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Young Writers in Action: FRIENDS FOREVER

Friends Forever
by Anishka, 7, QLD

 On a nice winter afternoon, I was running down my school path and suddenly I stopped! I saw someone that I liked. She had black hair, brown skin, brown eyes, red lips and a bandage on her arm.

I asked what her name was, she looked back at me and said, “My name is Rida”.

She asked my name and I answered “Anishka”, then we wore a great big smile on our faces.

Surprisingly, she was living near to our suburb. We started carpooling. I went in her car in the morning and my dad picked us up in the afternoon, and we never missed a single day. We had great fun. We started going to each others houses during weekends and we enjoyed each other’s company a lot. In Grade 1, we were in same class. Rida and I were best friends.

One day, she told me that she was going to leave her house and school because her father got a job which is at the other end of the town. It was four more days and she will be going to her new house. I felt sorry but the lucky thing was, it wasn’t today. In our class, we had a farewell party for Rida and it was a free dress day. This is how the party started. Everybody were hiding under their desks. When Rida and I came to the class, everyone shouted surprise and me and Rida got surprised.

I knew it was fun but finally she left the school and moved to her new house. She was telling me, she will have fun in her new school. Now, I am going to school alone. When I am at the drop off zone at my school, I have no friends to talk with me and I feel very lonely and sad. I was playing alone in the playground. I wish Rida would come back soon but it is not possible. I hope Rida will get a new friend in her new school, but still we are best friends.


Anishka has been published at Alphabet Soup many times — you can read all her earlier work here.

If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!

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TOP READS: November 2016

This is the last TOP READS post for 2016! At the end of each month — from February to November — our Top Reads team recommends their favourite reading material from the previous month. This year we’ve had audiobooks, graphic novels, novels, cookbooks, comics, and nonfiction titles. All great reads with a tick of approval from kids just like you! A big thank you to everyone on our team for this year*, we’ve loved seeing your recommendations. (We’ll be back in February to introduce our 2017 team.)

So, without further ado — here is the final collection for this year. Add these to your Christmas wishlist or duck into a library and stock up for some great holiday reading …

You’ll find a recommended list from our Top Reads Team on the last day of every month (February to November). You can check out all the Top Reads posts for 2016 here.

*All our Top Readers are kids aged 13 and under. No grownups allowed!

 

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Young Writers in Action: The cute monster

THE CUTE MONSTER

by Elle, 10, New York, USA

Lily woke up one morning to find something strange sitting at the end of her bed. The little monster was so cute that she wanted to care for it every single minute of every day. It was pink with purple ears and blue eyes that sparkled. It had little green spikes along its tiny pink tail. It was one-foot-long including its tail. It was really small. When she said, “Hello,” it squeaked like it was saying hello back. Lily wanted to tell her mum, but she knew she would say she couldn’t keep it. She asked her mum anyway. To her amazement, her mum said she could keep it and asked, “Where did it come from?”

She said, “The monster told me it came from Harmless Cute Monster Land.”

Her mum said, “How do you understand it, Lily?”

“Mum, I never told you this, but I can understand the animal language. Every child in the world named Lily has a power. And I was born with the power to understand animals and creatures that don’t speak human languages. I also feel very happy that I have this power!”

“I’m glad you understand animals because I’m going to open a zoo,” said Mom.

At breakfast, they ate eggs, bacon, cereal, and orange juice, and talked about what Lily was going to do at school. After breakfast, Lily got ready and left for school. She had many friends named Lily, too.

They came over to her desk and asked her, “Did you tell your mum about your powers?”

Lily answered, “Yes, I did.”

Her friends asked, “When?”

Lily answered, “This morning.”

Her friends all said together, “That’s so funny, we did too!!”

Lily jumped up and down and did cartwheels everywhere! She was so excited about the coincidence. They all went back to their desks because class was about to start.

Later that day, all the Lilys sat together at lunch. The first one to talk was Lily. “My mom told me this morning that she is planning to make a zoo. And I was wondering if you would help me make it.”

“Sure,” said all the Lilys together.

“Can you meet me at my house after school today?” They agreed.

