The 2026 Writing Contest ended in May 2026.
Beginning, March 1, 2026, kids and teens in grades 3-12 were invited to respond to the following prompt:
"You are a lighthouse keeper who keeps receiving mysterious messages in bottles..."
Please visit one of our five library locations to read this year’s entries.
Revisit this page for the upcoming 2027 Writing Contest announcement and updates.
Who was Elizabeth Stewart?
Elizabeth Stewart was a talented and beloved Youth Services Librarian who worked at the Palo Alto City Library (PACL) from 2015 to 2022. She courageously battled cancer twice, before passing away surrounded by her family on February 3, 2022. During her career at PACL, Liz helped coordinate numerous popular youth events, including this writing contest. Visit this blog post to learn more about Liz’s life and career at PACL.
More Questions?
Please reach out to Heidi von Mayrhauser at heidi.vonmayr@paloalto.gov