Spooky Story Contest

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Six Mile Regional Library District 2022 Spooky Story Contest

Welcome to Six Mile Regional Library District’s Spooky Story Contest! We love supporting local talent and authors and can’t wait to read your stories! 

We are accepting entries by authors in the following age ranges:

  • Grades 2-4
  • Grades 5-8
  • Grades 9-12
  • Adult

Winners in each category will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and will have their story read aloud and posted on our YouTube page and website. Stories will be judged based on content, originality, and age-appropriate quality of expression by a panel of library staff. Judging will be done anonymously, and the decisions of the judges are final. 

By submitting a story, the author (or their parent/guardian) gives Six Mile Regional Library District permission to print, post, record, or otherwise distribute the story. 

Guidelines and Eligibility

  • Participants must live in the 62040 zip code.
  • All works cannot exceed 2000 words. Minimum word count is 50. 
  • All work must be original and unpublished.
  • Only one story per person.
  • Only one author per story.
  • Stories must be received by midnight on October 15, 2022. 
  • Stories must be submitted in either Word or PDF format.
  • Do not put your name on the story documents.
  • We reserve the right to not present an award.
  • Six Mile Regional Library staff and their immediate family are ineligible. 

To submit entries, send your entry in Word or PDF format as an attachment to [email protected] . Include “Spooky Story” and your work’s title in the subject line. Please put your name and phone number in the email. Do not put your name on the story documents. 

TEACHERS: Please email da[email protected] if you are interested in submitting multiple works on behalf of your students. 

Six Mile Regional Library District also offers Pressbooks (https://inkie.pressbooks.pub/) that you may use to format your story.

2022 Winners

Grades 2-4 Category Spooky Story by Rosalia Perkins

Grades 5-8 Category Screams Left Unheard by Lauren Willaredt

Grades 9-12 Category Facing Dead Ahead by Kylie Pearman

Adult Category Payphone by Lynn Canada

2021 Winners

Grades 2-4 Category The King of Demons

Grades 5-8 Category The Freaky Forest

Adult Inside the Seventh

2020 Winners

Grades 2-4 Books & Blood by Lauren Willaredt

Grades 5-8 Sirenhead by Michael Brinker

Grades 9-12 How to Write a Horror Novel by Clara Nipper

Adult One Terrible Truth of Alien Abduction by Randy Carter

 

 

2001 Delmar

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Upcoming Events

  • 2025 Summer Reading Challenge June 1, 2025 – July 21, 2025 Challenges for all agesRegister online at smrld.beanstack.com, with the Beanstack Tracker App, or at either library location
  • Illinois Junior Chef Cooking Class a U of I Extension Program July 8, 2025 at 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Illinois Junior Chef Cooking Classa U of I Extension Programfor Ages 8-13July 7-1111 AM - 1 PMSMRLD, 2001 Delmar aveMust be able to attend all classes. Space is limited. Call the Youth Services Department at 618-452-6238 to register.College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences | This material funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program –…

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