Every Child A Winner In Reading Rainbow Writing, Art Contest

All successful authors were once children. And many can point to a specific opportunity during their youth that encouraged their storytelling and helped launch writing careers.

The Young Writers and Illustrators Awards contest provides youngsters with such an opportunity. The national contest is sponsored by Reading Rainbow, the award-winning children’s TV series. Here is a chance for children in grades K-3 to share their stories.

“This grass-roots contest inspires budding writers and artists to use their imaginations,” says LeVar Burton, contest organizer and host of Reading Rainbow.

The contest makes every child a winner as it provides a sense of achievement that comes from creating a story.

For added incentive, there is also a chance to win impressive prizes. Four grand-prize winners will receive IBM computers, Xerox printers and Reading Rainbow books and tapes. Four second-place winners will receive Panasonic video cassette recorders. Every entrant will receive a certificate of recognition.

To enter, children should submit a story (50 to 150 words for grades K-1, 100-250 words for grades 2-3) and at least five original illustrations related to the story.

Stories can be factual, fictional or science-related. Illustrations should be clear and colorful, on one side of the paper only. Include a small page number in pencil on the lower right corner of the back of each sheet.

Text should be printed legibly or typewritten. Adults may type or print a child’s manuscript through dictation.

Each entry must include the story, a completed entry form and a parent signature certifying original work. On a separate, attached sheet, include the child’s name, address, telephone number and title of story. Only one entry per person will be accepted.

Entries will be judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of story and illustrations. Prizes will be awarded to winners in each grade level.

The contest is administered locally by Richland’s public television station, KTNW, which will select area winners and submit their entries to Reading Rainbow for the national competition.

To request an entry form, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Reading Rainbow Contest, Northwest Public Television, KTNW-31, WSU Tri Cities, 100 Sprout Road, Richland, WA 99352.

Send the completed entry to the same address. The contest deadline is March 29.

Local winner:

Congratulations to Romany Redman, a second-grade student from Jefferson Elementary. Redman was a top winner in the 1996 Math is Everywhere contest sponsored by Reading Rainbow. Story submissions were to reflect the theme of how math is used in everyday life. Redman’s story begins, “Early one morning I was practicing the piano. I was thinking about the notes on the page that I had to play. Something shocked me! I was playing math … not piano. ‘A quarter note,’ I said to myself, ‘is one beat’ …”

Redman continues her whimsical story of quarter notes, half notes and whole notes, showing how math is used at the piano bench and beyond.

Her story was one of 10 selected from 10,000 entries. Redman received the prizes of a Reading Rainbow video set, a copy of the book, “How Much is a Million?” by David Schwartz, and a certificate of merit signed by LeVar Burton, host of Reading Rainbow.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Drawing

MEMO: The Family Track is a weekly column of notes and information for families. Send items to Lynn Gibson, Features Department, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615, or fax (509) 459-5098.