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Young authors show what they can do Feb 05, 2006
By editorx
I am the biased editor of this third annual collection of short works by students of Berkshire Middle School. The stories were new for the 2002-2003 school year, and so was this group of authors. The focus, though, remained the same as in previous volumes: With genuine effort and attention to the writing process, young authors can fine-tune their original ideas and produce works suitable for a wide audience.
Over a ten-week period, each sixth-grade writer shepherded a germ of an idea through multiple revisions. The ultimate paths of these stories and the improvement in quality from start to finish sometimes surprised even the authors.
"Got Stories?"--one of many titles suggested and voted upon by the authors--asks everyone to consider the state of his or her library. What better way to promote reading than through bite-sized tales that can inspire even the youngest of us to say, "I can do that"? And if you pay attention to the reactions of characters to their respective situations, you will get a peek into the beliefs and concerns of these writers regarding such issues as response to authority, friendship, right, wrong, evil, good, commitment, adversity, courage, perseverance, and more. Along the way, you will experience humor, mystery, adventure, science fiction, historical fiction, horror, and fantasy.
Kids have a lot to say, but we don't always hear it. Here are samples of their voices:
The fur on my back and neck bristled. I felt my tail going straight up into the air. It started as a low, rumbling growl, but slowly crescendoed into a mighty, warrior bark! The chase was on! Up and down the tree that infested fleabag darted. Back and forth I raced. Our hearts raced as one. It was sooo unfair! If it would dare to set one evil foot down here, it would be shreds faster than you could probably say "moldy Milk Bones." Teeny, eenie, weenie microscopic pieces.
--from "A Day in the Life of Flyer"
Terry asked her dad, "What fistful of boredom are we going to this time?"
"It's not boring. See, the ancient Greeks believed that there were eight elemental birds standing for fire, wind, water, and thunder. Four fought for good and the other four fought for evil. Legend says they will arise from the earth once again, and we found artifacts about them," Terry's dad stated.
"Wow, how interesting," Terry said sarcastically.
--from "Friend or Foe?"
It was a well-lit room with elves hustling and bustling about, with Santa keeping order. There was only one slight difference. Instead of elves sitting in front of tables making every sort of toy imaginable, there were hundreds of thousands of elves sitting in front of tables making every sort of weapon imaginable. You name it, they had it. There were also thousands of elves learning how to fight military style. They were all in a colossal three-story room that had a wide-open space in the middle with walkways that went around the entire room. All you could hear was the ear-deafening screams of hammers, saws, and yelling. There were posters on the walls that said "Santa for World Leader."
--from "The Leprechauns Who Saved Christmas"
The Easter Bunny woke in a dark, grimy cellar full of rats. His arms were strapped down, and he couldn't move. He was still too tired from being hit over the head. He heard footsteps on the stairs. A shrill voice broke the creepy silence:
"How are you doing, my dear bunny?"
"Just fine, thank you," answered the Easter Bunny sarcastically. A flickering lamp was lit, and the Easter Bunny saw what the thing that had captured him was.
--from "Once Upon a Not-So-Happy Easter"
"Dan, I have bad news." She paused. "Josh broke his ankle. He can't play in the championship."
"How?"
"He was playing basketball, and he tripped and fell funny," she said.
"Tell him to get better in three days," Dan said. Mrs. Thomas laughed. Dan was only half-kidding.
--from "The Slow Motion Shot"
"Mr. Governor Chris, you have let him get away with it for the last time," said the mysterious man. "Next time this happens, I'll slit your throat."
"Please, sir, not my throat. I like my throat," replied Chris.
--from "Tatsu"
"Keep your mouths SHUT!" said the woman to Casey and Shari. This was not a problem because she had taped their mouths with duct tape. She left them in a room with boxes, one window, and dust everywhere. Casey decided to try to escape by hopping in her chair to the door and get it open somehow.
--from "Where Is Shari?"
"Fido, come in," Spot yelled down the toilet. He hated it, but he used it like any other dog, as a form of communication.
"Here," Fido screamed back. Spot saw Fido's face in the toilet. The toilet is a sort of dog computer, except they talked instead of typing.
"I just had to tell you," Spot said urgently. "The cat knows our evil scheme."
--from "You Can't Take Over Christmas"
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