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CHAPTER ONE
A New School
Parents and grandparents say that the years you spend at
school are the best years of your life. Maybe it's true for some
young people, but it wasn't like that for me... not at the
beginning anyway.
My name is Alice May and I'm eleven years old. I lived
with my family in London until my father got a new job in St
Ives. We moved to beautiful Cornwall one summer.
This is my story.
The sun shone over St Ives, a seaside town in Cornwall. It
was a busy fishing port. There were small stone houses and
white sandy beaches. Lots of families lived there.
The town needed a bigger, more important school, so a
famous architect designed a secondary school. The school was
for children between the ages of eleven and eighteen. It was
called The Fairbrother Academy.
The architect was very clever and he also loved music.
'Every school needs a concert hall with a stage and lights,'
he said. The concert hall he created was wonderful. He also
built a large gym, art studios, computer rooms and classrooms
that were big and bright.
The outside of the school was beautiful. There was a large
front door and lions around a fountain. There were gardens and
playgrounds and birds sang in the trees.
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Some of the children who came to The Fairbrother
Academy didn't want to learn. They were not interested in
French or Latin, Maths or History. They pushed their
classmates in the playground and called them bad names.
These children were good when they were at home with their
parents, but terrible when they came to school.
I can hardly sleep before the first day at my new school
The Fairbrother Academy. I am excited and nervous all at the
same time.
In the morning, when I walk into my classroom, I see a
group of girls. They are talking together. They stop speaking
when I come in.
'Hello,' I say. 'I'm Alice.'
The girls don't smile. Their eyes are cold. One of the girls
called Iris Fudge, who has an angry face, comes close. She
looks at my long dark hair and blue eyes. Then she makes a
scary face and runs back to her best friend Roxy Miller and the
group of girls.
'Don't go near her. She bites!' Iris says.
They won't talk to me because I have braces on my teeth.
They call me 'Shark Face'.
I don't look very happy when I arrive home from school.
My parents see my sad face.
'How was school?' they ask.
'Fine,' I say.
They ask me about friends and I tell them about the girls
in my class and the fun things we do together. It isn't true. I
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can't tell them what school is really like. If dad speaks to the
teachers everything will become worse.
Every day there is trouble in our classroom. The bullies
don't like children who are clever and do well at school or
children who wear glasses. They want kids in their group who
are not very nice to teachers. They like children who don't do
their homework. They think only bad children are cool.
It isn't only the group of girls who are bullies. There is a
boy gang too. Their leader is Dexter Crane. He's very tall.
Dexter pushes his classmates when they are in the playground.
His friends, Ajax McCoy and Blaze Fenton, watch and laugh.
They stand behind him.
At home in our house, a little bird sings in the tree near
my bedroom window. She sees me crying and I tell her what
school is like. The little bird shakes her head. She doesn't like it
at all.
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CHAPTER TWO
Isadora Sunshine
The little bird flies across the fields, to an old house near
the sea. The windows of the house are open and the little bird
flies in and rests on a bookcase. It is Miss Sunshine's house.
Miss Isadora Sunshine has golden hair and bright green
eyes. She is standing in front of a canvas, surrounded by paints
and brushes. She is painting a picture of a storm and sailing
boats.
She has paint on her face and on her clothes, but the
painting is wonderful.
When Miss Sunshine sees the little bird fly in, she puts
her brush on the table. She takes some bread and puts it in a
dish. She brings the bird some water.
'How lovely to see you,' says Miss Sunshine. She knows
from the way the bird jumps from one foot to the other that she
has something important to tell her.
'Tell me. What's the matter?' she says.
Miss Sunshine sits on a chair and the little bird sings a
sad song of trouble. When she finishes Miss Sunshine stands
up.
'How sad,' she says. 'You were right to tell me. We can do
something to help.'
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Miss Sunshine packs a bag with music books, art brushes
and strange musical instruments. She puts her bag in the car
and starts the engine.
'Hold on tight,' she says to the little bird. 'It will only take
forty-five minutes to drive to the school.'
She drives to St Ives.
Before I continue with the story, I must tell you about the
head teacher at The Fairbrother Academy.
How can I describe him? He is not a handsome man. His
face is a bit like your reflection when you look in a kettle - sort
of squashed. He is thin, and has long legs. His name is James
Weak and his name describes his character. He is weak by
name and weak by nature. Some people say he is a good head
teacher. Others say he doesn't answer his emails. He is busy in
his office every day playing scrabble on his computer.
