MrsP.com, A great Website for Kids
“Every year I look forward to sitting by the fire with a cup of tea and reading what the kids have written. I was thrilled that the number of stories submitted continues to grow every year, and the quality remains so high,” said TV star Kathy Kinney, who portrays Mrs. P and is one of the creators of the website. “I feel very good about this generation of kids and the great jobs their parents and teachers are doing educating them.”
The Grand Prize winners of the 2011 “Be a Famous Writer” contest are Sarah Smale, age 8, from Washington State and Emma Stowe, age 12, from Alabama.
Sarah Smale, age 8, author of The Treasure Decision
Sarah Smale, age 8, from Washington State, won top honors in the 4-to-8 year-old category for The Treasure Decision, an adventure story featuring a mysterious treasure, pirates and an unusual bookstore.
Emma Stowe, age 12, Author of Thinking Cap
Emma Stowe, age 12, from Alabama, won in the 9-13 age group for Thinking Cap, a compelling and amusing detective story, set in a grade school, following the search for a lost gerbil.
The Grand Prize winners will have their stories produced as videos featuring Mrs. P, which will be presented on her popular, free critically-acclaimed website. Original artwork by award-winning Portland, Oregon-based illustrator Robin E. Kaplan will help bring the stories to life. The videos will be posted on the website (www.MrsP.com) beginning in March. Each winner will also receive an actual bound copy of the story and illustrations.
Two Honorable Mention stories will also be produced as videos: Sally’s Poor Brain, written by 8-year-old Andrea E. Langholff from Wisconsin, because of its witty lesson about a brain that literally walks away in search of intellectual stimulation; and Eugene Fitz and the Impish Sly Mischievous Garden Gnome, by 13-year-old Jared Spry of Arizona, for its funny and clever depiction of a boy who suspects the family garden gnome has committed a crime.
The winners were chosen from a panel of xelebrity judges: Bonny Becker, best-selling author of the Mouse and Bear picture books; David L. Ulin, literary editor of the Los Angeles Times; and Renèe Watson, author of the acclaimed novel A Place Where Hurricanes Happen; and, of course, Mrs. P herself.
About Mrs. P
A dear friend of mine (she stops by occasionally and shares her Irish-Wisconsin folk tales), Mrs. P established her website MrsP.com in 2008 to encourage a love of reading. The website is the recipient of the American Library Association’s “Great Website for Kids.”
- Magic Library – Videos and a lot of magical fun
- Video Library – No Magic, Just Fun!
- Be a Famous Writer Contest – for writers ages 4 to 13
- Mrs P on iTunes
