Book Bonanza a hit

The Book Bonanza was a big hit, and for some, it meant winning prizes in the bookmark and poetry competitions.

The first bookmark contest earned three students top honors. Palmer Mayor Jim Cooper chose Rebekah Laggis' design of a rainbow of "words." Laggis is a third-grader at Academy Charter School. Wasilla Mayor Diane Keller selected Wasilla Middle School eighth-grader Vladimer Kolomeychuk's design of a racecar with rainbow exhaust as her top choice, while Mat-Su Borough Mayor Tim Anderson picked Amber Ingersol's creation, which included clouds, a smiling sun and a "Reading Rainbow theme." Ingersol is an eighth-grader at Wasilla Middle School.

The People's Choice award went to Paula Kuznetsov, a seventh-grader at Beryozova School in Willow.

Her design featured a poem tied to the "Rainbow of Words" theme for the Book Bonanza, as well as intricate beading on the bookmark's edges.

In the poetry contest, Debi Grae Richmond took the adult category with "The Color of Wind."

Cole Lekites, a third-grader at Chugiak Elementary, won his age division with "Otono."

"Alaskan Night" was the winning poem in the sixth- through eighth-grade division, written by Conrad Wharton of Girdwood.

Keenan Price, a third-grader from Anchorage, won his age category with "Fall."

Chugiak first-grader Sijo Smith's "My Veins" was also judged an age division winner.