All About Greta Merrill

The kids had their first parent-teacher conferences of the school year last week. Both are hard workers, good listeners, never cause an iota of trouble. At Greta's conference, her teachers talked about how much Greta enjoys writing workshop. The next day she brought home her most recent book and by far her most complex. It's called "All About Greta Merrill" and features chapters, some diagrams, even a glossary.  Here's a digital reproduction, with ahem, some misspellings corrected:

My Name and Age

My name is Greta. Spelled G-R-E-T-A. The story of how I got my name is: Someone wrote a letter to my mom. It was supposed to say Great Job but it said Greta Job. So my Mom went home and said "why don't we name our kid Greta?" "OK," said my Dad, "that's a wonderful name!" That's how I got my name. I'm 7 and will turn 8 on May 5th. This is the story of my name and how old I am right now.

My Favorite Color

My favorite color is yellow. It used to be pink and purple, but it's not now!! I like yellow because it's not too light or dark. Do you believe boy and girl colors? I don't. That's another reason I like yellow. Everyone likes it. People shouldn't say pink and purple are girl colors. They should say there's no such thing as girl colors and boy colors. This is my favorite and whether or not I believe girl colors and boy colors.

My Favorite Animals

My favorite favorite animal that can be a pet is a cat. I like them because they snuggle with you, lick you, and are playful. One of my favorite land animals that's a mammal is a monkey, because I like the way they swing. My favorite mammal that lives in the ocean is a dolphin because I like they jump. My favorite ocean animal is a seahorse. My favorite bird is a flamingo, because I like them. These are some of my favorite animals.

What I Like

I like to read! When I read it's sorta like I'm in another world. So at after care I read while I'm in the gym, while they take attendance, then when Miss Denise gives announcements I put my book down, because if I don't and keep reading, I'll miss everything she says. Then once we are in the cafeteria, I read again. That's my favorite thing to do (read) and what I do when someone gives announcements.

My Favorite Book

My favorite book is Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat. I like this book because it's a good story. Also because the girls will like the cat and the boys will like the mischief the cat gets into. Another reason is that the cat is full of hope and brave and knows that she can make a difference and does make a BIG difference. This is my favorite book and a little bit about it. Go read it today!

My Annoying Brother

I have a Mom and Dad like any other kid. But then there's my brother.  2 or 3 people know how I feel because they have brothers or sisters the same age as mine and like a lot of the same things. They ALL love video games, annoying their sisters, copying us and mocking us. So here's what we do for fun and payback! Watch and learn!

How to survive an attack of little kids:

1) First you and your friend build a fort
2) Then you and your friend put a sign that says... Big Girl Club NO Little Kids Allowed
3) Next you and your friend put stuff in front of the door
4) After that you and your friend scream: "We built a fort!" because it's fun not to let them come in
5) When they come running you and your friend sit in front of the door so they can't come in
6) Then they push with all their might and when they can't come in, they run downstairs and tell on you
7) Finally you let them play until they lose interest

Fun Facts

1) I like reading workshop more than recess
2) I was born at the hospital the president goes to
3) I can lift one leg up in ice skating
4) I've done two ballet recitals
5) I'm in second grade
6) I'm really good at ignoring my brother
7) I know two people with the same birthday as mine
8) I enjoy school

Glossary

Announcements: Something a person says that gives information
Flamingo: A bird that eats shrimp to make itself pink
Mammal: An animal that gives birth to live babies

All About the Author

Greta Merrill was born on May 5th, 2005. She's 7-years-old. She lives in South Orange, New Jersey, with her Mom, Dad, brother and two cats. Her hobby is reading. She goes to South Mountain. She also has published All About Robins, How to Open a Cat Food Can and the persuasive version of Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery.