Pat Zietlow Miller (she/her) – Elementary School Judge (9 and under)
Pat is the author of more than 20 picture books including the New York Times bestselling Be Kind and the Golden Kite award-winning Sophie’s Squash. She lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be found online at www.patzietlowmiller.com.
“The best way people can get to know and like each other is to listen to each other’s stories. But sharing your story — in small or big ways — is often hard. You have to be brave. Congratulations to everyone for being brave enough to share their stories here. I’m happy to have read all of them.”
Chelsey Tubbs (she/her) – Elementary School Judge (9 and under)
With over two decades of experience as an educator, Chelsey currently serves as the Associate Superintendent of Elementary Schools at MMSD. As both a teacher and leader, she has been recognized for eradicating achievement/opportunity gaps in Dane County.
Martin Sanchez (he/him) – Middle School Judge (10-12)
Martin is a professional goalkeeper for Forward Madison FC who enjoys spending time outdoors and learning new skills in his free time.
“I am excited for our young people to share their voices because they are our future. Allowing young kids to share their voices allows them to express their emotions, their ideas, and allows others to learn about their unique experiences.”
Laura Bird (she/her) – Middle School Judge (10-12)
Laura volunteers extensively for the Madison Public Library Foundation, the Wisconsin Book Festival, and Lunch for Libraries, and she’s the middle-grade author of Crossing the Pressure Line (March 2022) and Marvelous Jackson (September 2024). Join her on Instagram at @laura_at_the_library to celebrate all things literary.
“Kids always ask me ‘How do you become a writer?’ And my answer is simple: read and write as much as you can, starting as young as possible. It doesn’t matter what genre—just dig in! Make yourself at home with words and stories, and you’ll go far. This contest is a fabulous way to get started.”
Diya Dhawal (she/her) – High School Judge (13-18)
Diya is a junior at Middleton High School and last years winner of the WE READ Youth Voices writing contest. When she’s not busy writing, Diya runs a robotics team in her free time. When she grows up, she wants to be an aerospace engineer and write mystery novels.
“I have always loved literature. Growing up, libraries were my home. Reading and writing stories is my passion. Writing is the way that we can tell our stories and use our voices to express what we are passionate about, so I was so excited to judge for the We Read Youth Voices Writers contest!”
Bianca Martin (she/her) – High School Judge (13-18)
Bianca hosts the local, award-winning weekday podcast City Cast Madison, which connects Madisonians to their city and neighbors. She’s formerly a long-time radio and podcast producer for several NPR and public radio programs including “Our Body Politic”, “1A”, plus, National Geographic‘s nonfiction narrative podcast “Into the Depths”.
“I am moved by the power of storytelling and writing to transform, empower, and connect us to ourselves and each other. So, when the opportunity to be a judge for the WE READ Youth Voices competition presented itself, it was a no-brainer to be of service to our youth writers”
