PBS 45 & 49 and Pet Supplies “PLUS” announced the local winners in the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade categories of the Reading Rainbow 9th Annual Young Writers & Illustrators Contest.

PBS 45 & 49’s four grand prize winners will receive $50 bookstore gift certificates, and their stories will be submitted to the national Reading Rainbow 9th Annual Young Writers & Illustrators Contest. National winners will be announced in June. All second- and third-place winners will receive $25 bookstore gift certificates.

The Reading Rainbow 9th Annual Young Writers & Illustrators Contest, sponsored by Pet Supplies “PLUS” stores in northeast Ohio, encouraged children in kindergarten through grade three to submit their stories and illustrations to PBS 45 & 49 for local prizes and a chance to compete at the national level. Submissions were accepted between January and mid-March 2003. Entries were judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations.

Over 575 children entered this year’s contest.

Reading Rainbow, hosted by actor LeVar Burton, is a critically-acclaimed television series that encourages children ages 5 to 10 to read. It is the most-used television program in local K-3 classrooms. The Emmy Award-winning series airs weekdays at 9 a.m. on PBS 45 & 49.

PBS 45 & 49 thank our sponsor!