Sam is twelve. He is in No. 6 Middle School. He is in Class 3, Grade 7. He likes Chinese and he can write stories. He gets on well with his classmates. He is popular among the teachers and the classmates. He is very happy today because it is Children’s Day, and it’s his birthday too. His mother and father have a birthday party for him. There are many drinks and food on the table. And the presents from Sam’s family are on the table, too.

Sam asks his good friends to his birthday party. They all come to Sam’s house. They are Linda, Tom, John and Lucy. They bring presents for Sam. Linda buys a nice pen for Sam. She knows Sam loves writing stories. She wants Sam to write many good stories. Tom buys a white baseball for Sam. Baseball is Sam’s favorite sport, and he is really good at it. John and Lucy buy a big cake for Sam. The friends sing Happy Birthday to Sam. Then they eat the cake. The cake is delicious. They dance and play some games. They have a good time at the party.

It was Julia’s 10th birthday. Her mom came to her school and joined the fun. The classmates said “Happy Birthday” to Julia. Then Julia’s mom handed out the birthday treats.

She was very good at making sweet cupcakes and delicious cookies. But this year, the things Julia’s mom brought were not so delicious. She brought some pencils. Why? Because Julia’s school has made a new rule that the sweet treats(甜点) are not allowed(允许) at school parties.

Julia’s school is not the only school to ban(禁止) the sweet treats. Some other schools around the country have done the same thing. Some American experts think that fewer sweets will be good for kids’ health. One third of American kids are overweight. Being overweight may lead to serious health problems.

Of course, most kids don’t like this rule. They say, “What’s fun about a party if there are no cupcakes?” And many parents also dislike the rule. “I want my kids to be healthy.” says one of the parents. “But eating the birthday cake is an important tradition. It makes me sad that my kids will not be able to enjoy the birthday cake.”

How did Julia’s mom feel about this rule? She was sad when she first learned of the rule. But Julia’s classmates liked the pencils very much. That made her feel better.