LOOKING FOR LAVENDER By Anny & Vicky, both age 11

Lavender and her sisters twirl in the sky above their backyard. Birds sing. They chirp into the blue. Covered in seaweed, the Demon King swaggers through the clouds. He hurdles to Lavender and smacks her cheeks. Blood rolls down her chin. She howls, fainting. He shakes his wand at her. A tiny box drops out of his pocket. Thump. The box sucks her into its stomach.

“Hahaha, I got Lavender. When Madam finds out her precious daughter is missing, she will give me her magical wand. I’ll be the King of the Fairy Land soon!”

Mint and Rose flutter with the birds past kites.

“Did you hear that?” asks Mint.

“Hear what?” Rose wonders. 

Thump. 

“Where is that sound coming from?”

“I don’t know.”

The fairies practice their powers. They loop, swirl, swing, and twirl through the sky. They fly together and meet in a circle. The sisters hold hands, a rainbow appears in the middle.

“Stop this,” says Rose.

“Why?” asks Tulip.

Lavender isn’t here,” Rose says. “We have to stop immediately when I count to three.”

The others look confused. “We’re ready,” says Mint.

“Okay one, two, three,” says Rose. The wind pushes her into a red ray of sun. 

The queen walks through the air, watching her daughters. “What are you girls doing?” asks Madam. Leaves fall on their hands. The clouds stop moving. The sisters pause. 

“Nothing, we are practicing our powers,” Mint says. 

“One, two, three of you. Where is Lavender?” Madam asks.

Sweat drips down Rose’s face. “Maybe inside.” Her legs shake.             

“Tell her to come out,” Madam says.

“I’ll check,” says Mint. She flies inside the palace but Lavender is not there. She returns to the backyard. “We don’t know where Lavender is. I think she got trapped. We can’t practice our powers without her.”

A voice whispers inside Rose’s mind, I have control over you. Rose tries to say something, but the voice shuts her mouth. 

“Rose,” says Madam. “I trust you to find Lavender.”

“Lavender,” Rose calls, darting through the sky, “You need to come home now.

Leave her alone,” says a voice in the clouds.

Rose turns around. Lavender is tied to a sky-tree. “Lavender?”

“Yes, it’s me!”

“What happened?”

“The Demon King did all this to me. He shrunk me and put me in a purple box. When I got out of the box he wasn’t there. I was tied up like this. Good thing I got big again. Tell Madam to come here.”

“Ok.”

Swoosh. Up Rose goes back to the sky palace. “Madam, Madam,” she says. “I found Lavender.”

“Where is she?” asks Madam. 

Light sprints from the sky and points her wand at an empty house below. Dead leaves lay on the ground. Dust flies everywhere. Wind swirls through the air. Darkness covers the sky. The light dims as Madam walks down the cloud stairs. Whoosh. 

“Finally you’re here,” Demon King says, laughing.

“Who are you?” asks Madam.

“You don’t need to know.” 

“Come out, I’m not afraid of you.” 

“You should be afraid of me.”

Help, Madam!” yells Lavender.

“Don’t worry Lavender, I will come back.”

Madam goes to a house of potions. “Help! Anyone there?” she asks.

“Who is that?” a wizard asks.

“It is me, Madam. Don’t you recognize my voice? I am the queen!” 

“Oh sorry, I was too busy making a potion.”

“With a crystal ball?” 

Yep and what do you need help with?”

“Lavender is tied up and the one who kidnapped her wants my powerful wand. It is the Demon King. He must want to be the king of the Fairy Land.”

“Don’t worry,” the wizard says, handing her a purple jar. “I have a potion for that.”

“Bye,” Madam says and zips away.

“She could’ve said thanks. Who am I kidding? She is the queen.”

Madam flies back to where Lavender is tied up. “I gonna kill him. People who mess with me never have a good ending.” She pours the potion over Lavender’s head. The clouds brighten, evilness disappears. The ropes fade away. 

“I am free! Thanks, Madam.” Lavender says. She skips to Madam and gives her a big hug. Fireworks pop and pinken the sky. Lavender walks through the clouds. On the other side, her sisters sit on a floating bench.

“Hey guys!” says Lavender.

“Lavender, you are back!” says Mint.

A rainbows appears and shines down on the sisters.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Hi, my name is Anny. I am a fifth grader going into sixth. I live in San Francisco with my mom and dad. I was born in China and came to San Francisco when I was four. At home I speak Chinese. I am good at math. I want to be good at baking cakes. I am different from other kids because I wear my hood up a lot. If I could be anything thing in this world I would be rain because people hate it when it rains. Writing this book was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life! This is my second published book. Yay! It took Vicky, and me almost a year to finish this book. I am also the author of Connie’s Magic. 

Hi. My name is Vicky. I am a fifth grader going into sixth grade. I live in San Francisco with my mom dad and my sister. I speak Chinese and English at home. I’m good at math. I want to be a scientist when I grow up. I am also the author of On Tumble Legs, Sunny’s Poison, Memories of Toisan, and Guang Zhou Zoo. This is my fifth published book.

NOTHING By Wendy, age 11

Blood oozed out of bodies. Screams wandered through the air. Lightning struck a garbage can. Clash! Damon walked beside Joey, holding a knife. Blood dripped from the blade into a pond, feathering through a school of fish. The moon’s reflection glistened on the water’s surface. Joey’s eyes gleamed brown.

“I want the pearl!” moaned Damon. 

Joey ran out into the woods, clutching a handful of shiny orbs. In the middle of the strand hung a glass pearl. Legend said it gives power to the one who shines it on the full moon. He ran straight and saw nothing but trees. Then Damon held the knife in front of him. “Give me the pearl!” he shouted. Joey ran deeper into the woods until he came to a ledge. A waterfall poured into a pond beneath him. Sharks circled around. Joey quickly jumped in. Splash. 

“I’ll find you later,” Damon called.

Glug, glug, glug! Joey gasped for air. Something rubbed against his leg, leathery and rough. It was Damon’s shoe. 

Joey pointed at the necklace in his fist. “Why do you need it?

“He who holds the pearl controls the world,” Damon said, twisting his head. Damon dragged Joey out of the pond up by his collar and cut the string of the pearls, scattering all but one to the bottom of the pond. He slammed Joey down to the ground.

“Now you must obey my master,” said Damon, roping Joey’s wrists together.

“I don’t want to,” said Joey, but Damon’s crimson eyes hypnotized him. “Yes I must.”

“You will meet him now.” 

Damon led Joey toward a crystal cave. Gems, rubies, and emeralds glittered on the walls. Standing in front of the cave was an altar. Flames flashed from two pillars. Between them was a table set with a bowl. 

“Now my master shall arise.” Damon dropped the remaining pearl into the bowl, a ring of fire circling the bowl as the gem fell. Thunder roared and lightning sparked. Wind rocked the bowl. Whoosh. The pearl spun. Then all the lightning and thunder vanished and it was a clear night sky. Stars blinked, the moon glistened.

“Nothing is happening?” Damon said  to himself, but behind him black smoke swirled through the air. Joey stared into the distance. The smoke floated towards the moon. Two ruby eyes dotted the forest. From between two tall trees, a dragon swooped over the altar. His eyes stuttered as he looked the pearl. Little gusts of wind froze Joey’s fingers as the dragon led him towards the ledge of the cliff.

“Don’t!” said Damon. 

“Why shouldn’t I?” said the dragon. “My name is Drogan, the God of Evil, isn’t it? Are you questioning me?”

“Yes, what would you do with the pearl then?”

“You will find out. Do you remember that the pearl can raise the dead?”

“You are going to do that?” 

“Yes! So if you want to live, listen.” Damon plucked the pearl from its bowl, climbed onto Drogan’s back and they flew to a cemetery. The dragon  pointed a claw at a moss-covered cross. “Now place the pearl on top of this.” Damon did as he was told and the cross cracked. Snails crawled all over it, sliming the wood.

“Lift it so that it glows in the moon’s light, and point the light into the hole in the cross.” 

Damon balanced the pearl on the cross. Behind the cross was a chest, and in the chest was a staff. Drogan clawed the staff and shouted, “Arise, my friends, and listen to my command!” Then groaning rose from the ground.

“It worked, master.” 

“Yes I know.” Drogan rose the staff into the air and arms and legs grew out of the ground. Then bodies and heads popped out too. They walked towards Damon. Arms crumpled to the ground. Blood splattered on the gravel. One of the bodies tripped on a rock and toppled another behind him. The smell of rotting flesh strangled Damon’s lungs.  

“I can’t breath.” Damon swayed through the army of shredded bodies, rubbing his neck. Drogan hovered overhead, now with Joey on his back. Damon floated into the air, still rubbing his neck, and landed beside Joey on Drogan’s back. 

“Where are those things going?” said Damon.

“To the city to get more, and they all obey me!” said Drogan.

“So what are you going to do with the kid?”

“I will...”

“You will what?”

“This,” he said, flying over the ocean, throwing Joey’s body into the blue water. “We won’t be seeing him any more.” Damon sprouted wings and flew with Drogan towards the rising sun. Flames burst out of his flesh. The heat scorched Drogan’s scales, throwing them off his body and turning them to meteors that scattered over the earth. One crashed onto the Great Wall of China. Tourists took pics and tweeted, The sky is falling! 

“Why must you do this, master?” said Damon. “You destroyed your home. Where will we go?”

“If you say one more thing I will burn off your wings and you will fall to your death.”

Damon turned around and watched the earth disappear. 

“I remember now,” Damon said.

“You remember what?”

“I remember now that I am a human. I was born on earth. My mom died when I was born, before she died, I was wrapped in a blue cloth and placed in a basket then dropped in a river. I floated to the entrance of your cave. That is where you found me.”

“How can you still remember that?” Drogan said. Somehow. Damon fluttered down to earth.

Joey floated in the sea. Some sharks swam up beneath him, looking like they were going to attack, but they didn’t.

“We know how you feel, Joey,” one of the sharks said.

“How do you know me?”

“We heard you talking to Damon and saw you fall into the pond. We were there, Joey.”

“We feel nothing,” said the second shark, “and so do you.”

“Nothing?” Joey whispered. Nothing...

About the Author

Hi! My name is Wendy and I am eleven years old. I live in San Francisco, sometimes in Chinatown with my mom, grandma, and my brother, and sister, sometimes on Polk Street with my dad and the lady from Beijing. (Read about her in my book, My Family Who Cares About Me But Also Makes Me Crazy.) I speak Chinese at home, and my family comes from China, somewhere I have never been. If I were weather I would be a cloud so I could watch all my friends from above. I would like to be a photographer when I grow up, because I like to take pictures and hold a camera. This is my fourth published book, and the last book I am ever going to write in Room 2. 

WAR & CITIZENSHIP By Alex, age 11

war & citizenship

book 2 in the adventures of the liangs series

Hello, my name is Admiral Luu. The story I am about to tell you travels from San Francisco to the Middle East, for two reasons: war and power. Actually those two things are the same. Okay, I’m going to stop yakking and move on to the story.

A San Francisco flag snapped on the balcony. Commuters honked. A radio sat on a shelf. The room was filled with books. “Time to wake up,” said Mayor Liang. “It’s time for you to take the Standard Citizenship Test.” 

“Why?” Mrs. Liang asked.

“Because you’re undocumented. That’s why you’re just an unpaid intern.” 

“Just get the book.” Mr. Liang opened his drawer and took out two books. He handed Mrs. Liang one of them.

Mr. Liang flipped through the pages. “Okay,” he said. “What rights are guaranteed by the First Amendment?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Who was President during the Korean War?”

“I don’t know.” 

“Why not?” he asked. “I don’t have a General Education Development diploma.”

 “Okay, you’ll get your education.” 

“How?” 

“Military.”

Car horns honked on the street outside. Voices chanted. People united, if Earth is divided! Mr. and Mrs. Liang ran to the balcony with their binoculars. They looked down. 

“I see ants,” said Mrs. Liang. 

“I disagree,” said Mr. Liang. “I think they’re protesters.”

“Get the tank.” 

“Remember, I’m driving.”

“Are you ready?” Mrs. Liang said.

 “Yes,” Mr. Liang replied. 

Mrs. Liang climbed up the ladder and plopped down on the seat as Mr. Liang started the engine. They stopped at United Nations Plaza. 

“Are we at the League of Nations Plaza?” Mrs. Liang asked. 

“Yes. Remember it’s United Nations, not the League of Nations.” 

United! United! People chanted. 

“Fire!” 

Protesters ran everywhere. Some of them threw rocks at the tank. People pepper sprayed ts windows. Cannons flew into the air. Mr. Liang turned the tank around, and they scuttled back to City Hall.

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. A shore patrol officer checked his watch as he stood guard at the entrance to the registration office. Mrs. Liang walked up to him. “Welcome to the US Navy,” said the officer.

“Are you sure it’s the Navy?” asked Mrs. Liang.

 “Just knock the door.” 

Mrs. Liang looked at the sign. Welcome to the US Navy. It’s 9:45. All buses go to the California National Guard HQ. Tap. Tap. Tap. Knock! Knock!

“Come in,” I said. “I’m Admiral Luu.” 

“I want to join the US Navy,” said Mrs. Liang. 

“Give me your information.”

 “My name is Mary Liang, I live at 1 Polk Street.” 

I gave Mrs. Liang the forms, and we both filled them out.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Come in,” said Mr. Liang.

I opened the door. Silence filled Mr. Liang’s office. He was signing tax return checks. “Comrade,” I said, hugging him. “May I talk to Mary Liang?”

“Yes, go to the door on your left.” 

“Are there any warnings I should take?” 

“She’s actually part of a sacred communidad.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” 

“But she’s Chinese, so she can’t be.” 

“Go in and see.” 

“How is the 82nd Airborne?” 

“Fine. They’re working at the shipyard, preparing for deployment tomorrow as ordered, though you’re second in command. ” 

I opened the door, swaggering in front of Mrs. Liang. I gasped. Guns were everywhere. On the walls. On the ceiling. “Hello,” I said. “Hi,” said Mrs. Liang. “Did I forgot something?” 

“Yes, your military identification card and uniform.” I gave her the card and her uniform. “Join the 82nd Airborne at the Hunter’s Point-Daly City Shipyard tonight.”

Vroom, vroom. Screech. Clink.

“Prepare for the ceremony,” said Mr. Liang. Chairs clinked. Water splashed. Rain poured down. 

“Sir,” said a man in a khaki uniform. “Seaman Blue requesting postponement.” 

“Show must go on,” said Mr. Liang. “Hurry up.” Chairs slipped. Officers trudged. Mr. Liang raised a banner. The rain stopped pouring.

Cars and buses lined up at the shipyard. People sat down quietly. Soldiers and medics marched to the aircraft carrier. I walked to the podium, escorting Mr. Liang past a row of news cameras. 

“Today is a special day,” said Mr. Liang. “I’m going to be at war.”

People gasped. 

“Now,” he said. “My cousin, Bobby Liang, mayor of Daly City will temporarily take People cheered. The Shore Patrol escorted us to the ship, blocking civilians and reporters asking questions. 

Chinooks lined up at the runways. Soldiers embarked. “Take off your patches,” said Mr. Liang. “We’re now the Operational Bravo-Detachment 9017, Alpha Company, 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group.” 

Soldiers put on the new patches. We flew across the Pacific and disembarked at the Af-ghan-Iran border. 

“Admiral Luu,” Mr. Liang said to me. “Here’s your new uniform. You’re still second in command, but you’re Sergeant Major.”

Boom. Boom. Boom. Buildings crumbled. Civilians fled the city. Tanks rolled over the debris. Dust flew through the air. Paratroopers landed on the road. They inspected the buildings, raised American flags. Mr. Liang’s troops cheered, but he did not. I walked towards him, staring at the dead bodies. There was sadness on his face, but glory, the same look I had seen when he watched the mayoral election returns. He stood on a pile of rubble.

