Wednesday 12 October 2016

Between the covers

Some of you will know that my nine-year old son, Tristan, was a finalist in the Henley Literary Festival short-story competition, run by Dragonfly Tea. Just for a bit of fun, I thought I would post his entry here on the blog. Have a read and see what you think!

Finalists from the Henley Literary Festival short-story competition
The 2016 finalists for the children's short-story competition
Hi! I’m Larry the bookworm and I’m hooked to books! Adventure, fairytale, scary, funny, anything! If it’s a book, I’ll read it! I’ve probably read over a thousand, but then I do live in a library where there is always a book to read. The book I’m reading at the moment is called ‘Evil is Back,’ the sequel of ‘Evil in Front.’

Evil in Front is a book about a master villain called Max Moneysnatch attempting to steal the crown jewels. But he failed badly after eating a double cheeseburger the night of the robbery and burping the loudest burp you have ever heard whilst trying to break the crown jewels’ glass case. Guards, after hearing the humungous belch, rushed to the sound and had him sent to jail.

In Evil is Back, Max escapes from prison and makes the headlines in the newspapers. Then after he robs a bank, a criminal-buster dressed in red and blue heroically announces that he shall force Max behind bars where he rightfully belongs. That’s where I stopped reading…

I’ve just brushed my teeth and I’m tucking myself in under the covers, ready for my bedtime story. I am about to pick up Evil is Back when suddenly I hear a yell followed by the screeching of police sirens. I get up but I’m not in my library, I’m looking at the night sky! I look around and to my absolute horror I’m staring at a bright city! I see a black van speed past followed by fifteen police cars.

One of the police officers stops by me and shouts, trying to be heard above the noise, “Easier said than done, hero!” I look down at myself and realise I am a human wearing a red top and blue shorts! Then, a police officer pushes me and I’m being forced to go to what looks like an abandoned mansion where I could just about see a black van.

Police officers storm in through the open doors of the mansion. I am pushed to an empty corridor where no one is searching. I look in my pocket and I’m surprised to see a torch. After switching the torch on, I cautiously creep along the corridor until I get to a vast room.

In the middle of the room there is a chandelier and standing on top of it is a black figure. He jumps off the chandelier but makes a bigger noise than he intended to. I see a gleam of a knife strapped to his leg as a police officer roars, “Hey I ’eard a noise comin’ from over there!” Then, crowds of officers barge into the room and grab the black figure. He kicks one of the officers and grabs his knife, throws it at the rope attached to the chandelier and cuts it…

The chandelier hurtles downwards and it is going to hit me! BANG! Two book covers close and I am a bookworm again with a book by my side.


I was a finalist in the same competition last year - click here to read my 2015 shortlisted entry, Moonlight Jasmine.


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