TCCL News & Press

More than 600 children and teens entered Tulsa City-County Library’s 2008 Young People’s Creative Writing Contest, and 570 entries were received.

The library will reward the young aspiring writers for their hard work at an awards ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue. Louis Sachar, author of “Holes” and winner of the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2008 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature, will hand out the awards. Sachar also will speak about his life and works, and sign books. The awards ceremony is free and open to the public.

The Tulsa Library Trust, Tulsa City-County Library, Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries, KWGS Public Radio 89.5 and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust co-sponsor the Young People’s Creative Writing Contest.

KWGS will invite some of the winners from the informal essay and poetry categories to record their works for broadcast, and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust will produce and present some of the winning plays. Contest winners will receive $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third. Winners of the 2008 Young People’s

Creative Writing Contest are:

Poetry, ages 10-11: Rebekka Koop, “The Oklahoma Ice Storm,” first place; Jared Robertson, “Nothing,” second place; Rachel Dougherty, “Nature,” third place. Ages 12-13: Will Booker, “Friendship,” first place; Marina Pendleton, “Mystery Love,” second place; Rachael Smith, “Who,” third place. Ages 14-15: Matt Crawford, “Ode to the Red Hand,” first place; Kathryne Hall, “The Player,” second place; Quinn Fields, “Masquerade,” third place. Ages 16-18: Amelia Williamson, “Blackberries Leaning to Rot,” first place; Kaitlan Melone, “You Are the Brooding Boy,” second place; Katherine Wenzell, “Sentinel,” third place.

Short story, ages 10-11: Hailey Hatter, “Wolfdog Sruffy,” first place; Fletcher Lowe, “Space Armada,” second place; Jared Robertson, “Nokosi’s Conflict,” third place. Ages 12-13: Ana Pearson, “The Quest of Prince Frederick the Angelical,” first place; Will Hedgecock, “The Great Music Machine,” second place; Nick Weaver, “Reflections,” third place. Ages 14-15: Yuliya Shyrokonis, “The Wishing Ring,” first place; William Rich, “7:45 am,” second place; Kathryne Hall, “The Revenge of the Trees,” third place. Ages 16-18: Jennifer Shinn, “Elmo,” first place; Allex Wolfe, “Chaya,” second place; Laura Crockett, “Drowning in her Nightmares,” third place.

Informal essay, ages 10-11: Nathan Hinkle, “The Peanuts,” first place; Niharika Gunturu, “Recycling Plastic,” second place; Marissa Menge, “How to Make Healthier Choices,” third place. Ages 12-13: Jessica Shenoi, “An ‘Unforgettable’ Day,” first place; Lexi Harris, “My Worst SVT Attack,” second place; Kaylee Gentry, “The Old Lego Trick,” third place. Ages 14-15: Jenny Carmichael, “This I Believe,” first place; Victoria Dill, “Amazing Grace,” second place; Emily Hedgecock, “Someone Else’s Life,” third place. Ages 16-18: Laura Crockett, “Nature’s Road Less Traveled,” first place; Kaytee Twiss, “At Any Cost,” second place; Lydeah Hong, “Believe in Your Dreams,” third place.

One-act play, ages 10-11: Johnny Crater, “Monsters & Redemption,” first place; Madeline Isaacs, “Aquakitsca,” second place; Nathan Hinkle, “The Battlefront,” third place. Ages 12-13: Luke Thompson, “Trial Period,” first place; Vicki Benedek, “The Heiress of Embarrass,” second place; Morgan Edwards, “The Book,” third place. Ages 14-15: Emily Hedgecock, “The English Waltz,” first place; Beth Casey, “Always Shall I Remember,” second place; Savannah Slaven, “Sadie and the Mystery at Rocky Point,” third place. Ages 16-18: not enough entries for judging.

For more information about the Young People’s Creative Writing Contest, click on http://teens.tulsalibrary.org or call 596-1638.