NEWS RELEASE

( Jackson , Miss.) - Calling all young artists and writers! Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) invites youngsters to participate in the 13 th annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest .

 

Children from kindergarten through third grade are encouraged to write and illustrate their own stories and submit them to MPB. The contest begins January 5, 2007, and the deadline to enter is March 30, 2007.

 

The contest is conducted in cooperation with MPB and the producers of Reading Rainbow , which is broadcast Monday through Friday at noon.

 

All entries from Mississippi are judged locally. Each child who enters receives a special Certificate of Achievement signed by LeVar Burton, host of the Reading Rainbow series.

 

First and second place winners are selected for each grade level, with each receiving a Reading Rainbow backpack, a DVD copy of a Reading Rainbow program, and being treated to a special Winners Celebration Event in Jackson . Local first place winners will advance to the national competition.

 

According to MPB Director of Educational Outreach Sharon Person , “The Reading Rainbow series builds lasting friendships between children and books. The contest, which provides the opportunity for children to exhibit their self-expression through word and art, builds on the program's mission to stimulate a child's interest in reading.”

 

Visit www.mpbonline.org for 2007 Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest entry forms, rules, information and to view last year's Mississippi winners with their stories. Click on PBS Kids to view national winners from previous years' contests.