Penacook Third Grader Wins First Place in National

(DURHAM, June 23, 2003) "The rain's pitter-patter on the house roof has always sounded nice...like tropical island chimes and tap shoes from an old movie festival...." So begins the award-winning story, "Rainstorm Imagination," by Penacook, NH, third grader Rosalie Rabideau . After winning first place in New Hampshire Public Television's ninth annual "Reading Rainbow" Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, she went on this month to take first place with her story in the national contest. More than 42,000 children's stories were submitted to the contest this year by 110 PBS stations across the country. This is not the first time the home schooler has been recognized by the Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. When she was in first grade, she was NHPTV's first place winner for her story "Bouncing Balls at the Zoo" . She was the NHPTV second place winner in kindergarten for her story, "A Special Summer Lunch". The Young Writers and Illustrators Contest is sponsored by Reading Rainbow, the public television series that encourages children to explore the world of books, provides students in kindergarten through third grade the opportunity to write, illustrate and submit their own stories. The winner of this year's Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series, Reading Rainbow airs on NHPTV weekdays at 11:30 a.m. Held in cooperation with PBS stations across the country, the contest begins with each participating station judging the entries received from their young viewers. The stations then submit their winning entries to a national panel of judges, including children's authors and illustrators, educators, and organizations such as the American Library Association, National Education Association and International Reading Association. As a first place winner in the national contest, Rabideau was awarded a computer. All "Reading Rainbow" Young Writers and Illustrators Contest entrants receive a Certificate of Achievement signed by host and co-executive producer LeVar Burton. Beyond its award-winning local and national television programs, NHPTV provides instructional services for 220,000 students from kindergarten through high school; offers Ready To Learn programs for children, preschool to age 12; and provides professional development programs and advanced technology training for parents, educators and child-care providers in New Hampshire and neighboring states. For more information about NHPTV programs that entertain, educate and enrich, visit www.nhptv.org.

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