Sarah Mook Poetry Contest

Sarah Mook Poetry Contest Results, 2020

Thank you for entering the Sarah Mook Poetry Contest. Despite the closing of many schools due to COVID-19, we still had more than 800 entries and winners from ten different states representing both the east and west coasts, and the middle of the country too! Congratulations to all the poets, and thanks to the teachers, parents, and mentors who support these young writers.

Each winning poet will receive a cash award: First $100, Second $50, and Third $25.

K-2 First Place: “Secret Path” Lillian Carman - Pipersville, PA

K-2 Second Place: “The Green, Green Grass” Willa Miller - Pipersville, PA 

K-2 Third Place: “The Four Elements” Gage Lee Gracey - Mill Valley, CA

3-5  First Place: “Hooking a Poem” Jacob Menard - Sarasota, FL

3-5  Second Place: “My Many-Colored Days” Alexis Marie Solano - Seward, NE

3-5 Third Place: “Boxes Are Special” Leah Dainty - Mishawaka, IN

6-8 First Place:  “The Virus” Avah Dodson - Lafayette, CA

6-8 Second Place: “Where I’m From” Sara Dominguez - Los Gatos, CA

6-8 Third Place: “Better to Be Alive as a Fly Than a Dead Lion: The Story of Michel Zelon, a Holocaust Survivor” Caleigh Crocker - Windsor, ME

9-12 First Place: “October” Gayatri Rajan - Mason, OH

9-12 Second Place: "Self-Portrait: Breath of Ghosts” Sabrina Guo - Syosset, NY

9-12 Third Place: “Lotus Feet” Joy Chen - Irvine, CA

A note from Final Judge Marie Kane: Congratulations to all those who entered the 2020 Sarah Mook poetry contest! The number of poems entered and their quality belies the difficulty of this Covid-19 school year.  I salute you, poets, for staying true to your craft. Distance learning is just that—distant and impractical—as opposed to personal and clear. Yet several hundred of you entered this contest, because, I like to think, poetry matters. This certainly speaks to the poetic talent of all of these poets! I was pleased to find that the final ten poems in each age group made my choice of the top three challenging. The variety of topics, styles, clarity, agility with words, specific images, resonant detail, and use of original poetic devices made my job difficult—and I thank you, poets, for that. This last judging should be difficult. I should struggle with these entries to find the winners. I should have to read these poems over and over—and read them out loud over and over— because doing so reveals the winners in each age group. Congratulations!

The Kindergarten Award, sponsored by Sarah's kindergarten teacher  Mrs. Olwen Jarvis, is a tie this year. Each poet will receive a cash award of $75 for the purchase of books for their libraries.

"Snow and Summer" Caecia Fernaid - Poultney, VT

"Sharptooth" Noah Tompke - Cashmere, WA.

Mrs. Jarvis encourages these two young poets to "draw pictures" to go with their poems, and also to "continue writing" -- good advice, especially in these difficult times, for poets of all ages.

Thank you also for your donations! A contribution of  $363 was made in Sarah’s name to Save the Children Fund, which provides services to struggling children throughout the world.

Award letters will be mailed soon to the winning poets. Winning poems will be published on the website, www.SarahMookPoetryContest.com in a few weeks. Check the website later this summer. Thank you for honoring Sarah and her gift of poetry. Take care and have a fun summer!

Sincerely,

David Mook and Family



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