The Springfield Public Library

Hello future readers!

Well, it's final project time at our school again, so last Wednesday after school, Jennifer and I walked over to the Springfield Public Library to get a book to help us with our project. When we got there we saw some of our friends also working on their final projects.

Stephanie and Shante' were doing their project on Butterflies.

Kim and Cheryl were looking through an encyclopedia, writing down ideas on what to do for their project.

Susan and Crissy teamed up to do their project together, but Susan was at home with a bad cold, so Crissy came down to the library alone to pick up their books.

When you're in high school, your final project is called a term paper. Kerry finished hers last week, so she brought her little sister Velvet to the library. They were in the cozy corner reading "Ramona The Pest".

Jennifer and I decided to do our project about tigers. Since more people were coming into the library, Jennifer went to grab a table, while I looked for the book.

I found a super book of "Big Cats" and brought it back to the table to show Jennifer. She thought it was just perfect.

I looked up facts about tigers while Jennifer wrote them down. We were going to write a report and make a poster later at her house.

The library is a pretty groovy place. Sometimes they do cool things like "Pajama Story Hour" or show cool films like "Curious George", or "The Tin Soldier". A couple of years ago, they had a parade where some people dressed as storybook characters. I remember my favorite was "The Cat In The Hat." The librarian, Mrs. Stone, is really nice. I think she must be one of the smartest people ever, 'cos she always knows where to find just the right books, and knows lotsa things about animals and  history and stuff like that.

Are there still libraries in the future? Maybe everybody's home has a "library computer" like on "Star Trek".  They don't read books on that show, they mostly look at computer screens. I don't think I'd like that too much. I think I would really miss books. Anyway, I can't wait to get started on our poster. We're going to make a giant drawing of a tiger in the jungle. I hope we get a good grade on it. Do you do a final project before the end of the school year? If you do, I hope you get a good grade, too.

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Playing at Danny's House

Hello future readers!

Last Saturday night, Danny's mother invited my mom and Jason's dad over for some "cards and coffee". I was invited, too, but, I didn't wanna go. I wanted to go hang out with one of my other friends, but my mom said that would be rude. I wasn't trying to be rude, but honestly, I didn't know if I wanted to hang out with the boys with no girls around. I know Danny has had to put up with all us girls and the stuff we like to do, even before Jason moved back to Springfield. But we kinda outnumber the boys, and it's always just worked out that way. I wasn't sure if I wanted them to outnumber me! I mean, boys just play different from girls, y'know?

So I decided that before we went over the Danny's house, I'd get one of my dolls to play with. That way, if they were playing something I didn't like, I'd still have something to do.

After I found my Gold Medal Barbie doll, my mom said it was time to go.

When we got there, I said hello to all the grown-ups, and Mrs. Campbell said I should go on upstairs to see what the boys were up to. When I came in, Danny was reading a Spider-man comic book to Jason.

I had never been in Danny's room, but it seemed to be filled with all the stuff boys like; action figures, superheroes, and lotsa blue! We all said hi, and I sat down on Danny's beanbag chair. His dog Muttley came over to me so I patted him on the head. Then he wandered downstairs to where the grown-ups were playing cards. Danny said Muttley was probably going down there to mooch some snacks.

I looked over on his bookshelf and noticed a Snoopy record player. So I asked Danny if I could look through his records. He told me that was OK. But when I looked through them, I saw they were just superhero story records. There was no music! Danny says at his house, all the regular music records are downstairs in the living room, and in his room, he had adventure records. Well, I thought that was kinda weird.

 So I asked the guys what they wanted to do. Danny jumped up and pulled his Six Million Dollar Man action guy off the shelf. "The Six Million Dollar Man" is a popular show with the boys. I've heard Danny and Jason talk about it in the lunchroom. It's about some astronaut who is a secret agent, and has all these powers called "bionics", 'cos he had an operation after he crashed his space shuttle. So now's he's super strong and fast and stuff. So Danny said he wanted to play Six Million Dollar Man,

Then Jason, got his Bigfoot guy out. I think Bigfoot is on that show too. There was a poster of him on Danny's wall.

I told them I would play, only if I could use my Barbie. They wanted to pretend that Bigfoot captured Barbie, and that the Six Million Dollar Man had to come and save her. That didn't sound too bad. So Jason and I went on one side of the room, and Danny squatted down on the other side. Jason started roaring and growling and I had to yell for help and for someone to save me.

