LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE


Letters About Literature MINNESOTA WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
 
Nearly 70,000 adolescent and young adult readers nationwide in grades 4 through 12 participated in this year’s Letters About Literature program, which encourages young people to read, be inspired and write back to the author who has somehow changed their view of the world or themselves. The number of Minnesota entries has almost doubled from last year to nearly 1,800. Thank you to all of those who participated!

State first place winners will be honored at the Minnesota Council of Teachers of English annual spring conference in Duluth on April 24, 2010. They will advance to the national competition and will each receive a $50 Target gift card and $50 gift card to Common Good Books in St. Paul. Second and third place winners also will each receive a gift card to Common Good Books in St. Paul.

The annual Letters About Literature contest is sponsored locally by the Minnesota Humanities Center with support from the Minnesota Council of Teachers of English and the Pioneer Press, and nationally by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target.

The Humanities Center is please to announce the 2010 Letters About Literature State Winners.  Congratulations to you all! (Click on the links to view a PDF of each letter.)
 
   Letters About Literature winners
Amy Grant (left), Allie Rudin (right)

Level I (grades 4-6)
First Place: Allie Rudin, Grade 6, Maple Grove
                      Letter to Lois Lowry, author of The Giver
Second Place: Emily Anderson, Grade 6, Roseville
                      Letter to Audrey Penn, author of The Kissing Hand
Third Place: Kay Carttar, Blaine
                      Letter to Kate DiCamillo, author of The Tale of Despereaux
 
Level II (grades 7-8)
First Place: Arista Jhanjee, Grade 8, Hopkins
                     Letter to Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief
Second Place: Sofie Scott, Grade 7, Edina
                     Letter to Eleanor Coerr, author of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Third Place: Riley Nelson, Grade 8, Excelsior
                     Letter to Benjamin Ajak, co-author of They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky
 
Level III (grades 9-12)
First Place: Amy Grant, Grade 12, Big Lake
                    Letter to Sylvia Plath, author of The Bell Jar
Second Place: Caitlin Wright, Grade 9, Prior Lake
                    Letter to Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief
Third Place: Lee Xiong, Grade 12, Champlin
                    Letter to Kao Kalia Yang, author of The Late Homecomer
 

 
Video clip of Cathy Gourley:
“How to Write a Successful Letter”
Cathy Gourley, National Director of Letters About Literature
 
For information about the contest, instructions on how to enter, and to download educator resources, please Click here.
 
Reader Response Workshop Resources
Saturday, November 7, 2009

Letters about Literature Informational Handout (PDF) READ
Letters about Literature Curriculum Chart (PDF) READ
FAQ Handout (PDF) READ
Lois Lowry Lesson Handout (PDF) READ
Accentuate the Positive Handout (PDF) READ
Correspond Don't Compliment Handout (PDF) READ
Dead End Detours Handout (PDF) READ
Bookends Handout (PDF) READ
Sara Nelson's Poetry Handout (Word Document) READ
Sara Nelson's Poetry Bibliography (Word Document) READ
Links, Books, Resources Mentioned (Word Document) READ
 
2009 Letters About Literature State Winners. (Click on the links to view a PDF of each letter.)
 
Level I (grades 4-6)
First place: Hannah Klingberg, Blaine
                      Letter to Patricia Reilly Giff, author of Willow Run
Second place: Julia Jane Marie Braulick, Northfield
                      Letter to Rick Riordian, author of The Lightning Thief
Third place: Beverly White, Fridley
                      Letter to Sharon Flake, author of The Skin I’m In
 
Level II (grades 7-8)
First place: Margarita Rudenko, Minnetonka
                       Letter to Jodee Blanco, author of Please Stop Laughing at Me
Second place: Jessie Kanter, Minnetonka
                       Letter to Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie
Third place: Marissa Knutson, Hugo
                       Letter to Julie A. Swanson, author of Going for the Record
 
Level III (grades 9-12)
First place: Amelia Leuer, St. Michael (National Winner!)
                        Letter to Linda Pastan, author of Caroline
Second place: Alyssa Hencley, Little Canada
                        Letter to Edith Wharton, author of The House of Mirth
Third place: Kelsey Preisinger, New Ulm
                        Letter to Judy Blume, author of Blubber
 

For more information on this project, contact Eden Bart, Outreach Specialist, eden@minnesotahumanities.org, 651-772-4261 or toll free 866-268-7293, ext. 261.