Document - Northwest AEA

Transcription

2016
H ARVEST
NORTHWEST AEA STUDENT WORK
COVER ART:
Bovine
Jessi Inman
Grade 9
Kingsley-Pierson High
Kingsley
Harvest
2016 | VOLUME XXXVIII
Zentangle Lion
Lydia Whalen
Grade 9
West Lyon Junior & Senior High
Inwood
A note from the editor
The Educational Services Division of Northwest AEA is
thrilled to showcase the 38th edition of Harvest. Harvest is
a gathering of our PreK-12 students’ writing and artwork,
produced during the 2015 - 2016 school year.
Reading and viewing the submitted work is always
inspiring. Events in students’ lives, whether happy,
humorous, or heartbreaking have shaped and will continue
to shape who they are. We appreciate your willingness to
communicate and contribute to this publication a glimpse
of what is going on in your lives. Because communication
increases productivity and efficiency, businesses look
for talent in this area. It is very heartwarming to see how
articulate you are in your writing and art.
Teachers and parents who encouraged and guided
students to write and to create artwork are also to be
thanked. This support is crucial in their lives. Writing and
art encapsulate the time period, and in this way, we can
preserve through Harvest the issues that were important
to our students during this era of history.
Cover art is alternated between elementary, middle,
and high school students. This year we chose artwork
from a high school student. A special thank you goes to
Jessi Inman, a 9th grade student from Kingsley-Pierson
for submitting her artwork, Bovine. As always, this was a
difficult decision so we have put an additional piece on the
inside cover page to honor the work of Lydia Whalen, a 9th
grade student from West Lyon Junior & Senior High, titled,
Zentangle Lion.
We hope you thoroughly enjoy this 2016 edition of
Harvest!
Dr. Judy E. Sweetman
Harvest Editor
Educational Services Division
Northwest Area Education Agency
1
Cotton Candy
Lily Friedrichsen
Grade 12
South O'Brien Junior & Senior High
Paullina
2
My Special Guinea Pig
"What now, Mom?" I mumbled as my phone went off
again. It was the summer of last year and it was sweltering
hot. I hopped off the ground to check my phone. I opened up
my most recent text and a picture came up. It was a picture
of a curled up Guinea Pig with black fur, a white Mohawk,
and a brown spot on his butt. I stared at this picture for a
moment, letting the image seep into my brain before I read
the caption. "This is Stevie. We are adopting him." I sat in
awe, reading this over and over, not believing my own eyes.
I called her immediately, learning all the details about
his ear infection, how he was blind, and how nobody wanted
him. After I hung up, I cried for a minute, allowing the words
to hang in the air and the picture to float across my brain.
I didn't know if they were tears of joy and happiness, or
rather tears of sadness and sympathy. Maybe some of both.
The next morning, we went to pick him up at PetSmart.
My excitement burned in my throat. On the way there, I
was disappointed to learn that we actually couldn't take
him home until the next day.
"Cami said to tell the employees that she sent us to look
at Stevie," my mom said as we pulled in. Cami worked with
my mom at Hy-Vee but she also worked at PetSmart.
"Okay!" I almost screamed, imagining the moment
when I would see him in person for the first time. I was
almost ready to burst.
We waltzed in through the automatic doors and waited
by the check-out counter until someone could assist us. We
told the nice lady who helped us about Cami and how we
wanted to see Stevie. She checked to see if it was ok, then
led us to the backroom. We went through a few doors, and
soon I was standing in front of several layers of shelves,
each had a few plastic containers being used as drawers,
each about the size of a shoebox. Except for one.
This drawer was the biggest one. It was about the
length of my arm, and about eight inches tall. The employee
pulled out this special drawer. She pulled it out ever so
delicately, so I looked around a little. I set my eyes on a silky
gold guinea pig and a rat whose fur looked scratchy and
matted on the top shelf.
"What's wrong with those two?" I asked. They appeared
to be nice and healthy from where I was standing.
"The guinea pig has a broken leg and a cast, and the rat
bites people and other animals." The employee claimed, her
eyes still fixed on the drawer.
"Yikes," I said.
The drawer was pulled out, and my mother handed me
Stevie. It startled me as he squealed, because I didn't think
that guinea pigs could squeal. (I found out later that they
scream and whine, too.) As I petted his fine, soft fur, I heard
my mom conversing with the employee. I felt like crying out,
taking him with me right now. I knew my mom felt that way,
too. But we both knew we couldn't.
"So, how much is he?" my mom asked, jumping straight
to the point.
"Well, for just the guinea pig, he costs ninety-nine
cents."
"Really? What's the catch?" I asked skeptically.
"Well, you do have to pay for his food, cage, hay, and
bedding, but you can have his igloo and water bottle if you
want," she explained.
"Mommy, I love him," I whispered.
"Me too," my mom replied, "me too."
I didn't want to leave, but we had to eventually. When
we returned home, I thought about Stevie, and all of the
details I had absorbed like a sponge.
When my mom came back the next day with Stevie's
shiny new blue and white cage practically cradled in her
arms, I almost exploded. Stevie and I were both screeching
with delight. We sat him down and just watched him. We
found out soon enough that his hobbies included screeching
at the top of his little lungs, whining for treats, and running
in circles for hours on end.
This experience has changed me more than I expected
it to. I think after his ear infection healed, which was the
cause of his blindness, he could see better. I also found
out soon enough that, since Stevie was blind, he had been
named after Stevie Wonder. I think that everyone, if given
the chance, should help an animal in need. Because this
didn't just help Stevie find a loving home—it helped me as
a person.
Haelen Streit
Grade 6
Sioux City-East Middle
Sioux City
A Walk Thru the Cornfield
Maya Thin Elk
Grade 11
West Monona Senior High
Onawa
3
The Haunted House
Chapter 1: The Dare
One night four children were playing truth or dare and
Jack dared Sally, Ben, and Jake to go into the old haunted
house. At first they thought Jack was kidding but then
(about 10 seconds later) they knew he was serious! So Ben
said, "We'll think about it." So they huddled up and talked
about it. Ben said, "What do you guys think?" Sally was Ben's
6 year-old little sister and she said, "No! It's too scary!" "It's
fine Sally!" said Jake. "Stop fighting! Both of you!" said Ben.
"Here's the plan. We'll say we'll go if you go in with us Jack.
Is it ok with everyone?" asked Ben. "Ya sure, whatever" said
Jake. "I - I guess," said Sally. "Ok then!" said Ben. "Let's do
this!" they all said together. Sally thought, "What if there's
something horrible and scary in there? What if it eats me
alive?" She was frightened but she knew what she had to do.
Chapter 2: Come on Jack!
Ben went over to ask Jack if he would come in the
haunted house with them and he said "Whoa, whoa, whoa!
I dared you guys! It's you guys' dare." Ben said, "We found
it a fair compromise that if we went in you would need to
also." "Um…no!" said Jack. "Oh, come on Jack!" said Sally
and Jake. "You need to or the deal is off!" said Ben. "Hmm —
Ok, alright. Don't make me regret this!" said Jack. "Yay!"
said Ben and Jake but Sally thought that it was unfair.
Chapter 3: Here We Go!
"The haunted house is a mile from here—how are we
going to get there?" said Jake. "Our mom could drive us,”
said Ben. "She has 3rd row seating!" said Sally. "Cool!" said
Jake and Jack. "I'll call her," said Ben. A few minutes passed.
"She said yes!" Everybody except Sally cheered. Their mom
picked them up and took them to the haunted house and
said, "Don't get too scared now". Everyone said, "Ok!" as
they got out of the van and started their way up the hill to
the haunted house. As they were walking up the hill getting
closer, Sally stopped and fell down. She had gotten so scared
that she had fainted! Ben noticed and stopped right away
Broken Bridge
Baylee Little
Grade 10
Onawa
4
and yelled for help. Then Jack and Jake ran down as soon
as they saw Sally and were looking for her mom or her car
but she wasn't there. As soon as Ben was going to call 911,
Sally woke up. She said, 'Where am I?" "You're going to the
old haunted house with us. See?" Ben said as Sally poked
her head up and looked around. "Ok—I kind of remember
that," she said. "You still want to go with?" asked Jack softly.
"Umm, I guess so," she said. "Ok, then get up and let's go,"
said Ben. So Sally got up and they headed to the haunted
house.
Chapter 4: Creak!
As they got to the front of the haunted house, Ben
stopped and said, "OK, if you get scared, you can hug me,
Sally." Sally agreed with her big brother right away and said,
"I love you big bro!" Ben sighed and said, "I love you too," he
mumbled.
Jake was the first one to walk in, acting like he was
cool. Everyone else paused and took a deep breath as they
walked in. It looked like a normal house but way bigger and
it also had a grand staircase over the living room right as you
walked in. There was also one hallway on each side of the
living room. "There are a lot of cobwebs!" said Sally. "Yeah!"
agreed Ben—all creeped out. Jack walked forward and the
floorboards went CREAK! So Sally jumped on Ben's back.
"Sally—I have a feeling that was the least scary thing that's
going to happen in here!" Ben said. "Umm—ok" said Sally
in a shaky voice. Then Jake said, "Let's split up." "Heck no!"
said Jack in disagreement. "We could get lost or d-d-d-....
Never mind—Let's just not!" "Ok, I guess not." said Jack.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok—let's go,” said Ben.
Chapter 5: A Ghost!
"Let's go down the right hallway first," said Sally. "Ok!"
said Jake, Jack, and Ben. On their way down the hallway,
there were 2 doors—on the right side there was a den and
on the other side there was a ballroom. The first one that
they got to was a ballroom and Sally thought that it was
awesome. She said, "Whoa! It's soo cool!" Ben said, "I can't
disagree with you there!" While they were looking at that
beautiful gold room, they heard a THUD! "Jake, Jack, and
Sally—did you do anything?" Ben asked quickly. They all
replied, "No!" "It was probably just the wind," Jack said
calmly. "Or a ghost!" said Sally panicking. "It's OK Sally!"
said Ben. Then they went into the 2nd room. "What is it?"
asked Jake. "I think it's a den," said Ben. "Oh—this is boring.
Let's go!" said Jack. So they went further down the hall
into the dusty kitchen when they heard a THUD in there!
"AHHHH!" yelled Sally. "It's a ghost! I know it!" "Now let's
not come to any conclusions." said Ben. "No," said Sally. "I
really think there is a ghost because it is right behind you!"
Ben turned around quickly and saw a ghost standing there
but it disappeared really quickly. "Ahh! A ghost!" Sally said
as she hugged Jake. "Get off me!" said Jake, as he pushed
her off. "Fine!" said Sally sternly. Let's just tour the house
and go!" They all agreed and they set off to tour the rest of
the house and the downstairs.
Chapter 6: It's Chilly in Here
"Ok—let's finish up and go home!" said Ben. "Ok, ok, ok
wait! Did anyone else feel a wind go across their back?" Jack
asked. "No—did you guys?" Ben asked. "No!" Sally and Jake
answered. "Maybe the ghost is messing with me," said Jack.
"Maybe, just maybe…" Ben said sounding interested. "Don't
try to make a plan, it won't work," Jake said. "I wasn't…I was
thinking about the ghost," said Ben. "Guys, let's go—I'm
scared!" So they all made their way up the stairs.
Chapter 7: We're Trapped!
When they got upstairs, Sally turned around and saw
the ghost. The ghost started hovering toward her so she
turned around, started running, and yelled, "GHOST!"
The boys didn't need to look back to know to start running
because Sally had made it pretty clear that the ghost was
right behind them. They ran all the way down an upstairs
hallway and jumped into a room that had its door open and
hid. "Can ghosts see through walls?" Sally asked. "Shhh!"
said Jake. "I don't know," said Ben. "I think so because the
ghost locked us in the room!" Jack said. "So now what
are we going to do?" Jake asked. Jack looked around the
room. "The window, the bones...a ladder! Ok, I have a great
idea but all we are going to need is the rope I brought!"
"Awesome!" said Sally happily. "There are bones over in
that corner." said Jake. So they tied the bones together with
the rope and made a ladder to get out the window. "Ok—
throw the ladder out the window!" said Ben. So they threw
the ladder down and climbed out. Ben stopped quickly and
said; "Don't tell any of your parents or anyone about this.
We shall be the only ones that know…OK?" "Ok!" everyone
agreed.
Chapter 8: Goodbye Haunted House!
Ben called his mom and had her drive Jake and Jack
home. So Sally and Ben said "Bye haunted house memories."
When they got to their house and they never went back or
spoke about it again!
Olivia Zoeller
Grade 3
Sioux City-Lincoln Elementary
Sioux City
Tiger
Kirsten Myers
Grade 8
Whiting Junior & Senior High
Whiting
5
What Freedom Means to Me
When contemplating what freedom means to me, I
first think about having pride for my country. I also have
thoughts about how proud I am that I can talk and learn
about the history of our country's freedom. Along with
pride for my country, I can inform others about how to
treasure and have pride in America's freedom as well. Pride
in my country's freedom comes through being responsible
as a student, as a citizen, and as a human being.
As a student, getting my work done, being respectful
to elders, standing up for the flag, and participating in
important events is my responsibility as a student and
citizen of the United States of America. In high school, at
every event the band or choir sings and plays "The Star
Spangled Banner" or "Taps". As a middle school student
this is what I have to look forward to through expressing
my pride in freedom.
Moving Day
Kaitlyn Calkhoven
Grade 6
Sioux Center Christian
Sioux Center
6
On a more personal level, freedom is much more than
just being responsible. To me, freedom means believing
in whatever religion or symbol you desire, going to any
school you choose, or speaking freely about your beliefs
and opinions. Freedom to me means providing care and
love to those who need it and being thankful for those who
fought for our rights to be free. It is also very important
for me to recognize those who have passed on while
risking their lives to protect the freedom that we have
today. I am appreciative of the rights I have as a citizen of
the United States of America, and that I am able to live in
a free country.
Freedom is a gift we should take pride in, be thankful
for, speak out about, and give back to. I personally think
these actions show responsibility and respectfulness for
the freedom we are given. In turn, these actions project a
true feeling of care and love. This is what I believe I can do
to honor our loved ones who are veterans or those who
are currently serving in active duty. America is a great
country, I feel honored and blessed to live in a place where
we are allowed freedom.
Sydney Stanton
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
Sunflowers
Someone I Admire
Her long brown hair
her sparkling blue eyes
The way she smiles in the sun
I am blessed to know,
you are by my side
When the waves are rough,
you are there to protect me
When I'm sad and alone
you comfort me
When you are by my side,
I feel invincible
When we don't get along,
we overcome our differences
Even though I know you won't always be with me
I know you're in my heart
My sister.
Kaydee Meseck
Grade 8
Schleswig Elementary & Middle
Schleswig
Aubrey Billings
Grade 1
BHCS-Mater Dei-Immaculate Conception Ctr.
Sioux City
Recipe Poetry
Beeping and diving.
Applauding and cheering.
Winning the meet.
The ribbons are appearing.
Racing and speeding.
My time I am trimming.
One team! One heart! One team! One heart!
This makes swimming.
Timothy Dose
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
7
What a Pumpkin
Brooklyn Stanley
Grade 4
BHCS-Sacred Heart Catholic
Sioux City
Flag Essay
What does the flag mean to me? The flag means
freedom. The flag means that our country fights. When
people see the flag, they think that it is just a piece of
material hanging from a pole. Some people don't respect
the flag the way it should be. The flag represents our
country. That flag represents you and everybody else in
our country. It represents us. If you disrespect the flag,
you are disrespecting your mom, dad, and yourself. When
you hear the national anthem, do you stand, remove your
hat, and place your hand on your heart? Some people don't
because they don't understand why they should.
In my family, the flag means a lot. I had both my
grandpas in different wars. They have passed away now.
I've had an aunt, three uncles, four cousins and my brother
in the military too. Some of them are still serving.
8
Having so much family in the service, made me want
to learn more about the flag. I wanted to learn the history
behind it and what it means. I learned quite a bit actually.
I learned what the Pledge of Allegiance means. I also,
learned the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner" our
national anthem. I now will recite my favorite section of
our national anthem. "No refuge could save the hireling
and slave. From the terror of flight or the gloom of the
grave, and the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
over the land of the free and the home of the brave."
Last but definitely not least, I learned how to respect
the flag and the rules you have to follow when displaying
the flag. This is what I know about the flag, and what it
means to me. I hope you respect the flag too.
Klaudia Pry
Grade 5
River Valley Elementary
Washta
A Sensory Vay Kay
School is out, and hyper children are in their lawns all
day, every day. It's sweet summer and the nifty part about
this season is family vacation! The first astonishing object
I see as I arrive at our "vay kay" spot are the soaring leafy
trees overhanging the lake like vast billowing umbrellas.
The most noticeable sound at the moderately sized lake are
the ear piercing geese honks blaring like trumpets, over and
over as they swarm the beach.
My dad makes up for the ear splitting sound, the next
morning, by creating the glorious sound and smell of sizzling
bacon screeching in agony alongside johnny cakes as they
cook on the griddle. The johnny cakes resting on my plate
were miniature suns sweltering with butter and syrup. I can
hear the solid lumber floor squealing with every gradual
step I take towards my steaming plate. As soon as breakfast
has gone down the gullet, my brother and I are kayaking
past lengthy luxurious docks wading in the water lazily.
Soon, we get to the fishing hot spot. Grimy fishing lures
swing into the water like bananas dangling on trees. The
fish are banana harvesters who get stuck on the branches.
As we are incessantly catching numerous fish, my brother
and I also watch the zooming skiers and tubers that race
like dolphins at max speed.
When the evening slowly tints velvet red, I feel the crisp
breeze as it sifts through the air. We know it is time to head
back to the beach. As my brother and I leisurely paddle to
shore, I hear the thick waves slap the shore as they rush in
and out.
It starts to rain balmily. I feel I am a house, and my head
is the roof with rain piddling off of it. Though just because
it's raining and it's dark, the day isn't over yet. We bake
s'mores in the compact microwave for a savory cracker
barrel. Then I read a book to put my day to a terminus. Not
to worry though, because I have a week full of days ahead
like this one!
Sean Zimmerman
Grade 5
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Elementary
Sergeant Bluff
Untitled
Kysa Pierick
Grade 11
Whiting
9
Freedom. It's a word that sometimes flies over our
head. I see freedom as an ideal that is not as simple as it
seems. We all have our freedom in America. The best way
to find out the meaning of freedom is to recall major events
that shook our freedom, starting with the creation of our
freedom.
The year was 1783. Shots rang through the air. The
British were closing in on the 13 colonies that became the
United States of America. The Revolutionary War had been
going on for 8 years. The Declaration of Independence was
signed 7 years prior to 1783. The war was coming to a close.
The little country that almost did not exist was not ruled by
the British. We were free! This was a freedom unlike most
freedoms. We were our own country. We had room to build
ourselves into a powerhouse. We were finally what we
wanted to be, a free country!
We started becoming the best country we could be.
The only problem was that freedom was not provided
to everyone. Slavery was a problem and slaves were
treated as less than equals. The human rights strived for
in the Revolutionary War were apparently not able to be
exercised by the African Americans. Some people hated
the idea of slavery. One of them was a young politician
named Abraham Lincoln who became President. During his
Presidency, a split nation ruled supreme. The result of this
was the Civil War. The Civil War was a bloody mess. In the
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Tony Kathol
Grade 8
BHCS-Holy Cross Blessed Sacrament Ctr.
Sioux City
10
end, slavery could not reign supreme. Slavery ended making
freedom something that everybody could enjoy.
African Americans were still treated with disrespect.
Their freedom was not the same as everyone else's. They
could not use the same restrooms or water fountains as
white people. Some people used violent acts to injure or
even kill African Americans. People like Martin Luther
King Jr. and Rosa Parks fought for freedom. They did not
fight back with violence and instead they stayed calm. Our
country's freedom is because of people like them!
People, no matter what gender or race, fought for
freedom. Freedom is something that some people will
give their lives for, but we sometimes take it for granted.
We need to remember why freedom is so important and
appreciate the people past and present that have helped to
secure all freedoms.
Caden Shea
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
Veterans
Veterans want a free country for us to have. They love
us! We want to thank the veterans. Veterans risk their life
for us! I will be an army guy when I grow up!
Landyn Peterson
Grade 1
Galva-Holstein Lower Elementary
Holstein
Winter
I see cold snow falling from the sky.
I hear children playing in the snow.
I smell fresh cold air from the sky.
I feel the cold winter snow on my hands.
I taste the cold winter snowflakes falling on my tongue.
Aaron Valentine
Grade 1
Schleswig
Blue Bird
Lilly Burke
Grade 7
Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Middle
Anthon
11
The Storm
The true story of what happened June third,
2014 in small town Blair, Nebraska.
Dedicated to my dog, Flash. You got me
through the worst storms (even
though you were afraid of thunder!)
I miss you big guy. <3
It was as dark as midnight. The clouds were black and
angry. The street lamps were on, but even their bright
lights were dimmed by the dark. And it was only
four o'clock in the afternoon.
A Few Hours Before
I looked out my window as a dark wall of clouds
approached. I wasn't scared. This happened all the time in
Blair. There was never a day where there wasn't some wind
or a rain shower.
I've been living here since I was four, when my dad
moved here for work, after he and my mom divorced.
I'm ten now. That was six years ago. My birthday is
on Friday the sixth. It's Tuesday. We are going to visit my
grandparents who live just outside of Ames, Iowa. We are
supposed to leave later this afternoon.
"Hey, Mads, come downstairs please!" my dad yelled.
"Kay! I'm coming!" I called.
I raced down the steps, "What is it?" I asked, cocking my
head to the side.
"Hey, kid, we are going to head to the farm tomorrow
instead of tonight."
"What?!" I screeched, "Why?"
"I don't know," he shrugged, "I just have a feeling that
we need to stay here tonight."
"Dad," I whined, "last time you 'had a feeling' Ben almost
lost an eye."
"It wasn't that extreme, Maddy," he rolled his eyes, "I'll
tell you what, we are going to Fernando's for lunch."
''I'm not in the mood for Mexican," I said kicking the
carpet.
"Come on! You are always in the mood for Mexican
food!"
"Your rhymes won't win me over this time, Dad." I said
looking up glaring at him.
"What rhyme?" he asked me puzzled. Was I seriously
the only one who noticed it? I shook my head and stormed
upstairs to my room.
"What rhyme?!" he called after me.
"Guys," I muttered slamming my bedroom door shut.
***
"…and I'll have steamed rice instead of fried, please," I
finished.
My "amazing" father had taken me out to Fernando's, a
Mexican restaurant on Blair's main street, my favorite, but I
wasn't dumb, he was bribing me.
The sky was dark gray and the trees were swaying in
the wind.
"Look, Mads," my dad started, ''I'm sorry you are going
12
to miss that belly dancing class with Brynna and Kirsten,
but we had to stay."
I didn't reply. My Aunt Kirsten and cousin Brynna rarely
invited me to do anything with them. They had always
favored my older brother, Ben.
My fifteen year old brother shoved his face into a
cheeseburger.
Yup that's right. We're at the best Mexican restaurant
ever created and my brother orders a burger! Ridiculous.
"Your tacos have arrived!" the waitress smiled setting
my taco down in front of me. "Here you go sweetypie,"
Man I hate that! Everyone is always calling me
"sweetie" or "babycakes" and I hate it. And not to mention
everytime we go out in public people are always handing
me kids menus. I mean, I know that is not a big deal, but it
is so annoying! I've been ordering off the adult menu since
I was seven. I know I'm short but do I really look eight? No!
"Thanks," I said biting my lip to keep from yelling "Knock
that off! You're my waitress not my mother!"
My dad set a hand on my curling fist. He thinks I
have anger management issues. Nah, people just need to
stop ticking me off. I'm like a bomb these days. I bottle
everything up for a few days then I blow. KA-BOOM! ! ! ! !
I'm worse than a dirty sailor when I'm alone. When I'm with
people I have to 'kidify' my words, but whatever.
***
"Sorry, guys but we are going to have to ask you to
leave." the waitress said.
"Excuse me?" my dad asked in total surprise.
The entire staff of the family-owned restaurant knew
us all by name.
"Word's come in from Melborne. A huge storm is
coming this way. We need to board up our windows and
head home." The waitress said. ''I'm so sorry, Brad."
"No, it's totally ok. We better get home and get ready."
my dad nodded.
"Stay safe guys. See you next week." The waitress said
handing my dad his credit card.
"You too," I told her wiggling into my pink windbreaker
and standing up.
I ran out to our navy Dodge Durango and jumped into
the backseat. I wanted to get home soon. Not to hide in our
basement and avoid the storm, but to watch it.
I love a good storm.
***
We pulled into our garage. My dad jumped out and
ran to his new work vehicle, a Charger. He was most likely
going to pull it into the garage so if it hailed, it wouldn't be
damaged.
I just ran into the house.
"Hey, Flasher," I told my huge German Shepard, as
he rushed to greet me. "Let's get ready for a storm," I
whispered.
Flash whimpered loudly.
I sprinted up the stairs to my bedroom. I yanked open
my p. j. drawer and pulled on a purple tank top, fuzzy pants,
and my blue American Girl slippers.
I looked around my room. It was so childish.
A pink princess comforter, white princess dressers, a
purple jeweled clock in the shape of a crown, pink and blue
walls.
Rainbow Paradise
Audrey Kreun
Grade 9
Boyden-Hull Junior & Senior High
Hull
13
Untitled
Olivia Brown
Grade 8
Whiting
14
My dad said it suited me. Ridiculous! Maybe it did when
I was five, but not anymore.
I was a martial artist, not a prissy brat who dreamed of
being a princess. Never mind it, though. There was no point
in asking to redo my room. I've tried multiple times.
As I flipped off my light and slammed my door I let my
mind wander.
There is no such thing as privacy in this house. My dad
and brother always barge into my room without knocking.
Once I had been changing and had been in nothing but my
underwear and was halfway through taking off my bra.
Humiliating! Absolutely humiliating!
Back in reality, I stopped suddenly, and almost fell the
rest of the way down the stairs. The sky was black. As black
as midnight, with no moon or stars.
I shook my head. Why was I scared? The sky had been
green before! Ten different shades of green!!
My brother’s grunt brought me back to the present and
I sprinted the rest of the way to the kitchen.
Ben had my dad's old army rucksack out. Back from his
marine days.
This was bad. My dad never got his rucksack out for a
storm.
He'd only used it once, a few years ago when a tornado
was spotted several miles from here. That was the only
storm that ever scared me.
My dad dumped his favorite watches into it along with
my old stuffed animal, Mr. Giraffy, a few blankets, a pillow,
three bottles of water, Coke (typical, you can't live through
a crisis without Coke,) Flash's bone, and George's (the cat's)
laser pointer.
"Maddy, go grab your and Ben's work shoes, rain boots,
and extra clothes. Got it?"
"Yeah," I gulped as he dumped more "prized"
possessions into the sack. Pictures of Ben and me, a daddy's
girl ribbon I'd given him a long time ago.
He zipped up the sack and gave it to Ben. "Go."
I did as I was told. I ran back upstairs and grabbed the
items I was told to get. When I came back, I saw my dad with
the video camera. He was taping for insurance, I realized.
"Get Flash and take him down into the basement.
George is already down there," he told me without looking
up.
I nodded and herded Flash into the basement without
much difficulty. He hated storms.
***
Ben was messing with his X-box, setting it up to the t.v.
George was chasing a moth, his fat stomach swung back
and forth as he jumped.
I headed up the stairs when Ben called, "Dad wants you
to stay down here."
I grunted and said, "Wow you actually said something
to me. For a second I thought you were going to let me go
outside jogging."
Ben shook his head and didn't respond. I can't watch
the storm from down here I thought angrily.
''I'll be right back, I need to use the restroom," I called
and ran up the steps.
Rain was hitting the windows hard. Nothing unusual.
"Dad!?" I yelled, "Dad where are you?" He didn't respond.
I thought I could find him by looking at what room had it's
lights on, but all the lights in the house were on, so that
wouldn't work.
I checked the laundry room, then the bathroom. Next
I jogged to my dad's bedroom. He wasn't in his room so I
checked his connected bathroom.
I saw a flash of his green camo p. j. pants.
"Dad?" I called quietly, as I walked into his room sized
closet. He was crouched down filming his many, many pairs
of hiking boots.
"I thought I told you to stay downstairs," he said without
glancing at me.
"Yeah, well, I wanted to watch the storm. I mean we've
had a hundred storms here and nothing has ever happened."
"There's a first time for everything, Maddy,” he
reminded me.
"You say that every time there's a storm," I whined.
"I say that because it's true."
I was about to respond when I heard a huge thump.
Hail.
Beggings
I rushed out of my dad's room, back into the kitchen.
We had a breakfast nook that was made completely out of
windows. Hail the size of pebbles was building up against
the walls.
It was so cool. The buildups looked like small snowbanks.
I looked around. It wasn't as dark as before, more of a
dark gray than a flat black. My dad came up behind me.
"Go downstairs while I finish recording," he told me. I
didn't argue. It just wasn't worth it.
"Fine," I told him and headed towards the stairs. As
soon as I opened the door, George bolted from where he
had been waiting on the stairs.
"George!" I cried, "Get back here you fatso!" He
pranced up the stairs into my bedroom.
"Don't worry about him. He's a smart cat. He'll be fine.
Now get downstairs!" I groaned and obeyed.
***
Ben was playing his X-box and Flash was whimpering
and pacing. Nothing new here.
I pulled out my dumb-phone and texted my friend
Brooke.
"Hey, What r u doing?" I hit the send button right as a
loud clap of thunder boomed. Flash howled and jumped
into my lap.
"Gha," I stuttered in surprise. "Off, boy off!" I shoved
him off of me. He was way too big to sit on my lap. When I
sat down and he sat on his hind legs, he was taller than me
by at least six inches.
Ben laughed as I brushed off dog hair. Another clap of
thunder boomed as my phone beeped.
"Nothing U?"
"Same just removing lots of dog hair," I sent back.
"What's taking dad so long?" I asked my brother. He
didn't answer. He was too busy playing Assassin's Creed. At
least, I think that's what it was.
My phone beeped again.
"Again????"
15
"Yeah," I typed. I looked out the window. The hail was
still falling, but there was one tiny difference. The hail was
the size of a softball.
"Holy!"
"Madelyn!" Ben snapped.
"I was going to say crap," I shrugged.
"Sure you were,"
"I was!"
"Hymph."
I groaned. He accuses me of everything. He went back
to playing his game.
***
I paced back and forth, back and forth. I've never been
scared of a storm before. Never! Why in the world was I
scared now? I texted my mom,
"I'm scared. There's a huge storm."
A few minutes later there was no response. I went back
into my messages and resent it.
Nothing! Nada! Zilch!
The Storm
"Dad should be done by now!" I said biting my nails. I
paced the basement floor a little faster.
"It's fine," my brother said irritably, "Dad's probably
watching t.v. and enjoying his time without you."
I stopped pacing. I really wanted to do-nozo him. On
a normal day, I would've tried, but today was not normal. I
took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. I pulled my
knees into my chest and shivered.
The hail had been falling non-stop for the past five
minutes. It wasn't the size of a softball anymore, more like
a golf ball.
A clap of thunder boomed and I jumped up with Flash.
"I'm going under the stairs," I said. Ben shook his head
and I speed walked towards the stairs and dove under them
into a sea of blankets.
Flash followed me into the "cave" as some of my friends
called it.
Another clap of thunder echoed overhead and we
shoved our heads into the blankets to block out the noise.
To put it simply, we looked like ostriches.
My phone beeped and I resurfaced and checked the
message. It was from my mom.
"stay calm and breathe,"
I groaned. That's all she ever told me. Flash looked at
me. His chocolate eyes staring me down.
"Good boy," I told him as I scratched behind his ears. His
fur wasn't soft but as long as I can remember, I've always
loved burying my face in it when I was upset.
I got up from the now messy pile of blankets, and
walked back over to Ben.
Flash eyed me from the cave before he slowly backed
out of it. He put his head in my lap. I pet it, before I curled
into a ball, forcing him to back up. He looked at me as if
asking, "Really? Why did you have to do that?"
I sunk into the old couch wishing to disappear. Suddenly
the wind quieted and the thumping of the hail halted.
Was it really over?
16
Aftermath
"Ben! Maddy! You can come upstairs now!" my dad
called. Minutes had passed since the hail stopped. Ben
saved his game and stood up. Once he had completely
powered down his X-box he walked up the stairs.
I followed him slowly at first, but I really wanted out of
the basement, so I jogged up the last two thirds of the stairs.
My dad stood in the kitchen holding two rain ponchos,
two pairs of rainboots, and two floppy hats.
For him and Ben. They needed to see how much damage
the storm had caused. Ben sighed and nodded his head.
***
Ben stomped his boots on the rug followed by my
dad. I don't understand how that gets rid of water. It just
splattered water all over.
I jumped up from the couch and asked, "Can I go outside
now?"
Ben instantly said no, but my dad nodded yes.
I pulled on my windbreaker and when my dad held out
his rain coat I shrugged it on, letting the long sleeves hang.
I grabbed my rain boots and slipped outside.
It was 4:30. The storm had lasted thirteen minutes. The
worst was only five.
I walked our yard. Our new plants we'd just planted last
month were shredded and puddles looked like mini lakes in
the field behind our house.
My friend, Carter, was looking out of his window as his
mom surveyed their property.
I waved but I doubt that they saw me. I went back inside
and grabbed my dad's iPhone.
Once I was back outside I clicked the camera icon and
the ground appeared on the screen. I walked over to the
deck where some hail had piled up. I took a picture. I looked
inside and didn't see my dad and brother so I walked over to
the largest puddle I could find, and I waded in.
At first it was only up to my ankles, but once I reached
the middle, the water was almost spilling into my tall boots.
The puddle was about ten feet long, and six feet across at
it's widest point. I took another picture.
I stared in amazement as I drug myself out of the water.
I walked the yard one more time before heading inside.
The siding on our house was shredded. Our roof, I'm scared
to know what shape it's in.
I went inside and peeled off my rain boots and coat. I
had one thought running through my mind,
Thank God it's over.
Author's Note
I know the story isn't the most exciting thing you've
ever read, but trust me, it was much more terrifying in
person. Sure I didn't risk my own safety for someone else
or run into the storm to save my little sibling like in Night
of the Twisters, but I did learn to trust my gut and follow my
parent's orders.
Blair made national television that night. Some houses
had every window broken. We were super lucky nothing
worse happened. In January 2015, tons of houses were still
damaged and Blair is still short on glass and wood supplies.
Madelyn Purscell
Grade 7
Hinton Middle
Hinton
Autumn
Lindsey Sisco
Grade 8
Anthon
17
The Moon and the Stars
I look at the moon. I am the moon: dark, yet bright. I'm up
there so high surrounded by those millions and thousands
of shining stars, and yet, I'm alone. I am the black hole. I feel
the wind start to pick up as I back away from the window. I
lay on my bed, my weight sinking it down. It's 9:30 at night,
waiting for the sleep to fulfill me. I look up at my ceiling, the
blue paint starting to peel. I can hear my parents moving
from room to room. The gentle laughter of my brothers.
Why am I different? Why do I feel like this. The tears rush
to my face, and as if they were suddenly pushed out, they
all come out in one silent wave. With the hot tears running
down my face and my soul breaking into a million pieces, I
finally fall asleep.
"Wake up!!" My sister throws a pillow at me but misses
me and knocks my glass full of water over, spilling all over
my desk. "Were gonna be late!" I pull the covers off of me
and sit on my bed. I sigh—yet another day to get through.
She slams my door and I get up to do my usual routine.
She's still mad at me. My sister. I can feel her anger
rolling off of her. We don't say anything to each other in the
car. She turns up the music so loud that even if I screamed
she wouldn't be able to hear me. As I'm driving into town
to get to school, and I'm on the highway, this large truck
is coming toward us crossing the yellow line. I gasp, my
heart beating a thousand beats per second, and slam on
the brakes. He's getting closer, talking on the phone, when
he veers the truck to his side and goes on with his way. My
sister turns the music down and looks at me. Worry and
fear written all over her face
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah," I say. I lift my foot off the brake and slowly press
on the gas. I'm shaking as I get into the school parking lot.
We get out of the car.
"I'll see you later," my sister says as we approach the
school doors.
"Ok," I say. I walk into the locker room. I sit down. I was
so close to death and in those few seconds I was scared,
scared of dying, but also relieved, relieved that I wouldn't
feel so empty and alone anymore, and then, then I would be
with that one person who does love me for me, because I
don't. I can't.
I walk through the halls like a zombie. I walk so slow
people step on my heels and yell at me to walk faster. All
day every day people ask me if I'm okay. I answer all of them
the same: "I'm fine." Then one day, during class, I get called
down to the office. I already know what it's about. As soon
as I heard the intercom beep I knew that my sister had told
her, the counselor.
"So, do you want to talk about what's going on?" the
counselor asks me.
"Did someone tell you?" I ask, my voice cracking.
"Yes," she answers. I look at her. There's no way in
denying it anymore. So I tell her. Tell her yet for a second
time I tried to kill myself. I describe it to her, tell her every
detail engraved in the back of my mind. I tell her how I tried
swallowing pills, but pulled them out of my mouth before I
could swallow them. After I'm done talking and she's done
listening to me she lets me go to the bathroom to clean
myself up. I look at myself in the mirror and know, just know
that the person that used to be me isn't there anymore.
She's gone. When I clean up, I go back to her and she gives
18
me a pass to class and I go through my day, smiling when I
have to and laughing when necessary.
A few days later while coming home from school, my
mom tells me that a social worker came to the house telling
her that her daughter is depressed and suicidal and should
be getting help. She cries and cries and asks me why I feel
that way. I explain it the only way possible that I know she
will understand. I tell her how I feel, tell her that it's not her
or my dad or my brother's or sister's fault. It's me. Just me.
She tells me that she'll be there for me every step of the way.
That same day a friend of the family invites me to church,
and it so happens that that day they talk about death and
about accepting yourself. The youth pastor talks about how
Jesus died for us. How He died so that we could live and
have a good and happy life. In that moment sitting in church
and listening to the pastor talk, I knew I was sick, but I was
finally starting to realize it.
I tried committing suicide last year, too. I don't really
remember where all this started but I think it all started
when I started junior high. I think I just started getting
really down because I was realizing that I was different than
everybody else. I was born with a longer leg than the others
and I had to go through some painful surgeries and therapy.
Even though I can do every thing that everybody else can,
I can still tell that I'm different. Every time someone jokes
with me about my height or about something that truly hits
me in the heart, I don't tell them that it hurts. I just take it. I
take the pain and bottle it up inside, until the bottle breaks.
I look at the moon again. This time it's an eclipse. The
redness overpowering the brightness. Until finally all you
see is red. I'm getting help. My social worker helped me and
now I have a therapist. I still think like that. I still think about
hurting myself and I still want to cry every second of the
day. I am the girl in the blue. I am the girl who likes to look at
the stars and moon. I am the girl who is sick. Slowly though,
I feel deep down in my repairing yet broken soul that I will
get better eventually. Not all the way, but I will get better.
I'm just getting started.
Crystal Millan
Grade 9
South O’Brien Junior & Senior High
Paullina
School
Teachers as smart as google
Math as easy as ABC
Reading as fun as recess
Spelling as tricky as a fox
Recess where kids are as wild as monkeys
Lunch as chatty as girls at a sleepover
Art as colorful as a rainbow
P .E. as sweaty as a sauna
Music as loud as a concert
Tests as hard as bricks
Students as hard-working as bees
Trinity Brunsting
Grade 5
Le Mars-Clark Elementary
Le Mars
Recipe Poetry
Swimming and boating.
Fishing with Dad.
Running and working.
Fun times we have had.
Playing with friends.
Kicking my ball.
Going to the park.
This makes a happy family for all.
Jonathon Hugeback
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Winter
I see drifts of snow.
I hear the wind whistling in the air.
I smell hot cocoa that was just made.
I feel the blanket that is wrapped around me.
I taste the snowflakes that land on my tongue.
Jacee Jepsen
Grade 1
Schleswig
Markiplier
Debora Allard
Grade 9
Sioux City-East High
Sioux City
19
Percy Surprise
My Grandpa
Last summer my fifteen-year-old cat named Fluffy
tragically had a stroke and died. Fluffy was kind of a
grumpy cat (and she was that way until I was in 3rd grade),
but was very sweet if you fed her more wet food than she
needed. She never wanted to be near people that she didn't
know and she was so old that she didn't like playing. We
acquired her in a weird fluke in our family and since I was
enthusiastically begging for a cat, we took her. Sadly, I didn't
know quite as much about cats as I thought (keep in mind I
was in kindergarten).
When Fluffy died I wasn't as sad as most kids are when
a pet dies. Less than a week later I was begging for a kitten.
In late July my parents finally agreed. At first I wanted a
purebred cat—a ragdoll. My parents quickly used their veto
powers the second they saw the price.
We began our search for a kitten at many different pet
shops and shelters in and around the Sioux City area. The
Siouxland Humane Society was the last stop on our search.
My sisters and I played with several different kitties at the
Humane Society. The last kitten that we played with was
a little black tabby called Snickers. We played with him for
a while and he was really nice and sweet. He had a mellow
yet playful personality. My mom really liked the distinct
markings on his coat. We decided he was the one for us.
On the way home from the Humane Society, my sisters
and I were contemplating the new kitty's name. Kari
pitched the name, Percy, because we all loved the Percy
Jackson series. Trina suggested the name Doug, but none of
us liked that name.
Percy's first night at home was spent in a small
bathroom. We had a concert to attend, so he was mostly
left alone. He cried his heart out in search for someone to
keep him company. I couldn't stand his crying, so I spent
most of the night comforting him. That night sealed our
fate. I became the "Cat Momma."
Last October baby Percy decided to hang out with
all the trick-or-treaters that came to our house. When
they rang the doorbell he was right there, even though he
was a kitten! A couple months later he somehow found a
mouse and was parading it around the house, mortifying my
mother. Two weeks ago Percy once again found a mouse. It
was trapped in the bathtub, had a broken leg, and he still
couldn't kill it. Percy is a poor hunter and he could never
survive in the wild.
Percy also has a love for high places. I have caught him
up on a ledge in the kitchen 10 ft. above floor level. He loves
to curl up and sleep in the very highest platform in his cat
tree. He loves to curl up in a trumpet case or the bassoon
case when it's left out on the kitchen table. Ever since he
was a little kitty he's loved small places and water. The
bathroom sink is a perfect spot to curl up for Percy.
Sometimes a sad ending leads to a great new beginning.
Fluffy was a good cat and my family loved her, but Percy has
given me a new beginning as a cat lover. Percy is always
there for me, and he has helped me get through some tough
things. That's why I love him!
My Grandpa is nice, caring and so, so wonderful. He's
the one who always says our prayers. He's an important
person to me and my family, with love that shines both day
and night. We will always love him.
Johanna Swanson
Grade 6
Sioux City-North Middle
Sioux City
20
Kate Thelander
Grade 1
Lawton-Bronson Elementary
Bronson
It's Inside Me
A young girl, around age fifteen, wakes up in her bed and
feels like the world is going to crash around her. She feels
sad, and doesn't really know why, but she wishes it would
go away. It has been like this for awhile, but it has gotten
worse overtime. Her parents don't know, and neither do
her friends. All she knows is that there is a monster inside
her, destroying her.
She gets dressed, puts her make up on, then looks in the
mirror. A tear falls from her eye because she does not feel
beautiful, she can hear a voice in her head say, "You're not
beautiful, no one will ever like you." She doesn't know what
to do, or what to wear to make this monster stop saying
these horrible things.
"I just want to be pretty like the other girls," she says as
she walks out the door of her room. The monster is gaining
control.
As she goes downstairs her parents are fighting, they
don't even notice their own daughter, crying in the kitchen.
She grabs a pop tart, then hears the monster say to her,
"You don't need that, you're getting too fat, might want to
skip breakfast this morning."
She puts it down on the counter as her stomach growls
from hunger. She hasn't eaten in days, her parents don't
notice, they are too busy with their own lives. The monster
is getting stronger.
The young girl goes to school, the place where
everything is supposed to get better. That is not the case
for her; this place is almost as terrible as home. She walks
the halls of the school with her head in her books, trying not
to look at anyone. Trying to hide the tears, trying to hide the
pain, she puts on a smile, even though she knows it's fake.
Her friends are surrounding her locker, they don't
notice anything wrong, the monster chimes in with a
horrible little song: "They do not like you, they feel bad for
you. They are not your friends, they just feel sorry for you."
She tries to block out the monster inside her, but it just gets
louder and louder. The smile on her face fades as the day
goes by, the monster is telling her to "die, die, die."
She walks home from school, the monster will not be
quiet. It's telling her to do horrible things to herself, to make
the pain go away. It wants her to cut, the blood will make
it better. "You won't feel anymore pain. No one wants you
here anyway!" the monster screamed. "You might as well
end your life! End your friends' and family's pain."
As she gets home from school, her parents are not
there. They normally don't get home until late, to avoid each
other. "They aren't avoiding each other, they are avoiding
you," said the monster with a devilish grin. The girl goes to
her room, puts her head in the pillow, and cries. Her eyes
are all puffy, and she feels so much pain. She doesn't know
what to do, except maybe listen to the monster inside her.
It hurts to move now, but she gets up and goes to the
bathroom. "Go ahead pick up the razor, it will only hurt for
a second," the monster reassured her. She slit one wrist,
then the other. She collapsed on the floor. The monster was
winning.
The world faded away, she closes her eyes, and says,
"No more pain, just like you said."
She wakes up in a hospital room, her mom and dad on
each side of her. Her mom is holding a tissue in her hand,
and her dad's hands were folded from praying.
"Mom, Dad, what's going on," she asked as the pain in
her throat got worse. She knew what happened, but her
parents leaped up and hugged their daughter with all their
might.
"We are so sorry honey," her mom said crying tears of
joy her daughter was okay.
"Why didn't you tell us that you were sad?" asked her
dad with concern in his voice.
She explained her sadness to them, and they got her
help right away. From then on the monster's voice got
softer and softer. Until one day the monster's voice was
gone forever. She may have tried to end her life, but she
won the battle with the monster. She fought for her life, and
now she has it back. Her determination, her love for life, and
God saved her that day. God had a plan for her, this was just
a bump in the road.
That day she won the battle against one of the biggest
monsters in today's society: depression. Sometimes the
worst monster can be inside of us. We just need to face it,
and come out stronger than before.
Ashley Ewoldt
Grade 12
Charter Oak-Ute Junior & Senior High
Charter Oak
Untitled
Mackenzie Moodie
Grade 11
Kingsley
21
The Glorious Days of Spring
When I first get up in the beautiful morning on the first
lovely spring day, I open the dewy window and smell the
fresh, crisp, breeze. The colorful butterflies are like vivid
glass sculptures fluttering in the gentle wind. I hear the
musically tweeting birds. The pink flower petal that flew
into my open window sill was silky smooth. I walk into the
giant kitchen and have a piece of pink, seedless watermelon.
The juicy watermelon was mouthwatering and savory.
In the sunny afternoon I go outside and eat a sweet,
cherry flavored popsicle that drips all over me. I'm smelling
nose-burning smoke; the strong smell was just pushing
me away. I can't stand it any more so I sprint away as fast
as I could. The graceful sound of tweeting birds were like
deafening sirens in the sky. They were calling out to each
other. I look around and see blazing colors flying in every
direction. They were yellow and black goldfinches swerving
through the breeze. The compact bark on the tree I was
under was like stones trying to protect the defenseless
inside.
Walking along I gaped at a monstrous Redwood tree
with vast chocolate colored roots. I lay in a field of radiant
flowers that are blankets hugging me all over. When I get
to my house I'm steaming. I have some lemonade that was
both sweet and sour on my tongue, but was still refreshing.
Outside the window the smell of the newly trimmed
grass was bold and strong. I look up and see the tweeting
birds that are darts in the sky. The gale rushing across the
horizon was ear-piercing. Listening very carefully, I hear
bees reverberating in search of rich, luscious, nectar.
I look outside and realize it is the last day of spring. As
I'm looking into the past I remember all the memories I've
had. I only have two last words, "Goodbye spring."
Hannah Lee
Grade 5
Sergeant Bluff
Untitled
Juliana Montemayor
Grade K
Whiting Elementary
Whiting
22
What Freedom Means To Me
Freedom means being who you want to be. As
Americans, we are granted many freedoms. The freedom
to speak, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, just
to name a few. How we choose to handle these freedoms
will define us throughout our life and make us the person
we want to be.
The freedom of speech allows us to speak freely.
However, if we choose to use our words to harm others,
then really is it a freedom? Sure, you can say what you
want, but words are something you can't take back. If your
words are used in a negative way, then you must live the
consequences for what you have said. Therefore, I believe if
we use them to positively lift people up, then and only then
is it a freedom.
The freedom of religion in my opinion is the freedom
that is most confusing. John 8:36 reads, "If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." I
believe that my belief in the Son has made me free. If this is
how all people believe, then why do we target those people
who live a different lifestyle than what we do? As long as
they believe the same thing, they shouldn't be punished
or targeted for their different values. We should live in
harmony, not hate.
The right to bear arms is another freedom that has been
heavily debated. I come from a family who enjoys hunting,
which means that is the way in which they provide food for
their families. However, some people use this freedom in a
negative way, causing harm to others. Just because there
are individuals in the world who choose to use them for
harm, it should NOT be a reason to try to ban weapons from
others who use them appropriately and responsibly.
Although these are just a few of the freedoms we are
fortunate to have, NONE of them would even be possible
without the men and women, regardless of race, who have
fought for them. They give up their time, family, and even
their own lives so that we can experience many of the
freedoms we have today and for that I am eternally grateful
and humbled.
So, as my right as a citizen, I choose to live my life freely,
compassionately, responsibly, and proudly.
Chloe Kruger
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
The Dragon That Couldn't Fly
Grace Beacom
Grade 4
Sioux City-Leeds Elementary
Sioux City
23
Faces of Mt. Rushmore
George Washington: “I always wonder why people look
at us.”
Abraham Lincoln: “We're handsome, that's why.”
George Washington: “Oh, I never thought of that.”
Thomas Jefferson: “I don't think that's why.”
Abraham Lincoln: “But I am handsome, right?”
Thomas Jefferson: “Sure. Smile, the people are looking
at us.”
Theodore Roosevelt: “We can't smile…We are made
out of stone!”
Thomas Jefferson: “Never mind, then.”
George Washington: “Why are we carved into this
mountain, anyway?”
Theodore Roosevelt: “We are four of the greatest
Presidents in the U.S.A.”
George Washington: “What did we do that was so
great?”
Thomas Jefferson: “Well George, you were the first
President. Before that, you led us to victory over Great
Britain in the Revolutionary War to gain our independence.”
Abraham Lincoln: '”Thomas Jefferson doubled the size
of our nation with the Louisiana Purchase.”
Theodore Roosevelt: “Abraham Lincoln put an end to
slavery in the United States after the Civil War.”
Abraham Lincoln: “Theodore Roosevelt created the
Panama Canal and increased our land preserved as National
Parks.”
George Washington: “Wow! We've sure done some
great things for our country.”
Thomas Jefferson: “We sure have. Now smile. There's a
new group of visitors taking pictures of us.”
Theodore Roosevelt: “We can't smile! We are still
made out of stone!”
Thomas Jefferson: “Oh yeah. I forgot.”
McKenzie Werner
Grade 5
Galva-Holstein Upper Elementary
Galva
Majestic Red Tailed Hawk
Jane Taylor
Grade 6
Sioux Center
24
What is Gray?
Gray is entering storm clouds and
newly carved grave stones.
Gray also makes me feel frightened.
Gray is the taste of mushrooms, and regurgitated leftovers.
Long funerals and the gross, disturbing,
dump makes me feel gray.
Gray is the sound of yelling loudly
and hail beating on rooftops.
Gray is an abandoned child and an unliked person.
Running away scared and being made
fun of by your friends is gray.
Veteran
V Very courageous
E Everywhere all the time
T Trying to make peace
E Everyone knows they're doing their jobs
R Risking it all
A Always defending our liberty
N Never giving up
Colten Wolf
Grade 5
Sioux City
Gray is ashes from a long lasted fire and a
strong dusty blow of wind from a tornado.
That is what I think is gray.
Lauren Johnson
Grade 3
Schleswig
Untitled
Emily Houlsworth
Grade 12
Sioux City
25
Ford OBS
Evan Peterson
Grade 11
River Valley Junior & Senior High
Correctionville
"This nation will remain the land of the free only so
long as it is the home of the brave." - Elmer Davis
Have you ever seen a veteran eating at a restaurant
or buying food at a grocery store? Did you ever think
about saying thank you? Thank you for saving this country
from terrorism or worse things? For over two centuries,
veterans and soldiers have kept American people safe
from invasions and attacks. I believe that we should never
take freedom for granted. Too many people have suffered
and died fighting for this country. The least we could do is
appreciate all the things that veterans and soldiers have
done to protect our freedom.
There are several divisions of the military, but they all
have one thing in common, they all continue to fight for
our country to be free. In 1812, the U.S. Army fought in the
War of 1812. It lasted over 2 years and there were over
2,000 deaths. World War I lasted only a year, but there
were over 53,000 deaths. World War II is a war that can
never be forgotten. Allied with Poland, Great Britain, and
other countries, the USA fought against Germany, Italy,
and Japan for the freedom of others. There were over
400,000 deaths of American soldiers alone. With every
battle, the citizens of the U.S. need to appreciate what the
military does for us.
26
I truly appreciate all the things that the soldiers have
done to keep this land free. Soldiers and Veterans don't
just keep our country safe, they also are sent to other
countries to protect those people. Being a soldier is risking
your life because they are always in harm's way. Anyone
who knows a soldier knows that horrible feeling after
thinking that one day, they just might not make it home.
Freedom is a gift that many people have suffered
to keep and many people have died to give us. It is each
person's choice of how they use it. I wrote this paper to
show others all the good deeds that soldiers and veterans
have done to keep this country free, but not even words
can describe how much I appreciate all that they have
done. Just remember to thank them, because freedom is
not a right but a privilege that they have given to you.
Work Cited
"Elmer Davis Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
Jimena Mendoza
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
Life's Tapestry
Life is a tapestry
each one of us a thread.
Our lives run and intertwine with others
all in a majestic plan.
One's life may seem simple,
but is essential to the grand design.
The prophecy entitles us to add color and meaning to
the picture.
Each of us a thread in the tapestry,
each of us a small morsel of the feast.
Our lives cast such glorious hues,
each soul giving the tapestry a greater glow,
a bigger purpose.
Some name and brand the tapestry.
The way our lives fall into place,
they name it Fate,
while some deem it Destiny.
But I disagree,
we have choices, decisions,
our own accords and judgments.
They are not set in stone,
we have a mind of our own,
we can choose right from wrong.
Life is not made up of coincidence, fate, or destiny.
Life has a main character;
Life has a prime conductor.
I call life
God's Tapestry.
Amber Lozier
Grade 8
OA-BCIG Middle
Odebolt
Silhouette Drawing
Jayde Barto
Grade 8
Kingsley-Pierson Middle
Pierson
27
Queen of the Court
This one moment gave me my reason to love the sport
even more. Down and ready, waiting for the ball to come
my way. The score is tied. I can taste the sweat as it drips
down my face and into my mouth. I am awaiting the sweet
smack of the ball as the server tosses it into the air. It comes
over the net at a decent speed but goes over my head. Mia
makes a perfect pass right to me. I set the ball high and far
to Avery. She approaches and BAM! The ball goes hurtling
toward the ground like a meteor. I think for sure we will
score. However, the other team recovers the ball. Bump,
set... but she sets it just a little too far. It comes straight
above the net, and I realize what I have to do. I cannot get
into the net, but I also cannot be too far away from the
ball. My teammates know what I have to do before I do. I
either do that or the ball drops and we could lose the game.
Under the Sea
Cody Bottjen
Grade 6
Anthon
28
The ball seems like it is floating forever. Finally, I make the
decision to go for it. I'm going to hit the ball. I wait for the
ball to be at the peak of its height, and then I take off. I start
my approach to the net. My feet push forward, left-rightleft. With power, my arms swing back as I squat down and
push as hard as I can off the ground. I feel like a bird gliding
through the air. Right now, everything's a blur. The crowd is
silent, waiting to see if I can make the hit. My right arm is up,
ready to smack the blue and silver ball to the ground. The
blockers are in position and start to jump. Thankfully, I'm
higher up than they are. I swing my arm forward ... SMACK!
The feeling of the ball hitting my hand is the most relieving
feeling in the world. At the speed of light, the ball travels
like a rocket towards the ground. No one comes near it! I
feel my feet finally hit the ground. My coach, Rachel, yells
out happily, "Yeah, Tessa!" The Sergeant Bluff crowd stands
up and cheers. Heart racing, I get down and ready for the
next play. The game's not over yet. But, at that moment, I
feel like the queen of the court.
Tessa Smith
Grade 7
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Middle
Sergeant Bluff
Girl With Feelings
Samantha Crenshaw
Grade 11
Whiting
What Freedom Means To Me
Freedom to me means a blue sky with the American
flag waving in the wind, the melody of the "Star Spangled
Banner" being sung by millions all over the United States,
the "Pledge of Allegiance" making people all over the world
shed a tear everytime they hear it, and veterans being
thanked for their service and loyalty to our country. People
coming from all over the world to share the freedom we
have is something we should not take for granted.
People may think you can do anything you want
because you think it won't hurt anyone. They think you
don't have to respect the laws or have to listen to anyone.
Freedom means to listen to others and not break the laws.
The laws are here to help make our country a safe place for
people to be able to live with no fear.
When someone breaks the law, they disrespect our
freedom. When someone steals, they are making people
feel unsafe and making them feel as though our country is
not the place for them. People may not always get their way,
but we are a nation and we always find a way to get along
and make everything work as it is supposed to. Freedom
means sharing with everyone. Freedom means loving and
caring for everyone, especially those who can't provide for
their family.
America is the most generous nation in the world. We
were put on the Earth to care for others and help support
others who need assistance. We wake up every morning
not worried that there is a lack of food to support our
families or that we will be fighting in another war. Some
people do live like that. They are not as lucky and do not
have the freedom or supplies that we do. Be generous. Be
kind. Follow the rules. Help others. Respect Our Freedom!
I am proud to be an American where at least I know I'm
free.
Josie Hansen
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
29
Alphabetical Advice
Accountable—show up when you are expected. I walk
home when I'm supposed to.
Brave—have no fear. I'm not scared of anything.
Caring—to think about others. When my sister fell, I
helped her up.
Dependable—trustworthy. When I'm home alone I
take care of the house and sometimes clean.
Enjoy—having fun. I go to Adventureland with my mom.
Friendly—to care for one another. I help people who
are new around the location.
Generous—to share with others. I share a candy bar
with my brother.
Hardworking—works hard. I like working hard on a
farm.
Intelligent—being smart. I think of stuff quickly.
Joyful—being happy. Have a really fun day.
Kind—being nice. Sharing with one another.
Loving—caring. When my mom had leg surgery, I got
things for her.
Mindful—aware of surroundings. I'm careful what's
around me.
Nice—to be considerate. When I found a tiny coyote in
a trap, I let it go free.
Organized—to be able to find things. I take three hours
to put stuff in my room and know where it will be.
Polite—please and thank you. Every day at lunch I say
please and thank you.
Quick—fast reflex. Be quicker than your opponent.
Restful—peaceful sleep. I sleep six hours no matter
what.
Suitable—live up to your standards. Don't try to be
someone else, just be you.
Trusting—able to count on me to do what I say I will. To
be accountable.
Useful—able to find solutions. When ice melt didn't
work, I used hand warmers to melt it.
Vibrant—enjoy the colorful world. The wilderness is
very colorful.
Worshiping—trust in God. Pray every night.
Xtra special—spoiled. I'm spoiled every once in a while,
but not all the time.
Young—lively. I am very energetic.
Zealous—always full of life. I see things in a good way.
Kaiden Thompson
Grade 5
Galva
My Secret Place
In a small backyard, in a small neighborhood, in a big
city, on the continent of North America, on the planet
we know as earth, there is a quiet place. This is my secret
place. There are dead leaves scattered on the ground. It
looks like wooden arms coming out of an also wooden
torso, little needle like fingers sprouting out in every
direction. The higher I go the safer I feel, all the weight of
life is lifted off of my shoulders. Sticky branches all so thin
but strong. The higher I go the safer I feel, climbing higher
and higher all the way to the top and looking down to see
everyone so small. I can smell sharp fresh pine wherever I
go, I can tell the air is cleaner. The wind starts to sway me
back and forth to the rhythmic tune whistling through my
ears just like a song. I can hear the birds tweeting a sweet
tune and the squirrels chattering amongst themselves.
All of the dogs barking and the cars passing start to fade
away. My mind is blissful; I have equanimity. This is my
secret place, my secret place is my favorite pine tree in my
yard. My secret place is my favorite place.
Alexandra Kleinschmit
Grade 6
Sioux City
Bravery
It is in the hearts
Of every being inhabiting this planet.
It comes in all shapes and sizes,
Not only on the physical battlefield,
But on the one in the mind as well.
It is the fight,
The fire that makes a person who they are.
They might not believe they have it,
But everyone does.
Some just aren't ready to use it yet.
It is the willingness to do the right thing,
And the ability to admit it when you did the wrong
thing.
It is the capacity to care for others,
And to put their well-being ahead of your own.
It is the daring, bold, new approaches to life,
And the adventure of branching out on our own.
Bravery isn't a lack of fear.
It is knowing that fear shouldn't stop you from doing
what is right.
Jordan Martin
Grade 10
Woodbury Central High
Moville
30
I Am Thankful
I love you mom and dad. Thank you for my warm house.
It is safe. Thank you for the toys that are awesome. But
most of all, thank you for my family and friends. They are
very special.
Gillian Chance
Grade 1
Holstein
Pride
Paige Huth
Grade 7
Pierson
31
Big Horn Ram
Eian R. Weber
Grade 8
Anthon
32
Freedom to me means thinking about what I am able
to enjoy in my life because I live in the free country of the
United States. Freedom can be represented in many forms.
When I think about how freedom is represented, I think of
our country’s beautiful flag, the soldiers that defend my
freedom, and the national bird, the bald eagle.
The flag represents all the states and how they all
have equal powers, one state doesn’t have more power
than the others. When I see the flag, I look at the stars and
think to myself those stars remind me as an American of
my freedom. Each of those stars stand for our 50 states,
the red and white stripes stand for the 13 colonies that
declared independence from the kingdom of Great Britain
which ruled over America in the very beginning. The overall
loyalty to the American flag is a representation of our
freedom. The red stripes declare the fearless, bravery and
honor of Americans. The blue stands for the blue of heaven,
faithfulness, and being obedient. The white stands for
freedom and fairness for all.
Another representation of freedom is shown when
soldiers defend our country. Soldiers fight tirelessly for our
freedom. They fight both on our land and in other countries.
When they are fighting overseas they do not know if they
will come home. They also know that they may go to war
defending our country’s freedom and may lose a limb while
in battle. Soldiers not only give their time, but they may
even give their life to protect our freedom.
The bald eagle is the national bird for the United States.
The bald eagle represents freedom because of the way they
are able to fly into the sky without any care. Since the image
of the bald eagle is present on a number of items, those
images are constant reminders of our country’s beauty,
freedom and strength.
When people say the word freedom to me, I think of the
flag, soldiers, and the bald eagle. I think of how important
those things are and what they really mean. The soldiers
defend our country everyday, and everyday they defend
our flag and our freedom with strength that resembles the
eagle. When I think of the word American, I think of the
word free, because to be an American means that we are
free.
Morgan Wilson
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
Stumped
Anna Jepsen
Grade 12
Onawa
33
Scars
Tick-tock. The clock mocked her. She noticed it
was crooked on the wall. She checked her phone. The
time wasn’t even right. People around her tried to busy
themselves as well. Nobody wanted to be here. Nobody.
Rose pulled her sleeve over her arm, fearing that they
would see it. She quickly recovered, brushing her long,
red hair out of her face to show a pair of big, brown eyes.
She was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, avoiding any
eye-contact with the other nutcases. She heard her name.
Alertly, she rose to her feet. Great, she thought, time for the
nutcracker.
The hallway smelled like something she couldn’t place.
Clean. It smelled clean. Her dirty shoes looked unbefitting
compared to the pale white carpeting. The walls were also
milk-white.
Rose had never considered therapy helpful. It seemed
a shout in the dark or a leap of faith. Who would cry for
help to a complete stranger whose qualifications were
based solely among their education? Even if someone
did work hard for a profession, that doesn’t mean that
they were born to do it. Therapists, in her opinion, were
a waste of time and money. She specifically called hers
the nutcracker. Named after his job (taking people that
were nuts, cracking them open, revealing their problems,
and trying to fix them), the nutcracker had been trying to
crack Rose for weeks. He had asked dumb questions, tried
to connect with her using his life stories, and sometimes
just waited the whole time for her to speak. What could
she say? Rose had trust issues.
“Hi Rose,” the cheery bald man rose from his seat. He
had a name, although Rose had forgotten it entirely. He
was a short, skinny man. His voice was scratchy and deep.
He had a slouching posture and a cheerful disposition.
Rose hated that. “How’re you feeling?”
“Meh,” she replied, dropping herself into a chair.
“How’s life?”
“As good as can be expected,” she lied.
“Then I guess you can go,” the nutcracker said.
Rose looked at him, astonished. “What?”
“You can go. You obviously don’t want to be helped.
I’ve tried and tried to help you with your sickness, but you
refuse my care.”
“Well ... okay,” Rose said quietly as she picked herself
up, pulled her sleeve over her arm, and reached for the
doorknob. Silently, she came out into the stark, clean
hallway. It seemed so much longer. All of Rose’s friends,
doctors, and family members had given up on her.
Something about the nutcracker had always intrigued her.
He hadn’t given up, and that was quite refreshing to her.
Walking out into the bright sun, she squinted her eyes.
She lived in a small town. There wasn’t much to do and not
many people to be with. Rose’s steps echoed on the quiet,
empty sidewalk. The heat was covering her like another
layer of skin, heavy and warm. The buzzing of flies by a
garbage can vibrated in her ears and the stench filled her
nose.
Rose watched the streetlights change color for the
nonexistent traffic as she walked home. People around
here only left their homes for work, school, or anything
else that was required. “Social” wasn’t in their vocabulary.
Looking down at the green cracks in the sidewalk and
34
kicking a pebble as she went, Rose truly felt like the last
person on earth. The tragic thing is, this wasn’t the first
time.
The first thing she heard was the yelling. That’s how
she knew she was getting closer to home. The faded
yellow paint and the fifty or less shingles reminded her of
how lucky she was. As the door opened, the sound erupted
from the house, almost knocking her backwards. She came
home just in time to catch her mother’s hand from striking
Aspen, her sister. That was a big mistake. Pulling her
sleeve back on her arm, she faced her mother who smelled
of alcohol and sleep.
She felt it before she heard it and tasted the blood
before she saw it. She touched her cheek to feel the indent
of her mother’s wedding ring and the cut it left. She looked
at the mangy carpet, once white now brown. Red dots
filled in the spaces. Her eyes trailed back to her mother.
Messy blond hair, bloodshot eyes. The usual. She expected
her to strike again but her mother just fell forward onto
the floor, out like a light.
Remembering her sister, she ran down the hall and
reached to knock on the door.
“I’m fine,” Aspen said through the door, hearing Rose’s
footfalls.
“Let me in,” she said as she pushed open the door.
She had seen her sister in worse conditions. A puffy
eye and a scratch on her arm were two things she didn’t
want to see, but it could have been much much worse.
Rose covered her wrist as she sat beside Aspen, only
eleven years old. After Aspen was born, their father left,
leaving their mother with only her kids and her booze.
Being only four, Rose had taken the responsibility to raise
and protect Aspen from their malevolent mother. It still
carried on, though. When she turned twelve she stopped
feeling. And when she turned thirteen she made herself
feel again.
Leaving Aspen in her room, Rose ran into her own
room, making sure she closed the door. She pulled out the
blade and pulled up her sleeve, looking at her battle scars.
They were actually beautiful, a sign of what she held deep
inside and tried to hide; a sign of who she really was, and
how much she hated it. The blade pierced her paper-white
skin. The first sign of blood was beautiful, too: deep red
and flowing, no cares and no responsibilities except the
job of being blood. She suddenly felt again. She felt the
blood that ran down her wrist into her hand, following the
lines and curves of her palm and finally dripping off the
tip of her finger. She also felt the blood that rushed to her
face in the anger and agony that her mother had put her
through.
Regaining her thoughts, she ran to her sister’s room.
“Pack your bag. Only the essentials. Mom’ll be out for
a few hours. There’s a few hundred dollars in a jar beneath
the kitchen sink. Get some food and water and go to the
bus station. Take it to Aunt Lav’s house and tell her what
happened. Don’t think about me. Just forget all about me.”
Rose watched as the shock in her sister’s eyes turned
into determination. They had discussed it before but now
was the time.
Listening to the rustle of supplies in the kitchen and
then the slam of the door, Rose bolted into her room.
She found the gun immediately, remembering the day
her father had left. He had given it to her to protect the
family, knowing that his wife had gone insane.
Running her fingers along the barrel, finding the
trigger, Rose felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
Her throat went dry and her breathing rate rapidly
increased. She had waited for this for a long time.
Suddenly, she heard the door open once again. She
flinched. This was it. Pulling back the hammer, she heard
footsteps getting closer. She placed the cold, metallic
barrel against her temple as a tear slid down her still
bleeding cheek.
Aspen entered the room, fear coating her face.
“I love you, “ Rose whispered, another tear finding the
same route as the first.
With that, she pulled the trigger.
Frosty the Snowman
Frosty and Rudolph are friends and they play together.
They play hide and go seek. Frosty cannot find Rudolph.
He is really good at hiding! Frosty looks behind the trees,
bushes, and a house. He finds Rudolph behind a tree
sleeping. He fell asleep!
Zoey Howland
Grade 2
Schleswig
Molly Lenz
Grade 9
Paullina
Finish
Ally Nicole Sanow
Grade 5
Remsen-Union Elementary
Remsen
35
Pain and Happiness
Tragically, in the year 2070, a bomb was set in Wrigley
Field, claimed to be set off by ISIS. This bomb killed 100
people, and severely injured 10,000. Without warning, and
anyone knowing, this bomb had just started World War III.
Cities were demolished, everyone in Chicago was either
killed, or kidnapped and put into slavery. An Elite Team of
Special Forces soon attacked and rescued as many as they
could, wasn’t very many though. About forty percent of the
people enslaved were killed by the ISIS. President William
Benson later sent an atomic bomb into the ISIS base and
killed or severely injured them all. The war, though, lasted
five years. Ten years after the war, there was still a ton
of destruction. Ten years after the war, there were stray
mines. And ten years after the war, there were still deaths
happening.
TEN YEARS LATER
It was the summer of 2080, ten years after the war that
destroyed everything. There was still a lot of destruction
left, but most of it had been fixed. In the city of Bushshore,
Pennsylvania, a small town of about three thousand people,
it smelled of fresh popcorn.
“Hey Max! Let’s go, we’re going to be late” shouted
Garner from outside. Garner is Max’s best friend, they have
grown up together. They have been best friends since as far
as any of them remember.
“Ya, ya hold up, I gotta find my glove,” Max said.
“Well hurry up!” yelled Jack, Max’s second best friend.
After about another couple minutes, Max found his glove
and walked outside. It took them about five minutes to get
there, and they noticed the whole team on the far field, so
they walked to the teleporter, walked in it, told it what field,
and teleported there.
“Hey Max. Hey Garner. Hey Jack,” said Coach Ambrosi.
Most of the players just call him coach though.
“Sup Coach, how’s it goin'?” asked Jack.
“Pretty good, pretty good,” answered Coach, “Now go
out to your positions, Max, you’re pitching. Ok?” Max ran
out to pitch and he did some great work, striking out ten
batters and giving up three hits. He walked two batters and
gave up one run.
“GOOD JOB RYDER!” yelled Coach Ambrosi from the
dugout as Max came running off the field in the final inning.
They ended up winning 5-1.
“Hey Max, you were amazing!” said Garner.
“Oh please, I wasn’t THAT good,” answered Max.
“Fine, you weren’t amazing, you were god-like,” said
Garner.
“Oh, shut up already,” replied Max smiling.
“Oh, you shut up. You were god-like. Admit it,” Garner,
“Right Jack?
“Defin-” said Jack, but that is all he could say before
everything went black… .
Max woke up on a hospital bed and felt unbearable pain
in his left leg, pain he had never had and never could have
even imagined until now. He sat up and looked down at his
leg but saw nothing.
“AAAAAAH!” screamed Max, “W-WHERE’S MY LEG!”
Max kept on screaming and crying. Some doctors and
nurses overheard his screaming and crying and rushed in
the room as fast as possible.
36
“Are you ok?” asked one of the nurses.
“Does it look like I’m ok? My leg is missing and I’m
freaking out and crying. So no, I’m not ok.” replied Max
rudely.
“Hey!” said one of the doctors “I know how you’re
feeling and I know this is a lot to take in, just look at my leg,
it happened to me, too. But there’s no reason to be such a
jerk to someone, who first of all, is new to this, and second
of all, is trying to help you,” said one of the doctors.
“I just want to know what happened to my leg,” said
Max
“Well, it’s not there because you were in an accident
with a stray mine,” answered the doctor. Then Max
remembered… .
“W-Where’s my friends. WHERE’S GARNER AND
JACK?!” asked Max.
“They…" said the doctor trying to think of how to put
this lightly, “They are dead Max. They died because of the
mine. You were the lucky one. If you were a few inches
closer you would have died, too. I’m so sorry, we did the
best we could, but there was nothing else we could do,” Max
felt pain, but it wasn’t the pain like you get when you stub
your toe or get your leg blown off by a mine, it was the pain
where you know you’re missing something in your life, but
you can’t remember what, only, Max knew what the pain
was and it was much worse than the real pain he was feeling
in his leg.
“WHY! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED THEM! YOU
KNOW YOU COULD HAVE, TOO! YOU JUST LET THEM
GO WITHOUT GIVING A THOUGHT OF HOW OTHERS
FELT! YOU JUST LET THEM DIE!” yelled Max, obviously
insanely mad.
“Max, hold on, we did do everything we could, they
were already gone before we could load them on to the
ambulance. I’m sorry,” replied the doctor.
“YOU ARE NOT SORRY! AND HOW DO YOU KNOW
MY NAME?” asked Max.
“Well…I helped take care of you…I was your doctor
when something similar happened. You were only three
when that bomb hit,” said the doctor. Max was astonished
and sad, he didn’t mean to be so mean he just was going
through a tough time.
“I-I’m sorry,” said Max as a tear was dripping down his
face like an icicle melting away, “I just want my friends back,
and my leg back. I mean, I play baseball and I want to be able
to play again.”
“I know how you feel. I had my leg amputated because
of a mine also. I was supposed to play in the MLB, actually
I was supposed to play for the Oakland Athletics, but I was
called out to war and I stepped on a mine,” said the doctor.
“Ok, well I’m going to get some sleep. Bye doctor…" said
Max.
“Doctor Irving, bye Max,” interrupted Dr. Irving.
Miserably, for two weeks his not so best friends and
classmates came and went. His family came the most though
coming three times a day every day, once a week they
would bring flowers or a get well soon card, but that didn’t
cheer him up at all. What was making him feel so down was
because he couldn’t play his favorite sport, baseball. In fact
he couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t even walk. After about
three or four weeks he was able to go to school, but he had
to be pushed around in a wheelchair. During school though
there was this kid who would make fun of him because he
had one leg. His name was Dan Trankston. He always called
Max Crippled with a K, Pirate, One leg Max. Then one day,
Dan called Max every rude, mean, and obnoxious word in
the dictionary to be a jerk to Max. After about five minutes,
Max veered his wheelchair around gave a right hook right
into Dan’s face. Dan fell to the floor, appearing young and
lifeless, out cold.
Mr. Jenkins, the school’s principal, came running out of
his office to see what happened.
“MAX WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” yelled Mr. Jenkins,
“Nope never mind you both are coming with me.”
“But Mr. Jen—” said Max.
“No buts, you guys are coming with me to the office,”
demanded Mr. Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins pushed Max into the
office while some nurses carried Dan, who woke up before
he was in the office.
“Why am I here?” asked Dan.
“You two have apparently gotten into a fight, and Max
threw a mean right hook and knocked you on your butt,”
replied Mr. Jenkins “Max, what has gotten into you, you
were such a good student and a good kid to be around.
What made you do this?” asked Mr. Jenkins
“Well, he was calling me names and I got annoyed and
… “ said Max.
“And you punched him. Why were you calling him
names, Dan?” asked Mr. Jenkins.
‘”Cause look at him man. He’s crippled. Got only one
leg, Brah,” replied Dan.
“That’s not a good way to treat a student who is going
through a tough time,” replied Mr. Jenkins.
