“Wonder” was written and illustrated by R. J. Palacio. It is a realistic fiction book that I think all kids grades 3 and up should read. The book is about a boy named Auggie Pullman who was born with a facial difference. Auggie has been homeschooled his whole life, but finally in the fifth grade he attends a public school named Beecher Prep.

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This school year, Arizona Desert Elementary School had two championship teams, in basketball and volleyball. I set out to learn about our coaches and what makes for winning teams. After interviewing both coaches, a few things stood out to me. Our school has a culture of hope. We say the Kids at Hope pledge every morning. We say “all kids are capable of success, no exceptions.”

I asked what makes a good coach. Ms. Franki Diaz, who coaches our girls 6th–8th grade basketball, said “My love for the sport and willingness to teach it to others” is what makes her a good coach.

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We have heard many stories of 9/11 in the past. I met one of the first responders who was actually a part of that day that changed America forever.

Mike Penchina joined the fire department in 1969. He decided to give it a go without knowing he would eventually wind up becoming a firefighter. On Sept. 11, 2001, firefighter Penchina and his wife celebrated their wedding anniversary in Canada. Penchina was watching the news while his wife was in another room. A jet had recently struck the north tower.

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A park ranger found a starving turtle washed up at a river, and he found a balloon string wrapped around its neck! Even worse, the deflated balloon was wrapped in it, too. This is the effect of balloons on the environment. It hurts humans, animals and the Earth! Balloons are one of the leading causes of wildlife deaths. Sadly, you may have been contributing to this, so, pause and think before letting go or buying balloons!

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The year 2023 is going to have many new video games—some are highly anticipated. These are a few of those games.

The first video game is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This game is a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and like its predecessor this game is also an open world game. The new game is like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword where it has a lot more sky elements and flying things. According to Wikipedia, we will see this game release onMay 12, 2023, on the Nintendo Switch.

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Imagine being a child in another country, coming to America with a dream. Dr. Lupita Hightower, Superintendent for the Tolleson Elementary School District had a dream.

As a child, Hightower knew since kindergarten that she wanted to be in education. When she was younger she used to teach her cousins, siblings and the neighborhood kids.

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To many people, Martin Luther King Jr. was a brave leader. King helped lead the Civil Rights movement. Today, many Americans honor him on the National Day named after him, this year on Jan. 16. Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

In the book “Martin Luther King Day” by Ciara Cella, the author recalls that King worked for change, to fix all that was unfair through passive resistance. Some disagreed with King.

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Did you know that the USDA Forest Service has been supplying the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree since 1970? The tree for this year was selected from North Carolina’s Pishga National Forest.

The biologist who examined the tree named it Ruby. Ruby has red bark, which helps the leaves stand out. Before being placed on the Capitol’s lawn, Ruby Red had to pass a series of tests.

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 Have you ever been to the Heard Museum? There are thousands of items on display there.

Marcus Monenerkit, Director of Community Engagement for the Heard Museum, had an interest in different cultures and diversity. “My dad traveled a lot and sent us postcards. When I got older, I still had the love. My father was a Comanche and my mother kept me connected with my father’s side. My grandmother spoke fluent Comanche.” Monenerkit started working at the Heard Museum in 1998.

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 Have you ever wanted to do crafts? If so, what would you make or what would you like to do?

Joni Hopp makes many art and crafts. “I’ve always been crafty,” explains Hopp. One of the favorite things Hopp has done is working in a dental office. “You never know where life is going to lead you,” she says.

Hopp began her crafty adventure by making dolls for her kids, similar to Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. She made the dolls realistic, even with a belly button.

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