Hey blog readers! Did you know that the first of March was World Book Day? Is that not the best holiday ever? I wonder where I’d have to work for this to be an official holiday? Anyway, March 1st was designated as World Book Day by Unesco as “a worldwide celebration of books and reading, marked in over 100 countries all over the world.” 2018 is actually the 21st consecutive year it’s taking place. The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasure of books and reading. It’s all about getting kids closer to the books and authors they already love and letting them discover more books and authors they’ll love every bit as much in the future.
In celebration of World Book Day, the BBC had some of their favourite children’s authors take part in a “finish the story” game. Different authors were asked to write a part of the same story, but they could only read what the author right before them had written. You can find the entire article here! And here is the story they came up with:
Up in the attic the ghost stirred from his sleep of a hundred years, poked the other ghost awake, and said;
(written by Anne Fine – Author of Bills New Frock)
“Being dead can be quite boring. How about we go outside and rob a stagecoach, the way we did when I was alive?”
His friend said:
(Written by Terry Deary – Author of Horrible Histories)
“Let’s do it, did you bring all the necessaries?”
“What necessaries?”
“Things we can hold up a stagecoach with.”
“I brought a turnip.”
“A turnip? You can’t hold up a stagecoach with a turnip.”
“How about a custard cream… a really dangerous, scary-looking custard cream. That should stop a stagecoach dead!”
(Written by Kes Gray – Author of Daisy Eat Your Peas)
“I much prefer a chocolate finger. They are delicious.”
(Julian Clary – Author of The Bolds)
But before he could eat it, there was a flash of lightning and…
(Pam Butchart – Author of The Spy Who Loved School Dinners)
Through the attic window, silhouetted in the blinding light was a brilliantly bedazzled stagecoach just begging to be robbed.
“Blimey, that was easy.” said the ghost. “Let’s rob that one”
His friend agreed, so they floated down the stairs, drifted along the corridors, making sure to moan and groan on the way, so that any alive people along the way wouldn’t suspect them of being up to mischief.
When the ghosts finally arrived at the stagecoach, they found it totally empty.
No horses, no driver, no passengers, it was completely deserted.
“Oh I don’t like this,” said the ghost “what if it’s haunted?!”
“You’re a ghost you wally!”
“Oh yeah.”
The stagecoach wasn’t haunted. It was something much worse than that.
It was cursed!
(Written by Tom Fletcher – Author of The Christmasaurus)
So, what do you think? It’s a bit of a strange story because of all the different additions and the authors not knowing the full story. But that’s exactly the fun of it! I’m thinking about re-creating this experiment, maybe with some friends, maybe with some fellow bloggers. It seems like so much fun! Have you ever tried this game?
Happy reading,
Loes M.