For 58 years, the Leon County Reading Council has promoted excellence in literacy in Leon County. A non-profit organization composed of teachers, school administrators, and other individuals who are interested in developing literacy, the Reading Council is an affiliate of the Florida Literacy Association (FLA) and the International Literacy Association (ILA).One of our keystone endeavors is the annual K-12 Narrative Writing Contest. Students from public, private, and home schools are eligible to enter the contest. The 2018 contest attracted multiple entries that demonstrate the talent and enthusiasm of the area’s young authors. We are pleased to present the winning entries in this anthology.

Leon County Reading Council Young Authors' Writing Contest 2018

Literature & Fiction

Reading Council, Leon County

Short Stories & Anthologies

Turtle Cove Press

Lt. General Lawrence F. Snowden has experienced much over the course of his lifetime. A true Southern gentleman, General Snowden presents a humble account of his life's accomplishments -- and they are many. At the age of 95, his mind is as sharp as a tack, his wit dry, and his demeanor humble and thankful for all he has achieved in an extraordinary life. In 2015, General Snowden was inducted into Florida's Veterans Hall of Fame in recognition of his service to his country and his advocacy for elder Floridians. In 2016, he was presented two awards for lifetime public service, one from the Secretary of Defense and one from the Secretary of the Navy. This volume, which can serve as a companion to the oral history of General Snowden’s military career (History Division, U.S. Marine Corps, 2011), is a gift to his children, grandchildren, and future generations. It is also a tribute to his beloved Marine Corps and to all the citizens of the United States.

Snowden's Story: One Marine's Indebtedness to the Corps

History

Snowden, Lawrence F.

Military

Can a person just decide to give up feeling scared?It’s 1933, and Dahlia Harrell lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains in a hand-me-down cabin built by her Grandpap’s Uncle Zeke. At eight-and-three-quarters, Dahlia knows all about being scared. She’s scared of snakes, high-up places, dark nights, and a mean ol’ sister named Celia. What she doesn’t understand is the new president’s nonsense: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Dahlia decides that enough money can buy away any reason she has for feeling afraid, and she sets her hope on the rumor of a treasure buried beneath Zeke's cabin. However, when her family is uprooted to become tenant farmers in a distant community, Dahlia’s quest for fearlessness ultimately sets her on a path of recklessness. What she fails to realize is that the secret to living a fearless life has been hers all along. And that treasure? Well, it just might hold the answer after all.

Dahlia in Bloom

Children's Books

Koehler, Susan

Seven Hills Review 2018: and Penumbra Poetry Competition (7 Hills)

VARIES

United States

The Seven Hills Literary Contest and Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest is an annual project of the Tallahassee Writers Association. The winners of each year’s contest are published in the following year’s Seven Hills Review anthology. his year's categories include ten-minute plays, flash fiction, short stories, adult novel excerpt, young adult novel excerpt, nonfiction/creative nonfiction, poetry, and haiku. Some stories in this anthology contain language that is not appropriate for young children.

Seven Hills Review 2021: Volume 26

Multiple-Authors

Literary

When Sam Parsons's great-uncle Buster dies, the twelve-year-old's world is turned upside down. His mother drags him away from his friends - and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hang with Joey Sabatini, Sam's ticket to the inner circle of an NFL team - to a remote North Carolina town to see to Uncle Buster's funeral arrangements. Sam soon suspects that Uncle Buster's death was not caused by a heart attack, but by something more sinister. From the aunt who is in a hurry to sell Uncle Buster's property to real estate developers, to the shady neighbor and even the lady who delivered Uncle Buster's meals, the potential suspects are abundant. How can Sam prove what happened and who did it?

Nobody Kills Uncle Buster and Gets Away with It

In a remote part of the South Carolina woods, a small Carolina pup plays with his brothers and sisters while their mother hunts rabbits. In one irreversible moment, his life changes forever. For a while, he lives happily with a human in Panacea, Florida, but he soon finds himself alone and homeless. Between encounters with native wildlife, thunder storms, and hunters, he learns to trust no-one but himself - until a man named Russ brings him honey-buns and calls him Surf Dude. After being on his own for so long, should he go home with Russ to a fenced-in yard with rules, or enjoy the life with no boundaries that he was born into? A portion of each sale supports dog rescue groups. After the official book launch on Sept. 4, the price will be $13.95.

The Adventures of Surf Dude: The Dog of Ochlockonee Bay

Andrews, Zelle

Animals

A compilation of the winning entries from the 2021 Seven Hills Literary Contest and Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest, sponsored by the Tallahassee Writers Association. Contributors come from around the world and include entries in the following categories: Flash fiction, short stories, adult novel excerpts, young adult novel excerpts, personal essays, nonfiction, poetry, and haiku.

Seven Hills Review 2022: Vol. 27

VARIOUS

When Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock set off to fly her single-engine Cessna around the world, she was more concerned with having an adventure than setting a world record. Shortly before she began on her ambitious quest, the housewife learned that a young professional pilot, Joan Merriam Smith, was also attempting to be the first woman to fly solo around the world. While Joan sought to complete Amelia Earhart's equatorial route, Jerrie's course would be completely in the Northern Hemisphere. Despite this difference, the media seized on the idea of a race. During the course of their flights, both women would set aviation records and would have to deal with multiple hazards -- both natural and man-made. Author Taylor C. Phillips interviewed Jerrie Mock multiple times at her home in Quincy, Florida, and also spoke with Joan Merriam Smith's widower at his home in Prattville, Alabama. In addition, Phillips has spoken at length with the granddaughter of Trixie-Ann Schubert, Joan’s biographer. Trixie perished along with Joan less than a year after the historic around-the-world flights. Phillips' research has uncovered previously unknown information that sets the stage for a high-flying adventure.

Queen of the Clouds: Joan Merriam Smith and Jerrie Mock’s Epic Quest to Become the First Woman to Fly Solo Around the World

Biographies & Memoirs

Phillips, Taylor C.

Community & Culture

A family of tenant farmers, a traveling troubadour, a fatherless boy, and a circle of 10-year-old girls can add up to a lot of secrets. Charlie's Song, set in 1935 rural North Carolina, is a heartwarming story about family, friendship, and the transformative power of forgiveness.

Charlie's Song

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