Write your own cautionary tale in Pequot Library’s Take Heed! Writing Contest. As part of the current exhibition, Alphabets, Bedtime Stories, and Cautionary Tales: Children’s Books and the Shaping of American Identity, we invite all aspiring writers (7 and older) to come up with their own cautionary tale — a story that teaches a lesson. Participants compete in three age categories: 7-9, 10-12, and 13 and older. Your challenge is to come up with a story where someone does something s/he is not supposed to do and then pays a price. Sometimes the consequences are realistic, but they’re often somewhat outrageous, like Pinocchio’s nose growing after he lies or Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother getting eaten by a wolf as a result of ignoring warnings against speaking to strangers. What’s your cautionary tale? This is an opportunity not just to explore writing in a different literary genre such as fiction, memoir, fable, satire, or poetry, but also to have a lot of fun.

Your entry should be no more than 1000 words and must be submitted to childrens@pequotlibrary.org by April 15. Please mention the writer’s age in the subject line. Winners will be announced on April 30. Winners in all categories will receive a writing journal and a $10 voucher to our Summer Book Sale. (Submission process will be set up to assure our jurors/reviewers do not know the identity of the authors.)