U-Boat 306 - Chapter 2: Control the enemy. Or not!! - By Matt

“Ship deployment, load ammunition!” Matt yelled. “Get those Swastikas on. Were pretending to be friendly Nazis,” Included Nick. So the brave bold boys went out looking for the sub. They took a radio with them so they could hear them when they got close. Then the men herd music that sounded German. They followed the signal until Garth out the Moris code. Then, a huge black shape emerged in the waves. It was the Nazi U boat. 6 men walked out on to the deck of the Nazi U boat. Garth knew how to speck German. “Mashoy!” Yelled the Nazi. Witch means Ahoy. Garth replied. “Mashoy. Gootentawk.” The Nazis trough the rope of to let them on board. Matt brought machine guns and stink bombs to take out the Germans. Then, Matt said. “It’s Show time!” The boys took their machine guns out and yelled. The Germans went for the fuselage door and went down the rail. Nick threw one of the stink bombs down the ladder and yelled. “Mark one.” There was a big boom. After that the sub started to shake. Last was the most horrible smell you could ever imagine. Evan opened the door and went in with a gas mask. He opened the door to the bunks and yelled as he shot countless rounds into the floor. The Nazis were UN prepared for it so they put their hands up. Then Matt came in and looked at Evan, then the Nazis. Matt hollered at the Nazis and pointed his gun at them. The Nazis put their hands up and started to cry.

Later on the S.S Concav the Nazis were prisoners of war. “This is the first time you’ve seen an American isn’t it. Well get used to it.” Garth said. “Wick is burning” Said Nick. Abandon the boat. Get to the concave! Matt said. Mr. C was on the boat and was getting the ladder ready. Then there was a bubbling sound and when Mr. C looked over the edge, a 7ft torpedo streaked trough the water and impacted the hull. Mr. C went flying of the boat. The Concav lit up like a roman candle. As soon as they saw it happen, they rushed to help Mr. C. “Were not leaving you!” Nick said. “What do we do?” Replied Evan.” “Get to the U Boat.” Yelled Mr. C. The Wick was gust about ready to blow. “Ah Oh!” Garth said. Garth licked the wick to stop it. “Garth, we can’t read any of this! It’s German!” Evan said. “That’s the dive control.” Added Garth. “What about this?” Asked Nick. “That’s The Rudder.” Garth replied. “Dive, Dive!” Hollered Matt. “Get ready to fire an explosive fish.” “We’ve been fired on, torpedo in the water repeat torpedo in the water!” Nick said. Why aren’t we firing yet?” Matt Asked. “I can’t read this. It’s German!” Evan said “Garth! Get to the firing station!” Matt said. “There is the trigger and that’s the torpedo.” Garth said. “FIRE TWO” Matt yelled. And then a loud screech. “What was that?” Asked Matt. “The fish is still in the tube.” Evan Said. “Well you better get those fish out of the tube before it blows.” Said Matt. But then, the torpedo fired and approached the target on the radar. “MISS!” Said Evan. Then Nick herd the sound of a bow of a U boat bending. “HIT!” Nick said.

When the sub surfaced in the morning, every one steeled down for a cup of O-J. Then Nick Said “Aircraft Coming from the north!” Every one got up quickly to the deck to see! “Yep, it’s a Meshersmit.” Matt said. “But how can it be out this far.” “What if he knows who we are?” Asked Evan. “He doesn’t know that. Every buddy Wave.” “This is ridiculous; he’s going to strafe us,” Evan said. Then, The ME Turned around and came at the sub. “Nick do something with the gun, shoot him or something.” If we shot and missed he would report us in.” Matt said. Pull the trigger Nick!” Said Evan. Get your hand of that trigger.” Matt said. Were all going to die!” Evan said. “Don’t Pull it. Pull it! Don’t Pull it and in the last seconds, the ME was getting closer and closer and closer.


To Be Continued

Do you want the ME to be shot down? Do you want Nick to pull the trigger?
Comment below and tell me what YOU want!

Peanut Allergies - by Courtney

Do you have a peanut Allergy? I do, and last month, on January 17, my mom came home with a peanut butter smoothie. I thought that it was just a little something from Caribou, but it wasn’t. As soon as I tasted it my mom yelled, “No, that has peanuts in it!” I spit it back out. I could feel the blood rushing to my head, and my lips were swelling up my throat was swelling too. I never want to feel that feeling ever again.
Peanuts are the most common allergy and they often find their way into things you wouldn't imagine. If you’re eating at a restaurant ask the waitress if the food you’re having has anything to do with nuts. Don’t go to Big Bowl if you have a peanut allergy because most of their things have peanut oil in them. Even if the waitress says it’s ok, they could still have a splash of peanut oil.
People allergic to peanuts can also be allergic to tree nuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, pecans, and cashews. Stay away from all those nuts!

Book Review - by Josh (and mom)

We finished "Ulysses Moore and the Door to Time". Our family read this book together at bedtime. It features three kids (Jason, Julia and Rick) who work together to solve riddles and puzzles and, ultimately, a mystery! This book is the first in a series and we are looking forward to reading more!

In this book, Jason and Julia move into a house on a cliff. They meet Rick and then discover a door that has 4 locks in it. So they set out to find the keys. Every step along the way there are things that have to be figured out. They find the keys, open the door and find themselves in a grotto where they find a very strange looking boat. There are no exits and they wonder how the boat ever goes anywhere. Once they figure out the mystery of how to make the boat move, they find themselves in ancient Egypt!

AND THAT'S WHERE THIS BOOK ENDS!

We have just started book 2. It is called "The Long-Lost Map". The writing is exciting and well done. The author has kept our interest and used clues to keep us guessing what will happen next - or how to solve the next puzzle. We'll keep you updated on the journey of these three friends!

Hockey - by April

I play hockey for the U-10 Richfield Girls team. This is my first year on the team. Many of the girls are from my old school. The picture looks just like the goalie on my team. Her name is Masey. She is really good. At our last game, she only let in one goal against the best team and we won. I am lucky my team is really good. We won first place in our Bloomington Tournament this season.

We all have matching jackets with hockey stick patches on them.

When we got first place this was our medal.

This is me doing a slap shot.
I hope my team wins first place again.

Hellcat - By Matt

Watch out for the Hellcat!

The Hellcat was built for three reasons. To destroy, outrun, and show dominance over the Japanese air force during World War II. This little blue plane had its fist step toward wining the Pacific War on June 26 1942, the day it first flew. Before the Hellcat, the Japanese made very good planes, but one plane was the Japanese’s Top Gun. That plane was the zero. The zero’s weapon system was light so it could speed up higher than the lumbering P-40 that was heavily armed. And with its aerodynamic fetchers the Zero could outrun any plane it faced. After Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Marianas raged. Both Japanese and American air craft carriers were there. The Hellcat and the zero both met in battle, and the Hellcat did so well that the battle soon came to be known as the great Mariana’s Turkey Shoot. From the 200 Hellcats that flew, only 25 were shot down. It surely proved the Hellcat's dominance. The Japanese never recovered. The Hellcat was not just the average day fighter, but it was also the navy's preferred night fighter. The young aviators got their wings to the night fighting squad over Okinawa. But after that something happened that would change the war. The last zero was shot down. Then the next morning on the carrier Yorktown there was a speech that said, “Today we are all gathered to the end of war in the Pacific”. After the war in the Pacific, the Hellcat was tested for other reasons, like the first remote controlled flight. After that came the F4U4 Corsair that was much bigger, faster, and more maneuverable than the Hellcat.

(picture: aviation-art.net)

Egypt - by Saheel

Egypt is an amazing country, and I will tell you every thing about Egypt. In Egypt when a person dies they don’t bury him, they just put the body in their basement. And another thing about Egypt is they don’t put the Mummy in the pyramids. They put the bodies in the museum. Second thing about Egypt if you go out in the night after 10 pm you will get arrested even if you are Americans. And now I will tell you about Egyptian Mosque. Egyptians Mosques are the best. A Mosque is a holy place for Muslims. And an Egyptian person thinks that the best religion in the world is Muslim. And that’s their opinion. The final thing about the Egypt is the queen she was the most beautiful lady in the universe.

The Edge Chronicles - by Atom and Josh

We all (Atom, Josh, Jay, Jacob and Garth) have been reading The Edge Chronicles and have really liked it even though we’re two chapters into the book. The main character, named Twig, fought a giant hover worm! Even though that may sound a little weird, the book is great! Click here to see a website for it.

