ABC Life Literacy Canada

Title: Myles the Rockstar (Winning Story!)
Christine Walker-Jordan, Myles and Aidan, Scarborough, ON

My family sings songs
We sing songs all day long.

Funky flowing folk music jazzy enough to make you rock
That’s the song my family sings and I don’t think we’ll ever stop.

Dad makes funky beats and raps his songs.
I love to groove to his music
And break-a-break-a-breakdance on the ground.

Mom flows slow songs – not everyone hears
Her words are like quiet whisssssssperrrrs
And feel good in my ears.

Aidan sings “en francais” folk songs he learned in school.
He chants, “Bonjour les amis” - I think it’s really cool.
He claps out the time and hums the melodies;
And he teaches French songs to me.

My baby sister Salome she rolls around and sings,
With the catchy shaky shaky tune her wrist rattle brings.
She “gooooooos” and she “gaahhhhs”
She’s my little jazz queen.

I’m Myles the rockstar, my songs mostly loud.
I beat on my drums – my voice makes me proud.
I don’t know all the words – that’s why I make up my own
I scream “BooLaLaSenahSenah” in my orange microphone.

Funky flowing folk music jazzy enough to make you rock that’s the song my family sings and I don’t think we’ll ever stop.

My family sings songs
We Sings songs all day long.

Finalists (stories listed alphabetically by author):

Title: Stinky Soup
The Duncan Family, Winnipeg, MB

On Monday night, we sat at the table. Mom brought out a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches.

“Dig in,” she said.
We sang “Eww, it looks icky.”
She sang, “Why are you so picky?”
“Someone else can make supper!” shouted mom.

Dad said, “How about soup tomorrow?” He thought for a minute.
“How do you make soup?”
Mom said, “Just use broth and add your favourite things."

On Tuesday night, we sat at the table. Dad brought out his soup. When he lifted the lid a stink filled the air.

We sang, “Eww, it looks icky.”
He sang, “Why are you so picky?”
“I added my favourite ingredients, cucumbers, salami, grapes and peanut butter.”
We plugged our noses. “Fine,” said Dad.

On Wednesday night, we sat at the table waiting. Jake brought out his soup. When he lifted the lid a stink filled the air.

We sang “Eww, it looks icky.”
He sang, “Why are you so picky?”
“I added my favourite ingredients, tuna, pickles, watermelon and leftover Halloween candy.”
We plugged our noses. “Fine,” said Jake.

On Thursday night, they sat at the table waiting. I brought out my soup. When I lifted the lid a stink filled the air.

They sang, “Eww, it looks icky.”
I sang, “Why are you so picky?”
“I added my favourite ingredients, yogurt, hot banana peppers, strawberries and popcorn.
We plugged our noses.

On Friday night, we went out for supper. We were smiling as the waiter brought our grilled cheese sandwiches.

Title: Bella and Her Crazy Excuses
Tricia Gage and Janaya, 100 Mile House, BC

Bella and her mom loved to sing. They loved to sing so much that they almost never talked, they only sang.

One night, Bella sang out,
“There’s fish in the bathtub, in the bathtub, in the bathtub.
There’s fish in the bathtub, and they’re nibbling my toes.”

Her mom didn’t believe her, so she sang back,
“Oh Bella, just get clean, just get clean, just get clean.
It’s just your rubber ducky, get clean and GO TO BED.”

So Bella left the fish in the bathtub, and went to bed.

“But MOM,
There’s a polar bear in my bed, in my bed, in my bed.
There’s a polar bear in my bed and there’s no room for me.”

Her mom replied,
“Then snuggle with it, Oh Bella, Oh Bella, Oh Bella.
Then snuggle with it, Oh Bella and GO RIGHT TO SLEEP.”

So Bella snuggled up to her new friend.
A few minutes later she went to the bathroom, where she found,
“There’s an alien in the bathroom, in the bathroom, in the bathroom.
There’s an alien in the bathroom, they’ll turn me green.”

"Oh Bella, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine. Oh Bella, you’ll be fine, there’s no such thing as aliens.”

Later that night, her mom walked into the bathroom, saw aliens dancing on the top of the toilet, and angelfish splashing in the bathtub. She screamed, "AAAAGGGHHHH!!!!", ran into Bella’s bedroom, saw Bella snuggling with a polar bear, and fainted, KERPLOP, on the floor.

