all the audience stand and cheer
and clap –
some even whistle –
and even though I’m only the host
I feel that a little bit,
just a tiny bit,
of all the applause is for me
and the job I’ve done.
Michael and the
first prize
Everything is perfect,
as we take our final bows.
We all join hands,
and bow, time and time again.
The Principal wanders onstage
clapping, smiling
and shaking hands
with Mr C and Ms Park.
Miss Libradore
keeps right on playing the piano
like she’s never going to stop.
All the families stand and cheer.
It’s the best night of our lives
until
the Principal announces
that the raffle will be drawn
by Billy
as a reward
for the most interesting costume.
And the first prize is…
I can see Billy’s dad
searching for the twenty tickets
he’s stuffed in his pockets.
As Billy reaches in to draw the winning ticket
(and nearly pokes the Principal in the eye
with his mohawk),
I whisper the bad news to Mr Carey.
I keep saying,
‘Sorry, sir.
It’s for charity.
I’ll do detention
every lunchtime
for the rest of the year…’
Mr Carey touches his ponytail,
goes a lighter shade of white,
then sighs,
and says,
‘For charity, Michael.
For charity…
And it will grow back.
I hope.’
The Principal asks
Mr Jonesforthwalton
a question
Mr J-F, can you tell Mr Carey
he’s wanted on the phone?
Yes. But I don’t think he’ll fit, dear.
Also by Steven Herrick
For younger readers
The place where planes take off
My life, my love, my lasagne
Poetry, to the rescue
The spangled drongo – winner of the Patricia Wrightson
Prize in the 2000 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards
Love poems and leg-spinners
Tom Jones saves the world – shortlisted in the 2003
Children’s Book Council of Australia awards
Do-wrong Ron – shortlisted in the 2004 CBC awards
For older readers
Love, ghosts and nose hair – shortlisted in the 1997 CBC awards and the NSW Premier’s Literary awards
A place like this – shortlisted in the 1999 CBC awards, the NSW Premier’s Literary awards, and commended in the 1998 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award
The simple gift – shortlisted in the 2001 CBC awards and the NSW Premier’s Literary awards
By the river – shortlisted in the 2005 CBC awards and winner of the Ethel Turner Prize in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards
About the author
Steven Herrick was born in Brisbane, the youngest of seven children. At school, his favourite subject was soccer, and he dreamed of football glory while he worked at various jobs, including fruit picking. Now, he’s a full time writer and performs in many schools each year. He loves talking to students and their teachers about stories, poetry, soccer and even golf. Naked Bunyip Dancing began as a sequel to Love poems and leg spinners but Steven loved the characters so much he expanded the story of their year in Class 6 into a verse novel.
Steven lives in the Blue Mountains with his wife and sons.
www.acay.com.au/~sherrick
Do-wrong Ron
Ron always does the wrong things at the wrong time, or the right things at the wrong time, or the wrong things at the right time…until he finds Charlie, the guinea pig who looks like an oversized rat, and they meet Isabelle, who is waiting for something, anything, to happen.When Ron plans a musical welcome for Isabelle’s nana, anything just might happen…A funny, touching story about a do-wrong boy whose heart is in the right place.
Honour Book, 2004 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year awards for younger readers
By the River
Life for Harry means swimming in Pearce Swamp, eating chunks of watermelon with his brother and his dad, surviving schoolyard battles, and racing through butterflies in Cowpers Paddock. In his town there’s Linda, who brings him the sweetest-ever orange cake, and Johnny, whose lightning fists draw blood in a blur, and there’s a mystery that Harry needs to solve before he can find his way out…An intense story about feeling the undercurrents, finding solid ground and knowing when to jump.
Shortlisted, 2005 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year awards for older readers Winner, 2005 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature