Age 11, Florida

Favorite Subject: Religion

Book: Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Music: pop and rock

Extracurricular Activities: soccer, karate, tennis, swimming, mission club, and YMCA

Hobbies: soccer, writing, reading

Jacqueline hopes to be a photographer one day, but also likes to read and write.

As a kid reporter, she hopes to learn better writing skills.

"When I write stories I always try to find every last detail and why they happen," she said.

In her spare time, she also likes to read.

Jacqueline is in the fifth grade in Tampa, Florida. She has one brother and one sister.

Florida’s Community

By Jacqueline Parker
Scholastic Kids Press Corps


Florida is a wonderful place. It is home to many beaches. It is also a place with a rich history, where people work to take care of the environment and each other.

My neighbors are elderly people so I often help rake leaves and do lawn work for them. I carpool to school with my friends and my family recycles newspapers and plastic bottles to help the environment.

My school has many fundraisers and fun family nights. Some days I volunteer at Faith Café, which is sponsored by three local churches. The café provides a free lunch for those who are homeless. I serve food and drink and talk with people.

Many weekends during the summer I go to the beach with my family. We love to go out on our boat and go tubing. When we're not relaxing on the beach, we're often cheering on my brother and sister. My brother is a cross-country runner for his High School. He is ranked in the top twenty in the state for junior varsity. My sister does crew six days a week and loves it. She often has regattas, or boat races.

One of the things that make this area so unique is its rich history. In 1539 Hernando Desoto arrived here with ten ships and 600 men to explore the region for Spain. He named this beautiful place Florida. This was 82 years before the famous landing of The Mayflower. Later, three countries fought for control of Florida—France, Spain, and England.

I'm proud to call Florida my home.

• Teacher Store
• 

  The Teacher Store
  	Your Classroom Library: New Ways to Give It More Teaching Power by Parker Fawson and Ray Reutzel View Sample Pages: Table of Contents Sample Page This helpful guide contains great teacher-tested and research-based strategies for organizing and using your library to increas $18.99 Professional Book | Grades K-6

  
  Your Classroom Library: New Ways to Give It More Teaching Power
  Grades K-6 $18.99
  
• Scholastic Store
• 

  The Scholastic Store

  Making a Splash # 3: Whitney by Jade Parker Whitney's Summer Goals: 1. Throw the best parties ever at the water park -- and avoid backstabbing nemesis Marci. 2. Stop eating so much ice cream from Jake's ice cream cart. Who cares that he's really cute and sweet? 3. Figure out Caitlin and Robyn . . . will they still be my friends if they find out my secret? 4. Work on tan. 5. Quit looking at Jake! ! $5.99 books;paperback books;paperbacks | Ages 12-15

  
  Making a Splash # 3: Whitney
  Ages 12-15 $5.99