The 826 Quarterly, Volume 6: Summer 2006: Poetry, Fiction, Essays by Authors Ages 8-18 — Erika Lopez

The 826 Quarterly draws from the student writing workshops and tutoring at 826 Valencia, a San Francisco educational nonprofit cofounded by author Dave Eggers and educator Ninive Calegari. Like any literary journal, this one sets its standards high, choosing only the best submissions. This issue's themes offer a peek at what tomorrow's acclaimed authors will be writing about: humor, mystery, boredom, family, blockbuster movies, madness, enchiladas, graffiti, and death. These poems, short stories, and nonfiction pieces delve into such disparate subjects as living in Africa and being a Cajun daughter. Elementary school students describe an R-rated dinner party and pen poems about hats, trees, and sounds; middle-schoolers meditate on insomnia and the theft of a sparkly Hello Kitty pen. Taken together, the works in 826 Quarterly form a striking composite portrait of young people's issues, interests, and concerns.