Ode to a Waterfall

Meredith Fischer, Age 8
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School


Falling
It has no lungs, but has a mighty roar
It never moves, but always runs
Always crashes, but can’t get hurt

Fork

Ryan Wang, Age 9
Lakewood Elementary

BAM! A glob of yellow stuff. BAM! A bunch of stringy things. As you can guess, I am a fork. Yes, a fork. Do I have to repeat it one hundred times? The most fun thing I can do is remember what food is which. The first one was mac and cheese. The second one was noodles. The third one, you get the point. After I’m done being pushed into food, I get put in the sink. Then I get put in the dryer. It is not as fun as it sounds. Imagine this, you get put in this box and get hit by high-powered water. Then, you get thrown in another box that is 400 degrees Celsius. Then you get hit by air at -100 degrees Celsius. Exaggerating, am I? Well I can’t be called the exaggeration master and not exaggerate can I? Oh, you never heard? Well that’s because you humans don’t hear anything. Silverware are much more intelligent. Even, look who’s talking. You humans exaggerate a million times a day. My point? If your kind is so smart, then figure it out yourself.

My Room

Ewan Lemens, Age 8
Eberwhite Elementary


In the future I will be all grown up. I will be visiting my parents. I will look in my room. It might change. It might look the same. It might be a completely different room. It might be a different color, maybe my Cub Scout uniform will be gone. Maybe it might smell different or feel different. It might have totally changed. But when that actually happens in the future then I’ll know.

The Blind Hand Sanitizer

Alexander Zheng, Age 9
Lakewood Elementary


“Why do you make me just to kill the germs on your hand?”

“Why don’t you make armor for me because I keep drying out?”

“Why are your hands so dirty all the time?”

“Why can’t you use a sword to do it yourself?

“Why do I keep saying the word why?”

“I’m blind so is anybody out there?”

“Do I have to be in a plastic jar, not a metal jar?”

“Can you stop using me, for real STOP using me!”

“I am old and rusty (well, not really rusty).”

How to Be Kind to Cupcakes

Karter Tamblyn, Age 8
Ann Arbor Learning Center

Once upon a time there lived a girl. Her name was Hannah. One day, Hannah ate a cupcake. Hannah then went to jail, because she broke the rules of no eating cupcakes.

1. Bake them
2. Put frosting on them
3. Put sprinkles on them
4. Don’t eat them
5. Say hello
6. Keep them
7. Don’t touch them
8. Say goodnight to them
9. If you eat the cupcakes, other cupcakes will attack you.
10. Never let Hannah eat another cupcake in her life. “You can’t eat me, I’m living!!”

How to Find a Caterpillar

Callia Brown, Age 7
Indian Springs Elementary

I was outside playing in the backyard, and I went inside. I took my eyedrops, and I went upstairs in my room and I thought it was mud, but it was a caterpillar on my shirt.

How to Hit a Baseball

Louis Ortiz, Age 7
Michigan School For The Deaf


You will need:

• Bat
• Baseball
• Catcher and team

How to Hit a Baseball

• Stand by plate
• Grab bat with two hands
• Look at the pitcher
• Wait for ball
• Swing at fastball
• Hit ball really far
• Score a homerun

Island Unknown!

Camille Hu, Age 11
King Elementary


All Odysseus had seen for weeks was water -- miles and miles of water stretched across the world. Odysseus had grown tired of seeing water; so much water would make any man go mad. He slowly closed his eyes as drowsiness took over. “Stop,” he murmured to himself. He had to stay awake. With his eyes wide open, he dreamed of tall mountain peaks, vast forest, and smooth hills. Yet he wasn’t dreaming. He was seeing land. Odysseus blinked twice to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. For the first time in weeks, Odysseus smiled.

