Story Table Essay Contest Winners 2022

In Fall 2022, Planet Word asked the young people of the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) which new book we should add to our magical Library. Two winning books will be added to the Story Table interactive in the Schwarzman Family Library, and the winning essay writers will be invited to help record the audio interview that forms the basis of the interactive experience in the gallery.

Thank you to all the young readers and writers who participated in Planet Word’s first-ever youth essay contest!

pablocartaya.com

Special Guest Judge

Pablo Cartaya

Internationally acclaimed author, screenwriter, speaker, and educator Pablo Cartaya served as the special guest judge for the contest. Pablo has worked with Disney, Apple+, and Sesame Street on projects adapted from television series and features and in 2021, he served as a judge for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature. His most recent novels include: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, Each Tiny Spark, and the climate dystopia The Last Beekeeper. Pablo has won several awards and honors, including: Jane Addams Book Award Finalist; Schneider Family Book Award Honor; Pura Belpre Honor; E.B. White Read-Aloud Finalist; Audie Award Finalist (for narration and title). He is proudly bilingual en español y ingles.

Winning Essayists

Winner, Middle School Category

Nina, age 11

Maret School

Advocating for: Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee

Read the essay

Pablo says:

This essay gives the reader a clear picture of why the book is important to the essayist and why it should matter to others. I was especially impressed with the author’s ability to show how “this book may speak to other people who have had to leave their home or find a safer place to live during war” and how it “led me to research my family’s history and the history of others.” This, and the grammatical proficiency and excellent sentences, made this essay an excellent read. Bravo all around!

Winner, High School Category

Pranav, age 14

Independence High School

Advocating for: Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

Read the essay

Pablo says:

This essay draws similarities between the novel’s protagonist and the essayist’s own life and gives a clear-eyed picture of why this book is important to them. I found the specifics of the essayist’s struggles with their own culture to be compelling and an excellent example of why a book like this should be read. The essayist leaves us with the notion that we, too, should “take time to think about where [we’re] from.” Indeed we should. This essay was a truly heartfelt representation of the impact a story can have on the lives of young people.