The Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest is open to children in Kindergarten, First, Second and Third Grades. Each grade level will be judged separately. Children of employees of Reading Rainbow, GPN, Nebraska ETV Network, WNED-TV, Lancit Media, the Public Broadcasting System and Public Broadcasting Stations are not eligible. Entry Guidelines Entrants must be in Kindergarten, First, Second or Third grade. Only one entry per person will be accepted.
Stories can be fact or fiction, prose or poetry, and they can also have math or science themes.
Preliminary judging will take place through the sponsoring PBS station which will send their first place winners to the National Contest. The national judges will include, but not be limited to, children's book authors, illustrators, publishers and educators as well as representatives from organizations such as the American Library Association, National Council of Teachers of English, etc. Decisions of the judges are final. Each National winner will also receive a personal Reading Rainbow Library set of 10 tapes and books. In addition, their schools and public libraries will each receive a similar Reading Rainbow Library.