ZOEY AND LUNA’S

SECRET MAGICAL
POWERS

Inside A World of Plant Based Living

Lailah Moridzadeh

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Copyright © 2020 Lailah Moridzadeh

All rights reserved.

ISBN:
ISBN-13:

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 DISCLAIMER

This children’s story examines abusive farm animal treatment in its

examination of a plant-based diet and lifestyle and may not be
appropriate for all children. It does offer wonderful themes of love,
care and healthy eating. Please consider the sensitivity of the content
when sharing with young children.

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My twin daughters, Victoria and Valentina, were the inspiration for this book.
What started as an idea to write a book to explain to them why we choose a
plant-based life turned into something I felt should be shared with others.

Choosing to be vegan isn’t about perfection. Wherever you in your journey

towards a plant-based lifestyle is okay. Being vegan is about compassion and
making conscious choices in food, clothing, etc.

My hope is that this book finds you well and you’re inspired to make plant-
based choices whenever possible.

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CHAPTER 1

THE TWINS THAT LIVED A VEGAN

LIFE
Farm Love and Rescue, a farm sanctuary, had acres of tall green grass with
bales of hay sprinkled about for grazing. Animals from all backgrounds
were rescued and brought here to live out the rest of their lives in peace and
happiness. Today was Farm Sanctuary Day as named by the twins’
parents. Zoey and Luna had come to visit Bertha the cow, Crystal the
chicken, Peggy the pig, and Frank the fish. They’ve been volunteering
every week since they were six years old. They knew this farm because
their parents, Lorelai and Sammual, embraced plant-based living and the
twins have never eaten animals in their entire lives.

Zoey and Luna were ten years old and understood early on that all meat
foods like bacon, beef, bologna, ham, pork, lamb chops, fish sticks, and
chicken nuggets come from animal flesh. They love animals and they don’t
want animals to have to be hurt in order for them to get their food. They
felt a little sad when they would walk down the meat section in the grocery
store with their mom and dad because their animal friends at the farm were
precious to them. They knew that creatures like Bertha, Crystal, Peggy and
Frank weren’t so lucky and the crowds that fill the grocery aisles had
chosen to purchase and feed their families with the packaged fish and
meats sold there.

From birth, Lorelai and Sammual chose plant-based eating and living for
Zoey and Luna. In fact, they were issued farm membership cards at the age
of six. They grew up in the ways of plant-based eating and respected every
choice of this lifestyle. They cared for their garden at home and helped
mom and dad till the herbs, clip the vines, and nourish the earth that grew
them. They believed that when the ways of meat eaters failed in the world
they lived in, their family would continue on in good health and happiness.

Zoey and Luna loved their friends at Farm Love and Rescue. These twin
girls came to life on every volunteer day at the farm. Now that they were in

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the fifth grade, they really enjoyed learning all about the farm, and the most
special part of their lives happened on the weekends here with their animal
friends.

In fact, it was on their eight birthday visiting Bertha the Cow that they
discovered their secret magical power. On that day Zoey was in charge of
brushing Bertha and Luna was raking and cleaning her sleeping area. Zoey
loved brushing Bertha as she felt a special connection with her. She felt as
if her heart might burst with joy. Bertha returned the love with snuggles
and this pleased Zoey even more. The girls’ overalls and tennis shoes were
covered in farm dust from head to toe, but they didn’t even notice.

Suddenly… and without notice the unimaginable happened, “I have a

secret to share with you,” Bertha whispered with a heavy barreled voice.
Zoey was stunned into stillness and Luna’s mouth fell wide open. The rake
in her hand fell to the hay-covered floor and her knees gave way as she fell
to them, atop the hay.

“Whaaaa---ttt?????” Luna could hardly breathe. Bertha raised her head

with a smile. “All of your friends at the farm love you both. You’re special,
you know. You’ve never eaten meat in your whole lives and this gives you
the most precious gift…you can talk to each and every one of us!”

“Hoowwww…issss this possible?” Zoey struggled to ask. “You two are

filled with the purest light and the brightest love for your farm friends and
this makes the impossible, possible.” This moment was burned into the
minds of Zoey and Luna for the rest of their lives…

A new school day began for Zoey and Luna. They felt anxious and
nervous. They exited their parents’ car and hesitantly walked through the
school gate toward their new school Aroma Elementary and their fifth
grade classroom. Their mom, Lorelai dropped them off as she did each
morning on her way to run her business. Their parents, Lorelai and
Sammual, were entrepreneurs. They introduced the girls to their new
teacher when they enrolled them in the new school. In fact Zoey and Luna
toured the school grounds and met some of their classmates at Open House
that day. Still, this school was new and they were worried about what they
didn’t know could happen. The unfamiliar could be very frightening.

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Zoey and Luna got out of the car and walked side by side to their
classroom. Suddenly, Zoey stopped and turned to Luna, “How are we
going to make new friends? What will our new teacher be like without
mom and dad around?” Luna immediately stopped when Zoey did and
quipped back, “I don’t know. You know, this is my first day at this new
place too!”

As quickly as the fear built up between the girls, they were greeted by their
teacher’s warm welcome to quiet the quell. “Zoey and Luna, welcome to
your fifth grade classroom.” The girls returned the teacher’s greeting with
their smiles. They both exhaled and chose seats next to a couple of
classmates named, Tony and Megan, who smiled at them with genuine
warmth. The day started with class introductions from their teacher, Mrs.
Brenner, as she reviewed class rules and expectations. Zoey and Luna
began to relax, this felt like just another day in school.

