The write word paints a thousand pictures.

Knowlton has dropped by from Know, The Science Magazine for Curious Kids

to give you an update on the Jul/Aug 2008 Issue

 

A Young Shining Star
2008-06-27 10:18:20

Jennifer Barlow was only 15 when she started National Dark-Sky Night. On this night she encouraged people to turn off all of their lights so they could see a thing of beauty -- a starry night sky. Soon, National Dark-Sky Night turned into National Dark-Sky Week. You can learn more about this special week here.

In Issue 16 of KNOW we profile Jennifer (see page 21). There is also a story on page 18-19, called Who Stole the Stars? The author of this story, Roxanne Werner, was inspired by Jennifer's story. 

 

 

To find out Who Stole the Stars? check out Issue 16 of Know.

Illustrated by David Namisato
 

 

Courtesy of Highlights for Children

CONTACT: MARILETA ROBINSON
HONESDALE, PA (570) 253-1080

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2008

Greenville Resident Wins Renowned Magazine’s Writing Contest

Roxanne Werner of Greenville, New York, has been selected as a winner of Highlights for Children’s 2008 annual fiction contest for her fast-paced story about the perils of a magnetic storm for a family flying in a spaceship.

“The clock must be frozen. Or maybe the space station fell into a time warp, and I’m trapped in my math lesson forever. The truth is, time doesn’t fly when you’re waiting for something, and I’ve waited for a friend for a long time.”

So begins Werner’s tale “Snow Day in Space,” one of three winners in the contest. The prize is publication in Highlights along with $1,000 or tuition for the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, New York. The winning stories were chosen from more than 1,100 entries during a one-month submission period.

“The Leaky Robot” by Rebecca Kraft Rector of Lakeland, Florida, and “Sandstorm!” by Rhonda Roberts of Searcy, Arkansas, were also named as winners. The theme of this year’s contest was stories set in the future.

“Writing a compelling yet plausible futuristic story isn’t easy, but our contest winners more than met the challenge,” said Christine French Clark, editor in chief of Highlights. “We think their stories will serve as wonderful introductions to this genre for our young readers.”

“We enjoyed reading the many creative submissions we received for this year’s contest,” added Joëlle Dujardin, the magazine’s associate editor. “It’s clear writers care deeply about encouraging kids to be thoughtful regarding the future.”

Werner works full-time in the office of a retail jewelry store. She grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature. She has a bachelor’s degree in botany and horticulture from Rutgers University. “I went to college for science,” she said, “[but] my twelfth-grade English teacher wrote in my yearbook, ‘If you ever get tired of plants, write.’ I always did love to write; I just never pursued it to sell.”

Werner has published several items in e-zines and anthologies. She has a forthcoming story in Know, a Canadian science magazine for children. She is a member of SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators).

Werner said that her inspiration for the winning story was “convoluted.” She cites her research on Mae Jemison, a prominent black astronaut, as the basis for her creation of the main character of “Snow Day in Space,” Jemison Mae.

“I was kind of puzzled,” said Werner of the contest’s theme. “I said [to myself], ‘Forget that it’s for the future. Kids in the future are still going to be kids. What would be important to a kid?’ Since it was winter, I was thinking about how my son was always looking forward to a snow day.

“I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do with that idea until I started researching for an article for Black History Month,” continued Werner, “and I came across Mae Jemison. I find her life and story so inspiring. She is a great inspiration for children. I got her name in my head, and I switched it around, and all of a sudden I had my main character. She started to come to life for me. If I hadn’t been researching for Black History Month, I may never have written the story!”

Werner also attributes the unique and vivid setting of her story to other research she was doing at the time. “I started thinking about how technology would advance [in the future], and how people would be taking lessons via satellite or some [other] technology of that type, and how that could be disrupted by magnetic storms,” she said. “I had also researched something for another article about space weather and about how that radiation from the magnetic storms could be very disruptive to different things.”

Werner had never sold anything to Highlights prior to entering the fiction contest. She learned about the competition through Verla Kay’s blue boards, an online writing community. “I find that a great source of information,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of really nice people in my area through there. The writing community is so refreshing. Everyone is so helpful, always trying to reach down and help other people. That’s really nice in today’s world [because] I know a lot of other occupations aren’t like that.”

In her spare time, Werner enjoys reading, gardening, bird-watching, hiking, hunting for fossils, and doing nature-related activities. She lives with her husband, Allen, their son, James (16), and two cats.

Highlights for Children, edited for children up to age 12, was founded 60 years ago by psychologist Dr. Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers, a husband-and-wife team of noted educators.

The monthly periodical, which goes to more than two million homes, schools, libraries, and professional offices, is made up largely of freelance articles, illustrations, and photographs. It contains fiction, nonfiction, puzzles, humor, poetry, and traditional Highlights features, such as “Goofus and Gallant®,” “Hidden Pictures®,” “The Timbertoes®,” and “Crafts.”

Next year’s contest category is contemporary world-cultures stories. All entries must be postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2009. Stories may be any length up to 800 words. Stories for beginning readers should not exceed 500 words.

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