A scuba diver named Teddy, a pumpkin house for a mouse, and disappearing stars were among the subjects of winning stories in this year's New Hampshire PBS Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. NHPTV received over 1,000 entries for this year's contest!
The first-, second-, and third-place winners in all six grade categories will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the NHPTV Broadcast Center in Durham, Saturday, June 14th from 10 a.m. - noon.
Children's book illustrator and Portsmouth resident Teri Weidner will speak to the contest winners and offer encouragement for their creative endeavors. Using watercolors and colored pencils, Weidner has illustrated more than a dozen children's books.
The first-place winners in grades K – 3 will represent NHPTV at the national level, where their stories will be judged with others from public television stations across the country. NHPTV has had five national winners since 2000.
The Winning Stories!
Here is the complete list of NHPTV contest winners:
1st Place
Kindergarten - The Scuba Diver by Jeffrey V., Derry, NH
1st Grade No Patrick! by Patrick M., New Boston, NH
2nd Grade Winter and Frog by Sara S., Keene, NH
3rd Grade Walter and His Pumpkin House by Josephine W., Chesterfield, NH
4th Grade The Trials and Triumphs of Bob by Isaiah T., Lee, NH
5th Grade Disappearing Stars by Acacia W., Raymond, NH
2nd Place
Kindergarten The Day Tessie Talked to Me by Luke B., Bell School, Marblehead, MA
1st Grade My Mistake by Jaden C., Hollis, NH
2nd Grade The Proper Mom by Rette S., Wilmot, NH
3rd Grade Gloria’s Nest by Kailey Jane A., Bow, NH
4th Grade Sadie’s Party Invitation by David K., Dorchester, MA
5th Grade The Tale of Clip by Kate A., Manchester, NH
3rd Place
Kindergarten The Magic Tree by Griffin B., Bell School,
Marblehead, MA
1st Grade My Bad Week by Olivia C., Derry, NH
2nd Grade Harry’s Rainbow by Olivia M., Berwick, ME
3rd Grade Chip and Matt’s Vacation by Neelam S., Bedford, NH
4th Grade Election ‘08 by Abigail S., Rye, NH
5th Grade Naturally: A Book of Poems by Brooke S., Wilmot, NH
>> Full list of winners
Most Stories Ever!
We had 1,008 entries this year, a 45% increase over last year. Here's how the entries broke down by grade:
Kindergarten - 118 entries
First Grade - 156 entries
Second Grade - 206 entries
Third Grade - 259 entries
Fourth Grade - 166 entries
Fifth Grade - 103 entries
How the Stories Were Judged
Stories were judged on the quality of both the writing and the illustrations. The judging panel was made up of local writers, educators, librarians, and NHPTV staff. All winning stories will be placed on our
Reading Rainbow Contest website in the next few weeks.
Hosted by LeVar Burton,
Reading Rainbow airs on NHPTV weekdays @ 2 p.m.
Reading Rainbow encourages children's love for reading, writing and illustration.
Contact Tamara Hindle, NHPTV Communications Coordinator, at (603) 868-4307 or email for more information.
The Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest is made possible, in part, by support from NEA New Hampshire.
