A Journal of Art & Writing by the Students of Willett Elementary School Spring 2009, Volume 4, Issue 1

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Editor’s Note Welcome to Pub Club’s literary magazine! This year the group decided to rename the publication, which for the previous three years was called The Warped Willow. After much brainstorming and voting, we decided on … Weeping Willow. Hmm. A small but perhaps significant change. What hasn’t changed is the enthusiasm of our young writers and the high quality of their work. Most of these pieces were written and edited at Pub Club meetings. When a piece was written in response to a Pub Club writing prompt, you’ll see what the prompt was. Where a book citation isn’t given for poems or stories that inspired Pub Club writing, the piece in question is often available online. Many thanks to everyone who made Pub Club possible this year: Mr. Reevesman and his class for generously allowing us the use of their classroom for another year, the PTA for covering our printing costs, Vanessa Soriano at the District’s Publications Office for her always timely and professional work, Ms. Perry for her support (and careful editing!), Lorraine Hwang and Lisa Papagni for coordinating snacks, all the parents who brought snacks or scanned images or typed up manuscripts and puzzles, and Nipavan Chiamvimonvat for laying out this magazine that you’re about to enjoy. Happy reading! Naomi Williams Pub Club Coordinator Illustration credits Weeping Willow logo, front cover, Megan Yamoah, Grade 5 Cover image: Leaf rubbing by Divya Kunda, Grade 5

Illustration by Linda Su, Grade 6

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Our first writing exercise this year was to write a poem about our own names. This was inspired by the poem “J is for John,” which is part of John Ciardi’s 1967 book An Alphabestiary.

S is, Sweetly, for Sehyun by Sehyun Hwang, Grade 5 It flutters like the beat of a butterfly. Lining up the words of a song that is sung. Soaring high up in the sky. Flying oh so free. You may not realize that S, is me.

The Sleeping Ogre by Jessica Block, Grade 4 Once upon a time, there was a young ogre maiden named Natasha. She was a writer and reporter for the Slimeville Gazette. Not only was she a reporter, but she was the real Sleeping Beauty. It was she who wrote the story about the human Sleeping Beauty that we hear about today. The story was ogre folklore until Natasha re-wrote it. Now, without further ado, I will tell you the real story. Once upon a time (for the second time), there was an ogre named Natasha (you already knew that). She was the princess of Slimited States. The prince of the elves heard about her. He thought she was the fairy princess of Maripossa Village. The Slimited States were just north of Maripossa Village. They were the two southmost villages in the Magical Strip. Everywhere he asked, people just said “Oh them? They’re way down south.” So, he traveled south. Unfortunately for him, he came to the Slimited States first. He didn’t pay attention to all of the ogres watching him; he cared about nothing but the fairy princess. His eyes set on the ogre castle (he thought it was the fairy castle), he got to Natasha’s room, burst through the door, took one look at her, fainted, was never seen or heard from again, and because of that, Natasha lived happily ever after.

Illustration by Sehyun Hwang, Grade 5

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For some reason, we got a lot of wonderful work about cats this year. Aliens, Cats and How They React by Meg Robinson, Grade 5 illustrated by Casey Powers, Grade 7 My cats had a party on the roof and told me about how much fun I missed. There is Sami, the intelligent and pretty one; Alice, the adorable fat one; and Shoe, the cute and sensitive one. They told me they actually partied with ALIENS! I was shocked. But, I guess I should start at the beginning… One day, I was on my bed reading my favorite book. I was at the best part when I heard this sound that kind of went, bzzzzbzzzzbzzzz. I was curious, but ignored it. Twenty minutes later, I heard it again. “What is that?” I thought. So finally, I decided to go to the backyard, because it sounded like it was on the roof. So out I went. But when I saw a disco ball, snacks, kibble, fancy feast, and music (which by the way was coming from my iPod!), I was shocked. I was even more shocked when I saw a spaceship and some little green fellows with big buggy eyes. “Aliens?” I thought.

“What is going on here?” I called out to the aliens and cats on the roof, but that was obviously a mistake. They reacted terribly. The cats’ tails all puffed up and the aliens’ eyes got even buggier than before. They thought they were alone, since it was the middle of the night. But they still thought it was fun. It sure looked like it!

A World of CATS by Chaitrika Budamagunta, Grade 5 In a world of cats, no dogs to be found. Loads of felines, roam around. Doing whatever they please. Eating everything that likes cheese. They love to roam free. Life Rocks For CATS Yay!

Illustrated by Noah Papagni, Grade 6

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Strange Love by Chaitrika Budamagunta, Grade 5 There once was a mouse who fell in love. Do you know what he fell in love with? Pie!!! Yes, he fell head over paws over a fresh baked apple pie. But the pie was on a “DO NOT TOUCH” stand. So the mouse was in a terrible problem that not even cheese nor pie could ever solve. Terror by Lily Holmes, Grade 6 It was the worst thing she had ever imagined. First the crash, as she lay, half-asleep in bed, then the heavy, heavy footsteps. Cyria sat up with a start, spilling Esta, her little kitty, onto the floor. Esta immediately hid under the bed. Quietly, Cyria slipped out of bed, running across to her parents’ room. Then she remembered her parents had left that afternoon, leaving her home alone. “Bethie will come in the morning,” they had said, and Cyria had smiled, looking forward to seeing her babysitter. She couldn’t imagine smiling now! Crouching there in the half-dark, too terrified for words, she realized what she must do. Flitting lightly back across the hallway, as the footsteps began opening the kitchen cupboards, she remembered the hiding place she had discovered long ago. Her bed was enthroned in a rich red velvet canopy, and if you shimmied up the elongated bedposts that held it up, you could lie on a strut, looking down over the top of the canopy and the room. There she lay, tense and frightened, covering herself with a spare bit of velvet until only her eyes peeped out. Esta was nowhere to be seen, and Cyria was worried. The footsteps advanced up the hall.

Cyria froze, listening in horror as they quickened their pace, rushing up the hall towards her room. Then they stopped, and appeared to sneak towards her doorway. Barely stifling a gasp, Cyria watched as the footstepper was silhouetted in the doorway, darker black against the night. Huge, furry legs dominated by a monstrous, scaly snake-head slowly appeared. It approached her bed, looking down (at this Cyria nearly sighed in relief) at the crumpled blankets, where she had lain. Then, to Cyria’s great surprise, it reached, and with razor-sharp claws, shredded her blanket to scraps, revealing bits and pieces of the red afghan beneath. A terrible screaming, not unlike the frantic howling of a frightened cat, rent the air. Somehow, the monster seemed to think that this came from the blankets. To Cyria’s even greater surprise, it proceeded to nod, almost in satisfaction. With that, the huge behemoth turned and simply walked out the door. Cyria heard it leave the house, closing the door behind it. For many hours after that, she lay frozen still, beneath the blankets. All she could think about was how glad she was that the red blanket had been there, that the creature had mistaken it for her blood. And she wondered how her cat, Esta, had screamed.

Illustrated by Chaitrika Budamagunta, Grade 5

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Epilogue

Bethie arrived the next morning, startled that the door was unlocked. She was even more surprised to see the shredded blanket, and more surprised than that at Cyria’s tale. Cyria’s parents arrived home early, for Bethie had immediately telephoned them. For several years afterward, they locked their door, double-dead-bolted it, and shoved furniture behind it, but gradually they began to relax. The snake-head never returned, and they never figured out why it wanted Cyria dead. As for Cyria herself, she never told anyone her hiding place, “Better safe than sorry,” became her motto. The only difference in her behavior was that she never let her Esta out of her sight at night. Her kitty never saved her life again. Luckily, she didn’t need to.

The Twist in the Cinder Story by Hirra Akhtar, Grade 6 Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young maiden, mom died, dad remarried, blah, blah, blah. The classic story. Well, see, the thing is, when her dad remarried, a special bonus came with the package. Two, brand new, wait for it…sisters!!! Story goes, her sisters hated her because she was prettier, and they made her wear rags, and be a servant, and they called her Cinder something or the other. Then her dad got scared of his new wife and took her side. Tough luck. Then the prince, who was looking for a wife, came by their house, took one look at them all, and said, “Ewwwww. You’re all soooo ugly! Ugh, none of the maidens in this land are any good! You know what, I always wanted centaur kids. I was thinking of adopting, but I think I’ll just go marry my horse, Gertrude. See ya!”

