The Golden Notebook

Ben, a small boy with messy chestnut-brown hair and a few freckles across his nose, discovers a palm-sized golden notebook on his way to school one sunny morning. Its cover is marked with swirling patterns, and when he opens it, words appear on the first page: the notebook records acts of courage. At school, Ms. Harlow announces a courage contest, and Ben decides he will win it by doing something big and impressive.

Yet each grand idea he considers leaves the notebook quiet and dull. Then, at lunch, Ben notices Mia, a new girl with sandy-blonde braids and a worn grey teddy bear named Mr. Snuggles, sitting alone and trembling with fear. Talking to her feels scary too, but Ben takes a deep breath and sits beside her. When Mia begs him not to leave her alone, Ben must choose between chasing the prize and staying with a frightened friend. This gentle tale by Yavuz DEMİRKIRAN follows Ben through that choice, and young readers can find it on Online Masal.