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Catherine Atkins LJ on a challenge at a Texas school to her book, When Jeff Comes Home (G. P. Putnam, 1999). See study guide. Visit Catherine’s site.

Kahani’s First Young Writers Contest: Kahani is a South Asian literary magazine for children. It invites all storytellers between the ages of 6 and 11 to write a 500-word short story. The theme is up to the writer but the story must use the words “rickshaw,” “mango,” and “elephant.” Entries will be divided into 6-8 and 9-11 age groups. Sangeeta Mehta, an editor at Little Brown, will be the judge. The deadline is Dec. 31, 2005. See complete rules and entry form. Note: Pooja Makhijani, author of Mama’s Saris (Little Brown, 2006), is the Kahani book reviewer and author Uma Krishnaswami is on the advisory board.

What Would Aslan Do?: a recap via spookycyn of my own holiday weekend and theater recommendation for Austinites planning to see “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” As for the film itself, loved it!