(RALEIGH) - Has reading a book ever changed your life, or have the words of an author touched you enough to alter your view of the world or yourself? If so, the Library of Congress wants to hear about it. “Letters About Literature” is a national reading and writing program for readers in grades four through 12, sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target.
The North Carolina Center for the Book, a program of the State Library of North Carolina in the Department of Cultural Resources, has sponsored “Letters About Literature” since 1995. Thousands of North Carolina students have entered and the state has had one national winner and several finalists. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author explaining how the author’s work changed their view of the world or themselves. Young readers can write to living or deceased authors, and can select from fiction, non-fiction, contemporary, or classic literature. Deadline for entry is Dec. 14.
Judges from each state’s Center for the Book will select the state’s top essayists in three levels: Level I for grades four through six, Level II for grades seven and eight, and Level III for grades nine through 12. Criteria include content, adherence to theme, exposition, language skills and originality of style of expression. The North Carolina Center for the Book awards a $75 prize to the state winner on each competition level. These three also receive a $50 Target gift card and their letters advance to national judging. Four state honorable mention winners on each level receive a $50 award.
A panel of judges for the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress will select six national winners and 12 national runners-up. Each national winner will receive a $500 Target gift card and a $10,000 Reading Promotion Grant for their school or community library. The national runners-up will receive a $100 Target gift card and a $1,000 Reading Promotion Grant for their school or community library.
Last year, more than 55,000 students entered the contest. To enter the 2008 contest, visit http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/ld/nccftb/cftb_yaac.htm.
For information contact Frannie Ashburn, director, North Carolina Center for the Book, e-mail frannie.ashburn@ncmail.net or phone (919)807-7416. The State Library is within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. For more information about the Department of Cultural Resources, visit www.ncculture.com.