DURHAM, May 10, 2004 - Baseball on Mars, magic trees, homeless space people, and invisible animals were among the subjects of winning stories in this year's Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest. Now in its 10th year, the contest encourages children from kindergarten to third grade to write and illustrate their own stories. Like the Emmy Award-winning Reading Rainbow television series, the contest encourages children's love for reading, writing, and illustration. Reading Rainbow, hosted by LeVar Burton, airs on NHPTV weekdays at 11:30 a.m.More than 400 stories were submitted to New Hampshire Public Television by children in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. A panel of New Hampshire teachers, librarians, writers, and illustrators selected first, second, and third place stories at each grade level. The first place NHPTV stories at each grade level will compete against stories submitted by PBS stations around the country. Last year, Penacook, NH, student Rosalie Rabideau was the national first place winner for third grade."In a time when children are often bombarded with ready-made entertainment, it's good to be able to offer them the opportunity to use their imaginations to write and illustrate their own stories and cultivate their excitement for reading," noted Kelly Clark, Director of Educational Services at NHPTV. The first, second and third place winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the NHPTV Broadcast Center in Durham Saturday, June 19, 2004 at 10 a.m. A complete list of the contest winners, along with the winning stories listed below, are at www.nhptv.org/kidswrite.First PlaceKindergarten: "Home Run On Mars" by Ethan Marcello, Acton, MAFirst Grade: "Max in Space" by Karam Sandhu, Bedford, NHSecond Grade: "The Mosaic Turtle" by Keiffer Hicks, Keene, NH Third Grade: "Space People Find a Home" by Nicholas Marc Girard, Sanbornville, NHSecond PlaceKindergarten: "Panda the Dog" by Caleb Fleury, Rochester, NH First Grade: "The Magic Tree" by Eden McInturff, Dunbarton, NH Second Grade: "If I Had My Way for a Day" by Bailey Kane, New London, NH Third Grade: "Little Pup Seal On His Own" by Laura-Anne Miller, Milton, NHThird PlaceKindergarten: "Sally Salamander and Sylvia Skunk are Friends" by Anna Maeve Ellis, Gilford, NH First Grade: "Robin's Nest" by Lauren Batchelder, Chester, NHSecond Grade: "Invisible Animals" by Suzannah Rose Glennon, Greenland, NH Third Grade: "The New Student" by Daniela Gamba, Nashua, NHBeyond its award-winning local and national television programs, NHPTV is a leader in education and community outreach. NHPTV provides instructional services for 220,000 students from kindergarten through high school; offers Ready To Learn programs and services for children preschool to age 8, parents, and early education professionals; and provides professional development programs and advanced technology training for educators in New Hampshire and neighboring states. For more information about NHPTV programs that entertain, educate and enrich, visit www.nhptv.org.
About New Hampshire PBS: New Hampshire PBS inspires one million Granite Staters each month with engaging and trusted local and national programs and services on-air, online, via mobile, in classrooms and in communities. Beyond its award-winning television programs, New Hampshire PBS is a leader in education and community engagement. www.nhpbs.org
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