WASHINGTON, DC, May 12, 2008 -- Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, congratulated the 2008 River of Words Honorees at the 13th Annual Award Ceremony for the River of Words Environmental Poetry and Art Contest at the Library of Congress. Each year, in affiliation with The Library of Congress Center for the Book, River of Words hosts a free international poetry and art contest for youth on the theme of watersheds. The contest is designed to help youth explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live, and to express through poetry and art what they discover.
The contest is open to any child ages 5-19 in the world. Eight Grand Prize winners -- four in poetry and four in art, in four different age categories -- are chosen from the U.S. entries. Poetry submissions are judged by River of Words co-founders Robert Hass, who served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 1995-1997, and writer Pamela Michael. Art entries are judged by children's book writer and illustrator, Thacher Hurd.
The Grand Prize for Category I, which is grades K-2, went to Jack Baker, age 7, from Denver, Colorado. Here is his poem titled Sewer:
Rats roaming down here.
Water flowing like music from the oboe.
Dangerous gasses float in the air
Down here underground.
Visit http://riverofwords.org/ to read other environmental poems written by today's youth and to view creative and inspiring environmental artwork as well.
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