Moore student takes 2nd in OETA contest

The Moore American

OKLAHOMA CITY May 15, 2008 11:14 am

— A Moore kindergartner won second place in OETA-The Oklahoma Network’s statewide Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.
OETA executive director John McCarroll announced the winners during a ceremony at the Oklahoma State Capitol May 8.
Linzee Davis won for her story, “A Kitten Looks for a Home,” the tale chronicling the adventures of a kitten and his best friend as they search for the perfect home.
Davis was honored during the ceremony in the Governor’s Blue Room, which included Lt. Governor Jari Askins, state legislators and 12 winners from across the state.
Earlier this year, OETA teamed up with the award-winning public television series Reading Rainbow to encourage Oklahoma kids to express their love of literature. By submitting entries to Oklahoma’s statewide Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, more than 350 children in kindergarten through third grade learned to write and illustrate their own stories.
The ceremony included remarks by Lt. Governor Jari Askins, McCarroll and OETA’s new Deputy Director of Outreach Lori Holliday, a special reading by Oklahoma children’s author Tammi Sauer (Cowboy Camp) and an appearance by literary and public television icon Clifford the Big Red Dog.
The 2008 winners announced at the ceremony are:
• Kindergarten: First place – Jakin McDonald, A Gift For Zetts, Calera. Second place – Davis, A Kitten Looks for a Home. Third place – Kana Rackley, Rosella and Her Mother, Mounds.
• First Grade: First place – Cameron Fisher, Anywhere Is Somewhere, Bixby. Second place – Mason Belflower, The Little Rainbow, Harrah. Third place – Savannah Love James, The Mouse and Her Chocolates, Chickasha.
• Second Grade: First place – Emily Suzanne Johnson, The Great Peanut Brakeout, Vian. Second place – Emilee Black, Banana’s Pirate Party, Owasso. Third place – Isaac Lewis, Tat Rokes and the Helpless Farmer, Stillwater.
• Third Grade: First place – Kayla Ford, Katey the Caterpillar That Changed, Miami. Second place – Chance Carpenter, My Paw’s Pond, Stillwater. Third place – Rachel Anne Averitt, The Cat That Went to Tea, Broken Arrow.
Reading Rainbow, airing weekdays at 12:30 p.m. on OETA, blends books and creative television to take young viewers on adventures that motivate an interest in reading.
Hosted by LeVar Burton, the program builds lasting friendships between children and books. The Contest builds on the program’s mission to stimulate a child’s interest in reading.
Every child who submitted a story will receive a special Certificate of Achievement signed by Burton. The first-place winners advance to the national competition. To view Davis’ story, visit the Kids and Families section of www.oeta.tv.