Across the year a group of year three and four students from Kōwhai have been involved in a 'Young Writers' club. They meet on a Wednesday afternoon to write together and are taught by poet, writer and editor Gail Ingram. Here are samples of some of the students work...

Harry Potter’s Room

In Harry Potter’s room you may find

dirty clothes scattered around,

a bag full of money

and a wizard’s hat in the lost and found

In a cage his owl, Hedwig,

letters from Ron telling him about Pig,

Probably a messy bed, Phoenix and Holly Wand

and a wet mug he’d thrown in the pond

A bag full of wizardry things

and fake wand that rings,

probably Hogwart’s robes

and a book by Grace Obes

Some overdue homework

that he hadn’t done,

Hermione and Harry

pretending to be a clerk.

His first snitch, a pair of glasses

needing to be cleaned,

writing about Draco being mean,

Marvello’s ring Harry’s trying to glean.

Stuff under his bed that can’t be seen

And that is what’s in Harry Potter’s room.

Leo Y4

Hannah’s Bag

Hannah might have toys and lollies

a jar of apple sauce

and maybe a rare lollus plant

in the front pocket of her school bag.

Maybe there’s a little frog

or a pink polka-dotted snake

Who knows?

Who knows what’s in the middle pocket

of Hannah’s school bag?

Maybe there’s a pretty pig.

Is there more in the last pocket?

Oh no, there’s nothing!

Issy Y3

Babysitting my annoying little sister!

One night all my family – my mum, dad, brother, sister – went out to dinner to celebrate Mum’s friend’s birthday. They went to a pizza restaurant. Only people over 10 could go there so I stayed at home to look after my little sister. I checked on her in her bedroom and she wasn’t there. I smelt something rotten. I looked in the bathroom. I saw a flash of white when I opened the door. It looked like a cloth. I looked again. It was a ghost!

I pulled the sheet off. It was my little sister!

Keanu  Y3

Inside a penguin’s pockets

Inside a penguin’s pockets you might find:

A fish from lunch

A big green bunch

A piece of seaweed, very slimy

An old crab shell, pretty grimy

A piece of cheese

Some bumblebees

A cool rock

A smelly sock

A slab of meat

Something to eat

A frog and a dog

A cat in a hat

And that’s what’s in a penguin’s pockets.

Hettie  Y3

The screecher

My strange uncle requested me to look after his mansion. The rumour on the street was that his mansion was haunted. That sounded stupid to me.

That night I was sitting in the basement when I heard a strange sound. I shivered. Maybe the rumour was true, I said to myself quietly.

Then, thud, thud, thud. I looked around. Books were falling off the shelves. What was causing that? I turned around.

Right then I see a ghost!

I scream, run out the door, and never go there again. Sorry, Uncle!

Parker Y3

Visions end with death

I am in my young writers’ class and Gail is telling spooky stories. Soon I start seeing spooky visions in my mind – all the characters in the stories Gail is telling everyone. I see clown statues disappearing, then reappearing ready to murder. I see smiling figures who look like they have just murdered someone. Then I feel warm breath breathing on my neck. I gasp and whip around. No-one seems to notice.

My body colour is fading. I open my mouth to scream. But no sound came out. Soon I disappear and I see another me in my seat. It says, “this will be your payback!”

Nora Y4

In a ghost’s pocket

In a ghost’s pocket you will find

a telescope and a bloody knife,

a lipstick tazer, a lazer gun

and two handcuffs.

A fake wig and a jacket, black and white,

two pairs of smashed glasses,

a tarantula’s eyes.

Two dead snails that look alive,

two bloody hair-ties, snapped,

a rotten hat and a blood-thirsty rat.

A poisonous lizard, a bomb

soon to erupt, a small little bunny

who wants some dinner,

a pair of monkey’s feet,

and that’s all, nothing more.

Joss Y4

The piwakawaka

The piwakawaka is a perfect bird

A perfect, pretty bird,

A perfect, pretty, pretzel bird

The piwakawaka has an indigo eye,

an indigo, incorrect eye,

an indigo, incorrect, imagination eye

The piwakawaka wants a wet boot,

a wet, wicked boot,

a wet, wicked, wanting boot

The piwakawaka has an apple tree,

an apple, amazing tree,

an apple, amazing, attracting tree.

Isla Y4