PBS 45 & 49 announced in April the local winners in the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade categories of the Reading Rainbow 10th Annual Young Writers & Illustrators Contest.
Under very special circumstances this year, PBS 45 & 49’s local winners were announced on April 22 by LeVar Burton, host of Reading Rainbow. Burton was in Akron to headline “Readers, Writers & Rainbows: A Reading Extravaganza” at the Akron Civic Theatre.
PBS 45 & 49’s four grand prize winners received $50 bookstore gift certificates, and their stories will be submitted to the national competition. All second- and third-place winners received $25 bookstore gift certificates.
The Reading Rainbow 10th Annual Young Writers & Illustrators Contest encouraged children in kindergarten through grade three to submit their original stories and illustrations to PBS 45 & 49 for local prizes and a chance to compete at the national level. Submissions were accepted from January until April 2, 2004. Entries were judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations. A team of local teachers and librarians judged the entries.
Over 300 children entered this year’s contest.
Reading Rainbow is a critically-acclaimed television series that encourages children ages 5 to 10 to read. It is the most-used television program in local K-3 classrooms. The Emmy Award-winning series airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on PBS 45 & 49.