Colorful Characters

This is the fourth volume of the Bay Area Young Writers Anthology! Yay! These death-defying and hilarious tales from our colorful elementary and middle-grade young writers showcase the most memorable characters from the Bay Area Young Writers Club and Meetup. Many of the funnier stories featured here include a variation of the name "Bob" or "Billy Bob Joe" as a tribute to the fact that it is the most commonly offered name by our students for class discussions on storytelling and structure. For fun, we even held a "Bob" story contest where some of the best submissions are published in this volume. This collection also includes fantastic examples of original and fan-fiction fantasy, mystery, realistic fiction, and historical fiction. That said, as curators and editors of these stories, we are continually shocked and amazed by the talent and unique perspectives these young writers' bring to the club. Avid and reluctant readers alike from ages seven through thirteen (or above!) will enjoy these short, dramatic stories and novel excerpts. And, don't be surprised if you laugh out loud in a quiet library or are so gripped by the action that you barely remember to eat your tuna fish-grape jelly-wasabi sandwich! We warned you. We hope these young writers will make you or your child giggle, or clutch their friend's arms, or sing triumphantly on the sofa! But most of all, we hope this work inspires your own family and young friends to begin exploring colorful characters and create cool worlds of their own they are eager to leap into. Enjoy! Shu-Hsien Ho & Royd Hatta Writing Coaches BayAreaYoungWriters.com