How to Get a Girlfriend, written and illustrated by Leo Dzuver, Alexander Hald, and Matej Crnogorac, won the nonfiction Grand-Prize for the Scholastic Kids Are Authors contest.  Leo, Alexander, and Matej wrote the book last school year when they were in Kindergarten at The American International School of Zagreb.  The AISZ community, in collaboration with Sjenka Leslie, International Sales Representative from Scholastic, celebrated their achievement on Tuesday, December 9, 2014.

Sjenka Leslie presented the boys with gold medals and certificates of achievement at the ceremony.  She described the content in the book as “honest, kind, and true to the heart.”  When the authors were asked how they researched information for their book, their response was, “We asked the girls in our class!”  At this time, the authors do not have plans to write future books, at least not yet.  Blue Balliett, author of Chasing Vermeer, stated the following: “This book is a winner.  It feels so real, so funny, and is from the heart.  I want to share it with everyone I know.”

The Kids Are Authors Contest is an annual writing contest for students in grades Kindergarten to Eighth Grade who attend school in the United States or an American school abroad.  Writers need to work in a group of at least three students and are responsible for all contents of the book: ideas, writing, illustrating, and the final submission.  Copies of the published book are available through Scholastic.