Liam P.

Fox

In the book Fox, I believe that Dog and Magpie become best friends. I believe they are able to be friends because Magpie becomes kinder and Dog stays kind throughout the story.

I think that Dog and Magpie are best friends, but at first when Dog picked up Magpie from the burning forest fire, Magpie wanted nothing to do with Dog. This is important because if they never started running, they would never be best friends. To add on, that is also why Magpie said that dog would be her wing and she would be his missing eye.

Another example of this is that Magpie changes in the story but Dog stays the same. It is probably good for both of them to change/stay the same because if Dog changed the way Magpie did, he would probably be mean. If Magpie stayed the same she would also be mean.

In other words, it was good that they made that choice because everything i just explained would happen and that would not turn out so fun after all. Magpie changed by caring for dog more than herself and dog did not change by caring for magpie more than himself.

Edward W.

FOX

MAGPIE SAID THAT SHE WILL BE DOG’S MISSING EYE AND DOG WILL BE MAGPIE’S WINGS. FOX’S COAT WAS LIKE A TONGUE OF FIRE. FOX SAID THAT MAGPIE AND DOG WOULD NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN. DOG SAID THE RIVER WAS THEIR  REFLECTION LIKE MAGIC. THEY WENT THROUGH SEASONS SUMMER AND WINTER. MAGPIE WARNED DOG ABOUT FOX. MAGPIE DID NOT WANT DOG’S HELP. MAGPIE BEGAN HER JOURNEY HOME. FOX IS MEAN BECAUSE HE FLEW MAGPIE TO THE DESSERT. THEN HE LEFT MAGPIE. MAGPIE TRIED TO WARN DOG ABOUT HIM. DOG TOOK MAGPIE TO  HIS CAVE. MAGPIE TREMBLES. THE IMPORTANT THING  ABOUT THIS THING IS RIDING ON DOGS BACK IS JUST LIKE FLYING HIGH IN THE SKY.SHE IS NO LONGER SAD. AND SHE IS NOT LONELY. SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FLY. HIS COAT FLICKERS LIKE FIRE. MAGPIE COULD FEEL FOX WATCHING HER. HID SMELL SEEMS TO FILL FILL THE CAVE. THIS CONNECTS TO HIS SPOOKY HAUNTED EYES. AND TONGUE OF FIRE.

Malin S.

How Magpie Changes But Dog Stays the Same

After reading Fox, I realize that the character Magpie changes a lot in this story. One example of why I think Magpie changes is because at first, she was sad because her wing gets burnt in a forest fire. She says “I will never again be able to fly.” This shows that her days of flying are over. However, Dog saves Magpie from actually burning all the way in a forest fire.

Another example of why Magpie changes is that Dog asks Magpie to come to the river bank, and Dog says “Hop on my back.” and when they are at the river bank Dog says “Hold on tight” and Dog starts running. Then Magpie starts getting really happy and says “I will be your missing eye and you will be my wings.” At this point, Magpie is actually really grateful that she got saved because she can now fly. She starts to have a good relationship with Dog so at this point, she is so, so happy.

Then on a nice day, a new character, Fox shows up. Magpie gets worried because she sees Fox with his “haunted eyes” and “tongue of fire” and his “Rich red Coat.” This shows that Magpie is scared of Fox because of the words she uses to describe Fox. Magpie tries to warn Dog that Fox is evil, but dog stays all joyful and gives Fox a home. On the other hand, one day when Magpie is on Dog back she thinks “this is nothing like flying, just nothing.” Here, Magpie changes again because she is now sad that she thinks she really doesn't like going on Dog's back anymore. Then, she takes Fox’s offer of ditching Dog and going to Fox. Then she changes again from being scared to being happy. Then, Fox ditches Magpie in the hot sunny deserts and leaves and Magpie starts her long, and lonely journey home.

I believe  that there is evidence that proves Magpie changes throughout the story, Fox.

Hailey W.

Opinion Essay

Have you ever been puzzled wondering where you should go for vacation? Well, I can help! I believe that St. Martin Is the best place for vacation! They have VERY good food, the water is beautiful, and the cats are the sweetest things you will ever meet! I am sure you will agree that St. Martin is the best spot for vacation!

One of the reasons St. Martin is the best spot for vacation is because of the food! They have the best food ever! One of the places I recommend for dinner is Spigga! They have the best spaghetti ever, they make it special for me and my brother with cheese and very good sauce  but whatever you get you will LOVE!  Another great place to go for dinner is La Villa my favorite meal there is Mushroom stuffed chicken breast, porcini creamy sauce, mashed potatoes and vegetable. Also, the best spot at St. Martin is the beach. If you go to Orient Beach, you will see that there are a lot of beaches and each one has a restaurant. Their food tastes like heaven! My favorite restaurant on Orient Beach is KaKao   Ka-kow). They have very good fish! If you go to a restaurant and you want fish you should go there it is cooked very well! Also, if you buy bread and just have a sandwich you will still love it! I assure you that any restaurant you go to and whatever you get you will fall in love with their food!

Another reason I think that St.Martin is the best spot for vacation is the ocean and pools! The water is beautiful! If  La plantation is your hotel, you will get the best view of the water! When you go to the pool the water is turquoise and nothing in it! At the beach, when you go in the water, it starts as white and turns into turquoise. Also, when you go to St. Martin it is usually about 89 degrees to 100 degrees all year round so it is always summer! So, when you go in the water it, feels SO good! Another thing is that the pools are never crowded so you can have the pool all to yourself. At Orient Beach, there are beaches have no waves so you can just relax. However, some beaches have waves. I suggest you go to the beaches with waves. Some grown ups don’t like the waves but once you make them come in, they will have the time of their lives.

The last reason I think St. Martin is the best spot for vacation are the cats. Most people are dog people (like me ) but these cats are the best cats on the planet! All the cats I have meet, I have loved! The first cat i have ever meet in St.Martin was a baby cat and she was black, we named her Blacky. She even knows her name because she always greets us when we go back to the hotel. Also, there is another cat at the beach called Cocoa Beach. I have not named him but he  also always greets me at the beach. Toby is another cat I love, he greets us at the hotel and sometimes at the pool. Also, the cats crawl on your lap. Once, when I went back to the hotel, she ran to gerat us and i knew she wanted to crawl on my lap. So, I sat down and she crawled up and went to sleep. Another reason the cats are very sweet is because they barely ever bite. If they do bite, it is not hard, it is really just a kiss. Other than that, they never bite. The last reason the cats are the sweetest thing ever is because they want attention. Whenever you give them attention, they never try to run away. But also when you stop and you have to go they really don’t mined. They have other things to do. But, when you come back they are ready for more attention!

In conclusion, St. Martin is the best place for vacation. They have very good food, the water is beautiful, and the cats are the sweetest things you will ever meet. Book your tickets today they sell out quickly!  I assure you, you will love St. Martin as much as I do.

Ciara W.

Camping Gone Wild!

‘’Come on !’’  yelled Dad.  

 ‘’Coming!’’ Kasey yelled. Kasey ran to the car with all her things. When Kasey got in the car, her Dad chirped  ‘’Kasey don’t be scared, it’ll be fun.’’

       ‘’I’m not going to be scared, I’m 10, Dad,’’ Kasey replied.

              ‘’I know! You're getting too old!’’ Dad’s voice bellowed.  For that very long drive, Kasey and her Dad listened to fun jumpy songs. Kasey was feeling excited. She was finally going camping for the first time! She couldn’t wait to sleep outside in the wild, and to make a thousand s’mores!

       Kasey glanced at the clock. Wow, she thought. I can’t believe it has already been an hour! She looked out the window. She saw open fields with no trees for miles and not a single car around.

“Sweetie,” Dad spoke to Kasey. “I can’t find the camping area.’’ His voice was shaking with fear. She knew her Dad was nervous but she was so let down! She’d been waiting for what felt like months to go camping! With her busy life, she was never able to camp. At that very moment, it started to rain. Kasey leaned back with a sigh, a tear fell from her eye and she yelled ‘’The whole night is ruined!’’

             

       When they finally had driven home, Kasey looked up at the sky.  It felt like magic -the rain just stopped! She saw a single star.

