Navigating the Chaos
First Class Designation
NCTE Achievement in Writing Award
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A memoir about the daily whirlwind of exhaustion, expectation, and absurdity that defines modern student life, interweaving personal struggles with the resonant satire of Catch-22. Amid relentless deadlines and mounting pressures, literature emerges not just as an escape, but as a lifeline and mirror—showing that meaning, resilience, and identity are forged within chaos, not despite it.
The Terminal
Gold Key
Scholastic Arts & Writing Award
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A story about a family's whirlwind journey and race to catch a connecting flight. Through humor and vivid descriptions of panicked sprints, family clashes, and moments of absurdity, "The Terminal" showcases the bonds of family and the transformation of a travel disaster into family lore.
The Brave and the Bold
Silver Key
Scholastic Arts & Writing Award
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A personal memoir about a complex and evolving relationship between two brothers, one of whom is neurodiverse and was born with a cleft palate and hearing loss. The author shares how he learned patience, empathy, and appreciation for their differences through phases of rivalry, misunderstanding, and, ultimately, acceptance. Despite clashes and misunderstandings, the bond between the siblings grew into a true partnership and mutual love and support.
The Apartment
Honorable Mention
Scholastic Arts & Writing Award
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Sam, a young boy scarred by trauma and abandonment, searches a barren apartment for anything of value only to discover a tragic murder and a terrified child. Confronted by haunting memories of his own mother’s death, Sam chooses compassion over despair, vowing to help Connor escape the cycle of loneliness and violence.
