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Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
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Weston 4L
Cover Drawing Contest Winner
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
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The Dance Teacher from the Black Lagoon
by Allison
Once there were six kids practicing for The Nutcracker.
Their teacher’s name is Mrs. Kelly. Mrs. Kelly is very
nice. She has straight, blonde hair. Her eyes sparkle.
The third time they went to dance, no one was there!
They were just about to leave, but then a mean teacher
came in. She wore black pants, a black shirt and black
dance shoes. She never smiled. Her hands were shaped
like claws. Allison was scared. “Who are you?” she
asked. “I am Miss Shark,” she responded. “Oh, sorry,”
Allison said in a nervous voice. Miss Shark was very
strict. If the girls made one step wrong she yells and says,
“START OVER! YOU DID THE GRAPEVINE
WRONG!” Some dancers said if you did lots of steps
wrong she would eat you for dinner! Allison didn’t like
her, but she practiced every day, extra hard. That teacher
was horrible and she didn’t want to get in trouble! One
day Allison went to practice and no one was there. She
wondered if Miss Shark would come back. Then the door
opened. Allison was scared. Miss Kelly walked in!
Allison was so happy! “I’m glad to see you!” she
exclaimed happily.
Violin by Eric
A string instrument,
Makes sound using vibrations
Used in orchestras.
Bows make vibrations,
Positions on your shoulder,
Uses a G-clef.
Concertos are hard.
Short songs are very easy.
Arpeggios, too.
Practice every day,
Perfect practice makes perfect,
Listening helps too.
Playing a solo,
A duet or trio,
Or in a quartet.
Chloe in third grade, wrote a
letter to Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth about our English
visitors. She got a response
from a Lady-in-Waiting.
Ben
Geckos are green.
Bluebirds are blue.
Sugar is sweet.
But not as sweet as you.
Poem and illustration
by Catherine
Sophie
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
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The Circus by Allison
I was writing my birthday invitations. I was
excited. I couldn’t help myself! The
invitations had people bouncing on elephants’
backs. This is what my invitation explained:
Dear Friend,
Would you like to come to my birthday party?
We will be going to the zoo.
Call: 555-1234.
Love, Allison
Then the next day Keeley called and said with
excitement, “Allison, I would love to come!
I’ll meet you at your house.” “O.k.” I said.
Soon Keeley got to my house along with
Sagan and Christine. We got into my car and my mom
drove us to the zoo. When we got there, we paid and ran
to pet the goats. After that we went to the turtle’s cage. I
thought the turtle was a statue, but it wasn’t. It was
cooool! And, it weighted 200 pounds! It was a gigantic
turtle with large, bulging eyes. The turtle was gray and
had a large shell. Then we waited in line for 15 minutes
to ride an elephant. Then it was our turn. I was excited!
It had a blanket on its back that had little swirls with big
swirls in the middle. The elephant leaned against a set of
slanted stairs. The instructor called us over to climb the
stairs and mount the elephant. I was shaking with
excitement. Sagan was scared – her legs were wobbling.
Christine and Keeley were fine. We climbed the stairs.
We felt the elephant’s soft, wrinkly skin. We climbed on
to the elephant’s back. It was scary. We started to move.
We were bouncing. It was fun! Then the elephant
stopped. I wondered why the elephant stop. Then the
elephant jumped over a log! Keeley fell off the elephant!
DON . . DON . . .DON! “AAAH!!!” yelled Keeley as
she fell. I reached down to grab her hand. I almost
missed, but I caught it! I yelled, “STOP!” The elephant
didn’t stop. Then I
yelled, “HALT!!!!!”
The elephant stopped.
I pulled Keeley up.
Keeley said, “Fuust,”
with relief. “Thanks,”
said Keeley. “No
problem” I said. Then
we went home.
Lost in School
Lizzie & Carlie
One day Allison, Sagan, Ana and I went to school and it
was our first day. We were nervous, but we were also
happy because we had new clothes and new backpacks.
We went to class and on our way the power went out!
We got lost in school! It was so scary. We screamed.
We heard a bbbzzzzzz, then OUCH! Someone down the
hall yelled to us, but it was too dark to know who. So we
used our hands to feel around. Thank goodness we felt a
teacher! The teacher helped. The teacher brought us to
the classroom and, by the time we got back, the buses
were being called.
Rabbit & Turtle by Caitlin
Once upon a time, there was a rabbit and a
turtle. The turtle kept on saying that he
could run the fastest, so the rabbit said,
”Lets have a race.” The turtle said, “Today
at 1:30, around a great course!” So, it was
1:30 and they were off. The turtle came to
a corner and there was a group of rabbits.
The next corner he found a snake so the
turtle ran away. He was scared of snakes
and he ran to the finish line. There was the
rabbit at the finish line.
The Creepy Crawler by Joyce &Olivia
Shh! Shh! Slowly Olivia and Joyce move with thick mist
surrounding them. Suddenly, Joyce splashed into the icy
cold water. Olivia gripped Joyce’s hands and pulled her
out of the mysterious black water. “Why did you fall in
the water?” asked Olivia. “I thought we were at your
house,” Joyce answered. That’s when they realized that
they were in bed in the middle of the ocean.
Just then they thought they were being watched. When
they turned around, nobody was there. They got scared
but they saw rocks form into a giant cave. Using their
hands as paddles, they raced into the cave. The thick mist
made it hard to breathe. Spears hung on a rocky surface.
Without a warning, Olivia’s mouth dropped open and her
eyes opened wide. When Joyce looked ahead, she was
surprised like Olivia. Up ahead they saw a 50 food long
snake skin. It felt like leather. When they sniffed the
snake skin, it smelled like salt. Unlike usual snake skin, it
was coffee brown. All of a sudden, Olivia lunged forward
while the bed rocked and licked the snake’s skin. “It
tastes like Jello,” Olivia announced. They both ripped off
a piece and licked it. “Mmmm. It tasted like strawberry
Jello,” Joyce shouted. “I think I’ll bring some home”.
As they got deeper in the cave, it got colder. They
shivered and crawled under the covers. “Good thing I
have Pilly,” Joyce hugged her pillow. “Good thing I
brought Bun Bun,” said Olivia. Suddenly a huge figure
rose from the sea. Glistening green scales coated his
body. Green seaweed covered the scales making it look
like a sea monster. His red eyes had a beady black pupil
in the center. Its forked tongue waved in the air. Without
a warning, it swam around and around them until they fell
in, toys and all. Joyce and
Olivia awoke breathing
fast from their adventure.
When they realized it was
a bad dream they calmly
laid back down. They
wished they wouldn’t have
another bad dream. Next
time if they ever see
another cave, they
wouldn’t go in, unless their
parents said they could.
Jillian
Cooper K Brown
Andrew
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
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The Sea Serpent by Chloe & Fenton “This is fun!” Fenton cried joyfully. He was jogging on a
boat, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. At the bottom of
the sea, tiny silver dots swam everywhere. Uneven boards
crossed the floor of the boat. Dark brown masts were
sticking up at the front of the boat with the sails rolled up.
It felt like a million fans were blowing in his face.
Suddenly a huge sea serpent started to drag Fenton into
the water with its dragon-like teeth. Its body was polka
dotted raven black with a grass green base. The tip of its
tail was black. Yellow and orange teeth made the animal
look creepy. On the monsters face was a scary grin. A
fork-like tongue was dashing in and out of its huge
mouth. Beady black eyes stuck out of his head. A long tail
stretched one hundred fifty yards.
Fenton struggled to get out of the monster grip. He tried
punching the sea serpent. But that didn’t work because he
just tightened his grip. He also tried rapidly kicking his
tail. ”Yay, it worked” Fenton bubbled.
As Fenton looked around, the walls had chunks of dark
turquoise crystals. The water was murky and foggy
making him worried that something might come grab
him. He knew by the sight he was in a grotto. So Fenton
swam ashore. He thought back to when he fought the sea
monster and how mean he was. He also remembered how
scared he was when the serpent dragged him into the
water. He hoped it would never happen again!
The Sea Serpent by Ethan and Benji Mvvvvvvvv! I was in a motor boat in the Pacific Ocean.
All of sudden something struck the boat so hard, that I fell
over board. Something wavy moved behind me. I took a
look behind me and saw nothing. Then I smelled
something like dead fish. Suddenly something flew up
into the air and pulled me into the water. I later realized
that I could breathe under water. Sometime later I reached
a cave. The cave had bones laying everywhere.
Also I noticed dinosaur fossils in a tall pile. Like a stack
of pancakes, the fossils towered over me. It was then that
I realized that the thing was a sea serpent. The scaly
creature gleamed in the water. His length was 300 feet.
His width was 30 feet the sea serpents eyes were blood
red with a jet black dot. He picked me up and threw me in
a cage. The cage was made of rock like everything else
inside the cave. There were bars wedged between the roof
and floor. It’s good that I brought my pocket knife with
me. I took it out and started to cut through the stone bars.
When I broke out, I looked for some where to hide. I
spied a boulder at the side of the cave. I ducked behind
the boulder and wondered what I should do. Then it hit
me. I went out of the cave and up to the motor boat. I
hauled myself in and thought back to when I saw the sea
serpent, and wished I never saw him.
The Horses & the Girls by Keeley One day Keeley, Lizzie, Ana and Allison were in a field.
All of the sudden they saw a wild horse. Ana was going
to run up to it, but Keeley said, “Stop! Lizzie is going to
go home and get stuff for the horse.” Keeley, Allison and
Ana stayed near the horse. Then some more horses came.
There were four horses in all. Lizzie went back to the
house. She got more stuff for the horses. When Lizzie
came back they looked at the horses and realized there
were enough horses for all of them to ride one. Lizzie
was going to ride the white horse. Keeley picked the
brown one. Ana picked the gray one and Allison picked
the black one. They rode all around the field. They had
the most fun in the universe. It had started to get dark and
they had to get going. So, they brought the horses home
with them and decided to keep them. The next day they
met each other at the field again. They raced and had
FUN! Then they saw a bear in the bushes. The horses
ran. The girls told them to stop, but they didn’t stop.
Then finally they did. The four friends got out their
camping stuff and set up a campsite. Keeley went into the
woods and got some logs. They weren’t too heavy. Each
girl sat on a log. Then Keeley, Allison, Ana and Lizzie
wanted to set up a campfire and they did. It was warm
and cozy. In the morning Keeley and Allison woke up
and rode. Lizzie and Ana were still sleeping, but they
heard the thumping of the horses – thump! thump! thump!
Then they woke up. Lizzie and Ana got on their horses
and caught up with Keeley and Allison. Then the girls
had to stop because there was a lake in front of them.
They did not know what to do. Allison went back to her
house and got four goggles and came back. She gave one
pair of goggles to each girl. Then they swam to the other
side. The horses swam after the four girls! Finally the
friends reached the other side of the lake. The horses felt
soft when they got out of the water. Their mane was
silky. Their hooves were black and shiny. They looked
beautiful. On the other side of the lake there was just
woods. They didn’t know what to do so they went back
to the campsite and went to sleep because it was getting
dark. In the morning Lizzie and Ana went fishing. Back at
the campsite Keeley and Allison made breakfast. When
Lizzie and Ana came back they played. Then they all ate
breakfast. The four girls got on their horses and rode
around the valley. Then Allison, Keeley, Lizzie and Ana
took a short cut back to the campsite and packed up to go
home. They all went to Lizzie’s for hot chocolate!
Prince and Princess by Jonathan
There once was a prince and he was looking for a wife.
After a long time he was still looking for a wife but he
couldn’t find one. That night there was a bad storm and
then a princess came and opened the door. She was the
perfect one. He got everything to get for the wedding.
They lived happily ever after.
Taoufik
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
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Note: animal reports are edited for grammar and facts
but we cannot guarantee complete accuracy.
Cheetah by Will
The name “cheetah” comes from a Hindi word meaning
“spotted one.” The cheetah is the fastest animal on earth.
There are many more amazing facts about the cheetah.
Read this report to find out more.
Did you know that cheetahs have no spots on their
throats? Where they do have spots, they are usually ¾ of
an inch to 1 ½ inches. Here are some more facts about
the appearance of cheetahs. They have black tear shaped
marks under their eyes. These are on their fur, which is
coarse with the hair slightly longer at the back of the
neck. Surprisingly, cheetahs actually can only run fast for
a few seconds, a minute tops. They usually only run half-
speed: 30-35 m.p.h. Their top speed is 60-71 m.p.h.
Have you ever wondered where cheetahs live? They live
in eastern and southwestern Africa. Cheetahs like places
with tall grass and shrubs. Did you know they also like
high places to survey the land?
It is amazing to think about what cheetahs eat. They eat
gazelles, wildebeests, even rabbits and birds. They hunt in
early morning and late afternoon. To get food, cheetahs
sneak up to their prey, and when they are as close as they
can get, they use quick bursts of speed to catch their prey.
Once they catch their prey they suffocate it by biting the
neck of the animal. Once they catch their prey they have
to rest for half an hour before eating.
Cheetahs do amazing things to protect themselves and
their babies. Cheetah mothers move their cubs every few
days to protect them from lions. They do this because
lions sometimes eat cheetah cubs. Cheetahs may use their
spots as camouflage to hide in the tall grass. Cheetahs
don’t really have any enemies except humans. Humans
are cheetah’s enemies because people hunt them. I don’t
know why people hunt them.
There are many amazing facts about cheetah cubs. For
example, in some places, as many as 50-75 percent of
cheetah cubs die before three months of age because of
disease. Two to four cubs are born to a litter. Cheetah
cubs are 250-300 grams at birth. Cheetah cubs are grey.
There are many other facts about the cheetah. For
example, the cheetah does not retract its claws like many
other cats when they are running. Instead, they use them
for extra traction when running. The scientific name for
the cheetah is Acinonyx jubatus.
Don’t you agree that the cheetah is an amazing animal?
Poison Dart Frogs by
Aaron
Poison dart frogs are the best
animal on earth. Would you
believe that poison dart frogs
spray poison out of their
backs? If you read my
report, you will learn more
amazing facts about poison
dart frogs.
Poison dart frogs have a
dangerous appearance. Poison
dart frogs are bright blue,
yellow, green, and orange.
They are striped and spotted.
They are small with black
eyes. Their skin has enough
poison to kill 20,000 mice.
Poison dart frogs live in
different places. They live in
Western Nicaragua, Costa
Rica, and Panama. Poison dart frogs even live in Brazil.
There are other South American countries that poison dart
frogs live in. They live in the rain forests.
Poison dart frogs fight for food. Sometimes poison dart
frogs spray toxic poison to get food. With the poison
holes in its back it can kill about 10 pounds of food a
day. When poison dart frogs need to eat, they camouflage
themselves and shoot poison at prey until they die. From
one speck of a poison dart frog’s poison, the prey will die
because it can’t breathe.
The poison dart frog has weird enemies. The poison dart
has little enemies such as insects, mice, beetles and
worms. Their protection can be their colorful suit! Wild
mice are poison dart frogs’ enemies. They camouflage
themselves to hide from prey. Usually, for protection
they run to a safe place
Now I will tell you about the poison dart frog babies.
When poison dart frogs have babies, they die from the
blood the mother gives to the babies. When the poison
dart frogs are ready to give birth they go to safe places.
When the babies are older the parents find a place for
them to live. The poison dart frog only lives for a short
time.
What are more things about poison dart frogs? When
poison dart frogs feel like they are in danger they shoot
the most amount of poison. They can climb trees and
then jump from a high tree to a low one.
Did you know that poison dart frogs come in many
different bright colors? Poison dart frogs are also known
to live in China! Did you know that one type of poison
dart frog has black eyes and lots of spots? Now you know
how amazing poison dart frogs are. I hope that you
appreciate them more and get a chance to see them one
day!
Horses by Abbey
Did you know horses have been around since the
dinosaurs? Horses have been known for eating twigs and
leaves for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After you read the
rest of this report, you will know a lot of interesting facts
about horses.
Often times you can see horses galloping across a
meadow. Horses that live in cold climates have thick
coats. Horses can be many sizes and colors. Mustangs
can be reddish-brown or grey, black, white, and tan.
Przewalski horses can be beige-brown or dun. Horses
typically stand between 12 and 14 hands tall.
Do you know where horses live? Przewalski horses live in
the grassy plains of western Mongolia. Their favorite
Animal Reports
Kayla
Dylan
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
6
place is the Pryor Mountains of Montana and Wyoming.
They like canyons, forests, and meadows. Most horses
live in groups. Some horses live on Sable Island. The
surprising thing about the island is it’s a beach!
Do you know what horses eat? All horses love fresh green
grass. Horses like other food too. Horses also eat twigs
and roots. The horse digs with its hooves to get plant
roots or it eats holly leaves. They need to chew the food
until its ready to swallow.
Did you know nowadays wild horses sniff the air to see if
there is danger? If they sniff danger, they run away in a
gallop. Wild horses hide, kick, buck, or jump to protect
themselves.
Wouldn’t you agree that when animals are young they’re
cuter? It’s hard to believe, but horses lick their babies.
They lick their babies to get them clean. Sometimes
wild horses have their babies behind bushes.
There are many other facts about horses. In a funny kind
of way, horses can even be blue! For years, horses have
been a part of circuses. There horses jump through
hurdles and give pony rides. Calf roping is when a horse
and rider try to catch a baby cow with a rope in full
gallop. To do almost any kind of work, Belgian horses
are used because they can pull any kind of load.
Next time you are in the wild look for horses running
across the open fields. They have long thick manes and
they have gigantic noses. If a horse has a stripe on its
front or back legs it means it’s wild. If you have read this
whole report I guess you know a lot about horses.
Allosaurus by Advika
Did you know that an Allosaurus had many other meat-
eating dinosaur relatives? Have you ever wondered how
an Allosaurus could swallow huge chunks of meat? This
report will tell you about one of the most horrifying
carnivores in the Jurassic Period.
Have you seen an Allosaurus’s ferocious look? Did you
know that Allosaurus’ arms were short and had three
fingered hands with six-inch angular claws? The claws
were so deadly that they’re almost like sharp teeth.
Allosauruses can be 38 feet long. By the way, it walked
on two powerful legs and their running speed was 35
miles per hour. Normally, their weight was 4400 pounds.
The Allosaurus had a massive skull and a pair of blunt
horns.
Would you believe that Allosaurus lived on four
continents? These continents are North America, Africa,
Australia, and Asia. Let me tell you how. It’s because
when Allosaurus lived there were two continents called
Laurasia and Gondwana!
Allosauruses lived through many
droughts. Droughts are the reason
they are dead now. Of course,
Allosaurus lived near shallow
lakes to drink from. This
carnivore lived in sandy parts of
the world, usually near very dry
earth.
I like the way how an Allosaurus
got its food. It used its sharp teeth to take a big bite out of
its prey after it chased it down. Did you know their teeth
are curved backwards so their prey can’t escape? The
more their prey tries to escape, the more its skin tears. An
Allosaurus can stuff its big mouth with big chunks of
meat. Apatosaurus and Stegosaurus are some dinosaurs it
ate. Allosaurus only ate weak, old, or sick herbivores
because healthy ones would have harmed, killed, or even
frightened an Allosaurus!
Did you know an Allosaurus was a top predator and did
not have any animal enemies? They only had an enemy
when plant-eaters were defending themselves if
Allosaurus attacked. What’s so great about their thick
skin is that they use it to protect themselves from spiky or
thorny plant eaters. Diseases threatened them- just like
enemies. Another enemy was nature. They live in very
dry places so they don’t have much water to drink.
Do you realize that Allosaurus babies were much different
than their mothers? Let me explain, they had an egg
tooth for pecking out of the egg when they were hatching!
Instead of large herbivores, they ate small insects like
mosquitoes. They reached their full length and height in
8 years and they almost grew twice their size in 6 weeks.
I like other things about the Allosaurus. It was the biggest
carnivore from the Jurassic period. It was not like the T-
rex which lived in the Cretaceous Time Period.
Surprisingly, they did not mate with other Allosauruses.
They also hunted together so they can hunt herbivores
more easily! Did you know that they are in the same
family as a Tyrannosaurus Rex? That’s because they are
both reptile-hipped. They are different because of the
strange bumps over each eye.
Have you ever imagined yourself walking in a forest and
all of a sudden you come across a ferocious looking, 38
foot long Allosaur? Did you know that an Allosaur’s
food was sometimes bigger than some apartment
buildings today? Don’t you think the way the Allosaurus
protected itself was amazing? Now you know a lot about
the Jurassic tyrant. On the internet you can find out more
great information.
Polar Bears by Amber
Do you like to visit the huge white polar bear at the zoo?
Did you know polar bears can stay on land or swim in
water? Can you imagine being a polar bear walking
through the snow in the Arctic? If you read my report,
you will learn more entertaining facts about polar bears!
Polar Bears are very large, tremendous animals. They
weigh between 925 and 1100 pounds! The height of a
polar bear is 4 feet and it is 7-11 feet in length. Soft white
fur covers the polar bear’s body. They have relatively
long legs, a long neck, and very small ears. Most people
don’t know that a polar bear’s nose, paws, lips, and eyes
are black.
The polar bear lives near the North Pole, in the Arctic
region. They lay on broken ice packs. For fun, polar
bears sled on land near land in the coastal islands and
coastlines. The polar bears love their icy habitat. When
Animal Reports
Neha
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
7
Julia
polar bears go home, they go to dens. These dens are
cold, big, and near water.
Polar bears hunt for food like young seals. Polar bears
often rest silently and watching seals through a hole in the
ice before they hunt them. Let me tell you all the food a
polar bear might eat. They eat walruses, fish, dead
animals, shellfish, crabs, starfish, and berries.
Surprisingly, the huge polar bear needs to protect itself
from enemies. Did you know that there are laws that
protect them? These laws keep the polar bear from being
hunted by people for their fur. The scary thing is polar
bears can attack humans. Bears are dangerous when they
are surprised by the sudden appearance of humans when
approached while feeding, fishing, or guarding their
babies. Other enemies include all of the animals the polar
bear hunts for food.
Have you ever seen a small and fuzzy baby polar bear?
Did you know cubs are born November through January,
in a den? When the baby is born it weighs only 2 pounds!
How tiny and helpless the cubs are when they are born!
Cubs remain with their mother about 1 ½ years. The
mother will protect them and teach them how to hunt.
Imagine how surprised a baby polar bear must be when it
sticks its paw into the icy cold Arctic water for the first
time! Brrr!
When a female polar bear is four or five years old, she is
ready to have a family because polar bears sometimes
have to swim to hunt. Did you know that they can live
up to 25 years old? Under the skin is a layer of fat up to 3
½ inches thick which keeps the cold out. Sometimes the
bear dives under the water to chase a seal or avoid chunks
of floating ice.
Did you know polar bears sometimes don’t sleep because
they are hunting for food? Do you wish polar bears were
small enough to keep as pet? Did you know baby polar
bears are born smaller than baby humans? I hope you
enjoyed these amazing facts and will go out and find your
own amazing facts about polar bears!
Octopus by Amelia
I wonder what amazing animal lives under the ocean and
has 8 arms. Are they real? Are they alive? In this report
you will learn about how octopi live, how they eat, how
they have babies, what enemies they have, and more
information.
Octopi have an interesting appearance. Octopi have big
brains compared to other mollusks. The smallest octopus
is about 1 or 2 cm tall. The giant octopus can be 5 meters.
Octopi have very good eyesight but are deaf. Its mouth is
at its bottom. Octopi are invertebrates.
Octopi live in the ocean world-wide – tropical or warm
waters. They live at the bottom of shallow seas or oceans
in small caves with lots of rocks (also called dens) and in
gaps between coral or rocks. Octopi don’t live in the
same place for long. They can even live in a tire that fell
from land. Or even a bottle.
Octopi eat meat with their strong suction cups. They hunt
at night when they can not be seen. They eat lobster,
clams, mussels, fish (it uses its jet to catch fish), crabs,
shrimp, and other octopi. They hide among rocks and
sand.
An octopus has many enemies but is far from getting hurt.
If it breaks off an arm, it may wiggle for hours. It
distracts enemies. It can shoot a jet of water. It can
change shape like another animal. It could turn red and
squirt ink so that it’s harder to see and smell for sharks.
There may be a jellyfish around and an octopus can steal
its tentacles and wave them in front of enemies. It can
camouflage by changing color in less than 1 second. Its
main enemies are sharks and people, moray eels, harbor
seals, sperm whales, and sea otters.
Octopi have very different babies than humans. Octopi
lay eggs in a cave on the ceiling- up to 500,000 eggs.
Mothers block the cave up with rocks to keep enemies
out. They do not leave the cave to get food because
starfish and crabs like to eat the eggs. They clean the eggs
and give them oxygen by blowing a stream of water over
them. It takes 4 to 5 months to hatch. The male has a
special arm called a hectocolylus. It is used for mating.
When the eggs are laid, the mother eats the father. The
mom dies as the eggs break free. Baby octopuses are
smaller than a pea. Baby octopuses never know their
parents as they float away in the current. Only one or two
octopus gets to have babies out of 500,000.
Did you know about the blue-ringed octopus? The blue
ringed octopus is from Australia and Southeast Asia. The
blue ringed octopus can kill a man in 15 minutes. There
is no known cure. If you stretch it out it can be 4 inches
or 10 cm. wide. Its beak is so sharp that it can bite
through a diver’s suit. And did you know that the blue
ringed octopus’s blue rings shine when it’s going to
attack? Baby blue ringed octopi are born bigger and
developed and start hunting right away. Its venom is used
for defense and killing prey.
I think octopi are the greatest.
They have interesting enemies.
They eat interesting food. They
have an interesting appearance
and do interesting things. If you
ever see a blue ringed octopus
in the ocean, go away!
Penguins by Andrea
You probably know a lot about penguins, but I bet you do
not know this: king penguins can live to be 20 years old!
This report will be all about penguins. You will learn
many different facts about the many different types of
penguins.
Let me describe the appearance of a penguin. Penguins
can grow to be one to four feet tall. Penguins have fat to
help them stay warm because they live in the Arctic
where it is cold. Penguins have black backs, white bellies
and long bills. Penguins have orange webbed feet, and
they walk with a waddle. They look like birds and have
two black flippers, but they do not fly.
If you are at the Arctic you might come across a cute
penguin! As it walks close to you, notice that it has a
waddle with its walk. The penguins live in Antarctica,
Animal Reports
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
8
South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the
Galapagos Islands. The penguins live in all these places
because they want to be cold.
Of course penguins eat seafood! Without a doubt they eat
squid, fish, seafood, krill (shrimp-like animals), and
crustaceans. Without a doubt, they have icy salt water to
drink! The King Penguin even spends as much as 75% of
their time underwater finding food.
Let me tell you about the penguin’s enemies and how they
protect themselves. The penguins have lots of enemies.
Some enemies are leopard seals, sea lions, Orcas, and the
Australian sea eagle. Certainly, being a speedy swimmer
protects the penguin from enemies.
Baby penguins are so cute, they are even cuter then their
parents! When the penguins are born they grow fast. The
penguins are 11 ounces when they are little. The chicks
are covered with thick downy fluff. Downy means very
soft and light feathers.
When they are born in
summertime the chicks
break open the egg.
Moms tuck their babies
into their brood.
There are other
interesting facts about
penguins. Did you
know that the largest
penguin is the Emperor?
Did you know that there are 17 kinds of penguins? Did
you also know that penguins can live to be 20 years old?
Would you believe the parents take turns sitting on the
eggs?
Penguins are very interesting birds. Wouldn’t you agree
that a bird that cannot fly is fascinating? Would you love
to go to frozen and icy Antarctica to see the penguins
glide on their bellies? I hope this report has made you
love penguins as much as I do!
Elephants by Ashutosh
I think elephants are the best animals in the world. In my
animal report I am going to talk about elephants’ habitats,
their appearance, what they eat, their enemies, and how
they protect themselves. I will also talk about their babies
and other interesting facts about elephants.
Do you think you would know an elephant if you saw
one? Elephants have big gray trunks and two large ears. It
is true that African elephants are the largest mammals on
land as well as the most dangerous.
Did you know that elephants have many habitats? You
will find elephants living in grass land and sometimes in
mountains. Elephants may live in conservations. Most
often elephants like to browse in the grass and eat plants.
Did you know that elephants drink water from their
trunks? Often times, elephants eat leaves, plants and even
stems and twigs! Many people don’t know that elephants
eat fruits. Lastly, elephants eat hay in the zoo.
Let me tell you how elephants protect themselves from
their enemies. Lots of people know that an elephant’s
enemies are tigers and lions. Did you know that people
are also one of their enemies? Experts agree that
elephants protect themselves by using their trunk and
tusks.
Have you ever wondered about baby elephants? Did you
know that baby elephants stay with their mothers for a
number of years and drink her milk? Normally, a baby
elephant’s tusks start to grow when they are about 2 years
old. When their tusks grow nearly 5 inches they start to
disturb their mother, so they begin to eat food.
It is true that elephants have a 7 foot long trunk. It is
interesting to note that elephants make a sound so low that
people cannot hear it! Did you know that elephants live
for 50 to 70 years? My favorite fact is that an elephant
can hold a tree with their strong trunk!
I hope my report has made you love elephants as much as
I do! When I was very small I got to ride on an elephant
in Nepal. Now that we know so much about elephants, I
would love to go back to Nepal to see them again! It
would be great if you could come with me!
Tyrannosaurus by Bilal
Did you know that Tyrannosaurus Rex lived seventy
million years ago? It is true that a T-rex lived in America.
Do you ever wonder where T-rex lived? Of course
nobody saw a T-rex alive, but you can learn all about
them in this paper.
What if one day you were walking in the jungle and
suddenly you saw a Tyrannosaurus rex? You would see a
40 foot long and 15 to 20 foot tall creature.
Tyrannosauruses are 5 to 7 tons in weight. By the way,
the T-rex has 4-foot jaws! The creature has rough and
scaly skin that you would never want to touch. Most
people don’t want to come across a giant, scary T-rex!
Like many dinosaurs, T-Rex lived 70 million years ago.
Some of the various places that the T-Rex lived in include
parts of North America, Mongolia, and China. It is
interesting to note that the T-Rex opts for these places due
to their warm, humid climate. T-Rex preferred to live in
the wooded forest and grassy areas.
Tyrannosaurus Rex ate many different types of food.
Since the T-Rex is a tremendous dinosaur, it can eat other
dinosaurs’ eggs. Many other animals are small so that
makes it easy for T-Rex to eat. Some of these small
animals include lizards, turtles, and even dinosaurs. T-
Rex is a type of a meat-eating dinosaur that we call
carnivore.
Other dinosaurs fear the T-Rex so the T-Rex needs to
protect itself. You’d better believe that its skin is rough,
tough and hard. This helps protect it from bites. Would
you believe that the T-Rex is the greatest carnivore of all
time? We are lucky not to come across T-Rex because
everybody is its enemy!
It is amazing to see a T-Rex guard its babies and protect
them. The baby T-Rex hatched from other Tyrannosaurus
eggs, but scientists have not yet discovered how big they
were. The mother and father fed their babies. Other
mammals ate the eggs because they like the flavor. Let
me explain, the baby T-rex looks like its mom and dad,
only cuter!
Animal Reports
Amealia
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
9
For sure the T-Rex is king of the dinosaurs! Some
scientists think the huge T-Rex was a scavenger and
others thought it was a hunter. Did you know that the T-
Rex was the last dinosaur to die? Certainly, T-rex was
on the top of the food chain and maybe this is why they
died last.
Like I said before, the T-Rex is a huge cold-blooded
monstrous king of dinosaurs! It is interesting that
scientists don’t know if T-Rex was a killer or scavenger.
If you liked reading my fascinating report on the
Tyrannosaurus Rex, maybe you can research more and
answer the scientists’ questions!
Arctic Wolves by Cameron
Arctic wolves are amazing animals. Although they are
not large, they are still ferocious. Even though Arctic
wolves are scary, they are also able to be loving animals
toward each other. If you read my report, you will learn
more about why Arctic wolves are so interesting.
Let me explain about the appearance of Arctic wolves.
Arctic wolves’ fur is white and black. It is true that their
stomachs are covered with soft, white fur. Certainly,
Arctic wolves’ teeth are very sharp. Some Arctic wolves’
noses look like a dog’s nose. Arctic wolves have lots and
lots of
whiskers.
Their eyes can
be a green and
blue mix. Of
course, Arctic
wolves are
frightening to
look at!
There are many
places where
the Arctic wolf lives. Most often, Arctic wolves live on
Tundra Mountains. Arctic wolves live in rolling hills and
near shallow lakes. It is amazing to think about wolves
living in the frozen tundra. Another place these animals
live is on green flats. You’ll soon see that Arctic wolves
hunt for their food. The mother of cubs hunts for prey
and eats it, then she regurgitates for the cubs to eat.
Arctic wolves have to kill other animals so they can
survive. Often times, Arctic wolves eat the fur, bones,
and skin of their prey! Arctic wolves have to fight for
their food. You better believe that Arctic wolves have to
climb the tundra mountain to get their food!
Would you believe that Arctic wolves travel and hunt
together in packs for protection? They protect themselves
by using their sharp claws and pointy teeth. There are
many reasons why the most threatening enemies of Arctic
wolves are humans. Arctic wolves have been threatened
by humans throughout history.
Let me fill you in on Arctic wolves’ babies. The mother
finds a den to have her babies. Surprisingly, pups are born
deaf, blind, and helpless. It is true that in about four week
cubs can eat meat. Pups are on their own after the first
year.
So do you want to know how Arctic wolves hunt in
packs? The wolves will work together to break up a
circle of caribou. One will try to distract caribou by
running from side to side while another will try to get in
the circle of caribou. After this, other Arctic wolves
attack the caribou. It is an amazing way to fight a group
of prey.
Arctic wolves are very unique animals. They live in a
place where it is cold and not very populated. They have
adapted to their environment and are very skillful hunters.
Arctic wolves take care of their pups and themselves. I
hope you enjoyed learning about Arctic wolves!
Gray Fox by Clayton
Did you know that gray foxes are 47 inches long? Do you
think you are going to like gray foxes? If you read these
paragraphs you will learn more about them.
The gray fox is a small animal. It is 12 -16 inches tall,
weighs 16 pounds and is up to 47 inches long. A gray fox
has peppery gray fur on top and reddish brown fur on its
sides, chest, and back of its head. Most gray foxes have a
long, bushy tail with a black stripe on top. The gray fox
has pointed ears, long hooked claws and a pointed
muzzle.
A gray fox lives in a wide variety of habitats. The gray
fox lives from southern Canada to northern Columbia and
Venezuela. They live in abandoned holes other animals
dug and old tree logs. Gray foxes prefer to live in the
woods or in brush.
Do you know what a gray fox eats? It eats insects, fruit
and vegetables. Would you like to eat little mammals and
wild birds? Gray foxes do. Their most important prey is
the eastern cottontail.
Gray foxes have a lot of enemies. A predator of the gray
fox is the cougar. Cougars eat them! Also, Eagles swoop
down and bring foxes to their nest. Coyotes run to eat
them, big wolves try to eat them, and humans kill them
for fur.
A gray fox has four to ten babies. Did you know that
babies are called kits? The kits are weaned at 6 weeks
and hunt on their own at 4 months old. Babies are born in
an underground den.
There are other interesting facts about gray foxes. Did
you know that male foxes are bigger than female foxes?
Gray foxes are also a party of the canine family.
Now do you think gray foxes are the best animal you have
heard of? Gray foxes are
cute, but can be
dangerous with their long,
sharp claws. Gray foxes
live in many places and
hide in the woods from
their enemies. I love
them because I think they
are fast and smart!
Animal Reports
Ryan
Jared
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
10
Cheetah by Debbie
If you ever encounter a cheetah, you will be amazed.
Cheetahs are stunning and lovely animals. They are not
just beautiful; they are also smart, speedy, and
fascinating. I can’t wait to tell you all about cheetahs in
my report.
You will notice the captivating appearance of the cheetah.
Whenever a cheetah stands still, its legs seem to be long
for its body. Cheetahs make many sounds. They
growl, snarl, meow, and purr. A cheetah has a yellowish
brown coat with dark brown spots and a long white-tipped
tail. Do you believe that cheetahs are the fastest
mammals on earth? You might not get to see them
standing still!
Cheetah
females and
males live in
small groups.
