2008 GRANNY Awards

2008 Granny Awards

The Editorial Staff at Stories for Children Magazine will be recognizing their "Personal Favorite Contribution" over the past year with the Second Annual Granny Awards! This award is named after two SFC editors since they are "Grannies".

There will be First, Second, and Third Place awards, broken down by age.

“Children’s Writers and Illustrators are putting on their best attire in preparation for the Second Annual Stories for Children 'Granny' Awards. The red carpet is lined with readers from across the globe waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite authors and illustrators,” reports Penny from the World of Ink Post.

Cameras flash as the first limo pulls up to the SFC Offices where this year's Granny Awards Ceremony is being held. The ushers open the doors. Out steps Stanley Bookman the SFC Mascot followed by VS Grenier, Owner and Editor-in-Chief.

“What an outfit Stanley is wearing tonight. He must be very excited to be hosting the Granny Awards again this year,” comments Penny. “Look at the dress Mrs. Grenier is wearing. It’s something right out of a fairytale. I don’t think Cinderella’s dress could compare. Oh and look . . . the other SFC Team members are pulling up. And they are wearing outfits many of the Hollywood starlets dream about for their red carpet appearance. What a dashing team indeed.”

Penny crosses the rope to speak with some of the SFC Team members. “Mrs. Grenier . . . a few words please?”

VS Grenier joins Penny on the sidelines as SFC Contributors make their way inside, dressed for the occasion.

“The Editorial Staff at Stories for Children Magazine has continued to have an award recognizing their ‘Personal Favorite Contributions’ for 2008. The award is named after two of SFC’s editors since they are ‘Grannies’. Can you tell our viewers tonight in the World of Ink what plans you have for SFC in the upcoming months,” asks Penny.

“It’s been another year of growth,” replies VS Grenier. “Our readers have seen many changes and there are still more to come, from our new blog called SFC: Families Matter to our new parent company - Stories for Children Publishing, LLC. But it’s our contributors I really need to thank tonight. Without them, there would not be a Stories for Children Magazine. They freely donate their talents each month and that is why the editorial staff and I are thrilled to continue with this award.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Grenier.”

VS Grenier strolls inside to join in the celebration with the winners and SFC Team.

Inside Stanley Bookman walks up to the microphone. He begins, "Welcome everyone to the Second Annual SFC GRANNY Awards! We would like to thank you for coming out. I know many of our contributors and readers are here today along with some new faces.

It's been a fun and busy year here at Stories for Children Magazine. For me, I've enjoyed getting to know all the readers and their parents. Bringing them fun reading tips and information about monthly holidays and events has been rewarding. It’s been also fun getting to know our new SFC Team members and SFC Contributors. Many of whom helped to tell my story about how I came to be a part of the SFC Team. I would also like to thank each and every one of you for your support of me and Stories for Children Magazine.

And now, I'll turn the floor over to VS Grenier, Editor-n-Chief and Owner of Stories for Children Magazine."

The room breaks into applause. VS Grenier clears her throat and flashes a big smile.

"Thank you, Stanley." VS Grenier looks out at all the readers, contributors, and supporters of SFC. "I'm so happy to be here tonight. There has been so much growth and change here at SFC. Our readers have seen many changes and there are still many more to come. One of the biggest changes has been the recent inclusion of all the different SFC publications under one roof. Even though the whole SFC Team works in a virtual office, we are now all under a parent company. In March of this year, Stories for Children Publishing, LLC was launched! Now our magazine, newsletter, blog, and services we plan to offer will be under one main company. This is a great time for us. With this change we hope to bring SFC Magazine into a paying market soon, offer writers different services such as: workshops, editorial help, and much more. We also hope to offer teachers and parents different services and educational tools to get our young readers more excited about reading and writing.

SFC has much to be happy about, but in the end, it is I who needs to say ‘Thank You’ to all of you for being supportive and cheerleaders to Stories for Children Magazine. I’ve been blessed to know some of you personally and to also be working with one of the best magazine teams there is. Every one of the SFC Team members gives whole-heartedly to SFC every month. They do this without pay or compensation. Their talents and dedication is just the icing on the cake. Our SFC Contributors are wonderful and as dedicated as the team behind Stories for Children Magazine.

Thank you everyone for being a part of the SFC family. Each and every one of you is an important part of what make Stories for Children Magazine what is it today.

