YRC 30

Building the Next Generation of Thinkers & Writers

Young Reader Club ISSUE 30 / SGD 8.00 ISSN: 2010 - 1376

Young Author Awards Special!

Check in with our YAA judges, read about them then and now.

3 tantalising stories you don’t want to miss!

Scan here to know 3about YRC!

Young Reader Club / Issue more 30

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Vol 8. 2011 /

YRC Online provides blogs and reviews by young authors about issues and topics that concern the youth of today, while giving opportunities to maximise the YRC experience through e-books, worksheets for students and teachers, and e-magazines!

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SGD 7.50 ISSN: 2010- 1376

Breaking Boundaries: Cambodia

2 teachers and 1 village with a dream

YRC Investigates:

Singapore’s Lost History

Discovering memories & more

Health Matters

Celebrating World Milk Day 2011

Fierce Facts

Cool things about pizza

3 Fascinating Tales You Can’t Resist

Jennifer Yip, Maybank 2007 YAA Awardee Our Featured Author of the Month

Building the Next Generation of Thinkers & Writers3 VOL. 8 2011

THE YRC TEAM Managing Editor Catherine Khoo Editor Joanna Chin Circulation Manager

Nannette Cruz Designer

Lim Soo Yong Editorial Assistant Natalya Thangamany Illustrators

Adeline Lim

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6336 8985 Education Subscription Agent

Emit Asia 6372 0330 Email: info@youngreaderclub.sg Website: www.youngreaderclub.sg All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Call 6336-8985 for back issues.

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Hello again! We have been busy running around and about. For a start, I visited Phnom Penh to plan for the next Amazing Journey! There are many heart warming stories to share and I am looking forward to making heart pulsing plans for our next odyssey. One thing for sure, it will be a trip packed with valuable lessons and life experiences that one will remember for a lifetime. Do stay tuned for more exciting news in the following issues!

Wow! This is the 8th year running for our Young Author Awards. We have witnessed our young authors – past and present – maturing in their writing skills and in their lives. This is a season of get-togethers and learning. As our former Young Authors take on the role of mentors, they will join the panel of judges in the upcoming Young Author Awards. It is an exciting yet emotional period for us as we watched the journeys of our Young Authors come into fruition. And though there is much to say, words cannot fully express the honour felt in watching our little ones grow.

In this issue of YRC, we tread through the lives of our former Young Authors and find out how and what they are doing now. 15 phenomenal former Young Authors have been selected to judge in the upcoming Young Author Awards. Don’t miss out reading about them and I hope aspiring young writers can draw inspiration from their stories.

Also as we honour our Mothers in the month of May, we pore through the stories of two outstanding young writers, Bryan Lim and Yogesh Tulsi, who grew up from single-parent families. From their stories, we understand the gentle and quiet strength of a Mother and how their tenacity nurture two brilliant and fiercely independent young individuals. They are our judges for the Young Author Awards too!

Don’t forget to indulge in three amazing stories that promise to bring you to a place where magic resides – Ian Choo’s Death and Life; Yap Li Yin’s China Doll; and Jocelyn Ng’s Romeo, Juliet & Fido.

In Death and Life, Ian prods through deeper meanings of war, the value of a friendship and the price for peace. China Doll promises thrill as Li Yin explores notions of family relationships through a very creative and heart pounding expository about ghosts and Chinese history. Romeo, Juliet & Fido will most definitely waltz you through the vast expanse of your imagination.

Happy reading!

Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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Table of Contents

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Table of Contents 2

From the publisher

4 Meet the Judges of the Young Author Awards

Selected painstakingly out of the many, 15 selected former Young Authors

will judge at the Young Author Awards. Find out how they are doing now.

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Taking a leap of faith

YRC talks to YAA judge and former Young Author Bryan Lim and mum, Ms Tan Mei Mei about growing up in a single-parent household and how taking a leap of Faith often produces more good than bad.

11 Yogesh Tulsi – the boy who never gave up

Yogesh Tulsi is no typical Singaporean boy. Growing up in a single-parent family, Yogesh was often left alone in the company of his books, stories and characters. YRC chats with this mature young writer about find the Young Author Scheme and how writing has, above all things, been a healing tool for him.

14 Coffee Talk with Jocelyn Ng

YRC talks to YAA judge and former Young Author Jocelyn Ng about all things pertaining to writing and valuable advice she can offer to future and current Young Authors.

17 Romeo, Juliet & Fido by Jocelyn Ng

Tales of princesses and dragons, kingdoms and royalty are seen under a new light in this classic tale.

29 Death and Life by Ian Choo

A boy who was forced to live his grandfather and chanced upon diary entries of a soldier from World War II. Embark on a journey of war and the eventual fight for peace.

40 China Doll by Yap Li Yin

Ong Kailing is an ordinary girl who did not realise that a trip to China

was going to change her life forever‌ how did the trip change her life?

Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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Judges Profile I

t is the 8th year of the Young Author Awards and this year, we are honoured to have 15 talented young writers to join us as our panel judges. Our judges were once part of the Young Author Scheme and have written and published their very own short stories through the program. Today, all of them have ventured far, moving onto writing for school publications and taking part in various writing competitions. They have been an inspiration to our current and future young authors. Read on to find out how our highly passionate young judges are doing today!

