Tampabay.com
NOVEMBER 03, 2009

Kids can write Flat Stanley's next adventure and (maybe) win a vacation for the family

Flatstanley Ever since a falling bulletin board flattened Stanley Lambchop in his first book 45 years ago, he's been Flat Stanley -- able to fly like a kite, blend into a painting or even get folded up and mailed like a letter. First created in a series of clever books by Jeff Brown, Stanley and the Lambchop family have gotten a new lease on life recently with a fresh round of worldwide adventures.

Now HarperCollins and guided-vacation company Adventures by Disney are launching a Flat Stanley–themed writing contest called "The Search for Flat Stanley's Next BIG Adventure." Kids across the nation get the chance to pen their own adventure for the skinniest boy in kid-lit.

According to the rules, kids must go to the Flat Stanley contest website, pick out a destination from the world map, download the information about that locale and then use that (and some imagination) to write a 150-word story about what happens to Stanley there.

Entries will be judged in three age groups - one for 7 to 8-year-olds, one for 9 to 10-year-olds and one for 11 to 12-year-olds. One winner will be chosen in each age group and each of the three winners can choose one of 19 worldwide vacations as their prize.

Hurry up and get busy inventing Stanley's trip, though, kids, because the contest deadline is Nov. 30. (And keep an eye out for falling bulletin boards...)

--Sherry Robinson

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THE AUTHORS

Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.

E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com

SP_255665_CROS_KATE.jpgAfter six long years of trying to have a baby, Kate Brassfield was finally able to have one. And then, two minutes later, another one. Suddenly the lady who had never been around babies before was juggling two! Just as Kate felt she was getting pretty good with babies, the girls became toddlers, and now Kate is back to Square One, learning about the care and feeding of these strange, wonderful creatures. She spends her days working part-time from home and trying to keep up with the Twinosaurus Wrecks.

E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com

Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at courtneyblogs@gmail.com.

Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, ZannaLand.com , and she's a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel in addition to being addicted to Twitter, iced coffee, and watching way too much Yo, Gabba Gabba.

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