contest

TAMPA, Fla. (December 15, 2009) — Wondering what to do with your aspiring young director over the winter break? Tell your high school students about The Third Annual Director’s Chair, a contest in which Florida students submit commercials to promote Ask a Librarian.  Ask a Librarian is a free online service that allows the public to chat with a librarian for help with homework or general questions

Floridians in ninth through 12^th grade are invited to submit a 30-second video promoting Ask a Librarian by January 24, 2010, for the chance to win a digital video camera, a digital camera or a MP3 player.

“We hope students will be using their holiday vacations to put the finishing touches on their entries,” said Diana Silveira, virtual reference manager of Ask a Librarian. “We know teens are incredibly creative, especially after seeing past entries, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with this year.”

This new contest fits in very well with the 2009 Collaborative Summer Library Program if you are looking for programming ideas. Even if you don't participate in the contest, check out the tips sheet for lyric writing, which would serve as a good handout for any songwriting program. --Jeanette Larson

Dragon Song contest

Wizards of the Coast LLC is sponsoring a lyrics writing contest for libraries and kids and teens ages 8-14 to explore the world of dragons.  Entrants will write lyrics set to the story of the Green Dragon, and the winning lyrics will then be set to music to tie in with the Mirrorstone® book, A Practical Guide to Dragons and the books in the Dragon Codex series.

Lyrics about the first four dragons in the Dragon Codex series – Red Dragon, Bronze Dragon, Black Dragon and Brass Dragon -- provide the start of the song, and will be provided on the Wizards of the Coast website at www.mirrorstonebooks.com.

Even if you’re stuck at home this summer, you can still get away—just use your imagination! Listening Library is sponsoring the Fantasy Road Trip Contest, asking teens ages 13-18 to create videos based around an imaginary road trip with characters from one of Listening Library’s great fantasy series.

Making their entries is a great way to engage teens in what they’re reading and encourage them to be creative. And since many families will be forgoing expensive vacations and summer camps this year, the Fantasy Road Trip Contest is a perfect (and free!) summer activity.

Contestants’ videos should answer the questions “If you could go on a road trip with a character from one of the authors’ books, where would you go? What would you see along the way? How would you get there?” The videos will be judged on creativity, originality and effective expression for a chance to win an 8GB iPod Touch and a collection of signed audiobooks.

Authors featured in this promotion include Libba Bray, author of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Tamora Pierce author of many series, including her current Legend of Beka Cooper series, and Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson the Olympians series. Participating authors will judge the videos made about their respective series and select one winner per author (for a total of three prize winners).

The contest will be open for entries from June 1-August 17, 2009. Contestants must be between the ages of 13-18 to enter. For complete rules and video submission guidelines, please visit www.fantasyroadtripcontest.com.