After a few hours have passed, the lunch bell rang and the kids from the
classroom rushed to the cafeteria. Luna and Zoey brought their lunches so
they walked past the lunchroom line of students waiting for trays of
cafeteria served food. Instead, they chose a table to sit and eat their
homemade lunches. They pulled out their lunchboxes and saw what their
mom prepared for them which included sliced apples, a vegetable sandwich
with avocado, lettuce, tomato, and soy meat slices; hummus with crackers,
and to drink an orange juice box.

Tony and Megan joined them at their table. Tony opened up his lunchbox
that his mom prepared for him that contained chicken nuggets, some celery
sticks with peanut butter, and string cheese. Megan pulled out a bag of
chips, a turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese, and grapes. Megan stared at
Luna’s lunchbox and asked if she wanted to trade her turkey sandwich for
Luna’s. Luna replied, “Is your sandwich vegan?” Megan looks down at her
food and replies, “I don’t know. It’s a turkey sandwich with cheese.” Zoey
chimed in, “We only eat vegan food.” Tony asked the girls, “What’s
vegan?” Luna replied, “We don’t eat animals. We only eat fruits and
vegetables and foods that come from plants.” Tony stared at Zoey and
Luna’s lunches, “Why are you vegan?” Megan crunched her eyebrows,
“Aren’t vegetables yucky?” Tony questioned, “Does your mom and dad
make you be vegan?”
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Zoey and Luna listened and waited until they finished asking their
questions and answered one question at a time…

Zoey explained, “We are vegan because we don’t want to eat animals.
Animals are our friends.”

Luna said, “We really like fruits and vegetables. They taste very good to
us.”

Zoey looked right at the questioning classmates, “We chose to be vegan.

Nobody made us.”

The lunchroom was loud and noisy with clangs and bangs around the
echoing auditorium. The noise turned from tray-clatter to the rumble of
several hundred children talking out loud. For today’s menu the school
served chocolate pudding, milk, cheeseburgers, mandarin oranges, celery
and carrot sticks.

The students suddenly heard LOUD commotion to their right and looked
over to see a tall and stocky boy SLAM his food tray on a full table and
order a group of students to sit elsewhere. Four students quickly grabbed
their trays and scattered off. Brandon sat and overpowered his cafeteria
area. Somehow, the food monitors overseeing missed this big display of
being a bully. Brandon took a big bite of his cheeseburger, it overpowered
the space in his mouth and he tossed to the side of his tray, a cup of
mandarin oranges along with the celery and carrot sticks.

Silence poured into the area where Brandon sat as watching students stared
at him in shock and dismay. The cafeteria stilled as students turned away
and stared down at their own food to avoid possible contact and
confrontation with Brandon. The twins and their friends also turned away
from Brandon and started their own conversation again. Slowed murmurs
started as everyone continued their conversations.

The school bell RANG. Students stood up, trailed out in orderly lines
toward their classrooms. The conversation on veganism that the twins had
with their new friends left Tony and Megan pondering, Zoey and Luna’s
comments, “Animals are friends?” Megan asked Tony. “So what should we
eat then?” Tony shook his head from side to side. He just couldn’t grasp

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this kind of choice. If he wouldn’t eat meat, then what types of plant-based
foods are available?

Zoey and Luna began their own private conversation, one with the other.
“I can’t forget Bertha’s comments and our day at the farm when we found
out we could speak to the animals,” Zoey explained. “We have secret
magical powers?” Luna replied. Zoey shook her head in agreement. They
repeated the story to each other as they sometimes did so that they never
forgot.

Bertha the Cow, shared her dairy cow story with Zoey and Luna. “Pst...
Don’t be scared. I have something to tell you.” Zoey dropped the brush
from Bertha and Luna stood up and stared at Bertha then darted her eyes
from Zoey and back at Bertha. She took a couple steps back. “I said, don’t
be scared. I’m not going to hurt you. In fact, I want to thank you for taking
care of me and all of us here at the farm sanctuary. You see this farm is our
sanctuary for many reasons. I’m going to tell you what they are. All of your
farm animal friends decided today was the day we would let you know
about your magical power. You girls have the ability to walk and talk with
us, side by side. You can openly communicate with us, here on the farm.
We know you’ve never eaten animals and you know that we all are your
very best friends. We love and appreciate you. Today we will share our
stories with you both and tell you what our lives were like before we
arrived here. Our hope is that you continue to spread the word and help
other animals like us to survive and find a home like this sanctuary.”

Zoey and Luna nodded and sat quietly before Bertha and listened intently.

“I was a dairy cow. That means they bred me for the sole purpose of
creating milk for human consumption. What most people don’t know is
that we, just like humans, need to be pregnant in order to produce milk. So
as a practice, farmers artificially inseminate dairy cows like me to produce
a calf every year. Of course we love our babies just like humans love their
children. Our babies drink our milk, but within a couple weeks the farmers
take our babies away from us and put them in small cages. We cry for our
babies and our babies cry for us. If we produce a male calf, he will be
killed for veal. If we produce a female calf, she will live the same fate as
her mother. Usually the life of a dairy cow is short lived. They allow us to

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live for about four to six years then they slaughter us. If we were to live in
nature, we would live for 18-22 years. I’ve lost one son and two of my
daughters have lived the same fate as me. Unfortunately, they weren’t
rescued as I was. I miss them every day.”

