Letters About Literature Competition

Letters about Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program sponsored by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. At the state level, it is sponsored by the Mississippi Center for the Book and Friends of Mississippi Libraries.

Students in grades 4-10 are encouraged to write personal letters to the authors of their favorite books, explaining what the book meant to them. The books can be fiction or non-fiction, and can even be a short story, poem, essay, or speech (but no song lyrics). A letter is less formal than a book report or a research paper and students are encouraged to write in their own voices, as if they were having a personal conversation with the author.

There are three Levels of Competition:

Level I: Grades 4-6
Level II: Grades 7-8
Level III: Grades 9-10

Judges for the Mississippi Center for the Book will choose first-, second-, and third-place winners in each of the three categories; these winners will receive cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50, respectively. First-place winners in each of the three categories will also advance to the National Level Judging.

Judges for The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress will select three first place winners to receive a $1,000 cash prize and three second place winners to receive a $150 cash prize.

Letters must be postmarked by January 11, 2013 and be accompanied by an entry coupon, available at http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/ For more information, email Mississippi Center for the Book Coordinator Tracy Carr at tcarr@mlc.lib.ms.us.

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