1998 Reading Rainbow Contest Winners -- Text Only Site

WVIZ and Reading Rainbow are pleased to present the winners of the Fourth Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. The Emmy award-winning PBS television series Reading Rainbow invites children to discover books, reading and the love of learning. The national contest extends this mission by encouraging, challenging and rewarding children from kindergarten through third grade to create their own picture books.

WVIZ was proud to have a national winner last year. Faith Nejman-McNea, a home-schooled first grader from Parma, won the national Grand Prize in her grade division for "The Dust Bunny," a cheerful musing about special memories that make up dust bunnies. Faith illustrated her poem-story with sponge-painted bunnies. Her remarkable story was a winner out of more than 38,000 stories that were submitted nationally to 1998's contest.

NATIONAL GRAND PRIZE WINNER -- First Grade
The Dust Bunny
By Faith Nejman-McNea

page 1
Spring cleaning is finally here. This is a day all dust bunnies fear.

page 2
This is my home here under the bed. I hide in an old shoe that belongs to Ted.

page 3
People usually spot me when they look down. They just see dust and then they frown.

page 4
But, if you look closer you'll see, there's much, much more to me.

page 5
Here comes a strand of Mommy's hair.

page 6
There's a ball of fur from baby's stuffed bear.

page 7
This is a feather collected on a trip to the lake.

page 8
I even found a crumb from Grandma's birthhday cake.

page 9
So, before you look down on me, remember, I'm made of special memories.

page 10
Look for me in the corners or next to a wall. New dust bunnies are born everyday in the fall.

page 11
Someday, every dust bunny must be swept under a rug. But before I go - How about a hug? AH CHOO!

KINDERGARTEN -- First Place
Astronauts Going Into Space
By Maximian Held

page 1
The space shuttle takes off

page 2
. . . and finally reaches space.

page 3
The astronauts space walk to fix a satellite. My dad says people on the ground control the satellites.

page 4
They put new solar panels on the satellite.

page 5
The astronauts go back into the Space Shuttle. They also have to fix some controls in the Shuttle.

page 6
Astronauts perform experiments with water that people will use to swim in. Water is made from molecules.

page 7
They finish the experiments. Some experiments go bad!

page 8
Next they go to Mir to give them supplies like food and parts. I would bring them a bologna and cheese sandwich, a bagel, a waffle, chicken and a doughnut.

page 9
Then they go home to Earch, have a party and clap their hands.

KINDERGARTEN -- Second Place
Do You Like Pandas?
By Nicolas Pilla

page 1
Today I am going to the zoo to see my favorite animal, the panda bear.

page 2
Panda bears are very friendly.

page 3
The like it when I visit them.

page 4
Panda bears usually live in China.

page 5
They eat bamboo all day.

page 6
They also like to play and have fun.

page 7
But the sad thing is that, panda bears are endangered.

page 8
Endangered means that, an animal is almost gone forever.

page 9
I am glad that zoos are helping to save pandas.

page 10
Let's all help save the panda bears.

KINDERGARTEN -- Third Place
The Lone Butterfly
Hannah Elizabeth Wallace

page 1
One time there was a lone butterfly. He wanted to play with his friends. They didn't let him, because he was smaller. So, he went looking for another friend.

page 2
He saw a lion. He asked the lion if he could be his friend, but the lion said, "no."
He look on.

page 3
Then, he saw a bird. He asked the bird if he could be his friend. The bird said, "no."
He kept looking on.

page 4
Then, he saw a lamb. He asked the lamb if he could be his friend, but the lamb said, "no," so he kept looking on.

page 5
Then, he saw a cat. He asked to cat if he could be his friend. He was wishing the cat would say, "yes," but the cat siad, "no."
He kept looking on.

page 6
He saw a house. He heard music in the house, and he followed the music through the window. Then. . . . . .

page 7
He saw a little girl. The little girl wanted the butterfly to be her pet.

page 8
The butterfly was so HAPPY to have a friend!

page 9
Every time they went for a walk, the butterfly sat on her head and looked just like a bow.

FIRST GRADE -- Second Place
How the Butterflies Got Their Colors
By Felicity Baker

page 1
Once upon a time in a far away land there lived butterflies of dull gray, brown and tan colors.

page 2
The place where they lived was just as dull and ugly as they were. The butterflies were so unhappy in this dull place that they decided

page 3
to go away to find a new place to live. Soon they found the perfect place. It was a meadow covered in flowers of lovely colors, yellow, pink, and blue, there were purples, red and turquoise. There were flowers of all kinds. Daffadills, dasiy, tuplips and roses and wildflowers

page 4
of all sorts. When the butterflies saw this beautiful, wonderfu, magical land they were so happy, they knew this was the place they always wanted to live.

As the butterflies dipped down toward the meadow, their wings touched the flowers.

page 5
Something magical happened. Their wings changed into beautiful colors.
The butterflies gayly danced about the beautiful flowers, as the sun gently set over the meadow.

From that day on all butterflies wings had beautiful colors.

FIRST GRADE -- Third Place
My Pet Bat
By Mike Miller

page 1
Ever since I was 6 yrs old, I've wanted a bat for my pet.

page 2
Now I am 7 yrs old and I'll tell you what it's like having a bat for a pet.

page 3
Well bats are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and . . .

page 4
they are awake ALL night long.

page 5
So, when I want to take my bat, Spot, for a walk, I have to hang him from my arm. I'm not sure if he even knows I'm taking him for a walk.

page 6
Alot of people are afraid of bats. But I think bats are more afraid of people!

page 7
My bat lives in a bathouse in my backyard. He comes out as soon as the sun goes down. That's when he eats.

page 8
One thing about having a bat for a pet is, I don't have to buy him any food. He finds his own. He eats insects. I'm glad he finds his own food.

page 9
He uses a special radar called echo-location that tells him exactly where his dinner is and how far he is from it. My bat eats about 300 bugs a night.

page 10
And another thing, only one kind of bat drinks blood, yuk! Most bats eat insects, like mine, but some bats eat fruit and nectar. Some even eat fish or frogs.

page 11
Some people think bats are in the bird family, but they're not. They are a mammal, the only flying mammal!

page 12
I don't really get to spend a lot of time with Spot because of him being nocturnal. I'd like o be able to stay up all night and sleep all day, but . . . my mom won't let me and I don't like to eat bugs anyway.

page 13
The end

SECOND GRADE -- First Place
If Wishes Were Horses (Brothers Would Fly)
By Bryn Courey

page 1
My brother Michael is 5. He bugs me a lot. Whenever I ask him to do something, he does the opposite. So one summer night, I changed him into horse.

page 2
It was dark and we were catching lightning bugs. They looked like shooting stars. Dad said a wish on a shooting star was powerful. I saw my first shooting star, and wished on it. I wished Michael was a horse. I watched Michael. Nothing happened, so I went to bed.

page 3
Later I woke up and heard a sound. I went outside and saw a white horse. "Michael?" I aksed.

The horse nodded. Then he bent down as if he wanted me to get on his back. So I did.

page 4
Michael jumped into the air. He could fly! We flew to a road and I realized we were on a highway. I yelled, "Go Michael," and he stopped. Then I remembered that Michael does the opposite of what I ask, so . . .

page 5
I yelled "STOP!"

We were safely in the air again. We flew home. THe stars were gone and I knew Mom and Dad would wake up soon. Michael was munching on some grass. "Just like him, always eating," I thought.

page 6
Then I saw he was eating a four leaf clover. "Spit it out!" I yelled, but he swallowed it.

page 7
I wished on his stomach to turn him into my brother again Nothing happened, so I went inside. Boy was I in trouble!

page 8
Mom was up. She said, "Where's Michael?"

I started to say, "He's a -----," when Michael walked in.

"Good morning! It's time for breakfast," said Mom, "and Michael . . .

page 9
... remember to wash that grass off your face."

SECOND GRADE -- Second Place
The Compsognaythus Who Always Got in the Way
By Douglas Riedthaler

page 1
Dedicated to my classmates and teacher, Mrs. Delnegro in room 201 at my school.

page 2
Author and Illustrator
Douglas Riedthaler

page 3
Many, many years ago there lived a compsognaythus named Compy. Compy got in the way of every one. One day was a quite unusual day because he had never gotten in the way of a utahraptor before. The utahraptor roared "Get out of my may."

page 4
Compy ran all the way home. Compy remembered his mother telling him to stay out of the way of other dinosaurs. But he still got in the way.

page 5
The next day wasn't unusual, because Compy had met up with a t-rex before. The t-rex didn't get to say anything because compy just walked away.

page 6
Compy was having trouble following his mother's directions. He felt very sad because everyone yelled at him.

page 7
A week went by and Compy didn't get in the way of anyone. But the next day, he walked right into a herd of triceratops. Everyone told him to stay out of their way. Compy ran out of the herd very fast.

page 8
By this time Compy just wanted to run away and hide. By hiding, he thought he wouldn't be in the way of anyone. That night afer his mother and father fell asleep, Compy slipped away and ran into the jungle.

page 9
While running through the jungle, he met another dinosaur. To his surprise, it was a girl compsognaythus named Campy. She was also running away from home.

page 10
Compy and Campy became friends. They played and hunted for food every day. Compy finally learned his lesson and stayed out of the way of the other dinosaurs.

THIRD GRADE -- First Place
I'm Still Sleepy
By Lindsey Rae Hill

page 1
I'm still sleepy
written and illustrated
by Lindsey Hill

Dedicated to all the sleepy heads just like me! L.H.

page 2
One sunny morning beside a creek, on a hollow tree lived a raccoon family: Mr. and Mrs. Raccoon, and their daugter, Rosie. Everyone was awake that is, all except, Rosie. She was always the last one to get up. When Rosie's mother said, "It's time to get up!"

Rosie just rubbed her eyes and said, "I'm still sleepy," then she pulled her leaf blanket over her head and went back to sleep. Mrs. Raccoon had a problem. She had a sleepyhead for a daughter.

page 3
She had an idea! She would offer a reward for whoever can find a way to wake Rosie. She posted a sign on the old oak tree in the middle of the forest neighborhood. The sign read, "REWARD! Anyone who can wake up Rosie will get a special surprise!!!-Mrs. Raccoon." This excited the neighbors and the first to come was the Bently the beaver.

page 4
Mrs. Raccoon led Bently into Rosie's room. Bently went over to Rosies's bed, and slapped his tail on the hard mud floor. He made a very loud noise but it didn't wake her up. She said in a grouchy voice, "Hmmph, I'm still sleepy," and went back to sleep.

page 5
Matilda the duck was also excited about the reward. This is a job for my little ducklings. She told her ducklings to go into Rosie's room and quack loudly and jump on Rosie's bed. So they jumped and quacked until they were all worn out. But all Rosie did was roll over and put her pillow over her head. While Matilda and her ducklings rested, in came Silvia Stinkbug.

page 6
Silvia brought a potion of her very stinky, green stink. She set it by Rosie's bed and quickly ran out of the room. After a few minutes, feeling proud and ready for the surprise, she opened the door. All Silvia found was a sleeping Rosie that was holding her nose. Mrs. Raccoon was getting very tired and didn't think anyone could wake up Rosie. So she announced that only one more person could try to wake up.

page 7
At that very moment, Herkemer, the house mouse came through the door. Everyone looked at him and laughed because he was so small. Herkemer didn't let that bother him, he climbed up on her bed. He pulled out a juicy red ripe strawberry and put it under her nose. Then everyone remembered that Rosie loved strawberries. As soon as, he put it under her nose, she popped out of bed. Everyone was amazed! So was Mrs. Raccoon.

page 8
Mrs. Raccoon handed Herkemer a huge stack of strawberry pancakes covered in strawberry syrup. Even though Herkemer could have eaten all the pancakes by himself he shared the pancakes with everyone including Rosie. From that day on, Rosie usually was the first one up and almost never the last, especially when they had strawberry pancakes!

page 9
The end

THIRD GRADE -- Second Place
A New Beginning
By Doriane Allen-Palmore

page 1
One evening, while the whole family was eating dinner, the phone rang. Usually we let the phone ring, but this time Mom ran to the phone like she had been waiting all day for this call. It barely rang twice, when she picked up the phone. I was wondering what the heck was going on. I looked at my brother and he shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn't have a clue. Mom said, "We got the house."

My brother and I jumped up from the table, I was feeling excited, scared, and sad all at the same time. We had a group hug, as my brother and I whispered to each other, "yes!"

page 2
When I started thinking about my new school I got scared. I asked myself would I like them? Would my teacher be ugly and mean? I also felt sad because I missed my old friends.

On the first day of school I was so scared and nervous my stomach was really upset. When I walked into my class, my teacher Miss Johnson, was pretty and very nice. She made me feel good. The kids were nice and friendly. I wasn't sad anymore. I can always visit my old friends because they still live close by.

page 3
I think I'm going to like it here. Moving, new friends, and a new house isn't a bad as I thought it would be.

page 4
Moving to our new house was exciting. The best part was when I got to see my room. I had a big closet that Mom had made ino an office for me. I loved all the new stuff in my room. Especially my toy box.

page 5
Packing isn't exactly what I would call fun. I could think of a lot of more exciting things, like reading. As long as I can remember, I've always shared a room with my brother. Packing is a lot easier knowing that I'm getting my own room. I can't wait to get to the new house.