Mike the Knight, the star of the popular children’s TV series, is coming to Harrisburg on Saturday, May 18. To celebrate Mike’s visit to our area, Junior Dispatch is giving away some great “Mike the Knight” merchandise.

To enter the giveaway, kids must write a knight-themed poem, and we will publish all the entries here.  Your poem can be any style the young author desires — such as a haiku, a riddle, a limerick, an acrostic or a rhyme. Once the little bards have their prose perfected, email it to juniordispatch@yorkdispatch.com by 8 p.m.  Monday, May 20.  Junior Dispatch will then select first- and second-place winners out of all the qualifying entries. Teachers are encouraged to get their students to enter. Please see the official rules below for the details.

First place is the “Mike the Knight” DVD and a “Mike the Knight” book. Second place is the DVD only.

We will publish entries as they arrive.

HARRISBURG EVENT: Mike the Knight and his friends are charging into the Harrisburg Mall for two free performances of “Mike the Knight and the Mission for Hidden Treasure.” The 20-minute performance will also feature Squirt the dragon.  The event also includes photo opportunities, giveaways, and a glimpse of the “Mike the Knight” toys that are coming soon to stores. Performances are set for Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

ABOUT “MIKE THE KNIGHT”: “Mike the Knight” is a CG-animated series that transports kids to a realm of castles, dragons, and trolls.  With his rallying cry “Be a Knight, Do it Right!”, Mike brings the excitement and enchantment of medieval times to his young viewers.  Currently the broadcast series airs on Nick Jr.  For more information about Mike the Knight and his missions, visit www.miketheknight.com and follow on Facebook (www.facebook.com/miketheknightofficial) and Twitter @MiketheKnight_US.

OFFICIAL RULES: To enter this giveaway, contestants must write a poem of 10 or more words about subject of “knights.” Entrants who are just learning to write can compose their poem verbally, and then have the caregiver write it down. Decisions by Junior Dispatch are final. One entry per person. Entries must include a name, age, address and telephone number.  All entries will be posted on JuniorDispatch.com. Entries must be sent to juniordispatch@yorkdispatch.com by 8 p.m.  Monday, May 20.

ANOTHER CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST: Junior Dispatch is also hosting another writing contest for kids ages 0 to 18. The top prize in three age categories is $100 in gift certificates. Get all the details here: http://ydtalk.com/jdispatch/2013/04/22/tell-us-a-story-and-win-big/

Students in grades 2-5 are invited to compete in the VFW Loyalty Day contest, Classroom Pledge of Allegiance.

Students begin at the local Veterans of Foreign War Post level with a deadline of April 10. Entries can be turned into the West York VFW Post 8951, 1800 Andrew St.

For more information or forms, call Rick Olvitt (717) 324-6740 or Carol Schrum (717) 873-2174.

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 Brieanna Lantz
Age 11, Dover

Once upon a stars, there was an alien named Ugula! He was always in the mood for adventure! When he was born he’d seen the wildest thing that he has ever laid his 20 eyes on! So he came to earth millions of times to find what this magnificent creature was! But sadly, he had no luck! All he could remember was that it was colorful, full with pictures, and full with words! He looked in newspapers but they were just full of words and pictures! It needed to have color too! He looked in a kaleidoscope, but that only had color!

“Poor Ugula!” said his mother! “All he wants to do is find that mysterious creature! I wish I could tell him what it is, But I can’t even remember what it looked like!”

Later on that day, Ugula was playing in the yard. “I wish I could see what I saw when I was a baby!” said Ugula! Right then a astronaut landed on their front lawn!

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 Paige Lantz
Age 10, Dover

Once upon a galaxy their was a planet in our solar system that we never knew was there. There was a species of aliens on this planet. These green 12 eyed creatures had an idea that they were trying to make happen for years! They wanted to go to the only planet in our solar system where there was life!

They traveled to all the other planets in the Milky Way but they found no life, just plain old nothing. They finally took one of their ships to hover over Earth, and they did it!

They found the only planet in the Milky Way where there was life. Of course there was life on their planet since there were aliens on it but no one knew it existed. So the aliens in the ship flew back to planet Cattail (named after the plant) and celebrated, then got to work planning their plan to take a trip to Earth and kidnap a special somebody. The aliens did have a reason and their reason was to learn science to make more aliens from the amazing scientist Albert Einstein. They looked on all the planets in the Milky Way to see if they could find him and they knew there had to be life. So they had an alien named Amelia be their captain of the mission.

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 Marietta Sisca
Age 11, Lewisberry

It was a dark and stormy night. Ubleckein poured down and dashed against the window of the observatory. “1 wonder if we’ll ever get home?” thought Ashan.

Ashan was one of the first kid astronauts. She had been at space camp in the space shuttle Endeavor. Her team and she were feeling what it was like to blast off. The engines had been on standby so the rocket wouldn’t blast off, but there was a malfunction and they had blasted off. Her team had programed the ship to go to Mars, but the ship had been thrown off course by a meteor shower. They had landed on the planet Snexle in the asteroid belt, and befriended some aliens who had helped build
the observatory.

The aliens were about a foot tall and 8 inches wide. They were covered in fur and had antennas with little balls on the ends. Their arms and legs were thin. They had mostly transparent wings with a tint of the color of their fur.