Connecting Stories
The National Literacy Trust is a registered charity no. 1116260 and a company limited by guarantee no. 5836486 registered in England and Wales and a registered charity in Scotland no. SC042944. Registered address: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL Supported by Arts Council England Cover illustration © Jennifer Naalchigar, 2021 Zine illustrations on activity pages © Kristyna Baczynski, 2021 Design and content © National Literacy Trust, 2021 Design by Jacob Hawkins All enquiries around this anthology should be directed to: contact@literacytrust.org.uk
Connecting Stories Nottingham: Friends, Families and Relationships
The National Literacy Trust is a charity dedicated to improving the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills of those who need it most, giving them the best possible chance of success in school, work and life. We support communities, schools and early years settings and campaign to make literacy a priority. The Connecting Stories campaign is a project funded by Arts Council England to increase children and young people’s interest in reading and writing and to promote diverse voices and stories. Connecting Stories provides a programme of exciting events, such as virtual author visits, creative writing competitions, and activities for families to enjoy.
With thanks... We would like to thank Arts Council England for funding and supporting the Connecting Stories project. We would also like to thank Hachette UK and Usborne and L.D. Lapinski and Darren Simpson, who generously supported this anthology, and extend warm thanks to the numerous community champions and corporate volunteers who have kindly donated their time to help bring this anthology together: Atlantic Books
Hannah Fogg
Cambridge University Press
Charlotte Kim
Emerald Publishing
James Kingett
Faber & Faber
Jenna Lee
Pearson
Michael Leyland
Saffron Alexander
Marykate McGrath
Sally Atkinson
Jan Papworth
Gaganpreet Kaur Basra
Allison Potter
Sheena Carman
Tahera Sultana
Dawn Claypole
Emile Tambeh
Rhona Drever
Felicia Tennant
Margaret Duff And finally, thank you to all of the children who took part. It is their stories that make this anthology so special.
A word from our author, Darren Simpson It’s been a joy and privilege to read Connecting Stories entries from Nottingham. I have no doubt that this anthology’s authors enjoyed conjuring up stories and getting them onto paper. Writing is an incredibly rewarding process that allows us to explore the world and our place within it. It’s cathartic and empowering, and helps young people to see their creative potential, which is no small thing. It’s heartwarming to see such brilliant writing coming from my hometown. The idea for my first novel, Scavengers, came to me in Nottinghamshire. I saw a mob of cats fighting over a sandwich at Calverton Recycling Centre, and wondered what it would be like if a human lived with animals in the rubbish. This tiny ‘what-if’ led to my first published book, which goes to show what a moment’s inspiration can lead to – not just for me, but for all the children published in this collection. Imagine what the future holds for these budding authors! Writing opens so many doors for young people, both in their minds and in the real world. The same goes for reading, and we should never underestimate the importance of books and the good they do. Books have been proven to aid mental health and nurture empathy, and the writers within these pages should feel proud that their stories will do the same. Darren Simpson
A word from our author, LD Lapinski I am delighted to have had the pleasure of reading the entries for this anthology from across Nottinghamshire. All of the entries included in this anthology have captured the spirit of the themes in such imaginative and original ways. Whilst reading through them I have laughed, been scared, and even had to double-check for giant creepycrawlies under the bed! Anthologies have not always traditionally included the voices of children. Yet the creativity and skill of the young people whose work is captured within these pages has been so awe-inspiring and utterly inspirational. The stories in this collection are teaming with the most inventive ideas and the most relevant experiences! The NLT and myself have been so privileged to be able to read so many wonderful efforts, and, after much deliberation, we have collected what we think are the best young voices from across Nottinghamshire in these pages. Creative arts are what makes us human. Writing, reading, drawing, and storytelling are all good for the soul. Giving young people the time and space to create should be an essential part of adults’ responsibility towards children, because creating and consuming art in all forms – whether it’s in novels, on walls, in comics, or online – breeds empathy, kindness and a space to explore feeling and emotions. Art provides an escape, as anyone who has binge-watched a TV show during Lockdown will tell you.
