Hello all, This is a reminder that our Writing Contest for Michigan kids in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades is still accepting submissions until THIS FRIDAY, October 11th (encourage kids to send in their entries!) and that registration for the FREE half-day festival will open online on October 14th. *Many of you have already helped us to spread the word about the Young Authors' Festival and its writing contest to kids, parents, and teachers in southeast Michigan, but we need some help for one more push ahead of some important dates!* [image: YAF_Logo_noyear.jpg] This year will mark the 7th annual Young Authors' Festival at the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Mardigian Library. The festival is completely FREE and open to students in grades 3-5, their families, and their teachers. We feature an author visit and fun writing breakout sessions led by our pre-service education students, while parents and teachers learn literacy strategies. We also have a writing contest, and present awards and prizes (Barnes & Noble gift certificates) at the festival. - 2019 Writing Contest deadline: *October 11* - 2019 Festival: *November 9* (Registration opens October 14) More info at: https://library.umd.umich.edu/yaf/ *Here's how you can help: * (1) Post the flyer <https://drive.google.com/open?id=14iivEYeVKjgsyWHk5F53RAu_mVRAAy_Q> or put it into the hands of someone who should have it. (2) Send out the info in a newsletter or share it on your blog. Have a social media feed? Share our Facebook event <https://www.facebook.com/events/374860506530756/> or give the posts in the Mardigian Library's social media content about the YAF a boost. (3) Encourage kids to read the featured book this summer, before they come to the festival this fall. It is Jean Alicia Elster's *The Colored Car*. There are lots of copies available through MeLCat <http://search.mel.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb25978764>! (4) Do you have some young writers in your library or run any writing programming? Encourage kids (directly, or through parents and teachers) to enter our writing contest <https://library.umd.umich.edu/yaf/writingcontest.php>! (Deadine THIS FRIDAY, October 11th.) (5) If you have any questions, please email yaf-contact@umich.edu. Really and truly, thank you for helping us to spread the word and bring kids from all over the metro-Detroit/southeastern Michigan region to this FREE event to promote literacy and a love of writing. Thank you, Raya Samet Prounouns: she/her Education, Health & Human Services Librarian University of Michigan - Dearborn Mardigian Library, Room 1252, AND Fairlane Campus South, Suite C, C6 313-593-4936 rsamet@umich.edu Schedule an appointment with me: https://www.meetingbird.com/h/RayaSamet