West Virginia Public Broadcasting is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Reader’s Choice Awards for this year’s PBS KIDS Writers Contest. Congratulations! Every year, WVPB picks a select number of stories out of all the submissions to win the Reader’s Choice Awards. Those stories are either animated or adapted into live action shorts.
Allie’s Journey by Avonlea Cooper – Fourth Grade – Wood County
The Girl Who Doesn’t Like Cheese by Caelum Groves – First Grade – Harrison County
A Fish Who Found A Home by Fenton Hawley – Kindergarten – Kanawha County
Fifth Grade
1st Place: Hit Zero by Elise Silber — Kanawha County
2nd Place: Finding the Rainbow by Zean-Min Eulalie Thong — Kanawha County
3rd Place: The Adventure at Eastern Blue River 2: Expand Your Horizon by Ryman Dennison — Hardy County
Fourth Grade
1st Place: Zara and the Book in the Tower by Francesca Shangler — Cabell County
2nd Place: The Nature by Addie Baumgardner — Hancock County
3rd Place: The Secret Life of Guinea Pigs by Isaiah Umbel — Taylor County
Third Grade
1st Place: “West Virginia, Monster Mama” by Rowan Bailey — Greenbrier County
2nd Place: The Lonely Gorilla by Elias Cooper — Wood County
3rd Place: Spot the Fire Dog Saves the Forest by Helina Goodwin — Marion County
Second Grade
1st Place: Boys to Salamanders by Bowen Groves — Harrison County
2nd Place: The Bedhead Troll by Ava Redden — Wyoming County
3rd Place: Mountain Magic by Maggie Stackhouse — Monongalia County
First Grade
1st Place: The Living Things by Cole McAvoy — Hancock County
2nd Place: The Girl Who Doesn’t Like Cheese by Caelum Groves — Harrison County
3rd Place: The Wild Universe by Talon Sparks — Kanawha County
Kindergarten
1st Place: The Werewolf by Ripley Drescher — Taylor County
2nd Place: The Adventures of Lava King and Water King: The Dirt King Attacks by Gabriel Snodgress — Upshur County
3rd Place: The Jungle Adventures by Jacklyn Loy — Marshall County
