July’s Writers Challenge : Have some fun and win a free book.

This month, something slightly different. Your contest entry must contain the following words or terms:

• nail polish
• a VHS tape
• a book of spells

Have fun!

Each month, we publish a Writing Prompt and invite folks to submit a story, short essay, poem in response to the prompt. The winner gets their story published on the Whistle Stop Books website (see below) and wins a free book (their choice) from Whistle Stop Books. There are very few rules, other than keep it short (500 word limit)–our volunteer judges love reading, but are hesitant to tackle anything the length of War and Peace–and keep it relatively clean (we share a website with a toy store). Other than that, have fun and have at it. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the month.

Dog Days of Summer Start in July

Have you looked at the weather forecast recently. Ninety (+) temperatures; humidity levels approaching the indoor quality at the aquatic center. In short, hot and muggy. The perfect weather for sitting in a porch swing and listening to the mourning doves (perhaps this is only a Kansas “thing”) or camping in front to the air conditioner with a nice cool drink and a good suspense.

We have a wide variety of suspense novels from some terrific writers from Clive Cussler and David Baldacci to Kevin O’Brien and Stuart Woods. Looking for a good spy novel? Try Len Deighton, Forrest DeVoe Jr., or Steven Hartov.

A recent donation added some great young adult novels, including a terrific selection of Newbery Award Honor and Winners, including a number that are not available on things like Kindles and Nooks.  The Newbery Awards are given out each year by the Association for Library Services for Children (a division of the American Library Association) for the best of the best children’s books in Children’s novels. Actually, it is given to an author who has made “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.”

For the critter lover, there is Sterling North’s Rascal, a Newbery Honor book from 1964 (Rascal is a raccoon) and Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo (Newbery Honor Book, 2001). In historical fiction, we have Katie Seredy’s The Good Master (Newbery Honor, 1936) and The Singing Tree (Newbery Honor, 1940); Chrisopher Paul Curtis’s The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 (Newbery Honor, 1996); Cynthia Kadohata’s Kira-Kira (Newbery Metal, 2006); and an old favorite, especially for folks who love dolls, Rachel Field’s Hitty, The First Hundred Years (Newbery Metal, 1930).

For fantasy lovers, we have some terrific novels for kids, including Melissa de la Cruz’s The Isle of the Lost  (2015); Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy (Newbery Honor, 2006); and CS Lewis’s  The Magician’s Nephew (1970), among others.

Come by Whistle Stop Books and explore the shelves. We are certain we have something for every age and nearly every taste.