EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) _ A story about a free-spirited third-grader
and a story about a Jewish girl living in ghetto during World War
II won William Allen White Children's Book Awards.

Emporia State University announced the winners in a news release Friday. The university has given the award for more than 50 years.

About 50,000 Kansas schoolchildren participated in the selection process.

``Clementine'' by Sara Pennypacker won in the third- through fifth-grade category. The story chronicles the misadventures of an 8-year-old girl and her friendship with her neighbor, Margaret.

``Yellow Star'' by Jennifer Roy won in the sixth- through eighth-grade category. It's about a 4-year-old girl named Syvia who struggles to survive with her family in Poland's Lodz ghetto during the Nazi occupation.

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