Two North East ISD first-graders won the KLRN Reading Rainbow Young Authors and Illustrators contest for their grade level. Olivia Harris from Redland Oaks Elementary won first place and Aylin C. Ledezma from Olmos Elementary won second place in the contest.

Harris was given a Dell laptop computer, certificate with a blue ribbon and a tour of the KLRN television studio for her story, "Fifi the Fennec Fox." Her story is nine-pages long and has nine illustrations - all created by Harris. It is a story about a deaf fox and a sloth and has been submitted to the National Competition for Young Authors and Illustrators. When first hearing about the contest from her mother, Harris did not want to write a story. In her words, "I was stubborn and didn't want to do it because it was too much work for me." It was later when she was playing with her four-year-old brother that she decided she would rather write a story than play "Little People Town." While her mother wrote her words, Harris made up her story that would win first place. When asked what a Fennec Fox is, Harris said, "It is a small pale fox, with large ears. They live in North Africa and Arabia." Harris also had a learning experience in this, too. "I should not be stubborn," said Harris. "When I decided not be contrary with my Mom, it only took two days to write the whole story and about two hours to draw the illustrations."

Ledezma won second place for her original story, "Don't Cry in 1st Grade Sun Shine." The contest was open to students in kindergarten through third-grade, and more than 165 young writers submitted entries. Each story was judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations.