58 March 5 - 18, 2011
Youth
www.SanTanSun.com
SanTan Sun kids have talent! In the first issue of every month, the SanTan Sun News prints the best entries from kids in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade in a variety of categories. Congratulations to this month’s winners!
Note: If a great entry doesn’t make it into this issue because of space considerations, we will hold it over to run in a future issue. Submissions are minimally edited to preserve the writer’s voice. If your submission appears in this section, compare it to your original to help improve your writing skills.
Remember that the Kids Opportunity section will eventually print all good entries. That means that if your entry didn’t make it into this issue, it may be slated for a future one. Keep checking back, as we sometimes experience a backlog of submissions.
Hey Kids! The Birthday Dress
by Raneem Ben-Mansour Santan Elementary, Grade 6
“Mom, do you know where my coat is? I left it on the couch earlier but it vanished, or seems to be.”
It was Thu., Dec. 20, two days before my special day – my birthday and … CLUBHOUSE PARTY! I am going to turn 13. Mom is just about to take me to my best friend Angela’s house to go dress shopping. And, it was finally winter break! No school for three weeks!
“I put it in the laundry, Bella. I had to wash it,” Mom called from upstairs.
Lies by Mercedes Lopez
Basha High School, Grade 11 It’s crazy
How one thing Can lead to many. It can lead to A smile, A frown, Pain,
Excitement.
It’s crazy how one thing Can lead to every emotion. But there’s one thing it can’t lead to And that’s through life. Lies get you
One step forward But a hundred steps back.
She was getting ready also, because she had some big meeting with this guy named Noah. Dad’s not too happy about it. I fetched my coat and pushed my feet into my Uggs. I lived in Baltimore, MD, and it was freezing. I also put on my baby blue beanie. “Mom, come on,” I called impatiently.
Dad was staying home with my younger siblings, Johnny and Kathleen. “Coming!” Mom’s voice sounded closer. She came downstairs and put on her own coat and boots. “Bye!” We waved as we went out the door.
Dad waved at mom and gave her a warning look. He was not smiling, though mom did at his expression. We walked out into the freezing cold and pushed through the snow towards the car. I looked out the window but I didn’t focus on what my eyes were seeing. I was lost in my own thoughts.
I hope I find the perfect dress, long and billowy, that matches the color of my eyes ...
Suddenly the car lurched to a stop and I came to my senses. We had arrived. I made sure I had my $50, though I doubt it would be enough for shoes, let alone a dress! Mom seemed to notice that. She dug into her purse and pulled out a $100 bill and gave it to me. I gasped and looked at her, my eyes shining. Mom smiled. “Birthday present from me to you!”
I pecked her on the cheek and got out. “Thanks, Mom! Bye!” “Bye, Bella!” Mom backed out of the driveway and drove away. I walked up the steps and rang my friend’s doorbell.
“How about this one?” Angela asked.
She held up a long, strapless dark green dress. I shook my head disgustedly.
“That’s Mom’s type.” I said. Jelly by Katelin Weber Sanborn Elementary, Grade 4
There once was a puppy name Jelly Who likes to jump on your belly Watch out for his claws But he only uses his paws
Because he doesn’t want to hurt your belly.
My mom and two younger siblings had light brown hair and dark green eyes, whereas dad and I had dark brown hair and ice-blue eyes. I continued looking through racks and racks of dresses in all sorts and sizes and colors. I still hadn’t found one.
After Angela’s mom dropped us off at the mall, we had headed straight to StyleChicks, a store with the most fashionable dresses. We had been there for an hour, and only found a dress for Angela that I am insanely jealous of. It was light blue, the color of her eyes, strapless, hugged her hips perfectly and dropped abruptly to her knees in a slim, awkward sort of way. But that was the best part.
We were still looking for my dress. I looked at dress after dress, rejecting each one. Then, I saw it. The perfect dress. Ice blue, MY eye color. Long and slim like my body structure. Instead of sleeves, it had a wrap-around-your-neck thing to hold it up, leaving half the back exposed. A glittery square hung at the breast line. There was
only one word to describe: PERFECT. I didn’t think twice as I grabbed the hanger and ran to where Angela was still looking.
“Look, Angie! Isn’t it perfect?!” I cried.
Angela spun around, and when she saw the dress, her jaw dropped. It was her turn to be insanely jealous. “OMG! I am like, SO jealous!” she squealed. A couple of ladies looked over annoyed. I guess they wanted to listen to “Gimme More” by Britney Spears, which was playing over the store’s speakers. “Come on! Let’s buy them and go get shoes!” I laughed
happily.
The girl at the register looked nice, like a person who smiled a lot. Sure enough, when she saw us coming, her face broke out into the warmest smile. Her nametag read Aubree. “Hello girls! Special occasion?” she asked. “My birthday party,” I answered.
Aubree smiled even wider. “Happy birthday! I’ll take these,” she said, as she took the dresses.
She rang in Angela’s dress first and then mine. When Aubree saw my dress, though, she stopped and smiled.
“I saw this dress, a week ago, in the rack. I loved it and thought it would sell quickly, but nobody seemed to notice it. This dress matches your eyes.”
Happiness burst through me, until I saw the price flashing on the screen and it faded abruptly. “150 dollars?” I asked incredulously.
Aubree’s smile was gone. “You don’t have the money?” Sure I did, but the other 50 bucks were for shoes. I glanced at Angela hopelessly. Sure enough, she shook her head, frowning slightly. “I only have $100,” I told Aubree, taking out the creased bill to
show her.
Her face broke out into a smile as she took the bill and handed me the dress. I took it, stunned.
“The $50 is on me,” she said, taking out a $50 bill from her pocket and putting it in the register along with my $100. The 50 bucks was probably her week’s pay.
“Take the dress. I can’t not let you have it. It was made for you, I know it was.”
I smiled, tearing up a bit and glanced at Angela, who looked like she was about to cry, too.
“Thank you!” I gushed, and leaned over the counter to give Aubree a hug.
She laughed, “No problem! Bye, have a great party!” An idea came to me. “Hey Aubree,” I started, “would you like to come to my party?”
Aubree grinned. “Oh would I? I am!”
I smiled and gave her the directions and information. “I’ll be right back,” Angela said as she disappeared into a rack of dresses. She returned with a purple dress. “This would be perfect for you!” she said as she handed the dress to a very happy Aubree. “Thanks ...”
“Angela,” my friend finished. added.
Oh wow. We forgot to even give our names. “And I’m Bella,” I “Thanks, both of you!” Aubree said.
We exchanged numbers and email addresses. Angela and I walked out of the store and into the bright sunshine, filled with happiness and smiling. What a perfect day it was after all!
K.O.
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