Odysseus could see the tall peaks of the mountains rising up to the sky. The rolling hills rolled over the Earth, squeezing the ground. Yet even as Odysseus looked farther, he could see the large stretches of plains. As the anchor was let down, Odysseus walked aboard the island with nothing but his head held high and a bundle of confidence. He started walking; step after step morning came. And that’s when the first living creature came into view. Right as he saw it, he knew he was not mistaken by its beauty. Its long, auburn hair was braided in a side braid with green scales glistening in the morning sunlight. Odysseus knew this was a siren. Sirens were mermaid-like creatures that lured sailors in with their voices. Trying not to be seen, Odysseus crept along the bank of the small lake and carefully dove into the water. It was cool and squished beneath his feet. As quiet as a mouse, he dove in and swam to the island inside of the lake. Once he got there, he saw a man. A man who looked like he could age no more. “Help me get out of this island,” the man whispered. His voice cackled with age. “On one condition, you help me get out of this island.”

“I can try,” the man replied, “This prison is my home,” he whispered again. Odysseus took the man’s hand and together they crept into the lake and everything was going well, until the sirens started singing.

“You have to fight their voices!” Odysseus screamed to the man. They both dove underwater to block out the sound. Reluctantly, it worked. And as they got aboard their ship, they sailed into the unknown.

The Adventure of Awesomeness!

Maia Sears, Age 10
Fortis Academy


One day, a little boy named Odysseus wanted to go an an amazing trip to a land that had lots of cheesecake. He loved cheesecake a lot. As a kid, he always went to a restaurant called the Cheesecake Factory. Then, as he got older, in 1918, he went to a place that nobody else knew about. He and his friends all found an abandoned boat at the bottom of the sea. They all fixed and approved it. Then they all travelled to an amazing place that they found on the Internet. They thought about how amazing it would be to go on a boat trip all the way to an amazing place that no one knew about. Then, the next day, they travelled to the mysterious place. When they arrived at land, they all noticed a strange smell of cheesecake. They knew it was not normal. So, when they got out of the boat, they saw cheesecake and other people. They were very disappointed to see other humans there.

My “Success” Story

Calvin Sears, Age 13
Fortis Academy


Michigonia is in ruin. The Hue Ron River has dried up, and all the people who live here are feeling the heat. Literally. Our resident wizard Reynaldo up and left, so it’s up to me to find out where this noodlehead went.

I decide to turn left down the dry riverbank. As I make my way, clad in armor and carrying whatever junk Reynaldo left behind, I kill a grey sheep for giving me a dirty look. I clean up the wooly mess and arrive at a desert temple, which actually happens to be Reynaldo’s house. He left a note:

“Went to go find out about the water” --R

I venture about his humble… prayer temple, stealing goods and killing sheep, when I see a ladder leading downwards to a dark and ominous room. Normally, I don’t trust ladders, as I was once friends with a ladder who was a wild gossip. But, I climb down and I see a strange portal, the kind you hear about in legends or myths or hallucinations. Once I enter, I venture across a sandstone-and-glass path Reynaldo crafted, and it’s ONE BLOCK WIDE. It’s also hovering over a lake of boiling lava. Thanks, Ray.

A ghost floats out from the lava. I attempt to communicate by sign language, even though I can only make squares. It shoots a nasty fireball at me, the path explodes, and I die. I decide to nickname him Reynaldo.

I re-enter the portal a second time, and Reynaldo kills me once more. We probably have a blood feud going back millennia. Or not.

I try a third time, and face death by Reynaldo. Again.

Fourth time, a zombie pigman kills me. His name shall be Reynaldo.

Fifth time, I fall in lava. This lava lake will be called Lake Aldo.

I found a ladder in the Netherworld and climbed it, finding a chest containing two glowing books, called “HAH HAH” and “DANGER.” I learn, through my reading, that a man called winter-- or, a demigod, rather-- stole Reynaldo’s magic equipment and scattered it around. Thanks a lot.

I also find a thing called “Essence of Blueness.” Perhaps Saleswoman Victoria sells it at the knick-knack stand.

I fall in lava twice.

I decide to use the Essence of Blueness and now I find myself mildly depressed and craving a Chipotle lunch. One question I have: What is Chipotle?

After my depression subsides, I decide to hunt for the Essences of Moisture and Coldness, which I know now are needed, along with the Essence of Blueness, in order to get the river to come back to our land.

I try to burn up monsters with the Wood of Lava, but I have learned that magic fails its user in the Dark World of the Nether. As I creep into Reynaldo’s hut to access the portal once more, I notice a skeleton shooting at me from afar. Paranoid that someone sent him after me, I duck into his hut and ran into the portal. I take charge of my surroundings and 

Reynaldo the Pigman into Lake Aldo and run for my life.

Still panicked by the skeleton attack, I run as quickly as I can, finding chests along the way. Contained inside were the Essences of Coldness and Moisture. Overjoyed by my findings, I use my favorite spell, Domus Dolcis Domus, to teleport to my home.

I activate all the Essences I found, and become insensitive to suffering and ready for high-altitude baking. I activate the Wellspring Wand and begin returning water to the riverbank, washing away sediments and discovering golden ore, which shall help our village prosper for eons to come.

Squids decide to freeload in our river, but I make short work of them with my fabulous archery skills.

All was well in our kingdom except one thing… Where is Reynaldo?*

*the wizard, not the ghost

~FIN!

Leaving Home

Jeffry Lock, Age 15
Skyline High School


As I rose from my red bed on the morning of May 21st, I felt a sense of wanderlust.

I opened my small, wooden chest and donned the armor inside. The armor would protect me from zombie pigmen and skeletons.

To save my people from the terrible drought that was happening, I had to follow the river bed. Randomly, I decided to go right.

After dying dramatically in an attempt to climb the mountain I found, I used my ice block wand to protect me.

Finally, I succeeded in climbing the mountain, but then decided to backtrack. I began to wander.

As I wandered, I found several caves, but dared not enter. Instead of playing the hero, I wiled away the hours by practicing my swordsmanship on sheep. Now, I venture south.

Wanderlust has always affected me greatly. I never wanted to stay in that dinky little town.

In the newly-christened “Desert of Steveosity,” I met the shrub of my dreams. Their name is Carlotta. We built a beautiful dark oak house together.

One day, while adventuring without Carlotta, I came across a baby stronghold. From the stronghold, I pilfered many iron bars.

Now, I live in peace.

Mission

Madhav Sivadasan, Age 8
Lawton Elementary


“Wake up, Frank,” Andrew called. Andrew was a pig, and Frank was a snail. Andrew could fly and Frank could talk. They were going on their first mission. Frank and Andrew went to Uranus. Aaah! There were space aliens. They heard Andrew and Frank. Andrew flew back to the NASA rocket. Frank took his time, because he was small and microscopic. They were getting late. A hologram of Elizabeth (their owner) told them to hurry. They flew back to Earth and went to New York. And they went to their cages on 4287 Main St. They said hello to Steve, Elizabeth’s brother. Elizabeth’s mother, Martha, pet both of them. Now they were considered an important part of a huge family. Frank and Andrew felt nervous and relieved. They saw aliens and rocks coming straight toward Uranus. They told this all to the family.

My Future Self (2020)

Jude Sears, Age 8

Fortis Academy


Once, there was a man in a mech. He lives in the future. He wants to help people in the past. Every day, he takes his notebook and his 3-D pen. He writes about the future and throws his notebook and pen into the past. The people wonder whose journal it is.

How to Survive a Fighting Poodle

Fern Murray, Age 7
Logan Elementary


First, you are walking in the dog park for no reason at all, and then a poodle for no reason at all jumps at you.

Then, you take out a sword that you have randomly. Then, take all the fur off so the poodle is naked. It will hide but it won’t hurt it.

Next, you turn around but there’s tons of green poodles with one eye!!! Then you sing and they are happy. Then you go home, but when you get to your house there are bulldogs on the roof.

Last, they jump down and you put them in a tree.

If the bulldogs get down, take them to the pound.

How to Survive Running Away Then Living in the Forest

Zalie Burnstein, Age 7
Angell Elementary


First, you find long sticks and make a little tent out of sticks then make a fire with extra twigs.

Then, you look around and find some berries for food and some seeds then cook them in a fire.

Next, you find a lot of leaves and make them into a blanket, and clothes, a bed, and a pillow.

Last, make sure the bed, pillow, and blanket are comfortable and go to sleep.

If a bear wakes you up, you sing it a lullaby. Then the bear goes to sleep and you go to bed.

How to Survive Having a Hamburger House

Saoirse Papp, Age 7
Angell Elementary


First, you would go to school to learn lots of science.

