The Reading Rainbow contest must go on

Seattle's KCTS Television will host its 12th annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, though the national contest is currently on hold for lack of funding.

The contest, open to Washington students in kindergarten through third grade, runs through March 21. Entries must include a story (fiction, nonfiction, prose or poetry) and at least five original illustrations.

A panel of local teachers and librarians will choose a first place and honorable mention for each grade. Winners, announced May 1, will receive prizes and the opportunity to read their story for broadcast on KCTS.

Last year, the local contest drew nearly 1,000 entries from Washington and British Columbia.

For more information and entry forms, visit kcts.org/kids/rainbow/index.asp or call 800-930-6060.

— Stephanie Dunnewind, Seattle Times staff reporter