Cheetahs are
found in open
and partially
open
savannahs.
You can see
cheetahs
living in the
wild,
primarily in
Africa, but in
the past its range extended to India. Some cheetahs live
in Iran. They live where there is a lot of prey and grassy
prairie with thick brush. Most people see cheetahs on
commercial farms or at the zoo.
The cheetah is a carnivore, so it is always trying to hunt
for food. Hungry cheetahs eat mammals under 40
kilograms, including Thomason’s gazelles and the impala.
Cheetahs hunt late in the evening and early in the
morning. The fast chase is usually over in less than a
minute and if the cheetahs fail to make a quick catch, it
will often give up rather than waste energy. If it is a hard
chase the cheetah sometimes needs to rest half an hour or
more. Resting allows a cheetah to catch antelope and
other animals later.
Once wildly popular for its fur the cheetah now suffers
more from the loss of both habitat and prey. The death
rate is very high. During the early weeks after birth up to
9 % of the cubs are killed by hyenas and even by eagles.
When they’re facing danger they growl. When cheetahs
run to catch prey, they can reach up to 70 miles per hour!
Cute cheetah cubs stay with their mothers. Have you ever
wondered how much a cheetah cub weighs at birth?
Cubs can weigh only 10 ounces! Cubs are also born with
a downy underlying fur on their neck called a mane
extending to mid back. It has been speculated that this
mane gives a cheetah cub the appearance to scare away
potential aggressors. Cubs leave their mother between
thirteen and twenty months after birth.
It’s hard to believe that the cheetah can reach speeds of 60
or even 70 miles an hour! No one will argue that this
makes the cheetah the fastest land mammal. The
cheetah is hard to see because its spotted coat blends with
the tall green grass. Let me tell you, if you go looking
for a cheetah, this might keep you from finding him!
Have you ever seen a cheetah racing by? Do you wish
you could live in the grassy fields with a cheetah family?
Do you think cheetahs are the most fascinating animal in
the world? You may never see a cheetah but now you
know everything about the fastest land mammal on earth!
Gray Wolves by Diana
Believe it or not but gray wolves help humans. How, you
ask? Gray wolves hunt raccoon and deer. The raccoons
eat our garbage and the deer eat our flowers. That is why
I like gray wolves. The gray wolves communicate to each
other through howling, body language, and scent. Guess
what, there is even more I like about gray wolves. I like
their sharp teeth and furry coat because it’s so soft. In
this report, you will learn lots of information about gray
wolves.
Do you want to know about the gray wolf and what it
looks like? They are dog-like and look like German
Shepherds. The male and female gray wolf weighs
between 50 and 140 pounds. They have thick fur. The
color of fur can be black, brown, white, and gray.
I’ve never seen a gray wolf but I know where they live.
They live in the forested areas of Canada, and United
States including Alaska, northern Michigan, Minnesota,
and Wisconsin. They also live in deserts, swamps, wet
lands, and bush lands.
Do you know what gray wolves eat? Well you are going
to find out. They eat raccoons, deer, hoofed animals,
rabbits, rodents, insects, domestic animals, garbage,
moose, caribou, and beavers.
Would you believe that the gray wolf’s enemy is the
human? Did you know that their protection is by living in
a pack and the alpha male and female are the pack
leaders? The enemy of a wolf is a human. The humans
hunted wolves because the wolves would attack the
humans’ cattle.
Did you know that all wolves are born in the spring? The
gray wolf digs, burrows, or tunnels into the dirt near a tree
to give birth. When the pup is born it weighs about 1
pound.
Did you know that gray wolves work together? They
hunt together, raise their young together, and protect each
other. When a wolf wants to play, it prances about happily
and bows, lowering the body while its rump stays up in
the air with its tail wagging.
Now you know where gray wolves live and eat and more.
I hope you liked this report about the gray wolf. After
reading this report, you can learn more about gray wolves
at the library.
Lions by Darcy Have you ever wondered how a lion survives in the wild?
You will learn a lot of interesting facts like what they eat,
Animal Reports
Hannah
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
11
how they live and much more. I hope you enjoy reading
about lions.
Do you know what lions look like? Lions are brownish-
yellowish. When a male lion grows up it will have a
black tuft on its tail. Male lions have manes but female
lions and cubs do not have them. Male lions also can be
up to four feet long. If you look close you’ll see lions
have rubbery feet for when they sneak up on their prey.
Have you ever wondered where a lion lives? Lions live in
the jungle. Lions are also found in savannas, grasslands,
dense bush, and woodlands. The lions blend into these
surroundings. Lions are now found in Africa. Some lions
still live in India.
Lions are good hunters. They can get their food by
making an ambush on their prey. Lions are meat-eaters.
Lions will eat animals as large as buffalo, giraffe, rhinos,
and hippos.
Lions protect themselves from their enemies. The leader
of the pride will stand in front of all cubs, lionesses, and
the other lions saying “If you want to get them, you’ll
have to get through me.” Their enemies are people and
the animals that they eat for food.
Lions care for their babies. They will let them eat the
meat too. A female lion will tug on its babies’ tail
playfully.
There are other interesting facts about lions. Most lions
go four or five days without water. They are the only cats
that live in large family groups.
Lions are amazing creatures. They are very powerful
animals. They will eat very large animals. Even though
they are hunted in India, lions can still be found there. I
hope you learned a lot about lions from reading my
report.
Horses by Jenny
The largest horse ever stood 7 feet tall. The smallest
horse ever was only 17 inches tall. Read this report to
find out more amazing and unusual facts about horses.
You will be amazed by the graceful but strong appearance
of a horse. Horses are a small, sturdy, heavyset animal
with a heavy hair coat. It is true that horses look
differently and are different sizes. Most horses are
covered with short hair. If you didn’t know horses are
hoofed creatures.
Did you know that horses can be found in different
places? Wild horses can be found in the western United
States and in northern Asia. Wild horses like to live in
places where they can hide from their enemies like among
tall trees. Tamed horses are normally found on a farm and
sleep in a barn.
Have you ever wondered what a horse’s enemy is and
how humans can protect them? One of a horse's enemies
is a mosquito. If a horse wants to swat the mosquito it
swings its tail and swats the mosquitoes. To prevent
problems with insects from happening clean out standing
water once or twice a week. Other ways to protect a
horse from mosquitoes are putting fly sheets, face masks,
ear nets, and leg wraps on the horse. You can stable a
horse during dusk and dawn to protect against its enemies
including mosquitoes.
Most often horses eat certain types of food each day.
Horses eat small amounts of bulk food, including mostly
grass. For extra food, horses could have corn cubes.
Horses eat between 15-25 pounds of food per day.
It is interesting to note that a horse’s pregnancy lasts for a
long time. Pregnancy lasts for approximately 335-340
days. Baby horses are called foals. Male horses that are
born are colts and females are called fillies. Horses,
particularly colts, may sometimes be physically capable
of reproduction at approximately 18 months. Colts are
usually born 2-7 days later than fillies. Females 4 years
old and older are called mares and males are called
stallions.
Let me tell you some other facts about horses.
Appaloosa, a type of horse, is bred by native North
Americans. Anglo-Arab horses are a cross between
Thoroughbred and Arab, causing them to be fast, strong,
and handsome. There are two main ways of riding.
There is the English style, which is a development from
an old European style of riding and is now practiced all
over the world. The second is Western style riding and
this grew out of cattle ranching work in North and South
America. Mostly it is used in American rodeo displays,
modern ranch work, and long distance trail riding.
Now you know all about horses. Horses are friendly
creatures and normally live near people. Horses eat
certain amounts of food per day. I
think horses look amazing! Horse
babies are called foals. One of a
horse’s enemies is a mosquito. I think
horses are amazing. Do you?
Cats by Kaylee
Cats are the best pet in the whole wide
world. My gray cat snuggles with me
because cats are friendly and they like
people. Cats are fluffy to cuddle with
and you can play with them indoors
and outdoors. In this report, I will tell
you all about cats and why I think they
are the best pet in the world.
There are different kinds and colors of cats. The original
cat color was probably grayish-brown with stripes. All
other coat colors are the result of genetic mutations, for
example black. There are also different types of cat coats.
One type of cat called a Sphinx is a mostly hairless breed
who can not handle cold temperatures. A cat’s tongue is
covered with tiny barbs called papillae. A cat’s claws are
long, sharp, and completely retractable. They can be
drawn in.
Cats live both indoors and outdoors. If the owner wants
the cat to go outside, it can because it’s their choice. The
indoor cat stays inside and when it has to go to the
bathroom it goes to its litter box. When it has to eat it
goes to its bowl. It can sleep on other peoples’ beds or
their own.
Animal Reports
This is a princess cat.
Jiwon
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
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Malcolm
Would you believe that cats don’t always eat boring cat
food from the store? Let me tell you, my cat catches
flying birds and moths! Cats like to hunt for squeaky
mice both inside and outside. It is interesting to note that
some cats eat people food but usually have cat food.
They also climb trees to chase and catch squirrels, or hunt
in caves.
Outdoor cats hunt for food and catch animals. They are
usually nocturnal and eat mice and snakes.
There are many ways in which outdoor cats protect
themselves from enemies. Cats can be afraid of dogs and
coyotes. Cats use their sharp claws to scratch and hurt
their enemies. They also bite very hard to protect
themselves. Cats run and hide up in a tree or hide in
caves for safety.
You’ll be excited to learn about how mother cats have
babies. Did you know that cats usually have a litter of 4
kittens? Do you know that kittens open their eyes at 8 to
10 days of age? Did you know that kittens are blind
when they first come out of their mom’s stomachs?
Kittens are born deaf because they are just little cats.
Kittens start to eat cut food at 6 weeks old.
Here are some more captivating facts about cats. Cats
dig holes to go to the bathroom. The sphinx cat has no
hair because they were born that way. A cat cleans itself
with its tongue and cats purr when they’re happy. There
are 40 breeds of cats. A cat can feel its way in the dark
with its whiskers. Cats are born with 230 bones in their
body.
I hope you enjoyed my animal report and it convinces you
to go out and get a kitten or cat. It is true that cats are
cuddly, pretty, and adorable. They also hunt for animals
like mice and squirrels.
Smilodon by Liam
Did you know that the smilodon was the second most
popular creature found in the La Brea tar pits? Smilodon
is the largest type of saber tooth cat that is found in the
prehistoric epoch time period. In this report I will tell you
more facts about the smilodon.
You would be intrigued with the appearance of a smilidon
if they were alive today. A smilodon looks like a leopard
with a lion’s mane and giant teeth. The Smilodon is 4 to 6
feet long and 1.2 feet high. The lion we know today can
only open his jaws to 65 degrees but the smilidon could
do 55 degrees more.
The smilidon was found in the Americas during the last
Ice age. This was a period when glaciers surrounded the
sea and snow covered the ground. It also lived after the
Ice Age in the Pleistocene epoch. It died out 11,000 years
ago. The first smilodons appeared 1.6 million years ago in
grassy plains, open woodlands, and pine forests.
Let me tell you how the saber tooth tiger gets food.
Unlike any other cats, the smilidon used stealth and
ambush rather than speed to catch their prey. They ate
ancient buffalo, horses, and could only kill mammoths in
packs. They also ate mastodons. The saber tooth or
smilodon used its huge teeth to bite easily into its prey’s
belly. If food wasn’t available, they scavenged instead.
Even the smilodons had to protect themselves. Smilidon
was on the top of the food chain meaning they have very
few enemies. However, Neanderthals and other
prehistoric humanoids may have been smilodon’s
enemies. They would have died out if they didn’t go in a
pack and have thick skin.
Let me explain about smilodon babies. Did you know
that smilodons kill other smilodons’ babies? When they
are young, the babies stay with their parents instead of
going out on their own.
There are lots of other facts about the smilidon. The first
smilodons were found in La Brea tar pits where they
became stuck in the tar and died. Did you know the
Machairodontinae developed into three different cats?
There are no close living relative of the saber tooth tiger
except the lion. The word smilidon means “knife tooth”
which is how the saber tooth tiger got its name.
So next time you are in a museum and there’s an exhibit
on the smilidon you’ll go there first and
learn more. Now that you know where
they live, what they eat, and more, you
probably agree that it’s too bad that the
prehistoric carnivore is extinct.
Butterflies by Liying
Have you ever seen a creature that has
scaly wings and can fly? If so, it is the
butterfly. Butterflies also like to drink
the juice from the nectar. Caterpillars
turn into butterflies. Read the rest of my report to find
more interesting facts about butterflies.
Let me explain the appearance of butterflies and
caterpillars. Did you know that caterpillars don’t look
like their father and mother? Caterpillars have sixteen
legs, some have hairy back with tiny holes in it, and very
small eyes. The caterpillars don’t have noses but do have
mouths so they can eat. When caterpillars are getting full
they glue themselves on a stem to wait and grow into a
butterfly. They will now grow six legs instead of sixteen
and big eyes instead of small eyes. Caterpillars will grow
long feelers on their heads and beautiful wings. Now they
have become a fair butterfly.
It is amazing that butterflies come from all over the world
and did you know that the Viceroy is found only in the
eastern states of America and is far less numerous than
the Monarch. The Golden Danaid or African Monarch, a
butterfly found in Asia and Australia as well as Africa,
has not one but half a dozen species of butterflies and
several moths as mimics. The Monarch, originally native
to America, can fly long distances and now inhabits
Australia, New Zealand and parts of South Asia.
Lots of the caterpillars eat leaves and plants. Butterflies
drink nectar from the flower. The Large Blue have an
exceptional way to get food. They produce a sweet
liquid when ants are nearby. Butterflies even eat the eye
liquid of animals, blood, rotten fruit, old mushrooms, and
the “juice” of cut tree trunks.
Butterflies have many ways to protect themselves from
their enemies. Most often butterflies can fly away from
Animal Reports
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
13
enemies. Let me tell you that a chrysalis makes it hard to
eat the animal inside. Butterflies camouflage themselves
so that they look like the color of the flower they are on.
People can be enemies of butterflies because they might
hurt their wings.
Let me explain that butterfly babies are caterpillars.
Some female butterflies lay their eggs one at a time, while
others lay theirs in strings or all clustered together. As
soon as the egg hatches, the caterpillar eats. Over the next
few weeks the caterpillar grows bigger and bigger.
There are other interesting facts about butterflies. Do you
realize that monarchs are very easy to see when they are
migrating? They fly in huge clouds or clusters together,
resting on trees on the way. When they arrive at their
destination, there are so many that they often cover whole
branches with their bodies. When they are done
migrating, some of these tough butterflies will have flown
more than 3,000 miles.
So now you have read my report and know some facts
about butterflies. They all start as caterpillars and grow
into lovely flying creatures. Butterflies eat many
different foods including blood and rotten fruit. I think
butterflies are the most beautiful insect in the world. Do
you?
Rottweilers by Michael
You’d better believe that Rottweilers are amazing
animals. Do you realize that for a Rottweiler puppy,
weaning will occur naturally 5-6 weeks after birth? It is
incredible that this type of dog can be up to 27 inches tall.
There are many reasons why Rottweilers are an
interesting type of animal. In this report, you will learn
about what Rottweilers eat, what they look like, and
more!
Do you want to know what Rottweilers look like? You
may know Rottweilers have black and clearly defined rust
color to their fur. Rottweilers’ eyes can be very bright or
very dark. These big dogs are 22 to 27 inches tall.
Let me tell you where Rottweilers live. Rottweilers can
live all over the globe. Normally, Rottweilers need lots of
space because they are big animals.
Did you know Rottweilers can eat dog food and dog
treats? They can eat human food except for stuff with
chocolate in it. Let me explain what Rottweilers eat..
Usually Rottweilers eat dog food. They get treats when
they behave. Often, Rottweilers eat human food; my
dog likes eating
cheese.
Did you know
Rottweilers have
enemies and can
protect themselves?
Their enemies are
humans, cars, and
things we don’t know
about. If they get
really angry they can bite.
Did you realize that puppies of Rottweilers are very
small? A healthy puppy sleeps a great deal during its
first few weeks of life. It should gain weight every day.
Weaning means that the puppies stop getting milk from
their mother when it gets older.
Did you think Rottweilers can be used in different ways?
Did any one know that Rottweilers shed fur because if
they don’t they’d be hot! Did you know they also go to
dog shows for special prizes?
Now you know some information about what they look
like, where they live, and more. Now that you’ve read all
about Rottweilers, you might want one. When you walk
by a pet shop and you see a black and rust colored dog,
that is cute, you might buy it!
Tyrannosaurus Rex “The Tyrant Lizard King”
by Ryan
Did you know that a breed of Tyrannosaurus had feathers?
Did you also know that Tyrannosaurus fought other
Tyrannosaurus to see who gets to be the leader of the
pack? There may be 1,000 fossils of Tyrannosaurus
waiting to be found! Read this report to learn more
interesting facts about Tyrannosaurus.
Skin and bones help scientists figure out what dinosaurs
look like, and what kind they are. A Tyrannosaur is a
bipod lizard that walks on two large legs. It was the
tallest meat eater in history! This meat-eater is probably
green and gray and can be 20 feet tall and 40 feet long! A
Tyrannosaur probably used its long tail for balance. It
most likely had a strong armor-like skin which was hard
to tear. A Tyrannosaur had a massive head that was 5 feet
in length. It also had 4-foot jaws and 6-10 inch teeth.
Tyrannosaurus lived a long time ago in many places
around the world. They lived 65-85 million years ago in
the Late Cretaceous period. Most fossils were found
located in forested areas and plains in United States,
specifically Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and
Wyoming. Some other fossils were found in Canada,
specifically Alberta and Saskatchewan, and in Mongolia
located in Asia.
A Tyrannosaur was both a scavenger and a predator. It
searched for dead and rotted meat and battled other
dinosaurs. A Tyrannosaur ate plants sometimes! It ate
meat of other mammals. Believe it or not, Tyrannosaurs
sometimes ate each other!
Tyrannosaurus had a lot of enemies, like other meat eaters
(except the Compsognathus because of its size) and plant-
eaters. Sometimes in packs, Tyrannosaurus fought other
Tyrannosaurus. Their claws and teeth were their
protection. Most mammals were hard for Tyrannosaurus
to hunt, like the Brontotherium, which was a 10-15 foot,
tall sloth. Most plant-eaters were too big, like
Brachiosaurus, whose long tail could easily whack a
Tyrannosaur. Other plant-eaters, like the Ankylosaur,
used a club-like tail for protection.
Tyrannosaurus babies probably had dull green and gray
skin. Baby Tyrannosaurus started as an egg. Then the
eggs hatched and eventually grew into a full-grown adult
Tyrannosaurus.
There are many other interesting facts about Tyrannosaur.
Did you know you could tell a female Tyrannosaur from a
Animal Reports
Oscar K Brown
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
14
male Tyrannosaur? The female was larger than the
medium-sized male. A Tyrannosaur had good eyesight
and fossils of the Tyrannosaur show that it had large
visual lobes in its brain that gave visual information.
Now you know a lot of interesting facts about
Tyrannosaurus like how large it was, where it lived, and
what its babies looked like. A Tyrannosaurus was one of
the largest meat-eaters in history and fossils show us that
it had large visual lobes for good visual information.
They lived mostly in certain parts of North America,
Canada, and Asia. Don’t you agree that you would not
want to be the food for this fierce scavenger and predator.
Bald Eagles by Tariq
Did you know that Bald Eagles can see prey from 1,000
feet above? Did you know that Bald Eagles are not really
bald? Do you want to know where Bald Eagles live? In
my report you will learn all about the mighty Bald Eagle!
Everyone agrees that the Bald Eagle looks like the perfect
national symbol for the U.S.A. The Bald Eagle measure
29 to 42 inches long, head to tail. The wing span can
reach up to 8 feet long! That is about from floor to
ceiling! Did you know that the Bald Eagle has fierce,
sharp and dangerous talons? Most people know that Bald
Eagles have white feathers on their head and that they
aren’t bald. The rest of the body has brown feathers, but a
sleek white tail. Don’t you think that the Bald Eagle is a
strong and beautiful symbol for our country?
I have never seen a Bald Eagle, but I know where they
live. Bald Eagles live in 48 of 50 states in the U.S.A.
They live in lakes, marshes sea coasts and rivers where
there are plenty of fish to eat and tall trees for nesting and
roosting. Did you know, Bald Eagles that reside in the
southern U.S. migrate slightly north during the hot
summer months?
Would you believe that one of the most awesome sights in
nature is a Bald Eagle swooping down to catch and
consume a fish? Sometimes Bald Eagles eat carrion,
water fowl, snakes, and mice. It’s true that Bald Eagles
eat rabbits! They like to eat fish the most though!
Surprisingly, the Bald Eagle needs protection from
enemies. Do you realize that humans hunt Bald Eagles?
Most people agree that DDT pesticide had poisoned the
rivers and fish. By the way, Bald Eagles live in these
rivers and eat these fish. What’s so great about their
nesting is it protects them from falling down a tree. Don’t
you think that destruction of forests is a sad thing for the
Bald Eagles?
Let me explain about the Bald Eagle baby. Did you know
the mother feeds the baby and when they are older they
fly away? The mother Bald Eagle lays 1 to 3 small eggs
and sits on them for about thirty five days to keep them
warm. It is true that they are gray and fuzzy. As they get
older they look more like adult Bald Eagles.
Here are fun facts about the Bald Eagle. Did you know
that North America has 70,000 Bald Eagles? Most Bald
Eagles live in Alaska, Florida, and Canada. It is true that
Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the
national bird, but most people know that in 1787
Congress made the national bird the Bald Eagle!
Imagine you were in the woods and you see a Bald Eagle
swooping over the water to capture a fish. You would see
a powerful, massive bird diving down into a lake. You
would see the most beautiful symbol of the United States.
I hope you see a Bald Eagle, because they are famous and
very cool.
Blue Jays by Tristan
Have you ever heard a noisy blue jay? Do you think that
blue jays are the loudest bird in North America? Are blue
jays colorful? Read this report if you want to find out
more cool facts about blue jays!
Let me tell you how to find a blue jay. Blue jays are
bright blue, with a white face, black collar, and crest on
its head. Normally, you can’t tell the difference between
males and females. Blue jays weigh 2 to 4 ounces.
Usually, they are 12 inches long with 43 inch wingspans.
Most often, when you are looking for a blue jay you will
hear its loud, harsh cry.
You will find that Blue Jays live in different places. Blue
jays live in forest edges and woodlands in North America.
Often times they live in urban and suburban areas. They
like to fly to parks and garden.
It is amazing to think about the different food blue jays
eat. Bird seeds, acorns, nuts, fruits, seeds, small
vertebrates, eggs and babies from other birds, and bugs
are some of the foods they eat! Blue jays eat them from
trees, shrubs, and the ground. They also get food from
bird feeders. Sometimes blue jays use tools to get their
food. They use their bills to crack tough shells.
Blue Jays protect themselves from harmful enemies.
They use a special loud call to warn each other that
something dangerous is around. Of course, a blue jay
protects itself by flying away from enemies. Blue jays
adapt well to changes.
There are many things I can tell you about Blue Jay
babies. Mom and Dad raise babies. You will find that
there are 4 to 5 blue or brown eggs with spots in a nest.
Blue jays take 16 to 18 days to hatch. Normally, babies
look like adults.
There are other cool facts about blue jays. They nest upon
a tree. The nest is made of brown twigs and skinny sticks.
The male mountain blue jay flashes like a turquoise light.
Its mate, though, is brown, white and black. Did you
know that the blue jay is Nevada’s state bird?
If your backyard has a lot of trees, you
might see a Blue Jay’s nest. If you see a
large blue bird in your backyard and you
hear a harsh cry, you will know that it is a
blue jay. Now you know some
interesting things about blue jays, where
they live, and more. I hope you liked my
report on colorful, beautiful blue jays!
Ashur
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
15
These stories were inspired by
David Wiesner’s picture book, Tuesday
Super Frog by Cheyenne
Whoosh! Frogs flew on magical lime green
lily pads from their home at the Happy Lily
Pond. Their cherry red faces showed how
angry they were being up so high in the sky
away from the safety of their cozy, itsy-bitsy
pond. They flew down to the snow white town. As they
rode on their lily pads, clouds as white as vanilla ice
cream covered the frogs’ eyes like a blindfold. Down
towards the town, the coffee brown and forest green frogs
tumbled onto the Snackman’s flat shingled roof. They
darted to the window to see what Snackman doing.
Before they darted back to the roof, they were surprised to
see him eating a doughnut. Snackman was so focused on
eating his chocolate covered doughnuts that he never even
noticed the flying frogs. Since they knew Snackman was
busy with his midnight snack, the frogs decided to go in
his bedroom to try on his clothes. They noticed there was
an open window they could go through. As Bob the frog
tried on Snackman’s tuxedo, the other frogs were busy
putting on his socks, Hawaiian shirts, and underwear.
The funny thing was, they put the underwear on their
slimy heads. While they looked in the mirror, Snackman
was coming up the stairs to go to sleep. The frogs were
too busy to hear the footsteps coming up the stairs. When
Snackman opened the bedroom door, the frogs zoomed
under the bed. As soon as they heard a snore as loud as a
construction worker’s jackhammer, they escaped out the
open window wearing his socks, tuxedo, and underwear.
As they flew to the next house, there was a girl named
Cheyenne. She was eight years old and her favorite color
was green. She wanted to be a singer. After the frogs
went through a doggy door in Cheyenne’s kitchen, they
were curious about the sound coming from upstairs. They
flew up the stairs so fast, their breeze made glasses on the
table shake. They flew to Cheyenne’s bedroom and were
very surprised to see her in front of a mirror dancing to
Ciara and singing into her hairbrush. Too busy singing
and dancing, Cheyenne didn’t realize they were in her
bedroom. Since it looked like so much fun to two of the
frogs they decided to join in while the other three frogs
went inside her closet and tried on her clothes. Bob and
Rob, the two brother frogs, gently parked their green lily
pads on the floor on each side of Cheyenne. They started
to jump and hop around, dancing to their favorite song,
“Do the Disco Now”. As she opened her eyes, the frogs
zoomed out the window wearing her clothes.
As the frogs were flying, they noticed it was getting light.
As fast as they could, they rushed to Happy Lily Pond.
When the sun came up, the frogs went “SPLAT!” on the
ground and the lily pads landed on the pond. The frogs
thought back to the time when they could fly and ate bugs
with their sticky tongues. They would never forget how
much fun it was to dance to “Do the Disco Now” with
Cheyenne.
The Odd Tuesday by Annika “Croak!” went Greg the Frog. Greg was a chocolate
brown frog with midnight black spots. He was 5 inches
tall and weighed 3 ounces. It had always been his dream
to fly. Ever since he was a tadpole, he had been trying to
fly. One mysterious night, Greg didn’t feel the same.
Tonight was the night that his dream would come true. At
least that’s what he thought. Feeling ready to take on the
challenge Greg began to fall asleep. Right before he went
to sleep, his lily pad rose into the air. “Yaaaay”! He
exclaimed. “I’m doing it. FLYING!” However, it wasn’t
him doing it. “Okay, who’s lifting me up?” He
questioned. There was no response. In a split second, at
15 miles an hour, Greg’s lily pad began to fly towards the
center of town. “This is kind of scary!” thought Greg.
