S&S Plays Hooky

No, the publisher is not advocating that children skip school. However, S&S Children's Publishing is encouraging kids (fulltime students in grades K-5 in the U.S. and Canada) to imagine what it would be like to not attend school for a whole year.

This idea is the theme of the company's The Year I Didn't Go to School contest, inspired by Giselle Potter's autobiographical picture book of the same name released in September under the Atheneum/ Schwartz imprint. In her newest title, Potter describes the year she spent in Italy with her family at age seven, traveling and performing in their own theater troupe called the Mystic Paper Beasts.

To enter, students must submit one of the following types of original works describing what they would do if they had a year's reprieve from school: a one-page (no larger than 8½"×11") essay, a 10-minute maximum video production or a journal with photos or drawings and captions. Entries must be postmarked by February 25, 2003 and received by March 1, 2003 at S&S Children's Publishing, Marketing Dept., The Year I Didn't Go to School Contest, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, 4th floor, New York, N.Y. 10020.

Winners will be selected on or about April 1 by a panel of judges, based on originality (70%) and writing or production skill (30%). One grand prize—winner will receive a Konica digital camera, along with three signed copies of The Year I Didn't Go to School (one each for the winner, his or her classroom and his or her school library). Up to three runners-up will receive an art-supply kit and three autographed copies of Potter's book (again, copies designated for classroom and library as well as the runners-up). More details are available at www.SimonSaysKids.com.