What an awfully good question!

In issue 1 of READ magazine, we published an adapted story based on Frank Richard Stockton's classic tale. At the end, we asked you to finish the story for us. We have already received several interpretations and are hoping for more!

Email your endings to word@weeklyreader.com. We will post our favorites here on Monday, September 14.

In the meantime, check back here this Friday to read Frank Richard Stockton's original story.

And then, come back all next week to see our Oscar-worthy video interpretation endings.

Word.

Here ye, hear ye! (...not sure if it's "Hear" or "Here" so I'm using both. 99% sure it's "Hear" now that I think about it. Oh well, too late to change it.)

Today is election day. Some guy named McCain and some other guy named Obama both want to be president. Everyone likes one or the other, but here at READ, we like Poe.

WE LIKE POE! WE LIKE POE!

That's right, we like Poe. And in honor of Poe, we are celebrating his 200th birthday on January 19, 2009 with a brand new Weekly Reader web site. Have ya heard that you can be a part of it?

Get your video camera and film a special birthday tribute to the man who wrote such classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Rambo, the entire last season of LOST, and much much more...

Wait... what?

Don't worry about it. All will be explained on January 19th. In the meantime, click here to visit our TeacherTube page where you can upload your video birthday wishes.

The winners will get their videos published on READ's Poe website as well as winning $100 million!

OK, well we'll give you $100 anyway.

HURRY! DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 21!

Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe!

P.S. The video lies. It says "Upload your videos here", but really it means

UPLOAD YOUR VIDEOS HERE.

It's 12 days away from Election Day. And it's just about all anybody can think about. READ recently released an exciting issue focusing on the power of words. Inside this issue we looked at how Barack Obama and John McCain choose their words in hopes of winning this landmark presidential election. At the same time the public--the voters, the media, and yes, interested students--use powerful words and ideas to express what is on their minds. Students used the power of words and pictures to create these political cartoons that focus on a variety of opinions. They support one candidate over the other or make a general comment on the issues. We'd like to give a big thanks to students from Pioneer Middle School in Cooper City Florida for sending us their cartoons.

Check back on Monday for more.

 

 

-Alex G.

 

 

- Audrey T.

 

 

Yesterday was Edgar Allan Poe's death anniversary. Was it a coincidence that we posted our birthday video contest details on the same day? Actually, yes it was. It was a total coincidence.

At any rate, we have finally found a place for you to upload your electronic birthday wishes. CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR YOUTUBE PAGE. There are contest details in the upper right corner of the page. Click on "more info" in our READ Magazine box.

Basically, if you're 18 or younger, and you have a video camera and some Poe sensibilities, create your heart out and dedicate your video to the master of macabre. He's turning 200 in January! And READ is creating an electronic experience in his honor. You could be a part of it!

Here is the video we created. You can also see it on our Youtube page (where we are accepting your video birthday tributes). 

Now it's your turn!

Create an electronic birthday card for Poe. You can make a video of one of his short stories or poems. You can get your whole class to throw a birthday party for him and send us the highlights. Or write an original script that features Poe as the main character. Send us the footage. Use your imagination! The opportunities are endless!

Upload your videos on our youtube page by clicking on "post a video response".

Any questions can be directed to word@weeklyreader.com. Just make sure to put "Poe Contest Question" in the subject. Or you can leave a comment below.

OK! Have fun! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

In issue 2 of READ, our theme was Caribbean Stories. At the end of our Readers' Theater play, Before We Were Free, we asked you to send us your thoughts on freedom. Did you think the price the de la Torre family paid for freedom was worth it? Here are two responses from Mrs. Heinzel's 6th grade class in Creston, Iowa.

Darian Huff, Age 11
This story changed the way I think about freedom a lot, because it made me think about how much I appreciate it. I loved the way the de laTorre family stood up for their freedom. They stood up for what they thought was right, even though it ended up getting them hurt or having to move. This play made me appreciate our freedoms and realize how lucky we are.

Alex Fargo, Age 11
This story changed the way I think about freedom, because now I know how it can be in other countries that don't have the type of government we have. Now, I feel like I have been taking my freedom for granted. I'm lucky to be in a country where people even have a chance at becoming a citizen. There's an old saying that "things will get worse before they get better" and I think that the de la Torre family took a chance that things would get better, and it was worth it.

Send us your own thoughts about Before We Were Free... or about freedom in general. Email to word@weeklyreader.com. Put "Freedom" in the subject line. Or click on the comments section below.

Oh man are you going to love this!

We at READ are currently working like crazy on an Edgar Allan Poe electronic issue. It is going to be posted on January 19, 2009. Wow, that seems like a really long way away, huh? Well it's not. Not really.

Anyway, you may be asking yourself, why Poe? Why now? Well, the long dead literary genius is turning 200 years old in January and we're celebrating! And guess what? We need your help!

We know that many of you are very VERY electronically jacked. You've got your cell phone and your iPod and your myspace and your youtube and... well, let's just say that when you try to talk to Grandma about these things she's baffled.

So here is the contest you have been waiting for!

Create an electronic birthday card for Poe! Yah! ... Wait, what does that mean, exactly? Well, you can make a video of one of his short stories or poems. You can get your whole class to throw a birthday party for him and send us the highlights. Or write an original script that has Poe as a main character. Send us the footage. Use your imagination! The opportunities are endless!

We're still working out how exactly you can send us this stuff so don't worry about that just yet. We'll post more announcements in the coming weeks and months. For now, just get to work creating your electronic birthday wishes!

WINNING VIDEOS (etc.) WILL BE POSTED ON OUR POE WEB SITE! Also, winners and runners up will receive these awesome Poe dolls that we have. You know you want one.

Any questions can be directed to word@weeklyreader.com. Just make sure to put "Poe Contest Question" in the subject. Or you can leave a comment below.

OK! Have fun! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

The following blog entry was written by Sarah Solomon, an intern here at READ.

**Update: The first issue of Stand and Voice is here. And it looks fantastic! Chock full of stories, poems, essays, and artwork--all by teens--Stand and Voice is truly an accomplishment. Kudos to Baobao et al.

What does it take for a teen writer to be published? Teens seem notably left out. At least, this is the view of Baobao Zhang, who attends high school in Virginia. In order to mend this modern literary tragedy, she has started an online literary magazine – Stand and Voice. And it is just for teens. When asked how the magazine got started, Baobao, explained: "It got started around April this year when I was talking to a friend. I was getting rejected by — god knows what — every magazine in the country probably. We were talking, and we’re sure there are other teens who have this problem getting published, especially in adult magazines, because people don't want to take teens seriously. So we thought it would be cool to give people an outlet for their voice. Since then I’ve gotten published."

In terms of the technical preparations, "We had to find a web hosting company—we did it with Yahoo— and it's fantastic because you can edit it online and don't need software. We had to write everything about us. One of the challenges we had was to find a staff of volunteer editors, but we found them now." They also were lucky enough to be advertised by another magazine, Teen Ink.

Once the magazine was properly set up, it was time to start getting submissions. I asked Baobao why she thinks it's so important for teens to have their voices heard in today's society. Her response: "There's the adult world, and they don't take teens very seriously. And then there are the kids' magazines that don't take teens very seriously. We lack a voice. Modern media says we're irresponsible and lazy, but I don't think so. I think we have something to say."

Very well said.

On her hopes for the magazine: "I hope teen writers will have the chance to get published and put themselves out there. One of my goals is to spread this magazine to educators across the country. Kids that don't like to read can find something they're interested in."

Baobao and the rest of the editors have a whole process of deciding who to publish. Baobao says, "We have a review process. You send something in, when we're looking at it we're reading it anonymously and we edit it anonymously. We also have a rubric."

Writers can submit poetry, short fiction, personal essays, editorial essays, one-act plays, and even book movie or music reviews. Artists can submit drawings, paintings, prints, multimedia, photography, digital art, cartoons, and sculptures and ceramics.

All writing must be emailed to submission@standandvoice.org in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf), in a double-spaced standard font (such as Times New Roman). Since the writing is judged anonymously, put your name, date of birth, grade level, state, and name of school in the body of the email, but do not put information in the file. You'll also find a complete list of instructions at the site.

The first issue is going to come out in August. Deadline for the issue is July 27.

If you are a teen writer and want to be heard, submit your writing to Stand and Voice. If you are a reader, get ready to read some original writing from teens across the country.

READ thinks that Baobao is poised for success. After all, her poem "In Search of Sleeping Beauty" will appear in the first issue of READ this fall. We hope that Stand and Voice is a raging success, and wish Baobao and the rest of the team good luck!

Click here for Student Writing Showcase 2008.

That's not much fanfare! Well, I could tell you about all the great student writers we have showcased this year. I could discuss the wonderful authors who have leant their voices and commentary (like M.T. Anderson, Karen Cushman, and Cynthia Leitich Smith). I could describe the way neat-o video version of 1,000 Words. I could tell you all about the Letter To Self article and writing prompt. I could write up a super-duper self-promotion that shows in detail how each one of these things makes for a really cool place to chill out, read some excellent student writing, get inspired, and moves you to write whatever your heart desires! I could... and I kind of just did... but I think I'll just pipe down and let you check it out for yourself.

AND if you do get inspired and DO write something. Send it to us at word@weeklyreader.com. We're always looking for the best student writers to publish right here on WORD!

Cheers mates! Enjoy!

The following is a WORD Bloggy endorsement from Esther Yan, a 6th grade student.

The readandwriting website is very interesting in two ways. One way is that they give an opinion on a book. For instance, they were giving an opinion on the Chronicles of Narnia. A Canadian reviewer said, "The chronological order makes the books more strictly allegorical than they really were intended to be...". Another way is that they have many categories. Some of the categories are "Books and Authors", "Get Published", "Writing Tips", "1000 Words", and more.

There are four ways that I would use "www.readandwriting.com". First, I would use it for finding books. I would go to "Books and Authors" to find some comments or opinions on the articles/stories that they have in READ and Writing magazines. It would be helpful for writing an article about a story for English/Language Arts.

Second, I would use it to find cool websites and interesting articles. For instance, if I was curious about the National Book Festival, I would simply click on "Cool Links" and scroll down until I found the section that was talking about the National Book Festival. It's easy as 1-2-3!

Third, I would click "Writing Tips" and check out the writing tips. The tips they give are very interesting. For instance, they tell you about revising. Did you know E. B. White (author of Charlotte's Web) revised his story 8 times?

Lastly, it tells that you shouldn't give up on your writing when you are confused. In the movie A Christmas Story, the main character Ralphie has to write a theme for the teacher on what he wants for Christmas, so he writes that he wants "a Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time". He imagines his teacher saying, "Poetry. Sheer poetry, Ralph! An A+!" But when he gets back his paper, it doesn't have an "A+" on it, instead, it says, "You'll shoot your eye out!"

Those are four ways that I would use this readandwriting website.

Thanks for the raving review Esther!

Check back here tomorrow and every day for two weeks straight for Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest Runners-Up!

In a recent Animals issue of READ, we asked you what you thought about the play, Babylon's Ark. Here are a few 9th graders' responses from Bourgade Catholic High School in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Babylon's Ark story was harsh. What they did to the animals was mean and not healthy. The people trying to help them were very kind and respectful but the owner of the zoo didn't care.
     Animals should just be treated as humans. Be kind to them because they have a life too. They live on earth not just to be treated as a pet that you can kick around. They are here to bring life to us and joy, and they are friends.
     -- Jennifer Guzman

The animals are sick, hungry, and dehydrated. The Iraqis took over the zoo and they are making it a base. This was all caused by war. Now with the Iraqis out of the zoo there are people from the U.S. that are trying to help out the animals. They are having a tough time because most of the animals are really sick.
     I think that it is a great thing that people are helping out the animals at the zoo. Now with the troops helping them out there will be no more Iraqis able to enter the zoo and kill the remaining animals. I still think it is dangerous for the people at the zoo. They hear a lot of guns and one of those bullets can hit you and you can die.
     If it was my zoo I would have bulletproof walls and it would be blocked off so no Iraqis can come in and use it for a base. I would also put bombs where there are no animals because that is were the Iraqis would hide and it will blow them up.
     -- Blake Comella

If it was my zoo I would never abandon my animals. I would always care to them and make sure they are getting the same requirements as other zoos or better. So if someone tried to take over my zoo and turn it into a base. I would do everything in my power to stop them and make sure all the animals are safe.
     -- Vince Fielder

I would set a zoo up by, first hiring people that love animals and are not scared of them. Second, they have to be cheap And third, they have to know what there doing... if not, get out of here. I would set up some crazy electric fence so no animals can get out and no one can get in and steal any either. 
     -- Kristopher Verdugo

If I had a zoo I would separate the animals into groups and give the animals a theme I would pick the theme depending on the animal. I would keep the birds in one big cage so they can fly around. I would also have timers for the food so every three hours the food will fall on the floor.
     I would put the fish in a clear tank and make it look like the ocean, and I would also clean the tank every three days.
     I would clean the zoo every Sunday and clean the cages every day. I am going to give the animals a good meal and feed them lunch and dinner.
     I would hire trainers to train the animals so they can not attack the people. I would throw toys in the cages for the animals so they can play with them. I would give the animals a bath and dry them. I would also hire veterinarians to check the animals health, and make sure they have all there shots.
     -- A.J. Magdaleno

You've been here before. Oh yes. OK, well I stole that first line, "You've been here before." from Stephen King. It's actually the first line of his terrifying novel about a small town that pretty much goes nuts, Needful Things. But I digress...

Did you ever see our Student Writing Showcase from last year? Well now's your chance. Click here, take a look. I'll wait.

Pretty cool, right? Well we're doing it again this year... except the only difference is that this year, we want YOU! That's right! We want YOUR WRITING in our 2008 Showcase!

Send your best stuff to word@weeklyreader.com. Poetry, fiction, essays, whatever you've got, we want it!

Be sure to write "Student Writing Showcase" in the subject line of your email (or "SWS" if you're into the whole brevity thing.)

I don't have an actual deadline for this one. The deadline probably should have been like last month. Oops. See, you're not the only procrastinator!

Alright, for the sake of argument, let's say the deadline is January 31. OK? But it doesn't really matter cuz you're going to email your writing to us right now, right? Woo hoo! Looking forward to reading it!

Word.

In the January 4th issue of READ, we presented a Charles Dickens classic called The Child's Story. The ending was a little difficult and we asked you to tell us what you thought of it. The following is an interpretation by student READer Maggie Smith.

In Charles Dickens's short piece titled The Child's Story, a lone traveler walks along a road and interacts with characters that represent stages in his life. Each of these characters call to the walking man, and invite him to join them in whatever activity or occurrence sets apart that particular age, such as learning as a child or teenager, or being in love like a young adult. At the end of the short story, the narrator speaks directly to the traveler as a grandchild to his grandfather. This surprising point of view makes the piece take on new meaning.

For example, the clever narrative explains the grandchild's understanding of the grandfather's life, and how he or she knows that their grandfather loves to remember and to enjoy simply being with his family, and they love him back. When I read this passage, I envision a grandchild telling the story to his beloved grandfather as their happy relatives look on. The line "because this is what you do to us, and what we do to you" explains the close relationship this family has.

Also, the grandchild narrator mentions several events that explain the grandfather's life. The mention of the young man falling in love just as "somebody I won't mention did with Fanny" is clearly the child hinting shyly at his grandfather's wife, presumably named Fanny. In addition, all of the children of the middle-aged "always busy" gentleman leave to go to sea, India, abroad to seek riches, and Heaven. These specific examples are probably the grandchild's way of mentioning his aunts and uncles.

Lastly, the narration in Charles Dickens's story sheds light on how young children view life in simple stages that seem vastly far away. The grandchild uses simple language and foreshadowing, while never exactly stating what is going on. The reader must deduce the meaning of each character and event by themselves. Also, the child's mention of the journey as "magic, and very long when he began it, and very short when he got half way through" emphasizes the simple, sparse viewpoint of the child.

In conclusion, this revealing and surprising narration in The Child's Story is bright, beautifully simple, and uses small clues to illustrate both the child's and the grandfather's lives. Charles Dickens used this to his advantage, and this story still rings true even today.

If you haven't yet read Dickens's story, you can find it on page 14 of the January 4th issue of READ... or here.

In the January 4th issue of READ, we presented a Charles Dickens classic called The Child's Story. The ending was a little difficult and we asked you to tell us what you thought of it. Here are just a few of your responses.

Jack Spahr
The last line of the story titled The Child's Story was: And I think the traveler must be yourself, dear Grandfather, because this is what you do to us, and what we do to you. The traveler was one who went on his way along the path seeing as a young boy grew from a boy to a grandfather. I suppose that the traveler would be the grandfather as he travels through life. As he travels he follows a path almost like a time line until he comes to the end. Unfortunately I did not understand the "because this is what you do to us, and what we do to you" part of the final sentence. Perhaps it has some meaning relating to what he and the child did as they both went through the path. As he walked and met the boy time and time again they did many things together. I'm not too sure about what it does mean although the sentence does hold some significant meaning.

Abby Johnston
The Child's Story seems like it was written by someone older than a child. This story seems like some kind of life story wound into something interesting to keep a child amused. The last line surprised me, but after I thought about it, it made more sense. These children were either dying or going far off to somewhere, just like a grandfather would, yet the parents weren't terribly sad, they knew it would happen and they accepted it. I think this story helps the grandfather accept dying.

Chris Covert
The last line in The Child's Story was very well-written by Charles Dickens. It was easily comprehended and sent a large message. It was very powerful. It did not surprise me because that title stated that it was a story from a child. I understood it. The last line states that the boy thinks his grandpa is the travelling man because he watches people change as they grow up until they leave and all he can do is remember them, as the boy can watch his granpa get older and pass away, leaving the boy to remember him.

Connor Fitzgerald
It did not surprise me much to know that the speaker was talking to the grandfather. The last sentence told that the speaker was speaking to the grandfather, and as the story progressed from the beginning I began to know that. Thankfully the story was easy enough to understand, and I began to figure out its deeper meaning once I was finished. I already explained what its basic tale was. The traveler goes on his travels and meets along the way multiple people. He's simply meeting the same person after an amount of time and doing things with him. All in all it was a fine story though with a good deal of meaning to it.

The last line of the sstory did surprise me a little because it sounds like one of those stories that tells you a lesson, and usually someone older tells you something like that. I think that I understand some parts of it. One part I believe I understand is throughout the story it is telling you what is important to people at each age. For example, it was important for the child to play, and for the young boy to learn, and so on. The child could be telling the story of how they thought their grandfather watched them grow up, and watched them go through those phases in life. Plus, he won't be able to find them becouse they grew up, and are "gone" forever. Only when he wants to remember them, is when he can see everyone again. I hope that explanation made sense, because it did to me. :)

Later today... come back to WORD to read Maggie Sullivan's extremely thought out and insightful explanation of Charles Dickens's The Child's Story...

In the meantime, if you haven't yet read Dickens's story, you can find it on page 14 of the January 4th issue of READ... or here.

Well, here we are. 2008. Back to school, back to work, yada yada yada.

In the holiday issue of READ, we said that we would post student writing during the last week of December. Well, we tried, but were obviously unsuccessful. Sorry about that. We will resolve to do better in '08. Starting with our first student writing piece this afternoon!

Come on back.

Word.

Dim the lights and cue the dramatic music.

Tonight ... on The Great Book Publishing Challenge ... we'll decide which novel will be published. Will it be the romance? The mystery? The western? Your votes decide. So, who will be ... the next great American novelist?

Does this sound like a reality show you'd watch? It might sound silly, but some publishers are running American Idol-style competitions to publish books. An article on NPR talked about how a social networking site ran this competition, and it actually found very talented people to get published.

I think it's great that people are getting excited about writing. And this is definitely a way to get your foot in the door of the publishing world.

But I wonder what the "audition" round would be. Instead of wannabe singers screeching "Unchained Melody," would it be wannabe writers sitting in front of a computer, staring at a blank screen? Would it be a video clip of a person stuffing his manuscript into an envelope and getting a paper cut? (Ouch!)

Would you enter a contest like this? You know what, I think I would. Of all the reality shows out there, this seems like it would be the one with the least amount of humiliation. No eating pigs' brains, no vying for the love of a washed-up 80's singer, no singing. And the chance to become a published author. Sounds pretty good to me.

If you entered this contest, what would you submit? A poem? A short story? Your biography? Hey ... wait a minute. No need to even enter a contest. [Shameless plug alert] You can be published on this very blog! Yay! Go on and e-mail your masterpiece to word@weeklyreader.com.

Jessica, out!

Spotlight fades to black as credits scroll over the screen.

Before you get started reading this entry, you should click here to read a general overview of the YPulse Tween Mashup.

Both Deavon and Seth commented on Tuesday's blog entry. Neither of them quite understood what the word "tween" means. Sorry guys, my fault for not being clear. A tween is basically a young person that falls between the age of 10 and 13. It can be quite a confusing time in life. Tweens aren't kids anymore but they aren't quite teenagers either. They want to be soooo bad though. And in an effort to grow up too fast, tweens sometimes start acting older than their age even though they might not really know the mistakes they are making as they make them. It's OK to make mistakes. Everyone does. That's how you learn. Just don't run the race so fast! You'll miss all the good stuff.

GOOD STUFF GOOD STUFF GOOD STUFF!

Heh. Nice transition. As if.

I learned about quite a few things at the YPulse Tween Mashup last Friday. First and foremost was that I never really knew the extent to how drastically times have changed. When I was a tween... well first of all, the word "tween" didn't exist when I was a tween but whatever. As I was saying, when I was a tween, my friends and I certainly had our distractions, our games, our fun. But we never could have fathomed all the myspaces and youtubes and AIMs of the future. When I was a tween, I had this clunky Garfield phone in my room. Looking at the picture now makes me both nostalgic and, admittedly, a little angry actually. You see, the handset there in Garfield's back? Well, when you pick it up and put it to your ear, there's this big button that sits there next to your mouth. All you have to do is breathe on it just a little too forcefully and Garfield hangs up on you. End of conversation. Sorry friend. Call back later when the Internet comes to town.

Well we all know that the internet (or internerd as I like to call it) is here to stay now. Everyone is so wired these days! It's almost impossible to remember a time when "www" simply meant... well it didn't mean anything. I'm losing track here. Why don't I just chill out and tell you about Kiki.

Nope, not even trying for transitions anymore.

