Cheerios(R) Announces National Winner of Children's Book Contest: Nashville, Tenn., Woman Awarded $5,000 from Cheerios and the Opportunity to See Her Words in Print and on Bookshelves!

When was the last time the family dog motivated you to do anything but fill his food dish or take him on a walk? What if he inspired you to write a prize-winning children’s story that won a publishing contract? In the case of Shellie Braeuner, that’s no shaggy dog story! Braeuner, a resident of Nashville, Tenn., who works as a nanny for a family with four children, was washing the family dog when she came up with her idea for a story, The Great Dog Wash. The story was named the grand prize winner in the Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest, a national contest that supports unpublished, new children’s book authors – and earned Braeuner a $5,000 cash prize and the opportunity to have her book reviewed by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Simon & Schuster plans to publish her winning story, and has paired her with Robert Neubecker as the illustrator, and with an editor to see her through the editorial process. Braeuner’s book will be launched in paperback form inside Cheerios boxes in spring 2009, and will be available in hardcover through booksellers in summer 2009. Braeuner, 42, who holds a Masters in Education and has worked as a child/adolescent counselor in the past, has always loved the art of storytelling and often uses stories as a way to communicate with children. "For years people have been telling me to write down the stories I tell children,” said Braeuner. "Obviously, I’m thrilled I wrote The Great Dog Wash and entered it in the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Children’s Book Contest. And I feel humbled. It is a major endeavor to put a picture book together, and it is wonderful that Cheerios and Simon & Schuster are giving me the opportunity! I can’t wait to see my story come to life in print!” As part of the children’s book contest, Cheerios also named two first prize winners, who will receive $1,000 each from Cheerios: Kate Heilman, 35, of Chicago, for her story, Theo the T-Rex: The Most Terrible Dinosaur in the Neighborhood, and Alison Anderson, 33, of Cumberland, Wisc., for Sleepy Song. Theo the T-Rex is about a little boy who spends his days imagining himself as a T-Rex dinosaur. "When my nephew was younger, he used to tear through the house pretending he was a dinosaur – so he inspired me to write the story,” said Heilman. Sleepy Song is about the noises that animals, insects and nature make at dusk. "Sometimes my son was scared of noises he heard while trying to fall asleep, so I wrote him a story that explained what these noises were and how they combined to make a beautiful bedtime song,” said Anderson. Both Theo the T-Rex and Sleepy Song are featured online at www.spoonfulsofstories.com. "We developed the book contest to inspire and support new children’s book authors,” said Ricardo Fernandez, marketing manager for Cheerios. "For the last six years, through our Spoonfuls of Stories® program, Cheerios has given away more than 30 million children’s books free inside cereal boxes, and donated more than $2.5 million to the nonprofit First Book® to get books to children from low-income families. We also wanted to reach out to unpublished authors to give them another way to submit their work. We are thrilled with the response we received from would-be authors and delighted that we can be instrumental in supporting great new stories for children and families to enjoy together.” Cheerios received close to 1,000 stories in the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Children’s Book Contest, which ran from early June through September 7, 2007. Entries were judged on appropriate story/content for children ages 4 to 8 years old; emotional connection; writing quality; uniqueness; and read-aloud potential. First Book Advisory Boards across the country did the initial judging of entries. A panel of judges that included first-time children’s book author Jacqui Robbins, a children’s librarian, and an independent bookseller, as well as staff from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, conducted final judging. "There were a number of talented writers who entered the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Children’s Book Contest, and we are happy to offer a book deal to the winner Shellie Braeuner,” said Rubin Pfeffer, publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s Trade Publishing. "Shellie’s story is a lot of fun – a rollicking, rhythmic tale of a messy dog wash that will be fun for families to read together. We look forward to publishing this delightful picture book.” Families will also have the chance to see The Great Dog Wash come to life online: the first two stanzas will be online at www.spoonfulsofstories.com, followed by early sketches by the illustrator when available and finally the color illustrations and any edits to the first two stanzas. This will give families a sneak peak into how a picture book is created. Don’t file your own stories away in the back of the drawer; Cheerios will be re-launching the Children’s Book Contest to continue support for new authors. For more information, see www.spoonfulsofstories.com. Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios and Spoonfuls of Stories are trademarks of General Mills. ABOUT CHEERIOS Cheerios, America's No. 1 cereal, debuted in 1941 as Cheerioats. The nation's first ready-to-eat oat cereal has since become one of the most trusted and recognized brands in America. In fact, one of every 10 boxes of cereal sold in America is a box of Cheerios. General Mills' popular franchise includes Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios and Yogurt Burst Cheerios. Cheerios also has a publishing division that includes the popular Cheerios Play Books and other activity books. For more information, go to www.cheerios.com. ABOUT FIRST BOOK First Book is an award-winning nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Through hundreds of local Advisory Boards, the First Book National Book Bank, and the First Book Marketplace, the organization provides an ongoing supply of new books to children participating in community-based mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs. First Book has provided more than 50 million new books to children in need in thousands of communities nationwide. For more information about First Book, please visit www.FirstBook.org or call 866-393-1222. ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonsays.com.