What better way to get students excited about reading and writing then to ask them to write a letter to their favorite author! This is exactly the premise behind the Letters About Literature Contest.

“Letters About Literature asks student readers to write a letter to an author describing how his or her work touched their life in a personal way. Authors can be of any genre or time period and can come from any country. The contest focuses on reader response and reflective writing and has three competition levels: Level 1 for students in grades 4-6; Level 2 for students in grades 7 and 8; and Level 3 for students in grades 9-12. State level judges choose the top letter writers from each of the three competition levels who will advance to the National Level Judging. Then, a panel of national judges for the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress will select one National Winner per competition level to receive a $1,000 cash award. The judges will also select one National Honor per competition level to receive a $200 cash award.”

For official guidelines and entry forms, please visit: http://thefriends.org/about/center-for-the-book/letters-about-literature/

Want to get a jump start on instruction? Check out the Teaching Guide here.

Need examples for kids read and model? Check out past Minnesota state winners now!

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