In the evening, all the Lilys came over Lily’s house and she introduced them to her mum. She said, “Mum, these are all my Lily friends. I’m going to introduce them to you.

“Here are Lily A, Lily B, Lily C, Lily D, Lily E, Lily F, Lily G, and Lily H.”

“I’m really surprised that the only friends you have are named Lily,” said her mum.

“These are just my Lily friends. I have other friends that are not named Lily.”

“What are you guys all doing here?” asked the mum.

“They’re here to help me make the zoo, because they have powers too.”

The girls made a blueprint. They developed houses for the animals with special compartments to deliver food and water, and bought supplies from the hardware store to start building. Her amazing, billionaire mum bought everything. She was the head of every job in their town and also the CEO of Everything in the World.

On the tenth day, Lily was on her way to the exotic, wild animal pet store. The pet store only sold wild animals, and she asked if she could buy two of every animal. On her way home, she rode on a galloping hippo and tumbled off its back! She called her mum to pick her up because the hippo then ran away.

Her mum picked her up five minutes later with a 10-foot high limousine. It was so tall because they had to fit two giraffes and many wild animals. They started building the zoo. Lily H made the structure. Lily G put in the glass. Lily F put natural materials in the cages. Lily E put in the animal toys in the cages. Lily D laid the bricks. Lily C made all of the signs for the building. Lily B made the habitat scenes on the brick walls. Lily and Lily put the animals in after everything was done. They made an extra compartment for the little cute monster. They opened it a week later after they painted the outside in bright colors. The zoo was a success!

After the zoo opened, everyone went to the new Lily zoo instead of the typical, old zoo. They liked the new zoo’s animals, especially the cute monster. The monster told Lily that it liked all the attention.

She said, “I’m glad you do.”

At the end of the day, everyone had a party at Lily H’s house with lots of different food and drinks. They danced and danced and the party lasted for eight years!


This is Elle’s first story published with Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!

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TOP READS: October 2016

It’s the 31 October … the last day of the month means it’s time for some more book recommendations from our Top Reads team (yay! yay!). If you’re looking for a good book, this is a great place to start:

You’ll find a recommended list from our Top Reads Team on the last day of every month (February to November). If you missed last month’s, don’t forget to check out the September Top Reads. Our November top reads list next month will be the last one for 2016.

*All our Top Readers are kids aged 13 and under. No grownups allowed!

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Young Writers in Action: The diary of an airconditioner

THE DIARY OF AN AIRCONDITIONER

by Gabriel Campbell, 5, NSW

Hot weather. Photo from pexels.com

Today’s weather was as hot as a stove. But everyone kept switching me on. I have to blow air and I feel sleepy and tired. Then I get hot!

My friend, the air purifier, has to be switched on non-stop every night because he makes the air clean. He feels tired like me!

 


This is Gabriel’s first story published with Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!

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Young Writers in Action: No Cake!

NO CAKE

by Joshua, 8, NSW

“Hooray, hooray! It’s my birthday!”

On 8th September I turned 8, but today is 9th September. At ten-thirty, my birthday party began. Every friend arrived right on time!

“It’s time for games, everyone,” Mum said, clapping her hands. Dad took a huge piece of paper and stuck it on the floor with Blu Tack. Then we drew a game of hopscotch on the paper and we played it.

When we were playing the games, an uninvited brother of a friend also came. He saw my birthday cake! After we finished the games we saw that the birthday cake was all gone! Luckily we found the little brother. But no birthday cake! I felt a bit sad.

The brother had a picture of a cupcake on his shirt. It gave me an idea! I told Mum my idea.

She said, “What a good idea for a birthday surprise!”

She quickly got a shopping bag and ran out the door. Mum came back with white sugar, flour, eggs, cinnamon, butter, oil, some icing sugar and blue pink, red and yellow food colouring. Then mum and I got ready.

After we were prepared, I told everybody to come to the table. When we all got to the table, we made and decorated our own cupcakes. With the icing sugar and food colouring, we wrote our own name. Mine said, Happy Birthday Joshua. I forgave the little brother and thanked him for coming. And I hope he comes again!


