Library News | Preparatory School
Book Week Competitions
As part of our Book Week Celebrations, we asked the students to get involved with some competitions. Students from PK-2 created a comic strip that was set in another world and students from 3-6 wrote a short story set in another world. We were overwhelmed by the creative responses and wanted to share the 3 winners from each category with you.
Comic Strip Competition
Writing Competition
- Imagination – New World/Other World By Tank Yang
One sombre and murky winter night, when the sun was getting ready for bed, my mum asked me to go to the shops to get some chicken. Ohhh… I loathed going! Why does she always choose me on a drap night when my thoughts go haywire? With butterflies in my stomach, I nervously reached for the door. Glancing back into the house, I muttered, “Farewell” to the cost fire inside persuading me to stay. With sweaty palms and a big gulp of bravery, I decided it was now or never – but what dangers awaited me.
When I arrived at the shops, Mr Zhang grinned, “you’re fortunate Harry I was just about to leave.” As he turned to count the till, I noticed the latest edition of my favourite comic. No sooner had I reached the self when the lights turned black – one – after – another after another. I stood still… but what happened to Mr Zhang? Like a bolt of lightning, it struck me! He had already left… and I was all by myself… all by myself in the darkness. Darting out the back door, I realised I had to take another route to get home fast.
The wrought gate to the abandoned prison screeched open as I meandered inside the door to my imagination creaked open as I meandered inside. A crescent – moon flashed madly, lightning up the doom stalking me: bloodthirsty vampires, sinister savage, skeletons and ghosts – all guarded by the most venomous of snakes slithering in the abandoned doorways. The jagged edges of broken bottles tore my clothes as I ran and stumbled and fell between discarded memories of yesterday’s news. Shivering and panting I just missed a soulless zombie, prowling and waiting in the sinister evening. Moans of misery spun in my mind, a discarded orchestra in a call of sorrow. Plunging ahead, I reached the gate and flew, like a bullet out of a sniper, right out of there!
As I scrambled towards my house, I was pleased to see my mother waiting impatiently beside the door. “Where did you go？What took you ages? I was so worried about you! That’s the last time I let you out this late in the evening.” “I’m never going to let my mind free in the abandoned prison,” I murmured. Dread let go of my body, letting me breathe again. Feeling calmer, my mind and I marched indoors to relaxation, safely and our next journey…
- The Alien That Crashed By Aarav Mukesh
- Mamma Mia by Lucas Kim
“Good night Ben,” said mum.
“Good night,” I replied.
I waited until she turned the light off in my room and started walking away back to her room. Once the footsteps could no longer be heard, I immediately got out of my bed and turned on the computer on my desk.
I was eager to play the new game that my friend, Paul, told me at school today. It was called Super Mario and it was free to play on the internet browser. I quickly typed in the name of the game and opened the link. My hands were all fidgety as they could not contain the excitement. Once the game loaded, I was clicking the start button as I couldn’t wait to begin.
However, before the game fully loaded, a notice popped up on the screen.
Because I was so eager to play the game, I just skipped what it said and clicked on the “YES” button.
Suddenly, my head started spinning and my thoughts became hazy. My eyelids were gradually getting heavier to the point where I could no longer keep my eyes open. Shortly after, I could feel my consciousness drifting away and the last thing that I heard was the high pitched voice coming from the computer, saying “Super Mario Brothers!”
I slowly opened my eyes. The dizziness was gone and the sunlight was shining brightly into my eyes.
“Wait, sunlights? I thought I was in my room! Where am I?” I questioned myself in panic.
I was in a vast field. There were no buildings, there were no cars, and there were no people! I inspected myself and I was even more confused. I was wearing these weird suspenders and very thick white gloves. I still had no idea where this place was and why everything around me was pixelated.
It was all very weird but I thought there was nothing that I could really do so I decided to just walk along the path that led to somewhere. When I was walking through the relentless sights, I finally saw something in the distance. I quickly ran towards it thinking it might be someone but as I got closer, I realised it was a box floating in the middle of the air! I was very curious about the boxes floating in the air, especially the golden box with the question mark drawn on it. So I tried making the boxes fall. I couldn’t reach it from a centimetre, so I jumped and unfortunately, I crashed my head into the box.
However, it didn’t hurt me at all, I thought it was because of this old fashioned hat which had a big M in a golden letter. When I was about to leave, I heard a ding sound similar to the bell in the kitchen. I looked around, instead of the bell I saw a gold coin lying on the ground. I quickly dashed towards the money and checked if it was real. It was kind of square but it didn’t really matter because all I could think about was being so rich just by bumping your head into a weird box.
I quickly ran to find another box when again, I saw something in the distance. I rushed through the trees and mountains and when I arrived I almost fainted. I saw a mushroom with an ugly face walking sideways. However, the ugly faces were familiar to me, it was the mushrooms in the game that Paul played in recess. That’s when I finally realised that I was in the game: Super Mario. I was so confused that I was literally just paralysed in the place. I quickly looked around to find a way out but the only thing I found was a timer in the sky decreasing by seconds.
I panicked, I just saw I had 150 seconds left and it became 149. I quickly ran, just looking forward and when I accidentally stepped on the mushroom walking by. I couldn’t see what was under my foot but I couldn’t feel anything under it. So I decided to see what was under my feet. Slowly I opened my eyes and saw nothing. I was very surprised and happy in the other way because I didn’t really want to see a squashed mushroom that had a very ugly face on it. When I saw the clock just reaching 100. I ran quickly but then I faced the most unlucky thing, it was a row of hills in front of me. I was so exhausted but I quickly got my energy back when I saw the clock saying 90.
I quickly ran over all the hills as fast as I could using all of my energy but the clock was not very nice and after I went over all the hills the clock reached 50 which made me extra conscious. However, when I saw what was happening in front of me I thought this game was the worst game in the world. There was a hill twice as big as the old ones. It felt like I was looking at dad when I was 4 years old, massive. However, I knew I had to try my best because if I didn’t, I knew I wouldn’t get any second time. As I was reaching the top, I tripped over and I thought it was all over, but I saw the last hope, I saw the flag which meant the end of this nightmare.
So with the pain, I stood up, racing to the flag and behind, the time chasing me furiously. So when I was bolting down the hill the time finally reached the last 10 seconds. And like a buzzer-beater in sports, I finished the level just in time. The feeling of sliding down the flag was better than getting a private jet at Christmas. After that, I was forced to get into the castle which meant I was free, this brain frightening journey was over. So I entered, expecting to go back to my room.
“Finally, I can get out of this stupid world!” I exclaimed in happiness.
However, inside the castle was just dark and, in a moment, a big letter in white appeared, ‘World 1-2’ Then I was transported to the familiar place, filled with pixelated blocks.
“Mamma Mia!”
Author Spotlight – Boori Monty Prior
Boori Monty Pryor is an indigenous Australian born in Townsville, North Queensland in 1950. His father is from the Birri-gubba Nation of the Bowen region and his mother’s tribal group from Yarrabah, near Cairns, is the Kunggandji. Boori travels extensively as a performer and public speaker for school students and adult groups throughout Australia and overseas. In 2012 Boori was selected to be Australia’s first Children’s Laureate along with Alison Lester.
Story Doctors – From the very first stories and art, to dance, language, and connection with the land, Boori offers a powerful, beautiful, and deeply rich account of Australia’s true history, drawing on a lifetime of wisdom, and on his generous instinct to teach and heal.
Abigail Nel | Inquiry Learning Integrator
