THE 2025 WINNERS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

About the winners of PBS Fort Wayne's 2025 PBS Kids Writers Contest

The young author/artists eligible for this annual contest competed by grade level — Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Fourth and Fifth grades — independently, through their local library or through their elementary school classrooms. The top three at each grade level were chosen each entry library or classroom, and were judged together with independent entries, sent in by children whose classrooms or libraries did not act as an entry point. In total, an estimated 300 local young author/illustrators participated in this contest.

The winning entries are as follows by grade level, listed by place,  writer/illustrator,hometown and story title.

The 2025 Regional winners are:

Kindergarten

First Place                        Kindred Reinking, Granger                     Making Friends

Second Place (tie)          Hans Eicher, Berne                                    Ship Parts

Second Place (tie)          Noah Trotter, Fort Wayne                        Spots

First Grade

First Place                        Averie Evans, South Bend                      Me and Mr. Horns

Second Place                  Amelia Costa, Valparaiso                        The Puppy Party

Third Place                      Lyla Bilderback, Hobart                            Be Kind

Second Grade              

First Place                        Anna Delaney , Fort Wayne                    Kai the Cat

Second Place                 Moxie Schultz, Indianapolis                     The Abandoned Basement

Third Place                       Novalynn Reed, Berne                              The Jazz Cat

Third Grade

First Place                        Elizabeth Wilkins, Whitestown           One Bird

Second Place                  Jenna Kiefer, Berne                                  The Magic Doghouse

Third Place                      Olivia Costa, Valparaiso                           Space Dog

Fourth Grade

First Place                       Madi Cardenas, Waterloo                      The Fairy Who Grew a Restaurant

Second Place                 Mathilda Borton, Fort Wayne                 Tales of Trouble: Saturday Night

Third Place                     Dominik Yoder, Petroleum                      The Curious Mouse

Fifth Grade      

First Place                       Savannah Wickey, Fort Wayne            Whiskers 1: Whiskers' New Companions

Second Place                 Karlie Mark, Elkhart                                 The Family Secret Uncovered

PBS Fort Wayne has conducted this contest annually, from its early days as the “Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest” and later as the “PBS Kids GO! Young Writers Contest” as part of our mission of extending the educational benefits of our children’s programming, literacy and learning efforts beyond the TV screen. 

Questions? Email us at educationoutreach@wfwa.org with your queries.

Want to be a Local Entry Point?

Public libraries, schools and classrooms throughout northeast Indiana, northwest Ohio and southern Michigan can become entry points in this contest!

Ask your local children’s librarian if they plan to take part, or have them contact PBS Fort Wayne’s Education Outreach via email or call 260-484-8839 for more information about being part of future Writers' Contests at PBS Fort Wayne!

Watch videos of the winning entries from the 2024 contest!

Bookmark this page to see more of 2024's winning entries and the 2025 First Place Winners as they are posted!

FIRST PLACE, THIRD GRADE

FIRST PLACE, FOURTH GRADE

FIRST PLACE, FIFTH GRADE

Below are the entry forms from the 2025 contest. Click on each image to download a PDF of each individual form to get a feel of what future contests will be like.

The 2025 Contest is proudly sponsored by