2017

GRAND PRIZE  |  ELEMENTARY
Valeria MOLEA – Nuts & Berries – was in 4th grade at MCA academy.

Excerpts from the story
A Long time ago, in a magical forest, there was a little squirrel named Lily. She
lived with her twin brother Liam, her mom and her dad. Lily loved adventures, and she
believed that dreams do come true, so she knew in her heart that one day she would get
to see the world. Since she was so optimistic, she always had a little suitcase packed with
her favorite things ready.

One day, her mom asked her if she could go to the market and get some nuts and
blueberries for dinner. As always, she gladly agreed and took off. On her way to the
market she heard someone screaming, she immediately followed the sound until she
saw two stone bricks on the floor like if they used to be part of house that fell down.
Then she heard someone coughing, Lily carefully walked towards the bricks, until she
saw a little mouse with ears the size of chocolate kisses and milk chocolate fur.
He had chocolate chip eyes with little whiskers and a little red jacket that
matched his brown shoes. He also had a small bag hanging from a stick leaning on the
floor, he was shaking himself to get rid of the dust when he saw Lily.

-”Are you ok? “ asked Lily.
-” I’m ok, thank you for asking “he said………

GRAND PRIZE  |  MIDDLE SCHOOL
Anna Gabriella OSWALD – The Sky’s Blessing – was in 7th grade at George  Washington Carver. Middle School

Excerpt from the story
…….. “Zara, he needs to compete!” my father exclaimed suddenly.

“Compete? Well, he is very fast…” I thought about it, it was possible to have a future in this. But then the cold hard truth rained over me.

“But father, I am a girl. I don’t think I’m allowed to compete. It’s not normal for females to compete in men’s sports,” I sighed.

My father looked at me, his eyes wide. He then suddenly grabbed my arms. “Zara, you may be a girl, but you know what? Women are amazing and beautiful human beings, inside and out, Zara, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Just keep your head up high, and keep telling yourself that you are not below someone because of your gender, you need to embrace how God made you. You and your mother are women of such maturity and capacity. I want you to compete, Zara, do not think that you found this falcon by coincidence. God sent him to you as a sign, that you need to show Saudi Arabia your majestic beast with feathers,” he said as he glanced toward the falcon, who was now observing a beetle scurrying away. “Besides, we can start with unofficial competitions, those are not strict with genders. But whatever happens Zara, I want you to know I will be right beside you, whenever you need me, and that I can’t be even more proud or happy to call you my daughter.” ……..

GRAND PRIZE  |  HIGH SCHOOL
Bianca SPROUL – Finding Pollen – was in 11th grade at Carollton School of the Sacred Heart.

Excerpt from the story
…….. She rides on a gentle breeze, propelling herself forward as she rose up above the hills and down. Pops of yellow buttercups scattered throughout the grass whispered, “Please come! I have sweet nectar.” A gentle rolling breeze brought a sweet, tangy taste to her, tingling as it wafted around her like a honey cloud.

The bee considers her options:
Should she labor in collecting small increments from flowers, possibly wasting time and finding disappointing yield? Or should she search for something more, something bigger? Something better? The intoxicating whiff of nectar rattles her small thoughts. Was that considered a good sign? Or did that smell accompany all flowers, and didn’t say whether or not it was worth it?

She swoops by a bouncing buttercup. Its gentle coaxing promises sweet and plentiful nectar.
“Please come! Please come!”

Gradually, the pleas subside as she cruises above the land and heads further away from the hive. The ideal flower permeates her thoughts– consumes and intoxicates her with large lofty petals, dripping nectar, and golden pollen. It is the only solution. The idea of such a flower sends a flood of ecstasy throughout her. She could not come to the hive empty-handed………

FIRST PLACE  |  ELEMENTARY
Ian Quinlan FOX – An Unusual Summer Tradition – was in 5th grade at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School.

Excerpt from the story
…….. Sorry, let me back up and introduce myself. My name is Finn Gonzales and I am 12 years old. I have a twin sister named Angelina. My mom and dad are engineers for the government, which I have never liked for several reasons. First, it just sounds boring. Second, I never get to see them because they are so busy! Finally, even though I live in a nice house, we have never gone on a single vacation. Whenever I bring up the subject, my mom mutters something under her breath such as “It’s not safe,” and changes the subject. I’ve always assumed this has something to do with her government job.

I didn’t know why, but this summer was different! We were going to London, on our first vacation ever………

FIRST PLACE  |  MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mia PEHLIVANLAR – Life as Such – was in 7th grade at George Washington Carver Middle School.

Excerpt from the story
Stories shape the world around us.
We repeat the same ones over and over, reminiscent smiles on our faces, or tears leaking from our eyes
Either way, tales of the ones before us influence our everyday lives ……

It began with an infant
Brought into the world on a tidal wave of tears, …….

Now I am an old lady
Sitting in a rocking chair with aching joints, facing two adults and a child
The family I built
My son looks up to me, full of admiration for the woman who raised him almost single handedly
I’ve never been prouder of anything or anyone
Wrinkles are etched into my face, but my eyes still hold the stars as I tell them my story

My story isn’t finished yet, but, at this point, I know the ending …….

FIRST PLACE  |  HIGH SCHOOL
Nicole NIXON – A Whole New World – was in 10th grade at Gulliver Preparatory School.

Excerpt from the story
…….. The next two days passed in a blur. London was ok, though I still wished we were at home. For the first day, we booked a tour on one of those red double decker buses that are so popular in London. That wasn’t very fun because it was really hard to get service with all the constant moving around and my parents kept interrupting to show me some landmark or another…..

All I remembered was tripping over something and falling into frigid water…

Somehow, I had been transported to another dimension where current technology didn’t exist. This was horrible. How could I survive without a phone?!……

It suddenly struck me how strange it was that everyone was talking to each other instead of going on their phones……..

I bit my lip as I realized my obsession with my phone had stopped me from actually talking to Collin, to Catherine, to Ally, to anyone for years…..

For the first time, this strange new dimension wasn’t a restriction but a whole new world, full of possibilities………

Congratulations to Nicole Nixon who published another story in the fall 2017, Fire Within you can find here on Amazon.