"Letters About Literature"
2007 Essay Contest Winners

The Missouri Center for the Book is pleased to announce the Missouri winners of the 2007 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 2,268 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 10, 2007, 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 gift card from Target Stores, a national sponsor of the competition.

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 16,000 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.

First row, left to right: Alaina Sonksen, Level I, Honorable Mention; Megan King, Level I, 2nd Place. Second row, left to right: Robin Carnahan, Secretary of State; Katie Shellhorn, Level III, Honorable Mention; Brian Phan, Level I, 1st Place; Catherine Moore, Level II, 1st Place; Mallory Weise, Level II, Honorable Mention; Ariana Ha, Level I, Honorable Mention; Mark Tiedemann, President, Missouri Center for the Book. Third row, left to right: Avery Wagner, Level II, 2nd  Place; Bennett Holden, Level III, 2nd Place; Lucas Showalter, Level II, Honorable Mention. Not pictured: DeAndre Gates, Level III, Honorable Mention and  Kelsey Ray, Level III, 1st Place.

Level I (Grades 4 – 6)

First Place
Brian Phan, Olivette, MO

Second Place
Megan King, New City School, St. Louis, MO

Honorable Mention
Ariana Ha, Sperreng Middle School, St. Louis, MO
Alaina Sonksen, Oak Ridge Elementary, Camdenton, MO

Level II (Grades 7 & 8)

First Place
Catherine Moore, North Kirkwood Middle School, Kirkwood, MO

Second Place
Avery Wagner, Smithton Middle School, Columbia, MO

Honorable Mention
Lucas Showalter, Rolla Jr. High School, Rolla, MO
Mallory Weise, Wildwood Middle School, Wildwood, MO

Level III (Grades 9 – 12)

First Place
Kelsey Ray, Rockwood High School, Fenton, MO

Second Place
Bennett Holden, St. Charles High School, St. Charles, MO

Honorable Mention
DeAndre Gates, Jennings Senior High School, St. Louis, MO
Katie Shellhorn, Stockton R-1 High School, Stockton, MO