Spies are Scared of Turtles
Current Issue: Winter 2017
Showing posts with label Fall 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fall 2014. Show all posts
Welcome to The Circuit!
Welcome to 826michigan’s newest publication, The Circuit. Each workshop season, we publish outstanding pieces of student writing through this electronic quarterly. In our first autumnal installment, we readers travel paths to previously unexplored loops of the imagination: we go inside the thoughts and feelings of colors, we read the ponderings of a cat through a series of Tweets, we travel through time to the 1860s, and we bounce back again to our familiar (although new and vibrant) surroundings of trees, cold, snow, and ice. Read on and circle back next season to enjoy more excellent stories, poems, and musings as they are posted in line with the release of each new workshop schedule.
New to 826michigan programs? Check out our schedule of free creative writing workshops for students ages 6-18 here on our website. All workshops are free and open to the public, although some require pre-registration. Our website offers more information about all of our programs for young people in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit -- we look forward to seeing you at our next workshop. In the meantime, let the current of this issue of The Circuit carry you away and back again.
New to 826michigan programs? Check out our schedule of free creative writing workshops for students ages 6-18 here on our website. All workshops are free and open to the public, although some require pre-registration. Our website offers more information about all of our programs for young people in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit -- we look forward to seeing you at our next workshop. In the meantime, let the current of this issue of The Circuit carry you away and back again.
Diary of a Bat
By: Maia Sears, 10
Dear diary,
This morning, I woke up upside-down. My parents woke me up so that I wouldn’t be late for flying practice. If I slept in late, then my mom wouldn’t be happy. While I was stretching (upside-down), I stretched out and accidentally fell on top of my mom while she was waking up the rest of my family. (FYI, my flying practice is seven hours long!) That is probably why Mom doesn’t get me a rock for me to ride on.
When I got to the cave for flying practice, I suddenly remembered that I didn’t have a single fly! Or grasshopper! I tried telling my coach that I didn’t have any piece of food. But, of course, he was too busy teaching how to dive.
Dear diary,
This morning, I woke up upside-down. My parents woke me up so that I wouldn’t be late for flying practice. If I slept in late, then my mom wouldn’t be happy. While I was stretching (upside-down), I stretched out and accidentally fell on top of my mom while she was waking up the rest of my family. (FYI, my flying practice is seven hours long!) That is probably why Mom doesn’t get me a rock for me to ride on.
When I got to the cave for flying practice, I suddenly remembered that I didn’t have a single fly! Or grasshopper! I tried telling my coach that I didn’t have any piece of food. But, of course, he was too busy teaching how to dive.
The Snowball Fight
By: Addison Perry, 8
The white glowing snow hit my elbow
Boom!
It tasted like peppermint snow
When I made another snowball it looked white and sparkly
It looked so white and sparkly,
It was as white as a snow leopard and as sparkly as a diamond
The white glowing snow hit my elbow
Boom!
It tasted like peppermint snow
When I made another snowball it looked white and sparkly
It looked so white and sparkly,
It was as white as a snow leopard and as sparkly as a diamond
What If?
By: Meredith Fischer, 8
What if that glistening snow, glazed across town, was blue?
What if every cold heart didn’t turn true?
What if the smell of peppermint turned into flowers?
What if there were no snow showers?
What if the taste of wet snow tasted like shrimp?
What if there were no Grinches?
What if every snowball turned to a marshmallow? Answer me.
What if that glistening snow, glazed across town, was blue?
What if every cold heart didn’t turn true?
What if the smell of peppermint turned into flowers?
What if there were no snow showers?
What if the taste of wet snow tasted like shrimp?
What if there were no Grinches?
What if every snowball turned to a marshmallow? Answer me.
Excerpt from "Clara the Brave"
By: Alex VanLaven, 10
That night, in the middle of the night, Clara snuck into her older brother’s room.
“Henry,” she whispered, “can I come with you?” She wanted to help President Lincoln and the Union too. She had never wanted to live a “woman’s life,” and even a little amount of time away would be fine with her.
“That’s illegal!” Henry gasped. “Why?”
“I want to help the Union,” she urged, “and I don’t want to spend my whole life cooking and sewing. It’ll be fun. I can change my name to Charles!”
“Fine, oh fine,” Henry said. “You can borrow some of my slightly smaller clothes to wear on the way there. When I leave, I’ll go around to the back, and you can come with me.”
That night, in the middle of the night, Clara snuck into her older brother’s room.
“Henry,” she whispered, “can I come with you?” She wanted to help President Lincoln and the Union too. She had never wanted to live a “woman’s life,” and even a little amount of time away would be fine with her.
“That’s illegal!” Henry gasped. “Why?”
“I want to help the Union,” she urged, “and I don’t want to spend my whole life cooking and sewing. It’ll be fun. I can change my name to Charles!”
“Fine, oh fine,” Henry said. “You can borrow some of my slightly smaller clothes to wear on the way there. When I leave, I’ll go around to the back, and you can come with me.”
Excerpt from "The Witchdoctor’s Daughter"
By: Emma Hutchinson, 13
Knock! Knock! Knock! I rapped the redwood door. A familiar man stood in front of me.
“What you want?” he snarled.
“Your brother sent me from down the road,” I explained. “He said you would be able to give me a room for five shillings.”
“Did he now?” he sneered. “Oh, alright. You can have the barn for one shilling.”
“Thank you, kind sir.”
“Follow me,” he suggested as he walked past me to the side of the house. “You coming?” he asked, looking back and seeing me still standing there.
“Oh. Yes.” I stopped staring into space and followed the elderly man to the barn.
“Here you all are.” He paused, showing us the “cozy” barn. “Breakfast is at five o’clock. If you’re late, no food.”
“Thank you.” I thanked the man once again.
“What you want?” he snarled.
“Your brother sent me from down the road,” I explained. “He said you would be able to give me a room for five shillings.”
“Did he now?” he sneered. “Oh, alright. You can have the barn for one shilling.”
“Thank you, kind sir.”
“Follow me,” he suggested as he walked past me to the side of the house. “You coming?” he asked, looking back and seeing me still standing there.
“Oh. Yes.” I stopped staring into space and followed the elderly man to the barn.
“Here you all are.” He paused, showing us the “cozy” barn. “Breakfast is at five o’clock. If you’re late, no food.”
“Thank you.” I thanked the man once again.
Mr. Mushroomface’s Brother
By: Jude Sears, 10
When Mr. Mushroomface landed on Mars, his nose was filled with the strong scent of a cherry bush that was full of ripened cherries. He knew he was on Mars because he saw giant ice mountains the size of Mt. Everest. They reminded him of “3-D teepees.” Then he found a martian that looked like his long-lost brother. He went up to him and said, “Brother! I’ve found you! Come back to the spaceship with me!” But the martian spoke in a martian language, which Mr. Mushroomface could not understand, and his eyes turned red. This was not Mr. Mushroomface’s brother. Mr. Mushroomface started to run away. The martian, who couldn’t run that fast, sent a giant moonsoon cloud to chase after him because the cloud could move fast. The moonsoon hurled grey meteor-sized moon rocks onto Mr. Mushroomface. The rocks ripped his spacesuit, so he had to get a new one.
When Mr. Mushroomface landed on Mars, his nose was filled with the strong scent of a cherry bush that was full of ripened cherries. He knew he was on Mars because he saw giant ice mountains the size of Mt. Everest. They reminded him of “3-D teepees.” Then he found a martian that looked like his long-lost brother. He went up to him and said, “Brother! I’ve found you! Come back to the spaceship with me!” But the martian spoke in a martian language, which Mr. Mushroomface could not understand, and his eyes turned red. This was not Mr. Mushroomface’s brother. Mr. Mushroomface started to run away. The martian, who couldn’t run that fast, sent a giant moonsoon cloud to chase after him because the cloud could move fast. The moonsoon hurled grey meteor-sized moon rocks onto Mr. Mushroomface. The rocks ripped his spacesuit, so he had to get a new one.
Dear Trees
By: Sam Koliner, 8
Dear Trees,
Dear Trees,
Thank you for giving me paper to draw, to make paper airplanes, to make tables, shelves, and chairs.
Sincerely,
Sam
Untitled
By: Marisa Redding, 11
Swans glide along the
lake, necks held high, quite self
assured and very proud.
Swans glide along the
lake, necks held high, quite self
assured and very proud.
Cold
By: Zoe Buhalis, 11
The winter is cold, but so are you.
The summer is hot, and so you are not.
My love is strong and yours isn’t long.
The winter is cold, but so are you.
The summer is hot, and so you are not.
My love is strong and yours isn’t long.
I wish you hadn’t left.
Relaxation
By: Alex VanLaven, 10
Right now it’s time to be calm.
Everything is as it should be,
Late night snowfall out the window
As a blazing hearth roars.
Existing is a pleasure
And soon it will be gone.
Try to enjoy it,
Into the cold night,
On and on,
Right now it’s time to be calm.
Everything is as it should be,
Late night snowfall out the window
As a blazing hearth roars.
Existing is a pleasure
And soon it will be gone.
Try to enjoy it,
Into the cold night,
On and on,
Nevermore.
Jackets
By: Leela Zirinsky, 11
Just warm
Actually not too tight!
