Letters About Literature Essay Contest Winners 2011
Of the almost 70,000 letters submitted this year to the national contest, there were 1,651 entries from North Carolina students!!! Entries are submitted to the national contest office where semi-finalist letters are selected and sent on to the states for further judging. From the North Carolina entries, the national project office selected 170 semi-finalist letters to be judged by the North Carolina Center for the Book. Five finalists were then selected from each of the three competition levels (I: grades 4-6, II: grades 7-8, and III: grades 9-12). A winner was selected for each level, and the three winning letters were sent to the national office for final judging and the selection of national winners (two from each level).
SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Janet Snow, an 8th grade student at Millennium Charter Academy in Mt. Airy, is North Carolina’s State Winner in Level 2 (Grades 7-8) and one of four Level 2 National Honor Award Winners.
As a National Honor Award Winner, Janet receives a $100 Target GiftCard and nominates the library of her choice to receive a $1,000 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Grant. Janet selected the Millennium Charter Academy Library to receive the grant.
Mary L. Boone, North Carolina’s State Librarian, selected North Carolina’s three state winners from among the 15 finalists and says of this experience, " Serving as the state judge for the 2011 Letters About Literature contest was a great honor for me. Reading letters written to authors by young people is always rewarding, because the letters are written with such honesty and openness. In every letter there is a revelation or an insight that describes the reader’s awakening to new ideas and new understandings, about themselves and the world around them. This competition has once again demonstrated the value of reading and the importance that it plays in the lives of all of us – whether we are young people still exploring the world of life and letters or older readers pursuing lifelong learning.”
In each level the North Carolina Center for the Book awards a $75 cash prize to the state winner and $50 to each of the four state honorable mention recipients. The three winners also receive a $50 Target GiftCard.
Congratulations to North Carolina's fine readers and writers!
Level 1 Award Winners Grades 4, 5 & 6 | Back to top
| North Carolina State Winner - $75 award & $50 Target GiftCard Joey Johnson Grade 6 Jeffreys Grove Elementary School, Raleigh |
Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Sophia Hurr Grade 6 Metrolina Regional Scholar's Academy, Charlotte |
Book: A Handful of Time by Kit Pearson View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Courtney Keeler Grade 4 E. M. Yoder Elementary School, Mebane |
Book: Sheila the Great by Judy Blume View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Sheridan Mentch Grade 6 Hendersonville Middle School, Hendersonville |
Book: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award June Park Grade 6 The Academy at Lincoln, Greensboro |
Book: Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli View Letter |
Level 2 Award Winners Grades 7 & 8 | Back to top
| North Carolina State Winner - $75 award & $50 Target GiftCard & National Honor Award Winner Janet Snow Grade 8 Millennium Charter Academy, Mt. Airy |
Book: Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Angela Corcione Grade 7 Brawley Middle School, Mooresville |
Book: Petey by Ben Mikaelsen View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Sahana Maravarman Grade 7 The Academy at Lincoln, Greensboro |
Book: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Kloe Stackhouse Grade 7 Cerro Gordo Elementary School, Cerro Gordo |
Book: The Land by Mildred D. Taylor View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Laney Welsh Grade 7 Brawley Middle School, Mooresville |
Book: The Misfits by James Howe View Letter |
Level 3 Award Winners Grades 9, 10, 11 & 12 | Back to top
| North Carolina State Winner - $75 award & $50 Target GiftCard Sydney Smith Grade 12 South Rowan High School, China Grove |
Book: The PErks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Emma Cathell Grade 11 Hopewell High School, Huntersville |
Book: Speak by Laura Halse Anderson View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Holly Dieterle Grade 12 Heide Trask High School, Rocky Point |
Book: A Very Hungry Girl by Jessica Weiner View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Jateria Pittman Grade 12 Harding University High School, Charlotte |
Book: Speak by Laura Halse Anderson View Letter |
| North Carolina Honorable Mention - $50 award Karina Villalobos Grade 12 Heide Trask High School, Rocky Point |
Book: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri View Letter |