Then Jason grabbed my Barbie from me and started really hamming it up trying act like Bigfoot. I was just about to tell him to give my doll back when Danny jumped up on his bed yelling "Leave that girl alone, you big hairy beast!"

Danny jumped off the bed making this weird "da-da-da-da-da-da" noise. and then his guy kicked Jason's guy in the stomach.

After that, the boys started fighting with their action guys! They were so busy fighting, that Jason forgot all about my Barbie and threw her on the floor!

I knew something like this would happen! I jumped up and yelled for the boys to stop! I didn't want my doll to get stomped on, and besides I wasn't even playing anymore. I was pretty much pushed outta the game!

Danny put his guy back on the shelf and Jason and I picked up our toys. I told Danny there had to be something else we could do that didn't have fighting. Jason made some crack about how girls are just no fun. That turkey! Danny said he knew something that all of us liked to do and there would be no fighting. He walked over to his bedside table and moved his lamp,

He took off the top, and inside there were Legos.

Now I'm not great at building, but I was willing to give it a shot. At least it was better than fighting figures! Danny picked up the bedside table and dumped out the Legos. So we sat around building stuff and rapping about school, what we were gonna do over the summer and stuff like that.

Danny made a helicopter. It looked pretty cool.

I made a kind of dopey looking car.

And Jason was working on a groovy building.

Just then, Danny's mom stuck her head in the door, and asked us if we'd like dessert. We all said that we'd love it! She told us to clean up the Legos and she'd bring up a treat. We put all the Legos away, and Danny fixed the bedside table and his lamp. Mrs. Campbell came back with 3 cups of Jell-o with whipped cream! Far out!

And wow, was it ever yummy!

Well after we finished the Jell-o, it was time for me and my mom to leave. Jason was taking his stuff out of Danny's closet. He was gonna spend the night and Mr. Campbell said the boys could camp out downstairs in the living room and watch Dr. Shock. I said goodbye to the boys, thanked Danny's parents for having me over, and my mom and I went home.

I guess playing at Danny's house wasn't so bad. Part of it was actually kinda fun. And he's a pretty good sport hanging out with us girls and doing the stuff we like. Jason's OK about it sometimes, but he hasn't spent as much time with all us girls as Danny has. He can be a pain, but he's a pretty good guy most of the time. I guess I wouldn't mind hanging out with the boys again with no girls around, as long as I don't have to play "action guys" again. After all, we don't make them play dolls, do we?

My mom thinks that maybe in the future, boys and girls will like doing more of the same things, and there won't be so much competition between boys and girls. I wonder if she's right?

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Our Class Photos

Hello future readers!

I love the month of May, because it's when we get our class photos back! Yay! All my friends looked really groovy this year. Here's Miss LaSalle's class:

I think we all look outta site! And now, here are the pictures of each of us:

I think I look super in purple, but I think maybe I like last year's photo better.

Cheryl is always all smiles!

Melody is so cute!

I guess Jason takes a pretty good picture. At least he wasn't goofing around and making faces!

Wow! Kim changed her hair for this picture! I think she looks dynamite!

Sunny looks so pretty in her new outfit!

Here's Wendy. I have a granny square vest just like this one!

Jennifer loves pink! She says it's the  best color in the whole world for girls.

So here's Mrs. Johnson's class. She sure has a lotta kids this year!

Mrs. Johnson is really nice. I wonder if they do the same things in their class that we do in ours.

Stephanie looks so happy! This year Stephanie's mom asked the photographer to take a picture of Stephanie and Melody. They look so cute together!

Shante' is really beautiful. She reminds me of my cousin, Ruby.

Here's Danny. I know he's glad his mom doesn't make him wear suits for school pictures anymore. But he still has to wear one at Christmas!

I really like this picture of Raychel.

I like this picture of Lisa better than the one she took last year.

I'm really digging Crissy's new dress! I wish I had one like that!

Check out Susan's groovy pigtails!

April looks like Wendy's twin again. It must be great to have a sister you can dress like.

And last but not least, here's Robyn.  She looks pretty in stripes.

Well, that's it! I hope you like the pictures, future readers! Do you like getting dressed up for photos, too? We always take our school photos in the spring. When do you take your school pictures?

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman