Kansas City PBS Kids Writers Contest Winners
To promote children's literacy and encourage young authors to spread their creative wings, each year KCPBS invites young authors and illustrators in K-3rd grades to submit their best stories and illustrations to the KCPBS Kids Writers Contest.
Our 2021 winners took us to places near, far and imaginary with unforgettable characters including dragons, a lava beast and a very curious cat. Read the winning stories below!
2021 Winners
Kindergarten
1st Place - Daniel and the Lava Beast by Charlie Sloey
2nd Place - Kenneth the Brave by Caleb Toston
3rd Place - Ava's Art Project by Avalon Garrett
1st Grade
1st Place - Springtime at Big Star Farm by Maya Kopfman
2nd Place - The Adventures of Vinerina by Leila Yap
3rd Place - The Three Dragons by Hudson Anthis
2nd Grade
1st Place - The Sick Man by Aaidah Jallu
2nd Place - Little Red Robin Hood Saves the Flowers by Sydney Louise Smith
3rd Place - Captain and His Crew Save the Day by Joseph Buttig
3rd Grade
1st Place - The Craziest Vacation Ever by Anna Aboudara
2nd Place - The Lucky Bottlecap by Jennicka Klepac
3rd Place - Cassidy the Curious Cat by Mary Knopke
Previous Year's Contest Winners
2020 Winners
Kindergarten
1st Place - Billy Blacksuit the Believer by Aiden Emily
2nd Place - Baby Bunny Meets Baby Giraffe by Elliott Cameron
3rd Place - The Horses and the Unicorn by Leila Yap
1st Grade
1st Place - The Adventures of Mr. Peanut by Johnny Vogtner
2nd Place - Coronavirus by Nyala Starr
3rd Place - Lydia's Funniest Adventure by Lydia Sevits
2nd Grade
1st Place - Finding My Pet by Alicia Grigsby
2nd Place - Food Fight by Mirabel McGhee
3rd Place - The Enchanting Horse Tale by Felicity Buttig
3rd Grade
1st Place - The KC Brothers by Griffin Strate
2nd Place - Penny Panda Prevents a Pandemic by Jaime Stone
3rd Place - The Treasure of Gold by Lillian Holthus
2016 Winners
Kindergarten
1st – “Fearless Freddy Goes to the Jungle” by Varenya Kale
2nd – “The Tooth Fairy’s Mistake” by Sylvie Ruff
3rd – “The Disco Party Wig” by Terrance King
First Grade
1st –“Hee-Ho Of Course Yo” by Helena Mattes
2nd – “The Bedtime Book” by Madeline Newell
3rd – “Alisa’s Great Plan” by Kate Unruh
Second Grade
1st – “Stewart: The Brave Page” by Owen Sime
2nd – “How Cool Is That!!” by Ayanna Jain
3rd – “Blue Trees?” by Bailey Scott
Third Grade
1st – “My Tricky Pet” by Cadence Cook
2nd – “The Adventures of Super E and Blue Boy” by Eleanor Leslie
3rd – “My Adventures in the Non-Fiction Section” by Elizabeth Newell
2015 Winners
Kindergarten
1st – “No Dogs” by Madeline Newell
2nd – “The Skeletons and the Castle” by Ian Brewer
3rd – “The Goose” by William Silvia
First Grade
1st –“Dr. Electric’s Invention” by Jayla Walker
2nd – “The Ice Dragon” by Owen Sime
3rd – “Wooppy the Dog” by Ayanna Jain
Honorable Mention – “Meercats in Paris” by Sophia Brockmeier
Second Grade
1st – “Goggle Girl and the Missing Unishark” by Eleanor Leslie
2nd – “The Itsy-bitsy Ladybug” by Ishya Bhavsar
3rd – “Moo Is Rude” by Finley Blakenship
Third Grade
1st – “The Dragon and the Unicorn,” by Emily Brewer
2nd – “My Life as a Soccer Ball” by Ronan Siegel
3rd – “Becoming Friends” by Noah Stanton