See and hear the winning alien stories

We asked some Dreamwrights actors to give us a dramatic reading of our first-place winning stories in the “It Came From Beyond!” short story contest.

Jasmine Null’s “Sam’s Alien Encounter”: http://youtu.be/6sVm9NMzpig



Brooke Hoffler’s “Ring of Alien-dividuality”: http://youtu.be/F3uzMQLuCf0



Hannah List’s “Trumper the Alien”: http://youtu.be/YrkddcRa1Mw


You can congratulate the winners at our special awards ceremony set for Friday, Oct. 5 at the York Emporium. The festivities begin at 7 p.m. and will include a special “Your First Comic” class, coloring pages and snacks.


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Short story contest — First-place winners

The Junior Dispatch would like to thank all of the participants in our short story contest. There were a lot of really great submissions.

It’s finally time to announce the first-place winners in our short story contest, which Junior Dispatch held in conjunction with the York County Libraries and the York Emporium.

We asked our young authors to create an original story about aliens from outer space. With more than a hundred entries, we’re proud to bring you our top winners in the three age categories.

The grand-prize winners, who will each earn $100 in prizes, are:

13 to 18 AGE GROUP

SAM’S ALIEN ADVENTURE:  Was written by Jasmine Null, 17, of Hanover and is about some observers from afar.

8 to 12 AGE GROUP

THE RING OF ALIEN-DIVIDUALITY: Was written by Brooke Hoffler, 12, of Dillsburg, and is about a girl’s ring and the secrets it holds.

7 and YOUNGER AGE GROUP

TRUMPER THE ALIEN: Was written by Hannah List, 7, of Red Lion, and is about a girl and a pumpkin.

Winners will be contacted in the next few days with information about our awards ceremony.

To celebrate these amazing stories, we give you a look at the life of a domestic alien … Alf! http://youtu.be/BUYdJI-bauA

Just in case you missed the announcements of our other winners, here are links to those posts.

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Short story contest — Second-place winners

We’re back. On Tuesday we announced the third-place winners of Junior Dispatch’s “It Came From Beyond!” short story contest, which we offered with the help of the York Emporium and the York County Libraries.

We received more than 100 entries and now we are announcing the second-place winners in each of our age categories. First-place winners will be announced Thursday.


13 to 18 AGE GROUP

Awarded to Emily Zeidman, 13, of Windsor, for the story titled “Totally Typical.” Read the story here about teen’s run in with a friendly alien.

8 to 12 AGE GROUP

Awarded to Asha Mir-Young, 10, of York, for the story titled “My New Friend Namo.” Read the story here about a plant-like alien.

7 and YOUNGER AGE GROUP

Awarded to Bella Wagner, 6, of Windsor, for the story titled “The Hideous Alien.” Read the story here about a visitor from Uranus.

As third-prize winners, these amazing writers earn a $10 movie gift card and a $10 gift certificate from the York Emporium.

To celebrate these winners, we offer you a look at Earth’s defenses against the alien hordes — The Men in Black! Enjoy the video. http://youtu.be/nvGQbtzUCc4

Winners will be contacted in the next few days with information about our awards ceremony.

Background image provided by Torley via Flickr.com.

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Short story contest — Third place winners

After weeks of reading and evaluating the crack team of Junior Dispatch literary judges have made their selections on the best stories submitted in our “It Came From Beyond!” short story contest, which Junior Dispatch offered with the help of the York Emporium and the York County Libraries.

We received more than 100 entries and now we are announcing the third place winners in each of our age categories. First and second place winners will be announced Wednesday and Thursday.

13 to 18 AGE GROUP

Awarded to Ashley Fife, 13, of Wrightsville for the story titled “The Undecided Tale.” Read the story here about an invasion that happened centuries ago.

8 to 12 AGE GROUP

Awarded to Brandon Secret, 11, of Jacobus for the story titled “A Silver Ball.” Read the story here about a very unique sort of alien scout.

7 and YOUNGER AGE GROUP

Awarded to Riley Lang, 7, or Windsor for the story titled “The Aliens are Visiting.” Read the story here about a very special gift for the visitors.

As third-prize winners, these amazing writers earn a $10 movie gift card and a $10 gift certificate from the York Emporium.

To celebrate these winners, we offer you a great example of alien fiction — Looney Tunes! Enjoy the video. http://youtu.be/iuXpXcbOFLo

Winners will be contacted in the next few days with information about our awards ceremony.

Background image provided by Brian Finifter via Flickr.com.

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Cole’s alien friends


This is an entry in Junior Dispatch’s alien short story contest. The effort earns the writer a free book from the York Emporium and a chance to win a $50 movie gift card and a $50 gift certificate from The York Emporium. The submission deadline was Aug. 1.

By Cole Holloway
Age 6, Dover

Aliens are visiting me to play with me and go to eat pizza at CiCi’s with my family and me.

My aliens will also go with me to Chuck E. Cheese’s to play lots of games and win lots of prizes.
Then we will go home and have a sleepover until they go home and I will really miss my alien friends.

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The alien from Mars

This is an entry in Junior Dispatch’s alien short story contest. The effort earns the writer a free book from the York Emporium and a chance to win a $50 movie gift card and a $50 gift certificate from The York Emporium. The submission deadline was Aug. 1.

By Elliott Emenheiser
Age 7, Dallastown

One day I was playing in the park. Suddenly I saw an alien spaceship! I ran as fast as I could all the way home. I locked all of the windows and doors.

When all of the doors and windows were locked, I sat down and ate lunch. When I was eating my sandwich, I looked out the window and saw the alien. The alien was green and had 2,000 eyes. The alien eyes were pink and green and purple. The eyes looked weird.

The pink, green, and purple eyes made me scream. I ran as fast as I could to the neighbor’s house and told the neighbor’s dog, Daisy, to chase the alien back to the spaceship.

When the alien came to the door, Daisy chased the alien back to his spaceship and everybody lived happily ever after.

THE END

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Alien friends

This is an entry in Junior Dispatch’s alien short story contest. The effort earns the writer a free book from the York Emporium and a chance to win a $50 movie gift card and a $50 gift certificate from The York Emporium. The submission deadline was Aug. 1.

By Emerson Emenheiser
Age 5, Dallastown

Two aliens are coming to Earth to visit and find new friends. Their names are Springly and Shopley. When Springly and Shopley get to Earth, they use their alienscope to find friends. They look in houses, stores, and the post office. People start to walk past them and say “hi!” Springly, Shopley and the people shake hands. The people aren’t afraid!

A little boy named Jack asks Springly and Shopley to play video games – they say yes! When the three friends get to Jack’s house, they play Mario Brothers in World Nine. After they play video games they have a snack of cheese and granola bars. Springly and Shopley love all the fun things to do on Earth. They really love their new friend Jack!

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Alien friends

This is an entry in Junior Dispatch’s alien short story contest. The effort earns the writer a free book from the York Emporium and a chance to win a $50 movie gift card and a $50 gift certificate from The York Emporium. The submission deadline was Aug. 1.

By Evelyn Bortner
Age 7, Hanover

Once upon a time there were three aliens. The first alien was Mary. The second alien was Steve. The third alien was Sami.

The aliens had two skinny arms and two skinny legs. They also had two fat, three-foot long antennas on their heads.

Every day they went to see their friend from Earth. Her name was Evelyn. But there was a mean alien named Riley. He came to invade the Earth. And why? Because he wanted to make Earth his home.

The aliens ran and ran but Evelyn got trapped. The aliens tried to catch her, but they could not. Evelyn was too heavy so the cage broke. The three aliens got Riley trapped instead.

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A party on planet …

This is an entry in Junior Dispatch’s alien short story contest. The effort earns the writer a free book from the York Emporium and a chance to win a $50 movie gift card and a $50 gift certificate from The York Emporium. The submission deadline was Aug. 1.

By Henry Rumbaugh
Age 7, Hanover

Once upon a time there were aliens that were having a lot of fun at a party. Then one alien said “We should go on a rocket ship to go somewhere.”

Today let’s go! So all of them went and blasted-off. When they all got off they had no idea where they were. All they knew is that they were on a planet. They were on earth and they still had their party. — The End

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Aliens vs. bad men

This is an entry in Junior Dispatch’s alien short story contest.

The effort earns the writer a free book from the York Emporium and a chance to win a $50 movie gift card and a $50 gift certificate from The York Emporium.

The submission deadline was Aug. 1.

By Oliver Rumbaugh
Age 4, Hanover

There is a bad, evil rocket ship full of men. The aliens went rushing down and one stuck out his foot and tripped one man. One alien named Rock Jr. slid down and knocked the other men over.

This is the funny part, the silly alien named Silly Wacker, used his head and wacked all of the men. The serious alien named Connor Jr., grabbed onto the man’s shirt and threw him off of the planet because he was stronger than all the kinds of aliens. There were 8 aliens and 5 men.

After the aliens knocked all of the men off the planet with a bulldozer, they stayed there. — The End

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