Grades 4–5
Fantasy/SciFi, NarrativeWritingDlarim lived on the southern part of the planet Glarth. Planet Glarth was lush, humid, and had lots of lakes that were as deep as oceans and as green as toxic slime. All of the monsters were gross, ugly, slimy, and horrible. They had sharp teeth and they were tall as redwoods, strong as bulldozers, and scary. They had five arms, but it was hard to tell because of all of the slime on them. They were as fat as elephants and each had 12 eyes and seven legs.
Dlarim was a good monster—not ugly, gross, or big, because he cleaned himself up. That made the other monsters think he was weird. He had less limbs and weight than the other monsters, because he was smaller. That made him scared of the other monsters. He really wanted a friend that he could trust, but he couldn’t trust anyone—they tell the other monsters that he was a good, and who knows what they might have done? They might have put him into a special school to make him have a blank attitude. Then, he would not have been good or evil, helpful or unhelpful. He would not have had any feelings. Or, they might have brainwashed him to make him actually evil, and Dlarim did not want any of those things to happen.
Dlarim was working on making a spaceship to get to another planet to find a friend, but he couldn’t tell anyone, because they would have gotten suspicious.
“I can’t wait ‘til I’m done building this spaceship!” Dlarim excitedly whispered to himself.
Dlarim was almost done with the spaceship. It was big enough for only one living thing and its luggage to fit. It had large holes at the bottom for the fire to come out so it could fly. It had one window on the only door on the spaceship. VRRRR, BANG, BANG, VRRRR. He drilled in the last screw. Dlarim turned all the switches on.
“Lift off in 10 . . . 9 . . . 8 . . . 7 . . . 6 . . . 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1. Goodbye, planet Glarth!”
Dlarim laughed as the engines of the spaceship turned on, fire came out of its bottom, and it flew to who knows what planet.
The next thing he knew, he landed on a planet: planet Earth.
“Where am I?” Dlarim asked.
When someone saw him, she called the police. Two scientists named Sky and Jeremy were both very smart and had lab coats. Sky had curly short black hair and a below average height and weight. Jeremy had slick brown hair and an average height and weight. They’d found out about an alien on planet Earth.
“We have to get that monster!” Sky exclaimed.
“But how?” Jeremy asked.
“We have to find him and chase him down. We don’t know how fast he can run or how smart he is,” Sky answered. They had no idea. Dlarim had six legs and was as smart as Albert Einstein. The scientists tried to capture Dlarim, and they chased him into my house.
When I saw him, I was scared. I didn’t know what to do.
“What are you?” I gasped.
“I am Dlarim. I am from planet Glarth. Can I hide here?” he asked. “The scientists are trying to get me.”
“Yes,” I said. “For how long?”
“As long as it takes for the scientists to give up,” Dlarim answered.
“OK, but stay hidden from my mom. She will freak out if she sees you,” I warned him.
On the third night that he was there, the scientists kidnapped Dlarim and put him in a car. They almost made it to the lab when Dlarim used his laser eyes to escape. He started running home.
The scientists learned from their mistakes, so they made a cage out of metal that couldn’t be melted by any heat from planet Earth.
Dlarim’s laser eyes were out of this world, literally, so he escaped again.
The rover on Mars soon found a metal that could hold Dlarim.
So, when Dlarim and I were playing at the park, the scientists snuck up behind him and captured him. He tried to escape, but the metal successfully held him.
The scientists were about to give him shots when I came in and tried to help him escape. I tried to steal the key from Jeremy, but he kept it in his pocket and he put a lock on this pocket. I tried to break the metal cage, but that obviously didn’t work if Dlarim could not escape. When I went out of the lab, a UFO came, and there was another alien like Dlarim!
