<![CDATA[EMERALD PARENTS ASSOCIATION

<![CDATA[EMERALD PARENTS ASSOCIATION - Youth Review]]>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:57:41 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[First Snow]]>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 17:04:06 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/first-snowEmerald Youth Review 正在组织一场K-12的学生的写作和艺术比赛！

Emerald Youth Review是一个非营利博客，主要以展示华盛顿州亚裔美国青少年的写作和艺术为目标。今年冬天，我们要举办一场写作与艺术的比赛！

提交截止日期： 3月1日2026年

️ 提交作品的网站可从扫描传单上（看下面）的二维码，或是https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=OUFKmQZ8HkmAmHkAbVdd4OYuCmoJc1RAoCRB9lzOgbpURFE4WTIzWTQyWklRTFpKRVU1S1hYRU9QMy4u

获奖者的作品会在Emerald Youth Review的网站上展出，并且获得不同程度的现金奖励（看下面的传单）

如果您感兴趣的话，可以立刻开始准备参赛作品！如果有任何问题，发送邮件至empyouthreview@gmail.com。

谢谢！

Important Announcement:
Emerald Youth Review is organizing a writing and art competition for K-12 students!

Emerald Youth Review is a non-profit blog dedicated to showcasing the writing and art of Asian American youth in Washington State. This winter, we are holding a writing and art competition!

Submission Deadline: March 01, 2026

️ You can submit your work through the website linked by the QR code on the flyer below.

The winning entries will be featured on the Emerald Youth Review website, and they will receive various cash prizes (details on the flyer).

If you’re interested, start preparing your submissions now! If you have any questions, feel free to email us at empyouthreview@gmail.com.

Thank you!

]]><![CDATA[The Sounds of Summer]]>Sun, 19 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/the-sounds-of-summer-The Youth Review is proud to present our 28th series, a summer contest on the theme "The Sounds of Summer." This edition of EMP's Youth Review featured an incredible range of diverse, creative, and thoughtful submissions! We were truly blown away by the imagination and voice showcased in each piece.

The awards are as followed:

🎉 GRADES 6-12 DIVISION:

1st Place: Sounds of Summer by Bonnie Chen
2nd Place: Rattlesnake Lake by Belle Miao
3rd Place: The Sounds of Summer by Vihaan Agrawal

Honorable Mentions:
Sounds of Summer by Serena Wang
Sounds Like Summer by Katie Ching
Soundtrack of My Summer by Emma Yang

🎉 GRADES K-5 DIVISION:

1st Place: A Day at the Pool by Kaylee Yang
2nd Place: Summer Blooms by Molly Wong
3rd Place: The Melting Sun by Moksha Kandiboti

Honorable Mention:
Sounds of Summer by Aadya Mishra

Congratulations to all our winners and honorable mentions!
-EMP Youth Review]]><![CDATA[The Summer Adventure]]>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:24:55 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/the-summer-adventureWe are ecstatic to announce the selected winners of our latest call for submissions: "The Summer Adventure!" (Apologies for the delay in this post.)

In this literary and artistic showcase, pieces range from expressing an ideal summer, recounting the creator's summer experience, and fictional stories (with beautiful messages)! It has been a joy to witness the wonderful creativity of the submitters.

Winners (linked below):
1st: A Jello's Summer by Serena Wang
2nd: Family RV Trip 2024 by Enchi Kuo
3rd: My Summer Adventure by Bonnie Chen

1st: The Unforgettable Summer of 2024 by Vihaan Agrawal
2nd: My Summer Bucket List by Katie Ching

Congratulations to all!
-The Emerald Youth Review]]><![CDATA[The Unforgettable Summer of 2024]]>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:23:36 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/the-unforgettable-summer-of-2024Created by Vihaan Agrawal

The excitement in the air was palpable as I sat at home, eagerly waiting for my grandparents to reach home from the airport. After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived, their eyes twinkling with joy as they stepped into our home. The long flight from India couldn't dim their enthusiasm. With hugs and warm greetings, we welcomed them into our world, ready for the adventures that lay ahead.
The first few days flew by in a blur of catching up and settling in. The very same weekend, we decided to take my grandparents to a little village about three hours away from our home called Leavenworth. The vibrant colors, tiny shops, and bustling atmosphere greatly appealed to them. We spent the day roaming about, snapping pictures, and eating Bavarian food. Shortly after our trip to Leavenworth, we planned a day trip to a nearby national park. My grandparents, who had always loved nature, were thrilled. We hiked through trails, admired waterfalls, and even spotted a couple Marmots. As it was only June, there was still plenty of old snow and ice. Enough to look like a winter wonderland, and since snow is a rare sight in India, they absolutely adored it.
We introduced my grandparents to some of our favorite cuisines, such as Thai, German, Japanese, and Ethiopian cuisines. In return, grandma cooked up simply scrumptious food, for 42 days the kitchen became a trip back to India, with the aroma of spices filling the house. As we sat down to Eat meals together, they shared stories of my father and his brother’s childhood in India, making the experience even more special. Along with grandma’s cooking, my grandparents and I made it a point to play at least 1game of cards every night. Whether it be Moongus, Laal Paan, Courtpeice, 3 2 5, or 6 9. All the games I mentioned in this list is a traditional Indian game which was taught to me by them. In addition to that, they taught me different strategies and tricks to make me better at those games. Another part of our schedule was our morning exercise. Because they usually took an invigorating walk every morning in India, my grandpa and I usually played cricket or badminton, and sometimes both for about an hour a day, while grandma worked towards her daily goal of completing 7,000 steps per day.
The biggest highlight of the visit was the bond that grew between my grandparents and me. We spent hours together, playing games, telling each other stories, and learning from each other. It was truly some of the best, and liveliest 42 days of my life. Full to brim with stories, laughter, marvelous food, and the most important, the comforting presence of grandma, and grandpa.
The final day arrived way too soon. We drove to the airport with heavy hearts, knowing that it was time for my grandparents to return to India. There were tears and long hugs as we said our goodbyes. But as they walked towards the gate, they turned around and waved, promising to visit again soon. We waved back, grateful for the 42 days of love, joy, and unforgettable memories.

]]><![CDATA[My Summer Bucket List]]>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:21:39 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/my-summer-bucket-listCreated by Katie Ching

I drew this piece to list all the things I would accomplish during my dream summer. Most of these are things I like to do during the summer, but have not done them all in the same summer yet. Some of them are also things I haven't done before, but wish to do. Here's how it goes: I would like to go to the beach, go blueberry picking, travel to Brazil, go to a pool party, visit a farm, and crochet.

]]><![CDATA[A Jello's Summer]]>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:19:36 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/a-jellos-summerCreated by Serena Wang