The Dog Who Wouldn’t Do Anything by Chaitrika Budamagunta, Grade 5 There was once a dog who wouldn’t do anything but sleep. He would neither walk nor bark nor obey anything. When he wasn’t sleeping, he was eating. He would eat kibble and beans and chicken and cheese, and his favorite was cooked fish. He ate and ate and ate and ate and after five hours, he continued to eat. His owner had to work 58 hours a day because his dog ate 1, 568 pounds an hour. In the end, the dog ended up on the street because he weighed more than 9,999,999 pounds.

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The Amazing Adventures of Kernel Popcorn by Jessica Block, Grade 4 One day, Poppy Popcorn sat on her ergonomic cob chair. She ate her delicious dinner of corn chowder, for it was her favorite meal. The next morning for breakfast she ate seven bowls of corn puffs. They are her second favorite meal. Once on her afternoon walk, she walked into Cobby Cantaloupe. “Wow!” she exclaimed, “You’re in the army!” “Yes I am”, he said, “We need a new kernel. Would you go into training for us?” “Certainly”, said Poppy. Then she ran to the base. After a few months, she became the kernel. People addressed her as Kernel Popcorn. She was the first girl kernel. The next year she got killed in a war and her son took over. That is the story of Kernel Popcorn, the first girl kernel. I’m in a Pickle by Jessica Block, Grade 4 I’m in a pickle, Feelin’ Fickle, I think I need a nap, Problems stretch me this way and that, I think I’m gonna snap. To Someone In The Near Future by Chaitrika Budamagunta, Grade 5 Some people like candy, some don’t, but do you people in the future like candy? Does candy even exist now? I will never know. Do you even know what candy means? Can you understand what I am saying? The future seems so far.

This piece was inspired by a group walk that Pub Club took in the Fall of 2008. Some students wrote poems about found objects, like this one: Hi! My Face by Sam Lee, Grade 6 (In honor of Fluffy the rock, for whom Naomi could not find a pen to draw his face.) My face I lost my face! I can’t remember it

What could have happened to my face?

Illustration by Jessica Block, Grade 5

Illustrated by Sam Lee, Grade 6

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A Typical Sky Pie Life by J. S. Sundaresan, Grade 6 High in the sky There lived a pie And he loved to eat rye And he loved to fly. But one day On a sunny day in May He lost a wing and fell from the sky. He would surely die! But then he was caught and was happy! Gary’s New Life by Jacob Miller, Grade 4 Once in the Jurassic period there were dinosaurs that humans in the future would never know about. They were called the Farlacasars. Now these dinosaurs were like no dinosaurs ever discovered by humans because they ate everything and anything. The dinosaurs were shaped like balloons except with scaly wings, four legs, and claws on their underside. They were about three feet tall and about one and a half feet wide. The only problem was... they were always hungry and always ate!!!! Now to the story. Once upon a time there was a Farlacasar named Gary who was only six years old and only made friends with other types of dinosaurs because there were none of his kind close by. The only problem was he lost all his friends because he ate up everything in their dens when he was hungry. He didn't mean to eat everything, but he couldn't help it. But then things changed... One day when his mother was putting him to bed, she said that tomorrow all the Farlacasars were going to meet at a far away place called the Great Fresh Water Valley! He and his mom would have to travel through the Great Prickly Pine Forest and the Bubbling Beds of Lava. This was great news and bad news to Gary because the Great Fresh Water Valley was where he would meet his father, but the journey was super dangerous. The next day they put all their belongings in a backpack and started on the trail. The first obstacle was the Great Prickly Pine Forest. A little while into the journey, they came upon the most prickly Prickly Pine Bush in the world. This was a problem because if Farlacasars fly too high their wings get really super mega sore! The next day they still hadn't gotten over the big bush until a prehistoric grasshopper (which are much bigger than modern ones) named Mr. Green helped them by jumping Gary and his mom over the bush with his big strong legs. Finally they were halfway through the journey but Mr. Green said he couldn't go with them because his family needed him. When they got to The Bubbling Beds of Lava, Gary got snatched by a Farlacasar Eater and almost got eaten but his mom saved him by scratching the Farlacasar Eater to shreds. The sad thing was that Gary's mom got sick from the fight. Finally when they got to the

He was caught by Mr. Rate Who was normally always too late. But the Pie lasted for 13 seconds more. He was thrown through a door To a dining room With a hungry man called John Bob Cretin And the next thing you know, the pie was eaten!