Cool winds can’t get in.
Keen eyesight through the blizzard.
Easy to zip.
Together in everything.
Some snow we have!
Just warm
Actually not too tight!
Cool winds can’t get in.
Keen eyesight through the blizzard.
Easy to zip.
Together in everything.
Some snow we have!
Tickle Me Pink
By: Evelyn Carroll, 10
Tickle Me Pink is very allergic to tickles. Whenever someone tickles her, she turns pink, which is where her name comes from. A lot of kids in Tickle Me Pink’s class tease her because of her name, but the worst person to be teased by is Screamin’ Green. It is hard to be teased by Screamin’ Green because he always screams so that everyone can hear the mean things he is saying and Tickle Me Pink gets humiliated. The strange thing is that no teachers ever seem to hear Screamin’ Green scream.
One day, after being tickled until she turned radical red, Tickle Me Pink decided that she needed to do something about this. She walked up to the nicest person she knew. This was Sunglow. Sunglow was nice to the meanest of people and loved to help.
“Sunglow,” said Tickle Me Pink, “what do you do when you’re bullied?” “You tell an adult,” Sunglow responded. The next day at school, before Screamin’ Green and his friend Laser Lemon could approach her, Tickle Me Pink walked to her teacher Mrs. Mahogany.
Tickle Me Pink is very allergic to tickles. Whenever someone tickles her, she turns pink, which is where her name comes from. A lot of kids in Tickle Me Pink’s class tease her because of her name, but the worst person to be teased by is Screamin’ Green. It is hard to be teased by Screamin’ Green because he always screams so that everyone can hear the mean things he is saying and Tickle Me Pink gets humiliated. The strange thing is that no teachers ever seem to hear Screamin’ Green scream.
One day, after being tickled until she turned radical red, Tickle Me Pink decided that she needed to do something about this. She walked up to the nicest person she knew. This was Sunglow. Sunglow was nice to the meanest of people and loved to help.
“Sunglow,” said Tickle Me Pink, “what do you do when you’re bullied?” “You tell an adult,” Sunglow responded. The next day at school, before Screamin’ Green and his friend Laser Lemon could approach her, Tickle Me Pink walked to her teacher Mrs. Mahogany.
Magic Mint
By: Evelyn Carroll, 10
Magic Mint is six years old and was born on Easter. She has two twin brothers who are both twelve years old and a dog. Her brothers' names are Gray and Timberwolf. Her dog’s name is Fuzzy Wuzzy. If Magic Mint could do anything in the world, she would travel to Hawaii. Her favorite season is spring because that is when the flowers grow. Magic Mint’s closest friends are Razzle Dazzle Rose, Purple Pizzazz, and Tickle Me Pink. She sounds like the ocean waves crashing on beach and smells like the salt in oceans. Magic Mint is very brave, but deathly afraid of rats. She keeps her secrets in a waterproof, fireproof, bulletproof, brotherproof locked box that she buried in the backyard.
Piggy Pink
By: Amelia Bertrand, 9
Her shape is an oval. Her friends are Copper and Electric Lime. Piggy Pink’s favorite game is to play pig tag with pigs around her. Piggy Pink is really good at drawing pigs. Piggy Pink likes to eat cupcakes with flamingo pink frosting and mulberry sprinkles. Her favorite song is “Jazzberry Jam” because she wrote it herself. Piggy Pink is afraid of big fuzzy pink and plum monsters. For Piggy Pink’s birthday, she wants a very pretty pink computer that has ten gold stars on the front, back, and both sides. Piggy Pink goes to Haisley Elementary School. Piggy Pink’s mom is Plum and her dad is Raw Brown. She has two brothers whose names are Laser Lemon and Sea Green. Piggy Pink knows that she has to be invisible to spy on her friends, teachers, and family members. One day she went into her laboratory and she made a drink made of lemon silly spray and a piece of fur from a white kitten. Piggy Pink drank it and in fourteen seconds she turned invisible. The first thing Piggy Pink was going to do was spy on her mom. She walked over to her parents and heard them talking about her. She listened hard to figure out what they were saying. “I had a conference with Piggy Pink’s teacher, Mrs. Tumbleweed,” said Plum to Raw Brown. “She said Piggy Pink disappeared in class right before class was over.” “Wow, that’s weird,” Raw Brown replied. “Oh no!” said Piggy Pink. “They found out, hopefully they don’t talk to me about it.” Piggy Pink stopped spying on her parents so she would not get too scared. So she decided to spy on her friend Copper and have a playdate with Electric Lime.
