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May 4, 2007
State College and University Park, PA—The Pennsylvania Center for the Book announces the Pennsylvania winners of the 2007 Letters About Literature contest, a nationwide event inviting students in three grade categories to write letters to authors—alive or dead—explaining how the author’s words affected them or their world view. Josh Burd wins the Level I prize, grades four through six, writing to Scott Adams about Dilbert; Kui Murage wins the Level II award, grades seven and eight, writing to Sue Monk Kidd about The Secret Life of Bees; and Sadie Katarina Eichner wins the Level III award, grades nine through twelve, writing to Ray Bradbury about Fahrenheit 451. Winners receive a $150 cash prize and a $50 gift certificate from Target.
Burd, a sixth grade student at Knoch Middle School, Saxonburg; Murage, a seventh grade student from The Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont; and Eichner, a tenth grade home school student from Tarentum, received their awards at a luncheon in their honor in State College on April 28.
Target Stores is the presenting sponsor of Letters About Literature. Target Stores, along with its parent company Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.
Level I honorable-mention winners are: Lucy Sedor-Franzak of Bethel Park, writing to Shel Silverstein for The Giving Tree, Skyler Yarroll of Bethel Park, writing to J. K. Rowling for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Teresa Morin of Mercer, writing to Mitch Albom about For One More Day, Emily Waggoner of Hummelstown, writing to Chris D’Lacey for The Fire Within, Hollis Mermelstein of Pittsburgh, writing to Gail Carson Levine for The Two Princesses of Bamarre, and Logan Hanning of Honey Brook, writing to J.K. Rowling about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Level II honorable-mention winners are: Haluk Akay of Sewickley, writing to Dr. Benjamin Carson for Gifted Hands, Hannah Lugg of Lock Haven, writing to Karen Cushman about The Loud Silence of Francine Green, Jordyn Turner of Plymouth Meeting, writing to George Orwell about Animal Farm, Adam Lewis of Yardley, writing to Charles Dickens about A Christmas Carol, and Brooke Henderson of Cranberry Township, writing to Davida Wills Hurwin about A Time for Dancing.
Level III honor of high distinction, which includes a cash award of $50 goes to Lynn Detwiler of Ridgway, writing to Billy Collins about Nine Horses. Level III honorable-mention winners are: Alexis Perrine of Wallingford, writing to Dr. Seuss for How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Jelyn Waltz of Greencastle, writing to Elie Wiesel for Night, Jonathan Y. Du of Mars, writing to Richard Adams for Watership Down, Courtney Robel of New Kensington, writing to Tomie dePaola for The Clown of God, and Gabrielle Augustine of Palmerton, writing to Markus Zusak for The Book Thief.
Letters About Literature contest judges were Nancy Leuschner, a retired English and humanities teacher from Harrisburg; Kara Robertson, a data management coordinator in Pittsburgh; David Rockower, a fifth-grade teacher in Boalsburg; Maggie Herb, a high school English teacher in Waynesboro; Ruth Zeisloft, an eleventh-grade advanced-placement English teacher in Erie; Susan Campbell Bartoletti, a writer from Moscow; and Ruth (librarian) and Andrew (high school English teacher) Bucke, of Liverpool, Pennsylvania.
For more information about the contest and awards, please contact the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, at 814-863-2141 or visit the Web site—www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu.
Editor's Contact:
Catherine Grigor, 814-863-4240