Thursday, October 4, 2012

Dream On - sneak preview...by Alex S.


Part 1: GO

 

Chapter 1: Shaun

The Fight Begins

 

“Tyler, what are you doing?”

“Writing. What does it look like I’m doing? Tap dancing?

“Jeez man, just trying to start a conversation!”

“Go away!”

“Fine. But don’t come running to me when you get lonely!”

        That was the conversation that made me and my best friend Ty McDonalds fight for the first time in six years. Normally, Ty and I don’t fight. We’re best of friends, and have been since we were born. The only other time I remember getting into a fight with him is sometime in kindergarten, when Ty took my toy hammer and I threw a Build-O-Block at him. He still has a V imprint on his shoulder. At that time, the only person that was more annoying than Ty was Bella Hoffman, the snobby girl who is STILL at the top of my hate list. Go figure.

 

        After the “V” incident, we had made up in less than a week. I had a funny feeling that it wasn’t going to be that easy this time. After all, five-year-olds never stay mad too long.

        “I hate Sundays……” I muttered to myself as the sun sank over the hills like it was hiding from me, showing my anger. “Why, WHY does it have to be school tomorrow?” My question would soon be answered. Sooner than I expected, all my fears would come true. And it was all just pure bad luck.

 

 

. . .

Saturday, January 7, 2012

11:59 by Maya

“HEY! Grace, wait UP!!” screamed Avery, my best friend EVER!






“You’re going to have to catch me!” I shouted back.





“Grace, you know you can run two times faster and two times longer than me,” said Avery.





So I stopped and waited for Avery to catch up so we could walk together the rest of the way home from school. Avery ALWAYS comes home with me after school to do homework or just have a snack of fish and chips.





“HELLO to my two favorite 12-year-old girls on the face of the earth,” called my dad from the doorway. “How was school today?” he added as we walked into the kitchen.





“School was great, dad,” I said with a mouth full of crackers (I made them yesterday) with fresh parmesan cheese.





“Grace, stop being such a pig!!!” said my dad.





“Grace, let’s go up to your room to do some homework.” (wink, wink)





“Sure,” I said, already at the top of the stairs.





“Geez, you’re fast!” Avery said.





I told Avery that it’s just a fact of life, and we both start cracking up!! We were joking around acting like we were scientists who had proof that it was actually a fact of life, when Avery suddenly yelled, “Oh My Gosh, it’s like 7:30 and I was supposed to be at home at 7:15 to get ready for tennis at 7:45!! I gotta go!!!”





“Bye!!”





“Bye!!”

Just as Avery left the phone rang and I ran to pick it up.





“Hello, it's Sally.”





“Hi, Sally. What, did my dad forget today?”





“Very funny, Grace,” she said sweetly. “He forgot about the meeting he needs to go to.”





“Ok, I’ll send him right over.”





“Thank you, Grace,” she said. “The address is 742 Columbus Rd. room 32.”





“Ok, he’ll be there in 5 minutes,” I said.





“Thanks again!”





“No prob,” I mutter while hanging up the phone.






“DAD!!!!! Ddddaaaadddd!!!!!! DAD!” I screamed.





“WHAT?! Is there an emergency?” my dad yelled, completely flummoxed.





“Yeah, a work emergency.”





“Oh, what did I forget this time?” he calmly stated.





“Just a SUPER important MEETING!!!!!!!” I screamed.





“Ok, ok, ok, I’m going, I’m going! Chillax,” he said while walking out the door to our car parked outside on the cobblestone road.





“BYE DAD! LOVE YA!” I yelled out the door as he drove away. “PARTY TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!”












I walked inside and called all of my friends, but none of them picked up!! I called again and again, but no answer!! “I guess I’ll just have to party on my own,” I said glumly.






I fell asleep about 1 hour after dad left, and I was dreaming about mom, about the car accident, the car that took her life from me. I awoke with a jerk and I had NO idea why until I heard It












It was 11:59 at night when I heard the eerie hum of static electricity.












It was 11:59 when I saw It wiz by the wood door to my room.












It was 11:59 when I disappeared from my cozy house in the streets of sweet England.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Prologue: Gears of Venture by Ben and Dominick



Albus picked up the concussion rifle, pulled back the reload button, pulled it back as it broke the window that he was aiming at. The glass shot inward with the blue flaming ball. Albus dropped the gun, stood up, kicked the alien in the face and said, "Go to the blazes!"






Albus realized that this was the alien that threw the grenade at the ground which wounded Albus and the alien. That was the alien's gun. His was lost in the battle. All of the other marines there at the battle had died.






He picked up the concussion rifle and sprinted as fast as he could across the bridge, shooting as many aliens as he could see. An alien threw a grenade towards him, and he dived over it. It exploded, and the explosion threw him high in the air. He reloaded his rifle and shot an alien in a building on the other side of the bridge. Again the blue flame ball shot the glass inward with it. The alien fell back on fire.Albus arrived on the other side of the bridge and sommersaulted with the gun. He shot two more aliens and started sprinting again.






He made it out of the city and kept sprinting towards the forest. He entered the forest, still sprinting. He shot down a tree, and a human helicopter saw the tree go down. As the helicopter's side doors opened, a team of humans handed down a rope. Albus grabbed the rope and the human team pulled him up into the helicopter.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Monkey Man by Ben and Charlie G.



One hot summer day a monkey was taking his morning walk around the jungle that he lived in, called “Zonama Jungle”. But this monkey was no ordinary monkey this monkey had amazing superpowers and his name was Jay.
Jay wasn’t the biggest monkey in the jungle. He had a lot of curly hair and big brown eyes. He was skinny and short but that didn’t stop him from having superpowers.
Jay got a banana belt for his birthday from his parents, who unfortunately were dragged away by tiger when he was young. He remembered the merciless eyes of the tiger and his parents screaming with terror,”Use the belt, use the belt!!” He didn’t know how to use it back then, but over time he learned. Jay never remembered them much because he was so young but he just thought of them as dead. Jay got lonely when he was little but he managed to raise himself.
This banana belt came with magical bananas. When the bananas where put in the it they turned magical, and when you ate them you will get a certain superpower. But he had never told anyone in his life about it because he didn’t want anyone to steal it and he didn’t use it very often. Most animals that Jay knew just thought it was a silly tool belt.
These are his bananas that gave him superpowers. The green banana gives you super speed, the red banana gives you super strength, the yellow banana gives you the power to fly, and the brown banana gives you the power to be invisible.
So as Jay was walking around on that hot day in Zonama Jungle he listened to the sounds of the birds chirping, the leaves rustling, and the little animals scurrying around in the dirt. He looked up at the trees and saw all the colors of the parrots, toucans, and the thousands of smooth green leaves all over. He felt sweat trickle down his face and his furry body.
“BOO!!!” screamed the monkey who popped out in front of Jay. “Hey Boris” greeted Jay. Boris was a plump, pudgy monkey who never left his tree. He was Jay’s best friend. “What’s up?” asked Boris. “Nothing much”, Jay replied, “I was just taking my morning walk around the jungle.” “I really need to go”, said Jay, “because I’m visiting my uncle’s tree for his birthday.” “Okay, replied Boris, “see yah”.
So Jay continued walking, this time in a different direction heading, towards his uncle’s tree, daydreaming. Time passed, and he stopped and looked around but nothing seemed familiar. An icy feeling gripped his heart, HE WAS LOST!! He had never been lost before; he thought he knew all of the Zonama Jungle, but maybe this wasn’t the Zonama Jungle. He heard a rustling in the bushes and turned. He thought he saw some black fur but he must have been hallucinating. Then before he could do anything a blur of black surrounded him and next thing he knew he was tangled in a net. Then he saw a huge creature billowing over him. It was a gorilla!!!
“I have finally caught you”, bellowed the gorilla,”I have seen that banana belt of yours and I know it possesses superpowers so I plan to take it from you”. “Is that okay”, said the gorilla in a mocking tone, “well to bad cause there is nothing you can do about it!” Jay was so frightened he couldn’t speak. Nobody had ever payed attention to his banana belt and this guy wanted to take it! A wave of anger washed over him, he knew what he had to do!
He snuck his hand down to the red banana (the super strength one) and nibbled it. He felt a force of strength and ripped of the net but right after he did, the gorilla punched him in the head and Jay fell to the ground. The gorilla brought his arm back to strike him in the face but Jay was quicker, he dodged it and took a bite out of the brown banana and turned invisible. The gorilla looked so confused Jay held back a laugh. But soon the invisibility would be wearing off so he decided to take a munch out of the green banana and he soon got super speed. Then he crept up behind him and punched him in the back so rapidly his arms were a blur. The gorilla fell down groaning. So to finish him Jay took a bite out of the yellow and got the power of flight so he wrapped the net around the moaning gorilla and flew up into the sky holding the very heavy animal. Jay flew up just high enough so when he dropped the gorilla he wouldn’t mess with him again! Then Jay dropped the gorilla that landed with a “UUMMPHH”. And as Jay was flying back to his tree he heard the gorilla in the distance, “You’ll be sorry you ever did that to me Monkey Man!!”
