The Christmas of Hupuon and Shanna

                    

After Hupuon and Shanna  woke up, they raced downstairs. It was Christmas and they couldn’t wait to see what their presents were. Their parents sleepily trudged downstairs. Come on, Hurry up, we need to get to the living room, shouted Hupuon. He pulled mom down the stairs while Shanna  pulled dad. When their parents were down, Hupuon followed Shanna  to the living room.

They reached the tree, but there were no presents. Aww they yelled and began searching the house. They looked upstairs, no presents. Shanna  searched downstairs; none. Hupuon searched in the playroom, living room, work room, and kitchen; nothing. Lets look outside Shanna  said. They looked behind bushes. They went to the front lawn. How about the backyard? Hupuon called. The siblings went there, found nothing, and decided to ask their neighbors. Not on person answered; they were opening their presents. Finally Hupuon and Shanna  went inside for a snack.

Let’s keep looking, Hupuon said, after their snack was over. They walked around the neighborhood. They hoped to see Santa and ask him where their presents were. They did anything but give up hope. Not long after, their feet were tired. I’m going to get my electric bike from the garage said Hupuon. Then we can continue searching. I’ll get mine too, said Shanna . Suddenly they forgot how tired their legs were. We haven’t searched the garage! Maybe our presents are their! ; they shouted waking up their neighborhood. Angry neighbors were standing on their front porches, while Hupuon and Shanna  were racing to the garage. When they reached, their presents were right in the garage. Let’s bring them upstairs! Hupuon and Shanna  exclaimed happily. They dumped their presents under the Christmas tree.

Right away, Hupuon and Shanna  unwrapped their presents. Shanna  opened a present. The dollhouse I’ve always wanted; I finally have it!; Shanna  screamed! Hupuon opened one of his. The most popular video game in the world! The one I’ve always wanted! ; Hupuon squealed! Shanna  took one next. 15 dolls! My favorite ones! ; Shanna  yelped! Hupuon reached for one with his name on it. A really good lego set! It has 100 people! Wait, this is the biggest set in the world! Thank you Santa! Hupuon hollered into the sky; hoping to reach Santa’s workshop! Shanna  grabbed a rectangular box. A new version of my broken flying helicopter! Only my parents know I love these, Shanna  thought! Wait, mom and dad, did you give me this?! Before mom or dad could answer, Hupuon snached a box. The newest board game! Hupuon screeched before doing his happy dance! Only two boxes were left. Shanna  saw one with her name on it and took it. A popular sweater! Only popular girls wear this! Now I can join their group! Shanna  howled like a wolf! Hupuon reached for the last box and took it. A sweater! There’s a group than only befriends people with this sweater! Now I’m gonna have millions of friends!; Hupuon screamed! Before they could stop themselves, they yelped together, these are the best presents in the world!

Hupuon and Shanna  were finally going to bed. As they brushed their teeth they remembered all the amazing presents they had got. They forgot all the bad days before an the nightmares they had been through. The only thought they still had in their brain was today; the best Christmas ever. They thought one last thought as they put on their new sweaters. This was truly the luckiest day anyone would ever have. Soon they were sound asleep, dreaming of today the day they would never forget, ever, ever,& ever.

My School Writing Competition (I didn't win, but I still like my entry.)

What Makes A Good Mystery?

“Hello everyone!” says my teacher. Get ready to learn what makes a good mystery!

First, describe the detective and the culprit early in the book.

            Michael (detective)           Rody (criminal)

Second, introduce the crime earlier, and then build on it before starting to solve.

“Oh no” Greg says to Michael. I can’t find the money  I had in my locker! Now I won’t be able to buy the luxury car I planned to gift my parents on their 30th anniversary. Will you help me find my money? “Oh, my jewelry from another locker is missing as well!” “Oh no” says Greg, looking in his bag for his dog collar. Now that’s missing as well!

Third, take forever to identify the culprit.

Greg tells Michael, “I searched everyone's houses who could have the money and the other missing items, and nobody had it. Only one house I've missed; Rody’s.” “What?” Michael asks. “Rody’s my best friend.”

Fourth, the detective should not be the criminal.  

As I read the ‘A Jigsaw Jones Mystery’ series by James Preller, I found it contained all the five elements of a good mystery. I love James Preller’s books! So do we!

By Riya Tyagi

Book Review: My Side of the Mountain

This book is about a boy named Sam Gribley that runs away from home into the mountains. One day he had told his father he would go to the Gribley’s land far away in the mountains and that’s what he did. After running away Sam came across a library. He found a book with maps of the Gribley’s land and copied its maps onto a piece of paper. When he reached the place, it was in wrecks.  

Sam followed his path back to the mountains. After a little while he built a hook to catch trout in the water, lit a fire, then cooked the fish he caught, and finally found a place to sleep in between boulders. The next morning as he was climbing the mountain, he found a pet falcon whom he named Frightful.

At the top of the mountain, as Frightful and Sam were roaming, they found a home in a tree. Together, they hunted fish, crabs, clams, mussels, rabbits, and birds. Not long after, Sam killed a deer and used its hide to make a suit. In his home town, Sam was known as the wild boy!

Can Sam survive in the mountains? Will he ever come home? Will home come to him? Will people find out where he lives? Make your predictions; read the book and enjoy Sam’s experience in the mountains.

Writing Girl (WG)

My Side of the Mountain

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The Firsts: My Magic act

It was February 5th 2015, the day of my first ever magic performance at my school’s annual variety show.

I have always been fascinated by magicians and how tactfully they handle the tricks, make people laugh at times, and leave them in awe other times. I asked my dad if he can teach me magic. That weekend, I noticed a delivery packet at my door step. To my surprise, I found it was a magic kit by Chris Angel. Hooray!

Over the next few weeks, I practiced a few tricks. I finally decided to use my magic to print some money and double it, poke holes in the bills and fix the holes.

The day had arrived. As soon as we reached, I was taken to the green room, and I was feeling quite excited. I couldn't wait for the show to begin, and chatted with my friends to pass the time.

In what I thought was a second, it was my turn. I confidently walked up on stage and began performing my act. The spotlight was in my eyes and I could not see anything except my props. As slowly as I possibly could, I went through my act, causing roars of laughter from the audience as I interacted with them and delivered my tricks. As time went by, I began to feel shy during the performance. Though, when I saw the video of my act later on, I didn’t appear to be shy; I was relieved.

Not long after, I went to sit with my parents in the audience. I was amazed by the acts that followed mine. A second grader with a really hard piano song, a group of people with glow in the dark costumes playing soccer and other varieties.

After the show was over, the fifth graders did a finale and passed out candy, gloves and feathery scarfs. The variety show had been better than anything I did this year (the ski trip was pretty close too). As I drove back home, I thought about my different feelings at different times; excited and impatient before the show, confident and shy during the show, relieved and satisfied after the show.   

If you didn’t know about Chris Angel, he grew up on Long Island just a few miles from where I lived for three years! He developed an interest for magic at the age of seven and performed his first show at twelve. He got paid ten dollars for that show. His main role model was Harry Houdini. Angel's first major illusion was making his mother float in the family den! He has said that, "I stayed away from magicians when I was younger because I didn't want to think like them and wanted to create my own style." Learn more about Chris Angel here.

You can see the video of my act here: Riya’s Magic show

Writing Girl (WG)

The magician in action!

Series Review: The Underland Chronicles

One sad evening, I had to go for my music lesson when my brother could go to the library instead. However, when he returned with a bagful of books, I saw a book’s cover page that read ‘The Underland Chronicles’. Looking at it, I knew this book was for me, and that very evening, I started reading.

In the first book, ‘Gregor, the Overlander’, the main character Gregor follows his two year old sister Boots down to the laundry room, when they fall through a grate to the Underland; a world beneath Earth. Now their mom would be alone with their grandmother and sister Lizzie. The kids dad had disappeared two and a half years earlier.

After the fall, Boots and Gregor met some friendly cockroaches that took them to the Underland stadium. At the stadium two people named Vikus and Solovet took Gregor and his sister to the palace. Not long after, Gregor asked Vikus if his dad had fallen down the grate. Yes, he replied. Not long after, Vikus took Gregor to a Prophecy Room, where he heard the prophecy that Gregor was a warrior who would solve the Underlands problems.

Soon Gregor, Luxa the queen, Boots, and Luxa’s cousin Henry set off on a quest to find Gregor’s dad. Will they succeed or not? Will Gregor actually solve all the Underlands problems? Read the book to find out and spend some time with Gregor and his Underland friends.

In the second book, ‘Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane’, Gregor learns that a 12 feet tall white rat, the Bane, is going to destroy the Underland; so Gregor is sent to kill it. But in the Labyrinth, where the rat is hidden, in a fight, Gregor hears the words “Don’t” from another rat before it dies. Will Gregor really kill the Bane?

In the third book, ‘Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods’, Gregor hears that a curse will kill all the warmbloods in the Underland. He is sent on a quest to find the cure. But is the quest really the key to stop the warmbloods death?

In the fourth book, ‘Gregor and the Marks of Secret’, Gregor, Luxa, and their bats, discover that rats are killing all the mice. They go on a secret quest to find out why the rat’s wanted to kill the mice. Will the friends be able to stop the mice from dying, before they are extinct?

In the fifth and the final book, ‘Gregor and the Code of Claw’, the friends tell all the people in the palace about the mice’s death, and together they try to find a way to keep the mice alive. Also, Gregor is sent to kill the Bane, the leader of the Underland’s problems. A prophecy says, that Gregor will die trying to kill this enormous rat. Can he kill the Bane without dying himself?

The Underland is an ancient world with many wars. Be tough hearted to deal through the pain and deaths in this book. If you can handle that, the plot in this series will take you to emotional rides that is exciting, intimidating, suspicious, and fun; all one after the other.

Writing Girl (WG)