“Psssh. Going through a tough time my butt. I’m going
through a time of hunger, I didn’t eat lunch to—” said Dan
before he was interrupted by Mr. Jenkins."
“Now be quiet. I get that you’re hungry, but just look at
him. He’s missing a leg for pete sake.
“I don’t give a crap about his leg getting blown off by
a freakin’ mine. I’ve just got two things to say to you guys.
One, watch where you’re going when you’re on the streets
of Bushmore, in fact anywhere. Two, I DON’T GIVE A
CRAP!” screamed Dan.
“Oh be quiet already. You have detention for two
hours,” said Mr. Jenkins.
“Oh please,” said Dan.
“In school suspension and detention for two hours,”
said Mr. Jenkins.
“I could do that in my sleep,” said Dan.
“Ok. Let’s go…one month of out of school suspension,
one month of in school suspension, and four hour detention
everyday with Mr. Gans,” said Mr. Jenkins. Dan had a scared
look on his face. Mr. Gans was one of those teachers who
wouldn’t let you drop a pin without giving you another hour
of detention. “Well I can tell that you don’t want that, so I’ll
be giving you an in school detention for four days."
That night he went back to see Dr. Irving at the hospital
to see what they could do about his leg.
“Hello Max. How are you feeling?” asked Dr. Irving.
“Well, it feels weird to have no leg, but I’m not feeling as
much pain as the first week,” said Max.
“Well that’s good. Now, let’s get talking about that leg of
yours. I found a lot of new prosthetic legs, but the cheapest
leg was twenty-five thousand dollars.” said Dr. Irving.
“JEEZ!” said Mr. Ryder obviously surprised, “We don’t
have that kind of money.”
“Well you will have to get that money somehow, or
Max won’t be able to get that leg that you know he has been
dreaming of since he realized that his leg was gone.” said Mr.
Ambrosi.
“How are we going to do this, Dad?” asked Max.
“I don’t know but we will discuss it when we get home,”
said Mr. Ryder. When Max and his dad got home they had a
long discussion on how they could pay for the leg.
“Wait, I have an idea. You know who Wade Ryder is?”
asked Mr. Ryder.
“Of course I do. He’s the three time MVP award winner
in the MLB. He plays second base for the Chicago White
Sox, but what does he have anything to do with this?” asked
Max.
“Well… We’re brothers,” said Mr. Ryder.
“Wait, what you’re telling me is that THE Wade Ryder is
my uncle?” asked Max.
“Yes, I am. We were the best brothers that anyone
would want. We would always play ball outside in the yard.
Heart Vines
Alex Elks
Grade 3
Sioux City
37
Self Portrait
Alex Menke
Grade 9
Whiting
I was really good, maybe even as good as Wade, but I got
called out to the war. He was the lucky one and didn’t go
to war. Here I’ll call him up now,” said Mr. Ryder. Max’s dad
was on the phone for over a half hour before he actually got
Wade on the phone.
“Well hey, Wade, how are you. Well that’s good, look I
have got to ask you a favor, but I don’t want to talk about
it here. Do you think Max and I could come to your place?
Max? He’s my son. Sure. See you then. Bye,” said Mr. Ryder.
Max couldn’t hear what Wade, on the other end of the
phone, was saying but he had to guess that it was good news
because after Mr. Ryder had got done talking to Wade, he
had a huge smile on his face.
“Well guess what, Max. We get to go see Wade, and
maybe get the money too. I don’t know about the money
thing, but he said he might do the favor and that we could
go see him next Thursday,” said Mr. Ryder.
Max had to go through the pain of seeing Dan again
for another week after his in school suspension. Dan would
say stuff like “Hey what’s up, Gimp, been riding that bike of
yours, oh wait you can’t, ‘cause you’re missing a leg. HA!”
38
Everyday Max tried to ignore him and every day the urge to
punch grew and grew. Finally Thursday came and Max and
his dad boarded the bus that smelled like vomit, fart, and
raw sewage all at the same time.
“Dad, do we have to ride the bus? It smells so bad that
you could almost see the smell,” asked Max.
“Now Max, you know this is the only way to get to
Chicago. I know it smells horrible, but think of the bright
side of things. You might get your leg, you might even get to
play baseball,” answered Mr. Ryder. Max and his dad rode
the bus for about one hundred fifty miles until they talked
again.
“Dad, do you think that Wade will give us the money to
get me that prosthetic leg?” asked Max.
“I don’t know Max, I don’t know, but let’s hope for the
best that he is willing to give us that twenty-five thousand
dollars we need for that leg.” answered Mr. Ryder. They
didn’t talk again until they reached the house of the famous
baseball player, Wade Ryder.
“Well, here we are. You nervous?” asked Mr. Ryder.
“Definitely,” answered Max. They walked up to the
front door and rang the doorbell. Some person answered
the door.
“Hello, you must be Wade’s brother, and you must be
Max,” said the stranger.
“FRANCIS WHO IS IT?!” yelled a voice from inside.
“Come in, Mr. Ryder,” said Francis. They walked inside
to see a big, stocky, and obviously a baseball player sitting
on a couch that looked like it was made entirely of talc.
“Well hey there, Wade,” said Mr. Ryder.
“Hey there, Ben,” said Wade standing up to hug Max’s
dad. Wade looked about six feet four inches, two hundred
ten twenty pounds. He had broad shoulders, and flowing
brown hair. And his brown eyes that made you know that
he was willing to help almost anyone. “It’s been a long time.”
“I know it’s been, what, four years?" asked Mr. Ryder.
“I’d say so. Come sit down, any of you want a pop, I’ve
got Pepsi and Coke,” said Wade.
“I’ll have a Coke,” said Max as Wade threw him a pop.
Max snagged it with one hand.
“You must have played ball, catcher, shortstop?” asked
Wade.
“I pitch, well I did until this happened,” said Max pointing
to his leg.
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” said Wade, “So what do you
want me to do for Ben?”
“Well you see, Max was in an accident with a mine and
he needed his leg amputated. He really wants to have a
prosthetic leg so he can play ball again,” said Mr. Ryder.
“Done, how much?” asked Wade.
“Well…twenty five thousand dollars,” answered Max
for Mr. Ryder. Wade froze. He didn’t know what to say.
“Max, that’s a lot of money,” said Wade.
“Ya but that’s like pocket change to you guys right?”
asked Max.
“Well, yes, for most MLB players, but for me, it’s not
a lot. I just got a major pay cut so Chicago could get some
good ball players from the Dominican Republic. I’m getting
old and they need some good players for the future of the
franchise. I’m probably only going to play like two more
years at the most. I’m now getting paid like sixty thousand
dollars for two more years,” said Wade, “But I’ll see what I
can do.”
Max and his dad had nothing left to say so they left
Wade’s house and went back home. When they got back
home they found a check for twenty five thousand dollars
waiting for them in the mailbox, from Wade Ryder. They
called up Dr. Irving and told him that they wanted that
prosthetic leg right now. They left for the hospital to see Dr.
Irving. After Max got the prosthetic, he made Max do some
slow walking. He kept falling. He was still in a wheelchair
for about six months. Until the day came where he could do
normal things with his prosthetic leg. Then came May 29th,
the first day of the first baseball game of the season. There
was a big moment of silence and a small memorial built
outside of the stadium for Garner and Jack.
“Here’s the lineup, Max you’re pitching…” said Coach
Ambrosi, but Max didn’t hear anything else because he
was astonished and excited that all of the work of finding
Wade, going through all the pain to be able to walk with the
prosthetic leg had paid off. He was now pitching in probably
the biggest game of his life.
The first inning went horrible. He gave up seven hits
and four runs. He walked three batters.
“Max, calm down,” Coach Ambrosi would yell. After
the horrible first inning, Max began to rock the stadium.
Striking out the rest of the batters he faced. In the bottom
of the ninth the score was tied four to four. Max was up to
bat.
“Max, don’t try to kill the ball. As long as you hit the ball
on the sweet spot you’ll be fine.” said Coach Ambrosi. Max
stepped into the batter’s box shaking nervously. He jumped
out of the way of the first pitch, but it was right down the
middle.
“STEEERIKE ONE!” yelled the umpire. Max watched
the next one.
“STEEERIKE TWO!” yelled the umpire. Max stepped
out of the box and looked at his dad. His dad mouthed the
words “Calm down,” Max stepped back into the batter’s
box, took a deep breath, and waited for the pitch. The
pitch came and Max swung. The ball hit the sweet spot and
rocketed out and over the fence. The stadium rocked from
the noise, loud and exciting. Max had done it.
Taylor Steffens
Grade 9
Paullina
An Evening by the River
Josie Zeutenhorst
Grade 6
Sioux Center
39
Bravery
Ann Cline
Grade 7
Sioux City
What is true freedom? As Americans, do we have true
freedom? Freedom means we can do anything we please
within legal boundaries. Our freedom as an American
means we can use our voice as we please and we can justify
our opinion.
If we wish to preach our opinion, we can do so with
confidence that no one can stop us. When a person has
an opinion they need to know that it is safe for them to
believe in and voice that opinion. In the United States we
do not have to worry about being persecuted for having a
different opinion than other people. Freedom provides us
the privilege to have a perspective on a subject matter and
argue that perspective if need be.
Along with freedom allowing us to have opinions,
freedom also provides the ability to do anything we desire,
as long as it does not interfere with someone else’s freedom.
We can go out and buy a house if we wish, as long as we
have enough money. Some things however, are pushing our
freedom, without breaking it.
Preaching white supremacy or any other unequal
belief. We do have the freedom to say what we wish, but
such things abuse other’s freedom. Freedom is equality.
Our right to being independent, is an important part of
living in a free country and treasuring freedom.
Freedom is a privilege that all Americans should not
take for granted. We have freedom that allows us to go
about our daily lives working in an occupation that we
desire. As Americans we are free to agree on issues and
disagree on issues with fellow Americans. The important
aspect to remember is that we are all Americans and in order
to secure our freedom we need to take into consideration
other people’s opinions.
Aiden Freese
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
40
Student Council
“Honey!, It’s time for school!” Mom said early one
morning. I was not ready. Butterflies fluttered in my
stomach as I brushed my long brown hair and got dressed
in the most formal way possible, which took a while
considering I usually wear a t-shirt and shorts. This was
the day I had to give my student council speech to my
whole entire class.
When I arrived at school I was even more nervous! I
couldn’t even eat breakfast with my butterflies! Finally,
the time came to give my speech and I knew I had to be
ready. I took a deep breath and began my speech, reading
off the long and narrow paper. When I finished, everybody
clapped and wrote down the person they wanted on
student council. Later that day, my teacher gave us the
results. I made it past the first stage! At that point I was
happy even if I didn’t make it. So after I found out that I
won that round, I edited my speech a little and gave the
speech again but against all the classes in 5th grade! I
sure was happy to be done. The following day, one of the
5th grade teachers came in and told us who would be on
student council next year. I WON!!! Did I really win? I
couldn’t believe it! Everyone clapped and congratulated
me. That day was the best school day of my life!
Now here I am, on student council. Just a couple
months ago, I was dreaming of this day. This just comes to
show that if you put the work in, it will all pay off. It may
not be student council, but it will be worth it.
Jayden Salmon
Grade 6
Sioux City
Snow Days
My Secret Place
When my alarm clock beeped, I woke up, groaned,
then pressed snooze and fell back asleep. When it beeped
again, the loud noise startled me, and I got up to get ready
for school. Once I turned my light on the bright, florescent
lights made me blink a few times before I got my vision back.
I looked at my door and taped to it was a note, which said,
“Cassidy two hour delay love you, Mom.” I silently yawned
and looked over; there was a sugar glider with glimmering
eyes staring at me begging for food. I went to a small box
where I had stashed cheese and fed him the sticky cheese.
Afterwards, I went to my brothers’ room and told them the
news. As I was getting ready an hour later, my mom called
and said school was canceled. I told her to be safe on the
road as I hung up the phone. I went to the living room and
turned on the seventy-two inch flat screen TV and watched
my favorite shows on Netflix. Later I went outside and
shoveled snow, went back inside, made myself a steaming
cup of cocoa, and curled up in my fluffy blue blanket. Then I
took a long nice nap as I snored loudly on the couch.
In the middle of nowhere there is a secret place. This
place has a charming log cabin that sits peacefully in the
valley of luscious hills. With the rise of the bright morning
sun, the birds chirp and sing during their morning hunt.
The shadow of a long oak tree branch casts over violet wild
flowers. The subtle whistle of the wind echoes through the
trees making the branches creek. Pungent pine needles
camouflage a tiny mouse scurrying along the ground. The
popping of twigs and crunching of leaves sends the eerie
feeling that something is watching and waiting. Here the air
smells fresh and crisp with a hint of the earth’s dirt. As the
day closes my secret place changes. The air becomes cool
and shiverous. Creatures seek shelter from the dangers of
the night. Mysterious eyes glow as they peer through the
trees. Crickets hum a melody while bats circle above. In
the distance the howl of a coyote brings on the start of the
night. Tomorrow this will all happen again like a cycle. My
secret place is alive, it is the woodlands around my house.
Cassidy Lowe
Grade 7
Le Mars Middle
Le Mars
Olivia Swanson
Grade 6
Sioux City
Totem Poles - Social Studies
Lauren Krohn
Grade 7
Pierson
41
Sunsets
Quietly and patiently, I waited for my lights to turn
off and my door to close. I just wanted my family to be
with me as I lay in my dark, quiet room. The hospital walls
were plain and my room was empty. I feared the quietness
because I then could hear how heavy I was breathing due
to my lungs filling with fluid. I knew I wasn’t going to get any
better and if I started on the right track it would quickly
veer off into the opposite direction. The awful sanitary
smell of the hospital made me feel sick to my stomach. I
wanted the next day to come so that hopefully I could see
the sun shining and the sun set through my small hospital
room window and hear my great grandchildren’s voices
rushing down the long hallway. I knew I wasn’t getting any
better nor would I, but I wanted my friends and family to
know how much they meant to me.
Now, on a lighter note, I am just the average eightyfour year old man who has white hair and attempts to do
a comb-over each day. Sadly, my hair typically matches my
eyebrows, crazy and out of control. My favorite time of the
year is harvest because the sunsets are gorgeous. I love to
Audubon Bird
Timberlen Koch
Grade 5
Schleswig
42
watch with my great grandchildren; they always find a way
to cheer me up. Most of the time I park in the perfectly
wrong spot in the field and don’t even notice it so then the
guys make me move my pick up. I love watching deer out
my dining room windows each calm night especially when
the sunset is behind them. On Saturdays I go to the coffee
shop and talk to my friends about farming and memories
from the old days when we didn’t have technology to waste
time on. The old days where we actually drew on paper and
not on iPads were much more fun. Recently, I haven’t been
able to go to the coffee shop because I have been stuck
in this hospital room for the past month. Work on the
farm has got so much easier because we now have better
machines that do everything or most everything for us. I
think it is very cool how I have seen most farm machines
evolve. I’m not complaining about all the machines though
because farming is less stressful now since we have better
technology and different machines to do the job. I miss
being able to farm. I can hardly get up the first step into
the combine without being out of breath. I couldn’t even
tell you the last time I got to watch the sun go down from
inside a combine or tractor.
My health has been on the down side for a year or so
now and my lungs are getting tired of doing their job. My
lungs keep filling up with fluid which gives me a terrible
cough, often very harsh and painful. I sound like a seal
barking when I cough. The doctors are able to get the
fluid out of my lungs but it does nothing because they just
continue to fill up again. I hate spending time in the hospital
for this because then I am not able to watch harvest, the
beautiful sunsets, or spend time with my friends and
family as much as I would like to. I wish they could make
hospital rooms more enjoyable, colorful and bright.
Perhaps having color on the walls instead of white would
help. I’ve had very nice nurses so they make my time here
more enjoyable. Hopefully, I can get out soon so that I can
sit in my porch and watch the sun go down while I watch
the deer run on the hill. My lungs fill up every few months
and the doctors have to drain them. Honestly, I know I’m
not going to get better but all I can hope and pray for is a
fast, non-painful death with my family knowing that I love
them and a beautiful sunset beforehand.
It was mid-October when everything seemed to be
falling apart. All of a sudden I couldn’t breathe. My lungs
had filled up and I was gasping for air. The nurses were
rushing in as my loud alarm was going off for my heart rate.
Quickly and franticly, they pushed more fluids into my IV.
The IV is supposed to relieve pressure from my lungs and
start the draining process, but this time it felt different.
Something wasn’t right. My daughter, Janet, was with me
and we were just praying for something to happen. I don’t
believe I was praying for the same thing as Janet though.
I want my lungs to work properly or not at all because I
felt like I was causing too much heart ache and stress on
my family. I wasn’t happy in the hospital; I couldn’t be with
my family or see the sunsets and wildlife. The IVs weren’t
working and I could hardly get any words out. The nurses
keep asking me questions but I couldn’t answer them.
I was getting so frustrated. All I could get out was the
words “I love you.” My lungs had drained a little which was
enough to get me through the night, but by morning I was
exhausted. The sunset that night was the most beautiful
sunset I have ever seen. The sky had splashes of bright
orange, hot pink, and lavender. My whole body especially
my lungs were tired. I didn’t know how much longer I could
do it. I could hardly open my eyes. I felt like it was my time,
like I was going to be leaving soon. I repeatedly told my
daughter I loved her as I took my last breaths. Nurses
came in as my heart rate began to decrease and monitors
began to beep. I knew what was going to happen as they
started preparing me for my last few moments. I knew I
would be in a better place soon and that my family knew I
loved them very, very much. Suddenly, I knew it was time
and that my body had had enough. I told my daughter one
last time that I loved her and peacefully passed away. That
night I saw the sunset from a different angle. I was looking
down on the sunset and could see my family mourning
over my death. I knew the beautiful sunsets would remind
them of me and the good times we had together.
Our forefathers wrote, “that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness.” This sentence has always meant a lot to
me. It shows the courage that the forefathers had when
they declared war upon England. When they wrote the
Declaration of Independence, knowing as they sent it over,
they were putting their own lives in danger. They gave us
the freedom we have today.
Freedom to me means: free choice. In the United States
of America, I can go to college. I can start a business or take
a job. I am allowed to make as much money as I want. I have
the freedom to marry who I choose and to have a family if
I choose. In many countries these things are all decided for
you.
In America, you get to elect representatives to speak
on your behalf for what you want in our government. You
can vote for the senator or president you believe will make
America better. You get to rule through the people you
elect.
Freedom to me also means courage. Just like our
forefathers, we are an independent and brave nation. We
have fought many wars, and won a lot of them, because we
decide ourselves to get involved. We decide to fight with
our allies and help others. We are not some small country
in a distant corner, that does not have any control over
what they do. Although I still applaud any countries that
take a stand against what their leaders tell them. This is
a way for them to show freedom because they are letting
their opinion be known. We have that happen in America.
This same action of voicing our opinions also falls under
the freedom of speech. We can speak publicly to voice our
opinion.
In conclusion, I am very glad to live in America. We truly
are the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Grace Arnts
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
Bailey Tjossem
Grade 9
Paullina
The Shoe
Trevor Ross
Grade 5
Washta
43
Creativity
Creativity was born from a soul. She wears her skin
and clothes so originally that one cannot tell what color
they are. She constantly paints, sings, dances, and writes
with the help of her friends, Joy, Happiness, Harmony, and
Excitement. They cannot show their creative sparkle the
way Creativity can, so they show it through her. Sometimes,
when Creativity is not with her friends, and her ingenious
is momentarily paused, Sadness, Depression, Suffering,
and Fear take over her and use her creativity for evil. She
always overcomes their despair and modestly shows off
her sad, yet amazing, works to the ones who truly care. She
speaks like a poet and greatly influences Boring and Worry.
No one ever objects to her presence except for Jealousy.
Creativity tries hard to spread her inventive imagination
and visionary gift to her friends. She dances through life
with originality and...well...creativity.
Josie Wulf
Grade 8
OA-BCIG Middle
Odebolt
Perspective Drawing
Arik Kirchner
Grade 5
Washta
44
Iowa Night
The darkness of the night
Wraps the world up tight
In a blanket of tranquility.
The only glow that is provided
Is as if God has not decided
Whether to use the moon’s full ability.
The stars pierce the darkness like a blade cuts through
butter.
The wind gives few words, nothing but a soft, quiet
murmur.
Coyotes howl in the distance under night’s pitch black.
The frightening kind of howl that sends chills down
one’s back.
The gentle owl hoots from atop his leafy tree;
His yellow eyes are all that the naked eye can see.
Many people sleep soundly inside their safe, soft,
warm beds.
Bad dreams are caught in dream catchers over little
heads.
The blueblack of the evening gives tell that things are
right—
Everything is perfect on this valuable Iowa night.
Josie Wulf
Grade 8
OA-BCIG Middle
Odebolt
Tiger
Beau Todd
Grade 7
Correctionville
The Boy Who Lost Everything
There was a boy named Patrick who lived in a small
village. Patrick’s father said that they were going on a trip.
Patrick was so excited his father said that they were leaving
the next day on his ship. Patrick yelled, “Yay!”
Days passed and hours passed and finally it was time
to go. They jumped right into the ship. It was so calm at sea.
Then Patrick heard thunder. A horrible storm was coming.
Patrick’s mother yelled, “GO DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF
THE SHIP!”
But it was too late. Patrick fell off the boat. He tried to
swim back to the boat, but he couldn’t reach the top of the
boat. It was too big. Soon he was too tired to keep swimming
so he had to stop. Once he did, a HUGE wave came and
swept him away. Soon he found himself on an island. He
was scared when an animal came up to him. He had no idea
what kind of animal it was but Patrick thought the animal
was going to bite him. All it did was lick him. It loved Patrick
and Patrick loved him, but one thing was for sure. Patrick
had to find out where he was and where his parents were.
He went back to the beach and found a bottle. It had
his parents name on it. He read the card inside. It said, “The
storm is getting big. I don’t think we will make it, but all we
want to say is that we love you.”
After he read the card, tears fell down his eyes. Finally,
he stopped when he heard a sound. It was the prince from
his village. Quickly he ran to him. The prince said, “What are
you doing here?"
Patrick said, “My family and I were going on a trip to
get more cows to milk, but there was a horrible storm, and I
fell down and ended up here.” The prince said he would take
him back and he would let him stay at the castle. Patrick
loved the castle. The queen and king also loved Patrick.
They decided they should adopt Patrick and so they did.
Patrick loved it there and became a prince too.
Jennyfer Salcedo
Grade 4
Sioux Center-Kinsey Elementary
Sioux Center
45
Lessons Learned
(compared to “Two Kinds” written by Amy Tan)
I had always wanted to learn how to teach my horse how
to jump obstacles. My best friend, Megan, wanted to teach
me. I was all too eager for the opportunity to learn. If only I
had known what I was getting myself into.
I had asked Megan earlier that day if she would be willing
to help me learn how to teach my horse to jump obstacles.
Megan was excited to teach me because she wanted me to
compete with her in competitions. I was eager to accept her
help because I had always wanted to learn.
Come Saturday morning a knock rang through my door,
“Wake Up!” Megan practically yelled barging into my room
without knocking.
“Shhhhhh, lemme sleep.” I mumbled drowsily into my
pillow. Five minutes passed and I thought she had granted my
wish, when all of a sudden. “UMPH!” Something hard landed
with a soft plump on my stomach, I looked up and saw Megan
looking down and smiling at me.
“Lesson starts in five minutes so hurry up!” she said over
her shoulder as she walked out. I groaned, I didn’t think she
would take this as serious as Ni Kans' mother from “Two
Snow
Daigan Deeds
Grade 6
Washta
Kinds” trying to get her to practice the piano.
“You are two minutes late.” Megan announced to me
warming up Peppy, Megan’s Quarter Horse. The horse is
a beautiful bay mare that has a coat like a racehorse, with
chocolate brown eyes. Megan has had Peppy for as long as
I’ve known her. “Hello” Megan uttered snapping me out of my
daze. “Go saddle Ice!” Ice is my beautiful Palomino Quarter
Horse, with a long white mane and matching tail, a golden
brown coat in the summer and a white/yellow one in the
winter. But my favorite features of hers are her blue or “glass”
eyes.
I was nervous while I saddled Ice up because this would
be the first time I would be jumping. My first lesson was just
the basics like what gait you should enter, depending on
the jump and so on. As the days went by Megan taught me
more and more, but the more she taught, the stricter she
got. Looking back, the way she was acting reminds me of the
mother in “Two Kinds.” She pushed and pushed her daughter
to be her best, the same way Megan was pushing me.
Some days Megan wouldn’t be as patient and kept yelling
at me for the smallest things. I had to tell her to back off a few
times, and she would for the most part. One day she was in
a horrid mood and kept yelling at me. In my I mind felt like I
could do nothing right. I told her to back off. I was thinking she
would, but then she had an outburst. "Well it’s not my fault
I’m teaching the dumbest person in the world, who never
does anything right! You are the most horrible jumper in the
world!” And with that she walked away. I was shocked into a
silence, with crystal tears in the corners of my eyes.
After our fight I was so sad that I kept practicing. I wanted
to show Megan that I could do something on my own. One
night I snuck over to Megan’s house so I could set up a jump
course. The early dawn came and I waited in the horse barn.
Megan came out and saw me and burst into tears. “Delayne, I
am so sorry to you; I didn’t mean a thing I said. I was angry, yes,
but that doesn’t take away my responsibility for my words. Let
me tell you why I was so angry,” she whispered as we went and
sat in the hayloft. “Patty passed away and I knew how much
you loved that horse and I didn’t want you to give up jumping
because of that,” she said feebly with tears in her eyes.
In that moment all my anger towards her vanished
because I knew that even though she jeopardized our
friendship, she did that so I wouldn’t be sad or quit jumping.
I embraced her for a big bear hug and said, “You should have
just told me so that I could console you since she was your
horse.”
“I know it’s just since you learned to ride on her and RV I
didn’t want you to feel anymore sadness,” she said.
As the days turned into months that turned into years I
will never forget the conflict that made my friendship with
my best friend better. As I look back I learned that your loved
ones want the best for you. They would never do anything
to hurt you and if they push you hard enough in the right
direction then hopefully, you will lead them there too. Megan
wanted the best for me and pushed me hard in a direction.
Ni Kans mother wanted the best for her daughter but didn’t
receive results right away. Conflicts can be huge problems or
smaller ones with quicker resolutions. My question to you is,
Does Every Conflict Have a Winner?
Delayne Hart
Grade 7
Anthon
46
Christmas?
It has come to the time of year
When everyone acts so sincere.
When stockings are hung
And wrapping paper is flung
What a sight
On this very night!
The time to look out and see
All the joy and...
Wait a second, what is everyone doing?
This is nothing like what we’re supposed to do!
The sight is weird and strange
And really awfully new!
This isn’t the time of year
To go out all strange and weird!
And be dressed unlike ourselves
To go and ask candy from neighbor’s shelves!
This scene is not right.
It is giving me a fright
To see people act this way.
We’re supposed to be covered in snow
And setting our houses aglow
Not walking around giving people fright
in the very dead of night.
But why is this so familiar?
It seems very peculiar.
So I check my calendar to satisfy this thirst
To see that it’s a OCTOBER 31ST!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Benjamin lrlbeck
Grade 8
Ar-We-Va Junior & Senior High
Westside
My Pet Horse
Allyson Yesda
Grade 5
Sioux Center
Backlash (Book Rap)
Lara Kelly had gone through many things.
She thought that she didn’t matter,
Until Christian asked her to the Spring Fling.
But he turned on her, making her feelings mix like batter.
Lara tried to commit suicide,
Her sister, Sydney, wondered why she did this.
Their mother sat down and cried.
Everyone was in distress,
Trying to find out who was the culprit.
Lara wanted to be alone,
But her mom kept dismissing the idea of it.
Then the police tracked them down,
And it was a shock to Lara.
Greta Rosno
Grade 8
BHCS-Mater Dei-Nativity Ctr.
Sioux City
Lost Turkey
My turkey ran away! Her name is Dusty and we caught
her in a jungle. We put Dusty in our coop, but now we have
a problem! She squeezed through the fence and ran around
the neighborhood. Dusty is very fat and slow. She holds a
sign that says, “Don’t eat me!” Her feathers are pink, purple,
and turquoise. Her legs are very thin, and her waddle is long
and red. If you catch Dusty, put a leash on her and call me!
Hailey Bender
Grade 2
Battle Creek-Ida Grove Elementary
Ida Grove
47
Pocahontas
Amanda King
Grade 2
Sioux Center
Why Me?!
“Right Here, right here,” I heard right before...pop, my
foot crackled in pain.
“Are you ok?” Lilly and Ava asked in unison.
“I think,” I replied “I’ll be back.” As I boomed in pain. It was
the summer of 2015 and I couldn’t believe this was happening
to me.
“Where is she going?” I heard my sister say as I limped
away in pain.
I saw my dad outside, and before he could walk away, I
got his attention. “Dad, can you help me?” I asked.
He responded, “With what?”
Just when I got home, my dad had to ask me why I asked
for help. So, I told him. While he was looking at my foot, he
called my mom over to look at it too. She said in a worried
voice, “Well I guess let’s go to the doctor’s office.”
On my trip to the doctor’s office, my mom told me to stay
strong because if they had to x-ray my foot she couldn’t come
with me. When we arrived, they got me in right away. My
mom explained what had happened to the doctor.
When they took me into the x-ray room, I was nervous.
The lady told me that it wasn’t as scary as it looked. Once my
x-rays were all done, the lady helped me back to the room. My
grandma and grandpa had gotten there while I was in getting
my x-rays done. I was excited.
48
“Hi Grandma and Grandpa!” I said with excitement.
“Hi,” they both said back.
The nurse came back, but she came back with a boot. I
wasn’t thrilled about wearing a boot. We had to find the right
size. (It was the first one I put on.)
“Come back in about a week and doctor will check her
out then,” the nurse told us.
My mom replied, “Ok, how long will she be wearing the
boot for?”
“Until she comes to see us again,” The nurse answered.
“Alright,” my mom responded.
We got to the front desk, and my mom scheduled a time
for me to come back. That night, when I got home my mom
told me to try to walk and get my brother, sister, and cousin
so, that we could get an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.
So, I told her that I would try my best. By the time I got
down there it was close to night time. I got down there and
everyone asked me what happened so, I told them.
I met up with Lilly and Kaylei. They gave me some cards
that they made. They were awesome. We talked for a bit,
and then my mom came and told us we should go get that ice
cream cake now. Lilly went home and Kaylei, John, my cousin,
my mom, and me all piled in the car and left.
We finally got home and ate some ice cream cake. My
parents said that it was time for bed. I gathered my things
and made a bed in the living room. My dad told me to level my
foot and put an ice pack on it, I did. I went to sleep and woke
up the next morning, feeling a bit better. So, I carefully played
outside until night came.
I finally got my boot off a week later. From that day, I
learned when I play 3 Flags In to stay as far away from big
kids as possible. Otherwise, you could end up like me and be
in a boot for a week.
Elizabeth Yates
Grade 6
Sioux City
My Room
My room is my favorite place to relax. Everything in
my vast, room sits still as I walk in. The whispers of the t.v.
break the silence. Crisp, cool air flows through the room
making the paper bat decorations flutter. The bed next
to the closet sits unruffled, and eerily silent as if dead. In
my room it smells of vanilla and pumpkin scensty. Which
wafts through my room like fall leaves in the autumn air.
Shadowy figures dance around the room from the outside
sun. The bittersweet taste of peach tea stings my tongue,
as I move across my room. A cocktail of snowy whites,
turquoise blues, buttercup yellows, and bubblegum pinks
blanket the room like snow. As sneaky Tuna (my cat) tiptoes
through the room, I stroke her silky fur. I then grab the icy,
cold remote and turn the t.v. off, then turn up the peaceful
radio. With the room now filled with hums, I sink into the
cloud-like bed. I then draw my cat sleeping peacefully. As
you can see my room is my very favorite place.
Kittyn Woods
Grade 7
Sioux City
The Vietnam Sting
A Bumblebee’s Story
“Nhan len di! Di len con ngia di!” my mom yelled. (My
mom was yelling, “Hurry up! Get on the horse!”)
“Da!” I replied to her. (“Ok!” I replied to her.)
My moms’ real name is Phuong. But her friends
and customers call her Ivy, since not a lot of people can
pronounce it correctly or they have trouble pronouncing it.
We were at a place called Da Lat, which is in Vietnam.
We were vacationing and visiting there for the summer. We
were visiting our cousins’ house there but we went to Da
Lat first. It was 2011 during the summer so the heat was
sweltering hot. Good thing it rained before we got there.
First of all, we went to visit the horses and took a few
pictures. (I really wished I fixed my crazy hair before the
photos were taken. It was mostly because of the extremely
long trip.)
Secondly, we went to a small hut to sit and relax but I
was curious about what was outdoors so I stayed outside
with my brother.
I saw an exquisite view of a lake. I heard the nice breeze
blow across the lake. I felt the cool water on my fingers as I
gazed at the lovely lake.
When I noticed that my Uncle Xang was gone I asked,
“Airdan. Come on. I think uncle left somewhere. Want to go
find him with me?” Airdan is my second youngest brother.
“Okay. Which uncle though?” my brother asked.
“Xang.” I answered back.
“Oh ok.” He smiled.
We strolled through a few trees as the cool breeze
brushed against my hair.
A while later, we stopped in front of two trees to take a
little break, then we heard a faint buzzing noise. Then a few
small insects flew out of an oval-shaped figure. They flew
towards us, and I felt a small but heavy pinch on my skin.
“Ahh!” My brother and I screamed loudly. We ran as
quickly as our bodies could go. But when we got back to the
hut, we were still screaming, crying. We were also shooing
the miniature insects away. When my aunt Ly saw the
miniature insects, she quickly whacked them away with a
sheet of laminated paper, and they all died.
Later, my uncle came back and had no idea what was
going on. So my mom filled him in on what happened. My
brother ended up with two small bee stings, and I have
gotten three miniature bee stings. Even today, I still have
the marks on my skin.
So everywhere I went, I had to ride on my dads’ back.
Even my brother got a ride. But it was from my uncle, Xang
instead.
Finally, we went back to go to my cousins, Si and Nhocs’,
house. I was still pretty weak but I’m not really sure if my
brother felt the same way. I thought he was tired because
he was sleeping on my uncles back. I wondered if my uncles’
back hurt from the heavy weight on his back.
We wouldn’t have been stung if l was thinking before I
acted. So a lesson I learned was that I should always think
before I act.
One fine spring morning, I, Bill the bumblebee, left my
hive in search for a flower to pollinate. As I flew to a garden,
a massive robin swooped down from the tree above,
intending to eat me. The bird is so fast, I thought, so I flew
into the open window of a nearby car. I safely landed on the
dashboard of the vehicle. “Great, I lost him,” I said aloud,
but no one heard me; they were too busy shrieking madly
and pointing in no general direction. Oh no, I thought, the
bird must have flown into the car! Only then did I realize
that they were afraid of me. Just then, the lady in the front
seat started vigorously swatting at me with a newspaper. I
decided it was not the safest to stay in the car. When I flew
out, I saw a park with a beautiful, garden dotted with newly
blossomed red flowers. “Finally I can just do my job!” Then I
flew over to the nearest brightest flower and landed in the
center.
Mimi Nguyen
Grade 6
Sioux City
Amanda Martin
Grade 6
Le Mars Middle
Le Mars
The Cat and Mouse
Ana Uscanga
Grade 4
Boyden-Hull Elementary
Boyden
49
The Surprise of the Jacket
It was a normal day. Something was different though. It
seemed colder, quieter. At the time I didn’t think anything of
it and went on with the day. After a day of work I returned
to my small New York City apartment I saw it, the thing that
could change the course of my life forever, though I didn’t
think much of it. The jacket, it was a beautiful jacket, it was
made by the hands of a trained leather craftsman.
Not thinking much of it I wore it for the day. When I
stuck my hands in the fur lined pockets I noticed that they
were huge and never seemed to end. When I pulled my
hands out, I pulled out an umbrella and not one of those
small umbrellas that you get with a drink. It was a full sized
beach umbrella. Thinking this was some sort of dream I
reached in again and pulled out car keys to one of the most
expensive production cars the 2016 Rolls Royce Ghost.
What made it even stranger was the keys had an address
on them.
When I saw the keys I pulled the nearest person on the
street and asked, “Am I dreaming, or did I really just pull a
beach umbrella out of my pockets?”
“Ya, you just pulled a beach umbrella out of your pocket,
but how?” the man asked with a puzzled look on his face.
I thought for a while trying to find the words.
“Well I really don’t know. I found this jacket in my
apartment last night and decided I might as well wear it,” I
calmly explained.
At that moment in time things started to look up for my
life.
***
After a bit of searching I found the address that was on
the tab of the car keys. It was a small family car repair shop
with an old faded sign. The door was an old and cracked
wood door with faint white paint. The windows displays full
of tires and exhaust pipes.
I went inside and looked around for a moment. Then I
went up to the man behind the counter.
“Do you have any Rolls Royces here? I found these keys
in my jacket pockets,” I requested.
The man thought for a moment than gave me a
surprised look.
“I’m going to need some ID sir,” the man said.
“Alright,” I calmly stated as I handed the man my driver's
license.
“We’ve been expecting you, please come follow me,”
the man said.
“Wait who is we?” I questioned.
The man just turned and walked to a door behind the
counter. We walked through a narrow dim hallway with
chipped grey paint. What I didn’t understand at the time
was how they knew I was coming.
In front of the door at the end hallway the man turned
and gave me a blank look and said, “What is behind this
door will change your life forever.”
“Well let’s have a look then shall we?” I quizzed.
The man pushed open the door and behind it was a
small light grey room with a garage door at the end of it. In
the middle of the room was a car covered in a dusty white
sheet.
Pumpkin
Andrew Hof
Grade 5
Sioux City
50
Inspiration
Baily Rae Sargent
Grade 5
Remsen
The man leisurely walked toward the car and pulled off
the sheet.
“This is your car. Do you have the keys?” questioned the
man.
I pulled the keys out of my pocket and handed them
to him. The man took the keys and unlocked the car with a
silent click. He then handed the keys back to me.
“This is your car. Use it as you please. If you have any
problems bring the car back here and we will fix anything
that you need,” the man stated.
“How long have you been expecting me?” I asked.
“We have been waiting ever since you found that
jacket. We picked you out of the other people in country to
have that jacket, because you were worthy of it. We placed
the jacket in your apartment, so that you can make a better
life for yourself,” the man explained.
With that I got in the car. The black leather interior
with white stitching and solid wood trim. The ornate speed
and fuel gauges.
“Can you open the garage door?” I asked.
“Of course, sir,” he stated.
When that door opened I drove out of there faster than
a jackrabbit. I drove that car for hours just to drive it. When
I decided to stop and rest a while I opened the trunk to see
as much as I could of the beautiful car, I found a metal case. I
thought I might as well open it. What I found inside changed
my life forever. In the case was stacks of small one ounce
bars of pure gold.
***
With the gold I moved to Belgium, I bought land and
had a house built the way I wanted. To this day I still don’t
know why those people chose me for that jacket.
Nathanael Reusch
Grade 8
Cherokee Middle
Cherokee
Whitewater Rafting Adventure
Splash! The chocolate brown colored water soaked my
back and I gasped with delight. The water was icy cold and
it dribbled down my arms and legs. I dug my paddle deeper
into thewater to attempt to steer the raft away. The
guide, Jake, told my family and me to get ready for some
upcoming rapids called Shark’s Tooth. I gripped my paddle
until my knuckles turned white. Then the raft dropped
almost straight down into the bubbly brown water. We
all tried to avoid the sharp, jagged rocks peeking their
little “teeth” out of the water. My family and I pushed our
paddles in the frothy water back and forth. The water hit
our backs and splashed our faces. All of a sudden, the raft
slammed into a massive boulder and everyone screamed.
The raft was stuck on a rock! As our raft hung limply on
top of the boulder, the guide jammed his paddle into the
water behind the rock, pushed with all his might, and
the raft dropped lightly back into the water. We all gave
each other a paddle high five. Our leader told us that we
had finished our second set of rapids and now it would
be pretty peaceful for a while. As my family and I floated
calmly down the river, we were surprised to find a herd of
bighorn sheep sitting up on a rock. After that impressive
sighting, it got very warm, so our guide told us we could
get out of the raft and swim around for a while. Everyone
got out except my mom. My dad got out of the raft a little
ungracefully, and for a few long moments we couldn’t see
him. Finally, he popped his head up above the water. My
dad gasped for air and sputtered water out of his mouth
so we pulled him back into the raft. My family and I went
through a couple more rapids and then, at last, we arrived
at our destination and got out of the raft, exhausted, but
content on having an amazing time. In conclusion, white
water rafting was the most amazing, nerve-racking, and
exhilarating experience in my life.
Kayla Myers
Grade 7
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Middle School
Sergeant Bluff
51
The Terrible Pet Keeper
Hi, my name is Peyton Cooper. I’m telling you how
good I am with pets. Here is your answer, I am terrible with
pets, and basically any other living thing you can think of
that isn’t a human. Luckily I’m decent with humans, or else
I would be long dead by now. I have had three pets, and
all of them are sadly dead. RIP pets, and a special sorry to
Dory, my fish, who exploded.
I’ll tell you about my first pet, Rebel, a dog who was a
Chihuahua . My mom thought it would be nice to have a
cute little puppy around the house. The thing is, this dog
was MEAN! He looked innocent, but wasn’t. Rebel was
actually a real rebel! In the middle of the night, if Rebel
saw the tiniest movement, he would go nuts! Anyway, one
day I was taking Rebel for a walk in the park. We passed
by a man, and Rebel apparently thought he was a threat
or something, because he ran up to him and bit the man
hard in the leg. That man FREAKED!! He kicked Rebel, and
accidently…killed him. Wow, some people! RIP Rebel.
My dad decided that it might be good to give me
another chance with a pet. He said it would give me
“responsibility”. Yeah right! This time, he let me get a
guinea pig. The guinea pig was really cute, really really
small, and wasn’t like Rebel, thankfully. Patriot was the
opposite of Rebel, he was shy. When anyone came toward
him, he would squeal and go into his little house we gave
him. He wouldn’t come out for an hour! Once he FlNALLY
got a tad used to his cage, he would let me touch him
before he would run away. Since Patriot was so small, and
Blake Morgan
Grade 7
Pierson
52
we didn’t have one of those bottles you would hook up
to your cage, Patriot had a hard time drinking his water.
The bowl that we put water in was too big for Patriot. One
day he must’ve been really thirsty, because he thought
it would be nice to go for a little swim. I don’t think he
realized you need to be able to swim in order to go for a
swim. We found him lying dead at the bottom of his bowl.
RIP Patriot.
Mom and Dad say no way to having another pet, but
they said if you want a pet, you can use your own money!
My little brother, Brody, who is 6, wanted a pet around
the house too, so he gave me his birthday money to buy a
goldfish. I let Alex name the fish, and he decided to name
him Dory. Well, Dory had a huge appetite, I was putting
food in there every 30 minutes! Dory would just eat, and
eat, and eat. It seemed like he would never stop! Since I was
feeding Dory so much, the food for him got a little clogged
in the filter, and I couldn’t get it out! So, I loosened his food
cap and while I was doing that, Alex decided it would be
fun to scare me! I accidently spilled the whole thing in the
fishbowl and Dory went nuts! He ate so much you could
literally see him expand! Dory was eating for about five
minutes until he went BOOM! Yeah, Dory exploded and
there was fish chunks everywhere! RIP Dory. :(
Well, that’s the end of my story, and basically the moral
of the story is don’t get a Chihuahua with an attitude, or a
small Guinea pig, or a goldfish with a huge appetite.
Jenny Luevano
Grade 5
Boyden
379 Peterbilt Trucking
Blair Morgan
Grade 9
Kingsley
The Life of a Grain of Sand
I started out as a small grain of sand at the bottom of a
cold river, a sediment. I was separated from my group and
alone surrounded by mud. Suddenly a large bass zoomed
past me, and I was pulled into the current. After many
miles I finally landed near an old wooden dock. It was dark
and lonely until I heard voices calling out my name. It was
Berry, Larry, Harry, Jerry, and Jill. I pushed myself over to
join them, and we joined hands to stay together. Just then,
a school of fish went flying by, and we were pulled back
into the current. I got one last glimpse of the sun before
we were pulled down into a dark cave. My group and I
were still intact and together. We were still descending;
suddenly we stopped and fell into a crack in the wall of the
cave.
We were pushed together over the years getting
closer and closer. Even if you wanted to leave you couldn’t.
It’s like when you’re sitting on a bench and this old lady
sits on the other end and keeps inching toward you. Every
few seconds she’d scoot closer and closer until she was so
close you could smell her skunk scented perfume. That’s
what I felt like, but worse because I couldn’t leave.
One late afternoon we began to melt together,
becoming one. We were now what you’d call an igneous
rock. I have to admit it’s quite weird to be fused together.
Years later, my group and I were pressured and
heated which led to us becoming metamorphic. Many
years after that, we were melted by lava and magma which
caused us to once again become a sedimentary rock.
My group and I have been through so much heat and
pressure; now we were finally back to the surface. When
we surfaced, we found that we were now a rock cliff
peeking over the edge of a great waterfall. I’ve forgotten
the sights the sounds and the smells of the surface. The
sight of it all was just breathtaking. The plants and animals
that once covered these parts were long gone replaced
with new and different looking creatures. Even the
landscape had changed.
It was a crisp fall morning and all was well until it
started to rain. It was raining so heavily that Berry and
Larry broke off and were sent down the waterfall. Harry,
Jerry, Jill, and I held on to each other in fear for who was
next.
Days passed, and it was just Jill and I left. Suddenly the
wind blew and Jill went tumbling down the hill and fell into
the river. I knew it was just a matter of time before I was
next. So when the next downpour, came I was ready. The
rain pushed me, and off I went headed straight toward the
waterfall.
The next thing I knew, I was sitting at the bottom of a
cold river, this time surrounded by my friends. We were
ready for whatever would happen as long as we were all
together.
Joseph Rosener
Grade 7
Le Mars Middle
Le Mars
53
The Needle Mayhem
“OW! Stop it hurts!” I sobbed loudly.
“There’s another one, you've got four more!” the nurse
said soothingly trying to calm me down.
I was getting eight needles in my legs. I’m “Duck Footed.”
It doesn’t mean I have orange webbed feet. It means my feet
go out to the side making it hard for me to run, walk, and
go up and down stairs. If it’s not treated, it might cause hip
problems. I was born with it. The needles were supposed to
help.
“Alexis,” a nurse said calling for me. I stopped fumbling
with my hands and looked up. It was a nice sunny day in the
summer of 2011. I was 9 years old in my 3rd grade year.
My mom and Meymey (French for grandma; Meh-May)
stood up and so did I. I trembled all over, I didn’t want to get
needles in my legs! The nurse then led us to our room. She
took my heartbeat and measured my blood pressure. The
nurse soon left.
My mom, Meymey, and I talked about what happened
at school. We then heard a small knock at our door, the
handle turned and there came in a man. He had a white
dress-shirt with a collar. He had a stethoscope hanging
Untitled
Grace Van Voorst
Grade 4
Boyden
around his neck. The man was our doctor. He informed my
mom and Meymey what would happen. He went on and on
about how it wouldn’t hurt at all.
I tried to sleep, so I wouldn’t feel it; but I couldn’t. I tried
to shoo him away with my hand, he turned around, and I
quickly stopped and pretended to sleep. He turned back
around and finished talking. Then the doctor finally left.
A couple minutes later, another nurse came in. She had
short curly brown hair and a pink shirt. She was holding
a little box with little wires carrying sticky white suctioncups. (They looked like that anyway.) “Hello!” she exclaimed
happily. I gave a weak smile. She came over and put the
suction-cup things on my right leg. The nurse took out little
red needles.
“Ow!” I screamed and I started weeping, hard.
“One.” The nurse said softly. I put my face in the paper
pillow sheets.
Darkness surrounded me, but I didn’t care, the pain
was unbearable. I then felt a sharp point entering my flesh
a little under my knee. It felt as it were in slow motion and
that the needle entering my skin would last forever.
“Two.” the nurse finally blurted out.
“Stop!” I sobbed. I was constantly feeling sharp, slow,
searing pains, lasting forever.
Finally, the nurse said the words I thought she would
never say. “Done.”
I wept softly, it was done, and the pain was finally gone.
I felt tired, and my leg felt so numb. We got out to the car,
and we drove to Dairy Queen. We got a delicious chicken
strip basket.
I will never forget that day, never forget the pain, but I
learned that the doctors were to help not harm. To people
who are “Duck Footed” or have other needs, always stay
strong, because there is always hope.
Alexis Bader
Grade 6
Sioux City
The Haunted House
As we rode over the hills
you could see the dark roofs of homes
and the distant glow of jack-o-lanterns.
My little sister and I went to a haunted house
on Halloween night.
We walked as wind rustled branches
of a nearby tree.
As we stepped on the houses property line,
something rose from the trees.
Then it landed right in front of our faces and screamed
harshly.
we both ran for the gate.
But it closed right in our faces and buzzed alive with
electricity.
Contessa Perales
Grade 6
Schleswig
54
Open and Free
Becca Brinkman
Grade 10
Onawa
Dear Veteran
Dear Veteran,
Thank you for being in the Army. You saved us from
enemies in war. The U.S.A. is a nice place to live.
Love,
Haydn Aduddell
Proudly American
Haydn Aduddell
Grade 3
Remsen
My Last Game of the Season
Smack! Smack! Smack! I felt the rock hard ball hit the
center of my leather glove, as our pitcher pitched it to me.
One of my greatest softball memories was this past
summer at Pulaski. The field was flooded with girls, and
the parents were in the crowd. I was sitting behind the
“house-like” shaped base, which you might guess, was
home plate. Yep! That’s right! I’m a catcher! My gear was a
bright fire-engine red, with soft beige padding on the inside.
Technically, the catching equipment was not mine; it was
the coaches. The wind was still, the skies were clear, and the
rustic dugouts were filled with the remains of sunflower
seeds, that had been spit on the floor.
Anyway, as I was sitting behind the plate in my squatting
stance, I noticed that the best bunter on the opposing team
was up to bat. As she walked up to the smeared batter’s
box, which wasn’t really a box shape anymore, I sputtered
the words, “She’s gonna bunt!” in a loud screeching voice.
Suddenly, all of the infield gradually, moved up to the plate,
as if they were a lion creeping up on its prey. Sure enough,
the girl tried to bunt.
Clink! The ball didn’t hit the ground like a normal bunt
would. It popped up towards the first base line, bouncing
back so it would be foul. I sprang up to try and catch it. The
ball didn’t go very high, so I knew I didn’t have much time to
react. I didn’t even take off my helmet, knowing that if I did,
I wouldn’t be able to catch it.
Suddenly, I found myself in the air, but not for long. I
hit the ground shortly after I launched myself like a rocket.
Before I knew it, I had my arm stretched out far and wide,
reaching for the neon yellow ball. The softball landed in my
old, and rough glove.
I was ecstatic. I couldn’t believe I actually made a diving
catch!
“Go Brylee!” my parents shouted.
“Yayyyyyyy!” the other parents cheered.
Now it was getting towards the end of the game. It was
actually the last inning, and all we needed was one more
out. There was a girl on third base, who was known for
leading off pretty far. Our third baseman and I decided to
try and pick her off. As the ball rolled off our pitcher's hand,
she leaped off the dusty bag. I caught the ball, and bounced
up from my feet, throwing the ball down the third base line.
She got back in time. There were a few more fails, before it
finally happened. The ball snapped from my sweaty palms.
The third baseman caught the ball, and layed down the tag.
“Out!” the umpire addressed.
There was confusion in the air. Out of nowhere, their
coach came out and blurted, “How is she out?”
“She lifted her foot off the bag!” the umpire replied.
They argued for just a little bit, until the coach finally
accepted that his player was out. Finally, the game was over,
and we all gathered in the dugouts to round up our dirty bat
bags, beaten up bats, and all of our other equipment.
Our team had won that game, and I was proud of myself
for making a few of the outs. I didn’t think that I was going to
make that catch, or throw that girl out, but I did, and that’s
all that matters to me.
Brylee Hempey
Grade 6
Sioux City
55
The Rat
Flag Essay
Mrs. Freese saw a rat and she screamed! My friends ran
down the hallway. Ashlyn and I almost went to the office,
but we found out it was Mrs. Becker’s guinea pig. It was
behind the blocks. We all laughed!
First of all, I want to say thank you for serving for the
U.S., but today, I’m going to talk about the American flag.
The first thing that pops into my head when someone talks
about the U.S. is the flag, and what it represents.
To me the flag is about freedom, the states, and the
people that live here. Sometimes, when people think of
the flag they think of red, white, and blue material hanging
from a pole. People have to fight for the U.S., and that is
part of what the flag means. Yes, I feel sad for the people
who have died protecting us, but I respect and honor that
they risked their lives saving us. I respect the people who
hold flag ceremonies. I respect all the states and colonies
represented on the flag. I am very thankful that we are a
free country.
Whenever I see the colors red, white, and blue, I
immediately think of the flag. Well, I wanted to make
my point here. The flag is very important, and I hope you
realize that. I really enjoyed making this project about the
American flag. I hope you try this some day. This is, also, a
very good way to show your pride and spirit for the United
States of America.
Kasey DeVine
Grade 1
Ida Grove
A Lesson Learned
They’re gray, dusty, and usually vacuumed up. Do you
know what they are? They are ... dust bunnies! They’re a
family of five: Puff, Fluff, Pip, Mini, and Teeny. This is Pip’s
story.
One morning my stupid family woke me up. I grumbled.
I was mad, too. I wasn’t happy to be woken up at seven in the
morning. We jumped out from something called a “couch.”
We burrowed under a rug. I felt like pouncing on someone,
so I decided to pounce on my dumb siblings. They started
crying. Before I knew it I was being lectured by Dad.
“How many times have I told you not to jump on
people!”
“Enough to choke a horse!” Dad rolled his eyes. We
came out from under the rug. There was a large mountain.
But it wasn’t a mountain. What was it?
The rumble started getting louder, and I felt like
pouncing again. “Here we go again!” said Mom after I
pounced. Mini and Teeny cried. “Shush!” I said angrily. Dad
yelled A LOT at me this time. The rumble kept getting louder
and louder. They all screamed. I didn’t care. They ran. I wish
I had, too.
I felt as if someone had tied a string around my waist
and yanked it very angrily and fiercely. Then I got whipped
in circles over, and over, and over. I screamed. No one could
tell where I was. Then everything powered down for a little
bit. I saw someone’s tail—but then it all powered up again,
and wouldn’t stop. Then it came to me, “vacuum”. Oh no!
I’ve been sucked up! No wonder Mom said to stay away
from these! I then gave up, closed my eyes and cried. I then
fell asleep. That’s all I remember.
A little while later, I woke up then remembered I was
sucked up. “Help!” I cried. Then I realized I deserved it. I
deserved it all. Everything. A tear stroked my cheek, and
then another, until my face was soaked. I saw my family,
all worried and worked up through the clear plastic. That
was what made me cry even more. Then a large fuse blew
from a tear I dropped that landed on an electric cord. The
mountain blew up. “NOOOOOO!” my family cried. The
whole event was in slow motion, slow and steady. My family
searched in the pile of the mountain’s remains, and the fire
grew. Then I heard voices, extremely relieving voices, like,
well, it’s a surprise!
They were my family’s voices! They hugged me. I was so
happy! Since then, I’ve never taken my family for granted.
Kenzie Christoffersen
Grade 5
Sioux City-Crescent Park Elementary
Sioux City
56
Jackalyn Todd
Grade 5
Washta
Growing Up
Growing up is a challenge.
To see people jump,
To see people fall.
You see things,
You miss things.
Growing up may be a challenge.
You’ll make it through with family, friends, and hope.
Growing up is a challenge,
But you will make it through.
Maddie Keunen
Grade 5
Le Mars-Kluckhohn Elementary
Le Mars
Diamond Poetry
Snow Fox
Sly, Shy
Running, Jumping, Sneaking
Carnivore, Meat, Vegetarian, Plants
Hopping, Teething, Freezing
Lonely, Scared
Snow Hare
Kylar Blunk
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Adopting Bereket
When we adopted Bereket he was only nine months
old. It was life changing to have Bereket in our family (but
in a good way). We adopted him from Ethiopia, and my
parents arrived back home with Bereket on June 2, 2011.
His birthday is on September 11th, and something cool
about Bereket’s name is that his name means “Blessing”
in Amharic (which is the language they speak where
Bereket used to live).
My parents had to go on two trips to Ethiopia. While
they were gone my grandma and my grandpa stayed with
us for about one week. It was a little bit hard when my
parents were gone for that long because we weren’t used
to them being gone.
When we got to the airport to see my family, we were
with my Aunt Mindy and my grandma and grandpa. After
we were walking for a bit we saw my parents walking
toward us. Soon we were face to face with my parents
and we saw a little boy in my mom’s hands. He was very
little and very cute.
After a few years Bereket started to walk and talk.
When he was about one he started to walk and when he
was about one and a half he started to talk. After a few
months of using his legs to walk, he started to run!! Our
family helped him learn new words.
Right now Bereket is a very active boy. He loves to
play football, baseball, basketball, and most of all he likes
to ride his bike. Bereket loves to talk about rocket ships
and remote control cars. He also has a lot of good friends
that go to school with him. Bereket is also good at being
funny!! He loves to make people laugh and he is very
good at it. We have also been many places with Bereket.
One place we have been to is Dallas, Texas, We go to the
Omaha Museum a lot, and just recently for spring break
we went to San Antonio, Texas.
Now we get to live with a very special boy that has
grown up to be healthy and very active.
Carlee Jackson
Grade 5
Sioux City-Sunnyside Elementary
Sioux City
Hard Day on the Farm
Evan Magnetti
Grade 4
Hinton Elementary
Hinton
57
The Time I Caught a Monster
All right, this is the one, the cast that will catch the big
one, I thought to myself as I cast my lure into the lake. It
caught nothing but seaweed, but I never lost confidence
that I would catch a good fish that would have every
fishermen slack-jawed in awe and amazement. I kept
casting, listening to the quiet wind of Canada in a boat
with my dad and his brother, my uncle John. Still casting,
we started to drift over to a small rock where fish usually
hang out. I cast a good shot right next to the rock and
start reeling. Then, like a shark movie in real life, I saw a
humongous fish that looked as if it could swallow a man
whole come up and inhale the lure before taking off with a
whisk of its tail. The force of it trying to swim away almost
took me out of the boat as I struggled to pull it in and keep
my balance. Utter chaos erupted in the boat as my uncle,
who was ready with a net, and my dad, reeling his own
line in and catching all the action on a GoPro, helped to
pull it in. After fighting the fish for two more minutes, it
was exhausted, so it gave up and we reeled it in close. As
we netted the monster, I was breathless as I looked at the
massive fish that resembled the cousin of Jaws. My uncle
measured the fish and said it was a Muskie, 45 1/2 inches
long! In my head I was screaming, “WOO HOO, YES!” but
on the outside I was calm and collected and giving high
fives all around. We took pictures holding the monster fish,
and my uncle had to help with that because it was huge.
Plus, I was afraid of taking a fish tail in the face. After the
adrenaline rush calmed down, we drove back to camp and
told the story of how I caught the “Lake Monster” while
having a good time. In conclusion, it’s safe to say that that
was the most intense, blood-pumping moment of my life.
I have a huge picture of me and Jaws, and it was the best
trip ever.
Emmet Dirksen
Grade 7
Sergeant Bluff
A Christmas of Happiness
To me Christmas means many things. The thing
it means most to me is happiness. Having that warm
feeling in your heart and hearing the wonderful music,
decorating the tree and looking at all the beautiful lights
people put up around their houses all around town, gives
me the great warm feeling of happiness! At Christmas
the happiest time for me is baking cinnamon rolls with
my grandma and also making gingerbread men with her.
When they come out of the oven, right away you can
smell the delicious aroma of cinnamon, and ginger and all
sorts of chocolates and sweets all mixed in with a fresh
baked cookie! When you take a bite it’s all warm and soft,
cinnamon flavored, fresh baked, out of the oven! It’s also
really delightful when we dim the lights, put on music,
and decorate the Christmas tree with glowing lights
and cover it in ornaments. On Christmas Eve night I get
extremely excited to open presents the next morning!
In the morning the first thing I do is run into the kitchen
and eat waffles with eggs and bacon. Then we go open
presents and look in our stockings to see what Santa
brought. Then later after lunch, our whole family meets
at our grandma and grandpa’s house. We eat supper
and open MORE presents. And the best part of all, we
celebrate the joy and happiness of being together! That
is all about what Christmas means to me. Again, I think
happiness is the best way for me to describe Christmas!
Olivia Riessen
Grade 4
Ida Grove
Crazy Hair Day
Brianna Jackson
Grade 4
Boyden
58
Get Back Up Anyway
If you fall, get back up.
It might hurt.
Get Back Up Anyway
Be Brave
Be Fearless
Be Loving
You are Beautiful
You are Amazing
You are Flawless
If someone hurts you don’t show it.
Find someone and love them passionately.
If they hurt you in the end, look them in the eye and say:
I am brave, fearless, loving, beautiful, amazing, flawless.
This is not the end for me. This hurts, but I will:
Get Back Up Anyway
Recipe Poetry
Basketball and football.
All in the air.
It is cold out.
Making sure it is fair.
Sprinting and passing.
It is fun, fun, fun!
The days have flown past.
I am so sad that we are done, done, done!
This makes sports.
Kyelar Cleveland
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Harmony Helkenn
Grade 8
Westside
Harvest Time
Clint Staab
Grade 3
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Elementary
Marcus
59
Laced Together
Up on floor three, in room 3B, sat a small girl with a
heart defect. Her blonde curls pooled around her shoulders,
while she sat cross legged, coloring in a notebook. All the
children on floor three were in different stages of several
different terminal diseases or conditions.
This girl happened to be named Lace Robinson. Twelve
years old, she had spent the last two years of her short life
bouncing from hospital to hospital in search of hope. Hope
that she could be cured or at least live longer than predicted.
Lace wasn’t in pain, and she didn’t think she was very
different from most kids, despite the fact that she couldn’t
do a lot of physical activity without being tired almost
instantly. There was a chance she could be cured, but only if
she could handle a heart transplant.
Lace looked up when she heard a knock on her door.
Standing on the threshold was a man about the same age
as her mom. He had dark hair and sad, blue eyes. When she
met his eyes, she smiled brightly and he smiled in return.
Although the smile had an underlying sadness, she could
tell he tried to look cheerful.
“Hello. My name is Mason…What’s your name?” The
man—Mason—had asked. Lace slid over to the side of her
bed and patted the spot next to her. Mason took that as
invitation to sit down next to her.
“Lace.”
“Well, Lace, do you like books?”
A grin spread across her face, and lit up her eyes. She
nodded vigorously. Mason smiled and set the books down
on the bed in between them. There were novels, picture
books, and more. Some had brilliantly-colored covers, while
others were worn and well-loved.
“Do you see any you like, Lace?” asked Mason.
Her eyes scanned the pile, taking in each title. Her eyes
paused on an old book. Its cover was tattered and worn, but
not out of carelessness, just overuse. Its cover was loved,
as though it had been read over and over, and cherished
throughout all of its years.
Mason saw her eyes lingering on one of his favorites—a
book that had captured his heart and mind since his teens.
It had affected him—and still could—in a way that only a
truly good book could. He read this book during hard times,
especially in the last few months. The book brought him
comfort, and would always hold a place in his heart.
He reached into the stack and carefully pulled the
fragile book out.
“This one?” he asked.
She smiled again and nodded. Grinning he opened up
the first page of Wilson Rawls’ classic novel, Where the Red
Fern Grows and began to read. “When I left my office that
beautiful spring day...” He read with emotion, the kind of
emotion only felt by someone who truly loved something,
or someone; the kind that spoke of a love usually found
among children. He read with a tone that could almost be
described as awe, or wonder, an innocent tone that brought
back memories of stories before bed with her mother.
Sitting with her as she read him Where the Red Fern Grows
over and over again
They read through the night. Neither having the heart,
nor want, to say that they were tired.
60
Dana, Mason’s mother and head surgeon, looked out
the window of her office when her son walked by later
that night, and she was pleasantly surprised to see a soft,
although small, smile on his face. A smile spread across her
own face at the sight. This was the first time she had seen
him smile since Rebecca left him.
Rebecca Hart. A young woman with an important family
and a love for money. She was manipulative and incredibly
smart. When Mason’s father died of a heart defect, she
comforted him and encouraged him to expand his business.
Mason did, and became very, very successful. They were
childhood acquaintances, having graduated from the same
class. They grew closer and married shortly following his
success. He loved her, and he was not only entranced by her
beauty, but by her intellect and cunning and seemingly nice
personality. For a while everything was perfect, but it soon
became clear that she only cared for one thing.
Money.
When money started running low because of her
excessive spending and business deals that could’ve been
handled differently, he sold part of the business.
Infuriated, she left him. She smashed his heart into
pieces and stomped on the remaining shards of it with her
very expensive high heels.
Dana hadn’t seen Mason this happy since before his
father’s death. But she just hoped he wouldn’t get his heart
broken again. Mason and Lace went on like this for weeks.
He would come in after long days at work, and she would
read with him. All the people around Mason, his family, his
friends, and his coworkers, noticed that he began to smile
more easily and to laugh loudly, and whenever someone
spoke of the hospital, his eyes lit up and held a sparkle that
nobody had seen there in a long time.
Lace had been just as affected. Her laughter and voice
echoed through the pristine hallways, and her brilliant
smiles brightened the days of visitors. Though she was
physically deteriorating, her skin getting paler and her
body growing skinnier and more fatigued, she remained
optimistic.
She knew her heart was getting worse but refused to
acknowledge it. Her doctors and nurses whispered around
her. And sometimes, she would wake up in the night to see
tears streaming down her mother’s face, but Lace never
said a word. She couldn’t bear to break her mother’s heart
as her father had. So she stayed silent about her worsening
condition, sparing as many people as possible from the
grenade that was her life.
One day, a few months after the pair had met, Mason
entered the hospital like he did every Tuesday. A grin grew
on his face at the thought of reading with Lace and the
other children; then he felt a vibration in his pocket.
He reached into his pocket and answered the call from
his mother.
“Mason, please come to the office on floor three as
soon as you can.” Before he could reply his mother ended
the call. He looked at his phone in confusion. When what his
mother said registered in his thoughts, he hastily shoved his
phone into his suit pocket and then jogged to the elevator.
While he was waiting for the elevator to reach floor
three, he paced back and forth. Thankfully the elevator was
empty. He was worried; he had heard the urgency in his
mother’s voice.
The elevator jerked to a stop, making his stomach turn.
He barely waited for the doors to open in his rush to exit
the elevator. He ran to his mother’s office and swung open
the door.
When he entered he saw her face, and it confirmed the
thoughts that had been running through his mind since the
moment the phone call had ended.
“Mason…Lace is asking for you. She’s…" Dana trailed
off. Her son’s face paled and he nodded before spinning out
the door.
Once again, in room 3B, where it all began. It ended.
Lace looked up from the bed she was lying in when she
heard Mason walk in. She noticed little things. His tie was
violet and his shoelaces were almost untied. She silently
watched him walk across the room to her bedside. In his
hand he held the book. Their book. Without saying anything,
he sat down next to her and opened to the last chapter,
because they had almost finished.
“The following spring we left the Ozarks. The day we
moved I thought everyone would be sad..." Mason read slowly
and deliberately. Halfway through she grabbed his hand.
Her hand was cold. When they reached the last page her
breathing slowed and gradually became shallower.
"I’m sure the red fern has grown and has completely
covered the two little mounds. I know it’s still there, hiding its
secret beneath those long red leaves, but it wouldn’t be hidden
from me for part of my life was buried there, too.
Yes, I know it is still there, for in my heart I believe the legend
of the sacred red fern…"
When Mason finished, the little girl was still there but
barely. In a soft voice she asked him a question.
“Will you tell me about the red fern again?” Mason
obliged, explaining to Lace what the red fern was: that it
was planted by an angel and very rare to see. And how the
people of the Ozarks told the legend. How a little Indian
boy and girl were lost in a blizzard and had frozen to death.
And that in the spring when they were found, a beautiful
red fern had grown up between the two bodies. The story
went on to say that an angel planted the fern and only an
angel could plant these red ferns, and that the red ferns
never died but kept the little Indian children safe forever.
When Mason finished his explanation he turned to see
her smile. And then her eyes fluttered shut, and she sighed
her last sigh. Tears were welling up in Mason’s eyes, and all
he could see was her last smile. He slumped down to the
white tiled floor next to her bed.
Mason heard the shrill beeping the machines made
when her heart stopped beating. Nurses, doctors, and his
mother came rushing in. Everything blurred in his mind, and
all he could think was, ‘’She’s dead.... She can’t be dead...." The
mantra played itself over and over in his head.
His mom pulled him out into the hallway where he sat
down next to a small blonde woman.
She had tears pouring down her face, identical to his
own tears. The woman turned to him. “Are you Mason
Knightly?”
Unable to speak he nodded. The woman went on, “I’ve
heard a lot about you. I am...Lace’s mother...She talked about
you and that book all the time...You made her...You made her
happy,” she continued in a wobbly voice. “Thank you.”
He reached out and grabbed her hand. And they sat like
that all night. Holding onto each other as if they feared that
if one of them left, they would lose all they had of Lace.
A couple of days later, Mason adjusted his suit jacket
and he stood next to Heidi, Lace’s mother. He stood by the
door and greeted people as they walked into the old chapel
on Maple Street. When the last person walked in, Mason
took Heidi’s hand and walked to the front row of pews.
Together they listened to an old, scraggly-looking preacher
speak about how Lace was in a better place and how she
was united with her deceased family members.
“She was perfectly fine with us,” thought Mason bitterly.
Heidi, as if sensing his thoughts grabbed his hand and
squeezed it, comforting him. He squeezed her hand back.
The funeral continued and Mason was ashamed to catch
himself thinking that it was boring, although heartbreaking.
When they lowered her casket into the ground, Mason
and Heidi held hands as tears ran down their faces. They
dropped flowers on the overturned soil, and wiped their
tears. They both whispered their own private goodbyes.
They sat there well after everyone left, watching the
sun sink over the hills of the cemetery, turning all the
headstones golden in color, as if showing that the dead
were in peace. After darkness settled over the plain, they
picked themselves up and went home.
Two years passed before they returned to her grave.
They entered the cemetery and slowly walked to her grave
and over her grave grew a small plant; its scarlet leaves
spreading over the earth beneath the headstone. In wonder
Mason stared at the plant. He recognized it instantly, the
red fern.
A shriek of happiness came from the third member of
their party. Her short blonde hair bounced around her as
she stumbled toward the plant.
Mason settled down on the ground next to her and
pulled the hair out of her face. “Lacey, this is your big
sister…"
Lacey nodded and pulled her father towards the plant
and they sat down. Heidi joined them on the ground. And
they sat there till the sun was almost setting. As they
exited the cemetery, Mason turned around one last time
and walked over to the grave, laid their book beside the
headstone, and turned to leave.
He clutched the hands of his family members. And
the last thing he saw was the crimson plant fluttering in
the breeze. And beside it, the book. “Where the Red Fern
Grows,” Mason thought…“How fitting…”
Year after year, they returned, they visited her, even
when they were old and grey. And the fern grew faithfully,
stretching taller and taller, and never dying.
Sydney Berentschot
Grade 9
Inwood
61
“Normal” Pencil?
We all know the story about Goldilocks and the three
bears. The chairs, beds, and porridge were too hard, soft,
hot, or cold. Eventually, Goldilocks found a chair, bed, and
bowl of porridge that were all just right. Now think about
this: would it be weird to say that the #2 pencil is the
perfect pencil? Life in school is based around this writing
tool. However, if the #2 pencil is so popular, why is it #2?
After recess in elementary school, being first in line
was the best privilege there was to offer. The second,
jealous student would then taunt the first by saying, “First
is the worst; second is the best.” Does this quote refer to
pencils? In school systems, it must. School supply lists state:
“Sharpened #2 pencils.” That is, up until the junior high and
high school years. Students are gaining their well-deserved
freedom to buy whatever pencils they want in these years—
or so they think. Yet, when testing time comes, students are
required to switch back to the same old #2. Why?
Before taking important tests, such as the ACT, SAT,
or Iowa Assessments, students must be prepared. One
requirement is to bring and use #2 pencils. The method to
correct tests includes a machine that reads the pencil marks
Name
Bodee Schramm
Grade 1
Sioux City
62
by shining light through the bubble sheets. To be registered
correctly, light must be completely blocked out by the pencil
marks. With that being said, these pencils must be “magic.”
Art class teaches students that there are numerous
types of pencils. It expands our knowledge beyond using
regular, store-bought number #2. These sketching pencils
broaden our experiences into thinking creatively. Each
pencil is graded on an international scale called the HB
scale. It sounds like pencils have their own grading scale
similar to school. However, the number #2 is precisely in
the middle. Therefore, this pencil is just right—similar to
what Goldilocks was seeking.
Are we being brainwashed into buying #2 pencils?
Schools claim to be teaching us to think, but are schools, by
favoring these pencils, making us mindless robots? Are we
just too gullible or stubborn to explore different pencils?
These pencils aren’t perfect. Life in school is based around
this writing tool, so there’s no use in protesting. Most
students will follow the crowd and rules and stick with the
old, reliable #2 pencils. I guess #2 is best after all.
Courtney Vander Pol
Grade 12
Paullina
Shattered
Picking Apples
A common day in a common place
With reflections of my normal face,
And a future so clear and crystallite
I don’t have to try to get it right.
But, it all becomes an utter disgrace,
As a win by day turns to failure by night,
And my life gets a change of pace
With broken mirrors and splintered sight.
Shattered reflections glare back at me
To show me the trouble others see,
Which makes the terror all too real
Until I can’t make out just how I feel.
I grab the phone and make my plea
And got an unexpected deal.
I hope the doctors can help me be
One whose mind is made of steel.
The medics, I thought, could atone
For the growing problems of my own.
They don’t seem to help my thoughts or pain
But poke and prod and cause me shame.
With padded walls, I feel more alone
Than the failure and madness I can’t contain
Could ever make me feel back home
And it’s worse than the five points of my restrain.
I can not wait for my apples. I hope that the apples are
juicy! I hope that they are yummy! My dog loves to chew on
the apples. The best thing about apples is that I get to give
them out to my family and friends. I love picking apples!
Lauren Siegner
Grade 1
Ida Grove
Frosty’s Best Friend
I think Rudolph would take Frosty on a ride in the sky
and Frosty would like it. They would make snow angels and
put a Christmas tree up. They had a snowball fight outside.
Then Frosty asked Santa if he could get toys from Santa.
Frosty wanted to see the elves but he would melt if he went
inside. At Christmas, Santa came to Frosty’s house and in
the morning Frosty woke up and saw presents at his tree.
Then he went to Santa’s workshop and all of the elves and
Santa were outside and Frosty could see all the elves.
Brock Schneider
Grade 2
Schleswig
Once I’m out, life isn’t so bad.
I know I’m troubled, but I’m glad
And it’s an abrupt opening of my eyes
To put aside the internal lies.
Along with sane, I’m also mad.
I can be both. I have to try
For those moments of weakness weren’t a fad
But a crucial part of what I call “I”.
I no longer need to sacrifice
The part of me that’s not concise.
Rather than lose, I’m gaining heart
To see my brokenness and pick up the parts.
Tristan Verdoorn
Grade 11
South O-Brien Junior & Senior High
Paullina
Zentangle
Hope Tolan
Grade 10
Westside
63
They Say
They say follow your dreams
You chase them till they are gone
They say don’t give up
You try your hardest but
you still give up
They say dreams come true one day
You wish every night
but they still haven’t come true
You remember how they have said
Follow your dreams
Don’t give up
Dreams come true one day
You go follow the dreams
Take risks
Only because they said follow your dreams
Julianna Hines
Grade 8
Westside
Prepositions
out the door
down the stairs
around the block
into the house
parents - at the table
up the stairs
in my room
on the bed
under the covers
sleep
did you ever think
prepositions could
tell a story?
Bridget Cameron
Grade 7
Westside
Waiting for Santa
I lay silently
Waiting,
Waiting for the footsteps to die away.
Silence came into the room.
I jumped up and ran to look under the tree.
Many presents were sitting there
Waiting,
Just waiting to be opened.
A sound came out of the night.
I ran to the window
And waited,
Waited to see Santa.
Kayla Ragaller
Grade 10
Westside
Monster, or Not?
Hang Nguyen
Grade 8
Sioux City-West Middle
Sioux City
64
1st Place
I CAN DO THIS! Stay tight and focus, I thought sternly
to myself, as I waited for the judge to signal me, so I could
start my beam routine. Wiping my sweaty hands on my
legs, I waited some more.
