I’d been living in foster care (寄养家庭) since I was two. My real mom could give my five sisters and me the care we needed. Since we didn’t have a dad or anyone else to care for us, we were put in different foster homes. I felt lonely and confused didn't know how to tell people that I hurt inside. Throwing a temper was the only way I knew to express my feelings.

Because I acted up, eventually my current foster mom sent me back to the adoption agency (机构), just as the mom before had. I thought I was the most unlovable girl in the world.

Then I met Kate McCann, who adopted me and took me to her home.

When I moved in with Mom, I had my own room for the first time. It had wallpaper and a big closet. I had only a few clothes I’d brought with me in a brown paper bag. “Don’t worry,” Mom said. “I’ll buy you lots of pretty new things. ”

I went to sleep that night feeling safe. I prayed I wouldn’t have to leave.

Mom did lots of nice things for me. She let me have pets and gave me horseback riding and piano lessons. Every day, she told me she loved me. But love wasn’t enough to heal the hurt inside me. I kept waiting for her to change her mind. I thought, “If I act badly enough, she’ll leave me like the others.”

So I tried to hurt her before she could hurt me. I picked fights over little things and the tempers when I didn’t get my way. I slammed (猛地关上) doors. If Mom tried to stop me, I’d hit her. But she never lost patience. She’d hug me and say she loved me anyway.

Because I was failing in school when I came to live with her, Mom was very sad about my homework. One day when I was watching TV, she came in.

A Panting Trout

Julia always enjoyed running through The Dark Walk towards the light at the end of it, which was a dark, damp tunnel of smooth branches. This year she had the extra joy of showing it to her small brother, Stephen, and of terrifying him as well as herself.

One day they found a hole on one side of the walk. Inside there was water, where they perceived (察觉、发现) a breathless trout (鳟鱼). They were both so thrilled that they were no longer afraid of the darkness as they bent down and peered at the fish panting (喘气) in his tiny prison, his silver stomach going up and down like an engine, otherwise he was motionless. Julia wondered what he ate and thought of his hunger. She found him a worm. But he ignored the food, and just went on panting. She bent over him, wondering how he had been here. All the winter, in the dark tunnel, all day, all night, floating around alone.

Nobody knew how the fish got here. Her mother suggested that a bird had carried it here. Her father thought that in the winter a small stream might have carried it down there as a baby, and it had been safe until summer came and the water began to dry up.

Before going to bed, Stephen asked his mummy to tell him a story as usual, while Julia lay in her bed, not interested in it. That night mom told a story about a trapped little fish. “And so, in the end, the naughty fish got bigger and bigger, and the water got less and less…Then a Fairy Godmother appeared…”

Passionately, she turned around and cried, “Mummy, don’t make it a horrible old story.” Staring at the moon she knew there was no such thing as a fairy and that actually the trout, down in the tunnel, was panting for his life:

She sat up in the silent night and Stephen was sound asleep.

Julia poured the trout out of the pot into the river.

It was Saturday afternoon. Martin and his sister Pam were looking at the beautiful old buildings of Cambridge for the day. Pam had a camera with her. She likes taking photos.

“Let’s have a last photo of you,” said Pam. “It’s the last one.I want to finish the film in my camera.

“ Oh, all right,” said Martin. He stood in front of the flowers.

“Look at me,”said Pam and took a photo. A man with a big backpack and a tent on his back walked between Pam and Martin.

“Oh no,” said Pam. “Now I’ve got a picture of that man, not of you,Martin.” The man looked at Pam.

He was angry.He went across the road without a word.

“That man isn’t very nice, is he?” said Martin.

“No,”said Pam. The man with the backpack on his back went into the bus station.He had got sunglasses and a blue hat.

“Come on,” said Martin. “Let’s find our bus.”

They went into the bus station. “Look,”said Martin. “There’s that man again. He’s getting into that bus. He’going to Aberdeen.That’s in Scotland.”

“Good,” said Pam. “Far from here and far from me!”

Three days later, Pam had got her photos from the shop. “Look at these photos of us in Cambridge,” she said to Martin. “They are all very good but this last one. Look, it’s that man with the backpack.”

“Wait a minute,”said Martin. “I know that face.It’s in the newspaper.Have you got it?”

“Today’s newspaper?” said Pam. “Yes, it’s here. Why?”

“Yes,here he is. Look at this picture,” said Martin.

Pam looked at the photo in the newspaper. “Who’s that?” she asked.

“It says in the paper that his name is Alan Rook,” said Martin. “And he works in a bank in London. But on Monday morning -- no Alan Rook! The people at the bank don’t know where he is. And they say he’s got a hundred thousand pounds with him.The police are looking for him, too.”

“Come on,” said Martin. “Let’s take the picture and the newspaper to the police.”

At the police station Pam and Martin met a policeman.

The next day the   police in Aberdeen found Alan Rook in a tent in the mountains near Aberdeen

After school, I rushed back home, excited. “Mom,” I said, “I’ve been nominated (提名) for the National Junior Honor Society.” My mother patted my shoulders, saying, “I’m so proud of you.”

As I filled out the honor society application form, I had to prove that I had all the characteristics required in a candidate: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. I wrote that I worked hard at my classes; I made the high honor roll most quarters; I listed my singing with the District Select Chorus to raise money for the community. The next day, I handed in the application form to the school and didn’t think any more about it.

Months went by, and I received a letter from the school about the honor society. My mother was typing at the computer. “Mom,” I said sadly, “I didn’t make the honor society.” She smiled and held up her hand to give me a high five. “You are joking.” I felt tears roll down from my eyes. “No, really, they didn’t pick me,” I said and handed her the letter.

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I thought you were kidding,” my mother replied. “There must be some mistake.” She grabbed the phone and dialed the principal (校长). He told her that no mistake was made. It was the decision of the school committee.

“It’s not fair,” I said that night at supper. My mother agreed. Nearly all of my friends were chosen for the honor society. Not being a member of the honor society wasn’t going to ruin my future, but it was hurting me now.

My dad noted, “They should set up specific requirements for selection. For example, each candidate must have five hours of community service a month.” “The committee should give a reason why I wasn’t chosen, so the student can do better,” I said.

Hearing my words, Dad advised having a discussion about the selection process.

A few days later, the principal phoned to say that the committee was going to use some of our suggestions.