2015
GRAND PRIZE | ELEMENTARY
Megan MAGUIRE – K-K-K-K-Katie – was in 5th grade at St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School.
Teacher: Ms. Elyzabeth Schaul.
Student of Miami Conservatory of Music.
Excerpt from the poem
My favorite thing to do Thoughts flowing onto my paper
Thoughts of wisdom, knowledge
The little person trapped inside of me,
Screaming to be free of this stutter that holds me down from the fun I could be
having
From the life I could have lived
That is the truth
And that is what I love most
Not the truth,
Poetry
GRAND PRIZE | MIDDLE SCHOOL
Elizabeth WOOSTER – Half – was in 6th grade at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart.
Teacher: Ms. Lisette Ruiz.
Excerpt from the story
…….. The certified letter lay on the table unopened as Patrice combed through the trunk of memories left by her deceased grandparents. Henry Alexander Lamont Franklin was a decorated soldier from World War II and Patrice’s grandfather. She was fascinated by the trunks contents: newspaper articles featuring her grandfather’s medals, uniform, and war stories all kept by her dear grandmother. Patrice noticed a few new items added, which she was not familiar nor had nothing to do with the war. There were some loose keys, authenticity letters for some art work, a French newspaper article of a missing person and a body in a car. These must have been added by the soldier during his last visit to the states. Patrice remembers as a younger girl going through the trunk every summer here with Grandpa. But she had not gone through the trunk or seen Grandpa’s sisters since her visit to France………
GRAND PRIZE | HIGH SCHOOL
Isis ARGUELLO – The Horror of Our Love – was in 11th grade at Mater Academy.
Teacher: Ms. Perry Lantz.
Congratulations to Isis who expanded her story and has now her new book published and sold at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon.
Excerpt from the story
…….. She was beautiful. Her skin so supple and flawless, as white and perfect as the glow of the moon among the clear water. Her eyes the most beautiful of lapis stones, her hair the brightest sunflower among fields. Her lips a ravishing plump strawberry. I wished for her to be mine. Only mine. But someone as lowly and as worthless as I could not but only dream of such a thing. I watched her from behind my white mask. She seemed to glide across the golden floor of the grand ball. Smiling shamelessly at all who dared so much as look at her unmasked face. A green beast roared inside me and I was tempted to do much the same. But I waited. It wouldn’t do me much to be impatient. I had waited too long to ruin my moment of triumph. She would come to me, she did for everyone else. I dared not blink nor breathe as she began to head my direction………
FIRST PLACE | ELEMENTARY
Camilo GARRIDO – Opawesome – was in 5th grade at Coral Gables Preparatory Academy. Teacher: Ms. Laura Payne.
Excerpt from the story
…….. The doors exploded open as hundreds of students flooded out of the school. They screamed, ran maniacally, and pushed each other away as they loaded the buses. Each of them had no clue that within in one of the many holes in the grand old trees that lined the entrance gate to the school lived an opossum. His name was Nathan, and he is definitely amongst the smartest animals in the world…….
The moon, that glittering crescent that radiates, hope, wonder, and curiosity to the creatures of the world. Nathan had nothing to worry about; there would definitely be plenty of mischievous animals to follow. Whether they were Opawesomes (like him) or not, he didn’t care. With that, Nathan climbed into his bed, knowing that there was another great day ahead of him………
Tristan RIOTTI – Maximum Time Travel – was in 5th grade at MCA academy.
Teacher: Ms. Lara Jonasson.
Student of Miami Conservatory of Music.
Excerpt from the story
…….. In the year 2059, a physicist named Dr. Maximum was working for ISL Laboratories. He was running tests on magnetic fields and set about to create a magnetic bracelet. He called it a rainbow magnetic bracelet because the energy coming off the magnet looked like a rainbow of colors. Not knowing what kind of power the bracelet possessed, he put the device on his wrist and was admiring the beautiful colors it was giving off. Suddenly, he found himself traveling through time and got teleported to the Wild West………
FIRST PLACE | MIDDLE SCHOOL
Anna de la O – Names and Faces – was in 8th grade at G. W. Carver Middle School.
Teacher: Mr. Richard Hudson.
Excerpt from the story
…….. You know that defining moment when you meet someone? When you see someone you don’t recognize, store them in the file of Unidentified Strangers in your brain, and think to yourself, Hey, look at that face. I don’t think I’ve seen that face. That is a very new face.
Then there is that extra-special moment, when you either do or don’t get to know the new face. Will they be that kind of Friendly Face that introduces themselves to random strangers whose dog sniffs their dog’s butt? Will they be a Sullen Face, who scowls and hurries away? Will they be a Sweet Face, smiling shyly and brightening your day considerably? ……..
FIRST PLACE | HIGH SCHOOL
Ryan GUILLEN – Empty Handed – was in 10th grade at Ransom Everglades School.
Teacher: Dr. Kathryn Bufkin.
Excerpt from the story
…….. The rain tore at Krag through the ridges in his scale mail. He swayed with the ship as it yawed and rolled in the darkness, the heavens roiling above him. Lightning split the sky, illuminating for an instant the monstrous length of the warship and her crew’s resolute faces. The lookout hollered from the prow, and the helmsman hauled on the groaning tiller, the ship threatening to snap. The crew scurried for their weapons, the moonlight illuminating their blades. Krag liberated his war pick from his belt, and set his mouth in a grim, hard line.
“At last, ” he whispered into the wind. ”At last I will.”