“March to Qom!” yelled Mr. Liang. Our troops left the city.

Vroom, vroom. Tanks and trucks rolled onto the tracks leading to Qom. Soldiers walked beside them. Mr. Liang turned to me.“We’re heading this way,” he said, “because there’s no military there.” 

“Except the Iraqis and the British,” I said. 

“How do you know?”

“History.” 

“There are the Brits!” yelled Mr. Liang. “And Iraqis!” 

Soldiers cheered from approaching tanks, hopping to the ground. “Major Camp,” said a stocky man, shaking Mr. Liang’s hand. “I’m leading the Iraqi-British Campaign for the Battle of Qom.” 

“Specialist Liang,” said Mr. Liang. “I’m leading Afghan-American forces with my assistant Sergeant Major Luu.” He pointed at Mrs. Liang who was knitting behind him. “And over there is my wife, Private Liang.”

Fshh. Fshh. Leaves rustled. Soldiers looked into the forest bordering the road. Major Camp entered the green maze. Mr. Liang’s troops followed. Birds chirped. Camp’s troops found a box, opened it: a weapon for mass destruction, a Teller-Ulam.

“Nuke!” yelled Mrs. Liang. “Honey,” said Mr. Liang. “We need your yarn!” Mrs. Liang attached the string to the fissile sparkplug. The soldiers scurried to the train yard. Mr. Liang tied the yarn to the safety pin, yanking it from the grenade. He threw the metal egg into the forest. A cloud mushroomed out of the greenery, cottoning the sky. Trees collapsed. Major Camp’s soldiers inspected the area.

“Safe,” said Major Camp. “No damage, but retreat.” 

“Back to the train station,” Mr. Liang yelled. 

Soldiers set up camp on the platforms, exploring the station. They split into two groups. Mr. Liang’s troops stayed at the station, Major Camp led his to battle.Iranians walked along the road to Qom, escorting tanks. Soldiers scurried through the sand, pointing their M16s upwards. Bullets flew everywhere. Civilians ducked. Iranians wandered around, searching for Ma- jor Camp’s troops. Major Camp looked up. A plane soared through the sky, dropping bombs on a nearby tank.

 A soldier rushed to Major Camp. “Phone,” said the soldier.

“Fire!” yelled Major Camp, then he picked up the phone. “Hello,” he said. “Who is it? Ministry of Defense?” 

“Hello,” said Mr. Liang. “It’s Specialist Liang.” 

“What is it?” 

“Ministry of Defense and DoD called.”

“Why?” 

“The States’ Navy is covering for you guys.” 

“Thanks, bye.” Major Camp hung up the phone, throwing grenades at the enemies. Iranians raised a white flag, dropping their arms. Major Camp’s soldiers retreated to the train station. “Specialist Liang,” said Major Camp. “Onward to Tehran.” 

“Tehran!” yelled Mr. Liang. “All ATVs must leave through Qom-Tehran Railway.”

Tanks rolled down the tracks. Soldiers climbed onto trucks. I watched the forest. Leaves flew through the railway. Air Force Thunderbirds soared through the sky, dropping First Aid tubes to the ground.Blood filled Mrs. Liang’s uniform.

“So help me God,” Mrs. Liang said. Mr. Liang awarded her the Distinguished Service Cross and Citizenship Certificate, con-

gratulating her as he hung the cross over her bandaged neck.

 “Specialist,” I whispered. “I hate to have to tell you this now, but American involvement in the ASEAN conflict is unavoidable. We’re heading to the Republic of China.”

about the author

Hi, my name is Alex. I am eleven years old. I am a San Francisco native. If I had a superpower, I would like the power to grow up instantly and become the United Na- tions Secretary-General. I do wish there were no clubs

that discriminate like the Boy Scouts of America. If I could go back in time, I would go back to June 6, 1944 at Normandy to see D-Day in action. This is my third published book. I am also the author of Don’t Worry About It and Other Stories and Shark Story.

SEARCHING FOR HARUKO By Jessie & Liyi, both age 10

A wizard waved his wand and whispered gibberish. Joann ’s mother carried her, running up the stairs. She hid her baby under her bed, but it was too late. Their blood froze in their veins. Their lungs whitened and their brains melted. The wizard separated mother and daughter into different dimensions! Joann lived on earth and her mother lived in the magic world. 

“I’m sick of people telling me that I’m not old enough to find my mother,” Joann said. “We’re 14 years old! I want to find her!”

“I’m not sure about this because I have a feeling we might get lost,” Emily said.

“I’m going by myself then!”

“Ok then I’ll come with!” 

Emily and Joann ran into their closet and jumped through a shiny, black hole. It whirled like water down a drain. They slid into the portal, jumped out and ran to toward the castle in front of them.

“Remember when we were here to tutor Chika?” Emily said.

“Can we go to my mother’s house?” Joann said “She lives around here somewhere.”

Emily wandered to the castle wall. On the brick hung a poster that said, “This wizard is banned from this castle for doing his evilness.”                  

“I want to find my mom now,” Joann said. “I really miss her.” She handed Emily a jar of powder. Emily dusted it on herself. It sunk into her body, fading her skin and bone and muscle. Achooo!

