“Dear Rudyard Kipling,
‘My dad is a six-foot tall, deep-voiced, husky eastern European rock of a man. In fact, all the men on my dad’s side of the family are a bunch of Romanian macho hunks with bulging biceps and visages as stony and solemn as a statue. Genetically, I have these same features yet, because of my mother’s influence, I am much softer on the inside. Instead of wrestling or boxing at family gatherings, like my cousins so often do, I would much rather ...”
Is there a favorite book or poem that changed your life? Why not write to that author and tell him or her just how important it was? Letters About Literature, sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and Target, invites students in grades 4-12 to write to authors. Winners receive national recognition and prizes for their school library.
River of Words
Look around you. See how your environment shapes the way you live and how you think about the world. Then write a poem or create a piece of art on what you discover. River of Words is an international poetry and art contest for youth on the theme of Watersheds. The contest is designed to help youth explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live and to express themselves through poetry and ar t.
The contest is open to any child in the world, 5-19 years of age.
The “Exquisite Corpse” Prompt Writing Contest
From October through June, two new writing prompts will be available each month for readers of “The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.” Winners in four grade level categories will be selected for each prompt. Prizes include online publication at Reading Rockets and AdLit.org, autographed books and classroom visits with authors and illustrators via Skype.
The first Exquisite Prompt, inspired by Jon Scieszka, asks students to share a family story. Based on the author’s recollections of family togetherness in his memoir “Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka,” the leveled prompt and online resources help students to think about their history and heritage and tell a family story. Also for October, a prompt inspired by author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen and his book “If I Built a Car” that is sure to fuel imaginations and take creative and persuasive writing skills for a ride.