Zoey and Luna had quite the lesson from Bertha the cow that day. They
thanked her for sharing her story and they walked to the chicken coop to
get to know Crystal, the chicken. They could talk to the animals, why not
listen to their stories?

“Hello girls! I take it you’ve already spoken to Bertha?” Crystal sang out in
a cock-a-doodle-doo to the normal human listening, but to Zoey and Luna,
she was as clear as the voice they heard from their mom. The twins nodded.
“Great. I’m going to share with you my story. It’s a sad one, but I feel
blessed to be living here among my friends. Other chickens aren’t so lucky.
You see, chickens are either bred for eggs or meat. I was bred for eggs. We
are kept in crammed cages that are no bigger than the size of a legal piece
of paper. You know, the kind you use in school to write on. Even ‘free
range’ chickens aren’t so free. They’re packed into rooms and they can
hardly move.”

“We are forced to regularly lay eggs and if we give birth to male chicks,
they are often ground up alive because boy chickens don’t lay eggs. If
chickens have a hard time laying eggs, they are denied food and starved.
The average lifespan of a chicken in captivity is 42 days whereas in the
wild it’s 5-10 years. Sixty-billion chickens are reared for meat every year
and many have lung and bone problems and are overly stressed. They’re
forced to gain and carry more weight than is natural. Every second 2,000
chickens are slaughtered for meat. Because chickens are exempt from the
Humane Slaughter Act, which states that animals should not feel any pain
before slaughter, we more often than not, feel the pain of being slaughtered.
Once a female chicken is considered “spent” and can no longer lay eggs,
she is discarded in landfills: these are places to dispose of refuse and other
waste material by burying it and covering it over with soil, which is as a
method of filling in or extending usable land. Not all chickens die and
you’ll find many crawling out from piles of dead chickens. That’s how I

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was found and brought here. I was nursed back to good health.”

Next, Zoey and Luna walked to the pig pen and met, Peggy the Pig. “Well,
hello girls!” Peggy warmly welcomed Zoey and Luna. “Are you ready to
hear my story?” Zoey and Luna were intrigued to learn more, but they
found these farm animal stories quite sad. They wished everyone knew
what happened to these innocent animals so that it would stop.

“We pigs are kept in tight crates called gestation crates. We live our lives
lying down and we can hardly move. We lie in our own waste and are
expected to give birth over and over. Within 17-20 days our piglets are
taken from us and mutilated without anesthesia. Humans take our bodies
and call it “ham” or “bacon.” If we were to live in the wild we would live
for 15-20 years, but in captivity, we only live six months. Some pigs
become so stressed and anxious living in the tight quarters you’ll find them
chewing the metal bars endlessly.”

Finally the twins walked to the large pond on the ranch and met, Frank the
Fish.

“Good afternoon girls! I bet you’ve had quite a day today. I’m sure you
didn’t expect any of this, did you?” Frank was a senior fish and was also,
very wise. It was his turn to share with the girls.

“Can you believe that many people don’t consider fish, meat? Sure, they
know cows, chickens, and pigs are meat, so they eat them and they also
have no problem eating fish. They even think fish can’t feel pain. But,
that’s not true. You see, our natural habitat is in the ocean. With all the
farming of fish, the ecology of the ocean is being affected. When they pull
us out of the water we die of suffocation. The opposite affect would happen
to you, as humans, if you were to be forced under water. You need air to
breathe and I need water to breathe. You would drown as your lungs which
normally filled with air filled would be filled with water and couldn’t get
air. When farmers pull us to the top of the ocean from deep below, the
change in pressure causes our organs to burst. In addition, farmed fish are
fed antibiotics and genetically modified as they are farmed. They’re kept in
undersea cages called fish farms that fill with parasites and sea lice. Other
animals also pay with their lives for these fish farmed areas. Sometimes

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unwanted sea life, like turtles, dolphins, and sea birds are accidentally
caught in the nets when they’re trying to catch fish. They’re thrown back
into the ocean, dead.

At the end of the farm sanctuary day, Luna grabbed Zoey by her wrist,
“Let’s find a way to help our friends Bertha, Crystal, Peggy, and Frank. If
we can find other kids like us who love them and want to help us, we can
find a way to tell their stories to the world. Let’s spread the word to live a
vegan lifestyle and save animals like these every day in every way.” Zoey
nodded her head up and down, gesturing, yes! “Let’s spread the word,
maybe we can start a revolution of change!” Luna looked at Zoey and said,
“It seems like a big task ahead, but like Mom always tells us, we need to
have faith even if we’re feeling fear.”

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CHAPTER 2

CULTURAL APPRECIATION DAY

The early months of school had passed. October brought a balanced settling
in at Zoey and Luna’s new school. The twins got acquainted quite well
with their new teacher and made new friends. Today was the day all
students had looked forward to, after Mrs. Brenner had explained that the
students were going to share their varying food dishes from the many
cultures of students in her fifth grade. “Class, today is Cultural
Appreciation Day,” Mrs. Brenner announced to her fifth grade students. It’s
a long lasting tradition where students are encouraged to bring in family
traditional dishes of food to share it with their classmates.

The room was full of delicious smells like enchiladas and tacos, pastas and
lasagnas, jerk chicken and rice, India curries, and spices. Some students
brought both meat dishes and desserts. Each student had the opportunity to
share in front of class all about their food dish. Many of the parents
accepted invitations and joined in on Cultural Appreciation Day, including
Zoey and Luna’s mom and dad. Their parents’ had ancestry from Iran,
Mexico, and Colombia. They loved their rich heritage and background.

Mrs. Brenner clapped her hands high in the air. The students immediately
stopped talking and turned to the front of the room. Smiles spread across
their faces. Excitement filled the room. Zoey and Luna walked to the front
of the classroom. Luna addressed her class with pride, “My mom helped us
make a variety of vegan dishes from our ancestral countries.” Some
students sounded intrigued and exclaimed with an, “Ooooooohhh,” while
others muttered, “Eww. Yuck.” Mrs. Brenner steps up to the front of the
class and interjects, “That’s not how we treat our fellow classmates now is
it?” Her voice is loud and stern. Quiet blankets the room from embarrassed
students and accepting students nod their heads in agreement.

Mrs. Brenner, signaled Zoey to continue. Zoey turns to the class and
continued. “We brought tacos with plant-based meat and soy cheese, we
have cookies, and a platter of fruit and veggies with a side of hummus.”
Luna joined Zoey and spoke to her class, the students’ parents, and Mrs.

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Brenner, “Most people think that eating this way is hard, but it’s not. You
can get just about anything in a vegan way. We have vegan meat, vegan
chicken, vegan fish, vegan cheese, vegan cookies, even vegan cake! But,
just like non-vegan foods, you don’t want to eat those things all the time.
You want to eat whole plant-based foods.”

Zoey took over again, “Yes, whole plant-based foods are foods that look
close to nature. It’s better to eat an apple than apple pie; food that make
you feel best inside are beans, legumes, potatoes, fruits, grains, and
vegetables. Sometimes people think that vegetables don’t taste good, but it
depends on how you cook them. My mom and dad make food taste great
and they are teaching us how to cook too!”

Luna wrapped up, “Yeah! It also doesn’t take very long to cook your meals
and it’s really fun too. We’ve been eating this way our entire lives. You
will get all the nutrients you need from eating a plant-based diet.”

One student yelled out from the crowd, all of the students recognized
Brandon’s loud booming voice, “What’s a diet?” He snickers and coughs
with his own obnoxious gestures. Luna stares at Brandon and replied, “A
diet is the food choices that we make every day when we eat.” Zoey can’t
help herself… “Yeah, Mr. Know-it-all.” The students around the room
laugh out loud. Brandon glares at the twins. The lines get drawn between
Zoey and Luna versus Brandon the bully.

All the students spoke that day about the food they brought and pointed to
it as it was laid out on tables across the back of the room. Mrs. Brenner
directed her students as they stood in a single file line with their respective
parents and each sampled the different foods from lands around the world.
All the students rushed to try the vegan dishes except for one … Brandon.
He stomped his feet and declared out loud, “I love real meat! Vegans are
wussies!”

Mrs. Brenner heard him and shouted towards the back of the room,
“Brandon, that’s no way for a student of Aroma Elementary School to
behave. Please be respectful to your classmates now and apologize. Today
is the day to share what’s special to each student and each student deserves
respect. Everyone worked hard to make these dishes including you, so let’s

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all show our appreciation for each other.”

Brandon sheepishly said, “Yes, Mrs. Brenner.” He muttered under his

breath, “Sorry Luna and Zoey.” Brandon’s parents seemed to be missing
this particular day.

In no time, all the vegan tacos and cookies were gone. Even the fruits,
veggies, and hummus were finished! Zoey and Luna were pleased to see
everyone enjoying the food. Several of the students talked among
themselves in quiet surprise, “This tastes like real meat! How do they do
it?” Others exclaimed, “This is so good!” Overall everyone was intrigued
and loved the food. Brandon looked around at everyone enjoying the food
and he wished he had tried a taco, but he was too stubborn to give in.

After class assembly, most of the parents had to return to their jobs.
Lunchtime was approaching so several of the students walked up to Zoey
and Luna and asked where to buy the vegan food options and they replied
that they would ask their parents, Lorelai and Sammual, to share their
grocery store list on where to buy the food. Luna and Zoey feeling very
accomplished in working toward their mission of saving more animals like
their friends at the sanctuary farm, even if it was just for a little while.

It was during this lunchtime on Cultural Appreciation Day that Zoey and
Luna became the center of attention. Students gathered around them to
learn more about what their vegan diet included. The students spoke to
Zoey and Luna’s parents, Lorelai and Sammual, who stayed to help Zoey
and Luna explain about what they had just learned on Cultural
Appreciation Day, but some students had skeptical and concerned parents
with comments focused on just how healthy it could really be to be vegan.
“My dad said I need protein from meat.” Another student commented that,
“My mom said too many carbs are bad.” Another student repeated with the
comment, “My mom said eating vegan is too expensive.”

Lorelai and Sammual knew that their twins could actually handle these
questions so they let them. Zoey and Luna patiently listened to each student
and after their classmates were done asking their many questions, Zoey and
Luna responded. Zoey pointed out that, “You can get all your protein from
beans, grains and fruits, vegetables, and nuts. You don’t have to eat meat to

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get your protein.”

Luna backed up Zoey by explaining that, “It’s actually not expensive to eat
vegan. My mom tells me all the time how she is able to get the family so
much food on an affordable budget. Any grocery store you go to will have
the food you’re looking for. It’s best to start your shopping in the produce
section and stock up on fruits and vegetables. You can get canned beans or
dried beans, potatoes, and grains. Remember to use your favorite spices
and herbs to season your food. Even if you go out to eat in restaurants, you
can always find vegan food to eat. Being vegan is a small modification to
your life and it’s really easy to maintain.”

