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

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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

12

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.