READING RAINBOW'S 11th Annual Young Writers and Illustrators
Contest Regional Winners Announced by NJN

STATEWIDE – On Saturday, May 7, 2005 , NJN Public Television recognized the regional winners of Reading Rainbow's Eleventh Annual Young Writers and Illustrators Contest at a special awards ceremony at Barnes & Noble in Princeton MarketFair. Over 830 children from throughout New Jersey and surrounding areas, grades K-3, submitted entries to the contest that encourages students to write and illustrate stories. The NJN winners' stories will be entered in the national Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. The winners of Reading Rainbow's Eleventh Annual Young Writers and Illustrators Contest Regional Contest in New Jersey are:

Kindergarten
Winner: Brooke Ridgeway, Linwood: Zeke the Zookeeper Learns a Lesson
Runner Up : Zoe Sucato, Locust: The Only Horse

First-Grade
Winner: Michael Cofone, Whiting: The Magic Guitar Pick
Runner Up: Maddison Cohen, Delran: It's Lightning!

Second-Grade
Winner: Katie O'Rorke, Medford: The Friendship Garden
Runner Up: Amanda Daurio, Bogota: Not Scary

Third-Grade
Winner: R. Austin Emery, Cinnaminson: If My Dog Could Talk
Runner Up: Nicholas Falcone, Cinnaminson: A Chance for Friendship

Best Illustrations:
Katie Smith, Chatham: Rocker the Humpback Whale

Contest judges included Vernon Hammond, CLU, field representative, Ferrara Financial Group and chair of the Reading Rainbow Regional Contest ; Veronica Goldberg, NJN Foundation Trustee ; Gale Grossman, NJPBA Commissioner ; Wallie Walker Hammond, Peterson's Thompson Corporation ; Cheryl Hersh, NJN community volunteer ; Jeannine LaRue, Senior VP of Government Affairs, St. Barnabus Health Care System ; Margaret Panzer, Kaplan SAT Prep ; Betty Pawlowski, NJPBA Commissioner ; Donna Sanzari, NJPBA Commissioner ; Diane Kowalewski, Principal of St. Raphael School ; JoAnne Apgar, teacher, Immaculate Conception School ; Angela Dale, teacher, Immaculate Conception School ; and Patricia Feitl, teacher, St Raphael School . Barbara Dempsey serves as the Reading Rainbow coordinator.

Winners of the NJN local contest will be awarded family packs of four tickets to Six Flags, family packs of four tickets to a 2005 Trenton Thunder baseball game, family packs of four tickets to Camden 's Adventure Aquarium, family packs of three tickets to Liberty Science Center and a selection of books from Barnes & Noble.  Personal donations of savings bonds will be given to the winners by contest Chair Vernon Hammond, and from Gail and Harris Vernick, community volunteers and friends of NJN.

Funding for the Reading Rainbow Eleventh Annual Young Writers and Illustrators Contest is provided by NJ Family Care. In-kind support is provided by Barnes & Noble, Six Flags, the Trenton Thunder Ballpark, Adventure Aquarium and Liberty Science Center .

Hosted by Levar Burton, Reading Rainbow is a popular, Emmy award-winning PBS series that brings the pleasure of reading to life. This children's favorite, which airs on NJN weekday mornings at 10:30 am , is part of NJN's Ready To Learn program, which is designed to promote a love for reading and to help prepare children for success in school. Visit the Reading Rainbow web site at www.njn.net .