Debut Children’s Fiction Contest

bookshot_rollofthunder
Enter the ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY National Writing Contest!

“In 1974, the Council on Interracial Books sponsored a writing contest seeking out diverse voices. Mildred D. Taylor was the winner of the African-American segment for the manuscript that became Song of the Trees (Dial, 1975), her first book. It introduced the Logan family and was followed by Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976), which won the Newbery Medal.

Forty years later, in partnership with We Need Diverse Books™, Penguin Young Readers celebrates this momentous publication by launching a debut children’s fiction contest to find talented, ethnically diverse authors writing for readers ages 8-14.”

Submit your manuscript HERE! “Enter between 12:01:01 AM Eastern Time on April 26, 2016 and 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time on June 21, 2016.”

PRIZE: The confirmed winner will receive a book publishing contract for the publication of a novel for ages 8-14 by Penguin Random House LLC, with an advance of $35,000, plus royalties as follows: (i) on hardcover, 10% up to 50,000 copies and 12.5% thereafter; (ii) on paperback, 6% up to 50,000 copies and 7% thereafter; (iii) on audio, 8% of net; (iv) ebook, 25% of net; (v) world rights/all subrights at a 50/50 split; and (vi) an option on their next children’s or YA novel.

Cg_7eJwWUAArzdP

Copyright © 2016 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Thorfinn and the Gruesome Games

thorfinngruesomegames
Thorfinn and the Gruesome Games
by David MacPhail (Author) and Richard Morgan (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The BIG Picture

Prepare yourself for the wrath of the Norsemen! That is, if you don’t mind and it’s not too inconvenient… Everyone knows Vikings are ruthless barbarians whose idea of a good time involves pillaging, plundering, and feasting. But Thorfinn is no ordinary Viking! He is always polite and happily offers to wash the dirty dishes. Too bad his dad is Harald the Skull-Splitter, the village chief and the roughest and toughest Viking of them all. Harald, Thorfinn and the other Vikings are preparing to compete in the annual Gruesome Games, held on the Scottish island of Uraig. It falls to Thorfinn to save their village, but in a competition, where belching, axe-throwing, pie-clobbering, and goat-throwing are great point scorers, what help will a terribly nice Viking with a talent for baking be?

#kidlit Writing Lesson: the small details

Readers meet Thorfinn in chapter 1:

One of the women spotted the chief’s son — a boy called Thorfinn — stepping out from behind a large sheet covering the great hall.

“What are you up to, Thorfinn?” she asked.

“Good day, dear ladies,” said Thorfinn, removing his helmet. “You’ll be the first to see my new surprise. Ta da!” He pulled the sheet away.

The women’s screams could be heard on the other side of the village.

Thorfinn’s introduction begins in an unusual way:

One of the women spotted the chief’s son — a boy called Thorfinn — stepping out from behind a large sheet covering the great hall.

That leads to a question:

“What are you up to, Thorfinn?” she asked.

And an unusual answer:

“Good day, dear ladies,” said Thorfinn, removing his helmet. “You’ll be the first to see my new surprise. Ta da!” He pulled the sheet away.

Her reaction is also unusual:

The women’s screams could be heard on the other side of the village.

Introducing the main character in an unusual way catches the reader’s attention. (To find out what was under the sheet, you have to keep reading!)

Copyright © 2016 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.