This year, we’ll be posting 8 new, exciting pieces of student writing on the 26th of the month (Get it?). Each month will be curated by our staff. Our aim is to give you an entertaining and fair sampling from our many programs.

 

JULY 2014!

 

* Summer Programs at the Ypsilanti District Library *

Kairos Norman
Age 12.5, St. Francis of Assisi School, Ann Arbor

There once was a fish named Slayer, his name was Slayer because he would bedevil anything he could devour. Slayer was as big as a shark, as red as a rose, as vicious as a piranha; his eyes are as yellow as the sun, his teeth are sharper than a butcher’s knife, and he can beat a boat in a race. Slayer was definitely the fish that could not be beaten. Slayer lives in the Red Sea near a volcano, that is why he is hard to find. The stuff Slayer eats are anything that comes near the volcano. Slayer is wanted by many people, for his flesh is known to taste delicious. One day Slayer the fish wondered what it would feel like to go out of the volcano. That same day, as he adventured outside of the volcano, a scientist snatched him out of the Red Sea and placed him into a cage. But, Slayer is also a fire fish, and when touched, Slayer burned the hands of the scientist badly. For now Slayer is captured, and far away from home. He will have to find a way to get out! (To be continued.)

* In-schools *

Zoe Walker
Age 9, Boggs School, Detroit
“Wolf”

Zoom goes the wolf with her eyes
On her prey in the night. She
Enters the feeding frenzy. Bye, bye deer.

Ajani DeFreece
Age 9, Boggs School, Detroit
“Cheetah”

As fast as lightning in the savannah
Juvenile, it can be, they are very playful
Ability, it has much of.
Not real claws
If you stand up to it . . . you are PREY

 

* Drop-in Writing at 826 *

Noa Boyce
Age 9, Eberwhite School, Ann Arbor
“How to Escape 1000 Kittens”

If you are in the park and you see 1,000 kittens, you can’t get away! You have to pet them all. You can go away and not think about them at all. That might help.
You can feed them and feed them milk, and they might be quiet.
You can give all a ball of yarn. They will play with it, and maybe you can escape.
You can read to them, and they might fall asleep.
You can bring them all home with you.

Charlie Soloman
Age 10, Forsythe Middle, Ann Arbor
“How Dinosaurs Went Extinct”

The earth grew angry with the dinosaurs because they had been around ions and refused to leave for the history books, where all creatures went when the Earth said so. The Earth sent meteorites, volcano eruptions, and smoke that blocked out the sun and killed the plants until the dinosaurs were forced into the history books, leaving the bones of those who had died in the catastrophes behind. That is how the dinosaurs went extinct.

 

* Workshops *

John Zhu
Age 9, King School, Ann Arbor
“Dear Mr. Book”
Workshop: Favorite Things – Thank You Notes

From: Mr. John, Earth, U.S.A. Ann Arbor

Dear Mr. Book,

Thank you dear book, you let me know many things, let me have fun, let me know some new words, let me have something to do.

So I’m very happy when [you] teach with sound to teach me, so please show me more things.
Thank you, dear book.

Haesue Baik
Age 9, Dicken Elementary, Ann Arbor
Workshop: Items on an Island!

In Antarctica there was a penguin. The penguin’s name was Snowflake but everyone called her Snowy. Snowy’s best friend is also a penguin. Her name was Snowy but everyone called her Snow. One day Snowy and Snow were taking a walk when they found something brown. The brown thing was very round. They had never seen the brown round thing before. They rolled it back to their home to find out what it was. As they rolled the thing home they felt something new. The thing was warm. Of course they knew the word warm but they hadn’t felt warm before. They put the thing in front of their cold piece of ice. They heard something that sounded like a meow. “What was that?” Snow asked. “I don’t know. It sounded like it came from that what-do-you-call-it thing,” Snowy replied. “Yeah, it did. What do you think is in that no-named thing?” Snow said. “We should name that what-do-you-call-it thing,” Snowy said. “Let’s call it a S&S,” Snow said. “Good idea,” Snowy said. The S&S thing popped open and out came a yellow furred small thing. The Y.F.S.T. (yellow furred small thing) made a meow sound. “That’s where the meows are coming from,” Snowy said. “Mystery 1 solved. Mystery 2, what is that Y.F.S.T.?”

“I am a CAT!” the Y.F.S.T. said. “I want to go home!” “Don’t be so loud!” Snow shouted. “Then why are you!” shouted the cat. Soon it had become a screaming contest between the cat and Snow. Snowy’s hands were over her ears. Snowy said, “STOP!” and, amazingly, they stopped. “Where is your home?” Snowy asked the cat. “My home is Ann Arbor, Michigan.” “Huh, where is Ann Arbor, Michigan?” Snow and Snowy asked. “Don’t you know! It’s in North America and if I’m right, which I always am, you will ask where North America is. North America is west of the Atlantic Ocean and east of the Pacific Ocean,” the cat said. “Huh where is . . . ” Snowy said. “I know where it is,” a duck said. “I can take you home, cat,” the duck said. “Come on, cat, let’s go!”

Danny Drew
Age 16, Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, Saginaw
“Informative Haikus”
Workshops: Cities, Spaces, and Plans: Exploring the Neighborhood

We walked all around
Ann Arbor and Saginaw
Inspecting culture

Saginaw was worn
Since the 1970s
Nothing has been touched

Flown to the suburbs
Left the town boring and bland
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