Bound for Success
By Jennifer R., Mom to Totally Terrific Taco Mateo
Campbell Union School District celebrated fourteen flourishing authors at the 16th Annual Rising Young Author Awards. At the event, a talented group of students were recognized from hundreds of entries entered in the District’s Annual Writing Faire last May. Judges reviewed short stories, essays, research papers and poems, and chose one author from each school from grades 3 through 7.
“We’re very proud of our Rising Young Authors and excited to share their accomplishments with the community,” said District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. “As an organization committed to fostering literacy, this award does that and more. The students have the real-world experience of taking their ideas, writing them out, improving upon them, and experiencing the joy of having their work published and celebrated.”
Village’s own Sara C., a 5th grader in Miss Jill’s class (in school year 2017/2018), was named last year’s Rising Young Author for her book, The Sad Ending, about a seemingly normal day that turns into a lesson about the heartache of loss and how loving feelings endure. Sara was joined by the talented student authors listed below. At the event, each author had an opportunity to speak to the audience and then autograph copies of their award-winning books.
An Interview and Q&A with Sara:
What is your story about?
It’s about the day my dog, Griffin, passed away suddenly.
What types of stories do you like to write and why?
I like to write narratives and fantasies because they are more fun to write.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a book called “The Night Sky” about a pack of foxes.
How do you handle “writer’s block?”
From Mom: She shrugged… I couldn’t get a good answer for this one. I haven’t seen her get writer’s block when she’s writing a story that she wants to write (versus a non-fiction paper that she’d rather not write).
Tell me about when you learned about receiving the Rising Young Author Award.
I was really happy, and a little surprised.
Teacher Jill commented, “Sara took an emotional moment in her life and spilled it out on pages in the form of a story. She matured and grew as person and a writer through the process. Her writing allows her readers to get a glimpse of how much her friend, a family pet, is loved.”
Congratulations to All of the CUSD Rising Young Authors
| The Authors | Read/Buy the Work | Author’s School |
| Khiley Z. | The Life of a Sloth | Blackford |
| Alexia H. | msanchez [at] campbellusd.org (Should People Have Access To Rescue Services If They Put Themselves At Risk?) | Campbell Middle |
| Noelle T. | Mr. Linden’s Library | Capri |
| Hailey H. | Wolf Pack | Castlemont |
| Emily C. | Silvernight’s Star | Forest Hill |
| Leyla M. | Once I Met a Vampire | Lynhaven |
| Keion A. | Secrets | Marshall Lane |
| Nicole W. | %20msanchez [at] campbellusd.org (To Be Her) | Monroe Middle |
| Carol G. | Poems | Monroe Middle |
| Stella W. | Spirits and Demons | Rolling Hills Middle |
| Isabel P. | Cats | Rosemary |
| Ana Paula J. | East Los Angeles Blowouts | Sherman Oaks |
| Sara C. | The Sad Ending | Village |