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Fresh Water Valley something very good happened... His father met them and soon they had 20 more babies!!! Now Gary had tons of fun playing with his brothers and sisters. Before long Gary made millions of friends with his fellow Farlacasars, who didn't care whether they ate all the food in each other's dens. We read the well-known “dialogue” poem “Two Women,” in which two Chilean women, one poor and the other rich, reflect on their lives in Chile in the 1970s. Afterward, many students were inspired to write dialogue, either in verse or in prose. Some of the student work reflects the political consciousness of “Two Women.” Other stories and poems just have fun with dialogue. Have a look.

I Am a Man by Anonymous

“I am a man.” “I am a man.”

“I’m a man who controls for a living.” “I’m a man who works for a living.”

“A fair maiden I seek.”

“I plead for a woman to accept me.”

“That fair maiden I shall buy for me!” “That woman I will beg for.”

“I am a proud father of two.”

“A father I will never be.”

“Because the rich such as I,” “Because the poor such as I,”

“shall only suffer through these times.”

“shall only succeed through these times.”

“For the 1970s are here.” “For the 1970s are here.”

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“I,” Making Their Voices Heard by Anonymous, Grade 6 “I am a boy.” “I am a girl.” “I work all day in the fields with my pa.” “I stay inside all day sewing, embroidering, and helping my ma.” “I slaughter the animals, come the season.” “I cook the meat for my family.” “I wear trousers and old flannel shirts.” “I wear cotton dresses and unbearable undergarments.”

“I cut myself running outside.” “I prick myself at my needlework.” “I am excused from work to go to school.” “I am seen as having no need for school.” “I do a man’s share of work.” “I am regarded as too delicate for work.” “I am messy all the time.” “I must be neat and clean all the time.” “I live the free life of a boy.” “I live the limited, meek life of a girl.” “I am a farm boy.” “I am a farm girl.”

No Name Man, Please Listen by Sam Goidell, Grade 4 “I am Pete.” “No you’re not!” “Okay, you’re right, I’m not,” the person whose name was not Pete said. “My name is Petey.” “No it’s not!” “Okay, I guess you’re right. My name is Paté,” the person whose name was not Pete or Petey said.

“No it’s not!” “I guess you’re right. My name is Patéy,” the person whose name was not Pete, Petey or Paté said. “No it’s not!” “Fine, my name is not Patéy, it’s Duck Paté,” the person whose name was not Pete, Petey, Paté or Patéy said. “No it’s not!” “Yes, you’re right. My name is not Duck Patéy,” the person whose name was not Pete, Petey, Paté, Patéy or Duck Patéy said. “Fine.”

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Bee and Ladybug by Margaret Ji, Grade 5 “I am so so tired of today’s work,” complained Bee. “Too bad for you. I got to eat yummy aphids,” boasted Ladybug. “Aphids? Yuck!” exclaimed Bee. “But we are just starting a conversation about me.” “OK,” agreed Ladybug. “So, can you believe that I, yes me, was chosen to be a WORKER BEE?!?” shouted Bee crossly. “Of course I believe it,” answered Ladybug. “Who do you think you are anyway? The Queen Bee?” “Duh, that’s the most stupidest question ever!” Bee shot back. “OK, so why are you tired anyway?” asked Ladybug. “Well, first, the Queen Bee scowled at me for not giving her royal jelly! Who does she think she is?” asked Bee crossly. “The Queen?” guessed Ladybug.

“Who asked for your opinion?” shot Bee. “Well, anyway, then she sent me to collect pollen. She said that there was a flower field 10 miles north!” “But aren’t bees, like, experts on flying?” asked Ladybug curiously. “Of course we are! Like, now STOP INTERRUPTING!!!” snapped Bee. “Sure,” Ladybug answered quietly. “So, I searched for 3 minutes, and you know what? No sign of the flower field!” shouted Bee.” “I mean ---“ “Ummm . . . Bee,” began Ladybug. “QUIET!!” screamed Bee. “Can’t you see—” Gulp! Raven had just eaten Bee! “Thanks, Raven. I needed peace,” thanked Ladybug. “No prob. I was kind of hungry anyway. Bye!” waved Raven. “Bye!”

