Young Authors’ Faire
Hello teachers!
This letter is to share and explain the spring writing
competition called Young Authors’ Faire. All over the diocese,
teachers collect and submit a variety of student writing
pieces so that they can be celebrated. This year’s fair will be
on Saturday, May 16th, 2015 from 12pm- 3pm at St. Mary
School in Walnut Creek. All teachers are welcome to come and
see the wonderful student work.
Laura and I are your coordinators for the fair. We will
help make sure that your pieces make it to the fair on time.
How Your Students Can Participate:
* Teachers can save samples that students are doing right
now. Students can then edit/ revise these pieces for
submission to the fair.
* Classes can create a book of similarly themed writing, but
these works must be bound and have a cover (please come
see me or Laura for help with this if you need it).
* Holiday themed pieces can also be used for the fair.
* Prayers, poetry, or parables also make great entries.
* Writing submission can also come from subjects such as
math or science!
* More detailed fair guidelines are included in this letter
(see following pages).
Other Important Information to Keep in Mind
* Submissions must be given to Laura or me no later than
April 13th. We must make sure that entries are packaged
and brought to the judges in a timely fashion.
* Please make sure the pieces you are submitting are
proofread- Laura and I will not be proofreading your
submissions. Check for appropriate spelling and writing
mechanics such as capitalization and punctuation.
* Class books should be bound with a cover and a table of
contents. Page numbers in your class book should
correspond with the numbers on your table of contents.
Books that are unbound will not be accepted at the fair.
* All entries should be labeled with the class/ student/
teacher information so that it may be returned.
* Other important, detailed entry information follows
below. Please make sure you review it as you prepare your
entries.
Please feel free to contact Laura or myself if you have any
questions. We will be sending you updates and reminders as
the due date draws nearer. Enjoy being creative with your
entries!
Krista and Laura
DIOCESE OF OAKLAND
TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL
YOUNG AUTHORS FAIRE
DATE: Saturday, May 16, 2015
TIME: 12:00-3:00 p.m.
LOCATION: St. Mary School
1158 Bont Lane
Walnut Creek
YOUNG AUTHORS FAIRE GUIDELINES 2015
 All students in grades pre-K to 8 inclusive who are attending diocesan
schools are eligible to submit individual entries.
 Students may submit work only via a teacher or school librarian. The
teacher/librarian must initiate the process, disseminate information to
students, and carry through the project.
• No more than three students may collaborate on a book submitted
under the fiction category. If a book is a collaboration, each
person’s contribution must be clearly specified (i.e. writing,
illustration). A book written by four authors from the same grade
level is considered a class book.
• Students must do original manuscripts and illustrations. Technology
drawing programs, like KidPix, can produce original artworks. When
using technology, please insure that the drawing or image is created
by the student.

If an adult assists with binding and/or typing, there must be a clear
statement on the entry as to the type of assistance given.
 Books submitted must follow the accepted format of published books.
(i.e. They must include title page, copyright information, bound cover,
pagination, etc.) The shape of the book, number of pages, type of
binding, and the material in the book are up to the creativity of the
author.
 ALL BOOKS MUST BE BOUND. TEACHERS MUST MONITOR
APPROPRIATE BINDING OF ALL BOOKS. BINDING KEEPS ALL
PAGES ATTACHED AND TOGETHER. YOU CAN USE PLASTIC
SPIRAL, BOOK COMBS, RIBBON, PRE-MADE BOOKS, ETC.
EXAMPLES OF BOOKS NOT BOUND ARE STAPLED ESSAYS WITH
CONSTRUCTION PAPER COVERS OR PAGES IN PLASTIC REPORT
COVERS. UNBOUND BOOKS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
BOOK SUBMISSIONS: CATEGORIES
 FICTION: Any type of fictional short story or collection of short
stories in any genre (mystery, science fiction, adventure, realistic
fiction, etc.) authored by an individual may be submitted; the book may,
as noted above, be written in collaboration with up to two other
students.
 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING / FAMILY BIOGRAPHY: Any
story of an autobiographical nature authored by an individual may be
submitted; biographical writing about a relative or friend is also
included in this category.
•
POETRY: Any poetry collection written by one or up to three
authors.
 BOOKS WITH A RELIGIOUS THEME: Any book with a religious
theme written by an individual may be submitted; the book may, as
noted above, be written in collaboration with up to two other students.
 CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK/EASY READING BOOK: Any book
written by a sixth to eighth grader for enjoyment by a younger student
may be submitted; this book may, as noted above, be written in
collaboration with up to two other students.
 SPECIAL GENRE BOOKS: Non-fiction books written in a content
area—Spanish, history, science, and the like—may be submitted; these
books may be authored by one to three students. Examples of previously
submitted books that exemplify this category include a very detailed
ABC book about Thailand, an archaeology magazine, an ABC mythology
book, and a book of European restaurant reviews.
Please note:
Straight research reports do NOT qualify as special genre books.
Biographies or autobiographies do not qualify in this category.
•BUDDY BOOKS: A classbook written collobaratively by two
grades. For example, a classbook written with first and
seventh grade buddies. Two buddy books may be submitted
from each school.
 CLASS BOOKS: Any book written by more than three students in any
of the above categories may be submitted.
 GRAPHIC NOVELS: Graphic novels are books written and
illustrated in the style of a comic book. The illustrations which, when
viewed in order, tell a story. The term graphic novel is now generally
used to describe any book in a comic format that resembles a novel
in length and narrative development.
 Below are some authors who have published Graphic Novels:
For Younger Readers

•
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
Magic Pickle series by Scott Morse

Pilot and Huxley series by Dan McGuiness
•
Bird & Squirrel On the Run! by James Burks

Detective Blue by Steve Metzger, illustrated by Tedd Arnold
Middle Grade Readers
•
Bone by Jeff Smith
BOOK SUBMISSIONS: LIMITATIONS
PRE-KINDERGARTEN
 Two class books in any genre
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE
 One fiction book written by an individual student per grade level
 One autobiographical book/family biography written by an individual






student per grade level
One poetry book written by an individual student per grade level
Two class books in any genre per grade level
Two special genre books written by individual students per grade level
One book with a religious theme written by an individual student per
grade level
Two buddy books from each school
One graphic novel book written by an individual per grade level
ADDITIONAL SUBMISSIONS FOR SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH
GRADE
 Two children’s picture/easy-reading books per grade, sixth to eighth;
these are books written by an individual sixth to eighth grade student for
a younger child; these books may, as noted above, be written in
collaboration with up to two other students
TO SUBMIT ENTRIES
 A fee of $75 per school is due on or before February 27th, 2015.
Checks should be payable to St. Mary School. School address is 1158
Bont Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. Any payment after February 27th,
is $85. Please honor the participation fee deadline.
•
Should any school need financial assistance, please contact
Suzanne Edwards at sedwards@csdo.org.
 Entry labels will be emailed to your school Young Authors coordinator in
the first week of March. They are to be filled out and attached to every
book submitted.
 A Master List on which to catalogue ALL books submitted to the faire will
also be emailed to the Young Author Coordinator. It is imperative that
this list is sent along with books submitted. It is used to check books
in when they arrive and to check them out when they are picked up.

All books must be mailed or delivered to St. Mary School, 1158 Bont Lane,
Walnut Creek, CA 94596 between 8:00 a.m. Monday, April 20th to
Thursday, April 23rd before 4:00. BOOKS RECEIVED AFTER 4:00
PM ON April 23rd WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR JUDGING.