I often say that my books could not exist without other people’s writing having come first. Much as my characters disappear into other worlds using magical suitcases, I have been disappearing into other worlds via books for my whole life. I’ve gone on adventures with Lyra Silvertongue, with Alice to Wonderland, and into books within books from Pages & Co. There might not be a real Strangeworlds Travel Agency, but stories of all kind can send readers and writers around the universe. We are all creators. Every one of us has the power and the ability to imagine, and to make anew. Every person who contributed to this anthology, or is reading this right now, has so much creative potential. Sharing our imaginings, and exploring the worlds of others, can be an escape in more ways than one. The writing here in this anthology is a wonderful collection of both words and worlds that may yet become the stepping-stone for someone else’s creativity. I wish you as much joy reading this anthology as I had selecting the entries and above all that they inspire you to keep reading and writing. Happy reading, and happy travels, LD
A word from our Hub Manager, Charlotte Malik It has been fantastic to read the wonderful creative writing entries from children and young people in Nottingham This anthology has provided a chance for local voices to be heard and is a testament to the creativity of children and young people here. There are many benefits to creative writing that help children develop their imagination and creativity. It provides an opportunity for self-expression, leads to development of language and communication skills and improves their ability to come up with alternatives. These are all valuable skills to learn and use to progress successfully through school and into the world of work. In addition, during the past year, it has been acknowledged that the creative process, whether applied through writing, reading for pleasure or other art forms, aids us in coping and understanding our experiences, enhancing our feelings of wellbeing. I hope you enjoy reading about the friends, family and other people who are important to some of the young people in Nottingham, which was a task set by local author, Darren Simpson, as well as the stories where local young people take you on a journey to a fantasy world and describe their challenges along the way, as suggested by author, L. D. Lapinski. I wish you as much pleasure reading this anthology as I had in helping to collate it and above all, I hope it convinces you of how important it is to read the stories of others, and to tell your own story. With best wishes, Charlotte Malik, Read On Nottingham
Contents Winning entry: 02 Noah E, 10
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2nd place: 05 Isabella A, 8
All entries 06 Darina D, 7
16 Leah S, 11
21 Amelia M, 10
07 Arisa R, 7
17 Bobby Scott C, 8
22 Lucan P, 7
08 Lacey H, 7
17 Isabelle S, 7
23 Alyssa M, 8
10 Erin M, 10
19 Tristan V, 7
24 Oskar S
12 Lily T, 10
20 Taylor W, 8
14 Natalie W, 7
21 Josh T, 7
28 Participating schools
Winning entry: Noah E, 10 My name is Noah E, I’m ten years old, I live in Nottingham and I really enjoy it as it’s not too rural or townie. I live with my mum, dad and my younger sister. During my spare time I love to play video games with my sister, ride my bike with my Dad, go to the park and help my mum around the house, especially in the kitchen because I love food and I’m interested in how the different meals are prepared. My favourite subjects at school are religious education and history, particularly Black history. I find it interesting as it teaches about different beliefs and how it helps me understand the different things and situations in life. I also enjoy science because it allows me to figure out things and how they have come to be. I don’t have a lot of friends but the ones I have are very nice. Most of my friends are at school and are in my age group. My closest friend, let’s call him Fred, is very understanding and patient so if and when we do anything that is not right, he forgives me, and I forgive him. I love talking to him about what I do at home, in and around
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the house, such as the food we eat, and how we celebrate our different cultures. My extended family is huge and full of a wide variety of personalities. On my dad’s side I have two aunties and an uncle, but they live far away, but during normal times we exchange visits. My eldest aunty has two teenage sons and when we meet, we play loads of video games and go to the park. Mum’s side the family is large. I have five uncles and seventeen cousins mixed with girls and boys, also both my maternal and paternal grandparents are still alive and are all of Jamaican origin. This is fun because I get to have even more knowledge about my culture and history. It›s nice to have the mix and to learn about how life was in Jamaica when they were children. In my grandparents’ care I feel loved, and they make nice Caribbean food, not to mention extra money for my birthday and Christmas. I love when they talk in Patois, it’s so funny. Patois is the Jamaican cultural language. For example, they might say “what a gwan, Man?” which means how are you?
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During the lockdowns I have realised how much I care about my friends and family members near and far. My greatgrandparents, grand uncles and aunts and even my second cousins who are mainly living in America and Jamaica. My feelings about family and friends have changed because I have learned that when you don’t have something or someone you miss it or them more and eventually you understand that these are the people or this is what you value the most in your life.
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Second place entry: Isabella A, 8
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The Gigantic Tarantula we saw that day One day, we were having a little walk in the gloomy forest. After a while, we saw a gigantic tarantula eating three humans at once! After a while, we saw our mum, we had to do something QUICK! Suddenly Beth thought of a brilliant idea. She whispered into our ears saying: “We could use the power of teamwork by holding hands and thinking about each other.” We ran to where the spider was and used The Power of Teamwork. When they all went home, our mum said: “I bought you a pet tarantula!” A few minutes later they heard a strange voice saying: “I will get revenge soon...” They followed the voice and saw that it was coming from the tarantula which was wriggling rapidly non-stop.
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Darina D, 7 Imaginary world Once upon a time there lived three lovely girls. One was called Arisa, the other was called Isabelle, and the third was called Darina. They were very kind girls who love to play games and go to the beach and have fun. One day the three girls decided to go to the beach and make some sandcastles. When they got there they started to unpack their things and started making castles. Suddenly Isabelle touched the bucket and she vanished. She went into an incredible place. There were lots of flowers, birds, butterflies and ants. There were also spiders as creepy as a dinosaur and as big as an elephant. In the real world Darina and Arisa finally realised that Isabelle was gone. They started looking for her and saw the bucket. When they touched the bucket they felt transported to Isabelle. The three girls were very excited to see each other again. With a team effort the three girls managed to get back to the beach
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as they held hands together and touch the bucket at the same time. Isabelle told Darina and Arisa what she saw and they hid the bucket under the bed as that was their secret.
Arisa R, 7 A little girl and her family Once upon a time there lived a little girl and her family. The little girl‘s name was Arisa and she had a mum, a dad, a brother, a sister and a dog called Maisie. They lived in a beautiful big house with a big garden. The little girl loved to play outside, she even had her own pink and blue caravan that her grandad turned into a playhouse for her. Arisa and her family love to go on family holidays, especially in summer. Arisa enjoys going to school. She really loves going to school and she had lots of friends. Arisa was a happy fun girl who loved her family and friends.
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Lacey H, 7 The powers One starry night Neave and her friends had a party. Neave wore a rainbow hat to match her clothes. Half an hour later her hat started beeping. “What’s that noise?” said Neave’s friends. “My hat! There has been a robbery!” said Neave. “Calm down,” said Neave’s friends. “Calm down? No! Goodbye!” Neave runs outside in shock. “Oh my God, you are the robber!” He ran and Neave tried to use her speed. It ran out. Then she used her flying but that ran out too. She used all of her powers until her powers ran out. She goes to Shaun’s lab to get her powers back. “Can I play with Dolce the dog?” “Of course.” Meanwhile, “the potion is done,” said Shaun the wizard. So Neave drank the potion. What do I do now? Wait...
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POW! My powers are back! “Woof!” said Dolce. “Thank you, Shaun,” said Neave. “No worries, bye,” said Shaun. The robber got sent to jail. And everybody was happy and had a party.
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Erin M, 10 It was just another Monday, or so I thought. I woke up and had breakfast just like usual. I brushed my teeth and in my bedroom was my school uniform hanging up on my door. I didn’t know why it was there at first then I remembered it was our first day back at school. I quickly texted Leah and she remembered too. I can’t wait! I got to school ten minutes early so I could talk to my friends, especially Leah, in person. That was so strange actually seeing friends face to face, it’s been so long! When we all went into class our trays were on the tables as usual. After we put our bags and coats on the pegs and washed our hands we found our seats and guess what – I was sitting next to Leah! Today going to be an awesome day. It was so much fun interacting with my class friends again rather than just being behind a screen, I’ve really missed school. At break me, Leah and Maddison sat down and talked all about the
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things we did in lockdown. We did the same at lunch as well, we had so much to catch up on. Chatting on the phone just wasn’t the same as really talking to your friends in person. When school finished I went home. The day went so quick! Then at home Miley texted, my best friend from dance, saying do you want to call? So we did until five minutes before dance. We had to do it on zoom again, I›m so excited when I get to go to dance again in person. It’s just not the same at home as it is in the Dance Studio. We got some great news at dance, our Dance Festivals will be starting again in the summer and our school showcase will be at the end of the year so we have something to look forward to. After dinner Leah texted saying ‘see you tomorrow’. I turned my lights down a bit and went to sleep. One thing is back to normal only a couple more weeks until dance is.
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Lily T, 10 My family I am going to write about this lockdown and how me and my family have gotten through it together and helped each other out. Last year back in March we had to all be locked down because of Covid-19. I didn’t really understand what it was or why it was happening. It was a horrible time we all had to stay in and we were getting in each other’s way. Me and my brother and sister were arguing a lot and, even though Mum didn’t show it, we knew it got to her. Mum had lots on with trying to home school us has well has clean the house and do other jobs. At first we thought it was great – no school! – we did lots in the garden, planting vegetables and flowers, we got a puppy as well as helping Mum in the house. I learnt to cook certain things. I didn›t want to do my school work but my mum sat with us all and did it with us. Before all this I didn›t realise how much Mum did has we were always at school. My mum is like Wonder Woman. She is the best!
