Public Information and Communication
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 4, 2008
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665
Young Nebraskans Win State Writing Competition
Gov. Dave Heineman honored Nebraska student writers by
presenting them with Letters about Literature award certificates and signing
a proclamation announcing April 13-19, 2008, as National Library Week in
Nebraska. Students recognized for their letters to influential authors were:
Winners
Ellen Friesen, of Lincoln, for Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry
Itahi Sanchez, of Lincoln, for Please Hear What I'm Not Saying, by Charles Finn
Andrew Squires, of Lincoln, for Prison Writings: My Life Is my Sun Dance, by Leonard Peltier
Alternate Winners
Carol Fisher, of North Platte, for Eragon, by Christopher Paolini
Wyatt Nelson, of Lincoln, for Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell
Amanda Ferguson, of North Platte, for Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Young readers across the country participated in this
year's Letters about Literature competition, a reading promotion program of
the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with
Target Stores. In Nebraska, the contest is coordinated by the Nebraska
Library Commission and the Nebraska Center for the Book, with additional
support from Lee Booksellers and Houchen Bindery Ltd. These young readers
wrote a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her work changed
their view of the world or themselves. They selected authors from any
genre-fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. Nebraska winners were
chosen from three competition levels: upper elementary, middle school, and
secondary. Nebraska finalists were honored at a luncheon and received cash
prizes, gift certificates, and gift cards to Target Stores and Lee
Booksellers. They will advance to the national competition, with a chance to
win an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D. C. for themselves and their
parents. For more information see
nlc.nebraska.gov, search on Letters about Literature.
###
Nebraska Center for
the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the
state's readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers,
educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting
programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the
written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska
Library Commission.
###
As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library
Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all
Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion,
development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing
together people and information. The most up-to-date news releases from the
Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission
home page, nlc.nebraska.gov, search on News Releases.