They whistled. A swan swooped down from the air. They jumped on its back, and it flew gracefully and landed right next to the castle walls. Brownies bounced in the parapets. Their crimson eyes stared at the girls.

  “Stop right there!” the brownies said, frying the doorway with their laser eyes. 

The girls punched and kicked the brownies. Emily’s hair darkened, her curls tangling in the cold air. “Ahh my hair,” Emily said, brushing her split ends. A fat brownie lay on the ground in front of her, she pinched off a piece and gobbled it down.

The girls tiptoed to the back of the castle and put on the jetpacks they ordered from the Scholastic Book catalogue. Rings of smoke blasted from the packs. They flew into a yellow room where golden furniture shined. A glass desk walked to a corner and shattered.

“Wow!” Emily said. “This place is awesome. Whose room is this?” She opened a file folder on the floor. A picture of a man in  blue-striped glasses topped a stack of papers. The caption said Room 13J.

“He was on the poster,” Joann said. “That’s why he looks familiar. Let’s go to room 13J.”

Crack! Crack! Trails of blood led the girls to room 13J. They skipped to the door, stepping on gooey blood and glass.

“Oh no!” said Emily. “My shoes are getting dirty.”

“Who cares?” said Joann. “We’ll clean them later.”

“But the blood will ruin my shoes and it won’t come off!” 

Red stained the metal door in front of them. Creak!

“What was that?” asked Emily

“I don’t know, maybe it’s another ghost!”

They pushed through the door. Blood was splattered on a messy bed. Pieces of paper flew across the floor. The girls connected  two of the scraps and read the words on them. “Great Dragon’s Cave in Danger.”

Joann said, “I know where it is!”

“We’ve got to get there before he does!” said Emily.

The girls flew by jetpack to the cave. When they arrived, the rubies on the floor were disappearing. 

They returned to the castle and found a note that said, “Meet you in my room!” They ran to Room 13J. Piles of rubies stood around the wizard. “Ha, ha, ha! You will never stop me!”

“Oh yeah?” Joann flew into the air, snatched the wand from him and banged it on her knee. Red smoke drifted into the rubies. The wizard crumbled into ashes.

The girls left the castle and walked through the dirt outside. A woman in an apron stood in front of a fence. Joann walked up to her and said, “Can you tell me where Miss Mash is?”

“I am Miss Mash, Haruko Mash,” the woman said. “Why are you in my boss’s yard?”

Gummy worms squished across the coco dirt. Haruko scooped up a handful and threw them over the fence then planted some candy cane bushes around a gurgling chocolate fountain. A galaxy of candy hung by skyscraping stems. 

Joann, amazed, said, “You’re my mom! Come with me!”

“No,” Haruko said. “I want to stay here where I can see candy grow!”

“Come with me!”

“I’ll think about it.”

About the Authors

      

Hi! My name is Liyi. I am ten years old. I live in San Francisco with my mom. I’m good at hoola-hooping and math. I want to be good at art someday. I want to be a nurse when I grow up. I’m not shy anymore but I still hold on to that shy identity. If I were weather I would be snow because it is my favorite color. My favorite books are Popularity Papers. If I could have a super power I would pick mind-reading because I then would know what my friends are thinking. I speak Chinese at home. This is my third published book. I also wrote The Beautiful Lady and When I Was Little.

Hello! My name is Jessie and I’m ten years old. I live with my parents and I like to daydream and sit and watch others. I’m good swimming and math. I want to be good at science and drawing humans. I want to be a pharmacist someday. I’m different from other people because I chatter a lot but I finish my work. My favorite book is Camille Mcphee Fell Under the Bus. If I could have any power I would go back in time so I could fix my past mistakes. I speak Chinese and English at home. I have also published A Dangerous Day in King Tao’s Palace and Hair Help. Of course, this is my third published book.

Watch Room 2 actors perform a Readers' Theater adaptation of this story here:

GHOST TOWN By Emiliano, age 9

Ghost Town

By Emiliano

Harry says to his mom, “Can I go to the park downtown with my friends Leon, George and Craig ?” 

Harry’s mom says, “Yes.” 

Harry and his friends ride to the park. They disappear into the fog and get lost. A ghost takes their bicycles. The boys follow him to his castle. The fog disappears. Harry and his friends go inside the castle. Harry punches the ghost in the face and says, “Give me my bicycle!’’

The old ghost runs away but Harry throws his bicycle on him and takes his cane. The ghost faints.

Harry yells to his friends, “Come in.”

Harry’s friends help him tie the ghost to a chair with very strong ropes.

The ghost’s friend tries to take off the ropes but they’re too strong. Harry shoots an arrow.

Whoosh goes the arrow. It hits the chandelier.  It falls on the ghost and his friend. 

About the Author

Hi, my name is Emiliano. I am nine years old. I live with my mom and sister in San Francisco. I like to draw, watch TV and play with my cousin Ricardo. I enjoyed writing this book. I am also the author of The Adventures of Mac and Monster’s Curse.

THE FOOT SMELLERS By Pradipti, age 9 & Jessica C., age 8

Fog floats through the air. Snowmen and women slither through the snow. Aunney Dumpbe Dobay opens the door. Fog drifts into the house. Auney looks a little mean but pretty. Whenever someone gets mad at her she always slaps herself in the face and leaves a red hand mark. In front of new boys Aunney acts graceful and smart. In class she helps the boys do math problems. Someone must like her. Someone who is mean like Aunney.       

“Are you making a blizzard in the house again?” asks Aunney’s twin sister, Tunney Dumbe Dobay. 

Aunney stomps and crosses her arms. “Hey, don’t you say that.”

Mommy!” says Tunney, stomping her feet.

“So I’m telling dad. Daddy!” cries Aunney.

“Mom. She brought in snow again!” Tunney yells, jumping around like a baby. Tunney raises her eyebrows.

Whenever any of the Dobay family walk or run they leave slimy green trails that are invisible to the living. Every night they get out of their tombs and leave gooey pathways right across the roof of Feastwill Elementary School!

Aunney squeezes Tunney’s neck until she leaves red fingerprints then she pushes Auney down onto the foursquare court and runs. Their parents shout from the bench. Their mom jumps up and slaps Tunney in the back. Their dad runs over and slaps Aunney in the back. 

“Stop it dad you’re making it worse! Ha!” screams Tunney.

“Shoot!” says their dad. “How am I making it worse?” 

The twins’ mom slaps both girls in the face! “Gugu shoot!”

“Oh sorry we slapped your body,” say Mr. and Mrs. Dobay.

Mrs.Dobays wobbles to the house and jumps onto the bed.

When Mr. Dobay gets home he kicks the bed and now it is rolling across the room.

“Help! Help!” cries the twins’ mom. 

“Why did you scold me?” asks the girls’ dad.

“No. No No. NO!” scolds Mrs. Dobay and then burps in his face!

He sticks his tongue out.

While Tunney is sleeping Aunney wakes up and gets a fake rattling snake! Its scales thumble next to Tunney’s nose. The snake makes the sound, SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

“Ah! Help me Aunney!” Tunney says.

“What happened, Devil? Ha?” shouts Aunney.

“A snake! A SNAKE!”

A sound rattles in the room.

“Don’t worry. The toy snake makes sounds sometimes.”

“No, it’s something else.”

Something shuffles in the snow Aunney tracked across the floor.

A bottle jumps into the girls’ bed.

“Ah!” shout the girls. “That’s so scary!”

Some words write themselves on the bottle. The words say: It’s us! Foot Smellers 1 and FS 2! Meet us at school!

“Well,” the girls say, “we don’t know you, Foot Smellers, so go away!”

Pom pom. The bottle shatters and the broken pieces of glass hop out of the room. Soon the girls are asleep. 

In the morning the Dobay family eats bowls of darkish colored, icy junk food and the girls go to school.  In the girls’ bathroom it smells like socks on feet and socks in shoes. The little black rat door underneath the sink cracks open and....KABOOM!! A bottle shatters and the Foot Smellers appear.

“Hello! Remember us? We’re the Foot Smellers!”

“Yeah!” the twins say. “But we will see you after school. We would met you at recess but we are going on a field trip to the beach because today is the last day of fourth grade.”

“Ok!”

After school the sisters meet the Foot Smellers.

The one with white eyes says, “I am Bookee.”

The one with rotten teeth says, “I am Smukee. La La you fart too much, Tunney.”

Bookee says, “And Aunney, you burp too much.”

The Foot Smellers slither out of the bathroom and through the snow on the playground. They find their little bottle in the snow and jump in.

Words write themselves on the glass. Hi how are you? If you dare to open this bottle you have to be brave as a dragon! Howdy my dear! You have nothing to fear! My dear, now go! The Foot Smellers have nothing to eat! 

The twins hop and rollerskate through the telephone wires to their secret hiding place. Their family is having a party there. Soon the whole family starts crying. They sing, ”Salut comment allez vous? Si vous osez ouvrir cette bouteille, vous devez être méchante comme une sorcière! Ma chère Howdy nouveau. Vous avez nohting à craindre! Mon cher, allez maintenant! Les Smellers pieds n’ont rien à mauger!”

“Ha HA HA HA HA HA!” The bottle is back! It wiggles and jiggles. Glitter sprinkles out and into the girls’ noses. Jangle, tangle, and Kaboom! The girls return to death.

About the Authors

Hello! My name is Jessica. I am eight and a half years old. I live in San Francisco with my mom and dad. I am good at drawing. I love to read spooky stories and I like to knit. My family comes from China. I was born in Toisan but I haven’t been back since I was a baby. I would like to go there because my dad came back from China and brought back a pack of dried plums that cost 100 dollars! I didn’t know there could be such expensive fruit. My favorite Room 2 author is Pradipti because she is my best friend. My favorite book is When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne because it has lots of interesting poems. If I were weather I would be snow because I love white. The thing I was wondering is when did life on earth begin and how did the world start? When I grow up I want to be botanist and an astronomer and a sushi chef. I would like to be famous for art. I am different from other kids because I am small. The scariest thing in my life was when I thought there was a ghost behind me in the girls’ bathroom. If I could go back in time I would go to 2004 because I would like to see what I looked like when I was a baby because all of my baby pictures are in China. If I were a plant I would be a chrysanthemum because it is really soft and pretty. If I had a superpower I would like to control things with my mind so I could make objects float to me. I speak Taishanese and Cantonese at home. The happiest day of my life was when my cousins came back from Los Angeles. I am also the author of Things I left Behind. This is my second published book.

Bonjour, my yummy candies! I hope you enjoyed our story! This my last published book so please enjoy it! My name is Pradipti. I am nine years old. I live in San Francisco with my mom, brothers, sisters, and my dad! I am in the same class as Jessica Chen in 3rd grade, Room 10 with Ms.Karihara. Our CDC teachers in Room 2 are Robyn and Harold. I love to joke around. I am good at yelling. That is why I get in trouble a lot! I want to be good at ELA someday. I want to be a lawyer when I grow up. This is why I joke around. I get sad when people say, “You are a midget!” If I were weather I would be snow because I love snow. My favorite Room 2 author is JC because she is my best-best friend! My favorite book is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because it has chocolates! I would like to be famous for my art someday! One thing I always ask my mom is, “Is it true we only have seven lives?” The happiest day of my life was when my new baby sister was born! I speak English, Tamang and Nepali at home. My family comes from Nepal and I was born there. If I could go back in time I would be a baby again so I wouldn’t have to worry too much. If I could go forward in time I would go to the end of the world. I would like to go all over the Earth. I love spooky books. If I were a plant I would be Rhododendron because it is pretty and it is Nepal’s national flower. If I were a machine I would be a weather machine because I want it to snow in San Francisco! If I had a power it would be the power of invisibility. I am also the author of Wishing Factory. This is my second published book and my last published book in Room 2!  

Watch Room 2 perform a Readers' Theater adaptation of this story here:

THE STOLEN DIAMOND By Tran & Anna, both age 8

Trees whooshed in the wind. Snowflakes floated onto their branches. A diamond shined in the dirt. It had the power of invisibility. The ogre wanted it because he always wanted to be invisible and steal things like jewelry. But two strong guards stood in front of the diamond. The guards had big muscles like a bull.

The ogre stepped into the Halloween store. A boy in a ghost costume popped up from the floor. The ogre gasped and jumped. “You scared me!” he said, running to the register.

“Hey,” the boy said. “Nice costume. What’s your name?” 

“Please,” the ogre said. “This is not a costume.” 

The boy started crying and called for his mom. 

“Please, stop crying,” the ogre said, staring the boy in the eye. “I’m sorry for yelling.” 

The boy wiped his tears with a tissue from his pocket then he threw it in the trash. The ogre walked to the trashcan and dumped the trash on the floor. He found the boy’s tissue stuffed inside a coffee cup. He put the tissue in his pocket. The worker stared at the trash and then at the ogre. 

“Can I help you?” she said. 

He said, “Do you have a security guard costume?” 

“You’re already wearing a an ogre costume!” the worker said.

“This is not a costume, Dumbo!” the ogre said. “I am an ogre.” 

“Check aisle 3.”

On the way to the forest the ogre found a spot and put on the costume. He went to the guards and said, “Let me guard the diamond.” They said, “Ok, but don’t let anybody steal the diamond, especially the ogre.”

The ogre touched cage and it gave him. an electrical shock. He found the controller and pushed a red button. The cage opened. He grabbed the diamond then he heard beep beep beep and ran away. The guards heard the beep beep beep so they ran back and saw the diamond missing.

They looked all around the woods. They found a cabin and looked through the window saw something shiny on the floor. It was the diamond! They knocked on the door. The ogre looked through the door hole and mumbled to himself, “Oh no.” The guards pushed through the door. The ogre’s hand gripped the diamond. He ran past the guards and trudged through the snow as fast as he could. The guards chased him up a tree and he jumped down into the snow. The guards jumped down too and handcuffed the ogre and brought him to jail. They put him in the strongest cage. The next day they checked on him and saw that he was dead. They opened the cage and the ogre jumped up and said, “So long suckers!” The ogre was only playing dead.

The ogre went to the diamond’s cage and touched it and it gave him another electrical shock. He found the controller under a table behind the cage. Then he pressed the red button and the cage opened up. He saw the guards coming so he snatched the diamond and left.

The ogre went back to the halloween store. He walked to the register and said, “I want to return this costume because I am done with it.”

The worker said, “You already wore it so you can not return it.”

The ogre was about to yell but he stopped himself. On the way out he saw the little boy in the ghost costume who scared him the last time he was in the store. The boy lifted the sheet from his head. Scabs were peeling from his face. It looked painful. The ogre walked to the boy and asked, “Are you still sad?”

The boy said, “I have no friends.” The ogre said, “What a coincidence. I am trying to make friends.”

About the Authors

Hi, my name is Anna. I’m eight years old. I live in San Francisco with my mom, dad, grand- ma and grandpa. I was born on September 30, 2004 in China. I like to play foursquare with my BFF Tran. I’m good at being funny to everybody. When I grow up I want to be a doctor who treats grown-ups. If I was a food I would be sushi because it is delicious. The scari- est thing is a dream a have a lot where I am locked inside Trad- er Joe’s by myself. If I had a superpower it would be the power to stop people from teasing. I hate when people say “Anna Banana.” My family comes from Toisan and I wish I lived there forever because I don’t think they have teasing there. I speak Chinese at home. My favorite authors are Eric Carle and Dr.Seuss because they make great books. Also, I am my other other favorite. I’m also the author of China and Other Poems. This is my second published book.

