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2024 PBS KIDS Utah Annual Writers & Illustrators Contest

2024 Concurso de Escritores e Ilustradores de PBS Utah

We are pleased to announce our 2024 winners and would like to congratulate them on their accomplishments!

Thank you to everyone who submitted a story! PBS KIDS Utah celebrates all of the talented Utah children who entered this year’s contest. Submissions are now closed. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful stories. Return in March 2025 for the next contest. Enjoy reading this year's winning stories!

Providing Support for PBS

Kindergarten Winners

Book cover with friendly creature that looks like an octopus with rivers for arms, it is smiling

Listen to William reading "The Mystery of the Missing Water"

First Place

"The Mystery of the Missing Water"

by William

Read William's Story

Blue book cover with a blue and yellow butterfly

Second Place

"Glade the Selkie Mermaid"

by Zayda

Read Zayda's Story

Book cover on lined paper with inked drawing of 2 trees and 2 yellow flowers with blue water below

Listen to Mateo reading "The Adventures of Ryder the River Otter"

Third Place

"The Adventures of Ryder the River Otter"

by Mateo

Read Mateo's Story

Blue book cover with a large white cloud, on top of which the title Falling Down Raindrops! is written in black ink

Honorable Mention

"Falling Down Raindrops!"

by Ren

Read Ren's Story

White book cover with hand drawn blue skeleton and figure

Honorable Mention

"The Skeleton Made Friends"

by Simon

Read Simon's Story

First Grade Winners

White book cover with a bird and small blue figure and title, Watris Protects the Great Salt Lake

Listen to Griffin reading "Watris Protects the Great Salt Lake"

First Place

"Watris Protects the Great Salt Lake"

by Griffin

Read Griffin's Story

The Special Guest book cover with hand drawn sun, dolphins, turtle, birds, etc.

Listen to Alma reading "The Special Guest"

Second Place

"The Special Guest"

by Alma

Read Alma's Story

Book cover with 5 hand drawn raindrops

Listen to Luna reading "A Raindrop Family Adventure"

Third Place

"A Raindrop Family Adventure"

by Luna

Read Luna's Story

Second Grade Winners

Together We Rise book cover with colorful hand drawn creatures smiling in a river, mountain behind them and 5 birds playing nearby

Listen to Kaitlyn reading "Together We Rise"

First Place

"Together We Rise"

by Kaitlyn

Read Kaitlyn's Story

Yellow book cover for Paws for the Planet with two hand drawn dogs and a large blue planet

Listen to Gerard reading "Paws for the Planet"

Second Place

"Paws for the Planet"

by Gerard

Read Gerard's Story

Book cover for Water Warrior with 2 dolphins and a green turtle on water

Listen to Hadley reading "Sophie and the Water Warrior"

Third Place

"Sophie and the Water Warrior"

by Hadley

Read Hadley's Story

Pink book cover with a very large smiling raindrop who has a mouth shaped as a heart and is sitting atop a glob of the earth

Honorable Mention

"Little Drops of Kindness Everywhere"

by Victoria

Read Victoria's Story

Book cover for KEEP IT CLEAN with a red, pink, and purple scene with a sunset and three birds in the distance

Honorable Mention

"Keep it Clean"

by Ava

Read Ava's Story

Third Grade Winners

White book cover for The Quest For Water with a tree, a man, and a body of blue water

First Place

"The Quest for Water"

by Athan

Read Athan's Story

Purple and blue book cover for Joy and The Weird Fish Looking Thing with a cute smiling animal in the center

Listen to Joy reading "Joy and the Weird fish Looking Thing"

Second Place

"Joy and the Weird Fish Looking Thing"

by Maeve

Read Maeve's Story

Book cover for The Hidden Bear Adventure with a skiing family hand drawn in the center

Listen to Lily reading "The Hidden Bear Adventure"

Third Place

"The Hidden Bear Adventure"

by Lily

Read Lily's Story

Book cover the The Exploring Mermaid on white paper with a cute colorful drawing in the middle of a mermaid, rainbow, and some other objects

Honorable Mention

"The Exploring Mermaid"

by Michaela

Read Michaela's Story

Book cover on white paper for The Cycle of Water with a large blue raindrop with big eyes and wide smile

Honorable Mention

"The Cycle of Water"

by Louisa

Read Louisa's Story

Fourth Grade Winners

Book cover for The Eternal Dance on white paper with a smiling earth and rain drop holding hands

Listen to Evelyn reading "The Eternal Dance"

First Place

"The Eternal Dance"

by Evelyn

Read Evelyn's Story

Book cover for The Little Cloud with blue hand drawn background with a white cloud, yellow sun, and skinny flowers

Listen to Samantha reading "The Little Cloud"

Second Place

"The Little Cloud"

by Samantha

Read Samantha's Story

Book cover for Polly and the Pollution Solution and a hand drawn forest, bridge and trail

Listen to Elizabeth reading "Polly and the Pollution Solution"

Third Place

"Polly and the Pollution Solution"

by Elizabeth

Read Elizabeth's Story

Book cover for Water It Brings Life by Zoey with a red hand drawn umbrella below it

Listen to Zoey reading "Water, it Brings Life"

Honorable Mention

"Water, it Brings Life"

by Zoey

Read Zoey's Story

Book cover for The Rainbow Shell with a shell of many colors, sand and a blue sky

Honorable Mention

"The Rainbow Shell"

by James

Read James' Story

Book cover for Learning with a steep mountain with a figure wearing orange

Honorable Mention

"Learning"

by Benny

Read Benny's Story

Fifth Grade Winners

Hand drawn image of three unhappy dogs with collars standing in from of 3 water bowls, each with their name on it

Listen to Natalie reading "The Water Problem"

First Place

"The Water Problem"

by Natalie

Read Natalie's Story

A hand drawn orange and black striped fish in the deep ocean

Listen to Liam reading "Man and Cloud"

Second Place

"Man and Cloud"

by Liam

Read Liam's Story

Two colorful hand drawn houses along a black road with a sun shining in the sky

Listen to Leila reading "La Gran Escasez de Agua"

Third Place

"La Gran Escasez de Agua"

by Leila

Read Leila's Story

A hand drawn smiling orange brine shrimp with a black cape and a bony looking thing next to it

Honorable Mention

"Sheldon the Shrimp Saves the Great Salt Lake"

by Addy

Read Addy's Story

Colorful drawing of two cats looking towards a small house with a red roof

Honorable Mention

"The Cataclysm"

by Keralee

Read Keralee's Story

A colorful swirling circle surrounded by solid black

Honorable Mention

"The Mysterious Pipe"

by Laila

Read Laila's Story

Sixth Grade Winners

A hand drawn and colorful red octopus holding an empty plastic bottle and a silver can, garbage is floating nearby

First Place

"Olly the Octopus Ocean Cleanup"

by Everett

Read Everett's Story

Colorful book title with decorative items surrounding it

Second Place

"Elle and the Leaking Kiddie Pool"

by Hannah

Read Hannah's Story

A hand drawn green haired mermaid wearing purple, a purple octopus, in the ocean, along with a rainbow and pink sky

Third Place

"Serena's Magical Journey"

by Isla

Read Isla's Story

A hand drawn crying moon with tear falling through stars, and purple, white and yellow clouds

Honorable Mention

"Tears of the Moon"

by Ilanka

Read Ilanks's Story