Tag: Art

Writing by Don, age 11

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The Swirl Up
By Don

If oil were monsters,
Then radiation would be Bigfoot,
If monkeys were kids,
Then lions would be clowns.
If cars were cartoons,
Then go karts would be movies.
If yogurt were markers,
Then ice cream would be crayons.
If tennis balls were brains,
Then golf clubs would be ears.
If snakes were cupcakes,
Then tigers would be popsicles.
And I would eat them
and they would
taste
like frozen fury.

My American Name

My American name is Don Duy. “Don” means “great chief.” My dad named me that for no reason but it was a great name for me. I like my name because it was the name of a king of Viet Nam. My mom told me that.

My Vietnamese Name

My Vietnamese name is also Don Duy. It means “responsible dragon.” My dad named me this too. He chose this name because I’m like a warm hearted animal or creature who helps citizens or villagers. That would be a good day dream if that had really happened. My parents don’t get along so I don’t see my dad that much even though he named me. I miss my dad and sometimes I feel like one person alone.

My Name by Anna, age 11

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My American Name

Hi my name is Anna. I found out that my name means “joyful and merciful.” A nurse from San Francisco General Hospital named me. My parents liked the name because it was easy to remember. I like my name because it is a palindrome.

My Chinese Name

My chinese name is Fong Mei Na. My grandpa named me. The character for Fong is similar to the character for horse. My great-great grandfather’s last name used to be the character that means horse (ma). He worked for the governor and he was about to get killed so he moved to a far-away place and added two lines to the character for his name and it became the name Fong. This way he changed his identity and this is why I am a Fong. Mei means “have a good life” and “pretty.” Na means “have good things.” So my name means good things and good life and pretty. I was given this name because my grandpa wanted me to have a good life and things. I think I have a good life, but just a little bit because sometimes bad things happen to me.

The Stars that Blind Us by Tiana & Ivy, both age 11

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This “cycle story” by Tiana and Ivy is the first in a series by Room 2 kids inspired by the Argentinian folktale “The Sun and the Snow.”


Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
We are not heartless.
The fog is heartless,
That blocks us.

Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blinds us,
Why are you heartless?
I am not heartless,
The blowdrier is heartless,
that blows me away.

Blowdrier that blows away the fog,
Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
I am not heartless.
The blackout is heartless
that turns me off.

Blackout that turns off the blowdrier,
Blowdrier that blows away the fog,
Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
I am not heartless.
The wiring is heartless
that causes the blackout.

Wiring that causes the blackout,
Blackout that turns off the blowdrier,
Blowdrier that blows away the fog,
Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
I am not heartless.
The humans are heartless
who plug in too many things.

Humans who plug in too many things,
Wiring that causes the blackout,
Blackout that turns off the blowdrier,
Blowdrier that blows away the fog,
Fog that blocks the stars,
Stars that blind us,
Why are you heartless?
We are not heartless.
The stars are heartless
That blind us.

About the Authors

Hi my name is Tiana. I’m 11 years old and I live in San Franisico. I live with my three sisters, Mom, Dad, and my grandma. I like to ice skate on the weekends with my friends. I want to be good at art someday. When I grow up I want to be a lawyer. The thing that confuses me most is long words like narcisistic and photosynthesis. I wish that one day everyone in the world would get along with each other and never fight. The first book I wrote was When I Was Lost, second was I Hate My Life You, third was Hua Ying Mei, and I also wrote many poems.

Hi my name is Ivy. I am 11 years old and I live in San Francisco. I live with my Mom, Dad, Brother, my grandma, and grandpa. I like to play on my computer and read books at home. I want to be good at math when I get older. When I grow up I want to be Pharmacist. It confuses me when people ask a lot of questions like: How do your parents pay the rent? I wish that everybody were rich an lived a happy life and didn’t have to break in into peoples’ property. I am also the author of My Family, Yu Kun Yu, and many poems.

Writing by Nathan, age 10

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How to Destroy a Table

Step 1: Get an iron hammer.

Step 2: Get a metal chair.

Step 3: Get a heavy barbell.

