About the Inklings Book Contest
Each year, the Inklings Book Contest celebrates youth writers in grades 3–12. Winners revise their stories with a professional mentor and are published in our annual anthology. Finalists receive editorial letters with revision guidance and are featured on our Inkwell platform.
This post offers a sneak peek at several finalist pieces. Click through to read each story on the Inkwell, where young writers are encouraged to share their voices and connect through storytelling.
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Inklings Book 2025 Finalist Spotlight
Chapter One: Celebrating Beauty
The story and poems in this first chapter of our Inklings Book 2025 Finalist Spotlight show us that beauty isn’t just about pretty things—it’s about noticing, caring, and opening up. Whether in nature or in our relationships, these youth writers remind us that beauty is something we can find, protect, and even grow.
Song of the Wild
by James Wang
(6th grade)
The song of the saguaro cactus
How it stays strong and reaches higher than any other plant in the desert
Standing like a lone streetlight on the road
Tall, reveling in the attention and illuminating the day
A New Harvest
by Natalie Yue
(7th grade)
Mr. Bob’s morning went as usual.
        He awoke at the comfortable time of 10:30 a.m. and, yawning as he adjusted his spectacles, shuffled into the hallway. He paused half-consciously in front of the wide kitchen window as shafts of sunlight flooded through the glass, its rays creating dancing spotlights that flickered across his wrinkled features, so that the particles of dust drifting amongst them were illuminated in an entrancing glow. Suddenly, Mr. Bob seemed to snap into the present and, with a surprising burst of vigor, began waving his cane around at the sight as though he were swatting a swarm of flies.  After several futile attempts, he simply turned in the other direction, grumbling as he shook off the remaining drowsiness.
Watch
by Kamya Tara Patwardhan
(9th grade)
I watch the skies,
As they are mine to watch,
As they are yours to see,
So watch them with me.
I watch as the night breaks to dawn,
The pinks and reds and oranges sweep through the sky,
A fanfare of colors.
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