It Went to the Moon // Fue de la Luna

By 826CHI

It Went to the Moon is a bilingual chapbook featuring writing exploring character, dialogue, and theater from the students of 826CHI's After Schoool Writing Lab. Our caring and supportive volunteers and facilitators will provide individualized assistance with ELA and writing-based homework, writing skills, and literacy enri

• Language: English
• Publisher: 826CHI
• Release date: Oct 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798868960505

826CHI

826CHI is a non-profit writing, tutoring, and publishing center dedicated to amplifying the voices of Chicago youth.

Book preview

It Went to the Moon // Fun de la Luna

IT WENT TO THE MOON // FUN DE LA LUNA

WRITING BY 826CHI'S AFTER-SCHOOL WRITING LAB // ESCRIBIENDO DESDE EL AFTER-SCHOOL WRITING LAB DE 826CHI

826CHI

826CHI

CONTENTS

It Went to the Moon // Fue a la luna

Foreword

Asia Calcagno

Foreword

Asia Calcagno

A Note from the Teaching Artists

TRAGEDY

Denise R.

Oliver B.

Anna K.

Eloise M.

Anaiya M.-C.

Denise R.

Helayna J.

Ethan D.

Jesse C.

TIME

Ethan V.

Harper M.

Nathaniel K.

Matthew K.

Lisa O.

Julian B.

Alice A.

COMEDY

Nicholas S.

Rowan K.

Liam P.

Anaiya M.-C.

Lucille H.

Alice A.

Layla P.

Artist Bios

Artist Bios

Acknowledgments

IT WENT TO THE MOON // FUN DE LA LUNA

It Went to the Moon is a bilingual chapbook featuring writing exploring character, dialogue, and theater from the students of 826CHI’s After Schoool Writing Lab. Our caring and supportive volunteers and facilitators will provide individualized assistance with ELA and writing-based homework, writing skills, and literacy enrichment to first through eighth graders. Students will also sharpen their writing skills with guided reading and creative writing activities.

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Proceeds from the sale of this book benefit 826CHI, a non-profit writing, tutoring, and publishing center dedicated to amplifying the voices of Chicago youth.

IT WENT TO THE MOON // FUE A LA LUNA

Writing by 826CHI's After-School Writing Lab // Escribiendo desde el After-School Writing Lab de 826CHI

This book is a work of both fiction and nonfiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the authors’ imaginations, are used fictitiously, or are totally realistic representations of these students’ experiences. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Or incidental. Or an instance of synchronicity, if you’re looking for it.

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Cover design: Alex Cardenas

Book design: Cheryll Victuelles

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Director of Programs: Asia Calcagno

Publishing Programs Coordinator: Joshua Bohnsack

Manager of Education: Natasha Mijares

Programs Coordinator: Anderson Chaves-Ferero

Teaching Artists: Emily Sanchez & Marya Spont-Lemus

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Print ISBN: 978-1-948644-94-5

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All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part of any form. Published by Moody Publications.

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Proceeds from your purchase of this publication support 826CHI, a non-profit creative writing, tutoring, and publishing center. www.826chi.org

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The views expressed in this book are those of the authors and the authors’ imaginations. We support student publishing and are thrilled you picked up this book!

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First Edition 826CHI 2022 // Printed in the United States by McNaughton & Gunn

Vellum flower icon Created with Vellum

FOREWORD

ASIA CALCAGNO

A student walks up to the rainbow block bookshelf in the 826CHI Writing Lab and scans the rows of slender books. Finally, after a careful consideration, she grabs a book with a purple cover. She holds it in her hands, flipping it over and over to feel the weight of it.

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This looks like it’s going to be a good one. She reads silently turning each wing of a page.

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After a year, we finally welcomed our students back to our Writing Lab. When they walk through our doors and turn the corner of the welcome desk, a jolt of energy takes over them as they sprint to the back to meet their friends, volunteers, and facilitators. Even though students have made a community agreement of no-running in our space, we allow elation to take over them despite and watch their plump bookbags lift off their backs and into the air as if it is their parachute.

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Over such a long year of screened education, teachers and students doing their absolute best, creativity has not been lost. With new bean bag chairs, colorful binders stuffed with notebooks awaiting, and a jar of fidget toys ready at their expense, students delight us all with their wonder.

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Students delved into a unit on playwriting. Starting the year with re-vamping old shoeboxes to display the art of worldbuilding, they delight us with the worlds they want to envision, create, and scribe. Some with cutouts of yellow suns tucked into