BETHEL — Byrd’s Books Owner Alice Hutchinson has announced the winners of the 9th Annual Bookmark Contest.

The winners were selected by members of Bethel Arts, and each will receive 25 copies of their bookmark and a $25 Byrd’s Books gift certificate. Runners-up will receive $10 gift certificates.

The winners this year include Sierra, an eighth grade Newtown Middle School student who created a design based on Let the Sky Fall.

Additional winners include Mackenzie, a first grade student at Berry School in Bethel, who created a design based on How to Code a Sandcastle; third grade student Violet, whose book was Zita the Spacegirl; Bethel High School freshman Hana, whose design was based on Romeo and Juliet; and adult winner Erin, based on Phantom.

Due to the age of most winners, last names are not being reported.

Runners-up this year were Juliette, a home schooled second grader, whose book was The Secret Garden; Matthew, a Johnson School third grade student, Harry Potter; Bethel Middle School eighth grader Emilia, with When You Reach Me; Bethel High School freshman Katie, with The Odyssey; and adult category runner-up Kateland, with Onyx and Crake.

For nine years each May, the local bookshop has hosted a summer bookmark contest, inviting readers from pre-K through adult to submit a bookmark design based on a book they love. Winning designs are printed into bookmarks just in time to complement books being packed for vacation and summer reads.

Hutchinson expressed her thanks with an enthusiastic nod to everyone who made the contest so successful again this year.

“We got a huge number of third and ninth grade submissions, which made it more fun and more difficult to choose from such great art,” she said. “The members of Bethel Arts really took some time and made serious consideration of all the wonderful entries. Bravo to all.”

Byrd’s Books is at 178 Greenwood Avenue, across from Bethel Public Library. The store is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am-6 pm; and Sunday, 12-4 pm. For additional information visit ByrdsBooks.com or call 203-730-2973.