Become a Published Author /Celebrate at Young Writers Night

Open to All 3rd – 8th Grade District 181 Student Writers and All K-8th Grade Student Artists

In honor of our country's 250th birthday, we would like to create a "time capsule" that captures what our students are thinking, feeling, and doing in 2026. In that vein, when it's time to submit their work, students will be asked to select the section of the book in which they would like their writing appear. The four sections of the book will be: 

1. Observations about My World Today (Friends, Family, Community, School, Environment, Activities, Sports, Popular Culture, Current Events)

2. My Interests/Knowledge (Science, Social Studies/History, Literature, Mathematics, etc.)

3. What I Care About, Worry About, Love, Hate, Admire (People, Places, Things, Ideas)

4. Visions of a Different World (Future Worlds, Fantasy Worlds, Creative Writing Stories)

All Types of Writing Accepted– Creative Writing, Poetry, Informational Writing, Persuasive Essays, Graphic Stories/Comics.and best persuasive essay for each grade level. 

It’s Easy to Participate!

1. Parents can register all interested children using the button below.

2. Students do not need to have their writing finished before registering. Information about how to submit the writing will be provided in the registration confirmation email. 

3. No minimum length requirement(many pieces are quite short). Maximum length allowed: 1000 words.

4. Students can write about any topic they wish that is appropriate for a school publication. They can write a new piece specifically for the book or they can submit something they have already written. Not sure what to submit? Ask your child’s ELA teacher who we are sure will be happy to make a suggestion.

5. Students will receive their books at Young Writers Night 

6. Writing Awards for each grade level in the categories of poetry, creative writing, informational writing, and persuasive writing will be announced at Young Writers Night.

7. Learn more about the Cover Art Contest below.

1. After registering, students should submit their finished pieces. Use the button in this section to upload writing.  
2. Documents should be Word or pdf. DO NOT SUBMIT PICTURES (jpg or png) OF PAPER DOCUMENTS! Please find a scanner that produces a pdf if you don't have an electronic version.
3. Please create a title for your work and include it at the top of the document.
4. If a student needs help getting started, please contact us and we can connect you with a mentor.
5. Content should be suitable for a school publication that is read by students as young as 3rd grade. It should not include violence/killing, self-harm/suicide, or illegal activities.
6. If a student wishes to turn in something that was already completed in school this year and is not sure what to choose, his or her classroom teacher can help.
7. The writing will be compiled into a bound book which every writer will receive.
8. Student writers and their families are invited to Young Writers Night on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at HMS.  
9. Students do not need to be available for Young Writers Night to participate in the book.  However, students who do not participate in the book may not attend Young Writers Night.