WCMU ANNOUNCES LOCAL WINNERS IN READING RAINBOW
“YOUNG WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS CONTEST”

Winners have been announced for the 14th Annual Reading Rainbow “Young Writers and Illustrators Contest” at WCMU! The top place contestants were chosen out of a pool of 208 entries from Central and Northern Michigan. To enter, children in grades kindergarten through 3rd grade created their own books complete with illustrations, and sent them to WCMU for judging.

First place winners are: Kindergartener Kasandra Wildfong of Mancelona, First Grader Sophia Thompson of Charlevoix, Second Grader Veyda DeArgo-Roupp of Traverse City, and Third Grader Timothy Bott of Buckley.

Second place winners are: Kindergartener Hannah Lewicki of Auburn, First Grader Alaina Ashley of Ludington, Second Grader Luke Bruzewski Auburn, and Third Grader Emanuel Washington of Idlewild.

Third place winners are: Kindergartener Owen Powell of St. Ignace, First Grader Gavin Bebb of Traverse City, Second Grader David Paquette of Petoskey and Third Grader Maria Rice of Interlochen.

Seth Bruce of Elmira also earned an honorable mention for his story “Troopers Before Daybreak.”

“The purpose of the annual ‘Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest,’” according to WCMU’s Ready to Learn Coordinator Charlotte Galgoci, “is to encourage literacy, creativity and fun among children in grades K-3.”

The first place winners in each grade level will be treated to a pizza party in June at WCMU to celebrate their success.  They will also be featured in on-air spots for CMU Public Radio and will be videotaped reading their stories for air on CMU Public Television.  Additionally, each first place story and its illustrations will be available to read on WCMU’s website, www.wcmu.org, throughout the summer.

Entries were judged on originality, creativity, storytelling and integration of copy with illustrations.  Judges for this year’s competition were Lise Mitchell, Director, Chippewa River District Library; Sue Ann Martin, Dean, College of Communication and Fine Arts, Central Michigan University; and Karen Adams, Dean, College of Education and Human Services, Central Michigan University.

Local first place winning stories will be sent on to the national Reading Rainbow “Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.”  Judging of the national contest entries will take place in May, and national winners — Grand Prize, Second Place and Third Place — will be announced in June 2008.  

For more information about Reading Rainbow’s “Young Writers and Illustrators Contest,” PBS Kids programming or WCMU’s Ready to Learn program, visit www.wcmu.org.  Information is also available by contacting Charlotte Galgoci, WCMU’s Ready To Learn Coordinator, at galco1c@cmich.edu or (989)-774-3105.