2nd place || 2022
3rd through 4th grade
A FAMILY
by Genesis Turpin
In a little house down a sunny dirt road lived a family. There was a mom, a dad, an older brother named Jackson and a little sister name Daisy. Their house was very pretty. It had a nice brown color, and it didn’t have a single loose brick or crack. The house was also decorated with tulips that the mom had planted last summer, and their grass was always green because the dad would always seed it. By the front, Jackson and Daisy had hoed up the earth and had planted a garden.
“Jackson, did you water the garden?” yelled Daisy from across the yard.
“Uh…no, I forgot,” replied Jackson.
“Oh,” lamented Daisy.
She walked over to the hose, grabbed it, and stood on her tip toes because to avoid a blast of water from spraying her dress with mud. She didn’t like that, nor did her mother.
When Daisy finished watering the garden, she was thirsty. As she was about to drink from the hose, Jackson stopped her.
“Don’t drink that water it might make you sick!” Jackson said.
“Okay, I’ll go inside.”
Jackson became thirsty himself. When he noticed that Daisy wasn’t looking, he snuck a quick drink from the hose. Daisy returned to tell Jackson that it was time for supper.
“Mom said you need to come in and wash up!’’
“Coming!”
Inside, the rooms were clean and cool, but smelling the food ready on the counter was better still. There were sandwiches, pickles, and a large cherry pie with crust so flaky and buttery you would think it was for a king. Their mom told them they had to wait a while and Daisy and Jackson walked away, sad.
Jackson played with his video games and Daisy badgered him.
“Don’t eat the food, don’t eat the food!’’
Daisy stopped, waited, and went to the kitchen. She made sure no one was looking, then took a pickle and a small bit of piecrust. She ran into her room to play with her dolls until it was time to eat.
After supper, Jackson asked, “Mom can I read a book upstairs?”
“Yes, you may, but do not read my mystery books, I want you to wait until you’re older since they can be a bit scary.’’
“Okay, mom.”
Upstairs, he found Daisy looking for a book.
“I want to read this book.” She pulled a mystery book from the shelf.
“No, Mom said we cannot read that book!”
“Oh,” Daisy said and put it back. She pulled out a new one and went downstairs to read. Jackson thought he was old enough to read the mystery book Daisy put back on the shelf, so he read a few pages. Just then, Jackson heard his dad coming up the stairs. He quickly put the book back and got a new one.
Downstairs, Daisy asked, “What book do you have, Jackson?”
“I have The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”
“Oh. I have Frog and Toad.”
When they finished reading, Mom said it was time to go shopping. Daisy and Jackson were excited because they rarely got to go shopping. Once there, Daisy wanted to see the dolls on display, but her mom stopped her.
“Daisy, control yourself, I don’t want you running off by yourself.”
However, Jackson ran off to look at the book display, and mom let him. When they returned home, both Daisy and Jackson were excited about the new things they had bought. Daisy had a brand-new doll and a lollipop. Jackson had three new books of his own and a lollipop as well.
After dinner that night, the family played a game until bedtime.
“Daisy! Wake up!” Jackson said.
“What, Jackson?”
“I had a terrible dream.”
“Have any clue how you got your scary dream?”
“Well, I looked at Mom’s mystery book even though I knew I shouldn’t have. Also, I remember something: I need to apologize to you. I snuck a drink from the hose even though I told you we weren’t supposed to drink from it. I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you, Jackson, because I also snuck some food this afternoon when I shouldn’t have, so I also apologize.”
“I forgive you.” 
Genesis is nine years old and the oldest of four children. She enjoys reading, writing, and drawing.