was. He was so skinny, even skinnier than me. When my mom pulled in the driveway, she pulled up slowly. Ian, my brother, went out the door to meet her and the dog. We named him Dodger. He was two years old.

Now he is six years old, and he is still our dog. He looks like a Whippet. Dodger has one blue eye and one brown eye, and he has a cut below his eye.

One night, like two or three years ago, we were grilling pork chops, but we hadn’t eaten them. Dodger ate a pork chop. He left one on the counter and hid one. When we went to bed, Ian felt something cold under his thigh. He looked under his leg, and he found a pork chop. Dodger had hid one pork chop in Ian’s bed!

Eric Wetherold

I Remember When We Flew from Dallas to India

My family planned to go to India. First, we packed all our stuff in fourteen suitcases. Then, from Austin, we drove three hours to the Dallas airport. From there, we did our security check and went through immigration. After that, checked six suitcases, and the rest were carry-on. Then we waited for our flight to come.

After it came, we waited inside for thirty minutes. Then there was a taxi. It was an international flight, so we could watch movies or shows. The flight was sixteen hours. At first, I was scared when the plane took off, but then I was okay. When the plane was in the air, I got to watch movies. I watched a movie, then slept. When I woke, I had to eat. After I ate, I watched shows the rest of the time, but my parents and brother were sleeping.

When the flight was landing, everyone woke up. We looked at the camera to see how it was landing. When it landed, everyone got off. We were not in India. It took another four-hour flight to reach India. You had to do the same thing all over again.

Aryav Sanjeev

Dad

I love you like a dad should be loved.
You serve our country.
You help our state.
I love you as a friend.
You help with the chickens.
You help in general.
You help as much as you can.
I love you like an awesome dad.
You clean with me.
You help with my homework.
You laugh with me.
And that is why I love you, Dad.

Elyna Brackin

Captain Cat

I thought this would be a good story to tell you. It is about a cat who is a captain. You know a captain is the one who leads a ship. Well, yes, but this captain is a captain cat.

The captain’s mates follow and respect the captain. The captain isn’t strict or mean, but nice. Well, that is one good clue about the captain. Let’s find some more nice clues about the captain.

The captain has a red coat and a blue hat with an anchor. He has three five-level mates and six ten-level mates that wear white polo shirts and black hats with anchors. He has two captain pet seahorses that are pink.

The ship sails across the seven seas until they crash. But then one of the mates fixes the ship.

Maggie Wright

Sadness

Something drips down her face.
It is a tear.
She is crying.
Wait!
Where is she?
She is in the woods.
What?!
How do I know?!
Her eyes.
They glisten.
They reflect
Oh…
She is alone.
And she is sad.

Maya Starkloff

Inside My Heart

 – after Zoe Ryder White

Inside my heart is
One kind, loving mom
Two houses made of candy
Three glowing, sparkling, shining stars
Four books about ballet
Five dreams about volcanoes
Six cute and furry cats
Seven caring family members
Eight origami cranes that fly
Nine magic tricks and
A sea full of shimmering shells

Hyein Choi

To Infinity and Beyond

This week’s Unbound selection coincides with a particularly bittersweet movement in history’s sweeping composition. Since the beginning of time, we have looked up at the sky, hoping to find answers in its vast depths. Myths and religions have formed around our world’s “rooftop,” and if the stars have not exactly offered concrete truths, they have certainly been the mother of human imagination. With the Space Race of the 1960s, we  touched infinity. Rockets and shuttles burst through the limits of the known world, and our dreams grew taller. Then, on July 8 of this year, America launched its final shuttle mission, ending an era of space exploration. Political and economic motivations for this decision abound, of course relating to necessary, human concerns. Yet this prose piece by Badgerdog writer J. J. proves that our dark romance has not come to an end. Space, and its appealingly inhuman qualities, continues to enthrall and amaze us. Looking up, we can almost see everything. Congratulations on your great work, J. J.!

Space

—inspired by Anselm Kiefer’s Sternenfall (Falling Stars) at the Blanton Museum of Art

I think space is scary and awesome because we do not know very much about space, and what if there was life in another galaxy living with us? It is awesome because there’s a lot to learn in the world and a lot that can happen. I would like to learn more about the solar system and more about new kinds of science. I would like to use a rocket to see how many different galaxies there are.  I see numbers on glass. I see it is big, about twenty feet tall. I see bumps in the universe.

J. J., fourth grade, Badgerdog Creative Writing Summer Camp at the Austin Waldorf School