Wednesday, November 29, 2006

another haiku

another haiku
by Annie (age 9)

sparrow hiding in
the branches and brambles of
the thick green hedgerow

Friday, November 17, 2006

a haiku

a haiku
by Annie (age 9)

rotting milkweed lies
on the ground despairingly
silky flowers fly

Monday, October 23, 2006

Colors of Nature

Colors of Nature
by Annie (age 9)

Rainbow shines across the sky
Glimmering in the mist
Seven colors way up high
Once gone, it will be missed.

Falling leaves swirl round and round
Yellow, orange, brown, and red
Some of them will touch the ground
Some will land upon my head.

Aurora borealis, way up north
Shimmering in the night
Like snakes slithering back and forth
In the sky so bright.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

A Thunderstorm

A Thunderstorm
by Annie (age 9)

A storm is raging in the night.
The ground is soft and wet.
The cat is shaking in a fright,
While the mice squeak and fret.

The thunder's deep and rumbling boom,
The lightning's blinding flash,
Makes a confusion in my room.
I'm caught in Nature's fearsome clash.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Wind

Wind
by Annie (age 9)

Sailing through the tops of trees
Gently now, I'm at ease.
I race below a moonlit star
Reminds me of galaxies near and far.
Where they are, I cannot say.
No time to chat, got work today.

I must race around the world
Through trees twisted and leaves twirled.
Though what the reason, I cannot say,
Yes, oh yes, there's work today.

Even though there's work to do,
With a single thrust, I'm there for you.
I swirl around your big tree,
I laugh and howl for your family.
If you dare to try to race me,
I'll leave you in the dust, you see.

I fly, I fly, I fly so free
Cheer and smile and dance with me.
For I'm the wind, no time to play...
Work to do, work today.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Wolf and Mouse

Wolf and Mouse
by Annie (age 9)

Wolf is sleeping in the night
While mouse watches, eyes wide in fright
For he knows he must pass by,
If home is where he wants to lie.
But sleeping wolf opens one eye
As mouse tries to scurry by.
Silent wolf sits in the snow
For what the sound is he must know.
There is no hope for little mouse
Who'll never again see his little house.
He spies wolf with jaws opened wide.
They will not say he never tried.

Monday, May 01, 2006

another spelling story

Annie's homework assignment for today was to write a story using her spelling words for this week. She wrote as if writing the description on a book jacket. I wish I was a fraction as clever as she is!

This week's words:
lambent, blatherskite, wistfully, invertebrate, strategy, pediatrician, excitement, seethe, numerous, prominent, iridescent, cerulean, throughout, leisurely, extraordinary, humorous


This is the story of a rather humorous girl, a friendly pediatrician, and a cerulean invertebrate.

The girl, Ti, and her companion Patty, a prominent pediatrician, embark on a quest to free an important item from an evil blatherskite. The item, The Lambent Orb, an iridescent sphere, was once guarded by the Cerulean Star, an invertebrate. But she has been put to sleep. The duo comes up with a strategy to save the orb. Throughout the not-so-leisurely adventure, the seething blatherskite makes numerous attempts to murder Ti, but always fails. In the end, when the orb is retrieved, he wistfully dies of anger.

"What an extraordinary tale full of excitement!" --The New York Times

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Orphan

*by Annie (April 2006, age 8)

I love you,
Yes I do.
If only you loved me.

Yes, if I was a loved one,
I would surely shout "Yippee!"

But I am not,
I'm just a dot

in the background.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

The Subterranean Gnome

Just a cute little story Annie wrote for her homework assignment tonight. The assignment was to use each of her spelling words to write a story. (And no, these aren't your typical 3rd grade spelling words. She gets her own individual list.)

The words: isolated, guarantee, chartreuse, cautious, gnome, smorgasbord, subterranean, succinct, pesticide, persnickety, raspberry, nemesis, querulous, rancid, considerable, announcement


The Subterranean Gnome
*by Annie (March 2006, age 8)

Once there was a community of subterranean gnomes. They all were inquisitive, but one in particular was always getting into trouble. I guarantee you, he went on an adventure at least once a week. A considerable amount of these adventures had been dangerous. The most renowned of these journeys was on an isolated island...

It was the Gnometown Annual Meeting. All the gnomes were feasting on a smorgasbord of gnome food while listening to a succinct announcement made by the Gnometown mayor. He was very persnickety about how the new library was to be built. The gnome's siblings were getting awfully querulous during the speech, and Piksnick, the gnome himself, was getting antsy. He edged away from his plate of rancid chartreuse raspberries and darted away. His parents were so engrossed in the speech they didn't even notice.

Dodging the small areas sprayed with pesticide, he zoomed down a small hill, abruptly stopping as he reached a hot spring. A gnome-sized sailboat was right there in front of him. Piksnik hopped into it and paddled away. He sighted a large predatory fish. This was to be his nemesis. Cautiously dodging the fish's jaws, he crash-landed on a small rock, his boat shattering into pieces. Watching with despair as the boat sank, he realized he was stuck on the rock.

Suddenly, a voice shouted out, "Grab the rope." The faint image of a rope appeared in the distance. As it got closer, Piksnik snatched it, and was pulled across the water. As he looked at his rescuer, he realized it was his dad!

Do you think Piksnik was in trouble after he returned? Yes, but that's another story...

Friday, March 24, 2006

Flowers of Spring

by Annie (summer 2005, age 8)

Three types of flowers
gather in the gardens today.
First, the daisy,
wild and free,
petals like a lion's mane.
Second, the rose,
so mysterious, so beautiful,
its fierce thorns protect it in battle.
Third, the dandelion,
lets go of its children early
when the first breeze comes.
Three types of flowers
gather in the gardens today.
Let me hope,
that they will stay.

Spring Inside and Out

*by Annie (April 2005, age 8)

Spring outside is fun and sun,
picking flowers,
light spring showers,
But spring inside is gloomy and gray,
that's not the way to spend
the day...
Especially in Spring!

The Globe

*by Annie (winter 2005, age 7)

Round.
Lots of colors.
All the countries
around the world
in our
hands.

Sadness

*by Annie (December 2005, age 8)

All I live with is death and fear,
So I shed one single tear.
I cannot watch that last tear fall,
As I give up on it all.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

At the End of the Rainbow

*by Annie (March 2006, age 8)

Yuji had always hoped to see the end of the rainbow, and now he FINALLY had his chance. It was Saturday, he was free, and a rainbow had just appeared over the horizon. Yuji decided to follow that rainbow to the end.

The road leading to the end of the rainbow was perilous. Yuji would have to cross the Death River, pass through the Dark Forest, and confront the most horrible foe imaginable--the Slithering Serpent. Yuji did not know of these perils.

Yuji wanted to start immediately. He packed a week's supply of food and drink, a flashlight for traveling in the dark, and a sleeping bag. He thought he was ready, but that was only what he THOUGHT.

It had been an hour since Yuji had set off. He was exhausted, but tried not to show it. Suddenly, the leaves on the trees started rustling. "Ai Ai Ai Ai Ai!!" A weird-looking creature shot out of the trees. (Well, Yuji was in fantasyland.)

"Who are you?!" Yuji questioned the creature.

"Nayr, Nayr!" the creature squeaked. Obviously, it couldn't speak.

"I'll call you Nayr," Yuji proclaimed.

Nayr climbed onto Yuji's shoulder. "You want to come along with me?" Yuji asked. Nayr nodded. Yuji now had a cute, furry companion to accompany him. (He was kind of ugly, but cute all the same.)

A couple of minutes later, they reached danger #1. The Death River. Yuji stared. "What is this?!" he spat.

