2024 Summer Writing Contest Winners

August 20, 2024 - A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our first Summer Writing Contest! This year’s theme, in line with our Summer Reading Program, was “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” and we had a blast reading all of your adventurous submissions!

Congratulations to our winners:

• Annabelle Fry
• Ethan Miller
• Gypsy Martin

Be sure to check out their stories below and keep your pens ready, we’ll be opening submissions for our Scary Story Contest in September!

The Secret Gym by Annabelle Fry

One day Jema woke up feeling worried. She had a gymnastics tournament coming up but her gym had been closed for termites! Jema has long brown hair that she usually wears in a bun. She went down the stairs and got her self some cereal. Jema was always the first one awake so she had to be quiet. 

When Jemas mom woke up she asked if she could go to the library, "sure" said her mom. So Jema walked over to the library. 

When she was looking for a travel book about Amsterdam she saw this hole in the wall! So she looked inside but she saw complete darkness. She looked around no one else saw the hole. 

Jema keeped looking but before she knew it she was falling through! When she stopped falling (and screaming), what she saw was a under ground gym! "Now this is cool!" she said while nodding her head. She got on the beam with a flip and started to do her routine. Before she even noticed it... It was 2:30!

"I got to get home!" she said.

She checked out her book, but before she got out the door, she relised no one else could see the tunnel! When she got back home her little brother Garth had been playing video games. "No surprise there," she mumbled. 

She went upstairs and found her mom doing laundrey. Jema explained everything. 

"Wow!" her mom finally said. 

The next day Jema got up at 5:30 to get ready. When her family woke up and was ready they left! When they got there and were checked they went in the gym. 4 of Jemas teammates were already there! When everyone was ready, they started. After they did beam, floor, and bar it was vault and Jema was doing it! She did the Biles 2 and a flip, she stuck it! She looked over at her score and she had gotten a perfect 10! 

"DID I DO THAT!" She said.

She went up to get her first place medal, she was so proud of herself! 

THE END

The Book of Lost Treasure by Ethan Miller

Sarah often took evening strolls in the serene park near her apartment, seeking solace under the midday sun after long workdays. On one such walk, a peculiar encounter altered her routine. Passing a secluded bench shaded by an ancient oak, a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Excuse me, miss," a deep voice echoed, halting Sarah in her tracks. She turned to find a tall man in a long coat and a wide-brimmed hat, his face obscured.

"Yes?" Sarah responded cautiously, unsure of what he might want. The stranger extended a hand, offering a weathered book bound in faded leather. "I believe this belongs to you," he said cryptically.

Perplexed, Sarah accepted the heavy tome adorned with intricate designs and the title "Lost Treasure" embossed on its cover. Before she could inquire further, the mysterious man vanished into the park's shadows, leaving Sarah with more questions than answers.

Intrigued, she opened the book to find meticulously handwritten pages detailing tales of lost treasures from around the world—pirate hoards on remote islands, ancient artifacts hidden in forgotten tombs, and riches sought by generations of explorers. Each story spoke of daring quests, overcoming challenges, and the allure of the unknown.

As Sarah delved deeper, she discovered cryptic clues woven among the narratives—directions to familiar landmarks from her childhood hikes and riddles hinting at places she knew well. Could the book be guiding her to a real treasure?

Unable to resist the call, Sarah embarked on a journey fueled by curiosity and the promise of adventure.

Armed with the book and an old map, she followed the clues, deciphered the riddles, and forged unexpected alliances with fellow seekers drawn by the book's enigmatic allure.

Days turned into weeks as Sarah navigated treacherous terrain and faced challenges that tested her resolve. Yet, with each obstacle overcome, she felt closer to unraveling the mystery hidden within the ancient pages.

Finally, one crisp morning beneath a rugged cliff, Sarah unearthed a hidden chest nestled in a cave—a discovery that mirrored the book's vivid descriptions. With trembling hands, she opened it to reveal treasures of antiquity—gleaming artifacts and jewels that whispered tales of ages past.

But beyond the riches lay Sarah's true prize—the transformative journey itself. In pursuing the lost treasure, she had found not only ancient wealth but also a deeper understanding of herself and the world around her. The mysterious stranger and his gift had set her on a path that rewrote her destiny, proving that sometimes, the greatest treasures lie not in what we find, but in the journey that leads us there. And so, as the sun rose over the rugged landscape, Sarah stood amidst echoes of history, embracing the profound impact of the book "Lost Treasure" and the extraordinary adventure it had bestowed upon her.

Something Old, Something New by Gypsy Martin

The Shady Pines shuttle bus came to a stop at the curb in front of the library. "All right, everybody," said Brooke, their activities director, "meet back here in an hour."

June signed. She'd already picked out and reserved a book. She'd prefer to take it right home to read. 

"That's one hour, ladies and gentlemen," rang a shrill voice from the back of the bus. "The slow and infirm should start back sooner. Last week somebody made me late for my shows."

The man next to June slumped in his seat. "Nobody else minded, Andy," said June. She snuck a glance back at Dolores Hilger - fully lipsticked, coiffed, perfumed, and powdered, as always, "Just ignore her." 

June did her best to follow her own advice, tuning out Dolores's litany of complaints about the overly friendly library staff, the unpleasant book smell, and the noisy children. June picked up Ruff Justice, the latest in a mystery series featuring a crime-solving Boston Terrier. She read lots of books with animals in them these days, ever since she and John had moved into Shady Pines without their cats, Wooster and Jeeves. John's health had declined quickly, and now June found herself living in a new place with no pets and no husband, wondering how she'd gotten there. 

June took her book and headed downstairs. The floor looked empty, but she heard a faint sound. Mewing? Following it, she came upon a door she'd never noticed before. June paused and listened.

"Meow!" 

She opened the door.

A stairway receded into darkness. June took a firm hold of the handrail and went down. At the bottom stretched a tunnel, dimly illuminated by a warm light at its end. A gray kitten was trotting towards the light, and June followed. 

Upon reaching the kitten, June scooped him up. "Hello, there!" She laughed with delight as the kitten licked her hand. But then - footsteps! 

Looking around, June noticed the source of the light for the first time. A lighted transparent box lay on the ground. It contained a sinewy man with a craggy, distinguished face and full head of long white hair. A plaque on the box read ONE KISS AND I'M YOURS.

He would certainly make a splash at Shady Pines, June thought, but she had already determined to make a home with the kitten elsewhere. 

The approaching footsteps had been Dolores Hilger's. Dolores swiftly took in the scene and badly misread it.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Dolores shoved June aside and dove for the box. She wrenched the lid off and planted a kiss on the sleeper's lips. He awoke, fixed eyes on Dolores, and groaned. 

"Get me off the floor, my hip is killing me. What's for supper? Nothing that makes me gassy, I hope."

Dolores's face paled. 

June laughed. "He can have a seat on the bus. You've got forty-five minutes to get him there," she said. The kitten purred in her arms as she walked away. "Don't be late."