Illustration by Megan Yamoah, Grade 5

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Sandra’s World (an excerpt) by Sehyun Hwang, Grade 5

Chapter 1 The Move To California

I had been thinking about what I had just done. I had agreed to move to California away from my friends. If only I had thought about it again before I answered. My parents were so happy that they ran around the house screaming like little children. I laughed at that thought. Anyway, I was born in Texas. Then my family moved to Utah, and now I'm going to California. My name is Sandra. Some people make fun of my name because it has sand in it. But it's not a big deal, I mean sand is just sand. I was interrupted in my thoughts when my mother called me to hurry and pack up because we were leaving for the airport at 5:00. It was 4:00 right now so I had one more hour to pack up. I packed all my stuff just in time. When we reached the airport we got our tickets and went shopping for the rest of the time. When it was time to get to the airplane, we ran and got in the airplane just in time. I was bored. No, I was very bored. Not even my mother could entertain me. Soon I became sleepy and fell asleep. When I woke up, I was not in the airplane. Instead I was in a room. My mother was beside me and I asked where we were. I was shocked at her answer. She said we were in our new house in California! But she also said I'm going to school tomorrow! When I got to my new school I went to the office to get my locker number. At lunch I took my sack lunch to a lunch table, but I tripped and my lunch flew onto Tanya, the most popular girl in school (as I was told)! Then a boy called out, "Food fight!" and because of that

everyone started to throw food! Then the principal came in and asked who started this mess. Surprisingly, everyone pointed at me. Sadly, I got detention. I phoned my mother and told her I was going to be late. After detention my mother picked me up and drove me home.

Chapter 2 The New Best Friends

It was the second day of school, and Sandra still didn't have any friends. At lunch, two girls from her science class came and asked if they could join her. Sandra thought about it for a minute. She knew that they could be tricking her because they might be popular. But she knew that they were nice because normally the popular people would sit at the "popular people's table". So, she said yes. The two girls told Sandra their names. They were Jennifer and Lisa. After school they all said bye and went to their homes. When Sandra told her mother all about it, her mother said that she felt so happy for her. The next day at school, Sandra quickly went to her first class before she would bump into Tanya. But when she got there, Tanya was already there. She wasn't even in Sandra's class! Later on in class Mrs. Brinks told the class that they had three new students. Sandra was so shocked! Mrs. Brinks introduced the new students. They were Tanya, Lisa,and Jennifer! Sandra wondered why Jennifer and Lisa were in her class. But before she could think of a possibility, Mrs. Brinks asked her a question. But Sandra didn't know the answer to number 5 on the worksheet.

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After class it was lunch. Sandra tried to dodge Tanya, but bumped into Lisa and Jennifer instead. She asked them how they got into her class and before Jennifer could answer, Lisa told Sandra that they asked Mrs. Min, the principal, if they could go to another class because they couldn’t stand Tanya. Also, they wanted

to be in Sandra’s class. But then Jennifer said that Tanya heard and asked if she could too, and Mrs. Min said yes. Then Lisa said that Sandra was lucky that they were with her when Tanya struck, and at that moment, Sandra knew she had trustful friends. But not any friends, best friends.

The Baboo Club: Part One by Eliot Williams, Grade 4 “Baboo!” said John. “Baboo!” said Fred. “Baboo, baboo, baboo!” said Charles. “Baboo!” said Hen. “Baboo!” said Duck. “Baboo, baboo, baboo!” said Chipmunk. “We are the Baboo Club!” they chorused. Then a robber climbed into their treehouse. “Baboo!!” they shouted. The robber fell out of the treehouse from sheer surprise. Using their Mystical

Powers of Baboo, they kept the robber at bay until the cops could come. “Hurray for the Baboo Club!” the cops said. “Baboo!” said John. “Baboo!” said Fred. “Baboo, baboo, baboo!” said Charles. “Baboo!” said Hen. “Baboo!” said Duck. “Baboo, baboo, baboo!” said Chipmunk. “We are the Baboo Club!” they chorused.

Hello, Stream by Kasey Li, Grade 4 Hello, Stream. Stream, hello? Are you there? I hope you are. Anyway, hello. I wish you were alive. Goodbye, Stream.

Illustration by Jessica Block, Grade 4

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We got several reflective and wonderful poems about the process of writing. Writing by Sehyun Hwang, Grade 5 Peaceful and calm, Free and forgiving, Never ending, Majestic stories. Dark Poem Magic by Sehyun Hwang, Grade 5 To make a poem is a pain, to people who don’t have imagination. But creative people write terrific stories, to boggle someone’s mind. But dark magic lurks inside with a powerful spell. From the front, from the back, no matter where it hits, you fail. In a cliff, or in a book, it is dangerously dangerous. Dark as coal, and light as fire, your life is on a wire.

Motivation for Reading by Divya Kunda, Grade 5 The more you read the more you know, The more you know the smarter you grow, The smarter you grow the stronger your voice, When speaking your mind or making your choice.

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A Lesson in Grammar by Noah Papagni, Grade 6 One day a man thought he’d go for a peaceful walk in the hills. Suddenly another man ran past him. “There’s a trampling herd of hippopotamuses!” he cried. “What?” said the first man. “That’s crazy. Besides, it’s ‘hippopotamus.” “Hippopotamuses.” “Hippopotami.” “Hippopotamusi.” “Hippos.” “Hippies.” “Himu.” “Hippu.” “Happiness.”

“Happini.” “Hippopotamussussusses.” “Hippopotamoose.” “Hippopotamussussussussussussuses.” “Hippotta!” “Hello!” “Hi!” “Hippopotamussussussussussussuss ussussussussi!!” And then they were tragically trampled to pancakes by the herd they had forgotten about during their spat, never knowing that hippopotamus, hippopotami, and hippopotamuses were all correct.

Rising Star by Camila Ortiz, Grade 6

I am afraid of heights. It’s not just vertigo, either. It’s the full out, world spinning, feeling like you’re going to hurl, kind. This wouldn’t be a problem, except that I’m a star. You know the kind that people put on top of their Christmas trees? Well, anyway. Most ornaments sit all year in a box, counting down the days till the tree decorations go up. Not me. Ornaments dream of getting put up at the tippy-top of the tree. I sit and tremble, worrying that I’ll fall, counting the seconds until I go back into my safe, bubble-wrapped home. The other ornaments despise that I, of all people, was bestowed the honor of being the tree topper. It really stinks to be me.

This year, they pull out the box. They are lifting me higher and higher. I think I’m going to puke. Thank goodness I don’t have eyes. Suddenly, someone says, “Looks like a real star.” What? Are they implying I’m not star material? I have to remind myself that I’m about to have a royal up chuck. Oh, help. It’ll be better next year.

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The following four poems are a group of seasonal acrostics written and illustrated by Megan Yamoah, Grade 5. Winter Winter, In the forest all is quiet, Not a single animal is awake, Through snow-capped mountains and the misty blue sky, Everywhere I look, I see snowflakes softly fluttering to the ground, Right here, I see winter.

Spring Spring, Pretty and colorful flowers dot the rolling hills, Rainbow colors splash the sky like a careless artist, In the meadows, butterflies flutter from flower to flower, New buds open on the wakening trees, Gardens are now filled with the fresh aroma of a new beginning.

Summer Summer, Under the shade of a great Joshua tree, Midday heat dehydrates the thirsty grass, Mountains shadow the dense forest in the distance, Everlasting fields of gold extend far beyond my view, Radiant sunshine illuminates the bright, clear sky.

Autumn Autumn, Untamed leaves rustle musically, The air feels crisp and forever dry, Under the blazing maples, the cool breeze swirls around their trunks, Month by month, all has changed, Nature is ending its year again.

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Doughnut Dolly by Jessica Block, Grade 4 Doughnut Dolly went to town, A riding on a skateboard, But a rock stopped her wheels, And, Doughnut Dolly was no more!

Cause of the Clause by Jessica Block, Grade 4 Where did he come from? Big and red, Why in the chimney, Not in the bed. One night ‘stead of 8, People celebrate. I am at home, I’m not alone,

One night of 8, Let’s celebrate, Fire blazes, Dreidels spin, Better watch out, friend, I rolled a shin, I’m gonna’ win I’m gonna’ win!

