WRITING CONTEST WINNERS

THE WINNER OF OUR MOTHER'S DAY CONTEST WAS MIKAYLA BAY
Mikayla is nine years old and lives in Prince George, BC
Here is the contest she won:

MOTHER'S DAY CONTEST
Describe what you most appreciate about your mother or grandmother OR Describe the kind of mother you would like to be someday OR
Describe the most interesting mother you know.

HINTS FOR YOUR ENTRY.
1. To describe is to present a clear picture of this person to your readers.
2. When you finish, your readers should feel as though they know the person you have described - how she looks, how she could be expected to act, how she might talk, what her interests are. Show your readers this person in action.

MIKAYLA'S WINNING ESSAY

MY WONDERFUL, EXCITING, LOVABLE MOTHER

My mother loves me, she takes good care of me. We walk to the park together , that is fun. My mother gives super duper tireswing rides. My mom encourages me on the monkey bars. My mother takes time to homeschool me. My mother helps me with my work. My mom makes me laugh. My mother does surprises. We need to duck our heads so we don't see where we our going. My mother gets me awesome birthday gifts, like once she got me a 15 speed bycycle! At Christmas she once got me a curling iron and the most beautiful dark dress you ever saw. Plus she got me the electronic wheel of fourtune!!! Plus she got me beads. Yep, I'm very fortunet to have a mother like my mom. She makes me banana cream pie with whipcream, mmmm!!!! My mom is a wonderful, exciting, funny, lovable, mom. (and a good cook)

NOTE

This was a difficult contest to judge. Some entries had to be disqualified because they did not include the required postage stamp. (See rule 2.) Please remember to follow all rules when you enter a contest, because only those who follow the rules can win.

In this contest, some entries had less mistakes in mechanics than our winner, but our winner had a more unified essay. When judging, we have to weigh age and grade level, adherence to the rules, mechanical correctness, content, and unity. We do not expect a seven-year-old to write like a twelve-year-old. If you didn't win this time, keep trying. And remember to follow all the rules and hints.

THE WINNER OF OUR WINTER CONTEST IS
JOY BRANTL
from Manhattan, Kansas
She is seven years old.

Here is the contest Joy won:

WINTER CONTEST

If you had the power to make one big change in your life at the beginning of 1998, what would it be? Explain the reason for your choice and what difference you would expect it to make in the way you live your life.

JOY'S WINNING ESSAY

If I could make one big change in my life at the beginning of 1998, I would learn to read better and faster. I can only read slowly right now. Then, I could read stories to my little sister. I could also work at the library and be a storyteller. I could read magazines. I would be able to read letters, and read e-mail. I would also be able to write letters to my friends. I could do just about anything. I would be like my big sister, Christine, who likes to read a lot, and she can read and write fast. I could also learn to type. I could do a lot of things if I could read and write better.

WINNER OF THANKSGIVING CONTEST IS
JENNIFER HARDING
AGE 11, FROM CYPRESS, CALIFORNIA

HERE IS THE CONTEST JENIFFER WON

The holidays are coming. Think about this: if you could go back into any period of American history and invite anyone who ever lived in America to Thanksgiving dinner at your house, whom would you invite, and why? To enter our contest, write the answers to these questions in essay form.

NOTE: This was a very difficult contest to judge. All of the entries were interesting, and many entrants used unique approaches. Jennifer wins the prize for her essay, which is printed below. Under her essay I am also going to publish the entries of two others to whom I give honorable mention, because I believe their work should be read. Unfortunately I can't publish all the entries, although I'd like to. It has been very difficult to choose just these three for public recognition. Spelling and punctuation has been left as written. This is so that others know that not even the winners have been able to catch all mistakes and one doesn't have to be a perfect writer to be a winner.

JENNIFER'S ESSAY

If I could have anyone from American History come and spend Thanksgiving with me, I would invite Harriet Tubman. I would like to invite her because she is my Civle War-time heroine. I would like to show her that her work was not at all in vain; that African Americans are free, hold good jobs, and are treated as equals.

I want to ask her many questions such as, how did you feel when running away? Were you very scared? What did you do when you heard dogs? While you helped African Americans escape, what was the scariest thing that happened? What was the best memory of your life?

I would tell her all about the many books that I read about her and make sure that what I had heard was true. If what I heard was not true, I would make sure to hear what really happened.

At Thanksgiving dinner, we would make sure to thank God for sending Harriet Tubman to be the "Moses of her people". We would thank Him for ending the war and setting his people free!

HONORABLE MENTION
David Cochran Yu
Age 13, Redlands, CA

November 13, 1863

Dear Uncle,

Just this morning Ma told me that I could invite someone to our Thanksgiving dinner. As you might know, the great General Lee is in our city, and you might also know that my father knew him quite well. My father told me about Lee, winning the Battle of Bull Run and the second Battle of Bull Run, and that Lee is a genius of military stategy. I would very much like to hear him tell it, so I invited General Lee to our Thanksgiving dinner.

I have heard about his faith in God. I heard that he says, "God's will be done" before every battle. That is some faith! Since I am having a struggle in my Christian life, I thought he could guide me through my many questions.

He cares a lot about his soldiers. It was in the newspaper that he wept after the battle Gettysburg when he saw what was left of his army, and that he tries not to put his men in danger.

I hope General Lee will be able to come. When I grow up I want to be just like him.

Your loving nephew,

David

 

HONORABLE MENTION
Beth Koch
Age 13, Cincinnati, OH

My Special Thanksgiving Friend

If I could invite any historic person to a Thanksgiving dinner at my house, I'd invite Priscilla Alden. Priscilla was a Pilgrim on the Mayflower and attended the first Thanksgiving. Priscilla could tell me more about the first Thanksgiving, like the food they ate and the games the Indians taught them. She could also relate the adventures the crew experienced on the Mayflower. I would ask her how she was able to stand eating just three kernels of corn a day when the food was almost out. It would be interesting to compare today's Thanksgiving with the first one. Though it's been many years since the first Thanksgiving, many traditions are still present today. As I'd say good-bye to Priscilla, I'd think of how great Thanksgiving is and how its meaning has stayed the same since its first celebration, hundreds of years ago.

 

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