The Closing
Drawing Out to the Big Picture
Ellie was too far away to make out the face on the tree, but she could feel herself in its gaze, knew it was watching over the people in all the houses on the street. It would watch over Ellie for a long, long time. It would watch over her in seventh grade when she and Holly moved to the junior high, a bigger school where the sparrows held no power, and Ellie and Holly discovered that most kids couldn’t care less what street their classmates lived on or what their mothers had done. It would watch over her during the long summer, one of the hottest on record in Spectacle, when Nan and Poppy came to visit, then brought Ellie, Albert, and Marie back to Baton for two wonderful weeks. It would watch over her that afternoon as she and her father would finally sit down with Albert and Marie and tell them the truth about Doris. And it was watching over her at that very moment as she heard the grinding of gears and turned to see the school bus pull up at the corner.
Ellie looked again at the Witch tree at one end of the street, then at the kids at the other. In the space between was her whole life.
From Here Today by Ann M. Martin
A Little Humor
When Garvey joined the boys, he stared down at the log and at what they had carved. “You carved a perfect circle,” he said, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Why a circle?”
Cole and Peter glanced nervously at each other, neither wanting to speak.
“Could it be because every part of a circle is both a beginning and an end?” Garvey asked. “And everything is one?”
Peter shrugged awkwardly and grinned at Cole. “A circle is all I could teach him to carve.”
Cole smiled and nodded. “I’m a slow learner. But I’m working on it.”
From Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
When he got no reply, he took out the backgammon board and began to set it up on the rickety table between them.
The retired miner eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t tell me—-Pal o’mine’s got a set of silver candlesticks that you missed on the first go-round.”
Logan pulled up a chair. “What’s the count — seventeen to fourteen?”
Mulroney snorted. “In your dreams, little man. You never won more than twelve games from me.”
Logan threw the dice. “The comeback starts today.”
From Swindle by Gordon Korman
A Reminder that the Character is Going to be OK
I look into her eyes. They’re clearer than the water and deeper. Time slows like the present will last forever. This is exactly where I should be.
From Crackback by John Coy
I settle back in my seat, feeling like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I don’t plan to wish for anything for a while. I don’t plan to chart out the future, at least not right away. Things are pretty good right now, right where I am.
From Finally by Wendy Mass
He was free and strong. He was on the move again, but this time he knew where he was making for. There might be many difficulties ahead before he reached his goal, but difficulties could be overcome. He still had one more promise of help left.
From I am David by Anne Holm
The Very Last Action
Though the night was falling, it was if they could still feel the sun on their faces, and they stood together talking until the sky turned to black, the party balloons sagged, and the parents came to take them home.
From Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson
Ellie was too far away to make out the face on the tree, but she could feel herself in its gaze, knew it was watching over the people in all the houses on the street. It would watch over Ellie for a long, long time. It would watch over her in seventh grade when she and Holly moved to the junior high, a bigger school where the sparrows held no power, and Ellie and Holly discovered that most kids couldn’t care less what street their classmates lived on or what their mothers had done. It would watch over her during the long summer, one of the hottest on record in Spectacle, when Nan and Poppy came to visit, then brought Ellie, Albert, and Marie back to Baton for two wonderful weeks. It would watch over her that afternoon as she and her father would finally sit down with Albert and Marie and tell them the truth about Doris. And it was watching over her at that very moment as she heard the grinding of gears and turned to see the school bus pull up at the corner.
Ellie looked again at the Witch tree at one end of the street, then at the kids at the other. In the space between was her whole life.
From Here Today by Ann M. Martin
A Little Humor
When Garvey joined the boys, he stared down at the log and at what they had carved. “You carved a perfect circle,” he said, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Why a circle?”
Cole and Peter glanced nervously at each other, neither wanting to speak.
“Could it be because every part of a circle is both a beginning and an end?” Garvey asked. “And everything is one?”
Peter shrugged awkwardly and grinned at Cole. “A circle is all I could teach him to carve.”
Cole smiled and nodded. “I’m a slow learner. But I’m working on it.”
From Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
When he got no reply, he took out the backgammon board and began to set it up on the rickety table between them.
The retired miner eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t tell me—-Pal o’mine’s got a set of silver candlesticks that you missed on the first go-round.”
Logan pulled up a chair. “What’s the count — seventeen to fourteen?”
Mulroney snorted. “In your dreams, little man. You never won more than twelve games from me.”
Logan threw the dice. “The comeback starts today.”
From Swindle by Gordon Korman
A Reminder that the Character is Going to be OK
I look into her eyes. They’re clearer than the water and deeper. Time slows like the present will last forever. This is exactly where I should be.
From Crackback by John Coy
I settle back in my seat, feeling like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I don’t plan to wish for anything for a while. I don’t plan to chart out the future, at least not right away. Things are pretty good right now, right where I am.
From Finally by Wendy Mass
He was free and strong. He was on the move again, but this time he knew where he was making for. There might be many difficulties ahead before he reached his goal, but difficulties could be overcome. He still had one more promise of help left.
From I am David by Anne Holm
The Very Last Action
Though the night was falling, it was if they could still feel the sun on their faces, and they stood together talking until the sky turned to black, the party balloons sagged, and the parents came to take them home.
From Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson