"I don't know any big words," Clara muttered to the empty room. "And nothing exciting ever happens in this house."
Inspired by her actual philosophy that reading and storytelling should feel like "cookies" rather than forced chores, here is an original story about a young girl who discovers the magic of words. janice campbell
"I did it," Clara said breathlessly. "I wrote a story about a girl who lives in a giant tree and talks to the birds." "And how does it feel?" Janice asked. "I don't know any big words," Clara muttered
Clara wanted to write a story, but her mind felt as blank as the page before her. "I wrote a story about a girl who
475 | Creating a Family Culture of Reading, Writing and Creativity…
The rain drummed a relentless, messy rhythm against the windowpane of the attic room. For ten-year-old Clara, trapped inside on a Saturday afternoon, the grey sky felt like a heavy woolen blanket. She sighed and looked at the small wooden desk her grandmother had given her. On top sat a stack of lined paper and a single, sharp pencil.
Just then, her aunt Janice stepped into the room. Janice was a teacher who loved books so much that her house was less a building and more a giant, sprawling library. She was carrying a small tray with two glasses of cold milk and a small plate of warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies.