Kindergarten
Story Winners
1st – Maddie Green (Homeschool)
2nd – Aaron Woodruff (Riverdale)
3rd – Mila Morrin (Jefferson Primary)
Illustration Winners
1st – Aaron Woodruff (Riverdale)
2nd (tie) – Maddie Green (Homeschool) 2nd (tie) – Milo Copus (Homeschool)
1st Grade
Story Winners
1st – Isabella Copus (Homeschool)
2nd – Celia Hoy (Whittier Primary)
3rd – Levi Schumaker (Liberty-Benton)
Illustration Winners
1st – Levi Schumaker (Liberty-Benton)
2nd – Celia Hoy (Whittier Primary)
3rd – Dakota Jennings (Van Buren Elementary)
2nd Grade
Story Winners
1st – Lily Brauneller (Vanlue)
2nd – Grace Rodabaugh (Homeschool)
3rd – Ava Stechschulte (Liberty-Benton)
Illustration Winners
1st – Ava Stechschulte (Liberty-Benton)
2nd – Sam Romanoski (Jefferson Primary)
3rd – Wyatt Ballinger (Homeschool)
3rd Grade
Story Winners
1st – Grace McConnell (Heritage Christian)
2nd – Natalie Green (Homeschool)
3rd – Farah Jamrah w/ Partner Prize winner Taleigha Fenderson (Wilson Vance Elementary)
Illustration Winners
1st – Adalie Schumaker (Liberty-Benton)
2nd – Oaken Long (Liberty-Benton)
3rd – Patrick Jackel w/ Partner Prize winner Molly Jackel (Chamberlin Hill)
4th Grade
Story Winners
1st – Aleigha Woodruff (Riverdale)
2nd – Ryian Rice (Chamberlin Hill)
3rd – Tessa Northrup (Arlington)
Illustration Winners
1st – Aleigha Woodruff (Riverdale)
2nd – Tessa Northrup (Arlington)
3rd – Anderson Brown (Wilson Vance Elementary)
5th Grade
Story Winners
1st – Isaac Beard (Van Buren Elementary)
2nd – Emilia Watts w/ Partner Prize winner Coraline Bishop (Chamberlin Hill)
3rd – Willa Valentine (Chamberlin Hill)
Illustration Winners
1st – Bayleigh Brinkman (Wilson Vance Elementary)
2nd – Gavin He (Van Buren Elementary)
3rd – Ellisyn Lentz (Chamberlin Hill)
Tell-a-Tale Contest
Tell YOUR story this February!
Write a short story (up to 350 words) and submit it with a signed entry form to the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library. Submissions will be accepted from February 1 - February 28. Children in grades K-5 who live or attend school in Hancock County, Ohio are eligible to enter.
Children can write about any topic, and stories may be fiction or nonfiction. They may also include illustrations – or have no illustrations; it’s up to you. Stories can be typed or handwritten but must be legible. Children who cannot type or handwrite it themselves may dictate their story to an adult who can type or handwrite it for them.
Our judging panels will be composed of small volunteer groups from local organizations and businesses, who will rank the top three stories in each grade level. Winners will be contacted by April 1, 2026. All winning stories will be printed in a 2026 Tell-a-Tale book, and winners will receive their award at the Tell-a-Tale Awards Celebration on April 15, 2026 at the Mazza Museum. Please visit the Main Library, Arlington Branch Library, or Bookmobile for entry forms, contest rules, and contest rubrics or email us at tellatale@findlaylibrary.org, and we can send them to you.
Cover Illustration Contest
We have partnered with the Mazza Museum to include an illustration portion of our Tell-a-Tale contest. Any child submitting a story with a cover illustration will automatically be entered into the illustration contest. A group of volunteers from the Mazza Museum will judge the illustrations and rank the top three in each grade level. Winners will be contacted by April 1, 2026. All winning illustrations will also be printed in the 2026 Tell-a-Tale book, and winners will receive their award at the Tell-a-Tale Awards Celebration on April 15, 2026 at the Mazza Museum.
(All eligible illustrations MUST be submitted with a story. Illustrations submitted by themselves will not be eligible.)
Tell-a-Tale is sponsored by
The Friends of the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library
& University of Findlay's Mazza Museum