“Raya Zevenbergen,” she said after what seemed like
years. I saluted her and gave a cheesy smile. I mounted
the beam, and gave a quick, unconfident pose. Taking
two little steps, I got ready for a straight jump and a split
jump combined, landing the jump combination perfectly.
Getting ready for a handstand, I gave a little hand flick and
kicked, getting ready for a handstand. As my foot hit the
beam, it slipped and I teetered. Balance check, I thought
frustrated. I corrected myself and continued. Pivot, walk,
walk, cartwheel. I landed perfectly. Preparing for the halfturn, I put my arms up and took a deep breath. My feet
seemed extra sweaty now. I finished the turn with a sigh of
relief. That was over.
I always dread this moment, my dismount. It looks like
I’m going to do a cartwheel, but I stop in a handstand. Then
I have to twist, so I don’t come down on the side that I’m
facing. I levered into it and held it. I tried to twist, but I was
falling the wrong way already. So I came down, finished,
saluted the judge, and walked away.
Later, during awards they announced the vault, bars,
beam, floor, and all-around places. When it came to beam
I said to my teammate, Ellie Vogel, “I won’t place, I know
it. You will though.” One of the announcers called, “And
for third place, Ellie Vogel.” A girl from another team got
second. “Raya Zevenbergen for first place.” I sat there for
a few short seconds, dumbfounded, because all the other
girls in my age group were way better. Finally, I hopped up
and sprinted slash stumbled to the mats for the awards. A
girl came to put the medal over my neck. “Good job,” she
said. “Thanks,” I replied, smiling. When the announcer told
us girls to salute, we did. While I was up there, I thought, “I
guess not giving up and working really hard for two weeks
actually paid off.”
Raya Zevenbergen
Grade 6
Sioux Center
Sunset Sky
Hailie Hast
Grade K
Schleswig
65
The Snowplow Mystery
There once was a girl named Catherine. She loved
winter! The snow, the sledding, the presents, the
shopping…she loved it all! But her most favorite winter
activity was to build a snowman.
One day, she was about to get a snack in the kitchen
when she suddenly heard her parents talking. Her father
said, “Honey, this year I’m getting a man to snowplow our
driveway. Don’t tell Catherine because it’s a surprise.
I think she will be excited because she won’t have to
shovel!” Smiling, she ran outside before they saw her
and built a snowman and a snowwoman to surprise the
snowplow man.
The next morning Catherine woke up and ran
downstairs. She ate breakfast as quick as she could,
hurried back upstairs, got dressed, and brushed her bright
red hair. She got her snow gear on and ran to the backyard
to sled. She remembered her sled was by the driveway.
When she went to the driveway, she noticed the snowman
and woman were gone!
She ran inside and yelled “MOM, DAD”. Her parents
rushed downstairs. Catherine said, “My s-s-snowman
is g-g-gone forever!” Her mom said, “Honey, it was the
snowplow”. The mystery was solved. “Oh, it was?” said
Catherine. “Yes, from now on you need to build your
snowman in the backyard”, said her dad. After that, they
all went out and built another snowman and woman in the
backyard. From then on, they had a wonderful rest of their
winter!
Emily Mahnke
Grade 4
Sioux City
This is Mine
This is my cow.
Running and jumping in mud.
Oh, how dirty she gets!
And now, she is chewing some cud.
This is my cow.
She is drinking from the lake.
Oh, how she eats!
Now, she needs a break.
This is my cow.
Oh, what a blur!
Washing and drying.
Now, I need to comb her fur.
Jamie Hausman
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Diamond Poetry
Snowmen
Big, White
Fat, Red, Black
Hat, Scarf, White, Brown
Tasty, Delicious, Yummy
Marshmallows, Warm
Hot Chocolate
Andres Cruz
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Campfire
Brooklyn Vander Veen
Grade 5
Sioux Center
66
My First Homerun
This is Mine
“Hurry up, Dad I want to go.”
“Ok calm down,” he said.
“I’ll be in the car.”
No matter what sport I’m playing I always get nervous
before the game. My dad always tells me that I need to be
more confident because it affects my game play because
like all coaches say, “Baseball is a mental sport, so if you
don’t believe you are going to hit it you’re not going to hit it.”
I play travel baseball; it’s really fun. I get to travel with
my friends and also stay in hotels with them, but baseball is
way more fun than that. That tournament was in Omaha,
and we played at Millard baseball complex. It was the
first tournament of the year, and it was about around fifty
degrees that morning. We were playing Millard Blue.
When we got there I was really tired, I’m always tired
because before every tournament I have to wake up really
early. I’ve played in this tournament the year before so I
knew right away which field we would be on. I was hitting
great in warm ups.
It was time to go play our game. We hit first, which I
was happy about. I usually like to field first, but this was the
first game of the year so I was anxious to hit. “Watch the
pitcher," said my coach Justin. It was a side arm pitcher, so
it was going to be a little different since there is not a lot of
side arm pitchers. I was finally up, and I felt really confident
and ready to hit. The first pitch was outside, but I knew the
next pitch was going to be a strike because that pitch was
the first ball in a while. He wound up and threw the pitch.
This pitch was right down the middle and just a little high.
Pop!! I usually don’t watch the ball but this one went really
far, and I was anxious to see where it would land. I saw the
outfielder running back and all of a sudden he stopped in
his tracks. At first, I didn’t believe what I saw, but then I saw
my coach smiling and clapping and then I knew what just
happened. When I ran around the bases I had the biggest
smile on my face, and then when I got to the dugout my
dad came over and gave me a high five and said, “Good job,
Buddy”.
That year I did pretty well. My dad said that my
confidence is the big reason I hit well that year. I learned to
always have self confidence in myself.
This is my horse.
He runs really fast.
We won the race.
Glad we didn’t get last.
This is my horse.
His color is dirty white.
Loves everyone.
Never will he fight.
This is my horse.
Will love him until the end.
Be with him forever.
He is my best friend!
Maggie Ragaller
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Luke Longval
Grade 6
Sioux City
Emy Benson
Grade 7
Pierson
67
Tornadoes Shouldn’t Happen On
Vacation
“Watch out,” I said to my mom. “We’re going to hit that
semi!”
Did you know that I was very scared that we were going
to hit that semi and get killed?
We were on vacation in Kansas City, Kansas.
It was a very foggy and dreary day for July weather. We
were packing our stuff up so we could go back to our house
in Sioux City. My mom said, “Hunter, did you get all of our
stuff out of the hotel room?”
“No,” I replied.
So, I took the luxurious glass elevator up to our room
on the seventh floor of the hotel, got my iPad mini, and went
into the elevator once again. Down I went to the ground
floor of the hotel.
On the Farm
Katelyn Bruck
Grade 8
Denison-Zion Lutheran Elementary
Denison
68
“That’s all of it,” I said.
Then, everybody got into the jeep. Then we went to a
gas station, and they had candy that hadn’t been released
in Iowa yet. That was when we noticed outside that it was
starting to rain and it hit the roof, made a noise and sounded
like, “pitter patter pitter patter pitter patter.”
“Let’s get out of here and hit the road,” my mom said.
Then we paid for the stuff we wanted and hit the
road. So everybody in the car was quiet so I tried to start
a conversation. “Mom, what do you like more, ducks or
beavers?”
She didn’t say anything. Silence consumed the car for
about five minutes until boom, boom, boom was heard in
the car. It made everybody in the car jump.
Now, it was just dumping rain on the top of the car.
Then, the radio started to go “beep, beep, beep.” Then
it said, “There is severe flooding happening in your area and
in parts of Missouri and Nebraska, and the damage is very
bad, so if you live there get on top of your homes or high
ground is advised.”
After that, 20 minutes later, the tornado sirens went
off in the city we were in. Then radio started making the
“beep, beep, beep” and then said, “There has been a tornado
sighting in the area. It is advised that you take shelter and
go to the ground floor of the building that you are in and go
to a windowless room.” “Beep, beep, beep.”
We were dead silent when we heard it.
So we drove down the highway like nothing happened.
We were driving like a flash of lightning for 40 minutes.
I told my mom, “I have to go to the bathroom.”
So, we pulled over to the nearest gas station. It was one
of those homemade gas stations. But there was a line of six
people in front of me. So I waited and waited until it was my
turn. After about one hour had passed I finally got to go to
the bathroom. After I was done going to the restroom, I got
back into the car.
About 20 minutes later, my mom wasn’t paying any
attention to what she was doing, and we were on a collision
course to hit a semi, so I shouted, “MOM WE’RE GOING TO
HIT THAT SEMI!”
So she veered away from it, and we were heading
towards a tree. She slammed on the brakes so hard it made
a screeching noise so loud it probably could have broken
glass.
So when we got out of the ditch and onto the road.
About ten minutes later we were back in Sioux City, Iowa.
I was so happy when we got back to our house that I
kissed the ground at least one million times.
I will remember that day for the rest of my life. There is
one lesson and one lesson only that people should realize,
don’t drive in the middle of a massive storm. So don’t go
driving in a big storm because you could get killed.
Hunter Hassebroek
Grade 6
Sioux City
There's No Moose Here
Joylyn Vande Berg
Grade 5
Sioux Center
69
The Haunted House
It is Halloween
I see a house the haunted house
I get closer and hear disgruntled shrieks
I enter the building harsh sounds greet me
a witch sits at a cauldron
the scent of the cauldron sends my body lurching
her head rises as I run to a new room
there’s a skeleton on the wall
it starts moving closer
until the chains hold it back
smoke enters the room
I run to the exit
to see it’s blocked by fire
I run to the window
I jump
I’m outside the fiery inferno of a house
Payton Butler
Grade 5
Schleswig
Color Poetry
Blue is the color of the birds that sing.
Yellow sunshine it will bring.
Red flowers make me sneeze.
Brown leaves fly with the breeze.
Purple is the color of the bat I whack.
Pink sneakers fly around the track.
Gray days make us nappy.
Green grass makes us happy.
Gold is the color of my hair.
Silver jewelry I love to wear.
These are my favorite colors. What are yours?
Kora Obrecht
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Football Rules
Jacob Van Donge
Grade 5
Orange City Christian
Orange City
70
The Pumpkin Patch
Karley Tadlock
Grade 3
Whiting Elementary
Whiting
My Free Meal
Last weekend I went to Ames for the Iowa State
University football game against Kansas University. My
sister, Lauren, and her friend were cheering at halftime. It’s
a pretty decent drive; we left home around 5 PM and got
there at about 6:30 PM. After we dropped the girls off at
the practice facility, we went and checked in at the hotel
we’d be staying at.
When we left the hotel, it was close to seven. We arrived
at Texas Roadhouse, and after having been seated for ten
minutes, we finally ordered. About twenty more minutes
passed. During the time we were waiting, my family and I
talked about sports and school.
The next thing we knew, a lady in a purple shirt came
up to us and said, “Hi, I am the assistant manager of Texas
Roadhouse, and I’m deeply sorry but we dropped your
food all over the floor. Your food will be on the grill first,
and so tonight your meal is on us. Thank you for your
understanding.”
As soon as she left, all four of my family members were
extremely happy, and that night - for the first time EVER my dad let us order DESSERT!!!!!!!
Braeden Johnson
Grade 7
Schleswig
Thanksgiving
T is for Time - We need time for winter.
H is for Husk - The Pilgrims husk the corn.
A is for America - I Love America!
N is for Native - The Native Americans helped the Pilgrims.
K is for Keep - I keep my love for Thanksgiving.
S is for Ships - The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
G is for Grandparents - I Love my Grandparents.
I is for Invent - The native Americans invented the bow.
V is for Voicing - The ability to voice what I am thankful for.
I is for Important - It is important to love Thanksgiving.
N is for Need - You need to have fun.
G is for Give - You give Love.
Annika Bremer
Grade 3
Sioux City
71
Dirt Bike
Quentin Smith
Grade 1
Hinton Elementary
Hinton
Charlie’s First Day
Hugging all of my friends good-bye was hard, but I knew
the next part of my day would be better. It was the day that
I was going to Sioux Rapids to get my first ever Golden
Retriever puppy. I was so excited! I had wanted a dog for as
long as I could remember. Finally, today was the day!
Two weeks earlier, we went right after church to look
at the little four week old puppies to convince my mom that
getting a dog wouldn’t be so bad. I’m pretty sure that’s the
day that she fell in love with them; so did the rest of us!
Who can resist a four week old puppy? It was almost time
to leave, and the breeder wanted to know that day if we
wanted one or not.
My sister, Josie, and I begged, “Please?”
“I guess,” Mom said.
Then Josie and I got all excited! My dad had to pay a
third of the money to ensure that when we returned two
weeks later, there would still be at least one male Golden
Retriever puppy left. In those two weeks I researched like
72
crazy. I learned things like how to potty train them, how to
teach them tricks, and what they can and cannot eat.
Then came the day I was so eagerly excited for Sioux
Rapids was only a half hour away from Okoboji (where my
camp was). We packed up all the things I had at camp and
headed towards Sioux Rapids.
When we got there, the puppies were much bigger
than two weeks earlier. There were only two males left to
pick from. They were both happy and wagging their tails. I
picked one up and so did Josie.
Dad and I had done some research on how to get
the right puppy. One of the articles said that you should
put them back in their pen and see how they react to you
being there. One of them wagged his tail and looked at us.
The other one laid down and went to sleep. We asked the
breeders about who was going to get the puppy we didn’t
take, and they said it was an older couple. Since the other
soon-to-be-owners were older, we thought that we should
leave the calm puppy for them and take the excited one.
On the way home we named him Charlie. Today he is 7 1/2
months old and 65 pounds!
Camryn Schultz
Grade 7
Schleswig Elementary & Middle School
Schleswig
The African King
Mia Welte
Grade 8
Anthon
73
The Happens at Sangrea
At Sangrea Middle School, lots of strange things
happen. Not just strange things like gross food that might
be duck or horse or creepy, old classrooms that kids think
are haunted. Things that are so strange, so mystical, that
no one, even the kids wouldn’t believe.
One day in particular, Jessica Kaftan who is 14 years
old was sprinting quickly since she had about 10 minutes
to get to school. Jessica had short, light blonde hair and
bright blue eyes. Usually her mom took her to school, her
mom is her teacher, but today her mom had to go in early
to do some paperwork for the spring carnival next week.
When Jessica got to the classroom, her mom wasn’t there.
She was searching around the room, seeing if she was
looking through the cabinets for science equipment or at
her desk doing the paperwork. Instead of going to search
around the school for her, she shrugged, sat down, and
started reading her book. Everyone arrived after about
two minutes. Everyone got their stuff ready for the day,
but Mrs. Kaftan, 42 years young, wasn’t there.
“Where’s your mom, Jess?” asked Melissa, 13 years
old, Jessica’s best friend. Melissa had long, dark brown
hair and baby blue eyes.
“She said she was coming in early to do some
paperwork.”
After about ten minutes of sitting, Jessica got a knot
in her stomach. Her mom hasn’t shown up! She went to
check her mother’s desk when she saw a note written
with a bright pink marker. Her mother’s favorite color. She
read, “Brungart Forest. Green wooden house.” Was this
her mother’s location? She held up the note to the class.
“We have to find her,” said John, 15 years old, the new
kid. John had light, sandy brown hair and brown eyes.
“Shouldn’t we tell the principal or something?” Melissa
asked.
Everyone agreed, but when they tried to open the
door, it was locked.
“How are you supposed to tell them if we can’t get
out?” asked Jessica.
“You know we can just go out the window and find her
ourselves, right?” asked John. Everyone agreed and they
crawled through the window to the Brungart Forest.
When they got to the forest they searched for the
green wooden house. All they found was a tiny cave with
a note on the ground. It was written with the same bright
pink marker as before. They read the note. “Go through
the cave and by the acacia tree, you will find me.” They
walked through the dark, spooky cave. It was too dark to
see anything, until they found light at the end of the cave.
They looked at the trees. All the trees were birch trees!
After about an hour, it was 1 :47 p.m.!
‘’There’s no use. We aren’t gonna find her,” Just then,
Melissa was interrupted by John.
“Look! An acacia tree!”
They ran to the tree to find a green wooden house.
They walked in and found Mrs. Kaftan with a cauldron.
She was stirring something bright pink.
“Hello! I guess you found me,” Mrs. Kaftan said.
“Are you a witch?” asked Melissa, mouth wide open.
Jessica elbowed her.
“Ouch!” exclaimed Melissa.
“Yes. All the stuff I have taught you in chemistry
have been spells, so you can grow up to be witches and
warlocks.”
Everyone stared at her for about two minutes before
she started to do some more explaining.
After that, she flew them back on a broomstick, like
any typical witch.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jessica asked her mom on
their way back to school.
“It was supposed to be a surprise.”
After the ride, they went back to the classroom
and learned more potions and spells. Some kids turned
invisible and some floated. Whenever Principal Randall
came in, they stopped and acted like everything was
normal. The rest of the day they had fun with Mrs. Kaftan
and had a great year.
Jinessa Lewis
Grade 6
Schleswig
Good Cats vs. Bad Cats
Madelyne Huizenga
Grade 6
Orange City
74
Thor
Thor is my dog who always wants more,
When shining the laser light, he paws at the door.
He chases his tail around and around,
His toys are lost and can never be found.
The last one he buried down in the couch,
He loves to scratch, so look out, ouch!
Thor is my dog he barks to protect,
I sneak up on him to hug his neck.
Isabella Pacheco
Grade 2
Woodbury Central Elementary
Moville
Diamond Poetry
Santa
Jolly, Fat
Flying, Laughing, Giving
Working, Helping, Singing, Playing
Moving, Talking, Building
Snow, Short
Olaf
Elizabeth Brunner
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Scarecrow Girl
Watch Out, Crazy Driver on the Road
Have you ever had a sibling drive for the first time
without practice on the road? Well, I don’t think you would
want to be that person because I thought I was going to die
that day. It all started when my brother passed his permit
test...
“Let’s get donuts,” I said as we bolted out the door.
“Ok,” my mom said as we leaped into the car.
We arrived at Casey’s, and the smell of putrid cleaning
supplies and freshly baked donuts filled the air. We ate our
donuts and we were off to the DMV. We raced and quickly
enough we were there.
“Hope you pass!” my mother and I shouted as he dashed
into the computer room.
“I passed the test!” Ethan said with a big dopey grin.
With him passing the test, my mom had him drive to my
grandpa’s to tell him the big news.
“Sweet!” my grandpa said exploding with excitement.
We left our grandpa’s, racing down the streets to get
home quickly. As my brother pulled up to the house, he was
parallel parking and bumped into my aunt’s car.
“What just happened?” yelled everyone in the car.
“Did you just hit my car?” said my aunt with fear in her
eyes.
“Sorry,” my brother fearfully said as we got out of the
car. Later that day, after we had gotten over my brother's
bad behavior, we all decided to go to Bob Roe’s.
After the crash, I learned that what goes around comes
around. So, we should be seeing some revenge from my
aunt soon.
Kristina Ly
Grade 9
Sioux City
Autumn Pedersen
Grade 6
Sioux City
75
Bluejay
Once there was a girl named Bluejay. Nobody knew
that she was part wolf, part human. As the days grew short
as winter came, school was getting a lot harder to hide
her wolf senses. One day when she was walking to school,
three people pounced on her and knocked her out.
When Bluejay woke up, she wasn’t outside, but in
a room with computers and gadgets. “I see that you
are awake,” said a voice. Then the three people who
had knocked her out came into the room. “My name is
Professor Charlie, but you can call me Doc,” said the voice.
Then one of the three came into the light. The girl said,
“My name is Lily, and I’m part tiger.”
Then a boy came out of the dark. “My name is Raven,
and I’m part lion,” said the boy.
Another boy came out and said, “I am Sky, and I’m part
bear.”
Doc looked at the girl and asked, “And you are? Don’t
forget your animal.”
“I don’t have an animal,” Bluejay said.
“Yes you do,” corrected Raven. “That’s why we brought
you here.”
“Fine, I do,” admitted Bluejay. “I’m part wolf.”
“Nice to meet you, Bluejay,” said everybody.
“So…why am I here?” asked Bluejay.
“Well, we knew you were part animal. There’s a war
going on, and we could use your help,” said Doc.
“OK,” said Bluejay. “I’m in.”
So they took Bluejay back to her school. The day
went on, and Bluejay kept thinking about what was going
to happen to her when she got home. When Bluejay got
home, she saw Doc talking to her parents about her special
Untitled
Karsten Gray
Grade 7
Correctionville
gift. He told them about the war and how Bluejay could be
a big help after completing some training. “OK, that will be
fine…As long as she is safe,” said her mom.
Bluejay’s dad was the first to spot her. “Look, Bluejay is
home,” said her dad. “Doc, go ahead and start the training.”
Doc told Bluejay to follow him. He led her back to the
A.T.P. (Awesome Training Place). When they got there,
Doc started training Bluejay to control her ability to
shapeshift into a wolf. She needed to be able to become
wolf or human on cue. Once she mastered that, they began
combat training with Sky, Raven, and Lily.
“Are we done yet?” asked Bluejay.
“That’s all you need to know, but keep practicing those
moves,” replied Doc.
“Doc, you said we should get to know Bluejay, right?”
asked Raven.
“Yes, I want you all to become friends,” answered Doc.
Once they got to know each other, they hung out after
school nearly every day. One day, they even had a dance
off. A song with a good beat came on. Everyone started
to shout and dance to the music together. When the song
ended, they decided that song would now be their song as
a group of friends. When the laughing stopped, Lily got a
phone call from Doc. “We have to go now!” shouted Lily.
“Doc said they are attacking the A.T.P.”
“Let’s go!” shouted the four friends.
They each turned into their animal forms and ran to
the A.T.P. When they got to the A.T.P., there was a lot of
shouting and fighting. The four of them looked at each
other. Then they ran into the middle and shouted, “Stop!”
The whole place was silent and everyone was staring
at the four friends. Sky spoke up, “The world needs all of
us. So let’s not fight. Let’s be a team!”
Everybody agreed. Then out of nowhere, an explosion
hit part of the roof. Doc was standing under where it was
about to fall. Bluejay ran and pushed Doc out of the way in
the nick of time. But the fallen pieces landed on Bluejay.
“No!” shouted Raven, Sky, and Lily.
They ran over to the pieces of roof and started
pulling them off of Bluejay. They found pieces stuck in her
shoulder and side. Once they got to the E.R., they started
to wonder if she would be OK. The doctor came out to
the waiting room and said, “She’s OK. She has a broken
kneecap and a deep cut in her shoulder and side. We are
going to keep her overnight just to be sure. She’s awake if
you want to see her.”
Once they got into her room, they gave her a big hug.
They asked how she was doing and stuff like that. Doc
thanked her for saving his life. When Bluejay got out of the
hospital, the four friends had a dance party. The war was
over, so they had plenty to celebrate.
Kaylee Cedeno
Grade 5
Galva
76
Veteran’s Day Acrostic Poem
The Gym
Very good at what they do
Everybody thanks you
They are important
Every day is hard work
Ready and on time
Amazing at helping
Never stopping
Evan Williams
Grade 5
Ida Grove
Lebron's Fab Five (Book Rap)
Little Dru, Sian, and Willie,
Were the original fab four
Until came one more.
They had some tough times,
That’s why I’m busting these rhymes.
Have you ever heard the story of Lebron’s hummer?
It turned out to be a real bummer.
They all grew up tough,
That’s why they played so rough.
They beat Oak Hill,
By determination and will.
They killed every team,
It was kind of mean.
The minute I arrive at practice the feeling is great!
As I walk down the unfinished hall to the snow, white
door, I’m already pumped for practice to start. I twist the
silver, shiny, knob and open the door. I’m hit with multiple
sounds and colors. The sounds of my energetic teammates
messing around, and bouncing dusty, white volleyballs all
around. The strong aroma of paint and drywall from the
brand new walls hits my nose as I breathe in. I casually
walk over to where all the bags and water bottles are at,
and I set my stuff down. As I slide on my worn out black
knee pads and my silver and black volleyball shoes, I see
all of the bright, multicolored spandex that my teammates
are wearing. If we were all to stand in a huddle, we would
be as bright as the sun.
While waiting for practice to officially start, Olivia and
I toss the ball around. Coach blows the whistle and twists
her finger in a tornado like motion, signaling us to start
running. We usually run for five minutes. When time is up,
we are all fighting for our breath back. We take a quick
drink break. The water feels great on my dry throat. Then
we hustle back over to coach. She instructs us to get with
a partner and start our drill. I paired up with Olivia and we
began the drill. I stood on the blue ten foot line and waited
for Olivia to toss the ball back for me to drop step and
get. As the ball contacts my forearm, the feel of the soft
leather, mixed with air pressure inside reminds me that
this is what I’ve enjoyed since fourth grade. The drills and
the practice itself may be hard, but hey, it’s always worth
it in the end, right?!
Ysabella Arredondo
Grade 7
Sioux City
Andrew Guntren
Grade 8
Sioux City
The Farm
Kandon Trudeau
Grade K
Sioux City-Hunt Elementary
Sioux City
77
Heartbreak
Annie and Ally were sitting on the couch while
watching TV as their mom was making lunch. Their dad
was still at the farm working. The house was quiet. The
only sound you could hear was the sound of the TV.
Ally got up and looked out the window and said, “Isn’t
it cool how the sun looks when it’s shining on the snow?”
Annie got up and went to the window and said, “Oh
yeah, it looks pretty.” Annie went back to the couch, but
Ally kept looking out the window.
Finally, Mom called them into the kitchen and told
them to set the table. Once they were finished setting the
table, their dad was back from work. They sat at the table
and prayed.
When lunch was over, Mom had to announce
something. “Girls, I have big news and I am sure you will
love it, and I hope that when I tell you, you will be excited
about it. I am going to have another baby!”
Annie shouted, “Really? I can’t wait! What is it? A boy
or a girl?”
Mom said, “Are you sure you want to know, or do you
want it to be a surprise?”
Annie shouted, “I want to know! I want to know!”
Mom announced, “It’s a girl!”
Annie shouted, “Oh my! This is so cool! Now I can tell
my friends that my mom is having another baby girl.”
Ally ran downstairs to her room and slammed the
door. Mom went down to check on her. “Ally, are you all
right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ally said, trying to keep a happy face.
Her mom said, “O.k., but are you o.k. with me having
a baby?”
“Yes, Mom, I’m fine with it.” But really she was lying.
Mom went back upstairs, assuming that nothing was
wrong.
Annie kept asking questions. “What will you name it?”
Mom said, “I still haven’t decided on a name because I
want everybody to help decide.”
Annie asked, “When is the baby going to be born?”
Mom said, “November 3.”
Ally came back upstairs. Mom asked, “Hey, sweetie, do
you want to help decide on a name for the baby?”
Ally said, “No, I don’t.”
Mom said, “O.k., I guess we’ll do it another day.”
Ally went back downstairs to her room.
About three months later, Annie and Ally’s mom had
to go have the baby. Annie, Ally, and Dad came to the
hospital to visit. Annie and Dad both held the baby. Mom
said, “Ally, do you want to hold the baby?”
Ally said, “No, not really.”
Mom said, “O.k., maybe another time.”
They all decided on a good name for the baby. They
named her Amy. Because Annie and Ally both started with
A’s, they thought maybe they should give her a name that
started with an A too.
Mom cradled the baby in her arms, and Annie handed
the bottle to Mom. Soon the baby was fast asleep.
The next day, Annie got up and went upstairs where
she found Ally watching TV and her mom making eggs
78
for breakfast. Her dad had gotten up early to go to work.
Annie went to her mom to say “Guess what? It’s almost
my birthday because right now it’s November 4, and my
birthday is November 10! I am super excited!”
Mom said, “I know! You’re going to be thirteen!”
Annie said, “Don’t forget that I’m also going to sixth
grade.”
Mom said, “And Ally is going to second grade! ALLY!
Time to get ready for school! Your sister is already ready.”
Ally was going to ask mom a question. “Mom, can I-”
“Waaaaaaa Waaaaaa ! “ The baby started to cry.
Ally thought, “That dumb baby. She is always
interrupting me.” Then she thought, “Thank goodness I
didn’t say that out loud, or I would be in as much trouble as
a person who got a speeding ticket!” Then she remembered
that she had her dance recital in two days. She thought,
“I’d better tell Mom!’’
“Hey, Mom, I have my dance recital in two days!”
“Oh that’s great, honey! I’ll be there!” said her mom.
Two days passed, and Mom said, “Your grandma will
pick you up after school. I can’t because I have to pick Amy
up from the babysitter. Your grandma will also bring you
to your dance recital.”
Ally said, “O.k.”
After school, Ally’s grandma picked her up. Then they
went to Ally’s recital. Ally looked all around for her mom
but couldn’t see her. Then it was time to start the dance.
Ally realized that her mom wasn’t coming. She knew
exactly why her mom missed it. Ally said, “My mom is
spending too much time with Amy. I have to put a stop to
this.”
After the dance, Mom called Ally. She told her that she
was going to pick her up.
Ally waited for her mom to pick her up. She waited
and waited and waited. No sign of Mom. So Ally called her
grandma to bring her home, and her grandma drove her
home.
When Ally got home, she went to her mom and said,
“Mom, you forgot to pick me up from my dance recital, and
you said you would. You also said that you were coming to
my dance recital.”
Her mom said, “I’m sorry. I had to stay home with Amy
because she’s sick.”
Ally said, “Of course it’s all about Amy.”
Mom said, “What do you mean, it's all about Amy?”
Ally said, “Ever since you had Amy, you have been
spending a lot more time with her.”
“I am so sorry, but you have to understand that I can’t
be paying all of my attention to you and Annie and Amy
all at the same time. And I'm sorry if you think I’ve been
spending most of my attention on Amy. Maybe I should
spend a little bit more time on you. But I want you to
understand that I know you are special, and I love you a
lot, but Amy is just a little baby. She needs to eat and drink
and nap. And I’m the one who always has to feed her and
give her a bottle and put her in the crib for bedtime and
naptime. But even if I do spend a lot of my attention on
Amy, you do need to know that I love you a lot. And you are
not the youngest in this house anymore. Amy is. And she
was just born, but I will always love you.’’
Ally said, “I love you too.”
“Guess what? We’re going to put up the Christmas
tree. But remember the Christmas tradition. We help
decorate it, and the youngest child in the family gets to put
the star on top. And Amy is the youngest now. So she gets
to put the star on top. Are you okay with that, Ally?”
Ally said, “Yeah, it’s all right.” Then she said, “0kay,
Mom, you are in charge of the Christmas lights. Dad, you
are in charge of setting the Christmas tree up and holding
Amy up so she can put the star on top. Amy, you’re in
charge of putting the star on top of the Christmas tree.
Annie, you and I are in charge of decorating the Christmas
tree.”
Then Mom said, “Remember when you said, isn’t it
cool how the sun shines on the snow?”
Ally said, “Yeah.”
Mom said, “It’s kind of like how you shine on your
sister, Amy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you should be excited to have a baby sister
because she looks up to you.”
Ally said, “Oh yeah! I do shine on my sister.”
Mom said, “Hey, you still haven’t held Amy yet. Do you
want to?”
Ally said, “Yes!”
So Mom handed the baby to Ally. Ally cradled the babe
and said, “I love my baby sister.” The baby smiled at Ally
with a little twinkle in her eye.
The next day was Christmas! Annie and Ally got up,
looked outside the window, and it was snowing! Annie and
Ally jumped on their parents’ bed and said, “Get up! Get
up! Get up! It’s Christmas! Time to open presents!”
So Mom got Amy up, and they all opened presents
together in their snuggly Christmas pajamas!
Sneaky Poetry
All kinds of breeds
Funny and sad
Fetching and running
Fun playmate
Puppy
Delaney Schurke
Grade 4
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Wolves
Wolves are a type of dog, but wolves don’t have floppy
ears. They have pointed ears. Wolves are gray and dogs are
black or brown. Wolves don’t bark, they howl. Wolves are
up at night and dogs are asleep. Wolves have pointed teeth
and dogs have straight teeth. Wolves live in family groups
called packs. The packs go hunt for food. Wolves are great
hunters because all of them can sneak up on other animals.
And they are cool.
Braeden Green
Grade 1
Ida Grove
Kierra Wolfswinkel
Grade 4
Sioux Center
Horse and Dog
Heidi Taylor
Grade 6
Washta
79
Infection
The night was cold, my muffled footsteps on
cobblestone the only audible noise. Not even my sword,
sheathed in its casing, sounded out in the silence. As I
walked I strained to hear a noise, any noise—something to
tell me that I wasn’t alone. There was no wind, no rain, and
no signs of life. Empty, shallow buildings surrounded me,
judging me with their cold stares. The sky was dark with
only a sliver of moon left to light the way.
I turned down an alleyway and stopped. A noise, barely
perceptible in the heavy silence, made its way towards
my ears. Drip, drip, drip. I continued on, this time with an
occupation: get to that noise. I could hear the dripping and
stifled the hope beginning to sprout in my chest. I can’t
believe in anything anymore. Avoiding hope means avoiding
disappointment.
As the noise reached its maximum, I stopped and
turned towards it. There was an open courtyard, bare of
life, containing what was once a beautiful fountain. This
fountain represented the few souls left—those who still
persist against the evil. That dripping…it seemed to be
coming from the fountain. In my haste I did not notice the
small body curled beneath the fountain’s shadow.
I tripped and nearly fell into the dry fountain, catching
myself on the stone pedestal angel that resided on the
edge. I heard a hollow gasp, the voice miniscule against
the heavy silence of the night. Moving away, I looked down
upon the figure and internally yelled. It was a child, a small
girl of around seven years of age. She was a raggedy thing
with only a table cloth-looking rag to cover her little form.
She struggled to sit up and, seeing no danger, I helped her.
Her eyes remained closed to me, tangled, dark brown hair
covering the left side of her face. I looked her over for injury
Majestic Spirit
Hannah O'Connell
Grade 6
Anthon
80
and found only malnourishment. Her caretakers must have
left her here or possibly were infected themselves. But if
they did leave her here, the question I must ask is: why?
Why leave her here on her own if there was no sign of
infection or disease?
I shook the child gently by the shoulders, asking “Who
are you? Why are you here?”
The only response was a quiet grunt and the mere
twitching of her pale lips. The child’s skin was cold, like ice
against the warmth of my uncovered hands. I rubbed her
arms gently, careful not to move her too much. It was obvious
she needed help. Serious, medical help. Of course, that was
something I couldn’t offer. I pulled out my canteen and
swished it around, hoping that it would get her to respond.
Her eyelids fluttered and I glimpsed at her frosty blue eyes.
Her fingers twitched and I grasped them, desperate to keep
her alive. She was the only person I’d met for eight months,
since the plague began. I’d journeyed from town to town,
hoping to find someone else that had survived; she was the
only one. I covered her with my leather coat and settled
down to wait, never ceasing in my care.
Finally, after two long hours of warming her, the child
opened her eyes. They resembled frost and saw everything.
Every movement I made would be watched with those
unnerving eyes. I asked the child her name, but she seemed
content to stare at me without expression. She didn’t
have the playful curiosity of a child and didn’t ask endless
questions. The only movements she made were careful and
small, lifting the canteen to her lips, drawing my coat tighter
around her, and moving her head slightly to continue
watching me.
“Who are you?” I asked again, hoping for an answer.
Whoever this girl was, she needed to be saved. It would be
easier to talk to her and help if I only knew who she was.
She continued to stare at me, as though I were speaking
a foreign language. “Who. Are. You?” I repeated slowly,
forcing my words upon the child. She blinked, barely parting
her lips, and said, “Aalen.”
“Your name is Aalen? Do you live here?” I pushed for
answers. I needed to know.
“Yes, and yes.” She replied, lifting her small chin ever so
slightly. “Who are you?”
“A friend. I’m a friend.” I don’t know why I didn’t tell her
my name. It was just…something seemed off. Something
was definitely wrong.
Aalen stood quickly and threw her coat to me. Where
did that strength come from? “We’d better get moving.
They’ll be coming for us, won’t they?”
“Eventually, yes. But I’ve managed to avoid them for
a long time. It shouldn’t be a problem.” I paused, thinking
over the situation. Only minutes ago she’d been shaking
and weak. Suddenly she could stand and throw with no
problem? “Where are your parents? Were they infected?”
“You could say that,” she said, walking towards me
slowly. “They were infected with a horrible disease called
selfishness. They were taken care of soon enough.”
I backed away gradually, hand on my sword, “Stop.”
“What’s wrong, Friend? Do I frighten you?” Aalen asked,
smiling coldly. Her eyes, like ice, pierced my soul. I avoided
them and chose to look at her lips. Suddenly they parted,
revealing pointed teeth of cruel, bloody red. She was a Pure
Infection. I needed to get out of here, now.
I rushed around the fountain, to the other side of the
courtyard, so there was distance between Aalen and me.
Her smile disappeared and was replaced with an evil scowl.
Her eyes darkened and I realized, with growing horror, her
irises had grown to replace the whites of her eyes. They
flashed a brilliant, ice cold blue and abruptly I heard a sick,
heart-wrenching howl from the distance. Aalen grinned
horribly, whispering, “They’re coming. Are you ready?”
Carmen Stover
Grade 11
Paullina
Broken
I was walking home one day with my sister. It was just a
normal day. When we got home from the bus stop, my dad
was standing in the garage on the phone.
I had heard him say, “We will get there right away.” So I
knew something went wrong.
It was late July 2015, when it all happened. When
we were all rushing to the hospital, my little sister asked,
“What happened, Daddy?”
My dad had quietly responded, ‘’Well, your Uncle Corey
fell off a roof at one of his work sites in North Sioux, and he
is in the emergency room right now.”
When we got to Mercy in Sioux City, I saw my mom
sitting next to my Aunt Nicolle who was shivering by her
side. They were waiting for test results to come back.
While we were waiting, a doctor came back to us and
asked, “Nicolle can you come back into my office with me? I
have a few questions to ask you.”
Nicolle stood up and walked toward the office in a
nervous way.
When the test results finally came back, and Nicolle
had finally came back too, (just in time.) It turned out that
Corey, my uncle, had one broken rib, three broken bones
in his lower back and his spleen was shattered in so many
pieces they couldn’t count.
When we found out, we all gasped. Finally, my grandma
and grandpa came to the hospital. My aunt told them what
had happened. A few seconds later, my grandma started to
cry. I could see my mom trying to comfort her.
After everybody got calmed down, we had somebody
come pick us up because it was getting pretty late.
Shortly after that, my parents came home. When they
got home I asked, “So, how is he doing?”
My mom responded a few seconds later, “He is in a lot
of pain, but he should be ok. But every day we will go to the
hospital and visit him while Nicolle comes here and takes a
shower and gets something to eat.”
