Storytelling Competition 2025 Shortlist Category 2
10-13 Years
Ruby (10 years)
The air in the library always smells a bit dusty, but today it felt different. Frankie, who was twelve, loved Saturdays because it meant he could go to the library and read his favourite books. Today, though, something strange happened. He was walking through the kids’ section when something shiny caught his eye. It was ‘All Creatures Can Get Along’, his favourite book. But it was glowing! Frankie reached out, feeling the warmth of the cover. As soon as his fingers touched it, the book sucked him in like a vacuum, and he couldn’t stop it. One second, he was in the library, and the next, he was falling through bright colours and flashing lights. He shut his eyes, but when he opened them again, he was standing in a strange place. The sky was purple, the trees had blue glowing leaves, and the ground was soft, like walking on a big sponge. Frankie spun around, his heart thudding. “Where am I?”
“Welcome,” a voice said. Frankie turned to see a dragon standing behind him. She was big, with shiny green scales. “I’m Hayley,” she said. “We need your help.”
Frankie blinked. “Help with what?”
“A storm is coming, and it’s going to destroy everything,” Hayley explained. “We need you to stop it.”
“Me?” Frankie asked, not sure if he could help at all. “How?”
“You’ve got a kind heart,” Hayley said. “That’s all we need.”
Suddenly, a Pegasus with silver wings appeared from behind a tree. “I’m Lily,” she said, smiling. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Then, a huge triceratops walked up. “Name’s Freddie,” he said in a loud voice. “Let’s get this done!”
Frankie looked at all of them. They were weird and awesome at the same time. “OK, I’ll help,” he said, not really sure what he was getting into.
The group travelled across the land together, meeting all sorts of magical creatures. They climbed huge mountains, crossed rivers that whispered to them, and ran through forests where the trees could walk. Frankie learned that being kind and helping his new friends was the most important thing he could do. Finally, they found the storm. It was a big, dark cloud that was sucking all the colour out of the land.
“It’s too big to fight,” Frankie said, thinking hard. “But maybe it doesn’t want to hurt us. Maybe it’s just scared.” He stepped forward and reached out his hand. “It’s okay. We’re not here to fight,” he said softly.
The cloud swirled and seemed to calm down. Slowly, the dark cloud turned into light, and the storm disappeared.
“You did it!” Hayley cheered. “You saved us!”
Frankie grinned. He was happy, but he knew it was time to go home. “Thanks for everything,” he said to his friends. The dragon, the Pegasus, and the dinosaur gave him big hugs, and with a flash of light, Frankie was back in the library. He looked down at the book in his hands. It was just like before. He smiled to himself. Maybe the world inside the pages was real, or maybe it wasn’t – but either way, Frankie would never forget his adventure.
Aaron (13 years)
Frankie cried out, as a large purple vine shot from the book, twisting around the room. Frankie stumbled out of its path dropping the book. His heart beat wildly, and he felt faint. He had read this book many times, what was happening? Suddenly, the vine stopped moving, and Frankie realised it had encased the whole room.
A monster burst from the book’s pages letting out a squeal. Frankie looked on in terror and awe. The creature had large orange wings, and a pointed beak. Large dark talons flexed menacingly on its feet as it’s large, blood-red eyes surveyed the room. Frankie desperately looked for cover, but found none. It looked like a Wretch which Frankie had read about in the story.
He screamed, “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!”
The monster turned, letting out an ear-piercing squeal. Frankie covered his ears, and watched as it came closer. Luckily, a human then leapt from the book, holding a broken bat.
“HEY!” they shouted confidently, “Wretch! Look over here!”
Frankie knew this character: Jack Sullivan, post-apocalyptic hero! Jack then dodged out of the Wretches’ path.
“Wow!” Jack looked at Frankie, “Another human!”
“Jack,” Frankie said. “Woah, how do you know my… Never mind,” Jack rolled beneath the Wretches gaping jaws, “Help? Please?” he said unfazed.
“How?” Frankie asked.
“Book,” Jack said, climbing up the Wretches’ tail, “Yeeehaa!”
Frankie stumbled over to the open book, and called back to Jack, “How?”
“Pass it here!” Jack shouted.
Frankie threw the book, and Jack caught it. He reached inside pulling out a net and then a shield. The Wretch threw him off his tail, swiping at the book, causing rocks to bounce out of it, towards Frankie and Jack. Frankie yelped, but Jack crouched in front of him with the shield.
Frankie kept on throwing rocks at the Wretch, as Jack spun the net over his head.
“I’m having SO much fun!” he grinned, and let it go, wrapping up the Wretch.
Inside the book, there was an angry yell, and three kids’ heads popped up, “Quit throwing stones at us!”
“Sorry!” Jack laughed, and he shouted, “CATCH!”
He threw the end of the net towards the book, and the three kids disappeared with it. Frankie watched in shock, and sat down. He couldn’t believe it was Quint, June and Dirk. ‘What on earth was happening?’ he thought. The Wretch screeched louder than ever, as it was pulled back into the pages of the book.
Jack, meanwhile, paced around the room, cutting vines and throwing them into the book.
“What’s your name?” asked Jack.
Frankie began to reply, just as Jack picked up the book and disappeared.
Frankie looked around and everything was back normal, he lay backwards, trying to process the events that had just happened. He picked up the book, and placed it back on the shelf. He walked to the exit, and passed another child.
“Hey, I wouldn’t read Last Kids On Earth today!” he said.
The child gave a confused look and nodded slowly.
Ethan (13 years)
Frankie fell through endless darkness. THUD! His feet made contact with solid ground. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt but visibly shaken. ‘Where am I?’ he thought. ‘A castle corridor? What are these clothes?’ Frankie was wearing a black cloak with a red and yellow tie and a house emblem above his heart, beneath which it read, ‘Gryffindor’. A bell rang and children about his age, also dressed in cloaks, flooded the corridor, pushing him along.
“Where am I?” Frankie asked.
Before anyone could answer, Frankie was swept by a group into a classroom, and jostled onto a bench. Frankie glanced around. The boy on the right had a scar on his forehead. ‘Hang on,’ Frankie thought, ‘If I’m in Gryffindor and he has a scar on his head, then he must be…’
A dark shape suddenly swept into the room, with a rush of air and a sweet herb smell trailing behind it. The shape stopped at the front of class and spun to face them. The tall figure reared up, black hair falling around its face as it sneered down its nose at the class.
Frankie’s jaw dropped, ‘Snape?’
“Today, we will practise our duelling. The only spell you are allowed to use is expelliarmus,” he said. “First up, Potter,” Snape sneered, “And you,” he said pointing at Frankie.
Frankie in his panic could not remember what expelliarmus did. ‘What am I doing here? what if I get hurt, what if I hurt Harry?’ Throughout all of this worrying, Frankie made his way onto the platform and turned to face Harry. He didn’t know what to do. There was only one thing he could do.
“Look, Voldemort!” Frankie shouted, pointing to the back of the room.
Screams arose from the class as people turned in terror to where Frankie had pointed. Quickly, Snape and the class realised there was nothing there and that the boy had lied. They turned, annoyed at Frankie.
“You must not joke about such serious things!” Snape bellowed, drawing his wand, “Who are you? Are you He Who Must Not be Named in disguise?!”
The whole class stood up, waving wands at Frankie, trying to hit him with the stupify spell. Frankie leapt from the platform and ran, dodging the stupify spells flying around. Escaping the classroom, he raced through the twists and turns of the corridors into the Great Hall. “Oof!” he exclaimed, running into an old man, and knocking him over.
Frankie stopping in his tracks, “Sorry!” he said.
The old man stood up, and Frankie realised in horror that it was Albus Dumbledore.
“Hello Frankie. I don’t think you should be here, do you?” Albus said, raising his wand.
Frankie jolted, feeling as though he’d just landed on his feet and blinked. He was back in the library. Frankie felt dazed and confused. What a dream. Then something fell on the floor at his feet. Frankie bent down to pick it up and realised that it was a wand!