D202 Students Earn Top Prizes In Library Short Story Contest

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield School District 202 students earned top prizes at Plainfield Public Library's 20th-annual Short Story Contest.

The contest, open to students in grades fourth through sixth, requires participants to write an original story between 500 to 650 words. This year, the library received 48 entries, and first through third place winners in each grade category came from District 202, district officials announced.

Students from 16 District 202 schools and other area schools submitted entries to be judged as part of this year's contest.

Author Jasmine Warga, who wrote the 2022 Bluestem and Caudill-nominated "Other Words for Home," judged this year's contest. Authors Chris Rylander and Celia C. Perez, who previously judged the contest, joined Warga to present an author panel, officials said.

The following students won prizes for their work, listed here.

4th grade

• First place: "The Tale of Cancerzilla" by Nala Panozzo (Lincoln Elementary School)
• Second place: "Skiing at Cascade Mountain" by May Nguyen (Eichelberger Elementary School)
• Third place: "Who Did It?" by Grayson Orr (Liberty Elementary School)

5th grade

• First place: "Diary of a Shelter Cat" by Tessa McCune by (Lincoln Elementary School)
• Second place: "My Voice" by Hope McSteen (Lincoln Elementary School)
• Third place: "The Mystery Behind the Walls" by Sidney Gargano (Freedom Elementary School)

6th place

• First place: "Memories" by Skylyn Worden (Ira Jones Middle School)
• Second place: "Mia's Revenge" by Mayeli Leon (Indian Trail Middle School)
• Third place: "Caged Bird Awaits to Fly" by Savni Gadgil (Ira Jones Middle School)