           Perhaps you have heard about the city FruitLiddle. If you have heard of the city, then you probably also know what the city does best. Like all other places, the city of FruitLiddle is unique. But unlike other cities, which might specialize in making cars or computers, FruitLiddle is best at making jello.
   They made their jello purely by hand. In fact, it was even a law that machine-made jello would be banned and the maker of it would be fined up to a million dollars! Because the jello were made by hand, there was something quite special about them that even the people of FruitLiddle didn’t know.
   Every summer, the jello would come to life! This was because in the summer, people consumed more jello than in the other months. In the winter, the jello froze in their packages, which made them horribly hard and inedible. In the Autumn, people were too busy buying warmer clothes, having less money for other things. In the Spring, the jello had just thawed and was too moist. But in the summer, it was hot, so a nice, cool jello became much needed.
   This was why, in the summer, jello came to life. Before the humans came to buy them, the jello would claim a spot at the very back of the shelf, where they would make themselves comfortable and pray they would go unnoticed for the year. However, most jello didn’t go unnoticed and were soon sold. But every year, newly made jello replaced the old. This summer, the jello were determined to survive again. A young jello named Jellys was especially excited. The store she was born in was a tiny shop named “Jello Hello.” It sold only jello. The shopkeeper, who was a short old man with graying hair and wrinkles, had devoted his time to trying out new recipes.
The door had a bronze bell on it and it would ring whenever a customer pulled the door open. When it sounded, the jello would scurry back to their spots on the shelf.
The old man would stand up from his place at the cash register and say “Welcome!” before taking the customer by the arm and giving them a tour of the shop.
Then, he would step back and say, “Ask me if you need anything.”
The shelves that held the jello were made of oak wood. The elderly man had placed all the jello in plastic crates. He marked their flavors, brands and prices on a little tag.
On the back of the tags, he always wrote: “Please put the jello back where you found it.”
Jellys lived with two other jello. They were both very well made and beautifully decorated. One of them, named Juniper, had slender slices of peach and chunks of pineapple arranged in a swirly pattern in her, as well as shiny, orange-colored gelatin. The other, Jack, had melon bits inside him and paired with a minty green gelatin color, it looked fresh and clean. Jellys had a pale yellow gelatin color and only a humble slice of mandarin orange for decoration. When she woke up that summer morning, the first thing she saw were her friends, still sound asleep next to her. How they glimmered in the summer sun! Their fruit slices were carefully sliced and arranged.
They were the living image of a person’s dream jello. Jellys saw a tall glass mirror adjacent to her shelf. She looked around cautiously. A sign hung on the door. It said: “Closed! Please come back later.”

