What If?

Poem by Gbemi O., 8th Grade

What if I was alone?

What if I wanted a warm home?

What if you didn't care?

What if I had lots to share?

What if I loved you?

What if this was the end?

What if I knew you hated me?

What if I knew deep down you had faith in me?

What if I didn't know?

What if I hadn't been shown?

What if I cried?

What if I had no pride?

What if my self- esteem was low?

What if I had no one to show?

What if i didn't know?

What if all i could do was write poems?

What if I didn't need him?

What if all of this was for a good reason?

The Medieval Paper

By Brennan K., Grade 6

The Crusade is pointless. The Crusaders should be more Christian-like and ask politely if they could share the Holy Land. If they had thought about what they were going to do, like maybe killing many people, they would know they were breaking the commandment (Thou Shalt Not Kill) and will be sent to Hell.

The Crusade is happening because of greed. The Christians are forgetting all about their beliefs and practices and are going after the Holy Land. Greed is destroying their common sense and self control. Greed is also urging the Crusaders to conquer foreign lands. Its like kids and their toys: they forget about everything else and all they can think about is the new toy at the market. The Holy Land is just like that new toy. The greed is pulling the Crusaders to the Holy Land the same as the toy entices the child. The Crusade is pointless because it is a waste of time, men and money.

A Cup of Milk in Space and Cookies in a Girl’s Hand

This story is featured in Houston, We Have a Poem, now available in The Boring Store!
By Lee’nisha P., Grade 4

There was a girl who went to space because she had science homework. The girl went to space and the cookies said to the milk, “I hate it when we fight.”

The milk said, “I forgive you.”

Then the cookies went back to the milk, and they lived happily ever after. If you are in space and you eat cookies, you will float and your cookies will float too.

Black Holes

This poem is featured in Houston, We Have a Poem, our newest chapbook. The book celebrates Prom Hanks and National Poetry Month. Tevin Y. wrote this poem to commemorate both, combining poetry with Apollo 13. Stop into The Boring Store to pick up your copy. 

By Tevin Y., Grade 2


Black holes are
treacherous,
and not very
colorful.
If I were
to meet
one,
I’d…
and
my mind
would go…
…
blank.

How I Would Change 826

This superb piece is featured in George Washington Hopscotch, our newest chapbook. Stop into The Boring Store to pick up your copy.
By Josephine F., Grade 5

1. Paint the room green and orange.
2. Put a swirly slide in.
3. An organizer (AKA file cabinet).
4. Mini cards, for kids.
5. A girls bathroom and boys bathroom.
6. Lots of cookies and cakes.
7. A homework machine.
8. A spa for girls (maybe boys)
9. A game room for boys. And girls.

Pony Kid

By Catherine G., 2nd Grade

Once upon a time there was a kid named Pony Kid. She is a pony and she is seven years old. Her favorite game is Outburst. She plays it in the backyard under an oak tree. The next morning, she went outside to play Outburst but the oak tree was knocked over! That was her favorite tree. She felt sad when her favorite tree got knocked down. When she was about to go in the house, a wizard appeared. He said: "You must go on a quest!" He gave her a map, and he said: "Remember to get away from the ogre."

She went to a river far from the house. The river was magical. She saw everything but the tree. She took a space ship to the moon, and then she had magic powers. And then she went home and she fixed the tree. She was very happy.

My Life History

By Gbemi O., Peabody Elementary School

My life....
This a pain all in one thing that i can't really experss how i feel
I wouldn't really say I'm stuck but that's how real it feels
I don't really know were I'll end up in another 10 to 15 years from now
I tried to understand why but it really hurts inside
I can't really discover why but it really hurts inside
Sorrow and pain, crying and dying
It's what it is, live your life I live mine
Death or happiness

Never forget how much i loved you

By: Gbemi O. Peabody Elementary school
Never forget the time you told me you had feelings
You were always on my mind all this time i didn't know what to say i was... speechless
I tried to tell you how i feel but deep down i felt something real it was... you!
I saw you playing with my best friend and i asked" Who's that"? you told that's you're gurl
I got curious never knowing furious
I cried and tried i thought it was really understandable that probably we just don't belong
The next day you said hey i didn't say nothing hey again and i said i didn't wanna play this game because in the beginning you told me you had feelings but never knowing with reasons!

George Washington: Facts

By Brennan K., Grade 6

• George Washington never had any hair
• He is actually very short.
• He wears stilts.
• He wears brown lipstick.
• He has a whole room full of wigs.
• We can exclusively reveal: He never knew how to read.

Abraham Lincoln: Facts

By Alyssa M., 5th Grade

Hello Rihanna

This superb collaboration is featured in Meauh Shakes & Milk Sharks, our newest chapbook. Stop into The Boring Store to pick up your copy.

By Clevonte H. (Grade 6), Bryan M. (Grade 4), and Dory Trimble (826CHI Intern)

I said, "Hello Rihanna, how are you?" She said, "Good, how about you?" "Fantastic," I said. Rihanna's new album Rated R is good; bad, because she has some curse words in the songs, but the vocals are personal. I wish she had her own show, a singing show. She could sing, play games, and let people come on stage. One day, Beyonce came to the show. Rihanna said, "OMG! She is going to be on my show. I'm so happy." At first I thought they did not get along. I found out I was wrong.
One day, Rihanna and Beyonce went to the park. Then they went for a walk and picked their favorite song. Rihanna chose "Diva." Beyonce liked "Wait Your Turn." They both argued about the songs. Beyonce said, "'Wait Your Turn' is better." Rihanna said, "'Diva' is better." Then they became friends again. (You can listen to both at home and the club.)

They talked and talked, and they finally decided that both songs were good in different ways. Beyonce went on Rihanna's TV show and explained their argument and how they resolved it. That's how I found out that Beyonce and Rihanna get along, and now everyone else knows too!

Graduation Day

Poem by Gbemi O., Peabody, 8th Grade

We all have tough and good times, remember soon we're all going to shine
Graduation is here, everybody cheer
We'll walk down the aisle and our parent's will say "WOW! we raised the best child"

We fought through some bad times while the time fades away
Like an orange sunset whiling through the day

We're in 8th grade, so we'll soon go our separate ways

It's Graduation Day!

It's hard for me to let go, but give it some time and it will flow

I could do it and i know you can too, because it's graduation day and I love it and we'll work it through

Graduation Day!

Dog in a Gingerbread House

Story by Tania S., Grade 6
Illustration by Tadzio K., Grade 6

Who I would like to live in my gingerbread house is a dog. I would like a dog because I would like to see if I could have a smart dog. My dog's name is Susie. Or, if that dog is not smart, I will sell it and give it to another person and try to get a smart dog. I don't want to train it because I want to see which dog is smarter. I want a smart dog so it won't eat my gingerbread house.

Ron and the Chocolate Man

By Jonathan B., 6th Grade
Illustration by Mikey H., 5th Grade

One day there was a big, huge, gigantic, enormous man made out of chocolate, named Willy. Everyone was scared of the chocolate man. Everyone, except a little baby called Ron. Ron was a very fat baby. He was so fat that he could eat ten times more than a normal person.

OK, back to the big chocolate man: He destroyed everything he saw. He ate everything in sight, too! Well, the people of the town were mad at Willy and decided to destroy him. So, they did.

Well, they were going to, but first they needed to find someone to destroy him. The fattest of the people of the town decided to eat him. They all failed. Then, they thought of Ron, the little fat baby!!!

They sent Ron to Willy. Ron didn't do anything to the big chocolate man. Then he pooped and started crying. His mom got him, changed his diapers and put him next to Willy again. This time, Ron ate him in one bite!!!

After he was done, he burped and started sucking his thumb.
The End.

Vanilla Milkshake

by B.J. A., Grade 3

O, vanilla milkshake, you are sweet and salty
and you have chunks of lava in you.
But I drank you anyway.
You burn my mouth and all of my teeth.
My teeth melted and it tastes gross and the lava mixed with my acid and the lava went out of my body and I hurled really bad.

Happy Birthday Milkshake

The Hat

Beginning by Kaitlyn R., Middle by Catherine G., End by Tevin Y.

Once upon a time, there was a magical hat that could do everything that is hard to do and easy stuff too. The hard stuff was to make a robot and play a game called Rachel. To play Rachel, you need to land on a Rachel and build the first letter in Rachel. It is R. Whoever finishes her name wins.
________________________________________

One day, the hat got lost. "I want to go home," the hat said. Someone kidnapped him. "My name is Wild Star," she said. Wild Star kidnapped the hat because she wanted to steal the hat's magic powers. "Why do you want to steal my magic powers?" the hat asked.
_________________________________________

"I don't want to steal your powers," Wild Star said. "I have my own."
"You do?" the hat said.
"Yes, and I'm going to help you get to your own present," Wild Star said. "My powers include wormholes and teleporting, so we can get home easily. I only said I wanted to steal your powers since they're so cool."
While Wild Star was teleporting there were flashes of light. Suddenly, they were at the hat's owner!
"Yay!" shouted the hat.
"You're welcome," said Wild Star.

Eating Sushi in Japan

By Marvin G.
Grade 3

When I went to Japan, I ate so much sushi that I turned into a big piece of sushi. So people wouldn't eat me, I threw myself into the garbage and was stinky and people wouldn't eat me. If I wanted to turn back into a person, I would have to kiss a monkey and then my family wouldn't eat me.