Beyond The Stars

HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,

77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

Fighting Words Ltd. Company Registered Charity CHY 18262

www.harpercollins.co.uk

and

www.fightingwords.ie

Beyond the Stars: Twelve Tales of Adventure, Magic and Wonder

‘The Star Dogs’ text © Roddy Doyle 2014, illustrations © Steve Simpson 2014

‘The Hero of Drumree’ text © Derek Landy 2014, illustrations © Alan Clarke 2014

‘The Brockets Get a Dog’ text © John Boyne 2014, illustrations © Paul Howard 2014

‘How to Help Your Grandda’ text © Judi Curtin 2014, illustrations © Chris Judge 2014

‘The Lookout’ text © Eoin Colfer 2014, illustrations © Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick 2014

‘The Snow Globe’ text © Marita Conlon-McKenna 2014, illustrations © P. J. Lynch 2014

‘The King of the Birds’ text © Michael Scott 2014, illustrations © Chris Haughton 2014

‘The Battle of the Ice Queen’ text © Gordon Snell 2014, illustrations © Michael Emberley 2014

‘The Last Cat’ text © Celine Kiernan 2014, illustrations © Tatyana Feeney 2014

‘Across the Cold Ground’ text and illustrations © Oisín McGann 2014

‘Ice Fairies’ text © Siobhán Parkinson 2014, illustrations © Olwyn Whelan 2014

‘Discovering Bravery’ text © Emma Brade 2014, illustrations © Niamh Sharkey 2014

Cover Illustration © Chris Haughton

Cover Design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2014

John Boyne, Emma Brade, Eoin Colfer, Judi Curtin, Roddy Doyle, Celine Kiernan, Derek Landy, Oisín McGann, Marita Conlon-McKenna, Siobhán Parkinson, Michael Scott and Gordon Snell assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work.

Alan Clarke, Michael Emberley, Tatyana Feeney, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Chris Haughton, Paul Howard, Chris Judge, P. J. Lynch, Oisín McGann, Niamh Sharkey, Steve Simpson and Olwyn Whelan assert the moral right to be identified as the illustrators of this work.

All profits made from the sale of this Ebook go to Fighting Words, a Registered Charity CHY18262.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780007578467

Ebook Edition © 2014 ISBN: 9780007578474

Version: 2014-09-16

This book is dedicated to teacher Liz Morris and the children of Griffeen Valley Educate Together School, the very first visitors at Fighting Words; and to all the teachers and children who have stepped through its magic doors.

SW

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction

The Star Dogs

The Hero of Drumree

The Brockets Get a Dog

How to Help Your Grandda

A Winter’s Tale: The Lookout

The Snow Globe

The King of the Birds

The Battle of the Ice Queen

The Last Cat

Across the Cold Ground

Ice Fairies

Discovering Bravery

The Write to Right

About the Publisher

Beyond the Stars is unique.

Why did twenty-three stellar children’s writers and illustrators band together to show their love and support for Fighting Words, a creative writing centre in the heart of Dublin city?

That’s easy. Because, like this book, Fighting Words is unique. As Roddy Doyle, the centre’s co-founder, says, “It’s a big bright room. In an area that needs a big bright room. In a climate that needs a big bright room.”

Fighting Words is a remarkable place that provides free tutoring in creative writing to all ages, but most especially to children and teenagers. It gives young writers a voice and helps them to reach their creative potential. And above all, it’s fun.

In January 2009 I volunteered at Fighting Words’ very first Primary School Workshop. The room was so full of creativity, joy and optimism I thought my heart would burst. With the help of a storyteller, an illustrator and a team of volunteers, each of the children involved wrote their own book. On the back of each book (every young writer was given their own copy to take home – complete with wonderful full-colour illustrations) was a photograph of the child’s smiling face and a blank box for them to add their very own writer’s biography. Leaving the centre, their faces shone with happiness.

Since that first workshop, I have volunteered at Fighting Words whenever I can. I have always left that big bright room inspired, uplifted and with a joyful heart. This book is my thank you to the centre, for creating a haven of the imagination – my love letter to Fighting Words if you like. I hope they will allow me to continue to be a small part of the magic for many years to come. A huge thank you must also go to Roddy Doyle and Sean Love for their help with this book.

Beyond the Stars would not exist without the superstar writers and illustrators behind this collection – all of whom said yes to contributing without hesitation. Yes, Chris Haughton, it was a little like “herding cats” at times, but very cool and lovely cats! Thanks to the team: Roddy Doyle and Steve Simpson; Derek Landy and Alan Clarke; John Boyne and Paul Howard; Judi Curtin and Chris Judge; Eoin Colfer and Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick; Marita Conlon-McKenna and P. J. Lynch; Michael Scott and Chris Haughton; Gordon Snell and Michael Emberley; Celine Kiernan and Tatyana Feeney; Oisín McGann; Siobhán Parkinson and Olwyn Whelan; and finally, Niamh Sharkey, who illustrated our competition-winner Emma Brade’s story. Mammoth thanks also to Ruth Alltimes, Mary Byrne and their supernova team at HarperCollins Children’s Books for their hard work and support of what is a highly unusual project. And to my wonderful agent, Philippa Milnes-Smith, for her hand-holding and enthusiasm for the book.

As the Irish writer Oscar Wilde once said: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” With your wonderful work for this collection, you have all reached for the stars, and ‘Beyond’. Together, we have created a glowing universe of space dogs and ice queens, invisible cats and warriors brave.

Now it is up to you, dear reader, to continue the journey. Read the magical stories within these pages and let your imagination fly.

Sarah Webb

To find out more about Fighting Words and its work turn to the back of this book.

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