Marigold: Chapter Two

 The sky was clear and blue as Marigold rode along in the horse trailer.
She wondered where she was going; "probably to some show somewhere," she thought.
She was right, because then she felt a bump, and when she looked out the window, she saw they had  pulled into the grounds that their town used for their horse show. Then she remembered; she and Karen had been practicing all month! Karen,who was her owner, had been taking her out every day to practice jumping. She also remembered that she had won second place in jumping last year. "This time I`ll get first place,"she said to herself. At that moment, the door swung open and there was her stable boy waiting for her. She trotted out, and the stable boy clipped on her lead. "Good  girl Marigold," he said. Just then Karen jumped out of the truck and patted her. "Hi Marigold," she said, "Joe, take her to her stall; it's the third one on the left." Marigold walked off happily behind him.

Where I'm From-Inspired by George Ella Lyons

Where I'm From
by Caroline Peery
Inspired by George Ella Lyons

 I am from Takodah,
from birthdays with family.
 I am from the maple
in my front yard,
 From Emily Dickinson
and Anne of Green Gables.
 I am from brownies and ice cream,
from Lily and Kathryn,
 Josie and Ellie,
Henry and Daniel,
 Emma and Isla.
 I am from trees never climbed
books never finished,
 and drawings hung up on my wall.

The Maple Tree: A Poem

The Maple Tree

Sitting under the maple tree,

This is the only place I’d ever wish to be.

The great leaves fall on top of me.

I look up in to the tree,

I see a bird’s nest and a bumble-bee.

I smile,

Knowing this is where I’m meant to be,

Right here,

Under the maple tree.

   --Lily R.

Wolves-Introduction

This is the introduction of a fictionalized version of the story of Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome) that I've been writing.

Introduction
   The king had been kicked off his throne, his daughter thrown in prison.  His daughter, the princess Silvia, was not allowed to marry, for fear she would have a son, a son who would learn that he was the rightful king.  But a god came down from the heavens, a god who helped her have sons, twin boy whom they named Romul and Remu.  When the new king found out, he was enraged! He ordered his servant to kill the babies.  But the servant felt sorry for the two baby boys, and took them to the river Tiber, where she put them in a basket and pushed them into the water.  The tired, crying babies washed ashore hours later.  The small babies cried hard.  This is how the she-wolf found them.  She brought the babies to her den.  She raised them in her den with her pups, and that is where our story begins.

Rainstorm-a poem

Rainstorm 

by Caroline P.

Wind blows, leaves spin,

Thunder clouds

Come rolling in.

Blue skies go away,

They will come back another day.

Windows rattle,

Lightning flashes,

Lights go out,

Thunder crashes!

And then...

Calm.

A Unicorn's Story | Part 1

  Part 1

The Beginning 

          Once upon a time, on a clear spring day, a cry of pain sliced through the sky.  A unicorn was going to have her baby any minute!  Her name was Azailia.  In the middle of her second cry, she fell silent.  Her baby had come!  Behind her, there was a teeny-tiny little wet baby unicorn!  Azailia went right to work.  She turned around and started licking the child as if her life depended on it.  This was her first baby, and she was not about to lose it in the city!  When she finished, she got to the business of naming the young girl.        "Xandra",  she thought, "No Jackett. No, No, NO!"  She thought for a second, then gasped.  "Corrine, yes, Corrine."

Marigold: Chapter One

   It was a rainy gray day, and Marigold was looking out of her barn window.  She wanted to go outside, but she couldn't because it was raining.  It rained all day and the next day too.  Finally, the sun came out, and the stable boy came to let her out.  Marigold was kept with a horse named Max, and every day it wasn't raining, they went out to play.

   One day, the stable boy came and clipped on her lead rope, and instead of putting her in the
pasture, he led her to her horse trailer and gently pushed her in.                              

Chapter 2, Werewolf by Liz Genie

Chapter Two

Werewolf

Cecelia gasped as the creature that she saw turned his head toward her. 

Cecelia gasped, the creature had fangs, the face of a human, and long fur.

"Werewolf!" Cecelia cried. Cecelia realized something. The human face was her dad's face!

"No!" Cecelia howled.

The creature scurried away as Cecelia's mother came in. 

"Where?" she demanded.

"It ran away!" Cecelia wailed.

"What is all this racket?" a voice boomed. Cecelia turned and saw her father coming.

"No!" Cecelia howled.

"What's wrong?" Cecelia's father asked.

"You're a werewolf!" Cecelia claimed. "I SAW you."

"Cecelia, mind your manners!" Cecelia's mother snapped.

"Why would I be a werewolf, Cecelia?" her father said. 

"Because I saw you! You have to be a werewolf!"

"Cecelia, calm down. You probably saw a normal wolf," Cecelia's mother soothed.

"I saw HIS face!" Cecelia screamed back.

Cecelia knew that no one would believe her.

"I don't care if you don't believe me," Cecelia said.

Cecelia knew what she saw. At least she thought she knew.

Rain

Umbrellas go up, 

Rain comes down, 

Making little rivers in the graveled ground.  

Josephine B.

Evening Walk

For the weekend my grandparents came for a visit.  Last night I went for a walk with Gma.  My poem lists some of the things I saw and heard.

Too-woo, woo, woo,

too-woo, woo, woo.

Robin walks across the road,

Oops, bathroom break!

One, wait, two bunnies!

Breathe in the crisp, sweet, spring air.

Wow, a hang glider!  Wait, two!

Watch out, car!

O, a toy drone!

Here it comes, and there it goes.

A little girl on a bike;

was that a woodpecker?

Wow, a fountain!

Around a bend,

there is our house.

That was a grand walk.

White Flower Petals (haiku)

I wrote this poem while I was on the porch looking at some white tulips in front of me.

White flowers in front,

Petals tossled by the breeze,

My, how beautiful.

                                                     -Caroline P.

Faraway Friend, page one -- by Caroline P.

     I look down at my feet dangling above the ground, then I peek through the leaves of the tree I'm sitting in, and look waaaaaaaaay down the street.
     "No mail truck yet," I whisper to myself.
     My letter from my pen pal, Sydney, should get here soon, and I am super excited.  I love getting letters from her.  She always tells me awesome stuff, and one time, she even sent me a picture of herself (I sent a copy of my school picture back to her).  And, another time, she sent me a seashell from her collection, so I could start my own seashell collection.  I can't wait to get a letter from Sydney so I can tell her about my new sea dollar.  It has purple and brown patterns all over it.  One of the patterns is shaped like a heart, and another is shaped like a teddy bear.
     I peek through the leaves again, and this time, I see the mail truck.
     "Yay!" I yell, jumping down from the tree.  The mail truck stops, and the mailman puts the mail in the mailbox.  I run to the mailbox and grab the mail inside.  I flip through it.  Two pieces catch my eye.  One is pink with purple pots.  On the envelope it says that it is from P.  "P" is a girl who goes to my school.  She loves (and I mean LOVES!) the letter p.  Her favorite colors start with p.  And when she chooses her birthday card invitation envelopes she chooses plain pink or purple ones, then she draws something that starts with "p" on them.  This time it was pots.  Anyway, the other one is from Sydney!
     I almost fly inside.  I can't wait to open my mail!  I run into my room and open P's letter.  As it turns out, I am invited to P's pink pea party.  It is on Saturday from three to five.  I check my calendar.  I have nothing planned for Saturday.  But if Mom has something planned, it's "bye, bye pink pea party."
     "Mom!" I yell.  "Do you have anything planned for Saturday?"
     Mom answers just how I wanted her to.  She says, "No, I don't, Kelly."
     When I ask her if I can go to P's house for a party, she says that I can.  I mark my calendar.
     Then I open my letter from Sydney.  I pull out the mail.  It says:

Dear Kelly,

How is it going?  Over here, life's good.  I have 20 seashells in my collection.  How many do you have in yours?  I have a new pet rabbit, and she is super cute.  She is as white as the clouds!  
                                    
Bye-bye for now,
Sydney

Sydney also sent me a photo.  I look at it.  I see her, and a white rabbit.  Sydney is right, the rabbit is cute.

