by Emma Jo Smoot, age 8

Literacy experts say reading aloud to one’s pet is a great way to become a more confident reader. It’s also really, really fun. In the Writing for Your Pet workshop, we teach students that cats and dogs have no interest in the sports pages. They want stories written just for them. As expected, our students are more than ready to meet the challenge. For the next week and a half, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite stories from the most recent session.

Hi! I’m O’Mally. I am a cat with stripes. I have a catnip mouse. Here. Let me show you. Oh no! My catnip mouse is gone! Call the doctor. I must be sick. Hey! Footprints. It looks like my worst enemy Kisha Fat Foot is behind this. I run to Kisha Fat Foot’s house. She answers the door.

“Give me my catnip mouse now,” I scream.

“I don’t have it!”

“OK, fine. I believe you.”

“Go away!”

She slams the door in my face. Hmmmm. She is a suspect to me. I run home and take out my notebook and write out: Suspect one is Kisha Fat Foot. I put down my notebook and run to the baker’s store. The sign says “Chubby’s Place.“ When I go into the bakery, Chubby growls.

“What do you want?”

“May I have a tortilla chip cookie, please?”

“I am sold out of them. Go away!”

“No. May I have a tortilla chip cake?”

“No. I am sold out. That one is on display.”

“Fine. Can I have a torilla chip cupcake, please?”

“I am sold out.”

“Fine. I will have to leave then.”

“OK, go away.”

“Hey! That is my catnip mouse.”

“No it is not.”

I run home and get out my notebook again. I write down that suspect two is Chubby. I decide to spy on Kisha Fat Foot. When I get to her house she sees me and says, “Go away!”

“Fine.”

I go to the bakery and spy on Chubby. He has a catnip mouse in his hand. He sings, “Ha Ha! She did not catch me!”

I run in and say, “I caught you in the act!”

“You caught me, I guess.”

“Give me my catnip mouse!”

“OK.”

I run home laughing.

THE END