Jefferson Elementary School fifth-grade students Jaxson Wiltse and Brady Folk were all smiles when they learned the short stories they had written were chosen as winners in the 19th annual Reading Reptile young writers contest in Kansas City.
The Reading Reptile is presented in association with Johnson County Library and the Kansas City Public Library.
Wiltse’s short story “Scream” followed him on an adventure at Worlds of Fun.
“I told my family I wasn’t going to scream when we went on the Prowler roller coaster. Didn’t happen. I screamed so loud they could have heard me in Alaska,” Wiltse said.
Folk’s story is a fantasy about “Cletus, the Warlock Chicken.”
In the story Cletus tries to stop Mrs. Pickens from eating his brother chickens.
Nationally published children’s book authors and illustrators, including Lisa Campbell Ernst, Brad Sneed, Jenny Whitehead, Pete Whitehead, Bob Kolar, Dana Regan, Shane Evans and Laura Huliska-Beith, read through hundreds of stories submitted by students ages 5 to 12.
The stories written by Wiltse and Folk were read at the reception on Friday at the Plaza Library in Kansas City, Mo., by one of the authors. An illustration of their stories by one of the authors will be presented to each young author.
Julie Strickler, Jefferson fifth-grade teacher, accompanied the students to the reception.