This is Joshua’s second story published with Alphabet Soup. His earlier story was The Mystery of the Thief! and you can read it here.  If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!

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TOP READS: September 2016

The spring school holidays — what better time to disappear into a good book? It’s the last day of the month which means it’s also time for some reading recommendations from members of our Top Reads team:

You’ll find a recommended list from our Top Reads Team on the last day of every month (February to November). If you missed last month’s, don’t forget to check out the August Top Reads.

*All our Top Readers are kids aged 13 and under. No grownups allowed!

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Young Writers in Action: The Wolf Girl

THE WOLF GIRL

by Ella, 10, VIC

Mia is a girl who has been raised by wolves, the only family she remembers. She has learnt many things from her wolf family, such as hunting, climbing, stalking and pouncing. In her spare time, Mia collects stars to help with her fear of the dark. Mia enjoyed her life with the wolves, until one day, the unthinkable happened. While Mia was out sailing to catch fish for her and the wolves to eat, a boat sailed alongside her. The man on board was tall. Mia was terrified, but was alone and had nowhere to run.

The man grabbed her arm.
“ What are you doing?!” shrieked Mia.

The man didn’t answer her, but instead said,
“ Ya comin with me little girl!”
“I belong here!” screamed Mia.
“ Pfft!” said the old man, “so ya live in the woods, do ya?”
“For as long as I can remember!’ cried Mia.

The man didn’t care, and continued to pull Mia onto his boat.

For two years the man and his wife held her captive. Dirty and dressed in rags, she was taught how to make medicines to sell at the local town nearby. She was their slave. Every night Mia would cry and clutch her one star she still had from years ago, longing for her wolf family. Mia spent everyday making medicine, and waiting on the humans. Her lunch was nothing more than dry bread and curdled milk, while they feasted on salad and fresh fish that Mia caught. They would yell at Mia to hurry to the market in and sell the medicine. When she returned they would snatch the money, leaving Mia with nothing.

Meanwhile, in the woods, the wolves had never forgotten their Mia. Although they believed Mia had run away for another life, they never stopped searching for her. Finally, their search had come to an end. One night, as exhausted Mia lay sleeping, the wolves gently took her from her bed, and carried her onto their boat. Mia woke confused and dazed. She didn’t know what was going on. Had she been taken prisoner again?

The wolves were also confused and hurt, thinking that Mia had abandoned them all those years ago.

‘Why are you angry with me?’ shouted Mia.
‘You left us,’ growled the sad and angry wolf, slamming the door behind him.

Mia thought long and hard, and then it all began to make sense. She pieced it together in her mind. The day Mia was taken, the wolves believed she had run away. They didn’t understand she was taken from them, her canine family.

“ I was captured!” screamed Mia through the closed door.

The wolf returned, ready to listen.

“ I wouldn’t swap you guys for the world!” cried Mia.

The wolves embraced Mia and vowed to always protect her. Mia no longer felt scared of the dark. The pack remained on guard and hoped the evil humans would never return. Guess what …

THEY NEVER DID!


This is Ella’s first story published with Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!

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Young Writers in Action: The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Street

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVED DOWN THE STREET

by Caitlin, 11, VIC

The little girl who lives down the street
My sister says she’s a creep
Mum says don’t go near
I reckon she thinks I fear
I wish I could explain why
But all my father does is sigh
One night I go down the street
I make sure that I creep
I see the little girl who lives down the street in a car
I can’t see why she’s looking so far,
Until I see a shooting star
The little girl who lived down the street
Maybe she isn’t such a creep


This is Caitlin’s first poem published with Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!

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TOP READS: August 2016

August is our favourite month at Alphabet Soup. August means Children’s Book Week in Australia and that means celebrations of authors, illustrators and children’s books! (And often a Book Week dress-up parade — which our editor really adores.)

Meanwhile, our Top Reads team has been reading as if reading is a new Olympic event — so it’s time for some book recommendations. Go team!

You’ll find a recommended list from our Top Reads Team on the last day of every month (February to November). If you missed last month’s, don’t forget to check out the July Top Reads.

*All our Top Readers are kids aged 13 and under. No grownups allowed!