The Dancing Pumpkin : 춤추는 호박

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지난 호부터는 지난 3-4월에 걸쳐 ‘어린이를 위한 창의적 글쓰기 사회(Creative Writing for Children Society)가 주최한 제1회 영어 창의적 글쓰기 대회의 수상작들을 소개하고 있습니다.  영어로 읽고 쓰기를 좋아하는 청소년과 창의적 글쓰기 교육에 관심이 많은 학부형들의 일독을 권합니다. 밴쿠버 거주 한국 청소년들의 영어 실력은 물론 이들의 창의력과 상상력을 한 눈에 가늠할 수 있는 좋은 기회입니다.

돈 한푼 안들이고 가장 훌륭한 글을 쓰는 방법이 하나 있다: 일기(Diary) 쓰기. ‘일기’는 제약이 없다. 길이도 맘대로, 제목도 맘대로, 내용도 맘대로다. 손으로 써도 되고 컴퓨터의 자판을 두들겨도 된다. 그림을 그려도 되고 낙서를 해도 되고 사진을 갖다 붙여도 된다. 화를 내도 좋고 웃어도 좋고 남을 약 올려도 좋다. 자기만의 공간에서 자기가 표현하고 싶은 대로 표현할 수 있는 ‘일기’는, 전쟁 중 다락방에서 세상에 대한 통찰을 일기식으로 표현한 <안네의 일기>부터 시작해서 캐나다의 역사를 한눈에 볼 수 있는 <디어 캐나다(Dear Canada)>시리즈에 이르기까지 책을 읽고 글을 쓰기 좋아하는 아이들의 손에서 떨어져 본 일이 없다. 정말 일기는 위대하다. CWC의 창의적 글쓰기 워크샵에 2년 차 참여하고 있는 멜라니는 늘 그랬듯이 이번에도 우리들을 놀라게 했다. 세상의 많은 다른 아이들이 해리포터나 나니아 연대기의 후속작을 흉내 내고 있을 때 글쓰기의 고전인 ‘일기’로 ‘독특함’을 과시했다. 5학년 수준의 아이가 흔히 쓰기 쉬운, ‘일어나서 학교 가고 집에 와 간식 먹고 책 좀 읽다 잤다’는 무료한 일과의 시차적 반복이 아니라 <디어 덤 다이어리(Dear Dumb Diary)> 수준의 동시대적 유모와 위트를 학교의 일상에서 재창조냈다. 어렵지 않은 단어로 독자들에게 함빡 웃음을 선사하는 멜라니의 ‘춤추는 호박’은 깨물어주고 싶을 만큼 귀엽고 천진난만한 한 소녀의 학교생활을 엿보게 한다.

-박준형
어린이를 위한 창의적 글쓰기 사회(Creative Writing for Children Society)설립자 겸 저자
Web:www.cwc2004.org/e-mail:cwc2004_1@hotmail.com/Tel:778-233-2310

The Dancing Pumpkin: 춤추는 호박

부제 : The Diary of Caroline(캐롤라인의 일기)

Melanie Kim
Cameron Elementary School Gr.5 / Burnaby

Oct, 1. Sunday
Dear Diary,
I’m in 6th grade, and already the world seems upside down. My name is Caroline, and your name is diary, as simple as that. My world is upside down, because I already have an enemy Elaine. I can’t think of any thing for the science fair, and I still don’t have a costume for the Halloween party. Elaine already has a costume, and she done something for our annual school science fair that’s on November the tenth. I have been planning on Saturday to get better grades, one class at a time. I’m usually bad at science, but if I try, I can get first prize, and flatten Elaine’s nose. The bad thing is that my fair partner is Jack, and I really wanted Justin, 3rd cutest boy in middle school, who obviously got stuck with Elaine by her evil magic powers. So I’ve got 5weeks and five days to come up with a great science experiment that will save my life. For Halloween, Elaine is going to be a ballerina (Ick!). What should I be? Should I not wear anything at all?
Yours, distressed Caroline.

Oct, 2. Monday  
Dear Diary,
School was awful today as usual, but also interesting. I found out two things that were pretty interesting.
1) Jack lives in a farm
2) My music teacher Ms. Oliver’s first name is Mary
I found out number one by asking him Jack in science, but I uncovered number two by sneaking a peek at my homeroom teacher, Mr. Wright’s notes.
Yours, sneaky Caroline

Oct, 3. Tuesday   
Dear Diary,
I haven’t really introduced any of the characters, have I? Well, Jack has short blond hair, and he loves chickens a lot. He’s usually nice, but I haven’t really figured him out yet. Jason is totally gorgeous, and has long, brown hair. He has a very polite nature, and is enthusiastic about alot of things. I’m, well, I don’t know! I never really looked that close in a mirror before. (Elaine probably has!) I have long, blonde hair, and a pretty positive attitude. I think I’m pretty much smart, but I only get As in writing and PE. Elaine is one those girls who always fluff their hair every minute, and drive people crazy. She is totally mean, but even I have to say, she is beautiful. She has a new hairdo and clothes everyday, and she always shows-off all her ultra glamorous jewelry to all her zombie-followers who worship and adore her.
Yours, kind of Jealous, Caroline

