During the past ten years, thousands of children in Alabama, and many thousands more across the U.S., created their own books as part of a public television contest to encourage young writers. Children will have a chance to do so again this year, and a chance to win prizes, in the Eleventh Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Competition.

The contest is open to children in kindergarten through third grade. Every year, Alabama Public Television awards $100 gift certificates from contest sponsor Books-A-Million to the first place winner in the state for each grade level. Second place winners receive $50 gift certificates. State first place winners then go on to national competition. National prizes include Reading Rainbow DVD and book sets and all national prizewinners books will be featured on pbskids.org, one of the most popular national websites for children.

The goal of the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Competition is to encourage children ages 6 to 9 to be creative and have fun doing it. Entrants are required to write and illustrate their own work. Subject matter may be prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, and all illustrations should attempt to complement and enhance the text. Each grade will be judged separately. Parents are encouraged to help their children create a positive, joint learning experience, but the overall concepts and text must be the child’s. Every entrant of the contest will receive a special certificate of achievement for his or her participation and hard work.

All entries must be accompanied by an official entry form. This form and contest information are available on Alabama Public Television’s web site, www.aptv.org. Parents can also send a request for forms to: Reading Rainbow Contest, Alabama Public Television, 2112 11th Ave. S. #400, Birmingham, AL 35205. Deadline for entries is March 20.