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Student writers to be on KIXE through Aug.
"Marty the Lonely Martian" by Redding third-grader Aaron Fisher.
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They're ready for their close-ups.
A group of young north state students, winners in KIXE-TV's "Reading Rainbow" Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, will appear on Channel 9 through Aug. 15 reading excerpts of the stories they've created.
The televised spots will run just before 2 p.m. and just after 2:30 p.m. bracketing the PBS children's show "Reading Rainbow," which airs Monday through Friday on Channel 9.
"We had a pretty good turnout," said Dawn Suttmoeller, KIXE's Ready to Learn Program outreach coordinator.
The contest was open to kindergartners through third-graders. Judges picked the three best stories in each grade level and also handed out "most creative" and "honorable mention" prizes in each category.
Students were required to write their own original story and to illustrate it by themselves. Submissions included the fantastical like "Marty the Lonely Martian" by Redding third-grader Aaron Fisher, and the literal like "The Cat Hotel" by Cottonwood kindergartner Bethany Johnson.
Winners received a backpack full of goodies like books and gift certificates to local merchants. Suttmoeller said on one hand, simply writing the story and participating in the contest could be viewed as its own reward.
However, she said, she'd like to think that the prizes offered might push a student to participate who otherwise wouldn't. Many times, once students go through the experience of writing and illustrating their own complete story, they find they enjoy it, she said.
And maybe they discover a new talent, she added.
Suttmoeller said the only reason she was able to give out awards was because she had support from area businesses like Barnes & Noble, Oasis Fun Center, Village Schoolhouse, Party ExtraordinAIR and others.
She hopes it encourages more students to participate next year. Suttmoeller will begin promoting the contest again in early 2009.
Reporter Rob Rogers can be reached at 225-8217 or at rrogers@redding.com.
Related article: Stories from north state students
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