( Added: June 22, 2009 ) - Imaginator Press is sponsoring a creative writing contest for children and teens up to age 14, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its award-winning fantasy, "The Dark Dreamweaver," written by Baltimore native Nick Ruth. "The Dark Dreamweaver" is the first book of The Remin Chronicles, about a land literally powered by dreams. Imaginator Press invites children to write a creative story on the theme of "Dream Power," for a chance to win an 8 GB iPod Touch. Four second prize winners will receive $25 iTunes gift cards, and five third prize winners will receive $10 iTunes gift cards. An anthology of the winning stories will be published.

Stories will be judged on originality and creativity, writing quality, grammar and spelling, and appropriateness to "Dream Power" theme. Everyone who enters and includes a self-addressed, stamped envelope with their entry will receive a certificate and a gold "Powered by Dreams" sticker. Entries must be received by October 31, 2009. Contest rules and entry forms are available on the Remin Chronicles web site.

In addition to the contest, a free Remin Chronicles Classroom/Book Club Packet is available on request to teachers, librarians, and booksellers. The packet includes:

The Dark Dreamweaver Teachers Guide
The Dark Dreamweaver Book Club Discussion Guide
Raising Monarch Butterflies brochure
30 gold "Powered by Dreams" stickers
30 The Breezes of Inspire "What's Your Power" bookmarks

To request a packet, teachers, librarians, and booksellers should email reading (at) imaginatorpress (dot) com. Homeschoolers are eligible to receive the packet, but should specify how many stickers and bookmarks are actually needed. More information for teachers is available on The Remin Chronicles educator page.

"The Dark Dreamweaver" is a captivating, fascinating and adventurous story that tells young people that there are indeed tremendous rewards for pursuing your dreams and using your imagination. In "The Dark Dreamweaver," an epidemic of nightmares seems to have infected the Earth. Eleven year old David takes matters into his own hands and embarks on an adventure to Remin, a land powered by dreams. Aided by a caterpillar wizard, a jellyfish-man, two wise-cracking water serpents, and several other unusual characters, he sets out to find and confront the evil wizard who is causing the nightmares. The challenges that he encounters will require all of his intelligence, his courage, and most of all, his imagination.

Book 2, "The Breezes of Inspire," is also available. In The Breezes of Inspire, David and his cousins accidentally plunge into the land of Inspire--and become trapped in a world where they aren't welcome. But Inspire is in trouble, and the five children, four girls and a boy, along with one plucky stuffed bear, go on a perilous quest to try to save Inspire and find their way home.

More information is available on The Remin Chronicles web site.