Forward On by Danté Barton - 1st place – Short Story 11 and under
Once there was a vicious tiger that terrorized and stole the food from two villages.  Sadly, the two villages hadn’t liked each other for a long time, and often fought over the little things.  One day, the tiger seriously injured a child from each village. The villagers finally realized that the only way to solve the problem of the tiger was to work together and trap it.  A great trap was set by the two villages, and the tiger was caught and sold to the zoo. Then the villagers realized that once they work together they can move forward.

Forward On by Johliya Joseph - 2nd place - Short Story 11 and under
Two young girls, Mary, who was eleven years old, and Jane, who was twelve years old, lived in a low income area in Antigua.
Roslyn, their mother, was a single parent, and a domestic worker, who made a small income.  Both girls were in Grade 6 at a government primary school, and were preparing to sit their Common Entrance Exams. Since they had no electricity and barely any food to eat, it was a challenge for them to complete their homework but they did. However, their mother constantly prayed for them to excel. Sometimes, she even cried.  Exams came. Both girls passed in the top hundred. Their mother rejoiced, “Go girls, forward on!”

Grandma and the Computer by Autumn Odlum - 1st place – Short Story Ages 12 - 17
It’s a stormy night. The thunder is so loud that it sounds like it’s inside the house. Then a lightening flash almost blinds me. The rain pelts so hard on the roof that it sounds like it’s boring through the sheet-metal and piercing holes. I worry that electricity will be cut, and just in case this happens, I start looking for my laptop to charge it. I run to my bedroom, the kitchen, dining room, and the living room but there isn’t any sign of my laptop. I search every room in the house but still I can’t find it. Where is my laptop? Then I remember I didn’t check my Grandma’s bedroom. I think to myself, it can’t be there! I remember that yesterday I saw her sneaking a look at it as she was making a big fuss about computers, as she usually does. To be honest, I don’t think she even knows how to turn it on. Still, there is this nagging thought, and I know I need to check Grandma’s room. I quickly scan the room and as I’m leaving, I turn around and head to her closet. There was my laptop. I think to myself, “Why would she, of all people, have my laptop? Is this the same thing she calls evil?” I quickly open it and see that it’s on Youtube, playing a song I heard her singing this morning. I am so engrossed in my thoughts that I don’t hear when Grandma returns.  She looks at me, and then looks at the computer. Quietly, she explains, “I need to find a song the choir will be singing on Sunday.”

Forward On by Briana Lewis - 2nd place – Short Story Ages 12 - 17
One October afternoon, Mercedes arrives home after a long, arduous day at her school’s youth rally practice. The beautiful, svelte, fifteen year old, quickly throws her denim shorts on the floor, kicks off her shoes and hurries to her laptop to find out about the latest rumours on Facebook, forgetting that she has to do the dishes. She’s now only wearing her pink, crop top that clings to her shapely torso.
She is so engrossed with her laptop, she doesn’t hear her mother arrive. Her mother arrives home to find the dishes aren’t done. As the mother makes her way to Mercedes room, she sees the discarded shorts – a pair that she’d expressly told her daughter not to wear – lying on the ground next to her shoes. She sees her daughter sitting in her room in a halter top, idly looking at the computer.
 “Mercedes,” she says, “why aren’t the dishes done?”
“Mom, I was planning on doing them later,” Mercedes replies.
The mother is now in a rage, and also very upset about Mercedes’ attire.
“What are your shoes doing in the middle of the floor, Mercedes?” her mother asks.
“Mom, can’t you give me a break…like seriously!” Mercedes pleads.
In her state, the mother takes it upon herself to see what Mercedes is doing on her computer. When she sees what’s on the screen, she realizes that Mercedes is hiding a big secret from her. She says to her daughter, “Mercedes, for the last time, please remove yourself from the computer!”
Being the stubborn person that she is, Mercedes refuses to get off the computer.
“Is there anything,” her mother asks, “that you’d like to tell me?”
Mercedes sighs, “Yes, mind your business. This doesn’t really concern you.”
Her mother is livid. “Mercedes, this is the last and final time I’m going to be ordering you off the computer.”
 “Alright, I’ll turn it off,” Mercedes replies. ”But please leave me alone!”
Mercedes gets off the computer and storms out of her room, slamming the door behind her. After her mother returns to the kitchen and begins washing the dishes, Mercedes approaches her, and says in a grumpy manner, “Excuse me, Mom, can you please iron my dress uniform. I need it for tomorrow morning.”
Her mother ignores her and continues to wash the dishes. After she realizes that her mother is ignoring her, Mercedes approaches her mother differently.
“Mom, can you please remember to pack my attire for the cheerleading competition?”
 “Mercedes,” her mom replies, “Do you really think I should allow you to go to the youth rally celebrations tomorrow?” She is quietly celebrating her victory. She never believed in giving licks but she knew this might be the best punishment for this situation.
When she realizes what’s happening, Mercedes goes straight to her room, muttering terrible words about her mother. Her mother pays her no mind. Once again, Mercedes approaches her mother and pleads with her to let her go. She feels bad because she’d promised her boyfriend and her friends that she’d be there.  
Her mother is firm, “Mercedes, I have come to my decision, and it is final. You will not be attending the youth rally celebrations tomorrow.”
“But, Mom,” pleads Mercedes, “I’ve been practicing so hard for it. Now you choose to tell me that I can’t go. I’ve made special arrangements to meet my boyfriend tomorrow, and I really want to see him.”
“Excuse me, young lady, your boy who?” her mother asks.
“Wait, are you deaf?” Mercedes taunts, “Did I stutter the words? My boyfriend!”
Her mother, now visibly angry, tells her child, “Well, the last time I happened to check, I am the adult and you are the child. So, what I say must go!”
In the end, Mercedes took her punishment and realized that in the long run her mother was looking out for her and that her mother didn’t hate her, or have anything against her. She recognized that her mother’s love will benefit her, and she needed it to become a well-rounded individual with excellent qualities and personality traits. Finally, and most importantly, the mother knew that she had to be steadfast in her decision because she wanted to mould Mercedes along the right path. Mercedes was soon on the right track heading in the right direction. Forward on!

Forward On by Emiline Bero - 3rd place – Short Story Ages 12 - 17
There are times in an individual’s life when they are teased, bullied, abused or just hurt. In my essay, I will be writing about when a child feels miserable and in a crisis, they should say ‘Forward On’ with my life, my education, my pride.
When a child is stuck in this crisis (usually from the age of nine), they need to think about moving forward on. They should think about what is ahead of them. There is a saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.’ This is false because words do hurt, and this causes children to break down in tears.
I know this because I was bullied in Grade 5, at the age of nine. My mother helped me overcome it. She told me it wasn’t the end of the world. I quote her exact words, ‘You should think of your life ahead of you.’ She also told me ‘forward on with your life darling, it is not the end of the world’.
What I am saying is that no matter what problems you have in your life, the whole idea is to think of the problems that you will face in the future and not the past or the present. Anything can happen in a day, hour, or even a minute, and that is why we have today to ourselves and our pains…FORWARD ON WITH OUR LIFE, EDUCATION AND PRIDE!