36th Annual Stanley Shalit Short Story Competition Grades 4-5

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Event Details

Theme: Lost & Found

Submission Deadline: Saturday, October 19th
Completed work must be submitted in print/hard copy form.  Email submissions will NOT be accepted.

About the theme
You could write about something you lost or something you found and the story behind those items. You might consider the Lost & Found box at your school or recreation center and what stories those items reveal. Have you ever lost anything at home or found anything at the beach or park? Use your imagination to write a story about your search for what you lost or your surprise at what you found. Sometimes it’s not just a physical item that is lost or found, so your story might be about something you lost or found emotionally (family, friend, moving to a new home or school, sports activity). The theme is not intended to be the title of the story. It is meant to help provide a creative focus to deliver a story that touches the meanings or thoughts that come to your mind when thinking about the theme.

About the story
The story should revolve around an experience, setting, problem, challenge, tragedy, triumph, or any circumstance that will intrigue readers and bring characters to life. Describe to readers what the characters look like, how they communicate, and how they act, feel and think. Develop the main character(s) by using and including supporting characters. Use the main character(s) and supporting characters to describe the place and time in which the story is set.

Submission Guidelines
  • Each work must have a cover letter that includes the participant's name, age, home address, phone number, email address, school name, teacher's name, and grade level.
  • The story must be fiction, original and 4 to 8 pages.
  • All work must be typed; pages must be numbered, double-spaced and margins justified.
  • All work must be original.  Any story considered for a prize will be submitted to Turnitin.com.
  • The story must have a title page that includes the title of the story and the writer's name.
  • The completed work must be postmarked by, or submitted in person to LargoPublic Library, no later than 5:00pm on Saturday, October 19th.
  • Failure to follow these rules will disqualify the entry.
  • Submitted work will not be returned.  Please be sure to keep a copy of your work.
Winners and Prizes
Eight finalists will be selected.  Prizes Awarded: 1st Place - $100, 2nd Place - $75, 3rd Place - $50, Runners Up - $25.  The finalists will be notified prior to the awards ceremony which will take place Thursday, November 7th at 6:30pm.  At the ceremony, the final standings will be revealed and prizes awarded.



Event Type(s): Children (12 and under)