Author Sharon Flake shares a message about perseverance with her own writing to inspire students at the Eastern Shore Reading Councils annual Young Authors’ Contest celebration.
Salisbury, Md. – The Eastern Shore Reading Council (ESRC) filled the Wicomico Room at the Guerrieri Student Union at Salisbury University Thursday evening to a standing only crowd to announce the 2018 Young Authors’ Contest winners. Receiving entries from 28 public and private schools on the Shore’s lower three counties, the contest continues to become more and more competitive as the quality of writing is improving among entries.
“We are very proud of the students who entered this year’s contest,” Dr. Brian Cook, ESRC Young Authors’ Contest Co-Chair, stated in a release. He indicated the contest was comprised of students in grades 2-12 and two categories, poetry and short story, available in each of those grade levels. Those invited for the awards ceremony received a finalist postcard notifying them they were a top three place winner. “Anytime you can highlight a child who is working and challenging themselves to improve their writing is a huge win. Many of our students here tonight were first time winners and were beaming as they came up to receive their award; it was truly exciting.”
Prior to receiving their awards finalists were inspired by the words of award winning author Sharon Flake. Flake focuses her work on young adult literature and articulated the power of perseverance and to never stop writing to the children.
Shown below are winners by grade and category:
|
Elementary (Grades 2-5) |
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Place |
Name |
Title |
School |
|
Grade 2Poetry |
1 |
Benjamin Williams |
Dear Dragon |
Ocean City Elementary |
2 |
Chloe Holland |
Unicorn Unicorn |
Ocean City Elementary |
|
3 |
Ben Rafinski |
In The Future |
Worcester Prep |
|
Grade 2Short Story |
1 |
Rani Yonker |
The Adventures of Max and Elliott |
Worcester Prep |
2 |
Emilia McGrew |
The Little Leaf |
The Salisbury School |
|
3 |
Scarlett Shimko |
The Puppy Rescue Club |
Worcester Prep |
|
Grade 3Poetry |
1 |
Araya Sunshine Harrison |
Superheroes |
Holly Grove Christian School |
2 |
Lucas Swenson |
Brothers |
North Salisbury Elementary |
|
3 |
Anson Todd |
Mom-Mom Cindy’s Food is Made with Love |
Northwestern Elementary |
|
Grade 3Short Story |
1 |
Mason Catellier |
Superonion and Mr. Cheeseman’s Final Battle |
North Salisbury Elementary |
2 |
Luna Tapia-Martinez |
Video Gaming Santa |
Delmar Elementary |
|
3 |
Todd Bao |
The Defender of Mount Magna |
Pocomoke Elementary |
|
Grade 4Poetry |
1 |
Alice Terrill |
A Pencil and Paper |
The Salisbury School |
2 |
Savannah Aralyn Wertz |
Boogie Board Beach Bum |
Snow Hill Middle |
|
3 |
Katlyn M. Hornsby |
Autumn |
North Salisbury Elementary |
|
Grade 4Short Story |
1 |
Maddi Luffman |
Best Friends |
Pittsville Elementary & Middle |
2 |
Ayla Yonker |
The Ghost Painter |
Worcester Prep |
|
3 |
Caleb Loring |
Back in Time |
Berlin Intermediate |
|
Grade 5Poetry |
1 |
Jaidan Davis |
Rainbow |
Pocomoke Middle |
2 |
Oscar Gil Leyva |
Art |
Deal Island School |
|
3 |
Isaian G. Parker |
Achieve a Goal |
Deal Island School |
|
Grade 5Short Story |
1 |
Emaan Ehtasham |
A Carrot’s Life |
Worcester Prep |
2 |
Jillian C. Watson |
Midnight Ballerinas |
Salisbury Christian |
|
3 |
Ava O’Neal |
There’s a Cat in the Attic |
Salisbury Christian |
|
Middle (Grades 6-8) |
||||
Grade 6Poetry |
1 |
Ethan Justice |
Time |
Berlin Intermediate School |
2 |
Pim Noparat |
What I Know About the World |
Berlin Intermediate School |
|
3 |
Bree Peters |
Be Like Them |
The Salisbury School |
|
Grade 6Short Story |
1 |
Cameron Mason |
Mr. Linden’s Library |
Bennett Middle |
2 |
Allie Jimmerson |
The Run for Life |
Bennett Middle |
|
3 |
Richard Godwin |
The Phoenix of Heroism |
Salisbury Middle |
|
Grade 7Poetry |
1 |
Grace Pettitt |
When You See a Soldier |
The Salisbury School |
2 |
Benjamin O’Brien |
I Will Not Read This to the Class |
The Salisbury School |
|
3 |
Aidan Todd |
Ghost, My Puppy, My Friend |
Mardela Middle & High |
|
Grade 7Short Story |
1 |
Morgan Schoch |
Luna Distance |
Worcester Prep |
2 |
Jack Greenwood |
Loyalty |
Stephen Decatur Middle |
|
3 |
Hayley Burnside |
The Show Must Go On |
Wicomico Middle |
|
Grade 8Poetry |
1 |
Kiersen Thorne |
What am I? |
Stephen Decatur Middle |
2 |
Gracie Bounds |
Dress to Impress |
Bennett Middle |
|
3 |
Andrea Harmon |
Growing Up Father |
Washington High & Academy |
|
Grade 8Short Story |
1 |
Kendahl Parsons |
One Last Time |
Stephen Decatur Middle |
2 |
Myra Cropper |
Revenge |
Worcester Prep |
|
3 |
Nicholas Benton |
Death till You Part |
The Salisbury School |
|
High (Grades 9-12) |
||||
Grade 9Poetry |
1 |
Raekiya Beckett |
No Turning Back |
Pocomoke High |
2 |
Hannah Perdue |
Growth |
Worcester Prep |
|
3 |
Kat McCormick |
A Novel Comes to Life |
Worcester Prep |
|
Grade 9Short Story |
1 |
Sophia Smith |
Beautiful Endings |
James M. Bennett High |
2 |
Arusa Islam |
Dimension |
Stephen Decatur High |
|
3 |
Alexa Hall |
Poison |
Pocomoke High |
|
Grade 10Poetry |
1 |
Sophia Peters |
An Ocean In My Mind |
James M. Bennett High |
2 |
Ki’Aira Dashiell |
The Endless Storm |
James M. Bennett High |
|
3 |
Devin Wallace |
Sailboat Dreams |
Worcester Prep |
|
Grade 10Short Story |
1 |
Quinn McColgan |
Ordinary |
Worcester Prep |
2 |
William Jay Taylor III |
Unforgivable Mistakes |
James M. Bennett High |
|
3 |
Mikayla Denault |
Growing Up a Girl in a Man’s World |
Stephen Decatur High |
|
Grade 11Poetry |
1 |
Eunice Huesca |
Aliens |
Stephen Decatur High |
2 |
Emily Malinowski |
My Book of Wonders |
Stephen Decatur High |
|
3 |
Allison Hunter |
Dancing Flame |
Stephen Decatur High |
|
Grade 11Short Story |
1 |
Lucy Adelizzi |
The Undying Love |
James M. Bennett High |
2 |
Zoe Michelle Bradshaw |
Lost |
Mardela Middle & High |
|
3 |
Allison Warrington |
I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye |
James M. Bennett High |
|
Grade 12Poetry |
1 |
Rachael Walker |
More Than What Meets the Eye |
Wicomico High |
2 |
Molly Forsythe |
Dungeons |
James M. Bennett High |
|
3 |
Camryn Sofronski |
Seemly |
Worcester Prep |
|
Grade 12Short Story |
1 |
Maddy Sherwood |
The Making of a Goddess |
James M. Bennett High |
2 |
Jayden Overton-O’Hara |
Path to Freedom |
James M. Bennett High |
|
3 |
Devin Thompson |
The Light of Little Things |
Pocomoke High |
|
Eastern Shore Literacy Association 