Does your middle-junior-high school student have a favorite book? A book that "changed their life"? Well the Library of Congress has a great program that connects kids to authors that are important to them. "Letters About Literature is a reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem or speech and write to the author (living or dead) about how the book affected them personally. Letters are judged on state and national levels. Tens of thousands of students from across the country enter Letters About Literature each year." In fact, a few years ago, two students from St. Tammany Parish placed in their age group in our state! Letters are sent directly to the Library of Congress. Information on how to participate is outlined in the video below. Pass this on to your student's teacher. And then after the letter is sealed, stamped, and sent, hand your middle school student a copy of Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. Your junior or high school student might enjoy listening to a tale of a young man's journey to meet his idol, science fiction author Piers Anthony. You can listen at the This American Life website, episode 470, "Show Me the Way", Act I, opens a new window.
- Letters Due Date: January 12, 2018
- Contest Entry Form: LAL Flyer Jan 12.pdf, opens a new window
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Send letters to:
Letters About Literature
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20540-4921
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