JANESVILLE 鈥 鈥淚 wrote this book because I have anxiety and getting therapy helped me overcome it, and I wanted to tell everybody it鈥檚 okay to have it,鈥 Carter Johnson, a third-grade student at Roosevelt Elementary School, said about his book, 鈥淲es the Worry Wolverine.鈥
Johnson was one of 28 student authors recognized Wednesday night at Kennedy Elementary School in 糖心Vlog传媒.
The students participated in the Mary Jo Nettesheim Memorial Literary & Illustrator Competition hosted by Rock County鈥檚 local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International.
Local chapters inform nearby schools about competition rules, startup tips, and book submission deadlines. They evaluate original fiction and/or enhanced personal narratives based on story structure, creativity, spelling, grammar, and presentation.
The winners advance to the state level where their books are judged again, including illustrations based on originality, appropriateness, continuity, creativity, cover design, and neatness. Winning books are displayed at the state convention, and top winners read their books at the convention luncheon.
Rock County had six state winners, Alice Pajewski, a fifth-grader, won the first place fifth-grade literacy award and grand prize illustrator for her book, 鈥淪cattering the Stars.鈥
Rock County state winners
Claire Kettner, a sixth-grader, won first place for her grade with her book, 鈥淪ock Squad.鈥
Lily Abb, a sixth-grader, won third place for grade with her book, 鈥淪avior鈥.
Sophia Killoy, a seventh-grader won first place for her grade and first place illustrator for her book, 鈥淟ittle Flipper.鈥
Etta Godby, a third-grader, won a colored pencil award for her book, 鈥淢y Haunted House.鈥
Harper Berry, a fourth-grader, won second place for her grade with her book, 鈥淧ickles & Cucumber.鈥
鈥淓vents like this are so important,鈥 Shelly Van Tassell, co-president for the local DKG chapter said. 鈥淭hey really benefit our students, you could really hear how proud of themselves they are and how much they enjoyed participating.鈥
Van Tassell emcee鈥檇 the event, introducing all the students, their books, and what categories they won.
The students were creative with their concepts and illustrations. Three students chose to cover more challenging topics such as events on 9/11, Tourette鈥檚, and anxiety.
Other students highlighted pets or told daring tales with plot twists.
Lucy Normington, an eighth-grader at Milton Middle School, wrote her book, 鈥淒ane of Destruction,鈥 and excitedly shared with the crowd what her novel was about, the plot twists, and how it was a revamp of a book she had written the year before.
鈥淚 think the best kind of writing comes from emotion, whether that be Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King, or I just read 鈥極f Mice and Men,鈥 and that was sad. The best kind of writing comes from something that will leave an impact on you,鈥 Normington said.
Students were given an envelope that contained a certificate, comments about their stories, their prize ribbons and gift cards to a bookstore.
鈥淚 love talking to the kids,鈥 Van Tassell said. 鈥淪ome of these kids are making things, they鈥檙e sewing things, and doing these wonderful things. It鈥檚 amazing to see what they can create, but also the kids that told the story about 9/11, Tourette鈥檚, and anxiety. Such thoughtful, reflective work that鈥檚 meant to help somebody else.鈥
Local Winners for 2025 Third-grade winners
1st: (tie) 鈥淲es the Worry Wolverine鈥 by Carter Johnson
2nd: 鈥淔roggy and His Friends鈥 by Mia Martin
2nd: (tie) 鈥淜ickball Record鈥 by Emma Phillips
3rd: 鈥淗amsters on the Run鈥 by Charlotte Carmody Roosevelt
Illustrations/ Creativity
鈥淭he Great Shoe Heist鈥 by Gordon Biermann Roosevelt
Fourth grade winners
1st: (tie) 鈥淪asha and the Lost Star鈥 by Lillyth Schoville
2nd: 鈥淭he Life of Philip the Guinee Pig鈥 by Lily Facinger.
Also Illustrator Award
3rd: (tie) 鈥淭he Play Disaster鈥 by Paige Diehl
3rd: (tie) 鈥淔ield鈥 by Quinn Johnson
Honorable Mention for 鈥淭he Blueberry Village鈥 by Angelo Benson
Fifth grade winners
2nd: (tie) 鈥淭he Haunted Necklace鈥 by Daniel Wojciechowicz
2nd: (tie) 鈥淧erfectly Imperfect鈥 by Layliana Falconbury
3rd: (tie) 鈥淕randma鈥檚 Magical Sewing Machine鈥 by Aria Chamberlain
Also Illustrator鈥檚 Award
3rd: (tie) 鈥淭he Magnificent Locker鈥 by Evelynn Biermann also Shape Book Award
Shape Book Award 鈥淢y First Horse Show鈥 by Ainsley Clark
Sixth grade winners
2nd: 鈥淔arm to Table鈥 by Evan Shever also Illustrator Award
3rd: (tie) 鈥淭he Baseball鈥 by Annabelle Schlegel
3rd: (tie) 鈥淣o Light in Sight鈥 by Kailey Mulderink
Seventh grade winners
2nd: 鈥淗appy Graduation鈥 by Kendra Campbell
3rd: 鈥淲hat If鈥?鈥 by Adalyn Kolberg
Eighth grade winners
1st: 鈥淭he Fallen Queen鈥 by Lillian King
2nd: 鈥淒ane of Destruction鈥 by Lucy Normington
