Young Author Institute

Fourth- through eighth-graders from Aroostook County schools were invited to contribute to “Potatoes and Pussywillows”, an anthology collected and sponsored by the directors of Aroostook Right To Read.

It is this organization’s mission is to promote literacy encompassing reading, writing, listening and speaking across the curriculum among students, educators, and parents. The student work will be showcased May 6, 2016 at the University of Maine at Presque Isle during the annual Young Author Institute.

Samples of some of the students’ work is found on this page.

‘Seasonal Lore’
Halloween in France

In France some people don’t celebrate Halloween. If they do celebrate Halloween they celebrate it the same way. But they do not go trick or treating. When they celebrate Halloween it is new to them. They carve pumpkins and stuff like that. When they celebrate, they go to the cemetery and clean relative’s tombs and plant flowers and prey.

Halloween started being celebrated in the 80’s. Because they do not think it is nice to say trick instead of trick or treat, they just ask for candy. If French people don’t go to friend’s houses, they go to bars, clubs, and restaurants while dressed up as goblins or ghost maybe even vampires.

When they dress up they do not dress up pretty. They dress up like vampires, goblins, ghosts and mummies.

A lot of people do not know about Halloween in France and that is why they do not go trick≠ or ≠treating. Some do at houses they know celebrate Halloween. Some people think that it is the end of summer and that Halloween is a sign that shows the beginning to the “Dark Days”.

Some people in France think that dressing up is not the right thing to do. They start celebrating Halloween before it starts. People go to Disneyland in Paris to celebrate Halloween. The city of Limoges has a parade of 30,000 people wearing ghost goblins and ghouls carrying candle lit pumpkins.

There is no translation for the words trick or treat. The closest is “friandises ou beitisis” and “des bonbons ou un sort”. Skeleton in French is squelette. Halloween in French is the same thing just pronounced differently. Monster in French is monstre. Vampire is just like Halloween just pronounced differently. Spider in French is araignee.

Isaiah Theriault, grade 6
Dawn F. Barnes School
Mrs. Blanchette

Veterans Day

What is Veterans Day?

That’s the question that has puzzled the nation.

Its simple, it’s the day the military’s soldiers are paid their respects

It’s when families get to remember their fallen loved ones.

They are the ones who served in the army, air force, and the marines, making this country a better place.

That’s what we call Veterans Day.

Erik Rossignol, grade 6
Van Buren Elementary
Mrs. J. Gereben