The Challenge
Write an original fiction story of up to 2,500 words that begins with the sentence “The letter could not have come at a worse time.” This year’s first sentence was chosen by New York Times best-selling author, Sandhya Menon. What happens after that is up to you!
Guidelines
- The entry must begin with the line “The letter could not have come at a worse time.”
- Must be ages 12 to 18.
- Must be an El Paso County resident
- Word count must not exceed 2,500 words. Word count will be established by using Microsoft Word 2010. Points will be automatically deducted from the total score of the piece if the word count exceeds 2,500 words.
- Pieces must include title page with title and author’s name. The author’s name should not appear anywhere else on the document.
- Pieces must be double-spaced and in 12 point Times New Roman or Calibri font with the title and page number in the upper right-hand corner.
- Only one entry per person.
- Failure to follow the guidelines will result in disqualification.
- You must fill out the online entry form and submit your piece here by Mon., June 25, 2018 at 11:59 pm. The file format should be compatible with Microsoft Word 2010. If you need to convert a file, please visit a library location.
FAQs
- When will I know if I have won? We will notify participants by mid-July if they have won an award. All participants and their friends and family are invited to the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, July 29 at 2:30 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room at the East Library, regardless of if they won an award.
- Are you publishing the anthology again? Yes! We will be publishing the top five in both middle school and high school (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and two honorable mentions).
- Will I get feedback for my work? Yes! You will receive a copy of your story with comments via email after the awards ceremony.
- Do I have to turn in my story online? Yes. To better facilitate the process, we are requiring all stories be turned in digitally. You can stop by any PPLD location to use one of our computers for this purpose.
Have an adventure with Pikes Peak Library District this summer! Kids and teens (ages 0 - 18) can win prizes through reading and activities, and we will be hosting many free, fun events. You can track your progress online or with game cards available at all PPLD locations.
The adventure runs June 1 - July 31.
Registration begins June 1, but you can set up your Beanstack account now at ppld.beanstack.org.
Questions? Email beanstackhelp@ppld.org.
The Teen Art Contest is for teens and by teens. Teens create the art, and teens determine the winners.
The theme for our 2018 Teen Art Contest was "Hidden Beauty." Teens were encouraged to show us where they have found hidden beauty in the ordinary, everyday world.
All of the artwork will be displayed at either Penrose Library, East Library, or Library 21c during the month of April.
Here are the winners!
Best In Show
Clear by Isabella Huhn
High School - First Place
Letting Go by Celine Hanlon
High School - Second Place
Masked by Elizabeth Ward
Middle School - First Place
Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder by Connor Murdock
Middle School - Second Place
Beauty of the Mountain by Adyline Poirson
Coordinator’s Choice - High School
Color through Clutter by Rebecca Gearhart
Coordinator’s Choice - Middle School
A Shoe by Adia Byron
You can view the winners here:
PPLD is seeking teens to help with this year's Summer Adventure program!
Limited positions are available. Please apply by May 1, 2018.
Applicants must be ages 12 - 18 as of June 1.
Is math homework getting you down? Are finals freaking you out? Do you need to brush up before the ACT, SAT, GRE, or GED? Our experienced math tutors can help you improve your grades and take the stress out of math. Tutoring for all ages and levels.
- East Library
- Thursdays, 4 - 6 p.m.
- Library 21c
- Wednesdays, 3:30 - 6 p.m.
- Monument Library
- Mondays, 3:30 - 7 p.m.
- Sand Creek Library
- Saturdays, 10 a.m. - noon
No appointment necessary, just drop on in!
AfterMath won't take place during library or school holidays. If the school district closes because of snow or weather, AfterMath is cancelled.
Beginning Jan. 9, 2017, PPLD will no longer charge fines on overdue children and teen items. Removing overdue fines will provide greater opportunity for children and teens to use the full range of library services. Currently, 15% of children and teen cardholders are blocked from checking out items at the library due to overdue fines.
Also, overdue fines on DVDs and games will be reduced from 25 cents per day to 10 cents per day.
PPLD seeks to foster literacy and life-long learning for children and teens. The Library regularly evaluates policies to see what barriers for service exist and evaluates how to eliminate such barriers. The Library’s Board of Trustees approved the new policy at their December meeting.
Items that will not accrue overdue fines must be designated as “juvenile” or “teen” in the Library catalog. The policy will take effect for any items checked out January 9 or after. Lost item and damage fees will still apply.
Overdue notices will still be sent as reminders to return Library items. Items not returned within 21 days of the due date will be considered lost, and the full cost of the item will be charged to the patron’s account.
Teens and tweens can learn the basics of coding in this self-guided program. Using curriculum from Code.org, teens/tweens will learn the vocabulary and fundamentals of coding. Each class will start with a short group activity and then participants can move onto the curriculum at their own pace.
For ages 9 - 18. No registration is required. Just drop on in!
- When: 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from 4 - 5:30 p.m.
- Where: East Library Learning Lab, 5550 N. Union Blvd.