Step 4: Get a table.

Step 5: Whack the table with the hammer. This will make a bump and a scratch.

Step 6: If that doesn’t work, try using the chair.

Step 7: If that doesn’t work, use the heavy barbell.

Step 8: Bring the table out onto sidewalk.

Step 9: Go upstairs to the top floor of your building and lean out the window and drop the barbell down onto the table.

Step 10: It will make a lot of damage.

Step 11: Check to see if the table is broken.

Step 12: If it’s still not broken, then go onto an airplane and crash into the table. This will mean suicide, but the table will be broken for sure.

Nails

If worms were germs,
then bugs would be slugs
If snails were nails,
then whales would be pails
If paper were glaciers,
then ice would be lice
If floods were guts,
then eyes would be fried,
and they would be crunchy
and it would be
hard
to see

Nathan

My American name is Nathan. It means “gift from the gods.” My father and my mother chose this name because they like the “th” sound. I like my name because I like to imagine I’m a gift from the gods and if someone unwrapped me I would be a toy gun. My Chinese name is Cheng Huan. It means “responsibility and see into the future.” It also means “happy, superior, successful and Chinese tradition.” My mother chose this name because she liked these ideas. I like this name because it reminds me of funerals. People who can see into the future know when everyone’s going to die.

Writing by Alina, age 10

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If Dogs Were People
By Alina

If dogs were people
then aliens would have voices
If books were giants
then onions would be flies
If bugs were buildings
then bears would be chairs
If buttons were medals
then windows would be tires
If erasers were skeletons
then paper would be shirts
So I would draw a self-portrait
and wear it
on a roller-coaster that goes
kind of slow
and kind of fast

Alina
By Alina

My name is Alina. It means “royal.” My mother named me Alina because she thinks the name is easy to call. I think my name fits me because it is easy to write and I think the sound of my name fits me because it reminds me of crickets and crickets remind me of me because they’re quiet. But my name also doesn’t fit me because I’m not into kings, queens or princesses.

My Chinese name is Wen Yu. It means “gets mad easily.” My parents chose it because they like it. When I asked them why they liked it, they just said they liked it. I think it fits me because it’s easy to say and I like easy words. But I also think it doesn’t fit me because I am usually calm. I get mad sometimes, but when I get angry I just go away from the person. I don’t brake things, throw things or yell at that person.

Writing by Tommy, age 10

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If Hair Were Snakes

If hair were snakes
then teeth would be scissors
If ears were flies
then mirrors would be maps
If wood were stone
then glue would be concrete
And I would use it
to paste together
robots
that serve
noodles

My American Name

My name is Tommy and my mom named me. Tommy means twin. My mom didn’t know my name had that meaning but I when I told her she said she wants me to have twins when I grow up.

My Chinese Name

My Chinese name is Ying Jie Min. It means “famous and smart.” My mom thought that I wouldn’t be smart when I grow up unless she gave me this name. I like my Chinese name because it makes it sound like I am a famous man inventing things.

Writing by Tiana, age 10

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If Play-doh Were Metal
By Tiana

If Play-doh were metal
then clay would be coal
If ants were sugar bowls
then monkeys would be milk crates
If needles were blood
then nails would be sea water
If bait were fish
then dollars would be humans
If Hawaii were angry
then California would be calm
If Mexico were the flu
then Norway would be frostbite
If scissors were crayons
then knives would be pastels
And I would pick them up carefully
and draw something
sharp

My American Name

On January 17, 1998 my mom gave birth to me. After a couple of hours a nurse came into my mom’s room asked her what was she going to name me. She didn’t know, so the nurse suggested a few names, including Tiana. My mom thought Tiana sounded great because it sounded easy to say. To me, a nurse naming me is intresting because I always thought parents had to pick the names for their children, not anyone else. I also like my name because it means “fairy queen.” If I were a fairy queen I would use my magic to fix the world and heal the dead. When I grow up I want to be a pharmacist and help people in need.

