Congrats to Washington’s ‘Letters About Literature’ Winners

Linda Johns/ April 24, 2019/ Letters About Literature

From 1,327 letters submitted, three Washington students have been selected as state winners in the 2019 Letters About Literature contest and are advancing to the national contest sponsored by the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. Congratulations to our winners — Naomi, Paige, and Colton! 

Naomi Ries, a fourth-grade student at the French American School of Puget Sound on Mercer Island, is the Level 1 (grades 4 to 6) champion. Naomi wrote her letter to Lois Lowry about the book Number the Stars.

Paige Pinion, an eighth-grade student at Catherine Blaine K-8 in Seattle, is the Level 2 (grades 7 and 8) champion. Paige wrote her letter to Avi about the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

Colton Schons, a tenth-grade student at North Central High School in Spokane, is the Level 3 (grades 9-12) champion. Colton wrote his letter to Paul Murray about his book Skippy Dies.

Letters About Literature is an annual writing contest for youth where students are asked to write a letter to an author — living or deceased — whose book has changed the way the student writer sees the world. Each year the letters are incredible, poignant, and well written. Our judges commented that it was a particularly strong group of writers this year. 

In addition to our first-place winners listed above, three runners-up were named, 32 students received honorable mentions, and 147 were semi-finalists. See a more complete rundown and the list of runners up and honorable mentions at Washington’s 2019 Letters About Literature Champions

We are grateful to these young writers and their teachers for participating in Letters About Literature.

Information on the 2020 contest will be posted on this site in the late fall of 2019 (look under our “Kids and Teachers” tab). 

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