LAL is a national reading promotion program of the Center for the Book
in the Library of Congress, presented in partnership with Target and affiliate state centers for the book.
Letters About Literature
Post Office Box 609
Dallas, PA 18612
ph: 570-208-1798
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State Winners
LAL Announces 2010 First Place State Winners!
To read the state winning letters, please visit the state center for the book website. Many (but not all) states publish the winning letters on their sites. To visit the site, see Contact Us on the menu above or click on the links following the list of names below.
To read the national winning letters, simply click on Winning Letters on the menu.
Alabama
Level 1: Hannah Monroe, Spanish Fort. Wrote to J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series.
Level 2: Cloey Robertson, Oxford. Wrote to Sarah Dessen, author of The Truth About Forever.
Level 3: Hannah Downs, Helena. Wrote to Billy Collins, author of the pome "On Turning Ten."
Alaska
Level 1: Taylor Haines, Anchorage. Wrote to Stephenie Meyers, author of Twilight.
Level 2: Caroline Everts, Fairbanks. Wrote to Sara Shandler, author of Ophelia Speaks.
Level 3: Anna Wichorek, Anchorage. Wrote to Velma Wallis, Two Old Women.
Arizona
Level 1: Addision Moffett, Gilbert. Wrote to Gordon Korman, author of Island.
Level 2: Marisa Meier, Gilbert. Wrote to John Bibee, author of The Magic Bicycle.
Level 3: Katherine Zavala, Phoenix. Wrote to Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank.
Arkansas
Level 1: Katie Fitts, Searcy. Wrote to Tony Abbott, author of Firegirl.
Level 2: Morgan Sweere, Conway. Wrote to Rick Riordan, author of The Lightning Thief.
Level 3: Katey Nicole Brawley, Judsonia. Wrote to Paul Lwarence Dunbar, author of We Wear the Mask.
California
Level 1: Lara Bagdasarian, Beverly Hills, CA. Wrote to Francisco Jimenez, author of The Circuit.
Level 2: S. B. (name withheld by request). Wrote to Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak.
Level 3: Michael Egan, Wilton. Wrote to Neil Gaiman, author of Instructions.
Read the news page on CA's state winners here: http://calbook.org/lal.html.
Colorado
Level 1: Agnes Navaratne, Manitou Springs. Wrote to Avi, author of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.
Level 2: Eliza Cornell, Boulder. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Maniac Magee.
Level 3: Hannah Leffingwell, Centennial. Wrote to Pablo Neruda, author of XVII (I do not love you . . .)
Connecticut
Level 1: Katja Zoner, Farmington. Wrote to Janet Lee Carey, author of Wenny Has Wings.
Level 2: Erik Thode, Bethel. Wrote to Walter Dean Myers, author of Fallen Angels.
Level 3: Amy Tomasso, Farmington. Wrote to Richard Halliburton, author of Complete Book of Marvels.
Delaware
Level 1: Molly Thompson, Dover. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl.
Level 2: Jenna Prengle, Bear. Wrote to Ellas Wheeler Wilcox, author of A Burial.
Level 3: Emily Coll, Wilmington. Wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
District of Columbia
Level 1: Selin Everet, Washington, DC. Wrote to Andrew Clements, author of The School Story.
Level 2: Katherine Ann Van Kirk, Washington, DC. Wrote to Michael Buckley, author of The Sisters Grimm.
Level 3: Zachary jersky, Washington, DC. Wrote to Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner.
Florida
Level 1: Riley Laggan, Pensacola. Wrote to Ronde and Tiki Barber, authors of Kickoff.
Esme Zodrow-MacDonald, Tampa. Wrote to Dr. Jane Goodall, author of My Life with Chimpanzees.
Level 3: Natalia Juncadella, Miami. Wrote to Jjoan Brumberg, author of The Body Project.
Georgia
Level 1: Ciara Celine Sadaka, Atlanta. Wrote to Emily Rodda, author of Fashion Police.
Level 2: Meg Dominey, Lilburn. Wrote to Nancy Werlin, author of Black Mirror.
Level 3: Cinnamon Williams, Temple. Wrote to Mitch Albom, author of For One More Day.
Hawaii
Level 1: Von Dickerson Ulsa, Honolulu. Wrote to Sharon Creech, author of Love That Dog.
Level 2: Tatiana Garzon, Honolulu. Wrote to Sharon Creech, author of Replay.
Level 3: Jennifer Totoki, Aiea. Wrote to J. D. Salinger author of The Catcher in the Rye.
Idaho
Level 1: Bryce Wachtell, Boise. WRote to Wilson Rawls, author of Where the Red Fern Grows.
Level 2: Alyssa Duenes, Idaho Falls. Wrote to Paulo Coelho, author of The Devil and Miss Prym.
Level 3: Kailyn Krasselt, Moscow. Wrote to Dr. Seuss about many of his different books.
Illinois
Level 1: Carra Wu, Lake Forest. Wrote to Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of A Little Princess.
Level 2: Jana Mudrock, New Lenox. Wrote to Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why.
Level 3: Allyssa Brown, Athens. Wrote to Sarah Dessen, author of Lock and Key.
Indiana
Level 1: Samuel Huff, Newburgh. Wrote to Brian Selznick, author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Level 2: Rachel Meyers, Indianapolis. Wrote to Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister's Keeper.
Level 3: Rahaf Safi, Plainfield. Wrote to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Love Pray.
Iowa
Level 1: Jillian Gabby, Urbandale. Wrote to Jennifer Jacob Richardson, author of Winnie at Her Best.
Level 2: Mckenna Lynch, Des Moines. Wrote to Joyce Carol Oates, author of Freaky Green Eyes.
Level 3: Austin Helmink, Spencer. Wrote to Jeffrey Marx, author of Season of Life.
Kansas
Level 1: Kaylee Dale, Lakin. Wrote to Ben Mikaelson, author of Touching Spirit Bear.
Level 2: Cicely Krebill, Fairway. Wrote to Frank DeFord, author of An American Summer.
Level 3: Kathryn Williams, Beloit. Wrote to Chris Crutcher, author of Chinese Handcuffs.
Kentucky
Level 1: Elizabeth Meisel, Louisville. Wrote to Robert Coles, author of Ruby Bridges.
Level 2: Serena Dobson, Louisville. Wrote to Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief.
Level 3: Max Meckes, Danville. Wrote to Bobbie Ann Mason, author of In Country.
Louisiana
Level 1: Isabela Walkin, Lake Charles. Wrote to William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies.
Level 2: Addision Howenstine, New Orleans. Wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games.
Level 3: Macy Terrebonne, Destrehan. Wrote toWendelin Van Draanen, author of Flipped.
READ more about LA's LAL winners here:
Maine
Level 1: Ella Reilich Godino, Steuben. Wrote to Fred Gibson, author of Old Yeller.
Level 2; Caroline George, Limington. Wrote to Robert Frost, author of the poem, "The Mending Wall."
Level 3: Joshua Elwood, Bangor. Wrote to Julie Schumacher, author of Black Box.
Maryland
Level 1: Nimai Agarwal, Germantown. Wrote to Kate DiCamillo, author of The Tale of Despereaux.
Level 2: Claire Wang, Frederick. Wrote to Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia.
Level 3: Carson Wigley, Salisbury. Wrote to Patricia Polacco, author of Thank You, Mr. Falker.
To read MD's complete list of state winners, including honorable mentions, visit
http://www.mdhc.org/files/238_Maryland State Winners and Finalists 2010 _2_.pdf
Massachusetts
Level 1: Eliana Kahn, Needham. Wrote to Anne Frank, author of The Diary of a Young Girl.
Level 2: Saed Salah, Shrewsbury. Wrote to Elizabeth George Speare, author of The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Level 3: Nicole Schwartz, Northborough. Wrote to J. D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye.
Michigan
Level 1: Miriam Saperstein, Huntington Woods. Wrote to Cathryn Clinton, author of A Stone in My Hand.
Level 2: Callahan Katrak, Kalamazoo. Wrote to Suzanne Fisher Staples, author of Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind.
Level 3: Emily Kurtz, Allegan. Wrote to Delia Ephron, author of Frannie in Pieces.
Minnesota
Level 1: Allie Rudin, Maple Grove. Wrote to Lois Lowry, author of The Giver.
Level 2: Arista Jhanjee, Edina. Wrote to Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief.
Level 3: Amy Grant, Big Lake. Wrote to Sylvia Plath, author of The Bell Jar.
Read MN's state winners' letters: http://minnesotahumanities.org/outreach/letters
Mississippi
Level 1: Victoria Wright, Jackson. Wrote to Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Level 2: Kelsey Clark, Madison. Wrote to Lisi Harrison, author of The Clique.
Level 3: Jules Wood, Brookhaven. Wrote to Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander.
Montana
Level 1: Kiley Lyaman, Seeley Lake. Wrote to Mackie D'Arge, author of Lifing the Sky.
Level 2: Dahn Ebert, Choteau. Wrote to Jack London, author of White Fang.