When Kasey got out of the car after noticing that the rain had stopped, an  idea plopped into her mind.  I know, she thought. We can make the fire in the fire pit and we can camp right in the yard!!!!! 

“Dad, I have an idea!” Kasey bellowed. After hearing Kasey’s great idea, her father said yes. 

Jumping up and down, Kasey got her stuff from the car.  Once Kasey set up the backyard campsite, her father and her worked on the tent and the fire.  As Kasey’s Dad set up the fire, Kasey bellowed ‘’can we make s'mores, please?” 

‘’Sure,why not I’m starving,’’ replied Kasey's dad.  After eating what felt 1,999 s’mores, they cuddled up in the tent. Even though things didn’t always go according to plan, Kasey knew she would always have fun with her family.

 

Hannah N.

Opinion Essay

In my opinion, my little sis necklace is the best necklace in the world. It comforts me, it reminds me of my big sister and my adoption, and it reminds me of the people that I love like my mom and grandma who have passed away. That's why I think my little sis necklaces the best necklace in the world.

One reason I think that my little sis necklace is the best necklace in the world is because it comforts me when I'm feeling sad and alone. it reminds me of my big sister, Julia. we both have the same necklace! Mine says little sis and my big sister's says big sis on it it reminds me of my adoption, my family, my horseback riding teacher, and my art teacher. it reminds me of them when I'm feeling alone, afraid, or worried. when I look at my little sis necklace, I don't feel so bad and I don't feel alone anymore. my horseback riding teacher and my art teacher are very special to me so anytime I feel worried that I'm not going to pass a test or not going to get new shoes, I look at my little sis necklace and it reminds me of them. then, I don't feel worried  that I'm not  going to pass a test or get new shoes.  

My little sis necklace is always a comfort to me when I need it most. a few days ago, I was feeling really sad because me and my sister we're going to have a sleepover. it got cancelled because the road was icy. I was so, so sad I felt so lonely and I was about to cry because I felt so, so sad. but, then I looked at my little sis necklace and it reminded me of my sister, and it reminded me that I'm never alone, even in the darkest times. My sister will always be with me even if my sister isn't in the room with me I still feel like she's always in the room with me. Sometimes, I feel like my sister is in my room with me. Even though I didn't get to go to my sister's house that day, my necklace reminded me that it doesn't mean that I can't go to my sister's house another day and have a lot of fun.

 Another reason that I think my little sis necklace is the best necklace in the world is because it reminds me of the people in my family that passed away. For example, it reminds me of my mom and my grandma. when I think about them, I feel really sad sometimes, I feel so sad that sometimes, I even start to cry. When I feel sad that I'm about to cry, I look at my little sis necklace and it reminds me of them. Suddenly, I don't feel like I'm about to cry, but instead I feel like I'm about to laugh because I think about all of the good times I had with them. Sometimes, I also imagine that my mom gave me the little sis necklace but in my imagination instead of the little sis necklace saying little sis it said little daughter and my mom said instead of big sis it said big mother. That's why I love my little sis necklace better than any other necklace in the world.

 I love my little sis necklace. It is the best necklace in the world because it does all of these things for me: it comforts me, it reminds me of my big sister and reminds me of the people that passed away like my Mom and Grandma. I always have it in my heart and I will never lose it.

Christian N.

Papa’s Parrot

After reading the passage Papa’s Parrot from the book Every Living Thing, I believe that the relationship between Harry and Mr.Tillian (Harry’s father) keeps growing farther and farther apart.

One reason why I think the relationship between them is drifting is because they spend less time together. When Harry entered junior high, he never came by the shop anymore. He and his  friends always used to come visit his Father at the shop but now they don’t. I know this because it says ‘‘The kids now had spending money. They went to a burger place, played video games, and looked for records. None of them were interested in nuts and candy.’’ This shows that as the boys grew, they got less interested in  Harry’s in Harry’s father’s shop.

Another reason I believe their relationship is growing more distant is because Harry stops visiting his Father. When he came close to the shop, he always passed it.  Harry never actually entered, he always strolled passed the store on his way to do something else. Him and his group of friends never stopped by anymore.