Click Read More

There were no humans in sight. The only sound was the deep breathing coming from the jello asleep near her. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Jellys climbed down to the floor. Then, she ran to the mirror. When she got there and saw herself, she stopped short. Her gelatin was shiny but not as fresh looking as Jack’s and not as slippery as Juniper’s. She only had one mandarin slice for decor and it looked small and unappealing. Jellys turned around and gazed at the other jello, who were asleep in their crates.
The jello pouches had colorful pictures on them. All Jellys had was an expiration date printed on her back. The mini jello were cute and pastel colored. Jellys was quite big and the tiny mandarin decoration in her was almost unnoticeable because of her large size. Poor Jellys was close to tears.
“What a terrible summer this is bound to be!” she cried. “All of them will mock me for sure.”
Suddenly, Jellys heard a rattling noise. It was coming from the doorknob! Someone was coming in. Panicked, Jellys darted behind a potted plant in the corner of the room. A moment later, the door swung open. The elderly man walked in, holding his cane. He hung up the “Open” sign for the door and then went to the broom closet behind the cash register table. He took out a dirty broom and immediately started sweeping. As he walked past the crate Jellys slept in, he paused.
“That’s odd,” he murmured, loud enough for Jellys to hear. “Where did that jello go?”
Behind the pot, Jellys shivered.
“Hmmm…” the old man stroked his short, scruffy beard. “Oh well,” he said finally, “I didn’t need that jello anyway. It wasn’t my best work.”
Then, sighing, the old man opened the windows and then walked to the cash register. Too stunned to move, Jellys replayed the last few minutes in her head. The old man had walked in and noticed she had gone missing. But he didn’t care. No one would care. If she left one day, no one would notice. Nobody would miss her or mention her. Life would go on.
She heard the old man go into his jello crafting studio, which was a small room in the shop that was locked most of the time. Slowly, Jellys peeked out from behind the potted plant. Some of the other jello had begun to awaken. Even if they were half-asleep and their faces sagged with exhaustion, they still looked like perfect jello.
Jellys’ thoughts were interrupted by a soft breeze that blew in through the open door.
Even though the sun was hot, the wind cooled it down. But it couldn’t cool Jellys’ shame and jealousy. Looking out at the city streets, Jellys imagined escaping the old man’s store forever.
Perhaps she would find her place in a trash can with other unwanted jello like her. If she wanted to, she could’ve. She still had a few minutes before customers would start streaming into the shop.
“I have to go,” Jellys decided, “I am the only one who is sloppily made.”
Even though Jellys did not want to be eaten, she sometimes wished that someone… anyone… could just pick her up and say, “Wow! This is the jello I want to eat!”
But that was a fanciful dream.
Just as Jellys was about to leave the shop, a voice called, “Jellys? Where are you?” Turning around, Jellys saw Juniper’s head peek out from the crate.
“Jellys! We have to leave soon!” said Jack.
Jellys nodded absentmindedly. She would have to find another time to escape when nobody was watching.
“Coming!” she shouted and ran back to the crate.
Most jello wanted a spot at the back of the shelf to avoid getting eaten but Jellys, without any hesitation, asked for a spot in the very front.
“Jellys… are you crazy?” asked Juniper.
Jack shrugged, “Maybe it’s the summer heat.”
Jellys just smiled and shook her head, “Thanks. But I need to know if someone wants me.”
Jack laughed, “Who would want you?”
Juniper gave him a look. She turned back to Jellys, “I know it would make you happy to be noticed, Jellys, but you don’t understand the tradeoff. Being perfect doesn’t always mean being happy.”
“If I can just be noticed for once, I will feel fulfilled,” Jellys replied.
Juniper sighed and said, “Very well,” before shuffling to her spot in the very back.
***
Just as the last jello found their hiding spot, a human walked into the shop. He was a boy with red hair and light freckles, and he wore a friendly smile on his face.
“Welcome,” the elderly man said, standing up from the cash register.
The boy nodded at the old man and immediately began to look around.
He took a look at the pouch jello, then asked, “Sir, are these low-calorie?”
The old man scratched his scruffy beard, “No, kid. I’m afraid they aren’t. But see those jello over there?”
He pointed at the crate Jellys was in. “Those are low-calorie and have less sugar. Exactly the type for health-nuts like you.”
The boy grinned. “Thank you, sir. How much are they?”
“Two dollars per jello.”
The boy walked to Jellys’ crate. He peeked inside. He picked Juniper up and stared at her thoughtfully. As he held her, Juniper shivered uncontrollably. “I don’t like pineapple,” the boy said finally, setting Juniper down. He looked at Jellys.
“Does this one have anything in it?” he asked, squinting. After a few awkward moments, the boy chuckled, “Yup. There’s a tiny mandarin orange. I like mandarins but there’s only one slice in there.”
As he said this, Jellys felt a wave of disappointment. Finally, when someone had finally noticed her, they didn’t want her because she hardly had any fruit. Jack smirked and Juniper gave her a gentle nudge. Finally, the boy shifted his gaze to Jack. Jellys thought she saw his eyes go wide.
“Perfect!” the boy cried.
Then, holding Jack in one hand, he ran to the cash register. “That will be two dollars,” the old man said.
The boy pulled out the money and handed it to him. Jack squirmed around in the boy’s palm but couldn’t free himself.
“Help!” he squeaked.
Juniper sobbed, “Poor Jack… I can’t believe he was the first one…”
Jellys froze. Jack had laughed at her when she talked about her hopes and dreams. He had said it was impossible. Did a jello like that really deserve to be saved? But then she saw Juniper crying next to her. She saw the other jello cower in fear. When she turned around to look at Jack, their eyes met and she saw him pleading silently. Suddenly, she knew what to do. Quietly, she jumped down from the shelf and rolled to the boy’s foot. As the boy turned around to leave, he slipped on her!
Jellys’ big size made her very easy to slip on but her lack of shiny gelatin and beautiful fruits made her also unnoticeable. As the boy fell, his hand loosened and he let go of Jack, who quickly ran behind a potted plant. Jellys felt terribly dizzy. The spot where the boy had stepped on her was squished and a bit bruised.
Before passing out, she heard the boy yell angrily, “I can’t believe this! Not only did I fall, I also lost the jello I just paid for! I need a refund!”
The old man looked shocked but he reluctantly gave the boy back his two dollars. That was the last thing Jellys saw… and then everything went black.
***
Jellys felt herself being dropped somewhere. She landed on a flat surface with a small “thump!”
“Jellys?” a voice called.
It sounded close, yet so far away. Jellys thought she heard whispers all around her. Then, she saw a small dot of light. It was blurry at first but it grew brighter and brighter, until she realized that it wasn’t just a dot. It was the light from the sun.
She was in her crate, with Juniper and Jack staring down at her. Juniper looked anxious and her eyes were red. Jack maintained an expressionless face.
“Jack? Juniper?” Jellys asked.
“You saved Jack’s life…” said Juniper disbelievingly, “We almost thought it was the end for you.”
Jellys smiled weakly, “It was nothing. I just… knew it was the right thing to do. What happened? All I remember is passing out on the floor. How did I get here?”
“After the boy left, the old man saw you on the ground and he picked you up. We thought because you were a little squished he would just throw you away, but he just threw you carelessly into our crate and went back to his jello studio,” said Juniper.
“Where is he now?” Jellys asked feebly.
“He closed early and went home,” said Juniper. “We’re safe… at least for the day, thanks to you.”
There was a moment’s pause and then Jack blurted, “Thank you!” before falling silent again.
Jellys sat up. She smiled at Juniper and all the other jello watching from their crates. Some of the pouch jello smiled back before turning around to talk to their friends. The tiny cup jello bounced around happily as they played, free of worry.
Jellys knew she would never forget this summer. It was the summer she had learned that not all jello are created equal, and even if that wasn’t fair, all jello were created for a reason. This was also the summer when Jellys realized that learning a valuable lesson, helping a friend and being brave were more important than having everything go as planned. After all, she had wanted to be noticed and she had, but in a different way. Life at Jello Hello would only keep improving and she was determined to live her summers happily.
THE END

]]><![CDATA[Family RV Trip 2024]]>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:15:25 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/family-rv-trip-2024Created by Enchi Kuo

This summer our family took a 10-day RV road trip to the beautiful Oregon. It was so much fun! We went to Smith Rock where you can see a huge monkey-faced boulder and many rock climbers. We walked behind a tall majestic waterfall. We visited the Bonneville Damn which is home to a 90-year old 500-pound “Herman” the Sturgeon. We built sand castle on South Beach soaking in the golden sunset. We also climbed the Peter Iredale shipwreck which sunk and ran onshore in 1906. Not to mention sleeping in the Mt Hood national forest and all the s’mores we roasted over camp fire. We had such a great time we didn’t want to come back home :)

]]><![CDATA[My Summer Adventure]]>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:09:32 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/november-26th-2024Created by Bonnie Chen

It all started on a clear sunny day, when the sky turned dark and rain clouds filled the sky that used to be clear. I was just taking a swim in the shallow parts of the Pacific Ocean when I saw this happen. This had to be the most terrifying moment in my life. I was contemplating what to do when a gigantic wave crashed above me, and I was pushed forward by the water. I didn’t know I fell asleep until I woke up.
I was on a sandy beach somewhere. The silky soft and warm sand felt soothing underneath my cold body. Thankfully, the wave didn’t wash me up too far, as the tips of my toes were moist and still touching wet, warm sand. Unfortunately, I couldn’t seem to move. The sun shining on me seemed to be pinning me down to the ground. Before I knew it, I fell asleep of exhaustion again. When I gained consciousness again, the burning afternoon sun was scorching me. I never felt this dehydrated before until today. A cool breeze suddenly swayed the trees, and a sudden wave cooled my body… but wait. I wasn’t on the beach anymore. I was in water. This water didn’t seem very natural though. I was inside some kind of container. The first thought that came into my mind was that I was being kidnapped. Then suddenly the container holding me rocked back and forth and the water sloshed loudly inside. I was lifted and carried away.
My body hasn’t regained power yet, so I helplessly floated inside the half empty container of water. I was put into a trunk of a car and my mysterious kidnapper and I drove around for a while. I heard screams and a girl towered above me. I glared at her and her family came to see what was happening. I sent a side eye to each of them. The next thing that happened outraged me. The family of three left me in the container.
I sat there for hours and hours until a new day came again. The girl, I think her name was… Ellie? She took me to a huge campus. The campus had multiple buildings, and I couldn’t keep track of where I was. I heard her talking to an adult saying: I brought a friend today… its, ok?... Alright… Despite what Ellie said, she still placed my container roughly by her desk. I was glad that I was the center of attention, but I wasn’t enjoying how everyone thought I was “so cute”. When class began, the teacher rambled on and on about playwriting and boring stuff like that, but when we got to writing the plays, I was interested. It seemed so fun to write a whole story and plot how the characters talk with each other.
After the class, I thought we were going home, but Ellie took me to a cafeteria, and she ate her lunch. She tried to feed me some smelly leftovers, but little did she know that I couldn’t eat it. Finally, I got ready to be packed into the car to go home. Surprisingly, Ellie brought me to another class. In this class, the teacher didn’t make any introductions, and we got right into the activity. Ellie opened her computer and started dragging colorful blocks around. It was like playing with Legos but on a computer. Later I learned that this activity was called coding. My head was spinning with all the colors of the blocks. Ellie dragged all the blocks into one monstrosity, and with a click of a button, a beautiful animation popped up. It was magical. I couldn’t help thinking about how this was alike to the playwriting camp. The actors were the blocks, and the result of the coding was how the play came together and smoothly ran. Time flew by and we had to go home. I didn’t realize it back then, but nobody seemed to realize the weird container by Ellie’s desk.
The week of camp passed by fast, and Ellie had to return me back to the ocean, she knew it. The drive to the beach seemed to pass in the blinking of an eye. During this week my human owner seemed to warm up to me, although I don’t think I feel the same… Not long after Ellie’s family said goodbye to me, Ellie released me into the water, and I swam freely as a moon jellyfish once again.
THE END

]]><![CDATA["We Were Neighbors"]]>Mon, 17 Jun 2024 20:45:41 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/we-were-neighbors9907252Welcome to the recognized work of our latest call for submissions, "We Were Neighbors!"

Our 18th series came with submissions of supportive neighborhood communities, dangerous and suspenseful horror tales and even the "neighborhoods" of thoughts within our minds!

We were blown away by our submitters and thank them for their hard work. It was the greatest pleasure to be able to review and provide feedback for these wonderful pieces of art and writing.

Featured:

Our Global Neighborhood, a community anthem by Katie Ching.

Old Man Sith, the tale of a close escape by Vihaan Agrawal.

Whispers Beyond the Fence, a deep dive of generational secrets by Allison Li.

We Were Neighbors, art + writing about two unlikely friends by Bonnie Chen.

You and Me, an inside look to a girl's thoughts by Serena Wang.

Thank You my Neighbor! a heartwarming art of appreciation by Mika Ching.

It Starts With Me, a message about building the community by Enchi Kuo.

We hope to see such great works again in our next Call for Submissions. This series has truly been a joy to experience.

Sincerely,
The Youth Review editing team]]><![CDATA[Our Global Neighborhood]]>Mon, 17 Jun 2024 20:40:51 GMThttps://www.emeraldparents.org/youthreview/our-global-neighborhood

Katie Ching is a 9th grader at Stanford OHS.

"I was inspired to make this piece after a recent trip to Turkey and the UAE, which opened my eyes to the fact that as people, we're so distant physically, yet so close in other aspects. The famous landmarks in the drawing symbolize physical distance between people, and the string of people holding hands is used to represent people from different countries. This is to say that it doesn't matter where a person lives, what their nationality is, what language they speak, or where they're from, what matters is that we're all people, and all value similar things. As you may notice, the people in the drawing are "reflected" under the landmarks. This is because people may not live in the country they are from, but they are still part of our global community. A bit on the title, I titled my piece "Our Global Neighborhood" to represent the same theme as I have just described. The "global" part describes the physical distance and diversity between people around the world, while the "neighborhood" part describes a sense of community and closeness, disregarding the various barriers they might face between each other. The title was intentionally made an oxymoron, to contrast the largeness of the world, and the smallness of a neighborhood."

]]>