LION - By Mei

My favourite toy is called Lion.  I have had him since I was about two years old.  When I found the stuffed tiger I liked him alot and called him Lion. It used to be Mum's present from Dad but I didn’t know this at  the time but Mum said that it was alright to keep him.  

And then after that I slept with him every night.  And I am still doing that so that is why his head is flat in the place where I always sleep.

He has been in the washing machine a few times.   And the reason he was in the washing mashine is because I had head lice.  We could have put him away for two weeks but I wasn’t going to let that happen so we put him in the washing machine instead.

His eyes are emerald green with black in the middle and his tummy is white and his ears are black on the outer side and white on the inner.  He has no claws.  I don't know why.

I like him best because of his fluffy tail.  That's the only fluffy part in the tiger left.

Lion is special to me because I have had him for as long as I remember and because I am a single child, he is like a brother to me.

He is like part of the family and I have taken him on all the trips I have had except the ones that included going on a plane.

I imagine sometimes what fun it would be if Lion could talk.  He would be able to say all the everyday words like “hello” or “how are you today” And he would be magic and we would go to different worlds and there was a wishing land where you could wish for one thing like being able to fly or being able to just be lazy and stuff like that.

Lion is the best toy ever!

DADDY DOG - By Alex

Daddy Dog was my first ever soft toy dog.  I have had him for seven years.

Daddy Dog is seven years old in human years and 49 in dog years.

He is so old that he has turned grey.  He has had over twenty five holes.

Daddy Dog was born in Australia and given to me by my Aunty Andrea.

He has been many places.  He has been to Australia, Otamatata and other places.

Once he got left at Otamatata for a whole week.

Daddy Dog helps me when I am sad and he helps me get to sleep.

Daddy Dog is my oldest and dearest toy.  I am really glad Aunty Andrea gave him to me.

MY DOG CHARLIE - By Cameron C

Charlie is a dog with super-soft fur.  He is a staffy cross with a lab.  He's about five months old.

Charlies swift legs make him run as swift as a mustang.

Charlies black tail (with a tip of white on the end) wags furiously when he meets a new person or when he's excited.



Charlies sharp claws and teeth scratch and bite all day long.

Charlies favourite things to do are...run on the couch, chew bones, scratch and chomp on people and putting holes in clothes.

Charlie has his own bed but refuses and sleeps with me.  When he sleeps he snores very loud.

Charlie likes all his toys but especially his squeaker.

He loves to annoy mum by stealing food and tripping her up.  All you can hear from Mum all day is... "Gees, you're a toad of a dog, Charlie!"

We adopted Charlie because no one gave him a home and he's been our best friend ever since.

Every morning when I get dropped off, he comes with us and sits on my lap and when I need him to get off he doesn't move a mussel.  And he looks at me with a look in his eye that tells me "Please don't leave me, Cameron."

When we go to Damians (friend) farm, all he does is... run round and eat sheep poo.

As you can see, Charlie is a mischiefy dog.

I love Charlie and he loves me!

MY NECKLACE - By Aliya

My taonga is my necklace.  It is called Venia Koru.  The meaning of the necklace is that love is eternal.  Which means love goes on forever.  

My necklace is special because it comes from Finalnd.  My Pappa bought it for me when he was on holiday in Finland (he is Finnish).  I think it is really cool that is comes from where my Pappa is from.

This will probably look like a triangle to you.  But it isn't a triange.  it's supposed to be a heart.  It has a swirl on it called a koru.  It is a lot like a maori koru too, but it isn't.

The shop that my Pappa bought the necklace from was in Kuopio.  It was made in 2011.  When the necklace is made it is heated to more than 1,000 degrees so that the metal melts into the shapes of a heart.

What I like best about my necklace is the way they have carved it, it looks like there are black crystals shining inside.  I have to be very careful not to loose my necklace as I wouldn't be able to get another one easily.

This treasure is like greenstone to New Zealand, except it belongs to Finland.  My necklace makes me feel special because I'm the only one who has it.

MY BLANKET - By Maia

My taonga is this old blanket.  It is eight years old, the same age as me.  My Mum and Dad gave it to me when I was born.  It was with me everywhere.  This blanket was pink, now it's grey.  My taonga is special because it's always been with me.  I like to wrap myself up when I am cold.  Sometimes I run over to the couch and snuggle up with my blanket.  i will always take good care of my taonga because it's special and I love it.

MY GREENSTONE - By Zayn

My speech is about my two greenstones.  One is carved and the other one is uncarved.  The uncarved greenstone was given to me by my dads friend Paul.  Paul told me that the longer I had it, the greener it gets from the heat of my hands.  I hope to get it carved into something that means a lot to me one day.  My other carved greenstone was my mums, and she gave it to me to wear now.  The carved shape means from the beginning to eternity.  So that's forever.  I love greenstones because they can be made into some awesome shapes which have lots of different meanings.  My greenstones are wonderful.

DRAGON By Aliya

Dragons are mythical creatures, and very mysterious as well.  These vicious man eating brutes have been know, and are known to be devilish and cruel.

Most dragons live in forests or caves.  The caves are usually full of all sorts of creepy crawlies like spiders.  As well as all these spiders there is a fast flowing stream flowing right through the centre of the cave.  This is very handy for dragons in the winter, because dragons can warm themselves by blowing fire into the stream.

Their wings stretch out for miles like, the wings of a bird.  Did you know that dragons wings are longer than ten cars parked in a line!!  The wings of a dragon are very fragile.

A dragons body can shine ruby red when the sun is shining in the right place at the right time.  Dragons are very protective about their bodies.  They love showing off.

Their legs.  Well, their legs are as long as a desk.  On those legs, if you look very closely, you would see tiny scales, and those scales are rough, slimy and gooey.  They are disgusting.

A dragons foot is as big as a square cushion.

His claws, horns, and teeth are as white as a sheet of paper and as sharp as a sword.

His nostrils are like shells with little hairs on the inside.  Big, black as tar, shell like nostrils.

The eyes look like red, hot pools of fire.  Dragons eyes are as big as saucers, and the pupils look like they have been split and spread across the eye.

WARNING:  Beware of the dragon!

DRAGON By Harris

A dragon is a raging beast.

His smoldering eyes glimmer in the darkness.

His jagged teeth munch through solid human bones.

His horns are as sharp as butchers knives.

His body is six stories high and two stories long.  He has razor sharp spikes all over his back.  Under his spikes he has iron shields.

DRAGON By Chloe

A dragon is an evil devious monster that can kill easily with its sharp yellow teeth.

The dragons feet sink into the human bones and swords.  The cave echo sounds like kids screaming.  His eyes are as big as dinner plates.  His wings are covered in holes.  His mouth is dribbling with red blood.  He has spikes on his back.  The edge of the dragons wings scrape against the walls of the cave as he stomps towards the exit of the dark cave.  He knows what tunnel to take because the one that goes to the exit has daylight.

Dragons are an animal you would never want to meet.

DRAGON By Russell

The winged hero soared into the blue sky.  His intense glare froze the vile villains into stone.

“Flap, flap.”  A winged menace comes nostril to nostril to him.  Claw meets jagged claw.  Solid flame meets ice.  Our hero wins as he froze his nemesis in a blue cold ice block.  His fragile wings folding dangerously, he glided into the warm distant horizon.

Back at the warm cave, he gracefully folded his thin papery wings.  He exhaustedly takes off to Africa for an evening hunt.  He is so strong he flicks his multi-coloured hand and kills an elephant.  You could hear him crunch up the elephant with one gulp.

He is bigger than a tall building.

His pinky claw is as big as a human hand.

He is a life saving myth.