This book is dedicated to the children of Highbury Preparatory School.

Created by: Chang, Daly, Lu, Romano, Shah, Stanton, Strouse, Thomas, Yang

In a small corner of a small playground there sat a seesaw, and on that seesaw sat a boy and a girl. While everyone played, Tillie sat inside, working away at her homework.

It was so hard to balance everything in her life, she thought to herself.

Tillie sat, completing her work while the other children laughed and played about the seesaw.

Everything in her life was working against itself.

She had so much work to do that she’d never have time for her friends.

Realizing that she dozed off, Tillie looked back at the unfinished math on her paper.

She wouldn’t be able to get it all done. It would take years.

Her friends passed the open classroom door and waved at Tillie. “Come on,” they said, “don’t you want to play outside?”

"I guess a few minutes of fun wouldn’t hurt," Tillie decided, already grabbing her bag.

Through the door the group of friends passed, and into the cool breeze.

Outside, everything slipped Tillie’s mind. She could think of nothing but her friends and the kids on the playground.

A sudden weight fell upon her as she remembered what she was meant to be doing.

Her mother had wanted her home to watch after her little brother and sister.

Tillie couldn’t keep it all straight.

Her issues started to swarm her, like ants on prey. What am I to do, she asked herself. She started her journey back home, knowing she had to start being responsible.

"Please watch your siblings. I have errands to run," her mother said. Tillie nodded. As she sat down to watch her little brother and sister, she sighed. This would take a long time.

After her mother left for the market, Tillie planned out her next move; it was a delicate game of chess. How would she finish the homework while watching her siblings? As she watched her siblings giggle and play, sleepiness slowly crept over her.