I learned about Kiki magazine at (where else?) the YPulse Tween Mashup. Kiki is the magazine "for girls with style and substance". If you're a tween or early teen girl, you want this magazine. It's full of wise fashion sensibility, tips for better health, book reviews, and even nifty projects you can take on yourself!

You know, there's a lot of magazines and websites and clothing stores and music and media and T.V. and celebrities and all sorts of nonsense telling you who you should be. The masses and the advertisers shout, "Britney is cool! Be like Britney!" And lots of people do exactly what they are told. But Kiki is one of the few entities that doesn't tell you who you should be. Kiki asks you who you want to be. And then they try to tailor their pages to suit your needs. I had a chance to meet Jaime, Kiki's founder and editor at the Mashup. She's a very nice woman with two tween daughters herself. She started the magazine with their, and your, best interests in mind. To learn more about Kiki, or ask Jaime a question, click here.

And while we're on the subject of being a girl, something I'm sure I know nothing about, you can also check out Beinggirl.com. It's a website "for girls, by girls" that answers all your questions about, well, anything girl related, and that includes slumber parties! Click the image to the left to read more. (How do they get it to blink? Wild.)

In Beinggirl's own words, "Girls have fun. Girls have opinions. Girls have a lot of questions about stuff like PMS, dating, their bodies and even serious subjects like addiction and abuse – just about anything you can think of that has to do with being a girl."

Don't look at me. I'm just here to give you literary news. But definitely check out Beinggirl.com if you seek answers.

Let's see, what else is in the news?

Just stop it. Your transition ship has sailed long ago...

Well that's just fine and dandy cuz I think it's getting a little too tired in here to write anymore now anyway. But we'll be back soon, from the front lines of the YPulse Tween Mashup... or not... At any rate, I have a funny feeling that WORD's gonna be in DC again tomorrow though.

Stay tuned...

This past Friday I was in New York. The city. Ask me if the brights are light. Go on? ... Well they are.

The YPulse Tween Mashup was held at the Jacob Javits Center. If you've never been there, it's this big, long building that houses, among many other things, the Book Expo America.

YPulse is this whole other web site out there in www land. It's also a finger on a pulse (the name is not accidental). It is dedicated to understanding what makes tweens tick. Cuz as it turns out... you're quite an interesting bunch. :)

Hosted by Anastasia Goodstein (YPulse's puppet-master and author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online), the event was a mix of old school practices and the wave of the future. There's a whole lot of both out there. You probably don't remember this, but there was a time long ago when there were no computers. There were no cell phones or emails. No iPods or earmuffs. Nah, I'm just kidding. The world has always had earmuffs.

Here's a question for you: Which do you prefer?
a) texting your friends
b) emailing your friends
c) talking on your cell
d) writing a letter in longhand scripture using a quill and ink before having to walk all around the house searching everywhere for an envelope and a stamp and then having to, after all that work, walk to the mail box or the post office and mail the thing

No! It's a serious question! Leave a comment below. Tell us a, b, c, or d... and tell us why.

But that's what the Mashup was all about. It was a bunch of old folks sitting around in a room, scratching their heads and saying, "Um. Does anyone understand tweens? ... Hello? ... lil' help?"

So have you ever heard the word "tween" before? Maybe sometime 'tween lunch and dinner? Well, it's nothing to be afraid of. It's not a label or a brand name. It's just a way of classifying. Like Gen X or horseshoe burns on a bull's... no, I kid. Here's what the Urban Dictionary has to say about it:

Tween: A word that is used by marketers to describe youths between the ages of 10-13. Although some believe that tweens are actually between the ages of 10-15. Despite the fact that tweens have always existed, marketers continue to lay claim to discovering them. ... No one discovered the tweens.

Ha! Right on. Embrace your 'tween-dom while you have it, friends.

So as a tween, what are your favorite web sites? Keep in mind, this is not a ploy. If you say, "WORD", you will not get a free tee shirt (although we will be flattered). Just curious is all. Tell you what though, if you write up just a few paragraphs about your favorite web site, we just might post your writing here. Put "favorite web site" in the subject line of an email and send it to word@weeklyreader.com. Make sure and tell us why you love it!

YPulse: It's a neat thing. In this day and age, we're all wired. The old and the young alike. We might as well have some dialogue about this cyberspace place... right?

What's up?

Later this week: More from the YPulse Tween Mashup...

"There's nothing here. It looks like there was something. But now it's gone. This place is dead. And we need to bring it back to life."
      - Mike, 11, Town Council, Red District

Well, we didn't get any student reviews of Kid Nation yet. I suppose the contest deadline was a little ridiculous. Sorry about that. Just trying to stay topical here. At any rate...

I really really really enjoyed the first episode of Kid Nation. Aside from the fact that I have some of the same qualms about it that others do--it's kinda messed up to drop 40 kids in the middle of nowhere and say, "OK, survive."--it's a super-duper reality show. To read some disturbing controversy about Kid Nation, click here.

It's going to be interesting to see everyone work together to make the town work. There were already problems during the first couple of days. But they all seemed to be resolved. Even Greg, the vandal, the bully, the Blue District rebel, seemed to have a change of heart at the end of the show. I guess the golden star worth $20 grand might have had something to do with his sudden urge to help out. But that's ok. Money is a great motivator. Greed, however, is not.

"I'm a beauty queen. I don't do dishes."
    - Taylor, 10, Town Council, Yellow District

Oh man, Taylor. There are no beauty queens here! Get over yourself! I'm just kidding... mostly. I'm glad she didn't decide to leave at the end of the show. The town council would have fallen apart if she did. Not because she's a great leader or anything... but leaders need to stay in place or else your nation falls apart. No matter how terrible a job you're doing. Ahem. I think Taylor's going to end up turning it around herself. I really think she's going to step up before the end of the show and show what she's made of. Go Taylor!

I was sad to see Jimmy leave. At only 8 years old, he was the youngest kid on the show and also the only one to choose to leave the town at the end. Oh well.

Kudos to Sophia (Green District) for winning the gold star!

Best quote of the night was when the town council chose to keep seven new outhouses over a television set:

"We got the Port-O-Potties! Yah!"
     - Jared, 11, Red District

Question: If they had chosen to take the TV, what kind of reception would they have had? I have a feeling nothing. They'd probably be watching 24 hours of snow and fuzz a day... not to mention pooping in the road.

OK, that's my silly review. It's not very good but the show was!

Here is WORD's gold star to you -- the deadline is null and void. Send your review of any Kid Nation episode this season to word@weeklyreader.com and we'll post the best up here on our humble bloggy. The first one we post still gets the tee shirt. It's not worth $20,000 but it has a cute doggy on it.

OK, now here's Jared doing some Shakespeare...

Yah!

Did you watch Kid Nation last night? Did you like it? What did you think?

OK, here's the deal, write up a review of the show and send it to word@weeklyreader.com. We will post the best one here, on WORD, tomorrow. And here's the best part -- the winner will receive a free tee shirt!

But you have to write it quick because the contest deadline is midnight tonight!

Oh, and if we don't get any reviews, you'll have to suffer through mine tomorrow. Better get writing!

Word.

Dear Sir/Madame:

Thank you for your interest in our publishing company. While your manuscript was interesting, we are not currently in the market for that type of novel.

Best of luck on your literary journey.

Sincerely,
Publisher X

Harsh!

Have you ever wanted to submit an article idea/the great American novel to a publisher, but visions of a letter such as the one above haunt you in your dreams? Well, first of all, if you ever have a nightmare about sitting naked in English class, well, dreams of rejection letters wouldn't seem as scary. Anyway, while it might be discouraging to receive such a letter when you've poured your heart and soul into your masterpiece, know that even famous authors have been rejected at some point in their careers.

That's right. Kerouac, Orwell, and many other prominent authors were actually rejected. Why? I don't know. Maybe the authors needed to do some editing. Maybe the editor was having a bad day and rejected everything that came across his or her path. Maybe some poor intern spilled coffee on the manuscript, leaving it illegible. (I sure hope that intern got a stern talking-to!) Who knows.

Every aspiring writer should know this. Everyone gets rejected. So keep writing, and keep trying to get published. Live the dream. And maybe, someday, someone will be kicking himself for letting your masterpiece slip through his fingers.

Do you have a great idea for a magazine article? While getting the idea from your head to your computer might seem difficult -- "How do I get that interview? What’s a great pun I can use for the introduction? Just how am I going to end it?" -- writing is the easy part. It's getting published that's the difficult part. How do I know? Well, before I landed this awesome job at Weekly Reader, I too tried my hand at freelance writing, with varying degrees of success. Luckily, all you aspiring writers out there in computer land can benefit from my tips--written from experience. I learned the hard way so you don't have to.  :)

           

For starters, pick a magazine you want to send your idea to, and make sure they accept submissions. Try to look on its Web site to see if there are any guidelines. If you request the guidelines, send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Editors aren't going to shell out their own dough to send you a response. And know your audience! If you want to write an article on the newest monster truck in a magazine about cooking, chances are, it's not going to happen.

           

Next, send a query letter or e-mail. What's a query letter? I'm glad you asked. This is a letter stating what your article is going to be about, why the readers would be interested in it, the proposed word count, info like that. Most editors will not read unsolicited manuscripts. If they like your idea, they will contact you and work out the details.

           

And on that note, when you are sending your query, send it to someone. Preferably a real person whose name you saw on the masthead. (Yes, this requires some research. But researching by reading magazines is definitely more fun than researching for a big history paper. At least, it is in my opinion.) Editors hate it when they receive letters addressed "To whom it may concern." Even worse if you address it "To Sir," and the editor is female. Trust me on that one.

           

Be prepared to send out lots of queries without any response. Editors are busy people--writing their articles and blogs and all--and if they don't like the idea they might not write back. Rejection comes with the territory, but it builds character. (Or characters for your next story. Get it?) If an editor does say yes, don't pitch the idea to a different magazine as well. It'll get the editor mad if you recant, plus it's just not cool. You never know who knows whom, and sometimes scorned editors talk. You don't want to be blacklisted from all magazines!

           

Anyway, dear writer, those are some of my tips. Now go forth and, well, write! And good luck to you.

Do you have the end of the school year blues?

Is the promise of summer vacation just mere days from your grasp?

When you're sitting there in Geometry, gazing out the window, does a little piece of you die inside?

Well, you'll be out soon enough. In the meantime, feel free to gripe about your woes here. Write a poem about your terrible plight and send it to word@weeklyreader.com. Put "End of School Blues" in the subject line and we'll post the best one here.

Word.

Why hello there! Happy Thursday to you!

READ Magazine's publishing year has come to an end. Our last issue took the form of a web site called Student Writing Showcase. We received so many great submissions for it. Thank you all!

Next year, we want to publish a new piece of student writing in every issue of READ (and Writing for that matter). Right now though, we are specifically looking for poems and stories about MAGIC. We are also looking for poems and stories about MONSTERS. Please email your work to word@weeklyreader.com. Put either "Monsters" or "Magic" in the subject line (depending on what your writing is about).

A writer's work is never done, eh?

Word.

Yesterday was the final day of the International Reading Association (IRA) conference. I don't have anything really exciting to report because I spent pretty much the entire day in the Weekly Reader booth. I didn't meet any authors or go to any lectures because I was chillin' at the home base, mixing it up with teachers from all walks of life. And that, in itself, was something special.

I'm about ready to leave now. The four of us that headed out here together in an oversized minivan just five days ago are ready to pile back in and groove on back to the states. Canada was truly a blast, eh? I thank you for your good will and best wishes.

Before we leave this fine country, we're stopping by a small, mostly unknown place called Niagara Falls. I hear they've got, like, a bunch of water or something? I dunno. That's just what they tell me. ;)

So yeah, overall, the trip was just jam packed with inspiration and ideas. Gotta give a great big shout out to IRA for making it all possible. How does one give a shout out? Um.

YO IRA..... WORD!

Yup, that oughtta do it.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
     - Grouch Marx

Coming soon to WORD: More student writing than you can shake a stick at! How's that for barking up the right tree???

Wow.

You know what? The International Reading Association (IRA) conference is superb! I cannot begin to tell you how much fun we are having here! ... oh wait, yes I can. And it starts now.

So today was Tuesday, the penultimate day of the show. And, true to form, the day started out miserable and quickly moved to fantastic... and here's how. (Editor's note: The following paragraph is boring. Please skip ahead to the **starred** paragraph to read the good stuff.)

I was scheduled to work the Weekly Reader Booth at 8:00 a.m. I arrived at the convention hall in plenty of time, but of course, just as I was about to gear up to talk to my first teacher of the day, I realized that I had left my business cards back at the hotel. It seems like a minor thing, but really, they are essential for making contacts. So I ran back to our rental van and attempted to drive back to the hotel. I say "attempted" because the traffic back to the hotel was horrendous! I was on the verge of a meltdown in rush hour traffic because I knew that there was a very important lecture I wanted to attend at 9:00. I somehow managed to maintain my rage and turn the van around and head back to the convention hall. Grrr! Oh I was so mad! I can't even tell you.

--------------------------

**I arrived back at the convention center JUST in time to power walk to my lecture with not a second to spare. I sat down just in time for the beginning of a speech by Mo Willems and Brian Selznick.

Willems is an author/illustrator who has penned and drawn gorgeous children's books such as Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!, Edwina, The Dinosaur That Didn't Know She Was Extinct, and Today I Will Fly!

Selznick is the author/illustrator of many young adult novels including The Houdini Box, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, and most recently, the highly acclaimed tour de force, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. (We recently featured "Hugo Cabret" in Writing's April/May issue. Maybe you saw it on page 4 in Write Stuff?)

Together, Willems and Selznick spoke about their love of writing and drawing and how they go through their creative processes to come up with fascinating new ways to tell a story! And they spoke with such humor and such love of their work that it really put their captive audience on the edge of their seats. Willems is an author who's sense of humor and love of life is impossible to ignore. "When I was a child," Willems said, "I was, what is now called, a 'reluctant reader'. back then, it was called 'a boy'." He then went on to assure us he was kidding. Boys love to read just as much as girls do. For sure.

Willems' sheer enthusiasm and good will erupted out of him and we, the audience, were mesmerized. He even conducted a draw-along session where he taught us all how to draw a pigeon. (Mine was a little off, but then again, most of what I do is a little off.)

When it was Selznick's turn to speak, he came out shining. His award-winning new book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a young adult novel the likes of which the world has never seen. It's "part book, part graphic novel, part movie, part historical fiction, part everything." Reading "Hugo Cabret" is akin to living it. I would love to tell you about the plot but there's just too much else to talk about. You can learn all about this extraordinary book by clicking here.

--------------------------

After that INCREDIBLE experience, I went back and worked the booth some more. I met with many fascinating teachers (maybe one of them was yours?) and I got a lot of great ideas for READ magazine! Look for great things next year! And, as always, you can ALWAYS contact us and let us know what you think of our magazine (and Writing, too) by emailing us at word@weeklyreader.com. And while I'm on the subject of plugging our stuff... have you checked out our Student Writing Showcase yet? I mentioned it the other day... anyway, check it out if you get a chance. It's only just the beginning of what we want to do with YOUR stories and poems!

--------------------------

I MET NAOMI SHIHAB NYE!! She's the author of The Flag of Childhood: Poems From the Middle East, This Same Sky: A Collection of Poems from Around the World, and What Have You Lost?, among many others.

Ms. Nye is sooooooo excited to be.... oh wait... maybe I shouldn't announce this just yet? Hmm... ok, well I really see no harm in it. So check it out! This past year, Writing's student writing contest called "Take Me Away" was judged by the fabulous Ursula K. Le Guin. For next year's writing contest, I am pleased to announce that we have signed on the glorious Naomi Shihab Nye to be our guest judge! How cool is that?! Ms. Nye was all smiles when we talked about it today! And she can't wait to read your work! The theme of the contest won't be announced until September, but I can tell you this with confidence: you're gonna like it. :)

--------------------------

So after THAT happy experience of meeting Ms. Nye, I went to hear S.E. Hinton speak in front of a HUGE audience! Ms. Hinton is the author of the classic novel, The Outsiders. It is a timeless tale of a young boy named Ponyboy who is stuck in a gang of "Greasers." But are the Greasers really that bad? Or are they just misunderstood? What makes a bad boy bad? Who decides? I don't know, you tell me.

Ms. Hinton started writing The Outsiders when she was only 15 years old!! The story was based on her personal experiences in school. There were two sets of gangs, The Greasers and The Socs (or "Socials"). And she was fed up with both of them. She wrote her anger and disappointment and it turned into art... and it has stood the test of time.

During her speech, Ms. Hinton did speak at lengths about writing and how hard it can be. She said that the year she was writing The Outsiders, she "got a D in Creative Writing." It just goes to show that anyone can write! Even near-failing writers! You just have to find something you love to write about and get it down!

"After writing The Outsiders, I took a break," Ms. Hinton said, "When I finally came back and decided to write again, I realized... that I didn't know how to write! I couldn't write on a typewriter... I couldn't even write letters to my friends!" She sighed under the weight of the memory. "Many writers will tell you that there's no such thing as 'Writer's Block'. Well I'm here to tell you that yes Ma'am, there is."

So to make a long story short... there is always hope. All you have to do is do it. So do it. Get to it. And send it to us. Click on submit your writing in the right hand column or send your writing directly to word@weeklyreader.com. What have you got to lose?

Nothing. Exactly.

Goodnight Toronto!!!!

-WORD

Day Two, Sunday
We set up our Weekly Reader booth here at the International Reading Association (IRA) conference. It took pretty much all day and was more or less uneventful until, near the end of the day, one of our walls came crashing down. To make a short story shorter, we got a new wall. Yah!

Day Three, Today
The day started out slowly. The hotel coffee was wretched, and the ride to the convention center was filled with trying to cope with the fact that the coffee was wretched. But as soon as we got to our booth, happy faces were genuinely turned on as we greeted teachers who came from all across North America.

Many of them were very familiar with READ and Writing magazines and they were ecstatic to learn about our brand new electronic issue! Wait, this deserves a whole new section here....

CHECK IT OUT!!
The first annual Student Writing Showcase is here! Get on the phone! Tell all your friends! Sing it loud and clear! What is it? We will have a future blog dedicated to that. But for now, see for yourself! Click the link above or go to www.weeklyreader.com/showcase. And start thinking about what you want to submit for next year's Showcase. Because, oh yes, we'll be doin' it again! Count on it.

Day Three, Today (cont.)
When I wasn't "working the booth" and showing off our magazines, I also got a chance to see Lisa Klein, author of Ophelia, speak about writing, reading, and teaching Shakespeare. Ophelia was the love interest of Hamlet. In Shakespeare's play, Ophelia goes mad (crazy) and drowns herself in a river. In Klein's book, she takes the character and rewrites her part. Ophelia does not actually die in this daring, innovative new novel, but rather, she actually fakes her own death and escapes from the kingdom of Elsinore to live a new life. This is fantastic stuff! It's so cool when new authors can take old works and re-write them in ways that readers of the past had only contemplated, don't you think?

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Klein said in her speech. "I often ask myself, 'What would Shakespeare do?'" Ha! Who hasn't? :)

If you haven't read this book, you have to check it out. But if it slips your mind or you just have too many things going on now (what with prom, summer vaca being almost here, cracking down for finals, etc.), fear not! READ magazine is going to attempt to do something very cool with this book in the coming year. Details to come...

I also met Jane Yolen today. She is the author of many books including Pay The Piper:A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale. We have collaborated with her on a number of projects over the years and most recently, she read a fairy tale written by a student writer on none other than (you guessed it!) Student Writing Showcase!

And if that weren't enough to fill a whole week (let alone one day!), I also met with the hip cats over at Flocabulary! And yes, I understand that saying "hip cats" makes me sound like a complete poser, all apologies. But these guys are great! You absolutely have to check out their web site! Shakespeare as Hip-Hop?!? Shut up! Awesome!

And speaking of fantastic web sites, I also met a guy from Teaching Matters. I have so much to say about this organization that I will have to wait until a later date to get into an in-depth discussion here, but for now, giver their site a well-deserved gander!

There's just so much cool stuff goin' on at IRA this year but unfortunately, I have to get some sleep now so I can be fresh again in the morning.

Until then,
WORD!

Thank you to all the students who wrote conclusions to "The Pirate's Life For Me", a story that was featured in READ Magazine (Issue Date April 27, 2007).

Just wanted to let you know that, yes! we got them! And we'll be posting the best of them next week, right here on WORD. But that's not all...

We have also received many "1,000 Words" interpretations concerning a certain turtle that escaped from a picture frame! This image, of course, was in the April/May issue of Writing magazine and we will be posting the best of those next week as well!

Next week's shaping up to be big in the world of student writing! You're not gonna want to miss this!

So come on back! Every day next week, starting Monday, May 7 all the way through to Friday, May 11! It's pirates and turtles week here at WORD!

Who loves, ya baby?*

*Editor's Note: Please don't sue us, Telly Savalas.

Really? That's too bad. Why?

We are currently putting together an issue of Writing magazine and we need your help. If you are one of those students who absolutely hates to write, we want to hear from you! Only, you're going to have to write to us. Kind of a Catch 22, huh?

Send us an email at word@weeklyreader.com. Put "I Hate Writing" in the subject line and tell us all about it. What is it about writing that you dislike so much? Is it too hard? Is it boring? Let us know. We want to publish your thoughts in our magazine but more importantly, we want to help you. We want, more than anything, to crush this plague of hatred. We want to pound it into oblivion and make great writers out of the unwilling. Can we do it? Heh. Honestly, I don't know. We're certainly going to try though.

Write to us now. Feel free to vent.

The following blog entry is brought to you by Current Health magazine. If it ain't healthy, make it so.

Do you need friendship advice? Sure, we all do. Current Health magazine wants to hear questions that you have about getting along with your friends. We have a friendship expert who will be answering your questions in the next issue! Click here to ask your question.

Have you always wanted to write a children's story and to see it published? Well, here's your chance. There's a nifty contest out there that you can enter. Sponsored by the bank ING Direct, the "Adventures in Savings" contest is open to aspiring writers ages 6 to adult.

The Task: Write a children's story for 4-7 year olds that teaches kids a lesson about responsible money management (earning, spending, saving, investing, etc.).
Categories: You can enter your story in one of three categories, depending on your age: 6-12 years old, 13-19 years old, and 20+ years old.
The Prize:    Three prize-winning stories will be published and illustrated, and the winners will each receive an ING Direct Savings account with $1000.
Deadline:    June 30, 2007

Find out more about the contest rules and requirements, and submit your story here.

