Results – Sarah Mook Poetry Contest 2025

Thank you for entering the 21st annual Sarah Mook Poetry Contest.

Congratulations to all the poets, and special thanks to the teachers, parents, and mentors who support these young writers. Thank you also to our final judges, Mrs. Olwen Jarvis (Kindergarten, 1-2) Bianca Amira Zanella (3-5, 6-8) and Marie Kane (9-12) for the great care they take in choosing the winning poems! All winners are chosen anonymously by these three final judges. Winning poems came from 7 states (ME, NY, CA, WA, PA, NJ, VA). It looks like the state of Maine must have poetry in the drinking water!

The Kindergarten (K-only) Awards are sponsored and judged by Sarah's kindergarten teacher Mrs. Olwen Jarvis. Award letters include her comments on each winning poem, a check for the purchase of books for school libraries, as well as custom book plates which acknowledge each poet’s achievement.

K only 1st Prize “I Love Tapping Trees” Tabor Neale, Maine

K only 2nd Prize “Nature” Alina Rifkin, New York

K only 3rd Prize “I Love Puddles” Ruah Barnes-Vieten, Maine

1-2 1st Prize “Eye of the Tiger” Finn Barnes-Vieten, Maine

1-2 2nd Prize “Early Sun” Colbie Briglia, Maine

1-2 3rd Prize “The Stapler” Marea Muller, California

3-5 1st Prize “A Letter From a Polar Bear” Alice Morier, Maine

3-5 2nd Prize “Imagine” Estella J. Wigg, Maine

3-5 3rd Prize “A Stone” Violet Gallagher, Maine

6-8 1st Prize “Grief” Josee Winston-Feder, Maine

6-8 2nd Prize “Inheritance” Fina Record, Maine

6-8 3rd Prize “The Parade of Lies” Aahana Joshi, Washington

9-12 1st Prize “Little Dipper” Anna Yowler, Pennsylvania

9-12 2nd Prize “Orange Peel” Abigale Lin, New Jersey

9-12 3rd Prize From the words of my mother Fairouz Bsharat, Virginia

Thank you also for your donations! A contribution of $354 was made in Sarah’s name to Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “inspire a love of reading and writing in children.” We are happy to support such a worthy mission, one which aligns so perfectly with the purpose of the Sarah Mook Poetry Contest!

Award letters will be mailed soon to the winning poets and will include comments from the judges. Winning poems will be published later this summer on the website. Thank you for honoring Sarah and her gift of poetry. Take care and have a safe and fun summer!

Sincerely,

David Mook and Family

(Click the images to enlarge the poems and comments below)