SO-Samantha+M.

Hey, my name is Sami (i have many different nicknames) my parents are divorced so it's hard to explain my families; i have a lot!!!. Though its big families were all there for each other. I have one sister one brother and two stepbrothers. My favorite hobbies to do are: soccer, cross-country running, dance, and hanging out with my closest friends. My favorite food is pickles and i love watching The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I have been to many states, including: Minnesota, Florida, Michagan, illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Kansas, and more. Some of my best friends are, lauren, payton, hannah, heidi and selena. My favorite song is I Love Collage, and i am currently reading the Twilight series. I LOVE going boating with my dad in the summer (my grandparents own an island in mn), along with fishing, tubing, and i think im going to try water skiing this summer!!! My future goal is to be accepted into a good collage and become a vetranarian or a civil engineer. I love to be outdoors. ~sami~

** Camping Gone Wild? **
 * By: Samantha Maki **

On an early, summer morning of 1935 in the month of April, the sun was just rising as a slight mist covered the awakening earth in a light layer of gloomy steam. A seventh grade science class at Summer Tin Middle School was preparing for a camping experience they would never forget. Mr. Stephen was a seventh grade science teacher of a class with 19 bright and, intelligent, students (this was a rather small school). He was balding with leathery tan skin, and bright colorful blue eyes. He is always ready for adventure, but despite his older looking appearance he had an eager face to teach. The students voted Mr. Stephen the “fun” teacher because he had magical ways to make learning interesting and fun. Any kid that got to be in Mr. Stephen’s class knew they were special and always made an effort to have good behavior… and a bright smile. It is now 6:45 am all the students signed up for the trip were to show up in the classroom at 6:50 am. As more seventh graders started to arrive there were different expressions on faces appearing all over the classroom. Most had purple bags under their eyes, sleep deprived and yearning to stay in bed. Some with so much excitement they were literally about to explode, with wide gleaming eyes and bright cheerful smiles, and some not quite sure what to expects at this hour in the morning. Mr. Stephen began to load the limo sized, bright blue, coach bus with the words written: Minnesota Valley Schools on the side, with all extra needed items such as; extra food, water, and just in case extra tents. The bus driver seemed to have no problem getting up this early, because of how he never really slept at night anyway. With a dimming cheerful grin, wide brown eyes, with a tall lanky figure and patchy balding hair. His finger nails had dirt and you could tell he had been chewing on them for almost his whole life all he needs is a large, black coffee from Starbucks, and then at this time in the morning this man was ready for almost anything… well not quite everything. All 19 students were here well at least Mr. Stephen thought everyone was there because the noise in the classroom, of everyone present was so excruciating. Now 7:00 am, with the sun just over the horizon, with rays of sunlight beaming over the two storied school, he and the rest of the class came back to the classroom to go over rules, respectfulness, being safe, and having a good time. Once he was done all the students were exploding with excitement while he took attendance and as he expected everyone was present. The kids formed a single line (now knowing to be on their best behavior) and followed there tall, excited, teacher to the awaiting coach buss; parked at the end of a empty lot waiting to be filled with more vehicles. With shrieks of excitement and gravel crunching under their swiftly moving feet they approached the coach bus. As the students began to board the coach bus Mr. Stephen took out his light brown clipboard, and a blue inked, silver pen, to take attendance one more time just to be on the safe side. “Alright everyone is here!” yelled the excited Mr. Stephen to the bus driver. “Let’s hit the road then.” Replied the not as excited bus driver. After the students heard this they all yelled out, “Yay” and Woo Hoo! Once the bus was successfully on the road with all 19, well, 21 people on board, Mr. Stephen decided to read a book in a peaceful, calming, relaxing, manner. From previous experience he had known it would be a long ride to the awaiting camp site. Since the bus driver was a retired 8th grad math teacher he was willing to make sure the students behaved (which he knew they would) while Mr. Stephen read his book in peace. “Hey!” shouted John, “I have a great idea!” Everyone replied “What?!” “Let’s sing some camping songs to get us in the mood for camping!” Since John was one of the most popular kids in the class, everyone joined in and began to sing, even