A Spirit by Lisa, age 9

Magnetic Poetry by David, age 9

Magnetic Poetry by Lisa, age 9

Something Pink by Jason, age 10

Summer Dreams by Stanley & Jose, both age 10

Magnetic Poetry by Sara, age 9

My Name by Betty, age 9

My Chinese name is Shi Fen. My grandpa named me. It means great and beautiful. I think my name is easy to remember and write. My American name is Betty. It means promise. My mom named me when we came to America. She asked me, “Do you like it?” I thought about it and I told my mom I liked the name Betty. I like my name because of the way it sounds.

Names by Holly, age 10

My American name

My American name is Holly. It’s a kind of tree popular at Christmas. I like my American name bcause I get to be popular at Christmas. My uncle actually chose my name. He chose Holly because it has an H. He told my mom my name stands for Holiday and Holy spirt.

My Vietnamese name

My Vietnamese name is Mylinh. It means bright sun. My mom chose my name because she liked the meaning of it. I like my vietnamese name because it’s popular like my American name. I like having a name that a lot of other people have even though I usually like being different.

Names by Angela, age 10

My American Name

My American name is Angela. It means Angel or messenger. My dad wanted an “A” name because my Vietnamese name also starts with an A. I like my name because if I’m an Angel, no one can hurt me. But I also don’t like my name because being a messenger includes traveling and I don’t like traveling because I have to pack up my stuff.

My Vietnamese Name

My Vietnamese name is Tran Nhat Anh. It means sunlight or sunshine. My dad gave me this name because he thought this name would fit me best because my dad’s name means red sun and he wanted my name to have something to do with the sun too. I like my name because I go in the sun a lot even though when I look at the sun, I get bad eyesight.

The Name by Destin, age 8

My American name is Destin. My dad wanted to name me with a letter D. If I had been a girl then my parents would have named me Destiny, but I am a boy, so my parents made the name into a boy-sounding name. My name is funny because people keep on messing up my name all the time. They always call me Dustin and Justin. My Chinese name is Bong Chung. It means a smart reader. My grandpa chose it for me because he wants me to be smart. I like it because I really want to be smart.

The Missile and the Citizens by Jason & Tommy, both age 10

This "cycle story" is part of a series of Room 2 stories inspired by the Argentinian folktale "The Sun and the Snow."


Missile who blew up our houses,
Why are you evil?
I am not evil.
The launcher is evil who controls me.

Launcher who controls the missile,
Missile who blew up our houses,
Why are you evil?
I am not evil.
The war is evil who puts me to work.

War who puts the launcher to work,
Launcher who controls the missile,
Missile who blew up our houses,
Why are you evil?
I am not evil.
The countries are evil who fight.

Countries who fight,
War who puts the launcher to work,
Launcher who controls the missile,
Missile who blew up our houses,
Why are you evil?
We are not evil,
The politicians are evil who argue.

Politicians who argue,
Countries who fight,
War who put the launcher to work,
Launcher who controls the missile,
Missile who blew up our houses,
Why are you evil?
We are not evil.
The citizens are evil who vote for us.

Citizens who vote for the politicians,
Politicians who argue,
Countries who fight,
War who puts the launcher to work,
Launcher who controls the missile,
Missile who blew up our house,
Why are you evil?
We are not evil,
The missile is evil who blew up our houses.

About the Authors

Hi! My name is Tommy. I live in San Francisco with my mom, dad, and my brother. I am ten years old. I like to play my XBox360 and I also like to play Runescape. I am good at opening stuff and Mario Kart. When I grow up I wanted to be a scientist because they can do experiments. I like this game called Ninety-Knights. I like to play Ninety-Knights because in the game I am a boy character with a stick that can blast people away like a gun and I also like to play the game call Metal Slug 7. I am also the author of The X Army and many poems.

Hi! My name is Jason. I like to play on my Wii and DSI. I am good at many war games such as Halo, Metal Slug and Call of Duty. When I grow up, I want to be a pharmacist. If I were a machine I would be computer because they are very useful. I am also the author of Curses, Goshi and the Dragon, and Dimension Problem and many poems.

If Eyes Were Lightning by Lisa, age 9

If eyes were lightning,
then fingers would be snow
If marbles were paper,
then oranges would be cardboard
If bombs were tornados,
then glitter would be rain
If Kentucky were fried chicken,
then Maryland would be Candyland
If Alaska were tulips,
then China would be bamboo
If anger were roses,
then calmness would be daisies
And I would pick them
and their petals
would move
like waves

My Name by Lisa, age 9

I was born on February 7, 2000. My mom named me Lisa and it means “god’s promise,” and I imagine the promise was about being good. After I was born, my mom asked the doctor what she should name me and the doctor asked my mom if she liked the name Lisa and she said yes. I like the name Lisa because it represents God and I trust in God. Before I knew the meaning of my name, I liked it because it’s short to say and it’s on all the important papers about me like my birth certificate. It’s my official name. My Chinese name is Hong May Yee. My mom chose this name and it means “beautiful son” even though I’m a daughter. This is a name in China that people name their daughters if they want to have a son next, but that wasn’t the reason my mom chose this name. My mom chose it because she thought it was a simple, cute name and has the word beautiful in it in Chinese. The name Hong May Yee is special to me because it’s similar to my sister’s name.

If, Then by Sarah, age 9

If clothes were stripes,
then shoes would be scales
If pants were ants,
then jackets would be babies
If oranges were sticks,
then apples would be rocks
If guns were cars,
then knives would be maps
And I would
unfold them carefully
and look at them
with sharp eyes

My Names by Andy, age 9

My American name is Andy. My name means warrior. My mom named me that because it is short and easy to remember. My Chinese name is Liu De Hua. It means “moral china, Chinese.” My mom chose my Chinese name because it is the name of a famous singer in Hong Kong. I think my Chinese name does not fit me because I am the opposite of moral. I mess things up and get in trouble a lot. I like my American name because it means warrior and warriors go to war and I like war because it has violence and enemies.

How to Fry Eggs by Tommy & Jason, both age 10

Step 1: Wash the pan (optional)

Step 2: Put the pan on the stove

Step 3: Open the flame

Step 4: Put olive oil in the pan

Step 5: Spread the oil around by moving the pan

Step 6: Crack as many eggs you want into the pan

Step 7: Shake the pan back and forth a couple of times

Step 8: Add anything little (such as salt, pepper or small peas) and shake again
(optional)

Step 9: Using a spatula, flip the egg or eggs (After 3 minutes for each side)

Step 8: Close the fire and place the egg or eggs in a dish

Step 9: Enjoy your eggs!

Name by Mimi, age 10

My American Name

My American name is Mimi. It means “star of the sea.” My dad gave me this name beause when I was living in Singapore, my aunt called me “mei mei,” which means younger sister in Chinese. I am younger than my cousins, that’s why my aunt called me “little sister.” But my dad couldn’t say mei mei, he kept on saying Mimi. So my name became Mimi. My name doesn’t fit me because I’m not the younger sister anymore.

My Vietnamese Name

My Vietnamese name is Vu Minh Hanh. It means happiness and kindness. My mom chose that name for me because she liked the meaning and she wants me to be happy and kind. I kind of like my name because I want to be happy and kind.

Sorry for Nothing by Edmund, age 10

I’m sorry for nothing
Now I have a Wii
So you better be sorry for calling me poor
I’m not sorry for getting you in trouble
I’m not sorry for playing tricks on you
I’m not sorry for lying or for hitting you
because you did that to me

From Edmund

Name by Stanley, age 9

My American name is Stanley. It means “stony meadow.” My dad named me. He chose this name because he liked it. He didn’t tell me why. My Chinese name is Wu Jian Hua. It means a lot of things. It means “healthy, grow up strong, prosperous and rich.” My grandma chose this name because she likes the meaning of it. All these meanings make me think about what I’m going to do when I grow up because I want prosperity and money and strength when I grow up. The “stony meadow” meaning fits too because rocks are hard and strong, and meadows make me think of growing up.

Short Life by Kimberly, age 10

This "cycle story" is part of a series of Room 2 stories inspired by the Argentinian folktale "The Sun and the Snow."


Life that is so short,
Why are you mean?
I am not mean.
The blood is mean that vanishes.

Blood that vanishes,
Life that is so short,
Why are you mean?
I am not mean.
The veins are mean that are weakening.

Veins that weaken,
Blood that vanishes,
Life that is so short,
Why are you mean?
I am not mean.
The heart is mean that stops pumping.

