Young Readers League 2016 Writing Contest

Category 1 (Age 8-11)

3rd place

Instincts

by Veronica Mason
11 years old (Grade 6)
Immaculate Heart School

The last act of the night, me. Someone in black with a microphone rushed me onstage. Even though I have been on that stage so many times, the hundreds of rows of seats and the almost blinding spotlights that follow me wherever I go, still startle me. Here I go.

My tail is swishing behind me, and my whiskers are itchy. Then, I hear my announcement on the loudspeaker. “ Leo the Lion!” That’s me by the way, Leo the Lion. As I walk onto the stage, I hear the deafening applause.

I start with one of my more simple tricks, bending a metal bar in half with my tail. Next, I stand up, and a seal with a ball spinning on his nose jumps onto me as I walk around the stage (one of my personal favorites).

By now the crowd is roaring with pleasure, chanting Super Cat! Super Cat! Even though I don’t exactly have superpowers, I am super strong. If it makes them happy, they can believe what they want.

I go onto my next act, a tightrope walk carrying a thousand pound weight. I love the adoring audience. Then, without warning, my ears pop up and my tail goes straight. I see a darkly dressed man pull out an “L” shaped black metal device. I don’t know what this is, but my senses tell me it’s dangerous.

I hop down from the tightrope. The music stops. All eyes are on the darkly dressed man. He is pointing his object at the woman next to him. I spring into action and claw the device out of his hand. I am not completely sure what I did, but the crowd knows. They let out the loudest applause I have ever heard!

Contest info:

Tell us something about a new character joining a magical circus. What is their special ability? How did they come to join the circus?

Special thanks to our judges:  Allison Hill (Vromans), Nick Smith (Pasadena Library), Shauna Redmond (Pasadena Library), Tiffany Duenas (Pasadena Library), Jean Penn (Pasadena Library)

Sponsored by the Friends of the Pasadena Public Library

To view more stories from the contest, view the list:  http://pasadena-library.net/kids/2016/yrlcontest