Life on the Prairie

Once Upon the Prairie

 

Life on the Prairie

 
Rylie

 Rylie is a ten-year-old writer.

She uses her stories to make her brother’s life brighter.

Her brother, George, has gone to fight in the Great War.

Rylie prays daily the war will be no more.

Her family and she know George is not a fighter.

 

Family, friends and neighbors dread the knock at the door.

It could mean the family’s soldier is injured or more.

George does safely return at war’s end

Giving Rylie, her family and the world time to mend.

Everyone must try to understand the pain the soldiers bore.

 

 

Rylie: the Imaginative Girl took first place at the Heart of America Christian Writer’s Conference 2014 Writing Contest in the children’s story division.

 

Please note this blog posts the first and third weeks of the month.

 

 

 

 

 

Prairie Girls

Rylie

I am Rylie, and today was a sad day for my family. My big brother, George, joined the army without telling Mother and Father. We put him on a train to go to a camp so he can learn to be a soldier. Then he will sail on a ship to fight in some place called Europe.

I write stories about our dog, Molly, and her friend, Sammy the squirrel. George likes to read my stories so I promised to send them to him. While he is gone, I will pray and write letters to him every day. Next time, I will tell you more about my story.

A Lesson Learned

                                              By Judy

My grandfather was about the age of the fictional Rylie’s brother during WWI. However, he did not join the army. Grandpa and Grandma were already married by the time WWI started, and he probably did not consider joining the Army. He was the only child of parents who were early settlers in Kansas. He never lived anywhere except on the farm where he was born. I have a blurry memory of Grandpa and my grandmother telling me about the boys in the trenches during the first war and how they prayed for their safe return.

In 1969 Grandpa and I were flying home from Hawaii. He was over 80, and I was in my early twenties. There was a young soldier, probably not yet 20, on the plane. He was flying home to Indiana after serving a year in Viet Nam. Thanking a soldier for serving in Viet Nam was not a popular thing to do at the time, but Grandpa did that day. I learned a lot from my Grandpa.

 

 

Causes of WW1

Causes of “The Great War”

(World War 1)

                                       By Collette

Prior to WWI the world was rapidly expanding its military might, thus adding to each country’s strong sense of nationalism. With more weapons stock-piled countries chose to extend their influence into other less developed nations by the use of force. A strong sense of imperialism was felt by the countries as they expanded. To protect themselves and their newly acquired territories, secret alliances were formed among these aggressors. If anyone attacked a member of an alliance, the others who signed treaties with them would protect them militarily. England, France, Austro-Hungry, Germany, Russia and even the United States desired expansion for their countries. The world became a powder keg set to blow.

The following sites may be useful for more research:

www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/lesson1.html
www.mapsofworld.com/world-war-i/causes.html
www.enwikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_I
www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/causes.htm