July/August 2008 Archives

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Swordbird

by Nancy Yi Fan, Reviewed by Emily Gordis

Published January 31, 2016

The New Soccer Season

by Andrew Lee

Published January 31, 2016

Noel seemed to hang in the air for a second before crashing into the ground. The grass rushed up to meet him as his lungs were crushed by the impact. Dazed, Noel looked around. The...

The Wolf

By Caley Scheppegrell

Published January 31, 2016

I sit on the porch The dark woods around me Insects chirping And listen To the distant sounds of the party Inside. It is a party thrown for me, By my parents. A party I...

Illumination

by Ariel Mia larovici Katz

Published January 31, 2016

Our Morning

by Bonnie Leigh Cruser

Published January 31, 2016

I am looking forward to this. It is my first thought as my eyes snap open. I keep them open, waiting until my dark bedroom comes into focus, which it rapidly does. I anxiously...

Plain Old Kate

by Lauren Klepinger

Published January 30, 2016

The Cool Counter

By Nicholas Wilsdorf

Published January 30, 2016

Mmmm, the man on the bench says as he plunges a spoon into his mouth. Aaaah, his wife says as she pulls out a clean white spoon from her lips. The woman at the front...

Comet Is Missing

by Annakai Hayakawa Geshlider

Published January 30, 2016

My cat, Comet, has always lived the wild life, ever since we adopted him as a kitten. We let him roam free outside, he won't allow a collar, he catches birds and mice to eat,...

Desperate Journey

By Jim Murphy, Reviewed by Mia Studer

Published January 30, 2016

Daydreamer

by Hannah V. Read

Published January 30, 2016

Splash! A clap of water crashes to my cheek. But I don't even think about that. I think about how my arms and legs are moving—well, mostly my arms moving up and down but also...

Swordbird

Review Published January 31, 2016 by Nancy Yi Fan, Reviewed by Emily Gordis

Swordbird, by Nancy Yi Fan; HarperCollins: New York, 2007; $15.99 Imagine you live in a world of birds, of flight, of complete freedom. Imagine an evil hawk comes along and tries to steal your freedom and make you his slave. Imagine being caught up in a pointless, bloody war, for which your family and loved ones are sacrificing their lives.

The New Soccer Season

Story Published January 31, 2016 by Andrew Lee

Noel seemed to hang in the air for a second before crashing into the ground. The grass rushed up to meet him as his lungs were crushed by the impact. Dazed, Noel looked around. The soccer ball was snatched away quickly as the opposition took control. The stifled laughs that followed made Noel wish he were dead. Slowly, like so many times before, he stood and walked away No one intervened.

The Wolf

Poem Published January 31, 2016 By Caley Scheppegrell

I sit on the porch The dark woods around me Insects chirping And listen To the distant sounds of the party Inside. It is a party thrown for me, By my parents. A party I didn't want— Strangers crowding into our little house People I don't know Pinching my cheeks Muttering lies about "How she's grown!

Illumination

Story Published January 31, 2016 by Ariel Mia larovici Katz

Rachel sat at her kitchen table, leafing through the Sunday newspaper. Comics, sports, politics... nothing caught her eye. She briefly skimmed the weather page, which had predicted sunshine; however, it was pouring outside. Looking up from the black-and-white pages, Rachel saw a world of gray. The smooth gray tile of her kitchen floor, the gray of the walls, the windowpanes, the bland chairs.

Our Morning

Story Published January 31, 2016 by Bonnie Leigh Cruser

I am looking forward to this. It is my first thought as my eyes snap open. I keep them open, waiting until my dark bedroom comes into focus, which it rapidly does. I anxiously search my sister's face, and find it to be smooth and serene. She sleeps on beside me. Good. I want it that way. I did not set an alarm for fear of waking her. Besides, I do not need one.

Plain Old Kate

Story Published January 30, 2016 by Lauren Klepinger

“Phooey," Kate said as she stared out at the rain. She and her friend Madison had wanted to play badminton in the backyard, but the clouds had stubbornly defied them. "This stinks," Madison said. "We'll have to find something else to do." "Like what?" Kate asked. "Like... we could draw pictures. Or I could help you with your homework." Here she goes again, Kate thought.

The Cool Counter

Poem Published January 30, 2016 By Nicholas Wilsdorf

Mmmm, the man on the bench says as he plunges a spoon into his mouth. Aaaah, his wife says as she pulls out a clean white spoon from her lips. The woman at the front of the line grins. A little girl to the left of me is dancing like a ballerina, with a cup in one hand and a spoon in the other. Ice is shaved into thousands of pieces. Conversations have no meaning.

Comet Is Missing

Story Published January 30, 2016 by Annakai Hayakawa Geshlider

My cat, Comet, has always lived the wild life, ever since we adopted him as a kitten. We let him roam free outside, he won't allow a collar, he catches birds and mice to eat, he uses no litter box. I had the worst of bad feelings on Sunday afternoon when I realized that Comet was nowhere to be found.

Desperate Journey

Review Published January 30, 2016 By Jim Murphy, Reviewed by Mia Studer

Desperate Journey, by Jim Murphy; Scholastic Press: New York, 2006; $16.99 Something about Desperate Journey just pulled me in. The author, Jim Murphy, showed me a different way of life. In the mid-i800s, many families, usually Irish, made a living by being pulled along the Erie Canal by teams of mules, horses, or any other animal able-bodied enough to pull a boat.

Daydreamer

Story Published January 30, 2016 by Hannah V. Read

Splash! A clap of water crashes to my cheek. But I don't even think about that. I think about how my arms and legs are moving—well, mostly my arms moving up and down but also going side to side. I feel like a bird, a bird soaring into the gray misty sky. The heat licking at my wings, but I am free, don't have to care about school or anything else.

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