Hi! My name is Tran. I’m eight years old. I live in San Francisco with my brothers, sisters, mom, and dad. I want to be good at typing fast. When I grow up I want to be a pediatrician and I want to be a famous artist. If I had a super-power it would be to run fast. My mom and dad were born in Saigon, Vietnam. I want to live in Vietnam because I miss my family. I speak Vietnamese at home. My favorite Room 2 au- thors are Jessica C. and Anna because they are great friends to have. My other favorite authors are J.R.R.Tolkein and Cornelia Funke. My favorite books are The Thief Lord and The Hobbit. My favorite weather is in summer because it doesn’t rain in the summer here. The scariest time in my life was when I got locked in a dark bathroom. I am also the author of Black Polka Dots. This is my second published book.

NOON AT KFC By the kids in Room 2

DEFENSE OF SIHANG WAREHOUSE By Alex, age 11

Defense of Sihang Warehouse

By Alex

Shanghai.

October 30, 1937.

Comrades scurry into position.

If I’m not going to fight,

why did I join the 88th Division?

Bombs boom.

Outside, bullets stab cement.

I run out the back

and stare ahead.

Three meters across, I whisper.

I can do it.

The creek cries.

From the opposite bank,

civilians cheer.

I Jump into the Suzhou’s rough waters

And swim.

MONSTER'S CURSE By Emiliano, age 9

Bang, bang, bang.

  “Wake up, Cody,” Dad said.

“You’ll be late for your first day of school,” Mom said.

“Why didn’t you remind me today was my first day of school?” Cody said. “I better hurry up so I can make some friends.”

Don’t forget your pancakes, Cody thought. “Okay, Mom. I’m coming.” Cody washed his hands and dashed to the kitchen and got the pancakes. He put them on a plate and ate them. When he was finished with his pancakes he ran to the bus. Cody’s belt shined red light from its buckle.

At school Cody saw two boys his age. He burst up the stairs and came back to the yard. Cody walked up to the boys nervously. He was thinking they would say no if he asked if they wanted to play. But they said, “Yes.”

Cody introduced himself. 

“Hey,” said one of the boys. “My name is Jacob, and this is my brother, Ivan.”

“My name is Cody.” Ivan’s golden hair flew in the air. 

Ring, ring, ring.

“What is that noise?” Cody said.

“It’s the school bell.”

“But why is it so loud?”

“It’s a sign to tell kids to get to class.”

“But what class am I in?” Cody turned around and Jacob and Ivan weren’t there. They must have gone to class, Cody thought. I better go to the principal’s office so I can find out what class I’m in.

“You’re with Mr. Jeff,” the principal, Mr. Simon said. “In Room 25.”

In the classroom, Mr. Jeff was talking and talking and talking. 

When school was over Cody went home. On his way he saw a spooky house. He went to the school the next day. At recess he told Ivan and Jacob about the spooky house. 

After school the boys went to the spooky house.  Its curtains flapped in the wind. The front door swung open and closed by itself. The doorbell rang, but nobody pressed it. The boys knocked on the door. No one answered. Jacob decided to open the door. They went inside. 

Ivan said, “It’s scary in here.”

Cody found three flashlights and three swords. 

“We should use them later.”

“I found a door,” said Ivan.

Jacob found three medallions, three maps and three rings with great powers. All three of the kids looked at the map. “The map is broken,” they said.

“I think I know a way to fix it,” Cody said. 

Cody peeked up the stairs and saw two guards. He said, “Don’t go up here. There are guards.”

Ivan said, “Put on the ring.”

“Okay,” Cody said. Lights flashed as Cody slid the ring onto his finger. The other boys put on the other two rings.

“Now put your right hand up,” Ivan said. “And close your eyes.”

Ice blasted out of Jacob’s ring, and Cody’s ring blasted out lightning. Ivan’s ring blasts fire. Lines formed out of the ice, lightning and fire. They connected in a triangle. The boys’ clothes turn red and blue. In the middle of the triangle there was a magical wand made of steel. Jacob, Cody and Ivan took turns. Cody points the wand at the guards and blasted them with an arrow of fire. Four ghosts came out of the guards’ armor. Ivan, Cody and Jacob followed the four ghosts. The four ghosts managed to escape through the walls. Jacob decided to use the ring. He said, “Cody, freeze the walls.” 

“Okay,” Cody said. “Earth,” he said, and pointed the wand at the wall and it shook. 

Behind the wall was a dark ruler. The dark ruler pulled his hand up and the kids flew to him in a flash. The dark ruler said to the kids, “Thank you for freeing me from my prison.”

Cody said, “What is your name?” 

“You can call me Overlord.” Flames burst from his shoulders. Fireballs ricocheted off his body. The Overlord shocked Cody and took the rings from the boys. The ghosts appeared and turned into a single Cyclops. The one eyed giant grew stiff with muscles. Cody said, “Take out your swords.” 

The boys took out their swords. The blade shined in the darkness. The rings flew back to the kids. 

The tops of their heads started to shine in circles of light. The kids had magical knight armor. The Cyclops got the medallions. The medallion made the Cyclops into Monsters. They were hard to defeat, but the boys did. They surrounded the Overlord in a triangle. They all charged at him. He turned into Mr. Simon. 

“Who did this to you?” Cody said. 

Mr. Simon said, “ A witch cursed me a long time ago but she is dead now. Thank you for freeing me again.”

  “You’re welcome.”

About The Author

Hi! My name is Emiliano. I like to draw and I like to eat macaroni and cheese. I’m in third grade. I live with my mom and sister. I am also the author of The Adventures of Mac. I had fun writing this book. If I could have any superpower it would be to shape shift.