Westlake Kids With Pens Writing Camp

This camp was full of imaginative writers who had a flare for the dramatic and an incessant obsession with chocolate. They wrote about aliens, LeBron James, pigs stuck in jars, the sound of lemons, a villainous owl, and what their names smelled like. They created mesmerizing maps of their minds and then invited us to take a tour through their delightfully bizarre and surprising brains. Enjoy their work below and prepare to be impressed.

Squeak the Super Villain

By Alexa Borden

Everything is good to some people. I am not one of those people. In fact, I am not a person at all. I am a mouse. For me, bad is good and good is bad. That is just the way I am. I am destined to be the greatest super-villain of all times! “Says who?” you ask me. “Says me,” I say. Nothing will get in the way of me and my goal, nothing. Oh, and by the way, my name is Squeak. Great name, I know. Anyway . . . because I’m a mouse I can’t let people know I’m dangerous because I can’t speak human, only mouse. I can write human, though. It took me a long time to learn. I’ll send a letter. The cops won’t be able to find me because I’m so small and quick and most mice look the same or similar at least. I take a feather (which is twice my size) and a jar full of ink. I stole those from the store across the street. Here is what my letter says––

“Beware, Children, for I am Squeak and if you dare to try to stop me from becoming a villain, I will steal all your cheese! (evil laugh)” I drop the letter in the pile of city papers and scurry off. Now no one will get in my way! (another exaggerated evil laugh).

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The Ship Stowaway

by Alden Gates

Journal Entry Number 1

1836 July 1

Today is the day. I am going to sneak on the S.S. Marine. I have to run away from my home: Portland, Maine. My name is Travis. I have short, shabby hair that is dirty blond and I used to live in the old abandoned shack down Main Street. The reason I am running away from home is to find what I want more than anything. A family.

Journal Entry Number 2

1836 July 2

It is my second day as a stowaway on the ship. You’re probably wondering why I don’t have a family already. Good question. When I was a baby I was in an orphanage for as long as I can remember. I escaped the orphanage about two years ago when I was about 15. It has been a hard time since then. I could barely find any food. But when I find a new family they will treat me with 100% respect.

Journal Entry Number 3

1836 July 3

Last night I snuck out of the bunker I was hiding in to get some fish and bread. Unfortunately though I got caught by the ship’s night guard. Luckily though I got the nice part of him to come around. I told him my story of how I was trying to find a family and he said that he supported me and said he would bring me food every night.

Journal Entry Number 4

1836 July 4

They caught me.

To be continued . . .

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Jarred Up Friend

By Mia Gates

Dear Kids With Pens Writing Camp,

I am Sir Bruce. I was once a knight in shining armor rescuing kings and queens from evil ogres to fiery dragons, but one dark and stormy night I was reading Saving People 101 and eating medieval mac & cheese, when I heard a cry of distress. That’s when I jumped on my mighty steed Tiny and rode toward the palace and what do I find? There is a wicked witch terrorizing the princess so when I try to slay the witch you will not believe what she did! She made me tiny and stuffed me in a jar! I was outraged! And when the princess made a run for it she did not even take me! How rude! So I have been in a jar for over 200 years and that’s how you got me.

Your jarred up friend,

Sir Bruce

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Morfat’s Terror

By Gibson Marable

Today is a very important day on the planet of Fbar. Morfat Dulwat is presenting his legendary item to his people. It’s a short but large diameter cheetah skin sleeve. He spent many months on earth looking for the item and today was his big day. Today I present to you . . . LeBron James’ new shooting sleeve! Everyone applauded. Let’s see how he looks in it, shall we? Morfat pressed a button on his necklace and a human sized test tube popped up. But wait, it was smashed open! LeBron escaped with his magic shooting sleeve! “Oh Glorbnaughts,” Morfat exclaimed, as people started panicking.

Morfat looked around and found out his only solution was to call in the specialist. He pressed another button and Sherlock Holmes popped up. “How may I be of serv––ow!” and he fell down unconscious. An oversized basketball had clocked him in the head!

“LeBron!” Morfat screamed.

LeBron was terrorizing the Fbarians. Morfat ran to where LeBron was shooting and kicked him off. But wait, as LeBron fell, something got caught on the platform . . . the shooting sleeve! Just kidding. It was a piece of his hair. LeBron went into a Giantizer machine which made him bigger and then he came out the size of 800 planets! He took Fbar and half-court shot it into a black hole. The Cavs now lead 1-0. Then Morfat woke up.

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The House Across the Street

By Stella Marable

The house across the street is so beautiful I want to go and look around but there is a child living there and the child will scream. But I have to go tomorrow. I am awake so let’s go walk silently across the street. I find a key under the matt so I put the key inside the loc. It opens the door. I walk inside and look for precious silver. I find a antique coo coo clock and take it out the door. As I walk out the door there is a child, so I whisper to the child, beware child, and go back to my home, drop off the stuff and go to the next house. What am I?

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Evil Villain

By Andrew Meyer

I was on the highest tree, calling my servants to capture the poor child. I reigned over the forest. Many would think someone else would reign over such a large terrain, but no, I was the ruler. The raucous scream of the children that ventured here only made me think of pride. Children would always think a tree would grab them, but when they would be on the lookout, to prove that trees were alive and evil, then I’d see them, their bodies glimmering in the darkness, just waiting to be caught. They wouldn’t expect an evil owl to catch them. Beware, children I would say. They would see me and I would hear the raucous scream that echoed through the night. I would enjoy every second of it. My servants would capture the child and hold him hostage forever. I was the great owl of the dark, dark forest.

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A Castle vs Me

By Roger Muniz

My name is Mark and I am the villain in this story. It all started when I lived in a castle. The king had kicked me out because I set fire to a village. I had to move to a swamp. 30 years passed. I lived in a hut and put signs around it saying beware children and leave or die. When the king kicked me out I swore revenge against him and his castle. To be continued?!

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