“Monkey Man”, thought Jay, “what a peculiar name maybe that should be my undercover name”. Jay said the name over and over in his head and came to like it. And then he said to himself “well if he calls me Monkey Man, I’ll call him Gorilla Guy.” He noticed it was getting late so he should get home.
Weeks passed and Jay never heard from Gorilla Guy. But he did start to notice some pretty suspicious things like Boris not being home lately even though he never leaves his tree. And his uncle not being home when Jay went for his birthday party. And lastly the forest seemed unusually quiet, you could still hear the birds, the wind, and the scurrying, but you couldn’t hear other animals in the distance. It seemed like a giant just turned down the volume in Zonama Jungle.
The next day when Jay was taking his morning walk he heard a rumbling in the distance. As it got louder Jay got more scared. Pretty soon it was deafening. The first thought that came into his mind was “STAMPEED!!” Jay started to scramble out of the way, but a familiar voice said in a booming tone “Halt!” Jay stopped in his tracks and what he saw still frightens him to this day. He saw Gorilla Guy and mostly all the animals in Zonama Jungle including Boris and his uncle surrounding Gorilla Guy all glaring at Jay! There were animals from anteaters to elephants. But that wasn’t what surprised him the most. But what did was Jay saw his parents chained up in the back of Gorilla Guy’s cart, held up by his servants! Also all his animals were wearing headsets and had a glazed look in their eyes, kind of what someone looks like when they are daydreaming.
Then a thought washed over Jay, Gorilla Guy was mind controlling all of these innocent animals!! But strangely his parents didn’t have the headsets on and weren’t being mind-controlled. “Yeah that’s right”, Gorilla Guy boomed,”tremble in terror as I take over this jungle. This jungle will pay for what it has done to me. I am the only gorilla in this jungle and just because I’m different the other animals kicked me out. But not anymore will they tease or laugh at me when I am their new leader!!” Gorilla Guy continued “I bet you’re wondering where I got your helpless little parents?” “Yes I am”, Jay managed to squeak. “I found them in a tiger’s cave being kept as servants!! Now where was I, oh yeah taking over this puny jungle. Any last words Monkey Man?” Anger built up inside him starting with Gorilla Guy calling his parents helpless and calling this jungle puny. He looked into the terrified eyes of his parents and the mind-controlled eyes of the other animals and that put him over the top.
Jay stood up and said heroically “I’m going to save this jungle or die trying!!” “Well then get ready to die” said Gorilla Guy menacingly. “Charge!!” yelled Gorilla Guy to his mind-controlled animals. Jay’s goal was first to knock off all the animal’s headsets so they won’t be mind-controlled anymore, then free his parents, and lastly if Gorilla Guy hasn’t fled yet defeat him once and for all! The first wave of animals were the smallest of the group so Jay took a nibble of the brown banana and turned invisible and since they were so dumb, the animals looked around confused as he knocked off all of their headsets and as soon as the animals regained their senses they scampered away into the underbrush cowardly. As the next wave came a little bigger than the first Gorilla Guy yelled “use your sense of smell you idiots!” So that foiled the invisibility idea. Next he took a bite out of the green banana and ran around them with super speed kicking up dirt and dust so the animals couldn’t see. Then grabbed some stones, took a chomp out of the yellow banana, and hovered about seven feet off the ground carefully throwing rocks at the headsets and knocking them off. Also just the same as the first wave the animals ran off into the bushes. Gorilla Guy got more frustrated with every headset that got knocked off and cursed under his breath The next wave was bigger than Jay and looked meaner and tougher which meant a little more action and it also meant he might have to knock them unconscious before taking the headset off which he didn’t want to do. As they charged Jay took a bite out of the red banana and immediately got super strength. He banged two fully grown lion heads together and kicked their headsets off. Then gave a menacing punch in the side of a zebra which flew into another and they both lay knocked out on the ground. “Would somebody get him already?!” Gorilla Guy shouted angrily. Jay wasn’t sure what they would do after they “got” him but he didn’t want to find out so he kept fighting. He picked up an alligator and threw it into the legs of a lion who both got knocked over and lay there dazed. Next two tigers were charging at him in opposite directions, Jay ducked hastily and