Zoey explained further, “We need carbs for energy! There’s complex carbs
and simple carbs. Complex carbs are healthier.” Their conversations
continued with curious students asking questions and the sisters responding
with information they learned through research they’ve done.

Lorelai and Sammual kissed their girls goodbye. “We’ve got to get back to
the office but we’ll pick you up after school and we’ll talk about all of this
tonight at dinner.” The girls nodded and smiled as their parents exited the
school grounds.

From the corner of her eye, Luna watched Brandon approach. He’s held a
hot dog in his hand and he walked right up to the table where the
classmates were all gathered together. “Are you trying to make everyone
go vegan?” he threatened. “No,” Luna said. “They’re asking us questions
and we’re answering.”

“I dare you to take a bit of this hot dog. Come on. It’s not going to kill
you!” he threatened further.

“No!” Luna said.

“Why? Are you scared or something? What’s the big deal?” he taunted.

“Leave us alone Brandon,” Zoey leaned in with a more stern voice.

“Make me! I want to see Luna take a bite of this hot dog.” He inched the

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hot dog closer to Luna’s face. She turned away. “Vegans are sissies!”
Brandon said as he smashed his hot dog on top of Luna’s lunch and walked
away.

The school bell RANG. Luna stared down at her unfinished sandwich that
was completely smashed and mushed by Brandon. “You can eat the rest of
my sandwich,” Zoey offered Luna.

“No, it’s okay. I’m not hungry anymore.” Luna replied with disgust.

Luna picked up her half eaten lunch and tossed it into the trash. Together
the twins walked back to their classroom.

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CHAPTER 3

HEALTH PROJECT AT SCHOOL

AND A BIRTHDAY PARTY
“Good morning class! Today we’ll share our projects. Each of you were
asked to study an area of nutrition or fitness and share it with the class,”
announced Mrs. Brenner.

Zoey and Luna prepared a slide-show project to show students that they
can eat vegan and still get all the nutrients necessary. They spoke about
different types of foods to eat to provide those nutrients. They were
determined to keep their secret promise to the animals at the farm and
spread the word about a vegan lifestyle. After all they were fighting for real
change. All animals deserve to live on a farm and have a stress free life like
their friends, Bertha, Crystal, Peggy, and Frank.

Zoey began. “People are often concerned that they’re not going to get all
the nutrients necessary by eating a vegan diet. We want to show you an
example of the types of foods you can eat so your plant-based diet includes
the very that nutrients you need to live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy a life,
hopefully free of disease.”

Luna explained the details of what a plant-based diet means for good
health, “Calcium is important because it builds strong bones. If you watch
TV you may see commercials stating that you get strong bones from
drinking cow milk. You can get calcium from plant foods like broccoli,
leafy greens, kale, collard greens, tofu, chickpeas, many beans, seeds and
nuts like sunflower seeds and almonds.”

Zoey continued with the details of how a plant-based diet creates good
health in human beings, “Iron is another important nutrient. It helps blood
production and transports oxygen throughout the body. You can get iron
from green leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, watermelon, cereals, and
spinach.”

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Luna continued to elaborate and explain, “Vitamin A builds healthy teeth

and skin. You can get Vitamin A from carrots, sweet potato, cantaloupe,
and apricots. People are always concerned about vitamin B so I will explain
those. Vitamin B1 is also called Thiamine and it allows the body to use
carbohydrates for energy. That’s the body’s main source of energy. You
can get Vitamin B1 from some fortified foods like rice, pasta and breads,
cereals, flour and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast has a cheesy taste and
my mom uses it to make us mac and cheese. Vitamin B3 is also known as
Niacin. You can get Niacin in grains, nuts and seeds, potatoes, tomatoes,
and mushrooms.”

Zoey wrapped her hand around Luna’s shoulder to take over with the
explanation, “Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and helps in the
development and repair of our body tissues. It also helps to absorb iron and
maintains our cartilage, bones, and teeth. You get Vitamin C from bell
peppers, broccoli, strawberry, OJ, grapefruit, spinach, potato, melon, and
berries. Finally, we wanted to cover Vitamin D. This vitamin absorbs
calcium and helps in bone growth. You get it from sunlight, fortified soy
and almond milk, tofu, and mushrooms. These are just a few examples of
nutrients and foods you can eat, but there are many more examples and
ways to get all your nutrients. We would be here all day if we explained all
of it!”

A few weeks passed by as Zoey and Luna grew excited to celebrate their
birthday. It was particularly special because today the girls were
celebrating with everyone in their new class at school. It was their family
custom to invite everyone in their classroom so nobody felt left out. Even
Brandon got an invitation.

“I don’t want to go to their stupid party!” he told his parents. “Brandon, it’s
rude if we all don’t go. They invited us as a family and we’re going to be
polite and go. Besides, your friends will be there and it’s good for you to
socialize with your classmates. We want you to be the good boy we know
you can be.”

Back at the twins’ house Lorelai and Sammual were finishing up final
touches for the birthday party with help of the twins. Sammual heated up
the grill to get it ready to grill some Unbelievable Burgers and Hot Dogs,

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which are vegan substitutes. Lorelai set the table with a wonderful selection
of vegan appetizers and snacks like hummus with chips, guacamole and
salsa, cookies, fruit and raw vegetables with vegan ranch dip, potato
samosas, and candies. The twins helped with the cooking and set up in
preparation for the guests.