My Chinese Name

My Chinese name is Hong May Ting. It means beautiful. I hate my Chinese name because to me it’s not interesting or cool. Almost all parents want their daughters’ names to mean beautiful. I think other things are more important than beauty, like survival.

Writing by Catherine, age 10

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Twirly
By Catherine

If the sky were the ocean
then mice would fly
If cavemen were dizzy
then dogs would be cats
If bees were needles
then cockroaches would be pencils
If flowers were cows
then grass would be roosters
If shirts were plastic
then shoes would be metal
And I would lay in a meadow
and look up
and wait
until I get all wet

Pure
By Catherine

My name is Catherine Alexandra. My mom chose my first name and my dad chose my middle name. My mom named me Catherine because she saw the name in a book of baby names, and she liked it. My dad named me Alexandra because his middle name is Alexander. People think my name is spelled with a K so I always have to tell them it’s with a C. Some of my relatives call me Cathy and sometimes they call me Catherine with the Spanish pronunciation. My name means “pure.” When I think of the word “pure,” I think of emptiness, but I don’t feel empty. I feel full of kindness and creativity because I like to help and I like to do art.

Bullies Vs. Black T-shirt Kids by Don, age 11

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Chapter 1
Fight, Fight, Fight!

“Come on,” said Boxhead. “Show me what you got, wimpy.”

“I’m ready for my rematch,” said Gamer.

Boxhead ran to knock down a row of kids in black t-shirts then he saw a banana peel. He tried to stop but his legs just kept on going and he slipped on the peel, his feet twisted and he bumped his head on the ground. He got sent to the nurse then he headed to the principal’s office, tattling on the banana peel. He saw one more kid in a black t-shirt through a window in the hallway. Before another one of the bullies could punch the last survivor, the bell rang. Ding-ding, ding-ding.

“Aww,” said a boy who was in no one’s group. The kids called him…. well they just called him, The Man. He always exercised and beat up people all day, just like the bullies do, but sometimes he took a break by playing video games. Sometimes The Man would act normal then change his attitude. He might be acting crazy like a monkey, just like the kids in the black t-shirts did. Other times he would enter eating contests. Once he ate 900 corn dogs. He didn’t vomit. He only burped. So it was hard for him to choose which group he’d be in. He just had a table all by himself because the girls needed to be with other girls and the boys had to sit with other boys and everyone sat with their own clique. The Man didn’t have any buddy. But one day his life would change forever.

“So, The Man,” said Boxhead, “Who do you choose to be with?”

Chapter 2
I Don’t Know

Hmmmmmmmmmm, The Man thought, “I don’t know.”

“What!” said both the bullies and the black t-shirt kids. “You don’t know which one to join?!”

“Wait,” said The Man. “I think that there will be a winner in this war.”

“Dun-Dun-Dommmmm,” said a guy.

“Who agrees to fight in a war, right here, right now?” said The Man.

“We call team bullies,” said the bullies with some tough players.

“We call team Black t-shirts,” said the kids in the black t-shirts. They always threw gum and paper towels all over the bathroom.

“Great,” said The Man. “We all have teams.”

“But The Man didn’t pick a team yet,” said a kid. Now there was a bunch of commotion.

“Ha, that’s because I’m not a team player, you … well never mind, anyway, I’m the umpire of this war,” said The Man. “Anyway, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah and so on, this war is a water war, so let’s just begin!”

Chapter 3
Let the War Begin!

Both teams set up their bases and then The Man told everyone about the rules.

“Rule one,” he said. “We have a line here and if anyone crosses it, they’re out. Rule two: If you have any cheats in your backpack right now to trick people, throw them away now! Rule three: If anyone splashes water on me, they’re ou—“

“Will you get on with it!” yelled all the bullies.

“Yeah,” said the black t-shirt kids. “We have been standing here empty-handed for hours!”

“Ok, ok, enough!” said The Man. “Ok, when I say ‘go,’ you can begin. Go!”

Chapter 4
Splash!

Well, about half of the boys didn’t listen really carefully about the rules. They cheated by throwing balloons that made people turn into blocks of ice. The balloons were full of ice water if they were using Freezing Balloons, and Following Balloons were made using special remote control technology that had something to do with satellites, microchips, and electricity. How you work the Following Balloon is to first connect a long wire (when you have the time to rest) to the satellites, but it will make the person who owns the satellite get their favorite show to a fizzle. Next, disconnect the wire and place it on the remote control until all electricity data is complete. Then, this is a tricky one, try to stick the microchip inside the balloon while you blow air inside the balloon. When the chip is on, try to connect the remote control to the chip and get ready for excitement.

Both of the teams, Team Black T-shirt and Team Bullies, were afraid of the war and wanted to have The Man in their groups. So they had to use cheats to win the war quickly. One of the bullies was hit with cold, freezing water and got out. There were six people left from the Black T-shirt kids and five people from the Bullies. Then they had a lunch break to eat lunch for an hour. Some crossed the line and other made The Man wet. His mother came out of a bath store with extra supplies for home and headed to Firebird Elementary School. But before she opened the gate, she saw The Man all wet. So she raced through the gate and took The Man home to go take a bath about ten times. You see that’s why it’s important to have your ears turned on. The boy from the Black T-shirt team who threw the balloon at The Man was out! They should have listened to the rules! The next round will be Round two. This was the juiciest war ever!

Chapter 5
Bummer

“Take that,” said Boxhead, who threw a balloon on one of the Black T-shirt kids.

“You’re out,” said The Man.

“Bummer,” said Boxhead. Then two balloons splashed two bullies.

“Out,” said The Man, “Oh and double bummers!”

“Wah,” cried the two bullies.

“Time out,” said The Man. Everyone, except for the two bullies who got hit in the head and cried liked big fat goo-goo gaga babies, went to eat a delicious, healthy, crunchy snack. When they finished eating, the Black T-shirt Kids had two kids still alive. The Bullies had only one person—that was Boxhead. Hooray- I mean, poor not guilty, independent, weak, useless, non-cheapskate, horrible, too many adjectives to describe this noun called bullies. But this wasn’t over yet.

Chapter 6
Escape

The Man was now completely nervous. Now listen carefully, I won’t repeat it again. “First, I’ll won’t call myself The Man anymore,” The Man said. “I could call myself, umm… … maybe I’ll call myself …” sigh. “Mr. Chilly Boy. Second, I would go through a sewer to get out of this strange state. Last, I will write a note. It will say, Sorry but I’ve abandoned you for the rest of your life, Ciao.

Chapter 7
Noooooo!

“Hey, who is Mr. Chilly Boy?” said Boxhead, puzzled about the name change.

“Must be The Man,” said Gamer. “Who would… hey, he abandoned us!”

“Nooooo!” yelled Boxhead.

“Would you like some water?” said an unknown girl.

“Yesssss!” yelled Gamer. “It’s because I’m really thirstyyyy!”

“Let’s get that traitorrrrrr!” said all of the boys.

Chapter 8
Questions & Answers

1.How will Mr. Chilly Boy escape?
2.When will this madness end?
3.Who was that girl?
4.Why am I asking you all these questions? I’ve never even met you before.

1. Mr. Chilly Boy will need to get some people to help him escape from the angry mob of boys.
2. The madness will continue or end soon.
3a. The unknown girl is one of Mr. Chilly Boy’s siblings.
3b. She’ll be in my next story.
4. I won’t answer the last question because I don’t want to be mean to the god or the angels anyway.

About the Author

Hello, my name is Don and I’m eleven and I live in an apartment in San Francisco with my mom. And this is my fifth published book. My other books are The Iceman, The Boy Who Brought Back Winter, Bus Stop Fight, and My Mom. What I like to do is to play my DS a lot. I’m really good at math and basketball. I want to be good at baseball someday. I want to be a math teacher when I grow up. If I were an animal, I would be a tiger because I was born in the year of the tiger. My first, middle, and last name start with the letter D so some people call me triple D. My biggest fear is hiking and bugs (don’t use the bug to scare me). I wonder if the next earthquake is coming soon.