On this particular day his secretary, Miss Baxter, knocks
on the door. 'There's a lady to see you.'
'Oh, really? I wasn't expecting anyone. What lady?' says
Mr Weak.
'Miss Isadora Sunshine.'
Mr Weak looks up because the moment he hears the name
'Sunshine', he begins to feel happy. 'Send her in, Miss Baxter.'
Miss Isadora Sunshine is wearing a yellow dress and she
smells of sweet flowers. She shakes Mr Weak's hand and sits
down.
'I am here for the job of music teacher,' she says.
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Mr Weak is confused. 'Um, I don't think there is a job as
music teacher at the school.'
'Yes, there is,' shouts Miss Baxter from her office. 'You
have an email this morning from the old music teacher', she
says. She appears with a printed letter. 'He left yesterday.'
Mr Weak looks even more surprised. 'Well, then yes -
there is a job at the school. We are looking for a music teacher.'
'I want good behaviour in the classroom,' says Miss
Sunshine.
'Of course,' says Mr Weak. 'But we are a friendly school,
Miss Sunshine. We allow children to call teachers by their first
names.'
Miss Sunshine smiles and shakes her head. 'I'm sorry, Mr
Weak, but I won't allow that in my classroom. Respect is very
important and I am here as their teacher, not as their best
friend.'
'I see,' says Mr Weak. He looks confused. 'There may be
other candidates,' he says in a voice weak as water.
'Mr Weak, there are no other candidates and there is no
one better than me.'
Mr Weak looks at Miss Sunshine. He agrees but he
doesn't say anything.
'So,' Miss Sunshine says. 'If there are no more questions, I
would like a copy of my timetable, so that I can start this
minute.'
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CHAPTER THREE
A Classroom of Sunshine
No one talks to me at school. I feel alone as I stand at the
side of the playground. There are the cool kids and there are the
ones people don't speak to - children who are different. I want
to speak to them, but I'm afraid of Iris Fudge and her gang.
The teachers know there's trouble in our class but they
don't see children push their classmates or hear the bad names.
The bullies are clever. Sometimes we speak to a teacher, one
who has an understanding face.
'Write everything down,' the teacher says to us. 'I will
make a report and pass it on to the head teacher.'
We write a letter but nothing happens. Things are getting
worse. The bullies can contact me in cyberspace at every
moment of the day and night. Why can't they leave me alone!
And then Miss Sunshine comes into my life.
Children stop talking and texting when she walks into the
music room in her yellow dress. Her hair is long and golden.
She ties it with a silk scarf. She smiles at us and looks at every
child.
She says, 'Good Morning,' then waits.
We look at each other. Why is she waiting? Then we
realise and we stand up. Dexter is the last one to stand up. He
doesn't look happy.
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'No phones during my lesson.' Miss Sunshine has a box
and envelopes with our names on. We don't want to give her
our phones. Dexter and Ajax are angry.
When Miss Sunshine walks past us there is a lovely
perfume. It's the smell of grass and sweet summer flowers. She
asks us our names and doesn't forget them. When she gives us
our homework we have to say 'thank you.'
It's our first music lesson and Miss Sunshine wants us to
speak about music. 'What music do you like?'
Roxy stands up. 'I hate classical music.'
'Hate is a very strong word, Roxy. We don't hate anyone
or anything. Why don't you like classical music?'
'There are too many notes,' she says and her friends laugh.
'I understand your opinion, Roxy. Classical music is
difficult. There are a lot of notes.'
'I play jazz with my piano teacher,' Roxy says.
I can feel surprise in the classroom and I see Miss
Sunshine smiling. 'Good,' she says.
'What about rap music?' Ajax McCoy says. 'Now rap
music is clever.'
'Why is it clever, Ajax?' Miss Sunshine asks.
'Rap artists' songs are like poetry. Each rap song has a
message.'
'I like musical theatre,' says Blaze.
'I saw the musical Cats once,' says Ajax.
'Any other important musicians?' asks Miss Sunshine.
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Someone says 'The Beatles.' The class says 'No.'
'You're right,' says Miss Sunshine. 'The Beatles were
important for all the music that came after them.'
'What about Ed Sh-Sh-Sheeran,' says Naomi with a
stutter. She never speaks.
'Excellent, Naomi. Ed Sheeran was really good at music
when he was a small child, like Mozart. He started singing in
his local church at the age of four.'
Everyone is good in that first lesson. It's the second
lesson when it all begins to go wrong.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Imagine
Miss Sunshine's eyes are cold as she stands in the door of
the classroom. A paper aeroplane flies through the air and lands
at her feet. Dexter pulls a small boy's arm behind his back. Two
other boys are fighting. Girls are shouting. There's so much
noise.
Miss Sunshine walks to the teacher's desk, but the noise
doesn't stop. She takes a whistle from her bag and blows it. The
sound makes the whole class stop and look at their teacher.
'Good morning,' Miss Sunshine says. She waits for the
class to stand. Some of the boys sit in their chairs. They are
writing texts on their phones or listening to music. Blaze is
humming.
'I see,' says Miss Sunshine. She speaks only to the
children who are standing. 'Can you bring your chairs round
the piano?'
I take my chair and sit next to Emma. She's a sweet girl
who works hard. She's clever and they laugh at her because she
wears glasses.
I don't know what Miss Sunshine will do about the other
children.
She takes some paper from her bag and gives a sheet of
paper to Dexter, Ajax, Blaze, Roxy and Iris.
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'I would like you to write me a few paragraphs on The
Music I Like,' she says. She walks away. They don't say
anything.
She looks at us and says 'Take a deep breath.'
Someone laughs, but Miss Sunshine closes her eyes for a
moment. 'Stand up.'
We all stand.
'Shoulders down, stand tall, straight backs.'
We sing some scales. Our music lessons are a lot of fun.
Our old teacher didn't let us sing in music lessons.
There are some things in this world that are amazing. I
love singing to a real piano. Miss Sunshine plays really well
and then she gives us the music to Imagine by John Lennon.
We don't look at the words. We know them. We put the music
down and sing from memory.
Miss Sunshine asks if anyone would like to sing a solo.
The girls whisper 'Emma'. Shy little Emma, who is clever and
wears glasses, has a wonderful voice.
And it's strange because now Dexter, Ajax, Blaze, Roxy
and Iris are alone.
They are miserable and we are smiling and having fun.
At the end of the lesson Miss Sunshine collects the sheets
of blank paper. She tells them to stay behind.
'I want to speak to each of you,' she says.
'But we'll miss the school bus home,' says Iris. 'My mum
will be angry.'
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'The driver will return and take you home later. I'll phone
your parents and explain everything.'
Roxy gives Iris a killer look and they become even more
miserable.
For the first time, I run laughing out of school with
Emma. We are smiling and singing Imagine.
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CHAPTER FIVE
Feeling Good
The next morning we go into the music room. I don't
know what Miss Sunshine said to Dexter and the others
yesterday, but the mood is better. There is more respect. Roxy
and Ajax are sitting quietly. They aren't sending text messages.
Blaze isn't humming. Dexter isn't rocking on two legs of his
chair.
I hope we are going to sing round the piano, but Miss
Sunshine takes an unusual object from her bag. 'This is a
singing bowl,' she says. 'When I run this wooden stick around
the bowl, it makes a sound like a bell. This bowl is very old.
Listen carefully until you can't hear the sound anymore.'
The singing bowl makes a mysterious sound. It sings in
my head. About a minute passes. There is complete silence in
the classroom.
'What can you hear?' Miss Sunshine whispers.
'Nothing at all, Miss,' says Emma.
'Remember that there is silence in music too and moments
of silence are important in our lives. Sound and music can help
and mindfulness helps your brain to work better. Let's make a
brain.'
What! We look at each other.
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'Put one hand in the air,' says Miss Sunshine. 'Now put
your thumb across and curl your fingers over the top - this is
the brain.'
'Cool,' says Ajax.
'The mind is complex. It talks. Sometimes there's a lot of
stress in our heads.'
'My brain is always talking to me,' says Ajax.
'That's fine, everyone's brain talks,' says Miss Sunshine.
'We can help our brain relax when we are kind to other people.
It makes us feel good.'
'Singing makes me feel good. Can we sing again, Miss?'
asks Ruby.
'Of course we can. Bring your chairs closer to the piano.'
Miss Sunshine gets us to sing some scales.
Miss Sunshine asks Roxy to play the piano. Roxy looks
shy at first and says she's too embarrassed to play in front of
everyone.
When Miss Sunshine says that Roxy can play some jazz,
she jumps up. Roxy has got great rhythm. She's really good. I
didn't know she had this talent.
We sing a song my mum likes, You've got a Friend by
Carole King. I like the words of this song and singing together
makes us feel more united as a class.
Singing and mindfulness are helping. My brain feels
better by the end of class. I'm less stressed and more relaxed.
When the bell rings, we skip to our next lesson.
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CHAPTER SIX
Fire!
Dexter and I sit near each other every day on the bus. We
get on and off at the same stop but he doesn't walk with me. He
walks far behind me. He kicks stones along the road. I hurry
ahead because I want to get home.
I know where Dexter lives. I pass his house every day, but
this afternoon as I look across his front garden, I stop.
'Dexter,' I shout. 'Quick. Hurry! There's a fire!' My voice
is high. I am afraid.
He starts to run. Together we run towards the smoke and
flames.
'Who's in there?' I say.
'Mum and my little sister. She's only three.'
I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial 999. I shout
'fire' when they ask me what service I need. I try to breathe
slowly and calm myself down. My voice is shaking when I
give them the address.
Dexter opens the front door and there's lots of black
smoke.
'I'm going in,' he says.
'Wait!' I run to an outside tap and hold my scarf under the
water. I run back and tie the scarf around Dexter's nose and
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mouth. I pull my jacket up over my mouth. 'I'm coming with
you.'
He pushes me back. 'No, you're not. It's too dangerous. I
know where mum and my sister will be.'
Then he goes inside and all I can do is cry and wait.
One minute, two minutes pass. It seems longer. The fire
brigade arrives, then two ambulances. Dexter appears through
the smoke. He is carrying his sister. His hands are burned, but
he wants to go back for his mother.
'Leave it to us,' says a fireman. Firemen pull Dexter away
from the burning house. He doesn't want to leave. They lift
Dexter and his sister into the ambulance and put on the
emergency blue light. That scares me.
A fireman appears carrying a woman. And at that moment
there's an explosion.
'Move away from here. It isn't safe.' A fireman says to me.
I can smell fire on my clothes and in my hair. There's nothing
for me to do. I walk home.
Dexter is away from school for ten days and when he
returns he has bandages on his hands. Everyone is pleased to
see him, especially Miss Sunshine.
'How is your mother and your little sister?' she asks.
Dexter smiles. 'They're doing well. The doctors are great.
They are still in hospital but they will be home soon.'
'So, you are living with your grandma.'
Dexter smiles again. 'Yeah, she's lovely. We'll be there for
a while until the builders repair our house.'
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'You were very brave, Dexter,' Miss Sunshine says.
Dexter looks at his shoes. 'Not really. I was scared when I
went into the house. I couldn't see anything and it was really
hot in there.'
'Do the police know what started the fire?' Miss Sunshine
asks.
'They don't know.' Dexter looks around the classroom for
me. 'Alice was there. She gave me her scarf to put over my
mouth. It's the smoke that kills. You saved my life. Thanks,
Alice.'
And our class cheer and I'm crying. Dexter is looking
down and trying not to cry.
'I have something, for both of you.' Miss Sunshine gives
Dexter a large package and a smaller one to me. Dexter's is a
violin... a really good one. I can see he's pleased.
'It's awesome!' he says. 'I love it.'
'I don't play the violin anymore. I want you to play it.'
Miss Sunshine turns to the class. 'I don't think you know
that Dexter is very talented. He plays jazz violin very well.'
She looks at Dexter. 'You can't play at the moment. Will
you play for us when your hands are better?'
Dexter smiles. 'Of course.'
In my package there is a ukulele.
'For the ukulele band we're starting,' Miss Sunshine says.
'It's easy to learn and I want the band to play in the school
musical.'
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'A musical!' everyone says together. We all smile.
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CHAPTER SEVEN
Everyone Has a Talent
My world is different and everything is better. We all talk
about the musical. We don't walk to classes, we dance along the
corridors. Ajax, who's good with words, is writing the story and
we practice the songs every day. Our voices are better, stronger
with Miss Sunshine teaching us. Mr Weak hums when he
passes the music room.
'Everyone has a talent. You just have to find it,' Miss
Sunshine says during our lesson.
