I recently had the pleasure of being entertained by a number of Banaadir Academy 6th graders as they shared stories they’d written in class. From the author’s chair in front of their classmates, they read their manuscripts, beautifully bound and covered.
The first story was “Plot Twist.” After the author finished reading, Ms. Oliver, their teacher asked “Is it realistic, were the characters believable?” And the class yelled “yes” and one girl shared, “I really liked the details.”
Stories covered topics like sporting events, concerts, shopping expeditions and more. The stories were also full of details about chosen clothing, nervous situations and companionship—youth life.
One story was set in the future, on the character’s graduation day, and featured some amazing dialogue.
Not only were the stories interesting and fun to hear, writing stories also lets students try on another identity. Stories also give students a place to grapple and discover, “stop caring what other people think.” Said one character.
Folowing the stories, was a bit of a party with treats and a lot of laughing, because, as Ms. Oliver said, “authors celebrate!”