Heart that stops pumping,
Veins that weaken,
Blood that vanishes,
Life that is so short,
Why are you mean?
I am not mean.
The diseases are mean that destroy me.

Diseases that destroy the heart,
Heart that stops pumping,
Veins that weaken,
Blood that vanishes,
Life that is so short,
Why are mean?
I am not mean.
The people are mean who eat too much junk food.

People who eat too much junk food,
Diseases that destroy the heart,
Heart that stops pumping,
Veins that weaken,
Blood that vanishes,
Life that is so short,
Why are you mean?
We are not mean.
Life is mean that is so short.

About the Author

My name is Kimberly. I live in San Francisco, California. I am ten years old. I like to watch television. My goal this year is to publish one more book so I can finally beat Sandy’s record for publishing books in Room 2. This is my eighth published book. I am also the author of Muni Disaster and Other Stories, Spy Twins, Spy Maser’s Death, Quan who Buys us Dim Sum, Hypnotized, Stink and Ink vs. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Jasion, and the blog post about our class mural I wrote with Holly. Sometimes I wonder why people are different from each other.

I'm Named after San Francisco by San, age 8

My name is San Ngoc. San means Saint in Spanish. Ngoc is my middle name and Ngoc means pearl. My mom named me San because I was born in San Francisco right after she moved here from Vietnam. She named me after the city. I don’t like my name because it is too short. My Vietnamese nickname is Tit. Tit means “I close my eyes and laugh.” My mom named me Tit because whenever I laugh it looks like I close my eyes, but I am not closing my eyes. I like my Vietnamese nickname because you have to raise your voice at the end of the word when you say it. It sounds strong to me when you raise your voice at the end of the word.

Ezra Lux by Ezra Lux, age 8

Ezra is my name. It means “strong” in Hebrew. When my parents chose my name the way it worked was my mom and dad each wrote a list of names and whatever names were on both lists would be in consideration for my name, but the only name on both lists was Ezra. My mom wanted to name me Lazlo or Fenris and my dad did not because Fenris is a mythological creature that brought on the apocalypse and he said that wasn’t a kid’s name. I like my name because it’s very unusual and it has a “z” in it. Lux is my last name. My parents didn’t like their own last names (Carter or Hantman) but they did like Lux. My dad found Lux in a Latin dictionary and Lux is Latin for light.

The Robots' Revenge by Kenny, age 10

Bumpy and Jumpy went for a walk in the rainforest. Bumpy was a yellow dog with electrical powers. Jumpy was a blue dog with a magic bag. In front of them was a hole covered with leaves, but they didn’t see the hole. They stepped on the pile of leaves and fell down like flies running out of energy. Luckily Jumpy had two balloons already blown up. But the balloons were too small to carry them out of the hole. POP! The balloons popped because a leaf dragon dropped some sharp leaves into the hole. Then they fell down.

‘’Ahhhhhhhh!’’ cried Jumpy.

“Wee!’’ barked Bumpy. CRASH!

“Ouch!’’ said Jumpy.

“Boy that was fun!” said Bumpy. “Can we do this again?”

“Never!’’ cried Jumpy. ‘’How about this, if you help me I will give you my Gameboy. But you have to come too.’’

“Okay,’’ said Bumpy.

So they tried to use vines, a jump rope, and a metal ladder from Jumpy’s magic bag. A bear came out of a cave in top of the mountain. The bear bit and bit the vines until they broke. Next, they tried the jump rope but a baby leaf dragon thought the jump rope was food. So it used its sharp teeth to chew it. When it was done, the jump rope broke. Last, they tried the metal ladder. “I hope this works,’’ said Jumpy hopefully. When they put the ladder up, animals came from the trees and attacked the ladder. Some thought it was food, so they bit it. But the ladder was so hard that some of them broke their teeth. “Hooray!’’ said Jumpy.

“Let’s continue on our walk,’’ said Bumpy. When they got to a plain they saw two tents. When they looked inside the first tent, no one was there. Next they looked inside in the second one and went in. Bubble was in there with a cat. The cat’s name was Sharpy. It was yellow. It also had sharp claws.

“Meow (hi),’’ said Sharpy.

“RUN AWAY!!!” screamed Jumpy. His scream almost exploded the whole forest.

“I thought that dogs (or puppies) are not afraid of cats (or kittens),” said Bumpy. Jumpy said nothing. Suddenly the tent was in the sky. There were two robots holding the tent. The two robots shook the tent. That made Bumpy fall down on the ground. Suddenly two robot bosses showed up.

“Thank you for screaming Jumpy,’’ Laughed one boss.

“Look what you have done Jumpy,’’ said Bubble.

“RETREAT!’’ screamed Jumpy.

Instead Bubble pushed a button. The tents turned into tanks. Bumpy, Bubble, and Sharpy went into the first tank. Jumpy went into the second tank. The bosses called their robot army. Their army was made out of robots and with wheels for legs. Bubble threw a bomb and it hit a robot. BOOM! Five robots were destroyed. They looked liked a flat cars. But there were still more robots.

“This is going to be a complicated battle,’’ said Bubble.

About the Author

Hi my name is Kenny, I am ten years old. I’m going to into fifth grade. My favorite TV shows is Yug-i-oh, 5D, Pokemon, Sonic, Kirby and Bakugan. I’m also the author of Bumpy’s Day, Bumpy and the Icebird, and My Mom. This is my fourth published book.

Names by Ivy, age 11

My American Name

Hi my name is Ivy. I was born in 1998 in San Francisco. My name is really special to me because it means a “climbing vine plant” and I love plants. My mom named me Ivy because it’s easy to say and she sometimes has a hard time saying long English words.

My Chinese Name

My Chinese name is Jing Fang and it means “beauty.” My grandpa chose this name for me because he really likes the meaning. I like both of my names because together they mean “beautiful plant,” and they make me imagine myself as a grown-up. When I grow up I want to be a pharmacist because they can cure peoples’ sickness and I just learned that some drugs are made from plants.

Writing by Don, age 11

The Swirl Up
By Don

If oil were monsters,
Then radiation would be Bigfoot,
If monkeys were kids,
Then lions would be clowns.
If cars were cartoons,
Then go karts would be movies.
If yogurt were markers,
Then ice cream would be crayons.
If tennis balls were brains,
Then golf clubs would be ears.
If snakes were cupcakes,
Then tigers would be popsicles.
And I would eat them
and they would
taste
like frozen fury.


My American Name

My American name is Don Duy. "Don" means “great chief.” My dad named me that for no reason but it was a great name for me. I like my name because it was the name of a king of Viet Nam. My mom told me that.

My Vietnamese Name

My Vietnamese name is also Don Duy. It means “responsible dragon.” My dad named me this too. He chose this name because I’m like a warm hearted animal or creature who helps citizens or villagers. That would be a good day dream if that had really happened. My parents don’t get along so I don’t see my dad that much even though he named me. I miss my dad and sometimes I feel like one person alone.

My Name by Anna, age 11

My American Name

Hi my name is Anna. I found out that my name means “joyful and merciful.” A nurse from San Francisco General Hospital named me. My parents liked the name because it was easy to remember. I like my name because it is a palindrome.

My Chinese Name

My chinese name is Fong Mei Na. My grandpa named me. The character for Fong is similar to the character for horse. My great-great grandfather’s last name used to be the character that means horse (ma). He worked for the governor and he was about to get killed so he moved to a far-away place and added two lines to the character for his name and it became the name Fong. This way he changed his identity and this is why I am a Fong. Mei means “have a good life” and “pretty.” Na means “have good things.” So my name means good things and good life and pretty. I was given this name because my grandpa wanted me to have a good life and things. I think I have a good life, but just a little bit because sometimes bad things happen to me.

The Stars that Blind Us by Tiana & Ivy, both age 11

This "cycle story" by Tiana and Ivy is the first in a series by Room 2 kids inspired by the Argentinian folktale "The Sun and the Snow."


Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
We are not heartless.
The fog is heartless,
That blocks us.

Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blinds us,
Why are you heartless?
I am not heartless,
The blowdrier is heartless,
that blows me away.

Blowdrier that blows away the fog,
Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
I am not heartless.
The blackout is heartless
that turns me off.

Blackout that turns off the blowdrier,
Blowdrier that blows away the fog,
Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
I am not heartless.
The wiring is heartless
that causes the blackout.

Wiring that causes the blackout,
Blackout that turns off the blowdrier,
Blowdrier that blows away the fog,
Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
I am not heartless.
The humans are heartless
who plug in too many things.

Humans who plug in too many things,
Wiring that causes the blackout,
Blackout that turns off the blowdrier,
Blowdrier that blows away the fog,
Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
We are not heartless.
The stars are heartless
That blind us.

About the Authors

Hi my name is Tiana. I’m 11 years old and I live in San Franisico. I live with my three sisters, Mom, Dad, and my grandma. I like to ice skate on the weekends with my friends. I want to be good at art someday. When I grow up I want to be a lawyer. The thing that confuses me most is long words like narcisistic and photosynthesis. I wish that one day everyone in the world would get along with each other and never fight. The first book I wrote was When I Was Lost, second was I Hate My Life You, third was Hua Ying Mei, and I also wrote many poems.

Hi my name is Ivy. I am 11 years old and I live in San Francisco. I live with my Mom, Dad, Brother, my grandma, and grandpa. I like to play on my computer and read books at home. I want to be good at math when I get older. When I grow up I want to be Pharmacist. It confuses me when people ask a lot of questions like: How do your parents pay the rent? I wish that everybody were rich an lived a happy life and didn’t have to break in into peoples’ property. I am also the author of My Family, Yu Kun Yu, and many poems.

Writing by Nathan, age 10

How to Destroy a Table

Step 1: Get an iron hammer.

Step 2: Get a metal chair.

Step 3: Get a heavy barbell.

Step 4: Get a table.

Step 5: Whack the table with the hammer. This will make a bump and a scratch.

Step 6: If that doesn’t work, try using the chair.

Step 7: If that doesn’t work, use the heavy barbell.

Step 8: Bring the table out onto sidewalk.

Step 9: Go upstairs to the top floor of your building and lean out the window and drop the barbell down onto the table.

Step 10: It will make a lot of damage.

Step 11: Check to see if the table is broken.

Step 12: If it’s still not broken, then go onto an airplane and crash into the table. This will mean suicide, but the table will be broken for sure.



Nails

If worms were germs,
then bugs would be slugs
If snails were nails,
then whales would be pails
If paper were glaciers,
then ice would be lice
If floods were guts,
then eyes would be fried,
and they would be crunchy
and it would be
hard
to see



Nathan

My American name is Nathan. It means “gift from the gods.” My father and my mother chose this name because they like the “th” sound. I like my name because I like to imagine I’m a gift from the gods and if someone unwrapped me I would be a toy gun. My Chinese name is Cheng Huan. It means “responsibility and see into the future.” It also means “happy, superior, successful and Chinese tradition.” My mother chose this name because she liked these ideas. I like this name because it reminds me of funerals. People who can see into the future know when everyone’s going to die.

Writing by Alina, age 10

If Dogs Were People
By Alina

If dogs were people
then aliens would have voices
If books were giants
then onions would be flies
If bugs were buildings
then bears would be chairs
If buttons were medals
then windows would be tires
If erasers were skeletons
then paper would be shirts
So I would draw a self-portrait
and wear it
on a roller-coaster that goes
kind of slow
and kind of fast

Alina
By Alina

My name is Alina. It means “royal.” My mother named me Alina because she thinks the name is easy to call. I think my name fits me because it is easy to write and I think the sound of my name fits me because it reminds me of crickets and crickets remind me of me because they’re quiet. But my name also doesn’t fit me because I’m not into kings, queens or princesses.

My Chinese name is Wen Yu. It means “gets mad easily.” My parents chose it because they like it. When I asked them why they liked it, they just said they liked it. I think it fits me because it’s easy to say and I like easy words. But I also think it doesn’t fit me because I am usually calm. I get mad sometimes, but when I get angry I just go away from the person. I don’t brake things, throw things or yell at that person.

Writing by Tommy, age 10

If Hair Were Snakes

If hair were snakes
then teeth would be scissors
If ears were flies
then mirrors would be maps
If wood were stone
then glue would be concrete
And I would use it
to paste together
robots
that serve
noodles

My American Name

My name is Tommy and my mom named me. Tommy means twin. My mom didn’t know my name had that meaning but I when I told her she said she wants me to have twins when I grow up.

My Chinese Name

My Chinese name is Ying Jie Min. It means “famous and smart.” My mom thought that I wouldn’t be smart when I grow up unless she gave me this name. I like my Chinese name because it makes it sound like I am a famous man inventing things.

Writing by Tiana, age 10

If Play-doh Were Metal
By Tiana

If Play-doh were metal
then clay would be coal
If ants were sugar bowls
then monkeys would be milk crates
If needles were blood
then nails would be sea water
If bait were fish
then dollars would be humans
If Hawaii were angry
then California would be calm
If Mexico were the flu
then Norway would be frostbite
If scissors were crayons
then knives would be pastels
And I would pick them up carefully
and draw something
sharp


My American Name

On January 17, 1998 my mom gave birth to me. After a couple of hours a nurse came into my mom’s room asked her what was she going to name me. She didn’t know, so the nurse suggested a few names, including Tiana. My mom thought Tiana sounded great because it sounded easy to say. To me, a nurse naming me is intresting because I always thought parents had to pick the names for their children, not anyone else. I also like my name because it means “fairy queen.” If I were a fairy queen I would use my magic to fix the world and heal the dead. When I grow up I want to be a pharmacist and help people in need.

My Chinese Name

My Chinese name is Hong May Ting. It means beautiful. I hate my Chinese name because to me it’s not interesting or cool. Almost all parents want their daughters' names to mean beautiful. I think other things are more important than beauty, like survival.

Writing by Catherine, age 10

Twirly
By Catherine

If the sky were the ocean
then mice would fly
If cavemen were dizzy
then dogs would be cats
If bees were needles
then cockroaches would be pencils
If flowers were cows
then grass would be roosters
If shirts were plastic
then shoes would be metal
And I would lay in a meadow
and look up
and wait
until I get all wet

Pure
By Catherine

My name is Catherine Alexandra. My mom chose my first name and my dad chose my middle name. My mom named me Catherine because she saw the name in a book of baby names, and she liked it. My dad named me Alexandra because his middle name is Alexander. People think my name is spelled with a K so I always have to tell them it’s with a C. Some of my relatives call me Cathy and sometimes they call me Catherine with the Spanish pronunciation. My name means “pure.” When I think of the word “pure,” I think of emptiness, but I don’t feel empty. I feel full of kindness and creativity because I like to help and I like to do art.

Bullies Vs. Black T-shirt Kids by Don, age 11

Chapter 1
Fight, Fight, Fight!

“Come on,” said Boxhead. “Show me what you got, wimpy.”

“I’m ready for my rematch,” said Gamer.

Boxhead ran to knock down a row of kids in black t-shirts then he saw a banana peel. He tried to stop but his legs just kept on going and he slipped on the peel, his feet twisted and he bumped his head on the ground. He got sent to the nurse then he headed to the principal’s office, tattling on the banana peel. He saw one more kid in a black t-shirt through a window in the hallway. Before another one of the bullies could punch the last survivor, the bell rang. Ding-ding, ding-ding.

“Aww,” said a boy who was in no one’s group. The kids called him.... well they just called him, The Man. He always exercised and beat up people all day, just like the bullies do, but sometimes he took a break by playing video games. Sometimes The Man would act normal then change his attitude. He might be acting crazy like a monkey, just like the kids in the black t-shirts did. Other times he would enter eating contests. Once he ate 900 corn dogs. He didn’t vomit. He only burped. So it was hard for him to choose which group he’d be in. He just had a table all by himself because the girls needed to be with other girls and the boys had to sit with other boys and everyone sat with their own clique. The Man didn’t have any buddy. But one day his life would change forever.

“So, The Man,” said Boxhead, “Who do you choose to be with?”

Chapter 2
I Don’t Know

Hmmmmmmmmmm, The Man thought, “I don’t know.”

“What!” said both the bullies and the black t-shirt kids. “You don’t know which one to join?!”

“Wait,” said The Man. “I think that there will be a winner in this war.”

“Dun-Dun-Dommmmm,” said a guy.

“Who agrees to fight in a war, right here, right now?” said The Man.

“We call team bullies,” said the bullies with some tough players.

“We call team Black t-shirts,” said the kids in the black t-shirts. They always threw gum and paper towels all over the bathroom.

“Great,” said The Man. “We all have teams.”

“But The Man didn’t pick a team yet,” said a kid. Now there was a bunch of commotion.

“Ha, that’s because I’m not a team player, you … well never mind, anyway, I’m the umpire of this war,” said The Man. “Anyway, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah and so on, this war is a water war, so let’s just begin!”

