Today is a special day at Boyds Mills. We are thrilled to announce that 75 storytellers, a talented group of aspiring, emerging, and established writers and illustrators, have been awarded our 2026 scholarships!

These awards represent more than $100,000 in funding, a direct investment in the future of stories for children and young adults. This support ensures that these creators can step away from the noise of daily life to refine their craft, find their community, and create stories that kids need with Boyds Mills.

This work is made possible by the generous support of our donors, the thoughtful commitment of our review committee, and the broader Boyds Mills community.

New Ways to Support Storytellers

Scholarships have been at the heart of our mission since the very first award back in the 1980s. This year, we’re especially proud to see our program grow even further. For the first time, we’ve introduced several new opportunities, including:

• Christine French Cully Love of Reading Scholarships
• Beth Brody Poetry of Nature Scholarship
• Bernette Ford Scholarship
• Spinelli Scholarship
• Wheeler Emerging Novelist Scholarship

Additionally, thanks to the generous support from  Hawthornden Foundation, 16 storytellers will join us for our Community Retreats later this year.

Why This Work Matters

“One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is providing scholarships,” said George Brown, Executive Director of Boyds Mills. “These awards are investments in storytellers and the stories they share with young readers. Kids will benefit for years to come thanks to the stories they tell.”

Whether attending an online course, on-campus workshop, or personal retreat, these recipients are excited to continue to develop their craft and create work that inspires, educates, and informs young readers. Here’s a glimpse into what this year’s recipients shared in their applications:

“I want to share stories with children that reflect and delight, embrace and hold, stories that live in the hearts and minds of both children and caregivers long after the books are closed. My work explores the fragile lines between whimsy and reality, imagination and recollection. Through the lens of narrative, naivety, and the animal kingdom, my words and paintings aim to thoughtfully and subtly depict essential moments in the experience of childhood.” – Andrea Wickert, Steve Light Scholarship

“As a bilingual Latina with a chronic illness, I know firsthand what it feels like to never see yourself in a positive light in the stories you read or see, which is why I am so passionate about having joy be at the forefront of everything that I do. The stories I want to tell and the projects I want to work on don’t highlight the pain or struggles of my community. They celebrate the warmth, the love, the fun, and the wins. Because seeing someone who looks or sounds like you accomplishing big things, being joyful, having fun, that is empowering.” – Andrea Campos, Spinelli Scholarship

“I am a science storyteller. I love sharing science and I believe that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to get science across. Stories make science seem less scary, too! When telling a good story with science concepts folded into the narrative, a reader has no idea that they are learning science. It is like blending vegetables into sauce for finicky eaters. Science and storytelling are a perfect combination this way and I am committed to using them together. Doing this work is my small attempt to make the world a better place.” – Ainissa Ramirez, Jack Myers Scholarship

“I am passionate about storytelling for children and young adults because stories are often the first place where young people learn who they are allowed to be. I care deeply about creating work that affirms identity, emotional truth, and imagination. Stories that meet young readers where they are while also expanding what feels possible.” – Ines Ayala, Hawthornden Foundation Scholarship

“I am incredibly passionate about the importance of humor in children’s literature. Humor is not frivolous; humor is a shared joy in being human and the absurdity of life. I write for the goofy kids, the class clowns, the troublemakers with hearts of gold. But I also write for the kids who are going through a hard time and might need an escape or just need the healing that comes with a good belly laugh.” Brooke Baum, Paula Cohen Scholarship for Picture Book Creators

Introducing Our 2026 Scholarship Recipients

A full list of this year’s recipients can be found below:

• Jen Kraar, Inspire Scholarship
• Alex Land, Christine French Cully Love of Reading Scholarship
• Liz Lazar
• Leslie Kay Lim, Liz Goulet Dubois Scholarship for Picture Book Creators
• Jennifer Liss, PJ Library Scholarship
• Darren López, Virginia Hamilton and Arnold Adoff “Breaking Barriers” Scholarship
• Karina Manta, Hawthornden Foundation Scholarship
• Tamara MC, Rebecca Dykes Writers Scholarship, PJ Library Scholarship
• Desiree McCray, Inspire Scholarship (In memory of Andrea M. Page)
• Sharee Miller, Inspire Scholarship
• Mia Minerva, Wheeler Emerging Novelist Award for the Whole Novel Workshop
• Jackie Morera, Hawthornden Foundation Scholarship
• Hanna Neier, Linda Elovitz Marshall and Bob Marshall Scholarship
• L. Michelle Quraishi, Wheeler Next Chapter Award for the Whole Novel Workshop
• Azra Rahim, Christine French Cully Love of Reading Scholarship
• Ainissa Ramirez, Jack Myers Scholarship
• Jada Reid, Brown Bookshelf Scholarship
• Nez Riaz, Jerome Weisman Scholarship
• A. Lynn Rosefinch, Community Connection Scholarship
• Nadia Salomon, Inspire Scholarship
• Naomi Samarasekera, South Asian Voices Scholarship
• Debra Schmidt, Disability Representation in Children’s Books Scholarship
• Thandiwe Shiphrah, Beth Brody Poetry of Nature Scholarship
• Breanne Smith, Hawthornden Foundation Scholarship
• Sable Spellman, Floyd Cooper Scholarship
• Karen Stanton, Kay Yoder Scholarship for History Writers
• Sarah Steinbacher, Kidlit Pride Scholarship
• Emily Sun Li, Hawthornden Foundation Scholarship
• Meggan Taylor, Hawthornden Foundation Scholarship
• Angela Tsang, Send a Teacher to Summer Camp Scholarship
• Jennifer Walker, Katey Howes Maker Scholarship
• Andrea Wickert, Steve Light Scholarship
• Courtney Williamson Sisneros, Hawthornden Foundation
• Kimberly Willson, Alicia D. Williams Scholarship
• Suraya Yhap-Jairam, Hawthornden Foundation Scholarship
• Stephanie Zackery, Hawthornden Foundation Scholarship

About Boyds Mills

Boyds Mills provides the space and support for the children’s publishing community to create through workshops, retreats, and mentorship. By fostering an environment of craft and community, Boyds Mills helps storytellers amplify their voices and reach young readers around the world.