When they got to the center of town, his lily pad began to
descend but not touch the ground. He whizzed by many
houses. There was nothing interesting. People were in bed
because now it was 11:00 p.m. As he looked down at the
ground, he found a tiny little baby daisy. Outlining it was
a glimmering silver boarder. The middle looked like a
pink, bouncy eraser. Before he knew it, Greg’s lily pad
started to carry him of an old lady called “Grandma”. He
whizzed through the window and noticed a weird object.
It had shiny silver buttons. The object was made of glassy
metal. Greg thought it was called a “T.V.” There was also
a “clicker”. With all his might, Greg the Frog lifted up the
remote and pressed the number five then the number two.
In a split second, the T.V. switched to Disney Channel.
Just before “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody came on
“Grandma” looked like she was about to wake up. She
was twitching and wiggling and almost falling off of the
couch. “Run”, screamed Greg the Frog! His emerald
green lily pad zoomed out of the house through a crack in
the door. As fast as a rocket, Greg was back at his pond.
He thought back to when he found a “T.V.” and decided
next time, he would go explore the Hartford Science
Museum.
Peanut Butter Machine By Chris
This is a picture
of a machine
that will make
peanut butter out
of anything
grass, water,
leaves-- you
name it. Not to
mention, it tastes
great. There is
even switch that
will let you do
the same to
make chocolate,
meat, and ice
cream.
Hawk
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
16
Teacher By: Viktoria
When I got to school on Monday, March 12, I
saw Miss Kamienski was wearing the same
clothes as me. We had pink tops with beads and
a butterfly on the front. We have brown skirts
with beads and a butterfly. Miss Kamienski
rubbed her fingers across my hand Akaboo! I
was Ms. Kamienski’s regular size and she was
my regular size. Ms. Kamienski gasped in
surprise and then tipped her head back to look up
at me. “WOW”, she shouted “How did you do
that?” I said, “I don’t know, maybe because you
touched me.” We decided that I would be Ms. Kamienski
for the day and she would be me. I taught math to the
class and I gave the multiplication fact test. They all did
well except for a couple of students who were incorrect.
We sat at the back table and I helped them practice so
they would know how to do it. While I am teaching, Ms.
K. is learning from me. After lunch we wrote a story
about magnets. I told Ms. K.. it was fun to be a teacher.
Ms. K. told me it was fun to be a student and to learn new
things.
Chester Chapter 2 by Benjamin
This is chapter 2 in Ben’s adventure story with his mouse,
Chester.
Splash! Benji and I were jumping off a five story
building in Connecticut into a twenty-foot deep pool
when a ten foot tall cloud caught us at ten thousand feet.
It carried us over the whole state. It was amazing! You
could see the ocean from up there. Suddenly, the cloud
dropped us on a rainbow.
As soon as we hit the rainbow, Benji said, “I hit my head
on something hard.” “Yeah, my head,” I replied. As
soon as I look up, I said to Benji, “I think we’re in a
different world.” There were houses about three and a
half feet tall. “It’s a city!” I exclaimed.
In a blink of an eye, we heard a loud bell ring. A few
seconds later an army of tiny, evil leprechauns came.
“Hiisssss!” They sprayed us with laughing gas. The next
thing I knew Benji and I were tied up on the cold black
ground. All of a sudden I felt something in my pocket.
“Chester! I had forgotten I brought you along with us.”
I had Chester bite through the ropes then Chester turned
and looked at me then showed me that there was metal in
the ropes. A few moments later “Snap!” Chester used his
claw to brake through the ropes.
As we sat on the rainbow, Benji said
we should sit on the rainbow
backwards so we would make the
cloud go back home.
As soon as we were backwards we
jumped onto a cloud that carried us
home. When we got home we
decided never to jump off a building
ever again.
Fishy By Chloe
Fishy and fashy
Oh the nashy beat
Up dashy and
Then clashy then
The end
Is quite cashy
May Song Lyric by Chloe
Oh the butterflies
Sing as they swing
Happy happy happy
Oh they’re happy
Happy as they fly
Oh the butterflies
Sing as swing
Happy happy happy
Fruit by Chloe
Peach and grape were rolling down a hill
There were sharp moving rocks the first time they
Went down the hill
Grape got hit. Splat!
He splatted into ten pieces
The second time the same
exact thing happened to peach.
Saving the Trees by Jenny
Trees are tall green.
They give us oxygen.
Let’s save the trees.
Reading by Chloe
Sometimes
When I’m reading
I don’t feel like I’m anywhere
I’m just reading
Rain by
Chloe
Rain, wet, cold,
warm
Water, splish,
splash, drenching
Soaking, hard, soft
dripping
Sprinkling, drizzling
Katie
4 Latino
Sage
Emma
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
17
Colors By Ruby
Yellow, green, red, and blue
So many colors I can come through.
If I was green I’d be a bean.
Yellow, green, red, and blue
So many colors I can come through.
If I was red, I would have said
If I was green, I’d be a bean.
Yellow, green, red, and blue
So many colors I can come through.
If I was yellow, I would bellow.
Yellow, green, red, and blue
So many colors I can come through.
If I was yellow, I would bellow.
If I was red, I would have said.
If I was green, I’d be a bean.
Yellow, green, red, and blue
So many colors I can come through.
Two Cat Acrostics by Chloe
Cat: Clarabelle Fluff
Cuddly
Attacking
Terrific
Kitty
Kissable
Interesting
Terrific
Tiny
Yellow
Spring by Miranda & Maddie
Like a blooming flower climbing to the sky.
Like the sun on my face, shining so high.
A sweet sensation, like eating an ice-cream cone.
Like the feeling that you’re not alone.
Like walking barefoot on the dew wet grass.
Like the reflection in the window glass.
Like sitting in a tree way above.
Like the flowers in my garden, I very much love.
And finally, alas, Summers on its way,
A whole new poem for me to write, but for now, in my
head it shall lay.
Spring Day by Annika
On a usual spring day,
Children go out to play,
Swinging on swings,
Watching them fling,
“It is lots of fun”, they say.
A joke by Julia
Why did the boy throw butter out
the window?
He wanted to see butterfly.
Jokes By John
Knock-knock?
Who’s there?
Hatch!
Hatch who?
Ha! Ha! Made you sneeze!
Knock-knock.
Who’s there?
BOO!
Boo who?
Don’t cry, it’s just a joke.
Knock-knock.
Who’s there?
Little old lady.
Little old lady who?
Why are you yodeling?
Seasons By Maddie and Jeanne
Like a snowflake on my nose,
Like the feeling of my dog, bouncing at my toes,
Like the crisp autumn air.
You always know summer is soon to be there.
All the seasons spinning around.
To get caught in one, you are bound.
Here the wonderful sounds
Of animals everywhere,
A tweeting bird,
A neighing mare.
That is what you here, see, and feel,
In the seasons.
Lorenzo by Katie
Rude
Announcing, pushing, yelling
Waiting impatiently for everyone
Master
Lydia
Have you met kitty?
She is so super crazy.
Lilly is crazy.
Poem and Picture by Chloe
Benjamin
Gina
This is Judy the cat.
Caryssa
Literature and Beyond Southeast Literature Magazine June 2007
18
Merce
Maddie
Maddie
Aaron p. 5
Abbey p. 5
Advika p. 6 Allison p. 2, 3
Amber p. 6
Amealia p. 8 Amelia p. 7
Andrea p. 7
Andrew p. 3 Annika p. 15, 17
Ashur p. 14
Ashutosh p. 8 Ben p. 16, 17
Ben p. 2
Benji p. 4, 18 Bilal p. 8, 9
Caitlin p. 3
Cameron p. 9 Carlie p. 3
Caryssa p. 17
Catherine p. 2 Cheyenne p. 15
Chloe p. 17
Chloe p. 2, 4, 16, 17 Chris p. 15
Clayton p. 9 Cooper p. 3
Darcy p. 10
Debbie p. 10 Diana p. 10
Dylan p. 5
Emma p. 16 Eric p. 2
Ethan p. 4
Fenton p. 4 Gina p. 17
Hannah p. 10
Hawk p. 15 Jared p. 9
Jeanne p. 17
Jenny p. 11, 16 Jillian p. 3
Jiwon p. 11
John p. 17 Jonathan p. 4
Joyce p. 3
Julia p. 7, 17 Katie p. 16, 17
Kayla p. 5
Kaylee p. 11 Keeley p. 4
Liam p. 12
Liying p. 12 Lizzie p. 3
Lydia p. 17
Maddie p. 17, 18 Malcolm p. 12
Merce p. 18
Michael p. 13 Miranda p. 17
Neha p. 6
Olivia p. 3 Oscar p. 13
Ruby p. 17
Ryan p. 13 Ryan p. 9
Sage p. 16
Sophie p. 2 Taoufik p. 4
Tariq p. 14
Tristan p. 14 Viktoria p. 16
Weston p. 1
Will p. 5
Bone by Benji
Literature and Beyond: Southeast Literature Magazine 2007
Edited by Eric, Chris, Maddie, Bethie, Harrison, Quin,
Weston, Martin, Hyun-Soo, Katie, JoJo , Miranda, Andy,
Jordan, Merce, Anton and Mrs. Irvine. Thank you to Mr.
Hendricks for posting our magazine on the internet.