Her shape is an oval. Her friends are Copper and Electric Lime. Piggy Pink’s favorite game is to play pig tag with pigs around her. Piggy Pink is really good at drawing pigs. Piggy Pink likes to eat cupcakes with flamingo pink frosting and mulberry sprinkles. Her favorite song is “Jazzberry Jam” because she wrote it herself. Piggy Pink is afraid of big fuzzy pink and plum monsters. For Piggy Pink’s birthday, she wants a very pretty pink computer that has ten gold stars on the front, back, and both sides. Piggy Pink goes to Haisley Elementary School. Piggy Pink’s mom is Plum and her dad is Raw Brown. She has two brothers whose names are Laser Lemon and Sea Green. Piggy Pink knows that she has to be invisible to spy on her friends, teachers, and family members. One day she went into her laboratory and she made a drink made of lemon silly spray and a piece of fur from a white kitten. Piggy Pink drank it and in fourteen seconds she turned invisible. The first thing Piggy Pink was going to do was spy on her mom. She walked over to her parents and heard them talking about her. She listened hard to figure out what they were saying. “I had a conference with Piggy Pink’s teacher, Mrs. Tumbleweed,” said Plum to Raw Brown. “She said Piggy Pink disappeared in class right before class was over.” “Wow, that’s weird,” Raw Brown replied. “Oh no!” said Piggy Pink. “They found out, hopefully they don’t talk to me about it.” Piggy Pink stopped spying on her parents so she would not get too scared. So she decided to spy on her friend Copper and have a playdate with Electric Lime.
Black Shadow
By: Jonah Hutchinson, 9
Black Shadow is nine years old. He is friends with Outer Space. His favorite sport is speedball. Black Shadow’s favorite drink is blackberry grape juice. His favorite season is winter because it has shorter days. Black Shadow has 500 brothers and 110 sisters. Black Shadow and Outer Space love going to the office together. They love to pull pranks on people. Black Shadow’s other friends are Silver, Timberwolf, Midnight Blue, and Eggplant. They all love spiders.
Black Shadow is nine years old. He is friends with Outer Space. His favorite sport is speedball. Black Shadow’s favorite drink is blackberry grape juice. His favorite season is winter because it has shorter days. Black Shadow has 500 brothers and 110 sisters. Black Shadow and Outer Space love going to the office together. They love to pull pranks on people. Black Shadow’s other friends are Silver, Timberwolf, Midnight Blue, and Eggplant. They all love spiders.
You Could Fumble the Ball
By: Ava Perry, 9
The wide-receiver gets the ball the most.
And the linebacker blocks the quarterback so that the quarterback doesn’t get sucked in or injured.
When you get tackled you could fumble the ball and you can’t pay attention to the score because you have to get the ball.
And when you fumble the ball it makes you feel defeated.
The wide-receiver gets the ball the most.
And the linebacker blocks the quarterback so that the quarterback doesn’t get sucked in or injured.
When you get tackled you could fumble the ball and you can’t pay attention to the score because you have to get the ball.
And when you fumble the ball it makes you feel defeated.
Tree Poem
By: Simone Perry
The oldest tree living is three- 0r four-thousand years old.
Some grow as high as a forty-story skyscraper.
Trees can be studied in every season, and they should be.
I think when trees are really old, they get gray and dry
and they slouch over a bit.
Trees are studied in fall, winter, spring, and summer.
I would study a tree in winter because
I would like to see how they live, how they stay warm.
How trees grow: I think the roots are pushing the tree trunk upward.
The oldest tree living is three- 0r four-thousand years old.
Some grow as high as a forty-story skyscraper.
Trees can be studied in every season, and they should be.
I think when trees are really old, they get gray and dry
and they slouch over a bit.
Trees are studied in fall, winter, spring, and summer.
I would study a tree in winter because
I would like to see how they live, how they stay warm.
How trees grow: I think the roots are pushing the tree trunk upward.
The School Bus Problem
By: Leila Durrie, 7
Oink! Lilly always visited the pigs before bed. She lived on a farm. She loved her pigs so much. Lilly went to the house and then she went to bed. The next day she woke up and got ready for school. When she was ready she got on the school bus. She rode for a while and suddenly the bus hit a bump. The bus stopped. The bus driver said, “Stay calm, everybody.” The kids waited and waited until the mechanic came. The bus got fixed and Lilly got to school. The End.
Oink! Lilly always visited the pigs before bed. She lived on a farm. She loved her pigs so much. Lilly went to the house and then she went to bed. The next day she woke up and got ready for school. When she was ready she got on the school bus. She rode for a while and suddenly the bus hit a bump. The bus stopped. The bus driver said, “Stay calm, everybody.” The kids waited and waited until the mechanic came. The bus got fixed and Lilly got to school. The End.
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