The following is a Blue Ribbon winning essay by our grandson, Braden James Dahl. Braden will be nine years old on June 18 and has completed the third grade in the Boulder, CO school system:
Japan
Japan is a fantastic and wonderful place! It is an island on the Pacific Ocean! It’s located in Eastern Asia. Many animals are located in Japan. One animal is a japanese bob-tail.It is a type of cat. Japanese kids really like to have cats as pets. The Japanese bobtail has a very short tail. There is also a dog called Akita. Children really like dogs too. Their favorite dog is the Akita. There is also an amazing fish, it’s a blue puffer fish. When it’s in danger it blows itself up like a balloon so other animals won’t be able to eat it. In Japan this fish is named Fugu. Some Japanese like to eat Fugu because it is very yummy. But it’s very poisonous. Only specially trained cheifs can prepare fugu. They know how to remove the dangerous parts! Japan is a very intresting place.
bobdahl 
優れた、若い男性ダール。 = Excellent, young man Dahl! (I thin it does anyway).
Great start to a happy career writing the story of your life.
Fine young poet like Grandpa!
Japan is, indeed, a very interesting place.
Japan, home of the Ainu, aboriginal bear hunters of the North.
Japan, home of the Samarai and Gheisha.
Japan, memories of Hideiki Tojo and Hirohito.
Japan, rapist of China.
Japan, at the bottom of the Coral Sea near Midway.
Japan, site of the only two nuclear bombings in history.
Japan, peaceful world leader since 1945.
Japan, famous tsunami and earthquake and nuclear meltdown.
Japan, always rebuilding…beautiful children.