October 4, Wednesday          
Dear Diary,
I hate Elaine for 3 reasons.
1) She calls me names
2) She’s snobby
3) What she did today! (I know this doesn’t make sense, but who cares.)
Today at school while I was innocently listening to my math teacher read from the text book, Elaine passed me a note. A weird piece of paper that said READ! So I opened it, and read the words ‘You’ and ‘are’ before the math teacher snatched it away from me. He didn’t even bother to ask who it was from, and told me to go straight to the principal’s office. I was so mad at Elaine for not getting the blame; I shoved my chair in as hard as I could while getting out. My desk shot forward really rapidly, and hit Mr. Lee’s round, pokey knees with a creaky wood sound. Everyone gasped, and I turned as red as a tomato! I turned to see if Justin was looking, and he was drilling through me with fireballs in his eyes just like everyone else in the classroom. Even people walking in the hallways stopped to peek in and see what’s going on. So obviously, Mr. Lee gave me detention for the rest of the day. When I got home, my parents punished me so bad; I almost fell off the bad kid’s chair. (Believe it or not, my mom still uses that!) They shouted in my face, while David my brother watched it all with a sympathetic smirk on his face. I longed to terminate him. (And Elaine too, while I’m at it.)
Yours, MAD Caroline

Oct, 5. Wednesday   
Dear Diary,
Everyone stared at me in school today. Even Justin who knew that my ‘crime’ was Elaine’s fault made me cringe with embarrassment. I was so mad at Elaine; I stared at her until she asked me if I wanted her autograph of something. She is such a snob. Only if I could, I would turn her into an animal, and skin her. I would use the skin to make a Halloween costume. (I still haven’t found one yet!) Right now, I’m stapling across a picture of Elaine’s ugly obnoxious head. I grin as do it, since I’ve stapled myself before, and I know how much it hurts. So ha-ha on you Elaine and I hope on Halloween, you get a wedgie so big you have to take your costume off.
Yours, satisfied, Caroline

Oct, 6. Thursday  
Dear Diary,
In science today, I got to know Jack better. Today I found out:
1) His parents are divorced.
2) He has his own pet chicken.
3) He is an only child.
I envy Jack a real lot because he’s an only child. I have a big brother named David, who acts like he’s younger than me. He’s very annoying, and loves to crack awful jokes. Jack doesn’t have any sisters to bug him, or brothers to annoy him. He thinks I’m so lucky I have a big brother, but I told him no way. Also, we decided what we would do for our science fair experiment. With the method how the jumping bean works as our principal, we decided to make something even bigger jump. We tried to find something that both of us wanted. At the same time, we both yelled “Pumpkin!” and so the result was pumpkin. The jumping bean was powered by a little bug, but at least we were smart enough to know that a bug can’t move a pumpkin. We thought about what to put in the pumpkin for about five minutes, and Jack finally suggested we use his chicken. It was a good idea, so now we had to find a pumpkin big enough for Jack’s chicken, Cluck. Getting a pumpkin would be easy, though. It’s almost Halloween.
Yours, Jumpy Caroline                       
P.S. Jack’s coming over to work on our project tomorrow

Oct.8 Saturday  
Dear Diary,
I missed a day, Diary, I know. It was only because Jack and I were so busy doing science work, and I forgot to write. Our hypothesis for the project was that the pumpkin and chicken would work just like bean and the bug, and would move at least a little. (We added in a lot of scientific words, of course.)
P.S. I went to Wal-mart today with mom, but there were no costumes that fit me.

Oct. 11 Wednesday  
Dear Diary,
Yesterday was a Pro D day, and I didn’t have anything to write about. Jack called me once, but that was it. Today was very different from yesterday, and surprisingly exciting. Elaine was away with the chicken Pox, (ha-ha) and Justin was assigned my social studies partner! Ms. Buld was about to put Justin with chicken Elaine, but Justin went with me because she noticed that Elaine was away. In science, Jack and I had all our materials. Right when we were going to try, science ended! UHGH!!        
Yours, mad Caroline 

October 20 Friday         
Dear Diary,
I am working very hard on this project that I’m forgetting to write in you, my diary. Jack and I have finished the poster, and we’ve tried the experiment a couple of times. When Cluck saw the darkness, he got panicked, and jumped everywhere. Since a pumpkin would still be heavy for a chicken, we spooned out the insides, and made the pumpkin shell thin and light. We only have one week left, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Yours, finger-crossing Caroline

October 25 Wednesday  
Dear Diary,
It’s only two more days until the fair, and we’re ready! I’m very curious and excited, because I really want first prize. Jack feels the same, and I think it’s good that I had Jack for my fair partner, because I got to know him better, and I made a new friend. I’m positive that our project will work out beautifully. Wish me good luck!
Yours, curious, excited Caroline

October 30 Monday  
Dear Diary,
I did it diary, I did it! I BEAT ELAINE!
I didn’t get first prize, but I (I mean Jack and I) got second place! Elaine’s project with Justin was 10th place. (Ha, ha) and in first place was Ned Hao, Lanchester Middle’s greatest geek. He did an experiment on modern technology, and he got extra credit, for wearing a tuxedo suit and tie. He looked pretty geeky, if you ask me. Elaine and Justin’s experiment was on mold growth. They got minus a few marks, because Elaine handed the judge a moldy piece of bread for an example. The problem was that the judge dropped the bread, and the mold got all over her dark black pants. So now I’m going to move on to master Social Studies. I’ll probably like it better because of you-know-who, and I feel even greater, because I got a Halloween costume! It’s a Vampire, with glow-in-the-dark fangs. See you soon!
Yours, moody-because-this-is-the-last-page-of-the-diary,-but-also-happy-because-of-you-know-who, Caroline

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멜라니 김(Melanie Kim)

1995년 서울에서 태어나 두 살 때 캐나다에 왔다는 멜라니는 책(특히 유머 책들) 읽고 쓰기와 노래 그리고 연극에 이르기까지 예술방면에 특히 관심이 많다. 이번 수상기회를 통해 북미에서 드문 한국출신 아동작가가 되겠다는 꿈-“Who knows? Maybe I’ll become a famous writer someday.”-까지 곁들였으니 앞으로의 미래가 궁금해진다.

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