It's time to get creative again!

This competition is now over - stay tuned for the winning stories!


Yes, we've got a new writing competition for you, with 3 x $50 and 3 x $30 book vouchers to be won!

All you need to do is use the following sentence for the opening of your story

"It was Spring, and time to move .................."

Stories are to be a MAXIMUM of 1,500 words, and entries close October 21 at 5 p.m.

As usual there are 3 categories:

Category 1:   7-9 years    --    Category 2:   10-11 years    --    Category 3:    12-13 years 

So put on those thinking caps, get writing and forward your entry with your name, phone number and date of birth to library@portphillip.vic.gov.au - or drop it into your nearest library branch.

Winners will be notified on Wednesday 9 November and we will publish the winning entries on our website and Lightning Readers Blog. Enquiries to Linda Todd, 9209-6526.

another chance to win a book voucher!

SORRY, THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED!




WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED ON AUGUST 17 - WINNING ENTRIES TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE BLOG SO STAY TUNED!

3 x $50.00  &  3 x $30.00 book vouchers to be won!!!

Take a STONE, an INVITATION, a BOOK, a KEY and a PARROT and create your story! You are the writer!

Your story can be funny, sad, full of mystery, fantasy or adventure. The challenge is that you need to use these FIVE WORDS somewhere in your story!

Stories need to be a minimum 50 words and maximum 500 words and entries close on Friday 5 August at 5pm!

There are 3 age categories:  

• Category 1 - 7-10 years 
• Category 2 - 11-13 years
• Category 3 - 14-16 years

Send your entry with your name, phone number & date of birth to library@portphillip.vic.gov.au or drop it into your nearest library branch. Enquiries to Linda Todd, Ph: 9209-6526.

We will publish the winning entries on our website and on the Lightning Readers blog.

Winners will be notified Wednesday 17 August.

Library Writing Competition

You can read the winning entries here

Create a character and win a prize!


3 x $50 & 3 x $30 book vouchers to be won!!!

Competition closes Friday May 6!

To be in the running for one of these prizes your challenge is to create a character in a minumum of 50 words / maximum 200 words - but you need to choose one of the following names for your character:

Lucy Jones

Dora Reichman

Fred Burke

Justin Jarvis

Felix Stand

Nabi Kong

Ellen McGonagle

Helpful hints:

A really good book will often have a clever plot, be adventurous, mysterious, funny or sad but there will be some strongly drawn characters - or one, anyway - that makes you care what happens to them.

You might use:

Description:   what do they look like? are they old/young, happy/sad, lucky/unlucky, short/tall, safe or in danger, kind/cruel, etc.

Action:   what do they do? how do they move?

Dialogue/thoughts:   how do they think/speak?

Use your imagination and observation skills!!

You may find the following links helpful in bringing your character to life:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Story-Writing-Tips-for-Children---Bring-Characters-to-Life-by-Showing,-Not-Telling&id=962508

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/character-physical-description-list/

http://www.coreygreen.com/storytips.html#3

http://sevenstepswriting.com/sample.php

Entries close on Friday, May 6 at 5.00pm

Category 1:    7-10 years

Category 2:    11-13 years

Category 3:    14-16 years

Send your entry with your name, phone number and date of birth to library@portphillip.vic.gov.au or drop it in to your nearest library branch. Enquiries to Linda Todd 92096526.

Winners will be notified Wednesday May 18 and we will publish the winning entries on our website and Lightning Readers blog!

So, get your pens out, thinking cap on and start writing!!!

Write a review - win a prize!!!!

Write a review of a book and email it to library@portphillip.vic.gov.au and your name will go in to the draw to win one of three $50:00 book vouchers.

A good book review will tell us:

• what it is about the book you liked or didn't like
• what type of book it was - adventure, fantasy, real life, funny, historical, etc.
• something about the characters
• a little about the plot (don't give it all away!)
• maybe something about the writing

It should be no more than 300 words though - don't re-write the book!

Entries close Friday March 25, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday April 6.

The library reserves the right to publish your review on the blog along with your first name - no other personal details will be published but will need to be supplied in your email so we can contact the winners.

So, it's time to get reading and writing!!