I was almost at the top when I heard Motti being declared the winner. I paused for just a moment but then continued the race. Why, being runner-up was no small achievement, either! But I had barely continued to run when I suddenly stepped on something. I stopped in my tracks. It didn't feel like a pail or any other kind of sand toy. It felt like...a person!

The smoke was coming out of one of the windows on the third floor. I wasn't sure what to do. In retrospect, I realize I should have called the fire department, but at the time I was under such stress that I wasn't thinking rationally. I began to take the stairs two at a time to the third floor. I could hear the cries for help getting weaker and weaker from inside the house.

I began to regret having come to the beach. What was the point when there was absolutely no way I could get a good swim? Frustrated, I began making my way deeper into the water. Every so often I glanced to the shore, to the spot where I had left my belongings. And then, suddenly, I heard a loud scream, "Thief! Thief!"

Ready to join Udi, Shauli, Betzalel, and others in their adventures and fun? This heartwarming book is full of real life stories that are sensitively delivered by kids like you!

• Binding: Hardcover