Young Writer of the Month: Sarah Grace Carmichael

By Sarah Grace Carmichael

Emma and Sarah

Emma Won’t Go to Bed

Once upon a time there was a baby girl named Emma.

She would never go to bed.

Her mom read her 1,000 books. That didn’t work.

Her mom walked her around the house three times.

That didn’t work.

She scratched Emma’s back for two hours. That didn’t work, either.

She tried everything, but nothing worked.

Then she remembered what always worked.

 She sang a lullaby and it finally worked.

 Then her mom jumped up and down and yelled,

“It worked! It worked!”

She ran around the house three times, then began to fold laundry and watch T.V.

The End

Why did you write this story? 

I want to be an author like my mommy and one night I couldn’t fall asleep and she tried everything to make me sleepy.  I thought it would make a funny story.

Why weren’t you the baby in the story? 

Because I wanted it to be about my big sister, Emma.

Did you do the illustrations for your picture book? 

Yes, I used crayons and markers. For two of the pictures, I forgot to put hair on the mom. The mom in the book has brown hair, but my mom has blonde and white hair.

Can you tell me what kind things the mom in your story does for baby Emma? 

She scratches her back, reads her 1,000 books, carries her around the house and sings to her. She never loses her temper and yells at the baby. That’s what kind mommies do, they talk in sweet voices.

One last question. What does your mommy do after you go to bed? 

She goes downstairs, watches T.V. and folds laundry. Oh! And when I’m asleep, she tiptoes into my room and kisses me on the cheek and whispers “I love you.”

~~~~~~ 

Sarah Grace Carmichael will be eight on Monday and next year, in grade three at Ecole Crane French Immersion School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Her favorite activities include: eating candy, playing soccer, and having sleepovers with friends, as well as writing stories!