Title: Henry's Troubles
Andrea Haynes and Ayrison, Raymond, AB

Henry was a toddler who loved to sing. Like most toddlers, he liked to put things in his mouth. One day, something peculiar happened. Henry was playing with his older brother Richard. Richard asked Henry to sing, but when he opened his mouth he said, "DING!" Richard got his mother.

"Something's wrong with Henry."

They ran to see Henry. Again, Richard told Henry to sing, and Henry said, "DING!"

They took Henry to the doctor. The doctor said, "Now, what's wrong with Henry?"

Richard told Henry to sing. He said, "DING!"

The doctor said, "He needs an x-ray!"

When Henry was done the doctor said, "He has swallowed a bell. We'll need to operate!" After the operation they went home.

A few days Later, Richard and Henry were playing together. Richard asked Henry to sing. Instead, he said, "BOOM!"

Richard got his mother. When she heard the sound, they went to the doctor. When they explained what happened, the doctor said, "We'll need another x-ray."

When the x-ray was done, the doctor said, "Henry has swallowed a drum. We'll have to operate." After the operation they went home.

A couple days later, Richard was singing and playing the piano. After a while, his mother called for him. There was no answer. Then she saw Henry. "Henry, have you seen your brother?"

Henry opened his mouth and said, "HELP!"

Henry's mother looked in the living room. The piano and Richard were missing. His mother said, "OH-NO!!!!!"

The End

Title: Cockadoodle Moo
Bethany Klassen and Sarah, Abbotsford, BC

One night there was a wish mix up. Cow, Rooster and Lucy all wished on the same star which caused some confusion. They all wanted to be famous rockstars so they wished that their voices would be the best singing voices around!

The mix up was realized when they woke up the next morning. All that Lucy could sing was “cockadoodle moo!” and Cow and Rooster could only sing human songs.

They didn’t know what to do. Lucy had the idea to call a fairy Godmother. She looked on the internet and found a fairy Godmother phone number and gave her a call.

She came right away. The fairy Godmother told Lucy, “The only way to fix the mixed up wishes is to complete a special to do list for the next 10 days.”

And here’s the list:

1. Jump up and down 76 times
2. Cockadoodle Moo on the street
3. Drink a cup of water from the ocean
4. Eat a worm and lettuce sandwich
5. Kiss Cow
6. Climb a tree
7. Walk in the mud with no shoes on
8. Call your Grandma
9. Do the dishes for your Mom
10. Ride your bike backwards

Lucy did all ten things on all ten days and when the three of them woke up on the eleventh day their wishes weren’t mixed up anymore.

Lucy, Cow and Rooster were now the best singers in the land and lived happily ever after as rockstars.

The End

Title: Jack Sings We Will Rock
Jane, Scott and Ben Lavineway, Kanata, ON

Jack is sitting in his living room playing video games. He’s been playing for a really long time.

His mom says: “Jack, go play outside.”
Jack says: “NO”.
His mom says: “Jack, go play outside.”
Jack says: “NO”.
His mom says: “Jack, go play outside.”
Jack says: “NO.”

Finally his mom says: “Jack, go play in your room!”

So Jack goes upstairs to his room, closes the door, stands in front of the mirror and starts playing air guitar and singing: “We Will Rock You.” He dances and sings and dances and sings.

Downstairs his mom hears a noise.

She says: “Jack is that you?”
No answer.
She says: “Jack is that you?”
No answer.
She says: “Jack is that you?”
No answer.

So she heads upstairs. She hears the noise getting louder in Jack’s room. She opens the door and finds Jack dancing and singing in front of his mirror with a rock guitar in hand and his amps on full power.

His mom screams: “JACK!!!”
Jack stops playing.

She says: “Jack, where did you get that guitar and amps?”
Jack says: “From my imagination. I hid it from you because I thought you would get mad.”
“I wouldn’t be mad. I’m impressed that you can play that song,” she says. “Keep rocking.”

So Jack starts playing again and mom starts disco dancing.

THE END

Title: Penelepoop
Karen McCallum and Katherine, Edmonton, AB

It began in the spring when Mom brought a chick home from the neighbourhood playschool. The chick’s home was a small cooler heated by a red lamp, and she got to stay in Emma’s and my room until she was big enough to stay outside.

Right from the start, we knew she was no ordinary chick. She was very messy - which chicks are. She pooped and pooped. So we named her Penelepoop. And she was noisy - she peeped and peeped ALL day and ALL night - which chicks do. But it wasn’t normal chick behaviour to peep melodies - which she did. Once she peeped to the tune of 'The Wheels on a Bus.' Another time it was to 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.' The only explanation was that while Penelepoop was still in her egg at playschool, she must have learned the songs while the kids were singing.

