OUR MANY STORIES

A collection of writing
by the 5
th
grade at
East End Community School

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This anthology represents a milestone learning
experience for children at East End Elementary
School in Portland, Maineone that punctuates
their passage from elementary to middle school
by exhibiting their growing global competence.

Childrens poems and stories emerged through a
collaboration between the Portland Public Schools
and Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School
of Education called The World in Portland Project.

Many individuals made this work possible and we
are indebted to them for their unwavering
support. We would like to thank: Marcia
Gendron, Tambria Alexander, Sue Anderson, and
Denise Sucher at East End; District leadersDavid
Galin and Emmanuel Caulk; Project Zero
colleaguesMara Krechevsky and Flossie Chua;
and Telling Room staff and volunteersHeather
Davis, Molly Haley, Hakim Kodi, Megan Bedford,
Deborah Garrett, Leslie Hunt, Claire Jeffers; and
Hillary Wentworth.

Additionally, we are forever grateful to
Chimamanda Adichie. Her story of herself as
young, avid reader in Nigeria, who never
encountered familiar characters or experiences in
the literature she read, served as the inspiration
for the Many Stories milestone learning
experience, and for this book.
CONTENTS

Introduction
by Veronica Boix-Mansilla and Melissa Rivard

Who I Am
Zahra by Zahra Mohamed
Dancing is in Me by Mikalia Davis
China Girl by India Woltersdorff
Me by Mia Locey
Who Am I? by Roland Buzzell
Who Am I? by Umulker Ugas
I Can Be by Simon OConnor
My Life by Kevin Smart

Home & Family
Home by Bryanna Alley-Villers
The Sounds of My House by Paul Logugune
Hiding Spot by Abdiasis Mohamed
Hypothermic: A Radtke Rowe Family Story
by Louisa Radtke Rowe
The Mystery of the Pond by Hanan Ali
My Mom by Sayvona Nelson
Food and Family by Hannah Duston
The Smell in Nanas Kitchen by Lincoln Guimond
The Interview by Maxwell Orchow
The Three Sisters by Maryam Mahdi

Migrations: Coming into new cultures and
remembering what was left behind
The Onion by Daniel Rodriguez
My Father by Maryama Atoor
Al Sabieh (My Favorite Mountain) by Hilsan Mohamed
My Nana B. by Finn Katz-Cronin
Its the Politics by Charlene Nzeza
My Mom by Akoni Atem
Leaving Home by Addison Warner
In Van Buren by Riely Rheault
The Lost Boys of Sudan by Akual Majok
Coming to America by Sevara Khodjimuratova
My Moms Wonderful Life by Samera Abdullahi
We Will Be Reunited Again by Vy Diep
Back With My Mother by Rahma Hunle
How My Grandparents Met by Alex Nelson
The Journey by Jackie Majano Alvarez

Rituals & Celebrations:
The way we do things, and why
My Quince by Jocelyn Rodriguez
Eid by Sara Ali
My Day at a Jewish Wedding by Ivy Alan
Every Christmas by Joshua Shunk
Eid al-Fitr by Ridwana Atoor
Holidays by Jack Woodleigh
Ramadan and Eid by Monte Al Mashkoor
Anna Saves Christmas by Lauren Forester
Quinceaera by Carlos Becerra Palma

Beliefs & Religion: Our spiritual lives
Ramadan Kareem by Amzad Hossain
My Moms Conversion by Adam Taddia
Poems of Islam by Abdihakim Atoor
Why I Fast on Ramadan by Hanad Ismail
Ramadan by Khalid Noor
Ramadan by Said Jelle
Buddhism by Andrew Johannen

Many Cultures Large and Small: How we
participate in and create communities through
the sports, games and things we love
The Skateboard Competition
by Alexander Hernandez
When Soccer Became a Really Big Part of Me
by Lazarus Bongomin
My Family and I Like Traveling A Lot
by Hayden Weaver
Pickles by Georgia Gibb
Outdoorsy People by Will Brewster
Video Games by Reid Myhaver
Rose Loves Dogs by Gloria Sanchez
My Cultures by Keroi Nzeyimana
Tim & Jason by Charlie Scalia-Bruce

School: Belonging, Bullying,
Struggling, & Finding Our Way
Bullying by Yasmin Ahmed
Wonder Flip by Victor Edwards
My School Day by Jared Clifford
The Girl by Diana Aboda
Smash by Uther Dadaleares
Good Day Bad Day by Ben Ntambwe
Popular is Not So Popular by Daneeka Edgerly
Words Make a Big Difference by Veronica Sirles
Lonely by Garrett Stewart

Questioning and Confronting the
Cultures of Which We Are Part
U.S. Military by Devin Orcutt
The Kid Who Frees the Animals by Jamarr White
Robbed!!! By Jonah Parker
Kidnapped by Maxim Bailey
Invisible War by Jesse Kamalandua

From the Teachers: Our cultures in and out of
school
My Class by Matt Pringle
Lessons Learned by Marilyn Melton
A Love of Mountains by Laurie Daniels
Roaming the Outfield by Mathew Brown
Our Stories by Nancy Smith




Cover Art by Daniel Rodriguez
Cover Design by Melissa Rivard


Weaving stories, telling lives

Stories matter many stories matter,
1
insists
Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie, as she
describes how our lives as human beings can
never be captured fully by a single story. Getting
to know a person or ourselves requires that we
become familiar with the many stories that make
us who we are. We are many things! We are sons
and daughters. We are friends and neighbors.
We sing, we learn, we play soccer and video
games, we dance, we cook, we write, we pray, we
create, we imagine. We worry, we remember, we
love, we suffer, we hope, we tell, we make
mistakes, we forgive. And behind our many roles,
actions and feelings are storiesmany stories
that make us who we are as individuals and that
define our communities.

Likewise, as human beings, we belong to many
cultures: the culture of the place where we grew
up, the culture of the city where we live, school
cultures, family cultures, youth cultures, work
cultures, virtual cultures. In this book 72 young
authors invite us to explore their many stories and
understand the many cultures they inhabit and
construct daily. Their writings unveil a fuller

1
Adichie, C. (2009, July). Chimamanda Adichie: The Danger of
the Single Story [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_
single_story.html

portrait of their lives, their strength, their
unbounded imagination and expressive power.
With their teachers (aka Club Five) and a team
of researchers from Project Zero at the Harvard
Graduate School of Education, the fifth grade
authors of East End Community School have
explored ideas about culture, identity,
perspective, family history and the worlds in which
they live. This work was designed to nurture
global competence among the young i.e., to
investigate the world and their community and to
employ the tools of language and genre to voice
their insights, ideas and imaginings.

Here, empowered by their budding knowledge of
genres such as poetry, fiction, and personal
narrative, they show us that culture is a shared
sense of how things are done byand what they
mean todifferent groups of people. In their
writing, culture is not fixed or even necessarily
explicit. Cultures influence one another and
children shape their cultures by discovering and
telling old family stories, practicing their religions,
participating in family celebrations, questioning
societal norms, and revealing their struggles,
fears, and abilities.

Floating seamlessly across the work of these
authors is the encouragement to us, the readers,
to resist the danger of holding a single, one-
dimensional story of childhood, culture and
ourselves.












WHO I AM




ZAHRA
by Zahra Mohamed

I am a Somalian girl
Wearing a hijab to show modesty
Talking in my language at my house
Waking up at 4:00 to pray
Beep, beep, bop
My alarm wakes me up
I go downstairs

Washing my hands three times
Washing my hands three times
Washing my hands three times

Splashing cold water on my face and all around to
keep me awake
Finally I'm done
I say a couple of words
"Bishmallhi allahumaini audubika minal kubathi
wal kabaith."
Off I go to my room
I put my hands up
I say, "Allahuakbar."
I read the Quran and go down all the steps
I'm done
So to both my shoulders I say, "As lama alaykum
warahmatulahi Wabarakatuh."
DONE!
I get to do whatever I want until the end of the
day
That is the KICKSTART of my day.
DANCING IS IN ME
by Mikalia R. Davis

Dancing is in me. When I hear music and start to
dance, I feel happiness. I dance with my mom. We
laugh. We have no troubles. My great aunt loved
dancing. My grandmother loved dancing. My
great grandparents Francis and Ken danced too.
They won trophies! I have dancing in my blood.

When I dance alone I love the peace and
quietness in my mind and around me. The world
seems so beautiful, like I am in a rain forest. I think
about dancing when I am alone listening to music
in my bedroom. The air is quiet. It is like I am in
heaven when I dance. I am a different person
when I am dancing to my favorite music. When I
dance I am connected to my mom and all of the
wonderful people in my family who I know and
don't know.


CHINA GIRL

by India Wolterstorff

"China Girl
"China Girl!"

These words
chanted
as the times before.
"China Girl!"
"China Girl!"

I am surrounded.
These words
beat upon my head
like fists
and resonate
inside my thoughts.

"China Girl!"
"China Girl"

Their laughter
is bitter
with their hope
to cause me pain.

But I am China Girl.
And I am stronger
than they are.
And I walk away.

"China Girl!"
"China Girl!"

I have heard these words.
And I hear them now.
But
instead of feeling pain
I feel stronger.
And instead of feeling hurt
I feel stronger.

Because these words
"China Girl"
These words are mine.
They are the title of my book.

They are me.

Authors Note: This poem was inspired by a
conversation I had with my mother, who is half
Chinese. I told it from her perspective. My mother
grew up in a town that did not have many people of
different nationalities. She was teased at school by the
other children about being part Chinese and having a
fully Chinese mother (my grandmother) Margerie
Hong. My great-grandmother, Barbara Hong, was also
Chinese and had come from Canton, China, to
Massachusetts, where she met my great-grandfather. I
wanted to write about this because my mother told me
she hated those words then, but they made her who
she is today.


ME
by Mia Locey

I am someone who laughs.
Who cries.
Who smiles.
Who likes to talk...
ALOT.
Who is respectful.
Who is also responsible.
Who is trustworthy.
Who is brave.
Who is strong.
Who is sometimes right,
And also sometimes wrong.
And also who believes
In these things
That represent

WHO I AM.


WHO AM I?
by Roland Buzzell

I am an American
who sprained my thumb.
I like basketball.
I like to swim.

I am strong.
I am smart.

I like Minecraft & Castle Miner.
I have an iPad
& an Xbox360
& a computer.

I came from a Mexican-American.
Her name is Ruby Jean Buzzell.
She is my mom.

I have two grandmothers.
One has a battery to keep her heart going.
The other I live with.

My mom says education is important.
I think becoming an officer is more important.
I guess both are important.


WHO AM I?
by Umulker Ugas

I am Umulker. I am from Somalia. I came to this
country on January 22, 2013. I took an airplane
from Nairobi, Kenya. Then, I traveled to London
and then to Boston. I could not wait to see my
mother and my siblings.

I like living in America with my mom, my dad, and
my brothers and sisters. In Africa, I did not have
kids to play with. I was the only child in the house
with my aunt. In my house in America, I always
have a child to play with. I also like the
playgrounds because, in Africa, there were no
playgrounds to play in.

I am a good artist. I am a good student. I like to
do math and read books. I listen to my teachers
and my parents. I am smart. At my new school in
America, I love gym class the best. In our country,
we do not have music. I like music.

In my country we do not have winter. Winter is so
cold.

I speak Somali. I was in Kenya for a long time and
it was hard to learn English. Now, in America, I
think I will learn English really fast.

In July, my family will celebrate Ramadan. In
August, we will celebrate Eid.


I CAN BE
by Simon OConnor

Kind
Mean
Smart
Dumb
It all depends on what you think
I can be
Weird
Cool
I can be
A jerk
A good friend
It all depends on what your picture of me is
You decide what I am
You decide what I look like
You decide who I am
It is your choice what I am in your eyes
Your eyes will change
So your picture will change
Then you will be able to see me on the inside
You will see what I really am
Me
You
We can be friends
We can be enemies
It is all your choice
What you choose
Is what I am
I am a white slate
A blank page for you to draw on
You choose what I am.


MY LIFE
by Kevin Smart

Home
My house,
Siblings,
Animals,
Smart,
Smartest,
Me,
Myself,
I,
Neighborhood
Friends,
Soccer,
Basketball,
Track,
School
Holidays,
History,
Animal intelligence,
Experiences
The Great Dust Bowl,
The world,
Reality,
Reading,
Realistic fiction,
Non-fiction,
Science fiction,
Fiction,
Biography,
Memoir,
Spring,
Summer,
Fall,
Winter,
Mysteries,
City life,
Culture,
Math,
Writing,
Social studies,
Health,
Slavery,

My life.












HOME & FAMILY


HOME
by Bryanna Alley-Villers

Home
Is where you go, after a bad day
Home
Is where you regain yourself, from your outside
life
Home
Is where the sweet smell of your life is
Home
Is where you go to love, and be loved in return
Home



THE SOUNDS OF MY HOUSE
by Paul Logugune

My mom is on the phone talking to my relatives
from Southern Sudan. This summer we will travel
to meet them.

Five boys argue, tease, laugh and help each
other.

Sound effects blast from the TV.

Rice and beans sizzle on the stove.

The sounds of my house.

HIDING SPOT
by Abdiasis Mohamed

Cleaning dirty laundry,
washing the floor until... mother leaves.

Boom! Splash! Drop everything.

Run to the hiding spot, I hear my sister say.

I call the black pillow, I whisper to my sisters.

No fair, my little sister Deqqa complains.

That's the biggest one.

Shhhhhhhhh, I say to my sister. Mother will
hear us.

Finally safe and sound, we begin reading books in
the hiding spot where nothing could possibly go
wrong. Reading my book. I am completely
wrapped up in the story. Until I hear mother come
back in and see all the mess we have left.

Mother looks around to find us but can't,
and asks Aweyes, (Aweyes is my younger brother,)
Where did the girls go? Aweyes nods his head
and says, I don't know where they are.

Mother goes upstairs to look for us but she can't
find us and comes back down and says, If you
come out right now youre doing extra work. But if
you don't come out, youre grounded for a
month.

Huh, I say to my sister. A month isn't bad.

I cant take this anymore, Hamdi, my sister,
says. I'm the honest one. I never lie. I really can't
take this anymore. Bye. I have to go and try to
sneak to the kitchen."

"No," I command," Mother will know youre
there.

I have to take my chances," Hamdi responds.

When Hamdi tries to run to the kitchen, she slips
on the water from the mop that had been
dropped and falls on the floor. Mother sees her
trying to get up and gets her to do extra work.

"I told her she was going to get in trouble," I joke
to my sister.

My mom asks her, "Where are all the others?"

Over there, she points at our spot.

"We're busted," I say to my sister.

Looks like we have to find another hiding spot.

Get back to work, my mom snaps at us.

Cleaning dirty laundry,
washing the floor until... its time for bed.


HYPOTHERMIC:
A RADTKE ROWE FAMILY STORY
by Louisa Radtke Rowe

We are a family of storytellers. This one will surely
be told around the dinner table for years to come.

My cousin Ellie was a senior in college. She went
to Colorado College, so we didn't see her often.
Her lacrosse team was in Maine. They had games
against Colby and Bowdoin. My aunt Debbie,
being aunt Debbie, decided to have the entire
team and their families over for lunch. They live
on a lake, so they have a dock and a paddleboat.
So everyone was there, the team, the coach, and
their families. Earlier that day, my uncle had put in
the dock. That will become important later.
Everyone was goofing off, having fun. I had
burned my hand on a pan earlier, and so I was
icing it. My dad offered to take me down to the
dock to dip my hand is the 35-degree cold lake.

About a quarter of the team was on the dock.
They were chatting, and teasing. They were
daring each other to put their feet in the water,
put their hands in the water, jump in the water.
People kept coming down and eventually the
coach Stewie's daughter, Taylor, came down. She
was fascinated with the old paddleboat tied to the
dock and insisted on going in. So, she was set in
the boat, and then joined by Kirby, one of the
team members. She was so desperate to go out
but, alas, there were no life jackets down on the
dock. And my uncle Tim has a very, very, VERY
strict rule: You have to wear a life jacket if you go
out on the boat. We decided to go out anyway.
So, Kirby and Taylor got in the back, and Stewie
and I got in the front.

I was the designated captain, because I live in
Maine and have been piloting this paddleboat
since I was five. We sat and waited for my dad
and Tim to come down with the life jackets. Two
adults, one for me and one for Kirby. They had a
little kid one for Taylor, and a little kid one for
Stewie, because that's all they had left. She's an
adult though, so it's okay. I hate, hate, HATE life
jackets, so I complained for a good five minutes
to my dad. I joked that they were for in case the
boat capsized, but my uncle Tim said there was
no way we could capsize the boat. Then they
untied us and after going around in circles a
couple times, we were off!

The paddleboat is set up so that there are two
seats in the front, with pedals to power the boat
and a kind of joystick in the middle to navigate.
In the back there are two smaller seats for riders.
That's where Kirby and Taylor sat. I was ecstatic
because I could finally go beyond the confines of
the area around the dock and head out to open
lake. As soon as we were out of earshot, I
loosened my life jacket so it was essentially off.
Stewie and I pedaled hard out to the center. We
passed the farthest Ive ever been, and went
farther. We were more than 3/4s of the way and
we decided to head back. After jokingly
threatening to throw me into the lake, we turned
around and headed back. We were having a little
bit of trouble moving, but I didnt really pay
attention to it, as the paddleboat is older than
me. We took in a little water, but it is a
paddleboat, so that is to be expected.

We were a little less than halfway there when all of
a sudden, the boat bucked--like literally tipped so
the back completely submerged. Both passengers
fell in. Kirby grabbed Taylor and literally threw her
up front, where Stewie and I were leaning forward
to right the boat. So Taylor was sitting on the
paddle cover, and Kirby had one foot on one seat
and one on the other and was holding onto the
paddle cover in a desperate attempt to balance
the boat. At this point I took off my life jacket,
which was bright orange, and gave it to Taylor to
wave at the dock while we screamed, HELP! at
the top of our lungs. Meanwhile, Stewie and I
were paddling as fast as our legs could, and my
footwell was filling with water. Did I mention that
the lake was near freezing? So Kirby and Taylor
were drenched, and my feet were soaking in
freezing water. Finally, my uncle Tim borrowed a
canoe from the neighbors and kayaked out to our
boat, which was still pretty far out. We decided to
put Taylor in the canoe with Tim, as she has no
body fat. So, when he reached us, he held on to
the boat and pulled Taylor into the canoe.

The sudden change of balance in the boat was
fatal. The boat flipped. I jumped out, and Kirby
grabbed hold of Stewie and jumped. The
shocking cold of the water was like billions of thin
needles of ice stabbing my legs and torso. My
breathing slowed as the water surrounded my
chest like an arctic corset. Adrenaline rushed
through my body like caffeine flowing freely
through my veins. My legs flailed to and fro as I
tried desperately to stay afloat while holding the
canoe. Slowly, we made our way towards a
neighbors dock, as another canoe launched from
our dock. It was Stewie's husband and another
man. They paddled to us and my uncle Tim had
me grab their boat. I continued my slow kicks as
they towed me to the shore. I was calm, as it is
important to be in that kind of situation, but then
realized I could no longer feel my leggings. When
you are in an almost frozen lake and are being
pulled by a canoe to a strangers dock because
your uncle realized it would take too long to go to
theirs, and suddenly you realize you can't feel
your pants, you kind of freak out. They paddled
and paddled to the dock, where I saw my dad and
aunt standing with towels and blankets. I began to
stretch my legs out, seeking the soft, mushy lake
bottom covered in mud and decomposing leaves.
My feet gently brushed the ground, as I let go of
the boat and wobbled sluggishly on the stones
leading to the dock. As I ascended the rock steps
and climbed onto the wooden dock, my knees
and legs begin to tremble and quake. I stumbled
forward as my knees almost gave out. My father
wrapped a blanket around me, as I was shaking
like a leaf in a hurricane. Taylor was wrapped in
towels and blankets and carried to one of the cars
they brought with them. As I staggered to the
cars, I saw a small flash of pink plastic on the
ground. I bent down and picked up Taylor's small
pink sunglasses. I held them in my hand and
walked to the car, tired, cold, wet, and content.


THE MYSTERY OF THE POND
by Hanan Ali

When I went over to her house, my grandmother
told me about mermaids. She told me many
things. She even taught me how to write and say
the word mermaid. One day she told me a story
that felt different from the others.

When my grandmother was a little girl, she lived
with her cousin Abdi in South Africa at the pond
near the ocean. Abdi was really nice to her and
helped a lot. One day he went fishing with her.
They were sitting and waiting for the fish. My
grandmother turned around. Something pulled
back on Abdi and he fell in the water. When she
looked back he was gone. She called, "Abdi!
Abdi!" but he didn't answer. She yelled for her
grandmother to come help. It took her some time
to come.

After months of looking they finally found Abdi in
the water. They used something to pull him out.
He seemed frightened and his legs were stuck
together like a mermaid. Abdis eyes were
enormous. The people asked him questions but
he didnt answer. After time passed he began to
speak. He said the mermaids had done something
to put his feet together. Abdi described what it
was like down below in the pond. He said
everything was gold and beautiful.

The villagers looked after him day and night. One
night they heard a splash and my grandmother
looked out the window. She saw two tails and
two heads, one head had black hair and the other
had blonde. When she tried to look closer she
saw they were mermaids. My grandma screamed.
Everyone in the village looked and they were
shocked too.

They made a decision that they needed to move
before the mermaids took someone else. All the
villagers moved and within a year Abdi passed
away. Everyone was somber but they had built a
new village. Today people who travel by the pond
often say they hear laughter from below and they
know it is the mermaids.

Authors Note: When I was in South Africa my
grandmother lived near my family. I went to her
everyday. People ask me if she is my moms mom or
my dads mom. But I say none of them. Then they ask
what is she? I say she is my fathers mothers
brothers wife, which also makes her my grandmother.
She is the best grandmother in the world for me. Her
name is Amina and she called me Khana, a name I love
but left in South Africa. Here, my name is Hanan.


MY MOM
by Sayvona Nelson

My moms name is Kate.
My mom is loving.
My moms favorite color is green.
My mom respects other cultures.
My mom is cool.
My mom is pretty.
My mom likes the book Oh the Places You'll Go.
My mom has brown hair.
My mom was a foster child.
My mom has foster and real brothers and sisters.
My mom is the one who took care of me.
My mom is the best mom.
My mom is my mom.
I LOVE MY MOM.
FOOD AND FAMILY
by Hannah Duston

Food is connection
Food is art
Food is a family
That can't be easily torn apart
Crackle
Steam
Sploosh
Chop
There is a pike swimming in the bathtub,
soon to be gefilte fish
There are
Cabbages
Beans, and
Clams
Cut with your knife or
Crack open with your hands
Food is connection
Food is art
Food is a family
That can't be easily torn apart


THE SMELL IN NANAS KITCHEN
by Lincoln Guimond

When I walk in
I smell the cheese and pepper
with the garlicky bread smell of croutons
This is homemade macaroni and cheese
made by my Nana
It is the best macaroni and cheese
in the whole world

Other times when I go to my Nanas
I smell fresh pepperoni and sauce
It's the best smell in the world
It's the best pasta I've ever tasted
The dish is her pasta with her homemade sauce
We love her cooking
They are both my favorite foods
But they aren't as good as my Nana
I love my Nana
and I know her love for me is in the cooking


THE INTERVIEW
by Maxwell Orchow

I interviewed my dad, Scott, and I asked some of
the following questions:

Me: How did you get your name? Who named
you? Does your name have a special meaning?
Did you have a nickname?

Dad: My parents named me, I didn't have a
nickname. In our Jewish Faith, you take the first
letter of someone's name who passed away and
use that letter, for the first letter of your first
name. I was named after my grandfather.
Me: What was his name?
Dad: His name was Samuel, and he passed away
right before I was born, So.

Me: What is your very first memory?

Dad: Being at the daycare center down the street
from my mom's house.

Me: What do you remember about the daycare?

Dad: I remember there were a lot of kids. We
would play in the backyard. There was a pool, but
we were not allowed to swim in it, and I could see
my mom's house out of one of the windows.

Me: Okay, I'm going to go off topic, but why
weren't you allowed to swim in the pool?

Dad: They probably didn't want anyone to drown
in the pool, because there were 8 or 10 kids, but
only one lady to take care of us.

Me: Where did your ancestors come from? When
did they settle here?

Dad: I don't know much about my ancestors, but
my dad's great-great-grandparents, which would
be my great-great-great-grandparents came from
Lithuania (which is a country in Northern Europe
next to Poland). My mom's grandparents came
from England, and one of them actually came
from Ireland.
Me: When did you feel like you were grown up?

Dad: I felt grown up when I had to pay the rent,
and the bills, and all the electric bills, and stuff like
that.

Me: Completely understandable. What was your
goal in life?

Dad: My goal in life was opening my own
business, which I have done, and now I have you. I
guess you were my next goal.

Me: What was the biggest lesson you have
learned?

Dad: Don't mess with authority.

Me: When did you start to read? What was your
favorite book or story when you were little?

Dad: Just like you, I started reading at a very early
age, like 3 or 4, or maybe before that, and I have
read most of the classics like Charlotte's Web.


Authors Note: I learned that my dad has many
cultures and tribes. He is half Lithuanian, a quarter Irish
a quarter English, and also Jewish. He is a person of
many cultures.



THE THREE SISTERS
by Maryam Mahdi

Once in a beautiful town near the forest lived a
man who had three daughters. The first one, Kari,
was good at knitting. The second one, Nari, was
good at sewing. And the third one, who loved to
cook, was Fari. The three sisters loved each other
very much and they loved their father even more.
The three sisters helped each other with many
things. For example, if Kari was sick, the other
two would help her. Fari would cook her healthy
food and Nari would sew a dress to keep her
warm.

The three sisters had a beautiful mother who had
died when they were very young. The father had
married another woman who didnt like his
daughters at all because they were more beautiful
than her. Sometimes she would tell the father
that they had said bad words to her while he was
working. He believed her because he thought
that his daughters hated her. One day he went to
the forest with his daughters and he told them
that he couldnt take care of them anymore
because he felt they were now grown up. He left.

Kari, Nari and Fari started thinking about where
they would go when Fari had an idea. Fari said,
We could build our own house or, but before
she could even finish her sentence Kari quickly
said, But we couldnt live without each other.
Fari said, I know, but we have no other choice.

The girls looked ahead sadly and saw that the
path broke into three separate paths. Each of the
sisters chose a path but Kari decided she needed
to think more about that. Kari announced before
her sisters left, Before you go, we need a secret
sound that shows we are in danger so we can help
each other. The girls decided to whistle three
times. Off the sisters went looking for a house.

When Nari was walking she saw a huge fox
standing on the thick branch of a small tree,
staring at her. She started running and the fox
chased her. She whistled immediately. She
whistled three times. Her two sisters heard and
came running and, by helping each other, they
killed the fox. Afterward, they all agreed, Lets
live together in one home forever. And they
lived happily ever after.

Authors Note: I wrote this story and some of it is true.
I have two sisters with great talent that I live with and I
couldnt imagine living without. The fiction part is that
my beautiful mother is still alive and I know my father,
who we all love, would never leave us. Also true about
my family is that I have five brothers and another sister
as well.













MIGRATIONS
Coming into new cultures and
remembering what was left behind


THE ONION
by Daniel Rodriguez

It is a hot sunny day in El Salvador. My mother
and her friends are playing a game of onion.
Heres how you play. The first person hugs a tree.
The next person comes and tries to pull them off.
If they cant, then the next person comes and
grabs the second person, and so on, until they all
fall to the ground laughing. When it is time to go
home my mother runs fast. Her mother has said if
she is not home on time that Cipitio will get her.
Cipitio is a young boy in Salvadoran legends. He
has a big round belly and wears a wide brimmed
hat. He likes the young single girls! He throws
pebbles at them. He is hard to follow because his
feet are on backwards!

It is a hot sunny day in El Salvador. The coyote
has taken much of moms money for passage to
the United States. It is dangerous. Sweat is
pouring off her back. She is crawling in a sewer.
She is flying in an airplane for the first time, and
she does not know where it will land.

It is a cold fall day in Boston. My mom speaks no
English. She stays in a friends apartment, but
there is no work.

It is a cold winter day in Portland. My mom is
working in a fish processing plant. She is waiting
for a green card. It is scary to think of being
caught and sent back.

It is a hot sunny day in Portland. The smell of hot
and yummy pupusas and a carne asada fill the
restaurant owned by my parents. Their passports
say United States of America.

It is a hot sunny day in El Salvador. My family is on
a trip. We are at the beach. I am in the sand with
my cousins. We are careful not to get pulled into
the ocean. My mom is sitting talking to my
grandma. We are having fun, thinking of nothing,
just relaxing. I think of the onion game. An onion
is not just a circle. It has many layers, and it can
make you cry or be happy for the flavor. My
mother did everything so my brothers and I would
be free and happy. She has taught me to be a
good person, work hard, and never give up.


MY FATHER
by Maryama Atoor

My father was happy in Somalia. He was a farmer,
just like my grandfather and great grandfather. He
rode a horse. He had a big farm. He grew rice
and corn and tomatoes. He ate what he grew and
also sold it. The family also ate camel meat. His
life was good. He married my mom and had six
children.

My father said there was no democracy in
Somalia. There was trouble and violence and war.
My father wanted a better life for his family. So
they travelled to Kenya and lived in a camp. It was
scary there. There were lions and cheetahs. My
father saw dead bodies being picked at by hyenas
and it frightened him. He knew there was a lot of
killing happening in his beautiful country, and it
made him sad.

My father applied to go to the United States. It
only took eight months to get permission. He was
so surprised it happened so fast. He was so
happy. He and my mother and four children left
the country. Later, the other two children came
too. When they moved to Portland they had four
more children including ME!

My father wants all of us to get a good education.
He says it is the most important thing, for the girls
as well as the boys. He wants his children to marry
and have families and be happy.

My father misses his country. He misses his farm
and growing crops. He still has his land and
hopes someday there will be peace and that,
again, my father can be happy in Somalia.



ALI SABIEH (MY FAVORITE
MOUNTAIN)
by Hilsan Mohamed

My favorite mountain was right in Ali Sabieh (in
Djibouti). The name of the mountain and my
countrys flag are carved right into it. My mom
was kind of scared of mountains in Ali Sabieh, so I
always asked my grandma to take me there. She
always said yes.

I could climb for hours. When you get to the top,
its kind of dangerous. There are big plants that
eat bugs. I didnt know it. One day I was
touching this plant that was kind of open. My
friend said, Dont touch that. She told me a
story that a little boy almost lost his hand to this
plant. I was scared. My heart was pumping.

Then we went to my second favorite mountain.
Some people live there. A long time ago, people
had cows and sheep. They killed the cows and
sheep and used the skin. They used rocks and
sticks to make a house. The rock helped the skin
stay on the stick, and they used glue. They were
tiny houses.

I went there and met little kids and I got to hold
them. We were playing games. Then it was time
to pray. We went down and went to a park in Ali
Sabieh. There was soccer and other things there,
so I went to my grandmas house to pray. Before
I went to pray, I had to feed my sheep. My
grandma gave me a sheep when I was little to
take care of because my mother was busy.

I miss Djibouti and Ali Sabieh. It was awesome
and great. It was beautiful and lovely.


MY NANA B.
by Finn Katz-Cronin

Around the time of the 1920's, my mom's Nana B.
came on a boat from Scotland to Boston,
Massachusetts with her daughter who we call
Nana C. She was three years old at the time. They
came to meet Nana C.'s father who they were
going to live with in Boston.

When they got off the boat and into the port, he
wasn't there to meet them. So there they were
alone in the streets of Boston. They then went to
Whitensville or Northbridge, Massachusetts
because Nana B. had some friends there who
could sponsor them.

Another story about Nana B. was that since she
lived in Massachusetts, she would take trips back
to Scotland to visit family. Nana B. wanted to
bring back things from Scotland, but didn't want
to pay the taxes. So what Nana B. did was she
would hide things in her bra and shirt. She would
then get on a plane and come back to America.
When Nana B. would get home to her family, she
would reach in her shirt and clang clang clang out
would come a silver teapot, or who knows what!

I loved hearing my parents and grandparents
stories about my ancestors, like my Nana B. When
I hear them, I feel connected to my family, even
though I've never met them.


ITS THE POLITICS
by Charlene Nzeza

Grandpa
Born in Rwanda, but moved to Congo, where he
was not welcome.
"It's the politics," said my mom.

My brother Kanpayana
Born in Camaroon, but moved to Atlanta.
"It's the politics," said my mom

My brother Michael and ME!
Born in Portland, and having a better life.
It's the politics," said my mom



MY MOM
by Akoni Atem

Beautiful, young

Strong and brave

Independent, hard working

Loving

A story does not share, coming out a little at a
time

Slowly learning about my family, my country, my
tribe

A war in Sudan, people running everywhere
In the United States with a daughter and no family
Making us happy, laughing together, shopping
together

We dance, sometimes for fun, sometimes
celebrating our culture, black and white waist
beads circle us

An education for me, a safe home for us

My mom

LEAVING HOME
By Addison Warner

I wonder how it feels,
To have to leave your only home.

My great great great great grandparents had to
Leave Ireland.

They barely had anything.
No money. No food.
Without this, they had to find a job.
They ended up working as kitchen help.

They came here because of The Potato Famine,
When the potatoes turned to nothing,
And their lives did too.
It must have felt awful to leave Ireland.

Ireland was the only place
Where they felt comfortable
But they still had to come to America,
And leave their only home.


IN VAN BUREN
By Riley Rheault

Growing up she went from Fulton street
to Champlain street

Then next she came to Jackson Street

But don't forget me
the Saint John River
behind her house

the one who
influenced her family
that freedom flowed through

unlike the train tracks
that used to stop her
from seeing her neighbors and friends

***
En grandissant
elle est passe de Fulton Street
la rue Champlain

puis elle est venue prochaine
Jackson Street

mais ne m'oubliez pas
la rivire Saint-Jean
derrire sa maison

celui qui
a influenc sa famille
que la libert coulait en moi

contrairement la voie ferre
qui permet d'arrter
sa de voir ses voisins et les amis
LOST BOYS OF SUDAN
by Akual Majok

Marias Perspective

My brother Majok is gone, but he is all over the
news of South Sudan. My mother always quaked,
"He will always leave me here alone in South
Sudan. A few years later, I'm watching the news
and I hear, "A few boys were captured in Nairobi,
Kenya. Some were even killed and the others
were taken to America." I look at the TV and see a
young boy with a bleeding lip. I blink three times
because my eyesight is horrible and the young
boy was Majok. I ran with joy to my mom who was
holding my son, Majok, Jr. I was screaming with
joy. My mom gave the baby to Robert my oldest
son and started jumping.

I don't know what to do

Go to America" she said with a sad face trying to
smile.

I will, mom, and I'm taking my kids. But I don't
want to leave you in Africa alone in this dangerous
place. When I get a job I will buy you a ticket," I
called as I left.

Majok's Perspective

Wow this place is huge. I miss my family back in
Sudan. There is this place called McDonald's that
sells hamburgers, and French fries that have too
much salt on them. I miss eating samosa and
zalabia. I miss drinking my mom's famous soup
with rice and chicken. I miss walking places and
eating sweet mangos. Now I'm in a place where I
have no family to take care of me. I was walking to
the store one day and saw a young lady with her
two sons and it was my sister Maria. I ran so fast
and she blinked two times to see who was coming
toward her. She shouted, "Majok!"

I asked her the most important question ever,
"How's Mama?"

"Great. She sent me here to look for you. She
needs you so much."

All of a sudden, with an angry face, she asked me,
"What's wrong with you?"

"I got captured when I was tending the cattle and
they brought me to a refugee camp in Kenya. I
had to hide kitchen food equipment under my
pillow at the Kakuma refugee camp and they
brought us to America. You know about 200,000
boys got captured and half of them got killed?"

"Wow. And I'm going to leave to go to Portland,
Maine to get a job to bring Mommy here. Come
live with me."

"But my friends are here in Atlanta, Georgia and I
love them like they're my brothers. But maybe in
two years."

She got so mad and walked away. I never saw her
again until she had a daughter named Mary. Then
I moved there to take care of them.

Marys Perspective

I love being in Maine. I wonder where my
grandma is and where my family comes from.
Uncle Majok is always talking about how he got
captured and taken away from his family. I wonder
if that is true. I must research that. I go to a school
called End of the East Community School. I ask
some of the teachers if they knew what my uncle
Majok was talking about. I told them the name of
his group was the Lost Boys of Sudan and my
teacher said excitedly, Wow! You come from a
lot of big roots. I will show you a video of them in
class. It was wonderful how my uncle said, The
French fries are too salty at McDonalds.

I ran home one day and my mom had someone
over. I asked, Who is this person? I was looking
at the back of his head.

Mary! Uncle Majok said so happily.

I missed you so bad, uncle. My teacher showed
us a video of the lost boys. Sorry you got
captured and put in Kakuma Refugee camp.

Then he gave me a big hug and I just said, I Love
You.


COMING TO AMERICA
by Sevara Khodjimuratova

My name is Sevara. I am ten years old. I came to
the United States in 2012. My mom came first to
go to school at the University of Southern Maine.
She came in August, and I came with my grandma
and cat three months later.

Before I came here, I was scared. I thought no one
would understand me because I did not know
English. Now, I am not scared because I met a girl
who spoke a little bit of Russian, and I am learning
English.

Our trip here was not so good. It was bumpy and I
felt sick. First we flew from Tashkent to Riga in
Russia. Then we waited an hour. I was feeling sick.
Then, we flew nine hours to New York.

My mom sent me an email and said she would
wait for us at the airport, but she was not there.
The security said she could not go there. Security
was asking us a lot of questions, but I did not
understand. I was scared. We had to wait in line
with about a hundred people to get our papers
stamped. It took a long time. Then, my mom
came.

Why did you take a long time? she asked. We
have one minute to get to our plane to go to
Portland. We ran with our bags in a cart. We
made it just in time. We had fifty seconds left
before they closed the doors.

It was 6:00 when we got to Portland, but in my
country it was 4:00 in the morning. So, we went to
sleep. It was a terrible trip. It took 27 hours, and
my cat was crying all the time.

I like it here, but sometimes I am sad because
nobody in our school speaks Russian. I wish I had
more friends. I wish a girl would come who speaks
Russian.


MY MOMS WONDERFUL LIFE
by Samera Abdullahi

My mom was born at Somalia. My mom is the
most beautiful mom in the world.

My mom's life was good and there was no
problem. Her dad worked in the military. Her
mom was a mom that stays home and cooks and
cleans and her aunt took her to school. After
school my mom went to go learn the Quran. In
Somalia there was a war and my grandmother and
my grandfather and my mom and her sisters all
lost each other. My mom found my grandmother,
my grandfather and some of her sisters one
month later. Whenever my mom sees people she
thinks it is her sister.

My mom got married at fifteen. My mom had my
brother who died when he was only two years old.
My mom had my sister Maryan and my brothers
Abdifitah and Abdiriahman. They came to the
USA. She had my sisters and me. My mom's life is
good. She cooks and cleans. My mom and I go
places together, like shopping. I like when it is Eid
for all the Muslim. They all go to pray and, after,
sometimes me and my family go to Hometown
Buffet.

That is my mom's wonderful life.


WE WILL BE REUNITED AGAIN
by Vy Diep

I woke up at 7:30 and tried to pull myself out of
bed, brush my teeth and comb my hair. After I
was done I rushed downstairs for breakfast. I ate it
fast like a super hungry kid. I grabbed my bag and
went outside to the motorcycle.

"Hurry up mom!!! I'm going to be late again!!!" I
yelled.

"Gn n!!!"Mom screamed back at me to let me
know she was coming and to wait. She was
rushing as fast as she could. Sigh! I took a deep
breath. "Finally, I'm here," she shouted as she
raced toward me.

"Lets go," I demanded.

"Wait! I have something to tell you," she said with
a smile on her face.

"What is it?" I wondered.

"It's about your dad," she explained to me.

"What about him?" I asked.

"He called and said that we can now go and live
with him in America!" she whispered to me.

"Oh..." I said softly. The truth is that I have never
seen my dad before. Ever since I was little, he
might have been there but I don't remember a
thing about him. He was always in another
country, working really hard so one day my mom,
my brother, and I could go over there and live
with him. "Leila!!! Leila!!! LEILA!!!" mom
screamed, but I heard not a single sound. I was in
my own little world. "Leila!!!" mom kept yelling.

"Yes?" I finally answered.

"We're here at your school. Now go before you
are late," she said. I took a step off the
motorcycle and walked toward my school. At the
door I turned around and waved 'bye'. She waved
'bye' back and went off.

"Hi Leila," my best friend, Cece, said waving to
me.

"Hi Cece," I waved back. Ive known Cece since I
was two and we have been best friends since. We
tell each other everything. When I'm sad, she
cheers me up. When she's sad, I cheer her up.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Uh... I'm fine," I responded.

"Really?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. I'm fine," I said back.

"Leila, I have known you since we were two-year
olds and I know that there's something up with
you," she remarked.

"No, I'm really fine. Dont worry," I replied.

"Well okay, but if you want to tell me or talk to
me about anything, I'll be listening," she
whispered to me softly as I walked with her to our
table.
School was over. I went outside with Cece waiting
for my mom and hers. "Cho me," I said in our
typical Vietnamese greeting. "Cho Leila, Cho
Cece," she said back with a smile on her face.

"I need to go talk to your teacher for a little bit,
Leila," she said.

"Okay mom," I replied. Mom stepped off of her
motorcycle and walked in the school. Finally, I saw
her come out. "Lets go now," she said. "Okay," I
agreed. "Bye Leila," Cece yelled as my mom
drove us away. I turned my head around and
screamed "bye" back.

"Mom?" I said into her ear.

"What is it?" she asked as we headed for home
on the bike.

"It's about this morning and what you told me
about Dad," I said.

"Yes, what about that?"

"I was wondering... when are we going to move
over there?"

"I believe that we are going to move soon."

"Soon??!!" I yelled.

"Yes. Perhaps in two or three days," she said.

"B-b-but"

"What is it?"

"Are we going to visit here when we move?" I
asked.

"I don't know."

"But ... I'll miss everyone," I said.

Leila, trust me. Even if I dont know if we can visit
here again, once we leave for America, Im sure
that we will all be reunited one day, mom said.
"Anyway, we're here," mom said as we walked
into our home. "I'm going to start cooking
dinner.

"Okay," I replied. I walked upstairs and went in
my room. I sat on my bed and thought, What is it
going to be like? Is what Mom said true? Will I
leave my grandparents and never see them
again? What about my cousins? Why are there so
many questions that arent answered? Are they all
going to be answered, but are the answers
something I dont want to hear?

Awhile later, mom called me down for dinner.
Brother was home. I ate and then did my
homework until I went to bed. I lay on my bed
and thought again about the questions that I
didn't know the answer to. Then I closed my eyes
and went to sleep. I woke up and went to school
as usual, but when I walked into my classroom, no
one was there. I turned around and was about to
return to the motorcycle when everyone jumped
out and yelled, "SURPRISE!" I was in shock.

"What's this?" I asked.

It's for you of course! Your mom told Ms. M.
yesterday that you guys are going to move to
America to live with your dad!" Cece explained.

"Oh," I said smiling.

"Yep," Cece said.

I turned around and asked, "Mom, did you do
this?" She looked at me. "No, I didn't. I only told
them that we are moving to America to live with
your Dad," she said. But in my heart I knew that
she did this all for me. So I gave her a super big
hug.

"C'mon, lets go eat the cake!!!" Cece said
excitedly.

"Okay!!!" I said. We took pictures, talked, ate, and
played. It was like the most fun day of my life. In
the end, I gave everyone a big hug and waved
goodbye. Tears fell down my face. I wished that
they could move to America and still be in my
class, still be my best friends. I walked out slowly
with a million tears in my eyes, even more that
were about to burst from my eyes, falling down
my cheeks. Millions and millions of tears that were
endless. I turned around and I saw the whole
room was full of tears.

I went out of the school. My heart was broken. I
got on the back of the motorcycle and my mom
started driving. I was in the back holding her,
crying on her back. Dont worry, mom said,
Everything will be all right. She stopped and my
tears were still falling. She turned around and told
me that dad was coming today.

"What???!!" I said.

"It's because its the New Year, and we're doing
what we always do at this time when your dad is
here," she explained. I was in shock! I wondered if
that might mean we would leave tonight instead
of later.

My mom drove both my brother and me to the
airport. This was the first time I remember seeing
my father. For so long I wanted to see my dad
and now I finally saw him and felt the warmness of
a full family in my heart. I always had the feeling
that I was missing someone, but not anymore,
because I have my dad, my mom, and my brother
beside me.
That night was the New Year, so after we picked
up my dad, we went to the beach. My best friend
Cece, my cousins, aunts, uncles, and
grandparents were all there. We sat on the beach
on the sand and watched the fireworks and had a
great time. We stayed there until 9:30. Seems
like we're not moving tonight, I thought.

I woke up at 6:30 the next morning. We had to go
to the airport to leave for America. All my friends
and family came. I gave each of them a big hug!
"Ti hua voi b rng chng ta s gp lai nhau mt
ngy" tt ca ho u ni (I promise that we will be
reunited one day, they all said). While I walked to
the airport, I looked back. Everyone was waving
goodbye to me. I waved goodbye back.

Authors Note: I'm a ten-year old Vietnamese girl. I
wrote this story based on my experience of leaving my
family, my friends, my country five years ago. I
believed that I would see them again, like my mom
said in the story. And I did. When my family reunited,
it was like wed never been apart. But one thing
changed. Cece and I had grown far apart, went our
different waysnot like when we were little anymore. I
visit Vietnam once a year, when school is over of
course. I video chat with my families in Vietnam a lot to
keep in touch. But my friends, not so much. We grew
apart and went our own ways. I changed my name in
the story to 'Leila' but otherwise everything is true.
Every single word. And my Dad well, he is with us all
the time now. I have a complete, happy family all
together in America.
BACK WITH MY MOTHER
by Rahma Hunle

I came to the USA in December of 2012. My
mother worked really hard to bring us to America.
She was here before us by herself.

I took an airplane from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
with my brother and sister. The plane made a lot
of stops before we got to Portland, Maine. My
mother was waiting for us at the airport. I saw my
mother for the first time in seven years.

I thought America was beautiful. It is way better
than living in Somalia because I am with my
mother. It is a great country for many reasons. It is
safer. I love having my mother back in my life! I
have a good school.


HOW MY GRANDPARENTS MET
by Alex Nelson

My great grandfather was a famous opera singer
in Russia. Back then, if you insulted the President,
you would go to a labor camp where it was very,
very cold. One night, after a concert, my
grandfather was talking to friends and insulting
the President. Someone overheard him and
reported him. My great grandfather went to court,
and my great grandmother came to court too,
knowing there was a good chance her husband
would be sent away. She was with her two
babiesmy grandmother and her sister. My great
grandmother wore seven layers of coats. When
the verdict was in, and my great grandfather was
sent away, he left with all the coats to keep him
warm.

As they walked out of the courthouse, they started
to hear loud booms. It was the beginning of
World War II. They had to live in a bomb shelter,
but eventually my great grand-mother came up
with a plan to leave with her babies. She lied to
the soldiers and said that she had other children
and that she needed to get them. Then she
escaped with her real children and went
somewhere, which I forget, and met the Queen.
They went to live in the mountains. For some
reason they bombed there too. Eventually
someone invited them to America and they took
the offer.

How my grandfather met my grandmother is an
interesting story. My grandfather had lived in Italy
his whole childhood, and one day his uncle asked
him if he wanted to go to America with him and
my grandfather said, "Sure. I'll go for a change of
scenery." So they got there and my grandfather's
uncle was in an orchestra. My grandfather went to
hear him play. The room was booming with music.
My grandfather looked around the room and his
eyes landed on my grandmother. It was love at
first sight. Later, my grandfather saw his uncle
talking to the woman he had spied across the
room. He knew her! My grandfather asked her
out, and the rest is history. They were married
three months later. I loved hearing this story and
Ill never forget it.


THE JOURNEY
by Jackie Majano Alvarez

The train wasnt so easy to ride on. You had to be
on top of the train, not in it. At night, when you
fell asleep, someone had to be on watch so they
wouldnt fall off. During the day they had to be
careful, so that the police wouldnt catch them
and send them back! My parents took a hard and
dangerous journey to get here. My dad on the
train, my mom hidden in a trailer. Some people
swam, the water so deep they had to fill bags with
air to help them breathe. Some people died on
the way to the United States. Some of them were
just children.

My dad came here because he needed money for
his family. It was hard to live in El Salvador. The
war had just ended and everything was ruined.
The family was poor. During the war, when boys
turned twelve, they were taken by the Salvadoran
Army to fight the rebels. My dad was six at that
time, so he was lucky, but my moms brother was
taken. My dad was just sixteen years old when he
set out for a better life. My mom was twenty.
Every day I watch my parents working hard to give
us a better life, and to send money to their
families still in El Salvador. My parents are the
lucky ones who escaped! My mom works at Tu
Casa, famous in Portland for great Salvadoran
food! So they have left El Salvador, but they have
brought a piece of our culture here, and its
delicious!










RITUALS &
CELEBRATIONS
The way we do things, and why


MY QUINCE
by Jocelyn Rodriguez

My name is Nicole, but my friends and my mom
call me Nicky. I live in Dallas, Texas. I'm fourteen
and turning fifteen in a couple of months. I'm
deciding on my quince. Quince is short for
Quinceaera. It's been like a horror movie. Here
is how it all started.

"Nicky, in a couple of months it's going to be
November 27. Shouldn't you be planning things
for your Quince?" my mom asked.

"Mom, I just don't know if I wanna have one. I
mean, I'm just not that girly and a pink puffy
dress, well, I just don't know," I said.

"But you have to follow tradition. It's our culture.
It shows that you're a woman and that you're not
a little girl anymore. Don't you want to let people
know that youre a woman now?" she asked while
scooping smashed potatoes.

"Yeah Nicky, you should have a Quince so you
can trip in your pretty pink heels and I can
laugh!!!! Ha ha," my annoying little brother said.

"Shut up Tony!" I said, shoving mac and cheese
into my mouth. "Mom, I mean really. I don't know
anything about a Quince. Aren't you suppose to
know everything so you can be ready?" I asked.
"Well, yes, but I can show you everything. I know
it will be a great day for you!" my mom said
enthusiastically.

"No mom. It won't. I don't know anything about
tradition or culture and dad won't be able to be
there!" I said. There was a huge pause. "I'm sorry.
It's just... " I stopped myself before I said anything
else. "Can I be excused from the table please? I
promise we'll talk about this later," I said, waiting
for an answer.

"Yes, " my mom said. I walked quickly to my room
and slammed the door. After that, I cried for what
seemed like a while. My dad is in Iraq. He's a
soldier. He left a month ago and won't be coming
back until next year.

So what's the point of having a Quince if I don't
know anything about it, and because he won't be
there? To see that I'm a woman? I went to sleep
after thinking about everything that had
happened at dinner, and about him.

The next day my mom woke me up and started
saying, "Sweetie, we need to talk. I know that you
don't want a qui... "

"Mom I've decided to have one and I want you to
teach me everything you know about the tradition
of the quince. I want us to start today, " I said.

"Well what changed your mind?" my mom asked.

"Well, I was thinking last night that you're right. I
have to follow tradition and I'm doing this for
dad," I said.

"Do you want to go to the card store to see what
kind of invitation you want to give out?" my mom
asked.

"Um... yeah, but dont you have to choose who's
gonna go first?" I asked.

"Oh yes, of course. But before you do, I have to
teach you about tradition.

The next two hours were boring. My mom
sounded a little like this, A quince represents a
girl entering womanhood. It means that youre not
a child anymorethat youre mature now. The
party highlights god, family, friends, music, and
dance. Oh boy. After that first horrifying lecture I
started choosing who would be my guests. Then
my mom entered the room again.

"Sweetie, I forgot to tell you that there is this
thing called Damas and chambelnes. Seven
Damas, and six chambelnes, and one main
chambelan. A chambeln is a boy that escorts you
and dances with you. You dance with him. A
Dama is a girl that is being escorted by other boys
that are your other chambelnes. There are seven
girls and seven boys in total in your court. That's
fourteen, but with you it's fifteen representing
fifteen years.

Right before my mom was going to leave I asked,
"Mom, do you think Juan could, um, escort me?"
She turned around. "Are you sure sweetie? What
about your cousin Marco?" my mom asked with a
hopeful face.

"Yes. I'm sure he's a great guy. I've known him for
five years. Why?" I asked.

"I was just saying," my mom said.

There is this boy that I've known for five years.
He's from El Salvador, like me. His name is Juan.
He's one of my greatest friends. Tomorrow at
school, I'm going to ask him if he wants to be my
main chambeln. My mom wanted me to choose
Marco. I didnt even like Marco. I spent two hours
planning who was going to my party and went to
sleep with my mind on everything.

The next day I had an even more boring lecture
than before, about how a quince represents
showing attitude towards age. Because, over the
years, you are getting more mature until you're
finally, completely maturewhen you're fifteen.
My mom kept on nagging to me that I should
choose Marco, but I wouldn't budge.

The next day when I went to school I gave out the
invitations. Pink laced for my Damas and blue
laced for my chambelnes. The white ones are
just for people I want to invite.

Juan said yes to being my chambeln but I told
him that he had to come to my house so my mom
could meet him and not be mad at me."Ok," he
said. That indigo blue evening, Juan came to my
house to have dinner. Pupusas, yum!

After my moms brutal stares she finally said, "So
Juan, my daughter told me that you agreed to be
her chambeln. Are you sure you want to be
Nicky's chambeln?" I gave my mom a fierce look.

"Yes maam, I do," Juan said.

"Alrighty then," my mom said, unsure. I think my
mom finally accepted that Juan would be my
chambeln.

Today my mom and I went dress shopping for my
Damas and me. It was so boring at the store. My
mom kept on showing me dresses. I finally chose
a pink puffy dress with sparkles and, for my
Damas, short hot pink dresses. After that we went
shoe shopping. (High heels, oh no!). I bought gray
ones for me and low gray ones for my Damas.

Every day my Quince got closer I was freaking
out! The big day was getting closer and I was
really busy with the cake, the tuxes, the church,
and, of course, the food. My mom is still mad at
me for my choice of chambeln. But I told her to
get over it and at last she did. Problem solved.
Although there's still one problem left. My dad.
Tomorrow is my "big" day I have butterflies in my
stomach. I feel like I want to barf. I woke up at 5
oclock today and had the biggest surprise of my
life. My dad was there. I teared up.

At the church ceremony I was the center of
attention. I was so scared. After the church
ceremony I had my party. The party was great. I
danced the waltz with my dad. I danced with my
court especially (Juan), and I ate delicious food.
My venue was huge. I loved my party. I love
culture and tradition.

EID
by Sara Ali

Eid is a holiday in my country, Sudan. I lived there
before my family moved to Portland. We still
celebrate Eid in my new country too. For four
days, we celebrate.

To understand Eid you need to understand
Ramadan. We celebrate Ramadan first. Ramadan
is a time when we can't eat or drink but if you are
younger than ten you don't have to do it. It is
really hard but you will get over it. It is a time to
study Quran.

After the fasting month we get to celebrate Eid.
Eid is really fun!!!!! You get candy. It is just like
Halloween but we don't do it at nighttime and
people go outside. When people are outside they
hug each other and smile. People say, "Eid
Mubarak." We give cards to people and they
give other stuff too. Some people stay at home
and some people travel. My mother always makes
food for visitors. Eid is a time when we eat, drink
and pray. After we pray, we have fun for four
days. That's why I think Eid is really fun.


MY DAY AT A JEWISH WEDDING
by Ivy Alan

One day I went to a Jewish wedding
I'm not Jewish
But it was fun
A magnificent piano greeted us
I am a pianist
An old fashioned dollhouse sat nearby
It was beautiful
Up the stairs I went
I was nervous
I had never been to a wedding
And definitely not a Jewish one
I didn't understand breaking the glass by the
groom
I laughed when the bride lost her ring
But luckily, a boy found it
Not any boy, the son of the groom
A beloved family gets together
The groom breaks glass
Symbolizing a bond forever
A happy life begins

Mazel Tov!


EVERY CHRISTMAS
by Joshua Shunk

Every Christmas Eve we drive to my Grandpa
Shunks house. When we first get there, we pick a
random Christmas stocking and, if it has an
orange in it, you can choose something from the
prize box. The prize box has a lot of money,
candy, and other stuff. To win a prize you need to
win a challenge.

We have a lot of challenges. My favorite is the
time puzzle challenge. You can team up. Each
team has a 200 piece puzzle and whoever finishes
it first wins. We also do a mystery box. There
are usually two objects in the mystery box and
you have to guess the objects by asking yes or
no questions. It is hard to get the right answer
but not impossible. Last year, in 2012, I got the
first one right. The object was a Granny Smith
Apple. I was the only one to win because the
other mystery object, a box of raisins, was never
guessed so no one got that prize.

Another fun activity is the random pick. A
random pick is when you guess or chose a
number of objects that are collected and, if you
are right, you get a prize. One is how many paper
clips are in the jar this is a common game but it is
a random pick nonetheless.

On Christmas Eve we also play games. The most
popular game we play is musical chairs. In that
game we have 11 people (or however many of us
are there) and then there will be ten chairsone
for each person minus one. The chairs are in a
circle now and each person is standing up around
the chairs. When the music starts, they start
walking around the chairs. When the music stops,
they try to sit in a chair. If they don't get in the
chair they are out. They remove a chair and do it
again until there is one person left. The person
that is left wins.

After we are done with the games, we go to the
pond near my Grandpas house. It is really close
so we can walk there. On the way there my
Grandpa tells us stories of when he went hunting
out in the wilderness. My favorite is when he tells
the story of when he came in seventh place in the
Maine Deer Tournament. The story is really long
and I have heard it many times, but it's my
favorite because he scares the deer to death.
Trust me its a good story.

Once we get to the pond, we see frogs, ducks
and geese. My brother and I play tag. When we
are at the pond it is time to rest. When we are
done my Grandpa tells us more stories, its like he
will never run out of stories.

After the pond we always eat and then go to
church. The dinner on Christmas Eve is big and
yummy. We have mini hot dogs and a big turkey.
My uncle brings the kids food and its usually mac
and cheese. My mom and dad bring the deserts:
my dad makes cookies and my mom makes
Popsicles and pie. At church I am really tired. I am
sleeping through the whole thing and all I know is
that they sing and look bored. I know that at the
end they all have candles and sing another song. I
don't take a candle because I think that I'm so
tired that I might burn the church down by
accident.
I fall asleep in the car on the way home from
church. I know the next day will be awesome.

I wake up excited for Christmas. Santa! I know he
has given me some good presents. My Grandpa
makes waffles with his old fashioned waffle iron
and some how he uses it without burning his
house down. My Grandpas waffles are delicious
and big. We take all the presents and say
goodbye to my grandparents and all my family.
We leave the house to go to my grandmothers
house on my moms side.

But that is another story.


EID AL-FITR
by Ridwana Atoor

"Maryam wake up!" my dad shouted at 8:00 in
the morning. "Abdi, wake up! Sahara! Roda!
Ridwana! Wake up! It's Eid!"

First, everybody took a shower. Then we dressed
in our new clothes. We got in the car and sang
Allahuakbar. It means, "Allah is great." Then we
repeated it. "Allahuakbar, allahuakbar,
allahuakbar," we sang.

We went to the Masjid and we prayed and
greeted people. (The best part is you can get
money from the elders. They always give you
money on Eid.) After we pray and greet people
we go home and eat sweets like (halwa) and
coconut and sometimes sambousa and cakea
different kind than the ones with frosting and
stuff, and the elders drink tea after we are done.
To celebrate we go to Hometown Buffet. We eat
my favorite food... ice cream with Oreo crumbs.

Ridwana, hurry up, we are going to Funtown,
says my sister.

Okay let me take my last bite of ice cream.

Are we there yet? I ask.

NO. Yes we're here. Yay! I run to the
rollercoaster line. There are only a couple of
people. I was up next. Please but on your seat
belt, the man said, and enjoy the ride.

It started moving. Bump bump, my heart
bumped. Aaaaaaaahhhahhaahahahahhahhaha!
The rollercoaster stopped. The ride was over. My
brother asked me if I was ok. I'm fine."

I walked to the bench and that's when my cousin
came to me. Lets go on the flying swings!
Sure! We waited in line. When we got on, we
put our seat belts on. Then the swings went high
and I could feel the breeze and my hijab flying off,
but I snatched it from the air and put it back on. It
was getting dark out so we all met in the ice
cream place and got ice cream. Then we split up.
My cousins and I went in the van. My siblings
went in the other car. "Meet us back at Portland,
Maine, in an hour, my brother said.

When I went to use my iPod, I noticed my battery
had died and I forgot to bring my charger. It
didn't matter since we only had twenty minutes
until we were there. I saw a big green sign that
said, Maine 1.5 miles. I was excited because we
were almost there. We got off exit 8. After five
minutes I saw my house. Just because we were
back, it didn't mean Eid was over. (There are three
days of Eid.) I saved all my money that I put in a
little purse and hid it.

The next day we didnt wake up as early as we did
yesterday. This time we went to Lewiston to
celebrate our Eid with our cousins. It was really
fun. We went to the park. We played tag and I
went on the tire swing. It was really fun because I
got a little dizzy. We had a snack break and then
we left. After it got dark, we went back home to
Portland.

Ridwana, wake up, my dad said and gave me a
little push on my back. I woke up and went
upstairs to my room. I remembered tomorrow was
the last day of Eid. Then I sang this song over and
over again. Allahuakbar, I sang as I fell asleep.

I woke up without my dad screaming my name.
Then I heard some people talking downstairs. I
went downstairs and saw my uncle and his three
kids. I ran to my cousins and gave them a big hug
and a kiss and then we went outside. I saw a big
bucket with water balloons. Why are there water
balloons?" I asked.

We are having a water balloon fight meyou vs.
Abdirahman and Sawda, okay?

I threw four water balloons at them. Then I got
wet. I went inside and I had this question in my
mind since the beginning of Eid. Why do we
celebrate Eid? I asked my dad.

We celebrate Eid al Fitri for a lot of reasons
because you fast for thirty days and lots of other
reasons. For example, Muslims around the world
try to show a common goal of unity. We all meet
together at the masjid.

It was getting dark out. Today was the last day of
Eid. It was 11:59one more minute and Eid was
over. 12:00. This is how my family celebrated Eid
al-Fitr.


HOLIDAYS
by Jack Woodleigh

Holidays are the best
Days of the year
Presents and candy
What could be better
One more thing
No school
Holidays have it all

Christmas
Cheering when opening presents
Putting up lights
Hanging my stocking
Waking up to it filled with toys and candy
Willy Wonkas Laffy Taffy
Dummies, filled candies

Easter
Finding hidden chocolate eggs
All around the house
Up high so my dog, Gizz, wont get them
A basket filled with toys and candy
Eating a big meal
With family

Halloween
More candy!
Costumes of all kinds
Dressing up as a black ghost
A Vampire
Running from house to house
Filling a bucket or pillowcase with candy

Holidays are the best
Days of the year
Holidays have it all


RAMADAN AND EID
by Monte Al Mashkoor

Ramadan

I get so hungry
I get so thirsty
I have to play sports
While I'm fasting
I get so hungry
I get so thirsty

My mom has to be in the kitchen
All day long
She has to taste the food
But she can't because
She is fasting
She gets so hungry
She gets really thirsty

My dad has to work
At a hot
Bread bakery
He gets really hungry
He gets really thirsty
The days get longer
Until its time to eat

Two more hours
One more hour
55 minutes left
50 minutes
45 minutes
40 minutes
35 minutes
30 minutes
25 minutes
20 minutes
15 minutes
10 minutes
5 minutes
Time to eat!

Eid

We get gifts
We give gifts
We eat all day long
Kids get money for fasting
From friends and parents
Families come over

We get gifts
We give gifts
My family goes to our
friends house
We give gifts

Food and money to the poor
No more fasting till next year!
We have a lot of
Fun



ANNA SAVES CHRISTMAS
By Lauren Forester

Hi! My name is Anna. I live on a small island called
Jamaica with palm trees, mangoes, and lots more.
I live with my big brother, Josh, and my mom. We
never ever had a good Christmas with a Christmas
tree, presents, and food but I really want my
brother and my mom to both have a great
Christmas this year. I am going to give to them an
amazing Christmas!

"Wake up," said Josh as he was shaking me up
and down.

"It is too early," I whined as I was yawning.

"It's 12:00," my brother said.

I hopped up. "I'm late for my job," I cried.

