Funding for this project is provided by the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the West Virginia Library Commission.

W.V. Center for the Book Announces Letters About Literature Awards 
State Winners Will Advance for National Competition
 

Ian Lovern, a 5th grade student from Bluefield, Alison Lester, an 8^th grade student at Princeton Middle School, and Carolyn Rose Garcia, a 9th grade student at Notre Dame High School have taken top honors in this year’s West Virginia Letters About Literature writing contest. Judges selected Lovern’s letter to George Orwell, author of Animal Farm, as the first place winner in Level I competition for children in grades 4 through 6. Lester’s letter to J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit, was selected as the first place winner in Level II competition for children in grades 7 through 8 and Garcia's letter to Sharon Creech, author of  Bloomability, was selected as first place winner for competition level III (grades 9 through 12).All first place essays advanced for national competition.

Additional awards were as follows:

Olivia Greenburg, a 5^th grade student at Mercer School, Level I Runner-Up for her letter to Lois Lowry, author of Number the Stars.

Brooke Dillon, 5^th grade student at Mercer School, Level I Honorable Mention for her letter to Kate DiCamillo, author of Because of Winn Dixie.

Brittany Lavenski, 7^th grade student at Fairmont Catholic School, Level II Honorable Mention for her letter to Lois Lowry, author of The Giver.

Meghan Diane Mills, 8^th grade student at Fairmont Catholic School, Level II Honorable Mention for her letter to Gail Carson, Levine author of The Two Princesses of Bamarre.

Mashal Shaikh, 8^th grade student at John Adams Middle School, Level II Honorable Mention for her letter to Elizabeth Laird, author of Kiss the Dust.

Brittany Angus, a 11^th grade student at Ravenswood High School, Level III Honorable Mention for her letter to Dean Koontz, author of From the Corner of His Eye.

Audrey Baird, a 9^th grade student at Capital High School, Level III Honorable Mention for her letter to Leslea Newman, author of Fat Chance.

Heidi Chrisman, a 10^th grade student from Bunker Hill, Level III Honorable Mention for her letter to Karen Hesse, author of The Music of Dolphins.

Tawfiq Khoury, an 11^th  grade student from Wheeling Park High School, Level III Honorable Mention for his letter to Dr. Seuss, author of the popular children's series.

Sara Beth Yoder, an 11^th grade student from Wheeling Park High School, Level III Honorable Mention for her letter to Shel Silverstein, author of The Giving Tree.

Letters About Literature is a reading and writing promotion program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, presented in partnership with Target Stores. Additional state sponsors include the West Virginia Center for the Book hosted by the West Virginia Library Commission in partnership with the West Virginia Humanities Council.

To enter, young readers write a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. Readers can select authors from any genre—fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. The program has three competition levels: upper elementary, middle school, and secondary. The contest theme encourages young readers to explore his or her personal response to a book then express that response in a creative, original way.

In West Virginia, 229 children in grades 4 through 6 competed in Level I this year, but only 19 were selected as finalists. In Level II, grades 7 through 8, 197 children competed with 35 selected as finalists. Thirty-six of 188 competitors from grades 9 through 12 were selected as finalists in Level III. Overall, 614 West Virginia youth competed for prizes this year.

At an awards ceremony held April 14, 2005, in the Cultural Center in Charleston, all finalists received certificates, a copy of the Letters About Literature booklet, and a poster autographed by guest speaker, Marc Harshman. Harshman is a notable West Virginia children’s author and featured in the radio program In Their Own Country. First Lady Gayle Manchin delivered the opening comments and presented the student awards. In addition to the certificate, booklet and poster, first place winners received $100 from the West Virginia Humanities Council plus a $50 gift card to Target Stores while Runners-Up received $50 awards from the WV Humanities Council. Six national winners will receive an expenses-paid trip to the nation’s capitol which also include parents, and one teacher where the winners will read their letters during the National Book Festival in the fall of 2005. In addition, they will receive a $500 Target gift card. For additional information, please visit www.wvcenterforthebook@lib.wv.us

           
Copyright © 2004 West Virginia Center for the Book
Last modified: 09/16/08