Do you love a great story?

If so, you came to the right place.

Hi, I'm Chet Buchanan.

Welcome to the awards show for the 2021 Vegas PBS Kids Writers Contest presented by Janice Allen.

♪♪♪ This annual community event gives children in elementary school the opportunity to flex their creative muscles by writing and illustrating their very own stories.

So over the next half hour, I'm going to share with you 18 stories packed with imagination and personality selected as winners of the 2021 competition by a panel of judges.

You'll be transported into fantasy worlds, learn about history, root for underdogs and laugh out loud.

So sit back, relax and enjoy seeing the world through the eyes of these inspiring young writers.

Let's dive right in and hear from our youngest first place winner, Nykolas, a kindergartener from the Meadows School.

What happens when a little girl wanders away from her mom to win a giant teddy bear at the circus?

Let's find out in Nykolas' story, "Cindy at the Circus."

-Hi.

My name is Nykolas, and I'm seven years old.

♪♪♪ I watched Shazam, so I kind of copied it from there because they lost the kid at the circus.

"Cindy at the Circus" by Nykolas.

One day Cindy wanted to go see the circus.

Her mom drove her there.

First they went to a candy shop.

Cindy got her favorite candy.

Then they went to the ticket office to buy tickets for the elephant show.

On the way she saw a ball game.

It had the biggest teddy bear she had ever seen in her life.

While mom was buying tickets, Cindy ran to the ball game.

She tried to win the giant teddy bear.

She played the game and won.

After the game Cindy ran into the crowd to find her mom.

She was scared when she couldn't find her mom.

She talked to the lady at the ticket office and asked her if she knew where her mom was.

The lady helped Cindy by pointing to her mom.

When she found her mom, she told her, I am so glad that I found you.

Mom told Cindy, you should never go somewhere without telling me.

I will always tell you if I want to go to another place.

She learned to never run away from her mom without asking her first.

The End Hope you enjoyed my story!

-Great details, great illustrations, Nykolas.

I sure hope Cindy's mom lets her keep that teddy bear.

The kindergarten second place winner is Juliet from Vassiliadis Elementary School for her story, "The Mermaid and the Shark."

Juliet's underwater fairy tale takes place in a preschool where mermaids only play with mermaids and sharks only play with sharks.

But one day Hunter the Shark and Juliet the Mermaid decided to change things up.

The pair exchange seaweed bracelets they made in class, and they become BFFs.

The mermaids and the sharks learn an important lesson: You can be friends with those who are different from you.

And closing out kindergarten is Pamela from St. Francis de Sales who won third place for her story, "I Love my Friends."

Through her poetic writing and cheerful illustrations, Pamela celebrates the diversity among all of her friends; doesn't matter whether they're white, brown, black, big, skinny, tall or short.

They got straight, wavy, curly hair or like me.

She loves her friends and they love her, which she thinks is very cool.

All right.

Moving on to first grade, let's hear from Taylor, our first place winner from Pinecrest St. Rose, as she takes us on a trip of a lifetime in her story, "My Weird Family Vacation."

-Hi.

My name is Taylor, and I'm seven years old.

♪♪♪ It took me three days on the final draft.

I kept forgetting to write it, so it took me two weeks.

"My Weird Family Vacation" by Taylor.

♪♪♪ I was excited for the big day.

We were going on a vacation.

I woke up early in the morning, and I was going to eat breakfast and my dog Stallone licked my chin.

I ate breakfast and brushed my teeth.

When we were at the airport, I was very, very bored.

Then we were on the airplane, and then we were there.

We went on a walk, and I saw the trees were alive.

Mommy said that she was talking to a cat.

Later on a mean dog with magic made a tornado, and it sucked up my brother.

I was scared because I love him so much.

I went to think and I fell into a lake.

Then a water fairy gave me magical powers to scare the mean dog away.

I flew out of the water and went back.

By the time I got back, everyone was in the tornado.

