Inclusive Works International Story Competition!

-
Earlier this year, I wrote an article about gender equality in picture books titled, Him, Her, Hen? Gender Equality in Picture Books. It really got me thinking, but also feeling mostly helpless to effect a change, short of writing the books myself. Because of this, I was THRILLED when I was contacted by a representative of Inclusive Works, an international organization actively invested in the creation of more inclusive societies. Inclusive Works achieves this by advising organizations on how to include and embed diversity in their every day work through the development and execution of projects that help build sustainable connections between individuals and groups in society. They also carry out research that helps us better understand the rationale and process behind decisions and actions that help and hinder inclusiveness. Right now, Inclusive Works is hosting a story competition - Children's Stories with a Twist and we all have the opportunity to change the face of picture books! 



The rules for the competition are as follows:


  • Has a title
  • Shows that all professions, functions and lifestyles are open to everyone in society, despite gender, origin, economic status, nationality or life choice
  • Breaks with traditional gender roles and stereotypes presents both man and woman in a competent manner in the other roles (eg father can competently take over the care of the children, women can race a Formula 1 car)
  • Takes into account the multicultural society (for instance in the characters, their names, the composition of the characters, the place where the story occurs, the activityies, etc.)
  • Is written for children in the age category 1 to 3 years old, or children 4 to 6 years old. The target group is stated in the front page of the manuscript
  • Stories may be realistic or have elements of fantasy
  • Optional: provide a description of the context of the story (what happens, what do we see, how does that look?)
  • Maximum length of the story for children between 1-3 years: 600 words, excluding context description
  • Maximum length of the story for children between 4-6 years: 1000 words, excluding context description
  • The preferred languages for the manuscript are English and Dutch
  • The story may be written in any language, as long as an English translation of the story is enclosed
  • Submissions are sent in Word format (.doc or .docx) both by email and by post(1 copy) to Inclusive Works, subject 'Story competition new men-women roles in the multicultural society'
  • Submissions should have been received by 31 December 2012 both by mail info@inclusiveworks.eu and by post: Inclusive Works, Leidseweg 69, 3531 BE Utrecht, Netherlands
  • On a separate page state your name, address, email address and telephone number
  • Submission means automatic approval for publication of the story by Clavis Books.

You can email your submissions BEFORE 12/31/12 to:

info@inclusiveworks.eu

Good Luck!

Popular posts from this blog

Fox + Chick: The Sleepover and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

-
Image
Fox + Chick : The Sleepover and Other Stories  by Sergio Ruzzier Review Copy from Chronicle Books Friends. Opposites. Inhabitants of a pastel-hued, water color world that is vaguely surreal, Fox and Chick are back for a third installment of their inviting, if curious, easy-to-read stories. In "The Sleepover," "The Hammer," and "The Surprise," Chick's odd logic is once again upending Fox's life. Happily, Fox responds with patience and even wisdom at times. To these unforgettable characters and luminous illustrations, Ruzzier brings a sublime simplicity that makes this series perfect for emerging readers, adding books with character and intelligence to the often dull world of beginning reader books. If you aren't familiar with this delightful duo, definitely check out my reviews of the first two books (links below) where I put the greatness of Ruzzier's work into historical ( Frog & Toad ) context. Then check out ALL of Ruzzier's p
Read more

Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari illustrated by Felicita Sala

-
Image
Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari illustrated by Felicita Sala Review Copy from Abrams Kids I picture-walked Be a Tree! three times before I actually read the words. Felicita Sala's illustrations for Maria Gianferrari's poetic text are mesmerizingly immersive and richly colorful within a palette of earth tones. Throughout the text, Gianferrari, who shares her inspiration for this book in the author's note ( Peter Wohleben's The Hidden Life of Trees ), gently maintains the human connection to trees and the connections (and communications) trees share with each other.  Be a Tree!  begins exuberantly, inviting the reader to "Be a tree! Stand tall. Stretch your branches to the sun. Let your roots curl, coil in the soil to ground you." From your spine/trunk to your skin/bark and your heart/pith, the words carry you inward and then zoom outward and up to the canopy and ultimately, the forest. "You are one of many trees," and our roots "twine with fung
Read more

Reading Levels: A Quick Guide to Determining if a Book Is Right for Your Reader

-
Image
While I wrote an article titled Reading Levels: How I Assign Reading Levels to Books, How the Publishers Do It and How You Can Help Your Reader Find the Right Book at the Right Time that discusses how reading levels are determined by professionals and amateurs like myself, there is more on this subject to discuss. Determining the reading level of a book from the children's section is never easy, mostly because there are several different standardized methods of determining reading levels. Add to this the fact that knowing their children's reading level is most often the only tool a parent is armed with when exploring the bookstore, library, website, etc, and the job becomes even more difficult. While I think that knowing a child's reading level is a very valuable tool if your child is reading below grade level, I think that it is a secondary consideration when finding books for children reading above, especially well above, grade level because, in most cases, content app
Read more