Future Author

Yesterday Maddie walked in the door and yelled, "MOM! My story won the Young Author's Competition!"

Last week Maddie decided to write a story for a contest at school. It had to be around 150 words (short story!) and had to involve a kid who gets the hiccups on a special day/event. The top 10 stories (after grading) get to go to an all-day conference at Bethel where they will meet authors and illustrators and get to interact and learn from them. Maddie LOVES to write stories. We have notebooks GALORE all over the house containing her stories.

And I'm happy to report she didn't wait until the last night to do it either! Major victory! She actually worked on it all week and spent the final night EDITING. She learned quickly that 150 words isn't much!

So...enjoy one of Sun Path's winning entries....

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"Concert Time"
by Madison Murphy

"Class," announced Ms. Nelson, "We will be having a concert in a few days. Who's interested?"

Hailey's hand shot up. She loved to play the flute! "Hailey?" Ms. Nelson said, "Are you inter..." "YES!" Hailey exclaimed. Soon everyone in Hailey's class had a part.

Hailey went home and practiced and practiced until she knew the song by heart.

Finally the big day arrived. While she waited, she hiccuped and hiccuped! "Oh no!" she moaned. "How am I supposed to play the flute hiccuping?" She hurried to the water fountain, slurped a big gulp and ran back to the gym just in time for her part. She swallowed and began to play her song.

"Doo doo...hiccup. Toot toot...hiccup!"

After the concert, Hailey's mom hugged her and said, "How were you able to make that flute hiccup?" Hailey just smiled.

Years later, as an adult, Hailey composed the "Hiccup Song". Children loved it!
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