She's right. There are so many people in our class who
have a special talent. Iris Fudge is a brilliant dancer. We didn't
know. I love watching her when she's dancing. She becomes
someone else, so beautiful and full of life. She's practising after
school every day with some girls who study ballet.
People who are good at art are painting the scenery.
And me? I'm singing in the chorus and learning the
ukulele in my free time. I follow lessons online and I practise
in my bedroom.
Dexter is responsible for the orchestra and their
rehearsals. He's very musical. He has a great feel for rhythm.
And he's changed! He's kind to people and that can make you
feel good.
And the funny thing is that Dexter is different physically
too. His eyes are not small and hard. They are soft. He looks
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taller, more responsible. He smiles a lot. Dexter is someone I
can trust.
He's playing the violin again now that his hands are
better. The sound he makes is beautiful. When he plays I feel
happy.
We travel home together on the bus and he talks about the
music and performers he loves. He wants to go to Music
College in London when he finishes school.
'How often do you practise?' I ask him.
'Every day. An hour before school and a couple of hours
when I get home.'
'Wow!' I say.
'If I work really hard, I'll pass the audition.'
'And then what?' I ask.
'A career in music, I think,' he says. 'I can play in an
orchestra or form my own jazz group. What do you want to do,
Alice?'
'I want to be a doctor,' I say in a small voice.
We sit in silence for a minute and I start to panic. I'm
expecting him to laugh and return to the old Dexter. But he
smiles.
'You'll do it, Alice. It won't be easy and you'll have to
work hard, but I know you'll do it.'
And I'm not sure why, but I feel strange.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
The Talent Scout
There is no bullying anymore and there is more respect
for the teachers. The school magazine is all about the musical -
interviews with the cast and with Ajax. The story is about
people who are different. We can't all be the same. The
message is to be kind to someone every day. Most of all it is
about the power of friendship.
Tickets are sold out for all five performances and we are
all excited. I'm playing the ukulele in one song and I'm singing
in the chorus. The songs make us happy. We are full of
confidence. School has a greater purpose.
'This is your musical,' Miss Sunshine says. 'Smile and
enjoy the evening.'
We are nervous as we wait. It's five minutes before the
musical starts and I look round the curtain at the audience. The
concert hall is full. Why have all those parents brought video
cameras?
The music starts. This is it. We step into another world of
lights and costumes. And little shy Emma sings beautifully on
stage. It's a new and exciting experience. A live performance is
very different. We can hear the audience laugh and clap. It's
great to see their reaction. Their eyes are wide, their faces are
smiling, they are enjoying every moment. I can see my parents
surprise when the chorus sings. We are fantastic.
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We sing and dance for five nights. On the first night Mr
Weak gives flowers to Miss Sunshine and the other teachers.
We have a party. We are happy!
One morning Miss Sunshine comes into the music room.
She has something to tell us. She closes her eyes until there's
silence, then opens them again.
'An American talent scout came to one of your
performances.'
She can see we don't understand what a talent scout is.
She tries again. 'A talent scout is someone who recognises great
talent and promotes it.'
'Oooooh,' we all say.
'His name is Addison Bell. He's a friend of mine and he
came to talk to me at the end of the musical. He's American,
from Los Angeles. He wants to take your musical to
Hollywood this summer!
Silence. Then there are cheers and laughter and crying.
'He thinks there's great talent in this show and he wants
American children to hear your message of friendship,' Miss
Sunshine says.
The summer holidays arrive and we fly to Hollywood.
Limousines pick us up at the airport. I feel like a celebrity
when I walk the red carpet entrance to the Beverly Hills Hotel.
It's great. There's a pool surrounded by palm trees in tropical
gardens. Dexter is happy because musicians play jazz in the
restaurant. There isn't much free time, but when we do have a
moment we watch people and Lamborghinis in the city centre.
Rehearsals are going well and we will perform in a theatre.
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It's our first night tomorrow and we are all excited. I don't
want this to end. I don't want to come back down to earth. But
with Miss Sunshine in our lives, what will happen next?
And I suppose you think this is the end of my story, but
not quite.
Music is a powerful force and I love Dexter's violin
playing. We spend a lot of time together. We watch the sunsets,
we laugh and talk. When his hand touches mine and our fingers
meet, we don't let go.

- THE END -
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