Collins Big Cat - Surfing the Moon : Band 15/Emerald

Surfing n o o M e h t

Written by Emily Dodd Illustrated by Omar Aranda and Ilias Arahovitis

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05/05/2022 16:09

My name is Jack. I am ten years old.

It’s Tuesday. I’m at school.

I don’t like school because it smells like milk.

I’ve drawn the Moon in the top right-hand corner of my jotter. I will do this every day for a month to make a flicker book.

Every night I will look out at the Moon. The next day I will draw what I saw in my jotter. Every Moon will be a slightly different shape to the one before.

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Did you know that it takes the Moon a month to orbit Earth?

The word “month” comes from the word “Moon”.

So I think we should call it a moonth.

Yesterday, when our teacher asked us what month it was, I shouted, “Don’t you mean MOONTH?” Everyone except the teacher laughed.

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I started to tell the teacher why she should say MOONTH, but she said, “If you have something to say, Jack, you must put up your hand.”

So I put up my hand.

“Yes, Jack?” said the teacher.

“I would like everybody to say moonth instead of month,” I said.

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The teacher didn’t say anything for a very long time. Then she sighed and said, “No, Jack.”

I knew that the teacher didn’t mean, “No, Jack, we can’t say moonth instead of month.” She meant, “Be quiet, Jack.”

Sometimes the best bit of school is when the bell rings and I can go home.

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Granny and Grandad were there when I got home.

I told Granny she was looking very wrinkly, and Grandad’s face went bright red. He stood up and shouted that they were leaving. He looked at me as if I was making a terrible smell.

Mum said, “Let’s all have a cup of tea, shall we?”

But I shouted, “No! I’m leaving too!” and I ran to my room.

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I sat on my bed. I wished I hadn’t shouted.

Sometimes words fly out of my mouth like a rocket.

I wish they didn’t because people don’t like my words. And that means they don’t like me.

I think Granny and Mum still like me, most of the time.

Grandad sometimes likes me.

I know I’m different from other kids.

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Granny knocked on my door and sat on my bed.

“I didn’t mean to shout,” I said.

“Grandad is grumpy,” said Granny. “That’s not your fault.”

I told her I liked her wrinkles because they make smiley shapes on her face even when she’s not smiling.

Granny said that was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to her.

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At supper, Grandad said, “I’m glad we stayed for a meal. This food is delicious.”

Maybe he was grumpy because he was hungry?

Grandad asked me about my day at school.

“Did you play with your friends?” he asked.

“Football? Games? Racing?”

Other kids play football together. Other kids play games together. Other kids race each other.

“No,” I said.

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Emerald Band 15

Jack knows he’s different from other kids – he doesn’t think the way they do. Jack’s love of the Moon leads him on a courageous journey into the sea. This is a story about finding new friends, facing your fears and following your dreams.

A contemporary story collins.co.uk/collinsbigcat

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SURFING THE MOON

Surfing the Moon

Surfing the Moon Emily Dodd

Omar Aranda and Ilias Arahovitis

05/05/2022 14:59