"Letters About Literature"
2005 Essay Contest Winners

The Missouri Center for the Book is pleased to announce the Missouri winners of the 2005 Letters About Literature contest, an annual competition where students write a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves.

This year, 860 Missouri students entered the contest. Entries were divided into three competition levels: Level I (grades four through six); Level II (grades seven and eight); and Level III (grades nine through twelve). A first place, second place, and two honorable mention winners were awarded for each of the three competition levels.

Missouri winners were honored on April 13, 2005, at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, where they received certificates and cash prizes for their efforts. First place winners also received a $50 Target gift card.

The Letters About Literature contest encourages young readers to explore their personal responses to books and then express those responses in a creative, original way. The Missouri Center for the Book has sponsored the contest for eleven years, and in that time over 11,000 Missouri students have submitted entries. Missouri is consistently among the top states in the nation in number of entries.

Letters About Literature is presented in conjunction with the national Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores.

From l-r: Hannah Faith Cheatum, Jessica Lemaster, Kristen Shively, Alison Faulkner, Jamie Spencer, Katherine Petrullo, Lauren Croll, Deanna Keeling, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, Morgan Brown, Emily Meitz, Josh Hosmer-Quint, Julie Grosmann. Not pictured: Teira Worthy.

Level I (Grades 4 – 6)

First Place
Katherine Petrullo, Forsyth School, St. Louis

Second Place
Alison Faulkner, Mercer County Library, Princeton

Honorable Mention
Morgan Brown, Auxvasse Elementary School
Emily Meitz, Assumption Parish School, St. Louis

Level II (Grades 7 & 8)

First Place
Lauren Croll, Smithton Middle School, Columbia

Second Place
Hannah Faith Cheatum, home school, Conway

Honorable Mention
Josh Hosmer-Quint, West Junior High School, Columbia
Deanna Keeling, Marshfield Junior High School

Level III (Grades 9 – 12)

First Place
Jessica Lemaster, Nixa High School

Second Place
Kristen Shively, Simonsen Ninth Grade Center, Jefferson City

Honorable Mention
Julie Grosmann, Parkway South High School, Ballwin
Teira Worthy, Jennings Senior High School