Authors in training: Dike elementary class finishes fourth in national book contest

When Terri Brown’s Dike Elementary second grade class started working on a book about notable figures in American history last year, she had no idea it would lead the students to national acclaim and recognition.
           
Featuring everyone from George Washington, George Washington Carver and Robert E. Lee to Jessie Owens, Walt Disney and Sally Ride, 2B’s Focus on Famous Americans is a comprehensive guide to the men and women who have made history as we know it, complete with handmade illustrations. And out of over 156,000 entries from around the country, Brown’s class finished fourth in Studentreasures Publishing’s 2017-2018 National Book Challenge.
           
“We thought, ‘Well, if we’re going to this big project, why not have it published and have a keepsake for the kids?’” Brown said.
           
As their creation took off, the kids held a book signing, walked down the red carpet and read individual pages to a crowd of parents and supporters last spring. On the last day of school, Brown found out that her class had been named one of 50 semifinalists, and when the winners were announced, Dike finished behind just three other schools—all in New York and New Jersey. 
 
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