Penelepoop grew and grew right out of her cooler, so out she went into the backyard. She also grew out of her adorable peep peeping, and into her new noisy bawk bawking. She bawk bawked 'Old MacDonald had a Farm' ALL day and 'The Alphabet Song' ALL night. The neighbours yelled “QUIET!!” ALL day and ALL night. But she loved singing and couldn’t stop.

There was only one solution...

Penelepoop’s new home is on a farm filled with barn animals. She even takes song requests from her new animal friends. Neighbours are too far away to complain, and so she sings happily ever after.

Title: The Funky Fruit
Pina Pinizzotto and Sarah Randisi, Kirkland, QC

One day, a bowl of fruit lying quietly on a kitchen table was sad. The fruit were so tired of always being quiet. Each one had a special dream.

Strawberry Sarah said quietly in her head, “I want to sing so badly.”
Apple Annie said quietly in her mind, “I want to play the guitar and be a backup singer.”

None of the fruits knew that they all shared a similar dream. But who would say something first?

The next day Strawberry Sarah wiggled, wiggled, wiggled. Then stretched, stretched, stretched. Then jumped out of the bowl and said, “Hey fruits. I am tired of sitting here quietly all the time. Does anyone want to make music?

Then, Apple Annie wiggled, wiggled, wiggled. Then stretched, stretched, stretched. Then jumped out of the bowl and said, “Yes, I do! I want to play the guitar.”

Then Banana Bob wiggled, wiggled, wiggled. Then stretched, stretched, stretched. Then jumped out of the bowl said, “I want to play the drums.”

Slowly each fruit jumped out and said they wanted to play music.

Mango Max jumped out and said, “I want to play the keyboard.”
Watermelon Will said, “Base guitar for me!”
Strawberry Sarah said,” Now we can make a band and play music everyday! We will call ourselves the….the…The Funky Fruits!”

Everyone jumped up and down and cheered! They practiced until they came up with the best song ever that they put it on the internet and The Funky Fruit became a famous band!

Title: The Talent Show Song
Karen and Carlee Ronquist, Pass Lake, ON

There was once a girl named Elizabeth. She had a song in her head to sing at the talent show. It wouldn't come out. She went to see her doctor.

"Dr. Smith," she said. "I need you to get my song out. Can you remove it?"
"No Elizabeth," said Dr. Smith kindly. "That is not the way to get your song out."

Next Elizabeth went to see fisherman Joe and said, "Could you catch the song that is inside me?"
"No," said fisherman Joe. "That is not the way to get a song out."

So Elizabeth went to the fire station. "Fireman Jack, can you rescue my song from inside me?"
"No," said fireman Jack. "That is not the way to get a song out."

She went to the Police Station. "Officer Brown, you need to arrest the song inside me."
"No Elizabeth I can not arrest a song."
"Okay, thanks anyhow," she said sadly.

She went to the mall to see Santa. "Santa could you unwrap my song?"
"Ho, ho, ho, no Elizabeth, that's not how you get a song out."

So, disappointed, Elizabeth made her way home.
Her mom asked what was wrong. Elizabeth said, "I have a great song inside me, but I can't get it out."
"Silly girl, just open your mouth and sing."
"Really that's it?"

She went to the talent show, opened her mouth and sang her wonderful song.
She came in second to Farmer Billy and his musical cow milking.

Title: The Biggest Argue Ever!
Kevin and Caleb Wilson, Mount Brydges, ON

One day, a few superheroes met outside of the library. Iron-man was going to get a new book on engine repair. And then he saw his best friend Spider-man. Spider-man wanted to get a book about Spiders. And then they saw Batman. Batman had one of those karaoke radios with two microphones.

Batman looked at Iron-man and winked. He handed him a microphone.

They both started to sing:
“Spider-man, Spider-man,
does whatever a Spider can
spins a web any size--”

Spider-man said, “Cut that out!”

So Iron-man sang:
“Batman, da-da-da-da-da-da-da Batman!”

Batman said, “Cut that out, now!”

So Spider-man sang:
“I am Iron Man, da-da-da-da-da Iron Man!”

Iron-man said, “Everyone knows I have the best song.”

Batman said, “No one even knows the words though.”

Spider-man said, “Everyone knows the words to my song.”

Hulk said, “Hulk have no song. Hulk smash.”

And then Hulk smashed their radio and there was no more music that day.

THE END