Corri Ell tangled with a huge rhinoceros beetle in Costa Rica. Eric Aldridge visited Paris and a jungle village -- without leaving home!

Devon Lineberry-Jennings was pleasantly surprised by her summer school experience. Helena Harding took in the sights of the West with her family. Courtney Pierce lovingly tended her infant sister, and Elizabeth Herron's life was changed on a mission trip to Mexico.

All in all, an engaging collection of summer vacation stories -- and you can read all about them on this page and inside Extra as The Roanoke Times presents the winners of its How I Spent My Summer Vacation essay contest for students. We're also publishing a selection of family vacation photos from the winning writers and some of the 40 or so others who submitted essays.

As first-place winners, Eric, Courtney and Corri each will receive $50 gift certificates to Valley View Mall. Helena, Devon and Elizabeth are runners-up in their divisions and their essays are being published along with the winners.

Our congratulations to these essayists and to all the others who took part.

Winner, kindergarten-fifth grade

Eric Aldridge,
Second grade
Grace Academy

My summer this year has been really busy. When I felt bored, my mom would let me travel.

I got to visit Paris, France and see how mice were able to make parachutes out of an old kite, so they could get off the Eiffel Tower. I got to visit a village in France and learn how to make really good soup that had rocks in it.

Then, I got to visit another village somewhere different where a lot of monkeys lived in trees and loved to wear caps.

My mom told me that books have lots of adventures and help my brain grow with a lot of imagination. I read a lot of books this summer. I had fun visiting those places even though it only happened in my brain.

Winner, sixth-eighth grade

Courtney M. Pierce
Seventh grade
home school

My one-year old sister, Corabeth, entertained me this summer. Last summer she was only three months old, and while it was nice to hold her she was not as much fun. This summer, however, she can toddle, talk, feed herself and play on her own. Since she had been doing all these things, I have stayed right with her as she stacks her blocks.

My favorite summer activities with Corabeth are swinging and blowing bubbles. She loves popping the "bubbas" as she calls them. Then I push her in her red baby swing. It is so cute to hear her say wow and coo as she goes up and down in her swing.

I love reading to my little sister, though sometimes she squirms. Most of the time she will just sit quietly in my lap and flip through her books, pointing out a duck, chicken, button or shoe. Some of her favorite books were my favorites, too.

Corabeth always smiles and giggles when I push her around in her blue car. She loves going fast, but it gives me sore knees. Despite the knees, it is well worth it with all the smiles and kisses she gives.

My little sister has made my summer memorable: the bubble sticky fingers, the much worn books, the sore knees, the dirty shoes by the door. All of these mark this summer. I will always remember the summer when Corabeth was one, and I was 12.

Winner, ninth-12th grade

Corri Ell
Ninth grade
Northside High School

On my summer vacation I went on a wild ride to Costa Rica with my family.

Our trip took us through rainforest, villages and rivers, just to get to a lovely little beach house. We were grateful just to have running water and electricity. As for our shower we were never lonely with the company of a dead crab. We started driving down a dirt road and came to this little town where there was a man who rented horses out to people. One of my dreams was finally fulfilled when I got to ride a horse on a beach.

Many mornings we were woken up by Howler Monkeys. Once they woke us up at four o'clock in the morning. Then one day, the scariest thing in my life happened to me. I was on the porch when I heard this loud noise that sounded like a helicopter. When I looked above me there was a huge rhinoceros beetle flying above my head. It landed on the ceiling and then started flying around again and that's when it landed on me. It was so big and so scary to me. To make things worse, instead of my older sister trying to help me, she took pictures of me. Finally I grabbed a wet towel and with great effort pulled the beetle off me. So through fun times and scary times, I had one wild ride to Costa Rica.

Runner up, sixth-eighth grade

Devon Lineberry-Jennings
Sixth grade
Woodlawn Middle School, Hillsville

I went to summer school at Hillsville Elementary School. I would rather be at Dollywood. I didn't want to go because I thought it was going to be really boring. Math is very hard for me, because I get confused with all the numbers. I had to go, because my parents insisted on me going there, for math was going to be harder on me next year if I did not practice over the summer. I rode in a very comfortable county car with soft cushions and cold air conditioning. I was so happy that I didn't have to ride the bus because it smelled of rotten milk. I thought summer school was a place where the teachers would torture you with math worksheets that were piled so high they almost touched the ceiling! Mrs. Ridge was my summer school teacher. I was given math multiplication sheets, the regular work that I usually did in school. Mrs. Ridge would give us mini Dove chocolate bars for each math problem we answered correctly. She gave us board games that made math easier, and it wasn't boring at all because they had very interesting facts about multiplication. Before we left summer school, we were loaded with free ice cream and soda floats. In the school year, all we were loaded down with was homework. I learned my multiplication by using flash cards, and learned hard math problems by solving as many as I could in one minute. I had a wonderful time at summer school this year!

Runner up, ninth-12th grade

Elizabeth Herron
10th grade
home school

My summer vacation was a missions trip to Mexico. It was a life changing experience. All the homeless people seeking comfort from a stranger's gentle smile. The sights, sounds, and aromas were amazing.

Everywhere I looked I saw helpless people. In their smile you couldn't see any pain, but in their eyes you saw hurt, sorrow and loneliness. There were children everywhere, starving but happy. The aromas were not heavenly by any means, they were of dead animals, polluted water and people who haven't bathed in weeks. The aromas settled but the sights won't ever leave me.

The sounds of people speaking everywhere. The barking, whelping and whimpering of the dog fights. Loud music everwhere blaring out of the tiny houses. Out of all my senses, touch was truely amazing. To feel innocent children reaching for me. The feeling of their unconditional love of being held in your arms.

The feeling I got at the end of the week when the children walked to the front and said they wanted to learn more about God.

That was my vacation, it was truely amazing. To know I changed their lives and my own to further trust in God. This trip was the most life changing thing. It was amazing.