Charlie Joe Jackson – First Draft
(Naturally I gravitated to the picture book format because you don’t have to do much writing at all.)
Here it is for your enjoyment:
THE BOY WHO HATED READING.
by Tommy Greenwald***
There was once a boy who hated reading.
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The boy — whose name was Charlie — would do anything to make sure he never had to read.
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Sometimes, Charlie would hide in the closet.
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Sometimes, Charlie would pretend to be sick.
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Sometimes, Charlie would tell his parents a long, long story until they got tired and left.
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And, every once in a while, Charlie would throw a book across the room.
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Then, one night just before bed, his mother came to see him. “Charlie,” she said, “I have a book you might enjoy.”
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Charlie didn’t believe her.
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She sat down on Charlie’s bed next to him and opened the book. “It’s the perfect book for you,” she said.
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“It’s mostly pictures,” she went on.
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“There are never more than two sentences on any page,” she added.
(Charlie counted, and she was right.)***
“There are never more than three syllables in any word,” she promised.
(Charlie counted, and she was right again.)***
“It’s about a little boy just like you,” she pointed out, “who hates to read.”
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Charlie looked at the picture of the boy – whose name was Joe – and he had to admit that the boy kind of looked like him.
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Then he noticed that the boy was hiding in the closet, which was something he liked to do.
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And he saw a picture of the boy throwing a book across the room, which was also something Charlie liked to do.
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Charlie looked at his mother. “Will you read it to me?” he asked.
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“No,” his mother answered.
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Then Charlie did something his mother had NEVER seen him do before.
He picked up the book.***
He began to turn the pages.
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THEN… he laughed.
And he laughed again, a little harder.***
Slowly, his mother crept out of the room.
Charlie didn’t notice.***
Soon, she reappeared at the doorway with Charlie’s father and sister, and together they all watched him read.
No one made a sound.***
Then, all of a sudden, Charlie closed the book with a WHACK!
“I’ve finished,” he announced.***
His mother, father and sister crept into the room.
No one said a word.***
Finally, Charlie’s sister asked nervously, “Did you like it?”
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“Are you kidding?” Charlie replied, “I LOVED IT!”
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“THAT’S FANTASTIC!” his parents shouted.
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Charlie put the book under his pillow. “I’m going to read this book again tomorrow night,” he declared.
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“That’s wonderful,” Charlie’s mother replied. “Now go to bed.”
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Charlie didn’t move.
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“Come on honey, it’s very late,” Charlie’s mother insisted. But still, Charlie refused to budge.
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C
harlie’s father and sister crept out of the room.
His mother sat down on the bed.***
“Not again,” she said, looking at him.
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“Yes again,” he said, looking at her.
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And they looked at each other for a very, very long time.
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Because, you see, there was only one thing Charlie hated doing more than reading.
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Sleeping.
