Dear Parents:
In order for our children to have a successful experience, it is important to have parent cooperation for the Young Authors Contest. As parents, you can encourage your child to write. How do you do that? You help brainstorm ideas. You help them write their ideas down onto paper. This is helpful, especially for young children. You can help with ideas for illustrations, credits, and book jackets. You can help them simply by being enthusiastic!
In order to maintain some uniformity, books should have the following:
1. A jacket of substantial enough quality with the pages securely attached. The title of the book and author’s name are placed on the cover, as well as an illustration.
2. A title page including the title of the book, the author, a fictitious publishing company, and the copyright date (year).
3. A dedication page.
4. Pages numbered in the center on the bottom of each page.
5. Illustrations throughout the book.
6. An author’s page-this can include information such as the author’s age, grade, likes, and hobbies. You may attach a picture to this page.
Dictated books may be typed or handwritten by an adult, but must be in the student’s own language. Books must be authored and illustrated by one child. Finally, manuscripts must have a substantial cover with pages securely attached.
Please turn in your first draft on or before December 8th, your second draft on December 21 and your finished manuscript on or before January 16th. Thank you for your cooperation and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher.