KCU Pitchfest 2026 Winners!

1st place: I’m a Dungeon Skeleton
by Britain Bray
Middle Grade

ND Stevenson’s Nimona meets Riess and Goetter’s Dungeon Critters in this D&D-inspired graphic novel that flips the script— what if a monster was the hero?

A dark dungeon awaits any adventurer seeking the Queen’s reward for slaying the necromancer on the lowest floor. Heroes arrive seeking glory… but this story isn’t about them. It’s about a skeleton named Bud who dreams of something bigger than floor one.

I’m A Dungeon Skeleton follows Bud, a low-level skeleton bound to a dungeon he never chose. When he befriends a loyal chest mimic and a scrappy kobold, the three misfits imagine a life beyond the dungeon walls— discovering that kindness and communication can solve what swords cannot.

2nd place: Addie vs Eve
by Rebecca Burgess
Middle Grade

Best friends Addie and Eve find themselves on opposite ends of a protest campaign, when their school decides to build a theatre over a nature reserve. For Eve, a new theatre would mean she finally has access to a future her family can’t afford to give her. For Addie, the reserve gives her autism some respite- and although she won’t admit it, she can’t help but worry about theatre taking her best friend away from her.

Both the protest and personal feelings only get more heated, when other kids in school start to take sides- some with their own ulterior motives! When fighting for what you believe in brings out big feelings, will Addie and Eve manage to find a way to compromise, mend their friendship, and truly understand each other?

3rd place: Doll Like
by Joy Ingram
Young Adult

The teen years are all about growing into one’s self: making friends, getting good grades, and simply, not losing your head! Niah knows this more than anyone, and amidst the search for herself, she and her whimsical world of talking dolls collide with her gadget-obsessed classmate Sherri. The unlikely pair find themselves bonding over their unique hobbies and shared vulnerabilities.

Despite their companionship, some things are still hidden. When Niah stops showing up to school, Sherri is left scrambling to track her down only to discover that Niah’s dolls are the key to finding and learning more about her.

“Doll Like” takes us on a journey through the complexities of youth, friendship, and the importance of acknowledgment.

4th place: It’s Alright, Starlight
by Cholé W.
Middle Grade

Mimi has always been labeled as wild and ‘The Weird Kid’, never feeling like she belonged anywhere. When Mimi and her best friend Elodie get transported to a fantastical dimension via an old broken down vending machine in the woods, they meet a strange prince in need of their assistance in saving his kingdom from dark forces. Danger and broken trust begins to crack the bond between Mimi and Elodie as Mimi refuses to return home, but Elodie wont give up on her best friend. She will destroy the kingdom herself if she has to.

In this Brave Story meets Catnapped adventure of self discovery, ‘It’s Alright, Starlight!’ is a heartwarming and emotional tale of two best friends challenged by outside forces and the desperate need to belong.

5th place: Dog Years
by Cara Schultz and Ange Friera
Young Adult

Randy didn’t mean to steal the dog.

But when you’re eighteen years old, driving across the country alone, and you see a very expensive, very cute dog treated badly? You pick him up, take off in your shitty car, and drive like hell.

Until you meet an alarmingly pretty hitchhiker.

Soon, Randy, her new friend/enemy/girl-she’s-falling-in-love-with Pearl, and Jason the Chow Chow find themselves on a madcap trip across the USA, through tourist traps, renfaires, cramped motels, and highways to nowhere.

But what happens at the end of the road? And can two girls evade the dogcatcher forever? A love letter to screwball comedies and road trip romances, Dog Years is about finding yourself, finding love, committing crimes, and growing up.