From this experience, I learned that every time you
go through tough times know that someone will be there
to comfort you. I also learned that when something bad
happens in someone’s life, go help them and comfort them,
make them feel better.
Taylor Drent
Grade 6
Sioux City
What Dog?
In the summer of 2013 my family went shopping for a
dog. We went to Omaha to a few pet stores. Everyone was
hoping to find a dog that was very playful.
The first pet store had a bulldog. He was a wild and
biting dog, but he was very playful. He even bit my dad
on the neck. I could just see him saying, “I’m hungry!” The
dog did not mean to bite him. He was just playing. We left
without finding a dog at that pet store.
We decided to stop at one last pet store, hoping we
would find a dog. When we got to the store there were
many kinds of dogs. I noticed that there was a pen outside.
The pen had four beagles. My parents and brothers went
inside to look at other dogs. There was one beagle that
played with me. The other beagles played with each other.
I ran inside and I knew that I wanted that dog! My family
came outside and we all spent time with the beagle. We
decided that we would take him home.
We now have this crazy beagle that likes to howl, bark,
and chase rabbits. His name is Jackson.
Brooklyn Pekarek
Grade 5
West Monona Elementary
Onawa
I’m Stuck in a Canyon
Grr, Grr, Grr! The engine is failing! I hop off the fourwheeler and look around. We’re stuck in a canyon. I start
panicking. I mean we’re stuck in a canyon, on a mountain,
in Colorado, in the middle of summer with only one water
bottle! I look below me at the dusty ground then at my
dad, my sister, Katie, and my cousin, Kylee, who are all
trying to fix the four-wheeler, while I’m freaking out. We
were all quiet until Dad broke the silence by sighing and
asking,” Anyone bring their phone?”
“I did,” I said.
“Do you have a signal?” Dad asked me.
“If I jump I have one bar,” I told Dad.
“Good, because we might need to call someone,” Dad
responded. “For now let’s just walk.”
“What!?” I thought but did as I was told and started
walking up the rocky canyon road. I hear an engine start
and turn around to see my dad riding up on the fourwheeler. Finally we ride up the canyon and back to the
camper.
I learned a lot about not panicking, even though that
was all I was doing! I’m planning on going back down to
the canyon again next year even though I had a tough
experience there. I hope if you have an experience that
scared you that you try again, and if you don’t like it the
second time then you know you tried and to me that is
enough.
Emma Hahn
Grade 6
Sioux City
81
Do you really believe that this poor human being,
This person,
Deserves this? Are the “Cool” kids really that cool?
And finally, the victim,
The ones who cry for themselves at night,
The ones who get hurt beyond repair forever,
The ones who think their life isn’t good enough.
I speak to you this:
You are beautiful human beings,
And better people than they will ever be.
You. You, my friends, are worth it.
Laces
Hanna Kollis
Grade 7
Rock Valley Christian School
Rock Valley
Who Are You?
Bullying.
You hear it.
You see it.
But who are you?
Are you the bully,
The one who’s truly a cruel person,
The one who wants more power?
Or maybe you’ve been hurt so badly,
That you think someone else should feel your pain?
I promise you,
There’s different ways to express yourself,
Different ways to speak.
Are you the bystander,
The one who watches,
The one who thinks it’s wrong, but can’t talk?
You’re so afraid they’ll go to you next,
Afraid you’ll get the hurt and the pain for standing up,
Just because you decided to help another person out.
It’s hard to speak up, I know,
But sometimes a little pain is what you get in return for
doing what’s right.
Are you the follower,
The one who laughs,
The one who agrees with whatever the “Cool” kids say?
Tell me this:
Do you really believe in what they’re doing?
82
I leave you,
The reader,
With this:
Who are you?
Paige Vogel
Grade 11
Sheldon High
Sheldon
Operation: Ears
Walking through the bright hallway with my gown on,
IV in my arm, taking careful and cautious steps towards
the operation room, I think about the possibilities and
complications when my surgery is over. The distinct smell
of the hospital fills the air. The white floors and white walls
make the walk seem endless. I’m too anxious to walk any
farther, but I keep going. I’m thinking about running out of
the hospital when the nurse isn’t looking, but I know that
I need this. Each step feels like another step toward my
grave. The nurse who I am walking with shows me the way
to the operation room. A doctor opens the door for me,
waving me to come inside. I stand there like a puppy going
to the vet. I take a deep breath and go inside. The room is
bright like the sun when you go outside after sleeping. The
instrument table has sharp, shiny tools that look like they
are used to torture someone. There are several doctors
beside the bed just waiting to cut me open. The doctor asks
if I am ready. I instinctively yet reluctantly nod my head
yes. I climb onto the bed and lie down. One of the nurses
puts a blanket on top of me. The anesthesiologist asks me
if I like Skittles. He puts the mask on me and—what do you
know?—it smells like Skittles. 3…2…1 and I’m asleep like a
baby. About 45 minutes later, I wake up with a nurse beside
my bed typing on her computer. My ear hurts like someone
pounded it with a hammer for three hours. I try to touch
it but the nurse stops me. She says that the stitches might
fall out if I touch them. The nurse feeds me jello because I
haven’t eaten since the day before. She wheels me out to
the car when it’s time to go home. All in all, my ear surgery
was an experience I will never forget.
Katie Wiederin
Grade 7
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Middle School
Sergeant Bluff
Christmas
Christmas
Shiny ornaments
Star on the Tree
Born on Christmas was Jesus
Warm delicious hot cocoa
Jolly old Santa
Red and white striped candy canes
Fresh white snow
Christmas
Addy Skirvin
Grade 3
Ida Grove
Olivia’s Basketball Miracle
Once upon a time there was a girl named Olivia. She
wanted to play basketball, but she could not. The reason
why is because she was ineligible to participate. Olivia has
been wanting to play every year ever since they could. She
was so disappointed because she wasn’t allowed. When
Olivia told her parents that she couldn’t participate in
basketball because she was ineligible, they were really sad
because they knew Olivia wanted to play basketball. She
was good at basketball too.
When Olivia told her parents for the fourth time she
couldn’t play, her parents talked about it and said that they
were going do something. So they said to Olivia that she was
going to have a tutor. Olivia didn’t like it at first, but then she
thought about it and said okay. She started getting tutored
the next week. Olivia dreaded it, but if it was going to let
her play basketball, then she is going to do it. Olivia was
getting better at school, and thought next year she would
be able to play basketball. One day Olivia was going out to
eat with her parents at Minerva’s, and on their way, a car
collided with them. She had a broken leg and on the other
a fractured foot. She had to be in a wheelchair for about six
months, depending on the way the injuries healed.
After a half of a year, her fractured foot was healed
but Olivia still needed crutches for her broken leg. The
broken leg was almost healed and she was really smart.
Olivia almost had all A’s in school. She just needed her leg to
heal. On the next doctor’s appointment, Olivia asked when
her cast could come off. The doctor said, “In two to three
weeks.” Olivia was glad because it was just a week before
tryouts for the basketball team.
On the day of the tryouts her leg was healed and was
able to walk and run. She thought the tryouts were going to
be hard , but they weren’t. Olivia told Coach Livi that she had
just got her cast off, but she was fine. Then Olivia tried out,
and she was awesome. A week later she found out that she
was about the best girl on the team. Then Olivia reflected
that a year ago she thought she could never play basketball,
but now here Olivia was, playing her first basketball game.
Ella Zwart
Grade 6
Boyden
The Dive Bombing Bat
Bats! Oh yes bats! So one Sunday night I was doing
some homework when my two little sisters come running
down stairs screaming, “There’s a bird in our room!” My
sisters and I duck and hide under the table. My mom is
freaking out telling us to get in the bathroom. (Ah, the
bathroom, like a safe haven from Godzilla.) My sisters run
in screaming, “Dad!” all the way. I try but the bat swoops
right, left, right, left. I could almost hear the bat screaming,
“The light! The light!”
Then I saw my chance. I sprint into the bathroom
(although I did hurt my foot on the way in). “We’re safe,” my
sister, Peyton, said. Ten minutes go by then my dad finally
gave the all clear. Then my loveable sister, Dallys, said, “Like,
I just can’t believe we had a bat in our house!” Then I went
back to doing my homework, in my room this time! The
End…Hopefully.
Cali Granato
Grade 5
Onawa
Minecraft Guy
Tyler Nolder
Grade 5
Cherokee Middle
Cherokee
83
Hair Spray
Tiara Tentinger
Grade 1
Remsen
The Sleep Over
She had beautiful, curly, black fur. She was shaking so
much she could be a massage chair. My brother and I had
been begging my parents for months to get another dog.
We already had a wonderful dog (that didn’t bark a lot) but
we wanted another dog. My parents soon found out (in
their mind) getting her was a BIG mistake!
The first day we got Gemma, our new dog, she seemed
calm and quiet. When we got her she had stitches, and she
was afraid of men/boys. Whenever my brother, dad, or any
boy would walk down the hall she would start barking like
crazy! She was a BIG protector of my mom. Whenever I
would go to give my mom a hug, obviously Gemma (our new
dog) would be right next to my mom. As soon as I got an inch
away, Gemma attacked by barking, nipping, and scratching
at whomever tried to touch “her” mom. Gemma had one
more “iffy”: she wasn’t really potty trained. She has been
doing well lately, but was still not potty trained.
Since we got Gemma, we realize that she has a WHOLE
bunch of good things like: she is beautiful, loves to snuggle,
has a whole bunch of personalities, and when my mom isn’t
home she hangs around me. That is good because then I’m
“Queen-bee”.
Gemma may not be the brightest, or the most polite, but
she is my dog and I love her so much. Lilly may be smarter,
but she is not Gemma. Gemma isn’t Lilly, either (by the way
Lilly is my other dog), but I love them both the same.
It was a warm Saturday afternoon and my basketball
game just ended. We won 36-35. It was a super competitive
and exciting game. Our basketball coach told us we had
practice at five o’clock on Tuesday. So then we all got up and
grabbed our bags and I walked with my friend Preston to his
parent’s car.
You might be wondering, why his car? Where are your
parents? Well, my parents were in Florida, and I was having
a sleepover at Preston’s, my friend’s, house. It was going to
be a blast!
John, Preston’s dad, ordered hamburger and cheese
pizza and some wings from Bob Roes. It took about 30
minutes until the delivery guy came with the food. John
paid the delivery guy and all of us kids sat down at the table
and ate. I personally love wings, so I had wings first. Then I
had a few slices of pizza. The wings were delicious and the
pizza was greasy. We all were about done when Preston’s
cousin, Jasmin, walked in the door. We all finished our food
and washed our hands to go downstairs, but John stopped
us and said he was going out to eat with Jaimie, Preston’s
mom. So Jasmin was there to watch us.
After they left we went downstairs and watched TV.
Jackson, Preston’s little brother, grabbed us all a sparkling
water, which is a brand of flavored water. Then he watched
TV with us. Soon Jasmin came down and so did Terrain,
Preston’s little sister. They wanted to know if we wanted to
play Hide-and-Seek in the dark. We said yes, and Jackson
was chosen to be the seeker first. I hid in the laundry room
on top of the cabinet, Jasmin hid under the couch cushion,
Terrain hid in the shower, and Preston hid under the stairs.
Jackson found Jasmin first, then Terrain, and now it was just
Preston and me still hiding. Terrain saw me but she didn’t
tell, so Jackson found Preston first, not me. Then Terrain
showed them all where I was hiding and they were all
wondering how I got up there. I said, “I’m a Ninja.” We were
all tired so we put on the movie Big Hero 6 and drifted off to
sleep.
When morning came I got up and got my stuff together.
Preston woke up and came up stairs with me. We had some
doughnuts. My grandpa came at about 8:00 AM. I said,
“Thanks for having me over. Good bye!” Then I got in my
grandpa’s car and told him what we did.
Emerson Sulzbach
Grade 5
Sioux City
Tanner Rodecker
Grade 5
Sioux City
Gemma
84
Someone I Used to Know
There once was a man. A friend, a good friend named
Jessie. Jessie was my dad’s friend, and he died early 2015.
“Let’s go somewhere,” my dad said.
“Were are we going?” I said.
“To a friend’s,” my dad said. ‘’He’s going to help fix the
car,” he continued. I thought it was going to take a long time
at my dad’s friends, so I grabbed my psp. And the road took
us to our destination. I focused on my game the whole time
we were in the car. Until finally my dad said, “We are here.”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and jumped out of the car. Right
before my eyes was a white porch and a green house. My dad
and I walked up and knocked. *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* we
knocked. The door opened, and a big man was smiling at me.
“Hello,” my dad and I said.
“Hi, what’s your name?” he asked me.
“Landen,” I replied.
“Hi, I’m Jessie,” he said.
I was a little shy, but I got to know him better. He seemed
more of a friend now. “Come right in,” he said. I stepped in and
he gave us a house tour.
My dad said, “This is where we are going to live for a
while.” My parents were going through a divorce, and he is
letting us stay with him. I was so happy. My dad also needed
to fix his car so we helped with that. And after we went out to
a Mexican restaurant.
After a month, my siblings, Paxton and Owen got to meet
him. We loved it there. He let his nephews play with us. He let
us take care of our dog and gave us a home. He was one of
the coolest guys I ever met. We played games together, went
outside and played football. We made a bonfire and talked to
each other. Until a year later, we heard he was moving. We
were sad, but we just rolled with it. We packed our bags and
zoomed out the door. We went house to house and in about
2 years, we got the bad news.
I came back from a long day of school. I was tired. My dad
came in the room and gave us some bad news. “Boys, Jessie
*sighs* passed away,” he told us.
I felt like 1000000000 volts of lightning hit me. I was
shocked, I was frozen, I was sad. “How could this happen,” I
thought to myself! I kept the tears back. I thought my brain
was playing tricks on me, I thought it was a dream.
We made it to the funeral. I saw and heard people crying.
But I told myself everything was going to be okay. Dad,
Owen, Dad’s friend Dusty, and I stepped in. We saw Jessie’s
nephews crying. We hugged them and cheered them up.
We took a seat. And I felt some tears going down my face.
I started crying. We said a few prayers and left the building.
As I sat in the car, I stopped crying. My eyes were sore and I
was tired. We arrived at the graveyard and buried him. His
nephews, Owen, and I played to cheer ourselves up. Then we
sat down and talked.
Jessie was a great man. He taught me that friends don’t
last and they come and go. So make the most out of the time
you have with your friends. He tragically died in a motorcycle
accident and died slowly. In loving memory of a good friend,
Jessie Reed.
Landen Hansen
Grade 6
Sioux City
Anne Frank (Book Rap)
Anne Frank
Had good parents to thank.
She and her family were in hiding for two years,
A lot of struggle and tears.
She liked a kid named Peter,
He wasn’t a very good leader.
They were limited on food,
Mr. Dussel was a cool dude.
Anne kept a diary,
They didn’t want to pay a fee.
The Nazis fought,
They got caught
Ryan Hanson
Grade 8
Sioux City
Untitled
Taylor Christensen
Grade 5
Cherokee Middle
Cherokee
85
The Story of Abigail Heart
Becoming a Survivor
Once upon a time there was a little girl that lived in a
cabin with her father. They were very happy in their little
cabin. It was a beautiful Monday morning. The little girl was
playing outside. The little girl’s name was Abigail. While
Abigail was playing outside she was thinking about all the
little girls and boys her age that could go to school. She just
wished that she could too.
That night when Abigail was sleeping her father was up
late trying to see if they had enough money to send Abigail
to school, and guess what? They did.
The next morning when Abigail woke up her father told
her that she could go to school. Abigail was so happy that
she screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn’t believe
her father went through all this trouble for her to go to
school. Abigail started to cry tears of joy. She was so excited
that she got to go to school tomorrow.
When she and her father were done eating lunch they
went to buy school supplies. They had just enough money
to buy everything. Even though it wasn’t anything fancy she
loved it. Abigail didn’t think it mattered if it was fancy.
At suppertime they ate peas and cereal. After supper
Abigail picked out her clothes. It was her favorite dress. It
was brown with some worn off pink polka dots. That night
her father got everything ready. Tomorrow was the big day.
Abigail’s father couldn’t believe his little girl was going to
school. He was so happy for her he started to cry.
When Abigail woke up she got ready. Her father said
good-bye as Abigail walked to school.
The school was only one block down from her house.
At school Abigail made a lot of friends. She was so thrilled.
Her friends were really nice. She loved them. Abigail was
delighted her dad let her go to school. That’s the story of
Abigail Heart.
Cancer has been known to kill millions of people
every year, and my dad had it. As we drove from the busy
Leeds parking lot to St. Luke’s, I was about to bounce off
the walls like a stray high powered ping pong ball. When
we arrived I was about to shoot off the walls like a stray
rocket going at the speed of light out of anticipation.
When the elevator arrived at my dad’s room’s floor, I
was still wondering, ‘Why are we here?’ My brother Jake,
my stepmom, and I arrived at my father’s room. We
all walked in through the open door to see my dad, his
blotchy face under aqua blue fabric blanket with a thin
pearl white sheet under the aqua blue fabric blanket. I
saw my grandma sitting in a sapphire blue chair off to the
top left corner of the bed. I darted to the left side of my
dad’s bed and instantly asked, “Why are you here?”
“Your dad has cancer.” My grandma said.
She a three time breast cancer survivor herself
grabbed the plastic pitcher on his tray table and poured
the clear water into my dad’s Styrofoam cup.
Lisa, my stepmother said, “Let’s go eat.”
Later downstairs in the food court, I was eating a
Caesar salad sitting on a slippery leather type fabric on
an ‘L’ shaped couch in the deserted food court. I told Lisa
how I had fell at my mom’s house hitting my back on a
trencher in my mom’s driveway. As I pulled up the back of
my shirt, my brother, Jake started laughing hysterically
at the Dora Band-Aids on my back. Lisa then ripped them
off making me cringe like I was being branded with a
branding iron. Later upstairs, Jake, my grandma, and I
left for home. A few weeks later, my dad had surgery that
took out half his bladder, half his pancreas, and half of his
intestines. Another few weeks later my dad was released
and put on chemo. Another five to eight months later my
dad was done with chemo, cancer free!!! My family and I
learned that it is important to never give up.
Hayden Zimmerman
Grade 3
Ida Grove
Caleb Johnson
Grade 6
Sioux City
Untitled
Carlos Esquival
Grade 8
Sioux City
86
The Grassy Meadow
Once upon a time there was a grassy meadow and a girl
named Grace. She loved that meadow so much, she went
there every day. She loved the flowers. It was so peaceful
until…winter. It snowed, and snowed, and snowed. Grace
did not like winter because she loved to go outside. Grace
was about 19. Then it was spring, she loved spring. One
day her grandma got very sick. Grace brought her some
flowers from the meadow and she got better. Grace started
to think that the meadow was magic. It was! Later, Grace
was 25. The flowers in her wedding were the ones from the
meadow. Now from this day forward, she still goes to the
beautiful meadow because it reminds her of being a kid.
Reagan Drent
Grade 3
Sioux City
Fears
No Snow!
In my 13 years,
and my approximately 5016 days
I have acquired so many fears
in this life that it is a neverending maze.
Braden Anderson
Grade TK
Hinton Elementary
Hinton
From being afraid of the dark, and
the monsters under my bed,
to being scared that this world
will become something I dread.
Withering away without a trace I
was here.
Crumbling and decaying,
my biggest fear.
Fear of Death
Fear of rejection
Fear of heights
or no protection.
Yes, there are many things to fear
in this neverending maze…
But in my 13 years and my
5016 days,
I have learned fears are not
meant to be fretted,
but are meant to be faced.
Leslie Luft
Grade 8
Westside
Paper Towns (Book Rap)
Look around.
What do you see?
Everything’s looking back at me.
Paper house, paper streets, and paper people too.
I know this might sound new to you.
Margo Roth Speiglemen,
A girl of great mystery,
Who you always have to reexamine.
Disappears in the moonlight
To find her own paper town that is out of sight
Quentin Jacobson, the shy guy in town.
Finds some clues just lying around.
With Radar, Ben, and Lacy too.
They go to a party and it is a zoo.
They packed up their van and were gone in a whirl.
Searching for a ‘Paper Town’ for a “paper girl.”
Alycen Malenosky
Grade 8
Sioux City
87
A House That’s For Rent
Childhood is a time for wondrous things,
When children dream of fantastical realms,
And pretend that they’re princesses and kings,
Without feeling strain from steering life’s helms.
They imagine things beyond wildest dreams,
And many aren’t aware of ripping threads,
That threaten to tear a perfect life’s seams,
Instead reveries remain in their heads.
Young children are like blossoming flowers,
That haven’t yet been marred by storms of life,
Children still dance in gentle rain showers,
Rather than feel thundering blows of strife.
They don’t yet place themselves in statuses,
Or shroud each other in envy or hate.
Children remain like gridded lattices,
And see one another as a playmate.
Not yet will injustices of the world,
Pollute their young souls with sadness and fear.
Children lay down in happy corners furled,
So gloom won’t enter and drown out their cheer.
Children get lost in lands of make-believe,
And don’t pay heed to the sorrows outside.
Most feel jubilation and do not grieve.
They look at life astonished and wide-eyed.
Children are innocent angels on earth,
They are as pure as white fresh-fallen snow.
Children become sainted fairies at birth,
They’re like gold at the end of a rainbow.
Childhood is magical and sublime,
But, like Cinderella’s ball, it can’t last.
Childhood’s greatest enemy is time,
And for everyone, it becomes the past.
Most people want to be like Peter Pan,
And fly to a place where no one grows old,
But people can’t journey to Neverland,
Childhood isn’t something one can hold.
So people must cherish the time they spent,
As innocent beings who played all day.
Childhood is like a house that’s for rent,
One enjoys being there, but cannot stay.
Children grow up and may become parents,
But parents may become children again,
By loving and playing with the presents,
That were bestowed upon them by heaven.
Teresa Sutton
Grade 12
Sioux City
Fish in the Ocean
The Last Day of Whittier School
Chloe Pigott
Grade K
Marcus
It was the last day of Whittier Elementary School. All
about 300-400 kids gathered outside. We grabbed two
balloons; the color options were blue, navy blue, silverblue, or white. I got white and navy blue. We went on the
grass and all the students of Whittier formed a huge W. It
was epic!
Then, after a slow countdown, we all released our
balloons. We watched some pop, fly off, or get stuck in
trees. We were even on the news and everything! That
part was fun, but last recess was kind of tough. I had to say
farewell to two amazing friends, Sean and Joseph. I will see
them at East Middle School someday, but for now, no. We
group hugged and I, being the only girl in that group, cried.
We went inside, packed everything, and said our goodbyes
to Whittier Elementary School.
The last day of Whittier gave me more respect for the
school, it was the day I laughed...and cried. But that was the
very last day of Whittier Elementary School.
Kacy Knutson
Grade 5
Sioux City
88
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
turkey feast
family fun nap
Plymouth Rock
football
chocolate fudge
watching tv game
Jackson Steinkuehler
Grade 1
Schleswig
Sioux Center Sleepover
Every summer, my cousin, Jenna, my cousin’s second
cousin, Karissa, my sister, Mallory, my brother, Aiden, and I
all have a sleepover in Sioux Center, IA at my grandparent’s
house.
Ireton, IA, has historical houses. We went to the
house, but not the school. The house is really cool; it has
an old fashioned organ that we can play, and lots of old
antiques. The upstairs rooms are mostly for storage, and
the downstairs is old and dusty with plenty of spiders. We
all went down there through a trap door in a closet. There
used to be a tunnel that went from the outside to the
basement, but older kids kept going in, so they blocked it
off. My grandma is on the committee.
Jenna had her driving permit, and was three weeks
away from her license, so she drove us a little bit with
adult supervision. Jenna and Karissa almost have a secret
language. They love the words “darling”, and “horrid’’, and
they love the phrase, “oh for pity”.
We had to live through that all night, although one other
thing happened in the night. Jenna and Karissa woke up
really early and Aiden and I were still asleep in the mattress
beside them, and they claim that I would make a noise, like
a snore, and then he would make the noise louder. They
said it was like our own sleep communication. When Aiden
woke up we had Hardee’s breakfast sandwiches.
We did a craft with a block of wood, mosaic tiles, wire,
and grout. We swirled the top of the wire and then stuck
it in the top of the block of wood. Then we glued the tiles
in patterns on the sides and top of the wood. Next we put
grout around it to make a strong outside. Then we went to
Maurice Park and took a family picture to tuck into the wire
to make it a picture holder.
As we always do after sleepovers with them, we went
to Bob’s Drive-In where we meet our parents in Le Mars.
Then we went to Blue Bunny’s Ice Cream Shoppe, where
we enjoy ice cream as a family.
I can’t wait until next year so we can do it all again. I love
it in Sioux Center and I love hanging out with my family. It’s
always sure to be fun.
Meredith Westra
Grade 5
Sioux City
Lego Man
Colton Sackett
Grade 5
Rock Valley Christian
Rock Valley
Question Poetry
Does Snoopy get tired
of sitting on his house?
Does he wish that
he were a mouse?
Does he like his companion,
Charlie Brown?
Does he ever
have a frown?
Trista Reis
Grade 4
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
89
Leaves
The most important thing about leaves is
They give Earth oxygen,
So you can breathe and breathe and breathe
Without worrying about anything.
They’re what makes the beautiful morning air,
And keep the worms alive so you can go fishing,
Leaves keep everything on Earth alive
except amphibians other than frogs and crocodiles.
The most important thing about leaves is that they give
Earth oxygen.
Cerek Loutsch
Grade 4
Ida Grove
A Fish’s Life
I wake up cold and wet. “I’m hungry,” I say. What should
I eat I wonder? “I know,” I tell myself, “I can eat a crawdad
sundae.” I get up and start to troll above the waterbed, and
I find a family of crawdads. Lunch time. I swoop down and
shred up all the crawdads. “Wow, I’m stuffed,” I say. What
should I do now? Oh yeah, I have to dodge the hooks. Hooks
start rushing through the water left and right. Suddenly
I feel a hook stab me in the back and drag me along the
bottom and start to pull me to the surface. Right as I am
being pulled up, I twist and get myself free. “Close one!” I
say. “I need to go home and patch my fin.”
I return home to my weedy rock bed to patch my
messed up fin. I then decide I should teach a “How to Dodge
Hooks” class. For 5 years I teach a lot of fish classes and how
to wrangle out of the hook. Eventually I will retire and go to
sleep.
Branden Johnson
Grade 5
Galva
ABC Poetry
A
Big
Cow
Didn’t
Even
Feel
Good.
Hares
In
July
Kindly
Lick
Many
Nice
Octopuses’
Pops
Quickly.
Rare
Snakes
Teach
Us
Very
Well.
X-men
Yelled
Zowie!
Emmett Neumann
Grade 4
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
90
Minnesota Jet Skiing
Riley, Skye, and I thought it was a good idea to go jet
skiing so we did. First, I put on my swimming suit. Then, I
zipped on my life jacket and stood there waiting on the
short dock with my cousin, Riley, for Skye. Skye is also my
cousin and she is 21. Next, Skye came with the gas to put
it in the jet ski, so I had to go in the freezing cold water
and get the jet ski. After that, Skye did a bunch of donuts
trying to flip us all off the jet ski and she managed to, we all
went under water. It was hilarious! Then, she let me drive,
so we chased seagulls and drove fast all the way around
the lake. We were out there for two hours going slow and
cruising and then we all randomly started singing. It was
cruddy on the opposite side of the lake but not as cruddy
as the day before. Next, we idled over to this really sandy
spot and it was really amazing, it led to a swamp and in the
water there were these hills and they are a foot deep and
so if you stepped in the deep-ish part it had a little bigger
rocks and it was freezing and if you stepped in the not as
deep part, it was warm. Next, we went to a private beach
because it was super sandy, and at our resort, we did not
have awesome sand. It had seaweed and thistles and huge
rocks, so I wouldn’t call it a beach at all. After that, we got
back on the jet ski and sang. Finally, we had to zoom back in
because it was time to eat. That day was an amazing day. I
can’t wait for next summer.
Kenai Nielsen
Grade 4
Ida Grove
Framed
Jason? A terrorist? Hardly. His arrest didn’t make
sense. Not a single bit of sense. Though, it goes without
saying that Jason was a criminal. He’d stolen my
engagement ring from the store downtown. I never did
tell him that I knew that. For me, it made having it just that
much more exciting. I knew in my heart that Jason would
make me happy. Unfortunately, our years of happiness
were cut short.
I was thirty-four weeks pregnant. It had been a blissful
three years of peace. I’d started community college online
to earn an education degree. I had wanted to be a teacher
ever since I was little girl. Jason had stopped petty thievery
all together. He just worked construction now. However,
he was always looking over his shoulder as if the gang was
following ten treads behind. I felt the same way. We were
paranoid all the time. So, when our door got smashed in on
the warm day in July, we were not surprised. The unwanted
guests are what surprised us. It wasn’t big men in bandanas
pointing big guns at us, but SWAT officers. They were
violent when they threw Jason against the ground and
forced cuffs on him. He kept yelling, “What did I do? What
did I do?!” He’d been clean for almost four years. It didn’t
make sense to me. Something was very wrong.
I had the baby while Jason was in jail. He was found
guilty of terrorism. They apparently found pipe bombs
under our floorboards. Jason could barely fix the plumbing
let alone put together a bomb. I visited him as much as I
could. After Noah was born, I had stopped visiting as much
as I would have liked. I brought Noah to see Jason for the
first time a few months after I had him. Jason sat in the
empty mess hall. Guards surrounded us at all doors. It
didn’t seem to bother Jason as much as it did me. He just
held our baby, looking overjoyed. As I watched him more
and more, I knew in my heart that he was no danger to
anyone.
Jason’s sister, Lilah started to visit me regularly. Lilah
had been investigating since her brother was sent to
prison. She was a forensic anthropologist. Investigating
was definitely up her alley. She went off on a tangent about
Jason being framed. I couldn’t agree more. I always found
it ironic that Jason was a bit of a criminal, but he grew up
in a house where his mother was a police officer and his
father worked for the Secret Service. Lilah and Jason’s
mother died when they were rather young. After she died,
their father had disappeared without a trace. So, they
were raised by their grandma. Lilah was convinced that
what happened to her mom and dad was similar to what
happened to Jason. Someone was out to get their family—
my family.
Noah started to walk not much after Lilah and I
started investigating my husband’s case further. Even
with the current struggle it made me so happy to see him
growing up so big and strong. He looked just like his father,
slanted eyes, dark as coals, but a smile that shined. It was
so cute to watch Jason chase Noah around the mess hall,
and Noah squealing with joy. I just wished it was at home.
It had gotten hard without Jason’s paycheck. So Noah and
I moved to an apartment. I had to drop out of college and
start a second job. It sounds like I’m complaining, but I was
just happy that we had food on the table.
Lilah and I had made a breakthrough a few months
after I had moved. She was able to get her mother’s
autopsy reports. The problem was that the cause of death
was a bit different than what Lilah had remembered her
father telling her. Her dad was there when their mother
died. The report had entailed that Lilah’s mother had died
by a sudden heart attack that killed her almost instantly.
Their father had written them a letter a few months later.
It was the last time they ever heard from him. It said that
their mother was poisoned at the restaurant they dined at
the night she died. So, we had come to the conclusion that
the doctors doing the autopsy on their mother had been
covering up the real cause of death. Why? It just feels like
something bigger is happening.
Just four days later, police had come to my door. They
had a warrant to search for my husband at my apartment.
They turned my place upside down. So, Jason had escaped
prison. How? I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t put it past him.
He may not be smart at putting things together, but he was
always fond of doing magic tricks. This was a disappearing
act the whole city would remember. There was something
even more unsettling about Jason’s escape that always
bothered me. If a suspected terrorist had escaped prison,
wouldn’t the entire police squad and SWAT guys be looking
for him? Jason was a free man. I could only hope that he
would come for us, too.
About a year after the whole fiasco, I received a letter
in the mail. Jason was in Mexico. Inside the large envelope
were two plane tickets and passports that didn’t have our
real names. It hadn’t been a hard choice. I had turned to
my son who was playing on the couch. “You want to go see
Daddy in Mexico, Noah?” His eyes had never lit up with so
much excitement. His joy helped me decide it was time to
pack and move on.
Randa Karli
Grade 12
Paullina
The Art of the Shoe
Cody Bethune
Grade 5
Whiting Elementary
Whiting
91
The Journey
Once upon a time, in a town far away, there was a forest.
This forest wasn’t any ordinary forest, it was magical. In this
forest was a clearing, with a town. The people in the town
called it Stoneville.
“Have you been out into the forest lately? I heard they
finally found fairy dust,” said Ruby.
“No,” said John.
“Bow before the queen, you unworthy peasants!”
commanded a knight.
“Yes sir,” murmured Ruby and John.
In the kingdom, times were hard for peasants. The
queen didn’t care about anyone but herself. The queen
hadn’t married anyone because she wanted to have
everything to herself.
After the queen rode past in her carriage, every one
started with their daily duties.
Ruby and John’s conversation started again.
“They found a cave with all kinds of fairy dust. Luckily,
the queen hasn’t found out about it yet. She would take it in
a heartbeat,” explained Ruby.
“I bet, but where is this fairy dust? Maybe we can get
our hands on it before it’s gone,” stated John.
“I think there’s a map to it at the brook. I heard that the
ogre guards it. They sleep in the night. Maybe we can go
tonight?” suggested Ruby.
“Okay, meet me at the park in two hours,” stated John.
They walked away quickly, so they wouldn’t be seen
talking instead of working.
Later, that night they met at the park. They had food for
their long journey. Both were nervous.
They were only fourteen, neither ready for college, but
both lived on there own.
When they got to the cave, every time they made a
step their life was at risk. They were very nervous. No one
Expressions
Kali Smith
Grade 1
Schleswig
talked, it went on like this for a few minutes.
“Ahhhhhhhhhh!” shrieked a little girl as she was getting
picked up by an ogre. Ruby and John had to bite their
tongues to keep from screaming, too.
After everything was quiet, and the ogre fell asleep, the
journey started again. They were on their quest to get the
map. John stopped because the girl was still crying out.
“HELP ME!” squealed the little girl, now in a cage.
“What should we do?” asked Ruby, in a quiet voice.
“Let’s go free her,” said John. The cage wasn’t hard to
open. It was just a latch.
“Thank you, so much! My name is Daisy,’’ excitedly
whispered Daisy.
“Let’s go find the map now,” said Ruby.
From then on, they stayed together.
After they got the map they went on their quest. They
only stopped for rest and food. They went on like this for
three days.
When they reached a doorway with no door they grow
very suspicious.
They walked through the doorway, there was a portal.
This portal led to a magical world. This world had not been
discovered. There was an endless supply of fairy dust. In
this world there were also enchanted animals.
When they discovered that there was no way to get out,
they decided to stay there forever, without the evil queen.
Madelyn Jepsen
Grade 5
Washta
Combining
This weekend I got to drive a brand-spanking new
combine! It is easy to drive. All you have to do is keep the
points in the middle of the cornstalks. That is hard, but
the other part is the dumping. You have to press the right
button. Then the corn will come out and come into the grain
cart. I love it!
Creighton Cadwell
Grade 1
Ida Grove
Heaven
The most important thing about Heaven is
You are happy there.
You never get sick.
You are with God and Jesus.
There is no more violence.
But the most important thing about Heaven
is that you are happy there.
Sienna Becker
Grade 4
Ida Grove
92
Returning of the Ark
Pink
Faith Seggerman
Grade 11
Kingsley
Pink is nail polish on your fingers.
It looks so pretty there.
Pink is pretty dresses for the prom
when the boys want to dance with you at the high school.
They will make you blush so bright.
Pink is jewels when you want to buy one for your love.
Just go to the store in town.
Get one just right.
Pink is for Minnie Mouse for your little boy or girl.
Pink is roses for your wife.
Just pick one, any one.
She’ll be happy either way.
Pink is for Hello Kitty movies to keep your kids busy.
Pink is for bows your mom or dad might get.
You think you look cool,
but you look cute instead.
Pink is for codes on a piece of pink paper.
Your brother buys lipstick for your birthday.
You say he is caring.
Happiness, love, and caring are pink.
Abbe Uken
Grade 3
Ida Grove
The Deer in My Backyard
Deer are a cool sight but, have you seen one just
outside your window? I have. A few years ago my family
was in the living room watching Harry Potter when my mom
said, “Guys look outside!” We all looked and, saw three
deer in our yard. A mama deer and two babies. (We could
tell because they had spots.) They looked at us like, “Who
are you? Why are you on this hill?” They were so cute!
After that we saw them every night. We saw them
grow up like we were their parents and now, a few years
later, we can see a new family of deer in our yard. We
think the family belongs to one of the baby deer from a few
years ago. This family has a mama deer and three babies,
two girls and one boy. We hope to see more animals in our
backyard and soon.
Laura Heisterkamp
Grade 5
Onawa
93
My Class on the Polar Express
Hi, my name is Cecily. My class is going on the Polar
Express. The train just pulled in. My class got in line.
“The Polar Express is a magic train!” said Hailey. She is
my BFF.
“I know!” I answered. I sat down by Hailey.
“Where are we going?” asked Kyli.
“We’re going to the North Pole.” I answered.
“Awesome!” said Kyli.
“Who’s hungry?” our teacher said. Everyone raised
their hands. Chefs and cooks came in with hot cocoa and
some candy. Then the train started to wobble.
“Whoa! What’s going on?” said Kyli.
I looked out the window. “There’s no tracks!” I yelled.
Three Little Pumpkins
Sophie Moeller
Grade K
Boyden
“Over there!” Hailey said.
There was a mountain with tracks on it. “Tell them to go
faster!” I shouted.
“Why?” asked my teacher.
“The ice is breaking!” I yelled.
“Okay,” said my teacher.
“We’re getting closer!” Hailey yelled.
“We’re on the tracks!” I shouted.
“Okay,” said my teacher.
“Look the North Pole is right there! Whoa,” my class
said.
“We’re here!” I yelled.
Everyone got in line speedy quick.
“Look, elves!” Hailey yelled.
“Awesome!” my class exclaimed.
“Look, Santa and look at all the presents!” I yelled.
“Awesome!” my class shouted with excitement.
“Hello children!” said Santa.
“Hi, Santa!” we all said.
“The first few gifts have been given!” Santa yelled. He
gave us little bells from his reindeer. “Now I must be on
my way.” said Santa. “On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer,
and Vixen. On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner, on Blitzen and
Rudolph!” yelled Santa. Then he disappeared.
“Time to go back and get to class,” said my teacher. Then
we got on the train and went to school to get on the bus to
go home.
Cecily Jacobson
Grade 2
Ida Grove
The Audition
You stare at the ceiling,
waiting.
