Luke Pearsons (left) videotapes his sister, Grace, who won the state’s 2014 Teen Video Challenge. (Photo courtesy of the Pearsons family)

This time of year, Mount Vernon is known for its tulips, Puyallup for its daffodils and Wenatchee for its apple blossoms.

Perhaps it’s time to recognize Ellensburg as a place that produces talented teen video makers (that, and its relentless springtime wind).

For the second straight year, a youth from the Kittitas County town has won the state’s Teen Video Challenge. The Washington State Library helped conduct the contest.

Grace Pearsons, with the help of her brother, Luke, is the winner of the 2014 Washington Teen Video Challenge. You can watch the Pearsons’ video here.

“I loved working with my brother, and I was so excited to hear that we won! I was very happy to support summer reading by making this movie,” said Grace Pearsons.

“I was happy to hear that our video would promote summer reading and help our local library. It was fun to make the film and be creative,” added Luke.

Last year, E-burg’s Serah Manning won the video challenge. Grace Pearsons was featured in Manning’s winning video.

Josephine Yaba Camarillo, Children’s and Young Adult librarian at the Ellensburg Public Library, said some of the library’s teen patrons love to make videos.

“What really sparked the interest is that every summer I have a Teen Shorts Workshop where they learn how to create a mini film, use the equipment and have the patience to edit,” Camarillo said. “Then in October, during our Ellensburg Film Festival, the teens have their red carpet film premiere! I’m fortunate to have the Film Festival Board, school teachers, CWU film students and our local TV station all involved.”

The Pearsons siblings will receive a $275 award and the Ellensburg Public Library will receive prizes worth $125.

The national video contest is in its fourth year of encouraging teens to create videos, 30 to 90 seconds long, that promote summer reading and show how libraries can be a fun and important part of summertime for teens.  This year’s contest theme was “Spark a Reaction.” Twenty-six states were represented in the competition.

The video contest and the statewide and national reading promotions are part of The Collaborative Summer Library Program, a consortium of states working to provide summer reading program materials for children, teens and adults at the lowest cost possible for public libraries.