I’m thrilled to announce the results of my Story Builder Competition for my students, Grades 6 – 8, in La Grange D102, IL. It’s always a treat to celebrate the enthusiasm and dedication of these young writers. As ever, the choice was difficult, and I had to recruit the help of co-judge, fellow author and creative writing professor Shawn Shiflett to assist this year. Click on the title links of the Story Laureates below to read the winning entries.
2020 Story Laureates:
Joanna Barcelona (Ogden Avenue School) – “Branching Out”.
I loved the arc of this story, the teasing question that threads through it about the identity of the narrator. Joanna also had some interesting ideas about how we communicate with one another and what friendship means. A thought-provoking entry.
Anka Lampe (Park Junior High) -“The Color of George.”
The voice of this submission drew me in. Anka’s decision to show events through the eyes of a protagonist with learning difficulties is effective. George expresses himself well, even though he uses unconventional language.
Liam Whittleton (Ogden Avenue School) – “Card Throwing Killer.” The offbeat humor in this piece made me smile. I liked Liam’s choice of diary format, too. Quirky details, a pacy plot, and a chicken called Steve. Excellent stuff.
2020 Merit Winners:
With a hint of the horror genre, The Key is a dream-like story full of action and sensory details.
Benjamin Sander (Park Junior High) — “Excerpts from Defender” A segment from a longer story, I loved Ben’s world-building in this piece. Details, large and small, are vividly imagined and tension about the protagonist and his actions run through the whole submission.
