We’ve been running a Student Review Contest for teenagers for five years now. But this school year, we added a category just for middle school students, ages 10-14.
As in our long-running contest for high schoolers, we invited them to review a piece of culture, art or technology of their choice, as long as it fit into one of the categories of creative work reviewed by The Times. We loved reading their unique takes on everything from Fortnite and bubble tea to fantasy novels and fast food restaurants.
Of the 336 entries we received in the middle school category, our judges selected three winners, two runners-up and four honorable mentions. With their insightful critiques, strong sense of voice and attention to detail, these essays hooked us right from the first line and kept us reading until the end.
Below, we’re featuring the three winning reviews on a 600 year-old castle, a dystopian young adult novel, and a new “smart” projector. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see all the finalists.
In this post:
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated!
If you liked this contest, be sure to enter the next one open to middle school students: our annual editorial contest. From Feb. 13 to March 31, 2020 we’re inviting young people, ages 10-19, to write about an issue that matters to them.
The Winning Reviews
“Bodiam Castle: Connecting the Past to the Present” by Jessie Sapp
With solitude comes strength, and in the solitude of its moat in Sussex, England, Bodiam Castle stands strong and beautiful. The hands of Sir Edward Dalyngrigge built it well; it’s a magnificent sight and the peaceful nature of its surrounding lake make it more so.
Dalyngrigge married into a wealthy family and was given permission to build in 1385. In doing so, he provided a home and a fortress for his family surrounded by peaceful woods, a moat fed by neighboring streams, which later became a historic site. In its approximately 600-year existence, masses of moss have grown and seeped into cracks, collapsing the interior walls and turning them to ruins. The castle, of course, still stands, and, in the middle, there is an abundant, almost magical courtyard. It gives the building a flood of life and a deeper meaning that says that these historic sites never truly fade.
Bodiam Castle is still a popular tourist site with annual gatherings often revolving around historic activities like archery, connecting the past to the present.
Contrary to the message of history never fading, Bodiam Castle might seem run-down to a modern-day civilian. Of course, apart from the moss and ruins, the windows dotted around the periphery seem more inviting to intruders than defensive, which makes one wonder why they’re placed the way they are. The moss-laden walls make the castle blend into its forested background so the majestic fortress becomes difficult to see. If a modern intruder were to try to get into the castle, they might have a hard time finding it.
The 50-meter length of Bodiam’s walls is small compared to newer castles, and the chemin de ronde — the top of the walls connecting the battlements — may seem redundant on that scale, but in the context of the 1300s, they were crucial for defense. However, the corridors were not constructed with precision, and time has taken its toll on them, leaving many in ruins. Similarly, the many rooms varying in size and shape could have undermined the stability of the castle.
The quadrangular shape of the castle fits the stereotype of all castles having four equidistant walls with a single tower in each corner, but in fact this design has proved itself by standing through the centuries.
It seems that Dalyngrigge was more interested in long-term functionality than aesthetics, which has kept Bodiam Castle standing to the present day. It piques my interest in the reasons for medieval castles being depicted as quadrangular in shape; in actuality, not many are. This building has given me more appreciation for simple design. It has shown that historic sites can remain in our memories forever.
“We Set the Dark on Fire: Fighting Reality in a Fictional World” by Luana Cimiotti
Imagine you can’t tell anyone where you’re from — getting arrested, tortured, even killed, if you do. Imagine isolating yourself, fearing to share too much of your identity. Having to give up yourself to be someone you know you’re not supposed to be. To live a life that, according to the law, you don’t deserve to live.
Daniela, the protagonist in Tehlor Kay Mejia’s first novel, “We Set the Dark on Fire,” goes through this every day. After graduating from the country’s most prestigious school, Daniela is sent off into a forced, polyamorous marriage with her worst enemy and a condescending husband. Her efforts to accept the state of affairs are reversed when a mysterious man comes into her life and makes Daniela realize that she can’t and doesn’t want to silently put up with her circumstances. For the first time, she stops striving to fulfill others’ expectations, but instead, fights for her own dream to live in a world “where we can survive without forgetting who we are” (252).
Being both fantasy and dystopian fiction, one wouldn’t dare to imagine how close to reality the story is. It seems truly miraculous how Mejia sheds new light on current topics, like walls, borders, same-sex love, and inequality by projecting these issues into a story that any teen interested in philosophy and politics would enjoy. Most of all, the author wants to raise awareness about the discrimination in society and the threat of its normalization. The readers find inspiration to stick up for their beliefs through the perspective of Daniela, a very powerful and resilient girl, who often struggles with her identity, but slowly finds a voice. During her process of self-discovery, the third-person narrative takes the reader along and paints vivid pictures in one’s mind throughout the whole story. Despite the detailed setting, the writing style does not involve redundant descriptions, leaving room for the reader’s own creativity. The characters are compelling, for their motives remain mysterious until the very end. Daniela isn’t sure who to trust, so oftentimes, I found myself sharing the thrill of discovering a character’s intentions along with her. Throughout the story, the lines between good and evil blur, keeping the reader under a spell as they follow the many twists of the novel.
“We Set the Dark on Fire” is an absolutely magnificent story that, despite taking place in the fantasy genre, teaches teens a lot more about the problems in our world than I ever imagined it could. Its boldness and impact should not be underestimated and will remain with readers for a long time after finishing it. The book is a piece of art that proves how important and powerful fiction can be.
“Epson Brightlink Projector — An Innovative Device that Needs Some Work” by Adam Kellis
Well into my seventh-grade year, I recall walking into class as my attention was quickly drawn to the new device hanging on the wall. To our astonishment, the board hanging under it appeared to be a touch-screen. But at the time, the device was new to everyone, and my teacher was afraid to do much with it. Most had heard about the projector, and it wasn’t unusual for the projector to be the topic of my conversations.
I would soon learn that this projector was part of a renovation that the school was having. More of my teachers had them installed, and all were still trying to figure out how to make them work. The projector is interactive and therefore makes the display “touch-screen.”
Epson certainly did some things right. The projector is practically silent, compared to most other projectors. A fan can’t be heard running which minimizes classroom distractions, and it has several features, such as a built-in timer, as part of the user interface. Teachers can now display multiple things at once as part of its split screen feature, and the projector works with special inkless markers that teachers can use in place of traditional dry-erase markers. The throw is extremely short, with the projector just about a foot above and two feet away from the display.
But all those features come at a price. The base model starts at around $1,500 and the high-end models MSRP at around $2,500. This can be a hefty price tag for schools looking for better projector options without a large budget. And, there are a couple things wrong with the projector. First of all, the interface can be confusing and complicated, and the program the projector runs on certainly isn’t perfect. Sometimes, the projector is all too sensitive and will think that a hand is touching the display when really, it’s six inches away. There’s also a lot of hardware that needs to be installed on most models, causing complications with installation and accessibility.
Overall, while Epson did a decent job with it, it certainly shouldn’t be on the top list of new tech to buy in 2019. Despite the innovative technology, the software is complicated and confusing, and the touch display feature doesn’t always do its job. The projector has some nice features, but it’s simply not worth buying.
All Finalists
In alphabetical order by the writer’s last name.
Winners
“We Set the Dark on Fire: Fighting Reality in a Fictional World” by Luana Cimiotti
“Epson Brightlink Projector — An Innovative Device that Needs Some Work” by Adam Kellis
“Bodiam Castle: Connecting the Past to the Present” by Jessie Sapp
Runners-Up
“Deliciousness in a Box” by Liyah Davis
“Bubbles Burst, and So Does The Truth” by Diya H. Pandhi
Honorable Mentions
“Jazz Crimes: Why Balance Matters” by Clio Grant
“Forgotten Fire: A Compelling Story of Determination” by Levi Hinson
“Il Riccio: The Perfect Lazy Lunch” by Inaya Khan
“Retreat Gastropub: Making St. Louis Fine Dining Addictive” by Samuel Palka
Contest Judges: Nicole Daniels, Shannon Doyne, Jeremy Engle, Michael Gonchar and Natalie Proulx
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The Winners of Our First-Ever Review Contest for Middle Schoolers - The New York Times
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