Santa Maria Sun / News

A sixth-grader battles to the top of Author-Go-Round

Battles Elementary School sixth-grader Carlos Garcia took the win with his creative writing at the 43rd annual Author-Go-Round on Feb. 1.

Garcia swung to the top out of more than 120 local schoolchildren from 24 schools with his writing based on the works of the four published authors featured at the event: Greg Tine, Sherry Shahan, Sneed B. Collard III, and Eugene Yelchin.

The Santa Barbara County Education Office sponsors the event every year to give upper elementary and junior high students the opportunity to explore creative writing and illustrating. Students visit four separate stations, each with an activity designed around one of the four authors’ works.

Garcia won for overall performance at all four stations. He created a new villain at Tine’s station, wrote a paragraph about a car trip at Collard’s station, wrote about an important life experience at Yelchin’s station, and wrote about a funny experience with a pet for Shahan’s station.

Garcia received a shirt with each author’s picture and autograph for his win. Rosalba Lopez from Arellanes Junior High received an award and an autographed copy of a book by Yelchin for her writing about a life experience.