Kid-Ventors Launch Giveaway!

Hello, friends!

It's hard to believe that we are just 12 days away from the launch of my first middle grade book, KID-VENTORS! This book tells the true stories of 35 incredible kid inventors. From the popsicle to the trampolines, robots to crowd pleasing games, kids have invented some really amazing things!

My first copies of the book arrived yesterday and I am blown away by the gorgeous cover! Shannon Wright knocked it out of the park.

It was amazing to have the graphic, but to have the physical copy is next level! The spot gloss is soooo fun and it makes it look like a kid's notebook covered in stickers. (Shoutout to L. Whitt for the incredible design).

And now, to celebrate release, it's time to do a MASSIVE giveaway!

Did you see that graphic?? Yes, you read it correctly! I am offering one lucky winner their choice of:

• 3 rounds of critique plus 3 zoom calls to get a manuscript submission ready

• 3-session classroom writing workshop (virtual or in person if Phoenix metro area)

• 20-book Classroom Set of KID-VENTORS

And the ONLY thing you have to do to enter is fill out the Google Form linked below with your name and email address so that I know you are throwing your hat in the ring.

There are BONUS entries that you can log on the form, but none of them are required.

Pick and choose which ones (if any) work for you:

• 5 bonus entries: Share about this contest on social media, in your personal newsletter, with your friends, literally anywhere!
  

• 5 bonus entries: Follow me on Twitter/X

• 5 bonus entries: Follow me on Instagram

• 5 bonus entires: Post on Social Media About KID-VENTORS, including a purchase link of your choice (Can be completed multiple times)

• 10 bonus entries: Sign up for my email newsletter

• 10 bonus entries: (To be completed after 4/23) Leave an honest Goodreads review after reading the book (Note that you can commit to this at any time on the form and I will simply check when the contest closes. So if you fill out the form before on sale date, you can commit to it in advance...just leave the review before the contest closes.)

• 10 bonus entries: (To be completed after 4/23) Leave an honest Amazon review after reading the book (Note that you can commit to this at any time on the form and I will simply check when the contest closes. So if you fill out the form before on sale date, you can commit to it in advance...just leave the review before the contest closes.)

• 15 bonus entries: Ask your local bookstore to carry KID-VENTORS

• 30 bonus entries: Attend one (or both!) of the Meet the Inventors Launch Events (for up to 60 bonus entries)

  • Register for Event 1 Here

  • Register for Event 2 Here

• 30 bonus entries: Request KID-VENTORS from your local library (ISBN: 9781250836021, Publisher: Feiwel and Friends, Author: Kailei Pew, On sale date: April 23, 2024)

• 30 bonus entries: Order a copy of Kid-ventors:

  • Literally, a Bookshop (signed copies plus freebies)

  •  Changing Hands      

  • Barnes & Noble    

  • Indie Bound      

  • Amazon

  • Target    

  • Walmart

That's a LOT of extra chances to win!! Thank you all for helping me spread the word about KID-VENTORS. I truly can't tell you how excited I am to get these stories out into the world. I hope that this giveaway gets you excited as well! Click the button below to go to the form and good luck to all entrants!

The giveaway runs now through April 30th and winner will be announced around May 15th (depending on how many entries I get to log!)

Enter the KID-VENTORS launch giveaway here

Announcing the 2024 Kids' Choice KidLit Writing Contest WINNERS!

Hello, friends! Did you wonder if you would ever hear from me again?? Did you start to think that maybe I had taken all your entries and run away with them?? Did you question if there were actual kid judges really reading your work??

Well... I promise that I really HAVE been running this contest behind the scenes.

It's just that I've ALSO been co-running the PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program with the ever-patient, always wonderful, Ebony Lynn Mudd AND doing school visits for my debut PB, The Monster Above the Bed, AND prepping to launch two new books into the world within a month of each other, AND signing something exciting. All while trying to be as present as possible as a wife and momma. I've learned that I should not do all of these things at once. Thank you for your patience and understanding as I did not announce finalists this year and instead am going straight to the winners.

A future post will include all honorable mentions as well as information on which entries made it into round 2 of the judging. For now, I will only be announcing the winners. (Compiling the honorable mentions takes a little bit longer, so that will come later.)

But first, I want to take a moment to share something really exciting with you all! As I prepare to launch my debut Middle Grade NF book, KID-VENTORS: 35 REAL KIDS AND THEIR AMAZING INVENTIONS, I am extremely excited to announce that I will be hosting not one, but TWO "meet the inventors" webinars during launch week. This is seriously thrilling. Six of the inventors highlighted in my book will be joining me to talk to young budding inventors about what it takes to become a true inventor, how they got where they are today, and what kids can do to meet their own dreams. One of the events is during the school week to appeal to teachers and classrooms and the other is on a Saturday to snag individuals, friends, and families. BOTH events will be recorded and available to registrants after the event. Check out the details below and consider registering for one or both of these events:

Register for the Tuesday, April 23rd Event Here

Register for the Saturday, April 27th Event Here

I truly can't wait to introduce you all to these incredible kid inventors (some now grown up, some still very young). Space is limited, so don't delay! Register now through the links above to secure your spot!

These events are 100% FREE and do NOT require a preorder or any social media posts. Of course, it would mean the world to me if you preordered your own copy, requested the book from your local library, or helped spread the word on social media.

KID-VENTORS is available anywhere books are sold.

You can order signed and personalized copies with a FREE inventor's notebook thrown in for all preorders through my local indie HERE.

Alright... that is enough self promo for one day, don't we think?

And now... The real reason you are all here today.

Announcing the 2024 Kids' Choice KidLit Writing Contest WINNERS!

This year, I decided to have the number of winners in each category proportional to the number of applicants in each category. That means we have:

TEN Picture Book Winners

SIX Middle Grade Winners and

FOUR Young Adult Winners

If you are one of the winners listed below, HUGE congratulations! Real KID readers chose your work as some of their favorites. Please be patient as I finalize details of your prizes. You will each receive an email from me within the next 10 days with details on your prizes and how to claim.

If you are not one of the winners today, please know that this contest, like all others, is extremely subjective. In fact, for each kid who chose a favorite, there was another that said "I didn't love XXX." Taste is wide ranging, even in kid and teen readers! Just because your name isn't on this list doesn't mean your work is not valid and wonderful. And kids still need YOUR stories! So please don't give up and please keep working on your craft. If you're ready to invest in yourself and your art, consider applying to be a PB Rising Stars Mentee!

And now...

Drumroll please...

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The YA Winners are:

4th Place: JADED SEAS by Brooke C Thomas

3rd Place: FAME MONSTER by Kaylen Stewart

2nd Place: ARRESTED DECAY by Ashlee MacCallum

1st Place: THE CHILDREN OF EARTH by Sabrina Jess

The MG Winners are:

6th Place: HOPE IS THE THING WITH WINGS by Ranjeeta

5th Place: GLOBETROTTERS by Trenise Ferreira

4th Place: THE GHOST OF WINDWOOD COUNTY FAIR by Hallie Christensen

3rd Place: CALLIOPE'S NOTEBOOK by Sayuri Stabrowski

2nd Place: JUST A WISH by Rowena Zahnrei

1st Place: THE SECRET OF STERLING VALLEY by Laura Polasek

The PB Winners are:

10th Place: SURE! by Sheri Bentley

9th Place: THE VERY SCARY BOOK by Jessica Russo

8th Place: CHEWY by Thelia Hutchinson

7th Place: THIS IS NOT A STORY by Julie Hauswirth

6th Place: PIGEON'S ART by Stephanie Maksymiw

5th Place: THE TOOTH GARYS by Amanda Shayne Aszman

4th Place: NORM'S LAST STRAW by Lynn Leitch

3rd Place: ONE I CALL "PAPA" by Todd Beeton

2nd Place: BLACK CAT by Lauryn R Hill

1st Place: HOW TO WALK A BANANA by Lauri Meyers

WAHOO! What a great list!!

Congratulations to all of our winners! I will be in touch ASAP about your prizes (query opportunities and agent AMAs) so keep an eye on your email! In the mean time, make sure to snag a "winner" graphic here to display proudly on social media!

Readers, I hope you will take a moment to comment below and congratulate our winners!

And to everyone who entered, definitely allow yourself to feel all your feels, but truly you should be SO proud of yourself. Real kids read your stories and there is a good chance that one of them chose your words as their favorites!

Make sure you are subscribed to my newsletter so that you don't miss the honorable mentions announcements either!

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy March!

The Third Annual Kids' Choice KidLit Writing Contest is now OPEN!

Hello, friends!!! IT’S HERE!!! The 3rd annual #KidsChoiceKidLitWritingContest is LIVE!

Please take time read through everything here carefully before entering the contest.

Before I delve into the exciting parts of the kids' choice contest, I have to take just a minute to update you lovely readers about two amazing developments in my 2024 publishing journey. BOTH books that I have coming out this year were just named Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections! I am absolutely thrilled and grateful to the JLG for this honor. Up first is KID-VENTORS, illustrated by Shannon Wright, a Middle Grade nonfiction telling the true stories of 35 kid inventors.

Following that is I SEE COLOR, co-authored with by dear friend, Valerie Bolling, and illustrated by Laylie Frazier, this nonfiction picture book is a celebration and affirmation of diversity.

Both books are now available for preorder, anywhere books are sold!

And now... the reason you're all here!!!

THE 3RD ANNUAL KIDS' CHOICE KIDLIT WRITING CONTEST!

If you need to review the full rules, please do so HERE. Make sure to read carefully because failure to follow the rules will result in disqualification.

While NOT at all required for entry, I’m asking that all who enter consider making a donation to help give the 250+ kid judges a THANK YOU GIFT for their time, sacrifices, work, comments, and amazing efforts in judging this event.

This would not be possible without them!!

I’m hoping to send each child a gift card to buy a book of their choice, and to support indie bookstores to do so. But that will depend on the amount of money we receive. Just know that 100% of donations WILL go to getting these awesome kids a gift. What that gift will be just depends on how much money we can raise.

You can donate in two ways. You can venmo me (@Kailei-Pew) and then I won't have any website fees taken out.

Or you can make a “purchase” through my shop HERE. The shop requires that I set a dollar amount, so you will see that reflected on that page. I have options for $1, $5, $10, $15, and $20, donations. But again, no amount is too small or too large!

And now... the details to enter!

If you need to review the rules, go HERE, and then enter through the Google Form linked below. While I hope you will also post your story in the comments below and make comments to encourage each other there, you MUST enter through the form this year to be considered by the kid judges.

Important dates to note:

January 29-31 Submission Window Opens

February 5th-18th: Round 1 Judging

February 20th-March 1st: Round 2 Judging

March 4-March 17th: Round 3 Judging

Feel free to download this participant badge and post on social media using #KidsChoiceKidLitWritingContest so that we can all chat about the experience and lift each other up! Then comment on THIS TWEET to help us generate buzz and excitement.

Click Here for Downloadable Badge

After entering (or before), please consider pasting your entry (***or a snippet***) into the comment section below so that everyone can read and comment on your work. Consider adding your social media handles so that other entrants can find and follow you.

You can also post your entry on your own blog or website if you like, but again, you MUST enter officially through the Google Form below.

(***NOTE: If you have a PB entry that you are planning to query/submit as it is, you should ONLY post about 50-60 words as a sample in the comments below. But make sure that you DO post the ENTIRE ENTRY in the Google form, knowing that it will be kept private).

Now... it's time!! Click the button below to enter and GOOD LUCK! I am so grateful to each and every one of you. No matter what happens, please remember that your work is enough. YOU are enough. The world needs your stories. There is room for all of us in this industry and you just have to keep going. I believe in you.

Enter the 2024 Kids' Choice Contest