Cheerios® Launches Next Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest
Cheerios® Launches Next Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest to Give Would-Be Authors the Chance for Cash Prizes and Publisher Review
Starting April 16, 2008 and going through July 15, 2008, Cheerios invites previously unpublished adult authors to submit their children’s book manuscripts in the second Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest. The book should be suitable for children who are 4 to 8 years old. Cheerios will provide cash prizes to up to three winners, and the top winner will have their book evaluated by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for a potential book deal. A book deal is not guaranteed. For a complete list of rules and to submit an entry online, go to www.SpoonfulsofStoriesContest.com.
Last year, Cheerios received close to 1,000 entries in the Children’s Book Contest, and Shellie Braeuner, an SCBWI member from Nashville, Tenn., was named the grand prize winner. In addition to her $5,000 prize from Cheerios, Braeuner received a book deal from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Her winning story, The Great Dog Wash, is being published and will be printed and available in Cheerios boxes in the spring of 2009. The book also will be available in hardcover on bookshelves in the summer of 2009. Two first prize winners, Alison Anderson of Cumberland, Wisc., and Kate Heilman, an SCBWI member from Chicago, each received $1,000 from Cheerios.
Contest Information:
WHAT: Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest
The book should be suitable for children who are 4 to 8 years old. Authors must be 18 years or older to enter. To obtain a complete list of rules and to submit your original, unpublished entry online, go to spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com.
WHEN: Deadline for story submission is July 15, 2008. Winners will be announced in January 2009.
JUDGING: Entries will be judged using the following criteria:
1. Age Appropriate
- Is the topic/subject matter appropriate for children ages 4 to 8?
- Are the words and the tone appropriate for young children?
2. Emotional Connection
- Does the story provide an emotional connection with the reader? i.e. Does it provide a lesson for kids? Does it bring a tear to your eye?
Does it offer high giggle-ability?
- Are the characters and storyline engaging / appealing?
3. Writing Quality
- Is the book well-written overall?
4. Uniqueness
- Is the storyline / plot distinctive or extraordinary?
- Does it re-tell a known story or historical event in a new or different way?
5. Read Aloud Potential
- Is this a book you can easily read aloud with children?
- Is it a book that could be enjoyed again and again?
Initial judging will be conducted by the nonprofit First Book, an award-winning literacy organization. The top 15-ranked children’s book manuscripts will be judged by a panel of publishing and children’s book authors/experts, who will select a winner and two finalists.
PRIZES:The winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and will have their story reviewed by a publisher for a potential book deal. Two other finalists will receive cash prizes of $1,000 each.
The Children’s Book Contest is part of the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories® program to get high quality books into kids’ hands. Over the past six years, Cheerios has donated more than $2.5 million to First Book (www.firstbook.org), and has given away more than 30 million books to children inside boxes of Cheerios cereal. For more information, see www.spoonfulsofstories.com.
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Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios and Spoonfuls of Stories are trademarks of General Mills.
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