The winners for the 12th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest have been chosen. More than 500 Georgia students, ranging from kindergarten to third grade, entered their original illustrated stories this year. At the end, 12 winners were chosen along with eight honorable mentions for writing and illustration.
A celebration honoring the winners and participants was held at Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) on May 26. Winners received gift cards from Barnes & Noble - $50 for first place, $20 for second place and $10 for third place - along with other prizes. All participants received a certificate of achievement by Lavar Burton.
Judging for the contest was a collaborative effort of art and education majors from Valdosta State University, Clark Atlanta University and the University of Georgia's Lamar Dodd School of Art. The final round of judging took place at GPB and was conducted by educators, authors and librarians from across the state. We are extremely pleased with the turnout and thank the teachers and parents who encouraged their students and children to take part in the contest.
The Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators contest is designed to encourage early elementary aged students to utilize their creative abilities in both language arts and art by developing and illustrating original stories. The Georgia regional contest was coordinated by GPB in partnership with READING RAINBOW, Barnes & Noble and Innotrac.
The winners and recipients of honorable mentions for the 12th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest are as follows:
Winners
Kindergarten: Madelyn Smith (First), Illina Logani (Second), Katie Kroft (Third)
First Grade: Bailey Jacks (First), Judah Means (Second), Janelle Price (Third)
Second Grade: Kristyn Jean Evans (First), Natalie Holiday (Second), Serena Mon (Third)
Third Grade: Jacob Landon Alexander Boges (First), Casey Allen (Second), Rhiannon Toney (Third)
Honorable Mentions
Illustration:
Brian Hays (Kindergarten), Slamon Ghani (First Grade), Emma Gwin (Second Grade), Eboni Goar (Third Grade)
Writing:
Rae Anna Claire Starosciak (Kindergarten), Regan Cook (First Grade), Emily Haynie (Second Grade), Lauren Curtis (Third Grade)
