Every year, we at the Ripple Foundation are astounded by the talent and creativity of young authors nationwide. This year was no exception, with talent shining brightly from all 921 participants from 558 schools across nine provinces and one territory. Each entry was a testament to our young writers’ fantastic imagination and creativity, and each story inspired us.

Our judging panel of authors, editors, publishers, and winners from last year’s contest selected two stories from ten finalists, rated on creativity, originality, story structure, and writing quality. We want to extend a huge congratulations to our two selected youth authors:

• A New Hope by Sophie Fifen, Grade 6 (Christian Life School, Fort St John, BC)
• The Spark of the Gliding Mind by Daniel Liang, Grade 6 (Crosby Heights Public School, Richmond Hill, ON)

And to the runners-up:

• Between the Boards and the Line by Tanner Wouda, Grade 5 (Agassiz Christian School, Agassiz, BC)
• Denial by Maia Embuldeniya-Ferna, Grade 8 (Hillfield Strathallan College, Hamilton, ON)
• Dinosaur by Luke Hildebrand, Grade 5 (École Margaret-UnderHill, Winnipeg, MB)
• Learning to Fly by Twishaa Kartik, Grade 7 (Westmount Charter School, Calgary, AB)
• Nature Doesn’t Wait by Brianne Nikolaus, Grade 7 (Forest Hill Junior and Senior Public School, Toronto, ON)
• The Library That Returned Books by Itself by Misha Gs, Grade 4 (Britannia Public School, Mississauga, ON)
• The Price of a Miracle by Jayden Zhang, Grade 7 (Maritus Academy, North York, ON)
• The Strange Boy by Karina Lackey, Grade 6 (Rockwood Centennial Public School, Rockwood, ON)

We want to take this opportunity to celebrate all the participants. Over the past 13 years, approximately 10% of our young authors have been dedicated enough to enter the competition multiple times throughout their eligible years. In fact, nearly 40% of our contest winners were returning participants who continued refining their craft year after year — a powerful reminder that persistence is often the key to success. We encourage each of you to continue honing your skills, keep putting pen to paper, and never stop sharing your stories.

A New Hope and The Spark of the Guilding Mind will be published in print and digitally for the world to read. These books will be available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, and OverDrive. Proceeds from sales in 2026 will be donated to the winner’s charity of choice.

In addition, we are extremely excited that Sophie Riches, a 2026 graduate from the Sheridan Illustrator Program, has graciously volunteered to lend her talent and time to illustrate the covers for our winners’ books. Sophie’s unique style and artistic vision will undoubtedly add a beautiful dimension to these wonderful stories.

We extend our heartiest congratulations to the winners and express our sincere gratitude to all the teachers, principals, parents, librarians, volunteers, and everyone who has contributed to making this contest a huge success. Initiatives like these help cultivate the creative spirit and love for reading and writing in our younger generation.

Stay tuned for more updates. In the meantime, register for our weekly, free virtual Write It Workshop to continue honing your writing skills and inspiring others!