Noah Box has always had a “gift for words” and a mastery of them that belies his age, says his mom.
It appears others feel the same way.
In June, Box submitted his story about gang violence, Dance with the Devil, to the Ontario Legislative Assembly’s Youth Writers Contest in the category for students in grades 7 and 8.
This fall, he was notified he was a “shortlisted” author and invited to Queen’s Park for a ceremony.
“His younger sister, dad, and I were proud to sit in the audience as he was awarded an honourable mention, which was a second-place standing in Ontario,” said his mom, Alexander Teske.
The aspiring young author received a cheque and a certificate from the Speaker of the House and his story is included in a booklet featuring the winning stories of 2023 and has been published on their website.
On the night of the ceremony in Toronto, Box, 13, was personally congratulated by Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop, journalist Robert Fisher and the winning author of this year’s Speaker’s Book Award, Gabriel Allahdua.
“Mr. Allahdua had a poignant message to share with Box regarding the rippling effect of confidence-building moments like this one,” said Teske.
A formal reception of appetizers and drinks followed the ceremony.
“It was an evening never to be forgotten,” said Teske.
For the Grade 8 student in the French immersion program at Regent Park Public School, it was a special moment.
“I felt accomplished,” Box said of being recognized at Queen’s Park. “It’s a first step towards becoming a better writer.”
His proud mom said she is not surprised the youngster has found success as a writer.
“Noah’s gift has always been words,” she explained.
Before Box turned two, he’d completely memorized The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
“In our edition, it’s a 12-page story written in paragraph form. Although it was challenging for him to verbalize all of the words, he managed to complete any sentences that weren’t filled in by the reader, including multisyllabic vocabulary like, ‘gooseberry net,’ ‘blackcurrant bushes,’ ‘fortnight,’ etc.” explained Teske.
Soon, he was memorizing public library books that were brought home regularly.
“Within the week, he’d have them memorized,” said Teske.
He also loved music as a tot.
“I heard him singing through the baby monitor, while in his crib, the entire theme song from Thomas and Friends. Not only had he retained the chorus, but he’d remembered the lyrics in the bridge, including ‘Thomas, he’s the cheeky one. James is vain but lots of fun. Percy pulls the mail on time. Gordon thunders down the line,’” recalled Teske.
When he was four, he surprised his parents when he taught himself the alphabet backward.
“I was astonished. Slowly, I learned it from him and he went on to perform it for the JK/SK students at his original home school, Lions Oval,” Teske said.
His passion for reading and writing was born early and has never waned.
“In Grade 3, we read The Indian in the Cupboard, which was introduced to me in my youth by my Grade 6 teacher. That same year, Noah’s nana and opa gave him The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He began reading it immediately,” she said.
“While he may have only understood the gist of the tale, he wasn’t deterred from reading the book in its entirety.
“From a young age, Noah read independently most mornings before school and typed original stories on the computer with ease.”
Teske and her husband are secondary school teachers. As a result, during the COVID-19 shutdowns, Box had access to novels beyond his grade level.
“Last spring, I introduced him to Shakespeare through reading Macbeth and we’re slowly making our way through Hugo’s Les Misérables. While extremely well written, the content is heavy, so we’re moving through it in instalments,” she explained.
While being recognized at Queen’s Park is a milestone, Box is not resting on his laurels.
He is currently working on a Remembrance Day essay on the plight of his German grandparents, who lived through the Second World War and later immigrated to Canada following the war.
He’ll be submitting his writing in this year’s Royal Canadian Legion youth literary competition.
Box’s story on the reality of gang wars in Toronto can be read here.
