Storybook Contest For Kids

Boredom begone this summer when kids take the opportunity to design, write and illustrate their own storybooks in the national Crayola Storybook Maker Contest.

At the close of the contest, both the grand-prize and first-prize winners will be featured at a hometown book-signing event sponsored by Crayola. The young authors will be on hand to autograph reprinted copies of their books, which will be on sale during the event at a local bookstore.

In addition, the grand-prize author wins a home computer, the first-prize winner receives a $500 shopping spree, and both are awarded $25 gift certificates for books.

Four second-prize winners and 50 third-prize winners receive gift certificates for books and Crayola Storybook Maker activity kits.

For every book entered in the contest, Crayola will make a donation to Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit children’s literacy organization in its 30th year helping youngsters want to read.

To participate in the contest, children 5 to 12 submit original storybooks, complete with text, photos and illustrations, reflecting any theme they wish.

Books should be between 8 and 24 pages (front and back covers count) with pages numbered and stapled together.

Children may use photographs, colored pencils, crayons, markers, stencils, or stickers in the book entries.

On the back cover, include the child’s name, address, phone number, birth date, and name and signature of a parent or guardian.

Contest judges will evaluate the storybooks based on visual and literary appeal, creativity, originality and age appropriateness.

Winners will be announced this September during National Literacy Month.

Entries should be mailed by Sept. 3, along with a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope, to: Crayola Storybook Maker Contest, P.O. Box 21147, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002.

For complete entry requirements and rules, call (800) CRAYOLA or visit Crayola’s Internet site at http:/ /www.crayola.com.

Attention young scientists

More than 28,500 children and over 1,500 volunteer scientists participate annually in Science-By-Mail, a national pen-pal mentor program for children in grades four through nine, linking them with volunteer scientists.

Applications are available for the 1996-97 Science-By-Mail program, founded by the Museum of Science in Boston and funded, in part, by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

During the school year, members will receive two hands-on activity packets related to the themes “Simple Machines” and “Flight.” The packets contain materials to perform a variety of experiments which culminate in the “Big Challenge,” which ties the individual experiments together.

As children work on their Science-By-Mail experiments, they correspond with their scientist pen pal, who responds with ideas, advice and encouragement.

The program is open-ended and non-competitive to allow children to work at their own level of ability and interest.

The fee is $47 per membership group of up to four children.

For more information, call (800) 729-3300, or write: Science-By-Mail, Museum of Science, Science Park, Boston, MA 02114-1099, or e-mail smb@Al.mos.org. , DataTimes MEMO: The Family Track is a weekly column of notes and information for families. Send items to Lynn Gibson, Features Department, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615, or fax (509) 459-5098.