Wolves and More Wolves—Chapter One: Wolf by Liz Genie

This is the first installment of Liz's book Wolves and More Wolves. Please enjoy, and leave comments if you like.

Chapter One

Wolf

“Cecilia, do your chores!”

“But, Mom!” Cecilia Wolf complained.

Cecilia was twelve years old, but she complained a lot.

“No buts!” her mother snapped. “Now do it.”

“Fine,” Cecilia whined.

Cecelia knew where her chore list was. It was on top of her mother's desk.

I wish I didn't have to do chores after school, Cecelia thought.

She read the list:

Make your bed.

Switch the laundry.

Clean the dishes.

Clean the litter box.

Organize the closet.

She stared a the list. It wasn't the litter box that got her. It was the closet. The closet was where Cecelia's father stored his guns.  

They lived in the woods, so there were lots of bears and wolves. Since Cecelia's last name was Wolf, they were her number one fear. After she had done her first four chores, she walked into the closet. It was a walk-in closet, and there was a small window. Cecelia looked out the window. What she saw made her squeal.

Descriptive Essay

Favorite Doll 

      Everyone has a special doll or stuffed animal.  I do, too.  Her name is Ginger.  I got her last Halloween. After we went trick-or-treating, we did a thing called "Switch Witch."  When you do Switch Witch, you can keep a few pieces of candy, but your parents take the rest in exchange for something you want.  I wanted Ginger.  Ginger is my favorite doll.
       When I saw Ginger at the store, I knew she was the one I wanted.  The first thing I thought to look at was her hair.  It was a shiny white-blond.  She also had beautiful peach-colored skin, and she had pretty green eyes.
       Then I looked farther down and was positive she was the one I wanted.  She was wearing a red dress, so I knew she looked good in dresses.  She also had the cutest shoes.  I still have them now.  They were red and had a bow on each of them.  Once I'd seen her from top to bottom, I thought she looked about a foot tall, and she looked like a nine-year-old, just like I was going to be in a few months.
       There are many reasons why I love Ginger.  Now, maybe you will write about your favorite doll or stuffed animal so you will never forget him or her.

-Caroline P.

   

How to Make Cupcakes

How to Make Cupcakes

 

First, get out bowls, cupcake liners, baking tins, measuring cups, timer, spoon, mixer, the cupcake mix, three eggs, oil, vanilla,  piping bags, piping tips, food dye, decorating things, powdered sugar, milk, and spoon.  Next, put the cupcake mix into the bowl along with eggs and the oil. Then mix at medium speed for two minutes.  It will sound AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!  Preheat the oven for 350° F and put the liners in the baking tins.   Next, pour the batter into the cupcake liners.  Put them in the oven for 15-18 minutes.  Poke them, when they are done, they will be puffy.  Set them on the cooking rack for 20 minutes. (They will smell fantabulous!)  When 20 minutes is up, start making the frosting.  So, add 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar into a bowl along with 2 tablespoons of milk.  Then stir it with a spoon.  It should look smooth.  Then, load up the piping bag and put the tips on it.  Squeeze the bag in a swirling motion over the cupcakes.  Then, decorate the cupcake however you want.  Finally, eat 'em!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                         "Kathy"

Descriptive Paragraphs

Me and Mama wrote descriptive paragraphs.  We got the idea from a book called Write Source.  We learned about writing the topic sentence, the body sentences and the closing sentence, and we learned about using sensory details.  A sensory detail is a detail that comes from the five senses (but not always taste).

This Book Makes A Splash

     My favorite book, Matilda, is as exciting as swimming with dolphins.  The turn of pages sounds like the flapping of the dolphins' flippers.  The words are placed as perfectly as spots of sunshine coming through the waves.  The smooth cover feels like their skin.  And Matilda always seems to be smiling, just like dolphins.  When I am reading my favorite book, I always feel like I am on an exciting adventure.

