Hadley Twp. – When Melissa Corey rescued a stray hamster found in a cemetery flower pot, she wrote a story about it.
Peanut the pet hamster is snug and safe in his new home, but Melissa’s ‘Hamster Rescue? story has won acclaim, and is being shipped off for judging at the national level.
Melissa’s mother, Brenda Corey, took the phone call last month announcing Melissa won first place in Michigan Television’s Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators contest, second-grade division.
‘Are you sure that was the right one?? Melissa asked her mother.
Melissa was disappointed last year when her fictional story’about a cat and dog who made friends’didn’t make the cut. It took some reassurance to realize she’d won.
‘I can’t believe it,? she said, jumping up and down with excitement.
‘I called Daddy at work and told him.?
Melissa, now 8, and her brother Daniel found Peanut and another hamster while their mother was doing research.
Her voice is tiny, but the words in the story are all her own.
‘We were at the cemetery and Mommy was doing genealogy. I didn’t have anything to do so I walked over to a group of trees,? she said.
‘In the middle of a flower pot was a little small ball of fur.?
The contest, open to young writers in Kindergarten through third grade, attracted nearly 300 entries, said Kimberly Pavuk, Michigan Television educational outreach coordinator.
Along with story length requirements, stories are judged on creativity, originality, storytelling ability, and integration of copy and illustrations.
Judges were in agreement about Melissa’s story.
‘We thought it was really creative and funny,? Pavuk said. ‘We really enjoyed the fact she had taken a personal story from her life. It struck everyone as really unique and well done.?
First place winners compete in a second national contest, which attracts more than 40,000 entries per year. The results are expected to be announced next month.
Former winner Nicholas Melton of Goodrich won honorable mention this year in the third grade division.
To read Melissa’s story, go to http://wfum.org/rr/index.html.