A CHOICE-FILLED ADVENTURE STORY
THE SEA FIGHT—
Saving the BMX School with Super Dog
Written by Students of MS. CARROLL’S and MS. WHITSETT’S 4th GRADE CLASSES at UNIVERSITY PREP SCIENCE AND MATH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
FIRST EDITION PRINTED AND BOUND AT 826MICHIGAN
Copyright Š 2020 by 826michigan and Blotch Books. All rights reserved by 826michigan, the many whims of Drs. T & G Blotch, and the authors. The views expressed in this book are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of 826michigan. We believe in the power of youth voice and are thrilled that you picked up this book. No part of this book may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher, except for small excerpts for the purposes of review or scholarly study. By purchasing this book, you are helping 826michigan continue to offer free student programs. For more information, please visit: 826michigan.org
You live in an underwater treehouse palace surrounded by axolotls. You’re getting ready for BMX water school in a cave, but you have to drop your puppy off at day care first. At BMX water school, you’re learning how to swim while making art. In other classes, you’re learning about human culture and how to sing. Most importantly, you’re learning how to ride a bike without training wheels. All of a sudden, you notice that all the axolotl teachers start swimming away really fast. The water starts to spin really fast in a circle. There’s a giant, huge, slimy evil axolotl that swims in BMX school. “My name is Villainol,” they say. “I am here to take over the sea!”
If you decide to fight Villainol, turn to page 2. If you decide to run away, turn to page 3.
1
You call your friend, Super Dog, with a whistle and say, “Help! Come to BMX school fast, it’s Alvin!” You try to fight Villainol with your sword that shoots out lasers and makes people nice, but Villainol is being controlled, so it doesn’t work. He uses his telekinesis against you. Super Dog flies in to try and help, and tells you, “Your dog has been stolen from puppy school by Villainol’s henchmen, Ax and Max!” Super Dog uses his super-strength and shoots lasers out of his eyes. Super Dog uses his superbark to bounce Villainol back. You have to decide to get your dog back or to help Villainol escape being controlled.
If you decide to get your dog back, turn to page 4. If you decide to help Villainol escape control, turn to page 5.
2
You run to a cave with diamonds all over the walls and floor. The cave is dark, but in the back is a bunker with a bunch of food and drinks just in case of an emergency. You see a light through a hole in the roof, and you see your dog, who has escaped from day care, using their teleportation powers. You have powers to control other animals in the sea, like sharks, fish, crabs, and dolphins. Behind you, you see Villainol approaching, attracted to the diamonds in the cave. What you don’t know is that this is actually Villainol’s cave!
If you decide to teleport with your dog, turn to page 6. If you decide to use your powers, turn to page 7.
3
You get into Super Dog’s super-fast Tesla to chase after Axe and Max to get your dog back. But they have the power of invisibility! You discover that Alvin is an evil cyborg who has mind control over Villainol by secretly watching a video meant for only Villainol. Alvin lives in an underwater treehouse.
If you decide to chase Axe and Max, write your own ending. If you decide to track Alvin, write your own ending.
4
(start again at page 1)
You hypnotize Villainol to get him out of the mind control he’s under. Under hypnosis, you make him dizzy and make him fall down. Super Dog helps take Villainol out of control, to save everyone. When he is done, Super Dog goes into the sea and gets his favorite food!
If you decide to follow Super Dog into the sea,
write your own ending. If you decide to talk to Villainol, write your own ending.
5
(start again at page 1)
You teleport out of the cave back in time to a different universe. When you arrive, there’s a big, urban library within a kingdom. “What happened to Villainol when they were a kid?” you think. So, you decide to ask the person who owns the library. The person is not a human; they are the Loch Ness monster! The Loch Ness monster gives you a book. You learn about Villainol’s backstory, learning that he was a human like you. When Villainol was learning to control their magic, they made a mistake and became a giant, slimy axolotl.
If you decide to go back to your original universe and timeline, write your own ending. If you decide to stay in the current timeline and universe,
write your own ending. 6
(start again at page 1)
You use your powers to call on sharks to trap Villainol and ask him some questions. You call on great white sharks with sharp teeth to surround him. You then call crabs to cover the ceiling and floor so that Villainol cannot escape over or below the sharks. You ask Villainol, “Why are you a villain? Why do you want to destroy the BMX school?” Villainol says, “BECAUSE I WANT TO CONTROL THE WHOLE SEA! I want to destroy the BMX school to build a giant treehouse there.”
If you decide to help Villainol destroy the school to make a treehouse, write your own ending. If you decide to suggest a different location for the treehouse, write your own ending.
7
(start again at page 1)
inspires school-aged students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers in their communities. Our writing and tutoring programs uphold a culture of creativity and imagination and support students in establishing strong habits of mind. Through publication and community engagement, we provide students with an authentic and enthusiastic audience for their writing. Our programs provide an energizing creative outlet for students and meaningful volunteer opportunities for community members. We believe that with one-onone attention from caring adults, students improve their academic performance, develop a sense of belonging, and discover the unique value of their voices. We also believe that the more fun a student has, and the more directly we speak to a student’s interests, the more we can help students find the fun in learning. That’s why our programs are more than just extra homework. All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student’s power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in their individual voice. ONLINE LEARNING LAB In the spring of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly transitioned all of our programs online. Our priority is to ensure the safety of our community, while continuing to offer engaging, high-quality opportunities to students. Each of our main programs—Schoolwork Support, Workshops, Field Trips, and In-school Projects—has been reimagined for the virtual space as part of our new Online Learning Lab. For the 2020–21 school year, our programs will remain virtual. When is it safe to return to our in-person programs, we plan to continue to offer virtual program opportunities as well! SCHOOLWORK SUPPORT The program formerly-known as tutoring has been given an updated name, but the same great foundations remain. We organize trained volunteer tutors to work with students one-on-one with their homework after school. Schoolwork Support is available for all subjects, for students ages 8–18. Generally, we offer this program at three locations: at our Liberty Street Lab in Ann Arbor, at the Michigan Avenue Branch of the Ypsilanti District Library, and at our Winder Street Lab in Detroit’s Eastern Market, though in-person programs are on pause this year. We have added a Virtual Schoolwork Support program. Students are paired with two tutors to work on assignments for school and writing projects of their choosing.
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A way to figure things out by ourselves
We create a safe place to be ourselves and try new things We support the ways that writers work (like thinking, sketching, talking)
A way to help us connect to our world
We study the writing we want to do so we can try it We learn how to change our writing for genre, audience, and purpose
A way to help us learn who we are and who we will become
We work with a group of writers who help and support each other
A way for us to use our power to make changes and build a better world
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