both tigers smashed heads breaking their headsets. By now he had knocked out pretty much all the animals and kicked of their headsets, but all of them still lay there either unconscious or dazed and groaning. Jay stood there in the middle of the battlefield triumphantly. “You think you have won, eh”, Gorilla Guy bellowed, “Well wait until you say hello to your last opponent named Tigrero.” Jay’s jaw dropped when he saw this tiger not only because in double the size of other full-grown tigers or that its teeth glistened like ice, but because this tiger was the one who took his parents. Same cruel eyes, same bright fur, and same growl and he wasn’t even being mind-controlled. “I chose not to mind-control this one was because he was already evil and hated you.” Jay took one glance at his in pain, desperate mother and father who were once Tigrero’s slaves and he knew he had to destroy him once and for all!
Tigrero came at his with amazing speed and Jay barely had time to dodge it, but when Tigrero sprinted by he managed to rake his claws down Jay’s side. Jay staggered backward and grabbed his side, but when he pulled his hand back it was drenched in blood. He grabbed a bite of the red banana (the super strength one) and just as quickly as it started, the tiger came at again and Jay had just enough time to duck and as Tigrero hurtled over him he punched so powerfully at his belly that he flew up into the air. He came down hard on his back and groaned in pain, and Jay thought he had won. But he thought wrong because Tigrero got up limping “You haven’t won yet Monkey Man!” All this time, out of the corner of his eye Jay saw Gorilla Guy inching toward the jungle to escape. Jay quickly took advantage of his enemy’s pain, and nibbled the green banana (the super speed one), and ran, ducked, then barreled into Tigrero’s legs, flipping him over. Next, he took a munch of the red banana and swung Tigrero around again and again and again, then let go and Tigrero flew into Gorilla Guy. They both toppled over into a mound of dirt. Tigrero amazingly managed to use his front legs and drag him toward a pile of stones and beamed them with exact accuracy. The first rock hit Jay in the stomach. Hastily Jay recovered and did something he had never done before in his life! He took a bite out of two bananas! Jay grabbed some of the yellow and brown banana and threw it into his mouth. He flew up to the sky as he was invisible, and Tigrero was so confused he lobbed rocks aimlessly into the sky. Jay easily sneaked up behind Tigrero as Jay’s invisibility was wearing out and took a bite of the brown banana and dashed towards Gorilla Guy’s cart found a rope, ran back, and tied up Tigrero’s arms and legs in less than two seconds. Jay stood over the tiger under him very triumphantly, but that happiness was crushed when he remembered Gorilla Guy. He turned around but he was nowhere to be seen. “I’m so stupid”, Jay scolded himself. Jay figured he might have a chance to find him if he flies over the jungle and searches. But he would do that later; first he needed to free his parents.
As soon as he got over to where they were captured they praised him. “You were so amazing honey”, said his mom and she gave him a big kiss. “Nice job son”, said his dad,”now can you free us.” “Oh yeah sorry”, said Jay. He snapped the chains with his super strength. “I never thought I would see you again”, mustered Jay on the verge of tears. Then his family had a big group hug. “Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go find the evil gorilla”, said Jay. “Okay but be careful”, said his mom as Jay left.
Jay flew over the trees for hours but found nothing and it was getting dark. So he decided to turn around get back together with his parents, see his best friend, get praised by the citizens of the jungle, and take care of Tigrero!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Who Was Helen Keller? by Gare Thompson


Book review by Dakota


Who was Helen Keller is a book I read by Gare Thompson. It is about the famous Helen Keller who was blind and deaf. I think she is inspirational, and very intelligent. The book describes who Helen Keller was, and how she became blind and deaf. She grew up being taught by Annie Sullivan, her teacher, and got in to Radcliffe College at age 20! The main characters were Helen Keller, her mother, and her father, and her teacher Annie Sullivan. It takes place at Helen’s home located near TuscumbIa, Alabama. She died on June 1, 1968. I was amazed that she traveled around the world speaking to others about her own disabilities to and how to help.


I thought the book was a wonderful story about how a little girl, who had a big disability could be so intelligent, and how she could do so much. Helen achieved so many goals because she had Ann Sullivan to help, and guide her. My favorite part in the book is when she put her hands under the fountain, and knew exactly then, what words were. The characters did not remind me of anyone I know, but my nanny has a younger sister with a mental disability. I think that Helen is unlike no other because she proved that everyone is equal. I would recommend this book because it is heartwarming, and I absolutely loved it!