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2015 EZRA JACK KEATS BOOKMAKING COMPETITION WINNERS

The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM), the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) are pleased to announce the winners of the third annual Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition on the West Coast! To promote the art and craft of original bookmaking in the classroom, students from San Francisco Public Schools in grades K through 12 were invited to design, write, and create their own books.

Over ninety books from twenty schools were submitted and reviewed by our panel of judges. Judges ranged from writers to librarians to educators and included: Lovisa Brown, Director of Education, MOAD; Lyn Davidson, Assistant Manager, Fisher Children’s Center, SFPL; Liz Ozol, Arts Education Program Officer, SF Arts Commission; Renny Pritikin, Chief Curator, The CJM; and Luis Valentino, Chief Academic Officer, SFUSD.

This bookmaking contest was held in conjunction with The CJM’s ongoing series of children’s book exhibitions. Caldecott winner Ezra Jack Keats was the creator of over twenty children’s books, including the classic The Snowy Day. He was motivated to pursue a career as an author/illustrator as the result of an art achievement medal he received while attending public school in Brooklyn, New York.

Heartfelt thanks to all participating schools:

Alamo, Aptos, Bret Harte, Burton, Chinese Education Center, Denman, Drew, Fairmount, Flynn, Francisco, Glen Park, Grattan, James Lick, Jean Parker, Key, Lau, Muir, Rooftop, SF Community, Sloat, Sunnyside, Sunset

Awards Ceremony

The third annual Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition on the West Coast was presented by The CJM, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, and SFUSD on Sunday, Mar 15, 2016 at The CJM. See photos from the awards ceremony on The CJM's Facebook page:

Collaborative Early Elementary Category

First Place

Creature Elementary, Second Grade, Rooftop

Second Place (Tie)

Beautiful SF, Third Grade, Chinese Education Center

I Like it When, Third–Fifth Grade Special Education Class, Fairmount

Third Place

Notsoo's Adventure, Third–Fifth Grade Combination Class, Francis Scott Key

Special Recognition for Creative Use of Mixed Media

Magical Children's Folktales from Middle East and China, First Grade, Sloat

Special Recognition for the Artistic Integration of Text and Image

First Grade (all classes), Fairmount

Special Recognition for Emerging Authors/Illustrators

The Life of a Kid with Lots of Friends, Alex Cohen, Second Grade, Sunnyside

Mr. Fishter, Aaron Leopold, Second Grade, Rooftop

ELEMENTARY CATEGORY

First Place

My Summer Trip to Asia, Amia Ma, Third Grade, Sloat

Second Place

Tracy's Life, Hannah Wissotzky, Fourth Grade, Grattan

Third Place (tie)

The Cooking Contest, Annika Hansen and Klara Johnson, Fourth Grade, Rooftop

Invasion of the Space Monkeys, Essie Tuerk-Levy, Third Grade, Glen Park

Special Recognition for Excellence in Personal Narrative

Yin Ying's Story of Immigration, Diego Yu Huang, Fourth Grade, SF Community

Middle School Category

First Place

Words Hurt!, Daniela Herrera, Eighth Grade, Aptos

Second Place

Inside Ms. Wright's Class, Patricia Fong, Eighth Grade, Denman

Third Place

Lumberjack, Owen Rand, Sixth Grade, Aptos

Special Recognition for Stunning Illustrations and a Distinctive Voice

Lonely Whale, Emily Tomilinson, Eighth Grade, Rooftop

High School Category

First Place

My Everything, Eliana Medina, Eleventh Grade, Burton

Second Place (tie)

Oliver's Afternoon, Isabel Brown, Eleventh Grade, Burton

My Book…It's More Than Just Dots and Lines, Vicky Ma, Ninth Grade, Burton

Third Place

He, She, Life, Brigette Long, Eleventh Grade, Burton

Special Recognition for Poetic Simplicity

My Awesome Book, Archie Malapit, Twelfth Grade, Burton

Special Recognition for a Multi-Sensory Experience in Bookmaking

A Dream to Remember, Jenny Xie, Ninth Grade, Burton

School and Teacher Recognition

Burtion High School Students; Elizabeth Keith, teacher librarian; and Caleb White, art teacher, for their delightful blending of art and poetry

supporters

Presented in Partnership with the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, the San Francisco Unified School District, and the San Francisco Public Library. 

Special thanks to our generous supporters, Flax art & design and Goosebottom Books.

School and Teacher Programs at The Contemporary Jewish Museum are made possible by Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Target. Leadership support comes from The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation and The Hearst Foundations, with additional generous support from The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation and Ullendorff Memorial Foundation.

Image Credit

Header image: Beautiful SF, Third Grade, Chinese Education Center. Image gallery photos by Quincy Stamper.