"Nayr," Nayr peeped. He frantically waved his hands around, then pointed to the river.

"Hmm...river?" Yuji asked.

Nayr nodded, then fell to the ground.

"Death?" Yuji impatiently guessed.

Nayr clapped his paws and nodded again.

"River of Death!" Yuji gasped. He and Nayr would have to cross that river to get to the end of the rainbow. The whole thing was raging rapids, and Yuji could see an enormous shadow under the water.

This was the bravest thing Yuji had EVER done. He stepped into the wild waters of the Death River.

He was surprised by how warm the water was. It was also extremely shallow. Then he looked under him. He was on the back of a huge creature. Suddenly, it jumped up. Yuji clung on with all his might. The creature spoke, "I am Einna!"

Einna snapped at Yuji and Nayr, "Get OFF of me!" Yuji reluctantly let go. He fell into the rapids. Nayr squeaked.

"Nayr!" Yuji cried. Nayr had fallen off and was being swept away. But Yuji HAD to keep going on the path. He would have to leave Nayr. Then Einna suddenly dove down into the water. She came back a minute later carrying Nayr. Nayr chattered excitedly.

"I wish to accompany you," Einna said.

Yuji thought for a minute. "Sure, but won't you miss the water?"

"Are you kidding?!" Einna laughed. "I'm made out of water!"

Yuji stared at her. "You are not an animal?"

"Of course I am," Einna snapped. "But my tail stores water, so it feels like I'm in water everywhere."

"Oh," Yuji said. It did not make sense, but...oh, whatever!

When the traveling trio climbed onto the muddy bank, they were gasping for breath. "That wasn't much of a death river," remarked Yuji.

"Only because I was there to help you!" laughed Einna.

Yuji snarled, "Oh, I did not NEED your help, but was nice enough to accept it!!"

"Is that so?" Einna teased. Yuji blushed bright red. "Thought so," she laughed.

"Humph!" Yuji stuck his nose in the air and led the group onward. Little did he know that Nayr was going to be the next hero.

Yuji began complaining as night started falling. "We are never going to reach the end of the rainbow!"

"Stop complaining already," spat Einna crossly.

Yuji was quiet then. In fact, all was quiet. They reached the Dark Forest just as night was falling. Yuji gulped. "Er...should we wait until morning to in THERE?!"

Einna unhappily nodded, but Nayr angrily shook his head. He chittered furiously at Einna.

"He says that if we stay out here, the ghosts will get us while we are in a deep sleep!"

Yuji didn't want to admit that Nayr was right, but he was!

"Nayr has a strategy. If we think happy thoughts, the ghosts cannot harm us!"

Yuji sighed, "All right, if we HAVE to go..."

Nayr smiled at Yuji. Then they headed into the spooky forest.


A day later...
Yuji opened his eyes. He couldn't believe it was morning, and he had made it. The ghosts had put them to sleep by lulling them. But still they were happy. They passed through the Dark Forest easily.

But now they had to face the ultimate peril! The Slithering Serpent...


"AAH! I can't believe I ever fell for this!" the self-confidant Yuji screamed.

Xam's tail was wrapped snuggly around Yuji. Yuji had to escape the serpent's tail, or crush it. Einna warned him that he would be up against an extremely formidable foe. If he survived, he would see a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Yuji thought for a minute. The serpent was evil. So maybe...he should think good thoughts! He thought of the rainbow and of his new friends. Slowly, he began feeling stronger. He broke through the serpent's rough, textured scales.

"Yaaa...you defeated me...aargh! Ugh!" And blink! Flash! The Slithering Serpent was gone.

Finally, Yuji reached his goal, the end of the rainbow. Einna stared nervously at Nayr when Yuji demanded the pot of gold. But Yuji already knew in his heart...there was no pot of gold.

O.K., so maybe Yuji didn't get his pot of gold, but the important thing was that he had had fun, and he had made new friends. No treasure could beat that!