One lovely day at Friendship Town, a sky-blue colored friendship was walking around in the tube-shaped town. Each little friendship was shaped like a bean and had different colors. They were all unique, with different sizes and shapes. They had big intelligent eyes, small cherry-like mouths, and the ability to read minds and turn invisible.
The sky-blue colored friendship was called Cloud. She was a normal little friendship. She knew very clearly that in this town everyone had a job, and the job was to deliver joy and friendship to everybody in the human world. The friendships usually took turns every day to deliver joy and friendship to the humans. Today was a special day to Cloud because it was her chance to deliver friendship. She hopped onto her friendship mobile and then rode it carefully into space and onto the human world. The friendship world was really close to the human world so Cloud could easily cross the friendship bridge that led to the human world. Cloud found a little girl weeping under a tree. She opened her pouch of friendship beans and carefully spread it over that girl. The girl suddenly lit up. She jogged all the way down a hill until she found another little girl. They made friends quickly. They not only played together but cared for one another. When one of them was feeling sad, the other one comforted her. Cloud tiptoed back to her friendship mobile and then softly drove back to the bridge and went back to her village. The next day it was Cloud’s friend, Diamond’s turn to go. After a while Diamond got back but something bad had happened. Her friendship mobile was on fire and one of her legs was bleeding. Cloud was very surprised, and she was frustrated that she couldn’t figure out who did this to her friend. Cloud decided to investigate. She went to the mysterious human world. Cloud discovered that it was a dark, evil spirit that was hurting the humans. The evil spirit took away friendships from humans and now the human world turned into a dark world. Every person bullied each other and every day their expressions were cloudy and stormy. They also lost their passion for living. Cloud decided to gather in her town for a council meeting. They discussed the evil spirit and how they could stop the evil spirit. The evil spirit’s power made the friendship beans wither and disappear. In the end Cloud came up with a great idea. She knew that the friendship beans had unique ingredients which were “Smile” and “Hi”. She had a secret recipe to grind the friendship beans into powder. Finally, it took two weeks to prepare the powder and then Cloud quietly rode her mobile to the human world. She turned invisible immediately, because she didn’t want the humans to notice that she was there. She quietly walked toward one human and then spread some powder over that human. The magic happened! The human immediately smiled, and her face lit up. She skipped to another human and spread kindness all over the human. Cloud discovered that she didn’t need to spread powder on everyone because kindness would automatically spread through the world and make everyone happy and kind. Finally, Cloud was done with her job, so she went home and wrote a book. The book talked about her adventures and how friendship changed the world. (P.S This book is the book Cloud wrote!)
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We are now open for submissions to our latest series: "Friendship".
From the sweaty camaraderie of a soccer match to the firelit community of a group campsite, our experiences with friends make us who we are. We're nourished by friendships in untold ways; our innate need to understand and support each other made all the more acute by the isolating nature of the past year. Great friendships take on a personality of their own, often sparked by little more than a cool lunchbox or a tussle on the monkey-bars: developing into afternoons of sharing inside jokes, crazier and crazier games, and eventually a kind of fierce solidarity of identity. Stretching beyond classroom numbers or cultural divide, friendship fortifies us as a matter of choice, creating personal identity as much as it reaches beyond it. We want your real stories about friendship; epic tales about friendship forged through bloody conquest; artwork that dwells on a shared meal or simple conversation. Send your work to YouthReview@emeraldparents.org by Friday, October 15th. Remember to include your name, grade and school, and an (optional) headshot with your piece! In Which Luna Convinces Her Mom
Luna had her mind all on the poster she read yesterday. She didn’t hear one word that her teacher had said. She either had not paid attention, or learned anything new. After class, Luna wandered over to the same poster that hung right down the street of her classroom. She glanced away, but looked back. Luna made her choice. Though it might be impossible, Luna would try to persuade her mom to let her go to the secret island. She walked closer to her home. Once she arrived, she became more confident she could do it. “I have something to say,” Luna said when she closed the door. “Huh?” Ada asked, a little startled. “We’re listening, Luna,” said Mrs. Luni. “Alright. Well, I saw this sign on the streets. Basically, a few people can go together to investigate a mysterious island, and well . . .” “You are telling me that you want to go?” Mrs. Luni interrupted, gasping. “I guess so . . . Ada can also go with me.” Luna said. “No, there is no possible way. Luna, you are only eleven. Why don’t you ask someone else to help you investigate?” said Mrs. Luni. “Please? We really want to help!” Luna and Ada both stared at their mom. “Hmm . . . I guess you both can go this time.” Ada and Luna scampered upstairs to prepare their things. “I can't wait!” Luna said to Ada while they were packing. “You got me into this,” Ada said. “Even though I'm starting to worry I’m also bursting with excitement.” Ada had just packed her last thing. In our "Homeland" series of art and writing, our contributors distill the act of returning to their family's home country into moments of cultural pride, learning, and awe.
One surprising highlight of being in Shanghai, for contributor Teresa Jiang? Breakfast. Read more through her essay The Real Warriors. For Brendon Wang, going home to Xi'an was a roller-coaster ride involving bad candy, one fateful friendship, and fireworks. Read more through his essay "Homeland". Born in Kirkland, contributor Derek Wang views our national parks as one great expression of his homeland's beauty. Read more through his essay "My Homeland". Finally, contributor Grace Li captures the iconic giant panda through her resplendent artwork, Chengdu Panda. Our gratitude to our contributors and the Emerald Parents board for making this series of the Emerald Youth Review possible. No school — yay! Mom told us to wake up, and then get ready for a sumptuous breakfast. Wow, sumptuous? We'll be eating fancy food and be in a humongous restaurant? I’m super duper excited!
“We're going to go now!” Mom hollered as I scurried out of bed. After a while of walking, we finally arrived at the restaurant which was located right across the street in our neighborhood. I was fully thrilled until… “How’s this special? It looks so old, but so many people are outside waiting to order their breakfast! Mom, what is happening?” I asked, confused. “It’s a little but popular breakfast restaurant...” I sighed with hundreds of questions. Was this really called a restaurant? I’m not sure… The smell was floating into my nose, but the ambience wasn’t as good as I thought. It looked wrecked, broken, and little. When I touched the seat, my hands were covered with dust. Meanwhile, all I could hear was people chattering. Shortly, a woman with plain clothes came towards us warm-heartedly with a smile, bringing us four kinds of food. She seemed to be really tired but dedicatedly cleaned the table and put the dishes in front of us. “Thanks for your patience, Here is your order, the ‘Four Warriors’. They are the most famous Shanghai breakfast!" I looked at the plates closely and curiously found one that held a pocket of warm air and is fragrant with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. There were some fried dough sticks that were very light. Another one was silky soy milk mixed with lots of different kinds of sauce. The last one was a ball of rice with some secret ingredients inside. Although I was born in the USA, my mom and dad were born and raised in China. It follows that my hometown is in China. I used to go there every year until I started school. The last time that I went to China was in 2016.
When I went to Xi'an in China, I would always eat a lot of yummy foods. The last time I went back to China, I ate barbeque. I asked for no spice, but in the end, I still got a little bit. That was the first time I had ever eaten chili, and I was very proud of myself. Whenever I ate a meat piece, I would drink a lot of water, then eat another piece. I also remember getting a toy from a movie which was about a police car. I really wanted the toy, but they didn’t sell it in the USA. The toy was only sold in China. When I went to China later that year, I got the toy. When I got to my grandparents’ house, I rushed to the toy. Where my grandparents live in China, there was another kid with the same name as me. I played with him. Once, we were lighting fireworks. I also remember playing with fake guns. We were pretending to be the police. I went to a wedding of my grandparents’ friend. I ate a piece of candy with something I was allergic to. After I ate it, I thought I was going to throw up. I never ate any candy from China after that day.
I was born in Kirkland, Washington. Therefore, my homeland is the United States of America. When I think of my homeland, I think first of its natural beauty. There are many national parks in the USA. There are many cute animals in the national parks. We went to two national parks recently: Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Park. At Mt. Rainier, we hiked up the mountains. I saw a few chipmunks. Feeding wildlife is against the law, but some people fed the chipmunks. My mom took videos, and I watched the chipmunks. My dad and my brother hiked further than me and my mom on the trail. At the Olympic National Park, we went to the Hoh Rainforest and Hurricane Ridge. At the Hoh Rainforest, we hiked in two trails: the Spruce Natural Trail and the Hall Of Mosses trail. We took a break after starting to walk the Hall Of Mosses trail. We saw ducks swimming in a pond. One by one, they went on a log. Then, they went back into the pond! They are like a troop who follows orders. The ducks were funny copying what everybody else did! At Hurricane Ridge, we hiked only one trail. We walked back to the parking lot to take photos. We also saw a deer. We took photos and a video. It was eating some small plants. After taking many photos, we took a close-up view of the deer. Its ear was hurt! Unfortunately, COVID-19 is widely spread in my homeland of the USA. Because of COVID-19, we rarely go to national parks these days. I hope the restrictions of COVID-19 can end so we can explore more national parks and see more animals without worrying about getting COVID-19. We are now open for submissions to our 13th series, "Homeland".
