District 202 students earned top honors in the Plainfield Area Public Library’s 24th annual Short Story Contest.
The Short Story Contest was open to students in grades 4 through 6. Students wrote an original story, ranging from 500 to 650 words. The contest ran from December 2025 to February 15, 2026.
The library received 65 entries from District 202 and other area schools.
Author Keir Graff judged this year’s contest. Graff is the author of 15 books for adults and children. He collaborates with author James Patterson on middle school mysteries, including “The Double Trouble Puzzle” and “The Poison Puzzle.” He also wrote “The Phantom Tower,” and “The Matchstick Castle.”
Graff announced the winners on March 28, 2026, after he spoke to all those who submitted stories.
Winning stories will be published in the library Short Story Journal for Grades 4, 5, 6.
The winning District 202 students, and their stories, are:
4th Grade
1st: “Surviving Dimension X” by Taj Samra (Walker’s Grove Elementary School)
2nd: “Finding Everest” by Elizabeth Trpeski (Wesmere Elementary School)
5th Grade
1st: “The Mountain Lair” by Kennedy McKenna (River View Elementary School)
2nd: “Johnny’s Golden Hour” by Savannah Shamblin (Walker’s Grove Elementary School)
3rd: “The Lake” by Sophie Brunswick (River View Elementary School)
6th Grade
1st: “I Was Always There” by Lily Crego (Timber Ridge Middle School)
2nd: “Curse of the Witch’s Locket” by Alayna Basara (Ira Jones Middle School)
3rd: “House of Horror” by Karlee Madden (John F. Kennedy Middle School)