Chapter 3
Let the War Begin!

Both teams set up their bases and then The Man told everyone about the rules.

“Rule one,” he said. “We have a line here and if anyone crosses it, they’re out. Rule two: If you have any cheats in your backpack right now to trick people, throw them away now! Rule three: If anyone splashes water on me, they’re ou—“

“Will you get on with it!” yelled all the bullies.

“Yeah,” said the black t-shirt kids. “We have been standing here empty-handed for hours!”

“Ok, ok, enough!” said The Man. “Ok, when I say ‘go,’ you can begin. Go!”

Chapter 4
Splash!

Well, about half of the boys didn’t listen really carefully about the rules. They cheated by throwing balloons that made people turn into blocks of ice. The balloons were full of ice water if they were using Freezing Balloons, and Following Balloons were made using special remote control technology that had something to do with satellites, microchips, and electricity. How you work the Following Balloon is to first connect a long wire (when you have the time to rest) to the satellites, but it will make the person who owns the satellite get their favorite show to a fizzle. Next, disconnect the wire and place it on the remote control until all electricity data is complete. Then, this is a tricky one, try to stick the microchip inside the balloon while you blow air inside the balloon. When the chip is on, try to connect the remote control to the chip and get ready for excitement.

Both of the teams, Team Black T-shirt and Team Bullies, were afraid of the war and wanted to have The Man in their groups. So they had to use cheats to win the war quickly. One of the bullies was hit with cold, freezing water and got out. There were six people left from the Black T-shirt kids and five people from the Bullies. Then they had a lunch break to eat lunch for an hour. Some crossed the line and other made The Man wet. His mother came out of a bath store with extra supplies for home and headed to Firebird Elementary School. But before she opened the gate, she saw The Man all wet. So she raced through the gate and took The Man home to go take a bath about ten times. You see that’s why it’s important to have your ears turned on. The boy from the Black T-shirt team who threw the balloon at The Man was out! They should have listened to the rules! The next round will be Round two. This was the juiciest war ever!

Chapter 5
Bummer

“Take that,” said Boxhead, who threw a balloon on one of the Black T-shirt kids.

“You’re out,” said The Man.

“Bummer,” said Boxhead. Then two balloons splashed two bullies.

“Out,” said The Man, “Oh and double bummers!”

“Wah,” cried the two bullies.

“Time out,” said The Man. Everyone, except for the two bullies who got hit in the head and cried liked big fat goo-goo gaga babies, went to eat a delicious, healthy, crunchy snack. When they finished eating, the Black T-shirt Kids had two kids still alive. The Bullies had only one person—that was Boxhead. Hooray- I mean, poor not guilty, independent, weak, useless, non-cheapskate, horrible, too many adjectives to describe this noun called bullies. But this wasn’t over yet.

Chapter 6
Escape

The Man was now completely nervous. Now listen carefully, I won’t repeat it again. “First, I’ll won’t call myself The Man anymore,” The Man said. “I could call myself, umm... ... maybe I’ll call myself ...” sigh. “Mr. Chilly Boy. Second, I would go through a sewer to get out of this strange state. Last, I will write a note. It will say, Sorry but I’ve abandoned you for the rest of your life, Ciao.

Chapter 7
Noooooo!

“Hey, who is Mr. Chilly Boy?” said Boxhead, puzzled about the name change.

“Must be The Man,” said Gamer. “Who would... hey, he abandoned us!”

“Nooooo!” yelled Boxhead.

“Would you like some water?” said an unknown girl.

“Yesssss!” yelled Gamer. “It’s because I’m really thirstyyyy!”

“Let’s get that traitorrrrrr!” said all of the boys.

Chapter 8
Questions & Answers

1.How will Mr. Chilly Boy escape?
2.When will this madness end?
3.Who was that girl?
4.Why am I asking you all these questions? I’ve never even met you before.


1. Mr. Chilly Boy will need to get some people to help him escape from the angry mob of boys.
2. The madness will continue or end soon.
3a. The unknown girl is one of Mr. Chilly Boy’s siblings.
3b. She’ll be in my next story.
4. I won’t answer the last question because I don’t want to be mean to the god or the angels anyway.