Level 3: (name withheld pending receipt of permission release form), Choteau. Wrote to Jodi Picouult, author of The Pact.
Nebraska
Level 1: Haylie Roberts, Pender. Wrote to Gloria Whelan, author of Homeless Bird.
Level 2: Victoria Kolala, Omaha. Wrote to Ben Carson, author of Think Big.
Level 3: Arash Hamidi, Omaha. Wrote to Maryam Qudrat Aseel, author of Torn Between Two Cultures.
Nevada
Level 1: Sawyer Pearson, Las Vegas. Wrote to Lemony Snicket, author of The Bad Beginning.
Level 2: Ashleigh Ota, Carson City. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl.
Level 3: Danielle Geerling, Reno. Wrote to Alexandra Robbins, author of The Overachievers.
New Hampshire
Please check with the NH Center for the Book for more details.
New Jersey
Level 1: Catherine Lee, Princeton Junction. Wrote to Karen Hesse, author of Witness.
Level 2: Shannon Ferrie, Berkeley Heights. Wrote to Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple.
Level 3: Jacklyn Moon, Norwood. Wrote to Linda Sue Park, author of When My Name Was Keoko.
New Mexico
Level 1: Andrew Chu, Albuquerque. Wrote to Allen Say, author of Grandfather's Journey.
Level 2: Michael T. Roby, Las Cruces. Wrote to Jamie Lee Curtis, author of Tell Me About the Night I Was born.
Level 3: Madeline McKinney, Las Cruces. Wrote to Cassandra Clare, author of The Mortal Instruments.
New York
Level 1: Sal DiGuardia, Jericho. Wrote to Cynthia Lord, author of Rules.
Level 2: Molly Clark, Syracuse. Wrote to John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
Level 3: Marisa Hamel, Cortland. Wrote to Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street.
North Carolina
Level 1: Benjamin Pruitt, Horse Shoe. Wrote to Lynne Jonell, author of Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat.
Level 2: Adrian Wood, Elizabeth City. Wrote to Lemony Snicket, authhor of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Level 3: Resita Cox, inston. Wrote to Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart.
North Dakota
Level 1: Mayim Stith, West Fargo. Wrote to Sharon Creech, author of Granny Torrelli Makes Soup.
Level 2: Jordan Jossart, Bismarck. Wrote to Jodi Picoult, author of Nineteen Minutes.
Level 3: Alysa Lerud, Fargo. Wrote to Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted.
Ohio
Level 1: Davis Klimek, Pepper Pike. Wrote to Carl Hiaasen, author of Hoot.
Level 2: Emily Fernandez, Streetsboro. Wrote to Lisa Genova, author of Still Alive.
Level 3: Rachel Pickett, Mainesville. Wrote to Harushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
Oklahoma.
Level 1: Grace Barrett, Owasso. Wrote to Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking.
Level 2: Daniel Flores, Cushing. Wrote to Joseph Bruchac, author of Code Talker.
Level 3: Melissa Frye, South Coffeyville. Wrote to David Pelzer, author of A Child Called It.
Oregon
Level 1: Peter Souza, Portland. Wrote to Langston Hughes, author of the poem "Mother to Son."
Level 2: Max Denning, Portland. Wrote to Mike Lupica, author of Heat.
Level 3: Jennifer Zhou, Portland. Wrote to Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China.
Pennsylvania
Level 1: Lucy Zhang, Center Valley, wrote to Jung Chang, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China.
Level 2: Thanh Nguyen, Lancaster. Wrote to Barbara Park, author of the Junie B. Jones series.
Level 3: Adam Snyder, Pittsburgh. Wrote to Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None.
Rhode Island
Level 1: Grace Miller, East Greenwich. Wrote to Susan Pfeffer, author of Life As We Knew It.
Level 2: Victoria D'Agostino, Scituate. Wrote to M. T. Anderson, author of Feed.
Level 3: Emilie Solomon, Little Compton. Wrote to Martin Luther King, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King.
South Carolina
Level 1: Sydney Hodgin, Westminster. Wrote to John Howard Griffin, author of Black Like Me.
Level 2: Kerry Van, Greer. Wrote to Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, author of Farewell to Manzanar.
Level 3: Christian Myers, Columbia. Wrote to Natasha Friend, author of Perfect.
South Dakota
Level 1: Hallee Ringgaard, Piedmont. Wrote to Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Level 2: Will Lauer, Sioux Falls. Wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Level 3: Jenny Homola, Watertown. Wrote to Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea.
Tennessee
Level 1: Katherine v. Fulcher, Clinton. Wrote to Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie.
Level 2: Siori Koerner, Murfreesboro. Wrote to J. D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye.
