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A Community United by Reading
Words for Whitman is a county-wide literacy and lifelong learning initiative of Whitman County Pomona Grange #2. In partnership with United Way of Whitman County and with support from local libraries, educators, and community organizations, the campaign brings neighbors together to read, raise funds, discover literacy resources, and celebrate the stories that connect us.
The campaign begins with a community Literacy Fair on August 1 and continues throughout the month with a Read-A-Thon open to people of every age. We're also hosting short story and poetry contests and unveiling the county's newest Little Free Library at Whelan-Ewartsville Grange Hall, located at 4902 State Route 27 (Pullman-Palouse Highway), Pullman.
Read-A-Thon participants may read independently, read aloud to someone else, or listen to audiobooks while tracking their reading throughout August.
Funds raised through Words for Whitman will help support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Whitman County and other local literacy resources. Together, we can place books in children’s homes, encourage lifelong reading habits, and make reading visible, social, and meaningful throughout our community.
Participate in the Read-A-Thon
Sign up as an individual, family or team
Use our simple form to sign up. Parents/guardians must register children under 18. Team members may sign up individually, but should list the correct team name on the form to ensure inclusion in the right team for prize purposes.
After you sign up, track your reading!
Individuals, families and teams can track their reading by minutes and compete for prizes.
Join Us For Our Kick-Off Event
LITERACY FAIR
1 to 5 p.m.
Saturday, August 1
Whelan-Ewartsville Grange Hall
4902 State Route 27, Pullman
1:15 p.m. Little Free Library Dedication
1:30 p.m. Imagination Library presentation
followed by a showing of the film
"The Library that Dolly Built"
2:45 p.m. Author Reading for Kids
Diane Worthey (Pullman)
3:15 p.m. Author Reading for Young Adults
Guy Worthey (Pullman)
3:45 p.m. Author Reading for Adults
Claudine Yvette (Klickitat County)
4:15 p.m. Little Free Library Build Demo
Throughout the event there will be a free book swap, signing and sales of books by local authors, sign-ups for Imagination Library and more.
Come dressed as your favorite literary character, get your photo taken and compete for best costume (Grange selection and People's Choice selection at the Palouse Empire Fair Grange booth).
DONATE TODAY
Short Story & Poetry Contest
Rules for both contests
Eligibility: Open to anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Whitman County or who has a documented donation of $1 or more to Words for Whitman.
Age divisions:
Ages 8 and younger
Ages 9–12
Ages 13–17
Ages 18 and older
Participants may enter both contests, but may submit only one short story and one poem.
Entries must be the participant’s original work. Plagiarized, AI-generated, or substantially AI-written entries will not be accepted. Spelling and grammar tools may be used for proofreading.
An adult may type or transcribe an entry for a child, but the ideas and wording must remain the child’s own. Children who cannot yet write independently may dictate their work to an adult.
Entries must be appropriate for a general community audience. Submissions containing explicit sexual material, graphic violence, discriminatory language, personal attacks, or other inappropriate content may be disqualified.
Entries may not have previously received an award or been commercially published. Work shared in a school publication, personal blog, or social media account remains eligible.
The author’s name should appear only on the submission form, not within the uploaded document, so entries can be judged anonymously.
Submissions open August 1, 2026, and must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific on August 31, 2026.
Entries may be submitted through this website or delivered to Whelan-Ewartsville Grange #114 by contacting Amanda at (301) 943-1090.
A parent or guardian must submit or approve entries from participants under age 18.
Judges’ decisions are final. Organizers may combine age divisions or decline to present an award when too few qualifying entries are received.
Authors retain copyright to their work. By entering, participants give Words for Whitman and Whitman County Pomona Grange #2 permission to display, publish, read aloud, or share the entry—with author credit—in campaign materials, public exhibits, websites, social media, and community publications.
Winners and honorable mentions will be recognized at the Palouse Empire Fair gazebo/outdoor stage prior to the Parade of Champions.
Short Story
Submit an original fictional story connected to the theme Words That Shape Tomorrow. Stories may be realistic, historical, humorous, mysterious, adventurous, fantasy, science fiction, or another form of fiction.
Length limits
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Ages 8 and younger: up to 500 words
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Ages 9–12: up to 1,000 words
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Ages 13–17: up to 1,500 words
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Ages 18 and older: up to 2,000 words
Formatting
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Include a title.
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Typed entries are preferred, although clearly handwritten entries may be accepted.
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Use a readable font and standard page size.
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Do not place the author’s name on the story itself.
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Illustrations may accompany entries from participants age 12 and younger, but judging will be based primarily on the written story.
Judging criteria
Stories will be evaluated according to:
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Originality and creativity
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Characters, setting, and story development
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Organization and clarity
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Voice and overall impact
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Connection to the contest theme
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Grammar and mechanics appropriate to the author’s age division
Poetry
Submit an original poem inspired by the theme Words That Shape Tomorrow. Poems may celebrate reading, imagination, community, nature, place, hope, personal experience, or another interpretation of the theme.
Length and form
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Poems may be up to 50 lines.
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Any poetic form is welcome, including free verse, rhyming poetry, haiku, narrative poetry, spoken-word poetry, or another original form.
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Each submission must contain one poem.
Formatting
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Include a title unless the poem is intentionally untitled.
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Preserve intentional line breaks and spacing.
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Typed entries are preferred, although clearly handwritten entries may be accepted.
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Do not place the author’s name on the poem itself.
-
Illustrations may accompany entries from participants age 12 and younger, but judging will be based primarily on the poem.
Judging criteria
Poems will be evaluated according to:
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Originality and creativity
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Word choice and imagery
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Voice and emotional impact
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Effective use of rhythm, sound, structure, or poetic form
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Connection to the contest theme
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Mechanics appropriate to the author’s age division