About the Author

Hello, my name is Don and I’m eleven and I live in an apartment in San Francisco with my mom. And this is my fifth published book. My other books are The Iceman, The Boy Who Brought Back Winter, Bus Stop Fight, and My Mom. What I like to do is to play my DS a lot. I’m really good at math and basketball. I want to be good at baseball someday. I want to be a math teacher when I grow up. If I were an animal, I would be a tiger because I was born in the year of the tiger. My first, middle, and last name start with the letter D so some people call me triple D. My biggest fear is hiking and bugs (don’t use the bug to scare me). I wonder if the next earthquake is coming soon.

If Bears Were Paper by Anna, age 10

If bears were paper
then fur would be pencils
If poison ivy were popcorn
then roses would be nachos
If crayons were water
then chalk would be acid
If Florida were kiwis
then Colorado would be daisies
And I would travel the world
and scatter its petals
all over the place

Family Stories by Chelzea, age 10

Chapter One
Tobiey Gets Lost

The doorbell rang and my mom answered it. She was nine years old. It was her anutie bringing her a dog named Tobiey. My mom said, ''It's so cute.'' My mom's auntie took Tobiey for walk then came back to feed him and asked my grandma if she could keep her dog for her because she had no room for the dog in her house. Then the next day the dog escaped because one of my mom's sisters accidentally left the door open.

Chapter Two
Grandma

My Grandma on my dad's side of the family was walking home one night here in San Francisco. She stopped at an odd street that was near a hospital. She said the street felt dark and cold. Then she said, ''The evil is dark and cold,'' but she had to go home so she went down the street and said, ''What if I don't make it out, then who will take care of my babies?'' She kept walking until the street was no longer dark and cold.

Chapter Three
My Great grandfather

Once when my great grand father was alive he had donkeys. My mom wanted to ride one of the donkeys so she got one. At first it was calm and then all of a sudden it went crazy and it made my mom fall in a puddle. The next day my great grandfather sold both of the donkeys, and after he sold them he went inside the house and laid in bed then a few minutes later my mom went inside the bedroom and tried to wake him up and he didn't open his eyes or move. Then my mom realized that he was dead.

Chapter Four
My Name

When I was born my mom saw when they where taking me out of her stomach. I think I heard her screaming and she was also happy that she had a baby. Then a nurse took my mom to another room and asked her what my name was going to be. My mom said ''JC.'' The nurse made a mistake and wrote down Chelzea. Then years passed and my mom told me about the mistake with my name. When she told me that, I was shocked and happy to hear my real name. I was happy that I had a name I liked better than the name I have right now. I don't like the name Chelzea because it sounds kind of odd to me and I like my real name because it makes me think I was named after JC Penny and I like that store. JC also looks easy to write on tests and stuff. Chelzea means "landing place for chalk or limestone." This makes me think I'm like a chalkboard or a book people write on and I'm imagining their words in my head.

Chapter Five
My Dad

One night I heard my dad crying. I asked him what was wrong. He said, "My cousin died because someone killed him." This broke my heart. Then he told me not to kill people and he told me why my parents don't let me go to school alone. That made me so sad that inside my mind I saw three columns, one for me, one for my mom and one for my dad. Mine was empty because I felt nothing and so was my mom's. My dad's column was rising. It hurt my heart when my dad went to his mom's house for the funeral.

My mom asked me why was I crying. At first I wouldn't tell her but then I said, "I'm crying because dad said that his cousin died."

She said, "I know, he told me when he got home."

Ever since my dad's cousin died everybody in my dad's family has been sad and crying. Something happened. Every time I went to their house they would always ask me if I wanted juice or something or if I wanted to watch TV, but they didn't after ask me these things after my dad's cousin died. When we came home from my grandma's house once, I wispered to my mom and said, "Mom, why didn't they ask me if I wanted something?"

My mom said, "They did. They asked you if you wanted Chinese food and you said yes".

"I don’t remember."

About The Author

Hi, my name is Chelzea, aka JC. I am ten years old. I live in San Francisco with my mom and dad. My favorite thing to do is to sing. I am good at math. Someday I want to be good at reading because my dad says I need practice. When I grow up I want to be a rock star. If I were an animal I would be half-puppy and half-bunny because these animals are so cute and cudley. I am different from my family because I am really sensitive. My biggest fear is getting eaten by a lion. I wonder if my mom knows other secrets about me but she doesn't want to tell me.