FARGO NEWS RELEASE – Fargo Public Library Announces Kids’ Writing and Art Contest Winners
Melisa Duncan
THE CITY OF FARGO | FARGO PUBLIC LIBRARY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
06.02.2026
View this release online at FargoND.gov/NewsReleases.
Fargo Public Library Announces Kids’ Writing and Art Contest Winners
Entries in writing, art and photography were submitted by area children and will be published in the library’s “Northern Narratives Jr.” online magazine
FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA – The Fargo Public Library is pleased to announce the winners of its 2026 kids-only writing and art contest. The contest was open to kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, and 47 entries in writing, art and photography were submitted. Contest categories included short stories, poetry, comics, nonfiction essays, drawings and photographs. All 47 entries will be included in the library’s “Northern Narratives Jr.” online magazine set to be published June 29. The first place, second place and honorable mention entries in each category are:
Short Story Winners:
- 1st Place: Lucy Ford, “The Life of Danny Klango”
- 2nd Place: Ava Hamilton, “I Found My Sister Inside a Snowglobe”
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Honorable Mentions:
- Cynthia Halie, “Four Girls in a Pirate World!”
- Ashton Finneman, “The Troll’s Lesson”
- Eliana Erickson, “Pinky Gets Adopted”
- River Dodds, “Artificial; Intellegent?”
- Vivan Dahl, “Andy and His Thrilling Adventure”
Poetry Winners:
- 1st Place: Safara Simmons, “The Cougar”
- 2nd Place: Wren Stewart-Gall, “Wildfire”
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Honorable Mentions:
- Clara Mace, “Triangles vs. Circles”
- Nala Bonicelli, “Ope”
- Vada Hoffman, “Mexico”
- Amelia Vander Ark, “All Four Seasons”
Comic Winners:
- 1st Place: Calvin Miller, Anton Trygstad Kerzman, Dwight Swanson and Josephine Mastel,
“New York Potato”
- 2nd Place: Chaitanya Gopi, “Mouse and the Journal”
- Honorable Mention: Leo Breidenbach, “The Pig, the Man, and Fargo”
Nonfiction Essay Winners:
- 1st Place: Barrett Robinson, “GT Programs are Important”
- 2nd Place: Evelyn Ouren, “Farming/Agriculture”
Drawing Winners:
- 1st Place: Zella Susan Stocker, “Light, Dark, and the Dragon”
- 2nd Place: Chaitanya Gopi, “Winter’s Songbird”
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Honorable Mentions:
- Tahlia Erickson, “Rainbow Pyramid”
- Hannah Mace, “Heart of the Forest”
- Bo Clarke, “The Other Side”
- Tahmeedul Islam, “Astrospace”
Photography Winners:
- 1st Place: Emrie Nygaard, “Love is in the Air”
- 2nd Place: Skylar Hubin, “Mommy, I found the nest!”
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Honorable Mentions:
- Piper Hubin, “Blooming Flowers”
- Matthew Burck, “Lake Sunset”
For more information about the Northern Narratives Jr. writing and art contest, contact Children’s Services Manager Amber Emery at 701.241.1495.
Fargo Public Library events are free and open to the public. For more information about the library, its services and a list of upcoming events, call 701.241.1492 or visit fargolibrary.org.
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Media Contact:
Melisa Duncan - Community Relations Specialist