Two local students won honors in a statewide writing contest held last month. Sam Martin, 6, son of Scott and Wendy Martin of Windham, took third place among Kindergarten students in the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest sponsored by the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.
Sam’s story, “I Love Popcorn,” was selected from among hundreds of illustrated stories mailed to MPBN. For winning third place in his grade level, Sam’s story will be on display and read aloud to the public as part of the second annual International Art & Cultural Festival in New Gloucester on May 14.
And Jaide Hall, age 6, daughter of Bonnie and Greg Hall of Casco, took top honors among first grade students in the contest.
Jaide’s story, Superhero Sue Learns a Lesson, was selected. For winning first place in her grade level, Jaide’s story has been submitted to the national Reading Rainbow competition along with winning entries from first grade students throughout the country.
Maine’s First Lady Karen Baldacci served as one of the contest judges. Other judges included children’s book author and illustrator Melissa Sweet, southern Maine library consultant Shirley Helfrich, retired elementary school teacher Lacey Kellett, children’s author Toni Buzzeo, and Mary-Jo Marquis, artistic director for the Fiddlehead Center for the Arts. The contest was open to elementary students K-3.
MPBN will host a celebration party for the 12 local winners and their families at the 2nd Annual International Art & Cultural Festival presented by Fiddlehead Center for the Arts in New Gloucester. The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, and the local Reading Rainbow contest winners will be presenting their stories at 11:30 a.m. in the Fiddlehead Dance Studio as part of the day’s events. All 12 winning stories, including Sam’s, can also be viewed online at MPBN’s Web Site at www.mpbn.net.
The purpose of the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest is to encourage young children to develop a love of reading and to build confidence in their writing and illustrative abilities. Every child who submitted a story received a Certificate of Achievement signed by LeVar Burton, the host of the PBS kids show Reading Rainbow, which airs each weekday at 1 p.m. on the television stations of MPBN.
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