LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE
A Statewide Writing Contest
Sponsors | History | Past Winners
Announcing the 2008 Letters About Literature Essay Contest for Children and Young Adults in 4th - 12th Grade
How-to-Enter Guidelines and the Entry Coupon for LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE 2008
Now in its 26th year, LAL is sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and Target. Each state has the opportunity to participate. All statewide winners are also entered in the national contest. The participation guidelines are also available at the Library of Congress web site.
Additional information:
Letters About Literature in the state of Pennsylvania
This year's judges
Pennsylvania state prizes
2007 Winners
Kui Murage, Josh Burd, and Sadie Katarina Eichner
Level I Award (grades four through six)
Josh Burd, writing to Scott Adams about Dilbert
Level II Award (grades seven and eight)
Kui Murage, writing to Sue Monk Kidd about The Secret Life of Bees
Level III Award (grades nine through twelve)
Sadie Katarina Eichner, writing to Ray Bradbury about Fahrenheit 451.
Level I honorable-mention winners are:
- Lucy Sedor-Franzak of Bethel Park, writing to Shel Silverstein for The Giving Tree
- Skyler Yarroll of Bethel Park, writing to J. K. Rowling for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Teresa Morin of Mercer, writing to Mitch Albom about For One More Day
- Emily Waggoner of Hummelstown, writing to Chris D’Lacey for The Fire Within
- Hollis Mermelstein of Pittsburgh, writing to Gail Carson Levine for The Two Princesses of Bamarre
- Logan Hanning of Honey Brook, writing to J.K. Rowling about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Level II honorable-mention winners are:
- Haluk Akay of Sewickley, writing to Dr. Benjamin Carson for Gifted Hands
- Hannah Lugg of Lock Haven, writing to Karen Cushman about The Loud Silence of Francine Green
- Jordyn Turner of Plymouth Meeting, writing to George Orwell about Animal Farm
- Adam Lewis of Yardley, writing to Charles Dickens about A Christmas Carol
- Brooke Henderson of Cranberry Township, writing to Davida Wills Hurwin about A Time for Dancing.
- Level III honor of high distinction goes to Lynn Detwiler of Ridgway, writing to Billy Collins about Nine Horses
Level III honorable-mention winners are:
- Alexis Perrine of Wallingford, writing to Dr. Seuss for How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Jelyn Waltz of Greencastle, writing to Elie Wiesel for Night
- Jonathan Y. Du of Mars, writing to Richard Adams for Watership Down
- Courtney Robel of New Kensington, writing to Tomie dePaola for The Clown of God
- Gabrielle Augustine of Palmerton, writing to Markus Zusak for The Book Thief
Judges
Letters About Literature contest judges were:
- Nancy Leuschner, a retired English and humanities teacher from Harrisburg
- Kara Robertson, a data-management coordinator in Pittsburgh
- David Rockower, a fifth-grade teacher in Boalsburg
- Maggie Herb, a high school English teacher in Waynesboro
- Ruth Zeisloft, an 11th-grade, advanced-placement English teacher in Erie
- Susan Campbell Bartoletti, a writer from Moscow
- Ruth (librarian) and Andrew (high school English teacher) Bucke, of Liverpool, Pennsylvania.
About the Sponsors
Target Stores and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress are the presenting sponsors of Letters About Literature. Target Stores, along with its parent company, Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests, and team members to help meet community needs.