I went over to the dog and used my water magic so he could not breathe, and the tornado stopped.

Mommy, Daddy and Raider fell out and the dog ran away.

We went home.

Daddy said that was a weird family vacation.

We will not go there again.

The End -Wow, Taylor.

I sure hope your parents got a refund after that seriously weird family vacation.

The second place winner for first grade is Amy from St. Francis de Sales for "Wolf Family," a story about a spunky little wolf pup named Amy who lives in the mountains with her mama and papa wolf.

Now, during the day Amy loves to chase birds, chew sticks, smell the flowers and go swimming.

But when the moon emerges in the evening, the family gathers on the edge of a cliff to howl and sing a special goodnight song.

One by one, papa goes to hunt, mama goes to the den, and Amy is left alone in the moonlight to wonder what wonderful surprises tomorrow will bring.

And finishing out first grade is Penelope, our third place winner from St. Francis de Sales, who wrote "Lollipop Girl."

Its main character, Belle, is a picky eater when it comes to her favorite candy, lollipops.

She only eats grape because obviously, grape flavor is the best.

But after receiving a 100% on her spelling test, she was faced with the ultimate dilemma.

Her parents present her with a peach-flavored lollipop.

Deciding to maintain an open mind, she unwraps the lollipop, slowly takes a lick and discovers peach tastes sensational!

Belle concludes from that point forward she'll be more adventurous in picking lollipop flavors.

Next up is Avani, our second grade first place winner, who's homeschooled.

Her story, "How to Open an Orange," is about a clever little boy who uses a variety of tools to conquer an indestructible orange.

Let's listen.

-Hi.

I'm Avani, and I'm eight years old.

♪♪♪ I got the idea for my story because oranges are hard to open for kids.

"How to Open an Orange," written and illustrated by Avani.

There was a boy who asked his mom for a snack.

She handed him an orange.

He tried to open the orange-- not opening.

He tries to open it with a fork.

"Why won't it open?"

He tries to open the orange with a butter knife.

"It's still not opening!"

The boy tries to open it with a screwdriver.

bzzzzz...

He tries to open the orange with a hammer.

clink clunk clunk He tries with a sword.

guuuuuh!

He tries to open it with a jackhammer.

dun dun dun dunnnn He tries to open the orange with a chainsaw.

brummmmm "This is loud!"

Can you open it, please?

I tried.

Bloop!

Thank you, mom.

♪♪♪ The End Thanks for watching!

-I have to tell you, everybody here loves that story.

Avani, your illustrations, your sound effects, all hilarious.

Great job.

Second grade second place winner, "Luci Lou the Woofaroo," written by Sydney who's also a homeschooler.

Luci Lou is a special kind of dog called a woofaroo who can jump high like a kangaroo.

Luci Lou has only one problem, she needs to learn how to "woof."

She consults her trusted friends for advice, including Hoot the Owl and Papa Bird the Hummingbird and Lollipop Lizard, but it's no use.

Luci Lou stays up all night wondering if she'll ever learn how to "woof" and consoles herself with a breakfast of yellow pansies and green onions.

Then suddenly, she hears the glorious sound of Lilah the Dog's woof nearby.

Lilah knows exactly what Luci Lou needs to find her bark-- a dog bone.

The simple sight of the bone produces an instant bark from Luci Lou's throat.

The pair celebrate by sharing the tasty treat and woofing together happily ever after.

Gunner from Skyline Heights Elementary School is our third place winner for second grade with his fantasy, "Ninja Puppy versus Bigfoot."

While Ninja Puppy and his family are hiking through the forest, they smell a stink worse than rotten berries, dead skunks and bison drinking out of the swamp.

They try to back out of the woods, but they're lost.

All of a sudden, blueberries start flying through the air thrown by none other than Bigfoot.

Ninja Puppy conquers his fears and starts throwing blueberries right back at Bigfoot, causing a lot of chaos and mayhem, as you can imagine.

