SINA has partnered again with Hartford Public Library Park Street Branch @the Lyric for the 2025 REACH Book Author Contest. It’s a great opportunity for students in grades K-5 to write and illustrate a fictional story with the theme of Community Heroes.
This year we received a total of 16 submissions with 32 students participating in the contest. This year ten books were selected.
The 2025 books are funded by the Betty Knox Foundation. Thanks to their generosity, all Hartford Public Library branches will receive copies of the winning books, totaling 100 books to be put into circulation. Contest winners were awarded on May 14, 2025 at the REACH Young Author Awards. Click here to view photos of the event and click here to download the program book.
The 2025 Book Author Contest Winners in the theme of Community Heroes are:
- The Adventures of Coney – written by Romy Blanco-Faustini and Genesis Martinez and illustrated by Arianna Moyer-Washington and Meadow Sobolow, 5th graders from CREC Montessori Magnet School.
- Bird Boy – written and illustrated by Aryash Gupta, Kindergarten from Betances Learning Lab Magnet Elementary School.
- Books Galore – written and illustrated by Dhyanaa Satish Kumar, 4th grader from Glastonbury East Hartford Magnet School.
- Letters to Heroes – written and illustrated by Jomyra R. Valentin, 5th grader from CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary School.
- Lola the Community Hero – written and illustrated by Mayra Almodovar, 5th grader from CREC Montessori Magnet School.
- Sophia Learns to Swim – written and illustrated by Neishle Guzman, 3rd grader at Maria Sanchez Elementary School.
- The Transformers – written and illustrated by Anaya Gupta, 4th grader from Betances Learning Lab Magnet Elementary School.
- Victor the Garbage Man – written by Dayanand Arulampalam and illustrated by Emmet Ennever and Jason Devaux, 5th graders from CREC Montessori Magnet School.
- Will Tiara Feel Smart Again? – written and illustrated by Viyankhaa Satish Kumar, 2nd grader from Glastonbury East Hartford Magnet School.
- Xyallah’s Mystery Illness – written by Natalie Reyes Mazaba and Sophia Stewart and illustrated by Alice Rodriguez Villanueva and Jayleen Diaz, 5th graders from CREC Montessori Magnet School.