Belmont Times Spring 2022 Edition

Table of Contents
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR READERS AND WRITERS!
Creative Writing
Contest Winners
1st Place: A Mystical Farm by Rishika
2nd Place: Sweetness Indeed by Eva C.
3rd Place: The Tale of the Taste Islands by Abigail
Nonfiction/Essay Writing
1st Place: Big White Rabbit Candy by Aria
2nd Place: Sweets and Desserts in Ancient Greece by Elena
3rd Place: Why do we like sweet? by Asher
Poetry
1st Place: The many types of sweet by Asher
2nd Place: Sweet as a piece of cake by Leah
Honorable Mentions for
Creative Writing: Yueqi, Edith

Table of Contents
(CONTINUED)
General Submissions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Things I am Grateful For by Yueqi
The Secret Agency by Rishika
Opening Books by Abigail
Dear Summer by Leah
Thankfulness by Leah
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Extras!
Book Recommendation by Yueqi
Recipe
Craft
Riddle
Letter from the Editors

y Rishika
“Claire, did you pack everything on the list?”
“Yep!” I replied.
“Nick?”
“Got it!” My 15 year-old brother shouted.
Rose and Ruby, my little sisters, were jumping around in mom’s room,
excited for the trip.
“All right, everyone! Grab your bags and put them in the car! Get
ready because we’re going to the farm! Yeehaw!”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I mean, the last time I went was about 10
years ago where I was born.” I took a deep breath and slowly backed
down the stairs with my suitcase.
We were headed to a farm in New Hampshire during April vacation
where my brother, my mom, and I were born. But we left when I turned 2
years old so I don’t really remember much but I can almost imagine all the
animals there.
“Clay, why don’t you give that to me?” Dad said from behind me.
“No, I wanna help. I’m 11 years old.” I chuckled. “Almost 12. I got this.”
Suddenly, my foot slipped and I started to wobble. The suitcase was
too heavy for me to steady my balance! Luckily, I was near the bottom of
the stairs and Dad caught me.
“Careful!”
“Thanks.” I pulled my suitcase out the door and into the refreshing
spring air.

The trees danced around in the wind, flowers blooming brightly. I
inhaled the smell of tulips and roses as I pulled my suitcase toward the
car. Sun rays shone down at me as if welcoming me outside.
About 30 minutes later, all the bags were in the trunk of the car. But
there was a lot of stuff, so we had to close the 3rd row seats. When we
got in the car, Mom sat in the passenger seat and my brother, two sisters
and I had to cram into the small space. Nick and I sat on the outer sides
while Rose and Ruby were half on our legs and half on the seat.
“There’s no space back here!” I moaned. “How long is the drive?”
“1 hour 15 minutes.”
“That’s actually not that long.” I muttered. Buuut I spoke too soon.
After what felt like a day’s drive in a crammed car with two 6 year
olds, we reached an apartment in New Hampshire and started to get
settled in.
“MOMMY! WHY ARE THERE ONLY 4 BEDS IN HERE???” Ruby screamed
suddenly.
“Dad...” I started, with a cautious voice. “Are you sure you checked the
room to make sure there were enough beds?”
“Well... um… I thought that... uhh… Ruby and Rose could share a
bed...” He stammered.
“Oh no...” I jumped onto one of the beds and covered my ears with
both the pillow and blanket. Then, the chaos began….
One hour later when my sisters calmed down, Mom and Dad voted for
me to sleep on the floor, and for Ruby to sleep on my bed. I tried to argue,
but they made up their minds. I hate sleeping on the floor. This trip was
turning out to be a disaster!
After we got settled, we headed out for lunch at Burger King.
“What do you want to eat, Claire?” my mom asked me.

My eyes quickly scanned the menu and I turned to my mother when I
finished.
“I’ll take a burger.” I said flatly, still angry about sleeping on the floor.
“I’ll have a sausage burger, with fries and soda.” Nick beamed. Nick
always likes to stuff himself. He really likes food, which makes me start to
wonder why he never gets fat after eating all that food.
Once everyone ordered, we sat down at one of the tables and started
eating our lunch.
“Guys, after this, we are going to the farm and we’ll meet your
grandparents. Be nice—”
“Can we take care of the pigs, Mommy??” Rose asked her.
“Can we go horse-back riding?” I gasped with excitement.
“Yes we can!” Mom chuckled. “Let’s eat first.”
“Can we not go anywhere?” Nick moaned.
Everyone glared at him and he sighed, giving in.
Once we stuffed ourselves, we headed to the farm. By then, it was
1:30 and the sun was past overhead.
As we neared the farm, I could see the red farmhouse and pigs, cows,
roosters, and horses.
I jumped out of the car and ran towards my grandparents, who were
feeding the animals. After everyone greeted my grandpa and grandma,
they went inside and started to settle into their rooms. But I stayed outside
and helped grandma feed the horses.
“Hey Grandma, could I ride these horses?” I asked her.

