Literacy Story Writing: The Shortcut

Today in literacy we began looking at how a story begins and how it could have many different endings depending on what happens in the story. We thought about the importance of creating clear characters and using our writing to show not tell the reader. This week year 4 will be planning the rest of The Shortcut using their own imagination, skill and expertise as authors.

The Shortcut

by Year 4

 

It all began on the way home from the park. Jack, Rose and Frank had been playing football. They always played football, Frank always won and they were always late home.  

“Come on!” shouted Jack “It’s time to go home!”

“Alright, alright! We’d better go Frank, Mum will be waiting.” Rose replied as she noticed it was starting to get quite dark. Frank began protesting that Rose and Jack always stopped playing when he was winning.

“Why can’t we play for a bit longer? You two are such goodie goodies!” grumbled Frank as he kicked the football over to the gate.

 

Worried of the punishment Mum would give them this week for being late the three Rogers children quickly started walking home. Jack, who was the eldest of the three, heard his mobile phone bleeping. It was Mum. Rose and Frank stopped walking to see what Mum had written in her text message,

 

“Where are you three? You were supposed to be home TEN MINUTES ago! Hurry up!”

 

Just as Jack finished reading it his phone battery died. The three Rogers children looked anxiously at one another. With no way to tell Mum they were still twenty minutes away they were certain to get in a lot of trouble when they got home. Rose looked at Frank,

 

“I wonder if we could take a shortcut. Rebecca always talks about her brother being able to hop over a wall to cut behind the cinema…”

Frank shrugged his shoulders and grunted

 

“Whatever…might as well if it’s quicker.”

 

Jack however started hopping nervously from one foot to the other.

 

“Shouldn’t we just go the normal way home. I mean Mum would know where to look for us then if she was really cross or worried?”

“Let’s take a vote”  Rose announced “All in favor of shortcut say aye!”

“Aye.” muttered Frank.

“Aye” squealed Rose, who had begun to get excited about their adventurous new route home.

“Oh…Aye” sighed Jack knowing he had been out voted once again.

Five minutes later they were stood face to face with ‘the wall’. It towered over them like a skyscraper in New York. Not wanting to show that she may have made a bad choice Rose began to say

 

“I know it looks quite high and difficult to get over but with all three of us it’ll be easy.”

“But we don’t even know what’s on the other side” protested a nervous Jack “It could be anything!”

Frank who had been looking at possible ways over the wall had found a crack. He shouted from the crack

 

“There’s only an old house on the other side. Stop being such a wimp Jack. “

“An old house…that’ll be worth exploring.” thought Rose.

 

The three children began climbing the wall. Rose first, then Frank and finally Jack.  

 

"Was this really going to be a shortcut?” they all wondered.

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED...