A Celebration of Young Authors
The DKG, Mary Jo Nettesheim Literary Competition started in Wisconsin in 1984 to encourage creative writing. This competition encourages students in grades 3 through 12 to write and illustrate a fiction, enhanced personal narrative or Bi-lingual Spanish book. Each year as many as 2,500 books are submitted for local judging. One hundred and twenty-five local winners were judged at state.
This year five of the seventy state winners will be reading their books and sharing their love of writing in the Edgerton Library Children’s Section.
In the past, several state winners have published their books. For more information go to http://deltakappagamma.org//WI/LiteraryContestRulesForms.html
This year five of the seventy state winners will be reading their books and sharing their love of writing in the Edgerton Library Children’s Section.
In the past, several state winners have published their books. For more information go to http://deltakappagamma.org//WI/LiteraryContestRulesForms.html

Amanda Billerbeck – Debbity Doodah and the Case of the Midnight Shadows
Amanda Billerbeck is a 16 year old high school sophomore who lives in Racine. Drawing and creating her own characters has been a love of hers since she was little. She’s a self-described nerd who also loves Japanese animé, old movies, and all things nature.
Amanda Billerbeck is a 16 year old high school sophomore who lives in Racine. Drawing and creating her own characters has been a love of hers since she was little. She’s a self-described nerd who also loves Japanese animé, old movies, and all things nature.

Anissa Foreman-Ante – Weary!
Anissa Foreman-Ante is a sophomore at Edgerton High School who dreams of writing the crazy ideas in her head for a living. She especially loves to write very strange and aesthetic fantasy books, which often contain myths from around the world. She hopes that one day she will grow the patience to use her passion for painting to illustrate those books as well. First, however, needs to find a way to graduate high school without ripping out all of her hair!
With a rough 8 story ideas in her head, and more surely on the way, she is ecstatic to be joining the community of writers at the Sterling North Book Festival while working to take her dreams to the next level.
Anissa Foreman-Ante is a sophomore at Edgerton High School who dreams of writing the crazy ideas in her head for a living. She especially loves to write very strange and aesthetic fantasy books, which often contain myths from around the world. She hopes that one day she will grow the patience to use her passion for painting to illustrate those books as well. First, however, needs to find a way to graduate high school without ripping out all of her hair!
With a rough 8 story ideas in her head, and more surely on the way, she is ecstatic to be joining the community of writers at the Sterling North Book Festival while working to take her dreams to the next level.

Gabriela Perez Gonzalez – Cremita goes to Mexico
Gabriela Perez Gonzalez is 13 years old and a 7th grader at Marshall Middle School in Janesville, Wisconsin. She has had pet parakeets since she was 4 years old, including one English budgie. Gabi is an excellent trainer and knows how to get her birds to trust and love her.
In addition to storytelling and photography, Gabi enjoys playing the piano, riding her bike and talking to her friends.
Gabi is skilled in the martial art of Kyuki-do. She is also a talented violinist and singer. When Gabi gets older she wants to work in a job where she can help people with disabilities.

Corinne Mitts – Shine by Me
Corinne Mitts is starting 9th grade this year at Brillion High School. She has a mother and two sisters, who she tries to be great role models for. She has always had a fascination with writing, with her earliest memory when she was a second grader and she found a yarn string in the hallway, glued it on a piece of paper and wrote a tiny story about germs. Ever since she has always either read a book or wrote something in a notebook. One of the main authors that have inspired her is John Green. He can piece a story together and make you feel the emotions of his fictional characters. Corinne hopes someday she can help someone feel the same way with her writing. When not reading, she plays sports or video games.
Corinne Mitts is starting 9th grade this year at Brillion High School. She has a mother and two sisters, who she tries to be great role models for. She has always had a fascination with writing, with her earliest memory when she was a second grader and she found a yarn string in the hallway, glued it on a piece of paper and wrote a tiny story about germs. Ever since she has always either read a book or wrote something in a notebook. One of the main authors that have inspired her is John Green. He can piece a story together and make you feel the emotions of his fictional characters. Corinne hopes someday she can help someone feel the same way with her writing. When not reading, she plays sports or video games.

Kate Ricks – Mingo Goes Skiing
Kate Ricks is 10 years old and in 5th grade. She loves flamingos and horses, all shades of pink and orange, art, and being creative. She also spends time playing softball, golfing, skiing, hiking, fishing, and writing short stories. She recently learned to rope and ride horses. She gets a lot of ideas for her stories when she goes on adventures in the mountains while visiting her grandparents in Idaho.