By the end of the berry battle, Ninja Puppy and Bigfoot are both a purpley blue mess.

They come to their senses and they decide to be friends, realizing that everyone would be much happier without the violence.

Bigfoot, Ninja Puppy and Ninja Puppy's family all love each other very much and live happily ever after.

Our next reader is third grader Miriam from Yeshiva Day School who won first place for her story, "Personal Space."

Let's find out what happens when Bouncy Kangaroo gets a little too excited at his joint birthday party with Quiet Mouse.

-Hi.

I'm Miriam, and I'm eight years old.

♪♪♪ So basically because in school, I never got personal space so I wrote this.

"Personal Space" by Miriam.

Quiet Mouse liked personal space.

She didn't like when her friends crouched over her shoulder at reading time.

She enjoyed art time because everyone in her class was given their own water color set.

Quiet Mouse was happy that no one would mix up her colors.

At recess Quiet Mouse was playing hopscotch when her friend Bouncy Kangaroo jumped over and asked her if she wanted to celebrate their birthdays together this year.

Since they were born on the same day, the two friends decided to make one combined birthday party.

When their big day finally came, both Quiet Mouse and Bouncy Kangaroo were very busy preparing for their birthday party.

Quiet Mouse carefully set up the table for refreshments, decorated a birthday cake and made sure that all her friends would have a place to sit.

Bouncy Kangaroo was busy too.

He was talking about which present he would get while popping the balloons that Quiet Mouse had blown up.

When the guests came, everyone started to play party games.

Bouncy Kangaroo was very excited.

He kept on bouncing all over the place.

He accidently bounced straight onto the cake that Quiet Mouse had made.

Quiet Mouse was really upset.

Bouncy Kangaroo apologized to everyone and tried to be less bouncy.

After the party Quiet Mouse and Bouncy Kangaroo opened up their birthday presents.

They each got bubbles and hoola-hoops.

When Quiet Mouse blew her bubbles, Bouncy Kangaroo was careful not to pop them.

The friends hoola-hooped, trying not to bump into each other.

They respected each other's space and were happy to be friends.

The End Thanks for listening!

Such a great story, Miriam.

We all love how the idea was sparked by your own experiences at school.

The second place winner for third grade is June from Newton Elementary School for her epic fantasy, "The Enchanted Forest."

While sitting on a city bench, June and her friends open a magical book that transports them through a portal to an unfamiliar land.

They approach a mermaid in a shimmery lagoon who declares that they have arrived at the Enchanted Forest.

While it looks and smells like a beautiful place, danger lurks around every corner in the form of fierce green dragons with deafening roars.

They find safety with a brownie-scented unicorn who has a powerful horn that shoots rainbows and cotton candy.

Unsure of what to do next, the friends enter a cave with a golden waterfall, kneel down and wish with all their hearts to return home.

Suddenly, the friends rise through the portal and find themselves back on the bench with the book resting innocently on the ground.

They all agree that the book is a keeper.

The third place winner for third grade is Reed from Givens Elementary School.

Reed's fairy tale, "The Kokeshi's Kimono," tells the story from the perspective of a wooden Japanese kokeshi doll.

This little guy is very proud of his silk kimono.

The prince admires the doll's kimono too and enjoys unrolling it to reveal the white silk inside.

But on the last day of school, something unimaginable happens.

The prince lets his friends write on the kokeshi's white kimono.

The doll feels devastated and ugly.

Time passes while the sad kokeshi sits on a shelf until one day, the prince takes him down and unrolls his kimono.

The doll reluctantly glances down, and is shocked to see colorful, happy faces and good wishes.

In this moment, he realizes that he's actually more special than he ever was before.

So let's head to fourth grade now, and our next author is Calista from St. Francis de Sales.

She won first place for her unique poem, "I Bark!

I Play!"

about a cute little pup in need of a good home.

Take it away, Calista.

-Hi.

My name is Calista, and I am 10 years old.