Another reason why  I believe that Mr.Tillan and Harry’s relationship is growing more distant is because of the parrot. When Mr. Tillan bought his parrot, Harry thought that was the strangest thing he had ever done. However, Mr.Tillan just kept  ignoring Harry, instead paying attention to the parrot.Harry could not figure out  why Mr.Tillian ignored him. I know this because when Harry told him ‘’that was the strangest thing you’ve ever done,’’ Mr. Tillan ignored him. I think he ignored him because at that time, his son nor his friends were coming anymore so he needed someone to talk to. He settled for the parrot. Also, the text said “At home, things seemed alright.” This shows me that they are getting along at home, but not at the shop. I think they get along at home because the parrot is not there.                

I am  realizing that the change in the relationship is for many reasons. In the end, Mr. Tillian’s sickness brought the two back together.                              

Gavin M.

FOX

Magpie’s Motivation

After I read the text “Fox,” I realize Magpie’s motivations change throughout the story.

At first, Magpie wants to be alone, but Dog still cares for her. When Dog picks up Magpie with his mouth, Magpie says “let me be alone.¨However, Dog doesn't  let her be alone; he takes care of her. When Dog brings Magpie to his cave, Magpie whispers to him “I will never again be able to fly.”

In the middle of the story, Magpie and Dog’s relationship starts.  In other words, when they go to to riverbank and they looked into the water, Magpie sees them as a whole creature; not as a separate bird and a dog. This shows that Magpie wants a relationship with Dog since she seems them as one creature. Later, when Fox asks her to go with him Magpie responds, “I will never leave Dog”. She doesn’t want to leave Dog because she wants to keep her relationship with Dog.

Later, what Magpie wants changes again. Once Fox enters the story, he keeps asking if Magpie wants to go with him and see what it’s truly like to be flying. At first, she says “I will never leave Dog” which shows she still wants to be with him. Fox asks her again and again and she starts to realize that things with Fox might be better. As I say this, I am realizing that when she and Dog go on a run, she says to herself “this is nothing like flying.” This shows that she is starting to want to go with Fox so she can feel like she is flying, When Fox asks Magpie for the third time to come with him, she says “I’m ready.” When they start running, Magpie is so happy. She says “Finally I’m flying.” They run all the way to the desert until Fox shakes her off. He then says “Now you and Dog know what it’s like to be truly alone.” Then, Fox takes off.  To add on, at first it ended up not so well because she gets left in the dessert. Magpie never wanted to leave Dog but at the  end she did and I bet she would regret it.Magpie’s motivations changed a lot throughout Fox. I know this because at different points in the story, she wants many different things and she is never truly satisfied.

William L.

Fox

In the book, Fox, I believe that Fox represents DANGER.

In the beginning of Fox, there is danger  when Dog was running through the hot ash. Hot ash shows that there is burning. This makes me realize there was fire in the forest where they live. Dog was running with Magpie in his mouth with a burnt wing. This shows that when Dog was was running through the forest fire, it showed danger right of the bat.

The  book described that Fox  had a rich red coat and haunted eyes. This represents that Fox is danger!  Fox is a stalker. I think this because he was listening in on every conversation. This also shows that Fox is lonely.

Then, the jealousy starts heating up. When Fox was listening in on every conversation, he felt more  lonely and like he didn’t have friends. He wanted Magpie to be his friend. I know this because he looked at Magpie’s burnt wing. He also said he would help her really fly. But, he lied. He took Magpie to the desert where he left her alone. He said this was how he felt.

Fox was a dangerous character. He was like fire and in the end, left Magpie alone in the hot desert.

Patrick J.

Fox Thoughts

After reading the story, Fox, I believe that Magpie is a negative character in the story.

My first piece of evidence that proves this is when Dog wants to help Magpie’s burnt wing. This shows that Dog is kind because he is trying to help someone who is hurt. However, Magpie says “I will never again be able to fly.” This shows that Magpie is very negative and she doesn't want to get help for her burnt wing Most people/animals would want help if they were  hurt, but Magpie was too busy feeling sorry for herself.

My second piece of evidence that supports that Magpie is a negative character is when dog tries to cheer Magpie. He tries to cheer her up by saying “I am blind in one eye and life is still good. “ Magpie says “an eye is nothing!”  This shows that Magpie does not want help at all, and also it shows that Magpie is getting mad at Dog because she is so negative.

My third piece of evidence that supports that Magpie is negative is when Fox abandons Magpie in the middle of the hot dry desert. Magpie thinks it would be so easy just to die here in the desert. This means that she is a very negative character and that she is just giving up on her negative life.

Another piece of evidence is when Magpie is on Dog’s back and says “this is nothing like flying, nothing.” This means that she is doubting her own friend because she is just being so negative towards Dog, all because Fox said “I'm faster than Dog.”

 My final piece of evidence is when Magpie does this, Magpie drags her body into the shadow of the rocks. This means that Magpie is a very negative character because she feels herself to literally melt away into darkness. She also makes me think things will never get better with her wing.

In the end I think that everything i said makes me think that Magpie is a very negative character.

THE END

Kaelen K.

FOX ESSAY

After reading Fox, I realize that Magpie makes many requests throughout the story. This shows that she is a bit demanding.

One request that Magpie wants some is to fly again. I feel confident about sharing this information because when Magpie’s wing gets burnt, Dog is carrying her in his big gentile mouth. He lays her down she cries “I will never again be able to fly!”

Another reason that Magpie wants a lot is because she is saying to Dog “fly, Dog, fly!” The important thing about this is that she is screaming to the brand new friend she made. She wants him to fly for her. Since he is a Dog, this is a big request.

Another reason that Magpie makes a lot of requests is because in the book, there is a really common saying. The saying is “I will be your missing eye, and you will be my wings.” This shows that she is really relying on Dog to help her, and requesting that be be her wings.Another example is when in the cold dark night, in fact at the crack of dawn, Fox whispers over Magpie “I am fast compared to Dog, come with me and you will fly. I promise.” “No,” says Magpie “Dog is my wings and I am his missing eye.” 

When Dog and Magpie meet Fox, Magpie looks at Fox and sees that he is staring at her burnt wings. She wants him to stop. She is requesting that he stops and she doesn’t even know him!To add on, later in the story Mapie can still feels him watching her burnt wing, always watching.

There are many times what Magpie wants something from someone. Magpie wants Fox to leave. This connects to at night when Fox is sleeping Magpie whispers over Dog “Fox has to leave he loves no one he belongs nowhere.” This shows that Magpie is also pretty scared of him, actually not pretty 100% scared of Fox. Even though he seems he really is not nice.

For these reasons, I believe that Magpie wants many things, and has a lot of desires.

Madeline N.

Slower Than the Rest

In the story Slower Than the rest, a boy named Leo finds a turtle on the highway. This turtle is named Charlie. Charlie helps Leo through school.

Leo has always been slow in school. He has been slow in math,  slow in reading, and slow in anything that involved school. School is especially hard because he didn't have any friends. However, when he finds Charlie, he was happy and grateful.

In the book, it says” Charlie took care Leo’s happiness.” I think this means that anytime Leo was around Charlie, he felt happy. In the book it says “then he took off like no one told him how slow we was supposed to be.” This is a big quote in the book because Leo is very slow in school. Turtles are supposed to be slow but Charlie is as fast or slow as he wants. It's this that inspires Leo a lot.

One day, Leo takes Charlie to school for prevent forest fires week. Everyone in his class is making a presentation. In Leo's presentation, he use Charlie as an example of things that can't escape from forest fires. Fast animals like deer can escape, Leo said. By the time Leo's presentation finished, everyone hated  forest fires and loved turtles. Leo's teacher had tears in her eyes.” I think this is because since Leo’s and slow in school, he had such a great presentation. The teacher is so happy that is finally moving up.

At the end of the day in the gymnasium, the principal spoke and they announced the award for the best presentation and Leo won. At the end of the book it says” for once in his life Leo felt fast.”

For these reasons, I think Charlie is the thing that helpsLeo through school.

Hayes P.

FOX

After reading Fox, I realize what Fox represents is danger. 

One reason I believe this is because the book describes him as having a tongue of fire, a rich red coat, and haunted eyes. All of these represent fire, and fire is dangerous.

Another reason I believe Fox represents danger is because Fox always watches Magpie. This makes her very uncomfortable. When Dog is sleeping, the Fox approaches Magpie so Dog does not hear. Fox says “leave Dog and come with me,” to set up Magpie into a trap. Fox says “do you remember what it is like to fly? Truly fly?”  He is trying to take Magpie away from Dog who is her closest friend.

Part of the reason I think Magpie is so scared of Fox is that the Fox represents fire, too add to that, earlier in the story, Magpie got burnt by fire on one of her wings. Anything that has to do with fire makes Magpie very scared because it reminds her of how her wing  got burnt. Also, near the end we finally found out that Fox is a traitor and left Magpie in a hot desert, alone “ Now you know what it is like to be truly  alone,” said Fox. He wanted to get her and leave her by herself. This is dangerous because she cannot fly away because of the burnt wing. However, she tries anyway.

For these reasons, I believe that Fox represents danger. There are words that compare Fox to fire, he is trying to isolate Magpie, and he ends up leaving her in a dangerous situation.

Max H.

My Grandpa

My Grandpa and I have a special relationship. We are very close. He taught me how to golf, he takes me to a lot of special places,  and he teaches me a lot about baseball. We do a lot of fun things together!

My Grandpa taught me a lot about golfing. The first time I was on a golf course I was whiffing the ball. He came over to me and helped me out a little bit, that’s when I started to get the ball in the air. After a while, I started to get the ball high in the air but I only got the ball to go about three yards. He gave me a five minute lesson and I was doing good. The first time I was on a golf course he was able to teach me something.

My Grandpa likes to take me places. He likes to take me to a golf course called Smith Richardson, he would bring my brother and I to a breakfast stand and get these really good bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, and of course he’d bring us golfing. He also likes to bring my brother and I to the Newtown General Store, My brother and I get Philly cheesesteaks and they were always AMAZING! I also go to the movies with them, we went to corn mazes. One place we love to go is an ice cream shop called Ferris Dairy Farm. We get to spend so much time together because we  live in a 1 ⅕ mile radius. We are pretty close.

Another reason my Grandpa and I have a close relationship is that He’s always helping me out and teaching me what he knows about sports. One time came to my house to help me get ready for the playoffs. With his help, we dominated. He likes to teach me tips for pitching in baseball.Came to my house to help me get ready for the playoffs. With his help, we dominated. He’s always helping me out and teaching me what he knows about sports. Another time he helped me was when it was the championship game. I was practicing super hard. My Grandpa knew I had that game so he came over and gave me a one hour lesson. In that game, I got a shutout inning and only let in one run.

In conclusion, I feel lucky to have a special relationship with my Grandpa. He taught me how to play golf, likes to spend time with me and teaches me a lot about baseball. I’ve always loved spending time with him over the years.

Berkeley H.

FOX

After reading “Fox”, I am realizing that Dog is a very caring and loyal character!

One reason I think this is because at the beginning aof the story, Dog tries to help Magpie. He tries to tend her burnt wing. However, Magpie does not want his help. Instead she says “I will never again be able to fly.” This shows that Dog is a loyal character because he is helping Magpie, by tending her burnt wing, even thoughMagpie does not want his help.

Another reason why I think Dog is a loyal and caring charter is because he cares for Magpie. Dog offers for Magpie to get onto his back because Magpie can not fly. Magpie gets on his back and she shout’s “FLY, Dog, FLY! I will be your missing Eye and you will be my missing wings.” Also, it says “And so Dog runs, with Magpie on his back, every day, through summer and winter!” I think this shows that Dog is and alway is loyal because he takes care of Magpie every day!!! I think it shows caring because Dog is being nice letting Magpie go on his back because she can not fly! Dog is being even more nice and loyal by helping Magpie and motivating her to come out of the cave! And evenly Magpie listens! This shows that no matter how hard it is or what it is Dog will try his best no matter what to take care of one and a anouther!

