THE 2023 YOUNG MATHEMATICAL STORY AUTHORS (YMSA)
COMPETITION
THE CINDY NEUSCHWANDER AWARD
(THE 12-15 YEARS OLD CATEGORY)
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With 290 entries from 32 schools across 10 countries to judge, the Cindy Neuschwander Award (the 12-15 years old category) is very competitive this year.
The competition is also very inclusive with 183 female students and 107 male students participated.
Many congratulations to the authors of the winning, shortlisted and longlisted entries! The winner receives £100 and their school another £100. The Award is generously funded by Charlesbridge.
You can read these talented authors' mathematical stories, their inspiration for the stories, and the judges' comments below.
Feel free to share their works on social media using the #YMSAMaths hashtag.
We would like to thank all the authors for taking part in this year's YMSA competition and to their schools (and parents) for encouraging them to participate in the competition. Below is the list of this year's participating schools (and homeschooling sites) for this age category.
Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (UK)
Botany Downs Secondary College (New Zealand)
Bucklands Beach Intermediate (New Zealand)
Charters School (UK)
Collingwood Collegiate Institute (Canada)
Co-op Academy Priesthorpe (UK)
Dulwich College Beijing (China)
Fulton Science Academy (Georgia, USA)
Glen Cairn Public School (Canada)
Harris Girls Academy East Dulwich (UK)
Harrow International School Bangkok (Thailand)
International School Nanshan Shenzhen (China)
King David High School (UK)
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls (UK)
King James I Academy (UK)
Macleans College (New Zealand)
Oberoi International School JVLR (India)
Park Community School (UK)
Sharafuddin School (Maldives)
Silver Oaks International School (India)
St George’s British International School, Rome (Italy)
St Paul’s Girls’ School (UK)
Taipei European School (Taiwan)
Tarleton Academy (UK)
The British International School Shanghai (China)
The British School of Milan (Italy)
The Hayling College (UK)
Tiffin School (UK)
Townley Grammar School (UK)
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls (New Zealand)
Wright Robinson College (UK)
Homeschooling (Ohio, USA)
If you want to learn more about the winning, shortlisted and longlisted entries of our 2023 Stuart J. Murphy Award (the 8-11 years old category), click here.
If you want to learn more about our upcoming 2024 competition, click here.
If you want to learn more about our 2022 competition, click here.
If you want to learn more about our 2021 competition, click here.
If you want to learn more about our 2020 competition, click here.
If you want to learn more about our 2019 competition, click here.
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What the judges say:
"Sophie Han’s ‘The $1,000 Burger’ is an engaging and delightful story about purchasing a meal on an alien planet. Unfortunately for the hungry space traveler, the hamburgers are shockingly expensive. A friendly alien waiter explains that currency on Planet Biduo is counted differently from Planet Earth. A clear lesson in base systems solves the problem and allows the astronaut to order a meal that is more in line with his budget. The graphic novel format and the snappy illustrations lend ease in reading the story and understanding the math. The author shared that she wrote this story to clarify her own understanding of base systems. Well done, Sophie! We love your entry!" |
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What the author says:
"My name is Sophie Han and I go to Taipei European School in Taiwan. My inspiration for this mathematical story was when my class and I didn’t do well in a math test about converting bases, I decided to write this story so that everyone could learn how to convert bases not only well, but in a fun way. I have always enjoyed drawing, however I had never created a mathematical story picture book before. Writing this story has not only made me try new things but in the process, I have also learnt how to convert bases which I didn’t before. Further, I have learnt how to explain mathematical ideas much clearer and in different ways. I enjoyed the process of creating this mathematical story picture book, and would encourage other students around the world to take part in the Young Mathematical Story Author (YMSA) competition!" |
SHORTLISTED
'Leicester The Cheese Tester' by Sophie Kelland (12 years old)
at Townley Grammar School (UK)
'Leicester The Cheese Tester' by Sophie Kelland (12 years old)
at Townley Grammar School (UK)
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What the judges say: "Sophie Kelland's ‘Leicester the Cheese Taster’ is a sweet story about a birthday cheese for a mouse named Cheddar. His best friend, Leicester, has agreed to create a huge cheese triangle with a hypotenuse of 15 for Cheddar. Using the Pythagorean theorem, success is achieved. The diagrams in this story are especially clear and helpful for the reader in following the mathematical thinking. Sophie, congratulations on a lovely story!" |
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What the author says: "My inspiration for ‘Leicester the Cheese Tester’ is a combination of my love for mice and maths. Funny mix, I know! The moment I heard about the Young Mathematical Story Authors (YMSA) competition, I knew I had to go for it! Writing this story has helped me to have a greater understanding of Pythagoras’ theorem and how I could use it in everyday life. I enjoyed drawing the illustrations almost as much as the writing story itself! I would strongly recommend other students taking part in the YMSA competition, as I have learnt so much along the way and have thoroughly enjoyed the process. I didn't think I would get this far with my story, but of course, I did! So, believe in yourself and remember that it could be you." |
SHORTLISTED
'Whale's Oceania Odyssey' by Gisele Chong (14 years old)
at Macleans College (New Zealand)
'Whale's Oceania Odyssey' by Gisele Chong (14 years old)
at Macleans College (New Zealand)
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What the judges say:
"Gisele Chong’s ‘Whale’s Oceana Odyssey’ was about an oceanic voyage by Azure the whale who had been captured and raised by humans. Now fully grown, Azure wishes to return to his real home. But where is it? With knowledge of trigonometry and compass bearings to help guide him, Azure begins the journey. Along the way he also meets some dolphins and a sea turtle. The story is super imposed over lyrical, water-like illustrations that evoke an underwater world. The math is clear, connecting the concepts of trigonometry and compass directions together. Great work, Gisele!" |
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What the author says: "When I first started planning for my maths story, my inspiration came from books. As a child, I was fascinated by the world of the deep described in Chinese myths that were retold in novels. So what better way to share this fascination with others than to use it to teach maths? Writing my story served as revision for Pythagoras, trigonometry and bearings. It really developed my understanding on how mathematics is used in real life as I had to form problems and apply them in my story. It was also a way to use my art skills. I believe that students around the world should create their own mathematical story picture books in the Young Mathematical Story Authors (YMSA) competition as it gives them the opportunity to express their values and be proud of the work they have done." |
SHORTLISTED
'Strategic VI' by Ram Aryan Padala (14 years old)
at Silver Oaks International School (India)
'Strategic VI' by Ram Aryan Padala (14 years old)
at Silver Oaks International School (India)
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What the judges say: "Ram Aryan’s ‘Strategic VI’ is an engaging story that explores how to win at soccer. By analyzing the probability of goals scored vs attempts, passes attempted and completed, and balls stopped, the team is able to position its players so that they are playing in the best places. Once positioned optimally, the teams begins to play well and win. With a fun twist at the end, it makes a wonderful math story. The illustrations enhance and clarify both the mathematics and the playing positions. Such a fun story, Ram!" |
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What the author says: "The inspiration of my story was partly inspired by my experience during my inter-school sports fest after the pandemic. I have a lot of passion for football and Mathematics. While thinking about the different mathematical concepts, I choose data handling and probability, as I can collect data from the bar graphs and using the data, and I can calculate probability for better and accurate outcomes. The process of creating a mathematical story picture book was amazing as I got to represent my mathematical knowledge in a fun and pictorial way. The Young Mathematical Story Author competition is a great platform for students to develop our mathematical understanding and showcase our creative thinking skills. Taking part in this competition made me realise that maths can be depicted in a very creative and interesting way. Everyone should take part in this competition!" |
SHORTLISTED
'Bear's Honey Business' by Prim Eamskoolnont (12 years old)
at Harrow International School Bangkok (Thailand)
'Bear's Honey Business' by Prim Eamskoolnont (12 years old)
at Harrow International School Bangkok (Thailand)
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What the judges say: "Prim Eamskoolnont’s ‘Bear’s Honey Business’ is an entrepreneurial story about selling honey. Bear wanted to bring just the right amount to market each day so that he would have enough for all of his customers. But how much was enough? Rabbit, another produce seller, shares his math thinking with mean, median, and mode. The math is clearly illustrated and the solution makes sense to Bear. His customers walk away happy with their purchases and Bear is a happy business-bear. This was an engaging story with clear math. Nicely done, Prim!" |
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What the author says: "I drew my inspiration from a few of my favourite childhood books. I wholeheartedly believe books about mathematics must, above all else, explain clearly to the reader a topic of interest with both visual and literary examples. Writing has always been a hobby I have enjoyed since I was little, and when I first started brainstorming ideas for this mathematical story picture book I had two goals that I wanted to achieve. I knew that I would need to write it on a mathematical topic that I enjoyed, and I also knew that it would have to be effective in teaching others. When an opportunity arises to take part in the Young Mathematical Story Authors competition, I consider it a chance to utilise the skills I have learnt in literature, mathematics and art. Writing a mathematical story is much more fun than some may think, so I would definitely recommend taking part in this competition!" |
SHORTLISTED
'Laika is My Star' by Giulio D'Annunzio (13 years old)
at St George's British International School, Rome (Italy)
'Laika is My Star' by Giulio D'Annunzio (13 years old)
at St George's British International School, Rome (Italy)
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What the judges say: When you are a lonely robot on Mars, a friend seems like a good idea. In ‘Laika is My Star’, Giulio D'Annunzio uses space junk geometric solids to construct a robot dog companion named Star. The story introduces readers to a wide range ways to calculate the volume of 3D shapes. It is a heartwarming tale that weaves math with the longing for a friend. Nicely written, Giulio! |
