And the winner is...

The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived--here is the list of winners for Mrs. Morecraft's First Writing Contest. Each winner is asked to e-mail his or her address to mmorecraft@gmail.com so that we can send your prize to you. We are thrilled with the response and hope you love your gift. Thanks to all who entered. You each possess amazing gifts. We were privileged and honored to be able to read your writing and look forward to even better entries during our next contest, hopefully, to be held early next year. A lonnnnggg list of honorable mentions should be posted at this site early next week.

Age 12 and Younger Division

Stories:

1st place: "Sunrise Mustangs," by Danielle Dodge, (age 12), also our GRAND PRIZE WINNER!!
2nd place: "The Rescue," by David Hubbard (age 7).
3rd place: It's a tie! "Bonnie's New Year," by Isabella Saffa (age 10), and Gloria Bringe (age 12);
and, "How Americans Fight," by Daniel Hubbard (age 9).

Poetry:

1st place: "Mrs. Morecraft's Musings on Grammar & Composition," by Mary Caroline Whims (age 12)
2nd place: "Stone Clad Domain," by Aurora Hacker (age 12)
3rd place: "God Sees Everything," by Brianna Bower (age 12)

Song:

1st place: "I Worship You," by Victoria C. Lipp (age 12)

Age 13-17 Division

Stories:

1st place: "Pain of Death," Jefferey French (age 17)
2nd place: "Titanic's Last Night," by Valerie Braymer (age 13)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Home," by Alexa Myers (age 16); and "The Survivor," by Laura Andrews (age 17).

Articles and Essays:

1st place: "Never Forget," by Hannah Estes (age 17)
2nd place: "We the People," by Sarah Dana (age 15)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Character," by Grace Macias (age 16); and, "Death is Life," by Leah Macias (age 14). Yes, they are sisters!!!

Poetry:

1st place: "Lady Liberty," by Josiah Ortega (age 16)
2nd place: "Harbor Storm," by Kristina Clark (age 13)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Of Authors Great and Gone," by John Horn (age 15); and, "Life is Like Sailing," by Cassidy Clark (age 15).

Song:

1st place: "A Sinner's Plea," by Andrea Noah (age 14)
2nd place: "Cleansing Flow," by Kailey Hogan (age 15)
3rd place: "Susanna's Song," by Caroline Beckman (age 13)

18 and Older Division

Stories:

1st place: "Shiny Coin," by Jane Anne Henderson
2nd place: "Homecoming," by Sarah Bryant
3rd place: "The Gentle Prisoner," by Kathryn Yen

Articles and Essays:

1st place: "Life on the Edge," by Donna Mauney
2nd place: "Who are You? You are Life," by Riannen Schlosser

Poetry:

1st place: "The Heroine of the Woods," by Tiffany Cadle
2nd place: "The Electrical Storm," by Jill Manteufel
3rd place: "But for a Moment," by Rachel Vogel

Songs:

1st place: "Woman of Honor," by Nicki O'Donovan
2nd place: "Dreams," by Joy Billigmeier
3rd place: "Streams of Mercy," by Rachel Petersen


I'd like to highlight one winning entry tonight -- thanks to Mary Caroline Whims, age 12, for paying attention to my writing classes and taking such good notes that she could turn them into a poem! Congratulations for winning first place in the poetry division for your age group, Mary Caroline!

Mrs. Morecraft's Musings on Grammar and Composition

by Mary Caroline Whims, age 12

Diagrams, participles,

Past and present tense,

Simple subject, predicate

For building a sentence.

Watch yourself for fragments,

Keep commas all in line.

Correct your punctuation

And you will do just fine!

Create a sense of quiet.

Think of our Lord each day.

Learn to use good research tools.

Read what the experts say.

Broaden your vocabulary,

Fix your spelling, then,

Read aloud and take advice

And write it all again.

One more piece of counsel

To help you as you write:

"Thinking God's thoughts after Him,"

Is pleasant in His sight.

Preferring simple elegance,

Choose carefully each word.

Write with a Christian mindset

As you glorify the Lord!