Michigan Students Win Accolades for Quality Writing With "Letters About Literature" Contest

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Agency: Education

Michigan Students Win Accolades for Quality Writing With "Letters About Literature" Contest

May 25, 2012

LANSING - The Michigan Center for the Book announced Michigan's award winners and finalists for the national Letters about Literature contest today.

Letters about Literature is an annual contest sponsored by the National Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. In the program, young readers write letters to authors, living or dead, describing how the authors' work changed their lives. Students participate through classroom activities or individually. Target is the sponsor for Letters about Literature program.

"Literature can change lives and through this program, we get a chance to see that happen for our students." Said Karren Reish, the Michigan Center for the Book coordinator. "Students write letters that show how they understand and internalize the issues in the books they read. These books are not just assignments for young people, but a lens for them to see their lives and the lives of people around them.

"We are delighted to have this opportunity to encourage students to cultivate these deep reading skills that are key to academic and lifelong success and to help schools and libraries provide these opportunities," Reish said.

Letters about Literature Winners:

• State Level I winner (grades 4-6) - Haley Powell of Farmington Hills ($300 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Grant to the James R. Geisler Middle School Media Center), who wrote to author Lemony Snicket about the book A Series of Unfortunate Events.
  
  In her letter, Haley spoke about how reading the series helped her deal with frequent moves. "The books opened my eyes? to how much reading is a wonderful adventure."
  
  
• State Level II winner (grades 7-8) - Tucker Drew of Bloomfield Hills ($300 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Grant to the Cranbrook Middle School for Boys Library), who wrote to author Hans Enzensberger about the book The Number Devil.
  
  Tucker learned about the purpose and place of math by following the character through the novel. "Mathematics became a beautiful art. Thank you, Mr. Enzensberger, for you were truly my best teacher."
  
  
• State Level III winner (grades 9-12) - Kate Stanloski of Allegan ($300 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Grant to Allegan Public Schools), who wrote to author J.K. Rowling about the books in the Harry Potter series.
  
  Kate's letter spoke of how she learned to deal with depression through reading about how the characters dealt with adversity. "My 'darkness' ...was an adversary that did not define me and could be defeated."
  

State Finalists

Jonah Raleigh of Clarkston - Level I
Allison Miller of Beverly Hills - Level I
Charlotte Farrell of Grosse Pointe - Level II
Cameron Cohu of Clarkston - Level II
Emily Wittrup of Howell - Level II
Oriana Yilma of Romulus - Level II
Raj Raina of Novi - Level III
Adam Armesto of Canton - Level III
Rebecca Grabowski of Boyne Falls - Level III

Teacher of the Year

• Julia Fogarty of Metro Charter Academy in Romulus is the 2012 Michigan Letters about Literature Teacher of the Year.
  

Read the winners' complete letters at www.michigan.gov/mcfb.

State winners receive a $50 Target gift card and $300 Target Reading promotion grant for the library of their choice. State finalists receive a $20 gift card to Schuler Books & Music courtesy of the Michigan Center for the Book.

National winners receive a $500 Target gift card and a $10,000 Target Reading promotion grant for the library of their choice. National honor award winners receive a $100 Target gift card and $1,000 Target Reading promotion grant for the library of their choice.

The Michigan Center for the Book (MCFB) organizes Letters about Literature at the state level. A program of the Library of Michigan and the center's affiliates, MCFB encourages and produces local and statewide programs and resources that promote books, reading, authors and libraries.

Funding comes solely through grants and membership dues. For more information about the Michigan Center for the Book and its programs, visit www.michigan.gov/mcfb.