Writing Winners 11-13

First Place: “More Than 1000 Books on our Shelves” by Margaret Shea (age 11)

I am from

“Handsome is as handsome does”

And, “Hunger makes the best sauce”

I am from being critical, and being kind

From seven aunts and uncles,

A World War II veteran,

And a small town in Michigan.

I am from ping-pong,

And playing (fighting!) with my brothers.

I am from jokes about Christmas trees (“You son of a birch!”)

And more than 1,000 books on our shelves.

I am from Ancient Greek and Latin,

And poems endlessly recited by my father:

In the car, and as I brush my teeth.

I am from two attorneys,

From a poor city boy who grew up in Lowell,

And a little girl from a small town who made it big.

Second Place: “The Ode to Mozzarella” by Francis Corvino (age 12)

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

Come to me!

My poor mouth is in the mood for salty and sweet

As I sit at my table

I think of only one thing

That that is mozzarella cheese

Your explosive flavor

And everything about you

Is so delicious

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

When I finally get a chunk of you

I need another piece

After the next piece

There will be another

Then another

Until there is no more to eat

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

Your flavor beckons to me

Like a bone does to a dog

When my spoon hits your flesh

My taste buds start to sizzle

Like firecrackers in the sky

Or popcorn on the burner

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

Now my teeth start to open

My hand starts to shake

And my head starts to spin

You are now in my mouth

Waiting to be released

From the prison of my fork

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

My lips start to seal

And I suck you from the fork

Then BAM!

Salt starts to rush

Into the bottom of my throat

BAM! BAM!

I cut you thinly

Trembling all the while

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

I place you carefully

On top of a thinly cut tomato

Then I sprinkle you with vinegar

A small dose of olive oil

Will add to your taste

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

Once you come to my mouth

I can smell your ravishing taste

I can see your diamond like salt

Shining on your soft and squishy flesh

I can feel your soft, soft body

As you shimmer in the light

I can only think of more

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

While you jump in my mouth

Like kids on a trampoline

Washa! Goes the tomato

Wahoo! Goes the vinegar

Wala! Goes the olive oil

What you do is indescribable

You are like a nuclear explosion

An avalanche on Mt. Everest

Mozzarella oh mozzarella

It’s just me and you

The cats aren’t in the kitchen

There’s no mouse to be seen

No dog that is barking

No horse is now running

But my hand sure is moving

And right to my mouth

I close my eyes

And take a deep breath

I have a small nibble

Then one a little bigger

As my I take bigger bites

There becomes less left of you

And less

And less

And less

And gone

Third place: Twas the day of Inauguration by Chhoyang Cheshatsang

‘Twas the day of Inauguration and it went all through the state

Obama was president! But not quite yet…

People were crowding, pushing, shoving and shouting

But there was peace to the court

when Obama was arriving.

Everybody clapped and cheered.

And then they saw Bush who they sorta feared.

The group was playing, Perlman, Montero, McGill and YoMa

While the Obamas relaxed,

like they were doing Yoga.

While they were playing, the announcer,

Who was close friends with Bill Gates,

said “Obama is now president of the United States.”

People hugged and cried and kisses (ew),

Even the Republicans were kind of happy too.

Then everyone stopped their ruckus,

‘cause it was old Joe’s turn to do the oath of office.

With his hand in the air

He said those powerful words

But at Fayerweather Cindy was asking Jordan,

“What’s half of two thirds?”

Biden was now V.P.

The man 2^nd in charge

But the real show was

the guy living large.

Honorable Mention: Outside the Box by Claire Dickson

On November 4, 2008 our country voted for a new president. But just a second. Fifteen percent of the population can’t vote. Some people need to think outside the box and open up their minds to us kids. Well, at least someone has. John Holt, a pioneering homeschooling advocate expressed in his book “Escape from Childhood” that everyone should have the right to vote. He said: “Though we will probably lower the voting age a year or two at a time, ultimately I want the right to vote for people of any age.”

I think John Holt is right. All people should have a say, even kids. Especially since the outcome of the elections affects them hugely. Everyone should have the option, even if they choose not to take advantage of it.

John Holt had a fourth grade class of 28 kids write to him on the subject. The results on that were very interesting. Nine boys and three girls said they would vote and should be allowed to do so. Five boys and two girls said they would not vote, nor should they be allowed to. The people who said they wouldn’t or shouldn’t be allowed to vote gave reasons like this: too difficult, would not know how to, would vote the same as parents, would break the voting machines.

The only one of these reasons that might turn out to be a reality if kids were allowed to vote is that they might vote the same as their parents. Even so, it’s not a good enough reason to keep kids from having the right to vote. Kids’ moms and dads aren’t always going to vote the same way, and we kids have minds of our own.

You might think kids don’t think about these things, but we do! In fact, a survey of 500 kids ages 8-12 was done before the election by Just Kids Inc. Seventy two percent of them knew who they would vote for, and they had some ideas in mind for the next president – lower gas prices, stopping the Iraq war, etc.

So let’s start thinking outside the box and let youngsters put their vote in it!