The Young Mathematical Story Authors (YMSA) competition is delighted to announce that Latrenda Knighten, the current President of the US-based National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) - the world's largest organisation dedicated to improving mathematics education - will join its international judging panel from the 2027 competition onwards. She succeeds internationally acclaimed children’s mathematics author Stuart J. Murphy, who has served as judge of the competition's 8–11 years category since the inaugural competition in 2019.
This transition marks both the celebration of Stuart's remarkable contribution over the better part of a decade and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for one of the world's fastest-growing mathematics and literacy competitions.
Celebrating Stuart J. Murphy's Legacy
During his eight years on the judging panel, Stuart’s 8-11 years category has grown substantially, culminating in a record 1,424 entries from students across 29 countries in 2026 - representing a remarkable 92% increase on the previous year alone.
Widely regarded as the world's most prolific and best-selling author of mathematical story picture books, Stuart has written 63 mathematical stories, with more than 18 million copies of his HarperCollins-published MathStart series sold worldwide.
Although Stuart is stepping down from the judging panel, he has generously agreed for the Stuart J. Murphy Award to continue bearing his name in our recognition of his longstanding contribution to inspiring children to discover the beauty of mathematics through stories. The award will continue celebrating young mathematical storytellers aged 8–11 for years to come, building on the legacy he has helped establish.
In his farewell video below, Stuart reflects on his time as judge. Here is a brief extract from his message:
"I was really excited about seven years ago when Vince called me up to tell me about his new competition. I mean, can you imagine the idea? This idea was going to be called the Young Mathematical Story Authors competition. It was a great new idea because it involved the notion of getting kids from around the world, young students from different parts of the world, to write stories about mathematics. [...] I love the idea of getting younger students involved in this. Then Vince called me back and asked me to be a judge for the 8 to 11-year-old age group. Now, that was really an honor [...] and, better yet, that the award would be named after me: the Stuart J. Murphy Award.
"I'm passing the torch to someone who is so well qualified to take it on. Her name is Latrenda Knighten. Latrenda is an educator, a lifelong educator in mathematics, a lover of students, an admirer, a person who just moves life forward for the students in Louisiana. She is now the President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. And she's going to come to this [...] role of being the judge for the Stuart J. Murphy Award with all kinds of interests and capabilities that are just going to make this even better."
Widely regarded as the world's most prolific and best-selling author of mathematical story picture books, Stuart has written 63 mathematical stories, with more than 18 million copies of his HarperCollins-published MathStart series sold worldwide.
Although Stuart is stepping down from the judging panel, he has generously agreed for the Stuart J. Murphy Award to continue bearing his name in our recognition of his longstanding contribution to inspiring children to discover the beauty of mathematics through stories. The award will continue celebrating young mathematical storytellers aged 8–11 for years to come, building on the legacy he has helped establish.
In his farewell video below, Stuart reflects on his time as judge. Here is a brief extract from his message:
"I was really excited about seven years ago when Vince called me up to tell me about his new competition. I mean, can you imagine the idea? This idea was going to be called the Young Mathematical Story Authors competition. It was a great new idea because it involved the notion of getting kids from around the world, young students from different parts of the world, to write stories about mathematics. [...] I love the idea of getting younger students involved in this. Then Vince called me back and asked me to be a judge for the 8 to 11-year-old age group. Now, that was really an honor [...] and, better yet, that the award would be named after me: the Stuart J. Murphy Award.
"I'm passing the torch to someone who is so well qualified to take it on. Her name is Latrenda Knighten. Latrenda is an educator, a lifelong educator in mathematics, a lover of students, an admirer, a person who just moves life forward for the students in Louisiana. She is now the President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. And she's going to come to this [...] role of being the judge for the Stuart J. Murphy Award with all kinds of interests and capabilities that are just going to make this even better."
Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai (Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Reading and founder of MathsThroughStories.org, which organises the YMSA competition) commented:
 | "It has been an absolute privilege to have Stuart serve as a YMSA judge since our inaugural competition in 2019. Beyond bringing his unparalleled expertise as the world's leading author of mathematical story picture books, he has shown genuine care and encouragement towards every young author who has entered the competition. During his time on the judging panel, the Stuart J. Murphy Award has grown from a modest beginning into an internationally recognised category, attracting more than 1,400 entries from 29 countries this year alone. Over the better part of a decade, Stuart's friendship, wisdom, generosity, and unwavering support have helped shape the YMSA competition into the international initiative it is today. I am especially touched that he has so generously agreed for the Stuart J. Murphy Award to continue bearing his name, ensuring that his remarkable legacy will continue inspiring young mathematical storytellers for many years to come. On behalf of our entire YMSA community, thank you, Stuart, for everything you have done." |
A special meeting in June 2026 (across four time zones) to thank Stuart J. Murphy for his contribution to the YMSA competition and to welcome Latrenda Knighten as the new judge of the Stuart J. Murphy Award. They were joined by fellow judges: Cindy Neuschwander (author of the Sir Cumference series) and Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai (YMSA competition organiser).
Hear from the YMSA Community
As part of this special announcement, we are also pleased to share two heartfelt video tributes celebrating Stuart's contribution to the competition:
In her video below, Samara Dhankar (three-time winner of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Stuart J. Murphy Award) reflects on how the YMSA competition and specifically the Award helped shape her identity as a young mathematical thinker and storyteller.
In her video below, Samara Dhankar (three-time winner of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Stuart J. Murphy Award) reflects on how the YMSA competition and specifically the Award helped shape her identity as a young mathematical thinker and storyteller.
In her video below, Kanupriya Anand (Samara’s mother) shares a parent’s perspective on how Stuart’s MathStart books and the YMSA competition helped her daughter fall in love with mathematics, while inspiring young mathematical storytellers around the world to approach mathematics with confidence, creativity, and joy.
A New Chapter: Welcoming Latrenda Knighten
Joining the judging panel from 2027 is Latrenda Knighten, current President of the US-based National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) - the world's largest organisation dedicated to improving mathematics education. An educator for over 30 years, her experience spans classroom teaching, mathematics coaching, curriculum leadership, and district mathematics supervision. She is also the co-author of Classroom-Ready Rich Math Tasks, Grades K–1, Five to Thrive, and Proactive Mathematics Interventions Grades 2–5.
Latrenda shared the following message upon accepting the invitation to join the judging panel:
Latrenda shared the following message upon accepting the invitation to join the judging panel:
 | “I’m excited about the opportunity to serve as a judge for the Young Mathematical Story Authors competition and feel honored to judge the entries in the Stuart J. Murphy (8-11-year-old) category. When asked to join the judging panel, I couldn’t contain my excitement about combining two things I love - good literature and mathematics! I’ve been a fan of Stuart for years and I have fond memories of introducing his books to my students. In addition to reading the innovative and creative stories the students submit, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to use this program to help students see that math isn’t just about numbers. Writing math stories allows students to take math out of a silo and integrate math with literacy where students learn to connect mathematical concepts to real-world situations, foster sense-making, and use critical thinking and reasoning skills. Writing and illustrating math-themed picture books allows students to truly experience the wonder, joy, and beauty of mathematics and share their creativity with others.” |
Looking Ahead
The YMSA competition looks forward to welcoming Latrenda Knighten to its international judging panel from 2027, as it continues to grow its global community of young mathematical storytellers. Building on the legacy that Stuart J. Murphy has helped establish, the competition will continue to champion children’s mathematical creativity, confidence, and joy through the creation of their own mathematical story picture books.
