Young Authors of Utah



Nurture the Creative Mind - About the Program

The idea that started the Young Authors of Utah Project is simple:

Students are motivated to write and perfect their writing, IF they have a real audience and purpose.
The persistence needed during a revision process with relevant feedback from the intended audience is fueled by another obvious motivator: What I do makes a difference to someone else - in this case, children in k-2 grades throughout Utah.

Our purpose is based on solid research that suggests students need engaging reading on TOPICS of interest; that is content. Our focus is on the content in Science for K-2nd graders as well as concepts in social studies like other countries and cultures.

Our original inspiration came from the extraordinary work of Amir Jackson, founder and director of an Ogden after school program: Nurture the Creative Mind.

Enthusiasm from school librarians, energetic secondary teachers, principals, Boys and Girls Club of Utah County, Capital City Education and superintendents in Weber, North Sanpete, and Salt Lake and the innovative leaders of design thinking at Thanksgiving Point are making this experience possible.

Registration for the 2015-2016 school year is closed.

Freddie the Penguin is the first book in the Young Authors of Utah series.

Freddie the Penguin
PDF    Author Reading

Written by Isabella Hill
Illustrated by Lauren Crest


About the Book
Author, Isabella Hill, and Illustrator, Lauren Crest, of Freddie the Penguin along with Amir Jackson, founder of Nurture the Creative Mind, share their experience of creating and supporting the memorable penguin.

Other children’s books, written by middle and high school students from across Utah, will be highlighted in this digital library: Utah’s Children’s Press!


About the Author

About the Illustrator

All the final 36 manuscripts, developed by the 2015 cohort of 4 schools, are being published for a locally organized book signing in each community for family and friends.

The Young Authors Advisory Board has selected 12 books to be included in the online digital environment, supported by UEN. Books have been organized by grade bands: K-3; 4-6; 6-8

Grades K-3 Grades 4-6 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12

Grades K-3

What Farmers Do
PDF - English  PDF - Spanish  

Written by Emma Hyer & Ashleigh Roper
Illustrated by Autumn Litster

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written by Ally & Haley & Kayla

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written by Jim Tucker and Hunter Atkins

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written by McKenna Griffin and Katie Torgersen
Illustrated by Katie Torgersen

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written by Nathan Gordan and Nathan Breen

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written by Jane Wight

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written by Josh Orme and Grace Van Buren

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written by Connor Frandsen and Bode Call

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written and Illustrated by Sophie Poduska and Hailey Helton

What Farmers Do
PDF

Written by JayLynn Holt

The Same But Different
PDF

Written by Devaney Franco
Illustrated by Storybird.com

Rain
PDF

Written and Illustrated by Marla Jewell

A New Home
PDF - English  PDF - Spanish  PDF - Karen

Written and Illustrated by Gema Hernandez

A Toad and a Frog
PDF  

Written by Jennifer Morales
Illustrated by Katelyn Smout

Easton's Great Adventure
PDF  

Written by Jack Hindley
Illustrated by Jennifer McCoy

Kevin the Sporty Turtle
PDF  

Written by Joel Galvez Savoca
Illustrated by Oscar Andersen

Outside of My Blue House
PDF  

Written by Emma Ipsen
Illustrated by Shianne Archer

My Very Own Talent
PDF  

Written by Victoria L. Udink
Illustrated by Lucas Quintrequeo

The Unexpected Friendship
PDF - English  PDF - Arabic

Written by Shams Al-Shawbaki
Illustrated by Emely Perez

There and Evaporated Again
PDF  

Written by Sidney Maudlin
Illustrated by Trevor O'Neal

Grades 4-6

A New Home
PDF - English  PDF - Spanish

Written by Sera Hunter
Illustrated by Carly Burton

A New Home
PDF - English  PDF - Spanish

Written by Jialin Wu
Illustrated by Alexa Crookston

A New Home
PDF - English  PDF - Spanish

Written by Abigail Hohmann
Illustrated by Abraham Awadh

A New Home
PDF - English  PDF - Spanish

Written by Emma Ipsen
Illustrated by Chayse Felt

The Two Flutes
PDF

Written by Emily Dunford
Illustrated by Emily Shelley

Dinosaurs
PDF  

Written by Noah Richmond

Mirror
PDF  

Written and Illustrated by Hannah Mosher

The Fastest Way Home
PDF  

Written and Illustrated by Emily Demordaunt

Grades 6-8

Shadows
PDF  

Written by Hallie Gee and Kaitlyn Rasmussen
Illustrated by McKennen Call and Katelyn Gates

Shadows
PDF  

Written by Noah Richmond

Shadows
PDF  

Written by Mason Robison
Illustrated by Logan Christensen

Shadows
PDF  

Written by Ashley and Moea

Shadows
PDF  

Written by Brooke, Savannah & Grace

Shadows
PDF  

Written by Ashley Udink
Illustrated by Ginger Udink

Grades 9-12

Shadows
PDF  

Written and illustrated by Jawad Rabiaa

Shadows
PDF  

Written by Mr. Abdow
Illustrated by Zakia Mohammadi

Shadows
PDF  

Written and illustrated by Lamar Rabiaa

Shadows
PDF  

Written and illustrated by Lamar Rabiaa

Shadows
PDF  

Written and illustrated by Masooma Ahmad Zada

Shadows
PDF  

Written and illustrated by Benazir Mohammadi

Shadows
PDF  

Written and illustrated by Attaye Azharuddin

Shadows
PDF  

Written by Hasib Mohammadi
Illustrated by Benazir Mohammadi

Shadows
PDF  

Written and illustrated by Basma Al Doori