BLUE AND OTHER POEMS By Betty, age 9

Blue

My earliest memory is the first time I broke my leg.
I was so shocked.
I didn’t sleep.
I was seven and a half years old.
I lived in San Francisco
My mom and dad said, “We were worried about you.”
I said, “It was very hurt.”
I had to wear and brace and it hurt.
This memory smells like sweet strawberries because I feel my parents caring about me.
If this memory were a color it would be blue because when I got out of the hospital,
I looked up and I saw the sky.
I thought about the sky above my grandparents’ house in China.
Blue reminds me of them a lot.

Ocean

My uncle smelled a little bit like watermelon.
He was driving me and my family from the airport to his house.
We just got to America.
In the plane ride I sat in the middle and I wanted to look out the window,
But I couldn’t see.
I knew there was an ocean out there.
I wanted to see a whale.
From the sky,
it would look tiny.


First Day of School

I sat on a bench in the yard,
all alone.
I wondered if my classroom would be blue.
The bell rang.
I had to line up.
I was very nervous
because I had never spoken English before.
Mrs. Youna took our class to our room.
The room was not as blue as I thought it would be.
I was scared that the other kids would make fun of me
because I couldn’t speak English as well as them.
That happened a little,
but there were some other kids who didn’t know that much English either.
When I got home I ate some fruit.
I don’t know what kind of fruit,
but I know it was fruit.

About the Author

Hi! My name is Betty. I am nine years old. I live in San Francisco with my mom, dad, uncle, aunt, grandpa, grandma and three cousins. My favorite thing to do is play cards with my mom and dad. I taught them how to play “Speed.” I am good at playing four-square. When I grow up I want to be good at typing fast. I want to be a doctor because I want to help sick people. If I were a kind of weather I would be sunshine because it makes plants grow.

MIND GAMES: THE SECOND ADVENTURE OF PIGGER & HIS BRAIN by Kenny, age 11

When Pigger got out of jail, he was mad at his brain because it got out of his head and ruined his plan. So Pigger went back to his lab. He made a new brain out of metal and glass from broken TVs. He kept on hitting it until new brain looked like a gray cloud. It was harder than the old one. Pigger took the cactus out of his skull and replaced it with the new brain.

Then he made a robotic jumbo bird. The bird looked liked a robin but bigger and with needles on its legs. His old brain destroyed his first jet. He went into the bird's control room and took off. Pigger couldn't find the brain anywhere. The brain saw Pigger flying to town. The brain called its robot henchmen to go to town and stop Pigger. So they flew by jetpack. It took so long.

''Huff puff,'' moaned the robots.

''Quit moaning!'' shouted the brain. The brain slapped the moaning robot ten times. Then they saw Pigger flying on in his robot bird. The brain told the robots to shoot. But shooting was not damaging the bird. Soon the brain had an idea. There was a hole on top of the bird for ventilation. The brain flew to the top with its jet pack, right into the control room.

Pigger spotted the brain. ''So we meet again,'' said Pigger. ''You are gonna pay for what you have done to me.'' Pigger took out two super zapping hammers, powered by electricity with irons heads. ''Prepare to be ham.'' Pigger tried to smash the brain. But the brain was much faster than him. The brain tripped Pigger. The brain took one of Pigger's hammers and attacked him. SMASH! ZAP! TACK! Pigger was dizzy.

"You win,'' said Pigger. ''But can you beat this?" Click. He pressed a button on his hand.

The bird was going to blow up. Then the brain had an idea. The brain pressed the FORCEFIELD button in the control room and a huge bubble formed around the bird and a tunnel stretched from the bird deep underground. Then the brain got out through the hole in the top of the bird and Pigger escaped underground. Boom!

The police dug Pigger out.

“You are going to jail again,” one of the cops said.

“Why?” PIgger said.

“You almost destroyed the whole town,” said the other cop.

''NOOOOO!!!'' cried Pigger ''Can this get any WORSE!" Then his new brain jumped out. (His skull was still open.)

''Hooray!" said the new brain. "I am free!” From now on I'll be called Pig." Then it ran away.

''NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!'' shouted Pigger. ''I will get you next time!''

About the Author

Hi, my name is Kenny. I’m eleven years old. I want to be a doctor when I grow up and I like to jump on the bed. I am hyper. If I were a planet I would be Pluto because I like to be cold. I wish it would snow all over California a little bit. This is my sixth published book. I am also the author of Bumpy’s Day, Bumpy & the Icebird, The Robots’ Revenge, My Mom and Tension Time.