ANGELICA CHONG

Angelica was part of the Young Author Scheme 8 years ago. Since then, She continues to pursue her love for creating and consuming fiction.

In 2011, her short story was published in Ceriph, a Singaporean literary journal.

Angelica also won the Bronze award in the Commonwealth Essay Competition in the same year. During her time in Junior College, she studied the Humanities, which comprise of literature and the arts. She is also part of the Raffles Press, the school’s student publication. In 2014, she was part of the organising committee for RI’s Literature Week, which involves putting together student performances and workshops conducted by eminent Singaporean writers like Alvin Pang and Daren Shiau. This coming fall, Angelica will be attending New York University as a media studies freshman.

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BRYAN JOEL LIM

Ten years since publishing his first novel as a nine-yearold under the Young Author Scheme, Bryan has written articles for online music publications Spin or Bin Music and OtherSounds. He has freelanced as a copywriter for several local start-ups, as well as contributed essays for the Young Reader Club magazine. If anything, his previous internships at Mediacorp and the Prime Minister’s Office also entailed much writing, be it composing English football news-bites or postulating future economic scenarios for Singapore.

A Catholic Junior College alumni, Bryan is currently serving his National Service, and plans to further his studies at a university.

Otherwise, he spends his free time reading books.

CHU KHE HAN

Khe Han participated in the Young Author Scheme in 2007 when he was in Primary An avid reader, Khe Han is a fan of thriller and investigator series.

When Khe Han was in pre-school, he would create his own storybooks by writing pages of stories and drawing the characters and scenes on slips of paper. His passion to read has spur Khe Han to pursue Law in the University, which he will do in two years.

DYLAN RANDALL WONG

Dylan has been writing stories and poetry of all genres since he was in Secondary 1. He has participated in several Science Chronicles (science fiction) completions and was placed in third place for one. In 2011, Dylan cowrote a short story, the Muffin Man with his friend Jonathan for the YAA competition.

The story won them a Merit Prize for their efforts. Dylan continues to write odd stories and bust out poetic rhymes in his spare time.

HOR WERN THING

Currently a student at Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Wern Thing holds a passion for both reading and writing. In her spare time, she is an active sports player and an avid reader. Wern Thing continues to dabble in creative writing and intends to continue honing her writing skills.

IAN CHOO

Ian Choo was in Primary 3 when he first attended the Young Author Scheme.

He wrote and published a short story entitled Death and Life. Now in Junior College, Ian continues to hone his writing skills through various writing competitions such as the Commonwealth Short Story Competition in 2010. In addition, Ian was a columnist for the Bleach Report, an online website featuring sports content and real-time event coverage.

He continues to fuel his enthusiasm for creative writing by joining a panel of writers and editors in the school magazine.

JEZREEL CASTRO

Jezreel is currently pursuing Diploma of Mass Communication in Ngee Ann Polytechnic. She loves the creative side of things, be it performing or visual arts. Reading and writing has been Jezreel’s passport to the world. After the Young Author Scheme, Jezreel has since helped out at the Young Author Club library sessions and has also contributed articles to the Young Reader Club magazine.

SHARON SKARIAH

Born in India, Sharon is currently residing in the lion city. She is a third year banking and finance student with a love for art, poetry and public speaking. Sharon hopes to experience the world both creatively and intellectually. She is a strong believer in experiencing life through words, story-telling, slam poetry, Bollywood films, and hopefully, genuine people. She believes kindness can teach us lessons, if we allow it.

Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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Taking a

Leap of Faith

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Taking a Leap of Faith. Bryan Lim, 20 Years old.

It was a leap of faith that gave Bryan the right wings to fly. After the passing of her late husband, Ms Tan Mei Mei was thrown the baton of having to raise Bryan and his younger brother single-handedly. However, the rigid education system had both mother and son tearing at each other as Ms Tan strives to ensure Bryan’s academic’s success through the conventional way – tuition and assessment books.

Unable to conform to traditional rigor for learning, Ms Tan had no choice but to let go. She signed then 10 years old Bryan for the Young Author’s Scheme which has opened Bryan’s world to the melodious nuances of words and into the imaginative world of storytelling. Then and under the influence of Captain Underpants and Southpak, Bryan wrote Charles Wonderboy.

Today, Bryan is 20 years old. A National Serviceman who has grown into an outstanding young man whose intellectual maturity far surpasses his peers. His mother, Ms Tan has recently decided to leave the corporate world and is working as a freelancer at a headhunting firm. Both mother and son are at the crossroads of their lives; Ms Tan is searching for clarity and passion in her work while Bryan has to decide on University courses.

YRC sat down with Ms Tan and Bryan as we chatted about trying difficulties of two disparate yet binding journeys between a mother and a son.

Q: I hear that you are both writing, can you tell me more?

