stories

 Family Traditions      A family is a group of people that are related by birth, by marriage, or another reason, like foster care or adoption. There are other ways people can be included in a family. A person may be included if he or she is a lifelong friend to a member of the family. A person could be considered ‘family’ if he or she served together in the military with someone in the family. Families have mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more.      Families often have traditions that help members of the family feel a stronger connection to the past, and to each other. Traditions include events, activities, a love of music, dancing, participating in sports and games, preparing meals or cultural foods, or celebrations in a religion that people in a family do together.      Traditions can be things like eating a Thanksgiving dinner, opening presents on Christmas morning, or f...

 No More Mowing      For Uncle Harry, the grass outside his home was becoming too much trouble to take care of. He lived in the desert of Las Vegas, Nevada. It was hot most of the year, and his water bill was becoming very expensive. In the summer, to keep it green, he had to water his lawn twice a day! In the winter, the grass would turn brown when the temperature got too cold. On top of all that, he thought, at seventy-five, he was getting too old to mow it himself. He decided to have his lawn dug out and removed, and put pampas grasses, cacti, and cool looking rocks and smooth stones in his yard instead.      First, he hired some men who were looking for work, waiting outside the local home improvement store. Together, they dug out all the grass below the roots. Next, they removed all the sprinkler heads and capped them off, as the plants Harry would be putting in wouldn’t need much more than the occassional rainstorm to stay alive. The next step wa...

 Making Popcorn      Fran asked her father to help her make popcorn. “There are some microwave pouches in the cabinet over the refrigerator,” her father said.      “Dad,” Fran moaned softly. “I want to make real popcorn, with real kernels and oil in a pan. I’ll even get out all the things we need, and clean up after,” she said. The ‘clean up after’ part was the clincher. Her father agreed.      Fran found a large pan with a cover, some vegetable oil, and the popping corn. First, her father turned on the burner and adjusted the flame. Then he poured oil in the pan. When the oil was hot enough, Fran poured some corn into the pan and carefully placed the cover on top. After a minute, the corn began to pop inside the pan. Then Fran said to her father, “Listen to all the noise! Now I know why it’s called popcorn. It smells fantastic!”      Fran's father poured the popcorn into a bowl. He melted some butter and poured it on top....

 The Velveteen Rabbit  Or How Toys Become Real  by Margery Williams THERE was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen. On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the Boy's stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming.      There were other things in the stocking, nuts and oranges and a toy engine, and chocolate almonds and a clockwork mouse, but the Rabbit was quite the best of all. For at least two hours the Boy loved him, and then Aunts and Uncles came to dinner, and there was a great rustling of tissue paper and unwrapping of parcels, and in the excitement of looking at all the new presents the Velveteen Rabbit was forgotten.      Christmas Morning      For a long time he lived in the toy cupboard or on ...

       Ducks      A duck is a bird that has webbed feet and waterproof feathers. Ducks have some features that geese and swans have. But the wings and the necks of ducks are shorter. Their bills are flatter, too. Ducks quack or whistle, but they don't honk. Male ducks are called drakes, and females are called ducks.      Ducks live throughout the world in wetlands, including marshes (wet areas with long grasses) and areas near rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans. Ducks can live in cold and warmer parts of the world at any time of year. Many kinds of ducks migrate (travel long distances) annually (each year) between their breeding grounds (where they rest and raise their babies), and their wintering areas, where the water does not freeze. Some ducks migrate thousands of miles.      Ducks spend a lot of time in the water, where their webbed feet help them paddle for swimming and diving. They are graceful on water, but waddle an...

 Rats     When people think of rats, most of them will say words like, 'Yuck!, or 'Ick!', or they might use phrases like, 'Rats are disgusting!', 'Oh, rats are horrible!' They're dirty, filthy!, or 'They make my skin crawl!'     Rats do have a history of causing harm, destruction, and even death to humans. Rats have often been portrayed as hideous vermin in stories and movies. When one person thinks badly about another person, he or she might even refer to him as a 'rat'.     Some people hate rats. Other people think they're cool. Even though they're small compared to other animals, they have many abilities other animals don't have. What are these abilities? Let me tell you what I have learned about rats.       Rats have teeth that never stop growing. And with these teeth, rats have chewing power strong enough to chew through computer cables and even through cement!      People should try to keep t...

  Raccoons     Raccoons are amazing animals. They are able to do lots of things we would not expect them to do. They can do a lot of things humans can do. With their large brains, they can figure out how to unlock gates, open covered trash cans, and make nests almost everywhere.     Raccoons are clever. Some raccoons can control their paws as well as some people can use their hands. Some raccoons can untie knots on trash bags to get food, or open closed doors to get into buildings.     Raccoons are strong and sneaky. They can move heavy things, climb into small spaces, or up high. Raccoons can dig well. They also have powerful jaws and sharp teeth.     Raccoons will eat smaller living things they find in nature, or food left behind or thrown away by humans. Raccoons that live in cities will eat beetles, fish, or even kittens! They will eat cereal, crackers, or even yogurt! Can you believe it?     Raccoons live in trees and other pla...