GO-KART ACCIDENT By Kevin, age 9

When I was seven I had a serious accident. I crashed my go-kart. A lot of blood was dripping down my face. The fingers of my left had were cut open. I also had a black eye. I couldn’t see with that black eye. We couldn’t afford paying the hospital to cure me so I didn’t go. But I was glad because I don’t like hospitals and I was afraid they would hurt me there.

After the crash I went inside and ate dinner then I played some videogames. My mom wondered how I could play videogames when I was very injured. But the games calmed me down.

I went back to school three days after the crash but I didn’t heal for six months. When I got back to school everyone stared at me because I had all those cuts. Everyone kept asking me what happened. They were bugging me. I ignored everyone except Andy Ramirez. I didn’t ignore Andy because he was a friend, a close friend.

I don’t have my go-kart anymore. My mom made it go to Mexico. I miss it even though it’s all crashed up.

About the Author

Hi, my name is Kevin. I am nine years old. I live in San Francisco with my mom, dad and brother. I am very good at videogames. I wake up early Saturday and Sunday mornings to play them. Someday I want to be good at math. When I grow up I want to be a game show host. Alabama Street confuses me because it is also the name of the state. If I were a tool, I would be a chainsaw because it is a powerful weapon to destroy things.

I Whisper by Wendy, age 7

The Man Who Wants a Head by Stanley, age 10

Yang wants a head. He really wants a regular head so the killing time begins. He wants to kill someone and get their head and put it on his neck so he can show off. Now his new plan is to kill someone famous so he will look cool and so people will be so jealous of him.

He is the vice president of the Department of Fines. He talks through a box. He types what he wants to say into a computer and then a voice comes out of a box connected to it. There are glass eyes stuck to the box. When people pay their fines, he rolls the glass eyes at them.

This is how he kills. He grabs Jackie Chan and ties him on a chair then cuts his head off with a blade then he dies. This is how he attaches the head to his own body. He sews it on with a needle and thread. When Yang gets the new head he acts like the famous guy he just killed.

When people see him sing his happy song they say, “Good song,” because they do not want to be fined. Yang’s job is all about giving people fines so people are afraid of making him mad. But when Yang hears a guy named Mr. Earwax say, “Good song,” he wants him to get fined because Yang thinks it was a bad song, even though he was singing it. That’s what he did, fined the guy and then kicked him with a kung fu move.

About the Author

Hi my name is Stanley. I am ten years old. I like to go to the movies and play chess with my friend. I am good a math and science. Someday I want to be good at history. When I grow up I want to be a pilot. It really confuses me when math and science are together. If I were a disaster, I would be an earthquake because I want to see a lot things get destroyed for real. If I was granted one wish I would go to the past and see the 1906 earthquake.

STUNG by Wendy, age 7

Lili was born with flowers instead of hands, and the only thing she wanted was to live in the sky. Her hands were petals that opened and closed so she could hold things. Thorns grew all over her wrists. When she dreamed, she dreamed about living in the sky.

One day her dream came true. She went to the sky in her dad’s spaceship. He was an astronaut and he kept a small spaceship in their garage. When she got to the sky she met a star. The star’s name was Fluffy and her last name was Star and she liked Lili’s flower-hands because they smelled like roses and reminded her of an old friend who gave roses once.

Fluffy lived in a sky city. It had big buildings and houses, shops and restaurants. Lili was excited because there were so many things to see. Lili thought that it was fun in the sky. Lili and Fluffy played ball and jump-rope. Fluffy said, “You could sleep in my house.”

Fluffy took Lili to her room in the sky and showed Lili her stuff. “This room is for you Lili,” Fluffy said.
Lili liked her room. Fluffy showed her the living room, kitchen and back yard.

Lili said, “Nice.” She saw a TV, lamp, flowers in a pot, toys and pet bees that lived in a plastic cage. Fluffy took the bees out of the cage and played with them. Lili was scared to touch the bees because they were attracted to the pollen on her flower-hands and she worried they might sting her.

“I want to go home,” Lili said.

Lili built a flying car to travel home. She used her thorns as tools to screw together all the parts. Lili said bye to Fluffy and Fluffy said bye to Lili. Then Lili went back home and went to sleep in her own bed.

About the Author

My name is Wendy. I’m seven years old. I live on Polk Street in San Francisco with my mom, dad, brother and grandma. I like to read. I am good at reading and writing. I want to be good at drawing. When I grow up I want to be an artist. I am different from other kids because I talk quietly but my grandma says I talk loud. If I were a star I would be the sun because it heats the earth. I wish my brother would get along better with me. This is my first published story.

Rain by Michelle, age 11

In Search of the Gaper-Blabber by Nathan, age 10

Chapter 1
Betrayed friend

Ben wore gentlemen’s clothes, a black suit that came with a tie. His wish was to be rich. Ben was looking for a secret, an ancient powerful thing called a Gaper-Blabber. He needed it to power his clone machine.

Ben jumped around the hotel lobby and threw daggers and marbles all over the place. The things stuck to his assistant’s sweaty body. His assistant was named Fluffy and he tripped over the marbles still on the floor. Fluffy got up and slipped down to the floor again. He jumped up and landed on the ground, and walked out the exit with Ben. They walked across the street to the Grand Mountain and they climbed to the top. They felt the ground shaking. Fluffy tried to balance, but he fell and rolled down the mountain. Every time Fluffy bounced on the ground he burped and spit out food and grew bigger, two feet taller with each burp. When Fluffy climbed back up the mountain, he fell back down.

Chapter 2
Mountain Trouble

As Fluffy rolled down the mountain he crushed Ben by accident. Ben was now flattened like a piece of paper. The wind blew and Fluffy returned to his normal size and Ben turned back to normal too. “Shut up Fluffy,” Ben said. They looked around the foot of the mountain for the Gaper-Blabber.

Chapter 3
The Gaper-Blabber

Ben and Fluffy were still at the bottom of the mountain, and it was foggy down there. Dark clouds came and made everywhere unseeable.

Zombies came out of nowhere. Their wrinkled skin fell off in blobs, their red eyes stung Ben’s skin like lasers and they walked towards Ben with their hands straight out in front of them. Ben and Fluffy tried to shoot them all, but it was very hard to kill them because there were too many of them. Fluffy found a machine gun on the ground next to a skeleton of a dead soldier. Fluffy picked up the gun and gave it to Ben. Fluffy threw his pistol at one of the zombie’s heads and a slice of its scalp fell off. He used the machine gun and fired the bullets rapidly at the zombies.

Ben and Fluffy looked for the Gaper-Blabber in the castle behind the Gate of Fate. The Gate of Fate was black and two bushes grew on each side of it. Behind the gate there were mysterious creatures.

The Gaper-Blabber was a type of blue gem. Its value was 98,467,998 dollars. The Gaper-Blabber was the rarest thing in the world. It could turn you into a maniac, give you good liver function and lots of Mana, but the most important thing was that the Gaper-Blabber would fuel Ben’s clone machine. They had to find it, then activate it with bone ingredients.


Chapter 4
The Castle

Ben and Fluffy entered the castle behind the gate. Ghosts appeared in front of them in the hallway. The phantoms carried lamps in there hands. Their blue eyes glowed like fire.

Ben and Fluffy found the Gaper-Blabber. It sat on a small red cushion in the center of the Room of Traps. Daggers hung from the ceiling. Two warrior statues were standing beside the Gaper-blabber. The room was dark. Small, slimy creatures in bowls sat on tables.

They saw a skeleton appear in front of them. It took out two swords and charged at them. Fluffy saw a rope and a stick on the ground and gave them to Ben. The skeleton smelled bad because it was dumped in the junkyard. It came to the castle because it wanted to live there, and train like a warrior. There was a training camp at the back of the castle. When the skeleton charged at Ben and Fluffy, they dodged it. Ben and fluffy distracted the skeleton and threw sticks at his head. The skeleton went dizzy. Ben and Fluffy stole the swords from the skeleton’s hand and they sliced it up. Ben and Fluffy got their first bone ingredients.

They put the bones in a black pot. Then they poured the slimy creatures into the pot and stirred in red, yellow and blue dye. They poured the mixture into the Gaper-blabber. Now their mission was complete. They had the fuel for Ben’s clone machine.

About the Author

Hi my name is Nathan I am ten years old. This is now my fifth published book. My other stories are Random and Sparrow, Future Wars, Future Wars II and About my Dad. I like video games and a lot of war. That is cool. I also like machine creations, creatures and cannons. I think when I grow up I want to create video games with my friend Jose. When I grow up I want to be a soldier because I want to stand and fight to save the country.

Old Times by Destin, age 8 & David, age 9

Hair by Tommy, age 10

Another Thing by Manuel, age 8

Tree by Jason, age 10

Wild by Chelzea, age 10

The King who Lost his Crown by San, age 9

Rain came down from the sky and then thunder and then lightning. It was so bad that when the lightning stopped, for a few seconds a giant, dusty tornado swirled through the sky. The tornado was so windy that it blew away the King Frog’s crown! The river flooded the town. All of the tadpoles in the river were shocked. The tadpoles said, “Oh, we think we’re going to die!” The tadpoles wanted to be safe so they hid under a safety rock. The tornado blew away the lily pads and made the waves of the river grow huge! The tornado stopped. Frog's house under the bridge was ruined when the bridge crashed down into the river, tearing and blowing away the lily pads and lotuses. Only a little bit of water was left in the river.

King Frog wanted to get his house fixed so he called Froggy the Builder. Froggy the Builder came to Frog's house and fixed it.

Froggy the Builder looked at King Frog and said, "Why are you still mad?"

Frog said, "Because I was suppose to be the king of this river but I lost my crown."

Froggy the Builder said, "Too bad, too sad, are you unglad?"

"Well of course," said King Frog.

Froggy the Builder left the river. King Frog had an IDEA! King Frog reported the crown he had lost to a TV news program. He called a TV news reporter named Maggy. Maggy showed up to do the interview at Froggy's house with a cameraman.
Maggy said, “In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 and action!! The cameraman pressed the button play.

“What is your name sir?”

“I’m a king of the river and my name is King Frog. I lost my crown in a windy tornado.”

Maggy said, "How are you feeling?"

“Sad.”

Soon other river creatures heard the news of King Frog's lost crown so they made a lot of copies of pictures of the crown. They stapled them where there was no water.

One day a bad guy saw one of the pictures of the crown. The bad guy wanted the crown because it sparkled and shined. He wore a black mask, black jacket, black shirt, black pants, black thick gloves and black shoes. A thick bumpy mask covered his face.

The flyer said, "KING'S CROWN MISSING." The bad guy looked at the word “KING.” He thought that if he wore the king’s crown he would turn into a rich king! The bad guy went everywhere to find the crown. A few seconds later, he heard something tinkling and he saw something shining on the ground. The bad guy went closer and closer and then he really did find the crown! But before he could reach it, a cop came and said, "Hey! You go in the cop car right now."

The bad guy said, "B-b-b- but I found the crown."

The cop said, "No buts allowed."

The bad guy hopped into the cop car sadly. The cop’s partner took the crown.

King Frog could not sleep that night. He turned sad, mad, madder then FURIOUS. He shouted out, "WHERE IS MY CROWNNNN?"

The tadpoles swam up the river to talk to the King.


The tadpoles said," WHY DID YOU SCREAM SO LOOUDDDD?"
The king said, "You don’t dare talk to me like that!!!"

All the river creatures kept on arguing and arguing. When the cop heard the noise, he handed the crown to the king and said, "Is this your crown?"

The king said, "YES! YES! That is my crown!!!" Frog took his crown and swam down stairs that led him to a ballroom then he danced.

About the Author

Hi! My name is San and I live with my mom and dad in San Francisco. I like to swim at Presidio YMCA. I am good at drawing. My friends are good at field hockey so I want to be better too. I want to be an artist when I grow up. I can’t swim and play kickball really good like other kids. If I were a planet, I would be Mars because I like its color. My wish is to swim all day!! The King Who Lost His Crown is my first published book.

When I Came to America by Betty, age 8

When I moved to America, I was surprised that I was allowed to stay here. I thought somebody would say, “It is time to go.” I was surprised that I made a new friend so fast. Also, I was surprised that I got 100% on my first math test.

Before I got to San Francisco, I thought about the TransAmerica Pyramid. My aunt told me it is one of the tallest buildings, and on top there is a triangle.

I came here with my mom and dad. When I first arrived in America, I felt happy because when I was in China, I always wished to come to San Francisco so I could learn English and more math and stop taking naps at school.

I didn’t know that my family was moving to America until we were on the airplane. Then I asked my mom, “Why are we on this airplane?” I think my mom thought I was too young to understand or I might have gotten angry at her for moving us to America. When she told me, I was angry and a little miserable because I couldn’t see my grandma and grandpa anymore. I asked my mom, “Why didn’t you tell me at home?” She told me she forgot because she was too busy packing clothes.

About the Author

Hi! My name is Betty. I am eight years old. I live in San Francisco with my parents, my grandparents, and my aunt and uncle and cousins. I’m good at math. I want to be good at writing and reading someday. I don’t want to grow up because I don’t want to die. I am special because one of my knees is smaller than the other. I just moved to San Francisco from China when I was six. It confuses me when I lose my Chinese. If I were a food, I would be a watermelon because watermelons are summer fruits. My hope is that my parents and I will have a long, healthy life.

Tension Time by Kenny, age 11

Pigger lost his brain. Pigger wanted his brain back. He couldn’t think or learn, and he was not smart. It all started when Pigger did an experiment that made brains go away. His plan was to use his invention on other people because he was a misanthrope. He put spiders, broken glass, and a pair of scissors into a cup and heated them up so they turned to liquid. He was about to put the liquid mixture in his water gun, but he tripped on his bumpy floor and the mixture fell on his head and melted his skull off. His brain ran away.

‘’NOOO!’’ cried Pigger. ‘’Come back.’’

His brain looked liked a chewed up piece of pink gum with legs and arms. It threw a cactus at Pigger’s head. The brain flew with a jetpack to Pigger’s house. It broke the TV’s glass and metal parts. It took out the electricity. The brain was so smart that it made a thousand robots out of the broken metal and electricity. The robots punched Pigger in his face. The brain and the robot made their escape. Pigger saw them flying to the desert. (He saw them with his Super Sonic Eye.) Pigger followed them in his jet. The brain pressed a button on one of the robots. Then lasers came out of its chest. The lasers hit Pigger’s jet. It fell down.

“Ow,” said Pigger.

Then one of the robots stomped on Pigger. SMASH!!!

Pigger heard sirens. A police car rolled up next to him. One of the cops said, “Come with us.”

“I didn’t make those robots,” Pigger said. “My brain did!”

“That will get you twenty years of jail time,” the other cop said. He put handcuffs around Pigger’s wrists.

“NOOOOOOO!” cried Pigger.

Now the brain was free forever.

“Hooray!” said the brain.

About the Author

Hi, my name is Kenny. I am ten years old. I live in San Francisco with my mom, my dad and my little brother Kevin. I like to play kickball and Capture the Flag. I want to get better at history and reading. I want to be a doctor when I grow up. If I were a machine, I would be a watering robot so I can water all the plants. I hope I’ll go to college. I wish for freedom in the world too and hope there will be no wars. I am also the author of Bumpy’s Day, Bumpy and the Ice Bird, My Mom and The Robot’s Revenge. Tension Time is my fifth published book.

Meteor Shower by Holly, age 10

Signals of Life by Alex, age 8

Blue Brother by Linda, age 10

To Be or Not to Be by Destin, age 8

My parents want me to be a doctor so I will make a lot of money so I can buy a house instead of renting an apartment. I don't want to be a doctor because I'm scared blood might spread around my eyes.

My parents would be upset if I became a police officer because I might get shot. I don't want to be a police officer because I might die in one second.

My parents don't want me to be a cook because cooks don't make a lot of money. I don't want to become a cook either. If I become a cook at the restaurant where my dad works I will have to work harder than my mom.

I don't want to be an adult because when I turn into an old man my hair will turn grey.

I want to be a scientist when I grow up because then I will be able to invent anything and I want to learn about Mother Nature. I want to invent machines like a robot sea creature. I will just make a piece of goo and put any battery inside of it. Its goal will be to look for gold under the sea and look for parts of the Titanic.

I also want to be a marine biologist so I can learn about sea creatures. I want to learn how to take care of tropical fish because when you feed human food to fish they might die the next day.

About the Author

My name is Destin. I am eight years old. I live with my mom, dad and sister in San Francisco. I have been to Los Angeles. This is my first published book. I am in third grade. I wonder if turtles like dogs and cats. My biggest fear is Black Widows because they are poisonous. I am good at Kick Ball and Two Square sometimes. I like to play my PS3 and my DSi. My favorite games are Street Fighter four and Soul Calibur four. Someday I want to be good at soccer. If I were a tool I would be a screwdriver because when someone breaks something they will just use me and they will fix whatever they broke. If I were granted a wish I would wish to be a good student and participant in class.