Young readers in grades 4 - 10 are invited to write a personal letter to
an author for Letters about Literature (LAL), a national reading and
writing promotion program. The letter can be to any author (living or
dead) from any genre-fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or
classic-explaining how that author's work changed the student's view of
the world. This reading and writing promotion is sponsored by the Center
for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership the Nebraska
Center for the Book and Nebraska Library Commission, and locally
supported by Houchen Bindery Ltd.
LAL awards prizes on both the state and national levels. The Nebraska
Center for the Book has a panel of judges who select the top letter
writers in the state. Nebraska winners will be honored in a
proclamation-signing ceremony at the state capitol during National
Library Week in April 2013. Nebraska winners will receive state prizes,
and then advance to the national judging.
A panel of national judges for the Center for the Book in the Library of
Congress will select one National Winner per competition level (Level I
for grades 4-6, Level II for grades 7-8, and Level III for grades 9-10)
to receive a $1,000 cash award. The judges will also select one second
place winner on each competition level to receive a $150 cash award, to
be announced in May 2013.
Teachers, librarians, and parents can download free teaching materials
on reader response and reflective writing at
www.lettersaboutliterature.org. Submissions must be postmarked by
January 11, 2013. State winners will be notified in March 2013 and
national winners by mid-April. Nebraska-specific information (including
letters from Nebraska winners of past contests) is available at
http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/LAL.html.
For more information contact
Mary Jo Ryan, 402-471-3434 or 800-307-2665.
The 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.
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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission
are always available on the Library Commission website,
www.nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.