Blake Lower School LitFest 2026 Zine

In honor of The Blake School’s Literary Festival

Blake School Literary Festival’s Zine

4rd Edition

Each year, Blake welcomes a guest author or illustrator to campus for the Literacy Festival. This year we had the honor of hosting Matthew Shufman, author of Willow and the Wildflower and Fraser the Forest Ranger.

This Zine honors all things literary in celebration of Literacy Festival. We hope you enjoy reading!

This zine was curated and formatted by Blake middle schooll’s Literary Magazine Clib..

Thank you to all who submitted creative works and took the courage to contribute.

Table of Contents

Miles Beale (5 )th

Paul Flynn (3rd)

Grace Bader (4th)

Mila Bader (4th)

Mila Bader (4th)

Zoey Jorgensen (3rd)

Camilla Jahansouz (3rd)

Harper Nolan (2nd)

Harper Nolan (2nd)

Mihika Sen (2nd)

Lyla Sherels (3rd)

Grace Hjelm (5th)

Hanad Jama (2nd)

Hanad Jama (2nd)

Ruqiya Jama (4th)

Ruqiya Jama (4th)

Ada Schwarm (1st)

Cavan Mairose 5th)

Cavan Mairose (5th)

Cavan Mairose (5th)

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Table of Contents (cont.)

River Specht (K)

River Specht (K)

Nicholas Wen (5th)

Sophia Hutchinson (3rd)

Sophia Hutchinson (3rd)

Charlotte Hutchinson (5th)

Eloise Lang (2nd)

Fall Owens (2nd)

Roshni Kulenkamp (2nd)

Nicole Wen (3rd)

Ellie Carlsen (5th)

Pratyush Singh (4th)

Sage Krumm (5th)

Ethan Fan (4th)

Maddie F. and Sophia S. (4th)

Ella Blum (K)

Eva Frimerman (5)

Mihika Sen (2nd)

Callie Porwoll (K)

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Pahe 45

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Table of Contents (cont.)

Tendai Z. and Gunnar B. (3rd)

Daphne Rich (3rd)

Behrad Rahimi (5th)

Eleanor Seme (5th)

Rita and Steve R. (2 and 5th) nd

Claire Hage (4th)

Matthijs Ferris (2nd)

Elle Gage (4th)

Lia Saenz (5h)

Corin Bennett (2nd)

Sebastian Blanco (3rd)

Lucy Bowling (K)

Koa Johnson (5th)

Steve Ruzicka (5th)

Brooke Guerrera (5th)

Alex F. and Hannah X. (4th)

Elyse Stephenson (4th)

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Pag 49

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Page 61-61

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Page 64-565

Pilot Point of View

by: Paul Flynn (3 )rd

Animal Mix

by; Grace Bader (4th)

Labubu

by: Mila Bader (4th)

by: Mila Bader (4th)

The Sleep Away Camp Commotion

by: Zoey Jorgensen (3rd)

The last day of my sleep away camp was ending with closing campfire. There they were standing right in front of me. The staff that was on the stage were going to take the BIGGEST amount of compost soup which was a thing that was full of our compost from the whole week from Saturday to Thursday. It was a crisp cool fall night and it was starting to get a little cold. I wished I brought my jacket. My friend Hanna and Estelle were there to.

For some reason my friend Hanna was watching her counselor go up the stairs and go out of the area. I looked at her for a little bit. Then back to watch. In that little moment I saw her shrug and look back to watch. After we went up the stairs and walked down to sing a community song.

Later were heading over to midnight snack and then we heard it. Hannas counselor was in the Ambulance everybody in her cabin was SOBBING. HARD. I was going to start crying to but my counselor said we were going back to our cabin. After we got some flashlight time but it wasn't very fun because of Hanna’s counselor in the ambulance. I talked to Estelle before I went to sleep about Hanna’s counselor.

The next day her counselor was back. Me and Estelle said "Phew" when we saw her. She was doing everything fine so I think she was fine. 4 hours later we had a picnic lunch. One hour later me Hanna and Estelle were waiting for our cars. As my dad drove me home I talked about how Hanna’s counselor went in the ambulance. "I said it was really scary." We laughed and talked until we got home. When I came upstairs my mom hugged me way more than she had to! We both laughed!

Ballet Time

by: Harper Nolan (2nd)

by: Harper Nolan (2nd)

The Nazca Lines

by: Mihika Sen (2nd)

What to do if I Was a Flower by:

Lyla Sherels (3rd)

I am From Poem

by: Grace Hjelm (5th)

I am from waking up to the wonderful smell of warm, gooey, golden chocolate chip pancakes tasting like dreamy clouds in my mouth.