Level 3:Malli Swamy, Memphis. Wrote to Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist.
Read TN's state winning letters here: http://www.humanitiestennessee.org/youngwriters/letters.php
Texas
Level 1: Arvind Ashok, Roundrock. Wrote to Rick Riordan, author of The Last Olympian.
Level 2: Kevin LeBlanc, Beaumont. Wrote to J. R. R. Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings.
Level 3: Rachel Havins, Houston, Wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
United States Virgin Islands
Level 1: Obasi D. E. Luke, St. Croix. Wrote to J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series.
Level 2: Catherine Phelan, St. Thomas. Wrote to Ann Brashares, author of Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of Sisterhood.
Level 3: Kristina Chardon, St. Croix. Wrote to Julie Alvarez, author of In the Time of the Butterflies.
Utah
Level 1: Meagan Gregrich, Murray. Wrote to Sahnnon Hale, author of Princess Academy.
Level 2: Kaitlyn Larsen, Sandy. Wrote to Darren Shan, author of Crique Du Freak.
Level 3: Jeongwook Park, Salt Lake City. Wrote to Paul Coelho, author of The Alchemist.
Vermont
Level 2: Zoe Frolick, Essex Junction. Wrote to Shirley Jackson, author of the short story "The Lottery."
Level 3: Ariel Engel aka Nick Lemon, Essex Junction. Wrote to Julie Anne Peters, author of Luna.
Level 2: Virginia
Level 1: Olivia Marcantonio, Great Falls. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl.
Level 2: Emma Leeds Armstrong, Charlottesville. Wrote to Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Level 3: Julie Krask, Virginia Beach. Wrote to Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Wintergirls.
Washington
Level 1: Reagan nelson, Spokane. Wrote to Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of The Little House on the Prairie.
Level 2: Stephen Hitchcock, Woodinville. Wrote to Jules Verne, author of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
Level 3: tyler Christensen, Snoqualmie. Wrote to Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe.
West Virginia
Level 1: Cara Laswell, Fairmont. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl.
Level 2: Molly Lovern, Bluefield. Wrote to jean-Dominique Bouby, author of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Level 3: Tracy Patton, Charleston. Wrote to William Shakespeare, author of the play "Romeo and Juliet."
Wisconsin
Level 1: Hannah Addyman, Baldwin. Wrote to Warren Hanson, author of The Next Place.
Level 2: Sarah Cross, Sussex. Wrote to Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief.
Level 3: Elizabeth Tewalt, Eau Claire. Wrote to Robert Frost about this poem "The Road Not Taken."
Want to know who took 2nd and 3rd place in Wisconsin's state LAL competition? Visit http://wisconsincenterforthebook.wordpress.com/lal/
Wyoming
Level 1: Terrell-Robert Oliver, Casper. Wrote to Theodore Taylor, author of The Cay.
Level 2: Ethan Smith, Cody. Wrote to Cinda Chima, author of The Dragon Heir.
Level 3: Kaiser Mock, Gillette. Wrote to Ayn Rand, author of We the Living.
State Awards
Many state centers award not only first place but also second and third place prizes and many also recognize state honorable mentions. Be sure to visit the state websites (see Contact Us) for more specifics and more images!
Meet the 2010 LAL State Winners
Michael Egan took first place on level 3 in California's state competition. He then went on to win a national honor award. Congratulations!
Maryland's first place winner, Nimai Agarwal, reads his letter to Kate DiCamillo during the Maryland awards ceremony. Although author DiCamillo wasn't in the audience, U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes was and presented Nimai with his cash award.
Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson (below) celebrates the LAL award winners shown here: Kathryn Williams, Kaylee Dale, and Cecily Krebill, during the awards ceremony.
Kingston Student Honnored at Massachusetts State House
Senate President Therese Murray presents Neale Johnson with a citation commending him on his Honors award in Massachusetts Letters About Literature 2010. Also pictured, Letters About Literature 2010 judge and Silver Lake Regional High teacher Anthony Rizzitano and Neale's grandmother, Marge LaPlante
From West Virgina . . .
First place winners (from left to right): Tracy Patton, Molly Lovern, and Cara Laswell.
From Virgina . . .
Olivia marcantonio, Emma Leeds Armstrong and Julie Krask pose for the camera dat the LAL awards program held during the Virginia Book Festival in March.
From Nebraska . . .
Honorees are (l. to r.) Victoria Kolala, Megan Brookhouser, Mia Thomas, Gov. Dave Heineman, Arash Hamidi, and Haylie Roberts. Not pictured: Shawnn Gasseling.
Below are Washington, DC's Regional Winners, all levels. 
