Paddlestar Galactica, the ping-pong tournament event supporting 826DC’s programs, returns on Saturday, April 27th, 1 PM to 4 PM at SPIN DC! Learn more and sign up here.
By: Junior

Malcolm X and Greg

This November, 826DC is thrilled to publish our very first compendium: a collection of the best of the best from our first five years. To celebrate the release here on the blog we will be posting a weekly podcast consisting of selections from the book, read aloud by students, volunteers, staff, and other friends of 826DC. So find a comfy spot and get ready to listen, savor, and share the words of our most inspiring young authors. This project is made possible in part by support from AT&T Aspire.

You Will Be Able to Say a Thousand Words collects the best writing from 826DC’s first five years of running fun and unique writing-based programs. Spanning genres and styles, students ages 6-18 imagine dangers on the high seas, struggles with bullying, and mourn loved ones. From advice to their former selves to advice for the reader, students begin a journey that starts on the page and ends in the boundlessness of the imagination.

This week’s featured piece from the collection is “Malcolm X and Greg” by Junior, first published in the After-School Tutoring chapbook, How to Act Like a Human. Reading it for us is Julie, a fifth grader who currently attends After-School Tutoring.


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Once upon a time, there was a superhero named Greg. He was just about to finish his freshman year of college in DC. He went to The George Washington University. One day, he flew up to the sky and saw that someone was in trouble, so he flew down and saved him. After the savery, he had just noticed that the person he saved was Malcolm X. So then, Malcolm X hired Greg as his bodyguard and his messenger.

But one day, Greg got a vacation so he left with his girlfriend to go to Georgia, where his family was. So one day, when Greg was in Georgia, Malcolm X got shot giving a speech in New York City. Just when Greg heard the news, he flew back to New York City. When he got to New York City, Malcolm X was dead.

Greg decided to go to Malcolm X’s family to tell them the bad news. After that, Greg did not have a job so he went back to saving the world and going to college.

Greg had a dream about what would have happened if he didn’t take the vacation that Malcolm X had offered him. His dream was that he didn’t take the vacation and he stayed with Malcolm X. When Malcolm X was giving a speech in New York City there were some people disguised that were trying to kill Malcolm X. So Malcolm X started to give his speech and, at the middle of the speech, Greg saw the people that were trying to kill Malcolm X. So, Greg went into the audience to get to them before they committed the crime. Just when Greg saw them, the people were already taking their guns out and Greg ran as fast as he could and smacked the gun out of the guy’s hand and arrested him. He went to jail, and Greg saved Malcolm X again.

After that, everything went back to normal and everyone lived happily ever after.