Once upon a time, there was a group of kids, just like any other, who went to a regular school, just like all the others. But one day, something so unusual happened that it changed their lives forever.

On a Wednesday, their Romanian teacher took them on a trip to the library. After being introduced to the library, the students, along with their teacher, were allowed to wander the halls and explore the endless shelves filled with thousands and thousands of books, some of them hundreds of years old.

As they walked through the aisles, looking at all the books, something completely unexpected happened—something that only happens in stories. Ștefan, the smartest boy in the class, who had paid close attention to every detail, picked up a book and opened it. Suddenly, the words on the page started to mix together, swirling and spinning like a tornado. Before they knew it, the words weren’t just sweeping across the page—they were pulling Ștefan in. And not just him, but the entire group! Everyone except the teacher.

Shocked, the kids looked around, trying to figure out where they were and what had just happened. The strange thing was, everything around them was made up of words from the very book Ștefan had been reading.

And you might think that, like in every story, a big bad wolf would suddenly appear, chasing them into another book. But this was no ordinary story. In a twist of fate, they weren’t stuck in an exciting adventure or a fairytale. Instead, they were trapped inside a dictionary—surrounded by boring, everyday words that they heard all the time. They were surprised, of course, but they definitely wanted more than this.

“Should we try to get out? I mean, at least we ended up in a dictionary. We could’ve landed in a Dracula story—or worse!” Raluca said, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t know… Do you really think we can leave?” Andrea replied.

The group decided they had to at least try. Besides, they weren’t in a hurry to go back to their Romanian teacher just yet. They wanted a break—some time to just be themselves: Andrea, Raluca, Alexandra, Matei, David, and Ștefan. If they had the chance to explore other stories on their own, why not take it?

And so, their journey truly began. They jumped from the dictionary into a dinosaur chase, wandered past the Great Wall of China, stepped onto the Moon, and even had a chat with Einstein.

For what felt like years, they traveled through different books, living one adventure after another. But in the real world—the one where their teacher was waiting—only a fraction of a second had passed. This meant they had the chance to enter every single book in the library, which, as we know, held thousands and thousands of stories.

Eventually, they had enough. They were tired of living through other people’s adventures. They wanted their own stories—not just ones written in books, but real experiences, ones that could actually happen. And so, they made their way back.

They were all ready to return—except for David, who, being as stubborn as ever, hesitated. But in the end, he didn’t want to be left behind, all alone in a world of fiction.

When they returned, everything felt too quiet compared to the wild adventures they had been through. But as time passed, they realized they didn’t need to be chased by dinosaurs or dive into the deep sea to feel alive. They learned to appreciate the little things—the laughter of friends, warm hugs, small achievements.

That trip to the library had changed their lives. The books had changed their lives. They had learned to truly appreciate the world around them.

Cristina Mocanu (Year 8)