Please join us in congratulating
our local winners!

Twelve children from across the Blue Ridge PBS viewing area were recently selected as winners in the 2008 "Reading Rainbow" Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. Each of the four first place winners will now compete in the national level contest.

The annual "Reading Rainbow" Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, sponsored by Blue Ridge PBS, attracted nearly 300 entries this year. It is designed to encourage, challenge and reward students from kindergarten through third grade to tell their own stories with their own illustrations. Entries are judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling ability and integration of text and illustrations.

Savannah Roberson, a third grader from Castlewood, Va., was one the winners. Roberson, in her last year of eligibility, also won first place for her age group each of the last three years. "I've always loved writing and I've really enjoyed participating in the 'Reading Rainbow' Young Writers and Illustrators Contest," said Roberson, whose winning story was titled "An Unbreakable Frog." "When I'm writing, I usually just make it up as I go. I've even written stories on napkins in restaurants. Someday I hope to be a published author like R.L. Stine, Barbara Park, Mary Pope Osborne, or J.K. Rowling."

Winning students came from across the region, representing a number of schools: Bedford Elementary School, Bedford Primary School, Castlewood Elementary School, Check Elementary School, Copper Creek Elementary School, Forest Park New American School, McHarg Elementary School, St. John Neumann Academy, Tazewell Elementary School and Tye River Elementary School.