“You could ride Moon if you’d like.” Grandma pointed at the white
horse chomping down food. “She’s very special, but you would have to
earn her trust.”
So the next day, I was feeding Moon. It felt like she’d taken a liking to
me, so I took her out for a walk. Little did I know what would happen.
As I was walking, I asked Moon a question. “Hey Moon, do you mind if I
ride you?”
Of course, there was no answer, but the beautiful white horse seemed
to bend down, as if wanting me to hop onto her back. So I did, but then to
my surprise, Moon ran across the field, jumping over obstacles whenever
one was in front of her. She was elegant and I felt like I was gliding in the
air… and suddenly, I was. The ground seemed to fall below Moon and I but
we continued galloping. I blinked, confused. Then I realized I must be
dreaming, so I pinched my arm. Nothing happened. I was in mid-air, and
Moon was still dashing around.
Terrified, I squeezed Moon’s fur and screamed at the top of my lungs. I
looked down below and saw grandma rushing outside. She got smaller
and smaller every second. I noticed her pointing her finger directly at me,
and slowly, the white horse slowed down, and the ground grew bigger
and bigger.
Once the horse reached the ground, I jumped off and ran toward
Grandma.
“Grandma! Did you see that?? Moon was flying!” I blurted.
Grandma just smiled at me. “Claire, why don’t we take a walk.”

Grandma led me around the house and into the backyard, opened the
gate and ushered me through. She closed the gate behind her and I looked
around. It was almost like heaven. Beautiful bushes, a table with chairs, and
perfectly cut grass.
“This is where I come to think.”
“It’s gorgeous.” I almost forgot about when Moon and I were flying in the
air.
“Remember when I told you that Moon was special? I meant it. She has
the ability to fly. My ancestors—your ancestors discovered a secret place. A
magical place. It was invaded by the British, but our ancestors saved a
couple horses. Each had one unique ability.” Grandma explained. “Moon and
her sister, Autumn are the only creatures left, except one was Dasher, who
ran away a few years ago. Autumn has the ability to shrink things, which is
very helpful.”
Grandma’s face clouded with darkness. “For a long time, I have been
protecting this species, and now, it is your turn.”
I looked up at Grandma’s hopeful face. “You will be the next protector.”
“But how will I take care of them??”
“Autumn can shrink both her and Moon and you can put them in their tiny
house. Then, Autumn can grow both of them.” Grandma handed me a box
about the size of my shoes. She showed me the entire house, and the roof
even opened.
I smiled with determination and looked into Grandma’s pearl blue eyes. “I
won’t let you down.”
So that night when we left for home, I took a silky brown horse and a
white horse and placed them in the tiny house.
As we left, I waved at Grandma from the car, and she nodded slightly.
I had the responsibility to take care of two horses and save their species. It
seemed quite easy until the next day, when Autumn and Moon played hide
and seek with me.
The End!

Sweetness Indeed
In the land of Illyridia, Names were predestined. So when I was born, as
expected, my name would match or enhance my last name, which happened to
be Halawa. But Naming isn’t just any regular thing here. The great Spirits, who
speakoke everything into being, choose your Name themselves.
So when I was Named Maira, it was baffling. Bitter? With a family name that’s
literally the name of a sweet fudge dessert? It– No, I, was a contradiction. No
one knew what it would mean.
Usually, your life follows your name. Got a name that means ocean? Be a marine
biologist! Something like that. In my family, we have a bakery called Sweet
Around The World, where you can pile your cart up with mountains of sweet
treats like gulab jamun (my sister eats them by the dozen), picarones(my
absolute favorite!), macarons, and, of course, halawa (my dad is basically inept
at cooking, but this is the one thing he can manage). Now, all this name stuff
never really affected me. Everything was fine- until now. See, when you come of
age (which I have), you’re supposed to go to The Academy, where you hone your
Name’s magic and also stuff from normal school. But with a name like mine,
what would I do? By the judgment of the Council, I was going, no buts. But still,
no one knew what would happen.

It first happened outside. I was playing tag with my sister when she went inside.
With nothing to do, I pretended I had magical powers. I pointed my finger at a
small branch on the ground and scrunched up my face in mock concentration. A
pink spark shot out of my finger straight towards the branch. Then the branch
disappeared, leaving six glowing letters in its wake. I was super confused. Then I
had an idea, remembering how I used to always play anagram games with my
family. I rearranged some of the letters to make “crab”. Suddenly, the letters
transformed themselves into a crab that scuttled away. I gasped. Then I took the
leftover B and H and ran with them up to my room. I tried it with my pencil,
turning it into a pen and then taking the leftover “CIL”.
“What are you doing?” my sister asked, looking through the doorway. I gasped..
My parents sat me down at the table and looked me in the eye.
“Maira, habibi, we just want to know. What happened?”
I bit my lip. “I was pretending I had magic but then I did have magic and I really
just don’t know.”
My mom took a pencil and put it on the table.
“Can you show me?” I did what I had in the room with the pencil. My mom
gasped. And then she looked at me.
“Maira… Know that I love you so much. We will help you through this. We’ll do it
together.” “Yeah, sis!” My sister chimed in.
“We got your back.”
“We’re here for you, Maira.” My dad said.
That’s when I knew that no matter what, I had people who loved me and were
there for me. And that was all I really needed. And that was really sweet.

Big White Rabbit Candy
By Aria
My parents used to tell me about a candy, the most-wanted by
nearly every kid in China when they were younger. However, I
never thought I’d have a chance to try it until one morning when
a package was dropped outside our door. My dad brought it
inside and my mom opened it. “Dà bái tù táng!” she excitedly
exclaimed. Dà bái tù táng means Big White Rabbit candy in
Chinese, which is the exact candy my parents have rooted in
their childhood memories.
Eagerly tearing open the bag containing the candy, I couldn't
wait to taste it. Soon, I held in my hand a cylinder covered with a
papery substance. On it, there was an image of a large white
rabbit. The candy wrapper crackled as I took out its treasure: the
smooth sticky Big White Rabbit, its mouthwatering aroma
wafting towards my nose. As I popped a candy into my mouth, a
sweet, milky rich taste instantly filled my mouth. I sucked on the
chewy candy to try and squeeze out a little of its scrumptious
creamy flavor. I enjoyed the great sensation in my mouth and the
thrilled happy feelings I got from eating the Big White Rabbit.
Even more, Big White Rabbit candy lasted a long time because it
was soft but hard to chew.

Big White Rabbits have a very long history. They were created
when a Chinese man was inspired by British milk candy. He saw
that Mickey Mouse was very popular at that time, so he named it
“ABC Mickey Mouse Toffee”. Later he decided to rename it “Big
White Rabbit Toffee”, and designed a new candy wrapper with a
white rabbit on it. My mom told me that when she was young,
China was very poor. There were nearly no candies and milk was
very scarce. On the International Children’s Day, my mom had to
stand in a long line just to receive a small pack of unrefined
brown sugar candy imported from Cuba. My mother savored
every bite; because the candy was so tiny, she took only a few
bites every day. No wonder why the Big White Rabbit candy was
every Chinese child’s dream.
Now, I understand why this candy was so cherished by my
mother. The fragrant smell still drifts in my memory and I give
my mom a sweet hug.

Sweets and Desserts
in Ancient Greece
By Elena
Hello everyone! Today I am going to teach you all about sweets and
desserts in ancient Greece. I hope you enjoy the article!
In ancient Greece, the climate was ideal for growing sweet fruits—for
example, figs and grapes. Since there was no sugar available, honey was
used to sweeten cakes and cookies. Ancient Greeks enjoyed those many
naturally sweet fruits for desserts. Ancient Greeks also used those
natural sweeteners—along with sesame seeds, nuts and other ingredients
— to make new sweets and desserts.
Ancient Greece had many sweets and pastries. I will give you some
examples: Sesamous, a candy ancient Greeks had—it was made out of
sesame seeds and honey. Moustopitta—creamy and sweet, and made out
of grape must and flour. Teghana—a kind of fried donut with honey
(very sweet!).

Why do we like sweet? By Asher
You wake up to the smell of waffles. Yes! Your
mom's waffles are the best. After breakfast you
wonder, Why do these waffles taste so good? The
answer is….. Sugar! Sugar is the reason they taste
really good. On our tongue we have things called
taste buds. When the sugar hits the taste buds they
send a signal to your brain, which reacts and we
feel pleasure, or happiness. Sugar is good for the
body because it gives us energy. However, don’t
start eating a lot of sugar. Too much of a good thing
is a bad thing. But thousands of years ago, when we
hunted for food, very sweet foods were very hard to
find. hese foods were healthy though, so the body
rewarded us with the delicious taste after a long
hard search to find the food. One example of a
sweet food is fruit. So that is the reason sugar tastes
good. Now, sweet food is way more popular and it is
hard to find food with no added sugar. We have
access to a lot more of them than we did thousands
of years ago. That is the End.

The many types of sweet
By Asher
I look upon the flower bed
I breath in the sweet
Just like the tasty bread
My mom makes once a week
I help a friend on the mend
He says I’m really sweet
Like the time I gave someone money
they dropped on the street
My dad made a shelf
I said it looked sweet
It looked as sweet
As my lego creation of the street
A few years ago
my mom made sorbet
And it tasted as sweet
As my sugar water spray.

Sweet as a piece of cake
By Leah
Sweet, delicious, everyone loves it!
Whenever you are cold, just drink some hot chocolate!!
Every day, you make me as sweet as cake.
Every day, you are so jolly and fun!
Together we fit together, and always match.
As I sit on the couch reading a book, you make me feel warm with a warm winter hug!
Sunny days, you make me feel so good with love.
Always, we are so funny, we are such a family!
Part of you is so peaceful, you're so sweet!
I love you so much, you're the best ever in the world!
Every day, you make me sit and enjoy.
Continuing my life with you is the best to be seen.
Ever to be together, you will follow, you are the best!
Over the years, we all grow, but our partnership will never end.
Forever, we will live together, you and me.
Can we both have a happy end, oh yes we will.
Adding you to my world is so joyful and happy.
Kind, funny, joyful, just what I love.
Enjoy and love the rest of the kindness with you and me.

Things I Am Grateful For
By Yueqi
The warmth the sun gives every day
The light the moon reflects lights our way
The flowers that grow and color our land
The yummy foods that are picked by hand
The cute, green trees that cover our world
Like banners above, clouds dance and swirl
Your parents, my parents, are kind and careful
They comfort us when we’re angry or fearful
Some animals give their lives, helping us live
So don’t forget to appreciate and forgive
Every one, every thing, has a life of its own
Appreciation won’t make anything feel sad or alone

The Secret Agency
By: Rishika Garg
One warm spring day, Mr Books was in his library organizing his books when there was a
knock on the door. The old man walked toward the door, and on his way, he knocked down a few
books from one of the shelves. He quickly picked them up and placed them onto a wooden table.
He rushed to the door and opened it. Two men in black suits were standing outside.
“Hello gentlemen.” Mr Books smiled. “How can I help you?”
“We believe there are pests in your house,” one of the men said.
“Pests??” he shook his head. “I dust the house every day! There are no pests!”
The men forcefully entered the house and walked into the library. Mr Books howled at the
top of his lungs, loud enough for his neighbors to hear. He stormed into his library and glared
at the men.
“No, sir, but we would just like to-”
“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” Mr Books shrieked.
The two men ran out of the house, closing the door behind them. Mr Books hurried toward
the door, making sure the men were gone and then peeked into his library and glanced at one
of the shelves, relieved. Mr Books had a secret. A mini secret that no one knew about. Or so he
thought.
That night, the old man took a plate of sweets that included mints, candy canes, chocolates,
and caramel. He pulled one of the books from a shelf and there was a slight rumble, causing
one of the sweets to touch the edge. The rumbling stopped and Mr Books adjusted the plate, then
went inside. The door closed behind him and the room was dark.
“Yummy, milky, delicious sweets. Come out, come out, it’s me.” Mr Books sang.
There was sudden movement and the lights flickered on, the room around him seemingly

The whooshing stopped and Cocoa sat in her corner on the top floor.
Let me first introduce each person. But first you need to know that these creatures are
not elves, they are mushroom people. No one knows of their species except for Mr Books and
his ancestors.
First, there’s Bernard, the oldest of the five. He’s the muscle guy, the strong one.
Second, there’s Hope, the second oldest and she’s the technology master. She’s able to do
anything that involves technology.
Third, we have Wonder, who has super speed. He can travel across Mr Books’ house in
one second. He did this once and was scolded.
Fourth, there is Ivy, the shy kind of girl. Her specialty is camouflaging into anything
anywhere.
Last but not least is Cocoa. She’s the youngest but cleverest amongst the others. She can
create anything anywhere!
came alive. A few small desks sat in one corner, scattered with papers. Another side of the
room had multiple beds, nice and neat. There were hammocks, a book shelf, a kitchen—
everything someone needed in a regular house but this one had five floors, like an apartment
building. There was a small movement in one of the hammocks.
“Ah. Wonder, you’re awake.” Mr Books smiled welcomingly at the small figure that had a
surprisingly large hat.
“Hope, Bernard, Ivy, Cocoa!” Mr Books called out. “I’ve got food!”
Suddenly, four tiny figures rushed at Mr Books, climbing up his legs and vigorously
chomping at the sweets on the plate.
“Bernard and Hope! Control yourselves! You are the adults here!” he scolded.
Two of the four dropped a piece of candy that they were biting and frowned. Mr Books’
face broke into a smile. “But I’ll allow it.”
Now, you must be wondering, Mr Books called out to five people, but only four came.
Well, there were five.
A whoosh whistled past everyone and one of the candies disappeared. Another candy
disappeared. Then another!
“Cocoa, don’t take them all!” Bernard grumbled.

Mr Books let the five devour the sweets as he left the room to retrieve more. There was a
sudden knock on the door. Mr Books ran to the library and told the mushroom people to
hide, shutting the shelf door. He scurried to the front door and opened it, pasting a smile on
his face which quickly disappeared when he opened the door.
“Mr Books, we have a warrant to search your house of pests.” the men from earlier
said, bursting the door open.
“What??”
Mr Books panicked, following the men into the kitchen.
“Are you baking for someone?” the man who held the warrant asked, curiously.
“I, um, have a sweet tooth.”
Sweat trickled down Mr Books’ forehead as the men searched every corner in the
library.
“Mr Books, it seems you have little animals eating your sweets. I can smell it from
here.” the man inhaled, then let it out.
“Th-that’s not possible!” Mr Books held his head, shaking it vigorously.
“I’m afraid it is. My agency will come tomorrow to disinfect your house, so you will have
to stay somewhere else for the time being.”
“What is your agency’s name?” he asked, eyeing the man suspiciously.
“It’s called Flash Extermination.” The man gave Mr Books his card and left Mr Books’
house.
Once they left, he opened up his computer and searched the agency up. There were no
results.
He opened the shelves to the mushroom people, placing the plate of candy on the table.
“Hope, I need your help.”
Mr Books explained everything that happened with the agency and Hope opened up her
tiny computer and tapped away at the keys.
“It looks like they’re a fake company.”
A few seconds passed where there was no sound other than keys clacking.

“Oh no!”
“What is it, Hope?” Mr Books asked.
“I searched up the name of the agency you told me and there’s been news of them.
They’ve searched other people’s houses too! It says that they’re a secret agency on a mission
to find mushroom people!!”
“WHAT?!?!” Wonder, Bernard and Mr Books screamed at once. Ivy, Cocoa and Hope
were stunned.
“If they’re coming to the house tomorrow, we’ll be found out!” Wonder gasped, running
all over the place.
“We’re going to be doomed!” Bernard cried, throwing things everywhere.
Ivy was nowhere in sight, probably camouflaged, Hope ran around screaming at the top
of her lungs, and Cocoa was in her corner on the top floor, arranging something.
There was chaos all around the room and Mr Books was standing in the middle of it.
“SILENCE!” came a screech, piercing everyone’s ears.
Everyone stopped in place and looked up to see Cocoa holding a paper megaphone in
her hands.
“I HAVE AN IDEA!” Cocoa boomed.
“Cocoa, we’ll be able to hear you even better if you put that megaphone down.” Wonder
retorted.
Cocoa placed the megaphone onto a table next to her and grabbed a whiteboard,
something that looked like a laser gun, and pressed the trigger, aiming it at one of the walls.
A rope shot out and hit the wall, then Cocoa zipined down as everyone gaped at her.
She showed us her whiteboard. “My plan is to create obstacles in the house so no one
gets in, or finds us. Hope and I can make the obstacles while Wonder can go around setting
them up. Ivy can communicate with us so we can trigger the obstacles, and Bernard can help
Wonder carry everything to their places.”
Once Cocoa finished explaining, everyone nodded approvingly.
Everyone except one person. “This won’t work.” Bernard sighed. “I have a better plan.”

Everyone turned to their leader. “We hide at the door and Ivy can hide and tell us
when they come. If they get in, Wonder can tie them with an electric rope that Cocoa and
Hope can make.”
“That’ll work too!” Wonder nodded. “Wait… so which one do we do?”
“Mine.” Bernard grins.
Cocoa hung her head. “Okay…” She returned to her corner, starting to build her rope.
Hope glared at Bernard.
Everyone else went to their rooms and started doing their part.
A few hours later, Ivy, Wonder, and Hope huddled in Bernard’s room.
“Bernard, what will we do once we catch them? We can’t just kill them!” Hope
screeched. “Cocoa’s plan is better! So much better! We don’t let them in the house, let
alone in this room!”
“How could you be so mean to her??” Ivy yelled, flabbergasted.
“Now you have to go convince her to switch plans.” Wonder added.
“Erm… no, my plan will work, trust me.” Bernard said proudly. “Now, let’s get to
sleep.”
Hope, Ivy, and Wonder walked away and sat down on Hope’s desk.
“Okay, we are going to follow Cocoa’s plan. Ivy, you talk to Cocoa, and Wonder, you’re
with me.”
“We’re going to disobey Bernard!?!” Wonder exclaimed.
“Yep.” Hope turned to Mr Books. “Mr Books, do you mind grabbing a bunch of candy.
We’re going to need it.”
Mr Books nodded and scurried out of the room while Ivy went to talk to Cocoa.
“Cocoa…?”
“Hi Ivy. I’m just making the rope.” Cocoa chuckled nervously.
“Change of plans, we’re doing your plan.”
Cocoa looked up, face beaming, but then immediately switched to a serious face.
“Let’s get started.”
Throughout the night, Cocoa, Ivy, Hope, and Wonder worked on Cocoa’s plan.
They created obstacles made from candy and it looked like a maze when they
finished.
Then came morning and the only thing left was to place the obstacles in the house. I
wouldn’t call them obstacles—they should be called death traps.

“Guys! Wake up!” Bernard called.
“Already awake!” Hope called back, yawning. They’d been up all night working on
Cocoa’s plan.
“Oh. Okay then, it should be show time soon!”
As everyone got ready, Mr Books came running in. “Ivy, it’s time for you to go.”
“Hope, Cocoa, go outside.”
“Wait, what?” Bernard frowned. “We’re staying here.”
Cocoa smiled mischievously at Bernard. “Change of plans. Besides, mine’s better.”
Hope and Cocoa rushed outside the library with a rope while Wonder was quickly
taking structures outside.
"Wait! What should I do?” Bernard called.
“You need to carry that!” Wonder pointed at the huge structure made out of candy.
“What?!?” Bernard sighed, giving in, and obeyed.
Once everything was set up, there was a knock on the door. “Mr Books, have you
already left? It’s Flash Extermination!”
Mr Books didn’t reply. He was hiding inside the mushroom people’s home, alongside
a grumpy Bernard. Ivy was watching every door, and saw two men at each.
The front door burst open and two big men came inside, each holding some kind of
device.
“There are two men at the back door and two at the front.” Ivy whispered in her
comms.
“Copy that.” Cocoa answered.
“There’s one man coming through the window.”
“Just as I was expecting.” Cocoa said in a mysterious voice. “Wonder, on my cue, hit
the switch to knock out the man at the window.”
“Okay.” Wonder nodded at Cocoa and then sped off toward the switch.
“Eh, I hope this works!“ Bernard whimpered.
“It has to.” Hope said, clutching the bucket at the back door.
“NOW, WONDER!” Cocoa screeched.
There was a buzzing sound and then a scream.
“Heheh, man electrified.” Wonder chuckled.

“Hope, get ready to let go in 5… 4…” Ivy counted. “3… 2… 1… NOW!”
Hope dropped the bucket in her hands and it swung toward the door, slamming the
man’s face. The blond-haired man behind him fell down, but soon stood up and ran inside
the house. A mistake from his side. The blond-haired man started to slip and wobble. He
frantically flailed his arms in despair, but that didn’t help. He fell face down, groaning in
pain.
“We got ‘em.” Hope declared.
“Woohoo!” Bernard high-fived Mr Books’ huge hand.
“Wonder, get Bernard.”
Wonder sped into the library, grabbed Bernard by the arm, and whooshed over to
Cocoa.
“Bernard, grab the gun and fire at their faces. And don’t worry, it’ll shoot sharp candy
spikes, non-stop. Well, there’s a lot.” Cocoa ordered. “And Wonder, spill the oil.”
Both Bernard and Wonder obeyed, and about a minute later, the door started to open
slowly.
"Remember, don’t let yourself be seen.” Cocoa reminded.
"Got it.”
“And… fire!”
Cocoa covered her ears as Bernard hit the trigger, arrows blasting the man at the door.
The man in the front fell down onto the oil, while the man in the back blocked the
candy with a shield!
“RETREAT TO BASE!!” Cocoa howled.
Wonder grabbed Bernard and ran away as the man with the shield came rushing at
Cocoa. He grabbed her in his hands and Cocoa flailed, unable to do anything. She was
trapped.
The End!

Opening Books
by Abigail
To learn new things,
Just open a book
And Read inside,
To take a look.
Open a book
And you will find
People and places,
of every kind.
Open a book,
And you can share.
Wondrous words,
You find in there!
Close your book,
But not your mind.
For you and your book,
are now entwined

Dear Summer
By Leah
I was walking out down to my front yard. I was so hot that I could eat a million
popsicles or scoops of ice cream (Shaved ice is even better). So, I decided to go and
write a note to Summer to bring back Spring. This is what I wrote:
Dear Summer, please bring back spring. I’m so hot I could eat a million popsicles,
so please ask spring if she can take another day of the sky.
Sincerely,
Riva
I finished the letter and put it on the table so Summer could read it. It was 2:00 in
the afternoon and I had swimming class with my friend Jess. The next day, I came
downstairs to check on the letter and, guess what, I got a reply! Here’s what
Summer wrote to me:
Sorry for the heat, spring will be here tomorrow. I am going on vacation with my
mom, the queen. (Or you could say the queen of the galaxy). Spring is my little
sister. She wants to go everywhere, so she’s happy to take my space.
Sincerely, Summer
I was so happy that spring was coming again, and it was the best day of my life that
spring was obeying me to come back.

Thankfulness
By Leah
Together, I thank you and me for helping each other now and then.
Harvesting potatoes, I’m thankful for them, delicious and tasty for mash-potato.
Acorns, apples, and autumn, they all should be thanked.
Native Americans are all to be honored for what they did for us.
Kindly we are, we thank the whole wide world for gifts.
Falling leaves, red, orange and yellow, light the world up.
Using the things nature taught us, we respect them as how they would to us.
Let the world stay the same with no more pollutions in the sky, earth, lakes and
animals.
Nature lives with sudden to see and we are happy for surprises and happiness.
Eating carrots that taste as creamy and cheesy bread.
Secret promises that we can trust as we are true to each other.
Seasons bring a life of happiness and thousands of wishes to come to you.
Xo
Xo
Xoxoxo
Xoxoxo
Xoxoxoxox Xoxoxoxox
Xoxoxoxoxoxox Xoxoxoxoxoxox
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoX
XoxoxoxoxoX
XoxoxoX
XoX
X

Book Recommendation
I recommend you to read the book
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire”. The book is about Harry
becoming a champion of Hogwarts
and a competition of magic that is
called the Triwizard Tournament.
The book is extremely interesting
and some things that happen are
not what you would expect. Tons of
magic and excitement that will get
you reading in no time.
By Yueqi

El Deafo by Cece Bell
Recommended for ages 8-12
Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid
strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was
deaf. Here, she’s different. She’s sure the kids are staring at the Phonic
Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also
seems certain to repel potential friends.
Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear
her teacher not just in the classroom but anywhere her teacher is in the
school—in the hallway . . . in the teacher’s lounge . . . in the bathroom!
This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El
Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is
that it’s just another way of feeling different . . . and lonely. Can Cece
channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by
Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Recommended for ages 8-12
Lucy Wu, aspiring basketball star and interior designer, is on the verge of
having the best year of her life. She's ready to rule the school as a sixth
grader, go out for captain of the school basketball team, and take over the
bedroom she has always shared with her sister. In an instant, though, her
plans are shattered when she finds out that Yi Po, her beloved
grandmother's sister, is coming to visit for several months -- and is
staying in Lucy's room.
Lucy's vision of a perfect year begins to crumble, and in its place come an
unwelcome roommate, foiled birthday plans, a bully who tries to scare
Lucy off the basketball team, and Chinese school with the annoying knowit-all
Talent Chang. Lucy's year is ruined -- or is it? A wonderfully funny,
warm, and heartfelt tale about the ways life often reveals silver linings in
the most unexpected of clouds.

Homemade Fruit Popsicles
Want a cool and refreshing treat on a hot, summer day? Try this popsicle
recipe -- you can mix and match your favorite fruit combinations into a
delicious concoction!
Ingredients:
▢¾ cup (6.5 oz) liquid/yogurt
▢2 ½ cups fruit of your choice (we recommend strawberry,
blueberries, bananas, mangos, etc)
▢4-6 TBS honey
▢¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
▢½ tsp lemon juice
Steps:
1. Add all ingredients to the container of your Blender in the order listed.
2. Blend for 50-70 seconds or until the mixture is smooth.
3. Evenly distribute the mixture into the six wells of a popsicle mold.
4. Secure the lids and sticks on top of the mold and place it in the freezer.
5. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
6. Remove the molds, run each one under hot water for 30 seconds and then
release the popsicle.
7. Enjoy immediately!
To freeze for later, once the popsicles are removed from the molds place them on a
baking sheet to flash freeze them for 30 minutes.
Place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bag until you are
ready to enjoy them!

DIY Pinwheels
1. Make a pair of squares.
Start out by cutting two identical squares from
paper or cardstock. If you are keen on using
templates, you can choose two from any of our
pinwheel templates and print them out on
Letter or A4 size paper or card stock.
Supplies needed:
Paper or cardstock
Scissors
Glue stick
Crayons or markers
Pencil with eraser
Push pin
Bead or small button (optional)
2. Decorate the squares.
You can leave the squares plain
or draw some patterns or
designs on them.

3. Cut out the squares.
Cut out both paper squares.
4. Glue the squares together.
Glue the undecorated sides of the squares
together. Remember to apply glue not just
along the edges, but on the entire back area of
the squares. Let the glue dry.
5. Cut four slits.
Cut along the four diagonal dotted lines.
If you're not using templates, cut four
diagonal lines starting from the corners
going up halfway to the center of the square.
6. Bring one tip to the center.
After making the four slits, you will have 8 tips
on your square—these are labeled with
numbers on the photo.
Take one of the tips (Tip #1) and bring it to the
center of the square without creasing the
paper. You can glue the tip in place or just
hold it with your hand as you do the next steps.

7. Bring the next tip to the center.
Take Tip #3 and bring it to the center of the
square. You can glue it in place or just hold it
with your hand.
8. Bring the remaining tips to the center.
Next, bring Tip #5 and then Tip #7 to the
center. Either glue them in place or hold
them with your hand.
9. Insert a push pin.
Insert a push pin at the center. If you did
not glue the ends of the tips in the
previous steps, the push pin should hold
all four tips together. Wiggle the push
pin around to make the hole a bit larger.
10. Attach the pinwheel to a pencil.
Attach the pinwheel to a pencil by pushing the
pin into the pencil's eraser. Don't push on too
tight to allow the pinwheel to spin more freely.
As an option, you can put a bead or small button
between the pinwheel and the eraser. This helps
the pinwheel rotate better and prevents the pin's
point from going through the other side of the
eraser.
11. Enjoy your pinwheel.
Finally, try blowing at the edges of the pinwheel to make it spin. Loosen the pin
a bit if the blades do not rotate well. Enjoy!

Answers on the next page!
1. Mary has four daughters, and each
of her daughters has a brother. How
many children does Mary have?
2. You see me once in June, twice in
November and not at all in May.
What am I?
3. What is 3/7 chicken,
2/3 cat and 2/4 goat?
4. What goes up and down but doesn’t
move?
5. If you drop me I’m sure to crack,
but give me a smile and I’ll always
smile back. What am I?

Riddles on the previous page!
1. 5 - each daughter has the same
brother!
2. The letter "e"
3. Chicago
4. A staircase
5. A mirror

Letter from the Editors
Dear Readers,
The Belmont Times magazine is back! Sorry for the hiatus; as high school
students, we have all been extremely busy for the past few months and didn't
have enough time to work on the issue. However, we hope that you enjoyed
this edition of the Belmont Times, and want to thank you once again for your
continuous support.
Additionally, we deeply appreciate every single young writer who submitted
a piece for this issue - you are the ones who make this magazine possible,
and it is an honor to watch you all grow as writers and people over the
months. We loved reading your submissions, and hope that you will consider
participating again in the next edition. Thank you so much for contributing
to the Belmont Times!
Quick note: Prizes and photocards will be sent out later this summer; by now,
first place winners should have received their $20 gift cards. Please email us
at belmontkidsmagazine@gmail.com if you won first place in a category for
this issue but have not yet found the virtual Amazon gift card in your inbox.
We hope that you're enjoying your summer!
Belmont Youth Writers