2012 Wild About Books Winners Announced!

       

This summer the Arne Nixon Center came together with local television station Channel 47, A Book Barn Bookstore in Clovis, All Signs Printing, and Petunia’s Place Bookstore for Children to present a writing and illustration contest for young people. The contest, Wild About Books, encouraged students from third to twelfth grades to creatively express themselves through writing and illustration. Channel 47’s Zara Arboleda and Jenny Toste drove home the message by hosting local authors on their early morning show, several of which had begun their own writing careers inspired by such contests.  Doug Hansen, Bonnie Hearn Hill, Michael Elsohn Ross, Dorina Lazo Gilmore, and Joan Schoettler were some of the children’s authors that appeared every Thursday morning throughout May and June. President Welty also lent his support by taping a public service announcement with Arboleda which aired until the contest’s entry deadline on July 1^st.

The contest consisted of four categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and illustration, with all submissions required to contain a reference to books. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winning entrants at a celebration to be held in early December.  In addition to the prizes, Linden Publishing has generously offered to publish an anthology of the winning pieces which will be given to each winner. Additional anthologies will be for sale, with the proceeds going towards next year’s contest prizes. Listed below are the winners in all divisions and categories. Grand prize winners will be announced.

  

Congratulations!

Division A: Grades 3-5

Fiction
1^st Prize                              “Stegy Goes to the Fresno State Library”, by Sammy Iliff
Honorable Mention             "’Secret’" Reading in my Dollhouse”,  by Katie Boyles
Honorable Mention             “Duke the Very Special Dog”, by Elyse Brewer      
Non-Fiction
1^st Prize         “Why I Love the Baseball Card Adventure Series”, by Quaid Copher
Poetry
1^st Prize                                      “Caught”, by Zeke Fuller
Illustration
1^st Prize                                      The Floating Castles, by Malcolm Church
 Honorable Mention      The Sea Monster of the Ocean of Flying Fishes, by Hazel Koh
 Honorable Mention              Adventure Time, by Kaden Johnson 

Division B: Grades 6-8 

Fiction    

1^st Prize                                      “Codexia”, by Maya Vannin

 Honorable Mention               “The Wolves Before Time”, by Tessa Nelson

Honorable Mention              “Ella's Adventures in Wonderland”, by Ragon Nichols 

Non-Fiction 

1^st Prize                        “That's What Best Friends Are For”, by Gwyneth Phagnasay Le

Honorable Mention              “Revolutionary National Holiday”’, by Simon Cao 

Poetry 

1^st Prize                                     “Wild About Books”, by J. J. Sutton

Honorable Mention                           “In Time”, by Bret Moran

Honorable Mention                  “The Hidden Beast”, by Serena Tang 

Illustration 

1^st Prize                                      Fireworks at Dusk, by Tyra Holly

Honorable Mention                    Smaug, by Ezekiel J. Benavides

Honorable Mention              The Wolves Before Time, by Tessa Nelson

Division C: Grades 9-12

Fiction  

1^st Prize                                      “Charlie's Portal”’  by Valerie Campos         
Honorable Mention              “The Hypocritical Antics of Mr. Smothers”, by Graeme Merrow
Honorable Mention              “The Book Jumper”, by Jessica Rinehart
Non-Fiction
1^st Prize                              “My Journey to the River Sea”, by Madelyn Knutson
Honorable Mention                “Manifesting Destiny”, by Natasha Velaquez
Honorable Mention                     “Swift's Proposal”, by William Tang
Poetry
1^st Prize                               “Book Lover  An Acrostic Poem”, by Claire Copher
Honorable Mention                    “The Reality”, by Andrew W. Hollender
Honorable Mention                     “My Strange Dreams”, by William Tang
Illustration
1^st Prize                                            Hungry Dog, by Treshon Holly