And now to what you’ve all been waiting for . . . the SFC 2008 Granny Award Winners! The different categories for the 2008 Annual SFC “Granny” Awards are:

Fiction

Poetry
Nonfiction

Young Author

Cover Art (new this year)

Inside Artwork

In the Fiction Category:
1st place - How Jack Found His Balance by Maureen Strake ages 3-6
2nd place- What's Missing? by Janie Emaus ages 3-6
3rd place - Calendar Pants by Jason Toupence ages 3-6

1st place- Emelda Emerson Knew How to be Pretty by Pat Parker ages 7-9
2nd place - A Mysterious Message by Carole Brooks ages 7-9
3rd place - Full Moon by Billy Burgess ages 7-9

1st place - Robby Fuller Swallows a Fly by Valerie Collins ages 10-12
2nd place - Tempting Fate by Gilda A. Herrera ages 10-12
3rd place - Ruth and Naomi by Bonita Pate Davis ages 10-12

Poetry:
1st place - Ooddles of Poodles by Shannon Griffis
2nd place - Lobsters by Karen Jobst
3rd place - I'm Gonna Be by Linda Ramsden

Nonfiction:
1st place - A Wildflower's Little Helper by Janine Langley-Wood ages 3-6
2nd place - I Am A Snag by Jody Little ages 3-6
3rd place - Your Fabulous Fingers by Joanne P. Johnson ages 3-6

1st place - Look Out! That Bug's Loaded by Sandie Lee (Yes, you can congrats Sandie) ages 7-9
2nd place - Don't Pet the Working Dog by Vicki Miller Livesay ages 7-9
3rd place - Acro-Bats by Liana Mahoney ages 7-9

1st place - My Dog Survived Hurricane Katrina by Lisa Cook ages 10-12
2nd place - Snatching a Moment with Satch by Randi Lynn Mrvos ages 10-12
3rd place - The Code Talkers by Annie Laurie Smith ages 10-12

Cover Art:
1st place - Livia Coloji for the September cover
2nd place - Angela C. Hawkins for the December cover
3rd place - Kevin Scott Collier for the February cover

Inside Artwork:
1st place - Aja Wells for Miss Ladybug
2nd place - Feras Nouf for Boy in Reverse
3rd place - Candace J. Hardy for Come Play

Youth Authors:
1st place - Amanda Liska for Cookie Monster Mystery
2nd place - Crystal Crowell for The Big Stink
3rd place - Rachel Banks for The Secret

Thank you everyone for being here tonight. We have been taking pictures of the 2008 Granny Award Winners this evening and plan to post a video of the winners later this month on the SFC Magazine site. We hope you’ll come back and watch the video and read their acceptance speeches, too.”

Penny, standing in a corner of the banquet hall turns to her camera man. “It’s been an exciting evening. As you heard from Stanley Bookman and VS Grenier . . . Stories for Children Publishing isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The SFC Contributors and SFC Team members look really thrilled about the upcoming additions and announcements.

The World of Ink hasn’t heard the last of what SFC plans to bring to our young readers, their parents, and teachers.

This is Penny Penman reporting for the World of Ink Post wishing you all a goodnight.”

Granny Award Winners' Speeches

"Dear Stories for Children Magazine ~ I was beyond thrilled to learn that I'd won a Granny Award for my article My Dog Survived Hurricane Katrina. What an honor! I'd all but given up my dream to write for children when this award showed up in my mailbox! Talk about an inspiration to keep on writing! Thank you to Stories For Children Magazine for being an encouragement to writers everywhere. Thanks also to my family for listening to or reading draft after draft of this article. Their input was priceless. I also need to thank my critique group the Writer Chicks for their amazing insight and support! You ladies are the best! "

~Lisa A. Cook

“Thank you very much for my Granny Award. It’s so nice when people tell you that your writing is appreciated. I really enjoy writing for children, but haven’t been doing so for very, so this means a lot. The magazine is great and I hope to be sending in more work in the future.” ~Janine-Langley Wood

“All of us who write know that writing is a solitary, and sometimes downright lonely, job. But we keep at it despite the odds against getting published. So, when I received the email about the Granny Awards from SFC Editor-in-Chief Virginia Grenier, I thought . . . I wonder who won? Then I read this: "If you are receiving this email, it means you've won an SFC Granny Award!"

All those hours sitting in front of a screen and secretly wondering . . . Who do I think I am anyway, trying to be a writer? Who would want to read this stuff anyway? — Suddenly all of those hours were mine again, and I knew that I really was a writer. And so are you! You're a writer and you're good at it and getting better. Keep writing. Next year that amazing email can be yours!

Thank you Stories for Children! You've made my year!” ~Pat Parker

“I would like to thank the Editorial Staff for the 2008 Granny Award and the opportunity to share my story with all the readers of Stories for Children Magazine. I am honored with this recognition for my work.” ~ Annie Laura Smith

Published Books:
The Legacy of Bletchley Park
ISBN-13:9780970075253
Will Paris Burn?
ISBN-13: 9780975336748
Saving da Vinci
ISBN-13: 9780975336762
Whispers in the Wind
ISBN-13: 9781591139140

Author’s Website http://home.comcast.net/~annielaurasmith/

“How exciting to be included in the 2008 Granny Awards. I am pleased to accept this award for "Don't Pet the Working Dog" and so glad to have had this story enjoyed by all of you. It's always such a pleasure to know a story you have written has found a home where it will be appreciated by others. To have been honored on top of that is whipped cream on top of my cake! Thank you.” ~Vicky Livesay

“The Granny Award signifies excellence. It’s a reminder to keep writing, no matter the challenges. I’d like to thank: Stories for Children magazine for this notable award; Jim, my husband and insightful editor; my daughter Abby for her creative ideas; and Ollie, the sweetest, chair-warming cat a writer could ever have.” ~Randi Lynn Mrvos

Links:

http://Randi.Lynn.Mrvos.home.insightbb.com.

http://www.viatouch.com/learn/teacher.jsp

“Thank you so much for this lovely trophy. I plan on putting it in a prominent place in my writing room. It was also wonderful to see my poem, Lobsters, in your publication with the beautiful illustration by Candace Hardy. I have not written anymore poems since the two I had in SFC magazine, but I have completed a middle grade novel and recently got "the call" from an agent. I accepted and am very excited about what lies ahead.” ~Karen Jobst

“From its very first issue, I knew Stories for Children would be an exceptional magazine. As a contributor, I'm thrilled to have played a small role in the development of this wonderful asset to children's literature. Just as I strive daily to stretch my boundaries as a writer, I see SFC reaching new heights of excellence. And I extend my thanks to the editorial staff whose skills and dedication are reflected in the quality of the magazine they produce.”

~Bonita Pate Davis

“I'm honored to be a 2008 Granny Winner. “Robby Fuller Swallows a Fly” was adapted from my chapter book Robby Fuller Swallowed a Dirty, Disgusting Disease-Spreading Fly—not yet published. I hope the book will enjoy as much success as the award winning short version.

I'd like to thank the SFC team for inviting my characters to live their adventures in the world of ink, the Arbor School student body—past and present—who fuel my imagination, and last, but never least, a great big thank you to my nephew, Bobby Fullagar, who really did swallow a fly and lived to tell about it.” ~Valerie Collins

“Thank you so much for this great award. I was thrilled to have my story up on this fine website and want to thank all of my critique partners for helping me. I wish SFC and its founders all the success they deserve.” ~Janie Emaus

http://articles.latimes.com/writers/janie-emaus
http://fabulously40.com/fabulously/janie5010
http://www.bellaonline.com/review/

“I'm so excited to have won! I would to thank the SFC Editors for choosing my story, Full Moon, for the 2008 Granny Award.” ~Billy Burgess

http://billyburgessonline.webs.com

Q. What's better than having the chance to illustrate a SFC cover?

A. Having someone else think the cover was pretty cool.

Thanks! It was one of my favorite illustrations to do this year, as well.

~Angela C. Hawkins

www.angelachawkins.com

“To receive this award is truly an honor. The people at SFC are wonderful and I owe them so much for being my first place of publication. I would like to send a big thank you to Virginia Grenier, Marie Letourneau, Gayle Jacobson-Huset, Angelika Lochner, and all the other wonderful people at SFC. You have all been great to work with! I would also like to think my caring and supportive husband, Phil, who has been my biggest cheerleader all along. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my first grade class at Eaton Academy for providing the best inspiration I could ask for as a children's writer! I look forward to submitting many more poems and stories to SFC in the future.” ~Shannon Griffis

www.shannongriffis.com and www.storiesbyshannon.blogspot.com

“What other magazine recognizes the efforts of the writer in this unique and special way; where an article about some unusual bugs takes a prize? Thank you Stories for Children Magazine for giving me this awesome award for my article entitled, "Look Out! That Bug is Loaded."

It's an honor to be chosen and I will cherish this Granny forever.” ~Sandie Lee

“It's such an honor to receive this award. I'm very proud to have been associated with STORIES FOR CHILDREN since its inception. And I have every confidence that it will be around for years to come.

I love to illustrate! It’s so much fun to see a writer’s ideas come to life. My favorite medium is layered colored pencil, but I also love to use pen and ink. Sometimes I will even use crayons.

When I was very young, one student was chosen from each classroom at school to attend Saturday afternoon classes at the Toledo Museum of Art. In the 4th grade I was chosen. How I loved those classes! The classes introduced watercolors, oils, clay; any thing you could imagine we made into a piece of art. Sometimes we would go into the galleries to sketch. Later as an adult, I returned to the Toledo Museum of Art School of Design as a student. But I never lost my love of wandering through the galleries.

While I ended up being an elementary school teacher, my love of art never ended. Lots of times, a lesson I was teaching included an art lesson as well. When I no longer taught school, I began illustrating for writers.

I love the challenge of drawing something that happened a long time ago. It’s so much fun to imagine how someone dressed 100 years ago, or what a parlor looked like at the turn of the century. Sometimes I put a drawing on the computer where I can play with different filters; and give the picture the look of an old photograph or a stained glass window. Often, illustrating gives me a problem to solve. I might be asked to show a boy on a bike, or a pair of twins that need to look like each other throughout an entire book. That’s when I’m glad I have a light box. I can put one drawing on top of the other and the light lets me see both drawings at once. Then I can move them around until they look just right.

When I’m not in my studio, I love to take day trips with my family. But never without a sketch book and pens. You never know when a little girl eating an ice cream cone might be the perfect model for another illustration.

I hope you’ll visit my website at: http://www.geocities.com/candy_gram47/index.html
~Candace J. Hardy

Stories for Children Magazine

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