2006 Letters About Literature - Iowa Winners

Iowa winners of this year's Letters About Literature program were announced Friday, April 7 at the Iowa Reading Association Conference.  Students write to a favorite author - past or present - describing how that author's work changed the reader's view of the world or self.  Readers respond to the book they've read by exploring the personal relationship between themselves, the author and the book's characters or theme.

Iowa winners' letters are submitted for national competition.

Level I Winners (grades 4-6):

• First Place - Hannah Soyer, Johnston.  Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce.  (Hannah was one of six runners up at the national level.)
• Second Place - Trevor Turner, Winterset.  Slump by Dave Jarzyna.
• Third Place - Molly Zmudka, Dubuque.  Always Wear Clean Underwear (& Other Ways Parents Say I Love You), by Marc Gellman.

Level II Winners (grades 7-9):

• First Place - Isaac Behrens, Cedar Rapids.  Joshua by Joseph Girzone.
• Second Place - Andrew Bush, Des Moines.  "Little Britches" series - "Fields of Home" by Ralph Moody.
• Third Place - Alaina Templeton, Corning.  Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.

Level III Winners (grades 10-12):

• First Place - Amol Agarwal, Clive.  Clothes by Chitra Vanerjee Divakaruni.
• Second Place - Jasmine Chen, Ames.  Night by Elie Wiesel.
• Third Place - Daniel Menzel, Des Moines.  To the Last Man by Jeff Shaara.

Letters About Literature is sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, Target Stores and the Iowa Center for the Book in the State Library of Iowa.

The deadline for 2007 entires will be around the first week in December 2006.  Student letters can be submitted by teachers, librarians or parents.  To read the above letters and to get information about the 2007 program, visit the Iowa Center for the Book.