Oliver Roscoe’s creativity and interest in storytelling have earned him national recognition, with his original short story selected for publication in Spook Squad - Mischief and Mayhem through the Young Writers competition.

Oliver wrote the story in Mr. Pete Parnin’s class at Boyd E. Smith Elementary. Young Writers hosts national writing competitions that encourage students to explore their imaginations, develop their writing skills and have the opportunity to see their work published in a book.

Oliver’s story follows a boy who lives in a cabin with his parents and regularly explores the surrounding woods. One day, he spots two red dots among the trees and follows them. When he does not return for dinner, his father heads into the woods to find him.

The search takes a frightening turn when the father realizes something is following him.

“He looks behind him, and he sees a wolf on his hind legs,” Oliver said. “And neither of them were ever seen again.”

Despite the story’s spooky subject, Oliver found inspiration in an everyday experience: welcoming a new dog into his family.

“I had gotten a new dog recently, so I was thinking about her a lot,” he said. “That kind of inspired the idea of the wolf.”

Writing is also part of Oliver’s daily routine. At the time of the interview, he had been keeping a journal for about a year and a half, writing each night about his day.

“I had a lot of practice writing,” he said.

His interest in storytelling extends beyond classroom assignments. Oliver also collaborated with his friend Jackson and Parnin on a book about cryptids, creatures whose existence has not been scientifically proven.

Oliver researched the creatures and their stories, Jackson wrote the entries, and Parnin illustrated the pictures. Their research included familiar names such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Yeti, as well as lesser-known creatures.

The project gave the friends a chance to work together outside school, too. Jackson lived close enough for Oliver to walk or ride his bike to his house, where they continued working on the book.

Although Jackson has since moved to Boston, Oliver still has the book at home, a reminder of the interests and teamwork that brought it to life.

From nightly journal entries to researching mysterious creatures, Oliver continues to find ways to put his ideas on paper. He enjoyed writing in Parnin’s class and is open to creating more stories in the future.

“Yeah, I definitely could,” he said.