Megan and Tony were the first two to arrive with their parents. They went
to the table setup and served themselves some snacks while the rest of the
students arrived. Lorelai and Sammual had party games planned including
Pin the Tail on the Donkey, a bat to break apart a Piñata, a Scavenger Hunt,
and a relay game. The classroom students arrived including reluctant,
Brandon. Sammual started the grill and put on the Unbelievable Burgers
and Hot Dogs. Brandon quipped with surprise, “You’re making
cheeseburgers?” Luna chimed in reply, “Yes! They’re called Unbelievable
Burgers. They’re our favorite.”

“Okay children! Let’s gather around and play the first game, Pin the Tail
on the Donkey!” Lorelai announced to the classmates. Everyone stood in
an orderly line as one by one each student would make it to the front of the
line. He or she were blindfolded and spun around until they were a little
dizzy. They held a tail in their hand and their goal was to land it on the
donkey. The birthday girls went first. Zoey was spun around and wobbled a
little bit. Her arms were outstretched and she reached out and placed the
tail on the donkey’s head! Everyone laughed. Then Luna took her turn. She
was blindfolded, spun around, and nearly tripped as she walked towards the
wall. She held one arm out feeling for the wall and her other hand holding
the tail. She also missed and pinned the tail on the wall missing the donkey
all together! One by one all the kids took their turn, then Sammual called
out, “The burgers and hot dogs are ready!”

Everyone shouted, “YEAH” and they ran over to the table and grabbed a
plate and stood in line to get their burgers and hot dogs. Brandon was the
third one in line, standing right behind the birthday girls, as he got an
Unbelievable burger and a hot dog. He sat down on the table next to some
other classmates. He took a bite and smiled at how good it tasted, but he
was quick to stop smiling before anyone caught him, so he thought. But
Luna caught him mid-smile, “How do you like it?” She leaned right into
his ear so he couldn’t deny hearing her voice. He reluctantly replied, “It’s
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okay,” and shrugged his shoulders. He was also the first to finish both his
burger and hot dog and went back to Sammual and asked for another
burger. Zoey looked at Luna and said, “Hmm, sure, they’re just ‘okay.’ I
think he really likes them both, more than he wants to actually admit.”
They both giggled and looked right over at him. Brandon heard their laugh
and crunched up his face, caught mid chew. His bully-gig was officially
shut down now and he knew it, he was caught in the act of acceptance.

After the classmates were all done eating, they finished playing the rest of
the games including the scavenger hunt and the relay race. The classmates
were all tired from the games so they happily gathered around the three-
tiered vegan cake and sang happy birthday to Zoey and Luna. They sang
out loud…”Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday
dear Zoey and Lunaaaa… Happy birthday to youuuu!”

The twins’ birthday day was a huge success.

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LAILAH MORIDZADEH

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CHAPTER 4

FIELD TRIP TO THE FARM TURNED

INTO A PLANT-BASED
REVOLUTION

Inside Zoey and Luna’s classroom several days after their birthday party
bash, Mrs. Brenner made an announcement to the twins’ classmates and
accompanying parents for the day. “All right class! Today is our field trip
day! We’re going to Farm Love and Rescue to do some volunteer work. I’ll
be putting you into groups and some of your parents will be escorting you
as well. Please make sure to stay in your assigned groups and be respectful
of the parents who took time out of their busy day to help us today.
Everyone please thank our parents!” The class proclaimed in unison,
“Thank you parents!”

Zoey and Luna’s mom led their team of eight students. The class hopped
on the busses, and off they went to the local farm sanctuary that Luna and
Zoey had been volunteering at for years. Today the students learn about the
lives of animals bred for food. Before everyone took to their stations, they
were greeted by their tour guide, Melissa. “Welcome children. We are glad
to have you here. Today is going to be a special day for you and for the
animals. You’re going to help us out with caring for them like feeding them
and cleaning their areas. But first, I will take you on a tour and introduce
you to some of our residents and tell you a bit about their stories.”

They walk over to Bertha the cow and her friends. Melissa told the story of
the dairy cow and what they experience. Some of the students covered their
mouths in shock. They’ve never heard about this before. Brandon stood to
the side of the group with his arms crossed in resistance. He acted like such
a tough guy. Some of the students’ eyes turned red, filled with tears and
others had tears that steamed down their faces.

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 LAILAH MORIDZADEH

They were led across the sanctuary to meet Crystal the Chicken, Peggy the
Pig, Frank the Fish and everyone else. By the time the group got to Peggy
the Pig, Brandon had a visible tear stream down his face, but he was quick
to wipe it away, yet not before Luna caught a glimpse and Brandon turned
around just in time to face her catch of his reaction. This bully act wasn’t
just done, it was torn town completely. After the tour was complete, there
wasn’t a dry eye in the place including Brandon. “Why does this happen to
these animals?” Brandon asked.

Melissa answered, “Animal agriculture is one of the most powerful

organizations in the United States. This organization holds a lot of
influence because it is a huge money making business. Unfortunately,
eating animals also causes damage to the health of human beings, which in
turn creates large profit for pharmaceutical companies.” She continues with
asking the class a question. “Does anyone know someone with diabetes or
anyone who has had a heart attack?” A few hands go up including
Brandon’s. He can’t help it anymore, he comes clean with his confession.
“My dad had a heart attack six months ago.”

Melissa looked to him with concern and explained, “Your dad may want to
consider eating a plant-based diet. There are a lot of benefits of eating a
vegan diet not only because it saves animals like the ones you’ve met
today, it also deflates damage to the environment, and it’s health promoting
so we can help reverse some diseases that some believe to be caused by
eating animal foods like meat and dairy. Brandon’s eyes shifted downward
as he pondered how he would tell his father about transitioning his diet to a
vegan one.

“Alright class. Let’s break off into groups and get to work!” Melissa
directed as farm ranch hands joined the class while Mrs. Brenner broke her
students into smaller groups and each group was escorted to a different area
of the farm with a ranch hand. Some walked to the chicken coup, others
joined Bertha and her friends, some walked to help the pig area, and
another group walked to the fishpond. Students cleaned up the farm animal
living quarters, some volunteered and fed them, and other students brushed
some of the bigger animals like the cows and horses.

After a couple hours of farm work it was lunchtime. Melissa and her co-

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workers brought out vegan sandwiches, chips, and a large baskets of cut
fruit for the students. “Wow! This tastes like real turkey!” exclaimed Tony.
Megan exclaimed further, “And this cheese tastes like real cheese! How do
they do it?”

Even Brandon smiled and happily ate his sandwich. Zoey told Luna,
“Sometimes people have to learn exactly what happens to the animals, just
so they really care.” Luna agrees. “Yeah. I’m glad we came here for the
field trip.”

The next day at school, Zoey and Luna’s wish for change actually
happened. Luna and Zoey sat with their classmates and friends at lunchtime
chatting away when Brandon approached them and sat at their table
carrying his cafeteria lunch. He slammed his fist on the table and cried out,
“Fish sticks, string cheese, oranges, and chocolate milk. It’s not right that
all we get is dead animals. We should have a healthy choice! What if we
want to eat vegan food?”

Luna and Zoey stared in shock. Brandon stood up and shouted so everyone
could hear in in the cafeteria, “We went to the farm sanctuary and listened
to horrible things that happen to our animal friends when they are eaten by
human beings. Why is our school feeding us tortured food? We should all
go on strike until they give us vegan options! Who’s with me?”

One by one students stood up and shouted, “STRIKE, STRIKE, STRIKE”,

until the entire cafeteria was blaring with students in unison shouting for a
strike! The cafeteria workers and proctors rush around the cafeteria to see
what the commotion is about. They see the students dump their half-eaten
cafeteria food in the trashcans. “We want vegan food!” they shouted.

The principal was alerted of the strike and she made her way to the
cafeteria. She stood at the door with her arms crossed standing tall and
slender in a red button down suit. She shifted her eyes across the room and
observed what was going on. “Who started this?” She said with a
commanding voice? Her voice was barely noticeable through the thick
harmony of students shouting. She raised her voice, “Who started this?!”
Nobody heard her. “I SAID, WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?!”

At once the room was silent. Everyone turned to her. Then Brandon
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 LAILAH MORIDZADEH

stepped forward. “I did, Principal Smith. We think we should have vegan

options for lunch.” The principal was clearly moved by Brandon’s passion
and caring support of his classmates. She’d heard about Brandon’s display
of emotion at the farm and his concern for his father’s health. He was
taking this plant-based eating personal. “Yeah!” Many of the students
echoed. Brandon continued. “We went to a farm sanctuary and saw what
happens to animals and we don’t want to be part of it. We also learned in
class of healthy ways we can eat vegan food thanks to Luna and Zoey’s
health project.”

Principal Smith replied to Brandon and the other students, “Oh, is that so?
Well I’m glad to see how driven you all are and united around a cause you
want to make a change in. As a 10 year vegan myself, I can understand
your feelings.”

Luna and Zoey raised their eyebrows at each other and mouthed, “She’s
vegan?”

Principal Smith continued, “But, unfortunately this isn’t solely up to me.

It’s up to the superintendents and there are procedures and protocol we
must follow to enact change. It won’t be an easy road, but if this is
something you really believe in, do it anyway.” This day began the student
strike movement for healthy food choices in their cafeteria.

Six months later at the school board meeting, Dr. Paul, School Board
President, opened the meeting. “Today marks one of the most important
days for Aroma Elementary School.” It was one of the most packed
meetings all year. Students and their parents attended and spoke up in
support of the fifth grade classmates’ pleas to change their cafeteria food
choices to a plant-based diet. The class was able to rally the entire
elementary school and parents.

“Today is quite a busy day. We have a packed agenda and at the top of the
list is whether or not we should consider vegan lunch at Aroma Elementary
School. I understand we have a very ambitious young man named Brandon
who would like to make a case. Brandon, please come up to the
microphone.” Dr. Paul announced to the very full meeting of attendees.

“Thank you Dr. Paul,” Brandon said. “We at Aroma Elementary School
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believe that we should have plant-based eating options for school meals.
We took a field trip to a farm sanctuary and learned about all the bad things
that happen to animals and how consuming meat and dairy can lead to
diseases like heart disease and diabetes. We don’t want to contribute to
those conditions anymore. We also learned about ways to eat healthy vegan
foods so everyone will still get the nutrients they need. Finally, plant-based
foods can be cheaper so the school will be saving money.”

Dr. Paul said, “Thank you Brandon. Your points have been noted. I have
Luna and Zoey next on my list. Please come up to the microphone.”

