Hazel Kemp is finalist in PBS Writers Contest

Hazel Kemp

WDSE PBS-8 prides itself on hosting the largest writing contest in the United States, with children in kindergarten through third grade writing and illustrating original stories. This year the station had entries from 5,062 children from 38 area schools. The finalists in the contest are invited to a young authors’ celebration at The Marshall School in Duluth on Sunday, April 3. Among the finalists is 2nd grader Hazel Kemp, 8, of Hovland. Hazel is the daughter of Eric and Heather Kemp of Hovland.

Hazel finished not just in the top 30 of the second grade finalists, but in the top 10! Congratulations Hazel, for representing Sawtooth Elementary School so well in the PBS contest. Read her delightful tale of Ralph the caterpillar on the right.

Ralph

By Hazel Kemp

Once there was a caterpillar named Ralph. Everyone called him Fuzzhead because he had such a bright fuzzy head. A day ago a new girl moved in on 92 Luscious Avenue. Her name was Marca. She had orange, yellow and blue blotched skin. She was very pretty.

Ralph walked to school. In school, he did arithmetic, spelling and reading. Arithmetic was really hard and he had to do two pages of it. Then came spelling, which was easy. Reading was medium. After reading is lunch. Ralph’s mom had packed Ralph his own lunch so he didn’t have to have leaf salad. Ralph just sat down when Marca came to sit down. All the seats were taken she shyly said. “Its ok,” said Ralph. They talked to each other. Then Marca blurted out, “Would you like to go to my house after school?” Ralph said he would. “Just so you know, I have a pet tick.”

After school Ralph told his mom and zipped over to Marca’s house. Marca’s mom had willow flower stew for an after school snack. They gobbled it up. Then they went to play with Harvey the tick. “Do you know what butterfly you are going to be when you grow up?” ask Ralph.

“A Mourning Cloak,” said Marca proudly, “How about you?”

“A Coral Hairstreak,” said Ralph. “My mom told me.”

They played Heroes.

Ralph had breakfast and walked to school with Marca. The bullies teased Ralph, “Fuzzhead’s got a girlfriend.”

“Stop that or I’ll…I’ll…I’ll do something to you!” said Marca.

School went as usual but the bullies still hadn’t stopped teasing Ralph.

Two years had passed. Ralph had molted five times now. Ralph made a chrysalis next to Marca’s. A year later Ralph and Marca woke up. They dried up their wings and had a wedding.