Students from the Na‘au School in Honolulu were among 10 groups of kids receiving 2012 Youth Honor Awards from Skipping Stones magazine.
The poems and drawings of the students, ages 9 to 13, that were chosen for the awards are published in the September-October issue.
Among them are a drawing of a Hawaiian green sea turtle by Chloe Yoshiki, 7, and a poem by Maia Ito, 13, called "The Cry of Sorrow," about endangered native Hawaiian birds. Ito also drew a picture, titled "The Sacred Crimson ‘I‘iwi."
Hemakanapuaika Maluhia Hirahara, 9, wrote a poem called "Joy of Hula," and Jackie Wong, 12, composed "Fresh Fish, Fresh Creatures," describing the smells, sights and sounds of North King Street in Chinatown.
Na‘au, a Honolulu school that offers writing classes and test prep programs for students from grades pre-K to 12, is run by Hawaii author Lois-Ann Yamanaka and education professor Melvin Spencer.
Yamanaka says the students have received awards numerous times over the years and that it’s rewarding to see their work published.
"They really are so stoked to see their work in print, especially the color," she said.
Skipping Stones, a nonprofit magazine, has a mission of encouraging cooperation and creativity and celebrating cultural and ecological richness.
Each winner receives an honor certificate, five multicultural and/or nature books and a subscription to the magazine, as well as the opportunity to serve on the magazine’s student review board.
Visit skippingstones.org and yamanakanaau.com to learn more about both programs.
