Valentina wrote this essay while pursuing her Girl Scout writer's badge. She teaches us about the situation of the homeless in her city of Los Angeles with compassion and understanding with a solution-based approach.
Read MoreNo Homework by Leila
Leila has some strong and wise reasons why schools need to give less homework. She wrote this concise, well-reasoned essay while pursuing her Girl Scout writer's badge. Isn't it time for schools to listen to the wisdom of the students like Leila?
Read MorePosting Pictures by Isabella
Isabella wrote this compelling essay on a modern day issue while pursuing her Girl Scout writer's badge. Given the strength of her arguments and convictions we think she is well on her way to law school or a degree in public policy.
Read MoreThe Yuma Indians by Maya
learn about the Yuma from Maya, a young writer in Los Angeles
Read MoreOn Gentrification by Olivia
a young writer explores the dynamics of gentrification happening in her Los Angeles neighborhood
Read MoreOn Pollution by Amelia E
Amelia wrote this wonderful essay while pursuing her Girl Scout writer's badge. She is well on her way to making the world a better place. Follow her advice and you can make the world a better place, too.
Read MoreFriendship
a short beautiful story of how two forest animals meet and become friends
Read MoreThe Ghost of the Future
by Abbey
Once there was a porcupine. Her name was Disco. She was a very brave porcupine. Once day she was going to the attic to get her toy she had left there yesterday. When she was in the attic, she saw something she had never seen before. It looked like a brown washing machine. Disco looked closer, then she realized it was time machine! Now Disco was very curious. She stepped into the time machine and all of a sudden she felt different. She realized she had gone back in time, to when her Dad was younger. Then she saw two other porcupines, who said:
“Hi, I’m Christina and this is Tom.”
“Hi!” Tom said. “We will help you with your mission.”
“What mission?” Disco asked.
“Right now in your time, your world is being invaded by evil dingoes. We’ve brought you here to help your Dad, so you don’t get killed. So just help convince your Dad that those dingoes are evil,” said Christina.
“Okay,” said Disco.
Then Disco stepped out of the time machine. She saw her Dad looking out of the window. When she saw what her Dad was looking at, she became frightened. He was looking out the window. When she saw what her Dad was looking at, she became frightened. Her dad was looking at evil dingoes. Evil dingoes are dingoes but they are evil. They look like a mix between a tiger and dingo but their fur is much lighter.
“Hi!” Disco said to her dad.
“Hi! Who are you?” asked her Dad, Julio.
“I’m Disco. I’ve been sent here to help you fight those evil dingoes out there.”
Julio laughed. “That is such a funny joke,” he said.
“This is no joke,” Disco said. “I’m serious.”
“But those dingoes out there are my friends,” said Julio.
“That’s not true. Those dingoes feed on love and one day they’ll be strong enough to invade the world,” said Disco.
“How can you prove it?” asked Julio.
“I guess you will just have to see for yourself,” said Disco.
Then Disco remembered that once, somewhere, she had seen a map and that on the bottom of the map it said San Franpricko, where Dad lived when he was little.
Then Julio said to Disco, “You can sleep at my house tonight.:
“Okay,” said Disco.
That night Disco had a vision of the map and where it was. In the morning Disco knew where to go to find the map . . . in her basement. The next morning Disco decided to sneak onto a boat that was going to where she lived. No one ever saw her. When she got to her house, she saw a different family living there. She walked up to another porcupine that was about her age.
“Hi, I’m Disco. Who are you?”
“My name is Theresa. Do you want to have a tea party in my basement?”
Disco was happy she asked. “Of course I do,” Disco said.
When they were done with their tea party Disco looked around the basement. Finally she found the map to the treasure that would help her help Julio. She quickly took the map and said to Theresa, “I better get going.”
“Okay,” Theresa said.
Disco snuck on the boat that was going to the San Franpricko mountains. Then she followed the map to the tallest mountain ever. She couldn’t believe she had to hike to the top of it. When she was finally to the cave with the treasure in it, she heard a voice. The voice said, “Who goes there?”
Disco shot back, “I, Disco, does.”
“Why are you here?” the voice asked.
“To find the treasure of the future,” Disco said.
Then the shadows on the wall disappeared and out came a beautiful ghost lady. “I’m the ghost of the future,” she said.
“Will you come with me to stop the dingoes?” Disco asked.
“I’m afraid I can’t,” said the ghost of the future.
“Why?” Disco asked.
Then another voice said, “You must battle me first. I’m the Keeper of the ghost of the future.”
So Disco battled and battled. It took a lot of hard work but finally Disco won. She was very proud of herself.
“You are a very strong porcupine,” said the Keeper.
“Thank you,” said Disco.
Disco and the ghost of the future ran out of the mountain, took a boat back to San Franpricko city and ran back to Julio’s house. Then Disco showed the Julio the ghost of the future. The ghost of the future said:
“I will show you the future and why you need to stop those evil dingoes out there.”
The ghost of the future showed Julio what would happen and Julio became convinced that the dingoes were evil. For the second time, Disco battled and battled but this time it was the dingoes she battled. When she finally beat the dingoes an amazing thing happened. A light shone over the dingoes and they became good dingoes. When the evil dingoes were defeated, Disco knew that her mission was over. Disco said goodbye to Julio and went back to her time where no more evil dingoes were invading.
The Double-Headed Dragon
by Jack
Once there was double-headed dragon who flew over the city. He wanted to rule the land. He flew around trying to kill anything that could fly with the fire from his mouth. Then one day the dragon was getting tired of chasing animals so he made a castle. He had baby dragons for knights. One day they started making a potion which attracted a teradactyl. The teradactyl went to the castle and tried to attack but the knights attacked it back. The big dragon chased the teracactyl around with his knights until it got so tired that it couldn’t fly anymore. The dragon and his knights put the teradactyl in a chamber. The birds came to help the teradactyl. The birds pecked on the chain that the teradactyl was tied to and the chain opened and the dragon decided he couldn’t rule the land after all.
The Boy in the Bathroom
by Emery
Once there was a girl named Sally. She was on vacation with her family. She asked her parents if she could get a necklace. Her parents said, “Yes you can.” Sally got a necklace that was made out of pearls. She went to school the next day. She is a girl who often misplaces stuff. She went to the bathroom and dropped her necklace. There was a boy who did not know the girls bathroom from the boys. The boy was named Travis. When Travis walked into the girls’ restroom he saw the necklace and put it on. As soon as he put on the necklace he TURNED INTO A GHOST! He got really mad and wanted to capture all girls, especially Sally. All the girls were too scared to go into the bathroom while Travis’ ghost was there. When Sally walked in Travis chased Sally. Sally fell on her back and pulled off the necklace off Travis. Travis screamed and disappeared. Sally threw the necklace away. There were no more boys in the bathroom.
The End
Life of Lyra
one recent orphan plus one magic wand starts the series of adventures by young writer Ms. Isabel
Read MoreIt's Great To Be A Kid
there's no hurry to grow up when you know it's great to be a kid
Read MoreZoophabet Poetry
a day trip to the zoo is a new kind of school, Radical Radish style
Read MoreTo Be A Tree To Be A Turtle
Climb a tree. Be a tree. Write like a tree.
Read MoreA Day At Descanso
A day at Descanso Gardens is a beautiful day. Just ask these kids.
Read MoreI Wonder
~ ever wonder if little people think big thoughts? .
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