♪♪♪ Well, I really like animals and I really do love dogs, so I made the story about dogs.

"I Bark!

I Play!"

written and illustrated by Calista.

Hooray!

Hooray!

I Bark!

I Play!

I may drool, but at least I am cool.

I made it through, like the others too.

I swear I am smart, that was just a fart.

But at least I know where to go.

No to cars, no to poo!

I swear I know what to do.

I know my name, and I love to play games.

I do not run away-- well, at least not far away!

I do not slobber or spit, and I know how to sit.

My name is Boo, I have a big heart that loves too.

Hooray!

Hooray!

I Bark!

I Play!

I am a good boy.

Will you take me today?

I need a family to keep me happy.

I cuddle and rebuttal with a bark that has a spark.

I would like a ball; I am not picky at all.

I am your Boo, please pick me too.

Hooray!

Hooray!

I Bark!

I Play!

I do not run away... can I have a home today?

When the doorbell rings, I jump to a snap.

I bark to alarm, aren't I a charm?

I need a purpose, and that is my service.

I know you need me too.

I am your Boo!

I see your face, I hope you look this way.

Hooray!

Hooray!

I Bark!

I Play!

Aren't we going home today?

Boo, Boo say it too.

I hear it, I want it.

Boo, Boo, take me with you!

I sit, I play, I bark, I lay.

I am a good boy.

Will you take me today?

All my friends are sad here too, but please take me with you.

Hooray!

Hooray!

I Bark!

I Play!

Please don't walk away... Me, me, you want me?

Oh, how could it be, thee?

Boo, Boo, we want you!

We can't wait to take you home too!

Hooray!

Hooray!

I Bark!

I Play!

I am going home today!

With a quick glance, I almost tinkle in my pants.

My tail wiggles and you giggle.

I am as happy as can be, can't you see?

You picked me?

Is it because I don't have fleas?

Hooray!

Hooray!

I Bark!

I Play!

Today I will not run away!

The End Thank you for listening to my story.

-Such an awesome work, Calista.

You made Boo so real, he practically jumped off the page.

The second place finisher in fourth grade is also from St. Francis de Sales.

Her name is Kayla, and in her story, "A Bookstore of Decades," Blossom and Brooklyn visit a world-famous bookstore that offers an experience of a lifetime.

So here's how it works.

They select a book, open it up, and they're instantly beamed to that time in history.

So they visit Cairo through the book "Early Egypt" to explore pyramids, see mummies and ride camels.

With the book "The Renaissance," they appear in a castle in England, where they dress in the finest gowns and dance in the ballroom.

Next they find themselves in the roaring 1950s where they eat at a diner while they're listening to music on a jukebox.

And with only a few hours until the store closes, they wrap up their travels in the age of dinosaurs through the book "The Jurassic Period."

After returning to the bookstore, these girls with neverending energy vow to explore more destinations in the future.

And the third place winner in fourth grade is Henley from Henderson International School for her story, "Diary of a Paiute Child."

Every page is written like a journal entry that gives the reader a sense of what life might have been like for Paiute ancestors who lived right here in the desert Southwest hundreds of years ago.

This is well-researched historical fiction and includes facts about Paiute culture and tradition including basket weaving, crafting tribal shakers to wish for rain, and petroglyphs.

It even addresses tribal decision-making about trade and seasonal migration.

In the end, the journal concludes with a touching moment that moves the main character one step closer to adulthood.

And here we are to our final reader.

It's fifth grader Dylan from Heckethorn Elementary School.

Grab a box of tissues for this one.

It's her heartfelt first place story, "Mirror."

Hi.

My name is Dylan, and I am 11 years old.

♪♪♪ I got the idea for my story from my neighbor.

His dog's name is Diesel.

He has three legs, and they got him from the shelter.

I am so excited to be sharing my story with you.

The title is called "Mirror."

Once there was a dog named Denny.

Yeah, that's me.

I have two different-colored eyes and a big mark on my chest.

