Summer Adventure Stories

A flashback to first semester......

We've all been assigned the traditional "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" writing assignments. So on my first meeting with my workshop students last semester, I gave this assignment a fun twist. The students were to turn a true story about something they did over the summer into an adventure story. They got to pick at what point the truth turned to fantasy, and they also got to choose if, at the end, all returned to normal, or if things remained fictional. The students did a fabulous job! Amelia (3rd grade) wrote one of my favorites:

"Amelia's Trip to the Ocean in Orange County"

When I was in Orange County, I was visiting my cousins. We went to the beach. For the first time, I went boogie boarding.

One very hot afternoon, my aunt said, "Why don't we go to the beach today?" We all agreed, so we had to pack a ton of stuff. You see, my aunt has three boys, and then add me, and that's four kids. Then there was my dad, my aunt, their brothers and sisters, and then other cousins! We finally finished packing, so we got in the car.

We arrived, and I had my first boogie board ride. I was terrible. I fell off, and got water up my nose. Then I said, "I'm terrible! I can't do this! I GIVE UP!"

As I said those words, I started to see something in the sky. It was a flying horse! I said to my dad, "Daddy, do you see that?"

As I pointed at it, he said, "No, I don't know what you're talking about."

So then I knew that I was the only one seeing it.

It came down to me and said, "Don't give up, little child. I'm the Don't Give Up Magic Pegasus. Whenever I hear a little child say, 'I give up,' I come down and say, 'Don't give up. Try again little child, don't give up!'" And he flew away into the sky.

So I tried again. I remembered the horse's words. I did it, and it was all thanks to the Magic Pegasus.