The twins walked up to the microphone. “Dr. Paul and school

administrators, we believe that when students learn the truth about what it
involves to bring food to the table, most students will agree that they want
to eat food that’s cruelty free. If students have a choice between animals
suffering and dying or eating foods that don’t cause harm to animals they
will choose not causing harm.” Zoey continued, “My sister and I have
been eating plant-based all of our lives and we are healthy and never feel
like we’re missing out. We eat a variety of foods and even vegan desserts!
Our Aunt Collette is a dietitian and an expert in creating vegan meals and
has volunteered to help the school come up with meal plans.”

One by one students and parents stepped up to the microphone. Brandon’s

dad actually took the stage and told his story, as well. Mr. Boyd began,
“Hello. My name is Mr. Boyd and I’m Brandon’s dad. I recently met
Lorelia and Sammual Clybourn, the parents of Luna and Zoey at their
birthday party. I suffered a heart attack a few months before the party and I
was a borderline diabetic. After speaking to Sammual about how a plant-
based diet may help me, I decided to give it a try. I switched my diet to
plant-based. After several weeks, I returned to my doctor and was shocked
to find that I am no longer a borderline diabetic and my heart condition had
drastically improved. Even my doctor was surprised. I was very skeptical
about a vegan diet, but after the proof I saw in my own health I am a
believer. I think our children should start from a young age eating in a
healthier way and I now believe that offering plant-based options is the
healthiest way to go.”

After a couple hours of students and parents who shared their thoughts and

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 LAILAH MORIDZADEH

stories, Dr. Paul closed the school board meeting. “Parents, teachers and
students, thank you for coming out and sharing your opinions and stories.
We have much to discuss and deliberate over. We will make an
announcement by the end of next week.”

Ten days pass, it’s Friday late afternoon. Aroma Elementary School
students were anxiously awaiting an upcoming announcement, especially
Zoey and Luna’s fifth grade class. The bell RANG as students made their
way to class. Moments later…

DIIIINNNNG! Principal Smith makes an announcement over the

loudspeaker. As the loudspeaker dings and the class anxiously waited to
listen to the announcement from Principal Smith.

“Good morning! Happy Friday, Aroma Elementary. I hope you have a

great upcoming weekend. I’m sure you’re all waiting and hoping for some
good news. Last week we had the biggest turnout for a School Board
Meeting ever. Dr. Paul and the rest of the superintendents were really
impressed with your level of professionalism and passion. After much
deliberation, planning, and reviewing of the school budget, it has been
decided that Aroma Elementary School will now be offering plant-based
diet options at every meal!”

The entire school ROARED in cheers and applause. “I can hear you all
through the walls of your classrooms from my office!” Principal Smith
commented. “Let me continue. I want to say that I am proud of you. If
there’s one thing we can all learn is to stand up for what we believe in and
have faith that change is possible. Even though you may face struggle and
an uphill battle, never give up. Because of you, we will now have cruelty
free food choices for our diet here at Aroma Elementary School, we’ve
employed professionals who will help in creating our cruelty free meal
plans, and everyone will have more nutritious food options.
Congratulations students, your strike was very successful. Enjoy your
weekend!”

Luna and Zoey walked up to Brandon. Zoey said, “Wow Brandon. We

never expected this to be a possibility and we never thought that you, of all
people, would rally everyone together like this!” Luna joined in, “Yes,

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thank you. Because of you, more animals are saved and all of our
classmates will be eating healthier foods.” Brandon blushed. “Actually, I
want to thank you both. I know I was mean to you when I first met you. I
had a lot going on because my dad was sick at the time and I was really
scared and angry that he was going through that. But, thanks to you and
your family my dad is now much healthier and so am I. I never thought I
would be a vegan, but I can’t imagine being any other way. Thank you for
speaking up and being yourselves even though you were once the only two
vegans in the entire school. I know it took risk for you two to stand up for
what you believe in, but because you did the school is now serving vegan
options, we all get healthier options, and more animals will be saved. You
both had enough faith to make it happen. I know all the animals at the farm
sanctuary are very proud of you!”

Zoey and Luna hugged Brandon and high fived each other. The three
turned into an unlikely friendship. This was a learning lesson for all of
them. Zoey and Luna thought Brandon was just a bully, but they didn’t
know what he was going through at home and how scared inside he was
that his dad was sick. Being plant-based eaters was a normal lifestyle for
them since birth and they didn’t realize how much impact just being
themselves and sharing their lifestyle would make. Even though they had a
tough time being comfortable in this new school, at the end everything
worked out for the best for everyone and they kept their promise to their
farm friends at the ranch. First their classmates turned vegan, then the
entire Aroma Elementary School did too. Next could they convert their
entire town? Maybe, they could change the entire universe and all of their
farm animal friends would be safe. This might take a while but they could
now rally their classmates, schoolmates and friends to help. They could go
after the impossible and make it possible for every human being to make
plant-based eating the best healthy choice in the world. They hugged each
other and they laughed and pointed at each other, “Maybe we can walk and
talk to all of the animals on this green planet Earth.”

THE END.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lailah Moridzadeh is a mother of identical twin girls, who are her

inspiration for writing this book. She wrote the book with the intention of
teaching her daughters about why they're a plant based family, but decided
this is important subject that can benefit other families as well.

She was introduced to a plant-based lifestyle in 2013 after learning about

the health benefits. She then discovered the ethics and environmental
connection and it solidified her decision.

She's coached and helped several people make the transition and believes
any improvement towards eating plant based is beneficial. It's not about
perfection, but about doing your best to make healthy and compassionate
choices.

She's a Christian woman and raises her daughters alongside her husband.
Together they run a financial marketing business and enjoy family bonding
time and traveling.

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