But the thing that people mostly notice about me is that I have three legs.

I have fun all day.

I mostly run around.

For a dog with three legs, I run a really fast.

I spend my days alone looking for food.

I sleep in different places every night.

Pretty much every day I do what I want.

Whenever I pass humans, they say "Look, it's a poor doggy."

I wonder why they can't just say Denny?

I'm happy I don't have an owner because I wouldn't like to sit around all day doing nothing.

It's really like prison for a dog, although it would be nice to know you would get fed at least twice a day.

Now that you know a little bit about me, you should hear about today, the craziest day ever.

It started out like any other day until the dognappers came and found me!

They put me in a van with lots of other dogs.

It was kind of scary.

We went to a building and stayed there for hours, but it felt like days.

There was a mean dog that said, "You'll never get picked.

"You're different from us, "and no one will want a dog with three legs."

For once, I felt like crying.

I don't want to be here for the rest of my life and if it means being a pet, then so be it.

Once there was a boy named Danny.

Yeah, that's me.

I have two different-colored eyes and a birthmark on my neck.

But the thing people mostly notice about me is that I have one arm.

I lost it in a car accident.

Things have never been the same for me since then.

At school kids pick on me for being different than them.

It's hard to make friends when people won't interact with you.

At recess I play tag all by myself.

For a kid with one arm, I run really fast.

When people see me, they make weird faces and walk away like I'm an alien.

Why can't they just say hello?

When I'm by myself, no one laughs at me, although it would be nice to have someone to understand me.

Now that you know a little bit about me, you should hear about today, the craziest day ever.

It started out like any other day until my parents put me in the van.

They drove me somewhere I've never been before.

They said, "Pick whichever dog you want, "but he's your responsibility."

I was so happy and overjoyed!

Every day is the best day of my life now.

I have someone who understands me and even looks like me.

I thought I liked being alone, but being with someone is better.

We're perfect for each other.

Everybody has a somebody, you just have to find them.

The End Thank you for listening to my story.

-That is so beautiful, Dylan.

We absolutely love how your neighbor's three-legged dog inspired your uplifting story.

The second place winner in fifth grade is Charlotte.

She's homeschooled, and she wrote a fictional rhyme, "After School."

Charlotte grabs you and sucks you right in with her beginning verse: "After school when no one's there, "something happens that will make you stare."

Homework assignments left behind in children's desks kick off a nightly party where the classroom supplies go wild.

Pencils walk on tightropes, tape plays the drums, markers dance the tango while books drink straight out of the milk carton.

Crayons throw confetti and backpacks rock out.

But as the sun comes up, the pencil brings the festivities to a screeching halt.

They all need to get a few hours' rest before the students arrive.

As the supplies return to their designated bins, they don't feel sorrow because the party will start again the same time tomorrow.

Our final winner is Zoe from Pinecrest Cadence.

She won third place in the fifth grade category with her story, "Finding a Friend."

This story paints a vivid picture of a young girl's life after she loses her parents to COVID.

Tessa grew up on a farm in Tennessee, but she has to leave the animals and her best friend behind as she goes to New York City where she lives in a cramped apartment with her grandparents.

She feels swallowed up by the large city streets and all the sounds; however, a change in her life is just around the corner.

Tessa is paired up with a classmate named Maddie to write about something that they have in common.

The girls realize that they both lost family members to the virus.

Feeling understood by each other, the girls gradually form a deep friendship, and Tessa realizes that it only takes one person to change life for the better.

I don't know about you, I'm just blown away by all of these talented kids.

Writing a story could be hard at any age, and we are all so proud of all of these children for their perseverance.

If you want to read these award-winning stories again, you can go online at vegaspbs.org/ writerscontest.

And while you're there, check out details for next year's competition.

If you're in kindergarten through fifth grade, start thinking about a story that you could enter for a chance to win.

And grownups, inspire the little ones in your life to enter too.

Thanks a lot for being here.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

♪♪♪