The Traveler Contest Winners

We are pleased to announce the One City One Story 2017 “The Traveler” Art and Writing Contest winners!

The winning entries were honored during an award ceremony followed by a reception on March 18, 2017. The winning entries are currently displayed at Central Library in the Great Hall, and will remain in exhibit for the next month. Drop by the library and see for yourself!

We will feature the contest winners in upcoming issues of Off the Shelf, the library’s monthly newsletter, and teen participants will also be feature in the Fall 2017 issue of the Teen Zine.

Thank you to our participants!

Writing Contest

This year’s contest challenged kid and teen writers to share a story about traveling or travelers. Thank you to the writing contest judges: Tiffany Duenas, Jean Penn, McKenna Blackshire, Madison Comick, Haneen Eltaib, and Maya Wong.

A first, second, and third place winners were selected for three categories. The elementary school category accepted entries from 3-5th graders; the middle school category was for 6-8th graders; the high school category was for 9-12th graders.

Elementary School Category

1st place, Elementary School category

Celeste Raynaud, Grade 5, McKinley School

“Tick-Tock Castle Time”

Summary: Booky finds a mysterious watch that transports her and her friends to 18th century France. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

2nd place, Elementary School category

Kayla Su, Grade 4, Sky Mountain Charter School

“Azlender’s Travel Adventure”

Summary: Tired of his boring life in Avenlee, Azlender sets off on an adventure in the woods. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

3rd place, Elementary School category

Evelyn Chen, Grade 5, Eugene Field Elementary School

“Trappist-1”

Summary: Seven new planets were discovered outside our solar system, and they are populated with inhabitants. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

Middle School Category

1st place, Middle School category

Simone Nguyen, Grade 8, Blair Middle School

“Goodbye Vietnam”

Summary: The narrator recalls his or her family’s journey over the sea as they emigrate from Vietnam to Thailand. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

2nd place, Middle School category

Rhea Calva-Despard, Grade 7, Blair Middle School

“Home”

Summary: A thirteen year old with ARMS disease recalls the difficulty and pleasures of traveling—both for fun and for treatments. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

3rd place, Middle School category

Ian Macklin Sims, Grade 7, Blair Middle School

“Little Black Me – From Africa to America”

Summary: A true poem written from the perspective of a young black male who feels as though he is left unappreciated. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

High School Category

1st place, High School category

Teresa Fundter, Grade 9, La Canada High School

“Blue Eyes”

Summary: The narrator recalls a haunting memory of travels in Syria and the moment a bomb is detonated. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

2nd place, High School category

Sally Ho, Grade 9, Arcadia High School

“Dreams of a Refugee”

Summary: A family flees their hometown after the destruction during the Syrian Civil War. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

3rd place, High School category

Alaina Joby, Grade 9, Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School

“The Ghost of Theodore Bushnell”

Summary: Catherine and Mandy stay at an old church rumored to be haunted. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

Art Contest

This year’s art contest, like the writing contest, challenged kid and teen artists to explore the theme of traveling or travelers. Thank you to the art contest judges: Mark Cedeno, Marie Plug, Shauna Redmond, and Tara Smith.