Another  reason why I think that dog Is a loyal and caing character is because in the middle of the book, Fox comes alone. Magpie believes that Fox is dangerous and that Fox is like “fire.” However, Dog says let’s give Fox a chance. This shows that no matter how weird or suspicious Fox may seem, that Dog is nice and gives people a chance! This shows that Fox is a loyal and caring character because he give everyone a chance no matter how or what they have done!

Dog is a loyal, caring character.

THE END

Abby B.

Brief Write- Summer Activities

Some fun activities to do in summer are barbecues,
vacations, swimming, and going to the beach. In summer,
BBQs are a hit. People really don’t have to do much to
prepare for them, either.  You only have to do a few things to
prepare. You need to get the meat for the hamburgers
and hot dogs, get the buns for the hamburgers and hot dogs,
and last, you need to invite the guests. Another activity you
can do in the summer is go on vacation! Personally, I love to
go on vacation because you get to try new foods, you get to
experience a different way of living  and it's all around
awesome! If you’re not up to vacation, you could go
for a swim in the pool or the ocean. I love to swim anywhere,
so it doesn't matter to me. The last activity people can do in
the summer is go to the beach!!! There are many different
things you can do at the beach like building a sand castle,
going in the ocean, having a picnic ,relaxing, and taking a trip
in the ocean. These are some fun activities people can do in
summer!    

Stephanie B.

Papa’s Parrot

In the story Papa’s Parrot, the relationship between Mr. Tillian and his son, Harry,
goes through many changes. They go from close to distant, to being close again in
the end. There were reasons for the change in their relationship.

In the beginning of the story Papa’s Parrot, Mr. Tillian and Harry are really close
and have a good relationship. Every day after school, Harry and all of his friends
would stop by Mr. Tillian’s candy and nut shop and help him out, talk, and clean.
This shows they are close because the spend a lot of time together. This is evidence
that their relationship was really tight.

Later on in the book, Mr. Tillian and Harry’s relationship started to drift apart.
I noticed this change once Mr. Tillian got a parrot. Harry and all of his friends stopped
going to the candy and nut shop, and whenever they walked by, they could only see
Mr. Tillian talking to his parrot instead of his customers. Harry was embarrassed and
stopped stopping by to see his father. This made Mr. Tillian feel lonely. Then, one
day Mr. Tillian was unpacking caramel sticks and clutched his neck fell to the ground.
He went straight to the hospital.

After Mr. Tillian got hurt, their relationship became closer. Harry got the task of
watching the bird while Mr. Tillian was in the hospital. After school every day, Harry
would go to the shop (just like he used to) and feed the bird and clean the store. This
shows that he cares for his father because he cares for something his father loves
even though he doesn’t like it. When Harry was feeding the bird, the bird said,¨
Where's Harry? Where's Harry?¨ And Harry replied ,¨ I am right here you dumb bird!¨
And then the bird would say,¨ Miss him. Miss him.¨ Then Harry realized what it meant.
Harry realized that that must of been what his Papa said when Harry didn't show up
at the store every day. That is when Harry ran to the hospital to visit his father!

Their drifted apart because of the parrot, but they became because of Mr. Tillian getting hurt. All of these reasons prove that their relationship changes from together to apart and together again.   

Christopher B.

Spaghetti

After reading the short story Spaghetti, I realize that the main
character, Gabriel, has a really intense imagination.

First, I read through the lens of word choice lens for words
that prove he has an intense imagination. The story has phrases  
like “he saw himself,” ”thought about things seriously and so
fully.” This shows that Gabriel is almost like he's in
La-la land most of the time. He is always dreaming about
something different.

I also started thinking that what he was imagining, he must be
imagining really hard. I found that he was dreaming about

sleeping among the coyotes. This is proof that he is picturing
himself doing something else. Also, he was dreaming about
sleeping beneath the glittering lights of a movie theater near

the bus stop. My final piece of  evidence that supports that he
imagines things intensely is that he was imagining so hard he
nearly missed a cry from the streets. Usually, a person would

hear a cry and feel nervous, but he almost missed it because he

was so lost in thought.

Gabriel has a unique imagination. It is unique because he

dreams about such different things than other people and is

in his own world a lot.