Below:
Illinois honors its state winners at the state capitol
The awards ceremony, held in the Secretary of State’s, State Capitol Office in Springfield, included a tour of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, a light luncheon at the Illinois State Library. Left to right: Jana Mudrock, Level II winner; IllinoisSecretary of State and State Librarian, Jesse White; Carra Wu, Level I winner; Allyssa Brown, Level III winner.
In Louisiana . . .
Addison Howenstine took the Level 2 state prize for his letter to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games.
The U.S. Virgin Islands participated in LAL for the first time this year. Below are winners:
DALLAS CENTER FOR THE BOOK HONORS ITS STATE WINNERS AT STATE LIBRARIAN'S CONFERENCE! Pictured below: Rachel Havins, Level 3, Kevin LeBlanc, Level 2; and Arvind Ashok, Level 1.
Hawaii's state winners . . .
Left to right: Sam Haneda (grade 9, Level 3 Honorable Mention), Summer Cory (grade 6, Level 1 Honorable Mention), Von Dickenson Ulsa (grade 4, Level 1 Winner), Tatiana Garzon (grade 7, Level 2 Winner), and Jennifer Totoki (grade 9, Winner).
More photos of this year's state winners will be coming soon! Stay tuned!
More photos of this year's state winners will be coming soon! Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, below are some of our stars from last year's competition.
Meet the 2009 LAL State Winners!
Ohio First Lady Frances Strickland, right, presents Berlin-Milan seventh grader Emily Hansen, center, for winning the Ohio prize for her age group.
Wonder Smith (right) took first
place in Level 1 in the California state competition. He wrote to Dr. Seuss.
"Your picture book helped me answer a question that always sat in the back of my mind: Who am I? I’m mixed, my mom is white and my dad is black. Sometimes I feel like I do and I don’t have a star on my belly."
North Dakota Humanities Program Coordinator, Sarah Smith Warren, National LAL winner, Abby Tillotson, Horizon Middle School teacher, Peggy Hoge. Pegg Hoge is a long-time LAL participant and we're thrilled that she has a national honor this year!
North Carolina had a national winner on Level I, but these enthusiastic letter writers from North Johnston High School in NC, all freshman, were state semi-finalists. They are Moses Douglas, Brittany Marcom, Rayne Biggs, Tiffany Edwards, and Stephen Pilkington. Edwards letter won the state and goes on to nationals.
From Kalamzoo, Michigan . . .
Tess McEnroe | Kalamazoo Gazette
Dan Harrison, 13, of Kalamazoo is an eighth grader at Mattawan Middle School. He recently won a "Letters About Literature Award" from the Michigan Center for the Book for a letter he wrote to the author of "Touching Bear Spirit." Harrison was a self proclaimed bully before he read the book and now feels like a better person. To read the article in the Kalamazoo Gazette, click here.
Charlotte Keeley, Level 2 first place winner in VA, read her winning letter during the opening day ceremonies of the Virginia Book Festival.
In Louisiana, fourth grader Reigner Kane (shown below) not only took first place in Level I, but advanced and took a National Honor award!
Below right, Sohie Muir took Level I's top award in Texas. She wrote to Anne Frank:
"Your diary was almost like a comfort blanket. When I was reading your book I forgot all about the other bad things, it was almost like your book created a bubble around me, and no one could break it."
From Hawaii . . .
Photo by Paul H. Mark, Hawaii State Public Library System
Above, from left, seated - Amber Dombroski, Andrew Chang, Lian Bossert; standing - Kanan
i Ah Van and Keala Pacheco. Not in photo: Meghan Costello. At right, State Senator Roz Baker of Maui presents Amber Dombroski’s award at the LAL ceremony April 25 on Oahu.
High School English teacher, Dr. Helen Hudson, Honored by Indiana Center for the Book with LAL Instructor of the Year Award! Read more about this Crawfordsville high school teacher.
Read more about New Hampshire's winners by going to this news article iby Emily Moffett in the Eagle Tribune:
NH students are semifinalists in national writing contest
Kenneth Anderson, a 7th grade student at St. Bernard's Academy, placed third in the Tennessee LAL state competition.
From Washington State . . .
Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh (fifth from right) stands with the families of the three Letters About Literature champions. The Level I champion is Laura Claypool (fourth from right) and the Level II champion is Austin Horjus (fifth from left). The Level III champ, Michael Bouterse, was unable to attend. His mother, Dr. Susan Bouterse (second from left), accepted the award on his behalf.
Letters About Literature
Post Office Box 609
Dallas, PA 18612
ph: 570-208-1798
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