WCMU Announces Local Winners In “Reading Rainbow’s
Young Writers And Illustrators Contest”

Winners have been announced for the 15th Annual Reading Rainbow “Young Writers and Illustrators Contest” at WCMU! The top place contestants were chosen out of a pool of almost 300 entries. To enter, children in grades K-3 created and wrote their own books complete with illustrations, and sent them to WCMU for judging.

First place winners are: Kindergartener Therese Wisniewski of Gaylord, First Grader Elliott Wilson of Bellaire, Second Grader Gavin Bebb of Traverse City, and Third Grader Gordon E. Mallett of Rodney.

Second place winners are: Kindergartener Riley Elise Bond of Twin Lake, First Grader Grace McIntosh of Mt. Pleasant, Second Grader Lauren Gietzen of Petoskey and Third Grader Natalia Krepostman of Mt. Pleasant.

Third place winners are: Kindergartener Caeley S. Terwilliger of South Boardman, First Grader Hannah Sanders of Mt. Pleasant, Second Grader Genevieve Kromm of Petoskey and Third Grader Elliott Yun of Mt. Pleasant.

“The purpose of the annual ‘Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest,’” says WCMU’s Ready to Learn Coordinator Charlotte Galgoci. “Is to encourage literacy, creativity and fun among children in grades K-3.”

The first place winners in each grade level will be treated to a pizza party to celebrate their success.  They will also be featured in an on-air spot for CMU Public Radio and will be videotaped reading their stories for air on CMU Public Television.  Additionally, each first place story will be available to read and view the illustrations on WCMU’s website throughout the summer.

Entries were judged on originality, creativity, storytelling, and integration of copy with illustrations.  Judges for this year’s competition were Library Director Lise Mitchell of the Chippewa River District Library; and the late Dean Karen Adams of the College of Education and Human Services at Central Michigan University.

Many thanks to our judges and congratulations to all of this year’s winners! Information is available by contacting Charlotte Galgoci, WCMU’s ‘Ready To Learn’ Coordinator, at galco1c@cmich.edu or at
1-800-727-9268.

CMU Public Television broadcasts on Digital Channel 57 in Alpena, on Digital Channel 17 in Cadillac, Traverse City, and Leland; Digital Channel 21 in Manistee, and  Digital Channel 56 in Mount Pleasant.

CMU Public Radio serves Central and Northern lower Michigan and the Tri Cities on WCMU-FM 89.5 Mt. Pleasant, WUCX-FM 90.1 Bay City, WCML-FM 91.7 Alpena, WCMB-FM 95.7 Oscoda, WWCM-FM 96.9 FM Standish, WCMZ-FM 98.3 Sault St. Marie MI, and WCMW-FM 103.9 Harbor Springs.