Tryon Elementary School first grader Neil Rostick won the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest for first graders in the state and was surprised to be visited by Read-A-Roo, a popular PBS character last week who brought gifts and a party to his classroom.
Rostick won the statewide contest with his book, “The Adventures of Veggie Boy and Fruit Girl- in the Case of the Candy Blizzard,” which he wrote and illustrated.
Read-A-Roo surprised Rostick in Diane Guffey’s first grade class last Thursday, May 1.
Rostick is seven years old.
“It was the best day of my life,” said Neil. “I was so surprised I could hardly talk.”
Neil said he hopes to win the national competition and also hopes more students from Tryon Elementary enter the contest next year.
Neil follows his older sister Virginia, who won the same award in both the first and second grade, with her books, “The Goat Elevator,” and “Blackberry Pie.”
UNC-TV will animate Neil’s book televise the “prize patrol” segment shot at Tryon Elementary last week with plans to air it this summer.
Neil is the son of Doug and Carolyn Rostick of Tryon.
The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is a national-local contest designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning. The contest encourages children in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade in communities across the country to celebrate the power of creating stories and illustrations by submitting their own original pieces.
Following is the full text of Neil Rostick’s book:
“One average day, Virginia and Neil were reading books by the fireplace. Neil was Reading about puffins and Virginia was reading THE GIVER. They look out the window and see something weird, it was snowing candy! They were very surprised as the storm turned into a blizzard of candy. All around the town of Tryon, people were gathering buckets of candy to bring in their houses to eat. Little did they know, the candy had mind control power to make them slaves of the evil Tooth-Rotters, led by Rot Mouth Girl. Virginia and Neil knew just what to do. They pushed a button- the piano opened up- they jumped in and popped back out as Veggie Boy and Fruit Girl! They quickly jump into their vegetable and fruit powered jet and fly off to save the day! They fly to town zapping healthy vegetables and fruits into the mouths of the people. The vegetables and fruits turn them all back into normal, healthy people again! We saved the world again!”