Then, you would mix up a potion in a spray bottle and spray it on your hamburger house to keep it from rotting.

Next, you would carve doors and windows and maybe some plates with a butter knife.

Last, you would go out and buy a bed and forks and pens and pencils and notepad and write what else you had to get.

If you don’t have enough money to buy these things, then you could get a part-time job. If that doesn’t earn enough money then you could get a full-time job.

The Adventure Including Waffles

Isabella Whelan, Age 9
Logan Elementary


“Wait, how did Mr. Tarancrodile start chasing you anyway?” said Ms. Dewey through a mouthful of waffles.

“Well, I was just eating mold in the water, when the tarancrocodile said, 'It’s all your fault!' I ask what is all my fault and he replied, 'Last night you came over to toast some mold in my toaster, but you never took it home and now my toast is all moldy,' and then he starts chasing me!" answered Harry, stuffing another waffle into his mouth.

“Why did you ask me to run with you?” asked Ms. Dewey. 

“Because of Tarancrodile, I never finished my breakfast, and I saw that you had some waffles,” answered Harry through yet another mouthful of waffles. Just then, Dewey and Harry fell into a magic puddle spilling waffles everywhere. Shwoooopashhhhh! Dewey and Harry turned into buckets -- not just buckets -- buckets of waffles!

“I think we lost him,” observed Harry. They lived the rest of their lives happily by being played with by the beach making children happy! They never knew that Tarancrodile wanted revenge…

A Robot’s Christmas

Meredith Fischer, Age 8
St. Thomas the Apostle


Chapter 1: Ice Cream Wonder

Robots love ice cream! Their houses are simply just huge ice cream cones, and they suffer being as cold as ice cream in their houses! Instead of snowflakes, it snows mint ice cream and when it rains, it is just melted ice cream. All they eat is ice cream. The most popular flavor is strawberry!

Chapter 2: The Unusual Robot

Tom was as usual as all the other folks in Robotville. His diary: eat ice cream, eat strawberry ice cream, and eat even more strawberry ice cream! One day, Tom changed his schedule. He decided to eat the most hated flavor, vanilla. He had to go on a long trip to get this unique ice cream.

Chapter 3: Africa’s Journey

The closest way to get vanilla was Africa. He went by plane and got the tropical beans! He made vanilla ice cream and loved it! He wanted to bring it to Robotville! So he did. It was the most phenomenal, significant flavor and everyone ate it! Strawberry, though, was forgotten… who will bring it back?


The end!

Ziggy The Cat

Eloise Cras, Age 7
Thurston Elementary


Once, I was in bed and I heard a grrrr prrrrr brrrrr trrrr crrrrrrrr. Then, my sisters Brittney, Bella, and Ella came. They said, “What’s that noise?” I thought hard, really hard.
Then I said, “Let’s tell Mom, she can do something.”

“Then let’s go tell her.”

“What are we waiting for?”

Then we went to our mom’s room. When we explained everything. Our mom went to see what it was. She said it’s only Ziggy the cat. Then we heard clang, clang, clang.

Our mom went to see what was happening. “It’s only Ziggy--he’s fixing the toaster.”

“Tell him to stop.”

“Okay.”

Then, KABOOM SWOSH SHOS!

“We’re in space.”

“I wanna go home! Home to EARTH. Yes, yes, yes, Earth.”

The Loud Library and The Louder Airport

Qistina Adzni, Age 8
Angell Elementary


There once was a library next to an airport. A loud library. There was lots of shhhhs and zooms. Everyday, everyone who came to the library was annoyed of the loud sounds.

One day, an inspector came and said, “I will shut down your library if you don’t keep your library quiet!”

“Shhhhh!” Everybody yelled back. Suddenly, a VRROOOM and a WHOOOSH went by. Then the inspector stomped away stomp! stomp! stomp!

The next day, the inspector came again. This time, when he came, everybody was quiet. So quiet, no one made a peep. You couldn’t even hear anyone’s footsteps. The inspector thought they were so quiet, he left and didn’t close down the library.

After he left, they had a big celebration! KAAABOOM! They had fireworks. Then they never made a peep in the library again.