ING Direct also has a pretty cool site that allows you to travel to places such as Moneyland, South Spending, the Republic of Savings, and Investor Islands -- and tackle topics that range from the value of money, to setting a budget, understanding credit, and building savings goals for the future. Now that's something I think all of us could use -- a little bit of help setting up a budget!

If you want some inspiration to get started with your story, here are some neat children's stories about money:

• The Ant and the Grasshopper, from Aesop's Fables
• Daddy John's Debt
• Noom and Raj Start a Business: The Abc's of Money

---

For Teachers: More on generosity and money in literature.

The following post was written by Jenn Magid, an editor on Current Health magazine.

Current Health wants to hear something rude!

Here are things that people do that drive me nuts: not holding the door open for someone behind them, cutting in line, and talking with their mouths full--so gross! When I told my friends Bry and Sandhya here at WORD that Current Health 1 and 2 magazines are looking for readers to talk about what they find rude, they agreed to let you guys know about it. All you have to do is answer this question:

What kind of rude behavior bugs you the most?

Click here to tell us! Here's your chance to vent, and maybe become a little famous at the same time (we may just publish your quote in our magazine!).

WORD recently had a chance to speak to China Miéville, the mastermind behind this fantasy world. What follows below is our EXCLUSIVE interview! Make sure to read the whole interview to find out how to win a free signed copy of Un Lun Dun!

WORD: How did Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland influence your story? What were some of your other influences when creating Un Lun Dun?
China Miéville: Alice influenced me enormously. The matter-of-fact heroine, the fantasy which is a combination of literalised wordplay and dreamlike fabulation, the grotesquerie, and the way the illustrations have become inextricable from the text in many people's eyes (including my own). This was all stuff that was very inspirational. Other influences included Michael de Larrabeiti's Borribles trilogy, for the sort of punky London kick; Beatrix Potter for her somewhat scary and unsentimental animals; Walter Moers for his explosive imagination and his text-illustration weaving; Joan Aiken for Dido Twite; and others, too.

WORD: Were any of your quirky characters inspired by real incidents or people?
Miéville: Not really. Some were inspired by literary characters, but actual real people, not so much.

WORD: You did many of the illustrations for Un Lun Dun. Did those come first or did your story?
Miéville: The story came first, but during the writing of the story I was conceptualising it all in very visual, illustrative terms. I always tend to do this, as I do my own drawings for a lot of my stuff, but this is the first time I'd put them out there in the actual text. So while the illustrations came after, they were there in my head from the word go.

WORD: Do you have any advice for young writers and artists?
Miéville: Certainly for writers, I'd say don't be resistant to being edited. That doesn't mean agreeing with everything friends, readers, editors say, of course, but it does mean that the instinctive tug we feel towards defending our own writing should always at least be interrogated. In many cases a writer is not the best person to tell what works.

WORD: If you could live in Un Lun Dun, would you?
Miéville: Absolutely. Why would you not live in a fantastic world if you could?

WORD: If you could write about any other city, what city would you write about?
Miéville: I can write about any other city! That's one of the pleasures of being a writer, you can write about whatever you want. I like writing about London most of all, in various disguises. But I just like writing about cities in general, so I don't want to tie myself down to one other.

WORD: You have a knack for wordplay. Can you give us an activity or exercise that flexes their wordplay muscles?
Miéville: Wordplay doesn't just necessarily mean creating new words, or combinations: it can mean trying to reconfigure existing ones, and making them do new things. So with that in mind, how about this... Think of something generally agreed to be completely adorable. A puppy, or a kitten, or similar. Now write a scene in which that is an absolutely terrifying baddy, but you have to call it puppy, or kitten, or whatever, all the way through.

To win 1 of 5 autographed copies of Un Lun Dun, write a short story or poem about your town... the flipside of your town. Make sure to give your new town a wacky name (for instance, the flipside of Brooklyn could be Broke Lawn). Send your work to word@weeklyreader.com. As well as receiving a signed copy of Un Lun Dun, we'll also publish 5 stories here at WORD! 

Read an excerpt of Un Lun Dun and find out more at the book's website.

Also, if you don't like free books, you can always buy one here.

Webster's Dictionary defines "Wordwork" as:

n.  1. What WORD gives you for homework.
     2. Any of the rare species of underwater Gila Monster from ancient Atlantis.

Now, I don't think Webster's was necessarily right in either definition. First, because "homework" sounds like work... and Wordwork is more like... well, fun! Second, because I don't think Atlantis ever had Gila Monsters. And last, because Webster's never actually defined "Wordwork". That was a dirty, filthy lie on my part. Sorry. I was jut trying to set something up. And here it is...

Your Wordwork for this week: listen to your favorite song no less than 4 times. You can either listen to it back to back to back to back... or you can space it out over 4 days. The point being that you listen intently and (this part is important) whatever you do, do not sing along! Yes, I know you want to, and it is hard to resist. Take it easy, rock star. There is a reason to your devoted silence.

Listen carefully to your song. More carefully than you ever have before. And then, when you've heard something new (and you will), write about it. And then send your writing to us at word@weeklyreader.com. Write "Wordwork #1" in the subject line. We'll post the most thoughtful writings here. You have absolutely nothing to lose and so much more insight into your favorite song to gain. Best of luck.

Why hello there,

Get in your entries now! The deadline for READ Magazine's Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry contest is Wednesday, January 31! That's like... tomorrow. Well, actually it's the day after tomorrow, but it might as well be tomorrow because it's just that close!

You can find out more details here.

Here's a poem that will not win this contest:

One Lonely Sneaker
I once met a man named Horatio,
He told me I should rhyme his name with "ratio."
But I didn't want to,
So I didn't.
And that really showed him who was boss.
But then he pointed out to me
That I actually did
In line 2
And it was quite an embarrassing revelation, I must say.

Oh, and did I mention he wore one lonely sneaker?

------------------

Reasons why One Lonely Sneaker will not win the Ann Arlys Bowler poetry contest:

1) It is a poem of very poor quality.
2) I wrote it.

Enter now. Peace out.

Why do you write? 

This is a question I always ask myself at the beginning of a new year -- and, each year, my answer is more or less the same: because I want to connect with people and make a difference in the world through my written words.

The world, however, is an awfully big place, and sometimes it can be daunting to think of your words out there, attempting to touch the people who read them. I'd like to share a story that always helps me find inspiration and motivation when I get overwhelmed:

A terrific storm pounded the coast all night long. The following day, a man walked alone along the beach that was covered with hundreds upon hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of starfish that had washed up on the sand by the high waves and were now stranded.

Far ahead of him on the beach, the man saw another beachcomber who was constantly bending down, straightening up, throwing something -- stones? -- into the ocean, and then bending down again.  As the first man walked closer, he saw that what the other man was throwing into the ocean was not rocks or sticks, but rather starfish, one by one by one.

"What in the world are you doing?" the first man asked when he reached the second man.

"I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean because if they don't get back in the water soon they will die," he answered.

 "But there are hundreds -- thousands -- of starfish on this stretch of beach alone," the first man protested. "What possible difference can you make?"

"Well, to this starfish," the second man said, holding one of them in his hand as he prepared to toss it into the waves, "I can make a big difference."

With each word you write, you too can make a big difference.  Here's to a new year full of imagination and inspiration.

Hello Writers!

Just a quick note here to tell you about what's going on with our 3 major writing contests this year.

1) TAKE ME AWAY - The winners of the Take Me Away contest have been chosen and notified. Thank you all for participating. We had over 1,700 entries this year! Wow! The winning poems and stories will be published in the April/May issue of Writing magazine.

2) Student Writing Showcase - The deadline for ALL student writing showcase entries is tomorrow, Thursday, January 11, 2007. Make sure to get your entries in before midnight tomorrow night! There are no rules or restrictions in this contest. (How refreshing!) Simply email your poems/stories/essays to word@weeklyreader.com. Make sure to write "Student Writing Showcase" in the subject line. The winners will be published in a special bonus super duper wowee zowee electronic magazine on May 11, 2007. This contest is brought to you by the editors of READ and WRITING Magazines.

3) Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest - The deadline for this contest is Wednesday, January 31. You still have a few weeks to compose a brilliant poem of lyrical bliss. Think beauty. Think art. Now stop thinking and write! Click here for more information and to print out the submission form.

That's all she wrote, my friends! Make sure to get in while the gettin's good! Can't wait to read your work!

Peace.

Where's all the student writing?!?

That's a very good question. I'm so glad you asked. Well, we haven't posted any in awhile. Sorry. My only excuse is that I have no excuse. And that's not a very good excuse.

To make it up to you, here's what we're going to do--

Starting Monday, we'll be posting a new piece of student writing every single day until Christmas. Why? Because we can. And because we have a mailbox full of your awesome stories, poems, and "1,000 Words" gems.

So check back in on Monday...

and Tuesday...
and Wednesday...
and Thursday...
and Friday...
and Saturday...
and Sunday...
and Monday...
and Tuesday...
and Wednesday...
and Thursday...
and Friday...
and Saturday...
and Sunday...

and then have a Merry Christmas on Monday. Unless you don't celebrate Christmas. If that's the case, have the best December 25th ever! You could, you know.

Yah!

Thanks to all who sent in their submissions for our Take Me Away writing contest! And holy cow there were a lot of you! I've got 3 gigantic bins full of student writing on my desk right now. As soon as I'm done making a way cool fort out of them, I swear, we're going to read each and every one. Who knows? Yours could be the winner! It could be the one a quarter of the way down stack #2 just waiting to be chosen! How exciting! Check out the April/May issue of Writing to see if your poem or story was the best!

Psst... don't tell anyone, but I'm rooting for you.

Keep it under your hat.

The deadline for the Take Me Away writing contest has passed. Please do not send anymore entries--they will not be accepted. Seriously now. Stop sending. There's nothing I can do, I'm sorry. Rules are rules, chief. Isn't that what they say? Yes, but they also say that rules were made to be broken. Well not in this case they weren't. No sirree, Bob. However, you can always send your writing to word@weeklyreader.com for possible publication on this site! Our blog shall never die.

Long live WORD!

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

For those of you who have sent in your submissions for the Take Me Away Writing contest, thank you! They look great!

For those of you who are still working on your submissions for the Take Me Away Writing contest, keep on pluggin' along! But remember, the deadline is coming up soon. When? All entries must be postmarked by WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22. That's soon, my friend. That's super soon.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about. Click here to learn more about the specifics of the contest and to download the official submission form.

Best of luck to you all! ... Not that you need it though. You know you've got what it takes. You know there's an ace of a writer inside you. Of course, you also know that in order to win, you have to start writing something. SO WRITE SOMETHING!!! Come on! Wow me with your poetry or prose! And most importantly...

TAKE ME AWAYYYYYYYYY......

WARNING: If you have not read Of Mice and Men yet, you may not want to read this blog entry. It kinda sorta spoils the ending. 'Nuff said.

In Issue One of READ magazine, we asked you a few questions about the Reader's Theater play Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. One of the questions was:

Does George make the right decision at the end of the story? Why or why not?

Here is what a few of our READers thought:

Sarah M., Grade 7 said

Yes, I think that he made the right decision. Like they were talking about earlier in the play, you shouldn't let someone else kill your best friend. But also, he was wrong because it was murder.

Heather, Grade 8 said

I think George makes the right decision. If George didn't kill him, a stranger would have ... or he would have lived with the guilt forever. I'm not saying if a friend does something bad that you should kill them, but you sometimes have to be a little rude to get them to stop. So both ways are right.

Hayley, Grade 7 said

Yes, George made the right decision. He didnt want a stranger to kill his friend. It was like the guy with the dog said "I should have killed him myself" George thought Lennie was sorta his responsibility. He didn't do it out of anger, he did it out of love!

Laura S., Grade 7 said

George and Lennie were such good friends that George wouldn't feel right if he didn't kill him. He would probably feel sad and not be too happy that someone else shot his best friend. I think that since Lennie was so fond of the rabbits that that is what George wanted his last thought to be.That is why I think that George did the right thing.

So it sounds to me like everyone agrees that George did the right thing. It still breaks my heart though. Does anyone else out there agree? Is there anyone that thinks George should have not killed Lennie? Leave a comment below or email us at word@weeklyreader.com.

Until next time...

I will be interviewing Mr. Mark Twain in the very near future. Or maybe it will be Mr. Samuel Clemens. I'm not sure exactly who will be showing up yet.

Sidenote: They're the same person. Mark Twain was Samuel Clemens' pen name (or pseudonym, if you will).

Yes he's dead. But use your imagination here. Anything you'd like me to ask him? Send an email to word@weeklyreader.com. Write "Mark Twain" in the subject line and put your question in the body of the email.

He's the author of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court, and about a gazillion other things! He's a very cool guy. And he'll answer any question you have. All you have to do is ask.

Oh yes, and don't forget to tell us what grade you're in... or will be entering in the fall.

Seriously now, ask a good question and we may just very well publish it AND your name in READ magazine!! At the very least, you'll get a personal email back from Mr. Mark Twain himself!

Word.

Being a Rock Star is grueling.

Case in point: I recently interviewed an up-and-coming punk/pop band called the Plain White T's. Their touring schedule is intense. The group will play 200 shows before summer's over.

That means that every other day these guys are in a different town. The day in between each town is spent in a van (that frequently breaks down). AND every night before they get in the van, they scream their heads off on stage until midnight. And they do this ten months out of the year.

                     The Plain White T's on stage

It's the kind of lifestyle that should burn them out, but they just keep on going ...

Two weeks ago,  Gregory K. Pincus, a writer in Los Angeles posted an invitation on his blog GottaBook. He invited readers to write "Fibs" - six-line poems that use a math formula called the Fibonaci sequence.

The pattern is like this - each line must have a certain number of syllables which equals the sum of the syllables in the line above. Before you think it's too complicated, here is the basic six-line pattern:

1
1
2
3
5
8

Within a week, news of this invitation had spread like wildfire across the Internet - and more than 100 blogs were linking to GottaBook--and piles and piles of Fibs were pouring in. The New York Times even wrote an article about this! 

Here's our Fib:  

This
Blog
Calls for
A round of
Applause from all you
Dedicated fans out there.

Want to post a Fib on WORD? Post a comment.

Hello, Word-sters! I'm Meredith, a health reporter and writer who works here at Weekly Reader with Bryon and Sandhya. This contest offer showed up in my e-mail inbox this morning and I wanted to share it with you all:

What's the REAL DEAL on Growing Up in the Age of AIDS?

Who can enter? Anyone 13-18 years old living in the United States
What should you write? A story or script dealing with HIV/AIDS (up to 10 pages)
When is the deadline? June 13, 2006
Where can I get more information? www.ScenariosUSA.org/contest/
Why? It's been 25 years since HIV and AIDS first emerged. This means you're the first generation to grow up in this era--for you, AIDS has always been around. How do you feel about it? This contest gives you the opportunity to share your thoughts with the world.

Scenarios USA is an organization that helps teens make films, BET is the cable network Black Entertainment Television, and the Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit health care organization. They've all teamed up to give teens a chance to talk about the impact HIV/AIDS has on their communities, relationships, and lives. Submit a story or a script of up to 10 pages on the theme, "What's the REAL DEAL on Growing Up in the Age of AIDS?" and you could win the chance to have your entry filmed by a Hollywood director and shown nationwide on BET in 2007.

Put on your thinking cap and get busy! You can submit an entry by yourself, with friends, or even as a class. There's an application and more resources for you and your teacher at www.ScenariosUSA.org/contest/, including a "Mini Creative Writing Workshop" to help you get started. Good luck!

Meredith is the editor of Current Health 2. You can check out her magazine online by clicking here.

A narrative story is a retelling of a personal experience that has had a significant impact on your life. I recently assigned the wririting of a narrative story to my 9th grade class. “But nothing important has happened to me yet,” my students moaned and groaned. I explained to them that determining whether or not something is “important” is all relative.

“25 years from now,” I told them, “moving to a new school district in the middle of the year may seem insignificant, but right now, at 15, it can be the biggest event of one’s life.” Once they looked at the assignment from that angle, their pens started moving. The topics students chose to write about varied a great deal and included everything from the birth of siblings to the loss of family members, from stories of their best friends to playing on sports teams.

Once the assignment was written, the students read them aloud to the class. Many were nervous, as some of their narratives were very personal, but ultimately, this turned out to be a wonderful experience for the whole class. Some students became emotional telling their stories. They were all very supportive of each other, though.

Before my students completed this assignment, I read them an example of a personal narrative of my own. It is about the 5 people I lived with in college. Although it was an experience my students had yet to have, I chose a tone and language that was appropriate for them. I believe that the story did reach them and even inspire them a bit. I even had a few students urge me to send my story to the friends I had written about, which I did. And now, I am sharing my personal narrative with you. My hope is that, by the time you are done reading, you will have a better understanding of the personal narrative and maybe even try to write one of your own! Enjoy!

OK, Eragon and Eldest fans. We need your help!

Writing will be interviewing fantasy author Christopher Paolini next month. The 22-year-old writer whose Inheritance Trilogy books have been major bestsellers has agreed to answer questions from you.

Here's what you need to do: Send us your questions by Sunday May 7th. You can e-mail them to us or just click on post a comment below.

If your question is picked, we'll print it (along with your name) in the November/December issue of Writing, just in time for the release of the movie Eragon which opens on December 15th, 2006.

We are no longer taking questions for Christopher Paolini. Thank you for your interest. Be sure to check out the interview in Writing Magazine in November, 2006.

Today I attended the Celebration of Teaching and Learning in New York City. It was an all day event in which educators from all over came to share their love of what they do... and get free stuff.

One of the highlights of the day (and there were many) was getting to hear Frank McCourt speak about what it means to be a teacher and writer. Long before Mr. McCourt won his Pulitzer Prize for his novel Angela's Ashes, he was an English and Writing teacher in New York Public schools for over 25 years!

McCourt was born in Brooklyn and his family moved to Ireland when he was very young. There, he endured grim poverty, witnessed horrific illnesses, and suffered an alcoholic father. One of the reasons McCourt is such a respected writer is that he illustrates who he is and where he comes from with such shameless honesty and humourous bravado that, in reading him, you feel as if you are walking alongside him through his life.

When he returned to New York from Ireland at the age of 19, McCourt set out to become a Writing teacher. After a few bumpy years of rooting out the teacher he so wanted to be, McCourt began to light his students' creative spark by asking them to pen the pages of themselves. "I tried to show my students the significance of their own lives which they sometimes thought insignificant," McCourt once said. "I hoped they'd realize the value of their own lives, that they were good enough to write about. So they took the plunge and they wrote and some were willing to read to the class and I think they were glad they did."

That is what makes an effective writer of non-fiction, my friends. When writing about your life, hold nothing back. Be unafraid to delve into the deepest sections of your heart--so deep that even you have yet to find them. You can discover the most wonderous things about who you are, once were, and who you aim to be, just by writing. And it can be as secret or public as you like. You can write your innermost fears and desires in your journal and lock it away under your bed... or write what makes you happy and share it with all your friends and family... or write what makes you different from the rest of the world and submit it to a popular magazine--perhaps one that has a blog (wink wink :).

However much you care to disclose is completely up to you. Just remember to never be ashamed for who you are and never ever lie about yourself when you are attempting to get at the real you in your words. You're in there. Don't deny it. Write it.

You can purchase and/or read an excerpt of Frank McCourt's new book Teacher Man here.

Calling all teenage girl writers, between 13 and 17. Here's a great opportunity to get published.

A magazine editor Amy Goldwasser is putting together a book of essays by teen girls. Here's a snippet from her call for submissions:

I want to work with the girls, editor at their service, with more attention than I’d give any overrated old professional writer. I want to put their essays out there because they’re great reads and need a proper place in literature, not because they’re some misguided grownup idea of what kids today are up to, keeping it real. This is a chance for them, as writers, to speak to a broader audience and with more staying power and legitimacy than the web allows.  ... So if you know any girls, age 13-18, who’d like to submit a piece of personal non-fiction for consideration, please pass this invitation onto them. ...

Amy is looking for absolutely any subject matter and the essay "may already exist (from a school assignment, from a blog, e-mail to a friend, anything) or be an original work." More details.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 7 and all correspondence should be sent to to amyg@earthlink.net with “my essay” as the subject.

Good luck!

Later this month, the editors of Writing will be interviewing the phenomenal fantasy author Ursula K. LeGuin for an upcoming issue.

Have you read The Earthsea Cycle series, Gifts, or any of her other books? Do you have a question for the author about one of her books? Are you curious about her writing influences? Do you wish she could give you a specific piece
of writing advice? 

 Submit your question(s) for her to us by March 19. We'll add the top five questions to our list and mention your name in our September 2006 issue!

PS: Ursula K. LeGuin will be a guest judge for our 2006 Writing contest. Stay tuned for details in April!

Happy Birthday, John Steinbeck!

Born on this day in 1902, Steinbeck wrote many novels that became classics. You may have read Of Mice and Men in your English class. If you did (or if you read it on your own), then you have had a glimpse into Steinbeck's style. He is a writer who believes in the power of friendship and the unbreakable bond of family. He looks lovingly at the lower class and is constantly exploring their seemingly eternal struggle.

If you are interested in Steinbeck and have yet to read Of Mice and Men, I suggest you start there. It is a sliver book ... meaning it is quite short and full of dialogue. You can probably finish it in less than a day, if you are devoted enough.

Once you have finished, you are going to be on a Steinbeck rush. You're going to want more immediately. When that happens, let me know and I will send you a copy of The Grapes of Wrath I have two). Of course, I can only send one copy out so we're going to have to make a contest out of this. Here we go...

Steps to winning a free copy of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath:
1) Read Of Mice and Men (If you have already read it, you don't need to read it again. Skip to Step Number Two)

2) Write us at word@weeklyreader.com and tell us, in an essay of no more than 1,000 words, how much you loved Of Mice and Men (or hated it) and why you did. (Of course... if you hated it, we'll be less likely to send you the book.) Be sure to include your full name, grade, and email address. Deadline for all entries is April 1, 2006.

3) We will contact the winning student via email and publish your essay here, on our blog.

4) You will receive your copy of The Grapes of Wrath within 4 weeks.

5) Upon receiving The Grapes of Wrath you will dive right into it and become amazed at the power of Steinbeck's writing. You will go on to buy all his other books on your own including East of Eden, The Red Pony, and Travels With Charley.

Steinbeck rulz! Love the Stein. Word.

Have you ever wanted to take a writing course but didn't have the money or the time?  Believe me, I can relate -- sometimes it can be hard to find time in your busy schedule to write for fun, much less enroll in a writing class!  But I've found that just writing for a few minutes each day can really add up to pages and pages of writing -- and a writing class provides structure and ideas to help you stick to your writing goals. 

If money's an issue, there are plenty of writing classes out there that charge minimal amounts, or even nothing at all.  My personal favorite is the program created by amazing teen writer Elisabeth Wilhelm at www.learning.absynthemuse.com.  If you're between the ages of 13 and 22, you can go on the website and enroll in writing courses for *free*!  :) There are all sorts of topics available, from finding your own writing voice to promoting your work to the class I am teaching about writing short stories. 

If you're interested in my class, there are still spots available, but act quickly -- the registration deadline is this Saturday, February 25, as the class starts on February 26 and runs for six weeks.  The key code to register for my "Writing the Short Story" class is "lightening bug."  Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions!

Hot off the press: This personal essay contest on Merlyn's Pen starts accepting entries today: 

Guys in the Media Age

Start Date	February 15, 2006
End Date	April 15, 2006
Eligibility	Boys 12-19 years old in grades 6-12.

The 2006 Winter Olympics are here! Well... not here exactly, they're in Turin, Italy... but through the magic of television, it feels like they are here.

Today is just the third day of competition and already, American athletes have had their share of ups and downs. Arguably the biggest story this weekend was figure skater Michelle Kwan's decision to withdraw from the Olympic games. After straining a groin muscle during practice on Saturday, Kwan realized she was not at 100% and sadly gave up her dreams for Olympic gold.

"I respect the Olympics too much to compete and I don't feel I can be at my best." Kwan said. Emily Hughes will be Kwan's replacement on the American team.

In men's downhill skiing, bad boy Bode Miller came in 5th in Sunday's downhill race. Before the games, Miller was the subject of some controversy and made it onto the cover of Time and Newsweek magazines (just to name a few). Now, Miller is going to have to put his first event behind him and ski his heart out in upcoming days in order to get onto that podium and bring home a medal.

One athlete that did live up to the hype was snowboarder Shaun White a.k.a. "The Flying Tomato". White found himself in unfamiliar territory when he failed to qualify in the first trial round. Whether it was nerves or lack of attention, his board came down on the lip of the half-pipe after a jump. Going into the second and final qualifying round (only the top 6 snowboarders from each round would go on to the finals), White nailed his routine and went on to destroy the competition in the finals.

"I wasn't really that nervous, but just before I was about to drop in, my heart kind of fell," White said. "Then I remembered that this is what I do and I just did my thing."

The Olympics will continue through the next two weeks. Who are you rooting for?

Are you watching the Olympics? Do you have a favorite athlete? Write about him/her and send it to us. Click on "Submit Your Writing" in the right hand column. We'll post the best of the best here.

Dallas Woodburn is currently a columnist for WRITING magazine. She is a creative writing major at the University of Southern California. She hopes to one day make a career as a successful author and maybe even start her own publishing company. For now, we are happy to welcome her to WORD.

Yes, it’s true. Bring out the balloons, confetti, and "CONGRATULATIONS" banner. I am now a proud mommy of the rough draft of a 248-page, 51,000-word novel manuscript!

I actually finished writing the draft on January 11, but I let my baby incubate in my computer’s hard-drive for a few weeks, so I could read her over again with fresh eyes for the first round of editing. While there was a sense of satisfaction as I typed "THE END" four Wednesdays ago, it was not until this morning, as I held my novel’s still-warm-from-the-printer pages in my arms, that I truly realized what I have accomplished.

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day! How ludicrous. I swear, there's a day for everything. Anyway, who am I to judge? In fact, I like squirrels. What's not to like? They're both cute and creepy at the same time. It's mesmerizing. Allow me to regale you with a brief but true story. My story starts out with a porch.

My porch is not my favorite thing in the world, but it is certainly up there in my top 10. Every spring/summer/fall and yes, even parts of the winter, I love to sit on my porch and read and/or write. It's my haven, my one place in this crazy universe where I feel utterly untouchable and free. Ahhh... my porch.

My porch is on the second floor of an apartment building and looks out onto no less than four different highways and some small body of water that I am ashamed to say I don't know the name of. OK, so it's not the best view in the world, but it's still one that I own. However, blocking this view of mine is a tall tree that stands about five feet from my building. And in this tree, there lives a squirrel. Two squirrels. Three squirrels. Four. Fifty bigillion. I have no idea how many there are. But there are a lot. They are here all year long. They do not fly south for the winter. Although it might be amusing to see them try.

There's this guy in my building who feeds the squirrels. At least three times a week, I see him out spreading peanuts on the lawn. Our lawn is always littered with shells. But hey, someone's got to feed the squirrels, right?

Anyway, when the weather is not ridiculous cold, I like to get up early and read on my porch before heading off to work. Can you possibly begin to understand how hard it is to read when these adorable, freaky little creatures are chilling out in my every peripheral? And they don't only sit in their tree. They venture out and climb up on the roof in front of me. Sometimes, this one, big, fat squirrel just sits there and stares at me. I stare back. He stares back. I stare back. It never ends. I feel like he's summing me up, trying to figure out if I'm a threat. Or maybe he's plotting to conquer me? Maybe he's the leader of the squirrel army and my days are numbered? Only Fatty McSquirrel knows the truth inside his tiny head. His beady little eyes reveal nothing. He is cold. He is calculating. And then... everything changes and I feel like he is trying to smile. Like he's my friend. Like he means me no harm. Like he is a messenger of Mother Nature telling me that we co-exist in a friendly world. Everything is OK again. And he leaves. Back to the tree in front of me to report to his soldiers how they will advance on me.

It's maddening.

I try to get back to my book but I'm forever stuck in Squirrel World. Because after all, it IS their world... and we're all just nuts living in it.

In honor of Squirrel Appreciation Day, we have chosen the three best student Odes. Most of them feel the same way I do. That these weird animals are both wonderful and creepy. Enjoy.

Hello and welcome to the new age of WORD! Now and forever we will be posting student writing as regular entries. You can comment on your fellow writers' poems/stories/essays as you like. Help each other out! Give your opinions! Share! Laugh! Write! Yah!

Each time we post a new piece of student writing, it will be stored in the links in the right column under either "Fiction", "Nonfiction", or "Poetry". You can submit your own writing by clicking on the "Submit Your Writing" link or by emailing us at word@weeklyreader.com.

Enjoy reading the first student writings for each category below. And don't forget to tell us what you think!

So, last fall we introduced you all to the Weekly Writer - a spoooooooky online story started just for the Weekly Reader by Stephen King and waiting to be finished up by you ... (You still can add to it. C'mon, do it today.)

Now, I'm excited to tell you about NOISY OUTLAWS, UNFRIENDLY BLOBS, And Some Other Things That Aren't As Scary, Maybe, Depending on How You Feel About Lost Lands, Stray Cellphones from the Sky, Parents Who Disappear in Peru, a Man Named Lars Farf, and one Other Story We Couldn't Quite Finish, So Maybe You Could Help Us Out. (Talk about a long title!!!)

NOISY OUTLAWS is a new collection of short stories for "wise young people and immature old people" brought to us by the editors of McSweeney's. It features stories written by all-star authors such as Nick Hornby, John Scieszka, Jonathan Safran Foer, and many others, plus really cool illustrations.

Some people like short stories, and others ... well, they don't. I'm usually more of a novel person, but I loved this book. Besides bringing us into the imaginary worlds of some really talented authors, it also does two very generous things. 1) All proceeds from purchases go to benefity 826nyc, a writing center in Brooklyn, NYC offering free classes to students between the ages of 8 and 18. 2) It offers readers the opportunity to take part in a nifty contest.

Here's the deal: Lemony Snicket started a story that appears on the inside of the dust jacket. It's up to you to add your own "thrilling, joyful, or disgusting ending." The jacket then folds up into a snazzy envelope, and you mail it back and wait ... McSweeney's editors' favorite ending will receive some fabulous prizes ("a complete set of A Series of Unfortunate Events signed by Lemony Snicket himself; 11 pounds of chocolate; a Venus flytrap; six hundred tiny glass bottles; and a large sack of dirt from Winnipeg") -- and be published in a future book and at their website.

I told you it was pretty cool!

The deadline to enter is April 1, 2006 and the winning entry will be announced on June 1, 2006.

Take a stroll to a bookstore near you and check out Noisy Outlaws. Maybe you have what it takes to give Lemony Snicket a hand.

 

2006, eh?

Word.

Yes, it is true that we have been gone for quite some time. The holidays allowed us to recharge our creative batteries with lots of sleep and tons of food. I must loosen my belt just remembering... Did you all have a good holiday break? Are you back in school now? You must be. We're back at work. And let me tell you, it wasn't easy to trudge in here yesterday. Half the state was blanketed in snow. Not us. We only got rain. Am I really blogging about the weather now? Wow, I really am out of practice.

Well, rest assured, we are here and although this is a pretty ridiculous way to start off the new year in BLOG LAND, writing always takes a little bit of warming up before anything meaningful comes out. Sometimes, nothing comes out at all and that's OK, too... so you keep writing.

Argh.

OK, well, whatever... in the coming days (weeks?) we will be changing a few things around here. The most important change is that we are going to begin posting Student Writing here on the blog... as entries! So submit often, visit us often, and um... write more often than not!

2006, eh?

Happy New Year.

Well, the holidays are definitely upon us. The candles are lit, the eggnog is flowing, and Writing magazine's student writing contest's deadline has come and gone. Time's up, my friends! I hope you got your entry in!

We got so many contest entries this year! Guess how many? Go ahead and guess! Nope, too low. Guess again. What?!? 15,000?!? Are you nuts? That's way too high, guess again! Did you say 1,400? Bingo!

A little while ago, I found myself in R.L. Stine's living room. A friend of mine who's a friend of his extended an impromptu invitation to me. Talk about six degrees of separation!

R.L. Stine was wearing a guitar-printed shirt and looked relaxed. He welcomed me into his apartment, and introduced me to his wife, Jane and his dog Nadine.

Stine is a prolific author who tells great scary stories. In person, he's a good storyteller too.

He told me that the Weekly Reader was the first magazine he ever read. "When I was a kid, they used to print the Weekly Reader in Columbus, OH. Every year, our school would take us on a school trip to the Weekly Reader publishing plant. There we would watch how the papers were printed."

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli is the story of how Jeffrey Lionel Magee came to be known as "Maniac." He was the fastest runner, the smartest student (although he never attended class), and generally just the coolest kid around. He's a maniac! A maniac! For sure! But when he moves to an all black neighborhood, his cool characteristics are tested and he quickly becomes aware of racial boundaries and sets off to break them down.

Do you have a nickname? Click on "Comments" and share it with us as well as the story behind it.

The TAKE FIVE contest is complete and our winners have been announced in the April/May issue of Writing Magazine. Thank you to everyone who submitted their work.

TAKE FIVE!

Enter Writing magazine's 2005-2006 writing contest! Not sure how to get started? Allow us to give you a hand. We've picked six interesting objects for you to write about.

1) red bicycle
2) elephant
3) chicken noodle soup
4) umbrella
5) shadow
6) key

Your job is to take five. That is, choose five of these six objects and use them to write a poem, a story (fiction), or an essay (nonfiction). You may include the five objects in your writing in any way you'd like. Just be creative and have fun! If you have any questions, e-mail us at writing@weeklyreader.com.

CONTEST RULES – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

The competition is open to students in grades 5–12.

Twelve winners will be chosen.

Entries will be judged by the following grade levels: Middle (grades 5-6), Junior (grades7-8), High (9-10), and Senior (11-12).

Poems should be no longer than 400 words, and stories and essays should not exceed 800 words.

Winners will be chosen by the editors of Writing.

Each winner will receive $50. Winning poems, stories, and essays will be published in the April/May issue of Writing or on our Web site. Each entry must include your full name, address, phone number, e-mail address (if you have one), school name and address, parent or guardian’s signature, and teacher’s signature. Entries received without all of the above will not be accepted.

You must tell us which five objects you used and which object you discarded.

Entries must be received no later than December 2, 2005. Any entry received after the deadline will not be accepted.

Mail contest entries to this address:
Take Five! Writing Contest
Writing Magazine
200 First Stamford Place
P.O. Box 120023
Stamford, CT 06912-0023

Or you can e-mail contest entries to: writing@weeklyreader.com 

Best of luck to all!

In The Missing Manatee by Cynthia DeFelice, 11-year old Skeet Waters finds a dead manatee. He tries to track down the killer and .... (well, you have to read the book to find out what happens next!)

On page 46, Skeet says:

"When I finally got to sleep, I had some very weird dreams. The manatee killer appeared. As I fought him, he turned into a giant hammerhead shark, laughing at me, his big mouth open to show rows of shark teeth."

Write about one of your crazy dreams. Submit it to us.

Yesterday was Sesame Street's birthday! In honor of 36 years of groundbreaking children's programming, we give you some of our favorite characters from the show! Who's your favorite Sesame Street character? Let us know who and why and we'll post your writings here!

Big Bird

When you're a kid, the thought of an 8 foot 2 inch bird can be a scary one. Think dinosaur on the loose. But add a splash of canary yellow, a curious nature, large innocent eyes, and a spirit of adventure to the mix and what do you end up with? A huggable, kindred spirit. That's what Big Bird was to me. An immense yellow birdie who saw the world through my eyes—and spoke to me. He could do all the things I wanted to do—write poetry, draw, ride a unicyle, ice skate, roller skate, dance, sing … and he was only 6 years old!!! But he never seemed out of reach—he told me it was OK to make mistakes, to be yourself, and to not have all the answers to life. He reminded me that "Asking is a good way of finding things out!" Come to think of it, I guess Big Bird’s larger-than-life yellow frame still speaks to me.

The best Sesame Street characters, bar none, are the Sesame Street Martians. Their gaping shag-carpet mouths speak the truth, my friends—the whole truth and nothing but the truth. When their flimsy floating tentacles lead them to a cow, they look at each other and let loose: "Cow" one says. "Cow" the other one says back. "Cow" they say together. Then they belt out "yip yip yip yip yip yip yip" in that frenzied joyous tempo that can only come from realizing what is real and what is important. "Cow," my friends. "Cow" is important. … "yip, yip, yip." And then they float toward a chicken and soon we will know all we need to know about the chicken. Thank you, you pelican gulleted heralds of truth. Thank you and don't ever stop.

When I was growing up and my imagination was running wild, the best character on Sesame Street was Snuffleupagus. It was a simpler time back then and everyone on Sesame Street believed Snuffleupagus to be Big Bird's imaginary friend. For some coincidental reason, Sunffleupagus (or "Snuffy", as Big Bird called him) only showed up to hang out when no one else was around. It drove Big Bird crazy and he was usually distracted when his friend came over to play. He'd run out of his nest (a back alley of Sesame Street) and try to convince people and muppets to come back with him and meet his friend. Meanwhile, Snuffy would realize that he had left the iron on or some other ludicrous thing and would wander away just as Big Bird came back with Oscar or Maria or any one of his peeps from the Street. "Oh Big Bird," they would say, "You have such an imagination!" And then Big Bird's face would turn beat red and the veins would pop out of his forehead and he’d start kicking over garbage cans and punching walls. … Well, maybe I’m embellishing my memory a little. In any case, everyone thought the bird was nuts, and, as a viewer, we never really knew that he wasn't. It was awesome.

I just found out about some neat poetry contests for teens. Here they are, in order of upcoming deadlines:

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open only to high school sophomores and juniors. The winner receives a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop and has his/her poem published in The Kenyon Review. The second and third place winners will also see their poems published. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2005. How to enter...

The Christian Science Monitor's 10th Annual Young Poets Contest will publish winning poems of students in preschool through high school in its national edition in January 2006. You can submit one to three poems. The judging will be done by poet Elizabeth Lund. Deadline: Dec. 2, 2005. Get "Ten Tips for Writing a Poem" and download an entry form.

Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest sponsored by READ magazine is open to students in grades 6-12. Choose up to three of your own original poems to enter. Poems may be in any genre (such as open verse, rhymed, narrative), but each poem must be no longer than one typewritten page. Deadline: January 31, 2006. Rules ...

These are good opportunities, but there isn't much time left to send out your work. So pull on your writing gloves and get ready to spin out some verse!

In The Mob, the first book of the trilogy Feather and Bone: The Crow Chronicles by Clem Martini, an old crow named Kalum ru Kurea ru Kinaar tells the story of a crow family that is faced with troubled times....

On page 25, Clem Martini writes:

"We Crows are pilots of the wind, acrobats of the air, placed on Earth by the Maker to measure each gust, each breath--and in this we have no equal. Let hawks and terns reign in matters of speed and endurance--when Crows fly, we fly with style."

Here's this week's writing prompt: What would you tell this crow about yourself?

In READ magazine, Issue 6, you read a play adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. At the end of the play, we asked you to imagine yourself in one of the scenes by replacing the character of Alice with your own name and finding out how you deal with the absurd characters you meet. The following is an example of how I think I would handle myself at the March Hare's and Mad Hatter's tea party. I don't think I handled it very well. If you've written a scene of your own, we'd love to read it. We'll post the best ones on our student writing web site.

Bryon in Wonderland

Narrator: At the March Hare’s house, the chimneys are shaped like ears and the roof is thatched with fur. Bryon nibbles a bit from the mushroom in his left hand and grows to two feet tall.
Narrator: There is a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Mad Hatter are sitting and having tea. A Dormouse is between them, fast asleep. The table is a large one, but the three characters are all crowded at one corner of it.
Mad Hatter and March Hare: No room! No room!
Bryon: Fine. Bye.
Narrator: Bryon turns to leave but the March Hare stops him.
March Hare: Wait!
Bryon: What?
March Hare: Sit?
Bryon: Where?
March Hare: Anywhere you like! There is room now.
Bryon: You’re weird. But OK.
Narrator: Bryon sits near the Mad Hatter.
Mad Hatter: Your hair wants cutting.
Bryon: You know, I thought I heard it complaining about something earlier.
Mad Hatter: Why is a raven like a writing-desk?
Bryon: Riddles huh? Well alright. I’ll take a crack at it.
March Hare: Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?
Bryon: Yes, of course.
March Hare: Then you should say what you mean.
Bryon: But I do say what I mean! I mean … I always mean what I say! It’s the same thing!
Mad Hatter: It’s not the same thing a bit! You might just as well say that “I see what I eat” is the same thing as “I eat what I see”!
March Hare: You might just as well say that “I like what I get” is the same thing as “I get what I like”!
Narrator: The Dormouse talks in his sleep.
The Dormouse: You might just as well say that “I breathe when I sleep” is the same thing as “I sleep when I breathe”!
Mad Hatter: It is the same thing with you!
Narrator: The party sits silent for a minute.
Mad Hatter: What day of the month is it?
Bryon: I’m sure I have no idea.
Narrator: The Mad Hatter takes his watch out of his pocket and shakes it next to his ear.
Mad Hatter: I told you butter wouldn’t suit the works!
March Hare: It was the best butter!
Mad Hatter: Yes, but some crumbs must have got in it as well.
Bryon: Dude, I don’t think butter is the best thing to smear in a broken watch.

Dear Faithful Readers of READ and WRITING magazine,

On, Monday, I'll be interviewing William Shakespeare for READ. Now, I've interviewed some great authors in the past but come on... this is William Shakespeare! Anyway, I'm kind of nervous about it. The interview is going to be in the year 1600 and I'm somewhat unprepared. I haven't even bought a jerkin yet! I'm hoping some of you could give me some questions to ask him? Click on "comments" below to post your question. I'll be sure to ask him the best ones and will certainly give you credit in our January issue.

Thanks guys. You're really helping me out here.

Please do not send any more questions for Mr. Shakespeare. The interview has been conducted and will appear in Issue 12 of READ Magazine - Issue Date: February 10, 2006. Thank you.

In Mad Cat by Kathy Mackel, Madelyn Catherine Campione plays baseball. Have you read the book yet?

This is what "Coach" (Kathy) Mackel has to say about her sports novel:

"If you want a rousing sports story, MadCat is for you. If you want to find your way back to the game, MadCat will help you. If you want to tell your parents or your coaches to back off, MadCat can speak for you. Play hard. Play often. But play…."

Before you pick up the book, here’s a writing prompt for you to play with:

Early on in the book, Madelyn Catherine Campione loses a game and goes home disappointed. On page 9, Kathy Mackel writes:

Mothers can say a thousand things without opening their mouths.

We tromped into the kitchen, Mom flicked her left eyebrow. My father nodded and the discussion of the game was left for later.

Has your mother ever "said" anything to you without saying a word? Write about it. (Don't forget to submit it to us!)

Hello November and welcome to National Novel Writing Month. Anyone interested? Go to www.nanowrimo.org to sign up to participate. 50,000 words in 30 days. No problem. Right?

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha... well, it should be interesting to try anyway.

At long last, READ magazine has finally got all the kinks out of our time machine and we are now prepared to offer you something that no one else can--an exclusive interview with famous dead dudes.

We thought long and hard about who we should contact first, and in the end, we decided to go with the single most recognizable name in the history of the printed word. Enough buildup? Fine. It's William Shakespeare. 

Oh, stop moaning, you know there's something about him that intrigues you. In most literary circles, Shakespeare is considered to be one of the greatest, in fact, THE greatest writer of all time! So just what is it about him that's got the whole world going ga-ga?

I recently took a trip to the year 1600 and sat down with Mr. Shakespeare and asked him about his fame.

Is it too soon to be talking about November? I think not.

First, I would like to welcome Anastasia to WORD. We are very excited to have her and we anticipate great literary insights from her in the future. In fact, she's the person who brought this super cool web site to our attention. They call themselves NaNoWriMo. And yes, at first glance it appears that they are some kind of newly discovered dinosaur, but no! Quite the contrary! Can a dinosaur write a novel in 30 days? I'd like to see him try!

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's brilliant! It's crazy! It's... well, I can't really say what it is exactly because I haven't tried it yet. But from my early surfing of their web site, it promises to be an awesome time.