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Then it was time to go back to school. I was scared and anxious, I didn’t know what to expect. I was emotional but I was brave and went back and got on with it. Mum had problems with my sister, she was really scared and cried every morning. She just started to settle and we got locked down again. This time was a bit easier has we knew what to expected and the class dojo is a better way to do our school work and hand it straight in so we don’t lose it. I’m really looking forward to going back to school has even though Mum has done her best. She can’t explain things like a teacher can and it gets frustrating. I just really hope this is the end to Covid-19. It has ruined so many lives and was really scary when my nan had it. My nan was lucky to have gotten through it and is better now, but it’s still not nice and the sooner it’s gone the better. We can all get back to normal and be happy.
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Natalie W, 7 The amazing magical Natalie and Magda save the day One sunny day Natalie and Magda went on a walk with Fluffy around the beautiful town but then suddenly Fluffy was gone we couldn’t find her anywhere. When we continue to walk we had heard a loud meow! So then we walked across our house then we stopped and they saw fluffy so Magda flew to the chimney and she jumped in to unlock the door. Later Natalie went in and she saw a big cage with a very loud bang Natalie opened the cage with her laser eyes. They got Fluffy back and quickly ran home. Later that day we had a super big party! We invited all of our friends and their pets. Some of them were bunnies, puppies, hamsters and kittens. Then they all lived happily ever after.
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Leah S, 11 One day, when my brother was born, on the 5th June 2015, I was really excited that I was going to be big sister. Later that day my brother came home and I was filled with joy! I was so happy to have him home but later that night the crying started so I went to his room to check on him only to discover that he had red beams coming out of his eyes and he could talk! In the morning I went downstairs for breakfast and my dad was running around superfast and I saw my mum flying around and my brother was using his laser beam eyes. I was shocked, I couldn’t believe what I saw. MY FAMILY HAD SUPERPOWERS! My family went on a mission to get the really powerful gadget. I asked if I could go with them and they said yes. In the mission I stayed hidden so that I wouldn’t be seen. They got the gadget and I was safe. I came back in the house with a tingle. I did have powers...
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Bobby Scott C, 8 Bobby Saves the Day One sunny day me, Mum and Dad went on a road trip to the woods suddenly! A blood-thirsty tarantula took my mum and dad. So I looked and looked then I found them and they said “UP!” and then it pounced on me. So I thunder bolted it 10,000,000,000,000,000 times and it ran away. So we had a big party!
Isabelle S, 7 Nation Hardship I’ve had a busy exciting week. I have been at school, met friends, and had a picnic. I’ve also been out to a restaurant for a family meal. I hear on the news on the TV in the background that Covid-19 is spreading very fast and we are struggling to control it and
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people are becoming very poorly from it and dying. Then one evening the Prime Minister made an announcement on TV saying the national restrictions are on due to the nasty virus being out of control. This is going to hard. Schools closed, cannot mix with people outside our household, non-essential shops closed. The NHS are doing an amazing job looking after sick and poorly people. I have drawn a rainbow in support of the NHS like everyone else is doing. I am missing friends, family, and school. After many weeks in lockdown infection numbers and deaths are starting to fall. The Prime Minister is going to start lifting restrictions very carefully. Schools will hopefully be opening and we can see family again. Lockdowns been hard for people they have felt very restricted some have been sad and bored. Once lockdown is lifted I think people will be grateful and appreciate they have access to.
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Tristan V, 7 The lost alien I was playing with a ball at my grandad’s house and the ball was red. Then I found a yellow ball and I threw it and it turned into an alien. The alien asked for a bucket of water so I got him one and the alien was small and green. Then the alien asks “help me get home” and the alien said “I can fly but I need help to get started” and my grandad had an idea and gets a catapult. Then we go outside and we catapult the alien! Into a tree – oops. Then we try again and he goes into the sky and flies off Then me and Grandad go inside and have some cake.
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Taylor W, 8 One day at school It’s break time and Bobby finds a big ladder and Bobby is on the roof and Bobby shouts “help” as the ladder falls. Miss Brockie flies up and saves Bobby and they were happy. Then Logan gets stuck and strong Miss Brockie flies up again and saves Logan. Then they went back inside.
