Holiday book samples by Valley Park kids

Here are samples of two holiday books published by 4th graders at Valley Park Elementary School. These were picked as examples of good writing after tips from local kids' authors Patricia and Fred McKissack.

The Valley Park kids divided into teams to do the writing, illustration and then publishing. Their work came after a closed-circuit television writing lesson by the McKissacks.

 

A Christmas Story

By Ashley Fowler, Olivia Cassidy, Tim Royals and Alexandria Healey

It was five days before Christmas, Angel was jumping on the couch singing "Winter Wonderland." Halley was watching her sister be crazy. Just then Angel's mom Nancy came in and turned down the music. "Go get your snowsuits! You are going outside!" yelled their mother.

The girls ran upstairs to get their snowsuits. The girls ran down to see their dad before they went outside. Their dad was looking for a Christmas tree in the newspaper ads. "Girls, lets go outside so I can shovel the drive," said their dad.

Suddenly it began to snow again. It had already snowed two inches. Angel and Halley both yelled, "IT'S SNOWING!"

"Is this what Christmas is?" asked Angel. "No silly, it is just snowing."

"But, I guess I won't be shoveling the drive," said their dad. Halley ran to open the door. A cold rush of wind whistled through the doorway. Halley and Angel ran out the door. Their father ran outside after them.

He grabbed Angel's snowsuit hood, then grabbed her hands and twirled her around until she fell to the ground. Halley made a snowball and threw it at her dad's head. He spun around and threw a snowball back at her. They had started a snowball fight.

Angel was making a snow angel in the snow. Then she saw the snowball fight. She got up and threw a snowball at her dad. Just then their mother called them. "Come in you three, it's time for hot chocolate."

"Is this Christmas," asked Angel.

Riinnngggg Riinnngggg. Mrs. Johnson reached for the phone. "Hello, Mother," said Mrs. Johnson. "Yes, that sounds great. Tomorrow it is." She hung up the phone. She turned to the girls. "Guess what, girls?" said their mom.

"What," they said excitedly.

"You're going to the mall with grandma tomorrow," she announced.

"Cool!" they shouted. "We're going to the mall!" They started jumping all around. Their mom told them to settle down. The two girls started to whisper to each other.

The next morning Angel and Halley got ready to go to the mall. Then, the girls ran downstairs to get breakfast. They had a surprise. Their grandma was already in the kitchen. The girls leaped with excitement. "I didn't know you were here all ready," said Halley. "Is this what Christmas is?" asked Angel. Their grandma smiled.

They set off to the mall. They shopped for three hours.

"All right," said their grandma. As they were leaving the mall, Angel asked her grandma, "Is this Christmas?"

"Well how can I explain," she mumbled. "Christmas means being with your family and celebrating a birth of someone very special. His name is Jesus," she said. They went home and wrapped the gifts they got each other.

The presents were scattered under the tree. Wrapping had erupted all over the carpet.

"Is it finally Christmas? asked Angel. "Yes, Angel, this is Christmas."

 

New Year's

By Jessica Huddleston, Tim Tanner and Cody Rawlings

It was a cold January day. Ickchan Lee was playing noisily with her toy piano. "Stop making that racket," demanded her mother. "Come with me and I will tell you about Near Year's."

So her mother put on her red coat and mittens. They took a walk to the store to get some food for New Year's dinner. They bought some New Year's dumplings and cakes.

Ickchan Lee got an extra small cake for her grandma. She picked out the one with almonds on the top and cream in the middle. They finished buying the oranges, rice and Ramen noodles. On the way home they stopped for the fireworks. Ickchan skipped along the sidewalk and singing:

"This little frog has two eyes,
Four legs
One mouth, no tail
Says croak, croak and
Plops into the water."

When they got home her mother made paper fans, Chinese chews and Chinese almonds cookies. They decorated the house with paper lanterns. Ickchan Lee was in her traditional dress for the New Year's party.

They ate dumplings and cake. Ickchan Lee's mother showed her how to read the Chinese calendar. It was the Year of the Sheep. Happy New Year, Ickchan Lee!