Meet Our 2026 Writers Contest Winners
Open to students in kindergarten through fifth grade, stories were judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of illustrations.
This year was the 31st year of the writing contest.
KINDERGARTEN
FIRST PLACE
Vita Jewel Haney
"The Butterfly Opera"
Homeschool, Cape Charles
SECOND PLACE
Maisie Machelle
"Unicorn & Reindeer"
Kiln Creek Elementary, Newport News
FIRST GRADE
FIRST PLACE
Kathryn Diefenderfer
"The Lighthouse"
Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk
SECOND PLACE
Taggart Sletten
"The Penguin That Wanted to Fly!"
Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk
SECOND GRADE
FIRST PLACE
Ida Leffler
"Aliens Wear Onesies"
Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk
SECOND PLACE
Stella Epstein
"The Four Pigs and the Magic PJs"
Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk
THIRD GRADE
FIRST PLACE
Alex Kaloydis
"The Woolly Mammoth Who Believed He Could Swim"
North Landing Elementary, Virginia Beach
SECOND PLACE
Gray Niles
"The Case of the Stolen Balls"
Homeschool, Norfolk
FOURTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE
Sarah Hagerty
"The Great Garden Escape"
Larchmont Elementary, Norfolk
SECOND PLACE-tie
Emily Hatton
"The Toothfairy Who Never Took My Tooth"
Hillpoint Elementary, Suffolk
SECOND PLACE-tie
Kevin Rische
"The Revolutionary War Gingerbread Style"
Magruder Elementary, York County Schools
FIFTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE
Isabel Drake
"The Blue Blobfish"
Magruder Elementary, York County Schools
SECOND PLACE
Meg Broughton
"Claire's Kindness"
Oak Tree Academy, Chesapeake
OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL WINNERS
GRADES K-1
Lucas Newmyer, First Grade
"Alligator Protects the Pool"
Norfolk Christian Beach Campus, Virginia Beach
GRADES 2-3
Siena BenYishay- Sapalio, Second Grade
"Annabeth's Discovery"
Homeschool, Williamsburg
GRADES 4-5
Sarah Young, Fourth Grade
"Amaya's Recycled Robot"
Hampton Roads Academy, Newport News
The PBS KIDS Writers Contest is part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers and is funded in part by a Ready To Learn grant, in a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The contents of these contest rules were developed under a grant, #PRU295B050003, from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.