Eraser Chase by Jessica Block, Grade 4 There was an eraser, I loved to chase her, She ran all the way to the pizza shack, It was a day before she was back. I found her though, She did not know, So she got stuck in the snow.

Illustrated by Chaitrika Budamagunta, Grade 5

Monkey Do by Sehyun Hwang, Grade 5 Bouncy and cheerful Purple and red Squishy but hard Helps but can’t talk Pet that’s not alive Human who owns A raid of monkeys

Illustrated by Jessica Block, Grade 4

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The following piece about a dream house was inspired by reading Tenaya Darlington’s short essay, “Dream Houses,” which appears in the anthology In Brief: Short Takes on the Personal (Norton, 1999). Dream House by Allegra Starr, Grade 4 I could dream forever about a perfect dream house, but here is one idea. A house with conveyor belts instead of hallways, escalators for stairs and everything you could imagine. You say you have a backyard swimming pool, well, I’d have something more. I’d have a household aquarium that you could swim in. Who cares if there’s a shark below? They’re all tame, no need to worry. You say you go to the zoo twice a week, well, I’d have one in my house. No cages, no need, they’re all tame. That would be wonderful. Speaking of dreams, we always get a lot of writing about dreams at Pub Club. Here’s a selection. The Dream…The Weird Dream by J. S. Sundaresan, Grade 6 I saw my favorite candy hovering by my mouth. I reached out for it, but it hovered back. I got out of bed and reached for it, but the tasty Skittle hovered even further back than before. I ran after it, but the Skittle suddenly grew legs and ran away. I chased after it, but I was always behind the Skittle. It shattered the window and jumped out. I still chased after it. Soon, I forgot the reason why I was chasing it, yet I continued to pursue the Skittle. Soon, I found myself in Oz and the Skittle transformed into the Tin Man. “If only I had no heart!” he said. “It’s all your fault!” He called out his oil can and threw it at me. It hit my head and exploded and turned into lots of 20 dollar bills made from dried apples. Angry at the Tin Man, I punched his metal chest. Suddenly, I awoke, I found myself with my fist above my brother’s shattered soccer trophies. My brother looked at me and started to chase me. I ran away as fast as I could. Now I know what the Skittle felt like! An Awkward Dream by Divya Kunda, Grade 5 I’m running in slow motion, and I have to say that I look absolutely ridiculous. I feel eyes being shot at me, literally, okay…maybe not literally. And “ha ha ha’s” are to be heard, well, cheering for me, but no one’s there. Suddenly I realize that I’m in my room. I thought I was in a race! Oh well, better go back to sleep. I go back to my bed and fall asleep, again.

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The Dream by Jessica Block, Grade 4 I am in class. Words swirl around me… ZZZZZZZZ Zap! I am in the principal’s office. I had woken up at the sound of a “zap!” Questions swirled around me… Who carried me? I opened my eyes. What the heck?

Sitting on the desk was a rather frazzled duck with two or three feathers scattered around it. My fingers were smoking! What had happened? I woke up. It’s Saturday! Sun is shining through the window. I go downstairs. My mom is flipping pancakes. She is the best cook.

This wonderful poem was inspired by reading the poem “Bridal Shower,” by George Bilgere, in which the poet bewails the prevalence of cell phones in his favorite café. Don’t Disappear by Tina Simpson, Grade 6 Some people have cell phones They talk into air Some people use laptops They just sit and stare What happened to letters? They come from the heart If you’re face to face You’re more likely honest...than not But old-fashioned “talking ” Will just disappear I will be waiting For you to be here

You’ll call me on my cell And you won’t show up at all So I will forget All that you have to offer Your hair, your eyes And a smile that lusters So stop And wait And come over Stop with the screen And look at my face Here’s what you’ll see: Something real, not fake

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At our first Pub Club meeting of the year 2009, we read a funny poem called “Resolutions” by the poet Gregory K. This was Divya’s tongue-in-cheek response. A New Year’s Resolution by Divya Kunda, Grade 5 Rachel is super skinny and she never ever eats junk food. “I’m Rachel, and I never ate junk food,” says Rachel. Stop that, Rachel! I’m the narrator! Anyway, moving along now….She’s never been near junk food. “Except at school,” declares Rachel. Yes, Rachel, thank you. “You’re welcome,” says Rachel. Will you stop interrupting? “Nope,”says Rachel. Ugh! Oh well. Actually, there was a time when— “No! Don’t say it!” demands Rachel.

