Across the Cold Ground: Beyond the Stars

Across the Cold Ground: Beyond the Stars
Oisin McGann

A moving short story from the collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written and illustrated by a great Irish talent in children’s fiction todayWhen his brother goes missing in action, Charley knows he has a duty to enlist for the army himself. Soon dispatched to the Somme, he and his comrades are far from home and living in fear of a faceless enemy. Cold and wet, letters from their loved ones in Ireland and well-meaning banter with each other are the only things that keep the soldiers going. But just at the moment the troops are given the command to go ‘over the top’ and cross no-man’s-land to face the enemy, Charley realises the precious letter from home that he’s been saving to read could have been about his brother and that maybe he should have read it after all. Terrified, Charley knows that whatever decision he makes at that moment could change his life for ever…A moving and affecting tale, brought to life by evocative illustrations.Look out for the other eleven stories - also available as e-shorts!

Other short stories from Beyond the Stars collection, also available as e-books: (#ulink_89f48bd8-e70c-5871-b127-be494a264711)

The Star Dogs (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103323)by Roddy Doyle, illustrated by Steve Simpson

The Hero of Drumree (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103330)by Derek Landy, illustrated by Alan Clarke

The Brockets Get a Dog (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103347)by John Boyne, illustrated by Paul Howard

How to Help Your Grandda (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103354)by Judi Curtin, illustrated by Chris Judge

The Lookout (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103361)by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

The Snow Globe (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103378)by Marita Conlon-McKenna, illustrated by P J Lynch

The King of the Birds (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103385)by Michael Scott, illustrated by Chris Haughton

The Battle of the Ice Queen (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103392)by Gordon Snell, illustrated by Michael Emberley

The Last Cat (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103408)by Celine Kiernan, illustrated by Tatyana Feeney

Ice Fairies (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008103422)by Siobhán Parkinson, illustrated by Olwyn Whelan

Discovering Bravery (http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008115593) by Emma Brade, illustrated by Niamh Sharkey

Across the Cold Ground

Written and Illustrated by Oisín McGann

Copyright (#ulink_a379003c-0c0c-5bf4-8054-1661c5899bf3)

First published in Great Britain and Ireland by HarperCollins Children’s Books and Fighting Words Ltd. as a story in Beyond the Stars: Twelve Tales of Adventure, Magic and Wonder

HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, 77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB Fighting Words Ltd. Company Registered Charity CHY 18262

Visit us on the web at

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

and

www.fightingwords.ie (http://www.fightingwords.ie)

‘Across the Cold Ground’ text and illustrations © Oisín McGann 2014

Cover design © HarperCollins Children’s Books, cover image © Shutterstock

Oisín McGann asserts the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins ebooks and Fighting Words.

Visit our websites at: www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk) and www.fightingwords.ie (http://www.fightingwords.ie)

Source ISBN: 9780007578467

Ebook Edition © 2014 ISBN: 9780008103415

Version: 2014-09-15

Contents

Cover (#u7b12fab7-ad73-5647-8d2a-29ee9ae4bc7c)

Other e-Shorts in Series (#ub0b277f8-fa5f-5177-a15a-ed435d2aad12)

Title Page (#uac46cbf5-d09a-5a23-a5ce-8af61e47a2f5)

Copyright (#ua443d9d8-ba47-5c63-9a96-608f46c00096)

Introduction (#ub15c13de-6464-55b8-a6bb-33ff35fc771d)

Across the Cold Ground (#ua8b9e21d-379e-50e0-a361-557d44e13559)

The Write to Right (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author and Illustrator (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

(#ulink_b1022bf5-4b92-56d0-b0ac-8c48d9701702)

Beyond the Stars is unique.

Why did twenty-three stellar children’s writers and illustrators band together to show their love and support for Fighting Words, a creative writing centre in the heart of Dublin city?

That’s easy. Because, like this book, Fighting Words is unique. As Roddy Doyle, the centre’s co-founder, says, “It’s a big bright room. In an area that needs a big bright room. In a climate that needs a big bright room.”

Fighting Words is a remarkable place that provides free tutoring in creative writing to all ages, but most especially to children and teenagers. It gives young writers a voice and helps them to reach their creative potential. And above all, it’s fun.

In January 2009 I volunteered at Fighting Words’ very first Primary School Workshop. The room was so full of creativity, joy and optimism I thought my heart would burst. With the help of a storyteller, an illustrator and a team of volunteers, each of the children involved wrote their own book. On the back of each book (every young writer was given their own copy to take home – complete with wonderful full-colour illustrations) was a photograph of the child’s smiling face and a blank box for them to add their very own writer’s biography. Leaving the centre, their faces shone with happiness.

Since that first workshop, I have volunteered at Fighting Words whenever I can. I have always left that big bright room inspired, uplifted and with a joyful heart. This book is my thank you to the centre, for creating a haven of the imagination – my love letter to Fighting Words if you like. I hope they will allow me to continue to be a small part of the magic for many years to come. A huge thank you must also go to Roddy Doyle and Sean Love for their help with this book.

Beyond the Stars would not exist without the superstar writers and illustrators behind this collection – all of whom said yes to contributing without hesitation. Yes, Chris Haughton, it was a little like “herding cats” at times, but very cool and lovely cats! Thanks to the team: Roddy Doyle and Steve Simpson; Derek Landy and Alan Clarke; John Boyne and Paul Howard; Judi Curtin and Chris Judge; Eoin Colfer and Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick; Marita Conlon-McKenna and P. J. Lynch; Michael Scott and Chris Haughton; Gordon Snell and Michael Emberley; Celine Kiernan and Tatyana Feeney; Oisín McGann; Siobhán Parkinson and Olwyn Whelan; and finally, Niamh Sharkey, who illustrated our competition-winner Emma Brade’s story. Mammoth thanks also to Ruth Alltimes, Mary Byrne and their supernova team at HarperCollins Children’s Books for their hard work and support of what is a highly unusual project. And to my wonderful agent, Philippa Milnes-Smith, for her hand-holding and enthusiasm for the book.

As the Irish writer Oscar Wilde once said: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” With your wonderful work for this collection, you have all reached for the stars, and ‘Beyond’. Together, we have created a glowing universe of space dogs and ice queens, invisible cats and warriors brave.