Updated: April 19, 2010

A Writing Contest for Children

Entries accepted November 30, 2009 - January 29, 2010
Entries will be published on this website after March 31, 2010.

<<2010 Winners>>

>>2010 Story Winners<<
>>2010 Illustration Winners<<

Write a story, make it your own, make it believable or maybe not! Tell a tale of wonder and dreams, fill it with laughter, tears or suspense. Create characters that come alove. Plot and plan with imagination!

The Young Writers Golden Pencil Committee has designed this contest to foster creativity and thoughtfulness in the minds of young learners through writing and illustrating their stories.

Writing Contest Rules

  • Contest entries will be accepted from November 30, 2009 - January 29, 2010
  • The story must be original and the unpublished work of the child
  • Contest open to all children grades K-6 on the date they submit their work
  • Must be written in English and can be typed or legibly handwritten
  • Limit of 1000 words for kindergarten-2nd grade; 2000 words for grades 3-4; 3000 words for grades 5-6
  • Maximum of 2 entries per child
  • Stories and books must be age appropriate
  • Biographic entries must be someone the child personally knows
  • All entrants must complete a submission form to accompany the work
  • The contest will be limited to the first 250 submissions
  • The entry fee of $10.00 per story/book must be submitted with the entry
  • Works can be submitted online or via the mail system
  • Online submissions must be in PDF format
  • All material found on the www.goldenpencilcontest.org website is the property of the Young Writers Golden Pencil Contest
  • Stories submitted remain the property of the author. By submitting a story to this contest you are providing permission for the story to be published and used on this website.
  • Download planning sheets to help create the story
  •    - (Characters, Plot, Setting, the Problem, the High Point, the Conclusion)
  • (Download a Free PDF Creator Utility).

Awards and Recognition

All entries receive a certificate and a golden pencil

A winner will be chosen for the story in each grade category. Winners will receive a medal, a certificate, and a golden pencil.

A winner will be chosen for the illustration in each grade category. Winners will receive a medal, a certificate, and a golden pencil.

A single Grand Prize winner will be chosen from all entries. The grand prize entry will be posted on this website, the book will be bound and the winner will receive their bound book, a medal, a certificate, and a golden pencil.