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Josh T, 7 We are Mummy, Daddy, Josh, Kyle and we are superheroes. Josh’s name is spiderman. Kyle’s name is Hammerbro. Daddy’s name is Green Lantern and Mummy’s name is TNT girl. I webbed the bad guy to the wall and kicked him in the face. Hammerbro smacked him with a hammer. Then he fell to the floor. Green Lantern cleared the area and TNT girl climbed the wall and tied the baddy up and the baddy was never to be seen ever again. The End.
Amelia M, 10 The beast of the future It was just a normal day for young Olivia but that was about to change, Olivia heard a bang coming from downstairs in her kitchen. She was home alone so it couldn’t be her family. She sprinted downstairs to see what the terrible sound was and what she found will shock you...
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It was a ferocious beast roaming around the kitchen. The beast told her the future of the Earth and 29 years later she found her old diary packed up in her bag. She opened it and what she read will shock you....
Lucan P, 7 Lucan vs super evil criminal One day it was a sunny day in New York. Lucan was swinging then BOOM, Lucan was knocked out of the sky! Then he saw the evilest criminals in New York surrounding a baby. Jacob and Lacie, after he saw them, he been up the criminal. Then the criminal was sent to a well-guarded prison. Luckily, when the explosion happened no one was hurt they all went to McDonald’s and had a party! The end.
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Alyssa M, 8 Once in a land far away, there was an abandoned house and someone decided to go into it. It was messy and smelled like rotten eggs. There was one certain picture and it explains the recent owners life. The person was a girl and she loved this toy called, Lala. She also loved snow but all the way back in 1899 there was a snowstorm. That’s when she died. The snow was up to her to the top of her legs. She was only six. Her grandad worked as a magician. Her mum died in 1894 and her dad died in 1863.
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Oskar S The swarm Od was a wild boy, he loved discovering new things, but it didn’t always go well. Once he was arguing with his (now best) friend, Charlie, and then they both went in different directions. Od went to his best place on Earth, the old lab. It was a rundown house with white plaster peeling off the wall. As Od was going through a rusty, metal door he didn’t know that Charlie was going through the back door at the same time. As he was climbing up the broken ladder, he saw something, it was a skull with two green, spikey centipedes nibbling on the bone. “AAHHHHHH!” The scream was petrifying, it echoed all around. It was Charlie, he’d know it from anywhere. “He’s in trouble,” Od thought. Od ran up the twisted stairs into the main room. It was full of goo, everywhere. There was a call from the roof, “Od!”. Od looked up, it was Charlie. “Sorry for being stupid” said Od.
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“Shut up, you’ll wake it!” hissed Charlie. “Wake what?” hissed Od back. “The beast!” hissed Charlie back lowering his voice just a bit more. Od swallowed his fear. “Well, let’s get you down then” whispered Od. Od found an old, metal pole and started hacking away the thick, sticky goo on Charlie. When Charlie was free, they stood there staring at the room. “So what exactly is this beast?” whispered Od. “I don’t know, I just felt some pincers bite me and then I woke up on the roof, and when I say pincers, I mean giant pincers, about 1m long!” whispered Charlie with a bit of fear crawling into his voice. A centipede crawled by his feet. Suddenly there were shuffles in the shadows and cracks and then the beast crawled out of a pile of goo. It was at least 10m long with brown, slimy pincers and a diamond-hard, green shell with spikes sticking out of the shell, “It’s a massive centipede,” Od managed to croak.
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“That explains why there are so many centipedes,” said Charlie swallowing his scream. “Yeah, I guess,” said Od. They started walking backwards and keeping their eyes on the beast and its children. They slowly turned around and then ran. They ran and jumped through the twisted corridors as the swarm of centipedes and their mother nearly got them at some points while they stampeded through the corridors. They got to a door and went inside and locked it. A hole was in the wall and gas pipes surrounded the other walls. This gave Od an idea. “Charlie, what if we break the gas pipe and blow up the beast?” Excitement creeped into his voice. “The beast and its children” Charlie corrected. Od picked up a sharp rock and stabbed one of the pipes and then they jumped through the hole. BOOM, the lab blew up, sending rocks flying. They survived. This shows that we need friends to help each other when needed.
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With thanks to the following schools, whose pupils’ wonderful work is included in this anthology:
Ambleside Primary School The Glapton Academy Sneinton St Stephen’s CofE Primary School Seely Primary School
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