CLiF collects tiny tall tales
May 26, 2026 | By Lisa ScagliottiWe live in the age of the elevator pitch, tweets, and social media video clips just seconds long.
So, although books are a top priority at the Children’s Literacy Foundation, they like to have some fun once a year to challenge kids to tell stories in super-short form.
Two sentences to be exact.
The Waterbury-based nonprofit literacy organization recently announced the winners of its third annual Two-Sentence Story Contest that rewards Vermont and New Hampshire kids ages 12 and under for both creativity and brevity.
The contest is simple: There’s a prompt with a theme, and the direction to write something original using just two sentences.
This year’s theme asked for tall tales. CLiF Communications Manager Sarah Hall said young writers didn’t disappoint. The contest received 329 tiny, truth-stretching entries. “The results were hilarious, heartfelt, thought-provoking, outlandish and endlessly imaginative,” Hall said.
Contest organizers say that selecting the winners is the hard part. “We honestly love reading each and every entry we receive, and it's no simple task to narrow the pool down to just a handful of winning submissions,” Hall said. “We are very grateful to every single young writer who sent us their story.” (And to the adults who helped send them in.)
Vermont story contest winner Xander C., 7, chose for his prize books about animals and mythical creatures. Courtesy photo
Entries are judged in four age categories: Kindergarten and younger, grades 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. Each winner receives a three-book mini-library, with titles picked to match their age and interests. And they get their stories posted on CLiF’s website and social media.
The Waterbury Roundabout shares the six winning entries below, with the authors identified by their first names, last initials, and ages. CLiF posts the original entries where you can see them in the authors’ original handwriting, too.
Next year’s contest will be held in March.
For more information, visit clifonline.org and follow them on social media.
CLiF 2026 Two-Sentence Story Contest Winners
One day a tornado was coming so I used my super strength to lift the whole town and move it somewhere safe. Then I grabbed the tornado and threw it in the ocean. ~ Aaruhi P, age 5
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Last year Ben & Jerry's put a giant edible vanilla ice cream cone on their roof, and people all over the world came to get some. They used ladders to reach it, but eventually people realized that it was just snow in a wooden cone! ~ Xander C, age 7
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The world's smallest person is smaller than an ant. She only eats cheese and she's full. ~ Austin A, age 8
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One day, I put a page in the garden, dug a hole in the garden and put in the page and watered it, put it in the sun. One week later I see a book where I put the page. ~ Atchinson H, age 9
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No one in the town of Fishityblubwellville was happy, until Dannybanny McCringlenut III made a drawing. It consisted of a yellow circle, two dots and a mouth, and blissfulness was restored! ~ Max W, age 12
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July jumped a lot, every time she jumped, she jumped high. One day July jumped so high she hit a cloud and from that day forward that cloud rained until the Atlantic Ocean formed. ~ Juliette A, age 12