He was leaving. His meager belongings tucked into his backpack, Makoto slipped down the hall. The morning sun was creeping into the house. Shadows lingered in the living room like quiet storm clouds
...
[+]
Children's
Children's
The Show Must Go On
Kate had butterflies in her stomach.
Tonight was the nativity play; everything they'd rehearsed for the last month. Kate knew her lines and her song. She was fine with that. The problem was, they
...
[+]
Children's
The Treehouse
My name is Zach, and I don't have a treehouse.
My new neighbor, Oliver, has an amazing treehouse built just for him. He's so lucky.
What I have is a stack of unread library books and a LOUD ... [+]
My new neighbor, Oliver, has an amazing treehouse built just for him. He's so lucky.
What I have is a stack of unread library books and a LOUD ... [+]
Children's
Here's Ears
Elephants use their ears as fans;they're so much bigger than a man's.They scatter pesky flies with ease,and really stir up quite a breeze.This dog is called a Basset Hound.His tummy almost skims the
...
[+]
Children's
The Paperboy's Dog
Jai placed the newspapers he'd rolled and wrapped in plastic into a trailer attached to his bike. He put more papers in a canvas shoulder bag. It was early morning as he set off on his paper run. Most
...
[+]
Children's
Ice Cream at Bedtime
Ice cream at bedtime,
Aunt Betty's the best!
She knows in the summer
it's hard to find rest
when faced with hot sheets,
hot pillows, hot bed,
no place cool enough
to lay a hot ... [+]
Aunt Betty's the best!
She knows in the summer
it's hard to find rest
when faced with hot sheets,
hot pillows, hot bed,
no place cool enough
to lay a hot ... [+]
Children's
The New Kid
Phineas wished, for the two-thousand-three-hundred-and-twenty-third time, that he had a different name. His father was in the army, and the family moved fairly often. No, unfairly often. There was
...
[+]
Children's
Whistle at First Light
There are mountains hidden downstairs
in my grandpa's country house
with craggy granite boulders
no bigger than a mouse.
Little trees of twigs and moss
hug miniature ravines,
where ... [+]
in my grandpa's country house
with craggy granite boulders
no bigger than a mouse.
Little trees of twigs and moss
hug miniature ravines,
where ... [+]
Children's
Crayon Kid
Bobby didn't talk much in class. When he did speak, the other children often made fun of him because he stammered. His words just wouldn't come out right. They twisted around his tongue like slimy
...
[+]
Children's
A Hippo in the Kitchen
There was a hippo in the kitchen. No one knew how it got there, or when, but there was undeniably an enormous, sloppy, disheveled hippo in the kitchen.
"And," I said, examining the lunch my mothe ... [+]
"And," I said, examining the lunch my mothe ... [+]
Children's
The Bear Under the Bed
Sometimes I can't sleep. That's because of the bear under the bed.
One night, the bear was breathing hard.
When he breathed in, the bed lifted up off the floor.
When he breathed out, the ... [+]
One night, the bear was breathing hard.
When he breathed in, the bed lifted up off the floor.
When he breathed out, the ... [+]
Children's
Farmer Renaud's Rainbow Sheep
"Baa, baa, baaaaa" bleated Sally. "Life on the Renaud farm is blah, blah, blaaaah," she complained. "Nothing ever changes. Same sheep. Same hill. Same rocks... WHOOPS!"
The stone beneath Sally's ... [+]
The stone beneath Sally's ... [+]
Children's
Wendell and Sam
Wendell the dog awoke to the wonderful smell of summer.
Samantha the cat stretched and yawned. She could smell it too. "This is a perfect day for..."
"...going to the beach, right?" Wendell ... [+]
Samantha the cat stretched and yawned. She could smell it too. "This is a perfect day for..."
"...going to the beach, right?" Wendell ... [+]
Children's
Lost and Found Christmas
Billie scuffed her flip flops through the dry needles scattered over the Christmas tree lot. Pine scent filled the air. But it felt too hot for Christmas.
"How about this one?" Her mom turned a ... [+]
"How about this one?" Her mom turned a ... [+]
Children's
Squiggle Monster
Lydia hugged her new purple sketchbook, pens, pencils, watercolors, and paintbrushes.
She jumped and twirled at the thought of making her very own ART.
But when she opened the sketchbook ... [+]
She jumped and twirled at the thought of making her very own ART.
But when she opened the sketchbook ... [+]
Children's
Slice of life
1 min
Knock, Knock, Who's There?
"Maddy, we've got some very exciting news to tell you," said Mom and Dad.
And I was very excited. I was sure it was a dog! They'd promised.
"You're going to have a little brother or a little ... [+]
And I was very excited. I was sure it was a dog! They'd promised.
"You're going to have a little brother or a little ... [+]
Children's
A Four-Star Vacation
Bashir looked at the sunlight coming in through the window. The weather was magnificent, but he was forced to wait here, in the shadow of the dining hall of Mimosa Boarding School.
It was a ... [+]
It was a ... [+]
Children's
The Trembling Voice
Paul is one of the kids in my class.
Paul always sits by himself at the back of the class. He has big green glasses, looks shy and has such a trembling voice that he sounds as if he's stumbling ... [+]
Paul always sits by himself at the back of the class. He has big green glasses, looks shy and has such a trembling voice that he sounds as if he's stumbling ... [+]