The Story of Cheese - Chapter 2: A Message in Melted Cheese, by Garth

Cheddar was surrounded by darkness. Not the darkness that you can’t see but your eyes will adjust to in a little while. It was pure darkness, like a dungeon. He tried to find his way around, but he couldn’t see anything. He stuck out both his hands and walked forward. Cheddar felt something with his hands and tried to figure out what it was. It felt kind of rough and bumpy. He pushed hard on it and felt his hand sink into it. He quickly pulled his hands out. They felt like they were covered with slime of some sort. Cheddar started thinking of what it could be. After a while he gave up and continued around the cave. Then it came to him. I could have been melted cheese. Cheddar dashed back to the wall and pressed his hand against it. He felt it out and rubbed his hand on it trying to figure out the strokes, turns, and spaced to find out what it says, like brail. He figured out the first word which was THE. He felt around for the next which was --Chedur? -- no, Cheddar! He felt around for the next word and found C-H-E-E-S-E. He thought for a moment. What could be after it? The Cheddar Cheese, the Cheddar Cheese, The Cheddar Cheese. Cheddar kept saying it over in his head. What could it mean? He reached up to find what else was written on the wall I-F Y-O-U P-L-E-A-S-E S-O-M-T-H-I-N-G T-H-A-T M-A-K-E-S Y-O-U S-N-E-E-Z-E. Cheddar thought for a second. “The Cheddar Cheese, if you please. Something that makes you sneeze,” he said to himself. What does that mean? Thought Cheddar.

He searched around the room and eventually found a door. Cheddar got a firm grip on the door and swung it open. He could finally see. His eyes weren’t fully adjusted to the light yet so Cheddar still couldn’t see. He floundered into a wall and drearily stumbled to the ground. Cheddar lay there for about an hour and then got up. He could finally see.

He wasn’t in a room; he was in a new world. There was a giant tower made of cheese. Cheddar knew it was the Leaning Tower of Cheese, he had heard of. There were many people, many houses, and many things worth seeing to see. But one particular person caught Cheddar’s eye. The CHEESE BANDITS were there. Cheddar dashed behind a tree. He peeked out from behind the tree to see if they were still there. He couldn’t see them. Cheddar let out a sigh of relief. But then he spotted them again. He gasped and ran into the nearest building.

It was a small house, it looked deserted. Cheddar floundered around in the house and then sat down by a window. He peered out and tried to spot the CHEESE BANDITS. Cheddar saw them head for the house he was in. Cheddar gasped and descended farther into the house. The floors started to make a creaking sound. Cheddar saw a staircase and quickly ascended it. He was about to go back when he heard the sound of the door opening. He knew he had no choice. He ran up the stairs hoping not to alert the CHEESE BANDITS. It got darker and darker. Cheddar found a light switch but there wasn’t any electricity in the old house. He found a door and quickly went inside. He found his way to a couch that he could sit on until the CHEESE BANDITS left.

Cheddar sat there hour after hour until he thought it was safe to leave. Then he got up but then he heard noises coming from the hallway. “I can’t find him,” Cheddar thought it must have been the first CHEESE BANDIT. “Check that room!” exclaimed the second CHEESE BANDIT. Cheddar heard the creaking of the door as the CHEESE BANDITS entered the room Cheddar was in. Cheddar leaped behind the couch, and held his breath. The CHEESE BANDITS had a candle so they could see. “I thought I heard something,” said one of the CHEESE BANDITS. Cheddar couldn’t hold his breath any longer He inhaled a deep breath. Just then one of the CHEESE BANDITS leaped behind the sofa and glared right at Cheddar. “I found you,” he said in an evil voice. Cheddar scrambled to his feet and tried to run out the other side of the sofa. But Cheddar came face to face with the other CHEESE BANDIT. “Should we cut off his head?” asked one of the CHEESE BANDITS. “No,” said the other. “I have better plans for this one.”

(image by duckiemonster)

Happy Birthday Legos!

It is Lego's 50th anniversary! Here is a link to everything lego!

Lucy

Have More Heart - by Evan

I found some links for the blog about the heart.

First, go to this web address and you should be in the video section. Then go to the search bar that is next to Top Stories and type in heart. Now you should find a video that says Rebuilding A Baby’s Heart and that’s the video.

Next, perform open heart surgery at this site!

Finally, take this heart quiz. It covers everything we've learned so far in class!

Alliteration - by April

Fetch my filthy
frowning
funny
ferocious
flippers!

The Dog - by Andrew

You see a dog
He sees you
He looks nice
Bark bark bark
His tail is wagging
He runs after you
You run away
He shows his teeth
Now he looks mad
You look at him
He looks sad but you look mad
He sad
I see a big cut on his back
I could put him in a sack
But he is too fat
I take him back to my home
I get a leash
We take him to the vet
They give him stitches
We walk out of the vet
He yanks out of my hands
He is in the street
We see a speeding blue car
The dog does not see it
CRASH
The dog is dead
You have to love that dog.

Andrew

(inspired by Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech)

A.C.E.S. WWII Aircraft - by Matt

A.C.E.S. is a place in the Mall of America where there are aircraft simulators. My favorite plane is the P-40 Tiger, like the picture to the left. They have all the air craft of WW2 and some jets. The simulators there are like big video games where you are in the cockpit. A cockpit is the places were the person sits. The cockpit is also were the controls are, like the weaponry and the control stick. The control stick is where the trigger for the guns, canons, and bombs are. The control stick is also were your flight is controlled. The flaps on the bottom of the cockpit that make the aircraft turn. This maneuver is called YAW. You press on the flaps to make the aircraft turn. This might sound a little difficult, but don’t feel scared. Only 10% of your aircraft is controlled by making YAWS.

Deploying your Weapons: To deploy your weapons the red trigger fires the 50 caliber machine guns. The gray button at the top of the stick fires the 50 caliber cannons. To hit the aircraft you are shooting at you need to deflection shoot. Deflection shooting is shooting where the target WILL be, not were it IS. This is because your target has moved perhaps 25-50 yards after your ammunition comes out of your gun.
A fun fact is that most WW2 aces were horrible defection shooters. They went up so close to their target that they could not possibly miss. Now do me a favor. GO TO ACES!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are interested in learning more about this, click here to visit the A.C.E.S. website.

Star Wars Exhibit Coming! by Jay

There will be a Star Wars exhibit coming to the Science Museum on June 14th! It will be the largest gathering of costumes and props in the world! It will end August 24th.

Jay

Click here for more information!

Book Recommendation - by Katie

A favorite book recommendation would be, The Wedding Planner's Daughter By: Coleen Murtagh Paratore.

It is about a girl named Willa, who hates her name. Her Mom is a wedding planner. If anyone comes up to Willa they always ask: "What is it like to be a Wedding Planner's Daughter?" One day Willa is tying the 3rd secret ingredient to the wedding dress of Soap Opera couples, when she has an idea... I would rate this book a 8.5. Good Luck reading the book!

Katie

Book Review - by Jake

The Year My Mom Won the Pennant is about a boy named Nick and his baseball team. The Thunderballs are without a coach but Nick bribes his mom into coaching. Nick starts realizing that people doubt that his mom can coach. Nick and his team are very big rivals with the Tornado’s and have to play them four times. The Thunderball’s record ended up 3-1 against them. If you like baseball you have to read this book.

Jake E.

Click here to visit Matt Christopher's website!

Haiku - by Andrew

He flies through Fu Land
Beating everyone he sees
Who will defeat him?

Andrew

Nobel Peace Prize - by Evan

Nobel Peace Prize

Speaking of Martin Luther King Jr., he won the Nobel Prize in 1964. The prize is given on December 10th, which is Alfred Nobel’s death anniversary. The prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway (Oslo is Norway’s capitol). The ceremony is held in the Oslo City Hall. Albert Arnold Gore Jr. was the 2007 winner. The first prize was awarded in 1901 to Jean Henri Dunant and Frédéric Passy. There was no award in: 1914, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1934, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1966, 1967, and 1972. Adolf Hitler was nominated in1939 by Erik Brandt, but Brandt took back the nomination after a couple of days. Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the prize in 1906. In 2005, the Nobel Peace Center opened to present the winners and what they did to make the world more peaceful.

Evan

Here are some cool facts on the Nobel Peace Prize

Here are more facts on the prize.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize)

Elvis trivia - by Lucy

I have a question for everyone. How many films did Elvis star in? To find the answer, click here. Leave a comment with your answer when you find it!

Lucy

The Story of Cheese - Chapter 1: The Rise of Cheddar, by Garth

Since the moment he was born, Cheddar knew he would be nothing special. Since the moment he was born, Cheddar knew he would be a normal cheese. He once had his fortune told by a fortune teller, who said, “You shall do nothing special... now give me my money!!” Cheddar quickly paid the lady and left. His entire life, Cheddar knew he wouldn’t do anything special.
Then one day Cheddar’s life was changed forever. That one day determined his entire life. That one day changed his future. That one day he went into the forest and never came out. When he went into the forest he was attacked by the CHEESE BANDITS. They were dressed in black robes and pointy hats. Cheddar was frightened like a mouse with a hawk in pursuit. The CHEESE BANDITS thrust their blades of cheese at Cheddar, but Cheddar was fast. He quickly picked up a stick, parried and reposed so fast the CHEESE BANDITS couldn’t even begin to lunge towards Cheddar. He had the feeling he would be victorious in this battle until he was attacked from behind. A rather large cheese stood looming over him like all of the trees in the forest.
Cheddar was surprised at how big the cheese was. He was broad, with rough skin and big eyes that looked down at him in fury. His mouth was shaped in a menacing grin, and his hair was sleeked back into a mullet. The large cheese thrust a fist at Cheddar. Cheddar shifted to the side and aimed a blow and the giant cheese. To his surprise, the giant cheese caught the fist and twisted. Cheddar could hear a crack, and winced as the giant cheese pushed him to the forest floor. “I HOPE IT HURT!!” boomed the giant cheese. Cheddar was too scared to speak. He tried to hide how much pain he was in, but he couldn’t help but produce a few tears. The giant cheese picked him up by his collar and slammed him to the ground like a rag doll. Cheddar felt as if his spine had just been broken. He looked at where the giant cheese slammed him into and there was a small crater where he hit.
The cheese must have been at least 5000 pounds, and at that instant Cheddar knew the cheese had to be Bobby Cheese-It’s. He had heard tales about Bobby Cheese-It’s and he knew he was said to be the greatest cheese in the world. Cheddar scrambled up to his feet and dashed towards an opening where some leaves parted to make a space where he could escape. But right when he was about to leap to freedom he was grabbed around the ankle and yanked to the floor. He climbed to his feet just to get knocked down again by a giant fist full of cheese. Cheddar lay on the ground in pain with several bruises and a black eye.
“Wwwwhat dddoo yyyou wwant?” He managed to sputter out. This time the CHEESE BANDITS spoke. “We want all of your cheese.”
“Why,” Cheddar responded.
“Because were hungry.”
Cheddar noticed that they looked very skinny. But he wouldn’t give up. He lunged towards the CHEESE BANDITS, but Bobby Cheese-it’s was too fast. He dashed in the way of the CHEESE BANDITS and knocked him away. Cheddar quickly regained balance and landed with like nothing ever happened. Bobby Cheese-it’s shot towards him, but Cheddar shifted out of the way. Bobby Cheese-it’s whirled around and raced towards him again, this time knocking him off balance. He stumbled and fell to the ground. Bobby Cheese-it’s laughed an evil, cruel, mad laugh. Then shot towards Cheddar. He braced himself for impact, but didn’t feel anything. He peeked to see what happened and saw something amazing. It’s not really what he did see, but what he didn’t see. Bobby Cheese-it’s and the CHEESE BANDITS were gone. Then Cheddar spotted a hole in the ground. It looked as if someone had dug the hole and covered it with twigs and leaves. He started towards the pit then stopped. What if it was a trap? What if the Bobby Cheese-it’s or the CHEESE BANDITS where waiting for him in the pit? What if they were going to pull him down and eat him? But Cheddar’s curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know what was in the pit. He raced towards the pit, and gazed inside. It was just a deep hole. He backed away from the hole. Cheddar let out a sigh of disappointment. He had hoped there would be spikes or venomous snakes in the pit. He went up to the hole to take a closer look. But when he was just five inches away from the pit he felt like he was shoved into the hole. Who shoved him he doesn’t know, all he knows is that he was pushed, and he will never get out not even if there was a miracle. He would never get out.

Coming soon....Chapter 2: A Message in Melted Cheese