With a new variant of COVID-19 spreading across borders and cities across the globe extending lockdowns, international travel remains a maddeningly tricky affair. For many of those with relatives in China, Japan, or anywhere else across the Pacific, daily WeChat calls can only do so much to lessen the distance created by departure and widened by governmental restriction. In this time, we ask you to contribute your best art and writing about your family's home country -- memories of travel, perhaps, before the pandemic, or memories of learning about the culture, people, or geography, of that home country. Your imagination, the Internet, and extra research can help you fill in this gap. Who did you visit? Where did you go? You could write about the smell of the couch cushions in your grandparent's cozy Xi'an apartment -- or the jokes that your hilarious great-uncle may have told over a welcome dinner filled with family and friends. Maybe you want to draw the architecture along the Bund, in Shanghai. Remember to include your name, grade and school, and an (optional) headshot with your piece! Send your work to YouthReview@emeraldparents.org by Monday, August 16th. Thank you for sharing your work with us -- we appreciate your leap of faith. Chapter One: In Which We Must Not Waste Time There is time, the most precious thing in our world. How do you know? There are much more precious things. Time can not be rewound, and nothing can be repeated the exact same. But why? Sometimes I have to do the same things at the same time everyday. Child, you shall stop asking about what things are. You must focus on what you are doing right now. Time will not be the same every time. But this is knowledge, and sometimes we must learn! Yes, you must. You shall. But right now, time is being wasted from the questions you ask by the minute. Fine, fine. But questions are another way to see everything your way. Yes, there are things you must learn and see, but time has fled from us right before your eyes. Chapter Two: In Which Problems Can Be Fixed It was a bright summer day in Alter town. Luna, a ten-year-old girl, strolled around the city, looking for some stores to buy food from. The street was bustling with crowds of people, many people walking from place to place. Luna had to be rapid so she could find somewhere to buy lunch. Then, Luna spotted the perfect store, one that had what her mom told her to buy written right on an enormous sign. She rushed past the road, and dashed into the store. Instead of a few people, there were many -- about a count of sixteen! Quarter of an hour passed without any movement, and only five minutes were left to spare. Would she be on time to go back home? Just then, someone walked up to her and tapped her shoulder. The stranger said something that Luna did not understand. “What did you say?” Answered Luna, prudently. She spun around. The stranger laughed. “I asked if you need help.” It was Ada, Luna’s big sister! Luna was confused. What would she be doing at the market? Ada was supposed to be in piano class! “Huh? I thought you were in Ms. Vitney’s house?” Ada shrugged. “You should’ve looked at the time. Also, you are late to come back home, so mom sent me here to help you out if you needed that.” “Hey, how did mom know where I am?” “I’ll tell you later. Oh, and, I got the food already at another store.” Off the two sisters went. They walked all the way back home, until they noticed that both of them, now, were thirty minutes late! They darted back to their cabin. “Mom! We’re back!” Ada yelled. “Oh dear, you guys sure are late! Luna, your class is starting soon. You should get ready.” Mrs. Wilson said as she rushed to the door. “Yes, mom,” Luna replied. She placed her hat on the coat rack, then ran upstairs to pack. She took out a piece of paper of what she needed for a language group. Luna stuffed everything in her backpack rapidly. She was determined to be on time for this class! Class Supplies: - Language Arts book - Vocabulary flashcards - Pen, pencil, and eraser - Pretzels and Yogurt As Luna walked along the streets, she saw something on a sign that caught her eye. Something she was interested in, and wanted to know a lot more about. Chapter Three: In Which Time Can’t Be Rewound She stared at the sign, reading about it. Woah, a mysterious island which needs to be investigated. The sign was carved with these words: HELP WANTED This island is unpredictable of what is on it, but we will be hiring people to investigate the island. This will help with our investigation program. Remember, it is not easy work, so if you decide to help out, make sure you bring everything you might need. This includes bags of meat, vegetables, fruits, bottles of water, a flashlight, some batteries, a small tent, a sleeping bag, many clothes, sweaters, pairs of shoes, a first aid kit, a backpack, some books, a pillow, many towels, a cell phone, and any other things that may be needed for a long, terrifying trip. Are you interested in going? Please contact 1927-313-2810. Reward is $500. Curiosity shot through Luna. Everything seemed very interesting, but absolutely dangerous. Should she go? Luna could do this. She may be the person who could help. But it was hazardous, a decision that wouldn’t be easy to make. If I want to help out, thought Luna, will my parents be too worried and decline my request? How should I convince them? |
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