Bryan: Well, since the Youth Author’s Scheme and after writing Charles Wonderboy, I have experimented with various writing which ranges from writing articles for online music publications such as Spin or Bin Music and OtherSounds to composing English football news bite for MediaCorp. But YAS has been special for me, mainly because it was the first time my story was published into a book context.

Right now, I am writing a story about Singapore and the Army. Since I am serving National Service now, I would like to explore the possibility of war in Singapore, focusing on the emotions of national servicemen knowing that they are going to war.

Mei Mei: I have started a blog, (www. goingitalone618.blogspot.sg) “Going it

alone, for young widows… from a once young widow”. This blog aims to help young widows (young single mothers) cope with the grief of losing their spouses and serves as a pillar of support and community for young mothers.

The journey of starting a blogging and getting down to writing has been quite challenging for me! In actual fact, I have been putting this project off for years, partly due to my hectic work and the frequent travelling. Even after starting the blog, writing has been a new thing for me and I needed to find the right words to express my thoughts and ideas. However, I am thankful for Bryan who has helped me with the editing!

Q: Can you tell us more about your writing journey?

Bryan: I know that I have matured Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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Yogesh Tulsi, the boy who never gave up

Yogesh Tulsi “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.

Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

– Roald Dahl

For Yogesh Tulsi, growing up in a single-parent household meant spending most of his time with his beloved books, stories and characters at a childcare centre. His quiet but fiercely independent demure is emulated in the things that Yogesh has set out to do.

From applying to the Young Author Scheme to co-founding a children’s education programme, KidsAccomplish!

As a kid, Yogesh has been a very imaginative boy. He would conjure characters and commanded words to them allowing these characters to come alive on the written page.

At 20 years old and currently serving the National Service, Yogesh has Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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Coffee Talk

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with Jocelyn Ng

Coffee talk with Jocelyn Ng former Young Author and judge of 2015 Young Author Awards It has been years since Jocelyn participated in the Young Author Scheme.

An avid fan of Harry Potter, she reminisces how she was greatly inspired by the writings of J.K. Rowling and how the Young Author Scheme has given her the opportunity to explore her grandest imaginations and embrace her love for writing.

While geography, crafting and baking have been Jocelyn’s favourite pastime hobbies, travelling has remained top of the list for the adventurous explorer. She admits that travel has widened her horizons, opening her mind to a repository of histories, cultures and people. It has the best learning playground for Jocelyn’s writing.

Jocelyn is one of the judges for 2015 Young Author Awards where she will review the writings of current young authors. YRC recently checked in with bubbly Jocelyn and ask how she is doing now.

Q: Hello Jocelyn! How are you?

Can you tell us what are you doing now?

Jocelyn: Hello! I am doing great! I have just graduated from University and am currently searching for a job.

Q: Are you still writing?

Jocelyn: Yes! I most definitely am.

I am still writing but it is mostly for recreation.

Q: What does writing mean to you?

Jocelyn: My need to write stems from a need to release my imagination and to realise my wildest dreams. I love people-watching and making observations of the world.

Writing has given me the opportunity

to use these observations to create a palette of characters with colourful personalities.

Q: What inspires you and how has the Young Author Scheme helped you in your writing inspirations?

Jocelyn: I draw my inspirations from the many interactions I have with people – family, friends and even strangers whom I have met in my travels. For me, the dynamics of human behaviour is very interesting to study and to observe.

The Young Author Scheme gave me the initial impetus to embrace my love for writing and the training I received during the programme has provided me with a strong foundation of penmanship.

Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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Magic & Fantasy

Romeo Feature Story

Juliet & Fido

By Jocelyn Ng

Illustrations by Adeline Lim

Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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Death a nd Life

Feature Story

By Ian Choo

Heartwarmers Illustrations by Adeline Lim

Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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Ghosts & Ghouls

By Yap Li Yin

Illustrations by Adeline Lim

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Do you love to read and write? Do you want to learn more? Sign up today for our unique workshops!

Aspiring Writers & Illustrators Scheme (AWIS) Draw and write? Yes! In this programme, your child will discover the creative writer in him.

This is an intensive introduction to composition writing. Aspiring writers will also learn the art of illustrating from a professional artist.

Pri 1 to Pri 2

Young Author Scheme (YAS) Children have a wealth of emotions. How do you draw them out? The first of its kind in Singapore, YAS trains aspiring young authors and nurtures their writing skills. Learn from veteran author Catherine Khoo!

Pri 3 to Pri 6

Young Author Scheme Advanced (AYAS) This programme is NAC endorsed and is entitled to a 50% subsidy. Young Authors craft a story of 10,000 words or more while exploring indepth characterisation, story structure and tools to grip readers right to the last page of their story!

Sec 1 to Sec 3

Reading into Writing This is a unique combination of three bestselling programmes to help students understand and grasp the nuances of English. The Reading Detective is an exciting new approach for students to read and comprehend stories and reports, predict word meanings, link ideas, and learn to question what they have read.

Pri 3 to Pri 5

For workshop schedules and other information, please contact Janus Education at: T: 63368985 E: books@catherinekhoo.sg 261 Waterloo Centre #03-08 Waterloo Street, Singapore 180261 Young Reader Club / Issue 30

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