Written and Illustrated by Olivia Clark

Jack

I dedicate this story to my old dog, Jack.

Hi, I’m Olivia Clark. I grew up in Caledonia, NY. I have two siblings, an older brother and an older sister. I have two pets, a cat named Socksy and a boxer dog named Holly. My hobbies are soccer, swimming, basketball, hiking, and running. I love to go on vacation and out to dinner. I love writing and drawing and I hope you enjoyed my book, Jack.

About the Author

“Emily, can you please go to the park to get pinecones for my centerpiece?” “Sure mom.” Emily was on her way to the park when a full-bred boxer caught her eye. “What a beautiful dog,” Emily thought. She noticed the dog was very skinny and looked thirsty. As she picked up pinecones, she thought, “What if this dog is mean? What if he needs a home? Should I take him home?”

She slowly walked over to the dog. SWOOSH! That dog sure was fast. He sprinted to Emily, put his paws onto her shoulders and licked her face clean. “This dog isn't mean at all! Come on boy! Let’s go see my mom. P.U.! You smell like a dead fish!” screamed Emily. Emily was a bit nervous walking home, afraid that the dog would run off. She slowly opened her front door. “Mom, I have to ask you something.” “What is it dear?” June, Emily’s mom, asked. “On my way to the park I found a dog. He is waiting outside, hungry, thirsty, and begging for a home.”

June started tearing up. “Well, I guess he wouldn’t hurt anything. But remember, if anything happens, he's gone.” Emily thanked her mom, ran to the front door and swung it open. The dog was polite. He waited for Emily to call him into the house. June drove to the store to get dog food, shampoo, toys, and a bed. While June was there, Emily got ready for soccer practice. She walked up to Washburn Park for soccer practice with her new dog, Jack.

Jack sat quietly while Emily played soccer. Finally, soccer was over. Emily waited for her mom, shooting her ball at the goal. She called Jack over and they played soccer for a little while. Every minute Emily grew closer and closer to Jack.

Years went by and Jack grew old. It soon came time for Jack to die, and he did.

“You can’t hold on to something that wants to go,” June told Emily. Emily was about 22 when Jack died. He lived a long life full of love.

One day, Emily's daughter, Hannah, was sent to the park to get pinecones for her mother’s centerpiece. There was a full-bred boxer. Skinny, hungry, and thirsty…………

Having learned a lot, I have grown as a writer. I remember when I first started Enrichment; I was in second grade writing about “talking” animals and what not. Now I am publishing a picture book! My strengths are basing my stories on life events, and my weakness is someone telling me what to write. I have to brainstorm my ideas by myself for it to work.

My mentor text for Jack is Good Morning Granny Rose because in that book the picture is on the left and the text is on the right. I wrote this story because I love writing stories about life experiences. This book is based on my relationship with my old dog; it was FULL of love and happiness.

I hope you enjoyed reading my book Jack as much as I did writing it. I will remember this experience forever.

Reflection