WNED Contacts:
(716) 845-7155; dmcphersron@wned.org
Pamela Johnson, Ph.D., Vice President for Education and
Outreach
(716) 845-7000; pjohnson@wned.org
Annual PBS Event Fosters Reading, Writing and Creativity
Twelve outstanding young authors received national
recognition for their award-winning stories through the 13th Annual
Reading Rainbow Young Writers &
Illustrators Contest. This prestigious Contest attracts more than 40,000
entrants. It is designed to encourage grade schoolers
to use their imaginations and apply their writing and artistic talents by
creating original storybooks.
This year’s winners created “books” featuring tales
of fantasy and everyday life, turning points and intriguing questions.
Contest entries from Kindergarteners
through third graders are first judged at the local
level through contests coordinated by participating public broadcasting
stations. Local winners then advance to the national competition. Two rounds of
national judging culminated in a final judging by a distinguished panel that included
children’s book publishers, a children’s author, teacher, librarian and
university professor.
Conducted by the acclaimed PBS television children’s series Reading Rainbow with major funding from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the Contest is public television’s longest running and most successful outreach effort. In 2007, 107 public television stations participated.
READING RAINBOW airs weekdays on most PBS stations. Designed to encourage
children to develop a love of reading and books, the series is now in its 24th
season, making it the second longest running children’s series on PBS. The
series has been honored with 26 Emmy Awards, including two in 2007 ― for
“Outstanding Children’s Series” and “Outstanding Writing In A
Children’s Series.”
In March 2006, WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto and Educate Media - Reading Rainbow, LLC., a
subsidiary of Hooked on Phonics, Inc., entered into an agreement to ensure the
future of READING RAINBOW. Educate Media – Reading Rainbow, LLC and WNED
are co-producing a new READING RAINBOW that will continue to inspire a
love of reading in children for generations to come.
“Just as Reading Rainbow generates excitement about reading, the Contest engages children in the process of creating stories that are uniquely their own,” said Donald K. Boswell, WNED’s President and CEO. “Every child who participates learns what it is like to be an author.”
“For over a decade, thousands of parents and teachers have taken advantage of the Contest to give children a hands-on experience with literature,” said Chip Paucek, CEO, Hooked on Phonics, Inc. “The Contest motivates children to write about topics that are meaningful to them.”
All local contest participants
receive a Certificate of Achievement signed by READING RAINBOW’s
host LeVar Burton. This year’s national Contest
winners were given laptop computers (Grand Prize); flat-panel TVs with DVD
players (
The illustrated stories of
national Contest winners and a sampling of local winners will be displayed on READING RAINBOW’s new Web site
(pbskids.org/readingrainbow), debuting in mid-August.
The re-designed Web site will feature fun, engaging activities and games for
kids; a fresh, new, colorful look; and information about READING RAINBOW for parents and teachers.
The 2007 national winners, and their participating
PBS stations, follow:
Kindergarten:
Grand Prize – “Do Mom & Dad Ever Go To Bed?” by Brittan Taylor Hart
KSPS-TV,
WVIZ,
Third Place – “Turn Around!” by Paul Harness
KAID, Boise, Idaho
Grand Prize – “Tractorman Saves the Rainforest” by Kieran Morris
NPT,
VegasPBS,
Grand Prize – “Henry and Grace Go to the Museum” by Henry Workman
KETC,
Second Place – “Oh Baby!” by Cora Marit Richter
TPT,
Third Grade:
Grand Prize – “Trophy Trails” by Joey McNally
WTVP,
HoustonPBS
(
UNC-TV,
About WNED Buffalo/Toronto
Through WNED-TV, ThinkBright TV, Classical
94.5/WNED-FM and WNED-AM 970 The Information Station,
the member-supported Western New York Public Broadcasting Association provides
high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and
educate our communities. Additional information about WNED can be found at www.wned.org.