Winners Non-Fiction Ages 5-16
Elizabeth, Age 14 – “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Socrates
Priscilla, Age 5 – “Moving Up”
WINNER: Best Non-Fiction age 10 to 16: Elizabeth, Age 14 “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Socrates As winter fades, I push my way through the moist peaty soil, breathing in the cool morning air that fills me with carbon dioxide and happiness. It is the day of my birth when at last I will see the land that I have only dreamed about waiting for spring to arrive. For the past few months, I have gathered up the energy I needed to escape my seed prison. Now, the golden sun dazzles my cells that have so far only experienced the dark dampness of an underground world. Small beings of joy skip and giggle as they play together amongst the colours and scents of the busy city oasis. The song thrush sings to me as we welcome the day. This is my time. I feel surrounded by the velvet of my petals cushioning me from the harsh realities of my new existence. Their vivid colours make me feel proud and confident as they tell all around that I have arrived. I am jealous of the children who can move around so easily on their legs. They have the opportunity to see the world, to have adventures, to explore. I will live and die here – although my offspring may travel to places I will never know. I envy the bees with their stripy jackets and buzzy music. They steal my pollen, but without them I would have no future. They are my life givers. All too soon, the sundial’s days shorten. Shadows lengthen and autumn is arriving. The sounds of the children playing in my park lessen and are replaced by the flutter of bronzed leaves swirling as they fall towards the diamond frosted ground. My time here draws to an end as my colours start to fade and my petals wrinkle and droop. I dream of my strength in the spring when life was ahead of me and the waters fed and strengthened me. Now the rain mixes with my tears. But they are tears of hope for the future as much as mourning my inevitable demise. Time is an unstoppable force. I am born, I live a little while, I die. But nature replenishes itself each year and each generation. The bees of summer will take my pollen and a new seed will grow. Winter will come and go, the days will grow longer, the snowfall will melt and the park will come to life again. The song thrush will return and sing once more and children will resume their games. When the warm winds of spring blow again, all these sights, sounds and smells will be my offspring’s to enjoy. I will never see this place again but my life cycle continues through the work of the bees of those past golden days. In its dark underground cocoon, the seed waits for the warmth of spring; ready to build the new. Elizabeth, Age 14, Stephen Perse Foundation
WINNER: Best Non-Fiction age 5 to 9: Priscilla, Age 5 “Moving Up” In reception, it was great! I am sad because I am going to Year 1. Miss Chapman will be my teacher in Year 1. After we have done our work, we can play! I am moving up. Priscilla, Age 5, St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School
Winners Fiction Ages 5-16
Sam, Age 12 – The Mirror
Charlee, Age 6 – Charlee Has Enough
WINNER: Best Fiction age 10 to 16: Sam L, Age 12 The Mirror We drove up the gravel pathway and round to the old, run-down mansion. The ivy crawled up the sides of the building and the wind rushed through the cracks in the windows. A strange feeling made me feel like I’d been there before. As I walked closer to the building, a whispering started in the back of my head. Soon I was at the door and the words were loud, but not clear. I placed my hand around the brass handle and turned. Pushing it open, a wave of fear washed over me. Lying on the floor was a blood-stained newspaper; the date was 1942. I turned around to call for my parents - but they were gone… I picked up the creased newspaper and studied it. On the front page was a picture of a boy, about my age, and big, black, writing above it. The text was smudged and blurred which made it illegible. Cobwebs clung on to the dark corners of the ceiling- as if trying to escape from the light. Dust floated around, looking like fairies, and the paint peeled off almost every room. I climbed the spiral staircase, with creaks under every footing. As I reached the top, a fine mist settled across the floor. A thin, long, corridor lay ahead of me. Treading carefully, the mist grew denser as I neared the end. Suddenly, the fog started fading from sight and that’s when I found it… A mirror, about six foot tall, stood in front of me. Although it was the other side of the room, the reflection seemed miles away. I walked closer, closer to the surface but the skeletal figure opposite didn’t. His eyes stared ahead- blankly, and the stripy pyjamas were torn and ripped. The boy’s face was pale and cut; his feet battered and blistered. The child was the boy from the newspaper… I tapped gently on the dusty image and called hello, but the boy didn’t flinch. Again and again I did this, but nothing seemed to work. Smashing my fists with anger, a small, thin, crack trailed its way down the middle of the mirror. “That’s it… you’ve gone too far,” the boy croaked. The figure started drifting out of the crack, as if made of air. He rushed into my body filling it with coldness, then everything went blank. Eyes opening with a start, I muttered to myself, “Where am I?” My body was stiff and achy. I looked down at my frail figure and saw that my clothes had been replaced with the boy’s stripy pyjamas. My feet were bare, rough and injured. Opposite me stood my original form. He whispered something then proceeded to the exit. The creaky door closed behind him, leaving me with the broken floorboards, collapsing ceiling and peeling paint. Years have passed, with only spiders to accompany me, but now the time is here. Someone is advancing up the stairs, patrolling down the corridor and entering my room. Goodbye mirror, hello world… Sam L, Age 12, The Greneway Middle School
WINNER: Best Fiction age 5 to 9: Charlee, Age 6 Charlee Has Enough Lucretia the Wicked witch lived on the edge of the kingdom of Roystonia and would always be up to something to cause the people of the kingdom to be sad. Charlee was a little girl who lived in the kingdom and one day at school, she had had enough of Lucretia’s wicked ways and at playtime spoke with her friends, “we need to do something about Lucretia, the adults are all sad and don’t want to have fun anymore, we need to stop her once and for all” she said. “But what are we supposed to do?” said one of her friends. Charlee thought for a moment “We need to change her, so she isn’t bad anymore” “How do we do that?” asked another friend Charlee had been thinking about this for some time and had recently visited the ancient library inside Roystonia cave. There, she found a book on the history of the kingdom. She noticed a page on Lucretia but in this book she was good and had even helped create the kingdom, but then she became wicked. “Lucretia used to be good before she became wicked – we need to find out why that was so we can help change her back” Said Charlee Charlee took the book from the cave out from her school bag. “This book says that, after the kingdom was built the people forgot about Lucretia because she lived on the edge and they didn’t visit her anymore. She was very lonely and this is what made her wicked as she was angry for being left on her own. We need a plan to make Lucretia feel less lonely and then she may change back to good”. A few days later Lucretia was flying over the kingdom on her broomstick throwing rotten apples onto people’s heads and then laughing out aloud. She suddenly saw children holding a big sign. It read, ‘Roystonia welcomes Lucretia, its creator’. Lucretia was confused and didn’t know what to do. She picked up a rotten apple and was about to throw it at the children when she noticed an old book on the grass. She flew down to the children. “Where did you find this book you little rascals?” She said “In the cave” Charlee replied. “It says you helped create the kingdom, is that true?” Lucretia stared at the book. “That was a long time ago. I didn’t think anyone still remembered, especially not you children”. She said. The friends looked at each other and smiled, “well we all do now and we will put the book in the town hall so everyone can read it and we would all like to come and visit you every week so you can tell us how the kingdom was created if that’s okay?” Lucretia’s eyes welled up with tears and said “Yes that would be very nice”. She then flew off on her broomstick. “Well she has already changed for the better” said Charlee “She’s left the rotten apples behind” By Charlee, Age 6, Tannery Drift First School
Competition Entries 2017 Changes by Hannah, Age 11 Dearest Caerus by Siân, Age 13 Truth From Fiction by Maddy, Age 11 The Kingdom of Zaria by Megan, Age 12 The End of Reason by George, Age 12 Explorer Timmy by Keira, Age 12 Charlie by Astrid, Age 12 Injustice by Askja, Age 12 Alex’s Unhappy Birthday by Alex, Age 6 The Adventures of Bib Bob by Diego, Age 6 The Golden Sword of Power by Isaac, Age 7 Titania’s Mission for Lily by Annabelle, Age 9 Changes by Jacob, Age 8 ‘Changes’ by Nicolette, Age 8 The Most Extraordinary Town by Sam O, Age 9 I’m a Little Seed by Gordon, Age 6 A Magic Life by Tom, Age 6 Changes by Freya, Age 9
Changes – by Hannah, Age 11 One day I was woken up early by a knock on the door. Several people wearing suits came into my house and explained that due to a general lack of trust in politicians from the main parties it was decided that rather than members of parliament choosing their own leader a president would be selected at random. To prevent any possible corruption this process was kept top secret, but the ballot had been drawn and I was officially the first ever President of the United Kingdom. They handed me a briefcase, explained that a car was waiting outside to take me to London and they looked at me expectantly. That was the start of it. “I don’t have any interest in people who wake me at five in the morning even if they’re offering free holidays.” They told me it was true, they showed me papers and finally I believed them. I packed my bag and put a note on the hall table and left. First we visited the queen. She was very nice, at first. “One must rely on oneself if one is to make a great ruler,” she told me while carrying over a mint tea for herself and a luxury hot chocolate for me. “And...” she whispered sinisterly, “One must not trust men in black suits and sunglasses, they’re not all as nice as Daniel Craig, he helped one jump out of a helicopter back in 2012, I recall.” She chatted on about all the famous people she’d met, for about half an hour. Slurping down her dregs she got up from the table and glided over to a shelf of flower pressing books. “One must have secret hidey-holes and this, is mine.” Then she pulled “Wildflowers and Hedgerows” off the bookshelf to reveal a combination lock, she tapped in a code and after the click-clack-clack-click-clack of probably two hundred locks the whole partition of wall slid away and she beckoned. “Come in…” she said The door closed behind me. Inside was like your classic spy movie office, there was a rack of disguises, boxes full of info on wanted criminals, book cases and locked cabinets lined the walls and in the middle of the room was a desk with a green velvet top. On the desk was an open file crammed with parker ink pen handwritten notes and photos of the men and women, who in precisely two hours, would drive me to the new presidential residence. “Ahh…” sighed the queen, removing her blue coat and culottes to reveal an embroidered blouse, shiny, black, polyester trousers and a smart choppy jacket, “Nice to be in my home territory, MI6 employed me back in 1947, I wasn’t yet twenty-five, or queen either come to think of it.” she gave a light laugh, “There I go yattering on again, I often get deeply immersed in my public character I’ve perfected it over the years. But look at the time ticking by, my dear. We have business to do…”
Dearest Caerus – by Siân, Age 13 Dearest Caerus, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that this letter had to find you, but it’s best that you know. I only have time for one short letter, or Guard Moreau will be in grave trouble. I chose you because I have the most to explain to you, and to apologise for. Guard Moreau is a caring man, forced into this job I presume. I think he is a family man, who does this to protect his wife and children, whom he holds very dear indeed. He seems to be a senior officer, for none here question his authority. I was always very good at reading people, for all that’s worth now. He says he will find a way of getting this to you, difficult in the middle of World War 2, but I trust him. Firstly, I will recap the events leading up to my writing this letter. The day I was being prepared to fly over to France was fine, and I could see the vast expanse of sparkling blue-green sea stretching out to the horizon. We flew that night, and landed safely. What happened next you won’t believe. I didn’t make it to my first contact. I checked my fake ID, and left. I was fine. Then I looked left and walked out into the road. It was dreadfully stupid of me - I know they drive on the right! The car almost hit me, and, as it came screeching to a halt, the angry driver jumped out. And, worst of luck, an officer was on the same street. Merciless, he took me and locked me up here. The guard who is here, Guard Moreau, is much kinder than him. He has generously, and with great thanks from me, decided to execute me as a useless prisoner. He tells me it will be painless and quick. The alternative is to let the other officers torture me, and I’m scared I might give up British secrets. This is my best option. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that I never talked to you outside of work. I’m sorry that I will only ever know you by your code name: Caerus. God of luck. It’s kind of ironic: we’re not lucky. I know the truth will be hard to hear, but this is it. I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, but a girl must never fall in love with her boss, especially not in wartime. Here’s the thing though, Caerus. I could see that you love me too. I have always been very good at reading people, after all. Of all the mistakes I’ve made, walking out into that road might have cost me my life, but not telling you this sooner has cost me the most. I’m sorry that you only ever knew me by my code name, Queenie. I want to tell you my real name now, give you a little piece of me, to hang on to. I’m so sorry. Love, Rosie.
Truth From Fiction – by Maddy, Age 11 Truth and fiction are practically the same thing anyway, right? At least they are for me. My dreams kind of merge into reality and I can’t seem to get a grasp on my actual life, like I’m stuck halfway between two dimensions and my brain is trying to process where it wants to be. But I’ll figure it out someday, I’m sure. I’m a thirty-six-year-old woman with a 12-year-old daughter, a husband and two brothers in one of my lives. In my other life, I am a single twenty-five-year-old woman with a twenty-eight-year-old sister. In both lives I’m happy. “Smile!” I yell as I press down my finger, capturing another moment that shall now never be forgotten and watch as my daughter starts clambering up the stony mound I have placed myself on. “Mum, that one’s ugly! You have to retake it!” “Elizabeth, this is a family holiday and all we’ve done since we arrived is take photos of you. As much as I want to take pictures to commemorate this trip, I really want to start having fun. It looks fine.” “You’re so unfair!” she grunts, storming off to the seafront. I sigh as I soak up the serene beach setting, the scent of fresh salt water lingers in the air, loosening my muscles. I feel warm inside and my mind is in a state of calm. I’m about to lie down when I notice a figure in the middle of the unruly waves. I continue staring until I realise Elizabeth is no longer in view. I frantically scan the uneven terrain yet she’s nowhere to be seen. My heart rate rises and I feel my palms growing slick with sweat. My breathing becomes shallow and all traces of calm have vanished. I heave myself into a standing position and scramble around, my feet losing grip on the wet stones. Meanwhile, the figure seems to be moving closer and closer to the shore. My whole body is filled with a feeling I’ve never felt before, like someone is stabbing my heart repeatedly. I fall to the ground in agony as the pain intensifies, all the while the figure moving closer. It’s a man. He’s standing solemnly, a limp body beside him in his little wooden boat chanting a phrase I can’t quite make out. Elizabeth? No, it can’t be…but it is. I wake with a start, a bead of sweat trickling down my face, “Hey, hey!” a young woman is knelt beside my rocking chair, her hand placed firmly over mine. My sister. “Are you okay? You were sweating whilst you were asleep!” “This…this is real life?” “What? Of course, silly!” she chuckles “I can’t believe it! I feel so awake!” “You’re bonkers!” she laughs, leaning in to hug me. That night as I’m falling asleep I know I’ll disappear, once again, into my state of confusion, stuck once more in-between two dimensions but for once I know it will be a dream.
The Kingdom of Zaria – by Megan, Age 12 You may think she’s a nice girl, but you’re blinded by her beautiful, blond wavy hair, her warm welcoming smile and her sparkly crystal eyes; but she’s a thief underneath all of her perfection. She’s like a twist in a story. A bad note in a piece of music. So...do you still think she’s nice? Ask yourself this question: is she an angel, or is she a devil? You may look into her eyes and think she’s a lovely, bubbly girl but, as you stare, you’re sinking into her deep blue eyes as she allures you and sneaks away, with all your money, or, even worse... your life. Cold, wet water hit the damp, cobble floor. Light shining through the barred window the light reflecting off the murky water that invaded the cracks in the dirt covered floor. Rose woke as the amber sun rose. She woke to the usual wailing and clanking of keys as the guards strode back and forth like sheep waiting to be sheared. She had what she needed, she was going to get out of the foul smelling dump. It was time. Rose was ready, she headed for the rusty iron door just outside her cell, she inserted the key into the old door and turned the bright golden key, she looked around, checked there were no other prisoners - not that she had to look, she could smell them from a mile away - but still she didn’t want anybody slowing her down. She was out. She breathed steadily, cold fresh wind entered her chest, she felt satisfied she had won the prize of freedom, it was surprisingly quiet, silence everywhere it was calm...it was lonely. She let out a triumphant sigh as she started to walk slowly toward the distant village. When she reached it she saw old houses, and run down farms, she reluctantly walked further into the village. She saw rising smoke coming from one of the wooden houses and cautiously made her way to the house: it was on fire. The roaring flames crackled as the wood turned to ashes. The whole village was a wreck. Rose was surprised, but she stayed calm. The air became warm and stuffy, Rose turned to see a dark green scaly creature with curled wings and smoke coming through the gaps in its tinted yellow jaws, slow growling arose from its throat. Rose turned tail and ran, ran as fast as she could, the wind roaring through her wild greasy hair, and the smell of smoke making her splutter, but she kept swift on her feet. Finally she stopped, the creature wasn’t chasing after her anymore, but then as soon as she thought she was safe the green giant came swooping down from the sky. With it came friends, long, scaly, friends. Rose was terrified. She ran but the creatures were faster, no matter where she hid, no matter where she ran, the creatures would find her. She had no choice but to fight.
The End of Reason – by George, Age 12 It was a perfectly average midsummer’s day. The sun was gradually melting below the horizon, casting a spectacular array of ruby reds and daffodil yellows upon the sun warmed grass which swayed steadily in the wind. Suddenly, the warmth completely disappeared, taking the wind with it. The sky darkened into a sorrowful pit of black, demolishing all happiness. A single speck of light appeared up above in the swirling void of despair and came flying down towards Earth. It got closer and closer until, with a deafening crash, smashed into a steep hill, utterly obliterating it and hauling trees and shards of rock clean out of the ground. As promptly as it had started, the weather and grief-stricken atmosphere returned to its usual state. Luckily the night remained that way. The weather the next day was bright and cheerful, leaving no sign that something strange had occurred. The object had finally come to a halt, after leaving a ten mile long trail of annihilation behind it. It sat in a football pitch sized crater that descended a good twenty metres into the ground. The object was a colossal iron sphere that shone an unusual shade of indigo. It slowly lifted off the unrecognisable forest ground and ignited, before imploding violently. The metal shell was pulled inwards, cracking with the immense force and turning white hot. Suddenly, the scorching outer covering shattered outwards, sending splinters of metal cutting through the air like a super powered shrapnel bomb. The fragments sliced through trees as effortlessly as a knife through butter. The burning core of the sphere dropped to the ground and began to breathe. The alien-like creature was jet black, an inky colour so concentrated it made your eyes sting. Its enormous chest inflated and deflated rapidly as it breathed in and out. It stood dominantly on two pillar-like legs. The monster bent over and plunged its huge hand into the muddy stone beneath it and, with remarkable power, ripped a spike of black rock out of the ground as easily as ripping paper. An expression resembling a smirk slid over the alien’s face. It had terrifying red eyes, dagger-like fangs that vibrated like a chainsaw, a long tail and stunning black wings that camouflaged brilliantly against its dark coloured body. Despite these differences it had a mysteriously humanoid appearance. The alien’s wings spread outwards into their full magnificence and lifted the giant into the air. It was not long until the beast reached a city. The population spotted it easily due to its massive size and murky colour as it drifted effortlessly though the fluffy white clouds. The military was quickly informed and arrived within minutes. They had brought a tank. The gunshot was deafening but astonishingly accurate and the alien’s lifeless body plummeted to the ground. It was then taken to a top secret laboratory and was scheduled for autopsy. But as the surgeon lifted a sharp blade a petrifying thing happened. The creature’s red eyes opened. And it roared.
Explorer Timmy – by Keira, Age 12 Loch Ness Lake Scotland March 6 7:00pm Explorer-Timmy All I see is the blue bareness of the underwater world. Sparkling waves glisten in the sunlight above, as they crash through the thin strands of my hair. I can't help but notice a misty blur in the distance. It’s green and grotesque, big no doubt. It’s fins flap as it swims towards me, the eyes like golden coins and the teeth like sharp swords. And that's when I know it`s the creature that roams these lakes. The Loch Ness Monster! I swim as fast as I can as my legs get weaker and weaker. I can hear the howling of his voice echoing behind me, as I chase through his blurry home. His slimy scales stretch past me, he makes his first move. His jaws, the size of my body, open wide and chomp down on me. I scurry away and escape, he is not pleased about this. He hunts me down, as I get deeper in the lake. Knocking everything out of his way, the Loch Ness Monster approaches me. I see him in the distance, his body as large as a grand castle. Bursts of greens and blues surrounds the creature. His frightening face turns sharply, eyes peering into my soul, his mischievous smile glares at me. I know what he’s thinking, he knows what I'm thinking. There's a silent rumble that occurs around the corner. I call the PSA for back up. There is no response. My walkie talkie crumbles into tiny puzzle pieces and falls to the surface floor. Sparks burst out of it. I’m on my own! I get flashbacks of the past, my thoughts rolled in one. This is what I wanted to do since I was little. But then a tight knot of gilt trembles in my belly, the thought of killing something. What shall I do? I`m still face to face with the Loch Ness Monster, he sends a shiver down my spine, as I stare at him. But then I start to realize a change in him. His eyes soften and body loosens as his temper stops, it's like he is trying to tell me something. He makes a poor howling noise and says; “People like you hunt me. Want to kill me! What have I ever done to you?” My eyes start to leak, As I say to the sorrow thing, “I`m sorry, I never knew… Never thought to think” I can hear sirens and people up on the earth's crust. It's the PSA somehow they got the message that I was in danger. I struggle to shout “STOP, STOP” but they can`t hear me anyway, They get their guns to ready. There are bangs as my boss says… “Look at what a mess you've made!” “Sorry, mum.”
“It’s ok. Come on time for bed, my little explorer.” She says as she wraps a towel around me. “We can clean the bathroom tomorrow.”
Charlie – by Astrid, Age 12 Green grass, blue sky, white fluffy clouds. Just like the beginning of my story. I remember those days, crystal clear. They came home, through the gate. I was sat in the garden, with an ice cool lemonade. I was sitting there, watching the bubbles fizz up to the brim of the glass. Mum and Dad walked through the back gate and looked at each other, looked at me, excited. The box was cardboard and shaking, ever so slightly. Then a little nose popped out of the top. A dog nose. Jumping up and running to the box, I remember my parents. They would have organised this, to surprise me. A change of direction, and I hug them, tight, and open the box. He’s only a puppy, a little golden brown one, smooth ears and button eyes. He’s perfect. So I went through my life with this dog, learning to love him and everything else around me. Two years later, the next biggest surprise of my life was slowly approaching, one I never expected - and don’t want to live it again. I got back from school, bursting in through the front door. And as usual, I was greeted by a wet tongue and muddy paws. Dad had taken Charlie out for a walk in the woods. Dumping my bags down by the door, I run through to see him. Dad’s in the kitchen, starting dinner and Mum’s sat at the table marking her classes work. She’s usually still at work by this time. Sat in traffic, on her way home - but not Fridays. The weekend was just one night away, and I was eager for it to arrive. I knew the plans, I knew we were going to enjoy it. Well I thought we would… The smell of crispy bacon wafts up through the house, reaching my nose. Making me wake-up with a sudden jolt. I climb out of bed, and slip on my soft bunny slippers. Traipsing down the creaky stairs, I begin my Bank holiday weekend with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. Turning around the corner, I walk to into the bright kitchen and see Dad serving up bacon on to flat pancakes. It smells great. Later on, after Mum’s woken and we have all enjoyed the fluffy pancakes, we are walking in a baked forest, with Charlie chasing colourful butterflies. We are walking to a family pub. The forest is at the edge of a lake and a tall chalk cliff. It’s beautiful.
Charlie is still chasing the butterfly and runs to the edge of the cliff, no lead. Mum walks over calmly to move him away, he only got closer. Mum got closer too, and Charlie moved quickly back towards Dad and me, making mum jump… She tripped, over a tree root and went hurtling over the cliff, plunging into the deep blue lake hundreds of metres down. I remember Dad and I dropping to the ground, pain in our hearts.
Injustice – by Askja, Age 12 As I sat alone on a bench in the freezing cold playground (the weirdo), I knew what would happen next. It always goes like this: I eat my packed lunch; I go outside; then, they come. Always come. After all, I am the weirdo. Firstly, I like homework; secondly, I am a teacher’s pet and thirdly, I am top in everything - and never in trouble. Basically, I am bullied because of a group of idiots being jealous of me. Today they looked especially bad tempered. I assumed that some other poor victim wasn't satisfying enough for one lunch time. “Oo look who it is!” said the gang leader: a fat boy who looked remarkably like a skin coloured beach ball, wearing a blonde wig. The rest of the gang laughed cruelly and started surrounding me. As they were all taller than me, it was far more intimidating than you might imagine, their foul breath invading my nostrils. My instincts said to run but, for some reason, my feet wouldn't let me go… I was paralyzed with fright. As they closed in, getting closer and closer, I thought, this is it. This is where everything should go wrong for the bullies. In a story, this is when the teacher would come running or the friend should save the day. Clearly, nothing of the sort was going to happen, due to the fact there were no teachers within earshot and I have no friends who’d notice my absence. The injustice of it filled me with anger. I should consider myself lucky because a that very moment, the bell rang for the end of lunch break. I knew that it was only postponing my beating for another day, but that did not prevent a rush of relief from flowing into me. In a story, everything always turns out ok in the end. As I know, real life is NOT like that; there is never really justice for those people who have done bad or mean deeds. And that is all there is to it.
Alex’s Unhappy Birthday – by Alex, Age 6 Once a upon a time in a playground there were four boys called Alex, Jack, Jake and Sam. Alex was sad because Jack, Jake and Sam were on holiday on his birthday, last week. When they were playing on the roundabout a MASSIVE TIME PORTAL APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE. Jack, Jake and Sam got sucked in but Alex didn’t. Jack, Jake and Sam stayed in the portal for one day, then stopped and got sucked into a different time. In the present Alex was now worried and sad. But Jack, Jake and Sam got sucked into last week, on the day of Alex’s 6th birthday and landed at his house. They knocked. Alex heard it and opened the door and said “Welcome friends, come in. Have you got my presents?” Luckily they had his presents in their pockets. Alex suddenly felt happy in the past and in the future. They played lots of games with their other friends and played football. Everyone left. Jack, Jake and Sam just walked outside and got sucked into the time portal back to the present. They landed at the roundabout and Alex saw them and he group hugged them. “Where have you been?” “It’s a long story!” The End.
The Adventures of Bib Bob – by Diego, Age 6 One day Bib Bob and his friends were playing alien ball in the centre of planet Slother. Suddenly a naughty man called Jacob, holding a shrink ray in his hands, shrunk the planet until it was the size of an eyeball. Then he shrunk the aliens until they were the size of the nib of a pen. When Jacob picked up planet Slother and put it in his pocket, Bib Bob and his friends fell off. Luckily, they landed on a star each. They were shooting stars and they sneakily followed Jacob and planet Slother. The planet grew bigger and bigger until it popped Jacob’s pocket and his trousers fell down! He suddenly noticed that he was standing on the ring of the planet, then he fell right through. He landed in his school and everybody laughed at him. After everybody laughed at him Jacob changed his ways and only used his shrink ray for good. Thanks to the shooting stars, Bib Bob and his friends safely returned to their planet and lived happily ever after. The End.
The Golden Sword of Power – by Isaac, Age 7 Once upon a time, there lived a troll called Bruce. Bruce lived in a castle filled with suits of armour and big, tall turrets. His favourite room was the armour room, because he liked looking at all the weapons and armour. There was one special thing in the armour room, the golden sword of power. It looked like a phoenix on the handle, it was slightly bent on the top, to make it more sharp. One day, someone stole the golden sword of power! Bruce was furious with rage, he was so furious he jumped out the castle’s dressing room and landed on the village blacksmiths roof. The blacksmith was half goblin, half unicorn, which meant he was kind, but when a troll landed on his roof, I don’t think so! Bruce asked him what he could do, to make up for it. The half goblin, half unicorn said ‘you could defend my village from the evil skeletons?’ Bruce replied ‘but I do not have a weapon?’ He said ‘what weapon would you like to fight with?’ Bruce said ‘a bow and arrow.’ The blacksmith said ‘here is your golden bow and arrow.’ Bruce sadly said, ‘it’s as golden as the golden sword!’ The blacksmith suddenly went red, because he was the one who stole the golden sword of power. Suddenly, there was a giant army of skeletons wearing diamond armour, iron boots and golden swords. It seemed like the golden sword of power had been copied. Bruce started shooting, he really liked his bow and arrow, when the arrows hit the ground a giant explosion appeared and loads of other bombs came out of it. The army was defeated in ten seconds. He suddenly fell into a giant cave filled with bats, rats and other creatures, he saw the very same blacksmith he had seen in the village. The blacksmith was holding the golden sword of power. A giant cage fell over the top of Bruce. A massive strike of lightening shot at the cage at a million miles per hour, but it didn’t do any damage to Bruce for some reason. Bruce became invisible and floated through the cage, picking up the blacksmith and throwing him into some lava. The blacksmith’s two apprentices appeared from nowhere and started fighting with Bruce. One of the apprentices was witch, she put a black hole behind him but before the black hole could suck Bruce in, he threw the witch into the black hole and it disappeared. The other apprentice had the golden sword, Bruce was determined to fight her. He jumped up in the air about 100 feet high and broke the ground and made an earthquake. The apprentice tripped over a rock and fell down into the earthquake leaving the golden sword behind. As soon as Bruce grabbed it, a pixie appeared saying, ’you are now king!’ So, Bruce walked home and starting the day as a troll and finishing it as the king!
Titania’s Mission for Lily – by Annabelle, Age 9 Lily lived in a gorgeous tumbledown cottage on the edge of Foxglove Thicket. She was an only child, who spent much of her time playing outside and feeding the birds. She was a sweet girl who enjoyed life, but she had a hidden desire to meet a fairy. So many ordinary days were the same, but one day she was on the swing when suddenly there was a blinding flash of light that made her spirit soar. Lily heard the faint sound of thumps and the sound of a bell. As the light dimmed and her eyes focused, she saw the silhouette of a small-winged figure, delicately hovering in mid-air and she heard the chime of bells which accompanied the fairy’s small song like voice. She said, “I am a fairy messenger named Ariana. I have been sent by the great and glorious Queen Titania. You are the chosen one, selected by the loyal animals of the forest, who have spotted your kindness to wildlife. We need your assistance. Will you help us?” Lily was so honoured, that of course she agreed to help and accompanied the fairy into the mysterious woodland. In the blink of an eye she was bowing down to the queen of the forest and her faithful subjects. Titania stood up to speak to her. “Animals of the forest, you have chosen this girl, who’s help we need”. You see, Lily, the fairy dust, essential for our survival and that enables us to stay secret, is harvested from the Forever Flower, which are scattered among the trees in this forest. But the Forever Flower is endangered due to deforestation. Your quest is to persuade people to stop cutting down trees. As the trees are being cut down so are the Forever flowers, but please keep our secret. Good luck”! Lily approached her Mum’s friend, who was the Mayor. She offered to organise a petition, to collect a list of signatures and names of all the people that were willing to help to prevent deforestation in the area. Together they decided that they needed to change people’s opinions and prove that trees were more important than paper. But how would she manage to do this without giving the fairies away? She decided to tell everyone about deforestation, and more could be done in the recycling of old and unwanted materials. So the campaign began. Lily argued her case to everyone that mattered, all the while keeping the secret of her new found friends. When she discovered that her efforts were successful, she couldn’t wait to tell Queen Titania. At last when Lily returned home, she went over to the fairies, knelt down and said: “Your highness, I convinced everybody that l could, to stop chopping down trees. I have completed your mission, now the forever flowers can grow and now your secret is safe”! They danced all night, hand in hand, in the light of the moon, surrounded by forever flowers and trees!
Changes – by Jacob, Age 8 The cars
in the sun,
All flew to mars,
Ned
Jake
Liked his bed,
Had never ate a cake,
I stand at the net
it was sunny
And place my bet,
and someone’s nose was runny,
the birds sing
I normally win
under their wing,
But this time I put my rubbish in the bin,
I baked a cake
Dad Went mad, Mat Had a new friend called pat, the rats are friends with cats, mice like ice, dogs are mini and cats are skinny, bears are silly and foxes are called billy, foxes also like boxes, Charlie Likes barley, the rats go clang! And the monkeys go bang!
And went to the lake, Cars Drive on carpet, you don’t eat meat, you drink grass out of a glass, I’m going to the pool Because I’m cool, I got in for free but my mum paid a fee, Dad Had a friend called Ad, fish go nip and I like a chip, bones are made of stones, plants like ants, a tree
Ben Was ten, you grow a spine at the age of nine, he ate a bun
has a knee, moles like bowls.
‘Changes’ - By Nicolette, Age 8 One cold winter’s morning, Joe woke up in his blue and white, also ever-so little red spotty PJs! He wished it could be summer. Joe got out of bed, put his Spiderman slippers on, and went downstairs to eat breakfast. Normally he would choose cocopops, he loved those. But Mum had already made breakfast...cornflakes with grapefruit. He hated it, but otherwise it would be 'no TV' she said. Dad walked in and said 'Good bye Tiff' (That's Mum's name), 'see you after school Joe!' 'Bye' Mum and Joe chorused. After Dad had gone, Joe ate slowly because he didn't want his wobbly tooth to fall out. If it did, he would lose the competition he was having with Jack. It was called the Wobbly Break-Out. Well that's boys for you. Later at school Jack's tooth fell out and he said, 'Oh, pants, oh golly gapers. I've lost. And all those sweets belong to Joe!' Miss Humph, the fat, strict teacher asked Jack 'what on earth are you saying?' ‘Mmm.... well I said pants and golly and sweets belong to Joe!' Jack said rather shyly. The class was beginning to laugh and someone even fell off their chair. Miss Humph shouted, 'class be quiet.' The next morning Joe's tooth fell out AND he got his sweets from Jack. He got dressed, gelled his hair and then 'dabbed' in front of the mirror. He like doing that! He flung his bag on his back and said 'goodbye Mum, see you soon!' 'Wait, I need to measure you remember!' said Mum. 'Really? Now come on!' 'No, you come on!' Mum said. So Joe went over and Mum marked he was 20cm more! 'I must go!' Joe said as he grabbed his jacket. But when he put it on it was too small and Mum said 'Come on' as she squeezed him into it. 'No!' said Joe and walked out the front door. This afternoon, Joe felt hot and realised it was because the seasons were changing to Spring. Then news came out at school that there was a beehive and there was no school the next day. That was a very big change for everyone. They normally never had days like that, the only fun day was their school trip, the zoo. You know, Shepreth. They all enjoyed that. On their day off. Mum asked Joe if they could look for a bigger jacket. Joe answered 'yeah' like boys do. They went to Cambridge but nothing was right. So Mum gave up and said, 'This is the last shop!' It was Topman and it was completely different, Joe loved every single jacket. 'That one, no that one, I think that one.' He finally decided and it was a complete change. It was plain green with a gold zip and black collar. Mum said, 'Are you super-duper sure?'.
'Yeah!', He said as he rolled his eyes. When Dad got back he thought of how many changes had happened. And Joe said 'A LOT!'
