"Letters About Literature"
2006 Essay Contest Winners

The Missouri Center for the Book is pleased to announce the Missouri winners of the 2006 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, 1,800 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 11, 2006, at the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center 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 twelve years, and in that time over 13,800 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.

First Row From l-r: Casey Lynette Morrow, Emily Gerst, Haley Baldridge, Tyler Wills, Franklin McCracken-VanFleet, Sydney Bell, Courtney Hoffstetter, Pari Jafari. Back Row:  Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, Mark Tiedemann, President, Missouri Center for the Book. Other winners not pictured are:  Ben Priday, Victoria “Torie” Even, Kayla Herrera, Rachel Duff

Level I (Grades 4 – 6)

First Place
Franklin McCracken-Van Fleet, Crestview Middle School, Chesterfield

Second Place
Haley Baldridge, Alexander Doniphan Elementary, Liberty

Honorable Mention
Sydney Bell, Meadow Lane Elementary, Lee’s Summit
Tyler Wills, Alexander Doniphan Elementary, Liberty

Level II (Grades 7 & 8)

First Place
Pari Jafari, West Junior High School, Columbia

Second Place
Emily Gerst, Rockwood South Middle School, Fenton

Honorable Mention
Courtney Hofstetter, St. James Middle School, St. James
Ben Priday, Individual Entry, Sikeston

Level III (Grades 9 – 12)

First Place
Casey Lynette Morrow, Individual Entry, Mansfield

Second Place
Rachel Duff, Smithville High School, Smithville

Honorable Mention
Victoria “Torie” Even, Simonsen Ninth Grade Center, Jefferson City
Kayla Herrera, Individual Entry, Lawson