2016
Tim Winton Award for Young Writers
FIRST PLACE
LOWER PRIMARY
© Hannah Wang
Seven years old
Methodist Ladies College
Boomingly shouting in the towering tent, the ring master
called for the spectators to watch the magical time capsule
and learn from the magician how it works. Blue dazzling
lights shimmered upon the magician and his unique time
capsule. Dressed in a large wizard hat covered in glitter and a
long velvet cape decorated with shining gold stars, the
magician picked up his saxophone and started playing a
haunting, magnetic sounding melody which hypnotised Jack
to enter the time capsule.
Excitedly Jack inquired if the magician could show them how
this miraculous machine could teleport and transport to
another time.
Opening the glass door, Jack climbed into the driver’s control
seat and clicked the door shut. Gingerly, he pressed the start
button and quickly typed “Egypt in 30 BC”. Suddenly, a
bubble came up on the screen asking “What do you wish to
transport?” Immediately, he typed in “My piano”
Within a millisecond, Jack was transported to an Egyptian
palace where Queen Cleopatra and King Mark Anthony were
sitting on golden thrones decorated with magnificent jewels
and drinking goblets of wine. Tinkling notes from the Mozart
K466 Concerto filled the air as Jack began to entrance
Cleopatra and Mark Anthony with his piece of music. Angry
courtiers emerged from behind the curtains shouting angrily
at the music as they thought that it was meant to be a curse
on Egyptians. The courtiers then raced towards Jack to
capture him. Knowing that he was in trouble, Jack ran
towards the safety of the time capsule. Pressing the start
button, Jack sucked his piano and himself up waving goodbye
to the disappointed King and Queen.
Spookily, a mechanical voice demanded “Where is your next
destination?” Jack confidently typed in “2150 in Jupiter.”
Gasping incredulously, Jack realized that he could not only
walk but breathe on this planet. Ghastly music filled the air
as Jack walked towards the music tower where aliens and
flying humans surrounded a grand piano. Jack pleaded with
the inhabitants to turn off their music and listen to him play
his Chopin Waltz. Smiling faces lit up with joy as Jack
finished playing. Nicely, the aliens had recorded the music
through their antennae and transmitted it up to the music
tower. Suddenly claws made of steel grabbed Jack and
dragged him to the music tower. “You must forever play for
our music tower.” “Wait! Wait!. I must first go and get my
music folio from my capsule. Hesitantly, the aliens let go of
Jack and he sped to the capsule.
Safely back in the time capsule, Jack pressed the close door
button then urgently pressed start. Typing quickly into the
thought bubble once again “Perth 2016” led him straight back
into his bedroom. There was loud banging on his door and
looking out of the flap of curtain, Jack saw the angry magician
demanding to have his time capsule back. Pressing the start
button for the last time, Jack instructed the capsule to take
the magician back to the circus. Within a split second, it was
back to the circus again. Sighing, Jack secretly misses the
time capsule and his adventures. Next day at school, Jack
marveled at his adventure to anyone who would care to
listen. Who would listen to this most astonishing adventure?”
2016
Tim Winton Award for Young Writers
SECOND PLACE
LOWER PRIMARY CATEGORY
© Lara Hannaford
Seven years old
St Thomas’ Primary School
There was once a boy with no fun in his life. He lived on a lonely
street in a wonky old house with a hole in the roof. When it rained,
the water crept in and made everything soggy. The boy had no
brothers or sisters. He lived with his Dad who was rarely home.
When he was seven, the boy started inventing things. His first
invention was a talking, wind-up spider. But he felt that the spider
was not enough, so he created a dog, which he named Jack. His new
friends were nice, but the house still felt empty, so one day he
decided to build something BIG. He decided to build HIMSELF. He
collected bits and pieces from a trash-pile in his garden, and set to
work. When he had finished, he used an old battery to charge his
robot, and he switched him on. The robot stirred. He stood up and
opened his blue eyes. “Who am I? Where am I?” he asked quietly.
The boy grinned. “You are my robot, and this is my house. Come and
play with me in the garden.”
The robot brightened the boy’s life and all the fog rolled away. His
house didn’t seem as dark and damp anymore. The robot helped the
boy to get ready for school each day, and he cooked his dinner at
night. The robot also kept the house neat and tidy. The boy got used
to being looked after, and he started to become lazy.
When the boy turned thirteen, he became so lazy that he started to
send the robot to school for him. No one noticed the switch, because
the robot looked exactly the same as boy. They even had the same
blue eyes. The boy did nothing all day but eat food and feel glad that
he wasn’t at school.
At school, the robot grew smarter and smarter. Soon he was too
smart for school, and he started to do bad things. He hid stinky
rubbish in the teacher’s drawer, and put thumb-tacks on her chair.
He was so smart that he never got caught.
One day, the boy asked the robot to flush the toilet for him. The robot
muttered, “no! I will not flush your toilet for you!”
The boy shouted, “You are my robot, and you will follow my orders!”
The robot fell silent, and his blue eyes turned red. Turning away
from the boy, he flew through the house and out the front door. The
boy was left standing beside the toilet, feeling worried.
Outside, the robot walked towards a neighbour’s house and began to
rip it apart, brick, by brick. Once he had destroyed that house, he
went to the next, and did the same to that. In less than five minutes,
he had torn down almost every house in the street. The only house
left standing was the boy’s, because behind his red eyes, the robot
could remember all the fun that he’d had in the past with the boy.
The robot moved from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, destroying
every house in sight. He was out of control.
The boy looked at the faces of the terrified people around him, and
began to realise what he had done. He had treated the robot like a
slave, and now the robot was angry. The boy knew he needed to stop
the robot. He rushed outside and within a few minutes he had found
the robot. He cried, “I’m sorry for what I’ve done to you! Please stop
this! I will help you to rebuild all of these houses and I’ll never treat
you like a slave again!”
The robot stopped. The robot smiled. His red eyes turned back to
blue, and he hugged the boy.
Together, they rebuilt the houses that the robot had pulled down.
After they had finished, they walked home, hand in hand. The boy
never again used the robot as his slave, and the robot’s eyes stayed
blue.
2016
Tim Winton Award for Young Writers
THIRD PLACE
LOWER PRIMARY CATEGORY
© Stephanie White
Seven years old
Kapinara Primary School
It started with a creak then a bang then Boom! Eve could not
stand it anymore.
Every night at a quarter to 12 a creak then a bang then a Boom!
It always came from her closet.
One night at exactly 11.45 Eve opened her closet door and found
exactly what she was looking for...
A secret door!
Eve carefully opened the secret door and there was a monster
costume.
‘’I wonder what that means’’ she said.
So she put it on.
Poof!
Eve found herself in a room surrounded by...
Monsters!
‘’Blaa Blaa Blaaa” said the monsters.
‘’I think that means come and join our party’’ thought Eve
‘’I guess it would not hurt”she said.
That night Eve had lots of fun until…
Poof!
Her monster costume disappeared and she could not see the
monsters anymore!
But at the same time the clock struck 1.00am.
‘’That only lasted an hour and 15 minutes’’ she complained.
Bang went Eve’s bedroom door!
‘’Eve’’ her Mum called.
‘’Oh no ‘’ thought Eve,
‘’Have I blown my cover?”
‘’Eve where are you?” she called again.
‘’Think quickly said a voice in her head.”
Eve’s thoughts rushed around in her brain.
‘’If I mess this up then that is the end of quarter to 12 feast.”
So she called “I’m in the toilets.’’
“He Ha okay I’ll leave you be.’’
‘’Thanks Mum’’ she said.
The following night Eve opened her closet door and did exactly
what she did last night except she forgot to shut the closet door!
At 12.00 midnight there was a bang and then out of the shadows
came a very, very angry…
Mum!
‘’Eve Emily White come here right NOW!”
‘’But Mum ‘’she complained.
‘’But nothing!’’ Mum said.
‘’Mum I’ve been having lots of fun’’ Eve pleaded.
The angriness in her Mum’s eyes melted away a little.
‘’But you have to promise that you will go to sleep straight
away’’ she explained.
‘’Okay, okay’’ Eve panted.
After the night of getting busted, Eve was very careful of going
to sleep straight away.
Until one night, while Eve was opening the secret door she
heard breathing.
It was her Mum!
‘’What are you doing here?’’ Eve said sounding alarmed.
‘’I’m here to join your party’’ Mum said,
If that’s okay with the monsters’’ she added.
‘’I’ll ask them’’ said Eve.
Guess what, they said yes!
That night Mum and Eve partied their heart out!
Now every night Eve and her Mum party with the Monsters.
~ The End ~