Honorable mention winners in grades one through three are, left to right, Emily League, Chloe Morgan, Mason Maddox, Matthew Bundy, Wesley Ross, Garrett Massey and Tatum Hunter. Twenty-six young writers from the Troup and Arp Independent School Districts were honored by the Troup Municipal Library's 2009 Composition Competition. This year marked the 12th year the contest has invited students in grades one through eight to participate in an essay contest based on the books they read in the current year.

This year, each student was asked to choose a character in a recently read book that would make a good friend and explain why this character was chosen. The results were excellent. About one-quarter of the papers picked an animal - horse, dog, bunny - but most picked a person. All the characters possessed traits the students value and think they have or want to acquire.

First place winner in the Grades 1-3 categor y is Quincy Kincade, a secondgrader in Troup Elementary. The runner-up is Riley Stephens, a second-grader from Arp Elementary.

Kaden Deck, left, won first place in Grades 4-5, with Riley Stephens earning runner-up in Grades 1-3. All but one of the honorable mention awardees were also in the second grade. They include the following: Matthew Bundy, Troup Elementary; Tatum Hunter, Troup Elementary; Emily League, Troup Elementar y; Mason Moddoox, Arp Elementary; Garrett Massey, Troup Elementary; Chloe Morgan Powell, grade three, Troup Elementar y; and Wesley Ross, Troup Elementary.

In Grades 4-5 category, the first place winner is Kaden Deck, grade four, Troup Elementar y. Runner- up is Tristen Evans, grade five, Arp Elementary.

The honorable mention honorees include the following: Jake Allen, grade four, Troup; Brandon Casteel, grade four, Troup; Emily Krall, grade four, Troup; Haleigh Latham, grade five, Arp; Callie Tosh, grade five, Troup; Chandler Whitt, grade five, Arp.

Josie Attaway, grade eight, Arp Junior High, took first place in the Grades 6-8 category. The runner- up is Chrissy Mims, grade eight, Arp Junior High.

All of the honorable mention awardees are in grade eight, Arp Junior High School. They include the following: Erica Forester, Kyle Kain, Kaci Latham, Alexis Swinney, Chelsa Swinney, Bobbie Tyra and Jordan Weiss.

Honorable mention winners in grades four through five include, left to right, Jake Allen, Brandon Casteel and Emily Krall. Navoleine Roddy has chaired the Composition Competition every year for 12 years. She credits the teachers and principals of the two school systems for doing a great job of helping young writers prepare their essays. Her personal touch in inviting the schools and teachers to participate makes this contest a popular event in the schools.

The four schools involved are Troup Elementar y School, Principal Debbie Moxley; Arp Elementary School, Principal Wendy Popescu; Troup Middle School, Principal Ava Johnson; and Arp Junior High School, Principal Dwight Thomas.

Ten teachers in the Troup Independent School District entered students in the Composition Competition: Sophia Bright, Donna Emmons, Leslie Hartman, Kimberly Knighton, Val Lamottte, Pam Newman, Marci Martel, Marli Pike, Connie Sanford and Amber Turner. Five teachers from the Arp Independent School District entered students in the contest: Tiffany Ellis, Crisiti Flowers, Julie Rhome, Kathy Stroupe and Karen Waller.

Judges were Deborah Burkett, Dora Carlyle, Ruth Cole, Linda Kay Evans, Essie Massingill, Mona Osbourne, Navoleine Roddy and Juanece Smith.