Kids can write Flat Stanley's next adventure and (maybe) win a vacation for the family
Ever since a falling bulletin board flattened Stanley Lambchop in his first book 45 years ago, he's been Flat Stanley -- able to fly like a kite, blend into a painting or even get folded up and mailed like a letter. First created in a series of clever books by Jeff Brown, Stanley and the Lambchop family have gotten a new lease on life recently with a fresh round of worldwide adventures.
Now HarperCollins and guided-vacation company Adventures by Disney are launching a Flat Stanley–themed writing contest called "The Search for Flat Stanley's Next BIG Adventure." Kids across the nation get the chance to pen their own adventure for the skinniest boy in kid-lit.
According to the rules, kids must go to the Flat Stanley contest website, pick out a destination from the world map, download the information about that locale and then use that (and some imagination) to write a 150-word story about what happens to Stanley there.
Entries will be judged in three age groups - one for 7 to 8-year-olds, one for 9 to 10-year-olds and one for 11 to 12-year-olds. One winner will be chosen in each age group and each of the three winners can choose one of 19 worldwide vacations as their prize.
Hurry up and get busy inventing Stanley's trip, though, kids, because the contest deadline is Nov. 30. (And keep an eye out for falling bulletin boards...)
--Sherry Robinson
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
Amy Hollyfield is a workaholic mother of two young
daughters, blessed to have a work-at-home husband who makes their life possible. She was born in Detroit and moved around a lot as a kid (read: Air Force brat). She has lived in Florida since the month after she
graduated from Northwestern University. She lives for the yelps, hugs and kisses that greet her on nights that she makes it home before bedtime.
Sherry Robinson was born in the Sunshine State but she feels more comfortable inside a mall than outside at the beach -- thank goodness her husband is the outdoorsy type. He takes their two sons on night hikes, beach runs and bug hunts while Sherry does her best to take care of the homestead -- and find out what is new on the store shelves. A graduate of the University of South Florida in 19noneofyourbusiness, Sherry has been at the Times for nearly 20 years. And with nearly 10 years of parenting experience, Sherry is eager to offer up some great dish on raising kids and keeping your sanity.
Guest blogger Tracey Henry, a.k.a. Suburban Diva, is a frantic, slightly frazzled mother of four. She is a freelance humor writer and author which is the only thing that parenting four children ages 12-1 trains you for, except perhaps court jester and professional bull rider. She and her husband have lived all over the country, but settled in Florida eight years ago because the beachcombing is so much better here than on the banks of the Mississippi. Their family time includes a lot of sport -- both watching and playing -- and fun in the sun and surf. Catch her in Whoa, Momma! and on her site, 
Sherri Day and her husband welcomed their daughter into the world in early 2008. So far, she describes parenthood as exciting, exhausting and exhilarating. A self-described Southern belle with small-town values and big-city idealism, Sherri was born in rural Georgia. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from Clark Atlanta University and her master's of journalism from the University of California at Berkeley. She is the Brandon bureau chief for the Times. Sherri moved to Tampa from Brooklyn four years ago.
Whoa, my kids love these books! We'll have to check it out.
Posted by: The Lambchops | November 03, 2009 at 10:39 PM