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What the author says: "The inspiration for my story was a painting in my room of a 3D robot that stands on a planet similar to Mars. I thought it was perfect since it was in 3D, meaning that it has a volume and is math related! Creating this mathematical story picture book was a fun, but hard task. The planning and writing took a long time, especially because so many ideas were flying around my brain (just like Laika’s satellite). Fortunately, I loved the drawing bit, where I used my art skills to make the robot looks the best I could. I also had to use lots of calculations to find the volume of the robot’s friend. This was very useful because I now remember the formula of each 3D shape! Personally, I decided to take part in the Young Mathematical Story Writing competition because it is a fun learning activity which could lead to an achievement, and also because you can learn lots of mathematical things that you might have not known. I think these are good reasons for other students to participate in this competition." |
SHORTLISTED
'Mia's Seating Plan!' by Amelia Daon Kang (12 years old)
at Dulwich College Beijing (China)
'Mia's Seating Plan!' by Amelia Daon Kang (12 years old)
at Dulwich College Beijing (China)
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What the judges say: "Amelia Daon Kang’s ‘Mia’s Seating Plan!’ is a sweet story about a little girl at a family dinner. With eight members and eight seats, Mia is curious as to how many different ways the family could be seated. She is so hopeful she can sit near everyone she loves. Her brother takes her on a mathematical journey with circular permutations to figure out just how many seating arrangements that could be. The math is clearly explained and the story idea is fun and believable. The final number of seating combinations convinces Mia that just sitting next to Mom and Dad is the best final outcome. We really enjoyed you math story, Amelia!" |
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What the author says: "The inspiration for 'Mia's Seating Plan!' was the Chinese restaurant that I went to with my family. It is rewarding to know that my mathematical story picture book can potentially help teach maths to other students. Through the process of creating this mathematical story picture book, I myself also got to learn more about circular permutation something which I always wanted to know more about it. I strongly recommend students around the world to take part in the Young Mathematical Story Authors (YMSA) competition because I always thought that math was a complicated subject, but YMSA made math much more relatable to me. YMSA also provides a fantastic opportunity to develop and showcase your mathematical skills and creativity skills. So go ahead and try!" |
SHORTLISTED
'How to Win an Argument Using a Scatter Diagram' by Jeem Naseer (13 years old)
at Sharafuddin School (Maldives)
'How to Win an Argument Using a Scatter Diagram' by Jeem Naseer (13 years old)
at Sharafuddin School (Maldives)
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What the judges say: "How much screen time is good for you? How much screen time do you engage in? Jeem Mohamed Naseer explores these questions in ‘How to Win An Argument Using a Scatter Diagram’. Aana sets out to gather date on this idea so that she can convince Layan that he is glued to his screen for too long. She visits her math teacher to find out how to interpret her findings. She creates a scatter diagram to illustrate that students who engage in the least amount of screen time have the best grades. There’s nothing better than math to make this point! Illustrations and diagrams in this story were clear and understandable. This was a wonderful story with a great message, Jeem!" |
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What the author says: "My mathematical story is mainly inspired by my friends. We often have friendly arguments and we have discovered many interesting facts while trying to prove each other wrong. The process of creating this mathematical story picture book was interesting and fun because I got to write a story and incorporate math into it. It also helped me understand the topic of scatter diagram better as I used it in my story to portray the correlation between screen time and grades. Writing mathematical story picture books can help other students understand and learn to love math. Participating in the Young Mathematical Story Authors competition is therefore something that I highly recommend students across the world to do!" |
SHORTLISTED
'The Hillville Crisis!' by Christian Lianto (12 years old)
at Bucklands Beach Intermediate (New Zealand)
'The Hillville Crisis!' by Christian Lianto (12 years old)
at Bucklands Beach Intermediate (New Zealand)
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What the judges say: "In Christian Lianto’s ‘The Hillsville Crisis’, a flood is ravaging a village. It turns out that a mayor with a private plane using vectors and a coordinate graph is the wisest way to save the community. With a clear explanation and nice illustrations, math again saves the day. Humor is a nice element in this story. An example is Greg the Crocodile who could not bring himself to just swim away to safety because he could not leave his fishbowl behind. Great job, Christian!" |
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What the author says: "The inspiration for 'The Hillville Crisis!' came from the recent floods that happened around Auckland, New Zealand. Some people had water going around their whole house, which made everyone feel stranded. The process of creating my mathematical story picture book was quite difficult, but I believe the satisfaction of the finished product really made it all worth doing. I would strongly encourage all students to take part in the Young Mathematical Story Authors competition as it allows you to bring your learning in very different subjects together at once, and it also gives you a special piece of work that you can cherish for years to come." |
LONGLISTED ENTRIES
The judges would also like to offer congratulations to authors of the following entries which were longlisted for the 2023 Cindy Neuschwander Award!
The judges would also like to offer congratulations to authors of the following entries which were longlisted for the 2023 Cindy Neuschwander Award!
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'Goyu’s & Boyu’s Intergalactic Adventure' by Swanish Baweja (13 years old) at Glen Cairn Public School (Canada)
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