Congratulations to our Year 3 and 4 winners of the FOBISIA (the Federation of British International Schools in Asia) short story competition, Amelia, overall winner from The Alice Smith School, and runners up Sofia from The British School of Colombo and Garam at Bangkok Patana.
The theme of this year's short story competition was 'Protect'. Launched back in October the competition received 68 stories across three age categories. Five entries were shortlisted in each category and sent to Curtis Jobling the designer of worldwide hit children's television show 'Bob the Builder', and the author/illustrator of numerous children’s books, for judging.
Curtis selected an overall winner and two runners up in each category and we're very excited to bring you the winning stories in the youngest age group, for students in Years 3 and 4.
WINNER
'One Spark' by Amelia at The Alice Smith School, Kuala Lumpur
She screamed. Nothing. It was just a waste of breath. She watched the flames get closer and closer until she could have reached out and touched them. She fell. And was swallowed by the inferno…
Luna Anderson woke with a jolt. Beads of sweat were streaming down her face. She
peered cautiously out of the window and gasped. Choking, black smoke filled the air and everything looked liquid. Crackling flames licked the sooty, soulless sky, blood red
against the darkness of the heavens.
Then she saw it. At first it was just an inky smudge in the distance but then it became
clearer. A baby koala. It was shuffling along the overgrown path trying to get away from
the fiery monster behind it. Luna’s heart ached for it as she knew it was too slow to
escape. Suddenly, an idea leapt into her mind. Maybe, just maybe she could save it?
Without stopping to think she leapt through the open window and sprinted to the koala.
She could feel her heart jumping around in her chest threatening to break out. If she
didn’t run fast enough she could get seriously injured or even die! Her lungs were on fire like the sea of flames surrounding her but she couldn’t feel it. All she was thinking was “get to the koala”. She grabbed him and tore back to her house just as the wind changed direction taking the fire with it.
The koala was trembling and Luna could see the sadness in his eyes. She wrapped him in a cosy blanket, stroked his velvety brownish-grey fur and whispered in a reassuring voice, “you’re safe now... Smoky”. She did not know where the name Smoky came from but it seemed perfect. Smoky looked up at her and almost seemed to smile. Then unexpectedly, Smoky said “thank you” in the squeakiest little voice.
Luna jumped back and squealed in alarm. Her hands became cold and clammy. Her legs felt like jelly. Without warning Smoky clambered off the bed and nestled at Luna’s feet. All her worries melted away and were replaced by love and hope.
Smoky spoke up again “there weren’t many of us left when the blaze started, and now I’m the only one left of my koala clan”. Luna nodded. “You humans keep cutting down our forest leaving us with no home and very little food”. “You then use electricity all the time. You cause global warming which creates crazy weather, and drought, leaving us with barely any water to survive”. Smoky burst into a flood of tears.
Luna tried her best to console him and decided right there and then that she would fight
to protect the koalas and the planet.
Ten years later…
Luna Anderson the world renowned earth warrior smiled as she rode her bike to her next speech. She surveyed her New Tree Planting Foundation and animal conservation centre. As she arrived, she took in the tranquil surroundings. Her koala by her side, always.
Curtis felt Amelia's story was a:
A clear winner with its strong message - not that every story needs one, of course, but this appears to come from the heart. A great friendship struck up between Luna and Smoky, and a real sense of jeopardy as our heroine sets out to save our desperate koala.
RUNNER UP
'Wisdom from the Future' by Garam at Bangkok Patana
Judges comments, "Another story with its eye on the troubles we face today. Who doesn’t enjoy a spot of time-travelling in their tale-telling? Some super descriptions of the future wasteland, and a warning that we are masters of our own destiny. It’s never too late to change." You can read Garam's story here.
RUNNER UP
'Trapped in Time' by Sofia at The British School of Colombo
Judges comments, "(I) very much enjoyed the adventure aspect to this, with its building sense of peril. It does feel like the start of something bigger, so I’d be intrigued to read what happens next." You can read Sofia's story here.
Congratulations to our Year 3 and 4 winners. We'll be bringing you the winning entries in the Year 5 and 6 and Secondary categories in future posts.