"Book...stop....not again...seriously, book, stop....."  "Cannonball!"  Splash.

                                                                                                                            -Caroline P.

Daylily Daughter

     My nine-year-old daughter reminds me of a daylily garden on a July afternoon.  She wears bright, colorful outfits and sometimes rainbow-colored elastics at the ends of her braids.  When she tells me about a funny part of a book she's reading, or describes a game she is playing with her younger sister or her friends, it sounds like the cheerful chattering of wrens in the treetops.  When she cuddles with me in bed in the morning, she's as warm as summer sunshine and as soft as daylily petals.  And when she actually gets around to taking a shower, her hair smells sweet like the center of a lily's fragrant bloom.  Even though I know she's actually a girl, I still sometimes wonder if she's partly made of sunshine, chattery birds, and colorful flower blossoms.

                                                                                                                             -Meg P.

Untitled Story -- Chapter 1

(This is the first chapter in a story that I am writing)

Chapter 1

The First Snow

     Annie looked around herself.  

     "Ugh," she said.  "The summer went by too quickly."

     All she could see was white.  For most 9-year-old girls, seeing a foot of snow is the best part of winter.  They yell, "Yay!"  But not Annie.  For her, snow was the second worst thing about winter.  The first worst thing was food.  It was very scarce in the winter because she lives in "Who Knows Where," a.k.a. a big forest in Maine.  Her parents had suddenly died about a year ago leaving her to fend for herself at age 8!  She could have gone to the orphanage 3 blocks away from her house.  She started to go there, but she took a wrong turn, and ended up in a big forest.  She walked for three minutes, then noticed she was lost.  She built herself a lean-to.  Then she took her father's gun, which she had found under her parents' bed, and killed a snake for dinner.  When she got back to the lean-to, she made stewed snake.

*

     Now back to the present.  Annie needed to get some food.  It was essential to eat if she wanted to survive this winter.  Plus, she needed to rebuild her fire, melt snow for water, and find the warmest spot in her lean-to.  

     "Jeez," she thought.  "I have a lot of work to do.  And I need to get it done before sunset!"

     She needed to get done before sunset because she went to bed an hour after sunset.  She would have to hurry, because it was noon.  She ran over to the lean-to, and added Repair lean-to to her list of things to do.  Then she noticed why it needed repairs.  There were footprints all around the lean-to.  She checked her Footprints Guide Book and it showed bear footprints and raccoon footprints, labeling both of them.  Then she matched them with the ones on the ground.

     "BEAR FOOTPRINTS!" she yelled.  Then, she noticed a big, brutal bear standing a foot from camp!  Annie screamed, and jumped a mile.  Then she scampered up a nearby sycamore tree.  Frightened, she peeked out from behind a branch, and saw a big, brown stump.  

     "Oh," she said.  "That is not a bear, that is not a bear, that is NOT A BEAR!"

     No matter how may times she said it, she was still scared.  All day, she kept saying "It is not a bear" over and over and over and over and over AND OVER!  She got so busy saying it that she forgot to do her chores.  That evening, she finally stopped having to say "It is not a bear."  It was then that she remembered her chores.  She looked at the sky.  By the place that the sun was in the sky, she could tell what time it was.  And right then, it was about 5 o'clock.  Annie did the math in her head.  

     "OK," she said.  "The sun sets at 6, so I have 1 HOUR TO DO EVERYTHING!"

     She yelled the last part.

Horses

Horses neigh and horses prance, horses jump but they don't dance.

Horses whinny and horses run, horses are a lot of fun.

                                                        -Caroline P.

Sunlight

Shafts of sunlight,

fall through leaves,

leaving a speckled scene

around me.

                                    -Caroline P.

Clouds

Pink cotton candy ghosts,

Floating through the sunset.

Big, angry mounds of darkness,

Floating through a storm.

Soft, feathery wisps,

Floating across a 

clear blue sky.

Clouds are many things.

                                             -Caroline P.