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 22 submissions with 44 students participating in the contest. This year ten books were selected.
Selected Authors will be awarded in May 2026 at the REACH Young Author Awards.
The 2026 Book Author Contest Winners in the theme of Secrets and Surprises are:
<ul>
<li>The Story of the Lost Wallets – written and illustrated by Eliana Grace Alicea and Mia Elizabeth Quito, second-grade students from Maria Sanchez Elementary School. </li>
<li>The Mystery of the Forest – written by Juan Mendez Ortiz and Christopher Perez and illustrated by Dafni Lopez and Jackeline Ortiz Velasquez, third-graders from Maria Sanchez Elementary School.</li>
<li>Spider Kitty – written by Yahdiel Caraballo and illustrated by Jacob Lopez Herrera and Anderson Ramirez, fourth graders at Maria Sanchez Elementary School.</li>
<li>The Quest – written and illustrated by Mercy HseeZar, a fourth grader at Maria Sanchez Elementary School.</li>
<li>Alexis and the Monkey Greg – written and illustrated by Jonathan Zamorano, a fifth grader at Maria Sanchez Elementary School.</li>
<li>The Stranger Danger Mystery – written by Isabella Venkatsammy and Jeremiah Lopez Cruz and illustrated by Jessica Wah and See Soy, fourth graders at EB Kenelly Elementary School.</li>
<li>The Unknown – written and illustrated by Carolyn Soto, Natalie Arias, and Arianis Declet, fourth graders at EB Kenelly Elementary School. In</li>
<li>Dany’s Journey to Calm – written and illustrated by Arnab Rana, a fourth grader at Betances STEM Magnet School.</li>
<li>Cherry and the Great Nut Mystery – written and illustrated by Viviana Bathina, a fifth grader at Montessori Magnet at Batchelder.</li>
<li>The Treasure Hunt – written and illustrated by Aarush Bajpai, a fifth grader at CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary School. </li>
</ul>
<a href=”https://sinainc.org/2024bookcontest/”><strong>Click here to read about 2025’s winners.</strong> </a>
<a href=”https://sinainc.org/bookcontestwinners/”><strong>Click here to read about all past winners</strong> </a>