Several Duval County Public School (DCPS) students have been selected for the Joan Bowditch Young Writer's Award, an award that is part of the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation's annual "Much Ado About Books" premier book festival.
This year, the foundation received more than 200 award entries from middle and high school authors in three genres: essay, poetry and short story. The following students were selected as first-place winners in their respective writing divisions:
| Student |
High School |
Writing Division |
| Deborah MacArthur |
F. H. Peterson Academy of Technology |
Short Story |
| Miguel Lugo |
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts |
Poetry |
| Myrah Fisher |
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts |
Essay |
R.L. Stine, renowned author of children's literature, and Molly Peacock, a poet and a creative nonfiction writer, presented the students with their awards ($100 and a poster signed by the guest authors for the "Much Ado About Books" festival) on Friday, April 25, at the Main Branch of the Jacksonville Public Library. 
Each award winner's classmates and principal were invited to the award ceremony, and afterwards had the opportunity to tour the new downtown library and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Other DCPS students recognized for high placement for the Joan Bowditch Young Writer's Award include:
| Student |
School |
Writing Division/Placement |
| Carley Robinson |
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts |
Short Story (third place); Poetry (second and third place) |
| Katie Meade |
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts |
Essay (second place) |
| Melanie Payne |
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts |
Essay (third place) |
| Daniel Walden |
Fletcher Middle School |
Short Story (second place) |
| Madison Laley |
James Weldon Johnson Middle School |
Poetry (second place) |
| Curtis Coleman |
Eugene Butler Middle School |
Poetry (third place) |
Judges for this year's award were Gay Norton Edelman, senior editor of Family Circle Magazine; Beth Davis, writer/author; Mary May, president of May and Assoc. Educational Consultants; and Jacksonville Public Library staff members Curt Beadell, Michelle Pertrin and Keli Likins.
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