My heart sank. All I was saying to myself was, "I'm
going to get fired. I'm going to get fired. I'm
going to get fired!" I picked up my ripped bag
and said love you to my brother and mom. As I
ran out the door I heard the door shut behind me.
I was running. I could feel the wind hitting me and
the sun on my back. I could feel the sweat
beginning to drip down my face like a waterfall.
When I was running all I could see was green and
blue. I finally got there.

"You're late!" hollered my boss angrily.

"I'm sorry boss," I said back. For a minute, there
was complete silence. Then he said, "Go, go, go
make patties!"

"Yes, sure," I said. I ran into the pattie shop and
picked up dough and started to cook. As I was
cooking there were a bunch of people bumping
into me and there was lots of noisiness. As my first
patty was done, I went out to serve it. I opened
the door and my order was for a light skinned old
lady and her darker skinned friend.

"Hi," I said

"Hi," she said back in a joyful way.
Is it your first time trying patties?" I asked.

"No we tried them yesterday," the lighter lady
said.

"Oh you did?" I said.

I set their food down. I was so jealous. They
looked so rich and fancy. I wished I was them. I
walked away and opened the kitchen door as they
were eating their food. I went back to cooking. As
usual they were shoving and shouting, but I just
kept on cooking for my next customer. I walked
out of the kitchen and opened the door and went
to go give my other customers their food. I gave
the old man and a young lady their food. Then I
walked away and went to go get my tip. I was
hoping for a nice tip from the nice ladies. I
spotted $50 on the ground. I saw the nice ladies
leaving. I was so shocked. I knew it was their
money. I ran as fast as I could give it to them.

"I think you dropped your money," I said.

"I never even noticed," said the darker lady.

You are such an honest young lady," the lighter
lady said.

Thank you, I said, as I was trying to catch my
breath.

"You can keep it," she said.

At first, I thought my mind was playing jokes on
me. "Really?" I asked again.

"Yes, you can have it," she said.

"Thank you, I said smiling. I felt like squeezing
her but instead I gave her a nice gentle hug.
"Thank you! You don't know how much I needed
this," I told them.

They smiled, waved goodbye, and walked away. I
was so happy to put our first Christmas tree up,
and buy a new shining star to put on top. I can
even buy more than one present for each of us,
and have dinner. But most of all we will have a
good Christmas as a family!


THE QUINCEAERA
by Carlos Becerra

I liked my sisters dresses. One of them was violet
and blue, the other was white with pink flowers. It
was long. My parents bought them for her. She
danced and danced. She danced with my dad
and there was a tear in her eye. Her dress was
sticking to her from the sweat of all the dancing.
We all danced, even the dog! My parents bought
the cake. It was four layers, biggest to smallest,
and the smallest one was strawberry. There was so
much food.

A Quinceaera is a celebration for a Latina girl
when she turns fifteen. Its kind of like a sweet
sixteen party, but for Hispanic girls. It marks the
transition from being a girl to a woman.

I was really proud of my sister. When all the
guests left she was still so happy. I think I saw
another tear in her eye!











BELIEFS & RELIGION
Our spiritual lives


RAMADAN KAREEM
By Amzad Hossain

Sumon is
Up at 3:00 am
He eats, eats, and eats
With his family
Chicken, bread, dates, noodles
Drinks lots of water
Back to sleep
He is up again at 8:00 am
Tired
Got to go to school
Cant eat until sunset
Gates of heaven
Open
Gates of Hell
Closed
Devils chained
At the end
Eid


MY MOMS CONVERSION
by Adam Taddia

My mom became a Muslim because she believed
in Islam's teachings: belief in one God and the
importance of prayer, fasting, charity and the hajj
(or pilgrimage to Mecca). My mom was first
introduced to Islam in 1995, when she and my
dad lived in Boston. My dad had converted in
March, and my mom converted in May.

The more she learned about Islam through her
Muslim co-workers, friends and personal study,
the more it appealed to her. Before she was
Muslim, she was Catholic. When she started to
study Islam, she realized the religions had things
in common. One of the things she likes about
Islam is the importance of equality among all
people. In Prophet Muhammad's last sermon, he
said, O people! Verily your Lord is one and your
father is one. All of you belong to one ancestry of
Adam, and Adam was created out of clay. There is
no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for
a non-Arab over an Arab; or for the white over the
black or for the black over the white except in
piety. Verily the noblest among you is he who is
the most pious.

Islam's major holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha,
are special occasions for Muslims all around the
world. Eid al-Fitr comes at the end of Ramadan
and Eid al-Adha at the end of the Hajj, or
pilgrimage to Mecca.

I'm usually exhausted once Eid al-Fitr rolls around,
since I've been fasting from sunup to sundown
every day. After we've broken our fast during the
last night of Ramadan, I call my friends to wish
them an Eid Mubarak, or Happy Eid. I'm much
more organized for Eid al-Adha, though, since I
haven't had to fast.

The night before Eid, we'll usually go shopping
for our special Eid dinner, new clothes and
presents for the kids (similar to what Christians do
for Christmas) and Zahra and I will get our hands
hennaed. It's a tradition for me to also buy a big
bouquet of fresh flowers and make pistachio
baklava. In the morning, we'll go to the Eid prayer
and in the afternoon well spend time visiting
friends. The next few days we'll continue to
celebrate and visit friends. Eid has always been
special, but I hope our family can one day
celebrate it in a Muslim country like Turkey or
Uzbekistan.


POEMS OF ISLAM
by Abdihakim Atoor

Islam
From dawn to night we recite the Quran
From dawn to night we pray
From dawn to night we worship Allah
The merciful, the mighty, the wise and the
powerful

Soma
So thirsty
Like I was
In the desert
So hungry
Like I did
Not eat
For
Ages


WHY I FAST ON RAMADAN
by Hanad Ismail

I fast because it's a pillar of faith
A very big part of my religion
And to test my faith
I fast because it's a happy time
All my family smiling and saying, Allah ho Akbar
I jump up and down with excitement
I fast out of respect of people who have no food
I fast for 30 days
I fast 30 days because it has to be a month
And the month of Ramadan is 30 days
I fast because we have to
I fast because we want good deeds
Fasting and reading the Quran are some
I fast because the seven gates of heaven are open
I fast because the gates of hell are closed
I fast because the demons are locked up
I fast because the angels write all our good deeds
I fast for Allah to forgive my wrong deeds
And that's why we fast
Allah Ho Akbar

Authors Note: I chose to write this poem because I
celebrate the month of Ramadan and it affects me. I
have always loved the month of Ramadan, one of the
most holy months of the Muslim calendar. Now I fast
each year to get more good deeds. I'm happy when I
fast and I always will be.


RAMADAN
by Khalid Noor

In the cold days of winter when everybody
Is hungry but happy,
EID is the happy time.
For Muslims. It is the funnest day ever.


RAMADAN
by Said Jelle

Fasting
The warm breeze of the afternoon
Hungry Muslims thanking Allah for
What they have.
Pray for Allah. Thank him all day.
The quiet peace of the Masjid
Makes everyone tired.
The quietness of the Masjid
Made me feel like I was in a library.
As I heard the Atham I rushed to the line to pray.
When the whole crew finished praying
There is nothing more I can Do.
BUDDHISM
by Andrew Johannen

Buddhism, a religion.
Buddhism, acceptance.
Buddhism, it is peaceful.
Buddhism, it calms.
Buddhism, it is healing.
Buddhism, it is powerful.
Buddhism, it clears us.
Buddhism, it respects us.
Buddhism, it is silent.
Buddhism, it calls me.
Buddhism, I follow it, follow him.
Buddhism, I love it.
Buddhism, I make offerings.
Buddhism, I meditate.
Buddhism, I respect it.
Buddhism, teaches us to be good,
teaches us respect.
Buddhism, my religion, everyones religion.
Happiness is there, help yourself to it.








MANY CULTURES
LARGE AND SMALL
How we participate in and create
communities through the sports,
games and things we love


THE SKATEBOARD COMPETITION
by Alex Hernandez

It was a hot and sunny afternoon in Boston, MA,
but today was a very special day because it was
the skateboarding competition. Ike, who was
mature for a twelve-year-old, was in the
competition, along with his best friend Percy. Ike
and Percy had been friends since second grade,
but they became closest in fifth grade. Right now
the competition was about to start, and Ike was
getting nervous so he asked Percy, "Do you think
we'll win?"

Percy was eating a chocolate bar. As he
responded a piece of chocolate came out of his
mouth. "Dude, we have to win! We have been
practicing months now! We can't let all of that
practice be a waste of time!" growled Percy.

Ike nodded in return. What Percy just said was
true. They had been practicing at the skate park
near their town. Day after day, week after week,
and month after month, they practiced. They had
even skipped school so they could practice!

Today's the day when all of that practice finally
pays off, thought Ike. Ike looked at his watch. It
said 2:16. "The competition begins at 2:30,"
thought Ike.

Then a speaker from the wall said, "Will all
competitors please come to the lobby? I repeat,
will all competitors please come to the lobby?
Thank you."

"Come on Ike! We're going to be late! said a kid
with a nametag saying, Sam.

"All right, all right, I'm coming!" said Ike playfully
as he dashed off to the lobby.

As Ike ran he studied the kid called "Sam." He
had big round glasses, short brown hair, peach
skin, and big brown eyes. "He's probably a nerd,"
thought Ike as he reached the lobby.

When Ike got to the lobby, he noticed that he was
one of the last kids and that everyone already had
their gear on. They were practicing some tricks
like Ollies. When you do an Ollie, you slide
with the skateboard.

"Yo, Ike! The contest begins in five minutes so get
ready!" shouted Percy, as he ate yet another
chocolate bar.

"Five minutes!?" said Ike, slapping his head.

Ike quickly put on his gear and soon
skateboarded outside where the half-pipe was.
When Ike got to the half-pipe, he saw that there
were only eight people competing. There was
also a man with a badge that read judge. Then
the judge said, "All right folks. There will be four
rounds. In each round, there will be a one by one,
meaning that two people will go and compete
against each other on the half-pipe."

The judge got a water bottle and drank half of it.
"Man, it's hot outside! Anyway, for each trick you
get, you earn points. But for every time you try a
trick, but fail, you lose points. Whoever gets the
most points wins that round and goes to the next
round. Understood?"

Everyone "understood and walked back to the
beginning of the half-pipe.

The judge said, "First up, Cindy and Carly!" Two
girls came up on their skateboards and zoomed
down to do their tricks. Soon Cindy won, 12-10.

"Now it's Ike and Bruce!" shouted the judge.

"Oh no!! Not Bruce!" thought Ike. He sped down
to the half-pipe. Ike's first trick was a 360, which
was one full turn in the air. "Simple, he thought,
"Just warm-up, then do the harder tricks!" he said
to himself. But Bruce did a hand plant (holding
onto one hand on the ground with your
skateboard in the air). Ike looked at the score. It
was 4-8. "Whoa!" said Ike as he did a hand plant
too.

As for Bruce, he forgot to stretch, so when he did
an Ollie, he tripped and fell on his back and
started groaning. Then Ike started warming up
and soon he did a 420 and landed perfectly!
"Time!" shouted the judge. When Ike got to the
beginning of the half-pipe he saw the score. It was
10-8!

"Yeah!!" shouted Percy who slapped Ike on the
back playfully.

Pretty soon the competition got down to the final
two, Sam and Ike. "Wow! I can't believe this nerd
is so good, thought Ike as he did an Ollie and
then a hand plant. But when Ike saw the score, it
said, 12-18. "Oh no, said Ike as he tried to do
the trick he loved the most. But soon the judge
yelled, "Time's up! And the winner is Sam! Good
job, Sam! Now here is your prize: this trophy and
four tickets to the Boston aquarium!!"

"Nnnnoooo!!!" whispered Ike.

As everyone started to head for home, the judge
said, "Ike, do you have a minute?"

"Sure, I guess," said Ike as he walked towards the
judge.

"Son, I just want to say how great you were today!
But you must remember that just because you lost
that contest, it doesn't mean that you'll lose every
contest. Now nobody's perfect, not even Sam!
You just lose some and you win some. You
understand?" said the judge.

"Yeah, I do, said Ike as he walked away to get
his backpack. While he walked, he thought about
what the judge said. "Nobody's perfect.

"That's it!" shouted Ike as he ran to Sam saying,
"Sam! Sam! I want to talk to you!"

"Yeah, what's up?" said Sam.
"Look I just want to say that you did great today!
But I also want to know if you could show me
some of the tricks you know so I could get
better," said Ike.

"Sure! I would be glad to show you some of the
tricks I know," said Sam.

"Let's practice at the half-pipe right now! Well... if
you have time, responded Ike.

"O.K.! Let's go!" said Sam as he ran to the half-
pipe.

"Wait for me!" shouted Ike laughing. They
practiced until dawn together, and became
friends!

Authors Note: I wrote this story because this reflects
part of who I am. I skateboard a lot because it's part of
me. It's one of my values too!!!


WHEN SOCCER BECAME A REALLY BIG
PART OF ME
by Lazarus Bongomin

This is when soccer became a very big part of me.
I was at my older brother's soccer game. He
played left wing. He had a hard position. He had
to help the defender defend the goal and help
the striker score. My brother was really fast, so he
won almost every 50-50 ball, which is when a ball
is up for grabs by either team.

I really wasn't into soccer. I didn't watch games. I
only wanted to go because my brother would pay
me two dollars. He really wanted to play soccer
and wanted me to get interested in it too. One of
the players kicked the ball and it bounced off the
crossbar and came straight at me. I picked up the
ball, got a grip on it, and kicked it as far as I
could. It nearly passed the bleachers ten yards
away, which is a big deal for a six-year old!! The
crowd went crazy.

My dad wanted my brother to be a professional
soccer player, but his chance never came because
he wasnt chosen to be on a pro team. I really
wanted him to be a professional player but, sadly,
it wasn't meant to be. I told my brother that, just
because he didn't make it, didn't mean he wasn't
a good player. I tried to cheer him up. Then my
dad decided it was I who could be a soccer
player. I think it's really hard to make it, but it's
not impossible. You have to believe you can
achieve your goal. So now it's my, Lazaruss, turn
to take the place of my older brother, William,
and give my dad a pro!

Authors Note: Soccer was first played in Africa in
1862. The sport was brought there by European
soldiers, traders, and missionaries. It spread quickly
and by the 1880s there were African teams. My family
is from Sudan. I think I was born to play soccer. I live
the culture of soccer. It is in my blood!


MY FAMILY AND I LIKE TRAVELING A
LOT
by Hayden Weaver

My family and I like traveling a lot.

For example, we went to Quebec once. In
Quebec they speak French. I know a lot of French
because I have a book on foreign languages. I
also like to learn languages.

Another example is we went to Fripp Island,
South Carolina. In South Carolina, we went
swimming a lot because it had a lot of oceans and
swimming pools. I liked that too, because I like to
go swimming. I like swimming because it cools
me off when I'm hot.

And finally, we went to Chicago, earlier this
month. In Chicago, we went to see my sister's
graduation. We also went swimming a lot there
too.

That shows my family and I travel a lot. This makes
me think that going on vacations is a lot of fun.
My parents and I like traveling because we can
see people we know. We can go with people we
know to socialize with them and we can go to
places where we don't know anyone.

The End


PICKLES
by Georgia Gibbs

I awoke to the sun shining through my window.
Wait a second. A window? My room doesn't have
a window. Then I remembered I was at my best
friend's house. I snuggled back down in my
sleeping bag for another half hour before Anna
shook me awake. I grunted and rolled over.

Wake up sleeping beauty! Today's the first
Chinese festival that Olivia has ever been to. You
know how much this means to me!

Okay, I sighed.

Olivia is Anna's baby sister and is absolutely the
cutest baby you will ever see. At breakfast, Anna's
dad told us that he was taking the day off of work
so that he could take Olivia around Chinatown
while Anna and I explore. We corner-eyed each
other and smiled. Then I remembered, Mr. Brown
doesn't tell us good news unless there's... bad
news.

Okay, what is it? I asked.

Dear, cover your ears, Mr. Brown said to Anna.

Alright, she said and stuck her fingers in her
ears.

Well, it seems that Pickles has gone missing.

Oh no! I gasped. When did he go missing?

Right after the Scrummie-Yummie cat food brand
came to the house trying to test a new kind of cat
food on Pickles.

Do you think that they've catnapped him?

What else? he asked grimly.

When are you going to tell Anna?

Tonight, he said, and I'm not looking forward
to it either. You don't suppose you could help me
break it to her could you?

Oh... I'm sorry. I have a lot of homework to do.

Oh that's too bad. Well, wish me luck, he said
as we pulled up outside my house.

Three days later...

Mr. Brown pulled up outside my house and
honked. I ran outside wearing my big straw hat
and slid into the car next to a very gloomy Anna.

What's up? I asked cheerfully.

Pickles, she said sadly and looked up with such
a look of sorrow that I almost cried for her sake.

Once we got there and Anna saw the stores she
cheered up a bit. Mr. Brown took Olivia to the
table of sweets and goodies where Olivia clapped
her sticky little hands together and giggled and
laughed. Anna and I went off to explore and
obviously shop. First we went to a store that was
pretty small and kind of cute. There was a man at
the door who was reading palms, as soon as I
went in he grabbed my hand.

"Ahhh what beautiful skin" he muttered.

"Thank you? I said and pulled away my hand. I'm
part Cherokee, one quarter German, partly
English and a lot of different cultures.

Then Anna and I walked into the store and
immediately saw two giant lucky kitties for only
eighteen bucks! We each got one and continued
on to the next store. It was called Little Paradise
Candies Gifts and Juices. We went inside and a
horrible sight met our eyes, a taxidermy cat that
looked like Pickles standing on a shelf. Anna sank
to the floor and began to sob once more. When
she calmed down we got mugs, tongue tattoos,
and earrings. Then we practically ran out the
store.

After ten more stores we were loaded down with
necklaces, dragons, kitties, charms, key chains,
earrings, robes, pens, make-up containers,
bracelets and more. We went over to the closest
restaurant which happened to be an all-you-can-
eat buffet. We took a plate and got into line,
where I heaped my plate with rice until we got to
the third cart. I saw seahorses, fried squid balls,
squirrels, snails and much, much more.

Anna, call your dad I think I'm going to be... I
said as I ran to the restroom. I leaned over and
finally realized what people mean by saying your
prayers before the great white throne.

A few minutes later I was in the front seat of the
car and we were pulling up beside Burger King.
Before I knew it I was eating a B.L.T. and. Mr.
Brown was telling us that Pickles had been found
in some guys basement. Pickles had been
returned with weight loss and matted fur, but
there was no serious damage, and he was all
right. Well, I guess that everything turned out all
right, even if things had taken a turn for the
worse.


OUTDOORSY PEOPLE
by Will Brewster

This is my story. I come from all over the world.
On my mother's side I am German, French, and
from Brooklyn. On my dad's side of my family, I
mostly come from Ireland, but I have a little
French Canadian and Native American in me.

My great grandparents on my mother's side met
when my Brooklyn great grandfather was in the
army in France after World War Two, and was
digging out an allied tank from the mud. My great
grandmother fell in love with his blue eyes, which
were all she could see as he was covered in mud!

On the other side of my family, my dad's side, you
have to go back to my great great great
grandfather to find someone born out of America.
On my dad's side of the family I'm mostly Irish,
but I have some Native American and French
Canadian. The Irish part of me emmigrated to
America during the Irish potato famine. As soon
as my relatives got to America they joined the
Civil War.

My dad's side of the family has been outdoorsy
people for generations. For example, my dad and
I spend most of our summer on a farm, taking
care of animals and gardening. We own a camp at
the farm. Most of the time at the camp, we feed
the animals, do arts n' crafts, or play the camp
sport, scatter-ball. Scatter-ball is one of the most
fun sports on earth. Just combine dodgeball and
tag and you get the basic idea of the sport.
Scatter-ball is a game with lots of running,
throwing and dodging. The fondest memory I
have of scatter-ball is the scatter-ball
championship. It was the only game ever played
at camp with two balls instead of one.

As I was saying before, I come from a very
outdoorsy family. My grandfather goes fishing at
least once a week, and my great grandfather was
a hunter. I will probably do a lot of outdoorsy
things with my kids, just like all of my family
before me!





VIDEO GAMES
By Reid Myhaver

Video games
Keep you from being bored
Graphics
16-bit or detailed
Clustered or elegant
Chunky or smooth
Playing style
RPG to a direct goal
Video games are
Awesome
All the consoles you can choose from
What an awesome gaming world.

Authors Note: I play video games, because when I
play them I'm "nether" bored. Culture is a shared way
of doing things. Using video games, I get to connect
with people around the world. I have actually
connected with about 40 people from Japan. We
share the rules of the game and play to have fun.


ROSE LOVES DOGS
By Gloria Sanchez

Rose was a poor girl, so her life was very hard.
She felt like her mom didn't love her because she
never spent time with her. She was always
working. She went to a school where kids bullied
her. Kids thought she was racist.

One day, she left school because she just couldn't
take it. She hid in an alley and cried. A lady
walking by saw her.

"Little girl, why are you crying?" asked the lady.

"My mom doesn't love me and my friends think I
am mean," she cried.

"Don't cry," said the lady. "Let's go find your
mom."

When they found her mom, she was mad because
Rose had left school. After they talked, Rose and
her mom went to the park. She saw a dog and
asked her mom if she could pet it. Her mom said
yes. When she pet the dog she had an allergic
reaction and was having trouble breathing.

She went to the hospital and the doctor said to
her mom, Your daughter is allergic to dogs. She
said, Okay.

Rose went to the house. She felt bad that she was
allergic to dogs. She went to sleep. Then it was
Tuesday. She asked her mom if she could get a
shot so she would not be allergic to dogs. She
was little, so she could not get the shot. Days and
days passed. Now it was June and she was
turning seven. She asked, Mom, can I get my
shot yet?

Her mom told her she had to be ten. She went to
her room and cried and cried. One of her friends
brought her a dog but she couldn't keep it. She
was about to touch the dog but her mom said no.

Now it was her birthday and Rose was turning ten.
She went to the hospital, got her shot, and said,
Finally I can touch a dog! She was so happy.
Then she went to the park. She touched the dog
and had an allergic reaction. She went back to the
hospital and the doctor told her that she hadn't
waited long enough for the shot.

Rose waited until she was okay. Then her mom
took her to the park and got her a dog. Rose
realized her mom really did love her. Rose named
her new dog Quate. They became best buddies
forever and ever.


MY CULTURES
by Keroi Nzeyimana

My culture is basketball and family
The rules are sometimes the same

It's all about respect and being a good teammate
Be respectful to your family and to your
teammates
Teammates are the ones who help you when you
lose a game and your family helps when you feel
lost
They never give up on you
Family members help you when youre having a
bad day
To me teammates are like family
We always have each others backs
Family members are the ones who love you
For who you are
and they never try to
Change you
I hope my teammates only try to change me
by making my game better

I guess thats true of my family too


TIM & JASON
by Charlie Scalia-Bruce

Tim:
It all started with a phone call. I was just getting
home from school, and I saw mom on the phone.
It looked like a really serious conversation so I
went in the kitchen to get a snack. Then I saw it,
the look. The look you get when parents find out
something that youve carefully hidden, so that
they would never, ever know. Because, if they
knew, they would probably ground you for life.
(Like when my model rocket crashed through her
bedroom window, into the closet, and tore up my
moms wedding dress.) But I could tell that this
one was REALLY bad, worse than ANYTHING I've
ever done. Then I realized, she knew. She knew
that...

"You've been skipping gym!"

Jason:
My dad was pacing around and lecturing me at
the same time. (He's good at multi-tasking.)

"I can't believe! Blah blah blah. Of all the
irresponsible...! blah blah blah. Soooo, much
trouble young man...! Blah blah blah."

So I was skipping math. I mean, when am I gonna
use math in my life anyway? And I had so much
free time because of it. Everything was going
perfectly, until my snitch of a sister found out. She
told Mom and Dad immediately! My mom was on
the phone with one of her friends--not sure which
one, but she sounded really serious.

"Okay. Bye, she said.

"Well, it seems like your old friend Tim Grayson
has lost his place on the math team. So, in order
to make up for the classes you missed, you're
going to quit soccer and take his place."

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"



Tim:
That's why Jason Drake is taking my place on the
math team, and I am taking his place as center
striker for the Portland junior high Titans. The
game's about to start and, OH MY GOD! THE
GUY IN FRONT OF ME IS A GIANT! OH MY
GOD! I'M DEAD! I'M DEAD! Okay, calm down.
(Did I mention that if we lose this we don't go on
to the tournament? Lots of pressure for the center
Striker.) The kick-off is in 5,4,3,2,1... I kick so hard
that I flip onto my back. But, hey, surprisingly, its
a goal! (Maybe this won't be too bad.)

Jason:
I bombed the first meet. I didn't do as bad in the
second meet. The third meet I got three out of six
questions right. Right now, I'm in the middle of
the 4th meet.

"Aaaand... stop. Pencils down, everyone."

They collect our papers, take a few minutes to get
the answer sheet and...

"The answer to question one is: 36." I got that!

"The answer to question two is: 50 square
meters." I got that one too!

89 centimeters." Got that.

... 729." Check.

... 58." Uh-huh.

"... and 5 yards, 8 feet." I got them all!

"I got them all!"

And that's how I figured out that Math's not too
bad. (It's still pretty bad though.)

Tim:
And, goal! The crowd goes wild! I did it! I made
the winning goal! We won the tournament! I hoist
the trophy high when I see Jason Drake out in the
audience. I never thought Id be one of the 35
million kids who played organized sports, but now
I am. And you know what? I'm fine with that.

Authors Note: I wrote this to reflect perspective. I
chose to reflect perspective because this way, more
than one type of person can read this and think, "Hey,
I'm like this guy!" and know that there's someone else
like them.














SCHOOL
Belonging, bullying,
struggling, and finding our way


BULLYING
by Yasmin Ahmed

You know bullying hurts
So why not just stop?

It starts with one hurtful word

They blurt
Fat,
Ugly,
Worthless,
these are the words,
you hear day by day.

All I ask is for one true friend
who can stand up for me.

And that can be.........
ANYONE!


WONDER FLIP
by Victor Edwards

Hi. Im Trixie. Let me tell you my story. It was a
bright morning. I had just woken up and looked
at my calendar. "Oh no!" I screamed. I ran under
my covers thinking it was just a nightmare. But my
mom came in and said, Time for your first day at
school.

I got dressed, brushed my teeth and got in the car
and waited for my little brother who had been
going to school for a month now. I had been so
bored. I couldn't play with anybody until around
noon because everybody except for three-year
olds was at the park, and I'm NOT playing with
three-year olds. So we drove off. First we
dropped off my little brother Jack.

"Bye," said Jack.

"Bye," I said. And we were off. Next was my
school.

My mom stopped in front of my school and said,
"Bye." I said, "Bye," back and she left. I turned
around, looked at the name Beacher Prep and
said, "Here goes nothing," and went in.

I went into the hallway to look for my locker and
remembered that I had a slip of paper telling me
where my locker was. It said, 479, so I went
there. When I got there, I saw this girl across from
my locker. She gave me this weird look and came
over and said, "Where's your jewelry?"

I said, "I don't like jewelry that much.

Wow. How could you not like bracelets,
necklaces, and earrings? Why are you wearing a
hat? Girls dont wear hats.

Im not really a girl. Im more of a tomboy, if you
want.

A tomboy! Pffft! We dont hang out with
tomboys.

Fine. Go ahead! I dont need you. As I stood at
my locker, I realized something. I needed a friend.
Later on at lunch I was eating my pizza and
wondering who I should be friends with. I looked
all around until ten minutes before recess. This
boy came over and asked, Is this seat taken?

I said, No, its not.

Can I sit here?

Yeah, I guess so, I said.

Thanks. Im James. Whats your name?

My names Trixie.

Great name!

Thanks. You too.

You wanna hang out at recess?

Yeah. Sure.

Later on, after recess I was having second
thoughts about this new school. I thought, I
wonder if I could make more friends. James is
pretty nice. Im going to ask my mom if I can
stay.

The more I learned about this school, the more I
liked it. I think Im going to be happy here.


MY SCHOOL DAY
by Jared Clifford

This is what I feel inside when my teacher asks me
to write...
I feel like giving up
I feel like throwing it away
I feel like exploding
I feel like I just can't do it
I think, but my mind is not letting me
I want to but I can't
The thoughts are in my head,
but they will not go onto the paper
I feel like I am being tested
This is what I feel like when my teacher asks me to
write.



THE GIRL
by Diana Aboda

I'm a girl and my name is Sara. Im thirteen-years
old and Im tall and slender. Im the only girl in my
family. I have two brothers. Im a funny girl. I like
making jokes and I can laugh really easy.

But there's a problem. Im going to 7th grade, but
I can't focus and I heard that the teachers are
mean. The problem started when I was in 5th
grade. It was tough for me but the teachers
helped me a lot.

It started in homeroom. Mr. Pringle was talking.
That's my teacher, Mr. Pringle.

I said, "Can I call my mom?"

"Okay," Mr. Pringle said.

Ring, ring, ring, ring.

Hello?

Hi mom.

What's the call for?

Mom, I said, I forgot my squishy thing because
I cant focus right now.

But I'm all the way in New Hampshire. So youre
going to have to try your best.

But mom... I said. Then the phone cut off. Can
you hear me, mom? Are you there? I went back
to my seat to look for something to help me, but
there was nothing. Then I heard, Ahem.

Yes, Mr. Pringle?

What's the answer?

Ummmmm... I said.

How come you aren't paying attention?

Because... I didnt know what to say.

No excuse! Go down to the office.

Later, when I was in the office, I tried to explain
why I wasnt paying attention to Mr. Pringle. I
said, The only reason I wasnt looking at you was
because I was looking for something that I could
play with. Then you sent me to the office!

Why do you need it? he asked.

Because I have a hard time paying attention and
I move around a lot in my seat, I said.

Oh, Sara, Mr. Pringle said. Now I see. You
need something to use in your hand to help you
focus.

Mr. Pringle said that he would buy me something
that I could use in the classroom. Later that week,
Mr. Pringle walked in with something squishy in
his hand and said, Its for you. It really helped
me and now I don't have to worry about 7th
grade.


SMASH
by Uther Dadaleares

I wake up knowing what today is, the day I skip
school! I get up and sneak out of the house... sort
of.

"Honey, what are you doing at school today?" my
mother asks.

"Uh... stalking cute boys?!" I say weirdly.

"Well that sounds fun," my mom says.

"Stalking boys is fun?" I mumble.

It was just made up, but the fact that my mom
would really think I would stalk boys seemed
strange. My name is Nancy and I'm going to be
skipping school with my friend Anna. I walk to
Annas house. I knock on her door. The door
opens and I see Anna.

"You ready to go?" I ask. (By the way, we are
going to the beach.)

"Yeah, lets do this!" she answers happily.

The minute after we leave her house we scream,
Were on the road! We see beautiful sights.
"This day is gonna be AWESOME!" I cry happily.

"Hey, look at that!" Anna says.

I realize that Anna has taken her hand off the
wheel. "Anna! Put your hand on the... "

SMASH! I see glass splashing through the air,
hitting me from every direction.

"OOF!" I yell loudly.

I look to see if Anna is okay. She has a huge cut
on her face. But she looks like she is still alive. My
life flashes through my eyes. I realize how
important life is... and how I need to enjoy life to
its fullest, but skipping school might not be the
way to do it.

CLUNK! Its dead quiet.

"You okay?" I ask. No answer.
"Anna?" I ask again, getting more worried. No
answer. I try to get up. When I do that, I see that
we have gone off the cliff and part of the car is
missing.

Oh no, I think. I look for Anna. I find her lying
on the seat crying.

"Im okay... Im just glad Im alive," she says as
tears stream down her face.

"Im going to call 911. This is crazy.

"I wish we never did this in the first place, Anna
sobs sadly.

I feel bad for her for two reasons. One, shes
going to have to go back to school with a scar on
her face. And two, her mom is going to explode
on her, and be all like, "Why the heck did you do
that?!?!" I start to feel weak and I notice Im
beginning to fall.

When I awake, Im in the hospital. My parents are
staring at me. "What happened?!" my dad yells.
"I... I... I skipped school with Brianna. I'm sorry. Ill
never do it again, I reply, secretly thinking maybe
I wont if it ends up like this did.

"Youre grounded for two months!"

"But... "
"No buts."

"Okay... I deserve it. I really am sorry mom."

Even though being grounded stinks, its better
than being dead, right? I learned a huge lesson
that day about lying and the trouble you can get
in. And I wasnt in school when I learned it.

Authors Note: I got this story from a interview from
my mom. Shes a wonderful lady!


GOOD DAY BAD DAY
by Ben Ntambwe

I woke up
It was 5:00 am
It was still dark
I took a bath
All the hot water was used
I had to take a cold bath
When I was finished
My sister woke up
She had to take a cold bath
I kept thinking about the long way to school
but I was happy
I was learning a lot in school
with my sister
I kept thinking about walking the long way to
school
but my sister and I were happy
Because we are learning a lot
I had a good day at school
Because my teachers were nice to me
I had a bad day
Because I had to take a cold bath
and walk a long way to school

So I had a good day and a bad day.

Authors Note: I was inspired to write this after I
interviewed my mother and she told me about walking
to school in Kinsasha, Congo.


POPULAR IS NOT SO POPULAR
By Daneeka Edgerly

Once there was a girl named Natasha. She had
brown hair, brown eyes, and was way popular but
really mean. The reason she is mean is because
she is scared to express herself, even to her best
friend Crystal. Like Crystal, she gets anything she
wants. Now heres how Natasha's life became bad
and then a lot worse. This is how it started.

Natasha was walking in the hallway when she saw
her best friend Crystal. They've known each other
since they were babies. They have been BFFs
from kindergarten to high school. They are two of
the most popular girls at school. People like them
just because they wear designer clothes and all
the other fancy things that popular girls wear.
Also, they are cheerleaders and they act like
people should feel jealous of them.

So one day, Natasha was walking in the hallway
with her hair down and all curly and wearing a
blue sparkly shirt with blue pants. She was walking
and acting all feminine until she bumped into a
girl wearing a plaid skirt, black shirt, and blond
hair tied into ponytails.

"Hey watch where youre going, geek," Natasha
said.

"I'm not a geek. My name is Monica," she said.

"Well, just watch where you're going, nerd!"
Natasha said.

"Fine," said Monica, acting all mad.

Natasha walked away and, when she was gone,
Monica took a deep breath."Wow. Thats a drama
queen. I would not like to be like that," Monica
said, walking away.

Later that day, Natasha and Crystal were putting
out tryouts for cheerleading. As they sat waiting
for people, Natasha, the captain, asked, "Who is
up first?" Natasha checked the list. "Monica
Wilson, she called out impatiently.

Monica came and said, "Hi.

Not you again. Lets see what you can do. Round
off, said Natasha. Cartwheel! Back flip! Now do
that whole thing over again in a pattern, okay?

Okay, said Monica.

Round off! Cartwheel! Back flip! she yelled
again. And Monica did all of those things without
messing up and landed perfectly. Natasha yelled,
Stop! When Monica stopped, she had sweat
coming down her face from being so energetic.

After Monica was done with all those activities,
Natasha and Crystal huddled together and shared
their ideas with each other. Natasha asked,
Should we let her in? It was good. Right?

It was kinda good I guess, but she is not
cheerleading material, said Crystal.

When they were done, they faced Monica and
said, Youre not on the team.
Monica just stood there with a tear going down
her face and soon she gave up and went home.
When she got home she cried and cried. Her
mom came in when she heard her crying in her
room. She ran upstairs because she had just got
back from grocery shopping.

Honey, are you okay? asked Monica's mom.

No, Monica said angrily.

Why? asked Monica's mom.

Because I did not make the cheerleading team.

Why? Youre the best cheerleader I've ever
seen, said Monica's mom.

Well they don't think so, said Monica.

After she was done sobbing she got up and
rushed downstairs to the door. She told her
mother she was going to go somewhere. She put
her jacket on, ran to the door and left. She took
some change from her pocket and took a bus to
Natashas house.
When she got there, she started feeling nervous
about asking Natasha something really special to
her, so she put her leg on the edge of the front
doorsteps and rang the doorbell. BING.

Natasha yelled, Who is it?

Um... its Monica.

Go away. Youre not popular. Go away, you
nerd.

It seemed to Monica like Natasha did not want to
be seen with her. But then Natasha crossed the
line and said, You should try out for the bad nerd
cheering awards.

Well, I better go. I'm sorry I bothered you,
Monica said, and walked down the steps feeling
sad. But as soon as she did, Natasha slowly said,
Wait.

She opened the door and saw Natasha wearing
glasses and plaid shorts and a red shirt with her
hair in a side ponytail.

Wow. You look different, Monica said.

I know, said Natasha. Now you know my
secret. Here, come in my house.

Okay, said Monica. But what secret?

Ill tell you. Just come in.

After a few minutes they started talking to each
other and eating pepperoni pizza and ice cream.
Natasha told Monica everything about her, even
that she was afraid to express herself. And not
once did Monica laugh.

Natasha, can I ask you something?

Yes, Natasha said.

I was wondering if you could teach me how to
cheer better.

I guess, said Natasha.

Okay, said Monica. When do we start?

Tomorrow, after school at my house. Okay, now
get out of my house, Natasha said, rushing
Monica out.

After school the next day, Monica came to
Natashas house. They started cheering and even
made their own cheer together. Finally Monica
started getting how to do it. Once Monica left her
house, Natasha went to sleep. The next day, at
school, Natasha invited Crystal to come to her
house to go shopping and did not remember
telling Monica she would teach her how to do a
handstand. Monica came after school and they
started practicing. Then, all of a sudden, Crystal
showed up in her bright, shiny red car. She
walked up the steps, opened Natashas door and
yelled rudely, Ready to SHOP!

Crystal looked at Monica, surprised. Whats she
doing here? Shes a geek.

No. She's kind of nice once you meet her,
Natasha said.

When did you become a geek too? asked
Crystal? I'm leaving and I'm telling everyone at
school you hang out with a geek. Crystal left,
slamming the door hard.

Monica, maybe this cant work anymore. Im
sorry. Youre just a geek and Im popular. Just
leave, Natasha yelled. Tears came down
Monicas face. Fine. I thought I was your friend.
She left, slamming the door just as Crystal had.

The next day at school, Monica was walking in the
hallway, feeling sad. The next thing she knew,
Crystal and her friend were taking a photo of
Monica. Monica didnt mind until the next day,
when she saw pictures of herself everywhere with
Loser written on them. Monica saw people
whispering about her and laughing, so she ran to
the bathroom and started crying.

Natasha came walking down the hallway and saw
all the pictures. She realized she should not have
stopped being Monicas friend. She had to do the
right thing. She went around the whole school
asking everyone if they had seen Monica. They all
said, No. Then she saw Crystal.

Where is Monica? she yelled.

In the bathroom, crying like a baby, said
Crystal.

Wow. I thought you were better than that.

Well you thought wrong. And youre no longer
my best friend. And it looks like Ms. Popular is not
so popular anymore. Now Im the cheerleading
coach and youre off the team. Now go away,
geek, said Crystal, trying to act cool in front of
her friends. They walked away.

Natasha ran to the girls bathroom and saw
Monica in the corner. She walked slowly to her.
Im so sorry, Monica. I should not have stopped
being your friend.

Well it's too late now, said Monica.

Please, Monica, be my BFF again.

But I was never your BFF, said Monica.

But youre the only one who likes me now, said
Natasha.

Fine. Ill be your friend again, said Monica.

Yeah! yelled Natasha, promising she would
never be mean to her again. Lets get out of
here. Did you see all the pictures of you?

Yeah, Monica said. Thats why I was crying.

Monica and Natasha walked out of the bathroom,
took down all the pictures and gave them to the
teacher, Mrs. Ray. Crystal and her friends got
suspended for one week for bullying and, since
then, no one has gotten bullied at our school.

P.S. No one messes with Natashas new friend
Monica. The lesson learned is, when you go to
school, you dont always fit in. So be yourself and
enjoy.


WORDS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
by Veronica Sirles

As I stepped out of my room the breeze hit me.

"Mom are you there?" I asked. No answer. It was
dark and I couldn't even see my own hands.
"MOM!" I yelled. I heard squeaking on the stairs.

"Oh hi, my pretty kitty."

"Meow."

"Well, then leave me." As my cat walked off her
tail smacked my face. I was all alone with nothing
to do. All I had was a little sunlight coming from
the window. The breeze hit me again.

I lay down on the cold floor. I closed my eyes, but
then I heard something downstairs.
I slowly got up to look around, then walked
downstairs. I pulled the door open slowly.

"Hi Stella. What's wrong?" asked Britney.

"I don't know. My mom left me here."

"Well, your mom is at my house."

"Hey, want to watch a movie?"

"Sure." We sat down and watched Finding Nemo.
Britney turned to me and said, At school, kids
talk about you. They say mean stuff."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Well, they say bad things about you, she said.

"Oh."

"Words make a big difference, Stella, never forget
that."

"Well yeah. So should I stand up for myself?"

Yes. Stella, youre prettier than them. You have
beautiful blue eyes. You have your dads smile.
Youre beautiful with glasses. Never let them get
you mad, said my friend.

"Okay. But you look way better than me, even
though we kinda look a lot alike, I said.

"Um... thank you.

Then we just sat in total silence.


LONELY
by Garrett Stewart

My name is Jay, but people call me Retard.
See, Im special. Not special like special talent,
but special like special needs. When I was born,
the doctor said I was diagnosed with ASD. It
means Attention Span Disorder. My mom and dad
were sad, but enough of that. I liked school up
until third grade, but then it got worse! This is my
story.

The first day

The first day of third grade, the class phone rang.
Ring ring ring

Hello? my teacher said. Uh-huh uh-huh
okay. Jay, go to the office.

When I went down, I had to take a pill so I could
focus. In my head I was thinking, Remember,
ASD come on Jay, think. Think.

When I walked upstairs to my classroom, my
classmates asked, What happened? Are you in
trouble?

No, no, no! I said, Im not telling you, so leave
me alone. I walked to my desk and took a deep
breath, and cleared my mind. It was like I started
the day again.

The next day

I still had no friends, but that was going to change
today. My class sat on the carpet. A kid sat next to
me.

Hello, I said.

Hello, he said. What is your name?

Jay. What is your name?

Conner.

Hi Conner, I said. So, do you play Black Ops?

Yes. Do you?

Yes. Its fun, right?

I know. Its so cool, he said.

So do you want to be friends?

Okay.

See, I told you I would get a friend.

The next day

News started spreading fast that I needed to take
a pill. One day a lady came and said, Is Jay in
this class?

Yes, I said, Im right here.

The lady brought me out of the class and told me
that I had to take O.T. O.T. is Occupational
Therapy, and people heard the lady say that. Her
name was Corey. Later, Conner and I were
working on a project. A kid said, Jay, youre
stupid.

Conner said, Dont say that! and the kid
stopped.

I said, Why did you do that?

Because youre my friend, said Conner.

Cool.

I hate school. The kids are so mean, but Conner
cheers me on. He is a real friend to me. He owns a
restaurant. The food is so good. Conner and I
ended up hanging out a lot, so it looks like Im
not LONELY AFTER ALL.

Authors Note: I was I inspired by the book Smile.










QUESTIONING &
CONFRONTING THE
CULTURES OF WHICH
WE ARE A PART


U.S. MILITARY
by Devin Orcutt

They die
For us

They risk their lives
For us

They leave their families
For us

But what do we do
For them?


THE KID WHO FREES THE ZOO
ANIMALS
By Jamarr White

It was a Tuesday over Christmas vacation. Drake
King was settled into fifth grade, but he was so
glad it was vacation. Drake was in his room
thinking about what he wanted for Christmas. He
dreamed of having all the animals in the zoo. He
wanted them to be free. So he asked his mom if
he could go to the zoo to see the animals.

"Okay, but be back by 9:00," his mom said.

"Okay, Mama. I will," he replied.

So Drake went off to the zoo. It took him twenty-
five minutes to get there. He saw that not one of
the animals had been fed.

"This is the time the animals are supposed to be
fed," he said to himself.

Thirty minutes passed and not one of them got
fed. The Zookeeper said, "Closing time!" So
Drake ran as fast as he could, hid in the tall grass,
and started to lie down. The Zookeeper was
walking near him. Then, Drake went to the other
end of the zoo and snuck up behind the
Zookeeper and punched his pressure point. He
was out cold. Drake took his keys and opened the
crates. He opened one cage, then three, then
five, then seven, then nine. All the animals were
off to freedom. It was 8:30 pm.

"I have 30 minutes to get home, Drake said to
himself. Well, the good thing is I got what I
wanted for Christmas."

Then the Zookeeper woke up and said, "Hey! You
get back here and get these animals back to the
zoo now!!!

NO! They need freedom! Drake screamed back
at him.

They stared at each other in silence for what
seemed like forever. The Zookeeper glared at
Drake. Then his scowl turned into a smile.

Yeah. Youre right, he said, And plus, I hate
this job and I think they need freedom too. But I
said get back here so loudly that the person who
owns the zoo is coming now. Hide!" So Drake ran
as fast as he could back to the tall grass.

"What's going on here? the Boss asked.

There's a boy hiding in the tall grass, the
Zookeeper replied.

WHAT!!!!!!! How did he get in here?

I have no idea, the Zookeeper lied.

Well get him out, okay?!

BOOOY! BOOOOY? the Zookeeper called.

What?

Get out fast, okay? Go! Go! Go!

Drake ran as fast as he could out of the zoo. He
stopped halfway home and said, "I can see the
house. It's just five minutes away." So he got
home on time and his mom said, How was the
zoo?
It was great! he smiled.

Now come have your pizza, said his mom.

Okay, Mama.

So he ate his pizza and never went to the zoo ever
again. He knew that if he went back, he would be
banned from the zoo.

Authors Note: I chose to write this story because of
my beliefs about the treatment of animals. I believe
animals should not be caged.


ROBBED!!!
By Jonah Parker

Jake was walking home from the park. It was
lightly snowing and the sidewalk had just been
shoveled. Christmas had been yesterday and he
had gotten money and video games. When he
got near his house he heard sirens and started to
run to his house. When he got there, he noticed
three police cars, one in his driveway and two in
front. He walked through his yard. His mom was
outside on the porch.

"What's going on?" he said

"Someone broke into our house," she replied.
"They took almost all our money, the TV, and all
your new video games."

"WHAT?!" he screamed and ran into the house,
threw his coat on the floor and dashed upstairs.
His money, bike, video games, and TV were gone.
He couldn't believe it. His lifes savings were
gone. All of it. His mom walked into the room.

"The police are trying to find the robber right now
so you might get your stuff back."

"But I also might not," he replied.

The next day he got out of bed, got dressed, and
went downstairs. His dog Fluffy jumped up on him
and stood next to the dog food bag. Jake fed him
and then made himself breakfast. He heard a
knock on the door. It was the policeman that was
trying to find the robber.

"Did you find him?" Jake asked.

"No, not yet," said the policeman.

"Dang," said Jake.

He had been hoping all night that they would find
his things. Five days went by, but the cops still did
not find his stuff. He decided that if they did not
find it tomorrow he would have to find it himself.
By then all his friends knew he was going to try to
find the robber. Some of them even wanted to
help. He would not tell his parents because they
would tell him it was too dangerous. He went to
the police station and got all the information
about the robber. He learned that they found his
iPod in an abandoned building on the pier. When
he got there he walked along the pier causally,
then snuck into the building. He walked around
and found a few locked doors and a pile of
wooden crates. He looked in the window of one
of the doors.

"Huh," he said. Inside he saw a car. It was the
same car that had been parked near his house the
past two weeks. He had asked if new people were
moving in next door. He decided he would come
back tomorrow.

On his way to the pier the next day, his friend
Mike came up behind him. "What are you doing,
Jake?" he said. Jake jumped with surprise.

"Uh, nothing, " he replied.

"You don't have to hide it. Everyone knows youre
trying to find the robber," Mike said. "We want to
help."

"Really?" said Jake. He showed Mike the building
and Mike picked the lock. They went in the one
with the car.
"What are you doing?" a voice said. Jake turned
around slowly. It was one of the fishermen from
the first day Jake was here.

"Uh, we lost our tennis ball in here," said Mike.

"Ok, but don't come in here again," said the
fisherman.

As they walked back to Jakes house, Mike said, "I
wonder why he was so angry that we were in
there." "I bet there's something in there he
doesn't want us to find," said Jake.

Jake heard his mom calling. "Jake your breakfast
is ready," she said.
"OK," he replied. On his way downstairs he
bumped into the Christmas tree. "Mom, why do
we put up a Christmas tree every year?" he said.

"I don't know, but I like the ritual of it," she
replied. "Did you know the evergreen tree was a
symbol of life in the winter?" Jake sat down at the
table and ate and then got his coat and went
outside. When he got to the pier, Mike had
brought two more of their friends, Joe and
Charlie.

"Hi," said Jake. They made sure the fisherman
was not there, then walked into the building.

"Mike told us about the fisherman. We think he is
the robber," said Joe. They found a crow bar in a
room and used it to open a crate. "Oh my God,"
said Jake. Inside was his TV. They opened the
other crates and found his other stuff.

"Look what I found," said Charlie holding up car
keys. They loaded the stuff into the car. In the
other room, they opened up the big garage door
and got in the car.

"I know how to drive," said Mike and got in the
drivers seat. As soon as he started the car, the
fisherman came running.

"What the heck are you doing?" he said. "I told
you stay out!"

"Go!" Jake yelled.

They pulled out of the building and drove down
the pier. Surprised fishermen jumped into the
water. The fisherman that was the robber chased
them across the pier. Up ahead two police cars
with their sirens blaring came speeding down the
street and turned onto the pier. Mike stopped the
car and the fisherman caught up to them and
froze when he saw the police.

"What's going on here?" one of the policemen
said. The other one recognized Jake.

"What are you doing here?" he said.

"We found the robber and the stuff that was
robbed," said Jake.

"So that's the robber?" the policeman asked,
looking surprised.

"Yep," said Jake.

The policeman took the robber to jail and Jake
got his stuff back and had a big party. All his
friends came and even one of the policemen, but
he got scared of Jakes dog, so he left. Jake never
got robbed again and his life went back to
normal.

Authors Note: I wrote this story because I know how it
feels to get robbed and some of these things actually
happened to me.


KIDNAPPED
By Maxim Bailey

It was 7:52 on a Monday morning. I could hear the
drizzle hit my window. I zipped up my jacket and
headed to school. It was a new year at school, and
mom and dad decided I was old enough to walk
to and from school by myself. I was so excited I
did not even notice that my teacher Mr. Luis said
that we had a book report. l was really stressed
out. I had never done a book report before and
didn't know how. I only knew we had to do one
because my new friend Dave told me. I was
thinking about it in math class and my math
teacher yelled at me to pay attention. After a few
more minutes, I stopped paying attention again
and kept thinking about walking home by myself
and the book report.

After that it was science. I paid attention because
the science teacher was really strict. Then, it was
the end of school and I was thinking really hard
about the book report, but thinking even harder
about walking home by myself. By this time the
rain had picked up and was smashing down on
the ground.

I started walking. I was really nervous, but then I
saw a little group of kids, and I decided to join
them because I was getting lonely. They let me.
They were all in my reading class and were all
talking about the book report. They seemed to be
more worried about it than me. This was a big
surprise because I thought I was the most worried
person In the school. I joined in the conversation
and they started to talk to me. I thought that was
nice because I thought they would be mad at me
that I was joining in without asking. Instead, they
asked me how I had known about the book
report. I told them we were in the same reading
group. They said, "cool." After a while they had
to go their way and I had to go my way or else I
might not find my way to my house.

It was eerily quiet. Suddenly something broke the
silence. It was a big truck parked right in front of
me. A guy came out. He was tall, about six-foot
two, and had dark green eyes.

Hey kid do you like candy? he asked me.

Yes, I said.

I've got tons in my car. Get into it and I will give
you some, okay?

Free candy, I thought. I loved candy. Okay, I
said without thinking.

Good. Get on in, the man said. What's your
name kid?

My name is Bob, I said.

Cool, the man said.

I got in the truck. The guy got in too. He closed
the door of the truck and started it up.

Hey Bob, I am taking you home okay? he said.

I didn't believe him, but my mind was wandering
so I said, okay. That was the biggest mistake of
my life. We started driving. He didn't know where
I lived and he said he was driving me home? How
is he going to actually get me to my house when
he doesn't know where I live? But when I told him
this he acted like he didn't hear me. I asked him
when I could have the candy and he said, What
candy?

That made me scared. Then it hit me that the
worst thing ever in the whole world was
happening to me. I thought that it never would.
The thing is that I trusted the man, but he was a
stranger. I should have never got into the car in
the first place. I started to cry because I realized I
was kidnapped. I wondered how worried my mom
and dad would be after I was not there for a week.
They would be so worried they might send out a
search party to find me and then I will be
grounded for life. Or they might not find me and I
will be stuck with this guy forever. I will miss my
parents and long for them back. But I think I
should stop. I am a thirteen-year old boy. I don't
want to be stuck here for my whole life. I will try to
escape.

When I got to his house I literally almost fainted
because there were so many scary looking
weapons on the walls and weird looking rooms
and the bed I would be on looked terrible and
was uncomfortable.

Welcome to your new home, the man said.
Here, have the candy.

He gave me a jellybean and left the room. I
started to cry. I could not see outside because he
had no windows. My room had one beat-up dim-
lighted lamp and his room had a beautiful bright
lamp on a big bedside table with three drawers
and a king sized bed and lovely wrap blankets
and big puffy pillows. The only thing I had that he
didn't was a closet with a lock on it that looked
kind of creepy to me and it had a whole bunch of
dust in it and cobwebs in the corners. It was
terrible.

When Robert left, I went looking around the
house. Every door was locked. The first thing I saw
was a huge hallway. Part of the house was all dark
and creepy. I was about to turn back, but I heard
someone crying up the hall. I started walking
toward the noise. It was coming from the end of
the hallway. When I opened the door, it was a
little boy about two years younger than me. He
was so sad. I told the kid to stop crying and that it
would be fine. The kid did not stop crying. I asked
what his name was and he told me that his name
was James because his parents loved the movie
"James and the Giant Peach. I thought that was
pretty funny, but refused to giggle at all.

How long have you been here? I asked.

A year and two days, said James.

That night I tried to sneak out. I tried to open the
window. I got it open and jumped out. I landed
on the ground and sprained my ankle, but I didn't
care. I started to run. I saw headlights. It can't be
him. I thought he was asleep. It was like the final
stretch in a marathon. I was almost there. Swoop,
Robert picked me up and threw me into his trunk
and drove back home. Then my ankle started to
hurt.

I tried again the next night. Again, Robert caught
me. I kept trying and trying to escape. The last
time I tried, I just knew I was going to make it. I
wasnt going to leave James. I grabbed James by
the arm and told him that this was the time to
escape. He agreed so we ran outside and ran to
the police station. Robert was right behind us. So
I told a police officer to come outside and arrest
Robert. Apparently Robert had kidnapped a lot of
other kids too and they had not been able to
catch Robert until now. When my mom and dad
arrived at the police station to pick me up, I ran
towards them.

Mom, Dad, I should have never gone with him. I
should have walked away. Now I know why you
always told me not to talk to strangers, I cried in
their arms.

After a week off with my family, I had to go back
to school. It was a sunny day. I thought it would
be a bad day like the first day of school, but it
wasn't. When I got there everyone asked me
questions. I told people I was glad Robert was in
jail and will never kidnap other kids again. I didnt
want to talk about what happened there, but I did
want to tell everyone about my new brother. It
turns out James was an orphan, so my parents
adopted him. We became brothers. We did
everything together, and especially enjoyed
Halloween. I told James all about my love of
Halloween.

I love Halloween. I love it so much that every
year I use my whole October allowance on a cool
costume. Last year I was Mario and this year I
want to be Sonic. At school we have a contest to
see who has the best costume.

This year we dressed up as Warrio and Walluigi
for Halloween. We always play together.

I guess good things can come out of bad
things, I said. Now I have the best brother and
the best friend in the world.

Authors Note: I wrote this story to show my belief that
you should never get into a car with a stranger. I am
sure that all parents share this view. My parents have
taught me to not talk to strangers or get into anyones
car. Our family thinks kidnapping is wrong and
kidnappers should go to jail.
INVISIBLE WAR
by Jesse Kamalandua

It was a war,
The coldest war,
The ocean water was cold,
People needed freedom.
Missiles were shooting from the air,
A storm was coming.

Then one minute later,
The war was invisible.
People were shooting,
Planes were crashing
From the sky.
People were shooting back from the ground.

All the airplanes crashed.
All the pilots jumped out of the planes with
parachutes.
The storm was getting worse.
Soldiers were hungry,
There was no food.
Some soldiers were so hungry.
S-O-S
Some soldiers were crying for help.

The captains wanted to retreat,
Coldness was in the war.
Soldiers were setting camp,
But they all saw the Lion.
They had to run for their lives.
One saw a ship.
He yelled, Were safe!
All men went into ships,
All the men were so happy,
They got home safe.

The families were waiting for all the people.
This was the lesson both sides
Get for not listening to each other.
And freedom was made.
And the invisible war stopped.
People were really happy after the war.
The lesson was made,
Happiness was made.










FROM THE TEACHERS
Our cultures in and
out of school


MY CLASS
by Matt Pringle

Spirited, curious, furious and chatty.
Learners, leaders, readers,
Brave, silly, surprisingly sweet.
Strong, modest, fast and faster.
Smart, sly, proud and motivated.
And ten,
A hundred,
A thousand other things
Make you you,
And us us.


LESSONS LEARNED
by Marilyn Melton

When my father retired we had a huge party. On
the table were small brown paper bags filled with
penny candy, and here is the reason why. My
grandfather came to America from Russia in 1900.
We are Jewish, and Jews were being persecuted
all throughout Russia at the time. He was sixteen
years old and didnt speak a word of English.

He watched the Statue of Liberty come into view
from the deck of the ship, as he joined the
thousands of other immigrants who entered this
country through Ellis Island. After spending a
short time with a sister, who was already living in
New York City, my grandfather made his way to
Bangor, Maine, where he had some relatives.

From there, he moved to Brownville Junction,
Maine with a $150 loan in his pocket. He opened
a small store and sold candy and fireworks. He
made deliveries with a horse and buggy. One
day, one of his customers asked if my grandfather
could get him small paper bags for customers
buying their penny candy. The rest is history. By
the time my father, who took over the business,
sold the company that started with firecrackers
and a horse and buggy, it was one of the largest
wholesale paper companies in New England.

My grandfather, and my father, taught me many
important lessons work hard, treat all people
with respect and kindness. My father never acted
like he was better than the people who worked for
him. He learned that from my grandfather, and I
learned that from him. They taught me the
importance of education, and believing in myself.

As I listened to the interviews my students did
with their families, I heard similar themes over and
over. Whether in Somali or Spanish, from a
mother or father, or translated by a sister or
brother, the message hasnt changed since my
grandfather left his family behind to pursue a
better life. Get a good education, work hard, be
respectful, show acceptance East End has many
family stories to tell, but they all begin and end in
love.

Never forget where you came from. Never be
afraid of a hard days work. Nothing is impossible.
Treat people the way you want to be treated. The
lessons dont change over time. I suspect my
great grandfather gave that advice to my
grandfather as he waved to him on the deck of
that ship bound for America.


A LOVE OF MOUNTAINS
by Laurie Daniels

I want to climb to the sky, little five year-old
Elaine said to her mom.

I do believe you will someday, replied her mom
with a smile.

Growing up, Elaines mom always encouraged
her. She grew up in a small town in Maine. She
loved playing in the woods, making fairy houses,
climbing the tallest pine tree when she snuck off
into the woods in fifth grade. Shed come home
with gooey, sticky pine pitch all over her hands
and clothes.

When Elaine grew up, her love of nature grew and
grew. As a grown woman, she naturally began
hiking. She set a goal to hike all of the forty-eight
mountains in New Hampshire that were over
4,000 feet. She has hiked all but three of them,
and her biggest physical accomplishment, in her
eyes, was hiking Mt. Katahdins infamous Knifes
Edge in the winter. From hiking, she soon
developed a love of rock climbing. She and her
husband climbed many routes, but they could not
always climb together, so she sometimes went
hiking by herself. This was before her son, Evan,
was born.

One day while she was hiking, she found some
trash littering the trail. Finding trash on the trail
always infuriated her. I wish people would
conform to the hiker rules, she said out loud to
the birds. Leave no trace! She bent over and
picked up any gum wrappers, granola bar
wrappers, even cigarette butts, and put them in a
zip-locked bag she carried with her.

No matter what, she thought she would always
enjoy hiking and climbing, until one bright sunny
day in May. Elaines husband Daniel loved the
mountains as much as Elaine did. He was on
vacation. He drove to the mountains to go
climbing, but Elaine had to work. She was a
teacher and loved her class dearly. They were
working on a very special project, so even though
her husband asked her to take a personal day to
be with him, she declined. This project was
important to her students and her. She just
couldnt miss any time.
Daniel left early Thursday morning after he saw
their son off on the bus, so he could get a full day
in the mountains. He hiked around Humphreys
Ledge, looking for some boulders a friend had
told him about. It was a gorgeous day. He had
never gone so far into the valley before.
Suddenly, he spotted a big, black bear. The bear
looked at him. He looked at the bear. For about
eight seconds, they just stared at each other. The
bear was about 50 yards away. Then, the bear
started walking towards him. Daniel slowly turned
and started walking away.

The bear started walking more briskly, so he
started walking faster. The bear started running,
so he started running. Daniels heart was
thumping. As he continued to glance behind him,
he noticed the bear getting closer and closer.

As soon as he got out of the boulders and back
onto the trail, he looked back. He didnt see the
bear, but he knew it was in the boulders
somewhere. He decided to run as fast as he could
back to his car. When he looked back again, the
bear was running at him full speed, and it was
gaining ground quickly.

Daniel got to the edge of the woods and jumped
down a slope, landing on the side of the road
right in front of his car. He quickly jumped onto
his car, watching the bear barreling down the
embankment no more than ten feet away.
Fortunately for Daniel, a couple of cars drove by
at the exact moment this was happening. The cars
scared the bear, so he ran back into the woods.
The bear stood inside the woods and snarled at
Daniel.

Are you alright? a guy yelled from inside a car.

Yeah, I think so, said Daniel.

Eventually the bear went away. Daniel got in his
car and let his heart stop thumping so hard before
he drove home. When Elaine heard this story, she
was shocked. What if Evan was with you? she
cried. Elaine was always afraid of bears, but even
a fear of a bear could not stop Elaine from going
to the mountains. You can bet she will wear bear
bells and be on the lookout for bears the next
time she goes into the woods, but her love of the
mountains is strong, and love is stronger than
fear.

Authors Note: I wrote this story to reflect part of who I
ama daughter, a mother, a wife, a hiker, and a
teacherand to challenge myself to go through the
process my students went through. I wondered, Am I
showing, not telling? Do I have enough action and
dialogue? I wanted to reflect the cultural norm of
hikers: Leave No Trace. I try to go beyond that and
pick up others trash. It makes me feel like I am making
a difference. This is based on a true story. I will be
afraid of bears the next time I go out, but I will still go
(perhaps with some mace, in case I run into a bear)!
ROAMING THE OUTFIELD
By Mathew Brown

Is baseball genetic?
Is it a tradition?
Could it be both?
I live for baseball,
My father, his father,
Myself, my son.
It was their passion,
It is my passion and his passion.
To feel the warm summer breeze
Blowing out to left field.
Hearing the crack of the bat
The strategy, the mental aspect of playing,
Roaming the outfield,
Determined, not one ball will fall for a hit
The passion, I often wonder,
Is it me, or is it passed down to me?
Was baseball predetermined, was it my destiny?
Is it genetic?
Is it tradition?
Could it be both?


OUR STORIES
by Nancy Smith

Barbara
In her final days
we spoke easily
I asked, she answered
I learned of her naming
her fears, her triumphs
her love of country
her politics
her commitment
to addressing injustice
her undying love
for her mother
and her mothers story

Ellen
In her young days
she boarded a boat
left the old sod, came searching
for opportunity not available at home
She took her faith, her courage
her brogue
her love of country, old and new
she met injustice
No Irish Need Apply
but she brought her work ethic
and she worked
and she worked
and left my mother too soon
but before leaving
she gave her
an undying love
for her mother
and her many family stories



Nancy
In my middle days
I teach Grade Five
each day I greet students
who are searching for opportunity
to learn, to laugh, to grow
to change the world
I carry with me my mothers
love of country and politics
the duty to address injustice
my grandmothers work ethic
and her undying faith
I carry their undying love
and my knowing
that it is in understanding
their stories
while writing my own
while helping my students
write theirs
I influence the future.