The winning Christmas story
By Kim Villalva
Millington, Tenn.
First place
The phone call shocked Vernon Lee. He had won first place in the library’s Children’s Christmas Story Contest.
He shifted...
Of Christmas chores and country kindness
By Jennifer Bryan
Paris, Ohio
Honorable Mention
The frosty morning air stung my nose as I stepped out the door of our farmhouse. My parents’ boot prints...
The Stocking Surprise
Second place: Mark Llewellyn, of New Castle, Pa.
Doreen’s eyes, glassy in this state of reverie, wandered from one hand to the other. Arthritis found...
A friend for Christmas
By Jaclyn Krymowski
Hinckley, Ohio
Age 12
Honorable Mention
Sarah watched the winter snow fall fast, thick and heavy. This would be the loneliest Christmas ever. For...
A Cat’s Christmas Dream
Athena Pantelides, 10 yrs.
Louisville, Ohio
Snowla the cat was watching the snow fall outside of her house. Snowla’s owner spoiled her. You see...
The Win-win
Honorable mention: Sharon Sweda, Huron, Ohio
Jacob slumped as Katherine cleared the table around him. Sensing he'd skip choir rehearsal, she chose to pray, rather...
Electric Santa
Honorable mention: Veronica Easterday, 14, of North Bloomfield
Beep! Beep! Beep! Santa lazily covered his head with his pillow trying to block out the...
The Christmas tree
By Brandon Hozian
Kirtland, Ohio
Age 11
Winner
There once was an evergreen tree that got planted in a forest. It wanted to grow to be a...
Merry mischief
By Sharon Sweda
Huron, Ohio
Honorable Mention
“Doggone it!”
Janet hears Henry’s familiar bellow. She knows, without looking or hearing the stomp of his boots, that in an...
2009 Adult writing contest and youth art winners
The holidays have a special meaning to all of us. It could be the sights and sounds of the children sled riding down the...