Memories

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=== Below, middle school students remember their earliest memories. Like Dahl, they use the senses to recreate their memories and help place us in their experiences. Can you see, hear, feel, touch, or smell their memories? You may also see a little hyperbole, which is a literary term we've been exploring. Consider the tone of the piece. Is it funny? Why? ===

=== Each week, we're engaging in some creative writing as we explore Dahl's text. Eventually, we'll be writing a larger creative piece. The students' understanding of various literary terms and our own application of Dahl's writing style in context will help them develop their own writing voices. ===

Bob remembers a rollar coaster ride
I remember when I was six I went to Six Flags. There were wonderful scents of candy and cake. There were roller coasters hundreds of feet in the air. I wanted to go on one. The roller coasters were giant with steel tracks with chrome designs on it. When I went on one, I was so scared. From up top, I saw a plane landing. The air whipped through my hair, tickling my scalp. When I got off the roller coaster, I wanted to go back on.

Bryce remembers an early school experience
My early childhood memory is from when I lived with my mom. I used to go to this elementary school about a mile and a half from the house. Because of this, I wanted to ride my bike to school, but the school didn't let the kindergarteners ride their bikes to school. I had to wait until first grade.

The next year, I was able to ride my bike to school, but it felt like five miles. The first day of first grade, I rode my bike to school, but I never wore a helmet whenever I rode a bike. I got to school and locked up my bike. About a half an hour later, the principal called me to her office on the loudspeaker. It was so loud it shook the building, and you could see things shaking and falling off the shelves and desks. It felt like an earthquake. When I got to her office, she said, “Sit down. Why weren't you wearing your helmet when you were riding your bike to school?”

I said, “I never wear a helmet to school because it feels like I'm wearing a watermelon on my head.”

She said, “You are banned from riding your bike to school for a week.”

After a week, I got back on my bike, and I wore my helmet from then on.

Ishara remembers an injury
I remember when I was at my friend Niam’s house for the first time. His house was so big to me. It was awesome to be there, but what was most awesome was his basement. He had a bar; of course, not for kids! He also had a flat screen TV. His flat screen was in a room with a treadmill, a bike (exercise bike of course), and a big comfortable couch. It had another room with other exercising equipment. The room also had a salon place with a whole lot of makeup. The last thing he showed me was the sauna. His basement was the bomb!

When my mom went out, he let me go on the treadmill. It was a lot of fun, even though I hated and still hate running. I kept on telling him “faster faster!” until I could not go any faster. I could feel the sweat on my face, until I realized it was too fast for me. I tried to stop and jump on the sides, but I missed and fell. I didn’t cry at first, but it hurt like crazy. When my mom came back, I heard her and was ready to show her what I did. I didn’t want to show her because these painful marks showed my idiotic fault. But when I saw her something came over me. To this day, I don’t know what. I sat there and burst into tears. It was mortifying. I was supposed to be a big girl about all this, and there I was crying.

As I cooled off, Niam’s grandma was yelling about how if I were going to go on the treadmill, he should have made me put on some kind of clip. It turns out that clip would have stopped the treadmill from going when I fell. If he put the clip on me, I wouldn't have all these bruises. I could hear Niam’s guilt with every defending answer he bounced back at his grandma. It was a terrifying experience, but I went through it, and what’s done is done. I swore I would NEVER go on a treadmill again!

Jade remembers her brother being born
I remember when my brother was born. I was really hoping for a baby girl. When I got to the hospital, there was a blue blanket wrapped around the baby. My mom told me it was a boy, and I was disgusted. His eyes were blinking red. It was foaming from the mouth like a rabid squirrel. I was screaming for the doctors to take it back because I thought I would die if we had to take it home.

Jake remembers a trip
I remember going to Arizona to see my grandparents' house for the first time. It was three or four years ago. When I was there, I had the best French toast I have ever had. My grandmother is great at making the best tasting French toast. The house, which was new, was pretty big. It smelled strange like new things do, especially cars. I also remember seeing all the funny cacti in the back yard. I had a great time while I was there.

Josh remembers fireworks
I'll never forget the time when my cousins took me to see the fireworks for the very first time. I'm surprised I remember this because I was young. We got out on the field, and I was crazy excited. I felt like a cap on a shaken soda about to pop. When the fireworks started, they were cool and colorful, but I jumped up something close to 10,000 feet high. I was like a lion about to eat a rabbit, except I was the rabbit, ridiculously scared. I had my cousins take me to the car. Then I felt bad and asked to go back. After that, I felt scared again, so I ran back to the car with them. That cycle went back and fourth at least another 1,000 times before I was in the car and realized that I could see the fireworks from the back of the car window. I sat and watched them in the car, fearless because I couldn't hear the noise.

Logan remembers hanging from a tree
I have a lot of memorable things from my old school. Out of all of them, I chose when I fell out of a tree in kindergarten. I don't remember much because it's my oldest memory. Anyway, it was, I guess, a spring day, and I decided to climb a tree. It was a Japanese Oak, and the bark on those trees are pretty slippery. Like I said, I don't remember much, but I do remember hanging upside down in a forked branch in the tree over a picnic table.

Richard remembers an injury
I remember going to my Grandmother Gia's house when I was three or four years old. While my mom was talking with her, I went looking around for something to do. I decided to lift Gia's birdbath. I then dropped it on my foot, which felt like a T-rex stepping on my foot. When I got to the hospital, all I saw was red. When everything was done, I went home with a cast on my leg; this made me think I had a mummy leg.

Sophie remembers being rescued
I remember my fifth birthday party as being so fun, with only one exception. My party had a princess theme and a moon-bounce. About an hour into the party, we were playing I spy. Suddenly, we heard a sound like a vacuum cleaner in reverse. The moon-bounce was collapsing! My grandfather was trying to get all of us out, but I was in the back corner. The ceiling was starting to cave in around me. Then I heard my grandfather. He had climbed into the moon-bounce to get me. He pulled me out, then I gave him a kiss and thanked him. All the kids looked at each other and started to laugh. It felt like we were going to die laughing. The end!

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