Announcing the Winner of the ReadWorks Story Reimagined Contest!

This past fall, we partnered with our friends at Storyshares to launch an exciting creative writing contest for middle schoolers: The ReadWorks Story Reimagined Award. We challenged young writers to craft an alternate ending to our popular fiction series, Hacked!—a thrilling cliffhanger that’s kept readers on the edge of their seats.
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We’re thrilled to share that the contest was a huge success! We received an incredible range of entries that explored new twists, bold character choices, and creative conclusions. It was inspiring to see how students reimagined Hacked! through their own unique voices.

And the Winner Is…

We’re proud to announce the winner of this year’s ReadWorks Story Reimagined Award: Ella Pereira for the story “The Maniac.”

In this gripping alternate ending, protagonists Fatima and Brianna set out on an urgent mission—but nothing goes according to plan. Ella weaves a tense and mysterious narrative full of suspense, unexpected revelations, and a shocking twist that flips the story on its head. Will Fatima make it to the competition in time? You’ll have to read it to find out!
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Read the original Hacked! series on ReadWorks—available for free and perfect for grades 6–9. Then, dive into Ella’s award-winning story with this printable PDF of “The Maniac” or the version below to see how one student reimagined the ending with creative flair and narrative power. 

The Maniac - Ella Pereira by Rebecca Vaughn

​We are so excited to celebrate student voice and storytelling through this contest, and we’re grateful to all the young authors who shared their imagination with us. Special thanks to Storyshares for being a part of this wonderful collaboration.
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For our younger students, we are hosting a fun Earth Day Illustration contest with our friends at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation open for students in grades 2-5 right now! Read More.