Troublesome Creek Review/Comments

Review by Shelby, grade 8

"I loved this book!  My favorite part was when Copper and Docter Corbett go for a walk.

I also like Paw-Paw.  I was dissapointed that she didn't marry (oops, won't give that away!) It was really sad when the book was telling about the mother.

Copper's twin brothers were so funny.  I love the funny comments they made. 

I could not stop reading Troublesome Creek, it was such a great book!"

The next book Shelby is looking forward to reading is The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.

Teen Voices’ 20 Under 20 Short Story Competition

Two winners will see their creations published online and in the Fall 2011 print edition of Teen Voices and will win a Kindle, too!

Topic is “Twenty.”  What does the word "twenty" mean to you? Write about anything that this word inspires in you! Teen Voices is especially interested in stories about growing up, succeeding, overcoming difficulty, and changing the world.

The Deadline for entry is March 21, 2011.  

For more details, visit http://www.teenvoices.com/2011/01/19/20-under-20-short-story-competition/

No Name-Calling Week 2011 Creative Expression Contest

No Name-Calling Week (January 24 - 28, 2011) is a week of educational and art activities aimed at stopping name-calling and bullying in schools.

The Creative Expression Contest is an opportunity for students to submit essays, poetry, music, original artwork, or other pieces that convey their experiences and feelings about name-calling, and their ideas for putting a stop to verbal bullying in their schools and communities.

This year, they have added a new High School category to the contest for short-film submissions that focus on anti-LGBT name-calling and bullying in school. The goal is to have students working on their art pieces during the week as a way to learn about and deal with name-calling and bullying.

For more information and for entry forms, visit http://www.nonamecallingweek.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/57.html

Entry deadline is February 28, 2011

Preview: The Charlatan's Boy

In this frontier fantasy, a traveling huckster and his adolescent assistant perpetrate an elaborate hoax on the good citizens of Corenwald. When the scheme leads to widespread panic, the results are hilarious, terrifying, and revealing.

• Read/Download the First Chapter
• Watch the Feechie Videos
• Read Reviews
• Check out the Author's Blog