I went to go talk to him, and he was a good alien like Dlarim of the same species from planet Glarth. His name was Hsoj. I found out that he was from the northern part of planet Glarth. That part was cold and gloomy, and it rained every day. Hsoj came to Earth because he thought he was the only good monster, too. Hsoj and I made a plan to help Dlarim escape. He wanted to help because he was a good alien too, and he thought it wasn’t right for someone to lock an alien up to do tests. He distracted the scientists by running past them and having them chase him while I stole the key and helped Dlarim escape.
Three years passed and the scientists chased them down, but finally they gave up. After that, Dlarim and Hsoj came out of hiding, and we all were friends. We went to school together and everybody heard about what happened. We played games. Not video games though, because with their 8 fingers on each hand, they would always win. We just did normal things that kids do, except that they are aliens.
Everything that happened after that was normal. Not really, because there was an alien living in my house . . . but you know what I mean.
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This collection of zany, adventurous monster tales—penned by fourth and fifth grade students from Brentano Math & Science Academy in Chicago—invites you to walk within dark tunnels, through explosive science labs, and into strange forests to explore beastly worlds unknown. Each piece provokes, tantalizes, and surprises you... perhaps even makes you gasp—or shout—OMG! An 826CHI Young Authors' Book Project.
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An elegy for corn.
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A magical mountain quest to save a mermaid.
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by Caira N., Grade 5, 826NYC
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by Juna, 826michigan
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by Jack, Grade 5, 826 New Orleans
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by Salma, Grade 5, 826 Boston
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A poem that tastes like pepperoni pizza.
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by Uma, 826NYC
A witty set of foolproof pickup lines.
by Ava Tassinari, 826 Boston
A story about a bullying incident on the school bus.
by Keila, 826michigan
An "I Am From" poem. English and Spanish versions included.
by Kathryn, 826NYC
A very scientific origin poem about french fries, starting with an argument between the sun and the moon.
by Robert, 826CHI
A poem that explores the struggles of mine workers.
Neveah H., Grade 5, 826NYC
Brooklyn is the place to be over the summer! A young writer reflects on how summertime cookouts bring family and community together.
by Alan, 826DC
This poem describes the thoughts of hunger.
by Kelsey F., Grade 5, 826 Valencia
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by Victor, 826 Valencia
This student gives thanks to ordinary objects in an ode.
by Clara, 826 Valencia
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by Jalen, 826NYC
A series of superhero haiku inspired by engineering secret lairs.
by Camila R.G., Grade 4, 826LA
In this letter, a student asks the next U.S. President to help the homeless.
by Ramatoulie, 826DC
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by Zaid Rodriguez, 826 Valencia
This story immerses the reader in sensory details to tell the tale of what lies behind a mysterious door.
by Natalie, 826 Valencia
A recipe for how to create a legendary rapper.
by Charm R., Grade 5, 826 New Orleans
This poem tells the story of a courageous little bird.
by Meredith, 826michigan
A poem about globe-sized dreams.
by Naomi, 826michigan
A (mostly) love letter to a kiwi with delicious imagery.
by Travis Cao, Age 8, 826 Valencia
This poem shows the importance of saying thank you to yourself!
by Ivan Newton Ponce, 826 Valencia
This poem uses sensory details to describe the writer's favorite places.
by Winta, 826DC
A concise but essential list of survival tips in the event of a sweet disaster.
by Claire, 826CHI
A poem about “unfinding” what was known and learning to explore.
by Muawiye, 826 Boston
In this resolution inspired by the "Include Someone" lesson and Cartoon Network storyboard, we learn that the act of inclusion begins with feeling empathy.
by Oscar, 826CHI
The story of a lifetime—literally.
by Marisol, 826michigan
A young girl's poem about all the life she sees in her yard. English and Spanish versions included.
by Alfredo Enriquez-Aguilar, 826 Valencia
Have you ever wanted to care for a dragon? This poem teaches you how.
by Johny, 826 LA
A riveting interview with Godzilla, Superman, and Dragonbolt—a cast of characters that will try to outdo one another before this TV special is up.
by Simone, 826michigan
A poem about appreciating trees and why we should study them.
by Alyssa, Kevin, Gustavo, Jocelyn, and Gabriel, 826LA
In science class, Victoria the Manticore makes fun of Carla the Witch for using magic, and a few bystanders step in to take a stand against bullying.
by Daphne, 826 Valencia
A girl named Chloe embarks on a heroic mission after discovering a new super-identity: Fluffy Justice!
Dylan Sanderson, Grade 5, 826NYC
A student dreams of the most joyful place in the world--somewhere with their family and money!
Rachel G., Grade 5, 826NYC
A young writer teaches us the value of learning about different cultures.
by Ayelen C., Age 9, 826 Valencia
A student's sweet letter to their grandmother.
by Jeffrey, 826DC
In this "I Wish" poem, written in both Spanish and English, a student dreams of a more colorful world.
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Inspired by Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this piece contains a series of journal entries and rules for a new sport by fictitious NASA operative Agent Smitty.
Ren, 826 New Orleans
In this poem, a student explores what summer means to them.
by Dahlia-Rose, 826NYC
A field guide to Queen Anne’s Lace and a day in the life from a flower’s perspective.
by Kevin J. Ortiz, 826DC
A personal narrative about a trip to Ocean City, a lonely puppy, and sharing our fears with others.
by Emma D., Grade 4, 826LA
A plea to the next President to provide better access to mental health treatment for youth.
by Marvin, Grade 5, 826CHI
A troubled ghost haunts a boy’s dreams.
by Talia, 826NYC
A creative field guide to Sea Lettuce.
by Smila H., Age 10, 826LA
A powerful acrostic poem that shares an encouraging message.
by Hanako M., Age 10, 826michigan
A "sense"-sational poem about the flowers in their yard.
by Luis Cornejo, age 9, 826 Valencia
A student recalls the first time they saw a ghost.
by Maria, 826 Valencia
This student gives thanks to ordinary objects in an ode.
by Giannyl Guerrero Cabral, 826 Boston
A practical list of ways anyone can stop bullying.
Nasir Farmer, Age 8, 826 Boston
Our protagonist attempts to evade a boogieman invasion.
by Victor, 826 Valencia
An ode to Beans, Rice, and Chicken.
by Jaceon B., Grade 4, 826 New Orleans
A student describes their butter covered imaginary friend.
by Erriyanna, 826michigan
An epic poem about a younger sister. English and Spanish versions included.
by Javier, 826DC
A student wishes for unexpected pops of color.
by Vanessa, 826CHI
A story about a mermaid named Luna and the epic battle to save Benzo, a rainbow-colored kingdom, using the power of love.
Roberto Misael Aguilera, Age 9, 826 Valencia
Discover the fearful T-Rex Koala--koala by day, monster by night!
by Athena, 826NYC
An "I Am From" superhero persona poem.
Raven, 826 New Orleans
You guessed it—an ode to cookies.
by Elena Chambers, 826michigan
Thinking of Cherry Coke lip gloss, community, and dancing, this narrator celebrates life from their front stoop.
by Kaitlyn, 826NYC
A creation myth reimagined in a poem.
by Carolyn Danielle Wong, Age 9, 826 Valencia
In this poem, the writer showcases self-love and joy.
by K.M., 826DC
In this piece, a student describes the challenges of being a superhero and reflects on their power to shine.
Dominick Contreras Rodriguez, age 9, 826 Valencia
A student traces his identity through food and family.
by Selene Freudenberg, 826michigan
This hero’s journey leads an unlikely suspect into a land of books with a plot-disrupting villain who must be destroyed in order to save a multitude of characters, including Harry Potter!
Ms. Lowe’s Fourth Grade Class at Roberto Clemente Learning Academy in Detroit, Michigan
An example of a "Neighborhood Poem" created as a class as part of 826Michigan's Rare Air/Aire Raro Young Authors' Book Project.
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