The Most Extraordinary Town – by Sam O, Age 9 The clear blue sea would eat anything in it’s path clawing away at cliffs and houses flooding towns. A ruthless wave of carnage able to do so much it will scare you. The red fire taking over, the great swarm of heat destroying everything from tomatoes to towers. The two most destructive elements but yet so different from each other it seems strange. Norland, a small town with a volcano on one side and a sea on the other so there were two threats, floods, or volcanic eruption. I would stare at the marvels for hours on end. It almost seemed that the water and lava were in war with each other, a rivalry that has been going on for as long as time. The water struck at the bank and just like that, the bank snapped in two. The water flooded through into the town with great aggression. We were living in water. For months on end we were dealing with the flood until we became used to this way of life. But, suddenly, out of nowhere the volcano started to shake and a dribble of lava came out. Silence flooded the town, all we ever knew for months on end was just about to change. Change had taken place, but this time life threatening. Lava started to spit out of the volcano at high speeds, faster, faster! Then a whole horde of lava came, throwing itself at the poor little town. Norland was vulnerable to the volcano as the lava kept coming and coming and coming. After an hour of the eruption the whole town was pretty much obliterated. Nothing left but scraps of leftover pieces of house. You could not live in lava. For years this was just a dump until the lava cooled and a tribe of settlers came across this now beautiful town with pools of water where the sea had flooded in. So a new tribe had come and settled, gone through lows and highs. Norland has a new name and, just like us, its people will struggle, learn and live. THE END
I’m a Little Seed – by Gordon, Age 6 I’m a little seed, brown and dirty I pass a robin and a red kite I’m a little seed I travel by wind suddenly I fall on the ground, A child comes and picks me up and plants me I will turn into an apple tree And you can eat my apple hair for tea! By Gordon, Age 6, Roman Way First School
A Magic Life – By Tom, Age 6 Once there was a little boy. He lived with his Nana Juliette, and Grandad Henry, who loved him very much. Jake, who was eight, loved to play sports and his Grandad was his biggest fan. Henry and Jake also enjoyed spending time in the shed making things. They had been working on a machine to help Jake with his tennis. It was supposed to throw balls for him to return. But the lever came out by accident which changed it into a shrinking machine and it shrunk them both to the size of ants! They were shocked at what had happened and scared. They talked about what to do next and where to go. They decided they needed to try and get back to the house to find Jake’s Nana so that she could help them, so they stepped into the garden. Everything appeared so big and they saw lots of long, wavy, green grass, which was taller than them. It seemed as if they had walked for miles, but in fact they hadn’t walked far at all, when they came across a river, which was in fact a trickle from the hose. They needed to cross it, so they held hands and used sticks, that they found nearby, to help them. Once they had crossed the water, they found a hole and a worm popped out! The worm was incredibly big and he was wearing little, round glasses. The most surprising thing of all was that the worm spoke to them. He asked them if they needed help as they looked lost. They were very glad that he was friendly and didn’t want to eat them! So they said “Yes, please”. The worm gave them directions. He told them to walk beside the river towards the maze of flowers, then they would see a white watering can, after that, they would be near the back door of their house. It took them a very long time to get to the maze of flowers and although they were scared, they enjoyed spending time with each other. Just when they thought they couldn’t walk any further, they started to sneeze because of all of the pollen from the flowers. They looked at each other in horror as they knew what this meant. They were right, they saw lots of bees on the flowers! Thankfully, they were friendly honey bees who offered them a lift! They were so tired that they climbed on and they flew the rest of the way home. The bees flew into the house and managed to get Nana Juliette’s attention. At first, she was astonished because she wasn’t expecting to see her family flying around the house on bees! They asked the bees if they could kindly get off and they stepped onto Juliette’s hand. She knew exactly what to do. She got some magic growing beans from the cupboard and once they had eaten them, they grew to their sizes. What an adventure!
Changes – by Freya, Age 9 It was a normal day for Jessie Wool but there was a surprise in store when she arrived home from school. Mum opened the door and tentatively said.. “I’ve found a place to open up my new cafe. However it’s far away from here.” The smile on Jessie’s face slowly turned upside down. “Does that mean I’ll have a new school?” “Sorry sweetheart, yes.” said Mum tenderly but Jessie was already crying with anger. “WHAT!” Next day at school, when the teacher called out “Line up for Assembly please”, Jessie felt nervous butterflies in her stomach with thoughts of how her friends would take the news. “Jessie!” her best friend, Rosie, nudged her. “Mrs. Davis has called you to the front.” Jessie’s shaking legs stretched and wobbled again as she walked up to the plump lady who uttered “Tell the school your news.”. “Well, I’m – um – leaving because of my – well – Mum’s new job. I will miss this school very much” she quickly added. Her shocked friends’ mouths opened fully in disbelief. After a long journey by car to their new life, Jessie stood looking at their new home. Hiding her disappointment, the house seemed so dull with paintwork peeling off windows and doors. After walking up the unsteady stairs to her new bedroom, she dumped her bags and looked around. The walls were painted brown. She sighed “I wish I could go back home again”. Jessie’s new school was like her new house - Dull! She felt sad as she watched lots of pupils laughing and playing with their friends when she had none here. She sat on her own in classes all day. School lunch was revolting and everyone ignored her. She felt invisible and alone. After school she rushed home to her Mum. “I hate my new school! I have no friends, the lunch was awful and I don’t like the teachers!” “Well life wasn’t that great at the café today either! I didn’t have many customers at all” her Mum said wearily. “But we’ll try again tomorrow. Change is always difficult at first.” The next day Jessie sat on the stairs alone during break and a group of girls in her class came over to her. A tall, red-headed girl asked “Do you want to play with us?” to which Jessie enthusiastically replied “Yes, I would love to!” Laughing together, she realised these could soon be her new best friends. Even the school building didn’t look so dull anymore and lunch was quite appetising today too. To top it all, her teacher gave her a special sticker for good work. Jessie realised she just needed to give change a chance. That evening, she happily said “I made some friends today and the new school’s not so bad after all.” “I’ve found a friend to help at the café as we were so busy today” said her mum. “So maybe, change can be for the better!” and Jessie had to agree!