the depressed looking bus driver sang along quietly to himself. The coach bus arrived at midnight in Minnesota at the Northridge Camping Site. It was pitch black, with whipping wind making the trees brush against the bus going down a graveled road towards the actual camp site. Each and every student in the bus was fast asleep deep in quite dreams. Every student got a seat to him/herself to sleep at night. The bus driver and Mr. Stephen were trying their hardest to se through the dark, cold lonely night in the ever lasting forest of gigantic, willow-ee trees, and strange noises beyond the cold surface of the hiding horizon. The path seemed to never end. The bus driver didn’t remember the path being this long he began to get worried. After another 30 minutes both Mr. Stephen and the bus driver were convinced they were lost. They just couldn’t seem to figure out how they got lost with so muck experience from this trip. Thoughts wandered through their minds What if we don’t find our destination? What if were lost for good? Suddenly they stared at each other and knew they were thing the same thoughts. After a few minutes they laughed at their ballistic thoughts and got back to what lie ahead on the empty road before them. They drove for about two more hours before they decided to stop. Unfortunately the bus driver nor anyone else didn’t carry a map with them because the bus driver had made this trip over thirty times. As they came to a slow quite stop, they turned on the flickering, bright, white lights; they could see and by then the class should have already been to the camp site. So they decided it was time to call for help: the only problem was that they didn’t get phone or any other sort of reception in this part of the woods. All of a sudden it became severely colder. One by one the students awoke from their dreams because of the frigid cold that loomed in the air. Everyone started to have a dark eerie- feeling inside them like something evil was about to take place. About five minutes later they heard faint hissing noises. Shortly after the hisses started all the lights together like three year olds huddling to a mom or relative on a scary ride. It was now 2:15am; the hissing noises became louder as if whatever made the noises got closer to them. As everyone looked out the window, the woods seemed not black as it should have been at this time but more like a dark, misty blue, with a dense layer of fog surrounding the trunks of the sturdy navy-blue-like trees covering every visible inch of the woods. Then, out of no where, a force pushed the bus. Smashing a back window into millions of sharp tiny pieces. A face appeared in the window. It was pale, with a square chin, and dark purple circles under its pain filled eyes, and dark fierce fire red lips. More and more faces appeared, each having its own window to seek in. The hissing was unbelievably excruciating loud like it was inside your head! Then the bus jolted and moved around until it was lifted up off the fog steamed ground, and carried deeper into the mysterious woods. That’s the only story that has been revealed by others. It could be all wrong. It could be all right. This story has been around for years. There is no need to find the person who told of this story for he is long-gone my friend. All have different opinions of whom or what the faces belonged to. The most common you ask? They say it was an evil part of their kind who was hungry and starving, looking for food which drew in the bus taking the class on the wrong path leading to death. Yes, there was on man who survived this tragic story, the one who is long gone but so he of course cannot tell you the specific details of the horrific //things// and how they brutally tortured the class all individually. That you will just have to use your imagination for. But, yes, I mean why look-up this story on the internet when you can go and see for yourself and be greeted yourself by the //things// that haunt the lands. Just make sure you come back alive!

**Questions for Peer Reviewers**
(Think in terms of questions you would like to ask the author.) Love Your Story!!! ~Kami : ) 1. Think of plot—is it original? (If an adaptation, is it creative or interesting to you?) What suggestions do you have for the author(s)?

2. Think about problems that the characters face. Are there complications that add enough suspense, tension, or interest? Is there a climax that satisfies you? Is the resolution satisfying? What could be added or changed?

3. Think of characterization—are the characters life-like? Are characters likable and enjoyable? Do we get a good sense of character from many of these: description, dialogue, narrator's opinion, discussion from other characters, the character’s own actions?

4. Think of imagery and details. Do they help you //see// and //hear// and //experience// the story? What details would you like to see in the next revision of the story?

5. What areas of the story need the most improvement? What suggestions do you have for the author?