You walk into the room,
your heart thumping.
The butterflies build
and you can’t see clearly.
As the voices outside trail off,
the silence comes into the room.
You wait patiently to see what happens next.
A stranger sits waiting to hear you.
All of a sudden, you start playing,
filling the room with glorious tones.
You are now done.
Suddenly, silence falls on the room.
You walk out,
beaming because it’s over.
Elise Cameron
Grade 10
Westside
94
I Love My School
I go to school at MMC
It’ s a great place to be
My teacher is awesome
The students blossom
My friends are the greatest
Most say MMC is the latest
Brooklyn Miller
Grade 3
Marcus
The Battle and Its End
(Pt. 1)
I fight…me
The grueling battle rages on
The growls are heard
As we fight for control
This battle is bloody
But if you look
You will not see it
A war within myself
But you will never know
You see nothing
You hear nothing
While the screams of war
Echo inside my head
You may think you have seen it
But all you know is what I show
(Pt. 2)
My Mask Is Gone
It is broken, it is gone
Now finally I can see it all
The light, The dancing leaves
Now finally I can smell it all
The flowers, The rain as it falls
Now finally I can hear it all
The birds chirping, the summer breeze blowing
Now finally I am free
Free to be who I am
Free to dance like no one is watching
Free to find happiness
But most importantly
Free to find love
For now I am free of my mask
Kira lmmeker
Grade 11
West Lyon High
Inwood
My Family
My family is as fun as a rollercoaster
My sister is cute like a baby bunny
My brother is as tall as a giraffe
My brother is chubby like a baby elephant
My dad is as cool as frozen ice
My mom is sweet like a cream filled cupcake
My family may be different, but I love them just the
way they are.
Cristal Ramos
Grade 5
Le Mars
Freedom to pursue happiness, Freedom of speech,
Freedom of Religion, Freedom of the press, The right to
bear arms, and Freedom of petition are all freedoms that
we have because we live in the United States of America.
These are just some of an American’s freedoms and rights. I
believe that freedom is the basis of an American’s daily life.
As Americans, we are lucky to have these many rights
and ideals. My definition of freedom includes the privilege
that we are able to wake up in a country where war is not
breaking out. I’m proud to be able to say I can wake up on a
Sunday morning and go to my church of choice and not be
criticized, or excommunicated for my beliefs. I believe these
rights are given and fought for us by our military.
The American military has fought for our separation
and independence in the Revolutionary War, for the
equal rights of African-Americans, and the abolition of
slavery in the Civil War. These are just some of the wars
our servicemen have fought that have formed and shaped
America’s society. We do not realize how dedicated our
soldiers are for risking their lives for their country.
In Afghanistan, the media is government owned.
Journalists and legal experts are harassed and threatened,
without any rights. A man named Abdul Rahman was
arrested for converting to Christianity, he was later moved
to Italy where he received Asylum. Another Afghan Muslim
Apostatized his Islamic religion, and became an Atheist,
where he was later moved to the United Kingdom, on
the grounds that he could face death if he returned to his
home country. As Americans, we have the right to believe
in anything according to the Constitution. This is the right
known as Freedom of Religion; while in other countries
they follow a culture or religion and can be executed or
banished for following their own beliefs.
We, the Americans are lucky to not have to face some
of these consequences for our beliefs, rights, and politics
and should be thankful for the life based on freedom that
we have here.
Hannah Loring
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
95
The American Flag Essay
The flag is something very important to me. I guess
I never knew anything about the flag until first or second
grade. Now, I know that the flag helped us through some
rough times here in the U.S. The flag means a lot to me in
many ways. One of those ways is because it represents our
freedom. We have the freedom to go school, our freedom
to have a job, and our freedom to do a lot more than that.
It also, means a lot to me because I have a few veterans in
my family. That flag represents what they fought for. When
I went to the Veterans Day assembly, I could not believe
all the familiar last names, and even faces that were in the
video. I’m very glad that I know how important the flag is to
the United States. I wish I could thank every veteran that
ever fought for our country, and our country’s people. The
flag means a lot to me because I am allowed to speak my
own mind about the government. Also, because I own a
gun, and can even shoot or fire that gun or weapon too. I
am proud to be an American. I’m glad I can call the U.S. my
home.
Jaelyn Kabisch
Grade 5
Washta
Enjoy the View
The Land of Stories
Shelby Edwardson
Grade 6
Sioux City
Romeo and Juliet
Once upon a time there was a Princess, and her family
had an arch nemesis. They hated each other. One day there
was a boy on the red team who found this girl he loved. He
realized she was on the blue team, so he could only see her
at night.
He said with his heart, “I love you to the moon, no
matter what happens. I will always love you.” Then suddenly
a light turned on. He realized that he was on the blue team’s
side. He was so scared that he had woken someone up.
The next day the girl wondered who the boy was. It
became night, so she went out and saw the boy. She realized
he was from the red team. She was so sad. He said, “I don’t
care what your father says, I love you even if I can’t.”
“My father says I can’t marry someone on the red team,”
she said, “but hold on, I’ll ask my father again. He said yes!”
And they lived happily ever after.
Lauren Phillips
Grade 3
Boyden
96
What it means to be happy,
is to be an optimist.
Smell the roses in a barren yard,
or taste the sweetness of honey
in an empty jar.
See the beauty of a mountain valley,
In a trashed city alley.
Fall asleep to the sounds of the ocean,
even if it’s your heater that’s broken.
Feel the silk in a cold stone.
Pray to God for help,
because none of us can go the path of life alone.
Find love in imperfection,
and judge others based on yourself.
Thank God for today,
ask for a tomorrow.
Look for the joy,
in the most troublesome of sorrows.
Mine the silver lining of a storm cloud,
and cash it in on a risky gamble.
It just might pay off.
Have faith in the underdog,
the arrogant are the ones to scoff.
Enjoy the colors of a gray hue.
But most of all, enjoy the view.
Trey Kramer
Grade 11
Inwood
Needle Hand
“Mom, can I go play in the backyard?” I yelled.
“Yes, but dinner will be ready soon.” she replied.
I ran out the sliding door and realized I forgot to put shoes
on. Our backyard consisted of a tiny concrete patio and sharp,
small rocks. I ran past the patio. It was hot on my bare feet. I
then ran on the pointy rocks which crumpled below my toes. I
sprinted back to the patio and jumped on the swing. I expected
to see blisters on my feet from the smoldering pavement that
makes the patio, but my feet looked normal except they were
a little red. It was a hot summer day in Las Vegas, Nevada. You
could probably fry an egg on the sidewalk, if you really wanted
to. I decided to go inside and grab some flip flops so I didn’t get
blisters on my feet. I heard them clinking and clanking behind
me as I walked back outside.
When I went outside the second time, my feet felt a lot
better. Then realized I have nothing to do. The yard was pretty
bland-color-wise, except for the plants. They were very green
and lively. Looking at these plants made me think, of a week or
two ago, when my dad and I were in the backyard.
We had about five plants in our yard in 2010. We had
two bushes, two plants that had yellow flowers (they smelled
really good), and a weird plant that looked like it had needles
sticking out of it. This weird prickly plant that was in the back
corner of my yard wasn’t like a plant I had ever seen before. I
had seen some around Las Vegas, but I didn’t think they would
look like this up close. Me being a curious six year old at the
time asked questions.
“Dad,” I yelled, “What is this?” I said pointing and almost
touching this mysterious plant.
“Honey, please don’t touch it!” he warned.
“Why, will it hurt me?” I replied.
“Well let’s see,” he walked over to the plant. I guess he had
never touched it before either. My dad reached his hand out,
and softly touched the strange plant.
“Ouch,” he shrieked. Then something weird happened.
He started laughing.
“Dad, are you okay?” I squeaked. I had absolutely no idea
what was going on.
“I was kidding, sweetheart!” he exclaimed.
“Dad, you really scared me!” I admitted. He assured me
that he was okay.
“Isabel, come here.” he bellowed. I walked over to where
he is standing by the short plant.
“Feel it!” he announced. I was not sure if I should touch it
or not, but I trust my dad so I slowly moved my hand towards
the plant. I touched it softly, and in a way it felt good, but I
didn’t tell him that.
“Ouch!” I screamed.
“Honey, are you okay?” he asked very concerned. (I think
what I did next my dad thought was very strange.) I started
laughing just as he did when he had first touched the plant.
“I got you!” I said laughing.
“Isabel, you really scared me!” he said shocked.
“Now you know how it feels!” I say laughing my head off.
“What do you really think of the plant?” he asked.
“Really weird, but kind of cool.” I said.
That brings us back to me alone in my backyard staring
at this peculiar plant that does not have a specific name in
my brain, yet. I walked over to this plant, wrapped my hand
around the top, and squeezed.
“Ouch!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. My dad came
rushing out.
“What happened?” he said very concerned.
“I squeezed the plant.” I said whining.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because you never told me I couldn’t.” I stammered. My
dad brought me into his and my mom’s bathroom, grabbed a
pair of tweezers, and got to work on my hand—pulling all the
needles out.
I learned that you should never squeeze anything that
looks remotely spikey. I will never squeeze a cactus again, but
in my defense my dad never told me not to squeeze the plant,
and I was six.
Isabel Libke
Grade 6
Sioux City
Rachael Vos
Grade 7
Pierson
97
Midnight Flower
Noah Oberreuter
Grade 7
Anthon
Lots of Fun
If you want to go somewhere fun, go to the Black Hills in
South Dakota! There are many things your family will enjoy.
The children will love the gold mines. If they find gold
they get to keep it! Everyone will get to watch a movie about
Mount Rushmore. There are many cool and fun hotels with
pools. Some other things to enjoy are the ziplines, an 1880
train ride, and a shoot out. You won’t want to miss the
Badlands big mountain! What are you waiting for go? Go
ask your parents to book it now! You’ll have the time of
your life!
Parker Loutsch
Grade 3
Remsen
98
What is Green?
Green looks like a shiny crisp green apple
and really green slimy seaweed!
Green makes you feel like you are riding
in a bumpy roller coaster!
Green is the taste of a tasty green tall stick of
asparagus and little green leaves of spinach.
The holiday St.Patrick’s Day makes me feel green.
Green is the sound of a shiny John Deere tractor
running and a talking little leprechaun.
Green is the place Ireland and a muddy swamp!
Crazy car rides make me feel really green!
Green smells like fresh mowed grass.
Another name for green is emerald and jade.
That is green!
Sara Rosener
Grade 3
Schleswig
My Brother
The Squirrel Named Lizzy
Dig dig dig
Digging away
Not understanding what he is doing
Just digging his grave
One puff
Two puff
Now 80
Blowing smoke just like crazy
Eyes are bloodshot
Can’t see it’s fuzzy
One bullet now two
Locked in a cell with nothing to do
So he digs digs digs
Just digging away
Not caring anymore
Just digging his grave
One foot down
His choice for the other
My brother has dug his grave
And it’s his choice to go under
Shyleigh Blosch
Grade 9
Sioux City
There was a squirrel named Lizzy. She didn’t have a
family. She wished to have one.
She knew what a mom was, a dad was, and a brother.
But Lizzy did not know what a sister was.
She read all the squirrel books in town about sisters,
but they only told her about brothers.
So Lizzy decided to go on an adventure to find out what
a sister was.
She shoved food and water and useless stuff into her
backpack.
Lizzy got out of her tree and got her nutmobile and
drove away.
She drove to the boat store and bought a boat. Lizzy got
to the lake with her boat and rode to the island of sisters.
When she got there, she got off her boat and went to find
the Queen of Sisters.
Lizzy asked the queen if she could have a squirrel sister
and the queen got her one.
After a couple more years she had a family with a mom,
a dad, brothers, and a sister. They all lived happily ever after.
Sydney Schreiber
Grade 2
Ida Grove
Tyndall
Ruby Phipps
Grade 5
Whiting Elementary
Whiting
99
The Grip of Depression
In a deafening silence I followed my prey,
All evidence of hope I shroud with dismay.
I smother and deny any coming of joy,
A brand new specimen, my own personal toy.
My host continues, though ever so blind,
As I unsheathe my blade from inside their mind.
Slowly but surely, I had gained my grip,
A silvery blade, stained red on its tip.
A human life, I have brought to despair,
So intricately done, and executed with care.
My subject falls victim to the grip of depression,
I’ve done my job well, a masterful profession.
My victim is dead, after writhing in grief,
Their life dispatched, like an autumn leaf.
Branden Michels
Grade 11
Sioux City
Puablo
Shelby Davis
Grade 8
Anthon
Question Poetry
Does a scarecrow get tired of
staring at a field?
Do they wish their post
would yield?
Are they sick and tired
of scaring crows?
Are they bored
of looking at corn rows?
Braydon Schmitz
Grade 4
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
100
Yes, people might think freedom is a right, but to me
it’s a privilege. We do not just get the right to do things, we
get the privilege to be who we are today. We do not just
get freedom we have to earn the trust and ability to have
freedom.
If we didn’t have freedom we would not have the things
we have today, we also would not be able to go to school,
sports, or do what we normally do. Some people say that we
have it hard, but the people who really have it hard are the
people who fight overseas so that we have freedom.
Some people are taking our freedom for granted, but I
do not understand why. We should be happy we are living
our lives the way we are today. What if we didn’t have
freedom, it would be chaotic and we would not be able to
play sports, go to school, or do the things we do today.
What would it be like if no one fought for our rights or
freedom? Freedom means a lot to many people, it allows
us to choose what religion we want to be, whether it is
Catholic, Jewish, Christian, etc. It is important to be aware
of all of the freedoms we have in the United States, the
freedom of speech and religion are most important to me.
Having freedom of speech means I can give my opinions.
The United States would probably be very weak if citizens
did not have a right to freedom of speech. If we didn’t have
freedom in our Bill of Rights people couldn’t necessarily
stand up for what they believed in.
The American Flag means something to everyone. To
me the American Flag means that I can follow my dreams
and become who I want to be, I can be free. The Flag also
represents 13 Colonies, 50 States, and over 200 years of
freedom. I am extremely thankful for what our soldiers do
for us to have our freedom.
Alexanna Barrera
Grade 8
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Aurelia
Red Corn
Mr. Joe was a farmer. He grew sweet corn and his
kids helped him. Their names were Alex and Aaron. They
planted and watered sweet corn so the farmer could get
more money. Alex and Aaron loved to eat sweet corn, so
Mr. Joe made them some for helping him.
When winter came, they played and they made
snowmen and they made snowballs for a snowball fight.
Then spring came and in spring they played outside,
and blew bubbles and helped Mr. Joe plant more sweet
corn. The corn grew and grew and grew. As the corn grew
it turned red! It was special corn. They were excited.
They sold their red corn and made $110! Alex and
Aaron decided to spend the money. Aaron bought a phone
and Alex bought a teddy bear. They were hoping they
would get red corn again the next year!
Aleah Lux
Grade 1
Marcus
Diamond Poetry
Christmas
Red, Green
Sparkling, Flying, Wrapping
Santa, Elves, Shapes, Sizes
Opening, Ripping, Playing
Fun, Surprise
Presents
Cody Maynard
Grade 5
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Mrs. Richard's Room
Rebecca Hulinsky
Grade 5
Le Mars
101
Gizmo, My Puppy
Today I’m going to tell you about my puppy, Gizmo.
Gizmo is an Australian Shepherd. Australian Shepherds are
really good runners because they are meant to herd sheep.
Gizmo loves her Milk Bones. She begs for them every
single day. She got her name from the movie Gremlins. She is
also a very talented dog. She gets it from her mom, Sharpe.
How? Because her mom was meant to be a show dog but
she didn’t because her leg got injured. Let’s just put it this
way, her owners weren’t very happy. Anyway, that’s why
Gizmo is so talented.
Gizmo is a little dog but she is a champ at fetch. She has
a tiny tail! It looks like a white tailed deer’s tail.
Gizmo is a silly puppy, but I still love her very much! I
hope she will, stay alive forever and ever, but I doubt that’s
going to happen because she is already in her middle ages.
Taylor Schable
Grade 4
Ida Grove
School Picture Day
Piper Kurtz
Grade 7
Correctionville
102
Veteran’s Day Acrostic Poem
Very smart
Everybody loves you
Trustworthy
Everyone shows you respect
Responsible and ready to save
America honors you
Nice work
Dawson Schiernbeck
Grade 5
Ida Grove
Best Friends Forever
“Dulce, I have bad news,” blurted out my brother, Alex,
trying to wake me up.
I woke up, and I was starting to get worried.
“Zebie,” said Alex, kind of worried.
“Zebie what? Please tell me!” I yelled.
“Zebie died,” Alex murmured softly.
I began to tear up. Screaming, I ran into the kitchen
where all of my three birds were. There was my bird, Zebie,
lying at the bottom of her cage. I felt so sorry for her.
“Dulce, are you okay?” asked my mom.
“Yes,” I replied with tears in my eyes.
My mom put her in a box. “Here, “ my mom whispered
while she handed me the box. “Take here out by her
favorite tree and lay her right there,” said my mom.
Alex and I went outside. I did what my mom told me
to do. Just looking at the box, I started to cry and hugged
Alex. I was a bear when I hugged him, and my eyes were
fountains.
“She’s in a better place,” said Alex softly.
“With God?” I asked.
“Yes,’’ Alex replied.
“Promise?”
“Promise,” Alex replied.
That afternoon we went to Wal-Mart. My family tried
to buy a lot of things for me so I could be happy, but it
didn’t work. I kept thinking of her. It was like my mind was
a movie theater. “Are you okay?” asked my mom.
“A little,’’ I replied.
“Don’t be sad,” said my mom. “It’s like she’s free up in
the sky.” Then she walked out of my room.
The rest of the day I told myself, “Zebie is an angel.
Zebie is an angel.”
“Thank you, God, for taking her to a better place,” I
said with a smile on my face. I bet Alex overheard because
he smiled at me the whole day.
And even today, I remember Zebie.
Dulce Bucio
Grade 4
Sioux Center
Harvest
Golf
Max Schnepf
Grade 2
Remsen
Golf
Golfball tee
Hit, drive, watch-out
Fun, exciting, awesome exercise
Dad
Taylor Billings
Grade 2
BHCS-Mater Dei-Immaculate Conception
Sioux City
The Best Harvest (Haiku)
I like harvest time!
The corn and beans start to sprout;
the leaves start to turn.
John Graeve
Grade 4
Denison-St. Rose of Lima Catholic
Denison
The Fox
Fox’s eyes are as bright as diamonds,
Fox’s fur is as soft as silk,
Foxes are silent like a mouse,
Foxes are strong like a boulder,
Foxes are defenders like lions,
Foxes are sweet like a candy bar,
Foxes are sly like a thief in the night,
Foxes are pretty like a star in the sky,
Foxes are one thing that I love in the world.
Melfeena Kitilach
Grade 5
Le Mars
103
Bio Poetry
Ryan
Nice,
Fun,
Quiet,
Wishes to go to space,
Dreams of being a cop,
Wants to save people.
Who wonders about having wings.
Who fears of the walking dead.
Who is afraid of zombies.
Who likes playing.
Who believes in God.
Who loves dogs.
Who loves cats.
Who loves his family.
Who loves people saving other people.
Aloof
Maggie Grond
Grade 9
Hull
Who plans on going to a water park.
Who plans his birthday party.
Who plans his Christmas party.
Who wants to see what God looks like.
Ryan Miller
Grade 4
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
Christmas
Christmas
Colorful Christmas tree
Pretty decorations
Happy family
Peace and love
God’s birthday
Free presents
Get-togethers
Cold wet snow
Nice friends
Christmas
Kylee O’Brien
Grade 3
Ida Grove
104
Night Time
Night time, Night time, at the park.
Night time, Night time, it’s so dark.
Night time, Night time, swinging fast.
Night time, Night time, having a blast.
Night time, Night time, it’s so fun.
Night time, Night time, I think I see the sun.
The Night is over, tomorrow afternoon I’ll be here
But it won’t be as fun, as the night I hold dear.
Addisyn Goettsch
Grade 5
Washta
The Escape from Alcatraz
Just Missed Him
Do you know what or where Alcatraz is? Alcatraz is a
prison that is escape proof. Alcatraz is on an island in San
Francisco. It’s a prison for really bad people.
Some people try to bend bars to escape, but they
couldn ‘t get through, if they did get through, they would
try to swim to land but the current would take them or the
sharks would eat them. Some people called the island the
rock. You had a room with a bed that was really thin, small
sinks, really small vents, and a small toilet.
They had breakfast that lasted 25 minutes. After
breakfast, utensils were counted to make sure none of the
inmates took any. Men had jobs in the laundry room, the
garden, and the tailor shop. Lights went off at 9:30 p.m.
sharp.
There were two men named Clarence Anglin and John
Anglin. They are brothers. There is one more man named
Frank Morris and they had a plan to escape. They used
these tools to escape: finger nail clippers, spoons, vacuum
cleaner motor, paint, paint brushes, drawing boards, paper,
cardboard, cement chips, and hair from the barber shop.
They used stolen spoons and nail clippers to make
holes in the wall. Their hands ached from blisters every
night from making holes. They used the vacuum motor to
make a power drill. It took a long time to make big enough
holes to get through. The men’s hobby was painting, that
way no one was curious when they got drawing boards,
paints and paint brushes. They made fake walls to cover
the holes. It wouldn’t be long before the guards knew a cell
was empty. The men used cement chips, cardboard, and
toilet paper to make dummy heads.
They painted faces on the dummy heads and put
stolen hair on the dummy heads to make them look real.
That night at 9:30 p.m. the lights went out. Then Clarence,
John and Frank put their dummy heads on the pillow to
make it look like they were in bed asleep.
Then they took out the air vent and crawled through
the hole. One of the men got stuck and the other men left
him there and went on without him. They tried to swim
to land, but no one knows what happened to them. Some
people think they're still alive, some people think they’re
dead. I think they died but no one knows. What do you
think happened to them?
The young child slept soundly
Dreaming deeply
Unaware of the large man on the roof
Just a short distance above her
All at once, a laughter came out of the night
The small tot, now eyes big
Sprung up out of her covers
And stared at the ceiling
Bewilderment was painted across her face
She was more awake now
Then she remembered
It was Christmas night!
She was suddenly filled with excitement
But there was the sound of something sliding off the roof
The sound of bells
Then nothing
Silence fell on the room
Little Rosie Taylor crawled back into her warm bed
She lay there, silent
Amazed
She had just missed Santa
Morgan Kirsch
Grade 10
Westside
Trinity Brown
Grade 4
Sioux City-Riverside Elementary
Sioux City
Symmetry
Mykin Youde
Grade 4
Remsen
105
Journey to America
send my brother a letter saying we’re all okay. There is
hopefully about two more weeks until we reach Ellis Island.
Part 1
March 8, 1914
We are almost to Ellis Island. The trip has been really
rough and bumpy. My family is still healthy for now. The
meals cost about 60 cents per meal, and there isn’t a very
big variety. We haven’t been seeing any land yet. People
are getting excited and nervous about finding a new life in
America.
March 13, 1914
Woo hoo! We only have about one more day left until
we arrive at Ellis Island. I can kind of see the Statue of
Liberty through the fog. What I’ve seen of it is beautiful!
People weren’t wrong when they said the Statue of Liberty
is beautiful. My sister and I have had awesome positive
attitudes, even though what might happen to us. I’ve seen
too many deaths these past months, so I had to learn to be
positive. I really wish my family passes our examinations, so
that we can become legal in the U.S.
Nov. 13, 1913
Today, my family just figured out that we are moving to
New York City. I’m worried because my mother and father
are sick, and it’s getting worse. My older brother is going
first to find a home and job. He barely has enough money to
pay for a ticket, so he has to take the steerage. He leaves in
one week.
Nov. 30, 1913
My brother left about two weeks ago. My younger sister
and I are taking care of my parents until they get better.
I’ve been working at the sewing factory. My sister isn’t
old enough to work, but we’re sneaking her into working
because we need money for our tickets. My brother sent us
a letter saying he made it safely, but the trip was terrible. I
hope he finds a job.
Dec. 15, 1913
My mother and father are getting much worse. I’m
worried we’re not going to be able to go to New York. I
really wish my sister and I can get enough money for tickets.
I’m thinking we’ll have enough money by Christmas. I really
miss my brother.
Dec. 25, 1913
It’s Christmas today, but I’m not super happy (like most
kids are) because my sister and I still don’t have enough
money for tickets. Although, my brother sent me and my
sister a gift. I got a baseball from him. My sister got a jump
rope. I think if we both work two more weeks we’ll get
enough money for at least steerage.
Jan. 15, 1914
Whoo hoo! I made enough money for two tickets, and
my sister made enough money for 2 tickets as well. After
work we’re going to go get our tickets. We got our tickets,
but they are only for steerage. I heard steerage is awful.
Our ship leaves in two weeks, and we can only bring a
limited amount of things. I can’t wait to finally get to see
my brother. Also, I hope my mother and father get better
before we leave.
Part 2
Jan. 29, 1914
My family just boarded the ship. The ship, that is taking
us to Ellis Island, is called the Marylebone. We could only
afford steerage, but I’m glad we’re going to New York. Each
steerage ticket cost about $30. When we got on the ship,
they told us the trip might last at least 43 days or more. I
hope the trip isn’t super horrible that my parents die.
Feb. 10, 1914
We have been on the ship for about a week and a half.
My sister is scared because she doesn’t know if we will
become legal citizens in the U.S. The ship is gross, smelly,
and many people are ill. We still have a lot more sailing until
we reach Ellis Island. I’ve heard Ellis Island is beautiful. I’ve
also heard it’s scary because of all the examinations.
Feb. 25, 1914
It’s a miracle! My parents got healthy again. The past
ten days they’ve broken their fever and cold. My family
might actually be okay. Although, I’m disappointed I can’t
106
Part 3
March 14, 1914
The doctors just boarded our ship. They looked for
any signs of diseases before we docked. When we got off
the ship, the officers came and gave us identity tags, so
they could keep track of our belongings. Next, we took
the stairs to the Registry Room, so we could be inspected.
The Registry Room is where we were inspected for any
diseases, and it had rails to help maintain an orderly line of
immigrants.
March 14, 1914
I just got checked for troubled breathing, trouble
walking, and any other health problems. I was also
checked for trachoma. Trachoma is a disease that can
lead to blindness. The doctors used a special tool called a
buttonhook to look for signs of trachoma. Luckily, my family
didn’t have any signs of trachoma.
March 14, 1914
During my medical exam, I was checked for signs of
illness, contagious diseases, limping, shortness of breath,
if my eyes were red, and if we acted disturbed or normal.
I was really scared during this exam, but I had no signs of
any of those things. My family also passed their exams. For
my legal exam, I was asked many different questions, Some
questions were, Are you married?, How old are you?, and
What country are you from?
March 14, 1914
My family is doing great. We have not been detained.
When you’re detained, you are held from going on. Some
people were detained because they could spread diseases.
There have been a lot of detainees. Many people have
been kept in a quarantine, so diseases couldn’t be spread.
A quarantine is when you’re kept in a restricted area, so
diseases won’t be spread.
March 14, 1914
Since my family was not detained, we went to the
Stairs of Separation to be legal. The Stairs of Separation
are three staircases. The right staircase, was for the ones
going west or south. The middle staircase, was usually for
the people who were detained. And the left staircase, was
for the people going to New York City or north. We went
down the left staircase to New York City. When we reached
the Kissing Post, my brother was there waiting for us. The
Kissing Post got its name because that’s where people
waited for their loved ones, and they hugged and kissed
their loved ones there.
Part 4
April 4, 1919
I have been living in America for a little over four years.
I’m living in downtown New York. I’m 19 years old, and I’m
teaching at a local school. I just got engaged. It was really
hard learning the language, but I can now speak English
fluently. I love the more freedom and job opportunities. I’m
glad my family came to America in the 1900s. My brother
recently died in a pandemic. We are really sad of his passing.
We will all really miss him.
Alexis Pingel
Grade 6
Cherokee Middle
Cherokee
Leaf Painting
Maggie Lage
Grade 4
Whiting Elementary
Whiting
107
Dancing With Peacocks
Mason Dean Rubendall
Grade 7
Correctionville
The Magical Unicorn
There once lived a beautiful princess who had a
brightly colored unicorn. She loved her unicorn because it
had colorful powers. The princess’s name was Amanda. Her
unicorn’s name was Shiela. After lunch Amanda and Shiela
love to pick flowers and put them in Shiela’s mane. They
went everywhere together. But their favorite place was
seeing the Magical Waterfall. When Amanda is sleeping
and she’s frightened Shiela sometimes uses her powers
to make a giant shadow to scare the noise away. Amanda
loves her unicorn! One time Amanda and Shiela went on
an adventure. Before it all started in the garden Shiela was
once very very mad at Amanda, they had a huge fight! Then
Shiela was SO mad! She had to walk away! Shiela wanted to
open a portal and go up in the clouds and visit her parents
108
to forget about her fights. So that’s just what Shiela did. She
went up to see her parents. But Shiela accidentally left the
portal open! Amanda found the portal and decided to go in
it! When you go in there, there is always a cloud you step on.
When the cloud feels something on it, it goes up to see the
king and queen unicorn. When Amanda got to the palace
she saw Shiela just going in. Amanda yelled and said, “Shiela,
wait!” Shiela barely heard Amanda say wait. When it was
almost sunset Shiela thought inside her head, should she
go home and make it up to Amanda and say sorry? Or stay
here with her parents? Shiela really wanted to go home, she
missed Amanda too. So Shiela did, but first she wanted to go
to the garden. Shiela heard something in the bushes. Shiela
came closer to see what it was. Amanda was in the bushes.
“Amanda!” said Shiela. Amanda said, “Shiela, I’m so sorry.
Can we go home together now?” “Let’s go”, said Shiela. So
off they went.
Addison Oelke
Grade 2
Hinton Elementary
Hinton
The Sparkling Ocean
As you walk to the ocean,
the soft sand between your toes
a cool breeze hitting your face
the bright sun casting rays onto the ocean
the calming sound of the waves coming ashore.
You would step into the cold water,
as the ocean calms you down
and all your fears slip away
into the deep blue sea.
Tia Petersen
Grade 8
Schleswig
I am Thankful For. . .
I am thankful for my life because you get to live. I am
thankful for friends because they help you whenever you
fall. I am thankful for school because you learn a bunch of
math. I am thankful for houses because you stay warm. I am
thankful for being able to play outside because it is fun. I
am thankful for watching TV because there are good shows
on. I am thankful for family because I love them all. I am
thankful for food and drinks because they help you live. I
am thankful for clothes because if you don’t have clothes
you can get cold and die and plus you’re naked if you don’t
have any clothes on.
Kysa Neddermeyer
Grade 2
Schleswig
Bio Poetry
Molly
Dancer,
Smart,
Caring,
Wishes to become a dance teacher,
Dreams of being famous,
Wants to go to Hollywood.
Who wonders what it would be like to be 100 years old.
Who fears heights.
Who is afraid of war.
Who loves her sheep, Cookie and Sprinkle.
Who believes in God.
Who loves her dog, Diamond.
Who loves homemade ice cream.
Who loves to go shopping.
Who loves to play with her brother.
Who plans to be a dance teacher.
Who plans to live on a farm.
Who plans to have two kids.
Who wants to live a happy life.
Molly Freese
Grade 4
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Westside
The Hunt Picture
Matthew Cerda Sandoval
Grade K
Sioux City
109
Veteran
Very proud to serve
wE thank them for serving
They fight for justice
wE remember the ones that died
gRateful for their services
Amazingly brave
Never give up
Abby Albenesius
Grade 5
Sioux City
The Adventures of Summer the Polar
Bear
My Grandpa is a cop. We like football. We went to
the Iowa football game and we liked it really good. It was
awesome. The Iowa Hawkeyes won. There were a lot of
people shouting. It was really loud, but it was fun.
Once upon a time there was a polar bear named
Summer. It was a strange name for a bear who lived in the
North Pole and didn’t even know what summer was. She
lived with her mom, Sara; her dad, Mack; her brother, Phil;
and her sister, Madeline.
One chilly morning Sara and Mack went to get some
food and Summer followed them. She waited and waited
but they did not come back so Summer went back to Phil
and Madeline. They called 911 Animal Patrol. The Animal
Patrol couldn’t find Summer’s parents, so they thought they
had drowned. Summer was very sad.
One very cold night Summer went out, but it was so
dark that she couldn’t see well. She ran into something. A
little bit of moonlight showed her that it was a penguin!
She was about to eat him when he said, “Please don’t eat
me! I want to be your friend.” So she didn’t eat him. Summer
asked the penguin what his name was and he said Kenny.
A storm was coming, so Summer and the penguin
quickly built an igloo, and they were safe and sound.
They went to sleep and in the morning they found fish for
breakfast. They soon became best friends.
After a while they got married and at the ceremony
they put on rings and shoved cake in each other’s faces.
Summer and Kenny had children that were polar penguins.
They were all black except for their tummies which were
white. And around their mouths it was orange.
One day the family was going to eat lunch and
Summer’s parents showed up. Summer couldn’t believe it!
She ran and hugged them. Summer was so, so glad that her
parents were back. Summer asked what happened. Mack
said they were trying to catch fish, but he swam too low.
If they had gone after the fish, they would have drowned.
So they hopped on an iceberg, but then the iceberg floated
away. They managed to swim back to shore. They walked
for a long, long time and finally they found her!
The whole family lived in the igloo that Summer and
Kenny made, and it was big enough for everyone!
Noah Drew
Grade 1
Bronson
Haley Keizer
Grade 2
Sioux Center
Lauren the Fairy
Lauren Baker
Grade 8
BHCS-Holy Cross-Blessed Sacrament Ctr.
Sioux City
Dinosaur Story
Dinosaurs are extinct. My favorite dinosaur has big
teeth! It has a big tail. Can you guess what’s my favorite
dinosaur? My favorite dinosaur is a T-rex.
Josephine Zobel
Grade 1
Bronson
Grandpa Story
110
A Pleasant Surprise
I was placed on my brand new soft and fuzzy blanket in
my stronghold of currently unopened mysterious packages.
It was almost my turn again. I had chosen two specific,
vibrantly wrapped boxes, not knowing what they held. It
was cold outdoors, with white fluff settled on the barren
ground. It was that time of year yet again—winter!
“It’s your turn to open some presents, T!” my mother
encouraged. I snatched the two boxes, shredding off the
paper of the smaller of the two, not realizing it was in the
wrong order.
“What’s this for?” I asked.
“Open the other present now!” my mom responded,
not answering my question. I obeyed, finding the contents
of the box to be a laptop! Then I understood what the other
thing was for. It was a pink laptop case!
“Thank you so much, mom!” I was overjoyed! I had my
very own computer!
“You’re welcome, sweetie!” my mom sang. I found out
that it doesn’t matter what you do, because your family will
always show they care one way or another.
Tennaiah Delzell
Grade 6
Sioux City
Silence
Sit down and shut up is what they always say.
I have something to tell you if I may.
No! Just sit down I really don’t care.
Are you trying to silence me, you better not dare!
I will fight for what I want,
I will fight for what I believe.
I’m in so much trouble, I might as well leave.
This is what I wanted; I got my point across,
because of this, there is no loss.
Hailey Rice
Grade 8
Hinton Middle
Hinton
The Great Sunflowers
Lauren LaFleur
Grade 5
Sioux City
111
Dazzling Dragonfly
Lily Van Maanen
Grade 4
Rock Valley
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
feast nap
watching tv pie
chocolate fudge
dessert
family friends
fun games cookies
Haley Lutz
Grade 1
Schleswig
112
The Thrill
Have you ever been on a tall rollercoaster? Well, I
have, and it was approximately four hundred and sixteen
feet tall. It went one hundred and twenty eight miles in less
than five seconds. It was one of my favorite rollercoasters.
It only lasted about seven seconds, but it was a huge thrill!
The day started when we arrived at Cedar Point.
When we secured our place in line, I could feel the warmth
of the sun on my face and shoulders. We were so excited
to ride all of the rollercoasters! There were a lot of people
at Cedar Point, so the lines were long. We rode all of the
rollercoasters twice. Then I noticed this tall mustard
yellow structure. It looked so fun, so we went on it.
When we moved a bit closer, all we could hear were
earsplitting screams. As we waited in the long line, the
excitement grew and everything was louder. As we
stepped into the rollercoaster, it slowly went forward.
Then after a couple of seconds, we shot up and then
quickly went down. It was then over. Top Thrill was a thrill!
I learned some things are worth waiting for.
Mackayla Black
Grade 6
Sioux City
A Bittersweet Experience
“Come on Bentley, go get it!” I yelled as I threw a ball to
my beloved dog. It was a winter day, and we were trudging
through the crunchy snow. He came running back with a
ball in his mouth and dropped it onto my feet. His fluffy tail
rubbed against my jeans, as he waited patiently for me to
throw it again. “Good boy”, I exclaimed. As I knelt down to
pet him, my mom called for me to come inside. “I’ll be right
back Bentley, stay.” I whispered. His little blue eyes followed
me inside as he sat in the snow.
I ran inside and yelled, “What do you need mom?” She
walked into the room slowly and said, “Um.......Amaya I need
to tell you something.” “Okay, what is it?” I asked wondering
why she was in such a weird mood. “Well I got a call from
a family who are interested in buying Bentley. I don’t quite
know when, but it will be soon. You know I’m not a big fan of
dogs and I don’t think having a dog would be the best thing
for our family.” She said in a soft voice. “No, I’m not giving
him away…I am not, no way! How could you mom? Your so
mean!” I screamed as I ran outside and fell onto the ground
in tears.
How could I give Bentley away to complete strangers?
My brain screamed. I took Bentley’s face in my hands and
buried my tears in his soft fur. Whispering in his ear I said,
“It’s not your fault. Remember, I will always love you ok?”
His little eyes just looked at me, and he started to lick away
the dried tears on my face.
About two weeks later, I sat in the living room with
Bentley on my lap, hugging him. It was my last day with
my dog and the school bus was going to come any minute.
My brain was thinking about all the good memories I had
experienced with Bentley. Many came to mind, and just as I
was trying to figure out why I had to give him away I heard
an engine coming and flashing lights came into view.
Taking Bentley into a warm embrace, I took a moment
to take in his smell and feel. I carefully set him down and
looked him in the eyes saying, “I love you Bentley. You are
such a good dog.” With tears in my eyes, I stepped out the
door and walked slowly to the bus. Every part of me wanted
to run back inside, and stay with him, never let him be taken
away. A knot in my throat kept growing and my stomach
started to twist, but I managed to sit down in an empty seat.
When I got to school I plumped down in my desk and
thought about how much I was going to miss Bentley.
Suddenly a fierce emotion came from my stomach, anger.
Why did the family have to even want Bentley? Maybe he
would still be at my house sitting patiently at the door for
me to come home, but no. He’s gone because some other
family wanted him and my mom let them have my Bentley!
It just didn’t seem fair to me.
The bell rang and everyone started to sit down in
their seats. My teacher started a lesson but I couldn’t
pay attention, all I could think about was Bentley! As the
bell rang for the period to be over, I started to walk to my
next class. An interesting thought popped in my head. I
shouldn’t be selfish, I should think about other people’s
feelings instead of just my own. Maybe I should have JOY
in a situation like this. Yes, it’s hard for me, but just think
about the other family. Three kids would always be able to
have a good time with Bentley. No dog could ever replace
him, but in the end all that really matters is to be kind and
listen to what God says. In the Bible Jesus even says don’t
be selfish! I think this might be God’s way of teaching me to
not be selfish. “This might just be a bittersweet experience,”
I whispered to myself.
Amaya Van Essen
Grade 6
Sioux Center
Peterbilt Truck
Jacob Boock
Grade 7
Correctionville
113
The Call
It was a chilly day outside, and the flaming sun was
trying to shine its last blinding rays of sunlight through
our thick brown curtains. My dad and I were on his long
coffee colored couch watching a movie. The heater in the
next room sputtered to a start, trying its best to warm the
cool and icy room. The muffled laughter of my step-mom
speaking to someone on the phone mixing with the quiet
movie that was playing on their quite big television.
“Dad?” I ask looking up at him.
“Yes?” he says looking down at me, his eyebrows raised.
“Do you wonder when you’re finally going to get the
chance to get your kidney transplant?” I asked glancing
down at his arm where three big round pink bumps in the
center of his arm took place. That’s where they stuck the
needles in to clean his blood.
“Sometimes,” he said shifting so that he could see me
better, “Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering, “ I said moving as well, causing a
puff of dog hair to launch into the air and slowly settle back
on the couch. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the realization
that I’m laying right where their English Mastiff was laying
the night before. “What happened when you found out
your kidney wasn’t working right?”
He sighed and launched into story mode telling me
about going to California, and his family being at the hospital
with him, and all the beeping machines he had to use. As
he finished a story and was getting ready to launch into a
new one his phone rang. It sounded muffled and quiet in his
pocket. He frowned as he took out his phone answering in a
suspicious tone. Obviously not recognizing the number.
“Hello?” he said his eyes curious. I moved closer,
straining to hear the words that came from the other end
of the call. I heard little pieces of the phone call, hearing the
words hospital, lucky and transplant. Immediately, I knew
what the phone call was about, or what I hoped it was about
at least. I was feeling so excited and hopeful that I was
bouncing around like the rubber ball in a pinball machine.
He yelled for me to go get Sofia, (my step-mom) so
I popped up and ran out the front door. The freezing air
hitting me like a slap to the face. I called out Sofia’s name,
my voice echoing all around. She came quickly and asked
what was wrong her voice concerned. I said, “Get inside
quick; it’s about dad’s kidney and that he wanted me to get
you!” Her eyebrows furrowed together, her face creased
with concern. Her phone call long forgotten she dashed
inside.
I shut the door behind me, my hands freezing from
my hand being on the icy doorknob the whole time. When
I walked into the living room he was just finishing up his
Lighthouse
Jack Vazquez
Grade 8
Denison
114
call, saying a long stream of thank yous and good byes.
He turned toward us slowly, his grin so big his eyes were
practically shut. “So?!” me and Sofia both yelled. My heart
was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of my
chest and right onto the floor.
He held his arms out as if he was about to give a bear
a hug and said, “They called to say that they can get me in
for a kidney transplant tomorrow and”—his words were cut
off by me and Sofia’s squeals and screams. I ran toward him
and gave him a big hug. Up close I could see tears in his eyes.
That day was probably one of the happiest days of my
life. So now I always remember that when things are down
they can only go up!!!!!
Aphraditie Hancock
Grade 6
Sioux City
Dear Veteran
Dear Veteran,
Grandpa Jack thank you for your service and fighting
for our freedom. I remember you always and I won’t forget
you. I am very thankful to have you in my family.
Love,
Sidney Krier
Sidney Krier
Grade 3
Remsen
Ouch!
I cut through my neighbor’s yard, dropped my bike in
the garage, and went inside. I ran straight to the cupboard,
grabbed a Cosmic Brownie, and picked up the phone to dial
Collin O’Brien’s number. I told him to come on over to my
house and play a game of hockey in the garage. I stepped
in and set up the nets and got on the goalie gear. I looked
at the goalie helmet and turned away. Little did I know that
that decision would haunt me for the next few years..........
Collin was rollerblading down through the garage after
‘juking’, while Judah was coming down the side. He wound
up and shot. And a good shot at that, with even a better
follow through. It hit me right in the face. To be exact right
in the front left tooth. It cracked the tooth clean in half.
************
I was gripping the edge of the dentist’s chair after
getting numbed for a solid two minutes. The dentist was
asking me if it hurt. OF COURSE IT HURT! It was the worst
pain I have ever been in. They were cutting away gum and
tooth alike! Then she asked if she should numb it again. I
murmured, “No way!” Which I think came out as “momay”.
But still I was not going through that again.
It ended about a half an hour later, and I was DONE. I
stumbled, looked in the mirror, and felt the tooth with my
tongue. I looked at my reflection again, and I saw that I
looked like the living dead (which is how I felt). I was off for
a solid three days after that. IT SUCKED!
The lesson that I learned was that you should always
wear a helmet when you play goalie. I knew that I would
have to go through all that again at eighteen to get it to fit
my mouth again. But that is a long way off. I just hoped that
I wouldn’t crack it off again and lose it before then. But who
knows? If I get in a heated game ALL bets are off.........
Isaac Baart
Grade 6
Sioux Center
My Big Pie
Kaylee Simons
Grade 1
Marcus
115
Shooting Star
“Hurry up mom. She’s probably already here!” I said to
my mom as I ran towards the gate.
“Slow down! You’re going to get hit by a car,” my mother
replied swiftly as she took the stroller out and put my sister
in it. I pulled out my phone and texted Tennaiah,
On my way in the parking lot.
As soon as my sister was settled into the stroller, I called
for my brothers who were in a ditch looking for an alligator.
“Boys, get up here. Mom’s leaving us,” I yelled
When we finally arrived at the gate, I saw Tennaiah
standing with her mom and four siblings.
“I’m so excited!” I said quickly.
“Yeah, me too!” she replied.
“Raven,” my mom said, “go with your siblings so I can
take a picture.”
“Ok,” I said miserably.
I leaned on the cold stone wall and smiled.
“Ok, hold your smile; we’re going to take a picture with
Tennaiah now,” my mom said.
Untitled
Hunter Dixon
Grade 5
Maple Valley-Anthon Oto-Anthon Elementary
Anthon
116
Annoyed, I held my smile. When we finished, I quickly
walked into the park with Tennaiah. As I slowed down I saw
a pirate ride that swung back and forth. Then I saw it—the
Shooting Star!
“Hey, Tennaiah, do you possibly want to ride that with
me?” I asked
“Sure,” she replied, “but first I think we’re riding the
pirate ship.”
As we stood in line for the ride, I felt the breeze rush
across my face. When we were finally seated the conductor
person spoke.
“Ok, the bar is about to come down so please have your
hands up.”
When the bar was secured the ride started. As it slowly
began swaying back and forth, my hair whipped across my
face. After the ride was finished, Tennaiah and I waited
in line to ride the Shooting Star. A rush of adrenaline ran
through me; when we were seated we squished together.
“I’m scared,” I said to Tennaiah.
“Don’t be, it’s fun!” she replied.
When the ride started my stomach dropped. We went
really high up and went upside down. When the ride finally
finished, we went on the ride a couple more times. What
I learned from this experience was to face your fears,
otherwise you’ll miss out on some pretty fun stuff!
Raven Laws
Grade 6
Sioux City
Spring Blossom
Isabel Magaña
Grade 8
Sioux City
The Depressing Day
Did you know if your brain is growing faster than your
skull, special surgeons will have to cut off half of your
brain? As we were on a long tedious car ride to Omaha, my
whole family was stressed out. When we walked into the
Children's Hospital the medic asked, “Are you the Sagerts?”
“Yes," my dad replied.
We were in the room where the registrar was talking to
us. I realized my dad’s face was tearing. After the clinician
left, the sound of my family crying was wretched.
“You will be ok. We will be right out here waiting for
you,” my mom said.
For the surgical procedure, the consultants had to cut
the scalp in half, one of the sides go headlong while the
others part goes rearward.
As the doctor walked in I said, “You are a very strong
kid. I would’ve never been able to do this, Chris.”
“Are you guys ready?” asked the specialist.
“Yes,” my brother replied.
The wait in the lobby was monotonous. After the
surgical treatment was over, my family and I went into the
surgery room. My brother was as bald as a bald eagle.
“The surgery was tough to do. We normally do this
operation to babies.”
“Thank you so much,” my dad said.
“No, thank you. If you would’ve waited any longer your
son could’ve died,” the doctor replied.
After that, my brother still had to stay in the hospital
because if he experiences any headaches or nausea, he
would have to get another checkup. That night was a rough
time for my family. No one slept. Out of nowhere I started
to cry.
“What’s wrong?” asked my mother.
“What if he doesn’t make it?” I asked.
My brother woke up and got out of bed to turn on the
lights. It was seven o’clock in the morning.
“You all may go home.” said the doctor
On the car ride home, I thought about how important
family is and how much you actually love someone until you
almost lose them.
Kaytlyn Sagert
Grade 6
Sioux City
Tallest Waterslide Adventure
“Get up! It’s time to go!” yelled my dad while I was dead
asleep. I hurried out of bed and then I put my clothes on, took
a shower, brushed my teeth, and ate breakfast. We dashed to
the waterpark so there wouldn’t be an abundant amount of
people. But there still were a fairly large amount of people.
We walked to the waterslide and I could already
hear other people going down the waterslide screaming
tumultuously! We made reservations, and we had to wait
about five hours before we could go on the slide!
We went on other exhausting slides while waiting for
the five hours. To make the time pass, we went to get some
food. I had very delicious and crispy chicken tenders. While
we were eating; I could feel the hot, dry sun smoldering on my
skin. I was very thirsty after we ate, so I took a drink from the
drinking fountain, but it tasted fishy, so I just bought a bottle
of water. Then we went down more slides.
It was now time to go on the waterslide. We walked to
the huge, ginormous, immense waterslide. They put us on a
very big scale and measured our weight. Your group of three
people had to be at least four to five hundred pounds. All
three of you would ride together in a raft. The employee gave
us an infinite number of rules that took forever! Then we
walked up the stairs that felt like we were walking to heaven.
On our way up, we saw signs that said we were taller than the
Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls! We finished to the top,
and then we hopped in the raft. I could feel butterflies in my
stomach. The countdown started and we flew down. While
we were going down, I could feel the water rushing in my face.
Going down the gigantic waterslide was terrifying! It felt like
I was flying in the air! It was going so fast that it took about
six seconds for the ride to be over! Then we headed home
and bought some souvenirs. I bought a really cool shirt! This
taught me that some things are worth waiting five hours for.
Cameron Schweder
Grade 6
Sioux City
117
My Flight
“Eein, wake up!” Mom yelled. I opened one eye and
glanced at my door. Nobody was there. I was half-asleep,
so I slowly climbed out of my bed. I sighed and walked into
the bathroom. I opened the cupboard and took out the
toothpaste. While I was brushing my teeth, I looked out
the window, looking at the beautiful sky. Then I realized, I
was going on a plane flight to Minneapolis. Then a bolt of
excitement hit me!
“Eein, hurry up!” said dad. I grabbed my shirt and I
was on my way. I was the first inside the car. Waiting for
everybody, I was drawing a car, not a very good one, but it
was a car. Then everybody came in the car, buckled their
seatbelts, and we took off. ·
We were driving to the airport, and I was extremely
tired. I took a massive yawn and fell asleep, dreaming about
the airport.
We arrived at the airport and I woke up suddenly.
“We’re here!” said my sister, Lilee.
“Are you excited?” I asked.
Hunting Dog
Cy Handke
Grade 6
Anthon
118
“Duh, of course I’m excited,” said Lilee.
We walked into the airport and looked around. It was
nice and settled, no noises at all.
Two hours passed and I was filled with boredom. Then
the gates to the plane opened. Excitement took over, and
then we entered the plane.
I took a seat, wondering what was happening next. Then
the pilot spoke into the intercom, “Welcome passengers!
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight!” Then a woman stood
up and taught us how to use the emergency equipment.
We took off. I was feeling the pressure in my head.
I was silently panicking, trying not to disturb the other
passengers. Then my mom calmed me down by saying, “The
pressure is normal. You’ll be fine, I promise.”
We had entered Minneapolis, rode rollercoasters,
bought prizes, and had loads of fun. Then we flew back,
drove home, and had a great time! I loved my trip to
Minneapolis. Time can fly quickly so cherish it as long as
you can!
Eein Vollmer
Grade 6
Sioux City
Ocean Treasures
Dance
Jaylin Van Dyken
Grade 6
Sioux Center
Dance
Twist, turns
Legs up, jump
Takes my fear away
Ziva Shultz
Grade 2
Sioux City
Things I’m Thankful For
I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for my family
because they love me in every way. We spend time together
when we go camping. We spend the summer raising sheep.
We learn a lot of responsibilities from that. I’m thankful for
all my toys. I’m thankful for my dad who works hard for my
family. We spend a lot of time at the fair showing animals
and projects. And, that’s what I’m thankful for.
Landon Gray
Grade 5
Washta
True Love
It almost didn’t happen
That fateful sunny day
He almost turned around
She almost walked away
That enchanted chance encounter
The love that never fades
The prince and the princess
At sunset rode away
Katelyn McShane
Grade 8
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle
Sanborn
119
Broken Promise
“Andrew,” I whispered. “Time to get up for school.”
Andrew moaned and rolled over, pushing his over-sized
pillow over his ears.
“What time is it?” he questioned, turning to face me.
“Where’s Mom?”
I sighed and pushed the locks of my golden hair behind
my ears. “It’s 6:00, and we need to be at the bus by 7:25.”
“Where’s Mom?”
I sighed again, “Mom had to go to work.”
“Again?” He stuck his bottom lip out. It started to
tremble.
“She’ll be home soon,” I sputtered. “Now get ready for
school or we’ll be late.”
I grabbed Andrew’s arm and pulled him down the
street. It was now 7:24. We couldn’t miss the bus. Dad
wasn’t home to bring us to school if we were late.
“I’m hungry,” Andrew complained, trying to tear his arm
from my grip. I ignored him as I turned the corner. The bus
was pulling up, and kids were piling on.
“Wait!” I yelled as the doors started to close. I pushed
my squirming brother into the bus and sat down. I sighed,
blowing a tuft of hair from my face.
“Andrew,” I said as pleasantly as I could “Did you make
your bed this morning?”
Andrew looked at me guiltily. “Sorry, sissy. I forgot
again.” Too often I would have to wake Andrew up because
mom left; then he would almost start crying. I would have
to drag him to the bus stop without giving him time to make
his bed. Someday he had to remember.
“You’d better do it when you get home,” I told him
sternly.
He looked at me. “Okay.”
“You promise?” I asked smiling.
“I promise.” He crossed his heart and laughed. I laughed
with him, this time not caring what people thought.
Once we made it to school, I said goodbye to a forlorn
looking Andrew and headed off to my class.
I strolled into my room and noticed that everyone was
gone. I looked out into the hallway. There was no familiar
bustle of students; there wasn’t a single person there.
That’s strange. I crept into the hall, not wanting to be heard.
What if there was a fire drill? What if there was a real fire?
I snuck around a corner and followed a couple students
rushing toward the entryway.
“Hey everyone!” I called cheerfully as I saw everyone
sprawled out in the grass. They all looked at me.
“Be quiet!” a boy beside me whispered harshly. I put my
hands up defensively.
“Sorry,” I gulped. “So, what’s going on here?”
He glared at me and turned away.
“What’s going on here?” I asked my teacher.
“I shouldn’t say,” he answered.
“Please?” I made a puppy dog face.
“Fine,” he sighed. “There’s a guy in a mask, holding a gun
in our school.”
I gasped, trying to hide the fear that was still evident in
my eyes. “Is everyone safe?” I whispered. He didn’t answer.
“Is everyone safe?” I wanted to scream.
“Everyone, except,” he paused, “your brother Andrew.”
My eyes widened. Andrew was still in the building? Without
Walk Down Lonely Street
Dawson Gress
Grade 7
Charter Oak
120
thinking I tore away from the crowd and ran inside the
building. People were yelling at me from outside, but
I ignored them. Tears threatened to come out. I crept
along the wall, being careful to peer around every corner.
Suddenly I felt something cold pressed against my head.
I froze. My head turned sideways so I could just make
out the shape of a man. He was in all black clothes. His eyes
were narrowed to slits. “C-can I h-help you?” I stuttered.
I could feel his eyes boring into my skull. I wanted to just
shrink up in a ball and disappear.
I stepped away and tried to run away. He grabbed my
shoulder hard and brought me closer so the gun almost
touched me again. His shaking hand closed on the trigger.
There was a blur of motion, I heard the bang of the gun.
My hands closed on my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut. I
cracked one eye open; the man with the gun was gone. As I
looked down, to my horror, there was a boy. This boy wasn’t
just any boy. His chest had a bullet hole through it and blood
was seeping through his shirt. He was Andrew. I blinked and
smiled through my tears. This was just a dream, I thought.
When I wake up my dad will be back, and my mom will come
to wake me up.
I felt two strong hands pull me away from the sight. I
didn’t bother to see who it was. My brother was dead.
On the bus in the evening, I sat alone. It couldn’t be
true! When I got home, I heard my mom sobbing in her
bedroom. I didn’t bother to knock on the door. The door to
my brother’s room was open a crack, so I stepped inside.
The room was a mess, but the worst of it was the bed.
“Make your bed, Andrew,” I whispered, tears streaming
down my pale cheeks. “You promised.”
Amy De Groot
Grade 6
Sioux Center
Video Game Characters
Mario, as brave as a bear.
Bowser, as dangerous as a dragon.
Princess Peach, as sweet as candy.
Luigi, as agile as a kangaroo.
A Goomba, as weak as a flower.
The Craziest Day of My Life
Have you ever wanted to start a day over again? I was at
a piano lesson on a Wednesday night. It rained earlier, and
it was really slick. My mom and I were about to go, and then
my mom’s friend came up and they talked for an extended
amount of time.
“Hurry up, Mom!” I said when I was hopping into the car.
“I’ll be right there honey!” my mom said coming to the car.
We were over by North Middle when a car came out of
nowhere and went out of the entrance of North Middle. We
kept on driving. My mom noticed a car going fast downhill
and tried to get into the other lane, and then, CRASH! They
hit the side of the car. She could not drive the car because
the front driver’s side axle was bent. We were able to ride
in a police car! The police drove us up to North High where
my brother, Jonathan, was at. Then we rode in his very old
truck. His truck couldn’t make it up the hill!
My friend’s mother picked us up and we went to
purchase salt because it would put more weight in the back
of his truck so my mom could drive, but it didn’t work. My
friend’s mom is a policewoman so she called her friend,
and he came and pushed my brother’s truck with his police
car! Then she took us home. In the morning, she took me to
school and my mom got a rental car! I learned it is better to
be safe than sorry.
Jami Denne
Grade 6
Sioux City
Spike
Emma Heck
Grade 6
-Anthon Oto Middle
Anthon
Elias Bollin
Grade 5
Le Mars
I am thankful for books because they can help me learn.
I am thankful for my family because they help me. I am
thankful for my house because it would be cold at night. I
am thankful for soldiers because they give us freedom. I am
thankful for my pets because they are fun to play with.
Tyson Stoppel
Grade 2
Schleswig
121
The Outlaw Run
“The Outlaw Run! The rollercoaster! We should do it!”
my dad said.
“Mm…Okay, fine let’s go!” I said hesitantly. I had no idea
what I was getting into.
We slowly made our way to the gate to get in line. As
we approached the line, I heard people screaming and the
rollercoaster racing and furiously moving down the tracks.
We stood in line for about 10-15 minutes. Then finally, we
got in!
As we stepped on I felt very anxious, because I didn’t
get to sit with my dad. I sat in the very back row of the
rollercoaster. I thought I would have to sit by myself until a
tall man walked up and plopped down beside me. “Are you
scared?” he asked.
“Yeah, just a little. I might scream a lot!” I replied.
“It’s okay, I’ve sat by someone before who threw up all
over me!” He shared as he chuckled.
Untitled
Kaleb Verschoor
Grade 7
OA-BCIG Middle
Odebolt
122
“Wow!” I said. I had figured out then that this man has
probably gone on one or two rides like this before. Then I
heard a loud noise, and we started going up, up, up! Over
the click, click, click of the rollercoaster moving up, my dad
looked back at me and asked, “Are you ready?”
“Not really!” I yelled, and he smiled at me. Then a few
seconds later we neared the top! I squeezed my eyes shut
as tight as I could until finally, I felt a rush of wind around
me in all directions. “We’re going down!” I thought. I heard
the loud noise of the rollercoaster freely rushing down the
track. I screamed the whole way down. As we neared the
end, I felt my stomach flip. I then realized that we had gone
upside down for a few seconds! Then I felt a jerk, as we
came to a stop.
My heart was racing! “Good job!” the man next to me
said as he gave me a high five.
“Thanks!” I told him. The whole ride, I was scared that I
was going to die, My dad was scared my sister was going to
fall out, and my sister “accidentally” kept her eyes open the
whole time.
I now know that things don’t always happen the way
you imagine them. I never would have dreamed that I would
go upside down on a rollercoaster.
Shae Downing
Grade 6
Sioux City
Snowman
Gymnastics
Aidan Cruz
Grade TK
Hinton Elementary
Hinton
Gymnastics
Cartwheels, tumbling
Jumping, moving, playing
Love learning new tricks!
Candy
Carli Albenesius
Grade 2
Sioux City
Davis - Mirror Poem
My brother Davis in a glimpse
Likes to sleep
Eat and
Be annoying and
Fun is what Davis likes to have
Fun is what Davis likes to have
Be annoying and
Eat and
Likes to sleep
My brother Davis in a glimpse
When you read a mirror poem down, it is one poem. When you read
it up, with changes allowed only in punctuation and capitalization it is a
different poem. (Idea from the book Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer.)
Logan Van Egdom
Grade 6
Rock Valley Junior & Senior High
Rock Valley
123
Directory
Directory
Alta-Aurelia Middle
Arnts, Grace
Barrera, Alexanna
Freese, Aiden
Hansen, Josie
Kruger, Chloe
Loring, Hannah
Mendoza, Jimena
Shea, Caden
Stanton, Sydney
Wilson, Morgan
43
100
40
29
23
95
26
10
6
33
Ar-We-Va Elementary
Blunk, Kylar
Brunner, Elizabeth
Cleveland, Kyelar
Cruz, Andres
Dose, Timothy
Freese, Molly
Hausman, Jamie
Hugeback, Jonathon
Maynard, Cody
Miller, Ryan
Neumann, Emmett
Obrecht, Kora
Ragaller, Maggie
Reis, Trista
Schmitz, Braydon
Schurke, Delaney
Diamond Poetry
Diamond Poetry
Recipe Poetry
Diamond Poetry
Recipe Poetry
Bio Poetry
This is Mine
Recipe Poetry
Diamond Poetry
Bio Poetry
ABC Poetry
Color Poetry
This is Mine
Question Poetry
Question Poetry
Sneaky Poetry
56
75
59
66
7
109
66
19
101
104
90
70
67
89
100
79
Cameron, Bridget
Cameron, Elise
Helkenn, Harmony
Hines, Julianna
Irlbeck, Benjamin
Kirsch, Morgan
Luft, Leslie
Ragaller, Kayla
Tolan, Hope
Prepositions
The Audition
Get Back Up Anyway
They Say
Christmas?
Just Missed Him
Fears
Waiting for Santa
Zentangle
64
94
59
64
47
105
87
64
63
Becker, Sienna
Bender, Hailey
Cadwell, Creighton
DeVine, Kasey
Green, Braeden
Jacobson, Cecily
Loutsch, Cerek
Nielsen, Kenai
O'Brien, Kylee
Riessen, Olivia
Heaven
Lost Turkey
Combining
The Rat
Wolves
My Class on the Polar Express
Leaves
Minnesota Jet Skiing
Christmas
A Christmas of Happiness
92
47
92
56
79
94
90
90
104
58
Schable, Taylor
Schiernbeck, Dawson
Schreiber, Sydney
Siegner, Lauren
Skirvin, Addy
Uken, Abbe
Williams, Evan
Zimmerman, Hayden
Gizmo, My Puppy
Veteran's Day Acrostic Poem
The Squirrel Named Lizzy
Picking Apples
Christmas
Pink
Veteran's Day Acrostic Poem
The Story of Abigail Heart
102
102
99
63
83
93
77
86
Baker, Lauren
Kathol, Tony
Magaña, Isabel
Lauren the Fairy
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Spring Blossom
110
10
117
Albenesius, Abby
Albenesius, Carli
Billings, Aubrey
Billings, Taylor
Elks, Alex
Schramm, Bodee
Shultz, Ziva
Wolf, Colten
Veteran
Gymnastics
Sunflowers
Golf
Heart Vines
Name
Dance
Veteran
110
123
7
103
37
62
119
25
Guntren, Andrew
Hanson, Ryan
Malenosky, Alycen
Rosno, Greta
Lebron's Fab Five (Book Rap)
Anne Frank (Book Rap)
Paper Towns (Book Rap)
Backlash (Book Rap)
77
85
87
47
Hof, Andrew
LaFleur, Lauren
Stanley, Brooklyn
Pumpkin
The Great Sunflowers
What a Pumpkin
50
111
8
Jackson, Brianna
Luevano, Jenny
Moeller, Sophie
Phillips, Lauren
Uscanga, Ana
Van Voorst, Grace
Zwart, Ella
Crazy Hair Day
The Terrible Pet Keeper
Three Little Pumpkins
Romeo and Juliet
The Cat and Mouse
Untitled
Olivia's Basketball Miracle
58
52
94
96
49
54
83
Grond, Maggie
Kreun, Audrey
Aloof
Rainbow Paradise
104
13
Ewoldt, Ashley
Gress, Dawson
It's Inside Me
Walk Down Lonely Street
20
120
Directory
Cherokee Middle
Christensen, Taylor
Nolder, Tyler
Pingel, Alexis
Reusch, Nathanael
Untitled
Minecraft Guy
Journey to America
The Surprise of the Jacket
85
83
106
50
Denison-St. Rose of Lima Catholic
Graeve, John
The Best Harvest (Haiku)
103
Bruck, Katelyn
Vazquez, Jack
On the Farm
Lighthouse
68
114
Chance, Gillian
Peterson, Landyn
I Am Thankful
Veterans
31
10
Cedeno, Kaylee
Johnson, Branden
Thompson, Kaiden
Werner, McKenzie
Bluejay
A Fish's Life
Alphabetical Advice
Faces of Mt. Rushmore
76
90
30
24
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle
McShane, Katelyn
True Love
119
No Snow!
Snowman
Hard Day on the Farm
The Magical Unicorn
Dirt Bike
87
123
57
108
72
Hinton Elementary
Anderson, Braden
Cruz, Aidan
Magnetti, Evan
Oelke, Addison
Smith, Quentin
Hinton Middle
Purscell, Madelyn
Rice, Hailey
The Storm
Silence
12
111
Bovine
Untitled
379 Peterbilt Trucking
Returning of the Ark
Cover
21
53
93
Barto, Jayde
Benson, Emy
Huth, Paige
Krohn, Lauren
Morgan, Blake
Vos, Rachael
Grandpa Story
My Grandpa
Dinosaur Story
110
20
110
Le Mars Middle
Lowe, Cassidy
Martin, Amanda
Rosener, Joseph
Snow Days
A Bumblebee's Story
The Life of a Grain of Sand
41
49
53
Bollin, Elias
Brunsting, Trinity
Kitilach, Melfeena
Ramos, Cristal
Video Game Characters
School
The Fox
My Family
121
18
103
95
Hulinsky, Rebecca
Keunen, Maddie
Mrs. Richard's Room
Growing Up
101
56
Bottjen, Cody
Burke, Lilly
Davis, Shelby
Handke, Cy
Hart, Delayne
Heck, Emma
O'Connell, Hannah
Oberreuter, Noah
Sisco, Lindsey
Weber, Eian R.
Welte, Mia
Under the Sea
Blue Bird
Puablo
Hunting Dog
Lessons Learned
Spike
Majestic Spirit
Midnight Flower
Autumn
Big Horn Ram
The African King
28
11
100
118
46
121
80
98
17
32
73
Maple Valley-Anthon Oto-Anthon Elementary
Inman, Jessi
Moodie, Mackenzie
Morgan, Blair
Seggerman, Faith
Drew, Noah
Thelander, Kate
Zobel, Josephine
Silhouette Drawing
Pride
Dixon, Hunter
Untitled
116
Lux, Aleah
Miller, Brooklyn
Pigott, Chloe
Simons, Kaylee
Staab, Clint
Red Corn
I Love My School
Fish in the Ocean
My Big Pie
Harvest Time
101
95
88
115
59
Life's Tapestry
Untitled
Creativity
Iowa Night
27
122
44
44
OA-BCIG Middle
27
67
31
41
52
97
Lozier, Amber
Verschoor, Kaleb
Wulf, Josie
Wulf, Josie
Huizenga, Madelyne
Van Donge, Jacob
Good Cats vs. Bad Cats
Football Rules
74
70
Directory
Aduddell, Haydn
Krier, Sidney
Loutsch, Parker
Sanow, Ally Nicole
Sargent, Baily Rae
Schnepf, Max
Tentinger, Tiara
Youde, Mykin
Dear Veteran
Dear Veteran
Lots of Fun
Finish
Inspiration
Harvest
Hair Spray
Symmetry
55
115
98
35
51
103
84
105
Deeds, Daigan
Goettsch, Addisyn
Gray, Landon
Jepsen, Madelyn
Kabisch, Jaelyn
Snow
Night Time
Things I'm Thankful For
The Journey
The American Flag Essay
Kirchner, Arik
Pry, Klaudia
Ross, Trevor
Taylor, Heidi
Todd, Jackalyn
Perspective Drawing
Flag Essay
The Shoe
Horse and Dog
Flag Essay
46
104
119
92
96
44
8
43
79
56
Boock, Jacob
Gray, Karsten
Kurtz, Piper
Peterson, Evan
Rubendall, Mason Dean
Todd, Beau
Peterbilt Truck
Untitled
School Picture Day
Ford OBS
Dancing With Peacocks
Tiger
113
76
102
26
108
45
Kollis, Hanna
Sackett, Colton
Van Maanen, Lily
Laces
Lego Man
Dazzling Dragonfly
82
89
112
Rock Valley Junior & Senior High
Van Egdom, Logan
Davis - Mirror Poem
123
Butler, Payton
Hast, Hailie
Howland, Zoey
Jepsen, Jacee
Johnson, Braeden
Johnson, Lauren
Koch, Timberlen
Lewis, Jinessa
Lutz, Haley
Meseck, Kaydee
Neddermeyer, Kysa
Perales, Contessa
The Haunted House
Sunset Sky
Frosty the Snowman
Winter
My Free Meal
What is Gray?
Audubon Bird
The Happens at Sangrea
Thanksgiving
Someone I Admire
The Haunted House
70
65
35
19
71
25
42
74
112
7
109
54
Petersen, Tia
Rosener, Sara
Schneider, Brock
Schultz, Camryn
Smith, Kali
Steinkuehler, Jackson
Stoppel, Tyson
Valentine, Aaron
The Sparkling Ocean
What is Green?
Frosty's Best Friend
Charlie's First Day
Expressions
Thanksgiving
Winter
109
98
63
72
92
89
121
11
Lee, Hannah
Zimmerman, Sean
The Glorious Days of Spring
A Sensory Vay Kay
22
9
Dirksen, Emmet
Myers, Kayla
Smith, Tessa
Wiederin, Katie
The Time I Caught a Monster
Whitewater Rafting Adventure
Queen of the Court
Operation: Ears
58
51
28
82
Who Are You?
82
Sheldon High
Vogel, Paige
Baart, Isaac
Calkhoven, Kaitlyn
De Groot, Amy
Taylor, Jane
Van Dyken, Jaylin
Van Essen, Amaya
Vande Berg, Joylyn
Vander Veen, Brooklyn
Yesda, Allyson
Zeutenhorst, Josie
Zevenbergen, Raya
Ouch!
Moving Day
Broken Promise
Majestic Red Tailed Hawk
Ocean Treasures
A Bittersweet Experience
There's No Moose Here
Campfire
My Pet Horse
An Evening by the River
1st Place
115
6
120
24
119
113
69
66
47
39
65
Bucio, Dulce
Keizer, Haley
King, Amanda
Salcedo, Jennyfer
Wolfswinkel, Kierra
Best Friends Forever
102
The Adventures of Summer the 110
Polar Bear
Pocahontas
48
The Boy Who Lost Everything
45
Heartbreak
78
Sioux City-Crescent Park Elementary
Christoffersen, Kenzie
A Lesson Learned
56
Allard, Debora
Blosch, Shyleigh
Houlsworth, Emily
Ly, Kristina
Michels, Branden
Sutton, Teresa
Markiplier
My Brother
Untitled
Scarecrow Girl
The Grip of Depression
A House That's For Rent
19
99
25
75
100
88
Directory
Bader, Alexis
Drent, Taylor
Hahn, Emma
Hansen, Landen
Hassebroek, Hunter
Hempey, Brylee
Libke, Isabel
Longval, Luke
Nguyen, Mimi
Streit, Haelen
Yates, Elizabeth
The Needle Mayhem
Broken
I'm Stuck in a Canyon
Someone I Used to Know
Tornadoes Shouldn't Happen
On Vacation
My Last Game of the Season
Needle Hand
My First Homerun
The Vietnam Sting
My Special Guinea Pig
Why Me?!
54
81
81
85
68
55
97
67
49
3
48
Cerda Sandoval, Matthew The Hunt Picture
Trudeau, Kandon
The Farm
109
77
Sioux City-Leeds Elementary
Beacom, Grace
The Dragon That Couldn't Fly
23
Mahnke, Emily
Zoeller, Olivia
The Snowplow Mystery
The Haunted House
Sagert, Kaytlyn
Salmon, Jayden
Schweder, Cameron
Swanson, Johanna
Swanson, Olivia
Vollmer, Eein
Woods, Kittyn
The Gym
The Thrill
Bravery
A Pleasant Surprise
The Craziest Day of My Life
The Outlaw Run
Untitled
The Call
Becoming a Survivor
My Secret Place
Shooting Star
Watch Out, Crazy Driver on the
Road
The Depressing Day
Student Council
Tallest Waterslide Adventure
Percy Surprise
My Secret Place
My Flight
My Room
66
4
77
112
40
111
121
122
86
114
86
30
116
75
117
40
117
20
41
118
48
Sioux City-Riverside Elementary
Brown, Trinity
The Escape from Alcatraz
105
Bremer, Annika
Drent, Reagan
Thanksgiving
The Grassy Meadow
Rodecker, Tanner
Sulzbach, Emerson
Westra, Meredith
Adopting Bereket
The Last Day of Whittier
School
The Sleep Over
Gemma
Sioux Center Sleepover
57
88
84
84
89
Edwardson, Shelby
Nguyen, Hang
The Land of Stories
Monster, or Not?
96
64
South O'Brien Junior & Senior High
Friedrichsen, Lily
Karli, Randa
Lenz, Molly
Millan, Crystal
Steffens, Taylor
Stover, Carmen
Tjossem, Bailey
Vander Pol, Courtney
Verdoorn, Tristan
Cotton Candy
Framed
Scars
The Moon and the Stars
Pain and Happiness
Infection
Sunsets
"Normal" Pencil?
Shattered
2
91
34
18
36
80
42
62
63
Arredondo, Ysabella
Black, Mackayla
Cline, Ann
Delzell, Tennaiah
Denne, Jami
Downing, Shae
Esquival, Carlos
Hancock, Aphraditie
Johnson, Caleb
Kleinschmit, Alexandra
Laws, Raven
Pedersen, Autumn
Jackson, Carlee
Knutson, Kacy
71
87
Berentschot, Sydney
Immeker, Kira
Kramer, Trey
Whalen, Lydia
Laced Together
The Battle and Its End
Enjoy the View
Zentangle Lion
60
95
96
Preface
Granato, Cali
Heisterkamp, Laura
Pekarek, Brooklyn
The Dive Bombing Bat
The Deer in My Backyard
What Dog?
83
93
81
Brinkman, Becca
Jepsen, Anna
Little, Baylee
Thin Elk, Maya
Open and Free
Stumped
Broken Bridge
A Walk Thru the Cornfield
55
33
4
3
Whiting Elementary
Bethune, Cody
Lage, Maggie
Montemayor, Juliana
Phipps, Ruby
Tadlock, Karley
The Art of the Shoe
Leaf Painting
Untitled
Tyndall
The Pumpkin Patch
91
107
22
99
71
Brown, Olivia
Crenshaw, Samantha
Menke, Alex
Myers, Kirsten
Pierick, Kysa
Untitled
Girl With Feelings
Self Portrait
Tiger
Untitled
14
29
38
5
9
Directory
Woodbury Central Elementary
Pacheco, Isabella
Thor
75
Woodbury Central High
Martin, Jordan
Bravery
30
Published by the Educational Services Division
of Northwest Area Education Agency
Editor
Dr. Judy E. Sweetman
Proofing
Carla Roghair
Layout
Jill Bisenius
Printing
Northwest AEA Creative Services
Northwest AEA Board of Directors
District 1 Keith Zylstra
District 2 Mike McAlpine
District 3 Roger Brinkert
District 4 Dr. Tom Bjorge
District 5 Creston Schubert
District 6 Glen Coble
District 7 Patricia Sutherland
District 8 Glenda Den Herder
District 9 Dr. Robert Rice
Chief Administrator
Dr. Tim Grieves
Educational Services Director
Katy Evenson
Student work is generally published as submitted.
Northwest Area Education Agency does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation,
gender identity, disability, veteran status or as otherwise prohibited by law in its educational programs, services and employment practices. Questions or grievances
related to this policy may be addressed to: Jerome Schaefer, Equity Coordinator, 1520 Morningside Ave., Sioux City, IA 51106-1716, 712/222-6114.

Document - Northwest AEA

Transcription

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