Springflingkidlit 2023

Contest, Craft, Inspiration, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing

Springflingkidlit 2023

Posted on April 1, 2023March 20, 2023 by Susan Uhlig

It’s a contest–read about it here for spring-inspired stories under 150 words! The organizers are author Ciara O’Neal and agent Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez. There are prizes to be won and a short window to submit: April 1st thru 3rd. And it’s free to enter.

This year I thought it might be fun to participate. It’s one way to get my writing out there. So the image above is a gif* that is required to go with the story.

I’m not comfortable pasting my whole story here, but will paste the opening:

A Squirrel Did It

“Noah, did you leave the bamboo gate open?” Mama asked.
“I think a squirrel did it.”
“Noah, did you dig a hole in the gravel path?” Mama asked.
“No, a squirrel did it.”
“Noah, did you put leaves in the fountain?” Mama asked.
“I bet a squirrel did it.”

The story in total is 107 words. (For the contest entry, the judges will get to see the whole story.)

Why do we want to write short? There’s always room for shorter stories, whether in magazines or in picture books. I like what the Arapahoe Library says on their “Children’s Books with Few Words” page: “Your child can feel successful when reading these books that have very few words.” The page has links to staff chosen books.

But it’s not just for those learning to read. Parents often like a few short choices. Some kids have short attention spans. But also sometimes “less is more”–fewer words can have a stronger and lasting impact.

Short can be moving, hilarious, quiet, and more.

Here are some short picture books I love:

Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer (261 words)
From Here to There by Sue Fliess (287 words)
Ghost Cat by Kevan Atteberry (200 words)
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (296)
When Pencil Met the Markers by Karen Kilpatrick (223 words)

(You can find the word count of many books at Accelerated Reader Bookfinder.)

So, I challenge you to try writing short. You might like it.

*Gif found at gifer.com

Contest, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Second Fiddle

Posted on April 2, 2012October 31, 2019 by Susan Uhlig

second_fiddle You won’t want to miss out on the chance to read this great book yourself! Author Rosanne Parry has graciously given me two autographed paperback copies of Second Fiddle (Random House Children’s Books, 2011) to award to two lucky people.
First, let me tell you about this book:
Jody and her two musician friends, Vivian and Giselle, will be separated soon. The Berlin Wall has come down and the kids’ army families will all be sent to different places in the US. But first they have an Ensemble Contest in Paris. But now their music teacher has to cancel, so how will they get there? The answer involves attempted murder, rescue, lies, danger, and betrayal.
I love, love the first sentence: “If we had known it would eventually involve the KGB, the French National Police, and the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, we would have left the body in the river and called the Polizei like any normal German citizen; but we were Americans and addicted to solving other people’s problems, so naturally, we got involved.” Don’t you want to read more? Of course, you do!
To enter for a chance to win the giveaway, comment below with one of your favorite book lines. Tell me the title and author. I’ll throw your name in the hat with others and draw the winners. You must enter by April 16th at midnight Pacific Standard Time. (Please make sure you give me a way to contact you, so I can get your mailing address privately…)
After you enter, read more about Rosanne here. Her next book is called Written in Stone and will be out in June 2013! Rosanne says, “This is a story I’ve been working on for many years and is particularly dear to me as it is set on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State among the Quinault and Makah where I spent my very first years as a teacher.” And, yes, if you read YA, you’ve heard about the Quinaults before…

Contest, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Invasion

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Susan Uhlig

We all know the comics aren’t real . . . don’t we?
That’s what 16-year-old Colt is about to find out in the first C.H.A.O.S. novel, Invasion (Thomas Nelson, 2010), by Jon S. Lewis.
Summer vacation in Washington DC, but the building Colt’s dad has stopped in front of doesn’t look like a tourist place. Nor does it look like a camp. Inside he’ll find out all kinds of secrets about his world, but then not be able to remember them or even whom he met. Later while surfing at home in San Diego he gets attacked by a sea monster, but who’s going to believe that? It sounds like something out of a nightmare. Unfortunately, Cole’s going to experience worse in the days to come.
I enjoyed the humor in the book, and the relationship between the kids. It felt a bit comic bookish itself, so should appeal to comic book fans. As it should since the author has written comic books as well. Check out the series website.
Note: This is definitely not your stereotypical “Christian” book; in fact, there’s no preaching at all!
Jon S. Lewis is also the cowriter of the Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles.
I’d love to give this book to a boy who likes comic books. If you have a son, nephew, grandson, who’d enjoy the book, comment on this post with your email address, and I’ll draw from the comments and contact one lucky person to win this book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Contest, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Invisible i – The Amanda Project

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Susan Uhlig

invisible i Invisible i – The Amanda Project (HarperTeen, 2009) by Melissa Kantor is an intriguing book with a plus–it has a website, www.theamandaproject.com, where fans can interact. And, I’m happy to say, the book has a sequel in the works.
Here’s a brief introduction to the story:
9th grader Callie has problems at home and keeps thinking about how Amanda knows what those problems are. When she gets called into the office, she expects to see her dad. Instead the principal has two other students, Nia Rivera and Hal Bennett, and he accuses the three of them of helping Amanda vandalize his car. They barely know each other. But they all know Amanda and now she is missing.
Check out the author’s fun website at www.melissakantor.com. There you can read the first chapter of this book, sign up for Melissa’s newsletter, read about her other books, friend her on facebook and more.