Mrs. P's Reading is Cool Blog

Where Are They Now? The Magic of Writing - Catching up with Caitlin Casady

This will be the last story in my Where Are They Now series.  It has been amazing reconnecting with past winners and finalists from my Be-a-Famous Writer contest.  I hope you have enjoyed reading about them.  I really learned that writing contests for kids have a very positive impact, and I can't wait for this years contest to open on September 1st.

2012 finalist Caitlin Casady, from Oklahoma, wrote a beautiful story called The Mesa. When I checked in with her Mom I learned she has been quite busy since the contest.  She submitted a short story, poem and informal essay to the library contest, and I am on pins and needles waiting to hear the results that come this month. 

  Download Escape into a Book to enjoy the poem that Caitlin recently submitted to her city library contest.

She was a part of an Anthology club at school where they created a book filled with poetry from students at the school.  She also helped create a book club at her school where they meet weekly to read Harry Potter and other books, and discuss it.  She became a book reviewer for Stone Soup magazine out of California.  She volunteers at her local library on the teen advisory board. She was asked to read her short story from Mrs P.’s contest at a state teacher’s conference.  At the conference, she was awarded the Nicholas Green Distinguished Student Award in the state of Oklahoma.  Several months later, Caitlin was awarded a National Society of Gifted & Talented (NSGT) scholarship to attend Drury University this summer.  She got to stay on-campus for almost two weeks.  She was named a store-level winner for Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program (a program honoring youth who have made a difference in their community) and then went on to be named a REGIONAL winner  that included winning a $1000 scholarship for college. Next she moves on to the National level of competition - so let’s all wish her good luck!

Caitlin asked her mom to share this with me:  “Mrs. P's contest helped encourage me to expand my writing skill.”

Caitlin is also going to be featured in the Amazing Kids! Magazine. It should be in September or October.  You can check their website .  And, she is amazing indeed!

Next week, September 1st my contest will be open for entries. And if you are a parent, please let your child’s teacher know about the contest. The contest runs until November 15th. And a special thanks to my sponsors too.  BuyerTopia, Tales2Go, Powell’s Books & Polka Dots Publishing and Penelope the Purple Pirate and myOn Reader.  They are making sure the schools win all year long with their great prizes!

Where Are They Now? The Magic of Writing - Catching Up with Meridan Boyd

It’s not too often I meet a 3rd grader with their very own blog, and who has had a story written about her in the ISTE Learning and Leading with Technology Journal.  Well, let me introduce you to Meridan Boyd, 8 years old and attends Van Meter Community School in Iowa. I had the pleasure of Skyping with her class and talking to her, thanks to her district teacher librarian and technology integration specialist, Shannon McClintock Miller.  Last year she was a finalist in my Be-a-Famous Writer contest for a beautiful story called The Horse Indeanna.

    Meridan has a real passion for technology and writing and even has a favorite library, the Urbandale Public Library, located in Urbandale, Iowa. She was sure to let me know that she visited the library and picked up their summer reading program information., so she could keep up with her reading over the summer.

Enjoy this Q&A and be sure to read the links to the Learning and Leading with Technology story and the book she created.  I know you will be as impressed as I was.

1) How do you think the Mrs. P Writing Contest impacted you? I didn’t know if I would win or lose.   Either way, I just felt like a good writer for being able to participate in such a great contest.  I liked sharing my story with others.  It was neat how famous people like Julia Roberts was a judge and read my story! 

2) Did participating in the Mrs. P Writing Contest encourage you to enter other contests or to develop other writing?  Yes, even though I didn’t win, being recognized as a finalist made me feel like other people liked my writing, so I wanted to keep going with it.  A few things I’ve done since the contest:

• Wrote stories and poems for school. (I even wrote a poem about a leprechaun for Poem in Your Pocket Day!)
• Wrote stories, using Storybird, and posted them on my blog.
• Entered the Dallas County Reading Council Creative Writing Contest, where I won 1st place for a creative writing story. (Meridan was awarded a certificate, a medal, and gift certificate to Barnes and Nobles Bookstore.  She read her story at a Young Author’s Reception which was hosted by local personality Dan Wardell. – read all about it)
• Entered the Capstone Comic Superhero Contest. (Meridan wrote about her librarian, Mrs. Miller, but didn’t win.) 
• Wrote a story and developed it into a book with my sister, who illustrated it, and a friend who was our creative consultant.  ( Download Loshlings to read this story about a group of friends who get transported into a videogame they are playing)

3) Has anything else occurred you’d like to share?

• Featured demonstrating software and tools for; MackinVia, Rosen Publishing and StarWalk Media
• Written about in a magazine (Learning and Leading with Technology - June/July Issue) –
• Presented at the Iowa 1:1 Institute 
• Founding member of the Technical Difficulties Club and Mindcraft Club at school.
• Working with Mrs. Miller to bring coding to our school. 

4) What do you think you learned from the Mrs. P Writing Contest experience?  I learned that you didn’t have to win to feel good.  It was a great learning experience and provided me the motivation to continue to use my imagination to write and create.

5) What would you like others to know about the contest?  It is fun!  It’s full of suspense and excitement!  There are really great prizes if you win or are a finalist. 

6) What do you look forward to about entering the Mrs. P Writing Contest again?
The chance to try to win and have my story made into a book!  Knowing that famous people may look at my story.   If I don’t win, just getting more feedback and learning how to get better.

7) What would you like Mrs. P and others to know about you?
I’m a fun and creative person.  I’m full of ideas and I’ll never stop writing!

8) How did you spend your summer?
Spent time with my friends, posted on my blog, went to Alaska on a cruise ship and kayaked with the orcas. 


Next week will be the final week of my Where are They Now? series.  Caitlin Casady will be my last interview before the contest opens!

Be sure to bookmark my contest site for your classroom. And if you are a parent, please let your child’s teacher know about the contest. The contest opens September 1st for entries. And a special thanks to my sponsors too.  BuyerTopia, Tales2Go, Powell’s Books & Polka Dots Publishing and Penelope the Purple Pirate and myOn Reader.  They are making sure the schools win all year long with their great prizes!

Where are They Now? The Magic of Writing - catching up with Willa and Grace Lane

This week brings a double bonus to my Where Are they Now? series, as I checked in with sisters Willa and Grace Lane from Vermont.  Willa has been a 3 time finalists in my Be-a-Famous Writer Contest.  She entered her 1st story Gabbie Atwood when she was 8 years old. I still remember the comments from Danny Kallis, creator of the Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and “The Suite Life on Deck,” television’s top-rated shows for kids.   “Every time I read this one out loud it amused me a little more.  It's a wonderful slice of life story; seemingly meandering through her days only to arrive at a lovely conclusion that came unexpectedly, pulling it all together.   It stuck with me.”  So imagine how excited I was to see her be named a finalist again for her story “The Summer of Cousins”.  And that wasn’t all, then last year she and her sister Grace were both named finalists.  This time Willa’s story was called “Moonshine” and her sister Grace’s story was titled “The Magic Piano”.  Grace went onto win top honors in the 4-to-8 year-old category for The Magic Piano, a fantasy about a piano that can read its owner’s mind and mimic the sound of other instruments, weather conditions, and even the 12-Days-of-Christmas characters. If you missed my Skype with Grace at her school. Here it is again for you to enjoy: 

When I checked in on the sisters, this is what I learned from their mom: As she always has, Willa continues to write incredible realistic fiction. She keeps a running file of the half dozen or so stories she is working on and adds to them when she can. Her writing skills also serve her well in school. Recently, a school essay she wrote about Rachel Carson was selected to serve as an example of writing excellence for state and national educator training for the Common Core State Standards. Willa was as thrilled by this accolade as she was by the honor of being named a Mrs. P finalist for three years in a row.

Grace continues to write. Following her Mrs. P grand prize win for "The Magic Piano," she wrote and illustrated "The Bird Brains: Cracked Open!" for the PBS Kids GO! Young Writers and Illustrators Contest in Vermont. She designed the story as if it was a tour booklet for a fictional band of chickens following their first national concert tour. Although the story did not win her a prize, that hasn't stopped Grace! She continues to think up fantastic ideas for new stories and to try her hand at other kinds of writing. When her school set up an exhibit of student artwork at our local library, Grace wrote a review of the show that is scheduled to appear in our local newspaper.

Next week I will be catching up with finalist Meridan Boyd. You won’t believe what this 3rd grader has been up too.

Be sure to bookmark my contest site for your classroom. And if you are a parent, please let your child’s teacher know about the contest. The contest opens September 1st for entries. And a special thanks to my sponsors too.  BuyerTopia, Tales2Go, Powell’s Books & Polka Dots Publishing and Penelope the Purple Pirate and myOn Reader.  They are making sure the schools win all year long with their great prizes!

Where are They Now? The Magic of Writing - Catching up with 2012 Grand Prize Winner Adithi Ramakrishnan

It was just earlier this year that Adithi Ramakrishnan, age 12, from Virginia, won in the 9-13 age group of my Be-a-Famous Writer Contest for Home Perfect Home, a fable detailing the adventures of a bird searching the far reaches of the globe for true happiness. 

Since then, Adithi has participated in the Scholastic Arts and Writing contest 2013 and won a National Gold Medal for her story "The Talented" in the Science Fiction category. She was honored with other National Medalists at an award ceremony at Carnegie Hall, New York on May 31, 2013.     She joins a very impressive list of alumni such as Sylvia Plath and Truman Capote to name a few,  who have won this award previously.  

She was recognized for her work (writing and poetry) at the regional level as well with one gold key and two silver keys.  Additionally, Adithi's story "Literarily Ever After" was listed in the top 10 outstanding submissions in the "It's All Write" writing contest organized by the Loudoun County Public Library, Virginia.

When I checked in with Adithi this is what she had to say:  "Winning the grand prize in Mrs P's 'Be A famous writer' contest is my most cherished accomplishment. It was an incredible feeling to see my story come to life with the most amazing illustrations", says Adithi.

                   

Next week I am checking in with 2012 grand prize winner Grace Lane, and her sister Willa who is a 3 time finalist.

Be sure to bookmark my contest site for your classroom. And if you are a parent, please let your child’s teacher know about the contest. The contest opens September 1st for entries. And a special thanks to my sponsors too.  BuyerTopia, Tales2Go, Powell’s Books & Polka Dots Publishing and Penelope the Purple Pirate and myOn Reader.  They are making sure the schools win all year long with their great prizes!