Branches Book

Matthew Gelbart Matthew Gelbart is a recluse, often surprising others when he speaks. For this reason, many of his passions remain shrouded in mystery. His musicianship is apparent, as he occasionally leaves the music room still toting his very large saxophone, and he assumes the position of captain whenever his school decides they have a tennis team. Beneath these passions lie the ones he keeps to himself. Among these are a semi-successful model United Nations career, and a variety of trading card games he plays most Friday nights. Conor Grice Conor John Grice was born and raised in New Zealand, which is a small country that is often mistaken for being part of Australia by the unenlightened. History has been Conor’s passion for as long as he can remember, and learning about New Zealand’s contribution to the free world has always filled him with pride. Conor believes that knowing your history is important, and sharing it with others is a responsibility. Avery Johnson Avery Johnson is a spunky and fun-loving kid. Though her writing takes place almost exclusively in her literature class, she enjoys writing fiction short stories. She loves the freedom that fiction employs and enjoys utilizing her imagination. Most of her works display an element of humor, however her story, “September 5th, 2149,” shows a darker more serious side to her story- telling. Haley Katz When Haley was 15, she was captivated by short story authors such as Shirley Jackson and decided to write one of her own. Since then, Haley’s story has received no awards or critical acclaim, yet Haley still considers herself to be an “up and coming writer.” Haley now spends her time photographing insects in her backyard. Haley’s goals are now to receive medals and critical acclaim for this short story. But, probably not. Please enjoy her story of twists and turns, intrigue and suspicion, and a murder most grim. Xander Kleiman Xander Kleiman comes from a family of writers, and the family’s passion for writing found its way to him as well. His mother, father and sister are all writers, so he was exposed to the idea of creative writing from a young age. Xander always enjoyed creative writing assignments in school, and appreciated the opportunity to explore those creative muscles. He sees

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