Writing Contest Winners Attend Workshop With Jack Gantos

Jack Gantos signs books for Leland and Dailyn

Fourteen local middle school students were recently honored by the Writing Radar Youth Writing Contest. Sponsored by the Eastern Shore Regional Library, the contest received entries from six and seventh graders throughout the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The students were asked to write a personal essay about a strange, exciting, or funny experience in their own lives. The winners were invited to attend an exclusive writing workshop with Jack Gantos, the award-winning author of many books for children and young adults. Grady Adkins, Dailyn Ballard, Hayley Burnside, Elijah Cockey, Leland Courie, Levi Divjak, Kalei Durando, Skye Hendrix, Makayla Newcomb, Annie Phillips, Brianna Quillen, Gianluca Secondi, and Cecelia Tolson all submitted winning entries. 

Eleven of the winners were able to attend the workshop on May 19, 2018, at the Talbot County Free Library, where Mr. Gantos talked about how to set up a journal and mine their own lives for great story ideas. The students each received a signed copy of Gantos’s new book, Writing Radar: Using Your Journal To Snoop Out and Craft Great Stories. 

The students and their families were excited to participate in the event. “Elijah appreciates the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet one of his heroes, Jack Gantos,” said Amber Cockey, parent of one of the winners. “This was a dream come true!”