I am from playing soccer until I fall to the ground in a sweaty heap.

I am from jumping waves in the salty water at the beautiful Costa Rican beach, to burning my toes playing volleyball in the scorching hot sand.

I am from boring free time that turns into me, listening, singing, having my own mini concert to Benson Boone until my throat feels like it has sharp thorns in it.

I am from my mom yelling dinner when my stomach is rumbling sounding like boulders rolling down a steep mountain.

I am from weddings that turns into dance parties with my dad that turns into me sleeping until 11 AM with my ears ringing when I wake up.

I am from my dog scratching me under the kitchen table begging for delicious food until my legs pink with scratch marks all over them.

I am from swimming in the pool until my fingers and toes get so pruny I can’t feel them anymore.

I am from late night concerts and sleeping in the backseat of the car ride home.

I am from cuddling with my dog on the dreamy, comfy, relaxing couch until I fall deeply asleep.

I am from me and my mom cheering my hard-working sister running in her cross country race, Saying “go, Evie go!” in our loudest and proudest voices.

I am from watching, cheering, learning from my sister Rosalyn in her soccer games hoping I could be as good as her one day.

I am from giggling with my best friends to rolling on the ground with hard laughter, smiling ear to ear, and not wanting to stop anytime soon.

I am from my loving, wonderful family that supports me with all their might and makes me feel special inside and out. They make me laugh, smile, giggle, and so much more. I am so grateful to have such an amazing family in my life.

by: Hanad Jama (2nd)

by: Hanad Jama (2nd)

by:Ruqiya Jama 4)

by: Ruqiya Jama 4)

by:

by: Cavan Mairose (5th)

by: Cavan Mairose (5th)

by: Cavan Mairose (5th)

by:

by:

Nightmare Fred

by: Nicholas Wen (5th)

Things to do if You’re a Snowflake

by: Sophia Hutchinson (3rd)

Glowing Tree

by: Sophia Hutchinson (3rd)

by:

I am Going

Charlotte Hutchinson (5th)

I am going to travel the big blue planet, I will see it all. The world will be my playground.

I will go camping in the woods with my dad, and paint my nails with my mom and my sister.

I am going to hike Rim to Rim to Rim with my dad, my mom, and my sister, and marvel at the view from the top.

I am going to run a 10k with my dad, and my mom telling jokes and laughing the whole way.

I am going to snuggle up in an old but cozy blanket and read a good book that will take me into a whole new world.

I am going to play what seems like an endless game of fetch with my 3 dogs and then take them on an even longer walk.

I am going to sit at the round table of my nana and papa house slowly crafting a master peace. I am going to walk down the halls of a hospital with a stethoscope on my neck and blue gloves on my hands. I am going to do all of this.

Unisheen

by: Eloise Lang (2nd)

Sunny Day

by: Nicole Wen (3rd)

Buddy the Gnome

by: Ellie Carlsen (5th)

A Magical Adventure from the Sky to Universal Studios

by: Pratyush Singh (4th)

by:

My First Day at Blake

by: Ethan Fan (4th)

Party Animals

by:

by: Ella Blum (K)

Artwork

by: Eva Frimerman (5th)

Nautiluses

by: Mihika Sen (2nd)

by:

by: Tendai Z. and Gunnar B (3rd)

Arco Ides, the Dragon

by: Daphne Rich (3rd)

Poem

by: Behad Rahimi (5th)

by: Eleanor Seme (5th)

COURAGE

(inspired by the values embodied by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

by: Rita and Steve Ruzicka (2 and 5th) nd

When you ' re scared, be confident and stay strong.

When you feel like giving up, keep trying and believe you will succeed.

When someone is hurt, go check on them.

When you can't think, look for inspiration all around you.

Face your fears, stare them down, and keep going when it's hard.

Stay confident, stay strong, and be sure to believe in yourself.

That is COURAGE!

by:

The Crystal Tree

by: Matthijs Ferris (2nd)

Grow a Garden

by: Elle Gage (4th)

No Title

by: Lia Saenz (th)

Peanut the Duck and Friends

by: Corin Bennett (2nd)

Cartoon Collage

And They Lived Happily Ever After

by: Lucy Bowling (K)

Artwork

5 Grade Me th

by: Steve Ruzicka

by: Brooke Guerrera (5th)

Terrifying Horror

by: Alex Folk and Hannah Xiong (4th)