The judges have made their final decisions. Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 PBS Kids Writers Contest! We received a lot of great stories this year!
Over the weekend, the winners and their families enjoyed an awards celebration at WHRO Public Media. The awards program will air on WHRO TV 15 on June 26.
Meet the winners below.
| 1st Place Kindergarten Vita Jewel Haney- Homeschool, Cape Charles "The Butterfly Opera" |
| 2nd Place Kindergarten Maisie Machelle Kiln Creek Elementary, Newport News "Unicorn & Reindeer" |
| 1st Place First Grade Kathryn Diefenderfer Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk "The Lighthouse" |
| 2nd Place First Grade Taggart Sletten Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk "The Penguin That Wanted to Fly!" |
| 1st Place Second Grade Ida Leffler Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk "Aliens Wear Onesies" |
| 2nd Place Second Grade Stella Epstein Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk "The Four Pigs and the Magic PJs" |
| 1st Place Third Grade Alex Kaloydis North Landing Elementary, Virginia Beach "The Woolly Mammoth Who Believed He Could Swim" |
| 2nd Place Third Grade Gray Niles Homeschool, Norfolk "The Case of the Stolen Balls" |
| 1st Place Fourth Grade Sarah Hagerty Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk "The Great Garden Escape" |
| 2nd Place (tie) Fourth Grade Emily Hatton Hillpoint Elementary, Suffolk "The Toothfairy Who Never Took My Tooth" |
| 2nd Place (tie) Fourth Grade Kevin Rische Magruder Elementary, York County Schools "The Revolutionary War Gingerbread Style" |
| 1st Place Fifth Grade Isabel Drake Magruder Elementary, York County Schools "The Blue Blobfish" |
| 2nd Place Fifth Grade Meg Broughton Oak Tree Academy, Chesapeake "Claire's Kindness" |
| Environmental, Grade K-1 Lucas Newmyer, First Grade Norfolk Christian Beach Campus, Virginia Beach "Alligator Protects the Pool" |
| Environmental, Grade 2-3 Siena BenYishay- Sapalio, Second Grade Homeschool, Williamsburg "Annabeth's Discovery" |
| Environmental, Grade 4-5 Sarah Young, Fourth Grade Hampton Roads Academy, Newport News "Amaya's Recycled Robot" |
Congratulations to all of the winners!
WHRO is proudly owned by the 21 school divisions in the southeastern Virginia region.
Learn more about the competitions and many educational resources that WHRO Public Media provides to educators and families.