Shawn Washburn memorized the Greek alphabet at an early age.
Emmerson Hooks was given a shell picture of an Italian church for his first birthday. 
Royal Bowles used wood glue to put together his first toy boat.
Matthew Hancock would steal his headmaster’s moonstone treasures whenever he was called to her office. 
Jonelle Lai saw a fiery skipper on her windowsill one day, 
took the paste out of a jar, 
and threw it over the butterfly. 
Caron Piper associated herself with Anout, 
the Egyptian warrior goddess, 
out of spite at her mother, 
who never let Caron go outside. 
Jacqueline Miranda climbed the Statue of Liberty in May with her 13-year-old cousin, 
who kept to the railing side.
Tony Earl picked out the Angelica flower from his neighbor’s garden and scurried away, 
for his little sister needed it for her pneumonia. 
Candy Davenport's father was an industrial designer. 
After every long day at work, 
he would stop by the dime shop and buy sweets for her and Sugar. 
Lauren Bevras would wait in the back of the club every other Friday because tennis ended early, 
and her mother worked late at the Copter. 
Hester Larkin put one mirror in front of the sunbeam and another off to the side, 
where the light bounced off. 
Danielle Keaton stepped into the air balloon, 
not letting go of his father's hand once. 
He watched as the little lamp at the top was lit, 
and their journey began.
Mars’ craters never phased me, 
Wendy Guffey said, 
presenting her poem to the first grade. 
The Lake of Perseverance was a half-kilometer away from Vendetta McFadden's house. 
She made it her personal goal to swim from one end to the other by summer’s finish. 
Why do you go westward every winter, 
Adolfo Carter asked his uncle, 
what are you pursuing? 
Yet, upon his purple program, 
Sam Tavares screeched in delight, 
for he never, 
not once, 
had missed an episode of Barney.