KAREN M. GREENWALD'S OFFICIAL AUTHOR SITE IS: WWW.KARENGREENWALD.COM.
ATTN: THIS SITE IS FOR CONTESTS, RAFFLES, AND BOOK DRIVES. THE MOBILE SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PLEASE VIEW WEBSITE ON A COMPUTER. THE #BOOKHERO AND #SUNWRITEFUN CONTESTS ARE ONLY VIEWABLE ON A COMPUTER. THANKS!
Karen M. Greenwald
Contests/Book Drives
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. ..a NONFICTION of INFORMATIONAL FICTION kidlit story,
of course! So get ready to use your gifts for good when you enter
#SUNWRITEFUN 2026!
Just give us
a 200 word story on the topic of:
GIFTS
(find any unique aspect, wrap up your facts,
skip the back matter, and enter!)
Is there a
'Helen' here?
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GIFTED AND TALENTED
DON'T LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH!
Give the GIFT of...
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Hmm. Let me see,
200 words = prize opps?
GENIUS!
ENTRY RULES:
You MUST:
I. Make at least 1 major aspect of your 200 word story NF or INFO FIC.
2. Choose a topic that relates to this year's theme: GIFTS
3. Write something appropriate for a kidlit audience.
4. Respectfully comment on at least 2 other entries.
(NOTE: PLEASE PUT YOUR EMAIL & NAME!)
5. Earn at least
7 Sun Fun Points
to be eligible for a
Grand Prize.
You CANNOT:
(Instant DQ!)
-
Use discriminatory language against any race, religion, ethnicity, or that is profane.
-
Write about a topic that isn't appropriate for children.
-
Write about a topic that deals with international or domestic politics (including war, famine, immigration, et al-there's a reason our contest name includes, "fun!").
-
Use AI (including Chat GPT, Claude, et al.).
This year, we're giving you a gift--it is easier than ever to earn
SUMMER FUN POINTS.
You get 1 point for each post,
but you MUST include the
following in each post:
1. This year's #SunWriteFun logo (see below).
2. The social media handles for your hosts:
a) Karen M. Greenwald: IG @karenmgreenwald
b) Jenny Buchet: X (list her name if on IG)
c) Stephanie Wildman: IG: @Stephanie Wildman
d) Hilary Elizabeth Margitich: IG: @hilarymargitich
e) Joyce Uglow: IG: @jpuglow
3. The #SunWriteFun contest link:
4. The hashtags: #SunWriteFun and #kidlit.
Just because one is gifted
doesn't mean success comes
without great effort!
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SUMMER FUN POINTS
POSTING OPTIONS
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WHAT'S YOUR FAV NF OR INFO FIC PB? WHY?
TELL US ON IG, TWITTER, OR BLUESKY.
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POST A PIC OF YOUR FAV PLEACE TO WRITE AND TELL US IF YOU PREFER THE GIFT OF SILENCE OR GAB SURROUNDING YOU. POST IT ON IG, X, OR BLUESKY
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WHAT IS A KID-APPROPRIATE SECRET GIFT YOU HAVE THAT YOU CAN SHARE ON TWITTER, BLUE SKY, AND IG?
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WHAT IS YOUR FAV BOOK TO GIVE AS A GIFT? TELL US ON IG, TWITTER, OR BLUESKY.
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POST A QUOTE FROM YOUR FAV PB ABOUT GIFTS AND A PIC OF THE COVER ON IG, TWITTER (X), OR BLUESKY
________________________________WHAT PB DO YOU WISH YOU WROTE? POST IT ON IG, X, OR BLUESKY
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TAG 5 KIDLIT'ERS IN A POST ON
TWITTER (X) /BLUESKY/ INSTAGRAM.
YOU CAN DO THIS 2X'S
______________________________
THANK 5 DONORS IN A POST ON TWITTER (X)/ BLUESKY/ INSTAGRAM
YOU CAN DO THIS 2X'S
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DONATE 1 UNUSED PB-SEND IT DIRECTLY TO KIDLIT CHARITY, READER TO READER
Reader to Reader
27 Woodlot Road
Amherst, MA 01002
NO LIMITS TO HOW MANY TIMES YOU CAN DO THIS!
PLEASE NOTE: Snapshot of receipt required. DM a copy to (Twitter) @SWildmanSF
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POST A PIC OF THE COVER OF YOUR FAV. PB ABOUT GENEROSITY ON IG, TWITTER, OR BLUESKY.
POSTS RE YOUR
FAV GIFTS
POSTS RE GIFTS
FOR OTHERS
HOW TO POST THE #SunWriteFun LOGO:
1. RIGHT CLICK ON SWF IMAGE BELOW.
2. CHOOSE "SAVE"
3. OPEN NEW SOCIAL MEDIA
POST & PASTE OR UPLOAD IT.
4. TWEET, IG, OR BLUESKY IT!
BE SURE TO ADD THE RIGHT SOCIAL
MEDIA HANDLES & REQUIRED INFO!
TIP: You can paste it into Canva
and resave to post)
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Give us
your 200
word-stories
yearning to
be awarded
(then,
published)!
A GIFT FOR TING
Susan Burdorf
200 words
Ting joined the other chimpanzees for their morning ritual.
Bando passed a banana to Hinkle.
Hinkle passed a mango to Yoyo.
Yoyo passed a lemon to Unyum.
Unyum passed a big green leaf to Old Mama to fan herself with.
Old Mama sighed, lay down in the shade of a fig tree, and was soon snoring.
Ting waited for his gift.
The rest of his troop settled in under the shade of the fig tree and were soon snoring.
Bando scratched his rump.
Yoyo snorted, but did not wake.
Hinkle rolled over until he rested next to Old Mama.
Unyum opened one eye, yawned loudly then began snoring again.
Ting sighed.
He wanted a gift too, it was tradition to pass gifts to those in the troop, but he didn’t get a banana, or a mango, or a lemon, or a big green leaf.
“They don’t like you,” Snake hissed from a branch of the tree. He slithered down the trunk until he was next to Ting. “You should give them to me as a gift.”
Ting jumped, screeching loud enough that everyone woke and chased Snake away.
Soon the gift giving began all over again, starting with Ting.
WALT'S GIFTS
by Katrina Stern
Walt drew on everything.
He sketched in the mud. He scratched on his school desk.
And one day, he painted with tar on the side of his family's farmhouse.
Walt stood back to admire his perfect country scene.
His sister said, “Daddy’s gonna be so mad!”
Walt said, “It’ll come off.”
It didn’t come off.
And boy, was Daddy mad.
“ALL THIS DRAWING, DRAWING, DRAWING! WHY CAN’T YOU JUST STOP DRAWING?”
Walt didn’t know. But he knew he couldn’t stop.
A few days later, Aunt Maggie brought presents for Walt:
a crisp pad of paper, a pack of pencils, a new-fangled box labeled “Crayola”.
Walt squeezed his favorite aunt. “Thank you. But Daddy says I shouldn’t draw so much.”
Aunt Maggie squeezed him back. “Don’t let that stop you, Walt Disney.”
So Walt kept drawing.
He drew silly characters and flipbooks whose pictures moved like magic.
He drew and drew until his art took him from Kansas City to Hollywood,
then he kept right on drawing.
He drew a mouse . . . a princess . . .
Wonderland . . . Neverland . . .
and blueprints for a new place: Disneyland.
Walt’s art was a gift to the world.
And as long as he lived, Walt never stopped drawing.