Yes, I will. “I’ll stop interrupting,” promises Rachel. Okay, but either way I’ll tell. “I’m hiding my face forever,” says Rachel. No one ever saw your face, no one will see your face, no one has to see your face! “Really?” questions Rachel. Really. “Yay,” sighs Rachel. There was a time when Rachel snuck a piece of brownie. “Okay, my New Year’s Resolution is not to eat any junk food ever again!” declares Rachel. Wow, that was quick.

Fertile Da Farm by Jayanth Sundaresan, Grade 6 Chapter 1

Ruddik and Jabbar, the Moleskin Bros (they’re rats), made their way into Billy-Bob-Joe’s house. They scrambled up the ancient teak bookshelf.

“Over there, it’s Billy’s birth certificate

box!” whispered Jabbar as he stealthily crept towards a locked gilded box.

Ruddik summoned his psychic power

and created a duplicate key. He tossed it to Jabbar. Jabbar unlocked the box, took

the certificate and they ran out, leaving the house looking untouched.

They looted Jack Kimalimlim’s birth

certificate too. Next day… “Our money now, Joey-Joe Mcjoejoe

III,” said Jabbar. “I said you get 100 bucks, meaning a

100-cent Starbucks coffee gift certificate,”

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said Joe. Joey-Joe Mcjoejoe III was a greedy hamster who hired the Moleskin Bros to steal some birth certificates.

Ruddik: “Give us the 100 dollars.” Joe: “No, I need the money to sustain

the farm before Spar the Mouse takes it and raises those darned penguins!”

Ruddik summoned the psychic power

and snared Joey-Joe McjoejoeIII and took his money.

“Take him to the prison,” said Jabbar. Ruddik threw Joey 845.2 miles away

to the Blackhoo-wu City Prison and snatched all of Joey’s money.

Chapter 2

There once was a man named Billy-

Bob-Joe and he owned a very successful and fertile farm. One fine day in the middle of May, Billy-Bob-Joe disappeared. Mister Kimalimlim decided to take his ultimate farm, declaring him dead. But the very next day, Billy-Bob-Joe returned to the town, thin and weary from starving in the forest of Getting Lost. But Mr. Kimalimlim wouldn’t give his farm back.

“You are dead,” he said. “No, I’m not” said Billy-Bob-Joe. “Yes, you are,” said Kimalimlim.

“No, I’m not.” . “Prove it!” “How?” “Show your birth certificate.” “Why?” said Billy-Bob-Joe. “To prove you exist,” said Kimalimlim “I exist.” “No, you don’t.” “But I lost my birth certificate,” said

Billy-Bob-Joe. “Too bad.” “Oh man, I don’t exist! But you don’t

either!” “Prove it.” “Show your birth certificate.” “Aargh!” roared Kimalimlim “I lost

mine too!” “Face it, we both don’t exist,” said

Kimalimlim. So then, sadly, they left the farm,

moaning about not existing. So Spar the Mouse from Alabama who

lived in a broken globe (and ate cheese) took the farm, and instead of raising cows, raised penguins from Antarctica.

The End

Pub Club Writers reflect on writing…

Writing is an author’s words.

Writing is a personal relief to problems and a powerful imagination. Sehyun Hwang, Grade 5

Writing is like pasting a small part of your brain on paper. Sherry Zheng, Grade 5

Writing is an elaborate jumble of words in lines. Jessica Block, Grade 4

We all enjoy life. Writing is like life. Enjoy it. It’s not gonna last forever. Shreya Sudarshana, Grade 5

Writing is like a dream: you can do anything, but you can’t necessarily control it. Anthony DiCarlo, Grade 5

Writing contradicts, no matter what.

Think, write, read, enjoy!

Writing is a miracle. Kasey Li, Grade 4

Writing is the act of discovering one’s self. Tina Simpson, Grade 6